OVER 500 workers marched on Downing Street last weekend to protest against losing their pensions when their company went into receivership. The issue they highlighted already affects tens of thousands of workers and could hit millions more.
CAMPAIGNERS against the British National Party (BNP) are building support for marches on 28 June in the areas where 16 BNP councillors have been elected. Those who have signed the statement urging people to join these unity Demonstrations include trade union leaders, Labour Party MPs and MEPs, Manchester United football club and the band Heartless Crew.
THE FORD car company and two of its managers pleaded guilty last week to safety breaches which had contributed to the death of Christopher Shute, a contract worker, at its Southampton plant.
ACTIVISTS WERE fighting to stave off surrender at a special conference of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) on Thursday of this week as Socialist Worker went to press. The FBU executive and general secretary Andy Gilchrist have gone flat out over the last few weeks to persuade firefighters and control staff to accept an awful deal to end their long-running pay dispute.
THE SENSE that New Labour has betrayed its working class supporters ran throughout the GMB union's congress in Blackpool this week. Delegates voted unanimously to review the donations to MPs who do not share the "aims, values and priorities of the union".
SOME 500 people marched against plans for a third runway at London's Heathrow airport last Saturday. A third runway at Heathrow would require the demolition of hundreds of homes, local schools and churches, destroying two village communities.
SCHOOL SUPPORT staff were on the picket line at John Scurr school in Tower Hamlets, east London, on Monday morning. They and hundreds more workers employed by local councils across London were on strike all this week as part of their continuing fight for an increase in the London weighting allowance they get for the extra costs of living and working in the capital.
DELEGATES TO the conference of the train drivers' union Aslef unanimously reaffirmed the union's support for the anti-war movement and condemned the war against Iraq. Conference adopted an executive committee report condemning the "unnecessary, immoral and unlawful" war.
THE ALL-OUT strike by journalists in Bradford was set to end on Wednesday as Socialist Worker went to press. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) have been striking against a below-inflation pay rise offered by Newsquest bosses.
THE 28 June conference called to launch the campaign to boycott the government's SATs school tests looks set to be massive. Already parents, teachers and governors from all over the country have committed themselves to attending the conference.
OVER 1,000 bus workers began an angry strike in Sheffield and South Yorkshire last Saturday over a pay deal from the First Group bus and rail company. The solid strike by members of the TGWU union continued on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and was due to escalate to three days next week. "The company conned us, that's what's behind this strike," one of the strikers told Socialist Worker.
TRADE UNIONISTS joined a march and rally in Sheffield on Saturday in support of the Cook's workers who have been involved in a two-year dispute. The foundry workers were sacked in 2001 while the 90-strong workforce was taking official strike action over pay.
