Strikes and lock-outs

University cleaners set for more strikes

Cleaning workers at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) in London are balloting for strikes to win an improved pay offer and better sick pay after they rejected a deal from their employer, ISS, which they called “insulting”. ISS and SOAS are engaging in the kind of buck-passing typical of outsourced working, with both claiming that it is the other’s responsibility to guarantee decent terms and conditions for the employees. The kind of exploitation to which outsourced cleaning workers are subject was highlighted over the Christmas period, with SOAS cleaners being forced to work in...

Industrial news in brief

The RMT is planning an extensive political campaign to accompany its industrial battle to stop job cuts and ticket office closures on London Underground. The University of London Union (ULU), which represents students at a number of London colleges, hosted a public planning meeting for supporters of the “Every Job Matters” campaign on Tuesday 10 December. The ballot for strikes and action-short-of-strikes closes on January 10, with action due the following week if the ballot returns the expected yes vote. Workers and passengers face the closure of every ticket office on the London Underground...

Lewisham teachers' pay win

The threat of strikes by teachers in seven secondary schools in Lewisham, south London, has forced school managers to withdraw an unfair pay policy. The NUT’s national dispute on pay, workload, and pensions, provides a framework for union groups at school or borough level to escalate action in order to “secure an acceptable pay policy”, and the victory in Lewisham shows that, by standing firm, teachers can force concessions from local managements. Schools in Lewisham had wanted to peg teachers’ pay to Ofsted grading of lessons, which the NUT described as “arbitrary and unfair”. Union activists...

Education workers strike for decent pay

Higher Education workers in three unions struck on Tuesday 3 December against a 1% pay deal. University and College Union members in Further Education also struck to win better pay. A Unison activist in a large university spoke to Solidarity about the strike and the future of the dispute. The strike seemed more solid at my workplace than the 31 October strike. We’re recruiting to the union as a result of the dispute, but it’s a slow process. The employers have categorically said they’re not budging on their 1% offer, and have told universities to begin implementing the 1% pay deal. Their...

How outsourced workers at the University of London lost their fear

Outsourced cleaning, catering, and security workers at the University of London have been fighting for sick pay, holiday, and pension equality with directly-employed staff through the “Tres Cosas” (“Three Things”) campaign since they won the London Living Wage in 2012. On 27 and 28 November, they struck to win those demands, as well as to stop job cuts at the Garden Halls, and to win recognition of their union, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB). Workers mounted pickets at the university’s flagship Senate House building from 6am on both strike days, and succeeded in turning...

Walmart workers' "Black Friday" strikes

Strikes and protests were held at 1,500 Walmart stores across America on “Black Friday” (the Friday after Thanksgiving), 29 November. The actions were part of a long-running campaign by unions, workers’ centres, and labour-movement coalitions against low pay, union busting, and exploitation at Walmart stores. The number of stores which saw protests more than trebled from the 2012 Black Friday day of action, although some estimates suggest the number of Walmart employees involved (rather than workers and activists from other workplaces and areas) did not increase. Many attribute this to the...

Tres Cosas strikers win

Outsourced workers at Uni of London have won sick pay and holiday terms of very-near equivalence with directly-employed staff after a long campaign and a two-day strike (27 and 28 November 2013). Massive victory for 3 Cosas campaign, workers' self-organisation, and militant industrial action. Two demands down, one to go (plus union recognition)! Tres Cosas campaign blog Photos and reports from the strikes .

From the picket line: "3 Cosas" workers strike at University of London

Outsourced workers at the University of London are striking for equal rights and union recognition. Their "3 Cosas" ("3 Things") campaign has fought for parity of sick pay, holiday entitlement, and pension rights between outsourced and directly employed staff. They are striking on 27 and 28 November for these demands, against potential job losses resulting from the closure of Garden Halls, and for recognition of their union, IWGB. A demonstration is planned at 6pm on Wednesday 27 November at Senate House (see here for details), and picketing from 6am on Thursday 28 November (see here for more)...

University workers' strikes must escalate

Higher education workers will strike over pay on 3 December. Members of UCU, Unite and Unison in higher education who struck on 31 October will be striking again. This time they’ll be joined by Scottish education union EIS and UCU members in further education. The background to the strike is a 13% real-terms pay cut since 2009: the equivalent of working half a day a week for free. Employers have offered just 1% — well below inflation — and have made no concessions either on the living wage or the gender pay gap. On the advice of university employers’ organisation UCEA, some institutions have...

How to rebuild after the defeats

After a spike because of the 2011 public sector pensions dispute, the level of strikes in the UK fell to a seven-year low in 2012. Royal Mail, a key bastion of public sector unionism and industrial strength, was privatised in October 2013 without any effective resistance. A strike planned for 4 November was called off and anyway was called after the privatisation had gone through. At the Grangemouth oil refinery and petrochemical plant, arguably the most economically significant workplace in Scotland, bosses were able to inflict a crushing defeat on a well-organised, industrially-powerful, and...

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