The NSSN welcomes the vote by 300,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU) for national industrial action, starting with a national strike on 1st February. They will be joined by members of PCS, ASLEF, RMT and UCU also in national action, and with up to half a million workers on strike, it is a huge step up in the growing strike wave as workers face the escalating cost of living crisis.
The NEU overcame the Tory undemocratic voting thresholds, just as Sunak’s government look to introduce even more anti-union legislation. The NSSN took part in the Downing St protest against this Tory attack last night called by the RMT and also tonight in the Cardiff rally organised by the city’s trade council.
Unfortunately, despite a massive 90% yes vote for action, fellow education union NASUWT, with a 42% turnout fell short of the imposed 50% voting threshold. In a real indication of the mood of anger, the NAHT who represent headteachers won a mandate to strike in Wales but also had a 42% turnout in England. However, both unions are weighing up whether to re-ballot.
Walking out with the NEU on 1st February will be 70,000 UCU members in higher education, starting 18 days of action before April and PCS who will be bringing out all their 100,000 members with a strike mandate in national action, while re-balloting 30,000 to hopefully reach the 50% threshold. ASLEF will also be taking national strike action on that day and two days later as well, as will RMT train drivers. Also, the TUC has called a national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on February 1st.
Therefore, 1st February is perhaps the most significant day of joint action so far in the strike wave. We have already seen on other days over the last few months, a combination of workers in Royal Mail, BT, the railways and nurses have been out together.
Around the same time, there will be a Northern Ireland wide NHS strike involving NIPSA, Unison and Unite on 26th January, ambulance workers in Unite are taking further action on 23rd January and nurses in RCN who are striking again this week, will be out as well on February 6-7. Scottish teachers in EIS are also rolling out 18 days of strikes in the same period, some on 1st February. Alongside all this action will be many localised disputes, including the first UK official strike by Amazon workers in GMB in Coventry on 25th January. Also, the FBU and BMA Junior Doctors are balloting.
The NSSN sends solidarity to all workers and unions taking action. Latest figures show that strikes are at their highest level since 1990 and are rising further. But as with the previous days of joint strikes, February 1st shows that it is possible for unions to co-ordinate action. We call on all the unions to urgently come together to plan and organise co-ordinated strike action on the broadest basis against the cost of living squeeze and the Tory anti-union laws.
Support the strikes – #StrikeTogether
NEU to take strike action over pay (16 Jan) – Union announces strike action over pay after positive ballot results. In its ongoing campaign for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise, teacher members of the National Education Union in England and Wales and support staff in Wales have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and the ballot has successfully surpassed the restrictive thresholds set by Government for strike action. The question put was, “Are you prepared to take strike action in furtherance of this dispute?”. For the ballot of teachers, in England a 90.44% majority voted YES on a turnout of 53.27%. In Wales a 92.28% majority voted YES on a turnout of 58.07% read more
NEU National Strike London Demonstration – Wednesday 1st February assemble 11am BBC Portland Place W1A 1AA for march to Westminster
PCS members to join biggest day of walkouts in over a decade (17 Jan) – PCS members across the civil service will join hundreds of thousands of trade union members on strike on 1 February in the biggest walkout for over a decade after we served notice on 123 employers. We have served notice on employers where members in the civil service and related areas have passed the 50% legal threshold for strike action. 100,000 PCS members will strike for 24 hours on the same day as 300,000 NEU members in England and Wales, affecting more than 23,000 schools. Members of train drivers’ union Aslef are also set to strike across 14 companies on 1 February read more
ASLEF Rejects Proposal and Announces New Strike Dates (17 Jan) – ASLEF has rejected a proposal – that was not the result of negotiation, despite this trade union making itself available more often than the other side for talks – made by the cartel [put in place on behalf of a government which has been shown to be interfering in the talks] representing some of the train operating companies in Britain, and announced new strike dates on Wednesday 1 and Friday 3 February read more
RMT train driver members to take strike action Feb 1 and 3 (17 Jan) – Train driver RMT members at 14 rail operators will take strike action on February 1 and 3 over jobs pay and conditions. The decision to strike on February 1 coincides with a TUC day of action where several unions are coordinating their strikes during the cost-of-living crisis read more
UCU: 70,000 university staff to strike on 1 February (17 Jan) – Over 70,000 staff at 150 universities will strike on Wednesday 1 February. UCU is in dispute with 150 universities over the issues of pay, pensions and working conditions. The union said ‘the clock is ticking’ for university bosses to make staff a serious offer and avoid disruption. A further 17 days of strike action is due to take place over February and March. The precise dates are to be announced by the union next week read more
TUC to hold national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on February 1 – Union body says it will fight new anti-strike legislation “every step of the way”. The TUC will hold a national ‘protect the right to strike’ day on Wednesday 1 February. The announcement comes following a meeting of trade union leaders today. Events will take place in different parts of the country against the Conservative’s new anti-strike legislation. And members of the public will be invited to show their support for workers taking action to defend their pay and conditions. More information will be provided in the coming weeks about planned activities read more
Sign the TUC petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: Protect the right to strike! – Our right to strike is under attack. Rishi Sunak has just detailed his anti-union legislation and plans to introduce new laws in the coming weeks. It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal. These new laws are a direct attack on working people’s fundamental right to strike to defend their pay, terms and conditions
Cardiff protest: Hands off our unions – Defend our right to strike! (Called by Cardiff Trades Council) 5pm TONIGHT Tuesday 17th January uutside Government Building, Wood St, Cardiff Facebook event
RMT calls for mass mobilisation against anti-worker bill (16 Jan)
RMT response to the anti-strike bill (10 Jan)
TSSA: Anti-strike Minimum Service Level plans – ‘unworkable and draconian’ (10 Jan)
Unite slams second reading of anti-strike bill as ‘preposterous’ (16 Jan)
Unite: Union leader brands Minimum Services Bill as “another dangerous gimmick” (10 Jan)
Unite chief: Rishi Sunak’s ‘silly posturing’ on strikes is an abdication of leadership (5 Jan)
GMB: Anti -strike legislation ‘scapegoating NHS workers’ (5 Jan)
PCS: What government anti-strike legislation means (10 Jan)
“Reprehensible, provocative and vindictive” – PCS on proposed anti-union legislation (10 Jan)
PCS pledges to fight government as Border Force strike ban considered (7 Jan)
Three things you need to know about the anti-strike bill (16 Jan)
FBU responds to government anti-strike laws announcement (5 Jan)
Prospect: Government strike proposals miss the point and will lead to further distrust (5 Jan)
Defend the right to strike rally and action planning meeting – Tuesday, January 24 6:00pm – National Education Union• Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, WC1H 9BD
Called by: Campaign for Trade Union Freedom & StrikeMap and supported by: Institute of Employment Rights, Peace & Justice Project, Arise, War on Want, The People’s Assembly, Enough is Enough
Enough is Enough launches campaign and petition to Defend the #RightToStrike – The right to strike is under threat. New legislation proposed by the Tory government intends to override a workers’ right to withdraw their labour, forcing them to work against their will. The right to strike is a fundamental democratic right. It underpins our ability to win dignity in the workplace and earn a decent standard of living. It is no accident that this right is under attack at the very moment the public is fighting back against the cost-of-living squeeze. This government is determined to force workers to pay the price for a crisis caused by the greed of the elite yet again. We won’t accept it. We, the undersigned, pledge to defend the right to strike and oppose this latest legislation #RightToStrike
Sign your workplace up to save the right to strike (supported by Strike Map, ASLEF – The UK Train Drivers’ Union, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union – BFAWU, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, Fire Brigades Union, The Morning Star, NHS Workers Say NO, People’s Assembly and the NSSN) – The government has launched an attack on our rights. Their actions will destroy our fundamental right to strike. We want to encourage workers, union reps and branch officers to sign their workplace up to reject these changes and pledge to fight to protect our right to strike. Add your workplace name to our collective letter action and share it with every one of your co-workers. When we fight as a collective together we win!
NSSN news
This year’s NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 24th June in Conway Hall, London 11am-4.30pm
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 Katrine 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
RMT writes to London Mayor over tube safety concerns (17 Jan) – Tube union RMT, has hit out at unsafe staffing levels on London Underground following a series of reports suggesting waivers to safety regulations are being inappropriately used. In a letter to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch highlights a series of incidents where stations have had less than the required staff and, in some cases, no staff at all. Mr Lynch goes on to say that these problems have been caused by de-staffing, in particular the decision to axe 600 station jobs, something the RMT has taken strike action over read more
RMT calls for mass mobilisation against anti-worker bill (16 Jan) – Trades unionists from across the labour movement will descend on Parliament tonight, to protest at the Minimum Service Levels bill. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The government has decided to bring in this anti-worker law because it wants to make effective strike action illegal in Britain read more
RMT calls on Holyrood to come clean over future of Caledonian Sleeper (11 Jan) – Rail union RMT today called on the Scottish government to take the Caledonian Sleeper into public ownership. Private contractor Serco are due to have their contract to run the service terminated in June this year. However the Scottish government has not announced who will take over or if they will take it into public ownership, like they have with Scotrail read more
RMT takes further strike action on Elizabeth Line (11 Jan) – RMT members employed by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) who are safety critical to running services across London’s new flagship west-east line will be taking further strike action tomorrow (Thursday) in a battle over pay. Rail for London (Infrastructure) (RfL(I)), a wholly-owned TfL subsidiary, manages the infrastructure for the Crossrail Central Operating Section of the Elizabeth Line. Affected workers are currently being paid significantly less than similar positions across the network read more
RMT response to the anti-strike bill (10 Jan) – Responding to the anti-strike bill being introduced to Parliament today, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This is an attack on human rights and civil liberties which we will oppose in the courts, Parliament and the workplace. One of the most important things in any democratic society is to have free trade unions. This law could make effective strike action illegal, and workers may be sacked for exercising their right to withdraw their labour. The only reason this draconian legislation is being introduced is because the government have lost the argument and want to punish workers for having the temerity to demand decent pay and working conditions…” read more
RMT exposes government’s control of rail dispute (9 Jan) – In a briefing published ahead of a meeting with the Rail Minister Huw Merriman, RMT has exposed the fact that far from being a ‘facilitator’ of negotiations, it is the government that is in complete control of the dispute and can put an end to passengers’ misery by unlocking the negotiations read more
Reinstate Branch Secretary Jason Moriarty – A new newsletter has been produced as a part of our organising to get Jason Moriarty reinstated. Please download it to learn more. The RMT offers full support and solidarity with our comrade Jason Moriarty following his disclosure to his employer, London Underground, of a disability read more
TSSA
Update on TSSA-RDG negotiations (12 Jan) – TSSA attended negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) this afternoon (Thursday). A TSSA spokesperson said: “We have had detailed discussions and we are working jointly towards a revised offer. Both parties have agreed to continue discussions over the coming days.” Read more
Appeal to London Mayor on Elizabeth Line strike (12 Jan) – A group of TSSA Elizabeth Line pickets in orang hi vis vests and yellow armbands at Romford Rail Operating Centre. A huge red TSSA flag flies above them. Transport union TSSA has written to Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appealing to him to intervene in the dispute on the Elizabeth line which has resulted in crippling strike action today. TSSA members working for Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLi) are taking strike action about pay and proposed changes to pensions. This is the first strike action on Britain’s newest rail line read more
TSSA members to halt Elizabeth Line in strike action (11 Jan) – Dozens of TSSA members working on London’s Elizabeth Line will take strike action tomorrow (Thursday 12 January) bringing the central section of the line to a halt, with reduced services on other sections. This marks the first industrial action on the flagship Transport for London (TfL) line since it opened in May 2022 and is taking place in a dispute over pay and proposed changes to pensions. TSSA members working for Rail for London (Infrastructure) Limited (RfLI) voted by nine to one in favour of strike action in a ballot held late last year after talks failed at the arbitration service, ACAS. Direct talks with RfLI have again taken place on several days this week but the strike, as well as action short of a strike (ASOS), will go ahead in the continuing absence of a deal, or a firm offer which meets our aspirations for members read more
Anti-strike Minimum Service Level plans – ‘unworkable and draconian’ (10 Jan) – Anti-strike plans being introduced to the Westminster Parliament aimed at imposing minimum levels of service across the public sector during industrial action walkouts have been described by TSSA as ‘unworkable, draconian and almost certainly illegal’. The transport and travel union has been at the forefront of a long-running national rail dispute over pay, job security and conditions. The Bill being laid before Parliament by the Conservatives today would see some trade union members forced to continue working during strikes. TSSA and other unions have condemned the plans, saying they would not resolve the current rail dispute and calling on Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, to listen to the concerns of rail workers to negotiate a fair deal, instead of undermining their basic right to strike read more
Unite
Britishvolt administration ‘potentially catastrophic’ for both the North East and UK’s automotive transition (17 Jan) – Britishvolt, which was planning to build a giga-battery factory in Northumberland, has today (Tuesday) announced that it is going into administration. Unite national officer for the automotive sector Steve Bush said: “This is a grim day for the North East and for the just transition to the electrification of the nation’s automotive sector. The complete lack of a competent industrial strategy by the government to protect jobs in the UK automotive sector is becoming potentially more catastrophic by the day…” read more
Strike levels a result of profiteering and government failure (17 Jan) – Responding to the latest figures on the number of days lost to strike action, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The latest figures on industrial action demonstrate a stark failure by the government to negotiate a fair wage for public sector workers, coupled with the rampant profiteering of companies during a cost of living crisis. The strike action that we are currently witnessing is not a first resort but a last resort. Many of these workers involved have never taken strike action before in their lives. They have been left with no option. The cost of living crisis has resulted in them being unable to financially keep their heads above water, while they are seeing their employer posting huge profits…” read more
Housing association faces industrial action if it presses ahead with anti-union attack (17 Jan) – Unite will wage a campaign of resistance. Unite, Britain’s leading union has issued a stark warning to the Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) association, that it faces a significant campaign of resistance if bosses press ahead with their decision to end formal relations with Unite. Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing was formed through a merger between Thames Valley Housing Association and Metropolitan Housing in 2018. Last summer MTVH Served 6 months’ notice to Unite of its plans to derecognise the union. Since then Unite has presented management with a number of alternative proposals including an offer of third party conciliation. All proposals have been dismissed out of hand and the union is now planning a major campaign to protect its members’ rights, including industrial action. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Unless the Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing association ends this anti-union attack on Unite’s members our union will wage a significant campaign of resistance. An industrial action ballot is a very real possibility read more
Watch the Reel News video: UNITE Scottish Construction rank and file and the Blacklist Support Group were celebrating a very significant victory after a campaign of direct action forced Scottish energy giant SSE to reinstate Greig McArthur, branch secretary of the biggest construction branch in Scotland, and two of his colleagues. The NSSN sends our solidarity and congratulations to Grieg and his workmates
Unite slams second reading of anti-strike bill as ‘preposterous’ (16 Jan) – Union chief Sharon Graham declares “it’s official the government has lost the plot”. Britain’s public services are on the brink of collapse, there is an unprecedented cost of living crisis and energy bills are skyrocketing while energy giants make eye-watering profits. Yet today, this government’s priorities dictate that new anti-strike laws must be rushed through parliament, in what Unite described as a ‘preposterous attack’ on trade unions read more
3,000 West Midlands National Express bus drivers prepare for strike ballot (16 Jan) – Industrial action threat comes after drivers reject 8% pay offer by 96%. Around 3,000 West Midlands bus drivers are preparing to be balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). Last Friday, the drivers, some of whom earn as little as £11.80 per hour, rejected a pay offer for 2023 worth around eight per cent. National Express, which made £15.8 million in profits during the first half of 2022, insists the offer is worth 14 per cent. Unite has rejected the company’s calculations, however, because they include changes to hourly wages already made in 2022. If the drivers go on strike, National Express services in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Coventry, West Bromwich and elsewhere will be severely affected read more
Community support workers in Hounslow stage week long strike (16 Jan) – What: Striking charity workers stage protest outside Hestia headquarters
Where: Beaufort House, 15 St Botolph St, London EC3A 7BB
When: Wednesday 18th January 2023 at 8.30am
As the New Year gets underway strike action at Hestia escalates. Workers employed by Hestia are taking five days of strike action beginning today (Monday 16) and ending on Friday 20 January. The workers will also stage a protest at Hestia’s head office on Wednesday 18 January read more keep up to date on strike on the Unite Housing Workers LE/1228 branch website
Unite leader: Inheriting a ‘weakened economy’ is not an excuse to make wrong choices for the NHS (15 Jan) – Excess profits should be used to reverse austerity and pay staff properly. Responding to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s claim that the NHS must reform ‘or die’, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Labour can and must make the right choices on our broken economy and the NHS. The NHS is in crisis because of the government’s deliberate and dangerous political choice to systematically cut the service and suppress workers’ pay. Labour’s key message now should be that it will reverse those cuts so the NHS can truly get back on its feet, not that it will drive through yet another round of disruptive reform. We all know what needs to be done to improve patient care – reverse the years of austerity and pay staff properly. The money is there if we make different choices…” read more
Asda tanker drivers secure a 12% pay deal (13 Jan) – Unite has secured a ground breaking pay and conditions deal for its members employed as fuel tanker drivers by Fuel Transport Logistics (FTL) on the Asda South contract. A 100 tanker drivers have secured an additional 12.2 per cent in pay value following negotiations led by their union Unite. In addition, FTL has agreed to move to a four on four off shift system, which means that workers will work 26 fewer shifts per year with no loss of pay. This mean that the deal over the last six months is in effect worth 25.7 per cent for members and resolves the pay dispute read more
Petrofac Repsol workers accept wage offer ending bitter dispute (13 Jan) – Deal secures up to £18,000 extra per year. Unite, the UK’s largest offshore trade union, confirmed that over 200 members have accepted an improved wage offer at Petrofac Repsol installations today (13 January). The deal which is the product of a year-long negotiation process will result in a salary increase of up to 20.2 per cent, which is the cash equivalent of up to £18,000, and also enhancements to allowances. Unite’s members accepted the latest Petrofac Repsol offer by 84 per cent on a ballot turnout of 97 per cent. It now brings to a close weeks of industrial action in a bitter dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The installations covered by the deal include the Arbroath, Auk, Bleo Holm, Claymore, Clyde, Fulmar Alpha, Piper Bravo, Montrose, Saltire, Tartan Alpha, and Flotta oil terminal. The workers involved include electrical and mechanical technicians, deck crew, controllers and riggers read more
Whisky giant workers to strike for months in row over pay (13 Jan) – Diageo accused of race to the bottom. Unite has confirmed today (Friday 13 January) workers based at whisky giant Diageo’s plant in Leven are set to strike in a dispute over pay. The strike action will begin tomorrow (Saturday 14 January) for a period of 48 hours only with a series of further stoppages then scheduled to take place ending on 3 April. Unite has taken the whisky giant to task following the introduction of a lower rate of pay for new starts without consultation with the unions. This issue has been ongoing and was first raised through the grievance process in 2019. The trade union estimates some of its engineering members are set to lose around 6 per cent of their pay when moved to the lower rate of pay. The strike action will directly impact on the engineering support for the bottling plant. Unite believes it would not be safe to run the plant without the support its members provide. In July 2022, Diageo reported operating profits were up by 18.2 per cent to £4.4bn, primarily driven by organic growth, with net sales up 21.4 per cent to £15.5bn. The company has an estimated 27,987 employees read more
Unite demands workers’ rights guarantees over Freeports (13 Jan) – Trade union says ‘absolutely unclear’ if Scottish Government can enforce protection for workers. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, has today (Friday 13 January) reacted to the announcement that there were two successful bids in the nation to create new Green Freeports by demanding clarity over workers’ and trade union rights. Forth Ports’ Firth of Forth bid, which covers Edinburgh Airport Grangemouth, Leith, and Rosyth, and the Cromarty Firth bid in the Highlands were the successful bids. Unite has requested an urgent meeting with the Scottish Government following today’s announcement highlighting a number of major concerns surrounding the enforcement of employment and collective bargaining rights with 75,000 jobs projected to be created through the two Freeport zones read more
Unite Wales reaction to Welsh NHS pay talks (12 Jan) – Unite and other trade unions met with the Health Minister and officials this lunch time. No specific offer for NHS Wales staff was made, but the principle around a non- consolidated one off payment was discussed. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said; “The Welsh government’s offer falls far short of what our members need and what is fair pay after a decade and more of pay cuts. Unless they can move further, the strikes by ambulance workers on 19 and 23 January will go ahead. Our members in Wales have the unflinching support of their union in their fight for a fair wage.” Read more
Liberty Steel redundancies announcement blasted by Unite (12 Jan) – Commenting on the announcement by Liberty Steel that 440 jobs could be affected by the next phase of its restructuring programme, Unite national officer Harish Patel said: “Unite will be demanding forensic scrutiny of all aspects of Liberty’s plans following the announcement of these potentially massive redundancies. We will utilise every element of the union’s power to challenge these plans and their consequences for the long-term future of the Tredegar, Newport and West Bromwich sites. The government has also a case to answer: Steel manufacturing is a sector of critical national importance, both for the nation’s self-sufficiency and the thousands of jobs it supports. Ministers must come up with a plan to solve the astronomical energy prices that are crippling the sector. The ball is in their court on this crisis – they cannot walk on by again.” Read more
Shelter pay dispute ends as workers receive improved offer (12 Jan) – The long running pay dispute at housing and homelessness charity Shelter has ended after workers accepted a vastly improved pay offer. Over 600 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, took strike action last December over pay. During the strike action talks were held at the conciliation service Acas and an improved pay offer was made. The revised offer was for an increase in pay of seven per cent, which was more than double the three per cent the workers had previously been offered. In addition, the workers will each receive a one off payment of £1,250. Following a ballot of members, the new offer was accepted read more
Ambulance and A&E waiting times branded a “national disgrace made in 10 Downing Street” (12 Jan) – On a daily basis this government fails to provide patients and the public with decent minimum standards in the NHS. Instead the government hypocritically resorts to dangerous gimmicks like the minimum services bill read more
Unite blasts NHS Pay Review Body as “long past its sell-by date” (11 Jan) – Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham says the NHSPRB has degenerated into “a total farce” which isn’t “independent” of Government and can’t take decisions on pay – “so what is the point of it?” This follows today’s joint trade union declaration of withdrawal from the NHSPRB process for the next round of pay negotiations for 2023/2024. Health unions won’t be submitting evidence to the NHS pay review body (NHSPRB) for the next wage round while the current industrial disputes remain unresolved, it has been announced today (Wednesday 11 January). Instead, the 14 unions – representing more than one million ambulance staff, nurses, porters, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and other NHS workers in England – have called for direct pay talks with ministers and relevant NHS Employers. However this leaves the future of the Pay Review Body unresolved beyond 2023/24. Unite believes the Body is no longer fit for purpose and should be abolished read more
Merseyside household waste strikes off after Unite secures pay deal worth over 18% (11 Jan) – Strike action planned by nearly 200 Veolia workers at 22 Merseyside household waste sites will not go ahead after the workers accepted an improved pay offer. The two year pay deal, secured by Unite, the UK’s leading union, will see workers receive a 10 per cent pay rise backdated for the financial year 2022/23 and an 8.4 per cent increase for 2023/24. The lowest paid workers will also receive a one-off payment of £375 read more
Robin Hood to protest at Aldi stores in Lichfield, West Yorkshire, Wales, Airdrie, Crawley, North Yorkshire, Worcester and Warrington as contractor Arrow XL accused of “taking from workers to give directors more” (11 Jan) – Protesters dressed as Robin Hood will be appearing at the Aldi store to highlight how the supermarket’s contractor Arrow XL is effectively taking from its poorly paid workers to pay rich directors
Striking housing workers vote 99.5 percent on 93.5 percent turnout to reject inadequate NI Housing Executive pay offer (10 Jan) – As industrial action by housing workers enters its twenty-third week without resolution, Unite demands Department for Communities intervention. Thousands of social housing tenants are left without needed repair and maintenance work as a result of management intransigence. Unite the union has written to the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive Grainia Long after its members overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer made by management at the Labour Relations Agency in December. The pay offer was for a one-off non-consolidated payment of one thousand pounds and a pay point increase for grades 1 to 3 which would have benefited only a small fraction of striking workers. The offer was rejected overwhelmingly in a ballot conducted on picket lines on turnout of 93.5 percent and rejection majority of 99.5 percent. The workers who are employed in North and West Belfast, Portadown, Coleraine and Derry/Londonderry will therefore continue their strike action in pursuit of a fair pay increase for the 2021-2022 year. Their strike is now into its twenty-third week and has led to ballooning impact on maintenance services for social housing units read more
Department for Infrastructure must show leadership on Rathlin Island ferry dispute (10 Jan) – Union says workers and Rathlin Island community treated as expendable in wrangle over outsourced service. Unite the union has demanded urgent action by the Department for Infrastructure to resolve an ongoing pay dispute and safeguard the ferry service to Rathlin island. The private sector operator of the ferry service to Northern Ireland’s largest offshore island, Rathlin Island Ferry Ltd, has indicated to the Department that the company could enter liquidation by the end of January. Unite members at the ferry operator are today striking for a third day after four days when there was no service to the island as a result of inclement conditions and strike action. Strike action is scheduled to proceed for four days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays) for the remainder of January. The strike follows a ballot of ferry workers who voted with a 85 per cent majority for industrial action in pursuit of a cost of living increase. Their vote came after workers’ endured three years of a pay freeze read more
Refuse workers and street cleaners to strike in Liverpool in pay dispute (10 Jan) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Liverpool Streetscene Services Limited (LSSL), are set to undertake industrial action in a dispute over pay. The 80 plus workers are principally employed in refuse collection, street cleaning and parks and cemeteries. They will begin industrial action on Monday 23 January and it will end on Saturday 28 January read more
Union leader brands Minimum Services Bill as “another dangerous gimmick” (10 Jan) – Grant Shapps is, as usual, economical with the truth. The evidence from abroad clearly shows this kind of legislation only forces unions to use other tactics, inflaming and prolonging disputes. Commenting on the introduction of new legislation to Parliament today (Tuesday 10 January) for “minimum safety levels” during industrial action, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham said: “This Bill is another dangerous gimmick from a Government that should be negotiating to resolve the current crisis they have caused. “Grant Shapps is, as usual, economical with the truth. He is taking the worst practices from other countries but not those that actually assist workers. The evidence from abroad clearly shows this kind of legislation only forces unions to use other tactics, inflaming and prolonging disputes. If he wants to import good practice from other countries I can give him a long list. He could start with banning fire and rehire, which can’t be done in countries like Ireland and Spain but is still legal in the UK…” read more
Northern Ireland Health and Social Care workers strike for improved pay (9 Jan) – Massive 87 per cent average vote for strike action across Northern Ireland trusts. 4000 Unite members to strike on 26 January, February 16 ,17 and 23, 24. Unite the union has confirmed that its members working across the health and social care sector in Northern Ireland will be participating in an industrial campaign involving all health trade unions after they voted overwhelmingly for strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase. The announcement comes as talks as discussion with the UK health secretary failed to make any progress on the 2022/23 pay claim. In December, Unite members voted with an average 87 percent majority across all five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service for strike action read more
Unite secures pay deal worth over 19% for Luton airport ground handlers (9 Jan) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured a pay deal worth more than 19 per cent for around 200 staff employed by GH London Ground Handling at Luton airport. The workers had voted for strike action late last year over the delayed payment of a retention bonus. Strike action was avoided following negotiations with the company, during which a 10 per cent salary increase applicable from 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2022 and a £500 retention bonus was agreed. The workers will also receive a nine per cent increase from 1 January 2023. In addition, if the RPI inflation rate is higher than 9 per cent in May 2023, the workers will receive the difference as a further percentage pay increase from June 2023 read more
Industrial action set to hit GSK pharmaceutical plant in Irvine for months (9 Jan) – Kaefer contractors striking over refusal to pay bonus payments. Members of Unite, Scotland’s leading union, employed in engineering construction roles at the GSK plant in Irvine will start strike action in a dispute over bonus payments from today (9 January). Around 40 workers employed by contractor Kaefer Limited are seeking a bonus payment of £2.37 an hour, the maximum allowed under the relevant industrial agreement (National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry [NAECI]). The strike action started today at 07:30 a.m. and it will continue each day up to 23 January. There will also be an overtime ban in force which will last until 2 April. The industrial action will directly impact on the maintenance of the plant read more
Unite ambulance workers announce strike on 23 January (6 Jan) – Over 2,600 ambulance workers in the West Midlands, North West, North East, East Midlands and Wales will take strike action on Monday 23 January in the increasingly bitter dispute over pay. The strike marks an escalation as more workers join the dispute, which saw an initial day of industrial action on December 21 last year. Amid latest figures which reveal that ambulance handover rates in England have reached record levels, with one in four waiting for over an hour to discharge patients to A&E, Unite says that its’ ambulance workers are striking as a last resort read more
Welsh Ambulance workers to strike for two days in January (6 Jan) – Unite members act to defend the Welsh NHS from collapse. Unite the union, which represents over 1000 members in the Welsh Ambulance Service, has today (Thursday) announced two 24-hour strikes are set for January 19 and January 23. Unite members voted by a margin of 88 per cent to strike over the well below inflation pay offer which has seen an exodus of staff causing a crisis to engulf the Welsh NHS. As is usual in these circumstances, Unite will agree emergency ‘life and limb’ cover provisions with the Trust read more
Free parking looms in West London as parking attendants give 100% backing to industrial action (4 Jan) – Civil enforcement officers and CCTV operators will strike for two weeks between the 18 January and 31 January. Wealthy Serco’s offensive 20p an hour offer – or zero for workers on the real living wage – sparks strike. Unless the outsourcer Serco significantly improves its measly pay offer to essential council workers there could be free parking across the London boroughs of Hounslow, Ealing and Brent this month. Unite has served notice of industrial action today (Wednesday 4 January) to Serco which provides parking services to the three London boroughs. Civil enforcement officers and CCTV operators will strike for two weeks between the 18 January and 31 January. The giant outsourcing company’s latest profits were £303.9 million but Serco has offered the workers a measly 20p an hour or nothing for workers on the real living wage read more
Coffin factory strike enters fourth month Co-op Funeralcare wastes £1 million instead of resolving dispute (5 Jan) – Coffin factory strike enters fourth month as Co-op Funeralcare wastes £1 million instead of resolving dispute. Unite members have resumed strike action at the Co-op Funeralcare coffin manufacturing factory based in Glasgow in a bitter dispute over pay which has now entered its fourth month. Strike action by Unite members began on Wednesday 4 January and will run continuously through to Monday 16 January, which will be the fourth consecutive week of strike action. Unite recently uncovered that the Cooperative Funeralcare spent over £1,000,000 last year on purchasing coffins from third party suppliers at a time when the dispute with their own workforce could have been successfully resolved for a fraction of this cost. Additionally, Co-op Funeralcare made an underlying profit of £12 million in 2021 read more
Welwyn and Hatfield grounds maintenance workers strike over poverty pay rates is now indefinite – Workers on Welwyn and Hatfield council’s outsourced grounds maintenance contract, employed by Continental Landscapes, are striking over low pay. The Hertfordshire-based workforce, who are responsible for all of the council’s grounds maintenance contract, including grass cutting and hedge trimming, are currently being paid just £10.12 an hour. Continental Landscapes has offered an increase of seven per cent, however with the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 12.6 per cent, this amounts to a real terms pay cut. The workers, who are members of Unite, have now upped their action. The strike action is causing extensive disruption to Welwyn and Hatfield’s grounds maintenance programme read more
From a local supporter: “The mood is hardening on the picket line. The picket line starts at 7.30am but the finishing time has now been extended from 10am to 3pm. This is a landmark case, which when won would send a signal out to the whole sector that such poor wages will no longer be tolerated, Minimum wage increase of less than 3% or not.”
Abellio London bus pay dispute intensifies with strikes over festive period and January – Abellio has profits of €401m but has imposed ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. Bus drivers employed by Abellio in South and West London will take a further 11 days of strike action in late December and throughout January in a dispute over pay. The bus drivers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have already taken 10 days of strike action in November and December. The last strike from the first round of industrial action ended last Saturday (17 December). The company, which made profits of €401 million in 2021, has imposed an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. The deal does not meet the drivers’ demands and leaves full time drivers with under two years’ of service on £3.29 less per hour than their colleagues with more than two years. The dispute initially involved 950 drivers, but the anger amongst the workforce is such that membership of Unite has doubled read more
Please donate: Over 2,000 Abellio Bus Drivers at 6 garages have set strike days in a fight for pay justice. This is the first dispute at Abellio for over 10 years. The pay claim is for £20 per hour which might seem like a lot. However the the company made over £40 million in profit in 2021. It would cost the company about £11 million to pay our demand. The Abellio bus drivers are some of the lowest paid bus drivers in London. The dispute is also about fairer schedules which are exhausting and also to stop bus route cuts. The drivers have had enough. Membership has grown dramatically in the last few months. Now we are requesting financial support for the strike from branches. This money will be used primarily to top up strike pay as drivers will be losing a significant amount on strike days. We really appreciate any support and please feel to make contact for further information.
Account Details: Unity Trust Bank, Acc No: 20210456, Sort Code: 608301, Branch Name: TGWU1/768, Hayes Branch LE/768. Contact [email protected]
Reinstate Radek (Radoslaw Worbel) sacked Unite London bus rep at RATP London United Fulwell bus garage – send a message of complaint to [email protected] and a message of support to to Radek via the Unite Bus Combine: [email protected]
Greene King strikes go ahead over Christmas & New Year’s Eve – Seven days of strike action begins tomorrow (Wednesday 21st December). Brewery workers offered a “Scrooge” pay deal. Greene King’s refusal to offer a fair pay increase in the midst of a cost of living crisis mean strikes will go ahead over Christmas. Workers will take three days of strike action between 21st December and 23rd December and a further four days between 28th December and 31st December. Supplies of well-known beers and ales to pubs, restaurants and shops including IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale will be affected. The 188 workers, including production and distribution workers, drivers and draymen, who are members of Unite are based at Bury St Edmunds, Eastwood (Nottinghamshire) and Abingdon (Oxfordshire) read more
Construction giant Murphy protests in UK and Ireland over union busting (20 Dec) – Demonstrations call for four sacked trade union members to be reinstated. Demonstrations will be held outside the offices of Murphy construction companies in Newbridge, County Kildare, Warrington, Stafford and London tomorrow (21 December) over union busting at the group. The protests form part of a campaign to secure the reinstatement of four Unite members, including a Unite shop steward, who were dismissed by the group’s Irish subsidiary, Murphy International. Unite believes the reasons for the sacking are spurious and linked to the workers’ trade union membership read more
Abellio East Midlands workers to stage further strikes at Christmas over ‘drastic pay cuts’ – Company with €401m profit fails to make any pay offer despite soaring prices. Workers at train company Abellio East Midlands will begin further strike action later this month over the company’s refusal to make any pay offer despite soaring living costs. Over 140 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, took four dates of strike action in October as well as a further two days earlier this month and will strike again on 23 and 24 December. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. 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 are based at depots in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and employed as cleaners, technicians, shunters, engineers, inspectors, lathe operators, team leaders and supervisors read more
Strike dates set to hit Highlands and Islands Airports in lead up to Christmas – Disruption likely as Unite members at HIAL take action in pay dispute. Unite the union, which represents members across eleven airports in the HIAL group, including those working in Fire and Rescue, Security and administration, has confirmed today (6 December) that strike action will take place commencing at 00:01 hours and concluding at 23:59 hours on 19th December 2022; And commencing at 00:01 hours and concluding at 23:59 hours on 22nd December 2022. Members of Unite voted by 73.5 per cent in favour of taking strike action and by 92.8 per cent in favour of taking action short of strike in a bid to improve pay for rural communities amid a cost of living crisis. The union has previously warned that strike action will cause huge disruption over the winter break and festive period. The workforce has already rejected an 5 per cent offer which they deemed unacceptable with inflation soaring to hit a 40-year high of 14.2 per cent (RPI). The eleven airports across the HIAL Group are Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick read more
Bristol council housing officers continue striking over terrible working conditions – Around 50 Bristol council housing officers and team leaders, responsible for managing the local authority’s 27,000 tenancies, will continue striking over unsustainable workloads on 14, 15 and 16 December. The workers previously took four days of strike action in late October. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are angry that Bristol council is refusing to act even though the extra work is causing high rates of stress and anxiety. They are calling on the council to reduce workloads and allocate additional resources read more
Great Western Railway engineers continue strike action over pay – Around 350 Great Western Railway (GWR) engineers will take further strike action on Thursday 15 December over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers previously went on strike in October. Despite GWR’s parent company First Group, which is based in Aberdeen, making pre-tax profits of £654 million in 2021/22, the company is refusing to offer the workers a pay rise. It will be the third year in a row their pay has been frozen. Meanwhile the real rate of inflation, RPI, is at 14.2 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members at Great Western Railway have not had a pay rise in three years. Now, with soaring living costs, their wages are falling even further behind. Great Western and First Group have no reason not to address this when their profits are so high. It is sheer greed on the part of the employer and our members have Unite’s full backing in striking for a fair pay rise.” The striking workers are based at depots and stations in London, Exeter, Tiverton, Plymouth, Swindon, Swansea, Reading, Penzance, Oxford and Bristol. If the dispute is not resolved then more strikes will be scheduled read more
Harrods’ strike breaking agency employed under new anti-union law named and shamed – Protective Security Group Ltd workers ‘didn’t know’ they had been brought in to break pay strike. The agency brought in to break a pay strike by Harrods’ security guards and CCTV operators has been named and shamed as Protective Security Group Ltd. Under the new anti-trade union law passed this summer by the government, Harrods has been allowed to replace striking workers with agency staff. The company threatened the workforce with the legislation previously and is one of the first employers in the country to use it. To break the strike, Harrods, owned by the Qatari state, has contracted Protective Security, which is registered in Ruislip, Middlesex, and has two directors, Jonathon Robinson and Edward Thomas Miller. Unite understands that Protective Security workers brought into work at Harrods during the strikes were not told there was industrial action taking place and were uncomfortable crossing a picket line…More than 50 Harrods uniformed security guards and CCTV operators are striking over a ‘pay cut dressed up as a rise’. The workers began three days of strike action over a seven per cent pay offer on 25 November and will strike again on 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 26 December. The offer is a pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, stands at 14.2 per cent and rising read more
UK facing Christmas pickle crisis as industrial action at pickled onion factory Mizkan in Rochdale intensifies – Lovers of some of UK’s most popular pickles face being denied their favourite condiments this Christmas as strike action at the Mizkan Euro factory in Rochdale intensifies in a dispute over pay. The factory produces Haywards Pickled Onions, Sarsons Vinegar and Haywards Pickled Vegetables. The 50 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK leading union, have already taken 19 days of strike action since October. The strike action is a result of the company only being prepared to offer its workers a five per cent pay increase, with the real inflation rate (RPI) now standing at 14.2 per cent, this is a very substantial real terms pay cut. Due to the just in time nature of supermarket deliveries, the strike action will almost inevitably create severe shortages at a time of year when many consumers relish these products, often with cold meat and cheese. Pickled onions and pickled vegetables are at the highest demand at this time of year read more
Strikes stepped up at Fawley refinery as heavy-handed policing deepens tensions in dispute – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed in engineering construction roles at Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire will step up strike action in a dispute over bonus payments. The 130-strong workforce, who are employed by three contractors Altrad, Bilfinger and Enerveo, are seeking a bonus payment of £2.37 an hour, the maximum allowed under the relevant industrial agreement (National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry [NAECI]). The Fawley refinery is operated by ExxonMobil, which last month recorded a quarterly profit of £17.3 billion. Tensions in the dispute have dramatically increased due to intimidatory behaviour by Hampshire police and false allegations made the employer read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
UK braced for Dulux paint shortages as Imperial Chemical workers in Stowmarket strike over deplorable pay offer – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Imperial Chemical in Stowmarket, Suffolk, will begin strike action later this month following a derisory pay offer by the company. The workers, who recorded a 94 per cent yes vote in favour of strike action, have been offered a pay increase of just 4.3 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, now running at 14.2 per cent, this amounts to a huge real terms pay cut. The workers will initially take two 24-hour periods of strike action on Wednesday 30 November and Wednesday 7 December. The workers are principally employed as production operatives and produce paint. The most popular brand is Dulux paint and the strike action will quickly result in shortages of the product in DIY stores and supermarkets read more
Derby Alstom pay cut strikes to impact East Midlands Rail maintenance – Alstom profits at £233m but workers offered just four per cent. More than 70 highly skilled workers who maintain the rolling stock at Alstom’s Derby site will strike over pay on 27 October and 29 October. If the dispute is not resolved more strikes will be scheduled. The workers will also begin industrial action comprising of a work to rule and an overtime ban on 19 October over the four per cent pay offer, well below the RPI rate of inflation of 12.3 per cent. French-based Alstom’s latest financial report shows it made sales of £13.6 billion in 2021/22 and net profits of £233 million 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
CWU
Support the CWU strikes in Royal Mail & Post Office – The CWU has launched a strike fund – please support: Unity Bank, CWU General Fund, 60-83-01 33019822
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
‘New Year & we’re still here’ – CWU comes out fighting on all fronts (11 Jan) – 2023 opens with the launch of another strike ballot campaign all around the UK, while our CWU leadership presses Royal Mail hard in negotiations and takes our members’ case to Westminster. Hundreds of area, branch and divisional reps – each one of them having led, organised and represented their members at workplaces all across the country during this union’s biggest dispute since 1971 – brought a defiant mood of grim determination and resolution to yesterday’s national briefing in central London yesterday. With 18 days of strike action having been taken between late August and the end of the year, yesterday’s briefing at Euston’s Friend’s Meeting House was called to update everybody on the latest developments and set out and discuss the strategy for the period ahead. And, in his opening speech, our general secretary Dave Ward began by thanking everyone for their remarkable collective strength and unity on the picket lines and in the workplaces…At the same time, the union is launching a national campaign to win the new strike ballot mandate as required by law. Under current legislation, last year’s two national Royal Mail ballots ‘expire’ on 19th January (Pay) and 17th February (Change) respectively. The union is, therefore, holding another national strike ballot, which will encompass all of the issues in dispute. Ballot papers will be dispatched to members on Monday 23rd January and the result will be declared on Thursday16th February. “We’ve got to win the re-ballot and return another massive YES – and to achieve another huge turnout,” Dave said, adding: “Let’s show that battle-hardened strength that goes right across the UK.” Read more
Payday comes early as VMO2 moves to alleviate the January blues (13 Jan) – The CWU has warmly welcomed a proactive move by Virgin Media O2 to ease post-Christmas cost-of-living pressures on ex-O2 employees by moving their January pay date five days forward read more
Ballot underway at Connect 44 amid deepening pay crisis at telecommunications service provider (11 Jan) – Voting commences today (Wednesday) in a ballot of a small group of CWU members at Connect 44 who have been told they must endure a 0% pay rise in 2022 to help the profitable business fund ‘strategic investment decisions’. To make matters worse, their January 1 pay review date has come and gone without any indication as to whether they can expect an increase in 2023 either – fuelling concern that the company may be gearing up to try to impose a two-year pay freeze in the midst of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation read more
Post Office Crowns & Admin strikes resume – Supply Chain overtime ban begins (13 Dec) – Staff in Crown Offices and Admin grades began a two-day walkout yesterday – their seventh and eighth – while their Supply Chain colleagues have begun a two-week overtime ban. Speaking to CWU News today, acting DGSP Andy Furey said: “This dispute has now been ongoing for nearly seven months. The first strikes were back in early May. Our Post Office members have now voted twice by enormous, 90 per cent-plus, majorities for this action and they’ve certainly shown their ongoing determination to win the fair pay deal they deserve. According to reports I’ve received from our reps around the UK, this latest bout of action has, once again, been solidly supported. “I’m honoured to represent such a fantastic group of members – their strength and solidarity truly is an inspiration” read more
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
- Signing our petition to tell prime minister Rishi Sunak to intervene and hold meaningful talks to end the strikes.
- Support us on social media with the hashtags: #PCSonStrike #BlameTheGovt
More than 2,000 civil servants in Wales begin new strike ballot (16 Jan) – More than 2,000 civil servants working for the Welsh government and National Museum of Wales today (16) begin a new ballot for strike action over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security. members are re-balloting after last November voting by a massive majority for strike action but falling just short of reaching the 50% threshold required to take action read more
More than 30,000 civil servants begin new strike ballot (16 Jan) – More than 30,000 civil servants – including those working for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – today (16) begin a new ballot for strike action over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security. PCS members are re-balloting after last November voting by a massive majority for strike action but falling just short of reaching the 50% threshold required to take action read more
One day all-member strike action called on 1st February (11 Jan) – The PCS national executive committee has agreed to call a one-day strike on 1 February of all members in employers where the turnout passed the 50% threshold required by law for action in our ballot last year. Members can check if your employer is included in the action by checking the list of departments that achieved over the 50% threshold and voted for strike action. The strike on 1 February will be the largest civil service strike for years and signals a significant escalation of industrial action after a month of strikes over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security. It coincides with the TUC’s ‘protect the right to strike’ day announced yesterday. As the cost-of-living crisis worsens, with inflation at nearly 11%, members are saying they’ve had enough of being treated appallingly. Our campaign is for a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms. We have carried out sustained action in targeted areas which is building pressure on the employer in the Border Force, RPA, DVSA, DVLA, National Highways and DWP. The action will be coordinated with other unions taking action, as well as the launch by the TUC of a campaign over pay and jobs, which will include events in several UK cities read more
Join Facebook live event 25 January – Ahead of our one-day strike of 100,000 civil service members on 1 February we are encouraging all those involved to join a Facebook live meeting, which you can also watch on Zoom, at 6.30pm on 25 January. The PCS national executive committee has agreed to call the strike of all members in employers where the turnout passed the 50% threshold required by law for action in our ballot last year. The meeting, chaired by PCS President Fran Heathcote, will hear from PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka. Email your questions in advance to [email protected] read more
Tax Specialist Trainees: final offer received (16 Jan) – Negotiations on the move of Tax Specialist Programme trainees to the standard HMRC grading system have concluded, and a final offer has been received from the department. Joint PCS/ARC members’ meetings are now being held read more
PCS responds to HMRC “sell your annual leave” proposal (16 Jan) – HMRC have announced a limited time trial allowing members to sell a portion of their annual leave for the current leave year. PCS has expressed disappointment at lack of consultation, and issued advice to members read more
More HMCTS Common Platform action announced (13 Jan) – PCS members working as legal advisers and court associates in more than 80 courts across England and Wales today announced further strike action in their long-running dispute about using the failing Common Platform system. Some 300 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members will take action on January 28, as well as tomorrow (January 14), and January 21 after the employer, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), refused to stop and review the many serious issues with the new system, despite union concerns about its efficiency read more
PCS January strike action – Saturday 28 announced (13 Jan) – PCS has served notice of further strike action in HMCTS over Common Platform, to take place on Saturday, 28 January. This is in addition to the strike action on 7, 14 and 21 January. PCS has today (13) served notice of strike action in HMCTS over the Common Platform dispute. This action will take place on Saturday 28 January will involve legal advisers and court associates in courts across the country read more
PCS still considering appeal over Rwanda policy (16 Jan) – Following today’s news that asylum seekers and a charity have been granted permission to appeal the High Court’s finding that the government’s Rwanda asylum deal is lawful, PCS has confirmed it is still considering an appeal read more
27,000 DWP staff paid below 2023 National Living Wage (13 Jan) – From April DWP will be bound by law to raise the wages of its lowest paid staff to meet the national legal minimum. From April 2023 DWP will be legally bound to raise the wages of 27,000 of its lowest paid staff to meet the National Living Wage. The National Living Wage is the legal minimum wage set by the government for anyone aged over 23, which from April 2023 is £10.42 per hour read more
“Total farce” (12 Jan) – PCS general secretary condemns today’s meeting with Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin. PCS hoped this morning’s meeting, a day after our national executive committee voted to call a one-day strike on of around 100,000 PCS members on 1 February, would address pay as well as job protection, redundancy payments and pension contributions read more
PCS campaign leads to boost in Mitie members’ pay (10 Jan) – In August, PCS wrote to Mitie urging them to do more to help low paid staff struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. In response, a series of meetings have been held between PCS and Mitie. As a result, Mitie announced in late December: winter support package including, a cycle to work scheme, a £50 e-voucher to all staff earning less than £30,000 for use in high street shops in December, a one-off bonus in January for all staff earning below £30,000 of up to £125, and Mitie shares for staff in March. After further talks for members employed on the Affiliate and DWP contracts, Mitie have agreed to pay half of the new 2022/23 statutory minimum wage (£10.42) and Real Living wage rates (£10.90 nationally and £11.95 in London) from January 2023 instead of April, while retaining the pay differentials for staff paid above these rates. This gives PCS members’ pay a boost of around 5% in January, with a further 5% to come in April. Further talks will now be held about the differences in sick pay paid to staff on different contracts read more
HGS members threaten indefinite industrial action – The 82 workers, employed by HGS to run the contact centre and back-office functions of the government’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), have already taken four weeks of strike action. Talks with conciliation service ACAS broke down earlier this month, leading the union today (29 Nov) to tell managers they will strike for a further two weeks from 12 December, as well as imposing an indefinite overtime ban from 26 December read more
GMB
Almost 300 Mersey Care workers to strike this week (17 Jan) – Almost 300 health care workers at Mersey Care will take strike action this week over pay. GMB members including nurses, health care assistants, support staff, cleaners and admin staff will walk out for 24 hours from 00:01 to 23.59 on 18 January 2023. Mersey Care workers voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award – another massive real terms pay cut read more
GMB warns of escalating strikes and legal action for Wiltshire Council after ACAS talks break down (16 Jan) – We have been met with a brick wall of obstruction from the council, who are literally refusing to provide us with the basic facts and information that would allow compromise to be discussed, says GMB. GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, warns that further strikes by traffic wardens in the county are now highly likely, as ACAS facilitated talks designed to resolve a long running industrial dispute break down. At the outset of talks, which started on 10 December, Wiltshire Council CEO Terence Herbert wrote to GMB union announcing that the council was not interested in using the talks “to avert strike action.” The proposed pay cut by the Council would require a change to staff contracts. As the staff have refused a voluntary change to the contracts, GMB warns that the Council must be planning ‘fire and rehire.’ Wiltshire Council is proposing a pay cut of 20 per cent for social workers, who would lose around £7500, and a 10 per cent cut for traffic wardens, who would lose about £2500, with care workers, leisure centre staff and highways also affected read more
GMB Parliamentary staff respond to Carrick guilty plea (16 Jan) – GMB’s Parliamentary staff branch has responded to police officer David Carrick pleading guilty to rape read more
Ambulance strikes to go ahead after talks fall short (9 Jan) – More than 10,000 ambulance workers will go on strike as planned on Wednesday (11 January) despite talks with Health Secretary today [Monday], GMB Union has said. Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “Today’s talks fell well short of anything substantial that could stop this week’s strikes…” read more
Amazon workers announce strike date (4 Jan) – Amazon workers in a Coventry warehouse have announced an initial strike date. The first ever Amazon strike in the UK is set to take place on 25 January, with further dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Hundreds of Amazon workers at the fulfilment centre have voted to walk out in anger over the company’s 50 pence per hour pay offer. The ballot, which closed on 16 December 2022, saw a majority of more than 98 per of workers vote to strike. Amazon UK Services Limited reported that it paid just £10.8 million in tax in 2021, despite recording a pre-tax profit of £204 million read more
Almost 300 Mersey Care workers to strike over pay – Almost 300 health care workers at Mersey Care will take strike action over pay. Staff including nurses, health care assistants, support staff, cleaners and admin staff will walk out for 24 hours from 00:01 on 28 December 2022. They will join more than 10,000 GMB ambulance workers who will strike on the same day across England and Wales. Mersey Care workers voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award – another massive real terms pay cut. GMB representatives will now meet with the trusts to discuss requirements for emergency cover read more
GMB union: ExxonMobil ‘throwing money’ at agencies rather than our members – GMB, the energy union, are preparing to name and shame companies who are providing strike-breakers in the midst of a trades dispute at Fawley oil refinery near Southampton. The union have been informed that agency workers have been retained on full pay until strike action recommenced, following a temporary suspension of action actioned by GMB and sister union Unite. Strike action at the refinery was suspended for Monday to Wednesday of this week to allow negotiations to take place, only for GMB to be told that talks would not be happening as there was “nothing to discuss.” Read more
Newcastle energy company announces strike dates – Workers at a Newcastle energy company have announced when they will strike over a real terms pay cut. More than 200 workers at Baker Hughes, in Walker, will take eight days of industrial action from 12 – 15 December and 12 – 18 January. GMB members at the company – who makes undersea pipelines and cable conduits for the oil and gas industry – have overwhelmingly turned down pay offers of as little as four per cent. With inflation at 12.3 per cent, both offers amount to massive real terms pay cut read more
Almost 100 workers strike after ‘Grinch’ bosses cancel Christmas – Almost 100 Durham chemical workers will go on strike tomorrow (30 Nov) after ‘Grinch bosses’ cancelled their Christmas holidays. GMB members Thomas Swan, in Consett, voted overwhelmingly to walk out over a real terms pay cut. Following the vote, company bosses cancelled all prebooked holidays over the Christmas period. The strike will last for 24 hours, with further industrial action set for Dec 7, 14 and 21 and 4 Jan. A revised offer of 5.1 per cent – capped at £1,500 – was overwhelmingly rejected read more
Money shortage fears as 1,200 G4S Cash workers vote to strike – G4S faces its first ever strike after 1,200 GMB members voted to walk out. The workers, who deliver cash and coins to the likes of Barclays, HSBC, Tesco, Wetherspoon, Santander, Asda and Aldi, returned a 97 per cent vote for industrial action. The 48 hour strike is scheduled to take place from 3am on Monday 5 December 2022, sparking genuine fears of cash shortages over Christmas. The last time G4S Cash workers voted to strike; the Bank of England is thought to have pressured G4S into improving their offer because they the Bank’s insurer demands minimum staffing levels. G4S Cash, part of Allied International, originally offered members a part pay freeze, though have now tabled an offer of 4 per cent and lump sum bonus based on contracted hours read more
Polyflor profits hit £52 million as struggling workers strike – 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
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 and was due to take place on November 16th but has been delayed again. This is an outrageous attack on the right of trade unions to strike, picket and protest. The NSSN sends our continued solidarity and support read more about Surry strike
Unison
Staff with expert view of NHS crisis to strike over pay and staffing (17 Jan) – Government must move on wages. Several hundred staff working for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are taking strike action today (Tuesday) over pay and staffing, says their union UNISON. The strike will be followed by four days when the NICE employees, who belong to UNISON and are based in Manchester and London, will work to rule. This means the staff, who advise the NHS on the best drugs and treatments available for patients, will only work the hours set out in their contracts and refuse any overtime. NICE workers also played a critical role during the pandemic, providing guidance on the best ways of treating the various medical conditions caused by Covid read more
Environment Agency workers to take historic strike action (16 Jan) – Workers who protect communities from floods, water pollution, spills and waste fires will walk out on Wednesday 18 January. Thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will strike for the first time tomorrow in a significant escalation in a dispute over pay. UNISON members working in the EA are now “working one day in every five for nothing” due a decade of government failures to pay workers wages in line with inflation read more
UNISON calls on minister to unlock EA pay talks ahead of strike (16 Jan) – Staff in the Environment Agency have seen their pay eroded by over 20% in the last decade and are now “working one day in every five for nothing” read more
Three things you need to know about the anti-strike bill (16 Jan) – The government’s Strike (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is a full-frontal attack on working people and the trade unions they organise within read more
The streets of London – pictures from the picket lines (13 Jan) – On Wednesday’s day of industrial action in the ambulance service, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton toured pickets throughout the capital read more
Christina McAnea tours pickets on second NHS strike day (12 Jan) – The general secretary visited picket lines across Yorkshire and the North East yesterday to show support and solidarity for UNISON’s ambulance workers on strike read more
Through sun and rain – on the picket lines in Bristol (12 Jan) – A chance to look back at a day on the picket lines in the South West read more
#PutNHSpayright – all the news with our rolling report (11 Jan) – Check back throughout the day to see what’s happening around the regions as strikes begin across the ambulance service in England read more. Ambulance workers belonging to UNISON and employed by services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West are to take action over pay and staffing again in January. Staff will be called out on strike again on Monday 23 January
Welsh government’s NHS pay move increases pressure on Westminster, says UNISON (12 Jan) – Longer waits for ambulances and in A&E departments are inevitable if the NHS doesn’t get more staff. Commenting on Mark Drakeford’s offer today (Thursday) of additional money for health workers across Wales, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “This significantly ups the pressure on Westminster. Rishi Sunak must now explain why the first ministers in Scotland and Wales can dig deep for NHS staff, but his government can’t…” read more
Ongoing disputes make it impossible to submit evidence to NHS pay review body, say health unions (11 Jan) – The 14 unions including UNISON call for direct pay talks with ministers. Health unions won’t be submitting joint evidence to the NHS pay review body for the next wage round while the current industrial disputes remain unresolved, it has been announced today (Wednesday). Instead, the 14 unions – representing more than one million ambulance staff, nurses, porters, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and other NHS workers in England – have called for direct pay talks with ministers. Unions believe the lengthy pay review body process is not able to deliver what is needed right now. That’s a deal that resolves the current pay and staffing dispute and puts in place a settlement needed to get the NHS back on track read more
Stop Hackney Council cutting library services read more about the campaign here – Hackney library staff have taken strike action this week – and are out again on Monday and Friday this week
NIPSA
Health Strike Update (13 Jan) – Health Strike Action HSC: While I would like to begin with wishing you all a Happy New Year in 2023, the reality is that I must provide an update in relation to the ongoing Industrial Action Dispute regarding Pay, Safe Staffing and Travel Reimbursement. The current Crisis in Health will not be resolved quickly and likewise the current Industrial Action will also need to be a continuous and determined campaign to bring Government and Employers to negotiate meaningful resolutions. In regards to the current calendar of Industrial Action being undertaken by NIPSA that requires your ongoing support including Continuous Action Short of Strike (ASOS)…and Joint Trade Union action with Unison in regards to their Non Continuous Action Short of Strike (ASOS) 16 January to 29 January 2023 (inclusive). This will include mirroring work to rule action and Withdrawal from all union/management/department of health engagement except regional meetings on dispute resolution. All NIPSA Members are required to participate in Specific Continuous Industrial (ASOS) to highlight the issue of Travel Reimbursement on the 20 January 20 February and 20 March 2023 as follows; The action will consist of a 24 hour withdrawal of personal vehicles for work related use commencing at 12.01am on Friday 20 January 2023 until 23.59pm. This Industrial Action will be repeated on a monthly basis including the 20 February and 20 March 2023. All NIPSA members are also required to participate in joint Strike Action on the 26th January 2023 with attendance at Picket lines essential. NIPSA also wishes to give notice to members that it intends to take further Industrial Action specifically to highlight Safe Staffing issues in February 2023 with details to follow read more
Statement From HSC Trade Unions Northern Ireland (13 Jan) – Health Strike Action HSC – NIPSA, RCN, Unison, Unite: Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland seek meeting with Secretary of State Chris Heaton- Harris. Regional Health Trade Union leaders have written to the Secretary of State seeking a direct meeting with him read more
NICS Pay Offer (6 Jan) – NICS Pay: Today the NICS has published the Government’s 2022/23 pay offer to civil servants. This offer of £552 on each pay point is without doubt the most offensive and derisory offer that you will ever have received. The offer represents a pay cut for every civil servant. It is also shameful that once again special measures had to be taken to bring Administrative Assistants up to the living wage. Civil servants have received a significantly lower pay offer than those made to other public servants, so again, we have to ask the question – why are civil servants less valued by the government than other workers? As previously highlighted, if we wish to force the hand of the government, which is coming under pressure from other trade unions, then civil servants now need to join the action by those workers. If we want a fair pay rise, we will have to be in the fight. For that reason, the Civil Service Executive Committee is recommending rejection of the offer and are proposing that we ballot for industrial action. The industrial action is likely to take the form of strike action and action short of strike action read more
NICS Pay Update (21 Dec) – Further to the General Secretary’s article issued yesterday, 20 December 2022. It has been confirmed that Management Side is not in a position to issue a “final” offer to Central Trade Union Side today. However, indications remain that there will not be any further significant funding that would meaningfully change the overall offer put forward at the pay discussion with Management Side on the 16 December 2022. Civil servants are due to receive a significantly lower pay offer than those made to other public servants, so we have to ask the question – why are civil servants less valued by the government than other workers? If we wish to force the hand of the government, which is coming under pressure from other trade unions, then civil servants now need to join the action by those workers. If we want a fair pay rise, we will have to be in the fight. For that reason, the Civil Service Executive Committee is recommending rejection of the envisaged offer and are proposing that we ballot for industrial action. The industrial action is likely to take the form of strike action and action short of strike action read more
Royal College of Nursing
NHS pay dispute: new February strike dates announced for England and Wales (16 Jan) – We’re escalating nursing strikes on 6 and 7 February after governments refuse to seriously negotiate. February will see NHS nursing staff go on strike in what will be our most widespread protest so far against unfair pay and unsafe staffing. If progress isn’t made by the end of January, members in England and Wales will go on strike on 6 and 7 February following the refusal of the UK and Welsh governments to seriously negotiate on the current year’s NHS pay deal. Last week the Welsh government met with unions to discuss NHS pay but failed to offer a substantiative and restorative pay award for 2022/23. While we’ve had discussions with the UK government, they refuse to engage in the formal negotiations which would stop nursing strikes. Our dispute is about NHS pay for this financial year and governments have so far wasted chances to avert strike action. Our first strikes took place in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on 15 and 20 December, with more strikes in England happening this week on 18 and 19 January. The nursing strikes now announced for February will be at the highest intensity in our history. They’ll take place at 73 NHS trusts in England, compared to 44 in December and 55 in January. The strikes in Wales will take place at the same NHS employers as they did in December read more
New negotiations on NHS pay to open with Scottish government (13 Jan) – RCN Scotland mandate for strike action brings new proposal for negotiations from Scottish government read more
RCN joins with other health unions to demand pay talks in place of pay review process (11 Jan) – Health unions will not submit joint evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body while pay disputes remain unresolved read more
NHS pay dispute: January strike dates and locations announced (23 Dec) – RCN members will strike on 18 and 19 January at employers across England. Ministers have the power to stop strikes but have failed to open negotiations on NHS pay. Now, more hospitals in England will see strike action. These will take place on 18 and 19 January – with further dates to be confirmed in the new year. You can find the full list of employers where strike action is happening on these dates here. Two days of strike action were held in England, Northern Ireland and Wales on 15 and 20 December. Thousands of nursing staff took to picket lines to make their voices heard read more
London demo Wednesday 18th January – assemble 2.30pm UCLH 235, Euston Road for march to Downing St (called by NHS Workers Say No & NHS Staff Voices
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
Royal College of Midwives
Midwives in Wales vote yes to industrial action (13 Dec) – In a clear and defiant message to the Welsh Government, midwife and maternity support worker (MSW) members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) have voted yes to taking industrial action over pay. In the ballot that closed yesterday over 95.14% voted for industrial action short of a strike, based on a turnout of 55.39% of eligible RCM Wales members . On the question are you prepared to take industrial action consisting of a strike, more than nine out of 10 (91.46%) voted yes read more
‘This changes nothing’ says RCM as 4% pay award implemented in Northern Ireland (9 Dec) – The inadequate pay award for midwives, maternity supports workers (MSW), and their HSC colleagues will do nothing to reduce their frustration. That’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) responding to the announcement that the 4% pay award for HSC staff is to be implemented in Northern Ireland. The RCM – who represent most midwives and MSWs in Northern Ireland – consulted its members on the pay offer last month. Nearly 90% said they would be prepared to take industrial action if the current NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations of a 4% pay award were implemented read more
RCM to consult its members on the latest Scottish Government pay offer (1 Dec) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is consulting its members in Scotland on the latest Scottish Government pay offer made late last week. The RCM online consultation opens today and closes on 15 December. The RCM – which represents most midwives and also maternity support workers (MSWs) in Scotland – says while the latest offer is an improvement on the last, it falls far short of what was asked. This is especially the case for those skilled and experienced midwives on higher pay bands who are the backbone of maternity care in Scotland read more
CSP
New anti-strike moves by the government rejected by CSP (5 Jan) – The government today announced new laws to enforce ‘minimum service levels’ when industrial action takes place in the health service along with the rail, education, fire and border security sectors read more
CSP to announce rolling wave of strike action (23 Dec) – CSP members in England will be asked to take strike action from January in the ongoing battle over NHS pay. With the government continuing to refuse to talk to NHS unions about pay, the CSP now has no choice but to use the industrial action mandate secured by members in more than 100 trusts in England. The exact schedule and form of the action will be confirmed in early January but is likely to feature a series of strikes on consecutive days in different parts of the country read more
BMA
BMA Junior Doctors national strike ballot on pay will start on January 9 2023 in England. Keep up to date via @BMA_JuniorDocs on twitter
Ballot to strike – opens 9th January 2023 – We have announced today (6 Jan) the form of industrial action we propose junior doctors should take. If a ballot for industrial action is successful, junior doctors in England will begin their action with a 72-hour full walkout in March. We are still urging the Secretary of State for Health to meet with us and negotiate a solution to avoid the need for industrial action. So far, all requests to meet with Steve Barclay have been ignored read more Strike Fund
NASUWT
NASUWT confirms it remains in dispute with ministers over pay (16 Jan) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has today announced it will be continuing its campaign to fight for decent pay for teachers and confirmed it remains in dispute with the Government. General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “When we asked teachers what they were willing to do to get the Government to act to address members’ concerns about cuts to teachers’ pay, 90% of members who voted said they are ready to take strike action and action short of strike. The NASUWT has written to Ministers in England and in Wales to confirm that we remain in dispute over teachers’ pay. The UK has some of the most draconian laws on workers’ rights anywhere, including the imposition of arbitrary industrial action ballot threshold requirements and prohibition on unions balloting members online. The NASUWT will be campaigning vigorously to ensure the repeal of all anti-trade union laws. But, no anti-trade union laws are going to stop us from doing whatever it takes to secure a better deal for our members, including by announcing plans shortly for further balloting of members.” Read more
NASUWT ballot results on industrial action (12 Jan) – The results of the Union’s statutory ballots on teachers’ pay have now been confirmed by the independent scrutineer, Civica. As at the close of the ballots on 9 January 2023, 9 out of 10 members voting supported strike action over teachers’ pay. 95% of members voting also supported action short of strike action to secure a Better Deal on pay for teachers. Turnout across the ballots in England and Wales averaged 42% read more
IOM teachers take further strike action (10 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in the Isle of Man will take two further days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday in the ongoing dispute over pay, workload and working practices. The strike action, which follows two previous days of strikes on 30th November and 1st December, follows the imposition of a pay award which represents a real terms pay cut of 3% for most teachers and which follows a 30% real terms loss in pay since 2010. NASUWT members rejected the current pay award. The NASUWT is calling for a multi-year fully funded pay offer that begins to address the real-terms historic erosion of pay as part of a medium to long-term strategy for the sustainable delivery of high-quality education into the future read more
Teachers in Scotland begin two days of strike action (10 Jan) – NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union are taking two days of strike action in the ongoing industrial disptute over the pay of teachers. Members will strike in primary schools on Tuesday and in secondary schools on Wednesday. The NASUWT wants to see a fully-funded pay award of 12% for the academic year 2022/23. The current offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA is a real-terms pay cut and is not acceptable. There has already been a decade of pay freezes and below-inflation pay awards imposed on teachers. As a result teachers in Scotland are almost £50,000 worse off as a result of pay not keeping pace with inflation read more
NASUWT statement following pay talks with the Secretary of State (9 Jan) – Commenting following talks today between unions and Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, on teachers’ pay, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “There is no doubt that the conclusion of industrial action ballots of teachers over pay this week is what has brought the minister to the table with us today…” read more
NAHT
School leaders in Wales vote to take industrial action over pay and funding (16 Jan) – School leaders’ union NAHT Cyrmu, which represents leaders in the majority of schools in Wales, today (Mon 16 Jan) announces the results of its formal industrial action ballot on pay and funding, which began on Fri 11 November and closed on Weds 11 Jan. The ballot results show an exceptionally strong appetite for taking industrial action, with 95% voting ‘Yes’ to action short of strike (ASOS) and 75% voting ‘Yes’ to strike, with a turnout of 55% of the union’s membership read more
School leaders’ union to consider re-running industrial action ballot due to postal disruption, as leaders in England and Wales vote to take action (16 Jan) – School leaders’ union NAHT, which represents leaders in the majority of schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, today (Mon 16 Jan) announces the results of its formal industrial action ballots on pay and funding, which began on Fri 11 November and closed on Weds 11 Jan. The ballot results in England show an extraordinarily strong appetite for taking industrial action amongst leaders, with 87% voting ‘Yes’ to action short of strike (ASOS) and 64% voting ‘Yes’ to strike. This means almost 10,000 school leaders across England are willing to take industrial action. However, the legal requirement for turnout in England was not met, with votes counted for 42% of the union’s membership – short of the 50% needed. Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “It is incredibly frustrating that anti-trade union and anti-democratic legislation compelled us to conduct the ballot by post during a period in which the management of the Royal Mail refused to take action to ameliorate the disruption to the postal service.” Read more
EIS
Teacher strikes continue as new pay offer awaited from Scottish Government & COSLA (17 Jan) – Teachers in North Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross were on the picket lines today, as the long-running dispute over teacher pay continues. EIS members are currently engaged in a 16-day programme of rolling strike action across Scotland, with teachers in two local authorities on strike each day. There was a strong turnout on picket lines today, and at pay campaign demos in Irvine (North Ayrshire) and Perth (Perth & Kinross) read more
16-Day Rolling Programme of Teacher Strikes Underway Across Scotland (16 Jan) – Teachers across Scotland will be taking further strike action over the next three weeks, as a dispute over pay continues. Schools in Glasgow and East Lothian were closed today, as members of the EIS took strike action at the start of a 16-day rolling programme of industrial action across Scotland. Tomorrow, teachers in North Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross will be the next to hit the picket lines in pursuit of a fair pay settlement from the Scottish Government and COSLA read more
EIS Announces Additional 22 Days of Strike Action as Teacher Pay Dispute Escalates (13 Jan) – The EIS has announced 22 additional days of strike action in an escalation of the dispute over teachers’ pay. This is in addition to the previously announced 16-day programme of rolling strike action, set to begin in schools across the country next week. EIS members have previously taken three days of national strike action – one in November and two in January – in the continuing campaign for a fair pay settlement for the year 2022. The EIS Executive Committee met today and agreed a programme of additional strike action that will include two days of national strike action in all schools and sectors on 28 February and 1 March, followed by a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between 13 March and 21 April. Over the rolling strike period, each local authority area will be impacted by three consecutive days of strike action, with one day of strike action in all schools bookended on either side by one-day strikes in primary and secondary schools read more
No New Pay Offer Presented to Teachers – Strike Action to Continue Next Week (12 Jan) – The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs met this afternoon at 1630hrs. Disappointingly, no new offer was brought to the table by Scottish Government and COSLA. The next cycle of scheduled strike action by EIS members will go ahead as planned, from Monday of next week. Schools in Glasgow and East Lothian are now expected to be closed on Monday, with strike action then continuing on a rolling basis within two authorities each day. Further information is available on our campaign page read more
Virtually all Scottish Secondary Schools Closed as Teacher pay Strike Continues (11 Jan) – Virtually every state Secondary school in Scotland is closed today, as teachers continue to strike in pursuit of a fair pay settlement. Following yesterday’s highly successful strike in the primary sector, Secondary teachers and associated professionals have taken strike action today and, once again, have turned out in huge numbers on picket lines and at demonstrations and rallies right across Scotland. Amongst the demonstrations today was a rally of teachers outside Bute House in Edinburgh, the official residence of the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon read more
Continuing Strong Support as Teachers Strike in Scotland’s Primary Schools (10 Jan) – Thousands of teachers in Scotland’s primary schools have taken strike action as the campaign for a fair pay settlement for teaching professionals continues. Picket lines were in place at primary schools the length and breadth of Scotland this morning, sending a clear message to the Scottish Government and COSLA that they must improve their pay offer to teachers. Teachers in Secondary schools will strike on Wednesday read more
SSTA
Pay Dispute – Another Wasted Opportunity (13 Jan) – Following the latest meeting of the SNCT Extended Joint Chairs meeting on Thursday evening to discuss a possible solution to the 2022-2023 pay dispute Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “The Scottish Government and COSLA have again failed to put an improved pay offer on the table and have blocked the path towards further negotiations. Despite a range of meetings in the last week with the Cabinet Secretary plus two ‘negotiating’ meetings of the Extended Joint Chairs no new offer has been made. This meeting was another wasted opportunity to bring the dispute to an end and prevent further strike action…” read more
SSTA Announces Strike Action on Wednesday 11 January 2023 – Following the successful strike action taken by SSTA members on 7 and 8 December the SSTA National Executive has announced the next step of the teachers’ pay campaign. A further day of strike action will take place on Wednesday 11 January 2023 read more
UCU
Universities to be hit with 18 days of strike action before April (12 Jan) – UCU announced that more than 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days between February and March in disputes over pay, conditions and attacks on pensions. The precise dates of the action will be confirmed next week. The decision was taken by the union’s higher education committee (HEC) which met today. The committee also agreed to re-ballot staff at all 150 universities to renew UCU’s mandate and allow the union to call action well into 2023, including a marking and assessment boycott from April, unless the disputes are settled. UCU says ‘the clock is ticking’ for university bosses to avoid widespread disruption this year read more
UCU receives improved UCEA pay offer (12 Jan) – UCU general secretary Jo Grady has welcomed progress in higher education pay negotiations but says the improved offer tabled by UCEA is ‘not enough’ read more
Action suspended at City College Plymouth and Truro & Penwith College – After taking eleven days of industrial action, City College Plymouth UCU branch got an agreement to refer the dispute to Acas. Talks went right up the wire, with five more days planned this month, but the joint unions were able to negotiate a staged and graded pay award for 2022-23 up to 6.5% for members on the lowest scales. They have secured the integrity of lecturer roles in a job evaluation scheme, while taking on talks to ensure better pay progression for lecturers. This will hit pay packets this month, while leaving 2023-24 open to further pay talks. UCU and NEU members at Truro & Penwith College have secured meaningful talks with the employer after weeks of resistance from the principalship. Union officials were locked out of meetings and reps were refused access to accounts in pay talks. Members have had 3.75% staged over August and November but there is no evidence the college cannot afford more. The members stood firm, with thirteen days of action taken in the 2022-23 Respect FE campaign, with the employer now agreeing to open the books in Acas talks. The joint unions look forward to negotiations to find a resolution read more
Three days of strikes begin Monday at Sparsholt College over low pay (6 Jan) – Three consecutive days of strike action at Sparsholt College in Hampshire will begin Monday after management refused to make a realistic pay offer. Staff will be picketing the college every day of the action. They have already taken three days of strike action this academic year in the long running pay dispute and are demanding a pay rise that helps them meet the cost-of-living crisis. RPI inflation is currently at 14% and the college is based in one of the least affordable areas to live in the UK. Despite this, the college has only offered an £850 consolidated pay rise alongside one off payments totalling just £450 read more
Staff to strike at Barnet & Southgate College – UCU today confirmed Barnet and Southgate College will be hit with two days of strike action later this month in an ongoing dispute over low pay. UCU members at the college will walk out on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December. The industrial action follows a ballot in which 98% of those that voted called for strike action. Staff have already taken three days of action in October in the dispute over management’s paltry 2% pay award for the previous two financial years (1% 2020/21 and 1% 2021/22). Inflation is currently at 14.2% and UCU is demanding a significant uplift to help staff meet the cost of living crisis read more
Staff to strike at University of Sheffield International College – UCU has today announced that members at the University of Sheffield International College will take three days of strike action from Monday 28 November in a long running dispute over low pay. The action will be the first ever strike to take place in a privatised higher education provider. The full days of strike action are: Monday 28 November, Tuesday 29 November, Wednesday 30 November. Staff will be picketing all main entrances on each day of strike action. Staff will also work to rule from Thursday 1 December, which includes working strictly to their contracted hours, refusing to make up work lost as a result of strike action and refusing to cover for absent colleagues read more
Furness College staff to strike over low pay – UCU has today announced three days of strike action at Furness College. Staff will walkout on Tuesday 6 December, Wednesday 7 December and Thursday 15 December following the results of the ballot in which 85% of those who voted said yes to strike action. Members will also be engaging in action short of strike action from 8 December until 13 May 2023, this could include not doing additional work or covering for absent colleagues. The action come after the employer offered a pay award of just 2.5% alongside a one off payment of £750 for those earning less than £25k and £500 for those who earn more. RPI is currently at 14.2% so the award means staff pay has fallen dramatically behind inflation. UCU is demanding an increase of at least 10% to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis read more
Staff to strike at Darlington College – UCU has today announced three days of strike action at Darlington College. Staff will walkout on Tuesday 6 December, Wednesday 7 December and Monday 12 December following the results of the ballot in which 95% of those that voted said yes to strike action. The strikes come after the employer imposed a pay award of just 1% alongside a one off payment of £250. RPI is currently at 12.6% so the award means staff pay has fallen dramatically behind inflation. UCU is demanding a pay award of at least 10% to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis. Staff at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, recently won a deal worth 9.2% for the majority of college lecturers read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Fire contaminants linked to significant physical and mental health issues among UK firefighters (10 Jan) – Firefighters confirmed to be four times more likely to get cancer. Firefighters almost three times more likely to suffer with depression and twice as likely to have anxiety. Research supports ruling from the World Health Organisation body, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which states that occupational exposure as a firefighter is carcinogenic. New research has found that toxic contaminants in fires are directly linked to increased rates of cancer and mental health issues among firefighters read more
Firefighters far more likely to die from cancer and heart attacks than public (10 Jan) – Research commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) finds firefighters significantly more likely to die from cancer, heart attack, stroke and several other diseases. FBU calls for thorough health monitoring from fire toxins exposures and financial and medical support for those affected. The research comes in the context of World Health Organisation body the International Agency for Research on Cancer ruling that occupational exposure as a firefighter is carcinogenic. A new study commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and independently carried out by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has found that firefighters’ mortality rate from all cancers is 1.6 times higher than the general population. The same study also revealed that firefighters are dying from heart attack at five times the rate of the general public and almost at three times the rate from a stroke read more
Over two thousand firefighters and control staff rally in Westminster (7 Dec) – On 6 December, over 2,000 firefighters and control staff from across the UK assembled in Westminster to protest low pay after their strike ballot opened yesterday. Extraordinary scenes saw speechmakers including MPs speaking to a packed Methodist Central Hall and hundreds of firefighters and control staff gathered outside in an overflow area. MPs including Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn addressed the crowds, as well as FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and several FBU officials and members. After the rally firefighters and control staff marched to Parliament to lobby their MPs on the issue of pay read more
FBU strike ballot opens (5 Dec) – A strike ballot for firefighters and control staff opens today Monday 5th December. Firefighters and control staff are being balloted on potential strike action on a “derisory” 5% pay offer. That pay offer had recently been rejected by FBU members in a consultative ballot by 79% on a 78% turnout. Annual CPI inflation currently stands at 11.1%. Due to restrictive anti-trade union laws the ballot will be a postal ballot only. If you’re an FBU member and your postal address has changed or you think it might be wrong, it is vital that you contact [email protected] as soon as possible read more
Merseyside firefighters, control staff and Green Book staff vote for Action Short of Strike – Merseyside firefighters, control staff and green book staff (non-uniformed staff) have “overwhelmingly” voted to take action short of strike in relation to a host of issues in Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. The percentage of those voting who voted “Yes” to Action Short of Strike is 88.06%. The action short of strike will consist of a refusal to undertake pre-arranged overtime, beginning no earlier than Thursday 1st December 2022 and potentially lasting for 6 months. The ballot comes after a serious break down in industrial relations between Merseyside Fire Brigades Union and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and the failure to reach agreement on several issues read more
BFAWU
Trade Union Coordinating Group “Fair Pay Now” pamphlet read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
Reach journalists voice anger over proposed job cuts (13 Jan) – The Reach Group Chapel has passed a motion highlighting the anger and frustration from journalists at the company, following proposed job cuts in editorial posts. Journalists at the publisher of titles including The Mirror, Express, Irish Star, Birmingham Mail, Manchester Evening News, Bristol Post and Liverpool Echo have expressed their dismay following a decision to cut 102 editorial roles at the company. Despite cuts to posts in recent months, Reach announced earlier this week 253 editorial roles would be placed at risk. Plans come amid expansion in the United States with staff in the UK now facing a fight to save jobs read more
Reach to cut 200 jobs (11 Jan) – The publisher has announced plans to make 102 job cuts in editorial roles out of 200 across the group. 253 journalists have been placed at risk read more
BBC journalists hold consultative ballot for action over cuts at Radio Foyle (13 Jan) – BBC members in Northern Ireland are voting in a consultative ballot for industrial action over the corporation’s proposal to close 36 posts across the province and end the popular BBC Radio Foyle Breakfast Show. The members are further angered by the BBC’s lack of consultation and its refusal to provide information on the costs of running Radio Foyle, the potential impact of the cuts on stress, and on equality. They have described the tone of management as “confrontational and disrespectful towards the union”. More than 250 people joined a rally in support of Radio Foyle in Derry earlier this month and thousands have signed a petition asking for the show to be saved. Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, has been invited to visit the city and explain his plans. The NUJ says the ballot is about protecting public service broadcasting in the whole of Northern Ireland. A yes vote in the consultative ballot is likely to lead to a formal ballot for strike action read more
Closure of Newry Reporter is another ‘Canary in the coal mine’ moment (11 Jan) – The announcement today that the Newry Reporter is to close its doors later this month, will pierce the very heart of the town, the NUJ has said. The Reporter began publishing in 1867 and is based in a town that straddles two counties – Armagh and Down. Edward Hodgett Limited, owner of the newspaper, sold off its title Banbridge Chronicle last year read more
NUJ members vote for industrial action at STV (22 Dec) – There has been an overwhelming strike vote at the Scottish broadcaster. The results of the ballot were 85 per cent for strike action and 93 per cent for action short of a strike. STV’s original offer was £2,000 to each employee read more
Prospect
Civil service pay: no grounds for optimism after meeting with minister (12 Jan) – Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy met Jeremy Quin MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, this morning alongside other civil service union leaders read more
Prospect members working on the Elizabeth Line strike for first time (12 Jan) – Prospect members working at Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI), which operates the Elizabeth Line, are taking strike action for the first time in a dispute over pay. The action will take place from 0630 on 12 January until 0630 on 13 January read more
Equity
ITC vote sees major pay and conditions improvements for 2023 (12 Jan) – Following a successful ‘Yes’ vote in our recent consultative ballot on the ITC Agreement, a range of new and improved terms will take effect from April 2023. The new agreement sees major improvements for members read more
Sign and share this petition to reinstate the English National Opera (ENO) funding and lobby your MP to back our industries and their workforce
Community
Liberty’s restructuring plan is a ‘body blow’ to loyal workers (12 Jan) – In its statement today, Liberty Steel UK announced that it will reduce primary production at its Rotherham site and will idle its sites in Newport, West Bromwich and Tredegar, with a view to restarting these plants when conditions allow. Alun Davies, National Officer of Community the steelworkers’ union said Liberty Steel’s plan to restructure its UK business, impacting up to 440 jobs, is a “body blow” to the loyal workforce read more
USDAW
Anti-strike laws are undemocratic, unworkable and probably illegal – Usdaw calls on MPs to vote against (16 Jan) – Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on MPs to reject the Government’s attempts to undermine the right to strike. The union says employers should be encouraged to negotiate settlements in disputes rather than litigate to undermine workers read more
IWGB
Follow updates on UCL strike by following @IWGBunion on twitter
UVW
Save ASIRT: solidarity on the picket line (21 Dec) – “We’ve been on the #saveASIRT picket to fight for our own jobs but, more importantly, to fight for our service users. When migrant families have nowhere else to turn, ASIRT can be a lifeline. We must defend free immigration advice” Pouneh Ahari, ASIRT worker, striker and UVW member. UVW members at ASIRT are fighting to save the free legal support service for migrants and refugees and for a voice at work. These brave workers went out on strike on 21 December to try and stop the closure of ASIRT, a unique charity offering crucial support to asylum seekers in Birmingham. In a beautiful display of solidarity they were joined on the picket line by service users and their families, trade unionists and members of the public read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU Retained Firefighters vote for strike action in dispute over crisis in service (11 Jan) – SIPTU members in the Retained Fire Service across the country have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action, in a dispute resulting from a failure by management to address a worsening recruitment and retention crisis read more
SIPTU says National Ambulance Service crisis has paramedics at ‘breaking point’ (7 Jan) – SIPTU representatives have raised concerns about the challenges facing its members employed in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) due to an increase in demand for its services that has pushed many paramedics to “breaking point” read more
Mandate (Ireland)
MANDATE trade union calls for abolition of discriminatory and disrespectful sub-minimum wage rates for younger workers (11 Jan) – The Mandate Trade Union has today called for the abolition of the sub-minimum rates of the National Minimum Wage which the union says are discriminatory and disrespectful towards younger workers. The union’s Assistant General Secretary, Jonathan Hogan, explained that while the new National Minimum Wage rates apply from 1 January – see the table below – most minimum wage workers will see the impact in their pay packets from tomorrow read more
Other news
SHAC the Social Housing Action Campaign’ and other housing campaigners are demanding a freeze on social rents, shareholder rents, and service charges. The campaign is already moving government. In August, government announced a cap on around 5% (instead of the 10% that would have been likely under the previous formula). But we don’t believe that this is low enough or broad enough. We need urgent funding to pay for campaign materials and basic admin costs. We also need trade unions to help us get our message across. Please see here to find out more, download our model motions for unions, or make a donation to account name ‘The Social Housing Action Campaign’, account number 20434685, Sort Code 60-83-01
Hi All – Thanks for your continuing support for Trade Union Education at The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (Conel). Please find attached some courses were have advertised for next term and beyond. All courses are advertised in the https://www.tuc.org.uk/TUCcoursesAs.
Couple of updates:-
- Employment law diploma is now full for Jan 2023.
- Cert in employment law have moved it to classroom.
Seasons Greetings
Best Regards
Jonathan Jeffries
PS If you need any ICT courses contact [email protected]. We also do bespoke courses for trade unions
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/blacklist-SG/
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. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.
International
From UCU website – Trade union statement on the attacks on Palestinian children’s right to education and right to life (10 Jan) read more
Diary
June
24 NSSN national conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, London
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
