Pensions

Economic strife in Iran

Iranian pensioners have regularly taken to the streets in recent years to demand an end to corruption, free access to health care, and improvements to pensions which have been decimated by inflation. On Wednesday 10 January thousands of retired teachers demonstrated for better pensions and the release of jailed teacher trade union activists. Protests across Iran’s strategically important oil and gas sectors have been running since early September 2023. Workers are demanding pay increases, Iran’s currency, the rial, fell by 5% after the US-UK strikes on the Yemeni Houthi movement as fears grow...

French strikes continue despite 49.3

On 6 April French workers staged another major day of strikes and protests against President Macron’s reform to increase the pension age in France. A further day of strikes is planned for 13 April. The 6 April action was called by union leaderships (the “Intersyndicale” committee of the general secretaries of eight confederations) after talks with Macron’s prime minister Élisabeth Borne broke down after just an hour. Numbers on last week’s protest were down according to the CGT, with 400,000 reported demonstrating in Paris, down from 450,000 a week earlier. But the strikes are continuing to...

France: power in the streets

The use of 49-3 [the government pushing through pension changes over the heads of parliament] didn’t have the effect that the government had hoped for: that people would see it as a defeat and as an end.

Strikes multiply against pension changes

After a period of relative calm, French workers have renewed their fight against President Macron’s pension reforms at a higher level. Since January this year, French workers have been staging a series of major strikes and protests against pensions reforms being brought by President Macron and his Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. These changes would raise the minimum retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64 and increase the amount of time someone has to work in order to qualify for a pension. The protests began on 19 January with a day of strikes and demonstrations which brought over a...

Huge strike in France on pensions

On 19 January, France’s trade unions reported over two million demonstrators — people demonstrating, not just striking — across the country against President Macron’s plan to change the standard pension age from 62 to 64. Even the police put the figure at 1.12 million. The turnout was bigger than on 5 December 2019, at the start of the previous big movement against cutting pension rights, and comparable to the bigger movement in 1995. In France strikes are rarely 100%, but this time the strike (called jointly by all the sizeable union confederations) was 100% at the Total oil refineries, more...

New push needed in UCU battle

Reballoting in the University and College Union (UCU) disputes over pensions, pay and conditions opens on 16 March and closes 8 April. With the initial six-month mandate for action running out at the start of May, and no movement from the employers, beating the 50% turnout threshold is vital if the strikes and action short are to continue through exam and marking season. Further strike days have been called in the weeks beginning 21 and 28 March, with half the branches with mandates taking action in each week. Staff have been fighting against cuts to USS pensions that will see those in the...

Union sets new strikes in GDST

The National Education Union (NEU) has now named further strike dates, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday every week until the Easter holidays, for teachers in the 23 private schools run by the Girls Day School Trust (GDST).

The teachers have already completed six days of well supported strikes to defend...

Union sets new strikes in GDST

The National Education Union (NEU) has now named further strike dates, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday every week until the Easter holidays, for teachers in the 23 private schools run by the Girls Day School Trust (GDST). The teachers have already completed six days of well supported strikes to defend their pensions against the threat of being removed from the Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS). The NEU naming these dates, an effective escalation, is entirely correct. Having already won some small softeners from the GDST, members were dismayed when the management refused proposed ACAS talks. Members had...

GDST needs more strikes

On 21 February, the trustees of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), a chain of 23 private schools, issued the decision from their “consultation” over proposed changes to teachers’ pensions.

Under pressure for the National Education Union (NEU) members in their schools, who had already struck once...

GDST needs more strikes

On 21 February, the trustees of the Girls Day School Trust (GDST), a chain of 23 private schools, issued the decision from their “consultation” over proposed changes to teachers’ pensions. Under pressure for the National Education Union (NEU) members in their schools, who had already struck once and had strikes set for later that week, the decision offered some sweeteners, the most significant being a delay in coming out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) until 30th September 2023; a minimum 11% pay rise over two years; and a signing-up payment of £2,000. But the GDST still wants to take...

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