Why workers strike

Workers are staging unofficial walkouts across the UK as soaring inflation and pay disputes trigger a wave of “wildcat” strikes that threatens to cause major economic disruption. Thousands of employees at factories around the country joined unofficial picket lines yesterday, with more action expected in the coming days. Hundreds of contractors at chemicals giant INEOS’s Grangemouth complex in Scotland walked out in an unofficial action, blocking roads in a protest over a pay offer. Similarly-sized walkouts took place at Humber Refinery in North Lincolnshire, owned by US energy group Phillips 66, and at the Valero refinery in Milford Haven. Further wildcat strikes are planned at sites across Teesside in the coming days, according to local media reports. It follows similar action by non-unionised Amazon warehouse workers , who walked out last week in a dispute over pay, and train drivers at Avanti West Coast, who have this week brought some services to a halt by refusing … [Read more...] about Wildcat strikes spread across Britain as thousands of workers stage unofficial walkouts over pay

Even in an age of smartphones and emails, physical post is still part of everyday life. Many of us will get bills, mail from HMRC, magazine subscriptions, written notes from loved ones, or even medical appointment notices through the letterbox – in addition to getting parcels. Alas, Royal Mail is set to be affected by strike action in the very near future, as many industries have been this summer. Thousands of workers are taking industrial action over several days due to a a pay dispute, and it could indeed affect your post, so it’s certainly useful to know when it’s all happening. Here are the dates, and what else you need to know. When is the Royal Mail strike? The Royal Mail strike is set to happen in August and September, on the following days: Friday, August 26 Wednesday, August 31 Thursday, September 8 Friday, September 9. A r o u n d 115,000 workers , who are members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) , are expected … [Read more...] about When is the Royal Mail strike?

More than 115,000 Royal Mail workers are to strike later this month as they call for a ‘dignified, proper pay rise’. Briton shouldn’t expect to get post on August 26, and 31, and then on September 8 and 9, as Communication Workers Union (CWU) members walk out. Following failed negotiations, Royal Mail offered an unconditional 2% pay increase, backdated to April 1, 2022. A further 3.5% increase was made available, subject to agreeing on a series of changes, said the company, which was fully privatised in 2015. But the CWU rejected the offer, saying it would mean a ‘dramatic reduction’ in living standards due to soaring inflation – currently at 9.4% and on track to hit 11% in October. CWU general secretary, Dave Ward, said: ‘Nobody takes the decision to strike lightly, but postal workers are being pushed to the brink. ‘There can be no doubt that postal workers are completely united in their determination to secure the dignified, proper pay rise they deserve. ‘We … [Read more...] about ‘No letters for four days’ when 115,000 Royal Mail workers go on strike this month

Published 4 hours ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Stand-in Finance Secretary John Swinney has called on Scotland's councils to improve their pay offer to staff. The deputy first minister, who is covering Kate Forbes' maternity leave, said he expected local authorities to match the £140m extra pledged by the Scottish government for pay rises. A 2% deal has been rejected by staff at schools, nurseries and waste and recycling centres. It comes as new strike dates were set by GMB Scotland and Unison. Refuse workers will walk out between Friday 26 and Monday 29 August and from Wednesday 7 to Friday 10 September. The action affects Aberdeen City, Angus, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Falkirk, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Highland, Midlothian, Orkney, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Perth and Kinross and North Lanarkshire. On Thursday Unite … [Read more...] about Government tells councils to improve staff pay to avert strikes

Published 2 days ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Bin workers at 15 Scottish councils will go on strike in a new wave of industrial action later this month. The Unite union said about 1,500 members would walk out from 24 August to 31 August over a pay dispute. It follows a first wave of strikes in Edinburgh next week during the city's International and Fringe festivals. Unite said the action would hit all council waste services in response to a "pitiful" 2% local government pay offer. The councils affected are Aberdeen, Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian. Councils to get extra £140m towards workers' pay Bin collectors to strike during Edinburgh Festival It is part of a coordinated campaign by … [Read more...] about Bin workers at 15 Scottish councils to strike in pay dispute

A UNIVERSAL Credit loophole means that some low-paid workers may have missed out on their cost of living payment. The cost of living payment is a £650 cash boost being given out to millions of low income Brits. The money is arriving in two instalments to help struggling households with food and bills during the cost of living crisis . The first half of £326, should have landed in bank accounts last month. But it is feared that some may have missed out on their first payment due to a little known loophole. A feature with the payroll system has meant that some people have seen their benefit entitlement removed. In order to be eligible for the cost of living payment, you must have in receipt of Universal Credit during the assessment period between April 26 and May 25 (or have submitted a claim by then, which goes on to be successful). Read more on money news LAST POST Post Office workers to strike for 3 days - check how you will be … [Read more...] about Universal Credit loophole means low-paid workers may have missed out on eye-watering amount

The trains will be on strike again this week. Later this month, the Post Office workers will walk out. Up in Scotland, public sector workers are planning a series of one-day actions, while wildcat stoppages are hitting everything from chemical factories to warehouses to distribution centres. Along with the energy shortages, the drought, soaring inflation, and potentially energy rationing, we now have militant unions taking us right back to the chaos of the 1970s as well. At some point, businesses will have to lead a fightback against that. Like who? Step forward Amazon, now the UK’s 10th largest private employer. In the United States, it has already developed a range of techniques for taking the fight back to the unions, including hiring consultants and social media campaigners to argue against labour organisers. Without walkouts at its UK distribution centres, it surely can't be long before it starts campaigning against the British unions as well. Sure, we can all … [Read more...] about Amazon is leading the fight against resurgent militant unions

It has only been 10 months since Nicky Haslam, the self-appointed annual arbiter of what is and isn’t couth in modern society, declared “out-of-office” email replies to be officially, indisputably common. And yet here we are in the first week of August, peak holiday season, under siege again from a tsunami of subject lines containing those three little Os. OOO? Aaargh. In an era when the machine of HR is supposed to have stripped workers of the ability to think for themselves, the content, tone and format of automated out-of-office replies remains mystifyingly left up to the individual. Fancy oversharing wildly? You may. Feel like making it clear you despise your job ? So be it. Wish to redirect all contacts to a fictional person? That is your right. It is the last truly lawless area of professional life. And while that sounds like a good thing, it’s absolutely not. It strikes me that there are three dominant modes of OOO: indefatigably blunt, needlessly passive-aggressive and … [Read more...] about The message your out-of-office reply is really sending

Relations between the European Union and Switzerland could take a turn for the worse as negotiations for a new treaty have all but stalled. The breakdown in talks over the summer was precipitated by Swiss labour unions who accuse the EU of trying to undercut Swiss working conditions. Without an agreement, EU officials have warned, cross-border stock trading could be severely impacted and Switzerland could find its access to the single market limited. Here's what you need to know about the situation. 100 bilateral agreements Currently, the relationship between the 28-country bloc and the landlocked alpine country is governed by more than 100 bilateral agreements ratified since a first free trade agreement was struck in 1972. The agreements — ranging from free movements of persons, public procurement, agriculture, air and land transport to deals on taxation and savings and combating fraud — also see Switzerland participate in the single market and the Schengen … [Read more...] about Switzerland is also negotiating its relationship with the EU

N orway has drawn up plans to ration electricity exports in a move that has heightened fears of energy shortages in the UK and Europe this winter. The government in Oslo on Monday announced new rules limiting the sale of power to foreign countries as heatwaves threaten Norway’s hydroelectric power generation. Experts said the restrictions threatened the UK’s plan to draw power from Norway this winter via the North Sea Link - leaving electricity supplies more stretched and risking even higher bills for consumers. The National Grid has already revealed that the UK is set to be more dependent than ever on the Continent for power, with interconnectors expected to provide up to 5.7 gigawatts of electricity at peak times. About one quarter of that total – or 1.4 gigawatts – is set to come from Norway. Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt-Logic, said the proposed restrictions “put at risk the ability of Britain to import from Norway this winter”. “National Grid ESO needs to … [Read more...] about Norway threatens to ration electricity in fresh blow for UK and European energy supplies