The NSSN called an online meeting on the evening of the 6th February health service strikes – the biggest in NHS history. Five days earlier, 500,000 workers in 5 unions – NEU, PCS, UCU, ASLEF and RMT – walked out together.
The NSSN meeting was a valuable forum for reps and activists across the union movement to discuss together how the strike wave is developing and the next steps in combating the cost of living squeeze and the threatened new Tory anti-union laws.
NEU members reported on how their action is being rolled out, including a national strike demonstration in London on 15th March, the day the Tories present their budget. PCS has now also called national action on that day. The UCU is also escalating national action.
The NSSN sends our full solidarity to all workers currently in dispute and taking strike action and calls on all unions with live strike mandates to urgently meet together to co-ordinate action still further, including considering also taking action on 15th March.
The Tories are in crisis, support the strikes – strike together.
TUC Heart Unions week 13-19 February
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
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!
SOS NHS National Demonstration – OUR NHS: END THE CRISIS SUPPORT THE STRIKES 11 MARCH 2023 Central London – assemble midday opposite Warren St tube station, Tottenham Court Road NW1 3AA leaflet
Enough Is Enough! Mass demo/rally in Reading plus Attila The Stockbroker/ Highwasters/Hard Times at The Butler – Saturday 18th February (Reading Trades Union Council, Global Justice Reading and Attila the Stockbroker) – 2.30pm Forbury Gardens and The Butler Pub Facebook event
Earthquake in Turkey & Syria – union donations
The NSSN sends our solidarity to all those affected by this disaster. Many will have relatives in this country. The NSSN is affiliated to ‘Support the People of Turkey’ who has launched an appeal, including for union branches and trades councils Turkey-Syria Earthquake Solidarity Appeal
Turkey Earthquake: A preliminary report from the ground
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 rejects rail industry offers (10 Feb) – Rail union, RMT has rejected the latest offers from both Network Rail and the train operating companies. Following a wide ranging and in-depth consultation with every level of the union involved in the national rail dispute, the NEC decided to reject both offers on the basis that they do not meet members expectations on pay, job security or working conditions. The union has also made it clear that it is seeking an unconditional pay offer, a job security agreement and no detrimental changes being imposed on members terms, conditions and working practices. The union views Network Rail’s plans for maintenance, as unsafe, unhealthy for our members and unworkable. RMT will now seek further meetings with Network Rail and RDG in order to work towards a negotiated settlement read more
Grant Shapps played destructive role in rail dispute (8 Feb) – RMT responds to comments made by Andrew Haines. Following comments made by Network Rail boss Andrew Haines suggesting former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’s “noisy political rhetoric” had “galvanised” rail workers to take strike action, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We have said from the very beginning Grant Shapps has and continues to play a destructive role in the national rail dispute. He was never interested in getting a deal and made various failed attempts to appear tough in dealing with RMT…” read more
RMT responds to Mark Harper rail speech (8 Feb) – RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “It is no good for the transport secretary to extol the virtues of rail privatisation when the travelling public through its own experience recognises its been an unmitigated disaster. This speech is a blatant attempt to divert attention from the crisis engulfing our railways and the enduring shambolic mess…” read more
RMT slams Equinor oil and gas profits (8 Feb) – RMT response to Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor profits. Responding to Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor profits of over £60bn, offshore workers’ union RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Equinor has made exorbitant profits off the back of offshore contractors, many of them from Britain, who have suffered stagnating wages, insecure work and are forced to make their own pension arrangement read more
ORR shares RMT safety concerns over Network Rail modernisation plans (6 Feb) – Rail union, RMT has met with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), declaring Network Rail’s Modernising Maintenance programme as “a catastrophe waiting to happen.” During the meeting, representatives of the ORR indicated they shared some of the union’s concerns. RMT has repeatedly warned that Network Rail’s plans to meet £400m DFT mandated cost savings, are a serious threat to the safe running of the railways and has urged the publicly owned company and government ministers to change course read more
RMT demands welfare protections for Seafarers in government bill (6 Feb) – Maritime union, RMT has written to the Transport Secretary demanding that the government beef up its Seafarers Wages Bill with greater protections for crews on ships. The Seafarers Wages Bill, in its current form, only provides for a limited extension of the National Minimum Wage to seafarers on international routes from UK ports read more
Elizabeth Line maintenance workers to take 24 hours strike action (3 Feb) – Maintenance workers on the Elizabeth Line will take 24 hours strike action tonight in a dispute over pay. Workers taking part in the action are currently being paid significantly less than similar positions across the network. Rail for London Infrastructure which employs the workers, has offered four per cent but workers at MTR – the outsourced part of the Elizabeth Line – received an 8.2 per cent increase this year and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) staff received nearly 10 per cent. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch congratulated members on taking action for the third time and said the union would not rest until they were justly rewarded for their efforts read more
Removal of detrainment staff ballot – London Underground (26 Jan) – Your Union is concerned by reports that London Underground intends to remove detrainment staff from the Bakerloo, District, Central, Hammersmith & City and Jubilee Lines, and impose the ‘flash and dash’ procedure for detrainments. This is a serious attack on station staffing levels which threatens passenger safety, as well as that of you and your colleagues. Following a meeting of your trains grades representatives, this matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee and it has instructed me to declare a dispute with London Underground and to make the necessary preparations to ballot members for industrial action. I will advise of the balloting timetable in due course…Yours sincerely, Michael Lynch General Secretary 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
TSSA members to vote on rail dispute offers (10 Feb) – Thousands of TSSA members are to be given a vote on offers from the train companies in the long-running national dispute over pay, job security and conditions. The union, which has been at the heart of industrial action on the railways since last summer, has received two formal offers in relation to all members employed by the train companies in the dispute. For the first time these offers cover management and control staff, as well as stations and other grades within the rail industry. TSSA Reps across the country were consulted in an online ballot and voted overwhelmingly in favour of putting the offers out to members. Of those who voted there was also agreement that there should be no formal recommendation from the union on whether to accept or reject the offers. The timetable for the ballot will be decided in due course read more
South Western Railway (SWR) Control Recognition (8 Feb) – TSSA has reached a collective bargaining agreement with South Western Railway (SWR) for its Control function following extensive negotiations with the company. The milestone agreement ensures that the terms and conditions for TSSA members employed as Train Service Managers and Short Notice Planners will now be protected and improved through the process of collective bargaining and joint consultation. The agreement also includes provisions to negotiate for better working conditions, improved job security, and pay rises for those employed in the control function. The improved working conditions will ensure that members are able to perform their duties in a safe and secure environment, while any pay rises will provide a much-needed boost to income in a time of rising inflation read more
West Midlands Trains – Strike Called Off (8 Feb) – TSSA has called off planned strike action at West Midlands Trains on the 14 and 15 of February. With offers on the table from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on behalf of the train companies in our national rail dispute we have decided to take this step, and this has been agreed following consultation with Reps. The offers from the RDG are under careful consideration and a decision on whether to put it to members in a vote will be taken in coming days. The offer was also given to TSSA after the two-week minimum statutory strike notice and as a measure of goodwill the union has decided to suspend the planned industrial action at WMT read more
Unite
Long running Abellio London bus dispute ends as workers receive major pay boost (13 Feb) – Over 1,800 workers secure 18 per cent pay increase. The long running industrial dispute involving over 1,800 bus drivers employed by Abellio in London has ended after workers accepted a greatly improved pay offer. Following a workplace ballot, the workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have accepted a pay increase that will see drivers with over two years’ service being paid £18 an hour. This equates to a pay increase of 18 per cent on the basic rate. The agreement also includes increases to all rates including overtime and rest day working. Negotiations over the last few weeks also saw an increase to the rate for new starters, increased rates for Saturday/Sunday working. The union also won the £18 per hour for drivers who transferred to Abellio under TUPE legislation and had not previously been made the offer. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an important pay victory. Workers have stood firm and with the support of their union, Unite, they have secured a richly deserved pay increase. Unite’s constant focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of our members is continuing to deliver increased pay awards for workers.” Crucially, a commitment to immediately negotiate a new scheduling agreement was also secured, including early agreement regarding scheduling rest breaks and start times in order to bring the dispute to an end. In addition to the pay increase, the union’s campaign has resulted in one of Unite’s reps being reinstated after they had initially been dismissed on trumped up charges. The union had made clear that there would be no resolution to the dispute without the reinstatement of the rep. The victory was hard won, with the workforce taking over 20 days of strike action beginning late last year to secure the pay increase read more
Marks and Spencer facing Valentine’s Day protests in London, and across UK, in Logistics Group Holdings’ pay dispute (13 Feb) – Protests will brand Logistics subsidiary, Arrow XL, as a ‘heartbreaker’ at M&S stores all over the country. Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be holding protests at Marks and Spencer stores on Valentine’s Day (tomorrow) due to the company’s commercial relationship with Logistics Group Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries, including Arrow XL. Protests, which will involve members of Unite dressed in Valentine’s Day regalia, will take place in London, Cardiff, Crawley, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle. When: Tuesday 14 February 11:00 – 14:00; Where: 458 Oxford Street, London, W1C 1AP. Around 350 members of Unite, employed by Arrow XL, are currently re-balloting for industrial action, having already taken extensive strike action previously in this dispute. The workforce is very poorly paid, with many workers on just the minimum wage, or barely above it read more
Unite leader calls on Morrisons boss to intervene in Gibraltar wage dispute (13 Feb) – Workers paid close to minimum wage. Last year Morrisons raked in £828 million in profits. The head of Unite has written to David Potts the CEO of Morrisons supermarket chain to call on him to fund a fair pay increase for workers based in Gibraltar taking strike action to defend their living standards. Workers in Morrisons in Gibraltar have been on strike since 30 January in a dispute over a paltry 2.4 per cent pay increase when the retailer’s underlying profits for last year were a massive £828 million. Workers in Gibraltar earn around £2 per hour less than their counterparts in the UK for undertaking the same job. The imposition of this pay deal means that the lowest paid worker at Morrisons Gibraltar will be paid £8.47 per hour, just above the Gibraltar minimum wage. In a letter to David Potts, Sharon Graham called on him to demand that local management get back around the negotiating table read more
Heathrow braced for Easter flight chaos as workers ballot for strikes in pay dispute (12 Feb) – Heathrow Airport is facing severe disruption this Easter as workers at the airport prepare to ballot for strike action over pay. Over 3,000 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union and employed by Heathrow Airports Ltd (HAL) as security guards, engineers and firefighters will begin balloting for strike action on Friday 17 February with the ballot closing on Friday 17 March. If the workers vote for industrial action strikes could coincide with the Easter getaway. The workers have rejected a 10 per cent pay increase, which is in effect a pay cut, with the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 13.4 per cent read more
Wave of offshore industrial unrest continues as 700 Bilfinger workers balloted for strike action (11 Feb) – 40 offshore installations could be hit in April. Unite the union confirmed today (11 February) that more than 700 offshore members at Bilfinger UK Limited are set to be balloted on strike action in a dispute over pay. Unite is demanding an increase above the base rate of pay set in the Energy Services Agreement (ESA) for 2022, and for this to be back dated to last July. The ESA agreed last year to a 4 per cent uplift, which was meant to be paid in January 2023 but this has not been paid to date. Bilfinger has refused to increase pay beyond the ESA base rate at a time when the broader cost of living stands at 13.4 per cent (RPI). Bilfinger has not implemented any pay award and allowance uplifts that were also agreed in November 2022. The ballot runs for four weeks opening on 17 February and closes on 17 March. Any strike action and an overtime ban is expected to take place from early April 2023 following a successful ballot result. A number of oil and gas operators will be hit by any industrial action including BP, CNRI, Ithaca, Harbour, Repsol and Taqa. Unite predicts that any strike action on the offshore installations will impact on production and planned work. Nearly 40 installations will be hit by hundreds of tradespersons not completing planned work read more
300 offshore construction workers balloted on strike action (10 Feb) – Stork workers in dispute over rotas and pay in over 30 installations. Unite the union confirmed today (Friday 10 February) that around 300 Stork construction members will be balloted on strike action on over 30 offshore installations in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The latest offshore dispute is centred on working rotas and Stork rates of pay failing to keep pace with the broader cost of living which stands at 13.4 per cent (RPI). Unite has demanded that the contentious three on/three off rotas are abolished. The ballot runs for four weeks opening on 17 February and closes on 17 March. Unite recently held a consultative ballot of its Stork membership which overwhelmingly revealed support for strike action standing at 96 per cent on a 94 per cent ballot return. A number of operators will be hit by any successful ballot for industrial action including EnQuest, Repsol, Shell and Total. Unite predicts that strike action on the offshore installations will lead to a serious backlog in maintenance work potentially leading to installation shutdowns if any are safety critical which would result in a loss of production read more
Odfjell drillers action to hit flagship BP platforms Clair and Clair Ridge (9 Feb) – Latest group of offshore workers set to strike in dispute over rotas and pay. Unite the union confirmed today (9 February) that nearly 100 Odfjell offshore drillers working on two flagship BP platforms have emphatically backed strike action to secure paid leave away from the current three on/three off working rota. 96 per cent supported strike action in a ballot turnout of 73 per cent. The strike action will involve a series of 24-hour stoppages to be announced but Unite has warned that industrial action could escalate to an all-out strike. Two of BP’s flagship North Sea Platforms the Clair and Clair Ridge are now expected to have their drilling schedules heavily impacted by the action. The mandate for industrial action follows Odfjell’s refusal to provide paid annual leave for periods when the drillers would otherwise be offshore leaving the drillers at a disadvantage as other offshore workers are entitled to paid leave as part of their working rotas. Unite members also voted by 97 per cent to support action short of a strike. This will include a total overtime ban limiting the working day to 12 hours, no extra cover provided during scheduled field breaks, and the withdrawal of good will pre and post tour briefings preventing handovers between shifts. Odfjell Technology Ltd recorded profits of £2.64m in 2021 up from £2.15m in 2020 read more
Southern England and Yorkshire ambulance workers to join NHS strikes (10 Feb) – More than 1,000 workers employed by the South Central, South East Coast, and Yorkshire ambulance services have voted to join NHS pay strikes, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The front-line workers will join around 2,800 of their colleagues in West Midlands, East Midlands, North West, North East, and Wales already striking over pay read more
Plymouth naval vessels facing weekend refuelling chaos in Serco roster dispute (10 Feb) – Naval vessels using the Devonport dockyard in Plymouth face months of weekend refuelling chaos in a dispute over impossible rosters. Barge crew workers involved in the dispute, are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. They are responsible for the refuelling of all naval ships which use the dockyard and are employed by outsourcing giant, Serco. Under the roster system, the workforce are not told whether they will be working at the weekend until Friday afternoon. This has destroyed the workers’ work/life balance and makes it impossible for them to arrange family life. Along the coast at Portsmouth’s naval base, Serco provides crew doing a similar job, with weekend work agreed on a voluntary basis read more
Unite win for workers at University of Dundee (9 Feb) – Estates workers to receive thousands of pounds in unpaid holiday pay. Unite the union can reveal today (9 February) that around 30 estates workers at the University of Dundee have been paid thousands in a dispute over unpaid holiday pay. Despite representations made to the University of Dundee it was only after the threat of legal action by Unite which resulted in the workers receiving approximately £16,500 in total. Some estates workers including joiners, plumbers and electricians will receive up to £1,000. This group of workers contractually do overtime regularly and are on call read more
NG Bailey electricians to vote for strike action at Atomic Weapons Establishment in cost of living bonus dispute (9 Feb) – Electricians employed by NG Bailey working at the Atomic Weapons Authority (AWE) in Berkshire are to be balloted for strike action in a dispute over bonus payments. The dispute is a result of the decision by NG Bailey not to pay a bonus of £6.50 an hour to its workers, despite the bonus being authorised by the client AWE. The bonus is being paid by other electrical contractors on the project, with AWE picking up the bill. It’s designed to offset the cost of living crisis. Approximately 100 Unite electricians who work at NG Bailey on Awe’s Mensa project, will begin balloting for strike action on Monday 13 February with the ballot closing on Friday 10 March. If the workers vote for industrial action, then strikes could begin later next month read more
Royal Holloway University strikes intensify over 10% pay cut presented as rise (9 Feb) – Pay strikes will hit Royal Holloway University in February as a dispute over pay intensifies, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). Non-teaching staff, members of Unite, have rejected an imposed pay deal set by the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) that amounts to three per cent for most workers. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 10.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the university’s latest financial report states it is in a strong financial position. It had total reserves of £293 million for the year ending 31 July 2022 read more
City of London workers ballot for strikes following derisory 3% pay offer (8 Feb) – Workers employed by the City of London Corporation have begun balloting for strike action in a long running dispute, following a derisory pay offer. The City of London Corporation, which is the local authority for the City of London, has imposed a pay increase for 2022 that is on average worth just three per cent. This is a substantial real terms pay cut with the current real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 13.4 per cent read more
UK could face electricity power cuts as Drax power station workers announce strikes (8 Feb) – The UK could face power cuts later this month, as workers employed at Drax power station in Yorkshire take strike action in a dispute over pay. The 180-plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have rejected an eight per cent pay increase. The offer is a substantial real terms pay cut with the current inflation rate (RPI) standing at 13.4 per cent. When Drax is fully operational it generates seven per cent of the UK’s electricity. The strike action will close Drax down…Unite has announced an initial nine days of strike action with strikes taking place on 20 and 27 February, then 6, 13, 20, 27 March and 4, 10 and 17 April read more
Petrofac workers resume 48-hour strike action (8 Feb) – New strike wave hits BP offshore installations. A fresh 48-hour strike is underway on BP Petrofac installations the UK’s largest offshore trade union, Unite, confirmed today (8 February). The 48-hour strike action which starts today at 06:01 involves around 80 workers, and it will conclude at 05:59 on 10 February. It is the latest round of strike action following no breakthrough in negotiations with Petrofac. The offshore contractor has failed to bring forward an acceptable offer to the workers with future rounds of strike action now scheduled to take place until 3 March read more
Unite blasts govt weakness on taxing oil firms as BP profits soar (7 Feb) – BP sees biggest profits in history for 2022, as they double to £23 billion. BP’s bonanza profits come after Shell reports earnings of £32 billion, bringing the combined total profits of the top two energy companies in Britain to a record £55 billion. Meanwhile, millions of families can’t heat their homes read more
Welwyn and Hatfield grounds maintenance workers secure double digit pay increase to end strike action (7 Feb) – Workers employed by Continental Landscapes, on Welwyn and Hatfield council’s ground maintenance contract, have secured a pay increase of at least 13 per cent, following a lengthy industrial dispute. The 13 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, began strike action in November in order to secure a pay increase, the introduction of pay differentials based on skills and knowledge and the assurance that temporary agency staff would not receive higher rates of pay read more
Jet garages facing fuel shortages as JW Suckling Transport tanker drivers begin balloting in pay dispute (7 Feb) – Jet garages across the UK are facing fuel shortages this spring as tanker drivers employed by JW Sucking Transport ballot for industrial action in a longstanding pay dispute. The 30-plus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are based at depots in Essex, West London and Grangemouth. The drivers undertake work as part of the Phillips 66 contract, which supplies fuel to Jet Garages. Despite extensive negotiations, JW Suckling Transport has refused to increase the rates of pay of drivers on the contract so that they are comparable with drivers employed by other hauliers on the contract. The drivers are paid over £5 less an hour than other drivers for undertaking the same work read more
Fresh strike dates announced for Welsh Ambulance workers (6 Feb) – Without a decent pay rise staffing exodus will continue crisis. Unite has today (6th February) announced further strike dates for Welsh ambulance workers in an escalation of the unions industrial action. Unite members employed by the Welsh Ambulance Service will strike on the 20th, 21st and 22nd February read more
Strike dates set to hit Highlands and Islands Airports (6 Feb) – Unite members launch days of action across eleven airports in pay dispute. Unite the union, which represents members in the Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL) group has confirmed today (6 February) that strike action will hit all its 11 airports in the coming weeks. The workforce has rejected a five per cent offer which they deemed unacceptable with inflation soaring to 13.4 per cent (RPI). Unite represents security staff, baggage handlers, ground crew along with those working in fire and rescue, security and administration. Several days of 24-hour strike action will now take place across all 11 airports on the following dates: 17 and 20 February – Dundee Airport; 21, 22, and 23 February – Barra Airport, Benbecula Airport, Campbeltown Airport, Inverness Airport, Islay Airport, Kirkwall Airport, Stornoway Airport, Sumburgh Airport, Tiree Airport, Wick Airport read more
Power grid for London, South East and East England facing pay strike and blackout chaos (6 Feb) – 1,300 workers employed by ‘obscenely profitable’ UK Power Networks begin strike vote. Around 1,300 workers responsible for repairing, maintaining and administrating the electricity grid for London and the South East and East of England are being balloted for pay strike action that could begin in March. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers, employed by UK Power Networks, are angry that the company, which usually offers an annual wage rise that meets or exceeds RPI inflation, has put forward a much-reduced pay offer. This is despite UK Power Networks (owned by Hong Kong based conglomerate CK Group), having an average operating profit margin of over 50 per cent between 2017 and 2021 – almost five times higher than the FTSE-100 average. During that period, the company made a massive £2.4 billion in profits, paid for by energy consumers through standing charges on their bills read more
Strike action resumes at GSK pharmaceutical plant in Irvine (6 Feb) – Kaefer contractors begin week-long strike in dispute over bonus payments. Members of Unite employed in engineering construction roles at the GSK plant in Irvine will resume strike action today (6 February) in a dispute over bonus payments. Around 40 workers employed by contractor Kaefer Limited will take strike action from 07:30 a.m. on 6 February up to 07:29 a.m. on 13 February. A previous round of strike action took place from 9 to 23 January. The current round of strike action is in addition to an existing discontinuous overtime ban which ends on 2 April. The industrial action will directly impact on the maintenance of the plant. The dispute is based on Unite members 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]) read more
Weekend strike action to hit Diageo’s Leven plant (3 Feb) – Workers set to hold Johnnie Walker Experience protest to highlight 6 per cent pay cut. Engineering workers based at whisky giant Diageo’s plant in Leven are set to strike from tonight (3 February) and over the weekend in an escalating dispute over pay. The strike action will begin at 19:00. tonight (Friday 3 February) and conclude on Monday morning at 05.59 (6 February). The latest round of strike action follows previous stoppages with more strike action scheduled to take place until 3 April. 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… Unite can also confirm that a protest will be held by the workers in dispute next Saturday (11 February from 12pm) outside The Johnnie Walker Experience, 145 Princes St, Edinburgh and next Sunday (12 February from 12pm) outside the Diageo Leven bottling plant, Banbeath Industrial Estate, Leven, KY8 5HD. The protests are designed to highlight that some of Unite’s engineering members are set to lose around 6 per cent of their pay when moved to a proposed lower rate of pay read more
Month long strike will hit parking restrictions in Hounslow (3 Feb) – Month long strike will hit parking restrictions in Hounslow. The toxic combination of stubborn employers, poor pay and the cost of living crisis forces workers to strike from Monday 6 February until 5 March. Parking Enforcement Officers across Hounslow will step up strike action in their battle for fair pay. Hounslow Borough Council stands isolated after Ealing and Brent councils boosted their workers’ pay following strike action. The workers are directly employed by Serco which manages the contract for the London borough. The giant outsourcing company’s latest profits were £303.9 million. Together Hounslow council and Serco need to reach an agreement with Unite read more
Wirral housing workers to strike over deadly asbestos fears (3 Feb) – Workers at social housing landlord Magenta Living are to take extensive strike action over fears that new working practices will expose them to asbestos. The 100 plus workers, who are members Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed in repairs and maintenance roles for Magenta Living, which manages 13,000 properties mainly covering the Wirral. Magenta Living has imposed a change of policy when dealing with asbestos. Previously, the workforce was trained that when they identified asbestos to stop work. If it required removal, specialist contractors were employed. Under the new policy the workers are expected to work with asbestos read more
University of Leeds strikes intensify over 10% pay cut presented as rise (1 Feb) – More than 200 non-teaching staff striking over nationally imposed UCEA pay deal. Pay strikes will hit the University of Leeds in February as a dispute over pay intensifies, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The 200 non-teaching staff, members of Unite, have rejected an imposed pay deal set by the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) that amounts to three per cent for most workers. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 10.4 per cent read more
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]
Further Imperial College strikes as pay dispute intensifies (20 Jan) – Over 200 Unite members to walkout over 3.3% offer, which is a pay cut. More than 200 workers at London’s Imperial College will strike on 23 January over a 3.3 per cent pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The workers, who are non-teaching staff, last took strike action in November. Further strikes will be scheduled in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a pay cut in real terms. Imperial Colleges’ latest financial figures shows it brought in an income of over £1.2 billion for 2021/22 and had cash reserves of £1.7 billion read more
Unite announces 10 fresh strike dates as ambulance dispute escalates (20 Jan) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced fresh dates in an escalation of the ambulance workers dispute. Members of Unite will stage ten further strikes over the coming weeks. Additional dates could be announced in the comings days. The announcement of fresh strike comes ahead of the latest day of industrial action with Unite’s ambulance workers set to walk out next Monday (23 January) read more
West Midland’s National Express engineers to strike over pay (19 Jan) – 3,000 drivers also poised to join striking engineers who maintain vehicles for 93% of region’s bus network. Around 200 West Midland’s National Express engineers have voted by 93 per cent in a ballot with a turnout of 80 per cent to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The engineers – responsible for maintaining 1,200 vehicles that cover 93 per cent of the region’s bus network – could be joined on strike by 3,000 bus drivers, who are also about to be balloted for industrial action. The engineers have rejected a pay offer of 10.1 per cent from National Express, which made £15.8 million in profits during the first half of 2022. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a pay cut read more
Community support workers in Hounslow stage week long strike (16 Jan) – 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
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
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
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
Construction giant Murphy protests in UK and Ireland over union busting – 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
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]
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
Royal Mail Group ballot – don’t forget to vote! And vote YES! (7 Feb) – Maximising turnout and returning the biggest possible YES vote is the best response to company bosses, say CWU leaders, as legal threats force cancellation of next week’s planned strike. Our general secretary Dave Ward issued a rallying call to all branches late yesterday evening, in response to a “blatant effort to demoralise our members and discredit the union” by the senior management of Royal Mail, who threatened court action against the CWU in respect of the industrial action that had been called for 16th/17th February. In a statement released jointly with acting deputy general secretary postal Andy Furey, our union’s leadership explained that correspondence had been received from the company’s legal representatives on Saturday 4th February challenging the strike notice that had been issued on the basis of “technical issues relating to the Dispute Resolution Process and the lifespan of the existing Change ballot.” After receiving advice from our own lawyers that, although we had a strong case ourselves, there was also risk to the union should we lose in court and, therefore, the CWU Postal Executive decided to call off the action planned for next week. The focus now, and the best way to respond to this development, Dave said, is “that the whole union focuses its efforts on maximising the YES vote and turnout in the live re-ballot read more
Post Office Crowns & Admin strikes resume – Supply Chain overtime ban begins – Staff in Crown Offices and Admin grades began a two-day walkout yesterday (12 Dec) – 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
Assurances sought for BT Supply Chain members as another transfer looms (10 Feb) – Close tabs are being kept on the latest changes being proposed by Supply Chain bosses, with the union demanding clarity and genuine options for members caught up in an intra-BT Group transfer involving ‘Staging & Configuration’ work. Announced to concerned staff on Thursday last week, it is already apparent that the intention to move the work to Enterprise Field Services (EFS) – which is in the process of becoming part of BT Business – presents stark choices to those impacted. That’s because, despite the ‘internal’ nature of the transfer, the Staging & Configuration work that is currently conducted in Magna Park, Staines and Leicester is set to physically move to Barlborough in Derbyshire read more
Capita agrees to do its sums again as 2022 pay settlement descends into fiasco (7 Feb) – Urgent talks took place with Capita yesterday (Monday) amid widespread employee anger across the O2 and Tesco Mobile partnerships at multiple miscalculations of their belated pay increase. Following members’ nine-to-one acceptance at the end of November of a significantly improved but long awaited pay offer, many had been counting the days before they received desperately needed back-payments dating back to April last year, when the cost of living crisis really took hold. But hopes of a timely helping hand with financial hangovers from the festive season ended in nasty surprise for hundreds when they eagerly opened their pay slips to discover that either the rise was less than expected or, in some instances, that no increase had been paid at all. Whilst some errors have now been rectified many are outstanding. The majority of those individuals can now breathe a welcome sigh of relief, with Capita yesterday signalling its willingness to recalculate hundreds of under-payments that have been made to TUPE members working fewer hours than the 37.5 hour ‘standard’ Capita contracts. These members are on 36 hour (Full Time Equivalent) contracts, but the mistake also impacts especially badly on part-timers because their hourly increase has also been calculated on the basis of the 37.5 hour standard 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
- New E-action in support of PCS national pay and pensions campaign – The E-action calls on MPs to support our demands over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security read more
Land Registry members set to strike (13 Feb) – We are now asking PCS members working for the Land Registry to join our targeted strike action, part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. The following groups of members working for the Land Registry are set to take action on 27 and 28 February and 1, 2 and 3 March 2023:
- All Land Registry employees working in the Customer Service Centres in Durham and Swansea.
- All Land Registry employees working on the Customer Resolution Team in: Birkenhead, Coventry, Croydon, Durham, Fylde, Gloucester, Hull, Leicester, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Swansea, Telford and Weymouth read more
Further DVLA strike dates announced as action further escalates (13 Feb) – We’re asking all DVLA members working in stores to take part in strike action on 27, 28 February and 1, 2, 3 March as part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms read more
Further DVLA strike dates announced as action escalates (6 Feb) – We’re asking all DVLA members working on Drivers Medical in Swansea and Birmingham to take part in strike action on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 February as part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. This latest action follows 5 days of planned strike action for members working for Output Services Group at Ty Felin and Morriston in Swansea read more
Pensions judicial review (10 Feb) – PCS and 5 other unions have brought a judicial review of the government’s decision not to reduce members’ civil service pensions contributions which was heard at the High Court from 31 January to 3 February. PCS, GMB, Unite, the FBU, POA and RCN were in court to seek judicial review of the decision taken by the government in 2019 to block pension changes which would have reduced contributions from public service pension scheme members read more
As public sector pay offers increase PCS urges Sunak to change stance (9 Feb) – PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka has written to prime minister Rishi Sunak seeking a meeting to resolve the union’s long-running dispute over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security. The letter, sent today, comes as 650 Department of Work and Pension (DWP) employees start a 20-day strike and as 100 members of the British Museum’s visitor services and security teams and 60 PCS members at DVLA prepare for strikes starting on Monday. In the letter Mark says that: “PCS has watched with interest developments elsewhere on pay in the public sector. We support other trade unions in their attempts to secure justice for their members. We have noted the offer made today to the Fire Brigades Union and improved offers made recently by the Scottish and Welsh governments in a number of sectors. “We cannot overstate our frustration that there appears to be no such movement from the government in respect of its own workforce in the civil service. We stand ready to negotiate a settlement to this dispute but there does not appear to be any willingness on the part of the government to seriously engage in such negotiations.” Read more
PCS National Campaign: Our chance to join the action! (8 Feb) – 100,000 PCS members will strike on Budget Day. A successful ballot will mean HMRC members can join the action. Following the highly successful day of action on 1 February, PCS has announced a further day of national action, involving groups comprising 100,000 members. The strike will take place on the day of the Budget, Wednesday 15 March. If more than half of HMRC members take part in our re-ballot, and we vote to act, we’ll be able to join them read more
Support the picket lines in February (8 Feb) – Our programme of targeted strike action continues in February and March. Go along to your nearest picket line to show support for our striking members…Have a look at our guide below to picket lines and please go along if you’re in the area read more
PCS announces escalation of strike action programme (7 Feb) – PCS has announced an escalation of its targeted strike action programme and a one-day strike of 100,000 members in the civil service and public sector on Budget Day, 15 March. Our national executive today agreed the escalation of targeted action and the latest walkout of all civil service members on 15 March in response to the lack of movement from the government on our demands on pay, pensions and job security. Our strategy calls sustained action in targeted areas where we can exert significant pressure on the employer, supplemented by all-member action called when its effect can be maximised. The targeted action in areas including Border Force, DVLA, DVSA, DWP and Rural Payments Agency, has been highly effective so far. While the all-member strike on 1 February was brilliantly supported with more picket lines than ever before – 500 in total – and in areas that have previously not had organised pickets. The second wave of targeted action gets underway in the DWP in Liverpool, Bolton and Stockport this week, and over the course of the next month will involve members at the British Museum, DVLA, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Border Force. Find out who is striking when. We are also currently balloting members in HMRC, Care Quality Commission, Companies House, National Museum of Wales, Office of Rail and Road, UK Export Finance, VOA and Welsh Government, to ask them to join our civil service strike action. If, as hoped, they beat the 50% legal ballot threshold, a further 33,000 members will join 100,000 PCS members in 123 government departments who have already passed the threshold in striking on 15 March. And in Northern Ireland a ballot of members employed by Home Office, MCA, ICO and Heritage Lottery Fund starts on Thursday read more
Yote Yes in Defra ballot on action short of a strike (6 Feb) – Defra members are being balloted on taking action short of a strike. Please vote yes in the ballot which closes on 27 February. PCS members in Defra, RPA, MMO and the Forestry Commission have been sent a ballot paper asking them vote on whether they are willing to take action short of a strike, as part of the PCS dispute over pay, pensions and terms and conditions. The ballot closes on 27 February at noon read more
PCS announces fresh ballots of 4 employers in Northern Ireland (2 Feb) – PCS is to run ballots from 9 February in Northern Ireland of members in the Home Office, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Information Commissioner’s Office and Heritage Lottery Fund, to ask them to join our civil service strike action read more
Border Force strikes announced for half term (2 Feb) – Around 1,000 Border Force officers in Dover, Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk are to go on strike for 4 days during the February half-term school holidays, PCS has announced. Notification of the strike to take place on 17, 18, 19 and 20 February comes as thousands of civil servants in 123 government departments walked out yesterday in the biggest civil service strike in a decade which had a big impact on public services, including the closure of the British Museum read more
APHA strike dates announced (30 Jan) – We are asking APHA members in the Centre for International Trade in Bristol and Carlisle to take part in strike action from 13-17 and 20-24 February 2023. Our targeted strike action, part of our national campaign on pay, pensions and redundancy terms, began in November last year and members working in the Rural Payments Agency have already taken up to 4 weeks of very well supported action before and after Christmas read more
New DVLA strike dates announced (30 Jan) – We’re asking DVLA members working in the Output Services Group at Ty Felin and Morriston in Swansea to take part in strike action on 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 February as part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. Our targeted strike action, part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms, began in November last year and members working on Drivers Medical at Swansea Morriston main site and at the DVLA Birmingham office took very-well supported strike action for 5 days last month read more
British Museum strike dates announced (30 Jan) – We are asking members working for the British Museum to take part in targeted strike action on 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 February as part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. Our targeted strike action began in November last year and members in a number of employers have taken part, including the Home Office, Border Force, Department for Transport and Defra read more
Further DWP strike dates announced (26 Jan) – 6 DWP offices will strike during February and March as we continue our strategic strike action. Our targeted strike action, part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms, began in December last year and DWP members in six offices have already taken strike action. The initial phase of our strike action has been targeted at areas that would have a significant impact on employers’ operations. Redundancies and job security are two important parts of our national campaign and the government announced last year its plans to close over 40 DWP offices. The next phase of our strike action, which will follow on from our national strike on 1 February, will involve members in Stockport Contact Centre, Bolton Benefit Centre and at four Liverpool jobcentres read more
GMB
Amazon workers announce week-long strike (13 Feb) – Amazon workers have announced a week-long strike at the company’s Coventry warehouse. More than 350 staff at the West Midland fulfilment centre will walk out on 28 February, 2 March and from 13 to 17 March. Amazon Coventry workers made history on 25 January – becoming the first Amazon workers in the UK to strike – in their fight for £15 per hour read more
Striking Amazon workers to meet to plan ‘escalation’ (9 Feb) – Striking Amazon workers are set to meet on today [Thursday 9 February 20223] to plan ‘escalation’ of industrial action. More than 350 staff at the company’s Coventry warehouse made history on 25 January – becoming the first Amazon workers in the UK to strike. Workers and their GMB representatives will now meet to plan the next steps, including the next strike date read more
Firefighter’s pay offer shows talks suspend strikes (9 Feb) – GMB Union says firefighters suspending strike action shows what can happen when employers talk pay. On Tuesday, fire service employers put forward a revised offer, which includes a 7% pay rise backdated to July last year and another 5% from this July, leading to industrial action being paused read more
Glasgow Apple workers sign union deal in UK first (9 Feb) – Building on their historic trade union recognition ballot, Apple retail workers in Glasgow have today (Wednesday 8 February) hailed the signing of a collective agreement with the global tech giant. In another first for Apple workers across the UK, staff in the city’s Buchanan Street store will now be able to elect workplace representatives to bargain and consult with the employer on issues including pay distribution, working time arrangements and holiday entitlements read more
DWP to close 20 job centres (8 Feb) – The Department for Work and Pensions has announced a plan to close 20 job centres, sparking fury from GMB members. More than 50 jobs will be put at risk by the scheme, which emerged last night [Tuesday]. It’s understood future plans could lead to more closures and further job losses read more
East of England ambulance workers vote to strike (8 Feb) – Almost 1,000 ambulance workers have voted to strike across the East of England. Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, call handlers and other staff are now set to walk out in the region. EEAS is the only ambulance service not to have been on strike so far during this dispute – that will now change after GMB members voted by an 86 per cent majority for industrial action. Workers across the ambulance service voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award and are furious over the Government’s apparent attempts to ‘smear’ them over life and limb cover on strike days. GMB will now meet with reps in the coming days to discuss potential strike dates read more
Hartlepool metal workers earn big win after historic strike (7 Feb) – Dozens of Hartlepool metal workers have won a big pay rise after a historic strike. More than 50 staff at Expanded Metal Company walked out for six days last week – the first strike at the company in more than 100 years – in anger at a proposed real terms pay cut. Now they have won a pay rise of 7.5 per cent, as well as a £600 lump sum and improved sick pay read more
GMB opens historic Judges’ branch (6 Feb) – GMB is now the union for judges, after the first union branch in the country specifically for judges was opened this week. The branch consists of union members who work in the judiciary system, which is traditionally a sector without trade union representation read more
9,000 ambulance workers walk out in ‘biggest NHS strike’ (6 Feb) – Almost 9,000 GMB Union ambulance workers across England will walk out in what could be the ‘biggest NHS strike’ on Monday [6 February 2023]. Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will stage more than 100 pickets. The industrial action coincides with strike action by nurses and many major pickets – including Brighton, Liverpool, Harrogate and Gateshead – will see ambulances workers line up next to their nursing colleagues. Workers across the ambulance service voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award and are furious over the Government’s apparent attempts to ‘smear’ them over life and limb cover on strike days read more
Hexham picket cancelled as mark of respect (6 Feb) – More than 750 GMB Union ambulance workers across the North East will walk out on Monday [6 February 2023]. But the planned picket line in Hexham has been cancelled as a mark of respect to Holly Newton and her family read more
Ambulance workers announce four more national strike dates (18 Jan) – More than 10,000 GMB Ambulance workers will stage four more national strike days, the union announced today. Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff are now set to walk out on 6 February, 20 February, 6 March and 20 March. The following trusts will be affected: South West Ambulance Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service, North West Ambulance Service, South Central Ambulance Service, North East Ambulance Service, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Welsh Ambulance Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service. In addition, workers at West Midlands ambulance service will strike on January 23, with GMB members at North West Ambulance Service will strike on January 24 read more
Welsh Ambulance Service Strikes Suspended After Senedd Makes Pay Offer (3 Feb) – The deal amounts to both a consolidated and non-consolidated one off payment for 22/23 – on top of the already imposed 4.5 per cent. The Welsh Government has confirmed negotiations for 23/24 will begin almost immediately. Almost 1,500 workers across the country had been due to walk in on Monday [6 February] read more
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 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
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 and will now take place on 24th March. 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 Surrey strike
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Put NHS pay right – NHS strike rolling report (10 Feb) – Follow here for news and views on the latest day of NHS industrial action read more
Higher education pay dispute enters new talks (9 Feb) – UNISON has welcomed the decision by university employers to enter negotiations to resolve disruptive strike action currently affecting 150 universities. UNISON and the four other higher education unions (UCU, EIS, GMB and Unite) and employer representative the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), have agreed to further talks mediated by the conciliation service Acas. The talks will begin on Monday 13 February. Acas mediated talks are intended to address the issues in dispute, which include pay, equality, job insecurity and workloads. The current industrial action has not been postponed read more
Recap: Second day of EA strikes (9 Feb) – Environment Agency workers started a 12-hour strike at 7am on Wednesday, alongside their Prospect colleagues. Here’s some of the action read more
Environment Agency staff begin 36 hours of action over pay, says UNISON (7 Feb) – Staff strike again in latest phase of dispute. Thousands of Environment Agency employees begin to ramp up their dispute over pay today (Tuesday) as they begin a further period of industrial action, including a 12-hour strike, says UNISON. The union is urging the government to stop ignoring the Environment Agency’s “invisible workforce” and begin talks to increase the woeful wages of staff. Poor pay is forcing increasing numbers to leave essential roles controlling pollution and protecting communities from weather disasters, says UNISON read more
NEC hears of ongoing industrial action across the union (9 Feb) – Fair pay and fighting the Westminster government’s anti-strike bill are also discussed by UNISON’s ruling executive read more
Thousands of university workers strike again over wages (9 Feb) – Third wave of action over coming days. Higher education staff are walking out over the coming days in a third wave of strikes over inadequate pay, says UNISON today (Thursday). Administrators, cleaners, library, security and catering workers – many of them the lowest paid in the university sector – are among those taking industrial action. Universities including those in Edinburgh, Brighton, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester will be affected, says UNISON. Staff at the Glasgow School of Art have also announced strike dates. The employees are asking for a proper pay rise to help them cope with soaring prices. This follows several years where wages have failed to keep pace with inflation, UNISON says. For most of the 17 institutions affected, it’s the third wave of industrial action this academic year. Strikes have already taken place in September, October and November. The dispute is over the 3% pay offer* made by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) last May. This was rejected by university support staff but paid to most of them in August read more
Care Quality Commission staff balloted over strike action (3 Feb) – Five unions launch vote over unacceptable, imposed pay award. Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have begun voting for industrial action over pay, say unions today (Friday). Five unions – UNISON, PCS, Prospect, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite – are balloting workers who inspect, monitor and regulate hospitals, care homes, GP practices and dental surgeries, as well as ambulance and mental health services. The UNISON and PCS strike ballots began last month, and the others open over the coming weeks. Voting ends either later this month or in early March read more
Stop Hackney Council cutting library services read more about the campaign here – Hackney library staff have been taking strike action against cuts
NIPSA
NIPSA Wins Action on Travel Reimbursement (13 Feb) – HSC Strike Action. NIPSA has received confirmation from the Department of Health that it will agree to extend the rate of an additional 10p per mile over 3,500 miles and enter into negotiations on a Northern Ireland specific approach. NIPSA congratulates its members who took industrial action in their dispute withdrawing the use of their vehicles for work related duties on 20 January while indicating further action in February and March. This action has now secured the additional increase for up to a year while providing the negotiating platform to review the Travel Reimbursement elements of AfC in a Northern Ireland context read more
Pay Dispute: Update and Petition (9 Feb) – As you are aware, NIPSA is currently undertaking a consultation exercise to seek your views on the Pay Offer made in December by the CEO as a result of the local JTUS Pay Claim which was lodged last June. The consultation also seeks your views on what action should be taken should the majority of our members reject the offer, and to receive your mandate for NIPSA to seek to secure a better deal using various means at our disposal, up to and including Industrial Action. You will also be aware that our sister Union Unite, with whom NIPSA has worked closely in lodging the local pay claim and pursuing the NIHE to table a fair and inflation busting pay rise for members in the NIHE, has had members out on continuous strike action for over 6 months, which is still continuing. At the heart of this action is the single objective of achieving a decent pay rise for members. Unite has overwhelmingly rejected the pay offer tabled by Management, which is the subject of the ongoing NIPSA consultation exercise read more
Health Members join Half a Million Workers Taking Industrial Action (1 Feb) – Today NIPSA members in the health service will join half a million workers across the UK in taking industrial action. This will be the single biggest day of industrial action by the trade union movement since 2011. Thousands of members of NIPSA in the health service will escalate action short of strike action on that day. Professional and administrative staff are involved in the action. Further escalation will follow over the next few weeks read more
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
Royal College of Nursing
RCN ballots members on Care Quality Commission pay award (8 Feb) – Members who work for the Care Quality Commission will vote on whether to take industrial action in response to latest pay award read more
Nursing strikes in England escalated to highest level yet as PM still refuses to negotiate (6 Feb) – Members forced onto picket lines once more on biggest ever day of strike action in the NHS. Today and tomorrow (6 and 7 February), nursing staff are striking again in England to secure a future with safe patient care and fair pay. The strikes over the next two days will be at the highest intensity in our history – taking place at 73 NHS trusts in England, compared to 44 in December and 55 in January. Members of other health unions are also striking, making today (6 February) the single biggest day of strike action in the NHS read more
RCN cancels strikes in Wales following new NHS pay offer (3 Feb) – Pressure mounts on Prime Minister to start urgent talks in England to avert next week’s strikes 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 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
RCM to consult its members on Welsh Government pay offer (13 Feb) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is consulting its members in Wales on the Welsh Government’s pay offer. The online consultation opens today and closes on 27 February. It follows a pause on planned strike action by RCM midwife and maternity support worker (MSW) members that was set for 7 February. The RCM will be making no recommendations about whether its members should accept or reject the offer. The RCM says while the offer is not everything it has been asking for, it is a positive step forward and a deal its members should have their say on. It is the best offer that can be obtained through negotiation and without sustained industrial action says the RCM read more
RCM recommends its members vote yes as industrial action ballot opens in Northern Ireland (31 Jan) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland is recommending its midwife and maternity support worker (MSW) members vote for industrial action as it opens its formal ballot on pay today running until 7 March. The move to ballot staff working in Health and Social Care (HSC) is not a decision taken lightly says the RCM. It follows a consultation in November where over nine out of 10 RCM members who responded said they would be prepared to take industrial action if no pay award was agreed. The NHS Pay Review Body recommendation of a 4% pay award was imposed on HSC staff in December read more
RCM cites ‘cautious optimism’ on pay following Scottish Government meeting (13 Jan) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has said it is cautiously optimistic that its calls for a decent pay deal can be met by the Scottish Government. At a meeting yesterday (12 January), the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, and the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Humza Yousaf, told the RCM that the Scottish Government is committed to a road map to resolve the ongoing pay dispute read more
CSP
NHS physio staff strike again after government’s refusal to meet (9 Feb) – Physiotherapy staff in England have had no choice but to strike again today, following the government’s refusal to hold meaningful talks over NHS pay read more
Strikes in Wales paused after breakthrough (3 Feb) – Strikes by members in Wales are on hold after further progress was made in talks with the Welsh Government, the CSP has announced 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
HCSA
HCSA junior doctors vote overwhelmingly for strike action in England – Junior Doctors in HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in an all-England ballot. A decisive 97% Yes result was achieved on a turnout of 74.76%, easily passing legal thresholds. The result means that HCSA will now agree the timing and shape of strike action in coordination with other health unions. HCSA President Dr Naru Narayanan said the ballot result should act as a wake-up call to the government ahead of a separate vote of Junior Doctors by the British Medical Association which is set to close on 20th February read more
NEU
NEU Strike Action in England and Wales (1 Feb) – Teachers strike in pursuit of a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. Commenting on today’s strike by National Education Union members in England and Wales, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Today, teachers in schools and sixth form college in England and Wales and support staff in Wales schools, took strike action in pursuit of a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. The government has short-changed them for over a decade, with significant real-terms cuts to pay and persistently unfunded rises which schools cannot afford…” read more
The full list of projected strike days are as follows:-
Wednesday 1 February 2023: all eligible members in England and Wales.
Tuesday 14 February 2023: all eligible members in Wales.
Tuesday 28 February 2023: all eligible members in the following English regions: Northern, North West, Yorkshire & The Humber.
Wednesday 1 March 2023: all eligible members in the following English regions: East Midlands, West Midlands, Eastern.
Thursday 2 March 2023: all eligible members in the following English regions: London, South East, South West.
Wednesday 15 March 2023: all eligible members in England and Wales – includes national ‘Save Our Schools’ festival and demonstration. Assemble 12noon Hyde Park Speakers Corner for march to Trafalgar Square
Thursday 16 March 2023: all eligible members in England and Wales read more
NEU postpones action in Wales (9 Feb) – Next Tuesday’s strike action will be postponed until 2 March. Meanwhile, we will continue to press for a fully consolidated award and to seek an offer in respect of support staff members read more
Northern Ireland : Strike action (13 Feb) – NEU teacher members in Northern Ireland have voted in favour of strike action. Two thirds (66%) of NEU teacher members have voted in favour of strike action, and to join INTO, NASUWT and UTU on strike action starting on Tuesday 21 February read more
NEU wins pay rise for teachers at Winchester College (10 Feb) – Threat of action brings improved pay offer, but more to resolve. Following a strike action ballot by the National Education Union, teachers at Winchester College have been awarded a pay rise of 6.4% for a typical teacher. However, the union remains in dispute over proposed changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Following several months of negotiations with the college, union members have agreed a pay settlement for 2022-23 after the employer offered to convert a one-off payment of £500 made in January to a permanent adjustment to the pay scale. This means a typical teacher will have received a 6.4% cost-of-living increase to pay. A ballot of NEU members regarding pay and changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) closed on Tuesday 2 February with 82% voting for strike action, on a turnout of 77%. Although the NEU has settled its dispute over pay, the union remains in dispute over pensions. Winchester College is currently proposing to close the Teacher’s Pension Scheme to new joiners from September 2023 read more
NASUWT
Teachers at Coventry School Foundation strike over pay (13 Feb) – Members of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at the Coventry School Foundation (BKHS Bablake Senior, BKHS Bablake Prep, BKHS King Henry VIII Senior and BKHS King Henry VIII Prep) are taking two days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday over pay. Following the imposition of a pay award for 2022/23 that was significantly below inflation, employers have now withdrawn a promised and improved pay award for 2023/24 read more
Guernsey teachers to be balloted for industrial action (2 Feb) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has issued notice of its intention to ballot members working in schools across the Bailiwick for industrial action over pay and workload. The current pay offer represents a further real-terms pay cut for teachers in Guernsey, following years of pay erosion stretching back to 2008. Teachers’ pay has fallen behind median earnings growth and pay awards given to other States employees and is increasingly uncompetitive compared with the UK, once the higher cost of living is taken into consideration. Teachers’ pay is also considerably higher in Jersey. These factors are fuelling increasing difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers in Guernsey schools read more
Northern Ireland teachers to strike over pay (25 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will take strike action In Northern Ireland on Tuesday 21 February over the failure to offer teachers a fair and decent pay award. The NASUWT is calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2022/23. The strike action will consist of a half day strike on the morning of 21 February. The strike action follows a concerted campaign of action short of strike action across all grant-aided schools read more
NASUWT Scotland announces further strike action by teachers (20 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in Scotland will be taking two further days of strike action on 28th February and 1 March in its ongoing dispute with the Scottish Government and employers over teachers’ pay. These further dates are a result of the continuing failure of ministers and COSLA to come forward with an improved pay offer. The NASUWT is calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2022/23. The current pay offer of 5% for most teachers amounts to a further real-terms pay cut, following over a decade of pay freezes and below-inflation pay awards which have left teachers in Scotland almost £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay failing to keep pace with inflation. Alongside the strike action NASUWT members will continue to undertake ongoing action short of strike action 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
NAHT
NAHT Cymru comments on pay offer from Welsh Government (8 Feb) – Commenting as Welsh Government make a new pay offer to teachers and school leaders to try and bring industrial action to an end, Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “We’re pleased that Welsh Government have come to the table with an improved pay offer. While it doesn’t fully address the 22% erosion of school leader pay in Wales since 2010, it is a strong indication of the willingness on all sides to start to address the balance. NAHT Cymru will now go out to consultation with our members and put this new offer to them…” read more
NAHT Cymru announces industrial action short of strike in schools across Wales (19 Jan) – School leaders in Wales will begin industrial action short of strike next month following NAHT Cymru’s ballot on pay and funding. The announcement comes as NAHT entered into meaningful discussions with the Welsh government and local authority employers on pay negotiations this morning where a one-off payment for teachers and leaders was discussed. The ballot results, announced on Monday, showed 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. The union’s Welsh Executive Committee has now met with NAHT General Secretary Paul Whiteman and President Paul Gosling and an agreement was reached to instigate action. NAHT Cymru has notified the local authority and governing body employers of its intention to take action short of strike on an ongoing basis from Wednesday 1 February 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
EIS to Escalate Strikes to Include Targeted Action (7 Feb) – Today, 7 February, marks one whole year since Scottish teaching unions submitted their pay claim for 2022-23 via the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT). A year on, that pay claim remains unsettled and teachers across the country are engaged in a programme of industrial action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement. As a result, the EIS has announced an escalation of its action to include targeted strike action in schools within the constituencies of key decision makers within 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
SSTA
SSTA to Take Two Further Days of Strike Action (23 Jan) – The SSTA National Executive has, following another failed SNCT negotiating meeting, authorised two days of strike action on Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 March. The SSTA will be joining members of sister unions in national strike action in a coordinated campaign of industrial action read more
UCU
Further talks agreed in university pay & working conditions dispute (9 Feb) – UCU welcomed the decision by university employers to enter negotiations to resolve disruptive strike action currently impacting 150 universities. UCU and the four other higher education unions (EIS, GMB, UNISON and Unite) and employer representative the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) have agreed to further talks mediated by conciliation service Acas. The discussions will begin Monday. Acas mediated talks are intended to address the issues in dispute, which include pay, equality, job insecurity and workloads. Strike action remains on. Staff will be on strike tomorrow and then back out for three consecutive days of strikes from Tuesday. In total 18 days of strike action are planned throughout February and March read more
University strikes escalate after staff reject ‘low-ball’ offer (8 Feb) – Two further days of strike action at UK universities are going ahead this week after staff rejected the employers’ pay offer. Over 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will down tools tomorrow and Friday. The action comes after an overwhelming 80% of members who voted rejected the latest offer from employers. Over 30,000 UCU members responded to UCU’s online poll which was open for just four days. The offer is worth only 5% for most UCU members. The National Union of Students (NUS) is backing staff taking the strike action, which will impact 2.5 million students. UCU said university bosses are “in hiding” and need to engage properly in negations if they want to stop a further 15 days of strike action from going ahead over the next two months. Staff will be picketing all 150 universities across the UK on both days of strike action read more
UCU members overwhelmingly reject UCEA pay offer (3 Feb) – Over 30,000 voted in electronic poll conducted over four days. Union says strike action to resume next week unless much improved offer is made. Members of UCU have voted by 80.4% to reject the latest pay offer from employer body UCEA. The electronic ballot was open for four days with tens of thousands of UCU members backing UCU’s position to reject the offer. The offer made by UCEA was 5%, equating to another significant real-terms pay cut. Over a decade of low pay awards from employers has caused staff pay to fall 25% behind inflation. The union has confirmed that strike action will resume next week and continue through February and March unless a much-improved pay offer is made alongside commitments on workload and casualisation read more
The full dates of strike action are:
- Week 1 – Wednesday 1 February
- Week 2 – Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February
- Week 3 – Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 February
- Week 4 – Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February
- Week 5 – Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 March
- [No action week commencing Monday 6 March]
- Week 6 – Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March
- Week 7 – Monday 20, Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 March
Four days of strikes set to hit Sheffield College after ‘insulting’ 2.5% pay offer (18 Jan) – Over 200 staff at Sheffield College will be on strike Friday after receiving an ‘insulting’ pay offer of just 2.5% amid the cost-of-living scandal. Staff will then down tools for a further three days in January and February unless their demands are met, they will be on picket lines outside the college on each strike day. The full dates of strike action are: Friday 20 January, Monday 30 January, Tuesday 7 February, Thursday 9 February. Staff will also work to rule from Monday 23 January, 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. The announcement comes after an overwhelming 87% of members who voted said yes to strike action in a turnout of 59% 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
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
FBU leadership recommends acceptance of revised pay offer (10 Feb) – Fire Brigades Union leadership unanimously recommends that members accept revised pay offer. Dates for ballot on offer set, with result expected in early March. Union leadership says it “will not sugar-coat” offer, which is below inflation in first year. The Executive Council of the Fire Brigades Union has today unanimously recommended that members accept a revised pay offer. On Wednesday evening, fire service employers agreed to a 7% pay rise backdated to July 2022 and a further 5% pay rise from July 2023. This is a significant shift. In June last year, firefighters were offered just 2%. In November, they overwhelmingly rejected 5% in a consultative ballot. It was only when firefighters voted in huge numbers for industrial action that employers finally moved. 88% of FBU members voted Yes to strike action on a 73% turnout, with 94% voting Yes in Northern Ireland. The FBU had already agreed not to name strike dates while members are consulted on the offer and has set out a timetable to consult members. A hybrid online and postal ballot will open on Monday 20 February and close on Monday 6 March at 2pm read more
Firefighters’ strike postponed after new pay offer put forward (8 Feb) – Fire Brigades Union moves to ballot members on new pay offer after employers shift. Resounding mandate for strike action crucial in achieving new offer. Union says it will be “honest and sober” in discussion of offer, which is still below inflation. The announcement of a firefighters’ strike has been postponed following an increased pay offer from Fire and Rescue Service employers 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
McDonalds Sexual Harassment Agreement with the EHRC (8 Feb) – Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary: We have been aware of McDonald’s poor record on Sexual Harassment and their use of NDA’s to hide a problem which we believe is rife in the company. In July 2019 we worked with the Independent to produce this news piece: More than 1,000 reports of sexual abuse and harassment at UK McDonald’s, campaigners say | The Independent | The Independent. It is our understanding that the Equality and Human rights commission and McDonald’s are about to release a statement regarding an agreement. Although we do not fully understand the content of this agreement at this stage. We welcome the EHRCs intervention. However, we would encourage caution in celebrating such an agreement read more
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
NUJ “furious” at 300 jobs cuts at DC Thomson (9 Feb) – The union has vowed to fight to protect the jobs of our members threatened by redundancies at Dundee-based publisher DC Thomson read more
IFJ killing list reveals 68 deaths of media workers and 375 in prison (7 Feb) – The International Federation of Journalists has published its full annual report on journalists and media staff killed and those behind bars in 2022. The 32nd report details 68 killings of media professionals, including targeted and bomb attacks and crossfire deadly incidents. There were also 11 deaths due to accidents and illness read more
BBC journalists ballot for industrial action over local radio cuts (31 Jan) – NUJ members working for BBC Local are being balloted to take industrial action over the corporation’s latest proposals to share local radio programming across the network. Members in Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly for action over cuts at Radio Foyle read more
BBC journalists to vote on latest plans for local radio (19 Jan) – Following negotiations with the NUJ, the BBC has made concessions on the drastic cuts it had proposed. Members are now considering if they will be enough. BBC journalists are holding a consultative ballot following negotiations with the BBC over cuts to local radio 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
Prospect and Soulbury unions to push back in further pay talks (13 Feb) – Prospect’s Education and Children’s Services Group, and its partner unions who represent education professionals covered by the Soulbury agreement, will hold a further meeting with the Local Government Association after the unions collectively rejected their “final pay offer.” Read more
Prospect and Unison join forces for Environment Agency on 8 February (31 Jan) – Thousands of Environment Agency employees belonging to Prospect and UNISON are to take strike action on 8 February in the growing dispute about pay. Staff working in areas such as river inspection, flood forecasting, coastal risk management and pollution control will stage a 12-hour strike on Wednesday 8 February starting at 7am. In addition, for 12 hours either side of the walkout, Environment Agency employees will escalate their ongoing work to rule by withdrawing from incident response rotas, say the unions. This action short of a strike starts at 7pm on Tuesday 7, and kicks in again immediately at the end of the strike for another 12 hours, concluding at 7am on Thursday 9 February read more
Prospect launches biggest industrial action ballot of public sector members in over a decade (27 Jan) – Prospect has opened a formal ballot for thousands of civil service and other public sector workers for industrial action over pay – including the Cabinet Office ‘cap’ of 3% on pay offers – threats of job losses, and a proposed cut to redundancy terms read more
FDA
FDA Fast Stream members vote to strike (17 Jan) – FDA members in the central Fast Stream have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action over pay. On a turnout of 60%, comfortably surpassing the legal threshold of 50%, 88% backed industrial action in the statutory postal ballot. FDA National Officer for the Fast Stream, Lauren Crowley, stated “our Fast Stream members have been absolutely clear – they will no longer put up with unfair pay. This result highlights the anger that our members are feeling, they are tired of empty promises when it comes to pay reform.” Read more
Community
Pay increase at United Wire! (13 Feb) – We’re extremely pleased to have secured a 7% pay increase for our members at United Wire based in Edinburgh. Following approval from the majority of members balloted, this pay increase will be in effect from 1st January 2023, and will be paid retrospectively read more
Aartee Bright Bar crashing into administration is result of government’s negligence (8 Feb) – Responding to the news of Aartee Bright Bar going into administration, National Officer Alun Davies said: “The news of Aartee Bright Bar crashing into administration is extremely worrying. All parties must do whatever it takes to protect the workforce in this difficult process. These developments demonstrate the extreme pressures the industry is under. This is the price of the government’s negligence and its failure to act on issues like energy costs and procurement.” Read more
Equity
West End shows facing strike threat as Equity puts in 17% pay claim – some of the West End’s biggest shows could be hit by strike action after performers union Equity put in a 17% pay claim for thousands of its members in theatreland read more on Evening Standard website
Sign and share this petition to reinstate the English National Opera (ENO) funding and lobby your MP to back our industries and their workforce
USDAW
Budget 2023: Usdaw calls for a new deal for workers and a retail recovery plan (6 Feb) – Retail trade union Usdaw has made a formal representation to HM Treasury for measures to be included in the 2023 Spring Budget on 15 March read more
IWGB
Outsourced UCL security staff to strike alongside UCU as part of 1 February national day of action (25 Jan) – Outsourced security guards at University College London (UCL), employed by subcontractor Bidvest Noonan, are returning to the picket line on 1 February. Members of the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) will take action alongside lecturers represented by UCU, as part of a nationally coordinated day of public sector strike action. Pickets will be held at Malet Place from 6am, with workers and their families taking to the UCL quad at 10am for a photo opportunity and protest action, breaking open a treasure chest piñata representing UCL’s £90 million surplus read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
Private bus operator Go-Ahead to attend Labour Court in pay dispute (13 Feb) – SIPTU representatives have suspended two 24-hour work stoppages by members employed by the private bus operator Go-Ahead Ireland that were scheduled to take place on 1st and 8th March, after the company announced it will attend a Labour Court hearing in a dispute over pay read more
SIPTU demands payment of outstanding wages of Nuremore Hotel workers (10 Feb) – SIPTU members employed at the Nuremore Hotel and Country Club in Carrickmacross, county Monaghan, have demanded the payment of their outstanding wages and clarification on the future of their workplace, following a social media statement posted yesterday (Thursday, 9th February), that its Leisure Centre is closing read more
Other news
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 NUJ website – Iran: authorities must respect journalists’ rights and release those jailed (10 Feb) 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
