The sacked women at Unique Care in Huddersfield received a timely boost last week. The independent inspection unit reported its findings into the company after an unannounced visit on 17 March.
Local government unions in Swansea have organised a lunchtime protest for Wednesday of this week against the council’s plans to privatise services.
Some 800 workers in the new Unite union working for Southampton council have voted in favour of industrial action over plans to privatise services and transfer employees to a private company.
The Unite union called off a strike involving Tesco distribution drivers in Livingston, near Edinburgh, set for Tuesday of this week.
Workers at the Sunvic plant in Uddingston near Glasgow last week agreed to call off their strike and return to work. The workers were in the 11th week of an all out strike against bosses demanding the right to impose lay-offs.
Ritzy cinema workers strike again Workers at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, south London, struck for a second time on Saturday of last week. The Bectu union members, who voted to strike unanimously, are fighting against poverty pay.
Academy schools are fast becoming the education touchstone for Gordon Brown.
The inaugural congress of the University and College Union (UCU) last week brought together two very distinct unions – the AUT and Natfhe, into a new lecturers’ union.
The congress of the UCU lecturers’ union heard a storming speech from PCS civil service workers’ union general secretary Mark Serwotka. He outlined a strategy for a united fight across the public sector to break Gordon Brown’s pay freeze.
On the first day of the UCU congress, delegates voted by 158 to 99 in favour of a motion that instructed the union to facilitate discussion on Palestine and open the possibility of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.
Postal workers in Luton will strike tomorrow (Wednesday) for 24 hours from 5am after a delivery postal worker was sacked. The worker had a nine year unblemished record when, under time pressure, he momentarily left the keys in his van while performing a collection and the vehicle was stolen.
It was a good conference for the new union and the left within it. The potential of a union representing 120,000 educationalists organised at the heart of what is fashionably known as "the knowledge economy" could clearly be seen.
