The TUC Congress in Liverpool, that starts this coming Sunday September 10th, comes at a critical time for the trade union movement. The Tories’ new anti-union legislation, the Minimum Service Level Act (MSL) was passed into law before the Parliamentary summer recess. This means that striking unions can face massive fines and their members when taking action can be under threat of dismissal.
The FBU, RMT, Unite, UCU and NASUWT all have motions on opposing the MSL. The NSSN is lobbying TUC, and supporting all these motions, that if passed would set out a fighting programme to take on and defeat this latest Tory attack on the union movement and our right to strike. The strike wave that has built over the last few years and particularly the last 12 months or so shows workers are prepared to fight to get the pay rises we need and also resist other government and employer attacks on our jobs, conditions and the services we provide. That same period has shown that this is a crisis-ridden Tory government that can be beaten.
NSSN pre-TUC Congress Rally in Liverpool on Sunday September 10th: Fight the Tory anti-union attack – from 1pm at Premier Meetings, Liverpool Albert Dock L3 4AD
The NSSN is delighted to announce the confirmed speakers at the rally that we have again called at TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday September 10th – Union General Secretaries Sharon Graham Unite, Sarah Woolley BFAWU, Steve Gillan POA, Mick Whelan ASLEF and also a speaker from NAPO. We will also give a platform to the many strikes that are taking place.
Reasonably priced car parking – car park in Kings Dock St, Liverpool L1 8LE
The annual NSSN Conference on 24th June debated the model motion (now updated below) and unanimously voted to agree it, including supporting the NSSN rally and lobby of TUC Congress. We encourage all union branches and trades councils to discuss the motion and hopefully agree it.
The NSSN agrees with fighting unions that are calling for action to ensure that no union is left isolated against the Tory anti-union laws. The NSSN believes that if workers take action together, the crisis-ridden Tories and their anti-union offensive can be defeated.
Watch videos of NSSN Conference – Opening Chair’s remarks with brief highlights of the rally and interviews
The leaflet for the NSSN TUC Rally & Lobby is here.
You can email us via [email protected] for transport information
To go on the bus from Hull & Leeds – click here
To go on the bus from London – email [email protected]
West Midlands coach:-
Coventry pick-up – 8:30am, outside the old swimming baths, Fairfax St, Coventry City Centre CV1 5RQ. Returning approximately 7pm
Birmingham pick-up – 9am, outside the Alexandra Theatre, Suffolk St Queensway, Birmingham City Centre B5 4DS. Returning approximately 6:30pm
For more info/to book a space call/text Nick on 0797 449 3525 or Max on 07413 641450 or email [email protected] Facebook event
The following are supporting lobbying the TUC. Send us details if your union also agrees to support and we’ll include in this list:-
Nottinghamshire, Nottingham & Mansfield Trades Council, RMT Piccadilly and District West, Hounslow Unison, Hounslow TUC, Ealing TUC, RMT LU Engineering, Southwark Trades Council, Waltham Forest Trades Council, Unite LE/1228 Waltham Forest Council Branch, Unite Housing Workers LE1111, Free Our Unions, Liverpool Trades Council, Unite NW /540 Howden supply division Runcorn, Scotland CWU No2 branch, CWU Highland Amal, BFAWU Kernow, Surrey County Unison, Unite Community Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire branch, Southampton and South West Hampshire TUC, Cardiff Trades Council, Cardiff General Unite branch WA/1048, Unite WM/6050 Tom Mann branch, Birmingham TUC, Coventry TUC, Unite NW 127404 Branch, Unite WM/6030 South Birmingham branch, Coventry CWU Telecoms, Walsall TUC, Birmingham UCU, Hull Trades Council, Sheffield RMT, Sheffield TUC, Swansea Trades Council, Southern East Kent Trades Union Council, Bristol Trades Union Council, Leeds Trades Union Council, Stevenage & District TUC, Carmarthenshire Unison Local Government Branch, Basildon Unison Local Government Branch, Unison NCA Health, Knowsley Unison Local Government Branch, Caerphilly Trades Council, Wakefield Trades Council, Unison Mid Yorkshire Health Branch, Unite Merseyside Area Activist Committee, Unite Notts Area Activist Committee, Unite EM/NG32 Nottinghamshire Health Branch, Brighton Trades Council, Portsmouth Trades Council, Carlisle TUC, Winchester & Andover TUC, Hampshire County Associations of TUCs, Hackney Unison Local Government Branch, Hackney Trades Council, Plymouth Trades Council, Blackpool Fylde and Wyre TUC
Model Motion on Tory Minimum Service Levels Act
This conference/union/branch/trades council recognises the ‘Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act’ 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 Act allows 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
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
RMT welcomes unprecedented response to ticket office closure consultation (4 Sept) – RAIL UNION RMT calls for plans to close all ticket offices in England to be abandoned today after transport watchdogs London TravelWatch and Transport Focus received over 680,000 responses to the proposals. The consultation on train operator proposals has raised huge concerns around accessibility, safety and security, issues with ticket machines and the wholesale de-staffing of stations. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that this unprecedented level of responses only reiterated the strength of feeling among the public against the dehumanisation of the rail network read more
Merchant Navy Day (3 Sept) – Seafarers union, RMT today paid tribute to the historic contribution of merchant navy Ratings to the economy, security and maritime traditions of all nations in the UK read more
RMT response to RDG letter (1 Sept) – RMT Press Office: Mick Lynch general secretary said: “While it is encouraging that the train operating companies want to continue dialogue with us next week, a fresh proposal will be needed to progress this dispute towards a settlement. “Their most recent proposal has been rejected and we will have to try and see if we can find a way forward. Our strike action remains on this Saturday and our industrial campaign will continue until we reach a negotiated settlement on working conditions, job security and pay.“ read more
Strike action goes ahead after RDG fails to give any response to RMT initiative (1 Sept) – Railway staff working on 14 train operating companies will take strike action on Saturday, after rail bosses refused to acknowledge RMT roadmap letter. RMT wrote to the Rail Delivery Group laying out a series of principles that could pave the way for a negotiated settlement to this long-running dispute. However, rail bosses refused to even acknowledge receipt of the letter and briefed the media that they had rejected it instead. 20,000 RMT members have been taking strike action for over 18 months in pursuit of a deal on job security, working conditions and pay read more
RMT comments on Calmac ferry poll result (31 Aug) – CalMac Ferries union RMT today welcomed the result of a public poll on the naming of one of the two delayed vessels on order from Ferguson Marine. Hull 802, originally intended for introduction on CalMac’s Uig Triangle routes which link Skye, Harris and Noth Uist in 2018 will be named Glen Rosa in reference to a glen on the Isle of Arran, another island community on the Clyde and Hebrides ferry contract read more
Unipart Rail staff take four days strike (29 Aug) – Engineers, clerical staff and production operatives working for Unipart Rail will start a 4-day strike on today. RMT members are angry that management has been unwilling to improve a derisory 4.75% which the union has flatly rejected. Despite attempts by union negotiators to recommend a pathway to a resolution, Unipart cancelled a last-ditch meeting, torpedoing any chance of calling strikes off. Unipart workers will be on strike in Crewe from: 00:01 hours on Tuesday 29th August 2023 until 23:59 hours on Friday 1st September 2023 read more
Sign petition: Reinstate Anne Howie RMT Activist – Anne Howie RMT activist at Manchester Piccadilly is facing dismissal with no due process
CrossCountry rail staff take strike action (17 Aug) – Workers on CrossCountry trains will take four consecutive Saturday strikes in a dispute over working conditions. Management proposals for staff in Edinburgh would see members becoming poorer, after CrossCountry withdrew an earlier financial offer. There is also no commitment to ensure that members currently with flexible working arrangements will continue to keep their existing agreements in their entirety. CrossCountry informed the RMT that all despatch duties will cease, and that the despatch element of our members current role ‘does not meet their business model’. RMT believes this is the thin end of the wedge. Attempts to resolve the issue through dialogue have so far failed and the union has been appalled at the attitude displayed by management who have focused on circulating propaganda to staff attempting to divide the workforce rather than come to a settlement… Strike dates are as follows:-
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 19th August 2023
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 26th August 2023
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 2nd September 2023
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 9th September 2023 read more
ASLEF
ASLEF: Train drivers’ union announces new industrial action (18 Aug) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has today [Friday] announced another one day strike – on Friday 1 September – and an overtime ban across the UK rail network on Saturday 2 September. The strike will force companies to cancel all services in this country and the ban on overtime will seriously disrupt the network as none of the privatised train operating companies employs enough drivers to provide a proper service without drivers working on their days off. The 16 companies affected include: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; c2c; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Great Western Railway; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains read more
TSSA
Help save ticket offices in 25 seconds! Sign petition
TSSA tells government to think again after historic ticket offices consultation response (4 Sept) – TSSA – the union for railway ticket office staff – has called on the government to immediately scrap plans to close almost every ticket office on England’s railways. The union today wrote to Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, after it was revealed by Transport for London and Transport Focus that close to 700,000 people had responded to the consultation on the future of ticket offices read more
TSSA demand TOCs implement dispute resolution agreement (4 Sept) – Peter Pendle, TSSA Interim General Secretary has today written to TOCs. TSSA has today written to Train Operating Companies (TOCs) demanding that they honour the deal made with TSSA members in February this year. TSSA had previously written to TOCs on 8 August and received replies from seven companies. As C2C, Greater Anglia, Govia Thameslink Railway, GWR and Southeastern have failed to reply TSSA has written to them again today read more
Ticket office consultation ends today – last chance to respond! (1 Sept) – TSSA rail union is urging anyone who has not yet done so to respond to the public consultation on ticket office closures before it ends at midnight tonight (Friday 1 September). TSSA has led the campaign to encourage members of the public to take part in the consultation, forcing the government to extend the initial consultation period and ensuring that over half a million people responded. TSSA members and reps have staged campaign events at stations up and down the country and will continue to do so until the Westminster government reverse their foolish and unnecessary plans read more
TSSA offers sympathies after deaths of Italian Rail Workers (31 Sept) – TSSA has offered its sympathies to the families and friends of five railway workers in Italy who were killed after being hit by a train. The five workers are thought to have been replacing track between Milan and Turin when they were struck by train travelling at a reported hundred miles an hour. TSSA President Melissa Heywood said: “This is a sad day for the whole railway family. TSSA’s sympathies are with the friends, families and co-workers of the victims read more
TSSA condemn “phony” Minimum Service Levels consultation exercise (25 Aug) – Large picket line at York station with placards and Rachael Maskell MP. TSSA today condemned the government’s “phony” consultation on the Minimum Service Levels (MSL) legislation saying “If they had any interest in listening to us it wouldn’t be happening.” The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 was passed earlier this year despite protests by trade unions read more
Unite
Unite reaction to Birmingham council’s financial plight (5 Sept) – Unite the UK’s leading union, which represents hundreds of workers at Birmingham City Council has described the announcement that the council is effectively bankrupt, as being a direct consequence of its chronic financial mismanagement. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Birmingham City Council’s workers must not pay the price for the council’s or central government’s incompetence and financial mismanagement. Our members undertake vital frontline services that are essential for the communities they serve and they should not be impacted through no fault of their own. Unite always prioritises the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and will support those at Birmingham City Council to ensure they are not mistreated due to council and government failings.” Unite regional officer Lee Wiggetts-Clinton said: “Unite is seeking urgent meetings with the council to ensure that Birmingham’s loyal workforce are not made the scapegoats for the financial crisis, which is not of their making.” Read more
Twin protests planned in Belfast against union-busting by construction company Murphy International Ltd (5 Sept) – Protest at Infrastructure Department over inclusion of Murphy International Ltd on Civil Engineering Contractor shortlist. Mott McDonald protested over union-busting by Irish subsidiary of its strategic business partner J Murphy and Sons
When: Wednesday 6 September at 11am (Department for Infrastructure) and 1pm (Mott McDonald offices)
Where: (11am) Department for Infrastructure HQ, Clarence Court. 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8GB; (1pm) Mott McDonald 6th Floor, the boat, 49, Queens Square, Belfast
Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be holding two protests in Belfast tomorrow [Wednesday September 6th] over the union-busting activities of Murphy International Ltd. The protests represent an escalation of a solidarity campaign set up after the company sacked four Unite members (including a Unite rep) last year, in a blatant act of union busting read more
Gateshead International Paints strikes end after Unite secures improved pay deal (5 Sept) – Strikes by more than 230 Gateshead workers employed by International Paints, which is owned by Akzo Nobel, have ended after they voted to accept an improved pay offer. The two-year deal, secured by Unite, the UK’s leading union, includes a six per cent increase in basic salary and allowances back dated to April this year. From April 2024, basic salary and allowances will increase by a further five per cent unless a better deal is secured at another International Paints site, in which case the workers will receive pay parity with that site…Strike action which began at the end of July has now ended and the workers have returned to work as normal read more
Workers at KP Snacks in Rotherham postpone strike action (4 Sept) – A meeting was held today (Monday 4 September) between Unite representatives and KP Snacks management. The workers will now vote on a revised pay offer from the company. Therefore, the week-long strike due to commence tomorrow (Tuesday 5 September) has been postponed while workers vote on the new offer read more
KP Snacks told to “shell out” or face more strikes (4 Sept) – Workers announce two extra weeks of strikes. A week-long strike begins on Tuesday 5 September followed by two more weeks of action from Monday 18 September. Eleventh hour talks will get underway today (Monday 4) to avoid a nut shortage across pubs and supermarkets. The factory in Rotherham is the sole producer of KP Nuts so the walk-out will stop the production of one of Britain’s favourite snacks read more
Warwickshire Stagecoach strikes suspended as workers balloted on new deal (4 Sept) – Bus driver strikes, by members of Unite, employed at Stagecoach in Warwickshire, have been suspended to allow workers to be balloted on a new pay deal. Following negotiations held today (Monday), a new pay offer was put forward by Stagecoach. Strike action due to begin tomorrow (5 September) has been suspended. Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said: “Following an improved offer from Stagecoach, Unite has suspended strikes in order to ballot its members on the new offer.” If the deal is rejected, indefinite strike action will begin on Tuesday 12 September. Approximately 350 bus workers based in Warwickshire are involved in the dispute read more
Petrofac offshore contractors on Kittiwake platform to vote on strike action (4 Sept) – Pay and working rotas at core of latest dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (4 September) that offshore workers employed by Petrofac Facilities Management Limited on the Kittiwake platform are to be balloted on strike action. Around 30 Unite members on the EnQuest owned asset will take part in the ballot which opens on 11 September and closes on 12 October. This includes electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders and crane operators. Unite’s members are demanding that the Energy Services Agreement (ESA) three per cent uplift in July 2022, be applied to the workers. Petrofac to date has not applied the increase under the terms and conditions of the ESA which covers around 5,000 workers in the UK Continental Shelf. The ESA is signed by 16 contractors, as well as three unions including Unite read more
Westminster libraries workers to strike in pay dispute (4 Sept) – Members of Unite, employed by Westminster City Council across the borough’s libraries, will begin strike action this Wednesday (6 September) in a dispute over pay. The workers have rejected the national pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925. The offer is below the rate of inflation and amounts to a real terms pay cut. The workers will initially take four days of strike action on 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th September. Strike action will disrupt services across the borough read more
General secretary Sharon Graham statement on Tata Steel job losses (2 Sept) – Commenting on today’s (Saturday 2 September 2023) breaking news of significant job losses at Tata Steel, Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “This government could make us the green steel capital of Europe – instead they are choosing to follow a job cuts agenda. Unite will leave no stone unturned in the fight for jobs. We will now be mounting a significant campaign on this issue and we fully expect the Labour Party to make a serious commitment to a better future for UK Steel.” Read more
Pay strikes at Norwich hospital and Norfolk health centres intensify (1 Sept) – Pay strikes at hospitals and health centres across Norwich and Norfolk will intensify next week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (1 September). There will be significant disruption impacting on patients, as workers employed by Norse Commercial Services take further strike action in the dispute over pay. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, undertake critical maintenance duties for all Norfolk Community and Health Care Trusts’ hospitals and health centres. The workers have rejected a four per cent pay increase, which is a substantial real terms pay cut with the current true inflation rate (RPI) standing at nine per cent. Industrial relations have further deteriorated as Norse has imposed the four per cent increase and blamed the hospital trust for not being prepared to increase payments on the contract read more
First Manchester and GMAT bus strikes suspended as workers ballot on new offers (1 Sept) – Oldham bus strikes, by members of Unite employed at First Manchester, will be suspended next week (4, 5, 6, 7, 8 September) to allow workers to be balloted on an improved deal. Strike action plans by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport (GMAT) workers have also been put on hold to allow Unite members to be balloted on a better offer…Fresh strike action will be scheduled if the workers reject the new deals read more
Stagecoach Manchester strikes off after Unite secures significant pay rise (30 Aug) – Workers accept new offer from employer following union campaign – pressure now on First Group to follow suit. Stagecoach Manchester bus drivers have called off their proposed strike action after accepting a new pay deal, Unite, the country’s leading trade union, announced today (Wednesday 30 August). Unite members voted to accept the deal which will see pay increases of approximately 16 per cent for both new and established drivers – well above the current RPI rate of inflation of nine per cent. The new pay deal also includes pay rises for weekend and bank holiday work and follows an aggressive campaign by Unite on behalf of its members across Greater Manchester. While industrial action by Stagecoach drivers is now cancelled, First Manchester drivers are still heading to the picket line as the employer has refused to come to the table with an improved pay offer acceptable to members read more
Workers at Lincat Lincoln commercial kitchen maker to strike over pay (1 Sept) – Workers demand better offer from profitable firm after years of shrinking wages. More than 100 workers based at commercial kitchen manufacturer Lincat will begin pay strikes next week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The low paid workers have rejected a split pay deal that would see wages increase by 5.5 per cent back paid from January until June this year and then a further six month pay deal of eight per cent from June. Higher paid workers have been offered tiered pay rises, none of which reached eight per cent. The deals offered to all workers are real terms pay cuts when the true rate of inflation, RPI, stands at nine per cent. Lincat’s skilled workforce have suffered years of erosion to the value of their wages. Hourly pay, which for most is £12.03, used to be substantially above the minimum wage but over successive years that gap has continued to shrink. According to its latest financial returns, Lincat raked in operating profits of £8.9 million for the year to January 2022. The company is part of the US-based Middleby corporation, which brought in revenues of over $1 billion in the second quarter of 2023 read more
Sandwich shortage to hit shelves after Greencore fails to offer decent wage to workers (1 Sept) – Unite members at food supply company to strike after low pay offer. Workers at convenience foods producer, Greencore, are to begin strike action over poverty-levels of pay from their employer, Unite, the country’s leading trade union, announced today (Friday 1 September). Over 500 workers, many earning as little as £10.53 an hour, are demanding increased pay. Following the failure of Greencore to make an improved offer, workers have been left with no choice but to head to the picket line. Strikes will begin on 11 September and last until 9 October. Greencore is a major supplier of sandwiches and ready meals to big supermarkets like Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Co-Op as well as high street retailers like Boots. The industrial action will likely see a shortage of sandwiches on the shelves for consumers. Unite members perform a range of vital roles at Greencore including factory line workers, quality controllers, store workers and cleaners. Greencore’s last accounts show profits of over £15 million read more
500 Scottish Water frontline workers emphatically back strike action (1 Sept) – 92 per cent in consultative ballot state willingness to strike in pay and grading dispute. Unite the union has today (1 September) confirmed that around 500 frontline Scottish Water workers have indicated support for strike action in an escalating dispute over a new grading structure and pay. A consultative ballot result indicated 92 per cent of Unite’s members supporting strike action at Scottish Water on a high turnout of 84 per cent. Unite can further confirm that it will now imminently hold an industrial action ballot involving the key frontline workers. The membership includes waste water operatives, water treatment and burst repair operatives, maintenance engineers, electricians and sewage tanker driver read more
Cambridge University workers fight for better pay deal (31 Aug) – Unite members ballot for industrial action after university offers real terms pay cut. Essential workers at Cambridge University are balloting for industrial action after the university cut their pay in real terms. One of the world’s most prestigious institutes of learning, the university is only offering between a five and six per cent increase. With RPI currently sitting at nine per cent that represents a real terms pay cut of at least three per cent. Unite’s members are demanding above-inflation rises to cope with the cost of living in one of the most expensive parts of the UK outside London. 450 members working in the university library, the department of engineering, estate management, the Fitzwilliam Museum and information services will be balloted over industrial action. The ballot opens on Tuesday 5 September and closes on Monday 9 October. Should it be successful, strike action is expected to commence in late October 2023, coinciding with students returning for the Michaelmas term read more
London NHS workers to strike over safe staffing crisis (31 Aug) – NHS workers at four London NHS Trusts will take strike action next month in a dispute over safe staffing and pay. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed at Barts Health NHS Trust, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust, East London Foundation Trust and Guys and St Thomas’. Over 2,800 workers will be involved in the strikes including nurses, pathologists, cleaners, caterers, porters and ancillary roles. The dispute is a result of workers experiencing staff shortages, which have reached such a dangerous level that they risk the health of patients and threaten staff welfare. A recent survey of Unite NHS members revealed that 48 per cent said during the past year staffing levels in their areas regularly reached a point where “patient care has been compromised and unsafe”. For workers in frontline roles these figures rose to 57 per cent. Allied to the safe staffing crisis, the workers are also striking about low pay. Unite members voted to reject the government’s pay deal, as it amounted to yet another real terms pay cut. In addition, over 1,000 workers at Barts are in dispute as they failed to receive the £1,655 lump sum payment, which was part of the NHS pay settlement for 2022/23, due to having previously been outsourced to Serco and only in recent months brought back into the NHS. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “NHS employers must stop sweeping the staffing crisis under the carpet. Hospitals are so short of staff that patients are frequently being put at risk. Until the fundamental causes of low pay and impossible working conditions are resolved, the problem is only going to get worse.” The workers at the various trusts will be striking on different days: The Barts workers will be on strike from 13-14 September and then from 16 – 22 September. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust workers will strike from 13-14 September. East London Foundation Trust workers will strike on 13 September and Guys and St Thomas’ workers on 13-14 September. The strike action is an initial phase and if NHS managers fail to act on Unite’s concerns then strikes are set to intensify and other trusts across the UK are likely to join the dispute read more
PTSB: Unite seeking 13% cost-of-living pay increase (31 Aug) – Pay claim follows profit boost in wake of Ulster Bank deal. August 31st: Unite, which represents a majority of workers in Permanent TSB, is seeking a general pay increase of 13% for 2024. The pay claim follows PTSB’s return to profitability, posting a €267 million pre-tax profit last year after acquiring €5.2 billion in assets from Ulster Bank. Announcing its 2022 results earlier this year, the bank noted that it expected its core business to grow and remain strong in 2023. Entry-level staff and some call centre personnel at the bank have starting annual salaries as low as €27,500, or less than the real Living Wage read more
Hull Citizens Advice strikes intensify as protests spread to Bridlington and Goole (30 Aug) – Wealthy charity ‘disgracefully’ refusing to award national pay deal after years of doing so. Strikes by over 60 Hull and East Riding Citizens Advice workers intensified this week, as protests spread to the bureau’s offices in Bridlington and Goole. Nine consecutive days of fresh strike action began this week, following four days of industrial action in late July and August. The workers voted for strike action after the charity refused to increase pay in line with National Joint Council (NJC) scales operated by local authorities, as has been the norm for the last 20 years. The NJC has recommended a consolidated payment of £1,925 for all grades for 2022. Citizens Advice in Hull and East Riding can afford to implement the payment and had cash reserves of £1,076,156 as of 31 March 2022, with that amount set to increase by the end of the year…The workers began strike action yesterday (29 August) and will continue striking on 31 August and 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 September. Citizens Advice services will not be available during this time. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Protests will take place outside the Bridlington Citizens Advice office on Tuesday 5 September from 10:00 and the Goole Citizens Advice office on Wednesday 6 September from 10:00. A picket line outside the Hull office will be held on all other dates read more
North Tyneside council workers to strike in pay dispute (30 Aug) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by North Tyneside council will begin strike action next month in a dispute over pay. The 260 plus workers have rejected the national pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925. The offer is below the rate of inflation and amounts to a real terms pay cut. The workers will initially take strike action on Wednesday 6 and 13 September. Strike action will affect services across the council however, Unite members are predominantly in building trades, health visitors, school and nursery nurses, admin roles and bereavement services read more
Luton airport facing major disruption tomorrow due to industrial action (29 Aug) – Passenger using Luton Airport tomorrow (Wednesday 30 August) are facing extensive disruption and delays as workers at three different companies are involved in strike action. The most severe disruption is set to be caused by the walkout of workers at ground handlers GH London, due to a complete breakdown in industrial relation. GH London is responsible for all Wizz Air’s ground handling operations at the airport. The 100 plus workers are taking strike action as a result of GH London continually targeting and threatening a Unite rep with disciplinary action; the use of CCTV and audio recording of workers in break rooms without agreement; the company’s failure to follow its own disciplinary and grievance process; the disproportionate use of discipline against ethnic minority employees; and its failure to pay wages in full and on time. Further strikes have been announced for 6 and 13 September. Last ditch talks aimed at resolving the dispute held at the conciliation service Acas today (Tuesday 29 August) ended without agreement. Workers employed by Saase Limited on the airports outsourced cleaning contract will also be on strike tomorrow. The workers who are paid just £10.90 an hour, have rejected a below inflation pay increase. The strike will result in dirty toilets and an unkempt airport. Both groups of workers will also be joined by car park workers employed by APCOA. The workers are taking industrial action as a result of their company imposing a below inflation pay offer. Strike action results in delays for passengers and staff who use the car parks and terminal at Luton Airport. The workers taking action include valet parking workers and bus drivers transporting passengers and staff from car parks to the airport terminal read more
Scottish university and college workers strike set to disrupt new academic term (29 Aug) – 1,000 Unite members set to walk-out for five days. Unite the union has today (29 August) confirmed that around 1,000 members employed in four universities and four colleges across Scotland are set to take strike action during the first weeks of the new academic term. The trade union recently confirmed it received industrial action mandates from its members at the University of Glasgow, Dundee University, Abertay University, Edinburgh Napier University and Strathclyde University. There will be five days of action over the course of two weeks involving staff at four universities, which are as follows: 13-15 September and 18-19 September. No date, as yet, has been announced for Edinburgh Napier, where Unite also has a mandate for strike action. Unite’s members involved in the pay dispute include technicians, cleaners, security officers, and janitors. The vast majority of Unite members have had a 5-6 per cent pay offer imposed on them. The pay imposition follows a derisory uplift of 3 per cent for the majority of members in 2022. The current dispute is part of a UK wide higher education pay dispute read more
Scottish university workers support strike action in pay dispute (23 Aug) – 1,000 members at five universities set to walk-out over real terms pay cut. Unite the union has today (23 August) confirmed that around 1,000 members employed in five universities across Scotland are set to take strike action. The trade union confirmed it received industrial action mandates from its members at the University of Glasgow, Dundee University, Abertay University, Edinburgh Napier and Strathclyde University. Unite’s members involved in the pay dispute include technicians, cleaners, security officers, and janitors. The industrial action ballots were launched over a failure to reach agreement on the 2023/24 pay award. It is anticipated that Unite will release its strike action dates involving the five universities next week read more
180 workers at Browns meat factory to strike over poverty pay (28 Aug) – Dumfriesshire based company to face weeks of industrial action. Unite the union confirmed that around 180 members based at the Dumfriesshire food manufacturer Browns are starting strike action today (28 August) in a dispute over poverty pay. Unite’s production, distribution and maintenance members based in Kelloholm, Sanquhar, emphatically rejected a pay offer from the company which equals the real Living Wage of £10.90 an hour. The workers will participate in three days of industrial action over a period of three consecutive weeks. The first round begins today and ends on 31 August. An overtime ban is also in effect until 18 September (see notes to editor). The Dumfriesshire based firm specialises in the production and manufacturing of quality cooked and sliced meats for a large range of businesses, supermarkets and schools read more
Carey Glass must intervene to resolve Lurgan Vista Therm dispute (25 Aug) – Nenagh-based Carey group warned dispute may shatter ‘Best in Glass’ claim. Unite highlights reputational risks to group if dispute not resolved. Unite members in dispute with Vista Therm travelled to Nenagh, headquarters of the Carey Glass group of companies, today (Friday) to highlight Vista Therm’s refusal to talk to workers about a cost-of-living pay increase. Vista Therm workers set up stalls in Nenagh town centre and gathered signatures for a petition asking people to support the workers’ demands that management recognise their union Unite, negotiate a cost-of-living pay increase, and treat workers with dignity and respect. Unite is calling on Carey Glass to intervene and resolve the long-running dispute which has seen production at the Lurgan plant severely curtailed read more Sign the Vista Therm solidarity petition!
Freebridge housing workers to strike – Freebridge Community Housing paying poverty wages despite £3.6m surplus. Nearly 60 Freebridge Community Housing workers will strike over poverty pay Unite said today. Unite members in LE1111 housing workers branch send solidarity. Many of the workers, who perform a variety of roles, including in cleaning and maintenance, are paid little more than the national minimum wage and many are struggling to pay their bills. The workers will strike on 21, 29, 30 and 31 August and on 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 September. The strike action will severely impact Freebridge’s cleaning and maintenance services and will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite announces strike dates across Welsh Local Authorities (25 Aug) – 3 Local Authorities in Wales to take strike action over pay. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced that its members in three Welsh local authorities initially, will begin taking strike action from 4th September in a dispute over pay. Unite members have overwhelmingly rejected the local authority employers’ pay offer of just £1,925, a poorer offer than last year, despite the cost-of-living crisis having worsened. The first industrial action will involve Unite members at both Cardiff and Wrexham Councils who will start continuous strike action from September 4th to September 17th. They will be joined by workers at Gwynedd Council who will strike from September 11th to September 17th. Unite members at Cynon Valley Waste have also voted for strike action, with dates for their action still to be finalised read more
Unite announces autumn council strikes following “dismissive and patronising” employers’ letter (24 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced that its members in an initial 23 local authorities will begin taking strike action from next week in a dispute over pay. Unite members have overwhelmingly rejected the local authority employers’ pay offer of just £1,925, a poorer offer than last year, despite the cost-of-living crisis having worsened. The first industrial action will involve Unite members at Chesterfield council who will strike next Tuesday and Wednesday (29 and 30 August). The other councils with industrial action mandates will then take strike action throughout September…The English councils that have secured mandates for strike action are: Bath and North East Somerset, Chesterfield, Coventry, Cumberland, Darlington, Haringey, Ipswich, Newham, North Tyneside, Tower Hamlets, Truro, Sefton, Southwark, Warrington, Westminster and Wigan. The Welsh councils who are part of the industrial action campaign are: Cardiff, Cynon Valley Waste, Gwynedd and Wrexham. In addition, Tamar Bridge and Ferry Port, Greater Manchester Fire and Civil Defence and Derby Homes, whose workers are subject to local government pay, also voted in favour of strikes read more
Chesterfield council housing workers strike over pay (25 Aug) – Over 100 housing maintenance workers employed by Chesterfield council will begin strike action next week in a dispute over pay. The workers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will take strike action next week on Tuesday 29 August and Wednesday 30 August. The dispute is a result of the workers not having received a pay rise for 15 years…The Chesterfield strike is part of a wider local authority dispute over pay, Unite has industrial action mandates for 23 councils across England and Wales. The union has rejected this year’s local government pay offer of £1,925 as it amounts to a real terms pay cut read more
Rail network facing signalling shortages as Unipart workers in Crewe strike over pay (25 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned rail companies including Network Rail to be braced for a delay in the supply of signalling equipment as workers at Unipart Rail strike next week in a dispute over pay. The workers have rejected a 4.75 per cent pay increase, which is a sizeable real terms pay cut with the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at nine per cent. The workers will take strike action beginning at 00:01hrs on Tuesday 29 August and continuing until 23:59 on Friday 1 September. An overtime ban will also be in place beginning today (Friday 25 August)and ending on Monday 4 September read more
Semiconductor manufacturer making tens of millions faces a strike ballot over pay (24 Aug) – Workers begin voting on strike action this Friday (25) August. Manufacturing workers building semiconductors for a range of markets will begin voting on strike action today (Friday 25 August) in a dispute over a real terms pay cut. Despite £39 million in profit, Diodes Zetex Semiconductors Ltd in Oldham is offering its workers a paltry 5.5 per cent pay increase when inflation (RPI) is 9 per cent. Its parent company Diodes Incorporated made massive gross profits of £827 million in 2022, up 23 per cent. Unite is balloting 126 members comprising of direct manufacturing operatives, professional engineers and support staff. There are 23 workers earning just the minimum wage read more
A.G. Barr workers to resume strike action as Unite accuses soft-drinks giant of ‘anti-union’ tactics (24 Aug) – Unite says use of agency labour during strike action potentially illegal. Unite has today (24 August) claimed that A.G. Barr has potentially engaged in illegal activity during industrial action at the company’s production and distribution centre in Cumbernauld. The trade union can reveal that it has reported A.G. Barr and the contractors – Stobbart and Streamline – to the Department for Business and Trade. Unite is demanding an investigation into the soft-drinks giant for the potential use of agency labour through the contractors during previous rounds of strike action, and calling for any possible enforcement action to be taken. Unite represents trucker and shunter drivers who are essential to the supply of the company’s world-renowned products including Irn-Bru – one of the nation’s most popular soft drinks. The workers are scheduled to resume 24-hour strike action from midnight Friday 25 August in the increasingly bitter pay dispute read more
Drivers at Greater Manchester Accessible Transport forced to strike over ‘poverty pay’ (22 Aug) – Industrial action to take place over failure of company to improve pay offer or sign up to Good Employment Charter. Bus drivers in Greater Manchester who transport the elderly and disabled have been forced to take strike action over the low pay by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport (GMAT). Members of Unite, the country’s leading trade union, are paid just minimum wage to do a physically and mentally demanding job. They provide an invaluable service, transporting the elderly, infirm or disabled from their homes across Greater Manchester to vital medical appointments, for essential shopping or for leisure and entertainment. GMAT pays the lowest wages of all bus companies in the region and the registered charity has not signed up to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, despite being run by Transport for Greater Manchester and owned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), both of whom are members of the charter. The charter aims to raise employment standards across Greater Manchester through factors like security of work and fair pay – including a commitment to the real living wage. Around 7000 users depend on the service and Unite has encouraged the employer to come back to the negotiating table with improved terms above the below-inflation offer made to-date. Currently drivers receive just £10.42 per hour. Following a successful industrial ballot, members will be taking strike action in the coming months with dates to be announced in due course read more
Greggs packaging crisis deepens as Cepac printers in Darlington extend strike action in pay dispute (22 Aug) – The packaging crisis affecting many of the UK’s most popular food and drink companies, including bakers Greggs and sandwich chain, Pret A Manger is set to deepen after workers announced a further two weeks of strike action. The 90 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s largest union, and employed by Cepac in Darlington began four weeks of strike action last week (Monday 14 August). Due to the company’s failure to engage in any meaningful negotiations, Unite has given notice of a further two weeks of strike action, meaning industrial action will now run continuously until Monday 25 September. The dispute is a result of Cepac only being prepared to offer an eight per cent pay increase, which is below the true inflation rate (RPI) of nine per cent. Additionally, the offer is subject to the workers accepting substantially worse conditions including longer hours, lower overtime rates and a change in shift patterns. The offer is in effect, a significant pay cut read more
Hundreds of Mossmorran refinery workers down tools over safety concerns as Unite calls on HSE intervention (17 Aug) – Unite claims ExxonMobil and contractors failing in ‘legal duty’ to protect and pay workers. Unite the union can confirm today (17 August) that around 200 members have withdrawn their labour over health and safety concerns at ExxonMobil’s petrochemical plant in Mossmorran. Unite can reveal that workers downed tools on Tuesday (15 August) over health and safety warning signals and procedures not being in full working operation across the plant and the workforce not being informed of this, or any procedures put in place to protect them. The trade union has received reports from workers citing repeated examples over a year that alarm systems are not working in areas at the petrochemical plant and workers not being notified. This is legally required in the event of any leakages, blasts or exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals at the plant. Unite’s members have accordingly withdrawn their labour under the terms of UK legislation, Employment Rights Act 1996 Section 44 and 100. The legislation states that workers have the ‘right’ to withdraw from, and to refuse to return to a workplace that is unsafe, without being subject to any detriment including the loss of wages. ExxonMobil and the contractors are to date, refusing to pay the workers following the withdrawal of labour under the legislation’s terms read more
North-East England faces bus chaos as workers ballot for strikes over pay (17 Aug) – 1,300 members at Go North East buses balloted following below-inflation pay offers – action would bring bus services to a standstill. Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, warned today (Thursday 17 August) that over 1,300 members could come out on strike and bring bus services in north-east England to a halt as its members are balloted for industrial action over pay. Go North East drivers and engineers have been offered a derisory, below-inflation, pay offer that included cuts to terms and conditions. Administrative and clerical staff have not had any pay offer at all. Go North East can easily afford to increase pay offers given the latest accounts of its parent company, the Go-Ahead Group show bus group profits of nearly £85 million. Depots that are being balloted and would be affected by any industrial action are: Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington. The ballot opens today and will run until Tuesday 12 September. If industrial action is voted for, strikes will likely take place from mid-September read more
Strike action targets penny-pinching Porsche and Audi deliveries firm (16 Aug) – A miserable 3.2 per cent is to blame for months of strikes. Deliveries of VW vehicles including, Audi, Porsche and Skoda models will face significant delays for months to come unless the profitable GBA Group improves its miserable pay offer of just 3.2%. The strike will mean new VW car deliveries in the Southeast, London and beyond face significant delays as workers at Sheerness Docks prepare to strike for two weeks, beginning the 17 August and then in September and October read more
Travel turmoil looms as bus strikes could hit Brighton (15 Aug) – Bus strikes could take place across the Go Ahead/Metrobus network in the Brighton & Hove and Crawley areas after union members rejected the latest low-pay offer, Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, announced today. Around 1000 members including bus drivers, cleaners, engineers and other vital roles are being balloted over prospective industrial action. They rejected the last pay offer of just seven per cent back dated to early July and 10 per cent from this weekend. Following a pay survey, workers are demanding increased pay rates and an increase in sick pay. They also want an increase in holiday as those with less than six years’ service get just 20 days. The Brighton and Hove bus company can afford to an improved pay as its latest accounts show a profit of over £11million[1] while its parent company, the Go-Ahead group also posted bus group profits of nearly £85million. Brighton and Hove bus company carries the highest number of passengers, outside of London, in the whole of the UK and is the only bus service in Brighton & Hove serving all the estates and universities. The company covers from Tunbridge Wells to the east, through to Shoreham and Lancing to the west. Metrobus (part of the Go-Ahead group) covers Crawley, including Gatwick Airport. The ballot opens tomorrow (16 August) and closes on 12 September. If successful, strike action will likely begin at the end of September read more
Tesco facing dirty Didcot depot as Atalian Servest caterers and cleaners strike over pay (14 Aug) – Workers based at Tesco’s depot in Didcot have been warned to be braced for a dirty depot and canteen closures as workers employed by Atalian Servest have announced strike action over pay. The dispute involves cleaning and catering staff employed on an outsourced contract and is a result of Atalian Servest refusing to even negotiate over a pay increase. The cleaners are on pay rates of as little as £11 an hour, which includes weekend and bank holiday work at no additional rate, they operate in the main Tesco warehouse which is only heated to one degree. Meanwhile the catering staff are paid the minimum wage of £10.42 an hour. The workers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have announced two initial 24 hour strikes beginning on Friday 1 September and Thursday 7 September, followed by a three day strike beginning on Friday 15 September and a further three day strike beginning on Thursday 21 September. Atalian Servest is very financially healthy; its latest accounts for 2021 reveal that it made gross profits of £84 million read more
Retained firefighters in Tipperary and Waterford to commence two days of strike action tomorrow (2 Aug) – Unite leader Susan Fitzgerald will pay solidarity visit to Carrick-on-Suir picket line. Union warns LGMA that they don’t get to choose the trade union which represents their workforce. Unite the union members working as retained firefighters in Counties Tipperary and Waterford are set to take a further two days strike action starting tomorrow [Thursday 3rd August] and continuing on Friday [4th August]. The two day strike represents an escalation of an industrial dispute which has arisen due to the continued refusal of the Local Government Management Association (LGMA), which represents the local authorities, to engage with Unite over workforce concerns. Retained firefighters, who form the backbone of Ireland’s firefighting service, have seen retainers and call-out fees frozen for years while the location requirements make it difficult or impossible for workers to supplement their low earnings with other employment. Retained firefighters are also seeking structured and predictable ‘off-call’ times, rather than – as is currently the reality – operating on a 24/7 basis. Ahead of the strike action Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support for the striking firefighters: “Retained firefighters perform a vital role for the whole community and face considerable risks in the performance of their duties. These are frontline and essential workers but they have been taken for granted for too long…” read more
Glasgow Parking wardens and Emirates Arena workers strike over poor pay (2 Aug) – Disruption set to impact Cycling World Championships and traffic enforcement across Scotland’s largest city. Around 70 Unite members employed by Glasgow Life at the Emirates Arena and City Parking are set to take strike action tomorrow (Thursday 3 August). Unite members will walk out across both organisations at 7.30am to begin 48-hour strike action over the current local government pay offer. There will be pickets held outside the Emirates Arena and Cadogan Square Car Park to coincide with the strike action. A rally involving both groups of workers is also being held at midday at the Donald Dewar statue on Buchanan Street read more
Kings Lynn Cooper Roller Bearings workers to strike over pay (2 Aug) – Profitable company offering strings attached deal that amounts to ‘pay cut’. More than 100 workers employed by Cooper Roller Bearings in Kings Lynn are to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday 2 August). The workers have rejected a 5.5 per cent pay offer. With the true rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 10.7 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut. The offer also comes with a ‘strings attached’ performance related bonus of up to six per cent. Cooper Roller Bearings made a profit before tax of more than £7 million in the year ending 31 December 2022…The workers will strike for one day on 21 August. After that a continuous overtime ban will commence, with strike days doubling every week until the dispute is resolved read more
Irish Water: Lack of engagement by employer representatives’ forces dispute escalation (1 Aug) – Unite the union seeks engagement with LGMA over shortcomings in proposed Framework. Pickets set for eight local authorities from 00.01 Wednesday [2nd August] to 23.59 Friday [4th August]. Unite members working in water delivery services for eight local authorities around the country will escalate their industrial action this week with a further three days of stoppages. Water workers will take strike action at Carlow County Council, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Fingal County Council, Kerry County Council, South Dublin County Council, Tipperary County Council and Waterford County Council. The action is due to the continued refusal of local authorities and its representative body, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to meaningfully engage with the union over its members’ concerns regarding shortcomings to the ‘Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services’ document put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission last year. The Framework document was rejected overwhelmingly by Unite members employed in water services delivery as essential workers, as it failed to address their concerns read more
Choppy waters as Scotland’s lighthouse workers resume second wave of strike action (27 Jul) – Sea vessels anchored in long-running pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed that its Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) members will resume 24-hour strike action 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 Thursday (27 July). The action ends the following day at noon. The latest strike action follows a previous 24-hour stoppage over 26 to 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
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
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
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
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
CWU
Urgent assurances demanded on job security across Capita’s VMO2 contract as yet more redundancies are announced (1 Sept) – The third major redundancy announcement in less than two months involving CWU members working on Capita’s VMO2 contract has added new urgency to serious questions already being posed by the union and high profile politicians over both companies’ approach to organisational change and their commitment to UK workers. On Thursday last week (August 31) 154 Capita employees working on the VMO2 ‘Out of Hours and Complaints Team’ became the latest group to be placed at risk of redundancy as a result of a reorganisation that will see ‘Out of Hours’ support for VMO2 customers offshored and ‘Formal Complaints Support’ brought back in-house by VMO2 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
PCS members in The Pensions Regulator begin strike action (5 Sept) – PCS members who work for The Pensions Regulator in Brighton have today (5 September) begun a two-week strike for fair pay. Over 250 PCS members working for The Pensions Regulator (TPR) are on strike between 5 and 18 September because their employer is refusing to pay the government’s revised pay remit. Gathered at the first picket line of a fortnight of strike action, over fifty members voiced their anger over their employer’s continued refusal to fully implement government concessions on pay. TPR is only offering 3% while other civil service employers are paying 4.5%, with an additional 0.5% of the overall pay pot to be targeted at the worst paid staff read more
PCS members in ISS begin five days of strike action (4 Sept) – PCS members in three major Whitehall departments told us why they are taking strike action for five days. Cleaners, security guards and support staff working for the outsourced contractor ISS at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, the Department for Business & Trade and Department for Science, and the Innovation & Technology (all formerly part of BEIS) are taking action this week, from September 4 to 8, after being offered a below-inflation pay rise. Today (4 September), at the first picket line of the week on Victoria Street in central London, dozens of members gathered to show their collective strength, enthusiastically waving PCS flags, carrying placards, blowing horns, leafleting passersby, and dancing to music that was blasting out from a speaker. Angry, however, at being offered a 2.2% rise when inflation is running at 6.8% (which represents a real-terms pay cut), all members agreed that the cost of living crisis was the main reason why they were on strike read more
National Highways ballot result falls short of anti-trade union threshold (1 Sept) – PCS members in the National Highways voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action but fell 6.79% short of meeting the government’s anti-trade union threshold. In the ballot which closed at 12 noon yesterday, members voted by a substantial majority for industrial action, clearly angry about the refusal by the National Highways to pay the £1500 cost of living payment. Unfortunately, members have been prevented from taking industrial action by the anti-trade union 50% turnout threshold read more
Members vote overwhelmingly to back union’s campaign strategy (1 Sept) – 90% of members who voted agreed with the plan on how to continue the campaign. Members have massively endorsed the union’s industrial strategy by 90.3% to 9.7% on a 47% turnout. This will send a strong message to the government and employers that while the concessions we have won are significant, they are not enough and our campaign continues read more
PCS members working for OCS on HMCTS contract vote for strike action (1 Sept) – Court security officers working for the private contractor OCS have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, which could close courts across England and Wales. In a ballot which closed yesterday (31 August), about 500 PCS members working for OCS as court security officers on the HM Courts & Tribunals Service estate rejected an insulting pay offer and voted for industrial action on a margin of 91.34%. OCS had threatened to challenge the last ballot result but despite their obstructive approach, PCS members have voted with an even stronger mandate to take strike action read more
Prospect
Prospect to ballot members at AWE on industrial action (1 Sept) – Prospect union will ballot its members on industrial action in a dispute over pay at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, AWE supports and maintains the UK nuclear deterrent. The ballot opens on 1st September and will run for two weeks read more
FDA
FDA achieves major breakthrough on Fast Stream pay (30 Aug) – The FDA has secured a substantial pay offer for civil service Fast Streamers following a successful ballot for industrial action earlier this year. The Cabinet Office entered into negotiations with the FDA after members voted overwhelmingly for strike action over historic pay issues. The new deal has now been clearly accepted in a vote of FDA Fast Stream members read more
GMB
GMB response as Birmingham City Council issues S114 notice (5 Sept) – GMB Union, Birmingham City Council’s largest staff union, has responded to the announcement that the authority has issued a Section 114 notice.
A Section 114 notice is issued when Council officials believe they do not have the resources available to meet their required expenditure for the year. It comes the day before Council representatives are expected to appear at the Employment Tribunal to attempt to defend their job evaluation scheme against thousands of equal pay claims submitted by GMB members employed by the council. Birmingham City Council Chief Executive Deborah Cadman told Councillors in June that the Council owed between £650 million and £760 million to its workers to settle its equal pay liability, adding that the figure was growing by between £5 million and £14 million every month. The council’s latest estimate places the liability at over £1 billion. GMB is the only union with live equal pay claims against the council read more
Cleaners take strike action at Chessington school ( 5 Sept) – GMB union members working as cleaners at Lovelace Primary in Chessington to take strike action over plans to outsource their jobs. GMB, the union for school support staff, can announce that its members who work as cleaners at a school in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames are taking strike action as of this afternoon. The affected members at Lovelace Primary School in Chessington are in dispute over the school’s decision to outsource them to a private contractor, which GMB believes would result in the members being removed from NJC terms, conditions and pay. The cleaning team have offered to reduce their hours to term time only, representing a wage cut of almost a quarter, but management are insisting that a private company will make more savings than this. The members will be taking strike action from this afternoon until Friday 15 September and then again from Thursday 28 September until Sunday 1 October, with potentially further strike dates to come read more
Swindon social worker strike to resume tomorrow (4 Sept) – The strike had been called off pending talks with the council, only for it now to recommence with no firm agreement having been reached. Strike action resumes at midnight tonight (Monday 4 September) by GMB members who are social workers in the Emergency Duty Service for Swindon Borough Council. The strike action was originally scheduled for two weeks, commencing 31 August but was paused to allow talks to take place between council chiefs and GMB, the union for social workers in Swindon read more
Swindon social worker strike paused to allow for talks (31 Aug) – Meetings with Swindon Borough Council were constructive but there are still fundamental parts of the dispute to be resolved, says GMB. Members of GMB Union, the union for social workers, have paused planned strike action tomorrow [Friday], Saturday and Sunday as a good will gesture to allow for more talks. Swindon social workers walked out today over Swindon Borough Council removing a £700 per month unsocial hours payment for working evenings and weekends read more
GMB slams Canterbury Council for bonus payments for non-striking workers (4 Sept) – What Canterbury Council and their contractor are paying workers to break the strike exceeds what it would cost them to resolve the dispute, says GMB. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, has slammed Canterbury Council bosses, having learned of a £20 per day bonus being paid to refuse collectors not involved in their strike action. The union has seen the payslip of one such worker, who was paid £20 per day throughout August as a bonus for not participating in the strike action. According to GMB calculations, this £20 per day is actually more than the increase in pay being demanded by members, which the council claim they cannot afford to pay until January 2024 read more
GMB union writes to Kent Police with allegations of Canenco’s use of agency workers (30 Aug) – It’s only right that we provide the police with all the information at hand so we can let them conduct a proper investigation, says GMB. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, has today [30 August] written to Tim Smith, Chief Constable of Kent Police with concerns about Canenco’s possible use of agency workers. Employers are not legally allowed to use agency staff to cover striking workers and the attempts to bring in regulations by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were quashed at the High Court. The union has presented evidence to the police and requested that they conduct an investigation, having previously written to David Maidman, Director of the wholly-owned contractor for Canterbury Council read more
GMB union calls on Thanet Council Chief Executive to attend ACAS talks (1 Sept) – GMB asks ACAS to arrange talks with Thanet Council to avert bin strike after Chief Executive says he will welcome discussions with the union. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, has this morning reiterated to ACAS its willingness to meet Thanet Council Chief Executive Colin Carmichael to talks with a view to avoiding strike action scheduled to start on Monday 11 September. Members of the union who work in refuse collection and street cleaning are set to take two weeks of strike action in a dispute over pay. The union is clear that the strike is entirely avoidable if the council enters meaningful negotiations and so has contacted ACAS to act as arbiter in talks with availability to meet next week read more
Thanet next in line for GMB bin strike (30 Aug) – There is still over a week left before this strike begins however, which is more than enough time to sit down and enter negotiations, says GMB union. GMB members working as refuse collectors, street cleaners, drivers and loaders within Thanet District Council are set to take two weeks strike action from Monday 11 September. The members are employed by the council directly and are in dispute over pay. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, is saying that the action is avoidable if the council agrees to pay a competitive wage in line with the market rate elsewhere in Kent and Sussex. The union is further extending an invitation to meet for negotiations with an eye that the dispute can be settled before any strike has taken place read more
Nottingham Goose Fair tram strike confirmed as over 90% back walkouts (31 Aug) – GMB Union has slammed Nottingham tram bosses for feathering their nests whilst tram workers struggle.
GMB Union have today announced the outcome of the Nottingham tram workers strike ballot. The vote comes after Nottingham’s tram operator, Keolis, offered a real terms pay cut to staff. Around 300 drivers, mechanics, control room and ticket office staff are expected to join strike action, with 92% GMB members voting to back strike action read more
Union reps will agree and announce strike dates in the coming daysDurham aviation manufacturer strike hits sixth week (22 Aug) – A Durham factory that finishes parts for the aviation and automotive industries faces its sixth week of strike action. Dozens of GMB members will walk out on Thursday [24 August] and Friday [25 August] after turning down the company’s pay offer of 6.7 per cent and a one-off. The industrial action the first time workers at Nicholson’s Sealing Technologies, in Stanley, have walked out in the company’s 100 year history read more
Huge oil refinery cancels ‘shutdown’ over strike fears (18 Aug) – One of the UK’s biggest oil refineries has cancelled an essential maintenance ‘shutdown’ over fears the facility would be dismantled, then industrial action would begin before the plant is reassembled. Stanlow Oil refinery, in Ellsemere Port, was due to close for ‘a package of maintenance activities on processing units’ this year – but has now shifted the work to 2024. Up to 1,000 workers were due to work on the shutdown – who are currently in dispute with their employer. A majority of 92 per cent of GMB members involved in the project, who are covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) voted to turn down a pay deal 8.5 per cent for 2024 and 3.5 per cent for 2025. Bosses have refused to meet with GMB until 21 September – so the union is progressing with a strike vote, which begins next month read more
Scotland school staff to walk out for two days (17 Aug) – Parents and pupils have been warned of disruption after GMB Scotland announced essential staff in schools and early years will strike for two days next month. The industrial action will affect almost a third of councils across Scotland and comes after local authority workers overwhelmingly rejected a pay offer. GMB members in Scotland’s councils voted to support industrial action after Cosla, representing local authorities, refused to revise the offer or ask the Scottish Government for support. The union, which represents more than 21,000 workers across Scotland’s 32 councils, today served notice on ten local authorities telling them staff in schools and early years working across catering, cleaning, pupil support, administration and janitorial services will strike next month. Industrial action involving the staff but not including teachers will take place on Wednesday 13 September and the following day, in Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Glasgow, Orkney, Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire. Sister unions are also likely to call strikes in schools and early years in September with the members of one already voting for industrial action while another is currently balloting members. The ballot came after 94 per cent of the GMB Scotland’s members rejected the councils’ offer of 5.5% in April branding it unacceptable when inflation has surged triggering a cost-of-living crisis. The union said the Cosla offer would mean a rise for the lowest-paid workers in Scotland’s councils £700 less this year than that offered to colleagues in England and Wales read more
Amazon faces biggest day of industrial disruption in its history (27 Jul) – GMB Union has today [Thursday] announced strike dates at Amazon’s Coventry and Rugeley fulfilment centres. The strike dates come on the anniversary of the first historic walkouts at Amazon in the UK, after workers were offered a pay rise of just 35p. Workers will down tools in Rugeley on 3 and 4 August, with the Coventry fulfilment centre seeing strike action on 4 and 5 August. This will bring the total days lost to strike action at Amazon this year to 26 read more
Second Amazon warehouse joins strike (17 Jul) – Amazon workers will walk out at a second warehouse after GMB union today [Monday] announced the outcome of a strike ballot at the company’s Rugeley fulfilment centre. More than 100 workers at the West Midlands site are now set to walk out after 86 per cent of those who voted backed the strike. The news comes as GMB reached 1,000 members at the Coventry fulfilment centre after twenty two days of strike action in the dispute over pay and union rights. GMB members will now plan strike dates at what will be only the second Amazon site in the UK where workers have taken industrial action read more Donate to GMB Amazon strike fund
Welsh farm feed workers strike (24 Jul) – Dozens of agricultural feed workers in Camarthen are preparing for a 2 day stoppage on 27 and 28 July in a dispute to get the same pay as their English counterparts. A majority of 85 per cent of GMB Members at Forfarmers 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. GMB members took strike action on Monday 3 of July and are looking at future dates unless the company fails to make a fair offer that negates the shortfall. Workers providing the same role as their counterparts in England are paid up to 30 per cent more by the company read more
Industrial action to hit social housing giant slammed for ‘poverty pay’ (20 Jul) – GMB Union have today announced industrial action at Grand Union Housing, provider of 13,000 social homes across Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. The industrial action will see maintenance staff work to rule for three months, meaning overtime and extra duties will be refused in the maintenance department across the company’s housing stock. The action comes after the company refused to negotiate on a pay offer to staff of just 2.1% read more
Strike at missile depot threatens MoD supplies (16 Jul) – A strike at a Ministry of Defence missile depot will threaten munitions supplies, GMB Union warned. More than 50 workers at the Defence Equipment & Support (DES) munitions depot in Beith, Scotland walked out tomorrow [Monday]. A majority of 93 per cent of GMB members at the depot voted for strike action over a dispute on retention bonuses. Managers and craft workers are in receipt of bonuses whilst non-craft workers do not, meaning non-craft workers get less than many supermarket workers. DES is an arm’s length body of the Ministry of Defence which delivers equipment and support services to the UK armed forces read more
Durham sewage and water tank workers strike (10 Jul) – Sewage and water treatment tank workers in Durham have begun a week-long strike over pay. GMB members at Premier Tech, in Peterlee, will down tools from Monday [10 July] to Friday [14 July] after a unanimous vote for industrial action. Workers want £12.50 per hour, which amounts to a 12 per cent pay increase. The company has only offered 7.9 per cent, with potential real terms pay cuts in subsequent years read more
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
Dartford bin workers vote for strike action (7 Jul) – GMB union members have voted to reject Urbaser’s pay offer, with action to take place at the end of the month. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, can announce that Dartford will be the next local authority to be hit with a bin strike. Members of the union have voted to take action over pay and will be walking out at the end of July. The members are employed by Urbaser, Dartford Borough Council’s waste contractor as drivers, loaders and street sweepers 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
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Pupils face schools turmoil over government’s inaction on building safety, says UNISON (31 Aug) – Government should have been fixing schools long before start of term. Responding to the announcement today (Thursday) that pupils at dozens of schools are to be told to stay away over building structural safety fears, UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “This situation is nothing short of a scandal read more
UNISON urges government to make schools safe now (30 Aug) – ‘We now have the absurd situation of government departments ringing schools days before term begins, telling them to prepare for potential building closures’ read more
Clinical support workers set to strike for the first time in NHS history (30 Aug) – ‘We all love our jobs and are dedicated to our patients. But you have to stand up for what you believe in’. Over 400 health staff at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) will take strike action tomorrow. The strike will take place from 7am on Thursday 31 August through to 6:59am on Saturday 2 September after an overwhelming majority (99%) of clinical support workers voted to strike in a recent UNISON ballot. Clinical support workers (CSW) are some of the lowest paid workers in the NHS. As roles have evolved and hospitals have struggled with staffing, they have taken on more clinical responsibilities without the pay and recognition to match read more
Over 100 Camden traffic wardens take indefinite strike action (22 Aug) – UNISON members working for private company NSL have been on strike for a month in a dispute over pay. Over 100 London traffic wardens have been on an indefinite strike since 24 July, after a meagre pay offer of 4.5% from NSL, a company subcontracted by Camden Council. UNISON members unanimously voted for strike action, with more workers joining the picket as the weeks roll on. The wardens, who are mainly low-paid Black staff, work outdoors for 42.5 hours a week, in all weather, and were classified as key workers during the pandemic. They regularly receive racist abuse for carrying out their work. They are paid £12.70 an hour, and have called for an increase to £15.90 an hour. Signs on the picket line (pictured below) read ‘NSL: No Slave Labour’. Workers on picket line holding placards that read ‘pay rise now: no slave labour’ and ‘Camden council: no slave labour’. Employer NSL saw its profits almost double from £5.8m in 2021 to £9.2m in 2022. The company director received a 60% pay increase in this period, and is salaried at £412,000. UNISON has calculated that it would take one of the traffic wardens 16 years to earn the same amount the director receives in one year. The traffic wardens are determined to continue the strike until their demand for fair pay is met read more Messages of solidarity can be sent to [email protected]
Environment Agency staff set for out-of-hours ban (18 Aug) – Workers will refuse to volunteer for on-call cover outside contracted hours from this weekend until 19 September, in continuing action over pay. Thousands of Environment Agency (EA) workers in England will stop out-of-hours attendance at incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping this weekend, in their ongoing pay dispute. The industrial action, which starts at 9am tomorrow (Saturday), is set to continue for a month, with workers refusing to volunteer for on-call cover outside of contracted hours until 19 September. Officers will step in where there is a threat to life, from incidents such as a major flood, as emergency life and limb cover has been agreed by the union. This new wave of industrial action follows months of industrial action seeking an improved pay offer from the agency. Members have been taking last resort industrial action since December 2022, after the organisation failed to offer a fair pay rise in the face of soaring household bills and inflation. Staff have seen pay fall below inflation and incomes squeezed since 2011, meaning that staff effectively work one day a week for free read more
Autumn term strikes set to go ahead at 13 universities (4 Aug) – HE members have suffered a real-terms pay cut of around 25% over the last 14 years, due to year on year rises that were below inflation. The results are in for the higher education strike ballot that ran from 31 May to 31 July – and 13 higher education institutions have met the threshold for action. The current offer from the University and Colleges Employers’ Association (UCEA), a 5-8% pay rise depending on salary spinal point, equates to a real-terms pay cut given inflation was over 10% this year. Although some money was backdated to earlier this year, it’s still not enough for staff to live on with the ongoing cost of living crisis. HE members have suffered a real-terms pay cut of around 25% over the last 14 years, due to year on year uplifts that were below inflation. The 13 universities that have met the threshold for action are: University of Dundee, University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England, Leeds Trinity University, University of Brighton, Glasgow School of Art, Solent University, Plymouth Marjon University, Arts University Bournemouth, University of Glasgow, City University, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Chichester. Further details on strike action will be announced in due course 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
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
NIPSA Response on Free and Discounted Fares on Public Transport (31 Aug) – NIPSA is the largest Trade Union in Northern Ireland representing over 43,000 members, employed across the whole of the public service, in organisations such as the Northern Ireland Civil Service and its Agencies, Local Government, Education, Health and Social Care, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as well as a host of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDBPs). NIPSA also represents a significant number of members in the community and voluntary sector. The following comment on this consultation may also be supplemented by a contribution from NIPSA’s Retired Members’ Group read more
Coordinated Industrial Action (24 Aug) – NIPSA met today with unions affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) to discuss coordinated industrial action in September/October in line with NIPSA policy. Unions representing workers across all employment areas are planning to coordinate action against derisory pay awards and against the cuts set out in the budget by the Secretary of State. The action is likely to involve workers in both the public and private sectors. There will be another meeting in early September to firm up the details of the action and further posts will follow. Below is a copy of the press release issued today by the Northern Ireland Committee of ICTU (NIC-ICTU)
Carmel Gates General Secretary read more
HSC Industrial Action Update: The Fight Continues! (26 Jul) – HSC Strike Action: An update to the ongoing Industrial Action Dispute in Health and ongoing Industrial Action around Pay, Safe Staffing and Travel read more
Royal College of Nursing
Crumbling concrete: nursing staff must be briefed and properly protected (5 Sept) – RCN urges health care employers to urgently assess risk of collapsing buildings, as NHS tells hospitals in England to prepare to implement evacuation plans read more
RCN dispute with Welsh government ends as members accept latest NHS offer (1 Sept) – Welsh government must now deliver on its promises set out in the offer to improve working lives of nursing staff. 52% of members in Wales who voted in the consultative ballot have accepted the offer. Members were consulted electronically between 31 July and 31 August. This acceptance means that the RCN is no longer in dispute with the Welsh government regarding the pay awards for 2022/23 & 2023/24 read more
Royal College of Nursing members employed by the Care Plus Group vote for industrial strike action (27 Jul) – The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) balloted members employed by the Care Plus Group in July on whether they would be willing to take industrial strike action for better pay and parity with nursing staff employed by the NHS on Agenda for Change terms and conditions of employment. A majority of RCN members who responded to the ballot voted in favour of strike action with 93% of those who voted, voting ‘yes’ 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
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
CSP
Last chance to vote in Northern Ireland (5 Sept) – Time is running out to have your say in our ballot on NHS pay in Northern Ireland read more
Physios in Northern Ireland to vote on strike action (7 Aug) – The CSP has today opened a ballot for physiotherapy staff working for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI) to vote on industrial action over pay. Members should receive voting papers from Civica during the week of 7 August. This is the first time the CSP has held an industrial action ballot for pay in Northern Ireland. The ballot will be open from 7 August and close on 11 September. Health and social care staff in Northern Ireland remain the lowest paid across the UK. They are yet to be offered a pay uplift for 2023/24 and have received no additional pay award for 2022/23. CSP Council is recommending members Vote Yes in support of strike action and to an additional question, which would give physiotherapy staff a mandate to undertake industrial action short of a strike. Ninety-three per cent of participants who took part in a consultation in June said they were prepared to take industrial action read more
BMA
Support the Junior Doctors strike read more
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Junior doctors and consultants to strike on same days this autumn (31 Aug) – Joint industrial action announced as junior doctors vote to extend industrial action mandate. Junior doctors and consultants will undertake four days of joint industrial action in England this autumn after junior doctors voted overwhelmingly to extend their strike mandate in their campaign for full pay restoration. Across September and October, for the first time in the history of the NHS, there will be four days in which junior doctors and consultants coordinate their industrial action. This is in addition to other days on which just junior doctors or just consultants will be on strike, the BMA confirmed. The announcement comes as 98 per cent of junior doctors, from a turnout of 71 per cent, voted in favour of continuing industrial action. The re-ballot result has renewed their mandate for further six months, through to 29 February, 2024. Junior doctors have so far staged 19 days of strike action since March of this year. Following today’s reballot result, they have announced six further days, on 20, 21, 22 September, and 2, 3, 4 October. Consultants have staged four days of industrial action so far and have planned at least five more in the coming weeks, on 19 and 20 September and 2, 3 and 4 October. The four joint days of action in September and October will see ‘Christmas Day’ levels of staffing from both groups. A rally has been organised in Manchester, for both junior doctors and consultants, on 3 October – when the Conservative party conference is scheduled to be held in the city read more
Society of Radiographers
Northern Ireland: SoR to ballot members on strike action over pay (9 Aug) – Members urged to vote yes by 6 September to improve pay and help reduce waiting lists. The SoR is balloting almost 1,000 members in Northern Ireland on strike action in a bid to secure improvements to pay and conditions, increase recruitment and retention of radiography professionals – and thus cut waiting times for patients read more
New pay offer for radiographers in Wales – SoR members asked to vote now (8 Aug) – SoR recommends acceptance of improved offer following earlier strike threat. New pay talks with the Welsh government have resulted in a revised package around non-pay elements of the original offer to radiographers. SoR members in Wales had rejected that offer by an overwhelming number and called for a ballot on strike action. The Welsh government then agreed to re-open talks with the SoR on the proviso that the Society paused balloting. These talks have resulted in a new offer around non-pay elements of the original offer with the aim to improve Terms and Conditions of Service within the NHS in Wales and for radiographers read more
NEU
Government must fund all costs for schools affected by RAAC (1 Sept) – Commenting on a change in guidance from the Department for Education, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “This morning, on his breakfast media round, schools minister Nick Gibb stated that the costs of emergency and temporary accommodation would be covered by Government in its efforts to address RAAC concerns in schools at risk of collapse. What Nick Gibb did not say is this is a reversal of guidance issued last night by the Department for Education, which clearly told heads that, ‘We expect you to be able to fund anything that is an additional revenue cost, for example RENTAL COSTS FOR EMERGENCY OR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION FOR EDUCATION SETTINGS OR additional transport costs for local authorities…’ Read more
RAAC affecting schools and colleges in Wales (1 Sept) – NEU Cymru is contacting all Local Authorities in Wales and written to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, to seek further information amid concerns about the use of RAAC in schools and colleges in Wales. Wales Secretary of the National Education Union Cymru, David Evans, said: “Our members in schools and colleges, learners, their parents, and the communities served, are entitled to know what the position is regarding the prevalence of RAAC in school and college buildings as soon as possible. Concerns over RAAC use have been known for a significant period of time but, as yet we do not know how many buildings are affected nor the proposals for necessary mitigations and rectification of the issue. Safety is our primary concern, and our expectation is that Welsh Government and each Local Authority will act with the utmost urgency on this matter with the necessary funding provided for any mitigations and temporary solutions, as well as supplying any capital funds needed…” read more
DfE Guidance for Schools Impacted by RAAC (31 Aug) – Commenting on guidance published today by the Department for Education concerning buildings with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “It is absolutely disgraceful – and a sign of gross Government incompetence – that a few days before the start of term, 104 schools are finding out that some or all of their buildings are unsafe and cannot be used…” read more
NASUWT
NASUWT announces strike action across Jersey (4 Sept) – The NASUWT is today giving notice of strike action following the failure of the Government of Jersey to keep its promise of a backdated pay award for of 7.9%. NASUWT balloted its members earlier this year following the failure of the government to address the years of real terms pay erosion that teachers have suffered since 2008 or to address spiralling workloads. The threat of industrial action led to the backdated pay award being promised and the NASUWT withdrew its plans for industrial action as a gesture of goodwill. However that promise has now been broken. Because of this members will take strike action on Tuesday September 12, Wednesday October 18 and Thursday October 19 read more
Urgent action needed over RAAC in Scottish schools (1 Sept) – Commenting on the situation regarding RAAC in schools NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach said: “We are calling on the Scottish Government to urgently take steps to assess the safety of the schools estate. We need to be clear about which buildings may be affected by RAAC and what plans are in place to ensure childrens’ education faces minimum disruption if their schools and classrooms are found to be unsafe…” read more
RAAC – Luck rather than judgement appears to averted disaster (31 Aug) – Commenting on the guidance issued by the DfE on RAAC, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary said: “Although we welcome that the DfE has finally taken action to safeguard pupils and teachers, it would appear that mere luck rather than judgment has prevented a major disaster from occurring…” 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
NAHT
Welsh school leaders need more information on RAAC says NAHT (5 Sept) – Commenting on concerns about RAAC concrete in schools in Wales, Laura Doel, national secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “A review of school buildings is being undertaken by the 22 local authorities, and so far there have only been two schools identified with this concrete read more
NAHT comments on suggestion schools have been slow to respond to RAAC (5 Sept) – Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by government to deflect from its own significant failings. The facts are clear: the current crumbling school estate is the direct result of ministerial decisions to slash capital budgets. Furthermore, the government has known about the risks associated with RAAC for many years but has only recently sent out these surveys to responsible bodies. We now have clear evidence that despite all the warnings, the government was not willing to pay for the rebuilding projects that were so desperately needed…” read more
Unions write to education secretary to demand answers on RAAC in schools (4 Sept) – Education and public sector unions have today written to education secretary Gillian Keegan to ask for urgent answers on the RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) emergency. The general secretaries of school leaders’ union NAHT, the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Education Union, NASUWT, GMB and Unison, have penned a letter to Ms Keegan raising a series of pressing questions read more
Jersey school leaders join teachers in strike action (4 Sept) – Members of school leaders’ union NAHT have agreed to escalate their industrial action and join teachers in a day of strike action next week. Schools on the island will be impacted, with most likely to close on Tuesday 12 September when NAHT members join their counterparts from the National Education Union (NEU) in walking out. Striking teachers and leaders will take part in a rally at Royal Square during the day, where the States full assembly is meeting. Three education unions (NAHT, NEU and NASUWT) voted to take industrial action in June, after which NEU members went on strike on July 5. The new strike action comes after Jersey’s States Employment Board (SEB) repeatedly refused to budge from its proposed 7.9% pay rise, despite further talks with the unions read more
EIS
Strike action continues at City of Glasgow College over job and course cuts (4 Sept) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) will continue their programme of strike action at City of Glasgow College this week. Picket lines will be in place at the college’s City and Riverside campuses from tomorrow (Tuesday) for the rest of the week, with additional strike days to follow over the subsequent weeks. Whilst EIS-FELA are on strike nationally in pursuit of a fair pay settlement from Colleges Scotland, members at City of Glasgow College are entering another four weeks of strike action in their local dispute. This comes after five weeks of strike action prior to the summer break, as well as continued action short of strike. The local dispute is about cuts to teaching time, increases in workload, the ending of fixed term contracts and compulsory redundancies read more
EIS Calls on Scot Govt & College Employers Scotland to Act Now to Avert Strike Action (1 Sept) – The EIS has called on the Scottish Government and College Employers Scotland to take definitive action to ensure that college lecturers receive a fair and fully funded pay award. College Employers Scotland have made clear to negotiators from the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) that their current offer would be funded through significant job losses across the publicly funded further education sector. EIS-FELA members have been engaged in industrial action short of strike (ASOS), in the form of a resulting boycott and work to contract, since May 2023 and should have received their pay award one year ago read more
College lecturers take national strike action for fully funded pay award (25 Aug) – The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), has given notice to all of Scotland’s Further Education colleges of a programme of sustained strike action in a long running dispute over pay. This marks an escalation in the pay dispute, following months where members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) have engaged in action short of strike, comprising a resulting boycott and work to contract. College lecturers should have received a pay uplift at the beginning of September 2022 and following over a year of protracted negotiations, College Employers Scotland have stated that their ‘full and final’ pay offer would have to be financed through significant job losses across the college sector. Negotiators from EIS-FELA have made clear that sacrificing jobs for fair pay is completely unacceptable and rejected the current pay offer on this basis. Beginning on Thursday 7th September, when all members of EIS-FELA will take strike action across Scotland, a rolling programme of strikes will take place with two colleges taking strike action each day for twelve days. Following the conclusion of the rolling strike action, targeted strike action will take place at the following colleges:
- Glasgow Clyde College – First Minister’s constituency.
- Dundee & Angus College – Deputy First Minister’s and Minister for Further Education’s constituencies.
- Fife College: Cabinet Secretary for Education’s constituency read more
INTO
Industrial Action FAQs Updated: September 2023 (5 Sept) – Our industrial action FAQs have been updated in line with the current Action Short of Strike (ASOS). Please review these questions in conjunction with the latest NITC ASOS phase 4 guidance read more
Urgent Action Needed Responding to RAAC in Schools (1 Sept) – responding to issues around the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) today gave a guarded welcome to the statement from the Department of Education that it has commissioned the Education Authority (EA) to “carry out structural surveys to ascertain the scope and scale of RAAC presence in schools in Northern Ireland.” Read more
UCU
College strike ballot opens as staff say low pay is impacting their mental health (5 Sept) – Strike ballots open at 89 college employers today as a UCU survey of further education employees shows a workforce in crisis. The survey of over 2,000 (2,003) workers from colleges across England shows almost all are struggling financially (96%) because of low wages with four in five survey respondents saying their financial situation is impacting their mental health (79%). Around half (46%) of survey respondents said their income does not cover the cost of living. Of these, almost two-thirds are heating their home less frequently (67%), a quarter are skipping meals (27%) and one in 20 (6%) are using foodbanks. Employer body, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has so far refused to make any pay recommendation for 2023/24 even though colleges will receive at least £700m more funding over the coming year (23/24) than three years ago read more
Pay of college bosses jumped by quadruple the recommended rate (31 Aug) – New financial analysis by UCU shows that 26 principals received pay rises of over 10% in 2021/22 and one principal’s total package rose to over £360k. The average increase was 4%, four times higher than the 1% employer body the Association of Colleges (AoC) recommended for staff in that year read more
More strike action to hit universities as employers refuse to negotiate (14 Aug) – UCU has announced it will take more strike action unless employer body UCEA agrees to return to negotiations and end disruption to graduations. The union’s Higher Education Committee met this afternoon and voted to take further strike action before the end of September [NOTE 1] and to begin preparations for a new ballot in order to renew UCU’s industrial mandate in the pay and working conditions dispute, meaning disruption could continue this year and well into 2024. The marking boycott will also continue. It began at 145 universities on Thursday 20 April but UCEA has responded by refusing to improve its offer and employers have punitively docked the pay of staff taking part. UCU has agreed to UCEA’s proposal for a joint review of sector finances 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
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
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Northamptonshire firefighters pass vote of no confidence in PFCC Stephen Mold (4 Sept) – Today, members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Northamptonshire Brigade have unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Police, fire and crime commissioner Stephen Mold. The firefighter’s vote comes ahead of a public meeting of the Police, fire and crime scrutiny panel on Thursday 7th September, which is scheduled to include questions scrutinising Stephen Mold’s tenure. Firefighters are set to hold a rally outside the meeting, calling for Mold to resign or be held to the “highest account” by the panel read more
Fire Brigades Union gives deadline to Merseyside fire chief: get round the table or face industrial action (25 Aug) – The FBU has written to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, calling for employers to get round the table to avoid strike action and action short of strike. In a letter addressed to Merseyside Chief Fire Officer Phil Garrigan, FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack has set September 12 as a deadline for local negotiations. If the local dispute has not been resolved by that date, the FBU will meet to consider calling strike and action short of strike dates. The letter follows the results of two ballots this week, which delivered an “overwhelming mandate” for industrial action following a serious break down in industrial relations read more
Merseyside fire control staff vote to strike as firefighters vote for continued industrial action (Aug 21) – Today, 21st August, results from ballots for industrial action in Merseyside fire service have gone live, with FBU members voting in response to a reduction in night-time staffing numbers in fire control, and attacks on terms and conditions. FBU members in Merseyside fire control have voted overwhelmingly for strike action, with 100% voting Yes on a 92% turnout. Fire control are the team who answer calls from those who need the fire and rescue service and make sure firefighters and appliances get to the right place read more
POA
National Chair Update August 2023 read more
NAPO
News on the Programmes and Interventions restructure (22 Aug) – Unions and senior management have agreed that further high level dialogue will be necessary to try and make progress on this project. The statement explains that the first stage of this discussion which we hope will lay the foundations for a transition agreement, is underway. Napo is committed to the need for further consultation with our members working in Programmes and Interventions as the negotiations progress, and more news will follow once the initial scoping of such an agreement has been finalised. Carole Doherty ([email protected]) and Tania Bassett ([email protected]) will be Napo’s representatives in the discussions read more
BFAWU
Post Conference Foodworker 2023
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
National World NUJ members set to strike for three days (1 Sept) – NUJ members at National World, publisher of the Scotsman, Yorkshire Post and 100-plus regional titles, have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. More than 320 journalists at the company were balloted after talks hosted by the conciliation service Acas broke down in July, and the company imposed a real-terms pay cut. Ballot results showed 78 per cent of members were in favour of strike action on a turnout of almost 76 per cent. The National World NUJ Group Chapel met today (Friday 1 September) to discuss the results and next steps. Reps voted unanimously to serve notice on the company for three days of strike action, on Monday 18 September, Friday 22 September 22 and Monday 25 September. A work to rule will start from Tuesday 19 September read more
National World journalists vote for strike action (31 Aug) – NUJ members at National World have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay on a turn-out of 75.84 per cent read more
NUJ supports staff at BBC Cairo in dispute over pay (30 Aug) – The union has put pressure on the BBC management to resolve the dispute between journalists and staff in the corporation’s Cairo office who have taken 10 days’ strike action read more
BBC journalists vote to renew their industrial action mandate over cuts to local radio (10 Aug) – The union now has a mandate for strike action, but will continue talks with management. Under the UK’s onerous and restrictive legislation governing industrial action, the NUJ was required to have another ballot to keep the action alive – members at BBC Local in England, in local radio, regional TV and online, have taken strike action on three occasions and are continuing to operate a work to rule. On a turnout of 64 per cent, 70 per cent said they were prepared to take part in strike action and 83 per cent said they were prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike. This positive result was despite many members being away over August and means the work to rule will seamlessly roll on until a resolution is reached. The BBC’s plans will cut local content by almost half read more
Equity
“One struggle, one fight!” Equity rallies in support of SAG-AFTRA (28 Jul) – Hundreds join Brian Cox, Rakie Ayola, Rob Delaney, John McDonnell MP and more to show solidarity with striking SAG-AFTRA members. Members and trade unionists show their solidarity with SAG-AFTRA. On Friday 21 July, around 400-500 people joined Brian Cox, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Hayley Atwell, Imelda Staunton and more at Equity’s London rally in solidarity with striking SAG-AFTRA members. Organised by Equity, the rally took place in London’s Leicester Square gardens in front of a statue of William Shakespeare, and surrounded by cinemas, street performers and statues from the world of the arts and entertainment. Rally attendees included Equity members, actors, creatives, and members of the public, who chanted “One struggle, one fight, we support SAG-AFTRA’s strike” and “The luvvies united will never be defeated!”. They also held banners reading “Equity stands in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA”. Rally speakers gave moving, impassioned accounts of the collective threats actors face from exploitation by streaming services and AI, the need for solidarity across borders and across struggles, and the need for reform of the draconian trade union legislation in the UK read more
Community
Press speculation on Tata-UK Government talks (2 Sept) – Community Union is aware of speculation in the press today regarding talks between the UK Government and Tata Steel. A Sky News article published this morning indicated that progress was being made on a £500million government investment – matched by £700m in capital expenditure from Tata – to transition Port Talbot steelworks towards an electric arc model. The article indicates that such a move could see 3000 of Tata’s British-based staff lose their jobs read more
RAAC in schools (1 Sept) – Community Union welcomes the more decisive action and the instruction from the Department for Education (DfE) for staff in education settings to vacate all spaces or buildings that are known to contain RAAC. We have continually raised our concerns at DfE meetings on this issue throughout 2023 read more
Get back around the table, Glen Dimplex (15 Aug) – Community Union has called on management at Glen Dimplex to get back around the table for pay talks as strike action at the firm’s Whiston site on Merseyside enters its second week. Last Monday (7th August) workers from the home appliances factory on Stoney Lane began a course of industrial action over pay after negotiations with management at the Irish-headquartered firm reached gridlock read more
Glen Dimplex workers march for pay rise (9 Aug)
Glen Dimplex workers to take strike action (2 Aug)
USDAW
Debenhams workers’ long wait for justice is over (31 Aug) – Usdaw welcomes the tribunal verdict and calls for reform of redundancy law. Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed an employment tribunal decision, which found that Debenhams failed in its duty to properly consult with the staff at risk of redundancy. 400 former staff are now set to receive around £860,000 between them after winning a legal battle against the retailer. Debenhams fell into administration in 2020 and was forced to shut its doors after 242 years on British high streets. It marked one of the UK’s biggest retail failures and resulted in more than 10,000 job losses. Law firm Simpson Millar represented the group of former workers, which included Usdaw members read more
IWGB
RSA staff vote overwhelmingly for first ever strike in the organisation’s history (5 Sept) – Staff members at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have voted to go on strike for the first time in the charity’s 270 year history. With a 78.95% turnout and 93.33% vote in favour of striking, staff have given notice of strike action for Tuesday 19th and Thursday 21st of September, which will see the RSA host its president, Anne, Princess Royal, for its Design For Life awards ceremony, celebrating 100 years of the RSA Student Design Awards read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU Retained Fire Fighters accept WRC proposals to resolve dispute (5 Sept) – SIPTU Retained Fire Fighters have today (Tuesday, September 5th) voted to accept proposals from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to resolve their industrial dispute. This follows intensive consultation last week and a secret ballot read more
Other news
HARTON AND WESTOE MINERS’ BANNER GROUP & WISECRACK PRODUCTIONS PRESENT the incredible story of…
THE CRAMLINGTON TRAIN WRECKERS
The trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QAro-Fpj-VDHcpVE6vHNIdCmQ9BFoEl3/view?usp=sharing
During the 1926 General Strike, miners in Cramlington accidentally derailed the Flying Scotsman. No one was killed and only one person was slightly injured. Eight Northumberland miners were sentenced to 48 years’ penal servitude. One of them was Westoe-born William Muckle, who wrote a book about it called No Regrets.
Workers defending their jobs and communities or terrorists?
HARTON & WESTOE MINERS’ WELFARE
Low Lane, South Shields, NE34 0NA
Friday, September 29 @ 7.30pm
Illustrated talk by playwright Ed Waugh (Wor Bella, Hadaway Harry, Carrying David)
Recitations and songs by top actor Jamie Brown
Alan Mardghum, Durham Miners’ Association secretary, will speak
Tickets only £2 via eventbrite
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
UCU condemns ‘baffling’ dismissal of University of Sussex lecturer (25 Aug) – UCU has today condemned plans by the University of Sussex to make a member of teaching staff redundant after having advertised a new permanent post that includes all his current duties. Philosopher Lecturer James Furner has been employed at the university on consecutive fixed term part-time contracts since 2021, but on 22 August the university wrote to him to say that his employment will come to an end this month. Yet on July 7 it advertised a new full-time post of Lecturer in Philosophy stating that the post-holder ‘will be expected’ to teach the same four undergraduate modules that James taught in 2022-3. A petition has been launched in protest against the plans read more
Sign petition: Reinstate Anne Howie RMT Activist – Anne Howie RMT activist at Manchester Piccadilly is facing dismissal with no due process
UVW to sue LSE for disability discrimination and trade union victimisation after sacking strike leader (24 Aug) – “My condition has got something to do with it, but I think there’s more to it. I’ve always been at the forefront of the fight… because I consider myself a union leader” – Geovanny Moreno Buitrago, LSE cleaner and UVW member. UVW strike leader Geovanny Moreno Buitrago, a migrant cleaner from Colombia at the London School of Economics (LSE), was sacked after being off sick with a herniated disc as he tried to return to work. UVW is appealing and suing for his dismissal on grounds of disability discrimination and trade union victimisation. In spite of two expert medical opinions, Geovanny’s willingness to come back to work, his own recommendations on what he is capable of doing, and LSE’s own health policies, LSE sacked him read more
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. You can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.
International
From NUJ website – Afghanistan: Taliban officials release nine journalists (5 Sept) – NUJ welcomes action but calls for the release of all journalists wrongly imprisoned in the country. The National Union of Journalists joins the International Federation of Journalists in welcoming the release of nine journalists held in Taliban custody read more
Diary
September
10 NSSN TUC Rally Liverpool 1pm
23 Workers Summit 1pm Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate London EC2M 4QH details
October
1 Demonstrations at Tory Party Conference 12noon:-
- Peoples Assembly – Assemble on Oxford Road
- Stand Up To Racism – Assemble Central Manchester
3 BMA Junior Doctors & Consultants strike demonstration at Tory Party Conference in Manchester details
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
