Industrial News

Submitted by Anon on 18 June, 2003 - 1:02

DWP jobs strike: why more delay?

By a PCS Socialist Caucus member in London

On 21 September, members of the PCS civil service union in the Department of Work and Pensions in London voted by a three-to-one margin for strike action against the Government's plans for job cuts.

A one day strike is the absolute minimum we should be demanding in the fight to defend jobs. We need repeated strike action, including long-term selective action in processing centres and other key workplaces. A one day strike without follow up decided in advance will simply not be sufficient. This is particularly urgent since so far there has been no action against job cuts anywhere, with the exception of a small number of workers in the Driving Standards Agency in Nottingham.

Unfortunately, it is not even guaranteed that a one day strike will go ahead. As Solidarity went to press, representative of PCS's DWP group and London regional executives had just finished meeting with management representatives — a meeting which resulted in absolutely no concessions or guarantees whatsoever. The group and regional executives will be meeting over the coming week to discuss their response.

Even if the action does go ahead, PCS has already given two weeks notice instead of the legally required seven days, apparently attempting to conciliate a management that has displayed nothing but aggression towards the union.

Socialist Caucus will be fighting to make sure that the strike goes ahead as planned as part of an ongoing campaign to make London the vanguard of resistance to the Government's jobs massacre.

Saving our bacon

By a TGWU member

Workers at Grampian Country Foods have struck to defend their pension rights against the food processing giant, disrupting supplies of pork and bacon to Sainsburys.

The first day of strike action saw over 400 workers on strike at Grampian Country Pork, Suffolk, the site most affected by the changes to the pension scheme.

The company wants to close the final salary pension scheme, whereby workers receive a guaranteed pension on retirement, and replace it with a money purchase scheme. The effect of this change is to transfer all risk of the pension fund underperforming from the company to the employee.

In short, if the pension managers mess up on the stock exchange, currently the company covers the cost. Under the new rules your pension goes to hell.

The workers are all members of the Transport and General Workers Union and had been pushing for action for some time. The union finally called a ballot after talks with the company went right to the deadline and got nowhere. The ballot had to tell the company not just how many union members were being balloted but how many direct debit payers and how many payroll payers. The reps had to thoroughly trawl the records to make sure they were up to date to prevent a legal challenge. All the company has to do is get its payroll deductions list, set it next to its pension scheme members list, and at any discrepancy shout “injunction”.

Having leapt that hurdle only the workers balloted can take action. Their colleagues they stand next to are not allowed to join them on the line.

Despite all these obstacles in the way, the strike was solid and impressive. Successful picketing turned away truck after truck, so deliveries of pigs, vital gas, and other supplies could not get through. The company estimates it lost £80,000 on this one site by the time they got an injunction mid way through the afternoon, which resulted in action being suspended (by which time the job was well and truly done).

Everyone involved grew in stature and confidence almost visibly as the day went on and the company seems to have learned it must stop underestimating the resilience and inventiveness of its workforce. The company is now re-entering talks with the union and an overtime ban and work to rule is due to start as we go to press.

It is far too early to tell if the action will succeed in forcing a rethink on the pension scheme, but it will force the company to think twice about further attacks on its workforce. It also demonstrates how the anti-union laws force us to fight with one hand tied behind our backs. Despite this, the main lesson is that organised, determined industrial action is still a force to be reckoned with.

Suffolk
victory

Firefighters in Suffolk successfully fought off cuts which could have endangered the lives of local residents for the sake of the Government's “modernisation” programme.

The fact that, after 22 walkouts, FBU members were able to defend twelve jobs and fend off plans to cut safety appliances, is a good example for other FBU members facing similar problems across the UK.

The Suffolk FBU secretary said that “We did not want to go on strike, but we were right to defend safety and the settlement has vindicated our stand” — a victory in the campaign against cuts.

Sunderland pay cut fight

Hundreds of council workers in Sunderland picketed the Civic Centre on September 28 in reaction to council plans which according to the Sunderland Echo, will to cut 2,700 workers’ wages by up to 33% in a major shake up of their wage structure.

Particularly badly affected, says the Echo, are nursery nurses and teaching assistants, who earn around £10,500-£14,000 a year. They face a cut in take-home-pay of up to £4,000 a year, as well as attacks on pensions and holidays.

While some of the council’s 14,000 workers will see pay rises, it is clear that it is using the government’s Single Status scheme — intended to attack gender inequality in wages — is simply being used as a cover for a bid to cut expenditure on paying its workers.

The GMB and Unison have told their members to reject the new wages package, on which the workers will soon be balloted. Some of those affected have threatened that if the plan is agreed they will take direct action, while GMB regional organiser Martin Gannon said that “There will be some kind of industrial action”. The picket at the Civic Centre saw angry protestors jeering Bob Symonds, leader of the New Labour council in Sunderland which is implementing the moves to cut pay.

Restaurant staff demand living wage

Restaurant and hospitality staff in London from the GMB and TGWU took part in a protest demanding a living wage on 27 September. Given that many restaurant workers are still paid below the National Minimum Wage, and those on the minimum wage often have to give their tips to their bosses, even a move towards the Greater London Assembly's (low) living wage demand of £6.70 an hour would be a real improvement.

The minimum wage, currently £5.05 an hour, is certainly not enough to live on for most workers — and particularly those with families or living in London. Support for these workers‚ demands has come from No Sweat, as well as the London Citizens campaign.

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