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Showing posts with label GMB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GMB. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
From green to true blue in 2 years
The Green party are on the fringes of politics and for a very good reason allot of what they say is not true and they much like the others cannot be trusted either.
This has rung true every time and is no different now in Brighton city council where their administration is forcing through big cuts to jobs and services.
Despite riding to power on an anti cuts message they are now going back on every promise they ever made. Sounds familiar right?
As the socialist party pointed out at the time if the greens were not prepared to stand up and fight the cuts they would be forced into doing the Tories dirty work. Talking about fighting the cuts and duping workers into thinking your any alternative is shameful when you then come in and look to attack jobs and services with as much vigour as any of the other main political parties.
Even Caroline Lucas a reformist in every sense has stepped back from her green council this could create big splits within the greens but we all know they are different greens when things go wrong they say that’s nothing to do with us we’re the other nicer greens not stopping to think they all bear the same name.
The Green Party, in the style of other protest movements, has spent a good deal of time attacking the uniformity and failures, both real and imagined, of the political establishment. And, following the typical trajectory further, once they are in power, they have sold out further than the major political groups could be accused of. It is very similar to Animal Farm in that way.
In 2009, the then Conservative-run council tried to impose a pay deal on employees which meant a cut of up to £95 per week, with the burden falling particularly heavily on low-paid cleaning staff. Rightly, trade unions disputed the plans and a negotiated settlement was reached. For a while, it seemed that the matter had been put to bed. The last people observers expected to draw up similar plans was the incoming Green administration, which claimed to be on the side of the low paid.
Yesterday, the GMB union was warned by a senior council member that its plans for industrial action (after negotiations collapsed) against the slashing of its members pay would be similar to the ‘ Winter of Discontent’ partly attributable to Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power. It would appear that the party, which the member insisted was still the most trade unions friendly, wants council employees to roll over and accept savage pay reductions without any protest. Is this inconsistency as simple as ‘we like trade unions, as long as they don’t bother us’? ‘Yes, you should be able to strike, but if you do it’ll destroy you’?
As the GMB said: “from Green to true blue in just two years”.
Brighton like other councils needs a fighting socialist alternative. Only TUSC stand against all cuts and would unlike the greens and the labour party come to mention it fight all cuts and mobilise to take on this rotten government who is determined to make workers pay for a crisis not of their making.
Monday, 11 March 2013
Council cuts in East of England in figures
The shocking figures out today give us another glimpse at the devastating impact of the cuts on local government and local councils.
EAST Herts is one of the few local authorities in the East of England which has increased its workforce according to figures released today (Monday, March 11) by the GMB union.
It says that Britain's 407 councils now employ 380,500 fewer people than when the coalition government came into office.
The number of employees of 52 local authorities in the East of England fell from 217,500 in the first quarter of 2010 to 170,400 in the third quarter of 2012. This is a fall of 47,100 or 21.7 per cent since the General Election in 2010.
The fall in Essex is second only to Central Bedfordshire, with the number of employees down by 10,071, or 24.3 per cent, to 31,372 while Herts is in sixth position with a drop of 1,669 or 4.4 per cent to 36,085.
In Harlow, the district council's workforce has fallen 22.8 per cent, down from 601 to 464. In Uttlesford the drop is 2.1 per cent, down from 335 to 328. However East Herts payroll increased by 12, up 3.2 per cent from 374 to 386.
These are hard hitting devastating cuts. We must point out as the GMB union has failed to mention a few of these councils are labour run and across the country many big cities have a labour council doing the tories dirty work for them. Very little opposition inside the council chamber has been heard a few notable exceptions who have now been expelled or in the process of expulsion for daring to vote against cuts.
If no resistance is built inside and outside the councils this figure will only increase as the cuts deepen.
TUSC will be looking to provide an electoral alternative across county council elections this may do support TUSC and get involved if you can to fight all the cuts and privatisation going on.
Let’s not give labour a clear run to take control of more budgets to wield more axe’s at our jobs and services.
Unions like the GMB instead of bleating about how bad the cuts are. Hello we know how bad they are we’re on the sharp end of them how about organising a fight back?
If you’re too far up labours ass to see the wood from the trees it’s time to get out and break the link. Funding a party who are making cuts is a disgrace and its time union members reclaimed their unions and turned them into militant fighting unions for the 21st century.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
The scandal of blacklisting Trade union response needed
Blacklisting has been going on for year’s workers have found them unable to gain work and haven’t been able to understand the reasons why.
This has often happened to trade unionists who have highlighted health and safety concerns and became a thorn in the side of the boss’s but it has also happened to MP’s and MSP’s with Tommy Sheridan admitting that he felt he’d been blacklisted for fighting for workers rights in the past. This is a national disgrace and the TUC must take this up as a major campaign.
National Shop Stewards Network chair, Rob Williams, recently interviewed Dave Smith, a blacklisted construction worker. At last there has been publicity about the disgraceful blacklisting of workers, largely because Ian Kerr of the Consulting Association (CA) had to go in front of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee which is investigating these anti-union practices. Dave explains the significance of these new revelations.
What was the CA and how did the big companies use it to victimise union reps and activists?
The CA ran the blacklist for the 44 largest construction firms in the UK. It held a database of over 3,200 union members. The senior HR managers supplied information on workers – including work history and union activity.
What has been the effect on the lives of blacklisted workers?
The firms paid for access to the database. They checked the names of workers applying for work. If a name came up the worker was refused a job or sacked. Union activists were out of work for years. Some lost their homes. Two blacklisted workers from the Jubilee Line project in London have committed suicide.
After Kerr’s testimony, what should happen?
GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny has written to every Labour councillor in the UK arguing that no blacklisting firm should be allowed to tender for publicly funded projects.
In September, 28 workers on the Crossrail project were sacked. The shop steward, Frank Morris has been protesting daily. Crossrail and the contracting consortium Bam Ferrovial Kier deny wrongdoing. Does this show that blacklisting and victimisation is still going on?
Blacklisting is definitely still going on. Ian Kerr admitted that there was an awful lot of discussion at blacklisting meetings about the Crossrail project. He also admitted there was lots of blacklisting on the Olympics. We have known it for years – Frank Morris is the latest.
The Sparks’ defeat of the Besna contract showed how workers can fight back and win. Two union reps at Ratcliffe and Grangemouth were suspended but through action and pressure by their members, both were reinstated. What does this show?
Blacklisting takes place across every sector of the economy; it is part of the struggle between capital and labour – and is not likely to go away. But we will fight for justice in every way – in the courts, in legislation, in the press – but most importantly industrially. The Besna and Crossrail dispute put blacklisting centre stage – thousands of flyers have gone into building sites. Thousands of building workers have responded by taking industrial action to defend our reps. It was interfering with production that won successes, not reliance on employment tribunals.
This is not about one or two people but a collective struggle based initially among blacklisted workers. We try to draw in support from the unions, lawyers, academics, politicians, Occupy and human rights activists. Our small fight is part of a bigger struggle to change the world.
The NSSN is playing an ongoing part of the campaign against blacklisting.
More info on disputes and updates on fighting against blacklisting you can read at www.shopstewards.net
Aswell as the baclisting support group which is on facebook too.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Supporting striking disabled Remploy workers
Today thousands of hard working disabled workers who work at the Remploy factories across the UK are taking strike action to defend their jobs. They face loosing all of their jobs and being thrown on to the scrap heap. The socialist party and the NSSN stand shoulder to shoulder with all taking action today.
None of the Con-Dem cuts are necessary but this cut is particularly vicious. For a paltry saving, the government is prepared to throw hundreds of disabled people onto the scrap heap.
Any claims that this is to stop segregation make your blood boil - where are the jobs, where is the support, for these workers to make a transition to a "normal" workplace?
One GMB member explained: "I worked in a different factory for seven and a half years before coming here.
I hated it - I was constantly bullied. Coming here has been great for me. I've worked here for 21 years. I'm much more comfortable here, I've made friends."
A lot of the people working at Barking have family members who are also disabled or in need have support. What was worrying them was that if Remploy factories close, it's not only themselves who suffer, but what future will there be for their families?
One said: "Just because we have a learning disability we're treated like second class citizens - we can be kicked out and shouldn't be seen and shouldn't be heard".
Paul said: "I've been on eight or ten protests to fight for our jobs here. We marched to parliament. But this is the first time I've had to go on strike. We've got no choice."
At lunchtime today the press are meant to be coming and workers from some of the other Remploy factories also under threat in London are coming over for a rally.
By Paula Mitchell
Barking GMB steward condemns Remploy closure plans
Barking Remploy GMB shop steward Mark Holloway spoke to The Socialist:
"This dispute is about the closure of the Remploy factories. The government has made a decision that Remploy will close.
"There are 54 Remploy factories nationwide. They produce a good standard of goods. It will cost thousands of disabled people the opportunity to work and condemn them to a life on social security.
"Remploy provides an opportunity for disabled people to work in an environment that is safe and which understands their special needs, and gives them an opportunity to contribute to the local and national economy.
"It is far better than a life on benefits. Remploy factories are like small communities. A lot of people have leaning difficulties and are challenged but they feel safe and they make friends and do a day's work.
"Remploy work also gives respite to the parents, carers and social workers that have to look after them."
On Thursday 19 July Remploy Unite members in Portsmouth joined the picket lines to show their opposition to the threat to jobs.
Rosemary has worked at Remploy for 35 years: "This is my life. If this place closes, would we get other work? This was a job for life. It it closes it will effect everything, including our pensions."
Gary added: "Can't remember the last person they took on. People want dignity, a wage; people have a right to work.
Cameron says we sit around drinking tea. That's not true. If we haven't got work here we do maintenance and cleaning duties. What Remploy needs is investment in new machinery and new contracts."
The Unite steward in Portsmouth Remploy said: "Our members want security and to know their future. We need to get people back into work.
"We have young people here on eight week work experience; they should be offered jobs here. I've worked here 34 years.
"Whoever takes over here wants to reduce disabled people to 51% of the workforce. I've been amazed at the support here today."
This fight is not going away the cuts will continue we are only 15% in to the cuts project. Its time we all stand up and fight. The socialist party needs your support and so do these workers who are some of the most vunrable in society. We send our solidarity and support to all workers taking action today.
None of the Con-Dem cuts are necessary but this cut is particularly vicious. For a paltry saving, the government is prepared to throw hundreds of disabled people onto the scrap heap.
Any claims that this is to stop segregation make your blood boil - where are the jobs, where is the support, for these workers to make a transition to a "normal" workplace?
One GMB member explained: "I worked in a different factory for seven and a half years before coming here.
I hated it - I was constantly bullied. Coming here has been great for me. I've worked here for 21 years. I'm much more comfortable here, I've made friends."
A lot of the people working at Barking have family members who are also disabled or in need have support. What was worrying them was that if Remploy factories close, it's not only themselves who suffer, but what future will there be for their families?
One said: "Just because we have a learning disability we're treated like second class citizens - we can be kicked out and shouldn't be seen and shouldn't be heard".
Paul said: "I've been on eight or ten protests to fight for our jobs here. We marched to parliament. But this is the first time I've had to go on strike. We've got no choice."
At lunchtime today the press are meant to be coming and workers from some of the other Remploy factories also under threat in London are coming over for a rally.
By Paula Mitchell
Barking GMB steward condemns Remploy closure plans
Barking Remploy GMB shop steward Mark Holloway spoke to The Socialist:
"This dispute is about the closure of the Remploy factories. The government has made a decision that Remploy will close.
"There are 54 Remploy factories nationwide. They produce a good standard of goods. It will cost thousands of disabled people the opportunity to work and condemn them to a life on social security.
"Remploy provides an opportunity for disabled people to work in an environment that is safe and which understands their special needs, and gives them an opportunity to contribute to the local and national economy.
"It is far better than a life on benefits. Remploy factories are like small communities. A lot of people have leaning difficulties and are challenged but they feel safe and they make friends and do a day's work.
"Remploy work also gives respite to the parents, carers and social workers that have to look after them."
On Thursday 19 July Remploy Unite members in Portsmouth joined the picket lines to show their opposition to the threat to jobs.
Rosemary has worked at Remploy for 35 years: "This is my life. If this place closes, would we get other work? This was a job for life. It it closes it will effect everything, including our pensions."
Gary added: "Can't remember the last person they took on. People want dignity, a wage; people have a right to work.
Cameron says we sit around drinking tea. That's not true. If we haven't got work here we do maintenance and cleaning duties. What Remploy needs is investment in new machinery and new contracts."
The Unite steward in Portsmouth Remploy said: "Our members want security and to know their future. We need to get people back into work.
"We have young people here on eight week work experience; they should be offered jobs here. I've worked here 34 years.
"Whoever takes over here wants to reduce disabled people to 51% of the workforce. I've been amazed at the support here today."
This fight is not going away the cuts will continue we are only 15% in to the cuts project. Its time we all stand up and fight. The socialist party needs your support and so do these workers who are some of the most vunrable in society. We send our solidarity and support to all workers taking action today.
Saturday, 30 June 2012
In support of the Sheffield recycling workers on indefinite strike
In Sheffield another wonderful Labour council has been feebly passing on the tory cuts and has resulted in all sorts of chaos this is what you get with a lab our run council for anyone thinking labour are a party worth supporting.
After already taking 15 days of strike action over the last month, the GMB members started an indefinite all-out strike on 23 June. They are fighting for their jobs and conditions, and for re-opening of the sites every day to provide a decent service.
Big multinational Veolia, that has a 35-year contract to run the city's waste management services, wouldn't take a cut in profits so forced down the tendering bid by sub-contractor Sova to operate the recycling centres.
In turn, Sova have cut the opening days and hours of the five Dump-It sites, sacking six workers and cutting the hours and pay of the remaining 30.
The workers only get the minimum wage as it is, under the proposed annualised-hours they'll only get 22 hours a week in winter!
Everyone knows that the cuts in recycling will lead to more waste-dumping and fly-tipping.
Who'll pay for that mess to be cleaned up? Won't be Veolia, it'll be council tax-payers. So much for the council 'saving' £500,000!
"This is privatisation for you," says one queueing driver as he signs the union's petition, "why should they (Veolia) pocket the profit, that money should go back to the community."
Nearly everyone agrees with the strikers, the security guards direct drivers to the petition. But it'll take more than public opinion to win this strike.
Socialist Party members have been on the picket lines every day and helped raise money for the hardship fund.
We presented a petition to the last council meeting at which the Labour councillors were lambasted by the strikers.
The all-out strike needs to be as hard-hitting as possible. The Socialist Party has suggested that the GMB sets up a support group and appeals, not only for finance, but for supporters to help the strikers picket each site 24 hours a day in order to stop the full skips being emptied.
Because union drivers won't cross the picket line, Sova has hired another haulage firm to strike-break, protests should be organised against them as well. A few managers and a few scabs can't keep the sites going.
Please send messages of support (email: peter.davies@gmb.org.uk) and especially financial donations to: Peter Davies (Sova Strike Fund), GMB office, 188/190 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1SY. Please make cheques payable to GMB.
Sova strikers will be marching on the Rally for our Future - Defend Education and Public Services called by education unions NASUWT and NUT. Saturday 14 July, assemble 11.30am, Devonshire Green, Sheffield
Open the books!
Sheffield claims to be the greenest city in the country. It won't be able to for much longer if the Labour council's cuts in environmental, waste-management and recycling services go ahead.
Instead of cuts, the council should be investing more in expanding recycling services which would not only encourage more environmentally friendly behaviour, but also save money in the long run.
Socialists believe that the way to encourage changes in behaviour is not through coercion or punitive charges and fines, but through education and providing the services and facilities to make recycling as easy as possible.
But Sheffield's waste-management services were privatised eleven years ago. The then Lib Dem council signed a 30-year deal with Veolia which was then extended another five years when Labour got in. Veolia sub-contract the operation of the recycling centres every five years.
This year Veolia will cream off over £300,000 profit just by sub-contracting out at a lower tender price. On top of that they make more profit from selling on recyclable materials, £1 million, maybe more.
Exactly how much, nobody seems to know. The GMB put in a Freedom of Information request but there are still lots of unanswered questions. Under the cloak of 'commercial confidentiality', what many suspect is a dodgy deal is being covered up.
The GMB learned that Sova Recycling Ltd were advised to reduce their tendering bid. At least two managers for Sova were working for the previous sub-contractors, South Yorkshire and North Notts Recycling. And Sova were only registered at Companies House in November last year, well after the tendering process started. This all smacks of an 'insider deal'.
This is why socialists call for 'opening the books'. The accounts of these companies should be open to inspection by the trade unions and workers' representatives. Let's see where all the profits have gone, profits which could have kept the sites open and workers in jobs.
Socialists oppose this privatisation rip-off. We believe that all privatised services should be brought back under council ownership and control.
In fact the GMB proposed that the council submits an in-house bid at the start of the tendering process. They were told that the council did not have the necessary experience to run the sites. But it's the workers who run the sites, know the job inside out, not councillors or management bureaucrats.
Under the current privatised and out-sourced set up, there are three tiers of management and supervision - the council, Veolia and Sova! If the service was brought back in-house and run under democratic workers' control and management, not only would it be a better service, it would be cheaper as well.
After already taking 15 days of strike action over the last month, the GMB members started an indefinite all-out strike on 23 June. They are fighting for their jobs and conditions, and for re-opening of the sites every day to provide a decent service.
Big multinational Veolia, that has a 35-year contract to run the city's waste management services, wouldn't take a cut in profits so forced down the tendering bid by sub-contractor Sova to operate the recycling centres.
In turn, Sova have cut the opening days and hours of the five Dump-It sites, sacking six workers and cutting the hours and pay of the remaining 30.
The workers only get the minimum wage as it is, under the proposed annualised-hours they'll only get 22 hours a week in winter!
Everyone knows that the cuts in recycling will lead to more waste-dumping and fly-tipping.
Who'll pay for that mess to be cleaned up? Won't be Veolia, it'll be council tax-payers. So much for the council 'saving' £500,000!
"This is privatisation for you," says one queueing driver as he signs the union's petition, "why should they (Veolia) pocket the profit, that money should go back to the community."
Nearly everyone agrees with the strikers, the security guards direct drivers to the petition. But it'll take more than public opinion to win this strike.
Socialist Party members have been on the picket lines every day and helped raise money for the hardship fund.
We presented a petition to the last council meeting at which the Labour councillors were lambasted by the strikers.
The all-out strike needs to be as hard-hitting as possible. The Socialist Party has suggested that the GMB sets up a support group and appeals, not only for finance, but for supporters to help the strikers picket each site 24 hours a day in order to stop the full skips being emptied.
Because union drivers won't cross the picket line, Sova has hired another haulage firm to strike-break, protests should be organised against them as well. A few managers and a few scabs can't keep the sites going.
Please send messages of support (email: peter.davies@gmb.org.uk) and especially financial donations to: Peter Davies (Sova Strike Fund), GMB office, 188/190 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1SY. Please make cheques payable to GMB.
Sova strikers will be marching on the Rally for our Future - Defend Education and Public Services called by education unions NASUWT and NUT. Saturday 14 July, assemble 11.30am, Devonshire Green, Sheffield
Open the books!
Sheffield claims to be the greenest city in the country. It won't be able to for much longer if the Labour council's cuts in environmental, waste-management and recycling services go ahead.
Instead of cuts, the council should be investing more in expanding recycling services which would not only encourage more environmentally friendly behaviour, but also save money in the long run.
Socialists believe that the way to encourage changes in behaviour is not through coercion or punitive charges and fines, but through education and providing the services and facilities to make recycling as easy as possible.
But Sheffield's waste-management services were privatised eleven years ago. The then Lib Dem council signed a 30-year deal with Veolia which was then extended another five years when Labour got in. Veolia sub-contract the operation of the recycling centres every five years.
This year Veolia will cream off over £300,000 profit just by sub-contracting out at a lower tender price. On top of that they make more profit from selling on recyclable materials, £1 million, maybe more.
Exactly how much, nobody seems to know. The GMB put in a Freedom of Information request but there are still lots of unanswered questions. Under the cloak of 'commercial confidentiality', what many suspect is a dodgy deal is being covered up.
The GMB learned that Sova Recycling Ltd were advised to reduce their tendering bid. At least two managers for Sova were working for the previous sub-contractors, South Yorkshire and North Notts Recycling. And Sova were only registered at Companies House in November last year, well after the tendering process started. This all smacks of an 'insider deal'.
This is why socialists call for 'opening the books'. The accounts of these companies should be open to inspection by the trade unions and workers' representatives. Let's see where all the profits have gone, profits which could have kept the sites open and workers in jobs.
Socialists oppose this privatisation rip-off. We believe that all privatised services should be brought back under council ownership and control.
In fact the GMB proposed that the council submits an in-house bid at the start of the tendering process. They were told that the council did not have the necessary experience to run the sites. But it's the workers who run the sites, know the job inside out, not councillors or management bureaucrats.
Under the current privatised and out-sourced set up, there are three tiers of management and supervision - the council, Veolia and Sova! If the service was brought back in-house and run under democratic workers' control and management, not only would it be a better service, it would be cheaper as well.
Saturday, 21 January 2012
The dimise of the high street, time for retail sector unions to organise
As the current economic crisis deepens the high street retailers are starting to be hit one by one, in the last few weeks we have heard of several companies struggling financially after a poor Christmas with their sales.
This is no surprise with thousands of public sector workers not to mentin thousands more in the private sector being thrown out of work people have little spare money to spend on the high street any longer and this will have a knock on effect.
Administrators KPMG announced they were 'delighted' to have saved 1,000 jobs with La Senza in the UK on Monday.
They didn't mention the remaining 1,600 workers thrown on the dole with ten minutes' notice.
Stunned workers were given 30 minutes to collect their belongings and a standard form to claim redundancy money and unpaid wages from the Insolvency Service.
At a mass meeting in the warehouse on Monday night, a representative from KPMG unceremoniously informed 250 warehouse, mail order and office staff that despite the 'rescue' deal signed with Alshaya, our jobs, as well as those of the staff of 80 stores, were no longer required.
Alshaya is one of the largest retail companies in the Middle East and manages over 55 international brands.
In my workplace, this blow falls particularly heavily on young workers, most under the age of 30, and many with young families.
The sense of shock and betrayal in the air was palpable, as former La Senza employees queued to collect their forms.
Many workers have ten, 15 or 20 years service with the company, who are currently claiming that we are only entitled to statutory redundancy pay from the government, which could take over three months to be paid.
The disgust was particularly strong because of the lies and distortions fed to the workforce over the last few weeks.
Following the announcement that La Senza was in trouble just before Christmas, we were repeatedly told that we shouldn't worry, that a deal was being negotiated and we should carry on working as normal.
Mail order and warehouse staff were even made to do extra overtime (on top of what we normally do, meaning 12 hour shifts or more), in order to catch up with orders. We now have to claim these wages from the government as well.
La Senza, KPMG and the other retail giants and consortiums claim that restructuring and job losses are necessary due to the state of the economy, ie the collapse in consumer spending brought on by the credit crisis, and exacerbated by government attacks on public sector workers and wage freezes, cuts to hours and job losses in the private sector.
These factors undoubtedly exist. However, in the case of La Senza, it is not so much that the company is losing money, it is just not making enough money to satisfy the private equity parasites, Lion Capital, who withdrew their investment.
Alshaya have swooped in like vultures, to pick off the 60 best stores, and add them to their already massive high street portfolio.
La Senza workers in the UK are heartened by and 100% in support of the occupation of the Liffey Valley store in Dublin, demanding their overtime payments for December and unpaid wages.
The speech made by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins in the Dáil supporting these workers, was particularly inspiring, and should stand as a lesson to politicians in the UK who claim to represent ordinary people. (You can watch the video here: http://www.joehiggins.ie/2012/01/video-joe-higgins-urges-minister-to-ensure-la-senza-workers-entitlements-are-met/ or see below for transcription)
2012 will see further downturns in the retail sector, with further mass redundancies likely. It is time for the general unions: Unite, GMB and Usdaw, to step up their recruitment campaigns in this sector massively.
It is also time for all workers and trade unionists to join the fight for new workers' party, that will stand up for the rights of ordinary workers, and fight back against the savage attacks by the bosses, big business and the Con-Dem government.
Joe Higgins' speech in the Dáil
I welcome the representatives of the La Senza workers to the Visitors' Gallery and I am in solidarity with the Vita Cortex workers suffering from similar high-handed disgusting treatment.
It is breathtaking in its arrogance and disrespect towards the up to 120 mainly female workers in the La Senza lingerie stores in Dublin and Cork that the company waited until the workers had left work on Monday evening to inform them by random phone calls - through the agency of KPMG doing the dirty work for the company - that they need not come in on Tuesday morning.
It is beneath contempt that ordinary workers were told the company did not have the phone numbers of their colleagues and were asked to phone and tell them, including a manageress who worked loyally for the company for eight or nine years. It is absolutely incredible.
The workers are victims of the private equity vulture company, Lion Capital, which in the most callous way planned to walk away from its workforce to maximise its profit, handing it over to another company which will be equally ruthless, and treating these workers in the most disgusting fashion. This is capitalism red in tooth and claw and must be challenged.
Fine Gael and Labour Party Deputies come here and champion workers. They are the people who make and stand over the laws.
For a change, let us have emergency laws to allow workers to receive their rights and to stop these gangsters behaving in this gangster-like fashion.
I call on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and its leaders to come out of hiding and meet fire with fire.
They should mobilise the power of working people in the country to stand together with the Vita Cortex and La Senza workers.
Workers standing together will show the power they have, forcing the Government to act and these companies to pay what they should.
This is no surprise with thousands of public sector workers not to mentin thousands more in the private sector being thrown out of work people have little spare money to spend on the high street any longer and this will have a knock on effect.
Administrators KPMG announced they were 'delighted' to have saved 1,000 jobs with La Senza in the UK on Monday.
They didn't mention the remaining 1,600 workers thrown on the dole with ten minutes' notice.
Stunned workers were given 30 minutes to collect their belongings and a standard form to claim redundancy money and unpaid wages from the Insolvency Service.
At a mass meeting in the warehouse on Monday night, a representative from KPMG unceremoniously informed 250 warehouse, mail order and office staff that despite the 'rescue' deal signed with Alshaya, our jobs, as well as those of the staff of 80 stores, were no longer required.
Alshaya is one of the largest retail companies in the Middle East and manages over 55 international brands.
In my workplace, this blow falls particularly heavily on young workers, most under the age of 30, and many with young families.
The sense of shock and betrayal in the air was palpable, as former La Senza employees queued to collect their forms.
Many workers have ten, 15 or 20 years service with the company, who are currently claiming that we are only entitled to statutory redundancy pay from the government, which could take over three months to be paid.
The disgust was particularly strong because of the lies and distortions fed to the workforce over the last few weeks.
Following the announcement that La Senza was in trouble just before Christmas, we were repeatedly told that we shouldn't worry, that a deal was being negotiated and we should carry on working as normal.
Mail order and warehouse staff were even made to do extra overtime (on top of what we normally do, meaning 12 hour shifts or more), in order to catch up with orders. We now have to claim these wages from the government as well.
La Senza, KPMG and the other retail giants and consortiums claim that restructuring and job losses are necessary due to the state of the economy, ie the collapse in consumer spending brought on by the credit crisis, and exacerbated by government attacks on public sector workers and wage freezes, cuts to hours and job losses in the private sector.
These factors undoubtedly exist. However, in the case of La Senza, it is not so much that the company is losing money, it is just not making enough money to satisfy the private equity parasites, Lion Capital, who withdrew their investment.
Alshaya have swooped in like vultures, to pick off the 60 best stores, and add them to their already massive high street portfolio.
La Senza workers in the UK are heartened by and 100% in support of the occupation of the Liffey Valley store in Dublin, demanding their overtime payments for December and unpaid wages.
The speech made by Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins in the Dáil supporting these workers, was particularly inspiring, and should stand as a lesson to politicians in the UK who claim to represent ordinary people. (You can watch the video here: http://www.joehiggins.ie/2012/01/video-joe-higgins-urges-minister-to-ensure-la-senza-workers-entitlements-are-met/ or see below for transcription)
2012 will see further downturns in the retail sector, with further mass redundancies likely. It is time for the general unions: Unite, GMB and Usdaw, to step up their recruitment campaigns in this sector massively.
It is also time for all workers and trade unionists to join the fight for new workers' party, that will stand up for the rights of ordinary workers, and fight back against the savage attacks by the bosses, big business and the Con-Dem government.
Joe Higgins' speech in the Dáil
I welcome the representatives of the La Senza workers to the Visitors' Gallery and I am in solidarity with the Vita Cortex workers suffering from similar high-handed disgusting treatment.
It is breathtaking in its arrogance and disrespect towards the up to 120 mainly female workers in the La Senza lingerie stores in Dublin and Cork that the company waited until the workers had left work on Monday evening to inform them by random phone calls - through the agency of KPMG doing the dirty work for the company - that they need not come in on Tuesday morning.
It is beneath contempt that ordinary workers were told the company did not have the phone numbers of their colleagues and were asked to phone and tell them, including a manageress who worked loyally for the company for eight or nine years. It is absolutely incredible.
The workers are victims of the private equity vulture company, Lion Capital, which in the most callous way planned to walk away from its workforce to maximise its profit, handing it over to another company which will be equally ruthless, and treating these workers in the most disgusting fashion. This is capitalism red in tooth and claw and must be challenged.
Fine Gael and Labour Party Deputies come here and champion workers. They are the people who make and stand over the laws.
For a change, let us have emergency laws to allow workers to receive their rights and to stop these gangsters behaving in this gangster-like fashion.
I call on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and its leaders to come out of hiding and meet fire with fire.
They should mobilise the power of working people in the country to stand together with the Vita Cortex and La Senza workers.
Workers standing together will show the power they have, forcing the Government to act and these companies to pay what they should.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
November 30th is the date, lets build on June 30th
Today as the end of the TUC congress draws to a close we see the news that a potential 14 unions are set to take industrial action this winter in one of the biggest walk outs since the 20's some have said. This is very welcome news after the NSSN called on the TUC to push for a 24 hour public sector general strike. I think the NSSN and its supporters of militant trade unionists can feel especially proud that this seems to have found a impact and bigger unions with more members potentially millions will be balloting members on industrial action over public sector pensions reforms.
Four unions - Unison, Unite, the GMB and the Fire Brigades' Union - are already balloting over co-ordinated industrial action.
Mr Barber said 10 other unions were also looking to hold a vote on strikes.
He promised 30 November would bring "the biggest trade union mobilisation for a generation".
'Fight of our lives'
Unions and the government have been in talks over pension contribution rises since the beginning of the year, with ministers saying the change - scheduled for next April - is needed to make schemes sustainable in the face of an ageing population.
On Wednesday, the TUC voted unanimously in favour of action against the move as its annual conference
Mr Barber told the BBC it could be the first of several such days, saying: "If there's no progress, then potentially we will see very widespread industrial action across the public services."
He added: "We are absolutely committed to justice for the millions of workers we represent."
Events will "range from strike action, where ballot mandates have been secured from members and unions judge that appropriate, through to lunchtime meetings, rallies and joint events with community groups and service users", Mr Barber said.
Union leaders will hold another meeting at the end of September to co-ordinate their actions.
Proposing a motion backing mass strikes to the TUC conference, Unison leader Dave Prentis revealed he was giving 9,000 employers formal notice that his union's 1.1 million members would be balloted.
He added: "It's the fight of our lives. I know it's an over-used cliché, but make no mistake, this is it."
The GMB's Brian Strutton said: "We're not talking about a day out and a bit of a protest. We're talking about something that's long and hard and dirty as well, because this is going to require days of action running through the winter, through into next year, following the government's legislative programme rig
As a socialist and a trade unionist this is very welcome news from some of the more moderate trade union leaders like Dave Prentice and co. But we welcome this move and hope this leads to further action with many yes votes being won in ballots across teh country.
The biggest signal workers can send to this government is that many support the action and this is not just about public vs private as private sector workers are under attack too. Union leaders must be willing to branch out to private sector workers to co-ordinate any disputes they have around this date too i would say. To build bridges between public and private sector workers will create a mass wall of solidarity in working Britain.
June 30th where we saw 750 thousand public sector workers ouout of work on strike was great and much welcome but this next period of action looks to be much much bigger. We could see all firefighters not working that day, No schools in the state sector open, passport offices closed ports and imigration posts closed. Mass walk outs will have a huge impact and this government has not got a clue what it is up against. the trade union movement.
When the trade unions which are sleeping gaints wake up and move they have such power the government can be brought to its knees.
And that comrades is waht is needed to push this government back on its austerity programme. Although these strikes will be about public sector pensions and reforms to them it is in no doubt these strikes will be based around a broader message opposing all cuts to workers and the working class. We will not pay for this crisis that is not of any of our making. The capitalists want to make the working class pay for the mistakes of their wreckless risk taking system which has failed them. The system which cannot provide us all with secure jobs, decent pay and affordable decent homes is not a system we wish to see continue.
I will be supporting all striking workers on 30th November and i hope you all will too. As Dave prentice said and we're glad he has joined this fight that this is the fight of our lives. We must win we cannot afford to loose this one.
United we stand divided we fall. Stand up for working people stand side by side we can defeat this weak government and push back these cuts that are being thrown down on us from a great height.
Four unions - Unison, Unite, the GMB and the Fire Brigades' Union - are already balloting over co-ordinated industrial action.
Mr Barber said 10 other unions were also looking to hold a vote on strikes.
He promised 30 November would bring "the biggest trade union mobilisation for a generation".
'Fight of our lives'
Unions and the government have been in talks over pension contribution rises since the beginning of the year, with ministers saying the change - scheduled for next April - is needed to make schemes sustainable in the face of an ageing population.
On Wednesday, the TUC voted unanimously in favour of action against the move as its annual conference
Mr Barber told the BBC it could be the first of several such days, saying: "If there's no progress, then potentially we will see very widespread industrial action across the public services."
He added: "We are absolutely committed to justice for the millions of workers we represent."
Events will "range from strike action, where ballot mandates have been secured from members and unions judge that appropriate, through to lunchtime meetings, rallies and joint events with community groups and service users", Mr Barber said.
Union leaders will hold another meeting at the end of September to co-ordinate their actions.
Proposing a motion backing mass strikes to the TUC conference, Unison leader Dave Prentis revealed he was giving 9,000 employers formal notice that his union's 1.1 million members would be balloted.
He added: "It's the fight of our lives. I know it's an over-used cliché, but make no mistake, this is it."
The GMB's Brian Strutton said: "We're not talking about a day out and a bit of a protest. We're talking about something that's long and hard and dirty as well, because this is going to require days of action running through the winter, through into next year, following the government's legislative programme rig
As a socialist and a trade unionist this is very welcome news from some of the more moderate trade union leaders like Dave Prentice and co. But we welcome this move and hope this leads to further action with many yes votes being won in ballots across teh country.
The biggest signal workers can send to this government is that many support the action and this is not just about public vs private as private sector workers are under attack too. Union leaders must be willing to branch out to private sector workers to co-ordinate any disputes they have around this date too i would say. To build bridges between public and private sector workers will create a mass wall of solidarity in working Britain.
June 30th where we saw 750 thousand public sector workers ouout of work on strike was great and much welcome but this next period of action looks to be much much bigger. We could see all firefighters not working that day, No schools in the state sector open, passport offices closed ports and imigration posts closed. Mass walk outs will have a huge impact and this government has not got a clue what it is up against. the trade union movement.
When the trade unions which are sleeping gaints wake up and move they have such power the government can be brought to its knees.
And that comrades is waht is needed to push this government back on its austerity programme. Although these strikes will be about public sector pensions and reforms to them it is in no doubt these strikes will be based around a broader message opposing all cuts to workers and the working class. We will not pay for this crisis that is not of any of our making. The capitalists want to make the working class pay for the mistakes of their wreckless risk taking system which has failed them. The system which cannot provide us all with secure jobs, decent pay and affordable decent homes is not a system we wish to see continue.
I will be supporting all striking workers on 30th November and i hope you all will too. As Dave prentice said and we're glad he has joined this fight that this is the fight of our lives. We must win we cannot afford to loose this one.
United we stand divided we fall. Stand up for working people stand side by side we can defeat this weak government and push back these cuts that are being thrown down on us from a great height.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
All out in the autumn for a 24 hour public sector general strike
After 30th june when 750,000 trade unionists and working people downed tools and took strike action which was at the time some of the biggest we've seen for years if not decades many wondered if this was it. Well no the trade union movement never to be out done is looking ahead now to the autumn and more action if the government does not back down on public sector pension reforms. This is seemingly increasingly likely it would seem. The government consisting of many millionaires in the cabinet have no idea how ordinary public sector workers live and how their pittiful pension pots will help or hinder them in later life.
So this autumn i am hoping we get as many unions out as we possibly can. Not just the ones that are more militanta nd are not affiliated to labour. We need them all out. All those linked to the public sector, to show this government that the public sector will not just roll over and have its belly tickled.
The news in the last week is that the PCS, teh public sector communications union one of the most forthcoming in recent times and with many socialist party activists working hard inside it have been at the fore in calling fora one day general strike for the public sector to strike fear into this weak weak tory government.
But now we hear on top of 30th June which was big and successful in itself the likes of the Prospect union, FDA and now the NASUWT union are pledging to join the PCS, NUT, ATL in joint co-ordinated industrial action come the autumn.
WE still hope Unite, Unison and GMB , FBu and the RMT the other big unions join with the others in bringing Britain to a stand still in the public sector for one day in the autumn.
Many sceptics say oh well what will this achieve ?
But although it is a while ago now 30th June achieved much it had the government defeated on its pathetic arguements that public sector pensions were affordable and were actually going to fall in cost over the years according to their own Lord Hutton of Labour who they commissioned to do the report on public sector pensions. Although much has happened since June 30th the government on that day were well and truely beaten with many more workers than the government had predicted coming out on strike action in defence of their pensions and winning the day. We in the socialist party recognise 24 hour strikes are not enough to bring this government down but as Le the great Leon Trotsky pointed out in his transitional program the working class must be taken with us at all times.
So as Trotskyists we area lways looking to gauge the current contiousness of workers at a given time. We feel that contiousness is still very low and we are practically starting from scratch with many workers. This is ok but we will need to work vey hard and get our ideas out there into the movement very quickly and effectively indeed. A 24 hour public sector general strike will be a huge jump forward especially for some unions who havent taken mass scale industrial action for some time if at all will be a big leap forward in contiousness we feel.
The actions of June 30th will give those unions who have took action then much confidence to step up action and boost confidence amongst members to maybe bring out more next time. When workers returned to work after June 30th many would have talked about June 30th as a big success and why do yuo not join us next time out there on the picket lines ? many will feel they can now having seen their peers doing so and leading the way. If no picket was arranged they will have wittnessed others in more contious areas have them and contiousness will spread and grow from last time. We are getting there with the leap forward June 30th had just think how big this next step could be.
We could really have the government on the back foot if millions come out in the autumn.
It will be interesting how Ed "the scab" Miliband handles this future strikes if his own affiliated unions do decide to come out and support other unions in solidarity where will he stand. Will he stand with his own unions who elected him as labour leader or stick to his " prosperous capitalist" mentality of condemning strikes before neogotiations have finnished and we shoudl all get back around the table.
Something tells me he may act differently when his own unions are acting and taking action as those were the ones who helped elect him. Failiure to back these unions will be suicide for Mr Miliband i feel. Hopefully this is the end of him and the start of a take back of labour by the workers. Hopefully i say in jest as i dont see this myself i feel he will continue his path in denial of workers and his move that the labour party can run capitalism better and fairer than the tories. We will see Ed's desctruction of the Labour party deepen if he does not back future strikes by affiliated trade unions. More calls will be made to ask what does he stand for and why doesnt he stand for us many workers will ask.
And uwe will say in the socialist party he is toeing the capitailist big business power hungry careerist line the new labour party have taken now ever since Tony Blair.
The only way forward now for working people is to form our own new workers party based on the traditions of fighting trade unions and socialism with fairness and revolutionary feelings at its base. To eventually over throw this rotten capitalist system which does far more harm than good for many workers which cannot be allowed to continue.
The next wave of strikes must start putting forward demands from the working class as a whole. That although this strike is about pensions we are here by demanding a end to all austerity and all cuts. That a change of course is needed or else. We will not just stop at pensions the ruling class is coming for all we have gained over decades of working class struggles.
WE must act now or never. This is a fight we must win. If we dont fight we will not be forgiven by future generations who will have to live with our actions or inacctions.
So i invite you all to come to this sundays lobby of the TUC called by the NSSN the national shops stewards network . THe evening before the TUC congress conference next week this sunday 11 september at 1.30 pm all meet at friends meeting house in Euston where Bob Crow and Mark serwotka general secteries of RMT and PCS respectively will be speaking before we march on the TUC conference to present a petition for the TUC to back calls for a 24 hour public sector general strike and start the preparations for this in the autumn.
We cannot wait and stand by and wait for a labour government jobs, pay and conditions are disappearing under our feet we must act now before its too late.
So this autumn i am hoping we get as many unions out as we possibly can. Not just the ones that are more militanta nd are not affiliated to labour. We need them all out. All those linked to the public sector, to show this government that the public sector will not just roll over and have its belly tickled.
The news in the last week is that the PCS, teh public sector communications union one of the most forthcoming in recent times and with many socialist party activists working hard inside it have been at the fore in calling fora one day general strike for the public sector to strike fear into this weak weak tory government.
But now we hear on top of 30th June which was big and successful in itself the likes of the Prospect union, FDA and now the NASUWT union are pledging to join the PCS, NUT, ATL in joint co-ordinated industrial action come the autumn.
WE still hope Unite, Unison and GMB , FBu and the RMT the other big unions join with the others in bringing Britain to a stand still in the public sector for one day in the autumn.
Many sceptics say oh well what will this achieve ?
But although it is a while ago now 30th June achieved much it had the government defeated on its pathetic arguements that public sector pensions were affordable and were actually going to fall in cost over the years according to their own Lord Hutton of Labour who they commissioned to do the report on public sector pensions. Although much has happened since June 30th the government on that day were well and truely beaten with many more workers than the government had predicted coming out on strike action in defence of their pensions and winning the day. We in the socialist party recognise 24 hour strikes are not enough to bring this government down but as Le the great Leon Trotsky pointed out in his transitional program the working class must be taken with us at all times.
So as Trotskyists we area lways looking to gauge the current contiousness of workers at a given time. We feel that contiousness is still very low and we are practically starting from scratch with many workers. This is ok but we will need to work vey hard and get our ideas out there into the movement very quickly and effectively indeed. A 24 hour public sector general strike will be a huge jump forward especially for some unions who havent taken mass scale industrial action for some time if at all will be a big leap forward in contiousness we feel.
The actions of June 30th will give those unions who have took action then much confidence to step up action and boost confidence amongst members to maybe bring out more next time. When workers returned to work after June 30th many would have talked about June 30th as a big success and why do yuo not join us next time out there on the picket lines ? many will feel they can now having seen their peers doing so and leading the way. If no picket was arranged they will have wittnessed others in more contious areas have them and contiousness will spread and grow from last time. We are getting there with the leap forward June 30th had just think how big this next step could be.
We could really have the government on the back foot if millions come out in the autumn.
It will be interesting how Ed "the scab" Miliband handles this future strikes if his own affiliated unions do decide to come out and support other unions in solidarity where will he stand. Will he stand with his own unions who elected him as labour leader or stick to his " prosperous capitalist" mentality of condemning strikes before neogotiations have finnished and we shoudl all get back around the table.
Something tells me he may act differently when his own unions are acting and taking action as those were the ones who helped elect him. Failiure to back these unions will be suicide for Mr Miliband i feel. Hopefully this is the end of him and the start of a take back of labour by the workers. Hopefully i say in jest as i dont see this myself i feel he will continue his path in denial of workers and his move that the labour party can run capitalism better and fairer than the tories. We will see Ed's desctruction of the Labour party deepen if he does not back future strikes by affiliated trade unions. More calls will be made to ask what does he stand for and why doesnt he stand for us many workers will ask.
And uwe will say in the socialist party he is toeing the capitailist big business power hungry careerist line the new labour party have taken now ever since Tony Blair.
The only way forward now for working people is to form our own new workers party based on the traditions of fighting trade unions and socialism with fairness and revolutionary feelings at its base. To eventually over throw this rotten capitalist system which does far more harm than good for many workers which cannot be allowed to continue.
The next wave of strikes must start putting forward demands from the working class as a whole. That although this strike is about pensions we are here by demanding a end to all austerity and all cuts. That a change of course is needed or else. We will not just stop at pensions the ruling class is coming for all we have gained over decades of working class struggles.
WE must act now or never. This is a fight we must win. If we dont fight we will not be forgiven by future generations who will have to live with our actions or inacctions.
So i invite you all to come to this sundays lobby of the TUC called by the NSSN the national shops stewards network . THe evening before the TUC congress conference next week this sunday 11 september at 1.30 pm all meet at friends meeting house in Euston where Bob Crow and Mark serwotka general secteries of RMT and PCS respectively will be speaking before we march on the TUC conference to present a petition for the TUC to back calls for a 24 hour public sector general strike and start the preparations for this in the autumn.
We cannot wait and stand by and wait for a labour government jobs, pay and conditions are disappearing under our feet we must act now before its too late.
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Latest National Shops Stewards Network bulletin
With the Murdoch Media scandal ongoing, the massacre in Norway and continuing
starvation of growing numbers in Somalia, plus the rise in poverty globally as
the cuts hit, whilst we pay for the bosses’ crisis, it would be easy to
despair. In the UK alone, there has been a rise of those taking anti
depressants to 43% in the past 4 years, with more and more workers and
communities struggling with unsecure jobs, homes and futures. The question seem
unanswered, what kind of world are we living? It could be easy in some ways to
think this was just part of life, something to accept or that theres nothing we
can do to change things. But we can! We are part of the trade union and anti
cuts movement not just to fight for our jobs, services and homes but, within
that, fight the establishments idea that says we can not or do not have the
right to fight, to question or to consider alternative ways of running our
society for the collective benefit of us all, not the tiny minority who work
hard to burden us with their greed and manipulation.
Last Saturday in Derby saw a huge trade union and community demonstrations of
around 10,000 against the closure of Bombardier.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.129.htm
NSSN midlands held a public meeting with the Vice chair of the Bombardier shop
stewards committee, Alex Gordon RMT president and Rob Williams NSSN organiser.
The nationalisation of the company was called for; something that unfortunately
none of the outdoor platform speakers suggested. http://tinyurl.com/3jysbkj
Shamefully, Tony Woodley of UNITE ended his speech at the main rally with the
call for ‘British jobs for British workers.’ This pandering to the race to
the bottom and dangerous set of nationalist ideas was unnecessary and holds out
nationalism and the ideas of the far right as the torch to follow. It is not a
fight between worker against worker in this country or workers in other
countries but a fight by workers in every country for our jobs and future.
And that is part of the reason we are lobbying the TUC on the 11th of Sep. To
push our leaderships to make use of all the resources, financial, human
publicity to call for a 24 hour public sector strike, to raise the idea more
clearly and openly of co-coordinated action and not to leave it rotting on a
website of motions passed for the virtual world to imagine that because its
written, it will happen, it wont, anything we have ever fought for, takes time,
energy, conversations, meetings, actions, strategies worked out together and
then for each and everyone of us to take responsibility to act together.
We welcome the national support from RMT & PCS for the lobby of the TUC and
Mark Serwotka and Bob Crow will be speaking at our rally, starting at 1:30-3:30
on the 11th at Friends meeting house before we move onto the march and protest
at TUC. Coaches have been booked from Newcastle, Coventry & Stoke so far, other
areas will be organizing to come together on trains and in cars.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
Leaflets & Petitions: http://www.shopstewards.net/resources.leaflets.htm
As the volume of work has increased with the number of events and actions we
are involved in we need more finances: Please send in donations and
affilations: http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Swindon Honda Steward Suspended
The National Shop Stewards Network has just received word that Paddy Brennan,
UNITE Convenor at the Swindon Honda plant has been suspended from work. More
details to follow when we get them, but Paddy's suspension is a provocative
attack on a prominent trade union fighter and by extension an attack on the
right to organise at Honda. We demand Paddy's reinstatement and the NSSN
pledges to do all it can in support of this.
Please text messages of support to Paddy on 07503 174 827 and email letters of
protest to humgen@honda-eu.com. More updates to follow.
EDL & Muslims Against Crusades
The right-wing group Muslims Against Crusades has called a national
mobilisation in Waltham Forest this Saturday; in response, the EDL are
threatening a counter-protest.
Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union is calling on all trade unionists and
anti-fascists to come to Walthamstow Town Square on this Saturday 30th July
from 11am onwards. This is to help the Anti-Cuts Union give out leaflets
promoting working class solidarity, opposing all those forces that create
divisions in the fight-back against cuts, and pointing the finger at the real
fight culprits ie the bankers, the bond traders, speculators and global finance
companies.
We stand for working class solidarity in Waltham Forest against any demands
that workers pay for bankers’ greed, and we will not allow our neighbourhood
and our fightback to be divided along racist or religious lines.
NUJ Strikes
Members of the NUJ working at the BBC will be taking their second 24-hour
strike action on Monday 1st August in opposition to compulsory redundancies of
NUJ members in the BBC. The industrial action will be from 00.01 hours to 23.59
hours on Monday 1st August 2011 and there will be picket lines on a majority of
the BBC sites across the United Kingdom. There will be an indefinite work to
rule from 2nd August 2011.
Coca-Cola Strikes
Workers from Coca-Cola Enterprises have voted overwhelmingly for industrial
action. Staff from distribution centers across the country will strike for 24
hours from 6am on 4 August in a dispute over pay with an offer of 2.3% 4th
August
http://tinyurl.com/3g4n7fy
Save Our Coastguards
Over 200 people packed into Oystermouth primary school, Swansea on Friday
evening (22 July) to hear coastguards and local campaigners make the case for
saving Swansea coastguard station.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-swansea-coastguard.html and respond to
the consultation on the Department for Transport web site.The original
government proposal was to close Milford Haven station and downgrade Swansea to
a daylight hour’s only service. Now the Con-Dem coalition has done a U-turn
and proposes to close Swansea, the busiest coastguard station in Wales,
although Milford Haven has had a reprieve.
Remploy
Remploy & the Sayce report: Remploy is still the biggest employer of disabled
people in the UK, but it must be remembered that it is not the ONLY employer of
disabled people there are still very many more ranging from factories run by
charities to those run by local authorities.
Birmingham Council backtracks on offshoring: http://tinyurl.com/3ffalzj
Stop bullying disabled claimants, says PCS
http://tinyurl.com/3eppk4a
Support for Korean strikers as they picket Standard Chartered UK headquarters
http://tinyurl.com/3g9vfz9
RMT & TSSA to merge: http://tinyurl.com/42rdngg
DIARY
Sat 30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES : http://tinyurl.com/42jmd9w
Mon 1 August 12.30pm
Demonstration against the Health Bill when Health Minister Andrew Lansley will
be at the Royal Hospital Farnborough, Bromley BR6 8ND from 1 to 1.45pm to open
the new stroke unit (which we are not against!). Assemble at car park entrance
to Hospital near Sainsbury’s. Frances Hook Tel: 020 8853 2567
Wed 3rd August
Southampton Council Strike Rally Guildhall Square Southampton 11am
Brighton Stop the Cuts 7:30pm King and Queen
25th July – 12th August News International Wapping – 25 Years on TUC
http://tinyurl.com/3pk37te
11th Sep Rally & Lobby TUC for call for 24 hour public sector strike!
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
5th November London March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment
http://jarrowmarch11.com/about/
Join, Get involved, and donate!
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
starvation of growing numbers in Somalia, plus the rise in poverty globally as
the cuts hit, whilst we pay for the bosses’ crisis, it would be easy to
despair. In the UK alone, there has been a rise of those taking anti
depressants to 43% in the past 4 years, with more and more workers and
communities struggling with unsecure jobs, homes and futures. The question seem
unanswered, what kind of world are we living? It could be easy in some ways to
think this was just part of life, something to accept or that theres nothing we
can do to change things. But we can! We are part of the trade union and anti
cuts movement not just to fight for our jobs, services and homes but, within
that, fight the establishments idea that says we can not or do not have the
right to fight, to question or to consider alternative ways of running our
society for the collective benefit of us all, not the tiny minority who work
hard to burden us with their greed and manipulation.
Last Saturday in Derby saw a huge trade union and community demonstrations of
around 10,000 against the closure of Bombardier.
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.129.htm
NSSN midlands held a public meeting with the Vice chair of the Bombardier shop
stewards committee, Alex Gordon RMT president and Rob Williams NSSN organiser.
The nationalisation of the company was called for; something that unfortunately
none of the outdoor platform speakers suggested. http://tinyurl.com/3jysbkj
Shamefully, Tony Woodley of UNITE ended his speech at the main rally with the
call for ‘British jobs for British workers.’ This pandering to the race to
the bottom and dangerous set of nationalist ideas was unnecessary and holds out
nationalism and the ideas of the far right as the torch to follow. It is not a
fight between worker against worker in this country or workers in other
countries but a fight by workers in every country for our jobs and future.
And that is part of the reason we are lobbying the TUC on the 11th of Sep. To
push our leaderships to make use of all the resources, financial, human
publicity to call for a 24 hour public sector strike, to raise the idea more
clearly and openly of co-coordinated action and not to leave it rotting on a
website of motions passed for the virtual world to imagine that because its
written, it will happen, it wont, anything we have ever fought for, takes time,
energy, conversations, meetings, actions, strategies worked out together and
then for each and everyone of us to take responsibility to act together.
We welcome the national support from RMT & PCS for the lobby of the TUC and
Mark Serwotka and Bob Crow will be speaking at our rally, starting at 1:30-3:30
on the 11th at Friends meeting house before we move onto the march and protest
at TUC. Coaches have been booked from Newcastle, Coventry & Stoke so far, other
areas will be organizing to come together on trains and in cars.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
Leaflets & Petitions: http://www.shopstewards.net/resources.leaflets.htm
As the volume of work has increased with the number of events and actions we
are involved in we need more finances: Please send in donations and
affilations: http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
DISPUTES & UPDATES
Swindon Honda Steward Suspended
The National Shop Stewards Network has just received word that Paddy Brennan,
UNITE Convenor at the Swindon Honda plant has been suspended from work. More
details to follow when we get them, but Paddy's suspension is a provocative
attack on a prominent trade union fighter and by extension an attack on the
right to organise at Honda. We demand Paddy's reinstatement and the NSSN
pledges to do all it can in support of this.
Please text messages of support to Paddy on 07503 174 827 and email letters of
protest to humgen@honda-eu.com. More updates to follow.
EDL & Muslims Against Crusades
The right-wing group Muslims Against Crusades has called a national
mobilisation in Waltham Forest this Saturday; in response, the EDL are
threatening a counter-protest.
Waltham Forest Anti-Cuts Union is calling on all trade unionists and
anti-fascists to come to Walthamstow Town Square on this Saturday 30th July
from 11am onwards. This is to help the Anti-Cuts Union give out leaflets
promoting working class solidarity, opposing all those forces that create
divisions in the fight-back against cuts, and pointing the finger at the real
fight culprits ie the bankers, the bond traders, speculators and global finance
companies.
We stand for working class solidarity in Waltham Forest against any demands
that workers pay for bankers’ greed, and we will not allow our neighbourhood
and our fightback to be divided along racist or religious lines.
NUJ Strikes
Members of the NUJ working at the BBC will be taking their second 24-hour
strike action on Monday 1st August in opposition to compulsory redundancies of
NUJ members in the BBC. The industrial action will be from 00.01 hours to 23.59
hours on Monday 1st August 2011 and there will be picket lines on a majority of
the BBC sites across the United Kingdom. There will be an indefinite work to
rule from 2nd August 2011.
Coca-Cola Strikes
Workers from Coca-Cola Enterprises have voted overwhelmingly for industrial
action. Staff from distribution centers across the country will strike for 24
hours from 6am on 4 August in a dispute over pay with an offer of 2.3% 4th
August
http://tinyurl.com/3g4n7fy
Save Our Coastguards
Over 200 people packed into Oystermouth primary school, Swansea on Friday
evening (22 July) to hear coastguards and local campaigners make the case for
saving Swansea coastguard station.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-swansea-coastguard.html and respond to
the consultation on the Department for Transport web site.The original
government proposal was to close Milford Haven station and downgrade Swansea to
a daylight hour’s only service. Now the Con-Dem coalition has done a U-turn
and proposes to close Swansea, the busiest coastguard station in Wales,
although Milford Haven has had a reprieve.
Remploy
Remploy & the Sayce report: Remploy is still the biggest employer of disabled
people in the UK, but it must be remembered that it is not the ONLY employer of
disabled people there are still very many more ranging from factories run by
charities to those run by local authorities.
Birmingham Council backtracks on offshoring: http://tinyurl.com/3ffalzj
Stop bullying disabled claimants, says PCS
http://tinyurl.com/3eppk4a
Support for Korean strikers as they picket Standard Chartered UK headquarters
http://tinyurl.com/3g9vfz9
RMT & TSSA to merge: http://tinyurl.com/42rdngg
DIARY
Sat 30 July
12 - 3pm Croydon Town Centre, North End
GMB to join UK UNCUT protest in CROYDON over cuts and tax dodging at SOUTHERN
CROSS HOMES : http://tinyurl.com/42jmd9w
Mon 1 August 12.30pm
Demonstration against the Health Bill when Health Minister Andrew Lansley will
be at the Royal Hospital Farnborough, Bromley BR6 8ND from 1 to 1.45pm to open
the new stroke unit (which we are not against!). Assemble at car park entrance
to Hospital near Sainsbury’s. Frances Hook Tel: 020 8853 2567
Wed 3rd August
Southampton Council Strike Rally Guildhall Square Southampton 11am
Brighton Stop the Cuts 7:30pm King and Queen
25th July – 12th August News International Wapping – 25 Years on TUC
http://tinyurl.com/3pk37te
11th Sep Rally & Lobby TUC for call for 24 hour public sector strike!
Assemble 1.30pm Friends Meeting Hse, Euston Rd, NW1 for a rally before our
protest.
http://www.shopstewards.net/sign.htm
5th November London March for Jobs
Youth Fight for Jobs is marching from Jarrow to London, starting on 1 October
2011. This is on the 75 anniversary of the Jarrow Crusade, when 200 unemployed
workers took a similar route to raise awareness of mass unemployment
http://jarrowmarch11.com/about/
Join, Get involved, and donate!
http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm
info@shopstewards.net
07952 283 558
Sunday, 15 May 2011
striking for the alternative
So as we all walked away from march 26th in London coming up for two months ago now we were all wondering what next for the anti cuts movement. As i have blogged on here before i do feel that strike action has got to be the next course of action.
But it is the way it is framed which will be crucial to winning the battle on cuts.
Making sure we dont frame it in a way that will splinter the anti cuts movement at all and keeping maximimum unity in the class is key.
I dont buy this call that many on the left call for that we should all unite on the left. I feel those who do are missing the point slightly. I feel that class unity is far more important right now. As socialists we look to raise class contiousness wherever we can.
After 13 years of the harshest trade union laws not being even tried to be reversed by a right wing labour government we have little room to move today.
But trade union action on pay and job loss's will be crucial to putting up a resistance to the cuts i feel.
Many on the left accuse the socialist party of being secterian and divisive. Of course we refute these claims. We see things in a clear marxist perspective with elements of what Trotsky said too. We dont feel that individaul action will enhance the labour movement in any shape or form. We raelise that people do want to see action and fast but we should be careful to not jump into the wrong decisions which will set us back possibly permantly in this movement against cuts.
Only this weekend a few individuals who call themselves left attended the rally against debt march in London where only a pitiful 200 or so protesters turned out to protest about our debt crisis and how more action should be took to tackle the debt which in other words would mean more cuts at a faster pace.
So some on the left attending this march as a counter protest would help the anti cuts movement how exactly ?
it is just egotistical liberal left types who just want to be given some coloumn inch's in next weeks papers no doubt and will ultimatly achieve nothing.
Also we must be careful who we work with as at the moment many people still beleive labour are against the cuts. We must point out that this is blatent hypocrisy from the labour party as all across the country all of their councils this year have voted through the cuts at a local level. When they in the labour party claim to be socialist and against the cuts lets just remind them of these small but important facts. Lets also remind them how many cuts their party was committed too if it had been elected.
Lets not be under any illusions from anyone in the labour party left or right that they would be carrying out cuts just as savage and as brutal as the tories right now all be it at a slower less deeper pace. Like that would be felt in the working class communities across the country.
The fact is that labour are not the right people to lead this movement and we should be wary of working with them i feel.
But it is also up to people to decide for themselves we cannot tell them waht to think of course but we feel building a independant anti cuts message reaching millions of working class people will be music to many peoples ears.
This should start now after all elections are out of the way with building for strike action within the public sector. This is looking increasingly likley to be June the 30th this year. Where already several unions have committed to co-ordinated strike action on job cuts and pension reforms. We must rally around these unionsa nd put pressure on other public sector unions such as Unison and GMB to call on its members to ballot for strike action on or around that key date for the next stage in the anti cuts movement.
Just like with the RMT workers we must stand side by side with any members of the trades unions taking strike action as a injury to one is a injury to us all we will do well to remember that i feel.
SO as Mark Serwotka rightly pointed out on march 26th. We havea ll marched together today and that is good but now we must use our strength and strike together for our futures!
But it is the way it is framed which will be crucial to winning the battle on cuts.
Making sure we dont frame it in a way that will splinter the anti cuts movement at all and keeping maximimum unity in the class is key.
I dont buy this call that many on the left call for that we should all unite on the left. I feel those who do are missing the point slightly. I feel that class unity is far more important right now. As socialists we look to raise class contiousness wherever we can.
After 13 years of the harshest trade union laws not being even tried to be reversed by a right wing labour government we have little room to move today.
But trade union action on pay and job loss's will be crucial to putting up a resistance to the cuts i feel.
Many on the left accuse the socialist party of being secterian and divisive. Of course we refute these claims. We see things in a clear marxist perspective with elements of what Trotsky said too. We dont feel that individaul action will enhance the labour movement in any shape or form. We raelise that people do want to see action and fast but we should be careful to not jump into the wrong decisions which will set us back possibly permantly in this movement against cuts.
Only this weekend a few individuals who call themselves left attended the rally against debt march in London where only a pitiful 200 or so protesters turned out to protest about our debt crisis and how more action should be took to tackle the debt which in other words would mean more cuts at a faster pace.
So some on the left attending this march as a counter protest would help the anti cuts movement how exactly ?
it is just egotistical liberal left types who just want to be given some coloumn inch's in next weeks papers no doubt and will ultimatly achieve nothing.
Also we must be careful who we work with as at the moment many people still beleive labour are against the cuts. We must point out that this is blatent hypocrisy from the labour party as all across the country all of their councils this year have voted through the cuts at a local level. When they in the labour party claim to be socialist and against the cuts lets just remind them of these small but important facts. Lets also remind them how many cuts their party was committed too if it had been elected.
Lets not be under any illusions from anyone in the labour party left or right that they would be carrying out cuts just as savage and as brutal as the tories right now all be it at a slower less deeper pace. Like that would be felt in the working class communities across the country.
The fact is that labour are not the right people to lead this movement and we should be wary of working with them i feel.
But it is also up to people to decide for themselves we cannot tell them waht to think of course but we feel building a independant anti cuts message reaching millions of working class people will be music to many peoples ears.
This should start now after all elections are out of the way with building for strike action within the public sector. This is looking increasingly likley to be June the 30th this year. Where already several unions have committed to co-ordinated strike action on job cuts and pension reforms. We must rally around these unionsa nd put pressure on other public sector unions such as Unison and GMB to call on its members to ballot for strike action on or around that key date for the next stage in the anti cuts movement.
Just like with the RMT workers we must stand side by side with any members of the trades unions taking strike action as a injury to one is a injury to us all we will do well to remember that i feel.
SO as Mark Serwotka rightly pointed out on march 26th. We havea ll marched together today and that is good but now we must use our strength and strike together for our futures!
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