lockouts

Almost two years of unionising activity had resulted in workers ousting the corrupt, mainstream Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC) union from the shopfloor of the Industrial Vidriera Potosí (IVP) glass factory and replacing it with the independent Sindicato Único de Trabajadores de la Empresa IVP (SUTEIVP).

The ban took effect on Sunday (March 9th), and has been maintained on Monday (March 10th) as well. This step is a direct response to current conditions, which preclude overtime pay from counting into workers` pension plans.

The 1100 workers in Cananea have been out since 31 July, demanding improved hygiene and security, and show no signs of abating, despite the picket line being attacked by a combined force of 800 police (including the hated Policía federativa preventativa [PFP] who crushed the Oaxaca revolt in 2006) and milita

Employees became suspicious when upon returning from a Christmas break (which management had extended to 21 January without offering extra pay), they were locked out, told that the factory's doors had not been ordered open. Two days later, the workforce - comprising of at least 450, the majority of whom are indigenous women - learnt of their universal redundancies.

Workers were locked out on Wednesday after refusing a 25% cut in wages and 20% cut in benefits. Ledco Ltd., which makes parts for GM, Ford and Chrysler, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday evening.

April of 1998 saw a series of talks between private sector unions and employers in Denmark. Initiated by the unions in response to a general economic upturn in the country, the talks represented for many Danish workers the chance for improvements to their working conditions.

The action involved striking for 55 minutes of every hour, 24 hours a day in a struggle for better wages and conditions.

CBC.ca reported that the dispute flared up again after union members rejected a tentative deal struck in February to end a 15-day walkout.

United Transportation Union workers in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia began rotating strikes late Tuesday to force Canada's largest rail carrier to return to the bargaining table.

There has been no progress on their pay dispute as the company refused to negotiate in good faith.
“The company is refusing to negotiate with its workers and their union, and is hiding behind Howard’s laws to deny their workers a collectively negotiated agreement.”

Customers filled shopping trolleys with goods then used them to block the aisles of the Foodtown Tauranga supermarket. Each trolley included a message of support for the locked out workers.

The walkout was against cuts in benefits, and run almost entirely by union leaderships. While the supermarkets lost $2.5bn in profits, they succeeded in beating the strike and imposing the cuts.

Notes on Another Defeat for Workers in the US

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!

However, his comrade Mansoor Ossanlou, remains imprisoned after his arrest in December last year. Meanwhile the lock-out of some 1,000 bus workers continues, with another 116 more sacked last week.

Roopacherra tea estate in South Assam has been under lockout for nearly month after the executives abandoned it. Leading to the death of a three-year-old girl, Shivani Kalindi and two workers, Yogendra Kalindi, 22, and Manorama Dev, 60, according the workers' panchayat (council). Shivani had been taken to the garden hospital on Tuesday evening, but no doctor was available.

Roopacherra tea estate in South Assam has been under lockout for nearly month after the executives abandoned it. Leading to the death of a three-year-old girl, Shivani Kalindi and two workers, Yogendra Kalindi, 22, and Manorama Dev, 60, according the workers' panchayat (council). Shivani had been taken to the garden hospital on Tuesday evening, but no doctor was available.

The company declared the lockout on January 8 at its plant on the outskirts of Bangalore after unionised employees staged a wildcat strike to protest the dismissal of three colleagues accused of 'indiscipline' - 'union activity' according to the workers.

Introduction

Read information about the strike here:
http://libcom.org/tags/gate-gourmet

By far the best strike support website to check out is http://sackedbygategourmet.org.uk. Make sure you visit the support page for info on solidarity protests, support gigs, mailing list and more!

MERSEY DOCKS DISPUTE (UK)

For two years in the middle of the 1990s, 500 dockworkers were locked out by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company of Liverpool.

In the course of those long months, their inspiring fight against the casualisation of working conditions has raised a wide range of questions about the changing balance of forces between workers and capital, the nature of unionism, and the practical meaning of internationalism.

Dave Graham was active in Liverpool supporting the dockers throughout their dispute. More than this, he has provided a blow-by-blow assessment of both the conflict itself, and its broader significance.