From Shanxi to Dongguan, slave labour is still in business

One year after the Shanxi brickyard slave labour scandal first broke in late May 2007, many reportedly freed slaves have not yet returned home, some of those who have returned home are forced to beg for a living, officials who failed in their duty of care are still on the job, and the slave traffickers and slave factories are still in business.

The REAL news on What’s Happening?? in the postal service

In April 2008, the pamphlet “What’s Happening?? The Truth About Work…& the Myth of ‘Work-Life Balance’ ” mistakenly contained an over-edited version of its leading article, “It’s Better than Walking the Streets: Keeping Spirits Up in a Royal Mail Delivery Office.” As editor, I sincerely apologise for this error and am very grateful to at least have the opprtunity to present the correct version on the Solidarity website. Sheila Cohen. Please read on….  

‘New Zealand takes rail back into public hands

‘The news that the New Zealand government is to repurchase its national rail and ferry operations is not only good news for passengers in that country – it is also a clear proof that the same could – and can – be done in this country,’ says ASLEF’s Keith Norman. ‘All it needs it the political will – and for the UK government to begin seeking solutions rather than excuses.’

17,000 Network Rail workers balloting for industrial action

Two separate disputes involve maintenance and signalling staff

MORE THAN 17,000 RMT members at Network Rail are being balloted for industrial action in two separate disputes involving maintenance and signalling and other operational staff.

Local Government - Unison to ballot for strike action?

UNISON’s committee covering local government has voted to reject the government’s 2.45% pay offer and to ballot its members for strike action. The branch consultations produced a 54% vote for rejection. The decision has to go to the Industrial Action Committee for ratification (or rejection, of course).

Jon’s comments can be read at:

http://jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/2008/05/local-government-pay-now-what.html

 

Labor Notes impressions

Sheila Cohen reports on her visit to the US Labor Notes conference

Reporting on a Labor Notes conference is as much a matter of trying to convey the incredible atmosphere at these events as it is recording the factual details of attandance, speeches, workshop lead-offs etc - or certainly resolutions, which the conference, as a primarily educational and discussion-based gathering, doesn’t encourage.

SEIU’s internal divisions spill into delegate races

Mark Brenner writes in the US Labor Notes

Mounting conflicts within the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have spilled into the delegate election process for the union’s convention, scheduled for June 1-4 in Puerto Rico. SEIU opposition activists, particularly from several large locals on the West Coast, are crying foul—denouncing what they say are coordinated interventions by International staff and appointed leaders in the delegate election process.

Reasons to reject the NHS pay offer

Gill George, from the Unite national Executive Committee has put together a detailed response to the NHS pay offer and why it should be rejected.

http://gillgeorge.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/pay-reasons-to-reject-v2.pdf

Irish union members at British Telecomm stage public protest at company Head Office

 

On Tuesday April 22nd a large group of BT Ireland staff, with support from other CWU members, held a public protest at the Corporate Head Office of British Telecom in Dublin.  The protest was held to publicly highlight the fact the British Telecom is refusing to give collective bargaining rights to a large group of its staff simply because they are Irish.  The Company, which runs its business on a 32-county – all Ireland basis, deals with the CWU in Northern Ireland and staff there enjoy the benefits of independent collective representation.

In recent years staff in the Republic have sought equal treatment with their colleagues elsewhere in the business and, through the CWU and internal Company mechanisms, they have asked to be given the same right to collective bargaining as their colleagues.

To date the Company has refused to honour this legitimate request and in doing so is not only denying staff a basic human right but is doing so on the basis that they are Irish.

BT staff felt the Company’s position on this issue was completely unacceptable as it was effectively a form of discrimination. Members wanted to highlight their cause as part of a campaign to try and get management to engage in meaningful dialogue with their Union.                

As part of the campaign, CWU has erected billboard advertisements around the city centre as well as a number of ad mobiles that will be active over the coming weeks with the message – ‘Disconnect Discrimination’.

To send messages of support go to http://www.cwu.ie  

Lambeth Council bans trade union from staff conference

Lambeth’s Labour-led Council has sunk to new depths by refusing the trade union UNISON, which represents more than 2,000 council staff, a stall at its conference for staff in the Regeneration and Housing Department on 6th and 8th May 2008.