The NSSN sends solidarity to all the workers and their unions taking action as strikes continue. We will continue to publicise all disputes in our bulletin and build support for them. Keep supporting the strikes
NSSN Conference 2024 June 22nd Tories Out – fight for a Workers’ Manifesto
NSSN Conference 2024: Saturday 22nd June, 11am-4.30pm, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event. Attendance fee – £8. You can pre-register here https://forms.gle/WjFYyvrn1BXSMJHg9. Email us for more info – [email protected]
This year’s NSSN Conference will be the last before the General Election. Trade unionists are rightly desperate to see the back of the Tories. Over the last 14 years, we’ve been on the receiving end of vicious austerity, pay cuts, the cost of living squeeze and continued attacks on our right to strike through ever more restrictive and undemocratic Tory anti-union laws. And the unions still have to be prepared to fight together if Sunak looks to implement his Minimum Service Levels (MSL) legislation before the election.
But this has also been a period when workers and their unions are increasingly showing that it’s possible to fight back and win. In March 2011, over 750,000 workers marched against the brutal cuts of Cameron, Clegg and Osborne, and that November, the N30 pensions strike saw up to 2 million public sector workers strike together. Over the last two years, we have seen the strike wave – the biggest sustained level of strikes for over 3 decades, with many workers taking action for the first time. Workers want the Tories out, but they also demand real change.
The NSSN has played our part in all the many strikes that have taken place. But in these disputes, we have also argued for policies to defend workers’ interests. This year’s NSSN Conference is an opportunity for union reps, members and activists to again share experiences about our struggles and disputes, but also to set out the programme that we need – a workers’ manifesto.
To repeal Sunak’s MSL and Cameron’s Trade Union Acts, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major. To re-nationalise Royal Mail, BT, the energy and utility companies and steel. To end privatisation in the NHS and our public services. For a real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards. And there is much more to discuss and fight for. Come to NSSN Conference and join the discussion.
Steel unions ballot for action
The NSSN stands in solidarity with steelworkers as steel unions begin balloting their members for industrial action. We will support any action that they take against Tata Steel’s intention to make 75% of the 4,000-strong Port Talbot workforce redundant. This would also result in thousands more losing their jobs at other Tata steel plants, contracting companies, and threaten related jobs such as on the rails and the wider local economy. And as we did in 2016, when the steelworks were under the same threat, we continue to demand the works be nationalised to save jobs and working-class communities.
Recently, the struggle to save Port Talbot steelworks reached a new stage when Tata announced the closure of the coking ovens. The whole of the union movement must come behind the steelworkers and their fight to save steel jobs and defend communities, in Port Talbot and in other steelmaking areas.
Unite: Port Talbot coking oven closure result of years of Tata betrayal (18 Mar) – Strike action vote to save jobs and prevent blast furnace closure ongoing read more
Unite: Tata workers urged to vote yes to industrial action over shutdown plans (1 Mar)
Community Statement – Morfa Coke Ovens, Port Talbot (18 Mar) read more
Community confirms plans to ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK (4 Mar)
Sign the Unite petition: https://surveys.unitetheunion.org/233412289055859
Find out more about the campaign: www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-steel
Fight the Tory attack on our #RightToStrike
About 5,000 trade unionists marched in Cheltenham on 27th January in opposition to the new Tory anti-union Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (MSL), and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Thatcher’s banning of union rights at GCHQ in the town.
It was just days after the U-turn by the state-owned LNER train operating company that was reported to have signalled its intention to have used the MSL against ASLEF. The union had reacted to this threat by putting in 5 additional strike days. This apparent retreat was a defeat not only for LNER bosses but for Sunak’s Tory Government.
It showed that workers’ action can smash this vicious Tory attack on our right to strike.
It is now vital that the statement that was passed at the Special TUC Congress in December – setting out a campaign of defiance and non-compliance – is implemented and built upon:-
- We will develop practical solidarity plans for unions actively engaged in strategies of non-compliance.
- Support any worker subject to a work notice, including with support from across the trade union movement, if their employer disciplines them in any way.
- Ensure that where any affiliate is facing significant risk of sanctions because of this legislation, we convene an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee to consider options for providing practical, industrial, financial and/or political backing to that union.
- Call on all employers and public bodies with oversight to oppose this counterproductive legislation. Employers and public bodies from across the public sector and the country have already signalled their opposition to the Strikes Act. All employers and public bodies must reject it
- Refuse to tell our members to cross a picket line.
- Call an urgent demonstration in the event a work notice is deployed and a union or worker is sanctioned in relation to a work notice.
This is the basis for the fighting strategy that workers and unions need and now needs to be enacted.
FBU: ‘Fundamentally flawed’: Welsh Government hits back at ‘minimum service levels’ (20 Mar)
Defend The Right to Strike
Strike Map and the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) have launched a ‘write to your council campaign’ to seek their commitment to not issue work notices and defend the right to strike as key employers read more in the Morning Star
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government
See Stop the War website for info on protests.
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
NSSN sends solidarity to UCU and its members at Queen Mary University in London after security broke into the Queen Mary UCU office in order to remove posters expressing solidarity with Palestine. For developments, follow Queen Mary UCU on X/Twitter @qm_ucu
(From Novara Media) Indian Port Workers Refuse to Handle Israeli Weapons (20 Feb) – An Indian trade union representing more than 3,500 workers at 11 ports has called on its members to refuse to handle military equipment being sent to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In a statement from 14 February, the Water Transport Workers Federation of India said it will “refuse to load or unload weaponised cargoes” from Israel or any other country which could handle military equipment for the war in Palestine read more on Novara Media
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
Eurostar Rail Gourmet workers to take strike action over pay (6 Apr) – RMT members working for Rail Gourmet on the Eurostar contract will take strike action from 19-23 April in a dispute over pay. This follows a magnificent 95% yes vote in our strike ballot, which has given the union a mandate to pursue industrial action to win better pay for low paid members working within the continental rail service read more
RMT calls for employment protections after zero emissions shipping routes announced (5 Apr) – RMT called for mandatory employment protections for all seafarers today, following the government’s decision to invest in zero emission shipping routes to and from the UK read more
RMT reacts to CalMac CEO standing down (3 Apr) – CalMac CEO Robbie Drummond has stood down following six years in the role. An RMT spokesperson said: “This is a concerning development for our CalMac members and only comes a week after the sacking of the head of publicly owned Ferguson Marine. We cannot tolerate any more instability. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport must take this opportunity to announce an extension of the existing Clyde and Hebrides ferry service contract and directly award it to CalMac.” Read more
ScotRail punitive fare hike will impact on climate targets (1 Apr) – Rail union, RMT union has slammed ScotRail’s decision to hike fares by 8.7% from April 1st, exactly two years since the railway came under public ownership. This punitive price increase comes at a time when the Scottish Government itself is running a successful off-peak fares trial, effectively removing peak fares entirely. RMT is calling on the Scottish Government to make this off-peak fares trial permanent, otherwise passengers face the return of significantly increased peak fares from June read more
CrossCountry workers to take strike action (27 Mar) – Rail union RMT members working for CrossCountry to take strike action against de-recognition of supervisory and clerical grades. RMT is taking decisive action to protect the rights and representation of all of its members in CrossCountry with strike action on Saturday 13 April. The union has been engaged in negotiations with CrossCountry to address this issue, yet the company’s recent actions have only served to escalate tensions.
RMT represents all grades in the company and has had this confirmed many times in writing. Despite this, Cross Country has proceeded to hold discussions with other trade unions regarding pay, policy matters, deliberately excluding the RMT from these crucial negotiations read more
RMT responds to reports of staff assaults statistics and testimonies (27 Mar) – Rail union comments on staff assaults following BBC investigation. Responding to the assault statistics and testimonies of railway workers, following an investigation by BBC South East, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The assault statistics and testimonies of railway workers are disturbing and underline what our members have to deal with every day on trains and stations…” read more
Gateline workers to take strike action (15 Mar) – Contracted out gateline workers at Northern will take strike action on Saturday in a dispute over pay, union recognition and working conditions. RMT members working for Carlisle Support Services on the Northern contract will set up picket lines in Manchester, Leeds and Wigan. The strike action will start on Saturday at 12.01am and finish 11.59pm the same day. Among the demands of workers is the ending of zero hours contracts and the removal of the Timegate app which has failed to accurately calculate pay and leave allowance read more
RMT to launch strike ballot on Scotrail over DOO (13 Mar) – Scotrail workers will be balloted for strike action over Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains, RMT can reveal. Bosses at the Scottish government run train company have said Barrhead and East Kilbride routes can run services without a second member of staff at the discretion of the driver. Over a 100 hundred conductors who will be affected by Scotrail’s plans will be balloted read more
Bidvest Noonan cleaners begin 48 hour strike action (4 Mar) – RMT members working for Bidvest Noonan on Alstom NTL and TPE contracts will take strike action from Monday. The cleaners are taking action over pay and working conditions having rejected the latest offer from the company. Strikes will take place in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the conclusion of the strike, RMT members will take industrial action short of strike from Wednesday by not undertaking any biological hazard cleaning read more
Hitachi Rail strike spreads from East Coast to Great Western Mainline (17 Feb) – RMT members at Hitachi Rail will take 48 hours strike action at the end of the month over a pay dispute. Workers who maintain rolling stock and the signalling system will take the stoppages between Thursday 29 February and March 2. The depots that will be taking action are the London North Pole, Doncaster Train Maintenance and Bounds Green and Craigentinny Train Maintenance. Hundreds of workers will join the action which follows a referendum where Hitachi workers rejected a pay offer from the private company. Strike action will now be taking place on depots on the East Coast and West Coast mainlines read more
ASLEF
(From BBC website) London Underground strikes called off (5 Apr) – London Underground strikes starting next week have been called off, a train driver’s union has announced. Aslef said that members will not walk out for 24 hours on 8 April and 4 May. A spokesperson for Aslef said that “key issues” had been “successfully resolved… without the need for strikes”. Transport for London (TfL) had warned that Tube strikes would leave Londoners with little to no service on the network read more
Strike Action (20 Mar) – ASLEF announces a new programme of rolling strikes. More strikes across the rail network in pursuit of a pay rise for drivers who have not had an increase in salary for five years – since 2019. Train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, will take part in another programme of rolling one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban, as we increase the pressure on 16 intransigent train companies – and the tone-deaf Tory government that stands behind them – to get train drivers, who have now not had a pay rise for five years, since April 2019, the salary increase they deserve. Members will walk out at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry on Friday 5 April; at Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains on Saturday 6 April; and at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line on Monday 8 April. Members will also refuse to work their rest days from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April read more Picket Lines – April 2024
ASLEF announces strikes on LNER and Northern trains (14 Feb) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, has announced strikes and an overtime ban at two train companies – LNER and Northern – for their persistent failure to comply with existing agreements. ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, has announced strikes and an overtime ban at two train companies – LNER and Northern – for their persistent failure to comply with existing agreements. Members at LNER will take strike action on Friday 1 March for a failure by the company to adhere to the machinery of negotiation (‘regarding London North Eastern Railway’s abrogation of the diagramming and rostering agreements, and continued failure to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery’). Members at Northern will also take strike action on Friday 1 March for a failure by the company to adhere to existing agreements. And members will take action short of a strike (a ban on non-contractual overtime) on LNER and Northern from Thursday 29 February to Saturday 2 March read more
TSSA
TSSA commemorates Belly Mujinga anniversary (5 Apr) – Belly Mujinga, 1973-2020. On Friday 5 April at 11am TSSA will be marking four years since our member Belly Mujinga died from coronavirus by laying a memorial wreath and holding a one-minute silence at Victoria Station. Belly worked at Victoria station in central London and was one of the first front-line workers to die of Covid 19, which went on to take the lives of many more colleagues across the transport and travel industries. More than 100 transport and travel workers lost their lives to coronavirus in London between 2020 and June 2022. Belly had reported being coughed and spat at by a member of the public on the concourse at Victoria station and was frightened that this was how she contracted the deadly virus. Belly sadly died on 5 April 2020 at Barnet hospital. She was 47 years old and left behind her young daughter, Ingrid, and devoted husband, Lusamba. Belly’s story touched the world, becoming an international news story, and Belly’s name was displayed in Black Lives Matter demonstrations later that year read more
Easter weekend strikes at ScotRail (29 Mar) – Members of rail union TSSA will hold strike action at ScotRail over the Easter weekend in a long running dispute over on call working arrangements. The walkouts take place on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st of March by Operations Team Manager (OTM) grades in the latest stage of a dispute going back to late 2021. Similar action took place last December. Since discussions were last held with ScotRail, including in person talks with TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, the company has offered no solution or means to end the dispute which is already having an impact on the network. As part of the dispute TSSA members have withdrawn from the ‘out of hours’ on call period – generally between 23:00 and 07:00 hrs. During this period ScotRail have no first line on call coverage. Earlier this month the safety implications of this situation were highlighted when the driver of an Aberdeen to Inverness train passed a red signal – and therefore had to immediately be relieved of duties while appropriate checks were carried out. With TSSA’s Driver Team Managers staff in dispute, passengers had to remain in the stationary vehicle for three hours until the driver was relieved. The union has now met Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, to urgently highlight concerns, stressing that ScotRail must act to stop this happening again read more
TSSA Customer Service Managers to strike on London Underground (28 Mar) – Rail union TSSA has announced strike action at London Underground next month by members working as Customer Service Managers. The walkouts will take place on Wednesday the 10th of of April – between 00:01 and 23.59, and also Thursday 11th of April in respect of any members expected to commence shifts before 23:59 on Wednesday 10 April whose shifts run into Thursday 11 April. TSSA’s Customer Service Manager members – who are responsible for running stations – are extremely concerned about the company’s ‘Stations Changes’ proposals, with potential changes to their terms and conditions, job role and location. Strike action was given overwhelming backing by over 200 key station staff in a ballot and the union then gave the company the requisite 14 days’ notice period ahead of the planned walkout read more
TSSA warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales (22 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW). TSSA warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales. Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW) for possible strike action and action short of a strike. The union is in dispute with the company over so-called ‘bolt-ons’ – additional payments which cover shift work. These have been awarded to other staff outside Fleet Management, and without them, managers would effectively miss out on the accruement of pensionable pay. The ballot will open on the 28th of March and conclude on the 18th of April. The union is warning that a walkout or work-to-rule would seriously hamper the ability of TfW to run trains across Wales. Fleet Management are responsible daily for signing off safety critical work across TfW read more
Looming industrial action at South Western Railway (15 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is warning South Western Railway (SWR) that potential industrial action, including a strike could be on the cards after the two sides have formally failed to agree in an escalating dispute over the imposition of changed working arrangements among Control staff. The union has now officially served a ‘Failure to Agree’ notice to SWR —the first stage of an official process that, without an agreement in the short term, could lead to industrial action by its Train Service Managers. This is despite the union’s efforts to engage in meaningful dialogue over several months and because the company has undermined TSSA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with SWR read more
Unite
460 Dounreay power station workers set for strike action (5 Apr) – Nuclear Restoration Services workers overwhelmingly back action in pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (Friday 5 April) its 460-strong membership employed by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS) based at Dounreay power station have backed strike action in a brewing pay dispute. Unite’s members overwhelmingly backed strike action by 85.5 per cent on a high turnout of 82.3 per cent. The trade union has warned that strike action will be ‘inevitable’ in the coming weeks, and it said NRS has a ‘final opportunity’ to resolve the dispute by making a revised pay offer to the workforce. The company has recently changed its trading name from Magnox Limited read more
Arriva strikes on hold as members balloted on new offer (3 Apr) – Strikes by Unite members at Arriva Northumbria have been suspended after the employer made a new offer, it was announced today (3 March). Strike action by drivers and engineers, unhappy at being the lowest-paid bus employees in the region, was due to begin on Sunday 7 April for one week. Members are being balloted on Thursday 4 and Friday 5 April this week and, regardless of the outcome, strikes the following week have been suspended. Should members accept the offer, all remaining action will also be cancelled. If the offer is rejected, remaining industrial action would resume on 21 April for one week with the possibility of additional dates read more
Unite wins pay award for Doncaster-based Lucchini Unipart Rail workers (3 Apr) – Unite, the country’s leading trade union, has won a substantial pay award for more than 50 skilled workers at Lucchini Unipart Rail’s Doncaster factory. The workers, who were due to begin strike action this week, have called off all industrial action after a significant pay increase of 8 per cent. The workers, who overhaul locomotive bogies for clients, including Siemens and Hitachi, were angry about a 4.5 per cent pay offer for 2024 that came with ‘strings attached’ around pay banding and multi skilling arrangements. However, after intense negotiations, facilitated by ACAS on Thursday 28 March, immediately prior to the Easter long weekend, the company were forced to offer an increase of 8%. This only came about due to the immediate threat of strike action and members have voted to accept this latest offer read more
JW Suckling tanks on pay promises, resulting in indefinite strikes across the country (3 Apr) – Tanker drivers employed by JW Suckling in London, Essex, Middlesex and Grangemouth have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute on broken pay promises. The 39 tanker drivers are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. They will take part in continuous strikes from 00:01 on Tuesday 16 April until a deal is reached. The transport company has an estimated net worth of over nine million pounds. Unite states that it has failed to meet the terms of its 2024 pay deal, which would see tanker drivers receive an improved pension as well as equal terms and conditions with colleagues throughout the country read more
Sanctuary Housing ends ‘cost of living’ payment while workers using foodbanks (2 Apr) – Sanctuary Housing has cancelled a £500 retention bonus payment introduced at the height of cost-of-living crisis for thousands of staff just a year after introducing it despite some of its workers reporting having to use foodbanks. Sanctuary Housing workers responsible for maintenance and repair for properties housing thousands of tenants in London are currently involved in strike action over pay. They are the first Sanctuary Housing workers to ever go on strike. More than 50 repair workers, who are based in Hackney but carry out repairs across London, are striking over a four per cent pay rise imposed in 2023. This was a significant pay cut, as the real rate of inflation, RPI, at the time was 11.4 per cent. Meanwhile, Sanctuary Housing revenues for last year stood at £943 million, with its surplus increasing by 73 per cent to £101.3 million. Sanctuary Housing’s CEO, Craig Moule, is paid £380,000 a year…While Sanctuary met with Unite in talks with the conciliation service ACAS last week, it still refuses to recognise the Hackney’s workers right to have their union formally recognised for collective bargaining over pay and conditions. In fact, Sanctuary Housing does not engage in pay negotiations with any union read more. The next series of strikes starts this Wednesday 10th April. Pickets at 9A Kingsmead Way, London E9 5QG. Contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]
Unite hails Royal College of Occupational Therapists recognition agreement (2 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has negotiated a recognition agreement for its members employed by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT). The agreement ensures Unite’s growing membership at RCOT have collective trade union bargaining rights when it comes to pay and conditions read more
Sainsbury’s Birmingham and Essex lorry strikes off as Unite secures driver win (28 Mar) – Strikes by around 500 Sainsbury’s lorry drivers based in Essex and Birmingham will not go ahead after an improved deal was secured by Unite, the UK’s leading union. The workers voted for strike action earlier this month over the terms of compensatory packages offered to them for when they transfer employment to Wincanton at the end of April read more
Strike success after Greenwich and Bromley library workers see sick pay increased by 20% (28 Mar) – Unite has secured an essential improvement for its members employed by Greenwich Leisure Limited following a day of industrial action on Tuesday 26 March. Following a 24-hour walk out, bolstered by a packed picket line outside Woolwich Library, GLL conceded on the first of Unite’s demands. The social enterprise has now agreed to increase sick pay by twenty per cent from April this year. This increment will apply to all GLL employees, including leisure workers across the United Kingdom. This amendment to workplace conditions has been achieved as a direct result of Unite’s campaign work. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “While this is a welcome step in the right direction, Unite won’t stop here. Our members deserve better pay and conditions and GLL is in a position to improve its offers across the board. We will continue to stand with workers at Greenwich and Bromley library until all demands are met.” While this victory is a positive win for Unite, the union is not finished yet. Outstanding disputes with GLL include a pay increase and better treatment for staff on zero hours contracts. Unite regional officer, Mary Summers, concluded: “This win has been achieved through industrial action only, but we aren’t done yet. We must secure all the improvements that our members deserve, and our confident that together we will attain just that.” Read more
Striking Flintshire and Stafford MoD workers win improved pay deal (28 Mar) – Strikes by skilled military, avionic and electronic equipment maintenance workers in Flintshire and Stafford have ended after Unite secured an improved pay deal. The workers, employed by Ministry of Defence-owned DE&S Deca, voted to accept the deal and have ended nearly 70 days of strike action that began in October. As part of the deal, they will receive a non-consolidated lump-sum payment of £2,000. In addition, DE&S Deca has also committed to implementing a Capability Based Pay pilot that acknowledges skills, knowledge and experience when calculating base pay read more
Pathology services in London under threat as medical workers balloted over strike action (27 Mar) – Hundreds of pathologists in London are being balloted over strike action after their employer, Synnovis, imposed an unwanted and damaging restructure that puts jobs at risk and severely downgrades working conditions. Synnovis, which is part of SynLab, has a 15 year contract to run the outsourced pathology services for the 6 Hospitals (Guys, St Thomas, Kings College, Princess Royal University Hospital, Royal Brompton & Harefield) across 2 trusts (Kings College NHS Foundation Trust, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust). Synnovis has heavily invested in a new Hub at Blackfriars and plans to migrate the majority of it’s staff there, leaving only skeletal essential services at each of the hospitals. Pathologists were previously employed directly by the NHS but were outsourced and are now working for a private company. This is a stark example of NHS privatisation driving down pay and conditions for workers and leading to serious concerns over patient safety. Over 350 members of Unite are deeply unhappy and concerned over such a move. Job cuts will lead to a deterioration of pathology services across London and a loss of jobs as staff leave due to poor working conditions read more
Union boss slams ‘disgraceful’ Centrica CEO pay (27 Mar) – Commenting on today’s revelations about the increasing pay of the Centrica CEO, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Make no mistake, Chris O’Shea’s multi-million pound pay rise has been paid for by workers and their families who have struggled with rocketing energy bills. It is a disgrace that profiteering from companies like Centrica is still allowed to go unchecked. Unite is calling for a return to public ownership of our energy infrastructure so that we can bring down customers’ bills and supply British industry with cheaper energy.” Read more
Northern Ireland: Family of Matthew Campbell deserve answers and justice (26 Mar) – Court judgement highlights need for health and safety legislation to be strengthened for increased incidence of extreme weather events. Unite the union welcomed this afternoon’s sentencing hearing at Newry Crown Court of Health and safety failings admitted by Newry, Mourne and Down district Council and Lagan construction at the Gullion Forest site, where Matthew Campbell was killed in 2018 during Storm Ali. Mr Campbell was a member of Unite and the union has been supporting his family to obtain answers and justice on his death. The union has challenged the failure of the Health and Safety Executive NI to conduct an investigation into the incident read more
Unite to protest at Good Morning Britain over NHS pay (14 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is to lobby at the Good Morning Britain studios on Friday (15 March) as part of its campaign for its members at Barts NHS Trust, over withheld payments. The protests are part of the escalation campaign on behalf of the union’s members at Barts. The chair of Barts, the former home secretary Jacqui Smith, is a regular contributor to the programme. Unite members working as porters, cleaners and facilities staff at the largest NHS trust in the UK, are fighting for a lump-sum payment owed to them. Last year the government awarded a lump sum payment of at least £1,600 to the majority of NHS workers who worked during the Covid pandemic. However, Unite’s members at Barts have been denied the payment. They were employed by the outsourcing company Serco during the Covid pandemic before transferring back into the NHS, just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the payment. Barts bosses have rejected their demands to receive the payment and have refused to ask the treasury for additional funding to cover the payment read more
Croydon Tramlink strikes suspended after TfL agrees to meaningful talks (22 Mar) – Strikes by Croydon Tramlink engineers have been suspended after Transport for London (TfL) agreed to engage in meaningful talks over pay disparities with Unite, the UK’s leading union. Five days of strikes scheduled to begin this Sunday (March 24) have been suspended. If the talks do not result in an offer that meets the engineers’ expectations, strike action will take place from 5 May to 9 May and 11 July to 15 July read more
New Holland tractor shortages if Basildon CNH workers strike (19 Mar) – 500 workers balloted for strike over broken pay agreement. Around 500 workers employed by CNH Industrial at its New Holland tractor factory in Basildon are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). Strike action would severely compromise the supply of New Holland tractors, which are shipped across the world. The workers are angry that the company has reneged on an agreement struck during 2022 stating pay increases would be calculated by the average rate of inflation over the year. CNH is instead offering four per cent for 2024, rather than the 7.4 per cent it should be under the original agreement. For 2025, the company is offering the rate of inflation as of December 2024. Last month, CNH announced revenues of $24.7 billion for 2023 and a pre-tax earnings of more than $2.38 billion read more
Northern Ireland public transport trade unions agree to re-enter discussions with Translink management (15 Mar) – Joint Trade union release: The three public transport trade unions, UNITE, GMB and SIPTU, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink’s management with the aim of achieving a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute over the 2023-24 pay offer. Members of all three trade unions voted last week voted decisively to reject the previous pay offer, which was considered to be inadequate. The unions agreed this approach following discussions with reps and officials. The three trade unions have agreed to not make any further public comments on the dispute ahead of the conclusion of talks read more
Security guards escalate strikes at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital (15 Mar) – Security workers at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital will take fresh industrial action after the trust declined to pay them a wage increase worth £2,000, which equals just 0.96 pence per hour. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said its members will walk out for seven days from 07:00 on Monday 18 March. As a result, safety could be compromised as the officers play a crucial role in protecting staff and patients across two hospitals in South London: St Thomas’ Hospital and Guys Hospital…The latest wave of strikes follows two previous days of industrial action which took place because the security guards are amongst the lowest paid at the hospital. The workers are also paid less than their counterparts at hospitals across London, such as Kings’ College Hospital, where a security officers’ salary starts at £30,000 per annum read more
M25 strike chaos on as Balfour Beatty told to share massive profits (13 Mar) – Vital M25 maintenance workers strike as Balfour Beatty announces £10bn revenues. Around 150 M25 maintenance workers employed by Balfour Beatty have voted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The workers, who provide vital maintenance for the entire M25, are angry at Balfour Beatty’s meagre pay offer of 3.4 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 4.9 per cent this is a real terms pay cut. Increasing tensions, is the fact that the workers also received a below inflation pay rise last year. Today, Balfour Beatty announced that its revenues for 2023 have increased by seven per cent to £9.6 billion, while underlying profits from operations rose by two per cent to £236 million…The workers operate from depots based at Barnet, Uxbridge, Swanley, Epping and Dartford and strike action will cause serious disruption to journey times. Dates for industrial action will be announced in the coming days read more
Flintshire and Stafford military equipment maintenance strikes intensify (12 Mar) – MoD owned DE&S Deca workers angry after decade of falling wages. Pay strikes by skilled military, avionic and electronic equipment maintenance workers in Flintshire and Stafford intensified today (12 March). The workers, employed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) owned DE&S Deca, have endured over a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay rises. Due to wages not keeping up with inflation, the annual spending power of many workers’ annual salaries has fallen by more than £7,000 since 2010…One of Deca’s most important functions is to offer an in-house repair facility to drive down the high prices charged by the private defence industry. Since 2015, DE&S Deca has saved the MoD more than £225 million, with £37 million pounds worth of savings achieved in 2022 alone. The workers, based in Sealand, Flintshire and Beaconside, Stafford, began industrial action in October. They are striking again today (12 March), tomorrow (13 March) and Thursday (14 March). The strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved and the workers’ resolve remains solid despite DE&S Deca’s attempts to punish them for striking by targeting their annual leave read more
Cambridge University revealed to have £6 billion as workers languish on poverty-level wages (11 Mar) – In depth research from Unite, the UK’s leading trade union, has uncovered that Cambridge University is sitting on over £6 billion of cash and investments while trying to maintain it can’t afford to help its lowest paid workers. The revelations coincide with fresh strike action by university workers. Cleaners, librarians, museum workers and many other staff at the university have been in a long-running pay dispute over the failure of the institution to acknowledge the cost of housing in Cambridge as well as the wider inflationary pressure on its lowest paid workers. Some are being paid less than £23,000 per year yet live and work in one of the most expensive parts of the country. Unite has compiled a financial report that shows that Cambridge University is in rude financial health read more
Offshore chemists, heating and ventilation engineers set for strike action (11 Mar) – Dozens of Unite members at IES Callenberg and SGS UK Limited involved in working rota disputes. Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 11 March) around 60 members in the offshore sector including chemists, heating and ventilation engineers have emphatically backed strike action in disputes over working rotas. The IES Callenberg members supported strike action by 82.8 on a 72.5 per cent turnout. The dispute involves around 50 offshore workers who provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services on offshore platforms operated by BP, TAQA, CNR, Repsol, Serica and CNOOC. Unite can confirm its IES Callenberg membership will take three-days of strike action over a series of months. This involves strike action on 25-27 March; 15-17 April, 6-8 May, and 27 May until the close of play on 29 May. The union’s SGS UK Limited membership also supported strike action by 89 per cent on a 100 per cent turnout. Chemists employed by the company provide services to the offshore oil and gas industry. The dispute exclusively centres on chemists servicing BP’s platforms the Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP and Glen Lyon. The chemists will take week-long strike action over a series of months. This involves strike action on 25-31 March; 15-21 April; 6-12 May and 27 May until the close of play on 2 June read more
Striking Drax canteen workers escalate dispute on International Women’s Day (8 Mar) – Female strikers say: “Our message on International Women’s Day is – We are fighting back, and we will win.” On International Women’s Day, striking Drax canteen workers, who are predominantly female, have escalated their industrial dispute over fair pay. The workers, who have been striking since early December in a dispute with their employer Baxter Storey and Drax’s management, announced today that they have voted to extend their strike action mandate. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The women at Drax are an inspiration and demonstrate the exact qualities that International Women’s Day celebrates: Empowered women effecting change to better their own lives and those of others. They have the full backing of Unite behind them as they strike for a fair pay rise.” Unite rep at the Drax canteen, Diane Power, said: “On International Women’s Day, we remember women who stood up against the status quo and created meaningful change. Today is particularly important for those of us who are striking at Drax because we are doing just that in our own workplace… Fresh strike dates will be announced in the coming days read more
Biomedical scientists in Merseyside to strike over pay dispute (6 Mar) – Highly skilled scientists working in the microbiology department at a Merseyside hospital are to take substantial industrial action over pay, Unite announced today (6 March 2024). The workers, who are members of Unite the UK’s leading union, based at the Whiston Hospital on Merseyside are to take 36 days of strike action between March and June (see notes to editors), beginning with three days from 14 March. The workers, who covered all Covid testing for the region, have been informed they do not qualify for the essential services payment worth £4,000. The workers, employed by the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, are taking unprecedented action due to the failure of the trust to pay the scientists in the microbiology team the same £4,000 payment that other members of the pathology department have received read more
Tata workers urged to vote yes to industrial action over shutdown plans (1 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, today (Friday) began formal industrial action proceedings over Tata’s plans to close its Port Talbot blast furnaces and shed 2,800 jobs. Yesterday evening Port Talbot steelworks, Tata UK HQ and Cardiff Castle were illuminated with a message urging Tata workers to vote yes for strike action. Unite says Tata’s decision to rush through the plans is incomprehensible given that the union has secured significant investment from Labour for the company’s UK operations. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Tata is planning to deal an absolutely devastating blow to Port Talbot and Llanwern that will spread destruction across the Welsh economy and risk national security. Unite will combat Tata’s plan with everything we have, including our multi-million pound strike fund. Now is the time for the steel workers of Port Talbot and Llanwern to fight for their communities and vote yes to industrial action. Tata knows there are other choices to be made – Unite has secured commitments from Labour that £3 billion for UK steel will be made available in the next parliament. Tata needs to change course, Unite won’t stop until it does.” Unite officially notified Tata today that it will be balloting around 1,500 workers at its Port Talbot and Llanwern sites from Friday 8 March to Thursday 11 April. Industrial action could begin before the end of April read more
Scunthorpe ‘Steel Not for Sale’ signs go up across Queensway (27 Apr)
Newport ‘Steel Not For Sale’ signs erected as campaign to save industry intensifies (27 Apr)
DHL exposed of inflicting brutal pay cuts on East Midlands airport workers while company plans 20 billion takeover (28 Feb) – Union preparing to take campaign to German headquarters. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has revealed that its members who are employed by DHL at East Midlands Airport and are currently in a longstanding pay dispute, have suffered a brutal real terms pay cut of over six per cent since 2020. The workers who are responsible for bringing critical medical supplies as well as other cargo into the UK, worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. They played a crucial role in bringing lifesaving drugs and equipment into the UK despite not being issued the required PPE. Despite their dedication DHL has now been exposed of systemically reducing their pay in real terms. The workers, many of whom are paid less than £11 an hour, began an extended pay dispute last month and are set to take 24 days of industrial action during February and March. Speaking to the striking DHL workers during a picket line visit at East Midlands airport today (28 February), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We will not sit back and watch your employer DHL make millions and refuse to give you a decent pay rise…” read more
Vital Derby rail maintenance workers to strike over failure to make pay offer (26 Feb) – Safety critical workers responsible for maintaining and preparing trains across the East Midlands are to begin strike action next month after their employer failed to make any form of a pay offer, Unite announced today (26 February). Around 70 Unite members at Alstom Engineering based in Derby are taking strike action on four days beginning on Wednesday 6 March. The workers are responsible for service and preparation of trains and carriages, fault finding and logging of incidents online and general problems with the fleet for East Midlands Rail and industrial action is likely to create a shortage of available rolling stock. Alstom has failed to make any pay offer despite the pay anniversary being 1 December with the real rate of inflation (RPI) running at above five per cent at the time adding to a cost-of-living crisis… Initial strike dates are set for 6, 7, 10 and 11 March but further dates are likely to be announced if Alstom fails to return to the negotiating table with an offer read more
Abellio London bus controllers to take further strike action (26 Feb) – Bus company staff in London are to escalate strike action next month after their employer failed to make an improved pay offer, Unite confirmed today (26 February 2024). Around 40 staff who work in the control rooms for Abellio buses (to be known as Transport UK from 2 March) and who control the bus routes, instruct drivers on traffic jams or accidents and ensure overall safety on the routes are to take a further 9 days of action beginning on 7 March… Controllers, managers and supervisors based at both Battersea bus garage and Twickenham bus garage are staging walkouts on the following dates: 7, 8, 9, 17, 19, 22, 27, 28 and 29 March read more
Health visitors in Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board to take historic industrial action over unsustainable workloads (21 Feb) – Unite the union has today (21 February) announced its health visitor members at Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board will take industrial action. The health visitors at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board (CTM), have had their request for accurate job descriptions denied on multiple occasions and are faced with increasing and unsustainable demands for their specialist knowledge and expertise. The service is struggling under a tsunami of demands post-Covid alongside the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on families. The 67 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union recorded a 100 per cent yes vote in favour of industrial action. This action short of a strike, includes no unpaid overtime, no statistical reporting for the Welsh government and no covering for vacant caseloads. Action will begin on 26th February and continue until late July. This is the first time health visitors have taken industrial action as a distinct group of workers in Wales read more
Strike action at Newtownards factory to severely impact Lakeland dairies profits (19 Feb) – Workers determined to defend £1 pay an hour differential between skilled grades and bare legal minimum. Strike will bring production to a standstill. Unite the union members working at LE Pritchitt & Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lakeland Dairies, which operates the company’s Global Logistics Centre in Newtownards will take a first week of strike action (beginning on Wednesday 21 February) in a mounting pay dispute. Negotiations ended last week without agreement after management refused to provide an increase which maintained a £1 an hour pay differential with the minimum wage for fully trained production operators read more
Strikes by hundreds of Ford white collar workers on cards (14 Feb) – Attend Acas talks or face industrial action proceedings Ford told. Ford is facing the prospect of strikes across its UK sites by salaried and managerial staff, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The company has been told it must attend negotiations with the conciliation service Acas or Unite will begin preparing to ballot its members for industrial action. Offers put forward by Ford for over 3,000 salaried staff and managers have been rejected by over 90 per cent by both sets of workers. The offer for many of the salaried staff is an unconsolidated one-off payment of five per cent of their salary for 2024, meaning their actual wages will not increase this year. Management grades, who have recently organised and achieved union recognition, have been offered a performance related bonus payment, which provides no guarantee of a cost-of-living increase. In addition, the company has proposed changes to the current absence processes, despite acknowledging there is no issue with staff attendance read more
Gloucestershire Lucozade workers to strike over pay (2 Feb) – Over 180 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Suntory Beverage & Food in Coleford, Gloucestershire, will begin a week of strike action on Monday 5 February after management failed to address the cost-of-living crisis. Workers received a two year pay deal effective from April 1 2022, with a commitment from the employer to review the second year’s increase, should inflation exceed five per cent between January to June 2023. The inflation rate far exceeded this but the one-billion-pound Suntory Beverage & Food, which produces household name drinks including Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport and Ribena, has not met expectations in relation to this commitment read more
Gillingham workers to picket at PHINIA over removal of paid lunch break (26 Jan) – Unite the union today has announced that 60 Gillingham-based PHINIA employees will take part in discontinuous industrial action from 07:30 on Monday 29 January, as the company plans to remove staff member’s paid lunch break. Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be fully supporting workers throughout industrial action with the first strike beginning on Monday 29 January and running throughout February, with a total of seven days of strikes already announced. PHINIA features on the New York Stock Exchange as PHIN and recently reported a net revenue of approximately $800 million. Now the fuel systems company is seeking to revoke a contractually binding paid lunch break that was secured as part of negotiations 20 years ago…In a deplorable development, PHINIA has threatened to fire and rehire the entire workforce to try to force through its planned change read more
Mid Ulster District Council Leisure workers to continue all-out strike for improved coaching payments (26 Jan) – Strike by leisure workers continues at both Cookstown and Greenvale Leisure Centres. Approximately 30 members of Unite the union employed at both Cookstown Leisure Centre and Greenvale Leisure Centre are taking strike action in demand of improved payments for coaching duties. The all-out (indefinite) strike commenced on Monday [22 January] and in the absence of movement by council management is set to continue into a second week. The industrial action follows a ballot of the workers which returned an 80 per cent mandate for strike action. The workers are seeking improved payments for coaching duties which are outside their standard contract of employment read more
Kaefer contractors resume strike action at Mossmorran gas plant (22 Jan) – Around 90 Kaefer maintenance and repair contractors based at the Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant will resume strike action this week as part of an ongoing payment dispute. A 24 hour stoppage starts tomorrow (Tuesday 23 January) with a further round scheduled to start on Thursday (25 January) morning. There will then be further strikes next week and into February. Strike action took place between 27 November to 4 December last year in relation to the dispute. Picket lines will be held outside the Mossmorran plant from 07:00 on both mornings. The dispute centres on the contractor Kaefer not making a cost of living payment for 2023. Unite says its membership has been left with ‘no choice’ but to resume strike action. The union has taken aim at the operator Shell for the impasse stating it is refusing to support any negotiated deal with Kaefer at the Mossmorran plant read more
400 Unite members at bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis start two weeks of strikes (14 Jan) – Around 400 Unite members employed by Alexander Dennis will start a two week strike today (15 January) as part of a bitter pay dispute at the Falkirk based bus manufacturer. The strike action will continue until 29 January when the action will conclude. Unite represents coach builders and spray painters at the Camelon factory. The union’s members previously took two weeks of strike action between 4 to 17 December 2023… In December 2023 Alexander Dennis offered a penny-pinching additional 0.5 per cent on its original four per cent wage offer (4.5 per cent), and four per cent for 2024. The pay offer was emphatically rejected by the workforce read more
Long running Cardiff bin strike to extend into February (12 Jan) – Strike action by Unite members working within Cardiff council’s refuse and recycling department is being extended by a further four weeks. The current strike action which started on 28 December, was due to end on Thursday 25 January will now continue until Thursday 22 February. The fresh strike dates are in response to Cardiff council’s failure to make any progress in relation to Unite’s concerns on a number of local issues. The most prominent of these being the widespread bullying culture within the refuse and recycling department alongside the ingrained use of agency labour. Unite is concerned that Cardiff council are showing no desire to resolve the dispute, indeed the council leadership have disgracefully announced they intend to attack the annual leave accrual of striking workers read more
End bullying and anti-union attacks at Cardiff Labour council
Bedford warehouse workers at Movianto head to picket line over trade union recognition (9 Jan) – Workers at Movianto, a specialised medical warehousing company in Bedford, are striking from Monday 8 January after their employer refused to recognise Unite for collective bargaining purposes. Over 85 Unite members have been campaigning for their union to be officially recognised but Movianto has strongly resisted such moves. Workers voted in favour of industrial action by nearly 80 per cent read more
CWU
Save Enniskillen EE (ex-BT) site – The EE Enniskillen call centre is a lifeline for our community. It’s closure threatens over 300 jobs, eroding the heart of our local economy. This is a community crisis. Local businesses, public services, and the Fermanagh economy stand on the brink of a devastating blow
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]
PCS National ballot opens today (18 Mar) – The postal ballot opens today (18) and runs until 13 May, asking members if they are prepared to take strike action over our national campaign demands. Opening today, 18 March. the postal ballot will run until 13 May, after which the national executive committee will meet to consider the next steps in our national campaign. It is vital that all PCS members take part to ensure we beat the 50% threshold for strike action read more
Heathrow Border Force strike suspended (5 Apr) – The strike due to start next week has been suspended in an attempt to seek further negotiations with the Home Office. Following roster changes that could see as many as 250 staff forced out of their jobs by the end of April, more than 600 Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport were due to strike on 11, 12, 13 and 14 April. In the notice issued to the Home Office on 28 March of our intention to induce members to strike, PCS outlined which Border Force roles would be participating. Following the Home Office’s desire for clarification and in a spirit of collaboration, PCS has suspended the planned strikes read more
PCS rep in Newcastle sacked by HMRC (5 Apr) – Gordon Askew was sacked by HMRC on grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse following strike action taken by the branch. HMRC management at Benton Park View in Newcastle have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse. PCS members at Benton Park View, alongside HMRC East Kilbride, took part in targeted strike action last year, as well as their members taking part in the three national days of strike action. Following the strike action, the department launched an investigation into two Newcastle-based representatives. The charge against Gordon was a ‘potential’ breach of the department’s IT policy; arising from a Microsoft Teams message sent to a number of PCS members, relating to strike action. The department’s decision maker claimed that Microsoft Teams had been used “without a legitimate business reason”. A second rep is on a similar charge. We understand the decision maker said that they had considered a lesser penalty, but had decided to sack the rep because he didn’t appear to be sorry enough for what he had done. This was despite him having nearly thirty years of spotless service to the department. PCS is discussing next steps with our Legal Department read more
ONS members vote for strike action over mandatory return to the office (4 Apr) – The new policy has been imposed on staff, when previously there had been no requirement to spend a specific amount of time in offices, following the move to home and hybrid-working. PCS members in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over their management’s insistence that staff be physically present in the workplace for at least 40% of their working time read more
MP to join striking workers at Liverpool Museum (3 Apr) – Striking members of the Public and Commercial Services Union will be joined tomorrow by Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, as results of further negotiations are announced. 220 workers at National Museums Liverpool (NML) are taking eight weeks’ strike action (17 February to 14 April) after bosses refused to honour the government’s recommendation of a one-off £1,500 cost-of-living crisis payment to civil servants. NML is the only one of 207 equivalent employers to not comply. The latest meeting between bosses and union officials is tomorrow at 9.30am. Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, will join members on the picket lines in her constituency at 10.30am to make a speech and hear the outcome of the negotiations read more
National Museums Liverpool strikers boosted by solidarity donations (27 Apr) – PCS members in National Museums Liverpool, who have entered their sixth week of an eight-week strike, have received over £3,000 in donations read more
Driving test dispute resolved after strike threat leads to deal (2 Apr) – Members in DVSA have voted to end their dispute after the employer agreed to a raft of demands. In December 2023, 90.5% of DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) members voted in favour of striking over a scheme designed by DVSA management to reduce waiting times for driving tests and clear backlogs. PCS believed the plan would have posed significant safety risks to test candidates and examiners, and would have eroded members’ terms and conditions. In negotiations to avert the strike an improved proposal was tabled which addressed our eight demands. Talks continued and, in March, members supported the deal in a consultative ballot. 72% of those who voted said they agreed that the DVSA’s proposals met the union’s demands satisfactorily read more
Vital strike levy to return in May (28 Apr) – To fund targeted strike action, PCS will soon reintroduce a small levy after it helped power our national campaign that won concessions for 2023/24. From the end of May PCS will reintroduce small strike fund levy; the amount of the levy depends on the amount you pay for your membership read more
G4S in DWP members meeting (26 Apr) – GMB union is balloting G4S members working on the DWP contract in response to the imposition of an unacceptable pay offer. PCS will hold a G4S members’ meeting on 3 April read more
PCS fighting Imperial War Museum derecognition threat (22 Mar) – PCS is campaigning against the threat of being derecognised as an official union with negotiating rights at the Imperial War Museum, which has 5 sites in England and Northern Ireland. On 6 March, Imperial War Museum Director Francoise Harris wrote to PCS, FDA and Prospect unions confirming that they wish to derecognise PCS and FDA and move forward with only one union – Prospect. Essentially, derecognising PCS constitutes a direct attack on IWM workers’ rights, job security, economic equality, workplace protections, solidarity, and democratic principles. PCS does not accept derecognition and are launching a campaign to maintain recognition at IWM read more
Pensions Regulator strike suspended (13 Mar) – The strike action has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS. The strike action which was due to restart today and continue into next week has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS over the proposals we have made to end the dispute. Importantly TPR has agreed with the key proposal that they commit to securing the funding for the full percentage pay increase to the overall pay pot suggested by the 2024/25 Treasury Pay Remit Guidance. The have stated that they are already engaging with DWP on the pay strategy for the year ahead. They have also committed to submitting a pay flexibility case for the Pay Remit Guidance in 2024/25 which will guarantee additional money to the basic pay remit pot. TPR have also agreed “to engage in meaningful consultation, on matters relating to TPR’s employee value proposition, including reward, annual leave entitlement and the pay and terms and conditions of staff TUPE transferred to TPR.“ The agreement from TPR management is as a result of PCS members taking over 50 days of strike action since 2023. We have reminded TPR that we still have a mandate for strike action until 8 May and that a failure to progress the issues in good faith and time will result in further strike action. TPR members remain in the PCS national campaign and will be participating in the ballot due to start on Monday 18 March read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs (12 Mar) – Members in HGS in Liverpool have been told they will need to relocate 40 miles to keep their jobs. In November 2023 Hinduja Global Solutions announced a significant restructure on the Disclosure and Barring Service contract, which they planned to take effect from 1 April 2024. Staff were told that the restructure was a direct result of the new contract for services between HGS and DBS. The impact on PCS members in Liverpool has been damaging because the changes mean a 41% reduction in headcount (later reduced to a 26% cut) and withdrawal of all staff from the Tithebarn Street office, meaning HGS would no longer have a presence in the city read more
Prospect
MP arrest highlights again that the current system for excluding MPs from Parliament is not fit for purpose (29 Mar) – Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP has been arrested and charged with sexual offences. He has resigned as leader of the DUP but remains an MP and under the current rules would be able to attend Parliament if he wishes. There was due to be a vote on the precautionary exclusion of MPs from Parliament, which would be triggered upon arrest, which Prospect has been calling for some years. But recently the government pulled the vote and significantly rowed back on the recommendations, putting exclusion at the point of charge read more
Prospect ballots members at Defence Equipment & Support on strike action (16 Feb) – Prospect union is balloting its members at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), a Ministry of Defence (MoD) agency, on industrial action. The ballot comes after the employer failed to meet the union’s pay claim and imposed an unagreed pay offer for 2023/2024. Under the imposed pay offer, the majority of DE&S employees will receive a consolidated pay increase of 3.25% or less. Prospect is recommending that members vote yes to both strike action and action short of strike (ASOS) read more
Prospect moves to strike action over pay at AWE (10 Jan) – Prospect members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are moving to strike action after two months of action short of a strike have failed to produce any meaningful movement from the company read more
FDA
Education Secretary’s refusal to retract comments about punching Ofsted inspectors “disappointing” (5 Apr) – FDA General Secretary Dave Penman has criticised Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s refusal to retract comments made last month that she “would probably have punched” Ofsted inspectors involved in a school inspection read more
GMB
GMB welcomes the exit of Terence Herbert Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council (4 Apr) – GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, recently welcomed the judgement from Bristol Employment Tribunal issued on 27 March 2024 that an email sent by council Chief Executive Terence Herbert broke industrial relations law back in November 2022. Mr Herbert has today announced his departure to take on a new role as Chief Executive of Surrey Council read more
Tribunal rules Wiltshire Council ‘broke law’ in industrial dispute (3 Apr) – Wiltshire Council has been brought into disrepute by actions of Chief Executive Terence Herbert, claims GMB. GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, welcomes the judgement from Bristol Employment Tribunal issued on 27 March 2024 that an email sent by council Chief Executive Terence Herbert broke industrial relations law back in November 2022. The unlawful act was an email seeking to deter GMB members who are traffic wardens from voting for industrial action over a proposed pay cut. The vote was part of a long-running dispute in which Wiltshire Council is seeking to reduce key worker pay by removing contractual out-of-hours pay enhancements read more
Water workers suffer machete attacks and broken jaws, poll shows (3 Apr) –Almost half of water workers say abuse they receive has increased due to sewage dumping. A GMB survey, answered by almost 1,300 workers, revealed they had been attacked with machetes, suffered broken jaws and been deliberately splashed with raw sewage while at work. Many reported feeling unsafe working alone and 52 per cent said they believed reports of sewage being dumped and increased pollution had contributed to an increase in abuse read more
NHS trust sacks 50 workers who can’t make 80 mile trip (28 Mar) – An NHS trust has sacked more than 50 long-standing staff members. Workers were dismissed because they can’t make an 80-mile round trip to work following a site closure. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust recently closed the Calderstones Hospital site in Mitton Road, Whalley near Blackburn and told more than 50 workers they would now have to work in Aspen Wood, near Liverpool – an 80 mile round trip. Other members have been offered unsuitable roles in a local trust but can’t accept them due to family and caring responsibilities. Those who wouldn’t, or couldn’t make the trip will now be sacked, without redundancy pay, on Easter Sunday read more
Wisbech Asda workers in two day Easter strike (28 Mar) – Asda Wisbech workers will strike this Easter weekend on one of the supermarket’s busiest periods. Around 170 Wisbech Asda workers will walk out from 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 March – Easter weekend. The strike has been caused by cuts to hours and an increase in a bullying management culture. Workers are also angry about poor levels of training and support for their job roles, the equal pay claim dragging on for years, health, safety and fire safety issues being ignored and a lack of collective bargaining with GMB Union read more
Asda Lowestoft workers vote to strike (26 Mar) – Asda workers in Lowestoft have voted to strike over a litany of issues. Almost 200 GMB members are set to down tools after a majority of 87 per cent voted for industrial action, on an 80 per cent turnout. Strike dates will be announced in the coming days read more
Thames Water shareholders in ‘blackmail’ announcement (28 Mar) – The union will meet with Thames bosses this morning. GMB will meet Thames Water this morning after investors refused to invest any money unless bills are allowed to rocket. The union will meet with Thames bosses this morning [Thursday] and will follow up with the CEO during a meeting next week read more
Shareholders must stump up after record sewage spills (27 Mar) – Spills into England’s rivers and seas by water companies more than doubled last year. According to the Environment Agency there were 3.6 million hours of spills compared to 1.75 million hours in 2022 read more
Birmingham Amazon workers join strike action (27 Mar) – Workers are escalating their campaign for £15 and union recognition at the online retail giant’s Birmingham warehouse. Workers at Amazon’s new flagship HQ in Birmingham, a £500 million site that only opened its doors in October, will down tools this week in an escalation of the ongoing strike action hitting the company. The strike dates come as GMB members at the company submit their application for mandatory recognition to the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). Last week workers at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre walked out, making March the biggest month of strike action in company history read more
Hundreds of gas emergency workers to strike (26 Mar) – Hundreds of gas emergency workers are set to strike across Yorkshire. A majority of 99.5% per cent of workers at Northern Gas Network (NGN) voted to take industrial action on a 97 per cent turnout. Workers are angry after the company failed to implement necessary improvements to terms and conditions and safety changes. GMB has been raising concerns over working practices for a number of years. Concerns include engineers being forced to work excessive hours and a culture of workplace bullying. These concerns were so serious that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stepped in and ordered NGN and other gas distribution companies to limit shift length to a maximum of twelve hours. GMB are concerned for both public and worker safety. GMB representatives have been negotiating with NGN to address the shift length alongside other terms and conditions, but due to NGN’s failure to respond in a timely manner workers took the decision to ballot. The industrial action could potentially take place in the spring read more
Cumberland urgent care team announce 72 hour strike (22 Mar) – The approved Mental Health Social workers in the Urgent Care Team will walk out from 9am 22 March to 9am 25 March, 2024. It’s the second time Cumberland’s carers have walked out in the dispute, following industrial action last week. More than 2,100 members of the public has signed a petition backing the Urgent Care Team’s fight. The Urgent Care Team is on the front line of mental health care – on call across Cumbria 24 hours a day and making on the spot decisions on whether immediate detention is necessary. In July 2022, these dedicated professionals submitted an application for a regrading of their role, believing it was incorrectly evaluated. Cumberland Council denied their request read more
Swindon social workers to strike again (19 Mar) – Social workers for Swindon Borough Council will be taking their third day of strike action tomorrow. GMB, the union for social workers, had paused strike action for two weeks to give the council the opportunity to engage in meaningful talks in the ongoing dispute over pay. The council has now confirmed that they are unwilling to engage in talks with GMB to resolve the strike and as such the strike action will recommence from Tuesday [19 March] morning read more
Northern Ireland transport unions re-enter Translink talks (15 Mar) – Unions have issued the following joint statement: “Northern Ireland’s transport unions – GMB, SIPTU and Unite, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink management…” read more
Wolverhampton faces waste strike chaos (13 Mar) – Household waste could pile high when workers at the city’s incinerator walk out. GMB union has today announced workers at Wolverhampton City Council’s Energy from Waste site will take strike action this month. Workers will down tools on Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 March in a dispute with council bosses over pay. Workers at the site, which processes over 100,000 tonnes of household waste each year, are angry at facing a pay freeze since April 2022 despite cost of living pressures. Their union, GMB, believes the council are currently breaching the terms of their contract which guarantees annual pay negotiations. Workers at the site are expected to transfer over to a new employer, expected to take place next month read more
Thirty five Birmingham schools facing strike threat (8 Mar) – Council bosses must act urgently to avoid springtime school strikes. GMB Union has today announced the names of thirty-five Birmingham Schools that will begin a formal strike vote next week. The ballot comes after the union accused Birmingham City Council on delay in resolving the equal pay crisis impacting city workers. Nearly ninety per cent of Birmingham workers backed strike action in a council wide consultative ballot earlier this month, with further waves of formal strike ballots expected to be announced read more
Methryr Tydfil faces library and leisure strikes (29 Feb) – GMB members at Merthyr Leisure Trust voted unanimously for industrial action. Leisure services across the town will be affect, including the beleaguered Rhydycar leisure centre which could see yet another delay for the re-opening of the £6 million swimming pool. Workers are owed a pay uplift in line with local government staff, following a decade old promise. The trusts failure to honour the commitment of around £1 an hour to staff has led to staff striking for owed pay. In a further twist on Tuesday evening, the council announced plans on its Facebook page to offload the leisure trust to a private provider without any consultation read more
NI education faces ‘further industrial action’ (21 Feb) – GMB Union has warned of further industrial action among school workers in Northern Ireland. The union, which represents more than 3,000classroom assistants, kitchen staff, bus drivers, cleaners, admin workers and others, met with Education Minister Paul Givan at Stormont today [Tuesday]. Mr Givan made it clear that within the current public sector pay budget of £684 million there was nothing to address the pay and grading review for school staff, which has been ongoing since 2018. GMB will now go back to members, with a view to taking further industrial action read more
Wiltshire Traffic Wardens Balloted For Further Strike Action To Mark Second Anniversary of GMB’s Longest Running Dispute (13 Feb) – GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, has called a further strike ballot of traffic wardens opposing the removal of a 10% unsocial hours allowance, that would see each of them lose about £180 per month in take home pay. Social workers who provide the out of hours service are already planning a three-day strike, starting Friday 16th February, over a loss of a 20% allowance that will see them each lose from £500 to £750 per month read more
Brighton Refuse Workers Call For Meaningful Talks To Avoid Escalation Over ‘Service Delivery Issues’ (12 Feb) – Hard-working GMB members at City Clean are frustrated by management not dealing with issues. Brighton refuse workers have called for scheduled talks with the council over a series of service delivery issues affecting residents’ bin collections to be meaningful. A consultative ballot of GMB’s 119 members at the City Clean depot saw 95 per cent in favour of being balloted for industrial action over the changes read more
Regent’s Park gardeners strike (31 Jan) – Regent’s Park gardeners are on strike over pay today. Workers, employed by private contractor Idverde, will walk on on Thursday 1 February for 24 hours in anger at the fact they received lower pay than gardeners at the other Royal Parks. Staff at Regent’s Park were handed the prestigious BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) award for their work just last year read more
Wiltshire Social Workers announce 3 months of strike action (29 Jan) – Workers in the out of hours emergency service to strike every weekend until 19 May. Members of GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, have today informed their employer that they will be taking strike action every weekend for three months. The dispute centres around a proposed pay cut by the council, which would see a contractual out-of-hours bonus removed, costing some staff up to 20 per cent of their annual salary. The strike is an escalation of a dispute by GMB members across the council which has been running for 2 years and has seen 11 days of strikes by traffic wardens read more
Defence manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce faces strike threat (23 Jan) – Rolls-Royce members working in the submarine sector will begin balloting for industrial action. The vote at the Derby-based company comes as workers rejected the latest offer in an ongoing dispute on pay. Rolls-Royce is a world leader in the field of submarine technology, as well as being the supplier to Britain’s domestic nuclear submarine fleet. In agreement with the company, any industrial action will not jeopardise the UK’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent, safety of submarines or operational submarines at sea. Workers will begin balloting on Monday 29 January with a result expected after four weeks. GMB is Britain’s largest union in defence and nuclear manufacturing read more
South Tyneside faces third round of bin strikes (9 Jan) – Council needs to deal with bullying and release independent report. South Tyneside refuse workers will begin a third round of industrial action next week. Full strike action will be taken 9-12 January. Workers will put their concerns direct to councillors at the next full council meeting on 24 January read more
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City – started by Nottingham City Unison
Mental health absences adding to NHS staffing crisis (7 Apr) – Stigma around mental health still a major problem, survey finds. More than three in ten (31%) NHS employees have had to take time off work with mental health issues in the past year, according to a UNISON survey published today (Sunday) read more
Pay rise for thousands of NHS staff already overdue (5 Mar) – Demoralised staff have been let down with no clue how they will meet rising bills. The government has let down hundreds of thousands of “demoralised” NHS staff after yet again failing to honour the due date for their annual pay increase, says UNISON today (Friday). The union has written to health secretary Victoria Atkins to say government delays are to blame for workers not receiving their 2024/25 wage rise, which was due on Easter Monday read more
Opinion: Thames Water makes case for renationalisation … now! (28 Mar) – When crews for the annual Boat Race are warned about levels of E.coli, and its own shareholders refuse to invest more in Thames Water, the case for public ownership is clear read more
The business model for Thames Water has failed (28 Mar) – Chaos is further evidence the government must renationalise Thames Water read more
Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON (26 Mar) – Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs. Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago…” read more
Dudley NHS staff gain Mitie victory (25 Mar) – Private contractor gets funding from government to pay non-medical staff the COVID bonus. A group of Mitie workers with Christina McAnea on a visit to UNISON Centre. More than 300 hospital workers in Dudley represented by UNISON are celebrating victory after their employer, Mitie, committed to paying the lump sum COVID bonus due to them at the end of last week. The one-off payment is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers, including porters, domestics, sterile services and catering staff working in the NHS. Mitie applied for funding for the pay deal from the Department of Health and Social Care and has written to UNISON to say that its application for funding had been successful. Staff had taken three days of strike action over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June read more
Bedfordshire NHS hospital staff in 48-hour strike over pay (11 Mar) – Staff across two Bedfordshire hospitals say they are being asked to perform medical tasks above their pay grade, such as inserting cannulas. Hundreds of NHS emergency hospital staff are expected to take part in strike action in a dispute over pay and rebanding of roles. Some 400 workers at the Bedford and Luton & Dunstable hospitals will walk out for 48 hours from 07:30 GMT. The union Unison said healthcare assistants were being asked to carry out clinical tasks without extra pay read more on BBC website. Unison: ‘Ripped off’ Bedfordshire NHS staff vote on strike action
NHS staff across Teesside announce strike date in pay dispute, says UNISON (27 Feb) – Around 1,000 healthcare assistants at North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will take strike action next month in a dispute over pay… Staff at the trusts’ seven sites* will walk out for 24 hours from 7am on Monday 11 March as part of their campaign to be paid on a higher wage band which accurately reflects the work they have been doing read more
Barnet UNISON Mental Health social worker re-ballot results (23 Feb) – Our Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers re-ballot results are now in. We had a 91% turn out with a 100% VOTE for strike action. Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers have already taken 27 days of strike action which equates to approximately 4,050 lost contact days for Mental health service users in Barnet. Today UNISON submitted the results to the Barnet Council Chief Executive. UNISON has agreed to go into talks with Barnet Council and ACAS. UNISON have agreed a couple of dates in early March. UNISON has from the outset been prepared to negotiate to reach a resolution to what has become the longest running Mental Health social worker strike in UNISON’s history. Barnet UNISON has agreed a new strike timetable with our members which will begin in April in the unfortunate event that we are unable to reach a resolution. The strike timetable would be a significant increase in the number of strike days taken by the social workers so far:-
- From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
- From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
- From 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).
Our members are 100% behind UNISONs negotiating team and remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be secured to avoid any further strike action read more Send messages of support to [email protected]
Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council (16 Feb) – Together with colleagues teaching Pilates and aerobics, the instructors backed industrial action as Colchester City Council remains stubborn on pay. Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are to take strike action later this month after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON announced today. The fitness instructors will walk out for seven days from Wednesday 28 February until Tuesday 5 March read more
NIPSA
HSC Pay offer 2023 – outcome of consultation (27 Mar) – The Central Panel met on Friday 22 March to discuss the outcome of the branch consultation on the 2023 pay offer to the HSC. All branches submitted returns and the outcome was 85.5% of members in favour of accepting the offer. I would like to thank you all for taking part in the consultation. As you will be aware, the 2024 pay award is due from 1 April and the Central Panel will meet next month to begin consideration of the pay claim. Members should be aware that acceptance of this pay offer will not end our dispute or our industrial action re safe staffing and mileage rates. This will continue until a suitable offer is made by Management – Patrick Mulholland Deputy General Secretary read more
Royal College of Nursing
CN to new First Minister: 3 urgent steps to rescue Welsh NHS (26 Mar) – Helen Whyley, Director of RCN Wales, has written to the First Minister calling for immediate action to protect patients and secure the future of nursing in Wales read more
Pay justice needed now: research reveals depths of nursing pay cut (26 Mar) – Above-inflation pay rise needed now, as new report shows concerning real-terms decline in public sector pay read more
RCN members vote to reject pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland (22 Mar) – The results of the RCN’s consultation on the HSC pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland have been announced 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
RCM
Northern Ireland midwives vote to accept pay offer (22 Mar) – Midwife and maternity support worker members of the Royal College of Midwives have voted to accept the pay offer made by the Northern Ireland Department of Health. A consultation of members closed on Wednesday, with 86.3% voting to accept read more
CSP
CSP calls for investment in mental health support for NHS and social care staff (28 Mar) – CSP and other leading health and care organisations are urging the government to restore vital investment in mental health and wellbeing services for frontline NHS and social care staff in England read more
2023/24 pay dispute ends with funding for outstanding non-NHS organisations (26 Mar) – The CSP has welcomed the government’s announcement confirming the non-NHS organisations in England that will receive funding to enable them to pay eligible staff, including physiotherapy staff, the one-off payments from the NHS deal in 2023/24 read more
SOR
Scottish NHS pay deal still awaiting government sign-off (5 Feb) – Agenda for Change trade unions and professional bodies reached agreement with government early last year, but delays continue read more
BMA
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Consultants accept improved government pay offer but ‘fight not over’ (5 Apr) – Deal includes reform of pay review body, ending current dispute in England read more
Junior doctors in England urge Health Secretary to come forward with new offer as they vote for six more months of industrial action (20 Mar) – Junior doctors in England today urged the Government to present a new and credible offer after voting overwhelmingly in favour of continuing their industrial action in their campaign for full pay restoration. With 98% (or 33,869) of junior doctors voting to continue industrial action on a turnout of 62%, their re-ballot has renewed their mandate for industrial action for another six months. The new mandate lasts from 3rd April to 19th September 2024. The ballot also approved the use of action short of strike (ASOS) read more
Frustration turns to action as junior doctors in Northern Ireland strike for first time (6 Mar) – Doctors earning lowest rate in the UK walk out for 24 hours in fight for pay restoration. It is hard to have a pay dispute when there has not a devolved government to argue with, while at the same time government in Westminster insists your dispute is a devolved issue. Yet this has been the case for junior doctors in Northern Ireland. Even since last month, when the Northern Ireland executive was reformed after two years of stalemate, they have been told the devolved government’s hands are tied until Westminster comes to an agreement with junior doctors in England. Earning as little as £13 an hour, the lowest rate in the UK, BMA members in Northern Ireland had to act. From 8am 6 March, about 2,000 junior doctors walked out on strike for 24 hours as they call for restoration of pay to 2008 levels in real terms, with an above-inflation uplift this year to stem the immediate workforce crisis read more
NHS Wales: Consultants and specialist doctors to strike (4 Mar) – BMA members have voted in favour for strike action over a dispute in pay. BBC Wales health correspondent. Consultant and specialist doctors in Wales have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay. The industrial action takes place from 7am on 16 April until 7am on 18 April. They will walk out over workplace conditions caused by extreme pressures, and unsafe staffing levels, the British Medical Association (BMA) said read more on BBC website
Junior doctors in Wales announce new strike dates in fight to restore pay (5 Feb) – BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee has announced new strike dates as part of the dispute over pay. In the absence of a credible pay offer to form the basis of talks to end the dispute, junior doctors from across Wales will take part in two further walkouts in February and March this year. The first, a 72 hour full walkout will take place from Wednesday 21st February and the second a 96 hour full walkout from Monday 25th March. The new rounds of strike action follow a 72-hour full walkout by junior doctors in January. The committee decided to announce new dates after the Welsh Government failed to produce a credible offer to end the dispute read more
HCSA
Consultants accept revised government offer on contract reform (5 Apr) – Following intensive negotiations, NHS consultant members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) have voted to accept a revised offer from the government, drawing their immediate industrial dispute to a close read more
HCSA junior doctors announce five-day strike in February (9 Feb) – Junior doctors from HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union will strike for five days across England in February in the latest step in their pay dispute. This follows the government’s ongoing failure to address pay erosion, which has seen junior doctors’ pay fall by more than a quarter since 2008. Junior doctors will walk out from 7am on Saturday 24th February until 7am on Thursday 29th February read more
NEU
Cathedral School Llandaff using agency workers during strike (12 Mar) – NEU Cymru considers legal action over CSL’s shock use of agency staff. Today (12th March) as teachers from the school again take to the picket line outside the Cathedral School Llandaff this morning, NEU Cymru is shocked to learn that CSL is using an agency to put on revision classes – a clear legal breach read more
NEU launches preliminary ballot on pay and funding (2 Mar) – Fair pay is not just a request, but a necessity. Schools deserve proper funding for staffing provision – and the necessary funding to cover a pay rise. The NEU will today (Saturday 2 March) open its preliminary electronic ballot over pay and funding. Around 300,000 teacher members working in maintained schools and sixth forms across England will be consulted on whether they are prepared to take part in industrial action to win funding from Government for pay and additional staffing resources. This forms part of an ongoing campaign to secure a long-term correction in pay. Additional funding would ensure that a fully-funded, above-inflation pay rise could be achieved. The preliminary ballot opens on 2 March and closes on 28 March read more
Please support the following strike action (email address of NEU reps included):-
NASUWT
Teachers demand a national commission on pay (2 Apr) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has called for the creation of a new National Commission on Teachers’ Pay to raise the status of the teaching profession, restore competitiveness, and halt the real terms decline in teachers’ pay. The NASUWT believes that the National Commission should be responsible for working with the profession, employers and the Government to restore the independence of the pay review body process, ending pay stagnation and jumpstarting the long term recovery of teachers’ pay read more
Nursery school staff strike over restructure (26 Mar) – A strike will take place at Eastwood Nursery School in Wandsworth on Wednesday 27th March after the employer proposed a restructure that threatens to move two nursery provisions to one site with only one qualified member of staff on duty each day. Further days of strike action are planned for 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th and 25th April read more
Norfolk teachers strike over pension exploitation (25 Mar) – Teachers at Aurora Eccles and Aurora Whitehouse schools in Norfolk will begin strike action on Tuesday 26th March after their employer, the Aurora Group, threatened to remove them from their pension scheme via a fire and rehire process. Further strike days are planned on the 27th March, and 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th and 25th of April read more
Lecturers in Northern Ireland vote to reject pay offer (20 Mar) – Lecturer members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for Northern Ireland’s Further Education Lecturers. Lecturers had been awarded 5% plus an unconsolidated payment of £1500. 87% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with a turnout of 63%. 71% said they were prepared to take further strike action and 93% said that they were prepared to take further action short of strike action. The NASUWT National Action Committee will now consider the results of the member survey before deciding on the union’s next steps read more
Teachers at Llangors CiW Primary School to take industrial action over concerns with school management and governance (19 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School in Llangorse, Powys will be taking Action Short of Strike Action from Monday 8th April over adverse management and employer practices, potential job loss, health and safety, working conditions and redundancy. Eleven days of strike action are planned through April, May and June, with the first strike day to take place on 10th April read more
Pension threats prompt strike action at Newcastle school (18 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Dame Allan’s Schools in Fenham are taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow over attempts to downgrade their pensions. Teachers are facing the forcible withdrawal of their pensions from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) to an inferior Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Teachers have been told that if they do not accept the transfer of their pensions, they will be dismissed from their jobs and reengaged on new contracts which include the DC pension arrangements. We do not accept that there is any financial necessity for the school to undermine teachers’ financial security in this way read more
Tring Park School teachers take strike action over pension sabotage (12 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have begun a series of strike days due to a dispute over their pensions. After being offered a pay rise below levels of inflation, teachers at Tring Park School have now been told that if they wish to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme – the standard scheme for teachers across England – they will need to take a pay cut in order to compensate for their employer’s contributions. Their only alternative is to move to a scheme of lower value. Strike action took place at Tring Park School on Tuesday 12th March and will take place again on Wednesday 13th March. Further days are planned on 19th, 20th and 21st March read more
Teachers at Cheshire college strike over pension attacks (6 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Abbey Gate College in Chester are taking strike action today over attacks on their pensions. The College is planning to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Staff can opt to remain in the TPS, but only on the condition they accept a significant cut to their pay read more
Teachers at Chetham’s School of Music to strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (26 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester are starting the first five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. Chethams, which is the UK’s largest specialist music school, is attempting to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior Defined Contribution scheme. If teachers choose to remain in the TPS they must accept a reduced salary read more
EIS
FELA Annual Conference says no to Compulsory Redundancies & cuts to Educational Provision at UHI Shetland (22 Mar) – The annual conference of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) took place in Perth, in the context of the continuing long-running national dispute over pay and continuing cuts to education provision in Scotland’s college sector read more
College lecturers escalate to national rolling strike action in pursuit of long overdue pay award (21 Mar) – The Educational Institute of Scotland has given notice to all of Scotland’s Further Education colleges of a programme of rolling strike action in a long running dispute over pay. This marks a further escalation in the pay dispute, where members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) have been taking action short of strike since the middle of February and have already taken a national day of strike action read more
Lecturers begin targeted strike action in constituency areas of key Scottish Government ministers (12 Mar) – Lecturers in three Scottish colleges will take targeted industrial action over the coming weeks. With Dundee & Angus College taking the first of two days of targeted strike action, starting Monday, and continuing on Wednesday this week. Fife College lectures are set to take two days of strike action next week followed by Glasgow Clyde College the week after. Each of these colleges sit within the parliamentary constituency areas of Scottish Government Ministers with the responsibility for these public bodies; Dundee & Angus College for the Minister for Higher and Further Education (Graeme Dey), Fife College for the Cabinet Secretary for Education (Jenny Gilruth) and Glasgow Clyde College for the First Minister (Humza Yousaf) read more
INTO
Update on Teachers’ Pay Offer 2021-2023 (28 Mar) – Dear INTO member, As you will be aware INTO and the other constituent members of the NITC consulted members on the pay offer and NITC is in a position sign off on a final agreement with the employers. It had been anticipated that this would take place on Tuesday 26 March 2024. The Department of Education has now informed NITC that they have yet to get approval from the Department of Finance and requested that NITC accept their offer with the provision that it would be subject to Department of Finance approval. This is not something that INTO or the other unions are prepared to do. INTO anticipates that arrangements for a meeting to ratify the teachers’ pay deal for 2021,2022 and 2023 and the associated Workload agreement will take place by 8 April 2024. INTO instructs members to remain on action short of strike until all aspects of the Pay deal and workload agreement have been formally ratified. Members will be updated upon ratification of the deal, after which INTO and NITC will engage with Management Side to ensure that the pay uplifts are applied speedily. Once again the INTO wishes to thank all members for their unstinting resilience throughout the campaign for fair pay read more
UCU
NSSN sends solidarity to UCU and its members at Queen Mary University in London after security broke into the Queen Mary UCU office in order to remove posters expressing solidarity with Palestine. For developments, follow Queen Mary UCU on X/Twitter @qm_ucu
University of Kent staff vote to strike over course closure “bonfire” as VC quits (5 Apr) – Staff at the University of Kent have backed strike action in defence of jobs. The result comes as the person in charge of the cuts, vice-chancellor Karen Cox, announces she will step down in May, before they are even implemented. An overwhelming 85% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 57%. The vote comes after 58 staff were placed at risk of redundancy as part of a programme that would see courses closed across the university read more
Strike ballot at Sheffield Hallam over “scandalous” cuts programme (5 Apr) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 15 April at Sheffield Hallam University, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. UCU has accused the university of pushing ahead with expensive building projects while launching a wholesale attack on staff and students through an unprecedented cuts programme, severely breaching the post-92 contract and national framework, and attacking on working conditions read more
Goldsmiths marking boycott set to begin this month over “brutal” sackings (5 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) today confirmed staff at Goldsmiths University will begin a marking boycott on Friday 19 April over plans to sack more than one in six academic staff. The boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally. It will also include any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks. UCU warned that graduations will be impacted unless the university resolves the dispute by halting its plans to cut over 130 jobs. Alongside the boycott, UCU members will take other forms of industrial action including working to rule and boycotting processes related to management’s “transformation programme” of cuts. The boycott follows an overwhelming vote for industrial action against the cuts, which would see more than a third of academics axed in the 11 affected departments in the schools of arts & humanities; culture & society; and professional studies, science & technology read more
Goldsmiths staff vote to strike over “incomprehensible” bonfire of jobs (28 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today announced staff at Goldsmiths University have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action in a fight to stop the sacking of more than one in 6 academic staff at the institution read more
Government assault on arts turning higher education into “arid desert” (5 Apr) – UCU has attacked the government for cutting funding to creative arts courses. The union was responding to the government’s announcement that it will cut funding for creative arts courses and widening access programmes read more
Benefits restored in full today for members of UK’s largest pension fund (1 Apr) – Members of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the UK’s largest private pension scheme, have now had their benefits restored in full. The restoration comes after UCU members took 69 days of strike action in defence of the scheme and two years after employers forced through cuts that meant guaranteed benefits were slashed by 35% read more
UCU calls for Thames Water to be renationalised (28 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today called for Thames Water to be renationalised. The union was responding to the failure to agree on the 2024 Price Review between Ofwat and Thames Water. UCU has thousands of its members in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which is the second largest investor in Thames Water read more
UCU beats back Northumbria compulsory redundancies (28 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today said its members had faced down Northumbria University management’s plans to force through compulsory redundancies for academic staff. In an announcement to staff today, which comes after UCU began balloting for strike action last week, Northumbria’s vice chancellor said the university would “formally rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies” for academic staff read more
Staff consulted on industrial action at University of Portsmouth over planned job cuts (27 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Portsmouth, as the union starts a consultation of its members. 398 academic staff are to be put at risk of redundancy, as part of University of Portsmouth’s “academic reset” programme that management says is necessary due to recruitment challenges and increased costs read more
Halfon’s resignation “another nail in the coffin” for Sunak, says UCU (26 Mar) – Responding to the resignation of the minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education Robert Halfon MP, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘It is no wonder our sector is in crisis when we have a government that has all but ceased to function. Halfon’s resignation is yet another nail in the coffin for this beleaguered Prime Minister. We now urgently need a general election and an incoming Labour government to fund higher and further education properly.’ Read more
Strike threat at University of Winchester over ‘catastrophic’ job cull (14 Mar) – UCU confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Winchester after its members voted to consult over taking industrial action at a packed meeting last Friday. Staff have been put at risk of redundancy in changes that would see the university close its English language programme; institute for climate and social justice; centre for religion, reconciliation and peace; and managed housing, and see cuts to psychology, acting and apprenticeships. The university claims it needs to make the cuts due to a £6m structural deficit. There are 40 jobs planned to go in the current phase, with fears of further job cuts pending read more
Strike ballot at New College Durham over low pay (11 Mar) – UCU has opened a strike ballot at New College Durham in a dispute over low pay. The ballot will close on Monday 15 April and a successful result paves the way for strike action if the employer refuses to make a realistic offer. The ballot comes after staff voted to reject a paltry pay offer of 4% (from August 2023). According to its most recent accounts the college has over £9m in assets, a £2m increase on the year before, and is rated as having outstanding financial health by the government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency, yet UCU’s research shows it spends less of its income on pay than any other college in the region read more
Two new strike dates at North East college group in low pay dispute (4 Mar) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees will strike on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 March. The strikes come after an overwhelming 79.3% of UCU members at Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training Group, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy and Redcar and Cleveland College who voted, rejected the latest pay offer from employer Education Training Collective (ETC). Turnout was 64%. UCU also confirmed it will open a new strike ballot on Wednesday (6 March) that will run until Monday 15 April so it can continue to take industrial action if ETC refuses to settle the dispute. A successful ballot will allow the union to take strike action for a further six months. The dispute is over the 22/23 pay award read more
Outrage over ‘callous’ fire & rehire threat at SOAS (29 Feb) – UCU has launched an indicative ballot on taking strike action at SOAS, University of London over fire and rehire plans that place 34 staff at risk of losing their jobs and being rehired on worse terms and conditions. The cuts would eliminate all term time English-language and study skills support for international students. The indicative ballot runs until Wednesday 6 March and a successful result paves the way for an industrial ballot and strike action if SOAS management refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies read more
Aberdeen University staff overwhelmingly back industrial action in row over modern languages cuts and job losses (7 Feb) – Staff at the University of Aberdeen have today backed strikes in a dispute over plans to end single-honours degrees in modern languages and put 30 staff at risk of redundancy. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members, 80% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 60%. On 30 November, the same day that the Scottish Government launched its Scottish languages bill, the university announced a consultation with proposals to end single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German, and Spanish; to end both single and joint honours degrees; or to end all language degree programmes. At the time, amidst widespread criticism, UCU general secretary Jo Grady called the proposals ‘academic vandalism’ read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
‘Fundamentally flawed’: Welsh Government hits back at ‘minimum service levels’ (20 Mar) – The Fire Brigades Union has welcomed Welsh Government opposition to Westminster’s new minimum service levels regulations for the fire and rescue service. In a letter to fire minister Chris Philp, Hannah Blythyn, Welsh Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, has condemned the Act as an “unworkable intrusion into devolved matters”, describing the legislation as “fundamentally flawed, damaging and counter-productive”. Under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, fire service employers will be given the power to issue ‘work notices’ during a period of strike action. Recently published regulations state that these work notices will be able to dictate that 73% of appliances should be crewed on a strike day, while control rooms will be expected to operate as if it was a non-strike day read more
POA
Circ 018: National Chair Update March 2024 here
NAPO
Programme Facilitators Job Evaluation Appeal (3 Apr) – The joint Trade Union JES appeal for programme facilitators has now been announced. The outcome of the appeal was Band 3 read more
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
Bristow helicopters pilots in BALPA to strike in pay dispute (20 Feb) – The British Airline Pilots’ Association has given notice to Bristow Helicopters that it will call on its members to strike in March. BALPA has been in negotiation with the company for months, but Bristow has failed to put forward any offer that its pilots and tech crew could support read more
Nautilus International
Officers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vote for strike action (5 Apr) – RFA employees have faced a real terms pay cut of over 30% since 2010. Nautilus International members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted strongly in favour of industrial action. The ballot followed the rejection by members of a 4.5% pay offer for 2023 that fell far below the rate of inflation. Since 2010, RFA employees have faced real terms pay cut of over 30%, beyond other blue light services, leading to significant challenges in recruitment and retention and low morale across the workforce read more
NUJ
Israel: new law granting closure of foreign media outlets threatens media freedom (3 Apr) – The NUJ has warned against the closure of Al Jazeera and other international media outlets, following passage of a bill by the Israeli government banning broadcasting of foreign media over threats to national security read more
Russia: court extends detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich (3 Apr) – NUJ calls for espionage charges against Gershkovich to be dropped. The National Union of Journalists has condemned the extension of journalist Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention by a Russian court. Gershkovich is the first US journalist to be arrested on espionage charges since the Cold War and faces a 20 year prison term if convicted. The NUJ and International Federation of Journalists have called for his release and for all charges to be dropped read more
NUJ condemns “disturbing” attacks of the media during the Derry Easter Monday commemorations (2 Apr) – The union has strongly condemned the harassment and intimidation of reporters and photographers covering the anniversary of the 1916 Rising on the streets of Derry read more
NUJ expresses deep shock at stabbing of Iran International presenter (29 Mar) – The union expressed its shock and outrage at the stabbing of presenter Pouria Zeraati, who was set upon by a group of assailants as he left his London home earlier today. Early reports say he is in a stable condition in hospital after suffering multiple knife wounds read more
#NUJSTVStrike (28 Mar) – NUJ members at STV were out on strike over pay. They were on picket lines in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee and gathered at Holyrood, Edinburgh, where MSPs showed support read more
Journalists start strike action at STV over pay (27 Mar) – Members at STV are on strike on Thursday 28 March after a ballot showed overwhelming support in favour of industrial action following the break down in pay talks at the Scottish broadcaster. It is set to be the first day of a programme of disruption to its flagship news programming this spring and summer. Tomorrow’s strike will empty newsrooms across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. The NUJ is seeking a 6 per cent rise for members to keep pace with inflation after a record cost-of-living crisis last year. The company has offered this increase for the bottom 3 per cent of earners, saying it cannot afford to pay more for the remaining staff despite making over £20m in profit on record revenues last year read more
NUJ wins settlement for photographers at Black Lives Matter protest (27 Mar) – The union won an apology and out-of-court settlements for two photographers and a video journalist who were detained while covering a Black Lives Matter solidarity protest for Eric Garner at Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush, London, on December 10, 2014 read more
Equity
Equity calls for the Communities Minister to Save the Arts in Northern Ireland (26 Mar) – Over 130 members of the community showed up to Equity’s Save the Arts, Resist the Cuts public meeting this afternoon read more
Musicians Union
MU Responds to Welsh National Opera Cuts (28 Mar) – Musicians’ Union members in the orchestra of Welsh National Opera (WNO) are facing a reduction in working weeks, equating to a 15% pay cut as a result of a funding shortfall for the company read more
Community
Community response to Tata press briefings (27 Mar) – We have been disappointed to read recent press briefings from ‘sources close to Tata’ which have disparaged the Multi-Union Plan for Port Talbot and the downstream sites. The suggestion that our alternative plan is ‘almost impossible to achieve’ is negated by expert analysis – including the company’s own previous acknowledgment that the Multi-Union Plan is credible – and undermines the ongoing consultation process read more
Community confirms plans to ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK (4 Mar) – Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel at Community, the steelworkers’ union, said: “Community representatives from all Tata Steel UK plants have unanimously agreed to serve notice on the company should Tata confirm their intention to close Blast Furnace Number 4. This would be a national dispute and Community will ballot all members on a site-by-site basis including the downstream plants…” read more
USDAW
Usdaw members at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon start industrial action over pay on Sunday, which could impact B&Q stores (22 Mar) – Members of the retail distribution union Usdaw at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon, which operates a B&Q contract, are starting a 48-hour strike over pay, starting at 2pm on Sunday 24 March 2024. Over 100 drivers and clerical staff are set to take part in the action read more
UVW
Cleaners continue their epic battle against historic racial discriminatory outsourcing at Great Ormond Street Hospital in legal appeal (28 Mar) – UVW cleaner members at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) are continuing their epic legal battle against historic racially discriminatory outsourcing at the London famous children’s hospital. Today, a year after a tribunal heard their arguments, they have appealed the court’s ruling in their quest to obtain compensation for historic indirect race discrimination. If they win the case, their lives could be forever changed and potentially end the unscrupulous practice of outsourcing in the National Health Service (NHS) read more
Cleaners at the Department for Education launch second strike ballot over equality (28 Mar) – “No sick pay, too much work, no proper holiday cover. We are treated with disdain and we are fed up and stressed but united in our resolve. We can’t wait for our ballot papers” – Gloria Mancera, cleaner of 18 years service at DfE, and UVW member. The brave United Voices of the World (UVW) members who clean the Department for Education (DfE) have had enough of being ignored by their bosses and treated like second class citizens. Yesterday they instructed UVW to launch their second strike ballot in a year over parity of terms and conditions with civil servants read more
Harrods’ hospitality workers ready to strike for third time if 2024 pay promise not kept (16 Jan) – Following two UVW victorious disputes for workers’ tips in 2017 and a huge 25 percent wage increase in December 2021, Harrods’s hospitality workers are ready for a third strike if Harrods doesn’t keep its 2024 pay rise promise. The London luxury store has offered them a pay review with an increase by 1 April 2024, following moves by UVW bar and kitchen staff. A majority of workers and UVW members voted positively in December over their willingness to declare a third pay dispute read more
IWGB
Workers at debt charity vote to strike following “aggressive intimidation” from management (8 Mar) – Frontline workers at the debt advice charity Rooted Finance will down tools later this month after their ballot to strike passed with a 100% yes vote. The decision to walk out on March 18 and 19 follows what workers have described as “anti-union and intimidatory tactics” from management read more
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
New campaign demands Respect at Work in Ireland (7 Apr) – A new campaign, Respect at Work, is calling on the Government to ensure that workers have a legal right to organise a trade union in their workplace and are protected from discrimination and dismissal while doing so. The campaign is demanding legal protections that would “ensure that employee representatives and union Shop Stewards have the protections they need while representing the interests of their colleagues,” campaign spokesperson Ethel Buckley said. The campaign is timed to coincide with the required transposition of an EU Directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining, which the Irish Government must write into law by November of this year read more
Other news
WOR BELLA – the incredible story of heroic women footballers during WW1. An out-of-town run at the Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham, before transferring to the prestigious 1200-seat Newcastle Theatre Royal in April. The play features a to-camera cameo by Alan Shearer.
The fantastic women footballers (worldwide) of all ages today stand on the shoulders of these incredible, heroic working class women from over a century ago (before women’s football was banned by the FA in 1921).
www.worbella.co.uk Google: “Wor Bella ed waugh”.
These are the trailers (to date) for the play.
Sign this petition: To the Right Honourable Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister – Make toxic landfills safe – Support ‘Zane’s Law’! Find out more about this campaign here
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
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Hazards urgently need our support
Many workers were blacklisted because they raised complaints about health and safety or took on the role of a union safety rep. So when our blacklisting campaign was first starting back in 2009, Hazards magazine set up the Blacklist Blog on their website. Alongside our FaceBook page it is the go to online resource for what our campaign has achieved over the past 13 years. www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Hazards is now in financial difficulty and needs the support of the union movement. Its major funding stream has vanished almost overnight. The magazine and the Hazards centres around the country need union branches or official unions to take out a regular subscription to keep the union movement’s flagship safety magazine in operation. If you or your union committee can afford it, please support Hazards:
PCS rep in Newcastle sacked by HMRC (5 Apr) – Gordon Askew was sacked by HMRC on grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse following strike action taken by the branch. HMRC management at Benton Park View in Newcastle have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse. PCS members at Benton Park View, alongside HMRC East Kilbride, took part in targeted strike action last year, as well as their members taking part in the three national days of strike action. Following the strike action, the department launched an investigation into two Newcastle-based representatives. The charge against Gordon was a ‘potential’ breach of the department’s IT policy; arising from a Microsoft Teams message sent to a number of PCS members, relating to strike action. The department’s decision maker claimed that Microsoft Teams had been used “without a legitimate business reason”. A second rep is on a similar charge. We understand the decision maker said that they had considered a lesser penalty, but had decided to sack the rep because he didn’t appear to be sorry enough for what he had done. This was despite him having nearly thirty years of spotless service to the department. PCS is discussing next steps with our Legal Department read more
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
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
Solidarity with the striking textile workers at Ozak in Turkey – read more on Twitter of Solidarity with the People of Turkey @spotturkey
Diary
2024
June
22 NSSN Conference 2024 – 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
