energy
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the energy sector around the world.
Hunterston nuclear power station "dirty tricks"
British Energy and British Nuclear Group keep up the pressure on striking workers at Hunterston.
British Energy and British Nuclear Group, who've stated that they won't get involved in the dispute between Amicus and Balfour Kilpatrick, have warned all employees and contractors not to stop and talk to the official Amicus picket at Hunterston Nuclear Power station
Iraq: strike roundup
A roundup of recent strikes from the Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI).
1. On Sunday [Sept. 3], hundreds of health sector workers held a strike in Nasiriyah city, 370 Km south of Baghdad and in Umara city 370 Km South-east of Baghdad. They raised demands of higher average salaries and repayment of contagious disease compensation (similar to dangers of work benefit). This sector was frozen for periods after the occupation.
Israel: electricity workers take action against privatisation
Workers at the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) have been taking strike and sabotage action against electricity market reform.
Workers halted the unloading of coal from IEC ships and prevented the removal of ash from power stations, likely to paraylze coal fired stations within 3-4 days. They also cut management off from computer, telephone and electricity services and blocked offices in what has been a series of activities designed to disrupt the company's activities using "all legal means".
Hunterston nuclear plant - strike update
Following the 2 day strike Balfour Kilpatrick bosses remain adamant that they won’t return the 50p enhancement to electricians pay that had been in place for 30 years.
Other developments:
> British Nuclear Group ban overtime for contractors who refused to cross the picket
> British Energy seeks an injunction to stop the planned strike action from being held on the public access road to the 2 power stations
1891: Miners against prison labour
Howard Zinn's account of American miners' struggles against the use of slave prison labour.
There were eruptions against the convict labour system in the South, in which prisoners were leased in slave labour to corporations, used thus to depress the general level of wages and also to break strikes.
Hunterston nuclear power station workers on strike
Workers employed by Balfour Kilpatrick at Hunterston nuclear power station began a series of weekly strikes today.
The decision to take strike action came after management withdrew a 50p/hour bonus that had been in place for 30 years. There are around 40 employees, members of the Amicus union, involved in the strikes, which will occur every Tuesday and Wednesday indefinitely.
1914: The Ludlow Massacre
The history of the Ludlow Massacre of striking coal miners, which was one of the most brutal attacks on organised labour in North American history.
Issues concerning labour had dogged the United States for many years preceding World War I and had resulted in widespread strike
1926: British general strike
A short history of Britain’s only ever general strike which lasted 10 days and was called in support of locked-out coal miners.
Britain’s only ever General Strike shook the British ruling class out of their thrones and showed brilliantly how collective working class action can change society.
It also showed how willing the ruling class and how unwilling labour leaders are to fight. Without wanting to sound too light-hearted: We could’ve done it if it wasn’t for those pesky Trade Union bureaucrats!
1919: La Canadiense and Barcelona general strike
A short history of the Barcelona general strike of 1919 which began after the sacking of eight workers, and ended up as one of the most successful working class actions in history.
The strike forced the introduction of the world's first 8-hour working day law and large pay increases.
1919: The 40-hours strike
The 40 Hours strike led by the Clyde Workers' Committee was the most radical strike seen on Clydeside in terms of both its tactics and its demands.
The objectives of the strike were overtly political; they were to secure a reduction of weekly working hours to 40 in order that discharged soldiers could find employment, and to stop the re-emergence of an unemployed reserve, thereby maintaining the strength of labour against capital.
