Yorkshire health workers back in action
Unison NHS members in Yorkshire are currently on strike due to redundancies and pay cuts. Richard Vivian reports on the dispute and action.
Industrial news
Save Lewisham Hospital: 25,000 march against closure
On Saturday 26th January, up to 25,000 workers, Labour party members, trade unionists, students and members of the local community marched against the proposed closure of Lewisham Hospital’s A&E department. Such a large turnout for a local protest is unprecedented in recent times and demonstrates the real depth of resistance to the cuts and anger at the government in the community.
McCluskey: “the system is broken”
Since his election to the position of general secretary of Unite – Britain’s largest union, with 1.5 million members – two years ago, Len McCluskey has moved to the left in response to the pressures from below. This was shown at a meeting on Tuesday 15th January at the London School of Economics, where McCluskey delivered a militant speech on the crisis and the need for a response from the labour movement.
Halesowen College: three more UCU members sacked.
On Monday evening, January 14th, about 90 trade unionists from Halesowen and across the West Midlands filled the lounge bar of the Old Hill Cricket Club in Park Road, Haden Hill, Halesowen. Why had they come together on a cold wet January evening? To give support to the now four UCU members of the Maths department at Halesowen College who have been sacked. Darrall Cozens from the West Midlands UCU reports on the latest developments.
Defend the Halesowen four: stop management attacks on trade unionism.
One lecturer in further education in the West Midlands has been sacked for his role as an active UCU trade unionists, and measures are being taken against three others. Darrall Cozens, a UCU member in the West Midlands, looks at the background to the case of the “Halesowen four”.
Welcome changes in Unite
Unite – the largest trade union in Britain, with over 1.5 million members – has positioned itself as the leadership of the labour movement against the capitalist class and its political representatives in the Coalition. The radicalised mood developing from below has begun to find an expression in the words and actions of the leadership of Unite, and in particular in the figure of Len McCluskey, the current General Secretary of Unite, who is seeking to be relected.
ScotRail: Workers fight back
Workers at ScotRail are due to take strike action over the Christmas period. We publish here a report from a worker at ScotRail, who explains the background and reasons behind the strike.
How to fight the cuts – Labour needs militant stand
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.
Attacks on Sick Pay Rights in Further Education
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
Tesco Drivers Strike Update
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.
Doncaster Drivers go on Strike against Tesco
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.
NHS Union Members in West and Mid Yorkshire Will Not Be Moved!
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.