civil servants
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the public and charity sectors. It includes housing, but does not include most nationalised industries like health, transport or security forces.
Tension on labour and prison fronts in Greece
Tension is building up on both labour and prison front in Greece, with 3000 prisoners refusing food across the country, and workers from different sectors staging marches and occupations
A week before the official start of the “unrest season”, the 30 days between the anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising (November 17), the anniversary of the assassination of Alexandros Grigoropoulos and the start of the 2008 December Uprising (December 6) and the trial of Girgoropoulos murderers (December 15), things are looking tense in Greece.
Reflections on work, legal aid and the welfare state
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A legal aid worker's analysis of legal aid, and its role in preserving social peace in capitalist society.
Introduction
General strike hits France
As the recession begins to bite in France, transport, education and other services are brought to a halt by a national strike demanding action on unemployment and the rising cost of living.
Bloomberg business news reported that France’s rail network, airports and public schools were disrupted today as the country’s eight biggest labor unions called for a one-day general strike.
General strike of civil servants in Morocco
Following the collapse of wage talks with the Moroccan government, the Moroccan Workers' Union, the Democratic Workers' Organisation and the Democratic Workers' Federation called a civil service general strike on Friday (January 23rd) and again on February 10th.
Democratic Workers’ Federation chief Abderrahman Azzouzi told Magharebia that the dialogue over the past few weeks could not be taken seriously, as the unions’ proposals had been rejected.
Cost of living pay increase struggles interview, 2008
An interview between Freedom newspaper and Steven Johns, libcom editor, local government worker and UNISON convenor analysing the UK pay disputes of 2008.
This year's big public sector pay disputes seemed to be gearing up for a fight, then fizzled out. What happened?
Civil service union settles on pay
The PCS union has reached agreement with the government over pay after suspending its strike action last month.
The exact details of the agreement seem unclear. The union is clearly attempting to make it look like a victory.
However, the pay offers still remain below inflation and so constitute real terms pay cuts or civil servants. Furthermore, the deal trades off "efficiency savings" (so cuts) with potential pay deals for remaining workers and so will divide the workforce against itself.
Teachers' union calls off strikes
Despite a vote in favour of discontinuous strikes over below inflation pay, the National Union of Teachers has announced there will be no further action.
A quarter of a million teachers walked out on April 24, disrupting nearly 10,000 schools in action which inspired many other workers in their fight against the government's 2% pay cap. This at a time with inflation running at around 5% constitutes real terms pay cuts.
However, the NUT then declined to ballot for action coordinated with other school workers in UNISON who struck on July 16-17.
Civil servants back industrial action over pay
A prolonged programme of industrial action, hitting civil and public services across the UK moved a step closer today, as PCS members backed strike action in a dispute over the government's 2% public sector pay cap.
80% of those balloted supported action short of strike, and 54% of those taking part in the ballot backed union plans for industrial action, which includes national civil service wide strikes, targeted strike action and overtime bans.
Work to rule starts to bite at Criminal Records Bureau
Industrial action by 450 workers at the Criminal Records Bureau in Liverpool is causing major backlogs in work according to managers.
It is understood that a report prepared for Home Office officials after the first week of a work-to-rule describes significant arrears in work which could considerably delay prospective nurses, teachers and social workers obtaining the necessary clearance to work with children and vulnerable adults.
The action has hit:
Conciliation staff in one hour stoppage over pay
More than 700 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) working for the conciliation service ACAS took part in a one hour strike on Friday (26 Sep) in a dispute over pay.
The stoppage, between 10. 30am and 11. 30am hitting offices across the UK and the ACAS helpline, follows delays in settling this year’s pay and a pay offer of 2% which will result in real term pay cuts.
This year’s pay increase was due on 1 August and follows a 10-month hold up to last year’s 2007 pay increase.
