two articles: Pakistan and the Roma expulsions in France
Pakistani flood victims die - but US airbase protected
and
Stop the persecution of Roma people, stop deportations from France
Aug 19
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=22200
Aug 12
Big vote for strike at BAA - British Airports Authority
Over 6,000 members of the Unite union working at six airports have voted overwhelmingly to strike in protest against the offer of a 1 percent pay “increase”.
British Airport Authority (BAA) bosses have confirmed its airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh will have to close on strike days because of the loss of essential staff.
The 6,185 workers balloted include firefighters, security staff, engineers, and support staff.
It was a 74 percent yes vote for strikes on a turnout of around 50 percent.
Workers accepted a pay freeze last year, but are not prepared to see another year of falling living standards. Management have also refused to pay two bonuses worth over £1,000 which workers expected to receive.
Unite national officer for civil aviation, Brian Boyd, said, " BAA’s chief executive Colin Matthews recently hailed BAA's financial performance and passenger numbers at Heathrow reached a record high in July. BAA has constantly ignored the contribution its employees make to the ongoing success of the business.
“Unite members have delivered a strong message that they deserve more.”
Unite national officer for civil aviation, Brendan Gold, added, "This ballot result reflects what our members feel about BAA's current attitude. For the past four months BAA has refused to even meet with us. BAA is doing passengers a great disservice by allowing this dispute to get to this stage.”
BAA bosses will no doubt be following the general trend nowadays and will be sniffing around for a trivial excuse to rush to the courts and halt the strike.
They must not be allowed to get away with it.
Unite should call strikes as soon as possible. Union leaders will meet with BAA reps on Monday to discuss what action to call.
A victory at BAA would be a sign to workers everywhere that they can fight and win.
But it is a massive missed opportunity that the BA cabin crew ballot has been delayed and does not coincide with the BAA action. Together both groups of workers could guarantee victory for all of them.
Aug 12
BAA and British Airways: a key moment
At 4pm today the Unite union will announce the result of a strike ballot among 6,185 workers including security staff, engineers, firefighters and support staff at British Airport Authority (BAA) airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
Action by these workers could close the airports. And this should be the moment when the tide turns against British Airways boss Willie Walsh.
A united battle could smash all his strike-breaking strategies and deliver a stunning victory to the BA cabin crew that would lift everyone.
But the union leaders have failed to build such unity. A delay in holding the new cabin crew ballot means they can't strike officially alongside the BAA staff.
And this morning we learnt that leaders of the GMB and Unite unions are recommending that 3,000 BA ground crew workers accept a job and pay cutting deal.
The deal means 500 job losses and a one year pay freeze. Workers will vote on it starting on 16 August with the ballot closing on 13 September.
There is an alternative to letting Walsh trample all over the cabin crew and then move on to other workers.
If the cabin crew, the BAA staff and the BA ground crew fought together, and made it clear there could be no settlement until all of them were satisfied, then the airline bosses would lose.
This is what every airline worker must demand of their union leaders. If they won't do it then they must try to organise it unofficially.
Jul 20
Cameron declines invitation to speak at TUC
Top union sources have told Socialist Worker that Tory leader David Cameron has declined an invitation to speak at the Trades Union Congress annual conference.
Cameron apparently said he was not coming because his baby was due that week and it also coincided with the Pope's visit to Britain. In addition there is a European leaders' summit he has to attend.
The decision by the TUC general council to invite Cameron caused rebellion in trade union ranks.
Three TUC regions came out against the welcome for Cameron (South West, North West and South East), as did unions including the FBU, RMT, PCS and NUJ. Many trade union branches and regions across a range of unions also condemned the invitation to the man who is leading the assault on everything the TUC is supposed to stand for.
Perhaps Cameron (and some TUC officials) were scared that the furore and threatened walkouts would lead to a more militant reaction to Tory cuts.
May 10
Twenty days of strikes at BA
British Airways cabin crew are to hold a further 20 days of strike action following their overwhelming rejection of the company’s offer in a ballot last week, Unite the union announced today.
BA management failed to offer any new proposals to settle the dispute over the weekend, so crew are to take strike action on the following days: May 18-22 inclusive, May 24-28 inclusive, May 30-June 3 inclusive and June 5-9 inclusive.
Unite is also intending to hold a further industrial action ballot of BA cabin crew over issues which have arisen from the company’s conduct during the dispute.
May 10
Major legal victory for PCS union over plans to cut civil service redundancy pay
The Public and Commercial Services union has won a major legal victory against government plans to drastically cut civil service redundancy payments.
Following a two-day judicial review hearing in the High Court in April, Mr Justice Sales ruled today (10 May) that the previous government acted unlawfully when it introduced, without PCS’s agreement, a new redundancy scheme reducing the rights staff had accrued over time.
In what is a dramatic win for the union’s 270,000 public sector members, the judgement quashes a revised scheme that the government had sought to impose from 1 April. It means the next government, when it is established, must reopen negotiations with the union if it is to agree a new arrangement that protects existing members’ rights.
The union has always maintained the changes to the civil service compensation scheme, which governs payments in the event of redundancy and early retirement, would have made it easier and cheaper to cut tens of thousands of civil service jobs and privatise more of our public services. It has also argued consistently that the government had no authority to act independently.
When PCS members took three days of strike action in March, including on budget day, Gus O’Donnell described it as “misguided” and Tessa Jowell, then the civil service minister said the “time for talking is over”.
Despite widespread anger among the government’s workforce, and opposition from 176 MPs including 121 Labour backbenchers, changes aimed at saving £500 million over three years were forced through. If they had been allowed to stand they would in many cases have robbed civil servants of thousands of pounds if they were forced out of their job.
Strike action was suspended during the election - though the union continued to campaign in targeted constituencies across the UK - but PCS now says a failure to comply with the ruling would risk angering civil servants still further, leading to the possibility of more industrial action.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "
Our members in the civil and public services refused to sit back and watch their terms and conditions being ripped up in front of their eyes.
Our members in the civil and public services refused to sit back and watch their terms and conditions being ripped up in front of their eyes. This ruling is a huge tribute to them for mounting one of the most impressive campaigns this union has seen, in the face of some disgraceful criticism from their employer and ministers.
“We have always accepted that changes are necessary but all we ever asked is that they were fair and protected those who have given loyal service. We will now be knocking on the door of the next government to remind ministers they are legally obliged to reach an agreement with us. If they do not meet their obligations, the union will have to consider further industrial and legal action.” Hugh Lanning, PCS deputy general secretary, called on the next government to comply with the judgement and enter into talks as a matter of urgency to reach a fair agreement for all civil servants, adding: “This is a major victory for our members, who were being deprived of their rights by a government that refused to talk and reach agreement. Let’s hope the new government obeys the law.”
Richard Arthur, head of trade union law at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “The law says that the government can’t change redundancy rights which have already accrued for civil servants unless the unions agree. As the judge said, this was unsurprising in the circumstances of civil service employment. PCS did not agree to the new scheme and so it was found to be unlawful.”
