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From The Socialist newspaper, 30 August 2017
Unite takes legal action against Argos
Castleford picket line 21 August, photo Iain Dalton, photo Iain Dalton (Click to enlarge)
James Hunter, Tyneside Socialist Party
On 23 August, Unite the Union announced legal action against Argos, now owned by the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, and employment agencies Single Resource and Templine. It materialised that they are attempting to break the workers' strikes by bringing in paid agency labour at Argos' central distribution centre at Barton business park in Burton-on-Trent.
Unite has accused Argos and those agencies of acting unlawfully.
Argos workers at Barton, along with colleagues at Castleford in Yorkshire, Basildon in Essex and Bridgwater in Somerset, are striking over Argos' failure to negotiate a fair national agreement concerning redundancy and severance packages. The action began on 15 August and ends on 5 September.
The legal claim cuts the first turf for a high court injunction if Argos and the agencies continue to violate regulations that are there to prevent the use of agency staff during industrial action and collusion in an unlawful manner.
Unite has urged Argos' management to engage constructively and positively in talks, rather than attempting to strike bust, and to lay out the basis for a deal concerning the lack of conditions that safeguard workers.
A victory is important to send a message to those in the distribution sector that workers will not be pushed around. And to ensure that distribution contractors are organised on the same terms and conditions as in-house staff, or brought back in-house.
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In The Socialist 30 August 2017:
Socialist Party news and analysis
School spend is behind eastern Europe
May's lies about foreign students exposed
Landlord licensing under threat - fight back
Corbyn confirms £1bn for the arts
What we think
Reject Starmer's Single Market u-turn
Workplace news and analysis
Barts health workers' strike: pay up Serco!
Ford workers vote for action - the fight is on
Bron Afon housing workers step up strike
Unite takes legal action against Argos
International socialist news and analysis
China: debt crisis, state repression and the prospects for workers' struggle
Hong Kong: mass demonstration against repression
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Chatsworth workers and patients fight to save ward
Campaigners fight second Yorkshire Women's Aid closure in two years
Community and artists campaign to save Todmorden College
Orgreave campaign calls Halloween rally
Socialist readers' comments and reviews
Should you be furious about 'furious cycling'?
Catchy folk rock with a socialist edge
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