An exciting week ahead

October 13, 2014  |   Filed under: Site News  |   Posted by:
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By Reuben Bard-Rosenberg

So, today marks the beginning of an exciting week, for all of us who are oppose to the current order of things. This morning NHS midwives were engaged in an unprecedented strike over ongoing attacks on pay an conditions. From what I’ve seen the pickets were pretty well attended despite the manky weather. Reports and pics should appear on the North London Star soon.

nhs strikeOn Wednesday workers in PCS and the UCU will also be manning the picket lines. The average PCS member is now £2,000 pounds worse of in real terms than they were five years ago. They are demanding a 5% pay increase – something that will only partially get them back to where they were. The 24-hour strike will be followed by four days of action short of a strike.

 

St Mungo’s

Meanwhile from Friday, care workers at St Mungo’s – a rather well healed homelessness charity who’s chief exec pockets several hundred thousand a year will begin a seven-day strike for a living wage. As far as I know, this is the first time workers at St. Mungo’s have taken strike action, and having spoken to one of the activists their activists, it’s not at all a decision that they took lightly.

I’m also told that at the meeting held to decide the way forward, the initial instinct from union reps was to start with a five ay strike but anger from the floor pushed it to seven. It’s fantastic to see a group of workers who are not, if you like, the usual suspects when it comes to industrial action pushing back, and do hope everyone will rally to support these incredibly valuable and often undervalued people.

 

Britain deserves a pay rise

And finally on Saturday all of the major unions, the People’s Assembly and the TUC are calling a march against Austerity. The march will kick off from Victoria Embankment at 11 am and proceed to hyde park.

Anyway we will be reporting on this as much as we can, and hopefully airing the voices of those involved. But also, as always, appeal for your support in doing this. Have a story about what’s going on, or opinion? Do you have any pics or footage? Then please do get in touch.