Solidarity.

 

         Strikes are popping up all over the place, some union organisd and others wildcat strikes, all with the same message, we will not be poor any more. Post Office workers have just voted 98% in favour of strike action, others are going in the same direction. The anger of the ordinary people is now being transferred to action with the mind set this plundering of the ordinary people for the fat cat corporate world, can and will be challenged. All of us must get behind these struggles for a decent life, it is all of us that are being shafted on a daily basis. Our solidarity is unbeatable, if we all stand together and support every action for that better life for all.
         Glasgow again showed support for the RMT workers and their struggle for a decent life. Thursday August 18th, a protest by RMT was held outside Scotrail headquarters in St Vincent Street, and again there was colourful and vociferous support from various groups and individuals standing with the RMT Union members. The support and actions must continue and gain momentum and we will win. 

Some photos from the protest.

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Solidarity With The Exploited, Not The Exploiters

      An interesting article from "Bordered by Silence", raising the question, is there a strike you wouldn't support? In my opinion, it is a matter of solidarity with the exploited, not the exploiters. so it is a definite yes.

  -------In April, some workers were quite reasonably sick of the management’s bullshit and decided to turn their anger into action. Some members of management found themselves forced to work a bit of overtime, and one of them got a serious talking to. The police intervened to save the poor suits. A few hours later, a night team, though quickly assembled, decided to take action. Not to produce merchandise and further enrich the boss, but rather by finally doing a something useful in the factory: a large part of the work space (notably the offices) were ably destroyed using a forklift, which also caught fire shortly after. As well, several cars belonging to the bosses suffered broken headlights. Destroy what destroy us, that’s what it’s about; and that’s precisely our point.

      The next day, a union rep appeared on scene to show off his nervous face for the cameras and to condemn these joyful acts of human dignity. Well of course, a union rep is, in a way, there to protect the factory: even when he seems nice, he’s still a cop. When the decisive moment arrives, it’s clear to see which side he’s on. The unions were much more excited about the prison guards strike in Brussels and Wallonia that lasted several weeks [2]. Unlike the prisoners-----

And:

   ------Imagine for a moment… Locked up inside the bare walls of a prison, deprived of freedom and at the mercy of fickle and unscrupulous people who make their living locking others in concrete cages. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they go on strike as well. Not because they’re sick of slamming the cell doors day after day, but because they want a better salary and more colleagues to help them in their grim task.
       The unions and leftists supported the strike, but there is a fundamental difference between these two methods of putting pressure on the boss: there are the strikers who block or destroy the machines, and thus the production of merchandise, and those who put the lives of prisoners at risk. Because when the screws go on strike, the prisoners don’t get showers, visits, or yard time [3]. Everyone spends the whole day locked in their cell, with the intolerable consequences that follow. In many places, the prisoners didn’t just suffer through the strike without doing anything and some unrest broke out. In the Tournai, Arlon, Huy, Landtin, and Andenne prisons, the prisoners responded by burning their cells, flooding the units, trashing the hallways, etc. Saturday May 7, a devastating mutiny rocked the Merkplas prison in Anvers. Whole wings were destroyed and burnt by the insurgent prisoners. Walls were leveled, fences torn down, whole units ransacked. Between striking guards and prisoners in revolt, it’s clear which side we’re on.-------

Read the full article HERE:

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Glasgow Primary School Janitors' Strike.

         More than 100 primary school janitors in the Glasgow area planning to begin another three-day strike over a pay dispute. Members of the Unison union they want extra pay for certain tasks which they claim are "dirty, unpleasant, involve regularly working outside or heavy lifting". They have been boycotting some of these tasks since January and staged a walkout in March. They and UNISON are calling a rally for 5:30 pm at the Dewar's statue on Thursday, May 19. All those in struggle against this exploitative system deserve our solidarity, I would go further and say their position demands our solidarity. It is only by the strength of that solidarity that we can win these battles.

Thursday, 19th. May, 5:30pm.
Donald Dewar Statue.
Buchanan Street Glasgow.
Rally in support of Glasgow Primary school janitors.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
 

Nice Flowers, Rotten Smell!!

An appeal from IUF for solidarity:

Strike coming at Dutch flower giant FloraHolland 

     Valentines Day means flower sales, but at the moment there is little love between the auction giant FloraHolland (over 20 million flowers and plants in daily sales!) and the two unions representing the company's thousands of workers, CNV Dienstenbond and FNV Bondgenoten, who will hold a 24-hour warning strike beginning on the evening of February 7. SEND A MESSAGE TO FLORAHOLLAND!

      Workers at the company have been fighting in vain since last year for a new CBA and a decent social plan for hundreds of workers who are losing their jobs and others who will be transferred to new locations in a major restructuring announced in October 2013.

     Frustration came to a head at a meeting between the unions and the FloraHolland Board on January 17, convened to overcome the impasse on CBA negotiations. The company announced that, contrary to what had been agreed, the purpose of the meeting was only to discuss the social plan!

      Negotiations on both contentious issues have reached an impasse, leaving the unions no alternative but to take strike action. They've asked for your support - CLICK HERE to send a message to FloraHolland in support of the union's demands.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

WOULD YOU ACCEPT A 20% PAY CUT?

        As Cameron and his millionaire cabal go on about creating "THE BIG SOCIETY" it is becoming abundantly clear what exactly that means. More volunteers doing the work that was paid work before and those who are still being paid will have to accept what is no more than expenses in place of wages. Wages will be continually pushed down and more and more work offered up to charity. It is what I call raw capitalism, capitalism with the gloves off. Below is just one example of what is going on across the country, but sadly it all seems to be taking place in isolated pockets with workers having to fight thousands of small battles across the country. Let's all realise, this is one big battle, this an attack on the living standards of the ordinary people of this country, so it should be one massive show of solidarity against this siphoning of all the wealth up to those over privileged parasites at the top.

SOLIDARITY.

NEWS From UNISON

Date:26 August 2011

Quarriers staff vote yes to strike action to oppose 20% pay cuts.

The men and women who care for some of Scotland’s most vulnerable adults anddistressed children have voted massively for strike action. UNISON members at Quarriers are determined to resist brutal pay cuts on staff which will see over 560 staff take a pay cut of 10% while others will lose as much as 23%. The postal ballot for strike action returned a 76% yes vote for strike action and aan even higher 85% result for action short of a strike. When the ballot result was announced UNISON repeated their ofer totake the ongoing dispute to Acas for arbitration, but Quarriers management have spurned the offer. In addition to pay cuts, which will see some members lose £400 a month. There are also proposed cuts to sick pay, increased pension contributions and other protections removed. 

Stephen Brown, UNISON Quarriers branch Secretary said today, “The attacks Quarriers are making on our members are unprecedented. No one can cope with a 23% pay cut and for Quarriers to suggest that they will set up a Hardship Fund for their own staff funded out of their own pay cuts shows how much the organisation has lost touch with its values. William Quarrier set up Quarriers in the 1870s to help underprivileged children not to use wage cuts to drive staff into poverty”.

SOLIDARITY.

Speaking today Simon Macfarlane UNISON Regional Organiser said “ Our members want to be doing their jobs caring for people- not arguing with Quarriers management. But the proposed pay cuts will force people out of the job and impact on the work that they do with the people they care for.“ A 3 to 1 vote for strike action must surely send a message to Quarriers that their proposals are unacceptable. We call on Quarriers to get back round the table and to remove their threat to dismiss and reengage all their staff – let’s take this to ACAS and see if it can be resolved In recent weeks Quarriers have seemed to be more intent on attacking UNISON instead of negotiating. We call on these attacks to stop and for Quarriers to get down to the real work of trying to find a way forward.

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