Socialist Appeal meeting at Unite conference: ‘Fight and fight again!’
A Socialist Appeal fringe
meeting on lessons of the Sparks’ dispute at the Unite Trade Union Policy
Conference in Brighton attracted 30 people.
Industrial news
Britain’s biggest union supports nationalisation of the big banks
The need for socialist policies and for the nationalisation of the
commanding heights of the economy dominated much of the agenda of the
UNITE policy conference this year, and following a very radical
conference the union has committed to supporting the nationalisation of
the private banks, utilities and railways. The mood of the conference
shows a sharp shift to the left amongst the UNITE rank and file recently
and its reflection in the leadership. Not one speaker from the union’s
executive or from the conference delegates openly opposed the principles
of nationalisation or of the need to adopt socialist policies.
London bus workers fight on
Friday,
22nd June witnessed something unprecedented in British industrial
relations. For the first time, London bus drivers, engineers and supervisors
struck together in solidarity. We are striking for the same bonus being given
to other transport workers in recognition of the hard work we’ll be
putting in over the Olympics. But the strike is about much, much more
than a one off bonus
UCU 2012 Conference report
The UCU Annual Congress held in June in Manchester took
place against the backdrop of three important factors: the return of a
double-dip recession heralding even more cutbacks in public spending, the
continuing battle over public sector pensions and the attempts of the UCU
General Secretary, Sally Hunt, to bypass established democratic procedures
within the union by conducting an e-ballot amongst members on policy
development.
Meeting at Unite conference tonight!
Monday night in Brighton sees Socialist Appeal hosting a fringe meeting at the Unite conference.
Protest at Fawley this Wed
Activists have led a call to support a protest outside the Fawley refinery this coming Wed.
Doctors take strike action
British
doctors have gone on strike today for the first time since 1975 over
the government cuts to pensions. Unsurprisingly, this has been met with a
chorus of indignation by the Tories who have accused the doctors of
“penalising patients” by taking industrial action.
Claim that MSP was blacklisted and Directors named and shamed in parliament
Claims that some elected politicians including an MSP were spied on and blacklisted were made in parliament yesterday. The Scottish Affairs Select Committee yesterday heard a mammoth 2 hour evidence session from Dave Smith (Secretary, Blacklist Support Group) as part of their ongoing investigation into blacklisting in employment.
Fight Northumberland Privatisations – Drive the Con Dems out
Not content with job losses which have already reached 1300,
Northumberland County Council’s Lib Dem and Tory leaders are seeking to
privatise up to 1,000 further jobs through a so called “Public Private
Partnership”. The proposal would mean a transfer to the PPP Company by
the end of this financial year.
Local Government Pensions: Secret negotiations sell the members short
Almost four months since the national negotiators struck a secret deal with the employers, UNISON has published a press release containing the “main points” of the proposed Local Government Pension Scheme to be known as LGPS 2014. Despite the fact that the elected Service Group Executive found out the content of the proposals only today reports indicate that it was presented in a series of glossy leaflets and factsheets. The proposals which have been rolled out less than three weeks prior to the Local Government Conference of the union has essentially been cobbled together behind the backs of even the highest elected bodies of the union.
Ratcliffe walkout
Over 600 construction workers walked out today at Ratcliffe power
station in support of a suspended unite safety rep
Labour of Love: The Robert Smillie Story
David Hopper, General Secretary of the Durham Miners Association, looks back at the remarkable life of ‘Bob’ Smillie as he reviews a new book on this pioneer of the movement.