Article from the March 2006 issue of the Socialist
newspaper of the Socialist Party, Irish section of the CWI

Industrial report - Northern Ireland

Postal workers say - "We may have to strike again"

By Peter Hadden
THE THREE week unofficial strike by 800 postal workers based in Tomb street and Mallusk forced a complete climb down by Royal Mail management.

On returning to work, however, the workers have found that the underlying issues that caused the strike are still unresolved. The strike was against the bullying and harassment that has become part of the culture of Royal Mail management.

It began over a single incident - when managers in the BT13 (Shankill Road) area tried to discipline union reps for keeping a record of incidents of management harassment - but quickly spread as other workers walked out in support.

Management clearly thought that if they took a firm line they could break the strike. Instead of giving way and meeting the worker's demand for an independent review of industrial relations, they responded by threatening legal action against the officers of the union branch and by placing impossible conditions on a return to work.

If they expected the workers would buckle under these threats, they miscalculated badly. Three weeks into the strike, with the workers still absolutely solid, management agreed to the demand for a review and withdrew the strings that they had previously tried to attach to this.

This was an historic victory. The postal workers showed how workers from both communities in Northern Ireland can stand together in struggle. They succeeded in defying the anti trade union laws and most importantly they showed that, where workers stand solid, strikes can be won.

Yet, when they went back to work, they found that management, clearly smarting from the defeat, were still determined to behave in a petty and vindictive manner. Tony McCall works in the Shankill area and was one of the first to walk out. He describes the problems they have encountered since going back to work:

"We quickly found that a lot of things haven't changed. Those who were on strike have been refused additional overtime to help clear the backlog. The overtime has gone to scabs. They have also brought in casuals who don't know the routes.

"In order to try to get back at the workforce, management are prepared to let the quality of service suffer. We are not prepared to accept this attitude. We are considering holding a ballot for another strike if things don't improve. None of us want to go on strike again because the public have already suffered, but we are absolutely deterjmined that, if we have to, we will."

Lecturers strike over pay

By Chris Loughlin
ON 7 March lecturers from NATFHE and AUT (the two unions representing lecturers) took part in a strike that shut down all third level education and the start of "action short of a strike".

Action was voted for overwhelmingly by lecturers involved in the strike and the action saw a large number of services closed on campus. However, QUB was determined to maintain lectures and services, so some lectures did go ahead through the use of scab lecturers. The Socialist talked to Dr. Renee Prendergast on the picket line about the reasons behind the strike:

"Lecturers' productivity has gone up by more than twice over the last thirty years; lecturers used to teach nine students on average, that's now up to 21.

"Yet we've not actually had one pay rise in that time, pay has only just kept up with the rate of inflation. There's now a huge pay gap between lecturers and comparable public sector workers.

"We're on strike asking UCEA (the employer's association) to begin making up this shortfall; our unions have been seeking meetings, but UCEA is determined to continue dragging its feet.

"We now have to wait until the 28 March before we'll get a pay offer! This is the beginning, from tomorrow we are boycotting assessments and appraisals and there will be no covering for absent colleagues."

A spirited demonstration ended at the Department of Employment and Learning in pouring rain. This is just the beginning of a dispute that could carry on for a prolonged length of time. Socialist Party members intervened on the picket lines and will continue to offer support to see a successful conclusion to the strike. Postal workers in Belfast have shown how determined action can win, as was noted by strikers at the demonstration and on the picket lines.

Battle over pensions - Firefighters win concessions

By Tony Maguire, firefighter and Socialist Party member.
FBU MEMBERS are being consulted once more by the FBU Executive on the question of pensions.

The FBU had recalled its Conference in Southport on 16 February 2006 to debate a Resolution calling for a ballot for discontinuous industrial action in opposition to government proposals to reduce pension provision for firefighters and fire control staff.

In a display of nerves brought on by the FBU's willingness to oppose the government's proposals, the government retreated significantly on the eve of the Conference, and offered concessions. These concessions effectively ring fence conditions for existing wholetime and retained members, with the important exception of injury and ill health provisions which will remain under review by the Treasury.

Conference rejected an Executive Council Resolution stating that the new proposal represented all that could be achieved with or without strike action, in favour of a Northern Ireland Resolution stating that the proposal represented all that could be achieved by negotiation.

The Northern Ireland resolution was significant inasmuch as it prevented the Executive accepting the new proposals before the membership was consulted.

FBU activists are presently re-engaging with branches for a fresh mandate before the Recall Conference scheduled for 22 March. Members will now consider whether or not going ahead with discontinuous industrial action will wrest further concessions.

It will be difficult for the FBU to convince all members to take action, as the latest concessions effectively ring fence existing members of the pension scheme. However important issues, such as reduction in injury and ill health enhancements, remain under review by the Treasury. Control staff members may be affected by the worst excess of the proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme and new entrants into the service will join on a new scheme, the benefits of which are considerably less than the existing scheme.

Whatever decision the Conference on 22 March 2006 arrives at, all workers should be encouraged that the prospect of FBU members gearing up for strike action was enough to force concessions.

The struggle of the working class is marked by small but significant victories, and this is one of those. FBU Members and workers in general must draw strength from this experience and go on to develop the confidence and unity of purpose to put employers and New Labour on to the back foot.