We headline this week’s NSSN bulletin on PCS’s consultative industrial action ballot that will begin on August 17th. We send our full support to PCS and its members and reps in DWP. We also send our solidarity to PCS members on Merseyside, outsourced cleaners working for ISS in HMRC who are on a month-long strike as well as striking staff at Tate Commerce as well as workers at the Southbank Centre in London who are also holding a consultative ballot on redundancy pay.
PCS consultative ballot of jobcentre and Universal Credit workers From PCS website (7 Aug): The government’s plans to extend hours in 21 Universal Credit service centres and jobcentre hours until 8pm on weekdays and increase face-to face contact with the public will be put to PCS members in a consultative ballot running from 17 August to 7 September.
We represent tens of thousands of civil servants working for DWP who have been working flat out during lockdown, supporting claimants to access Universal Credit, benefits and employment support.
However, with ministers insisting jobcentres should open to the public, including beyond normal office hours without consulting us or doing a proper risk assessment, PCS has decided to a consultative ballot to get the views of all union members working in jobcentres and the 21 Universal Credit service centres. A further statutory ballot would have to be held and reach the 50% turnout threshold for any strike action to go ahead.
DWP has informed PCS that 270 jobcentres and 21 UC service centres will extend their operating hours to 8pm and Saturdays from 30 November. It could also be extended to other offices in the future.
Ballots will be sent out by email to members who have registered a personal email address for an online vote, while those who do not have a registered email address will receive a postal ballot paper, which they will need to complete and post to the independent scrutineer.
Vote yes
We are urging members to vote yes to support our demands on:
- Safety – during a global pandemic, with many eminent scientists predicting a second wave of Covid-19 in the winter months and as evidence grows of a rise in infection rates, we believe it is wrong to extend operating hours, or to reopen jobcentres to the public at this time as it would be putting the safety of our members at risk.
- Equality for part-year members – deciding to hold a 5-week planning period when most part-year staff will not be at work will undoubtedly put those members at a disadvantage when their working patterns will be decided. They will be excluded from the planning process that determines when they may have to work to 8pm or on Saturdays. DWP has failed to carry out an equality analysis which is directly disadvantaging those members with a protective characteristic who will be absent from work during the month of August.
- Failure to identify a business requirement – PCS does not accept that there is evidence of any customer demand for DWP to extend operating hours to 8pm or on Saturdays from the end of November.
- Failure to meaningfully consult with the unions – During the pandemic PCS has met DWP at least twice a week and successfully negotiated improvements for staff on a wide range of issues such as health and safety, annual leave and personnel policy changes. DWP is required to meaningfully consult PCS on any proposed change to opening hours. Appallingly DWP only gave PCS 48 hours’ notice in advance of the announcement to extend operating hours and has made clear that it does not intend to meaningfully consult with your union to justify their decision and plan to impose it.
We have written to the DWP to demand:
- It withdraws its notice to staff to extend operating hours.
- There is no escalation of footfall in the jobcentre estate and only interviews with those identified as the most vulnerable are conducted in jobcentres throughout the course of the pandemic.
- Changes put in place during the pandemic, which have allowed the focus to be on paying benefits to those who need them, continue with no escalation in labour market activity.
- Meaningful consultation on the demand to extend services and the risk assessment process to take place nationally prior to any formal notice issued to staff.
- A full equality analysis to be carried out on both the extended hours and re-opening of Jobcentres in consultation with PCS and identified risks fully mitigated.
If DWP does not agree to our demands by 17 August we have made clear we will be in dispute.
What do I do if I haven’t got a ballot paper?
Members should allow until Tuesday 25 August to receive their ballot paper, before requesting a replacement.
Email [email protected] and include your personal email address and home address.
Read the frequently asked questions about the ballot.
Not a member? Join PCS by 28 August and you will be eligible to vote
ISS Cleaners on Merseyside begin month-long strike (3 Aug) – PCS members employed by ISS to clean HMRC offices on Merseyside started four weeks’ strike action today, continuing their long-running dispute over pay and conditions. The PCS members working for private contractor ISS, cleaning HMRC buildings, are campaigning to secure the living wage, achieve parity with their civil service colleagues’ conditions of service, and maintain job security. The cleaners took 16 days of strike action in 2019 and two weeks earlier this year, at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown. The members are classed as key workers and have worked tirelessly throughout lockdown to keep civil service workplaces clean. The opening day of this strike, which will run throughout August unless our members’ concerns are addressed, was as solid as it has been at any time throughout the campaign. The strikers have had messages of support from Dan Carden, the Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Liverpool Walton; as well as from former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell read more
You can help us win the fight for better pay and conditions! Here are three simple steps:
- Use our e-action to write to HMRC chief executive Jim Harra, urging him to fund our reasonable demands: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/hmrc-meet-with-pcs-members-for-fair-wages-and-conditions
- Donate if you can to our members’ strike fund: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/pcscleanerstrike
- Ask your union branch, trades council or other organisation to make a donation to the strike fund:
Account name: PCS Liverpool/Bootle Campaign Account
Sort code: 60-83-01
Account number: 20415772
With your solidarity, we can win. Please write, donate and share widely read more in Justice for HMRC Cleaners Facebook page
As PCS Tate members issue strike notice, the Tate requests 18 additional outsourced staff (7 Aug) – PCS members, under threat of redundancy at Tate Commerce, were left feeling betrayed last week, as it was discovered the Tate had hired an additional 18 outsourced gallery assistants to work at the Steve McQueen exhibition. The Tate has confirmed in an email to PCS that it has requested an additional 18 staff, from its contractor Securitas, to cover the Steve McQueen exhibition, despite its commercial arm making more than 200 staff redundant, betraying these members…
PCS have given the employer notice that our members will be striking on the 18, 19, 21 and 22 August with further dates to be announced on Monday. If like us you feel that these redundancies are unjust, and Tate has acted poorly as an employer you can help PCS members at Tate Enterprise in the following ways:
1) Attend the post-picket protests from 11.30am on 18 August and 22 at Tate Modern and 21 August at Tate Britain.
2) Donate to our PCS Tate Commerce Strike fund.
3) Tweet/Post your support for PCS Tate Commerce members using the #CrisisInCulture read more
PCS to launch ballot as Southbank Centre confirms cuts to redundancy pay for hundreds of staff (7 Aug) – PCS is launching a consultative ballot on Monday (10) of our Southbank Centre members as the employer confirms it will not pay its normal redundancy terms, meaning hundreds of staff will lose out on thousands of pounds. The Southbank Centre has confirmed to PCS that it does not intend to pay its long-standing redundancy terms to the hundreds of staff currently at risk. For many members this will mean the loss of thousands of pounds in redundancy payments. Instead the employer has imposed a barely better than statutory package on our members, claiming financial difficulty, despite senior staff with salaries well in excess of £100,000 read more
Support the NHS pay protests
Last Saturday saw about 40 protests around the country as workers in the NHS and care sector workers demand an immediate 15% pay rise that starts to close the income gap caused by a decade of pay freezes. Please join the protests that are taking place. Details of some of these can be found here in the Nurses and Midwives say NO! to Public Sector pay inequality Facebook group and on the Keep Our NHS Public website. Also visit the website of Health Campaigns Together.
We support the call of many health workers for industrial action ballots, co-ordinated across all the health unions and linking up with all other workers in public services. We are confident that this would be supported by workers in the private sector and all those who benefit from health and social care, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where so many staff put their lives on the line.
Sign petition: To Welsh Government – For an immediate 10% pay rise for health, care and key workers. Sponsored by Cardiff County Trades Union Council, Swansea Trades Council, Caerphilly Trades Council
Sign Waltham Forest Trades Union Council petition to Barts NHS Trust: for adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for all NHS staff particularly at Whipps Cross hospital.
The NSSN is continuing to report on how workers are organising during the coronavirus pandemic
The NSSN is opening up our weekly email bulletin, website and social media platforms of Facebook and twitter to provide a public forum for workers during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. We want to be a place where we can all share queries and experiences that workers are facing in their workplaces. These include reports of action taken by workers to defend themselves from their employers.
You can read about many of these actions in our weekly bulletin and out social media groups, especially our Facebook group: NSSN – defend workers’ rights under Coronavirus.
You can also send the NSSN your reports and queries via our website, twitter – @NSSN_AntiCuts and email – [email protected]
We welcome the information being sent to union members concerning the spread of coronavirus, including the Accord, Advance, AEP, AFA-CWA, ASLEF, BDA, BECTU Sector of Prospect, BFAWU, BOS-TU, College of Podiatry, Community, CSP, EIS, Equity, FBU, FDA, GMB, HCSA, MU, NAHT, NASUWT, National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), Nautilus International, NEU, NGSU, NUJ, PFA, Prospect, RCM, SoR, TSSA, TUC, UCU, UNISON, Unite, URTU, USDAW, WGGB and the RCN
But it is absolutely vital that unions retain their ability to organise and act independently in defence of their members and workers generally. This includes the right of unions to take industrial action. We are already aware of workers being forced to take unofficial action on health and safety grounds. We also believe that unions should have oversight of any government bans on protests and picketing. This is the same Tory government that tabled more new anti-union laws in December’s Queens Speech last December and cannot be trusted.
We believe that it is essential that workers are protected during this worrying period and are not impacted, whether in terms of their safety as well as their pay and employment rights. The Tory government have announced measures that if implemented would include some workers receive 80% of their wages. However, we believe that no worker should pay the price for any spread of the virus. Any worker who is required not to attend work or is unable to do so because of childcare or transport closures should receive full pay and not be forced to take annual leave. But unions have to remain vigilant that any government payments actually happen and also covers all workers, including those in precarious employment such as zero-hour contracts and in the gig economy.
We have drafted this model motion which we’ve made into a bulletin that can be downloaded and printed off to be distributed. Feel free to use in your union and trades council, in totality or partially to highlight the issues that need to be addressed.
Keep an eye out for other Facebook and social media groups and pages that are being created. The Coronavirus Support Group for Workers has been set up on Facebook and is a useful forum.
NSSN news
Date for your diary:-
NSSN TUC Rally – 1pm Sunday September 13th Facebook event
The rally will be on Zoom and will go out live on social media
Join Zoom Meeting
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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
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
TRUMP TURNBERRY UNION RMT has stepped up pressure to halt Jobs carnage with the formal consultation on the plans due to end on Sunday (10 Aug) – RMT has launched an on-line petition as part of the fight to halt an all-out assault on jobs and conditions at the US President’s Scottish flagship resort that are being bulldozed through under the cover of the COVID-19 pandemic read more and sign petition
RMT launches global on-line petition to halt jobs carnage at Trump’s Turnberry resort
RMT steps up fight to halt jobs carnage at Trump’s Turnberry resort
Sign petition: to The Mayor of London and the London Assembly – End the privatisation of cleaning at Transport for London
Please Support RMT Members With No Wages! – RMT London Transport Region Zero Hours & Self-Employed members need our Solidarity Now! Many of our regions self-employed members and those on zero hours have not any had wages for 2 months since March. They have been abandoned by London Underground, TfL, the London Mayor and their agency employers. They MUST NOT be abandoned by us too; their RMT sisters and brothers! The RMT London Transport Regional Council and LU Engineering RMT branch are calling out to all branches, members and friends to dig deep and give meaningful solidarity to our hard pressed members facing poverty and possibly eviction from their homes. To help support by donating to the fund or to ask after support for yourself, please email: [email protected] read more
RAIL UNION RMT has suspended strike action on South Western Railway in good faith to allow further talks to take place 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
TSSA
TSSA signs Save Travel letter to government as Hays Travel cuts jobs (3 Aug) – Travel and transport union TSSA has today signed the Save Travel letter calling on Grant Shapps and Rishi Sunak to provide more support for the travel industry. The trade union added its name on the day that Hays Travel confirmed it was making up to 878 job cuts, underscoring the plight of the industry read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Lewisham council urged to in-source leisure centres to improve services and protect jobs (11 Aug) – Lewisham council is being urged to do the right thing and bring their leisure centres back in house. The decision whether or not to bring the council’s five leisure centres in house will be taken at a closed meeting of the council tomorrow (Wednesday 12 August). The leisure centres are currently outsourced to Fusion lifestyle, which is a registered charity, however the workforce, many of whom are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have been warned to expect redundancies. Fusion is experiencing extreme financial problems partially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unite has made a request for Fusion to ‘open its books’ to reveal its true financial situation so that workers and council taxpayers could see the challenges that it is facing; however, Fusion has so far refused to be transparent about its financial position read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Self-isolating Bakkavor Newark workers need ‘adequate sick pay’ (11 Aug) – Workers who need to self-isolate at a Bakkavor dessert factory in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where there has been a coronavirus outbreak must be provided with ‘adequate sick pay’, Unite said today (Tuesday 11 August 2020). Unite, which has more than 150 members at the site, said the factory must increase sick pay from the statutory minimum of £95.85 a week that its low-paid workers currently receive. Not to do so risks staff facing the ‘stark choice’ of working while potentially infected or being unable to pay for food, rent or other bills, the union said read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Manchester bus drivers face losing £2,000-a-year in ‘bullying’ row (11 Aug) – A bullying culture and using Covid-19 as a smokescreen are the hallmarks of an attempt by Go North West to reduce the wages of 500 Manchester bus drivers by an estimated £2,000-a-year. Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, said the offer by the Go North West bosses of a one-off £5,000 payment to alter employment terms and conditions was ‘an odious sleight of hand’ that would see its members out of pocket within three years. Unite alleges that Go North West managing director, Nigel Featham has intimidated its reps by calling them in individually for ‘a dressing down’ to force through the changes. The union called on Mr Featham to negotiate constructively with the union and not conduct talks via the media. Unite said that the working practices at the Queens Road depot, Manchester which the company wants to buy-out have since been replaced by additional cleaning and cash collection duties which mean the bus drivers are working just as hard. Unite reps will be ‘meeting’ later this week to decide the next steps which could include a ballot for industrial action read more
BREAKING NEWS!! CITB workers facing immoral triple whammy of attacks on pay, conditions and jobs (11 Aug) – The entire workforce at the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), which employs around 700 staff, is facing a triple whammy of cuts to pay, conditions and jobs. The CITB has announced that a planned pay rise of 2.54 per cent which was due to be paid from 1 April 2020 has been cancelled. It has also announced that it wishes to cut the terms and conditions of staff so that if they are made redundant they will only receive one week’s pay per year of service, rather than the current three week’s pay for each year of service. Further, once the cut in redundancy pay has been pushed through, the CITB has indicated it will embark on a large scale job cutting exercise. The organisation, which provides training throughout the construction industry, has workers based at its new head office in Peterborough and at the existing national construction college in Bircham Newton in Norfolk, with other workers spread across the UK. The CITB has said the cuts are necessary as the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the collection of the construction training levy, which is a major component in the funding its activities. However, since the pandemic began the CITB has taken advantage of the government’s job retention scheme and furloughed the majority of its staff, most of whom remain on furlough read more
Croydon council urged to pause job cuts “fire sale” (10 Aug) – Croydon council is being urged to pause its consultation on mass redundancies in order to preserve jobs and protect frontline services during the health and economic crisis. The call to pause the consultation has been made by Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents hundreds of staff at the south London council. A total of 450 jobs are at risk at the council meaning 15 per cent of jobs at the council are earmarked to be cut read more
Industrial action not out of the question at Heathrow as `greed, not need’ forces huge pay cuts on workers (10 Aug) – The likelihood of industrial action at Heathrow airport is increasing after Unite, the UK’s principal aviation union, began consulting members on proposals by the employer to cut pay by nearly a quarter for some workers. The union is accusing Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) of pursuing a `greed, not need’ approach to the workforce. In June, HAL announced its intention to make swingeing cuts to pay, cut allowances and close the final salary pension scheme. Through extensive negotiations with the employer Unite has attempted to reverse many of the proposals but with HAL unwilling to consider fairer measures, Unite, which represents over 4,000 directly employed workers at the airport, will recommend to the workforce that when the proposals are put to them that they are rejected read more
UK-wide protests urge chancellor to keep aviation promise and prevent industry being ‘devastated’ (7 Aug) – UK-wide protests will be held between Saturday 8 August and Monday 10 August to demand chancellor Rishi Sunak prevents the UK’s aviation industry from being ‘devastated’ by fulfilling his promise to provide support for the sector. In contrast to the crisis hit airports currently seen around the country, August 9 marked the busiest day of 2019 for global air travel. Around 60,000 redundancies – equivalent to the population of Tunbridge Wells – at airlines, airports and other aviation-related businesses have already been announced, however the government is yet to implement a plan to secure the sector’s recovery. This is in stark difference to the decisive and job saving actions taken by other countries, such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, in relation to their aviation sectors read more
Bleak day for staff ‘forced out by company greed’ will scar spiteful BA indefinitely (7 Aug) – On the day that more than 6,000 staff are being forced to leave British Airways and the remaining workforce will discover their intended fate, their union, Unite, has warned the airline that this ‘gross injustice’ will destroy precious relationships with passengers and employees for many years to come. Unite, which has accused the company of ‘industrial thuggery’, has denounced today’s redundancies as a gross injustice marking a bleak day in BA’s history when loyal employees are being ‘forced out by company greed’. The union has written to its members today to reassure them that it will provide advice and support to all those receiving letters from the company, which will indicate who has been selected for redundancy above and beyond the 6,000 employees who leave the airline today. In one particularly spiteful act, BA is requiring those who leave the company after years of loyal service to sign away their legal rights to challenge their selection or face losing the rights to staff travel, long regarded as an established right for those leaving BA. Unite is continuing to resist compulsory redundancies and has pledged to fight to the end to fend off attacks on pay that could see some staff lose £20,000 from their annual earnings read more
Stop the BA Betrayal! – This groundswell has been mobilised by reps and the campaign #BAbetrayal – a ‘crisis leverage campaign, which is part of Unite’s Leverage strategy. ‘Crisis leverage’ applies many of the same principles and takes a similarly robust, muscular approach but in a much more streamlined, nimble way. In a crisis like the current coronavirus pandemic, with a company behaving like British Airways, we have to move fast and to scale. Find out more and support the #BAbetrayal campaign by Joining the #BAbetrayal Facebook campaign and follow the @BAbetrayal campaign on Twitter. Sign the petition today
Join the Day of Action in support of BA workers called by West London Unite Community branch this Friday – contact branch secretary Raj Gill by phoning 07983977775 or email [email protected]
Unite calls for safety action as extreme heat puts crane drivers at risk (7 Aug) – The extreme heat of recent days could be putting crane drivers at risk their union Unite has warned today (Friday). The construction union is calling for immediate action to be taken to support the workforce, writing to the UK’s largest construction companies to seek assurances that safety measures are in place to ensure that tower crane operators are not being placed at risk due to high temperatures read more
RSPCA using Covid-19 as a ‘woeful’ excuse to sack 279 workers, says Unite (6 Aug) – RSPCA bosses have been accused of using Covid-19 as an excuse to sack 279 workers as part of a jobs’ cull strategy that predates the pandemic, Unite said today (Thursday 6 August). Talks between Unite and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) chief executive Chris Sherwood today saw the union repeat its call for the consultation period, ending today, to be extended so that counter-proposals can be fully considered. Unite said that the RSPCA should be using its £60 million in reserves to cushion the charity, founded in 1824, through the pandemic and safeguard jobs read more
Wrexham Wire administration news “devastating” for workforce and north east Wales (6 Aug) – Unite has today reacted with extreme disappointment that Wrexham Wire, a manufacturer of cold heading wire, has gone into administration with the loss of 80 jobs read more
Diageo workers ‘betrayed’ as drinks giant withholds employee shares (6 Aug) – Unite Scotland has today (6 August) angrily reacted to drinks industry giant Diageo deciding to take the unprecedented decision to withhold shares from the workforce following the announcement of year-end financial results. The ‘Freeshares’ scheme is annually awarded to workers based on company performance read more
‘Shame’ on logistics giant DHL Tradeteam as more than 250 jobs axed at Sheffield and Ebbw Vale (5 Aug) – The decisions to close the Tradeteam Ltd depot in Sheffield and downgrade the site at Ebbw Vale, south Wales with the loss of more than 250 jobs has been branded as ‘shameful’ by Unite today (Wednesday 5 August). Unite accused Tradeteam, part of DHL, the world’s largest logistics company, of taking taxpayer-funded furlough cash, while planning to close the Sheffield site and downgrade Ebbw Vale, which, the union said, was ‘sharp practice; legally correct, but morally bankrupt.’ The Sheffield depot at the Tinsley Industrial Estate officially closes on 14 August when about 200 drivers and warehouse staff will lose their jobs. The customers served from Sheffield include Carlsberg, Coors, Mitchells & Butlers and Whitbread. More than 50 jobs at the Ebbw Vale site are being made redundant, however, due to strong Unite campaigning, a further 13 full-time jobs will be saved as Ebbw Vale becomes an ‘outstation’ and other work is transferred to Swansea read more
Unite Scotland reaction to potential job losses at Johnstons of Elgin (4 Aug) – Unite Scotland has today (4 August) pledged to fight for jobs following an announcement by Johnstons of Elgin that 88 jobs are at risk at the textile firm’s Elgin (65 jobs) and Hawick (23 jobs) sites. Johnstons of Elgin said that it had taken the decision due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business. The firm manufactures and sells cashmere and fine woollens. It employs about 1,000 people read more
‘Unpaid career break’ plan renews call for council leisure services to be taken back ‘in-house’ (4 Aug) – Plans by social enterprise leisure giant Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) for its permanent staff to take an unpaid career break until at least April 2021 has led to renewed calls that its council services are taken back ‘in-house’. The ‘back in-house’ demand has come from Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, which is campaigning for the ‘top five’ local government outsourcers, including GLL, to ‘open the books’ to verify their claims of financial hardship due to Covid-19. Unite estimates that GLL has over 50 local authority contracts and employs 14,000 staff nationally – and that about 70 per cent of these workers are on casual and zero hour contracts. Unite fears that not enough permanent staff will volunteer for the so-called ‘unpaid career break’ and that will mean drastic cutbacks in the work offered to those on casual and zero hour contracts. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Our strong belief is that there will be a lack of permanent staff volunteering, so those on already low-paid zero hour contracts will not be given sufficient work, if any at all…” read more
Unite pay victory for Ford contract cleaners at Dagenham and Dunton (4 Aug) – Cleaners at Ford Dagenham and Ford Dunton Technical Centre have accepted an inflation-busting pay rise of three per cent for 2020, Unite announced today (Tuesday 4 August). The 150 cleaners are employed by Hamton Environmental cleaning contractors and Unite hailed this inflation-busting increase, backdated to 1 January this year, as ‘a significant victory’ read more
As Bristol GKN threatens one in five job losses, Unite calls for all options to save jobs to be considered (3 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is calling on GKN Western Approach to consider all options to eradicate or mitigate proposed job losses at its factory in Bristol as it continues to fight for government support for the hard-hit industry. The company announced today (Monday 3 August) that it is seeking to make 64 workers redundant at the factory, which builds aircraft wings, out of an overall figure of just over 300 – a 20 per cent reduction in staff. The job losses follow a voluntary severance scheme opened by the company earlier this year. Unite is calling on GKN to work with the union to explore all options to preserve jobs, including the possibility of introducing temporary short-term working, in order to preserve as many jobs as possible. As a bottom line, Unite believes that GKN must rule out compulsory redundancies read more
Sign this petition: Reinstatement of Blue Handling employees laid off due to COVID-19 and placed on Furlough
Sign this petition: Please sign and share: Extend the bereaved family payment to UK bus workers now – every bus worker who loses their life because of coronavirus deserves to get the £60,000 life assurance cover alongside NHS and social care staff. Dozens have tragically lost their lives. They are going above and beyond the call of duty. It is only right that their families are given the same financial protections. Help support bus workers and their families. Extend and increase the bereaved family payment now read more
MTVHA – Stop the Sackings! Sign petition: To: Geeta Nanda, Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association – Please cease all compulsory redundancies during the recruitment freeze caused by Coronavirus restrictions which would make it impossible for anyone to find alternative employment read more from Unite Housing Workers branch
Support Westex Carpets staff strike – 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
More PCS
PCS exposes contradictory Covid advice from Boris Johnson and the Cabinet Office (6 Aug) – The union has demanded that the government reinstate home working across the civil service in line with current scientific advice that homeworking has worked well during the ongoing Corona pandemic read more
Joint statement in response to rape and sexual assault allegations made against Conservative MP (5 Aug) – PCS has signed a joint statement calling for the suspension of the unnamed MP arrested on suspicion of rape read more
PCS backs campaign to extend redundancy protections for expectant and new mums (5 Aug) – PCS is endorsing a new joint briefing in support of a parliamentary bill which would give greater protection to expectant and new mums from redundancy at a pivotal time in their lives read more
Tate staff vote for strike action to stop redundancies and save cultural icon (4 Aug) – Workers at the Tate have voted to take strike action to stop job losses and fight for the future of an iconic cultural institution, PCS announced today. Following a high turnout in the strike ballot, more than 100 PCS members could strike in the next few weeks, unless Tate management pledges to protect more than 200 jobs at risk of redundancy. Tate Enterprises, which operates retail, catering and publishing services across the four galleries in London, Liverpool and St Ives, notified staff in mid-June of restructuring plans aimed at saving £1 million this financial year read more
PCS pay petition passes 37000 after two weeks (3 Aug) – Thanks to everyone who has signed and shared our petition for fair pay for UK government workers, you have helped us pass the 37,000 signature mark in the first fortnight. But we need to keep up the pressure so we can force a parliamentary debate when MPs return after their summer break, so please urge family, friends, colleagues and politicians to sign and share our petition read more
Please sign this PCS petition to Save Ealing Tax Office – During this time of national crisis the reliance on hard working, front line, civil servants has increased immeasurably. Government departments have had to act quickly, protect staff and ensure that services can still be provided whilst encouraging staff to work from home where possible. In HMRC over 51,000 members of staff are now working from home with IT equipment enabling them to provide effective advice and services to those affected by Covid-19 as well as continuing to perform the day to day duties of the department. Unfortunately our members based at Ealing Tax Office, although providing vital support and expertise during these difficult times, are facing an increasingly uncertain future with redundancy notices likely to be announced in June as part of HMRC’s controversial ‘Building our Future’ programme. These hard working and dedicated members are fighting to retain their jobs and secure the future of their office, entering into an official dispute with the department, taking part in numerous periods of strike action in recent months. The department have refused to acknowledge the vital role played by this office, the likely impact of losing this community employer as well as the long term impact the loss of over 4000 years of collective experience will have on the functionality of HMRC. During these unprecedented times when the reliance on the civil service has grown substantially, it seems unnecessary that HMRC should continue with its office closure programme and planned redundancies. Now, more than ever, an effective and efficient civil service is needed and our members are showing that, across Government, they can work flexibly at home, outside of the office environment, and continue to provide a high standard of service to the British public. We ask that you sign this eaction to the Chancellor calling on him to intervene urgently, to halt the office closures and redundancies, and consult fully with the union and work to retain the experience and vital knowledge contained within Ealing Tax Office. Support our call to SAVE JOBS, SAVE SERVICES and STOP THE CLOSURES
Support Interserve strikers – Interserve workers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, were on strike for the whole of February. You can support the workers 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
NIPSA
2020-21 NICS Pay Claim Lodged (3 Aug) – The Civil Service Group Executive Committee considered the outcome of the branch consultation exercise on the 2020-21 NICS pay claim. Those branches that were able to consult their members have accepted the recommendation of the Executive Committee and the claim, as set out below has been lodged with Management Side today. The claim is a joint claim lodged on behalf of NIPSA and FDA members. This ensures consistency of approach amongst unions represented in the Central Whitley Non-Industrial Trade Unions negotiating structures read more
GMB
Cash industry facing “death spiral” as cash-in-transit firm announce redundancies (10 Aug) – Union warns 300 redundancies at Loomis latest sign of collapsing cash industry that provides vital lifeline, following G4S job cuts. The UK cash industry faces a “death spiral”, GMB Union has warned, following the announcement of 312 redundancies at cash-in-transit security and ATM servicing company Loomis. The Nottingham-based UK arm of Loomis AB, which is headquartered in Stockholm, announced the jobs across the country – over a fifth of its UK workforce – will go from September read more
Bosses turn up at self-isolating workers’ home and bully her into Covid-19 blood test (6 Aug) – Untrained managers turn up at woman’s home and demand to take her blood – then refuse to show her results. A self-isolating school worker was horrified when bosses from her academy turned up at her home and bullied her into taking a covid-19 blood test read more
It’s time for fair and decent pay for our nurses (4 Aug) – GMB Union express full solidarity with NHS Nurses National action against low pay in the NHS. Nurses pay has been held down for years which is why GMB Union refused to accept the last 3 year pay deal which failed to reward the most experienced nurses in the NHS. There is a far greater public understanding of the key role that nurses and other health workers play due to the coronavirus pandemic read more
Offering £1billion ship contract to overseas bidders ‘cold-hearted betrayal of British workers’ (4 Aug) – GMB, the union for shipbuilders, has called out the Government over its decision to put out a pre contract invitation to overseas shipyards to design and build the FSS programme read more
GMB to ballot 10,000 British Gas and PH Jones members on industrial action (3 Aug) – Members have said they want an insurance policy too now Centrica has threatened them with fire and rehire says GMB. GMB, the energy union, is balloting 10,000 British Gas and PH Jones members on whether they would consider taking industrial action after the company threatened to hire and fire. The consultative postal ballot opens today [August 3, 2020] and closes on August 17, 2020. On June 11, British Gas owners Centrica announced a plan to make another 5,000 staff redundant and make changes to pay and terms and conditions that will have a detrimental effect for most of the 20,000 workers read more
Unison
Support the next Tower Hamlets Unison strike on August 13/14/17 – The NSSN sends our solidarity to Unison members who are striking against attacks on their terms and conditions. is an outrage that a Labour council is using the worst methods of private sector bosses to impose detrimental changes. We also salute the binworkers, mainly in Unite, who refused to cross picket lines. They have recently been on strike themselves against their former employer Veolia before being brought back in-house
Read & Share: Dave Prentis’ letter to John Biggs regarding Tower Rewards
Read more here and on Tower Hamlets UNISON Facebook page and follow @UNISON_TwrHmlts on twitter
Homerton Hospital workers secure living wage and sick pay victory. But outsourced staff still have much to right for, says UNISON (4 Aug) – Homerton Hospital’s cleaners, porters and security staff will be paid the London living wage and NHS sick pay “from day one” of a renewed, five-year contract with facilities firm ISS. However, hospital workers will still not get NHS equivalents for their wages, pensions, overtime or annual leave. Since December 2019, UNISON has been running a campaign alongside GMB to persuade hospital chiefs to bring the outsourced services back in-house, ensuring parity for the lowest-paid key workers read more
Outsourced cleaners at Luton and Dunstable Hospital claim NHS pay victory (4 Aug) – UNISON applauds ‘life-changing improvement for these vital workers’. Hospital cleaners at Luton and Dunstable have won a campaign to be paid NHS rates. The deal will come into effect when private contractor Engie’s contract ends in November. From then on, the workers will enjoy full NHS pay of at least £9.21 an hour, as well as any nationally agreed future rises. Staff have also won improved annual leave and sick pay entitlements read more
UNISON launches campaign to bring Liverpool hospital cleaners, caterers and security guards back in-house (4 Aug) – The UK’s largest trade union launched a campaign yesterday (Monday) to bring all hospital workers within Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust back in-house. Currently, hundreds of hospital cleaners, caterers and security guards working at Aintree University Hospital, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital are employed by private companies. UNISON says that the hospital workers, who are employed by private contractors Compass Medirest, ISS and OCS, are at a disadvantage compared with NHS employees read more
Police unions seek improvement of pay offer (3 Aug) – Employers offer nothing to address ‘the ongoing scandal of low pay in our police forces’, says UNISON. The police staff trade unions – UNISON, Unite and GMB – have agreed to go back to the employers to seek an improvement for low-paid police staff on the current pay offer for 2020 read more
Support teachers and schools staff fighting Tory unsafe re-opening
The NSSN sends our support and solidarity to education workers, their unions and an increasing number of parents as they look to resist the Tory government’s plans to move to a much wider opening of schools in England We believe that this reckless plan is clearly connected to Boris Johnson’s intention to lift the lockdown and get people back to work, before the government get the COVID-19 pandemic under control. They are putting bosses’ profits before the safety of workers, children and their families.
The NSSN supports the fight of teachers, education workers, parents and children for safety along with the many other struggles that are taking place to ensure that the workplace is safe. We argue that we need trade union, workers’ control of workplace safety as we can’t trust the Tory government and their big business backers.
We are happy for teachers, schools staff and parents to use the banner of the NSSN to organise meetings and action against this unsafe re-opening. Email us on [email protected] for more information.
NEU: 5 Tests for Government before schools can re-open – NEU has launched 5 tests for Government before schools can re-open. We believe that these test must be capable of being passed in order to create the necessary confidence amongst parents and staff read more
NEU: EPI school funding analysis (7 Aug)
NEU: Coronavirus: Ofqual arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A-Levels in 2021 (3 Aug)
NASUWT: Teachers not told of coronavirus safety measures (10 Aug)
NASUWT: Safety must be the priority as Scottish schools and colleges prepare to reopen (6 Aug)
Isle of Man NASUWT to continue industrial action (5 Aug)
NASUWT comments on Scottish exam results (4 Aug)
Covid safety breaches at University of Oxford put October reopening plans at risk (3 Aug)
FBU
Firefighters pay tribute to the victims of Beirut explosion (7 Aug) – Firefighters across the UK held a minute’s silence today in honour of the firefighters and people who lost their lives in an explosion in Beirut on Tuesday. Firefighters stood outside of their stations at midday to remember over 149 people who were killed in the tragic incident, which included a crew of firefighters who responded to the initial fire read more
CWU
New Technology outrage as more redundancies are announced (Aug 5) – An already serious redundancy situation in BT Technology took a further turn for the worse this afternoon (Wednesday) with management’s announcement that around 30 more team member grade employees have been added to phase one of the jobs cull. Following on from the division’s announcement on July 22 of 157 redundancies from an in-scope group of 235 Dynamic Infrastructure and Cyber Security employees – most of which currently look certain to be compulsory – management have today revealed that a further 29 employees in Service Platforms ‘Voice’ are to be given their marching orders. Management want some out the door as early as October – following on swiftly from the 157 previously announced job losses – with most of the rest of the 29 going by Christmas and just a small number remaining until either March or June next year read more
NUJ
Welsh democracy put under threat by Reach job cuts, says culture and media committee (10 Aug) – Reach newspaper group, which has announced 580 company-wide redundancies, has been told its plans are “not in the interests of Wales and Welsh democracy” by a Welsh parliament committee read more
PR workers face stress, long hours and abuse during pandemic (10 Aug) – More than three quarters of PR workers have been working longer than usual hours during the pandemic, with almost four out of five feeling more stressed than usual. Two thirds told the NUJ they have suffered abuse or had to deal with abuse because of their employer’s work during the pandemic. The NUJ’s public relations and communications council (PRCC) survey carried out in July found the pandemic has had a significant impact on the work of PR workers, a field of work where many are not union members read more
Former media and culture committee chair and South east MPs ask broadcasting watchdog to check BBC cuts (10 Aug) – Damian Collins, former chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, has sent a letter signed by other MPs in the south, to the broadcasting watchdog over concerns about cuts to regional BBC programming in England read more
Midland newspaper group journalists vote for strike action (7 Aug) – The NUJ chapel at Bullivant Media Limited, formed in June with unanimous membership among editorial staff, voted to go-ahead with a series of strike actions, following a 100 per cent mandate from last month’s ballot. The dispute is over previous unauthorised deductions of salaries, compulsory redundancies and recently imposed working practices read more
Prospect
Sedwill interview demonstrates government hypocrisy on exit payments (10 Aug) – An interview given by outgoing Civil Service boss Sir Mark Sedwill to Civil Service World, in which he defends his £250k exit payment, exposes the hypocrisy of government plans to cap such payments for ordinary civil servants, Prospect have argued read more
Prospect demands MP be suspended from parliament pending rape investigation (5 Aug) – Prospect has joined other unions, rape charities and equality groups in calling for an MP accused of rape to be suspended from Parliament pending police investigation read more
USDAW
Sign the USDAW petition: Prevent Longer Sunday Opening
Mandate
Support striking Debenhams Workers: Email messages of support to Mandate via [email protected]
UVW
A seat at the table is only as powerful as the threat of collective action (Aug 7) – Last week, Ministry of Justice (MoJ) cleaners, security guards and porters voted overwhelmingly in favour of trade union recognition with nearly 70% of worker’s turning out to vote. You might be wondering what recognition means, and why it is important. Union recognition at MoJ, which was won through a statutory ballot administered by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), guarantees our members a seat at the negotiating table. But for UVW recognition is only one tiny tool in a much larger toolbox of tactics, and a tool that we rarely even use. That’s because a seat at the negotiating table is only as effective as our members’ willingness to take meaningful collective action, and so we focus on building workers’ confidence, consciousness and power, without which negotiations would be begging sessions read more
IWGB
IWGB wins worker status and rights for ‘gig economy’ CitySprint couriers once and for all (6 Aug) – the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has claimed victory over CitySprint, having dragged the company back to an employment tribunal for a third time to establish worker status and basic employment rights for five of its members who work for the company. The IWGB argued these couriers were misclassified as independent contractors, rather than limb (b) workers and are consequently entitled to holiday pay read more
Other news
‘The Spirit of ’45’ documentary website – the website for this fantastic anti-austerity film has been updated. For cast/crew information about the movie, where to watch it online and the trailer, please go to https://streamingmoviesright.com/uk/movie/the-spirit-of-45/
Townsend Theatre Productions – See online shows such as The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and We are the Lions about the 1970s Grunwick dispute website here
COVID-19: Demanding a public inquiry – On behalf of the Law Centres Network, with the support from Amnesty International, JCWI, the Monitoring Group and over 70 grassroots organisations, civil society charities and trade unions the Public Interest Law Centre wrote to the Government to demanding an urgent public inquiry into the handling of #COVID19. The letter can be found on this link, but more importantly can you send an email from the page demanding that a public inquiry is arranged in the next three months to learn the lessons in order to learn the lessons of before a suspected second wave. https://pilc.org.uk/campaigns/covid-19-demand-a-public-inquiry/
Join the protests against the killing of George Floyd in the USA
The NSSN sends our deepest sympathy to the family of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis on May 25th. We also send our solidarity to those who have protested in the USA and around the world. NSSN supporters have been at many of the protests that have taken place all around the country. We think trade unions are vital to build workers’ unity at this time.
There are other protests being organised. To find out about others, follow #MarchforFloyd #KneekforFloyd #GeorgeFloyd and #BlackLivesMatter on social media
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Builders Crack: The Movie
In the current situation, this long lost film from the 1990s about rank and file union organising in the construction industry is intended to lift the spirits, but also to spark a debate in our movement. Hope the youngsters in this film put a smile on your face.
Watch – Share – Discuss
Blacklist Support Group
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
Defend Tony Smith Unison Hull – Trade Unionists will be outraged at the dismissal of Tony Smith by an FCC disciplinary hearing. Tony a UNISON activist has been sacked for gross misconduct but in reality he has been victimised for Trade Union activities. All of Tony’s fellow drivers at the FCC waste disposal plant at Willmington agreed that Tony made a correct Health and safety call but this was ignored in a blatant stitch up by management. Tony led the successful strike two years ago which won sick pay rights for 2,500 FCC workers up and down the country. Hull Trades Council will be protesting outside the site and we will be trying to organise more extensive action to coincide with Tony’s appeal. Please send messages of support to Tony Smith C/O Hull City UNISON, Town Hall Chambers 39, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull HU1 2AG or email via [email protected]
Mike Whale Chair Hull Trades Council
PCS: Trade unionists asked to send solidarity to PCS rep dismissed after blowing the whistle (25 July) – Trade unionists are being urged to send solidarity messages to a PCS rep dismissed after whistleblowing at the Department of Work and Pensions. Enrico La Rocca, who had worked for the DWP for more than 27 years, lost his job in May after highlighting serious concerns with management over a number of years. His complaints resulted in questions being asked about the department’s handling of Carer’s Allowance overpayments by the National Audit Office (NAO) and raised by in a Work and Pensions Select Committee report read more from Union News
RMT: SUSPENSION OF RMT REPRESENTATIVES, FRATTON – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY – Following my previous Circular (IR/171/20) dated 14th May 2020, as you are aware, two of our representatives, Mark Gamble and Brian Perren, were suspended from duty using unscrupulous charges. South Western Railway’s actions throughout this dispute have been appalling. The company have clearly targeted our members as they are hardworking and effective representatives. The callous action of South Western Railway has been abhorrent from the very start of this dispute. Our members recently had their disciplinary hearings and after successful representation Brother Brian Perren has been reinstated to his substantive role. However, Mark has been left in limbo by the company and still faces these ridiculous charges. This means that the ballot that was due to close today (4th June) has been cancelled. As one of our members has been reinstated, this changes the basis of the original ballot. Unfortunately, because of the anti-trade union laws we would not have been able to use any mandate we received from this ballot. Therefore, we have to run a fresh ballot and this will be to continue to defend our suspended Brother Mark Gamble. The National Executive Committee has considered this matter and has congratulated our members and all those who assisted Brian in proving his innocence and ensuring he is reinstated to his substantive role. The NEC has also instructed me to run a fresh ballot in defense of our Brother Mark Gamble who still remains suspended. It is incredibly disappointing that the company has failed to see sense and instead have chosen to drag on an unnecessary dispute. It is disgraceful that Mark remains suspended and we have no choice but to stand shoulder to shoulder and defy SWR’s callous and distasteful decision. I have written to the company today to advise them of this union’s position and they have been left in no doubt that we will not allow them to pursue outrageous charges against our from democratically elected representatives (from RMT general secretary Mick Cash)
Clara Paillard PCS victory – We are delighted to announce that the threat of dismissal has been lifted and Clara, PCS president in the Culture sector, is ‘back at work’ (although from home during the current pandemic).
Reinstate Percy Yunganina UVW union – Percy is a cleaner at King’s college with 5 years on the job, and a UVW executive committee member, who’s just been sacked after a disciplinary hearing he refused to attend due to observing the government’s social distancing guidelines but which King’s College proceeded with anyway in his absence without even letting him know or inviting him to attend via phone. The hearing would have had 8 people cramped together in a small room in complete disregard of the government’s instructions about social distancing. Percy has explained the reaons for not attending and asked for the decision to be overturned and the hearing to be reconvened via phone or in person after Lockdown. However, King’s have scandalously refused this request and have insisted on upholding his dismissal which now leaves Percy out of work and out of pocket in the middle of a pandemic! He will formally appeal but it could take months to hear and deliver an outcome. We will also take King’s to tribunal but that could take over a year. This is utterly shameless conduct by King’s HR team, led by Nigel Smith, the Head of People Services. They need to be held to account. Everyone deserves the right to a fair hearing and should not have that right denied them for respecting the government’s public health guidelines about social distancing. Please repost this and write to Nigel Smith at the following address telling him to reinstate Percy – [email protected]
Sign the petition: Reinstate Ezra Christian RMT – We, the undersigned, are appalled at the treatment and summary dismissal of our Bakerloo Line colleague Ezra Christian. Ezra has been treated very harshly and does not deserve to be sacked. We call on London Underground to do the right thing in this case and Reinstate Ezra back into London Underground Employment immediately
Reinstate Clive Walder Unite: the campaign continues – Unfortunately, we have to inform you that the appeal by Unite against Clive’s dismissal by National Express in Birmingham was unsuccessful. In the hearing on 5 March, the company downgraded his offence from gross misconduct to misconduct and altered the penalty from summary dismissal to dismissal with four weeks’ notice. We believe dismissal is totally disproportionate and Clive should be reinstated. Clive and his union Unite the union will shortly decide the next steps in his campaign against his sacking. Clive would like to thank all those who have expressed solidarity with him, including supporters of the National Shop Stewards Network who took part in the protest leafleting of his workplace before the appeal hearing. It was successful enough for National Express to report it to the Unite full time official. Please continue to send protest emails to [email protected]. The NSSN has produced a flyer which can be downloaded and printed off to give to National Express employees and customers in support of Clive. We are appealing to our supporters to take photos of any solidarity protests and post on social media
Support Danyal Aziz Unite – Daniel was a Unite rep at London City Airport, who was recently sacked. Labour MP Sam Tarry has tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion in support of Danyal. Email your local MP to get them to sign the EDM
Defend Paul Williams PCS – Stop the victimisation of senior PCS rep Paul Williams – Paul Williams has a long and proud history of defending his colleagues at the Department for Transport, and predecessor departments, for nearly 40 years but as a result of his union activities is facing compulsory redundancy even though there are vacancies at his grade read more
Support Tony Smith Unison – Tony Smith one of the leaders of the successful FCC dispute which won sick pay for nearly 2,500 workers is being victimised. charged with gross misconduct over health and safety charges, his hearing is on Thursday. Please send messages of support to Hull Trades Council c/o [email protected]
Sign the petition: Reinstate UNISON rep Peter Moorhead and stop victimising trade unionists at Alternative Futures Group (AFG)
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!
Defend Moe Unite – support Moe Muhsin Manir, a hardworking Unite rep on London buses, working for Abellio. We are delighted to report that Moe is back at work. We will keep everyone up to date on any developments. Moe would like to thank everyone who sent support and solidarity.
Guardian: Ricky Tomlinson’s criminal convictions to be re-examined
Appeal court to look again at case of Royle Family actor after claims he may have been unjustly jailed
The criminal convictions of actor Ricky Tomlinson, who starred in the TV comedy the Royle Family, are to be re-examined by appeal court judges after an official body suggested he may have been unjustly jailed. Tomlinson and other trade unionists have been campaigning for years to clear their names after they were jailed during a strike in the 1970s. On Tuesday, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the public body that scrutinises alleged miscarriages of justice, announced it had asked the court of appeal to review the cases of Tomlinson and others. Tomlinson, 80, said it was “good news” and an opportunity to prove that he and 23 other men were prosecuted in what amounted to a politically motivated attack on the trade union movement by the government, police and managers read more in Guardian
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
International
Huge strike wave hits Iranian energy sector read more
Diary
2020
September 13 – NSSN TUC Rally 1pm Facebook event
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
