TGWU

Transport and General Workers Union

Woodley says "fight to reclaim Labour Party"

Tony Woodley is standing in the T&G General Secretary election with the backing of the union's Broad Left. Solidarity supporters in the union have had criticisms of Woodley, particularly his role in the motor industry, where he was the union's chief negotiator for several years. Nevertheless, Woodley is the only candidate with a proven track record of rank and file trade unionism, and who firmly opposes T&G's slide towards business unionism. Addressing a meeting of stewards and activists in Birmingham last week, Woodley outlined his vision of the future, emphasising increasing rank and file...

Industrial notes

You can't kill the spirit 23% with no strings Average pay rises go up What planet? Dublin Rail stikes Pensions You can't kill the spirit Commentators have been predicting the end of the class struggle for over a hundred years. First it was the distraction of football matches, pigeon fancying and whippets. Then, in the Sixties, a washing machine and two weeks in Mablethorpe. In 1987 Labour leader Neil Kinnock was telling Ron Todd of the TGWU that his members-"dockers with holiday homes in Marbella"-weren't interested in the class struggle. Two years later there was a national dock strike...

Is Camfield a left candidate?

By Tom Willis Some people in the TGWU seem to be under the impression that Barry Camfield is the left wing candidate for General Secretary. He is no such thing. Camfield is part of the back scratching, do-nothing clique that control the union executive. They make sure that the union is run as a job club for their buddies rather than as a serious organisation. The GEC clique have no interest whatsoever in doing the hard graft that is required to rebuild the union in the workplace and to confront the employers. Camfield might like to pose as a left-winger in Labour Party terms, but as a trade...

Woodley appeals to shop stewards

By Jim Denham Tony Woodley is one of four candidates standing to replace Bill Morris as General Secretary of the TGWU. Although the political differences between the candidates are not immediately obvious from their election material, their records within the union point to important differences. Tony Woodley is backed by the union's Broad Left and has a record of rank and file activism and opposition to 'business unionism'. His slogan is "If we fight we may not always win, but if we don't fight we will surely lose". Woodley's campaign team has put out the following statement to shop stewards...

Union recruits through the Web

Sussex District of the T&GWU is establishing a new branch for lorry drivers, using the Web as a prime recruitment tool. Many drivers now use laptop computers to keep in touch from the cab whilst away from home, both in the UK and abroad. The website also carries Russian-language material. Firms from Eastern Europe, paying very low wages, threaten to undercut UK-based firms in international haulage, and the branch is working to recruit drivers whose first language is not English. At present the branch membership is mostly Sussex-based drivers who do both domestic and international haulage. But...

Labour movement news

Journalists strike at greedy Gannett In brief Peugeot Coventry strike Train guards’ safety ballot likely Journalists strike at greedy Gannett National Union of Journalists members at Newsquest Bradford, a division of the giant US media firm Gannett, are striking over pay. The journalists walked out on 30 and 31 January, and began a week’s strike on Monday 17 February. Picket lines have been set up outside the company’s offices in Bradford, Shipley, Otley, Keighley, Skipton and Ilkley. The chapel is asking for a pay rise of £1,500 each per year, which would still leave most of the journalists...

Norwich busworkers strike

By Patrick Yarker No sign of a strike for months, then three come along at once. After recent action by NATFHE and FBU members in the city, TGWU members have embarked on a week-long strike to fight the latest attack on their working-conditions by transport company First Eastern Counties. The company is trying to level down already arduous working-conditions by attempting to cut paid breaks to drivers and rescheduling duties so that drivers would be forced to spend five hours behind the wheel without a break. Needless to say, the company claim this attempt to make drivers work longer hours for...

Labour movement news in brief

Felixstowe wage deal Rails strikes Airport strike the global picture: Bermuda teachers' strike Bush use 'anti-terrorism' to break strikes Felixstowe wage deal Workers at the Port of Felixstowe are to get a pay rise of up to 25%. In the late 1980s - after the abolition of the National Dock Labour Scheme - new workers at the port of Felixstowe started to be paid a lower wage for doing the same job as existing workers. Currently employees on newer contracts earn about £5,000 less a year than those on older contracts. Now all workers will have the same pay. A new or so-called 'Blue' worker...

Strike at Short Brothers

About 4,400 workers at Short Brothers, the Canadian-owned aerospace firm in Belfast, have struck for six days over job cuts and working conditions. The striking workers were represented by Amicus and the TGWU. The Canadian firm Bombardier wanted to reform work shifts and reduce overtime payments, under threat of job cuts. The firm had already cut 600 jobs in May and has cut more than 2,000 workers since 2001. Short Brothers is still Northern Ireland's largest commercial employer with a current workforce of 5,600. The unions have agreed a deal for no redundancies before the end of March and the...

Rally for Friction Dynamics

A thousand strong rally in support of Friction Dynamics workers was held on 8 June in Caernarfon. 87 workers at the motor parts factory have been locked out for over a year. The dispute started when US boss Craig Smith tried to cut time-off and enforce a pay cut of 15 per cent. The lock-out came about when Smith enforced the 1999 Employment Act which allows employers to dismiss workers after an eight week dispute in which the employer has "followed an appropriate procedure to resolve the dispute." The workers have maintained a picket outside the factory, lobbied Parliament, the Welsh Labour...

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