Action could hit courts, Jobcentre and tax office

1st June 2011

By Adam Kula, Swindon Advertiser

HUNDREDS of civil servants in Swindon could walk out on strike later this month.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are said to be “fed up” with Government cuts and have begun a ballot for industrial action.

“Not only are we on a pay freeze but they’re about to say we’ll have to make bigger contributions to our pensions, so that’ll be effectively a pay cut.”

- Andy Parsons

The PCS has members in Swindon’s Court Service, the research councils, the HM Revenue and Customs office in Farnsby Street, and the town’s Jobcentre.

It is not known exactly how many members the PCS has in the town, but the union said it is “several hundred”.

Andy Parsons, 48, is secretary of the PCS’ environmental research council branch, based in Swindon.

Mr Parsons, from Goddard Avenue, Old Town, said: “Not only are we on a pay freeze but they’re about to say we’ll have to make bigger contributions to our pensions, so that’ll be effectively a pay cut.

“We don’t want to lose our carers”

Monday 7th February 2011

By Adam Kula, Swindon Advertiser

A DISABLED father and his parents have appealed to Swindon council – Save Our Carers. The Hardy family claim that cutting the jobs of 64 home carers and farming their work out to the private sector is a ruthless move which is hitting the vulnerable.

Swindon students demonstrate at Council

A group of students demonstrating outside the Council offices today. There were a few more present than appear in this picture, but the bitter weather obviously deterred more. There were students present from New College, Swindon College and one brave soul who travelled from Cirencester.They are calling on the Council to oppose the tuition fees increase. Some of those present were recipients of the EMA (Educational maintenance Allowance) which goes to the children of poor parents. The government is proposing to close the allowance for new applicants in January 2011. (Click the picture to enlarge)

 

 

Students launch peaceful protest

Thursday 25th November 2010

By Matthew Edwards, Swindon Advertiser

MORE than 100 students stormed out of lessons at New College yesterday as thousands of students descended on London to demonstrate against hikes to tuition fees.

About 140 people quit lessons at 11am yesterday and protested outside the entrance of the college waving placards before marching around the site chanting against the Government.

Users’ concern at Oasis sell-off

Monday 22nd November 2010

 

By Charley Morgan, Swindon Advertiser

 

The announcement that the Oasis Leisure Centre could be sold off to a private developer by the cash-strapped Swindon Council was met with dismay by people using the centre.

The Adver reported on Saturday that the council had placed advertisements in trade magazines inviting developers to make expressions of interest in the site.

Car parking attendants to go on strike

Charley Morgan, Swindon Advertiser

CAR parking attendants are planning to go on strike on the first day of late-night Christmas shopping tomorrow.

The industrial action is the latest development in an ongoing dispute between Swindon Council and Unison members over pay.

Ambulance crews’ anger over shifts

By Scott McPherson, Swindon Advertiser

ALMOST 100 per cent of Ambulance crews in Wiltshire have indicated that they would be prepared to strike over changes being made to their shift patterns.

Crews in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire have indicated that they would take industrial action over sweeping changes being implemented by Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Unison members strike on Fridays too

8th November 2010

STRIKE action by Unison members was escalated as the union members extended their weekend strikes to Friday too.

Staff belonging to the union from the town’s car parks did not work on Friday and those at the Link Centre stopped work at 8pm on Friday too. Swindon Council’s leisure, car parking and parks staff have been taking industrial action following a dispute over pay.

The council has withdrawn extra pay for working unsociable hours like evenings and weekends.

Some staff are losing £300 a week because of it and Unison members have been on strike at weekends since September 25.

Unison branch secretary Bob Cretchley said the union was preparing to ballot staff from other council departments.

“We have already given notice that we are balloting further groups in the libraries and museums departments and we could be escalating the action,” he said.

“But we did have a meeting with the council on Thursday and they indicated they were looking to try and find a way to resolve this.”

From the Swindon Advertiser. Looks like an Adver error; that should be £300 a month.

Industrial action threat by ambulance staff

Wednesday 3rd November 2010

By Charly Morgan, Swindon Advertiser

Ambulance staff could take industrial action in a dispute over changes to their working conditions.

The Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS) says it needs to change the shift system to handle increased demand from 999 calls.

Nine jobseekers for every job in Duncan Smith’s Cardiff

23 October 2010

The city where Iain Duncan Smith claims people from Merthyr Tydfil should go to find work currently has almost nine times more jobseekers than jobs, research by PCS shows.

Figures obtained by the union for the day following the work and pensions secretary’s statement about unemployed workers ‘getting on the bus’, show there are 15,000 people in Cardiff chasing just 1,700 jobs.