Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/626/9581
From The Socialist newspaper, 26 May 2010
Workplace news in brief
Human rights and the anti-union laws
Rail union RMT has launched a challenge to the anti-trade union laws in the European Court of Human Rights. The union is arguing that its ability to organise industrial action is restricted by UK law, in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights.
It is using two cases where the bosses have used the courts to prevent strike action.
In October 2009 energy company EDF went to court to stop strike action on the grounds that the union had not given enough details of the job descriptions of the workers it had balloted.
And in August 2007 Jarvis, the rail maintenance company, transferred some work to Hydrex Equipment. In September 2009, the company tried to cut the ex-Jarvis workers' terms and conditions. In spite of still working closely with their former colleagues in Jarvis, the Hydrex workers could not get the Jarvis workers to strike with them, on the grounds that 'secondary action' is outlawed, thus making any action far less effective.
Fighting college job cuts
Members of the lecturers' union UCU in colleges around Birmingham and Wolverhampton are balloting for strike action against job cuts. Birmingham Metropolitan College has announced 100 jobs are to be cut and City College Wolverhampton says 160 posts are at risk.
The ballots close on 10 June.
Meanwhile UCU members at Glasgow University have voted to ballot for action against the 80 job cuts planned in the Archaeology, Biomedical and Life Sciences and Education departments.
Call centres - pay cuts for the low-paid
Power company E.ON wants to slash the pay of its call centre workers by £2,000 a year. In a remarkable bit of management speak, it describes this as a "pay realignment".
The lowest-paid workers are being forced to accept a pay cap of £17,850, when they are currently paid about £20,000 a year.
The workers in call centres all over Britain, including Lancashire, Nottingham and Bedford are particularly angry, given that the chief executive, Johannes Teyssen has just had his pay increased to £100,000 a year. Electricity bills have also not been cut significantly, in spite of wholesale prices going down by 50% over the last 18 months.
Glasgow strikes
GMB, Unite, Unison and Bectu members will be striking again on 28 and 31 May in a battle over cuts to pay and conditions being forced through by Culture and Sport Glasgow (CSG). CSG is an arms length organisation set up by Glasgow city council to run leisure facilities like swimming pools, libraries and museums. The last strikes were in April and May, after CSG tried to cut working hours with a 6% pay cut, and also tried to remove premium rates for working public holidays.
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In The Socialist 26 May 2010:
Millionaire ministers butcher public services
Con-Dem cuts - 'only the beginning'
National Shop Stewards Network
National Shop Stewards Network conference: Time to organise against con/dem attacks
Socialist Party news and analysis
NHS cuts: The Con-Dem sting in the tail
Sri Lanka: One year after the war
Socialist Party national committee discusses building the fightback
Socialist Party workplace news
PCS conference: Preparing for action
Local government: Where's our pay award for 2010?
Youth
Young people: organise to fight the cuts
Socialist Party National Youth meeting
Students must pay, say the rich
Pamphlet: Our Education Under Attack: why a mass campaign is needed
Socialist Party feature
London 2012 Olympics: A big business spectacle
International socialist news and analysis
Greece: 2,500 hear Socialist MEP Joe Higgins declare week of action
Romania: Mass protests against EU/IMF deal
Puerto Rico: Students and workers fight austerity cuts
Education
Education under attack: Con-Dem government prepares for battle
Unions must defend public services
Tory government says rich must pay less
Comment
Diane Abbott and the Labour Party leadership battle
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