BRANCH SECRETARIES in the Natfhe union were to meet on Friday of this week to discuss more strikes over pay by further education (FE) college lecturers. The union's FE committee is to meet on 21 September to confirm future action. Unison and other unions representing FE support staff are balloting for strikes. Activists in Natfhe are arguing for both a joint strike (probably on 5 November) and also using the lecturers' existing vote for action to hit college bosses earlier.
AROUND 60 people came to a meeting in Cardiff last week to discuss the democratisation of the unions' political funds. Speakers were Socialist Alliance member Paul Foot, Plaid Cymru's trade union liaison officer Ian Titherington, and Vale of Glamorgan Labour councillor Stuart Egan.
A NEW pay deal is being put to 150 cleaners, gallery attendants, information desk staff and security staff in the PCS civil servants' union who work in the Museum of Scotland.
FIREFIGHTERS AND control room staff were in confident but angry mood in the run-up to their union's recalled conference in Manchester this week. They are confident as indications flood in from across Britain that 55,000 FBU union members are prepared to vote overwhelmingly to strike over pay.
OVER 150 people attended a showing of the Not In My Name video in Liverpool last week.
OVER 600 people gave a magnificent kick-off to the campaign against Israeli sporting and cultural tours on Wednesday of last week. They protested against the football "game of shame" between Scotland and Israel under-21s in Hamilton. The Scotsman reported that "300 police and 90 stewards were on duty in and around the ground, more than were used at the Champions League final."
JOURNALISTS at EMAP Healthcare/PSM in London are considering further action after their one-day strike. Union members were told by national NUJ officials last week that an approach had been made by the conciliation service ACAS over the dispute. Branch members agreed to pursue this avenue to see if anything resulted.
ALL CHARGES against the five protesters who occupied the Shoreham docks of Euromin to highlight the corporate killing of Simon Jones have been dropped. The Crown Prosecution Service has announced that it considers it is not in the public interest to proceed with the prosecutions.
