The NSSN is supporting the demonstration this Sunday in Manchester against the Tories at their conference.
The ruling of the Supreme Court against Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament shows how weak and divided the Establishment is. The labour and trade union movement should step up the fight for a general election.
The TUC should now name the date for a mass demonstration to demand an election to get all the Tories out. For a Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour government on a pro-worker, anti-austerity manifesto.
Sunday September 29 End Austerity Now! Protest the Tory Party Conference 12pm Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5 – hosted by Unison North West, The People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Manchester People’s Assembly Facebook event
Unison North West: We will chase the Tories out of town
Watch NSSN TUC Rally video
CWU
Support the CWU as their national strike ballot starts in Royal Mail. We support the call of the union for Royal Mail to be re-nationalised read more National Dispute – resources page
‘Outrageous’ sacking of postman demonstrates ‘toxic’ workplace culture (Sept 20) – “This is probably one of the most outrageous dismissals by Royal Mail and Tribunal verdict I’ve ever heard about,” says CWU outdoor secretary Mark Baulch, in reaction to the upholding of a postman’s dismissal for allegedly being one minute late with a special delivery item. Make no mistake, this union is appealing this decision legally and, in the meantime, we’ll also be taking up this case with the company at the highest possible level,” he continues, adding his “anger and sheer disbelief” at both the outcome of the Tribunal and the original sacking by the company…” read more
Support the Thomas Cook workers
The NSSN sends our support and solidarity to workers at Thomas Cook and their unions, including TSSA, Unite and BALPA, after the company collapsed. Also, a huge number of ordinary people have been stranded. The company was nationalised by the reforming post-war Labour government in 1948, before Tory Ted Heath privatised it in the early 1970s. It should be brought back into public ownership to protest these workers
Unite accuses government over Thomas Cook collapse
TSSA Calls For Competition Inquiry Over Thomas Cook
BALPA responds to news of Thomas Cook collapse
BREAKING NEWS!! Support Keith Gibson – stop blacklisting
NSSN sends our solidarity after an unofficial walkout in Hull this morning in solidarity with blacklisted Trade Union stewards. Fabricom have broken the NAECI agreement and the lads on the job unanimously agreed to take strike action. Proposed senior steward for the GMB Keith Gibson gave a rousing speech against blacklisting, appealing for solidarity. The workers will meet again tomorrow morning to discuss next steps.
Keith is a longstanding militant union activists in construction, playing a leading role in the Lindsey Oil Refinery dispute in 2009 – from local NSSN supporters. Read more on Hull and District Trades Council Facebook page
Support these indefinite industrial actions:-
Unite and GMB
Support the Harland & Wolff occupation – renationalise to #SaveOurShipyard! The NSSN gives our full solidarity and support to the workers in the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, in Unite and the GMB, who have gone into occupation to fight to secure their future. We support their call to re-nationalise the shipyard to save jobs. 10 years ago, Belfast Visteon workers occupied their plant when the company went into administration. They fought for their jobs alongside their brothers and sisters in Enfield and Basildon but won enhanced redundancy when facing mere statutory terms. In 1971, workers in Upper Clydeside Shipbuilders in Glasgow undertook a working occupation, supported by a demonstration of 80,000 trade unionists and forced a Tory government to intervene to keep the yards open.
Follow #SaveOurShipyard on social media and send messages of support via twitter to @UniteunionNI and @GMBNI
GMB Harland and Wolff members meet Corbyn to ask him to save historic yard
Unite
BROMLEY LIBRARY STRIKERS – FIGHTING ON TO SAVE OUR LIBRARIES
Over the next few days, GLL who run the library contract in Bromley will be meeting with Unite to discuss what is the longest running current indefinite strike in the country. We are now at a crucial stage in the campaign – the employers have been expecting the strike to collapse, but they could not have been more wrong. The strike is solid largely due to the determination of the strikers but also because of the generous donations from trade union branches and individuals. This is a vitally important dispute within local government – at heart it is about the impact of privatisation. A Union win in Bromley could lead to a domino effect with the call for in sourcing of services becoming louder and louder.
We are therefore making a further financial appeal to support the strikers. Cheques can be made payable to Onay Kasab and forwarded to 33 – 37 Moreland St, London, EC1V 8BB and messages of support via [email protected] bank details are: Unity Trust Bank, Bromley LG Bromley Branch, A/C NO. 20272821 Sort 60 83 01
Sign the petition to defend Bromley Library Service Call and support the indefinite strike. Please send messages of support and any financial assistance via Unite regional officer Onay Kasab [email protected]
Pharmacy support workers ‘fury’ at NHS Tayside as industrial action continues – In the long running dispute with NHS Tayside, pharmacy support workers taking part in industrial action have today (5 September) reacted with fury as the process for dealing with the grading appeals has collapsed. Unite members who have been participating in strike action since 19 August 2019 were optimistic that an end was in sight to the dispute following the establishment of a jointly agreed local job evaluation panel consisting of trained evaluators. The appeal process was scheduled to begin on Monday 2 September with the panel’s final decision, after consistency checking, to be delivered on Wednesday 4 September. However, Unite was informed by NHS Tayside yesterday that the ‘consistency checking’ did not go ahead due to a staff side member withdrawing from the process stating that this case was ‘too high profile’ and that they did not have ‘sufficient experience’. Following this withdrawal, the process has now collapsed with industrial action set to enter its third week read more
PCS
BEIS dispute: Pay news welcome but the devil is in the detail (10 Sept) – PCS has been made aware of a pay offer by BEIS in the ongoing contractor dispute. According to Minister Andrea Leadsom the pay offer appears to be in line with the London Living Wage (LLW) of £10.55 an hour. The information was given to the press, highlighting a further meeting with the union at the end of the week read more
You can support the workers on social media using the hashtags: #LivingWage #PCSstrike
Please donate to the strike fund and send messages of support to [email protected]
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
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
NIPSA
NICS Pay Terms and Conditions: Dispute Further Strike Action Announced for October 3rd – Further to the action taken on 28 August at NICS HR, NIPSA is announcing further strike action as part of the ongoing campaign to force the Management Side back to the negotiating table on the issue of Pay, Terms and Conditions. All NIPSA Members (with the exception of members working in LPS) are being called out on a full day strike on Thursday 3 October 2019. NIPSA calls on all members to support the overwhelmingly democratic decision for strike action. It is important that all members support the call for strike action as part of our campaign to deliver a decent pay increase and to challenge the NICS Board and Senior Management against the attacks on terms and conditions of employment. It is clear your employer does not value you – otherwise they would pay you a decent above inflation pay increase, they would not remove your promotion opportunities or seek to delegate more responsibility to Line Managers
Two rallies have been organised to coincide with the 3 October 2019 strike day as follows:
Grosvenor Hall. Glengall Street, Belfast – 11.00 am
Millennium Forum, Derry/Londonderry – 11.00 am read more
NIPSA Branch 119: Child Maintenance Service – Members in the Child Maintenance Service will take two half day strikes on Friday 20 September and Monday 23 September 2019. For those members on standard working patterns the action will commence at 12.00 noon on both days; for members on variable working patterns the action will commence at 14.30 on both days. This is the first selective action undertaken by members and the thanks of all members must go the NIPSA members in Branch 119 who have voted for this courageous action.
Members Working in Land and Property Services – Members working in Land and Property Services will be on a full day strike on Monday 30 September 2019. This date has been chosen to have maximum impact on Landlords Discount Day. It is vital that all members working in LPS support this action to encourage the employer to come back to the negotiating table and to secure a decent pay increase and send a firm message to the NICS Management – hands off our terms and conditions of employment read more
More PCS
PCS calls on Cabinet Office to return to national pay bargaining (23 Sept) – PCS prioritised the need to return to national pay bargaining in an initial meeting with the Cabinet Office to open discussions on future pay for the civil service and related areas. At the meeting last week we highlighted the numerous flaws and inequities in the delegated bargaining system currently used to negotiate pay across government departments read more
Fifth period of strike action follows breakdown in talks (19 Sept) – Facilities management staff at the FCO began another period of industrial action today (19) in their dispute over pay and terms and conditions. The strike was overwhelmingly supported, with most of those on strike attending the picket line, despite an eight week break in industrial action. In July, ACAS had agreed to facilitate a union recognition process, but this relied on both sides being honest and fair. Interserve increased the number of staff to be counted to union membership, against what had been agreed in talks, and this meant a ballot of staff would be needed. PCS members feel that they could not trust Interserve to honour the ballot outcome, as the process is not legally binding, given that the employer has not played fair so far
Ways you can support our campaign:
- Support our picket line on 19, 20, 23, 24, 25 September, 7.30am – 10.30am at King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH
- Send a message of support to [email protected]
- Donate online to our strike fund read more
Support the DVSA workers who have been on strike – donate to the strike fund online using account number: 20331490, sort code: 608301, quoting the reference DVSA Strike Fund. Send your solidarity messages to [email protected] read more
Support the cleaners in the fight for a Living Wage in HMRC on Merseyside – PCS members employed by ISS to clean HMRC offices on Merseyside have been on strike read more on Justice for HMRC Cleaners and the PCS website
Support the Stockport UC strikers – these workers took action recently. Donate to the PCS Stockport and Tame Valley Branch Hardship Fund: Sort code 60-83-01, account number 20260684. Send messages of support to [email protected] and all will be forwarded on read more
RMT
Get a RMT anti-fascist ‘No Pasaran’ t-shirt – All sizes . £10 per T-shirt including postage . Bulk orders are fine . Email to [email protected] or text 07932 576 955. Payment by bank transfer or cash
RMT confirms strike action on Scottish Sleeper services goes ahead from Sunday as SERCO block progress in key talks (24 Sept) – RAIL UNION RMT today confirmed a package of strike action and action short of a strike on the Caledonian Sleeper goes ahead from Sunday after the operator, SERCO, blocked progress in talks yesterday on a raft of serious concerns raised by staff that have ruined working lives and placed the workforce under intolerable pressure. As a result of the company failures RMT has confirmed that the following action goes ahead exactly as planned; Members not to book on for any shifts between:
- 12.00 hours on Sunday 29thSeptember 2019 until 11.59 hours on Tuesday 1st October 2019 read more
RMT in urgent meeting with company today as District Line staff prepare to take industrial action over violence at work (23 Sept) – TUBE UNION RMT has arranged an urgent meeting with company safety chiefs and the British Transport Police today after the situation over violent assaults on workers deteriorated with the most recent serious incident the shocking attack on LU staff at West Ham last week. Tube workers on a key section of the District Line have already voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in protest at the growing levels of violence and anti-social behaviour at work. The union said today that it will have no hesitation is escalating the dispute if there isn’t a programme of urgent action to stem the surge in violent abuse and assaults. RMT members on the eastern end of the District Line voted by nearly 95 per cent to take action short of strike action in protest after a female member of staff was attacked in her office by a violent passenger and others have been threatened. In light of the result RMT has confirmed the following action to begin later this week; All affected members from 00:01 hours on Friday 27th September 2019, until further notice to:
- Work from a within a place of safety when lone-working and not to detrain alone or attend incidents on trains alone read more
RMT declares dispute on West Midlands Trains over Driver Only Operation and safe platform dispatch (20 Sept) – Rail union RMT today confirmed that it has declared a dispute on West Midlands Trains over plans by the company to bulldoze through Driver Only Operation and rip apart the safety critical role of the guard at the platform/train interface. Preparations for a ballot of guards for both strike action and action short of a strike are now underway read more
RMT calls further industrial action on Cross Country – RMT has decided to call further industrial action short of a strike and has instructed members:-
- Not to Work any Rest Days or Non-Contractual Overtime from 23.59 Hours on Thursday 26th September 2019 until 23.59 Hours on Tuesday 1st October 2019.
- Not to Work any Rest Days or Non-Contractual Overtime from 23.59 Hours on Thursday 17th October 2019 until 23.59 Hours on Tuesday 22nd October 2019 read more
RMT announces strike action at engineering firm Wabtec Faiveley UK (Rail Doncaster) – RAIL UNION RMT has announced strike action at engineering firm Wabtec Faiveley UK (Rail Doncaster) in a dispute over pay. Wabtec build and maintain rolling stock for train and freight operating companies. Following a strong mandate for action in a recent ballot, the National Executive Committee (NEC) has decided to take action to send Wabtec a clear message that their current stance on pay is totally unacceptable. Members are instructed to take the following strike action by not to booking on for any shifts that commence between:-
- 06:00 hours on Monday 16th September 2019 and 05:59 on Monday 23rd September 2019
Additionally members are instructed to take the following industrial action short of a strike in the form of an overtime ban:-
- 06:00 hours on Wednesday 11th September 2019 until 05:59 on Monday 16th September 2019
- 06:00 on Monday 23rd September 2019 until further notice read more
More Unite
Kitchen staff at top London school settle dispute over underpayment, says Unite (24 Sept) – Kitchen staff at Colfe’s School, one of London’s oldest schools, have voted to accept a financial settlement in their dispute over underpayment during the last decade, Unite said today (Tuesday 24 September). Unite said that its five members, employed by Reading-based CH &Co Catering Ltd, accepted the offer made by the company while they staged the first of seven days of strike action yesterday (Monday 23 September). Strike action has now been suspended. Unite said that the details of the settlement will remain confidential. Colfe’s School is a co-educational independent day school in Horn Park, Greenwich whose lineage stretches back to the 16th century. The current annual fees range between £13,100 and £17,600. Its alumni include thriller writer Eric Ambler and author of Tarka the Otter Henry Williamson. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “I believe that the embarrassment generated by children, whose parents pay annual school fees of £17,000, crossing a picket line of lowly paid kitchen staff was a major factor in resolving this dispute. “The company agreed to settle the dispute by making a financial offer to staff, which is confidential. The strike began yesterday and members voted to accept the deal on the picket line, so we agreed to suspend further action that was due to take place today, however, they stayed out on strike all day yesterday…” read more
University staff balloted for industrial action over falling living standards (23 Sept) – Unite has today (Monday 23 September) begun balloting thousands of members employed in the higher education and university sector in a dispute over real terms cuts in their pay and rising workloads. The industrial ballot was called following the collapse of pay talks. Workers have had a pay increase below the cost of living imposed on them, with management claiming lack of funds. However the most recent figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that in 2017/18 income for all UK universities rose by approximately £2.5 billion read more
Nicholson & Bass workers print workers seek justice after being laid-off with no notice or redundancy payments (23 Sept) – lodges legal claims for workforce at former Belfast printers over unfair dismissal read more
Unite accuses government over Thomas Cook collapse (22 Sept) – Unite, representing aviation workers, accused the government of leaving workers and customers high and dry while landing taxpayers with a bill for hundreds of millions of pounds following reports that Thomas Cook was going into administration. Unite represents nearly 3,000 cabin crew and engineers at Thomas Cook’s airline. Commenting on the collapse of the travel company, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “News of the needless collapse of Thomas Cook is devastating for the workforce and customers. Thomas Cook Airlines was a profitable and viable operation with a loyal workforce read more
Delfin English Language School Teachers to hold three-hour work stoppage in Dublin (Sept 20) – Industrial action at prominent school set for Monday [September 23rd] in dispute over pay and conditions in a sector notorious for its precarious work practices read more
Amnesty staff ballot for industrial action over redundancies (19 Sept) – Unite is to ballot its members employed by Amnesty International for industrial action in a dispute over redundancies. In June Amnesty International announced that it was planning to cut 146 posts which would result in 93 job losses. The number of job losses has subsequently been reduced; however Amnesty’s management has refused to consider using donations it has received to keep people in work. The funds are instead being used to boost its reserves. Unite believes that the proposed job cuts will greatly reduce the charity’s ability to deliver critical human rights work and will result in the loss of expertise. The ballot will open on Thursday 26 September and close on Thursday 7 November, the extended voting period is to ensure that all of the 300 plus Unite members of Amnesty International, including those who work abroad, can participate read more
Angry residents told Bradford library cuts are an ‘act of cultural vandalism’ (19 Sept) – A packed public meeting has been told that plans by Bradford council to cut the libraries and museum services by two thirds (65 per cent) is an ‘act of cultural vandalism’. Over 160 members of the public yesterday, (Wednesday 18 September) crammed into Keighley Civic Centre to listen to concerns about the future of the service. They heard how the planned cuts of 65 per cent from the libraries, galleries and museums service, will lead to job cuts and the closure of public assets. The meeting was organised by Unite’s, (the UK and Ireland’s largest union), Bradford council branch. The union is currently balloting approximately 50 members employed in the library and museum service for industrial action, in defence of the service. The ballot opened last Friday (13 September) and closes on Friday 27 September. If members vote in favour of industrial action then strikes could begin next month read more
Strike action at Diageo suspended as new offer tabled (18 Sept) – Responding to Diageo’s tabling of a new pay offer for its staff across Scotland last night (Tuesday 17 September), and the subsequent suspension of strike action, GMB Scotland Organiser Keir Greenaway and Unite Scotland Officer Stevie Deans said: “We are pleased that on the brink of strike action, Diageo increased its offer to a level that we feel merits our members’ consultation. The offer is a two-year commitment that will ensure our members’ pay does not fall below the cost of living, while setting out a timeframe for the negotiation of a new collective agreement. Our strike action is now suspended while a full consultative ballot of our members takes place on the offer.” Read more
Liverpool university staff strike against ‘£3,000 loss of pay’ – Staff at the University of Liverpool are to begin a rolling programme of strike action, starting Saturday 21 September and ending Monday 2 December, in a row over pay and conditions which could see them losing about £3,000 a year from their pay packets. Campus support services’ staff, members of Unite are angry about attacks on their terms and conditions being imposed by Liverpool university without appropriate consultation read more
Unison
Blackpool and St Helens hospital workers gagged by Compass as they begin three-day strike (20 Sept) – Around 300 staff employed by private contractor Compass within NHS trusts in St Helens and Blackpool begin three days of strike action today over the company’s failure to match health service pay rates and working conditions. UNISON has condemned Compass for silencing its workers, who are taking strike action for the third time over this issue. The union says hospital workers at St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who have spoken out about low pay are now being individually targeted and disciplined by the firm read more
More GMB
Sign the petition: Tell Asda: Respect your workers
GMB stages fresh Asda protests across the UK (16 Sept) – Workers who have given years or loyal service are being told ‘sign this brutal contract or get the sack in time for Christmas’. GMB is staging fresh Asda protests across the UK as workers face the sack if they don’t sign a controversial new contract. Asda is already ‘punishing’ workers who haven’t signed a controversial new contract by taking away their sick pay read more
Asda profits rocket as they threaten staff with sack (17 Sept) – Asda directors trouser whopping £12million as company slashed 5,000 jobs. Asda profits have rocketed more than £92 million at the same time they threaten staff with the sack if they don’t sign a controversial new contract. The supermarket giant’s latest accounts, release this week, show pre-tax profits have shot up almost 13% to almost £805 million read more
Support the Hull Crown Paints strike – members of GMB and Unite were on strike again yesterday See more on Facebook
NEU
Ilford: strike forces school management to back down – After a series of strikes by members of the National Education Union (NEU) over the summer and a threat of more action to come, management at Ilford County High School has agreed to withdraw its unacceptable proposals. These amounted to imposing a cuts package that would have seen its teaching staff being asked to take on more work with less time to do it in and for no additional pay and, in the case of some, a pay cut. Glenn Kelly National Education Union (NEU) regional officer said: “Given that Ilford County High School already had one of the lowest spending on teachers per pupil than any other Redbridge secondary school, our members were not prepared to see an attack on their jobs and working conditions and we are pleased that the strike action and support of the parents has forced the school to back down”. Venda Premkumar the Redbridge NEU branch secretary said: “We warned the school that you can’t keep cutting jobs and simply expect teachers and support staff to pick up the extra work. We were not prepared to see out members driven into the ground nor see the children’s education suffer.” Read more
Support strikes at Peacehaven Community School in east Sussex against academisation – Send messages of support to: Phil Clarke 07709696561 [email protected] and Jack Tyler 01444 894500 [email protected] Hands Off Peacehaven Community School Facebook group
UCU
Nottingham College staff to walk out again on Monday out as mammoth 15-day action enters third week (20 Sept) – UCU members at Nottingham College will begin a three-day walkout on Monday (23 September) as strikes at the college enter their third consecutive week. Staff will be on picket lines from 8.30am on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the main college entrances including on Maid Marian Way, on Pelham Avenue at the Clarendon Campus and the outside Adams Building in the Lace Market. Following the pickets on Monday, UCU members will also take part in a rally at the Robin Hood statue from 11.30am. Nottingham North MP Alex Norris, who visited the picket lines this week along with other local MPs Lilian Greenwood and Vernon Coaker, has also urged the college to return to negotiations, saying that the current proposals would mean “significant reductions” in staff terms and conditions. Next week’s walkout marks the third week of a mammoth 15 days of strike action planned for September and October. Members have taken three days of action in the last two weeks and will be walking out in escalating strikes of three, four and five days in the coming weeks. The remaining strike dates are:
Week 3: Monday 23, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September
Week 4: Monday 30 September, Tuesday 1, Thursday 3, and Friday 4 October
Week 5: Monday 7, Tuesday 8, Wednesday 9, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October read more
University strike ballots will open on Monday 9 September – UCU has confirmed that strike ballots will open at UK universities on Monday 9 September in rows over USS pensions and pay, workloads, casualisation and equality. The union’s higher education committee (HEC) has confirmed the timetable for a ballot of 69 institutions over USS pensions and also for a pay, workloads, casualisation and equality ballot that will run at 147 institutions at the same time. The ballots will run from Monday 9 September to Wednesday 30 October and HEC will meet to consider the results on Friday 1 November. The ballots will be disaggregated so each institution will be polled separately read more
Support sacked Sandwell College lecturer Dave Muritu read more
EIS
EIS-ULA Executive recommends that you Vote YES in this statutory ballot for industrial action – Since 2009, the value of members’ pay has fallen by over 20%! The Employers’ pay offer for 2019/20, a headline uplift of only 1.8%, compounds that real terms drop in the value of your pay. The reality is that Universities are choosing to invest in other areas – such as buildings – rather than in their staff. After nearly a decade of sub-inflationary pay settlements, the only avenue left open to us to secure a significant improvement in lecturers’ and academic related staff pay is through industrial action read more
FBU
Sign the petition: to Robert Jenrick MP, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary – Grenfell Never Again: Keep our buildings safe
Surrey firefighters launch trade dispute amid cuts (23 Sept) – Surrey Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have launched a trade dispute with their fire and rescue service, calling for management to end unsafe practices in their fire and rescue service. Concerned firefighters and residents will protest outside Surrey County Hall at 13:00 on Tuesday 24th September read more
30,000 sign petition against Devon and Somerset fire cuts (20 Sept) – Firefighters in Devon and Somerset are today handing in a petition with over 30,000 signatures from members of the public, calling on the service to scrap plans to ‘decimate’ fire services in the area. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has asked for a representative from the principal management team of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) to accept the petition, but have twice been told to hand it in to reception read more
Firefighters win campaign to halt cuts in South Yorkshire (17 Sept) – Firefighters have claimed an ecstatic victory in their fight against cuts to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (SYFRS). After a successful and hard-fought campaign from Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members, the fire authority resoundingly voted to shelve the proposed plans to reduce the number of firefighters riding a fire engine from five to four, which would have seen 84 firefighter posts cut. Instead, the fire authority agreed to use its reserves to maintain safe crewing levels while lobbying central government for investment in the service. The decision came after extensive campaigning from the FBU calling for the fire authority to halt the cuts, including a lobby in Parliament and sustained lobbying of the fire authority. A rally outside of Sheffield town hall in June saw 200 firefighters protesting against the proposals. Around 10,000 people signed a public petition backing the FBU’s campaign against the cuts read more
TSSA
TSSA Hits Out At City Traders Cashing In On Thomas Cook (23 Sept) – TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has hit out after it emerged City hedge funds traders are set to make over £200m from the collapse of Thomas Cook. Bloomberg are reporting several hedge funds had invested in derivatives which pay out when a company defaults. The news comes after Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, suggested it would be a “moral hazard” for the Government to step in and stop the tour operator going bust. Manuel Cortes said: “The Prime Minister talks about morality but his immoral chums in the City are now making shedloads of cash on the backs of 9000 job losses and 150,000 holidaymakers stranded abroad. “We do indeed need a higher morality but it is not one which the Tories can produce because of their ideological commitment to the market.” Read more
BALPA
BALPA responds to news of Thomas Cook collapse (23 Sept) – The hopes of all Thomas Cook employees that their airline could survive has been brutally quashed this morning as they wake up to find they have no job. While detailed plans to repatriate passengers have been carefully put together and Ministers have and will continue to claim the credit for that, the staff have been stabbed in the back without a second’s thought. Despite continuing to keep Thomas Cook going in recent weeks with dignity and integrity while their own futures were being secretly decided we don’t even know if staff will get a pay cheque this month. It is despicable. Thomas Cook pilots and all staff deserve better than this. For pilots, BALPA will be supporting our members through the legal complexities of what Thomas Cook liquidation means for them and doing everything we can to help them find alternative jobs in other airlines read more
CAIWU
WeWork Protest: Reinstate the cleaners! – join us from 12pm-4pm on Wednesday 25th September to support our members in a protest against trade union victimization. We will be visiting the global office rental company WeWork at its offices at 1 Mark Square, near Old Street station. WeWork’s cleaning contractor, CCM, has been victimising union members. 5 CAIWU members have been dismissed in the last few months and in each case a WeWork staff member was involved in the process leading to dismissal. Our protests have been seen by the press and WeWork has to listen. Read about last week’s protest here. Facebook event
Other news
Undercover Policing and the Trade Unions conference: Saturday 16th November 2019 – jointly organized by the Blacklist Support Group
A major trade union conference ‘Undercover Policing and the Trade Unions: The Political and The Personal’ is taking place at the University of Greenwich on Saturday 16th November 2019. The event is jointly organised by the Blacklist Support Group and our sister campaigns Police Spies Out of Lives and the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS). The conference is officially supported by UNITE the Union.
Amongst other issues, the conference will cover undercover police infiltration of trade unions, police collusion in blacklisting, the human rights violations against female activists by the British state and ongoing corporate surveillance of union activists. The speakers will include spied on activists, blacklisted union members, lawyers, politicians, investigative journalists and artists. See the attached documents for more information.
Attendance is free but registration is essential. Please raise the issue at your union committee and encourage people to apply for a space online via: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/undercover-policing-and-trade-unions-the-political-and-the-personal-tickets-64167284074
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.
Return Address: Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS), c/o 5 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DX
Blacklisting & Victimisation
Blacklist Support Group financial appeal: the Blacklist support group is desperately short of funds, to continue the incredible work we need more finance, would you please consider making a donation, raise it at your branches and trade councils. Please make cheques payable to Joint sites committee and send to 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford Essex CM1 4XA. Please forward onto your contacts many thanks Steve Kelly (JSC Treasurer)
Blacklisted t-shirts available at: https://shop.hopenothate.org.uk/component/hikashop/product/78-blacklisted-t-shirt
Book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
International
USA: UAW labor strike – Picketers block Michigan GM plant read more on UPI website
Turkey: Reinstate the 3 Mayors removed from office sign petition from Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT)
Diary
2019
September
29 End Austerity Now! Protest the Tory Party Conference – hosted by Unison North West, The People’s Assembly Against Austerity and Manchester People’s Assembly Facebook event
November
16 Undercover Policing and the Trade Unions conference: Saturday 16th November 2019 Eventbrite
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
