Len McCluskey re-elected as Unite general secretary
Len McCluskey has been re-elected as general secretary of Unite, with 64% of the vote (144,570). Jerry Hicks received 79,819 votes (35%). The turnout was 15.2%.
More in the next issue.
Home office
PCS members in the Home Office have started a week of strike action. Every day a different set of workers will be taking action.
This is part of the national dispute across the civil service over attacks to jobs, pay and conditions.
Strikes were held on 5 and 8 April but in the Home Office the employers decided to deduct a whole day’s pay for the half-day strikes. PCS has therefore escalated the action in this department.
Blacklisting
Following a damning interim report from the Scottish Affairs Select Committee’s investigation into blacklisting in employment, the fight to expose blacklisting by the big construction companies goes on.
Unite have organised a campaign of high-profile protests.The select committee are very critical of some large contractors.
Of Balfour Beatty, for example, they say: “It is hard to see how workers who have been systematically and illegally denied employment will understand that the perpetrators are still in their jobs. We do not accept the defence that people were only obeying orders.”
The protests will further embarrass those companies and help to take the battle against blacklisting forward.
Yorkshire ambulance
Ambulance workers in Yorkshire could take more strike action in a battle over downgrading and union derecognition. 450 Unite members were on strike on 2 April against the plans to send emergency care assistants to 999 calls instead of paramedics.
Since the strike the trust has refused to negotiate with Unite which is holding workplace meetings to decide on further action.
Caroline and Alan had come off night shift to picket from 6am at Doncaster station on 2 April. Caroline said that she felt: “De-banded, de-skilled and demoralised” by these cuts which Alan said would cost staff £2,000 to £4,000 a year in pay.
Trainpeople
The rail union RMT members who have been sacked from London Underground’s Trainpeople contract protested outside the Transport for London HQ on 15 April.
London Underground terminated the contract with Trainpeople, leaving those workers without a job, after they got organised and began a battle for equal rights with permanent staff.
RMT are discussing how to continue the battle.
Crown Post Offices
Crown Post Office workers will be striking against closures, and to defend job security and pay on 19 April.
Up to 4,000 workers are likely to be involved. 76 Crown offices are threatened with closure or franchising out and staff have not had a pay rise since April 2011.
