The NSSN welcomes the FBU’s call for the need to “build mass opposition” to the Tory’s new anti-union attack and we totally agree that unions need to “act together” against this offensive.
The NSSN is again holding a lobby and rally before the start of TUC Congress on Sunday September 10th in Liverpool from 1pm, on the need to oppose the Tory anti-union laws and now specifically Sunak’s Minimum Service Level legislation.
From FBU website: Tory anti-union laws could be met with mass campaign of non-compliance (3 Jun) – The government’s latest anti-union laws could be met with a mass campaign of non-compliance after they become law. The Minimum Service Levels Bill would give employers and the government the power to compel workers in some sectors to work on strike days despite having a democratic mandate for industrial action. In a letter to fellow trade union leaders today, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said that the legislation was “one of the worst assaults on the rights of working people in Postwar Britain”, adding that “we have no choice but to build mass opposition to it, including developing a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make it unworkable.” He wrote: “This campaign cannot be won by any union acting alone. We must act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.” The Fire Brigades Union is now calling for a conference in the autumn to discuss the strategy and practicalities of such a campaign – putting the plan into action. Momentum is also now building behind a national demonstration against the new laws, initiated by the RMT at its conference last week. In his letter to fellow trade union general secretaries, Wrack argued that “with a national demonstration and a mass movement of non-compliance, we can build an alliance that can defeat this law in the streets and in the workplace.” Read more
NSSN rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday September 10th from 1pm at Premier Meetings, Liverpool Albert Dock L3 4AD
NSSN Conference launches fight against Tory anti-union attack
The annual NSSN Conference on 24th June debated the model motion (below) and unanimously voted to agree it, including supporting the NSSN rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday September. This will call for the mass co-ordinated action that is needed to defeat the Tory cost of living squeeze and their anti-union attack. We encourage all union branches and trades councils to discuss the motion and hopefully agree it.
Watch videos of NSSN Conference – Opening Chair’s remarks with brief highlights of the rally and interviews
Model Motion on Tory Minimum Service Levels Bill
This conference/union/branch/trades council recognises the ‘Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill’ is a major attack on trade union rights. Sunak’s Conservative government are attempting draconian, undemocratic measures to curtail the right to strike.
Coming on the back of four decades of brutal Tory anti-union legislation, from that of Thatcher and Major through to Cameron, Johnson and now Sunak, it is clearly designed to cut across the strike wave across all sectors, rather than tackle the causes of the cost-of-living crisis. This is another crude attempt to shift the blame for inflation onto the working class whereas every worker knows it is the bosses and their class’s profiteering, which has created the crisis.
The bill would allow employers to issue a notice to unions setting out who is required to work during a strike. This potentially leaves unions who refuse to comply open to serious financial penalties through sequestration of funds and removes workers’ protection from being dismissed for undertaking lawful industrial action.
We believe no individual union or member should be left isolated and the whole of the trade union movement must mobilise – collectively – in defence of workers’ rights.
We demand:
1. All unions and the TUC urgently call a national Saturday demonstration against the new law;
2. Keir Starmer pledges an incoming Labour government to reverse fines and other measures taken against any union under the terms of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act;
3. All employers refuse to use the provisions of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act and that a lead in such non-compliance be given by any government, council, fire authority or other employer led by the Labour Party;
4. If any union is taken to court or worker threatened with dismissal, an emergency demonstration is called and an immediate meeting of the TUC General Council be convened to organise mass co-ordinated strike action, including a 24-hour general strike;
5. The repeal of all anti-union legislation.
We support the NSSN rally to be held at TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday 10 September lobbying for this programme of action.
NSSN news
Plymouth NSSN Public Meeting: Sat 22nd July 8am to 12 noon
Join Plymouth RMT Branch picket at Plymouth Railway Station .
12 noon – March to Railway Club Stuart Rd Penny Cross Plymouth
1pm to 3pm NSSN Meeting
Speakers from RMT , Bakers , ASLEF , NEU so far . More to come . All welcome
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to 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
BREAKING NEWS!! RMT responds to public funding for green ships (7 Jul) – SEAFARERS Union RMT today responded to the Government’s distribution of another £34m to fund competition for shipping decarbonisation projects. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We recognise that shipping and every other part of the transport network needs to decarbonise, including the fleets of crew transfer and other vessels delivering clean energy from renewable offshore sources. Unfortunately, the latest tranche from the £206m budget for shipping decarbonisation continues to prioritise competition and the illusion of ‘green shipping corridors’ over seafarer jobs and maritime safety. It’s not good enough for the Government to be agnostic over technology whilst the likes of P&O greenwash their unlawful actions against British workers. RMT is extremely concerned that the failure to link this public funding to training and employment for maritime workers is a defect that will sink this Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy.” Read more
Tube workers to take a week of rolling strike action (6 Jul) – RMT will launch a week of action on London Underground from July 23 in a row over pensions, job cuts and attacks on working conditions. Different grades and sections of the tube will take strike action from Sunday 23 July until Friday 28 July. The union has been in a long running dispute with TfL over jobs, cuts, and attacks on pensions and working conditions. 600 jobs are scheduled to be axed, and London Underground staff stand to be poorer in retirement if TfL’s proposed changes go through. The job losses planned will affect every aspect of the tube including stations and maintenance, leading to the likelihood of more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards. There are also planned attacks on tube drivers working agreements and jobs read more
RMT marks 35th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster (6 Jul) – Piper Alpha claimed the lives of 165 offshore oil and gas workers and two seafarers who were part of the emergency response read more
RMT condemns ticket office closures and slashing of station jobs (5 Jul) – RMT has condemned fat cat train operators and the government for attempting to decimate the railways by announcing the closure of 1,000 ticket offices. On the back of their announcement, they are issuing statutory redundancy notices for hundreds of railway workers, something RMT will fiercely oppose. General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The decision to close up to 1,000 ticket offices and to issue hundreds of redundancy notices to staff is a savage attack on railway workers, their families and the travelling public…” read more
Save Ticket Offices (3 Jul) – Live broadcast on RMT’s campaign to oppose the Government and train companies’ plans for ticket office closures with General Secretary Mick Lynch and Assistant General Secretary John Leach read more
DHL catering staff on Avanti to take strike action (4 Jul) – Catering workers will take 48 hours strike action from tomorrow evening in a row over pay. The workers who are employed by contractor DHL provide the catering stores for Avanti trains. They have not been offered a pay rise despite the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation. DHL has pleaded poverty claiming they cannot afford a rise despite the fact its global business was worth £81bn last year. Instead of trying to settle the dispute by negotiating with RMT, DHL management have sent communications to staff using an intimidatory tone, instructing them not to speak to the media about their human right to take strike action…The 48 hour strike starts at 10pm on Wednesday 5 July and ends at 9.59pm Friday 7 July read more
Show your solidarity with our cleaning grades (3 Jul) – RMT has two petitions in circulation currently relating to campaigns being run to support our cleaning grades members. I’m asking all members to make sure they have signed – and shared – these petitions. We’re an all-grades union and we look after each other. Getting involved in the campaign to win insourcing and improvements to the pay and conditions of our cleaning grades members is part of what it means to be an industrial union. Bring London’s Tube Cleaners in-house – Add your name to this call on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to do the right thing by his cleaners currently outsourced to ABM: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/bring-london-s-tube-cleaners-in-h… Give free travel to rail cleaners and review their outsourcing – This petition to Secretary of State Mark Harper calls on the government to follow the Mayor of London in giving free travel to rail cleaners and reviewing the outsourcing of rail cleaning. Sign here: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/urgent-support-for-rail-cleaners read more
RMT reacts to Crown Estate £443m profits (29 Jun) – The bumper profits which represent a 41% increase, are made up in no small part by BP and Total paying costs associated with offshore wind farms lease tenders read more
RMT rejects derisory pay offer for offshore caterers (29 Jun) – RMT has rejected a pitiful pay offer from the Caterers Offshore Association (COTA). Members of the offshore union feel insulted by the dreadful offer and RMT officials will be meeting again the employer on July 5 to seek an improved situation. The offer is made up of 2.42% pay rise with only £140 for lodging and travel expenses. This is when travel and lodging expenses are increasing towards double that amount read more
RMT to strike for 3 days in July (22 Jun) – 20,000 railway workers will walk out in July as part of the national rail dispute after train operators failed to make a new pay offer. RMT members working across 14 train operating companies will take strike action on 20, 22 and 29 July. Despite repeated statements from the union that we are willing to enter further negotiations, neither the rail operators nor the government have asked us to any meetings. The government has the mandate for the 14 rail operators RMT is in dispute with and contractually sets the negotiating parameters of those companies with the rail unions. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry…” read more
Station overtime ban announced (7 Jun) – Dear Colleagues, DEFENDING JOBS, PENSIONS & AGREEMENTS – LONDON UNDERGROUND (LUL/14/2). Further to my previous Circular (IR/148/23, 24th May 2023), I wrote to LUL seeking talks in an effort to make progress over this dispute and in particular, the new rosters and staffing cuts which have been imposed on stations leading to unprecedented levels of station closures and a deterioration of members’ work life balance. The clear need for full and proper station staffing has been further highlighted by recent serious assaults on station staff. The Company responded, acknowledging some key issues which our Reps have raised including work life balance and the impact of more weekend working and extreme shifts; increased fatigue; increased station closures; the effect on other grades used to keep stations open. The Union advised that many of these issues could be resolved by adding staff back into rosters; converting CSA2 roles into CSA1 roles; increasing the number of part time weekend CSAs and the Company has agreed to talks to explore these options with a view to positively addressing our concerns. As a result, the National Executive Committee took the decision to SUSPEND THE OVERTIME AND REST DAY WORKING BAN which was due to commence from Thursday 1st June to allow these talks to take place. The mass members meeting took place on 30th May and it was the clear wish of affected members that new dates for an overtime and rest day working ban are called for Stations and Revenue Grades. The Lead Officer has consulted with your Stations Functional Council Reps and this matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee which has taken the decision to instruct ALL LUL STATIONS & REVENUE GRADES: Not to work any Overtime or Rest Day Working from 00:01 hours on Sunday 25th June 2023 to 23:59 hours Saturday 1st July 2023. These new dates allow two clear weeks of talks for LUL to engage positively with us over our demands to restore jobs, upgrade CSA2s and return weekend working to previous levels using additional part time CSAs. The Union remains ready to defend all our terms and conditions and I will keep Branches advised of all further developments read more
London Underground staff vote to extend strike mandate with huge YES vote (23 May)
ASLEF
No to ticket office closures (5 Jul) – Commenting on plans to close 1000 ticket offices across England, Mick Whelan, general secretary, said: “Ticket offices and properly staffed stations are vital to support the needs of passengers and make our railway a safe and welcoming place for all travellers. The impact of removing staff for disabled passengers and those with access needs, luggage or buggies, would be huge and would effectively be saying to those people ‘we don’t want you on our railway’. It’s wrong. As train drivers we want the railway to be for everyone…” read more
We will not betray your future (1 Jul) – Colleagues, we now have a situation with every sector, including ours, in dispute with a Westminster government which patently doesn’t care. With the ultimate distraction – a known liar who, as Prime Minister, made the laws, and told the public on nightly bulletins what we could and couldn’t do, and then knowingly broke those very laws and partied – swigging drinks and ignoring social distancing and laughing at the rest of us – whilst many people were not able to say a proper goodbye to their loved ones read more
ASLEF Announces Further Overtime Ban (3 Jul) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced that members at 16 companies will refuse to work overtime from 17 – 22 July in the union’s ongoing national dispute over pay. ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced that members at 16 companies will refuse to work overtime from 17 – 22 July in the union’s ongoing national dispute over pay. This follows another week long overtime ban which commenced today [Monday 3 July] and will run until Saturday [8 July]. The withdrawal of non-contractual overtime will be in place from 00:01 on Monday 17 July until 23:59 on Saturday 22 July at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, GTR Great Northern – Thameslink, Island Line, London North East Railway, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express and West Midlands Trains read more
ASLEF announces overtime ban in national dispute (19 Jul) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced that members at 16 companies will refuse to work overtime from 3 – 8 July in the union’s ongoing national dispute over pay read more
ASLEF: overwhelming support for continued industrial action (14 Jun)
TSSA
TSSA slams ticket office closures and redundancies (6 Jul) – Rail union TSSA has called on the public to oppose the mass closure of ticket offices across the railway in England as it accuses rail bosses of trying to bring in redundancies by stealth. The union – which has many hundreds of members working in ticket offices – is promising to strongly resist the plans and is calling for huge public participation in the consultation process over the next three weeks. With train operating companies today making it clear ticket office closures will lead to redundancies the union condemned the Rail Delivery Group – a proxy for Ministers and the Department for Transport – for effectively ripping up the deal which ended the union’s involvement in the national rail dispute read more
Government plans to close ticket offices offers cold Christmas for millions (6 Jul) – Rail union TSSA has warned that the government will meet opposition up and down the country over plans – expected to be confirmed on Wednesday – that would see over a thousand ticket offices close across the rail network in England. Lobby group the Association of British Commuters has claimed the Department for Transport is set to announce consultation on mass ticket office closures with Tory Ministers calling for the implementation to begin as soon as Christmas. TSSA has a long-standing policy opposing mass ticket office closures, with many members working in these vital roles. The union has previously pointed to the significantly detrimental impact such a policy would have on a number of social groups, making the railways less safe and less accessible read more
TSSA calls on public to ‘vigorously oppose’ railway ticket office closures (27 Jun) – Rail union TSSA has said it will work hand in glove with the public to ‘vigorously oppose the totally unnecessary mass closure of ticket offices’ across the railway network amid speculation the government will shortly announce the move. Lobby group the Association of British Commuters has reported that the Department for Transport is likely to announce the first stage of formal public consultation as early as next week. TSSA has a long-standing policy opposing mass ticket office closures, with many members working in these vital roles. The union has previously pointed to the significantly detrimental impact such a policy would have on a number of social groups, making the railways less safe and less accessible read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! First Manchester bus strikes intensify following ‘subpar’ renewed offer (7 Jul) – Drivers demand three-part offer comes in one instalment. Pay strikes by around 360 bus drivers employed by First Manchester will intensify during July following a renewed ‘sub par’ offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). First Manchester, which pays drivers a pound less an hour than the region’s other bus operators, revised its previous two-part offer with a three-part deal. The split would see a rise backdated from April, with another implemented from October and a final one in January. The drivers have been clear that they expect any pay deal to be implemented fully from April. On top of difficult working conditions, including a lack of access to toilets, long shifts and exhaustion from looking after the safety of thousands of passengers in busy built-up areas, the drivers often face physical and verbal abuse. Historically low pay has also caused chronic staff shortages, leaving drivers at First Manchester with unsustainable workloads…The drivers began strike action on 3 and 4 July and are striking today (7 July). Strike action is also scheduled to take place on 10 and 13 July, with new dates set for 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28 July. Industrial action will intensify further if the dispute is not resolved read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Bristol Waste bin strikes suspended to allow ballot on improved offer (7 Jul) – Strikes by more than 300 refuse workers employed by Bristol Waste have been suspended following an improved offer from the company. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will now be balloted on the new offer. If the offer is rejected, strikes will begin on Thursday 13 July and last until Sunday 16 July, with a further 14 days of strike action beginning on Monday 24 July read more
BREAKING NEWS!! South London facing bus turmoil as Arriva drivers ballot for strikes over pay (7 Jul) – Bus users in South London are facing turmoil later this summer, if drivers employed by Arriva take strike action in a dispute over pay. Over 1,000 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have rejected an offer worth around 7.3 per cent, as this amounted to a real terms pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. The drivers who are based at depots in Brixton, Norwood, South Croydon and Thornton Heath began balloting this week and the ballot will close on Wednesday 2 August. If the workers vote for strikes then industrial action could begin by the middle of next month read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Irn-Bru supplies to ‘fizzle out’ after workers back strike action (7 Jul) – Unite warns A.G. Barr to improve derisory pay offer or face summer drought. Unite the union announced today (7 July) that its members employed by the world-renowned A.G. Barr have backed strike action in an escalating dispute over pay. Supplies of Irn-Bru are now directly under threat this summer as around a dozen trucker and shunter drivers at the company’s Cumbernauld production and distribution centre backed strike action by 83 per cent. Unite will accordingly update on prospective strike action dates in due course read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Unite announces fresh NHS strikes in London and Yorkshire in pay and safe staffing dispute (7 Jul) – Unite members at Guys and St Thomas’ hospital in London and at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service will take strike action next week in the long running dispute over pay and safe staffing. The workers at Guys and St Thomas’ will hold a 24 hour strike from 07:00 on Thursday 13 July, while the union’s members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service will strike on Friday 14 July, between 15:00 and 22:00. The industrial action in both cases will coincide with the latest strike action being taken by junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association. The strikes are the latest development in the union’s long running pay dispute. Unite rejected the government’s pay offer this spring, as it failed to address the recruitment and retention crisis that has engulfed the NHS. Unite is also taking action due to increasing concerns about safe staffing in the NHS. A recent survey of Unite’s NHS workers found that in the past year 48 per cent of members had regularly witnessed staffing shortages that had compromised patient care. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The NHS’ recruitment and retention crisis is worsening by the day. Until the government addresses the chronic low pay of NHS workers, the problems currently being experienced will only become more severe. Unite’s focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, means that our workers taking industrial action in the NHS will enjoy the union’s complete support.” Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Our members are determined to take a stand and highlight how the government’s real terms pay cuts are undermining the NHS and risking patients’ lives.” Unite is currently balloting/re-balloting a substantial number of its members at NHS Trusts throughout England to expand its industrial action mandate read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Petrofac offshore contractors balloted on strike action (7 Jul) – Pay and working rotas at core of latest dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (7 July) that offshore workers employed by Petrofac Facilities Management Limited will be balloted on strike action. Around 80 Unite members contracted to work on Ithaca Energy’s FPF1 platform, Captain WPP, Captain floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, Alba FSU and Alba North installations are participating in the ballots. The Petrofac contractors have rejected a real terms pay cut, and they are demanding that the operator Ithaca Energy reverse its current ‘clawback’ policy of 14 days. This policy is significantly above the industry norm of 7 days, and it is the financial equivalent to £6,000 lost income per person. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members employed by Petrofac have been battling for months to secure a fair pay rise, and that the operator Ithaca Energy ditch their draconian 14 days clawback policy. We will continue to fully support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector.” The ballots open on Monday (10 July) and close on 4 August. The workers involved in the ballots include electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders and crane operators read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Newbury and District Bus strikes suspended following improved pay offer (7 Jul) – The initial days of strike action involving drivers employed by Newbury and District Bus Company have been suspended following an improved pay offer by the company. This means that the strikes scheduled for today (Friday 7 July) and Monday 10 July will not go ahead as the members are balloted on the revised offer. Unite regional co-ordinating officer Scott Kemp said: “Unite was clear from the outset that the employer could make an improved offer and this has proved to be the case. It is now for our members to decide if what is on the table meets their expectations.” If the offer is rejected the strikes scheduled for 14, 19, 20 and 21 July will go ahead as planned read more
Stagecoach bringing in huge profits but offers workers inadequate pay deal (6 Jul) – More than 1,000 Manchester Stagecoach drivers are being balloted for industrial action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, announced today (Thursday). The drivers have responsibility for manoeuvring large vehicles all day through heavy traffic and care for the safety of thousands of passengers. They have rejected an offer of just four per cent from June 2023 with a further four per cent in December. With the current rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.3 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut. Stagecoach’s latest financial report showed its adjusted profit before tax increased 98 per cent to £36.4 million in the six months to 29 October 2022. For the 2021/2022 financial year, Stagecoach reported revenues of almost £1.2 billion with adjusted profits of £72.7 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach is a hugely profitable company. The money is there for the company to provide its Manchester drivers a pay increase that reflects increasing living costs and the demands of what is a difficult and stressful role. Improving jobs, pay and conditions is Unite’s absolute priority and our Manchester Stagecoach members will receive the union’s complete support.” The ballot for strike action opens today and closes on 27 July. Strike action would severely impact bus services across the whole of Manchester read more
Darchem Teesside pay strikes intensify with shut downs across July and August (6 Jul) – Formula One, Rolls Royce, BAE, Hinkley Point impacted after ‘hugely profitable’ firm offers ‘pay cut’. Pay strikes by nearly 300 workers employed by engineering firm Darchem in Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees, will intensify over the summer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers have already taken seven days of strike action over pay, with a further 15 days now scheduled to take place during July and August. This week, the workers rejected in a ballot by 92 per cent an offer of six per cent backdated to February, with a further four per cent in October. The offer removed a condition that the pay anniversary date be changed from February to October, which would have resulted in a 20-month pay deal being imposed. However, the workers believe that a split pay deal is still unreasonable given the company’s huge profits. Darchem, owned by the US-based TransDigm Group, is an extremely profitable company that makes a range of products for the automotive, aerospace, energy and shipbuilding industries. The company’s latest financial returns show it had a turnover of over £108 million in 2021. During the same year, operating profits increased by 53.3 per cent to £25.3 million…The strikes, which also involve members of the GMB union, will shut down Darchem’s Stillington factory. This will impact production for Darchem’s clients, including BAE, Formula One racing companies, Hinkley Point and Rolls Royce aerospace. The fresh strikes will take place from 18 to 21 July, 25 to 28 July, 1 to 4 August, 8 to 11 August and 15 to 18 August read more
Firefighters in Waterford and Tipperary to take industrial action tomorrow (6 Jul) – Dispute centres on LGMA refusal to engage with Unite members. Over forty Unite members working as retained firefighters in Counties Waterford and Tipperary will take industrial action tomorrow (Friday 7 July). The dispute follows the ongoing failure of the Local Government Management Association – which represents local authorities – to engage with Unite regarding a number of issues. Retained firefighters, who form the backbone of the Ireland’s firefighting service, have seen their retainers and call-out fees frozen for a many years, and location requirements make it difficult or impossible for them to supplement their low earnings with other work. Retained firefighters are also seeking structured and predictable ‘off-call’ times, rather than – as is currently the reality – operating on a 24/7 basis read more
St Mungo’s workforce roundly reject a divisive management pay offer (6 Jul) – The indefinite strike continues at the homelessness charity as management’s pay offer falls short. The pay would still leave workers in fear of losing their homes. Workers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s have roundly rejected a ‘divisive’ pay offer from management aimed at splitting the workforce and breaking the indefinite strike. The Charity’s pay offer falls short of alleviating the workers’ fear of being unable to pay their rent or mortgage on their current poverty wages. Unite reps believe bosses offered as little as possible to get the deal over the line and split the workforce. St Mungo’s increased its pay offer from 2.25% to a paltry 3.7% at a time when inflation is 11.3% and food inflation is at 18.4 per cent. This is despite St Mungo’s having £16 million in cash and substantial reserves. The pay offer was rejected by a margin of 62% read more strike fund More info on Unite Housing Workers website
Unite driving up wages for bus workers on Scottish east coast (5 Jul) – Lothian Country and East Coast drivers set for 19.6% pay uplift over two years. Unite the union has confirmed that it has secured a significant two-year wage deal for bus drivers on the East Coast of Scotland. Over 230 Unite members employed by Lothian Country and East Coast Buses are set to receive a cumulative pay increase over two years that will uplift basic hourly pay by 19.6 per cent. This equates to a pay rise of around £5,100 for drivers working a guaranteed 39-hour week. Unite members overwhelmingly backed the pay offer at both bus companies who are owned by the publicly run Lothian Buses read more
Cepac print workers in Darlington announce 10 days of strike action over pay (5 Jul) – Food and drink producers across the UK face running out of packaging as workers at Cepac strike in a dispute over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The 90 plus workers, who includes printers, engineers and conversion operatives, have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action. The first strike will begin on Tuesday 18 July, with further dates spread over the coming weeks until the end of September (see notes to editors). Further dates may be announced in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved. In addition to the industrial action there will be a continuous overtime ban. The industrial action is a result of the company only being prepared to offer an eight per cent strings attached pay increase. The offer is a real terms pay cut with the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. Cepac has said that the eight per cent increase is dependent on the working week increasing from 37 hours to 40 hours, an inferior sick pay scheme, changes to shift patterns and reduced overtime rates read more
Unite secures wage deal for Gourock based James Walker Devol (5 Jul) – Workers set to receive up to 12.5% pay rise. Unite, Scotland’s leading union, has secured a significant wage deal for workers employed at the James Walker Devol plant based in Gourock. Around 100 engineers who are responsible for manufacturing components for the construction, oil, gas and railway sectors around the globe are set to receive pay rises up to 12.5 per cent. All workers will receive a £2,500 annual pay uplift. There are further improvements to the jobs, pay and conditions of Devol workers including a 5 per cent allowance increase and enhanced holiday working rates read more
Unite slams South Gloucestershire council’s ‘pretend intervention’ in Suez bin dispute (5 Jul) – Council needs to stop back covering exercises and force Suez to negotiate. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has slammed South Gloucestershire council’s open letter to both the union and Suez as a ‘pretend intervention to cover its back’. The letter, regarding all out pay strikes by 150 Suez workers, demands to know “what actions have been taken to date to settle the industrial action and to set out how you will resolve the dispute between yourselves”. In response to the letter, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “South Gloucestershire council’s contract with Suez is worth over £18 million a year. It holds the purse strings to a very lucrative operation and could very easily tell the company to re-join negotiations. This is something Suez has so far refused to do, despite numerous requests to the company from Unite”…The workers began strike action in June after rejecting an eight per cent pay offer and strikes are scheduled to last every day until September. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 11.3 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut read more
Birmingham Airport facing serious security delays during indefinite pay strikes (4 Jul) – Airport security staff and terminal technicians to walk out in July. Around 100 security officers and terminal technicians employed by Birmingham Airport will begin all out continuous strike action from 18 July. The Birmingham Airport workers are striking after facing two years of substantial pay cuts. Three quarters of the striking Birmingham Airport workers are security officers working unsociable shift patterns for as little as £11.50 an hour. The workers say that without a significant pay rise, recruitment and retention issues at the airport will worsen. This will further the delays the airport is well known for. Last year, the workers received a pay rise of just 2.8 per cent when the real rate of inflation, RPI, was running at 13.8 per cent – equating to an 11 per cent pay cut. This year, they have been offered 7.75 per cent and a one off £850 payment. However, this is a further real terms pay cut as RPI inflation is still running high at 11.3 per cent. The offer would leave many workers unable to pay their bills as well as causing more staffing shortages read more
NHS staff should be valued not undermined to avoid “existential” crisis as NHS celebrates 75th birthday (4 Jul) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is demanding that the NHS’ staff are valued and not undermined to ensure its long-term success read more
Councils warned end rubbish pay for refuse workers or face strike action (4 Jul) – As the Local Government Association (LGA) gathers for its annual conference in Bournemouth, Unite, the UK’s leading union, is warning that councils must urgently address low pay for refuse collection workers. Unite is currently involved in five live industrial disputes involving council refuse collection workers. There are two active strikes in South Gloucestershire and Somerset involving outsourced workers employed by waste management company Suez, Bristol council refuse workers are also set to begin strike action, Urbaser workers in Selby are taking strike action this month, while refuse workers employed by Allerdale Waste Services in Cumbria have been on all out strike since 16 May. The disputes all involve pay, either as a result of private outsourced companies attempting to restrict pay rates in order to boost profits, or councils being unable or unwilling to properly remunerate its own workers who are undertaking a vital frontline role in difficult and challenging conditions. Unite has found that loaders are frequently paid barely above the minimum wage, while drivers who must legally hold an HGV licence can be paid less than £12 an hour. Unite is currently balloting all of its local government members in England and Wales for industrial action with the result due later this month, having rejected the national pay offer. This could result in fresh refuse collection strikes. Unite is also considering further industrial action involving outsourced refuse collection workers, where operators are not paying workers fairly read more
Roads Service workers strike in dispute over productivity-based pay system (4 Jul) – Workers concerned that productivity unit bonus leaves workers subject to management victimisation and undermines health and safety. Strike action commenced at roads service depots in west yesterday [Monday 3rd July] and due at depots in east from Thursday 6th July. Roads Service workers in Unite the union have recommenced strike action in their industrial campaign to end pay being subject to manager’s discretion read more
Shortages of new VW models on cards as Sheerness dock workers ballot for strikes (3 Jul) – GB Terminals offers ‘derisory’ 3.2% offer while making millions. Sheerness dock workers employed by GB Terminals are being balloted for strike action over a ‘derisory’ pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers process VW group vehicles, including Audi, Porsche and Skoda models, that arrive in Sheerness by car transporter ferries for dispatch to dealerships across the country. The workers have been offered 3.2 per cent, which is a significant real terms pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, is running at 11.3 per cent. GB Terminals latest financial returns show it had a turnover of £16.4 million for the year ending April 2022. The company made gross profits of £2.2 million and paid dividends of almost £1.3 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “GB Terminals derisory pay offer is completely unacceptable when inflation is in double figures. This is a company in robust financial health that can afford to pay its workers a reasonable rise. Unite is absolutely focused on defending and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and GB Terminal’s workers have their union’s total support.” The ballot for strike action begins tomorrow (Tuesday) and closes on 21 July. Strike action would severely impact the supply of new model VW Group vehicles into the country read more
13th Note Bar workers deliver 100% vote for strike action (3 Jul) – First bar strike in the UK in over 20 years to take place in Glasgow. Unite the union can reveal that the first bar strike in over 20 years across the UK is on the cards unless drastic improvements are made by the owners of the Glasgow based bar 13th Note. Bar workers voted by 100 per cent to support strike action. The escalating dispute centres on the trade union’s campaign to secure better wages, improvements to health and safety, as well as achieving trade union recognition for the workers at one of Glasgow’s best known music venues. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members at the 13th Note bar in Glasgow are united in taking a stand, in what could be the first bar workers’ strike across the UK in over 20 years. That says a lot about them. But it surely also says a lot about their employer.” Unite can further confirm that the strike action at the 13th Note will start on Friday 14 July, and it will last every weekend until 6 August. Unite represents 95 per cent of the workers employed at the venue read more
Unite response to Steve Barclay comments on NHS workers (2 Jul) – Responding to the health secretary’s comments this morning Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite said: “Steve Barclay just doesn’t get it. Junior doctors up and down the country have had a real terms pay cut of around 26 per cent since 2008/9. There are more than 110,000 vacancies in the NHS workforce right now – that’s one in 10 posts unfilled. But instead of dealing with those fundamental issues which are causing already trained NHS doctors to quit and move abroad to places where they have a chance of being properly paid and appreciated, Barclay is trying to take us on a trip to la la land. Rather than looking at retention the Tories are now shaking a magic money tree to pay for an alleged expansion in training places for NHS staff – but Barclay can’t even say where the money is coming from for year one let alone year 15 of this plan. He’s just kicking the can down the road. Junior doctors have had enough.” Read more
Government found asleep at the wheel yet again in Thames Water fiasco: Workers and customers must not pay the price (30 Jun) – The financial turmoil that has engulfed Thames Water demonstrates that the government has been found asleep at the wheel yet again and that the UK’s regulatory regime is not fit for purpose, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned. Unite, which represents hundreds of workers at Thames Water, is committed to ensuring that the workers, as well as the company’s customers and taxpayers, do not pay for this huge corporate failure. Despite having a monopoly of supplying water to 15 million customers and already landing its customers with high bills, it is understood that the company has a £10 billion black hole in its finances on top of debts of £14.3 billion read more
First Manchester strikes to go ahead Monday after ‘strings attached’ offer rejected (30 Jun) – Drivers reject pay deal after it is split in two to avoid back pay. Around 360 bus drivers employed by First Manchester will begin strike action on Monday (3 July) after they voted against a new offer by the company that had ‘strings attached’. First Manchester’s current offer is split so the drivers would receive approximately half the pay rise in April and half in October. Unite said the company refused to engage in pay negotiations that were supposed to begin earlier in the year and then offered a split payment in order to deny the workers full back pay. The offer has increased resentment amongst the workforce who were already angry at being paid nearly a pound an hour less than bus drivers at other companies operating in the region. The drivers have also been clear that the difference in pay has caused chronic staff shortages and overwork. While the current offer would bring the driver’s pay into line, the difference in wages is expected to increase as other bus operators implement their yearly pay increases…Strikes affecting First Manchester services in Rochdale, Oldham, Manchester and Ashton will take place on 3, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 13 July. More strike action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite secures more wage deals at Glasgow Airport (30 Jun) – North Air and ABM latest to settle pay disputes. Unite, the UK’s leading aviation trade union, confirmed today (30 June) that it has secured two new wage deals for workers based at Glasgow Airport. Over 20 tanker drivers employed by North Air who supply fuel to Glasgow Airport backed a deal which raises earnings by 7.8 per cent. This equates to the annual income of North Air drivers increasing by around £2,700. North Air provides refuelling services for domestic and international airlines who fly into and out of Glasgow Airport. Around 60 cleaners employed by ABM have also agreed a two-year deal which in the first year lifts the basic hourly pay by 11.1 per cent. The deal involves other enhancements including those who work the nightshift benefiting from having their shift rate rising by 12.3 per cent this year read more
Pay NHS staff a decent wage now or NHS transformation will fail (30 Jun) – Pay NHS staff a decent wage now or NHS transformation will fail. Reacting to the publication of the new NHS workforce plans published today, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “This looks like a bold plan to transform the training of new staff in the NHS. But the devil is in the detail as usual. There is a promise of funding for training for three years, but nothing about money for current staff read more
Amidst record rise in NHS mental health sickness Unite raises alarm over closure of drop-in services for staff (29 Jun) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has raised the alarm over the looming closure of 40 mental health and wellbeing hubs that provide support for under pressure NHS staff. The warning comes as figures released today (Thursday) show that NHS sickness absences have reached record highs, with mental health problems accounting for the biggest proportion of causes at nearly a quarter of all absences. The hubs were set up by NHS England in February 2021 to ensure that workers had access to free and confidential local mental health services. Government funding for these hubs ended on 31 March 2023, however, with little or no consultation or conversation about the ongoing need for their services. Unite is concerned that the closures come at a time when NHS staff are under increasing pressure due to understaffing and mounting workloads read more
Construction workers secure pay increase (29 Jun) – Construction workers operating under the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) agreement will receive a substantial increase in pay rates next month following negotiations led by Unite. The workers will immediately receive a six per cent increase and then a further 1.5 per cent increase from 1 January 2024, a compound increase of 7.59 per cent. Additionally, the general operative (labourer) rate, which is the lowest pay rate, will increase by eight per cent, with the entire increase being introduced immediately. The CIJC is the largest of the construction agreements and predominantly covers civil engineering. Around 500,000 workers’ employment are influenced by the agreement read more
Trelleborg Leicester workers strike over pay (29 Jun) – Pay cut ‘dressed up as rise’ from firm bringing in millions ‘not good enough’. More than 100 workers based at the Leicester factory of industrial anti vibration solution firm Trelleborg will begin indefinite strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The shop floor workers have rejected a one-year deal of four per cent, plus a £700 lump sum. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.3 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. Trelleborg’s latest financial returns, meanwhile, show it made a gross profit of £9 million for the year ending December 2021…The workers will begin all out continuous strike action every day from 11 July until the dispute is resolved. The industrial action will shut the site causing delays of products for Bombardier, Alstom, M.T.R.C, JBC, Caterpillar and John Deere read more
Unite the union to fight Biomet UK proposal to close Bridgend facility (29 Jun) – Unite the union has reacted with shock at Biomet UK’s announcement that it proposes to close its Bridgend site with the loss of 544 jobs. Peter Hughes, Unite Wales Regional Secretary said; “The news today that Biomet are proposing a site closure of their facility at Bridgend will be devastating news to our members and their communities read more
Bristol summer bin chaos as workers strike over low wages (29 Jun) – Council-owned Bristol Waste offers low paid workers ‘pay cut’ despite making £2.3m profits. More than 200 refuse workers employed by Bristol Waste will strike in July, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers, who collect bins, clean the streets and operate household waste and recycling centres, are angry at a 17 month pay offer of seven per cent or £2000, whichever is greater for their salary. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, running at 11.3 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. While many of the workers are paid little more than the minimum wage, Bristol Waste, which is owned by the council, made gross profits of more than £2.3 million for the year ending March 2022…The workers will strike for seven days from Monday 10 July and then for a further 14 days from Monday 24 July. As well as stopping bin collections, street cleaning services during and after events such as the Bristol Harbour Festival will be severely disrupted read more
Somerset facing July bin strikes as outsourcer Suez crisis deepens (29 Jun) – Somerset is set for extensive bin strikes beginning next month as refuse collection workers employed by waste management company Suez embark on 12 days of industrial action in a dispute over pay. The 200 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have voted for industrial action after only being offered a pay increase of 5.8 per cent. This is a real terms pay cut as the real inflation rate (RPI) currently stands at 11.3 per cent. The initial 12 days of strike action will be held Wednesday to Friday each week beginning on Wednesday 12 July with the final strike currently scheduled for Friday 4 August. From 12 July until 4 August an overtime ban and a ban on catch up working will also be in place read more
Tara Mines: Time to talk about public ownership (29 Jun) – Government must act now to secure future of Europe’s largest zinc mine. June 29th: Unite, which represents craft and staff grades at Tara Mines, today (Thursday) called on the Government to take the mine into public ownership in the absence of a firm commitment from the highly profitable parent company Boliden to an early resumption of operations at the mine and continued payment of workers’ wages in the interim read more
Leicester aerospace engine bolt maker Howmet hit by pay strikes (27 Jun) – Highly profitable firm offers low paid workers inadequate ‘strings attached’ pay deal. More than 50 Leicester factory workers employed by aerospace engine bolt manufacturer Howmet are to strike later this month, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers, who earn as little as £11 per hour and an average of £12.50 an hour, have rejected a four per cent offer, plus purported pay incentives, that has more ‘strings attached than a grand piano’. Howmet Fastenings’ latest financial report shows it made UK profits of over £4 million for the year ending December 2021. US-based parent company Howmet Aerospace, meanwhile, reported that international revenue in the first quarter of 2023 increased by 21 per cent to $1.6 billion, with profits of $360 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Howmet may proclaim that it has put forward a generous pay offer but it is smoke and mirrors – the deal has more strings attached than a grand piano. Howmet’s workers are low paid and struggling with rising living costs, while the company brings in millions. Unite’s top priority is our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these striking workers will receive the union’s full support until Howmet puts forward an acceptable pay offer.” Howmet’s Leicester factory supplies parts to Rolls Royce, Pratt and Whitney. The first day of strike action will take place on Thursday 29 June, followed by a continuous overtime ban and work to rule after the strike ends. If the dispute is not resolved further strike dates will be scheduled read more
Newbury and District Bus Company branded “UK’s meanest” as drivers take action after four years of pay freezes (26 Jun) – Newbury and District Bus Company has been branded the “UK’s meanest’ bus operator after a group of drivers were forced to announce strike action after not receiving a pay rise for four years. The affected drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, were TUPE transferred to their present employer from Reading Buses in 2020 and operate a service for West Berkshire council, including operating school buses. While all other drivers at Newbury bus company have received a 5.7 per cent pay increase, the company has again frozen the affected drivers pay, blaming the increased cost of diesel, infrastructure and engineering costs. As a consequence, the drivers have overwhelmingly voted for strike action and will stage seven days of walkouts on 6, 7, 10, 14 19, 20 and 21 July. The strikes will affect bus services across the Newbury area and especially school bus services read more
Troubled waters as Scotland’s lighthouse workers take historic strike action (26 Jun) – Sea vessels moored as workers down tools in pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed that its Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) members are set to take 24-hour strike action on Monday (26 June) in a long-running dispute over pay. Around 40 Unite members including able seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians will take 24-hour strike action beginning at noon on 26 June until noon on 27 June. The workers maintain and operate Scotland’s lighthouses, beacons and buoys at sea ensuring that vessels and ships have safe passage through Scottish waters read more
Langford Lodge workers in Crumlin to commence weeklong strike action tomorrow morning (25 Jun) – Strike follows decisive rejection of inadequate last minute pay offer with 70% majority. Solidarity with workforce has already led to cancellation of visit by client Martin Baker. Members of Unite the union working at RLC Langford Lodge Ltd, a leading manufacturer of parts for the defence and civil aerospace sector, are to commence a first week of strike action tomorrow [Monday 26th June]. Pickets will be established at factory gates at the Crumlin site from dawn and will be maintained until midnight on July 2nd. The strike is an escalation of a pre-existing overtime ban in which workers are refusing to work outside their contracted hours or answer electronic devices. The strike will shutdown production at the factory at which 200 are employed read more
St Helens NGF glass cord engineers strike over pay (23 Jun) – NGF workers angry pay offer less than colleagues received at sister company Pilkingtons sites. St Helen’s engineering and maintenance workers employed by NGF, which produces glass cord used in rubber and plastic products, will strike over pay. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers are angry at being offered a 5.65 per cent pay rise plus an £800 bonus that is lower than offers received by their colleagues at nearby sites. NGF is a sister company to Pilkingtons UK, whose workers at a number of sites in the surrounding region have received pay rises 6.75 per cent plus £750 and 7.5 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members are rightly angry they are being treated as second class employees compared to their colleagues at nearby Pilkingtons. Unite is now completely focused on protecting and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these workers will receive their union’s total support.” The workers will stage two 48 hours strikes on 2 July and 14 July. If the dispute is not resolved strike action will escalate. The dispute also involved members of the GMB union read more
OCS workers at Glasgow Airport vote to strike after no shift on ‘poverty pay offer’ (22 Jun) – Workers who aid passengers with mobility challenges expected to stop during busy summer season. Unite has confirmed today (22 June) a key group of workers based at Glasgow Airport have emphatically voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay, and that the initial action will occur in July. Around 70 Unite members employed by OCS Group UK Limited voted by 95 per cent in favour of taking strike action on a 91 per cent turnout. Unite’s members previously rejected a ‘poverty pay’ offer by 96 per cent which would have taken basic pay to £10.90 per hour. There has been no improved pay offer to date by OCS. Unite has further confirmed that 24-hour strike action will now start on 6 July and end the following day with a further stoppage taking place on 11 July read more
Selby bin chaos as workers strike over ‘rubbish pay’ (21 Jun) – Nearly 40 Urbaser refuse workers to walkout in June, July and August over poverty wages. Nearly 40 outsourced refuse workers in Selby, employed by waste company Urbaser on behalf of the North Yorkshire unitary authority, will strike during the summer over ‘rubbish pay’. The dispute is a result of the workers rejecting an eight per cent pay offer because they are on some of the lowest rates in the country for their roles. Bin loaders and grounds workers are paid just £10.64 an hour and refuse lorry drivers, who require an HGV license, are paid just £12.51 an hour. The workers have also been offered a bonus, but they are angry it is less than the cost-of-living payment provided to refuse workers employed in other areas of the newly formed (Conservative controlled) North Yorkshire unitary authority read more
Network Rail facing signalling delays as Unipart Rail workers in Crewe strike over pay (21 Jun) – The UK is set for serious disruption of railway signalling parts, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned, as workers at Unipart Rail Ltd have announced strike action in a pay dispute following a derisory pay offer. The workers, who are based at Unipart Rail’s Crewe depot, have rejected a 4.75 per cent pay increase, which is in reality a pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. The workers have announced two initial 24 hour strikes on Wednesday 5 July and Wednesday 12 July. An overtime ban will also be in place from 3 July until 16 July read more
Unite members set for industrial action on Water Services Framework (20 Jun) – Water delivery workers in local authorities to down tools on Friday 30 June. Unite seeking changes to Water Services Framework including referendum commitment. Unite members involved in water delivery services around the country will take industrial action on Friday 30 June. The dispute follows members’ decision to reject the ‘Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services’ document put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission last year. The dispute centres around the failure of the local authorities and their representative association to engage with Unite concerning what the union believes to be shortcomings in the Framework document read more
Edinburgh University joiners to strike over pay (20 Jun) – Union warns of student safety concerns as 72-hour action set to start. Joiners employed by the University of Edinburgh are set to strike for 72-hours starting on Friday (23 June) in a long-running dispute over pay. Around a dozen estates department workers who are members of Unite previously voted for strike action by 100 per cent over the failure by University management to address pay disparities on campus. The trade union is highlighting that joiners, despite undertaking a four-year apprenticeship, are paid around £2,000 a year less than locksmiths who undertake training for two weeks. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The joiners at the University of Edinburgh fully deserve pay parity with other tradespersons on campus. Unite’s members provide skilled and vital work which keeps students safe in the event they are locked out their accommodation. We will support them all in the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.” A series of stoppages will take place throughout June and July with the first beginning at 8am on Friday (23 June) and continuing up to 26 June when the action concludes at 7:59am read more
Regulator of Social Housing on strike (20 Jun) – Striking for a week. There was a determined mood on the Regulator of Social Housing picket on Monday. Strike action had the Housing Ombudsman, another quango with a similar relation with the government, had been suspended on Friday following talks but the strike at the regulator continues for a week. Both groups of workers are calling on their employer to respond to the pressures of inflation currently standing at 11.4% RPI read more
Education Authority workers in Unite set to commence first day of seven day strike action (14 Jun) – Strike follows Secretary of State’s punitive budget that has left Education Department unable to deliver pay & grading business case. Unite the union members employed by the Education Authority are set to commence seven days of strike action tomorrow [15th June]. The industrial action follows an overwhelming ballot result in which 94% of Unite members voted for strike action. The strike results from the failure of the Department of Education to implement a pay and grading review. The review would see significant increases to the pay of Education Authority workers but its implementation has been prevented as a result of the punitive budget set for the Department by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The strike involves more than 700 education workers and will extend for seven weekdays. Schools across Northern Ireland are likely to experience significant disruption as a result as Unite’s membership includes school bus drivers, escorts and maintenance workers, catering staff, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, school administrative staff, cleaners, building supervisors and ground maintenance staff. The General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, committed her union’s full support for the striking education workers read more
Unite announces Xplore Dundee strike action after meaningless conciliation talks with company (9 Jun) – Blame for 12 weeks strike action lies with company management for failure to move on pay. Unite the union announced today (9 June) that around 200 workers employed by Xplore Dundee will take twelve weeks strike action in a dispute over pay. The bus workers based from the East Dock Street depot will begin the strike action from Monday (12 June) lasting until 3 September. Unite’s members recently supported strike action by 93 per cent on an 88.6 per cent turnout. Unite members involved in the ballot included drivers, duty managers, platform staff, and administrative staff read more
GSK strike action escalates in pay dispute (8 Jun) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by pharmaceutical giant GSK are set to escalate their strike action in a dispute over pay. The 750 workers – who undertake a wide variety of roles including engineers, process technicians, laboratory analysts, warehouse workers and fire officers – have rejected a significantly below inflation offer of six per cent and a one off lump sum of £1,300. This is a substantially below the real inflation rate, RPI, of 11.4 per cent. The pay offer is in stark contrast to the huge salary of GSK’s chief executive Emma Walmsley, who received £8.4 million last year. It has been estimated that she only has to work a single day to receive the same pay that the employees striking receive for the entire year. GSK is an incredibly wealthy company. It’s latest financial results reveal it made an operating profit of £8.15 billion, a 26 per cent increase on the previous year. The cost of resolving Unite’s pay claim would be just 0.05 per cent of the company’s profits. GSK has said they can afford the workers’ pay claim but have decided to use the money in other areas. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a clear example of corporate greed on a grand scale. The company is hugely profitable, the chief executive is paid in millions and yet they won’t give the workers a fair pay rise. Make no mistake, Unite will be giving its members at GSK its total support. The company’s attitude is indefensible.” The strike action will involve workers at GSK’s plants at Barnard Castle, Irvine, Montrose, Ulverston, Ware and Worthing. The first strike this month will be at Ware on 9 June (full details of all the strikes in notes for editors). Further strikes will be announced in the coming days. Unite members took initial strike action in the dispute last month read more
Allerdale bin strike to continue as peace talks collapse (7 Jun) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned that the long running refuse collection strike in Workington and the surrounding area will continue indefinitely. The workers, who are employed by Allerdale Waste Services, which is 100 per cent owned by Cumberland council, have been on all-out strike since 16 May in a dispute over pay. This week, the workers, who are members of Unite, unanimously rejected Allerdale Waste’s latest offer as it did not address the pay issue. Talks were held yesterday (Tuesday 7 June) between the union and Allerdale Waste/Cumberland council. Management became hostile when Unite informed them their offer had been rejected and then the talks collapsed as management refused to consider the union’s counter proposal ‘as it was not on the agenda’ read more
Drax materials handling workers to begin pay strikes (7 Jun) – Around 100 Hargreaves workers being ‘ripped off’ over shift pay. Around 100 Hargreaves workers employed in a technical materials handling capacity at Drax power station in Selby in Yorkshire, will begin pay strikes later this week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). Workers employed directly by Drax performing the same role are paid £16,000 a year on top of their base pay for working shifts – ten times the around £1,600 a year Hargreaves staff receive for shift work. The pay deal currently on offer from Hargreaves, which includes an eight per cent increase in the workers’ basic rate, does not address the disparity in shift pay. It is also a real terms pay cut, with the real rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.4 per cent. In the six months to November 2022, Hargreaves made profits before tax of £18.7 million. The firm’s highest paid director has also received a 26.8 per cent pay increase to £246,000 a year. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Hargreaves is an extremely profitable company and can afford to pay these workers properly. It is disgraceful that they are being treated as second class employees compared to their colleagues employed directly by Drax. This needs to change. Hargreave’s workers have their union’s unflinching support as they strike for a fair wage rise and proper shift pay.” The workers will stage an initial 24-hour walkout beginning at 19.00 hrs on Sunday 11 June. Strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Strike action could impact electricity generation operations at Drax read more
Hayle Maen Karne protest to be held over company’s ‘disgraceful’ union-busting (6 Jun) – Demonstration supporting HGV drivers striking for union recognition. A protest will be held in Hayle in Cornwall on 7th June against concrete product supplier Maen Karne, whose HGV mixer drivers are striking over the company’s refusal to recognise their union. Pictures and video of the protests will be available on request. The workers requested a voluntary recognition agreement from Maen Karne, owned by the GRS Roadstone group, on behalf of Unite to allow for collective bargaining over pay and conditions, which was rejected. The drivers deliver fresh concrete across Cornwall and began strike action on 30 May, with the current round of industrial action set to last until Friday 9 June. If the dispute is not resolved strike action will escalate, causing further delays of concrete to construction sites across Cornwall read more
Striking workers attend first meeting of newly-elected Belfast City Council to raise need for inflation-proof pay increases (6 Jun) – Unite the union delegation demands politicians take the side of workers in coming strike wave. A delegation from Unite the union, including striking workers at the Dunmurry-based manufacturer Survitec, has addressed the first meeting of the newly-elected Belfast City Council [last night, 5th June]. The delegation warned councillors of an impending wave of strikes across Belfast as workers were forced to take strike action to win inflation-proof pay increases. The union has just confirmed that workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites has voted by 100% on a 100% turnout for strike action on pay as well. Unite the union General Secretary Sharon Graham congratulated the striking Survitec workers on their initiative read more
Leeds pump manufacturer facing strike action across June which will disrupt supply (24 May) – Many of the UK’s largest companies are braced for problems and delays in acquiring specialist pumping products as workers at Leeds based Sulzer Pumps, have announced strike action following a poor pay offer. The approx 100 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who are based at the company’s Manor Mill Lane factory have rejected a pay offer of 6.5 per cent and a £275 one off payment. The pay offer was in effect a substantial real terms pay cut with the current true rate of inflation (RPI) at 11.4 per cent. The workers will initially take strike action next month on 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 June as well as 7 July read more
Striking HTS workers to protest at Harlow Council meeting Thursday (24 May) – 300 low paid outsourced workers employed by council owned firm angry over pay rip off. Striking HTS workers responsible for Harlow’s social housing stock and maintaining the local authority’s grounds and buildings will stage a pay protest outside the full council meeting on Thursday (25 May) read more
Strike at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to go ahead after pay cut proposed (22 May) – College’s latest offer amounts to a real terms pay cut of 12%. Strike action set for 23-25 May during the College’s annual conference will go ahead. Members of Unite employed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) will continue strike action this week and stage a protest at the RCPCH annual conference in a dispute over an “appalling pay offer” read more
Workers at ‘monstrously wealthy’ City of London Corporation strike over pay attack (22 May) – Local authority for Square Mile has over £1.2b in reserves but slashes pay by 8.5% in real terms. More than 250 workers at the City of London Corporation, the local authority for London’s Square Mile financial centre, are to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The City of London Corporation has imposed a lump sum pay increase for 2022/23 that is on average worth around 5 per cent. With the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 13.5 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 8.5 per cent. The workers also not see their wages rise during 2021/22, after the corporation reneged on the previous pay agreement. Unite’s members at the corporation are struggling with rocketing living costs and rents in London, one of the most expensive cities on the planet. Workers have reported using foodbanks, with one even sleeping in their car during the working week to keep travel costs down. Meanwhile, the local authority’s latest financial report shows it had reserves of over £1.2 billion in March 2022. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The City of London Corporation is monstrously wealthy but believes its already hard up workers should swallow a substantial real terms pay cut. The corporation does much to support and advocate for elite bankers earning millions. How can it possibly accept that its own staff should be driven to measures like using foodbanks and sleeping in cars just to get by? Unite never accepts attacks on our members’ jobs, pay or conditions and the corporation’s workforce will receive Unite’s unflinching support during these strikes.” The striking workers are employed in a variety of roles including security, police staff, grounds maintenance and administrative functions. Members of the GMB union are also involved in the dispute. The workers will stage an initial 24-hour strike on Thursday 25 May, severely disrupting the corporation’s key services. More industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved 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
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
Royal Mail Update from CWU
We want to start this update by thanking members and representatives for your support during what has been the most challenging period in the history of Royal Mail Group. After reaching agreement with the employer, it became apparent that the local working environment would remain challenging without an immediate and visible shift in approach from the company at all levels. On this basis we postponed the members vote on the national agreement to enable us to enter further discussions, covering:
– The crucial need to restore quality of service and USO compliance in every local office.
– To achieve the above the need for Royal Mail to work with the CWU and commence the process of reviewing failed revisions.
– The need for all delivery offices to have sight of their proposed start and finish times prior to the ballot.
Additionally, as previously explained, we have continued to explore the opportunity for an additional lump sum payment.
We are pleased to confirm progress has been made in all of these areas.
1. We have agreed a joint statement on section 2.5. A copy can be viewed here https://www.cwu.org/…/RMG-CWU-JOINT-STATEMENT-%E2%80%93…
The statement confirms the full restoration of the Industrial Relations Framework, a commitment to restore quality of service and USO compliance in every office and crucially – our reps are back at the negotiating table. To support the roll out of the joint statement an online event will be held at 0800 on Wednesday 21st June for every CWU representative and operational manager in the UK. We will also hold a CWU National Briefing next week. Further details on this will be shared in due course.
2. We have clarified further the position on later starts and finishes with the employer.
This includes details on how we will work together to further mitigate the impact of these plans locally and nationally. This position and an online form to find out proposals for your office can be found here https://www.cwu.org/national-agreement-proposed-start…/
Please take the time to read the joint statement on later starts prior to checking your office proposals https://www.cwu.org/later-starts-joint-statement/
3. We have secured an additional lump sum payment of at least £900 which will be paid upon ratification of the agreement. This is in addition to the already agreed £500 lump sum and any back pay you will be due from the 6% pay award from April 2023.
Details of the payment and the background to it can be found here https://www.cwu.org/pensions-statement
On the basis of the above the Postal Executive have now agreed for the members ballot on the Business Recovery, Transformation and Growth Agreement to go ahead. The revised timetable is as follows:
Ballot Papers dispatched Thursday 22nd June.
Ballot closes Tuesday 11th July.
We will now undertake an extensive engagement plan in the lead up to the ballot including live events, podcasts, videos, and written communications.
Yours sincerely,
Dave Ward General Secretary
Andy Furey Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Follow the latest news via CWU’s Facebook page, website and Twitter @CWUnews
New family-friendly shift options boost Santander work-life balance (3 Jul) – CWU representations to Santander UK for a simpler and more attractive set of shift patterns to help members manage their working requirements with their personal commitments have been comprehensively answered. Following detailed talks with the Bank that kicked off early in January, employees working in the banks’ contact centres are now being offered a revised range of options – which crucially include no change whatsoever for those who wish to remain on their existing patterns read more
CBRE pay deal worth a minimum of 8% overwhelmingly accepted (29 Jun) – Members in CBRE have voted by almost nine-to-one to accept a pay deal which delivers a minimum rise of 8% for engineers, fabric technicians, grounds maintenance staff, helpdesk advisers and multi-skilled hosts working on the outsourced facilities services provider’s BT contract 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
BREAKING NEWS!! Support the British Museum strikes (7 Jul) – PCS members at the British Museum will walk out for six days starting next week, because of the employer’s refusal to pay the £1500 cost of living payment. More than 150 PCS members belonging to the British Museum’s visitor services and security teams will strike on 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 July read more
PCS members in British Museum to strike after it refuses to pay cost of living payment (6 Jul) – The 6-day strike will begin next week over fair pay, protections to pensions, job security and the museum’s refusal to pay the one-off payment of £1,500. As part of our ongoing targeted strike action, more than 150 PCS members in the British Museum’s visitor services and security teams will strike on 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 July (picket lines will be from 8.45am to 11.15am each day) to seek a cost of living payment of £1,500 and fair pay, as well as pensions justice, job security and no cuts in redundancy terms. Despite the UK government’s recommendation for all employers to pay staff a non-consolidated £1,500 lump sum in recognition of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the British Museum is currently refusing to pay. PCS attended a meeting today (6) with the British Museum. Unfortunately, the employer continued to refuse to improve their “deeply insulting” pay offer and agree to a cost-of-living payment – so members have no other option other than to go ahead with industrial action next week. In our national re-ballot in May, British Museum members – on a huge turnout of 75% – voted 86% in favour of strike action, showing their commitment to keeping the pressure up on the employer read more
Disabled workers still facing barriers to reasonable adjustments (4 Jul) – A survey of disabled workers has found that nearly 4 in 5 (78%) have had to initiate their own reasonable adjustments in the workplace with some having to fund the adjustments themselves read more
Small boats policy suffers defeats in House of Lords (4 Jul) – The government’s small boats bill, part of an anti-refugee agenda which PCS has campaigned against since 2022, has this week suffered eleven defeats in the House of Lords read more
Court of Appeal rules the government’s Rwanda plan is unlawful (29 Jun) – PCS welcomes today’s Court of Appeal ruling that the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful read more
PCS demands pay meeting over part-time workers’ unfair treatment (3 Jul) – PCS has called for an urgent meeting with the minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss serious problems caused by how government departments plan to pay the £1,500 lump sum, in particular proposals to penalise part-time staff by pro-rating payments read more
Defence Pay Day (30 Jul) – Members are urged to review pay slips as Defence introduces new pay system. Defence Business Services (DBS) have switched to using the “pay module” of MyHR, this change affects all civil servants in UK defence that have salary paid by DBS. Reports from staff and members across Defence have come into DBS and unions indicating some initial teething problems with the new pay module read more
PCS opposes V&A’s removal of trans rights and LGBTQ+ materials from museum (30 Jul) – PCS opposes a decision by the director of the V&A to remove a poster supporting transgender rights and 2 books about LGBTQ+ identities from the Young V&A read more
ISS members in BEIS London vote for industrial action (30 Jun) – PCS members employed by ISS in the former department BEIS have voted overwhelmingly in a ballot to support industrial action on a huge turnout. The PCS BEIS London South Branch has voted by 98.51% to support industrial action on a 69.07% turnout, easily surpassing the required threshold. Security guards, cleaners, receptionists, porters and post workers employed by ISS are among the staff that were balloted for action. PCS is in dispute with ISS in BEIS over pay, improvements to conditions and union recognition for PCS. PCS have also demanded a no compulsory redundancy agreement and meaningful talks around an office move that takes place in the summer. It has also raised concerns over health and safety and equality issues, calling on ISS to conduct an equal pay audit and develop an action plan with PCS to reduce gender and ethnicity pay gaps read more
Mitie/G4S TUPE talks to include PCS representation for some Cabinet Office staff (29 Jun) – Collective consultation on the transfer of security staff from Mitie to G4S starts 4 July. There’s been a development in PCS’s ongoing dispute with Mitie regarding union recognition on the Cabinet Office 70 Whitehall contract. Mitie now accepts that PCS has recognition for 21 security staff working on the contract. PCS will continue to press Mitie to accept we have recognition rights for all staff on the contract. In the meantime, we will attend the first consultation meeting on Tuesday 4 July (alongside official PCS representatives for Mitie security staff on the FCDO East Kilbride site where PCS members recently won recognition) read more
Prospect
BT’s proposals for job cuts at Adastral Park extremely concerning (6 Jul) – Prospect is concerned by outline plans from BT Group to cut 1100 jobs from its site at Adastral Park over the next two years. BT has failed to set out reasonable justification for these plans which it claims are to save money and drive collaboration at other sites read more
Prospect ends national industrial action after winning improved Civil Service pay offer (3 Jul) – Prospect union is ending its coordinated nationwide industrial action, having consulted members and branches on an improved pay offer for civil servants from the UK Government. Representatives of affected branches chose to accept the government’s new offer, having secured wins on the three main causes of the dispute: a £1,500 lump sum payment for 2022/23, changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, and threatened job cuts read more – read more
Prospect helps member settle sexual harassment claim at National Highways (3 Jul) – Prospect’s Legal Team recounts how they have recently helped a member, who suffered horrendous sexual harassment at work, to settle her claim for a five-figure sum 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
GMB
BREAKING NEWS!! Three weeks of refuse chaos as workers down tools in Leicestershire’s ‘low pay capital’ (7 Jul) – GMB Union has today announced a three-week strike action of refuse workers at Blaby District Council. Fifty refuse staff at the authority are anticipated to join the strike action after council top brass ignored union attempts to initiate negotiations in the dispute. Strike action will see as many at 50,000 households go without refuse collections on Tuesday 1st to Friday 18th August read more
Swindon social workers balloted for strike action (6 Jul) – Swindon Council following the same path as Wiltshire Council, whose proposal was successfully blocked by GMB in December 2021. GMB, the union for social workers at Swindon Borough Council, is balloting for strike action in the Emergency Duty Service (EDS), the out of hours service providing 24-hour emergency care to vulnerable people in Swindon. Swindon Borough Council employs seven social workers in the Emergency Duty Service, including two managers, half of whom are mental health professionals. The council has announced that these staff will lose around £700 per month from 1 September, following a recent pay and regrading review, due to the removal of a 20 per cent unsocial hours payment. The union is warning that such a huge pay cut will see workers forced to leave for similar roles in other authorities or with other employers, jeopardising the viability of the service going forward. The legal notification was served today [Thursday 6 July], with the ballot due to open on Monday 17 July and close on Friday 28 July read more
South London hospital dispute to escalate despite partial victory on pay (6 Jul) – This is only a partial victory and the dispute will continue until ISS meets the pay claim submitted in 2022, says GMB union. GMB members working as cleaning catering staff across South London and Maudsley NHSFT are celebrating a partial victory in their long-running dispute. The members, who are employed by Danish outsourcing giant ISS, will be receiving pay rises previously owed to them in the next pay round. Their dispute over pay has been going on since April and has seen them take 13 full days of industrial action so far. Union members will be taking a further 8 days of strike action, commencing Monday 31 July read more
Canterbury Council and Canenco blame each other for refuse collection strike as tourism prioritised over residents’ bins (6 Jul) – Piles of rubbish could be avoided if workers were only paid the going rate, says GMB. GMB members working in refuse collection and street cleaning within Canterbury City Council have this morning continued their strike, as council bosses and the waste contractor blame each other for the dispute. Canenco, the employer, and council leaders are blaming each other, while GMB, the union for waste and recycling, believes that there is a deal that can be reached to get these essential hard working GMB refuse workers back to work. The union also understands that street cleaning vehicles were moved from the depot overnight but not bin lorries, in a clear indication that the cleaning of tourist areas is higher on the list of priorities than residents’ bin collections read more
Newly-elected Labour Canterbury Council hit by bin strike (5 Jul) – In their first 9 weeks in office, Labour-run Canterbury Council have failed to deal with the trade dispute which saw dozens of refuse collectors walk out as of this morning. Members of GMB, the union for waste and recycling services, today started a period of industrial action over pay, having failed to reach agreement with their employer, Canenco. Canenco is Canterbury City Council’s waste contractor but is wholly owned by the council, which acts as their only client. GMB secured the mandate for strike action in April, but had agreed to suspend the walkout pending talks, which have ultimately failed to provide a breakthrough. The latest pay offer was a small increase compared to the previous offer and was unanimously rejected by the members read more
Asda business committee recall ‘welcome’ (5 Jul) – GMB Union has welcomed Asda’s recall to Parliamentary committee. The supermarket giant was today asked once again to give evidence before the Business and Trades Committee. Last week, Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer Kris Comerford told MPs ‘fire and rehire tactics are not something ASDA employs’. Meanwhile thousands of Asda workers across 39 stores in the South East southern England are set to lose location-based pay supplements and be paid less for night shifts and face dismissal if they refuse to agree read more
‘Equal pay; no more delay’ Birmingham Council told (5 Jul) – GMB union have today responded to Birmingham City Council’s announcement that it will introduce a raft of governance measures in an attempt to address equal pay liability at the authority. This comes as the Council announced mandatory spending restrictions at the authority after council leadership accepted liability is anticipated to be as much as £760 million read more
CMA petrol price investigation ‘vindicates GMB calls over merger’ (3 Jul) – GMB has responded to an investigation by the CMA which found increased supermarket profit margins led to drivers paying an extra 6p per litre for fuel last year. Ahead of a merger between Asda and EG group, GMB Union wrote to Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, warning the merger could threaten food supplies and have a ‘chilling effect’ on fuel prices at a time when supermarkets are already being accused of petrol profiteering read more
Welsh farm feed workers to strike over pay disparity with English (30 Jun) – Dozens of agricultural feed workers in workers in Wales are set to strike unless they get the same pay as their English counterparts. A majority of 85 per cent of GMB Members at Forfarmers, n Carmarthen, voted to take strike action after the company failed to make an offer that would see them put on an equal footing with their colleagues at sites in England. Workers doing same role in England are paid up to 30 per cent more by the company read more
Durham care home closure leavers residents and workers ‘stunned’ (29 Jun) – A Durham care home is set to close leaving residents and workers ‘stunned’, GMB Union has warned. Hallgarth Care home, in Durham City, will shut in August leaving at the time of announcement more than 30 residents homeless and 40 staff out of a job. Durham County Council state that the current landlord, who owns the building, has refused to allow another care provider to take on the lease. GMB are calling on Durham council to take the facility back in house read more
Hospital workers march on Downing Street (28 Jun) – GMB members have been taking a campaign of industrial action since April, taking in a dozen days of strike action. The members are employed by ISS and work as caterers and cleaners across the four hospital sites operated by South London & Maudsley NHS Trust. The dispute centres around pay, terms and conditions, as these members have had pay rises withheld for years, as well as facing site closures, increasing workloads and bullying managers read more
Croydon housing and homeless department workers strike over cuts (27 Jun) – Slashing jobs in this service raises severe concerns around safeguarding, provision and remaining legally compliant, says GMB
Croydon Housing and Homelessness Department workers have voted to strike over the current restructure plans. GMB members at the authority will walk out on 28 and 29 June after a 94 per cent majority voted to walk out. Workers are worried and angry over a restructure across this vital department. Croydon Council declared bankruptcy for the third time in November 2022 read more
St Helen’s glass factory faces strike (26 Jun) – A St Helen’s glass cord manufacturer faces industrial action over pay. More than 170 workers at NGF Europe have voted to down tools following a final offer from the company of 5.65 per cent plus as £850 non-consolidated payment. Workers at other nearby NGF sites have been given a 6.75 per cent pay rise. Initial strike dates are as follows: 0600 2 July – 0600 4 July; 2100 8 July – 2100 10 July;
2100 13 July – 2100 14 July. A majority of 90 per cent of GMB members who voted supported strike action read more
Amazon faces Prime week strikes in next wave of industrial action (26 Jun) – Amazon faces strikes during Prime Week after GMB members at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre voted for more walkouts. Workers will walk out on Tuesday 11, Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 July – during one of Amazon’s busiest weeks of the year. Almost 900 workers are anticipated to join the strike action and will bring the total strike days at the retail giant to 22 read more
Coventry Amazon workers vote to extend strike for six months (14 Jun)
Leicestershire on brink of bin chaos as strike dates set (20 Jun) – GMB Union has today [Tuesday 20 June] announced dates for refuse strikes at Blaby District Council. Over fifty refuse and grounds maintenance workers will down tools for four days, on Wednesday, 28 June and Wednesday 5, 12 and 19 July. The strike comes in the wake of a dispute on pay with the council, which saw staff advised to use food banks if unable to pay their bills read more
Serco allowing ‘waste to pile high’ as Sandwell refuse strike enters third week (20 Jun) – GMB union has today urged action from outsourcing giant Serco as Sandwell refuse workers enter their third strike week. The calls come as the union has requested urgent talks with Council leadership following Serco’s refusal to negotiate with representatives of Sandwell’s refuse workers read more
Hinkley, EDF & Rolls Royce supplier faces strike (9 Jun) – Workers at a Hinkley Point C, EDF and Rolls Royce supplier have voted to strike after turning down a pay deal. More than 150 platers, welders and sheet metal workers at Darchem Engineering, in Stockton-Upon-Tees, will walk out for seven days follows: 22 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 27 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 29 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 4 July, from 6am for 24 hours,
6 July, from 6am for 24 hours, 11 July, from 6am for 24 hours, 13 July, from 6am for 24 hours. Workers turned down a pay deal of 6 per cent from 1 February, with a further 4 per cent from 1 October read more
Solihull parks and cemetery workers to strike (2 Jun) – Solihull parks and cemetery workers are set to strike in a pay dispute. Dozens of ground maintenance crews working for contractor IDverde will walk out for two weeks from 3 July and 10 July. A strike ballot, which closed today (Friday) saw 100 per cent vote for strike action on a 70 per cent turn out. Workers are angry because IDverde – who took over the contract from Amey last year – are trying to impose a real terms pay cut read more
Park workers striking across Merton and Sutton (30 May) – Industrial action over pay set to disrupt annual cricket tournament this week, along with the plans of many local people. GMB, the union for public services, is warning of huge disruption to the parks within the London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton as their members take strike action today and tomorrow [Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 May]. Parks workers outsourced to Idverde are taking two days’ strike action after unanimously rejecting the 2.5 per cent offer the company made them. The union members carry out a number of roles connected to the maintenance of parks, including landscaping, litter picking and opening and locking the parks. This action will therefore mean that parks risk not being opened up at all and is set to disrupt the running of the International Masoor Cricket Tournament, due to begin today in Merton read more
Tourist attractions across London to close as workers strike today (25 May) – London tourist attractions including Tower Bridge, Old Bailey, Barbican, museums, gardens, parks and markets could be forced to close after workers voted to strike. More than 900 City of London Corporation workers will walk out for 24 hours on 25 May in a dispute over pay. Workers voted for strike action by a majority of 77 per cent read more
Wiltshire Traffic Wardens vote for further strike action in ‘Fire & Rehire’ dispute (22 May) – GMB would prefer an amicable, negotiated solution, but if the council don’t compromise, we are ready for the fight, with a fresh strike mandate. GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, has confirmed that members have voted for further strikes in the ‘fire and rehire’ dispute affecting many frontline key workers. The dispute has already seen Civil Enforcement Officers (parking wardens) across the county take 10 days of strike action since plans were announced in 2021 to remove a contractual uplift for unsocial hours, which would cost hundreds of front-line workers up to 20 per cent of their salaries. GMB also understands that despite denials by council bosses that ‘fire and rehire’ was ever on the table, Wiltshire Council sought legal advice from a top legal firm in June 2022, on how to use the tactic to force through this pay cut. The strike ballot closed on Friday 19 May with 100 per cent of members who voted choosing to take action, thus extending the industrial action mandate read more
48 hour walkout begins at iconic Derbyshire glass firm (24 May) – GMB union members at glass manufacturer Pilkington Plyglass have begun a two day walkout in a dispute over pay. Workers at the firm have manufactured glass for iconic buildings worldwide, such as Dubai’s Palm Tower and the Stonehenge visitors’ centre. The company have been criticised for disparity in pay between Pilkington sites, with workers in Derbyshire reportedly offered a pay package £750 less than counterparts in other parts of the UK business. Workers will down tools on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 May read more
Durham aviation parts workers in strike vote (23 May) – A Durham factory that finished parts for the aviation industry is facing a strike vote. Dozens of GMB members at Nicholsons Sealing Technologies, in Stanley, will take part in an industrial action ballot beginning on 19 May. The vote will run until 1 June. Workers – many of whom operate heavy machinery and dangerous chemicals yet had to recieve a pay rise in April just to keep them above the new minimum wage – are angry over a ‘poverty’ pay offer. Although the offer is 6.7 per cent, that figure includes the legal rise the company was forced to give to keep workers above the National Minimum wage when it rose last month read more
Scapa tape makers strike (17 May) – Tape manufacturing giant Scapa faces industrial action after more than 50 workers voted to down tools over ‘unreasonable’ shift changes. The Ashton-Under-Lyme company wants workers – who until now have either worked early or late day shifts – to work 6pm to 6am night shifts every other week. After months of discussions, GMB Reps proposed a voluntary night shift which met the business’s needs – however this was dismissed, and bosses told workers the night shifts would be enforced from the middle of June. After a successful strike ballot, Scapa workers will walk out for the first time on Thursday 1 June from 6am to 10pm. An overtime ban will also come into force on 1 June, lasting until November 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
UNISON demands Thames Water answers (7 Jul) – Christina McAnea questions how the near financial collapse of Thames Water was allowed to happen and calls for renationalisation of the water industry read more
Government should commit to NHS pay talks now to avoid possible strikes next year (5 Jul) – Pay review body process long past its use-by date. The government must commit to holding direct pay talks with unions and employers for the wage increase health workers are due next year if it is serious about improving the NHS pay-setting process, says UNISON today (Wednesday). UNISON says the best 75th birthday present the health secretary could give the NHS would be to agree to start pay negotiations in the autumn, well in advance of next April’s wage boost for NHS staff read more
UNISON welcomes British standard on menopause support at work (5 Jul) – The new standard recognises that menopausal symptoms ‘can coincide with significant mid-life challenges and responsibilities’ read more
Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot (4 Jul) – As the higher education autumn term strike ballot enters its final few weeks, UNISON has been using a new way of encouraging voting read more
Fighting to protect workers’ rights (3 Jul) – UNISON is ‘deeply concerned’ about the impact of the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill as it gets its second reading in parliament today. UNISON is urging MPs to speak out and oppose the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill when it gets its second reading later today read more
Government must bring the water companies back to public ownership, says UNISON (29 Jun) – A short-term fix to bail out Thames Water won’t be enough. Commenting on the near collapse of Thames Water and suggestions that ministers are considering bringing the company back under public ownership temporarily, UNISON head of environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “The regulator has been asleep at the wheel. The owners of Thames Water have borrowed billions, yet downed every drop of profit, racked up gigantic debts and rewarded the poor performance of senior directors with huge salaries. Thames Water is meant to be delivering a vital public service. Instead, its reckless behaviour has led to regular sewage releases that pollute rivers, lakes and seas, kill wildlife, endanger public health and cause lasting environmental damage…” read more
Still time to vote on HE pay (20 Jun) – The higher education ballot is open until 31 July read more
Blog: Dig out that red envelope and vote ‘yes’ for strike action (20 Jun) – We need all of you to have your say, so we can smash through the restrictive anti-trade union ballot thresholds. If you’re a member in England or Wales and you work for a council or in a school, you have just two weeks left to vote for strike action. It’s a critical ballot in our dispute with your employers over pay, and the decision to take strike action is in your hands. Every single vote matters read more
EA workers renew strike mandate (31 May) – For the second time in this dispute over the 2022/23 pay offer, members at the agency voted to take industrial action. UNISON has announced that Environment Agency members have secured a mandate for strike action over the next six months after the recent industrial action ballot. The new mandate marks a continuation of the dispute, begun last year, where EA members voted for strike action over pay for the first time in the agency’s history read more
South Gloucestershire workers continue strike dispute (31 May) – Social workers and occupational therapists are taking their fourth and fifth days of strike action this week. Social workers and occupational therapists (OTs) working for South Gloucestershire council are to strike twice this week. Staff will walk out for two days of action, today (Tuesday) and again on Thursday (1 June) after voting overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute over pay. UNISON has been in dispute with the local authority since last summer. The new dates follow three days of strike action in April read more
Council and school staff begin strike ballot over pay, says UNISON (23 May) – Staff are leaving their jobs because pay is falling ever further behind, and neighbourhoods will suffer. More than a third of a million council and school support staff across England and Wales will begin voting today (Tuesday) on whether to strike over pay, says UNISON. The wage offer made by employers to local government staff is nowhere near what’s needed to meet rising prices during the cost of living crisis, says the union. UNISON had called for an increase of 2% above inflation. Now the union is asking more than 360,000 workers it represents in the sector whether they are prepared to take industrial action. Since 2010, the value of local government pay has fallen by 25% and the offer of a flat rate rise of £1,925 falls way short of workers’ expectations and needs, says UNISON. The six-week ballot, which closes on Tuesday 4 July, includes refuse collectors, social workers, teaching assistants, librarians and many more working at 4,000 different employers. A separate ballot for Northern Ireland will open in August read more
University strikes loom unless pay increases (15 May) – Staff at nine higher education institutions vote for action. Support staff at nine universities in England have voted to strike over a “sub-par” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today (Monday). Cleaners, IT technicians, library staff and other higher education workers will now decide on dates to take action unless UCEA increases its pay offer for 2023/24. UNISON says the current offer falls a long way short of inflation and staff deserve more. Staff could walk out at the University of Bedfordshire, University of Bristol, Liverpool Hope University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sussex, University of Winchester and SOAS University of London. The 2023/24 pay offer is worth 5-8% depending on salary, with a higher percentage rise for lower paid workers. Some of this amount – around £83 per month before tax – was paid early to staff in February to help with the increasing cost of living 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!
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up – Council staff staged a protest on 17th May 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
Beyond the Politics of Hate (29 Jun) – from Carmel Gates NIPSA General Secretary: At our recent conference we debated and supported a motion that condemned how “the current UK government has decided to play the basest ‘divide and rule’ politics with an issue that needs a legal and humanitarian approach – the question of refugee protection”. Conference also encouraged our Union to “support refugees and combat the racist, divisive approach to this issue propagated by the mainstream media and opportunistic politicians.” The importance of developing this debate was first raised directly by our Social Worker members in the Belfast Trust and I would like to personally thank them for doing so. It is a tribute to them that NIPSA’s solidaristic work on these issues continues to grow…” read more
Royal College of Nursing
‘You can’t recruit your way out of a retention crisis’ (30 Jun) – RCN responds to release of NHS workforce plan for England, calling for investment in experienced nursing staff and better financial support for nursing students read more
RCN Wales pauses July strikes after securing formal talks with the Welsh government (27 Jun) – As a result, the upcoming RCN Wales statutory ballot, due to open on 3 July, will also be put on hold read more
Majority of Manx Care nurses vote to strike and reject latest pay offer (23 Jun) – Eighty per-cent (80%) of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members who responded to the ballot for strike action, have voted in favour 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
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
CSP
CSP members in Northern Ireland to move to industrial action ballot (6 Jul) – CSP members in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly to move to an industrial action ballot following a consultative survey. This ballot is the necessary next step to potentially allow members to take legal strike action read more
BMA
Support the Junior Doctors strike read more
Donate to support striking junior doctors
BREAKING NEWS!! Junior doctors strikes suspended as improved offer to be put to BMA members (7 Jul) – Following an intensive series of negotiations the Scottish Government has put forward a new pay offer for Junior Doctors to BMA Scotland. Today this offer was reviewed by your Scottish Junior Doctors Committee (SJDC) in an emergency meeting. As a result SJDC has suspended strike action. This means the planned 72 hour walkout from 12-15th July will not go ahead read more
BMA calls on Government to come forward with credible pay offer for consultants in England and avoid strikes as senior doctors vote yes for (27 Jun) – The BMA’s consultants committee is calling on the Government to present a credible pay offer for consultants in England, and to commit to meaningful reform of the broken pay review process, in order to avoid strikes by senior doctors after members voted yes to industrial action. More than 24,000 consultants in England voted in the BMA’s ballot (a turnout of 71%), with 20,741 (86%) voting for industrial action read more
Consultants in England vote YES to take industrial action (27 Jun) – BMA Consultant members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. The consultant ballot results are as follows:
Turnout: 71.08%
Number entitled to vote: 33,915
Number of votes cast in the ballot: 24,106
Number of YES votes: 20,741 (86.08%)
Number of NO votes: 3,354 (13.92%)
Number of spoiled or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 11
This result demonstrates the strength of feeling among consultants: there is absolutely no justification for consultants today being valued a third less than they were 15 years ago. It also sends a clear sign to Government that our pay must be fixed now and for the future. Unless Ministers come back to us with a credible offer, we plan to call 48 hours action 7am on Thursday 20 July. Guidance to come in the following days read more
Junior doctors to hold longest strike yet in July – Junior doctors in England have announced a new five-day walkout in July – the longest yet – over pay. The strike will take place between 07:00 on Thursday 13 July and 07:00 on Tuesday 18 July. The British Medical Association (BMA) union, which represents doctors, said a government offer of a 5% rise was not “credible” and that pay has not kept up with inflation read more on BBC website
Scottish junior doctors reject pay offer and call strike dates (13 Jun) – Scottish junior doctors have voted conclusively to reject the pay offer made by the Scottish Government. The leadership of BMA Scotland’s junior doctor committee today confirmed three days of strike action will take place on July 12th– 15th unless an improved offer that the BMA believes could credibly be put to members is put forward by Scottish Government. The results of the consultative vote saw 71.1% vote to reject the offer. The turnout was 66.3% read more
Juniors in England prepare to re-ballot read more
HCSA
Guidance for HCSA Consultant AND SAS members for BMA strike days (28 Jun) – HCSA has produced the following guidance for consultant and SAS members on how planned BMA consultant strikes will affect your work. This is preliminary guidance but as further detail emerges, HCSA will update this page read more
HCSA Scotland urges health secretary to reopen talks after members vote no to pay offer (13 Jun) – HCSA Scotland – the hospital doctors’ union has today urged Health Secretary Michael Matheson to reopen pay talks after 67% of its junior doctor members voted No to the latest offer. A member consultation which concluded this week rejected Scottish Government’s pay offer for junior doctors, paving the way for strike action by HCSA Scotland members in coming weeks. HCSA Scotland junior doctor members voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a formal ballot last month read more
Society of Radiographers
SoR announces radiography strike dates in England (7 Jul) – 48 hours of action planned across NHS trusts after ministers cut off talks. The Society of Radiographers has announced that it will be holding 48 hours of strikes, from 8am on Tuesday 25 July to 8am on Thursday 27 July 2023. The union sent a letter to affected NHS trusts on Thursday 6 July, notifying them of the dates when members will be withdrawing their labour, after ministers ruled out further talks while industrial action was proposed. Representatives from each trust will work with employers to provide life and limb cover for patients. This usually consists of the same staffing levels that would be provided on a bank holiday. Members in trusts including the Royal Marsden, University College London Hospitals, Liverpool University Hospitals and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, have a mandate to go out on strike if the government is not prepared to discuss urgent improvements to pay and conditions for the radiography workforce read more
SoR leaders gearing up for strike action on 75th anniversary of NHS (5 Jul) – The SoR leadership has warned that the looming industrial action by members is necessary to help keep the NHS going for another 75 years. As the nation marked the NHS anniversary, the Society was planning for strikes following a ballot on the England pay award that saw radiographers in 43 NHS trusts vote for action read more
NEU
BREAKING NEWS!! NEU strike action (7 Jul) – Following two further days of strike action this week by NEU teacher members across England for a fully funded pay increase, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said: “We are calling on the Government to publish the STRB report and restart discussions with the unions, which Government has paused since before Easter. We believe that the STRB has recommended a 6.5% across the board pay rise, and if such a rise were properly funded implementing such a rise could bring this dispute to a close. However, with no word from the Government about the reopening of negotiations and with rumours that the Government is intending not to implement the STRB report, the NEU continues with our re ballot of members for industrial action in September. We will not be alone. Education unions ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT are also balloting members for strike action read more
Joint letter on STRB delay (4 Jul) – Union leaders call on Education Secretary to stop delaying school pay review body recommendations. In a joint letter to Gillian Keegan the leaders of the TUC, NEU, NASUWT, NAHT and ASCL warn that the ongoing hold-up is causing huge anxiety read more
NEU Executive schedules further strike action (17 Jun) – The National Executive of the National Education Union has agreed two further days of strike action this term. The days of action will be on Wednesday July the 5 and Friday July 7. These strike days are covered by an existing ballot of members, which closed in January. Legislation requires that after six months, the ballot is renewed. The NEU’s re-ballot for strike action opened on 15 May and will close on 28 July. In parallel to this, the education unions ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT are also balloting members in pursuance of improved pay and funding for teachers in England. The NEU reballot and the ballots by the other unions will allow coordinated action in the Autumn term if there is no settlement to the dispute read more
NEU re-ballot (15 May) – NEU re-ballots members in continuance of dispute with Government for a fully funded teacher pay increase. Today (Monday) the National Education Union is commencing a new national ballot of teacher members in England. The dispute between Government and the National Education Union for a fully funded pay increase which stops the decline in teacher recruitment and retention remains unresolved. Therefore, the union is re-balloting teacher members working in England’s state-funded schools. Re-balloting of our members is necessary as the current ballot is only effective as a mandate for strike action during a six-month period. The legitimacy of the current ballot ends on 13 July 2023. This second ballot, opening today and closing on 28 July 2023 read more
NASUWT
BREAKING NEWS!! Failure to remove asbestos a deadly legacy in our schools (7 Jul) – On Action Mesothelioma Day, which takes place today (Friday), the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is calling for the urgent prioritisation of removal of asbestos from school buildings in order to safeguard the health and welfare of education staff and pupils. The last official figures published by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2019, showed that asbestos is present in four out of five schools (81%) in England. The Joint Unions Asbestos Committee (JUAC) estimate that 1,000 school staff in Great Britain have already died from mesothelioma between 1980-2017, and up to 9,000 former pupils may also have died from mesothelioma during the same period. Last week the National Audit Office estimated that as many as 24,000 school buildings were beyond their initial design life, and of particular risk were 13,800 “system-built” blocks constructed between 1940 and 1980. Many of these contain asbestos read more
Union leaders call on Education Secretary to stop delaying pay review body recommendations (4 Jul) – The TUC and school unions have today (Tuesday) called on the Education Secretary to stop delaying the publication of the School Teacher Review Body (STRB) pay recommendations read more
Surrey teachers strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (29 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at More House School are taking strike action as part of a series of strikes over threats to sack staff unless they agree to changes to their pensions, making them worse off. The school in Frensham, Surrey, is forcing teachers to accept changes to their pension contributions under threat of “fire and rehire”. Staff have been left with no option but to take further strike action to protect their incomes and their pensions read more
NASUWT announces further strike action at Hutchesons’ Grammar over pensions (27 Jun) – Members of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow will be taking a further six days of strike action in August and September following the decision of the school to renege on plans to delay the compulsory transfer of teachers’ pensions to a new scheme. Members will take strike action on 29th, 30th and 31st August and 5th, 6th and 14th September. After initially agreeing to delay any transfer of teachers from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) to the schools’ alternative defined contribution scheme, last week the school backtracked and stated it intends to go ahead with the transfer from the start of the new academic year in August. The NASUWT has been in dispute for many months with the school over the transfer of teachers’ pensions. NASUWT members have already taken two days of strike action in May read more
Teachers across Swansea vote for industrial action (26 Jun) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union across Swansea have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over adverse employer practices, threats to job security and the failure of Swansea Council to comply with existing collective agreements. In the ballot 92% of members voted to support strike action and 96% voted to support action short of strike, based on a turnout of 59% read more
Barnet teachers strike over workload and working conditions (21 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Mill Hill School in North London are taking the first of seven days of planned strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over workload and working conditions. The school is pressing ahead with changes which will increase teachers’ workload and is also cutting paid time off for staff to care for sick children and for key dates of religious observance read more
Teachers at Coventry School Foundation take further strike action over pay (13 Jun) – 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 further days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday over pay. Members are now facing a second successive significant pay cut. Following the imposition of a pay award for 2022/23 that was significantly below inflation, employers have made a pay offer for 2023/24 which once again represents a real-terms pay cut read more read more
Trade dispute – sixth form colleges (13 Jun) – In ballots of teachers in sixth form colleges, NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union, has today issued notice to the Education Secretary and employers of potential national industrial action, including strike action and action short of strike action across sixth form colleges in England. NASUWT members in 56 sixth form colleges secured ballot mandates with 87.6% of eligible members voting to support strike action and 93.7% voting in support of action short of strike action based on an overall turnout of 64.9% read more
London teachers strike over threats to pensions (24 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Augustines’ Priory School in West London are taking strike action today and tomorrow (Wednesday May 24 and Thursday May 25) as part of eight days of strike action in May and June over threats to sack staff unless they sign contracts that will leave them with inferior pensions. The Ealing school, which charges as much as £18k a year, wants teachers to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and accept an inferior pension leaving them worse off in their retirement. Members have been told they must sign new contracts or risk being dismissed from their jobs. The school’s governors are refusing to allow trade unions to be part of formal negotiations opposing the changes. This has left NASUWT members with no other option but to take strike action at the independent Catholic girls’ school read more
Guildford teachers strike to protect pensions (17 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Royal Grammar School Senior in Guildford are taking the first of five days of planned strike action today after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they agree to new contracts that would leave them with worse pensions. The Employer is seeking to impose inferior pension arrangements on teachers which would adversely affect their future financial security read more
NASUWT to ballot members for strike action (15 May) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is balloting eligible members for industrial action in state-funded schools and sixth form colleges across England over pay, workload and working time. The ballot for state-funded schools will open on June 5 and close on July 10. A ballot for sixth form colleges opens today (May 15) and will close on June 12. The ballots are the result of the failure of the Government to agree the NASUWT’s demand for a fully-funded restorative pay award for all teachers employed in state-funded schools and sixth form colleges in England, and to resolve the issue of excessive workload and long working hours 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
NAHT
NAHT Cymru secures new mandate for continued industrial action (28 Jun) – School leaders in Wales have supported continuing industrial action, which could escalate to strike action. NAHT Cymru members have been taking action short of strike since February in their dispute over pay, workload and funding. In March, they voted to reject an offer from the Welsh government covering both 2022/23 and 2023/24. The union launched a reballot of its members on June 5, to renew its mandate for industrial action, which was due to expire in July. And they have overwhelmingly backed continuing their industrial action, with 95% supporting continuing action short of strike, and 74% prepared to strike if necessary. The government has nevertheless awarded the 3% pay uplift offered for the current academic year, but despite its assurances this would be fully funded, concerns among NAHT members that this would not be the case have proved justified in many areas of the country read more
NAHT members in Jersey back industrial action in island’s schools (27 Jun) – Members of school leaders’ union NAHT have voted in favour of industrial action in Jersey. A resounding 86% of members voted in favour of strike action, with 98% supporting action short of strike (ASOS). Turnout was 68%. Following the ballot, NAHT’s Jersey executive has decided members should take action short of strike in the first instance. It will today serve the seven working days notice required, meaning the action will commence on Wednesday, July 5 read more
NAHT opens strike ballot after school leaders reject government’s offer (15 May) – School leaders’ union NAHT has today opened its strike ballot after members rejected the government’s most recent offer on pay and working conditions. Ballot papers are this week being sent to the homes of NAHT members asking one simple question: ‘Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike’? The union’s ballot is open until 31 July, with education unions having agreed to coordinate strike action in the autumn term if it is supported by their members and the dispute cannot be resolved. Members have to vote by post by law. The ballot is being held over four issues: pay and funding; recruitment and retention; workload and wellbeing; and inspection – specifically the impact this has on school leaders’ mental health and wellbeing read more
EIS
EIS condemns aggressive and intimidatory anti-union tactics at North East Scotland College (NESCol) and lodges an anti-bullying dispute (5 Jul) – The EIS has condemned the systematic threatening and intimidatory behaviour of North East Scotland College as it has sought to undermine and frustrate lawful industrial action short of strike at the college, and has launched a trade dispute to address these concerns. NESCol is a public body; an arm’s length body of the Scottish Government and its employees are public servants. Members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) have been carrying out industrial action short of strike action (ASOS) in pursuit of the pay claim for 2022-23, during this period of high inflation. Members at NESCol were sent formal notification on Tuesday 27th June of NESCol’s intent to ‘withhold 100% of wages, for each member engaged in industrial action short of strike (ASOS), in the form of a results boycott, each day for the remainder of the academic year’ read more
EIS-FELA Edinburgh College Staff Take Strike Action Over Compulsory Redundancies (26 Jun) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) at Edinburgh College have today (Monday) taken the first in a series of days of strike action in response to compulsory redundancies at the College. The EIS-FELA Branch at Edinburgh College has had an active strike mandate in place for some weeks in pursuit of a dispute regarding compulsory redundancies, which has been successful in reducing the number of jobs under threat, through negotiation. The EIS wrote to the College Principal last week urging further talks. Despite this, the College has rejected the appeal of one member of the lecturing staff against compulsory redundancy as of 30th June read more
EIS Members Resume Strike Action at Hutchesons’ Grammar over Fire and Rehire (20 Jun) – EIS members at Hutchesons’ Grammar, an independent fee-paying school in Glasgow, have resumed their programme of strike action over the school’s use of fire-and-rehire tactics to force teachers onto new contracts with inferior pension provision. Picket lines are in place again at Hutchesons’ Grammar sites this morning. Strike action was halted two weeks ago, following the school’s announcement that it would delay its plans for a year and enter info further talks with teaching unions. The school has since reneged on this previous announcement and now plans to press ahead with its plans this year, leading to the resumption of strike action by EIS members today read more
EIS-FELA Dundee and Angus College Staff Balloting for Industrial Action (6 Jun) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) at Dundee & Angus College are balloting for industrial action, following a proposal by the college to begin compulsory redundancies by the end of June. The proposals come as part of a wider plan by college management to make savings, including cuts to the number of courses on offer to prospective students and staff in these areas. EIS-FELA has warned that the move will undermine the Scottish Government’s efforts to retrain young people in target industries and risks damaging the reputation of the college read more
EIS-FELA Responds to “Completely Unacceptable” Revised pay Offer from Colleges (2 Jun) – Negotiators from the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) met again, with College Employers Scotland, in an attempt to settle a long running pay dispute. Despite the EIS-FELA making significant movement, by revising their previous pay claim, college employers only tabled a marginally improved offer, asserted as their full and final offer, that still amounts to substantial real terms pay cut for the lecturing workforce. With college students due to complete their studies in the coming weeks, time is now running out to avoid large numbers of students failing to receive their results due to industrial action short of strike, in the form of a resulting boycott, being taken by the EIS-FELA membership. The EIS-FELA has made clear previously that in the absence of an acceptable pay offer, industrial action will be escalated to national strike action early in the new academic year read more
City of Glasgow College Lecturers take Strike Action (30 May) – There has been strong turnout on picket lines as lecturers at City of Glasgow College (CoGC) began a programme of strike action over planned cuts and redundancies. Lecturers at the college will be on strike for the rest of the week, with 4-days of strike action then set to continue each week for the following three weeks. The commencement of strike action is an escalation in the dispute, building on a programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) already in place at the college read more
INTO
Industrial Action Update (29 Jun) – As members prepare for their well-deserved and much needed summer break, it is now a full school year since you were balloted and voted for industrial action. Teachers and school leaders continue to demonstrate their capacity to fight for a salary that properly reflects their true worth to society, a salary that will allow them to feel properly valued and respected as the professional educators they are. While congratulating our members, and those teachers from the other unions that make up the NITC for their determination and resolve, I would like to take this opportunity to outline the proposed road of travel for the unions moving forward. The thirty-five individual pieces of action that make up our current action short of strike remain in place for September 2023. I would ask members to take some time to revisit these actions, and to ensure that they are embedded in their school practice going into the new school year. The five teacher unions have acted as one throughout this period of action, and this must continue. To this end, the NITC Industrial Action Sub-committee will meet prior to schools returning to prepare a calendar of further action for the 2023/24 school year. Once these dates have been agreed, we will communicate them to our members. This will happen in August so that the Committee will be acting against the background of the most up-to-date information regarding the political and educational situation and to allow for fully informed decisions to be taken. It is imperative that this fight continues read more
UCU
Starmer ‘should be backing staff, not bosses’ (6 Jul) – Responding to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Today Keir Starmer was given an opportunity to show support for university staff engaged in industrial action but instead chose to undermine them. UCU members are fighting for a sector that properly values staff, and we are proud to have the overwhelming support of students. The leader of the Labour Party should be backing staff, not bosses. He needs to recognise that the status quo in UK higher education is damaging and call on employer body UCEA to settle the dispute, not condemn staff fighting for the future of higher education. ‘University staff have been forced to take this action because successive governments have failed to properly fund higher education…’ read more
University marking boycott requires UK-wide resolution (28 Jun) – UCU called on UCEA to immediately commence negotiations to resolve the UK-wide marking boycott. The union was responding to the interim arrangement reached between Queen’s University Belfast management and UCU branch read more
Strike ballot opens at Stanmore College after ‘pitiful’ 1% pay increase (21 Jun) – A strike ballot over low pay and poor working conditions will open tomorrow at Stanmore College in London. The college has offered staff a paltry 1% consolidated pay increase alongside a £1.5k one off payment. It has also attempted to reconfigure its offer but the envelope of money available has not changed. The most recent college accounts show the number of senior management earning £60k-£160k doubled from three to six in 2022, representing a £165k increase to the wage bill read more
Nine days of strikes at University of Leicester over pay docking (19 Jun) – Staff at the University of Leicester begin nine days of strike action on Wednesday over the university’s enforcement of 50% wage deductions for staff taking part in the marking boycott. The full days of strike action are:
- week 1: Wednesday 21 June
- week 2: Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 June
- week 3: Tuesday 18 July, Wednesday 19 July, Thursday 20 July, Friday 21 July.
Management at Leicester plans to stop paying staff 50% of their salary from the first day marking becomes available until the boycott ends. The boycott covers all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally at 145 UK universities. It will continue until employer body the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) makes an improved offer in the ongoing pay and working conditions dispute, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off. In March UCU successfully renewed its mandate in the ongoing national pay and conditions dispute, allowing action to be called for a further six months at 145 universities, including Leicester. UCU members at 21 universities have now either taken or confirmed they will take strike action over pay docking read more
Strikes set for Liverpool John Moores University over pay docking (13 Jun) – Staff at Liverpool John Moores University will down tools on Friday in the first of eight days of strike action in response to the university’s enforcement of 50% wage deductions for staff taking part in the marking boycott. Friday’s strike will hit a key university open day, and staff will rally outside Metropolitan Cathedral, next to the university’s John Foster building from 1pm. The full days of strike action are:-
Week 1: Friday 16 June
Week 2: Thursday 17 and Friday 18 August
Week 3: Monday 18, Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September.
Management at John Moores has started docking the pay of staff who are boycotting marking by 50% despite the fact that staff continue to teach, support students, write references, provide pastoral care, undertake research and attend public events read more
Strike at University of Bristol amid ‘dodgy’ degree scandal (7 Jun) – Staff at the University of Bristol are set to strike on Friday 16 June during an open day in an acrimonious pay dispute, UCU announced today. UCU members are also boycotting marking. The university has responded by bypassing degree accreditation processes and confirming it will dock 50% of pay from staff participating in the boycott. Hundreds of staff and students have signed an open letter condemning management’s attempts to degrade the credibility of any degrees awarded by the university read more
Strike ON tomorrow at University of Westminster over 100% pay docking (6 Jun) – Staff at the University of Westminster will be on strike tomorrow after management confirmed it will dock 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking boycott. Striking staff will be picketing main entrances at 309 Regent Street and 35 Marylebone Road from 5pm to 7.30pm to coincide with the university’s postgraduate open day. UCU members are striking because Westminster is deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. The boycott covers all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally at 145 UK universities. It will continue until employer body UCEA makes an improved offer in the ongoing pay and working conditions dispute, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off. In March UCU successfully renewed its mandate in the dispute, allowing action to be called for a further six months at 145 universities, including Westminster read more
Indefinite strike action to hit University of Leeds over 100% pay docking (2 Jun) – Over 1,800 staff at the University of Leeds will begin indefinite strike action from Thursday 15 June after management confirmed it will be deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking boycott. The strike could continue for months unless management stop docking staff pay. UCU said pay deductions of up to 100% are utterly unacceptable as staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott continue to teach, lecture and support students as normal read more
Tyne Coast College faces two strike days next week in pay row (2 Jun) – Over 100 staff at Tyne Coast College will down tools next week in a fight over fair pay. Staff will strike on Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 June. They will be picketing outside main entrances from 7.30am to 9.30am on both strike days. The College has said it will be ‘closed for lessons’ during the strike days. The strike comes after 94% of those who voted backed strike action. Turnout was 54%. It is over the 2022/3 pay claim, which comes on top of multiple real-term wage cuts and a recent pay freeze (2019/20) read more
Strikes to hit four Yorkshire colleges during GCSE exams in pay & conditions fight (1 Jun) – Staff at Leeds City, Harrogate, Kirklees and Bradford colleges will strike for four days from Monday 5 June unless employers make an improved pay offer. The days of strike action taking place at all four colleges are: Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June, Monday 12 June, Wednesday 14 June. UCU said college leaders only have themselves to blame if strikes disrupt crucial GCSE maths and English exams set to take place next week. Staff at Kirklees and Bradford colleges already went on strike last month in their disputes. Bradford college staff also intend to take further action in June read more
Five days of strikes to hit Sheffield Hallam University in pay docking fight (30 May) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will resume strike action tomorrow (Wednesday 31 May) in the first of five days of action after the university began deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott. Staff at the university have already taken two days of strike action in response to the deductions, on 25 and 26 May. The further full days of strike action called are: Wednesday 31 May, no pickets; Thursday 1 June, no pickets; Friday 2 June, picket location: City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB; Wednesday 7 June, picket locations: Collegiate Cres, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2BP; City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB; Thursday 8 June, picket locations: Collegiate Cres, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2BP; City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB. Staff are striking because Sheffield Hallam is deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal read more
UCU Congress votes for England wide college strike ballot (28 May) – Members attending UCU’s Congress have voted to ballot further education colleges across England for strike action. The ballot will be launched in September and if successful will lead to strikes from October, unless employers meet UCU’s demands over pay, workloads and the Living Wage. The decision follows an e-ballot of around 18,000 UCU members at 190 college branches in which 87% of members who voted said yes to strike action. Turnout was over 50%. UCU is demanding a pay offer in excess of RPI inflation, a national workload agreement and binding national pay negotiations. Earlier this month employer body the Association of Colleges refused to make a national pay offer read more
University of Winchester staff begin strike action tomorrow in fight against pay deductions (23 May) – Staff at the University of Winchester will begin strike action tomorrow as part of a fight back against 100% pay deductions for staff taking part in the current marking and assessment boycott. The University of Winchester has announced that they will make wage deductions of 100% for staff taking part in the boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. Strike action will last for at least 6 days in the first instance throughout May and June. Last month, UCU successfully renewed its industrial action mandate, allowing strikes to be called for a further six months. The current marking and assessment boycott covers 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 read more
Staff at Manchester College and UCEN Manchester to begin strike action next week in row over low pay (12 May) – Staff at Manchester College and UCEN Manchester will take 12 days of strike action starting on Monday 15 May, UCU announced today. The strike comes after 94% of members who voted said backed industrial action in a ballot with a 59% turnout. This will be the fifth time that staff have been forced to take industrial action this year. An offer of 2.7% (the lowest for colleges in the North-West) was rejected by members against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis and inflation above 13% read more
Brighton University staff vow to strike in defence of over 100 jobs (10 May) – Staff at the University of Brighton have voted unanimously to ballot for strike action at an emergency UCU branch meeting last Friday. The meeting was called after the university announced plans to make up to 97 academic posts and a number of professional services staff redundant. UCU said the cuts could see well over 100 staff lose their jobs. The university claims it is cutting staff because it needs to make £17.9m in savings. The cuts would mean a huge reduction in lecturers in subjects including art, media, education, architecture, engineering, humanities and sport science. Yet Brighton already has one of the worst student to staff ratios in the UK and has spent over £50m on building projects in the last two years. Unless the university halts it could be hit with a strike ballot before the end of the month read more
Barnet & Southgate College strikes set to hit GCSE, BTEC & A-level exams (10 May) – Staff at Barnet and Southgate College will strike for three days from Friday 19 May in a long-running pay dispute. The strike dates will impact crucial GCSE, BTEC and A-level exams, including English and Maths. The full strike dates are: Friday 19 May, Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June. UCU said there is still time to call the strikes off and stop disruption to exams if the college makes a realistic pay offer. The strike comes after an overwhelming 96% of staff who voted backed taking action in a ballot to extend the union’s industrial mandate. UCU members have already downed tools for three days in the long-running dispute after college bosses imposed pay awards of just 1% for 2021/22 and 1% for 2020/21. The college has now imposed a further pay award of just 2.5% for 2022/23 read more
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
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
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
Tory anti-union laws could be met with mass campaign of non-compliance (3 Jun) – The government’s latest anti-union laws could be met with a mass campaign of non-compliance after they become law. The Minimum Service Levels Bill would give employers and the government the power to compel workers in some sectors to work on strike days despite having a democratic mandate for industrial action. In a letter to fellow trade union leaders today, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said that the legislation was “one of the worst assaults on the rights of working people in Postwar Britain”, adding that “we have no choice but to build mass opposition to it, including developing a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make it unworkable.” He wrote: “This campaign cannot be won by any union acting alone. We must act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.” The Fire Brigades Union is now calling for a conference in the autumn to discuss the strategy and practicalities of such a campaign – putting the plan into action. Momentum is also now building behind a national demonstration against the new laws, initiated by the RMT at its conference last week. In his letter to fellow trade union general secretaries, Wrack argued that “with a national demonstration and a mass movement of non-compliance, we can build an alliance that can defeat this law in the streets and in the workplace.” Read more
POA
Parliamentary coverage of the debate on the funding of prisons and probation – 4th July 2023 – Parliamentary coverage of a debate in the House of Commons on 4th July, 2023, on the funding of prisons and probation. This provided a detailed critic of the problems faced by the Service and a POA Briefing paper circulated through the Joint Unions in Prison Alliance was used throughout the exchanges read more
NAPO
BREAKING NEWS!! Probation staff burnout survey (7 Jul) – Napo members who are, or in the last 6 months have held, certain roles as defined by the researcher (Probation Officer, Probation Service Officer or PQiP) are invited to take part in an online, anonymous survey to support a research project regarding stress and burnout in Probation practitioners. The researcher has indicated the survey will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. In light of our ongoing ‘Operation: Protect’ national workloads campaign we would encourage as many eligible members to support this research project if at all possible read more
BFAWU
BFAWU members at Allied Bakeries in Liverpool are out on Strike! (31 May) – Our members at Allied Bakeries in Liverpool have taken the difficult decision to withdraw their labour this week over a pay dispute, the picket line over the last 24 hours has had plenty of support from the membership and the public with lots of drivers beeping their horns and waving and passers by passing on their support! Read more Donate to the strike fund
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
Further strike dates announced in dispute over BBC local radio (6 Jul) – BBC journalists in England will be taking strike action from 11am on July 20 to 11am on July 21, which will hit coverage of the results of a number of Parliamentary by-elections. The NUJ is in dispute with the BBC over plans to cut local radio output by almost half making many popular presenters redundant, cancelling shows and forcing local stations to share content across larger regional areas. The action follows a 48-hour strike last month and a 24-hour stoppage in March. The strike will involve journalists working in local radio, regional TV and online read more
NUJ welcomes UN commitment to investigate threats against BBC News Persian journalists and their families (6 Jul) – The confirmation was announced on 5 July during the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has welcomed a commitment from the United Nation’s Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, to investigate the targeting of Iranian journalists and their families both inside and outside Iran read more
NUJ slams further redundancies at Reach plc (5 Jul) – The union has expressed its dismay at redundancies announced by publisher Reach, on 3 July. The NUJ understands 11 roles have been put at risk of redundancy with seven job losses expected from this pool. The cuts will affect roles in regional sport, In Your Area management and four specific roles in the Live Network. They present yet another blow to journalists deeply concerned about job security and low morale following several cost-cutting redundancy rounds read more
Statement by Séamus Dooley, NUJ Irish Secretary, on RTÉ barter accounts and spending (5 Jul) – Dooley states NUJ members and their colleagues in RTÉ are “shellshocked” at the breakdown of expenditure released by the RTÉ Executive Board to Oireachtas Committees this morning read more
NUJ welcomes terms of government review in RTÉ (4 Jul) – Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced the review today. The National Union of Journalists has welcomed publication of the terms of the government’s review into corporate governance and workplace culture at RTÉ read more
National World journalists deliver vote of no confidence in chairman (5 Jul) – The executive chairman of National World has lost the confidence of hundreds of journalists working for the company’s newspapers and websites across the UK read more
BBC Local: political pressure mounts with No. 10 petition (4 Jul) – Calls to pause and rethink cuts to BBC local radio were taken to the heart of Westminster on 3 July, as a huge petition was handed into 10 Downing Street read more
British government must not risk safety of journalist Ghazi Ghareeb Zorab (30 Jun) – NUJ Parliamentary Group writes to Immigration Minister calling for a halt to the deportation of Zorab to Iraq read more
Inquiry finds undercover police actions were unjustified (29 Jun) – Report published by the Undercover Policing Inquiry reveals actions by officers would have been brought to a rapid end had they been publicly known. An inquiry has found Scotland Yard’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) used intrusive methods as part of police action spying on groups. Sir John Mitting, chair of the Undercover Policing inquiry has concluded in his report, that tactics by the SDS should have been addressed at the highest levels of the Metropolitan Police Service and Home Office. Officers obtained personal information and formed close relationships including those sexual in nature. Left-wing groups were targeted as part of operations, with Witting reporting right-wing organisations were not pursued as the unit believed “existing coverage sufficed” and there was concern “about the risk of violence which such a deployment might pose.” Read more
Equity
Statement released following Scottish festival cancellation (30 Jun) – A statement has been released by Equity and sister unions Bectu and The Musician’s Union following the announcement that Doune the Rabbit Hole festival has been cancelled for 2023 and the foreseeable. This comes after ongoing concerns from the unions about the festival’s solvency and unpaid debt accrued by the festival in recent years. Adam Adnyana, Equity’s Industrial official for Scotland has encouraged affected members to contact the union as soon as possible read more
Community
Community marches for future of Britain’s steel industry (28 Jun) – Hundreds of steelworkers from every single one of Britain’s steelmakers march on Parliament today (28 June 2023) calling on the Government to take urgent action to secure the future of Britain’s steel industry read more
USDAW
Protect the right to strike! Usdaw calls on Peers to again challenge the Government’s anti-union Bill after ILO concerns (4 Jul) – Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the Government to drop their Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill and break the deadlock on this controversial legislation. Today (4 July) the House of Lords will consider the Bill again after the Government and Conservative MPs blocked amendments made by Peers for a second time, as the parliamentary ‘ping-pong’ continues read more
Bradford manufacturing site set to be closed by Morrisons – Usdaw will enter into consultation talks (3 Jul) – Retail trade Union Usdaw has been briefed by Morrisons about their intention to close a manufacturing site at Cutler Heights in Bradford. The company is proposing that the work will now be done from their existing Thrapston site, in north Northamptonshire, and their site at junction 41 of the M1 near Wakefield. The company has set out a proposed timetable for a phased closure to be completed by the end of October read more
BCM Fareva propose the closure of their site in Beeston, Nottinghamshire – Usdaw to enter into consultation talks (30 Jun) – Cosmetic and pharmaceutical manufacturer Fareva has proposed the closure of their facility on the Boots site at Beeston in Nottinghamshire, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. The French company bought BCM (Boots Contract Manufacturing) in 2017. The business will now enter a period of collective consultation with staff whose roles are affected read more
UVW
School cleaners return to the picket line to fight for their jobs (4 Jul) – “I’m fighting for the many injustices committed against me for being a trade union member and I believe this is trade union victimisation… I’m simply going to fight for my rights, for me and for my colleagues” – Patricia Medina Gallego, sacked cleaner at the La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School and UVW member. The outsourced cleaners at La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School in south London are returning to the picket line on 5 and 7 July, for the second time in three years, alongside striking National Education Union (NEU) teachers. The striking cleaners are demanding that the school withdraw plans to change their working hours that would lead to several cleaners losing their jobs. They are further demanding the reinstatement of a cleaner, Patricia – a 21 year old Spanish national – who was fired without due process or right of appeal. UVW has filed an application for interim relief with the Employment Tribunal on her behalf read more
Former Saint James Tavern striking bar staff win thousands of pounds in compensation as bosses settle all claims (29 Jul) – Former pub Saint James Tavern (SJT) landlords have agreed to pay over £80,000 in compensation to UVW members to settle claims of unfair dismissal, trade union victimisation and harassment. The pub bosses reached a settlement with the brave workers who were abruptly dismissed after they unanimously voted in favour of strike action for decent wages and working conditions. The compensation award to the workers is in addition to having to pay five of the sacked workers their wages for months, after judges awarded them Interim Relief (IR) in October 2022 read more
All aboard the UVW strike bus! (13 Jun) – All aboard! A bus load of cleaners, carers and concierge workers together with dozens of supporters, went on a whistle stop tour of five workplaces on strike, marking the first day of a three-day coordinated strike involving seven groups of workers! These brave workers picketed the offices in large numbers and with jubilant dancing and chanting of the Department for Education, publishing powerhouse Ogilvy, the prestigious London School of Economics and Sage Nursing home. They wrapped up the day leafleting residents at West End Quays luxury apartments. Tuesday 13 June was a day of joyful resistance as low-paid, precarious and migrant workers called for dignity, equality and respect. Specific demands included full sick pay, an end to outsourcing, £15 an hour, unsocial hours enhancements and more. Refusing to be invisible, the UVW open-top double decker strike bus cut through the heart of the establishment in central London, gathering support along the way and in their local communities…If you want to support these brave workers, you can DONATE and or SHARE their strike crowdfunder.
You can also JOIN their action group for updates on the campaign and details of how to join a picket line.
Get to know the workers and their demands here and SPREAD THE WORD! Or send a letter of protest to their employers. Takes 1 minute!
- Equality now for Streatham and Clapham High School
- Give the Ogilvy night shift cleaners what they need and deserve
- London School of Economics pay your cleaners their holiday pay!
IWGB
UCL Security Guards protest at Open Day after redundancies and pay cuts announced during cost of living crisis (30 Jun) – UCL’s outsourced security guards will protest to disrupt the university’s Open Day on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July, resisting plans to make 40 staff members redundant and drastically reduce the contractual hours for many of the remaining workers. The demonstration, organised by members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), will highlight to prospective students UCL’s broken commitment of parity between in-housed and outsourced staff made in 2019 and draw attention to the many staff being forced into poverty because of these reneged on promises. Security guards, outsourced to subcontractor Bidvest Noonan, have been campaigning since 2019 against “structurally racist” outsourcing practices at UCL, which they say create a two-tier workforce where the majority BAME outsourced workers are denied the same rights, pay and working conditions as directly employed staff read more
Cycling instructors set for first ever strike after 14 year pay freeze (30 Jun) – London based cycling instructors representing the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain (IWGB) will go on strike for the first time ever after a 14 year pay freeze. The strike will take place on Friday afternoon, with further strike action planned for every week in July. Striking cycling instructors are demanding pay restoration, a fair cancellation policy and an end to unpaid admin time read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU has called on the Government to urgently intervene in Tara Mines crisis (6 Jul) – SIPTU has called on the Government to take immediate action to attempt to resolve the crisis facing workers, their families and the economy which will result from a temporary closure of Tara Mines in Navan, county Meath, which is scheduled to commence on 14th July. SIPTU TEAC Division Organiser, Adrian Kane, proposed a motion jointly sponsored by SIPTU, Unite and Connect trade union at the ICTU Biennial Conference in Kilkenny, this morning (Thursday, 6th July) calling for government action on the Tara Mines crisis. It was unanimously endorsed by conference delegates read more
SIPTU meet management concerning threatened job losses at BD plant in Drogheda (4 Jul) – SIPTU representatives have met with management at the BD medical technology manufacturing plant in Drogheda, county Louth, to discuss an announcement that it intends to implement up to 60 job losses read more
SIPTU talks with Government to continue on Tara Mines temporary closure threat (4 Jul) – SIPTU representatives have called on the Government to expedite measures to protect the livelihoods of members employed at Tara Mines and the long-term future of the facility in county Meath, following a meeting with ministers this afternoon (Monday, 3rd July) read more
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
Felixstowe 4’ protest demands justice at CK Hutchison AGM (18 May) read more
UK facing taps and pipes shortage as Warrington based GXO drivers strike over sacking of Unite rep (12 May) read more
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up: 6pm Wednesday 17th May Hackney Town Hall 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
From NUJ website: Philippines – NUJ condemns targeted attacks against journalists (5 Jul) – Journalists in the country face hostile environments, restrictions on reporting and false labelling by authorities as terrorist organisations read more on NUJ website
From GMB website: Hong Kong unionist arrest warrant ‘abuse of power’ (5 Jul) – GMB Union has condemned an arrest warrant issued by Hong Kong Police for Christopher Siu-Tat Mung, the Executive Director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor and former Chief Executive of the independent Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) read more
From NUJ website: Palestine – Israeli forces target journalists during Jenin raid (4 Jul) – NUJ joins the International Federation of Journalists in condemning the deliberate targeting of journalists by Israeli snipers read more on NUJ website
From NUJ website: India – journalist’s body found in river (29 Jun) – Abdul Rauf Alamgir’s death marks the second killing of journalists in India this year. The National Union of Journalists joins the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in calling for an urgent investigation into the killing of Abdur Rauf Alamgir read more on NUJ website
Diary
July
29 Troublemakers at Work Conference 2023: Friends Meeting House, Manchester – supported by Workers Can Win!, Strike Map, NSSN and Organise Now!
September
10 NSSN TUC Rally Liverpool 1pm
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