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: Acropolis closed due to strike
Attendants at Greek archaeological sites have decided to focus their strike on the symbolic target of the Acropolis in Athens.
The Acropolis will be closed this weekend as well as next weekend in support of workers' demands. They are currently calling for a bonus for night work, an increased bonus for working six days and week and for permanent jobs for contract workers.
Ivory Coast: customs and tax officers strike
Tax officers and customs officers launched strikes this week to demand payment of bonuses.
The customs officers' strike was in relation to unpaid quarterly bonuses. The planned 42-hour strike began on Wednesday in spite of assurance given by the Director General, Gnamien Konan, that bonuses would be paid in full by Thursday morning.
South African unions call off massive strike
Unions have agreed to a government pay offer just 0.5% above inflation, describing it as "fantastic."
Nearly four weeks ago, with inflation running at around 7% and following several years of declining real wages, an indefinite strike began across the South African public sector involving hundreds of thousands of workers (libcom.org coverage 1 [url=http://libcom.org/news/south-africa-zacf-statement-support-publ
South Africa: ZACF statement of support for public sector strike
Statement of support by the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation (southern Africa) for the public sector strikes which are currently sweeping South Africa.
ZACF Statement of Support for the Public Sector Strike
South Africa: ‘Massive’ strike spreads on 13th day
A nationwide public sector strike by hundreds of thousands of workers has shut down schools, courts and hospitals in a bitter dispute over pay that has seen the army deployed against pickets.
Today thousands of workers have joined one of the largest strikes in South African history. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) – which is a partner in the ANC government – has called for a one-day solidarity strike today from public and private sector workers as the ongoing pay dispute enters its 13th day.
A disgrace before God: Striking black sanitation workers vs. black officialdom in 1977 Atlanta
This article is a case study of the betrayal of the African American working class by the Black political class brought to power by the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960's.
"A disgrace before God"
Bureaucrats - Simon Leys
Despite the claims of the Maoist ruling elite of a complete break with feudal ways, Leys illustrates that the finely graded hierarchies of Maoist officialdom inherited and preserved the earlier bureaucratic structures of privilege.
Simon Leys is the pen-name of Pierre Ryckmans; he has written extensively on the history, culture and politics of China.
From; Chinese Shadows, Simon Leys; Penguin Books, London, 1978.
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Bureaucrats
(Simon Leys)
Bin workers fight cuts with unofficial work to rule
Refuse collectors in Breckland began taking on-the-job action on Monday in a dispute over job cuts.
The Watton and Swaffham Times reported that rubbish is mounting up outside homes in Breckland because binmen are locked in an industrial dispute.
Waste went uncollected at a number of properties on Monday and there are fears the bin backlog could spread to other homes in the district after its rubbish collection teams began a “work to rule”.
Argentina: Rubber bullets and tear gas against municipal workers
Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina, May 9th
Municipal workers in Río Gallegos, capital city of Santa Cruz province and home of Argentine president Néstor Kirchner, were attacked by state police while marching to demand payment of a promised wage increase
The march on May 9th was entirely non-violent and was attempting to go to the provincal center of government to register their demands when they were attacked with tear gas, rubber bullets and according to some reports lead shot.
Up to 200,000 civil and public servants in mayday strike
UK civil and public servants across 200 government departments, agencies and non-departmental bodies will be taking part in a second one day national strike today (1 May) in an escalation in a dispute over job cuts, pay and privatisation.
The second one day strike called by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will hit a range of services including courts, passports, tax, Jobcentres, galleries and driving tests. The May Day stoppage comes as the government continues to axe more than 100,000 civil and public servants, insist on below inflation pay rises and plough on with privatisation.
