Workplace news in brief


FBU names eight dates

The firefighters’ union, the FBU, has announced an eight-day period of industrial action in England and Wales in defence of pensions.

The strikes will take place from Saturday 9 August until Saturday 16 August from midday to 2pm and 11pm to midnight.

This latest round of strikes follows on from 10 July when firefighters joined a million public sector workers striking over pay as well as the eight days of action on 14-21 July.

The long-running dispute was sparked by the Westminster government raising the retirement age of firefighters to 60.

FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack said: “This is unsafe and unrealistic for both firefighters and the public.

“We know it, and the public know it, but the government will not listen to the evidence-based case we have made to them”.

Neil Cafferky

UPS Parcels

On 31 July, the first of the rolling UPS Parcels demonstrations against excessive workloads hit Camden. A national UPS strike ballot by Unite is now planned.

The response from workers was amazing, with workers stating they were ready to walk now and demanding a ballot and strike without delay.

Unite members at Camden in particular have complained of appalling levels of bullying with a strong racist undercurrent.

A black Unite representative was referred to directly by a senior manager as “boy”. Workers on the loading bays have for some time claimed that their treatment is motivated by racist attitudes, where white managers feel it is acceptable to harass, bully and overload the workforce because it is predominately black.

But now workers have had enough. Among the thumbs up, raised fists and honking horns at the demonstration was the most telling comment from one UPS driver – “less talk, more action!”

Another demonstration took place at the West London depot on 4 August, with a third protest planned for 11 August in Croydon.


Blacklisters blacklisted

Islington council in London is the first local authority to throw an anti-union blacklisting construction firm off a public contract, taking council house repairs back in house from Kier.

The contract is worth £16.5 million a year and has been carried out by Kier for the past 14 years. 140 former Kier employees are now to be transferred to LB Islington.

Almost 100 public bodies, including the Welsh Assembly and Scottish parliament, have symbolically opposed blacklisting firms. But Islington is the first to actually axe a blacklister from a contract.

Continued trade union campaigning could force others to follow.


Reinstate Bryan

One Housing Group workers will be striking at the housing association’s Chase Farm Road offices in Camden on 8 to 11 August to demand the reinstatement of trade union activist Bryan Kennedy.

See the Socialist issue 820 or www.socialistparty.org.uk for an interview with Bryan.