THE CWU postal and telecom workers' union conference had a good spirit about it, particularly in the postal section. A year of sharp struggle has given the members new confidence. Although there are big challenges ahead, there is a sense of new beginnings and a determination to relaunch the union with greater rank and file control and involvement.
POSTAL WORKERS at the mail centre in Oxford stopped work briefly last week in protest at the latest turn in the dispute over bullying.
TEACHERS AT the annual general meeting of the EIS, Scotland's biggest education union, voted for an industrial action ballot to reduce class sizes recently. If negotiations with the government are not successful by December 2004 action should follow in next spring.
Pressure forces reinstatement MANAGEMENT and GMB union officials claim that the long-running dispute in the Brighton and Hove refuse collection service is at an end after an agreement was signed last week. Intensive talks between the union and management followed an overwhelming vote for strike action in response to enforced changes in working practices that saw 11 workers suspended.
ANGER OVER low pay and anger at New Labour dominated this year's Unison union local government conference in Bournemouth on Monday of this week. Delegates passed a motion severely criticising the union's National Local Government Committee for submitting a pay claim of only 4 percent this year.
AROUND 10,000 people marched in London last Saturday against the great pensions robbery. The demonstration was organised by the TUC.
JUST HUNDREDS of people turned out for the pensions demonstration in Edinburgh organised by the Scottish TUC. My union, the teachers' EIS, sent only one A5 leaflet to each school. The Unison union did not even have its banner at the demonstration. It is clear that the union leaders will not act unless they are pushed from below.
PLANNED ACTION by steel erectors, pipe fitters and welders to hit construction work on high-profile sites for this week has been called off after employers rushed to negotiate a deal. The relatively small group of specialised workers were due to strike at Heathrow's Terminal 5 and Wembley Stadium in London as well as BP Grangemouth, BNG Sellafield and Novartis Grimsby.
ACTIVISTS IN train drivers' union Aslef are battling to undo the damage wrought by a bitter faction fight among their top national officials. Anti-union commentators have seized on reports of a brawl at a barbecue held at the union's headquarters in north London.
CAMPAIGNERS against council house privatisation were cheered to see New Labour forced into another U-turn last week. The government has pledged to get all council homes to a decent standard by 2010.
OPPOSITION TO compulsory national SATs tests is as widespread as ever, as discussion at the recent Anti-SATs Alliance conference showed. The conference heard excellent contributions from speakers including academics Rick Hatcher and Bethan Marshall, and from parent Andrew Green.
