Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/638/10223
From The Socialist newspaper, 15 September 2010
Fight for jobs at GSK
This week pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), a company that makes over £8 billion profit a year announced another 206 redundancies at its manufacturing site in Ware, Hertfordshire.
This follows on from redundancies since 2008 bringing the site number down from 1,800 to a proposed 739 in 2011, more than halving the workforce in less than three years.
Staff were briefed on 8 September by the site director, who gave no opportunity for questions or comments, from either staff or trade union representatives.
The company claimed that these further reductions were necessary to protect GSK's position in the market, obviously whilst still maintaining their enormous profits.
When at further departmental meetings management claimed that these actions were necessary to safeguard jobs, workers pointed out that this was the same promise made two years ago yet this is another 20% cut of the workforce.
In the last two years workers have accepted permanent staff being made compulsorily redundant, while contract staff are kept. Large proportions of the workforce accepted no pay-rise and an increased workload and are expected to work longer hours.
All this when each employee worldwide contributes on average £80,000 towards the £8 billion company profit.
In the words of one worker "Enough is enough!"
The senior stewards are under growing pressure to call both an immediate Joint Shop Stewards meeting and a site Unite meeting
The local Socialist Party and the NSSN will be actively supporting these workers in struggle.
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In The Socialist 15 September 2010:
Socialist Party editorial
Decisive action can defeat this government
TUC congress
TUC: Build for action against cuts
Socialist Party youth and students
Stop the 'slippery slope' to two-tier education
How will the Browne Review into university funding affect you?
Student strikes can win results
Feature: Socialist Party women
Women and the struggle against oppression
Socialist Party news and analysis
Royal Mail: Con-Demned to history?
Privatisation's giant wrecking ball
Middlesborough local union-led public services alliance set up
Labour councillors challenged in Hastings
Shropshire: showing socialist alternative gets results
Socialist Party workplace news
London Underground: Action biting against job cuts
UCU executive pulls out of strike ballot
Anti-cuts campaign
Mood of defiance in Huddersfield
How do we vote to stop the cuts?
Nottinghamshire: Campaign saves vital service
Lobbies warn councils of workers' action
Socialism 2010
Socialism 2010: How can we save the environment?
International socialist news and analysis
All-India general strike: Eyewitness report from Chennai
Fighting oppression in Kazakhstan
Socialist Party review
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