roads
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
Sacked traffic wardens continue protest in Belfast
Protests continued today for former Belfast traffic wardens after 26 were sacked in April for taking part in unofficial strike action.
Around 30 people were present at today's protest, made up of the sacked workers, supporters from Organise! and representatives from the union representing the workers, the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa). The protests are now a daily occurrence on May Street in Belfast, where the offices of the employer National Car Parks (NCP) are located.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
With a planetary ecological crisis on hand, it can no longer be denied that socialism will be incompatible with mass production and mass consumption. Indeed, even without returning to Malthusian catastrophe theories, we are forced to admit that the planet’s resources are not inexhaustible. These resources could provide for humanity’s needs, but only if they are used in a reasonable and rational way, i.e., in a manner directly opposed to capitalist logic, which in itself is a source of imbalance.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
by Alternative Libertaire
Department for Transport workers to strike
The Public and Commercial Services Union today announced a one day strike on 29 February involving over 8,500 members working for the Department for Transport (DfT) and five of its agencies.
The one day strike will hit driving tests, regional centres controlling the flow of motorway traffic as well as the half yearly introduction of new number plates, and is in response to a series of below inflation pay offers and widening pay gaps between the predominantly female staffed DVLA and the predominantly male DfT and related agencies.
Italy: truck drivers strike over conditions
An estimated 90% of Italian truckers have taken to the streets in protest at rising fuel prices and deregulation of the market.
There have been three major types of protests: filtered barrages on motorways; blockades of motorways and rolling barrages. The strike action is planned to last five days and is likely to seriously affect the 70% of Italian freight that is moved by road. According to La Stampa the strike will cost up to €5bn although the FAI union estimate is €2bn.
Parking attendants wildcat in Manchester
A wildcat strike by parking attendants in Manchester over a sub-inflation pay offer has cost the employer thousands of pounds in unissued fines.
The Manchester Evening News reports:
Parking attendants in Manchester have gone back to work after a day of industrial action. They turned up for work this morning but refused to go out to work in a continuing row over pay and treatment by management.
Deputies examine CPE replacement text as smaller demos continue
The deputies have this evening started to examine the private bill which replaces the CPE tonight.
Meanwhile, having obtained the withdrawal of the CPE, university and high-school students demonstrated calling for the abolition of the rest of the 'law of equal opportunities' which the CPE was a part of, and of the CNE contract which was introduced last September.
7 April: Demonstrators injured in Paris as blockades continue
France protests news roundup from 7 April, including a car ploughing into demonstrators, office occupations and blockades.
Demonstrators injured in Paris
From the BBC:
6 April: Villepin makes major speech amidst mass transport blockades
A round-up of news from the anti-CPE struggle in France, including Villepin's speech and responses, and the transport blockades across the country.
- Four student demonstrators and one policeman were injured on Thurday, the 6th April. At the end of the aftermoon, the police force removed some 450 students who were blocking the railways on the North Matabiau station and stopped traffic for an hour and half. According to the local authority, the five injured people were transferred to the hospital.
5 April: CPE protests updates
Latest news from the anti-CPE struggle from across France from Wednesday 5 April including blockades of businesses and roads.
-The police force have opened the Gustave Eiffel High School, in Gagny, by force
-A hundred anti-CPE demonstrators, including the Revolutionary Communist League figurehead and postal worker Olivier Besancenot, blocked the postal sorting office in Nanterre earlier today
4 April: CPE protest live updates
Hour-by-hour coverage of the day of strikes, demonstrations and further blockades and occupations across France against the new employment law.
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