On 1 April 2007 Fremantle Trust cut 196 low paid care workers' pay by up to 30%. The workers were told - "accept these terms or be sacked"!
The union members involved in the dispute provide residential and day care to the elderly and vulnerable residents in Barnet's old peoples' homes, in north London.
Fremantle Trust is a not-forprofit company that took over care home contracts five years ago. The cuts include lower wages, increased hours, no sick pay, shorter holidays and reduced payment for working unsocial hours. Even pensions to which contributions have been made during the workers' service are to be dramatically cut by more than one third.
In response to these attacks UNISON members voted to take strike action and have taken one day's action while sustaining a high profile campaign. This is an all too familiar story of privatisation, where companies pledge to keep delivering the same service but under-cut the inhouse provision by attacking the conditions of the workforce. UNISON is asking for the widest possible support for the Fremantle workers.
Fremantle didn't draw the line at attacking its own employees. In an unprecedented move, they provider which hosts LabourStart. This pro-union website had been supporting the UNISON strikers and publicising their case. Fremantle's lawyers demanded that the internet provider shut down the campaign or else face a lawsuit themselves.
LabourStart were contacted by the legal department of the internet service provider and told that they had one day to close down the web campaign or else the entire LabourStart site would be shut down.
The strikers are now running a site with LabourStart's support www.wewillnotbesilenced.org. By a London Postal Worker The Postal Executive of the Communication Workers' Union has, at last, reinstated the strikes over pay, conditions and pensions.
Postal workers will be taking two 48-hour strikes, on Friday/Saturday 5/6 October and Monday/Tuesday 8/9 October, followed by "functional" strikes (different parts of the system taking action on different days) beginning in the following week, 15 October.
Although the two 48-hour strikes mean that no post will be delivered for 5 days, some workers will be working on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday - details of precise times for the strike can be found on the CWU website at http://www.cwu.org
There is a growing awareness among postal workers that, in addition to industrial action against Royal Mail, there is a need for political pressure to be brought on the government which, while arguing the dispute assault on working people's conditions will be Tony Blair is sorely wanting. The stance of the Trade Union Congress is summed up in its treatment of two men.
Bob Crow of the Rail Maritime Transport union (above), fresh from its victory against Metronet, was removed from the TUC's Prentis, who had just presided over 400,000 TUC President. What a way to run a railroad! Postal strikes back on! is merely one between workers and employer, in fact owns
This has also been continually stressed by the union leadership, with makes tame more appalling that General Secretary Billy Hayes was adamant that no strike would take place during Labour Party conference.
No real impact was made at the conference by the WU over the dispute, despite postal workers from several regions going to Bournemouth to lobby delegates. The mettle of the trade union leadership in the face of Gordon Brown's clear statement that his even more ferocious than that of his predecessor General Council. Meanwhile UNISON's Dave health workers settling for a pay cut because of lack of leadership from the union, took over as
Unfortunately, the leadership's preterence is for back room deals rather than real pressure. During the period while the strikes have been "suspended", Royal Mail has gone on the offensive, unilaterally attempting to change conditions, victimising those doing the job by the book and disciplining those who took unofficial action during the last round of strikes. Meanwhile, the CWU leadership has seemed oblivious If they are not called off because a shoddy deal is done, these strikes could be the start of real pressure on both the government and Royal Mail to back down on their attempt to make the workforce pay for the introduction of competition, and, if necessary, the action must be stepped up to an all-out strike. Postal workers receive no strike pay, so support from the wider movement is essential if Royal Mail is not to achieve its hoped for aim of breaking the strikes through hardship.