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Category: Trade Unions

  • The Battle of Orgreave was not about coal. It was about power, class, and the right to life.

    The Battle of Orgreave was a violent assault on striking miners by police on 18 June 1984. 40 years on, it stands as a stark symbol of the classism and divisive policies of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party government. However, this attack was not an isolated incident. It was a culmination of deep-seated classism and economic policies that favored deindustrialisation and free-market capitalism, and systematically weakened the labor movement – destroying working-class communities in the process.

    Orgreave: the culmination of years of managed decline

    The late 20th century was a period of significant economic upheaval in the UK. Traditional industries, such as coal mining, steel, and manufacturing, faced decline due to capitalist-fomented globalisation, technological advancements that were utilised for profit, and right-wing politics. These industries were concentrated in working-class areas, where communities were heavily dependent on these jobs.

    The rise of neoliberal economic policies under Thatcher, who became prime minister in 1979, accelerated this decline.

    Thatcher’s government embraced policies that promoted free-market principles, deregulation, and a shift away from state ownership. This approach aimed to modernise the British economy but came at the expense of the working class.

    So, the Conservative Party and its capitalist backers viewed coal mines as inefficient and unprofitable. This was after previous governments nationalised and supported them. Thatcher’s administration viewed the powerful National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as an impediment to economic progress and was determined to curtail its influence.

    The strike and its escalation

    In March 1984, the National Coal Board announced plans to close 20 coal mines, which threatened thousands of jobs and the livelihoods of entire communities. The NUM, led by Arthur Scargill, called for a national strike. The strike was not just about saving jobs; it was a battle for the survival of the mining industry and a stand against a deliberate attack on the working class by Thatcher’s government.

    However, the government anticipated the strike and had prepared extensively. It mobilised police forces, and developed strategies to counteract the miners’ actions. The government’s deployment of police during the strike was not just about maintaining order; it was about breaking the strike.

    This militarised response highlighted the government’s stance against the miners and underscored the class divide.

    The Battle of Orgreave

    The police assault at the Battle of Orgreave was one of the most violent and notorious events of the miners’ strike. On that day, around 5,000 miners gathered to picket the Orgreave coking plant in South Yorkshire. They were met by around 6,000 police equipped with riot gear, horses, and dogs.

    The ensuing attack was brutal, with mounted police charging into the crowd. Cops injured at least 100 miners – some seriously – while they arrested 95 and charged them with “violent disorder” or “rioting”. Now, we would call that gaslighting.

    Reports and subsequent investigations revealed that the government made sure the police’s actions were highly coordinated and aggressive. Cops used excessive force, made wrongful arrests, and fabricated evidence against the miners. Moreover, the media coverage at the time was largely biased to the government, promoting its propaganda. It intentionally portrayed the miners as violent agitators to skew public perception.

    Classism and government policies

    The Battle of Orgreave was not merely a labor dispute but a manifestation of class conflict.

    Thatcher’s government representing the interests of the middle and upper classes. It viewed the working-class miners as an obstacle to economic reform. The aggressive policing and vilification of the miners was an attempt by the Tories to dismantle the power of the working class and their unions, which had long been a thorn in the side of governments.

    However, the government’s approach to the miners’ strike was informed by a broader ideological battle against collectivism and state-supported industries. By breaking the NUM, Thatcher aimed to reduce the power of trade unions. She could then reshape the labor market in favor of employers and reducing the bargaining power of workers.

    The Battle of Orgreave at 40: has anything really changed?

    The aftermath of the Battle of Orgreave and the miners’ strike had profound and lasting effects on British society.

    Many mining communities never recovered from the closures, leading to long-term economic and social decline. Successive governments, both Labour and Tory, have failed to address this.

    The strike also marked a turning point in labor relations, significantly weakening trade unions and changing the landscape of British politics.

    Moreover, the events at Orgreave remain a potent symbol of class struggle and government oppression. They underscore the lengths to which Thatcher’s government was willing to go to impose its economic vision, regardless of the social cost.

    The battle was not just about coal; it was about power, class, and the right to a livelihood in an era of profound economic change.

    The scars of Orgreave serve as a reminder of the human cost of economic policies that prioritise market efficiency to benefit the rich over social equity for the rest of us – injuries that are still happening to this day.

    Featured image via Channel 4 – YouTube

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Summary of advice that UK arms sales to Israel not unlawful to be released

    Andrew Mitchell preparing to share details of assessment that there is no clear risk in breaching international human law

    The British government is preparing to publish a summary of its legal advice stating there are no clear risks that selling arms to Israel will lead to a serious breach of international humanitarian law (IHL).

    In a pre-prepared concession to the business select committee, the deputy foreign secretary, Andrew Mitchell, said: “In view of the strength of feeling in the IHL assessment process, I will look to see what more detail we could offer in writing on the IHL assessments in relation to Israel and Gaza both in process and substance.”

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Watch Matt Wrack destroy Labour over ‘nasty, undemocratic’ anti-strike law ‘cheerleader’ Natalie Elphicke

    Where classist Tories tread, Labour no longer fears to follow. At least, that seems increasingly the case given its latest shenanigans surrounding the Tory defector Natalie Elphicke. Now nestled amongst its MPs, Elphicke’s history of supporting rancid right-wing policies has dredged up some serious concerns.

    Not least among these is her distinctly anti-union stances. However, in a searing interview, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) president Matt Wrack demolished any doubts Elphicke is an ally to the working class.

    Elphicke a “cheerleader” for anti-strike legislation

    Naturally, Labour Party heavyweights have been scrabbling over themselves to defend Labour’s ill-judged decision. Amongst this clamour was Labour chair Anneliese Dodds’s claim that Elphicke has “Labour values in her heart, in her core”:

    However, Wrack’s interview on Sky News masterfully ripped this apart:

    Natalie Elphicke – “cheerleader” for “nasty, undemocratic” anti-strike legislation about sums it up. In particular, Elphicke voted for the Tories’ notorious Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act that restricts the right to strike.

    Yes, this would be the notorious anti-strike law that unions, lawyers, and the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) have all unequivocally slammed. Notably, the JCHR pointed out that the act flouts “human rights obligations” under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

    So as Wrack rightly raised, Labour’s new MP is vastly at odds with its pledge to repeal this legislation after the election.

    Elphicke’s “disgraceful” attack on firefighters

    Then came the clincher. In his letter he highlighted exactly why Elphicke is “incompatible” with the Labour Party. He wrote that:

    On Tuesday 12 March this year, she spoke in support of the new anti-union laws by blaming striking firefighters for the deaths of three people during a past national firefighters’ strike.

    This is a disgraceful attack on firefighters, who protect the public and save lives every day, sometimes at great personal cost.

    Although, throwing workers under the bus is of course very New New Labour. As recently as 8 May, Labour stirred up a shitstorm when it watered down its previous workers rights policy plans. Unite lambasted Labour’s “betrayal”, particularly on seeming rollback over its promise to ban fire and rehire. As the Guardian reported:

    Key to the criticism from trade unions were changes to the wording of plans to end fire and rehire – removing a direct promise to end the dismissal of workers for rejecting a worse contract.

    However, Labour purportedly contested this:

    But Labour sources said it was not their intention to abandon that pledge and said the party would legislate within 100 days with an employment rights bill that would ban the practice.

    Again, Elphicke’s record on this may also be instructive. Co-editor of Tribune Magazine Karl Hansen shared a video of the Dover MP as protesters dragged her for her rank hypocrisy:

    So, Elphicke – who shot down Labour’s fire and rehire bill – is now going to support the party’s next attempt to curb the appalling practice, then?

    Of course, a post-election U-turn wouldn’t be out of place in Starmer’s renege and repeat party. It sure isn’t the first time his party has ditched its promises when the going got minutely tougher. Or more to the point, when Labour’s new rich corporate paymasters came calling.

    Strike-busting, union-bashing Elphicke definitively does away with any lingering pretence Starmer’s Labour is the party of the working class.

    Feature image via Guardian – Youtube/Sky News/the Canary

    By Hannah Sharland

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The capitalist hole in Labour’s rail nationalisation plans is huge

    Keir Starmer’s Labour has expanded on plans to nationalise the railway operating companies under a new Great British Railways.

    But the party will not nationalise the rolling stock companies – Eversholt, Porterbrook, and Angel Trains. These companies own the majority of the trains that we rent.

    That’s despite the company shareholders making over £2bn in the past decade in dividends.

    So basically, Conservative prime minister John Major sold off the trains when he privatised the railways in 1993. Now we rent them back at higher costs and still will under Labour’s plans.

    Rail nationalisation: Labour is promoting a scam

    It’s a scam and Labour should simply take them back, citing previous profits.

    The chief executives of the rolling stock companies were paid around £1m each in 2022. Surely they’ll survive.

    Privatisation of public infrastructure and institutions everyone needs to use, such as healthcare, electricity, and the internet, is always a con because we end up renting the services back.

    Instead we should own them and pay cost-price.

    Indeed, Labour projects its rail nationalisation plans could save us up to £2.2bn per year partly from removing shareholder dividends. So why stop there?

    Well, Starmer has gone back on nearly all of his pledges he made to become Labour leader.

    In a signed document, Starmer claimed that “public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.”

    But after securing votes from Labour members, he abandoned nationalisation of energy, mail, and water.

    Never trust a Tory

    With such a record, it’s unclear we can even trust Labour on their rail nationalisation. It says it will deliver this in the first five years of government at no cost once the contracts expire.

    The UK’s privatised system has the highest fares in Europe by far for a single ticket. And when taken as a proportion of UK wages, our season ticket fares are now up to 7.5 times higher than other European countries.

    A report from union RMT shows privatisation costs £1.5bn per year including profits extracted from rolling stock companies. Saving these profits could fund the cutting of fares by 18%.

    Labour’s rail nationalisation is a welcome, if limited, policy. But it’s unclear whether we can even trust them to do that.

    Featured image StarlifeStudios Rail Videos – YouTube and the Canary

    By James Wright

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Little wonder the Renters (Reform) Bill will ‘not stop unscrupulous landlords’ – when these include Tory MPs

    Community union ACORN, representing thousands of renters across England, has withdrawn support for the Renters (Reform) Bill which enters the report stage in parliament on Wednesday 24 April. It is following long delays and government concessions to landlord and housing lobbyists.

    This comes as the Renters Reform Coalition (made up of over 20 advice organisations, unions, and professional bodies), warned that in its current form the Bill will fail to achieve the government’s stated aim of delivering a ‘better deal for renters.’

    Renters (Reform) Bill: watered down by landlord Tory MPs

    In 2019 the Government announced that it planned a ‘once in a generation’ wholesale reform of the private rental sector, to deliver a ‘better deal for renters.’ After much delay, the Renters (Reform) Bill entered Parliament in May 2023. However, since then ministers have watered it down.

    The Bill in its current form will end section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ only in name with wide loopholes for unscrupulous landlords to exploit, leaving them able to kick out tenants who complain about conditions, and putting an indefinite pause on when the legislation would come into effect.

    Of course, this is probably of little wonder. As Sky News reported:

    A total of 83 Tories have declared they received the sizeable rental payments since the last election in December 2019, along with 18 Labour MPs, four Liberal Democrats and one member of the SNP.

    But many more could be benefiting from a smaller income as landlords, as MPs only have to publish it on the register of interests if rent tops the £10,000 annual figure.

    Changes needed

    ACORN, along with the Renters Reform Coalition, is calling for ministers to table amendments to ensure it delivers the transformative changes needed for renters. These include:

    • A reversal of concessions that would see a section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction ban delayed indefinitely, and tenants trapped in tenancy agreements for six months.
    • A limit on in-tenancy rent rises to prevent unaffordable increases being used as ‘economic’ no-fault evictions, and strong safeguards to prevent unscrupulous landlords abusing the new grounds for eviction which risk being used in the same way as section 21 notices.
    • Giving tenants four months’ notice when they are to be evicted, rather than two months’ notice proposed at present.
    • Extending the ‘protected period’ that protect renters from eviction under the new landlord circumstances grounds from the proposed six months to two years.

    Renters (Reform) Bill will do ‘nothing to stop unscrupulous landlords’

    Adam is a disabled renter living in Liverpool. He has has been evicted four times in less than four years. He was recently served a section 21 eviction notice and given no reason why. This follows complaints to the landlord from him and housemates about mould and disrepair issues in their home.

    He said of the Renters (Reform) Bill:

    I’ve been evicted four times in under four years, including an illegal eviction and revenge section 21 evictions after complaining about bad conditions and serious structural issues in my home.”

    This Bill should have helped level the power balance between renters and landlords, but as it stands it will do nothing to stop unscrupulous landlords such as those I’ve experienced from evicting people via the backdoor.

    ACORN spokesperson Martin Mawdsley said:

    Private renting in England is broken. Lack of security, poor standards and record high rents are plaguing renters, those at the sharp end of the housing crisis.

    For five years we’ve had promises from the Government that they would change this, but after years of feet dragging and with the Bill being watered down to appease backbench Tory MPs and landlord lobbyists, it looks like this is an opportunity lost and a promise broken.”

    ACORN will continue to fight for the changes so desperately needed to make sure everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home.

    Featured image via MatthewWilliams-Ellis – Envato Elements

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Workplaces across the UK are going to be ‘inspected’ by the workers. Bosses beware…

    Over 600 union reps will inspect workplace buildings for safety this week as part of an organised action. Reps are checking for life-threatening problems like RAAC, asbestos and fire-hazards. The action is timed for the run-up to Workers’ Memorial Day on Sunday 28 April, and is organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

    TUC: marking Workers’ Memorial Day with action

    The TUC has organised a nationwide inspection of workplace buildings this week, with more than 600 trade union health and safety reps taking part.

    Building safety has come to the fore in recent years for several reasons, including:

    RAAC concrete: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was used mainly in public buildings from the 1950s to the 1990s – especially in roofs. It can be present in commercial buildings too. Its safe lifespan is only 30 years. Many buildings that contain RAAC, including lots of schools and hospitals, are now at risk of collapse. The extent of the problem is not fully known. However, surveys have so far found RAAC in 234 education settings, and the government says that in 119 schools, one or more buildings will have to be rebuilt or refurbished.

    Asbestos: Asbestos was widely used in building up to the year 2000. It is very widespread in workplaces across both the public and private sector built before 2000. More than 5,000 people die in Britain each year from diseases linked to asbestos exposure. An estimated 1.5m buildings in Britain contain asbestos. Research by the TUC and Labour Research Department has uncovered the extent of asbestos in parts of the public estate, including NHS premises in London and Scotland and English local authority buildings.

    Workplace ventilation: The Covid pandemic revealed the importance of adequate ventilation in workplaces to prevent infections from spreading. Regulations on workplace ventilation have been permanently strengthened following the pandemic.

    Fire safety: The cladding associated with the Grenfell Tower tragedy is still present on some office blocks, schools, and hospitals.

    Are we really safe at work?

    The TUC is calling on the government and employers to make workplace buildings safer by:

    • Publishing a national risk register, with public transparency about where hazardous building materials are located.
    • Establishing a ‘remove and improve’ plan for RAAC in public buildings and for other materials causing structural deficiencies.
    • Committing to a 40-year deadline for removing asbestos from public buildings – starting with schools – as called for by the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

    The week of action on building safety is part of TUC and trade union activity for Workers’ Memorial Day on Sunday 28 April, when we remember those who lost their lives due to work-related illness or injury and commit to making all workplaces safe.

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    Everyone should be safe at work. But when some people step through the door of their workplace, they step into danger.

    This week trade unions are taking action by inspecting the safety of hundreds of workplace buildings. And we are calling on government ministers to speed up the removal of RAAC and asbestos from schools, hospitals and other public buildings.

    If you’re worried about safety at work, get together with colleagues to join a union. Unions give workers the power to protect themselves. And the health and safety reps that we train can be life-savers.

    Featured image via PICCOLINO208 – Envato Elements

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • NHS consultants warn it’s not over yet – despite what Tories and the corporate media say

    NHS consultants have accepted a government pay offer – while warning that while their official dispute may be over, the Tories (and a Labour government) had better watch their backs.

    NHS consultants: pay offer accepted

    Senior hospital doctors in England have accepted a pay offer, bringing an end to strikes and an industrial dispute – all while increasing numbers of NHS staff quit for better paid work overseas.

    The deal will see some NHS consultants – experienced specialist doctors – receive a pay increase of nearly 20% for 2023-24. This is because, as the BBC reported:

    Consultants got a 6% pay rise in April 2023 and were then offered an extra sum worth nearly 5% on average at the end of last year.

    But the amount extra individual consultants got varied considerably from nothing to an extra 12.8%.

    The new offer included an extra 2.85% for those between four and seven years into their consultant careers – the group that was getting the smallest rise under the previous offer.

    This pay rise will be backdated to March 2024, which means some senior doctors will see their pay increase by nearly 20%.

    Doctors’ leaders say medics at all levels have been leaving the NHS in droves, driven by a stressful work environment, Tory-instigated cuts to the health service, and dwindling pay packets.

    Doctors leaving in their droves

    According to the OECD, the number of UK-trained doctors in Australia rose from just over 3,900 in 2013 to around 6,600 in 2021.

    A BMA poll published in 2022 found that around 40% of UK junior doctors planned to leave the NHS as soon as they could find another job, with around a third of those planning to move abroad in the next 12 months. Around 42% of them said Australia was their preferred destination.

    NHS consultants have walked out repeatedly since July 2023, when they took action for the first time in more than a decade. Last September consultants also walked out at the same time as junior doctors. It was the first time the two groups had gone on strike simultaneously.

    The strikes have compounded waiting list backlogs and years of underfunding that have seen long waiting times build up for treatment, which have put lives at risk.

    An improved offer for NHS staff

    The BMA said changes to a pay review body as part of the deal would mean it could:

    no longer ignore the historical losses that doctors have suffered or the fact that countries abroad are competing for UK doctors with the offer of significantly higher salaries.

    Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee, added that it was “imperative” the deal lead to the long-term restoration of pay levels in the profession.

    After years of repeated real-terms pay cuts, caused by government interference and a failure of the pay review process, consultants have spoken and now clearly feel that this offer is enough of a first step to address our concerns to end the current dispute.

    Junior doctors, who are also leaving the profession, remain in dispute with the government. However, the BMA and consultants made clear that this deal was not the end of the road.

    NHS consultants: it’s not over, yet

    Sharma added:

    At the heart of this dispute was our concern for patients and the future sustainability of the NHS. Without valuing doctors, we lose them. Without doctors, we have no NHS and patients suffer.

    But the fight is not yet over. This is only the end of the beginning and we have some way to go before the pay consultants have lost over the last 15 years has been restored.

    Therefore, all eyes will be on this year’s pay review round, recommendations from the DDRB [Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration] and response from the Government.

    Consultants have shown they are not afraid to act when they need to, and ministers, whether present or future, should be warned that we expect to be treated fairly and if the Government fails to do so in future, we will once again find ourselves in the midst of an industrial dispute.

    It’s in the Government’s and DDRB’s gift to avoid this, starting with the pay round for the coming year.

    As one doctor summed up on X:

    The outcome of the consultant ballot divides opinion. Fwiw, I think it was probably the best offer available in the context of the dying days of this government. Was it everything we wanted? No, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we retain the ability for further action if necessary.

    Additional reporting via Agence France-Presse

    Featured image via the BMA

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • German workers show the rest of Europe (and UK) just how trade union action is done

    German trade union members in the rail industry have won a resounding victory against their employer Deutsche Bahn – getting it to reduce their working to to 35 hours WITHOUT a reduction in pay. It comes after months of industrial action across Germany‘s state-owned rail operator forced bosses’ hands – despite it taking legal action against workers.

    Deutsche Bahn caves in – just

    German state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Tuesday 26 March it had agreed with the GDL union to shorten train drivers’ working week, ending a months-long row that caused strikes across the country.

    From 2026, the standard working week will be gradually reduced from 38 hours to 35 hours by 2029 – crucially at full pay.

    Train drivers will, however, have the option of working more if they want to, up to 40 hours per week, at 2.7% more salary per additional hour.

    Deutsche Bahn’s human resources director Martin Seiler said:

    “It was a difficult road, but in the end we were able to reach an intelligent compromise. Our colleagues can decide for themselves which weekly working hours suit them and their lifestyle best.

    He called it a “modern” solution that would bring “flexibility” to the profession, at a time when Germany is grappling with a shortage of skilled labour.

    Of course, Deutsche Bahn did not come quietly – taking legal action against the workers. As the GDL union noted:

    While 29 competitors had no problems coming to an agreement with us quickly, the DB believed that it would once again have to fight the GDL with all means and at all levels. Instead of negotiating sensibly, the company also relied on disinformation, defamation and annoyance of customers in this round with the aim of discrediting us in the eyes of the public.

    As part of the deal, workers will also receive a wage hike of €420 (£360) per month in two stages and a one-off payment of €2,850 (£2,440) to help compensate for inflation.

    Cost of greed crisis

    The agreement brings an end to a bitter dispute between the operator and the GDL union which led to six rounds of walkouts since November 2023, causing travel misery for thousands of passengers and disrupting freight traffic.

    GDL boss Claus Weselsky said:

    Against the strong and ultimately useless resistance of Deutsche Bahn, the GDL and its members succeeded in pushing through a reduction in working hours for shift workers and a 35-hour week without a reduction in pay for the future. With the collective agreement, we have achieved a historic breakthrough and are therefore setting an example for other unions in this country.

    The union noted that:

    The legal proceedings brought by DB against GDL – and lost – are evidence of the employer’s lack of willingness to reach an agreement for a long time.

    The agreement will run until the end of 2025 and both sides have ruled out any further strike action for nearly two years.

    Passengers seemed on the side of the workers throughout the dispute. Detlef Neuss, chairman of ProBahn passenger lobby group, said:

    This is a huge relief for passengers… [but] you can’t get new staff without better working conditions.

    Trouble on Germany’s horizon?

    Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has been affected by strikes across a wide range of sectors in recent months, including air travel, public transport, the civil service, and supermarkets.

    Pinched by inflation following the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic, workers have been demanding higher wages to cope with shrinking purchasing power.

    The strikes added to an already gloomy economic picture, with the German economy shrinking 0.3 percent in 2023.

    A modest recovery is expected to get under way this year.

    Deutsche Bahn, which made a net loss of €2.35bn in 2023, said last year’s walkouts alone cost it some €200m.

    Additional reporting via Agence France-Presse

    Featured image via Unsplash 

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Two years on from the P&O scandal, Mick Lynch slams Tories as ‘failing to punish perpetrators’

    Two year ago, shipping firm P&O Ferries sacked nearly 800 of its workers without notice – and replaced them with agency staff. At the time, the government and public were outraged. However, 24 months after the incident trade unions are warning that the Tories have “done nothing” to stop bosses doing the same thing again – with Mick Lynch saying the perpetrators have gone ‘unpunished’.

    P&O Ferries: two years later

    On 17 March 2022, P&O Ferries sacked 786 workers without notice. A video message told them:

    I am sorry to inform you that your employment is terminated with immediate effect . . . your final day of employment is today.

    In addition to the shameful way that P&O Ferries treated its workforce, there were four flagrant breaches of law by P&O Ferries which have gone unpunished:

    • The duty to consult when making collective redundancies.
    • Unfair dismissal of workers.
    • Failure to notify the relevant government authorities.
    • Breach of Director duties.

    Furthermore, P&O Ferries exploited loopholes in the minimum wage legislation to pay replacement agency worker crew as little as £5.15 per hour. Moreover, it failed to comply with international health and safety standards, jeopardising the safety of seafarers, passengers, and the maritime industry as a whole.

    At the time, Tory ministers were outraged – with the then-transport secretary Grant Shapps calling on P&O’s boss to quit. However, since then the government has done nothing to avert another worker catastrophe like the P&O one.

    The Tories have ‘done nothing’ since

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC), international trade union Nautilus, and the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport Workers (RMT) issued a joint statement on the two year anniversary of the mass sacking. It warned about the prospect of another P&O Ferries scandal as a result of government failures on workers’ rights.

    In the joint statement, they warn another P&O Ferries scandal is on the cards as a result of government inaction:

    Two years have since passed – but the government has done nothing to stop another P&O Ferries scandal.

    Despite admitting to acting illegally, P&O Ferries have faced no sanctions and have seemingly been let off the hook.

    The unions say ministers have failed to act:

    Having feigned outrage at P&O Ferries’ actions, ministers have reneged on their promise to clamp down on bad bosses, failed to deliver an Employment Bill and failed to close the legal loopholes exploited by P&O Ferries.

    And the paltry reforms that they have pushed forward fall far short of what’s needed. P&O Ferries priced-in the illegal mass sacking of hundreds of seafarers. Their bosses at DP World sanctioned the breaking of UK law and could afford to do so.

    The government’s feeble code of practice on fire and rehire only makes breaking the law a bit more expensive, which will do nothing to deter deep-pocketed rogue employers.

    And their much-trumpeted seafarers’ welfare charter isn’t mandatory – so bad employers can just ignore it, safe in the knowledge they will face zero consequences.

    A “mandatory seafarers’ charter”

    They call for a mandatory seafarers’ charter as well as stronger workers’ rights across the board:

    This is why we need an Employment Act, such as a New Deal for Working People – like Labour is proposing – to ensure that everybody is treated with dignity and respect in a safe workplace.

    It is welcome that Labour have already responded to the P&O Ferries’ sackings by committing to a mandatory seafarers’ charter to protect seafarer’s employment and conditions. That charter, including provisions for a fair pay agreement as envisaged in the New Deal, would be a gamechanger.

    To prevent another P&O Ferries we need that commitment introduced as soon as possible.

    It would help to level the playing field for good employers while supporting quality seafarer employment.

    For too long parts of our labour market have been like the wild west – with many seafarers particularly exposed to hyper-exploitation and a lack of enforceable rights and unsafe employment conditions.

    It’s time to drag our outdated employment laws into the 21st century. Without this, another P&O Ferries scandal is on the cards.

    P&O: Tories left the perpetrators “unpunished”

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The Conservative Party are the P&O party.

    What happened at P&O Ferries two years ago was a national scandal. It should have marked a new chapter in workers’ rights.

    But Tory ministers sat on their hands. And the reforms they are bringing in – like the code of practice on fire and rehire – aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

    Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said:

    In the two years since P&O Ferries’ shocking attack on 786 seafarers’ jobs, the Conservative Government has completely failed to punish the perpetrators or even close the legal loopholes that were exploited and priced up by P&O’s wealthy owners in Dubai.

    We need a mandatory Seafarers Charter as part of a new deal for workers, with fair pay agreements at the heart of a revival of Ratings jobs and skills in the UK maritime industry, including on international ferries and in the offshore energy supply chain, both of which are critical elements of our future economic security.

    RMT will continue to fight tooth and nail for stronger seafarer rights through employment law reform, sorting out the impotent Insolvency Service, an end to all forms of discrimination against seafarers, safer working practices, excluding DP World from taxpayer support and scrapping all anti-trade union laws.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Greek call centre workers show the rest of the world how a strike should be done

    Greek call centre workers went on strike on Wednesday 13 March – joining colleagues in France as well. It was over pay, conditions, and crucially the racist and discriminatory treatment of migrant workers in Greece’s call centres.

    Greek call centre workers on strike

    With a massive new strike, workers in call centre companies in Greece demanded wage increases, collective contracts, and an end to the slave trade practices with the “special purpose visa” for migrant workers in call centres, where thousands of migrants work alongside Greek colleagues:

    Migrant workers in Greek call centres are paid less than their counterparts – prompting angry placards at the strikes:

    A placard that reads "same responsibilities same salary"

    In fact, after the official foundation of two new trade unions representing workers from the companies Teleperformance and Webhelp, the strikers yesterday were even more determined in the battle they are fighting, overcoming the threats and blackmails escalated by the employers:

    A placard that reads "you fucked with the wrong numbers"

    It is significant that many of them were striking even though they are under performance “evaluation”, i.e. “hostage” status by the employer. Also, young workers who had not taken the step in the two previous strikes also took part, sending a message to the employers that their struggle is not being defused, but is instead escalating.

    “Enough is enough” was typically heard over and over again:

    Strike

    It came with one voice from Greek and migrant workers, both in the rallies outside the companies’ offices in Athens and outside the parliament:

    a group of striking Greek call centre workers waving flags and holding banners

    Enough is enough

    There, the Greek call centre strikers all met up –  responding to the joint strike call of the sectoral Telecommunications Information Technology Trade Union (SETIP) of Attica and the newly established Teleperformance (SETEP) and Webhelp (WUW) trade unions:

    Ferhat Tum, president of the Greek call centre workers’ union of Teleperformance, said:

    We fought another battle despite the employers’ blackmail to stop the strike. Today we gave them another answer. Let them come now to discuss the Collective Contract.

    While at the same time with their colleagues in Greece, the workers of Teleperformance and Webhelp in France went on strike:

    They were joined by the workers from Majorel, with a fight that gave a new and important impetus to the struggles of the sector.

    Featured image and additional images via PAME International 

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Greek call centre workers show the rest of the world how a strike should be done

    Greek call centre workers went on strike on Wednesday 13 March – joining colleagues in France as well. It was over pay, conditions, and crucially the racist and discriminatory treatment of migrant workers in Greece’s call centres.

    Greek call centre workers on strike

    With a massive new strike, workers in call centre companies in Greece demanded wage increases, collective contracts, and an end to the slave trade practices with the “special purpose visa” for migrant workers in call centres, where thousands of migrants work alongside Greek colleagues:

    Migrant workers in Greek call centres are paid less than their counterparts – prompting angry placards at the strikes:

    A placard that reads "same responsibilities same salary"

    In fact, after the official foundation of two new trade unions representing workers from the companies Teleperformance and Webhelp, the strikers yesterday were even more determined in the battle they are fighting, overcoming the threats and blackmails escalated by the employers:

    A placard that reads "you fucked with the wrong numbers"

    It is significant that many of them were striking even though they are under performance “evaluation”, i.e. “hostage” status by the employer. Also, young workers who had not taken the step in the two previous strikes also took part, sending a message to the employers that their struggle is not being defused, but is instead escalating.

    “Enough is enough” was typically heard over and over again:

    Strike

    It came with one voice from Greek and migrant workers, both in the rallies outside the companies’ offices in Athens and outside the parliament:

    a group of striking Greek call centre workers waving flags and holding banners

    Enough is enough

    There, the Greek call centre strikers all met up –  responding to the joint strike call of the sectoral Telecommunications Information Technology Trade Union (SETIP) of Attica and the newly established Teleperformance (SETEP) and Webhelp (WUW) trade unions:

    Ferhat Tum, president of the Greek call centre workers’ union of Teleperformance, said:

    We fought another battle despite the employers’ blackmail to stop the strike. Today we gave them another answer. Let them come now to discuss the Collective Contract.

    While at the same time with their colleagues in Greece, the workers of Teleperformance and Webhelp in France went on strike:

    They were joined by the workers from Majorel, with a fight that gave a new and important impetus to the struggles of the sector.

    Featured image and additional images via PAME International 

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • FBU slams the Tories over their latest ‘draconian’ attempts to shut down dissent – while endangering the public, too

    The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called on all fire service employers to refuse to implement the government’s new minimum service levels, condemning the legislation as a “draconian attempt to ban strikes”.

    FBU: minimum service levels will threaten public safety

    In a letter sent to all fire service employers in England, the FBU has warned that implementing work notices will “irreparably damage” industrial relations and threaten public safety.

    New regulations issued as part of the Minimum Service Levels (Strikes) Act will give fire service employers power to issue ‘work notices’ during period of strike action. ‘Minimum service’ in the fire and rescue sector has been set at 73% of fire engines crewed, while control rooms will be expected to operate as if no strike was happening.

    Firefighters, control staff and other fire service employees could face dismissal for remaining on strike during a period of industrial action once a work notice has been issued.

    The regulations are expected to be approved by parliament soon. They will apply only in England.

    The governments of Scotland and Wales have already said that they will not issue work notices and/or that they have no intention of introducing their own regulations to make the legislation operative.

    Fire service employers are different depending on the region, and include fire authorities, police, fire and crime commissioners (PFCCs), mayors, and devolved administrations.

    ‘An attack on fundamental democratic rights’

    Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said of the Minimum Service Levels Act:

    The government’s minimum service levels amount to a draconian attempt to ban firefighters and control staff from taking strike action.

    This is an attack on the fundamental democratic rights of fire service employees.

    Each fire service employer will have the power to decide whether to threaten their workforce with the sack during a period of strike action.

    The FBU calls on all employers to make it clear that they will refuse to issue work notices, rendering the new laws inoperable in their local fire and rescue service.

    They should agree not to dismiss or take any disciplinary action against any employee for taking part in strike action.

    As the Canary previously reported, trade unions have widely condemned the Tories’ anti-strike laws. For example, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has launched a judicial review against the government’s Minimum Service Levels Act to stop strike action in the Border Force.

    PCS will argue this contravenes the right to strike enshrined in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Opponents of the law say enforcing minimum service levels would prolong disputes and cause more frequent strikes.

    Featured image via the FBU

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Greek strikes see huge turnout as workers plan further escalation against the government

    Greece‘s All Workers Militant Front (PAME) has said the Greek national strike on Wednesday 28 February was the “biggest strike in recent years, with rivers of workers flooding Athens”.

    Greek strike: everybody out

    As the Guardian reported:

    Tens of thousands of people… joined protests in Greece, with strike action bringing the country to a standstill, on the first anniversary of a deadly train crash blamed on decades of poor railway management.

    As church bells tolled in memory of the 57 men and women who lost their lives in an accident deemed entirely preventable, protesters gathered in major cities to demand justice for the victims.

    In Athens, where clashes erupted outside parliament, 20,000 marched through the city centre before convening outside the central offices of Hellenic Train. Many chanted “their profits, our lives”, referring to a utility acquired by the Italian state at the height of Greece’s sovereign debt crisis.

    The below article is a piece from PAME, guest-posted on the Canary.

    Flooding Athens with workers

    The biggest strike in recent years with rivers of workers and youth flooding Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Heraklion, Patras, Ioannina and dozens of cities across the country, sent a message of disobedience and conflict by putting forward the slogan “their profits or our lives”:

    Greek strike

    One year after the crime in Tempe, the anger is growing. Double to the relatives of the 57 dead, the country paralysed to make it clear that any attempt at a cover-up will not pass, no one will go unpunished, demanding that all political and criminal responsibility for the crime be held immediately.

    No cover-up, no cover-up attempted by the government will be tolerated.

    Today’s strike sent a strong message of condemnation of the policy that is crushing the lives of the people. The complete freeze of factories and workplaces and the large participation in the strike rallies surpassed all previous mobilisations because the cup has overflowed in the sectors and workplaces.

    Greek strike: the escalation will continue

    We continue. The strike with a record number of strike decisions of the Workers’ Regional Union Centres and Federations and the hundreds of public and private sector unions is a milestone. A station of a great struggle and a station of a new escalation.

    Escalation that comes with the daily mobilisations in the workplaces for the signing of collective agreements with wage increases, for the protection of the right to work, for work and life with rights. Escalation with a new National strike on 17 April:

    Basically, the only “union” organisation that did not participate in this huge strike of 28 February was the ETUC member in Greece, GSEE.

    With our action to become the worst nightmare of all those who dread the struggles that put forward the needs of the workers, who go against profits and exploitation, who question the politics of profit, of wars, of the involvement of our country in the wars, of the “fiscal balance” of poverty for the many.

    In these struggles the workers can and must come together with the popular strata of the city and village, with the students and pupils, against their common enemies, the business groups and their governments.

    Featured image and additional images via PAME

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The Canary speaks to (hopefully) the next general secretary of the UCU

    The University and College Union (UCU) is currently in the process of electing a new general secretary. Whoever wins will replace the incumbent Jo Grady. One of the candidates is Vicky Blake. She is a longstanding UCU member, having served in various role right up to UK president.

    The UCU has been mired in controversy in recent times – from scaling back industrial action at a time when it was sorely needed to poor decision making via questions over how the union and Grady engaged with members on social media. It would seem that a new face at the helm of the UCU is sorely needed – and Vicky could well be that person.

    So, the Canary spoke to her about her bid to become UCU general secretary.

    Vicky Blake: the next general secretary?

    Vicky explained to the Canary:

    I’ve decided to stand for General Secretary of UCU because I believe that our union needs a change in leadership and a new approach, and I am confident I can facilitate the positive changes we desperately need.

    I’ve been active in the union since 2009, representing members at every level, from local branch rep to my election as UCU’s UK President. This means I understand first-hand the hard work it takes to organise, campaign, and negotiate locally and at sector level.

    I am conscious that many members outside pre-92 universities feel that their concerns have not been amplified or centred in our campaigning. I want to be a General Secretary for all members in the post-16 education sector: workers in Further Education; Adult and Community Education; Prison Education; and Higher Education.

    Serious, but not insurmountable, issues in the UCU

    Vicky also noted that:

    I was unsurprised, sadly, that the most recent ballot of members in Higher Education failed to meet the 50% threshold imposed by the anti-trade union laws in this country. We have also seen mixed results with respect to turnout in recent ballots across our Further Education branches.

    This is not because members feel their pay and conditions are acceptable, but because the current approaches to decision-making in the union has led to an erosion of trust and confidence.

    Our membership numbers have fallen in the last five years to just below where we were before the last General Secretary election (in 2019).

    Relationships between our union’s staff (represented by Unite UCU) and its leadership have seriously broken down. This is evidenced by a recent referral to the Health and Safety Executive, and a recent dispute over proposed reductions to staffing in a key anti-casualisation campaign.

    These issues are of very serious concern given that one of the key roles of the General Secretary is the management of staff.

    Overall, she said:

    These issues are serious, but not insurmountable.

    I offer a cast iron commitment to ensuring that UCU models the practices and principles upon which the trade union movement is built: an adherence to democratic structures, decision-making, and accountability; a renewed focus on organising; and fighting for a better workplace for every member.

    This means driving forward the implementation of members’ collective decisions. I value the work of the dedicated reps and activists who take on casework, negotiations and campaigns at local level, and these efforts are integral to the success of any action.

    Doing things differently

    There are numerous things Vicky would do differently if she was elected UCU general secretary:

    Years of involvement with the union at national level have taught me that we need a more horizontal and deliberative system of decision-making with time and space for branches and our elected bodies to discuss ideas together prior to voting.

    There is a place for electronic surveys of members, but I don’t feel that replicating the kind of shallow e-surveys we see in our workplaces represents the kind of democracy that unions were built to champion. A consistently plebiscitary approach simply individualises what should be collectively made decisions based on a shared understanding of the implications and consequences of possible courses of action.

    We need more members to feel able to become more active in our union, and to recognise the breadth of experience and skills that widening participation in activism will bring. This means giving practical and consistent organising support to branches to maximise member engagement and to facilitate open and equal conversations between members and officials.

    She also made a point about how a union leader should behave:

    A General Secretary has an obligation to listen to critical voices and to engage with members and factions that may not agree: we cannot erase our differences but we need to view disagreement as a starting point for arriving at stronger positions.

    I do not view members as opponents to be managed or attacked on social media. We need to restore our union as a place of mutual support and care, and I will do my best to facilitate understanding and to bring people together in contrast to the friction and polarisation that is currently holding us back.

    Not taking for granted UCU members’ sacrifices

    Vicky said of actual UCU action:

    In terms of industrial action, I will never take for granted the sacrifices that members make when they withhold their labour. Striking workers are owed clear leadership that recognises the energy and commitment that goes into any action and that understands how and when to maximise leverage rather than waste our hard-earned mandates.

    Many of our problems across post-16 education arise from broken funding models and competition in a sector that should be viewed as a public good. We need to combine serious work at a political/policy level with equally serious campaigning on pay erosion and poor working conditions.

    In the union we need to focus less on social media and more on the hard work required to build towards effective campaigning and if mandated industrial action that achieves meaningful change for members.

    You can find out more about Vicky here. Follow her on X here.

    Featured image supplied

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Unions, lawyers, and rights groups slam Tory ministers’ decision to reintroduce tribunal fees

    Nearly 50 organisations including the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Citizens Advice, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Fawcett Society, Maternity Action, Women’s Budget Group, and Liberty call on government to reconsider its plans to reintroduce employment tribunal fees.

    Employment tribunal fees: Tories bringing them back

    Employment tribunal fees were introduced by the coalition government in July 2013. Before this, since the creation of the employment tribunal system in 1964, there were no fees for bringing claims or appeals.

    In 2017, after Unison brought a legal challenge, the Supreme Court quashed the previous tribunal fees regime because it “effectively prevents access to justice and is therefore unlawful.”

    However, as the Canary previously reported now the Tories want to reintroduce employment tribunal fees. The government has launched a consultation on them. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said:

    This consultation proposes the reintroduction of modest fees in the Employment Tribunals (ET) and Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), with the aim to contribute to the continuous improvement of His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and reduce the cost to the taxpayer to fund these services.

    The proposals discussed in this consultation are to introduce modest fees for claimants to bring a claim in the ET and appellants bringing an appeal in the EAT.

    Of course, what the MoJ is really doing is trying to cover the fact that it has decimated the wider justice system in England and Wales through years of under-funding. Plus, It’s unsurprising that the Tories want to reintroduce charges – because employment tribunals dropped by 67% when fees were introduced.

    So, the TUC says that by seeking to reimpose fees the government is “taking the side of bad bosses” over workers exercising their rights.

    A ‘green light’ for bad employers

    In a joint statement penned by 48 organisations and campaigners including the TUC, Citizens Advice, Maternity Action, Women’s Budget Group, Liberty, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Fawcett Society, and Mother Pukka, the signatories call on the government to urgently reconsider its plans.

    The joint statement says the decision will put yet another hurdle in front of those seeking justice, highlighting the existing barriers working people face including:

    • Lack of awareness of key employment rights and the process for bringing a claim.
    • Strict time limits on filing claims.
    • An under-resourced employment tribunal system leading to significant delays in cases being heard.
    • An under-funded labour market enforcement system that doesn’t have enough inspectors to proactively enforce employment rights.

    The groups say that introducing fees will encourage exploitation of workers:

    We believe this will deter many from lodging worthy claims and gives a green light to bad employers to exploit their workers.

    Bad employers are being given the go-ahead to undercut good ones, safe in the knowledge they are less likely to face claims in the employment tribunal.

    Employment rights are only real if they are enforced. Tribunal fees risk pricing many workers out of workplace justice.

    ‘Priced out’ of ‘workplace justice’

    They also raise concerns about the impact on workers in the middle of a cost of living crisis:

    Workers seeking recovery of wage theft, unpaid redundancy pay and compensation for unfair dismissal are to be asked to stump up extra money at an incredibly tough moment in their lives.

    Fee exemption procedures are complex and difficult to understand for many, especially within the three months’ time limit for most claims.

    Fees are also being levied at a time when rising inflation and subdued wages are putting pressure on family budgets. Access to justice must never be contingent on your ability to pay.

    And they warn that those at the sharp end includes workers already at high risk of mistreatment

    Tribunal fees risk pricing many workers out of workplace justice, especially workers at greater risk of employment law violations such as pregnant workers, disabled workers and migrant workers.

    Where’s the nail in the coffin of employment tribunal fees?

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    All working people should be able to enforce their rights.

    But introducing fees for tribunals puts yet another hurdle in the way of those seeking justice at their most vulnerable moment.

    The Conservatives have already tried this and failed. Last time they introduced tribunal fees, claims dropped by two-thirds. And the Supreme Court threw fees out – saying they interfered with access to justice.

    That should have been the nail in the coffin for these cynical plans, but ministers have decided to side with bad bosses over workers and resurrect employment tribunal fees.

    Employment tribunal fees give employers a pass to exploit workers – whether it’s discrimination, unfair sackings or withheld wages.

    Working people shouldn’t be picking up the bill for exploitative employers’ poor behaviour. It’s plain wrong. Ministers must halt their plans without delay.

    A ‘step backwards’

    Rosalind Bragg, director at Maternity Action Group, said:

    For pregnant women and new mothers in the cost of living crisis, every penny counts. Charging fees for employment tribunal claims puts the justice system out of reach for women at a time when they are most in need of protection.

    If the Government is serious about stamping out maternity discrimination, they should be reducing barriers to justice not increasing them. Fees will reduce the deterrent effect of the employment tribunal, reassuring bad employers that they can get away with breaking the law.

    We have laws in place to secure equal treatment of pregnant women and new mothers at work but these are ineffective without the robust operation of the employment tribunal. Fees are a step backwards in the fight for gender equality.

    Featured image via Daenin – Envato Elements

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UK workers put in £26 BILLION of unpaid overtime in 2023. Bosses must be ecstatic – so, take your lunch NOW.

    Friday 23 February is ‘Work Your Proper Hours Day’ – when workers are encouraged to take their lunch break and finish on time. It comes as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) published analysis that released UK bosses claimed £26bn of free labour last year because of workers doing unpaid overtime

    Work Your Proper Hours Day

    23 February is the TUC’s 20th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. On this day, workers are encouraged to take the breaks they are entitled to and finish their shifts on time. And managers are encouraged to support staff by setting reasonable workloads and putting in place workplace policies to protect against burnout.

    Now, new TUC analysis has revealed the extent of the problem of workers feeling obliged or forced to do unpaid overtime.

    A multi-billion pound boom for bosses

    Unpaid overtime is a problem for millions of workers: 3.8 million people did unpaid overtime in 2023, putting in an average of 7.2 unpaid hours a week. For those workers, that’s equivalent on average to £7,200 a year of wages going unpaid for work done.

    Occupations with most unpaid overtime in 2023: This year teachers top the list for both the proportion of staff doing unpaid overtime (40%) and the average weekly overtime across all employees (4.4 hours). Chief executives, managers and directors feature strongly, suggesting that the additional responsibilities of senior staff are not properly managed by employers. (See table 3 in notes)

    Unpaid overtime is more common in the public sector: one in six public sector workers (16.7%) did unpaid overtime in 2023, compared to one in nine (11.9%) in the private sector. Public sector staff gave £11bn worth of unpaid overtime to meet the needs of service users. That is an average of more than 10 million hours each week of unpaid overtime in our public services.

    In 2023, London had the highest proportion of workers doing unpaid overtime, at 18.8%, compared to 13.2% nationally.

    Rules for employer recording of working hours need to be strengthened

    In a 2019 the European Court of Justice ruled that employers should establish an “objective, reliable and accessible system” for recording hours.

    This ruling was binding on the UK. But when the Conservative government had the opportunity to strengthen requirements on employers with the Retained EU Law Act, ministers retained the UK’s far weaker UK rules.

    Employers are only required to keep “adequate” records of hours worked.

    Work your proper hours and NO more

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    We’re encouraging every worker to take their lunchbreak and finish on time today. And we know that the best employers will support them doing that.

    Most workers don’t mind putting in extra hours from time to time, but they should be paid for it.

    Part of the problem is that some employers fail to record the overtime staff do. And when they don’t record it, they don’t pay it.

    Conservative ministers know about this problem, but they refuse to tighten the rules on employers’ records. That’s not good enough. Working people deserve a government that is on their side.

    On public sector overtime, Nowak added:

    We all depend on public services. But they’ve been run down by Conservative cuts and mismanagement.

    That’s why public sector workers do so much unpaid overtime. They are going flat out to provide the services families rely on. But burnout and staff retention are big problems.

    None of us can afford to go on like this. The government must fix pay and conditions for public sector staff, instead of relying on the goodwill of workers who are burning out. That’s the only way we can rebuild our public services to the decent standard that we all need.

    Feature image via APchannel – Envato Elements

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Workers are ‘fighting for their lives’ as a national, multi-union Greek strike is set to take place

    Greece‘s All Workers Militant Front (PAME) has called for “massive militant preparation of the private and public sector” ahead of a public sector Greek strike on Wednesday 28 February.

    As Crisis 24 reported:

    On February 28, unionized workers will stage walkouts impacting transport, health, hospitality, public administration, construction, and telecommunications sectors. Striking workers could stage pickets in major urban centers near institutional buildings and transport hubs.

    The below article is a piece from PAME, guest-posted on the Canary.

    Greek strike remembers the victims of Tempe

    Now that the workers are suffering from inflation, now is the time and the need to come forward, to organise the struggle with militant initiatives in every sector, in every region, and in the workplaces.

    28 February marks one year since the crime train crash in Tempe that claimed the lives of 57 people, most of them students and young children, causing untold grief throughout the country and a lasting open wound to dozens of families. Tears have become rage.

    One year later we are making our promise a reality. The crime will not be forgotten. Those responsible must be punished.

    We have a duty on 28 February to flood the streets of all the major cities of our country, as we did a year ago.

    The attempted cover-up by Hellenic Train and OSE, the EU itself, the ND government and the other ruling parties, SYRIZA and PASOK, must not be allowed to pass. They want the crime to be forgotten because they are all guilty.

    Co-opted trade union bosses

    That is why their representatives in the leaderships of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) fought in every possible way against the effort to decide to strike on 28 February. They said “we will not strike for the Tempe”, they proposed other dates in March and April.

    It did not pass. The main thing they seek is to cover up the fact that the crime in Tempe was not due to “bad timing” but was predetermined with causes and culprits. They are trying to cover up the criminal policy of the EU and all the governments that implemented it. The policy that measures everything by the profit of the capitalists, even sacrificing human lives.

    Work accidents and employer crimes are on the increase. More than 160 workers did not return home in 2023, and every two days we count one worker dead. The policy that treats human life and the safety of the people as a cost, that wants us defenseless in the face of natural disasters, and the protection of our health – proposing again a lot of “individual responsibility” – must get a militant response.

    Inflation: out of control

    Inflation is sweeping away wages and the people’s income.

    Inflation is getting worse and the working-people’s income is not enough to cover the needs for basic necessities, food, electricity, bills, and expenses.

    We are watching prices on basic commodities increase daily.

    The price of olive oil has shot up by 58.5%, while the price of fruit (15%) and vegetables (14%), food, water, soft drinks and fruit juices have risen by double digits. Similarly, heating oil (13.7%) is moving non-stop, while significant increases are recorded in pharmaceuticals (11.8%), airline tickets (10.2%), and transport in general. The price of a kilowatt hour has doubled compared to 2020. Rents and loan instalments have increased by 30%.

    The purchasing power of workers has fallen by 15% in the last two years.

    The government: backing big business

    At the same time, the 500 largest business groups in Greece have secured huge profits, breaking record after record, especially the business groups of supermarkets, energy, transport, and banking.

    The measures that the government is taking to deal with the waves of price rises are a mockery on the one hand – since they do not cover the needs – and on the other hand they reproduce the causes of the price rises, since neither product prices are being reduced, nor are workers’ wages being increased, nor are taxes being abolished for the people, which would be a great and immediate relief.

    The policy defended by the New Democracy government and the parties that support the system of exploitation allows the business groups, which pull the strings in setting prices and controlling the markets, to increase prices whenever and as much as they want to multiply their profits.

    The process of adjusting the minimum wage, where any small increase given by the government will be wiped out by the price increases, is part of this process.

    Workers suffering

    At the same time, people of labor are losing their lives and their homes having to face the full range of repressive mechanisms. There are thousands of auctions of people’s houses for the benefit of the investment funds, banks and various predators.

    Farmers sell cheap yet we buy very expensive in supermarkets. Thousands of farmers in our country and across Europe are facing problems of survival. That’s what they are fighting for: their bread and their rights. They are demanding compensation for the income lost due to the reduction in production caused by by weather and disease. They are fighting against the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy which leads to a big increase in production costs!

    Healthcare and education decimated

    Health and education at the mercy of the profitability of the few.

    In healthcare, despite the great shortages in hospitals and primary health care doctors and nurses are resigning en masse when a multitude of hospital workers are on fixed term contracts, medicines have become very expensive.

    In education, commercialisation is growing with the privatisation of universities and the imposition of entrance exams in all grades of high school. Thus the popular family will groan to be able to find a place for their child as for the many there will be multiple exams and “cut-offs” for admission, while for the few who can afford it, the doors of university studies will open with a blast.

    No engagement and no participation in the war

    While critical infrastructure and important personnel in health, education and social services are lacking, the government chooses to pay €7bn a year for NATO armaments and war missions that involve our country even more deeply in the imperialist plans of the USA – NATO – EU.

    Such is the dangerous decision of the government of the New Democracy, to take over the command of the war operation in the Red Sea through the Larissa General Headquarters, with the participation of our country’s military – naval forces 2,000 kilometers away from the borders. At the same time the genocide of the Palestinian people continues unabated by the murderous state of Israel with the danger of a generalised conflict in the entire Middle East.

    So, on 28 February we are fighting for all our lives – in Greece and beyond.

    Greek strike: workers, come out in the open

    It’s time for the workers to come out in the open. To respond with a militantly assertive struggle to the wall that is rising in front of us. To overtake the trade union forces in the GSEE and ADEDY who are trying to impose silence.

    These forces have chosen the opposite camp from the workers. They talk about the Recovery Fund, cultivating the notion that the sums that come in and out of it can be used for people’s needs and wages.

    The leadership of the GSEE tells us that the inflation is due to the lack of controls by the competition commission and that workers must sacrifice their rights so that the business groups can profit. That is why, moreover, for 12 years now it has handed over the institution of the National General Collective Labour Agreement to the business groups and the state.

    By putting the brakes on the strike action, they are giving the government time and space to pass crucial anti-people legislation in the next two months.

    All unions in the battle to organise the Greek strike

    We call on all trade unions to get together in the workplaces, to discuss at the start of shifts, at breaks, at work with workers. To call for meetings, General Assemblies, to listen to the workers’ anxieties and concerns, their demands. To speak their minds and step forward for their own lives. To build the ground for the uplift of struggle, to throw away once again the law of the government that wants the unions to be controlled by it and the strikes canceled by the courts.

    The strike is put forward as a necessity. We all have a place in this strike front. All of us who recognise that the situation is getting worse for workers.

    The strike mobilisations of trade unions in a number of workplaces and sectors, the diverse mobilisations of the farmers and their blockades, the student occupations and demonstrations, the rallies of pensioners, show the path we must take. A workers’ and peoples’ river of demands against the policies of the government, the EU, and the business groups must be built up.

    “Their profits or our lives”

    Now we must take the fight for wages and collective agreements in our hands, the struggle against inflation and the unpopular policy that counts our needs as costs. No Federation, no Regional Union Centre, no trade union can be left out of this struggle.

    No one alone. Decisive strike uprising with the slogan:

    Their profits or our lives.

    Greek strike: the demands

    We demand:

    • Substantial wage increases. Abolition of anti-worker laws and restoration of collective bargaining in the unions.
    • Increase the minimum wage to €900. A clause to adjust wages according to inflation. Universal reintroduction of triennials incorporating the period 2012 – 2023. Restoration of the principle of the most favourable contract, post-employment, etc.
    • Restoration of Christmas and Easter bonuses for civil servants. Unemployment benefit at 80% of the minimum wage for all unemployed.
    • Fixed work with rights, seven hours – five days – 35 hours. No tolerance for flexible forms of employment and unpaid overtime. Cheap electricity for the people. With the abolition of indirect taxes (VAT, Special Consumption Tax) and a cap on energy and fuel prices. Abolition of the Energy Exchange. Abolition of VAT and a cap on the prices of consumer goods such as food, baby products, personal hygiene products, etc. Tax-free limit of €12,000 plus €3,000 for each child. Abolition of presumptions of living.
    • Abolition of ENFIA for working households. Do not pass the reactionary bill on private universities, no thought of revising article 16. Exclusively public and free modern studies, guarantee free food and accommodation for students.
    • Guarantee by the state of free, full and unhindered health care and hospitalisation for all. Free of charge all medical, diagnostic, laboratory, preventive examinations, all medicines, and vaccines. No department, clinic, hospital or health centre should be closed or merged. To fully reopen the hospitals, all the structures that were closed due to cuts. No to NATO spending – no involvement of Greece in the imperialist wars. Decisive strengthening of state funding for Health, Education, Welfare, social policy services of municipalities, for protection from natural disasters. Massive recruitment of permanent staff in all these critical sectors.
    • Stop here and now the disgraceful auctions of people’s homes. Rent subsidies by broadening the inclusion criteria and increasing the subsidy.

    On 28 February – all out on Greek strike.

    Featured image supplied

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • BREAKING: PCS union taking the Tories to court over anti-strike laws

    The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union is to launch a judicial review against the government’s new anti-strike laws to stop strike action in the Border Force. It’s general secretary announced the news at a rally marking 40 years since a ban on strikes at GCHQ.

    Tories’ anti-strike laws: enough is enough

    On Saturday 27 January, unions marked the 40th anniversary of the GCHQ trade union ban with a rally in Cheltenham:

    At this, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka announced the union would use the Human Rights Act to challenge the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

    The new law allows employers to order staff to come into work during strike action. PCS will argue this contravenes the right to strike enshrined in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Opponents of the law say enforcing minimum service levels would prolong disputes and cause more frequent strikes.

    An “unprecedented attack”

    Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak was at the GCHQ rally:

    He said:

    The TUC and the whole union movement will stand with PCS every step of the way with this legal challenge.

    These new minimum service level regulations represent an unprecedented attack on our fundamental right to strike.

    Mark my words. This case is just the beginning. We will use every lever at our disposal to fight these cynical laws.

    These past few weeks have shown that these laws are unworkable. Any half-decent employer will steer well clear of minimum service levels.

    And it’s little wonder why. Ministers have designed these laws to escalate disputes – not resolve them. They’re undemocratic and likely illegal – and they’ve dragged us further away from European democratic norms.

    If any employer dares to use minimum service levels, they will face the full force of the union movement.

    Unions won’t stop until these spiteful laws are off the statute book for good.

    PCS: laws breaching “fundamental human right”

    Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said:

    Forty years on from Margaret Thatcher banning unions at GCHQ, a Conservative government is once again attacking trade unions.

    So it’s fitting today, as we mark the courage and determination of those workers who refused to hand in their trade union membership, that I can tell you we will be fighting this new injustice in the courts.

    It is a fundamental human right of any worker to withdraw their labour to protect their terms and one we shall defend on behalf of our members in the Border Force.

    The union is being represented by Thompsons Solicitors, for whom partner Neil Todd said:

    Minimum service levels are very difficult to justify in a legal regime which is already so restrictive when it comes to trade union rights.

    The Border Security Minimum Service Regulations provide an unlimited freedom to undermine the right to strike, which we contend is unlawful as it exceeds powers under the Strikes Act. The government have been given 14 days to respond to our letter.

    Featured image via the TUC

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Tories are resurrecting plans to use agency staff to break strikes – and the TUC and REC have hit back

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) have urged the government to abandon its rehashed plan to allow agency staff to replace striking workers. Representatives of both the agency sector and unions say this plan is counter-productive, impractical, and could prolong and inflame industrial disputes with trade unions.

    Dismissed by the High Court – but the government is still pressing ahead

    The organisations have joined forces to urge the government to abandon plans to end a longstanding ban on agency workers filling in for workers who are on strike.

    The union body and agency sector body call on ministers to reconsider the ”ill-judged proposal”.

    In June 2023, the government was defeated in the High Court after it rushed through new laws that allowed agencies to supply employers with workers to fill in for those on strike.

    The presiding judge criticised ministers for acting in a way that was “unfair, unlawful, and irrational” and reinstated the ban on agency staff being used to break strikes.

    But despite this rebuke – and strong opposition from employers and unions – ministers are resurrecting the plans.

    Agency staff use will “inflame” situations

    The joint statement from REC and the TUC warns the change could prolong disputes:

    We both believe that using agency staff to cover strikes only prolongs and inflames the conflict between employers and their permanent staff.

    It also risks placing agency staff and recruitment businesses in the centre of often complicated and contentious disputes over which they have no control.

    Where a dispute occurs, the focus should instead be on negotiation and resolution to return to a normal service.

    It also says the proposal is “impractical”:

    The proposal is simply impractical. There are currently significant numbers of vacancies for temporary agency workers. This suggests that many can pick and choose the jobs they take and are unlikely to opt for roles that require them to undermine industrial action.

    Meanwhile, many roles that may be on strike require technical skills or training and impractical to fill with agency workers at very short notice.

    “Less than overwhelming”

    The TUC/REC statement also highlights the failure of government to provide any robust evidence that the changes will benefit employers:

    The previous repeal of this regulation was overturned by the High Court because of failings in consultation.

    In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden concluded that “the case for the measure was on any view less than overwhelming”.

    It is therefore notable that, even though regulation 7 was repealed from July 2022 to August 2023, the government has still not provided robust evidence that lifting the ban benefits employers.

    The statement comes as the TUC is set to hold a march and rally on Saturday 27 January to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the GCHQ trade union ban and to stand up for the right to strike.

    Agency workers: no need for law change

    Neil Carberry, chief executive of the REC, said:

    Agencies across the country have been clear that they do not want the law changed again.

    The ban on direct replacement of striking workers reflects global good practice and protects temps and agencies from being drawn into disputes that are nothing to do with them.

    Removal of the ban does nothing to resolve those disputes either. The REC was clear in 2022 that this is a step which only causes problems for businesses and workers in reality – however good politicians think it sounds.

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The humiliating High Court defeat should have been the final nail in the coffin for these unworkable, shoddy plans to overturn the long-standing ban on agency workers filling in for striking workers.

    Now they are trying to resurrect the proposal despite strong opposition from unions and employers.

    It’s spiteful, cynical – and it won’t work.

    Bringing in agency staff to deliver important services in place of strikers risks worsening disputes and poisoning industrial relations.

    Agency recruitment bodies have repeatedly made clear they don’t want their staff to be put in the position where they have to cover strikes.

    It’s time for ministers to listen and drop these plans for good.

    Agency staff: EHRC criticism

    The human rights watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has also criticised the move.

    In its consultation response on 16 January, the EHRC accused the government of failing to provide “sufficient evidence” to justify the restricting people’s rights under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

    This governs freedom of assembly and association. The ECHR is incorporated into UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998,

    In its response to the government consultation on the changes, the EHRC warns:

    In summary, while Article 11 rights are not absolute, any interference must be proportionate, justifiable and well-evidenced.

    Our assessment is that the government has not provided sufficient evidence to justify further restrictions of Article 11 rights.

    Featured image via Wikimedia

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • CWU slams leaking of Ofcom report into Royal Mail as regulator proposes deliveries EVERY OTHER DAY

    The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has issued a furious response to the leaking of an Ofcom report into Royal Mail. Little wonder really, when one of the regulator’s reported proposals is letter deliveries every other day. However, there’s more to this story than meets the eye – because it all hinges on the company’s new bosses, and whether Ofcom is simply ‘reading the (board) room’ over the state of Royal Mail.

    Royal Mail: in dire straits

    Royal Mail has been in dire straits for years. For example, as the Canary has documented it made a £1bn operating loss in the 52 weeks from March 2022 to 26 March 2023. As we wrote at the time, this level of losses shows:

    bosses’ management of the company was a shambles. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following the dispute between the CWU and Royal Mail. The company has lurched from self-induced crisis to self-induced crisis.

    From its (now former) CEO Simon Thompson lying to a parliamentary committee, to him and his cronies threatening to declare Royal Mail insolvent if the CWU didn’t bow down to their demands, the past 12 months at the company have been a farce.

    Moreover, as anyone who still receives letters will tell you, Royal Mail’s service is already dire – thanks to management. However, don’t take customers’ word for it. In November 2023, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £5.6m for missing its first and second class mail delivery targets for the entire financial year of 2022-23.

    Postal deliveries every other day?

    So, as Sky News reported the regulator is reviewing Royal Mail‘s options after years of chaos. It is supposedly releasing a report on Wednesday 24 January into the Universal Service Obligation (USO). This is part of the deal that Royal Mail has with the government – where, to be allowed to have a monopoly on letter deliveries, it has to operate them six days a week.

    Ofcom will reportedly look at a range of options. However, none of these appear to be good for the customer, workers, or the business itself. Sky News says it:

    has learnt the regulator will on Wednesday publish a consultation paper on the future of the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which industry sources believe is likely to include reforms such as modifying first and second-class delivery targets; following European markets such as Germany and Italy in moving to alternate-day deliveries; providing a state subsidy to support the USO; and allowing Royal Mail to impose higher stamp prices.

    Amending the current six-day USO – which obliges Royal Mail to deliver to every UK address six days a week for the price of a stamp – to a five-day structure that would then lead to the long-standing system of Saturday deliveries being scrapped is also understood to be among the options that will be presented in the Ofcom paper.

    However, axeing the USO altogether, as Denmark has done recently, is unlikely to be a realistic option that would gain support from ministers.

    Predictably, the CWU has hit back.

    Ofcom: a “sham” and in cahoots with bosses and the government?

    The union slammed not only the leak of the report, but Ofcom overall. A CWU spokesperson said:

    The early leaking of the details of the Ofcom report on the future of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) to the media sums up the lack of professionalism, integrity, and credibility they have as a regulator.

    This report, like their previous investigation on quality of service, has been produced without the input of a single postal worker or the CWU.

    Ofcom have abandoned their responsibilities on quality of service and are now attempting to do the same on the USO.

    Debating the future of the postal service in the absence of those who work for it and deliver it every day is completely inappropriate and should tell everybody what Ofcom’s real priorities and motives are.

    It is therefore no surprise to see Ofcom potentially recommending letter deliveries every other day which is a serious down-dialling of the USO to a level which would threaten tens of thousands of jobs.

    This is the regulator openly pursuing the failed agenda of the former Royal Mail Group senior leadership – all of whom have now left the company.

    CWU general secretary Dave Ward went further on Sky News on Monday 22 January. He told host Kay Burley:

    we think the whole of Ofcom’s approach is a complete sham. It’s about getting to a predetermined outcome. And we’re not going to sit back and allow Ofcom, Royal Mail, the government, to destroy what is an important public service which customers still support…

    A “huge test” of the new bosses

    Further to this, a CWU spokesperson laid out the union’s position:

    The CWU and our members are not blind to the need for change. But we want change based on the needs of customers, the security of our members’ jobs and driven by an ambitious growth strategy that sees the infrastructure, fleet and presence in every community as Royal Mail’s key assets.

    The CWU will work with economists to produce an alternative and independent view on the future of postal services in the UK and embark on a major engagement exercise with our members, businesses and the public.

    This is a huge test of the new leadership of Royal Mail.

    There has been some positive recent signs but they must now decide whether to back a completely failed vision which will destroy the company or change direction and join the CWU in expanding the role of postal workers and in turn expanding services, job security and profit.

    Royal Mail: another critical juncture

    Royal Mail is at a critical juncture yet again. After years of previous bosses decimating the service, the new ones do – as the CWU state – have a chance to turn the company around. However, this will only happen if they work with staff – something that has previously not happened. However, Ofcom’s intervention and the leaking of the details of it do not bode well.

    Clearly, either the regulator is still on the same page as Royal Mail’s former bosses – or, it is reflective of the position the new management will take; that is, stripping the company back to little more than a red-logoed Uber. Either way, the CWU needs to act, and quickly, before another one of Britain’s great institutions is consigned to the dustbin of history.

    Featured image via screengrab

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The Tories have already failed ‘to act on the lessons’ from the Post Office scandal

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) warned on Saturday 13 January that the government has failed to act on the lessons from the Post Office scandal. The union body says ministers’ refusals to tighten laws around taxpayer-funded contracts is a “huge missed opportunity” – and that ministers “repeatedly” ignored calls from unions for greater accountability and oversight of publicly-awarded contracts

    The union body says that despite being made aware of the scandal years ago, ministers have ignored warnings and refused to put in place the necessary safeguards to prevent future scandals involving publicly-awarded contracts.

    The TUC also says last October’s Procurement Act was a “huge missed opportunity” to tighten up rules governing the awarding of taxpayer-funded contracts to private companies.

    ‘Huge gaps’ in the law

    The union body accused the government of leaving “huge gaps” in the oversight of publicly-awarded contracts.

    This includes:

    • Freedom of information access: unions, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all called for October’s Procurement Act to ensure that private companies delivering a public contract are subject to Freedom of Information requests. But this was not incorporated into the legislation.

    The TUC highlighted that such a provision would have helped uncover the scale of the problem with the Horizon software far earlier. And having a freedom of information duty would have made it far harder for Fujitsu and the Post Office to make false claims to the individuals affected.

    • Independent oversight: In the drafting stage of the Procurement Act, unions called for the establishment of a new statutory body with a specific mandate to assess value for taxpayers’ money for publicly-awarded contracts.

    This call was also not incorporated into law. The TUC says the lack of an independent oversight body with investigatory powers allowed the Post Office and Fujitsu to stonewall whistle-blowers and duck scrutiny.

    • Greater transparency and value for money: As the TUC highlighted after the collapse of the outsourcing giant Carillion, public services should be run in the public interest not for profit.

    The union body says the widespread outsourcing of public contracts has led to a race to the bottom on the quality of public services and workforce pay and conditions. But despite a catalogue of outsourcing failure the government has no programme to return outsourced services back in house. Plus, ministers have ignored union calls for a ‘public interest’ test to be applied when public services are outsourced.

    In addition, unions proposed that Procurement Act should enable workers to seek compensation and redress if they were mistreated during the delivery of a public contract. But this again was rejected by government.

    Union shut out at Post Office

    The TUC also highlighted how the Communication Workers Union (CWU) was blocked from effectively organising at the Post Office. The Post Office set up and funded the rival National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NFSP) – providing over £20m in funding over the last 15 years.

    A High Court Judge ruled in 2019 that the Post Office “effectively controls” the NFSP and remarked that “the NFSP is not remotely independent of the Post Office, nor does it put its members’ interests above its own separate interests.”

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The Post Office-Horizon debacle must never be allowed to happen again. But the government has failed to act on the lessons from this scandal despite repeated calls and warnings.

    Last October’s Procurement Act was a chance to improve the oversight and delivery of publicly-awarded contracts. Yet instead of putting in place the necessary checks and balances, ministers blocked attempts to properly safeguard workers from mistreatment.

    Huge sums of taxpayers’ money are still being awarded to private companies without proper accountability and transparency.

    Calling for more services to be run in-house, Nowak added:

    Things cannot go on like this. The government must take urgent action to beef up UK procurement laws. October’s Act was a huge missed opportunity. And ministers must call time on failed outsourcing. Public services should be run in the public interest, not for profit.

    Featured image via Wikimedia

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Trade unions ‘won’t rest’ until Tories repeal their draconian anti-strike laws

    The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has warned the Conservative government that trade unions “won’t rest” until the “draconian” anti-strike laws are repealed.

    TUC: the fight against anti-strike laws is not over

    The union body warns the fight against the legislation “doesn’t stop here” – adding that unions will be discussing how they take on the new anti-strike laws at the “once in a generation” special Congress taking place on Saturday 9 December.

    The warning comes as minimum service levels regulations in rail, ambulance services and border security passed today.

    The statutory code of practice regulations also passed today, which the TUC says will wrap unions in “burdensome” red tape.

    Ministers are separately consulting on rules affecting workers in hospital settings, schools, universities and fire services.

    This is despite warnings from unions and employer groups that the plans are unworkable.

    The laws will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

    TUC research found a massive one in five workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.

    Taking on these “spiteful new laws”

    Commenting on minimum service level regulations passing, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The fight against this draconian legislation doesn’t stop here – unions won’t rest until these laws are repealed.

    That’s why we are calling this weekend’s once in a generation special Congress.

    Unions will be discussing how we take on these spiteful new laws and how we step up resistance and campaigning.

    Make no mistake. These new Conservative anti-strike laws are unworkable, undemocratic and likely in breach of international law.

    They represent an unprecedented attack on the right to strike – and they’ll poison industrial relations and drag out disputes.

    Labour gets this. That’s why they have done the right thing and promised to repeal this nasty legislation at the earliest opportunity.

    And it’s why employers, politicians and civil society groups are queuing up to oppose this legislation.

    The UK already has some of the most restrictive trade union laws in Europe. Now the Tories want to make it even harder for people to win fair pay and conditions.

    Widespread criticism of the anti-strike laws

    The legislation gives ministers sweeping powers to impose strike restrictions in any service within health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning – and has faced widespread criticism.

    NHS Providers recently warned that the legislation could worsen industrial relations, harm patient care and lead to more disruption.

    The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) wrote to the government to express “serious concerns” about its anti-strike legislation breaching international law.

    The EHRC also warned that the legislation could see all striking workers in affected sectors lose their unfair dismissal protection, as whole strikes could be deemed illegal.

    The House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee criticised the Act for giving blanket powers to UK ministers while providing virtually no detail.

    The Act has also faced a barrage of criticism from Acas, civil liberties organisations, the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, race and gender equalities groups, employment rights lawyers, and politicians around the world.

    Featured image via the UCU

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Even Tories are turning on the government’s anti-strike laws as senior Conservative hits out

    The Conservative chair of the transport select committee has warned that minimum service levels in the anti-strike laws could worsen industrial relations and “end up making [rail] services less reliable”.

    Iain Stewart, Conservative MP and chair of cross-party committee, also slammed the government’s plans for a lack of detail. The chair criticised the government’s “half-hearted response to our recommendation”.

    Stewart urged ministers to keep a close eye on developments cautioning that “major changes to timetabling on the rail network haven’t always gone seamlessly in the past.”

    Widespread criticism

    The legislation gives ministers sweeping powers to impose strike restrictions in any service within health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning – and has faced widespread criticism.

    NHS Providers recently warned that the legislation could worsen industrial relations, harm patient care and lead to more disruption. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) wrote to the government to express “serious concerns” about its anti-strike legislation breaching international law. The EHRC also warned that the legislation could see all striking workers in affected sectors lose their unfair dismissal protection, as whole strikes could be deemed illegal.

    The House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee criticised the Act for giving blanket powers to UK ministers while providing virtually no detail.

    The Act has also faced a barrage of criticism from civil liberties organisations, the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, race and gender equalities groups, employment rights lawyers, and politicians around the world.

    Plus, as the Canary previously reported:

    More than 80 businesses, unions and civil society organisations have issued a joint statement as part of the UK and EU Domestic Advisory Groups – two watchdogs which are charged with holding the UK government and EU to account on their commitments under the post-Brexit deal.

    The joint statement says they recognise the concerns about the impact of the Strikes Act on the UK government’s legal obligations under the deal, which stipulates that workers’ rights must not be lowered from the level they were at in 2020.

    New regulations

    The transport committee chair’s comments come as minimum service levels in rail, the ambulance service, and border security are back in the Lords on Wednesday 6 December.

    Ministers have said these new rules will be rushed into force by the end of the year.

    Ministers are also consulting on rules affecting workers in hospital settings, schools, universities and fire services.

    This is despite warnings from unions and employer groups that the plans are unworkable.

    The laws will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

    Trades Union Congress (TUC) research found a massive one in five workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.

    The TUC will hold a special Congress to discuss the next stage of campaigning against the Conservatives’ anti-strike laws. The event will take place at Congress House on Saturday 9 December 2023, from 10am-1pm.

    ‘Undemocratic, unworkable, and likely illegal’

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The Conservative anti-strike laws are a recipe for chaos and toxic industrial relations. They will do nothing to improve public services and transport.

    It’s little wonder so many MPs, employers and civil society groups have warned about the impact of this legislation.

    These anti-strike laws are a deliberate attempt to restrict the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty.

    Make no mistake – they are undemocratic, unworkable and likely illegal.

    And crucially they will poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them.

    That’s why unions won’t stop fighting this nasty legislation until it’s repealed.

    Featured image via Sky News – YouTube

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Business, unions, and civil society in UK and EU flag concerns over Tories’ anti-strike laws

    Bodies from both the UK and EU have warned that the Tory government’s proposed anti-strike laws. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has said that one leading legal academic has gone so far as to say that the minimum service levels in the bill could breach post-Brexit commitments – putting the UK on a collision course with the EU.

    Anti-strike laws: overarching concerns in the UK and EU

    More than 80 businesses, unions and civil society organisations have issued a joint statement as part of the UK and EU Domestic Advisory Groups – two watchdogs which are charged with holding the UK government and EU to account on their commitments under the post-Brexit deal.

    The joint statement says they recognise the concerns about the impact of the Strikes Act on the UK government’s legal obligations under the deal, which stipulates that workers’ rights must not be lowered from the level they were at in 2020.

    The UK and EU post-Brexit watchdogs add that they will be monitoring for breaches and will continue to scrutinise the UK government on this new law.

    The EU Commission recently put its concerns about the Strikes Act to the UK government.

    The joint statement also flags concerns on plans to repeal EU-derived rights with the Retained EU Law Act.

    Stark warning

    The joint statement comes as a leading legal academic warns that the Strikes Act risks putting the UK on a collision course with the EU.

    Federico Ortino, professor of international economic law at King’s College London, says that the anti-strike laws could put the UK in breach of its legal obligations under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

    Ortino warns that this breach could “affect trade and investment between the EU and UK”.

    New regulations

    Minimum service levels in rail, the ambulance service, and border security are making their way through parliament this week.

    Ministers have said these new rules will be rushed into force by the end of the year.

    Ministers are also consulting on rules affecting workers in hospital settings, schools, universities and fire services.

    This is despite warnings from unions and employer groups that the anti-strike laws are unworkable.

    The laws will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

    TUC research found a massive one in five workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act.

    The TUC will hold a special congress to discuss the next stage of campaigning against the Conservatives’ anti-strike laws. The event will take place at Congress House on Saturday 9 December 2023, from 10am-1pm.

    Ortino said of the anti-strike laws:

    The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 runs the risk of violating some of the labour-related obligations imposed by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

    In particular, as it imposes greater restrictions on the right to strike in the covered sectors, the Act may contravene Article 387 TCA, which prohibits the weakening or reduction of a Party’s labour levels of protection. Such greater restrictions have at least the potential to affect trade and investment between the EU and UK.

    Moreover, the Act may also contradict Article 399 TCA, which requires to respect and implement international recognised core labour standards, including those relating to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The UK’s new laws are an attack on the fundamental right to strike – they’re unworkable, undemocratic and very likely unlawful.

    The UK already has some of the most restrictive trade union laws in Europe. Now the Conservatives want to make it even harder for people to win fair pay and conditions.

    In their rush to attack unions, the government risks threatening UK trade with Europe.

    This legislation could put the UK in breach of its post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU. That could mean financial penalties on the UK.

    It’s little wonder business, unions and civil society have come together to warn about this draconian legislation. The last thing they need is the UK on a collision course with the EU.

    That’s bad for trade. And it’s bad for workers and their jobs.

    Ministers are playing fast and loose with international commitments because they want to distract from their appalling economic record.

    Featured image via pixabay

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Lady Kinnock of Holyhead obituary

    Teacher, Labour MEP and Foreign Office minister who focused on human rights, feminism and poverty in the developing world

    Glenys Kinnock, the former MEP and minister of state at the Foreign Office, who has died aged 79, was a determined feminist who realised her political ambitions by securing recognition as an international stateswoman, after having spent nearly 30 years as a classroom teacher.

    Despite her delight in her second career, Lady Kinnock of Holyhead, as she became in 2009, on taking office in the last year of the then Labour government, was the first to insist that she would greatly have preferred to fulfil her earlier ambition to help achieve the election of a Labour government under the leadership of her husband, Neil Kinnock.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • ‘All talk and no action’ say USP protesters calling for fair pay

    RNZ Pacific

    University of the South Pacific (USP) staff gathered outside the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre today to protest over better pay and conditions as well as calling for the removal of the regional institution’s vice-chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

    The university’s main decision making body, the USP Council, is meeting at the Laucala campus this week.

    Aggrieved employees of the university showed up in black, holding placards calling for “fair pay” and for Professor Ahluwalia to resign.

    The staff are unhappy after the USP pro-chancellor chair of council Dr Hilda Heine did not include a staff paper on the agenda of the meeting today, according to local media reports.

    “The Association of USP Staff (AUSPS) president Elizabeth Fong said the paper included a submission on staff salary adjustment and a recommendation to recruit a new Vice Chancellor who is originally from the region,” according to Fiji One News report.

    USP staff call for a new vice-chancellor
    USP staff are calling for a “fair pay” deal and for the university to recruit a new vice-chancellor who is originally from the Pacific region. Image: Association of USP Staff (AUSPS)

    FBC News reports that the staff are calling for the “non-renewal Ahluwalia’s contract, claiming that he is no longer fit for the role” and that the vice-chancellor’s position to be advertised.

    “Fong claims the VC is all talk and no action,” it reported.

    The state broadcaster is reporting that USP staff want a 11 percent increase in pay and not the four percent they have received recently.

    “We have staff shortages, vacancies which means people have doubled up and tripled up on their responsibilities. This is about keeping USP serving the region, serving its people,” Fong was quoted by FBC News as saying.

    ‘We remain hopeful’ — USP
    In a statement to RNZ Pacific, USP said its management “continues to work with the staff unions regarding their grievances” since they were raised earlier in the year.

    “Through its meeting with AUSPS, the USP management has resolved some of the matters raised in the log of claims while discussion continued on the remaining issues.”

    The university said that in October 2022, all USP staff received salary increments and the second increase kicked in in January 2023.

    “Staff also received a bonus in the middle of the year (2023). Negotiations are continuing, and provisions have been made for another salary increase next year, subject to the Council approving our 2024 budget.”

    The USP said the chair of the USP Council approved the council agenda, “and the USP management does not have a say in the matter”.

    “As stated several times previously, the vice-chancellor’s relocation is decided by the council.

    “The institution, as always, supports union rights and acknowledges that a peaceful protest is within its ambit.

    “However, we remain hopeful that through USP management, we can continue to have discussions with the AUSPS about their grievances and follow proper channels to meet their demands until an amicable solution is reached,” it said.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Tories set to overturn ban on use of agency workers during strikes despite “humiliating” High Court defeat

    Ministers will try again to overturn the ban on the use of agency workers during strikes, as the government launches a consultation on the law change.

    Agency workers: strike-breakers?

    In June the government was defeated in the High Court after it rushed through new laws that allowed agencies to supply employers with workers to fill in for those on strike. The presiding judge criticised ministers for acting in a way that was “unfair, unlawful and irrational” and reinstated the ban on agency staff being used to break strikes.

    But despite this rebuke – and strong opposition from unions and employers – ministers are resurrecting the agency workers plans with a new consultation.

    The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents suppliers of agency workers, called the announcement of the consultation:

    a disappointment, given the scale of opposition from employers and workers to the previous proposal.

    The body also warned the change could see inflamed tensions and longer disputes.

    Poison relations and prolong strikes

    The government’s own impact assessment says the law change will poison industrial relations and prolong strikes.

    The new impact assessment, which was published on Thursday 16 November, says the change will result in “worsening in the relationship between employers and workers – which could lead to more prolonged strike action in the short-term”. The impact assessment also suggests it could hit workers’ pay and conditions.

    The proposed change comes as the government seeks to impose new rules forcing some workers to work during strikes. In September the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reported the government to the International Labour Organization (ILO) – the UN workers’ rights watchdog – over the Strikes Act.

    Commenting on the announcement on agency workers, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

    The Conservatives’ humiliating High Court defeat should have spelled the end of this cynical law. But now they are resurrecting the same irrational plans.

    Allowing unscrupulous employers to bring in agency staff to deliver important services risks endangering public safety and escalating disputes.

    Agency recruitment bodies have repeatedly made clear they don’t want their staff to be put in the position where they have to cover strikes. But ministers are not listening.

    The government’s own impact assessment is clear – this change will poison industrial relations and drag out disputes.

    This is the act of a desperate government looking to distract from its appalling record.

    Featured image via Wikimedia

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Indian Trade Unions Demand Modi Scrap Deal to Replace Palestinian Workers

    Ten major trade unions in India have condemned the government’s “unethical” stance on Gaza and demanded an end to India’s agreement with Israel that would allow companies to hire tens of thousands of Indian workers to replace Palestinian construction workers whose work permits have been revoked since Israel began its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. “Israel is shamelessly escalating its genocidal…

    Source

    This post was originally published on Latest – Truthout.

  • Co-ordinated actions shut down three Israel-supplying arms factories in a single day

    More than 150 people blockaded the entrances to an Israel-supporting arms factory in Kent on 26 October. The crowd represented a coalition of trade union members under the name Workers for a Free Palestine. The action came after Palestinian trade unionists called for everywhere unions to “end all complicity” with Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Meanwhile, activists disrupted two other factories complicit in arming Israel.

    Workers for a Free Palestine

    On the morning of 26 October, a group of over 150 people blocked the entrances to Instro Precision Ltd’s factory in Sandwich. Instro is a subsidiary of Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems that manufactures targeting and surveillance systems used by the Israeli military. Activists including Palestine Action previously targeted the subsidiary in 2015 and 2021.

    At the front of the blockade was a large banner reading ‘Workers for a free Palestine’. The crowd comprised members of trade unions including Unite, the RMT, and the NEU. Video of the blockade shows the crowd chanting “Free, free, Palestine, Palestine” and “We are all Palestinians”:

    A press release by Palestine Action said the blockade covered both the factory’s entrances, thereby forcing it to shut down for the day.

    Palestinian call for help

    In a press release, Workers for a Free Palestine said:

    On 26th October over one hundred workers picketed an arms factory to disrupt the flow of weapons to Israel. This shows the kind of leverage workers can have when we organise together. We encourage workers to come together across workplaces to organise more protests like the one today to shut down arms factories and immediately stop the flow of arms to Israel.

    It said it had organised the blockade following an international call out by Workers in Palestine, a coalition of Palestinian trade unions. The call-out asked trade unionists worldwide to:

    end all forms of complicity with Israel’s crimes – most urgently halting the arms trade with Israel, as well as all funding and military research.

    We are calling on trade unions in relevant industries:

    1. To refuse to build weapons destined for Israel.
    2. To refuse to transport weapons for Israel.
    3. To pass motions in their trade union to this effect.
    4. To take action against complicit companies involved in implementing Israel’s brutal and illegal siege, especially if they have contacts with your institution.
    5. Pressure governments to stop all military trade with Israel, and in the case of the US, funding to it.

    Subsequently, Workers for a Free Palestine said it is:

    building a network run by workers that will support each other to take this kind of action. We are teachers, university workers, nurses, paramedics, bar staff, and more. We will set up weekly meetings for workers who want to organise around Palestine in their workplace and union.

    The first of these meetings is on 1 November at Pelican House (144 Cambridge Heath Road, London). People looking to attend can sign up here.

    Shutting down more arms factories

    While Workers for a Free Palestine was blockading Instro, Palestine Action took action against two neighbouring arms factories in Leicester. An activist at the Meridian Business Park locked-on to block the entrance to UAV Tactical Systems’ drone manufacturing facility. Meanwhile, nearby, a separate group occupied the factory roof of Howmet, which produces parts for F-35 jets. According to Palestine Action, both supply Israel’s military.

    Alongside its own shutdowns, the group complemented the trade unionists that shut down “death dealers” Instro, and added:

     These actions represent the strength in numbers of those willing and ready to take direct action to shut down the Israeli war machine – while our politicians and media rally behind Israel’s criminality, the grassroots movement against Israel’s war machine sees people power as the only way to stand against genocide.

    Local paper LeicestershireLive said police arrested five people across the two blockades.

    We can help

    News of Israel’s massacres in Gaza and the West Bank can seem overwhelming and impossible to affect. However, these actions show it’s not impossible.

    Palestine Action, already well versed in taking on the UK-Israel military-industrial complex, responded in the only way it knew how. Meanwhile, trade unionists have opened up a new front in showing solidarity. Palestinians themselves have provided guidelines on how they believe people can help, no matter where in the world they are. It’s now up to us to respond.

    Featured image via Ash Sarkar/X

    By Glen Black

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • The CWU may be taking strike action against Royal Mail again – but in one very specific place

    Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have voted for strike action in the Wirral. It’s over Royal Mail’s decision to sack four of their colleagues – for having a cup of tea in a pub while on an authorised break. It seems that local politicians and the public are behind the workers, too – the company once again looking red-faced.

    Royal Mail: sacking staff for drinking tea

    In July, Royal Mail suspended 11 workers for drinking tea and coffee in two different pubs while on their breaks. In August, bosses fired six of them over the incidents – however it appears they have since reinstated two workers. The CWU said in a press release that:

    The decision was met with anger by an already demoralised workforce of around 30 employees – as well as in the wider community, which has been subject to persistent postal delays due to under-recruitment and management cuts.

    Moreover, it seems the reason Royal Mail could sack the workers in the first place was because it was using a controversial system to track them:

    Back in February, the Canary reported on Royal Mail’s use of Postal Digital Assistants (PDAs). At the time, then-boss Simon Thompson lied to parliament saying Royal Mail did not use PDAs to track workers’ whereabouts and make sure they’re delivering quickly enough. It quickly came to light that Royal Mail bosses did do this, though.

    Parliament asked the data regulator to investigate Royal Mail’s use of PDAs against staff – as it may breach the law. Yet still, bosses in the Wirral have done explicitly what Thompson previously denied was happening.

    The suspensions, then sackings, have caused chaos. As the WirralGlobe reported in August:

    The suspensions… led to widespread disruption of postal services since July across Prenton and Oxton with mail not arriving and some people missing hospital appointments as a result.

    Now, the CWU has taken action.

    CWU: everybody out?

    The union balloted workers at the Prenton Delivery Office in Wirral over strike action in solidarity with the sacked staff members. The CWU said on 24 October that members voted by 95.8% on a 70.6% turnout to take strike action.

    Before workers take strike action, however, the CWU is “demanding” that bosses negotiate with it. The union wants management to reinstate all the sacked workers.

    Local Liberal Democrat councillor Allan Brame previously told HR Magazine:

    Postal deliveries in Oxton and Prenton have been totally chaotic since the management at the Prenton delivery office suspended 11 posties.

    It seems their ‘offence’ was to park up at the Caernarvon Castle for a coffee during their break time.

    The reaction of the management was completely disproportionate to the perceived offence and has left people waiting for urgent mail and missing medical appointments.

    Members of the public have been equally unimpressed. As the Wirral Globe reported, one person said:

    he thought the suspension was “such an overblown reaction,” adding: “It’s such a solitary job being a postie being out all day so why not meet up with your colleagues?”

    A bigger problem than just tea and sackings in the Wirral

    A CWU spokesperson said:

    The result is a clear demonstration of the anger workers feel about this petty, vindictive attack on their respected colleagues.

    It is a clear rejection of a culture of bullying and mismanagement in the workplace.

    This situation won’t be solved by management doubling down on poorly-handled decisions, but with a decent compromise that sees these workers reinstated and the workforce treated with the respect they deserve.

    Clearly, Royal Mail bosses sacking workers for doing nothing wrong during their legitimate breaks is preposterous. However, the real issue here is the company’s snooping on its staff at every turn. It’s something the nationwide CWU deal with Royal Mail, in the wake of its protracted industrial dispute, failed to address.

    So, once the CWU has forced the hand of bosses in Wirral, it needs to urgently address the use of PDAs across the business. Spying on staff on their lawful breaks, and tracking them generally, is dystopian and unethical. Royal Mail should halt the practice immediately.

    Featured image via the Times and the Sunday Times – YouTube

    By Steve Topple

    This post was originally published on Canary.