IMC UK - Workers' Movements

Mayday celebrations across the East Midlands

04-05-2010 17:06 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday, International Workers' Day, fell on a Saturday this year, and was celebrated in Nottingham by a march from Victoria Park to Speakers' Corner in the centre of town and back. It was followed by a rally with speakers from local campaigns and music and dance. The theme of this year's event was fighting against the public sector cuts that all of the major parties are planning to bail the country out of the recession. It was attended by over 100 trade unionists, socialists, anarchists and environmentalists.

There was also a rally at Derby Silk Mill on the Saturday, attended by hundreds of trade unionists. The region's biggest Mayday celebrations were held in Chesterfield on bank holiday Monday.

In the run up to Mayday, Nottingham Free School held a discussion on the issues surrounding Mayday, such as the gendered nature of work, critiques of paid work and the workplace as a site of resistance to capitalism. These discussion events are set to continue.

Newswire: Mayday edition of the Nottingham Sparrow | Notts Indypendent: New Nottingham community newsletter | Chesterfield Mayday 2010 | Nottingham Mayday 2010 | Nottingham Free School's May Day Discussion | The Future Of Protest In Nottingham : Whose streets? Our streets!

Previous feature: Whose streets? Our streets?

Previous Mayday coverage: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2004 | 2003

Links: Chesterfield Mayday | Wikipedia on International Workers' Day

Whose streets? Our streets?

27-04-2010 12:42 | Repression | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday, 1st May, is a day of anti-capitalist workers' struggle. Traditionally, Nottingham's contribution has been a march through the town centre and a rally of anti-capitalist campaigns and agitators. For the past few years, this gathering has taken place in Brewhouse Yard near Nottingham castle. However, this year the City Council have been putting all manner of obstacles in the organisers' way.

Permission for a rally in Brewhouse Yard was refused because "there were going to be Robin Hood activities in other places"! Permission was finally granted for the rally in Victoria Park on the St Ann's end of town but only subject to restrictive conditions such as displaying the Council logo on all publicity, displaying Council banners and was subject to a charge... all for using a 'public' park. In addition, organisers are having to pay to get roads closed for the march.

All of this has led one of the organisers to question whether the streets and public spaces of Nottingham really do belong to the people or are just an extension of the City Council's private fiefdom. These restrictions have very serious impacts on people's freedom to protest and assemble, as demonstrated by recent police crackdowns on festivals, such as the Strawberry Fair in Cambridge.

MayDay rally and march from 11am, Victoria Park, Bath Street.

Newswire: The Future Of Protest In Nottingham : Whose streets? Our streets! | May Day Discussion | MayDay 2010 in Nottingham : Fight Back | Strawberry Fayre Fight Back! | Police Stop Strawberry Fair

Previous features: Mayday! In The East Midlands | Our Square Isn't It?

Action against cuts in Nottingham

12-03-2010 17:38 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

On March 8th, Nottingham City Council met to approve the 2010/11 budget. Like many council budgets this included a series of cuts to services, in this case amounting to £18.8 million. Nottingham City Unison called a lunchtime protest outside the Council House to show their opposition. Disabled campaigners blocked the tram to express their anger at the proposals.

Council plans to close Victoria Leisure Centre, which were brought forward to save money, have also faced opposition and their is growing dissent about plans to close libraries in Wilford and Beechdale.

Unison's protest coincided with the first day of a forty-eight hour national strike by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) over attacks on their redundancy scheme. In Nottingham strikers marched from Castle Meadow to the International Community Centre (ICC) for a rally.

On the newswire: Protest against cuts at city council | PCS strike March 8/9

Previous features: Protests against county council cuts | Nottingham City Council workers protest job cuts | Campaign to save Victoria Baths takes fight to the council | Credit Crunch Hits Nottingham

Links: Unison Nottingham City Branch | Public and Commercial Services Union

Protests against county council cuts

27-02-2010 15:00 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

In the early hours of February 26th, Nottinghamshire County Council voted to endorse a controversial budget which will see jobs cut, care homes sold off to the private sector and the cost of services for the elderly and disabled increased. Campaigners opposed to the plans rallied in Mansfield and outside County Hall to show their anger at the proposals and council workers are currently being balloted for industrial action (but not a strike) against a related attack on terms and conditions.

The county council's programme of cuts comes in a political climate in which all the main political parties have expressed their belief in the need for cuts to public sectors in light of the economic damage wrought by the banking collapse and subsequent bailout. The Labour-run city council are also planning to cut staff as well as closing Victoria Baths along with libraries in Wilford and Beechdale.

On the newswire: County Hall budget protest: Report | Demo against council cuts: Thursday 25th | Notts council workers rally for jobs

Previous features: Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike | Public service workers out to protect pensions

Links: Fair Pay Action Group | GMB Notts General Branch | Notts County Unison

Mayday! In The East Midlands

10-05-2009 13:36 | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

" It's important that we don't give up in the face of increasing economic uncertainty, an ever more authoritarian government, rampantly cruel capitalism and looming environmental disaster. Together, we can fight these monsters. I hope the positive, defiant atmosphere of May 2nd will help us keep strong to continue our struggles. "

We gathered at Brewhouse Yard on Saturday morning. Gazebos were hurried erected, and flags set flying. There was a large number of stalls from a variety of campaigning organisations and trade unions. Marchers were serenaded by the socialist Clarion Choir, and then set off for a short march along Maid Marian Way, Friar Lane, and along the side of the Square, returning by the castle and Robin Hood. The mood was upbeat as, preceded by a samba band, we waved banners, flags and placards as we marched. The welcome presence of a large contingent from the Communication Workers' Union, fighting to keep the mail public, and ably supported by Postman Pat, gave us a good presence on the streets.

Photos: 1 : Parade | 2 : Event

On the newswire: Nottm Mayday 2009 - Thanks to all who came - a personal perspective | Chesterfield Mayday Photos

Previous features: Nottingham Celebrates Mayday (2008) | Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham (2007) | Mayday in the East Midlands (2006)

Nottingham City Council workers protest job cuts

13-03-2009 12:56 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

On Monday 9th March, city council workers protested in Market Square against proposed cuts at the council which would see some 400 people laid off. The protest was several hundred strong and attracted particular attention in the local media because of the presence of film actor Samantha Morton, who was herself brought up in one of the council's children homes.

The evening after the protest and with no apparent regard for it whatsoever, Councillors passed the budget without amendment, confirming that 366 jobs would be cut with a further 333 vacant positions being axed. Inevitably, the council is now actively engaged in spinning the budget as an investment, an interpretation rejected by the unions.

Newswire: Council workers protest job cuts | Nottingham City Council job cuts demo | City Council cuts will damage your community services | City council job cuts protest: Interview

Previous Features: Credit Crunch Hits Nottingham | Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike | Notts Workers Join National Strike | Nottingham City Council: Mired in Corruption | Library Staff Speak Out Against Uniforms and Management Bullying | Public service workers out to protect pensions

Links: Nottingham City Council LOLs | Nottinghamshire, Nottingham & Mansfield Trades Union Council | Notts GMB | Unison

Workers walk out at Staythorpe

08-02-2009 15:36 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Construction workers at the site of a new gas fired power station at Staythorpe near Newark, Nottinghamshire have joined workers across the country in striking against the use of foreign contractors. The issue has been contentious for some time, with unemployed workers holding protests outside the site since November. The issue was reignited after workers at the Total oil refinery at Lindsey in Lincolnshire walked out over similar concerns.

On Monday, all 300 British workers at the site walked out for several hours. They returned to work on Tue 3rd Feb, but within an hour, around 60 staged an unofficial walkout in solidarity with others in the construction industry across the country. A ballot held amongst those who had walked out showed a majority in support of staying out on Wednesday, which they duly did. A protest also took place outside the London offices of contractor Alstom on Thursday 5th.

National Feature Victory for wildcat strikers

Newswire: Staythorpe Power Station Demonstration‏ | Staythorpe walkout | Oil and Power strikes: News, Resources and analysis | Wildcat strikes in Newark | Today's wildcat strikes in the UK oil and now nuke business | Wildcat strikes - an open letter to the anarchist/anti-authoritarian movement

Workers go on strike at Nottingham Trent University

22-10-2008 19:56 | Education | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Staff members belonging to the University and College Union (UCU) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) were on strike yesterday, in protest against the university's derecognition of their union and plans to cut facility time for union representatives. Derecognition is an extreme move by the university authorities and is seen by the strikers as an attack on their right to organise independently.

Over three-quarters (77%) of members voted for the strike, which is supported by the UCU nationally. The action follows a rally on 6th Oct attended by UCU members from across the country which challenged the university's vice-chancellor's address to new students.

Newswire: Workers on strike at Nottingham Trent University | Demo by University & College Union, derecognised at Nottingham Trent University | UCU members vote for industrial action at Nottingham Trent University | UCU to ballot on strike action at Nottingham Trent University

Previous Features: Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike | Notts Workers Join National Strike | Public service workers out to protect pensions

Links: UCU Nottingham Trent Branch | Nottingham Trent University | UCU (national) | Notts Indymedia Workers Movements topic page

Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike

19-07-2008 14:30 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

On Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 July, local government workers in Unison and Unite took part in a 48 hour strike. The action was in response to the "final" 2.45% pay offer made by the employers (which, given the current rate of inflation, constitutes a real terms pay cut) and part of a wider struggle being waged against the public sector against what the government call "pay restraint."

In Nottinghamshire there were picket lines at various council offices and 82 schools were shut as caretakers, teaching assistants, admin staff and midday supervisors walked out. There was a march from the Forest Recreation ground to a rally in the Market Square on the first of the two days.

Newswire: Local Government Strike: Day Two | Local Government Strike: Day One | Council workers to strike over pay

Previous Feature: Notts Workers Join National Strike

National Feature: Local Government Workers Strike Over Pay

Links: Notts Unison | Unison | Unite: Amicus | T&G | Notts Indymedia Workers' Movements topic page

Nottingham Celebrates Mayday

05-05-2008 18:18 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday has been celebrated in one form or another for thousands of years. Pagans marked the day as the end of the hardships of winter. Following the struggle amongst American workers for the eight hour day and the murder by the US state of four anarchists involved in that struggle in 1886, the day has come to be marked as International Workers' Day.

In Nottingham this year, there were two Mayday events, both organised by the Mayday Organising Committee, an off-shoot of the Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group. As has happened for the past few years, there was a march and rally, starting and ending at the Brewhouse Yard on the Saturday May 3. The second event was a public meeting held on May 1 itself, addressed by local asylum seeker Amdani Juma and former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg.

Newswire: Nottingham May Day 1 Pictures - Event | Nottingham May Day 2 Pictures - Parade | Mayday march and rally in Nottingham | Nottingham Celebrates Mayday with Moazzam Begg

Previous Features: Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham (2007) | Mayday in the East Midlands (2006)

Links: Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group | Wikipedia on Mayday

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Nottinghamshire Workers' Movements Newswire

Nottinghamshire Workers' Movements

Mayday celebrations across the East Midlands

Whose streets? Our streets?

Action against cuts in Nottingham

Protests against county council cuts

Mayday! In The East Midlands

Nottingham City Council workers protest job cuts

Workers walk out at Staythorpe

Workers go on strike at Nottingham Trent University

Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike

Nottingham Celebrates Mayday