POST OFFICE bosses want to renegotiate the industrial relations framework with the union. Managers have already given three months notice of withdrawing support for the current executive, divisional and area structures.
SOME 300 people attended a Stop the War Coalition event in Brockley, south east London, on Wednesday of last week. One activist said he thought it was the largest political event in the borough of Lewisham for at least ten years.
THE firefighters' FBU union last week announced that it was going to recall its national conference in Manchester on 12 September in its battle over pay. This conference would start a national strike ballot to fight for basic pay of £30,000 a year.
First it's your job, then the pension SOME 300 workers at the Allied Steel and Wire (ASW) plant in Cardiff gathered last Saturday for a meeting over the company's pension scheme. Around 800 steel workers will be made redundant after the company closes the plant at the end of this week. Now workers have heard there is a major shortfall in the company's pension scheme.
LEADERS OF the three council workers' unions-Unison, the TGWU and the GMB-walked out of talks with management in disgust last week. Council bosses had widely hinted in the press that they were putting a new deal on the table, including offering £5 an hour to some low paid staff, to end another strike across England and Wales scheduled for Wednesday 14 August.
TOP OFFICIALS in Unison, the biggest NHS union, have disgracefully pushed through a deal with the government over the transfer of staff to private companies. The deal means that 15 percent of staff in PFI deals can be transferred to private companies and have their pay and conditions slashed.
MORE THAN 100 NUJ journalists' union members struck on Friday of last week at the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal as part of their fight for a fair wage. The workers were due to strike again on Thursday. The newspaper is part of the giant Trinity Mirror group.
ALMOST 1,000 members of the PCS civil servants' union who work at the British Library struck for better pay on Monday. It was a good, strong picket line with a lot of support from passing motorists. Mark Serwotka, the elected PCS general secretary, came to the picket line.
SUPPORT FOR the "Love Music-Hate Racism" carnival, to be held in Burnley on Sunday 1 September, is growing. Three Labour councillors have spoken out about the challenge facing the Lancashire town where three BNP Nazis were elected onto the council in the local election in May.
