Strike Spotting UK 12.12.- 24.12.03
www.prol-position.net | 24.12.2003 18:32 | Social Struggles
Strike-Watch UK 12.12.03 - 24.12.03
06.12.03
Hundreds of school pupils stage walkout in Colchester
Today St. Helena school kids rose up in revolt and demanded their rights.Around 300 school kids walked out of lessons, demonstrated, ran amok and caused general mayhem. The protests have been a reaction to plans by the school to split up classes (and class mates) into divided houses. The shouts of 'strike, strike, strike' and 'we will not be moved' were brilliant as kids rushed round their teachers who helplessly looked on and tried to gain some sort of command of them. Burning school ties and blocking the road the best of these protesters were not going to be moved and were learning strategy and tactics as they marched, blocaded and sang.
15.12.03
Conflict with binmen in Dublin
Talks have taken place at the Labour Court in a bid to resolve the dispute involving binmen at Dublin City Council. The staff have already staged a half-day strike in support of striking workers seeking union recognition at private sector waste recycling company, Oxigen Environmental.
17.12.03
10 WORKERS' WILDCAT STRIKE IN WAGE DISPUTE
Workers at a Stoke-on-Trent security company staged a wildcat strike yesterday in a dispute over pay. About 10 staff at Security Plus' Hanley depot staged the unofficial action after bosses at the Uttoxeter-based company turned down pleas for a pay rise. The employees, who all work in the packing department at the Samson Street depot, said they were angry because drivers at the company had already received a wage increase.
18.12.03
'OVERWORKED' PLANNERS BEGIN PHONE STRIKE
Plymouth City Council planners have stopped answering their phones because they are unable to cope with a burgeoning workload. And callers leaving a phone message this week were told they may not even get a response.
22.12.03
Hospital workers 24-hour strike
Neath Hospital cleaning and catering staff are taking 24-hour strike action
today (Monday 22 December) over the refusal by private cleaning contractor OCS to increase staffing. “The 130 UNISON members are fed up struggling to keep the hospital clean with insufficient staff, and having to work long hours,” said UNISON regional organiser.
24.12.03
Warehouse Workers strike over pay
Hundreds of workers at a Sainsbury's distribution centre, which supplies most of its Northern branches, will stage a 24-hour strike in a row over pay. The walkout will take place on Monday at the centre in Haydock on Merseyside, which employs around 750 warehouse workers.
Announced
17.12.03
ballot for university strike action over pay deal
University employers today said they were "deeply disappointed" with the Association of University Teachers' decision to ballot for strike action after yesterday's pay talks collapsed. The strike ballot of the AUT's 47,000 members will take place between January 13 and February 11 in the new year. Action would involve an initial walk-out of universities in the new year followed boycotts of assessment activity, call-out cover, job evaluation exercises and the staff appraisal schemes that are essential to the remodelling of the academic contract.
18.12.03
Ulster Teachers Set to Strike
The four main unions have voted overwhelmingly for some form of industrial action, two of them in favour of an all out strike over pay. The warning came as representatives of to 20,000 civil servants signalled an escalation in their industrial action.
18.12.03
Strikes of binmen in North Lanarkshire
CRISIS talks were being held today in a desperate bid to avoid further strike action by binmen. A union negotiator warned the price of failure was likely to be a lengthy stoppage, hitting thousands of homes and business in North Lanarkshire. GMB negotiator Alex McLuckie admitted: "This will be our last chance to resolve the dispute and avoid any further disruption over Christmas, but frankly, I'm not very hopeful”.
18.12.03
Aslef staff threaten walkout over leader
Staff at the plush headquarters of one of Britain's most powerful unions are threatening to walk out over alleged harassment and bullying by the organisation's new leader. Employees at Aslef, the train drivers' union, based in Hampstead, London, have decided to hold a strike ballot in protest at the allegedly authoritarian regime introduced by Shaun Brady, the recently elected
general secretary.
19.12.03
Tram strike threat for Christmas
WORKERS and Christmas shoppers could face travel problems as tram drivers prepare to walk out in separate disputes. Metrolink drivers have voted for a series of 24-hour walk-outs after demanding union recognition.
22.12.03
Worthing Bus strike latest
A CHOICE of two routes is open to Stagecoach bosses and bus drivers, as the pay dispute rumbles on. Members of the Transport and General Workers Union, employed at the Worthing depot, are planning to strike for a third time on January 5. The union is pushing for £7.50 per hour, but Stagecoach has so far stuck to its guns, offering £7 per hour, plus a £10 weekly attendance bonus.
23.12.03
IT staff to vote on strike over £100m outsourcing deal
IT staff at Bradford Metropolitan District Council will vote on strike action in the New Year in protest at plans to transfer them to the private sector as part of a £100m IT outsourcing deal. But the council's 135 IT staff, who are set be transferred to the winning bidder under traditional TUPE arrangements, are concerned about pension and employment conditions and want secondment instead.
24.12.03
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Shares in telecom group BT fell after it was threatened with strike action in the New Year over a pay offer to London staff.
24.12.03
Refuse strike on hold
THE threat of a strike from Slough's street and refuse workers seems to have been put back until at least the New Year. A postal ballot, organised by the Local Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), was held between December 5 and 12 over a dispute about working hours for Slough Accord employees. But bosses at Slough Accord have yet to be notified of the results of the ballot which means that strike action cannot now begin until the New Year because seven days notice must be given before any industrial action.
Called Off
15.12.03
Land Rover: Union cancel strike against workers vote
Workers at Land Rover are to ban overtime as part of industrial action in a dispute over pay, it was announced today. But union leaders pulled back from calling workers at the company's plant in Solihull out on strike even though they voted in favour of stoppages.
16.12.03
Teachers did not back calls to stop next year's primary school tests
Teachers will not boycott next year's tests for seven and 11 year olds, avoiding a threatened confrontation with the government. A National Union of Teachers' ballot failed to generate enough support for industrial action in English
schools. Although a majority of teachers who voted supported a boycott, the turn-out was too low for action to go ahead.
16.12.03
Pickets to abandon Friction factory gate
ONE of Britain's longestrunning picket lines will end on Friday. After two years and eight months, the 24-hour picket outside the Friction Dynamics factory, near
Caernarfon, will be called off.
17.12.03
Call centre strike vote averted
Call centre workers in Newcastle who were facing redundancy have been promised other jobs in north-east England. Lloyd TSB is closing its call centre and moving the work to India, with the loss of almost 1,000 posts. But the union Unifi, which represents the majority of staff involved, has said there will be no compulsory redundancies. The union has now suspended a planned ballot on industrial action.
17.12.03
Bus strike on Tyneside called off
A bus strike on Tyneside which threatened to cause disruption to Christmas shoppers has been called off. The Transport and General Workers Union says the company has made a new, improved pay offer to its members, following meetings with unions.
19.12.03
Talks halt holiday bus strike in Manchester
THE bus strike which threatened to wreck Christmas for thousands of shoppers this weekend has been called off. Last-ditch talks between the Transport and General Workers Union and Stagecoach Manchester yesterday afternoon resulted in a new offer from bosses which the drivers will vote on.
19.12.03
Airport train strike off
Planned strikes by drivers on a direct train service between Gatwick airport and London on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve were called off today after agreement on a pay deal.
23.12.03
Festive Tube strikes cancelled
The RMT said strikes were called off after the intervention of Acas. Drivers on the Hammersmith and City and Circle lines had been due to stage 24-hour walkouts over the sacking of a colleague.
06.12.03
Hundreds of school pupils stage walkout in Colchester
Today St. Helena school kids rose up in revolt and demanded their rights.Around 300 school kids walked out of lessons, demonstrated, ran amok and caused general mayhem. The protests have been a reaction to plans by the school to split up classes (and class mates) into divided houses. The shouts of 'strike, strike, strike' and 'we will not be moved' were brilliant as kids rushed round their teachers who helplessly looked on and tried to gain some sort of command of them. Burning school ties and blocking the road the best of these protesters were not going to be moved and were learning strategy and tactics as they marched, blocaded and sang.
15.12.03
Conflict with binmen in Dublin
Talks have taken place at the Labour Court in a bid to resolve the dispute involving binmen at Dublin City Council. The staff have already staged a half-day strike in support of striking workers seeking union recognition at private sector waste recycling company, Oxigen Environmental.
17.12.03
10 WORKERS' WILDCAT STRIKE IN WAGE DISPUTE
Workers at a Stoke-on-Trent security company staged a wildcat strike yesterday in a dispute over pay. About 10 staff at Security Plus' Hanley depot staged the unofficial action after bosses at the Uttoxeter-based company turned down pleas for a pay rise. The employees, who all work in the packing department at the Samson Street depot, said they were angry because drivers at the company had already received a wage increase.
18.12.03
'OVERWORKED' PLANNERS BEGIN PHONE STRIKE
Plymouth City Council planners have stopped answering their phones because they are unable to cope with a burgeoning workload. And callers leaving a phone message this week were told they may not even get a response.
22.12.03
Hospital workers 24-hour strike
Neath Hospital cleaning and catering staff are taking 24-hour strike action
today (Monday 22 December) over the refusal by private cleaning contractor OCS to increase staffing. “The 130 UNISON members are fed up struggling to keep the hospital clean with insufficient staff, and having to work long hours,” said UNISON regional organiser.
24.12.03
Warehouse Workers strike over pay
Hundreds of workers at a Sainsbury's distribution centre, which supplies most of its Northern branches, will stage a 24-hour strike in a row over pay. The walkout will take place on Monday at the centre in Haydock on Merseyside, which employs around 750 warehouse workers.
Announced
17.12.03
ballot for university strike action over pay deal
University employers today said they were "deeply disappointed" with the Association of University Teachers' decision to ballot for strike action after yesterday's pay talks collapsed. The strike ballot of the AUT's 47,000 members will take place between January 13 and February 11 in the new year. Action would involve an initial walk-out of universities in the new year followed boycotts of assessment activity, call-out cover, job evaluation exercises and the staff appraisal schemes that are essential to the remodelling of the academic contract.
18.12.03
Ulster Teachers Set to Strike
The four main unions have voted overwhelmingly for some form of industrial action, two of them in favour of an all out strike over pay. The warning came as representatives of to 20,000 civil servants signalled an escalation in their industrial action.
18.12.03
Strikes of binmen in North Lanarkshire
CRISIS talks were being held today in a desperate bid to avoid further strike action by binmen. A union negotiator warned the price of failure was likely to be a lengthy stoppage, hitting thousands of homes and business in North Lanarkshire. GMB negotiator Alex McLuckie admitted: "This will be our last chance to resolve the dispute and avoid any further disruption over Christmas, but frankly, I'm not very hopeful”.
18.12.03
Aslef staff threaten walkout over leader
Staff at the plush headquarters of one of Britain's most powerful unions are threatening to walk out over alleged harassment and bullying by the organisation's new leader. Employees at Aslef, the train drivers' union, based in Hampstead, London, have decided to hold a strike ballot in protest at the allegedly authoritarian regime introduced by Shaun Brady, the recently elected
general secretary.
19.12.03
Tram strike threat for Christmas
WORKERS and Christmas shoppers could face travel problems as tram drivers prepare to walk out in separate disputes. Metrolink drivers have voted for a series of 24-hour walk-outs after demanding union recognition.
22.12.03
Worthing Bus strike latest
A CHOICE of two routes is open to Stagecoach bosses and bus drivers, as the pay dispute rumbles on. Members of the Transport and General Workers Union, employed at the Worthing depot, are planning to strike for a third time on January 5. The union is pushing for £7.50 per hour, but Stagecoach has so far stuck to its guns, offering £7 per hour, plus a £10 weekly attendance bonus.
23.12.03
IT staff to vote on strike over £100m outsourcing deal
IT staff at Bradford Metropolitan District Council will vote on strike action in the New Year in protest at plans to transfer them to the private sector as part of a £100m IT outsourcing deal. But the council's 135 IT staff, who are set be transferred to the winning bidder under traditional TUPE arrangements, are concerned about pension and employment conditions and want secondment instead.
24.12.03
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Shares in telecom group BT fell after it was threatened with strike action in the New Year over a pay offer to London staff.
24.12.03
Refuse strike on hold
THE threat of a strike from Slough's street and refuse workers seems to have been put back until at least the New Year. A postal ballot, organised by the Local Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), was held between December 5 and 12 over a dispute about working hours for Slough Accord employees. But bosses at Slough Accord have yet to be notified of the results of the ballot which means that strike action cannot now begin until the New Year because seven days notice must be given before any industrial action.
Called Off
15.12.03
Land Rover: Union cancel strike against workers vote
Workers at Land Rover are to ban overtime as part of industrial action in a dispute over pay, it was announced today. But union leaders pulled back from calling workers at the company's plant in Solihull out on strike even though they voted in favour of stoppages.
16.12.03
Teachers did not back calls to stop next year's primary school tests
Teachers will not boycott next year's tests for seven and 11 year olds, avoiding a threatened confrontation with the government. A National Union of Teachers' ballot failed to generate enough support for industrial action in English
schools. Although a majority of teachers who voted supported a boycott, the turn-out was too low for action to go ahead.
16.12.03
Pickets to abandon Friction factory gate
ONE of Britain's longestrunning picket lines will end on Friday. After two years and eight months, the 24-hour picket outside the Friction Dynamics factory, near
Caernarfon, will be called off.
17.12.03
Call centre strike vote averted
Call centre workers in Newcastle who were facing redundancy have been promised other jobs in north-east England. Lloyd TSB is closing its call centre and moving the work to India, with the loss of almost 1,000 posts. But the union Unifi, which represents the majority of staff involved, has said there will be no compulsory redundancies. The union has now suspended a planned ballot on industrial action.
17.12.03
Bus strike on Tyneside called off
A bus strike on Tyneside which threatened to cause disruption to Christmas shoppers has been called off. The Transport and General Workers Union says the company has made a new, improved pay offer to its members, following meetings with unions.
19.12.03
Talks halt holiday bus strike in Manchester
THE bus strike which threatened to wreck Christmas for thousands of shoppers this weekend has been called off. Last-ditch talks between the Transport and General Workers Union and Stagecoach Manchester yesterday afternoon resulted in a new offer from bosses which the drivers will vote on.
19.12.03
Airport train strike off
Planned strikes by drivers on a direct train service between Gatwick airport and London on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve were called off today after agreement on a pay deal.
23.12.03
Festive Tube strikes cancelled
The RMT said strikes were called off after the intervention of Acas. Drivers on the Hammersmith and City and Circle lines had been due to stage 24-hour walkouts over the sacking of a colleague.
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