Better late than never… Here is a short report on the effect of the PCS strike (held earlier this week) in the North-East of England. Scoll down this page to read more reports.
STOP PRESS: NEXT NATIONAL STRIKE 24 MARCH!
A couple of
days after four London based Socialist Party activists were banned from office
in UNISON. Regional Full Time Officials raided their branch offices seizing
computer equipment and records including confidential case files. This Police
style raid has nothing in common with the democratic traditions of the Labour
and Trade Union Movement and much more in common with the methods of Stalinism,
circa 1937
A couple of
days after four London based Socialist Party activists were banned from office
in UNISON. Regional Full Time Officials raided their branch offices seizing
computer equipment and records including confidential case files. This Police
style raid has nothing in common with the democratic traditions of the Labour
and Trade Union Movement and much more in common with the methods of Stalinism,
circa 1937
The Scottish Defense League (SDL) was once again run out of a major Scottish
city on Saturday the 20th of February by militant anti-fascist
demonstrators. This was the Scottish wing of the English Defense League’s
second attempt at staging a march in Scotland, after they had been denied a
march and bussed out of town in Glasgow.
The Scottish Defense League (SDL) was once again run out of a major Scottish
city on Saturday the 20th of February by militant anti-fascist
demonstrators. This was the Scottish wing of the English Defense League’s
second attempt at staging a march in Scotland, after they had been denied a
march and bussed out of town in Glasgow.
Today several hundred PCS strikers left their picket lines to join a lunchtime march through the capital city to show the workers of London that the members are angry and won’t take no for a answer. The march ended in a rally at a hall next to Westminster Cathedrall…. Socialist Appeal sellers were on hand and a full report with pictures will appear shortly
Today several hundred PCS strikers left their picket lines to join a lunchtime march through the capital city to show the workers of London that the members are angry and won’t take no for a answer. The march ended in a rally at a hall next to Westminster Cathedrall…. Socialist Appeal sellers were on hand and a full report with pictures will appear shortly
On an extremely cold and windy morning a large gathering of Civil
Servants, Fire Brigade workers , the deputy leader of the Green Party
and Students from the University gathered outside the Froum in Norwich
to hear speakers from PCS and UNISON call for united action of all
public sector workers in defence of not only the compensation scheme
but also against ongoing cuts and privatisation.
On an extremely cold and windy morning a large gathering of Civil
Servants, Fire Brigade workers , the deputy leader of the Green Party
and Students from the University gathered outside the Froum in Norwich
to hear speakers from PCS and UNISON call for united action of all
public sector workers in defence of not only the compensation scheme
but also against ongoing cuts and privatisation.
As was to be expected the propaganda war has already started
after the first day of strike action. One the one side is the government
claiming that the PCS action had little effect as only 80,000 PCS members took
strike action on Monday, March 8th, as compared to the PCS figure
from the front line of over 200,000. This shows that the battle is not only of
strike action and resolve but also of words as the government tries to
undermine the democratic ballot result of PCS members to defend terms and
conditions that were negotiated and settled as far back as 1986. It would seem
that the anti-union government of Margaret Thatcher was prepared to agree a
deal with the civil servants unions which the present Labour government is now
trying to unilaterally rip up in order to save money on future redundancies.
Working people are yet again being forced to pay the price for a capitalist
crisis that they did not cause.
As was to be expected the propaganda war has already started
after the first day of strike action. One the one side is the government
claiming that the PCS action had little effect as only 80,000 PCS members took
strike action on Monday, March 8th, as compared to the PCS figure
from the front line of over 200,000. This shows that the battle is not only of
strike action and resolve but also of words as the government tries to
undermine the democratic ballot result of PCS members to defend terms and
conditions that were negotiated and settled as far back as 1986. It would seem
that the anti-union government of Margaret Thatcher was prepared to agree a
deal with the civil servants unions which the present Labour government is now
trying to unilaterally rip up in order to save money on future redundancies.
Working people are yet again being forced to pay the price for a capitalist
crisis that they did not cause.
"It was a freezing morning but spirits were high." PCS striker Matt Well reports from a picket line in Cambridge on the first day of the two day strike by civil service workers taking action against government plans to slash redundancy payouts.