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From The Socialist newspaper, 28 August 2019
Probation hostel rest room win
Staff room (Click to enlarge)
I work in a probation hostel.
Our employers tried to take away the staff rest room and make it into another bedroom for the residents. This would have generated more income and made us more attractive for privatisation.
Staff at my hostel work a variety of shifts: some are seven hours, some ten hours and some 12 hours over a 24 hour period. The nature of our work means we are unable to leave the building and we do not get official breaks. The rest room is the only place in the hostel without cameras or residents.
Staff were very angry about the proposal and we all signed a petition against losing our rest room. We also contacted our Unison union rep who lodged a grievance. Management were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling. The hostel would not operate effectively without the goodwill and dedication of the staff and this would have evaporated if the proposal had gone ahead.
Management have had a change of heart. The rest room has been saved, thanks to the solidarity of the staff.
When we fight we can win.
Probation hostel worker
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In The Socialist 28 August 2019:
What we think
Workers' movement must launch a campaign for a general election
News
Amazon fires: Big business is destroying the environment
Stop the latest Tory attack on our pensions
Notts child abuse scandal: Socialist Party demands action programme to prevent future cases
Knife and gun crime a product of poverty and austerity
International socialist news and analysis
Imperialist tensions escalate as world economy teeters
Italy: Governing coalition fractures as Salvini looks to capitalise on crisis
Workplace news
Interview with Sean Hoyle - left candidate in RMT general secretary election
Postal union ballots 100,000 workers for strike action
Strike action wins privatisation reprieve at Bradford hospitals
Barry Hospital workers fight to save ward from closure
Retail workers fight back against Scrooge bosses
DVSA workers strike for four weeks over conditions and workload
Merseyside Matalan workers walk out over pay deal
Liverpool RMT seafarers protest against super-exploitation
Probation hostel rest room win
Northern Ireland
Brexit and the border in Northern Ireland- will there be a return to the 'Troubles'?
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Lincolnshire health visitors' solidarity rally
Worcestershire: Stop the fire cuts!
Bangladeshi campaigners fight mining giant for justice
Opinion
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2019