communications
News and articles about work, policy and struggles in the communications sector, from telecoms to postal and delivery services around the world.
France: Post Office strikes
The flagship branch of the french post office and the only one to open 24 hours a day has been hit by strike actions.
Counter staff, sorting workers and delivery workers at the Le Louvre post office all took part in a one-day strike on April 11.
The counter staff are demanding the withdrawal of a new plan which threatens to slash the 100-strong workforce by 30%. In addition they are demanding that there be no changes to work schedules.
France: Posties win big victory
Postal workers in Paris' 17th arrondissement (district) have won a major victory against management cutbacks.
In addition to the dispute over payment for extra work during the election period, french posties are also threatened by the Facteurs d'avenir (Postmen of the future) plan.
Selectron workers sit-in
Workers at the Selectron Cwmcarn factory in South Wales staged a sit-in yesterday upon the arrival of the company's European Vice President.
The company announced at the end of March that it would close the factory in South Wales, making 150 people redundant, many having worked there for more than 25 years.Selectron has already reduced the workforce from 700 in the past five years, and sent many contracts overseas including one last year to Singapore.
Tahiti: Strikes underway with more to come
Employees at Tikiphone, the polynesian mobile phone provider went on indefinite strike last Tuesday.
The strike action is in support of a claim by workers for increased salaries and for their benefits to be brought into line with those of other workers at the Officeof post and telecommunications (OPT). An inter-union grouping of CSIP, CSTP/FO, Otahi, A Tia I Mua called the strike and 60% of workers are observing it.Tikiphone shops are either closed or picketed.
France: Posties prepare for strikes
Workers in seven French departments have given official notice of strike action in relation to a dispute over overtime payments.
The upcoming elections will require large amounts of extra deliveries, postal workers are demanding that they be paid a standard rate for deliveries as their estimate of the number of extra hours required differs heavily from management's. Management are claiming that the average worker will have to deliver an extra 580 envelopes and will be paid on average 7.5 hours overtime per week.
1995: The French pensions strikes
A short history of the massive strike movement against welfare reform in France in 1995.
During November and December of 1995 France was gripped by the largest strike movement the country had seen in recent years. After three weeks of strikes workers forced a government climbdown over the issue of changes to pensions of public sector workers.
Communication worker issue 5, 1988
A special bulletin of the rank and file Communication Workers Group's newsletter covering a strike ballot for a shorter working week.
From November 17th, probably in 1988 but possibly in 1987. If you know please let us know.
Weekend wildcat strikes hit Royal Mail in Edinburgh
Hundreds of postal workers in Scotland staged wildcat strikes over the weekend creating a backlog of mail.
The Daily Record today reported that staff at the processing centre launched the unofficial action on Friday night over working conditions.
Yesterday, Royal Mail bosses were meeting workers and union officials in a bid to resolve the dispute.
Around 1000 staff work at the automated processing centre at the Gyle.
Royal Mail bosses slammed the action as "unnecessary".
Canada: Wildcat strike in post wins extra staff
Sorting office workers downed tools yesterday morning after managers had failed to take heed of complaints about excessive workloads.
Citynews.ca reported that workers at a Canada Post sorting facility at Keele and Wilson briefly walked off the job Monday 19 March morning in a wildcat strike.
The reason for their special delivery protest? They claim they've been waiting three months for management to take action on complaints about their excessive workloads.
Belgium: Nivelles postal workers still out on strike.
Workers in the Nivelles offices decided to continue their strike after management refused to award permanent contracts to fixed term workers.
The were also walkouts in Ittre and Braine l'Alleud. Workers' representatives at meetings yesterday obtained some concessions. Management gave way on the organisation of routes and the need for extra workers on those routes.
However management stood firm on the issue of fixed-term contracts, refusing to make these contracts permanent.
