Union to debate calls for general strike

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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The Government will today be accused of attacking workers through its public spending cuts as union activists debate calls for a general strike.


Delegates at the annual conference of the Communication Workers Union will call for campaigns and strikes with other unions to halt the cuts.

A motion to the conference in Bournemouth calls on the TUC to organise a 24-hour general strike, saying it will take industrial action on the scale recently seen in Greece and France to make the Government change its policies.

Speakers at the conference will accuse the Government of hitting women the hardest by cutting pensions and childcare support, and warn that services such as libraries, youth clubs and sports centres were facing cuts or even closure because of the austerity measures.

The union, which represents postal, telecom and finance workers, will be pressed to forge closer links with anti-cuts campaign groups as well as with students who have been fighting higher tuition fees.

Another motion to the conference today calls for an end to the controversial police practice of "kettling" demonstrators during protests.

Delegates will warn that the containment tactic is being increasingly used by the police and will urge forces to develop alternative methods which do not infringe people's "fundamental rights" of liberty and security.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls will address the conference today.

Leaders of the University and College Union (UCU) will meet today to discuss the next steps in their bitter dispute over university pensions, which could lead to industrial action affecting exams and admissions.

UCU members have already taken part in a series of one-day walkouts at various universities, but union officials are now warning that continuing this line may not be enough, and that more serious industrial action may be needed.

This could include action that disrupts exams and the university admissions process. Today's meeting of the union's higher education committee comes ahead of its annual congress next weekend.

Thousands of council workers will take industrial action this week, including strikes, in a row over terms and conditions, hitting refuse collection, street cleaning and other services.

Members of Unite and Unison at Southampton City Council will take action after claiming that thousands of workers face being sacked and re-engaged on substantially lower terms and conditions.

Meanwhile, members of the Public and Commercial Services union will start voting this week on whether to stage strikes in protest at cuts in jobs, pay, pensions ans services.

PCS leader Mark Serwotka has warned that more than 750,000 workers could join a 24-hour walkout on June 30 as part of growing industrial unrest against Government cuts.

[Straight4ward]

A 24 hour walkout isn't going to achieve anything. It's tokenism.
Do they really believe that this government would ditch its policies on the basis of a day of action?

[daveallum]

I agree,a 24 hour strike will not achieve anything other than we will lose a days pay and have double the amount of mail/parcels to deliver the following day.

[oldrangersW12]

I agree,a 24 hour strike will not achieve anything other than we will lose a days pay and have double the amount of mail/parcels to deliver the following day.

Ah diddums, grow a pair and stop thinking about yourself and do something positive.

This country is dying on its arse with this goverment and action needs to be taken.

And all you can think about is a bit of extra work the next day?

[fishtank]

No more heroes any more..
The TUC are not what they once were...too comfortable,too much to lose,much like the majority of the country.

Thatcher knew what she was doing when she turned us into debt-ridden home owners.It was this and not the anti-union laws or breaking the miners that castrated the working class....and we lapped it up.
Ask most people what their number one aspiration is...not changing the world but owning your own home.
Once you own it you will obviously not be keen to do anything that might put that at risk...like strike.
I hate that woman ...on so many levels it's frightening.

[steven100]

The only way to hurt RM is to have a strike for 1 week. 7 days on strike. If this happens i'm away to book a holiday.

[borders]

No more heroes any more..
The TUC are not what they once were...too comfortable,too much to lose,much like the majority of the country.

Thatcher knew what she was doing when she turned us into debt-ridden home owners.It was this and not the anti-union laws or breaking the miners that castrated the working class....and we lapped it up.
Ask most people what their number one aspiration is...not changing the world but owning your own home.
Once you own it you will obviously not be keen to do anything that might put that at risk...like strike.
I hate that woman ...on so many levels it's frightening.

spot on Fishtank , that mortgage is a chain around your neck for 25 years and more.
not only that but our misguided frenzy to consume everything that Capitalism throws at us , thousands of pounds of credit that are given to us at a whim , while at the same time being told that the boom and bust cycle is a thing of the past .... i hold my hands up been there, done that..... dumb arse.....