The Socialist 11 June 2008

Stop the NHS sell-off

Banking on NHS profits

My pain - and privatisation

Racist BNP have no solutions!

Will Obama win?

Obama declares victory, and shifts to the right

"Anti-terror" laws are no solution

Stirring rally backs Tommy Sheridan

Unison witch-hunt hits Northern Ireland

Come to the Campaign for a New Workers' Party Conference

New Labour's parallel universe

Waltham Forest protest

Them & Us

Underfunding youth facilities: It makes no sense!

Oil price shock - the chaos of capitalism

Sudan's poor paying the price for oil

Fast news

Immortal Technique at the Coronet, London 4 June 2008

Usdaw needs a fighting leadership

Organise to fight the public-sector pay robbery

National Shop Stewards Network second conference

Fujitsu workers strike to save jobs

The costs of privatisation

Brighton bus drivers strike

Previous issues, etc

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Fujitsu workers strike to save jobs

Fujitsu workers took part in 12 hours of solid strike action at the company's factory in Birmingham on 9 June. The workers were protesting against the planned offshoring of jobs to the US which will result in up to 150 of the 700 workers employed at the site being sacked.

CWU members voted unanimously for action short of strike (non-cooperation and an overtime ban) and by 68:1 for strike action.

On the picket line a CWU spokesperson told me: "I'm really proud of my members. Most of them have never taken strike action before. They're devastated at the prospect of losing their jobs but are determined to keep on fighting."

Another striking worker said: "The management are determined to sack us so they can move the work to Texas, a largely non-unionised state where they'll use low-paid immigrant labour."

The anger of the workers was such that within 24 hours of the strike being called 42 workers had volunteered to help organise picket lines.

The CWU official added: "We're still in talks with Fujitsu but so far the only alternatives offered have come from the union."