The NSSN stands in solidarity with the GMB and its members at Amazon, after coming an incredible 28 votes short in the ballot of 2,600 workers at the company’s Coventry site for union recognition.
We have no doubt that this is a false victory for Amazon. The determined strike action that workers have taken in Coventry, and which is spreading to other sites, shows that the struggle for trade union rights and the better pay and conditions that it leads to, will be won.
GMB: Amazon faces legal challenge as recognition drive agonisingly close (17 July) Amazon faces a legal challenge over union-busting tactics after workers drive for union recognition misses out by just a handful of votes.
49.5 per cent of the 2,600 workers who voted backed union recognition, falling short by just 28 votes.
This result comes just weeks after union-busting tactics at the Coventry site were exposed when it was revealed workers had been bombarded with an unrelenting campaign of anti-union messages by company bosses, including multiple anti-union seminars.
Amazon now faces an outstanding legal challenge – known as an Inducement Claim – for pressuring workers into cancelling their union membership during the ballot period read more on GMB website
Tories Gone! – Fight for Workers Policies
The NSSN celebrates the massive defeat of the Tories in the General Election. Workers have thrown the Conservatives out of office after 14 years of their brutal assault on our living standards and union rights.
Now workers will want the incoming Labour Government to implement policies in our interests. Yesterday, the initial programme of Keir Starmer’s Government was outlined in the King’s Speech. The ballot result at Amazon shows why workers need this to guarantee union rights and an end to Tory anti-union laws.
Last month’s NSSN Conference endorsed the NSSN’s Workers Manifesto of demands and agreed to mobilise for the NSSN rally and lobby at TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 8th September – which will take place 2/3 of the way through the first 100 days of the new Labour Government.
NSSN Rally & Lobby of TUC Congress – Old Ship Hotel Brighton, 1pm Sunday 8th September
Model motion agreed at NSSN Conference:-
This NSSN Conference (and subsequently union branch/trades council) agrees with the need to fight for a workers’ manifesto of policies, to be implemented after the likely election of a Labour Government after 4th July. These include this list that the NSSN has been campaigning for:-
- To repeal Sunak’s ‘Strike Minimum Service Levels Act (MSL) along with Cameron’s Trade Union Act 2016, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major.
- To re-nationalise Royal Mail, BT, buses, the energy and utility companies, steel. Immediate re-nationalisation of the railways, rather than waiting for franchises to expire.
- To end privatisation in the NHS and our public services.
- For an emergency funding grant for local authorities to prevent the current and pending Tory council cuts onslaught, ensuring the withdrawal of Section 114 notices. This would be the first step in restoring the 40% cut from council budgets since 2010
- For a real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards. For a £15/hour minimum wage with no age exemptions
- Abolish Fire & Rehire and Zero-hour contracts
- Workers’ rights from day one of employment
We believe that it essential that the trade unions fight for the implementation of policies in the interests of workers
We welcome the rally hosted by the NSSN before the start of this year’s TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 8th September, which will take place 2/3 of the way through the first 100 days of the Labour Government
We believe that this really will be an important event in highlighting and campaigning for the policies that workers need. We therefore agree to support the NSSN TUC Rally and send members to it and publicise it.
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
RMT responds to King’s Speech (17 Jul)
RMT to ballot Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper for strike action (11 Jul) – RAIL union RMT is balloting both Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper members for strike action. The union has been in pay negotiations with both companies who have both tabled well below inflation derisory offers that did not fully reward members for their hard work and dedication. The insulting pay offers have been made even more unpalatable when members of the Scottish Parliament received a 6.7 per cent pay rise this year read more
First South West bus workers vote for strike action (10 Jul) – Bus union, RMT have voted overwhelmingly for strike action over pay on First South West. Over 300 RMT members took part after extensive negotiations with the company, failed to yield an acceptable offer. As a result, First South West members will take strike action for 48 hours from Tuesday 23 July. Despite numerous meetings, including sessions facilitated by ACAS, First South West’s proposals were overwhelmingly rejected in a member referendum. The company’s latest offer was deemed insufficient, particularly in light of First Group’s recent profit announcements read more
Eurostar members suspend ballot after improved Olympic payments deal (8 Jul) – Transport union RMT, has secured improved fair Olympic payments for Eurostar staff after intense negotiations and a ballot for industrial action. This means the ballot of Eurostar members has ended and no dispute now exists between RMT and senior management. The continental rail company have agreed to significantly improve premium payments for staff working during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. Initially, Eurostar proposed a shift-based payment system which RMT rejected for being divisive and insufficient. Instead, the union proposed a one-off post-Olympic payment, encompassing a broader range of employees including, Assistant Duty Control Managers, rostering/planning, and frontline contact centre roles. Eurostar will now provide a one-off payment of at least £650 to eligible employees, replacing the shift-based system. This payment will be made in the September 2024 payroll. However, Head Office Support Function staff will not be included, and Eurostar will clarify their non-inclusion in writing read more
RFA members win solidarity from Cammell Laird (26 Jun) – RMT members working for the Royal Fleet Auxillary (RFA) welcomed support yesterday from over 450 workers at Cammell Laird dockyard who refused to cross picket lines in Birkenhead. Following the latest day of strike action, carried out on the International Day of the Seafarer on Tuesday, management have requested a meeting with union representatives next week. Over 500 RMT seafarers at the RFA organised picket lines in Birkenhead, Plymouth and Singapore after the employer had previously
Strike action at Hitachi Rail Doncaster (14 Jun) – Bespoke Facilities Management workers at Hitachi Rail Doncaster will take strike action later this month. The action will take place between: 05:59 Friday 28 June and 23:59 Monday 1 July read more
Avanti West Coast caterers to strike over dire rosters and unjust working conditions (6 Jun) – RMT will launch strike action on Avanti West Coast tomorrow in response to the company’s implementation of new rosters that have led to significant stress and exhaustion among employees. Catering staff at Avanti West Coast are incensed by sudden changes to shift schedules, cuts to jobs, and enforced overtime.
These conditions have severely disrupted RMT members’ lives, making it impossible for them to plan family commitments or attend vital medical appointments, resulting in low morale amongst the workforce. The union has also discovered that Avanti management is attempting to undermine the strike by encouraging senior management to cover catering roles. These individuals lack the proper training and cannot deliver the consistent high-quality service that our members provide. Since taking over the West Coast Main Line franchise from Virgin, Avanti has been mired in industrial relations disputes, with the upcoming strike on Friday, June 7, being the latest repercussion of the company’s mismanagement read more
Northern Rail strike by members working for Carlisle Support Services this Saturday (5 Jun) – Super-exploited workers at Northern Rail will take strike action this Saturday June 8 over poor pay and dreadful working conditions. There will be picket lines at Manchester Victoria station (all entrances) from 0900 hrs and at Wigan Wallgate station from 0900 hrs. RMT members who are employed by Carlisle Support Services work at Northern Rail gate lines but are paid less than directly employed staff and cannot enter the company pension scheme or receive sick pay from their employer. The contractor also does not recognise RMT for the purposes of collective bargaining read more
Strike announced to defend unfairly sacked member (22 May) – Further to my previous Circular (IR/123/24, 19th April 2024), all RMT members at Oxford Circus Area are congratulated for standing firm together against injustice during the strike action from 3rd to 4th May. Gerald’s appeal hearing has now taken place but regrettably, LUL upheld the decision to dismiss him rather than taking action to rightly resolve this dispute. This matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee, which has taken the decision to instruct all RMT members at Oxford Circus Area to take strike action and NOT TO BOOK ON FOR SHIFTS THAT COMMENCE BETWEEN: 00:01 hours on Friday 28th June until 23:59 hours on Saturday 29th June 2024. The NEC has also taken the decision to escalate this dispute and ballot all other Station Grades members in the Bakerloo South Cover Group Area. Ballot papers were sent to members at Charing Cross Area, Elephant & Castle Area and Piccadilly Circus Area on Wednesday 15th May and these ballots will close on Thursday 30th May. I will keep Branches advised of all further developments read more
London Underground Jobs, Pensions and Agreements dispute: RMT members smash Tory anti-union ballot thresholds once again (25 Apr) read more
ASLEF
Train drivers’ union responds to King’s Speech plan to renationalise Britain’s railways (17 Jul)
Train Drivers’ Union to Ballot ScotRail Members (16 Jul) – ASLEF’s Executive Committee has today agreed to ballot its ScotRail members for action short of strike and strike action read more
Train strikes announced for May Bank Holiday week – Rail passengers are being warned of disruption during the week of the May Bank Holiday after drivers announced more strikes and an overtime ban. Staff at 16 train companies will take part in rolling one-day walkouts between 7 and 9 May over pay and working conditions. An overtime ban will also take place between 6 and 11 May read more on BBC website
Train drivers at LNER to strike in row over terms and conditions – Rail services from London King’s Cross will be disrupted by the walkout on Saturday read more on Independent website
TSSA
Kings Speech signals end for rip-off rail (17 Jul)
TSSA warning of more delays at Avanti West Coast amid safety concerns (12 Jul) – Transport and travel union TSSA is warning of further delays and cancellations relating to safety on the west coast mainline, run by the beleaguered Avanti. TSSA signaled its concerns after it emerged that the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) which oversees safety regulation on Britain’s railways, had served Avanti West Coast with an ‘Improvement Notice’ for failure to fit their new trains with a speed limiting device. Avanti’s existing fleet of Class 221 Super Voyager trains have this device fitted but their replacements – the new Class 805 Evero trains – do not. Unique to the West Coast Main Line, the TASS (Tilt Authorisation and Speed Supervision) system protects the train from over-speeding at curves and other specific locations. The Improvement Notice could mean that services already operated with the new trains may face cancellation whilst Avanti takes the safety precautions required by the ORR to make the new trains as safe as the existing ones. The union is now seeking urgent clarification regarding the situation from the ORR and plans to raise the matter with the Transport Secretary, Lou Haigh read more
TSSA calls for government action over Royal Mail freight decision (11 Jul) – Transport and travel union TSSA has called on the government to help reverse Royal Mail’s decision to stop using trains transporting post. The company has confirmed that its remaining freight trains will come out of service in October, leading to a sharp increase in the amount of mail moved on the roads. DB Cargo – which runs the services – accused Royal Mail of a U-turn, having previously committed to increasing the use of freight in order to meet net zero targets by 2040. TSSA represents members across DB Cargo and has long advocated for greater use of rail freight as a means of combatting the climate crisis read more
Unite
Unite welcomes King’s Speech platform to transform workers’ lives (17 Jul)
Sheffield Veolia refuse workers to strike over denial of union recognition (17 Jul) – Workers being denied Unite representation despite high membership
Nearly 100 refuse workers in Sheffield are to take strike action this month bringing the city’s refuse collections to a standstill, Unite the union announced today (17 July). Workers employed by outsourcing company Veolia and working out of the Lumley Street depot are furious that their employer is refusing to allow collective bargaining agreements with Unite despite the membership of the union representing around 80 per cent of the depot’s workforce. Drivers and loaders are walking out on 29 July to 2 August after Veolia refused to recognise Unite’s for collective bargaining. Veolia claims another union is already recognised as the sole trade union, yet it doesn’t represent the vast majority of the workforce read more
Strategic importance that Harland & Wolff workers continue to contribute skills to national defence (16 Jul) – This workforce has demonstrated an ability to deliver on nationally strategic projects. The UK clearly needs to have a strong future in shipbuilding and the legacy of shipbuilding in Belfast dates back over a century. The Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast which boasts a natural deep-water harbour and heavy lifting cranes and infrastructure faced closure in 2019 but was saved following a nine-week occupation by the workforce read more
Unite calls for judicial review into Jersey ambulance crew case (16 Jul) – Unite has called for a judicial review into the legal case brought against two Jersey ambulance workers for breaching health and safety law read more
Ellesmere Port dock workers balloted to strike over unfair sacking of colleague (16 Jul) – GAC fired worker after change in hours prevented him caring for disabled mother. Ellesmere Port dock workers employed by GAC at the Queen Elizabeth II dock are being balloted for strike action after their colleague was fired because a change in hours meant he could not care for his disabled mother. GAC sacked the worker for “refusing a reasonable working request” after he informed the company he could not comply with the new rota due to being the primary caregiver for his disabled mother. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “GAC has behaved appallingly towards our member. The company knows full well that he is the primary caregiver for his disabled mother and should have offered a workable solution. This is a cruel and totally unjustified decision that has incensed the workforce and it will not go unanswered by Unite.” GAC provides integrated shipping, logistics and marine services to the energy and shipping industries. The workers, who are jetty operators, are being balloted for industrial action from 17 July to 30 July. Strikes will impact vessels supplying components to the Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, as well as ships who rely upon the Manchester Shipping Canal, including oil tankers using the discharging jetties at Eastham Locks for Stanlow Essar read more
Sanctuary housing posts big surplus and bumper margins (16 Jul) – Management could meet strikers demands with ease. Sanctuary Housing has posted financial results showing a group revenue of over a billion pounds this week. The overall operating margin is 19.8% and the social housing operating surplus margin stands at a bumper 31.1%. This year’s results confirm that management could meet the demands of their striking maintenance staff with ease read more
Support the Sanctuary strikes – contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]
Bedfordshire bus workers hail pay victory at Stagecoach Cambus (15 Jul) – Unite members industrial dispute results in inflation-busting pay rise. Over 140 bus drivers in Bedfordshire are celebrating an inflation-busting pay award following their industrial dispute with their employer, Stagecoach Cambus. Unite members were furious over the initial low pay offer and their poor rates of pay compared to other drivers in the region. Following a successful ballot and the threat of strike action, the employer made a new improved offer that members have now accepted. Drivers will receive a 15.9 per cent pay rise over the next two years with pay elements of the pay increase backdated to May 2024. An initial 11.4 per cent will be applied within six months with a further rise in June 2025. The increases apply to all rates and allowances including sick pay read more
Unite members at Stagecoach celebrate pay victory in Liverpool (15 Jul) – Industrial dispute brought to a close after improved pay offer accepted by union members. Hundreds of bus drivers and engineers at the Stagecoach Merseyside company are celebrating a victory in their industrial dispute with the company after they accepted an improved, above-inflation, pay offer on Friday (12 July). Stagecoach workers had been taking part in industrial action over the widening pay disparity between themselves and drivers at other bus companies in the region. After Unite’s hard-nosed negotiations with the company, and members’ determination to stand firm on the picket line, the company made an improved offer of 6.4 per cent that significantly reduces the pay gap. Drivers will now receive £16.60 per hour and this will rise to £17.30 per hour in April 2025 to reduce the disparity further read more
Liverpool Stagecoach bus strikes paused (10 Jul)
Ford white collar dispute worsens as over 1,200 office staff ballot for strike (15 Jul) – 500 Ford managers already voted for strike as industrial unrest over pay grows. Ford is to blame for an ‘unprecedented breakdown in industrial relations’ with its white collar staff, Unite said today, as more than 1,200 office staff ballot for strike action across the country. Around 500 Ford managers already have an industrial action mandate and are continuing with industrial action short of strikes. Both sets of workers, who are based in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood, are in dispute with Ford over real terms pay cuts disguised as wage increases and are considering coordinated strike action…The office staff are being balloted until 7 August and the managers will resume their industrial action sort of strikes on 25 July read more
Aberdeen and Glasgow airports dispute ends as Unite secures pay deal (14 Jul) – 300 ICTS workers set to receive wage boost up to 12.8 per cent. Unite, Scotland’s leading aviation union, can confirm today (Monday 15 July) that around 300 ICTS central search members based at Aberdeen and Glasgow airports have overwhelmingly accepted an improved pay offer, ending the dispute. The pay deal delivers a basic pay rise of five per cent. A one-off payment of £500 and an enhancement to the shift allowance of 75 pence per hour which is an uplift worth around 5.9 per cent is also included in the deal. There will be access to double time shift rates for Christmas and New Year’s Day. The overall pay package boost is estimated to be worth up to 12.8 per cent for some workers at ICTS. In addition, ICTS will be advertising a minimum of 15 full time posts which will be initially offered to existing part-time staff following negotiations with Unite read more
Hull Siemens Gamesa wind turbine workers ballot for pay strikes (12 Jul) – Siemens Group profits at €8.5 billion while wages have dropped in real terms by 12%. Around 300 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine workers in Hull are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The workers, who construct 108 metre long wind turbine blades by hand, are angry at a 4.5 per cent pay offer plus an opaque incentive scheme. Since 2018, wages at the factory on the banks of the Humber estuary have dropped by 11.9 per cent in real terms. This is due to below RPI inflation pay rises and the suppression of wages through a performance related bonus scheme read more
Unite members reject local government pay offer (11 Jul) – Following the result of a consultative ballot of its local government members over the latest pay offer, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members have overwhelmingly rejected the entirely inadequate local government pay offer. For years local authority workers have seen real terms pay cuts and underinvestment that have brought the sector to its knees. This must act as a wake-up call that the sector desperately needs an injection of funding to ensure the workers it depends on are paid properly and vital frontline services can be properly delivered. Unite will not stand by and watch as our members are given yet another raw deal. Workers won’t accept this any longer.” Read more
Metrolink strikes to bring summer standstill to Manchester (11 Jul) – Workers furious over woeful pay offer and “toxic” pay structure to walk out. Manchester is facing a summer of standstill as workers on the city’s tram system, Metrolink, are to strike following a woeful pay offer. Over 600 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are angry after Metrolink was only prepared to make a pay offer of a 4.5 per cent increase in 2024 despite years of below-inflation pay increases. Unite members want guarantees of above-inflation rises over the next three years due to accepting less than inflation (RPI) last year and a reduction in the pay progression scales within the drivers and customer service roles. Drivers, engineers, business support and customer service staff will be taking strike action from 25-27 July. Staff are also furious at the pay structure that requires drivers to wait four years to get to the top of their pay scales and as a result losing up to £15,000 despite doing the exact same job as colleagues read more
First stage government talks with unions to save Tata jobs ‘extremely positive’, says Unite (10 Jul) – Following high level talks this morning with the secretary of state for business and trade, Jonathon Reynolds, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our meeting this morning with the business secretary Jonathan Reynolds was extremely positive. It is clear that the new secretary of state for business understands the need to secure the future of steelmaking in Britain. The commitment given to achieving a sustainable, profitable UK steel industry is very welcome and as was said this morning, decarbonisation must not mean deindustrialisation. In recent months, Unite has been fighting to save jobs at Tata and to revitalise the UK steel industry for the future of communities and for our national security. We are at a critical first stage but the extra investment now secured and the change of attitude from this new Labour government could be the game changers in making this happen.” Read more
TATA STRIKE FUND APPEAL
Unite The Union members employed by Tata steel at Port Talbot and Llanwern have suspended the all out strike action that was due to begin on 8th July. They had already taken action short of strikes, the first industrial action involving steel workers in the UK for 40 years. The action is fighting the decimation of jobs, communities and the steel industry. An initial 2800 jobs are due to be wiped out. This is a campaign we must win. Support and solidarity will be key, especially financial support in light of this being all out, indefinite strike action.
We are therefore launching a financial appeal. Donations will be used to directly support striking members. Below are the financial details. Please reference any donation as “strike fund”. Thank you
Unity Trust, Unite wab 2051 branch, Sort code: 608301 Acc no: 20286655
Messages of solidarity and for further detail contact [email protected]
Find out more about the campaign: www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-steel
Gatwick passenger assistance strike suspended after improved offer (10 Jul) – Gatwick airport strikes by 200 workers who provide special assistance services for vulnerable passengers have been postponed following an improved pay offer. The workers, who are employed by Wilson James, have agreed to suspend industrial action from 12 to 14 July and 19 to 21 July while they ballot on the offer. If it is rejected, fresh industrial action will be re-scheduled. Strike action by baggage security screeners employed by ICTS on the same dates was also suspended this week due to an improved offer read more
Gatwick baggage screening strikes postponed after improved offer (8 Jul) – Strikes by Gatwick baggage security screeners have been postponed following an improved pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers, who are employed by ICTS, have agreed to call all off industrial action scheduled to take place from 12 to 14 July and 19 to 21 July while they ballot on the offer. If it is rejected, fresh industrial action will be scheduled. Strikes on the same dates by 200 Wilson James workers who provide special assistance services for vulnerable passengers are set to go ahead read more
Armagh residents facing fortnight of bin strikes (9 Jul) – Strike action in response to council management ‘hostile environment’ for unions, especially Unite. Unite has today notified management at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough council of two weeks of strike action by Armagh-based waste collection workers from Wednesday 17 July. The strike action, which will be taken by environmental services workers based at the council’s waste depot in Armagh is likely to severely impact bin collections in that part of the council. The industrial action is a result of what Unite has branded a “hostile environment” that has been created for unions at the council. In recent weeks a Unite shop steward based at the depot has been dismissed, while five other Unite reps have faced investigations or disciplinary hearings or had their rights to represent workers restricted read more
London buses dispute escalates as hundreds more workers ballot for strikes (9 Jul) – Over 2,100 RATP bus workers in South, Central and West London now poised to strike. More than 300 London Transit staff are being balloted for industrial action, bringing the total number of RATP bus workers poised to strike to over 2,100. The London Transit drivers and engineers, who are based at Westbourne Park bus garage in Notting Hill, are angry at a three per cent pay offer. This is a real terms pay cut, as the RPI rate of inflation was 5.1 per cent when the pay increase was supposed to be implemented in December 2023. The dispute is also over an attempt by London Transit to impose an unacceptable scheduling agreement. In addition, around 100 London United engineers based at eight garages providing services for South, Central and West London, have joined 1,600 London United drivers in balloting over pay. The engineers have been offered 3.6 per cent, which again is a real terms pay cut. London United and London Transit are both part of the French state owned RATP Group, which had a turnover of €6.5 billion in 2023. In total, more than 2,100 RATP London-based bus workers are now being balloted for strike action…The London Transit ballot closes on 31 July, while the London United engineers ballot closes on 1 August. London United drivers will finish balloting on 22 July. Strike action will cause severe disruption to bus services in South, West and Central London read more
Wales Valley Vets staff fight profiteering VetPartners in historic strikes (9 Jul) – VetPartners profits over £500m but staff on poverty pay and using foodbanks. Nearly 100 workers employed by Valley Vets in South Wales are to take the first ever strike action at a private veterinary practice, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). Valley Vets has offered its lowest paid staff a derisory pay rise that takes them to slightly above the minimum wage. This is despite 80 per cent reporting that they regularly borrow money to meet basic living costs and five per cent reporting having to use food banks…The workers, who undertake a range of roles including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, receptionists and animal care assistants, will strike for two weeks from 16 July until 30 July. Industrial action will severely impact Valley Vets operations and will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more
Guys and St Thomas’ theatre nurses strike over shift time increase escalates (8 Jul) – Exhausted nurses warn extension to shifts risks patient safety and staff wellbeing. Strikes by day surgery theatre nurses at Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals over shift times being extended have escalated, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The 50 workers were already chronically overworked and the increase in shift times from 20:00 to 21:00 is now compromising patient safety because they are exhausted. Theatre staff had already had their shifts extended from 19:00 to 20:00 and have had to start working Saturdays to support extra theatre lists. Guys and St Thomas in central London is one of the UK’s busiest NHS trusts with 2.6 million patient contacts each year… The nurses previously took strike action on 27 June and 2 July. The next strike will take place tomorrow (Tuesday 9 July). Further industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite confirms strike action to hit half of Scottish councils (2 Jul) – Cleansing and waste workers could begin action in weeks. Unite, Scotland’s largest union, has today (Tuesday 2 July) announced that it has a mandate for its members taking strike action in cleansing and waste services across half of Scottish councils, in a dispute over pay. Unite received the mandates for strike action involving thousands of its members in the following 16 councils: Aberdeen City Council; Angus Council; City of Edinburgh Council; Dumfries & Galloway Council; Dundee City Council; East Ayrshire Council; East Renfrewshire Council; Fife Council; Glasgow City Council; Inverclyde Council; North Ayrshire Council; North Lanarkshire Council; Renfrewshire Council; South Ayrshire Council; The Highland Council and West Lothian Council.
Unite will reveal in the coming days the details of strike action involving waste workers, street cleaners, and recycling centre operators across the 16 councils which could begin in just over two weeks’ time. The union had previously warned major events could potentially be impacted by strike action including the Edinburgh international and fringe festivals similar to the local government pay dispute two years ago read more
Birkenhead workers at Cammell Laird balloted for strike action over outrageous suspension of staff (1 Jul) – Seven staff suspended after hundreds refuse to cross picket line. Hundreds of workers at Cammell Laird shipbuilders on Merseyside are to be balloted for strike action following the reprehensible suspension of seven employees, Unite the union confirmed today (1 July). Unite and GMB members working at the Birkenhead facility refused to cross an RMT picket line last Tuesday (25 June). To avoid a similar problem re-occurring Unite had organised talks with the company providing our members were not targeted. However, on Thursday (27 June), seven members of staff, including Unite’s convener and a further four Unite members were informed they were immediately suspended pending a full disciplinary investigation. Outraged workers convened an emergency meeting and agreed to be balloted for potential strike action over the victimisation of the workers by Cammell Laird management. The ballot for Unite members will open on 8 July and close on 5 August read more
Glen Dimplex workforce to be balloted on strike action to save jobs (28 Jun) – Portadown rally hears Unite demands political action to save manufacturing jobs and skills. Unite will ballot its members at Glen Dimplex in Portadown for strike action. The ballot follows a threat by the company to shutdown its sites in Portadown offshoring the production of storage heaters to Lithuania. The threat to jobs is the latest in a series of blows to the local industrial base. More than 500 jobs have been lost at Thompsons Aero seating, more than 100 at BT and Sonoco has also recently confirmed its intention to seek redundancies. Hundreds of workers and the wider local community gathered this afternoon (Friday 28 June) in the town for a Unite rally in defence of manufacturing jobs and skills in the Upper Bann area. The rally was called to demand action from politicians ahead of next week’s general election…The ballot will open on July 15 closing on August 8. Industrial action could take place before the end of the summer read more
Birkenhead hospital workers increase strike action over pay and grading (28 Jun) – Healthcare staff not being recognised for roles and responsibilities. Healthcare workers at the Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, Merseyside, are escalating their strikes next week over a continued failure to recognise their workplace responsibilities and pay them accordingly. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who work as recovery theatre practitioners, who care for patients recovering from serious operations, are not being paid appropriately by their employer, the Wirral University Hospital Trust. Workers will walk out from 1-7 July. The vital healthcare workers are being paid a band below the level of responsibility and duties they are providing. Workers have been left up to £8,000 out of pocket due to being wrongly graded read more
UCU workers escalate dispute with trade union (27 Jun) – Employees angry over working practices at education union. Nearly 200 workers at the University and College Union (UCU) are escalating their strike action in protest at their employer’s working practices, it was announced today (Thursday). Unite, the UK’s leading union, represents UCU’s staff and they are unhappy over the complete breakdown of industrial relations and the unreasonable approach taken by their employer to negotiations. Unite’s members voted overwhelmingly for strike action. Strikes are due to take place on 1 and 3, 10, 11 July read more
Greenwich council housing strikes suspended (27 Jun) – Industrial action paused to allow council to rule out fire and rehire threats. Strikes planned for next week (1-2 July) by over 150 housing maintenance workers employed by Greenwich council have been “paused” to allow the local authority more time to resolve the dispute. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted for strike action after the council brought forward plans to cut the workers wages by up to 30 per cent over a four year period, following a highly contentious “benchmarking exercise”. The council had also indicated that it was considering using extremely controversial “fire and rehire” practices to dismiss the workers and cut their pay. However, following the initial strike action earlier this month the council has not progressed its attempts to cut the workers ‘pay or to fire and rehire the workforce. Given those circumstances the workers decided to suspend the planned industrial action to give the council a further opportunity to return to negotiations to resolve the dispute read more
Redbridge refuse workers escalate summer bin strikes (25 Jun) – De facto overtime ban put in place as council refuses to acknowledge issues. Refuse workers in the London Borough of Redbridge are to escalate their industrial dispute with a de facto ban on overtime working, Unite the union announced today. Workers for Redbridge Civic Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of the council, are subject to terrible working conditions, including non-existent vehicle maintenance and aggressive pressure to work overtime on weekends which is inflicting a toll on workers’ mental health. Their sick pay is also worse than workers employed directly by the council. Unite has seen its membership skyrocket since the dispute began and now has over 100 members. The workers are to enact a ban on working additional hours after their shifts each day. This requirement has become standard practice, despite officially only being required in “exceptional circumstances”. No additional hours will be worked from 8 July until the end of the month read more
Cornwall facing bus chaos as drivers ballot for strike over pay (24 Jun) – Workers angry profitable Go Ahead is paying drivers elsewhere nearly £3 an hour more. Around 250 Go Cornwall Bus drivers are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers are demanding that their wages be brought more in line with their colleagues in other parts of the country. For instance, Go Ahead drivers in Oxford are currently paid £2.84 more per hour than the Cornwall drivers, while drivers in Brighton are paid £1.83 more. Even under Go Ahead’s current 2024 offer for the Cornwall drivers, Oxford drivers would still be earning £2.24 an hour more, while drivers in Brighton would be paid £1.23 an hour more. To narrow the pay difference, the Cornwall drivers are demanding their wages be increased by 6.6 per cent to £16 per hour for 2024, instead of the £15.60 Go Ahead is currently offering…In March, Go Ahead reported revenues of £3.2 billion and profits of £89 million. The industrial action ballot will close on 1 July, strikes, which could begin later next month, would severely impact bus services across Cornwall read more
University Hospital Waterford: Unite warns of dispute escalation amidst management threats (24 Jun) – Health Service Executive accused of violating public service agreement. Trade union Unite, which represents support staff at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), today (Monday) warned that the current work-to-rule by laundry, catering and portering grades may escalate unless the Health Service Executive (HSE) reverses its decision to withhold pay increases due to staff. Workers have been engaging in a work-to-rule since 27 May following the HSE’s failure to include laundry workers at UHW in a regrading scheme and their decision not to award incremental credits to portering and catering workers read more
Plymouth facing bus chaos as drivers ballot for strike over pay (19 Jun) – Workers angry profitable Go Ahead is paying drivers elsewhere nearly £3 an hour more. Nearly 600 Plymouth Bus drivers are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The workers are demanding that their wages be brought in line with their colleagues in other parts of the country. For instance, Go Ahead drivers in Oxford are currently paid £2.84 more per hour than the Plymouth drivers, while drivers in Brighton are paid £1.83 more. Even under Go Ahead’s current 2024 offer for the Plymouth drivers, Oxford drivers would still be earning £2.24 an hour more, while drivers in Brighton would be paid £1.23 an hour more…In March, Go Ahead reported revenues of £3.2 billion and profits of £89 million. The industrial action ballot will close on 1 July, strikes, which could begin later next month, would completely shut down Plymouth’s bus network read more
Dounreay nuclear station strike postponed following improved pay offer (18 Jun) – Strike action on Wednesday 19 June by around 600 Unite members suspended. Strike action on Wednesday 19 June by around 600 Unite members employed by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS) at Dounreay nuclear power station has been suspended to allow workers to be balloted on a new pay offer. Unite can confirm that an overtime ban and an end to working voluntary appointments will continue during the ballot process. If the new offer is rejected by the membership, fresh strike action will be announced. The union’s membership previously rejected a pay offer which amounted to a one-off £500 payment on top of a basic 4.5 per cent increase. Unite’s NRS membership includes craft technicians, general operators, engineers, maintenance fitters and safety advisors read more
Drivers at Greater Manchester Accessible Transport forced to strike over ‘poverty pay’ (17 Jun) – Industrial action to take place over failure of company to improve pay offer to acceptable level. Bus drivers in Greater Manchester who transport the elderly and disabled have been forced to take strike action over low pay by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport (GMAT). Members of Unite, the country’s leading trade union, are paid incredibly low wages to do a physically and mentally demanding job. They provide an invaluable service, transporting the elderly, infirm or disabled from their homes across Greater Manchester to vital medical appointments, for essential shopping or for leisure and entertainment… Following a successful industrial ballot, members will be taking strike action for a week from 1 July – 7 July read more
Unite warns of prospect of strike at Northern Ireland Fisheries and Harbour Authority (16 Jun) – Members of Unite who maintain harbours are paid minimum wage by DAERA arms-length body. DAERA minister challenged on his department’s status as an accredited Living Wage employer. Unite has written to Rural Affairs (DAERA) Andrew Muir to seek an urgent meeting on poverty pay afflicting harbour and fisheries workers. The union represents the overwhelming majority of the workers employed by the Northern Ireland Fisheries and Harbour Authority (NIFHA), an arms-length body funded by DAERA. A strike of NIFHA workers would immediately shutdown the ability of Northern Ireland’s fishing fleet to land their catch at the primary harbours of Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie. The union is seeking intervention by the minister to raise pay of all workers initially to the living wage and to provide pay increments which were recommended in an external grading review conducted in 2019 but which were never implemented read more
Basildon CNH tractor strikes suspended for vote on new offer (12 Jun) – Strikes by more than 500 workers employed at CNH Industrial’s Basildon tractor factory have been suspended to allow workers to ballot on a new pay offer. Industrial action scheduled for 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 June will not take place. If the offer is rejected by the membership, fresh strike action will be announced read more
Coventry electric Hackney cab workers to strike over pay (10 Jun) – London Electric Vehicle Company earning billions as wages fall by 20% in real terms. Around 100 workers employed at the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) in Coventry will strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers have rejected a 3.5 per cent pay rise plus £400 one off payment for those on lower grades. This is a real terms pay cut, as the real rate of inflation, RPI, was 4.9 per cent when the increase was supposed to be implemented in January this year. Adding to the workers’ anger, is the fact that due to years of below inflation pay rises, wages at LEVC have fallen by 19.9 per cent since 2016. LEVC, which designs, develops and produces electric commercial vehicles and is best known for its electric hackney carriages, is wholly owned by the China-based Geeley Auto group. In the year to December 2023, Geeley had a net cash flow of £3 billion and made profits of £584 million… The workers will take an initial day of strike action on 13 June, followed by an overtime ban. Further strike dates will be called if the dispute is not resolved. Industrial action will severely impact vehicle production at LEVC’s Coventry site read more
Jiffy packaging workers in Cheshire to strike over pay and conditions (6 Jun) – Over 50 workers at the Jiffy packaging plant in Winsford, Cheshire, are to strike next month following a pay offer from their employer that Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described as “paltry”. Workers at the plant have been offered a mere 1.5 per cent pay increase despite a cost of living crisis and real rate of inflation (RPI) standing at 4.3 per cent, when the pay increase was due. Workers are therefore receiving a real-terms pay cut. Unite’s members are demanding an eight per cent pay increase backdated to the 1 April 2024. Additionally, workers are furious that they only receive eight weeks of sick pay and want to see an increase to 12 weeks alongside the reinstatement of breaks during the working day and changes to bank holiday working practices…The workers will walk out for nearly two weeks beginning on 1 July and continuing until 13 July. Jiffy Packaging is synonymous with padded envelopes and other packaging materials read more
Unite the union workplace reps vote to call off strike action scheduled for tomorrow (3 Jun) – Decision comes after ‘meaningful’ progress made in talks between the four education trade unions and the employer side. Unite the union workplace reps met this afternoon and voted overwhelmingly to call off scheduled strike action tomorrow [Tuesday June 4] following receipt of an opening draft offer for workers from the Education Authority and Department of Education this afternoon. The decision follows a similar one on Saturday by Unite workplace reps to call off today’s [Monday 3 June] strike action to provide space for negotiations 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]
Solidarity in action for strike at DESNZ (18 Jul) – Show your support for outsourced and underpaid workers at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) preparing to strike. PCS members at DESNZ are striking from 22 to 26 July over poor pay and conditions from their outsource-profiteer employer ISS. As well as an end to the long-running dispute, they hope to see the new Labour government make good on its promise to end outsourcing and to deliver justice for workers and value for the taxpayer. Here’s how you can get involved and build momentum for massive insourcing. Come along to the picket lines at 3-8 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2AW. There’s plenty of opportunity to show your face and help keep spirits raised:-
Monday 22 July – 7am to 10am; Tuesday 23 July – 8am to 10am; Wednesday 24 July – 8am to noon; Thursday 25 July – 8am to 10am read more
What the King’s Speech could mean for PCS members (17 Jul)
PCS response to the King’s Speech (17 Jul)
Strikers’ petition for Labour to realise insourcing pledge (15 Jul) – Strikers call on secretary of state Ed Miliband to end outsourced race-discriminatory pay for security guards and cleaners at Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Cleaners, security guards and other workers working at DESNZ but employed by outsourcing firm ISS have addressed a petition to Ed Miliband ahead of their strike this month (22 to 26 July) read more
Membership soars as G4S DWP security guards strike again (15 Jul) – G4S security guards that work in jobcentres and other DWP offices are on strike again all of this week. PCS membership among G4S security guards working in DWP offices has more than doubled since the start of this dispute and now stands at over 360 read more
Use the e-action to fight de-recognition of PCS at the Imperial War Museum (12 Jun) – The e-action sends an email to the director general asking her to halt plans to derecognise PCS, and preserve workers’ voices and rights. 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. The three unions, Prospect, PCS, and FDA have a constructive and collaborative relationship and all three have appealed to management at the IWM not to derecognise PCS and FDA read more
Vibrant picket line kicks off latest round of Heathrow walkouts (31 May) – The first day of the latest Heathrow Border Force strike action got off to a brilliant start with reps and members out on a vibrant and playful picket line. More than 500 PCS members in Border Force at Heathrow airport started 3 days’ strike action today in an ongoing dispute over a new roster that has been imposed. It will be followed by 3 weeks of action short of a strike that will include a work to rule and overtime ban running from 4 to 25 June read more. Sign the petition to support striking Heathrow workers
Conference deplores dismissal of HMRC reps (23 May) – Conference deplored the actions of HMRC in dismissing two PCS reps from Benton Park View, and in recent weeks, for launching a further two conduct and discipline cases read more
PCS strike ballot results published (15 May) – The ballot papers have been counted in our strike ballot that closed on 13 May. Our ballot of 171 civil service and related areas for strike action over our national campaign demands closed on Monday, 13 May. The ballot papers have now been counted. The total percentage of members voting yes for strike action was 83.7% of those who voted. But while a large percentage of members voted for action, the number of people who can strike is severely limited by the Tories’ anti-union laws. We achieved over 50% (the turnout required by law for strike action) in employers including DVSA, HM Land Registry, DEFRA, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Rural Payments Agency. This means that in those areas we have a legal mandate to take strike action. The turn-out figures in the areas that were below the 50% needed for action still place us in a strong position for negotiating with the government in those specific areas and more generally across the civil service. The PCS national executive committee (NEC) is meeting today to discuss the results and our annual delegate conference in Brighton next week will decide on the next steps in the campaign. Reports of decisions made at conference will be posted regularly on the PCS website read more
PCS members to begin industrial action at ONS (25 Apr) – The action short of a strike from 8 May will take the form of non-compliance with the mandatory return to the office directive. PCS members in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will begin action short of a strike on 8 May over the organisation’s introduction of a mandatory workplace attendance policy. Members voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of strike in a ballot that closed on 2 April, in response to an instruction that staff spend at least 40% of their working time in an office, with effect from the start of April read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs – 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
Firefighters at Jersey Airport to be balloted for industrial action over pensions (1 Jul) – Firefighters at Jersey Airport are to be balloted for industrial action by their trade union Prospect in a dispute over pensions read more
Prospect members at Dounreay to take industrial action for first time in a generation (15 Apr) – Prospect members at Dounreay have voted to take industrial action over pay, starting with two days of strike action on May 1st and May 2nd followed by a work to rule read more
GMB
Unions walk out of Wiltshire Council ‘Fire & Rehire’ dispute meeting (16 Jul) – GMB and other unions’ negotiators refused to continue talks, with a ‘gun to the head’
GMB and sister unions were last week dismayed by Wiltshire Council’s continued refusal to remove the threat of ‘Fire & Rehire’ and were forced to walk out of a negotiation meeting when Council bosses refused to budge. ‘Fire & Rehire’ is the controversial practice whereby an employer effectively terminates a worker’s contract in order to re-engage them on altered – and often inferior – terms and conditions. The long-running dispute centres around the removal of contractual out-of-hours payments and has seen teams of social workers and parking wardens taking multiple days of action. The Council intends to cancel these key workers’ contracts in order to push through these contractual changes, which will result in a salary reduction of up to 20 per cent in some cases. Previous council tactics to avert strike action include an email from the former CEO which was deemed unlawful by an Employment Tribunal and was immediately followed by his resignation read more
Job Centre securty guards stage mass rally as 1,500 walk out (15 Jul) – Where: Supreme Court, Parliament Square, SW1P 3BD; When: Wednesday 17 July 2024. Assemble 1pm for March at 2pm. Job Centre security guards will stage a mass rally at the Supreme Court as 1,500 strike across the UK. The guards – employed by private outsourcing giant G4S – will then march to DWP and G4S headquarters. ore than 1,500 guards are on strike today [Monday] until Saturday 20 July across the UK read more
Cammell Laird crisis averted after agreement reached (12 Jul) – A crisis at Cammell Laird shipyard has been averted after an agreement was reached with the company. Hundreds of workers were balloted for strike action after several of their colleagues were suspended. Trouble began when members of the RMT union – who were on strike in a separate dispute – picketed the gates of Cammell Laird. Several workers, members of both GMB and Unite, stopped to talk to the picketers and were accused by the company of joining the picket and immediately suspended. The company has now agreed to bring the suspended workers back to work immediately with no case to answer read more
GMB to Justice Secretary: Probation workers need better pay (12 Jul) – Probation workers need improved pay and conditions as they tackle the fallout from the overcrowding crisis, GMB has told the new Justice Secretary. GMB met with Shabana Mahmood, the new Secretary of State for Justice this week to discuss the needs of probation workers read more
GMB reacts to Ofwat draft proposal (11 Jul) – GMB Union has reacted to Ofwat’s draft proposal today. The watchdog calls on water companies to pay £88 billion between 2025 and 2030 to deliver cleaner rivers and seas, and better services for customers. Meanwhile Customer bills are proposed to increase on average by £19 a year over the next five years – a third less than the bill increase requested by companies read more
Briar Chemicals faces strike vote (11 Jul) – Workers at Briar Chemicals in Norwich are voting on strike action in a dispute over pay. GMB Union has been negotiating with the company since November 2023, currently the only offer on the table is for a dental plan. More than 160 workers feel they are not being taken seriously and a vote for industrial action is the only way to make the company listen. GMB members are asking for an 8 per cent pay rise over two -years. The strike ballot runs until 23 July read more
More than 250 Bentley workers back strike action (10 Jul) – Bentley car workers in Crewe have overwhelmingly backed industrial action. The vote comes after workers were offered 3.5 per cent and a one off non-consolidated payment, while bosses were offered bonuses of over £14,000. Now 86 per cent of workers have backed strike action. The employer has not come forward with any new offer to avert strike action. Management at Bentley Motors also tried to force through a new Fit for Work policy – which would have impacted sick and disabled workers. This was stopped through worker action read more
Hundreds of Medirest workers to strike at Northwick Park Hospital (10 Jul) – Hundreds of Medirest workers at Northwick Park Hospital have voted to strike.
Staff are locked in a dispute over pay, conditions, disparities in contracts and a missing £1,300. GMB members – including caterers, ward hosts and porters – will walk out for several days from Friday 12 July after a majority of 97 per cent voted for industrial action. Angry Medirest workers have not been paid £1,300 from last year’s NHS pay deal – cash already paid to directly employed and some outsourced staff. They also suffer worse terms and conditions than NHS staff and have significant disparity in terms even with each other – despite often doing exact the same job. Finally, GMB has received credible reports of Medirest management intimidating members and attempting to dissuade them from taking strike action read more
Northern Ireland mass education strikes could be at an end (3 Jul) – Northern Ireland’s mass education strikes could be at an end after GMB members accepted a pay deal. More than 3,000 GMB members, including classroom assistants, drivers, bus escorts, catering staff, cleaning staff, administrative, building supervisors have taken several days of industrial action in a dispute over pay and grading. But today [Wednesday] a majority of 83 per cent of GMB Members voted to accept the new pay and grading proposal from the northern Ireland Executive. The Executive has now committed a financial package to implement Stage one of the proposal. GMB will now wait for the results of other unions’ ballots read more
Industrial action woes escalate for defence giant Rolls Royce (11 Jun) – Workers will refuse overtime work in the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.
GMB union has today announced that members at Rolls Royce’s submarine programme in Derby have backed an escalation in the ongoing industrial action facing the company. Workers will now engage in an overtime ban, meaning company managers will not be able to call on staff to fulfil already groaning order books outside of contracted hours. An overtime ban will come into place from Friday 31 May for one month read more
More than 130 NHS workers strike at Liverpool hospital (10 Jun) – More than 130 porters cleaners and catering staff will walk out today. Workers at Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Broadgreen Hospital will start day two of strike action today [Monday]. The NHS staff were employed by an arms length provider – which means they missed out on a lump sum payment given to other health worker colleagues. The strike, which could go on for another eight days, comes after their first day of action Friday (7 June) read more
Stonehenge School rocked by strike ballot (5 Jun) – Wiltshire school close to famous landmark being balloted by GMB union. GMB, the union for school support staff, is balloting members at The Stonehenge School in Amesbury, Wiltshire over changes to working practices. More than a dozen members of support staff are being balloted over changes to working practices, including additional duties interrupting the lunch breaks enjoyed by some colleagues for 17 years. The ballot opens on Monday 10 June and closes on Monday 1 July read more
Strike set to ‘decimate’ services at Orpington’s Princess Royal Hospital (28 May) – More than 100 workers at Princess Royal University Hospital are set to down tools from early morning on Wednesday 29 until midnight on Thursday 30 May.
Members of GMB, the union for healthcare workers, voted to take action over a number of workplace issues, including regularly delayed pay and non-payment of a Covid bonus paid to other colleagues on site. The striking workers are employed by the hospital’s private contractor ISS as cleaners, caterers, porters and security staff. Anyone wishing to visit the picket line can do so any time from Wednesday 29 May 00:01 to Thursday 30 May at 23:59, with a demonstration photocall between 9am and 10am on Wednesday. The demonstration will be outside the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough Common, Orpington, BR6 8ND read more
Asda Brighton Hollingbury Bank Holiday Weekend strike set to cause barbecue chaos (24 May) – Customers will have to cross a picket line to get barbecue and picnic supplies. More than 100 workers at Asda’s Brighton Hollingbury superstore are set to down tools from 20:00 on Friday 24 May until 15:00 on Saturday 25 May read more
Asda Lowestoft workers announce strike dates (18 Apr) – Asda workers Lowestoft have announced the dates they will strike. Almost 200 workers are set to down tools for 48 hours from 00:01 on Friday 10 May until 23.59 on Saturday 11 May read more
Nottinghamshire hospital workers announce more strikes (24 May) – Private contractors at three of Nottinghamshire’s biggest hospitals are set for two more days of strikes. Employed by Medirest, a private contractor in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust, workers are furious as company bosses refuse to keep terms and conditions in line with colleagues employed directly by the NHS. Strike action will take place from 06:00 on Thursday 30 May through to 05:59 on Saturday 01 June. Nearly three hundred workers, including porters, cleaners, security staff, catering workers and reception teams will take part in the walkout at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Community Hospitals read more
Birmingham faces school strike escalation (22 May) – GMB Union will ballot members in 35 additional schools. Along with the thirty-five that took part in strike action earlier this month, this brings the total number of Birmingham schools facing equal pay strike distribution in the city to 70. Workers including teaching assistants, catering staff and grounds maintenance workers will take part in the ballot. The vote comes after the union slammed council bosses for delays and broken promises on settling GMB members claims for equal pay read more
BCP Council hit by GMB union strike ballot (20 May) – Council workers being balloted over non-disclosure of information relating to job re-evaluation. Members of GMB, the union for BCP Council, are now being balloted as part of a long-running dispute, centred around the council’s job re-evaluation and regrading process. The workers are based within the council’s waste, recycling and street services and are based at the Southcote Road and Hatchpond Depots. The council is aiming to harmonise pay across the council, after the coming together of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Borough Councils on 1 April 2019. Despite several meetings with GMB union since members first rejected the council proposal in mid-March, council staff are still not being allowed to see data informing them of how changes will affect them personally. The formal ballot, scrutinised by Civica, is now open and will close on Wednesday 29 May, meaning any strike action could take place as early as mid-June read more
Cheshire nuclear workers vote to strike (13 May) – Nuclear workers in Cheshire have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. Around 500 staff at the Urenco Nuclear site in Capenhurst voted for industrial action after pay talks broke down. Unions GMB, Unite and Prospect will now meet with members to discuss strike dates 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
King’s Speech sets out plans to start mending broken public services (17 Jul)
Lewisham Council faces unrest over union busting, racism and £25m cuts
• Protesters slam “shocking and blatant union busting” as Lewisham Council moves to sack union reps
• Move comes as Council prepares to implement £25m of cuts
• Strike action on the cards, say union officials
Protesters gathered outside a Lewisham Council meeting on Wednesday evening in response to the Council’s attempts to sack both of its UNISON branch secretaries. Campaigners say that senior managers are using the sackings to hamstring Lewisham UNISON as the Council prepares to make £25m of cuts, with children’s services and adult social care set to take the worst hit. Justine Canady is the youngest UNISON branch secretary in the UK, and has transformed the branch since her election last year. After initially pulling back from plans to sack her, Lewisham Council is now moving ahead with the deletion of her post. The Council is also moving to sack Jay Kidd-Morton, alongside the rest of her team in the legal services department. She was previously Black Members’ Officer and had lodged a whistleblowing complaint about discriminatory practices. In an email to members earlier this month, Lewisham UNISON described the moves as “a shocking and blatant attempt at union-busting.” It added: “The Council has now moved to dismiss both of your union’s joint Branch Secretaries in exceptional circumstances, with 5 people in total likely to lose their jobs very soon. There is now a case not only of anti-trade union victimisations, but also of racism.” Union officials have stated that UNISON could move towards strike action if the sackings are not called off. The protest on Wednesday drew wide support, with trade unionists attending from across London. Solidarity greetings were read out from UNISON’s national president and its national executive. For more information, please email [email protected]
Plymouth healthcare workers to strike for three days next week (11 Jul) – Staff are set to walk out from midnight on Wednesday 17 July for 72 hours. Hundreds of healthcare workers at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth are to take three further days of strike action next week, says UNISON today (Thursday). Healthcare assistants, maternity care assistants, imaging care assistants and clinical support workers at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust are set to walk out from midnight on Wednesday 17 July for 72 hours. Next week’s three-day walkout is the second time the support staff have taken action. It follows a 48-hour strike last month read more
Barnet UNISON Mental Health social work strike update (16 Jul) – On Monday 15 July our members returned to work after taking 81 days of strike action. UNISON have suspended strike action and are in the process of agreeing some dates for further talks with Barnet Council read more
Send messages of support to [email protected]
‘Left behind’ Surrey and Sussex healthcare staff to strike, says UNISON (8 Jul) – More than 350 staff at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) will begin two days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) in a dispute over their employers’ failure to pay the full rate for the work they do read more
NIPSA
Branch Consultation On 2024/25 NI Civil Service Pay Claim (8 Jul) – from Carmel Gates General Secretary: The branch consultation on the pay claim for 2024/25 has now concluded and members have overwhelmingly endorsed the claim. The following claim will now be submitted to the NICS management on behalf of members in the NICS and in those ALBs that mirror NICS pay read more
Message Received Loud And Clear – Industrial Action In Health And Social Care (5 Jul) – from Kevin Kelly Assistant Secretary: Dear member, Firstly, on behalf of NIPSA and the wider membership I wish to thank all those who took part in the recent industrial action in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. These members set out to send a message to the Department of Health (DoH) and the Minister that staffing levels within Social Work has hit a crisis point and urgent action needs to be taken. They stood on picket lines in Lisburn, Ards and Downpatrick facing weather conditions of a typical NI summer of 4 seasons in one day. This did not deter them nor the various supporters from other Branches and HQ Staff. They followed this up with a protest to the Secretary of State’s office at Erskine House, today Friday 5 July 2024. As a result of this action the DOH have made direct contact with NIPSA and they are now seeking discussions to address these issues in a more meaningful way. This is by no means an end to the dispute but it shows that our message has been heard loud and clear and for that reason, everyone should be proud of the stance that they have taken read more
PSNI members ballot for industrial action (3 Jun) – NIPSA’s members in the PSNI are participating in a ballot for Industrial Action and Action Short of Strike Action. This is in relation to the years of stagnation whereby police staff are given significantly less than their Police Officer counterparts in what is widely known as “danger money”, formally named the “Revised Environmental Allowance” (REA). IPSA members face similar threats as their Officer counterparts on a daily basis yet are only afforded 1/7th of the financial reward of their colleagues in green. This threat is solely linked to being employed by the PSNI and our members are considered ‘legitimate targets’ by those who wish to disrupt society and threaten peace read more
Royal College of Nursing
King’s Speech response: policy programme is step towards nursing reset and renewal (17 Jul)
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
BMA
Donate to support striking junior doctors
(From the Mirror) Talks begin next week to end junior doctors’ strikes as Labour gets to work (5 Jul) – As his first act in office, Wes Streeting says he has spoken to the British Medical Association (BMA) to re-start negotiations in a bid to end the dispute over pay and working conditions read more on Mirror website
(From BBC website) Hospital consultants suspend strike action in NI (19 Jul) – Senior doctors have suspended taking any strike action for now. Consultants in Northern Ireland have suspended their forthcoming industrial action. The British Medical Association (BMA) has announced that the Department of Health have put forward a credible pay offer that it wishes to explore further. The senior doctors were due to take part in a 24-hour walk out from 26 to 27 June. The decision had been voted for as part of a long-running dispute over pay read more on BBC website
Urgent action demand on pay in Northern Ireland (6 Jun) – Junior doctors begin another round of industrial activity. Junior doctors will gather at Stormont today in a rally to mark the latest round of industrial action in Northern Ireland. Hundreds of junior doctors are expected to take part in the event at the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly to call for urgent action to reverse years of real-terms pay decline read more
HCSA
HCSA Consultant and SAS doctor members in Northern Ireland vote yes for strike action (17 Jul) – HCSA consultant and SAS doctor members employed by the NHS in Northern Ireland have returned a decisive Yes vote for both strike action and action short of strike on pay. Members voted 85% for strike and 100% for action short of strike read more
NEU
Support staff pay – Over the last two weeks, our consultation asked support staff members in state funded schools in England and Wales whether they accepted or rejected the Local Government Association (LGA) pay offer for 2024-25. In England 92 per cent voted to reject on a 49.5 per cent turnout. In Wales the vote was 96 per cent to reject on a 48.9 per cent turnout. Members had already voted in an indicative ballot to take action in pursuit of the recognised National Joint Council (NJC) unions’ (Unite, Unison and GMB) pay claim, so there was no need to ‘chase the vote’. This makes the response even more impressive and reflects the growing level of workplace organisation of support staff. Both Unison and Unite members voted to reject the offer, though GMB have accepted it. At their meeting yesterday, the national executive agreed that we should approach Unison and Unite with a view to arranging co-ordinated action. The teachers’ snap poll in September may also open up possibilities of co-ordinated action in the sector. More details and the latest support staff newsletter are available here
Support the following action:-
| Action Date Contact Chingford Foundation School (Conditions of Service) 15-17 July Pablo Phillips [email protected] South Chingford Foundation School (Conditions of Service) 15-17 July Pablo Phillips [email protected] Connaught School for Girls / Waltham Forest (Conditions of Service) 16-19 July Pablo Phillips [email protected] Oulton Academy / Leeds (Transfer of Employer) 15-17 July Terry Bambrook/Mary Owen [email protected] [email protected] St Anne’s School & Sixth Form / East Riding (Conditions of Service) 15-18 July Damian Walenta [email protected] Swanshurst School / Birmingham (Transfer of Employer) 18 July David Room [email protected] The Trinity Catholic School / Nottingham (Conditions of Service) 17-18 July Sheena Wheatley [email protected] Holy Trinity CE Primary / Lambeth (School Closure) 18 July Jessica Edwards [email protected] St Saviours CE Primary / Lambeth (School Closure) 18 July Jessica Edwards [email protected] St John’s Angell Town CE Primary / Lambeth (School Closure) 18 July Jessica Edwards [email protected] Rochdale Improvement Service / Rochdale (Redundancies) 17 July Nick Wigmore [email protected] Bristol Hospital Education Service / Bristol (Pay) 17 July Tom Bolton [email protected] |
NASUWT
King’s Speech is step in the right direction for teaching profession, says NASUWT (17 Jul)
Nottingham teachers strike to protect working conditions (17 Jul) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are taking two days of strike action at The Trinity Catholic School in Aspley, Nottingham, in response to changing working conditions which will have an adverse effect on staffing levels, planning time and class sizes. These changes will impact both on teacher workload and the education of the students read more
Wiltshire teachers strike over concerns with management (16 Jul) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Melksham Oak Community School in Wiltshire will strike on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th July over adverse management practices. Teachers at Melksham Oak are concerned for the safety and wellbeing of themselves and their pupils after a series of decisions made by senior leadership have made it increasingly difficult for the teachers to do their jobs read more
Unions join forces to fight ULT pension plans (15 Jul) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, has today joined with other education unions in demanding that United Learning Trust drops its plans to encourage thousands of teachers to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme read more
Teacher pensions raid prompts strike action at Palmers Green school (5 Jul) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Palmers Green High School in Enfield are taking two days of strike action next Monday and Tuesday over attempts to erode teachers’ access to a decent pension. Teachers at the school are being asked to choose whether to accept a real-terms pay cut and stay in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) or agree to move into an inferior Defined Contribution pension scheme which will offer less financial security in retirement. In addition, new staff joining the school will have no option at all to join the TPS read more
Further strike action by teachers at Chester college over pensions attack (4 Jul) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Abbey Gate College in Chester are taking further strike action next Monday and Wednesday over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. Teachers have taken six days of strike action in the ongoing dispute as the employer has refused to negotiate over plans to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Instead, hard working and dedicated teachers have been told that if they remain in the TPS their salaries will be reduced read more
Manchester teachers strike over sacking of union rep (24 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union are starting the first of eleven planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) at William Hulme’s Grammar School in Manchester over the decision by employers to select the NASUWT’s workplace rep for redundancy and other adverse management practices. NASUWT maintains that the employer has failed to provide a legitimate reason or business case for redundancy and that there is evidence of discrimination on the grounds of trade union membership. The dismissal of a trade union rep is the latest in a pattern of adverse management practices at the school which are impacting the wider staff. These include the way in which staff absence is being managed and the use of support plans read more
Teachers at Ealing school strike over pensions attack (18 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Benedict’s School in Ealing are starting the first of eight planned days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. The employer is attempting to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior scheme which will offer less security in retirement. If teachers choose to remain in the TPS they must accept a pay cut to stay in the scheme read more
Strike action in Northumberland schools over jobs threat (5 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union are starting the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) at three middle schools in Northumberland where approximately 50 to 60 teachers are at threat of losing their jobs over reorganisation plans. From the outset, Northumberland County Council committed to protect staff from Job losses, but they have so far failed to honour this pledge. Northumberland County Council plans to close Glendale, Tweedmouth and Berwick Middle Schools as part of a move to a primary and secondary school system. Currently, the Council is refusing to consider either redeployment or voluntary redundancy schemes for affected teachers read more
Llangors Church In Wales primary teachers shunned by Powys LA (5 Jun) – Now in their 13th week of industrial dispute over adverse management, governance and avoidable redundancy through financial mismanagement, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School are due to take their 11th day of strike action (Thursday 6th June). Powys County Council’s persistent failure to negotiate with NASUWT continues and the reduction of the teaching workforce is still proceeding, despite the ending of a dismissal process by compulsory redundancy of a member of staff read more
Wembley teachers strike over forced academy plans (3 Jun) – NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is taking the first of eleven planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) at Byron Court Primary School in Wembley over plans to force the school to become an academy. Removing the school from local authority control threatens teachers’ jobs and their terms and conditions. Parents as well as school staff oppose the forcible academisation of the school, which follows an Ofsted inspection late last year and the triggering of an automatic academy order by the Department for Education read more
Cheadle teachers fight pay and pensions attack (14 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Lady Barn House School in Cheadle are taking the first of six planned days of strike action on Thursday after they were threatened with being fired from their jobs unless they accept a pay cut to retain access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). The employer is threatening teachers with ‘fire and rehire’ to force through new and inferior contracts which impose a 3.5% pay cut in return for remaining in the TPS. Despite current financial forecasts from the school stating they can afford to continue paying pension contributions up to 2028, the employer has refused to delay the imposition of contractual changes on staff read more
EIS
Lecturers strike back against “deeming” of pay by college employers (1 Jul) – Lecturers at two Scottish Further Education Colleges have voted in favour of strike action in protest at college employers ‘deeming’ (i.e. withholding) pay from lecturers engaged in industrial Action Short of Strike (ASoS). Lecturers at Ayrshire College and South Lanarkshire College were balloted by the EIS, following colleges managements’ decision to withhold pay from lecturers engaged in ASoS. The result was a powerful vote in favour of strike action in protest at the action by the colleges, and in order to recover salaries withheld by deeming read more
Pay Settlement Delay Unacceptable – Statement by SNCT Teachers’ Panel (24 Jun) – The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has met today to consider the lack of response from local authority employers, following the failure to acknowledge the Panel’s unanimous rejection of an unacceptable pay offer made at the beginning of June. The moving of the implementation date for a pay settlement to 1st August 2024 had been previously agreed, at SNCT, by both COSLA and the Scottish Government as part of the previous teachers’ pay settlement read more
Glasgow teachers vote YES to industrial action (12 Jun) – Glasgow teachers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action with 96% voting Yes to Action Short of Strike and 90% voting for Strike action, in a ballot organised by the EIS. The Consultative Ballot of more than 5000 EIS members in Glasgow was conducted as the next stage in the dispute the EIS lodged with Glasgow City Council (GCC) on March 15th which called for a reversal in the proposal to cut 450 teaching posts over GCC’s three-year budget read more
INTO
Joint Committee Adopts INTO Recommendations on All-Island Education System (16 Jul) – The Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement today launched their report titled “Perspectives on Constitutional Change: Finance and Economics” read more
Non Teaching Staff Strike Action 03 June 2024 – INTO acknowledge that our sister unions must pursue their objectives in ways most appropriate to their members. The interests of INTO and our non-teaching trade unions are not dissimilar, and to be clear, the INTO supports their endeavours. Our non-teaching education staff are essential and vital to the running of our schools. Indeed, our schools simply would not function without them. Our members have reported, over many years, difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff to the many essential non-teaching roles in schools. This is directly related to their salary and how they are valued. Our children need these workers to be appropriately remunerated for the essential role they fulfil. Therefore, we stand fully behind them in this dispute and will take no steps to undermine their campaign. INTO members should not reduce the efficacy of the industrial action of classroom assistants. Our members should undertake no duties that would be untypical of that day read more
UCU
UCU response to King’s Speech (17 Jul)
Strike action announced at Goldsmiths ahead of crunch talks (15 Jul) – Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London will strike from Monday 23 to Friday 27 September 2024 in a long-running dispute over a brutal redundancy programme. UCU will also meet Goldsmiths management at ACAS later today and is demanding the university halts all compulsory redundancies so that an improved voluntary severance scheme can be explored, as per the branch’s counterproposals during the consultation process. Goldsmiths staff are also engaged in an ongoing marking and assessment boycott, which is causing significant disruption to graduations and student progression, and are balloting to extend their ability to take industrial action into the next academic year. They recently took ten days of strike action, which ended on Friday 28 June. The dispute is over the extraordinary cuts the university is set to make. Over 130 staff were originally set to be made redundant, including more than one in six academics. This has now fallen to 97 who remain at risk of losing their jobs before the start of the next academic year in September. Goldsmiths has been criticised for trying to close its Black British literature course and for the impact of its cuts on the arts and humanities. UCU is also engaged in a global academic boycott of the institution and is calling on members, university workers, trade unionists, and supporters worldwide to boycott the university read more
UCU sends its solidarity to teachers at the British Council Taiwan balloting over low pay (13 Jun) – On behalf of the 125,000 members of the University and College Union in the United Kingdom, we send solidarity greetings to our colleagues in the Teachers at the British Council Taiwan regarding your current strike ballot over pay read more
Staff vote to strike at University of Lincoln over job cuts (6 Jun) – UCU has today announced that members at the University of Lincoln have voted to take industrial action over drastic cuts to over 200 jobs. 80% of members who voted supported industrial action, on a turnout of 55%. Dates for strikes will be announced in due course, but may be as soon as next month which could impact clearing and open days. The looming threat targets over 220 employees across the university, including one in ten academic staff. This is despite the most recent accounts showing that in 2022/23 the university ran a £3m operating surplus and had £46m in cash reserves read more
University of Winchester staff to strike tomorrow (3 Jun) – University of Winchester staff will strike tomorrow over brutal job cuts. Staff will be picketing the university from 8am tomorrow morning. They will then begin action short of strike on Wednesday (5 June), including working to rule and refusing to cover for absent colleagues. The action follows an overwhelming 79% of UCU members voting to strike on a turnout of 59% in a fight against plans to cut around 40 academic staff and increase workloads. UCU fears the changes will lead to unmanageable working hours read more
Staff vote to strike at Sheffield Hallam University over ‘vicious job cuts’ (3 Jun) – UCU today announced that members at Sheffield Hallam University have voted to strike over drastic cuts and erosion of terms and conditions. 87% of members who voted have supported industrial action, on a turnout of 53%. Dates for strikes will be announced in due course. UCU has accused the university of pushing ahead with expensive building projects and satellite campuses, while launching a wholesale attack on staff and students through an unprecedented cuts programme, severely breaching the post-92 contract and national framework, and destroying working conditions read more
Staff to strike at North East college group open day (2 May) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees will strike on Thursday 16 and Wednesday 22 May in a long running dispute over low pay that has already seen staff down tools for eight days. On Thursday 16 May staff will picket the open day at Redcar and Cleveland College campus and on Wednesday 22 May they will picket Stockton and Riverside College campus. The strike action is the latest escalation after staff rejected employer Education Training Collective’s (ETC) most recent offer. This did not include any improvement on pay and was limited to an extra two “wellbeing days” and additional points on the lecturer and course leader pay scales starting on Thursday 1 August 2024. ETC’s position on pay remains that it wants staff to accept a paltry increase of just 3% for 22/23, with an additional 1% from May 2023 read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Fire Brigades Union reacts to the King’s Speech (17 Jul)
King’s Speech must include ‘oven ready’ legislation on workers’ rights, says union leader (15 Jul) – The Labour government is expected to deliver its first King’s Speech on Wednesday. Fire Brigades Union leader Matt Wrack has said that it must contain ‘oven ready’ legislation to deliver workers’ rights, including the repeal of recent anti-union laws passed under the Tories. Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “It’s vital that the King’s speech contains substantial and ‘oven ready’ legislation to deliver Labour’s New Deal for Working People. Words alone are not enough…” read more
FBU general secretary calls for justice ahead of Durham Miners’ Gala (13 Jul) – This year, Durham Miners’ Gala will mark the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike with thousands gathering on Saturday. Speaking ahead of the Gala, FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “As we gather in our thousands for the Durham Big Meeting, the UK is at a turning point. After more than fourteen year of cuts, falling wages and authoritarianism, Labour must deliver hope and justice. The trade union movement will be central to building a better future, advancing the interests of working people through struggle…” read more
Merseyside fire authority postpones vote on “dangerous” crewing policy after firefighters’ uproar (26 Jun) – FBU members gathered outside Merseyside fire authority meeting. Merseyside fire authority has today postponed a vote on proposals to send firefighters to incidents in crews of three on a fire engine, as firefighters rallied outside the meeting in opposition to the “dangerous” policy. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says that a minimum number of five firefighters is needed to respond to incidents safely and professionally. A fire engine with three firefighters on board cannot deploy breathing apparatus and must wait for back-up to arrive to safely respond to a range of incidents, including when lives are at risk. FBU representatives, including general secretary Matt Wrack, attended this afternoon’s fire authority meeting, voicing opposition to crews of three as well as the Community Risk Management Plan outlining the removal of watch managers from fire engines and reintroducing downgraded ‘small fires units’, which the union argues will put firefighters at greater risk. The Labour Party has committed to national standards for fire and rescue in its manifesto, including firefighter crewing levels. The fire authority has said that proposals will be discussed at the next fire authority meeting, which will take place on a date after the general election read more
POA
National Chair update June 2024 read more
NAPO
UPW Update (12 Jul) – We have received the revised MOU for consultation following Napo’s concerns as to where the responsibility for the final sign off of these contracts should be, and it is, as we suspected, the commercial department. There will be a checklist for the coordinators to use when setting up new contracts, and these will then be overseen by the UPW Managers read more
DASO and VLO Update (12 Jul) – The trade unions have now received the new Daso manual for consultation prior to the planned job evaluation read more
Pause of Regional Business Manager and Business Manager Job Evaluation (12 Jul) – We are contacting Business Manager and Regional (RPD) Business Manager members to advise that the Job Evaluation processes for both roles have currently paused due to potential new responsibilities coming to light which the trade unions are currently investigating. This is linked to the upcoming changes in the Business Strategy and Change teams and their withdrawal from Probation Estates and Facilities Management activity read more
Enough is enough – a consultative ballot on pay and workloads read more
How to vote in the Consultative Ballot – NAPO’s consultative ballot on pay and workloads closes at 12 noon on Friday 5th July and we have made some improvements to the voting process which should make it quicker and easier for you to get involved read more
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
BALPA Welcomes the end to ‘Fire and Re-hire’ (17 Jul)
Bristow Helicopters Dispute Update Statement (16 May) – In response to the latest Bristow Helicopters statement to media, BALPA General Secretary Amy Leversidge said: “We appreciate Bristow Helicopters management finally acknowledging that pilots and tech crews are critical to the success of the company and indicating they want to come back to the table to negotiate with us. However, they need to accept that in a ballot of our members 95% rejected the current offer on the table. After the ballot we entered back into ACAS talks and after over a week of trying to get movement from Bristow management they tabled an offer that was virtually indistinguishable from the rejected offer. There is no confusion or misunderstanding on our part, our members are clear and resolute – we need an offer that is just focused on pay and is not reliant on reducing terms and conditions…” read more
Nautilus International
RFA: industrial action gets MOD back around the table (26 Jun) – Nautilus members at the RFA began industrial action after 14 years of pay austerity, which has seen their salaries drop by 30% in real terms due to inflation. Image: Nautilus International. The Ministry of Defence has agreed to return to the negotiating table with Nautilus International following industrial action short of strike by members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). For 25 days Nautilus members have undertaken work responsibilities commensurate with their job title and have not provided cover or acted in a capacity above or below their job title. The industrial action has affected ordinary operations across the RFA flotilla and shore-based establishments. Nautilus members continue to work as normal during active operations and continue to work in full compliance with all safety guidelines and policies read more
NUJ
NUJ seeks leave to join covert surveillance case at Investigatory Powers Tribunal (18 Jul) – The NUJ will be legally represented at a resumed hearing of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) on Thursday 13 July at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, when the union applies to be joined in proceedings examining alleged unlawful covert surveillance of journalists by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) read more
NUJ hails major breakthrough as Irish language journalists win pay parity (12 Jul) – All staff employed at the Irish language service RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will now enjoy pay parity with journalists working in the English language services read more
NUJ warns against complacency over threats to journalists (11 Jul) – The union has warned against a creeping culture of complacency regarding threats to journalists in Northern Ireland read more
NUJ welcomes BBC pension case ruling (10 Jul) – The NUJ is pleased to note the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal, in which three judges dismissed the BBC’s appeal confirming that it can only make changes to its pension schemes in limited circumstances read more
NUJ welcomes watchdog’s delay of a new spin-off BBC 2 “oldies” online station (10 Jul) – Ofcom said it could have an adverse impact on competition, the NUJ says the funds should be used to protect local radio read more
Equity
Spotlight update and FAQs (11 Jul) – Information about Equity’s policy, legal action, and approach regarding Spotlight. This morning (11 July) eight Equity members filed papers at the High Court in a class action against Spotlight. We are seeking a declaration from a judge that the law and the relevant regulations to Spotlight. A successful judgment would mean that the courts agree that Spotlight must show that their rates of subscription to their members amount to no more than a reasonable estimate of the cost of production and distribution of their directory read more
Equity gains foothold in Theatre in Education sector (10 Jul) – Equity signs recognition agreement with Shooting Star Entertainments. Equity has confirmed a recognition agreement with Shooting Star Entertainments. The agreement represents an important foothold for the union in the Theatre in Education (TiE) sector. Shooting Stars will now work under a full Equity agreement that recognises performers (and stage management) as workers in law under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and affords them their basic statutory rights. The agreement exceeds on the basic minimums in many areas. TiE is a difficult environment in which some unscrupulous producers undercut decent producers and exploit workers to keep the costs offered to schools down read more
Musicians’’ Union
Union Members Vote Yes to Potential Strike Action at Welsh National Opera (17 Jul) – Welsh National Opera’s orchestra have voted overwhelmingly in favour of potential strike action, in response to proposals that would reduce the employment of the orchestra from a full-time to 85% contract, along with a 15% pay cut read more
Protect Welsh National Opera: Sign the Petition Now – Musicians at Welsh National Opera orchestra are campaigning to keep the orchestra full time and secure the company’s future read more
RWCMD Petition Hits 10,000 Signatures and is Discussed at Senedd Petitions Committee (4 Jul) – More leading figures from music and the arts sign the Union’s open letter in support of Young RWCMD, as the Senedd Petitions Committee call for urgent action to protect the programme read more
Protect the Junior RWCMD department: Sign the Petition – Members at the Junior RWCMD department are campaigning to keep the college’s junior music and drama programmes open read more
Community
Labour Government delivers ambitious and transformative King’s Speech (17 Jul)
Meeting with Business Secretary to discuss Tata Steel (10 Jul) – Today the steel unions met with the new Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, to discuss the urgent situation at Tata Steel UK read more
Closure of Blast Furnace 5, Port Talbot (5 Jul) – Last night the life of Blast Furnace 5 at Port Talbot Steelworks was brought to a close after 65 years read more
Union votes for strike action over Tata job losses (9 May) – Community said 85% of its members backed industrial action. Members of the largest steelworkers’ union, Community, have voted in favour of industrial action over Tata Steel’s restructuring plans. The union said 85% of those who voted supported the move. Workers were balloted after Tata Steel announced 2,800 job losses across the UK as part of the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and a transition to greener steelmaking read more on BBC website
USDAW
Concentrix propose significant job losses at the Argos and Sainsbury’s call centre in Widnes – Usdaw to enter consultation talks (12 Jul) – Retail trade union Usdaw represents staff at the Sainsbury’s and Argos call centre in Widnes that was recently outsourced to Concentrix, a global technology and services company, who have now announced plans to offshore a significant amount of the work. The site at Ditton in Widnes employs around 600 staff and the Concentrix proposals could put over 450 jobs at risk read more
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
Private school cleaners fight cuts in hours and pay (15 Jul) – “I can’t believe they have cut our pay. It is blackmail what they’re doing – forcing us to agree to a cut in hours or a cut in pay. I don’t feel valued. I feel outraged. We are people. They don’t treat us like people. (…) We will fight back with everything, we are fighting for our rights and the rights of anyone else who ever works in this company. The fight is not just for me. It is for everyone” – Nelsa Jimenez, a cleaner at JAGs. Cleaners at the prestigious £24,000-a-year private school James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) in Dulwich, London, are in a fierce battle against severe pay cuts and slashed hours. The unlawful 12% reduction, from £13.15 to £11.55 per hour, came without warning on July 9, immediately after a historic unanimous strike vote—the first ever among JAGS cleaners, finalised on July 5. The abrupt pay cut has devastated the hard-working cleaners, many of whom have faithfully served the school for over a decade. Already among the lowest-paid at the school, they now face an even more dire financial situation, barely above minimum wage read more
Round 2: GOSH cleaners vs racist outsourcing (11 Jul) – The Employment Appeal Tribunal has accepted United Voices of the World (UVW) union appeal against Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). The brave UVW cleaners, all Black, brown, and migrant workers, seek £10 million for years of denied NHS pay, in the first claim of its kind against an NHS Trust for indirect race discrimination.The fight goes on! In this case we argue that the outsourcing of a nearly all Black, brown and migrant group of cleaners on worse pay and T&C’s than the NHS – and then waiting over a year to bring them on to full NHS T&C’s after winning their campaign to be brought in-house – was unlawful indirect race discrimination. This follows UVW’s recent appeal to the Supreme Court in a similar claim against the Royal Parks read more
DFE strike postponed: facility staff secure backdated pay (9 Jul) – “We have had to strike twice and we were prepared to walk out for the third time on Wednesday, but it’s great news that we have finally averted the strike. This is thanks to all of us working together with our union, in unity, showing our resolve and determination as a group to achieve equality for all workers” – Gloria Mancera, cleaner and UVW member. The strike action scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 10 July, at the Department for Education (DfE) has been postponed following a significant breakthrough. All facilities staff at the DfE – cleaners, caterers, receptionists and post room staff – have secured backdated pay of up to £2,500 each after reaching an agreement with facilities multinational ISS UK Limited (ISS), their employer and outsourced service provider for the DfE in their workplace. They have also agreed to enter a two-month period of intense negotiations to address all other demands, including improved sick pay and annual leave, as well as assurances that no current employees at Sanctuary Buildings will face redundancy. ISS conceded to UVW demands after caterers joined the cleaners in a second round of strike action two weeks ago, and post room workers were poised to follow suit. This collective action has forced ISS into meaningful negotiations read more
IWGB
IWGB statement on the sale of Addison Lee (5 Jul) – As many of you will have seen, Addison Lee has been put up for sale by its owners led by Cheyne Capital and Liam Griffin. This can understandably cause anxiety and worry amongst drivers given previous changes in ownership, however, we would like to explain what this means for you as drivers at Addison Lee and what we can do as a union in response read more
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
National Advocacy Service to bring protest to Taoiseach’s office (17 Jul) – National Advocacy Service staff, who are in their second week of strike action, will protest outside the constituency office of the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in Wicklow later today to highlight their demand that a Labour Court recommendation on their pay and conditions is respected so they can return to work assisting vulnerable people with disabilities read more
National Advocacy Service strike action resumes (7 Jul) – SIPTU members employed in the National Advocacy Service will return to the picket lines tomorrow (Monday, 8th July) following a failure by management to adhere to an agreement to honour a Labour Court recommendation on pay and conditions for the workers who provide vital services for people with disabilities read more
SIPTU condemns release of video footage of Limerick bus incident (15 Jul) – SIPTU has called for a full investigation into how footage of an incident last Friday where a female bus driver and member of the Union was shot with an airgun while working in the Limerick area has managed to be widely distributed on social media read more
Other news
Affiliate with STAMMA – at the NSSN Conference, Gary Clark retired CWU Royal Mail rep and a member of the NSSN Steering Committee spoke about 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
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
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)
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:
Strike announced to defend unfairly sacked member (22 May) – Further to my previous Circular (IR/123/24, 19th April 2024), all RMT members at Oxford Circus Area are congratulated for standing firm together against injustice during the strike action from 3rd to 4th May. Gerald’s appeal hearing has now taken place but regrettably, LUL upheld the decision to dismiss him rather than taking action to rightly resolve this dispute. This matter has been considered by the National Executive Committee, which has taken the decision to instruct all RMT members at Oxford Circus Area to take strike action and NOT TO BOOK ON FOR SHIFTS THAT COMMENCE BETWEEN: 00:01 hours on Friday 28th June until 23:59 hours on Saturday 29th June 2024. The NEC has also taken the decision to escalate this dispute and ballot all other Station Grades members in the Bakerloo South Cover Group Area. Ballot papers were sent to members at Charing Cross Area, Elephant & Castle Area and Piccadilly Circus Area on Wednesday 15th May and these ballots will close on Thursday 30th May. I will keep Branches advised of all further developments 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
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
Palestine: IFJ records killings of 117 Palestinian journalists in Gaza read more on NUJ website
Solidarity with the striking textile workers at Ozak in Turkey – read more on Twitter of Solidarity with the People of Turkey @spotturkey
Diary
2024
September
8 NSSN TUC Congress Rally & Lobby – 1pm The Old Ship Hotel Brighton
October
5 Troublemakers At Work Conference Central Hall in Manchester details
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
