Statement from Berwick Trades Union Council

There are workers on strike the length and breadth of the land.  As nurses in the RCN have said – ‘enough is enough’! And fed up with poverty wages and exploitative working conditions, the RCN has voted for strike action for the first time ever.

Berwick Trades Council (bringing together Berwick trade unions) supports all those, such as the RMT, CWU, PCS, RCN, who are taking action in defence of their living standards.

We believe they are fighting for all of us. We believe decent living standards not only includes appropriate pay and safe working conditions, but fully funded public services including the NHS.

The RMT not only fights for decent pay, but against the so-called ‘modernisation reforms’ that would significantly increase driver-only trains and close ticket offices reducing staff to support rail passengers, especially disabled and older people.  These plans would seriously compromise safety and make a large number of staff redundant. 

The CWU, defending postal workers, is similarly told they have to ‘make reforms’ or face the prospect of 10,000 redundancies, cuts to sick pay and no job security commitments.  But the Royal Mail payed out £600 million to shareholders in managers in 2022.

Berwick TC knows there is significant sympathy and support for those fighting the cost of living crisis, demanding fair pay and safe working conditions without pre-conditions.  We are in solidarity!

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