British Gas engineers refuse fire-and-rehire
On Friday 5th March, despite GMB officials entering into conciliation talks with management, British Gas engineers voted 4-to-1 to launch a new wave of strikes. This comes after 27 days of action against a plan by management to fire around 7000 workers during the pandemic and rehire them on worse terms and conditions. On the same day, the engineers walked out of work and will not return for four days.
Stop fire-and-rehire at Go North West!
Manchester bus drivers who are employed by Go North West started an all-out continuous strike on 28th February. The Unite members returned a resounding 82% yes vote in favour of strike action, after a decision by management to fire and rehire 400 workers. These bus drivers join British gas engineers in taking action in what has become a nationwide fight against fire-and-rehire.
Mitie: Pay us what you owe!
Mitie-employed workers at Cumberland Infirmary are calling on management to cough up unpaid wages for evening and weekend work during the pandemic. Outsourced porters, cleaners, switchboard and catering staff in Unison and GMB unions took a planned two-day strike to demand what they are owed. A Megaphone petition in support of their demands has reached over 270 signatures.
#SaveGoldsmiths
Threats of large-scale redundancies in a planned restructure at Goldsmiths, University of London, have sparked a campaign of resistance by members of University and College Union (UCU), which is supported by student activists. Not content with going on rent strike, students at the college have been calling for a tuition fee strike, leading the way in the struggle for a free education system under student and staff control.
No return to unsafe schools!
Teachers and support staff at Barrow Hedges school in Sutton, South London took six days of strike action in February and early March. Staff at the school, who are members of the National Education Union (NEU), voted to take action after the school’s decision not to allow staff to work from home. Weeks after NEU and other education unions issued a joint statement condemning the government’s plan for a return to schools, rank-and-file activists are refusing to return to unsafe work.
#SaveUELA planned restructure at the University of East London has met concerted trade union solidarity and rank-and-file militancy. As well as academic staff, outsourced cleaners in the grassroots Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union are fighting the union-busting Nviro Cleaning. A socially distanced rally outside the university took place on 4th March.
