Support the striking Suttons tanker drivers!
Gilly Singh of the Liverpool Marxists reports on the strike of workers at the Eastham refinery, near Ellesmere Port, who are fighting back against attacks on their terms and conditions.
Industrial news
McDonald’s workers score win over pay – and prepare to fight for more!
Strike action taken by McDonald’s workers last September has forced management into conceding the highest wage rise for 10 years. Moses Levi in Cambridge looks at the recent victory for McDonald’s staff, and discusses the way forward in the struggle for decent pay.
Future Unions? We need unions that fight for our future!
The Fabian Society and Community trade union – both well known for their “gradualism” and willingness to compromise with the bosses – recently released a report entitled Future Unions, which seeks to dilute down the role of the unions in an age of zero-hour contracts, precarious work, and the gig economy. But, as Terry McPartlan explains, the way to fight these problems is through militancy and organisation.
Ryanair pilots score a victory as bosses open union recognition talks
In a major U-turn, Ryanair this morning declared it would agree to engage with unions after some of its Dublin-based pilots voted in favour of strike action ahead of Christmas. The low-cost airline claimed it had written to pilot unions inviting them to recognition talks. As pilot Martin Swayne writes, this marks a major victory for the flight crew.
Council workers receive measly pay offer – fight for the full claim!
The Local Government Employers in England and Wales have offered a two-year pay deal to unions representing a million council workers. This offer, however, falls far short of what is needed. Public sector unions need to unite and fight for the pay rise that workers deserve.
Students and cleaners unite and fight at King’s College London
A Unison-led demonstration was held outside King’s College London on Friday 1st December as part of an on-going campaign to bring the university’s cleaning staff in-house. Around 100 staff and students were present, demanding justice for the cleaners. Joe Attard of the KCL Marxists reports on the latest events in the cleaners’ fight for decent pay and conditions.
KCL Justice For Cleaners: the fight goes on!
To cut costs and maximise profits, King’s College London outsources its cleaning services, with workers who are on precarious contracts, earning just over the minimum wage, and with limited sick pay and holiday time. But the KCL cleaners are fighting back. Joe Russell reports on the continuing struggle of cleaners at KCL for decent pay and conditions.
Open letter to RCN leaders: “strike whilst the iron is hot”
In his recent Budget, chancellor Philip Hammond made a weak and non-committal pledge to consider finding the money for a pay rise for nurses. Despite such mealy-mouthed promises, the Royal College of Nursing leadership welcomed Hammond’s statement. We publish here an open letter by several grassroots nurse activists, written in response to these events.
Workers and students unite to fight outsourcing at UoL
SOAS Marxist students report from the protest earlier this week called by the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) University of London branch in support of bringing outsourced workers at the Senate House back in-house.
First Manchester bus drivers step up strike action
Bus drivers at the Rusholme depot at First Manchester Ltd continued strike action on 20th November in an escalating industrial dispute over fair pay. Socialist Appeal supporters attended the picket line for the latest in a series of weekly 24-hour strikes. Nick Martin of the Manchester Marxists reports from the picket line of the striking bus drivers.
Obituary: “Red Robbo” – when car workers challenged the system
The death last month of car worker and trade unionist Derek Robinson, aged 90, has revived many memories of the factory workplace struggles of the 1970s. Steve Jones looks back at the life of union militant, “Red Robbo”, and the lessons for today in fighting back against the bosses.
Rail workers out on the picket lines for new wave of strikes
Today and tomorrow (8-9th November) will see a new wave of rail strikes taking place across Britain, as the RMT union takes further action over such ongoing concerns as safe operation and the use of guards on trains and implementation of driver-only operation. Steve Jones reports on the latest round of strike action on railways across in defence of safety and conditions.