Commentary: Pandemic life for labour unions is hard but they’re fighting back Toggle share menu
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Commentary: Pandemic life for labour unions is hard but they’re fighting back The hardships of the pandemic seem to have triggered a surge in some forms of labour organising, says an economist.
Brazilian delivery workers for Uber Eats and other delivery apps protest as part of a strike to demand better pay and working conditions. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
06 May 2021 06:10AM) Share this content
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BERKELEY, California: The recent failure to unionise workers at Amazon’s warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama is merely the latest chapter in the long decline of traditional working-class organisations. Has the pandemic made things even worse?
550 network technicians at ESB have begun a two day all-out strike, saying they re not being properly consulted about the outsourcing of their work.
The Independent Workers Union began a work-to-rule over the Bank Holiday weekend, refusing to provide emergency cover even as rough weather hit many areas.
The ESB says there was no delay to repairing outages because there was less weather damage than expected and contingency arrangements were enough to deal with it.
Network technician Brian Baitson is chairman of the strike committee and says they just want to defend their jobs:
They say they are not being properly consulted about the outsourcing of their work.
The Independent Workers Union began a work-to-rule over the Bank Holiday weekend, refusing to provide emergency cover even as rough weather hit many areas.
The ESB says there was no delay to repairing outages because there was less weather damage than expected and contingency arrangements were enough to deal with it.
Network technician Brian Baitson is chairman of the strike committee and says they just want to defend their jobs: I would urge the ESB to get in touch either with us directly or through the WRC to sit down and come to an agreement in around the outsourcing and how we move forward. None of my colleagues and myself want to be in this position- losing days pay- like a lot of our boys are young guys, they have mortgages, they have bills, and we don t want to be in this position, doing what we have to do to look after our future.
ESB technicians take industrial action over lack of consultation on outsourcing by the company Published: Tuesday, 04 May 2021 15:30
Up Up to 12 ESB workers, members of the Independent Workers’ Union, are protesting with placards at the entrance to the ESB site in Castlebar today.
They are part of a national action by more than 500 network technicians (NTs) at ESB who are undertaking a placard protest, claiming that they’re not being properly consulted by the company about the outsourcing of work.
The Independent Workers’ Union began a work-to-rule over the Bank Holiday weekend.
David Corbett a NT in Castlebar spoke to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about why they are taking the action
CAB drivers demanded better safety protections at a protest in London today after the murder of one worker and the assault of several more in recent months.
Members of the United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) union targeted the offices of app-based taxi firm Bolt in Chiswick, west London, after the fatal stabbing of Gabriel Bringye by passengers using a fake account in February.
The following month, fellow driver Muhammad Alam was assaulted and had his car stolen at knifepoint by Bolt customers also using fake identities, with many other drivers reporting incidents of abuse and assault recently.
Mr Alam said he has since been scared to return to work, but he had no choice as he needed to support his family.