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*Jonathan Kozol:

Oaxacan teachers reach agreement with their union and local government

Sección 22, the radical Oaxacan section of the Latin American education workers' union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores en la Educación (SNTE), has finally signed deals with both the SNTE hierarchy and Oaxacan local government. However, the strike will continue until this weekend.

The strike (previously reported on Libcom here and here), a contrast of almost blanket support from union members and almost blanket condemnation

Mexico: teachers' strike spreads up the Pacific coast while Oaxaca cautiously holds firm

In for the long run: rainy season and 24 hour open air occupations

The annual teachers' strike in Oaxaca has been bolstered by soldarity strikes of other sections of the Sindicato Nacional de los Trabajadores en la Educación (SNTE) stretching up and down the Mexican Pacific coastline, while in Oaxaca itself, occupations and blockades continue apace in support. Most analysts however have already doomed the strike to failure.

On Friday 30th, the strike by the Oaxacan SNTE local (Sección 22, around whose strike coalesced the 2006 revolt) entered its 12th day, with more motorways blocked, more tollbooths closed down and more education buildings occupied throughout the state.

Oaxaca in revolt again: the Zócalo reoccupied, motorway tollbooths "liberated", roads blockaded

Oaxacan teachers occupy the city's [i]Zócalo[/i]

A 21 day series of strikes and occupations by the radical Sección 22 in Oaxaca of the Mexican teachers' union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores en la Educación kicked off in earnest on Tuesday. As of Thursday, the strike appears to be spreading - with popular support, solidarity and an increasing volume of activity.

The teachers' strike has various demands, although it's mostly calling for the freedom for all political prisoners, an end to the arrest orders and ongoing intimidation by the judicial authorities against the movement, new elections within the SNTE, and the handing over of all Oaxacan schools controlled by the pro-government Sección 59.

Council workers to vote on action

UNISON members in local government in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will vote on strike action to begin in July, while teachers discuss co-ordinated action.

UNISON members were given the green light for a ballot on industrial action after rejecting the pay offer from employers.

The offer is below the current inflation rate of 4.2% and less that the increase in average earnings across the economy.

Council workers to ballot for strike action

UNISON members working in local government in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been given the green light for a ballot on industrial action after rejecting the pay offer from employers.

The offer is for a 2.45% increase, with an additional £100 flat rate increase on the very lowest three scale points.

Further education unions reject pay offer

Further education unions have rejected a below-inflation pay offer proposed by employers at talks today (May 6th).

Six unions representing 250,000 members working in colleges across England in jobs such as cleaning, catering and admin as well as professional roles are seeking a pay rise of 6% or £1,500 - whichever is the greater - to guarantee the lowest-paid workers a minimum wage of £7.38. However, employers have come back with an offer of 2.5%.

20,000 Birmingham council workers to strike

20,000 GMB, UNISON, AMICUS, TGWU (Unite) and UCATT members will strike alongside teachers and lecturers against council plans to use ‘Single Status’ negotiations to cut pay and jobs.

Council workers will be protesting against the new pay and grading system imposed by Birmingham council last week, affecting 40,000 staff.

UNISON has branded the structure discriminatory. Though it was designed to end wage inequalities, some workers will lose up to half their pay.

UK teachers set for first national strike in 21 years

Members of the National Union of Teachers are set to take part in the first national teachers strike in 21 years in response to the government's failure to keep pay-rises in-line with the rate of inflation.

After four years of below-inflation pay increases, up to 200,000 members of one of the biggest UK teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT), are set to strike on April 24th. The membership voted for a one-day walkout. 75% of those voting were in favour of a one-day walkout, with 25% against. Turnout for the vote was 32%.

Broken Barricades: The Oaxaca Rebellion in Victory, Defeat, and Beyond - Collective Reinventions

Oaxaca street barricade, 2006

An analysis of the 2006 Oaxaca rebellion and its contradictions. Its diversity encompassed workers, indigenous groups, Stalinists, anarchists and others. Its weapons and tactics included general assemblies, strikes, barricades, mirrors and fireworks.

More strikes expected as Greece passes pension reform

Greek unions promise to continue protests against the government's pension reforms, passed on Thursday.

The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.

Greece heading towards general strike

Workers during last general strike in December

Greek workers are set to go on general strike tomorrow (Wednesday 19th March) in protest of the government's planned pension reforms.

The government's reforms would mean the merging of pension funds and increasing the pension age for some workers. The government, however, has not made public any details on the size of savings that will accrue from the reforms. The trade unions have also argued that the current pension system could survive if bosses were made to pay their contributions.

Strikes spread across Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean soldiers - given substantial pay rise

Teachers, nurses, doctors and civil servants have been taking industrial action since last Wednesday calling for an immediate review of salaries and benefits.

In the capital Harare, the strike has been compounded by the ongoing strike by council workers who downed tools last Wednesday, demanding a rise in their salaries.

Make sacking easier - says think-tank

Education unions have responded with anger to the recommendation of a conservative think-tank advocating making sacking of staff and pupil expulsion easier.

The unions assert that the report shows a distinct lack of knowledge of the reality in mainstream school and reveals the agenda behind the academy program.

Mexico: Oaxacan teachers occupy secondary school

Schoolteachers affiliated to the Sección 22 branch of the education union SNTE (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores en Educación) - the main protagonists behind the Oaxaca revolt of 2006 - have occupied a secondary school in eastern Oaxaca under the control of the Sección 59 scab union branch.

The occupation started as of yesterday (15 February) and is a preliminary attempt to reclaim all the schools organised by the 5,000-strong Sección 59, created by the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) Oaxacan state government and the SNTE leadership in Mexico City in an attempt to defeat the strikers in Sección 22 and thereby the 2006 uprising.

Cuts resurrected for Edinburgh schools

The latest drive to improve education by New Labour got off to a bad start after Edinburgh city council set up a cross-party group to decide which schools get closed in 2008.

The renewed threat of closures resurrects a plan which local people had believed to be over when a community campaign overturned the proposed closure of 22 schools and four community centres in the city last year.

France: civil service strike to test minimum service law.

The proposed teachers' strike on January 24th is likely to see the first attempts to implement the minimum service laws passed last year.

Teachers are striking as part of a wider civil service strike in protest at government attacks on virtually every aspect of their quality of life. Workers are defending their pay, their working week, job security, staffing levels, pensions and service requirements. Unions have called for the action which is expected to be widely observed.

France: Student day of action, early reports

A national day of action, with demonstrations and continued action by student strikes was called for today.

Most demonstrations are to take place in the afternoon, with militants trying to convince as many students as possible during the morning to join demonstrations and mass actions.

Union suspends Northern Irish classroom strike

Members of the Nipsa union have voted to suspend their strike in the dispute over classroom assistants' pay.

Members will take part in industrial action today (Monday), which was voted on at the weekend, however the overall strike will cease from Tuesday.

Three other unions representing assistants have accepted a deal which added an extra £15m to compensate for changes in work conditions. Nipsa represents more than 3,300 classroom assistants in NI.

Netherlands: Thousands walk out against school hours

Pupils demonstrate in Stadhuisplein

Thousands of Dutch school pupils walked out of lessons on Friday in wildcat protests organised online against lesson times.

There were walk outs in at least 15 cities and there were a number of incidents, with 20 teenagers arrested. In Middelburg 500 pupils occupied a crossroads, after which they clashed with police with batons.

Word about the demonstrations - against the official 1,040 hours of lessons a year - was spread using MSN and email.

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