European Workers Issues
France: Workers facing mass layoffs threaten to blow up plants
By Alex Lantier, July 20, 2009
Workers at several plants slated for closure are fighting to obtain higher severance packages by threatening to detonate explosive devices at their factories.
France: Union thugs, police evict undocumented workers from union hall
By Pierre Mabut and Antoine Lerougetel, July 16, 2009
Masked CGT security forces and CRS riot police joined forces to expel undocumented sans papiers workers from a trade union hall in Paris, which they had occupied in an attempt to force the state to gr...
Germany: Opel workers oppose cuts in holiday pay
By Ulrich Rippert, July 15, 2009
Resistance is mounting amongst Opel workers to continuing wage cuts, the dismantling of tariff agreements and deteriorating working conditions.
Britain: London postal workers strike in opposition to job losses
By our reporters, July 11, 2009
Some 11,000 postal workers in London took strike action this week, following a two-day strike in June.
Britain: Lindsey oil refinery workers win reinstatement
By Robert Stevens, June 30, 2009
Striking subcontracting workers employed at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire, Humberside, voted to return to work on June 29, after an agreement was reached between the managing contractor Jac...
Britain: Barnsley College lecturers protest threat of redundancies
By our reporters, June 25, 2009
The local branch University and College Union in Barnsley called a demonstration June 20 to oppose the threat by management to make 53 lecturers redundant.
Britain: Nationwide strike continues in defence of sacked refinery workers
By Robert Stevens, June 25, 2009
Sacked contract workers employed at the Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR) in Lincolnshire, England, continued their strike action and protests this week.
How France’s petty-bourgeois “left” betrays workers
The experience of Goodyear and Continental
By Pierre Mabut and Antoine Lerougetel, June 24, 2009
France’s “far left” parties are supporting redundancy packages organised by the trade unions in manufacturing industries hit by the global economic crisis.
Britain: Postal workers strike against job losses
By Paul Bond, June 19, 2009
Thousands of postal workers across London and parts of Scotland are striking today after a 91 percent vote in favour of strike action.
Kindergarten staff strike in Germany: 30,000 demonstrate in Cologne
By our correspondents, June 17, 2009
Tens of thousands of kindergarten and child care staff protested in Cologne June 15, but union officials provided a platform for German government representatives at the mass rally.
Britain: Van maker LDV sacks more than 800 workers
By Robert Stevens, June 16, 2009
Last week, administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers announced that nearly all 850 workers employed by the Birmingham-based van maker LDV are to be made redundant.
LDV workers: “80 percent of the lads here think the union is a waste of time”
By Robert Stevens, June 16, 2009
World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke to redundant LDV workers attending advice sessions.
