Workplace news in brief


TFL strike

RMT, TSSA and Unite took joint strike action across Transport for London (TfL) for the first time in response to a threatened freeze on pay and pensions. TfL Call Centre, Lost Property Office and Head Office Buildings were all hit, with Piccadilly Circus, Victoria and Liverpool Street Travel Information Centres all forced to close for the day.


Land Registry

PCS members working in the Land Registry are striking on 14 and 15 May, against privatisation. The government has refused to rule out redundancies and office closures in its plans.

The PCS Alternative Vision For HM Land Registry, by professor Roger Seifert of Wolverhampton university, makes the case that the land register – currently covering about 80% of the land in England and Wales – must be completed to create a quasi-Domesday Book for the 21st century.

This would allow for a proper public debate on land ownership and pave the way for regulation of the planning of land use in the future, something which the Land Registry could carry out for the public good.


Rail cuts

On 24 May there will be a national day of action against rail cuts, organised by the RMT. The cuts are largely in the wake of the McNulty report, which proposes the break up of Network Rail, attacks on rail workers’ jobs and conditions and the introduction of driver-only trains.

There will be a march and rally in Doncaster, assembling at Doncaster Civic Centre at 10am.

The rally will be at Doncaster Trades and Labour Club. Speakers include leading RMT officials, Rob Williams from the NSSN and Alistair Tice from TUSC


Greenwich strike

Occupational therapists at Greenwich council will be on a 24-hour strike on 21 May. The workers voted unanimously for strike action against a bullying culture which has developed at the council.

Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “I am extremely proud of the Unite members who have voted to stand up against ‘a bullying culture’.

“We have given the employer every opportunity to deal with the bullying – but it has failed to tackle this issue.

“Even worse, it has victimised the whistleblowers, leading to the suspension on ludicrous charges of one of our members.”


EDF strike

Nearly 500 workers at EDF energy were on strike on 6 and 8 May in a dispute over pay. The employers are refusing to implement a 2012 pay agreement and only offered 2% for 2013.