Strikes and lock-outs

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) issued an update to its members in Royal Mail on 17 March , informing them that negotiations with the company are ongoing. Whilst they have, the statement says, “been extremely difficult”, there is “enough in talks to warrant continuing them.” The statement says the union is “currently analysing the key differences between the two parties [itself and Royal Mail]”, and is “putting forward a clear view to the company on how we resolve them.” How a dispute is resolved should not only be a matter for union negotiators and officials to develop through the...

After the votes (announced 20 March) to accept poor offers on Network Rail and by RCN in Scotland, there is still potential to remobilise and turn the tide. But workers need independent rank-and-file organisation to develop alternative strategies in disputes. RCN (Royal College of Nursing) in Scotland has announced that among its members in Scotland. 53.3% voted to accept the offer, 46.6% voted to reject, on a turnout of just over 50%. The offer is a 6.5% rise in 2023-4 (or for some, fractionally more) for all staff up to and inclusive of Band 8a, plus a one-off pro rata payment of between...

In 1995 the French working class defeated pension changes proposed by a right-wing government with a strong majority and a newly-elected right-wing president behind it. It was a wave of strikes greater than the French general strike of 1936, and excelled only by the bigger general strike of 1968. The victory led to some years of renewed buoyancy for the revolutionary socialist left in France. France’s pension schemes are not as generous as they seem at first sight, but they are better than Britain’s. They are set in law. The ruling class still wants to change the law to cheapen the cost. The...

After a period of relative calm, French workers have renewed their fight against President Macron’s pension reforms at a higher level. Since January this year, French workers have been staging a series of major strikes and protests against pensions reforms being brought by President Macron and his Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. These changes would raise the minimum retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64 and increase the amount of time someone has to work in order to qualify for a pension. The protests began on 19 January with a day of strikes and demonstrations which brought over a...

The mass strike on 15 March is, in its form, the nearest equivalent to “general strike”-type activity we are likely to see in Britain, this side of mass defiance of anti-strike laws. Those laws prevent a body like the TUC from simply “calling a general strike”. They also prevent workers not covered by an official ballot mandate from legally joining a strike called by any individual union. Large social progress in Britain, let alone socialist revolution, will, of course, require mass defiance of those laws. But while the labour movement does not yet have the confidence and organisation for such...

Strikes Various dates throughout March: Selective strikes by civil servants (PCS) 13-20 March: Serco refuse workers in Breckland and North Norfolk (Unison) strike 13 March to 7am 16 March: Junior doctors in NHS (BMA and HCSA) strike 13-17 March: Workers at Amazon’s BHX4 warehouse in Coventry (GMB) strike 15 March: London Underground workers (RMT and Aslef); university workers (UCU); teachers in England and Wales and support staff in Wales (NEU); civil servants (PCS and Prospect); BBC local radio journalists (NUJ); junior doctors (BMA and HCSA) strike 16 March: Workers at mainline Train...

From 13 March tens of thousands of junior doctors in England, members of the British Medical Association (BMA), will strike over pay. Manchester-based BMA activist Grace Allport spoke to Solidarity . Our first strike starts early on Monday 13 March and ends early on Thursday 16th. We’re asking all junior doctors – all qualified doctors in training or similar – to strike. There are 56,000 junior doctors in the BMA in England, out of 183,000 BMA members in total – though of course some members won’t strike and some non-members will. Come and join us on the picket lines! Junior doctors are mostly...

Over 3,000 bus drivers and more than 200 bus engineers who work for West Midlands Travel were due to start an indefinite strike across the West Midlands on Thursday 16 March. The strike plan produced a last-minute improved offer: workers are voting on it, and if they reject the offer, then the strike starts 20 March. The ballot for action was a massive step forward for Unite in National Express: the Bus Combine worked with local reps to deliver a 73% turn out and 96% yes vote by the drivers. West Midlands Travel is wholly owned by National Express and is the largest bus operator in the West...

This article was written before UCU eballoted members asking for a consultation on very poor deal, meanwhile stopping the strikes. What about striking while consultation takes place, or better, allowing elected HE committee to make decisions? As Solidarity goes to press, members of the University and College Union are about to begin six days of strike, from Wednesday 15 to Wednesday 22 March inclusive. Action was suspended almost a month ago after the joint union leaderships claimed there had been ‘significant progress’ in talks at ACAS. However, as many activists feared, there is little...

On 15 March, PCS is asking all eligible members to take a one day strike. This strike will include members from the HMRC and other areas who have recently voted for industrial action. The union is estimating that up to 136,000 members might take action on the day. PCS will not be on its own of course but will be joining strikers from the NEU, the BMA and in London, the RMT. Whilst getting all our members, and indeed non-members, out on the day is key, the union has two other aims. The first is having as many picket lines as possible, the second getting is getting people to marches arranged in...