Trade Union

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 Alec Thraves, Swansea Trades Council and Socialist Party After eight days of strike action, over several weeks, Unite bus workers across South West Wales have voted to accept an improved pay offer from First Cymru whose pay and conditions are amongst some the worst in the transport industry. Whilst still short of the pay parity members were seeking, the ...

By Dave Reid (Cardiff Trades Union Council) Unite members working for Cardiff Labour Council’s Telecare Department, supported by other council workers and Cardiff Trades Council, were out lobbying  the Council against the dangerous situations that the council management are putting them into. Telecare workers are dedicated professionals who provide a vital 24 hour emergency response service for 5,000 vulnerable people ...

By Mark Evans, President Swansea Trades Council and retired unison member On October 9th, I highlighted that Health Care Support Workers (HCSW) felt betrayed by the decision of Swansea Bay University Health Board to renege on a local agreement to upgrade these poorly paid employees from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Following a protest outside Morriston Hospital, they held a lobby ...

By Alec Thraves Unite bus workers have begun a series of planned strikes after overwhelminglyrejecting the company’s measly pay offer, their refusal to honour back pay and toimprove poor working conditions.First Cymru is part of the highly profitable First Group transport network which madeover £200 million profit last year.First Cymru is notorious for paying some of the lowest wages in ...

Conference pledges to support only candidates and parties that will stand up for the working class By Dave Warren, PCS Wales and Swansea Trades Council Over 50 trade unionists from 11 unions attended a conference hosted by Cardiff Trades Council on 18 October. The ‘Wales Trade Union Conference on the Crisis of Political Representation’ was endorsed by five trades councils, ...

By Mark Evans, President of Swansea Trades Council, and Swansea Socialist Party About 40 enthusiastic and determined members of Unison attended a 6.30am protest outside Morriston Hospital in Swansea, on a dark and damp 8 October. Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council members attended, offering solidarity and support, and were welcomed. The protest was organised by Swansea Bay Healthcare Unison in ...

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 ...

Editorial of the Socialist 1336 The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march in London on 13 September sounds a warning that the workers’ movement must urgently respond to. Police estimate that 110,000 took to the streets in the largest-ever demonstration called by far-right racist Tommy Robinson. Those that attended,  who went far beyond the still small numbers in the organised far right, ...

By Dave Reid Unite the Union members at Cardiff Bus will be striking for three weeks from 17 August against low pay and poor working conditions. Despite providing a service throughout the Covid lockdown and being praised as frontline workers, Cardiff Bus workers, including drivers, have lost pay in real terms ever since and are paid less than the average ...