The summer strikes are hotting up as workers hit back against the cost of living squeeze.
Alongside the growing number of localised disputes, transport workers in the RMT, ASLEF, TSSA and Unite are stepping up their national struggle in a week of strike action. A week later, the CWU will kick off national strike action by its members across Royal Mail, BT and the Post Office over 6 days. On 31st August, 155,000 CWU members will walk out together in Royal Mail and BT. Disputes are blowing up on a weekly basis, many of them resulting in significant gains.
In addition, nearly 2,000 dockers at Felixstowe are about to strike – the port through which almost half of the UK’s containers are transported. Last Wednesday, thousands of construction workers under the NAECI agreement, working as contractors at sites such as oil refineries and power stations, walked off the job to demand the pay rise they need and deserve. On top of these, public sector unions are preparing for national strike ballots in the autumn.
All this represents a step change in the level of action. The unions are becoming a pole of attraction to working-class people, desperate to keep a roof over their heads, worried how they’ll keep the lights and heating on in the winter and the fans running right now.
No wonder that thousands of non-unionised Amazon workers have joined the strike wave and walked off the job when one of the biggest companies in the world ‘offered’ them the pay insult of a pay rise between 35p and 50p per hour! This predominately young workforce of up to 75,000 are learning the reality that workers are more powerful if they are organised by being brought into the trade union movement and take action together.
And that is the case for all workers, particularly the 6½ million already in the unions. On picket line after picket line, workers agree with the idea of striking together. They know that the Tories are in crisis and on the ropes but the knockout punch has to be delivered.
That’s why the National Shop Stewards Network rally and lobby of TUC Congress on 11th September in Brighton is so important. Join the lobby – send the message to the union leaders: co-ordinate the action. There will be a rally in the Holiday Inn Hotel and then a march to lobby TUC Congress delegates at the Brighton Centre.
Fight the Tory pay insult: Come to the NSSN TUC Congress Rally & Lobby #StrikeTogether – 1pm Sunday 11th September Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront Facebook event – speakers confirmed so far: Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Ian Lawrence NAPO General Secretary, Brighton Trades Union Council
Please support this model motion and take it to your union branch and trades council and support the NSSN rally and lobby in Brighton:-
“This (union branch/trades council) gives our full support to workers being forced to take strike action against their employers backed by the Tory government. The cost of living crisis, fire and rehire tactics and other attacks by employers in pursuit of maintaining profits at our expense all mean workers are uniting to fight back.
We will continue to give our solidarity, building practical and financial support to all striking workers. The increasing number of disputes shows the immense power of workers. If unions act together, significant victories can be won. We also oppose the Tories’ threats to introduce further anti-union legislation to the raft of undemocratic restrictions already in existence and call on the TUC to co-ordinate opposition.
We call on unions in struggle to urgently come together to discuss and formulate a strategy to co-ordinate industrial action ballots and strikes.
We therefore agree to build the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 11 September behind this call.”
Please let us know if your union branch/trades council supports our rally and we’ll add to our list of supporting union organisations.
If you want to attend the NSSN TUC Rally and need transport and/or you want leaflets and posters to give out, email us via [email protected]. To make a donation to the NSSN and/or get your union branch/trades council to affiliate for an annual fee of £50, either make a cheque out to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE or pay online: HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Watch the video of the NSSN Conference platform speakers here
Leicester NSSN Meeting: Building Solidarity, Striking Together – Tuesday 23rd August 7pm Secular Hall Humberstone Gate Leicester LE1 1WB
BREAKING NEWS!! TUC rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 19th October against the cost of living crisis Unison website NAPO website
CWU strikes back
Post Office strike – three new days of action announced for August (Aug 12) – Everybody out Friday 26th, Crown Office staff walk again on 27th, Supply Chain & Admin resume their action on 30th as pay fight escalates. Post Office workers will take their fourth round of industrial action at the end of this month, with a strike that coincides with the first walkout of the CWU’s Royal Mail members on Friday 26th August. Some 2,000 Crown Office, Supply Chain and Admin grades workers will stop work for the day, as around 115,000 postmen and women from all parts of the UK begin their action – both strikes in pursuit of a fair pay rise for hard-working and dedicated staff CWU serve notice of 2nd strike ballot over Royal Mail management’s change proposals (20 July) read more
Notice served for second round of national BT Group strike action (Aug 12) – Around 40,000 BT Group workers will hold their second two-day strike against real-term pay cuts on Tuesday August 30 and Wednesday August 31 following management’s failure to take up the union’s offer of serious talks to end the dispute. This afternoon – two weeks to the day after the first national strike in BT since 1987 ended a 35-year run of industrial peace at the telecommunications and broadband giant – the CWU served formal legal notice of the two consecutive days of industrial action which will take place directly after the August bank holiday weekend. The move comes amid a groundswell of mainstream political support that manifested itself at picket lines during the first two strike days, with dozens of Labour politicians – national as well as local – turning out to support CWU protests outside more than 200 BT Group sites the length and breadth of the country read more
BT pay dispute: Avalanche of political support for striking workers as union considers next steps (Aug 11) – Members across BT Group are being urged to write to their local MPs, expressing their anger and frustration at the double standards of a hugely profitable company that is imposing real-term pay cuts on frontline employees while splashing out hundreds of millions on shareholder dividends. The move comes amid a groundswell of mainstream political support that has manifested itself at picket lines across the country. Numerous Labour MPs have publicly demonstrated their solidarity with striking BT and Openreach employees despite the party leadership’s confused position on industrial action at a time of an ever-deepening cost of living crisis. Undeterred by Keir Starmer’s controversial sacking of ex-shadow transport minister Sam Tarry following media appearances at a RMT picket line last month, dozens of Labour politicians – national as well as local – turned out to support CWU protests outside more than 200 BT Group sites the length and breadth of the country on Friday July 29 and Monday August 1. What started with Jeremy Corbyn’s, John McDonnell’s and Sam Tarry’s defiant riposte to the Party leadership at the BT Tower picket line on the first day of industrial action mushroomed into a heartfelt outpouring of support from a raft of MPs from every wing of the party read more. The next CWU strikes in BT and Openreach will be on 30th and 31st August – the first day co-ordinated with CWU members in the Post Office and the second with those in Royal Mail
Royal Mail strike – mobilising our Divisions across the UK (Aug 10) – ‘We’re battle ready’ is the immediate response from CWU reps from all corners of the UK, as union prepares for biggest strike of the summer. Around 115,000 postal workers have been called out for four days – Friday 26th and Wednesday 31st August and then Thursday 8th and Friday 9th September – in what will be the largest action of this 2022’s Hot Strike Summer. As soon as the action was announced yesterday evening – by our general secretary Dave Ward and deputy general secretary postal Terry Pullinger – CWU reps all around the country got busy mobilizing and setting plans in place for the battle ahead read more
Virgin Media O2 pay talks continue (Aug 9) – CWU working with VM02 to help tackle impact of soaring inflation, after union highlights members’ cost-of-living concerns. “We’re extremely keen to progress this pay conversation as quickly as possible, as our members need more money now and we’ll continue our efforts to seek a fair outcome that alleviates the worsening financial pressures on hard-working employees,” stresses CWU national officer for VMO2, Tracey Fussey. Hundreds of members work for VM02 mostly at sites in Lancashire (Preston Brook, Runcorn) and West Yorkshire (Arlington, Leeds), as well as in retail roles at the company’s many stores throughout the UK read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Dangerous new twist to Capita VMO2/Tesco Mobile pay impasse as mass meeting looms (Aug 16) – An already serious disagreement on pay for members of the Capita VMO2 and Tesco Mobile Partnerships has taken a marked turn for the worse just hours before an online mass meeting of members. That meeting – which will commence at 6.30pm tonight (Tuesday) - had been timetabled to mark the start of a consultative ballot on a 4% ‘final’ pay offer that the union believes is ‘derisory’ given spiralling inflation and an ever-deepening cost of living crisis read more
Enough is Enough launch rally will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 17 August at The Clapham Grand, St John’s Hill, London SW11 1TT. People can also join the campaign via the Enough is Enough website
Protest the Tory Party Conference – 2 Oct, 1pm, Victoria Square, Birmingham
National Demonstration – 5 Nov 2022, London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
Support the rail strikes
Donate to the RMT National Dispute Fund
RMT PICKET LINE DETAILS 18 – 20 AUGUST
RMT responds to Grant Shapps (13 Aug) – “Instead of sitting down with RMT and the rail industry to find a negotiated settlement to this dispute, Mr Shapps has politically interfered to prevent a deal. Responding to a national newspaper interview with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch: “Grant Shapps is a dreadful minister who is continuing his dereliction of duty by issuing idol threats, against railway workers, all for the sake of trying to save his fledging political career…” read more
RMT seeks urgent meeting over Avanti crisis (8 Aug) – RMT seeks urgent meeting with Transport Secretary over Avanti crisis. Avanti West Coast have drastically reduced their timetable including temporarily suspending ticket sales and only running four trains an hour from London Euston, one to each of Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. The company has also made unsubstantiated allegations of unofficial strike action by staff, something that RMT and other unions strongly deny read more
Join the rally – save London’s public transport. Event date: Wednesday, 31st of August ’22. Dear colleague, PUBLIC RALLY: SAVE LONDON’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT – Resist the managed decline of services, jobs and conditions, 7pm, Wednesday 31st August, Conway Hall, London, WC1R 4RL. London’s public transport system has been under sustained attack since the Covid pandemic exposed the fallacy of attempting to fund a public service out of fare revenue. The Tory government has exploited the collapse of Transport for London’s finances to launch an assault on the pay, pensions, jobs and working conditions of London’s transport workers and it seems intent on driving the managed decline of our public transport system. We will not let them do this. London Underground workers are fighting back against attempts to make them pay the price of this crisis. London’s bus workers are campaigning against swingeing cuts to services. Other workers are joining the struggle. RMT is hosting a rally of unions involved in this struggle, open to passengers and the public at Conway Hall in central London on 31st August at 7pm. Please bring this rally to the attention of your members, come along yourselves and bring branch banners
Michael Lynch RMT General Secretary
RMT: Strike action on Tube to go ahead (2 Aug) – Strike action on the Tube and Overground to go ahead on 19 August. Transport workers on the London Underground and Overground network will take 24-hour strike action in separate disputes on August 19th. Tube workers have been locked in a dispute over attacks to pensions and jobs for over 6 months while Overground workers employed by Arriva Rail London will strike over pay. TfL’s have refused to share details of a draft government proposal they received regarding funding of the transport system in the capital, in secret and without any discussion with their recognised trade unions read more
RMT: National rail strikes set for 18 and 20 August (14 July) – RMT will take a further 2 days strike action this Summer in a row over job security, pay and working conditions. The strikes on August 18 and 20, will bring out over 40,000 workers across Network Rail and 14 train operating companies. RMT is also taking 24 hours strike action on 27 July read more
ASLEF: Strikes on Saturday 13th August (12 Aug) – Train drivers belonging to ASLEF – the train drivers’ trade union which represents 96% of the train drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales – will strike tomorrow [Saturday 13 August] at nine train companies in Britain. We announced the one day strike after the companies failed to make a pay offer to help our members keep up with the increase in the cost of living. Mick Whelan, ASLEF’s general secretary, said: ‘We don’t want to go on strike – strikes are always a last resort – but the companies, and the government, have, I’m afraid, forced our hand…” read more
ASLEF Letter to Grant Shapps (10 Aug) – General Secretary Mick Whelan has written to Grant Shapps following his claims that ASLEF members have taken ‘unofficial strike action’ on Avanti West Coast. As we have repeatedly confirmed, this is not the case read more
TSSA accuses Avanti of “dereliction of duty” (12 Aug) – TSSA condemned Avanti West Coast for “misleading passengers”. TSSA today (Friday) condemned Avanti West Coast for “misleading passengers” after the train operator inaccurately blamed unions for their spate of service cancellations, with the union calling on the train operator to “stop fibbing and recruit more staff”. TSSA has accused Avanti of failing to fill staff vacancies and instead relying on staff working overtime to run core services. The union is speaking out after Avanti suspended ticket sales for travel from Sunday 14 August until 11 September while a new schedule is finalised and publicly blamed industrial action for train cancellations, despite no action taking place during the period they made the allegation read more
TSSA ballots South Western Railway members for strike action (11 Aug) – TSSA has served notice today (Thursday) to ballot hundreds of staff for strike action and action short of strike at train operator South Western Railway (SWR) in a dispute over pay, conditions and job security. The ballot relates to the escalating dispute across the railway. Notice to ballot was given after the company informed TSSA that they have no mandate from the Department for Transport (DfT) to make any offer which would address the concerns raised in the dispute. TSSA represents members working on stations, on-board trains, admin staff, supervisors, managers and controllers. TSSA is demanding a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for 2022, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which reflects the rising cost of living. Ballot papers are set to be dispatched Thursday 18 August with the ballot closing on 8 September 2022. Members are being asked to cast two votes: one on strike action, another on action short of strike read more
TSSA announces Network Rail strike dates for August – TSSA has announced that members at Network Rail (NR) will take strike action later this month. Rail union TSSA has announced that members at Network Rail (NR) will take strike action later this month in their dispute over pay, job security and conditions. The walkouts by thousands of members in General Grades and Controllers will take place on Thursday 18 and Saturday 20 August after the union formally served notice to NR. This comes amid a summer of industrial action on the railways, with the dates of strike action in NR aligning with those the union is also taking at Avanti West Coast, c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, LNER and Southeastern. Notice was served to NR after the union asked for clear assurances and clarity on job security and working practices. No such assurances were forthcoming and 14 days’ notice, required by law, has now been given read more read more
TSSA members to strike across railways – TSSA has today served notice for strike action and action short of strike in 11 train operating companies in an industry-wide dispute over pay, job security and conditions. Thousands of rail workers spanning station staff, operational, maintenance, supervisory and management staff, will take part in industrial action on 18 and 20 August. This is the first rail-industry wide industrial action taken by TSSA in more than a generation, demonstrating the strength of feeling over pay and job security as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. Strike action will be taken on 18 and 20 August in: Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER, and Southeastern. Action short of strike will be taken in: West Midlands Trains, Northern, Greater Anglia, TransPennine Express and Southeastern. Check the details of types of industrial action short of strike and specific times and dates for each company in this post
Unite: London transport strikes escalate with 1,100 TfL and Tube Unite members joining August strike (11 Aug) – Pay freeze last year and 3% offer this year provokes action. More than 1,000 TfL and London Underground (LU) workers will take strike action to defend pay, pensions and jobs on Friday 19 August. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will go on strike at the same time as their colleagues in other unions employed on the underground and overground. More than 1,600 Unite members employed by the London United bus company will also stage pay strikes over the same period. Unite’s TfL and LU members are striking over a lack of a pay rise for 2021, a three per cent offer for 2022, cuts to their pensions and a lack of guarantees over job security read more
Unite members at Network Rail join rail strikes over pay – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Network Rail as electric control room operatives, will join other rail unions in taking strike action on Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August. The electric control room operatives play a crucial role as they are responsible for managing and controlling the power supply to the rail network read more
There are a number of strike solidarity rallies and protests being organised around the country by the rail and transport unions, trades councils and campaigning organisations. Some of them are below. We’ll keep adding events as we get more info of them. Send us details of any events you know about:-
Wimbledon – Thursday 18th August, 12noon South London Irish Association, RMT Wimbledon defend rail jobs, pay and conditions
Liverpool – Saturday 20th August, 11am Derby Square for march to Plateau – Enough is Enough!
Sheffield – Saturday 20th August, 11am Sheffield Railway Station for Solidarity March & Rally – Enough is Enough!
Swansea – Saturday 20th August, 1pm Big Screen, Castle Square March and Rally – Support the Strikes – We all deserve a pay rise!
Cardiff – Saturday 20th August, 12noon, outside Central Library – Strike Solidarity Rally
Oxford – Saturday 20th August, 11am Oxford railway station RMT + TSSA + Unite Strike Rally
Plymouth – Saturday 20th August, 11.30am Plymouth Guildhall for Safety, Pay and Strikes Solidarity March
London – Saturday 20th August, 11am from Harrington Square (Mornington Crescent Tube station) – Stop the Bus Cuts
Support the Amazon sit-in strikes!
NSSN sends our solidarity to workers at Amazon sites across the country who have been taking action over the last two weeks against the insulting pay offer. Our supporters have taken our support to Amazon warehouses. This is yet another stage of the growing strike wave, bringing into the struggle new layers of workers. It is more confirmation that if workers act collectively and are organised in trade unions, they have the power to win victories. Keep up to date by following ‘amazon walk outs’ @Walkout20201 on Twitter
GMB: Amazon workers stage Bristol canteen sit in protest over pay (11 Aug) – After walkouts and slowdown work at warehouses, protests continue to spread across the country. Bristol Amazon warehouse sees further worker protests over pathetic pay offer, GMB announces today (Thursday). At the site, where management have erected new fencing around the perimeter in the last days, workers staged canteen sit ins. The current 35p per hour offer from Amazon is worth just £10 per week for the average worker. GMB submitted a formal pay claim to the company (Tuesday), asking for a real terms rise. In the letter submitted on behalf of members across the country, GMB is asking for talks on pay – facilitated by the government arbitration service ACAS. The move is also a step towards having a formal industrial relationship between the multinational and the trade union GMB read more
Amazon worker protests continue over pathetic pay offer (8 Aug) – Workers at range of warehouses are doing “slowdown work”. Worker protests are continuing across the country, GMB says today (Friday). Protests where workers slow down their work to one package an hour – so they are still paid – are happening in a range of depots. These include Tilbury, Dartford, Belvedere, Hemel Hempstead, Chesterfield. Wednesday and Thursday workers downed tools in the Tilbury depot over a 35p pay offer. Protests were also reported in a range of other sites. Workers are seeking a £2ph rise to better match the demands of the role and cope with the cost of living crisis. Steve Garelick, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the planet. They made a fortune through the pandemic when people were unable to shop on the High Street. Now, with household costs spiralling, the least they can do is offer their workers decent pay…” read more
Unite Supports Amazon walkouts at Tilbury: demands union protection for workers (5 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has today (Friday 5 August) joined Amazon workers who are taking action at Tilbury distribution centre over an insulting 35p an hour pay offer. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has renewed calls for union protection so Amazon workers can secure the pay rise they deserve. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said: “Unite will stand with any Amazon worker who takes action against this insulting 35p pay offer. Across the country workers are taking action and winning the proper pay rises they deserve. Workers at Amazon – one of the wealthiest companies on earth – deserve nothing less.” “This brave action shows why Amazon workers need a collective voice of their own. It’s time this company came to the table and agreed union protection and a proper pay deal for these workers” read more
GMB: Amazon workers walkout over pathetic pay offer (4 Aug) – Workers at warehouse in Tilbury, Essex walkout over poor pay offer. Last night and today (Wednesday and Thursday) workers downed tools in the depot over a 35p pay offer. Workers are seeking a £2ph rise to better match the demands of the role and cope with the cost of living crisis. Steve Garelick, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “Amazon is one of the most profitable companies on the planet. With household costs spiralling, the least they can do is offer decent pay. Amazon continues to reject working with trade unions to deliver better working conditions and fair pay. Their repeated use of short-term contracts is designed to undermine worker’s rights. The image the company likes to project, and the reality for their workers could not be more different. They need to drastically improve pay and working conditions” read more
Construction workers action – action started at NAECI sites last Wednesday over pay, with thousands taking action. Without resolution, there will be further action every second Wednesday there after
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.
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]
Union News
RMT
RMT marks two years since Carmont tragedy (12 Aug) – On the two year anniversary of the Carmont rail tragedy, Network Rail is “dragging its feet dangerously” on key safety recommendations, the country’s largest rail union RMT has warned today. Despite the Rail Accident Investigation Branch making 20 recommendations in March earlier this year to improve safety when it reported into the causes of the tragedy, they have not been implemented read more
Hitachi rail workers to strike – Hitachi rail workers will strike for 3 days from tomorrow (1 Aug) in a row over pay and conditions. Hitachi rail workers will strike for 3 days from tomorrow in a row over pay and conditions. RMT members are seeking an agreement in line with Hitachi members in Doncaster and Hitachi North Pole maintenance which secures a deal on breaks, leave entitlement, shift length and pay. However during negotiations, Hitachi Rail who had offered a 7.5% pay rise, then decided to withdraw paid meal breaks and a reduction in the working week elements of the offer. They then reinstated them at an avoidance of dispute meeting, but insisted on a reduction in annual leave, with some members facing the prospect losing over 100 paid hours. RMT members had rejected the package because it was inferior to deals done on Doncaster and North Pole read more
ASLEF
Stonehaven Second Anniversary (12 Aug) – Today [Friday 12 August] we mark the second anniversary of the tragic accident at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire in which three people lost their lives after a landslip onto the railway line caused a train to derail read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Strikes at Merseyside glassmaker Pilkington suspended following improved pay offer (16 Aug) – Strikes by glassmakers employed at the Pilkington factory in St Helens have been suspended following an improved pay offer from the company, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday 16 August). Strikes due to take place between 17 August and 23 August have been postponed to allow the workers to vote on the new offer. If the offer is rejected, further strike action by the more than 170 workers – including production operators, warehouse staff, engineers and technicians – will be scheduled read more
Chester company supplying Airbus and Magellan Aerospace faces strikes (16 Aug) – Metal Improvement Company has massive profits but offers workers a real terms pay cut. Skilled workers, based in Broughton in Chester, supplying manufacturers including Airbus, will take a series of one day strikes in a dispute over pay beginning tomorrow (17 August). The company, which produces coatings to protect a range of components for the aerospace industry, made pre-tax profits of £36.2 million in 2021, a 26 per cent increase on the previous year. But the company is offering workers a pay deal which significantly falls behind inflation. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This specialist manufacturing company has the financial resources to support its workforce with a pay deal which keeps up with inflation. “The workers have Unite’s full support. They deserve a fair pay deal which protects their incomes and recognises the contribution the workers have made to this successful business.” More than 40 workers employed by the Metal Improvement Company (MIC) will take a series of one day strikes on 17, 24 and 31 August after a 100 per cent vote in favour of strike action read more
Unite statement on record fall in UK wages (16 Aug) – Commenting on the record three per cent fall in wages in real terms for UK workers, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This record fall in real wages demonstrates the vital need for unions like Unite to defend the value of workers’ pay. It also underlines the fact that – as we have said many times – wages are not driving inflation. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to defend jobs, pay and conditions during this cost-of-living crisis.”
Unite secures thousands of British Airways staff average 13% pay rise (15 Aug) – Union chief, Sharon Graham, says new deal ‘goes some way’ to restore rewards to pre-pandemic levels. The increased 2022 pay offer arose after Unite backed industrial action for check-in staff and a deal for them was agreed after tough negotiations. In welcoming the deal – overwhelmingly backed by BA staff – union chief, Sharon Graham, said BA still have “a long way to go to restore the trust and confidence” of its workforce read more
Liverpool docks braced for disruption after MDHC port operatives overwhelming strike vote (15 Aug) – Vote comes as separate strike ballot of MDHC maintenance engineers opens. More than 500 port operatives will strike over an ‘inadequate’ seven per cent pay offer, which Unite, the UK’s leading union, said is a real terms pay cut. In a ballot with an 88 per cent turnout, 99 per cent voted for strike action. The strikes, the dates of which have not yet been set, will bring Liverpool container port, one of the largest in the country, ‘grinding to a halt’. MDHC, which made more than £30 million in profits in 2021, is owned by the Peel Group – based in the Isle of Man tax haven. The group’s majority owner is UK tycoon John Whittaker, who is worth more than £1.4 billion and is also based in the Isle of Man. The Australian investment fund, Australian Super, is the group’s second largest investor read more
Unite rejects ‘paltry’ COSLA pay offer as waste strikes set to start (15 Aug) – Edinburgh waste workers walk-out on Thursday. Unite the union can confirm that its representative committee involving local government workers formally rejected the latest COSLA pay offer today (15 August). Unite said that the 3.5 per cent offer announced by COSLA on Friday (12 August) was ‘nowhere near good enough’ which is also a position supported by several council leaders including those in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The formal rejection comes as strike action is set to begin this Thursday (18 August) in Edinburgh. It will end in the capital city on 30 August the day following the end of the Edinburgh International and Fringe festivals. It is estimated that around 250 Unite members based in Edinburgh will participate in the ‘first wave’ of strike action. Unite will be the largest trade union in terms of members involved in this initial phase of council strike action to hit all waste services read more
Waste workers in 15 Scottish councils to walk-out over ‘pitiful’ pay offer (10 Aug) – Waste workers strike escalates as Unite announces second wave of council strike action. Unite the union can confirm today (10 August) that its members across all waste services in 15 councils are to walk-out in response to a ‘pitiful’ 2 per cent local government pay offer. The days of strike action will begin on 24 August and end on 31 August. It is estimated that around 1,500 Unite members across 15 councils will join their colleagues in City of Edinburgh Cleansing and participate in the second wave of strike action. Unite will be the only union involved in this phase of council strike action. The second wave of strike dates to hit all waste services in councils forms the next phase of a coordinated campaign to persuade the Scottish Government and COSLA to make a decent pay offer read more
Historic Merseyside glassmaker Pilkington hit by pay strikes (15 Aug) – Pilkington owners NSG sitting on hundreds of millions but offer workers real terms pay cut. Glassmakers employed at the Pilkington factory in St Helens will take strike action over pay from 17 August to 23 August, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday 15 August). More than 170 workers, including production operators, warehouse staff, engineers and technicians, have rejected a five per cent pay offer. With the real rate of inflation (RPI) running at 11.8 per cent, this a pay cut in real terms. Pilkington, which was founded 1826, is owned by the Japan-based Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG) Group. NSG’s financial reports for 2021/22 show it had a free cash flow of £134 million and made profits of £25 million read more
Unite response to Labour energy proposals (15 Aug) – Unite Chief, Sharon Graham: “The case is being made before our own eyes that selling off our energy sector to the private profiteers has ended in tears. A piecemeal approach won’t work.” Sharon Graham added: “Only days ago BP announced that in April to June this year it had made almost £7 billion profits. On the same day it was being openly contemplated that household energy bills in the UK could rise to £3,600 a year. Labour’s new plans – although a step forward from what’s been proposed until now – only address the second part of this dichotomy. Not the first. “These figures prove that the British economy does not work for workers and their families. Britain’s real crisis isn’t rising prices – it’s an epidemic of unfettered profiteering. Energy firms, like Scottish Power, owned by Spain’s Iberdrola, or the French state-owned EDF, own huge swathes of our energy supply. It seems that public ownership is only to be heralded as long as it is not the British people doing the owning”
Premier Periclase: Government must intervene to save jobs (15 Aug) – Spiralling energy costs driving closure of Drogheda magnesia plant. Energy Support Taskforce urgently needed. Trade unions Unite and Connect, which represent workers at the Drogheda magnesia plant Premier Periclase, have written to the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar, asking him intervene to help save jobs at the plant. The unions’ request follows a decision by the new owners to close the plant read more
Harrods ‘first employer’ to threaten staff with new law allowing agency workers to break strikes (13 Aug) – Threat comes as around 150 staff ballot for strike action over ‘pay cut disguised as a rise’. Ahead of an industrial action ballot, luxury department store, Harrods, gave notice to key staff grades threatening to use new laws to break possible strikes. A letter sent 8 August to staff working in store services, engineering, maintenance and security, states: “Recent legislative changes relating to the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations now allows agencies to provide temporary workers to perform duties normally performed by a worker who is on strike. We are therefore no longer restricted from engaging temporary workers should any industrial action take place now or in the future” read more
NHS Scotland workers reject real terms pay cut (12 Aug) – Thousands of Unite members prepared to strike for a better deal. Unite the union has confirmed today (12 August) that its NHS membership has rejected the Scottish Government’s 5 per cent pay offer, and voted to take strike action in a consultative ballot. By 89 per cent, thousands of Unite members who work in every pay band across the entire NHS voted to reject the current pay offer. 77 per cent also indicated that they would be prepared to take industrial action up to and including strike for a better wage deal from the Scottish Government. Unite has repeatedly stated that the current 5 per cent pay offer was unacceptable to its NHS membership as it represents a significant real-terms pay cut when the broader cost of living has hit a forty-year high of 11.8 per cent. We will now prepare our Industrial Action process over the next couple of weeks read more
Arriva bus workers in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire to strike over pay (12 Aug) – Around 900 bus workers at German-owned giant to strike over ‘pay cut dressed up as a rise’. Staff voted to strike after Arriva, whose UK bus division has paid a total of £560 million to parent company Deutsche Bahn during the last ten years, offered a ‘strings attached’ pay deal. Arriva is offering drivers, admin staff, engineers, cleaners and shunters pay rises of between four per cent and six per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, running at 11.8 per cent, Unite says this is a real terms pay cut. Furthermore, tied to the pay offer for drivers is a reduction of 16.6 per cent in overtime rates and an end to paid time for compulsory duties outside of driving, such as travelling to a bus stop to pick up a bus mid-route. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arriva must improve this pay cut dressed up as a rise. It is a particularly bad deal for drivers because it has strings attached that will actually drive down their wages even further. “I have been very clear that our members’ jobs, pay and conditions are Unite’s top priority. We will not let employers, such as Arriva and its owner Deutsche Bahn, who can afford to pay but refuse to do so, off the hook. Unless a better offer is put forward strikes will go ahead” read more
Long hot summer for Newham as bin collections face disruption (11 Aug) – 99% of union members back strike action. Bin collections in the London Borough of Newham will grind to a halt from Saturday 27 August. Members of Unite are taking strike action to demand a significant pay increase as spiralling price rises mean the essential workers face an impending financial emergency. 99 per cent of the workers who took part in the ballot backed strike action on an 81 per cent turn out. The workers are paid far less than refuse workers in neighbouring Hackney and Greenwich. For example an operative in Newham earns £22,850 compared to £24,763 for a worker in Greenwich doing the same work. 130 loaders, sweepers and drivers employed by the London Borough of Newham will take strike action between Saturday 27 August and Saturday 3 September with more action to follow unless a deal is reached read more
Strike by DHL Services workers set to commence at Spirit Aerosystems next Monday (10 Aug) – Workers vote with 84 percent majority for strike action, rejecting insulting 4 percent pay offer when inflation is running at almost 12 percent. Industrial action of DHL workers will impact production at all Spirit Aerosystems sites in Northern Ireland. Unite the union which represents workers employed by DHL Services at Spirit Aerosystems has confirmed a first, one-week strike is set to commence on Monday [August 15] at sites across Northern Ireland. Unite members working for DHL Services at Spirit Aerosystems voted with an 84 percent ballot majority for strike action after rejecting an inadequate pay offer from management. The offer provided only a four percent increase to consolidated pay – far below the current rate of inflation (RPI) which has surged to 11.8 percent with the cost of living crisis. DHL workers elsewhere in Northern Ireland have received higher pay offers than those working on the Spirit-Aerosystems contract; recently Unite members at DHL Services in Scotland won a double-digit improved pay offer read more
Unite members to strike for a second time in long running pensions dispute at the University of Dundee (10 Aug) – University plunging workers into ‘pension poverty’. Unite Scotland can confirm today (10 August) that its members at the University of Dundee will take part in continuous strike action from the 25th August 2022. Unite Members supported taking further strike action by 83 per cent in a ballot turnout of 66 per cent. The dispute stems from the University’s decision in March 2021 to propose the closure of the Defined Benefit Pensions Scheme to Grades 1-6 and replace it with a Defined Contributions Scheme, meaning the lowest paid workers would lose up to 50 per cent of their pension, plunging them into “pension poverty”. Following 11 days of strike by Unite Members in October 2021 and the support of local Councillors and MSP’s, the University withdrew their proposals for a Defined Contribution Scheme and Unite went back into talks to explore all Defined Benefit options. Frustratingly we have seen insufficient movement by the University. The proposals would see some workers in the proposed scheme pensions drop from £20,100 to £14,400 per annum. This is a massive drop of £5,700 read more
Unite ballots NHS workers over government-imposed `massive national pay cut’ (9 Aug) – 100,000 workers across England and Wales step closer to strike over miserable 4% offer. A ballot of Unite the union members across the NHS in England and Wales is now underway taking the possibility of strike one step closer over the nations’ respective governments’ pay settlements for the coming year. Unite is recommending its members vote yes to industrial action. The union has slammed the imposed pay settlement, which works out at four per cent for those in the middle pay bands while inflation hovers at just under 12 per cent, as a `massive national pay cut’ for NHS professionals such as scientists, health visitors and speech and language therapists. Unite will now consult with its 100,000 health members across the NHS in both England and Wales on whether they accept this imposed deal or want to challenge it through industrial action, which could mean strikes this winter read more
Minimum wage workers at £610 a night Scottish hotel, Cameron House, in revolt over ‘staggering tips abuse’ (9 Aug) – Minimum wage workers at £610 a night Scottish hotel, Cameron House, in revolt over ‘staggering tips abuse’. Low paid bar and restaurant staff losing between £200 – £300 a month in employers’ tips fiasco. Minimum wage workers at Cameron House, a luxury hotel on Loch Lomond, where a bottle of wine can cost up to £1,200, are fighting back against losing hundreds of pounds worth of tips and service charges. Unite says the bar and restaurant staff at the luxury hotel are in revolt over what amounts to the misappropriation of their hard-earned tips. Former US president, Barack Obama, has been a guest. Around 60 workers are protesting about an opaque tips system for the distribution of tens of thousands of pounds worth of tips and service charges at the hotel resort. In January, the hotel management introduced a ten per cent service charge. Bar and restaurant staff have since found that they are now between £200 and £300 pounds a month worse off read more
Coop Funeral Care Workers Serve Notice of Strike Action (8 Aug) – Unite Scotland Press Release: Coop Funeral Care Workers Serve Notice of Strike Action. Refusal to meet with union over wage dispute leads to disruptive strike action. Unite has confirmed that its members employed in the manufacture of coffins for Cooperative Funeral Care have voted for strike action with an initial week of action scheduled for August in a dispute over pay. The site is the Coop’s only coffin production site. Unite members voted for action by 96 per cent on an 86 per cent turnout. The initial strike action is scheduled to take place from Monday 22nd August 2022 and will continue each day up to Monday 29th August 2022 read more
Chester-le-Street Birtley Group and Bowater Doors strikes suspended after pay offer (8 Aug) – Pay strikes at Chester-le-Street based construction supplies companies Birtley Group Ltd and Bowater Doors Ltd have been suspended following a new pay offer. Birtley Group and Bowater Doors share the same premises and are both owned by Hill & Smith Holdings PLC. More than 120 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, were due to begin 13 days of strike action at the two companies on Wednesday 10 August. A continuous overtime ban has also been suspended. If the pay offer is rejected, 16 days of strike action scheduled to begin on Sunday 4 September will go ahead and the overtime ban will be reinstated read more
Unite secures Banbury Barry Callebaut chocolate workers 10% pay increase (8 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured a 10 per cent pay increase for around 200 workers at the Barry Callebaut chocolate factory in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The one-year deal pay deal means the workers, who are production operatives and technicians, will see their salaries, bonuses and pensions increase by 10 per cent. The deal was secured without the need for industrial action read more
Shell’s offshore medics balloted on strike action (8 Aug) – 3.5% pay offer rejected amid cost-of-living crisis. The nation’s leading offshore trade union, Unite, has confirmed today (8 August) that medics who work on Shell platforms will be balloted for strike action following the rejection of a real terms cut pay. Unite represents more than a dozen workers employed by United Healthcare Global Medical (UK) who provide essential medial cover on oil giant Shell’s platforms. These include the Brent Charlie, Gannet Alpha, Shearwater, Nelson, Sole Pit Clipper and Leman Alpha platforms. The dispute is over the pay claim for 2022, with United Healthcare making a ‘final offer’ of 3.5 per cent to critical and life-saving medics without which the Shell platforms are not able to operate safely read more
London bus workers to take strike action in pay dispute (5 Aug) – Over 1,600 London bus drivers are set to take strike action later this month after their employer failed to make a reasonable pay offer. The strike action is a result of the company only offering a pay increase of 3.6 per cent in 2022 and 4.2 per cent next year. With the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.8 per cent, this is, in effect, a real terms pay cut. The initial strike action will take place on Friday 19 August and Saturday 20 August. The first day of industrial action coincides with strikes planned for the London Underground and Overground read more
Strikes announced at port of Felixstowe as company fails to make acceptable pay offer – Workers at the port of Felixstowe will begin strike action later this month in a dispute over pay after peace talks at the conciliation service Acas failed to produce a reasonable offer. Over 1,900 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin eight days of strike action on Sunday 21 August ending on Monday 29 August. Talks at Acas failed to reach a satisfactory conclusion yesterday after the employer the Felixstowe Dock and Railway Company failed to improve on its offer of a seven per cent pay increase, which is significantly below the real (RPI) inflation rate of 11.8 per cent. Industrial relations were already strained as workers only received a 1.4 per cent, below inflation, increase last year. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Both Felixstowe docks and its parent company CK Hutchison Holding Ltd are both massively profitable and incredibly wealthy. They are fully able to pay the workforce a fair day’s pay. “The company has prioritised delivering multi-million pound dividends rather than paying its workers a decent wage. Unite is entirely focused on enhancing its members’ jobs, pay and conditions and it will be giving the workers at Felixstowe its complete support until this dispute is resolved and a decent pay increase is secured.” Felixstowe is the UK’s largest container port and 48 per cent of containers brought into the UK are transported via the port
Arriva’s lack of a pay offer forces London bus workers to ballot for strike action – Bus passengers in North London face having their journey’s being severely affected later this year, as drivers ballot for industrial action. The ballot is a result of Arriva failing to make a pay offer for 2022. Over 1,400 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be balloted for strike action. The ballot opens on Friday 5 August and closes on Friday 26 August. If workers vote in favour of industrial action then strikes will begin next month read more
Sainsbury’s facing summer shortages as DHL workers strike over ‘second-class’ treatment – Strike action set to hit all Scotland and Northern Ireland stores. Unite the union has today (Tuesday 2 August) announced a week-long strike action that will hit supplies to Sainsbury’s stores throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland after a poor pay offer was rejected by DHL workers. 96 per cent of DHL workers on a 68 per cent turnout emphatically voted to take strike action following the rejection of DHL’s final offer which represents a real terms pay cut with inflation soaring to hit a forty year high of 11.8 per cent. Unite’s members are fighting for a fair pay deal that values their contribution to DHL and equal treatment by the company. Currently DHL are offering lower wages to workers based in Scotland when compared to other parts of the UK. Unite represents over 300 DHL warehouse workers who are based at the distribution centre in Langlands Park East Kilbride. The distribution centre supplies Sainsbury’s stores throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland. DHL’s German owned parent company – Deutsche Post DHL Group – announced in May 2022 that its revenue improved by 19.8 percent to 22.6 billion Euros. The company boasted of having recorded an ‘excellent opening quarter’ to 2022 with its operating profit increasing to 2.2 billion Euros. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our DHL Sainsbury’s members deserve a fair pay rise and to be treated equally with their fellow workers based throughout the UK. Unite will challenge DHL and its mega-wealthy owners. We don’t do our members being treated as ‘second class’. They have their union’s full support in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at DHL Sainsbury’s.” Negotiations have taken place under the auspices of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) but Unite has now served notice of the strike action following the failure of DHL to make an improved offer in the talks. Unite’s members are now set to begin the week-long strike action from 06:00 hours on 13 August 2022 and continuing each day up to 20 August 2022 when the action will conclude at 05:59 hours read more
Go North East bus workers forced to strike in battle to prevent Chester-le-Street garage closure – Bus workers employed by Go North East at its Chester-Le-Street garage in Durham, will begin strike action later this month as a direct response to the company’s plan to close the depot. The industrial action will involve 170 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. The all out continuous strike action will begin on Friday 12 August. The strike action has been called due to the company’s plans to close the Chester-le Street garage next month and permanently move the workers to different depots, some of which are 14 miles away read more
Council workers in Scotland vote for strike action in pay dispute – Unite confirms 26 councils set to face targeted action. Unite the union can today (27 July) confirm that its local government membership in 26 councils have rejected the ‘derisory’ 2 per cent pay offer and voted for industrial action. Unite can confirm that the following 26 councils are now set to be hit by industrial action: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Highland, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian. Unite’s members employed by Tayside Contracts have also voted in favour of industrial action which will result in schools in Perth and Kinross Council now being impacted. The trade union which represents thousands of local government workers balloted its members in schools and cleansing across all Scottish councils. Unite will be finalising the strike dates in the coming week with action in refuse and waste services expected to begin in mid-August. Action specifically impacting schools is expected to begin in early September read more
Isle of Wight Red Funnel poverty pay strikes begin tomorrow as owners sit on billions – Customer services advisers and catering assistants on Wightlink, which runs services between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, earn £13.42 an hour. The hourly pay for the equivalent roles on Red Funnel is just £9.50, a difference of £3.92. Wightlink cleaners earn £10.99 per hour, while Red Funnel cleaners are on £9.50. Regardless of their role, Red Funnel staff must undergo sea training and are responsible for passenger safety. Workers are often away from home for days at time and are only paid the hours they work onboard the ferry, with no overnight subsidies provided for food or other expenses read more
North Sea strike to hit Foinaven vessel – 96% vote for strike action over inferior redundancy package. Unite the union today (25 July) confirmed that its members operating the Foinaven Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) have voted to take strike action. 96 per cent voted for strike action on an 84 per cent turnout. Continuous strike action is now scheduled to take place from 5 August. The dispute centres on offshore members being given a significantly inferior redundancy package compared with Altera’s onshore workforce. The Foinaven field is situated approximately 120 miles west of the Shetland Isles within the Faroes/Shetland Trough. Production from the field was suspended in 2021 read more
Glasgow Subway workers vote for strike action – First Rangers home game to be hit by walk-out. Unite has confirmed that its Glasgow subway members have voted for strike action with the first Rangers home game (6 August) of the season against Kilmarnock set to be hit by the walk-out. Unite members voted by 99 per cent for strike action on a 83 per cent turnout. The 24-hour strike action is scheduled to take place on the following days: Saturday 6 August, Tuesday 9 August, Saturday 13 August, Saturday 27 August. The dispute centres on the subway system operators Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) enforcing changes to duty schedules. Unite members are increasingly being called in to work shifts at short notice leading to significant work-life pressures read more
Tipton workers in McLaren, Aston Martin and Bentley supply chain using foodbanks – CabAuto workers building interiors for luxury cars renew strikes. More than 100 West Midlands workers, paid just £9.90 an hour, will stage two weeks of strike action in July over a three per cent pay offer. The fresh industrial action follows on from seven days of strikes in June and at the beginning of this month. This is a significant real terms pay cut when prices are soaring and RPI inflation is running at 11.7 per cent. CabAuto’s owner, the Adler Pelzer Group, made profits of £118 million (€137.6 million) in 2020. Meanwhile, some CabAuto workers are so poorly rewarded that they have been forced to use food banks read more
Eastleigh Ford and Mercedes assembly workers to strike in July and August over ‘insulting’ pay offer – Automotive assembly contractor VFS workers wage deal amounts to a pay cut. Workers employed at the south coast firm VFS Southampton Ltd, who assemble large vehicles for Ford and Mercedes, have announced strike action in a dispute over pay. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted overwhelmingly for the action in March after VFS imposed a pay award of less than four per cent. At the time the real rate of inflation (RPI) was running at 7.8 per cent but has now reached 11.7 per cent. Industrial action was previously postponed to allow for negotiations. However, an ‘insulting’ revised offer put forward by the company in June was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “VFS has put forward an insulting pay offer that is in fact a real terms pay cut. Unite defends our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and our VFS membership will have the union’s full support during these strikes.” The workers will stage 24 hour strikes on 27 and 29 July and 2, 4, 8, 10 and 12 August. If the dispute is not resolved more strike action will be scheduled. During the strikes, picket lines will be in place at the company’s Chickenhall Lane factory in Eastleigh, Hampshire read more
Workers at Derry City & Strabane district council to launch four-week strike action after they reject latest, inadequate pay offer – Council management has been notified of a four-week strike commencing 18 July and ending 14 August. Latest pay offer provided no additional consolidated pay increase, leaving workers unprotected from surging inflation. Unite has notified bosses at Derry City & Strabane district council of a further four weeks of strike action. This industrial action follows two previous strikes by workers at local councils, the Education Authority and the Housing Executive. Workers are demanding a pay increase which will protect them from the current cost of living crisis. The dispute is in respect of pay following an inadequate national pay deal which offers workers a bare 1.75 per cent increase, an offer which was rejected by Unite members as inflation is currently surging at 11.7 per cent. The latest pay offer from management at Derry City & Strabane district council came after a second strike action by workers at the local authority. Workers suspended their action to allow space for further negotiations, however management merely offered a non-consolidated, one-off payment. While this would help meet immediate challenges, it would have left workers with no protection for inflation into the future. Unite is warning that the strike at Derry City & Strabane is likely to be followed by similar at other local authorities; indeed other trade unions are now balloting on industrial action at a number of councils read more
Workers to strike for a cost of living pay increase at Hampton Conservatories Ltd in Portrush – Three percent increase is a disgraceful 8.7 percent wage cut; initial eight-day strike action to start 16 July. Unite has confirmed that its membership at the small Portrush-based manufacturer and installer of conservatories will commence an initial eight-day strike action starting 16 July 2022 read more
Petrol stations face pump problems as Gilbarco engineers take strike action over pay – Problems at petrol pumps throughout the UK will be left unattended as service engineers employed by Gilbarco Veeder-Root Ltd take strike action tomorrow (July 7) in a dispute over pay. The service engineers who, are home based and required to travel extensively for their work, have rejected a pay increase of just four per cent. This is in effect a substantial pay cut as the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently stands at 11.7 per cent. According to its last accounts, the Jersey-registered company has a multi-million pound turnover and recorded a gross profit of £4 million. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union will take two days of strike action beginning at 06:00 on Thursday 7 July and ending at 18:00 on Friday 8 July read more
North West facing Arriva bus strikes over ‘pitiful’ pay offer – Bus workers employed by Arriva in the North West have voted in huge numbers for strike action in a dispute over pay. Unite, the workers’ union, says that all-out continuous strike action will begin on Wednesday 20 July. Around 1,800 workers returned a 96 per cent yes vote in favour of strike action on a 72 per cent turnout. Unite says its members are striking over a pitiful pay offer from the German-owned transport giant of just three per cent with no strings attached, or six per cent which included reductions in sick pay and loss of Saturday enhanced pay. Both the offers are far below the current real inflation rate (RPI) of 11.7 per cent and so constitute a pay cut read more
Bosch Rexroth workers to strike in dispute over pay and shift changes – Unite slams global giant’s plans that leave Scottish workers £7000 a year worse off. Unite has today (Monday 4 July) confirmed that members working at Bosch Rexroth Glenrothes, will walk out over a pay proposal that will leave workers £7000 a year worse off. The German-owned global tech and engineering giant has proposed a six per cent pay deal, which Unite says is a significant pay cut given that real inflation currently stands at 11.7 per cent. The employers are also refusing to back-date the pay award to 1 January or to reverse changes to shift patterns and shift allowances, which means the combined impact of the offer is to leave workers around £7,000 per year worse off. Workers at the site have rejected the company’s proposal by 74 per cent. Unite says that the Bosch Rexroth, a subsidiary of Bosch, is in a strong financial position and has no need to attack the workers’ pay and conditions. In its 2021 annual report, Bosch Rexroth boasted of `reaching a new high on incoming orders’ which have generated sales of £5.4 billion (6.2 billion euros), up by nearly one fifth on the year before. The union’s members, 245 workers, will take continuous strike action from Tuesday 5 July until Tuesday 12 July inclusive. Thereafter they will strike every Monday and Tuesday going forward with an ongoing ban on overtime throughout read more
Carlisle can factory strikes to hit summer supplies of Coca Cola, Heineken, Brewdog and Magners – June pay strikes at Carlisle’s Crown Bevcan factory will hit summer supplies of cans of Coca Cola, Heineken, Brewdog, Magners and Bulmers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday 24 May). Around 200 workers, who have already taken two days of strike action over a three per cent pay offer, will strike on 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 June. The tin can production workers are seeking a pay deal that reflects rising living costs read more
Veolia workers across Edinburgh and Lothians set to strike over `insulting’ pay offer – Unite can confirm today (24 March) that more than 50 members working for Veolia Water across Edinburgh and the Lothians are set to take strike action in a dispute over pay. The strike action, involving plant operatives, electrical maintenance, mechanical, and administrative staff, was supported overwhelmingly by 94 per cent of Unite’s members in a ballot turnout of 83 per cent. The Veolia workers are demanding a significantly improved pay offer from the company. With the more realistic cost of living (RPI) currently running at 8.2 per cent per cent, Veolia’s offer of 2.6 per cent for this year is a pay cut. Strike action will take place from 7-13 April, and then continuous strike action from 21 April read more
PCS
Government plots massive cuts to civil service redundancy terms (16 Aug) – The government has given PCS members yet another reason to vote for industrial action in next month’s national statutory strike ballot by signalling its intention to slash civil service redundancy terms. In a supplementary consultation document on reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme published yesterday, the Tories are looking to trash redundancy terms while also plotting to cut 91,000 civil service jobs over the next 3 years read more
6 week to go: Preparing for UK civil service ballot priority for every PCS rep (15 Aug) – Our NEC is urging every PCS rep to make the ballot for industrial action over pay, pensions, jobs and the civil service compensation scheme, their overriding priority in the coming weeks. PCS members in the UK civil service and related areas will be balloted from 26 September until 7 November. By law we must pass the 50% ballot turnout threshold for action to take place. This is the most important ballot in our recent history. The cost-of-living crisis is escalating, with inflation predicted to rise to 15% by the start of 2023. The derisory UK civil service pay remit guidance provides for average pay rises of only 2% for this financial year. This is compounded by the refusal of the government to remedy the cost cap breach in relation to civil service pensions, and by the expectation of a fresh assault on redundancy terms. All our resources must be directed to winning the ballot. Members’ livelihoods are at stake read more
HGS strike has significant impact on services (16 Aug) – The 6-day strike over pay and conditions at Hinduja Global Solutions in Liverpool is already having a significant impact on services with 2000 calls to the Disclosure and Barring Service helpline unanswered on the first day before it was shut down read more
PCS members at Hinduja Global Solutions start 6-day strike (15 Aug) – PCS members today start a six-day strike over pay and conditions at Hinduja Global Solutions in Liverpool. The workers, employed by HGS to run the contact centre and back-office functions of the government’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) are taking action until Saturday read more. Sign petition to support striking workers at Hinduja Global Solutions
Hundreds sign petition to stop privatisation of Plas Menai (12 Aug) – More than 1,100 people have so far signed a petition to prevent the privatisation of Sport Wales’ National Outdoor Centre in Plas Menai, near Caernarfon. PCS has launched a petition to prevent the privatisation of Sport Wales’ National Outdoor Centre in Plas Menai, near Caernarfon read more
HMCTS management face significant industrial action if they don’t think Common Platform (11 Aug) – PCS members working as legal advisers and court associates in magistrates’ courts in England and Wales have voted for strike action over using the controversial Common Platform system. The 180 members voted 93% for strike action, 97% for action short of a strike on a turnout on 61% read more
Decisive vote for action in courts over Common Platform (11 Aug) – PCS members working as legal advisers and court associates in magistrates’ courts have voted in favour of industrial action over the fundamentally-flawed Common Platform read more
Devonport security guards ballot for strike action (4 Aug) – PCS members working at the Devonport naval base are balloting for strike action over Covid-safe working conditions. The security guards and supervisors employed by MOD Guards Service are concerned about having to physically touch visitors’ passes every time they enter or leave the site – a so-called Touch Pass Protocol (TPP) that was dropped for safety reasons in March 2020 read more
GMB
Surrey bin strike over as GMB members accept improved offer (12 Aug) – Kerbside bin collections in Elmbridge and Surrey Heath are to recommence on Monday. GMB union have today notified the Elmbridge and Surrey Heath waste contractor Amey that the strike action being undertaken by union members has been suspended. The company have made an improved offer to their refuse drivers and loaders, which has been accepted by the majority of GMB members. The strike will no longer go ahead as planned, which leaves the refuse collections to go ahead as usual as of next week read more
Solidarity with GMB after yet another arrest on a bin picket line – For the second time in months, GMB Southern Region officers have been arrested on a picket line of their striking refuse members. Previously, arrests were made on the Wealden picket. They appeared at Hastings Magistrates Court on 29th June. The case was adjourned to Brighton Crown Court on November 16th. Then two weeks ago, further arrests were made on the Surrey bin picket line. This is outrageous attacks on the right of trade unions to strike, picket and protest. The NSSN sends our continued solidarity and support read more about Surry strike
Security staff at Fawley Oil Refinery vote to unanimously accept a well-deserved 31% pay increase (10 Aug) – Our members held strong and have today voted unanimously to accept Securitas pay offer which means the majority of the workforce will receive a well-deserved 31% pay rise, says GMB. GMB, the Union for security staff, has today confirmed Securitas workers at Fawley Oil Refinery in Southampton have accepted an inflation busting pay offer. After lengthy pay negotiations, GMB members voted in favour of accepting a new pay structure which sees a majority of the workers pay increase by upwards of 31% read more
North West bus strike day 10 – GMB ready to talk – GMB Union is ready to negotiate to end the North West bus strike when Arriva bosses are ready to compromise, the union has said. More than 1,800 Bus drivers across the North West are set to walk out again today [29 July 2022] in what would be day ten of the strike over pay. Arriva bosses called union in for talks yesterday, only to reconfirm the pay offer members had already turned down – rather than make any kind of improved offer to try and end the strike read more
Sign petition – To St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mitie out: Demand fair pay and conditions for staff at St George’s Hospital
Unison
TUC and UNISON ramp up cost of living campaign – October dates announced for lobby of MPs. TUC Lobby of Parliament and Rally – Wednesday October 19th Central London read more
Care staff announce new strike dates over pay, says UNISON (16 Aug) – Workers at St Monica Trust plan 48-hour walkout and two-day strike in August. Care workers, registered nurses and residential home staff employed by Bristol-based St Monica Trust will take further strike action next week, said UNISON. Staff at the Russets and Sherwood care home in Sandford, North Somerset, will walk out for 48 hours from 7am on Tuesday 16 August, while workers at Cote Lane in Bristol will launch a two-day strike from Friday 19 August. The new dates follow five days of action in June and July over fire and rehire threats and cuts to pay read more
There is a strike fund which is being collected for. Many of these workers are low paid and part time. With cost of living ever rising it’s essential that we can ensure no one feels like they can’t stand up with their colleagues and strike for fear of lost pay. The union will be paying strike pay and members can request hardship payments up to their full wages so no one gets left behind.
For donations please send to the following details with the reference “SMT”
Account name: UNISON South West; Account number: 49021079; Sort Code: 60-83-01
Exam board staff add strike on GCSE results day (12 Aug) – Fourth set of AQA strike dates includes further key results day. New strike dates involving staff at exam board AQA will coincide with the day later this month when students receive their GCSE grades, says UNISON today (Friday). This is the fourth round of action to be announced in the long-running dispute regarding pay and fire and rehire threats to staff, says the union. The 180 workers, including staff in customer services who would normally take calls from schools, parents and pupils on results day, will take action from Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28 August. These new dates are in addition to those already announced that will see AQA staff on strike next week from Wednesday to Sunday (17 to 21 August). A level results are published on Thursday 18 August. Exam board employees are also striking from today until Monday (12 to 15 August). The first round of action took place the weekend before last (29 to 31 July) read more
OCS LANCASHIRE: PAY UP NOW – Pay our hospital heroes what they are owed for working throughout the pandemic. We are NHS workers in Lancashire and we urgently need your support. As hospital cleaners and catering staff, we are outsourced to OCS and have worked 24/7 throughout the pandemic to keep staff and patients safe. But while OCS boasts it turned over hundreds of millions during the COVID crisis, it continues to pay us less than our NHS colleagues doing exactly the same jobs. Hospital workers employed by OCS are £2000 worse off than our colleagues working for the NHS. We also have inferior working conditions including 7 days less annual leave and lower sick pay. 45 of us submitted a collective grievance about this issue in May 2021, but EIGHT MONTHS on, we have still not been listened to. We have become increasingly frustrated and have now voted 97.8% in favour of taking strike action to resolve this issue…We think that a great way to get the Chief Executive’s attention is to flood his inbox with emails from all of us. Can you take a few minutes to email Bob Taylor? It’s easy, you just need to add your details and press send. https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/ocs-pay-up-now. Post messages of support on social media: please tag @NorthWestUNISON. Use hashtags #ONENHS and #PayUpNowOCS read more
University of Leeds members prepare to strike again – Action is over the 2021-22 pay round with member resoundingly rejecting the latest offer. The University of Leeds branch is taking further strike action over the 2021-22 pay round, next week, on 20-24 June. Members have lost 20% of their pay against inflation over 12 years. They have used the pay calculator to show just how many thousands of pounds staff are being cheated in their pay read more
NIPSA
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Strike Action: Monday 15 August onwards – Picket information For All Unions for Actions in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
- Armagh Palace Demesne from 6.30am to 2pm
- Gosford Forest Park from 7.30am to 2pm
- Banbridge Depot from 6.45am to 9am
- Banbridge Civic Centre/Leisure Centre from 9am to 2pm
- Carn Depot from 6.30am to 9am then moving to South Lakes Leisure Centre
- South Lakes Leisure Centre/Civic Centre from 9am
Members from the above are then asked to assemble at South Lakes Leisure Centre for a joint trade union demonstration – from 3pm to 4pm
Action short of strike from the 16 August 2022 for NIPSA members will take the following form:
- A total ban on overtime from union members
- Members working to their job description;
- Members not covering for absent colleagues for whatever reason;
- Working to written, agreed protocols where these exist including refuse and leisure;
- order to clarify (4) in particular we have prepared some examples below read more
Education Branches Unanimously Reject Offer (5 Aug) – EA Pay: NIPSA Education reps met on Wednesday 3 August to consider the employers 2022/23 pay offer. The following points were agreed:
- The 2022/23 offer does not address NIPSAs pay claim for ‘the rate of inflation plus a satisfactory cost of living increase;
- The current offer fails to address the cost of living crisis and represents a significant cut in the standards of living for all staff operating under NJC.
- On that basis the NIPSA branches unanimously rejected the offer.
Branches have agreed to take the following steps:
- Carry out an extensive discussion and consultation process to prepare for a campaign for a real pay rise;
- Carry out a ballot for industrial action.
The industrial action ballot will cover 2022/23 NJC pay and where applicable local claims lodged with individual employers. NIPSA remains committed to working with our sister trade unions to achieve our collective aims. We recognise that it is in our interest of our members to seek, where possible, to coordinate our actions across the trade unions.
Patrick Mulholland Deputy General Secretary
Local Government Branches Unanimously Reject Offer (5 Aug) – Local Government: NIPSA Local Government branches met on Wednesday 3 August to consider the employers 2022/23 pay offer. The following points were agreed.
- The 2022/23 offer does not address NIPSAs pay claim for ‘the rate of inflation plus a satisfactory cost of living increase’
- The current offer fails to address the cost of living crisis and represents a significant cut in the standards of living for all staff operating under NJC
- On that basis the NIPSA Local Government branches unanimously rejected the offer.
Branches have agreed to take the following steps
- Carry out an extensive discussion and consultation process to prepare for a campaign for a real pay rise
- Carry out a ballot for industrial action
The industrial action ballot will cover 2022/23 NJC pay and where applicable local claims lodged with individual employers. NIPSA remains committed to working with our sister trade unions to achieve our collective aims. We recognise that it is in our interest of our members to seek, where possible, to coordinate our actions across the trade unions.
Patrick Mulholland Deputy General Secretary
RCN
New RCN ballot results give clearest sign yet of strike action by nursing staff across the UK. RCN members in Scotland overwhelmingly reject NHS pay deal with majority backing strike action (12 Aug) – The results of our recent ballot of members working for the NHS in Scotland provide the clearest sign yet that industrial action could take place across the UK later this year. The ballot of nursing staff on Agenda for Change contracts in Scotland saw more than double the number of members turnout to vote than a similar ballot last year. More than 90% rejected the Scottish government’s pay offer, with the majority voting in favour of taking strike action. The turnout far exceeded 50%, which is the minimum turnout needed for strike action to be legal. Members in Scotland will now be asked to vote in a statutory ballot by post, which is required by law for nursing staff to join picket lines. The recent ballot was indicative of members’ feeling towards the pay offer and industrial action, but did not meet the strict criteria required for a strike to be lawful. Members working for the NHS in Scotland will now join those in England and Wales asked to vote in a statutory strike ballot opening on 15 September. We’ll be encouraging members eligible to take part in that ballot to vote in favour of strike action read more
Vote to strike: RCN members urged to support industrial action in strike ballot over NHS pay. Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff in England and Wales will soon have the chance to vote on whether to take historic strike action. RCN members ballot for industrial strike action in England and Wales opens 13 October (9 Aug) – Our postal ballot on industrial action will open on 15 September. We will encourage RCN members working for the NHS in England and Wales, on Agenda for Change contracts, to vote in favour of strike action. Eligible members will receive their ballot in the post and will have four weeks to respond, with the vote closing on 13 October. We need you to urgently check that we have your up-to-date home address, employer details and job title so that every eligible member receives their postal ballot. If enough members vote for industrial action, it will be the first time in RCN history that members in England and Wales go on strike. RCN Council, made up of elected members, has increased our strike fund to £50 million (up from £35 million) to provide some financial support to members who lose earnings during any industrial action. The ballot has been called by members in response to the latest NHS pay award read more
NASUWT
Members reject England teachers’ pay offer (12 Aug) – Following the publication of the report by the School Teachers’ Pay Review Body (STRB), the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union surveyed its members on the Government’s proposals on the teachers’ pay award for 2022/23. Of the nearly 9,000 teachers who responded:
- 68% said they disagreed or were angry with the proposed award;
- 72% believe the pay award should be rejected as inadequate/unacceptable read more
Members reject Wales teachers’ pay offer (12 Aug) – Following the publication of the report by the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB), the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union surveyed its members on the Welsh Government’s proposals for the teachers’ pay award for 2022/23. Of the nearly 700 teachers who responded:
- 70% said they disagreed with or were angry with the proposed award;
- 78% believe the pay award should be rejected as inadequate/unacceptable read more
UCU
Strike action announced at colleges across north west England – Four colleges across the north west of England will be hit with more strike action later this year unless employers agree to raise staff pay, the UCU announced today. Staff at Burnley College, The Manchester College, City of Liverpool College, and Oldham College will walk out for two days during college induction weeks on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 September. UCU says college leaders must act now if they want to avoid a repeat of the disruption of strike action in May and June, which impacted thousands students read more
Richmond upon Thames College to face 14 days more strike action over fire & rehire plans – Staff at Richmond upon Thames College are set to down tools for 14 consecutive days over a three-week period in August and September over plans by management to sack every teacher at the college and force them to reapply for their jobs on worse terms and conditions if they want to stay. The announcement comes as staff take a further day of strike action today (Tuesday) aimed at disrupting an open day taking place at the college. Striking staff will be picketing and holding a rally at the Marsh Farm Lane entrance to the college at 4pm today as prospective students and their parents visit the college. The protests will include a mobile billboard outlining the college’s plans to sack over 100 members of teaching staff. Strike action in the summer will hit enrolment, induction and first week of teaching and take place on the following days: Monday 22 August, Tuesday 23 August, Wednesday 24 August, Thursday 25 August, Friday 26 August, Tuesday 30 August, Wednesday 31 August, Thursday 1 September, Friday 2 September, Monday 5 September, Tuesday 6 September, Wednesday 7 September, Thursday 8 September, Friday 9 September. Staff will be picketing the college on every morning of the strike action. The college wants to sack all 127 members of its teaching staff and make them reapply for their jobs on new contracts that would see them lose 10 days’ holiday. Management began the deeply controversial process, widely known as ‘fire and rehire’, without any prior engagement or consultation with staff. The college claims that ‘trust’, ‘integrity’ and ‘excellence’ are the values that ‘underpin everything’ it does read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Wildfires: fire service bosses are guilty of “sabotage by inaction” and are “making excuses” (Aug 12) – Firefighters have reacted angrily to a series of statements made by several chief fire officers which clearly have been written in order to downplay the impact of under-resourcing on their response to wildfire incidents. Firefighters are incensed that chief fire officers and other fire and rescue leaders are “making excuses” for themselves and the government for the failure to prepare for extreme weather events caused by climate change read more
FBU raises shortage fears as wildfires on the horizon again (Aug 9) – The Fire Brigades Union has warned that the fire service continues to be understaffed and needs huge investment, with another heatwave set to hit this week. The last heatwave, in July, saw firefighters fighting wildfires across the country, including in Wennington, East London, where two rows of terraced houses were destroyed read more
Red Plaque unveiled for North Wales firefighter killed in farm rescue tragedy (Aug 6) – A Red Plaque has been unveiled to commemorate a North Wales firefighter who died in a tragic farm rescue over 35 years ago. Holywell firefighter Edwin “Eddie” Goodman (pictured above, second from left) died after becoming overcome with fumes whilst trying to rescue two agricultural workers trapped in a silo, on 4 March 1987. Both of the farm workers also lost their lives. The incident took place on Plas Captain Farm in Brynford, Clwyd. The plaque is placed on the station wall at Holywell fire station, where Mr Goodman served read more
POA
POA members Carstairs State Hospital reject pay offer (12 Aug) – The Scottish Government’s Pay Offer which in reality represented a significant pay cut to the membership has been the subject of an indicative ballot. The ballot was undertaken with no recommendation made as we fully anticipated our membership would demonstrate the strength of their views of the offer through ballot. With a 96% response to the ballot, and a 92% rejection of the offer, the message has been given loud and clear. Most telling of all is that 90% of the members voted to indicate they are willing to take industrial action if this offer is not significantly improved. The views of our members are clear. We will now work together with our sister trade unions to achieve an improved pay offer, which is reflective of the outstanding work our members undertake on a daily basis, selflessly serving the public during what has been the biggest challenge for the health service throughout Covid and its aftermath. In absence of a sufficiently improved offer, we are in no doubt with these results, that the strength of feeling and support is there should we need to proceed to a statutory ballot for industrial action. There will be a collective letter sent to the Scottish Government stating that the pay offer has been overwhelmingly rejected and there is a clear mandate for industrial action read more
BFAWU
Post Conference Foodworker 2022 here
NUJ
August date spells strike action across two Scottish newspaper groups (15 Aug) – Journalists working at two companies in Scotland, on titles including The Scotsman, Daily Record and Sunday Mail, will be taking strike action on Friday 26 August. Staff on Reach plc titles – including the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Perthshire Advertiser, Stirling Observer, Dumfries and Galloway Standard and the Live websites – have voted for strike action and action short of a strike over the company’s failure to improve its pay deal of 3 per cent/£750 minimum increase read more
Scotsman and other Scottish titles vote for industrial action (10 Aug) – NUJ members on National World’s Scottish titles have voted in favour of taking industrial action over compulsory redundancies. Two separate ballots have been held: one for the members at Scotsman Publications; and another for those employed at the company’s Scottish Weeklies. The titles affected include The Scotsman, The Edinburgh Evening News, Scotland on Sunday, The Falkirk Herald, and Milngavie and Bearsden Herald. Of the 45 members balloted at the former, 29 voted: a turnout of 64.4 per cent. Of those, 27 voted yes to strike action, and 26 voted for action short of a strike. Of the members on the weekly titles, 23 were balloted and 15 voted: a turnout of 65.2 per cent. Ten voted in favour of strike action, and 11 in favour of action short of a strike read more
NUJ members at Reach to strike over pay dispute (12 Aug) – staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and action short of a strike. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) balloted a total of 1093 members at publisher Reach plc. A turnout of 70 per cent was achieved, as 749 members out of 1069 in the UK returned their ballot papers. 79 per cent voted in favour of strike action, and 88 per cent in favour of action short of a strike. The ballot closed at noon on 12 August 2022. NUJ members across Reach titles include those at the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Manchester Evening News. Today’s ballot results demonstrate a commitment from members to fight for a decent and fair pay increase, supported by the full backing of the union. The NUJ is urging a return to negotiations by Reach senior management, with a fair and increased final offer that can be put to members read more
BBC North West journalists vote for work to rule – NUJ members are making a stand about the damaging impact of job cuts on news outpt in the region. As well as working with a significantly reduced workforce, staff at BBC North West are now expected to take on more and more technical duties previously carried out by skilled technical staff. If allowed to continue, the quality of the regional news programmes will suffer and deteriorate, they say. More than 97 per cent of NUJ members in the chapel voted in favour of industrial action. It follows the BBC’s decision to cut £25m from BBC England’s budget, leading to 450 job cuts cross England. The vast majority of journalists who work for BBC North West are NUJ members read more
Prospect
Environment Agency struggling to recruit frontline inspection and permitting staff due to pay crisis (15 Aug) – While our members at the Environment Agency are currently being balloted on the latest pay offer, Prospect has learned that a pay crisis for Regulatory and Permitting Officer roles in Waste and Industrial Regulation is leading to severe recruitment difficulties read more
Seeking to reduce civil service redundancy terms says it all about this government (15 Aug) – The Government has announced further consultation on the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. The announcement comes amidst threats to reduce the headcount of the Civil Service by 91,000 read more
Bectu update on SOLT offer (12 Aug) – Bectu is recommending that members in London’s West End vote to accept the revised pay offer from the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) following extensive negotiations. Following consultation with Bectu representatives earlier this year, Bectu submitted a claim for 11% consolidated increase and a proposal that SOLT agree in principle to extend the scope of the SOLT/Bectu agreement, which covers West End theatres in London, to include grades that are not currently included read more
Equity
Casting Guide for Deaf, Disabled & Neurodiverse Dancers launches at Edinburgh Fringe (11 Aug) – Equity’s Casting Guide for Deaf, Disabled & Neurodiverse Dancers has launched at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival today. The guide provides advice to dance companies on how to avoid discrimination of Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse dancers, embed accessible practices from the very start of a new production, and in doing so collaborate with other, progressive dance companies to advance inclusive working practices. It has been written by Annie Hanauer, a member of Equity’s Dance Committee, in collaboration with the union’s Dance Committee and the Deaf and Disabled Members Committee (DDMC) read more
Comedians’ Charter launched at Edinburgh Fringe to improve the working lives of comedians (7 Aug) – Pictured: Rob Lugg, Equity’s Organiser for Comedians, speaking at the launch of the Comedians’ Charter. Equity has launched a Comedians’ Charter at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Developed by Equity’s Comedians’ Network, the Charter is a set of standards for venues and promoters to sign up to, ensuring good working practices and the safety of comedians. These include measures to ensure pay transparency, a safe working environment, late night safety, and anti-harassment and discrimination policies read more
USDAW
Usdaw members speak out about the cost of living crisis, with 1 in 4 food retail workers skipping meals to pay bills (10 Aug) – Retail trade union Usdaw is this weekend campaigning at street stalls across the country calling for the Government to take action to tackle the Tory cost of living crisis read more
#ReinstateMax: defend sacked Tesco USDAW rep Max McGee – months on from exhausting all appeals, Max McGee is preparing to take Tesco to an Employment Tribunal over his trade union victimisation and sacking. A GoFundMe page has been set up to donate to Max’s reinstatement campaign and trade union comrades are encouraged to raise the campaign at their Trade Union branches and Trades Councils over the coming weeks. Link to the page below:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/reinstate-max-usdaw-rep-socialist
Messages of solidarity and photos can be sent to [email protected]
UVW
Brighton workers suspend strike as pub bosses sit down to talk (9 Aug) – “This shows the power we have as a united working class and that together we can improve our conditions within hospitality and beyond” – Jake, unjustly sacked SJT strike leader and UVW member. The workers at the SJT pub in Brighton have temporarily suspended their strike action as a gesture of goodwill as talks with the leaseholders take place with the mediation of ACAS. They had planned to be on strike for 20 days in July and August, including the weekends of Brighton Pride and the August Bank Holiday, as part of their fight for better terms and conditions and demand for respect in the workplace read more
Support Latchmere leisure centre cleaners fight for £12 – Cleaners at Latchmere Leisure Centre in Battersea are demanding a living wage, an occupational sick pay scheme and trade union recognition read more
Riverside cleaners say “it’s time for £12!” – The cleaners at Riverside Quarter, a large luxury residence in Wandsworth, London, are demanding a dignified pay rate and better terms and conditions read more
IWGB
Statement by Cleaners, Porters, Post-Room and Security staff at LSHTM following the senior management’s false and misleading statement on 21 July 2022 – We are appalled by the statement published yesterday (21/07/2022) by LSHTM senior management – a tissue of lies which has clearly been drafted in an attempt to smear us and our union, the IWGB, and to try to delegitimise our campaign against discrimination, low pay and victimisation at this university. Disappointingly, this is not the first time LSHTM has published false statements about us, so we decided that we should also publicly reply. We are a majority-migrant workforce who worked all through the pandemic but we are paid well below other staff at the University. Our union, the IWGB, represents the majority of our workforce, yet LSHTM refuses to recognise our union and refuses to negotiate with us over pay. We have suffered trade union victimisation that we believe to be unlawful, and to date, six of us have received disciplinary sanctions as a result of our attempt to raise our voices and concerns publicly. We have no guarantee that these sanctions will be lifted once we are insourced read more
Outsourced Workers at LSHTM Set to Strike over Pay Following Escalating Union Victimisation – Outsourced cleaners, porters, post room, and security staff working at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have voted unanimously in favour of strike action over poverty pay amidst the cost of living crisis. In April, workers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) launched a campaign to bring an end to a discriminatory pay gap that would pay the majority-migrant and BAME workers below the lowest grade of the university-wide pay scale. This follows only months after a damning report revealing ingrained structural racism across the prestigious university, at academic staff and student level read more
Support striking workers and their fight back against the #CostOfLivingCrisis by donating to the strike fund
Barristers take action over pay and conditions
South Eastern Circuit – Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey)
Midland Circuit – Birmingham Crown Court
Northern Circuit – Manchester Crown Court
North Eastern Circuit – Leeds Crown Court
Western Circuit – Bristol Crown Court
Wales & Chester Circuit – Cardiff Crown Court
Week 1: Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th June 2022
Week 2: Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th July 2022
Week 3: Monday 11th, Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th July 2022
Week 4: Monday 18th, Tuesday 19th, Wednesday 20th, Thursday 21st and Friday July 22nd 2022.
In w/c 25th July: the days of action are suspended for 1 week.
In w/c 1st August: the days of action recommence for a further full week
Police Scotland officers to ‘withdraw goodwill’ in pay row
(From BBC website) Police officers in Scotland will withdraw “all goodwill” after they were offered a “derisory” £565 pay rise, the force’s chief constable has been told. The Scottish Police Federation said members would claim payment for any overtime they were ordered to work read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU members at Kyte Powertech in Cavan to take strike action (15 Aug) – SIPTU members employed by Kyte Powertech in Cavan will begin a campaign of strike and industrial action due to a pay dispute, with a 24 -hour work stoppage commencing at 12.01 a.m. (midnight) on Friday, 19th August read more
Other news
Peterloo Annual Commemoration – Tuesday 16th August – Gather at the memorial in Windmill Street, Manchester at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start Peterloo Memorial Campaign Facebook page
Book launch: A Very British Conspiracy – the Shrewsbury 24 and the Campaign for Justice
Dear colleague
Your Trades Council has been a supporter of our campaign over many years. I am pleased to inform you that Verso is publishing my book about the Shrewsbury pickets entitled, A Very British Conspiracy: the Shrewsbury 24 and the Campaign for Justice. The book tells the full story of how the state prosecuted these workers and the campaign that was established to overturn this miscarriage of justice.
As the voluntary Researcher for our Campaign my priority was to discover the evidence that would get the pickets’ convictions overturned. But during that 12-year quest I also discovered an enormous amount of information about the building workers strike and the prosecution of the North Wales pickets. The book outlines the government and police documents that revealed the careful planning of the prosecution of the 24 men. It shows how the state used the criminal justice system to secure convictions, revealing how, in the absence of hard evidence, the Police and prosecution went to extraordinary lengths to criminalise trade unionists.
The book will be launched at the TUC Congress in Brighton on Tuesday 13 September, at an event sponsored by the TUC. Amongst the speakers will be Frances O’Grady, Mark Serwotka (PCS), Dave Ward (CWU), Jim Mowatt (Unite) and investigative journalist Laurie Flynn. If you are attending Congress, you are welcome to come along.
The book is available on Verso’s website here (https://www.versobooks.com/books/4057-a-very-british-conspiracy). All proceeds from the book will go to The Casa, the club and meeting place for the labour movement set up by sacked Liverpool dockworkers.
If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
In solidarity
Eileen Turnbull
Secretary and Researcher Shrewsbury 24 Campaign
Tel 07927 937773
Shrewsbury 24 Campaign, PO Box 92, Liverpool L19 3WD
Website:www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk (http://www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk)
International news
(From NUJ website) Support Afghan journalists (15 Aug) – Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, urges members to donate to the IFJ Afghanistan Safety Fund. Since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August last year, journalists in Afghanistan have faced huge pressures and challenges in the course of their work and daily lives. The NUJ has repeatedly condemned the targeting of journalists and ongoing media crackdown in the country preventing press freedom read more on NUJ website
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Support GARY CARNEY, TRAIN OPERATOR – LONDON UNDERGROUND
Defend Adrian Mitchell RMT driver on London Underground
Donate to solidarity campaign of Moe Muhsin Manir Unite bus rep Email messages of support to Moe: [email protected]
Trade union rep victimisation at Woolwich Ferry reaches ‘obscene levels’, says Unite
Unite: Ealing’s Labour council ‘actively helping’ Serco ‘hound’ union rep from civil enforcement job
St Mungos management escalate dispute by suspending Unite rep – sign petition: End the culture of fear at St Mungo’s – model motion
St Mungo’s: Unite will not tolerate victimisation and bullying
Sign petition: Reinstate Gary Bolister sacked GMB rep at Islington Council
Watch Reel News video: Victimised union reps: Act like it’s you and fight back
Reinstate John Boken Shropshire NEU rep – For more details and send solidarity messages, email [email protected]
Sign petition to support Redbridge NEU Rep Keiran Mahon
Watch Reel News video: Huddersfield teachers strike to defend Louise Lewis
Victimised Tesco warehouse rep Max McGee fighting for reinstatement read more. There is now a GoFundMe to support the campaign (https://www.gofundme.com/f/reinstate-max-usdaw-rep-socialist) and Max can be invited to speak at Usdaw and other union branches plus trades councils ([email protected])
QC appointed to lead the independent Unite inquiry into blacklisting (25 Mar) – Unite is delighted to announce that Nick Randall QC and John Carl Townsend have been appointed to investigate the possible collusion by union officers in blacklisting. Over the past months, evidence gathering by Thompsons solicitors has continued, with many blacklisted construction workers and other witnesses having already been interviewed. The work of the independent investigators is expected to start officially on 11 April read more
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
Keep up with developments and read and watch campaigners’ statements on the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) and Undercover Policing Inquiry websites and spycops info Facebook group
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZ-QMA1FMg
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
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
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 the Queens Speech in December 2019 and cannot be trusted and is now attacking the right to protest through its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
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 include some workers receiving 80% of their wages. This furlough scheme was due to finish but has now been extended because of the 2nd lockdown. But it’s clear that the Tories are looking to end it asap.
However, we believe that no worker should pay the price for any spread of the virus. We say: work or full pay. Any worker who is required not to attend work or is unable to do so because of COVID, 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 and you can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK
Diary
August
16 Peterloo Annual Commemoration – Gather at the memorial in Windmill Street, Manchester at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start Peterloo Memorial Campaign Facebook page
September
4 Burston Strike School Rally Facebook group
11 NSSN TUC Rally 1pm Brighton
October 19 TUC Rally & Lobby of Parliament
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
