We publish here a letter from a Socialist Appeal supporter about a recent dispute between engineering company Balfour Beatty and workers in the Unite and GMB unions, which demonstrates the power of workers when they take action en masse and show solidarity with one another.
Tuesday 3rd December saw not only workers in Higher Education out on strike, but also members of the unions in Further Education, who have equally seen attacks on pay and conditions over the past period. Darrall Cozens, UCU retired member, reports on the HE and FE strikes in Coventry.
On Wednesday 27th November, around 50 people came to a Coventry TUC public meeting on austerity and the fight back. Speakers from various unions and local groups discussed the impact of the cuts in Coventry and nationally. Darrall Cozens, UCU delegate to the Coventry TUC, reports on the meeting and provides a statement by the Coventry TUC on the Coalition’s austerity and how to fight it.
We publish here a video by the Reel News, which report on the official TUC national day of action against blacklisting that took place last week on 20th November. The next protest against the blacklist takes place on Friday 29th November at 9am, outside High Court on the Strand in London, where the first case is being heard against blacklisting as an unlawful conspiracy. Tomorrow, Wednesday 27th November, Steve Kelly of the Blacklist Support Group will be speaking in UCL alongside Rob Sewell, editor of Socialist Appeal, on the lessons of the trade unions struggles of the past.
We are publishing here an extract from a letter sent to the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) by Arthur Scargill, the President of the National Union of Minerworkers during the 1984-85 miners’ strike, who outlines evidence that the police were preparing a conspiracy file for Scargill and that his arrest during the Battle of Orgreave was premeditated. This extrace has been forwarded to Socialist Appeal by the Justice for Mineworkers campaign.
We publish here a report from Socialist Appeal supporters in PCS, who highlight the successful campaign to reinstate victimised trade unionist Kevin Smith. An employment tribunal has officially ruled that Kevin was unfairly dismissed by the Home Office for his trade union activity and has ordered for Kevin to be reinstated.
We publish here the latest statement by the Blacklist Support Group (BSG), who are calling on all supporters, trades councils and trade union branches to organise an event in your area for the official TUC day of action that has been called for Wednesday 20th November to put pressure on firms guilty of blacklisting.
On the morning of 13th November, FBU members staged a four-hour walkout as part of the campaign to defend pensions, protesting against the raising of the retirement age and the increase in pension contributions of up to 14.2% of salary. Darrall Cozens of the Coventry TUC reports on the latest action by firefighters against the Coalition’s austerity programme.
The announcement from BAE Systems Ltd (BAE), made on 6th November, that at least 940 jobs would go as part of the planned loss of 1,775 jobs in the UK, produced a wave of anger, throughout Portsmouth dockyard and the wider city. It is the task of the leaders of the labour movement to mobilise the trade unions in defence of jobs and demand the nationalisation of any industry threatened with closure.
BAE Systems – the giant defence company – recently announced the closure of its Portsmouth shipyard, resulting in the loss of almost one thousand jobs. We publish here reports of a meeting and rally organised by Portsmouth Trades Council to protest against the shipyard closure and job losses. In addition, Socialist Appeal supporters in Portsmouth interviewed a worker and trade unionist from the shipyard, which we also publish here.
The first talks to take place between blacklisted workers and representatives of the blacklist compensation scheme ended in acrimony earlier this week as the delegation from the Blacklist Support Group walked out of the meeting in disgust at what they described as “piss take” proposals. We publish here the latest press release from the Blacklist Support Group, which reports on this scandalous offer of compensation for blacklisted workers.
Unite’s leverage campaign, which Len McCluskey has organised in recent years in order to put pressure on the bosses, has been under the spotlight this week in the right wing rag the Daily Mail, which has had it on its front page every day. The press have accused Unite of bullying bosses; but these same bosses were not too worried about blacklisting or sacking workers. Alan Keays of the Blacklist Support Group points out the hypocrisy of the bosses.