Cleaning workers at St. George’s Hospital have won the London Living Wage, as well as pushing back bosses’ plans for job losses and cuts.
The cleaners, who are employed by Ocean Contract Cleaning Ltd., began their campaign defensively when bosses proposed a reduction in hours for all workers and lay-offs for some. Organising through the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the cleaners began a campaigning of petitioning, leafleting, and protests, which soon built up enough momentum to not only stop the attacks but go on the offensive to win pay increases to the London Living Wage that Ocean bosses had initially refused to grant.
Ocean attempted to hamstring the campaign by giving formal recognition to Unison, even though only one of the cleaners was a Unison member. Unfortunately, Unison are now claiming credit for the victories despite the campaign being led by IWW members.
For a statement from St. George’s workers on this issue, see here
Buses to strike
Bus worker members of the Unite union have voted to strike to win a £500 across-the-board bonus for the increased workload they face during the 2012 Olympic Games.
38% of Unite’s 21,000 bus workers members returned their ballots, and voted by a ratio of nine to one to strike. In some companies, such as Go Ahead Docklands Buses Ltd., the vote to strike was unanimous. At Metroline Travel Ltd., where over 1,000 workers participated in the ballot, 96.7% voted to strike.
A statement from the union said: “The strength of the vote in favour of strike action demonstrates both the anger felt and determination of our members across the entire bus network to achieve a fair and justifiable settlement to this dispute.”
Unite must take industrial action within the next 28 days to keep the ballot live.
Jobcentre strikes escalate
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) working for the Department of Work and Pensions in job centres in Merseyside and Halton have taken further strike action in a long-running dispute over job cuts.
Workers struck from Wednesday 6 June to Friday 8 June, escalating action in a dispute which had previously seen them stage brief, three-hour walkouts.
Workers want the reversal of significant job cuts and an end to understaffing caused by transferring Job Centre staff out to new call centres.
Birmingham University strike ballot
Over 2,000 non-academic workers at the University of Birmingham could be balloted to strike in a battle over pay.
The management’s latest pay offer is just 1.2%. Union officer Dawn Sant said: “The university needs to recognise that whether someone is on a band 100 — a wage of £13,294 — or the salary of the vice-chancellor they all have to pay the same for a loaf of bread and bottle of milk, pay their rent, mortgage and ever-increasing utility bills.
“The cost of basic food and childcare is increasing rapidly but wages are not keeping up.”
The union has pointed out that other institutions have offered pay increases closer to 2%, which they say brings workers closer to “living wage” pay levels.
At Birmingham, below-inflation pay increases have meant that real terms pay for non-academic staff has deteriorated every year since 2009.
London faces fire cuts
£65 million could be cut from the budget of London’s fire service over the next two years, potentially leading to station closures.
Fire Brigades Union official Paul Embery said: “Reductions in frontline resources inevitably impact on public safety.
“We would vigorously oppose any cutbacks which undermined the Brigade’s ability to respond quickly to emergencies.”
Recycling centre workers protest against cuts
Refuse workers in Sheffield will strike again in a battle with private waste management and recycling company Veolia over cuts.
Veolia want to reduce recycling centre opening hours and shed 18% of its workforce, despite making money from the schemes it runs for Sheffield City Council.
Workers, organised in the GMB union, have already taken seven days of strike action against the cuts.
They will rally outside the council’s meeting at 12pm on Wednesday 13 June to demand the cuts are withdrawn.
