Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/732/15178
From The Socialist newspaper, 5 September 2012
Workplace news in brief
HMRC jobs deal
In the current climate of cuts and attacks on working and living conditions, PCS members in HMRC (revenue and customs) have been able to secure significant agreement from their employer on jobs, privatisation and sickness absence policy. Strike action that was due to begin on Monday 3 September has been suspended for two months in order to implement the deal. PCS will monitor this and will not hesitate to resurrect the action if management reneges on the agreement.
A PCS member
DWP contact centres
A strike on 13 August by workers in the Department for Work and Pensions working in Contact Centre Services has resulted in significant progress in negotiations. The dispute is over privatisation and working conditions. The strike originally planned for 3 September was therefore called off for further negotiations to take place.
Remploy strikes
Workers at Remploy's two healthcare factories - Chesterfield and Springburn, Glasgow - started a week's strike on 3 September. Chesterfield GMB steward, Antony North, Carl Chambers and other GMB pickets spoke to Jon Dale: "For a year we've been trying to get answers from Remploy about the future of the business but have kept being told that was all confidential...
"Under our old terms, anyone with more than two years' service made redundant got a year's wages plus £5,000. That could be £19,000. But the new terms could see us lose our jobs and get just £1,800. 60-year olds with disabilities will have great difficulty ever finding any other work."
- Send solidarity messages to: GMB Chesterfield kevin.shand@remploy.co.uk GMB Springburn philip.brannan@remploy.co.uk.
- Donations can be made out to 'GMB' and sent to GMB, Grove Hall, 60 College Grove Rd, Wakefield, WF1 3RN.
Sheffield
Despite last minute attempts by Sova management to bully Sheffield's recycling workers into calling off their industrial action, the strike on 1-2 September went ahead as planned.
The 30-odd tip workers at Sheffield's five Dump-it sites took 28 days strike action earlier in summer against council cuts.
Their indefinite strike won the re-instatement of three colleagues and the promise of "serious" negotiations over bonus and increasing hours.
But the Labour council and Veolia and Sova, the private operators and sub-contractors, have just stalled for the last eight weeks, so workers voted to strike again every weekend in September.
- 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.
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In The Socialist 5 September 2012:
Fight the cuts
On 20 October... March Together and then we must... Strike Together! to end austerity
Osborne's cuts plans aren't working
Socialist Party news and analysis
Southampton council pay dispute
Con-Dems criminalise homeless people
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: Marikana massacre ignites a political volcano
Countering the far-right
EDL rally stopped by anti-racists in Walthamstow
Stopping the far-right - The need for democratic debate
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Southampton: Save Oaklands Pool
Fight begins against massive outsourcing by Knowsley's Labour council
Campaign Kazakhstan: Solidarity concert for those facing oppression
London Paralympics; protests against disability cuts: "Atos kills, kill Atos!"
Hospitals lacking services? Save our NHS!
Brighton Pride 2012: anti-cuts group blocked
Socialist Party workplace news
Unison Higher Education Service Group
Readers' comments
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