services
Articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in the service sector, as distinct from retail, energy and communications.
Documents on cleaners' strikes in Paris and Milan, 2002
Leaflets and information on strikes of cleaning workers in Paris and Milan.
Call centre report from Athens, Greece, 2002
A short account from November 2002 of working in a commission-based telesales call centre in Athens, Greece.
Teleprime is a call centre company which sells mobile phones and, more importantly, issues credit cards. It has many branches all over Athens (at least).
Phiri water struggles, 2004
Short article about a water struggle in 2004 in South Africa.
Water struggles in Mpumalanga
An article about struggle over water supplies Mpumalanga , South Africa.
Water struggles in South Africa
An article on struggles over water supplies in South Africa since 2000
Houston janitors take strike across the country
The strikers have travelled to Chicago, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Washington to rally support from other janitors, in what the union organisers have called a "national escalation plan".
The Houston strike is entering it's second week, with around 1,700 janitors on strike. They are demanding a wage increase from $5.30 an hour to $8.50, and health insurance from their employers. The janitors are employed by several different companies, and are organised in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
London cleaners demand living wage
The Justice for Cleaners campaign reaches Goldman Sachs, where "hidden workers" are paid only £6.20 an hour.
Cleaners at Goldman Sachs have joined the T&G's Justice for Cleaners campaign, and are demanding higher wages. Goldman Sachs, a leading investment bank, will pay it's full time staff an average of £293,000 this year in bonuses alone.
1,700 janitors on strike in Houston
Janitors from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) went on strike last week asking for a pay rise to $8.50 an hour and health insurance.
The janitors work for several companies, and have been calling for janitors across the city to join their strike. The janitors are targetting ABM Janitorial Services, GCA Services, OneSource, Sanitors Services of Texas and Pritchard Industries Southwest.
Orange Country refuse strike continues
Temporary workers have been hired to resume refuse collection in several cities across Orange County.
Around 300 workers belonging to the Teamsters union walked out on Monday after negotiations lasting 20 days failed. They are demanding higher wages, better healthcare plans and fairer treatment. The strikers include truck drivers, mechanics, welders and tire men.
Bay Area refuse collectors threaten solidarity strikes
Refuse collection teams threaten secondary strikes in solidarity with landfill site workers.
Around 900 Bay Area refuse collectors could refuse to work from Friday in solidarity with landfill site staff across Alameda County. The landfill workers, who belong to International Longshore and Warehouse Union, deal with garbage from 13 different cities, and garbage truck drivers from the Teamster union have promised to honour the strike.
