NSSN 383: Support the Wilmington waste recycling workers – stop the suspensions!
The suspension of two of the Wilmington waste recycling workers, who are members of Unison after they returned to work following a successful first week on strike is a clear attempt to intimidate the workers into cancelling future strike action. It has failed. The workers are more determined than ever to defeat the multi-national FCC Company, which despite making millions in profits last year, is not prepared to pay its workers sick pay. The Wilmington workers are planning to take a further two weeks strike action starting from the 29th March.
Mick Whale (Hull Trades Council President)
Please send messages of solidarity and financial support to the Wilmington Strikers c/o Adrian Kennett Hull City UNISON 39, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull HU1 2AG. Please make cheques payable to UNISON Hull City Branch
More Unison
University members asked to strike to defend USS pension scheme (23 Mar) – Industrial action ballot follows 91% rejection of proposed move to ‘defined contribution’ scheme in consultation of affected members read more
Sign petition: End victimisation of trade unionists at Belle Vue Buses in Manchester
Support the Birmingham Homecare Workers read more on Birmingham Unison website Facebook page
UCU
Support the UCU USS pensions dispute – UCU and their members need the support of the whole labour and trade union movement more than ever. The NSSN calls on all our supporters and affiliates to get in touch with any UCU branch taking action in the USS pension dispute as well as those who will taking more action on pay at FE colleges this week. Invite them to your union branch and trades council, visit a picket line and join one of the strike rallies and demonstrations taking place today. Victory to the UCU – victory to the lecturers!
New offer sent to UCU members in USS pensions dispute (23 Mar) – Following further negotiations this week, the Universities UK (UUK) board met this afternoon and agreed a proposal aimed at resolving the pension dispute. That proposal has been sent to University and College Union (UCU) members, along with a message from UCU general secretary Sally Hunt. UCU branch representatives will meet at 11am on Wednesday 28 March to discuss members’ feedback. The union’s Higher Education Committee will meet after that meeting to set out the next steps. The full proposal and letter from Sally Hunt are here
Strikes at 12 colleges confirmed for late March – UCU members at 12 colleges will take a second wave of strike action later this month in an ongoing row over pay. Staff at 11 London colleges and Sandwell College in the West Midlands will walk out on either 27 or 28 March for two or three days of strikes. The colleges affected and dates of strikes are here
Sign this petition to stop the anti-union dirty tricks in the Coventry University Group – We the undersigned condemn the management of the CU Group, a subsidiary company of Coventry University, who have sought to block UCU from applying for recognition by setting up a company union and recognising it
Cuts would “destroy Open University as we know it” (22 Mar) – Staff at the Open University have said that plans to cut courses by a third would “destroy” the institution and reduce it to a “digital content provider”. Leaked proposals suggest that 41 degree courses will be axed, leaving 71 available. UCU said there needed to be a halt to the cuts and a full investigation into how the plans had been developed. UCU said it had no confidence that there had been proper scrutiny of the proposals read more
Strike ballot at Hull College Group over job losses (21 Mar) – UCU members employed by the Hull College Group are balloting for strike action over plans to axe 231 posts. The college has also threatened to dismiss any staff who refuse to sign up to new contracts. Staff at all three college sites in Hull, Goole and Harrogate are affected. The ballot will open on Friday (23 March) and close on Wednesday 18 April read more. Messages of support to Dave Langcaster via email [email protected]
Unite
Bromley library staff and care workers indefinite strike action to begin in all Bromley libraries from 28th March amid outsourcing chaos – Unite members overwhelmingly backed action in two separate strike ballots. 100 per cent of library staff working for Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) across the London borough’s 14 libraries backed strike action on a turnout of 87 per cent in a dispute over staffing, pay and time off for union duties read more
United Voices of the World union
VICTORY FOR CLEANERS AT THE DAILY MAIL! STRIKE CANCELLED! (22 Mar) – A group of migrant cleaners – who are members of the trade union United Voices of the World (UVW) – have just won a historic victory at the Daily Mail. After the threat of an all-out cleaners strike at the Mail’s offices in Kensington, and the prospects of large and lively protests and pickets, it is now confirmed that the cleaners’ demands have been met: as of 1st April 2018 they will all receive the London Living Wage of £10.20 per hour. The cleaners – some of whom have been scrubbing and polishing the Mail’s offices for nearly 20 years and are outsourced to Mitie Group Plc, a FTSE 250 company – were previously paid only the national minimum wage of £7.50 per hour. In real terms the cleaners have secured a 25% wage increase equating to nearly £500 extra per month per worker, or around £6,000 extra per year www.uvwunion.org.uk
NSSN news
NSSN Conference moved to July 7th – support the June 30th NHS 70th anniversary events
The NSSN steering committee has decided to put our annual conference back a week to avoid a clash of dates with a national day of action to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS on June 30th. We will do all we can to build these protests against continuing Tory health cuts.
The 2018 National Shop Stewards Network Annual Conference will be from 11am-4.30pm on Saturday July 7th in Conway Hall – 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. The attendance fee is £6 and it is open to all trade union and anti-cuts campaigners. Affiliation letter and conference appeal letter is here
We also want to give advanced notice that once again we will be organising a rally at TUC Congress. This year it will be in Manchester on Sunday September 9th.
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
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 demands public ownership as Government lines up another £250 million bail-out for Britain’s failing rail franchises (27 Mar) – RAIL UNION RMT today demanded public ownership of the railways as it emerged that rail franchises are haemorrhaging money at extraordinary rates with the figures confirmed in the recently published Department for Transport’s (DfT) Supplementary Estimate for its 2017-18 budget read more
RMT at ACAS for further talks today as industrial action looms on Docklands Light Railway this week (26 Mar) – RAIL UNION RMT today confirmed that it will be attending further ACAS talks today with Keolis Amey Docklands as industrial action looms on Docklands Light Railway this week read more
RMT Northern Rail strikers standing firm again this morning in fight for rail safety (26 Mar) – General Secretary Mick Cash said; “RMT members are standing firm and united again this morning on picket lines across Arriva Rail North as the fight for rail safety the length and breadth of the franchise enters it’s second year read more
RMT confirms industrial action goes ahead as planned on South Western Railway over Easter in Guards’ safety dispute (21 Mar) – RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that a further phase of industrial action involving members on South Western Railway will go ahead over Easter in the dispute over safety, the role of the guard and the rolling out of Driver Only Operation as management at the company continue to fail to engage with the union in talks and stepped up their threats and intimidation aimed at front line staff. The confirmation comes a day after members voted by huge majorities, in a re-ballot forced on RMT by the anti-union laws, to continue the fight for rail safety on SWR. Members will be taking action as follows
A demo will be held in London on April 25 to mark the 2nd anniversary of bitter disputes over the role of guards and staffing on trains
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
More Unite
Support the striking Aberdeen bus drivers – Aberdeen bus drivers are striking against draconian cuts to their wages and conditions by employer, First Bus. After a huge 97% rejection of the proposed changes, a ballot saw around 95% support for strike action. Two 24 hour strikes have now been completed with a further two days of strike action this week (Wednesday and Friday). A seven day strike is due to begin on Monday 25th March in the run up to the day the new contracts are supposed to be signed read more from Socialist Party Scotland
Support Ian Allinson: Protesters accuse Fujitsu of victimising whistleblowers read more. Keep up to date with Unite: Our union in Fujitsu website
See Unite on Blacklisting and Spycops in ‘Blacklisting’ section below
PCS
29 March: sticker up – show your support for PCS payday activities (19 Mar) – We are urging PCS members to show support for our campaign for an above-inflation pay rise by getting involved with our latest payday activities on 29 March. As pay talks are soon to take place with the Cabinet Office we need all members and representatives to actively support our pay campaign to keep up the pressure on pay and force the government to deliver our pay claim read more
Campaign for ex-Carillion staff to be brought in-house at the British Museum Sign our online petition
DWP compulsory redundancies: send PCS e-letter to permanent secretary – PCS is calling on all DWP members in the Department for Work and Pensions to send an e-letter to permanent secretary Peter Schofield to support 2 of our members at Plymouth Benefit Centre who are needlessly facing compulsory redundancy. Bizarrely the office that these two members – who are administrative officer grade staff – work in is not actually closing. However, the work that they do is moving to another location that is outside their mobility and the DWP claims that it can find no other AO work in Plymouth for these staff to do. Help support the campaign by registering your protest against this shameful decision by sending an e-letter to the DWP permanent secretary Peter Schofield 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
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
GMB
GMB recommends members reject ‘jam tomorrow’ NHS pay offer (Mar 21) – For long-serving NHS workers a 6.5% increase over three years actually means a real terms pay cut with inflation set to hit 9.6% during same period says GMB. GMB, the union for NHS staff, will recommend members reject a new pay deal. The deal, an average of 6.5% over three years, will mean a real terms pay cut for the most loyal, longest-serving NHS workers read more
POA
Sign the petition against the Government reducing the Prison Officer Pension
FBU
Firefighters’ union backs walk out from Spycops inquiry (22 Mar) – The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has backed a walkout of participants from the public inquiry into undercover police spying. The action came in response to the failure of the Mitting inquiry to make any real progress in three years and the refusal of the judge chairing the inquiry, Sir John Mitting, to reveal the identities of police officers who spied on trade unionists, campaigners and activists over many decades. The FBU was given core participant status in the inquiry after the union presented evidence of police spying on a number of officials over many years read more
Sign petition: Stop West Midlands Firefighters being taken away from the frontline! #FiredUp
NEU
Support the London teachers’ strikes: Organising action, winning for education – Over the last few months, some tremendous campaigns – and some important victories – have been organised across the London Region by the National Education Union. Some campaigns can be won just by organisation and good arguments – but it sometimes needs the threat of collective industrial action to make sure those arguments are heard! Here are a few examples
Teachers’ In East Sussex Ballot for Industrial Action over Pay – Teachers in East Sussex are being balloted for strike action after their pay this year fell below teachers in much of the rest of the country for the first time. The National Education Union, which encompasses the NUT and ATL teaching unions and represents over two thirds of teachers in East Sussex has conducted consultative ballots already in a number of schools. These have shown overwhelming support for industrial action
TSSA
Privatising Bus Éireann won’t work for passengers or taxpayers warns TSSA (21 Mar) – Following the announcement that Bus Éireann is to have routes privatised, TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Fine Gael are determined to bring to Ireland the many failures of public transport privatisation that we witness in Britain…” read more
BECTU
Support the Picturehouse workers and sacked reps – 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
McStrike! Fundraiser Party – from 9pm Friday April 20th at Styx, 5 Ashley Road, N17 9LJ London Facebook event
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
University cleaners announce biggest ever outsourced workers strike in UK higher education – University of London workers organised by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are to hold the biggest-ever strike of outsourced workers in UK higher education history. Over 100 cleaners, porters, security officers, receptionists, gardeners, postroom staff and audiovisual staff are expected to walk out on 25 and 26 April after a near unanimous vote in favour of industrial action. The workers, who are employed by a number of outsourcing companies that have contracts with the University of London central administration, are demanding to be made direct employees of the university, and for equal terms and conditions with those that are directly employed read more Donate to strike fund
Other news
April 7th anti-austerity march and rally in Runnymede
Surrey County UNISON branch have organised a march and rally against austerity in the Chancellor’s own constituency of Runnymede. The rally itself will be at the historical Magna Carta Monument.
John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor, has verbally agreed to come and speak if he is available. Many other national and local speakers have been invited.Save Our Services in Surrey are calling on all our supporters to come along and add their voices. Bring your friends, families and colleagues. Raise it in your unions, in your political parties and community groups.
For updates log onto the Facebook event here https://www.facebook.com/events/813239645526585/
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)
Unite: Police blacklisting admission could lead to fresh legal action (23 Mar) – Unite is considering whether to launch further legal action on behalf of its members who were blacklisted, following today’s (Friday 23 March) admission by the Metropolitan Police, that police officers supplied information that appeared in the files of blacklisting victims. Unite has launched fresh High Court action on behalf of over 70 members who were blacklisted by the Consulting Association. These cases are for breach of privacy, defamation and for Data Protection Act offences. In the light of the police’s admission that they were involved in providing information used to blacklist workers, Unite will now be investigating whether it is appropriate to pursue the police in legal action. In the wake of the Metropolitan Police’s admission of colluding with blacklisters Unite has also renewed its call for a full public inquiry into blacklisting read more GMB: Police Blacklisting Admission ‘Constitutional Crisis’
Unite backs walkout at SpyCops inquiry (21 Mar) – Unite has backed today’s (Wednesday 21 March) walkout of participants at the Mittings public inquiry into undercover policing. The walkout is a reaction to the refusal of Sir John Mittings, the judge leading the inquiry, to reveal the identities of the majority of police officers who were involved in undercover policing and who deceived women into relationships and infiltrated trade unions. When Judge Mittings was challenged on his refusal to reveal the cover names of the officers involved and of their managers, he said that victims “will be met with a wall of silence.” Read more
Blacklist Support Group update 27.03.18 – that was the week that was
- On Wednesday with the walkout of the Spycops inquiry in a show of no confidence in Judge Mitting. The Blacklist Support Group took that décision in solidarity with others families including the Lawrence’s and other groups being represented within these proceedings.
Our collective message was clear – We are done with stonewalling and whitewashes.
https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2018/03/23/spycops-victims-walkout-police-inquiry
https://leftfootforward.org/2018/03/government-must-restore-credibility-of-spy-cops-inquiry/
- On Friday – The Met Police finally officially confirmed that Special Branch and other police were involved in the Blacklisting of construction workers. The following disclosures have now been widely reported in the worlds news. Blacklisted workers appeared and our supporters appeared on TV and radio throughout the day. This has been 6 years going back to 2012 since we first raised it through our QC Imran Khan through the IPCC.
Blacklist Support Group would like to have it placed on record our appreciation for all the activists, lawyers, investigative journalists, researchers, trade unionists and politicians who have worked alongside us and whose efforts have finally forced the Met Police to make these admissions.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43507728
https://www.union-news.co.uk/met-police-admit-spying-on-trade-unionists-for-blacklisting-bosses/
- After the revelations about police collusion in blacklisting, Unite the Union are now considering opening new legal proceedings against the Met Police. Watch this space
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/police-blacklisting-admission-could-lead-to-fresh-legal-action/
- With the above in mind, we ask supporters to highlight the Met Police admission to their local elected Police Commissioner, many of whom are Labour politicians and run our Police Forces. We suggest that our supporters send letters using the text below as a standard template making amendments as you see fit:
Blacklist Support Group open letter to our Police Commissioner’s over police collusion and spying.
The Blacklist Support Group notes the recent and most shocking disclosures and statement of the Metropolitan Police regarding the undercover policing scandal. It is with huge dismay that it has taken 6 years for the Metropolitan Police to admit that police supplied information to the unlawful construction blacklist. And only then after our legal representatives complained to the IPCC back in 2012.
Our attention must now turn to the solutions. Aside from any legal action against these political policing units, we call upon Police Commissioners to now come out in full support of those who suffered as a consequence of these clandestine anti-democratic operations.
We therefore ask the Police Commissioners to go on record and condemn the actions of the undercover police units spying on trade unions unreservedly and call for these covert political policing units that spy on legal democratic political campaigns should be disbanded immediately.
Roy Bentham co-Secretary of the BSG added:
“This culture of impunity has to end. As someone who seen it as a Hillsborough survivor it’s appalling it still appears to be rife within our police forces. As Labour politicians, our commissioners also have a duty to serve the people who voted them in. A statement on denouncing these black ops is surely the bare minimum and we need promises of transparency going forward as that is the only way to win our trust back as ordinary working class citizens”
- Another great article from our friends at the International Employment Rights organisation mapping out the terms of reference for a full public inquiry into Blacklisting.
http://www.ier.org.uk/news/think-tank-blacklisted-workers-need-change-law-well-public-inquiry
- Retraining for Blacklisted workers.
Letters have gone out to Unite members with regards to this issue as set out in the settlement terms of the High Court cases.
We have also contacted Unite on behalf of blacklisted workers represented by Guney Clarke & Ryan solicitors in the High Court litigation. We will update on that in due course
- That was the week that was:
In solidarity and keep the faith
Roy Bentham – Joint secretary
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
BBC calls for talks with Iran over BBC Persian journalists read more from NUJ website
Diary
2018
May
12 TUC demonstration ‘A new deal for working people’ https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/new-deal-working-people-tuc-march-rally
June
30 NHS 70th anniversary rally
July
7 National Shop Stewards Network 2018 Annual Conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London
September
9 NSSN TUC Rally in Manchester
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
