job losses
Archive of articles on job losses and working class struggles against them.
Belfast protests continue for sacked Nortel workers
Sacked Nortel workers and supporters continued their protests in Belfast today rallying for their redundancy packages.
Pickets of Nortel administrators continued in Belfast today outside the offices of Ernst & Young on Bedford Street.
More strikes at Royal Mail over job cuts
Workers at Royal Mail have started strikes following a disagreement over cuts to jobs and services. The strikes will run on selected days between 17 and 24 August and have already begun in Coventry, London, Leamington Spa, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent and will continue across the UK.
The union says Royal Mail is failing to invest in modernisation and is cutting jobs without agreement. Royal Mail says the union opposes necessary changes.
This phase of strikes comes before the the Communication Workers Union (CWU) aims to issue a national ballot in September on industrial action. It has argued that the reduction in jobs would compromise the quality of services provided.
Ssangyong motors strike in South Korea ends in defeat and heavy repression
Loren Goldner's analysis and overview of the defeated strike and occupation of the Ssangyong Motors plant against job cuts.
The Ssangyong Motor Company strike and plant occupation in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, ended after 77 days on Aug. 5. For the 976 workers who seized the small auto plant on May 22 and held it against repeated quasi-military assault, the settlement signed by Ssangyong court receivership manager Park Young-tae and local union president Han Sang-kyun represented a near-total defeat.
Victorious Belfast Traffic Warden speaks
From issue 2 of The Leveller, this is an expanded version of the story of the four-month battle against bosses by Belfast traffic wardens. This article contains extracts from an interview with an NCP worker involved in the dispute elaborated on the deal they had won, and how they fought their bosses.
Belfast traffic wardens have expressed joy at finally winning their demands in their struggle against their employer NCP. The workers were engaged in almost daily protest since April after 28 were sacked for taking part in wildcat industrial action over working conditions and sick-pay.
Victory to Belfast Traffic Wardens!
After a 4 month battle against bosses over their sacking for wildcat action, 28 traffic wardens in Belfast have won their fight.
Traffic wardens this week expressed joy at finally winning their demands in their struggle against their employer NCP. The workers were engaged in almost daily protest since April after 28 were sacked for taking part in wildcat industrial action over working conditions and sick-pay.
Direct Action #47 Summer 2009 Solidarity Federation
Direct Action #47 Summer 2009
Direct Action is published by the Solidarity Federation, the British section of the International Workers Association (IWA). DA is edited & laid out by the DA Collective. Views stated in these pages are not necessarily those of the Direct Action Collective or the Solidarity Federation. We do not publish contributors’ names. Please contact us if you want to know more.
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Protests continue in Belfast for sacked Nortel workers
Protests continued today in support of 87 workers sacked with no redundancies at the Nortel plant outside Belfast last March.
Workers and protestors gathered outside the Bedford Street offices of Nortel's administrators, Ernst & Young, in Belfast. Members of Organise! joined the sacked workers as they unfurled banners and handed information lealfets to shoppers and workers in central Belfast.
Ssangyong occupation has ended: August 6, 2009
Once the fierce fighting ended yesterday (August 5, 2009), 100 strikers left the occupation throughout the night (many out of disgust at the ruthlessness of the state and company's violence). At the end of the negotiations last week, management's last offer was 60% of the workers would accept voluntary retirement (or termination) with 40% taking an unpaid furlough until they're called back. Negotiations began today at 11:00 a.m., with the union now agreeing to retirement for 52%, with 48% for the furlough. The strike is over and the occupiers will leave the factory any minute.
***Update August 6, 2009: the strike & occupation has come to an end on its 77th day***
It ended at 2:50 p.m. Korea time (30 minutes ago).
Ssangyong occupation update: August 5, 2009
The final battle will come shortly. Serious injuries occurred today. The only remaining occupied factory building is the paint department, with about 500 strikers defending it. The cops have taken control of all the rest of the surrounding buildings. The crackdown on the strikers has been extremely brutal.
***Update August 5, 2009 4:30 p.m. (Korea time)***
Condition of workers mentioned in previous thread: one fell going from roof to roof and broke his vertebrae, as well as head injuries. Serious, but not life-threatening. 2 others fell from roof, but injuries were not as serious. But 30 others, on both sides, were injured and needed medical attention.
Thomas Cook Dublin: Workers Released
The 28 workers arrested this morning for occupying the Grafton Street outlet of Thomas Cook were released this afternoon after agreeing not to resume their occupation or damage the property of Thomas Cook.
On Friday 31 July Thomas Cook managers and security went to close down shops in Dublin at 10 a.m. Over 70 staff were sacked and offered an appalling 5 weeks redundancy pay with the threat that it would be dropped to two weeks if the workers did not accept it. Staff in two of the outlets then occupied their workplaces in response.
