
The Socialist 9 August 2017
Striking back against poverty pay

Venezuela shows battle Corbyn would face
Striking back against poverty pay
Rashan Charles death: End police racism and austerity
Coventry: march following racist police killing
Government's tribunal fees defeat
40% of England's psychiatric wards are 'unsafe'
Marx's Capital at 150: an unequalled analysis
Angry Birmingham bin workers enter fifth week of strike action
Barts strike: Keep up the pressure on Serco and the trust!
Steel workers at Rom Ltd strike for a pay rise
Coordinated action needed to break pay restraint
End poverty pay for sleep-in care workers
RMT condemns Welsh government rail privatisation
Young, angry and fighting back
Young Socialists off to a flying start in Cardiff
Campaign fights closure of Chatsworth rehab ward
Support for Socialist Party campaigns at biggest ever Leeds Pride
Housing safety campaign kicks off in Coventry
Far-right thrown out of Newcastle
Venezuela: Capitalist offensive sharpens after assembly elections
Workers' struggles in Peru: eyewitness report
How much reserves have councils got?
Global finance: Are those storm clouds ahead?
Crunchy guitar and poignant dialogue in alt-rock homage to south Wales miners
PO Box 1398, Enfield EN1 9GT
020 8988 8777

Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/958/25951
![]() | |||
Home | The Socialist 9 August 2017 | Join the Socialist Party
Subscribe | Donate | Audio | PDF | ebook
Barts strike: Keep up the pressure on Serco and the trust!
Talks are expected between NHS privateer Serco and striking Barts health workers as we go to press with the next strike set for 6am on 18 August. The workers, members of Unite the Union, have just completed another solid round of strike action, this time they were out for a fortnight.
There has been fantastic coverage in the press, solidarity action at Serco offices in Europe and on 3 August a coordinated day of action with other Unite members on strike at the Bank of England and British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew.
The day started with a lively demonstration outside a Serco shareholders' meeting. The meeting was taking place in the London HQ of Serco's accountants, JP Morgan.
After protesting against Serco, the strikers marched together to the office of the Civil Aviation Authority for a second rally, and the handing in of a letter from the cabin crew. The day ended with the strikers joining the picket line outside the Bank of England.
The determined Barts workers have previously also struck for three days and seven days in July and had a 1,000-strong march through east London on 15 July. "Serco made an £82 million profit last year and its CEO was paid £1 million," a Unite rep told the rally outside JP Morgan. Yet the company is refusing to give a below-inflation increase of 30p an hour.
Len Hockey, Unite branch secretary for the four Barts Trust hospitals and a member of the Socialist Party, spoke at all three rallies. He applauded the "magnificent action so far" and welcomed the linking up of the three strikes against low pay.
What next?
Some ideas to discuss for the rest of dispute are:
- More protests can be planned, what about holding big rallies at each hospital in turn?
- A protest could be organised at the next meeting of Barts Trust to pressure them to intervene
- Use buckets and collection sheets to go out to the public and local workplaces - this is already being done with great success
- We must use the opportunity of being together on picket lines to discuss the strike
- Hospital workers in other departments could be asked to take signs, stickers and collection sheets
To support the Barts strike:
- Send a message to [email protected]
- Donations to branch LE/7384L, sort code 60-83-01, account number 20344885.
- Protest to Serco, send an email to: [email protected] and sign the online petition change.org/p/serco-pay-up
In this issue
What we think
Venezuela shows battle Corbyn would face
Socialist Party news and analysis
Striking back against poverty pay
Rashan Charles death: End police racism and austerity
Coventry: march following racist police killing
Government's tribunal fees defeat
40% of England's psychiatric wards are 'unsafe'
Marx's Capital at 150
Marx's Capital at 150: an unequalled analysis
Socialist Party workplace news
Angry Birmingham bin workers enter fifth week of strike action
Barts strike: Keep up the pressure on Serco and the trust!
Steel workers at Rom Ltd strike for a pay rise
Coordinated action needed to break pay restraint
End poverty pay for sleep-in care workers
RMT condemns Welsh government rail privatisation
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Young, angry and fighting back
Young Socialists off to a flying start in Cardiff
Campaign fights closure of Chatsworth rehab ward
Support for Socialist Party campaigns at biggest ever Leeds Pride
Housing safety campaign kicks off in Coventry
Far-right thrown out of Newcastle
International socialist news and analysis
Venezuela: Capitalist offensive sharpens after assembly elections
Workers' struggles in Peru: eyewitness report
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
How much reserves have councils got?
Global finance
Global finance: Are those storm clouds ahead?
Music review
Crunchy guitar and poignant dialogue in alt-rock homage to south Wales miners
Home | The Socialist 9 August 2017 | Join the Socialist Party
Related links:
North London Socialist Party: Save our NHS - the lessons of the Barts strike
Sustained mass movement needed to stop Tories wrecking our NHS
North London hospital workers fight cuts and job losses
Thurrock council workers striking against pay cuts, photo Dave Murray
SPS Technologies workers end strike after management backs down
Thousands of London bus workers strike across multiple companies
Tensions escalate in Northern Ireland
1920s-30s Britain: A working-class movement fighting unemployment and capitalism
Covid inquiry? Workers must decide
St Mungo's maintenance workers on indefinite strike
The system is broken... youth unite and fight back
Waltham Forest TUSC: On 6 May - Use your vote to fight education cuts
Support the Broad Left Network for a democratic, fighting union leadership
Cumberland hospital workers fight for stolen pay
Freeports spell deregulation, low pay and a new race to the bottom
Deal concludes Barts health strike - "We have raised our heads high"
NHS pay: reject Tories' miserly 1% 'offer' - Fight for full 15% rise
Trade unions must fight to put their stamp on events