NSSN pre-TUC Congress Action Summit this Sunday – 1pm 16th October Holiday Inn Brighton Facebook event.
For transport details, email [email protected]. Let us know if your union/organisation would like a stall at our event
It is a hybrid event – to allow those who can’t make it to Brighton to take part online.
Zoom details:- https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88529269348 Meeting ID: 885 2926 9348
The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) has rearranged its pre-TUC congress event to Sunday 16 October, to set out a fighting programme for the reconvened TUC Congress. The events of the last few weeks make this even more important.
Truss’s Tory Government is on the ropes after just a few weeks but they are reportedly eyeing cuts of £60billion to pay for tax cuts for the rich and big business. At the same time, she is threatening further anti-union restrictions.
The NSSN event is now an action summit – to bring together striking union reps and members or those moving into action – to demand that the unions coordinate action so that millions of workers across the private and public sectors, all struggling to keep a roof above their families’ heads, can strike together.
The Tories can be defeated on pay, cuts and any new anti-union measures. The re-scheduled TUC Congress meets on the 18th October in Brighton. It must be a council of war to co-ordinate strike action to win for workers. If Truss implements new anti-union laws, the TUC and the unions should prepare for a 24 hour general strike.
The TUC’s lobby of parliament on Wednesday 2 November is a vital platform to build co-ordinated strike action. The TUC and the unions must mobilise to make it a mass mid-week demonstration.
Come and take part in the discussion.
TUC rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 2nd November against the cost of living crisis – 11am Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA more details on TUC website
RMT: TUC Mass Lobby of Parliament – Fight the new Anti-Trade Union laws!
“Let’s rise up in Westminster on 2 November – in UNISON”
The TUC is organising town hall rallies around the country. Find your local event here. The TUC has also called a national Day of Action, including activity such as leafleting on Friday 14th October – details of activity in your area here
‘The working class is back as a movement’ – Enough is Enough read more on CWU website. People can find out about events and how to join the campaign via the Enough is Enough website
National Demonstration – 5 Nov 2022, London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
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]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
Central Line West Branch organising to defend Sanjeev Verma (10 Oct) – Central Line West Branch is considering all options available including industrial action over the horrendous treatment of long standing member, Sanjeev Verma in his recent Company Disciplinary Interview (CDI) read more
Avanti workers to take two days strike action (7 Oct) – Train managers on Avanti West Coast will take strike action on Oct 22 in a row over the imposition of rosters. RMT members will also walkout on Sunday 6 November. Avanti bosses claim that imposing rosters was to prevent cancellations. However, the company is in such dire straits that they have slashed services and left staff with poor morale and feeling neglected. Controversially the stricken company has had its contract renewed on the West Coast mainline despite its appalling track record running the franchise read more
RMT writes to Transport Secretary ahead of Saturday strike (7 Oct) – General Secretary Mick Lynch has written to Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan, urging the government to unshackle the railway companies and allow a negotiated settlement to be reached. Over 40,000 railway workers will take an eighth day of strike action in an on-going national rail dispute with Network Rail and 14 train operating companies read more
RMT calls for public ownership of Caledonian Sleeper service (6 Oct) – The Scottish Government has announced that the current Serco Caledonian Sleeper franchise will end in June 2023. It has not yet said how the service will be run after then. RMT has long campaigned for the Caledonian Sleeper to be taken into public ownership and integrated with Scotrail. When ScotRail was renationalised in April, RMT called for Caledonian Sleeper to be reintegrated into the public sector operator read more
RMT responds to Office for Rail and Road report (6 Oct) – Responding to the ORR report on Network Rail, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The political thrust of this report is to target the pay and conditions of maintenance workers and station staff – the very same railway workers facing mass job cuts…” read more
Bus workers to take strike action (5 Oct) – RMT members working on buses in Somerset, and Cornwall will take strike action from October 10, in a fight for better pay and conditions. Four days of strike action will take place on the following dates: 10 October, 21 October, 4 November, 11 November. Around 400 workers who are planning to take action are furious that many of them are only paid just over £11 and hour and that bosses only offered a small uprate to £12 an hour read more
Music legends back RMT strike action (5 Oct) – Rail union RMT has welcomed support for Saturday’s strike (October 8) from artists from Primal Scream, Dexys, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes} together with Dexys’ Kevin Rowland and Sean Read, plus Jesus and Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart have joined forces to produce a song and video in support of RMT’s fight against low pay and cuts to jobs and services. They are currently working on the song ‘Enough is Enough’ to highlight support for rail workers strike action and against Tory austerity read more
RMT marks Ladbroke Grove rail disaster (5 Oct) – TWENTY-THREE YEARS after 31 lives were lost in the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster, RMT say that Government policy is in danger of dragging the railways closer towards the same cocktail of conditions that lead to tragedy on 5th October 1999. Ladbroke Grove was one of a number of disasters under the watch of the privatised Railtrack, ultimately leading to its abolition and creation of the publicly owned company, Network Rail. However, RMT is warning that casualisation, a myriad of contractors, long-hours and fatigue – all driven by cuts on the railway – has turned the clock back read more
RMT to take strike action 10 October on ScotRail (23 Sept) – Railway workers in Scotland will take strike action on Scotrail after the union rejected a real terms pay cut. ScotRail bosses have offered 5% but with inflation running at well over 11%, and a cost-of-living crisis that shows no signs of ending, RMT is demanding the company puts forward a decent proposal. The day long stoppage will take place on 10 October, 2 days after national strike by Network Rail and 15 train operating companies across Britain read more
ASLEF
TUC Campaign – Join the Action (6 Oct) – A red and white graphic with text which says we demand better autumn of action. The TUC has organised a lobby of Parliament and mass rally on Wednesday 2 November as part of its autumn campaign ‘We Demand Better’. All trade unionists are invited to attend, book a meeting with your own local MP, and join the rally. You can register online with the TUC and there is then plenty of support to set up your meeting, as well as briefing information about the movement-wide campaign for fair pay, action on the cost of living crisis and to protect trade union rights read more
Croydon Tramlink Drivers to Strike Again (4 Oct) – Tram drivers on London Tramlink based in Croydon have rejected a below inflation pay offer and will strike again on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th October read more
TSSA
“Ball in their court” says TSSA as strikes hold solid once again (7 Oct) – TSSA has hailed striking rail members today as a further wave of industrial action has brought Britain’s railways to a standstill yet again. TSSA members in Avanti West Coast, c2c and TransPennine Express are taking 24 hours’ strike action today (Saturday 8 October) with action short of a strike also taking place in a further eight train operators. The dispute over job security, pay, and conditions shows little sign of ending unless there is a change in approach by government and employers, TSSA warns today. No official talks have taken place with train operators or umbrella group the Rail Delivery Group since July this year, despite repeated calls from unions for talks to resume, leading TSSA to say “the ball is very much in their court.” Read more
Great Western Railway strikes prove TSSA industrial strength (5 Oct) – TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has said the strike action by members at Great Western Railway (GWR) on Thursday and Friday this week proves the strength of the union’s industrial muscle. The GWR network will be brought to a halt as a result of Control room along with stations, revenue protection, clerical and other management grade union members staging a walkout over pay, job security and conditions read more
TSSA Industrial Action October 2022 – Summary (29 Sept) – Across October TSSA continues to fight to defend jobs, protect terms and conditions and secure a pay rise for members that meets the ever-rising cost of living. Industrial action including strike action and action short of a strike will take place on multiple dates throughout the month starting Saturday 1 October read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Luton airport ground staff strike looms ahead of (12 Oct) – Unite says payment delays ‘out of order’ amid living costs crisis. Around 80 staff employed by GH London Ground Handling at Luton airport are being balloted for strike action over the delay of a £500 recruitment and retention bonus until February 2023. The workers, who are members of Unite the union, are being balloted for strike action, which would impact services leading up to Christmas, particularly for Wizz Air. The ballot closes on 1 November read more
Unite steps up industrial action in Arriva Kent bus dispute (11 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has stepped up industrial action in the long-running Arriva Kent bus dispute as a direct result of the company refusing to return to the negotiating table. Following the latest two days of industrial action this week, on Monday 10 October and today (11 October), the 600 bus drivers involved in the dispute will take strike action on 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 October and then on 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 November. Wages for the workers, who are based at depots in Gillingham, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, start at just £12.36 an hour. They are seeking a pay increase that is in line with the real inflation rate and which also addresses years of pay erosion read more
Education union workers strike over lack of South East weighting payment (11 Oct) – Trade union officer employees of the National Education Union (NEU) will take strike action on Wednesday 12 October in a dispute about the failure of their union employer to pay them a London Weighting allowance commensurate with the cost of living in the South East. The 22 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are based in the NEU’s South East region and work from the union’s premises in Ardingly, West Sussex read more
Unite wins mileage payment for homecare workers at Nottingham City Council (11 Oct) – Unite wins mileage payment for homecare workers at Nottingham City Council. Superb’ deal worth an extra £135 a month for care workers sets national precedent. Unite representatives at Nottingham City Council have secured an important victory for homecare workers which has implications for similar local government workers across the country. 250 homecare workers will now be able to claim mileage from when they leave their homes and for their journey home at the end of the shift. The deal is worth an extra £135 a month for a typical homecare worker. The payments will be back paid from April 1st, 2022 read more
Heathrow braced for World Cup flight delays as Dnata and Menzies workers ballot for strikes over ‘cuts’ (11 Oct) – Heathrow Airport is facing severe disruption and delays beginning next month, November, as workers employed by Dnata and Menzies are balloted over pay. Over 700 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are involved in the dispute, which has been prompted by offers on pay that amount to real pay cuts, according to the union. The workers are employed on contracts for the majority of airlines that operate from Heathrow’s terminals 2, 3 and 4. They undertake a variety of roles including ground-handling, airside transport and cargo. The ballots begin to get underway from tomorrow (Wednesday 12 October) and close on 2 and 3 November. A vote in favour of strike action would see strikes begin in mid-November just prior to the beginning of the World Cup in Qatar read more
American Airlines Heathrow strikes off after Unite secures 19% pay deal (11 Oct) – Pay strikes by more than 50 American Airlines aircraft maintenance technicians and crew chiefs have been called off after an improved offer was secured. During negotiations, Unite, the UK’s leading union, secured a three-year pay deal worth 19 per cent. The deal will see pay increase by seven per cent for 2022, backdated to January, six per cent for 2023 and six per cent for 2024. Previously, the company had offered 5.3 per cent in year one, a one-off payment in year two and a pay freeze for year three read more
London Metroline bus workers begin strike ballot over ‘pitiful’ pay offer (11 Oct) – Over 2,500 bus workers employed by Metroline in London have begun balloting for strike action in response to a ‘pitiful’ pay offer by their employer. The workers have been offered a series of substandard pay offers with some drivers offered as little as 5.5 per cent, which is a huge real terms pay cut when the real rate of inflation (RPI) is currently 12.3 per cent. Ballot papers were being issued from Monday 10 October, with the ballot closing on Friday 11 November. If the workers vote for strikes, industrial action could begin before the end of next month. Strike action would affect bus routes across most of north and central London read more
Unite chief says workers subjected to `a national pay cut’ (11 Oct) – ONS figures confirm real value of pay down by 4 per cent. Commenting on the latest figures on the value of earnings, out today (Tuesday), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “While the profiteers and city bankers are raking it in, the rest of country is being subjected to a national pay cut…” read more
Mossmorran and St Fergus Kaefer contractors in strike ballot (10 Oct) – Unite hits out at operator Shell `swimming in record profits’ while workers told to take a pay cut. Unite the union has today (Monday 10 October) confirmed that more than 100 Kaefer maintenance and repair contractors based at the Mossmorran plant and the St Fergus gas terminal are being balloted for strike action. The ballot will open on 11 October and close on 25 October. The Mossmorran site in Fife and the St Fergus near Peterhead are Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plants operated by Shell PLC. The dispute centres on a rejected pay offer between 5-7 per cent depending on job grade, along with Kaefer’s repeated breaches of the collective agreement relating to consultation and dispute resolution read more
Unite dismisses Peel Ports’ announcement of months-old restructuring plan (7 Oct) – Union says game-playing move will not deter workers seeking fair pay. Peel Ports’ confirmation of months-old restructuring plans means that strikes at the Liverpool port are now about jobs and pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The union was responding to Peel Ports’ statement that they are seeking redundancies, claiming a downturn of traffic at the Liverpool container port over the last year despite profits of £30 million in the same period read more
Liverpool port strikes intensify as senior staff join walkouts (29 Sept) – Fresh strikes over ‘hugely profitable’ MDHC’s below inflation pay offer. Nearly 600 Liverpool port workers will take seven days of fresh strike action beginning on 11 October and ending on 17 October, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday 29 September). As well as port operatives and engineers, who began two weeks of industrial action on 19 September, senior control room operators and control room operators have now voted to join the strikes. In addition, the port’s dock masters, shift managers and vessel traffic services officers are also preparing to be balloted for strike action. The combined impact of so many roles striking means the entire port will ‘literally become inoperable’. The workers are angry at MDHC’s pay offer of around 8.3 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 12.3 per cent this is a pay cut. The dispute is also over MDHC’s failure to honour the 2021 pay agreement. This includes the company not undertaking a promised pay review, which last happened in 1995, and failing to deliver on an agreement to improve shift rotas read more
Unite lays blame for mounting repairs backlog firmly at employers’ door as NI Housing Executive strike enters ninth week (7 Oct) – As Unite members employed by the NI Housing Executive enter their ninth week of strike action, the union has hit out at the employer’s failure to resolve the dispute, which is causing mounting problems for vulnerable tenants. According to Unite, the strike is having a huge impact on the operations of the NI Housing Executive read more
Unite survey of striking housing workers exposes shocking impact of poverty pay at NIHE (5 Oct) – 90% struggling to make ends meet, 73% borrowing to get by, one-in-three forced to use foodbanks. A Unite the union survey of its members working for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has exposed the scale of the financial pressures bearing down on housing workers. Many of the workers on the picket lines surveyed are skilled craft workers – carpenters, plumbers and plasterers – who could get much higher rates of pay elsewhere. The failure of pay to keep pace with that elsewhere in the sector is resulting in an extensive staffing crisis. The workers are now into their eighth week of strike action and are seeking a pay increase above the meagre 1.75 percent offered by the National Joint Council for the 2021-2022 year. Unite is seeking all housing workers to have two pay point increases and a lump sum in addition to the national pay offer read more
Arriva drivers in Northumberland to strike over threatened closure of Jesmond depot (7 Oct) – Bus drivers employed by Arriva will begin strike action later this month in opposition to the company’s plans to close its Jesmond depot. The strike will involve over 100 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. Beginning on Thursday 21 October, it will be an all-out (continuous) strike. The drivers recorded a 97 per cent vote in favour of industrial action. The Jesmond depot is due to close on Monday 31 October. The closure threatens jobs and will result in a poorer bus service throughout Newcastle and Northumberland. The company has failed to adequately consult Unite over its plans read more
Unite leader Sharon Graham to visit Hull Stagecoach picket line Friday 7 October (6 Oct) – Stagecoach operating profits reach £72m in 2021/2 but workers offered ‘pay cut’. More than 250 Hull Stagecoach bus drivers, cleaners, engineers and commercial assistants are taking all out strike action from 7 October until 29 December. The workers are angry at a below inflation pay offer, a lack of pay parity compared to other areas and a one per cent increase in wages since 2019 read more
Unite launches targeted NHS strike ballot in pay dispute (6 Oct) – 2500 workers including Scottish Ambulance Service among those balloted. Unite the union can confirm today (6 October) that it has now launched a nationwide industrial action ballot involving thousands of NHS Scotland workers. The trade union which represents workers in every pay band across the entire NHS Scotland structure is specifically targeting more than 2,500 workers across regional and national health boards in the ballots. Unite can confirm that its entire Scottish Ambulance Service membership including paramedics and call handlers will be participating in the industrial action ballot read more
Plymouth naval vessels face refuelling crisis as Serco workers strike over impossible rosters (6 Oct) – Royal Navy vessels using the dockyard at Plymouth this weekend will be unable to refuel as barge crews take strike action over the imposition of an impossible rota system. The dozen barge crew workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, and who are responsible for the refuelling of the naval ships, will strike this Friday and Saturday (7 and 8 October). The dispute is a result of the barge crews’ employer, outsourcing giant Serco, imposing an impossible roster on the workforce read more
Road and street sweepers in Newham to vote on strike action (6 Oct) – Road and street sweepers in Newham to vote on strike action. Unite doesn’t rule out coordinated strike action with Newham refuse workers. Industrial unrest on the streets of Newham in London could escalate in the coming weeks and months with street cleaners preparing to vote on industrial action in a campaign against poverty pay. Road sweepers, street sweepers and public realm operatives (caretakers on council properties) will begin voting on industrial action from Tuesday 11 October. They are calling for a significant pay increase to address the growing financial crisis facing workers. Newham pays its cleaners an average of just £22,500 per year. Refuse workers employed by the London Borough of Newham have already taken two phases of strike action in their campaign for a fair wage. They have not ruled out further action. Unless Newham council addresses the poverty pay facing these workers there could be coordinated strike action by the refuse workers and the cleaners read more
Offshore drillers and contractors set to hold 48-hour stoppages after vote for strike action (5 Oct) – 95% support action following real terms pay cut. Unite the union confirmed today (5 October) that over 300 offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell have backed strike action. The mandate for industrial action follows Unite members rejecting a 5 per cent pay offer. The pay dispute involves workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA). 95 per cent supported strike action in a ballot turnout of 86 per cent. The strike action will involve a series of 48-hour stoppages every second week for the first 8 weeks. The action will start on 20 and 21 October. A further series of stoppages will take place on 3-4 and 17-18 November, 1-2 and 15-16 December. Unite has further warned that the action could thereafter escalate to all-out strike action. Unite members by 98 per cent also supported action short of a strike. This could include an overtime ban from 18 October limiting the working day to 12 hours; no extra cover provided during scheduled field breaks, and the withdrawal of goodwill pre and post tour briefings preventing handovers between shifts read more
Abellio East Midlands workers announce strike action over pay (5 Oct) – Strikes begin as company with £401m profit fails to make any pay offer. Workers at train company Abellio East Midlands will begin strike action this week after the company refused to make any pay offer to its members. Over 140 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin a 48-hour strike on Thursday 6 October, followed by a further 48-hour strike beginning on Monday 17 October. Abellio made a net profit of £401 million in 2021. However, it has blamed its failure to make a pay offer on the Department for Transport (DfT), claiming that ministers have not authorised it to make a pay offer to its workers. The workers – based at depots in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and employed as cleaners, technicians, shunters, engineers, inspectors, lathe operators, team leaders and supervisors – recorded an 84 per cent vote in favour of industrial action read more
October strike dates announced in Arriva Kent bus strike (28 Sept) – Over 600 bus drivers employed by Arriva in Kent have announced further strikes next month in a dispute over pay. The workers had already announced they are taking industrial action this Friday 30 September and this will be followed by a further four days of industrial action on 6,7, 10 and 11 of October. The workers are seeking a pay increase in line with the real inflation rate and which addresses years of pay erosion. Despite the increasing disruption caused by the ongoing dispute Arriva has failed to make a new offer to the workers or return to the negotiating table read more
West Midlands Metro workers announce major stoppage in low pay dispute (28 Sept) – 52 days of strike action announced. Workers employed on the West Midland Metro have voted to take substantial strike action in a dispute over low pay. The first strike will take place on Saturday 15 October and there are a further 52 days of strike action scheduled between then and Saturday 5 January 2023. Unite represents over 176 workers on the West Midlands Metro who recorded a yes vote of 86 per cent on an 84 per cent turnout read more
Felixstowe dock workers return to picket lines (26 Sept) – Workers at the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe will renew strike action tomorrow (Tuesday 27 September) in an ongoing dispute over pay. Over 1,900 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin strike action at 07:00 on Tuesday 27 September with the eight day strike ending on 06:59 on Wednesday 5 October. Strike action is resuming after the company refused to return to negotiations following the initial eight days strike action in August. Instead the company imposed a seven per cent increase on the workforce. This amounted to a real terms pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.3 per cent. The workers rejected the imposed pay offer by 82 per cent on 78 per cent turnout read more
Quorn Billingham workers strike after pay offer with ‘no meat on bone’ – Latest Quorn operating profits £236m, CEO paid £1.7m but workers offered 4% plus bonus. More than 60 workers at Quorn’s meat free paste production factory will strike on 30 September and 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 October. More strikes are set to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. Workers rejected a four per cent pay offer plus a £1,000 bonus. They voted to strike after the company refused to meet their demands of a nine per cent pay rise, which was the RPI inflation rate in April, when negotiations began read more
M&S and Waitrose milk disruption continues with fresh Muller Gloucestershire strikes – HGV drivers and shunters at Stonehouse factory striking over ‘excessive’ rota demands. HGV drivers and shunters at Mullers’ Stonehouse factory in Gloucestershire will begin a fresh round of strike action this week over imposed rota changes that are detrimental to their quality of life. The change to a five days on two days off rota system contravenes an agreement with Unite signed by the company earlier this year. Nearly 70 staff, responsible for delivering milk and other dairy products to M&S and Waitrose nationwide, have taken nine days of strike action since 25 August. A further six days of strike action will take place on 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30 September and 1 October. More strikes are set to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Alexander Dennis workers strike – Action follows wage offer rejection. Unite the union can confirm that its members based at Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) will begin strike action tomorrow (13 September) following the rejection of a wage offer. The first round of strike action at the bus manufacturing company based in Camelon and Larbert will finish on 16 September at 23.59 hours. The trade union can further confirm that there will be a second round of strike action starting on 3 October which will continue each day up to 14 October when the action will conclude at 23.59 hours read more
Honeywell workforce set for strike action – Workers reject ‘pitiful’ pay offer at Edinburgh aerospace company. Members of Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, employed at aerospace company Honeywell, will begin strike action tomorrow (8 September) in a dispute over pay. Around Unite 20 members including production and assembly workers recorded a 78.6 per cent vote in favour of strike action on a 77.8 per cent turnout at Honeywell. The first day of strike action (8 September) will be followed every Thursday for the next twelve weeks. The company, which specialises in the design and manufacturing of electronic hardware and systems, has proposed a multi-year deal of 2.75 per cent for this year and next year then followed by 0 per cent in 2024. This offer has been resoundingly rejected by the workers read more
Workers at Causeway Coast and Glens council to commence all-out strike action tomorrow after councils vote down pay increase – Offer of two pay points plus a cash lump sum to end dispute was rejected at last night’s council meeting by a single vote in the chamber. Unite the union has confirmed that its members at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will commence continuous strike action at the local authority tomorrow (8 Sept). The decision by workers followed last night’s vote at full council at which a proposal to settle the strike by offering two pay point increments and a lump sum to workers – similar to that provided in Derry City & Strabane and in Mid-Ulster District Councils – was voted down by a majority of one councillor. General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, pledged her union’s full support to the striking council workers read more
Striking Tipton CabAuto workers reveal shocking levels of in-work poverty – Workers in McLaren, Aston Martin, JLR and Bentley supply chains ‘terrified of winter bills’. Striking Cab Auto worker – “How can it be that I work for a company that makes millions in profits, yet I have to use a begging bowl at food banks?” More than 100 West Midlands workers, paid just £9.90 an hour, are taking renewed strike action, which began on 23 August and will finish on 16 September, over a three per cent pay offer. The real rate of inflation, RPI, is running at 12.3 per cent and is expected to climb even higher. The workers, who make luxury car interiors but do not receive company sick pay or shift pay, have taken 26 days of strike action since 28 June read more
Real terms pay cut forces strike by Hartlepool chemical workers at Venator – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at chemical company Venator Materials Ltd, will begin strike action this week in a dispute over pay. The company, which produces pigments and additives, has only offered the workers a five per cent pay increase – far below the rate of inflation. The 100 plus members of Unite at the company recorded an 81 per cent vote in favour of strike action on an 84 per cent turnout… The workers will take a total of 10 days of strike action (see note to editors for details) this month in the dispute. The first four day strike will begin on Thursday 1 September at 18:59 and will initially involve the night shift read more
Baker Hughes strike action amid fire and rehire claims – Billion dollar US oil and gas giant plans to wipe-off £10,000 from salaries. Unite the union members working for US oil and gas giant, Baker Hughes, are starting strike action today (29 August) in a dispute over fire and rehire tactics. Around 110 workers are taking strike action with Unite accusing the multi-billion pound company of `laying waste to Scottish jobs’. Unite estimates that detrimental contractual changes could wipe-off up to 29 per cent from the annual wages of Baker Hughes workers. The equivalent to a £10,500 drop in annual income. Unite members voted for strike action by 87.3 per cent on an 87.5% per cent turnout to defend their jobs, terms and conditions. The all-out strike action will last until the morning of 14 September with a series of 48-hour stoppages taking place until 16 November 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
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
CWU
Support the CWU strikes in Royal Mail, BT/Openreach & Post Office – the next strikes in Royal Mail of 19 further days of action start this Thursday 13th October, BT-Openreach workers are taking action on October 6, 10, 20 and 24, while CWU members in the Post Office were out last on September 28th.
We support the call of the CWU for Royal Mail and BT to be re-nationalised. Follow the latest news via CWU’s Facebook page, website and Twitter @CWUnews
‘Where’s Jansen?’ message hits home as 999 call handlers turn up the heat on BT Group (11 Oct) – Another rock-solid display of workforce fury at the real-term pay cuts that have triggered the first national strike in BT Group for 35 years has drawn mass media attention to the bizarre missing presence of the company’s CEO in a dispute that has now spread to the UK’s emergency services infrastructure. Despite repeated CWU appeals to the telecoms giant to return to the negotiating table to resolve an increasingly bitter showdown that has now seen six days of industrial action involving more than 40,000 BT and Openreach workers, senior management faces have been conspicuous by their absence in news coverage – except on CWU banners and memes! The invisibility of BT’s top brass has been especially evident during the two most recent strike days – with the CWU spotlighting the managerial void in multiple TV, radio and newspaper interviews about the inclusion of 999 call handlers in the action that took place yesterday (Monday) and last Thursday (October 6). More than 500 of their number withdrew their labour for the first time in the latest escalation of the increasingly bitter pay dispute read more
Royal Mail name change – more than just another ‘Consignia’ fiasco (7 Oct) – CWU leaders send out detailed information explaining some of the thinking behind CEO Simon Thompson latest corporate changes, warning members that this is a far more serious move than the much-ridiculed 2001 rebranding disaster. The July announcement made by Royal Mail that it would be changing the Group’s holding company name from Royal Mail plc to International Distributions Services plc (IDS) came into effect earlier this week. Although in the short briefing that accompanied Tuesday’s communication, it was made clear that the use of the ‘Royal Mail’ name, logo, livery and style remains unchanged read more
‘I’ll keep picketing as long as I’m able to’ vows terminally ill striker (7 Oct) – Hero Edinburgh member drives himself to picket line at 6am after hospital treatment…his wife didn’t even know he’d gone! “Please all keep sticking together and don’t give in,” is the heartfelt message Rab Bain asked CWU News to send out to all CWU strikers when we spoke to him yesterday, just a few days after surprising his fellow workers by turning up at their early-morning picket line read more
CWU spearheading biggest strike surge this century – crucial period for UK working class (1 Oct) – With five national Royal Mail Group strikes, four across BT Group and six Post Office walkouts so far, total days lost to strikes by CWU members are already over 700,000. Industrial action by this union, along with walkouts by our fellow trade unionists in other under-pressure sectors, are quickly making 2022 the biggest year of strikes since the mass public-sector pension dispute of 2011. And, as strikers dig in for what is widely expected to be a long haul, it looks highly likely that that total will be surpassed within a few weeks. This past week saw the resumption of CWU strikes, with Post Office members walking out on Wednesday and their Royal Mail colleagues returning to action on Friday and Saturday, when some 115,000 workers at around 1,400 workplaces covering every aspect of the nationwide operation came out on strike in their tens of thousands. As well as strike action by our members, rail workers also took action in their long-running dispute over pay, contracts and passenger safety. And today also saw many joint rallies and events in various cities and towns of the UK. As is clear from today’s CWU social platforms, the pickets have been as lively and good-humoured as ever and the joint protests are growing, as unity across the working class builds. And the call of ‘Enough is Enough’ becomes ever louder read more
Family friendly breakthrough at VMO2 as members accept special cost of living payments (7 Oct) – Members in VMO2 have voted by nearly nine-to-one to accept a significantly improved pay settlement for 2022 amid parallel company moves to significantly improve its family friendly offering to employees. The CWU-supported pay deal – which was backed by 85.7% of those participating in a consultative ballot that closed on Wednesday – means most members will have received an overall rise (in cash terms) equating to up to 10% of their salary, dependent on their grade this year read more
Recognition deal with Peartree plugs final collective bargaining gap for outsourced BTFS staff (5 Oct) – Agreement has been reached with Peartree Cleaning Services on a new recognition deal that delivers full collective bargaining rights for the final group of ex-BT Facilities Services (BFTS) housekeepers still working on the BT account following their recent TUPE from ISS. While most former BTFS employees have benefitted from unbroken union representation since the disputed outsourcing of 1,700 employees to ISS and CBRE in 2019, until now the situation has been more complicated for 57 security staff at EE sites and just over 30 housekeepers who recently transferred from BT Centre, plus those recruited following the opening of BT’s new One Braham headquarters. Last month, however, talks with ISS successfully secured the enlargement of the CWU’s existing bargaining unit in that company to cover the ex-Securitas employees who were brought into BT Group by the company’s acquisition of EE in 2016. And now the confirmation of an all new recognition agreement with Peartree Cleaning Services has plugged the final gap read more
PCS
Support the save Phoenix House rally (11 Oct) – The DWP office in Barrow that processes industrial injury and disablement benefits is under threat, help fight the closure at a rally at 1.30pm on Saturday of PCS members and campaigning allies from the Northern TUC and Asbestos Victims Support Group. The closure of the site proposed for October 2023 puts 39 DWP staff working at Phoenix House in Barrow at risk of redundancy read more
PCS Serve Strike notice at HMCTS over Common Platform (7 Oct) – PCS have today called strike action in HMCTS over the Common Platform dispute. Members will be called to go on strike from Saturday 22nd October to Sunday 30th October. Since the postponement of the previous strike action, PCS have been in negotiations with HMCTS over the common platform. Though some progress has been made, HMCTS were unable to uphold their concession of delaying the further rollout of common platform until the new year, to allow good faith negotiations to take place. Following the second overwhelming mandate to take industrial action from the second tranche of courts ballot on the common platform dispute. This supports the first ballot, and the failure of HMCTS to make any tangible offers or delay the future rollout, the PCS negotiation team believe we have little alternative at this point to call for the industrial action as referred read more
PCS members announce nine-day courts strike (7 Oct) – Legal advisors and court associates to take action at 65 magistrates’ courts in England and Wales over controversial Common Platform system. he workers, who postponed last month’s planned strike after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will take action from 22 to 30 October. The employer, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), paused the system’s roll-out to allow negotiations to take place but has since pressed ahead with the unpopular scheme read more
PCS wins recognition campaign at Imperial War Museum (5 Oct) – Security officers employed by ZE Global have successfully campaigned to retain union recognition. ZE Global (FM/Security) took over a facilities management contract in April 2021 at the Imperial War Museum. PCS members working for ZE Global are predominantly security officers at the five sites at Duxford in Cambridgeshire, Lambeth Road London, HMS Belfast London, Churchill War Rooms London and IWM Manchester read more
PCS launches strike ballot of 150,000 civil servants (26 Sept) – PCS today begins a strike ballot of more than 150,000 civil servants. Our members in 214 government departments are being urged to vote ‘Yes’ for strike action over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms. PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The government has ignored our demands for a fair pay rise, so we have no choice other than to launch what is the most significant ballot for strike action in our history read more
Sign petition to support striking workers at Hinduja Global Solutions
GMB
GMB union: Wandsworth Labour decision ‘disrespectful’ to Battersea Power Station construction workers (11 Oct) – The site will host more than 15,000 jobs when fully open, and Wandsworth Labour should be fully behind the opening. GMB Southern commented on the decision by the leadership of the Labour councillors in Wandsworth not to attend the opening ceremony of Battersea Power station on Wednesday 12 October. This decision is documented at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-63176454 read more
Half Asda workers will struggle to afford Christmas Dinner (10 Oct) – half of Asda workers are worried they won’t be able to afford Christmas dinner this year due to low wages, a GMB survey shows read more
DHL profits soar as workers vote on strike action (7 Oct) – Hard-up DHL workers are balloting for industrial action over pay, while DHL profits hit £5.3 billion, says GMB Union. Around 100 workers at the delivery giant’s Bradford depot are currently voting over whether to take industrial action, including strike action. The ballot closes on 19 October, with the result expected the same day. Despite months of negotiations DHL is only offering a 5% pay rise, which amounts to a real terms pay cut, and a miserly £100 lump sum. Mangers at DHL have told GMB there is no money to offer a decent pay rise, despite DHL having made £5.3 billion profit so far this year read more
Three south coast ambulance services facing strike action (11 Oct) – Three ambulance trusts across the south coast are facing a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot on behalf of their 3500 members across the trusts. Ballot dates for South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAMB), South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) and South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST) will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw over 90% of GMB members decide in favour of a walk out over poverty pay read more
London Ambulance Service faces strike vote (10 Oct) – London Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw almost 92 per cent of LAS members who voted say they were in favour of a walk out read more
East of England Ambulance Service faces strike vote (10 Oct) – The East of England Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw almost 86 per cent of EEAS members in favour of a walk out read more
North West ambulance service faces strike vote (6 Oct) – North Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Almost 2,000 NWAS paramedics and ambulance workers will be balloted; dates of vote will be announced in the coming days. The move comes following a consultative ballot which saw more than 95 per cent of GMB NWAS members vote in favour of a walk out. Paramedics and ambulance workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut read more
West and East Midland ambulance face strike vote (6 Oct) – East and West Midlands Ambulance Services face a strike vote as GMB Union launches two formal industrial action ballots. Almost 3,000 paramedics and ambulance workers will be balloted for strike action across the two trusts; dates of the vote will be announced in the coming days. The ballots come after consultative ballots in both ambulance services showed a strong appetite for industrial action. At East Midlands Ambulance Service, almost 2,000 workers were balloted – 88 per cent voted in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 65 per cent. At West Midlands Ambulance Service, almost 750 workers were balloted – 88 per cent voted in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 51 per cent. Ambulance workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut. GMB has also announced a formal strike ballot among thousands of workers at members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North East Ambulance Service read more
North East Ambulance Service faces industrial action (30 Sept) – North East Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days.
The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw almost 90 per cent of NEAS members vote in favour of a walk out. GMB has almost 750 NEAS Paramedics and ambulance workers, who are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut. GMB has also announced a formal strike ballot among almost 1,5000 members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service read more
Yorkshire Ambulance Service faces strike vote (28 Sept) – Yorkshire Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following the a consultative ballot which saw 90 per cent of GMB’s almost 1,500 YAS members vote in favour of a walk out. Turnout on the consultative ballot was 80 per cent. Paramedics and ambulance workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut read more
Polyflor profits hit £52 million as struggling workers strike (5 Oct) – Flooring company Polyflor has seen profits rise to more than £52 million while hard up workers take strike action to make ends meet, says GMB Union. James Holstead – Polyflor’s parent company – posted a 9.6 per cent rise in revenue year-on-year to £291.9 million for the year that ended June 30. Pre-tax profit increased 1.6 per cent £52.1 million. Almost 200 workers at the firm are in midst of three weeks’ solid strike action until 14 October. Pickets will be staged from 8 to 10am and 4 to 6pm, Monday to Friday outside the factory on Radcliffe New Road, M45. Workers voted to strike over a pay dispute. Shortly after they received a message from the company saying ‘process shifts for process workers are to be suspended…please do not turn up for your shift(s) from 6am on Thursday 1st September’ read more
Sunderland bus strike dates announced as talks break down (30 Sept) – GMB Union has announced the dates of the Sunderland bus strike after talks broke down. Almost 200 Stagecoach bus drivers will walk out for five continuous days from 00:01 on Tuesday 11 October until midnight on Saturday 15 October. GMB met with Stagecoach today – but the company refused to budge on their initial offer, which amounts to a big real terms pay cut read more
Walsall Housing Group strike extends into October (29 Sept) – Industrial action at Walsall Housing Group will extend into next month, GMB Union has said. Almost 200 GMB members will walk out for six days in October 12, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28. The industrial action comes on top of strike dates in September. Staff are angry after being offered just a 3.1 per cent day deal, amounting to massive real terms pay cut with RPI inflation at 12.3 per cent. Meanwhile Walsall Housing Group’s highest paid director was handed a 14 per cent pay rise between 2020 and 2021 read more
Amazon workers begin first ever UK strike ballot – Amazon workers at a Coventry warehouse will become the first in the UK to take part in a formal strike ballot. Hundreds of workers will today begin voting on whether to walk out in anger over the company’s 35 pence per hour pay offer. The ballot closes on 19 October, with any industrial action likely to take place in November. Amazon workers across the UK have staged informal protests in anger at a three per cent pay offer from the company. Last September, Amazon reported paying £492m in tax the previous year – despite UK revenue soaring to £20.6billion in the pandemic 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
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
Environment Agency staff start to vote on possible strike over pay, says UNISON (10 Oct) – Staff voted to reject a pay offer of 2% and an additional £345. Environment Agency staff are being asked to vote for industrial action in a ballot that could see the first strike over pay in the organisation’s 26-year history, says UNISON today (Monday). A strike ballot of several thousand Agency employees across England – including river inspectors, flood forecasting officers, coastal risk management officers, sewage plant attendants and staff maintaining the Thames Barrier – opens today. The vote closes in a month’s time. Earlier in the year, Environment Agency staff voted to reject a pay offer of 2% and an additional £345. This is substantially less than the lowest measure of inflation – currently 9.9% – and simply isn’t enough, says UNISON. The latest offer follows years of no wage increases, or rises significantly below the cost of living, and has proved the final straw for the Agency’s employees, adds the union read more
It’s now up to the government to avoid strikes in NHS by putting pay right, says UNISON (7 Oct) – UNISON prepares to ballot NHS staff for strike over pay. Letters advising more than two hundred NHS employers across England that health staff, including paramedics, theatre staff, occupational therapists, porters and nurses, are to be balloted for strike action have been sent, says UNISON. The union has also written to health secretary Therese Coffey urging her to meet and negotiate an improved pay award to avert action that could disrupt NHS services this winter. UNISON has initiated a formal dispute after most NHS workers were given just a £1,400 wage rise for this year, falling way short of the inflation-busting increase health unions wanted. Strike ballots for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to begin on 27 October and the union says this will “signal to the government and employers the strength of feeling behind UNISON’s key pay demands” read more
Workers at Leeds Beckett University begin strike over pay, says UNISON (4 Oct) – Low pay has been a massive, and growing, problem in the university sector for a decade and more. Low-paid employees at Leeds Beckett University will walk out today (Tuesday) in a row about pay, says UNISON. The workers – including those in administrative, cleaning, library, security and catering services – will continue their strike tomorrow and Thursday after rejecting a 3% pay award from the University and Colleges Employers Association. UNISON had called for an increase of 2% above the rate of inflation, currently running at 9.9%. With further rises in the cost of living expected, the award effectively amounts to a pay cut, the union says read more
University staff to strike over pay as new term begins (20 Sept) – Workers have reached breaking point and have little choice but to strike. Thousands of university staff including administrators, cleaners, library, security and catering employees are to walk out in a wave of strikes that will hit universities from today (Tuesday), says UNISON. Universities will be disrupted across England and Scotland as employees push for a fair pay rise that takes account of soaring cost of living pressures and years of below-inflation awards, says the union. The workers, among the lowest paid in the higher education sector, took the difficult decision to strike after rejecting a 3% pay award from the University and Colleges Employers Association in May, the union says. Staff are asking for a wage increase of 2% above inflation, the lowest measure for which is currently 9.8% read more for details of picket lines
Support the OCS Lancashire strikes: pay up now – Pay our hospital heroes what they are owed for working throughout the pandemic read more
Care staff announce new strike dates over pay, says UNISON – 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
NIPSA
NIPSA Ballot Opens in Health on Pay, Staffing Levels and Travel Reimbursement (11 Oct) – NIPSA urges members to VOTE YES to INDUSTRIAL ACTION including STRIKE and ACTION SHORT of STRIKE. The ballot will open on 27 October 2022 – 18 November 2022. Please ensure that your contact details are up to date. If you have had any changes, please contact NIPSA Membership Section on 02890 661831 or email the NIPSA Membership Unit by the 17 October 2022. NIPSA’s position remains that pay lies at the centre of the problems facing HSC staff, HSC Staff continue to be subject to Pay Cuts resulting in ongoing problems around Recruitment and Retention which gives rise to Safe Staffing concerns read more
Cost of Living Crisis – Civil Service Pay (11 Oct) – NICS Pay Cost of Living Crisis; Carmel Gates NIPSA General Secretary: I know you will share with me the extreme disappointment felt in response to the Finance Minister’s statement this morning. More than 12 weeks after your 2022 pay award was due we are no closer to a pay offer. The statement from the Minister sets out what he would have recommended if there was an Executive in place. This does not come close to meeting the aspirations of our members. The current political situation here and the direction of travel of the current Tory Government are a very worrying combination for all public sector workers but I can assure you that NIPSA is determined to get the best deal we can for all our members. The Civil Service Executive Committee will meet on Monday to discuss the situation and further bulletins will be issued read more
Royal College of Nursing
RCN’s biggest ever strike ballot now open (6 Oct) – Fight for safe staffing and fair pay by voting ‘yes’ to strike action. More than 300,000 members will receive ballot papers in the post from today (6 October), launching the RCN’s biggest strike ballot in its 106-year history. You can make your mark on that history by voting “yes” to strike action. RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “We are understaffed, undervalued and underpaid. For years our profession has been pushed to the edge, and now patient safety is paying the price. We can’t stand by and watch our colleagues and patients suffer anymore. “Though strike action is a last resort, it is a powerful tool for change. And we must demand that change. Enough is enough. I urge you to vote ‘yes’ in this ballot” read more
RCN announces new industrial action strike ballot dates (15 Sept) – Our ballot of members working for the NHS and HSC will take place between Thursday 6 October and Wednesday 2 November read more
Royal College of Midwives
RCM announces date it will ballot members in England and Wales on industrial action (7 Oct) – The RCM is urging all members working in the NHS in England and Wales to vote yes to industrial action over pay as it announces the date its official ballot will open. After members in both countries overwhelmingly rejected their governments’ below-inflation pay award, the statutory ballot for midwives and maternity support workers will open on 11 November and run for four weeks. All members working as midwives or MSWs employed by the NHS in England and Wales are eligible to vote. For now, the RCM says it’s vital that every member ensures their postal addresses and employment details are up to date, so they do not miss out on their chance to vote provide all member data to Civica, the independent voting service read more
RCM recommends members vote YES to industrial action as ballot opens in Scotland (29 Sept) – ‘Stand by and get ready to vote on industrial action’ that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Scotland as it formally launches its ballot on industrial action today. The RCM is recommending that members vote yes to both strike action and action short of a strike and say they do not take this decision lightly and understand its members don’t either read more
BMA
Government refuse to engage – We are deeply disappointed that despite ample opportunity, Ministers have ignored our calls to value junior doctors appropriately and duly restore their pay to 2008/09 levels. We requested official approval from BMA council, the union’s principal executive committee, to ballot members in England around the 9 January 2023 for industrial action. The last two years have been far from ordinary for anyone working in the NHS and junior doctors have made both an enormous contribution and a significant sacrifice. The effects on their wellbeing are likely to be felt for years to come whilst tackling the daunting backlog of treatment for patients. And yet none of this is recognised by the government, who by refusing an enhanced uplift, are simply further eroding junior doctors’ pay read more
NEU
NEU warns of formal ballots on pay (5 Oct) – NEU writes to the Education Secretary asking for urgent action on pay and warning of strike action if no resolution. Commenting on the letters from the National Education Union (NEU) to the Secretary of State for Education on pay and strike action, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said: “The NEU has today informed the Education Secretary that unless he gives an undertaking to make funding available for a fully funded above inflation pay increase for teachers and support staff in maintained schools and teachers in 6th Form Colleges in England, we will be formally balloting our members for strike action…” read more
Be ballot ready – reject the pay cut read more
Support these strikes:-
Calverton Primary School / Newham (unacceptable management practices) 11-13 October [email protected]
Drapers Pyrgo Priory School / Havering (Conditions of Service) 11-13 October [email protected]
West Coventry Academy / Coventry (Workload) 11 October [email protected]
Churchill Gardens Primary Academy / Westminster (Unacceptable Management Practises) 13 October [email protected]
NASUWT
IOM teachers vote to continue action over pay, workload and working practices (23 Sept) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in the Isle of Man have voted overwhelmingly to continue with their campaign of industrial action in a dispute with the DESC over pay, workload and working practices. 82% voted in support of strike action with 92% in support of action short of strike action in a reballot. NASUWT members have been undertaking action short of strike action since late April, withdrawing from a range of activities which do not directly relate to teaching and learning, including attending meetings and providing cover for absent colleagues. This action was escalated earlier this month with members no longer undertaking break duties or any marking, setting and assessment of cover work arising from any planned or unplanned staff absence read more
EIS
EIS Opens Strike Ballot over pay in all Council Areas Across Scotland (11 Oct) – The EIS has opened a statutory strike ballot over teachers’ pay in all 32 Council areas across Scotland. Postal ballot papers are now being issued to EIS members across Scotland, who will have until 8th November to use their vote. The EIS, which represents 8 out of 10 teachers in Scotland, is urging its members to vote Yes to strike action, in the continuing campaign for a fair pay settlement for teachers read more
Teacher pay: EIS Issues Formal Strike Ballot Notices to all 32 Local Authority Employers (5 Oct) – The EIS has announced that it has issued formal notices to all 32 Scottish local authorities confirming that the EIS will open a statutory strike ballot for teachers one week from today, on Wednesday 12 October. The move to a statutory ballot for strike action follows the overwhelming result in a recent consultative ballot, in which 91% of EIS members confirmed their willingness to move to strike action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement read more
EIS-ULA Opens Statutory Ballot (29 Sept) – The EIS has today (Thursday) opened a statutory ballot for industrial action for its members in the Higher Education Sector. Following a consultative ballot, which strongly indicated members of the EIS University Lecturers’ Association (EIS-ULA) wished to take action in the current pay dispute, the EIS-ULA Executive is recommending members vote yes to strike action read more
UCU
New USS data ‘unequivocal’ in proving case for reversing pension cuts (6 Oct) – Devastating cuts to Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pensions affecting hundreds of thousands of university workers can be reversed at the earliest opportunity, said UCU, after new data released by the trustee shows restored benefits would cost less than current contributions and still leave the scheme in surplus read more
Prison educators vote to strike across England over low pay (6 Oct) – Over 400 staff working in education at 48 prisons and youth offender institutions across England could walk out after voting for strike action. Members voted overwhelmingly for strike action with 94.47% of those voting, voting ‘YES’ in a vote that surpassed the 50% turnout threshold imposed by Tory anti trade union legislation. The prison educators, who are employed by Novus, have seen their pay fall by more than 25% since 2009. Prison education is already one of the lowest paid sectors, as highlighted by the House of Commons Education Select Committee read more
UCU members at Abingdon and Witney College win significant pay rise (5 Oct) – UCU members at Abingdon and Witney College have overwhelmingly voted to accept an improved pay deal, it was confirmed today. The pay increase is 8% for lowest paid, 5% for middle earners, including lecturers, and 3% for the highest earners within management. The deal also includes an agreement that closure days over the Christmas period will not be taken from staff holiday entitlements. This gives members five additional days of holiday to use throughout the year. The deal comes after 89.9% of UCU members in national ballots voted YES to strike action on an overall turnout of 57.9%, which is the biggest mandate for industrial action ever across English further education colleges. Strike action was suspended at the college whilst members were consulted on the deal, which closed last Friday read more
Unprecedented ‘cost-of-living’ college strikes continues (5 Oct) – The biggest ever series of college strikes continues across England today as staff walk out over low pay amid the cost of living crisis. Staff at 23 colleges are striking for two consecutive days this week and next, and are set to strike again from Tuesday 18 October unless suitable pay offers are made. The full dates of strike action are:-
- Thursday 6 and Friday 7 October (2 days)
- Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October (2 days)
- Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October (3 days)
Staff will be picketing the entrances of all colleges on each morning of strike action. Staff at Barnet & Southgate, Burnley, Liverpool, Manchester, Oldham and Sparsholt colleges are also striking this month over low pay, but on different dates. Most colleges also saw strike action last week read more
Falmouth University staff to strike over two-tier workforce plans (4 Oct) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today (Tuesday) announced that staff at Falmouth University will take three days of industrial action over the decision by the university to employ all new academic staff through a subsidiary company, Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL). UCU members will walk out for three consecutive days from Monday October 17th until Wednesday October 19th to defend the employment status of staff teaching at the university if management does not reverse its decision read more
University strike ballots open today amidst cost-of-living crisis (6 Sept) – Ballots for industrial action opened today at universities across the UK in disputes over pay, working conditions and pension cuts amidst the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, confirmed UCU. In total, over 70,000 staff at 150 universities are being balloted across two separate ballots. 67 institutions are being balloted over pension cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and 145 are being balloted over pay and working conditions. Both ballots are aggregated. This means that for the first time in these disputes if UCU achieves an overall turnout of 50% or above and a majority YES vote in both ballots, all 150 universities will be hit by strike action, which would be unprecedented read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
All members briefing on revised 5% pay offer (6 Oct) – Firefighters and firefighter control staff have received a revised 5% pay offer from fire employers. The FBU’s executive council has recommended that the offer is rejected (read why here). A consultative ballot of FBU members on the offer will now take place. FBU members will now come together for an online all members briefing to find out more about this latest development and the next steps. This will take place at 18.30 on Tuesday 11 October with FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and president Ian Murray, as well an opportunity to ask questions read more
Pay – Executive Council decisions and recommendation (6 Oct) – The following statement has been made by FBU general secretary Matt Wrack: “The Executive Council has today [05.10.22] debated the revised 5% pay proposal from the fire service employers. By unanimous decision, the Executive Council agreed the following. The Executive Council recommends that the offer is rejected but this is a decision for our members to make. The Executive Council has agreed to commence a membership consultation on the revised proposals. This will consist of a period of consultation briefings and meetings followed by a consultative ballot…” read more
POA
Autumn of action – lobby and rally rescheduled to 2nd November 2022 – Due to the new TUC Congress dates (18th-20th October), the TUC have rescheduled the lobby of parliament and evening mass rally to Wednesday 2nd November 2022. Westminster Central Hall is still booked as the base for the day and evening. Before the TUC rescheduled the national lobby, over 320 people had registered to meet their MP. The TUC are contacting these people and supporting them to book in meetings with their MP on 2nd November 2022. 320 sign-ups is a good start but we need hundreds more union members to sign up to make their voice heard. It’s time for a new deal for working people. We need a real pay rise for every worker, starting with a £15 minimum wage as soon as possible, and more help with bills. It’s time to ban zero hours contracts and end fire and rehire read more
NAPO
Napo adds name to TUC letter to prime minister (30 Sept) – Napo and other unions signed a letter from the TUC demanding better from the prime minister read more
BFAWU
Organise Now! Launches today! (Sept 26) – Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary: Bakers, Food and Allied Workers, Strike Map and Notes from Below launch new organising project, Organise Now! LAUNCH VIDEO IS HERE. Today (24 September), The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), Strike Map UK and Notes from Below launch a new union organising project called Organise Now! This project is inspired by the Emergency Workplace Organising Committee (EWOC) launched in the USA a few years ago, which has seen tens of thousands unorganised workers contacting them looking for help in building a union in historically low unionised areas, like Starbucks and Amazon. The Organise Now! website launches with two forms. One form is for workers who want support and the other is for volunteers to sign up. Within 72 hours of filling out the form, workers receive a call back from a volunteer. They are assigned an experienced organiser who will coach them through their organising at work read more
NUJ
IFJ president joins human chain for Assange (8 Oct) – NUJ members joined thousands of free speech supporters opposing the extradition of Julian Assange at a protest in London today read more
NUJ to ballot members at Al Jazeera (22 Sept) – Members employed by Al Jazeera International Ltd are being balloted on whether they are prepared to take part in strike action and action short of strike. 40 members will receive ballot papers following a decision by the Al Jazeera group chapel to move to an industrial action vote, rejecting the company’s 2022 offer of 4.5% plus an unconsolidated £500 for those earning less than £50,000 read more
Prospect
Civil service cuts must be formally dropped (7 Oct) – Prospect has responded to media reports that the government will back track on plans to cut 91,000 roles. Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect union, said: “Civil servants deserve better than constant briefings about the security of their jobs to the press and any announcement should be made formally and alongside a withdrawal of proposals to reduce redundancy terms for staff…” read more
Equity
Equity’s Audio Committee urges new Intellectual Property Minister to abandon catastrophic data mining exemption (5 Oct) – Equity’s Audio Committee have written to Dean Russell MP, the newly appointed Minister for Enterprise and Markets responsible for intellectual property. The Committee have urged the new Minister to abandon the government’s proposed data mining exemption which was announced earlier in the year. They have warned that this exemption could have catastrophic implications for UK based performers and their professional work if implemented. For example, it could mean that any video or sound recording that is publicly available could to be mined for free by third parties without the consent of the copyright owner to generate new AI content read more
USDAW
On the anniversary of the £20 Universal Credit cut, Usdaw condemns the Tory threat of a real terms income drop (6 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw has condemned the Government for failing to guarantee an increase in Universal Credit and other welfare benefits in line with inflation. This comes twelve months after the £20 cut in Universal Credit, which came into force on 6 October 2021. Traditionally benefit uprating is linked to the inflation rate announced in October, which this year is due on the 19th of this month. In the last week, both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have repeatedly refused to say if benefits will rise in line with inflation read more
UVW
Judge orders Brighton pub to pay wages to sacked UVW strike leader (26 Sept) – “I’m ecstatic by the decision from the court to grant my interim relief! It’s a huge win for the UVW members of the Saint James Tavern and the labour movement across the hospitality sector” – Jake Marvin, sacked UVW strike leader and former bar manager. A judge ordered pub bosses at Saint James Tavern (SJT) in Brighton to pay wages to a United Voices of the World (UVW) strike leader, who was abruptly sacked allegedly for his union activities. And they will have to pay wages until there is a final hearing on his dismissal, which could be in a year or so. Former bar manager and UVW member Jake Marvin applied to the Employment Tribunal in early July for interim relief following his abrupt sacking just days after the workers’ first picket line on June 25. Interim relief is when a boss is ordered to reinstate or pay a worker where the Employment Tribunal believes they have been sacked for trade union activities. The judgement will remain in force until a final hearing on unfair dismissal and trade union victimisation takes place in a year or so read more
IWGB
RSA employees push for historic trade union recognition agreement with IWGB Union (10 Oct) – Staff at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are pushing for statutory recognition, after the RSA denied three requests for voluntary recognition. A recognition agreement with the society — which has long advocated for trade union rights — would be the first of its kind in the organisation’s 270-year history, which includes Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, and Nelson Mandela among its past fellows read more
IWGB Launches Worker Status Claim against Ride-Hailing App Bolt (6 Oct) – Thursday 6 October: The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has today launched a claim on the behalf of one driver for backdated holiday pay on the basis that the claimant was unlawfully misclassified as an independent contractor. Like those working at Uber, the IWGB argues that Bolt drivers should be classified as limb (b) workers and legally entitled to holiday pay. Law firm Leigh Day, in partnership with the IWGB, today launches a separate group claim read more
RSA Employees Push for Historic Trade Union Recognition Agreement with IWGB Union (7 Oct) – Staff at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are pushing for statutory recognition, after the RSA denied three requests for voluntary recognition. A recognition agreement with the society — which has long advocated for trade union rights — would be the first of its kind in the organisation’s 270-year history, which includes Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, and Nelson Mandela among its past fellows read more
Security Staff at University College London to Strike over Pay as Part of Campaign Against Outsourcing (26 Sept) – Outsourced security staff working at University College London (UCL) from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have voted unanimously to take strike action over pay and union recognition. This follows the launch of an ongoing campaign in May by the majority-BAME and migrant outsourced workers demanding to be brought in-house, after years of subcontractor mismanagement. At the height of the cost of living crisis, security staff are demanding £15/hr, equivalent to the wage paid to security over two decades ago before outsourcing was introduced at UCL (and still paid to a small number of staff who have remained employed since that time and whose conditions are protected by TUPE). Outsourced workers are also demanding an end to exploitative outsourcing at the university read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Dunnes Pay & Benefits Petition Update (3 Oct) – Almost 1300 Dunnes Workers have shown their support for the Dunnes Pay and Benefits claim by signing the petition since it was launched 3 weeks ago. Click here if you haven’t already signed the petition. The Dunnes National Committee wrote to the Directors of Dunnes Stores on the 20th of July seeking action on your Pay and Benefits claim. The Directors have not yet responded read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU will use industrial action to secure adequate pay rises in private sector (5 Oct) – SIPTU representatives will authorise industrial action in order to secure adequate pay rises across the private sector delegates were told today (Wednesday, 5thOctober), at the union’s Services Division Biennial Delegate Conference in Kilkenny read more
Barristers action
From the Criminal Bar Association twitter account The CBA @TheCriminalBar – The Criminal Bar has voted to accept the proposal made by the Government. With 57% voting to accept the offer made by Government. Action is suspended from 18.00hrs this evening. The Criminal Bar Association has a long history of respecting and unifying around the majority vote. Read more on the Criminal Bar Association
Other news
October is Black History Month – follow #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth2022 #BHM #BHM2022 on twitter for events as well as visit union websites
50th Anniversary of Building Workers Strike (hosted by Unite London & Eastern) – Friday 28th October TUC Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC18 3LS
Sign petition: Liz Truss, give a 10% pay rise and equal pay to all care workers and personal assistants from Disability Rights Action [email protected]
International News
Pakistan flooding disaster – Urgent appeal from the Sindh Workers’ Alliance read more and find details on how to donate
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
QC appointed to lead the independent Unite inquiry into blacklisting – 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
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
October
16 NSSN pre-TUC congress Action Summit – 1pm Holiday Inn Brighton
November
2 TUC Rally & Lobby of Parliament
5 People’s Assembly National Demonstration – London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
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
