Privatisation

How government cronies were gifted a fast track to PPE profits

An official investigation has found that firms with political connections were ten times more likely to win contracts.

Network Rail safety failings led to the deaths of two workers

A report into the deaths of two rail workers in July 2019 has revealed wholly avoidable safety failures.

Fighting Serco on the Caledonian Sleeper and over Birmingham jobs

Workers on the Caledonian Sleeper overnight train service staged a solid 48-hour strike from Sunday, to demand bosses take health and safety seriously.

People Before Profit launch emergency jobs programme

Labour MPs, trade unionists, campaigners and socialists have joined forces to call for a “fightback across workplaces and communities to demand ordinary people won’t pay for the crisis”.

Outsourced workers at Homerton hospital celebrate sick pay victory

Outsourced workers at Homerton University Hospital in east London have won sick pay after a long-running campaign.

The private firms making a killing from Covid

Under the cover of coronavirus, the Tories have used the real need to stock up on personal protective equipment and other much needed supplies to hand over billions of pounds to private companies. Tomáš Tengely-Evans investigates

Profit hungry firms want more money for failing transport system

18 June 2020
The coronavirus crisis has underlined the utter failure of a privatised transport system. But the Tories are still shovelling billions to profit-hungry firms rather than renationalising the system.

Workplace round up: Ark Globe Academy walkout + Homerton outsourcing dispute

09 June 2020
Cleaners at Ark Globe Academy in south London walked out on a wildcat strike on Thursday last week.

Medway TUC organises action to support suspended bin workers

06 May 2020
Medway trades union council organised a drive-by this week to show solidarity with eight suspended bin workers.

Outsourcer Mitie uses crisis to take away Merseyrail pay award

21 April 2020
The RMT union has blasted Merseyrail station cleaning and facilities’ contractor Mitie for using the cover of the Covid-19 crisis to withdraw a pay award.

More health workers die due to lack of protective equipment

07 April 2020
Health workers are dying of coronavirus because of the Tories’ failure to provide proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Anger at outsourcer sees Tower Hamlets bin depot blockaded

10 March 2020
There were defiant scenes outside bin depots in east London on Monday as striking workers refused to let managers, scabs and lorries move.

Fight against academisation heats up in east London

11 February 2020
Workers at St Michael’s, a small primary school in Newham, east London, struck for the seventh time on Thursday of last week.

Foreign Office cleaners say, ‘We want Dominic Raab to come down here and talk to us’

06 February 2020
“We need respect,” says Beatriz—not her real name—a cleaner at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. “The way they treat people, the cleaners, it’s not good.”

Strikes win victory over outsourcing at St Mary’s hospital

30 January 2020
Over 200 porters, cleaners and caterers have won their fight over pay, conditions and to be brought in-house.

East London school takes action over academy selloff plan

28 January 2020
NEU union members at St Michael’s Catholic Primary School in Newham, east London, struck for three days last week to stop the school being turned into an academy.

Scrap HS2 and take rail off the fat cats

27 January 2020
A new report laid bare the growing chaos behind the the HS2 project, just as Northern Rail hits the buffers

University workers strike powerfully together—and prepare the next wave of action

04 December 2019
IWGB and UCU union members marched chanting, “Two strikes, one fight!” and, “UCL you’re out of time – outsourcing is a crime”

Strikers at St Mary’s have NHS privatisers on the run

03 December 2019
A series of strikes has forced NHS England bosses and multinationals onto the back foot over privatisation and outsourcing. Gabby Thorpe reports on the latest fight in west London