The General Election has seen Boris Johnson win a majority. But the NSSN calls on the whole trade union movement to prepare for the fight ahead against his Tory government. Despite his populism, this is no worker-friendly government. As usual, the Tories will continue to serve the interests of big business.
Even during the election, we saw Johnson stand with the Establishment High Court judge who ruled out the CWU’s Royal Mail national strike ballot despite a massive 97% yes vote on a 76% turnout.
Now, Johnson has announced plans to introduce yet more anti-union laws, specifically targeting rail and transport unions. The NSSN had organised a lunchtime protest outside Parliament this Thursday against these threatened laws and to defend the transport unions and the CWU. We’re bringing it forward to join in with the one called by the RMT and PCS at 12.30pm
12.30pm Thursday 19th December – Old Palace Yard, Westminster, Abingdon St, SW1P 3JY London Facebook event
The NSSN is campaigning for the repeal of all the anti-union laws. Defend union rights and the right to strike!
We don’t believe that this will be a stable all-powerful government. But the unions must play the central role in preparing and organising mas action against them. Even during the general election, we have seen many workers taking strike action, including the UCU, NEU, RMT and many others. And this Wednesday, tens of thousands of NHS workers in Northern Ireland will be on strike, including the Royal College of Nursing who taking action for the first time in their history. We send them our solidarity.
We call on the TUC and the unions to urgently meet. It should be a council of war against the Tories, their anti-union laws and their offensive against working-class people. The NSSN will continue to play a key role in this resistance.
We produced material throughout the election campaign to make the case to get rid of the Tories. These NSSN bulletins can be downloaded: ‘Full Work Rights’, ‘Reverse the education cuts’ and ‘All health care is in crisis’
RMT pledges to fight Tory plan to ban strikes in the transport sector (17 Dec) – TRANSPORT UNION RMT said today that it will fight tooth and nail plans from the incoming Tory Government to effectively outlaw strikes on the rail and tube networks. It has been reported this morning that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is planning to include provisions in Thursday’s Queen’s Speech that would force workers to run services during industrial action. General Secretary Mick Cash said: “It hasn’t taken long for the true colours of this new Tory Government to emerge. Banning strikes and denying workers the basic human right to withdraw their labour has been the hallmark of hard right, authoritarian regimes throughout history. Instead of attacking rail workers fighting to defend safety and disabled access any responsible Government would be tackling the scandal of private profiteering on Britain’s railways which has reduced services to chaos. RMT will fight any plans to deny out members their basic human rights.” Read more
Support the CWU in the Royal Mail dispute. Defend the right to strike –read more on CWU Facebook page
The NSSN is calling on all our supporters and affiliates to give full support and solidarity to the CWU after their appeal against the outrageous High Court ruling was dismissed. We call for an emergency meeting of the TUC General Council to discuss solidarity action and protests.
Email messages of support to the CWU via [email protected] and follow the union on their website, Facebook and twitter via @CWUnews using the #WeRiseAgain hashtag
Somerset Royal Mail Xmas strike after ‘callous’ sacking – Christmas Eve and the day before will see walkouts by postal workers furious at the “callous and heartless” sacking of a postman just before the festive season. Paul Hollow, a postman at Keynsham Delivery Office, was fired by Royal Mail under the absence process, but his colleagues voted to take strike action as the absences he was dismissed for were due to a series of personal tragedies. Paul has suffered a family bereavement, with another family member being diagnosed with cancer and experienced health problems of his own, all of which culminated in a period of depression, which took him out of the workplace. But, after getting back to work with the hope of putting his troubles behind him, he was called into a meeting by his employer and sacked, with the dismissing manager claiming there were ‘no mitigating circumstances’ connected to his absences. In a statement yesterday, Paul’s branch secretary Rob Wotherspoon (Bristol & District Amal) said that this situation was “one of the most callous cases I have ever seen…” read more
Postmasters win Horizon payout – but did Post Office chiefs get off lightly?
CWU National Dispute – resources page
Join CWU Supporters now – The fight against exploitative employers, dodgy contracts and insecure work requires the support of every single community across the country.
Our recent vote for strike action in Royal Mail Group was secured by connecting with our membership in every corner of the UK – both online and on the ground.
Now we need your help to take our message to the public. By joining CWU Supporters you will be contacted with campaign materials and resources that will help us win this battle – and the others we are fighting
Be one of the first to join us by signing up below. Once you have joined us, don’t forget to hit share so that you can alert your social media networks to our new network – click here to join
Support the Northern Ireland NHS strike on December 18th
NIPSA Health Industrial Action – The NIPSA ballot for industrial action returned a 90.4% vote for strike action and 96.6% for action short of strike action. The NIPSA Health Panel, which represents all branches in Health & Social Care and Health Arm’s Length Bodies, has therefore authorised the following industrial action;
18 December 2019 – 24-hour strike action by all NIPSA members in the health services and in related arm’s length bodies. The action will commence at 12.01 am and conclude at 11.59 pm.
19 December 2019 – Action short of strike action by all NIPSA members in the health services and in related arm’s length bodies will commence read more NIPSA health strike Facebook page
RCN: nursing staff remain determined to secure safe staffing and pay equality (10 Dec) – RCN members working in Health and Social Care (HSC) services across Northern Ireland have begun a further 48 hours of industrial action as they push for pay parity with nursing staff in the rest of the UK and improved staffing levels. They are working strictly to their contracts of employment, which means starting and finishing on time, taking breaks, and refusing to perform non-nursing duties. It follows an historic first day of industrial action last Tuesday (3 December) read more
Unite: All parties should follow through on their election promises to include restoration of NHS pay parity in Northern Ireland talks process (Dec 16) – A cross-party commitment to a payment necessary to avert planned strike action by local NHS workers this Wednesday. Welcoming the commencement of fresh inter-party talks on the restoration of a functioning Northern Ireland Executive, Kevin McAdam Unite Lead officer for Health, called on all parties to commit to restoring pay parity as a key plank of the negotiations read more
Support the Unison health service strike – NHS members in Northern Ireland get less pay than NHS Staff in Scotland, England and Wales. This is unfair and unacceptable. UNISON Members have voted in favour of strike action read more
Support these indefinite industrial actions:-
Unite
Unite members dig deep to show Christmas support for Bromley library campaign (11 Dec) – Unite members have raised over £20,000 in under a week in support of the campaign to defend jobs being led by 50 members of the union employed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) and who work at Bromley’s libraries. The workers have been on continuous strike since Thursday 6 June. They recently renewed their strike mandate and began the latest continuous strike action on Monday 25 November. Once Unite members became aware that the strikers had voted again to renew the strike mandate a fund raising exercise was organised. Unite branches from Scotland to Gibraltar and many places in between made donations and over £20,000 was raised for the campaign. The strike is as a result of the plans by GLL, which claims to be a social enterprise, to slash staffing levels by 35 per cent making it impossible for the council’s 14 libraries to remain fully functioning. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “The generosity of Unite branches across the UK, has greatly helped to show GLL that this is a campaign supported by people across the UK and has given our members a huge morale boost as well. GLL need to understand that the strength and conviction of our members is undiminished and strikes will continue until GLL provides cast iron assurances that they will not slash jobs. Our members fundamentally believe that libraries improve people’s lives and that GLL’s current plans will destroy the ethos of the service. Unite believes that this dispute can be resolved if GLL is prepared to enter into honest negotiations. Unite’s door is very much open to allow such talks to occur.”
📢Join us for one of the campaign days!
📢Follow Unite London & Eastern to find out details about the future events!
Here is a link for our crowd funding site which has been set up. Please forward this to stewards and members and encourage them to donate. This is a vitally important campaign – and we will win a vitally important victory!
Also, 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]
Support the Tayside Pharmacy workers (14 Dec) – Big week coming up, several meetings planned Thursday ahead of ballot outcome next Friday. None of us know exactly what’s going to happen, we are just angry and frustrated that we are being treated differently to any other group of staff who have submitted a collective appeal or generic job description under Agenda for Change in which is meant to be a fair and robust system used to evaluate a post NOT post holders or qualifications he or she may possess. NHS boards have this stated under the new or changed post protocol, they also have have the Annex 21 which is used for pay and banding of trainee’s in which Postholders would be implemented on the banding while training is completeted before moving through gateway. We can’t even have this for those individuals who perhaps don’t qualify at present. It’s absolutely disgusting the way we are being treated, it says a lot when Pharmacy has had near 50% turnover of support workers in last 3-4 years with banding being one of the main issues. This training plan they are trying to implement is going be a mega issue either for those needing to complete full qualification or even start training to complete dispensing modules in order get band 3. We have a section within our job descriptions that states new starts be fully trained within 12 months, since 2017 we have had 12 new pharmacy support workers across Tayside of which only 3 are demmed qualified in Dispensing and 1 of those was qualified through boots chemist. This is because individuals get left in areas without rotation to suite the needs of the service, if this continues at same pace we will most probably be heading into 2021-22 with individuals left behind and still not reached the band 3. New industrial action ballot closes Friday 20th December. Read more on Support Tayside Pharmacy Workers Facebook page
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
Date for your diary: 2020 NSSN Conference Saturday July 4th 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
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
Watch NSSN TUC Rally video
Union News
FBU
BREAKING NEWS!! Firefighters win back pensions in blow to government (18 Dec) – Over 6,000 firefighters are entitled to return to their pre-2015 pension schemes, an employment tribunal declared today, in a landmark victory for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) with implications across the public sector. This comes after the Court of Appeal ruled last December that the government’s attacks on firefighter pensions constituted unlawful age discrimination. The claimants, members of the 1992 and 2006 firefighters’ pension schemes, are now entitled to be treated as if they have remained members of their original pension scheme, with benefits including a retirement age of between 50 and 55. In July, the government admitted it had spent £495,000 on legal costs fighting to maintain discriminatory pensions, while the total annual cost of applying the ruling across the public sector could be up to £4 billion. Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “Last Christmas, we gave firefighters the gift of a victory in the courts. This year, firefighters can celebrate knowing that their union has secured their rightful retirement – a gift borne of solidarity that proves what unions can achieve…” read more
Surrey firefighters vote overwhelmingly for industrial action over Christmas (10 Dec) – Firefighters have today voted in favour of industrial action short of strike to commence on 24 December, running for six months. 94% voted in favour of action, with 72% of Surrey Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members turning out, after exhausting all other avenues of fighting dangerous cuts to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The overwhelming turnout and vote for action far exceeds the thresholds needed by unions to hold industrial action. The action short of strike will include a ban on overtime, on which SFRS has become dependent, as well as a refusal to stand in for understaffed senior roles and a refusal to use non-operational vehicles, including the use of firefighters’ private vehicles for brigade purposes. Lee Belsten, FBU Surrey brigade secretary, said: “We’ve done everything else in our power to stop these dangerous cuts and have no choice but to resort to industrial action. The council and fire service bosses have ignored the concerns of residents and the professional advice of their firefighters for too long…” read more
UCU
Support the strikes at Coventry University in appraisal row – UCU members at Coventry University have been on strike about its controversial appraisal process, UCU confirmed today. Send solidarity messages to Coventry University UCU branch secretary – Sharon McGuire, [email protected] read more
More RMT
As South Western Railway guards’ safety strike enters second week RMT sets out six point road map to a settlement – As the guards’ safety strike on South Western Railway enters it’s second week in the latest phase of action rail union RMT has set out a six point road map to a settlement. The plan, which the union intended to table at renewed ACAS talks that the company scuppered at the end of last week, shows just how achievable a settlement is if the company agrees to add a few seconds to the despatch time in the interests of safety and accessibility read more
As a result of SWR’s failure to move forwards on an agreement RMT members will take action as follows: We instruct our Guard, Commercial Guards and Driver members to take the following strike action:-
- Not to book on for duty from 00:01 on Monday 2nd December 2019 until 23:59 on Wednesday 11th December
- Not to book on for duty from 00:01 on Friday 13th December until 23:59 on Tuesday 24th December 2019
- Not to book on duty from 00:01 on Friday 27th December 2019 until 23:59 on the 1st January 2020
Send messages of support to RMT NEC member and SWR guard Geoff Kite – [email protected]
To make a donation to the hardship funds set up for RMT members striking against Driver Only Operation:-
National Dispute Fund:
Transfers can be made directly into the account using the details below:
Account name: RMT Head Office National Dispute Fund
Account no: 20113524
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Alternatively, you can send cheques to the Finance Department at Head Office.
Unity House 39 Chalton Street London NW11JD
RMT Wessex DOO Dispute Fund:
Transfers can be made directly into the account using the details below:
Account name: RMT Wessex DOO Dispute Fund
Account no: 20399461
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Alternatively, you can send cheques to the Finance Department at Head Office Finance Department at Head Office.
Unity House 39 Chalton Street London NW11JD
and we will pass them on.
RMT Arriva Rail North Dispute Fund:
Transfers can be made directly into the account using the details below:
Account name: RMT Arriva Rail North Dispute Fund
Account no: 20399461
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Or send it direct to Finance Department at Head Office.
Unity House 39 Chalton Street London NW11JD
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
TSSA
TSSA announce victory and end to Industrial Action in dispute over who drives trains (14 Dec) – TSSA today (Saturday) announced victory in its long running dispute with ScotRail over the role of Driver Train Managers. Driver Team Managers have been working to rule since August after ScotRail tried to force them to cover up to 3 drivers’ shifts a week in addition to their normal job roles without previous consultation with their recognised trade union, the TSSA read more
PCS
PCS wins London Living Wage at Wallace Collection (17 Dec) – Following pay negotiations, the prestigious event and exhibition venue imposed a pay award of 1.5% on its staff which was swiftly improved upon following a spirited PCS campaign. The pay award had left the lowest paid staff on only £10.35 an hour, 4% less than the London Living Wage of £10.75, with all other staff receiving a significantly below inflation pay rise. After PCS received notice of the imposition, we immediately engaged in a dispute with the employer. We are clear that all staff should be paid enough to live on: the London Living Wage read more
LGV driving examiners strike (13 Dec) – PCS will strike on Monday in a long-running dispute over working practices and restructures. The strike, which will involve up to 150 LGV driving examiners in the Driving Vehicle and Standards Agency will start on 16 December, and end on Christmas Eve. Our members work in various driving test centres, across the country. The strike follows the breakdown of talks at ACAS, where management refused to meaningfully negotiate with reps, in order to achieve a mutually beneficial resolution. Members are angry about attacks on their terms and conditions including flexible working and a lack of consultation from management. The strike on 16 December, is the second walkout of DVSA workers this year, and shows the disastrous and irresponsible abdication of responsibility for good industrial relations, which will inevitably lead to substantial disruption of key services at a critical time. Previously DVSA IT staff took one month’s strike action in August. 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]
Increased support for latest HMRC Ealing strike (12 Dec) – Today’s walkout, part of the latest round of strikes by PCS members against the closure of the HMRC office in Ealing, saw a further increase in membership support for the action. The latest round of strikes was launched last week, following the department reneging on an agreed approach aimed at avoiding the mass redundancies, which would inevitably arise from the its plans to close the office at International House. What else you can do:-
Send a message of support to [email protected]
Support us on social media, using the hashtag #SaveEalingTaxOffice
Donate to the strike fund.
For more information on how you can help support our campaign, contact [email protected] read more
PCS launches legal action against Home Office check-off withdrawal (5 Dec) – PCS has launched legal action against the Home Office, accusing the department of illegally stopping check-off – a mechanism to pay union subs. We have already won significant damages of £3m after an out-of-court settlement following ministers stopping the system of direct deduction of union subs from government workers pay packets in 2015. The unlawful withdrawal of check-off from PCS members in the DWP cut the union’s income overnight, although our union went on to successfully sign up a majority of members to direct debit payment of subscriptions. Now we are carrying out our promise to pursue further pay-outs from other government departments for damages following the withdrawal of check-off read more
Support Merseyside ISS members in HMRC – The members who clean HMRC offices in Bootle and Liverpool have been striking over low pay and poor conditions. The low paid members recently took six days strike action, in addition to previous action in September. Members are demanding a £10 per hour living wage, holidays and sick pay equal to civil servants, and improved job security. Picket lines in Bootle and Liverpool remained strong, with a majority of striking members taking part and support from UCU members who are also on strike. Meanwhile, the strike-breakers brought in by ISS have complained directly to pickets in Liverpool about the amount of work they are having to cover. You can help by donating to the strike fund and sending solidarity messages to [email protected] read more
More Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! DHL Dartford drivers cancel strike action after accepting ‘substantial’ pay increase and redundancy package deal (17 Dec) – Strike action by Dartford-based DHL drivers has been cancelled after they accepted an offer of a six per cent pay deal and an enhanced redundancy package from the company, Unite said today (Tuesday 17 December). About 200 HGV drivers, who are based at Sainsbury’s Dartford regional distribution centre and deliver to Sainsbury’s stores across parts of London and the South East, voted overwhelmingly (94 per cent) in favour of the deal. The deal, which includes a six per cent pay increase over two years and an enhanced redundancy package, was tabled following talks between DHL’s management and Unite that were mediated by the conciliation service Acas. A series of strikes due to take place over December, January and February have now been cancelled read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Woolwich Ferry staff to strike on Thursday in pay dispute (17 Dec) – Workers, who operate the Woolwich Ferry used by an estimated 2.6 million passengers a year, will stage a 24 hour strike on Thursday (19 December), after last ditch talks in a pay dispute broke down yesterday (Monday 16 December). The 56 workers, members of Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, who are employed by Briggs Marine Contractors Ltd, had voted unanimously for strike action which will start at 00.01 on Thursday. Unite said that there has been a long history of poor managerial practice by the company. The latest dispute centres on the failure to pay the London living wage (currently £10.75 an hour) on basic pay; the imposition of changes to overtime and shift working; failure to adhere to the agreed job evaluation scheme; and failure to deal with equality issues. In the summer there were 10 days of strikes on similar issues, but that failed to bring a resolution. Unite then re-balloted its members and, as a result, they will now hold a day’s strike on Thursday. Two years ago, there was an acrimonious and long-running dispute at the ferry with the same employer, which runs the service on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), over a bullying culture and health & safety issues. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Last ditch negotiations took place yesterday, but failed to make the necessary breakthrough. Unite entered talks in the hope that the employer would adopt a constructive approach…” read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Unipart agrees to Acas talks on NHS lorry driver pay as strike ballot looms (17 Dec) – Logistics firm Unipart will take part in pay talks mediated by the conciliation service Acas before a ballot for strike action by low paid NHS lorry drivers goes ahead, Unite said today (Tuesday 17 December). The lorry drivers, who are employed by Unipart and are on low pay for their industry, deliver general NHS supplies across the country and are asking for a pay rise in line with inflation, as well as full sick pay benefits. Unipart agreed to take part in Acas talks, scheduled to take place this week, after previous pay negotiations collapsed and Unite served notice that some 130 members who drive various delivery vehicles will be balloted for strike action between 23 December and 13 January read more
Engineers at Felixstowe docks vote to strike over outsourcing plans (12 Dec) – Engineering workers at Felixstowe docks in Suffolk have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over the threat that some of them will be transferred to an outside company. A total of more than 110 engineers, employed by the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company, have voted by 98 per cent for strike action and unanimously for industrial action short of a strike over plans to transfer a number of them to Universal Tyres. Unite today (Thursday 12 December) that it would be informing the employer of strike dates in the next few days. Unite has about 1,900 members at the UK’s busiest container port, including the 116 engineers – however, at the current time, it is only the tyre fitting operation that faces being transferred, but Unite fears that this could be the start of a trend read more
Argos Christmas strike off after UPS Staffordshire staff secure pay deal (12 Dec) – Christmas strike action at Argos’ flagship distribution centre in Barton, Staffordshire, has been called off after UPS shunter and HGV drivers secured a pay deal worth about 4.5 per cent, Unite said today (Thursday 12 December). More than 40 Unite members, who manoeuvre loads around the Barton distribution centre, voted overwhelmingly (90 per cent) in favour of a pay deal from UPS management, following talks with the conciliation service Acas earlier this week. Strike action over the festive period at the distribution centre, which is near Burton on Trent, has now been called off, with back pay and the agreed increase set to be paid before Christmas read more
Frimley NHS trust staff to strike for three more days over hived-off ‘tax avoiding’ company – Staff at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, who face being transferred to a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) designed to avoid paying tax, will strike in protest for a further three days this month. Unite said today (Thursday 5 December ) that its estates’ management, equipment maintenance, catering, portering, procurement and security staff, numbering about 90, will strike from 07.00 on Wednesday 18 December for 72 hours. This latest wave of industrial action follows two days of strike action last month. Unite will be coordinating the strike action with the GMB union – altogether about 1,000 staff at Frimley Park Hospital, Camberley; Wexham Park Hospital, Slough; and Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot are affected by the trust’s plans read more
Suppprt Westex Carpets staff strike – Staff at West Yorkshire carpet manufacturer Westex Carpets will go on strike tomorrow (Wednesday 20 November) in a dispute over pay, Unite has said. Unite members will begin continuous strike action at two Westex Carpet sites in Cleckheaton and Dewsbury tomorrow after the company tabled a pay offer of 2.2 per cent, which was subsequently rejected by the membership read more
To make a donation to the hardship fund:-
Account name – TGWU
Account number – 20175407
Sort code – 60/83/01
Reference – WESTEX STRIKE FUND
Unison
Joint union press release (GMB, UNISON and Unite) – Impending industrial action re Winter Gritting at Carmarthenshire County Council
All three unions GMB, UNISON and Unite met with the Director Of Environmental Services, Carmarthenshire County Council on Monday 9th December. Unfortunately the council which is led by Plaid Cymru refuses to significantly increase the retainer payment on offer. For an increase of £15pm in the retainer payment the council wanted us to call off the industrial action planned for the 18/19/20th December and to agree to conciliation talks with ACAS.
The reason stated for being unable to offer more money was that Environmental Services had to make efficiencies (cuts) and therefore didn’t have any more to offer. We think the council should get its priorities right they found the money to pay an exorbitant salary to the ex-CEO for many years; they have wasted £100,000’s in the past on inefficient standby payments and may have wasted millions in the past by not having proper procurement procedures in place but they are not prepared to find a fraction of this to pay employees to do a hard and dangerous job keeping our roads safe.
To add insult to injury the council are preparing to use private contractors to try in effect break the industrial action by using them to grit the roads instead. But this will cost the local authority far more to use contractors than what our members are asking to be paid. Why can’t they find the money to pay our members a decent retainer when they can find a lot more to pay contractors. The unions will be contacting and lobbying the private contractors or any other local authority that undertakes gritting in Carmarthenshire. All three unions will be taking industrial action on the 18th/19th and 20th December and there will be picket lines outside Llandovery, Glanamman, Cillefwr and Unit 10,Trostre depots on those days. While we have agreed to attend talks with ACAS and the employer but we do not think these will be successful unless the employer offers to increase the retainer payments substantially. Unless this happens far more substantial industrial action is on the cards after Christmas.
Regards
Mark Evans
Branch Secretary
Carmarthenshire County UNISON Branch
Support Unison members who work for ISS Facility Services at Homerton Hospital. ISS is the private company that runs catering, domestic, portering and security services at the hospital – Unless they have a supervisory position, none of the staff in this company are paid the current rate of the London Living Wage. Also, some staff have worse terms and conditions. Those who transferred from the previous company still have terms which are broadly comparable to NHS terms and conditions (sick pay, annual leave, weekend/evening enhancements). Those employed after 1st October 2015 do not. They only get statutory sick pay, less annual leave and a flat rate of pay whether they work unsocial hours or not. We are campaigning for fair pay and conditions for this group of workers. Their work is vital to the safe running of our hospital and they should have the same terms as NHS staff.
We are asking you to
- Sign and share our petition: http://bit.ly/fairpay4ISSstaff
- Tweet your support for us to @homertonunison @NHSHomerton @issworld
- Take a selfie with the attached sign and send it to: [email protected]
Please return any paper copies of the petition to the above email or Homerton UNISON c/o Education Centre, Homerton Hospital, London E9 6SR.
Please share this as widely as possible.
Thank you for your support.
Lorna Solomon & Pumula MacDonald Homerton UNISON branch committee
GMB
GMB fears as Frimley Health Trust using untrained agency workers to cover striking NHS staff (16 Dec) – “The strikes of course can be suspended or stopped at any time by our members but they will require absolute written guarantees that the WOS has been scrapped and that the trust are willing to discuss alternatives”, says GMB Southern. GMB Union members fear patients are being put at risk by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust as the Trust seek to breech strike laws by gambling with patient safety through the use of untrained or semi trained agency workers and volunteers to cover NHS employees who are taking action to stop the creation of a Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS). The creation of the WOS would mean NHS staff would see their jobs and the services they provide transferred to the private sector read more
Support the ASDA workers and reinstate Michael Hunnum – 12,000 workers are facing being sacked before Christmas by scrooge bosses ASDA, who are now owned by US superstore giant Walmart. This threat is hanging over them unless they agree to the new ‘Contract 6’ which will see them lose all their paid breaks and forced to work bank holidays. The same employer is sacking North East GMB member Michael Hunnam. Michael’s fight is part of the same struggle to resist the offensive of the ASDA bosses. Michael’s supporters believe that his determined opposition to Contract 6 is what has put him in the ASDA firing line. Support the ASDA workers and reinstate Michael!
NUJ
Newsquest drops compulsory redundancies in Glasgow after strike threat (12 Dec) – Newsquest Glasgow has lifted the threat of compulsory redundancies in response to the NUJ’s ballot for industrial action. After 86.7 per cent of those voting supported action, management heeded the strength of feeling and, although eight members of staff left voluntarily, the company informed the union it would not seek further job cuts. Six new posts will be filled from external applications. A well-attended NUJ chapel meeting voted unanimously to withdraw the threat of industrial action. The union had also raised the issue of bullying, and said the company had dealt with this promptly. The papers involved were The Herald, The Herald on Sunday, the Glasgow Times, The National and The Sunday National read more
Prospect
Defence unions ask conciliation service to help break pay deadlock (12 Dec) – The Ministry of Defence has agreed to the unions’ request to use Acas, the conciliation service, to break the deadlock over pay for 2019. The unions are seeking conciliation over the department’s failure to abide by the bargaining agreements or facilitate a dispute resolution process. The unions, Prospect, PCS, FDA, Unite and GMB are also angry that the department has continually misrepresented their position over the offer read more
IWGB
5 Hertford Street concedes to demands – IWGB suspends strikes pending consultation (11 Dec) – The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has called off strikes planned for today and tomorrow at 5 Hertford Street, as it consults members following an offer from the club. 5 Hertford Street has offered its kitchen porters the London Living Wage from January 2020, 5 days sick pay, and regular quarterly consultations with the union on terms and conditions. While the IWGB welcomes the introduction of the London Living Wage of £10.75 as a huge improvement to the paltry £8.65 per hour the club was paying prior to the launch of the union’s campaign in May, the offer still falls short of a decent contractual sick pay package and a proper collective bargaining agreement. Consequently, the union is going forward with an application for statutory union recognition with the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) and looks forward to seeing 5 Hertford Street representatives at the tribunal read more
UVW
Royal Park cleaners win their strike for a 31% pay rise to the London Living Wage (Dec 13) – Park and toilet attendants across 7 of the Queen’s Royal Parks in London have today won their strike for a pay rise from the minimum wage of £8.21 per hour to the London Living Wage of £10.75, the rise will also be backdated to 1st November and equates to a 31% increase, and an extra £5000 per year. The park attendants are members of the trade union United Voices of the World and took 2 days of strike action in October after their calls for a pay rise were repeatedly ignored. The decision to pay the living wage, which a rows a 31% pay rise, was announced by The Royal Parks – a charity set up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to maintain London’s royal parks owned by the Crown – after a board meeting on 12th December, on the eve of which the park attendants had threatened escalated strike action read more. For updates, see UVW Facebook page, website and twitter
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
Albania: Solidarity with the miners – end repression now read more
Diary
2019
2020
July 4 2020 NSSN Conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
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