Greetings and Welcome to another issue of “On The Line”. Over the years this host has been involved with several anarcho-syndicalist newsletters by the same name. I hope to be able to carry on the tradition of publishing timely news from the workplaces, the communities and the struggles against oppression, no matter what form that oppression takes.
A look at printed issues of “On The Line” can be found on the excellent resource site Libcom: https://libcom.org/library/line-libertarian-workers-group
The reader is encouraged to send in news about your struggles, comments and links to articles of interest. We encourade “debate” and “discussion” submissions as well. All we ask is the submissions and discussions be comradely, yet principled. Civil yet engaging.
Class struggle is the order of the day. The fight is real and the goal is freedom.
Thank you for reading.
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Labor News: “Meatpacking industry got its way on COVID-19 policies, and workers died” —– “When the meatpacking industry was hit with major coronavirus outbreaks back in the spring, there was no question about making workers’ lives a priority—it was always out of the question. This is an industry with high injury rates and low wages for its vulnerable population of workers, with its many people of color and immigrants. Industry executives have built their careers on harming people. So when local public health departments and outcry over hundreds of COVID-19 cases threatened to close meatpacking plants, the industry asked for help from the federal government. And since Donald Trump was in the White House, that help came almost immediately, without any consultation of any group besides industry lobbyists and executives.”
Labor News: “2,200 Philly-area nurses are threatening to strike during a coronavirus surge for ‘safe patient limits’”
“As coronavirus cases surge across the state and hospitalizations rise, 2,200 nurses across three hospitals in the Philadelphia region voted to authorize a strike if — among other issues — they couldn’t get their employers to commit to minimum staffing levels.
Another group of workers, the 260 nurses at Delaware County’s Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, also authorized a strike but reached a deal with hospital owner Trinity Health. Nurses voted to ratify the contract Thursday evening. Details were not immediately available
Nurses at three other hospitals — St. Mary Medical Center in Bucks County and Einstein Medical Center and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia — are still negotiating. The 800 nurses at St. Mary, who voted to join the nurses union PASNAP last year, will strike on Tuesday and Wednesday if they don’t reach a deal by then. Those at Einstein and St. Christopher’s have yet to send a 10-day strike notice to their employers.”
New Zealand: Health Sector Workers Network of Aotearoa: a radical network of health workers dedicated to building solidarity across the health sector.
India: “Toyota halts production at Indian plant after labour union strike” — “NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp has been forced to halt production at its car plant in southern India after members of a workers’ union went on a sit-in strike within the premises, the automaker said on Wednesday.”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/toyota-halts-production-indian-plant-134003978.html
UK: “Suez facing Christmas strikes after bullying and harassment claims” — “A series of strikes among bin men working for Suez Recycling and Recovery could disrupt Christmas for residents in Doncaster, according to union Unite. It accused the company of bullying its workers and said it had no option but to ballot for industrial action. A ballot opened on Tuesday this week and closes on 24 November. If members support industrial action, strikes could begin next month. Unite said members had reported “widespread bullying and harassment” and it claimed the suspension […]”
Suez facing Christmas strikes after bullying and harassment claims
