January 24
123 oil
tanker drivers employed by road haulage firm Wincanton began a week long
strike at 5am Tuesday 24th January. Employed on the ConocoPhillips
contract, they deliver fuel to Jet petrol stations...read
more
January 23
Pat
Markey, Northampton NUT Secretary, and union rep at Duston School, was
today (17 January) found guilty of gross misconduct and summarily dismissed...read
more
18 January “Unilever is the 18th
richest company in the world. But its us that makes them their money!”
As one private sector pension scheme after another is hacked to pieces,
workers at multinational company Unilever are making a stand to defend
pensions...read
more
16 January Unite
members will join picket lines at 12 Unilever sites. Unite have circulated
the time and location of each picket line. The NSSN urges all readers and
supporters to visit picket lines in your area in this crucial dispute...read
more
16 January Stagecoach bus drivers in
Barnsley and Rotherham, members of the Unite trade union, took their
eighth day of strike action on Monday 16th January in pursuit of their
pay claim for £9 per hour...read
more
16 January The NSSN
will now be publishing it's weekly bulletin online. The bulletin can be a
useful tool for activists and supporters of the Network to keep in touch
with events across the country and internationally. Highlights include the
latest developments in the pensions dispute, the Unilever strike and workers
struggles in Nigeria and Kazakhstan...read
more
13 January
Local supporters of the National Shop Stewards Network
met in Preston on Wednesday 11th January to discuss the national pensions
dispute. PCS Group Executive Committee member for DWP, Gavin Hartley,
reported back from the 7th January PCS Left Unity meeting in London...read
more
13 January Electricians continue their long running nationwide
campaign against the wage slashing and deskilling Building Engineering
Services National Agreement (BESNA). This time the action moves to
Scotland with sparks protesting at the gates of the INEOS Grangemouth
refinery...read
more
12 January
Administrators KPMG announced they were ‘delighted’ to
have saved 1,000 jobs with La Senza in the UK on Monday. They didn’t
mention the remaining 1,600 workers thrown on the dole with ten minutes’
notice...read more
12 January Over 100
union members lobbied the TUC Public Services Liaison Group (PSLG)
today, to call on the union leaders to reject the government's new offer
on public sector pensions and to set a new strike date...read
more
12 January Merseyside Shop Stewards
Network held a successful meeting on 11 January, with 18 attending from
unions including PCS, Unison, Unite and ASU/GMB. The meeting reviewed
the pensions dispute, discussed co-ordinated action and a local way
forwards...read
more
11 January Up to 100 electricians and
their supporters protested outside Blackfriars in London this morning in
their ongoing campaign to defend the JIB agreement and stop the big
construction companies imposing the BESNA terms that will open the door
to pay cuts of up to 35%...read
more
Change of time for lobby
of TUC
10 January
The starting time for the TUC
Public Services Liaison Group on Thursday has been brought forward to
10:00 AM...read
more
NSSN Bulletin No. 72 06 January
The NSSN
will now be publishing it's weekly bulletin online. The bulletin can be a
useful tool for activists and supporters of the Network to keep in touch
with events across the country and internationally...read
more
23 December
An open meeting for trade union reps has been organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union's Left Unity organisation on Saturday 7th January 2012 at Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London, 11am - 4pm.
Speakers include: Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary, John McDonnell MP,
Mark Campbell, UCU,
Kevin Courtney, NUT deputy general secretary, Roger Bannister, Unison NEC (personal capacity)
read more
Change of time for NSSN lobby of PSLG 19 December
The
starting time of the Public Services Liaison Group meeting today at Congress House has
been put back to 5 PM today. The lobby of the PSLG will now start at 3:30 PM...read
more
No sell out on pensions - Fight until we win! 16 December
Today the TUC's Public Sector Liaison Group (PSLG) met for the first time since
the magnificent 30 November public sector strike. Disgracefully, Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, argued that all of
the trade unions should sign up to the government's latest 'heads of agreement'
on pensions, which would then allow Francis Maude to announce before Christmas
that the dispute has been settled. This was met with outrage by many of the
public sector trade unions present...read
more
Action by construction workers escalates on
the 17th week of action 16 December
At the end of the summer construction bosses embarked on a wave of wage
cuts. If they thought they would get an easy ride then they certainly don't
think so now. As we approach Christmas the fight back by construction
workers continues. The following is a round up of reports from
electricians and construction engineers action across the country...read
more
Cuts target trade unionists: Defend Nancy Taaffe 15 December Below is a model
letter for anti-cuts and trade union activists to send to Chris Robbins,
leader of Labour-led Waltham Forest council. 17 rounds of vicious cuts have
been voted through. The latest round has included trade union activist and
anti-cuts campaigner Nancy Taaffe...read
more
Unilever strike: Reports from Salford and Burton 09 December Approximately 40
workers turned out on the picket line at Unilever Trafford Park this
morning. They were supporting the strike against Unilever's plans to force a
move from a Final Salary Pensions Scheme to one based on a Career Average
Salary...read
more
RMT demands answers from News International in phone
hacking scandal 09 December
Transport union RMT today wrote to lawyers for News International demanding
to know which journalists were involved in instructing an undercover
surveillance operation against General Secretary Bob Crow by former
policeman and MI5-trained Derek Webb...read
more
07 December What a day! The biggest of the 'Dirty 7' big contractors Balfour
Beatty (BBES) may have outlawed the strike by their electricians but today
December 7th saw protests, stoppages and walkouts all over the country...read
more
NSSN statement on November 30th and further action 06 December
The day before the strike, with pure arrogance and clear hatred of the
working class, Osborne announced the next tranche of attacks on us. On top
of the 300,000 public sector workers who have been sacked over the last
year, a further 400,000 plus are in their sights...read
more
Unilever national strike action: Private sector joins the pensions battle
06 December
Unilever, a massive food, drink and cleaning products
multinational, will see it's first national strike action this week over
pensions. In the aftermath of November 30th and the governments rhetoric of
"gold plaited" public sector pensions versus private sector, the NSSN believes
this will be a significant dispute. The following article is an appeal for
solidarity from a union activist at Unilever. The NSSN urges all its readers and
supports to visit picket lines in solidarity with this important dispute...read
more
N30: Reports from around the country 01
DecemberThe picket lines and strike
rallies throughout the UK on 30th November were a magnificent and massive
display of workers' opposition to the government's attacks on pensions...read
more
29 November The NSSN has just received word that
Balfour Beatty M&E workers have voted 81.6% in favour of strike action. The NSSN
congratulates all Unite electricians for this excellent result...read
more
Pictures: NSSN placards for November 30th strike day 29 November The big day is nearly here. In less than 24 hours 3 million
public sector workers will walk out of work. They will be making history as the
largest strike since the 1926 General Strike takes place...read
more
Sparks pay wage cutting Gratte Brothers a surprise visit
23 November Construction
electricians brought their campaign of defiance to the home of one of the 'Dirty
Seven' contractors in London today. Over 150 sparks marched from their morning
protest at Kings Cross to the headquarters of Grattes Brothers and occupied the
foyer of the office for over an hour...read
more
A
message of solidarity to November 30th strikers from Pakistani workers 23 November On behalf of the Workers Alliance Party
(WAP- Pakistan) we strongly condemn the anti-working class decisions taken by
the Government of UK, in slashing down the salaries, retirement benefits and
social security measures of the working people...read
more
Sparks picket Chorus Steel plant 15 November Emboldened by last weeks
protest in London, around 200 sparks turned up at Corus Steel (Monday 14
November). Both Corus gates were obstructed and traffic tailed back for a
couple of miles from the entrances...read
more
15 November(Taken
from a recent RMT CLEANERS bulletin. Full bulletin can be viewed
here)
In a scene
reminiscent of fascist Europe in the 1930s up to 30 John Laing Workers were
rounded up and detained by the UK Border Agency. These included RMT members and
one of our union Reps on the London Overground cleaning contract...read
more
NSSN condemns police kettling of construction electricians 11 November The National Shop Stewards
Network (NSSN) condemns the actions of the police yesterday (November 9th) in
kettling over 200 construction electricians for well over an hour. Workers,
including many in their 50s and 60s, were left standing within a ring of riot
police with no access to food, drink or toilet facilities...read
more
09 November
Today's national demonstration of construction workers in London started with a rank and file led protest outside the Pinnacle tower building site on Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street station....
read more
03 November 28 days before the pension strike ,its
the government that has blinked first. A day before Unison announces that a
million of its members will be on strike on November 30th after they voted for
strike action, Danny Alexander puts a 'final' offer on the table...read
more
03 November Unison members have delivered a decisive answer to ConDem attacks
on their pensions with an over whelming vote for strike action on November 30th...read
more
Sparks protest forces Balfour Beatty off Carrington Site
02 November
Continued protest at the Carrington paper-mill site halted traffic at the
site this morning, causing traffic to back up for miles on either side of
the site entrance. Showing that protest works, Balfour Beatty have lost the
contract for the second part of the Carrington job...read
more
London Sparks break media blackout
02
November London electricians took their fight against pay cuts and
deskilling to the Gratts-run site at 110 Cannon Street this Wednesday morning.
Sparks had vowed to return last week after a site manager boasted he would pay
all constriction workers £1 an hour if it were up to him...read
more
Barnsley UCU to strike against union victimisation
02 November Barnsley College UCU branch begins a
five-day strike on Friday 4th November against the compulsory redundancy threat
to its Assistant Branch Secretary Graham Mustin this Friday...read
more
Blacklist Support Group AGM
24 October
"One of the worst cases
of organised human rights abuse ever in the UK" So said John McDonnell MP in
2009 following the discovery by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)
of the illegal Consulting Association database containing personal sensitive
information about 3200 building workers...read
more
Sparks protest returns to Blackfriars as Unite declare strike ballot
19 October
This week’s protest at Blackfriars Balfour Beatty site began in full
darkness at 6:30 this morning. Along with the cold weather it was a sign
winter is just around the corner. Despite the chilly weather the struggle
between electricians and big seven electrical contractor’s rages on as hot
as ever...read
more
Unison branch secretary Vik Chechi suspended: Urgent solidarity needed!
18 October
Vik Chechi, the Unison Branch
Secretary of Queen Mary University in east London has this afternoon been
suspended by his employer. We suspect that this is with a clear view to sack him
because management wants to weaken the union and the anti-cuts campaign in the
University which has united staff and students...read
more
Siteworker calls on construction workers not to sign new agreement 17 October Regular readers of the NSSN website will be
aware of the epic struggle being waged by construction workers against the
whole sale destruction of their industries terms and conditions. These
attacks have been presented to construction workers in the latest Building
Engineering Services National Agreement (BESNA). You can read the BESNA in
full
here...read
more
Lincoln TUC opposes anti-migrant march 11 October Dean Everitt of
Wyberton near Boston, has announced that he will be organising a march against
immigration on Saturday 19th November in Boston, Lincolnshire...read
more
Ratcliffe sparks protest
11 October A protest by around 100 construction
electricians at Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station in Notts on Friday, 7 October,
had a big impact...read
more
60
workers sacked as bosses make a million
11 October Unite members at printers Wyndeham
Impact in Basingstoke protested last Friday outside the closed factory to
continue their fight for their jobs, unpaid wages, holiday pay, sick pay and
against the previous sacking of two printers...read
more
NSSN statement - No secret talks - No retreat on N30 pensions strike
06 October
The front page of the Independent this Thursday October
6th has an article claiming that TUC leader Brendan Barber has been to Tory
Party conference this week for secret talks with ConDem minsters to try to
"avert mass strikes". If this is true, union activists will be
outraged. The NSSN recognises the need for negotiations but these should be out
in the open, involving all those unions preparing to take action on November
30th (N30), which could see up to 3 million public sector workers on strike -
more than on the first day of the 1926 general strike...
read more
As part of the ongoing dispute with
Southampton City Council over imposed cuts to pay and conditions, the Unite
stewards committee took a decision on Tuesday 27th September to call ALL
members of UNITE out on strike on Thursday 6th October...read
more
Electricians took the fight to defend their wages and conditions
into the heart of London’s shopping district this morning, with over 300
blocking traffic for half an hour on Oxford Street...read
more
On
October 1st a recreation of the Jarrow march for jobs set off from the North
West. The march has been organised by
Youth Fight for
Jobs
and aims to highlight the problem of youth unemployment. The
following article is a moving account of the first day of the march from one of
the marchers, Ben Robinson, Chair of Youth Fight for Jobs...read
more
Up to 100 construction
electricians from across the north and north-west met in Manchester on 1st
October to organise from below in defence of pay and conditions...read
more
35,000 people travelled to
Manchester city centre on Sunday 2nd October to march against the
anti-working class policies of the Conservative party...read
more
The Conference is open to all trade unionists and anti-cuts
campaigners. The event will include sessions on strengthening unions in
unionised workplaces and building unions in unorganised workplaces, as well
as sessions to discuss building the NSSN across the Midlands...read
more
A group of campaigners against the
government’s austerity cuts returned to Nuneaton this weekend, promoting the
Jarrow2London2011 march which visits Nuneaton in October, and were joined by
the Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance team from Hinckley who entertained
shoppers on the outdoor market. The Lion Dancers and Drummers signed the
petition and posed with RMT shop steward Paul Reilly from Nuneaton Against
the Cuts...read
more
construction industry
electricians have taken unofficial strike action at Saltend and West Burton
today over threats to cut JIB rates. These workers then took part in a 400
strong protest outside Lindsey Oil Refinery and Conoco Phillips on the
Humber. More reports to follow.
About 20 electricians
protested from 6.30 a.m. outside the Manchester Town Hall construction site
on Wednesday. The site entrances were all barred and guarded by security so
it was more like a lockdown than a workplace...read
more
“We are
Sparks. We are Sparks. We are, We are, We are Sparks” was the chant heard on the
Crossrail Farringdon building site as hundreds of electricians, (“and a
carpenter!”) staged a mass invasion of the site this morning...read
more
Printers in Basingstoke
defy bullying management
21
September As reported in
last week's Socialist, print workers at Wyndeham Impact inBasingstokeare
now in their twentieth week of industrial action...read
more
21 September
Even in the heart of his supposedly leafy constituency, "Disco Dave" is unable
to escape the outcry caused by his government's policies...read
more
Rank-and-file trade unionists have welcomed the announcement from the TUC today
that a ‘day of action’ will take place on 30 November, including strike action
across the public sector, to defend pensions, jobs and services...read
more
Another protest against the attacks on national agreements in the electrical and
mechanical construction sector took place on Wednesday 14 September at the
Olympic site in East London. About 100 workers and their supporters gathered to
protest against the attempts to deskill the industry by eight major construction
companies...read
more
The
11th September 2011 was the day the role of the National Shop Stewards Network
(NSSN) in the labour movement gained further recognition. Around 700 trade unionists representing hundreds of thousands of workers from
all over the country came to put pressure on the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to
take action to defend our living standards.
They heard trade union leaders Bob Crow, Mark Serwotka and other militant union
leaders make fighting speeches. Following a marvellous demonstration to the
TUC headquarters, the TUC deputy general secretary, Frances O'Grady, accepted the
NSSN's letter and petition urging this week's Congress to organise coordinated
action, and saluted the role played by the shop stewards present...read
more
8 September
Unison has called an emergency Local Government Service Group
Executive a week Friday. The expectation is that a motion will be put
to the meeting requesting an industrial action ballot which could mean
them striking with the other unions in the week beginning November 7th
to defend public sector pensions...read
more
7 August
Youth workers action take strike action again this Friday. All youth
centres on David Cameron’s constituency are due to close,. So our
members thought that while on strike they should march and lobby
Cameron’s constituency office...read
more
For the third week
running a London construction site was besieged by hundreds of
electricians protesting at the 'Big 8' construction companies' plans
to withdraw from the national JIB agreement next March, which will
force many of these workers' wages down by 35%...read
more
The Trade Union Congress is OUR organisation. Its 6 million workers keep the
wheels of life turning. Potentially a powerful organised force, it could defeat
the ConDems and challenge their right to rule in the interests of their greedy
big business friends...read
more
If we don’t fight, we will lose ten times more than we might possibly
do by going on strike. We have to fight—we have no choice. WE CONDEMN THE eight
companies which walked away from the JIB agreement, but we condemn the
others still sitting round the table while sticking the boot in...read
more
As part of their ongoing campaign against the
'Big 8' construction employers' attempts to impose a 35% cut in wages, hundreds
of electricians and other construction workers protested this morning outside
the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford in East London...read
more
25 August
Glyn Travis and Joe Simpson, assistant
secretaries of the Prison Officers Association (POA) set out some of the key
issues faced by staff working in prisons following the recent riots...read
more
The first shots in the electricians pay dispute will be fired in anger
tomorrow morning (Wednesday 24th August) with action taking place in London,
Manchester and Liverpool against the threat of a 35% pay cut. The centre of
the unofficial action is the Balfour Beatty
Engineering Services project at
Blackfriars Station...read
more
[From Site
Worker, a magazine for rank and file activists in the construction
industry] The UK construction industry seems set for an autumn of
strikes. 500 rank & file construction workers from around the country voted
unanimously to organise a series of unofficial wildcat strikes in opposition to
the 35% pay cut proposed by the construction employers...read
more
Dear all, would you
please sign the following online petition to save Remploy from the
greedy hands of the those who have written the Sayce Report (named
after the chief executive of the charity RADAR)
published on the 9th of June 2011...read
more
With rising
unemployment and numbers of people claiming benefit it would be a
massive mistake to close jobcentres. Caradog House Jobcentre is one of
22 offices currently in a consultation period about closure...read
more
12
August At a packed meeting of
over 600 union members, Southampton council workers voted by 4 to 1 to
continue their industrial action against pay cuts and imposed new
contracts...read
more
Back in September 2009
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber predicted that the government’s
cuts would lead to riots. His prediction has been borne out as riots
have broken out across London and other cities...read
more
