SEE OUR NEWS BULLETINS ON
what we do/activities page
CURRENT CAMPAIGN TO BUILD UP SOLIDARITY ACTION BETWEEN UNIONS IN STRUGGLE - DEFENDING JOBS, DEFENDING PUBLIC SERVICES
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING WITH PCS LONDON & SE REGION MARCH 30
below - some of the campaigns we have been supporting
CIVIL SERVICE BATTLE OVER THE REDUNDANCY SCHEME
There has been a long battle with strike action taking place - most recently on March 8 & 9 and then Budget Day March 24. The big rally held in Westminster on March 9 saw the Trades Council banner prominent in the hall.
Photos below -
CITIES OF LONDON & WESTMINSTER TRADES COUNCIL
URGENT
ALL BRANCHES & WORKPLACES
THE CWU BATTLE FOR THE POST OFFICE
The coming national stoppage – following on the local actions over the past months – is a key battle for all of us. The CWU has called nationwide 24-hour strikes on Thursday and Friday.
|
On Thursday, 22 October, mail centre staff and drivers will strike. The next day it will be delivery and collection staff.
It is a battle to save a public postal service – all the battles over post office closures, loss of rural offices, cuts in services, cuts for pensioners, for a unified national service – are part of this current fight. We as users should be bombarding the media with our support for the postal workers as part of the battle to save a public postal service. Write to the press – ring up the phone lines, join the Twitter
It is a fight to support trade unionists in the public service – it is the first round in the attack which is going to come on public services and public servants across the country. We must win it to stop the follow up to the civil service, local authorities, health, transport and all the other public services. Postal workers today – you tomorrow.
It is a time for trade union solidarity. We need messages to CWU regions and branches; physical support on the picket lines (repaying the long history of solidarity shown to other unions in dispute by the CWU members over the decades) and cash to their hardship fund. Many workers have already been involved in 10-14 days of action and the belt is beginning to tighten. Get your workplace to donate to the CWU hardship fund and give support to local picket lines.
SEE THE ATTACHED HARDSHIP FUND DETAILS FROM CWU LONDON REGION.
Picket lines will be early at local post distribution offices and later in the day at the larger collection centres. We will send details as they are received. The 2 biggest offices in our area are at Rathbone Place (off Oxford Street by Tottenham Court Road station) and Nine Elms the SW area main office.
Fraternally
Roger Sutton
Secretary
TRADES COUNCIL SUPPORTS KELSO COCHRANE MEMORIAL
KELSO COCHRANE MEMORIAL PROJECT
C/O 42, ST LAWRENCE TERRACE LONDON W10 5ST
020 8 964 9531 Eddie Adams samstjohn2003@yahoo.co.uk
Financial appeal
Dear Friend,
A number of organisations have come together to mark the 50th anniversary of Kelso Cochrane's tragic death. Kelso a carpenter from Antigua, was on his way to his girlfriend's house. He had been to hospital for a hand injury sustained at work. At the corner of Golborne Road and Southam Street he was attacked by a number of white youths and stabbed. No one was ever charged with his murder.
Kelso's funeral was attended by hundreds of people. It was an important turning point in that it brought together the black and white communities in opposition to racialism and the threatened growth of fascism. Sir Oswald Mosley was standing for parliament for North Kensington in the 1959 general election
This 50th anniversary is occurring at a very vulnerable time for our country. The economic crisis is threatening the welfare of working people and unemployment is over 2million. It is a time of change and progressive people must come together to resist racialism and to defend and improve peoples living conditions.
We are asking organisations and individuals to give generously to this appeal so that we can give this anniversary the importance it deserves. We're planning a graveside tribute at Kensal Green Cemetery 12 noon on Saturday 16 May 09 followed by a march. We need to produce posters, leaflets, adverts and show films etc, Any donations please make payable to Unite 1/684 branch to the above address
This memorial appeal is supported by Hammersmith & Fulham Trades Council (including Kensington branches) Camden Trades Council Cities of London & Westminster Trades Council History Talk, Alliance for Green Socialism, Ealing Trades Council Unite Acts branch 1/684 Unite1/785 Advice & Legal Workers branch Black & Asian Studies Assoc.
London Underground Strike (June 9-11,
2009)
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow writes...
RMT doesn’t resort to industrial action lightly, that’s just a myth peddled by some sections of the media. The fact is that Tube workers have been driven into walking out today. Tube bosses have deliberately provoked this confrontation and RMT wants the issues at the heart of the dispute to be resolved so that our members can get back to delivering a first class transport service. On London Underground, bosses are threatening to tear up an agreement aimed at safeguarding jobs, and have refused to rule out compulsory redundancies. Up to 4000 jobs are at risk as part of a multi billion pound cuts package that can be traced directly back to the collapse of Metronet and the failure of the PPP. RMT have made it clear we expect managers to abide by agreements and we would simply not be doing our job as a union if we allowed the tube to treat our members as cannon fodder who can be hired at fired at will. On pay, we have asked for the usual single year agreement. Tube chiefs attempted to impose a five year deal which would have meant real terms pay cuts into the next decade. We will not be bullied into accepting that our members should be forced to pay for an economic crisis that was cooked up by the bankers and the politicians. RMT has exposed the hypocrisy of senior tube managers on pay when 123 of the top TFL bosses are paid over £100,000 plus bonuses. It is those same managers who are attacking, bullying and victimising RMT members over our campaign for job security and a living wage. RMT is committed to a modern and safe public transport system for Londoners. That cannot be achieved by axing jobs, slashing rates of pay and imposing massive cutbacks on the Tube.
TRADES COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR PROTEST OVER FINANCIAL CRISIS
The Trades Council supported the demonstration called by the National Shop Stewards Movement outside the Bank of England on Monday October 13 2008. Banners from PCS, UNITE, RMT & UNISON were also present calling for money to be made available for health, education, housing, social services etc and for assets of the speculators to be seized.
'First' London bus workers to vote for strike action
Strikes are set to sweep across London from Friday 29th August in a dispute that will affect London's bus services Unite the union announced today. The action will affect the services of First Capital East Buses and First Centrewest Buses. 2,500 bus workers will begin action on Friday 29th August for 24 hours followed by a 48 hour strike beginning Friday 12th September.
The bus workers have resoundingly rejected a pay offer of 3.5 per cent on the basic rate of pay. Strike ballots are now taking place in most other London bus companies in disputes over pay. The union submitted a London wide claim to all bus operators in March of this year to challenge the current system whereby drivers (and other grades) performing identical jobs within the TfL regulated industry, receive hugely varying pay and conditions. In many cases the pay disparity for drivers working for different operators can be as much as £6,000 a year. George Dodo-Williams, Unite regional industrial organiser, said: "London bus workers have consistently delivered huge increases in efficiency and performance since the return of local government to London. Even mayor Boris Johnson acknowledges that London has the world's finest bus drivers. Yet these workers are being forced to take action to stake their claim for a share of the profits generated by their hard work. They are determined to achieve a fair settlement."
: First Capital East Buses are based at - Lea Interchange, Dagenham and Northumberland Park First Centrewest Buses are based at - Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge, Westbourne Park, and Willesden Friday 29th August 2008 (24 Hours). Commencing at 3am on the 29th of August 2008 and the action will continue till 3am on Saturday 30th August 2008. In the case of night drivers starting shifts on Thursday 28th, they will complete their shift through to Friday 29th August. They will then join the action from the start of their shift on Friday 29th August to the end of their shift on Saturday 30th August 2008. Friday 12th September and Saturday 13th September 2008 (48 Hours). Commencing at 3am on the 12th September and the action will continue till 3am on 14th September 2008. In the case of night drivers starting shifts on Thursday 11th September they will complete their shift through to Friday 12th. They will then join the action from the start of their shift on Friday 12th and will continue to the end of their shift on Saturday 13th September 2008. The same applies to night drivers starting shifts on Friday 12th September they will complete their shift through to Saturday 13th September. They will then join the action from the start of their shift on Saturday 13th September and will continue to the end of their shift on Sunday 14th September 2008.
from http://www.tgwu.org.uk/Templates/News.
NUT STRIKE ON APRIL 24
NUT are taking national strike action on April 24. Their web site - www.nut.org.uk - carries the arguments behind their action.
PRIVATE SECTOR PAY
There is no two per cent limit in the private sector. Average earnings are rising by 4.3 per cent. Chief executives’ pay is up by 37 per cent, reaching 100 times average earnings, while bonus payments are up 30 per cent this year to £14 billion pounds.
FAIR PAY FOR TEACHERS…
The NUT thinks teachers’ pay should be sufficient to recruit and retain a quality workforce and avoid teacher shortages. It should be comparable to that of other graduate professionals. There should be no cuts in living standards.
Instead, teachers have suffered pay cuts in real terms every year since 2005 and now face threats of further below-inflation pay increases for 2008 to 2011.
Teachers’ pay is already lower than other professional workers. Starting pay is below other professions and pay progression is slower.
The Government threatens to create a return to “boom and bust” in teachers’ pay.
A BREACH OF TRUST
The Government and STRB agreed a pay review mechanism for 2006 and 2007 in case inflation averaged 3.25%+ over 12 months.
Inflation averaged 3.7 per cent. The Government refused the STRB a remit for 2006 & 2007, telling it to reflect its concerns in 2008 recommendations.
The NUT has called on the STRB to act independently. Its report is awaited.
IF PAY HAD ONLY MATCHED INFLATION…
NQTs’ starting pay would be £700 a year higher. Experienced teachers would be earning over £1000 more and primary heads over £1500 more. Cumulative pay losses are far higher – UPS3 teachers have lost over £2000 and this figure is rising.
2008 AND BEYOND
The Government’s public sector pay limit means it wants to limit teachers’ pay increases to 2% for 2008 to 2011. Other public sector workers have already faced a 2% limit in 2007.
THE NUT’S CAMPAIGN
The STRB’s report on teachers’ pay is due in November 2007.
The TUC has agreed to oppose the 2% limit and “co-ordinate a joint campaign of opposition … including co-ordinated joint industrial action”.
The NUT plans to ballot members later this term. You should vote YES when the ballot takes place. In the meantime, visit www.teachers.org.uk – tell your story about how your living standards are being harmed and use the facility to email your MP.
The NUT achieved success in its recent campaign on pensions. All members of the Teachers Pension Scheme had their pensions protected and new teachers retain access to a quality pension scheme. This was achieved by united campaigning across the public sector.
PCS CALL - Protest together on 24 April
22 Apr 2008
PCS has achieved a major national agreement with the Government on job security. Now, on 24 April, together with other unions, we can step up our campaign for fair pay settlements.Good public services need staff who are fairly paid. The Government is imposing an unfair limit on public sector pay. Workers across the public sector are facing cuts in their standard of living, with imposed pay increases below the rate of inflation. The Retail Price Index shows that the cost of living continues to rise by more than 4% a year.
- Food prices have increased by 7.4%
- Petrol by 20.5%
- Water by 5.5%
- Gas by 12.9%
- Electricity by 7.9%
PCS is demanding basic pay increases of at least the rate of RPI inflation. The Government says pay increases for public servants cause inflation. Experts say this is nonsense. Public servants are the victims of inflation not the cause.