Members of two unions at the University of Leeds came together to strike for better pay this week. Workers in the Unison union began a strike on Friday of last week and plan to continue until this Friday. They were joined by members of the Unite union which began its action on Monday and also plans to strike until Friday.

There were good-sized picket lines on Monday that culminated in a rally outside the town hall. This isn’t the first time unions have decided to strike together at the university. Members of the UCU and Unison went on strike together in June of this year.

The UCU union members were striking over being robbed of their pay for taking part in the Marking and assessment boycott (Mab). Members of the union voted to end an indefinite strike on 26 June after the bosses came to workers with a new offer. Bringing together all three workplace unions at the University of Leeds is the best way to win for all workers.

Get out of my pub! You’re Barr’d

Workers at AG Barr’s production and distribution centre in Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, are on strike for nine days until the end of October. The Unite union members are trucker and shunter drivers who help produce Irn-Bru among other products.

AG Barr is refusing to offer more than 5 percent for 2023. The first strike began on Friday of last week, with more scheduled for Friday of this week and every Friday until 6 October.

London School of illegality

Bosses at the London School of Economics (LSE) have robbed cleaners of thousands of pounds worth of holiday pay. Workers who clean LSE halls of residence were only paid a holiday pay based on their basic pay during their holiday breaks. But cleaners work hundreds of extra hours a month, overtime that makes up most of their wage packet.

Members of the UVW union are now demanding holiday pay should reflect their average additional hours, in addition to their basic pay. They have launched a legal claim against the university, some six years they won an end to outsourcing.

This strike is going to Costa packet

Some of Britain’s largest food outlets have been warned of packaging shortages after workers at Cepac began four weeks of strikes over pay and conditions. Over 90 workers at the firm’s Darlington factory will begin four weeks of action from this week.

Cepac produces corrugated packaging. Its end clients include Greggs, Costa, Subway and Pret, as well as supermarkets Aldi, Tesco, Morrisons and Asda. Unite has postponed previous planned strikes to hold further talks and seek an agreement. Workers rejected Cepac latest offer of an 8 percent pay increase but with significant strings, including longer hours, lower overtime rates and a change in shift patterns.

Every little bit doesn’t help

Workers at Tesco’s depot in Didcot, Oxfordshire, have been warned that their workplace will be filth—and their canteen closed. Cleaning and catering staff working for outsourcers Atalian Servest are going on strike after bosses refused to even discuss pay. Cleaners on as little as £11 an hour are set to start their strike on Friday 1 September and step up action from then.