Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/601/8346
From The Socialist newspaper, 11 November 2009
Leeds bin strike - week ten
Despite completely made-up media reports of 100 strikers returning to work, resolve amongst Leeds refuse and street cleaning workers remains high going into the tenth week of all-out strike action. They are fighting council plans to cut their wages by as much as a third, up to £4,500 a year, supposedly in the name of equal pay.
Alistair Tice
For the first time since the strike started, the joint Tory and Lib-Dem council leaders along with senior council officials actually attended talks with the trade unions.
Tony Pearson, Unison regional officer said: "It's astounding that you can have the largest strike in Yorkshire since the miners' strike and the council hasn't wanted to involve itself directly in the negotiations until now."
Rumour is that progress is being made in relation to the impossible productivity targets tied to the last offer that was rejected by 92% of members. The strike action has forced the council to concede negotiations, come up with more money and drop their threats of privatisation of the bin service. What's already been won on the picket line must not be lost in the civic hall. Any revised 'deal' will have to go before a mass meeting.
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In The Socialist 11 November 2009:
Fight for real jobs and free education
War and occupation
End the war in Afghanistan: Bring the troops back now!
Socialism 2009
Socialism 2009: An excellent weekend!
Postal workers strike
Postal workers force management back
Defend the four campaign
Unison witch-hunt: Defend the Four campaign gets a boost
Campaign for a New Workers Party
RMT conference on political representation
International socialist news and analysis
20 years after fall of Berlin Wall, capitalist triumphalism turns rotten
General Motors - no to 'divide and rule' in Germany
Ireland: 90,000 march against government cuts
United Socialist Party congress delegates defy difficult conditions in Sri Lanka
Socialist Party workplace news
Steelworkers get organised and score a victory over bonus payments
Young People
Big business fights for fees: Students must fight back
Internationally young people fight for their rights
Socialist Party review
Anti-fascists tactics - What happened in Newport?
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