Tuesday 28th March will see strike action by one and a half million workers across more than nine different unions. The strike has been provoked by an attack on the local government pension scheme, with the labour government planning to increase the age workers can retire at.
With this attack workers will loose the right to retire at 60 – a right that had been established for those with more than 25 years service. Many of these are low paid workers who statistically die earlier.
March 28th 2006 could therefore be the largest strike in Britain since the 1926 general strike.
The strike will involve workers in councils, schools, police authorities, further and higher education, environment agencies, and privatised companies whose workers used to be part of local government. The strike will stretch way beyond local government, involving transport workers such as toll collectors on bridges as well as many bus drivers in cities such as Leeds, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Airports such as Leeds airport will also be shut by the strike.
Britain has seen 20 years of defeats for the Trades Union movement, as each group of strikers stood alone. The strike over pensions could be different, as it involves so many different groups of workers acting together. It could also provide an example to many other groups of workers in privately own industry who are also seeing their pension rights attacked.
Most towns and cities will see multiple picket lines! Join in!
http://libcom.org/news/article.php/uk-pensions-strike-170306
http://www.unison.org.uk/features/features/0603strike.asp
http://www.tgwu.org.uk/homepage.asp?NodeID=88397
http://www.amicustheunion.org/
http://www.ucatt.org.uk/
IN FRANCE:
French trade unions and students' organisations have called a one-day general strike of work stoppages and demonstrations on March 28 demanding the appeal of labour liberalisation law the CPE, or "first employment contract".
"All the unions are calling to make March 28 a day of demonstrations, strikes and work stoppages," said Rene Valadon, secretary of the Force Ouvriere union, after a meeting of France's main unions, student and high school groups.
Gerard Aschieri of the Federation of United Unions said that public and private workers would go "hand in hand" during the day of action.
Most of the country's 85 universities remained partially or totally shut down by student strikes on Monday, and for the first time more than 300 secondary schools across the country were also affected.
The action is escalating. For example students at the elite Science-Po political science school have just voted to go on strike to protest against the CPE.
In addition to the General Strike on the 28th, student organisations have urged supporters to stage protests Tuesday and Thursday of this week.
"There is no risk of things tailing off, because we have sizeable reserves among the secondary school and university students. We can step up the mobilisation. We have got such a dynamic behind us we are bound to make the government give way," said Bruno Julliard of the UNEF students' union.
IF CAPITALISM GETS UP YOUR NOSE - THEN PICKET!
INTERNATIONAL WORKERS SOLIDARITY FOREVER!
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
If we are living longer then surely we have to work longer.
21.03.2006 21:22
Devil's Advocate
The Logical Solution Is...
22.03.2006 02:09
Some of these savings could then be used to top up National Savings contributions, amongst many other things.
Anarchists' Adovocate!
But only when the alienation between work and life is broken! Until then STRIKE!
22.03.2006 02:26
'nuff said.
Barry Kade
Where in Forest Fields?
22.03.2006 13:19
But I reckon it means there will be a march,parade meeting on the forest probably in the middle by the cafe & changing rooms, hopefully leading to an autonomous freeing of the entire city & country,then world??????
No mentions on any email list Iam on, will email union contacts & try to inform asap, unless anyone else know any better,
vive la revolutiiiiiion!
joni m
Events in Brum
22.03.2006 16:46
The union where i work wont be striking i dont think, however i will be, there has clearly been an increase in the intensity of attack on working people over the last few years, the pensions debacle is part of this assualt on workers, its just an attempt to maximise profits and get us working longer, in this day and age when there is such incredible material and technological wealth to say that workers "need" to work longer hours, and have longer careers is frankly audacious, it just shows how much of an upper hand the employers have had thanks to the help of the Thatcher, Major and Blair governments, we need to take the initiative, ii hope this mass strike action can snowball into further industrial action and resistance to the capitalist assault, i have little faith in the unions to initiate such resistance though so i guess its up to us!
Dave
Chesterfield Strike Rally
25.03.2006 18:31
Chesterfield and District Trades Council is backing strikers by holding a public meeting and rally in Chesterfield on Tuesday. There will be a rally at New Square, opposite Dents Chemist at 12.00pm, followed by public meeting at the Chesterfield Football Club, Saltergate at 12.30pm.
Soli Dar
Strike Rallies in Berks/Bucks
28.03.2006 01:09
Reading - Civic Centre, 12 noon
Oxford - Bonn Square, 11:30am
Aylesbury - Market Sq, 12 noon - 2pm
Milton Keynes - civic offices, Saxon Gate East, 12 noon
Slough - Wellington House, 12:30 - 1.30pm
Wycombe - High Wycombe, Church Street 12:45 - 1:15pm
Wycombe - Wycombe University Campus - lunchtime
RAGE
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