By John Williams (LGBT candidate for the Unite Executive Council) Over 100 health visitors in Unite at Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board (HB) are taking strike action for four weeks at the refusal of the HB to pay them the correct salary based on their qualifications which is costing them between £8000 to £9000 per year. Health visitors do vital ...

By John Williams, Cardiff Unite hospitality member The McDonald’s sexual harassment scandal is back in the news again. Investigations two years ago revealed widespread sexual abuse and harassment of many teenage workers. A group of five trade union bodies, including the bakers’ union (BFAWU) and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) have said that McDonald’s had violated international labour standards and ...

By John Williams (Cardiff Central Socialist Party) Workers at Ofgem, the government energy regulator, members of PCS union, went on their second round of strike action between 29 September and 3 October, fighting for fair pay, job security and better agreements. Pickets on the first day brought some good news! Due to the strike action they took in August, there’s ...

By John Williams, Cardiff Central Socialist Party Socialist Party Wales campaign stalls were swamped at the Welsh independence march in Barry on 26 April. This was the first Welsh independence march in a few years, full of angry people against the new Labour government’s cuts and austerity. Socialist Party members there were campaigning on the issue of Tata Steel in ...

By John Williams, Cardiff Central Socialist Party Thousands demonstrated against the Supreme Court ruling that disgracefully attacks trans rights. We haven’t seen a demo this big since Donald Trump’s first state visit. The sense of solidarity was overwhelming. From start to finish, anger was clear. The first speaker said, if you stand with trans women, you also stand with disabled ...

John Williams, Socialist Party Wales LGBTQ+ convenor The Cardiff trade union movement celebrated trans day of visibility, with a demo outside the HMRC building in Cardiff. The event had a fantastic broad range of speakers, all highlighting the different personal struggles of growing up trans, as well as the solidarity from the trade union movement.  What was evident through all the speeches was complete ...

By John Williams Valley Vets workers are continuing their historic strike action with a second week  and many more weeks possibly on the cards. Cardiff and Area Unite Community branch have already donated £500 to the strike fund, with more unite branches hopefully to follow. They’re striking for fair pay, fair fees and smaller profits. And there’s plenty of money ...

By John Williams Even by Welsh Labour standards, the current Welsh Labour leadership election- that will decide the next First Minister of Wales has been uninspiring. Vaughan Gething has been in the news a lot recently, so most people in Wales know him by now, but it takes a while to remember the name of the other AM standing- Jeremy ...

By John Williams, Cardiff Socialist Party After eleven weeks of action in the autumn of 2023, Cardiff Council workers in Unite are striking again, against the national local government (NJC) pay offer. Strike action by refuse and recycling workers started on 28 December and was due to end on 25 January, but is now extended until 22 February. The council ...

By John Williams and Dave Reid Unite members at Cardiff council have started a two-week strike on 4 September which will be followed by a three week strike starting on 25 September unless the council agrees to an increase in pay. Council workers in Unite are also striking in Wrexham and will soon be followed by Gwynedd. However, there’s a ...