Strikes and lock-outs

Strike together 15-16 March

Wednesday 1 February was probably the best day so far for numerous and lively picket lines in this strike wave, which can be dated maybe from June 2022 (mainline rail) or even March 2022 (Tube). It was certainly the best day so far for big and lively street demonstrations, mainly organised by the National Education Union (NEU), but with contingents from the PCS (civil service) and UCU (university academic staff). The unions could do similar on a much bigger scale on 15-16 March, around Budget day on 15 March. The NEU already has plans. PCS announced just as we went to press on 7 February that...

NHS bosses are feeling the pressure

Tens of thousands of nurses (RCN) and ambulance service staff (Unite and GMB) walked out on Monday 6 February in a pay dispute, in the first coordinated day of health strikes in this strike wave. Nurses and ambulance workers have previously been striking separately since late last year. Nurses will also walk out on Tuesday 7 February, Unison ambulance staff on Friday 10th, and physiotherapists on Thursday 9th, making the week "probably the most disruptive in NHS history" according to Medical Director Stephen Powis. NHS bosses are putting pressure on the government to reopen pay negotiations...

Strikes and strike ballots (published 7 February)

Strikes 9-10, 14-16, 21-23 Feb, 27 Feb-2 Mar, 16-17 and 20-22 Mar: Higher Education workers at 150 universities (UCU) strike. Unison HE members at 12 universities will strike on various days in Feb 9 Feb: NHS physiotherapists (CSP) strike 12 Feb: Rail for London Infrastructure workers (RMT) strike 13-17 Feb: Workers at University of Sheffield International College (UCU) strike 14 Feb: Teachers in Wales (NEU) strike 15-16 Feb: Teachers on the Isle of Man (NASUWT) strike 20 Feb: Ambulance workers (GMB) strike 28 Feb: Teachers in the Northern, North West, and Yorkshire and Humber regions (NEU)...

Rail and Tube disputes at turning point

On Wednesday 18 January, the front page of the Metro newspaper previewed the mass coordinated strike planned for 1 February with the headline "one out, all out". The headline was accompanied by a picture of RMT general secretary Mick Lynch. The picture was, in some ways, an odd choice: only a tiny handful of RMT members (drivers in mainline Train Operating Companies, TOCs, where workers are overwhelmingly organised by another union, Aslef) participated in the 1 February strike. The union's National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to keep the vast bulk of members currently involved in...

Over 20 days of Abellio bus strikes

Bus drivers working for Abellio in London have had over 20 days of strikes and continue to be in dispute. Abellio are notorious for being one of the lowest paying bus companies in London. Forensic accountants from the drivers' union, Unite, showed that the parent company Abellio Transport Holdings BV Netherlands had systematically removed £20 million from the London bus operation over 20 years and had held down wages to reduce staff costs from 65% of sales in 2010 to 50% of sales in 2020. Unite balloted members three times in 2022. The first two ballots failed to reach the anti-union law...

Unison sinks strike support at London Labour conference

At London Labour Party conference (28-29 January), the Starmerite leadership / machine let a series of leftish motions go through without opposition. The motion where they decided to fight was one supporting strikes and calling on the whole party, including elected representatives, to do so. That motion ( page 7 of motions document ) was defeated by just over 1% – 49.4 to 50.6%. It was defeated because Labour’s biggest affiliated union, Unison, actively opposed it. I haven’t checked the exact figures, but Union's delegation probably represents something like 15% of the conference. If Unison...

15-16 March very likely (John Moloney's column)

All our initial reports are that the 1 February strike was solid. Particularly welcome was the number of picket lines. We think around 500 were in place, with some having over 60 members. Equally good was the number of rallies held in conjunction with the NEU, UCU, and other unions. There is now an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) on 7 February to discuss the effectiveness of 1 Feb strike and what next. We know that the NEU have called strike action for 15-16 March, and I think it very likely that the PCS would want to go out on the same days. Certainly, I believe they should. The...

Workplace meetings needed to sustain strikes

At the time of writing, 6 February, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England have been on strike in the first of two consecutive days of action, the fifth since the dispute began. England-wide reports are mostly of picket lines considerably smaller than previously. This may be a blip — and we know that many members were "striking from home". Perhaps picket lines will have been bigger on the second day of action (7 February, as this paper was going to print). But the setback is not surprising in the context of the RCN approach to the strikes so far. The RCN is new to striking, and has...

NHS: how to win on pay and rebuilding

In the week of 6 February, we have had the biggest strikes in the NHS dispute so far, with RCN members in 73 Trusts, GMB ambulance workers, physiotherapists and Unison ambulance workers all coming out. There are possibilities for escalation. Some Unison branches that did not reach the threshold are starting to push for reballoting, and the BMA strike ballot closes on 20 February. However, the RCN leadership has called off strike action in Wales to consult on a feeble offer. They also suspended strikes in Scotland for negotiations. The Welsh government has offered an additional 1.5% plus 1.5%...

Schools strikes: increase the pace!

The National Education Union's (NEU) first nationwide strike, on 1 February, was a success. The strike was of teacher members in England and Wales and support staff members in Wales. Hundreds of thousands of members struck. The big majority of schools in both countries were affected, with hundreds closed and many more with only minimal provision. The strike occurred on the same day as strikes by the UCU in colleges and universities and civil servants in the PCS union. There were rallies in cities and towns across both countries, involving hundreds of thousands. The NEU had recruited over 43...

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