On September 20, some strikers and Unite officials protested outside Veolia’s headquarters in Paris. Veolia, a French transnational, is involved in energy services, waste management and water management, services normally managed by public authorities.
Unite has a national bargaining agreement with Veolia across numerous depots throughout the UK.
Veolia is attempting to break the strike by using workers normally based in Barnsley. The GMB union is not opposing this.
Food production workers in Spalding, UK set to walk out over pay
Around 700 UK food production workers employed by Bakkavor at their plant in Spalding in Lincolnshire, are due to begin a continuous stoppage on Friday.
The walkout comes after the Unite union members overwhelmingly rejected a 6 percent pay rise offer made in May, with over 92 percent voting to strike. Unite represents about half the workforce at the site and the action is expected to impact supplies of food products and cause nationwide shortages.
Bakkavor produces food products such as bread, desserts, pizzas and salads for UK supermarket chains including Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Waitrose.
Manchester protest by food production workers at Oscar Mayer in Wrexham, Wales striking over “fire and rehire” threat.
Around 300 workers on the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) tram system in England are due to begin a 10-day stoppage on Friday.
The GMB union members including drivers, maintenance and ticketing staff overwhelmingly rejected a 3.5 percent pay offer and want a 10 percent rise. The 10-day stoppage will coincide with the prestigious Nottingham Goose Fair taking place over the same period.
Middle EastOngoing protests in Iran over deteriorating living conditions
Protests took place Sunday across Iran, including by retired coal miners in Kerman protesting the dwindling value of pensions failing to keep up with the cost of living.
In Zahedan, heavy goods vehicle drivers demonstrated outside the governor’s office against not been able to obtain fuel cards needed to carry on working.
People with disabilities held rallies in Kermanshah, Mashhad, Qom and in the capital Tehran. They were protesting the failure of the state to implement Article 27 of the Disability Law, guaranteeing disabled people the right to employment.
Other protests included one in Kahnuj. Around 70 students protested the poor state of the infrastructure of their village school in Sharikabad, by boycotting lessons.
Monday saw the fifth day of protests by around 350 workers at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Terminals and Oil Reservoirs Company who unload chemicals from ship’s tanks. They were demanding parity of conditions with workers in neighbouring companies and arrears of wages.
Oil workers on permanent contracts at various centres, including the South Pars Complex, the Fajr Jam Gas Refining Company and the Pars Kangan Oil and Gas Company (site 2) held protests. Their demands included removal of salary caps, removal of the limitation of retirement years and payment of wage arrears.
Protests and strikes are ongoing against Iran’s authoritarian regime and collapsing living standards, exacerbated by US sanctions. The Israeli bombing and imminent invasion of Lebanon on the pretext of targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah is a prelude to NATO military action against Iran, which it accuses of arming Russia.
AfricaTeachers in Nigerian capital territory walk out over pay arrears
Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) around Abuja, Nigeria went on indefinite strike September 22, demanding payment of arrears of their N35,000 wage award and other entitlements.
Previously, the unions collaborated with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to obtain 40 percent of the total sum of 25 months’ minimum wage arrears repaid to get teachers back to work.
Strikers are determined that public primary schools in FCT will remain closed until they are paid what they are owed.
Residents in Oyo State, Nigeria protest to stop mass evictions
Thousands of residents of Oyo State, Nigeria held a protest in Ibadan, the state capital on September 23, against the requisition and demolition of their homes to make way for a “corridor” road.
Victims of the evictions and African Action Congress members held up the demolition, which will displace up to 300,000 people and has already cost dozens of lives, according to local news reports.
Protesters pushed through the main entrance of the Oyo state government secretariat in Agodi, shouting, “No more corridor” to prevent government plans. Residents also blocked some of Ibadan’s major roads last week and stormed the state secretariat to prevent the demolition proceeding.
Police throw teargas canisters at Kenyan university staff on pay strike in defiance of union-backed court order
Kenyan university staff began strike action on September 18. They are demanding a pay rise of 7-10 percent in line with the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement, after years of the government refusing to abide by its own agreement.
Acting in the interests of the government, Justice Jacob Gakeri ordered the suspension of the strike by the University Academic Staff Union and the Kenya Universities Staff Union members. The unions responded by instructing the university staff to return to work.
The workers, however, held a strike and peaceful protest September 24 in the Nairobi Central Business District. Police responded by throwing teargas canisters to disperse them.
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Publish date : 2024-09-26 13:07:00
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