NSSN EBULLETIN 153
An Anti-Austerity Summer! (And a Hot Autumn?)
We might not all be wearing ‘magic shorts’ but we are getting straight to it this week: Elected members from trades councils on TUCJCC have come on board with the NSSN to lobby TUC Congress. The Unemployed Workers Centres Combine are also supporting it. All these bodies support the maximum number of unions co-ordinating strike action with planned national strikes in autumn by NUT & NASUWT teachers unions after their rolling regional strikes. Meanwhile, CWU reps are meeting to discuss action against the privatisation of Royal Mail. There is tremendous scope for a ‘hot autumn’ of action building against the ConDem government’s policies.
(This weeks bulletin has been put together mostly by Kevin Parslow NSSN Assistant Sec)
Join us and Lobby the TUC conference in Bournemouth on 8 September! Name the date for a 24 hour general strike! ‘All out together in November!’ NSSN rally at the TUC Congress at Bournemouth on September 8th followed by a lobby of Congress. Confirmed speakers: Bob Crow, Mark Serwotka, Steve Gillan, Ronnie Draper and Ian Lawrence (RMT, PCS, POA, BFAWU and NAPO general secretaries respectively) Alec McFadden (North West representative on TUCJCC for trades councils and also President Merseyside County TUC), Linda Taaffe (NSSN). A rally will take place between 12 noon-3pm Hardy Suite, Hermitage Hotel, Exeter Rd, Bournemouth (opposite Bournemouth International Centre, TUC Congress venue). There will be a coach to the lobby from Hampshire. To book a seat on transport from your area, email [email protected] or if you are able to arrange some and have space, let us know.
Also join us building for the TUC national demonstration outside Tory Party conference in Manchester on 29 September. March behind the NSSN banner: 24 hour general strike to stop the Tory cuts!
Feel free to use our Model Motion: Lobby TUC 8 September! The FULL affiliation letter and motion can be downloaded from our website. Consider adding ‘That their general secretaries should meet with other willing unions prior to the TUC to liaise on co-ordination (&) we fully support the 29th September NHS March in Manchester.
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Workers face even more attacks on the rights as Employment Tribunals charge for the use of services. Workers could be faced with a bill of at least £1200 just for applying to an Employment Tribunal. And if they lose, more and more employers are asking for costs that could spiral into tens of thousands of pounds! Some unions – including Unite and CWU – have said they will pay members’ ET fees. Len McCluskey, Unite General Secretary, said: “We estimate that this will affect 150,000 workers a year. This is not an aid to economic recovery but a means to keep working people frightened and insecure.” This vicious measure should be used to recruit workers to the unions – if you have problems, collective action and organisation is the best way to fight back!
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Union News
RMT
RMT calls for public ownership as “toxic combination” of cuts and private profiteering threatens transport chaos across the North East here
RMT serves notice of strike ballot over plans to dump London train guards here
RMT congratulates Lewisham Hospital campaigners over High Court victory and pledges all out support for fight to save the NHS here
RMT calls for urgent government intervention to save 500 jobs as Railcare enters administration here
RMT reaction to East Midlands Trains High Court action being rejected here
PCS
Staff walk out to say justice not for sale here
Strike solid among low-paid NHS staff at Fleetwood here
Debate begins over national campaign here
Send ‘Go home’ campaign packing here
CWU
The CWU has sent this message out TO ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS National Talks: The Union and Royal Mail met for three days of detailed talks last week to discuss pay, the company’s future strategy, pensions and the legal protections the Union is seeking for CWU members in the event that the company were to be privatised. In particular, the Union again impressed upon the company that if we cannot find a resolution to all outstanding issues then a National Industrial Action Ballot is inevitable.
On pay, the Union has again reinforced the reasons why the company’s offer was rejected and that we are seeking a straightforward above inflation deal with no linkage to pensions. The CWU again told the company that there is no prospect of the Union agreeing the pension proposal currently out to consultation.
Whilst the company did not make a new pay offer, they did confirm that they will be making a revised and improved pay offer in the near future. Dave Ward Deputy General Secretary (P)
Strong support for Crown Post Offices strike here
URGENT APPEAL from BRIDGWATER CWU – 110 CWU Members out of 120 Postal Workers at Bridgwater Delivery office are currently under severe attack from Royal Mail. They have taken five days strike action so far, following a 79.3% “Yes” vote. Send messages of support to Dave Chapple at [email protected] or telephone 07776304276, or contact Dave Wilshire, Branch Secretary, CWU Bristol & District Amalgamated Branch at [email protected] or telephone 07909525740 & Cheques to “Bridgwater Trades Union Council” and send to: Dave Chapple (CWU), 1 Blake Place, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 5AU. here
Unite
Unite calls for talks with Jersey bus firm, as bus drivers vote for strike action here
Unite demands meeting with Sports Direct’s owner over workers’ concerns here
Blood testing staff in Leeds and Bradford to stage second strike over patient safety here
Unite takes ‘Russian roulette’ ambulance service dispute to Yorkshire public here
Pension fears for nearly 20,000 DHL workers here
Unite vows to continue the fight as High Court judge rejects ‘bedroom tax’ challenge here
The fifteenth birthday of the minimum wage should be celebrated with a £1.50 an hour increase, says Unite here
Unite’s LONDON GATEWAY CAMPAIGN against Dubai Ports continues. For details of protests, please contact Jane Jeffery ([email protected])
GMB
GMB Members at Sherwood Hospital Trust to Strike, Work To Rule And Ban Overtime In Dispute Over 2nd Pay Cut In 30 Months here
GMB Members on OCS Housing Estates Cleaning Contract for Kensington & Chelsea Balloted for Strike Action over Pay Freeze here
GMB Members Vote By 90% For Industrial Action at Ardagh Glass in Doncaster here
Remploy Bid Nobbled here
Stansted Members Balloted on Pay here
NUT
Details of rolling action and all out action here
UCU
UCU response to Nick Clegg’s zero-hours contracts investigation here
UNISON
UNISON wins right to have a Judicial Review hearing over tribunal fees here
NAPO
92% of Napo members prepared to take action over Probation privatisation here
NAPO has a petition against plans to privatise the service. Sign here: here
NUJ
Glasgow journalists vote for strike over Herald redundancies. here
Other News
The myth of ‘compensation culture’, workplace safety. here
Merseyside Activists face down thieving baliffs. here
Buckingham Palace uses zero-hours contracts for summer staff. here
NHS cuts ration care. here
How we are impoverished, gentrified and silenced – and what to do about it. here
How disable people are turning to payday loans to cope with benefit cuts. here
Top tips from Surviving Work. here
Blacklisting & Victimisation
Whipps Cross union members disenfranchised after suspension of senior rep ahead of possible cuts, it is claimed here
Please take 5 minutes to fill in this Blacklisting Petition which has now been officially lodged with the Scottish Parliament. Share it on here, Twitter, email etc. This is very important so that we keep up the pressure on the Scottish Government to include Anti-blacklisting legislation in the upcoming Procurement Reform Bill. If you have already done so, thank you. here
Construction industry blacklisting is unacceptable, warns Vince Cable Business secretary pledges tough action on firms targeting staff due to union activity, amid fresh claims over Crossrail workers here Frances O Grady also comments on blacklisting. here
International (see also labourstart)
Brazil: Piquiá de Baixo: outraged and in solidarity for not dying by steelworks here Airport workers to strike cuts.
Canada: Frank O’Leary, striking Labatt worker: ‘We are standing strong for what is right and just’ here
Fiji: Concerns Fiji regime may stymie sugar mill strike here
India: Haryana Auto Workers Protest for Rank-and-File Union and Release from Jail. here
PERU Surgeons joined national doctors strike. here
USA Fast Food Strikes Catch Fire here
Uganda Teachers to strike. here
Diary also see falseeconomy
AUGUST
2 Solidarity with Rev Paul Nicolson refusing to pay Council tax, Tottenham Magistrates court.
3 Merseyside blacklist support Group 11-2pm Jack Jones Hse.
7 Brighton People’s Assembly general meeting King & Queen 7.30pm
9 Bedding out Hunt & Darton Café, Edinborough
10 Construction workers National Rank and File meeting Conway Hall, Holborn, 1pm – 4pm
11 Aug to end of Nov ‘Call me Mr. Robeson’ play
15 NAPO meeting ‘The Probation Service, Public Service or Private Profit’ 7pm at City College, Brighton on Pelham Street,
17 Brighton Benefits Road Show Moulsecoomb 12 noon
24 Mass Sleep-out New Steine Gardens starting from 2pm Drawing attention to homelessness which will be caused by the Bedroom Tax & the assault on housing rights
Dublin Lock out Conference 9-7pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Sq, London, Austin Harney and Gerry Downing, CRAIC Fighting the Cuts, PO Box No. 59188, London, NW2 9LJ; Email: [email protected] ; Mobile: 07980255642
29 August to 4 September DPAC Week of Action Local events/actions to be confirmed
SEPTEMBER
8 NSSN Rally at the TUC Congress at Bournemouth followed by a lobby of Congress. 12 noon-3pm Hardy Suite, Hermitage Hotel, Exeter Rd, Bournemouth (opposite Bournemouth International Centre – TUC conference venue).
14 NUT Rallies for Education London and Nottingham
22 September Demo at the Labour Party Conference, Brighton Centre/Seafront – Details to TBC ‘Lest They Forget’ organising meeting to be arranged shortly
28 NUT Rallies for Education Cambridge and Exeter
29 National TUC Demonstration to save our NHS at Tory party Conference
30 Manchester Unite local government branch is hosting a showing of the exhibition about Liverpool’s socialist council 1983-87. Speakers include: Len McCluskey, Tony Mulhearn, Felicity Dowling, Ted Knight & Kevin Bennett. Methodist Central Hall, Oldham St. Manchester. Tel: 0161-234-1896 email [email protected].
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CONTACT US
[email protected] or look on our Website for further info.
Follow us on TWITTER @NSSN_AntiCuts FACEBOOK STOP THE CUTS or NSSN Group
Secretary: Linda Taaffe Email: [email protected] or
Phone: 07952 283 558 NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
