public and third sector
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the public and charity sectors. It includes housing, but does not include most nationalised industries like health, transport or security forces.
Greece: General strike against pension reform
Thousands of Greek workers have joined a 24-hour strike in protest against reforms which could jeapordise pensions and jobs.
Launched by Greece's two largest unions, the strike has affected all public services, hospitals, banks, courts and airports. All flights out of Athens airport have been grounded after air traffic controllers, pilots and flight crews walked out, and ferry and metro systems across the country have been hit.
UK: Public service strike enters second day
70,000 workers at Jobcentres, benefits offices, the Pension Service and Child Support Agency (CSA) are on strike for a second day over the imposition of a below inflation pay offer.
The two day strike called by PCS members working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), follows the imposition of a below inflation pay offer which sees the lowest paid receiving increases which take their wage to only 24 pence above the minimum wage and approximately 40% of staff set to receive a 0% pay increase next year.
France: gas and electricity workers strike
.jpg "liberated EDF vehicles at national demonstration November 20")
Workers for the state-owned gas and electricity companies (GDF and EDF) have begun a one-day strike after negotiations broke down on Tuesday.
According to company spokesmen the strike is being observed by 14.2% of workers at GDF (compared to 13.4% November 20th) and 13.5% at EDF (28%). There have been four strikes in the last six weeks, with observance reaching 60% in October. At the demonstration during the last strike a cortege of some 50 liberated EDF vehicules with their numberplates covered took part.
France: Social Security workers to strike over purchase power
In a week that has seen Sarkozy's approval rating drop below 50% yet another group of workers prepares to fight back against worsening conditions.
The diminishing purchase power of workers due to stagnant wages and inflation is a cause for nationwide concern, with workers demanding pay increases and bonuses to make back the losses from sub-inflation offers in previous years.
France: More workers join strikes
Hundreds of thousands of health workers, civil servants, printers postal workers and air traffic controllers yesterday joined transport and energy strikes over pensions and pay.
Thousands joined street protests in Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon and other cities.
The 24 hour strike left many schools closed, hospitals providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers.
The BBC reported that the French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south suffered delays and cancellations.
France: not as inefficient as post-Thatcher Britain
As is often the case when large-scale strikes break out, those deeply professional people in the mainstream press have been sitting on the fence as neutral reporters of the news.
The Times has managed a doozy today:
Quote:
The civil service strike, led by leftwing unions, is a warning shot by the forces of conservative resistance to Mr Sarkozy's attempts to ease the burden of regulation and subsidies that choke the French economy...Mr Sarkozy's plans to slim down the country's mammoth civil service.
Behind the unrest in France, 2007
Jef Costello examines the reasons behind the recent wave of strikes and university occupations in France.
The keyword in current French politics is reform. Both presidential candidates claimed that France needs to modernise to be able to complete on a global level. Surveys showed that most voters identified both Royal and Sarkozy as 'candidats de la rupture' meaning that they represented a break, a break from the traditions of working class militancy and France's revolutionary and socialist past.
Congo: civil servants launch week-long strike
The strike was launched on Monday in protest at government failure to implement a new payscale.
The Mbudi accord was negotiated in 2004 and has still not been implemented by the government. The pay scale is from $208 to $2080. The government promised to progressively implement the scale in 2006, beginning with a movement to a pay scale from $70 to $700.
Examining the 2007 Royal Mail dispute
Rob Ray explains the introduction of competition to the postal service, and why it will be the government, not postal workers, who the public have to thank for the loss of cheap post and the universal service.
The problem, according to headlines in the mainstream press, was a 2.5% pay rise being offered by Royal Mail to its 190,000 workers, along with some vague problems to do with ‘terms and conditions’.
The reality of what is being faced by the postal workers is far more complex and vastly more damaging, not just for them, but for everyone who wants to be sure of getting their mail.
PCS members vote for national strike
Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the union’s proposals for national industrial action aimed at resolving the ongoing national dispute in the civil service and related bodies over job cuts, below inflation pay and privatisation.
68% of members voting in the national consultative ballot voted for national strike action as part of the union’s campaign, which has already seen two strongly supported national one day strikes this year. The result is a clear demonstration of PCS members resolve to reach a fair settlement with senior civil service management and the government over jobs, pay and conditions.
