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Scottish Strike To Escalate

Red Jimi | 05.09.2000 08:04

An Update on the current industrial action dispute being taken by trade union members in Scottish Local Government.
Fed up with more than a decade of derisory pay awards and the culture of competition & profit-driven scrutiny.

The Trade Union UNISON has agreed that their campaign of industrial action would be escalated. UNISON members will strike again for one day later this month. In addition selective strikes by key groups of staff will be undertaken. This was agreed at the meeting of UNISON's local government branches in Scotland last Friday. The precise date for the further action will be announced later today.
Last week's action caused chaos to local services across Scotland, disrupting refuse collection, ferries, housing offices, schools, planning, cash collection, leisure centres and many others. Emergency Services were maintained, for the most part by agreement between UNISON and the council, or by decision of the union themselves.

Red Jimi
- e-mail: seumasach@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

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Building grass roots support

05.09.2000 14:30

I think it's great that the union is taking a stronger stance for better member rights etc but how about providing all services free of charge - open the leisure centres, run any unionised bus services, have a no-fine amnesty for people returning overdue books to libraries, free child creches for the day. Of course, this is all pipe-dreaming but it would guarantee a lot of public support. Mmmmmm, wadda ya reckon?

Sky

Break the Anit-Trade Union Legislation

09.09.2000 12:04

I know locally my Strike Committee provided free food for pickets and their families on the day. I handed out some snacks to many of those who gathered over the morning.
There was indeed a fine amnesty negotiated for over-due library books and union organised transport. There was many public-sensitive exemptions which requires a bit of a balancing act mindful that key disruptions is the aim.
I feel that the Unions themselves are to blame for slow communication which in turn allows the mainstream (ant-TU) media to take the momentum and sell disinformation to the public.
It is of course, the draconian anti-Trade Union legislation in the UK (some of the worst in Western Europe) that chokes Union leadership from direct action. We need to fight to repeal these un-democratic chains against working people!

Jimi