NSSN 443: Support the strikes – come to NSSN Conference July 6th

This year’s NSSN Conference takes place at a time of rising workers’ struggle. A whole number of industrial disputes have been breaking out. Increasingly, many of these are resulting in victories. NSSN supporters have been getting down to the picket lines to give solidarity as well as calling for support and financial assistance in union branches and trades councils.

You can keep in touch with many of these disputes in our weekly bulletins. But you can also find out in person by attending our annual conference in London on July 6^th, when reps and workers from some of these strikes will be speaking, alongside national union leaders. If you’re in dispute or want to fight back in the workplace, come to our conference and tell us all about it and discuss with others in the same position.

‘May’s gone – now get rid of ALL the Tories!’ Come to 2019 NSSN Conference in London on Saturday July 6^th – confirmed speakers: Mick Cash RMT General Secretary, Sharon Graham Unite Executive Officer, Ronnie Draper BFAWU General Secretary and Amy Murphy USDAW President, Lyn Marie O’Hara and Paddy Brennan Honda Unite Convenor

This year’s National Shop Stewards Network Conference takes place as the Tory crisis reaches a new stage with the resignation of Theresa May. But no Tory prime minister will act in the interests of workers – we need a general election to get rid of them all and their vicious austerity and anti-union laws. And if necessary, the labour and trade union movement must mobilise to fight for it.

Themes for discussion in the main sessions and workshops will include: Brexit – what’s the way forward for workers?; Housing; Climate Change and the unions, Winning ballots for action; Brexit and Migrant workers; Organising young Workers and Unionising in Private Contractors

Book your place today!

2019 NSSN Conference – 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – Saturday July 6th. Attendance fee £6. Pay on the day or you can send us a cheque: make out to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. You can register in advance by emailing [email protected]

NSSN news

May’s gone – now get rid of ALL the Tories! Come to 2019 NSSN Conference in London on Saturday July 6^th – confirmed speakers: Mick Cash RMT General Secretary, Sharon Graham Unite Executive Officer, Dave Ward CWU General Secretary, Ronnie Draper BFAWU General Secretary and Amy Murphy USDAW President, Lyn Marie O’Hara and Paddy Brennan Honda Unite Convenor

Book your place today!

Please use this letter in your union and trades council to help us finance the conference and affiliate to the NSSN Facebook event

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

Fourth Annual Bob Crow Memorial Meeting: Save our Industries! Nationalise Fords Bridgend! – Friday, 28 June 2019 from 7.30pm in Pensioners’ Hall, Park Lane, Caerphilly CF83 1A Facebook event. Speakers include NSSN national chair Rob Williams

Report from June 24^th NSSN Solidarity Meeting for Bridgend Fordworkers:-

By Alec Thraves Swansea Trades Council and NSSN

Rob Williams, Chair of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN), addressed a very successful NSSN public meeting in Bridgend, bringing solidarity and support to the Ford workers in their efforts to keep the plant open and to retain the 1,700 jobs threatened by the proposed closure.

The almost 40 strong audience, including Ford workers, trade unionists and the local community stressed the devastating impact the closure would have, not just in Bridgend but across South Wales as many workers have been transferred to the plant from previously closed Ford factories.

The idea that a Welsh Government ‘Task Force’ could find equivalent job opportunities for those made redundant was laughed at by locals who know there are no such well-paid, skilled jobs on offer as manufacturing in South Wales has been decimated over the years. ‘Once these jobs have gone that’s it’ said several speakers.

Ford are dangling a big redundancy package in front of the workforce in an attempt to divide those reaching retirement age and the younger workers who would see even a relatively big payment disappear in just a few years.

But Rob emphasised that to defeat a giant multinational like Ford would require a determined leadership from the trade unions in Wales and nationally as well as in the Welsh Assembly Government, with the sober message that nationalisation of the Bridgend plant would be the only guarantee of saving these jobs and also defending the jobs of thousands more in the many supply industries.

When the closure of Cardiff Airport was threatened in 2013 the Welsh Government forked out £52 million to bring it into public ownership, where it is now making such a healthy profit that the Tories want to privatise it again!

As one audience member commented – ‘Yes, perhaps it is on a bigger scale but at least do the same to save Ford jobs and get a Corbyn Government to commit to nationalising it fully when it comes to power.

There was unanimous support to urge the trade union leaders to call a solidarity demonstration as soon as possible so that the Bridgend Ford workers know that the trade union movement, the communities across South Wales and workers across the country will be behind their struggle to save their jobs and livelihoods.

Sign the petition: Nationalise Ford Bridgend if the company closes the plant – an appeal to Mark Drakeford

Union News

Unite

Call for a public boycott of London leisure centres as Bromley library workers dispute escalates (26 June) – Unite has called for a London-wide boycott by the public of leisure centres run by social enterprise leisure services’ giant Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). Unite said the boycott call of GLL’s money-spinning leisure centres across the capital would support the 50 Bromley library staff who have been on strike since 6 June over pay and other issues specifically relating to GLL’s stewardship of Bromley’s 14 libraries. The boycott will be launched on Friday (28 June) when Unite members will stage protests at three GLL venues in Woolwich. GLL has contracts with 16 London boroughs to run leisure centres and/or libraries. The union is aiming its boycott campaign at potential new members that the GLL sales force wants to sign up for gym membership and fitness classes, as well as one-off users. It is not aimed at those with pre-paid membership plans. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “The call for the London-wide boycott of GLL leisure centres is aimed at putting pressure where it hurts – in the company’s coffers – to achieve a resolution of the Bromley library dispute read more. Please send messages of support and any financial assistance via Unite regional officer Onay Kasab [email protected]

Lancashire Stagecoach drivers continue their fight (26 June) – Around 150 drivers and supporters gathered at Preston bus station on Tuesday 25 June for the ninth day of strike action against Stagecoach. This was matched by a similar picket at the Chorley depot. As of now, drivers in Preston and Chorley can receive up to £2 an hour less than those in other areas of the north west. Years of unequal pay and stagnant wages has left drivers with no option but to fight for a 50p per hour pay rise. So far, the company has offered a measly 3p an hour rise over three years. As Unite branch secretary Peter Winstanley put it: “Stagecoach sees us as being only worth a penny per year” read more

Aberdeen Airport strike action to go ahead after pay offer rejection (25 June) – Unite the union today (25 June) announced that its membership at Aberdeen Airport has rejected the latest pay offer, and voted to continue strike action this week. The latest pay offer by Aberdeen Airport was rejected by 62.8 per cent, and by 71.5 per cent to reject the pension proposal and to continue with the dispute. The ballot turnout was 96 per cent. Strike action will now go ahead at Aberdeen Airport on 27 and 28 June both commencing at 06:00 and running through to 10:00 read more

Striking workers defy the race to the bottom at Glasgow and Aberdeen airports read more

Strike action mandate at Lothian Buses as ‘imminent talks’ set to take place (21 June) – Unite the union can today (21 June) confirm that more than 1,700 members could take strike action in the coming weeks following the closure of an industrial action ballot. In an emphatic result, 91.3 per cent of Unite members in a 63.2 per cent turnout voted to support strike action in response to a long running dispute with Lothian Buses management. Unite can also confirm that it will enter into negotiations with Lothian Buses under the auspices of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) on 28 June as part of efforts to find a positive resolution to the dispute, and to avert strike action. However, if those negotiations fail, Unite now has a legal mandate to hold strike action at 14 days’ notice. Unite has previously indicated that in those circumstances, strike action is likely to take place in the month of August during the period when the Edinburgh Fringe and International Festival takes place. The dispute stems from poor workplace relations and a hostile culture at Lothian Buses by management where procedural agreements have not been adhered to impacting directly on the terms and conditions of Unite’s membership. Previous talks in April at Acas broke down due to the failure by Lothian Buses management to seriously consider implementing remedial measures to improve the workplace culture read more

Wrexham Children’s Nursery Staff Confirm Strike Days – Unite members at a Wrexham Children’s Nursery are to hold three days of strike action over their employer’s refusal to recognise Unite to negotiate employees terms and conditions. Staff at the Pan Children’s Nursery are employed by Merseyside’s SHAP Limited. They will strike for 3 consecutive days from Tuesday 2 July 2019 until Thursday 4 July 2019 after voting by 100% for strike action. The strike will mean that employees of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who predominantly use the nursery, will need to make alternative childcare arrangements read more

Newham refuse workers ‘losing £20,000’ in decade-long council grading row to strike for 12 days – Refuse workers employed by Newham council, who could have lost more than £20,000 each since 2007 in a dispute over grading, will strike for nearly a fortnight, Unite said today (Tuesday 11 June). Unite, which represents the majority of the refuse workers, warned that, if the strikes goes ahead, most of the household bins in the borough won’t be collected which could ‘create an unpleasant stench’ should there be a heatwave. The 45 refuse workers voted by 88 per cent to strike over the council’s failure to progress them through the grading structure which should, as agreed, have commenced 12 years ago in 2007/2008. The strike will run from 00:01 on Monday 24 June until 23:59 on Friday 5 July. However, both sides will hold talks under the auspices of the conciliation service, Acas next week. Unite has calculated that the potential loss of pay because of the failure to upgrade the workers amounts to £1,760 a year – a total of £21,000 over the last 12 years, depending on the service record of individual workers. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Newham council has repeatedly failed to live up to the agreement it signed more than a decade ago for the progression from grade 3 to grade 4 and then grade 5 on the national pay scales, if the refuse workers had satisfactory appraisals…” read more

Hackney council blamed for new wave of strikes which will affect bussing disabled children to school – Hackney council is being blamed for six days of planned strikes by drivers and passenger escorts on school buses for disabled children in a new dispute over payments for working split shifts. Unite said its 38 members, who drive and assist the children to and from school on a daily basis, will stage six 24 hour strikes on 18, 20, 25 and 27 June as well as 4 and 9 July, all starting at 00.01. The staff voted unanimously for the new strike days. 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: “This new dispute is a result of council bosses adamantly refusing to negotiate for nearly a year…” read more

Support the Swindon Honda workers – watch video of the March 30^th demonstration against the planned closure of the plant

Bring British Steel into public ownership to avoid an industrial catastrophe, demands Unite – The government must bring British Steel into public ownership to avoid an economic and industrial catastrophe the UK and Ireland’s largest union, Unite said today (Wednesday 22 May) after it emerged the steelmaker is going into official receivership read more

Keep supporting Unite members on at Colloids Limited on Merseyside who are on indefinite strike to defend their union rep – The action comes after the dismissal of Unite union representative George Gore who was unfairly dismissed on Friday 8 February for an alleged breach of health and safety. For more information and to send messages of support and donations, please contact Patrick Coyne on 07568 106 243 and/or Unite communications officer Karen Viquerat on 0151 559 2004 or 07768 931 316. Unite press office is on 020 3371 2065. Email: [email protected] read more

Workers at Luton Airport step up action with 49 day strike – Security guards employed by London Luton Airport will take strike action through most of June and July in a dispute over ‘heavy-handed’ changes to working time. The workers will begin their fourth period of strike action today (Wednesday 5 June) from 04:30 through to Tuesday 23 July at 20:59. Unite is meeting the airport with Acas next Wednesday (12 June) to try to resolve the dispute. London Luton Airport is imposing a new shift pattern affecting around 120 security guards which means the workforce will have to work an extra 15 days a year. Workers say the new shift pattern is taking a heavy toll on their well-being read more

RMT

Outsourced ISS workers to strike on Hitachi/Great Western Railway contract (27 June) – RMT MEMBERS working for outsourcing giant ISS will be taking 48 hours of strike action in opposition to the imposition of shift patterns that will mean them working an additional 60 shifts per year. The cleaners are sub-contracted to the Hitachi rail contract supplying rolling stock to GWR on the Western train services. Both Hitachi and ISS are intent on cutting costs and improving profits on their contracts and are determined to ram through shift patterns that will wreck the work/life balance of these night shift cleaners. The cleaners are determined to defend their established work patterns and returned a 100% yes vote for strike action. Therefore, RMT members have been instructed not to book on for any turns commencing between:-

19:59 Hours on Tuesday 9th July 2019 and 19:59 hours on Thursday 11th July 2019 read more

A tribute was launched today to the late RMT General Secretary Bob Crow, at a museum which charts the history of working people in the UK (26 June) – An exhibition of photographs at the People’s History Museum in Manchester and a pamphlet, Bob Crow Radical Hero, was launched to coincide with the union’s AGM in the city read more

Strike ballot opens this week in RMT fight over Tube cuts as union moves onto a war footing (24 June) – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that an industrial action ballot will open this week in the fight against cuts plans being smuggled in across London Underground under the cloak of the “Transformation Programme”. The ballot will kick off on Wednesday. Nearly 2000 staff will be involved covering engineering, signals, electrical, track and control centre staff and will include the Emergency Response unit. The ballot will close on the 16th July. RMT has made it clear that they will have no hesitation in rolling out the ballot to other groups of staff if the widespread threat to jobs and safety is not withdrawn read more

‎RMT action “solid and determined” on fourth day in fight for safety on South Western Railway (21 June) – Rail union ‎RMT said that members stand “solid and determined” on the fourth of five days of strike action in the on-going fight for safe operation and the defence of the safety-critical role of the guard on South Western Railway. The union has accused SWR of doing nothing to resolve the core issues and of treating the whole dispute, and the deep-seated concerns at the heart of it, with complete contempt read more

Unison

More than 300 staff to take strike action in Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – Porters, domestics and security staff in Bradford NHS Trust will take strike action from July 8 starting at 0600 hours to 0600 hours on July 15 2019. UNISON balloted members over their opposition to the Trust’s plans to create a wholly-owned subsidiary company to employ staff in its Estates and Facilities service. It would mean members would no longer be employed by the NHS – described by three of Bradford’s MPs as “backdoor privatisation”. The strike will affect staff right across the Trust. UNISON Regional Organiser Natalie Ratcliffe said members were angry at the proposals because they would no longer be employed within the NHS. The Trust say they will guarantee that the affected staff would retain their existing pay and conditions of service for 25 years. Natalie said: “Our members see this as a promise that can be easily broken and 97 per cent of them made the very difficult decision vote to take strike action. “We have urged the Trust to scrap the plans, or at least shelve them, as there is likely to be a General Election this year or next and the policy of establishing wholly-owned subsidiaries is likely to be dropped. “Other Trusts in the UK have dropped or shelved their plans, but the Bradford Trust seems hell-bent on imposing this company on our members and they are sufficiently angry and worried about it to have decided to go on strike.” Read more

Midlands mental health workers walk out against privatisation (24 June) – “If this goes through, things will never be the same again. It’s the beginning of the end,” said one Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust picket as Unite and Unison members began their three-day strike against privatisation through the back door. The action, which started on 24 June at several sites, is against the trust forcing 160 maintenance and facilities workers out of the NHS into a wholly-owned subsidiary, Summer Hill Services Ltd. The trust has repeatedly failed to answer questions over the claimed savings being used to justify the transfer. As one Unison member told the Socialist, it looks like their main saving will be from tax dodging. Publicly-owned NHS bodies have to pay VAT but private ones don’t, a double robbery by the fat cats from our public services read more

Communities in Runcorn and Widnes rally against privatisation of urgent care centres (21 June) – Communities in Runcorn and Widnes came together today at a series of rallies to oppose the potential privatisation of two urgent care centres. They were organised by UNISON North West and were attended by local residents, care centre staff and the local MP. A decision on who will run the services is due imminently, with the mandatory ‘stand still’ period set to expire at 00:01 on 22 June. In recent weeks, fears have been growing that the contract to provide urgent care services in Runcorn and Widnes will be handed to a private company read more

PCS

Strike threat at galleries leads to better pay deal (24 June) – The threat of strike action by PCS members at Tate Galleries, combined with a vigorous joint-union campaign, has led to an improved pay deal. Members have accepted a revised pay offer for 2018/19, which came after 95% of PCS and Prospect union members voted for strike action, on a 77% turnout. The original pay offer had fallen well short of inflation, despite coming on the back of another successful year for the group’s four UK galleries, with record visitor figures and successful exhibitions, said the Tate United PCS branch. Months of negotiations with management and a rejection of the original offer by members of both unions had “proved fruitless”. After their successful strike ballot, the employer “found some additional funds to make an improved offer” which branch reps believed met members’ principal pay demands read more

5-day outsourced worker strike rounds off in business secretary’s constituency (21 June) – A well-supported 5-day PCS strike by catering and cleaning staff at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy rounded off today (21) with a rally in the business secretary Greg Clark’s constituency. The strikers, employed by ISS and Aramark, who were joined from Tuesday to Thursday by porters and security staff, headed to Tunbridge Wells to tell the Tory minister’s constituents how they are treated by their MP. Members handed out leaflets and chatted to shoppers in the High Street who pledged their support, with several saying they would email him straight away to express their outrage. They also took their message around the streets, marching and telling locals and the media: “we are his cleaners, we make his coffee, we keep him secure and he pays us poverty pay. We’re here to say we’ve had enough.” Read more

TSSA

Northern Told Strike Looms Over Wages Dispute (21 June) – TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has raised the prospect of looming strike action across Northern rail in a dispute over pay. Cortes has today written to Northern’s CEO, David Brown, calling for ‘copper bottomed guarantees’ on wages alleging that discussions on the 2019 settlement have ‘descended into farce’. Concerns were flagged by the union which fears a lack of engagement in discussions at Northern over wages signals an intention by the Company – part of the Arriva group – to make an offer below the RPI rate of inflation read more

NIPSA

NIPSA launch industrial action ballot over Northern Ireland Civil Service (NCIS) pay

2018-19 NICS Pay Update – Management Side To Impose (7 June) – NIPSA met with Sue Gray, Permanent Secretary, DOF on Monday together with the Industrial Unions. Jointly Trade Union Side made it clear that the current offer of 1.25% was totally unacceptable and fell well below our expectations. As members are aware inflation (CPI) is 2% so for the ninth year in a row Civil Servants are receiving a pay cut in real terms. In a letter received this morning NIPSA have been advised that the offer will be imposed. This is a cynical attempt to undermine the industrial action ballot which also launches today. I believe this will further demonstrate to members that the Management Side and the NICS Board do not believe their staff deserve a decent above inflation pay increase. Civil Servants are continually expected to do more with less – this cannot continue. Therefore members should demonstrate loud and clear – Enough is Enough and vote ‘Yes’ for Strike Action and ‘Yes’ for Action Short of Strike Action. You should receive your ballot paper by 11/12 June. Please return your ballot paper immediately read more

SIPTU (Ireland)

10,000 health support staff to go on strike for 24 hours (26 June) – 10,000 HSE support staff at 38 hospitals are set to take part in 24 hours of industrial action, after there were no moves to break the deadlock between SIPTU and health service management side over pay read more

Prospect

Environment Agency staff to take action on pay (24 June) – Prospect members working for the Environment Agency will be joining Unison staff in taking action short of a strike from 1 July after their 2018 pay offer was decisively rejected by members. Staff at the Agency have endured years of low pay increases, and had a 2018 settlement of 1.3% imposed by management in January this year after it was rejected by staff. The union balloted all members in late May to ask if they were prepared to take action about the imposed pay offer. Union members overwhelmingly voted to support taking action short of a strike, and the union has notified the Environment Agency that this action will be starting next month. Kevin Warden, Prospect negotiator said: “Our members are taking this action with very heavy hearts. But the government cannot continue to expect Environment Agency workers to work day and night when there are national emergencies but deny them a pay increase that at least matches the cost of living…” read more

NEU

BREAKING NEWS!! Parents and teachers win postponement to academy transfer at Waltham Holy Cross Primary school, Waltham Abbey, Essex (27 June) – NEU members and parents are celebrating the decision today to postpone the transfer of Waltham Holy Cross to an Academy chain, NET Academies Trust. An injunction against the transfer of the school has been sought by parents campaigning to save the school from the transfer amid concerns over the proposed Trusts suitability to run the school. Members have been participating in a series of strike days as they campaign to seek to revoke the academy order placed on the school calling for a reinspection by Ofsted NEU website

Peacehaven Community School enters its 6th and 7th days of strike action – Swale Trust Pupil teacher ratios go up more than 4 times the national average while executive pay rockets. National Education Union Members at Peacehaven Community School are taking their 6th and 7th days of strike action this week as East Sussex County Council still tries to push on with handing the school over to the Swale Academies Trust. Staff at the school and supporters held a noisy demonstration outside County Hall as Nigel Enever, the county councillor for Peacehaven met with officers about the situation. The school was shut again apart from some mock exams and transition work with new students which the union is allowing to go ahead to try to minimise impact on pupils. More concerns are continuing to arise about the Swale Academies Trust as whole subjects are disappearing from the curriculum next year. A teacher at the school who wished to stay anonymous said: “Dance and textiles courses will not be running next year and that the offer to our students is going to narrow as the chain focus on ticking boxes rather than delivering a broad education. “Class sizes in core subjects are rising considerably. “We are very frustrated that the imposed interim board are still not listening to the very genuine concerns of the staff to the point we are having to take such a large amount of strike action.” Phil Clarke Secretary of the Lewes Eastbourne and Wealden NEU said “We have taken our protest to County Hall to show East Sussex County Council that our support is very high among staff and parents and continues to grow. “Since 2015 across Swale schools the number of pupils per teacher grew by 16%, compared to an average increase of 3.5% across the rest of the country. “In the same period the number of senior executives earning over £100,000 a year has tripled with the CEO receiving £210,000, an additional executive a further £200,000 and a further four earning over £100,000 to run just 13 schools. “How can this organisation be the only option for the children of Peacehaven and be imposed from outside the community?” The union has consistently made clear if East Sussex County Council pause the transfer to allow a governing body to be established so the community can take part in the decisions around the future of the school the strike action would be suspended.

Further strike dates are 27th June, 2nd July 3rd July 4th July. Send messages of support to: Phil Clarke 07709696561 [email protected] and Jack Tyler 01444 894500 [email protected] Hands Off Peacehaven Community School Facebook group

Boycott High Stakes Summative Testing in Primary Schools read more about this campaign

NASUWT

Teachers at Birmingham school to strike (26 June) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Starbank School (Hob Moor Road site) in Birmingham will be taking the first of two planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) as a result of the failure of the employer to address members’ concerns over poor pupil behaviour read more

Teachers at second North Lanarkshire school join strike action over health and safety (June) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, at St Ambrose High School in North Lanarkshire are taking the first of four planned days of strike action today over the failure of their employer to act appropriately to address the serious concerns which have been raised by teachers over the health and safety of the school campus. They are joining NASUWT members at neighbouring Buchanan High School, which shares the same site, who are currently in the middle of seven days of strike action over the same issues read more

GMB

GMB to ballot members at St George’s Hospital over strike action (20 June) – “In light of the recent patient deaths from Listeria it is high time that there was more scrutiny of how companies like Mitie operate in the NHS”, says GMB Southern. GMB, the union for staff at St George’s Hospital, will next week conduct an indicative ballot of its members at the hospital to see if they want to take strike action over cutbacks being imposed on them by private provider Mitie. GMB members held a noisy protest outside St George’s Hospital last Friday as dozens of cleaners and hostesses expressed their anger at the situation. Mitie are proposing that hospital cleaners handle patient’s food as part of swingeing staff cuts that will lead to dirty hospital wards, contaminated food and increased cross infection risks for patients read more

UCU

Protests in Stourbridge over plans to sell off college (25 June) – Protesters will take to the streets of Stourbridge on Saturday (29 June) to protest against the planned closure of Stourbridge College. Crowds will assemble from 11am at the College’s Hagley Road site for a march beginning at 11.30am. The march will head to Swinford Common on Stanley Road for a rally at 12.30pm, where speakers will include the University and College Union’s (UCU) head of further education Andrew Harden, UNISON regional secretary Ravi Subramanian and local councillor Pete Lowe read more

Protests over sacked Sandwell College lecturer as strike ballot opens (21 June) – Protestors will take to the streets of West Bromwich on Saturday 22 June to protest against the ‘heavy-handed’ sacking of Sandwell College lecturer and UCU activist Dave Muritu read more

Three-day strike at Bradford College in rows over pay and jobs – Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Bradford College will take three days’ strike action next month after staff backed industrial action in rows over job cuts and pay. In ballots that closed yesterday, 94% of members who voted backed strikes in the row over plans to cut jobs and 86% backed action to defend pay. Staff will walk out on Wednesday 3 July, Thursday 4 July and Friday 5 July. The college wants to axe 131 jobs in a bid to save money, but UCU said that the loss of valuable expertise would result in fewer opportunities for local people. UCU members at Bradford College have already walked out for seven days of strikes this year in the row over pay read more

July strike date announced at Nottingham College in contracts row – Staff at Nottingham College will walk out on Monday 1 July as part of a row over the college’s plans to impose new contracts, with UCU threatening more walkouts if the dispute cannot be resolved. In the recent ballot, 96% of UCU members who voted backed strike action read more

FBU

BREAKING NEWS!! Firefighters’ union wins landmark pensions case (27 June) – The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has secured a major victory in its long-running dispute with the Government over changes made to firefighters’ pensions in 2015. The Supreme Court has refused the government’s application for permission to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling which it lost in December. This is the last legal hurdle in the dispute, leaving the Government with no further avenue to exhaust. The case will now be remitted back to employment tribunal for remedy. The firefighters’ pension scheme was substantially worsened in 2015, and the FBU argued that the protection imposed on younger members was unlawful on age, sex and race discrimination grounds. The 2015 changes meant that older members could stay in the existing and better pension scheme, and younger members had to transfer to a new and worse scheme, causing huge financial losses. The FBU initiated over 6,000 Employment Tribunal claims alleging that the changes amounted to unlawful discrimination read more read more

Leicestershire firefighters lodge dispute with fire service over duty systems (25 June) – Firefighters have lodged a formal local dispute with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) management following a breakdown in negotiations over duty systems. Last year, local Fire Brigades Union (FBU) officials met with LFRS management to discuss the Day Crewing Plus (DCP) duty system worked by 74 Leicestershire firefighters. This was after a judicial review in May 2018 deemed the Close Proximity Crewing (CPC) duty system in South Yorkshire unlawful, which is similar to DCP. After failing to achieve a collective agreement with the FBU to allow DCP to continue, some LFRS managers have encouraged FBU members to join another trade union or association which might be prepared to sign an agreement read more

POA

Resounding support for action from POA members (21 June) – The Prison Officers Association today revealed the results of an indicative workplace ballot of its members in public and private sector prisons, immigration removal centres and secure hospitals, which asked if staff were willing to support lawful action against the employer in order to protect their health and safety at work.The results revealed that 64% of POA branches responded with 95% of members voting in favour of supporting lawful action.The catalyst for the ballot was the delayed roll out of PAVA incapacitant spray that was due to begin in January following a ministerial announcement in October 2018 read more

USDAW

Usdaw members at Sainsbury’s Waltham Point Distribution Centre take strike action on Thursday 27 June (26 June) – Tomorrow morning from 6am, Usdaw members at Sainsbury’s Waltham Point will take strike action over the company’s changes to the attendance policy. The strike action will last for 24 hours. Nigel Scully, Usdaw Divisional Officer says: “Usdaw members have been forced to take industrial action in response to the company’s refusal to negotiate on their proposals to change the attendance policy. We remain committed to resolving this dispute as quickly and effectively as possible. Our members have not taken lightly the decision to strike. We sincerely hope that the company returns to the negotiating table, as soon as possible, with a reasonable offer that could resolve this dispute” read more

IWGB

IWGB reaches historic pay deal with NHS contractor TDL and calls off strikes (21 June) – The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has reached a historic pay deal with NHS contractor The Doctors Laboratory (TDL), which had previously subjected its couriers to years of pay cuts. The deal proves it is possible for so-called “gig economy” workers to secure hourly pay and improved conditions through campaigns and strikes. With this deal, self-employed couriers on “worker” status that deliver emergency blood and pathology samples for NHS and private hospitals will have the choice to move from being paid per delivery to being paid for every hour worked (1). Those on employee contracts will have the option to have their vehicles and equipment provided by the company, as well as a fuel card to cover petrol costs. As a result, IWGB members at TDL voted in favour of the offer and have called off the strikes scheduled for 25 and 26 June read more

Other news

Solidarity Day 2019 – Hosted by Tamil Solidarity: Saturday, 29 June 2019 from 11:30-16:00 Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, W1T 6AQ London, United Kingdom

Bringing together oppressed communities, trade unionists and students – building the fightback against all oppression

Come along and join us. We got two lively discussions:

Muslims under seige – Sri Lankan state repression and building resistant
Rights of minority and the role of trade unions

ALL WELCOME

Email: [email protected]

Phone: Mathan 07454471030

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)

Affiliate to the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPs) and to send representatives from your trade union branch/organisation to our Trade Union Conference on Saturday November 16th at University of Greenwich, Stephen Lawrence Building, Old Naval College, 30 Park Row, London, SE10 9LS.

The purpose of the conference is to increase awareness of the impact of political policing on the trade unions and movements for social change since 1968. The conference will be jointly led by COPS, Police Spies Out of Lives (PSOOL) and the Blacklist Support Group (BSG).

COPS is the umbrella organisation campaigning on behalf of many of those spied upon by UK political police. PSOOL is the campaign and support group for women affected by abusive relationships with undercover police officers. BSG is a justice campaign and support network for anyone caught up in UK construction industry blacklisting scandal. We know that over one thousand organisations were infiltrated by undercover police and tens of thousands of citizens have files held on them by Special Branch.

Due to ongoing delays and police obfuscation, the Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing (UCPI) is not due to report until at least 2023. This conference will be an opportunity to consolidate knowledge and understanding about these police units and the lessons learned for political and trade union activism today as well as building support for the campaign opposing political policing and those still fighting for justice. We want the conference to lead to greater involvement by trade unions in applying pressure to make the public inquiry as open and democratic as possible.

Another key aim in hosting this conference is to explore the different and interlocking ways in which political policing and surveillance has adversely and disproportionately impacted on trade unions, women, and working class and diverse communities. For example several of the officers who deceived women into relationships and spied on anti-racist organisations are known to have infiltrated trade unions and their intelligence reports were passed onto the companies involved in blacklisting.

The UCPI will begin hearing evidence in June 2020 so our conference in November 2019 will offer an excellent opportunity for trade unionists to review its progress and become involved with campaigning on this issue. This date also allows opportunities to highlight the anniversary of the apology received by the first seven women from the Metropolitan Police and the conference will be timed to link to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25th November).

By sharing and documenting these lived experiences and building on the recommendations from the ‘People’s Inquiry’ (July 2018 – see attached), the conference will increase understanding of institutional sexism and racism in the police and call for action to support those still fighting for justice.

By bringing together trade unionists, activists and campaigners the conference will strengthen our campaign to ensure the UCPI is not a cover up but aims to expose the truth of undercover political policing and strengthen our struggle for justice and the protection of human rights.

If you have a current affiliation to COPs (within the last year) there is no need to re-affiliate and you can register to send representatives to the conference using the form overleaf (number 1). If you need to update your affiliation to COPs please complete form number 2.

Once we have received your application (form overleaf) to attend the conference we will send out a final agenda with a list of speakers etc.

Yours in comradeship,

Lois Austin (on behalf of COPs).

Return Address: Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS), c/o 5 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX

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

Turkey: Ayşe Düzkan released from prison (25 June) – The jailed journalist ‘adopted’ by the NUJ has been released from Bakirkoy prison in Istanbul. Ayşe Düzkan started an 18 month prison sentence at the end of January this year. She was released on probation last week, but is required to sign in at a police station every three days, undertake unpaid work for fours hours a week and is not allowed to leave Istanbul. “I am in good spirts, as I have been throughout my time in prison,” she said read more from the NUJ website

Diary

2019

July

6 NSSN Conference Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event

13 Durham Miners Gala https://www.durhamminers.org/gala

19-21 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival https://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival

September

8 NSSN TUC Rally Brighton

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