rail
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
1911: Liverpool general transport strike
A short history of the strike movement that took hold of Liverpool during the summer of 1911. Culminating in a massive general strike of all transport workers, the movement displayed some of the most extraordinary scenes of class solidarity seen in Britain.
The strike movement of Liverpool occurred during the great period of industrial unrest that was to grip Britain between 1910 and the outbreak of the First World War. Beginning with a walk-out of seamen, the strike soon snowballed and went on to reach epic proportions, involving up to 70,000 people.
Belgium: rail-workers begin first one-day strike
Belgian rail-workers launched a one-day strike action on Saturday in support of their demands for new staff and a pay increase.
The strike was called by the Independent Rail-workers' Union (SIC). Although this is one of the smaller unions, officials predicted roughly 50% observance by workers in Flanders and slightly less in Wallonia. The strike began at 4:30am and ended at roughly midnight when the day's last train was due to run.
Transport strikes across Italy
Italy's biggest transport strike in 25 years forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, idled trains, anchored ships, and stalled buses across the country on Friday.
Aero-news.net reported that Italian carrier Alitalia canceled 217 domestic and international flights before a four-hour walkout by pilots, flight crew and ground staff beginning at 11 am. Air One, Italy's number two carrier, only guaranteed nine flights there.
France: Rail workers end strikes
.jpg "Strikers demonstrate against Sarkozy's 'reforms'")
After nine days of strike action rail workers finally ended their strike, although they did not win their demands the strike still had many positive aspects.
There is a certain bitterness amongst rail workers, with other strikers abandoning solidarity actions and their own unions selling them out. However what must be noted is that the strike itself was a victory for the rank and file.
Tube cleaners claim massive pay victory
Tube cleaners working for contractors to Metronet are to receive substantial pay rises when Transport for London takes over the failed privateer’s contracts, marking a huge victory for a two-year campaign by London Underground’s biggest union.
RMT today revealed that Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has agreed that the London Living Wage of £7.20 an hour will become the minimum for some 900 cleaners on former Metronet contracts from the moment TfL take charge of them.
For some cleaners paid only the minimum legal wage of £5.85 it will mean an increase of at least £1.35 an hour - well over 20%.
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: Transport strikes are still going strong
The strikes, which seemed to be tailing off, appear to be affecting more services as workers renew strike action ahead of negotiations on Wednesday.
The six unions involved in the strike (CGT, FO, CFTC, Unsa, CFE-CGC and SUD after the CFDT withdrawal on Friday) called on workers' assemblies to vote to continue strike action.
France: transport strike holds as CFDT union withdraws
Although the CFDT union advised its members to vote at AGs to return to work from Friday, the strike appears to be at least holding at a similar level.
The CFDT leadership argued that as the strike was visibly weakening each day it was better to return to the negotiating table, the government demanding an end to strikes as a condition of negotiations. The number of official strikers on Friday fell to 23% on the metro and 32% on the SNCF.
France: trains and bus strikes continue
Transport strikes continued across France today, although the number of services running increased.
According to the CGT observance of the strike today (Thursday) was at 46%, 42,8% according to management, figures for yesterday were 61.5%. In Paris observance dropped from 44% yesterday to 27.2%.
The striking unions called for AGs to vote to continue the action on Friday.
France: Transport and energy strikes begin
Workers fighting to defend their pension rights have launched a second strike.
This time the strike is reconductible, meaning that although it is not an unlimited strike it is renewable on a daily basis. The strike warning given by the unions was for a strike beginning from 8pm on Tuesday.
