The Socialist 29 April 2020

Workers’ safety before bosses’ profits

Workers' safety before bosses' profits

Dispatches from the front: PPE chaos goes on

Private firm causes weeks of delay to free school meal vouchers: bring it back in-house!

No return to the 1930s: World War Two and 'a land fit for heroes'

May Day 2020: join the protests - wear red, bring flags and banners

130 Years of May Day in Britain: Fight for workers' rights more relevant than ever

May Day greetings pull out 2020

Workers fighting to defend safety and livelihoods - NSSN national meeting a huge success

Civil servants in Paisley protest after Covid outbreak

Irish police use Covid-19 emergency powers to disperse Dublin shop workers' protest

B&M Bargains management puts profit before safety

Schools: No return without a national union agreement that guarantees safety!

Unions must organise throughout crisis

Waltham Forest trade unions discuss the fight for PPE and workplace safety

Woolwich ferry - workers secure 100% furlough agreement

ISS workers' pay victory

Should the Socialist still be produced during the Corona crisis? An exchange with Mark Serwotka about sales of the Socialist

Coronavirus crisis finance appeal

Adding demands to the weekly claps

Going viral: Socialist comments and letters

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Woolwich ferry - workers secure 100% furlough agreement

Woolwich ferry photo BL2002/CC (Click to enlarge)

Unite union member

Unite union has negotiated a 100% furlough agreement with Briggs Marine, the contractor who currently runs the Woolwich Ferry. The health emergency has meant a drastically reduced service.

This comes at the same time as the alarm being raised by London Mayor Sadiq Khan regarding the financial position of the client Transport for London (TfL). However, even before the health emergency, TfL faced similar financial pressures to those faced by local authorities as a result of reduced funding from central government.

This calls for the same response as that required by local authorities - a campaign, including trade unions and service users demanding that central government provides the funds to run services.

Unite members on the ferry have a fighting tradition - including strike action to protect the safety of workers, to oppose sexual harassment, to oppose racism, and to demand decent pay and conditions.

Lately campaigns were accompanied by a demand for the service to be taken back in-house which has now been agreed. The removal from the system of the need to make profit is the single best way to achieve savings.

This fighting tradition will have put the work force in the best possible position to secure a 100% furlough agreement.

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Workers' safety before bosses' profits