Sheffield - Workers' Movements

News about Workers' Organisations, Struggles and Precarity

Sheffield Mayday

03-05-2007 10:21 | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

Striking civil servants joined other protestors to march through the city centre on 1st May 2007. The Mayday protest was called by the Sheffield Trade Council, NUJ and Sheffield Keep Our NHS Public.

Elsewhere in Europe the precarious took to the streets and on Monday 7th May the Chesterfield Mayday march and rally took place. See the Mayday 2007 page for reports from across the UK.

'Defend the NHS' National Day of Action

Saturday, 3rd March, saw a national day of action to defend the National Health Service (NHS), called by NHS Together, an alliance of health service unions and staff associations together with the TUC. Demonstrations and rallies took place across the country, in Birmingham, Cambridge, Hackney (London), Leeds, Preston, Sheffield and other places. The aim of the protests, according to the organisers, was "to send a powerful message in celebration and defence of the NHS" against more cuts and privatisation. Almost three quarters of NHS trusts in the UK are reported last year that financial deficits are forcing them to make massive cutbacks; wards are being closed down, hospitals shut and jobs cut. Billions are going into 'restructuring' the service along market lines, with millions going on management consultants and financial advisers and millions more, in massive PFI payments, to shareholders and bankers.

Reports and pics: Defend the NHS Day: Sheffield Demonstration [photos] | Demo against the privatization of the NHS in Preston | Hackney Save NHS Demo | Leeds General Infirmary For Sale!

Previous Indymedia Features: Is Britain ready to defend its NHS? | The NHS in Crisis | Sheffield Children's Hospital: Save Ward S2 | Local Trusts Take Scalpel To NHS | Indymedia UK's Health topic page

Links: NHS Together | Keep Our NHS Public

Striking for Pensions

30-03-2006 11:10 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

Thousands of people employeed by Sheffield Council and Sheffield Hallam University and others struck on 28th March 2006 in defence of their pension agreements. There were picket lines in front of buildings across the city and there was a rally on the Town Hall steps at lunch time. The strike was supported by the Trades Council.

This one day strike was part of a national day of action and further strike are possible if the government doesn't back down. Some activists are concerned that the union leaders are prepared to sell out future employees by just looking at securing protection for the pensions of existing employees.

South Yorks Bus Strike - Victory after 21 days

29-07-2004 12:26 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

South Yorkshire bus workers agreed to return to work on 10th August after being on all-out strike for 21 days for better pay and conditions. This strike is been the longest bus workers strike on the UK for 30 years. The first strike web site has an article about the victory on day 21 and a bus worker posted a comment here:

First and foremost we stuck together and won the good fight. We are back to work without conceding benefits to pay for the rise...
thank you to all the passengers of first buses who are polite and decent to drivers and thank you to all who have supported us through the strike.
(read the full comment)

The hype in the local media about the economic impact of the strike, which was mentioned in the newswire post, industrial collapse in Sheffield resulted in a response from the Chief Exec of the Sheffield Chamber of Trade(!).

Previous bus strike feature | Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 Photos: 1 | 2

South Yorkshire Bus Strike

25-07-2004 19:57 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | Sheffield

Update 10 August: After 21 days out, the longest bus strike for 30 years is over, see victory after 21 days.

A significant all out strike is under way by 800 bus drivers employed by First Bus, a major multinational with annual profits in excess of £160m, the strike has been solid as it goes into its second week.

Drivers are striking for a 40 hour week, a reduction of the maximum hours a day to eight-and-a-half hours and a quicker increase in pay for 'starter rate' drivers, who currently have to wait three and a half years to earn more than £5.85 an hour! Steve Clark, the regional organiser for the TGWU, says "Clearly we are in for the long haul".

20th Anniversary of Miners Strike

On March 1st, 1984, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party announced the closure of Cortonwood colliery in Yorkshire - signaling her government’s determination to ram through a massive programme of pit closures and destroy the power of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Miners had no choice but to fight, or see their lives and communities devastated. The longest major industrial battle in British history had begun - a battle that still defines the political landscape of today.

20,000 People injured or hospitalised
200 People served time in prison or custody
2 People killed on the picket line
3 Died digging for coal during the winter
966 People were sacked for striking

The full force of the state was used against the striking miners. 20,000 police were coordinated by Scotland Yard and they used massive computer-backed data gathering for intelligence. Tactics such as road-blocks, political questioning, curfews, beatings, illegal fingerprinting and photographing, snatch squads, phone taps, infiltration and agent provocateurs were widespread. Alongside this was the mobilisation of the media and the law. In the press, Thatcher compared the pickets to IRA bombers.

The strike involved enormous hardship, with many receiving no strike pay or benefits. Yet despite all the state could throw at them, for a year the miners and their communities stood firm in a magnificent display of solidarity. But it wasn’t just the miners themselves - the women played a central role. They transformed the strike, and it transformed them. At a meeting at the Easington Miners Welfare, Mick McGahey, Vice President of the NUM, referred to the "housewives in the County who understand the problems." One woman replied, "We no longer regard ourselves as 'housewives'. We are soldiers in the struggle."

Anniversary events are planned around the country - see events listing and pics | another report
Also see The Justice for Mineworkers Campaign website.

Sheffield - Workers' Movements

Sheffield Mayday

'Defend the NHS' National Day of Action

Striking for Pensions

South Yorks Bus Strike - Victory after 21 days

South Yorkshire Bus Strike

20th Anniversary of Miners Strike

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