Welsh News

By Alec Thraves, Swansea Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council Update 15.45 July 1st This article was posted before Unite’s suspension of its all-out strike action that was due to start next Monday, which has forced talks with the company. We will post further updates. 09.30 July 1st: At the time of writing, Unite members in Port Talbot and Llanwern steelworks are ...

By Alec Thraves (Swansea Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council) In a bold and decisive escalation of industrial action, Unite the union has announcedthe beginning of indefinite strike action at Tata’s Port Talbot and Llanwern plantsfrom July 8th.This move will be welcomed by many steelworkers, community campaigners and thewider trade union movement who are determined to retain primary steel production,secure ...

By Gareth Bromhall (Secretary Swansea Trades Council and socialist parliamentary candidate for Swansea West) Welsh Labour leader Vaughan Gething, who took up the position just three months ago, lost a vote of no confidence after two Labour Members of the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament), both critics of his leadership, were absent. At the centre of the controversy is a £200,000 ...

Ele Jane, Cardiff East Socialist Party Between 3 and 4 June, 19 protesters were arrested in Cardiff and Swansea in a brutal escalation of police response to the Palestine movement. A video shows eight police officers surrounding a disabled activist, and forcing his head down, before escorting him away. An emergency demonstration was called in response outside Cardiff Bay police ...

By Alec Thraves, Swansea Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council Tata’s threat to close down its UK steel operations must be met with united strike action from all of the steel unions! Over the weekend, Rajesh Nair, Tata steel CEO, has responded to Unite’s planned work to rule and overtime ban, due to start on June18th, with a threatening letter ...

By Alec Thraves, delegate from Swansea Trades Council With a rebranding its name, on the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Wales TradesUnion Congress (TUC), the 2024 biennial congress of ‘TUC Cymru’ in Llandudno was arefreshing and largely combative event, which took up the key issues facing the trade unionmovement in Wales.A big factor in this changed mood, compared ...

By Alec Thraves Wales TUC Congress delegate The 2024 biennial Wales TUC Congress, meeting in Llandudno on its 50th anniversary, will yet again be debating the continuing attacks on the wages, jobs and conditions of trade unionists across Wales, and the devastating impact these are having on working-class families and communities. The crisis in the public sector will be highlighted, ...

By Gareth Bromhall, Swansea and West Wales Socialist Party and Swansea Trades Council secretary Trade unionists and supporters gathered to celebrate international workers’ day at Swansea Trades Council’s annual May Day rally. The rally was called in support of steelworkers at Tata Steel at Port Talbot and Llanwern in Newport, and was headed by main speaker Jason Wyatt, a Unite rep ...

100 counter-protesters gathered in the village of St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, in opposition to a planned demonstration by far-right group ‘Patriotic Alternative’. Patriotic Alternative are opposed to housing refugees from Afghanistan in the village. In fact, the refugees are being ‘housed’ in accommodation inside the RAF St Athan base – hardly suitable for families and young children! ...

Strike to fight the jobs massacre – Nationalisation not devastation By Alec Thraves (Vice President, Swansea Trades Council) Seven months of fruitless ‘negotiations’ between the steel unions and Tata’s deaf, brutal and intransigent bosses have resulted in the widely expected rejection of both the Unite and the Community/GMB alternative proposals to retain primary steel making at Port Talbot. With a ...