Building a network of trade union activists across the country

Support for the network from trade union bodies; click here

For justice in the workplace, workers' rights, solidarity and equality - trade union freedom

Disputes and Campaigns

Fujitsu workers in Manchester picket the company at the start of a campaign to prevent job cuts and attacks on pension rights. For more news and pictures about the dispute go to www.ourunion.org.uk

Click here for day-to-day news of pickets, marches, etc. and here for news about disputes and campaigns, including Fujitsu, and here for "Defend the Four" Unison branch officers banned from office for between 3 and 5 years

Events

MASS DEMONSTRATION

Reinstate Alberto – Hands off Our Union

Friday 12 February 1:00 PM,

Outside UBS Capital, 100 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 2RH

(Please note change of venue)
Organisations:Latin American Workers Association; The Commune; La Comuna; Colombia Solidarity Campaign; Permanent Revolution; National Shop Stewards’ Network; Labour Representation Committee, Brent Trades Union Council, Rifondazione Comunista, Workers’ Liberty, International Federation of Iraqi Refugees, Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq
Individuals: John McDonnell MP; Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary, Steve Hedley RMT (LUL) Regional Organiser; Professor Gregor Gall, Research Professor of Industrial Relations, University of Hertfordshire; Pete Firmin, LRC Co-National Secretary; George Binette, Camden UNISON Branch Secretary (pc); Derek Wall, General Election Candidate for Windsor/former Green Party principal Speaker, Jerry Hicks, UNITE General Secretary Candidate, Vaughan Thomas, RMT (LUL) Regional President,
Please add your name and organisation to the sponsors: latin_americanworkers@hotmail.com

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Yorkshire Area NUM, Maltby Branch

25th Anniversary of the Miners' Strike

7pm Saturday 13 February 2010 at Maltby Progressive Club

Speakers to include Arthur Scargill (NUM Honorary President), Ian Lavery (NUM National President), Ken Capstick (ex NUM Yorkshire Area Vice President)

Entertainment by GUTTERBAND

For tickets contact Maltby NUM Branch Office on 01709 810132 or Steve Mace (Delegate) on 07775931523 or Nick Harris (Secretary) on 07967517136

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North Wales Shop Stewards Network

Meeting

7.30-9.30pm Monday 1 March, Connahs Quay Labour Party Social Club. Guests - Deeside Trades Council.

Open to all elected union reps, including health and safety reps and any other interested parties. Organiser, Eileen O'Reilly (PCS), brynidris2@aol.com

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Newcastle upon Tyne

The Long March Back

Commemorating the end of the 1984/5 miners strike and the aftermath, a day conference in conjunction with a workers Bookfare and Miners Folk Music/poetry social

11.30am Saturday 6 March 2010, Bridge Hotel, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne

Download the provisional programme

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SERTUC

The TUC in London, the South East and Eastern Region

Campaigning to Defend Public Services

Saturday 6 March 10am - 4pm, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

A one-day conference for trade unionists in the SERTUC region with keynote speakers and seminars. The conference will look at the causes of the current economic crisis; the response of the mainstream political parties - particularly with reference to their public expenditure plans - and the trade union movement to it; exploring the potential for joint campaigning activity within the region in defence of jobs, services and living standards; and the scope for building solidarity at local and regional level when union members are compelled to take industrial action. Phone 020 7467 1220 or email dlewis@tuc.org.uk to register an interest in attending

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March and Rally

Defending the Welfare State and Public Services

Assemble 12 noon for 1pm, Saturday 10 April 2010, Temple Place, embankment. Rally 2pm Trafalgar Square. Speakers, music and entertainment.

For more information contact www.10410demo.co.uk

Since 1948, Britain has supported the principle that state pensions, health care, education and other public services are best provided by society as a whole. THIS IS NOW UNDER THREAT.

Supported by Aslef, Bectu, BMA, GMB, NPC, PCS, TUC, UCU, Ucatt, FBU, NHS Support Federation, Napo, RMT, RADAR, UNISON, CPA, CWU, KONP, NUJ, NUT, Tssa, Usdaw, Unite

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Are you a supporter of the NSSN? Do you want to build a conference or other event in your region/sector/union?

Then get in touch with us! NSSN has a substantial contact list and e-list of all those who have shown interest since our founding conference in July 2007. We can 'slice and splice' the list along the lines above. Our officers can also get in touch with contacts in case you prefer not to approach them directly. Email us on info@shopstewards.net

"If we are to roll back the tide of privatisation and war, rebuilding the grass roots of our movement is essential"

Bob Crow - General Secretary RMT

Trade union reps from across Britain gathered in London last year to discuss founding a grass roots network capable of mobilising trade unionists to fight for workers' rights. Called by the RMT transport workers' union the meeting was supported by the TGWU, CWU, PCS, NUJ, NUM, CYWU, FBU, POa and BFAWU.

On 7 July, a Founding Conference brought together hundreds of shop stewards and other trade union activists. Successful workshop discussions enabled delegates to examine the range of problems facing trade unionists today - and plan for the future. As well as building solidarity with current disputes - with postal workers, civil servants, on pay and pensions, defending public services, the conference set itself the task of organising a range of regional meetings to extend grass roots organisation.

Network Documents	Report of the Third Annual Conference, London, 27 June 2009. plus comments from delegates Reports from the Second Annual Conference, London, 28 June 2008 Building the shop stewards movement - A discussion document Conference statement (2007) Fighting Privatisation - workshop introduction (2007) Statement on the Lindsey Oil Refinery dispute (April 2009)
Network Bulletins	The Network Steering Group has set up an information list to circulate details of our conference and solidarity activity. To subscribe to the list send an email to shopstewardsnet-subscribe@lists.riseup.net Bulletin No.1 - Invitation to send delegates April 2008 Newsletter
	Report on the North East Shop Stewards Network
Contact us	See the list of Steering Committee Members 2009 with contact details For further information get in touch at info@shopstewards.net West Midlands Shop Stewards Network is on http://groups.google.com/groups/wmssn North East Shop Stewards Network is on www.nessn.org.uk

Restore Trade Union Rights! Click here for RMT statement on European Court of Justice rulings

Publications

What's Happening? The Truth About Work ... & The Myth of Work - Life Balance Click here for information and order form

Flying Pickets: The 1972 Builders' Strike and the Shrewsbury Trials Click here for information

An Account of the Labour and Socialist Movement in Bristol, by Samson Bryher (1929). Republished 2008. Click here for information and ordering.

Trade union history

Democracy and central control in union mergers: Ernie Bevin and the creation of the T&GWU. Record of a workshop held at the South West TUC Regional Conference, Croyde Bay, Devon, 26 April 2008. For the report, click here.

News from the US

Report of a conference organised by Labor Notes (US). Click here for the text.

Download and print the leaflet about the network (includes affiliation form)

Sponsor our work - suggested minimum £50
(Cheques made payable to "National Shop Stewards Network")
Send money and details to -
NSSN, PO Box 58262, London N1P 1ET

National Shop Stewards Network – Founding Basis

A National Shop Stewards Network should be set up on the following basis:

1. Participation and support is a matter for individual TUC affiliated trade unions.

2. The National Shop Stewards Network will be made up of bona fide rank and file TUC affiliated trade union workplace representatives. The participation of full time trade union officials would be as observers with speaking rights.

3. It would not encroach on the established organisation and recruitment activity or interfere in the internal affairs and elections of TUC affiliated trade unions or the functions of the TUC.

4. The aim of the Network would be

• To offer support to TUC affiliated trade unions in their campaigns and industrial disputes;

• To offer support to existing workplace committees and trades councils.

We support the establishment of a steering group of ten trade unionists from this conference. The role of this steering group would be to organise a formal delegate conference in the spring of 2007, open to all TUC affiliated trade union shop stewards, to establish a National Shop Stewards Network as outlined on the basis of points 1-4 above.