Building a network of trade union activists across the country

Support for the network from trade union bodies; click here

NSSN Chair Dave Chapple's speech to the Right to Work Conference, Manchester, January 30, 2010. View the video

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Disputes and Campaigns

Unison members in Darlington campaign against council cuts.

Click here for day-to-day news of pickets, marches, etc., here for news about disputes and campaigns, and here for news of victimised trade unionists

 

 

 

 

 

Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wirral Trade Union Council

will launch the PEOPLES CHARTER at its Annual General Meeting which take place at 7.30pm on Thursday 11 March at the offices of Mersey Advice, 4 Anne Street, Birkenhead, Wirral.

Confirmed speakers include Len McCluskey (Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union) and Peter Middleman (Regional Secretary, PCS)

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Defend the Four

"Dawn Raids on UNISON offices - Ban imposed on the Four"

Protest

As UNISON democracy goes up in smoke, join UNISON members outside Congress House on Great Russell Street Monday 15 March 6pm onwards. Bring your letters from the UNISON HQ to burn

Then come to Defend the Four meeting 7pm at ULU (University of London Union) Malet Street just around the corner

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'Ghost Dancers' book launch

and commemoration of the end of the miners' strike 25 years on

7-9pm, Tuesday 16 March, Ruskin College, Walton Street, Oxford

"Ghost Busters", the final part of Dave Douglass's trilogy, is a "hands on" view of the last generation of miners and their union which explodes the prevailing myth about the strike

More details

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Swansea Trades Union Council

Public Meeting: "Fight the Council Cuts!"

7.30pm Wednesday 17 March, Grand Hotel, Swansea (next to train station)

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Digging the Seam:

cultural reflections & the consequences of the 1984/5 Miners' Strike

Conference 25-27 March 2010, University of Leeds

For more details contact Dr. Eleri Pound on ics-conferences@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 343 5805

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Launch

Campaign for Independent Working-Class Education

10.30am - 4.30pm, Saturday 27 March, Ruskin College, Oxford

Working-class education is one of the most important issues for the rank-and-file labour movement. But is has to be independent, not based on a partnership-led, management-friendly approach. Agree? Come to the launch of a new campaign for Independent Working-Class Education. Click here for Details or email mooco3@btinternet.com

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Visteon Pensions Action Group / Unite the Union

Anniversary Demonstration

31 March London. Meeting 12 noon outside Unite HQ, Theobalds Road, march to Parliament Square for a demonstration at 2pm. Coaches from Essex and Swansea.

For information about the campaign and the issues go to www.visteonpensionactiongroup.co.uk

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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.

Ghost Dancers, Part 3 of David Dougless's histrilogy Stardust and Coaldust. Click here for a description and here for a view of the cover

 

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.