The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) is supporting the national day of action this Saturday February 3rd to protest against the crisis in the NHS. There will be protests around the country, including an emergency demonstration in London.
One of the leading organisers is nurse Jacqui Berry. She is also a member of Unison’s NEC as well as the NSSN steering committee. In the build up to Saturday, Jacqui has done this interview that shines the spotlight on the crisis in the NHS and why we need a mass campaign against the Tory health cuts:-
‘The NHS In Crisis – Fix It Now!’ day of protest Saturday February 3rd: includes Emergency Demonstration in London (Assemble 12noon Gower Street WC16), coupled with regional action and demonstrations in response to winter crisis (also supporting NHS unions’ pay claim) – called by Health Campaigns Together (HCT) and People’s Assembly.
Details for transport for the London demo and local protests can be found on the HCT website.
UCU
UCU announces 14 strike dates at 61 universities in pensions row (29 Jan) – Strikes will begin on Thursday 22 February. UCU has written to the 61 universities* to inform them of an escalating wave of strikes over a four-week period that will begin with a five-day walkout either side of a weekend. There will then be four days of strikes from Monday 5 – Thursday 8 March and a full five-day walkout the following week (12 – 16 March). The strike dates are:
Week one – Thursday 22 and Friday 23 February (two days)
Week two – Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 February (three days)
Week three – Monday 5, Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 March (four days)
Week four – Monday 12, Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March (five days)
Due to their academic calendar four universities – King’s, Queen Mary, Edinburgh and Stirling – will not take action in week one. They will start their action in week two on Monday 26 February. They will then walk out for two days on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 March. Last week talks between UCU and the employers’ representative Universities UK (UUK) ended without agreement and UUK’s plans to transform the scheme were forced through by the chair’s casting vote read more
Defend Education: London March for Pensions and Pay (called by London UCU) – 12noon Malet Street, London, WC1E 7 Facebook event
UCU ballots members in FE Colleges on pay – The college employers’ pay offer of 1% is yet another kick in the teeth (and a real terms pay cut of 3%) for FE staff in England who work hard every day to transform the lives of learners, their families, and the wider community. That’s why UCU is stepping up our campaign for better pay and better jobs. The ballot opened on 23 January, so any member who hasn’t yet received their paper should request a replacement here. These branches have so far been authorised to proceed to a full industrial action ballot
NSSN news
Advanced notice: the 2018 National Shop Stewards Network Annual Conference will be from 11am-4.30pm on Saturday June 30th in Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London. It is open to all trade union and anti-cuts campaigners
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 is below
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]
You can receive this bulletin via email. Click here to subscribe
Follow us on twitter via @NSSN_AntiCuts and Facebook
Union News
RMT
RMT to hold nationalise NorthLink public meeting on Orkney (26 Jan) – Scottish ferries union, RMT, will be holding a public meeting on Orkney calling for the nationalisation of Northlink’s lifeline ferry services. The meeting will take place on Weds 7th Feb, 19.30 – 22.00 at the Ayre Hotel, Ayre Road, Kirkwall KW15 1QX. RMT Regional Organiser Gordon Martin will put the positive case for nationalising NorthLink read more
RMT to ballot for action on Tyne and Wear Metro over Government pay cap (25 Jan) – Rail union RMT confirmed today that it will be balloting NEMOL members on Tyne and Wear Metro for both strike action and action short of a strike over the imposition of the Government’s 1% pay cap read more
RMT members take further strike action on DLR on over breakdown in industrial relations – RMT cleaners, security staff and travel safe officers on Docklands Light Railway will be taking further strike action over a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations. The workers are employed by contractor ISS on the KAD contract. RMT members working for ISS (KAD Contract) are instructed to not to book on for any turns of duty that commence between:- 05:30 hours on Thursday 1st February 2018 and 05:29 hours on Saturday 3rd February 2018. Members are also instructed not to deviate from current valid approved risk assessments between 05:30 hours on Monday 5th February 2018 and 05:29 hours on Saturday 10th February 2018 read more
National dispute fund (DOO disputes) – If you would like to donate to the RMT National Dispute Fund which makes payments to support their striking members taking part in National DOO disputes then you can donate via PayPal using the donate button below or make a cheque payable to RMT National Dispute Fund and send it to the address below. Alternatively, you can ring their Freephone helpline on 0800 376 3706 who will be happy to process a credit card payment for you, or, if you would like to pay via internet banking, please email [email protected] for further details. Vicky Thompson, Finance Manager RMT, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. Tel: 020-7529-8843
Unite
Newton Aycliffe dust mask workers to begin strike action next month (29 Jan) – Workers at dust mask and respirator maker 3M, based in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, will begin strike action next month in a pay dispute. The workers, who are members of Unite will undertake a 24 hour strike on Tuesday 13 February with a further 24 hour strike taking place on Thursday 15 February. A ban on overtime will take effect from Friday 9 February read more
Workers ‘jubilant’ as Bombardier tariff threat lifted (26 Jan) – US International Trade Commission decision leaves workers in Northern Ireland and throughout the UK supply chain ‘breathing a massive sigh of relief’. Victory is result of political pressure arising from huge workforce mobilisation behind Unite’s #backBombardierjobs campaign. Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary expressed his relief that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) had overturned the imposition of crippling import duties on Bombardier’s C Series: “Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland and throughout the supply chain in UK will be breathing a huge sigh of relief that the International Trade Commission has seen through Boeing’s baseless complaint. “It is a right and just decision which is in no small part down to the tireless campaign by Unite members and shop stewards…” read more
Hackney school cleaners hail victory in holiday pay row (26 Jan) – Hackney school cleaners today (Friday 26 January) hailed victory in a dispute over the failure to pay proper holiday rates. The settlement of the dispute at the six schools in the borough came after negotiations between Unite and the cleaners’ employer OCS Group Ltd and their new employer, Kier, which will take over the contract from OCS. The five days of strike action due to start next week has now been suspended and the more than 40 cleaners will be working normally. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “This is an excellent win by these workers who have shown tremendous solidarity during the course of this dispute. The deal was hammered out after two days of tough negotiations this week read more
Support Ian Allinson: ‘Discrimination’ of union reps sparks 11 days of strike action at Fujitsu in Manchester from January 24 – The next strike dates are today Tuesday 30 January and then Thursday 8 – Wednesday 14 February. More than 250 Unite members in Manchester have voted for 11 days of strike action at IT giant Fujitsu in one of the longest running industrial disputes in the UK. One of the features of this dispute has been a ‘victimisation culture’ of union reps, which has included the dismissal of Unite rep of 26 years standing Ian Allinson read more Keep up to date with Unite: Our union in Fujitsu website
Joint Fujitsu, Mears and First Bus strike rally Jan 26
Support Manchester Mears housing workers – send messages of support to Unite rep Colin Pitt: [email protected] and Unite regional officer [email protected] and post donations to: Unite House, Merchants Quay, Salford Quays, Salford M50 3SG
Support bus strikes at First Bus Rusholme in Manchester – Send messages of support and donations via Neil Clarke, [email protected] c/o Unite, Jack Jones House, 2 Churchill Way, Liverpool L3 8EF
Please donate to support Sutton tanker workers at Eastham Refinery in Cheshire who are fighting cuts to pay and conditions, donate to support the strikers. Tanker Drivers employed by Sutton’s Tankers Limited on the Nynas Bitumen contract at Eastham in Cheshire were given proposals by their management on 18th December 2017 Accept redundancy and sign a compromise agreement of face being dismissed on 19th January 2018. As part of the company proposals the drivers were offered a new contract of employment on inferior contracts of employment with pay rates being slashed by between 32% & 40% with other elements of their terms which delivered a mandate of 100% in favour of an all out strike
PCS
Why we are protesting over pay on 31 January – Ahead of PCS payday protests on Wednesday (31 January) our members have been sharing their experiences of increased hardship under the pay cap. The protests, on the first pay day of 2018, are part of a series of actions agreed by our national executive committee to keep up the pressure on the government over pay in 2018, including talking to the TUC and other unions about joint campaigning on pay read more PCS makes national pay demand to government
Redundancy pay talks latest: PCS continues to defend members against further attacks (25 Jan) – PCS continues to defend members from proposed attacks from the government on your hard-won civil service redundancy terms. The government has been forced to negotiate with PCS on the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme following our landmark High Court victory last summer Judges ruled that the previous Tory government had acted unlawfully in excluding us, from talks over its latest cuts to redundancy terms. We won a reinstatement of 2010’s redundancy terms. And the court case was made possible by 96.5% of members who voted in a consultative ballot to reject the new terms imposed by the government. In a new video message, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka stressed that our union is still in negotiations trying to defend our members from further attacks from the government read more
Support DWP strikes:
- Send messages of support to [email protected]
- Send donations to the strike fund to PCS DWP Group, 3rd Floor, Town Centre House, Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8LY
CWU
Negotiators Agreement Reached in Royal Mail Talks (Jan 26) – DGSP Terry Pullinger gives members an update on talks with Royal Mail. The Postal Executive meet on 30/31 January 2018 and more information will follow this read more
Manpower pay up in Voice Services – but more still required, says CWU (Jan 26) – Manpower members working for BT Venture Voice Services have received their second pay rise in less than a year – just as the CWU is ratcheting up pressure on both companies over low agency pay levels read more
Catch up on the latest with the CWU’s campaigns and disputes: Royal Mail Four Pillars, BT Pensions and Close the Gap/Justice for Agency Workers in BT
Unison
Support the Birmingham Homecare Workers – Support Birmingham Homecare Workers Lobby and Noisy Protest at the Full Council Meeting: 1-2pm Victoria Sq, Tuesday 6th February read more on Birmingham Unison website Facebook page
Support the Royal Devon and Exeter porters, who have taken strike action against the imposition of 12 hour shifts. Donate to their hardship fund. Send a cheque to the branch at: UNISON Office, Baker House , Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust, Barrack Road, Exeter EX2 5DW. Or make a direct donation to the branch account
Account Name: UNISON Royal Devon and Exeter Health 10296 Branch
Account Number: 20323929 Sort Code: 60-83-01
POA
Sign the petition against the Government reducing the Prison Officer Pension
FBU
Sign petition: Stop West Midlands Firefighters being taken away from the frontline! #FiredUp – Recent events such as the fire at Grenfell Tower and terrorist attacks across the country have shown that when you need the fire service, you need them quickly. But now, councillors in the West Midlands want to use flexible contracts to make firefighters undertake non-emergency work such as transporting people from hospital and picking up people who fall in their home. This will involve frontline firefighters and their emergency vehicles. Our message is clear; if firefighters are tied up with non-emergency work then they cannot be there for you and your family in your time of desperate need: This is unacceptable
NEU
Support the London strikes against academisation: A number of schools in Newham and Brent have been on strike against threats of academisation, including Avenue Primary, Royal Docks, Cumberland and Village primaries. The Village in Brent is on strike from January 30-Feb1 and the Avenue is out on January 31-Feb 1. You can tweet messages of support to @NUTLondonOffice
BECTU
Keep supporting the Picturehouse workers – they have voted by huge majorities to continue their action: read the latest on Brixton Ritzy Facebook Page and those of Hackney, Crouch End, Central, Dulwich East and Duke of York Brighton
Donate to the Picturehouse Cinema strike fund: https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/250/picturehousestrike
BFAWU
Keep supporting the McDonald’s workers – read more from the Observer. Keep sending solidarity to the BFAWU, donate to the strike fund and also help the fund by buying a #McStrike t-shirt. More info on the Fast Food Rights/Hungry for Justice website
IWGB
Protest: Stop cleaner cuts at the Royal College of Music – 6.30pm, Royal College of Music, Prince Consort Road, SW7 2BS London read more in Facebook event
United Voices of the World union
First Victory of the Year! Strike Cancelled! (Jan 26) – CLEANERS AT LEE HECHT HARRISON (LHH) WILL NOW BE PAID THE LONDON LIVING WAGE!!!! Our members’ returned a 100% Yes vote in favour of strike action for the London Living Wage and announced a series of strikes over the next three weeks – after kicking things off with a lively demonstration at LHH offices before Christmas. In response, LHH have now confirmed they will be re-tendering their cleaning contract which will guarantee that within the month the cleaning staff are paid the London Living Wage of £10.20 per hour. A whopping 30% increase from their former miserly wage of £7.50 per hour. From the outset of this campaign our members suffered threats of disciplinary action and even potential dismissal for simply standing up for the right to live with dignity, but they did not back down! Once again a courageous group of migrant workers have shown that despite having no previous experience in unions and without big campaign funds to back them that simply by getting organised, taking collective action and bringing the fight to the bosses that they can win the decent wages and respect they deserve. Thank you all for your vital support in the campaign! Onwards and upwards! Read more
More news
TUC summer term courses – at the College of Haringey Enfield and North East London (Conel)
Dear colleagues
We are now advertising for the TUC 10-day union reps and health and safety reps courses for the forthcoming summer term. We would gladly welcome if this email could be forwarded to other union reps who may also be interested in attending.
TUC 10 day courses at Tottenham Centre (n15 4RU)
- Union Reps Stage 1 – 10 Tuesdays from 1st May 2018
- Next Steps – 10 Tuesdays from 1st May 2018
- Health & Safety Stage 1 – 10 Wednesdays from 2nd May 2018
- Certificate in Employment Law – 10 Thursdays from 3rd May 2018
(Half Term – w/c 28th May 2018)
We are currently offering two diploma:-
Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety – Classroom based – 18th April 2018 – 3rd April 2019 – at level 2 (these dates include summer break and other holidays check with us for further details). This course is still free.
Diploma in employment law – blended learning one evening per week starting 19th April 2018. This course is at level 3. There is a course fee for this course amounting to £2088. In addition, the date may be subject to change.
Be-spoke courses
As you may also be aware we do run be-spoke courses for unions and union branches this could include dealing with redundancies, tackling discrimination at work, sickness absence policies, understanding pensions. We can also arrange for courses to be run at a venue to suit. Do get in touch if you or your union committee wish to run a specialist course.
You can either email trade union education [email protected] or call us on 02084423075.
Kind regards
Jonathan Jeffries
Lecturer Conel college N15 4RU
Blacklisting & Victimisation
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)
‘Carillion ruined my life by blacklisting me for raising health and safety concerns’ – Dave Smith Joint Secretary of the Blacklist Support Group in the Metro
Blacklisted t-shirts available at: https://shop.hopenothate.org.uk/component/hikashop/product/78-blacklisted-t-shirt
Book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
International
Sudan: Free Mohamed Satti and all political prisoners! Read more Lobby of the Sudanese Embassy this Wednesday, 31 January at 2.30pm – 3 Cleveland Row, St. James’s, London SW1A 1DD
Pakistan: Stop the attack against Socialist Movement Sind (SMS) and activists in Sind read more
Iran: Esmail Abdi back in prison – free him now read more
Diary
2018
February
10 Stand Up To Racism trade union conference 2018 details
March
17 National Marches against Racism in London, Glasgow and Cardiff Facebook event
June
30 National Shop Stewards Network 2018 Annual Conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London
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
