NSSN 444: Come to NSSN Conference this Saturday July 6th

‘May’s gone – now get rid of ALL the Tories!’ ‘Support the Strikes!’

Come to 2019 NSSN Conference in London on Saturday July 6^th 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – confirmed speakers: Mick Cash RMT General Secretary, Dave Ward CWU General Secretary, Sharon Graham Unite Executive Officer, Ronnie Draper BFAWU General Secretary and Amy Murphy USDAW President, Lyn Marie O’Hara Glasgow Unison Equal Pay striker 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

Provisional agenda:-

11.00 – 13.30 Opening session: STRIKES GET RESULTS – CO-ORDINATE THE FIGHTBACK!

13.30 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 – 15.00 Workshops:-

Workshop 1: The Housing Crisis: The Role of Trade Unions

Workshop 2: Organising Young Workers

Workshop 3: Winning ballots for action & organising outsourced workers

Workshop 4: Stopping the cuts – Is it too late?

Workshop 5: Climate strikes – How can we build workers’ action in support?

15.00 – 16.30 Closing session: TORIES OUT! FIGHT FOR A GENERAL ELECTION

* Times are subject to alteration.

** The venues for the workshops will be announced just before lunch.

If you are interested in coming on to the NSSN Steering Committee, let the conference chair know before lunchtime

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]

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

Union News

RMT

The NSSN sends out deepest condolences to the workers’ families and our full solidarity to the RMT after this devastating news

RMT statement on rail worker deaths in Wales this morning (3 July) – RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said; “This is shocking news. RMT is attempting to establish the full facts but our immediate reaction is that this is an appalling tragedy and that no one working on the railway should be placed in the situation that has resulted in the deaths that have been reported this morning. As well as demanding answers from Network Rail, and a suspension of all similar works until the facts are established, the union will be supporting, our members and their families at this time. Our thoughts are with those involved in this incident and their loved ones. The union will issue further statements as the facts become clear.” Read more

RMT blasts Government as action by Royal Navy Lifeline workers in fight for fair pay ‎goes ahead (1 July) – Maritime union RMT confirmed today that a programme of industrial action involving nearly 700 workers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – the Royal Navy supply lifeline – in a fight for pay justice goes ahead tomorrow. RMT today accused the Tory Government of directy interfering in the pay negotiations, forcing the employer to impose a 1.5% increase, undermining the living standards of a crucial group of workers who have seen service in major trouble spots, including the Falklands and the Gulf, at huge personal risk read more

RMT prepares to ballot for first national rail strike in a generation as Government and train companies fail to give assurances on pensions (28 June) – RAIL UNION RMT said today that is preparing to ballot for the first national rail strike since privatisation over twenty years ago after the Government and the train companies failed to respond to requests from the union for cast iron assurances that there will be no undermining of the current pension arrangements. RMT has written to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, the Industry’s regulator, all TOC employers and the Rail Delivery Group making it clear that if there is a move to impose reductions in future pension benefits or significantly increase member contributions the union will take the necessary action to defend pensions. The union has not received the cast-iron assurances it has been seeking and as a result the preparations for a national rail strike vote are now being put in hand read more

Outsourced ISS workers to strike on Hitachi/Great Western Railway contract – 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

FBU

Manchester firefighters lobby MPs at Westminster (2 July) – Over thirty Manchester firefighters took their fight to Parliament today to lobby MPs against Mayor Andy Burnham’s proposed cuts to Greater Manchester fire and rescue service. The lobby comes amidst news that the Mayor’s office is considering deferring one small part of the cuts until the next spending review, in hope of receiving more funding. More than 12,000 people have signed a petition against the proposals, which could see the city lose nine fire engines, cut 194 firefighter jobs, reduce crewing levels on each engine from five to four, close six fire stations to build only three more, and cut non-uniformed staff read more

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

Unite

Stansted easyJet ‘check-in chaos’ moves a step closer as workers back strike action by 100 per cent (3 July) – Passenger service agents employed by Stobart Aviation Services Limited on the easyJet contract at Stansted airport have voted by 100 per cent to take strike action in a dispute over pay and union recognition, Unite announced today (Wednesday 3 July). The result raises the prospect of strike action and delays for easyJet passengers at the Essex airport this summer if a breakthrough in talks between Unite and Stobart Aviation Services can’t be found when the two sides meet tomorrow (Thursday 4 July) read more

Unite members at Valspar vote in favour of industrial action (2 July) – Unite members working at Valspar on Deeside Industrial Park have voted by over 90 per cent in favour of strike action and action short of a strike. The dispute is in relation to the underpayment of wages. Unite Regional Officer Daryl Williams said: “Many of our members have been underpaid by thousands of pounds. They have waited patiently over many months for the company to make a fair offer on their back pay, their patience has finally run out. “This ballot result should send a clear message to Valspar that our members are willing to fight for their underpaid wages. It is time for Valspar to recognise this injustice and pay up in full.” Read more

Construction workers at St Fergus gas plant to be balloted for industrial action (1 July) – Unite the union has today (1 July) confirmed it will hold a ballot for industrial action at the St Fergus gas plant. The dispute relates to safety concerns and attacks on the terms and conditions of Unite construction workers at the plant near Peterhead, which processes oil and gas from offshore installations in the North Sea. Construction workers employed by the Wood Group Industrial Service on the Shell owned site voted by 98 per cent in a consultative ballot to move ahead with an industrial action ballot. Wood Group is planning to withdraw a long standing payment for permit holder workers who receive a daily payment to carry out safety duties. This could lead to wages being cut by up to £103 per week for some workers. The dispute has now escalated to include wider safety concerns because each worker is no longer being given the choice to be a permit holder, and those existing holders are now being expected to take out permits without the historic payment read more

Drax power station workers to hold six 48 hour strikes after rejecting pay offer (28 June) – Workers at the Drax power station in Yorkshire will strike for 48 hours on Sunday 14 July in a long-running dispute over pay, Unite said today (Friday 28 July). Unite’s nearly 400 members at the Selby site will also hold a further five 48 hour stoppages into December, after rejecting a two-year pay deal by a majority of 73 per cent. The 48 hour strikes will take place on 14 July, 11 August, 8 September, 6 October, 3 November and 1 December. All the strikes will start at 08.00. The workers at the power station, which produces an estimated seven per cent of Britain’s electricity needs, rejected a 2.8 per cent pay deal for each of the years starting January 2018 and January 2019 that was offered by Drax Power Ltd read more

Derby plant overtime ban in ‘working up to an extra four weeks a year’ row (28 June) – Workers at Derby’s Reckitt Benckiser plant will start a continuous overtime ban and work to rule from Thursday 11 July in the dispute about workers being asked to work for up to an extra four weeks a year. Unite announced today (Friday 28 June) that its 160 members will start the overtime ban and work to rule at Sinfin Lane from 18.00 on 11 July, after voting overwhelmingly for industrial action. The crux of the dispute is that ‘heavy handed’ managers at the firm, which produces such iconic brands as Dettol and Mr Sheen, want to make the employees work either an extra 107 hours or 157 hours a year, depending on their contract. The workers voted by 74 per cent for strike action and by 83 per cent for industrial action short of a strike. Unite said that the industrial action short of a strike, including the overtime ban and work to rule, was ‘a shot across the bows’ and that future strike action was on the cards, unless the firm came to the negotiating table with sensible proposals read more

Lincolnshire health visitors to strike for six days over ‘no pay rises’ and erosion of professional standards (28 June) – Health visitors employed by Lincolnshire county council will strike initially for six days over not getting paid the rate for the job and the erosion of their professional responsibilities which could adversely impact vulnerable families. Unite said today (Friday 28 June) that the 58 health visitors voted by an 84 per cent majority to strike. A 48 hour stoppage will start on 15 July, with 24 hour strikes on 19 and 22 July. This will be followed by a 48 hour strike on 25 July. All the strikes will start at 00:01. It is believed to be the first time that the county’s health visitors will have taken strike action in defence of their pay and professional standards. The strike comes as controversy continues to swirl over the £292,000 pay off to the council chief executive Keith Ireland for less than six months’ work. Unite calculates that its Lincolnshire health visitor members have lost more than £2,000 a year since they were transferred from the NHS to the county council in October 2017 read more

Unite secures recognition at Peter Pan Nursery and calls off strike action (27 June) – Unite the union has secured a recognition deal with the Peter Pan Nursery based in Wrexham, North Wales. Following a campaign, which has taken over 22 months, the Nursery’s owner SHAP Ltd has finally signed an agreement which recognises Unite as the sole union for the purposes of collective bargaining. This means that Unite can now formally negotiate on behalf of its members in relation to terms and conditions of employment. Strike action scheduled for 2, 3 and 4 July has now been cancelled read more

Call for a public boycott of London leisure centres as Bromley library workers dispute escalates – 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 read more. Demonstration 10 am – Charlton Lido, Hornfair Park, Shooters Hill Road, SE18 4LX

The Lido is a GLL showpiece venue – there will be holding a protest in support of the campaign. Please send messages of support and any financial assistance via Unite regional officer Onay Kasab [email protected]

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

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

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

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

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 read more

PCS

BEIS Outsourced workers: indefinite strike action – On Monday 15 July at midday cleaners and catering workers (employed by the outsourcing giants ISS and Aramark) working in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will walkout on indefinite strikes action. After 3 years of fighting just to be able to work and live in dignity and 6 months of strikes, workers have had enough. They have told Aramark, ISS and BEIS they are walking out on strike and they won’t come back until they #payup and treat them with the respect they deserve. BEIS has confirmed they can afford to pay the London Living Wage to all outsourced workers within BEIS and so the Union is baffled as to why BEIS is forcing it’s vital workers to take such drastic action when there is a clear resolution Facebook event

Serwotka calls Hunt’s suggestion of cancelling summer holidays for civil servants ‘ludicrous’ (1 July) – PCS condemns Tory leadership contender Jeremy Hunt’s assertion that all summer leave for civil servants could be cancelled to prepare for potential no-deal Brexit. During his speech on planning for a possible no-deal Brexit outcome, Mr Hunt said: “All August leave will be cancelled unless I receive a signed letter from Perm Sec saying preparations in his or her department are on time and on track.” Mr Hunt was speaking about his leadership prospects and his Brexit plans in a speech at the Policy Exchange read more

NIPSA

NIPSA Announces a Full Day Strike on 26 July ballot over Northern Ireland Civil Service (NCIS) pay (1 July) – NIPSA’s Civil Service Executive Committee considered the ballot earlier today and are now calling on all members to support the industrial action with a full day strike on Friday 26 July 2019. NIPSA will also be giving notice that Action Short of Strike Action will commence on Monday 29 July 2019. Details of the Action Short of Strike Action will follow. Further information regarding 26 July will be issued over the coming days. The Civil Service Executive Committee have made it clear that the 26 July will be the first of a series of various initiatives which will include further strike day(s) and other actions. The Executive Committee want to also reassure members that there is a detailed plan which will involve rolling action, potential selective action, half and one day strikes and action short of strike action. In order to consider further the detail of the next part of the campaign to defend pay, terms and conditions the Civil Service Executive Committee have agreed to meet again on Friday 2 August 2019 to detail and finalise the next steps. The Civil Service Executive Committee is resolute that members have given a strong mandate to ensure that they are no longer trampled on read more

SIPTU (Ireland)

SIPTU Health strike deferred to allow for Labour Court talks (28 June) – SIPTU representatives have today (Friday, 28thJune) confirmed that strikes in 38 selected hospitals planned for next week (2nd, 3rd and 4th July) have been deferred pending the outcome of a full Labour Court hearing set for Wednesday, 3rdJuly on the implementation of a job evaluation scheme read more

Mandate (Ireland)

Mandate calls for repeal of anti-union legislation in Ireland (2 July) – Mandate Trade Union General Secretary John Douglas has today (Tuesday 2nd July 2019) condemned the “sophisticated union busting behaviour of employers such as Tesco, Dunnes, Lloyds Pharmacy, IKEA, Paddy Power, Aldi and Lidl” and called for much stronger legal protections for workers in the form of statutory collective bargaining and enforceable access to workplaces for unions read more

NEU

Teachers at Ilford County High School announce three days of strike action over ‘intolerable workloads’ (2 July) – Teachers and support staff who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) will be striking tomorrow (Wednesday, July 3) after 91per cent voted in favour of action. Staff will also strike next Tuesday (July 9) and Wednesday (July 10). The union said the school in Fremantle Road, Barkingside, has been refusing to replace teachers and support staff when posts become vacant, and this has led to larger classes and intolerable workloads. Glenn Kelly, NEU regional officer, said: “Ilford County High School already has the lowest spending on teachers per pupil than any other Redbridge secondary school – the last straw for our members has been new proposals to effectively cut the pay of some staff and denying others the right to pay rises they would normally be entitled to. ‘The union members are rightly saying enough is enough.’” Read more in Ilford Recorder

Support strikes at Peacehaven Community School in east Sussex against academisation – Further strike dates are 2nd July, 3rd July and 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 Plymouth school to strike (1 June) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at ACE Multi-Academy Trust, Plymouth will be taking the first of two planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) as a result of the failure of the employer to address members’ concerns over adverse management practices, including ineffective management of workload, lack of consultation over changes to working practices and failure to treat staff with dignity at work read more

GMB

Strike action looms at St Georges Hospital as ballot moves a step closer (28 June) – “A legal redundancy situation is when the need for staff has diminished or ceased and the opposite is the case at St George’s hospital”, says GMB Southern. GMB Members employed by Mitie have voted to oppose plans to make cuts to hours of cleaners and hostess staff in St George’s hospital as part of a bogus redundancy situation. The workers have voted overwhelmingly to request an official strike ballot for action to fight the attack on standards in the hospital. The request for permission to proceed to an official strike ballot in the dispute will be considered by the Regional Committee of GMB Southern Region at the next meeting read more

UCU

Three-day walkout at Bradford College from Wednesday (1 July) – Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Bradford College will be on strike for three days this week in rows over job cuts and pay. Staff will walk out on Wednesday 3, Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July and be on picket lines outside the college on the corner of Great Horton Road and Carlton Street from 7.30am on all three days. 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

Universities on strike warning as UCU announces pay and pension ballots (28 June) – Universities will be hit with industrial action later this year if they do not make a decent pay offer to staff and secure pensions for members of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). Earlier this month the union wrote to 69 institutions warning that if they failed to defend USS pensions then the union would prepare for an industrial action ballot in September. The union’s higher education committee (HEC) has now set out a timetable for that ballot and also for a pay ballot to run at the same time. The ballots will run from Monday 9 September to Wednesday 30 October and the union’s HEC will meet to consider the results on Friday 1 November. The ballots will be disaggregated so each institution will be polled separately. Last year, university campuses were brought to a standstill by unprecedented levels of strike action 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 – last week, Usdaw members at Sainsbury’s Waltham Point will took strike action over the company’s changes to the attendance policy. Nigel Scully, Usdaw Divisional Officer said: “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 Angry Usdaw members strike at Sainsbury’s distribution centre over sick pay cut

UVW

Unanimous YES to strike action by Chanel cleaners (June 27) – An unfairly suspended cleaner at Chanel’s New Bond Street store is being backed by her colleagues, who have voted unanimously in favour of strike action if she is not fully reinstated. Latin American cleaners employed by Bayleaf Cleaning to dust off £2,000 Chanel handbags decided to put their campaign on hold one month ago. Their planned protest was called off after a written promise of the London Living Wage — but now, with lead organiser Carmen still suspended, strike action is back on the table! UVW balloted the Chanel cleaners for strike action earlier this month, as a precautionary measure, and this week’s unanimous result means that no time has been wasted — strikes and protests will go ahead if Carmen is not reinstated. Our members will never be bought off or silenced with promises of a wage increase while their colleague remains suspended for her key role in winning them that wage increase! UVW can already guarantee that any attempt to silence us will be futile. Carmen helped to unite the group of cleaners, and in her absence this unity remains absolutely intact. The banners and placards made in preparation for the cancelled protest in May are ready and waiting for the cleaners’ signal. An injury to one is an injury to all! Read more

Other news

HAZARDS 2019

30th National Hazards Conference, 26 – 28 July 2019,

University of Keele, Stoke-on-Trent.

Cleaning up toxic work!

Hazards Conference is the UK’s biggest and best educational and organising event for trade union safety reps and activists. It consists of a mixture of plenary sessions, meetings and a comprehensive workshop programme. Delegates have the opportunity to exchange experience and information with, and learn from, safety reps and activists from other unions, sectors and jobs across the UK.

Read report fo last year’s Hazards 2018 Conference http://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/blog/hazards-conference-2018-report

Sponsorship form : http://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sponsorappealhazards2019.pdf

Hazards 2019 booking form http://www.hazardscampaign.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Hazards-2019-booking-form.pdf

Thank you all

Janet Hazards 2019 Organiser

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

Japan: Ready Mixed Concrete workers punished for militancy read more

Diary