The Socialist 23 August 2017

Strikes get results

Coordinate the strikes to defeat the Tories

Glasgow jannies win famous victory against council cutters

Bin workers - fighting back wins!

Hundreds evacuated after Labour council dismisses cracks in tower blocks

Amazon tax halves as revenues soar - nationalise now!

RMT and the Labour Party affiliation debate

Defiant Barts NHS workers fight to stop Serco sabotage

Three-week Argos distribution strike

BA poverty pay dispute enters new phase of action

McDonald's workers vote to walk out in historic strike

Bin workers say: Sack Suez, stop rubbish cuts!

PCS: strikes to defend jobcentres

US: neo-Nazi violence reawakens resistance

Lewisham 1977: When socialists and workers defeated the far-right National Front

Opposing the National Front in Grantham

Charlottesville solidarity

The Single Market: a neoliberal tool of the bosses

Come to Socialism 2017

Chatsworth ward campaigners demand answers

Vital women's services under threat

Hull youth festival

West Midlands Young Socialists fight for free education on results day

NHS campaign receives Labour Party backing

Mutinies and strikes: when Bolshevism threatened British bosses

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BA poverty pay dispute enters new phase of action

photo Rob Williams (Click to enlarge)

Rob Williams, Socialist Party industrial organiser

On their 74th day of strike action, a bus-full of British Airways (BA) mixed-fleet cabin crew organised by general union Unite, and their supporters, circled first Heathrow Airport and then the streets of Richmond.

Noisily filling the top deck of an open-top bus with banners and flags in hand, they set about making everyone aware of their incredible struggle against poverty pay.

Many of them are on a miserly basic salary of £12,000. They have maintained their fight despite BA attacking their bonus payments and travel concessions which are necessities because of their low-paid contracts. The firm has even hired Qatari Airways to scab. Yet the workers have shown tremendous courage in fighting on.

Their present action, which has continued through August, ends at the end of the month. BA has contacted the union promising talks but the workers are determined to continue to fight if negotiations come to nothing.

One worker told the Socialist: "The 'topless' (open-top) bus ride was brilliant and made loads of people aware of the strike and what we're on strike for, including hundreds of passengers at the airport at one of the busiest times of year.

"We're being paid well below what we should be paid. British Airways say we're being paid between £21,000 and £27,000. But most of us have never been paid £21,000, some of us are only on £12,000 a year."

Donate to the hardship fund at account name 'Mixed Fleet Branch', sort code 60-83-01, account number 20376387, reference 'MFU'
Or make cheques out to 'Mixed Fleet Branch' and post with messages of support to Unite the Union, 99 New Road, Harlington UB3 5BQ
Send messages of protest to BA CEO Alex Cruz: [email protected]

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Coordinate the strikes to defeat the Tories