Workplace news in brief


Defending Mark Harding

Around 50 RMT members and supporters turned up to protest outside Hammersmith tube station on 25 February. They marched to the local courts where RMT rep, Mark Harding, is up for a preliminary hearing after being arrested on the picket line during the recent tube strike

PCS elections

The elections for the PCS leadership will start soon, with nominations closing on 6 March. The election will run from 8 April to 8 May.

Socialist Party members in PCS are part of Left Unity, which is standing candidates with the PCS Democrats – as the Democracy Alliance.

Socialist Party members who are standing include Chris Baugh for Assistant General Secretary, Janice Godrich for President and John McInally for Vice-President.

The union’s Democracy Alliance-led leadership has a proven track record of fighting the Con-Dems’ austerity attacks by fighting for jobs, services and working conditions.

PCS branches are being asked to nominate Democracy Alliance candidates – a full list is available on leftunity.org.uk

No boots – no work

It appears that workers employed by Carillion at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford have been told to buy their own safety boots – which they have to have to work.

Most of these workers are on the minimum wage and are on contracts with limited rights. But it’s OK if you can’t afford a pair of boots out of your meagre wages – the company will let you hire a pair by the day, with just a £10 deposit.

NUJ strike

Striking NUJ members took to the picket lines on 18 February at three Newsquest titles in the North East.

Up to 25 jobs will be lost at the Northern Echo, The Press and the Bradford Telegraph and Argus if plans to move subbing jobs to Wales go ahead.

Staff from all departments of the T&A were at the picket line in Bradford, all aware that a reduction in numbers won’t be followed by a loss in workload, meaning less people doing more work.

There was also frustration at the idea of moving an entire department 250 miles, to Newport, yet continuing to advertise themselves as a ‘local’ paper.

Many were equally wary of the practicalities of working with such a chunk of the newspaper being made away from the main building, and being done by staff who will be given multiple papers to sub within any one shift.

With other Newsquest titles facing a similar fate, as the company create a ‘super hub’ for subbing in Newport, this is unlikely to be the last action they face if they push ahead with their plans.

Ian Slattery