Demonstration marks continuing determination of airport cleaners

Care workers employed in Doncaster, South Yorkshire took their pay dispute to London on 8 August to protest outside the offices of Bridgepoint Capital, the owners of Care UK, the company that employs the care workers. This is the second time the workers have travelled to London. They are in the middle of a two-week strike, the latest action to prevent cuts of up to 35% in their pay. Meanwhile UNISON has written to the government to urge it to name and shame councils who commission social care from employers who pay less than the minimum wage. [Read more at > UNISON->http://www.unison.org.uk

On 9 December, the TUC trade union confederation organised its first special congress since 1982 to discuss its strategy to fight the government’s attack on the right to strike. EPSU affiliates in the UK are particularly affected by the new minimum services level legislation which could mean that workers who lawfully vote to strike, could be forced to attend work and even sacked if they don’t comply. The TUC says that one in five workers in Britain – 5.5 million people – the vast majority in public services, are at risk of losing their right to strike as a result of the Strikes Act. In a

The main trade union confederations – CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and CGE-CFC – along with organisations representing students and retired workers are maintaining their strong mobilisation against the government plans to reform pensions and in particular to increase the pension age from 62 to 64. The next, and sixth, day of action will be on 7 March but the unions are also calling for protests on 8 March – International Women’s Day – to highlight how the reforms will fail to address gender inequality in pension provision.