Workplace news in brief


Blacklisting

There is a TUC day of action on blacklisting on 20 November. The battle against blacklisting in the construction industry is also a battle for trade union organisation and for good standards of health and safety.

The recent death of Richard Laco at the Francis Crick Institute site in London illustrates this. The site contractors there have been exposed as blacklisters and have tried to keep trade union and safety reps from their sites.

There will be events across the country to expose and protest at blacklisting, including in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Cardiff.


Crown Post Offices

Communication Workers Union (CWU) members working in Crown post offices will be on strike for half a day from 2.30pm on 20 November over closures and pay. Staff in post office supply will also be on strike for a full day at the same time.

Managers in the supply chain who are members of Unite will also strike.

The Post Office wants to close or franchise out 75 Crown offices and cut 1,500 jobs.

Staff voted by 88% for action and this is their 13th strike. CWU members in the supply chain voted to strike by 76%.


NUT elections

Teaching unions NUT and NASUWT have issued a joint press release confirming that ‘plans remain in place for a national strike in England and Wales no later than 13 February 2014 in the event of insufficient progress through negotiation’.

But a date for a national strike needs to be confirmed as soon as possible – along with a plan for further escalating action against all the Con-Dem attacks.

That’s why Martin Powell-Davies, candidate in the NUT vice-president election is calling for:

  • Get every school out on a united one-day national strike.
  • Call on other unions – like firefighters, postal workers, civil servants – to strike alongside us.
  • Build joint NUT/NASUWT school committees to keep up the pressure for joint action.
  • Continue action next term; if Gove won’t step back, we should step up to a two-day strike.

RMT election

Socialist Party member John Reid is standing for election to the transport union RMT’s council of executives.

He is fighting on a programme of defending jobs, pay, conditions and pensions in the face of government attacks. John is currently the regional secretary of RMT.

John is calling for ticket offices to be kept open, for a supervisor on every station, a £12 an hour minimum wage for cleaners. He is also saying no to the use of agencies – bring all regular work back in-house.

The election runs until 2 December.