Industrial actions

national | worker & community struggles and protests | opinion/analysis Wednesday December 21, 2005 16:52 by Coalface - Organise! organiseireland at yahoo dot ie

Solidarity with Tesco Temps Defence Committee

On Thursday 4th of August solidarity actions with the Tesco Temp Defence Committee took place across Britain and Ireland.

After the scandals with GAMA and Irish Ferries, Tesco are the latest employers to be reported to be exploiting foreign workers in Ireland.
Two Polish workers who literally refused to break their backs for the boss in Tesco distribution were fired.

"Usually we pick 750 (boxes), but after three months of the normal rate our manager wants more, more, more… it's not possible picking 900. You must look after your back, and health and safety processes. If you pick 1,000 you'll break your back, you can not work like that."

Along with the demand that productivity targets be reduced to a manageable level the workers are demanding that their sacked co-workers are reinstated and that agency temps who work for longer than 3 three months get a permanent contract from Tesco with all the associated benefits.

Pickets took place in Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Oxford and London.
Despite the rain half a dozen supporters turned out for the Belfast solidarity action with Tesco temp workers called by the Belfast Local of Organise!
All the staff on duty where informed of the dispute in Greenhill. There was genuine concern from the workers and support for the Tesco Temp Defence Committee's three demands. One member of staff took leaflets from us and left his till to help distribute them to his fellow workers.
Polish workers and members of the WSM also picketed Tesco in Dublin handing out leaflets to the staff and customers.
Five Polish former agency workers organised a picket of Tesco in Liverpool town centre in solidarity with the demands of the TESCO Temps Defence Committee while approximately 20 people picketed the Argyle Street Tesco in Glasgow. Organisers of the Glasgow picket – acting under the banner of the Industrial Workers of the World – said the protest was a great success and great fun.
In Nottingham, in the true spirit of Robin Hood, half a dozen trade unionists and community activists lobbied for a bit of wealth re-distribution on behalf of the migrant workers being exploited by Grafton and Tesco.
In Leeds pickets found Tesco customers to be very supportive while some Tesco staff waved their support from the store and Tesco delivery drivers took information on their way out. In Oxford Tesco workers defied their boss to come and talk to pickets. In London around 20 people turned out to leaflet shoppers and staff at the Tesco store on Morning Lane in Hackney.
In Poland solidarity protests of Tesco took place on Friday 12th of August in Poznan, Warsaw and Gdynia.

Walka Trwa! (The Struggle Continues!)

To contact the Tesco Temps Defence Committee please Email or call:
Tesco Temps Defence Committee 00353 857 308 598 (Polish Language)
For English language information call 00353 845 142 5053


Gama Workers Victory

The GAMA workers dispute reported in the last issue of WCR has ended in victory for the workers.
While 200 workers returned to Turkey in May having won back E40 million in stolen wages 80 stayed on to carry on the strike and fight to get their overtime pay.
They secured E8,000 for each year worked and severance pay of E2,500.
A worker with three years service went home with over 65,000 Euro – a lot of money in Ireland and a huge amount in Turkey.
The action taken by these workers provides an example of what we can do with a bit of determination, mutual support, solidarity and direct action And another dispute found the union bureaucrats lacking.

BA Wildcat

As we go to press wildcat action has hit British Airways. Following the summary dismissal of 800 workers by Gate Gourmet, the provider of 80,000 in-flight meals a day for BA at Heathrow, members of the Transport and General Workers Union began unofficial secondary action in support of their colleagues at Gate Gourmet
The wildcat action grounded British Airways. While the stoppage has forced Gate Gourmet to conciliation through ACAS management are adamant that they will not reinstate any of the sacked workers. For Gate Gourmet staff, those sacked and those facing being drove further into poverty by a company that’s looking to make a quick profit and get out, the future just got a lot bleaker.


Water Charges and Privatisation delayed until April 2007

Government plans to implement Water Charges and privatise the Water Service has been put back again, this time to April 2007. Ineptitude, opposition and a desire to dissipate growing resistance may all play their part in the further delay. The most damaging aspect of this announcement is that it becomes harder to focus attention on the issue and build effective resistance.
We have however been handed the time to build the infrastructure needed for an effective non-payment campaign when the legislation is finalised, the billing systems put in place and the first bills printed. Significantly members of the north’s largest union NIPSA, voted to endorse non-payment at their recent annual conference in Newcastle County Down. While the trades union led coalition are collecting signatures for a petition against water reform and charges we believe that a more pro-active and imaginative approach is also needed in order to help build opposition.
Many are placing faith in persuading our local politicians to oppose the charge, something that is pretty easy for them to do while they aren’t actually sitting at Stormont but we can’t forget that all the Assembly parties were involved in putting water reform and charges on the political agenda the last time round.


Solidarity Appeal from Tehran Transport Workers Sacked for Union Organising

Organising efforts by the Syndicate of Workers Of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company in the Vahed Bus Company have resulted in the dismissal of 17 union activists.
The union is calling for solidarity in the face of what it describes as the company’s extremely harsh reaction to the workers organising efforts. As well as the dismissals many have been harassed and have undergone interrogations at the hands of the Company’s security forces.
The Syndicate is under extreme pressure from the Employer and the government-sponsored Workers House and the Islamic Labour Council to back down on its demand for recognition.
The sacked workers are also facing great financial difficulties and as a result, the union has launched a broad and public fundraising campaign.
The Syndicate is urging all concerned individuals and labour and progressive organisations around the world to pressure the Iranian government and the Tehran and Suburbs Public Transportation Company, demanding the immediate reinstatement of all fired labour activists. The Syndicate has also called for financial donations in order to support the sacked workers and their families, many of whom are tenants without any other source of income. In particular, the Company, which is one of the largest employers in Iran with over 17,000 employees, must be pressured to:

1. Immediately reinstate all fired workers.
2. End the intimidation and harassment of workers and labour activists in the company.
3. Recognise the newly elected independent union, and remove the company-selected, government-sponsored Islamic Labour Council.
4. Negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the workers’ union and recognise the right to strike.

PLEASE DONATE TO THE FIRED WORKERS FUND

Donations can be sent to:

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran
P.O. Box 1164, Station Q
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2P4
Canada

Please indicate that the money is intended for the “Tehran Transportation Workers’ Fund”.

From the pages of Working Class Resistance, magazine of Organise!