This is a video of the 10th annual NSSN Conference which took place on Saturday July 2nd in London on the themes: “Cameron’s gone – now get rid of the rest of the Tories! Link the strikes!’
NSSN TUC Congress rally ‘Cameron Gone – get the rest of the Tories Out!’ – 1pm Sunday 11th September
NSSN 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]
Union News
POA
Thousands of prison officers hold meetings (July 8) – The POA National Executive Committee instructed its membership in England and Wales to hold meetings outside their respective Prisons to discuss Prison Reform after NOMS management failed to consult on how prisoners are supervised during their sentence. The meetings have been described by Senior Management as “unlawful Industrial Action”, which the POA have refuted. The leadership of the POA Mike Rolfe National Chairman and Steve Gillan General Secretary have released the attached joint statement read here more here
NUT
Support Simon O’Hara — victimised teacher at Small Heath School in Birmingham
BFAWU
Reinstate Kumaran Bose – sacked by Samworths! The NSSN is supporting the BFAWU’s campaign in support of Kumaran Bose who was dismissed for speaking out and for organising a union in his workplace read more Facebook group Sign petition 1 here and sign petition 2 here
Newport workers hit picket line for second time at RF Brookes (July 14) – Disgruntled workers from a Rogerstone food factory joined the picket lines again today to oppose changes to their terms and conditions read more from South Wales Argus
RMT
Scotrail dispute latest: Driver only trains will increase the dangers for disabled read more
Southern Rail dispute latest: RMT seeks urgent clarification from Rail Minister read more
RMT/Unite: Wood Group Dispute (13 July) – Unite and RMT can today confirm that a ballot of Wood Group employees working across Shell operated assets, and coordinated between the unions has returned with a massive majority supporting industrial action. The ballot results from both unions are well over the 50% turnout threshold and have huge majorities in support of industrial action in the form of strike and action short of strike. In the case of Unite 99.1% voted in favour of industrial action while 98.5% of RMT members voted to support industrial action. Unite and RMT will now consult with Wood Group members across the Shell assets to discuss the timing and the nature of the action read more
Unison
HE members to be balloted on action over pay (8 July) – Summer ballot will see members asked to vote for strike to improve university employers’ 1.1% offer read more
Support school support staff against pay cuts – Join teaching assistants Facebook Group here Durham school support staff mobilise against slashing of pay
PCS
PCS and Unite combine in campaign to save EHRC (12 July) – The two biggest unions in the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) are launching a joint campaign against devastating cuts at the commission which would render it unable to stand up for justice, dignity, quality, human rights and a fairer society read more
BIS industrial action to continue throughout the summer – Action short of a strike will start on Monday 20 June with the possibility of more complete walk-outs 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
Bromley council workers strike against privatisation (14 July) – Libraries across the borough of Bromley face another wave of strike action starting this Saturday (16 July), followed by an all-out strike across all council services on 20 July. Workers are taking action against cuts and privatisation. Workers at Bromley’s libraries will be on strike from 16 to 23 July and there will be a council wide strike for 24 hours on 20 July. On Saturday 23 July there will be a march in Bromley against the cuts and privatisation (see notes to editors). The union is also calling for an end to the Tory- controlled council’s attempts to privatise all local authority services 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
HCA Pay Dispute: Members Vote on Resolution – Unite members at the HCA are currently voting on whether to withdraw the threat of further strike action after a series of talks with management addressed a number of concerns that had led to strike action in May. The campaign has involved joint action with the PS and Unison in a ‘Pay Day Protest’ in May, a lobby of the Board meeting in April, a collective grievance, and a mass postponement of staff appraisals, as well as strike action by Unite read more
Burnopfield shop fitters in 24 hour strike over pay (14 July) – Over 40 workers at the shop fitters HMY Radford were taking part in a strongly supported 24 hour strike today (Thursday 14 July 2016) over the firm’s refusal to offer a pay rise to staff read more
4,000 Yorkshire bus workers to vote on industrial action, as First Bus turns screw on pay and conditions (14 July) – About 4,000 bus workers in Yorkshire have told their First Group bosses that they will be balloting for industrial action as the company mounts a full-scale onslaught on their pay, and terms and conditions. Shop stewards from Unite, the country’s largest union, told their managers yesterday (Wednesday 13 July) that their members would be balloted ‘imminently’ for industrial action, including strike action read more
Fawley oil refinery strike over ‘half pay’ for foreign workers (13 July) – Workers at the Fawley oil refinery will be striking for 24 hours tomorrow (Thursday 14 July) in a dispute that sees foreign workers being exploited and paid half that of UK workers at the Southampton site. About 20 specialist workers, employed by Italian company Nico Industrial Services Ltd, will strike for 24 hours from 00.01 tomorrow at the Esso refinery. Another 24 hour stoppage is scheduled for Wednesday 27 July. This is being accompanied an overtime ban from 18-29 July read more
Weymouth bus bosses in ‘PR stunt’ as talks break down after seven hours (8 July) – The Weymouth bus company that is digging its heels in over ‘poverty pay’ for its drivers was accused of engaging in ‘PR stunts’ with no intention of negotiating seriously, after talks lasting more than seven hours broke down yesterday (Thursday 7 July) read more
GMB
GMB Scotland Ballot North Lanarkshire Cleansing Staff (July 14) – Ballot Of North Lanarkshire Cleansing Staff Launched Over Cuts Imposition. Our members are undervalued and overworked – it simply cannot go on like this and that’s why we are undertaking this consultative ballot with a view to industrial action says GMB Scotland read more
BMA Junior Doctors dispute – junior doctors vote to reject deal by 58% to 42% on a 68% turnout Read more on BMA website
For more info follow #JuniorDoctorsStrike #NotSafeNotFair #JuniorDoctors on twitter
BURSARY OR BUST: Continuing the fight to save NHS bursaries https://www.facebook.com/NHSbursarycutsforum/
UCU
Keep up to date with UCU rolling strikes here
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 Since launching this petition, the situation at London Met has now deteriorated further. University management have commenced a further round of compulsory redundancies that threaten the jobs of almost 400 academic and administrative staff – some one-third of all substantive university staff. They have also stated their intention to further increase the use of zero-hour contracts and reduce research to that which explicitly ‘generates a profit’. Please see details here
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
TSSA
London living wage for LTM cleaners and porters! Protest at 1pm today July 15 outside the London Transport Museum – Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 8 London read more
ASLEF
Tubelines strike (12 July) – ASLEF’s executive committee has called two 24 hour strikes on Tubelines. Members will not be booking on between 15.00 hrs on Friday 22 July and 14.59 hrs on Saturday 23 July; and between 15.00 hrs on Friday 19 August and 14.59 on Saturday 20 August. This follows a ballot over the company’s failure to make a satisfactory pay offer. The ballot closed on 11 July and the result was for action short of a strike For: 97.9% Against 2.1%. For a strike For: 98% Against 2.0% Turnout was 62.8% read more
Nationalise Tata – support the Steelworkers
For latest developments, follow Facebook group
United Voices of the World (UVW)
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”).
Cleaners reach 38th day of indefinite strike for London Living Wage – The striking Latin American cleaners are at 100 Wood Street, an office building which is owned by Europe’s richest man Amancio Ortega (1), is home to financial giants such as JP Morgan and Schroders and is managed by CBRE, a Fortune 500 commercial real estate company. This is the first all-out strike in the history of the City of London. It is also the first time in the United Kingdom that a workforce composed entirely of Latin Americans has gone on all out strike
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 their 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
UVW benefit gig – Saturday July 23 7pm Amersham Arms 588 New Cross Road London SE14 6TY details
IWW
Support Antonio! Reinstate Cleaner Sacked for Union Organising – Over Christmas, Antonio, a cleaner employed by cleaning contractor ISS at the premises of huge international institution of finance capitalism Bank of America Merrill Lynch, was sacked a few months after managers saw Antonio distributing IWW union joining forms, they hauled him into a disciplinary meeting without his union rep. Four days later (on Christmas Eve!) they sent Antonio a letter confirming he’d been sacked – they gave him seven days (until New Year’s Eve!) to appeal. read more
Other News
Emergency demo: no more austerity – no to racism – Tories must go Saturday 16 July 2016 Assemble 12pm, BBC HQ, Portland Place, London W1A 1AA http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/emergency_demo_16july
Miami Five Freedom Tour dates: Gerardo Hernández and René González to speak in Britain this summer see dates here
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)
Blacklist Support Group update – 15 July 2016
- Neil Findlay MSP names Gayle Burton from Costain in Scottish parliament as key link between the police and the blacklist.
This is a big breakthrough but amazingly none of the media have picked it up.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2016-06-30.0.0&s=blacklist#g0.2
https://www.facebook.com/NeilFindlayMSP/videos/699567036848294/
- Corbyn and McDonnell stood with blacklisted workers in our time of need. Now they are under attack, the Blacklist Support Group stand with them.
Morning Star Feature article: http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-87f5-Jeremy-has-stood-by-victimised-workers-time-and-again-now-well-stand-by-him
Roy Bentham speaking at a Liverpool Keep Corbyn rally http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/thousands-attend-liverpool-rally-support-11558159
- Blacklist Support Group to host a major employment rights conference at University of Greenwich on 16-17 September
Blacklisting, Bullying, Whistleblowing & Police Surveillance
Everyone welcome – to register for the conference contact: [email protected]
Please note: within the 2 days, a stand alone session will be set aside for the BSG AGM.
4.Current victimisation of union reps
BSG Solidarity with the Wood Street cleaners – blacklisted workers and Art Against Racism supported a group of cleaners based at Wood Street in the City of London after they were sacked for joining a trade union and asking for the London Living Wage. This dispute has the potential to turn into this generation’s Grunwick – please support the strikers
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6EUjE6PxjE
Gingsters pasty’s sack Baker’s union activist
http://www.bfawu.org/bfawu_activist_sacked_for_seeking_union_recognition_at_samworth_brothers
London Met UCU branch sec & chair both dismissed
- BSG out and about:
Durham Miners Gala with Stewart Emms speaking at the historic NUM Rednalls offices
Speakers Forum & Art Against Blacklisting in the Shangri-La area of Glastonbury https://www.facebook.com/AAB3213/
- Art
Glasgow School of Art award rebuild contract to Kier
Lucy Parker’s film: Blacklist – being made with support of the BSG now has its own website:
http://www.blacklistfilm.co.uk/
If your union branch is looking for a speaker – think of inviting Lucy (or just making a donation)
- UNITE Policy Conference
Unite conference was held in Brighton this week and passed a unanimous resolution on blacklisting moved by Dave Walsh and seconded by Tony Seaman.
Jeremy Corbyn got a huge ovation when he talked about courageous blacklisted construction workers struggle for justice. Blacklisted for trying to improve dignity for workers improving safety and conditions.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-8ba5-How-Unite-aims-to-help-end-the-scourge-of-blacklisting
- Strike news
Offshore workers vote 99% in favour of industrial action – stick that up your TU Bill ballot threshold
Employers prepare by hiring ‘scab labour’
Fawley Power station hit by strike action by migrant workers complaining about non payment of full rates of pay within national agreements
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/fawley-oil-refinery-strike-over-half-pay-for-foreign-workers/
- BLACKLISTED t-shirts
After countless requests, the Blacklist Support Group iconic ‘BLACKLISTED’ t-shirts are now available to buy from the Hope Not Hate website.
Proceeds from t-shirts go back into the campaign
http://shop.hopenothate.org.uk/component/hikashop/product/78-blacklisted-t-shirt
- Dates for the diary:
Tolpuddle Festival – this weekend – solidarity greetings to everyone attending
Hazards Conference 29-31 july
http://www.hazards.org/victimisation/perverted.htm
http://strongerunions.org/2016/07/11/mesothelioma-statistics-show-need-for-action/
Construction Rank & File national meeting
6th August
UNITE Holborn HQ – all building workers welcome – especially from UCATT
https://www.facebook.com/events/1027002747354455/
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- Seven years too late – CIPD statement on blacklisting
Blacklist Support Group hosts major 2 day employment rights conference at University of Greenwich
Blacklisting, Bullying, Whistleblowing & Police Surveillance conference
Fri 16 – Sat 17th September 2016 Stephen Lawrence Building University of Greenwich
Blacklist Support Group (BSG) and the Work & Employment Research Unit (WERU) are co-hosting a major 2 day employment rights conference at the University of Greenwich bringing together academics, politicians, lawyers and activists that aims to expose the hidden underbelly of the modern workplace often ignored by the mainstream media
Confirmed speakers so far include:
John McDonnell MP – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
John Hendy QC – Institute of Employment Rights (IER)
Michelle Stanistreet – General Secretary NUJ
Gail Cartmail – Assistant General Secretary, UNITE the union
Roger McKenzie – Assistant General Secretary, UNISON
Helen Steel – blacklisted McLibel activist, Spies Out of Lives
Shamik Dutta – Bhatt Murphy solicitors for victims of undercover policing
Zita Holbourne – Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC)
Donna Guthrie – (BARAC)
Professor Sian Moore – University of Greenwich (WERU)
Professor Keith Ewing – Kings College London (IER)
Phil Chamberlain – author ‘Blacklisted’, University of West of England
Dave Smith – Blacklist Support Group
Many more high level speakers to be announced
There will also be contributory campaign artwork from acclaimed national and international talents coordinated on display, by BSG Artist in Residence & Art Against Blacklisting.
In conjunction with:
Blacklist Support Group
Work & Employment Research Unit (WERU) at University of Greenwich
New Internationalist
Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust
This conference will be ideal for trade unions, students, activist, lawyers alike and will reach capacity very fast. Register as a delegate ASAP via: [email protected]
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
USA: Support striking workers at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City read more and sign petition
Vicious union-busting at leading Australian brewer read more
Diary (see & use false economy)
2016
July
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
September
10 6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival https://wigandiggersfestival.org/
11 NSSN TUC Congress rally ‘Cameron Gone – get the rest of the Tories Out!’ – 1pm Grand Hotel (next to Brighton Centre)
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
