Nearly 40,000 health workers in Ireland are due to start strike action tomorrow against wage restraint. The National Shop Stewards Network gives our full support and solidarity to Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and its members.
“Ireland’s nurses and midwives will go on strike for 24 hours on January 30th, it was announced. The union is legally required to give one week’s notice, but has given three to allow for safety planning. Should the dispute go unresolved, there will be further 24-hour strikes on 5th and 7th of February, and then the 12th, 13th and 14th. The strike will see INMO members withdraw their labour for 24 hours, providing only lifesaving care and emergency response teams. The dispute centres on safe staffing in the public health service. The HSE has not been able to recruit and retain enough nurses and midwives on current wages. The number of staff nurses fell by 1,754 (6%) between 2008 and 2018, despite an ageing, growing population making the health service busier. This would be only the second national strike in the INMO’s hundred-year history…” read more the INMO website
This is the latest from the INMO website: Nurses’ strike talks collapse without resolution print
Press Release 25.01.19
Talks between the INMO and the HSE and Department of Health at the Workplace Relations Commission collapsed without resolution tonight (Friday). The government produced no proposals over the course of three days of talks to deal with the recruitment and retention crisis in Irish nursing and midwifery.
Preparations for a national nurses and midwives’ strike on the 30th of January continue. This would be only the second time in the INMO’s hundred-year history that nurses or midwives go on strike.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:
“Ireland’s nurses and midwives are asking simple questions. Where is the Taoiseach? Where is the Minister for Finance? There is a vacuum of political leadership.
“The largest strike in the health service’s history looms and our political leaders are nowhere to be seen.
“With a heavy heart, strike preparations continue. As ever, we are available to talk any time, but we are still waiting for the government to make realistic proposals to avert this strike.”
Tweet messages of support to INMO @INMO_IRL
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Union News
RMT
Support RMT Northern and South Western Railway strikes – RMT members on Northern Rail and South Western Railway have been taking strike action over the threat Driver Only Operation. Sign the Parliamentary petition to make it a legal requirement to have a second safety critical person on trains
As RMT members stand firm on 46th day of strike action Northern Managing Director tells staff trains won’t have a second person on board (26 Jan) – As RMT members stand firm on a 46th day of strike action today the union has revealed that Northern’s Managing Director David Brown has told staff that because of the “franchise requirement” set by the Government there will be Northern trains in the future that will run without a second person – in direct contradiction of the company’s recent public statements 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 read more
TSSA
ScotRail – Vote for More Industrial Action (25 Jan) – TSSA is calling on Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon to put Abellio ScotRail into special measures after a vote by the company’s Station Managers to take industrial action in yet another dispute about lack of staff. and a Which? survey shows passenger satisfaction continuing to plummet. The rail network’s Station Managers have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action as a result of a staffing crisis which has been allowed to develop in their ranks and is making it increasingly difficult for them to maintain basic overnight rail safety requirements read more
Unison
Solidarity rally for the Homecare Workers of Birmingham: 6.30pm Tuesday January 29th Birmingham & Midlands Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham, B3 3BS Facebook event
Support the striking Birmingham homecare 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/
UCL UNISON launches #BringThemIn campaign for outsourced workers (25 Jan) – “Bring them in” is the cry echoing around the central London campus of University College London this year after the UNISON branch launched a campaign for members providing security, catering and cleaning to be brought in-house and directly employed by the university. The work is currently outsourced to private companies Sodexo and Axis. This means more than 800 staff working on the contracts have worse terms and conditions that colleagues employed by UCL itself, including less annual leave, less maternity and paternity leave, far worse pensions and little or no occupational sick pay. “Our members deserve equality in terms and conditions with their directly employed colleagues and we are committed to bringing outsourced workers back in-house,” says the UNISON UCL branch read more
Unite
Strike threat by 3,500 Yorkshire bus workers over First Group ‘bullying culture’ (28 Jan) – About 3,500 bus workers, employed by First Group across Yorkshire, are gearing up to be balloted for strike action over the management’s ‘systematic campaign of anti-trade union activities’. Unite has written separately to the bosses of First West Yorkshire & North Yorkshire, and First South Yorkshire about the anti-union stance created over many years and warning them that, as a result, there would be ballots for industrial action. The situation comes to a head tomorrow (Tuesday 29 January) in Leeds when there is an internal appeal against the dismissal of two Unite senior reps at First West Yorkshire & North Yorkshire for what the union said were ‘trumped up’ allegations. Unite is demanding their immediate reinstatement read more
Unite to ballot on changes to Angus Council service provision (25 Jan) – Unite the union has today (25 January) confirmed that it will now hold a consultative ballot of members at Angus Council on changes to their terms and conditions with a view to an industrial action ballot. The move comes in response to Angus Council serving notice on 140 staff who work in Environmental Services that from April household waste will be collected from 6 am until 10 pm. The decision by Angus Council will mean that workers will be required to move to a day shift/back shift work pattern. Unite members have raised concerns about the dangers of operating the service safely and effectively and the negative impact that these changes will have on work-life balance. Unite also believes that the move by Angus Council will prove to be unpopular with the general public read more
‘New dawn’ hope for employment relations, as Durham bus drivers accept revised pay offer (25 Jan) – A new era in employment relations is possible at Arriva Durham County Ltd, following its 650 bus drivers voting in favour of a revised pay offer by a large margin. Unite said today (Friday 25 January) that the drivers, based at Darlington, Durham, Redcar, Stockton and Whitby, voted by a large majority in favour of the pay package which will run to March 2021. Unite said that the 10 days of strike action by the drivers due to have started on Sunday (27 January) will now not go-ahead read more
Workers at Recipharm vote ‘unanimously’ for industrial action over ‘paltry’ pay offer (22 Jan) – Workers at leading pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing company, Recipharm HC Limited, in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, are staging a series of three 49-hour strikes next month (February) in a row over a ‘paltry’ pay offer. The 29 craft and hourly paid workers, who are members of Unite have voted unanimously by 100 per cent for strike action following a breakdown in talks over the company’s refusal to agree a pay increase acceptable to staff above the current pay offer of two per cent. A series of three 49-hour stoppages are planned to take place from 06:00 on Tuesday 12 February until 07:00 on Thursday 14 February, as well as the same times on Tuesday 19 February to Thursday 21 February and again on Tuesday 26 February until Thursday 28 February read more
CWU
Bangor delivery office have VOTED YES to take industrial action in a dispute with the employer (28 Jan) – this is a very strong message to the employer to listen to this union and overturn the trumped up charge and penalties given to our two members Jim Magowan & Craig Stewart. Dates for industrial action will be announced read more
Ericsson pay up (Jan 25) – Members in Ericsson have overwhelmingly accepted a CWU-brokered two-year pay deal that, based on current forecasts, will deliver above inflation rises for all team member grades on April 1. The company’s full and final offer – which received four to one backing in a consultative ballot which closed today (Friday) – draws a line under months of tense taking during which industrial relations were tested to the limit read more
PCS
Further PCS walkouts to take place at Historic Royal Palaces over pensions (25 Jan) – Further walkouts by PCS members, starting on 6 February, are to take place at 3 famous sites managed by the charity Historic Royal Palaces which has chosen to attack staff pensions. Our members held a well-supported walkout on 21 December over plans by the independent charity, which manages six of the UK’s unoccupied royal palaces, to close its defined benefits pension scheme to future accruals and move the 120 staff who are members of the scheme into a defined contribution scheme. This will result in our members receiving, in some cases, massively less pension than they had been promised. Members, whose roles include heads of departments, Yeoman Warders, admissions, security, retail, IT and conservation at the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace, are set to walk out for 4 hours at all sites on 6, 16 and 21 February between 11am and 3pm on each day. The action on 6 February is the same day as the anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. Two other planned 3-hour walkouts earlier this month had been suspended due to negotiations being opened between the trade union side and the independent charity. We met with the employer who made a revised offer which was discussed at members’ meetings this week. The outcome of the meetings was a clear rejection of the latest offer and some agreement around what an acceptable offer would look like, including a demand for a 15% employer contribution and a lump sum, the current payments amount to over 30% of salary for each in the DB scheme read more
PCS & United Voices of the World
Joint Jan 22 MoJ & BEIS outsourced workers strike – On 22nd January 2019 receptionists, security guards and cleaners at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), represented by United Voices of the World (UVW), and support staff at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), represented by Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, walked out together on strike demanding the London Living Wage of £10.55 per hour, plus parity of sick pay and annual leave allowance with civil servants. Workers at the MoJ will also be striking for a second day on 23rd January 2019. This is the first co-ordinated strike between a TUC and a non-TUC union and the first coordinated strike between outsourced workers in government departments Facebook event
Please donate to the PCS and UVW strike funds
GMB
Parking wardens in Wandsworth set for four days of strike action (23 Jan) – “We would urge Wandsworth Council to review this highly lucrative contract in a bid to bring it back under local authority control where they belong”, says GMB Southern. GMB members working for the NSL Parking at Wandsworth Council have announced four days of strike action as GMB members fight for better terms and conditions on an ex-local authority contract. The strike days are set to take place on 24th, 25th, 31st January and 1st February. GMB members on the Wandsworth NSL contract do not all have sick pay and it is down to management discretion if you gain sick pay, even if they suffer an injury at work. This is despite being out in all weathers, riding motorcycles and bicycles and pounding the streets all day on foot read more
FBU
Firefighters overturn cuts to fire and rescue services in Merseyside (28 Jan) – The FBU has won its fight to maintain night time fire cover at two stations, and has increased the number of fire engines in the region from 26 to 30. The locally run campaign opposed cuts proposed by the fire authority to remove night time fire cover, and achieved widespread political and public support. Almost 20,000 members of the public signed a petition opposing the removal of night time fire cover at City Centre and Wallasey fire stations. Working with Labour Party branches, Constituency Labour Partys, local MPs and the Mayor of Liverpool, the FBU forced the fire authority to reconsider read more
USDAW
USDAW response to Tesco’s statement “Building a simpler, more sustainable business” read more
Please sign USDAW’s Time for Better Pay petition on the government’s petition website. This is part of the USDAW’s campaign to force the issues of low pay and job security onto the agenda of parliament and our employers – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/234531
UCU
Strike dates announced at 16 English colleges in pay row – members at 16 English colleges will be taking two days’ strike action at the end of January in their fight for fair pay. The strikes are part of a second wave of action after UCU members at six colleges took action in November. The dispute centres on the failure of college bosses to make a decent pay offer to staff who have seen the value of their pay decline by 25% over the last decade. The pay gap between teachers in colleges and schools currently stands at £7,000. UCU said low pay was bad for staff, students and colleges, while around two-thirds of college heads said pay is a major obstacle for them when it comes to attracting staff. The union said further strikes were planned if the colleges refused to make a decent offer and that they could not hide behind government cuts if they wanted to avoid further disruption. UCU said colleges should follow the lead of the Capital City College Group which recently agreed a 5% pay deal for its 1,700 staff read more
Strikes suspended at New College Swindon following eleventh hour breakthrough in talks
Breakthrough at Hugh Baird College as UCU members set to walk out at 14 colleges
Strike ballot at 143 universities – Around 70,000 UCU members in 143 UK universities are being balloted for strike action in a row over pay and conditions. The ballot opens on Tuesday 15 January and closes on Friday 22 February. The dispute rests on universities’ failure to improve on the 2% pay offer made at pay talks last May. UCU said that offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) did nothing to address the falling value of higher education pay, which has declined in real terms by 21% since 2009 read more
EIS
Consultative Ballot on Teacher Pay – Ballot Opens: Thursday 31st January 2019, Ballot Closes: Thursday 21st February 2019. This will be an electronic ballot with members for whom we don’t hold email addresses being notified by letter. It is the recommendation of EIS Council that members vote to reject this offer read more
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
IWGB
Biggest-ever minicab protest as thousands of drivers are expected to block three London roads (29 Jan) – Thousands of minicab drivers will gather outside Transport for London’s (TfL) headquarters on Blackfriars Road today, in what will be the biggest-ever demonstration of minicab drivers in the UK. The protest called by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain’s (IWGB) United Private Hire Drivers (UPHD) branch against regressive congestion charges on minicabs to be introduced in April, builds on two previous demonstrations that were attended by hundreds of drivers read more
Other news
Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT) 2019 annual conference ‘Turkey: Fighting for democracy under authoritarian rule’ – Saturday, 9 February 2019 from 11:00-17:00 at National Education Union, Mabledon Place, Hamilton House, WC1H 9BD London Facebook event
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
Netherlands: Union calls on members to back photojournalists’ campaign read more on NUJ website
Diary
2019
July
6 NSSN Conference Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
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