Care workers employed by Anchor Hanover in Salford have been campaigning with
Unison for a pay increase (they were paid minimum wage, £8.91). After protestingoutside a local care home on November 13th, they will now be getting paid atleast £9.90 from December onwards, not just in Salford, but for all Anchoremployees across the UK. This pay rise is apparently worth £19 million, and wasgained without having to resort to strike action; however, striking can still benecessary in some cases. Care, domestic and maintenance workers at the Sagenursing home in North London managed to win an 11% pay increase for workerspreviously earning the minimum wage (and 5% for all the rest). Despite the carehome having a billionaire trustee, this was only won after a lengthy struggle bymembers of the United Voices of the World (UVW). Workers had to go on strikethree times (in January, February and October), they even boarded a "solidaritybus" and surprised the home's trustee by delivering a demand letter at hisoffices. I personally know of workers in Leeds and Liverpool (who would ratherremain anonymous), who have won improvements simply by sending a collectivedemand letter, without having to take action, or even being members of a tradeunion. The threat of strike action, employees quitting en masse or even just ascandal, is often all it takes. From December 1st, the University and Colleges Union (UCU) staged a three daystrike across 58 universities, fighting against issues including pension cuts andthe gender pay gap. At the University of Sheffield students showed their supportby occupying a university building. University of Manchester students wentfurther and occupied 6 buildings. In Stirling, Scotland, a car aggressively drovethrough a picket line of students; the campus security's immediate response wasthat they had seen this take place and would not be taking any action against thedriver. In Sheffield, a majority of Labour Councillors crossed the UCU's picketline to have a meeting (where it was confusingly decided not to have a meeting oncampus during a strike). On leaving, one of the strikers pointed out they werescabs since they had already crossed their picket line. In the argument thatfollowed, their chief whip, Tony Damms, was accused of attempting to assault oneof the strikers.There is also an ongoing dispute at the luxury department store Harrods inLondon. Restaurant workers in the UVW have been balloting for strike action,demanding £12 an hour. Before a result was even announced, management raisedhourly wages from £9 to £11.50 (with Chefs getting over £12.50). Back in 2017,restaurant workers at Harrods managed to increase the proportion of the servicecharge (or tips) they kept from 25% to 100% after a highly disruptive protest(where the police made 6 arrests, even arresting the UVW's general secretaryafter the protest had ended).Through our labour, we uphold society and create all of its wealth. This is whywe can win such significant concessions through withdrawing that labour, ormisusing it in acts of industrial sabotage. If society runs off our labour, thenwhy shouldn't we run society and decide how to distribute its wealth? Why not usethe skills developed through industrial disputes to fight for a society withouthierarchies or economic exploitation, a society without employers and theirguardian: the state.https://liverpoolanarchist.wordpress.com/2021/12/06/strike-news-ii/_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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