NSSN 654: Tories forced into ticket office U-turn but announce Xmas anti-union attack

We headline this week’s NSSN bulletin with the Tories being forced into a U-turn over train ticket office closures!! The NSSN sends congratulations to rail & transport unions and all those who have campaigned against these cuts.  

This will give confidence to all workers that it is possible to win victories against the employers, as a whole number of successful disputes are showing. You can read about them in our weekly bulletin and find out how to support them.  

RMT WELCOMES RESOUNDING VICTORY AGAINST TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES (31 Oct) 

HALT TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES SAYS RMT (31 Oct) 

RMT CALLS FOR TICKET OFFICE CUTS IN SCOTLAND TO BE RULED OUT (6 Nov) 

RAIL TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES AT THE END OF THE LINE – TSSA (31 Oct) 

The NSSN bulletin continues to report on the wave of strikes taking place, as workers keep up the fight against the Tory cost of living squeeze. As always, this bulletin reports on current disputes and appeals for solidarity and support for them. 

We also continue our campaign against the Tory anti-union Minimum Service Level legislation.  

Just yesterday, the Tory Government announced: Strike laws to be passed to protect vital public services over Christmas – “Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today (Monday 6 November)”

New Tory anti-strike laws attack basic human rights, says RMT (6 Nov) – TRANSPORT UNION RMT slammed the Tory government’s Minimum Service Levels legislation announced tonight (Monday, November 6) attacking the right of essential workers to take strike action as ‘an assault on the fundamental freedoms of working people’. Minimum service level legislation for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament tomorrow (Tuesday, November 7). RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was clearly an authoritarian attack on the fundamental freedoms of working people and RMT would resist this attack by all means necessary. “We believe employers have the discretion not to issue minimum service work notices and as such we are calling on them not to issue them. Any employer that seeks to issue a work notice will find themselves in a further dispute with my union read more

Minimum Service Levels – not workable or needed says TSSA (6 Nov) – Rail union TSSA has dismissed moves by the government to rush minimum service regulations through Parliament which would see a requirement of 40 per cent of normal timetable being run by train companies in the event of a strike read more

The NSSN  believes that the TUC must now enact its motion agreed at its Congress in September, 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” and “organise a Special Congress, size to be determined, to explore options for non-compliance and resistance.”

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. 

Over 50 union branches and organisations and trades councils supported lobbying the TUC Congress in September. 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 

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. 

Jane Loftus RIP

The NSSN sends our deepest condolences to Jane’s family after her sudden passing away last week. We also send our solidarity to the CWU. Jane was the President of the CWU and a longstanding militant rep in Royal Mail. Jane spoke on our platforms and we are proud to call her a friend and comrade.

From the CWU:-

JANE LOFTUS – CWU PRESIDENT

We are deeply saddened to announce that CWU President and Chair of the Postal Executive Jane Loftus has passed away earlier today following a short illness. This news will be extremely upsetting to us all. Jane was a huge figure in our union over many decades and we know Branches, Representatives and members will be shocked and saddened by this news. We will of course find an appropriate way to mark Jane’s legacy in this union in due course. However, Jane will be remembered for her passion and commitment and for her inspirational campaigning against all forms of injustice and discrimination – both within the CWU and the wider movement. At this moment in time our thoughts are with Jane’s husband Chris, her daughter Joanne and her family and on behalf of the whole union we offer them our heartfelt condolences.

Yours sincerely

Dave Ward

General Secretary

Tony Kearns

Senior Deputy General Secretary

The CWU has opened a tribute page to Jane, on which you can share thoughts, memories, and messages

Public Meetings & Events:  

‘Councils in Crisis’ – public meeting hosted by ‘Save Our Services in Surrey’ to discuss how we can defend public services and fight the cuts in Woking. Everyone who wants to stand up for local services is welcome. The meeting will be at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th November at the Maybury Centre, Board School Road, Woking GU21 5HD  

How do we defeat the anti-union laws? –  

A public meeting organised by London trade union movement organisations, hosted by Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Council at the Bread & Roses 

7pm, Wednesday 29 November 

The Bread & Roses, 68a Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ 

Register: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-do-we-defeat-the-anti-union-laws-tickets-737898312717?aff=oddtdtcreator/ OR https://bit.ly/29novantiunionlaws  

Provisional speakers include (more info shortly):- 

• Maria Exall, TUC President 2022-3 and Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) Greater London Combined 

• Riccardo la Torre, National Officer and anti-union laws lead for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) 

• Jared Wood, RMT London Transport Regional Organiser 

• Maisie Sanders, teacher and National Education Union (NEU) rep, Hammersmith and Fulham 

• Plus reps / activists from unions including PCS and Unison 

The Workers’ Committee JT Murphy pamphlet launch – Thursday 7 December 

Strike Map and Manifesto Press have re-published the famous JT Murphy, The Workers’ Committee. This pamphlet outlines the first ever shop stewards’ movement in the country. The pamphlet will be launched at the People’s History Musuem on 7 December, starting at 7pm.   

Book your ticket, which includes a copy of the pamphlet, here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-workers-committee-jt-murphy-pamphlet-launch-tickets-742181223017  

Stop the attack on Gaza 

Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the daily bombardment on Gaza by the Israeli government  

There are national and local protests taking place, including:-

National March For Palestine – Ceasefire Now!

Saturday November 11, 2023 12:45 pm

Assemble: 12PM AT Hyde Park – marching to the US Embassy, Nine Elms, SW11 7US

Coventry TUC has arranged a coach for Saturday’s Gaza march in London.

Tickets are available from https://bit.ly/CoventryTUCGazaCoach11Nov23

Please circulate around trade union members, and bring your union flags and banners

A number of unions have issued statements, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, IWGB and Mandate (Ireland)  

  

NSSN news  

Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.   

You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.  

Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.   

Feel free to use this affiliation letter.    

And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]   

The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:  

(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)  

(2) represent social care workers for a trade union  

(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member  

Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]   

  

Union News  

You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.  

  

RMT  

RMT National Dispute Fund  

RMT calls for ticket office cuts in Scotland to be ruled out (6 Nov) – RAIL UNION RMT is demanding that the Scottish government rule out ticket office cuts by ScotRail following the decision to scrap all closure plans in England. Holyrood has been sitting on any decision since early 2022, following a public consultation over plans to cut ticket office hours at nearly all of ScotRail’s ticket offices, meaning a cumulative reduction in ticket office hours of one third. However, the latest comments from the Scottish Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP suggest that the cuts are still under consideration. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that proposals to cuts to ticket office hours would worsen passenger safety, security and accessibility read more

The 1993 Railways Act – ‘30 years of waste’ (5 Nov) – Thirtieth anniversary of the 1993 Railways Act. RAIL UNION RMT marked the 30th anniversary today (Sunday November 5, 2023) of the 1993 Railways Act that privatised Britain’s railway with a new report which revealed that the three-decade debacle had seen at least £31 billion leak out of the system while passengers were paying eight per cent more in real terms to travel on a deteriorating system. As a result, tens of billions of pounds have been siphoned out of the industry ever since by the private sector and into the pockets of the shareholders of the host of companies that feed off what should be a vital public service. The union called for an end to this disastrous experiment and for the creation of a single, integrated publicly owned railway company which would save around £1.5 billion every year and cut fares by 18 per cent, helping to encourage more people back onto Britain’s railways. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the report showed that while Britain’s 30-year experiment with rail privatisation had been great for the City boardrooms, it had been an expensive debacle for passengers read more

Halt ticket office closures says RMT (31 Oct) – RAIL UNION RMT called for the entire ticket office closure programme to be abandoned following reports today that passenger watchdogs have objected to ticket office closures read more

RMT welcomes resounding victory against ticket office closures (31 Oct) – RAIL UNION RMT today welcomed the government’s complete withdrawal of its ticket office closure plans in light of passenger watchdog objections as a complete victory. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was a resounding victory for the union’s campaign and a win for passengers, community groups and rail workers alike read more

Caledonian Sleeper staff ballot for strike action (30 Oct) – RMT members working on the Caledonian Sleeper service will be balloted from tomorrow (October 31) for strike action over insufficient staffing levels. The ballot for train hosts and train host team leader grades will open on October 31 and close 21 November. Union representatives have accused the company of causing adverse stress and anxiety to the workforce by refusing to crew passenger services adequately. Management has also failed to adhere to a dispute resolution agreement reached in 2019, putting a further strain on industrial relations. Workers will be asked if they want to take strike action and action short of strike, which would include no rest day working and an overtime ban read more 

Support the DLR strike – Tuesday 7th & Wednesday 8th November. Picket lines from 4am-11pm, assemble at 12noon to show your support. Poplar Depot, Castor Lane E14 0DS & Beckton Depot, Armada Way E6 7FB

Support Bidvest Noonan picket lines (24 Oct) – Bidvest Noonan cleaners on the c2c contract are taking one days strike action on 3rd November in pursuit of pay justice. East Ham 08.00 until 11.00 am. 

  • Fenchurch street 07.30 until 11.00 am. 
  • Shoeburyness 07.00 until 13.00 pm and for the night workers picket line it will 19.00 until 21.00 read more 

RMT secures fresh strike mandate in national dispute (19 Oct) – Rail union RMT has smashed the anti-trade union legal thresholds to secure another 6-month mandate for strike action in their long running national rail dispute. Around 20,000 members were balloted across 14 rail companies with all of them individually achieving over a 50 percent turnout and overwhelming ‘yes’ votes for further strike action. Overall 89.9% of members voted ‘yes’ for more strike action on a 63.6% turnout. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “I congratulate our members for delivering a decisive mandate for future industrial action as we pursue a negotiated settlement of jobs pay and conditions…” read more 

Defend Jobs, Pensions and Agreements (18 Oct) – Ballot papers have been sent to 10,000 London Underground members in their dispute over Jobs, Pensions and Agreements. Watch as Regional Organiser Jared Wood sets out the issues here 

Rail Gourmet staff take strike action (12 Oct) – Contracted out caterers working on TransPennine Express services will take strike action on Friday over poor pay, pensions and sick pay. RMT members working for Rail Gourmet poorer terms and conditions and lower pay than directly employed colleagues who work on 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 read more 

Royal Fleet Auxiliary opens ballot for strike action (11 Oct) – Seafarers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) could take strike action later this year, the RMT has warned. On Wednesday a nine-week ballot will open after RMT members rejected a below inflation pay offer from RFA management. RFA have offered a one year deal of 4.5 percent which is unacceptable to RMT members. Over 500 RFA seafarers will now be balloted for strike action with the vote opening Wednesday 11 October read more 

ASLEF 

Rail dispute is a political problem, not of our making (1 Nov) – Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary: Colleagues, the government’s war against the railway, and its forgotten key workers, continues. We had the Chuckle Brothers’ farce of the Prime Minister’s ‘Will it? Won’t it?’ (HS2) go to London Euston when he had, a week before, recorded a video with the decision already made! The ultimate in deceit and deflection and then he announces a scaled-down project that, if you actually read the small print, may never, ever happen as it’s subject to private investment read more

TSSA  

TSSA calls privatisation “an expensive failure” (4 Nov) – TSSA today marked the thirtieth anniversary of rail privatisation by calling on the Tories to bring Britain’s railways back into public ownership. The Railways Act 1993 was passed on 5 November 1993, breaking up the railways and allowing passenger rail services to be franchised to private companies read more

TSSA tells Transport Secretary – BTP cuts will cost lives (2 Nov) – TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, has written to Mark Harper demanding that he halt an instruction to the British Transport Police (BTP) to make ‘catastrophic’ savings read more

Rail ticket office closures at the end of the line – TSSA (31 Oct) – Rail union TSSA has said it is delighted that the government has admitted defeat over plans to close almost all railways ticket offices across England. TSSA – the union representing rail ticket office workers for over 125 years – has been at the forefront of a sustained campaign to ‘Save Ticket Offices’ read more

Unite  

Go North East talks break down after employer refuses to improve offer (6 Nov) – Strike could be resolved for under £250,000 pounds but management refuse to move in negotiations. Bus strikes in the North East of England are set to continue after further talks with Go North East broke down this afternoon (Mon 6 Nov), Unite can reveal. Unite officials suggested multiple ways of ending the strikes with a variety of financial packages for workers but each was met with refusal by Go North East management. Unite have calculated that the dispute could be resolved for approximately £238,000 – less than the pay for two Go North East directors, but the employer has refused to budge. The difference between what the employer has previously offered and what Unite has asked for means that Go North East can end the strike with just 0.28 per cent of the annual profits of the Go Ahead bus group read more

Go North East forgetting its roots and letting down communities (2 Nov) – Bus company began life in Newcastle and is now letting down the people who live in the North East. Go North East has forgotten its roots and the communities that built its transport empire, according to Unite, Britain’s leading trade union.

As the all-out continuous strikes at Go North East look set to enter a second week, Unite members are calling on Go North East management to consider the communities that helped launch their business in the 1980s. The Go-Ahead Group was originally founded in February 1987 as Go-Ahead Northern Limited as part of the wider privatisation of the National Bus Company. Today, however, Go-Ahead (the parent company of Go North East) has decided to let down that same community and its workforce. Despite having made profits of £85 million they are refusing to pay their workers a decent wage. The drivers’ rate of pay at Go North East is just £12.83 per hour yet the same workers at Go North West earn £15.53 per hour. Meaning Go North East workers are valued significantly less that those doing the same work in Manchester. This equates to a loss of £105 per week on a 39-hour week or £5,475 per year. Additional research by Unite shows that Go North East workers have not had a pay rise for over five years (when adjusted for inflation) and their salaries have actually fallen by five per cent since 2018. Meanwhile the highest paid director earns over £188,000. Communities in the North East are suffering because of the stubbornness of Go North East management. Strikes will affect the fireworks display in Saltwell Park. Gateshead and Newcastle United’s home game against Arsenal on Saturday 4th November read more

Thousands of engineering construction workers ready to strike after rejecting pay offer (6 Nov) – Strike ballot of over 3,000 oil refinery and power station engineers enlarged as dispute grows. Thousands of engineering construction workers are ready to strike after they rejected an ‘inadequate’ pay offer, with more set to be balloted, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers, who operate under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI), last week voted by 86 per cent to reject a two year pay offer of 10 per cent for 2024 and five per cent for 2025. The offer, from the employers who negotiate the NAECI agreement with unions, does not go far enough to restore years of falling wages for engineering construction workers. Since the pandemic, pay for engineering construction workers has fallen by 20 per cent in real terms. During Covid, a pay freeze was imposed on the workers even though they provided essential services throughout the crisis. In January 2022, they received a two year pay deal of 2.5 per cent for 2022 and the same percentage increase for 2023 – even though inflation was soaring into double digits. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “NAECI workers have seen their pay fall further and further behind in real terms as a result of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. Meanwhile, most NAECI employers have benefited from huge profits generated from rocketing energy and fuel prices. NAECI contractors and clients can fully afford to put forward a better offer and this is what must happen.” Unite’s NAECI members carry out essential repair and maintenance at oil refineries, power stations and pharmaceutical and petro-chemical plants. Workers at Drax, Sellafield, Stanlow, Pembroke, Grangemouth, Teesside Sabic TIP and Runcorn Project Summer Vynova have already voted for strike action. Due to the strength of feeling amongst NAECI members, Unite is also preparing to ballot even more workers at other sites across the country to join any industrial action. Unite national officer Jason Poulter said: “There is a limited window of opportunity for NAECI contractors and clients to avoid widespread industrial unrest…” read more

British Steel: Government is guilty of abandoning steel workers (6 Nov) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has accused the government of abandoning steel workers following the announcement today that British Steel is set to make up to 2,000 redundancies as it proposes to close its blast furnaces in Scunthorpe. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “There is absolutely no need for mass redundancies at British Steel. We do not accept the need for one single job cut read more

Tata Steel: Unite fights for UK steel future (1 Nov) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has called on the government to intervene immediately by taking a stake in the UK steel industry to ensure that it not only survives but also thrives. Unite made its call after Tata Steel was anticipated to announce that it was now consulting on around 3,000 workers’ redundancies, predominantly at Port Talbot in South Wales. The potential redundancies come despite the government promising to invest £500 million to support Tata’s move away from traditional blast furnaces and the introduction of an electric arc furnace read more

Unite Sheffield steel ‘day of action’ in campaign to save industry (31 Oct)

Unite Teesside steel ‘day of action’ in campaign to save industry (31Oct)

Unite Port Talbot steel ‘day of action’ in campaign to save industry (31 Oct)

Unite Scunthorpe steel ‘day of action’ in campaign to save industry (31 Oct)

Unite general secretary slams government lump sum pay deal as “barely a sticking plaster” (6 Nov) – Unite general secretary slams government lump sum pay deal as “barely a sticking plaster”. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is barely a sticking plaster from a government that has defunded the NHS to the point it is now on life support. Instead of doing the right thing and funding a lump sum payment for everyone who works in the NHS, it has instead created a multi-tier workforce by deliberately excluding those who don’t have agenda for change contracts at private sector organisations, and NHS bank staff, even though they are working alongside NHS colleagues in the same hospitals…” read more

Strathclyde university workers strike in pay dispute (6 Nov) – 400 Unite members walk out for five days. Unite the union has today (Monday 6 November) confirmed that around 400 members employed at the University of Strathclyde will take strike action over five days this week. The Strathclyde workers will strike from Monday 6 November until close of the working day on Friday 10 November as part of a UK wide pay dispute. Unite’s members involved in the pay dispute includes technicians, cleaners, security officers, and janitors. The vast majority of Unite’s members in higher education across Scotland have had a five-six per cent pay offer imposed on them by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) pay body. The pay imposition follows a derisory uplift of three per cent for the majority of members in 2022. Despite local negotiations with the University of Strathclyde to secure an improved pay deal, Unite confirmed that ‘insufficient progress’ has been made to avert the latest round of strike action. This follows previous rounds of strike action at the university on 13, 14, 15, 18 and 19 September, and 5 and 6 October read more

Vista Therm workers to commence new wave of industrial action tomorrow (5 Nov) – Strike action to recommence by the workforce at Vista Therm after Unite reballoted over management union-busting. Industrial action follows previous twelve-week strike for cost of living pay increase and union recognition. Unite the union has served notice on Vista Therm, a specialist glass manufacturer based at Silverwood Business Park, Craigavon that a new wave of industrial action by its members will commence with a 24-hour strike from 00.01am tomorrow, Monday [November 6th]. Workers will be establishing pickets outside the workplace from 7am to 8.30am in the morning and between 3pm and 4.30pm in the afternoon. The latest action occurs after the union’s membership voted with a 97 per cent majority for strike action over management union-busting activities. During the previous period of strike action, management dismissed two young workers and suspended another two, including a Unite shop steward. The Vista Therm workforce overwhelmingly comprises foreign nationals including a large majority of workers whose first language is Polish or Ukrainian. The industrial dispute represents a touchstone case for the wider exploitation of foreign national workers read more

Unions demand urgent meeting with secretary of state for Northern Ireland in campaign for a pay increase for bus and rail workers (3 Nov) – DfI permanent secretary tells trade unions that inadequate budget leaves him unable to properly fund public transport. Unite, GMB and SIPTU members working in Translink continue to vote in unprecedented coordinated industrial ballot. A delegation of Translink workplace reps and union officers from Unite, GMB and SIPTU met with the permanent secretary of the Department for Infrastructure Denis McMahon this week (Wednesday 1 November). The delegation warned tht workers are set to vote for strike action over a proposed pay freeze by Translink management. The permanent secretary expressed regret that he was unable to provide ‘clarity’ on a timeframe for improved public transport funding to allow bus and rail workers to receive a fair pay increase as his “department does not have the resources it needs”. All three unions have now written to secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, who has responsibility for setting the budget for departments in the absence of a functioning Stormont executive. They are seeking a meeting on the funding of public transport services to allow for a pay increase for Translink workers. If transport workers vote for industrial action, industrial action could commence from early December. Any industrial action would bring Northern Ireland to a standstill and have a huge impact on the economy. The anniversary date (when a pay increase was due) for these pay negotiations was April 2023 and the twelve-month inflation at that point using RPI – the most accurate measure – was 11 per cent. That means in real terms workers are facing more than a 11 per cent pay cut read more

Unions to meet DfI permanent secretary for crunch meeting as strike ballots open (31 Oct)

Clyde shipyard type 26 Frigate contractors balloted over strike action (3 Nov) – CBL Cable Contractors in pay and conditions dispute. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, confirmed today (Friday 3 November) that over 30 members contracted to work on the new type 26 Frigate on the Clyde are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions. The Unite members including electricians, labourers and cable hands are employed by CBL Cable Contractors Limited based at BAE Systems on the Clyde. The contractors are demanding to be paid the BAE Systems yard rate, or an additional £1 per hour on top of the current rates of pay. The dispute also relates to travel related payments which Unite’s members are due as the BAE workplace falls under the scope of the Joint Industry Board Agreement. The agreement sets the standards for employment, grading and apprentice training in the electrical contracting industry. This includes travel time and the use of a personal vehicle to travel to work which entitles workers to a mileage allowance. The industrial action ballot opens on 7 November and closes on 20 November. If the ballot is successful then strike action could take place from early December read more

150 First Bus engineers set for strike action across Glasgow and West Central Scotland (3 Nov) – Unite engineers two days of action on 16 and 17 November. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, confirmed today (Friday 3 November) that around 150 engineers who maintain and repair First Glasgow’s bus operations are set to take imminent strike action. Two full days of strike action will take place on 16 and 17 November. The engineers are involved in a pay dispute with both First Glasgow (No1) and First Glasgow (No2). Unite members rejected a revised pay offer from both companies, who are part of First Group PLC’s bus operations in Scotland, on the basis that it did not meet the ‘expectations’ of members after years of real terms pay cuts. Unite research has discovered that the average pay per employee has failed to keep pace with inflation at either First Bus company, with a real terms decrease of 10 per cent at Glasgow (No 2) and eight per cent at Glasgow (No 1) over the last five years. These pay cuts translate into around £3,000 per year in lost pay. The workers are based in various bus depots across Greater Glasgow including Blantyre, Caledonia, Dumbarton, Overtown and Scotstoun read more

Over 1,000 First Glasgow drivers to be balloted for industrial action (17 Oct) – Unite demands offer comparable to best paid drivers across the UK. Unite the union has today (Tuesday 17 October) confirmed that over 1,000 First Glasgow drivers are to be balloted on industrial action in a dispute over pay. The bus drivers have rejected an unacceptable pay offer by 99 per cent on an 85 per cent turnout on the basis that it falls significantly below the pay levels of other drivers across First Group’s UK operations. The ballot will open today (Tuesday 17 October) and close on 7 November. If the ballot is successful, then industrial action is likely to start during November. The drivers are employed by First Glasgow (No1) and at First Glasgow (No 2). The companies are part of First Group PLCs bus operations in Scotland. The drivers are based in the following bus depots: Blantyre, Caledonia, Dumbarton, Overtown and Scotstoun. There is also a similar dispute brewing involving around 150 Unite engineers at both companies read more 

Lawyers announce groundbreaking agreement with Unite (3 Nov) – For the first time two Criminal solicitors associations urge lawyers to join Unite the union. oday (Friday 3rd November) the two leading associations for criminal solicitors have urged all solicitors to join Unite the union to ensure they have a large independent trade union fighting for them at work. At the opening of the CLSA annual conference The Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association (CLSA) and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association (LCCSA) have announced that they will be working with Unite to urge all criminal solicitors to join Unite read more

Haringey Council workers protest at town hall to warn of strike escalation (2 Nov) – Housing repair workers will stage a protest this Friday to warn Haringey council that strike action will extend into next year unless the local authority gets serious about negotiations read more

Unite the union secures pay deal worth 11% for Severfield workers (2 Nov) – Union members vote to accept deal and withdraw plans for strike at Fermanagh-based steel erector company. Unite the union members employed by Severfield, the UK’s largest specialist structural steel company, in Kesh, Co Fermanagh are celebrating the resolution of an ongoing pay dispute which was due to see strike action commence this week (Tuesday 31 October). The workers voted to accept a pay deal which in total will be worth up to 11.2 per cent over the year for most members, in addition workers will receive a one-off cost of living payment of £700. This brings to an end the industrial dispute and the planned industrial action. The deal also includes a commitment to undertake a benchmarking exercise on the difference between pay at Fermanagh and with Severfield plant’s elsewhere within the UK. The pay agreement will also mean that all Unite members are automatically included in the bargaining unit for future pay negotiations – the next anniversary date being April 2024. The pay deal has been welcomed by Unite reps at the factory as it will enable the company to both recruit and retain staff. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This outcome represents a tremendous win for our members secured directly through collective organisation and their readiness to take industrial action…” read more

Unite steps up action in fight for fair pay and safe staffing in London NHS Trust (1 Nov) – Further strike action taking place across the Barts NHS Trust due to management inertia over pay and staffing levels. Unite, the UK’s leading union, is escalating its dispute with Barts NHS Trust as its members undertake a wave of fresh strikes in London this month. The strikes are part of Unite’s 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. Earlier this month it was reported that the government could face a judicial review over its failure to pay the lump-sum award to thousands of outsourced staff. The lump sum payment is worth £1,655 lump sum payment and was part of the NHS pay settlement for 2022/23. The workers, who primarily undertake soft facilitator roles (cleaners, housekeepers, caterers, porters, etc), were previously employed by outsourcer Serco and only transferred back to the NHS in recent months. The trust has refused to honour the lump sum payment. Unite has also rejected the government’s pay deal as it amounted to a further real terms pay cut for NHS workers. 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. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Barts could easily end this dispute but it is refusing to agree to Unite’s reasonable demands. Our NHS members are fighting for fair pay and to put an end to dangerously low levels of staffing – something that puts patients in danger and which this government wants to ignore. “It is an outrage that our members at Barts, who are some of the lowest paid staff in the NHS and who are struggling during this cost-of-living crisis, have been denied the lump-sum payment they are entitled to.” All members employed by Barts Trust will take strike action for three days from 00.01 on Monday 6 November until 23.59 on 8 November 2023. Members employed in catering, domestic, patient ambassador, portering, security, sewing room and ward host roles; will take a more extensive period of strike action from 00.01 hours on Monday 6 November continuous for 12 days until 23.59 on Friday 17 November read more

Unite demands urgent action over Glasgow East Women’s Aid closure (31 Oct) – No access for vulnerable service users in 6 weeks due to staff suspensions amid allegations of bullying. Unite the union today (Tuesday 31 October) has demanded urgent action over the temporary closure of Glasgow East Women’s Aid due to the suspension of ‘whistleblowing’ staff amid allegations of bullying. The trade union represents more than a dozen workers at the Easterhouse based service where thirteen Unite members have been suspended for whistleblowing due to raising concerns about bullying in the workplace. An industrial action ballot opened on 30 October and closes on 13 November over the suspensions, and a motion of no confidence placed in the board and management read more

Chivas Brothers across Scotland strike ballot to hit festive season supplies (30 Oct) – Hundreds of Unite members balloted over ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. Unite has today (Monday 30 October) confirmed that its membership at Chivas Brothers across Scotland are being balloted on strike action which could hit festive supplies of the company’s premier drink brands. Unite, which is the main union at the company, represents hundreds of members at the company’s Kilmalid, Dalmuir, Beith, Strathclyde Grain and Strathisla distilleries, and Dumbuck warehouse facility among others. Chivas employs around 1,500 workers in Scotland. Unite is warning that if the membership back strike action, then this will ‘hit hard’ supplies of the drinks giant’s premier brands over the festive season. The company produces Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, Aberlour, Ballantine’s, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet. The ballots opens on Monday (30 October) and closes on 20 November read more 

Offshore Odfjell drillers balloted on strike action (27 Oct) – Equinor and TAQA installations dispute over working rota and paid leave. Unite, Scotland’s leading offshore trade union, confirmed today (27 October) that hundreds of Odfjell offshore drillers are being balloted in a dispute over working rotas and paid annual leave. The disputes involves crews on Equinor’s Mariner unit and TAQA units including Harding, Tern Alpha, East Brae, Brae Alpha and the North Cormorant. The members involved includes drillers, electricians, mechanics, and materials controllers. The ballot which runs for five weeks opens today (27 October) and closes on 7 December. Strike action could take place early next year if the ballots are successful. The dispute centres on Odfjell’s refusal to reform working rotas and provide paid annual leave. The drillers currently work three weeks on and three weeks off, which leaves them at a disadvantage compared with other offshore workers on the installations operated by Equinor and TAQA. Operator staff, caterers and construction workers all operate on a rota of two weeks on and three off. Odfjell and the operators have stated that any change to the working rotas will result in the drillers having to sacrifice pay read more 

Unite announces 48 days of Scottish Water strike action (27 Oct) – 500 key frontline workers to down tools in pay and grading dispute. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm today (Friday 27 October) that its 500-strong Scottish Water membership will take 48 days of strike action over three months in a significant development in the escalating dispute. The first round of strike action will begin at 00.01 hours on 10 November and end at 23.59 hours on 13 November with the last round starting at the same time on 26 January and ending on 29 January (see notes to editors). Every round of action begins on a Friday and ends on a Monday evening which represents four full days of action over twelve weeks. The significant escalation in the pay and grading dispute follows Unite’s emphatic mandate for strike action by 89 per cent at Scottish Water. The trade union’s membership includes waste water operatives, water treatment and burst repair operatives, maintenance engineers, electricians and sewage tanker drivers. The dispute centres on Unite accusing Scottish Water bosses of bypassing long-standing collective bargaining processes involving trade unions. This specifically relates to a new ‘reward system’ which Scottish Water bosses are trying to impose on the workforce which is also being tied to the 2023 pay offer read more 

Warrington Council’s “lack of urgency” means more strikes (27 Oct) – Warrington council incapable of arranging a meeting. Unite has served a third strike action notice to Warrington council, blaming a complete lack of urgency on the part of council leaders. The strike action which was due to end on Monday 6 November will now resume on Wednesday 8 November ending on 20 November. The 50 plus workers say the national pay offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925 is not good enough. The offer is below the rate of inflation and amounts to a real terms pay cut. But a complete lack of urgency shown by the council towards resolving this dispute is needlessly delaying a resolution read more 

Unite calls for immediate investigation into potential illegal use of agency workers designed to break Cardiff strike (27 Oct) – Unite the union is calling for an immediate investigation by Cardiff Council into the potential use of agency workers to undermine the current strike action by Unite within the local authority. Unite has found evidence that employment agencies may be supplying labour and advertising positions, to cover work that would normally be undertaken by workers currently on strike. The use of “scab” agency labour to undermine strikes is a criminal offence and carries with it large fines and other punishments, not only for the employment agencies concerned but also Cardiff Council itself read more 

DuPont Teijin Films workers to resume strike action as Unite warns to disruption ‘last months’ (26 Oct) – Dumfries based plant to be hit by further stoppages in escalating pay dispute. Unite the union can confirm today (Thursday 26 October) that it has served notice on a further round of stoppages to hit the Dumfries based DuPont Teijin Films (DTF) plant. A new round of strike action involving around 100 members of Unite covering all shifts at the plant will start tomorrow on 27 October and conclude on 5 November (see notes to editor). The trade union has warned that unless DTF get back round the negotiating table with a ‘serious offer’ then disruption at the plant could last for months. 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) hit 11.4 per cent at the time of the pay offer. 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…The new wave of strike action follows the stoppages taking place on 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 September. A continuous overtime ban has also been in place since July read more 

Winter of industrial action looms over Coventry after refuse workers vote for action (25 Oct) – Winter of industrial action looms over Coventry after refuse workers vote for action. Loaders who empty bins during heatwaves and hailstorms vote for action by a margin of 74%. Coventry Council refuse workers employed as loaders have overwhelmingly voted for strike action and action short of a strike. Coventry council is attempting to impose significant cuts to the workers’ terms and conditions. More than 40 HGV refuse lorry drivers employed by Labour-controlled Coventry council have already voted for strike action read more 

Oxfam workers poised to strike for first time over poverty pay ‘hypocrisy’ (25 Oct) – Workers at anti-poverty charity using foodbanks due to low pay. Hundreds of struggling Oxfam workers across the UK are balloting for strike action for the first time after rejecting a substandard pay offer. This is despite Oxfam having huge reserves and its public stance condemning UK poverty and real-terms wage cuts. Oxfam GB office and retail workers, most earning little more than the minimum wage, rejected a pay offer of £1,750 or six per cent (whichever is higher), plus a one-off payment of £1,000. Average wages at Oxfam have fallen by 21 per cent in real terms since 2018. The charity is now seeking to impose the offer and is refusing to engage in further negotiations with Unite, even though the union’s members rejected it by 79 per cent in a ballot. In response, Unite will ballot its members for strike action from 26 October to 16 November read more 

Klarius Stoke-on-Trent strikes intensifies after inadequate sick pay offer rejected (23 Oct) – Workers angry over ‘disgraceful’ fire and rehire sick pay threats. Striking Stoke-on-Trent workers employed by Klarius Products have rejected an inadequate sick pay offer from the company and will intensify their strike action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers began a series of strikes in September in response to the company’s threats to fire and rehire them in order to drastically reduce 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. The workers have since rejected an offer from the company that would have seen their sick pay reduced over three years to just two weeks from five. This is not acceptable to Unite’s membership as they have sacrificed terms and conditions in previous years in order to retain the original sick pay scheme…The workers have taken 16 days of strike action since 12 September. They will now strike Monday through to Friday every week from 6 November to 1 December read more 

NHS Tayside estates workers escalate strike over ‘second class’ pay and conditions (18 Oct) – Dispute escalates as 60 workers intensify strike action at major hospitals across Tayside. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm that NHS Tayside estates workers will escalate their strike action in an ongoing dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. The dispute centres on the failure of NHS Tayside to locally implement recognised national conditions for trades’ persons which is contributing to an ongoing underpayment of wages. The action involves around 60 estates workers including electricians, joiners, and plumbers. The increase in industrial action includes additional strike action beginning at 16.00 hours on Wednesday 1st November, in addition to the ongoing industrial action. This will result in Unite members taking industrial action from late Wednesday afternoons until 08.00 am the following Monday read more 

Huge rat attending British Ports Association conference due to union-busting by construction company J Murphy and Sons (17 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is holding several protests at the British Ports Association conference due to the union-busting activities of J Murphy and Sons Ltd read more 

Unite Education Authority workers in work-to-rule in Northern Ireland (16 Oct) – Industrial action to commence Monday 23 October in pursuit of a pay & regrading review. Unite the union’s membership concentrated in school bus transport, catering, admin, cleaning, classroom assistants and other school based members. Members of Unite the union employed by Education Authority will commence a continuous work-to-rule from 00.01am on Monday 23 October. This is the first step in a planned escalation by education workers to secure the implementation of a promised pay & regrading review. The failure to make meaningful progress is a touchstone issue as the commitment to hold the exercise was the primary reason why industrial action by education workers in 2022 was called off. Education Authority managers claim the lack of progress is not of their making as they have repeatedly engaged with the Department of Education without any progress on the matter read more 

Unite ballots Oceaneering workers in escalating pay dispute (16 Oct) – Rosyth based company pay offer overwhelmingly rejected. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, confirmed that around 90 workers will be balloted on strike action in an escalating pay dispute with the Port of Rosyth based company Oceaneering. Oceaneering International Services Limited has made a 6 per cent pay offer plus a one-off payment which by 84 per cent has been overwhelmingly rejected by the workers. The pay offer rejection follows the workers having received a 1 per cent increase in 2022 which represented a massive real terms pay cut with inflation rocketing to hit 14 per cent last year…The ballot opens on 18 October and closes on 8 November read more 

240 craft workers to strike in dispute with West Lothian council (16 Oct) – Unite demands overdue pay. Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 16 October) around 240 craft members employed by West Lothian council will take strike action in a dispute over money-owed to the workforce. Strike action will start tomorrow at 08.00 (17 October) until 19 October when the action stops at 16.30. The members previously supported strike action by 96.3 per cent. The dispute is due to the failure of West Lothian council to pay craft workers carrying out additional tasks under the terms of the existing craft agreement. The workforce includes joiners, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, bricklayers, skilled labourers, blacksmiths, and heating engineers read more 

Kaefer contractors at Mossmorran balloted over strike action (13 Oct) – Unite hits out at operator Shell as workers offered ‘nothing’. Unite the union has today (Friday 13 October) confirmed that around 140 Kaefer maintenance and repair contractors based at the Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant, in Cowdenbeath are being balloted for strike action. The dispute centres on the contractor Kaefer making no formal cost of living offer for 2023. Unite says it has been left with ‘no option’ but to launch the ballot in response to Kaefer’s failure to make a cost of living payment, and it is blaming the operator Shell for the stand-off. The ballot will open on 16 October and closes on 13 November read more 

UK Packaging Awards in London hit by Cepac ‘fire and rehire’ protest (12 Oct) – Unite demands Darlington-firm Cepac nominations rescinded over shocking dismissal of workers. A demonstration will be held outside of the UK Packaging Awards in London this evening (Thursday 12 October), over nominee Cepac’s attempts to fire and rehire workers striking over pay. The workers, who are based at the company’s Darlington factory,  have been on strike over pay and the slashing of terms and conditions since Monday 14 August, with industrial action set to last until 6 November. Rather than enter into negotiations, Cepac threatened headcount reductions and fire and rehire for the remaining workers. On 6 October, the company issued redundancy notices for the striking workers with the intention of making them sign new inferior contracts read more 

Striking Cornwall GRS drivers London protest at British Construction Industry Awards (12 Oct) – GRS-owned Maen Karne concrete mixer drivers striking over pay and union-busting. A protest by striking ready-mix concrete HGV drivers employed by GRS-owned Maen Karne in Cornwall was held at the British Construction Industry Awards in London last night (Wednesday 11 October). Photos are available on request. The drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are striking over vastly inferior pay rates. They currently earn just £12.30 an hour, even though the industry standard hourly rate for their role is around £14.42. The all-out strikes, which began on 18 September for 12 weeks, are also over the company’s complete refusal to recognise the right for the workers to unionise or to engage with Unite for talks. The protest at the British Construction Industry Awards targeted GRS, a nationwide group that supplies aggregates and building supplies of which Maen Karne is part. The company was nominated for an award for its Let Talks mental health initiative, which it did not win read more 

Unite suspends planned industrial action at Luton Airport (11 Oct) – Due to the serious fire at Luton Airport, Unite has suspended planned strike action by cleaners and parking attendants. Planned action by cleaners employed by Sasse scheduled between Saturday 14 October and Wednesday 18 October will be suspended as will the action by parking attendants employed by APCOA which was due to take place between Friday 13 and Friday 20 October read more 

Strikes to go ahead at Cambridge University (11 Oct) – Facilities, library and IT staff to walk out over lack of improved pay offer. Essential workers at Cambridge University are to strike after the university cut their pay in real terms. The university, one of the world’s most prestigious institutes of learning, is only offering between a five and six per cent increase. With RPI currently sitting at nine per cent that represents a real terms pay cut of at least three per cent. Unite’s members are demanding above-inflation rises to cope with the cost of living crisis in one of the most expensive parts of the UK outside London. Over 450 members working in the university library, the department of engineering, estate management, the Fitzwilliam Museum, information services and many other departments are to take strike action, likely resulting in building closures and repairs not taking place. Strikes will take place on four days: 24, 26 October and 1, 7 November read more  

Workers launch campaign against low pay and zero hours at Greenwich Leisure Limited (10 Oct) – Workers in Bromley have voted for strike action by a margin of 86%. The controversial social enterprise Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is back in the spotlight after workers at Bromley libraries voted for a campaign of industrial action. The workers are fighting against a race to the bottom in local government by campaigning for better pay and an end to zero hours. The workers in Bromley voted for strike action by a margin of 86 per cent and Unite representatives will be meeting in the coming week to agree strike dates. GLL has a window of opportunity to avoid strike action read more 

Collapse of Mechanical SEO opens door to industrial action (10 Oct) – Unite warns employers against attempting to cut pay and conditions. Trade union Unite, which represents workers throughout the construction and mechanical sectors, today (Wednesday) warned employers that any attempt to cut pay and conditions following the collapse of the Mechanical Sectoral Employment Order is likely to be met by industrial action.  The state today accepted the argument of small contractors’ association APHCI that pension contribution provisions housed in the SEO are unconstitutional. The collapse of the Mechanical SEO means that the dispute resolution procedures provided for in the SEO, which could take between six and nine months to work through, have also collapsed.  This means that workers can take industrial action after conducting a ballot and serving notice as required by industrial relations legislation read more 

Industrial action brewing across 21 UK ports (6 Oct) – Unite, Britain’s leading union, is warning Associated British Ports (ABP) that strike action could be brewing across its 21 ports which handle around a quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade. Unite has lodged a dispute concerning maritime pilots who safely navigate ships in and out of the UK’s waterways and ports. Ships cannot leave or enter the UK’s ports without these skilled workers. Last July without any consultation, which is required under health and safety legislation and Unite’s recognition agreement, ABP introduced increased medical standards. Unite has no objection to improving standards but there has been no negotiations and no detail about how these medical tests will be done or what happens if a member fails. This is a serious concern as ultimately members’ jobs could be at stake. The main bulk of Unite members are in South Wales (Swansea, Port Talbot, Barry, Cardiff and Newport), Southampton and the Humber (Port of Hull and Immingham) although the dispute could be wider and impact all 21 ports operated by ABP read more 

PPG automotive paint workers in Suffolk head to picket line over low pay (5 Oct) – Stowmarket manufacturer offering real-terms pay cut will see workers walk out. Workers at the Suffolk factory of international paint manufacturer PPG Industries are to strike over pay, Unite the union announced today (5 October). Over 200 members of Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, have voted for industrial action over the low pay offer made by PPG. The employer has made an offer of just five per cent, but with inflation currently at 9.1 per cent this represents a real-terms pay cut for workers. PPG Industries is a worldwide paint and coatings conglomerate and the Stowmarket factory has many high-profile customers that include the Williams Formula One team, Lamborghini and Lotus…Strike dates are yet to be confirmed but are likely to be throughout the autumn read more 

Unite announces escalation in A.G. Barr strike action (4 Oct) – Soft drinks giant pre-tax profits up 12.6 % to £27.8 million over first 6 months of 2023. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has today (4 October) announced an escalation in strike action as part of a long-running pay dispute with the soft drinks giant A.G. Barr. Unite represents truck 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.  Unite’s members have overwhelmingly rejected the company’s five per cent pay offer for 2023. Unite can confirm that talks are scheduled with A.G. Barr tomorrow (Thursday 5 October) through the auspices of the conciliation service Acas in a bid to make a breakthrough in the pay dispute. If there is no breakthrough in these discussions, Unite has stated that its members will participate in further stoppages on 13 and 16 October, and then from 20 to 30 October. The workers are already scheduled to resume strike action from midnight on Friday (6 October) read more 

Mitie healthcare workers in Dudley balloted over refusal to pay lump-sum (4 Oct) – Staff who work for NHS outsourcing company denied money owed to them. Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, announced today (4 October) that it is balloting its membership at NHS outsourcing company, Mitie, in its campaign to get the company to pay its workers the lump sum payment they are owed. Many of the Mitie workers were previously in the NHS and were transferred across and promised the same pay and conditions. But the “COVID payment” lump sum of up to £1,600 that NHS workers received as part of the NHS pay award this year has not been paid by Mitie to its workforce. Mitie’s staff work alongside the NHS workforce in the Dudley group of hospitals in the West Midlands…The Mitie staff work across three hospitals, Russell Hall, Corbett and Dudley Guest, and perform vital estate management services…Other private sector outsourcing companies including Equans and Skanska have paid their health workers the lump sum payment and Unite is fighting to get Mitie to do the same. 70 Mitie workers are being balloted. The ballot opens on 9 October and runs until 23 October. If the ballot is successful, industrial action is likely to take place from next month read more 

NHS Confederation workers to strike over pay (3 Oct) – Unite members in London and Leeds to take industrial action after poor pay offer. Staff at the NHS Confederation, the membership body for organisations that commission and provide NHS services, are set to take industrial action over cuts to pay. Unite, Britain’s leading trade union, announced that its NHS Confederation staff members will walk out on Thursday 5 October. They work in policy, communications, managerial and administrative roles within the organisation. The strike, the first in the Confed’s history, coincides with a meeting of the organisation’s Board of Trustees. Following the introduction of a new pay structure which saw one-in-five staff hit by a take-home pay cut and opportunities for pay progression curtailed, Unite members will head to the picket line as part of a campaign to reinstate staff pay and progression opportunities. Nearly 90 per cent of members taking part in the ballot voted to take strike action. A Unite survey of all staff, before the pay cut was imposed, found 60 per cent already said they were struggling with the cost of living 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 

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. 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 

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 

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. 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 

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 

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 

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  

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  

  

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]  

Support our ISS picket during state opening of parliament (6 Nov) – The second day of a 36-day strike by low-paid PCS members working in three major government departments coincides tomorrow (7) with the “pomp and ceremony” of the state opening of parliament. Around 100 PCS members employed as cleaners, security guards and support staff for the outsourced contractor ISS at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are striking from November 1 to 17 and from November 27 to 15 December. The second picket line, from 8-10am in Whitehall Place, will coincide tomorrow with the formal opening of parliament, which includes the King’s Speech read more

Support our 36 days of strike action at ISS (31 Oct)

Support striking ISS workers in three Whitehall departments (31 Oct)

Appeal Court date for Pensions case (6 Nov) – PCS will challenge the government’s position on pensions in the courts in February 2024. In 2019 a recommended 2% cut in employee pensions contributions was blocked by the government and we launched a joint legal action with other unions to challenge that decision. The legal action was initially unsuccessful but we were granted leave to appeal and we will now be taking our case to the Court of Appeal on 20 February next year read more

PCS and Atos sign new recognition agreement (2 Nov) – The new agreement shows the positive relationship between PCS and Atos management. As part of PCS’s continued relationship with Atos in mainly the NS&I contract but also the wider Atos organisation, PCS has just signed a new recognition agreement. Atos members carry out a range of jobs, mainly clerical and call centre-based roles in Glasgow, Durham, Blackpool and Preston. Both PCS and Atos management were conscious that the old agreement had become outdated as it dated from 2010 and the landscape in Atos has changed dramatically since then read more

Pensions Regulator members vote for further strikes (1 Nov) – PCS members working for The Pensions Regulator have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking more strike action. Over 300 PCS members working for The Pensions Regulator (TPR) in Brighton have voted to take further industrial action by a margin of 95.70% on a turnout of 75%. Out of 339 members entitled to vote, 256 ballot papers were received. There were 245 (95.7%) yes votes and 11 (4.3%) no votes. Members have already taken strike action on 11, 12, 17 18, 23, 27, 30, and 31 October and are on strike this week until 3 November. This round of action builds on the strike taken by members between 5 and 18 September in pursuit of our national campaign demands read more

PCS Launches HMRC/VOA Pay Survey (31 Oct) – Progress has been made in 2023, but civil service pay is still trailing, so in HMRC and VOA, PCS is launching an on-line survey of members, to be completed by Friday 17 November read more

OCS security strike leads to pay talks (31Oct) – PCS members show once again, that building strong workplace union organisation is the best way for workers to improve their pay and conditions. PCS members employed by OCS on the Courts and Tribunal Service contract forced closures and disruptions to courts during a four-day strike over pay. Security officers in 149 courts across England and Wales took strike action on the 22, 25, 27 and 29 September after receiving a below inflation pay offer that would increase their pay by just 38p above the National Living Wage of £10.42. The strike saw hundreds of PCS members form lively picket lines in sixteen locations, including Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Yorkshire, Birmingham and Brighton. The action led to a large number of court cases being cancelled or disrupted and courts were forced to operate with inadequate staffing levels or used contingency labour. The strongly supported collective action taken by PCS members has forced further talks with OCS to attempt to settle the dispute read more

Outsourcing chaos spells debt and financial hardship at Christmas for PCS members (30 Oct) – Facilities staff transferring from one outsourced company to another will face seven weeks without pay in the run up to Christmas because their new employer has decided to change their pay date and frequency. Outsourced cleaners, catering, maintenance and facilities staff employed by Mitie at the Cabinet Office, Downing Street, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Canary Wharf civil service hub, are facing these changes when their employment transfers to outsourcing giants ISS and OCS on 1 November. Some members have been told they will have to wait until December 14 for their first pay cheque from their new employer. Others who rely on Universal Credit to top up their wages will have their benefit payments disrupted as their pay frequency will change from monthly to fortnightly. These plans will plunge the lowest paid staff in government offices into unnecessary debt and financial hardship during a cost-of-living crisis – right before Christmas read more   Sign the petition against low paid key workers facing hardship this Christmas  

HMRC Inland Pre-Clearance: Industrial action ballot result (11 Oct) – Inland Pre-Clearance members meet the legal threshold and vote overwhelmingly for action. PCS continues to hold talks with HMRC and will keep members informed 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  

Lack of investment support puts BT’s world leading position at risk (6 Nov) – New analysis from Prospect,a leading union representing workers across the IT and Telecoms industries, including 20,000 managers in BT, has highlighted BT’s precarious position as one of the UK’s business crown jewels. A tax environment that focuses on short-termism and investor returns, coupled with low worker morale and government failure to follow through on manifesto infrastructure commitments, has left the company in a vulnerable position read more

Prospect members at AWE vote for industrial action (23 Oct) – Prospect union members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) have voted strongly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over pay. Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, AWE supports and maintains the UK nuclear deterrent. 67% of respondents voted in favour of strike action, with 33% voting against. 82% voted in favour of action short of a strike, 18% voted against. Turnout was 61%, well over the legal threshold…The exact nature and timing of industrial action will be determined after consultation with members read more 

GMB  

Wilko bosses must be hauled before MPs (3 Nov) – Wilko bosses must be hauled before Parliament’s Business and Trade Select Committee to give evidence over the firm’s collapse, GMB has said. The union has today (Tuesday) written to newly elected select committee chair Liam Byrne MP to call for a special emergency session of the committee to hold Wilko chiefs to account. Discount high street retailer Wilko went bust earlier this year, leaving more than 10,000 workers without a job. Bosses shelled out £77m in dividends to themselves and shareholders during the past decade – and the Wilkinson family have not yet spoken questions about the business’ collapse read more

Gosport facing bin nightmare at New Year (3 Nov) – GMB union set to ballot borough’s refuse and recycling workers for strike action over pay. GMB, the union for refuse, recycling and street services, has issued strike ballot notices to Gosport Borough Council’s waste contractor Urbaser Ltd after members’ pay stalled. The ballot opens on Monday 13 November and closes on Monday 27 November and, if the members vote to take action, would see a strike at the town’s Wilmott Lane Depot from early January 2024. GMB anticipates any action would put a stop to residents’ kerbside collections at a time when household waste is at an annual high, with the additional rubbish from the festive season. The union is warning the council and their contractor that rubbish on the streets across the borough is to be expected throughout January and on into February if the dispute cannot be settled read more

Thames water announces up to 140 redundancies (2 Nov) – Thames water has announced up to 140 redundancies this morning [Thursday]. In a meeting with GMB, the company said it would begin consulting on plans to cut 89 retail jobs and 39 digital jobs. Thames Water currently faces debts of up to £14 billion read more

South Wales faces Flogas shortage (2 Nov) – A week long strike by Flogas workers has led to shortages of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) shortages across South West Wales, GMB has said. Flogas workers at the Llandarcy depot are in the midst five-day strike in a dispute over pay. Up to 20 workers at gas giant’s depot in South Wales have downed tools after a below inflation pay offer. After months of negotiation, workers voted to strike with a majority of more than 80 per cent. The following day, Flogas announced redundancies at the site read more

Croydon Hospital strike suspended to allow ballot over pay offer (27 Oct) – Cleaners employed by G4S were due to be taking 48 hours of action on Monday and Tuesday of next week. GMB, the union for NHS and healthcare workers, has today suspended the strike action due to hit Croydon University Hospital next week. Cleaners employed by G4S were due to take two days of action on Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 October, but the union has suspended the action in order to ballot members on a pay offer from the company. The offer consists of a 10 per cent pay rise, increase of sick pay from 8 days to 4 weeks and a £200 bonus read more 

1000s of NI school staff being industrial action (24 Oct) – Cooks, cleaners, drivers and classroom assistants and other staff began taking action short of strike on Monday [23 October]. The action includes overtime bans, the removal of goodwill and the refusal of work outside of job descriptions. Thousands of workers employed across 1,800 schools are in dispute with the Education Authority over pay and grading. A majority of 92 per cent of GMB members backed strike action, with 94 per cent backing industrial action short of strikes. If the dispute Is not resolved, industrial action will be stepped up, with prolonged period of all out action potentially closing most schools read more 

Net-A-Porter faces Christmas strike (23 Oct) – GMB, the union for retail and distribution, has this morning announced that luxury fashion brand Yoox Net-a-Porter will be rocked by twenty-two days of strike action at their Charlton depot. As previously announced, GMB members are in dispute with their employer about pay, with current proposals leaving members without a pay rise for the first six months of the financial year. Hundreds of workers are now set to take a total of 22 days of action over November and December, which will affect the distribution of online purchases in the run up to Christmas:-  

  • Tuesday 7 November 2023 from 0630am until Saturday 11 November 0800am 
  • Monday 20 November 2023 from 0630am until Saturday 25 November 0800am 
  • Monday 4 December 2023 from 0630am until Saturday 16 December at 0800am read more 

Wiltshire Traffic wardens to strike over fire and rehire (19 Oct) – GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, has issued further strike action for traffic wardens who have previously taken action over their employer’s controversial ‘fire and rehire’ plans. Wiltshire traffic wardens took ten days of action in 2022, before suspending the dispute when the employer agreed to shelve plans to cut their pay by up to 20 per cent. The council has now resumed their plans to use the controversial practice and GMB members will be taking strike action on Saturday 4 November, with further strike dates not ruled out read more 

Amazon faces black Friday strikes as industrial action escalates (12 Oct) – Amazon faces the biggest day of strike action in company history, GMB Union warns. Amazon faces Black Friday strike action as GMB members announced four fresh industrial action dates at Coventry. More than 1,000 Amazon workers are set to walk 7, 8 and 9 November, as well as Black Friday – 24 November. GMB yesterday criticised the retail giant’s pay offer of just £1, after Amazon spent millions fighting their own workers over union rights at the company read more 

Thousands of energy construction workers vote to strike (17 Oct) – Thousands of construction workers at energy sites across the UK have voted to strike. The action could include up to 3,000 workers at Stanlow, Fawley, Valero, Grangemouth and Mossmorran Oil Refineries, as well as at Sellafield Nuclear Facility have voted in favour of industrial action. Strike votes are also expected at Drax and Hartlepool nuclear power station in the coming days. The workers, who are covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI), voted to turn down a pay deal 8.5 per cent for 2024 and 3.5 per cent for 2025. More than 50 GMB and Unite reps from across the industry will now meet to discuss next steps read more 

GMB union writes open letter to Swindon council cabinet members over crisis in emergency social work provision (5 Oct) – We need Swindon Council need to meet us for constructive talks because the service is struggling after the loss of highly skilled, specialist mental health practitioners, to the detriment of clients and service users, says GMB. GMB, the union for the Emergency Duty Service (EDS) in Swindon has written an open letter to Swindon Councillors over the ‘crisis’ within the service, which the union is blaming on the council’s ‘confrontational’ approach. The union is in dispute with the council over the removal of the unsocial hours allowance paid to workers on the team, who provide emergency out-of-hours social work support to some of the most vulnerable people in Swindon. GMB members had previously been on strike over the contract changes, but had to suspend their industrial action on safety grounds, as they felt Swindon had not provided adequate emergency cover read more 

Local Government and Schools Pay Ballot 2023 (29 Sept) – The ballot is well underway – let us know when you vote or if you haven’t received your ballot in the post 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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 workersAs UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund  

Thames Water announces it is to consult on axing 300 jobs (6 Nov) – UNISON argues the plans are short sighted and will have wide ranging consequences, and vows it will fight to protect jobs read more

All employers in the NHS must play by the same pay rules (6 Nov) – Ministers must end the two-tier employment scandal in the NHS and ensure all employers in the service play by the same rules read more

Wirral hospitals strike paused as workers win back pay after lengthy campaign (3 Nov) – Healthcare staff rebanding payments on the table. A strike planned for next week by more than 500 clinical support workers (CSWs) at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been called off after the employer agreed to UNISON’s demand for five years of back pay, says the union today (Friday). The development follows a UNISON campaign over several months, during which workers were on strike for 13 days ahead of the latest offer. The staff are employed at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals read more

Poole education members strike over low pay (2 Nov) – Members at the Victoria Education Centre voted for action by 97% in an 81% turnout. UNISON members at The Victoria Education Centre in Poole are taking strike action today, after their employer failed to deliver a pay rise for staff. The special education school is run by disability charity Livability, but it has not made a pay offer that addresses historic low wages by comparison to other school settings across Dorset and nationally. A membership recruitment campaign began in 2021 and saw a recognition agreement signed with the employer in March 2022 read more

Scottish Water staff to strike for four days in November (31 Oct) – UNISON says the action will have serious implications for water and sewage services. UNISON sent notices to Scottish Water this week, to inform it that members will be taking strike action for four days starting on 10 November. The strikes come after UNISON members at Scottish Water voted overwhelmingly (78%) for action over a pay and grading dispute earlier this month read more

Local government unions agree to accept pay offer for 2023 (31 Oct) – ‘The first priority is to get this money into members’ pay packets as soon as possible’. UNISON and the other local government unions, GMB and Unite, yesterday decided to accept the employers’ pay offer for 2023, for council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The decision does not affect the ongoing local government pay dispute in Scotland

More Scottish schools to close as UNISON sets further strike dates (25 Oct) – Four more local authorities will be affected in second wave of action over pay. UNISON has today served notice of further strike action in the dispute over local government pay, to South Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh and Fife councils. Staff working in schools, and early years establishments linked to schools, within those four local authorities will walk out on Wednesday 8 November. This will be the second week of a rolling programme of action that will take place. UNISON has already notified Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde councils, that staff working in schools, and early years establishments linked to schools in those authorities will be taking strike action on Wednesday 1 November. Further strike dates involving other councils will be announced in due course read more 

Barnet UNISON issues strike action notice for the next 5 months! (24 Oct) – Today, UNISON sent the strike notification letter to Barnet Council laying out the dates of strike action to be taken by Mental Health social workers starting in November right through to March 2024. The first day of strike action will start Tuesday 7 November 2023. We are pleased to report that Brighton UNISON Adults social workers will be taking strike action on the same day (Tuesday 7 November 2023) Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers are taking strike action. Their demand is similar to our demand, they want parity for Adults social workers with Family Services social workers who have retention payments. Barnet UNISON has proposed a solution to this dispute which is based on rates (7.5% to 25%) that are already paid out to other social workers in Family services. According to evidence seen by Barnet UNISON, the numbers of staff leaving Mental Health social work teams exceeds those leaving Family Services social work teams who are all receiving recruitment & retention payments. Barnet UNISON is clear that recruitment & retention payments are likely to help stabilise the high turnover of staff across Mental Health social work teams and help retain existing staff. The strike timetable for the next FIVE months is as follows:- 

  • 7/8/9/14/15/16 November 2023. 
  • 4/5/6/7/8/ December 2023. 
  • 15/16/17/18/19 January 2024. 
  • 5/6/7/8/9 February 2024. 
  • 4/5/6/7/8 March 2024 read more  

Picket line – 2 Bristol Ave, London NW9 4EW. Send messages of support to [email protected] 

Join Brighton & Hove & Barnet UNISON social worker picket lines ONLINE Tues 7 Nov 12- 1pm

Support staff to strike at 17 universities this week over pay (2 Oct) – Coordinated action in England over ongoing dispute. Support staff at 17 universities in England are striking today and tomorrow in an ongoing dispute about pay, says UNISON today (Monday). Cleaners, IT technicians, administrators and library staff will be among those walking out in coordinated action aimed at disrupting the start of the new academic year, says the union. Staff rejected a below-inflation pay deal in February and voted to strike. They are yet to receive a better offer and say they have little alternative but to take industrial action. More than 5,000 staff are expected to walk out over the two days, as the pay row escalates. There are also demonstrations and rallies taking place across the country 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 

Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up – Council staff staged a protest on 17th May after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, have been handed compulsory redundancy notices. Hackney Unison have said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website  

  

NIPSA  

NIPSA education workers commence industrial action (6 Nov) – NIPSA, the largest union from the Non-Teaching workforce in Education, representing over 8,000 members working across schools, support services and Education Authority HQ, announces the commencement of Action Short of Strike Action read more

NJC PAY 2023/24 (2 Nov) – The National Employers have confirmed the NJC Pay award for 2023/24. The pay award for 2023/24 is £1925 (pro-rata for part-time employees) and equates to an increase of £1.025 per hour read more

DAERA picket lines information (27 Oct) – See the list below of the picket lines information for the DAERA selective strike action next week, which commences on Sunday Night and finishes on Friday 3rd November at Midnight read more 

  

Royal College of Nursing  

NHS pay update: staff denied lump sum in England could now get it in new funding deal (6 Nov) – Following RCN campaigning, the UK government has announced it’ll provide funding for non-NHS organisations to give one-off payments to staff on dynamically linked Agenda for Change contracts, but clarity on eligibility and timing of payments is urgently needed 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 

RCM statement on the call by the Maternity Safety Alliance for a statutory inquiry into maternity safety in England (31 Oct) – Responding to The Maternity Safety Alliance’s call for a public, statutory inquiry into maternity safety in England, Birte Harlev-Lam, Executive Director Midwife at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “The Royal College of Midwives shares the frustration of the Maternity Safety Alliance at the pace of progress in maternity safety. We have consistently highlighted where improvements need to be made, including more investment in staff and training and the sharing of good practice across services, and have proactively shared with the Government and NHS bodies our practical approaches to the challenges faced…” read more

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  

CSP welcomes Agenda for Change payment for non-NHS staff in England (6 Nov) – The government has announced that Agenda for Change staff who did not previously receive a one-off consolidated payment in England could now benefit read more

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  

‘We shall fight on’ (18 Oct) – Consultants and junior doctors came together to show their commitment to pay restoration and to urge the Government to resume talks. Ben Ireland reports. Doctors have sent the strongest warning yet to the Government that they intend to continue striking up to the next general election as the fight for fair pay intensifies. Thousands of doctors gathered in Manchester as the Conservative Party conference took place in the city this month, with consultants and junior doctors travelling from all corners of England on buses provided by the BMA. Health secretary Steve Barclay made no mention of plans to resolve the strikes in his speech to his party’s conference on the same day and has not met with either consultants or junior doctors for months. BMA consultants committee chair Vish Sharma wrote to prime minister Rishi Sunak to say no new strike dates would be announced for four weeks from the latest three-day joint action, which took place from 2 to 5 October, because the Government has refused talks as long as strike dates have been called. Dr Sharma also urged the involvement of arbitration service ACAS read more 

Junior doctors in Wales announce dates of industrial action ballot (6 Oct) – Junior doctors in Wales are to be balloted for industrial action from next month. The six-week ballot by BMA Cymru Wales will run from 6 November to 18 December. If members vote in favour of industrial action, it will lead to a 72-hour full walkout by participating doctors. Junior doctors in Wales have experienced a pay cut of 29.6 per cent in real terms over the last 15 years. This year, they received another sub-inflationary pay offer from the Welsh Government. The 5 per cent offer is below the recommended amount made by the DDRB, and lower than that rejected by junior doctors in England read more 

Doctors in Northern Ireland to be balloted on industrial action (4 Oct) – Consultants and junior doctors to vote after devolved government denies pay uplift. Consultants and junior doctors in Northern Ireland will be balloted on industrial action, the BMA has confirmed. The Department of Health in Northern Ireland, which has essentially been left to run the health service since the collapse of devolution in February 2022, said there would be no pay awards at all this year as a result of funding shortfalls. This is despite the Doctors and Dentists Review Body recommending a 6 per cent uplift, which has been offered to colleagues in England. As a result, both groups of doctors will be balloted over whether to take industrial action. A date for the ballot has not yet been set. An indicative ballot of consultants in Northern Ireland found 77 per cent were willing to take industrial action read more 

  

Society of Radiographers  

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 

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  

NEU Cymru members at Caldicot Comprehensive to take strike action over school’s inability to tackle student behaviour (24 Oct) – NEU Cymru members at Caldicot Comprehensive school will be taking strike action on Wednesday 25th October following concerns over violent and abusive behaviour by pupils towards staff, which the school has not dealt with appropriately. Discussions between the school and both the NEU and NASUWT have failed to make any progress in addressing the school’s approach to behaviour, and addressing the adverse management practices that are affecting the health, safety and welfare of their members and the pupils they have a duty of care towards  read more  

Support strike action at Connaught School Leytonstone Waltham Forest – the 6th week of Connaught strike is on again this week over proposed job cuts and forcing them into a MAT. Send messages of support to Paul Phillips – [email protected] and Sandra Faria [email protected]  

NASUWT  

Members at Cambridgeshire school to strike over behaviour policies and management practices (30 Oct) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Ivo’s Academy in Cambridgeshire are due to begin the first of five days of strike action on Wednesday over working conditions, adverse management practices and behaviour policies adopted by the employer, Astrea Academy Trust. Contrary to assertions from the employer, the NASUWT does not endorse the approach to managing pupil behaviour adopted by St Ivo Academy. NASUWT supports its members who are in dispute with this and other policies implemented centrally by Astrea without consultation 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  

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  

City of Glasgow College lecturers deliver overwhelming mandate for continuing industrial action (24 Oct) – College lecturers at City of Glasgow College (CoGC) are set to continue their programme of industrial action, following the closure of a statutory industrial action ballot yesterday. In the ballot, organised by the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA), a massive 87% of members voted in favour of continuing their programme of industrial action in a long-running dispute over redundancies and working conditions, with 81% backing continuing strikes as part of the industrial action read more 

EIS-FELA Raise concerns over the potential discriminatory nature of redundancies at City of Glasgow College (11 Oct) – EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) representatives have raised concerns over what is believed to be the discriminatory nature of redundancies taking place at City of Glasgow College. Redundancies are decided using a scoring-criteria based on gathering evidence such as continuing professional development, industry links and other work which highlights a lecturer goes ‘above and beyond’. However, staff who have been absent due to maternity leave are not having this considered when the management of the college are looking at the past three years of evidence. This has been reported by the EIS-FELA Branch as a potential breach of the Public Sector Equality Duty to the Equality and Human Rights Commission read more 

Lecturers Commence Targeted Strike Action in Constituency Areas of Key Scot Govt Ministers (2 Oct) – Lecturers in three Scottish colleges will start three days of targeted strike action, in colleges based in the constituencies of key Scottish Government decision makers. The targeted action is the latest step in a national industrial action campaign in a long-running dispute over pay and job security. The action will take place at Glasgow Clyde College, Fife College and Dundee & Angus College, which sit within the constituency areas of the First Minister, the Deputy First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Minister for Further Education read more 

  

INTO  

UCU  

Anti-union laws stop university staff striking for fair pay & conditions (6 Nov) – UCU has criticised anti-democratic trade union laws for frustrating the wishes of members who voted for strike action over pay and working conditions. Over two-thirds (68%) of UCU members at 140 universities who voted backed taking strike action and three-quarters (75%) backed taking other forms of industrial action. However, restrictive trade union laws mean that despite turnout being 43%, far higher than in May’s local elections (32%), staff will not be able to strike. The ballot came after the universities’ representatives, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), imposed a below inflation pay offer, even though UCU members had overwhelmingly voted to reject it. Higher education pay has declined by 30% in real terms since 2009. The latest ballot is the fifth national higher education ballot UCU has run over the past year [NOTE 2]. The four previous ballots were successful. They saw UCEA agree to end zero-hour contracts and led to a historic pension victory, which will see employers reverse their 35% cut to guaranteed pensions by April. Pension contribution rates will also fall, meaning members of the scheme will get 3.7% more (minus tax) in their pay packets read more

UKRI must reverse suspension to rescue its reputation (1 Nov) – UCU has written to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) calling on it to reverse its decision to suspend its advisory board on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within 48 hours. If it refuses to do so, the union will call on its members to resign from voluntary positions with the funding body read more

Strikes set to go ahead next month at 30 English colleges (26 Oct) – Three consecutive days of strike action are set to start on Tuesday 14 November at 30 colleges across England unless employers raise pay, announced UCU today. The full strike days are:- 

  • Tuesday 14 November 
  • Wednesday 15 November 
  • Thursday 16 November 

The strike is over pay and working conditions and a commitment to binding national pay negotiations. It comes after an overwhelming 90% of voting members backed the action. UCU is demanding a pay offer in excess of RPI inflation, a national workload agreement and a new negotiating settlement for FE. UCU said it wants employers to negotiate before staff are forced to strike, and that it has already settled disputes at 15 colleges, avoiding strike action, after receiving pay offers of up to 8.5%. Employer representative, the Association of Colleges (AoC), has recommended a pay uplift of 6.5% but colleges do not have to follow it, and many have failed to do so in previous pay rounds read more 

Staff to strike at five North East colleges over low pay (24 Oct) – Staff at five colleges in Stockton on Tees, Redcar and Cleveland will begin strike action next month as part of an ongoing dispute over low pay unless management make a realistic pay offer, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today. UCU urged management to quickly return to the negotiating table so that vital GCSE resits aren’t impacted. Three days of strikes will take place at Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training Group, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy and Redcar and Cleveland College, all of which are part of employer group Education Training Collective (ETC). UCU members at all five college will take strike action on:- 

  • Tuesday 7 November   
  • Monday 13 November  
  • Tuesday 14 November  

The action follows a strike ballot in which an overwhelming 95% of those that took part, voted for industrial action. The dispute is over the employer’s 22/23 pay award of 3% which was rejected by UCU members. The college then offered to add an additional 1% from May and to remove the bottom point of the lecturer pay spine, which UCU members again voted to reject read more 

Strike action at Tyne Coast College off after management agree to ACAS talks (19 Oct) – Strike action at Tyne Coast College has been called off after the employer agreed to enter talks with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), UCU announced today. Staff took a day’s strike action last month and had been due to walk out on Monday 23 October as part of a long running dispute over pay. The action came after management imposed a paltry pay award of just 3%, which staff had overwhelmingly rejected read more 

Strike on tomorrow at University of the Highlands and Islands in dispute over cuts and job losses (16 Oct) – UCU members at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will begin the first of six days of strikes tomorrow. The strike is over £4 million cuts the university is making, including £3 million from the staffing budget meaning that up to 44 roles are being made redundant. In the ballot approving strike action, turnout was 86% with 77% of UCU members backing going on strike to defend jobs and oppose cuts.  The union said the high turnout showed the strength of feeling against the cuts and redundancies 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  

‘Fire bosses asleep at the wheel’: Buckinghamshire firefighters call for urgent action following damning report (6 Nov) – Buckinghamshire firefighters are calling for urgent action and full transparency following the recent release of a damning report in to Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS). A report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that Buckinghamshire Fire Service was “overly reliant” on neighbouring services, was “inadequate” at protecting the public through fire regulation and that staff had leadership concerns. BFRS receives some of the lowest funding in the country, with expenditure at £35.51 per person for the fire service compared to the average of £41.88 in England. The Fire Brigades Union points to this lack of investment and under-resourcing as responsible for the failings outlined in the report. Last week, a tense fire authority meeting discussing the report was redacted following questions around issues of leadership within senior management of the service. The fire authority is yet to communicate a plan of action in response to the report read more

Union warns of “catastrophe” as hundreds of firefighters gather to launch Firefighters’ Manifesto (31 Oct) – Today, Wednesday 1 November, hundreds of firefighters and control staff will assemble in Westminster to launch a new ‘Firefighters’ Manifesto’. As the country recovers from flooding, and braces for the realities of climate change, the union warned that politicians must “listen to the voice of the frontline” if they want to “avert catastrophe” read more

Firefighters’ union to consult members in Scotland on strike action over cuts (13 Oct) – The Fire Brigades Union has today announced its intention to begin consulting firefighters across Scotland on strike action in opposition to a devastating package of cuts imposed by the Scottish government. A projected five-year flat cash budget until 2027 has already removed 10 wholetime fire engines, whilst 150 retained fire engines are regularly unavailable due to significant recruitment and retention issues. The Scottish Fire and Rescue service has announced that its own projections mean it will need to save a minimum of a further £14 million next year, which would result in the loss of a further 339 firefighters and 18 fire engines, with more to come. Scotland has lost 1200 frontline firefighters since 2012. The move marks the first formal step towards firefighters taking strike action. This was agreed unanimously by the union’s Scottish committee this week. A formal strike ballot could follow 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  

RAAC in the workplace (1 Nov) – Following new concerns of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), the TUC are advising that an organising approach to support Branch Officials should be taken in order for them to ask the right questions of their employers and consider routes to escalation. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned that RAAC is now beyond its lifespan and may collapse with little or no notice. The Department for Education (DfE) has ordered schools to immediately shut buildings made with RAAC until safety work is undertaken. There have been several incidents of roof collapses involving RAAC in schools and other public buildings in recent years and there are now concerns that RAAC may be present in workplaces where our members work read more

National Chair Update October 2023 read more 

  

NAPO  

VLO Job Evaluation Appeals (3 Nov) – The appeals from the joint trade unions were submitted to the employer last week. We are still discussing a timeline for a conclusion to the appeal process and how the employer intends to address the individual appeals that have been lodged by staff. We hope to issue further agreed communications between unions and the employer in the coming week read more

Unions register formal NNC dispute on ‘One HMPPS’ (9 Oct) – At last week’s engagement meeting with HMPPS management, the Probation trade unions announced that they would need to carefully reflect on the disappointing outcomes and the worrying lack of clarity that has emerged from the consultative process so far, and that we would be revisiting our position of a pre-dispute. Since then, the unions have met and discussed a number of other concerns and have now decided to formally register a dispute under the NNC Dispute Resolution Procedures. This was submitted to the Head of HMPPS Employee Relations on the 4th October 2023 read more 

Probation Unions lodge formal dispute on ‘One HMPPS’ (6 Oct) – This week Napo, UNISON and GMB formally lodged a dispute with HMPPS over the ‘One HMPPS’ programme read more 

CAFCASS Pay Ballot 2023/2024 (6 Oct) – Napo members employed by Cafcass have the opportunity to vote on the employers pay offer which was sent out to preferred e-mail addresses a fortnight ago. If you have not voted yet please ensure that you do so and return your electronic ballot before next Thursday 12th October read more 

BFAWU 

Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more  

  

NUJ   

Ballot opens on BBC Local offer (2 Nov) – NUJ members working across BBC Local are urged to vote before 13 November on a new proposal put forward in the ongoing dispute. The NUJ is balloting members across BBC Local on acceptance or rejection of a new offer brokered through Acas. If the offer is accepted, the industrial dispute and associated industrial action will end, while the NUJ will continue to campaign for truly local programming which serves the needs of local audiences across England. NUJ members across BBC Local (covering radio, TV and online) have been involved in a protracted dispute challenging cuts and changes that led to over 800 journalists put at risk of redundancy and editorial changes including the axing of local programmes, sharing of content across regions and pre-recorded news bulletins in some radio stations. Members have taken four days of strike action, along with a long-running work to rule, with two strike ballots won and significant political and campaigning activity read more

Israel must ensure the safety of journalists in Gaza (2 Nov) – The NUJ has joined over 70 journalists’ unions and organisations calling for the Israeli government to commit to the protection of journalists read more

End Impunity Now: crimes against journalists must end (2 Nov) – NUJ calls for the protection of journalists around the world and urges members to donate to the IFJ’s safety fund, providing essential assistance to colleagues in need. On International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November), the NUJ has renewed its steadfast commitment to eradicating the targeting and killing of journalists worldwide, whilst standing in solidarity with the International Federation of Journalists to stress the importance of a free press, for those responsible for crimes to be held accountable, and for journalists to be able to work in safety read more

NUJ welcomes updated National Action Plan for the safety of journalists (31 Oct) – Legal threats, journalists’ safety and online abuse all feature in the refreshed publication read more

National World dispute: action postponed (17 Oct) – Next week’s five-day strike has been put on hold. Members of the NUJ’s group chapel working for National World have voted to suspend five days’ strike action due to begin next week, following the flat refusal of the management to hold talks with the union. The union’s national executive council had called on the general secretary, Michelle Stanistreet, to seek the urgent intervention of the conciliation service ACAS with a view to encouraging the management of National World to agree to urgent negotiations to spare further damage to the business. However, the company has categorically refused to hold further talks with the union. The members working for the publisher of the Scotsman, Yorkshire Post, Portsmouth News, Sheffield Star, Belfast Newsletter, Derry Journal and 100-plus regional titles took part in three days of strikes last month (September) after the company refused to implement improved minimum salaries, address pay disparities and imposed a below-inflation pay rise. The dispute brought together the members across the UK concerned about pay unfairness, low pay and the refusal by management to listen to staff about a whole range of issues within the business read more 

Find out more on the campaign and sign the NUJ’s petition read more 

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 

  

Equity  

Belfast City Council votes unanimously to support Equity (2 Nov) – Belfast City Council has voted unanimously in support of a motion to reverse arts funding cuts in Northern Ireland. Belfast City Council voted unanimously in support of a motion to reverse arts funding cuts in Northern Ireland. Politicians from Alliance, SDLP, UUP, Green Party and more spoke of their support for the motion presented for debate by SDLP Cllr Séamas de Faoite read more

Members speak out against cuts to Opera workforce (2 Nov) – Equity’s Singers Committee and Opera Deputies Committee release joint statement on ENO cuts. ENO campaigners gather outside London’s City Hall in June 2023. Credit: Equity.

Following proposed cuts to the English National Opera’s Chorus, Equity’s Singers Committee and Opera Deputies Committee have released the following joint statement: “Equity’s Singers Committee and Opera Deputies Committee are deeply concerned to hear about English National Opera’s plans to slash its chorus’ contracts and salaries by 40% and further reduce the size of its chorus…” read more

Community  

Statement on Tata Steel – Port Talbot (1 Nov) – Community has welcomed the news that Tata will no longer be making an announcement on the future of Port Talbot steelworks today read more

IWGB  

Donate to IWGB strike fund  

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 

Victory on appeal: LSE forced to back down and reinstate sacked uvw strike leader (6 Nov) – “We must not remain silent, nor accept any kind of abuse or injustice, but take the route of action because together – with the support of UVW – we can win, and indeed, we won!” – UVW strike leader and LSE cleaner Geovanny Moreno Buitrago. United Voices of the World union (UVW) has forced the ‘prestigious’ London School of Economics (LSE) to back down and reinstate a UVW strike leader and migrant cleaner from Colombia who was sacked after being on long term sick leave with a herniated disc, as he tried to return to work. UVW suspected foul play and fought against his dismissal and won!! Geovanny was reinstated in his final appeal read more

SIPTU (Ireland)  

SIPTU radiographers in Galway vote for industrial action (9 Oct) – radiographers in University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action up to and including strike action in a dispute over safe staffing levels. The result follows months of frustration over recruitment and retention issues at the two hospital sites which have left SIPTU members facing a significant extra workload amid a 20 percent staffing deficit read more 

SIPTU and other trade unions threaten strike action over Translink funding fears (3 Oct) – SIPTU and other trade unions at Translink have written to Denis McMahon, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Infrastructure, to express the union’s concern over the financial sustainability of Northern Ireland public transport company. The move comes after Translink management indicated that, due to the company’s poor financial position, they would be unable to table a pay offer for 2023/24. This, the union warned the Permanent Secretary, “may force us to initiate an industrial ballot” unless meaningful discussions were forthcoming. SIPTU, along GMB and Unite with its sister unions in Translink, also expressed fears that the company may have difficulty sustaining the operation of public transport in Northern Ireland without departmental funding read more 

Other news  

Book launch: Betteshanger Colliery – ‘They didn’t take it off the wind!’ by Terry Harrison  

Tuesday 7th November 7pm at The Betteshanger Sports & Social Club, Cavell Square, Deal CT14 9HR Reserve your place via Eventbrite 

Affiliate with STAMMA – STAMMA’s Employment Support Service helps people who stammer as well as those who don’t around issues related to stammering in the workplace. Union branches and regions can affiliate with STAMMA to access a range of services and support at a reduced rate. 

  • £75 for branches and regions 
  • £125 for national unions with under 400,000 members 
  • £200 for national unions with 400,000+ members 

STAMMA website  

    

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  

USA: read the latest about the ‘Stand Up Strikes’ at the ‘Big 3’ car companies on the UAW website here 

Diary   

2024 

June 

22 NSSN Conference – 11am Conway Hall, Holborn, London 

  

CONTACT US  

PHONE 07952 283 558  

EMAIL mailto:[email protected]   

   

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts   

FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP   or STOP The CUTS  Likes page   

ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE