The next phase of the strikes to break the ConDem pay freeze will start in under 3 weeks’ time. The decision of yesterday’s PCS NEC ensures that up to a million and half public sector workers from Unison, PCS, Unite, GMB, UCU and NIPSA will be striking in 3 consecutive days of action. The health unions had already decided to strike for four hours on October 13. The day after, council workers and FE lecturers will be out followed by civil servants on October 15.
The NSSN gives full support to these workers, which can be a step up from the million-strong July 10 strike. We call on everyone to support the action – visit the picket lines and join in any strike rallies. But at the end of that week on Saturday October 18, get on the TUC’s ‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’ demonstration in London.
The pay strikes are back on…this fight can be won!
Read from the following union websites:- PCS Unison NIPSA UCU
NSSN News
The famous pink NSSN £10 minimum wage t-shirts are still available. Email us to order – £8 each. We have the following sizes: women – small, medium, large, XL and men – small, medium, large, XL, XXL
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. Affiliation letter here
South London NSSN public meeting: ‘All Strike Together October 13-15’ (supported by Battersea & Wandsworth Trade Union Council).Speakers include PCS Vice–President John McInally, BFAWU bakers’ union and Youth Fight for Jobs – 7.30pm Thursday October 9th in Bread & Roses pub 68 Clapham Manor St, London SW4 6DZ
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Linda on [email protected]
Union News
Unite
Charity ‘coup d’état’ triggers strike ballot over ‘shattering’ changes (23 Sept) – New swingeing cuts to pay, and changes to policies and procedures governing working conditions at housing charity St Mungo’s Broadway have prompted a strike ballot of more than 500 workers.
The staff, members of Unite at the west London-based charity are currently being balloted for industrial action. The ballot closes on Tuesday 7 October. The source of staff discontent is, according to Unite regional officer Nicky Marcus, ‘a bizarre coup d’état’ which has seen Broadway, a ‘struggling’ organisation of 200 employees making year on year deficits merging with the highly successful 1,000- strong St Mungo’s and to all intents and purposes taking it over completely. The ‘merger’ has resulted in four of the seven new executive team including the chief executive and the director of HR coming from Broadway. The new executive team have imposed sweeping changes to workers’ terms and conditions without consulting or negotiating with the union read more
London’s cabbies demonstrate over mayor’s failure to deliver (23 Sept) – WHEN: From 14:00, Wednesday 24 September WHERE: Trafalgar Square, Westminster, London, WC2N 5DN
Unite’s London cab section will take part in a drive in demonstration on Wednesday 24 September at Trafalgar Square over London mayor Boris Johnson’s failure to protect the iconic black cab from unregulated competition where many have described him as a ‘complete disaster for London taxi trade’ read more
Tata Steel UK at centre of Middlesbrough dispute over ‘arm’s length’ move for R&D staff (23 Sept) – Tata Steel UK could become embroiled in a nationwide dispute, if its research and development staff in Middlesbrough are forced to work for an arm’s length organisation where their pay and pensions could be under threat. The staff, members of Unite have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action to remain employed by Tata and not employed by the Materials Processing Institute, set up by Tata read more
Defence workers to ballot on strike action over pay (18 Sept) – Workers at the cash-rich Defence Support Group (DSG) are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay, as the group faces being sold off to the private sector next year. More than 800 employees, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, are being balloted for strike action and action short of a strike from tomorrow (Friday 19 September). The ballot will close on Friday 3 October. The workers have already rejected by a majority of 85 per cent in a consultative ballot the management’s one per cent pay offer for 2014. The main sites are at Bovington (Dorset), Catterick (North Yorkshire) Colchester, Donnington (Shropshire), Stirling and Warminster (Wiltshire) read more
RMT
RMT announces latest phase of industrial action on tube (Sept 22) – Tube union RMT today confirmed the next phase of industrial action on London Underground in the on-going fight to halt the cuts to jobs and services across the network currently being bulldozed through by Mayor Boris Johnson and his officials. The action, short of a strike, will kick in this week as follows:
With effect from 00.01 hours on Wednesday 24th September 2014, until further notice, Station Grades Members, Revenue Protection and Duty Station Manager Grades Members are instructed not to work any overtime. The decision to move back into industrial action across the tube network has been forced on the union by the actions of management. Despite months of discussions between RMT and London Underground it has become clear that management are hell-bent on carrying out a programme of major job cuts, hitting thousands of RMT members with the prospect of downgrading with a resulting loss of salary and closing every ticket office by the end of 2015 read more
RMT News September 2014 edition now available read here
Unison
NHS England action set for 13 October (Sept 23) – Members working in the NHS in England will strike for fair pay on Monday 13 October for four hours from 7am to 11am. This will be followed by four days of action short of a strike, on Tuesday 14 October to Friday 17 October. This action will focus on making sure members take their breaks. The industrial action ballot, which closed on 18 September saw 68% of those taking part vote for strike action and 88% for action short of a strike read more
Adult Mental Health Professional members of the Brighton and Hove Local Government Unison are on Strike today over unacceptable imposition of night rotas. From 9am workers will be outside Kings House moving to Hove Town Hall to finish my midday. Please go down to support if you can
Care UK workers’ strike – UNISON members at Care UK in Doncaster are still in dispute after a new ballot which is in support of a pay claim that calls for a minimum starting rate of £7.65, which is the national living wage outside London. The current pay for basic grade staff is £7 an hour. Their next 3-week action starts on September 29 and will make it the longest ever UK health strike.
Messages of support or donations should be sent to: Yvonne Butcher, branch secretary Doncaster District and Bassetlaw Health Branch, 20511 UNISON Office – Jenkinson House, White Rose Way, Doncaster DN4 5GJ
GMB
Wandsworth Parking Attendants 92% Strike Vote (Sept 23) – GMB parking attendants employed by Mouchel in Wandsworth vote for strike action for better pay and union rights. The company has told members that their wages will be kept well below a living wage which GMB Congress set at £10 per hour read more
Woolwich NHS Strike vote to end two tier workforce (Sept 22) – GMB members employed by ISS at Queen Elisabeth Hospital in Woolwich vote for strike action to end two tier workforce in NHS. Members want the same pay rates and weekend enhancements and unsocial hours’ rates as the staff directly employed by the Trust read more
Swindon Wincanton Protest 26 September (22 Sept) – GMB Hold Further Protest At Wincanton Swindon Depot On Friday 26th September In Pay Dispute. A promised meeting with Wincanton over workers paid £2 per hour less has not taken place and GMB will not take this lying down. GMB, the union for staff employed by agency Tempay at Wincanton distribution depot in Swindon, will hold further demonstration on Friday 26 September over the continued refusal of the company to meet the union in the dispute over pay read more
UCU
UCU members in English colleges to strike on 14 October (Sept 16) – Members of UCU in English colleges will be out on strike on Tuesday 14 October in a row over pay. The union’s further education committee met on Friday to consider the results of a member consultation on the 2014/15 pay offer. Eight-five per cent of members who participated in the e-ballot voted to reject the 1% pay offer and support strike action in an effort to secure an improved deal. The committee voted in favour of UCU members in colleges in England taking the action on 14 October together with other public sector unions. The committee also voted to determine dates for further targeted and national strike action when it next meets on 17 October read more
BECTU
Ritzy members vote to accept pay deal (Sept 12) – BECTU members at the Ritzy cinema have voted decisively to accept a pay deal which moves them closer to pay levels equivalent to the Living Wage read more
More info: www.facebook.com/RitzyLivingWage
POA
Read the latest Gatelodge magazine read more
SIPTU Ireland
Greyhound workers vote in favour of agreement to end 14-week lockout (22 Sept) – SIPTU members employed by Greyhound Recycling and Recovery voted by a substantial majority in favour of an agreement to end a 14-week long lockout at the company, at a meeting in Liberty Hall, Dublin, this afternoon (Monday, 22nd September) read more
More info: www.facebook.com/greyhoundworkers
NIPSA
NIPSA Members to Strike on 14 October 2014 (Sept 12) – NIPSA today announced that members employed in Local Government, Libraries, Education, Housing, Traffic Attendants and some other areas, will be joining with Unite, GMB and Unison members on strike on 14 October 2014 read more
FBU
Fire minister confirms delay to introduce new pension regulations (Sept 18) – The FBU’s executive council met this week to discuss the ongoing pension dispute confirming the government has delayed the introduction of new pension regulations by at least two months. Recent weeks have seen a series of meetings between union officials and fire minister Penny Mordaunt. At the most recent of these the minister suggested areas where significant progress might be made read more
FBU ‘Ring of Fire’ nationwide tour against cuts see remaining dates
Support locked-out Buckinghamshire fire-fighters – During the recent action by the FBU in England & Wales when fire-fighters took action for periods of two and one hours over 8 days, Buckinghamshire Fire Authority docked wages for the whole shifts. To contribute to Bucks FBU hardship fund:-
HSBC
Account No: 71603124
Sort Code: 40-33-33
Bucks FBU Hardship Fund
Also, email Complaints to Bucks FRS – [email protected]
NAPO
Home Visit to the Justice Secretary: March and Rally at Epsom on Saturday 27 September – On Saturday 27 September Kent and Surrey Sussex and Greater London Branches will be engaged in a joint operations including a march, demonstration, and mass rally, in Justice Secretary Chris Grayling’s constituency of Epsom and Ewell. We think that it is only right and proper at this stage of the campaign to exercise the rights and freedoms he has sworn to protect and pay him a visit to explain to his constituents why there are a lot of people in the justice system who don’t like his policies – in particular those working in probation. All Napo activists are hereby invited to come and join us at 11am at the Epsom Playhouse in South Street read more
ASLEF
Arriva Trains Wales strike (Sept 17) – ASLEF drivers at Arriva Trains Wales have voted overwhelmingly for strike action over the company’s continued failure to resolve matters relating to application of disciplinary procedure. Electoral Reform Services, the independent scrutineers, reported today that 86.2% of members voted ‘yes’ for industrial action, with only 13.8% saying ‘no’. Turnout was 72%. Drivers will withdraw their labour for turns booking on between 00.01 and 23.59 on Friday 26 September read more
CWU
Post Office pay deadlock ‘could spark dispute’ warns CWU – Hundreds of workers in POL’s Admin and Supply Chain (including Cash and Valuables in Transit) have started voting in a consultative ballot following mounting frustration at the company’s stubborn refusal to settle this year’s pay claim read more
BFAWU / Fast Food Rights
BFAWU’s Foodworker magazine read here
Reports of Fast Food Rights protests on Youth Fight for Jobs website and fast Food Rights website
Please send details of any local actions to [email protected] / [email protected] see BFAWU video
Other news
The ‘Still the Enemy Within’ documentary film about the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike is showing this autumn – for details – http://the-enemy-within.org.uk/events/
Blacklisting & Victimisation
Latest Blacklist Support Group update:-
- Chuka Umunna pledges an inquiry into blacklisting in speech to the TUC Congress in Liverpool:
“I’m proud to say we will do what this Government has refused to: launch a full enquiry, held publically, into the inexcusable blacklisting of workers in the construction sector. Let me be clear. If am given the privilege of serving as Business Secretary in the next Labour Government we will deliver justice to those workers who lost their livelihoods and end blacklisting for once and for all.”
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/09/chuka-umunnas-speech-tuc-full-text
BSG applaud Labour’s pledge for a full enquiry for blacklisted workers.
Every stone needs to be turned to expose the full sordid details of this human rights conspiracy. BSG will continue to push for a full public inquiry to hear evidence from those who have been affected by the national scandal plus the directors of multinational construction firms and undercover police officers.
- ICO in “Contempt of Court” over blacklisting.
GMB union has started enforcement proceedings accusing the ICO of being in contempt of court over their apparent favouring of the employers compensation scheme while still refusing to provide similar information to the trade unions.
www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/ico-in-contempt-of-court-on-blacklisting
- Compensation scheme deadlines.
There are some deadlines that have been imposed by the firms blacklisting compensation scheme. BSG are not legally qualified to give advice, so we encourage any potential claimants to contact their trade union; UNITE, UCATT, GMB or RMT or Guney, Clark & Ryan solicitors. But if you have a Consulting Association blacklist file and are still considering whether to join the High Court claim or accept the pitiful offer from the firms, please email on return and we will give you some pointers
- No public contracts for blacklisters
Around 100 public bodies have passed motions stating that no public contracts should be awarded to firms involved in blacklisting. Islington Council recently threw Kier off of the £16.5m a year Housing repairs contract because of the firm’s involvement with the Consulting Association blacklist. Its a pity some of the other public bodies who have passed symbolic resolutions are are not prepared to take a similar stand.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/concerns-over-blacklisting-4168957
http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/kick-bam-out-of-dundee-over-blacklisting
- Blacklist Support Group – established 2009
Blacklist Support Group is the justice campaign and support network for anyone caught up in UK construction industry blacklisting scandal. Trade unionists, safety campaigners, journalists, academics and environmental activists were all blacklisted by big business. Multinational building contractors have for decades compiled a secret database of union members in the UK construction industry. It was finally exposed in 2009 after a raid on the offices of the Consulting Association that operated the blacklist on behalf of the major companies. Union members were denied work over many years because they had been stewards or safety reps on previous building projects. Raising concerns about asbestos, poor toilet facilities or unpaid wages could result in a union member being added to this blacklist. Evidence has come out over the past five years that proves beyond any doubt that the police and the security services were involved in the blacklisting.
Blacklist Support Group have demanded since 2009:
- A full public inquiry by the UK government
- A public apology from the firms
- A compensation fund
- Jobs for blacklisted workers on major projects
- NO public contracts for proven blacklisting companies
- Criminal charges against the human rights abusers
We have fought them in the courts, in parliament plus civil disobedience and industrial action on building sites. Blacklisted workers are still waiting for justice.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
International (also see Labourstart)
Germany: NGG wins first-ever collective agreement at Autogrill read more
Iran: Petrochemical workers sentenced to jail and flogging read more
Diary (see & use false economy)
September
25 UNITE London & Eastern Region LGBT Committee is hosting an event this Thursday:- inspiring London artist Jose Vigers will be talking about his work in conversation with scene personality Oozing Gloop – 6:30pm at Ron Todd House, 33-37 Moreland St EC1
28 TUC Hard Up Festival (including Midlands Needs a Pay Rise march) – Assemble 11.30am, Victoria Square, Birmingham More info
October
18 TUC demonstration in London – ‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’. It will begin with a march through central London, culminating in a rally in Hyde Park read more here
November
5 Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs branch meeting
December
3 Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs branch meeting
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
