Industrial news in Brief

Submitted by on 20 November, 2002 - 9:48
  • Airport staff plan walkout
  • Sacked drivers reinstated
  • Rhyl sit-in continues
  • Taxpayer to cover rail firms' strike costs

Airport staff plan walkout

Specially trained firefighters and security workers at seven UK airports owned by BAA plan to strike on November 28, December 2, 10, 15 and 23 and January 2.

The 2,500 members of the Transport and General Workers Union voted 2-1 in favour of walkouts in protest at a pay offer of 1.7% plus £150.

The strikes will close down Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Sacked drivers reinstated

Drivers on Glasgow's Underground system have been reinstated after the company - Strathclyde Passenger Transport - sacked them, following an unofficial strike.

Their union, the TGWU, managed to negotiate with the company but the cause of the strike - the introduction of CCTV - will go ahead.
SPT initially said that the sacked staff would not be re-employed - that clearly was an attempt to bully the workers.

Rhyl sit-in continues

Workers staging a round-the-clock sit-in at a north Wales factory in a row over unpaid wages still have not received their official letters of dismissal.

The 35 women employed at the Fineline Cymru sewing factory in Rhyl refused to leave the plant when they found their wages had not been paid.
The dispute began after talks with their employer over money owed to them broke down.
Some of the workers say they have not been paid for six weeks.

Taxpayer to cover rail firms' strike costs

Extract from Demic's Diary, an unofficial diary of the Arriva Trains Northern dispute on the web:

The Government has promised train operating companies that it will make up revenue lost during strikes. This tactic is designed to stave off a wave of pay disputes being brought by increasingly militant trade unions.

The tough stance, which could cost tens of millions of pounds, comes from the Strategic Rail Authority, which was set up by the Government two years ago to run the railways under the direction of the Transport Secretary.

The SRA said: "This is to stop the franchises being picked off one by one. Anything other than reasonable pay requests will get short shrift. What we are saying is face them down and don't worry about the damage during the strike. We will make good the revenue."

demic@cardboardfish.com.
Arriva workers plan more action on: December 21st, 23rd 24th and 31st and February 1st.

Comments

Submitted by Janine on Wed, 20/11/2002 - 22:34

The National Bus and Rail Union is to ballot almost 4,000 bus and rail workers for industrial action over Government plans to reform public transport.

Last week, the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan, announced a number of changes to public transport, including the winding up of the CIE holding company, and the franchising out of up to a quarter of Dublin Bus routes by early 2004.

NBRU General Secretary, Liam Tobin, said his members accepted the need for change to improve public services, but did not accept that privatisation was the way to do it.

He said the union did not want to disrupt passengers, and would only use industrial action as a last resort.

e-mail: JBooth9192 at aol.com

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.