By a Free Our Unions supporterThe disgraceful sacking of 800 P&O ferries workers, and the subsequent union campaign to reverse it, show the abject inadequacy and weakness of existing employment legislation. P&O took their action in the full knowledge that it broke employment law. In the face of recent government threats to legislate to forceContinue reading “Solidarity with P&O workers! Defy the anti-union laws, and fight for their abolition!”
Category Archives: Trade Unions
TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference fringe meeting, 22 March, 11:30: Disabled People for Free Trade Unions!
Free Our Unions is co-sponsoring a fringe meeting, along with the RMT’s Disabled Members Advisory Committee, at the forthcoming TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference. The meeting will take place on Tuesday 22 March, at 11:30, via Zoom. Speakers include: • Janine Booth, RMT Disabled Members Advisory Committee and Free Our Unions• Sarah Woolley, General Secretary, BakersContinue reading “TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference fringe meeting, 22 March, 11:30: Disabled People for Free Trade Unions!”
Political strikes, the war in Ukraine, and the anti-union laws
By a Free Our Unions supporter Actions by UK dockers in Cheshire, Kent and Scotland’s northern isles to stop Russian fossil fuels from coming to the UK, in protest at the invasion of Ukraine, are part of a proud tradition of workers’ action here for political goals. The ILWU union in the US’s West Coast ports hasContinue reading “Political strikes, the war in Ukraine, and the anti-union laws”
Anti-union laws slow down NHS pay fight
A Free Our Unions supporter working in the NHS writes… Another year, another pay cut. NHS staff have suffered 10 years of pay cuts and lost about 15% off the value of our pay. We’ve now got over 100,000 vacancies and record high demand. The 3% “rise” this year is a pay cut when adjustedContinue reading “Anti-union laws slow down NHS pay fight”
Public (Zoom) meeting, 7pm, Thursday 9 December: How postal workers maintained a tradition of unofficial action
7pm, Thursday 9 DecemberLog in via Zoom here The UK’s restrictive anti-strike legislation, which requires unions to ballot members individually, by post, and to give significant notice periods to employers prior to ballots and prior to any action, is consciously designed to render strikes less effective and impactful. Workers in the postal service have retainedContinue reading “Public (Zoom) meeting, 7pm, Thursday 9 December: How postal workers maintained a tradition of unofficial action”
UCU versus the anti-union laws
By a Cambridge UCU member The University and College Union (UCU) last week announced the results of two national ballots. Higher Education (HE) sector members were balloted on two disputes: the long-running “USS” pensions issue, and on the “Four Fights”: pay, workload, casualisation, and inequality. Pensions in HE have been systematically attacked over the pastContinue reading “UCU versus the anti-union laws”
For a national demo against anti-union laws!
In recent months, three major labour movement bodies – the TUC Congress, Unite’s policy conference, and the RMT AGM – have passed policies calling for a protests, including a national demonstration, against existing and proposed anti-union and anti-strike laws. RMT’s policy resolved: • To call a national demonstration to resist the law.• To approach otherContinue reading “For a national demo against anti-union laws!”
RMT says: we won’t comply with new anti-strike laws
The recent AGM of the National Union of Rail, Maritime, and Transport workers passed several motions on resisting anti-union laws. These reaffirmed RMT’s strong opposition to all legal restrictions on the right to organise and strike, both existing and proposed, and committed the union to continue working with campaigns including Free Our Unions. Crucially, inContinue reading “RMT says: we won’t comply with new anti-strike laws”
Unite reaffirms opposition to all anti-union laws
Unite’s policy conference passed a comprehensive composite on the anti-union laws, committing the union to organising a demonstration and conference against the laws, and breaking the laws where necessary. We reproduce the motion in full below. Unite has previously taken a similarly strong stance against anti-union laws; earlier this year, Free Our Unions supporters inContinue reading “Unite reaffirms opposition to all anti-union laws”
What Unite’s climate change policy says about the anti-union laws
On 18 October, the national policy conference of the Unite union passed a comprehensive motion on climate change. We reproduce the motion in full below, but highlight in particular its sections on anti-strike laws. The motion commits Unite to producing “guidance on what climate-related demands to include in collective bargaining, including ones which could beContinue reading “What Unite’s climate change policy says about the anti-union laws”
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