THOUSANDS OF workers employed by London councils have backed more strikes to win an increase in the London weighting allowance. Members of the Unison union in town halls, manual depots and schools across the capital voted by 80.7 percent for more strikes in a consultative ballot. Existing ballots allowed union leaders to call more action but they foisted the new ballot upon members anyway.
THE LATEST round of strike action in the universities, targeting student registration week in London, kicked off at University College London (UCL) and Goldsmiths on Monday of this week. They are fighting for improved an London weighting allowance. Members of the Unison and AUT unions picketed the UCL main site on Monday and Tuesday, as well as a number of outlying buildings.
DELEGATES representing members of the Natfhe lecturers' union in further education (FE) colleges voted to reject an offer on pay and conditions at a meeting last weekend. Over the summer Natfhe's FE college negotiators and the national executive committee narrowly agreed to ballot members and recommend a deal with the employers. This was after a campaign which included several days of strike action.
WITH EVERY day that passes, the occupation in Iraq is creating more horror and hardship for the country's people. There are 1,000 killings a week in Iraq, Independent journalist Robert Fisk reported recently. This has been confirmed since by other journalists who have visited the country's morgues.
FOR FIVE months we've been told things will get better in Iraq. But with every day that's passed since the "end" of the war life for millions of Iraqis has gone from bad to worse. There are 1,000 killings a week, according to reports from distinguished Middle East journalist Robert Fisk. He wrote in last week's Independent on Sunday, "Occupation powers insist that journalists obtain clearance to visit hospitals.
THOUSANDS OF workers walked out of shipyards along the River Tyne on Monday in a magnificent solidarity strike in support of sacked workmates. "We did not ask for this," said Tom Murray, a shop steward for the sacked workers. "But we are delighted at this much appreciated show of solidarity."
NEW LABOUR'S plans for Diagnostic and Treatment Centres (DTCs) run by private health consortia have rightly caused widespread outrage. The government last week gave seven private health corporations, including two led by US health firms, a free run to make profits from the NHS.
THOUSANDS OF innocent and often vulnerable people are held on remand in British prisons. And too often they are driven to commit suicide, according to a new report by the Prison Reform Trust. The trust says that 36 prisoners awaiting trial committed suicide last year-that's the equivalent of a death every ten days.
Scotland SCOTTISH nursery nurses planned more industrial action this week in their dispute over pay. They are angry that the employers' body, Cosla, has not come up with a serious pay offer. The nursery nurses announced the next stage in their campaign at a well attended family day held in Glasgow last Saturday.
ON WEDNESDAY of last week some 1,000 pensioners descended on Westminster to ask for a £10 increase to the state pension and the restoration of the link with earnings. The demonstration came following strikes to defend pensions in Europe. There was a rally organised by the NPC pensioners' convention and a lobby of MPs.
THE LEFT FIELD fringe meeting was one of the most refreshing to be held at the TUC conference last week. Speakers included Jeremy Dear, Hilary Wainwright and Judith Orr from the Bookmarks socialist bookshop, which is now part of the Left Field collective. Left Field is a new concept growing out of the Workers Beer Company and supported by Ethical Threads and War on Want.
THE DEPARTMENT of Work and Pensions have announced that they want to close the job centre at Whitstable, Kent. People looking for work in Whitstable will now be forced to sign on in Herne Bay or Canterbury, paying a large chunk of their measly £54.65 a week to travel there. Campaigners started a petition as soon as the closure was announced.
