The Visteon Pensioners Action Group has staged a second protest outside the Bridgend Ford plant:
The campaigners have set up a lively web site at www.visteonpensionactiongroup.co.uk and are asking everyone to sign a petition on the Number 10 web site.
UNITE is supporting legal action as part of the campaign.
My union branch (UNITE, Greater Manchester IT) has called a "Defend Our Pensions" public meeting in Manchester on 2nd November. We've got a got range of speakers to cover public and private sector pensions, as well as the state pension. The meeting will be taking place shortly after the result of our industrial action ballot at Fujitsu is announced. There's a leaflet here.
I've been sent this photo from an impressive looking protest by the Swansea Visteon Pensioners Action Group outside a Ford showroom.
If you're a Facebook user, you can join the "Defend Our Pensions" group.
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It is clear that the dispute in Royal Mail is a crucial one for all of us.
We have had some important successes in a number of disputes including Visteon, Linamar, Lindsey/construction and Tower Hamlets College. These have started to raise the confidence of workers to resist efforts to make us pay for the consequences of a recession triggered by the greed and irresponsibility of the rich and powerful.
What's happening at Royal Mail is qualitatively different. It's not just that the scale is so much bigger. The media onslaught against the CWU is full of class hatred, almost reminiscent of the 1980s. Whereas in a number of other disputes management seem to have been caught on the hop, in this case there has been a massive level of preparation by the employer and a systematic management organised scabbing operation on a scale not seen for years.
None of this means the CWU can't win. The postal workers are a powerful group, and well organised. But the movement can ill afford to repeat the mistakes of the 1980s by allowing employers to pick us off one at a time to demoralise the rest. Imagine trying to argue for action in your workplace if the CWU had been smashed and the Tories elected. Or imagine the boost in confidence your workmates could have if we all helped the posties beat off these attacks from their overpaid bosses.
The CWU have produced a collection sheet. Every trade unionist should be taking it round their friends and workmates and visiting picket lines to show solidarity. We should be helping to set up solidarity groups should be springing up in every town and city. Building solidarity won't just help the posties win - it will make us all stronger.
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Given the anger among working people against the way we've been treated by greedy employers and market-addicted government, I've been saying for quite some time that we needed some visible victories to give people confidence to turn that anger into action.
Now we have some.
1) Visteon workers forced Ford to intervene and fund sizeable redundancy payments. While it's sad that they didn't secure their jobs, overturning one of the world's most powerful corporations is not mean feat. Starting your fight when you've already lost your job and you're told your employer is bust is far from the easiest campaign to win. But by occupying their workplaces and threatening to picket Ford plants they did win.
2) Bristol refuse workers won a pay rise after deciding to escalate their action to all-out strike.
3) Workers at Linamar in Swansea won the reinstatement of their convenor, Rob Williams, after a great vote for all-out strike action.
4) Construction workers at Lindsey Oil Refinery and dozens of other sites defied anti-union laws, got the sacked strikers reinstated, overturned the original redundancies and secured agreement for no victimisations.
When the general picture is still one of job losses and cuts in pay and conditions being pushed through without resistance, these four victories show an alternative.
The lesson is clear. If you don't fight, you will lose - your employer will take whatever concessions you give and come back for more. If you do fight, you can win.
The trade union movement is never good enough at celebrating our successes. We have to shout these wins from the rooftops. We have to make sure that no boss can arrogantly believe they can mistreat their workforce without someone piping up "Why don't we do what Lindsey did?".
I've been to two interesting conferences in recent weeks. Firstly the "Right To Work" conference, and secondly the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) conference. Both had a flavour of this new idea - "winning". Let's hope it catches on!
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I've just heard the wonderful news that UNITE members at Linamar (formerly Ford, then Visteon) in Swansea have voted by 88% for strike action to oppose the sacking of their convenor, Rob Williams. This vote comes despite a concerted campaign of threats and "promises" from management.
Now the members have shown their determination not to sell their terms and conditions or to allow their union organisation to be beheaded, it is up to all of us in the trade union movement to match their courage with our support and solidarity.
I previously posted the details of where to send messages and donations. Please make them pour in.
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All trade unionists should be supporting the campaign for the reinstatement of Rob Williams, the UNITE convenor at Linamar (formerly Ford, then Visteon) in South Wales.
Linamar sacked Rob in the most disgraceful circumstances - blatant victimisation of a well known figure in the trade union movement. Usually in these circumstances, employers try to hide their intention to slash terms and conditions for the workforce once they have beheaded the union. This time it's out in the open.
Rob played an important part in raising solidarity for his former colleagues at Visteon, and is also vice-chair of the National Shop Stewards Network.
For more information, see http://www.unitedleft.org/2009/05/rob-williams-sacked-step-up-struggle.html or on Facebook or call Rob on 07816134690.
Continue to phone protests to:
Head of Swansea Linamar Brian Wade 01792 656339
Personnel Manager 01792 656238
Messages of protest to linda.hasenfratz@linamar.com
Messages of support to Rob Williams: robbo@redwills.freeserve.co.uk
Unite members in the Swansea Plant are balloting for strike action to force management to reinstate Rob. They are appealing to the trade union movement to contribute to their hardship fund. Make cheques payable to "TGWU branch 4/1" – c/o 31, Waun Wen Terrace, Swansea SA1 1DX or pay into Unity Trust Bank - sort code 086001 account number 20055051.
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Apologies for a long absence from posting on this web site. It's not been because there's been nothing to say - I've been moving house, had a death in the family, and been very busy with some issues in my own workplace.
The recession has continued to rip through the economy, but we are at last beginning to see a response. The "Put People First!" demonstration at the G20 summit saw the biggest contingents of trade unionists marching in a long time. The same week we saw the workers at Visteon (the outsourced Ford components company) go into occupation against closure - a fight that is continuing and which deserves all our support.
Within UNITE we had the General Secretary elections, with Derek Simpson re-elected, but on a very poor vote, and left candidate Jerry Hicks coming second with a very impressive vote. The left groupings in Amicus and TGWU have finally come together as the United Left. The process of setting up the lay structures of the new union grinds on very slowly.
We had an Executive Council meeting in March, for which there's an unofficial report on Gill George's blog. I can provide a copy of the official report (not minutes) by email to members who want it.
UNITE has called a national "Unite For Jobs" demonstration over jobs in Birmingham on 16th May, and is laying on transport from round the country. Everyone should be there.