Trade Union

By Alec Thraves Tata Steel bosses have declared the start of a legally obliged, 45-day formal consultation process which could culminate in the initial loss of 2,423 jobs across the UK, with 1,929 of those in Port Talbot, representing exactly half the workforce. Tata’s phoney war is over after TV Narendran, the global chief executive of Tata Steel and the ...

By Alec Thraves, Swansea Trades Council It appears from reports, which will apparently be confirmed tomorrow, that our slogan on “No trust in Tata” has been tragically borne out by the imminent announcement that the two blast furnaces in Port Talbot will be shut down with potential job losses up to 3000 steel workers in the next period. This is ...

By Dave Reid Junior doctors went on strike at hospitals across Wales for three days January 15th -17th. At UHW hospital in Cardiff doctors chanted “Claps don’t pay the bills” on a very lively picket line. Hundreds of junior doctors attended the rally at the Senedd on the 2nd day of strike action. Some junior doctors earn just £13.65 an ...

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 ...

What is the point of a Welsh Labour government if it merely passes on UK Tory cuts? By Dave Reid Happy New Year! – the Welsh government has put forward a devastating budget for public services in Wales for 2024. The figures are terrifying: £1.3 billion of cuts in real terms since 2021, even though Welsh Government ministers have said ...

Nationalisation NOT Devastation! By Alec Thraves (Swansea Socialist Party & Vice President of Swansea Trades Council) In the run up to Xmas, Steel workers and residents remain on the edge of an economic and social precipice yet again! Tactical differences on how to respond to Tata’s threat of a jobs slaughter have emerged between the steel unions. The Community union and GMB ...

By Joe Fathallah Unite members at Cardiff Council are now taking their eleventh week of strike action, against a Labour-run authority, for a decent pay increase in line with the cost of living. The workers have decided to concentrate on picketing County Hall, where most of the council meetings take place, for maximum impact. I got into a discussion on ...

By Alec Thraves The proposal by the Tory Government and Tata Steel for the Port Talbot plant to shut down its two blast furnaces and replace them with ‘greener’ electric arc furnaces, requiring thousands less workers, have provoked anger and panic amongst the workforce, steel unions and the local community. Electric arc furnaces would basically turn the works into a ...

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 ...

By John Williams (Cardiff East Socialist Party) A community campaign fought the privatisation of St David’s Hall earlier in the year, and opposed plans to close a Cardiff library and further library cuts. Unfortunately, the Labour council went ahead with privatisation. It’s now been revealed that the council agreed a secret anti-union deal with the new owners, when it privatised ...