Refuse workers in Sheffield strike for union recognition (Photo: twitter/ @UniteNEYH)
Refuse workers in Sheffield began an indefinite strike on Tuesday last week over union recognition. Nearly 100 bin workers in the Lumley Street depot are members of the Unite union.
Veolia is outsourced to deliver some of Sheffield’s refuse services. However, it refuses to recognise the union even though Unite represents around 80 percent of the depot’s workforce.
The workers also walked out on 29 July to 2 August. Veolia is claiming the GMB union is the workplace’s sole recognised union.
Unite is angry as it already has a national bargaining agreement with Veolia across numerous depots. Without a recognition deal, Unite says it cannot negotiate on behalf of the workforce properly.
Bosses shut the site down during the strike. Shane Sweeting, the Unite regional officer for North Yorkshire, said, “Our members are asking to be represented by the trade union of their choice.
“I can’t understand the employers’ position that they won’t allow another seat at the table alongside a different union. It’s disgraceful.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Veolia’s attempts to block Unite from representing its workers when 80 percent are members can only be described as union-busting.
“It won’t work—strikes will continue with Unite’s full support.”
Refuse workers employed by Redbridge Civic Services (RCS) won their demands after threatening to strike last week.
The workers in the Unite union previously struck in July, and planned to go out again from Thursday last week to 5 September.
But workers agreed to call off the strike after RCS offered its refuse workers an improved deal.
The strike was over working conditions. RCS workers received just ten days sick leave and constantly had to work overtime due to vehicle breakdowns despite receiving no overtime pay.
RCS is a subsidiary of Redbridge Council, meaning that workers don’t technically work for the council. They therefore don’t receive the same working conditions as other council workers.
But on Thursday last week, workers won increased sick pay to three months, paid overtime and a reduced working week. RCS has also agreed to review vehicles and maintenance to reduce stoppages.
Regional officer Nick West said that workers “should be proud at how they stood firm against the council to get the terms and conditions they deserve”.
Over 200 workers employed by Livv Housing Group in Knowsley on Merseyside are voting on whether to strike over pay.
Livv is forcing workers to accept a below inflation pay deal. The workers, who are in the Unite and Unison unions, have rejected a five percent pay increase.
They say this does not reverse the real terms pay cuts they have experienced. The ballot closes on Tuesday 17 September.
Livv manages and maintains over 13,000 properties primarily in Knowsley. It is supposedly a not for profit organisation.
But last year it made a profit of over £40,000 per employee. The company also created a bonus pot of £140,000 for its executive team.
James Robinson, Unison branch secretary, said, “Livv Housing Group has reported multi-million pound surpluses for the last five years.
“It has awarded its CEO a 19 percent pay rise, bringing her total to more than £255,000 per year.
“And it has increased the number of staff earning £90,000 or more by 33 percent.
“This is all while staff have seen their pay eroded, pensions removed, terms and conditions worsened and rents continue to go up.”
Strikes would be impactful, affecting repairs, maintenance, customer services and disruption to tenants.
Some 1,500 security guards are set to go back on strike from Tuesday this week until Saturday. They had just completed a week-long strike on Sunday last week.
The company G4S employs the workers on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, but G4S refuses to meet the GMB and PCS unions without setting preconditions.
Workers have also announced 14 more days of strikes during the weeks beginning 9 and 23 September.
The government gave G4S £21 million in taxpayer cash to fill the jobcentre security contract, but it still pays some 90 percent of its workforce the minimum wage.
Workers are currently paid £11.44 an hour. Bosses recently offered strikers just 23p extra an hour, but workers will keep fighting for £15 an hour.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said, “When will G4S get the message that our members will not sit back and accept a pay rise that is 23p above the national living wage while G4S rakes in millions?”
Some 17 jobcentres sites are considering cutting between one and three jobs according to a document seen by Civil Service World.
Both unions are warning that more jobcentres will shut if the dispute isn’t resolved. Workers should ramp up their fight.
Theatre nurses at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in central London are set to return to picket lines on Wednesday next week.
The Unite union members walked out in June when bosses announced that they were extending their shift times from 8pm to 9pm.
Bosses previously extended shift times from 7pm to 8pm, and introduced Saturday working, to reduce waiting times for procedures.
But Unite rightly argues that the real issue is lack of staff.
Health workers in many unions across England and Wales are voting on the government’s imposed 5.5 percent pay rise.
lWatch this video to hear Unison activist Jordan Rivera explain why the deal is bad for workers and the NHS
tinyurl.com/JordansaysNo
The Unite union called off strikes at SPS Technologies in Leicester after the workers accepted a two-year pay deal.
Nearly 200 workers were set to begin an all-out strike last Wednesday.
The workers will now receive pay rises of five percent for 2024 and three percent for 2025, as well as improvements to annual leave and time off for medical appointments.
Workers previously rejected a two-year pay rise of seven percent plus a £400 one-off payment.
Some 40 traffic wardens in Ealing, west London, are set to strike from Tuesday this week.
The workers were employed by Serco before being transferred to council-owned Greener Ealing Ltd this year.
Greener Ealing refuses to recognise the original Unite union agreement workers had with Serco. Strikes are planned until 18 September.
Around 650 PCS union members who work in passport control have called more strikes at London’s Heathrow airport.
New shift patterns introduced in April forced 160 workers to leave.
Border Control is part of the state’s racist set-up, but workers now have to face-off with their employer. Workers will strike for four days from Saturday to Tuesday next week and then will hold a work-to-rule and overtime ban.
Council workers in Birmingham City Council, represented by the GMB union, are trying to escalate their equal pay action.
Last week 15 schools began a strike ballot over the council’s under-payment of women.
If they strike, they will join the 1,500 workers across 35 schools who struck earlier this year.
Council bosses have not tried to make any progress towards a meaningful resolution.
The ballot will end in mid-September. This could see further strikes across schools in Birmingham.
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