Workplace news in brief


Probation strike

Probation workers in Unison took three hours of strike action on 14 September in an ongoing dispute over pay. Socialist Party member Steve Score supported a picket line in Leicester and spoke to Steve Jeggo, Unison Probation East Midlands assistant branch secretary and local convener: “We are here because of the 0% pay rise we were offered last year. We have now been privatised we but will get no more than 1% for the next four years. It shows the current government thinks that probation workers are worth nothing. This strike has managed to successfully close down ‘unpaid work’, no vans are leaving the site today. Very few have crossed the picket line and we have had tremendous support from service users.” The strike is followed by a work to rule, and there are more battles in the pipeline over job losses.

Construction walkouts

Hundreds of workers at Sellafield nuclear plant walked out over health and safety concerns. Employees of 14 construction firms are involved in the impromptu walkout, which saw contractors fail to return to work following a planned three-and-a-half hour strike on Wednesday, turning the action into a three-day stoppage. The Unite members have planned another full day of action on 23 September.

Unison GS election

Nominations remain open until 5pm on the 9 October in the Unison general secretary election. If you agree that Unison needs a fighting strategy to beat the cuts and win for members, we urge your branch to nominate Socialist Party member Roger Bannister who currently has 5 nominations.

Burston school strike anniversary rally

On a sunny Sunday afternoon the week before Jeremy Corbyn’s victory was announced, many hundreds of high spirited labour movement activists flocked to the Burston rally in Norfolk.

Many came particularly to hear Jeremy Corbyn, who called for “socialism and social justice”. Jeremy is a frequent guest at the annual event which celebrates the longest strike in history – the Burston school strike of 1914-39.

Andy Beadle

Youth Fight for Jobs demonstration in Hull

Around 35 trade unionists and activists supported a Youth Fight For Jobs protest on 12 September outside McDonalds in Hull. Young people were attracted to the demonstration by demands for a £10 an hour minimum wage and the fight against zero-hour contracts. They are keen to get more involved in the future as well.

The protest had a very positive response from the public and those involved from the GMB, Unite, RMT and NUT unions. The Socialist Party who supported the demonstration sold 50 copies of the Socialist newspaper and raised £40.