Workplace news in brief

Leeds O2

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) held a protest outside the Leeds O2 call centre on 5 June, opposing the company's plans to outsource four UK call centres to Capita. In the last week it had been leaked to the press that Capita plans to close two of the call centres and cut staffing at the remaining two.

This was the third of four protests at O2's call centres in Bury, Preston Brook, Glasgow as well as Leeds. On Friday, CWU served notice of a strike ballot opposing the changes and already this has brought results, with Capita and O2 management coming to the Leeds site for negotiations with union representatives.

The protest was predominantly made up of O2 employees on the site, many of whom came out during their breaks to join the protest, it was also supported by other reps from the West Yorkshire CWU branch and other local trade unionists came along to offer support.

Iain Dalton

School strike

A united picket line demonstrated the determination of teachers to win their dispute against the head and governors' plan to cut eight teaching assistant posts at Uplands Junior school in Leicester. A further strike is going ahead on 13 June.

See: NUT members strike to defend teaching assistant posts at a Leicester school

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