Trade Union

By a Cardiff UCU member Staff at Cardiff University have been informed of plans to cut 380 posts over five years. This announcement comes while branches of the University and College Union (UCU) are balloting nationally over workload, casualisation, the gender pay gap and general levels of pay. UCU members at Cardiff University have responded to the job-cuts announcement by organising a simultaneous ballot ...

Swansea Trades Council has issued a call to arms to lobby Swansea Council to step back from another £24 million cuts to services. It has called a lobby of the council on Thursday 28th February at 2.00 pm. (The council has brought forward its meeting from the normal 5.00 pm start to 3.00 pm in an apparent attempt to deter ...

By Andrew Bromhall, Milford Haven Huge Oil Tankers could have to wait at sea due to a possible strike by the pilots who guide them through the Milford Haven Waterway. At present, the Pilot Teams who are members of Unite the Union and who provide navigational expertise to vessels in the Haven have implemented an overtime ban which is already impacting on the movement of ...

By Rob Williams,  Socialist Party national industrial organiser and former Visteon (ex-Ford) Unite convenor, Swansea Fordworkers in Bridgend and their families are trying to come to terms with the announcement that over 1000 workers will lose their jobs over the next two years, with the first 370 to go as early as this spring. This comes at the same time that thousands of ...

Unison has appealed to councillors on Carmarthenshire Council to step back from implementing cuts but instead to campaign for a no-cuts budget. The letter opens with the heading “No Merry Christmas for members whose jobs are under threat – No Happy New Year for the public whose services will be devastated. Set a legal no cuts budget, defend jobs, services ...

By Roger Butler, Swansea and District NUJ (personal capacity) and Swansea and West Wales Socialist Party The murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi has brought into horrifying focus the dangers faced by reporters throughout the world. At least 74 journalists have been murdered so far in 2018 – and in the past six years, more than 600 journalists have ...

By Ross Saunders Comrades in South Wales are mourning the loss of Beth Roper, who was suddenly taken from us in an accident on a train on Saturday 1st December at the age of just 28. Everyone who knew her will feel her loss. Beth was one of those rare people who always seemed kind and sincere. People remarked that she was ...

UCU members have recently won some important concessions from management and the WelshGovernment by balloting with a big majority for strike action. If accepted by members via e-ballot lecturers pay will rise by 2 – 3.5% and management has agreed to discuss workload. Clare Gibbs (UCU Coleg y Cymoedd) explains what has been won and the need to keep the ...

By Dave Reid Islwyn Constituency Labour Party (CLP) has passed a motion calling on Labour-led Caerphilly Borough Council to pass a no-cuts budget. The motion from Maesycymmer ward calls for “all its serving Caerphilly Councillors to plan for a 2019/20 Council budget that will protect services and employment, not cut them.” The motion was passed shortly after a march of ...

By Clare Gibbs, Coleg Y Cymoedd UCU (in a personal capacity) Lecturers across Wales will be taking strike action over pay and workload on Tuesday 4th December, Thursday 13th December and Friday 14th December.  This has been decided following the fantastic ballot result of University and College Union members who voted overwhelmingly to support. On pay the result was 90.5% ...