by Richie Venton, SSP national trade union organiser Main photo: Max McKay – Richie Venton, USDAW NEC member addresses 200-strong trade union solidarity rally at Strathclyde University. “No capitulation!” “Reject the deal and sustain the strike!” That was the angry message from the ranks of striking university staff to their own UCU union leadership after […]
By Ken Ferguson Union activist, shop steward and workplace convenor Richie Venton has won a resounding victory in a hard fought contest for two Scottish seats on the UK executive of the retail and distribution union USDAW. Richie fought the contest on a platform of progressive left demands including an immediate wage of £10 an […]
by Richie Venton In an important victory for all workers fighting austerity, the High Court has ruled (on 20 September) in favour of Unite the union and ordered Birmingham Labour city council to withdraw the compulsory redundancy notices they’d issued to 113 safety critical refuse collection workers. As part of the legal ruling, the union […]
Our workplace organiser, Richie Venton wrote a letter appealing for a united approach from trade unions – the published letter, printed in the Morning Star – is reproduced below. Unison’s John Stevenson is spot-on: union activists have a critical role to play, provided we reach out to the broader membership, connecting workers real life experiences […]
by Richie Venton, SSP national workplace organiser Victories for workers, their unions and their rights at work are all too rare in recent years. The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court (the top legal institution in the UK) that the government’s Employment Tribunal fees are illegal, is a precious rarity. It ends the criminal policy […]
by Richie Venton, SSP national workplace organiser The courageous determination of ScotRail guards, who sacrificed 13 days’ pay by striking for public safety, has won a clear victory in a deal which will be considered by the national executives of both the RMT and ASLEF unions tomorrow (20th September). After prolonged talks with ScotRail Abellio […]
by Richie Venton, SSP national workplace organiser All the worst enemies of working class people and their organisations have combined in a vitriolic onslaught against the RMT union and its members – rail-workers in particular. Tory Minister Chris Grayling arrogantly accused the RMT of “looking for excuses to be militant”. Filthy rags like the Sun (of […]
The battle for train safety through keeping the guards has won a big breakthrough but it’s not over, and further negotiations this Tuesday/Wednesday could either lead to more concessions and a settlement or revived strikes – and either way, much debate amongst rail workers. – the leaflet tries to puncture some of ScotRail bosses’ latest […]