Militant/Jim Spaul

Jas Mann, one of 250 strikers at Newham local service, takes part in July 16 rally outside union-employer negotiations.

Organized by Unison, a public sector workers union, the strikes began with week-long stoppages at the end of June by Heathrow Airport health workers and others, and became more extensive in the first weeks of July. In Southwark, south London, garbage collectors struck for a week and picketed as part of the London-wide action. In Waltham Forest the council rat-catchers walked out. The union has demanded that the annual payment increase from its current level of between £1,500 and £2,850 to £4,000 (£1=US$1.62). So far the bosses have offered only a £200 increase for the lowest-paid workers.

Strikers told Militant reporters that their wages had been eroded by recent increases in national and local taxes and utility bills, as well as raises in the costs of car taxes, car insurance, and public transport.

Workers are also responding to other attacks, said George Jordan, a shop steward for Manor Place garbage collectors in Southwark, in a picket line interview. Council bosses chopped the Manor Place workforce from around 200 a few years ago to just over 70 today, he said. They have continued to add to the workload of the garbage crews, who work four 12-hour shifts a week.

Accidents on the job have been on the rise, Jordan said. So too has disciplinary action. “They have even been following crews around with cameras to try and catch people out,” he added.

The shop steward reported that postal workers from a nearby sorting office joined the picket line and told strikers they would be balloting for industrial action soon.

The strikes coincided with July 16 talks between employers and Unison representatives. The bosses threatened to withdraw their £200 offer if the union rejected it at the meeting.

Workers—three-quarters of them women—held a lively rally outside the venue, raising signs reading, “4 K for decent pay,” and “Tired of the weighting game, 4 the meeting. Workers—three-quarters of them women—held a lively rally outside the venue, raising signs reading, “4K for decent pay,” and “Tired of the weighting game, 4K now.” Strikers then marched through the streets with union banners to a lunchtime rally at Potters Field near the London Assembly Building.

Julie Colman, Unison regional head of local government workers, told the crowd that the bosses had refused to go any higher, but said they would keep it open until September. “We have unanimously rejected their offer,” she said.  
 
An ‘insulting’ offer
Jas Mann, a customer service worker from Newham said the bosses’ offer of £200 is “insulting. We are not treated with respect and dignity by our managers.” She explained that local managers tried to intimidate workers who planned to go on strike. “They offered us £400 extra for the month of the strike on condition we trained up temporary staff to do our jobs.

“People who’d been on temporary contracts and been offered full-time contracts were told they would lose their jobs if they went on strike, and temps were offered pay increases if they were willing to cover our jobs during the strike,” Mann said. “This is a strike about equal pay and the cost of living. We want an increase across the board.” Mann reported that workers from Newham filled two coaches to travel to the action.

Alex Yap, secretary of the Unison branch at Kingston and a union negotiator, said there would be further strike action in the fall if the employers continued to refuse to negotiate. “ The same employers have increased the firefighters’ allowance to £4,300 a year, which they deserve, and head teachers got £6000,” he said.

“We’re ready to strike for as long as it takes to win our demands,” said Steve Nti-Dwamena, who works in the benefits section.  
 
Nursery nurses celebrate victory
Meanwhile, nursery nurses in Tower Hamlets, who are also Unison members, celebrated victory after a three-week strike called when the employers attempted to change full-time contracts to part-time. The 120 workers rebuffed this attack and won back their yearly contract as well as the right to be paid for a 35-hour week instead of the 32.5 hours demanded by the bosses.

“The dispute was never just about money,” said Unison branch secretary Chris Connolly. “It was about the principle of treating nursery nurses as full-time professional staff.”

Connolly said the workers won almost all their demands. “The fact that we had an extremely well-organized, determined group of women on strike, backed strongly by parents and the public, meant the council had to take notice of us,” he said.

“We hope this deal will encourage others around the country who are currently negotiating on nursery nurse grades to step up their campaigns,” Connolly added. Some 4,500 nursery nurses in Scotland went on strike in May and June for a raise of £4000 per year, a 35-hour week, and a pay review. They are currently paid £10,000 as new hires, and half of them are on temporary or fixed-term contracts.

Aurora Shannon, Gerard Archer, and Tim Healy contributed to this article.  
 
 
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