Solidarity with HMRC cleaners

HMRC must take urgent action to resolve the dispute between PCS members employed as cleaners at HM Revenue and Custom’s Birmingham and Merseyside sites and their employer, ISS. Send a message to HMRC’s CEO so they know how many of us are behind these workers.

Please sign this petition.

PCS FCO dispute - show your support

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell on the FCO Interserve picket line

Steve Ion has sent a message of support for the PCS FCO Interserve 4-week strike action on behalf the ARMS Mersey group via Helen Flanagan, PCS industrial officer. More details of the dispute are here.

In response, Helen has asked ARMS (and other) members to sign the e-action here, to ask their MPs sign this EDM here and write to the Foreign Secretary about the issues.

HMRC cleaners strike 15 July

On Monday 15 July, striking HMRC cleaners employed by ISS were joined by PCS ARMS Mersey members, local councillors, local MPs, Liverpool Labour Party members, Liverpool BAME members and supportive members of the public at picket lines and rallies in Bootle and Liverpool.

And the sun also shone on the righteous!

ARMS Mersey members show solidarity with HMRC cleaners at their meeting on 11 July

The rally in Queens Square in Liverpool

Attentively listening to the speeches

The full line-up of strikers (centre front) and supporters

ARMS Mersey members (L-R): Keith Hebron, Neville Grundy, Steve Ion and Ray Beeton

Three resolute strikers

ARMS' Steve Ion chats with two of the strikers

ARMS Mersey's Jim Stanway (left) and Neville Grundy with the ARMS banner

Strikers, PCS HMRC branch officers, Steve Ion of ARMS (left) - and the ARMS banner!

ARMS at school strikers' climate change and Justice for HMRC Cleaners demonstrations

ARMS members attended two demonstrations in Liverpool yesterday: the school strike against climate change at St George's Hall at 11.00 am, and the HMRC cleaners demonstration in Derby Square at midday. By the end of the latter, the school students had marched through the city centre for a rally, also in Derby Square, and thus the two demos met.

Any politicians who try to get publicity by calling those young people truants should remember that very few MPs turned up for a recent House of Commons debate on climate change. As far as I know none of the school strikers are on £77,379 per year, unlike MPs who can apparently skive off work without penalty.

School strike against climate change demo

Windswept ARMS members at the school strike

Two unlikely school strikers

A young demonstrator displays one of the many pertinent slogans

Some very youthful campaigners and big smiles

"There's no Planet B"

"System change not climate change"

It was a good humoured, but not trivial, protest

Other species added their voice

Over to Derby Square and the Justice for HMRC cleaners rally

The ARMS NW banner supporting Justice for HMRC cleaners

Group photo of the HMRC cleaners' demo

Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant General Secretary, addresses the HMRC rally

Attentive demonstrators listening to the speeches

Keith Hebron of ARMS with Chris Baugh

The AGS pledges full PCS support for the cleaners' dispute

Tony Mulhearn of ARMS addresses the rally in his capacity as representative
of the Merseyside Pensioners Association. Tony later went on to address the
school strikers' climate change rally

Says it all - not asking for riches, but fairness

NHS picket 25 February (2)

Far left: Keith Hebron. 3rd from left: Neville Grundy. Far right: Jim Stanway. 2nd from right: Steve Ion.

ARMS at the UNISON NHS picket line

UNISON members at Liverpool Women's Hospital went on strike today. More than 40 cleaners, catering staff, porters and security officers took action after OCS refused to pay them the NHS rate for the job.

Four members of ARMS Mersey joined the well-attended and good-humoured picket line. Two more days of action will take place on 11 and 13 March if today's strike doesn't get management to move. We'll publish details here when we receive them.

Youth strike about climate change

There will be a national strike of all school students on Friday 15 February over the impact of climate change. The Daily Mail has predictably proclaimed "Fury as headteachers BACK pupil strike", and indeed the National Association of Head Teachers has welcomed the day, stating: 'When you get older pupils making an informed decision, that kind of thing needs to be applauded.'

Right-wing journalist, the inappropriately surnamed Toby Young, said: 'Calling this a strike is ridiculous. What are they going to do? Down pencils? This is just truanting.' Such sarcasm about a demonstration by the very people who will suffer from the effects of climate change for far longer than Mr Young will is particularly misjudged.

In Merseyside, assemble 11.00 a.m. at St Georges Hall. Not sure whether this means the Hall or the Plateau but that will doubtless become clear upon arrival.