The Socialist 24 November 2009 "We wont pay for the crisis" How could full youth employment be achieved? Bristol Youth Fight for Jobs challenges council leader Lessons of struggle: If you fight, you can win! Afghanistan: Brown and Obama scrabbling for an exit strategy Main parties plan cutbacks: It's time for a fightback! Racists - stay out of Wrexham! Successful Manchester Tamil Solidarity meeting People's Charter - a step towards workers' political representation? The battle for state education Socialist Party candidate increases vote in NUT election Education: 'Try your best' is not enough Attacks begin at Bangor University Superdrug workers show industrial action can win victories Postal dispute: Bosses still on the attack Axiom railworkers' strike remains solid Cuts crisis on the Isle of Man Guadeloupe - End the profiteering and exploitation The 1970s, mainly viewed from the top |
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Home | The Socialist 24 November 2009 | Join the Socialist Party Leeds bins victory Leeds bin workers received marvellous support, photo Leeds Socialist Party (Click to enlarge) As the bin strike in Leeds entered its twelfth week, an agreement was reached between refuse collectors and Streetscene workers, and the council. At a mass meeting on 23 November, a 79% majority voted in favour of the council's latest offer following a recommendation to accept from the GMB and Unison trade unions. A Leeds Unison stewardThe agreement ensures that the majority of the 600 workers do not lose out on pay, they had faced up to £5,000 a year pay cuts. And although approximately 20 will lose out, the council have agreed to negotiate a settlement by the end of the pay protection period in February 2011. However, the agreement is still tied to sickness and productivity targets. This is a partial victory. But these workers would not have achieved these significant concessions had it not been for the solid industrial action over the last three months - the longest running public sector strike in Leeds for decades. Workers, united and victorious, marched back to work, at Cross Green and Yeadon depots on Wednesday morning. After four weeks of refusing to talk to the unions, the council was forced to talk. Then they said there was no money but were forced to make an offer. When that was rejected by 92%, the council said it was a 'final offer' but has now been forced to concede an 'improved' offer.  Leeds bin workers received marvellous support, photo Leeds Socialist Party (Click to enlarge) The strike exposed the greed of private contractors who did a rubbish job while fleecing the council taxpayers of over £1 million. The council has also had to drop privatisation plans and will face further costs for failing to recycle. The devil of the agreement may be in the detail, but if the management try to impose impossible productivity targets, then the bin workers have proved they will not accept them. What is significant is the marvellous support the bin workers have had, not just from the people of Leeds, but throughout the trade union movement regionally and nationally. Not only have they won a victory for themselves, but the Leeds strikers feel that their action helped secure a quick victory for the bin workers in Brighton who were faced with the same pay cuts. The bin workers have suffered great financial hardship as a result of their heroic sacrifice and have been overwhelmed by the support they've received. For them, this dispute has brought them, as union members, closer together, and ensured that Unison and GMB members can stand shoulder to shoulder in the battles to come against the Leeds Tory/Lib Dem council. In this issue Socialist Party editorial
Marxist analysis: history
Environment and socialism War and occupation
Socialist Party news and analysis
People's Charter
Education
Socialist Party workplace news
International socialist news
Socialist Party review
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