Workplace News in brief


Thera East Midlands

Joe Warner, the (now former) managing director of Thera East Midlands has resigned. Unison members who are in dispute with the company had been wondering where he was! We understand that he tendered his resignation around four weeks ago.

Unison members at Thera East Midlands have refused to be cowed by management threats and voted overwhelmingly for strike action in the consultative ballot.

The official strike ballot result showed over 82% voting for strike action in defence of their terms and conditions.

Bus workers’ solidarity

On 27 March two American school bus drivers, along with officials from the Teamsters and Unite unions visited the HQ of National Express Group (NEG) in Birmingham.

They were there to deliver a letter to the chief executive criticising NEG’s US subsidiary’s anti-union practices, demanding that the company respects their human rights and recognises their union.

They held a protest outside and also planned to protest outside the company’s AGM in London. The two women drivers spoke to me about the appalling conditions the US employees have to endure.

On Tuesday of the same week Unite reps met with National Express West Midlands management in Birmingham in order to discuss the latest round of attacks on our pay and conditions. The details won’t be revealed to drivers before a branch meeting on 15 April.

A genuine international campaign of solidarity backed up with the threat of coordinated strike action would have the potential to force a successful outcome for both groups of workers.

It is now down to the members to raise the issue and put pressure on officials to act.

A National Express bus driver

BBC strike

Around 45 trade unionists, members of Bectu and NUJ, walked out of the BBC office in Leeds on 28 March in protest at compulsory redundancies as part of the latest round of BBC cuts, as well as growing reports of bullying management at an increasing number of BBC offices.

The BBC strikers were in high spirits and held a short rally outside the offices after walking out. Yorkshire NUJ NEC member Adam Christie brought them greetings from the national union and reported on messages of support for their dispute coming from as far away as Australia.

  • At BBC Salford Media City the strike was well supported, with over 200 out.
  • About 15 people joined the picket line in Bristol and reported that their colleagues were coming out of the building in droves. They were supported by other local trade unionists. NUJ members said they hoped the BBC would be unable to put out the local news programme.

Yorks ambulance strike

Yorkshire ambulance workers on a 24-hour strike on 2 April over cuts, derecognition of the union and the downgrading of patient care.