In the year of the 150th anniversary of the TUC, the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) is again organising a rally before the start of TUC Congress: ‘Fight Together to Get the Tories Out!’
It will be from 1pm on Sunday September 9th in the Manchester Mechanics Institute/Conference Centre, Princess Street, M1 6DD.
Leaders from fighting unions will be speaking alongside rank & file union reps and activists, including those who have been taking action.
Confirmed speakers so far: RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, BFAWU General Secretary Ronnie Draper, USDAW President Amy Murphy (personal capacity), POA Deputy General Secretary Joe Simpson, PCS President Janice Godrich, Terry Pullinger CWU Deputy General Secretary Postal, Linda Taaffe NSSN National Secretary, Rob Williams NSSN National Chair. There will also be a national speaker from Unite plus we’ll be hearing from disputes such as Manchester Mears, Birmingham Homecare. Mid Yorkshire NHS and others. If you are involved in a dispute or campaign and want a platform to publicise it, come along on Sunday and we will try and get you in to speak.
The NSSN has a proud record of supporting workers and building solidarity. We also have a history of fighting for the biggest co-ordination of action across the unions to take on Tory austerity and the bosses’ offensive.
There is a union letter here and please share the Facebook event
West Midlands transport to NSSN TUC Rally – book your seat by phoning 07554911751
9am Fairfax Street Coventry outside swimming baths
9.30am Priory Queensway Birmingham City Centre outside McLaren building
Return – leave Manchester 5pm
£5 unwaged/£10 waged (can be flexible if needed)
NSSN news
The NSSN thanks the CWU for including in this month’s ‘Frontline’ magazine for its union reps a report of last month’s NSSN Conference, which was addressed by CWU Deputy General Secretary Postal Terry Pullinger
We have also produced a leaflet for our supporters in Unite after the union agreed to affiliate to the NSSN
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]
Follow us on twitter via @NSSN_AntiCuts and Facebook
Union News
RMT
The NSSN sends our condolences and best wishes to the family of Stan Herschel who has passed away. Stan was the RMT’s regional organiser in the North East and an enthusiastic supporter of the NSSN nationally and in the North East. Solidarity
RMT members standing united and determined this morning in fight for safety on Northern and South Western Railway (1 Sept) – RMT members standing united and determined this morning in fight for safety on Northern and South Western Railway. General Secretary Mick Cash said; “The resilience and determination of RMT members on both Northern and South Western Railway in the continuing fight for safety, security and access on our trains is a credit to the trade union movement. They are standing united and determined again this morning on picket lines at key locations across both franchises…” Read more
All Arriva Rail North Conductor, Conductor Instructor and Train Driver members are instructed to take action as follows: Not to book on for on for duty between:
- 00:01 and 23:59 on Saturday 8th September 2018
- 00.01 hours and 23.59 hours on Saturday 15th September 2018
- 00.01 hours and 23.59 hours on Saturday 22nd September 2018
- 00.01 hours and 23.59 hours on Saturday 29th September 2018
South Western Railway RMT members are instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between:-
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 8th September 2018
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 15th September 2018
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
‘Poverty pay’ prompts bus strikes in East Midlands, says Unite (3 Sept) – Some bus drivers in Nottingham and Derbyshire have had to resort to food banks to augment their low wages and a series of strikes are now planned in protest at poverty pay. Unite said that 160 drivers working for Trentbarton, part of the Wellglade Group, are planning a day of strike action next Monday (10 September) after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer for the year April 2018 – April 2019. Unite called on the management to negotiate in a positive way as further strikes are planned for 17 and 24 September and into October and November, after the workers had voted by 70 per cent for strike action read more
Support the Sunderland strike at Liebherr cranes for better pay – Future strikes dates are: 6/7, 10/11, 13/14 September. Send messages of support to Unite Regional Officer Mark Sanderson [email protected] and donations c/o Unite the union, John Dobson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8TW read more Stadium of Light protest as crane bosses buy burgers for strike breakers
Liebheer Unite and GMB picket
Sign this petition: Stop the Cuts to London’s Buses – London’s bus services are being cut because the government has withdrawn £750m from TFL’s operating budget. The buses are losing passengers because of the amount of traffic in London. We say control the amount of Uber cars and delivery vans and let the buses run to win back passengers. We also want Central Government to give back the operating budget as we are now the only capital city in Western Europe without a Government funded public transportation system
PCS
September: UVW and PCS BEIS branch living wage demo at MoJ and BEIS (3 Sep) – The campaign for a proper Living Wage for outsourced staff across government departments has spread from the Ministry of Justice, where cleaners in UVW Union have just taken 3 days of strike action, to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where the PCS BEIS branch is now making the same claim on behalf of their support and outsourced members. On Wednesday (5 September) UVW and PCS members at MoJ and BEIS HQ are coming together for a joint rally and call out to their respective secretary of state’s to intervene and pay up. Time is up on poverty pay and second class contracts for outsourced workers. Please support this event and meet outside MoJ headquarters at Petty France, SW1 H0ET at 12:45pm and march to the BEIS in Victoria Street for 1pm. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, and Shadow BEIS Minister Rebecca Long-Bailey, will be joining PCS members there read more
PCS members say resounding no to MoJ MEP plans (30 Aug) – PCS is calling on the Ministry of Justice to reopen pay negotiations following a huge vote by members against plans to cut terms and conditions across the department, extend the working week and make bank holidays and Saturdays part of regular hours read news
Unison
UNISON Glasgow City Branch notify of a strike ballot in Cordia and Education! – UNISON Glasgow City Branch is balloting its members for strike action after its members have lost all confidence in Glasgow Council to settle equal pay claims across the City. After months of talks UNISON members are clear that the Council has failed to meet all its commitments to settle their claims. UNISON members feel they have been betrayed by the council negotiators who now want to stop all talks with their unions and instead work out a deal behind closed doors. The Council negotiators, at a meeting with the representatives of all the claimants, have said they wish to cancel all further talks and instead would produce their own offer later in the year, effectively ending all joint negotiations on the settling of these claims for equal pay. UNISON members are clear that they will not accept being presented with an offer at the 11th hour and the pressure this would bring on them as low paid, undervalued workers. This is not what the Council Leader promised in January, not what the Council politicians decided, and breaks the commitments given in June after the union ran a consultative strike ballot. UNISON members want negotiated settlements and want their employer to engage in meaningful discussion Unison Glasgow City Branch Facebook page
Support the striking Birmingham home care workers – Please send messages of support and donations to Unison Birmingham branch, 46 The Priory Queensway Birmingham B4 7LR. Email [email protected] Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/birminghamunison/
East Dunbartonshire Unison, Unite and GMB
Unison today (Wed 29th August) served notice on East Dunbartonshire Council and EDLC Trust of all out strike action on Wed 12th September. Unite and GMB have also served notice on East Dunbartonshire Council East Dunbartonshire Unison Facebook page
FBU
Support FBU Merseyside’s campaign to stop the proposed downgrading of Liverpool City Centre fire station – follow @fbumerseyside on twitter Merseyside fire authority forced to postpone night closures
UCU
Strike ballots over pay open in colleges and universities (29 Aug) – UCU members in 147 colleges in England and 147 UK universities are being balloted for strike action in a row over pay. The ballots open on Thursday 30 August and close on Friday 19 October. The dispute in universities has arisen after the universities’ representatives, the Universities and Colleges’ Employers Association (UCEA, made a final offer of 2% at the final pay talks in May. UCU said the offer does nothing to address the falling value of higher education pay, which has declined in real terms by 21% since 2009 read more
BFAWU
“McStrike” Union to Ballot JD Wetherspoon Workers on Industrial Action (30 Aug) – The BFAWU to ballot Wetherspoons workers at two pubs in Brighton. The BFAWU union today notified JD Wetherspoon that it is to ballot its members at two of its pubs in Brighton. BFAWU Members at “The Bright Helm”, and “The Post & Telegraph” will be balloted in a secret postal ballot. The Bakers’ Union members will be balloted on their willingness to strike for £10 an hour and union recognition read more. Keep sending solidarity to the McStrikers in the BFAWU, post cheques to BFAWU, Stanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 7TA and donate to the strike fund. Also help the fund by buying a #McStrike t-shirt. More info on the Fast Food Rights/Hungry for Justice website
GMB
John Lennon airport set for more travel chaos as GMB members turn down pay deal (Sept 3) – It’s not surprising GMB members rejected Liverpool Airport Ltd’s new pay offer – because to accept it would mean a real terms pay cut. Liverpool’s John Lennon airport faces more travel disruption after GMB members turned down a new pay deal. During a consultation ballot, 68% of GMB members rejected the company’s latest below inflation pay offer of just 2.2%. As a result, GMB has issued Liverpool Airport Ltd with four further days of strikes in September, in which 80 workers from aviation rescue and fire fighting services, the control room, engineering and driver operations and airport bird control will walk out read more for strike dates
BECTU
Read the latest about the Picturehouse dispute 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
NUJ
Support investigative journalists under threat: sign the petition (4 Sept) – The National Union of Journalists has called on all union members and supporters to sign a petition in protest at the recent arrest of journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey in Northern Ireland. They were arrested on Friday 31 August by detectives from Durham Constabulary, supported by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and the actions of the authorities represents an attack on investigative journalism read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate Trade Union warn public of two-day closures in Lloyds Pharmacy as workers continue strikes (2 Sept) – workers apologise for any inconvenience, but say company is to blame. Mandate Trade Union is warning the public that at least six Lloyds Pharmacy outlets will be closed for the next two days (Monday, 3rd & Tuesday, 4th September), while up to 30 more stores will be impacted by a strike as workers escalate their campaign for decent work and fair pay. The closed stores include: Tonlegee and Coolock in Dublin 5, Killester in Dublin 3, Crumlin in Dublin 12, Neilstown in Dublin 22 and Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. The company has not yet confirmed other closures but others may be expected read more
United Voices of the World
STOP PRESS!! VICTORY! On September 3rd, UVW met with Kensington & Chelsea council and secured a full commitment to pay all cleaners the London Living Wage + improved working conditions from Jan 2019. Direct action works! All power to the workers!
UVW & PCS BEIS branch living wage demo at MoJ and BEIS – Wednesday 5th September 12.45pm Hannibal House, SE1 6TE London. The campaign for a proper Living Wage (currently £10.20 per hour) for outsourced staff across Government departments has spread from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), where cleaners in UVW Union took 3 days of strike action at the beginning of the month, to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where PCS BEIS branch are now making the same claim on behalf of their support and outsourced members.
On 5th September UVW and PCS Union members at MoJ and BEIS HQ are coming together for a joint rally and call out to their respective Secretary of State’s to intervene and pay up! Time is up on poverty pay and second class contracts for outsourced workers.
We will meet outside the MoJ HQ at 12:45 and march to the BEIS on Victoria Street for 13:00. Joining us on the rally from Labour’s front bench team will be Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell, and Shadow BEIS Minister Rebecca Long-Bailey, who are lending their support for our joint campaign.
BEIS PCS Union members are then launching a petition calling on their Secretary of State to pay up and be true to his word that everyone should be able to “earn a living to support them and their family”, including his own staff.
Meanwhile, since the MoJ cleaners strike, the MoJ security staff have now joined UVW en masse and are expected to walk out together with the cleaners in the next round of upcoming strikes.
Come, be noisy, be heard! Read more
Please make a donation to their strike fund if you can https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/current-campaigns/
Other news
Irish Embassy Protest: Support the Dublin Occupations – Housing activists in Dublin have occupied properties on Summerhill Parade and Frederick Street. They are resisting the obscenity of good homes standing empty for years while a growing tide of homeless have to fend for themselves on the city streets. They now face legal action and eviction. Join us for this protest and to hand a letter in to the Irish Embassy 17 Grosvenor Pl, Belgravia, London SW1X 7HR – 4pm Friday September 7th Facebook event
New book: ‘Tacking the housing crisis – with publicly owned construction Direct Labour Organisations’ by Tony O’Brien. For enquiries phone 07500169151. Book launch 6pm September 27th at Unite head office 128 Theobalds Rd, London WC1X 8TN
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)
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
China: Regime crackdown and hunger strike by young detainees – more Solidarity protests needed read more
Croatia: Solidarity with workers fighting privatisation – Shipyard workers in the Croatian port cities of Pula and Rijeka started their strike action on 22 August. These militant workers are demanding the immediate payment of wage arrears. But they don’t stop there. After years of frustration and distrust, they have demanded that the management steps down read more
Diary
2018
September
9 NSSN TUC Rally in Manchester from 1pm Facebook event
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