WORKERS IN schools, council offices and universities - some of them among the lowest paid in London - struck last week as part of their union's campaign for decent allowances for working in the capital. The council workers' action was over three days and involved about 1,000 Unison union members in selected schools and offices.
SOME 850,000 members of the Transport and General Workers Union, the TGWU, received ballot papers last week. The TGWU is voting for a new general secretary to replace Bill Morris. Socialist Worker is urging its readers to vote for Tony Woodley, the deputy general secretary.
ABOUT 100 parents of children at Parkside School in Norwich attended a meeting on the SATs tests where education secretary Charles Clarke debated with a local head teacher last Friday. The whole meeting turned against Clarke as speakers from the floor voiced their opposition to SATs.
SOME 75 tube union activists attended an impressive meeting last week to defend victimised RMT union rep Glenroy Watson. Among the platform speakers were RMT general secretary Bob Crow, London organiser Booby Law and Brian Munro, secretary of the London Transport Regional Council of the union.
IN THE latest phase of the revolt against low pay in the NHS, hundreds of health workers in east London plan strikes later this month against their private contractor employers.
FRANCE GROUND to a halt on Tuesday. Trains, buses and tubes stayed in their depots, planes in their hangars as workers walked out across the country.
EVERY DAY the brutal reality of the occupation of Iraq becomes clearer. It means repression in the interests of profit and US power. New Labour's response is to suspend anti-war MP George Galloway from the party. The target is not just one individual, but every one of the millions who marched against the bloody war on Iraq.
POSTAL WORKERS in London last week voted by 99.5 percent for action over pay. The result, 19,803 votes to 91 in an unofficial ballot, could lead to action that will shut down postal services across the capital. The remarkable sign of unity and anger came just as Tony Blair was blustering that he would allow no return of "trade union militancy". It isn't just postal workers who are defying Blair.
THE MOOD for hard hitting strikes among firefighters and control operators is boiling up again as the government tries to drive through dangerous cuts and an appalling pay offer.
THOUSANDS OF teachers could receive redundancy letters this month as schools face the kind of cash squeeze last seen in the dying days of the Tory government.
THE WORLD'S number one war criminal is set to face huge protests when he comes to Europe at the end of this month. George Bush is to attend the G8 summit of "world leaders" in the town of Evian, in France. Protesters will be travelling from across Europe to greet him.
