NSSN supporters in Coventry organised a successful public meeting last week to ‘Fight the new Tory anti-union laws! Support the strikes’.
Speakers included RMT NEC member Jared Wood and reps from the CWU and FBU, alongside Clive Walder, a Unite rep at National Express who has been dismissed (see details below).
The NSSN is calling for the TUC and the unions to call a national Saturday demonstration in London to mobilise workers against the Tories and their planned laws. No union should be left to fight alone.
The NSSN is organising more of these events and supporting those organised by unions and trades councils. Come to these events:
NSSN London rally ‘Fight the new Tory anti-union laws! Support the strikes’ – 7.30pm, Tuesday February 18, Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, Bloomsbury, W1T 6AQ. Speakers include RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley, Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett and workers from current disputes, including: Unite Bromley library, PCS Ealing Tax Office, CWU Royal Mail, UCU HE and UVW St George’s University Facebook event
RMT/Southampton TUC Solidarity Conference ‘Defend the right to strike’ – 2pm Saturday 7 March Friends Meeting House, 1A Ordnance Rd, SO15 2AZ. Speakers: Steve Hedley RMT AGS & Rob Williams NSSN Chair, others invited from CWU, UCU, NEU and Unite
Stop union victimisation
Defend Moe – support Moe Muhsin Manir, a hardworking Unite rep on London buses, working for Abellio. Moe is facing the sack in a disciplinary hearing this Thursday. With others, he has been a major campaigner for the London-wide consultative ballot on safety that took place last Friday. We will keep everyone up to date on any developments.
Support Clive Walder – Clive, a Unite rep, is a longstanding member of the NSSN steering committee. He was dismissed last Friday at National Express in Birmingham. Clive is appealing against his dismissal by the company, which we believe is totally disproportionate. We’ll let you know when the date of the appeal hearing is. Email protests to [email protected].
UCU
UK’s biggest ever university strikes as staff begin 14 days of walkouts on Thursday (17 Feb) – UCU members at 74 universities will begin 14 days of strikes on Thursday (20 February) in the largest wave of strikes ever seen on UK campuses. Read more
The full strike dates are:-
Week one – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February.
- Lobby UCEA & UUK 12.30pm Thursday February 20 Facebook event
Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February.
- Solidarity with UCU strikes – Rally, 25 February 6pm Royal National Hotel WC1H 0DG Facebook event
- March for Education to the City – 26 February 12pm Tavistock Square WC1 Facebook event
Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March
Week four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March
The disputes centre on the sustainability of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and rising costs for members, and on universities’ failure to make significant improvements on pay, equality, casualisation and workloads. UCU members at 60 universities walked out for eight days of strikes before Christmas. They will be joined this time around by staff at another 14 institutions, as more UCU branches crossed a 50% turnout threshold required by law for them to take industrial action. The number of universities being hit by the action is the largest since a nationwide two-day strike in 2016, while the number of strike days is unprecedented. Following the eight-day walkout before Christmas, this latest round of 14 strike days means the total number of walkouts will be 22 by March; higher than the previous record of 14 days in 2018. UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘It is incredibly frustrating that UCU members are being forced to walk out again to secure fair pay, conditions and pensions. This unprecedented level of action shows just how angry staff are at their universities’ refusal to negotiate properly with us. If universities want to avoid further disruption then they need to get their representatives back to the negotiating table with serious options to resolve these disputes.’
Support these indefinite industrial actions:-
Unite
Support Westex Carpets staff strike – Westex Carpet strike reaches two month mark: Members of Unite at the Westex Carpets factory in Cleckheaton are about to reach the two month mark in their ongoing dispute over pay. The strike began on November 20th after workers rejected a minimal pay rise which was then withdrawn by the company, which has since refused further dialogue read more Westex Carpets ‘won’t win battle of wills’ as strikes head into ninth week after talks collapse (22 Jan)
To make a donation to the hardship fund:-
Account name – TGWU
Account number – 20175407
Sort code – 60/83/01
Reference – WESTEX STRIKE FUND
Support the Tayside Pharmacy workers – It’s been a while since we updated and around 3 months since we returned to work, although STAC evaluated the pharmacy support workers at band 3 November 2019 not much has changed and we are looking at April 2020 before any upgrade is implemented. There has been plenty of talks, a re-ballot and a proposal made. Unfortunately the way things have turned out only some psw’s will benifit straight away from april 2020 with others either remaining at band 2 or if individuals choose to sign up to a training programme to gain the band 3 but will only be have the band increase implimented on completion of training which will take approximately 5 months to complete. This is definitely not what we anticipated after a 12 year dispute, a majority of the support workers are disappointed and believe everyone deserves to be graded at band 3, we are still challenging this. It’s effectively created a 2 tier workforce going forward,talks are still ongoing and few key issues still need resolved. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported us during our dispute and stood with us on the picket line for 12 weeks, the support from the officer’s and the unite office staff. For the kind generosity of the public with bucket donations. The hot food, cakes and sweets that were dropped off by passers-by. It was heart warming to see and greatly appreciated by all. We ourselves gave back from what we received by making financial donations to local charities and food banks which was greatly appreciated by those involved who are doing great job supporting those individuals who find themselves using food bank services more and more during these times of austerity. We thank our fellow colleagues for your continued support, a massive thank you to the bayview bar for letting us use your toilets daily during strike, for the hot food and the storage facilities which was a great help. The support workers will be saying a thank you to them on Saturday 29th which I’m sure will be good night
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. Feel free to use this affiliation letter
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
RMT
Sign petition: to The Mayor of London and the London Assembly – End the privatisation of cleaning at Transport for London
RMT calls strike action on Bakerloo Line – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it has called strike action on the Bakerloo line in a dispute over the impact on train drivers over unworkable timetable changes that place operators under intolerable levels of personal stress. A ballot for action covering driver members produced a 95% vote for action. Members have been instructed as follows; Not to book on for any duty after 11:59 on Friday 21st February until 11:59 on Saturday 22nd February. Not to book on for any duty after 11:59 on Sunday 23rd February until 11:59 on Monday 24th February read more
Donate to the RMT strike fund on South Western Railway – The NSSN is appealing for financial support and solidarity for the RMT and their members on SWR, who have just voted to renew their mandate to take mote strike action. Send messages of support and requests for speakers for your union branch and/or trades council 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
PCS
ISS members in HMRC hold ballot for expanded strike action (17 Feb) – The latest ballot will include members who work in Birmingham as well as those in Liverpool and Bootle who have already taken strike action. PCS members working for facilities company ISS, cleaning HMRC buildings in Birmingham, Bootle and Liverpool, are balloting for strike action and action short of a strike as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The ballot, which opens today (17 February) and runs until 2 March, is the latest step in the campaign to secure the real Living Wage; and conditions of service in line with civil service colleagues. ISS members who clean HMRC offices in Bootle and Liverpool have already taken several tranches of strike action during the latter half of 2019, but under the Tory anti-union laws, PCS is required to hold a fresh ballot every six months if further action is planned. In this latest ballot, ISS members in Bootle and Liverpool will be joined by their colleagues in Birmingham, as part of the same campaign 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. You can help by donating to the strike fund and sending solidarity messages to [email protected] read more
PCS to launch judicial review on pensions over government’s betrayal (13 Feb) – PCS is to seek a judicial review on pensions over the government’s insistence that civil servants continue to pay 2% more each month for their pensions than they should. Over the past year we have kept our members informed that the government is robbing them of 2% every month by making them pay more for their pension than the independent valuation says that they should. The government met us last week and told us they intend to ask parliament in a few weeks’ time to give them the authority to make civil servants carry on paying pension contributions at the current rate. This is completely unacceptable and we opposed that in the meeting and we reiterated that it’s totally unacceptable in the latest meeting with them yesterday (12) read more
Vote yes in the PCS Natural England ballot (12 Feb) – PCS is looking to take action on pay, staffing and funding in Natural England and our ballot, which opens on Monday (17), asks members to vote for strike action and action short of a strike to address these issues. Our members in NE have had absolutely minimal pay rises for over 10 years. This means that many staff are now being paid poverty wages just above the national minimum wage, whilst pay across Natural England is appreciably worse than pay in other areas of Defra. This is all compounded by chronic underfunding, where NE has lost 64% of its budget in the last decade, from £265 million in 2008/09 to £96m in 2018/19. This has led to unmanageable workloads and the movement of staff to more generalist roles leaving many members with nowhere to develop within Natural England. Many staff feel demotivated and undervalued. PCS members, who are passionate about nature conservation, need the backing of central funding to be able to do their jobs. NE needs to be properly funded to meet its environmental protection obligations and to be able to actively participate in Defra’s 25-year plan to improve the environment read more
Strong support for Interserve workers as month-long strike continues (11 Feb) – The facilities management staff at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have now been in dispute for almost a year. The facilities management (FM) workers have been in dispute with their employer since March 2019, which has already involved 18 days of strike action over six periods in 2019. Whilst strike action has won some concessions, Interserve will not move on key issues such as union recognition and a buy-out on contractual pay date changes. This has led to this latest period of strike action which is due to continue for the whole of FebruaryYou can support the strike in the following ways:
- Sign and publicise the E-action
- Donate to the PCS fighting fund
- Send messages of support to [email protected]
- Visit the picket line at Whitehall/King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH. Read more
Support striking LGV driving examiners out in all weathers for PCS strike – PCS members, who are LGV driving examiners in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, have held a week-long action before Christmas. This is a long-running dispute over working practices and restructures. Our members work in various driving test centres, across the country. 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]
More Unite
Supreme Court to hear appeal on £420,000 compensation for breach of trade union rights (17 Feb) – The Supreme Court will be the final arbiter in the five-year-old case of 55 Unite members who are owed more than £420,000 in compensation by Kostal UK Limited which made ‘unlawful inducements’. The UK’s top court has allowed the appeal by Unite after the Court of Appeal overturned last summer the previous rulings of an employment appeal tribunal and employment tribunal. No date has yet been set for the Supreme Court hearing. Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: “We are delighted that the Supreme Court has allowed Unite’s appeal against the extremely disappointing Court of Appeal’s decision last summer to overturn the previous rulings of an employment appeal tribunal and employment tribunal. This is a case which goes right to the heart of trade union recognition and the right to collectively bargain. It is one that we will continue to pursue to protect trade union rights and to get justice for our members.” Read more
Wirral residents facing piles of rubbish as bin workers prepare to strike (13 Feb) – Residents living on the Wirral could be left with piles of uncollected rubbish as a result of a long running pay dispute with Biffa Waste Services which currently holds the council’s refuse contract. Unite, which represents over 180 workers employed as drivers, loaders and sweepers on the Wirral council refuse contract have been in negotiations since 2019 over last year’s pay claim. Unite is now actively preparing for a postal ballot of its members and if as expected workers vote for action then a strike is inevitable. Negotiations have included the conciliation service Acas but no agreement has been reached. As well as a failure to make a reasonable pay offer, Biffa management last November also announced that they intended to move workers from weekly pay to monthly pay, without consultation or safeguards read more
Unite moves towards industrial action at Mahle Engine Systems after pay talks collapse (13 Feb) – Unite the union has today (13 February) announced that pay talks with Mahle Engine Systems based in Kilmarnock have collapsed. The plant which employs around 185 workers makes high-quality components for motorsport engines, combustion engines and electric vehicles. Unite will now give statutory notice to ballot its membership on strike action, and action short of a strike. The ballot is expected to open on 28 February and end on 13 March. If the industrial action ballot is successful then strike action could begin as early as 27 March read more
Birmingham engineering workers crank up Darcast pay dispute (13 Feb) – Birmingham engineering firm Darcast Crankshafts Ltd has agreed to enter Acas talks after the vast majority of its shop floor workforce voted to strike over low pay, Unite said today (Thursday 13 February). Unite, which has more than 70 members at the factory, said staff are ‘fed up to the back teeth’ at being paid a basic rate of £6.16 an hour that is topped up to the legal minimum through the use of shift allowances and so called ‘bonuses’. Despite staff on occasion having to work up to 70 hour weeks in arduous conditions at the factory’s metal foundry to get by, Darcast has so far refused the workers’ request to increase their basic hourly rate to the national minimum wage (NMW) of £8.21 read more
DHL workers at JLR plants begin balloting for strike action over pay (12 Feb) – Thousands of members of Unite, employed by DHL on the JLR logistics contract, will begin being balloted for strike action today (Wednesday 12 February) in a dispute over pay. The workers are based at JLR’s factories at Halewood, Ellesmere Port and Evans Road, in the North West and Castle Bromwich, Solihull, Tyrefort, Midpoint and Hams Halls in the West Midlands. The DHL workforce comprises drivers and warehouse operatives. The ballot is a result of pay negotiations having collapsed, with DHL refusing to make a consolidated pay offer to the workforce and instead simply offering a one off lump sum payment read more
Unite ballots members at Dundee Independent Advocacy Support (12 Feb) – Unite the union has today (12 February) confirmed that it will open a week long industrial action ballot involving its membership at the Dundee Independent Advocacy Support (DIAS). The ballot will open on 13 February and close on 20 February. If members vote in favour of industrial action then strike action and an overtime ban is likely to take place from early March 2020. DIAS is an advocacy service, which provides support for vulnerable adults read more
Woolwich Ferry takeover by Transport for London welcomed by Unite – The decision by Transport for London (TfL) to take over the running of the Woolwich Ferry, used by an estimated 2.6 million passengers annually, by the end of 2020 has been warmly welcomed by Unite. Unite represents 56 workers currently embroiled in a dispute with Briggs Marine Contractors Ltd which holds the contract. Today (Monday 10 February), mayor of London Sadiq Khan asked TfL to review its options for the management of the ferry ahead of current contract ending on 31 March. The transition to an in-house operation is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Unite warmly welcomes the decision that will see the vital Woolwich Ferry being brought back under the control of Transport for London (TfL) by the end of the year. We have been campaigning for this contract to come back under TfL’s auspices for some time and today’s announcement is a victory for our campaign. The Briggs Marine contract has been dogged by continuing controversy and atrocious employment relations. We are glad that TfL has concluded that taking the operation and maintenance in-house would ensure a higher level of control and improve services to the thousands of Londoners that use the service every day.” The workforce is due to hold two 24 hour strikes on Friday 28 February and then on Friday 13 March in the latest dispute which 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 read more
Harrods facing disruption as security guards announce strike dates – London’s most prestigious department store Harrods is facing severe disruption later this month, after security guards and CCTV operators, who are members of Unite the UK and Ireland’s largest union, announced strike dates in their dispute over pay and unpaid work. The strikes will take place on 22, 26 and 29 February and then on 4, 7 March. As the first strike is to be held on a Saturday this will cause particular disruption as it is Harrods busiest day of trading. Last month the workers voted by 97 per cent in favour of strike action on an 84 per cent turnout. The dispute is a result of Harrods’ management imposing a below inflation pay offer on the workers, which had been decisively rejected in a consultative ballot, rather than return to the negotiating table. The dispute also concerns workers’ opposition to being required to undertake unpaid work. Before each shift the workers have to attend a separate location 15 minutes before they start work and stay behind after their shift to collect and drop off rotas, keys and DNA spray read more
Transport for London workers begin strike over pay – London faces disruption today (Friday 31 January) as essential TfL workers begin their first 24 hour strike, with further action planned over the coming months, in a fight back against a pay cut in real terms. Unite has accused TfL of botching this round of pay talks. The union is warning that unless TfL returns to the negotiating table the dispute could escalate with hundreds more TfL workers at Croydon Trams engineering, Victoria Coach Station and surface operations preparing for strike ballots. Around 300 workers employed by Dial-a-Ride and 300 TfL revenue protection inspectors, road transport enforcement officers and compliance officers will strike for 24 hours on 31 January, 28 February, 27 March and 24 April. TfL have bulldozed through a derisory 1 per cent pay increase for TfL workers which amounts to a pay cut in real terms. The workers are demanding that TfL increases pay above inflation (RPI) read more
Free parking for Hackney residents on cards when parking wardens strike over pay and safety – Hackney residents could have free parking in the borough when 40 parking wardens go on a week-long strike next month in a dispute over pay and their personal safety. Unite said today (Friday 24 January) that its civil enforcement officer (CEO) members, employed by Apcoa Parking (UK) Ltd which runs the contract on behalf of Hackney council, will strike on from 00:01 on Monday 10 February until 23:59 on Sunday 16 February. They voted by 81 per cent for strike action. A key issue is a claim for an increase to £15 an hour for the year starting in April 2020 – the parking wardens are paid the London living wage, currently £10.75 per hour. Unite is also concerned about safety of its members who have been attacked by irate motorists when doing their job in all-weathers. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “We have had cases where our members are going out on the same rounds where they have previously been assaulted…” read more
Heathrow baggage could disappear into a void as baggage handlers strike over pay – Unite is warning that passengers at Heathrow airport whose baggage is lost, could see their possessions disappear into the void, as specialist baggage handlers prepare to take strike action over pay. The workers who are employed by Global Baggage Solutions Ltd are responsible for finding and repatriating lost baggage with distraught passengers. The dispute is a result of the company refusing to make a pay offer for 2019 and only offering an increase of 32 pence an hour for 2020. The pay offer was unanimously rejected by Unite members but the company refused to negotiate. Unite has called two four day strikes, the first will last from Sunday 2 February to Wednesday 5 February the second strike will be from 22 February to 25 February. Unite is seeking an increase in pay to ensure all workers receive the London Living Wage of £10.75 an hour and senior handlers receive a higher payment read more
CWU
Support the CWU and the posties as union re-ballots in Royal Mail – The NSSN sends solidarity to the CWU as they move to re-ballot members in Royal Mail. As readers of this bulletin will know, the union overwhelmingly smashed the undemocratic voting thresholds in the Tory anti-union laws in their national strike ballot last October – a 97% vote for action in on a 76% turnout. Scandalously however, one unelected High Court judge dismissed the ballot and the action, planned for during the general election and the busiest time of the year for the company. Now after attempts by the union to resolve the dispute, they feel no option but to again ballot members for action. This comes at the same time as Boris Johnson’s tory government planning even more anti-union laws, targeted for now at least at the rail and transport unions. The NSSN pledges our full support to the CWU and their members in Royal Mail. Already, NSSN members are organising solidarity meetings to build support for the CWU, the rail and transport unions and other workers taking action. We encourage such rallies and meetings of the NSSN, trades councils and union branches – ‘An injury to one is an injury to all!’
Watch CWU video on re-ballot here
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 – click here to join
Another courtroom defeat for BT on pensions (Feb 13) – BT’s latest attempt to reduce its pension by mounting a complex legal challenge has resulted in another courtroom defeat for the company. Undeterred by its epic and ultimately futile courtroom battle over indexation arrangements for Section C of the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) – which only hit the buffers last July after years of legal wrangling in the High Court, the Court of Appeal and finally the Supreme Court – BT has just received another bloody nose from the Court of Appeal in a separate case. Last November the company brought proceedings in the High Court challenging the validity of a decision taken by HM Treasury (HMT) about how benefits are increased in public sector schemes after its application for a judicial review of the Government’s decision was refused by the Divisional Court in November 2018 read more
Unite / BFAWU
Members of both unions started an all-out strike yesterday at Allied Bakeries in Belfast has been suspended to consider a new improved offer
Strike action paused at Allied Bakeries for ballot after company makes improved pay offer (Feb 16) – Workforce will now be balloted on new offer by Unite and BFAWU. Susan Fitzgerald, Regional Coordinating Officer for Unite, commended Allied Bakeries’ workers on a powerful strike which secured an improved pay offer from bosses. The pay increase will now be taken to the workforce in a ballot which will decide whether it is sufficient to end the strike action read more
Unison
IBM workers gear up for industrial action as job losses loom, says UNISON – Offon IBM workers gear up for industrial action as job losses loom, says UNISON. Information technology (IT) workers – who provide IBM’s client, Scottish Power, with IT services – have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action after the company said their jobs would end on 30 June, 2020. UNISON announced the results of its consultative ballot today (Monday) which revealed a massive 90 per cent voted in favour of strike action read more
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
Strike action at Brighton’s housing repairs contractor (13 Feb) – Union members working on Brighton and Hove Councils Housing Repairs for private contractor The Mears Group team, are now balloting over potential strike action. Members are voting after Mears failure to consult, and negotiate an agreed a pay award and to see harmonisation of holiday and sick pay across a number of staff working on their Brighton contract. The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) ballot which opened on Friday 7th Feb will close after 2 weeks on 21 February – meaning that should members support possible strike action, walk outs by different trades within the repair teams across various dates during March April and May will affect services and repairs across the city read more
Support the ASDA workers and reinstate Michael Hunnum – 12,000 workers faced being sacked before Christmas by scrooge bosses ASDA, who are now owned by US superstore giant Walmart. This threat hanging over them was 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!
NEU
Support the NEU sixth form college strikes – The NEU strike action campaign in sixth form colleges is continuing, with three further days of strike action in 34 sixth form colleges planned for Wednesday 12 February, Thursday 27 February and Tuesday 10 March (the day before Budget day). If you are branch secretary, please contact 6FC reps in your area and provide all necessary support. If you are a district secretary, please publicise the dispute to members in your district and encourage them to express support via social media whether or not they are taking part in the strikes. This strike action is part of our campaign to improve staff pay and conditions and secure the future of sixth form colleges. More information, including a list of striking colleges, is available here
NASUWT
Isle of Man teachers to begin industrial action (13 Feb) – Members of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will begin action short of strike action from Monday 24 February in furtherance of the Union’s dispute with the Isle of Man Government over pay, pensions and conditions of service. The action which will be taken will not disrupt pupils’ learning read more
FBU
Storms Ciara and Dennis: £140m cut to services responding (12 Feb) – Fire and rescue services battling Storm Ciara have had their annual funding cut by £141.5m over the last four years, according to Fire Brigades Union (FBU) analysis of England’s local government funding settlement coming before Parliament today (Wednesday 12 February). The worst storm-hit areas in England – Cumbria, West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester – have had their annual fire and rescue service funding cut by a total of £16m since 2016 read more
NUJ
NUJ calls on PA Media Group to treat photographers fairly following its acquisition of stock image agency Alamy (13 Feb) – The NUJ has written to PA Media Group to seek assurances following its purchase of picture agency Alamy that photographers will be treated fairly and has asked for a meeting with its chief executive, Clive Marshall, to discover further details on what the take-over will mean for its members read more
NIPSA
Selective Action in Courts Service and Public Prosecution Service (11 Feb) – In furtherance of the ongoing NICS Pay, Terms and Conditions Dispute the following areas will be on selective strike action as follows. Court Clerks and Assistant Court Clerks to be on selective strike on Monday 17 February. The courts included in this selective action are:
- Newry
- Banbridge
- Downpatrick
- Newtownards
In addition all NIPSA members in Craigavon and Lisburn Courts will also be on strike on Monday 17 February.
Thereafter on Tuesday 18 February Court Clerks and Court Assistants in the following courts will be on selective strike action:
- Omagh
- Enniskillen
- Dungannon
Further action will be announced later this week read more
UVW
Strikes at St. George’s University of London enter their third week – Outsourced security guards take their third week of strike action as they continue to demand direct employment by St. George’s, University of London (SGUL). SGUL and St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been roundly condemned by 90 trade unions, politicians, authors, councillors and community groups in an open letter calling for the criminalisation of the workers’ lawful trade union activities to cease. United Voices of the World commits to escalating the situation. Outsourced security guards at the prestigious medical college of St. George’s, University of London, entered their third week of strike action today. The security guards, who are outsourced to outsourcing giant Bidvest Noonan, are demanding to be made direct employees of the university and to enjoy the same level of pay and terms and conditions as directly employed SGUL staff. The guards’ salaries currently fall far below that of the lowest paid SGUL employee and they only receive the statutory minimum with respect to sick pay, annual leave allowance and a host of other rights read more
Please sign this UVW solidarity letter
Upcoming strike dates:-
Round 4: 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th Feb
Picket lines are from 8am at the main entrance
IWGB
No love for Deliveroo: riders to call for Valentine’s Day Wagamama boycott (14 Feb) – IWGB Deliveroo riders call for a boycott of Wagamama in Sheffield and York, 6-9pm today, with spokespeople and supporters attending branches in each city. Deliveroo in both cities recently made changes to how the app functions, which in many cases has effectively resulted in a 50% pay cut to well below minimum wage. French riders organised by the CLAP union, will also be protesting and boycotting orders in Paris and blockading additional sites there. The boycott targeting Wagamama Valentine’s Day sales will highlight the poor treatment of Deliveroo riders, who hope that boycotts will pressure clients like Wagamama to take more responsibility for exploitation of riders delivering its food read more
More News
THE PLAN that came from the bottom up
Film + panel Q&A
In these cinemas on 1st March
Birmingham, Midlands Art Centre / Cambridge, Arts Picturehouse
Liverpool, Picturehouse at FACT / London, Bertha Dochouse
Norwich, Cinema City / Sheffield, Showroom
Part film essay, part documentary THE PLAN tells the untold story of how a group of British weapons engineers switched to designing hybrid engines and wind turbines and were nominated for the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. At a time when climate injustice is fanning the flames of inequality THE PLAN looks at how this group of eco-pioneering aerospace engineers took control for the sake of the planet. Their heroism has been forgotten but as constant wars and climate crisis proliferate there’s vital lessons to be learnt from their story
Premiered at the London Film Festival and nominated for the Grierson Award THE PLAN is being screened at launch events in 6 cities on 1st March followed by a UK wide tour
Watch the trailer here
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
POA statement on threats against CUT President Diogenes Orjuela read here
Diary
2020
July 4 – NSSN Conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
September 13 – NSSN TUC Rally Brighton 1pm
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