Cleaners’ victory
RMT members working as cleaners on the Tyne and Wear Metro have won a victory in their battle against poverty pay.
The dispute, which lasted over a year and involved 19 days of strike action, has won four annual 5% pay increases from this month until 2016. This takes them closer to a real living wage.
The RMT is pointing to this victory as a landmark in its battle against train cleaning firms who pay poverty wages.
Teachers’ strikes
As we reported in the Socialist, there was overwhelming support for the strikes by NUT and NASUWT members in a second wave of regional strikes on 1 October.
On 17 October the last of the regional strikes will spread to London, the South and the North-East. A national strike is planned for November.
NUT elections
Lewisham NUT secretary Martin Powell-Davies is convenor of the Local Associations for National Action Campaign (LANAC), which was formed to maintain and build a network of local NUT associations and school reps to exchange information, debate and discuss strategy to defeat the serious attacks that teachers face.
Martin, a Socialist Party member, has been selected by LANAC to stand for election as NUT vice-president in an election which runs from 30 October to 20 November.
For more information see: www.electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk
Grangemouth
Unite members at the Grangemouth oil refinery have started an overtime ban and work to rule in defence of their convenor, Stevie Deans.
Stevie has been under investigation by the owners Ineos since the debacle over false accusations about Unite’s role in the selection of a new parliamentary candidate in Falkirk.
Unite says the company is trying to use the dispute as an excuse to attack the workforce, including introducing worse pay and conditions for new employees.
The workers voted overwhelmingly (81.4%) for action recently, including strike action. At the moment Unite is calling for more talks and an emergency debate in the Scottish Parliament but strike action is still possible.
Defend the Four
After a momentous campaign lasting over six years four Unison members, two now members of Unite, won a tremendous victory against a witch-hunt in Unison. Come and celebrate with them: Suzanne Muna, Onay Kasab, Glenn Kelly and Brian Debus.
5pm onwards on Saturday 19 October at the Roxy Bar and Screen, 128-132 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB.
There will be a screening from a Reel News DVD of the campaign and special guest Anti Duhring Battalion. Food, music, dancing.
