wildcat strikes
Articles about unofficial industrial action, or "wildcat" strikes.
Birmingham cabbies in wildcat strike
Angry cabbies caused traffic chaos in Birmingham after they downed keys in a wildcat strike over space at the New Street Station rank.
More than 200 stopped working because they said police officers tried to fine five taxi drivers who were waiting on double yellow lines. Their vehicles blocked roads and held up motorists trying to get through the city yesterday lunchtime.
106 workers fired over wildcat in South Africa
The world's largest ferrochrome producer, Xstrata said on Wednesday it had dismissed 106 workers at its Rustenburg smelter in South Africa for taking part in an illegal strike over pay.
The workers had demanded to be paid 50 percent of their wages as well as shift allowances during their extended leave in December, when such payments are normally not due to them, Songezo Zibi, Xstrata's spokesman said.
"They took part in a wildcat strike, an unprotected strike and did not follow the process of calling a strike," Zibi said.
Wildcat strike at German car part manufacturer
Workers at car parts manufacturer Karmann have walked out after being informed of 1400 job cuts no redundancy pay.
Karmann in Osnabrueck manufactures convertibles (1,400 workers) and roof-systems (1,100 workers), for example for Mercedes, Audi and Renault.
For some time it was clear that there will be job cuts in one of the production departments (paint-shop, metal parts).
Baggage handlers take wildcat action at Melbourne Airport
Thousands of travellers faced delays at Melbourne Airport yesterday (14th February) after 45 Qantas baggage handlers went on strike mid-morning.
All of the airline's flights into and out of Tullamarine were affected by the six-hour walkout, which began at 10.30am, in a dispute centring on the length of workers' lunch breaks.
However, after a federal sitting of the Industrial Relations Commission, all the staff were ordered back to work about 4.30pm. A Qantas spokesman said the strike was illegal.
Israeli wildcat strikers kicked out of union
In unprecedented move, the Histadrut union federation has ousted leaders of last weeks wildcat strike on Israel Railways.
The action paves the way for Israel Railways management to prosecute the six workers committee members as if they were regular employees.
Staythorpe builders walk out over jobs
Building workers on a new power station downed tools on unofficial strike early today, as wildcat action and protests over unemployment in the building trades and the lack of allocation of jobs to local workers spread south from the Lindsey refinery at Immingham.
The men joined hundreds of pickets waving flags and placards who blocked the main entrance to the Staythorpe plant near Newark in Nottinghamshire before dawn.
Aftermath of wildcat at Israel Railways
Using an inside source, an Israeli libertarian communist constructs an analysis of the picture behind the scenes at the recent wildcat of Israel Railways workers. For context, see the original news update.
“We couldn't even walk around a train station without workers eating at us!” – One of the six union representatives accused of being responsible for the wildcat, at the disciplinary hearing.
“What you saw today was a distress signal from workers without a leadership... what they needed was a bear hug, an open ear...” – advocate for same, at the disciplinary hearing.
Sugar workers strike against bosses and union, striking airport workers fired in Guyana
Guyanese sugar workers have taken wildcat action against a disappointing pay award and their union's attempt to take a larger cut from it. Meanwhile, Guyana's Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn has fired 15 air traffic controllers who had been on strike for a week.
Operations at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Wales Estate were at a standstill for the second day in a row, when approximately 100 workers of the estate staged a strike, this time protesting against 0.79 percent of the Annual Production Incentive (API) being contributed to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union’s (GAWU) funds.
Welsh rail wildcat over pay
Passengers are facing "severe disruption" to Arriva Trains Wales rail services on Sunday due to unofficial industrial action.
Drivers' union Aslef said it was not supporting the action over pay.
Services cancelled include trains to Cardiff from Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Ebbw Vale, Barry, Penarth, Bridgend and to Manchester. Arriva Trains Wales apologised and advised people to make alternative arrangements for any essential travel.
Car industry: more attacks on jobs and pay
A new wave of redundancies and pay cuts hits car manufacturing in the UK, as companies aim to take back the cost of the recession from the workforce.
Ford are looking to axe 7% of its UK workforce, with nearly half of the staff at its Southampton Transit plant lined up to go. The company is also seeking to renege on the pay deal of 5.2% agreed with the unions, as it seeks to fund the redundancy packages from the pay of the workers.
