This week should have seen Salford grind to a complete stop with strikes gainst austerity and for fair pay happening on three consecutive days Monday to Wednesday.
Now, pending a new pay offer, unions have suspended the planned strike on Tuesday by Salford Council workers (see Salford Star article click here) but other workers are still taking industrial action on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Monday 13th...
Health workers from the unions UNISON, GMB and Unite, together with for the first time - the Royal College of Midwives will be taking part in a four hour strike, which runs 7am until 11am, to be followed by action from Tuesday 14th until Friday 17th when staff will be taking their full breaks.
"UNISON wants the NHS to be properly funded so that it can have enough staff who are well motivated and fairly paid" states the union which is campaigning for...
An immediate payment of 1% for all staff
The Living Wage of £7.65 an hour for all staff
An above inflation pay rise for 2015-16
A commitment to future pay rises that will restore the value of NHS pay.
The unions are asking Salford people to join them outside Salford Royal Hospital (Hope) from 7am on Monday to show support.
On Tuesday 14th...
Members of UCU in Further Education will be striking for the full day over pay.
"Our members have made it quite clear that they are not prepared to accept another real-terms pay cut" says UCU head of bargaining, Michael MacNeil "The cost of living continues to rise but pay just isn't matching it. Our members have seen their pay fall by 15% in real terms since 2009 and have also been hit with higher monthly pension contributions. We will be joining our colleagues in other public sector unions because Britain needs a pay rise."
Update: 14th October: UCU called off the strike after a High Court ruling brought about by the Association of Colleges
On Wednesday 15th...
PCS union members will be taking one days strike action as part of their continued dispute with the government over the civil service pay cap.
There will be picket lines at the DWP offices in Eccles - Sentinel House, Monton Rd M30 0NA.
There will also be a rally from 11am outside of the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester with speakers from striking PCS branches and UNITE Community.
On Saturday 18th...
National Demonstration for Fair Pay and Against Austerity
From 11am Victoria Embankment and march to Hyde Park
This has been called nationally by the TUC and is locally backed by a host of unions and campaigning organisations including GMATUC (Greater Manchester Association of Trade Unions) and the Manchester People's Assembly.
A statement from the People's Assembly Against Austerity lists the key reasons for getting involved...
* Poverty Pay - 1 in 5 people in Britain now earn less than the living wage, and for the first time ever we have more people in work below the poverty line than the number of people unemployed!
* The Cost of Living Crisis - We are told that we have recovered from the cost of living crisis, but ordinary people are still £40 a week worse off on average than they were 5 years ago. Furthermore, if bankers hadn't crashed the economy and wages growth had stayed on track, workers would have £100 a week more in their pay packets!
* Rising Inequality - In 1998, Chief Executives received 45 times the average pay. Now they receive 185 times the average pay. Put in other terms, they make more in a day and a half than what most people earn in 12 months!
Meanwhile GMATUC states... "With people facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes since Victorian times, and official figures out last month showing that wages have fallen in real terms every year since 2010, the TUC believes that as growth returns to the UK economy, everyone should get to share in the recovery."
TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady explains: "Hard-pressed families across the UK must be beginning to wonder when the tough times they are experiencing will ever end. They keep hearing that the economy is growing and learning of yet another bonus extravaganza in the city, yet their own wages never seem to go far enough.
"Worries about money are a big deal for ordinary people" she adds "While their household budgets can just about stretch to cover everyday essentials, they are likely to have to load up their credit cards to meet the cost of any unexpected items. During the dark days of recession, workers accepted that their pay might have to be frozen or even cut to save jobs, but now the economy is picking up and many employers can afford to pay their staff more the time has come for Britain to get a pay rise."
The Salford Star knows of only one coach left with spare places the GMATUC Bury, Rochdale and Oldham coach has 12 tickets left which are free (voluntary donation if you want) and leave from Bury at 6:30am; Rochdale Town Hall at 7am and Oldham at 7:15am. It's first come, first serve to book or for further details phone Stefan on 07901 913 698.
The Star also understands that the Manchester TUC might run an extra coach if there is demand from Central Manchester email secmtuc@gmail.com for further details.
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