In brief

Bus workers ballot

In a consultative ballot, nine out of ten bus workers, members of Unite, have voted for industrial action to back their claim for an Olympic payment.

24,000 bus workers working in 15 different firms will now be balloted for strike action or industrial action short of a strike.

The union has called for a £500 payment to compensate workers for the extra work over the Olympics this summer. Around 9,000 extra double decker busloads of people will be travelling over this period.

London Overground workers have accepted a £600 payment, Network Rail £500, Docklands Light Railway £900 and Virgin Rail £500.

London Underground staff are still in negotiation with Transport for London, but a payment has been agreed in principle.

Germany: Pay rise won

German public sector workers have won a 6.3% pay rise over two years, after a programme of industrial action.

Verdi, the union representing two million public sector workers, had demanded 6.5% after accepting much lower pay deals in previous years. It rejected a 3.3% offer and embarked on a programme of industrial action.

The wages of nine million German workers are up for negotiation this year and this deal is likely to influence future settlements.

Shrewsbury pickets

Ricky Tomlinson, Terry Renshaw and Andy Warren (son of Des Warren) took their fight for justice to the Criminal Case Review Commission on 3 April.

They are trying to overturn the miscarriage of justice which meant that they were jailed for participating in a building workers' strike nearly 40 years ago.

Des Warren was jailed for three years and Ricky Tomlinson for two, in a clear attempt by the Tory government at the time to prevent effective picketing - as part of their preparations to take on the miners.

Des Warren died in 2004 of drug-induced Parkinson Disease, as a result of his experiences in prison.

This case is important for those workers involved but also for all building workers fighting the blacklist and for proper trade union rights.

Visteon pensions

Visteon pensioners have been taking on Ford to fight for justice and for their pensions. Around 40 pensioners from the former Swansea plant staged a picket outside the Neath branch of Ford dealer CEM Day.

They received enthusiastic and noisy support from passing cars. Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition supporters joined them to bring solidarity.

Join us today!