
The Socialist 29 May 2013
767

Evict this millionaires' government
Campaign to stop bedroom tax evictions!
No to terrorism! No to racism! No to war!
Even the cutters say cuts aren't working!
This is what's 'not to like' about Free Schools, Boris
Nasty party exposed by equal marriage bill
Stop the NHS privatisation rip-off
Rotten greedy banks still threaten crisis
PCS conference sends defiant message to the government
PCS Land Registry delegates commit to action
Strike action needed to save Royal Mail
Wales TUC conference - a missed opportunity
No future with Future Directions
Haringey TUSC: trade unions and communities prepare for 2014
'Brilliant' South West conference sees record turnout
Fund the fightback in the SP collectathon
Boosting South West Wales paper sales
Socialist Party youth organisers meeting Sunday 30 June, 10.30am-4.30pm, London
Oppose Kazakhstan regime's latest campaign clampdown
South Africa: Eye-witness to the developing struggle
Riots expose inequality in Sweden
Sri Lanka: Working class beginning to move forward
Salford Socialist Students help lead fightback against job and course cuts
London students fight union closure plan
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Workplace News in brief
UCU university pay
University management made their "final offer" of a 1% pay rise to workers on 21 May. The offer, a laughable improvement on the 0.8% second offer, falls short of workers' demands for an above-inflation rise to make up for some of the past four years of pay cuts, coupled with a living wage for all university workers.
University staff also want national agreements to close the gender pay gap which exceeds 30% at some universities, to bring workload to manageable levels, and to stop casualisation, as well as a UK-wide promise to stop redundancies - all things bosses have refused to take seriously in negotiations.
Of the five unions, UCU, Unison, Unite, EIS and GMB, who take part in the negotiations, Unison and EIS are already recommending rejection. Strike action could potentially begin as early as 23 October.
UCU's annual congress takes place on 29-31 May in Brighton but its negotiators are refusing to make a recommendation on the offer.
Congress should reject the offer and elect new, fighting negotiators. Most critically, UCU must avoid the fiasco of 2012, when an absentee leadership meant that of the five Higher Education trade unions only UCU failed to win a strike ballot on pay.
UCU is in budgetary crisis due to dropping membership numbers. Scandalously the UCU leadership has refused to rule out making union staff redundant.
To survive and thrive, UCU must adopt a fighting lead against cuts and job losses and show potential members the power of a union.
Edmund Schluessel, UCU member
Equinox strike
Workers at Equinox Care - a charity dealing with substance abuse problems - have voted (by 98%) for two days of strike action against pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year for many staff.
Unite, the union representing more than half the workforce, said the ballot result was "a massive vote of no confidence" in chief executive Bill Puddicombe.
Management proposes huge cuts for frontline staff directly working with some of the most vulnerable people in society. As a result, most staff face cuts of between £4,000 and £8,000 a year.
Two separate 24-hour strikes are set to be called, and further strike action is on the cards, unless the dispute is settled.
Tory hammer horror
"Hammer home the value of culture to our economy!" Thus spake Maria Miller, Tory culture secretary, this April. But entertainers' union Equity has been hammering this home since the recession began.
The 43,000-strong union's 2013 conference was mixed but positive. Equity is increasing in membership. It has won key battles on the minimum wage in fringe theatre, and credit-squeezing on TV.
Left resolutions on introductory fees and union democracy failed. However, reactionary motions against recent democratic improvements fell too.
There was a real increase in 'fresh blood' at this conference, which bodes well for the future. Let's show Miller the hams can hammer.
James Ivens
- Equity members interested in forming a united left group should contact [email protected]
In this issue
Scrap the Bedroom tax
Evict this millionaires' government
Campaign to stop bedroom tax evictions!
Socialist Party editorial
No to terrorism! No to racism! No to war!
Socialist Party news and analysis
Even the cutters say cuts aren't working!
This is what's 'not to like' about Free Schools, Boris
Nasty party exposed by equal marriage bill
Stop the NHS privatisation rip-off
Socialist Party review
Rotten greedy banks still threaten crisis
Socialist Party workplace news
PCS conference sends defiant message to the government
PCS Land Registry delegates commit to action
Strike action needed to save Royal Mail
Wales TUC conference - a missed opportunity
No future with Future Directions
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Haringey TUSC: trade unions and communities prepare for 2014
'Brilliant' South West conference sees record turnout
Fund the fightback in the SP collectathon
Boosting South West Wales paper sales
Socialist Party youth organisers meeting Sunday 30 June, 10.30am-4.30pm, London
International socialist news and analysis
Oppose Kazakhstan regime's latest campaign clampdown
South Africa: Eye-witness to the developing struggle
Riots expose inequality in Sweden
Sri Lanka: Working class beginning to move forward
Socialist Students
Salford Socialist Students help lead fightback against job and course cuts
London students fight union closure plan
Related links:
University teaching moves online in England
Further education workers win pay rise in Wales
Solidarity with Brighton UCU strike - we won't pay for Covid crisis
Strike action ballot at UEL over job cuts
Rolls-Royce Barnoldswick factory future secured following strike action
PCS Broad Left Network conference: "A BLN-led union will fight and win for members"
Get stuck in to build a fighting, democratic PCS union
Morrisons pay offer - £10 an hour headline hides divisive pay offer