Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/590/7635
From The Socialist newspaper, 12 August 2009
Liverpool street cleaners and bin workers strike against fat-cats
On 11 August, street cleaners and refuse collectors employed by Enterprise-Liverpool are striking over pensions and bonus pay. What has incensed the workforce has been the employer's unwillingness to process applications from new starters to join the company pension scheme.
In response the unions are now demanding that the local government pension scheme be opened up to the whole workforce and not just those that were TUPE transferred from Liverpool council.
Workers there also feel vulnerable that 40% of their pay is made up of bonuses which can be taken away at any time, so they are demanding consolidation of all pay. Of course Enterprise-Liverpool cried poverty and said the demands are unaffordable, but the parent company Enterprise PLC, announced £74 million profits last year.
The refuse collectors, who until November last year were employed by Violia, are looking to build on their successful campaign for pay parity with street cleaners. This resulted in pay rises of between 12% and 15%. They know that their combined action will have council leaders running scared.
However, Enterprise has said they intend to take a stand and that they have the backing of the Lib-Dem-led council. They have also threatened to use sub-contractors to do the work. But the planned action by Unite and GMB unions is for daily, indefinite one hour strikes on all shifts to cause maximum disruption but at a cost of only five hours pay per week to each worker.
The Unite convener Peter Lawler believes that the timing of the one hour stoppages will result in up to three hours less productivity so the cost of bringing in a sub-contractor will be prohibitive. If Enterprise don't get the work done then this will incur penalties and if Liverpool city council attempt to support the company by not charging them penalties, then Ian Lowes from the GMB said he will complain to the district auditor.
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In The Socialist 12 August 2009:
Jobs & services - not bankers' bonuses!
Anti-racism
Vestas
Vestas - occupation ends but the fight continues
International socialist news
Thomas Cook occupation, Dublin: "A living lesson for workers everywhere"
Workplace news
Postal workers: National ballot to follow strike wave
Unison witchhunt
Protests flood in against Unison witch-hunt
Marxist analysis: history
August 1969: Northern Ireland explodes - 'the troubles' begin
Socialist Party youth and students
New term approaching for students: Build the fightback!
Demonstrate Saturday 28 November in London
Higher education: Don't make young people pay for funding crisis
Grim prospects for young people
Anti-racism
Anti-fascist demo in Birmingham
International socialist news and analysis
South Africa: A cold winter, but mass action shakes Zuma
Afghanistan: 40 years of failure?
Workplace news and analysis
Defend Corus workers' terms and conditions
Liverpool street cleaners and bin workers strike against fat-cats
Surrey council must buy back these homes now!
Engineering construction ballot
South Yorkshire bus drivers plan more strikes
Labour history comment
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