Industrial news

The capitalist crisis has posed things in a point blank fashion. Austerity cuts have hammered local government and public services across the board. There will be no let-up in these cuts. Now is the time for the labour movement to rise up, reclaim the militant traditions of the past, and fight back.

The FE
employers organisation, the Association of Colleges (AoC) has announced that it
is withdrawing from national agreements where it gives advice to FE colleges on
sick pay agreements. This is another step in attacking term and conditions of
FE staff that began almost 20 years ago

THE
long-running Tesco lorry drivers’ dispute has come to an end after
workers agreed a new redundancy package. The bitter dispute at Doncaster
’s Middle Bank distribution depot began in August after the firm’s
transport workforce was switched from Tesco to hauliers Eddie Stobart
Limited with 180 drivers promptly issued with redundancy notices.  This
sparked a string of one to 8 day strikes leading to an all out strike
last week.

186 Doncaster Tesco distribution drivers, members of Unite
the Union, are being sacked and replaced by drivers on cheaper rates of
pay.  Many have more than 20 years
loyal service but this counts for nothing in the world of Tesco.

370 members of Unison and Unite
in West Yorkshire have been on a 3 day strike in protest at redundancies and
pay cuts. Admin and clerical staff at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which runs
Pinderfields, Pontefract and Dewsbury hospitals, are taking action in an
escalating dispute with managers. Changes to pay bandings to cut costs at the
cash-strapped trust could leave staff up to £2,800 worse off.

It is not often that we get speakers from outside the city
to come to Coventry TUC, but on Thursday evening, November 15th,
delegates were enthused and enthralled by John Dunn, former Clay Cross
Councillor and Derbyshire NUM officer, and now of the SMSC.

On Wednesday, November 14th, a number of Socialist Appeal supporters in Unite went along to give support  to a picket at the
Oxford Circus CrossRail site, organised by the sparks’ rank and file committee.

‘A company that only makes money is not good business’.  This
phrase from Henry Ford does not appear to be an inspiration for Stephen
Odell, the current CEO of Ford Europe. Money seems to be the only
reason for its industrial policy, as shownby the announced plant
closures in Genk and Southampton (UK).The announcement on October 24 of
the plant closures and the layoffs of 4500 workers in Belgium and 500 in
the UK are another nail in the coffin of the European automotive
sector.

On Saturday, October 20^th,
the streets of London were once again filled with red flags and
colourful trade union banners as 130,000 workers and youth from all over the
country marched against the austerity policies of the LibDem-Tory
coalition government.