Workplace In Brief

Metro strike

Transport union RMT has announced that cleaners working for Churchill on the Tyne and Wear Metro will strike again for 24 hours, starting on 23 January. The strikers are lobbying the Transport Authority in Newcastle on 24 January.

This battle against poverty wages has resulted in 12 days of strike action by the RMT members. The company employing the workers, DB Regio, have 'offered' 0% pay awards to these workers on the minimum wage, while doubling its profits in the past five years. Now they have withdrawn all previous 'offers' and want any future negotiations to be via Acas.

The RMT is arguing that the regional passenger organisation NEXUS and Newcastle city council should intervene in this dispute.

Blacklisting

After a number of revelations about the blacklisting of construction workers by McAlpine and Skanska, there is to be a debate in parliament over the issue. The two companies have not admitted directly to blacklisting workers on the Olympics project but they paid for over 25,000 checks by the Consulting Association at the time of maximum recruitment to the Olympic site. In fact senior staff at both companies have held positions in the Consulting Association, which operated the blacklist.

Bosses at Crossrail are also under investigation by the Greater London Assembly. This follows the effective sacking of 28 workers after their reps raised concerns about health and safety.

Shrewsbury pickets

Ricky Tomlinson is one of the Shrewsbury pickets, jailed for picketing in the 1972 building workers' strike. He is calling on the government to release the documents relating to the trials in 1972. Justice secretary Chris Grayling has announced that the documents will not be released and the situation will not be reviewed until 2021. The documents are being withheld under legislation which relates to national security.

There will be a press conference in Westminster on 23 January at which Ricky will be speaking alongside TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady, Unite and Ucatt general secretaries Len McCluskey and Steve Murphy, Ken Loach and MPs Tom Watson, Steve Rotherham and David Hanson.

Strike ballot

Civil servants, members of PCS in the Department for Education, will be balloting for industrial action against cuts. The cuts threaten 1,000 jobs and six offices. Last week it emerged that DfE bosses played a game using party hats to discuss their cuts plans. The permanent secretary has refused to apologise.

These cuts are clearly an attempt by education secretary Michael Gove to use his department as a test bed for draconian cuts as part of his scheme to privatise education with academies and free schools.

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.