Strikes and lock-outs

Picket lines in Brixton and Clapham remained strong this week, as teaching staff at Lambeth College continue their strike. Wednesday 11 June and Thursday 12 June will see Unison members strike alongside their brothers and sisters in the University and College Union (UCU). College workers are striking against a contract brought in by the college from April for new staff only, which will mean they work longer hours, will work during the traditional college holidays, and will have less sick pay. UCU members began an indefinite strike on 3 June. Students have received text messages telling them to...

This branch notes: • Lambeth College is a cherished community resource and provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged young people and adults in Lambeth, including BME and working-class students. • The DfE has purchased the Brixton site of Lambeth College, reducing the Further Education provision. • The DfE has handed over some of the Brixton College site to the Trinity Academy Free School, with the possibility of further Free Schools on the site. • The Chair of Governors of the proposed Free School is right-wing commentator Dennis Sewell, with publicly stated racist views. • The...

Workers at The Ritzy, the Picturehouse Cinema in Brixton, South London, have been striking over the company's refusal to pay staff the London Living Wage. The company likes to portray itself as progressive and radical, nurturing independent talent and the arts — yet nothing could be further from the truth. Picturehouses sold to Cineworld in 2012, netting Managing Director Lyn Goleby £9 million, and the group made £31 million in profits. Yet they say they cannot afford to pay a living wage to their staff. This week, the company declared war on workers at The Ritzy by pulling out of peace talks...

Outsourced workers at the University of London are continuing their strike against job losses at a halls of residence due for closure. More than 80 jobs are threatened as a result of the university’s planned closure of the Garden Halls, near King’s Cross. The workers’ union, the IWGB, is demanding a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and redeployment on equivalent terms and conditions for any workers displaced. The union also wants meaningful negotiations with the university and contractors. The strike began on Friday 6 June, and continues until Thursday 12 June. The workers picket lines...

A small group of workers at Tilbury docks, Essex, launched an 11-day strike on Thursday 5 June, against management plans to introduce zero-hours contracts. The workers, who are employed by Swedish-owned SCA Logistics, also struck for 48 hours in May but say bosses haven’t budged. Unite officer Jane Jeffery said: “If management is allowed to have its way, we will be turning the clock back 50 years to the bad old days when you had to rely on the tap on the shoulder to see if you had work for the day in the docks.”

Firefighters in England and Wales will strike again on Thursday 12 June over attacks on their pensions, after the government said it would implement a new pension scheme without further negotiations with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). The strike begins at 9am and lasts for 24 hours, and will be followed by a further day’s strike from 10am on Saturday 21 June. In between the two strikes, firefighters will not carry out any voluntary overtime or conduct training for scabs. The FBU has also said that in cases where fire authorities lock out or dock additional pay from firefighters, members in...

Teaching staff at Lambeth College began an all-out strike on 3 June 2014. The workers are fighting new contracts which attack pay and conditions and which would affect all new workers and create a two-tier workforce at the college. These are contracts that college bosses are looking to impose across the further education sector. Picket lines will be at all three college sites, and both of the college unions are encouraging solidarity visits from local students and workers. UCU members backed the indefinite strike action by an 89% yes vote on a 72% turnout, in a second ballot called after the...

Doncaster Care UK workers struck for 14 days in May in a fight against a 50% cuts in wages and massive reductions in sick pay. A strike committee has now been formed for the 80 out of 120 rank-and-file Unison members who have refused to accept these conditions Gina Beaumont, a member of the committee, told Solidarity how the workers have learned to run the dispute as they have gone along; have for example made decisions about mobilising strikers to demonstrate at Care UK offices across the country from Newcastle to London, while keeping a picket in Doncaster; about gathering support from...

Over one million workers could join a strike on 10 July against the public sector pay freeze. A set-piece confrontation between public sector trade unions and the government could help reignite wider resistance to the Coalition, and galvanise workers’ confidence. The National Union of Teachers already has a legal ballot mandate and says it will join a 10 July strike. The Fire Brigades Union is another possible participant. The date 10 July originates with the Unison in local government. Their ballot started on 23 May and closes on 23 June. Unite and GMB in local government and schools are...

Workers at the Ritzy cinema in south London will strike again on Wednesday 21 May from 5 p.m. The workers, who are members of BECTU, have undertaken a sustained campaign of strikes, protests, rallies, and other actions, to win the London Living Wage. A similar campaign of BECTU members at the Curzon cinema in Soho was recently given an official award by the union at its 2014 AGM.