Pickets discuss coordinated strikes


Iain Dalton, Leeds North Socialist Party

At one o’clock on 5 April, members of the civil servants’ union PCS took a half day’s strike action as part of their campaign against the government’s austerity measures.

These include a pay freeze, attacks on pensions, office closures, measures attacking the union’s ability to organise and more.

Socialist Party members visited a number of picket lines in the city centre. Simon, rep at Park Place Jobcentre Plus, told us how the turnout had been better than on 20 March.

Alan, a rep at Eastgate Jobcentre Plus explained how they’d brought people out floor by floor, with PCS members who don’t usually picket being able to see how action is supported by the membership.

This is the fourth strike that has taken place in Leeds in just over a week. This and the discussions at the TUC general council on 24 April about examining the possibility of calling a general strike were discussed.

All the pickets we spoke to expressed their wish that such strike action should be coordinated if possible, as the National Shop Stewards Network has argued.

Southampton

Andy Cooper, PCS rep at the Maritime Coastguard Agency HQ Southampton, said: “Tens of thousands of our members were out on budget day.

“We need to keep it going. Keeping it in the public consciousness. Keep going until we are listened to. We can’t give up because the alternative is to allow public services to disintegrate”.

Nick Chaffey