Strike!

[ska invita]

No ordinary industrial dispute

DAVE CHAPPLE explains why workers at Clarks in Somerset have been driven to take strike action in the face of a devastating ‘fire and rehire’ threat

morningstaronline.co.uk

"Clarks warehouse workers, who are members of the Community union, face the following threats:

• An average reduction in pay of £1.66 per hour: from the current £11.16 to £9.50

• An increase of 2.5 working hours per week, due to paid 30-minute meal breaks being abolished

• No pay rise for at least four years, despite the union agreeing to help the company through a “difficult financial spell“ by accepting two hours less per week instead of a pay rise on two different occasions and at the company’s proposal

• Drastic cuts in sick pay: from 13 weeks’ full pay to six weeks’ full pay and six weeks’ half-pay; abolition of sick pay for the first day of absence; no sick pay entitlement from day one of employment, only after six months

• The abolition of a daily 10-minute coffee break, brought in at the company’s request to ease warehouse operations

• A drastic reduction in redundancy entitlements: from enhanced double statutory, to statutory, (ie, one week’s wages per year of service), raising fears that the company will get rid of workers, even close the Street distribution centre, just as they are closing their distribution centre in Kendal

• Cuts to overtime rates to time thus giving no chance to increase pay

• No direct cuts to maternity pay or pension entitlements, but with a 15-20 per cent cut in wages, pensions will suffer a drastic fall when taken out

.... Welcome to the “brave new world” of Clarks’ new owners, Lion Rock Capital. This is a Hong Kong-based, venture capitalist, hedge-fund capitalist, slash-and-burn capitalist company."

 

[hitmouse]

Striking Scunthorpe scaffolders, try saying that one three times fast:

Striking Scunthorpe scaffolders to hold march as fair pay battle continues

…

www.unitetheunion.org

Anyway, apparently they've been on all-out action since early October.
North East is the latest region to have threatened bus strikes, going by form it seems fairly likely they'll be called off though:

12 days of strikes over Stagecoach North East bosses’ ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics on pay

www.unitetheunion.org

 

[hitmouse]

Arriva North West drivers now threatening all out indefinite action from this weekend:

Arriva bus drivers vote for strike action as talks collapse - The Meteor

Arriva bus drivers in Greater Manchester are set to go on an all out continuous strike from 30 October, following a vote by Arriva North West drivers with 87% in favour of strike action.

themeteor.org

 

[two sheds]

e-mail from Unite (Weetabix strike which was mentioned on last page)

Dear Arthur

Unite members at Weetabix in our East Midlands region have been on strike against Fire re Hire for six weeks now please support these workers by signing our petition.

Why is this important?
Weetabix factory engineers are striking over Weetabix’s brutal ‘fire and rehire’ ultimatum that will slash their wages and conditions.

The workers face changes to their shift and working patterns that would result in some engineers losing as much as £5,000 from their yearly earnings.

Weetabix has performed very strongly since the beginning of the pandemic. In 2020, its turnover grew by 5 per cent to £325 million and profits leapt by almost 20 per cent to £82 million. It has no excuse not to treat these workers fairly.

Add your name and show Weetabix how many of us stand against fire and rehire: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/weetabix-no-to-fire-and-rehire

 

[AmateurAgitator]

e-mail from Unite (Weetabix strike which was mentioned on last page)

I joined Unite Community at the end of last week. I was atleast expecting a confirmation e mail, but haven't received anything. Is that normal?

 

[two sheds]

Can't remember, sorry. Perhaps wait another week and contact them.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Can't remember, sorry. Perhaps wait another week and contact them.

Will do. Thankyou.

 

[two sheds]

Or log into the website? There's a members' section which comes up with membership number when I log in.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Or log into the website? There's a members' section which comes up with membership number when I log in.

Yeah that's a good diea.

 

[hitmouse]

The very long-running Scotrail dispute has now been resolved - dunno if this might be employers caving to avoid COP26 disruption or what?

ScotRail RMT pay deal

Joint media statement

www.rmt.org.uk

 

[hitmouse]

Lots of stuff going on (or being called off) on the buses:
Arriva North West is off: Arriva North West bus strikes suspended as new pay offer on the table
Arriva Cymru due to strike over pay: Arriva Cymru’s bus drivers to strike for five weeks, after bosses’ make ‘poverty pay’ offer
Stagecoach West Scotland dispute settled: Stagecoach West Scotland workers accept pay offer bringing dispute to an end
Stagecoach Wales and North East still going ahead afaik:

Strike action at Stagecoach Wales to proceed after ACAS talks fail

www.unitetheunion.org

12 days of strikes over Stagecoach North East bosses’ ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics on pay

www.unitetheunion.org

Other stuff:
Tesco distribution workers balloting: Tesco risks empty shelves this winter after ‘offensive’ pay offer sparks nationwide strike ballot
Liverpool tanker drivers win a 17.5% pay increase: Bumper pay deal of 17.5 per cent for Liverpool tanker drivers
Weetabix strike action going up from two days a week to four: Strike days double at Weetabix Northamptonshire factories as fire and rehire taints company’s reputation
GMB strikes coming up at Serco Sandwell and four Berkshire hospitals:

12 days of strike-mas: Sandwell refuse workers to walk out over festive period

Strikes will continure over Christmas until ‘death-trap’ tip is made safe for public

www.gmb.org.uk

Cleaners, porters and caterers to strike at four Berkshire hospitals

Facilities staff at King Edward VII, Wokingham, Upton and St Marks Hospital sites to walk out over forced changes to contracts, says GMB Union

www.gmb-southern.org.uk

Scotrail dispute is settled but Caledonian Sleeper strikes are still on for now: After ScotRail deal RMT calls for Caledonian Sleeper parity

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Or log into the website? There's a members' section which comes up with membership number when I log in.

I e mailed them. They got back to me and say that a membership pack is on it's way to me.

 

[AmateurAgitator]

The latest workplace/strike round up from the ACG :

Workplace notes - Anarchist Communist Group

Arriva Cymru workers to strike for five weeks 400 bus workers in North Wales voted overwhelming in support of strike action over pay. Their union says: “Arriva Cymru bus drivers at depots, including Amlwch, Bangor, Hawarden (Chester), Llandudno, Rhyl and Wrexham, will strike continuously...

www.anarchistcommunism.org

 

[hitmouse]

 

[AmateurAgitator]

There is the possibility of a walk out of restaurant staff at Harrods during the Christmas period:

Low pay at luxury store – strike ballot at Harrods - Anarchist Communist Group

There is the possibility of strike action by restaurant staff at Harrods this Christmas. Restaurant staff are rightly demanding £12 an hour, plus commission and tips (they are currently paid £9 per hour). Harrods is owned by the Billionaire Qatari royals, who also own Canary Warf, the Shard, the...

www.anarchistcommunism.org

 

[hitmouse]

As I understand it, this presumably only covers universities in the USS, so mostly pre-1992 ones, but the next ballot that reports tomorrow covers a larger number:

UCU members back strikes over pension cuts

Members of the UCU working in UK universities have backed strike action in a ballot over cuts to pensions.

www.ucu.org.uk

 

[redsquirrel]

As I understand it, this presumably only covers universities in the USS, so mostly pre-1992 ones, but the next ballot that reports tomorrow covers a larger number:

UCU members back strikes over pension cuts

Members of the UCU working in UK universities have backed strike action in a ballot over cuts to pensions.

www.ucu.org.uk

Yes that is correct.
I am genuinely surprised never thought that the turnout would be so good. 53% turnout for a ballot that was only open 18 days is pretty good.

Even so that fact that so many universities missed the threshold, including some large ones like Manchester, does pose problems.

 

[hitmouse]

Yes that is correct.
I am genuinely surprised never thought that the turnout would be so good. 53% turnout for a ballot that was only open 18 days is pretty good.

Even so that fact that so many universities missed the threshold, including some large ones like Manchester, does pose problems.

By one ballot, apparently:


I suppose the question of whether it's better to run aggreggated or disaggreggated ballots (non-jargony explanation for people who are unfamiliar with this stuff: agg is when you poll all the different workplaces as one unit, so either you all get past 50% or none of you do, disagg is where you ballot each workplace separately so everywhere that gets past 50% can strike even if other places don't, which is what UCU do) is a tricky one, not always easy to call in advance?

 

[redsquirrel]

The call for aggregated ballots in UCU is daft. A big part of the reason the turnout was so high was precisely because we use disaggregated ballots, aggregated ballots would lower turnout (and in fact did lower turnout the last time we used them)

• a non-trivial proportion of members vote because they know that not making the threshold will lead to attacks at the local level. This is definitely why my, relatively conservative, branch has made the threshold the last couple of times. Members are afraid of the local consequences of not making the cut-off so will vote even if they spoil/vote against.
• while the union as a whole is getting better and better at running GTVO campaigns, the quality and willingness of such campaigns still varies between branches. There are branches that frankly don't really bother GTVO, they may send a few emails but there is no organised campaign. Sometimes this is down to a genuine lack of resources but in some cases it is a horrible branch exec/committee set up. Disaggregated ballots give less room for branches to hide so those branches that would do little on GTVO on an aggregated ballot have greater pressure to engage.

If the union was regularly getting 60+% turnouts then there would be a strong argument in favour of aggregated ballots but at the moment aggregated ballots would stop industrial action.

 

[hitmouse]

The call for aggregated ballots in UCU is daft. A big part of the reason the turnout was so high was precisely because we use disaggregated ballots, aggregated ballots would lower turnout (and in fact did lower turnout the last time we used them)

• a non-trivial proportion of members vote because they know that not making the threshold will lead to attacks at the local level. This is definitely why my, relatively conservative, branch has made the threshold the last couple of times. Members are afraid of the local consequences of not making the cut-off so will vote even if they spoil/vote against.
• while the union as a whole is getting better and better at running GTVO campaigns, the quality and willingness of such campaigns still varies between branches. There are branches that frankly don't really bother GTVO, they may send a few emails but there is no organised campaign. Sometimes this is down to a genuine lack of resources but in some cases it is a horrible branch exec/committee set up. Disaggregated ballots give less room for branches to hide so those branches that would do little on GTVO on an aggregated ballot have greater pressure to engage.

If the union was regularly getting 60+% turnouts then there would be a strong argument in favour of aggregated ballots but at the moment aggregated ballots would stop industrial action.

Yeah, that makes sense, fwiw my bit of Unison's recently gone from aggreggated to disagg, and as I understand it that was pushed by the left to make strike action easier. Although I think UCU's approach might differ a bit from the Unison "strategy" of "call an indicative vote, then make branches jump through a series of restrictive hoops before they can think about entering into dispute, so a fair proportion of branches get knocked out before they can even ballot in the first place."

 

[belboid]

Sheffield bin strike is back on, after being postponed for a ballot on the latest offer. For four hours, anyway, tomorrow morning.


GMB members at Veolia Sheffield have voted to strike over pay and ongoing attacks to their terms and conditions.

More than 80% of the refuse collectors voted for industrial action in anger at a below inflation pay offer from Veolia – amounting to a real terms pay cut.

Strike action - which could affect more than 200,000 homes - will now take place on Monday November 1 from 06:30am until 10:30am, with further days planned for November and beyond.

Lee Parkinson, GMB Organiser, said:

“GMB members working at Veolia have taken huge risks working all throughout the pandemic to help keep Sheffield moving – dealing with record amounts of waste as people work from home.

“It’s time to value them properly for the work they do.

"Politicians lining up to thank them won’t cut it; nor will a pay offer that amounts to a real terms pay cut.

"All they want is fair offer that at least keeps pace with their increasing cost of living and is not paid for with cuts to other terms and conditions.

“What they’ve been offered is an insult.”

 

[hitmouse]

Strike fund for facebook cleaners:

Support the outsourced Facebook Cleaners

Outsourced cleaners at Facebook London are being overworked till they're sick & exhausted – support their campaign to be brought in house

www.crowdfunder.co.uk

 

[hitmouse]

Sheffield bin strike is back on, after being postponed for a ballot on the latest offer. For four hours, anyway, tomorrow morning.

Good to see Sheffield couriers supporting the bin workers:


Didn't realise they were due to strike soon, their strike fund is here:

https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/sheffield-justeat-riders-are-going-on-strike-pay-rise-not-pay-cut

 

[hitmouse]

Couriers striking in Hackney tomorrow as well:

 

[hitmouse]

Decent article on the Arriva Northwest dispute from Liverpool anarchos:

Who’s in the Driving Seat?

Featured in Issue XVII – November 2021 Arriva bus drivers voted to take indefinite strike action from October 30th, targeting Halloween. This was because they were offered a 2% pay “increase”…

liverpoolanarchist.wordpress.com

 

[AmateurAgitator]

Strike fund for facebook cleaners:

Support the outsourced Facebook Cleaners

Outsourced cleaners at Facebook London are being overworked till they're sick & exhausted – support their campaign to be brought in house

www.crowdfunder.co.uk

There seems to be a serious problem with that crowdfunder. You seem to only be able to donate a monthly amount. I think that's why they haven't yet raised anything.

Edit : I have just contacted CAIWU about this and let them know.

 

[hitmouse]

There seems to be a serious problem with that crowdfunder. You seem to only be able to donate a monthly amount. I think that's why they haven't yet raised anything.

Edit : I have just contacted CAIWU about this and let them know.

Cheers for highlighting that, seems to be fixed now?

 

[hitmouse]

GMB have a reasonably snazzy website for the Sheffield bin strike:

Sheffield Veolia Strike

This is the strike hub for the Sheffield Veolia dispute. We want to #EndRubbishPay and see refuse workers in the city given a proper above inflation pay rise.

sheffieldstrike.gmbyorkshire.org.uk

Although I'm still not sure what's actually happening for it beyond that four-hour action?

 

[belboid]

GMB have a reasonably snazzy website for the Sheffield bin strike:

Sheffield Veolia Strike

This is the strike hub for the Sheffield Veolia dispute. We want to #EndRubbishPay and see refuse workers in the city given a proper above inflation pay rise.

sheffieldstrike.gmbyorkshire.org.uk

Although I'm still not sure what's actually happening for it beyond that four-hour action?

A vote on the picket line was for all our action from the 22nd.

 

[hitmouse]

A vote on the picket line was for all our action from the 22nd.

Oh yeah, just seen this:

Bin workers in Sheffield vote to strike permanently

Refuse collectors in the Steel City will be on strike all day, every day until this dispute is resolved

www.gmb.org.uk