Strikes and lock-outs

Telecoms workers strike against corporate greed

Around 40,000 workers employed by Verizon, one of America’s biggest telecommunications companies, are striking to win a decent contract. The strike began on Wednesday 13 April, when the company failed to settle a contract with the workers’ union, the Communication Workers of America (CWA). Verizon wants to cut workers’ pension and healthcare benefits. It also wants to continue a policy of outsourcing jobs to other countries; the CWA says Verizon has outsourced around 5,000 call centre and customer service jobs to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines since the last contract...

Industrial news in brief

The UK rail industry, supported by the Department for Transport, plans to move most or all passenger trains to Driver Only Operation (DOO) — meaning trains operate with only the driver on board, no guards or other staff. This method of working is already in place across London Underground and on some parts of the main line (National Rail). Any increase in DOO will have negative consequences for jobs and passenger safety and pile more stress and responsibility on those staff who do keep their jobs. Rail worker unions ASLEF and RMT issued a joint statement at the end of last year which committed...

Junior doctors: a fight for the NHS

Solidarity spoke to BMA activists about the junior doctors dispute. Emma Runswick is a medical student at Manchester University. She is running in the elections for the BMA’s Council (national executive). I think the dispute is going well. The mood among junior doctors is getting angrier. We are angry about the imposition of the contract, and about the government saying it finds the Equality Impact Assessment’s conclusions about the negative impact on women acceptable. When you interviewed me in February, if you’d asked if there was support for “all out” action, with no junior doctors on...

Industrial news in brief

Workers at museums across Wales struck over the Easter weekend as part of a two-year dispute over weekend working. The workers, part of the PCS union, plan to strike every weekend from 9 April-1 May, at Big Pit in Blaenavon, St Fagans and the National Museum in Cardiff, the National Wool Museum in Llandysul, the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, and the Swansea Waterfront Museum. Management plan to abolish extra payments for weekend and bank holiday working. The campaign has been using the slogan "hands off our weekends" to emphasise that workers are fighting for the right to their own free...

Junior doctors plan escalated strikes

On 6-7 April junior doctors will take 48 hours of emergency-care-only action; and on 26-27 April there will be a full walk-out of junior doctors between 8am and 5pm. So far hospitals have adapted very quickly to junior doctors strikes. They have prioritised elective work over discharges, and kept elective procedures going. The impact has mainly been via bed-blocking and increased pressure in A&E. The full walk-out on 26-27 April will mean that consultants and Staff and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors have to cover Accident and Emergency Departments and hold the on-call ward bleeps which...

Lambeth library occupied!

Since late on 31 March, members of the local community in Lambeth, south London, have been in occupation of the historic Carnegie Library in Herne Hill to save it from closure. Over 80 people, young children, grandparents, families, teenagers, students, and local workers occupied in protest at plans to close the library and turn it into a gym, run by Greenwich Leisure Limited. The plans for Carnegie run alongside Labour-controlled Lambeth Council's plans to close a number of other libraries in the borough. Waterloo and Upper Norwood libraries are set to close at the end of April, and Minet has...

Chicago strikes again

The Chicago Teachers Union has once again committed to strike over terms and conditions, and struck on 1 April. Previous strike were successful and notable for the level of popular support, largely as a result of rank and file organising in the community. The latest round of action seems to be no exception. The Chicago area has been hit by a deep financial crisis in recent years, and public sector workers have been made to pay for that crisis. The CTUÂ wants to reduce standardised testing, get smaller class sizes, win teachers more autonomy on issues such as grading, and gain more support...

Industrial news in brief

On 21 March cleaning and catering workers employed by multinational corporation Aramark at the South London and Maudsley NHS mental health trust, which has sites across South London, struck for a £10 an hour minimum wage, full sick pay and proper unsocial hours payments. Colin Little, the GMB rep at the Ladywell Unit at Lewisham Hospital, which is part of SLaM, spoke to Solidarity : “We all work for Aramark. We’ve come out together to fight for £10 an hour, for fairer wages. We’re not getting fair wages or sick pay. These guys work very hard, all of us work very hard, as a team, supporting...

Support the junior doctors, save the NHS!

Aislinn Macklin-Doherty, an NHS doctor and BMA rep, spoke to Solidarity . It would be fair to say that before this past year I was essentially a campaigning novice. I had strong political opinions. I remember being on my father’s shoulders at marches against Maggie Thatcher’s public sector cuts. I marched against the Iraq war. I signed petitions and attended occasional protests about NHS privatisation. But, like many in the UK, I didn’t feel really connected to a wider voice or a movement. I certainly did not feel represented by any of the mainstream political parties. Over the last year three...

Industrial news in brief

Local writers Jay Rayner and Will Self joined library workers, local readers and residents marching on 5 March against Lambeth Council’s plans to close half the borough’s libraries. Campaigners at the “Don’t Steal Our Libraries” march, vowed to fight on with speakers mentioning plans for legal challenges, occupations of library buildings, and escalating strike action. On the eve of the protest, Lambeth Council announced a partial U-turn, agreeing to save one of the five threatened libraries, South Lambeth. The Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library announced at a rally following the march that...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.