IMC UK - Workers' Movements

Notts Workers Join National Strike

26-04-2008 18:46 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

On April 24, teachers, further education lecturers and civil servants took coordinated national strike action against the public sector pay freeze. The decision by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) to call the first national teachers' strike in twenty-one years, attracted the most interest, but they were also joined by the University and Colleges Union (UCU) and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

The strikes follow a central government directive to keep annual cost of living pay increases below 2% at a time when the Retail Price Index places inflation at over 4%, meaning in effect that public sector workers are expected to take a pay cut.

In Nottinghamshire, dozens of schools were closed by strike action, with many more partially closed. While their were few pickets of schools, there was a presence at a number of colleges and outside government offices in the city. A march from the Forest Recreation Ground to the Congregation Hall, Church Gate for a rally was well attended despite the inclement weather

Newswire: Photos of April 24 Strike in Nottingham | Strike to close one third of Nottingham schools | Interview with NUT activist | Notts Indymedia Worker's Movements Topic Page

Previous Features: Public service workers out to protect pensions | All-out unofficial strike at Cottam Power Station near Lincoln

Links: Nottingham City NUT | Nottinghamshire NUT | NUT | PCS | UCU

Library Staff Speak Out Against Uniforms and Management Bullying

12-03-2008 09:31 | Repression | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Over a year ago, a rumour was doing the rounds in Nottingham libraries about the introduction of uniforms for library staff. The union reps looked into it and it was brushed aside as 'not going to happen for ages'. A couple of months ago they were surpised to hear that the uniforms would suddenly be introduced by March. No consultation, no advanced notice. So why does the council feel there is a need for uniformed staff in our libraries? And why does it threaten its own staff members with dismissal if they were to speak openly about these changes?

One library assistant did decide to speak out. Barbara, who's identity we cannot reveal, has worked in Nottingham's libraries for many years. She told Notts Indymedia in an interview about her anger over the decision by the City Council to introduce uniforms. In addition, she talked about the depletion of library service resources and the bully tactics employed by City Council managers to keep its staff in line.

Interview: Nottingham Library Assistant Speaks Out About Uniforms And Bully Tactics

From the newswire: Changes To The Library Service | Nottingham Library workers still resisting uniforms | Make nottingham Real, not PR stunts, uniforms & pool closures

Starbucks Not Welcome At University

21-11-2007 15:54 | Ecology | Globalisation | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Nottingham university students have been campaigning tirelessly over the last few weeks to get their University to get Starbucks off campus, and stop them selling their unethical beverages in the Hallward Library. Students were shocked when, a few weeks ago, their café in the main library on campus suddenly started serving Starbucks coffee. In a move that has upset a large part of the student body the university decided to change coffee supplier without any sort of student consultation and now the students are up in arms.

For the last two weeks students have manned an ‘anti-Starbucks’ stall outside the Hallward Library where the Starbucks coffee is being served (at nearly double its pre-Starbucks price). The movement against the corporatisation of our educational facilities has been swift; nearly 700 people have joined the Facebook group against Starbucks, hundreds of people have signed the petition and loads of cups of tea and coffee have been sold from a makehift stall outside the library to students who don’t want to pay £1.45 for a coffee.

Notts: Telling Starbucks to 'Buck Off' at Nottingham Uni. | Amnesty Protest in Nottingham City Centre - Close Guantanamo Bay [Please] | Starbucks national day of action, 18th August

UK: Whitechapel Knees Up against Starbucks | Sheffield IWW - Starbucks skanked to death | Anti-Starbucks picket in Cardiff | Chiapas Solidarity picket of Starbuck, Edinburgh

Links: IWW Starbucks Workers Union | Boycott Starbucks | Starbucks continues to Greenwash with Weak Environmental Policy | Starbucks Social Responsibility Newsletter

Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham

06-05-2007 18:48 | Mayday 2007 | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday was celebrated properly in Nottingham. On the 1st May the PCS civil service union celebrated by going on strike, picketing and marching, including through Nottingham to a rally in the Congregational Hall. Picket lines sprung up with the sunshine all over Nottingham this May Day. Besides the main civil service workplaces (Revenue and Customs, Department of Work and Pensions, Driving Standards Agency) all sorts of office blocks in the City, housing a civil service work unit, sprouted a PCS picket in the door way: many experienced pickets; many first time pickets. Read full report.

On 5th May another Mayday march decended upon the city. Marchers rallied in the Brewhouse Yard, just around the corner from Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, departing just before one. The march was led by a samba band followed by the No Borders, No Nations, No Deportations banner. A good few hundred people made their way up Castle Boulevard, onto Maid Marian Way and then down Friar Lane. After having been at the Market Square and once back in at the rallying point, marchers were addressed by speakers talking about Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the occupation of Iraq, the rise of the BNP, the PCS strike last week and ID cards. There was also music by bands from Zimbabwe, Kurdistan and even Birmingham. Read full report.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Links: UK Indymedia Mayday 2007 page | Wikipedia on Mayday | Global Indymedia article about conference and actions around the world

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Mayday in the East Midlands

03-05-2006 12:16 | Mayday 2006 | Culture | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Mayday was celebrated in a variety of ways around the Nottinghamshire/East Midlands area. From organised marches to Pagan festivities.

Saturday saw a May Day march and rally in Nottingham and a May Fayre in Leicester. Sunday saw the Mayday minus one event at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham. Monday saw a large Mayday march and rally in Chesterfield.

Nottingham Photos: 1 | 2.

Click here for a full round up of all the Mayday events that happened UK wide.

Public service workers out to protect pensions

28-03-2006 18:04 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

There was a large turnout for East Midlands rallys supporting public service workers’ day of action to protect their pensions. In Nottingham hundreds marched from the Forest recreation ground to a city centre rally, while in Derby strikers picketed their workplaces. The actions were called as part of what was hailed as the biggest industrial action since the General Strike in 1926.

Nottingham's new-look rinky-dink Thingy - which still needs a name - also also made another early outing to provide musis for the occassion.

Nottingham pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | Derby pictures | Call to action

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All-out unofficial strike at Cottam Power Station near Lincoln

07-03-2006 00:07 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

A demonstration outside the power station at 7am on the 28/2/06 had Amicus stewards from Electricity Distribution in Mansfield, A Unison branch secretary from Ashfield, a couple of car loads of students from Nottingham, and supporters from as far off as Scunthorpe, turning up to join the picket line. They've gone back to raise money and other solid support.

50 construction workers, members of the GMB and Amicus, at Cottam Power Station near Lincoln are into the second week of an all-out unofficial strike. The issue is very simple: multinational companies are moving workers around the EU to undercut wages - in this case, as laid down in the Construction Industry "Blue Book". (Download PDF). They're trying to do an Irish Ferries on construction workers in Britain.

Links: In support of the strikers at Cottam power station, near Lincoln

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Lobby against council cuts 23 Feb

20-02-2006 20:54 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Notts County Council is planning £21m of budget cuts, resulting in hundreds of redundancies and cuts in services to some of the most vulnerable people in the County. Workers and community groups will lobby the Council meeting on Thurs 23 Feb at 1pm outside County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham.

The lobby is part of a series of actions designed to make the Council re-think its plans to make sweeping cuts to jobs and services.Up for the axe are around 500 jobs and a dramatic reduction to meals at homes for older people, home care and economic regeneration initiatives. Notinghamshire County Council is claiming that the cuts are necessary to meet budgetary pressures, but it masks a wider political agenda to privatise services.

See: http://www.nottsunison.org.uk for more info

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Colombian union activist speaks out about Coca Cola

28-11-2005 19:26 | Globalisation | Repression | Workers' Movements | Nottinghamshire

Euripides Jance has worked for Coca-Cola in Colombia for 21 years in Barranquilla, a major city on the Caribbean coast. He also works for Colombia's food and drink union Sinaltrainal and is coming to Nottingham on the 1st of December to do a talk on the Boycott Coke Campaign.

Barranquilla is a city under paramilitary control. In 2002, a Coke worker and Sinaltrainal member was assassinated there, and in July 2005, 4 students who were involved in a protest outside the Coke plant were kidnapped and tortured by paramilitaries. Like all Sinaltrainal activists in the city, Euripides works in the constant shadow of violence. Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists. In 2001 at least 160 trade union leaders and activists were murdered, including two key colleagues from UNISON’s sister union - the municipal worker’s union SINTRAEMCALI. Many other trade unionists were abducted, ‘disappeared’ or received death threats.

PUBLIC MEETING: Thursday 1st Dec, 7.30pm, The Mechanics, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham

Links: Boycott Coke Campaign | Colombia Solidarity Campaign | Map to The Mechanics | Previous Indymedia feature article on Coca Cola and the situation in Colombia | Colombia Indymedia

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Nottinghamshire Workers' Movements Newswire

Nottinghamshire Workers' Movements

Notts Workers Join National Strike

Library Staff Speak Out Against Uniforms and Management Bullying

Starbucks Not Welcome At University

Mayday! Mayday! Celebrations in Nottingham

Mayday in the East Midlands

Public service workers out to protect pensions

All-out unofficial strike at Cottam Power Station near Lincoln

Lobby against council cuts 23 Feb

Colombian union activist speaks out about Coca Cola