Strikes and protests
As more and more workers resort to strikes to try to defend their livelihoods, Manchester TUC is organising a march and rally on Saturday 20 August to bring together all the local strikers and their supporters.
On the day we expect Unite Arriva, RMT, TSSA and UNISON AQA to be out on strike. We are hoping to involve ASLEF and the CWU and will have a striking criminal barrister, a French railworker from the CGT and the People’s Assembly speaking in addition to strikers. Please use the Facebook event to spread the word, and bring workmates, friends, family, banners, flags etc.
Unite and GMB Arriva NW bus strike
Continuous strike since Wednesday 20 July at the Greeba Road depot in Wythenshawe and Goodwin Street in Bolton. The Wythenshawe pickets are approx 3am – 5pm and the Bolton ones are approx 4:30am to 4pm weekdays, 6am – 1:30pm Saturdays, and 8am-1pm Sundays. You can reach the Wythenshawe depot by a short walk from the Roundthorn Metrolink station. The 101 bus, run by Stagecoach, can get you close to the depot and starts running earlier than the trams.
UNISON AQA strike – Friday 12 – Monday 15 August
Workers will be striking again from Friday 12 – Monday 15 August. Pickets will be at AQA, Devas Street, M15 6EX from 6:30am – 2pm weekdays and 8-10am at the weekend.
ASLEF train drivers strike – Saturday 13 August
ASLEF rail workers employed by Cross Country and Avanti West Coast will be striking on Saturday 13 August. They plan to picket 7am to 5pm at the bottom of Manchester Piccadilly Approach, M1 2HY.
Peterloo march for democracy – Sunday 14 August
March from Piccadilly Gardens at 12:30 to St Peter’s Square for speeches and music. Followed by a seminar on democracy and the media.
Criminal Bar Association strike
Criminal barristers are on strike alternating weeks:
- Monday 15 – Friday 19 August
- Tuesday 30 August – 2 September
- Monday 12 – Friday 16 September
- Monday 26 – Friday 30 September
RMT and TSSA rail strikes
The RMT and TSSA have announced strikes on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August.
You can contribute the the RMT’s regional strike fund using the following details. Please email manchesternorthwestrc@rmt.org.uk to let them know about any contributions, so they can keep track.
- Manchester & NW Regional Council
- Account No. 33720425
- Sort Code 60-83-01
Manchester South RMT branch are also selling a range of merchandise to raise money for their strike fund.
CWU Royal Mail strikes
CWU have announced strikes at Royal Mail on Friday 26 August, Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 8 to Friday 9 September.
Wigan Diggers Festival – Saturday 10 September
The annual Wigan Diggers festival is from 11:15am to 9:30pm in Gerrard Winstanley Gardens, The Wiend, Wigan town centre. More details.
Workers Can Win – book launch
The next meeting of Manchester TUC delegates is at 7pm on Wednesday 21 September. At 7:30pm the meeting will be opened to the public for the Manchester book launch of Workers Can Win! A Guide to Organising At Work. This will take place at the Mechanics Institute. It is being hosted by Manchester TUC and Greater Manchester Law Centre and sponsored by Strike! MCR, Greater Manchester rs21, Unite NW/389 Greater Manchester Social Action branch, Unite NW/5/4 Queens Road branch, Unite Chep NW/1 branch and Unite Fujitsu NW branch. More details via the Facebook event.
Other strikes?
If you are aware of strikes we could be mobilising solidarity for, please let us know details as soon as possible so we can maximise solidarity efforts. Also don’t forget to submit details of pickets to strikemap.co.uk.
In solidarity
Ian Allinson
Industrial action solidarity coordinator
Manchester Trades Union Council