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BFI workers on strike

j | 26.01.2002 10:34

For the first time in 26 years, staff at the British Film Institute have gone on strike. Intransigent management has forced staff from the MSF union to take industrial action over pay.

Beginning two days ago, workers are walking out for a half-day every Thursday until their demands are met. On the first day of the action, the vast majority of staff at the main BFI office in London took part leaving several floors deserted. The workers are obeying government anti-union legislation, one member of staff saying “we’ll play by the rules for now”.
Teckman, blamed a small minority for putting the BFI, a public body, in danger. Staff, however, “have had enough” and refused to bow to pressure from the MSF bureaucracy to compromise - the office union reps, on the other hand, were commended for their more militant stance.
After Mr Teckman sent a patronising email to all the workers, threatening a grant freeze if strike action continued, staff responded by promising to have more people out next week – one union member claimed she “was prepared to walk out and starve to death” rather than cave in.

Updates will be posted to indymedia.
Please send messages of solidarity to BFI staff at  bfi-on-strike@mail.com.

j

Comments

Display the following 4 comments

  1. Solidarity for All — Millennium Leia
  2. yeah, get back to work you shirkers! — a nonny mouse
  3. Assumptions, assumptions — anarkissed
  4. good for them!!!! — x