‘No striker will be left behind’
Alistair Tice, Sheffield Socialist Party
On 25 October, Unite the Union national officer Onay Kasab (Kaz) addressed 40 Sheffield Veolia bin workers on their tenth week of strike action. His message was: “You will win recognition. The strike plus action (leverage campaign) is back on, and will stay on until Veolia sign the draft recognition agreement they’ve already agreed.”
The leverage campaign, which had taken Unite’s big inflatable rat to multinational Veolia’s Paris headquarters and forced the company to the table, was suspended to facilitate national talks. But Veolia keep hiding behind the GMB union (which currently has sole recognition) to play the divide-and-rule card. After two weeks without recognition, Unite’s rat will be back in action!
Bolstered by a very strong renewed strike ballot – 92% voted to continue industrial action – picketing and protests will be stepped up again to force Veolia into signing a dual union recognition agreement at the Lumley Street depot. Unite is also demanding that three strikers sacked during the dispute are reinstated before the strike is called off. No striker will be left behind.
