Seems a bit pointless. It’s currently being refurbed.
Strike!
- Thread starter smokedout
- Start date
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Newsletter for the NHS strikes coming up. PDF link here NHS Strike Newsletter – Whose strike is it? - Angry Workers
Louis MacNeice
Autumn Journalist
500 years of Royal Mail under threat. I would have thought the symbolism and opportunity were obvious and attractive.
Cheers - Louis MacNeice
redsquirrel
This Machine Kills Progressives
Well done all comrades on strike at taking action.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
Will HM withdraw the royal warrant? Some pressure should be applied imo.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
"Royal" what does that entail, your majesty?
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
At my local delivery office, there's usually been someone who's come down and parked blocking the gates. This morning, I was the only external supporter who was there when a van turned up, so I stood there in the road and the manager gave up trying to drive it in and parked out in the street instead and had to carry everything in from there. One of those things where usually you never know if turning up to something will actually make a difference or not, but at least today I can say that I've actively made a manager's day noticeably harder by being there.
scalyboy
They’re taking the piss now
Thanks Louis MacNeice for your clear suggestions as to how to phrase each letter and what to emphasise, I wouldn't have known what to focus on otherwise.
I've written letters to my local DOM, and to Simon Thompson. The former is easy cos I know the local delivery office address; the only postal address I could find for the latter is Royal Mail Group Ltd, Correspondence address: 185 Farringdon Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1A 1AA and I can head the address F.A.O. Mr
I can drop off the DOM letter tomorrow cos I need to go there anyway (was going to go today, but doubt they'd be many staff in today
- and even if there were some managers in to keep it open, it would've meant crossing a picket)The Simon Thompson one I will put in the post tomorrow; it's rather galling to pay nearly a quid for a stamp, but the alternative is the only correspondence address listed on the Royal Mail's website:
FREEPOST Royal Mail Customer Services
and I'm not convinced that a letter marked for his attention at this address would reach him. I must say it's well hidden on the Royal Mail website; I had to hunt for it - it's almost as if they don't want people to write letters
I'll do the MP letter now, and I can email her as well. I couldn't find an email address for the local delivery office, but if anyone knows Simon Thompson's email address, please do let us know!
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Louis MacNeice
Autumn Journalist
Thank you scalyboy, you're a star. I'll see if I can get an email address for you.
All the very best - Louis MacNeice
All the very best - Louis MacNeice
If that bill becomes law the only thing to combat it will be escalation, coordination, militant action - wildcat strikes, sit-ins/occupations of workplaces etc. Hopefully thats what it will lead to, otherwise we're fucked.
Now more than ever militant, autonomous alternatives from below are required. Real resitance to capitalism, and real solidarity.
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Louis MacNeice
Autumn Journalist
Of course you're right but let's not forget the need for more clichéd rhetorical flourishes in cyberspace.
Comradely greetings - Louis MacNeice
Bastards. Driving them into a corner and don't give a shit about the consequences.
Health Secretary won’t hold pay talks with nurses despite offer to pause strike’
Health Secretary won’t hold pay talks with nurses despite offer to pause strike’
ska invita
back on the other side
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I genuinely still don't quite understand just who/what they're talking about when they talk about "hostile" unions. Like, those are workers, the people both parties at least claim to fight for, and will wax lyrical about when it's convenient.
"...the public had sacrificed 'a lot of their lives and liberty' to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed" - yeah, and have you somehow forgotten who was keeping it going despite being completely underserved and underresourced??!
Absolute, colossal bell ends
Thank you, choir, that concludes today's preaching.
ska invita
back on the other side
TBF the full quote isI genuinely still don't quite understand just who/what they're talking about when they talk about "hostile" unions. Like, those are workers, the people both parties at least claim to fight for, and will wax lyrical about when it's convenient.
"...the public had sacrificed 'a lot of their lives and liberty' to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed" - yeah, and have you somehow forgotten who was keeping it going despite being completely underserved and underresourced??!
Absolute, colossal bell ends
Thank you, choir, that concludes today's preaching.
"One of the things that I do find frustrating, given that we have committed to more staff, I cannot understand why the BMA is so hostile to the idea that with more staff must come better standards for patients,” he said, accusing the union of “living on a different planet”. "
...this is the Telegraph after all.
But still...
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Bah, I even thought, "hey, should you make sure you're not popping off without knowing the full context?", only to then think "nah, it's all there..."
But, as you say: still....
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Precisely the same formulation as the rail strikes. The ‘employer’ (NHS/Network Rail) is prevented by the real employer - the government - from properly negotiating. The government refuses to negotiate.
The Tories are banking on a) the strikes not working/being sustainable and b) public opinion moving against the unions.
Bastards, certainty. But stupid bastards as the Thatcher playbook was written in very different circumstances.
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Honestly.... I think it's a fair few steps above where I think the strikes and people I know are currently. But good to plant the idea there and who knows, things can develop quickly.
The unions involved in the health strikes are pissing a fair number of workers off tbh, especially on the Trust level, my Trust have agreed with the RCN reps that basically not much will be on strike at all, loads has been categorised as 'essential' much more than the initial list of a few places which was critical care units, chemotherapy, dialysis, and some neonatal and paediatric units.
andysays
Love and solidarity
This headline
Strikes: Will the clash between workers and firms ever end?
and the article which goes with it seems unusually sympathetic to strikes and strikers, especially for the BBC.
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
In the local government strikes in the 80s , it was one day , two day and then three days strikes, I was still in the SWP. Despite the branch being controlled by the CP and Labour Party, we had built a reasonable network of rank and file shop stewards and activists through sectional disputes, collections for other strikes nationally and locally, anti racist work with the Black Workers Group etc etc. The line was for an all out strike which was imo somewhat optimistic and a bit propagandist but rather get lost in that debate some of us argued and worked for the setting up of a rank and file rally before the official one . At the first, we must have had around 100 attend ( I think some thought it was the official rally) . We built and worked for the two day strike and increased the numbers at the rank and file rallies and began organising proper picketing . For example, we closed the car parks where there had been some scabbing by the managers ( car parks were a big income spinner for the Council). By the time the three day strike started we had over 250 at the rank and file rallies and targeted the weaker sections of the Council,.On the second day of the three day strike some of the Branch officials turned up , and tried to control the meeting. So it was put to the vote who should chair , I was nominated , won the show of hands and we held a good meeting with members asking the officials why they hadn't done this or why didn't they try and do that etc .
The point I'm trying to make is that hard work over a long period of time at the rank and file level , however small and modest, can make a difference and become a bridge between 'ideas' and delivering/achieving the sort of thing that your leaflet is promoting
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Fwiw, I'm hearing that when the UCU dispute resumes in February, there is serious talk of it being all-out, can't think when the last time we had an actual all-out national strike. Although I am also hearing that their leadership is being super mysterious and secretive about their plans.
hitmouse
so defeated, thinks it's funny
Was the council pretty much a one-union workplace, or did you have the same splits with GMB and so on?
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
GMB, NUPE as it was at the time , TGWU , obviously NALGO was the biggest . I'm sure there were some TASS /MFS as well.
When i came to Manchester a lot of the left inc SWP, were in NUPE not NALGO as NUPE were seen as more left wing . However I and others argued that it was more important to have the better activists in the biggest union , NALGO, and that the idea of Red Unions actually meant we weren't organising amongst the people who needed good organsiation, so a lot moved to NALGO ( albeit with gritted teeth)
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