Lionesses of Cisanello: workers’ victory in times of austerity
Submitted by StrugglesInItaly on Mar 19 2013 20:58
Cleaners at the Cisanello hospital in Pisa picketed their workplace for over three months, from October 2012 to January 2013. They were protesting the proposed cancellation of 78 jobs to comply with the cutbacks to healthcare spending. Their determination earned them the nickname of "lionesses," several tensions with local high ranking members of their union, and, eventually, victory against the contracting firm. Their resistance and solidarity shows that workers can still win in times of austerity.
The lionesses of Cisanello
For the cleaners at Pisa’s Cisanello Hospital, the nightmare began in October 2012 when the Local Health Agency of Pisa announced a reduction of 5% in the cleaning budget to comply with the Spending Review bill passed by the Monti cabinet. The hospital had only recently been renovated, with the Emergency Department opening in 2010.
Women in the cleaning sector and hotel-restaurant industry: syndicalist conversations
The purpose of these interviews is to provide an insight into the situation and the struggles of female workers in the cleaning sector and the hotel-restaurant industry. To this end, we have met cleaning and catering trade union members of the CNT-Solidarité Ouvrière in the Paris region.
More generally, we hope to encourage readers to think about the relationships between women's struggles and labour unions, from the perspective of emancipatory social transformation. Of course, this article does not claim to exhaust the subject, but rather elicit contributions.
IWW lobby BMA council for a London living wage for BMA house cleaning staff
Submitted by IWW Europe on Nov 29 2012 20:36
On Wednesday 28th November members of the London General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) organised a lobby of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council to demand a London Living Wage for the IWW unionised cleaning staff of BMA House, London.
On Wednesday 28th November members of the London General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) [1] organised a lobby of the British Medical Association (BMA) Council to demand a London Living Wage [2] for the IWW unionised cleaning staff of BMA House, London. (The attached press release can be downloaded from the bottom right of this page).
Bravery and creativity in the crisis - a Wobbly organiser's thoughts on the struggle
Submitted by IWW Europe on Nov 26 2012 21:59
Some reflections on the recent resurgence of the Wobblies, their current campaigns, and their role in radicaly renewing the labour movement and reviving the working class' struggle against capitalist exploitation.
Author: An IWW organiser
Source: http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2012/11/22/bravery-and-creativity-crisis
The IWW currently has two priority campaign in London. Firstly, there is a major campaign at John Lewis, which has just landed a major victory. Workers have won an immediate and backdated pay rise of 9% following the threat of strikes.
IWW Victory! John Lewis cleaners win pay rise
Submitted by IWW Europe on Nov 23 2012 19:23
The industrial Workers of the World are proud to announce their victory in their latest John Lewis cleaners' campaign. On Friday 16 November, the IWW-unionised John Lewis cleaning staff employed by contractor Integrated Cleaning Management won a 9% pay rise as a result of their campaign.
Outsourced John Lewis cleaners have won an immediate and backdated 9% pay rise following their pledge of industrial action. The increase, backdated 5 months, takes their pay to £6.72 per hour at three central London sites, and £6.50 at one outer London site. Supervisors will now get £8.00 per hour and £7.84 respectively.
IWW John Lewis cleaners win pay rise
Submitted by Steven. on Nov 20 2012 20:16
Cleaners at contractor ICM working in John Lewis stores in London, who are members of the Industrial Workers of the World revolutionary union, have won a 9% backdated pay rise following them balloting for strike action.
Outsourced John Lewis cleaners have won an immediate and backdated 9% pay rise following their pledge of industrial action. The increase, backdated 5 months, takes their pay to £6.72 per hour at three central London sites, and £6.50 at one outer London site. Supervisors will now get £8.00 per hour and £7.84 respectively.
IWW cleaners at John Lewis to ballot for industrial action
Submitted by IWW Europe on Nov 14 2012 19:02
On Wednesday 14 November 2012, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) announced their intention to ballot IWW unionised John Lewis cleaning staff for industrial action. The outsourced cleaners work at four different John Lewis sites in London and are employed by cleaning contractor Integrated Cleaning Management (ICM). This announcement follows a previous press release on Monday 12 November, in which IWW lodged a fresh pay dispute on behalf the IWW unionised cleaners at John Lewis. Attached campaign press releases can be downloaded at the bottom of this article.
Today, Wednesday 14th November, the Industrial Workers of the World union (IWW) [1] have notified cleaning company Integrated Cleaning Management (ICM) of the intention to ballot cleaners at four John Lewis sites for industrial action in the current pay dispute.
IWW cleaners at John Lewis in new pay dispute
Submitted by IWW Europe on Nov 12 2012 20:46
On Monday 12th November 2012 the Industrial Workers of the World union (IWW) lodged a fresh pay dispute on behalf of outsourced cleaners at John Lewis.
On Monday 12 November 2012 the Industrial Workers of the World union (IWW) [1] lodged a fresh pay dispute on behalf of outsourced cleaners at John Lewis. This follows an IWW cleaners' strike at John Lewis in Oxford Street earlier in the year [2] – the first strike in John Lewis history.
Call for justice for BMA cleaning workers
Submitted by IWW Europe on Oct 1 2012 17:15
The Industrial Workers of the World union are calling for a Living Wage and improved working conditions for the cleaners who work at the Head Quarters of the British Medical Association in London.
The cleaner’s employment is outsourced to a contractor (currently Interserve PLC) and they, like far too many Londoners, have been earning poverty wages of £6.08 p/h. They need and deserve the London Living Wage (LLW) of £8.30 p/h. To quote the Mayor of London whose office sets the LLW:
Houston janitors score victory against the bosses
Submitted by working class s... on Aug 18 2012 11:54
Following two months of mass demonstrations, civil disobedience, sit-ins, rallies, 70 arrests, and marches, Houston Janitors have won a huge victory against the bosses.
Janitors in Houston are amongst the poorest paid in the country, earning much less than Janitors in other comparable cities.
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