2023 NSSN Conference – Saturday 24th June in Conway Hall, London 11am-4.30pm –Attendance fee £6. You can register on the day at conference or email us in advance via [email protected]
Confirmed speakers so far: NIPSA General Secretary Carmel Gates, BFAWU General Secretary Sarah Woolley, POA General Secretary Steve Gillan, NAPO National Official Annoesjka Valent, GMB Officer Gary Palmer from the victorious #GMBThree
NSSN Conference letter for union branches and trades councils
Our Network was initiated by the RMT in 2006 and now also national support from Unite, CWU, NUJ, NUM, POA, BFAWU, NAPO and FBU, as well as individual branches in these and other unions and many trades councils. This will be our sixteenth national conference, but in our opinion, it will be the most important yet.
We will be meeting after a year when workers have suffered the steepest fall in our real incomes for half a century. It has also been a year when the working-class has refused to accept the misery on offer from the Tory government and employers. Strike action has taken place on a bigger scale than at any time since the late 1980s. In 2017, strike figures were the lowest in history yet in the current strike wave we have seen two days where over half a million workers have walked out together in mass co-ordinated strike action.
While a number of disputes are on-going, some have been settled. The results vary, but every public sector strike has forced the Tory government to step back from their initial refusal to negotiate. And in the private sector, some important victories have been won.
The last year has proven that striking works, but the cost of living squeeze on workers is unrelenting. Alongside how to build solidarity with the current strikes, key questions for discussion at the Network conference will therefore include:
• How can we be better prepared for inevitable future strikes?
• It is possible to ‘all strike together’ in a 24-hour general strike?
• How can we fight the threat from the latest Tory undemocratic anti-union ‘minimum service’ legislation?
Hundreds of thousands of workers have been on strike for the first time. Many hundreds if not thousands have become workplace reps or stewards for the first time. Our conference will bring together active rank-and-file trade unionists – both new and longstanding – from across the whole of the trade union movement, including every union that has been involved in strike action. All union members are very welcome to attend and to fully participate in the discussion.
Stop union-busting – stop blacklisting!
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site. We’ll keep everyone informed of future protests read more about Lee’s case
Support the ‘Murphy 4’ – Support the campaign to secure the reinstatement of four Unite members, including a shop steward, dismissed by the Murphy group’s Irish subsidiary on what Unite members believe to be spurious grounds read more
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up: 6pm Wednesday 17th May Hackney Town Hall – Council staff are staging a protest after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, have been handed compulsory redundancy notices. Hackney Unison have said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website
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!
NSSN news
2023 NSSN Conference – Saturday 24th June in Conway Hall, London 11am-4.30pm
GMB Officer Gary Palmer from the victorious #GMBThree is speaking at NSSN Conference Case against ‘GMB Three’ collapses
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
You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.
RMT
Members Update (5 May) – General Secretary Mick Lynch with a message to members involved in the National Rail Dispute read more
Jared Wood Re-Ballot video (4 May) – RMT Regional Organiser Jared Wood with a rundown of the London Underground dispute over Jobs, Pensions & Conditions read more
RMT members overwhelmingly back further strike action (4 May) – RAIL union RMT announced the results of a re-ballot of members working for 14 train operating companies today which massively re-affirmed a mandate for further strike action. All the ballots passed the 50 per cent participation threshold imposed by the government’s anti-trade union laws and included massive votes for further strike action. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the overwhelming backing for further strike action across 14 train operating companies was a de-facto referendum on the dispute read more
RMT rejects proposals as employers torpedo negotiating process (27 Apr) – Rail union, RMT will launch strike action across 14 train operators on May 13th after rejecting the latest offer from the Rail Delivery Group. Following further discussions between the union and RDG, the employer issued a clarification on the offer RMT has been considering. The RDG is now saying they would only implement the first-year payment of 5% if the union terminated its industrial mandate meaning no further strike action could take place. Stage 2 discussions which are part of the offer made by the employer would then have to begin without the union having any industrial leverage at the negotiating table. Our NEC met earlier today to formally reject the proposal and as a result have named 24 hours strike action for Saturday 13 May. The union is currently re-balloting its members on the 14 train operating companies with a result expected May 4. If the union beats all the legal thresholds for turnout and achieves a “yes” vote, it will have a further 6-month strike mandate read more
ASLEF
Train Drivers to take three days of strike action (27 Apr) – Train drivers at 15 companies will be taking strike action on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June 2023 in a long-running dispute. Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; SWR depot drivers; SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains. ASLEF members at these train companies have been in dispute for almost a year over the failure of management to offer a fair deal on pay. Most of the drivers have not had a pay increase at all since 2019 and with inflation still well over 10% and the cost of living spiralling, this is not acceptable read more
Unite
South East ambulance workers to strike as Unite escalates industrial action (8 May) – Picket lines in Portsmouth and Northfleet, Kent. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by ambulance trusts in the South East will take strike action tomorrow (Tuesday 9 May) as the union escalates its industrial action in the dispute over pay. Unite’s members employed at both South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust and South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust will strike from 12pm until 10pm on Tuesday 9 May. Last month Unite’s members employed in the NHS in England rejected the government’s offer of a lump sum cash payment for 2022/23 and a below inflation increase of five per cent for 2023/24
Unite the union condemns attacks on Translink staff working on Glider service (5 May) – The Unite the union Metro Branch Committee has condemned recent attacks on Translink staff members working on the Glider service in Belfast. In four different anti-social behaviour incidents over recent days, members of staff opening the Glider service have been subject to assault and attacks. Unite the union, the largest public transport union in the UK and Ireland, expressed its commitment to working with Translink management, the relevant authorities and all stakeholders in tackling antisocial behaviour and preventing further attacks on staff members read more
New Unite research reveals €76 drop in real weekly wages over past two years as workers face cost-of-living catastrophe (4 May) – New Unite bulletin launched to arm activists with facts to fight for a better deal. On Dublin visit, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham pledges union fightback read more
Whirlpool Peterborough strikes cancelled after workers accept vastly improved pay deal (4 May) – Strike action involving Unite members employed at Whirlpool’s repairs warehouse in Peterborough has been called off following a vastly improved pay offer. The 70 members of Unite, were set to walk out tomorrow (Friday 5 May) for an initial 24 hour stoppage and then to take strike action for most of the rest of May. However following extensive negotiation Whirlpool made a significantly improved pay offer of an increase of at least 10 per cent with some workers seeing their pay increase by 18 per cent. The pay increase was also backdated to January 2023, following a ballot of members the offer was accepted and the industrial action was called off read more
Cumberland council exposed using anti-union laws to undermine lawful Allerdale refuse strike (4 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has discovered that Labour-controlled Cumberland council is using new Conservative anti-trade union laws in an attempt to undermine a lawful strike. Low paid refuse workers employed by Allerdale Waste Services began strike action last week after their employer refused to increase pay rates of £10.90 an hour for loaders and £11.89 for drivers, which are amongst the lowest in the UK for refuse workers. Allerdale Waste Services is a private company that is 100 per cent owned by Labour controlled Cumberland council. Unite has learned that rather than seek a resolution to the dispute, Allerdale Waste Services has instead utilised recently introduced Conservative anti-trade union laws, which allows the employer to recruit agency workers to undermine lawful industrial strike action. Unite has further learned that the agency loaders and drivers are being paid £14 an hour, which is far in excess of the rates of pay for its permanent staff read more
Eurovision: Unite calls for fair pay and treatment of Liverpool hospitality workers (4 May) – During Eurovision week (8 May to 13 May) in Liverpool, Unite, the UK’s leading union, will launch a drive to win fair treatment and pay for the city’s hospitality workers with a number of events. Next week, Liverpool will see a huge influx of visitors as it hosts the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing in millions of extra revenue for the city’s hospitality industry. While Eurovision is a cause for celebration in Liverpool, low paid workers in bars, restaurants and hotels will face a huge increase in workloads read more
Shell joins BP in continuing the profiteering bonanza – £7.7bn profits in first quarter (4 May) – BP and Shell profits together make first quarter bonanza touching £11.7 billionIn reaction to two of the ‘Masters of Big Oil’ continuing to gather in obscene profits and paying little or no windfall taxes, Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said: “The scale of profiteering displayed today by Shell and earlier this week BP is one of the corporate scandals of our times. And this is practically untouched by Rishi Sunak’s so-called windfall tax. “Actually it’s time to consider something way beyond a windfall tax. Unite research has found that if the UK had a Norwegian tax take we would be earning at least £30 billion more from the North Sea than we are now…” read more
Heathrow Airport strikes to go ahead as last-minute talks fail (3 May) – New Unite research has revealed that security officers at Heathrow are being paid £6,000 per year less than their counterparts at other London airports. This more than justifies the Heathrow workers’ strike action – Heathrow is the poverty pay citadel of London airports. Unite’s analysis shows that security officers at Stansted and Gatwick airports are paid between £5,000 – £6,000 more than Heathrow, while workers at the much smaller Luton airport are still paid over £500 more. Heathrow security officers receive basic pay of £26,000, which is boosted by a £4,000 shift allowance…Strikes planned to begin this Thursday (4 May) at Heathrow airport involving security officers will go ahead as planned, after last minute talks at the conciliation service, Acas, broke down. The 1,400 security officers, who are based at Heathrow’s terminal 5 and in campus security (responsible for searching all personnel and vehicles entering the Heathrow campus), will be striking on 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10 May and then again on 25, 26, 27 May read more
Campaigners warn Humza Yousaf over a “screeching hand brake turn” on extending free school meals (3 May) – Campaigners warn Humza Yousaf over a “screeching hand brake turn” on extending free school meals. Under Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP Government was committed to extending free school meals to pupils in primary 6 and 7. Unite received a personal commitment from Humza Yousaf on the policy read more
Strike by MM Bangor workers for inflation-busting pay increase is set to shutdown at site (3 May) – Pickets to be established outside manufacturer of agricultural sacks from 6am tomorrow [Thursday May 4th]. Strike follows ballot of Unite the union members which returned 91% for strike action on 100% turnout. Production at MM Bangor is set to be brought to a standstill tomorrow as workers commence strike action at the site. The company, which is owned by Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG group, is the only manufacturer of agricultural sacks used by the likes of Lakeland Dairies and Dairygold on the island of Ireland. The MM Bangor workforce are highly skilled packaging operatives but receive little above the bare legal minimum wage. Workers are seeking an inflation-proofed increase bringing them above the real Living Wage – which reflects the real cost of living pressures on workers read more
Unite local government members prepare to ballot for summer strikes as pay offer rejected (3 May) – Members of Unite, employed by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have overwhelmingly rejected, the local government employers’ pay offer for 2023/24. Members, who cover many frontline roles including refuse collection workers, housing workers and care staff, returned a 75 per cent rejection of the pay offer which is worth between 3.88 per cent and 9.42 per cent depending on the worker’s individual grade. With the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 13.5 per cent this amounted to a further substantial real terms pay cut for all members read more
Edinburgh Airport workers balloted on strike action as summer of travel ‘chaos’ on cards at nation’s largest airport (3 May) – Unite highlights £691.9m flowing out airport coffers to GIP parent company and shareholders. Unite, the UK’s leading aviation trade union, confirmed today (3 May) around 275 workers based at the nation’s largest airport in Edinburgh are to be balloted on strike action in a dispute over pay. The trade union is warning of travel ‘chaos’ during the summer unless Edinburgh Airport management get back round the negotiating table with an improved pay offer. Unite represents the overwhelming majority of the estimated 500 workers based at Edinburgh Airport, which is controlled by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Edinburgh Airport workers deal with passengers directly in airport security, terminal operations, search areas and process them for flights. The workers involved in the ballot also screen all deliveries, and deal with airside support services read more
“Appalling pay offer” provokes strike at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2 May) – Inflation is three times higher than the College’s pay offer of 4%. Strike action is set for 15-17 May, and 23-25 May during the College’s annual conference. Members of Unite employed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have set strike dates in a dispute over an “appalling pay offer”. Despite a 96% vote in favour of strike action on a 90% turnout, bosses still offered workers an appalling 4% pay increase when the rate of inflation is 13.5%. The offer was overwhelmingly rejected by Unite members by a margin of 93% read more
GSK strike wave across the UK begins in Montrose (1 May) – Multibillion corporation made an operating profit of £2.1bn in the first quarter of 2023. Workers employed by pharmaceutical giant GSK will stage a series of walkouts in a dispute over pay across the UK beginning in Montrose tomorrow (2 May). Over 160 workers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted for strike action having rejected a below inflation pay offer of a six per cent pay increase, and a one-off lump sum of £1,300. Unite said the current offer represents a substantial real terms pay cut with the current inflation rate (RPI) standing at 13.5 per cent. The strike action beginning in Montrose tomorrow (2 May) until 4 May at 6am, will then spread throughout the UK during May. The strike action includes GSK’s Irvine plant where Unite members will also begin strike action on Thursday (4 May). It will then spread to Barnard Castle, Ware, Worthing and Ulverston read more
Striking Harlow council workers to march on town hall to demand fair pay (26 Apr) – More than 300 staff responsible for Harlow council’s housing stock and maintaining council grounds and buildings are to march on the town hall to demand fair pay on 27th April read more
Workington refuse strikes to intensify as last gasp talks fail (26 Apr) – Refuse collection strikes affecting Workington and the surrounding area will begin tomorrow (27 April) after last gasp peace talks failed following an offer for which there is no justification at all. The 60 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, involved in the dispute are employed by Allerdale Waste Services. The dispute is a result of the poverty pay rates the workers receive. Loaders are paid £10.90 an hour, which is barely above the minimum wage, while drivers, who must hold an HGV licence, are only paid £11.89 an hour. The pay rates are among the lowest paid to refuse workers throughout the UK. Last gasp peace talks were held on Monday but they collapsed when management refused to increase pay rates and instead only offered two extra days of annual leave read more
Ferrari and Rolls Royce facing production delays during Gloucestershire and Somerset pay strikes (24 Apr) – Trelleborg workers in Tewkesbury and Bridgewater strike over ‘pay cut’ while firm brings in huge profits. More than 200 Trelleborg workers in Tewkesbury and Bridgewater supplying seals to aerospace, auto, medical, food and energy firms will strike over a real terms pay cut, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The factory workers, who make seals for clients such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Air Bus, the Ministry of Defence and Carl Zeiss, are striking after rejecting a 5.2 per cent pay offer. With the true rate of inflation, (RPI), at 13.5 per cent this is real terms pay cut of 8.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Trelleborg Seal Solutions’ latest financial report shows a turnover of £96.6 million and gross profits of £28.8 million…The first round of strikes will take place from 2 to 5 May, with industrial action set to intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
1300 offshore workers strike causing ‘severe’ problems for oil and gas operators (21 Apr) – Historic 48-hour strike action to hit multibillion corporations including BP, Shell and Total. Unite the union confirmed today (21 April) that 1300 offshore workers will begin a 48-hour stoppage from Monday (24 April) which will cause ‘severe’ problems for major oil and gas operators. The trade union predicts that its unprecedented strike action, as part of a ‘tsunami’ of industrial unrest, could result in production shutdowns due to the specialised work its members undertake on offshore platforms and assets. The 48-hour strike action will hit multibillion oil and gas operators including BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour, Ithaca, Shell, TAQA and Total read more
Construction contractors to strike at DSM’s Dalry plant (17 Apr) – 3 week-long strike set to begin over bonus dispute involving Kaefer and Altrad. Unite the union members are set to begin a three-week long strike tomorrow (18 April) at DSM’s Dalry plant. The dispute is over the failure by Kaefer Limited and Altrad Babcock Limited to pay a local bonus to engineering construction workers who operate under the National Agreement for Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) across the UK. The workers are demanding a local bonus under the terms of the NAECI agreement in recognition of flexibility and work being undertaken to assist with the delivery of a new manufacturing plant. Kaefer and Altrad along with DSM, who own the manufacturing plant, have refused to enter negotiations over bonus payments. DSM’s parent group – Royal DSM N.V. Group – recently recorded a net profit of €1.7bn (£1.5bn) for 2022. The strike action begins from 18 April and continues each day up to 8 May 2023 when the action will conclude at 23:59pm read more
Saica paper workers in Manchester to strike in pay dispute (12 Apr) – Workers employed at Saica Paper UK Ltd in Manchester are to begin industrial action this month in a dispute over pay. The 40 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed in production roles at the Manchester Road factory. The company produces 100 per cent recycled paper for corrugated cardboard. The workers recorded a 97 per cent vote in favour of strike action, having rejected a below inflation pay offer. They were offered a 9.5 per cent pay increase which is in itself a real terms pay cut with the inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 13.8 per cent. To make matters worse workers on average only received 6.5 per cent of the offer as a consolidated increase (permanent pay) with the rest being a one off lump sum payment…An initial series of six 12 and 24 hour strikes have been called for 21, 25 and 29 April, followed by 1, 5, 8 May read more
Rosyth dockyard workers to strike for 12 weeks threatening Type 31 Frigate contract (7 Apr) – 100 Kaefer contractors to down tools in pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (7 April) that around 100 members employed by construction contractor Kaefer Limited are set to take 12 weeks all-out strike action at the Rosyth dockyard. The Kaefer workers, which includes painters, cleaners, scaffolders and support service staff, are set to take the strike action from 17 April up to 10 July. Unite claims the strike action will directly threaten progress on the Type 31 frigates contract. Unite members emphatically supported strike action by 98.4 per cent over the failure by Kaefer to make a formal pay offer. The company following the strike vote made a 7.2 per cent pay offer which has been rejected by the workforce. Inflation currently stands at a forty-five year high of 13.8 per cent (RPI) read more
Newry Mourne and Down council services to be heavily impacted by industrial action from April 10th (6 Apr) – Members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU commence work-to-rule from Monday 10th April, to be joined by Unite from 12th April. Industrial action by members of all four trade unions at council proceeds after management renege on commitment to partnership-based job evaluation process. Trade unions at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council confirmed that industrial action is to commence at the local authority body. The action is set to commence with a work-to-rule by members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU on Monday April 10th with members of Unite the union joining the action from April 12th. The unions have warned that the industrial action, although confined to a ‘work-to-rule’ at this stage, is likely to result in significant impact to council services including those at leisure centres and with bin collections. The industrial dispute proceeds after members of all four unions voted for both strike action and action short of strike action in ballots. The dispute centres on attempts by management to ditch an earlier commitment reached in 2021 to a partnership-based approach for job evaluations. Management are also seeking to remove allowances for new staff members – creating a two-tier workforce. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is one of the last councils to meaningful engage with trade unions in the RPA process – despite the new councils coming into being 8 years ago. The work-to-rule will see workers refuse to take on overtime, tasks outside their job description, providing absentee cover or using their own vehicles for work purposes read more
Strike by over 300 Dundee City Council trades workers goes ahead (3 Apr) – Dispute over outsourcing and management failures. Unite the union can confirm today (3 April) that strike action by over 300 trades workers at Dundee City Council will go ahead tomorrow. All-out strike action is set to begin on 4 April for three weeks until 28 April, and then it will be followed by rounds of daily action until 23 June (see notes to editor). The dispute is centred on claims that public contracts to private contractors are being prepared for outsourcing by Dundee City Council read more
Unite blasts disgraceful Kingspan strikebreaking in effort to avoid fair pay (22 Mar) – Union escalates to round-the-clock pickets at Portadown site to defeat company greed. English workers get four star treatment while Polish workers left with hostels. Unite the union can reveal that Ulster Rugby sponsor Kingspan is flying in strikebreakers in a `disgraceful’ effort to undermine workers taking strike action for fair pay. Workers from Kingspan sites in Williton in Somerset, England and Rokietnica in Poland have been flown over in recent weeks and are now being used in an attempt to continue production onsite read more
CWU
Support the CWU strike in Royal Mail – 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
Mark Baulch: ‘Back this deal, regroup & prepare for future battles’ (27 Apr) – CWU Outdoor Secretary and Postal Executive members spell out the detail of the deal to national briefing of union reps from Royal Mail Delivery 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
Scottish sector members vote to accept improved pay offer (5 May) – The pay award delivers an increase of at least £2,200 for all staff earning £36,000 or less as well as other improvements and guarantees. PCS members in the Scottish devolved sector have voted to accept an improved offer on 2022/23 pay, as well as on jobs and working hours. 75% of members who voted in the electronic ballot voted to accept the offer read more
Pensions: time running out on consultation (5 May) – The government is consulting on proposed changes to the Civil Service Pension Scheme to implement the 2015 Remedy (‘McCloud’) from 1 October 2023. The deadline is 14 May. The Cabinet Office consultation is aimed at Civil Service Pension Scheme members with remediable service in the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022 and is about the changes to pension rules which will be introduced read more
Find out about our picket lines in May (2 May) – Our programme of targeted strike action continues in May in the Care Quality Commission, DWP, Passport Office and HMRC. Go along and show your support. Members working in the Passport Offices in Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport are continuing their strike action until 6 May and passport interview officers in Birmingham, Corby, Hemel Hempstead, Leeds, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Plymouth will walk out from May 3-6. DWP members at 13 jobcentres in Liverpool and Glasgow will strike from 3-6 May and the Care Quality Commission are on strike for two days on 2 and 3 May. HMRC members working in East Kilbride and Benton Park View in Personal Taxation Operations on Employer Service will walk out on a series of dates starting from 10 May read more
Care Quality Commission workers to strike (28 Apr) – PCS members working for health regulator Care Quality Commission are striking for 2 days next week. The 90 staff in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham regulate health and social care bodies across England, including hospitals, care homes, GP practices and dental surgeries, ensuring the safe delivery of services. They will take action on 2 and 3 May and will be joined by colleagues in UNISON and Unite on 2 May, bringing the total of strikers to more than 1,000. The PCS strike is part of the union’s national campaign for better pay, pensions and redundancy terms and job security read more
HMRC targeted strike dates announced (27 Apr) – In an escalation of our ongoing targeted strike action we are asking all PCS members working in Personal Taxation Operations on Employer Service in East Kilbride and Benton Park View to strike from 10-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31 May and on 1 and 2 June read more
Strike action in Glasgow and Liverpool jobcentres announced (18 Apr) – Members in thirteen jobcentres will walk out for five days in May as part of our programme of targeted strike action. Our targeted strike action, part of our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms, began in December last year. DWP members in Liverpool, Doncaster, Stockport and Bolton have already taken part in well-supported targeted action as well as walking out on two national strike days. We are now asking members at 13 jobcentres in Liverpool and Glasgow to take further strike action for five days on 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 May 2023. This period includes Saturday 6 May, which is Coronation Day, but when all jobcentres are scheduled to be open as normal, with no concession to the national occasion read more
Action short of strike to begin at 4 employers (24 Mar) – More than 3,000 PCS members in Defra core, Forestry Commission England, Marine Management Organisation and Rural Payments Agency will take action short of strike action from 11 April as part of our national campaign on pay, pensions and job security read more
New PCS civil service ballots now open (20 Mar) – Fresh PCS strike ballots haven opened today (20 March) of 124,125 members in 186 employers, across the civil service and public sector so members can continue to fight for fair pay, pensions justice and job security as part of our national campaign. Our current 6-month legal mandate for strike action in 124 groups expires on 6 May, so to continue our industrial action campaign our national executive committee has agreed we need to ballot members again. The new postal ballots run from 20 March until 9 May, so look out for your ballot pack arriving through the post next week and then use your vote and post it in the pre-paid envelope. The levy of members, which supports those taking strategic action, will remain in place for the duration of the dispute. HMRC members will not be balloted this time as they have a strike mandate which runs until 26 August read more
Prospect
Further public sector strikes announced in Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales (17 Apr) – Prospect union has notified both the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales that it will be taking further strike action on 11 May and 7 June read more
Prospect union members vote for further industrial action at the Environment Agency (4 May) – A ballot of Prospect members in the Environment Agency has renewed the industrial action mandate for a further six months. Staff are taking ongoing action short of a strike and will join Prospect members from other Civil Service employers in taking strike action on Wednesday 10 May read more
Further public sector strikes announced as Government refuses to negotiate with its own staff (14 Apr) – Prospect union has notified employers that it will be taking further strike action on 10 May and 7 June across its public service membership. This follows the refusal of the government to enter negotiations to resolve the current pay and conditions dispute, having instead announced a pay control of 4.5% which will further erode living standards read more
GMB
Amazon faces fresh strikes at two more warehouses (05 May) – Amazon faces new strikes at more warehouses after GMB announced it was launching two more strike ballots today [Friday 5 May]. Union members will now vote on full and binding industrial action ballot at Amazon’s Mansfield and Rugeley fulfilment centres. Amazon’s Rugeley fulfilment centre in Staffordshire saw 98% of members vote for escalation, while 100% backed the strike at Amazon Mansfield. The new strikes follow 14 days of strike action at the retail giant’s Coventry depot, which saw as many as 700 workers down tools in the UK’s first strike at an Amazon fulfilment centre. Workers have since submitted a request for union recognition after GMB reached the membership threshold for mandatory recognition, which could mark Amazon’s first union recognition in Europe. The ballots at Rugeley and Mansfield will begin on 12 May and run for four weeks until 9 June read more
Coventry Amazon workers make historic bid for union recognition (27 Apr) – GMB union has started the process for union recognition at Amazon Coventry, after two weeks of strike action by workers at the fulfilment centre. Almost 700 Amazon Coventry workers are now GMB members, a number the union believes is more than half of workers at the site – the usual threshold for mandatory union recognition in a workplace. Amazon bosses have 10 days to respond and agree voluntary recognition. If there is no agreement, GMB Union will start the statutory process through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). This would be the first-time workers at a UK Amazon site have won recognition of a trade union for collective bargaining over pay, terms and conditions read more
GMB Members reject NJC offer (5 May) – GMB members across England, Wales & Northern Ireland have voted to reject the local Government pay offer. A majority of 64 per cent voted to reject the offer of £1,925 – on a pro rata for part time and term time only workers – for 2023/24. More than 200,000 members were balloted. Turnouts varied across different workplaces but reached as high as 100 per cent in some. Unless negotiations are reopened, GMB will move to industrial action ballots read more
Coronation parking warden strike: GMB condemns management behaviour (5 May) – GMB, the union for public sector workers, has condemned the behaviour of NSL managers towards its members undertaking industrial action on the King’s Coronation. Workers taking lawful strike action yesterday were physically blocked from using the toilet on this week’s traffic warden picket line which continues on Saturday in Westminster as follows read more
Belfast bus attacks – reward offered (5 May) – A £1,000 reward is on offer for help catching assailants following a spate of Belfast bus attacks read more
Caterers and Cleaners to strike at South London Hospitals (19 Apr) – Outsourced staff at South London and Maudsley NHS sites to walk out for 48 hours later this month. GMB, the union for NHS and healthcare workers, has announced a two-day strike within South London and Maudsley, the NHS trust providing mental health services across South London. The union members, who are employed by outsourced provider ISS, work as domestics and hostesses, so their absence will have a massive impact on food provision and the cleaning service. The dispute centres around parity of pay and conditions and seeks oppose the loss of jobs and hours due to the restructuring of mental health services in Lambeth Hospital read more
Hartlepool metal company sacks workers after staff win pay rise (3 Apr) – A Hartlepool metal company is slashing jobs just weeks after workers won a pay rise. Just 51 days after GMB members resolved their pay dispute, the Expanded Metal Company has announced up to ten redundancies at Hartlepool. Workers were handed redundancy letters last week advising them that they are at risk of redundancy and inviting them to a meeting. Management appears to be trying to push through the redundancies within a week of first issuing redundancy notices. Despite citing a downturn in work as the reason for the redundancies, the company are advertising the role of a Finance Controller/Financial Director Designate role for 70K read more
Strike disruption looms at healthcare logistics giant Movianto (28 Mar) – GMB Union has today announced two dates of industrial action by drivers at Movianto in Coventry. The strike comes after a below inflation pay offer was made by company management at its West Midlands HQ. Movianto is a major healthcare logistics provider to private clients and the NHS. Drivers at the company are responsible for transporting essential and often lifesaving medicines, including individual prescriptions and NHS medical supplies.
The strike action is due to take place on Thursday 6 and Tuesday 11 April read more
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Strike-breaking legislation is unlawful, argues UNISON in High Court (5 May) – Since July 2022, agencies have been permitted to supply temporary workers to replace striking workers – which the union argues, defeats the very purpose of a strike read more
Insourcing campaigners at Barts NHS Trust celebrate final phase (4 May) – Cleaning, catering and support staff at five London hospitals are now back in-house read more
Movement on pay needed to avoid delays and cancellations of CQC inspections, says UNISON (2 May) – Without CQC staff, all sorts of abuses, malpractice and neglect would go unnoticed. Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will strike today (Tuesday) in their ongoing dispute over pay, says UNISON today (Tuesday). Employees represented by UNISON, including those working in inspection teams, call centres and data analysis, will walk out along with colleagues belonging to PCS and Unite read more
The government must intervene on Environment Agency pay to prevent permanent damage (14 Apr) – Third block of strike action begins today. Staff at the Environment Agency will today (Friday) begin a third block of strike action in the ongoing dispute over their “woeful” pay rise, says UNISON. Workers providing crucial services to ensure communities are kept safe, pollution-free and protected will walk out over the space of four days spanning this weekend. It marks a significant escalation of the industrial action that began late last year to win a wage rise that would enable the Agency workforce to better weather the ongoing financial storm, says UNISON. Staff have had a terrible deal, which amounts to one of the worst wage rises paid to public sector workers, says UNISON. It follows year after year where pay at the Agency has consistently trailed the cost of living. The union has written to chancellor Jeremy Hunt this week urging him to intervene in the dispute and free up more money so the Agency can pay its employees fairly read more
Sign petition: Stop the closure of the Peak District National Park visitor centres! – The Peak District National Park Authority are considering closing all four of its visitor centres, making the staff redundant. Councillors will be asked to endorse the chief executive’s ill-thought out ‘money-saving plan’ which will not only affect staff but could very much harm the local economy. The visitor centres are not just shops. They are a key contributor to visitors being able to experience a safe and enjoyable time in the Peak District. This is especially the case with first-time or infrequent visitors. Far from being underused, the centres deal with around 400,000 visitors a year. Unless there is a public outcry, we will lose these centres from our national park, at a time when other national parks have rejected such ideas. Decisions will be taken from as early as May. Help Derbyshire UNISON stop them!
South Gloucestershire social workers strike over pay (4 Apr) – Staff say “market forces” supplement should be applied across the board. Social workers and occupational therapists working for South Gloucestershire Council are to strike from today (Tuesday), says UNISON. Staff will walk out for three days from today until Thursday (4 to 6 April) after voting overwhelmingly* for industrial action in a dispute over pay. UNISON has been in dispute with the local authority since last summer. This is over its decision to award staff in children’s services an additional temporary £3,000 payment on top of their basic annual salary, but not those doing the same job in adult services read more
Stop Hackney Council cutting library services read more about the campaign here – Hackney library staff have been taking strike action against cuts
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up: 6pm Wednesday 17th May Hackney Town Hall – Council staff are staging a protest after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, have been handed compulsory redundancy notices. Hackney Unison have said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website
NIPSA
Joint GMB-NIPSA-SIPTU-Unite Press Release (6 Apr) – Newry Mourne and Down council services to be heavily impacted by industrial action from April 10 Members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU commence work-to-rule from Monday 10th April, to be joined by Unite from 12 April Industrial action by members of all four trade unions at council proceeds after management renege on commitment to partnership-based job evaluation process Trade unions at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council confirmed that industrial action is to commence at the local authority body. The action is set to commence with a work-to-rule by members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU on Monday April 10 with members of Unite the union joining the action from April 12. The unions have warned that the industrial action, although confined to a ‘work-to-rule’ at this stage, is likely to result in significant impact to council services including those at leisure centres and with bin collections. The industrial dispute proceeds after members of all four unions voted for both strike action and action short of strike action in ballots read more
Royal College of Nursing
Biggest nursing strike yet begins tonight (30 Apr) – The strike comes after 54% of eligible members who voted in our recent ballot on the UK government’s NHS pay offer voted to reject it. In response, we demanded the urgent re-opening of pay talks and announced a new strike with no national derogations. This means that for the first time, the strike will include nursing staff working in emergency departments, intensive care units, cancer care and other services that were previously exempt from strike action. The strike will be held at all NHS employers across England where we hold a mandate to strike, making it the biggest and most intense nursing strike to date read more
RCN Wales consultative ballot on Welsh government’s latest pay offer for 2022-23 and 2023-24 now open (24 Apr) – RCN Wales members on NHS Agenda for Change contracts will be consulted online between Monday 24 April and Wednesday 10 May read more
Members employed by the Care Quality Commission begin industrial action (17 Apr) – They’ll work to rule continuously until our mandate to take industrial action expires in September or a new formal pay offer is made 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
Midwives begin voting on latest Welsh Government pay offer (28 Apr) – Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) across Wales begin voting on the Welsh Government’s pay offer today. This comes as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) pay consultation for its members working in the NHS in Wales opens, closing on 15 May. The RCM is recommending that is members accept the offer saying that this is a good deal and the best offer that can be achieved read more
RCM pauses Northern Ireland strike action as pay talks scheduled (31 Mar) – Strike action set for Monday, 3 April by Royal College of Midwives (RCM) members across Northern Ireland has been paused. This follows an offer from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to meet the RCM and other unions next week to discuss HSC pay. The RCM will also be suspending action short of a strike planned for 3-10 April read more
BMA
Support the Junior Doctors strike read more
BMA Scotland: Junior doctors vote for strike action (5 May) – Junior doctors in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay following a five week ballot of BMA Scotland members. With more than 5000 junior doctors in Scotland eligible to vote, turnout was in excess of 71% – with a total of 3610 votes cast, and almost 97% in favour of strike action. While negotiations with the Scottish Government over pay are ongoing BMA Scotland will use this clear mandate for strike action to push forward in our ongoing efforts to reverse the unacceptable pay erosion junior doctors in Scotland have suffered for more than a decade. Should the Scottish Government not put forward a credible offer that the BMA believes could be put to members, junior doctors in Scotland would then begin preparations for a 72-hour walkout at dates to be confirmed in due course read more
BMA meets with Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2 May) – Following a meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, today, a BMA spokesperson said: “BMA Junior Doctors Committee negotiators welcomed a discussion this afternoon with Government negotiators, in preparation for talks aimed at resolving the current junior doctors dispute. There is significant work to do, and both parties will meet again in the coming days. We are seeking urgent progress.” Read more
HCSA
HCSA Junior Doctors in Scotland move to ballot for strike (31 Mar) – HCSA, the hospital doctors’ union, has announced a formal ballot on strike action over pay for junior doctor members in Scotland. Junior doctors in Scotland have faced pay erosion representing real-terms pay cuts of 23.5% since 2008. At a time of escalating inflation, the pay award for 2022-23 of 4.5% served only to worsen the outlook for junior doctors. The ballot will open on Friday 14th April and close on Friday 5th May read more
CSP
Welsh government makes 2023-24 pay offer (20 Apr) – The CSP welcomes the Welsh Government pay offer, which was made following negotiations with the CSP and other health care unions read more
NEU
2 May Strike Day – Gillian Keegan needs to come forward with a better pay and funding offer if she is to avert further strikes read more
Unions to co-ordinate action (28 Apr) – Education unions to announce they will co-ordinate industrial action going forward – ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU. In a joint press conference taking place today (Fri 28 Apr) at school leaders’ union NAHT’s Annual Conference in Telford, the general secretaries of all four education unions will announce that they intend to co-ordinate their unions’ industrial action moving forward read more
NASUWT
Teachers at Hutchesons’ Grammar to go on strike over ‘fire and rehire’ (5 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow are to take four days of strike action, starting on Tuesday 30th May, over attempts by employers to ‘fire and rehire’ them. Employers at the school, where First Minister Humza Yousaf was a pupil, have sought to impose an inferior pension scheme on teachers and threatened teachers with the sack if they did not agree to the changes. The proposed defined contribution scheme which has been offered to teachers provides no guarantee of the level of income teachers would receive in retirement or any index-linked rises to their pension pots. Members were given notice of termination of their contracts at the end of March and offers of re-engagement on condition of accepting the downgrading of their pensions. Teachers who attempted to sign new contracts of re-employment stating they only agreed because they were under duress, were then told if they didn’t sign “clean” copies of the contract they would be sacked and their jobs would be advertised. The NASUWT balloted members at the school for industrial action, with 87% in favour of taking both strike action and action short of strike action read more
Teachers strike over variation of contracts through fire and rehire (2 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Farlington School in West Sussex are taking strike action today and tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd May and Wednsday 3rd May) as part of eight days of strike action throughout May over threats to sack staff unless they sign contracts that will leave them with deteriorating working conditions read more
Teachers at Durham High School take action over bullying (26 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Durham High School for Girls will be taking the first of three planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over bullying and intimidation by school management. Members have been subject to a long-standing culture of adverse management practices and treatment which has undermined their wellbeing, health and safety in the workplace read more
NASUWT members reject the Government’s pay offer (8 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union have emphatically rejected the Government’s pay offer for teachers in England, it was announced today. 87% of eligible members agreed that the Union should reject the Government’s pay proposals. The Union’s consultative survey also asked members whether they were willing to vote for strike action to achieve a fair pay award. 77% of members said they would do so. Following the results of the survey the NASUWT National Executive met to confirm that the Union will ballot members in schools and sixth form colleges in England for industrial action read more
Industrial action at three Wrexham schools over adverse management practices (15 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are this week starting discontinuous strike action at three schools in Wrexham: Ysgol Clywedog, Darland High and Acton Park Primary School, over adverse management practices affecting workload and working conditions. The NASUWT has been in dispute at Acton Park for nearly a year, with strike action taking place in July 2022. However, lack of progress has forced NASUWT members to ballot again. The NASUWT has been in dispute with Ysgol Clywedog and Darland High since November 2022 over the failure of the school to adhere to Welsh Government andlocal policies, endorsed and recommended by the Wrexham Local Authority and already implemented in other Wrexham schools. At Clywedog and Darland there has also been an element of victimisation of trade union officials read more
NAHT
Union boss accuses government of ‘selling young people down the river’ as NAHT prepares to ballot school leaders to strike (28 Apr) – NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman calls for the government to ‘come back to the table’ to negotiate following the rejection of its pay offer, as the school leaders’ union announces a fresh ballot of its members for strike action read more
NAHT to ballot school leaders in England for strike action (28 Apr) – School leaders’ union NAHT today (Fri 28 Apr) announces that it will formally ballot its members on industrial action over pay, funding, workload and wellbeing. At a meeting of the union’s National Executive Committee yesterday, held at its Annual Conference in Telford, NAHT’s NEC decided to hold a formal postal ballot of all its eligible members in England read more
NAHT Cymru members reject Welsh government offer (24 Mar) – School leaders in Wales have rejected an offer from the Welsh government in their dispute over pay, workload and funding. Following a 10-day online ballot that closed at noon today, 54.5% of NAHT Cymru members taking part voted to reject the offer. The union says that during extensive talks with members across the nation, it was clear that funding arrangements remained a major concern for school leaders. NAHT Cymru director Laura Doel placed the blame firmly with the employers, citing a lack of transparency as the reason members rejected the deal read more
EIS
Teachers at Hutchesons’ Grammar School vote for Strike Action over Planned Pension Cuts (4 May) – Teachers at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, an independent school in Glasgow, have voted strongly in favour of taking strike action over the school’s plans to enforce damaging contractual changes to teachers’ pension entitlements. A statutory industrial action ballot, which closed today, returned a result of 78% of teachers at the school supporting strike action, on a turnout of 86%. The EIS, the country’s largest teaching union is set to call its at Hutchesons’ out on strike in the near future read more
EIS-FELA Members Told Today of Compulsory Redundancies at City of Glasgow College (4 May) – Local EIS-FELA representatives met this morning with members of City of Glasgow College senior management to be told that the college workforce will be reduced by up to 100 through the use of compulsory redundancies read more
Scottish Government must not roll back Commitment to free Universal School Meals (3 May) – The EIS raised serious concerns over reported comments from First Minister Humza Yousaf which suggest that the Scottish Government may pull back on its manifesto commitment to the roll-out of universal free school meals read more
College Lecturers Begin Industrial Action In Pursuit Of Fair Pay (2 May) – College lecturers, in all of Scotland’s 26 Further Education colleges, have begun a campaign of industrial action in pursuit of a fair pay award. Members of the EIS-FELA will engage in action short of strike (ASOS) consisting of a resulting boycott and work to rule. In the case of the resulting boycott, although student assessments will be marked, these marks will not be entered into college recording systems. The work to rule aspect of ASOS will mean that college lecturers no longer carry out duties beyond what is stated in their contract, including hours of work. If the action short of strike fails to produce a fair pay award, the EIS-FELA will consider escalating industrial action to include strike action to coincide with the new academic year in August read more
INTO
Further Cuts To Education Target Those From Most Disadvantaged Areas (4 May) – Following the announcement by the Department of Education to cut to the Period Products Scheme, INTO Northern Secretary Mark McTaggart said: “The 40% reduction to funding for the period products scheme for schools across the north will once again have a detrimental effect on pupils and young people from the most economically disadvantaged areas…” read more
UCU
Strike ballot opens at Barnsley College over ‘unacceptable’ 2% pay offer (5 May) – A ballot for strike action opened today at Barnsley College over a consolidated pay offer for 2022/23 of just 2%. The ballot will run until Monday 12 June and if successful will pave the way for strike action during key admissions dates unless management comes back with a better offer. The industrial ballot comes after 97% of members who voted said they would back strike action in a consultative poll with a 70% turnout read more
Four days of strikes at Kirklees College over ‘derisory’ 1% pay award (5 May) – Staff at Kirklees College in Huddersfield and Dewsbury begin four days of strike action next week over a ‘derisory’ pay award of just 1%, UCU announced today. Staff will be on strike on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 May and will be picketing main entrances from 8am. Strikes are also set to go ahead on Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 June unless the college makes an improved offer. The strike follows an overwhelming 94% of UCU members who voted backing strike action, on a turnout of 54% read more
City College Norwich staff on strike today in low pay dispute (5 May) – Staff at City College Norwich are on picket lines this morning in a strike over low pay, confirmed the University and College Union (UCU) today (Friday). They will also be on strike on Tuesday and are demanding that management urgently raise pay to meet the cost of living crisis. Staff have already taken two days of strike action this year after the college imposed a pay award so low it ended the college’s accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer. The lowest paid received an increase of just 5.1%, college lecturers were awarded a paltry 4% and other staff only 2.5%. Since 2009 pay for college staff has fallen behind inflation by 35%, which is now 13.4%. UCU is demanding a 14% pay rise to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis read more
Universities’ employer body using ‘dodgy analysis’ to hold down pay (3 May) – The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) is using ‘dodgy analysis’ to justify holding down the pay of tens of thousands of university staff, UCU said today read more
12.5% pay rise for North Kent College boss after staff go 10 years without one (3 May) – UCU slammed North Kent College principal David Gleed for accepting a £20k rise (21/22), worth 12.5%, even though his staff have endured ten years without any increase. UCU said strike action could be on the cards unless staff finally get a pay rise that makes up for a decade of real term pay cuts and helps them meet current soaring levels of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. The union is in dispute with the employer over the 22/23 pay offer, which comes after ten years without any pay increase and is worth just 3% for lecturers at the top of the pay spine. UCU will run a strike ballot unless the employer makes a significantly improved offer read more
Bradford College staff to strike tomorrow over low pay (3 May) – Staff at Bradford College will strike tomorrow in a dispute over low pay and working conditions. Staff will be on picket lines outside college entrances from 7am, UCU confirmed. The strike will be the first of 14 days of action unless staff get an improved pay offer and movement from management on unmanageable workloads read more
More strikes at Darlington College after staff reject ‘offensive’ 3% pay offer (27 Apr) – Staff at Darlington College will strike for two consecutive days on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 May after rejecting a lowball 3% pay offer. The union said there is still time for the strike to be halted, but that the college must make staff a realistic offer that helps them meet the cost-of-living crisis. Staff have already been on strike for three days so far this academic year after the college imposed a pay award of just 1% for 21/22 and UCU is reballoting its members so it can call further action read more
Further strike action this week at Havant and South Downs College in row over low pay (24 Apr) – Staff at Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) will strike tomorrow and Thursday in an ongoing dispute over low pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. Staff will be picketing main entrances to the college each strike day. The college’s pay award is worth just 3% for most college lecturers, who earn £30k – £40k. It also made a one off payment, which was only £400 for most staff. Inflation is 13.5% meaning staff are suffering a huge real terms pay cut. The National Education Union (NEU) will be joining UCU on both days of strike action, following strikes at the college in February of this year read more
Marking and assessment boycott to hit 145 UK universities from tomorrow, UCU confirms (19 Apr) – The University and College Union has today [Wednesday 19 April] confirmed that a marking and assessment boycott will commence tomorrow [Thursday 20 April] at 145 UK universities after employers failed to produce an improved offer in the pay & conditions dispute. Earlier this week, UCU members working in UK higher education voted to reject pay & conditions proposals agreed with employers. A marking and assessment boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including that in writing, online, or verbally. The boycott will also cover any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks. This is expected to impact graduations. A number of university employers have already announced that they will make wage deductions of up to 100% for staff taking part in the boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. The union has condemned the threats and said further strike action could be called in response. The boycott will continue until employers make an improved offer, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off. In the pensions dispute, the union will now move forward proposals with employers to restore benefits after 85% of UCU members voted in favour during a recent consultation. UCU has been clear, however, that it retains the right to take action if employers backtrack. Last month, UCU successfully renewed its industrial action mandate, allowing industrial action to be called for a further six months read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters’ union calls for cancer compensation on memorial day (4 May) – The Fire Brigades Union has today called on the UK government to introduce legislation to ensure that firefighters with cancer and other diseases linked to their work can receive compensation. The call comes on Firefighters’ Memorial Day (4 May). Firefighters all over the UK will line up outside their fire stations at 12 noon today for a minute’s silence. More than 2,000 firefighters have died in the line of duty. However, if this number included all those who have died of cancer and other diseases associated with firefighting, it would be far higher. The Fire Brigades Union is today calling for firefighters and their families to have access to compensation when diagnosed with cancer and other diseases linked to firefighting read more
Firefighters’ union calls for defiance of anti-strike laws (25 Mar) – Trade unions must build a campaign to defy the anti-strike laws being pushed through parliament by the Tories, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack has said. The firefighters’ leader said the Trades Union Congress should lead a campaign of “mass non-cooperation and non-compliance” with the Minimum Service Levels bill. An emergency congress of the TUC must be called to launch a campaign of defiance and civil disobedience against the bill if it becomes law, the FBU says. The FBU’s governing executive council has passed a resolution calling on the TUC to adopt the strategy, and to build a mass movement to resist the legislation. National demonstrations and sustained mass mobilisations can defeat the bill, the union says. Non-compliance with the bill would be one of the most significant attempts by unions to defy employment law since the 1984-85 miners’ strike. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said the strategy of non-compliance was needed, as there was “no obvious route to challenge this attack through the courts” read more
POA
The Government created this crisis and only the Government can put it right (5 May) – It is important that we learn from history and ensure that now the pandemic is over, we do all we can to make our prisons safe again. On Tuesday 7th February, I was called as a witness to the Justice Select Committee that had begun an inquiry into the Prison Service Operational Workforce crisis now engulfing our prisons. It specifically focused on recruitment and retention among Band 2 OSGs and Band 3 Prison Officer grades read more
Trade union councils who we are and what we do: Affiliate to your local Trades Council (5 May) – The POA has a policy adopted at Annual Conference that every branch should be affiliated to their local trades council. But what are trades councils and what do they do? Trades union councils promote working-class solidarity in local communities and this article explains why you should be affiliating at local level and playing an active part promoting the POA at national and regional levels throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland read more
POA ballot results on NHS pay offer (2 May) – POA balloted it’s healthcare members on the Government’s improved offer to those staff covered by the Agenda for Change Pay Negotiations. Members were offered a one-off cash payment of 6% to settle 2022-23 pay and 5% to settle 2023-24 pay. The POA made no recommendation believing it is down to members to decide whether the pay offer should be accepted or rejected. POA members have overwhelmingly voted to reject the pay offer and to take strike action. The POA is always willing to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Employer as our door is always open read more
NAPO
Women in Napo – Vicarious Trauma – women who work with women (5 May) – Following on from the recent Women in Napo seminar in March with Becky Shepherd, Lecturer at London Southbank University, on vicarious trauma – when the negative impact of working with a traumatised client group becomes overwhelming – Becky discussed her research findings into the gendered impact of vicarious trauma on women who supervise women. This research was focused on probation but we believe it is also of interest to Family Court Section women members read more
BFAWU
BFAWU Launches New Recruitment Film! – We are proud to present our new recruitment video, where BFAWU members and reps talk about why they joined and love our union! Read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
NUJ votes for industrial action over cuts at BBC Radio Foyle (5 May) – Journalists in Northern Ireland have voted for industrial action over job losses and changes of programming at Radio Foyle read more
BBC local radio strike paused as members decide on revised plan (2 May) – Friday’s strike is now off, as members vote on whether to accept new BBC proposals. Strike action over cuts to BBC local radio has been paused following talks brokered by the arbitrator ACAS. Members in local radio, local TV and online were due to stage a 24-hour walk out on Friday 5 May to coincide with the results of the local elections. The journalists have now been sent a consultative ballot on whether they are willing to accept a revised proposal from BBC management and end the dispute or to reject it and continue with strike action and the work to rule. This means that from noon on Friday 28 April to Tuesday 9 May the work to rule is paused and the planned strike on Friday 5 May is postponed. If the proposals are rejected, the work to rule will recommence from Wednesday 10 May read more
Industrial action ballot results – NUJ industrial action Northern Ireland (4 May) – Ballot results of the NUJ trade dispute with the BBC over its Digital First plans read more
Equity
Sign and share this petition to reinstate the English National Opera (ENO) funding and lobby your MP to back our industries and their workforce
Community
Mitie recognition restores right to strike (4 May) – Community has signed a recognition framework agreement with Mitie Care & Custody, covering our overseas escort members at Gatwick. The new deal removes the previous ‘no strike’ agreement read more
USDAW
Usdaw welcomes the High Court hearing a TUC co-ordinated legal challenge to “strike-breaking” agency worker regulations (3 May) – Retail trade union Usdaw is one of eleven trade unions who launched a judicial review of the Government’s new regulations, which allows agency workers to fill in for striking workers and break strikes. The High Court hearing of this legal challenge begins today, concludes tomorrow and the result expected in a few weeks’ time read more
UVW
VICTORY! Our members from Latin America who clean the offices of Condé Nast(a global mass media company) in the Adelphi Building in Covent Garden (owned by Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega – one of the richest men in Europe and the world) have just won a pay rise of over 11% following threats of strike action (7 May) – Their demand for an 8 month back payment of the increase has also been conceded. Strike action – and the threat thereof – proves yet again to be the surest way to get what we need and want!
UVW back in court to defend victory against discriminatory outsourcing at Royal Parks (27 Apr) – On April 18, we were back in court to defend our groundbreaking 2021 victory against discriminatory outsourcing at the Royal Parks after a tribunal refused the government’s request to support the institution’s legal appeal against us. A win here could ring the death knell of outsourcing as we know it, fundamentally change the shape of the labour market and lead to billions in redistributed wealth to the lowest paid subcontracted workers in the UK. In November 2021, UVW union won a watershed legal victory against outsourcing at Royal Parks for indirect racial discrimination of their majority Black and brown park attendants and cleaners who were on less pay than in-house workers. Our landmark legal victory established that the charity’s policy to consciously choose to not pay them the London Living Wage, when their mainly white in-house employees were entitled to it, amounted to indirect race discrimination read more
Mass strike ballots for UVW cleaners, carers and concierges open on International Workers’ Day! (26 Apr) – “We need to go out together, it doesn’t matter if you are different workers in different workplaces.The most important thing is to be united” – Julia, UVW member at Sage Nursing home. Seven workplaces, seven strike ballots, one common purpose: fight together for better pay and conditions! United Voices of the World (UVW) cleaners, carers and concierges from seven workplaces across London and the South East will be voting on strike action for improved pay and conditions as ballots open simultaneously on International Workers Day (May 1). This is set to be UVW’s biggest industrial action to date as members join the current strike wave across the private and public sectors read more
IWGB
Falkirk Foster Carers Demand Emergency Support to Survive Cost of Living Crisis (3 May) – Over 60 foster carers in Falkirk, Scotland have signed a petition to councillors demanding emergency improvements in support for foster carers and the children they look after. The petition, which includes signatures from more than half of all local authority carers, calls for an increase in fees and allowances in line with inflation. It was launched by members of the Independent Workers union of Great Britain (IWGB) and handed in to Councillor Fiona Collie on Tuesday afternoon read more
Deliveroo challenged by IWGB in the Supreme Court over riders’ collective bargaining rights (25 Apr) – The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is challenging Deliveroo’s denial of collective bargaining rights in the Supreme Court after 7 years of legal disputes between Deliveroo and the union. This will take place almost a year after the gig-economy giant signed a so-called ‘partnership’ deal with the GMB union read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Congress launches action plan against racism and far-right (5 May) – “The far-right does not represent working people – trade unions do”, the message contained in a powerful anti-racist short video which has been released by the ICTU. Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy said ‘the video is part of an overall plan by unions to counter the far right and to promote the fact that the trade union movement was built on the simple idea of uniting working people standing stronger together at home and abroad, committed to fighting poverty, discrimination, racism, and fascism read more
Online petition launched to support Tesco dot.com pickers and drivers (3 May) – Mandate Trade Union has launched two online petitions (one for Tesco workers and one for everybody else) to demand that Tesco Ireland reverses its decision to impose new work schedules on hundreds of Dot.Com workers (pickers and drivers) who carry out the online shopping for customers. The changes being imposed on these – already low paid – workers will result in them losing thousands of Euros in pay at the height of a cost of living crisis and at a time when Tesco Ireland itself has reported that its Dot.Com business is booming and profits are up. In addition, the new work schedules – which will come into effect on 15 May for drivers and 29 May for pickers – will create major problems for those with family/caring roles, potentially forcing many to either give up their jobs or be at a further loss of income. The Tesco workers’ petition can be found at this link: https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/stop-tesco-ireland-picking-on-dot-com-pickers-and-drivers read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
Other news
‘Drawing the Line’ – exhibition by picket line artist Inga Bystram – 7 days a week at The Cock Tavern 23, Phoenix Road NW1 1HB (near Euston train station). Tel: 07908330117 Insta: ingabystram
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site read more about Lee’s case
Support the ‘Murphy 4’ Campaign to reinstate sacked Unite members read more
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up: 6pm Wednesday 17th May Hackney Town Hall – Council staff are staging a protest after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, have been handed compulsory redundancy notices. Hackney Unison have said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
Construction blacklisting: Evidence sought in union officials’ collusion inquiry (11 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is stepping up its search for information into the possible collusion by trade union officials into the blacklisting of construction workers. In April 2022 Unite established an independent inquiry into allegations that some union officials may have colluded with the blacklisting of construction workers. Unite has instructed a legal team of Nick Randall KC (Matrix Chambers), John Carl Townsend (33 Chancery Lane Chambers) and Paul Heron from (Public Interest Law Centre), to examine and investigate whether any union officials from Unite or its predecessor unions (T&G, UCATT, Amicus, AEEU or MSF), were involved in the blacklisting of construction workers. The inquiry is now entering its next stage and an online portal has been launched to allow anyone who has any information relating to the inquiry to submit information read more
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
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
FBU makes £10,000 donation to Syria and Turkey earthquake appeal (23 Mar)
Unison: Turkey earthquake solidarity appeal
NUJ: IFJ launches solidarity call to support journalists in Turkey and Syria
Diary
June
24 NSSN national conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, London
July
29 Troublemakers at Work Conference 2023: Friends Meeting House, Manchester – supported by Workers Can Win!, Strike Map and Organise Now!
September
10 NSSN TUC Rally Liverpool
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
