public services

Leaflets, posters, and fliers designed to be given out in the run-up to and the day of the three-quater million strong public sector strike on June 30th 2011. Most were designed by SolFed (and especially members in the North London Local), with two published by the IWW.

As around 750,000 public sector workers took strike action, Liverpool Solidarity Federation offered our support to picket lines around Bootle as well as joining a march and rally in the City Centre. We found that strike action was strongly supported, not just by the staff walking out but by the broader constituency of those affected by and fighting the cuts.

Len, a postie from the South Coast writes about the effect of ‘modernisation’ in the Royal Mail, which looks bad for workers’ health and safety and bad for the service - all run by what a computer deems ‘optimal’.

A programme of revisions has been divided into three phases. In our medium sized delivery office we are now in week five of our revision using the “new delivery methods” (NDM).

These new delivery methods are high capacity trolleys (HCTs) with one postie pushing up to 105 KGs, and shared vans (2 posties in a van taking all the mail with them and using golf type and sized trolleys to deliver on foot in a loop from the back of a van). All bikes will be scrapped - even if they are more efficient, cost effective or better for the health of the workers.

In our medium sized delivery office we are now in week five of our revision using the “new delivery methods” (NDM). Our office has been divided into three phases: phase one starting five weeks before phase two and ten weeks before phase three.

These are HCT (high capacity trolleys; one postie pushing up to 105kgs) and shared vans (two workers in a van taking post with them and using golf cart-type trolleys to deliver). All bikes will be scrapped. I'm neither for nor against bikes generally but our patch has decided that there will be no bikes no matter the reason even if they are more efficient, cost effective or better for the health of the workers. And what a shambles it is because of this as well.

The revisions are based on both indoor and outdoor revision tools (computer programmes) used to 'optimise production' in the office or, as we all know at the sharp end, to cull our jobs.

On Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th June, PCS members in HM Revenue & Customs staged a series of walkouts. This was in opposition to a harsh new sickness policy being imposed upon staff. Members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation were amongst those who turned up on the picket lines to show support.

The action took the form of an hour's walkout at 4pm on Tuesday, a 10am "walk-in" on Wednesday, and a two-hour lunchtime walkout on the same day. The strikes took place across the country, with a high degree of support and disruption reported in most places. On Merseyside, the action was concentrated in the City Centre and in Bootle - both of which are home to a high number of government offices.

In preparation for today's picket in support of sacked IWW/LAWAS workers at the Ichiban Sushi restaurant, the London Locals of the Solidarity Federation have released the following statement:

The London Locals of the Solidarity Federation would like to express our fullest solidarity with the IWW members who have been unjustly dismissed from from the Ichiban Sushi Restaurant.  We stand in full support of these workers and will attend and promote any solidarity actions that occur on their behalf.

Ambos grupos locales del norte y sur de Londres, pertenecientes a la anarcosindical Solidarity Federation, queremos extender la lucha en solidaridad con los companeros del sindicato I.W.W., que han sido injustamente despedidos del restaurante "Ichiban Sushi". Estamos hombro con hombro, junto a estos trabajadores y promoveremos cualquier accion solidaria que suceda en su apoyo.

This past Monday saw well over a-hundred radical workers and student activists gather in the Marchmont Community Centre to hold a 'public assembly' on the upcoming June 30th strikes.

Last night, Saturday the 21st of May, saw upwards of thirty people attend a public meeting on the upcoming June 30th education and civil service strikes. Hosted by the North London Solidarity Federation, the meeting was very practically focused. Attendees talked about their particular workplace or uni situation and highlighted strategies and tactics which have helped them to organize at work and/or begin talking to their co-workers or fellow students about June 30th and why they shouldn't cross picket lines. We discussed what sorts of momentum-building actions could be undertaken in the run-up to June 30th that will ensure education workers and students are not only aware of the issues but feel empowered and confident enough take strike action.

On Saturday 14th May, Liverpool Solidarity Federation - along with members of Anarchist Federation and UK Uncut - held a picket outside a government office in Bootle. This was in support of PCS union members who were facing victimisation for upholding an overtime ban in defence of their jobs.

PCS reps have been on picket lines most Saturdays since before Christmas, reminding people of the ongoing national action. Overtime is being used as a way of masking job cuts, as well as speeding up the current workload so as to meet the "cliff face" at which job cuts can be made faster. 96% of staff in the building, not just union members, support the ban - but a tiny and vocal minority remain determined to stab their colleagues in the back for a quick buck.

It is now a near certainty that we will see coordinated public sector strike action within the next couple of months. Solidarity Federation - which has members in the public sector unions which will be striking - stands in support of all workers acting to defend their jobs and the services those jobs provide to working class people.

UCU have already balloted. PCS is putting an emergency motion to its conference in May. The NUT sought permission to ballot at its recent conference. Even the moderate ATL already has a mandate to ask members for strike action. The only question now is how events unfold once the ball gets rolling.