City Link workers protesting in Southampton, 5.10.13, photo by Nick Chaffey (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)
City Link workers fight cuts to jobs and pay
On Saturday City Link workers staged protests across the country to highlight savage attacks on jobs and pay.
Workers face pay cuts of up to £4,000, enforced overtime, the axing of the bonus scheme and changes in travel arrangements.
Workers in Southampton spoke to Socialist Party members who joined them on their protest:
“I’ve worked at City Link for 11 years and I’m pissed off with what they are doing. We are being told we have to work weekends at a flat rate. We have families; we don’t want to work weekends”, said one.
“We want fairness in the workplace. There are too many greedy bosses taking their share out of cuts to the workforce. What is happening here is the thin end of the wedge. City Link today, who next?”, said RMT member Andy.
RMT members had a very positive response leafletting in Southampton with many facing similar problems at work.
City Link was sold off earlier this year to private equity group Better Capital by Rentokil Initial that has now launched this attack on its workers.
The response to the campaign has been enormous. RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley reported:
“Over 800 have joined the union. There will be ongoing protests and despite efforts by the company to block a ballot of our members through an injunction we will be re-balloting members on taking action”.
