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From The Socialist newspaper, 27 July 2016
Workplace news in brief
Honda walkout
Around 60 Honda workers at the South Marston plant in Swindon downed tools and walked out on 22 July.
Management tried to make them work longer than agreed. Unite the Union which represents workers at the factory have an agreement with the company that shifts are negotiated in advance. Management had acknowledged on 20 July that the shift would end at noon on 22 July. But workers were told they would have to work until 1.15pm instead on the same day.
Earlier this year Unite warned the company was risking a total breakdown in relations and claimed management was treating staff with contempt.
Trade unionists around the country are watching Honda to ensure there is no discriminations now that workers have returned and are ready to act if needed.
JCB ballot
GMB flags at the TUC demo in Manchester: 50,000 march against Tories demanding action on NHS, photo Claire Job (Click to enlarge)
Last year JCB installed a small number of CCTV cameras on the shop floor at JCB's Rocester site in Staffordshire. These cameras were installed during the main summer shutdown period without any consultation with the GMB union who represent JCB workers.
When workers returned, they were furious that these cameras had been installed without any consultation. GMB opposed the installation and prepared to ballot members on this issue. The cameras were then taken down.
After discussions GMB accepted that a number of cameras could be used in specific areas that were seen as health and safety hotspots. GMB proposed that the existing number of cameras could be moved to different locations.
This proposal was rejected by JCB. They then proposed installing an extra number of cameras across all JCB sites in the UK.
This was rejected by the GMB and a consultative ballot has taken place on this issue.
91% of GMB members at the Rocester site said they were prepared to take some form of industrial action over this issue.
JCB worker
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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.
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In The Socialist 27 July 2016:
#KeepCorbyn
No compromise with Labour right wing
Anger against Blairite 'traitors' sweeps Portsmouth Momentum
Corbyn's 'rock-star welcome' in North West
Socialist Party news and analysis
End Victorian working conditions
Tories plan further fee hikes for uni students
What we saw: UB40 backs Corbyn
Socialist Party feature
Europe and the workers' movement after Brexit
Why the Socialist Party opposed the EU
International socialist news and analysis
Turkey: no to military rule, no to Erdoğan's rule
Socialist history
Barcelona 1936: the people's Olympics
Workplace news and analysis
Fawley refinery strike against 'race to bottom'
Unite policy conference backs reselection of Labour MPs
Brookes workers continue the fight against 2Sisters
Fighting racism
Black Lives Matter demo shakes Leeds
Sheffield solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Pent Valley school closure judicial review blocked
An explosion in sales of the Socialist
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