TGWU

Transport and General Workers Union

Rumpole of the Amicus?

Jerry Hicks is one of the three Amicus members — apart from the current General Secretary, Derek Simpson —seeking nominations to contest an election to be held next year for the post of General Secretary of the Amicus section of Unite. In the last issue of Solidarity we interviewed Hicks about his candidacy. We cover the other candidates, Kevin Coyne and Laurence Faircloth, in the next issue. Here Dale Street gives a critical response to Hicks’s platform. Hicks was union convenor at the Rolls Royce Bristol plant until his victimisation in 2005. Of the four potential candidates for next year’s...

London buses

The strikes set to shut down most London bus companies on 22 October were suspended following an injunction gained by TfL against the union. There is talk of the strike being re-scheduled to 5 November, but the whole balloting process may have to be restarted. The pretext seems to be that the union had failed in certain garages to display the results of the strike ballot and that the union’s membership records are not up to date. This situation poses difficulties for drivers and the union. The pay settlement date was April, so drivers will be increasingly tempted to accept any offer just for...

On the bus workers’ strike, on the economic crisis

2 years ago, Metroline drivers broke 7 years silence from the union and took strike action against the 2nd biggest transport transnational organization in the world. A visibly scared, and in some ways corrupt, union leadership backed down - and drivers agreed to pocket far less than their due before Christmas. They were the only section of the union to take action. The next year Metroline bosses were unusually quick to meet the union’s (low) demands. Unite leaders, probably to save Ken Livingstone, appeared to shelve all disputes on the London buses. Now we’ve got Boris Johnson who, let alone...

Ructions in Unite

According to reports from a delegate to the Executive of Unite (the union formed by merger of Amicus and TGWU), and other well-placed sources, the union's "joint general secretaries", Tony Woodley (TGWU) and Derek Simpson (Amicus) are presently engaged in "all out war". It's so bad that the further integration of the two previous unions may now be at risk. The reasons seem to have much more to do with personalities that any serious points of political or even organisational difference. Simpson has become more and more authoritarian and intolerant of any form of dissent - especially from former...

Union news in brief: Unison LG, First Buses, Karen Reissman

UNISON: activists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are angered by news from the national office on progress on pay negotiations. Scottish Unison stated they are preparing for further action; they oppose multi-year deals, and state that "talks are welcome but not a means in themselves", Unison in England and Wales thinks differently. Members are told that Unison wants to resolve this dispute as soon as possible, but that the framework for talks is until end of December We have gone into open ended discussions, calling off all action for negotiations, with the employers putting nothing on...

Public pay strikes in Scotland

As we go to press (20 August 2008) a 24-hour strike action by local government workers, members of UNISON, UNITE, and the GMB is taking place. The same day PCS members employed by the Scottish Government and Registers of Scotland, are staging a follow-up 24-hour strike. Both strikes are about below-inflation pay offers for workers in the public sector. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has offered local authority workers a three-year pay-deal, with pay going up by just 2.5% each year. Scottish Ministers have offered for Scottish government employees just 2%. These pay offers...

Why won’t the unions fight for a workers’ party?

Dear Brother Woodley, Those made numb or demoralised by living through disasters are likely to have difficulty facing up to other immediately looming consequential disasters. You, for instance, now. And make no mistake about it, Brother Woodley, if you and the other leftish trade union leaders do not face up to the implications of the New Labour disaster at the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, even greater political disasters loom now for the labour movement. A Tory government? Yes, but a great deal worse than that. The trade unions may be driving out of politics entirely. A Cameron Tory...

Grangemouth Pension Dispute Continues

A fortnight after the Grangemouth oil refinery was shut down by strike action, talks continue between refinery owners (INEOS) and UNITE. The strike by the 1,200 union members was in defence of the refinery’s final salary pension scheme, inherited by INEOS from the refinery’s previous owners (BP). INEOS wanted to close the scheme to new staff, force existing employees to pay 6% of their salaries into the scheme, and financially penalise workers who opted for early retirement. Calculated on an hourly basis, the strike was the costliest industrial action in British history. Despite its relatively...

Shelter strikes again on 24-25 April

Workers in the housing charity Shelter are on strike again on 24-25 April against enforced cuts in pay and conditions. Previous strikes on 5 and 10 March forced Shelter bosses, who at first insisted that they would never negotiate, to put the cuts on hold and talk at ACAS. But their ACAS offer was only a one-off “compensation” payment. Shelter workers rejected the deal by 64% majority, in a 56% turnout, despite pressure from TGWU-Unite full-time officials to accept. Workers have achieved a lot. l A union has been built from a shell into a reasonably well-organised majority of Shelter staff. l...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.