trade unionism

1984: how the miners saved Christmas from Thatcher

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/1984-how-miners-saved-christmas-thatcher

Picketers decorate a Christmas tree outside Rossington Colliery, while police transit vans line the roadway, December 11, 1984

CHRISTMAS 1984 was potentially a desperate time for the families of miners who had been on strike against pit closures for nine months. It turned out to be the opposite for many striking mining communities.

France’s communist-led union group CGT sent a convoy of 30 lorries, driven by volunteers and packed with food and toys, across the Channel. The union had mounted a “toy drive” among its members, and thousands had flooded in.

The convoy arrived at Dover, and the lorries journeyed to struggling mining communities in Wales and northern England.

Hundreds of miners’ support groups across the country redoubled their solidarity efforts — and the public responded generously.

The result for many striking miners and their families was the best Christmas they had ever had. And the solidarity is remembered today across the former coalfields.

In the north-east, Ian Lavery, now Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, was a 20-year-old miner at Ellington Colliery in Northumberland. He lived with his parents and siblings. His father was a striking miner, as were two of his three brothers.

He told the Morning Star: “It was one of the best times of my life.

“At Christmas time 1984, none of us had a ha’penny — no money at all. But one thing about miners and working-class people is that they will do anything to make sure the kids have a good Christmas. Whatever the situation — on strike for seven or eight months — we would not let the kids down.

“It was fabulous to see the juggernauts arriving from France. They provided every striking miner’s kid with a toy at Christmas. Honestly, there was juggernaut after juggernaut come all the way from France. Absolutely amazing. Then there were the chickens and the turkeys. They were on the Christmas table of every striking miner. It was just fabulous.

“There were Christmas parties in every village and community.

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/1984-how-miners-saved-christmas-thatcher

Continue Reading1984: how the miners saved Christmas from Thatcher

UK retailers accused of recruiting young shop workers without rights over Christmas

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/15/uk-stores-gig-economy-workers-retailers-christmas-unions

Uniqlo is among the retailers using gig economy apps such as Temper and YoungOnes to draft in shop assistants for the busy Christmas run-up. Photograph: Iain Masterton/Alamy

Lush and Gymshark among chains using apps promoted by TikTok influencers to take on gig economy assistants lacking basic protections, say unions

Unions have accused high-street retailers of drafting in young gig economy store assistants without basic employment rights in the run-up to Christmas.

The Observer has found large brands, including Urban Outfitters, Lush, Gymshark and Uniqlo, are recruiting “freelance” shop assistants through gig apps to staff their stores during the busy festive period.

The apps are being promoted by youth influencers with hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers.

“This is a worrying new development,” said Tim Sharp, senior policy officer for employment rights at the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

“It would seem absurd to most people that someone can do a job like working in a shop and not be entitled to basic legal protections. There is a big question mark over the employment status of these supposed freelancers.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/dec/15/uk-stores-gig-economy-workers-retailers-christmas-unions

Continue ReadingUK retailers accused of recruiting young shop workers without rights over Christmas

Teachers and NHS workers’ unions ‘put the government on notice’ over below-inflation pay rises

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/teachers-and-nhs-workers-unions-put-the-government-on-notice-over-below-inflation-pay-rises

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) chief executive Pat Cullen (second right front row) joins members of the RCN on the picket line outside the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, as nurses take industrial action over pay, January 18, 2023

TEACHER and NHS worker unions threatened strike action today over government-backed below-inflation public-sector pay rises.

The Department of Health and Social Care, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education have recommended 2.8 per cent unfunded rises for 2025-26 to pay review bodies after Chancellor Rachel Reeves ordered all departments to cut costs by 5 per cent.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “There are real concerns across the trade union movement about the government’s recommendation.

“The government must now engage unions and the millions of public-sector workers we represent in a serious conversation about public service reform and delivery.

“It’s hard to see how you address the crisis in our services without meaningful pay rises.

“And it’s hard to see how services cut to the bone by 14 years of Tory government will find significant cash savings.

“In the longer term, we need a spending review that gives hope to those delivering and relying on our public services.”

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/teachers-and-nhs-workers-unions-put-the-government-on-notice-over-below-inflation-pay-rises

Keir Starmer confirms that he's proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Keir Starmer confirms that he’s proud to be a red Tory continuing austerity and targeting poor and disabled scum.
Continue ReadingTeachers and NHS workers’ unions ‘put the government on notice’ over below-inflation pay rises

National Grid’s £2bn profits ‘lay bare’ Britain’s broken energy system, campaigners say

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/national-grid-2bn-profits-lay-bare-britain-broken-energy-system-campaigners-say

‘It is time our energy infrastructure was brought back into public ownership,’ Unite general secretary says

CAMPAIGNERS intensified their demands for energy infrastructure to be brought back into full public ownership today after the National Grid posted a 14 per cent increase in underlying profits.

The firm, which builds and runs power grids and cables across Britain, reported an underlying operating profit of £2.05 billion for the six months until September 30, surpassing £1.8bn in the same period last year.

The grid charges energy suppliers for network use. Costs are then passed on to consumers through their bills, which rose by another 10 per cent last month.

In 2023, National Grid shareholders received £1.6bn in dividends, while six million households remained trapped in fuel poverty amid skyrocketing costs.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said National Grid’s profits “lay bare” Britain’s broken energy system.

She said: “Energy profiteers like National Grid are extracting cash for overseas shareholders through ever more expensive bills.

“It is time our energy infrastructure was brought back into public ownership so that the British people and economy benefit rather than foreign wealth funds.”

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/national-grid-2bn-profits-lay-bare-britain-broken-energy-system-campaigners-say

Continue ReadingNational Grid’s £2bn profits ‘lay bare’ Britain’s broken energy system, campaigners say

Unite launches legal challenge to overturn winter fuel payment cut

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/h-lead-unite-launches-legal-challenge-overturn-winter-fuel-payment-cut

UNITE has launched judicial review proceedings seeking to overturn government cuts to the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners.

The union submitted a pre-action notice to Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall on October 29 after the Budget kept the benefits cut for all but the poorest pensioners.

Unite said it will seek leave of the High Court to mount a full judicial review should the government not respond to the letter and reverse its decision by November 7.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “People do not understand — I do not understand — how a Labour government has taken away the fuel allowance of millions of pensioners just as winter approaches.

“Given the failure to rectify this in the budget, Unite has now commenced judicial review proceedings challenging the legality of the policy.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/h-lead-unite-launches-legal-challenge-overturn-winter-fuel-payment-cut

Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer says pensioners can freeze to death and poor children can starve and be condemned to failure and misery all their lives.
Keir Starmer explains that he feels no shame or guilt benefitting personally from gifts from the rich and powerful while insisting on policies of severe austerity causing suffering and death.
Keir Starmer explains that he feels no shame or guilt benefitting personally from gifts from the rich and powerful while insisting on policies of severe austerity causing suffering and death.
Continue ReadingUnite launches legal challenge to overturn winter fuel payment cut