NSSN 427: IWD2019 – support the ‘Women’s Lives Matter’ campaign
This Friday is International Women’s Day. This year we are highlighting ‘Women’s Lives Matter’ – the campaign against cuts to domestic violence services.
Please take this to your trade union and trades council and table it for discussion and debate to help build the campaign:-
The union notes that:
- Domestic violence kills women. On average two women a week are murdered by a male partner or ex-partner in the UK and a further three women a week kill themselves to escape abuse.
- Services for women and children fleeing domestic violence are being slashed. Since 2010 almost a quarter of the funding for council services have been cut on average – with almost half in some areas. Over a six month period last year 1,000 women and children were turned away from refuges due to lack of funding.
- Universal Credit further exacerbates the funding difficulties for domestic violence victims and limits their ability to find safe housing.
- While charity funding for these essential services shows the breadth of support for such services it is not a reliable source for services that cannot be allowed to fail. Councils have billions in reserves which could be used to prevent the closure of vital life-saving services.
- Austerity, low pay, lack of council homes and the cuts and privatisation of public services make it harder for people fleeing domestic violence to escape and to rebuild their lives.
This union agrees that:
- Domestic violence is a trade union issue because it affects workers and their families and because trade unions can use their strength to fight for change.
- The trade unions have played an important role in defending and fighting for women’s rights and services including domestic violence services and policies, women’s right to vote, the Equal Pay Act, access to contraception and abortion rights.
- Councils can resist. They can refuse to pass on Tory cuts. By using their reserves and borrowing powers they can sustain services while they fight for government funding for all services. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has pledged that a Corbyn government would fund these services.
- Services must be democratic and accountable and specialised to suit the needs of service users. Services should be brought in-house and democratic oversight including service workers and users established
- Universal Credit puts women and children at risk. It must be stopped.
This union resolves that:
- Every cut to domestic violence services must be opposed and that trade unions can play a leading role in this.
- We resolve to appoint a member to look into local services and the cuts they face and to hold a public meeting to discuss a working class and trade union response to the cuts as soon as possible.
- We resolve to contact other trade union bodies, anti-cuts bodies, women’s campaigns and working class fighters to build a campaign in defence of women’s services linked to the fight for decent jobs and pay, council homes and public services for all.
- We resolve to seek to work with above bodies and supportive local councillors to hold a people’s budget meeting to produce a no-cuts budget which is necessary to prevent the destruction of domestic violence services and the lives they protect.
Sign this petition: Appeal to John McDonnell: Help us end destruction of domestic violence services & refuges
See Women’s Lives Matter Facebook page and follow #IWD2019 and #IWD19 for protests and events
Stop Cuts to Domestic Violence Services – IWD- Day of action: 12pm Friday March 8th Parliament Square London Facebook event
International Women’s Day Protest – Keep The Guard On The Train! 12pm Friday March 8th Department for Transport 33 Horseferry Rd, Westminster, London SW1P 4DR details
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
Dates for your diaries:
- The NSSN is hosting a public solidarity meeting with striking Birmingham Unite binworkers and Unison homecare workers as well as PCS Universal Credit strikers from Wolverhampton and Walsall at 6.30pm on Tuesday March 12th in the Birmingham Midland Institute – 9 Margaret St B3 3BS. Speakers include striking workers from all three disputes alongside Unite Assistant General Secretary Howard Beckett, NSSN national chair Rob Williams
- 2019 NSSN Conference – 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – Saturday July 6th. Please use this letter in your union and trades council to help us finance the conference and affiliate to the NSSN
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
Freightliner staff to strike on 15th March in on-going fight over pension scheme (28 Feb) – Rail union RMT has confirmed members working for Freightliner Ltd and Freightliner Heavy Haul Ltd will be taking strike action on Friday 15th March. Members have given an overwhelming mandate to support strike action in defence of their pension scheme as it currently operates. The union is calling for the company to commit to maintaining the current scheme and honour past promises made to members to keep the scheme intact. Members working for Freightliner Ltd and Freightliner Heavy Haul Ltd are instructed to take strike action by not booking on for any shifts that commence between:
00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Friday 15th March 2019 read more
ASLEF
Freight drivers to strike to protect pensions (28 Feb) – Drivers at two of the big five rail freight companies in Britain have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a bid to protect their pensions. ASLEF’s executive committee today called two 24-hour strikes for Friday 15 March and Friday 29 March. Members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, were balloted after management at Freightliner Intermodal and Freightliner Heavy Haul sought to change the terms of the companies’ pension scheme. Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, said: ‘We regret the need to ballot our members – we should not have been forced into this position – and we regret the need to go on strike but we are determined to protect the interests of our members and, therefore, delighted by the decision of our freight drivers to defend their pension scheme.’ Drivers will walk out on Friday 15 March and Friday 29 March. Freight trains won’t run and stock will not be moved read more
Unite
Support the Honda Workers – Sign the petition: To: Honda president and CEO Takahiro Hachigo Honda, stay in the UK #SaveHondaSwindon Honda Swindon workers head to parliament urging closure rethink
Hackney council blamed for planned strikes which will affect bussing disabled children to school (5 March) – Hackney council is being blamed for four days of planned strikes by drivers and passenger escorts on the school buses for disabled children in a dispute over payments for working split shifts. Unite said its 33 members, who drive and assist the children to and from school on a daily basis, will stage four 24 hour strikes on 19 and 26 March and then on 2 and 4 April. The dispute centres on a £50 a week claim for compensation for the split shifts, backdated to July last year when the issue was first raised. Unite said this claim is based on the next grade in the Green Book national agreement which the union believes is the correct one for this group of workers. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “The last thing our members want is to cause the children any distress. However, council bosses have adamantly refused to negotiate for the last nine months and, in Unite’s opinion, are playing on the decency and humanity of our members that they won’t strike read more
BA Gatwick passengers facing food and water shortages as drivers vote for industrial action (4 March) – HGV drivers employed by Alpha Flight, the sole supplier of inflight food for British Airways at Gatwick Airport, have voted for industrial action in a dispute over broken pay promises. The 55 drivers, who are members of Unite will initially undertake an overtime ban from 03:00 on Monday 18 March until 11:59 on Friday 22 March. This will then be followed by strike action from 03:00 on Wednesday 27 March until 11:59 on Thursday 28 March. The drivers voted 98 per cent in favour of industrial action, on a turnout of 90 per cent, after Alpha Flight UK reneged on an agreement with Unite to introduce a market rate alignment pay allowance for the HGV drivers. The drivers are currently being paid well below the rates available for HGV drivers in the local area read more
Strike action at Luton Airport suspended (1 March) – A planned week long strike by baggage handlers and check-in staff employed by GH London Ground Handling Services has been suspended following a revised pay offer from the company read more
Strike ballot over pensions’ changes that threaten retirement incomes of workers at Delphi Technologies (28 Feb) – Over 400 employees at Delphi Technologies are being balloted for industrial action over the closure of their final salary pension scheme which could cost some workers tens of thousands of pounds. Unite said today (Thursday 28 February) that it will be balloting its members at the company’s two sites in Gillingham, as well as sites in Stonehouse and Warwick, for strike action and industrial action short of a strike over the proposed closure of the defined benefit pension scheme by 28 March. The ballot opens on 7 March and closes on 21 March read more
Lift off for six weeks of strike action by 400 engineers over ‘paltry’ pay offer (27 Feb) – About 400 lift engineers, employed by Otis Ltd, have pressed the button on six weeks of strike action over the next three months after rejecting ‘a paltry pay offer’ of 1.5 per cent. Unite said that this was the first time in 15 years that the engineers had taken strike action and the union warned that such industrial action across the UK will cause ‘severe disruption’ to the servicing of lifts and their installation in new buildings. The dispute follows the rejection of a 1.5 per cent pay offer for the year starting June 2018 and plans to withdraw the shift system which, Unite says, will cost its members between £3,000 and £4,000 a year. The first week’s strike runs from 13 to 20 March and will then be followed by five weeks of strike action. The dates are 27 March until 3 April; 10-17 April; 24 April-1 May; 8 May-15 May; and 22-29 May read more
Support the striking Birmingham binworkers – The next strike dates that Unite has announced are: Friday 8 March, Tuesday 12 March, Wednesday 13 March, Thursday 21 March, Friday 22 March read more
Unite has produced a short film to explain why the union has been forced to take strike action.
The NSSN is hosting a public solidarity meeting with striking Birmingham Unite binworkers and Unison homecare workers as well as PCS Universal Credit strikers from Wolverhampton and Walsall at 6.30pm on Tuesday February 12th in the Birmingham Midland Institute – 9 Margaret St B3 3BS. Speakers include striking workers from all three disputes alongside Unite Assistant General Secretary Howard Beckett, NSSN national chair Rob Williams
Unison
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/
Solidarity from Southport for striking care workers (2 March) – UNISON community conference and seminar sends message of support to Alternative Futures members striking this weekend. Solidarity was the message from UNISON’s community service group to striking care workers at the Alternative Futures Group across north west England today. The UNISON members began 48 hours of strike action at 7.0am this morning over their employer’s plans to withdraw ‘top-up’ payments for sleep in shifts read more
Support Camden NSL parking wardens strike – these workers have just completed another fortnight of strike action for decent pay, taking their total to 33 days. Email support to Camden Unison via [email protected] and send cheques made payable to ‘Camden Unison NSL’ to Camden Unison, 59 Phoenix Road, Brill Place, London NW1 1ES
CWU
Talks continue on disputed BT Facilities outsourcing as D-Day looms (March 1) – Discussions with BT, CBRE and ISS on the terms of transfer for 1,700 BT Facilities Services employees who are in scope for outsourcing are taking on new sense of urgency with the date of the disputed transfer now just four weeks away. With a raft of unanswered questions still hanging over key elements of the impending TUPE, the CWU is redoubling its efforts to secure the definitive answers that members are craving in a number of crucial areas read more
PCS
Parliamentary Security Staff vote for Strike Action (1 Mar) – A ballot of our members employed as Security staff across the Parliamentary estate closed yesterday and has delivered an overwhelming endorsement for industrial action. A 63% turnout ensured we broke the anti-trade union threshold, and in two separate votes, members voted 87% for strike action and 95% for action short of strike. The dispute centres around three demands; rest breaks, settlements for longstanding personal cases and the reinstatement of a member. During the course of the ballot, the House of Commons Commission (the employer) has engaged constructively with us and there is currently an outline offer to resolve one of our demands. Our Branch have indicated that we will consider this offer in totality with our other demands read more
DWP staff in Universal Credit vote for strike action over unmanageable workloads (26 Feb) – PCS union members in Universal Credit have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over workloads and staff recruitment. 274 staff were balloted for strike action at Wolverhampton and Walsall service centres with over 90% of those who took part, voting ‘yes.” The decision will mean two days of strike action on 11 and 12 March at UC centres in Walsall and Wolverhampton read more
Justice for Cleaners demonstration: 12pm Friday March 15th Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool – Cleaners working at HMRC are fighting for a living wage of £10 per hour, occupational sick pay and better holidays. Join us to make some noise in Derby Square, outside two of the offices these low paid workers clean Facebook event
GMB
Parking attendants strike over outsourcing ‘horror show’ (4 Mar) – GMB, the union for council workers, has called on Wandsworth and Westminster local authorities to end the ‘horror show’ of outsourcing parking services as parking attendants take strike action today. Both councils outsource parking services to private contractor NSL, despite raking in millions each year from parking fines. Staff are struggling to make ends meet on “some of the worst terms and conditions we’ve seen in local government”, the union said read more
FBU
Union secures pay parity for on-call Scottish firefighters (28 Feb) – Retained firefighters in Scotland, also known as “on-call” firefighters, will be paid the same as their whole-time counterparts for rescuing the public from water and heights, in a major victory for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). Previously, retained firefighters in Scotland were paid just a quarter for facing the same dangers read more read more
UCU
Launching the latest wave of the FE fights back campaign. Strike action at 13 colleges – Please show your support: send messages, post photos of picket lines and supporters on social media using #FEfightsback and #FEpay or email us. Colleges taking part: Abingdon and Witney College; Bath College; Bradford College; Bridgwater and Taunton College; City of Wolverhampton College; Croydon College; East Sussex College; Harlow College; Lambeth College; Petroc and West Thames College. The next wave of strikes is 20, 21 and 22 March so please keep your messages of support coming. Tower Hamlets College and Redbridge College are balloting to join the action read more
NEU/NASUWT
Leicester college pay strike goes on – After their successful one-day strike on 6 February, staff from both sites at WQE college in Leicester struck again on 13-14 February. The workers are striking to protect pay and conditions and achieve parity between both sites after a recent merger. Picketing is not easy, with several entrances to cover, but there were plenty of willing pickets from the National Education Union and teaching union NASUWT. 30 people attended a National Education Union meeting immediately after picketing. The head teacher was refusing to speak to the unions before but strike action has forced him to negotiate. However, the National Education Union has kept on the table a proposed three-day strike in March read more
NEU
Teachers strike against Enfield school’s academy plans (March 4) – Teachers have held three days of strike action against plans by an Enfield primary school to join an academy chain. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) took part in the strikes last week (February 26 to 28) to oppose Galliard School governors’ decision to form a multi-academy trust (MAT) with four other schools in the borough. The NEU raised concerns that the schools were “riding roughshod over the wishes of staff and parents” in the drive to become academies and questioned the supposed benefits of the move read more from the Enfield Independent
Shrewsbury College: Teachers walk out for six days over lesson grading (March 1) – Talks between staff and teachers broke down over plans to introduce a graded lesson observation plan for all staff. Teachers at a sixth-form college are taking six days of strike action over proposals to bring in graded lesson observations for more staff. Around 100 NEU members, more than 40 per cent of the college’s 250 teaching staff, were ballotted for strike action read more from tes
EIS
No New Pay Offer – EIS Continues Towards Teacher Strike Ballot (March 4) – Following today’s meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs of Scottish Negotiating Meeting for Teachers, which broke up with no revised pay offer having been made, the EIS is to continue preparations for a strike ballot of its members. EIS members rejected the last pay offer from Scotland’s local authorities and the Scottish Government in a ballot last month read more
The ULA ballot for statutory action is open – Voting YES for industrial action is the only avenue left for us to pursue an acceptable cost of living pay rise. Not voting or voting “no” would mean we would have to accept the Employer’s offer which will further erode the real terms value of our pay. Members should have started receiving their ballot papers. If you have not received your paper please contact the EIS Membership Department at [email protected] or phone 0131 225 6244 as a matter of urgency. Members are asked to complete and post their ballot papers as soon as possible. For votes to count, ballot papers must reach the Independent Scrutineer, ERBS, 33 Clarendon Road, London, N8 ONW, no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 5 March when the ballot will close. The ULA Executive is recommending you vote YES in this Ballot read more
POA
POA March and Rally 20th March – Violence, Pension Age, Privatisation – Support This Campaign, Join us in London on the 20th read here for details
NAPO
Don’t sell off Probation AGAIN! HM Inspector for Probation and the Justice Select Committee have called the privatisation of probation a failure, yet the Ministry of Justice plans to continue its “marketisation” of probation only this time with bigger contracts. All the evidence suggests that it is the split between providers that has caused the greatest issues. To continue this will not rectify the situation or improve service delivery.
- Reunify the Probation Service
- Bring Probation back into public ownership.
- Develop local probation services that can function as a non-departmental body and respond with flexibility to local needs.
- Increase the use of third sector organisations to make available local services 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
Mandate (Ireland)
New employment legislation to protect low hour and zero hour workers comes into force today (4 March) – Legislation which eminated from Mandate Trade Union’s successful campaign for secure hour contacts comes into force today (Monday, 4th March) and hundreds of thousands of workers will benefit from it. The new Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018 bans zero hour contracts in most circumstances; gives workers more security over their hours and income; requires employers to furnish workers with their core conditions of employment within five days; and provides for minimum payments in cases where the employer fails to provide an employee with work read more
IWW
Fight Precarity with Solidarity: IWW Couriers Network stands with Dublin anti-violence protests (1st March) – Brazilian Deliveroo couriers in Dublin have been leading a campaign against xenophobic attacks and thefts, with a next action coming up this Saturday at 2PM O’Connell Street read more
Other news
UN Anti-Racism Day Demonstration – 12noon Saturday March 16th in 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)
’10 years on – blacklisted workers still fighting for justice’: tonight Wednesday March 6th 5pm Houses of Parliament, hosted by John McDonnell MP and Chris Stephens MP Facebook event
Unite: New blacklisting evidence of police collusion heightens need for public inquiry
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
USA: Erie Strike Gets National Attention, Widespread Support read more
Diary
2019
March
12 The NSSN is hosting a public solidarity meeting with striking Birmingham Unite binworkers and Unison homecare workers in at 6.30pm on Tuesday February 12th in the Birmingham Midland Institute – 9 Margaret St B3 3BS. Speakers include striking workers from both disputes and PCS Universal Credit strikers alongside Unite Assistant General Secretary Howard Beckett, NSSN national chair Rob Williams
July
6 NSSN Conference Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
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
