U.K.
Members of the PCS civil service union are planning a day of strike action on 26 July as part of their continuing campaign against job cuts and privatisation. The workers involved will be from the Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau.
Read more at > PCS
Members of the SIPTU and ATGWU trade unions are set to strike on 7 April in protest at a decision by the Health Services Executive (HSE) to sign contracts with three private ambulance companies. The unions argue that the HSE decision is in conflict with an agreement it signed with the unions that would prevent any moves to privatisation without the express consent of the trade unions. Read more at > SIPTU (EN)
Trade unions at the Veolia water company are taking strike action over the company's plans for restructuring - the fourth in only three years. These will impact on over 1500 posts with 572 specified as job cuts. The unions are particularly angry that the company is talking about compulsory redundancies. This would be a first for the sector. The unions want the company to withdraw this threat and to properly negotiate over the changes with a view to providing workers with training and retraining opportunities.
Unions in Gaz de France are planning two days of protest against the proposed merger with the French utility company Suez. Unions are angry that the government has approved the effective privatisation of GdF in response to a hostile takeover bid for the company from the Italian utility ENEL. The CGT energy federation FNME has planned a day of protest on 10 June and then will be joined by the FO and CFE-CGC union federations for a joint day of action on 20 June. Read more at > CGT des Services Publics
