The NSSN will be marching with the tens of thousands of NHS staff in Manchester on Tuesday 3rd October as the Tory Party Conference meets in the city. Assembe:1pm, St Peter’s Square, Manchester.
Consultant and junior doctor members in the British Medical Association (BMA) will be striking from October 2-4 and radiographers in the Society of Radiographers (SOR) will be out on October 2-3. Unite members in Barts NHS Trust in London will also be walking out from October 2-4 and will be holding a protest at the Royal London Hospital from 10.30am on Wednesday 4th October.
Tory Health Secretary Steve Barclay has threatened the BMA with their new anti-union law, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 as the union’s consultants and junior doctors members step up their strike action.
The NSSN stands in solidarity with the BMA and the consultants and junior doctors. As with other NHS workers and those in other sectors, their action is all about fighting for safe staffing levels in the NHS on every day. But this threat is a warning to all unions as the strike wave continues. We send them all solidarity and support.
If the BMA is attacked, all unions must be prepared to take action together to defend them, the NHS and the right to strike. The TUC must enact its motion agreed at its Congress, that stated “Congress pledges 100% solidarity with any trade unions attacked under these MSL laws” and included to “support demonstrations and hold a national march opposing the legislation and calling for repeal of the anti-union laws.”
The motion that was passed at the TUC Congress includes:-
Congress calls on the next Labour government to immediately repeal MSLs, the Trade Union Act 2016 and take urgent steps to remove other anti-union laws.
Congress pledges 100% solidarity with any trade unions attacked under these MSL laws.
Congress agrees we must use all means necessary to defeat the unjust MSLs laws and calls on the General Council to proactively seek to:
- resist any further restrictive trade union legislation and demand:
- the repeal of the Trade Union Act 2016 and all other anti-trade union legislation;
- stronger rights for unions to access workplaces, win recognition, and establish collective bargaining rights; and
- the right for trade union members to vote online during industrial action ballots, and statutory elections for executive committees and general secretaries.
- build coalitions to campaign for non-compliance and against further restrictive trade union legislation;
- build an appropriate industrial response to defend workers’ right to strike;
- implement a campaign alongside others defending the fundamental rights of working people to resist MSLs;
- legally challenge the Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) legislation;
- coordinate demands from affiliates and call on employers, devolved governments, mayors, fire authorities, local authorities and other public bodies to refuse to implement the MSLs legislation and issue work notices and work with the trade union movement to render MSLs inoperable;
- support demonstrations and hold a national march opposing the legislation and calling for repeal of the anti-union laws;
- mobilise support for any affiliate seeking assistance, whose union and members are sanctioned for non-compliance;
- organise a Special Congress, size to be determined, to explore options for non-compliance and resistance.
The following supported lobbying the TUC. Send us details if your union also passes our model motion or the updated version below, and/or agreed to support our lobby of the TUC 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, Torbay TUC, Unite SW/008 Branch
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.
This is an updated version after TUC Congress:-
This (branch, committee, trades council etc)
· welcomes the TUC decision for a fighting strategy to oppose the Tories’ new anti-strike law, the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, which will initially prevent nearly 6 million UK workers in health, education, transport, fire and rescue, and other public services from taking full industrial action;
· recognises the urgent need to build coalitions of non-compliance and against further extensions of the act by creating an appropriate industrial response to defend workers’ right to strike and protect any trade union attacked under this new law;
· supports the TUC call to coordinate demands on employers, devolved governments, mayors, fire authorities, local authorities, and other public bodies to refuse to issue ‘work notices’ under the act, which are discretionary and not mandatory, and will initiate and/or participate in national, local and regional demonstrations and lobbies of such employers in support of this demand.
NSSN news
NSSN Surrey Public Meeting: ‘How can trade unionists prepare for the battles ahead?’ – 2pm Sunday 8th October, The Guildford Institute, Ward St, Guilford GU1 4LH
Bristol Trades Union Council ‘150 years of linking struggles of the working class and fighting for our futures’ – day of panels, stalls and discussions. Saturday 7th October 11am-5pm, The Engine Shed, Bristol BS1 6QH
Reading Trade Union Council Strike Rally – Saturday 14th October 1pm Assembling in Forbury Gardens Facebook event
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 disappointed at delay in delivery of ferries for CalMac (29 Sept) – Ferries union, RMT has expressed “disappointment” following the latest statement from shipbuilder Ferguson Marine on when the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa ro-pax ferries will be delivered to public sector ferry operator CalMac. Both vessels should have been in service in 2018 on the lifeline ferry routes operated by CalMac, under the original contract between the Scottish Government and Ferguson Marine. However, the Glen Sannox will be delivered at the end of March 2024 and Glen Rosa is now subject to a further 6 month delay, meaning it will not be delivered until 31st May 2025, well after the expiry of CalMac’s current contract with Scottish Ministers read more
World Maritime Day (28 Sept) – RMT today pledged its support for seafarers and safe working environments on World Maritime Day. Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary said: “RMT pay tribute to all maritime workers in the seas and ports around the UK and internationally on International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) World Maritime Day read more
RMT responds to Rosebank oil field go-ahead (27 Sept) – OFFSHORE union RMT today called for a domestic publicly owned energy sector in response to UK Government’s decision to grant Equinor and Ithaca Energy a licence to exploit the Rosebank field, 80 miles northwest of Shetland read more
London Underground station staff to take strike action in October (20 Sept) – Tube union, RMT will take strike action on London Underground on October 4 and 6 over job losses and safety concerns. The union has been locked in a long running dispute over 600 station staff cuts and detrimental working conditions since last year. Safety concerns have also been raised regarding fewer staff facing higher workloads, more lone working and increased fatigue. The job losses planned will affect every aspect of the tube including stations and maintenance, leading to the likelihood of more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Station staff have had enough of having their livelihoods threatened by job losses and attacks on their terms and conditions…” read more
Rail Gourmet workers take strike action on TPE (15 Sept) – Contracted out caterers are on strike today over poor pay, pensions and sick pay. RMT members working for Rail Gourmet on TransPennine Express services get lower pay and poorer terms and conditions than colleagues directly employed by the train operator. Rail Gourmet made £1.4 million in profit last year but have refused to meet the expectations of members in terms of a pay offer. Despite negotiations, the company is still refusing to give timescales on when it will pay workers £15 an hour read more
Sign petition: Reinstate Anne Howie RMT Activist – Anne Howie RMT activist at Manchester Piccadilly is facing dismissal with no due process
ASLEF
ASLEF: Train drivers’ union announces industrial action and asks ‘Where’s Wally?’ (15 Sept) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has today [Friday] announced another two days of strike action – on Saturday 30 September and Wednesday 4 October – and an overtime ban across the UK rail network on Friday 29 September and from Monday 2 to Friday 6 October. The strike will force the train operating companies to cancel all services and the ban on overtime will seriously disrupt the network as the privatised train companies have always failed to employ enough drivers to provide a proper service – the service they promise passengers, businesses, and the government they will deliver – without asking drivers to work their rest days. 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
Picket Lines 30 Sept – 4 Oct 2023
RSSB Fatigue and Alertness Survey (25 Sept) – RSSB fatigue survey graphic with a picture of a train and emotion graphics. The RSSB has launched its Rail Industry Fatigue and Alertness Survey 2023 to help understand the risks of fatigue in the rail industry read more
TSSA
TSSA warns of Industrial Dispute looming on Southwestern Railways (29 Sept) – TSSA today has warned of a looming industrial dispute with Southwestern Railway (SWR) after the company changed working arrangements for staff in their control centres. If the control centre staff go on strike trains on Southwestern railway will come to a stop. Staff working in the Basingstoke and Waterloo control centres have been informed that they will have to find their own cover if they don’t want to work Sunday shifts. Previously the company was responsible for finding cover. Staff in SWR are not currently obliged to work on Sundays. In common with much of the rail industry covering Sunday shifts is done on a voluntary basis with staff receiving overtime payments read more
A broken ticket machine can’t help anyone – TSSA condemns plans to close ticket offices (27 Sept) – The ticket on demand system broke down on Wednesday. TSSA today condemned government plans to close ticket offices as ticket machines and online ticket purchasing systems failed across the country. Train companies in England and Wales have admitted problems across the network with ticket machines and their Ticket on Departure systems. Passengers were unable to get pre-purchased tickets bought in advance online printed at stations or through ticket vending machines for several hours today read more
TSSA – Sunak ‘running scared’ from ticket office debate (25 Sept) – TSSA has accused the Conservative government of ‘running scared’ from debating their plans to close most railway ticket offices in England. A House of Commons website petition, which calls for ticket offices to remain open, reached the 100,000 signatures needed for the matter to be debated in Parliament on 8 September but the Westminster government has yet to set a date for the debate. The online petition declares ‘We want the Government to require train operators to keep ticket offices and platform staff at train stations, to help maintain health and safety standards and customer information.’ TSSA led the nationwide campaign to encourage members of the public to sign the petition and force a debate in Parliament. The petition has now received thousands more signatures than the 100,000 needed to force a debate in Parliament. The result also follows the news that a consultation on ticket office closures received a record-breaking 680,000 responses read more
Unite
Unite to hold fresh strikes and protests at NHS London trusts during pay and staffing strikes (29 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is undertaking a wave of fresh strikes and demonstrations in London next week as part of its campaign to increase pay and end unsafe staffing afflicting NHS workers. Over 1,000 workers at Barts Health NHS Trust are in dispute over pay, safe staffing levels, bank rates and lump-sum payments. Workers are experiencing staff shortages, which have reached such a level that they risk the health of patients and threaten staff welfare. Staff at Barts and Synergy (an outsourcing company providing linen services) taking industrial action includes nurses, biomedical scientists, clinical engineers, porters, cleaners and auxiliary staff are striking in a wider dispute over pay and safe staffing levels. They are being joined by members at East London Foundation Trust who are also taking part in a one-day strike over pay and safe staffing levels. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our NHS members are fighting for fair pay and to protest at the dangerous problem of staff shortages – something that puts patients in danger and which the government wants to ignore. It is intolerable that our members at Barts, who are some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS and who are living hand to mouth, have been denied the one-off payment they fully deserve.” The Barts and Synergy workers will be on strike on 2, 3, 4 October. East London Foundation Trust workers will be on strike on 4 October. Unite members will be on a picket line at all Barts Hospitals (except Mile End) on all strike dates and Mile End hospital on 4 October and will be joining the Junior Doctors, Consultants, Barts Unite Branch, TFL staff and train drivers for a day of action and protest beginning at 10:30am on 4 October at Royal London Hospital read more
IAC Solihull strike to cause JLR and BMW interior shortages (29 Sept) – IAC Solihull workers paid poverty wages while company brings in billions. Nearly 250 workers at International Automotive Components (IAC) in Solihull will go on indefinite strike over pay in October, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). Most of the workers are paid the minimum wage. They have rejected a six per cent increase that will take their hourly rate to just £11.11. Other workers, who are paid little more for their roles, have also rejected staggered offers of six, seven and eight per cent. American-owned IAC brings in billions of pounds per year. The company brought in global revenues of £2.4 billion in 2021, including £221 million from the UK…The workers will begin indefinite strike action on Thursday 12 October. The factory produces dashboards and door, roof and boot interiors and the strike action will cause shortages for JLR and BMW read more
150 First Bus engineers across Glasgow and West Central Scotland vote for strike action (29 Sept) – Emphatic vote follows pay offer rejection. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, confirmed today (29 September) that around 150 First Bus engineers across Glasgow and West Central Scotland have emphatically backed strike action. The engineers at First Glasgow (No1) voted by 96 per cent, and by 100 per cent at First Glasgow (No 2) in support of strike action in high turnouts of over 80 per cent. The companies are part of First Group PLC’s bus operations in Scotland. The engineers are involved in an escalating pay dispute with both companies following the overwhelming rejection of a pay offer. The workers are based in the following bus depots: Blantyre, Caledonia, Dumbarton, Overtown and Scotstoun. Unite can further confirm that talks are scheduled with the companies through the auspices of the conciliation service (Acas) next week in a bid to make a breakthrough in the pay dispute. If there is no positive outcome then Unite will have ‘no option’ but to notify First Glasgow (No1) and First Glasgow (No2) of imminent industrial action. This could take place from the middle of October 2023 read more
Fresh Imperial College strikes after ‘abysmal’ pay offer rejected (29 Sept) – Imperial College offers pay cut but has £1.7 billion reserves and paid president record salary. More than 200 Imperial College workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will strike over pay next week. The workers have rejected an ‘abysmal’ pay deal of 5.5 per cent, which is a real terms pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, stands at 9.1 per cent. Imperial College’s latest financial figures shows it brought in an income of over £1.2 billion for 2021/22 and had cash reserves of £1.7 billion. Further, Imperial College has a record of being one of the best paying universities for senior leadership staff. Until July 2022, the university employed the UK’s highest paid executive leader with an annual pay package worth £714,000 – a massive increase of 35.5 per cent on the previous year…The workers, including technicians and maintenance and security staff, will strike on Monday 2 October, Tuesday 3 October and Wednesday 18 October. They are striking alongside colleagues who are members of the UCU and UNISON unions. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite hails multi-site recognition agreement at agri-manufacturer ABN (29 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has negotiated a recognition agreement for more than 260 of its members employed by animal feed and nutritional product manufacturer ABN. The agreement ensures the union’s growing membership at ABN, which produces a huge proportion of the UK’s pig and poultry feed, have collective trade union bargaining rights when it comes to pay and employment conditions read more
Warrington facing refuse strike as workers reject real terms pay cut (29 Sept) – Refuse workers at Warrington Borough Council are preparing for strike action in a dispute over pay. The strike will begin on Tuesday 3 October and end on Monday 16 October and Unite is not ruling out further action. The 50 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 read more
Workers at BOC to strike over pay with workers demonstrating at the company’s Worsley site (29 Sept) – Workers employed by BOC, will begin strike action next week in a dispute over pay. There will be a picket line at the company’s Worsley site in Manchester.
When Friday 6 October from 09:00
Where: Wardley Industrial Estate, Priestley Rd, Wardley, Worsley, Manchester M28 2UT
The strike will involve over 80 workers at BOC, who are employed in sales and marketing roles and are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. The strike is a result of the workers having rejected a pay offer of 7.6 per cent for 2023. This is in effect a real terms pay cut, after suffering a nine per cent pay cut between 2018-2022 compared to other workers at the company. The pay increase was due to be made in April this year when the real inflation rate (RPI) stood at 11.4 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “BOC is a fabulously wealthy company. Giving our members a fair pay increase would barely scratch the surface of its huge profits. BOC’s failure to do the right thing is all about greed not need.” The initial strike action will last for 10 days beginning at 04:00 on Friday 6 October and ending at 03:59 on Monday 16 October. The strike action is the first time this group of workers have ever taken industrial action. Tensions have increased as it has taken three years for the workers to secure recognition, during which time the wages of the striking workers has fallen by 20 per cent compared to the RPIX inflation rate. BOC is part of Line PLC which is the largest provider of industrial, medical and specialist gases in the world. It is incredibly profitable. Its most recent accounts revealed it recorded a profit of £6.4 billion last year, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. Linde PLC has been able to significantly increase shareholder dividends and take in a shareholder buy back. BOC’s customers who will be affected by the strike action include GSK, Astra Zeneca, Ineos, Nissan, the MoD Coca Cola and the National Grid. There will be other picket lines in around the UK including but not limited to : Margam, St Helens, Motherwell, Teesside, Thame, Bristol and Wolverhampton read more
Deca Workers To Strike Following a Decade of Pay Erosion (28 Sept) – Unite members working for Defence Equipment & Support Deca at Sealand in Flintshire and Stafford have voted to strike over an imposed two per cent pay award for 2022. A series of 24 hour strikes will commence on Tuesday 3 October. Workers at DECA have endured over a decade of stagnant wages and extremely low pay increases. Pay restraint has seen wages fall significantly in real terms. Defence Equipment & Support Deca, is wholly owned by the MOD. The workforce is highly skilled and provide a vital role in maintaining military, avionic and electronic equipment read more
Greencore victory as Unite seals new and improved pay deal (28 Sept) – Greencore victory as Unite seals new and improved pay deal. Substantial pay award offered after Unite campaign. Workers at Greencore, the sandwich and convenience food manufacturer, have won a deserved pay award after a campaign by Unite, Britain’s leading trade union. All staff at the Worksop factory in Nottinghamshire are going to receive a 10 per cent increase backdated to 1 April 2023 and an additional 5.25 per cent increase from 1 April 2024. Workers at Greencore had been balloted and agreed to take industrial action over the initial pay offer but following extensive negotiations the employer agreed to an above-inflation award read more
Strikes off at Hedin Automotive as Unite secures pay increases (28 Sept) – Auto repair company come back with improved offer after union campaign. Workers at Hedin Automotive have accepted an improved pay and conditions offer from the company following a concerted campaign by Unite, Britain’s leading trade union. Industrial action had been called, which could have led to repairs across the network of Mercedes-Benz dealerships in London and Surrey that Hedin run being cancelled. Instead, workers have now called off strike action following an improved pay offer. Unite’s long running campaign for better terms and conditions involved lengthy talks and negotiations with the employer. Workers will now receive a 10 per cent pay rise and an additional two days of annual leave for those who were only receiving 23 days previously. The workers are primarily technicians who are responsible for car servicing, repairs and MOTs read more
Murphy union-busting: Unite launches whistleblowers’ hotline (28 Sept) – Unite, which represents construction workers throughout Ireland, today (Thursday) launched a hotline for anyone concerned about the employment practices of the Murphy group. The launch took place outside the Newbridge headquarters of Murphy International Ltd. Today’s hotline launch forms part of Unite’s campaign against union-busting by the Murphy group of companies. Their Irish subsidiary, Murphy International, wrongfully sacked four Unite members, including a shop steward, last year after they organised a meeting of workers to discuss Murphy’s non-payment of agreed travel and subsistence payments. During Unite’s campaign for reinstatement of the ‘Murphy Four’, the union has became aware of other instances of poor practices on the part of the company. The hotline being launched today will allow current and former workers, as well as members of the public, to report any concerns they may have read more
Unite union holds Birmingham fuel poverty demonstration (27 Sept) – Unite’s West Midlands’ Community members will stage a demonstration and protest against fuel poverty in Birmingham this week. The demonstration is part of Unite’s wider campaign to persuade the government to bring the energy network into public ownership. This is the first of a series of regional protests developing into a national day of action before Christmas. During the demonstration and protest, Unite will be encouraging members of the public to discuss how the huge increases in energy costs have affected them. These will then be shared on social media read more
Tower Hamlets workers vote to end bin strikes (26 Sept) – Unite members secure an extra £750 plus all agency workers will be brought in house. The strike action was entirely avoidable if managers had taken the situation seriously from the outset. Refuse workers employed by Tower Hamlets will have more money in their pockets after almost two weeks of strikes thanks to their union Unite. Around 50 agency workers will also be brought in house by the end of December on full council terms and conditions. The deal comes hot on the heels of a council wide pay deal of an extra £750 for all low paid Newham council workers. This is thanks to Unite members in refuse taking strike action. Over 200 Tower Hamlets workers made up of refuse and street cleaners had rejected the national pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925. The offer amounted to a real terms pay cut. Because councils are not legally bound to follow the local government pay increase the workers campaigned for additional pay and fairer treatment for agency staff. Strike action began on Monday 18 September read more
Living Wage: collective bargaining and union recognition needed to drive decent pay in Ireland (27 Sept) – New €14.80 rate highlights inadequacy of National Minimum Wage. Unite, which is affiliated to the Living Wage Technical Group, today (Wednesday) welcomed the group’s decision to increase the real Living Wage to €14.80. The Living Wage is calculated as the minimum needed to provide a socially acceptable standard of living for an adult in full-time employment without dependents. The increase announced today was driven by rising living costs over the past year, especially in respect of energy, food and rent read more
Darlington printers Cepac in fire and rehire, redundancy and legal dispute shame as strikes deepen (26 Sept) – UK Packaging awards urged to withdraw Cepac nomination. Darlington-based packaging printer Cepac is embroiled in a series of legal challenges as industrial action at the company, due to a pay dispute, intensifies. The workers have been on strike since Monday 14 August and industrial action has now been extended until 23 October (10 weeks of strike action). In response, rather than enter into negotiations, Cepac is threatening to make 61 redundancies at the company. In addition, the company has told employees that they will be fired and rehired on inferior contracts. Unite is also pursuing a legal case through an employment tribunal against Cepac for making illegal inducements to members. This is a result of Cepac making pay offers to individual members during negotiations, in contravention of the collective agreement with Unite read more
Unite launches major Port Talbot steel campaign to transition industry and boost jobs (26 Sept) – Unite will campaign with voters to demand politicians from all parties commit to workers’ steel plan. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has launched a major campaign with Port Talbot voters to demand politicians reverse the decline in the steel industry. To launch the campaign, Unite has commissioned local newspaper adverts and eye-catching static and digital billboards asking whose side politicians, such as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, are on when it comes to the steel industry and the jobs it supports read more
Unite launches major steel campaign in Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Scunthorpe to transition industry and boost jobs (19 Sept) – Unite will campaign with voters to demand politicians from all parties commit to workers’ steel plan
Sign petition: To all UK political parties – Support the Workers’ Plan for Steel
Willenhall steel coil workers strike over low pay (26 Sept) – ArcelorMittal workers reject real terms pay cut as firm brings in millions. West Midlands workers making steel products for the automotive and construction industry at the ArcelorMittal factory in Willenhall are striking over low pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers earn an average of £11.24 per hour, with some receiving just the national minimum wage. They have rejected a pay rise of seven per cent. This is a significant, real terms pay cut when the true rate of inflation, RPI, stood at 11.4 per cent when the rise was due to be implemented in April of this year. The low wages at the factory stand in stark contrast to the money being made by their employer. ArcelorMittal Distribution Solutions latest available financial returns show it had a turnover of £267.5 million and operating profits of £33.1 million in 2021 read more
Newham refuse workers win across the board payment for low paid council workers (26 Sept) – Tower Hamlets also has the power to end its ongoing refuse strike. The decision by Unite members to stage industrial action has secured a council wide pay deal of an extra £750 for all low paid Newham council workers. Meanwhile rubbish is continuing to pile up across Tower Hamlets where workers are taking strike action for a month. The deal reached at Newham points the way to a resolution at Tower Hamlets. 105 refuse workers from Newham rejected the national pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925. The workers in Newham were due to walkout between 25 September and 22 October. Strike action was averted after members of Unite secured improved terms and conditions on top of the Local Government Association national pay deal. All workers on grades 1-3 will receive the £750 payment read more
Strikes at Lincoln Lincat commercial kitchen appliance maker intensify (25 Sept) – Workers walk out for a month over years of shrinking wages from profitable firm. Strikes by more than 100 workers based at commercial kitchen appliance manufacturer Lincat have intensified, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The low paid workers have rejected a split pay deal of eight per cent. This includes 5.5 per cent from January to June this year, which would be back paid, and a further 2.5 per cent for the rest of the year. 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 9.1 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. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members resolve to receive a fair pay rise is rock solid. They know that Lincat and its owner Middleby are very profitable and can more than afford to put a reasonable offer forward. The only reason this is not happening is corporate greed. The workforce at Lincat have the full force their union behind them as they fight for fair pay.” The workers took a week of strike action at the beginning of September. Further strike action will now take place for a month from today (Monday 25 September) lasting until Monday 23 October read more
Unite: Mini nuclear reactors must be UK designed and built after Sunak net zero speech (25 Sept) – Warning comes as Unite signs recognition agreement with Rolls-Royce SMR. To help the UK reach clean energy targets, small modular reactors (SMRs) must be built in Britain as part of a just transition to net zero, Unite, the UK’s leading union, warned today (Monday) read more
Welsh Local Authority Strikes to Escalate From Next Week (22 Sept) – Unite members at both Wrexham and Cardiff Councils will resume their continuous strike action for a further three-week period from next Monday. In an escalation of the industrial action, Unite members will strike from 25th September to 15th October. Members at the two councils have previously undertaken two weeks of strike action from September 4th – September 17th. Unite members have overwhelmingly rejected the local authority employers’ pay offer of just £1,925, a poorer offer than last year and a real terms pay cut. Many Unite members within Welsh Local Authorities work for a wage that is barely above the national minimum wage read more
Unite says ‘serious’ new pay offer on table to tackle low pay Scottish in local government (22 Sept) – Strikes suspended as pay offer recommended for acceptance. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm that following a meeting of its local government committee this morning (Friday 22 September), it will now suspend its scheduled strike action for next week in order to ballot its membership on an improved pay offer by COSLA. Three days of strike action involving thousands of Unite members in education and early years services from 26 to 28 September across 11 councils is now suspended. The trade union can also confirm that its local government committee has recommended ‘acceptance’ of the improved COSLA pay offer. Unite will accordingly hold a ballot of its local government membership which will open on 26 September and close on 17 October. The new offer represents a minimum increase of £2006 for those on the Scottish Local Government Living Wage, and a minimum of £1929 for all those above from 1 April 2023 read more
Mass demonstrations at Norwich NHS AGM following Norse pay betrayal (22 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, will stage a major demonstration at the AGM of the Norfolk Community and Health Care Trust (NCH&C), in support of its members employed by Norse who are striking over pay. The workers, who are employed by Norse Commercial Services but contracted to undertake critical maintenance on all of NCH&C’s hospitals and health centres, began strike action last month after only being offered a four per cent pay increase, which is a substantial real terms pay cut with the current true rate of inflation (RPI) standing at 9.1 per cent.
When: Tuesday 26 September from 09:00
Where: NCH&C AGM, East Anglian Air Ambulance, Helimed House, Hangar 14, Gambling Close, Norwich NR6 6EG…the Unite members at Norse will be striking on 26 September and 5 October then for a further week from Monday 9 October, which will result in disruption to patients and staff at NCH&C NHS Trust read more
Pay strikes at Kings Lynn’s largest social housing provider escalate (22 Sept) – Freebridge housing workers on poverty pay despite £3.6m surplus and huge executive salaries. Strikes at Freebridge Community Housing over poverty pay will intensify from next week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). 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. They are angry that Freebridge, the largest social housing provider in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, has offered them a five per cent increase and a £500 non-consolidated payment, despite the association’s robust financial health. This is a significant, real terms pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, stands at 9.1 per cent. The workers are asking for a seven per cent pay rise. Freebridge had a total turnover of £32 million and a surplus of £3.57 million in 2022 and increased its rents by seven per cent this year read more
Public sector workers rally for fair pay and respect on second day of powerful coordinated strike action (21 Sept) – Striking trade union members across health, civil service, PSNI and private sector will rally at Belfast City Hall tomorrow [Friday]. When: 12.30pm Friday 22nd September 2023; Where: Belfast City Hall, Belfast. The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is hosting a ‘Workers Demand Better’ rally tomorrow at Belfast City Hall to demand improved pay and adequate budgets for public services. The event marks the second day of coordinated strike action by public sector workers in health, the civil service, PSNI and college lecturers. The rally will be joined by private sector workers, including Unite members from Vista Therm who are now on their eighth week of strike action, in a show of solidarity for their public sector colleagues read more
Petrofac Ithaca offshore workers set for six days of strike action (19 Sept) – Long-running dispute continues after ‘clawback’ offer rejected. Unite the union announced today (19 September) that around 85 offshore workers employed by Petrofac Facilities Management Limited are set to take strike action over six days on installations operated by Ithaca Energy. The dispute centres on Ithaca Energy’s fourteen days ‘clawback’ policy. Petrofac offered to reduce this policy to twelve days. The industry norm is seven days. Unite members on the FPF1 platform, Alba FSU, Alba North, Captain FPSO, and Captain WPP installations overwhelmingly rejected the contractor’s offer. Twelve days would still leave the Petrofac workers operating under the highest rate of ‘clawback’ days in the offshore sector. It is the financial equivalent of up to £6,000 lost income per person. The strike action includes electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders and crane operators. The strike action will begin at 6 a.m. on 1 October and ends at 5.59 a.m. on 7 October read more
Glasgow rally for Scottish university and college workers (18 Sept) – Around 1,000 Unite members on strike this week. A rally in Glasgow will be held tomorrow (19 September) in support of Scottish university and college workers on strike in disputes over pay read more
Go North East drivers announce dates for strike action (18 Sept) – Bus company in last chance saloon for improved pay offer before strikes hit. Go North East bus drivers will walk out in two, seven-day strikes beginning later this month, Unite the union announced today (18 September). Drivers have been forced to take to the picket line following the failure of Go North East to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer. This is despite the latest accounts of its parent company, the Go-Ahead Group shows bus group profits of nearly £85million. Depots that will be affected by any industrial action are: Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland and Washington. Strikes will take place on the following dates:-
- Saturday 30th September 2023 to Friday 6th October 2023 (inclusive)
- Saturday 14th October 2023 to Friday 20th October 2023 (inclusive)
Unite has also warned that further action may be notified in due course if a settlement that members can accept isn’t put forward read more
Scottish Water ballot opens as strike action a ‘step closer’ (18 Sept) – 500 Unite key frontline workers vote in pay and grading dispute. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, has today (18 September) confirmed its 500-strong Scottish Water membership are voting on strike action in an escalating dispute over pay and a new grading system. The strike action ballot comes at a juncture when Alex Plant, the new Chief Executive of Scottish Water, has come under fire for earning a reported annual salary of £295,000 in breach of the Scottish Government’s public sector pay rules. Mr Plant’s salary is £25,000 higher than his direct predecessor despite the pay policy expecting a 10 per cent reduction in the remuneration package over an outgoing appointment. The trade union has further accused Scottish Water bosses of by-passing long-standing collective bargaining processes involving recognised trade unions. The new ‘reward system’ which Scottish Water bosses are trying to impose on the workforce is being tied to the 2023 pay offer. The ballot opens on 22 September and closes on 16 October read more
Council workers across Haringey, Southwark and Newham prepare for strike action (14 Sept) – Members of Unite across three London Boroughs are preparing for strike action in a dispute over pay. 105 refuse workers from Newham and 245 housing repair workers from Haringey and Southwark 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 in Newham will take continuous strike action between 25 September and 22 October. Workers at Haringey and Southwark will take a series of 24 hour strikes on 25 September and 2, 9, 16 October read more
Heathrow baggage carousel workers to strike over poor pay offer (13 Sept) – 170 workers to walk out and bring baggage services to a halt. Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, has announced today (Tuesday 12 September) that its members at Vanderlande Industries are to strike over pay, bringing travel disruption to Heathrow Airport this autumn. Around 170 workers who conduct high-end maintenance and servicing of baggage carousels, ensuring passengers’ luggage is delivered into the terminal buildings safely and on time, are to walk out in October following a failure by the employer to improve their derisory pay offer. Vanderlande Industries has made two below-inflation pay offers of just five per cent and 2.5 per cent that have been roundly rejected by Unite members. Vanderlande is pleading poverty and yet their last accounts at Companies House show profits of £3.7 million. Its parent company has increased revenue by 32 per cent to €2.4 billion. Industrial action will take place in two waves on the following dates:-
- 17:30 on 6th October – 06:00 on 9th October
- 05:30 on 20th October – 06:00 on 30th October read more
GH London strikes at Luton Airport suspended for last minute talks (12 Sept) – Strike action involving ground handlers employed by GH London at Luton Airport due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday 13 September) has been called off to allow last minute peace talks to take place. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who undertake the ground handling functions at the airport for the airline Wizz, have already staged two days of strike action because of a complete breakdown in industrial relations at the company. However, following a last minute offer of talks by GH London, Unite has called off tomorrow’s industrial action, as an act of good faith read more
100 DuPont workers strike in pay dispute (11 Sept) – Dumfries based plant to be hit by five stoppages. Unite the union has served notice on a series of stoppages to hit the Dumfries based DuPont Teijin Films (DTF) plant. Five rounds of 12-hour stoppages, involving around 100 Unite members, will take place on 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 September. A continuous overtime ban has also been in place since July. DTF is a major supplier of polyester films for electrical, medical, photo, print and photovoltaic uses to UK supermarkets, as well as institutional catering for hospitals, schools and home-meals for the elderly. Unite has accused DTF management of by-passing the agreed collective bargaining procedures, and the workforce’s trade union representatives, to impose a 3.3 per cent wage offer in April. The broader rate of inflation (RPI) has remained stubbornly high throughout the year, and currently stands at 9 per cent read more
Manufacturing workers in Chesterfield to strike over parity pay and real terms pay cuts (8 Sept) – 100 per cent of the workforce voted for action. Skilled manufacturing workers based in Chesterfield undertaking repairs for companies ranging from British Steel to Thames Water will begin strike action this Monday in a dispute over pay. The action being taken at ERIKS Industrial Services will have a dramatic effect, causing delays for customers. 8 days of strikes will take place on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 September, Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September, Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 September and then on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October read more
Workers at Klarius in Stoke-on-Trent to strike over fire and rehire sick pay threats (7 Sept) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at Klarius Products Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent, will begin a series of strikes later this month in response to the company’s threats to fire and rehire them, drastically reducing sick pay for some of its most long serving and loyal workforce. The problems at the company are a result of the creation of a two-tier workforce. Workers on the traditional contracts receive a very fair company sick pay scheme, while workers on the inferior, newer contracts only receive statutory sick pay (SSP). Klarius’ solution is to introduce a new sick pay scheme but it would result in many workers experiencing sizeable cuts in their entitlement. Unite has tried to resolve the issue through consultation but Klarius has refused to improve its proposals and as a result is now threatening to fire and rehire many of its workforce, with some of those being forced onto inferior contracts from next month… Unite has announced an initial 16 days of strike action. The first strike will take place on Tuesday 12 September read more
Unite urges employer to pay a fair wage and avoid nuclear plant shutdown (6 Sept) – Electricians who certify tools for use in nuclear power stations are taking strike action. Unite, the country’s leading trade union, announced today (Wednesday 6 September) that its members at Altrad Babcock Ltd are taking strike action following a dismal pay offer from the employer. Electricians at Altrad Babcock, based in Tipton in the West Midlands, are responsible for certifying that electrical tools are safe to use in nuclear facilities across the country. Yet this safety-critical role is not being valued by the employer, with some members earning as little as £13.62 per hour. Members ensure that equipment including welding machines, compressors, winches and even site vehicles are certified as electrically safe to use in potentially hazardous environments. Failure to have such certification will mean that the tools and machinery cannot enter the nuclear plants to maintain the facility. Eventually, this could lead to nuclear power plants having to shut down. Strikes are likely to take place in waves across the autumn and into winter, just as demand for nuclear power stations increases. Dates are as follows: Wednesday the 20th /Thursday the 21st September at 08:00am until 16:00pm then Monday the 25th & Tuesday the 26th September followed by every Monday: October 2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th, November 6th 13th 20th 27th, then December, 4th 11th and then on Tuesdays October, 3rd 10th 17th 24th 31st October, then November 7th 14th 21st 28th then December 5th 12th 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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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
Capita TVL workers in Bristol and Darwen set to vote on pay rise (22 Sept) – Capita TVL workers in the North West and the South West are set to vote on a deal which could see their pay rising for the coming year. Around 450 CWU members who are employed at Capita’s TVL offices in Bristol and Darwen could benefit from the new agreement, which would be applied from 1st April 2023. The features of the agreement include a pay increase from £10.07 to £11.12 per hour for the year 2023 for around 300 members, and a £1,450 consolidated pay increase (pro-rata for part-timers) for members already earning above the Real Living Wage (RLW). As a result of the deal’s conclusion, the union will now run a consultative ballot for members to have their say, the deadline for which will be 9th October. Should the deal be ratified by the members, the pay rises and any arrears of pay will be made on October’s payday 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
CPS Group Pay Update (29 Sept) – The CPS has this week published details of its full and final pay offer for 2023/24. PCS has written to the head of HR operations rejecting the offer as it falls significantly short of our national demands read more
Strike action escalates at The Pensions Regulator (28 Sept) – PCS members will take 14 more days strike action as their employer has failed to increase its pay offer.
PCS members working for The Pensions Regulator took strike action between 5 and 18 September in pursuit of our national campaign demands. Their employer has failed to pay staff the full monies available government’s increased pay remit of 4.5-5%. The revised remit – plus a one-off £1,500 cost-of-living payment – was won by PCS after a six-month campaign that saw three national strikes. PCS has had four meetings with TPR management, but they have refused to concede anything and have doubled down on their original position of not meeting the terms of the civil service pay remit guidance. PCS members will therefore take 14 more days of strike action on 11, 12, 17 and 18 October and for two weeks from 23 to 27 October and 30 October to 3 November read more
PCS strike rally in Newcastle for OCS members (28 Sept) – Join us at a rally in Newcastle to support our members in OCS who have taken strike action since 22 September over pay. PCS will hold a strike rally on Friday 29 September at 10:00am at the Civic Centre in Newcastle, where PCS president Fran Heathcote will be joined by colleagues from UNISON, RMT, UCU and others to talk about the success of this action. The court security officers have taken four days of strike action over pay, after being offered just 38p above the National Living Wage. The rally is intended to coincide with the final day of the current phase of industrial action, which has forced the closure of many courts across England and Wales, caused a large number of court cases to be cancelled or disrupted, and led to courts operating with inadequate staffing levels or using inexperienced or unvetted agency labour read more
First day of OCS strike closes and disrupts courts (22 Sept) – Striking PCS members force court closures and severe disruptions on first day of a four-day action over pay. Security officers in 149 courts across England and Wales today (22 September) started a four-day strike over pay, after being offered just 38p above the National Living Wage. The action, which continues on 25, 27 and 29 September, has seen hundreds of PCS members take action, forming strong and lively picket lines across the country read more
Mitie Security officers in ‘Affiliate’ cluster – PCS membership after transfer to G4S (25 Sept) – Statutory recognition awarded for Cabinet Office staff and 22 Whitehall security staff. PCS has won recognition for two additional groups of Mitie employees read more
Further industrial action in 3 Whitehall departments (22 Sept) – Cleaners, security guards and support staff working in 3 major Whitehall departments are to take further strike action next month in an ongoing pay dispute. PCS members employed by the outsourced contractor ISS at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department of Business and Trade and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, are striking for 5 days from 9-13 October. They are taking more action after being offered a below-inflation pay rise. The company has offered just 2.2% despite high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis and despite ISS making significant profits in the last year. PCS is also calling for an end to outsourcing, job security and for the company to formally recognise the union. This new action follows the well-supported strike at the beginning of the month, where members took action for 5 days. ISS has failed to respond to requests to make an improved offer and have yet to agree to meet with PCS read more
House of Commons security guards to be balloted for strike action (20 Sept) – The members are to be balloted for strike action after being told to work extra night shifts to cover for a lack of staff. PCS is asking more than 250 members employed as security guards across the entire Palace of Westminster estate if they are prepared to take strike action. Members are angry and stressed after being told to work extra night shifts to cover for a lack of staff and feel they are being made to pay the price for management’s failure to adequately retain and recruit staff. PCS has asked management to withdraw the new roster, give members a proper work/life balance and recruit sufficient staff to cover all vacancies. In a ballot that runs between September 25 and October 9, we are asking members if they believe that they should take strike action to force the employer to listen read more
Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to strike over pay (7 Sept) – Nearly 100 PCS members working for MOPAC will take five days of strike action later this month. PCS members at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) will strike on 20, 21, 22, 25 and 26 September after management refused to negotiate on their pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. MOPAC staff are responsible for the London equivalent of a regional Police and Crime Commission. They oversee financial scrutiny of the London Metropolitan Police and are directly accountable to the mayor, Sadiq Khan 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
GMB
Union members vote overwhelmingly for strike action at luxury fashion retail giant (29 Sept) – Yoox Net-A-Porter facing strike as 91 per cent of GMB union members vote for action in the run-up to Christmas. GMB, the union for warehousing and distribution, has announced that Yoox-Net-A-Porter will be facing a strike in its warehouse in Charlton, South-East London. More than 200 union members voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay. Dates of the strike action will be issued in due course, but the action is set to cause a major effect on clothing orders and deliveries in the run up to Christmas. The company sells expensive, high-end fashion brands, including De Beers, Bottega and Vintage Chanel read more
Nottingham goose fair saved from travel chaos (28 Sept) – Tram strikes would have humon-goose travel disruption, says GMB. GMB union have today announced that planned strike action across Nottingham’s tram network has been withdrawn. The news comes as workers on Nottingham trams voted to back a pay deal representing a 10% pay increase. Strike action was due to take place from midnight tonight for ten days, threatening significant travel disruption during one of Nottingham’s busiest weeks. The union had called on tram bosses to step back from the brink and avoid strike action after workers rejected real terms-pay cuts imposed on them by company management. Goose Fair is one of Nottingham tram’s busiest periods and an important revenue stream for the company read more
Water companies fined £114 million (26 Sept) – GMB, the water union, has responded to water companies being fined £114 million after failing to meet key targets on reducing pollution, leakage and supply interruptions read more
Quarter of a million Nottinghamshire homes hit by refuse chaos as Veolia strike action begins (26 Sept) – Neighbouring Derbyshire risks becoming Nottinghamshire’s waste bin, says GMB. Members of GMB Union have today began five days of strike action at Veolia waste and recycling plants across Nottinghamshire. The industrial action comes after service provider Veolia refused to negotiate a pay offer that reflects the cost of living crisis. Mansfield’s Materials Recycling Facility, Ashfield’s Welsh Croft Close site and Bassetlaw’s Claylands Avenue site will all be impacted by strike action. These plants process household waste and recycling for over 250,000 homes in north Nottinghamshire. Refuse collections for Mansfield, Ashfield and Bassetlaw are now being forced to make a gruelling 50 mile detour to drop off sites in Derbyshire. GMB and local residents have also raised alarm at the prospect of Veolia using temporary agency staff to cover the impact of the dispute read more
Thousands of Sheffield women set to launch major equal pay claim (25 Sept) – Thousands of Sheffield women are set to launch an equal pay claim against the city’s council today (Monday). Some of the women workers are thought to be missing out on up to £11,000 a year. The claim centres around Sheffield City Council’s job evaluation scheme – which GMB research shows routinely discriminates against women dominated roles. Through a ‘job family’ scheme, Sheffield Council is underpaying those who work in female dominated roles, such as cleaning, caring or housing allocation. The claim will be officially launched at the Sheffield Women of Steel Statue, in Barkers Pool, S1 4FT at 10.15am on Monday 25 September read more
Penrith faces bin chaos as workers vote to walk out (25 Sept) – Refuse workers in Penrith will down tools for two weeks in a dispute over pay. Dozens of staff at Urbaser, who hold the contract for refuse collection, will take industrial action from October 2 to 13. Workers including drivers, loaders and cleaners are calling for a pay rise to help ease the cost-of-living crisis read more
Strike over as cleaners at Chessington school celebrate win (22 Sept) – Lovelace Primary School cleaners have declared victory in their strike against outsourcing. GMB members at Lovelace Primary School in Chessington have ended their strike action after school management cancelled their plans to outsource the cleaning service to a private contractor. The school, which is run by Kingston Council, had originally proposed the plans in an effort to save the school money, but the plans have been shelved after just 5 days of strike action. Other staff members and parents joined in to support the members of GMB, the union for school support staff, in their successful campaign read more
Northern Ireland faces ‘Winter Disruption’ as strikes begin (22 Sept) – GMB Union has warned of ‘winter disruption’ as civil servants and health workers being strike action. Up to 1,000 GMB members across working within the Road Service, Rivers Agency, Forest Service, Environment Agency and Driver Vehicle Agency are now on strike until Wednesday 27 September. Health workers will be on strike 21 and 22 September. Workers have walked out after the UK Government failed to address their 2023 pay claim. Civil Servants across all departments in Northern Ireland have been offered just £552, while health workers have yet to get anything unlike their colleagues in England and Wales read more
GMB calls for ‘real pay justice’ as Birmingham City Council issues ANOTHER Section 114 notice (21 Sept) – GMB has urged the council to re-implement the NJC scheme to end the sex discrimination in the city. GMB, the largest staff union in Birmingham City Council, has responded to the announcement today [Thursday 21 September] that Birmingham City Council has issued a second Section 114 notice read more
Man Utd, Subway and Five Guys face food shortages (20 Sept) – Manchester United, Subway, Five Guys and Stonegate pubs face food shortages as workers begin a strike vote. Thousands of staff at Bidfood – a company which also delivers food for P&O Ferries, Haven holiday sites and German Donner Kebab – will begin voting on industrial action in the coming weeks. The strike vote comes after pay negotiations broke down. Any industrial action will also lead to schools and prisons not having food delivered and will raises further safety concerns following the escape of Wandsworth prisoner, Daniel Khalife, under a Bidfood lorry read more
Manchester tram workers vote for strike action (19 Sept) – Manchester faces travel chaos after tram workers voted for strike action. Dozens of GMB members working for Great Manchester’s Metrolink service delivered a unanimous yes vote for industrial action. Workers will take industrial action on Strike 29 September and 6,13 and 20 October. Workers are angry about the erosion of their terms and conditions since the contract, currently operated by Bidvest Noonan, was outsourced read more
More than 50,000 school and council workers vote on strike action (19 Sept) – More than 50,000 school and council workers will begin voting on strike action today [Tuesday 12 September]. Ballots will take place at almost 3,000 schools and local authorities across England and Wales. School workers such as teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, caretakers and administrative staff and council workers including social workers, refuse collectors, grounds staff and care workers will take part the ballot which closes on 24 October. Workers have rejected the NJC’s pay offer for 2023/24 on a consultative ballot. If workers vote to strike, walkouts at schools and councils across England and Wales could begin as soon as 9 November read more
Croydon hospital workers in strike vote (19 Sept) – Croydon University Hospital workers have today [Monday 18 September] begun voting on strike action. Cleaners, caterers and porters, employed by outsourcing giant G4S, demand full NHS pay, terms and conditions and for all pay rises NHS staff have received to be passed on to them. The ballot, which closes on 2 October, could see a mass walkout of domestics and porters at the hospital read more
Social housing giant slammed for ‘strike breaking’ as workers down tools over low pay (15 Sept) – Staff at social housing provider Grand Union Housing are struggling to pay their own rent, says GMB union. GMB Union have today announced strike action at Grand Union Housing, provider of 13,000 social homes across Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. The strike will see maintenance staff down tools on 22, 25 & 29 September and 2, 6, 9, 13 & 16 October. The action comes after the company refused to negotiate on a pay offer to staff of just 2.1%. Grand Union Housing has come under fire after confirming in an email to staff that contractor FSG Property Services LTD will be used to cover the work of striking workers read more
WATCH: Southampton bus drivers poised to strike over ‘dangerous’ diversion (15 Sept) – Question of when, not if, a serious incident happens, warns GMB Union
Southampton bus drivers are poised to strike over a ‘dangerous’ diversion route. GMB members working for Unilink – Southampton’s bus service provider – has today [Friday] begun a consultative industrial action ballot over management’s insistence on the enforced use of an unsafe diversion route which could endanger staff, passengers and the public. The change to the U6 route now means a dangerous sharp right turn for buses at the city’s Six Dials junction, causing buses to cross two lanes of fast flowing oncoming traffic to gain access to the bus lane heading into the city centre read more
Swindon social workers strike suspended on safety grounds (12 Sept) – The dispute remains unresolved, and GMB is willing to talk to the council at any time, through ACAS, to find a resolution, says GMB. A strike by social workers has been suspended on safety grounds by GMB, due to Swindon Borough Council failing to provide adequate emergency cover during recent strike days. GMB members in the Emergency Duty Service, which provides emergency out of hours support for vulnerable adults and children, have made a reluctant decision to suspend their strike, because child protection calls were missed on strike days. A two week strike started on 31st August and was due to continue until 13th September, but social workers returned to the late and night shifts on 11th September read more
North Bristol NHS maternity staff to take strike action (7 Sept) – Fed up with being treated and told that they are ‘second-class’ employees, GMB Midwifery support workers have voted for strike action. Maternity support staff in working in Southmead Hospital have voted unanimously for strike action. GMB members working in the Women’s and Children’s Division will walk out on September 14th and 15th for 2 days of strike action. The moves came after North Bristol NHS trust refused to provide Midwifery support workers, housekeepers and receptionists the same shift enhancements that their colleagues in the same department have been given. For 10 months GMB has been trying to seek a fair resolution, with the trust agreeing to pay enhancements back in June – only to then u-turn read more
Durham 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
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
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Why Barnet Mental Health social workers are on strike – Barnet UNISON is supporting our members in adult social work mental health teams taking strike action for pay equality with Barnet’s Family Services Social Workers read more
The strike started on Tuesday 26th September and will continue on October 3,4,10,11,12,13. Picket line – 2 Bristol Ave, London NW9 4EW. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Councils face ‘dire’ cash crisis totalling more than £3.5bn (29 Sept) – Huge funding gaps mean job and service cuts are inevitable. Local councils have a hole in their finances exceeding £3.5bn collectively for the coming financial year, making it extremely likely they will have to make huge cuts in essential services and jobs, says a report published today (Friday) by UNISON. The figures, based on information gathered from local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, show the true scale of the dire state of local government funding, says the union. Many authorities will be forced to consider selling land and buildings, as well as slash services for the vulnerable and vital community resources such as waste collection, libraries and leisure centres, UNISON warns. The list is headed by Birmingham City Council, which is £164m short of its spending needs for next year, followed by Thurrock Council with a gap of £157m. Both councils have effectively declared themselves bankrupt in recent months after issuing section 114 notices. Other authorities with severe cash shortfalls, according to UNISON’s research, are Hampshire County Council on £82m, Sheffield City Council which is short some £72.7m and Bradford City Council has £72m less than it needs read more
Camden traffic wardens celebrate pay deal after 59 days of strike action (22 Sept) – More than 100 workers took part in the successful, eight-week industrial action. The new deal will see pay increased from £12.70 an hour to £15 an hour, backdated from April 2023. This is a significant improvement on the original 57p per hour increase that had been offered by the employer. From April 2024 traffic wardens will receive £15.90 an hour. In April 2025 there will be a further increase of either 60p an hour or the RPI rate of inflation. As a consequence, by 2025 staff will be on a minimum hourly rate of £16.50. More than 100 workers took part in the successful, eight-week industrial action, a final escalation in their long-running dispute with NSL, Camden Council’s private contractor. 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 read more
Health members in Northern Ireland to strike over lack of pay parity (19 Sept) – Two-day action this week comes as members have yet to be made pay offer in absence of devolved government. UNISON health members in Northern Ireland will be taking strike action over two days this week, in protest at the continued lack of a pay offer for 2022/23. The walk out, over the 48-hour period of Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September, will involve ambulance crews, nurses, health care assistants, pharmacists, radiographers, porters, admin and technical staff, and domestic assistants. Payroll staff will strike for a shorter period, to ensure their co-workers receive their pay on time – a decision commended by their union colleagues. The action is due to increasing frustration that NI health workers are falling behind their colleagues in England and Wales, who accepted an NHS pay offer from their employers in April. That offer included an extra lump sum for 2022/23 and a new offer of a 5% increase for 2023/24. However in the absence of a devolved government in Northern Ireland, and without funding being made available by the secretary of state Chris Heaton-Harris, no offer has been made to health workers there read more
Pay claim submitted on behalf of Environment Agency staff (18 Sept) – ‘We urge the EA to come to the negotiating table with an offer that seeks to deliver a real uplift for members that reverses the trend of recent years’. Flood defence works being carried out by the Environment Agency. UNISON and the joint trade unions have submitted a pay claim for 2023/24 seeking an increase of at least 13.2% for Environment Agency (EA) staff. The unions’ fully-evidenced claim reflects how union members who remain in dispute over the 2022/23 pay award of 2% plus £345 have made it clear that the previous year’s uplift was not acceptable during the height of the cost of living crisis, with inflation running in double digits and with the wages of the lowest paid falling below the National Living Wage in April read more
Support Wirral NHS clinical support workers: Let’s stick together to win the proper pay for the job (12 Sept) – ‘Wirral NHS clinical support workers just want to be paid the proper rate for the work they do and the responsibilities they take’. Christina McAnea on the picket line with striking clinical support workers at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Across every UNISON region, we’ve got live campaigns to get health workers the fair pay they deserve. Dedicated staff have been regularly performing important duties above the level of responsibility their employers pay them for. This expectation has been put on them for years, but the salary they should be earning has been held back for years too. Today in Liverpool, clinical support workers went on strike at Arrowe Park Hospital read more
University staff to hold coordinated strikes over pay (7 Sept) – Workers to walk out at 21 universities in England and Scotland. Support staff at 21 universities in England and Scotland are to stage coordinated strike action for at least two days in their ongoing dispute about pay, says UNISON today (Thursday). More than 6,000 staff belonging to the union could take part as they escalate their demands for a fair wage rise after many years of below-inflation increases. In England, 17 universities will walk out on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 October. A series of strikes will take place in Scotland later this month at four institutions – Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow School of Art, University of Dundee and University of Glasgow. This includes a strike involving all four on Wednesday 20 September. The new strike dates coincide with the start of term and follow industrial action at a number of universities earlier this year. Staff voted to reject a pay offer for 2023/24 – worth between 5% and 8% but well below the rate of inflation at the time – in a consultation conducted by UNISON earlier this year. In a union ballot that ended in July, workers at these 21 higher education institutions backed further strikes. The university workers represented by UNISON include cleaners, IT technicians, administrators, library staff and others supporting student learning 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
NICS Pay Strike: Friday 22 September (7 Sept) – As previously advised, the Civil Service Executive Committee met in June and agreed that if there was no progress on pay we should begin preparations for an escalation of our campaign in the Autumn. It was agreed that we should liaise with other trade unions and consider coordinated action and the BSC advised that unions affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions would meet in September to agree action. As a result of those discussions, the Civil Service Executive Committee has agreed that our members in the civil service and ALBs will join action with health workers and other civil service unions on Friday 22nd September. The unions that will be taking action on the day alongside NIPSA in the civil service are GMB and Unite. In health, the unions taking action alongside NIPSA are Unison, GMB, RCM, Unite, SOR and CSP. Some of those unions are taking action for longer than one day. Despite the fact that is still unclear if the Assembly will return in the near future, it was felt by all that we have no choice but to take action. It is clear members are angry that additional awards made to workers in Britain have not been made here. Civil servants will be aware that their counterparts in England and Wales have been offered a compensatory payment of £1,500 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
Members working for CQC say pay award is acceptable (26 Sept) – Backdated payment is expected in October, but RCN will now explore CQC’s wider commitments 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
Royal College of Midwives
Maternity staff fight for fairness and safety as they take to picket lines across Northern Ireland (22 Sept) – Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) across Northern Ireland will be taking to the picket lines this morning (22 September), as the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) takes strike action in frustration at the ongoing political stalemate read more
CSP
Striking CSP members in Northern Ireland make their voices heard (21 Sept) – CSP members working for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (HSCNI) turned out in big numbers today for their first ever strike over pay read more
BMA
Support the Junior Doctors strike read more
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Update from the Welsh Consultants Committee (26 Sept) – We catch up with Dr Stephen Kelly of the Welsh Consultants Committee on the latest news surrounding the ballot in Wales read more
Consultants’ and junior doctors’ camaraderie grows during joint industrial action (20 Sept) – Junior doctors and consultants taking joint industrial action for the first time in NHS history say they feel a greater sense of camaraderie through their combined efforts to fight for fair pay and conditions. The 24 hours of co-ordinated action in England began at 7am Tuesday (September 20), with joint action overlapping between two days of consultant strikes and a three-day junior doctors walk out. Both groups of doctors have seen their pay erode substantially and are calling for it to be restored to 2008 levels. Each group has had a sub-inflation pay uplift imposed on them by the government this year, with prime minister Rishi Sunak saying the six per cent for consultants and six per cent plus a lump sum for junior doctors is ‘final’ read more
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
SoR helps 50 radiographers secure compensation after Rutherford Health collapse (26 Sept) – The Society has raised concerns about due diligence after a key NHS contract was handed to private sector provider. The Government “doesn’t care who it hands NHS contracts to”, the SoR has said after helping radiographers win compensation following the collapse of a private sector provider. In June 2022, news emerged that Rutherford Health, a private healthcare company that operated a network of cancer and diagnostic centres in the UK, had gone into liquidation. This month, the SoR won compensation for 50 radiographers who lost their jobs as a result of Rutherford Health’s collapse read more
Video: Striking radiographers protest outside Belfast City Hall (22 Sept) – SoR’s Northern Ireland national officer Cora Regan gives powerful speech at union rally. Northern Ireland’s striking radiographers joined a union rally outside Belfast City Hall on the second day of industrial action in their fight for improved pay and conditions’ read more
“We need to address the chronic staff shortages, our patients deserve better” (21 Sept) – As our 48hr strike action across HSCNI begins, hear from our members about why they are taking a stand read more
The Government gives us no choice but to strike again’ (8 Sept) – 24 hour strike action planned for 37 Trusts in England following unsuccessful talks with Government. Radiography professionals across England are preparing to take strike action for a second time, after talks between government ministers and the Society of Radiographers broke down, owing to the government’s unwillingness to alter its position. The Society will take strike action for 24 hours, from 8am on Tuesday 3 October to 8am on Wednesday 4 October, alongside junior doctors and consultants. Thousands of our members voted in favour of strike action earlier this summer, and participated in a 48-hour strike from 25 to 27 July. Our radiography professionals are responsible for a range of critical healthcare services, including carrying out X-rays, MRI and CT scans, ultrasounds and breast screening, as well as radiotherapy for cancer patients. Following the strikes in July, we were invited to discussions with Government ministers on 5 September 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
Joint call to solve school buildings crisis (25 Sept) – Eight unions and the NGA call on the Prime Minister to invest £4.4bn+ per year to get a grip on the school buildings crisis. ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, GMB, UNISON, Unite, Community and the National Governance Association have today written to the Prime Minister pointing out the need for urgent action to ensure that the school estate is upgraded and made safe for education in the 21st century.
The RAAC crisis in schools has highlighted the wider issue of the chronic underfunding of our school buildings, which has left many unsafe and no longer fit for purpose read more
NASUWT
NASUWT victory in Swansea as council agrees to honour collective agreements (19 Sept) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union in Swansea secondary schools will cease strike action today after Swansea Council finally agreed to honour collective agreements. Members had been on strike since September 12th when NASUWT’s offer to Swansea council was rejected. Following continued negotiations, the dispute is now resolved. In June, members of NASUWT across Swansea voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over adverse employer practices, threats to job security and the failure of Swansea Council to comply with existing collective agreements. In the ballot, 92% of members voted to support strike action and 96% voted to support action short of strike, based on a turnout of 59% read more
Caldicot School plans six days of strike action (18 Sept) – Members of NASUWT – Teachers’ Union will take strike action at Caldicot secondary school in Monmouthshire on Thursday 21 and on Thursday 28 September 2023. A further four days are planned during October. Talks with the school have failed to make sufficient progress in addressing adverse management practices affecting the health, safety and welfare of its members and the pupils in their care. The NASUWT has been in negotiations with the school since 2019 in a bid to resolve ongoing concerns about the management of the school. The employer is failing to provide appropriate support to staff in dealing with violent and abusive behaviour. In the strike ballot, 85% of members voted to support strike action and 92% voted to support action short of strike, which includes the refusal to teach pupils who pose a risk to staff read more
New industrial action campaign at schools and colleges in England (18 Sept) – The NASUWT is instructing members to take part in a programme of action short of strike action following ballots for industrial action last term. The action is part of the Union’s campaign to secure real terms improvements to pay and bring downward pressure on workload and working hours. The NASUWT National Action Committee is initially instructing members in schools and colleges to limit their working time by working to rule from today. These include instructing members to refuse to undertake extracurricular activities, midday supervision, working during lunch breaks, being directed to work on weekends or Bank Holidays, not doing other tasks during PPA time and refusing to take part in mock inspections read more
NAHT
Eight unions and the NGA call on the Prime Minister to invest £4.4bn+ per year to get a grip on the school buildings crisis (25 Sept) – ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, GMB, UNISON, Unite, Community and the National Governance Association have today written to the Prime Minister pointing out the need for urgent action to ensure that the school estate is upgraded and made safe for education in the 21st century read more
School leaders to strike for first time on Jersey (11 Sept) – School leaders’ union NAHT will join teachers in a day of strike action across Jersey’s schools tomorrow, Tuesday 12 September, after it said that revised proposals aimed at resolving the dispute were too little too late. Late last week, the States Employment Board (SEB) agreed to backdate its previous 7.9% pay offer, which NAHT members had overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot, to January. But NAHT said that was not enough and put its own proposals on the table on Friday designed to end the dispute. Today, the Government tabled alternative proposals which NAHT said fell well short of resolving the dispute read more
EIS
Further Escalation of Strike Action Looms, as College Employers Scotland Fail Again to Make Improved Offer for College Lecturers (22 Sept) – College lecturers are continuing with a national rolling programme of strike action today, at Edinburgh College and Perth UHI, in a protracted dispute over pay. Members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) have been undertaking industrial action short of strike since May 2023 and began strike action earlier this month, faced with a pay offer from College Employers Scotland (CES) that would cost potentially over 400 lecturing jobs. Despite discussions between EIS-FELA, CES and the Minister for Further Education, Graeme Dey, earlier this week, the representatives of college employers did not return to negotiations yesterday with any evidence of progress towards an improved offer on pay and job security. EIS-FELA have called on the Scottish Government to work with College Employers Scotland to facilitate a fully funded and fair pay award that would not result in job losses. Without a further offer, strike action will be escalated, in the first week of October, to take place in the constituencies of the First Minister, Deputy First Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Minister for Further Education read more
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
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
UCU
Staff at Northeastern University London win 14.6% pay rise (28 Sept) – Staff at Northeastern University London have agreed to a package which will give academic staff an average pay uplift of 14.6%. The agreement follows long negotiations on the introduction of a new pay structure for staff. The uplift is worth up to 28.5% for the lowest-paid academic staff at the university, which was set up by Professor A.C Grayling and formerly known as the New College of the Humanities. In contrast, university employer body the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has made a pay award worth just 5% for most university staff. UCU is balloting staff at 143 universities across the UK for strike action over the award, which was imposed after members rejected it read more
TEF should be scrapped (28 Sept) – The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is an added burden for overworked staff and should be scrapped, said the UCU. The union was responding to TEF results announced by the Office for Students (OfS) read more
Deal reached at University of Manchester sees strike called off (26 Sept) – UCU members at the University of Manchester are not striking today after reaching an agreement locally with management which will see up to 75% of any pay docked over the marking boycott returned. Staff have been out on strike since Tuesday 19 September in a local dispute over pay docking and were due to continue striking until the end of the week but voted to call off the action yesterday. Staff at universities across the UK are taking strike action this week in a national dispute over pay and conditions read more
Strikes called off & employers backtrack on pay docking (22 Sept) – Strike action has been called off at dozens of universities and many employers have agreed to end punitive pay deductions confirmed UCU. The union said the action will now be targeted at the very worst employers. UCU members at 42 universities will now be striking for five consecutive days from Monday 25 to Friday 29 September. And members at a further 10 universities will be striking on at least one day next week. Strikes had been set to go ahead at over 140 universities across the UK in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions. UCU members also engaged in a marking boycott over the summer that has now ended. Employers responded to the boycott by making pay deductions of up to 100%. Deals have now been made between employers and branches over the ending of these deductions, including at the University of Aberdeen, the University of Bristol, the University of Bath, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Stirling and the University of Sussex. UCU is calling on other universities to follow their lead and said halting strike action will also allow branches to focus on getting the vote out in the national ballot that opened this week and will run to Friday 3 November read more
Further education pay update (22 Sept) – At the National Joint Forum meeting the Association of Colleges (AoC) made a conditional recommendation on pay of 6.5%. UCU’s view is that the pay recommendation mirrors that for schoolteachers, but it isn’t binding on all colleges, and so needs to be understood in this context. Alongside the other further education unions UCU has been pressing the AoC to agree a new national bargaining framework for the sector, so the outcomes of national pay talks are implemented by all colleges and stop being non-binding recommendations. College staff need certainty on pay and so we urge the AoC to agree urgently the timeframe of meetings to discuss a new national bargaining and funding settlement for the sector read more
UHI staff overwhelmingly back industrial action in row over £3million cuts and job losses (20 Sept) – Staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) have today backed strikes in a dispute over plans to slash £3million from the university’s staffing budget and cut up to 44 roles. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members, 77% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 86%. The university is proposing to cut up to 44 roles and has confirmed its intention to use compulsory redundancies read more
Two days of strikes to hit Tyne Coast College (19 Sept) – Over 100 staff at Tyne Coast College will take two days of strike action next month on Tuesday 3 and Monday 23 October in a long-running dispute over low pay. The latest action comes after management imposed a paltry pay award of just 3%, which staff had overwhelmingly rejected. Staff have already taken two days of strike action in the dispute read more
Ten days of strikes set to hit the University of Sheffield over pay docking row (15 Sept) – Staff at the University of Sheffield will strike for ten days beginning on Monday 18 September in a dispute over 100% pay deductions following the marking boycott, the University and College Union (UCU) confirmed today read more
Strike to hit all further education colleges in Northern Ireland (11 Sept) – Staff at all six Further Education colleges across Northern Ireland will strike for five days next week and continuously for the next three months in a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions. UCU said it has been forced to take action after a decade of their members being subject to pay freeze, followed by pay restraint, which has seen lecturer pay awards limited to between 1 % and 2% per year read more
Four days of strikes set to hit Kirklees College in pay dispute (8 Sept) – Staff at Kirklees College will strike for four days beginning on Monday 11 September in a long running dispute over low pay, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. The full strike days are:-
- Monday 11 September
- Tuesday 12 September
- Wednesday 20 September
- Thursday 21 September
The strikes will hit the first teaching week of the new academic year. Staff will be on picket lines at the Huddersfield Centre in Huddersfield and the Pioneer Higher Skills Centre in Dewsbury from 8am till 12pm on all four days. Staff at the college have already taken six days of strike action across May and June but management has refused to budge from a pay award for 22/23 of just 1% plus a £500 non-consolidated lump sum. To add insult to injury college management unilaterally imposed a ‘cost of living’ pay award of just 2.5% for 23/24 during pay talks for 22/23. The college’s financial accounts show it has over £10m cash in the bank yet is hiring teachers for as little as £25k (full time equivalent salary). UCU Branch Officers made themselves available over the summer break to meet with college management to find a way to resolve this dispute but management was not interested 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
Revealed: UK ‘woefully under-prepared’ to face increasing threat of wildfires (28 Sept) – A new report into UK wildfire resilience has been published by the Fire Brigades Union, uncovering a ‘dangerous’ lack of UK-wide strategy, planning and investment. The report reveals the extent of the fragmentation and under-resourcing of fire and rescue services. Along with a lack of national standards or plans, this has already resulted in firefighters stretched beyond limits at incidents according to reports between 2011 and 2022. During the last decade, almost 12,000 firefighter jobs have been cut while wildfire risk has increased, impacting UK-wide resilience read more
Fire service cuts could cost lives, warn firefighters in wake of Ayr hotel fire (27 Sept) – Firefighters have warned that cuts could cost lives in the aftermath of a fire at the Station Hotel in Ayr, saying that they have been “robbed of adequate resources” to respond to incidents. Reports were received of a fire in the iconic abandoned hotel in the early evening of Monday 25 September, and fifteen fire appliances were mobilised to tackle the blaze. However, following a programme of cuts by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Ayr’s height appliance was taken off the run around a month ago. As a result, firefighters were forced to wait for Kilmarnock’s to attend some 20 minutes away. When it broke down, they had to wait for another one from the Glasgow area read more
TUC backs campaign of non-compliance with new anti-strike laws (11 Sept) – The Trade Union Congress (TUC), which brings together 5.5 million workers in 48 trade unions across the UK economy, has today adopted a motion committing it to a strategy of resistance against the new anti-union laws. The Minimum Service Levels Act passed into law into law in July. Under it, employers in fire and rescue, health, education, transport, nuclear decommissioning, and border security will be able to require named workers to work on strike days – despite a democratic vote for strike action. The motion states: “We have no choice but to build mass opposition to the MSLs laws, up to and including a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make them unworkable, including industrial action.” A link to the full text is here. It passed overwhelmingly
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 September 2023 read more
NAPO
Hope all members got the link for our next joint trade union members’ meeting on 29th September – Here is the link again – Joint Union Meeting Operation Protect 29th September 2023. Do forward this to your work email address if you got this sent to your personal email address and put this date in your diary now!
Lots of work has been and is going on since our launch on 26th June as per the bulletin sent out. We are having a photo shoot at our AGM on Friday 20th October. Have you registered for AGM yet? If not done so, please do so at www.agm.napo.org.uk read more
BFAWU
“Belfast, Liverpool and London unite against hunger during Right To Food Week 2023” (16 Sept) – The signs of deepening hardship can be seen in every part of the UK, with longer and longer queues at foodbanks and baby formula under lock and key in supermarkets. Almost 1 in 5 (18%) households in the UK are now experiencing food insecurity and more than half a million children fell below the poverty line in the last year. Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne is Parliamentary lead for the Right to Food Campaign, which aims to make access to food a legal right for all. Ian has this week tabled a motion in Parliament in support of Right To Food Week 2023, which gets under way on Monday. This is a national week of action which aims to increase awareness of food poverty in the UK and to bring people together to ensure the collective demand for a Right to Food is heard. From Monday 18th September to Saturday 23 September, a range of Right To Food Week activities will take place across the UK read more
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 shuns journalists’ pay with new £11m acquisitions (29 Sept) – NUJ urges publisher to use cash reserves to address pay concerns at the company, following purchase of the Express & Star and the Shropshire Star read more
Support the National World strike (25 Sept) – Over 330 journalists at publisher National World are heading to pickets for the third time this month, in their ongoing dispute over pay. Journalists across the UK and Ireland working for titles including The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post, Belfast’s News Letter, Sunderland Echo, Lancashire Post, Sheffield Star, Northampton Chronicle and The News in Portsmouth are taking industrial action, as they call on the company to offer an improved pay package. Previous action on 18 and 22 September saw support from colleagues and the wider public, on the importance of local journalism and the need for fair pay. The NUJ has urged National World to return to negotiations with an offer that settles the dispute and recognises the contribution of journalists at the company. Find out more on the campaign and sign the NUJ’s petition read more
Solidarity messages to #NationalWorldStrike (25 Sept) – Send your messages of support to journalists at National World striking for fair pay to #NationalWorldStrike or email [email protected] read more
NUJ starts formal ballot for industrial action over compulsory redundancies at the BBC (29 Sept) – The NUJ has voted to move to a formal ballot of all members at the BBC for industrial action in opposition to any compulsory redundancies at the corporation. There are currently NUJ members facing the prospect of compulsory redundancy in the World Service, the News Channel, and across England at BBC Local. The NUJ believes with redeployment and flexibility these can be averted read more
MPs’ report says BBC’s local radio policy diminishes the service (22 Sept) – The BBC’s policy of greater sharing of programming across the local radio network “risks undermining the sense of localness that has, until now, made BBC local radio distinct”, says the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee 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
NUJ co-signs open letter opposing the use of spyware against journalists (28 Sept) – 80 organisations have urged Members of the European Parliament to recognise the dangers of spyware against journalists, and call for its prohibition under the European Media Freedom Act read more
Irish government must press for an international investigation into the murder of Martin O’Hagan (28 Sept) – NUJ writes to Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, renewing its call for urgent action 22 years after Martin O’Hagan’s death read more
Equity
Equity condemns ‘unacceptable’ cuts to Creative Scotland (28 Sept) – Thousands of jobs at risk as Scottish Government announce funding cuts. Equity has today responded to the shock announcement that the Scottish Government has reinstated funding cuts to Creative Scotland, which the union says has put thousands of arts jobs at risk. The cuts of £6.6 million to Creative Scotland, the public body which distributes funding from the Scottish Government to creative organisations across Scotland, were initially proposed by the Scottish Government several months ago. However, after sustained pressure from groups including Equity members and activists, a U-turn on the original announcement was confirmed by then deputy first minister John Swinney in February of this year. The reinstatement of these cuts comes just two weeks before funding awards were due to be received by Regularly Funded Organisations and has been called an “extraordinary betrayal” by the Creative Scotland read more
Equity statement following WGA negotiation breakthrough (25 Sept) – Following a strike lasting 146 days so far, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) yesterday reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that they have described as “exceptional”. Although still subject to drafting final contract language and a vote by WGA leaders this Tuesday, after which a comprehensive summary of deal points and the Memorandum of Agreement will be released, the WGA have noted that they have “an agreement in principle on all deal points” and have suspended WGA picketing read more
Community
General Secretary meets Port Talbot steelworkers following bad deal for steel (26 Sept) – Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss CBE will meet with steel union representatives and officials at Port Talbot today (26 September 2023) following the bad deal for steel agreed by the UK Government and Tata Steel on Friday 15 September. The UK Government’s deal with Tata for £500 million takes an unnecessary electric arc furnace-only approach to decarbonisation, which could cause the loss of 3,000 jobs across Tata Steel UK and have drastic consequences for the wider UK Steel industry and economy. Roy Rickhuss is expected to reaffirm Community’s support for the steelworkers, and that Community will do all it can to stop this bad deal read more
Eight unions and NGA call on PM to get a grip on school buildings crisis (25 Sept) – ASCL, Community, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, GMB, UNISON, UNITE and the National Governance Association have written to the Prime Minister pointing out the need for urgent action to ensure that the school estate is upgraded and made safe for education in the 21st century 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
UVW
Covid-19: hearing our voices (29 Sept) – “It was a strange feeling to share my story. It was simply emotional and at times upsetting to know that only now someone somewhere wants to know about what we have been through to save lives” – Bile, UVW member and carer at Sage Nursing home. The first hearing of the Covid-19 Inquiry took place this week with submissions from UVW members, cleaners, security guards, caterers and porters in the NHS and carers. You can watch it here – Diya Sen Gupta KC our barrister speaks from 4.13.15 read more
Cleaners and concierge at London luxury apartments win big (28 Sept) – “Together, the concierge and cleaners at WEQ have shown what collective power can do. With our commitment and the support of our union we made a strong workplace” – Francesco Lombardo, West End Quay concierge, UVW strike leader. Outsourced cleaners and concierge workers at West End Quays, the luxury apartment complex in central London, have won an eight percent pay-rise and their one-week Christmas bonus back. The win comes after UVW members outsourced to facilities contractor Lee Baron joined other migrant, precarious and low-paid workers in nine different workplaces across London in a wave of summer strike action, which culminated in a picket outside the apartment complex’s Right To Manage (RTM) Annual General Meeting (AGM) read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU to lift GMC pickets after Labour Court intervention (22 Sept) – The Labour Court has invited both parties in the GMC Civil and Mechanical Engineering strike to a hearing which will take place next Monday, October 2nd. SIPTU has replied positively to the Labour Court’s invitation and its request that industrial action be suspended in order to allow the Court to hear the dispute and issue recommendations read more
Other news
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
More members stand up in our strike against GM (23 Sept) – Our national negotiators told GM they had to make substantial progress at the table by noon Friday or we would expand our Stand Up Strike. Unfortunately, the company kept moving slowly, so yesterday we called on members at the company’s 18 parts distribution facilities across the country to Stand Up and join our Local 2250 members on strike at Wentzville Assembly in Missouri read more
Our stand up strike at Stellantis expands to 20 parts facilities (23 Sept) – Our national negotiators warned Stellantis that noon Friday was a hard deadline. We told them that they had to make significant progress or our Stand Up strike would expand. The company did not listen and so yesterday we called on members at all of Stellantis’ 20 parts distribution facilities across the country to Stand Up and join our strikers at Toledo Assembly read more
From the NUJ website:-
Hong Kong – journalist Ronson Chan sentenced to five days imprisonment (27 Sept) – NUJ joins the International Federation of Journalists in calling for obstruction charges against the union leader to be dropped read more
Iran – journalists’ accreditation system threatens media freedom (26 Sept) – Journalists in Iran may soon require a government licence to work in the country. The National Union of Journalists has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in expressing its alarm at government’s decision to introduce an accreditation scheme for journalists in Iran read more
Switzerland – IFJ repeats call for an investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s death (22 Sept) – Over 100 representatives from the UK, EU, US and China heard from the IFJ and lawyers involved in the campaign for justice read more
Diary
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
8 NSSN Surrey Public Meeting: ‘How can trade unionists prepare for the battles ahead?’ – 2pm The Guildford Institute, Ward St, Guilford GU1 4LH
14 Reading Trade Union Council Strike Rally – 1pm Assembling in Forbury Gardens Facebook event
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
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ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE