Tag Archives: Swansea

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 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 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 a Swansea Socialist Party and Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) member A month ago, DPAC Swansea was one seriously impressive and determined organiser. Then Labour’s disability cuts green paper dropped. DPAC Swansea became two, and through our efforts, a few days later 15 came to a protest planning meeting. A few days later again, 100 people, most of ...

By Gareth Bromhall This year’s event was sponsored by Unite the Union, and the local Labour council. Controversially, the event was also sponsored by Great Western Railway. The local secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef made it known to the trade union bloc that his branch and union were nearing 30 months in dispute with this employer. Tory hostility The ...

By Alec Thraves (Swansea Trades Council and Socialist Party) Hundreds of NASUWT members walked out of secondary schools across Swansea to support one of their colleagues who is being victimised by Swansea’s Labour controlled council. 92% voted for strike action to defend a male teacher who intervened to stop two boys fighting. After being initially disciplined, the teacher was exonerated ...

By Dave Warren (Swansea Socialist Party and Secretary of the PCS Associate and Retired Members Section in Wales) Pickets at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) were in determined mood when Socialist Party members visited their picket line on Friday 16th June. Workers engaged in despatching driving licences and vehicle registration documents to the public had been on strike ...

By Swansea Socialist Party reporters Monday 10th October saw 100 or so trade unionists and community campaigners attend a rally jointly hosted by Swansea Trades Council and Wales TUC as part of the We Demand Better roadshow campaign. Chaired by WTUC GS Shav Taj, Speakers Included PCS GS Mark Serwotka,  Kevin Courtney GS of the NEU, John Leech AGS of ...

Saluting a much-valued and longstanding comrade By Alec Thraves The passing of Geoff Jones, after a long illness, has been met with sadness, but also pride and appreciation amongst those Socialist Party members in the Swansea and West Wales branch, throughout Socialist Party Wales and across the rest of the party, who had the opportunity of politically engaging with our ...

By Dave Warren,  Treasurer, Swansea Trades Council Swansea Trades Council held an open conference on 26 January to discuss Swansea council’s budget proposals for 2022-23 and the medium-term plan for the next three years. As well as the trade union delegates, the meeting was attended by young people from Swansea Young Socialists and Swansea Youth Strike 4 Climate. Guest speaker ...