Best worker across the UK
From the cost of living to the NHS, a crisis is gripping Britain today. But workers are emboldened, a new force is emerging, and they’re fighting back.
This week’s rail strikes are a case in point. After two days of action, the country’s stations and commuter services are largely empty, but businesses have still had to cope with the fallout.
Unions are calling for a halt to austerity
In a country where public sector spending cuts are the main source of anger and dissatisfaction, it has never been more important for unions to take a stand and call for a halt to austerity. Workers across the UK are taking action against a series of government plans to cut jobless benefits and pensions in order to balance the budget.
The unions are urging the government to provide above-inflation pay rises and to invest in jobs, health services and schools that will make it possible to cope with the cost of living crisis. They are also calling for more support to strategically important companies and more intervention to prevent supply chain interruptions, and in the financial sector, to stop bonuses being paid out in excessive amounts.
There is an increased tendency for strike days to be coordinated by different unions but this needs to be taken much further. More
mass pickets and solidarity canvasses are needed to build a broad-based movement of working class neighborhoods, estates and college
campuses, ready for a 24-hour general strike.
Unions are calling for a halt to privatisation
Across the UK worker protests are growing by the day. Whether it’s the RMT railway union seeking permission for a rail strike or teachers
in the NASUWT preparing to resist real terms pay cuts, there is a lot of industrial action going on.
The UK government has already started to cut back civil service jobs and benefits, hiking the pension age for public sector workers and
cutting retirement payouts. The new reforms are aimed at cutting the deficit in government pension schemes.
A wave of strikes is coming and if the government doesn’t stop them, this could become a long drawn out fight.
Despite the government’s attempts to restrict strikes with a 50% turnout threshold, the reality is that this approach is not sustainable.
Moreover, it will only increase the number of wildcat strikes that could disrupt our lives.
Unions are calling for a halt to sexism
The UK has a huge number of trade unions, which represent workers across the whole of the economy. They are fighting to improve their wages, conditions and working practices.
However, women are still a minority in trade unions and they often suffer from sex discrimination. Despite many laws, this is still a
problem and women are at risk of being treated differently because they are female.
Consequently, it is essential for organisations to take proactive steps in dealing with sex discrimination. This can include making sure that
HR has training and support available to ensure that sexist attitudes don’t get a foothold in the organisation.
There are also a number of ways that organisations can fight against sexism, including promoting gender equality. By doing so, they
can help to create a more inclusive workplace and prevent issues from arising in the first place.
Unions are calling for a halt to racism
Unions have long been involved in fighting racism, and it is a key part of their work. They create space for people to talk about their
experiences of racism, and help people build relationships across racial and other barriers.
They also set out a clear and consistent commitment to ending racism and a commitment to anti-racist policies. They do this by forming
white and people of color caucuses, providing training, encouraging discussion about race, power and privilege, setting standards for
inclusion, and reviewing the mission, vision, policies, procedures, board agreements and other parts of the union’s structure.
The latest report by the TUC shows that a significant number of Black, brown and minority ethnic (BME) workers are facing a range of
different forms of racism at work. For example, a third of BME workers reported that incidents of racism had negatively affected their
mental health, and over a quarter said it made them feel less confident at work.
