Skip to content or view screen version

Connexions Strike Birmingham

Solidarity Forever | 04.05.2011 21:05 | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements | Birmingham

On a sunny May afternoon on Broad Street, Birmingham, Connexions workers walked out on strike. There were pickets outside the Connexions offices in Kingsheath, Northfield and Broad St. At around 2pm they planned to unofficially march to a rally in the city centre.










This is the second time Connexions have taken industrial action to prevent Birmingham City Council hemorrhaging jobs. Since the last strike, Connexions Unison members feel that management and the Council are starting to moot ideas about how to reduce the risk to 34 posts, but they obviously need a lot more prompting. 300 posts have been lost through compulsory redundancies elsewhere in the Council this year. The situation in other parts of the country for Connexions workers is a lot worse. We can't expect any political saviours, it's down to people like us to make the difference. 

It's good if you can wrong-foot the employer and take action when you realise posts and services may be at risk, before people start serving their notices - because by then, demoralisation can creep in amongst staff. It would also be harder for the employer to back down and it would be more of a symbolic protest.

The lesson is, if you hit the ground running: agitate, organise, build support with the wider anti-cuts movement, take action, this will put your workforce in a stronger position to resist government attacks.  It can also inspire others not to give up hope, but to fight back. 
 
What you can do:

i) Draw people's attention to the struggle with the Connexions leaflets and petition, write to Councillors and the local press letters pages

ii) Use Connexions actions to inspire others     

ii) Join future pickets and events, people are very welcome - bring colleagues, friends, young people.

Solidarity Forever

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Please think about your readership

05.05.2011 07:37

Please try and think who you are writing the story for. Many readers will have no idea what 'Connexions' is so a brief explantion would make your story more meaningful.

A reader


Connexions hidden job losses

05.05.2011 12:56

Great article. The general public may think that to loose 34 jobs isn't bad in the current economic climate but no one takes into account that it's ONLY 34 BECAUSE a number of people have already taken voluntary redundancy due to the uncertain climate - not because they wanted to yet give up working for Connexions.

Brenda Diskin