‘Organise to take on the Tories! Link up the strikes!’ – This year’s annual NSSN conference – our 10th – will be on Saturday July 2nd in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – 11am-4.30pm details here Facebook event
Confirmed speakers: Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Matt Wrack FBU General Secretary, Ronnie Draper BFAWU General Secretary, Janice Godrich PCS President, Chris Baugh PCS Assistant General Secretary, Sean Hoyle RMT President Yannis Gourtsoyannis BMA junior doctors committee national executive
To register in advance – email [email protected]. Conference fee is £6 each – you can pay on the day or if you want to pay in advance: make cheque out to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
NSSN 296: Support BFAWU Pennine workers – this is a M&S strike!
The NSSN along with many other trade unionists supported the BFAWU bakers union’s two-day strike this week at 2-Sisters owned Pennine Foods in Sheffield. The parent company are trying to get round the new National Living wage by cutting premiums. This has provoked this dispute as well as in another of their plants – RF Brookes in Newport. Hundreds of workers made sure that wagons turned round after appeals for solidarity. Below is a press release from the union about the next steps in the dispute. Many campaigners are also calling for solidarity protests outside their main customer Marks & Spencer:-
“Following on from the fantastic 2 day strike at above 2 Sister Food Group Site which was an amazing picket full of members who refuse to accept pay cuts and reduced term & conditions. Members continue to be angered by Managements oppression & failure to want to sit round the table to discuss a means of resolving the dispute. Support from Left wing, true Socialists has been amazing & it has been an honour to see so many people support us on the picket lines & keep morale flying high!!!!
A Branch Meeting was held on the picket line and members have voted to escalate the action for the next strike from a 2 Day to a 7 Day strike.
Today, I can report that the Company has approached the Trade Union with view to holding talks to avert the next round of Strike Action due to take place Thursday 16th – Thursday 23rd June – 7 days inclusive.
We will be making it very clear at this initial meeting that to avert the planned Industrial Action that the THREAT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CONTRACTS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE WE ENTER INTO ANY CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE / NEGOTIATIONS.”
Haroon Rashid – FULL TIME OFFICER BFAWU
Pennine Foods Sheffield – Please send messages of support to [email protected] / [email protected] and donations: make cheques out to BFAWU and send to Pennine Strike Fund – BFAWU, Stanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 7TA Support Pennine Strike Facebook Group
RF Brookes Newport – Please send messages of support to Dai Mort – BFAWU branch secretary 07792945231 [email protected] and donations: BFAWU region 2 – 19a West Bute Street, (Rear) The Courtyard, The Docks, Cardiff CF10 5EP
PCS
Back Amgueddfa Cymru/National Museum Wales staff on all-out strike – PCS members at Amgueddfa Cymru/National Museum Wales have escalated their 2-year dispute over removal of extra payments for weekend working to an all-out strike read more Facebook Group
Send message of support to Peter Hill PCS Branch secretary at [email protected] and complain to Director General David Anderson – [email protected]
Solidarity events:
Swansea Solidarity Meeting – Wednesday 08 June 7.30pm
The Environment Centre, Pier Street, Swansea SA1 1RY
https://www.facebook.com/events/1762713283964746
Cardiff Rally – Thursday 09 June 12 noon
With Mark Serwotka PCS
National Museum, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP Mark Serwotka at Cardiff rally backing museum strikers
Birmingham Solidarity Meeting – Thursday 09 June 5.30pm
With Janice Godrich PCS and Geraint Parfitt National Museum of Wales striker
Midlands PCS New Oxford House 16 Waterloo Street Birmingham B2 5UG,
https://www.facebook.com/events/638986989590664
London Solidarity Social – Friday 10 June 6.30pm
With National Museum of Wales and BIS strikers + Poets on the Picket line
The Temple Bar Aldwych, 1 Milford Lane, WC2R 3LL
https://www.facebook.com/events/250768635282724
Make a contribution to the hardship fund:
Bank: Unity Trust Bank
Account name: PCS Amgueddfa Cymru 107006 Branch Hardship Fund
Account number: 20364700
Sort code: 60-83-01
Or via PayPal: http://bit.ly/26eNhvq
Solid support for latest BIS strike day (3 June) – The latest day of strike action at the BIS Sheffield office was solid with just about all members out as part of our ongoing campaign against the threatened closure of the office. PCS members in BIS took their fifth day of action today following the final decision, announced last week, to close the Sheffield office of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and move work to London read more
- Sign the online petition against the closure of the Sheffield office
- Write to your MP
- Tweet your messages of support @pcsbis using the hashtag #KeepSheffieldOpen.
- Donate to the strike fund: cheques made payable to the PCS BIS hardship fund can be sent to the BIS group treasurer at 9 Medina Way, Upper Stratton, Swindon, SN2 7NW or money can be transferred to Unity Trust bank account 20240992 sort code 60-83-01
Unite
Unite at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) were on strike on Thursday 19th May. Pay Up HCA! – Strike Pay Appeal: Two more strike days are proposed on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th June. We are therefore urgently appealing for donations to our strike fund to assist those on strike and minimise hardship. You can contribute as follows:
- By cheque made out to “Unite Housing Workers Branch LE111”, sent to PO Box 66701, London E11 9FB.
- By BACS to account name Unite Housing Workers LE/1111 Branch, account number 20040626, Sort Code 60¬83¬01 read more
Alison Morris Reinstated! – It is good to report the reinstatement of sacked Unite health and safety rep Alison Morris – you can read about her case here. “Following lengthy negotiations I can confirm that Alison Morris has been reinstated by CGL. Both Unite and CGL have committed to work together to improve industrial relations going forward. I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few months, including the many thousands who supported the campaign through the Unite for our Society web site…” read more
NUT
Strike ballot is open read more
Support Simon O’Hara — Teachers at Small Heath School in Birmingham are continuing to take action to support Simon who remains suspended. You are encouraged to send messages of support to David Room at [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/Reinstate-Simon-OHara-1090494714318024/
BMA Junior Doctors dispute – after initially ruling out talks over the Saturday part of the new contract, the Government backtracked opening up the way for new talks with the BMA. Members are now considering a new offer read more
BMA website: coverage of most last strike
For info on picket lines, strike rallies, protests etc follow #JuniorDoctorsStrike #NotSafeNotFair #JuniorDoctors on twitter. BMA launches judicial review http://oneprofession.bma.org.uk/
UCU
Stop the sackings of union reps at London Met – #savelondonmet #saveourreps Yesterday (April 30) our branch chair Mark Campbell and secretary David Hardman were made redundant in what is an outrageous attack on their strenuous and tireless trade union activities defending jobs and education at London Met read more Sign petition
University of Winchester to kick off nationwide wave of strikes in escalating pay row
UCU confirms next steps in university pay dispute
South Downs College staff balloted for strike action in row over new contracts
CWU
Reinstate Clive Walder
Clive Walder, a longstanding leading rep in the CWU was sacked last November after 38 years of service with British Telecom. Clive is chair of the CWU Birmingham, Black Country & Worcester branch. Last week, his Employment Tribunal was dismissed on a technicality after a claim by BT, denying Clive the right of a fair hearing. This is outrageous.
Clive worked in a BT call centre and was dismissed after an aggressive customer reported him to management just 33 seconds into a phone call. The decision was made without taking stress into account despite the local CWU branch reporting that 7% of staff at the call centre leave their jobs each month, some walking out mid shift. Management took the decision without consulting any medical advice or taking into account any mitigation.
Clive is a NSSN steering committee member and we will be supporting the campaign protesting the sacking and campaigning for his reinstatement.
Contact Clive to send messages of support and invite him to your union branch, shop stewards committee, trades council etc – [email protected] 07771931185
‘Fantastic success’ at Midlands People’s Post
CWU to Post Office – ‘hands off our pensions’
NSSN / Kill the Bill news
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 attached and here
Download the ‘Join the NSSN’ leaflet here
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]
More Union News
Nationalise Tata – support the Steelworkers
For latest developments, follow Facebook group
BURSARY OR BUST: Continuing the fight to save NHS bursaries https://www.facebook.com/NHSbursarycutsforum/
Unison
Striking Glasgow City Unison School Janitors are out for a week again – On June 6th they were protesting at city chambers. Pay up Cordia and the Labour council. For more info, see Glasgow Unison Facebook group
RMT
Govia now declare war on Gatwick Express staff as Brighton Argus calls for government action over GTR franchise chaos (June 7) – RAIL UNION RMT warned today that the failing Govia Thameslink Railway’s franchise has now shifted its attacks and abuse on staff from those working on the Southern Rail part of the operations to Gatwick Express in what the union has described as a “declaration of war.” read more RMT exposes GTR “five big lies”
ASLEF
Tramlink strike (6 June) – ASLEF members on London Tramlink will strike on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 June after a 100% Yes vote for action in a dispute over pay. Tram services are operated, under TfL branding, by FirstGroup, a multinational company whose chief executive Tim O’Toole had his salary doubled to £2,000,000 per annum read more
Unite
Drivers at building supply giant to stage 24-hour strike in overtime pay dispute (7 June) – Drivers working for landscape products group, Marshalls will stage a 24-hour strike on Monday (13 June) in their long-running dispute over overtime pay. Unite, the country’s largest union, warned that industrial action could escalate if management continues to dig in its heels over holding constructive negotiations read more
Protest tonight as top London hotel faces legal action over unfair sacking of ‘fair tips’ activist (6 June) – Unite has lodged a claim with the employment tribunal over the unfair sacking of ‘fair tips’ activist, Robert Czegely, a waiter at the five star STK restaurant in the Melia ME Hotel in Aldwych, central London read more
Capita workers in overtime ban to defeat ‘poverty pay’ (2 June) – Over 920 life and pensions workers at Capita will be starting an indefinite overtime ban tomorrow (Friday 3 June) after voting by 90 per cent in support of industrial action in a dispute over a below inflation pay deal, Unite, the trade union for finance workers said today (Thursday 2 June). Capita workers based in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Manchester, Reading and Stirling voted by 90 per cent for industrial action short of a strike, and 75 per cent in favour of strike action after roundly rejecting the firm’s pay offer read more
Bromley demo against council cuts July 23 – supported by Unite Local Government National Industrial sector Committee: Assemble Norman Park, Hayes Lane, Bromley BR2 9EF at 11am Demo leaflet
GMB
Further Strikes At Metsa Wood (June 1) – GMB, the union for workers in the furniture and timber industry, will hold two further strikes at Metsa Wood timber plants in Lincolnshire and Cheshire and will continue a ban on overtime in a dispute over pay. In April, GMB members employed by Metsa Wood at plants in Boston, Lincolnshire and Widnes, Cheshire rejected a pay offer from the company and voted in favour of strike action to secure a better offer. Strikes will take place from 6am on Monday, 20th June 2016 and Thursday, 30th June 2016 at locations as follows:
Old Golf Course, Fishtoft Road, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 0BJ
Ditton Road, Widnes Cheshire WA8 0QG read more
NUJ
Photographers bear brunt in new round of cuts (7 June) – A new round of redundancies has been announced at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) and Huddersfield Examiner as part of Trinity Mirror’s re-organisation plans. Yet again it is the photographers who have borne the brunt, with three among the eight photographers going at the MEN, plus one of three assistant publishing editors read more
BECTU
London Rio cinema dispute – Follow on Facebook and twitter
NIPSA
BSO Strike Friday (7 June) – NIPSA the largest public sector trade union are involved in a dispute in a dispute at Boucher Road, Business Services Organisation, Warehouse. After a lengthy dispute lasting two years NIPSA Warehouse Operatives in the BSO Boucher Road Warehouse have voted 100% for industrial action. These members will be on strike on Friday 10th June read more
United Voices of the World
Cleaners indefinite strike from June 8 – Please come and support our strike from June 8 in support of the cleaners at 100 Wood Street who are paid poverty wages and are being unlawfully dismissed by the anti-union cleaning contractor Thames Cleaning and Support Services Limited (“Thames”).
All the cleaners are asking for are their rights to be respected and to be paid a wage they can live on Please consider donating to our strike fund. Bank details can be found at http://www.uvwunion.org.uk/volunteer/ read more on United Voices of the World Facebook Group Strike Facebook event
Reinstate ‘The Topshop 2’ & demand a Living Wage – read West End Extra report of May 14 Topshop Oxford St protest
Other News
Trade Union Co-ordinating Group (TUCG) annual Tolpuddle seminar in Parliament – Tuesday 12th July at 6.30pm in the Wilson Room, Portcullis
House (more information to follow) www.tucg.org.uk
This years theme is ‘Keeping the Right to Strike’ and it will include contributions from legal experts, politicians and trade union leaders. There is also a Q and A at
the end of the session.
Unison backs 18 June convoy in solidarity with refugees – The news that the Italian navy rescued almost 600 refugees when a trawler capsized in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya highlights the plight of people fleeing war, poverty and persecution. And that is why UNISON is sponsoring the People’s Assembly Convoy to Calais on Saturday 18 June as a show of solidarity with the refugees read more
Axe the Housing Act national demonstration Saturday June 18 – assemble 12noon Hyde Park Corner London Facebook Group
London Hazards 2016 Mesothelioma Day – 10am-4pm July 1 TUC Congress House read more
Orgreave Anniversary Rally – Saturday 18th June 2016 5pm start at The Old Bridge, Orgreave Lane, Sheffield S13 9NE read more
Exhibition – Refugee Children: A childhood traumatised by war 8th – 11th June at North London Community Centre (22 Moorefield Road, London, N17 6PY). This exhibition will be part of Day-mer’s 27th Culture and Arts Festival read more
Blacklisting & Victimisation
Buy the book ‘Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists’ Author: Dave Smith and Phil Chamberlain. Blacklisted tells the controversial story of the illegal strategies that transnational construction companies used to keep union activists away from work. See the official trailer from ReelNews
Blacklist Support Group financial appeal: the Blacklist support group is desperately short of funds, to continue the incredible work we need more finance, would you please consider making a donation, raise it at your branches and trade councils. Please make cheques payable to Joint sites committee and send to 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford Essex CM1 4XA. Please forward onto your contacts many thanks Steve Kelly (JSC Treasurer)
Defend Dave Smith & the right to protest – Thursday 9 June from 9.15am outside City of London Magistrates Court, Queen Victoria St (next to Bank tube station) “The twice adjourned trial following my arrest for protesting against blacklisting will take place on Thurs 9th – Fri 10th June at City of London Magistrates Court (next to Bank tube station). It’s a public gallery, so anyone who wants to come along is more than welcome. BSG protest outside the court from 9:15am”
BSG Update 8th June 2016
- Corbyn & Burnham pledge a public inquiry for blacklisting
This week both Jeremy Corbyn and Andy Burnham made speeches praising the Blacklist Support Group and calling for a full public inquiry into blacklisting. The Leader of the Labour Party made his speech at the GMB conference in Bournemouth while the Shadow Home Secretary raised the issue during a debate in the House of Commons over the Investigatory Powers Bill.
Corbyn speech to GMB congress http://www.gmb.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/228629
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/victory-millions-workers-tories-drop-8128402
Andy Burnham’s full speech (from 952 in Hansard) https://hansard.parliament.uk/…/160…/InvestigatoryPowersBill
http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/tories-ditch-law-allowing-police-to-spy-on-unions/07/06/
- Undercover police spying on activists
- Dave Smith trial
The twice adjourned trial following dave Smith’s arrest for protesting against blacklisting will take place on Thurs 9th – Fri 10th June at City of London Magistrates Court (next to Bank tube station).
It’s a public gallery, so anyone who wants to come along is more than welcome. BSG protest outside the court from 9:15am
- After the High Court admission of guilt – stop giving publicly funded contracts to blacklist firms
- More construction workers killed in Qatar
http://www.ituc-csi.org/qatar-11-killed-in-labour-camp#.V1VMtfsxpuk.facebook
- Art Against Blacklisting
Support the Blacklist Support Group campaign song
Blacklist Number 1 by Sean Taylor
Download the song – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blacklist-Number-1/dp/B01G9U6DKA
Share the video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2rZNQ-m_Pg
Art Against Blacklisting at Glastonbury
Any Means Necessary – play by Kefi Chadwick
special read one off exclusive through in London next Wednesday 15th June – contact Kefi for tickets [email protected]
Undercover police officer Carlo Neri spied on the RMT union – Photographic evidence shows that in October 2004 the spy cop was present at the industrial dispute following the sacking of the prominent union militant Steve Hedley (now elected as Senior Assistant General Secretary of the RMT union) during construction of the Kings Cross terminal for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The presence of the police spy from the Met’s disgraced Special Demonstration Squad was captured on camera by the freelance photographer Andrew Wiard. The photographs show the police spy standing behind an RMT banner with the slogan ‘Reinstate Steve Hedley’ while handing out leaflets to construction workers who had walked out in support of the victimised union activist. Also present at the picket line were RMT activists Alex Gordon and Sarah Friday plus GMB construction organisers Kelly Rogers and Steve Kelly (who was subsequently banned from the project controlled by the blacklist companies Costain, O’Rourke and Emcor) read more
Book http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
Donate to ReelNews – http://reelnews.co.uk/donationssubscriptions/
International
Greece: Victory for Athens bus cleaners – Strike action wins major concessions from contractors and bus administration read more
Diary (see & use false economy)
2016
July
2 10th annual NSSN Conference in Conway Hall, London https://www.facebook.com/events/1361018323924300/
9 Durham Miners’ Gala http://www.durhamminers.org/gala
15-17 Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival http://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/ – Sunday 17 July Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 2016, Dorset:-
Barking Dagenham and Havering TUC Coach Day Trip (coach leaves Dagenham Civic Centre 7.45am – returns 5.45pm) Deposit £5
Bookings Contact: Susan Aitouaz [email protected]
Croydon TUC Coach Day Trip (coach leaves Ruskin House, Croydon 8am – returns 9.45pm) Deposit £6
Bookings Contact: [email protected] / 07941 890 756
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
