NSSN 691: Keep the pressure on to scrap the Tory anti-union laws

Tories Gone! – Fight for Workers Policies – come to the NSSN Rally & Lobby of TUC Congress – Old Ship Hotel Brighton, 1pm Sunday 8th September

Speakers confirmed so far: Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Ian Lawrence NAPO General Secretary, Marion Lloyd PCS NEC (personal capacity), Suzanne Muna SHAC – Social Housing Action Campaign & Unite Executive, Rob Williams NSSN Chair plus there will be an open mic for union reps and members to speak

Chair: Katrine Williams NSSN Secretary

For travel info to Brighton for the NSSN TUC Congress Rally & Lobby, email [email protected]

Last week, we welcomed reports that the Labour Government has confirmed its manifesto commitment to repeal the latest Tory anti-union law, Sunak’s Minimum Service Levels Act (MSL). It is now being reported that they also intend to scrap the undemocratic voting thresholds enshrined in Cameron’s Trade Union Act 2016. This means that no matter how many union members vote for action, it cannot go ahead unless the turnout is at least 50%. Yet if this had been applied in the general election, 58 MPs would have been barred from office.

This news is again very welcome. But we have to keep the pressure on to ensure it is done. Also, the Tory anti-union laws go much further than the MSL and the TU Act. For instance, they prevent solidarity action, even in the same workplace if workers are in a different union or for example in a hospital or council where some workers are in an outsourced company. We support the demand of some unions for the repeal of all the anti-union legislation and the restoration of all union rights.

The POA Prison Officers union have correctly demanded that their right to strike is brought back, after the then New Labour Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw restored the Tory ban in 2007. That shameful act is a reminder that Thatcher and Major’s anti-union laws were disgracefully largely kept intact after 13 years of Blair and Brown’s New Labour governments.

And it is also proof that the trade union movement must keep the pressure on Starmer now, particularly given his refusal to lift the two-child benefit cap and the cutting of pensioners’ heating allowance.

It also shows why trade union members should come to the NSSN rally & lobby of the TUC in Brighton on Sunday 8th September – to set out the policies that workers need, and the necessity to organise to fight for them.

FBU welcomes news that Labour set to scrap ‘authoritarian’ anti union laws (19 Aug) – The Fire Brigades Union has welcomed news that the government is set to scrap ‘authoritarian’ anti trade union laws introduced by the Conservatives. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters and other working people will say good riddance to these authoritarian and undemocratic anti worker laws. Both the Minimum Service Levels legislation and the 2016 trade union act sought to effectively ban workers taking strike action in defence of their jobs, wages and conditions. That vindictive anti-trade union legislation passed by the Tories would not have been out of place in a dictatorship. The FBU has been at the forefront of the campaign to scrap this assault on the working class. Today’s news is a massive victory for our union.” Read more

POA demand equal treatment on trade union rights (6 Aug) – The POA welcome todays Government announcement regarding their intention to repeal the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act,2023. However, the repealing of this Bill does not affect POA Members who are still subject to some of the most pernicious legislation which removes the rights of Prison Officers to take any form of Industrial Action read more

June’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 Labour Government.

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.

Workers Unity to stop the far-right

The NSSN stands with the rest of the union movement against the violent protests whipped up by the recent racist far-right and the fascists. Our supporters have taken part in the many counter-protests that are taking place.

The far-right are looking to exploit the horrific incident in Southport for their own ends. We send support and solidarity to all those affected by that attack, especially the families of those killed and injured.

With absolutely no evidence and on the basis of deliberate misinformation, the far-right have targeted refugees, migrant workers and the Black and Asian and Muslim communities.

It is essential that the trade union movement plays the leading role in building a united movement against the far-right. This is especially the case as history has shown, the far-right and fascist forces have targeted unions and striking workers.  

With 6.5million members, across all working-class communities, the unions have the authority and power to unite workers against racist division which weakens our movement and only assists the bosses.

The strike wave over the last few years has shown that workers and their unions are prepared and able to fight to defend jobs and living standards, and when they do so, they become a pole of attraction for all those suffering from austerity.

Therefore, we believe that the TUC and the unions should call a national Saturday demonstration to bring together workers in a united response to the far-right.

And where the racists call local protests, the union movement should take the lead in organising counter-protests, linking up with migrants, refugees and any targeted communities as well as anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations. All protests must be well stewarded by trade unions to guard against any threat from far-right groups.

We welcomed the motion passed at TUC Congress in 2018 that launched a “Jobs, Homes, Not Racism campaign to unite the wider trade union movement and to campaign effectively against the far right” as it is vital that the labour and trade union movement takes on racist division by giving an alternative to the decades of austerity and anti-worker policies of successive governments.

The union movement has responded to the far-right protests with statements including the following – TUC, Unite, RMT, CWU, PCS, Unison, NIPSA, CSP, NEU, UCU, FBU, NUJ, Equity, BFAWU, ASLEF, GMB, RCN, CSP, UCU, NAPO, POA, Musicians Union, Community, USDAW, IWGB, Prospect, SOR, BMA, HCSA, INTO, UVW

See protests on the Stand Up To Racism website

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 National Dispute Fund  

RMT in pay talks on behalf of rail workers and RFA seafarers next week (16 Aug) – TRANSPORT UNION RMT will enter pay talks with the Department of Transport on behalf of the train operating companies next Tuesday and Network Rail next Thursday as well as talks with the Ministry of Defence on behalf Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) members in order to settle long running pay disputes. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that all offers would be dealt with by the union after talks are completed with Network Rail and the MoD on Thursday read more

RMT Royal Fleet Auxiliary ratings take worldwide strike action (16 Aug) – RMT members working onboard Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels around the world including Singapore and Cyprus took part in further strike action today (Friday August 16, 2024) against low pay. Members on RFA Argus currently docked in Singapore and RFA Mounts Bay in Cyprus joined members around the UK bringing a global spotlight on poor pay, and terms and conditions of employment at RFA when compared to other shipping companies. RFA ratings downed tools the day after RFA officers took strike action for the first time in the long running dispute over low pay in what even the government believes is an essential and professional service. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch congratulated members for taking a fourth day of strike action but lamented the fact that ministers and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) were in no hurry to resolve the ongoing dispute read more

RMT Royal Fleet Auxiliary ratings to take strike action (15 Aug)

Royal Fleet Auxiliary picket line details for Friday 16 August

Offshore divers win substantial pay deal (15 Aug) – RMT members working under the Offshore Diving Industry Agreement (ODIA) have won a pay increase of nearly 25 per cent after voting overwhelmingly in favour of strike action. The three-year deal, backed by nearly 90 per cent of over 800 members involved in a referendum, represents a 15 per cent uplift from May and a 4.5 per cent increase in 2025 and another 4.5 per cent in 2026. In addition, the employers have agreed to incrementally reinstate six public holidays withdrawn during the Covid pandemic. The Bend watch rate: will also increase from 12 hours to 24 hours and travel allowance will increase by 36 per cent and allowances will be uplifted in line with RPI. The union had put on two months of planned strike action by over 800 divers involved before negotiations commenced under the auspices of ACAS. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch congratulated the members for their steadfast determination to win a better deal following years without a pay rise to protect jobs during the downturn in oil and gas industry read more

RMT slams explosion of violent attacks on women on the rail network (14 Aug) – RAIL UNION RMT today slammed the huge rise of violent crimes against women by more than 50 per cent on Britain’s trains as totally unacceptable. Commenting on the latest British Transport Police statistics for the past two years, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the union had longstanding concerns about the prevalence of violence on the public transport network read more

Solid bus strike action at First South West (12 Aug) – RMT bus driver members working for First South West took further solid strike action against low pay today (Monday August 12) at depots across Cornwall and Somerset. Speaking from a picket line at Penzance, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was the fourth day of action in the dispute which had prevented buses from operating across the region. “This union has put forward three different proposals following local consultations to prevent further strike action, but the bus company has refused to negotiate to end to the dispute. First South West’s parent company is raking in profits of £204 million while bus drivers at First South West are some of the lowest paid in the country…” read more

Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper staff vote for strike action (8 Aug) – RMT members working on key Scottish rail services have voted for strike action following a ballot. Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper workers were separately balloted after rejecting pay offers from both companies. Workers at Scotrail returned an 85% ‘yes’ vote for strike action on a 64% turnout. And Caledonian Sleeper members produced a 90% yes vote on a 66% turnout. The union will be speaking to both employers in order to come to a negotiated settlement read more

Avanti West Coast caterers to strike Friday and Saturday (25 Jul) – Rail union RMT, will take strike action on Avanti West Coast this Friday and Saturday due to imposed rosters causing widespread stress and fatigue among staff. Caterers at Avanti West Coast face short notice changes to shifts, job cuts, and enforced overtime, impacting their ability to plan family commitments and attend medical appointments. Despite negotiations recently, no breakthrough was found, meaning industrial action remains on read more

Bespoke cleaners strike at Hitachi Rail (19 Jul) – Cleaners working at Hitachi Rail in Doncaster are on strike today after rejecting the latest pay offer. RMT members working for Bespoke who has the Hitachi Rail contract, overwhelmingly said ‘no’ to the offer from the contractor read more

Rail Gourmet Eurostar strikes suspended after new offer (19 Jul) – Rail union, RMT has suspended strikes on Eurostar catering after accepting a new pay offer from Rail Gourmet which runs the contract. RMT members in Rail Gourmet will now get a 7.6% uplift in pay which has only come about due to strike action and strong negotiating stances from union reps and officers. The union has pursued active discussions with Rail Gourmet management to address significant disparities in pay and working conditions read more

Continued Industrial action called – fight back against ‘flash and dash’ (18 Jul) – REMOVAL OF DETRAINMENT STAFF – LONDON UNDERGROUND. The National Executive Committee has considered this matter and congratulated all members for continuing the mandate for action in this dispute. The NEC has taken the decision to instruct all members on the Bakerloo Line, District Line, Central Line, Hammersmith & City Line, Jubilee Line and Victoria Line to continue taking part in industrial action to physically check their train before detraining until further notice. I urge you all to support this action and fight back against the Company’s dangerous imposition of the ‘flash and dash’ procedure for detrainments 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

ASLEF
LNER train drivers to stage fresh weekend strikes (16 Aug) –
Train drivers at London North Eastern Railway (LNER) are set to strike every weekend in September, October and two in November, union bosses have announced. Aslef, which represents train drivers, said the walkouts at LNER were due to a breakdown in industrial relations and agreements. The fresh strikes are separate to an ongoing pay dispute with all train companies, which edged closer to being resolved in England this week after a new pay offer read more on BBC website

UK train drivers to vote on pay deal that could end two years of strikes (14 Aug) – Britain’s train drivers union and the government have agreed on a pay proposal that could end a long-running industrial dispute and a series of strikes that have disrupted rail travel over the last two years. The government described the deal as a major breakthrough and said an end to rail strikes was finally in sight. The ASLEF union of train drivers said the offer – comprising a 5% pay rise for 2022/23, 4.75% for 2023/24, and 4.5% for 2024/25 – was fair and that its members should vote for it read more on Reuters website

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

TSSA

TSSA ballots ScotRail for strike action – warns of looming “Summer of discontent” (30 Jul) – TSSA has warned of a “summer of discontent” as it ballots members in ScotRail for strike action over pay today (Tuesday). TSSA will be balloting around 500 members working in a variety of white collar, managerial, professional and technical grades within ScotRail. Members have rejected a three-year pay deal offering rises below the rate of inflation and are angry that ScotRail has yet to make a “meaningful offer” to resolve their existing dispute regarding on-call working. TSSA is also looking for an agreement from ScotRail to move towards a transparent pay structure for management grades read more

Unite  

Knowsley housing workers vote for strikes over pay (19 Aug) – Over 200 workers employed by Livv housing have begun for strike action in a dispute over pay. The dispute is a result of Livv housing forcing workers to accept below inflation offers for many years, causing severe pressure on personal finances. The workers have rejected a five per cent pay increase, as this does not reverse the real terms pay cuts they have experienced. The ballot which involves members of both Unite and Unison opens today (Monday 19 August) and closes on Tuesday 17 September. If members vote for industrial action then walkouts could begin later this autumn read more

Scottish Borders Housing Association workers secure boost to jobs, pay and conditions (19 Aug) – 5.5 per cent basic pay rise with boost to holidays and rates. Unite has successfully negotiated a pay deal for Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) workers, Scotland’s leading trade union confirmed today (Monday 19 August). Around 160 SBHA workers at the Selkirk based organisation will benefit from a 5.5 per cent basic pay rise along with an increase of eight per cent for stand-by payments.  An additional day’s holiday for the workers has also been secured for St Andrew’s day read more

Sheffield bin chaos heightens as Veolia workers escalate to indefinite strikes (19 Aug) – Veolia refusing to sign union recognition agreement despite 80 per cent membership. Sheffield is braced for further bin delivery disruption as refuse workers employed by Veolia escalate to all out indefinite strike action from tomorrow (20 August) in a dispute over union recognition. Nearly 100 refuse workers working out of the Lumley Street depot, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are angry over Veolia’s refusal to recognise their union. Even though Unite represents around 80 per cent of the depot’s workforce, Veolia is claiming another union, which does not represent the vast majority of workers, is the sole recognised union read more

Birmingham council plans to attack bin worker pay slated by Unite (15 Aug) – Strikes possible if council does not scrap plans to downgrade Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles. Plans by Birmingham council to attack the pay of around 150 refuse workers by thousands of pounds a year have been slated by Unite, the UK’s leading union. The council has written to Unite’s refuse service members to announce a consultation on restructuring its waste operations, including plans to remove the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will not stand by and allow refuse workers’ pay, terms or conditions to be attacked by Birmingham council. They work incredibly hard and are bending over backwards to accommodate ever more unreasonable demands for a crisis they didn’t cause and should not have to pay for. Unite will defend our Birmingham refuse workers to the hilt.” Most of the around 150 staff performing the WRCO role have been working for Birmingham waste collection services for more than 30 years and would lose an average of around £8,000 a year under the plans. They bring significant safety expertise to an often dirty and dangerous job – as exemplified by the tragic death of Coventry binman David Carpenter, who was crushed in a lorry compactor in January 2023 read more

Victory after St Helens’ Pilkington Retirement Services secure pay boost (15 Aug) – Care home workers employed by Pilkington Retirement Services in St Helens have secured an improved pay deal. Following two days of industrial action, by the workers who are member of Unite, the UK’s leading union, on 12-13 August the dispute at Ruskin Lodge has now been settled. The workers have secured a five per cent pay increase. In addition, they will no longer be expected to administer controlled drugs to residents. Management’s plan to expect the workers to administer drugs was a key part of the dispute…As a result of the improved offer, which was unanimously accepted by the workers, all further strike dates have been called off read more

Unite secures union access to HS2 London tunnel workers following long campaign (15 Aug) – Following a five year campaign Unite, the UK’s leading construction union, has secured an access agreement to ensure that workers on the HS2 tunnels project based at Euston can access advice and support of a union official, while on site. An access agreement was signed this week between Unite and the joint venture company Skanska, Costain, Strabag (SCS), that is undertaking the work to build the tunnels which will carry HS2 trains in and out of central London. Under the access agreement union officer will be able to meet with workers in the sites rest areas during break times, to discuss employment matters, the union will also be able to attend induction meetings to talk to workers read more

Ealing braced for parking chaos as traffic wardens strike (15 Aug) – Workers striking over denial of union recognition at West London council. Ealing is braced for parking chaos during strikes by 40 traffic wardens over union recognition, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The parking services workers were previously employed by Serco before being transferred to council-owned Greener Ealing Ltd earlier this year. Since then, Greener Ealing has refused to transfer the recognition agreement Serco had with Unite to represent the workers, whose roles are completely different to the rest of company’s waste management workforce…Strike action will take place from 27 August to 18 September and will severely disrupt on street parking, including the monitoring of residential streets where permits are required, and council car parks. Strike action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more

Unite comment on Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board supply chain funding release (15 Aug) – Unite regional secretary for Wales, Peter Hughes, said: “Unite is continuing to fight the workers’ corner in ongoing talks with Labour and with Tata over its UK operations. It is clear that any deal must come with concrete job guarantees and give Welsh steelmaking a bright future read more

Firefighters at Aberdeen airport secure boost to jobs, pay and conditions (15 Aug) – 7.75 per cent basic pay rise accelerates Unite’s Runway to Success campaign. Unite has delivered a new pay deal for firefighters based at Aberdeen airport, Scotland’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Thursday 15 August). Around 30 Falck firefighters who perform fire safety functions at the airport have secured a basic hourly wage increase of 7.75 per cent and an equivalent rise in shift allowances. The deal which runs from January 2024 also includes a one-off payment of £160, double time for hours worked on public holidays and an increase in overtime rates read more

Strikes continue after South Wales Valley Vets refuse to agree to pay talks (14 Aug) – Failure to appropriately pay workers has led to further strikes. Workers employed by the private veterinary practice Valley Vets in South Wales, have announced further strikes from 23 August to 31 August after the company refused to enter meaningful negotiations with Unite. Valley Vet’s workers, including nurses, support staff and vets, have already taken industrial action, which began with an initial walkout from 16 July to 30 July, followed by further ongoing strike action from 6 August to 23 August. The workers will therefore be on strike for 26 days this month. Valley Vet’s support staff have been suffering from low pay that has left 80 per cent regularly borrowing money to meet their basic living costs. The company is attempting to heap more misery on its workers by in some cases only offering a pay increase of between one and 1.5 per cent. This is a substantial real terms pay cut as the RPI rate of inflation at the time the pay rise was due stood at 3.3 per cent read more

Edinburgh Tram workers back strike action over lack of toilet breaks (14 Aug) – Unite says it’s ’running out of track’ to resolve health concerns before strike action. Unite can confirm that its Edinburgh Trams membership have emphatically backed strike action in a dispute over late running times to the nation’s largest airport which is preventing workers from taking comfort breaks. Over ninety per cent of tram workers in the ballot supported strike action. Over 160 Unite members could now take strike action in a matter of weeks, if comfort breaks and wider health concerns impacting the workers are not swiftly addressed. Unite believes there is a shortfall of between 5-6 minutes in the running time from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven. Each round trip takes on average two hours to complete. The maximum driving time before a scheduled break is five hours, and many tram workers go this length of time without hydration or toilet breaks. This is due to running late and having to make up the time read more

Mechanical dispute: Unite to serve notice of industrial action this week (18 Aug) – Series of one day stoppages to hit sites nationwide. Union seeking reversal of austerity-era cut to travel time. Trade union Unite, which represents plumbers, fitters and welders on construction projects throughout Ireland, said today (Sunday) that it will this week be serving notice of industrial action on employers who are members of the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA). Earlier this month members voted by over 90 per cent for industrial action in pursuit of restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’. The decision to ballot for industrial action came after talks with MEBSCA broke down at the beginning of July read more

Striking bin workers at ABC borough council demand rate rebate for affected households (14 Aug) – Disruption to bin collection to continue as Armagh depot workforce enters fifth week of strikes over dismissal of shop steward. Refuse workers employed by Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC) Borough Council are calling for a rebate to ratepayers affected by their strike action. The call was made as their all-out, continuous, strike action called in response to the dismissal of a shop steward enters its fifth week. Over the period of the dispute the council has saved a huge sum on wages, fuel costs and landfill charges while workers have lost income and residents in the Armagh and Cusher areas have been left with bins uncollected for weeks. The bin workers are calling on the council to provide a compensation payment to ratepaying householders for the absence of council services and the disruption that has resulted from the strike. The blame for the strike lies squarely at the feet of council management who have adopted an aggressive approach to Unite and its reps– a situation culminating in the dismissal of a Unite shop steward based at the Armagh depot read more

Oldham Stagecoach bus workers secure improved pay and conditions (13 Aug) – Over 450 Stagecoach bus workers based in Oldham have secured a major improvement in pay and conditions. Following lengthy negotiations the workers voted to accept a significantly improved offer covering pay, sickness rates and holidays, all three of which have seen dramatic improvement. Members were preparing to ballot on whether they should take industrial action when the dispute was settled with 87 per cent of the members accepting the offer. The negotiations resulted in a 6.25 per cent pay increase, an additional five days’ holiday along with a major improvement in sickness pay read more

Guys and St Thomas’ security guard pay dispute ends after Unite secures £3,000 uplift (13 Aug) – Security guards at Guy’s and St Thomas’ have ended their long running dispute after Unite, the UK’s leading union, secured a pay uplift worth £3,000. The more than 30 workers, who began a campaign of industrial action in January, secured an increase in their pay banding from three to four. The uplift means that annual wages will increase by £3,000 over the next two and a half years for security guards at the central London NHS trust read more

Leicester SPS aerospace workers strike over pay (13 Aug) – 200 workers to walk out over unacceptable pay offer at Warren Buffett business. Nearly 200 workers employed by SPS Technologies in Leicester will begin strike action later this month, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The shopfloor workers, who produce specialist nuts, bolts, pins, screws and collars for the aerospace and defence industries, have rejected a two year pay rise of seven per cent plus a £400 one off payment. The workers, some of whom are on the minimum wage, are demanding a significant increase in pay. SPS Technologies is part of Precision Castparts Corp (PCC), which had revenues of $9.3 billion in 2023. PPC is owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, which has cash reserves of $277 billion…All out indefinite strike action at SPS Technologies’ Barkby Road site will begin on 21 August read more

Glen Dimplex workers in Portadown to begin industrial action (12 Aug) – Dispute is a result of planned site closure, Unite has notified employer of work-to-rule, training and overtime ban. The workforce at Glen Dimplex will commence the first phase of industrial action including a work-to-rule from 00.01am on Friday 16 August. The industrial dispute is a result of plans by Glen Dimplex’s management to offshore work to Lithuania which will lead to redundancies and the potential closure of the site in Portadown… The work-to-rule will proceed indefinitely and will see workers refuse to undertake overtime, refuse to mentor or train new staff, and they will work to contractual terms and conditions and their job description only read more

Unite suspends Scottish council strike action (12 Aug) – Ballot will open on 15 August and close on 5 September. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm the eight days of strike action across 18 councils in waste and cleansing services set to begin on Wednesday (14 August) has been suspended. The union can further confirm that following a meeting of its local government committee this morning, a ballot will now commence imminently on the new pay offer made by COSLA read more

Redbridge council facing summer of strife as refuse workers walk out for two weeks (9 Aug) – Council refusing to negotiate in dispute over working conditions. Refuse workers in the London Borough of Redbridge are to take strike action due to the council overseeing a deterioration of working conditions, Unite the union announced today (Friday 9 August). Unite members are escalating their dispute with Redbridge council and walking out for two weeks beginning Thursday 22nd August – Thurs 5 September. The workers are employed by Redbridge Civic Services Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the council, and yet are subject to far worse conditions than their council employed colleagues. Workers are unhappy with a range of workplace issues that the council has failed to address despite pleas from workers read more

Over 1,500 Ford white collar staff involved in nationwide industrial action (9 Aug) – Staff in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood in dispute over pay and contract changes. Around 1,200 Ford office staff are joining hundreds of managers in taking industrial action over pay at sites across the country, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). Yesterday, the office staff voted in favour of strike action and will begin action short of strike action on 22 August. Ford managers already have a strike mandate and are currently engaging in 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 unacceptable pay offers and contract changes. Coordinated strike action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more

Continuous strike action announced at by Unite members at UCU (7 Aug) – Unite the union staff working for the University and College Union (UCU) have today announced they will take all out continuous strike action in an escalation of industrial action. Around 200 members will indefinitely strike from 2 September if their employer doesn’t resolve their dispute over workplace racism, repeated breaches of their collective agreements, and broken industrial relations read more

Jiffy workers escalate strike action over “pathetic” pay offer (5 Aug) – Summer of discontent at north west packaging company. Over 50 workers at the Jiffy packaging plant in Winsford, Cheshire, are escalating their strike action this month following a pay offer from their employer that Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described as “pathetic”. Workers at the Cheshire factory are striking from today (5 Aug) until 17 August. They previously walked out  for two weeks in July but with Jiffy management still unwilling to come back to the negotiating table, staff have been left with little choice but to ramp up their industrial action campaign. 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 read more

Unite statement on NHS PRB pay offer (29 Jul) – Following the announcement that the government has accepted the Pay Review Body’s (PRB) recommendation that pay for NHS staff should increase by 5.5 per cent for 2024/5, Unite, has issued the following statement. NHS staff have suffered real terms pay cuts and have been neglected for over a decade. Nationally this has created huge recruitment and retention issues, which is a direct result of staff being tens of thousands of pounds worse off in real terms. The government has rightly recognised this with restorative pay rises for junior doctors. It’s imperative to ensure that we are not dividing NHS workers and creating even greater differentials between different groups. The NHS after all is made of many workers from ambulance workers to health visitors to biomedical scientists. All are vital and all deserve pay restoration. Health workers being offered less than half of what junior doctors have been offered is not good enough. It will certainly not deal with the recruitment crisis in the NHS. The PRB process has today been proven to be broken beyond repair. We cannot have a situation where restorative pay awards are offered to some and not to all. Unite’s health members will have the final say on whether they believe this is an acceptable pay offer through a ballot read more

Unite says ‘full steam ahead’ as over 300 Scotrail workers balloted over strike action (29 Jul) – Dispute escalates over pay and service cuts. Unite the union has today (Monday 29 July) said that it’s ‘full steam ahead’ over strike action involving hundreds of Scotrail workers as the nation’s rail pay dispute threatens to escalate and widen. The strike ballot opens on Wednesday (31 July) and closes on 20 August. If a successful mandate is secured, then strike action involving the Scotrail workers could start in early September. The pay dispute is over the failure by publicly owned Scotrail to table a fair pay offer to the rail unions. The current verbal pay offer, which has never been formally tabled to the unions, is backdated from April this year. Scotrail workers would receive a two per cent rise in April, and a further one per cent in January 2025 read more

University Hospital Waterford: work-to-rule deferred pending talks on management proposals (29 Jul) – Proposals would see laundry workers included in regrading scheme. Unite welcomes management’s decision to engage, but warns action may be resumed if agreement not reached. Trade union Unite, which represents support staff in University Hospital Waterford (UHW), has deferred a work-to- rule by laundry, catering and portering grades. The union said that the action, which has been ongoing since the end of May, was being deferred from noon today to allow for talks regarding proposals received from UHW read more

Redcar chemical plant workers to strike over ‘serious’ public safety concerns (26 Jul) – Huntsman Polyurethanes’ plan to reduce staffing levels raises toxic gas leak fears. Redcar Huntsman Polyurethanes’ Production Process Technicians (PPT) have voted in favour of strike action over the company’s plans to ‘dangerously’ reduce staffing levels at the chemical plant. The company is not proposing redundancies but will not replace retiring workers so that it can reduce the workforce as part of a drive to cut costs. The nearly 50 PPTs manage the safe operation of the plant on a 24/7 basis at the Wilton site, which produces hazardous chemicals, and ensure it can be shutdown and contained safely in case of emergency. Huntsman is justifying the headcount reduction by claiming shutdown procedures at the plant will be safe. Unite members strenuously contest this and fear the site will be unsafe to operate read more

UK facing ready meal shortages as Wrexham based Oscar Mayer in fire and rehire shame (25 Jul) – A host of supermarkets and food providers are braced for shortages of ready meals this autumn as workers at Oscar Mayer ballot for strike action after their employer tried to force through a brutal fire and rehire process. Over 550 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Oscar Mayer in Wrexham, will be balloted for strike action, in response to the company’s disgraceful decision to fire and rehire them. The ready meal making company is pushing through a fire and rehire process which will see low paid workers worse off by around £2,000 a year. The company is seeking to remove some paid breaks, reduce other breaks and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays…The ballot will open on Monday 29 July and closes on Tuesday 27 August. If workers vote for industrial action then strikes could begin in September read more

Guys and St Thomas’ nurses redouble strikes over safe staffing (23 Jul) – Guys and St Thomas’ day surgery theatre nurses will step up their industrial action over safe staffing later this month, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today as it announced fresh strikes. The dispute is over an increase in shift times. The nurses were already working under unsustainable workloads before the hour-long extension from 20:00 to 21:00 to their shifts was imposed and are warning of burnout and patient safety risks. The extension comes after hospital bosses had already increased the nurses’ shift times from 19:00 to 20:00 and introduced Saturday working…The nurses previously took strike action on 27 June and 2 and 9 July. The next round of industrial action will take place on 30 and 31 July. Further strike dates will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more

Milton Keynes rail workers to strike over union rights denial (23 Jul) – Workers being refused basic trade union rights over backdated pay complaints. Over 60 workers based in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, who provide vital maintenance and repairs to railway rolling stock are to strike at the end of the month over how their complaints and grievances are being handled by their employer, Gemini Rail Services. The highly skilled and essential workers ensure locomotives and passenger carriages for the train operating companies across the UK are in a safe condition. The workforce is currently involved in a longstanding grievance against their employer over owed back pay that has seen them potentially thousands of pounds out of pocket. Gemini is now refusing to allow workers to be represented by their Unite workplace rep as he is also attempting to raise his own grievance for loss of pay. This is a fundamental breach of the recognition agreement that Unite has with Gemini Rail Services, resulting in the workforce becoming further angered by management actions. Strikes are taking place at the Milton Keynes depot from 30 July – 3 August. It is likely to cause significant disruption for the company and their relationships with the train operating companies 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

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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

CWU

Save Enniskillen EE (ex-BT) siteThe 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]  

Benton Park View sacked reps gain support from across the movement (19 Aug) – Last week (Tuesday 13 August) over 130 people attended a members’ meeting about the case of our three sacked and victimised reps at HMRC Benton Park View. Chaired by PCS president, Martin Cavanagh, attendees had the opportunity to hear a recorded contribution from Gordon, Rachel and Joel, our three sacked Reps at Benton Park View. Gordon and Joel also addressed the meeting in person, and thanked members for their continued support, and implored them to do whatever they can to raise the profile of our campaign. The national union stands shoulder to shoulder with our reps. We also heard from PCS general secretary, Fran Heathcote, who gave details of what the national union has been doing to support our three reps, including using her first letter to the new PM, Keir Starmer, to raise the case of Gordon, Rachel and Joel read more. Hundreds of PCS members have already signed the petition, showing the strength of feeling amongst the staff about this injustice 

Border Force staff at Heathrow to take further strike action (16 Aug) – The members are in dispute about enforced changes to their rota and have already taken seven days of strike action. The 650 PCS members who work in passport control at terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 at Heathrow have been in dispute with their employer after a new roster was imposed in April. Since then, around 160 staff have left because of the lack of flexibility and changes to the shifts. Read personal testimonies from the members. Women and those with caring responsibilities have been particularly affected by these changes, and the new roster has seen long-standing and loyal staff forced out of employment in order to manage childcare and family commitments. New staff have been refused flexible working applications, despite changes to the law allowing employees to make a statutory request for permanent changes to their contract from day one. The members have already taken seven days of strike action in April, May and June, and action short of a strike that included a work to rule and overtime ban. The new strike dates announced are four days from August 31 to 3 September, which will be followed by another work-to-rule and overtime ban until 22 September read more

National campaign update for members (16 Aug) – Following the publication of the civil service pay remit guidance, the national executive committee (NEC) met on 12 August to consider the way forward for our national campaign read more

Cuts to jobcentre security staffing (14 Aug) – G4S, the private contractor that provides security to jobcentres, has announced plans to cut the number of security guards. PCS has written to the DWP permanent secretary to express serious concerns about plans by G4S to cut the number of security guards across the Jobcentre network. The letter asks the DWP to stop any planned reductions and to restore the number of security guards where they have already been removed. We believe that it is scandalous that the DWP are allowing G4S to reduce security staffing at a time when there are increasing numbers of serious incidents in Jobcentres and public safety is being threatened by the rise of violent activity by the far-right. DWP have allowed G4S to undertake “risk assessments” in sites where they are proposing that numbers of guards are reduced or removed, but have failed to consult with PCS health and safety representatives as is legally required. PCS has consulted with members in Sudbury and Mildenhall in Suffolk where the security guards have been removed entirely. Members in these sites have been subjected to serious incidents in the past and feel very vulnerable as a result of the closure of local police stations, meaning that members can no longer rely on a swift intervention by the police. Following the consultation, members have indicated that they are prepared to take industrial action in support of their security guard colleagues facing redundancy and for their own safety. PCS is hoping to meet with DWP officials to discuss the situation and find a solution that avoids the need to formally ballot members facing safety concerns. However, if a satisfactory outcome cannot be achieved, we will ballot members for industrial action read more

Strikers going strong, and going another round (5 Aug) – The mood on picket lines last week at DWP sites was joyful and ever more determined, despite the ongoing dispute. PCS members working as security guards at DWP sites and jobcentres are underpaid and poorly treated by their employer G4S. They and their colleagues in GMB union have been on strike every other week since 17 June…There is no let-up in the fight for fair pay and the security guards will walk out again in the weeks commencing August 12 and 26 read more London strike protest: 11am Wednesday 14th August outside DWP Caxton House

Why PCS wants an end to outsourcing (13 Aug) – From improving terms and conditions to ending indirect discrimination, we examine why PCS campaigns to bring outsourced jobs back into the public sector read more

ONS members to escalate attendance dispute (12 Aug) – PCS members at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are stepping up their dispute over mandatory workplace attendance. Since April 2024, ONS staff have to spend at least 40% of their time in the office, after management reversed their previous position that flexible hybrid working was in the best interests of the organisation and its employees. The new policy does nothing to improve efficiency but robs staff of the flexibility to manage childcare and other domestic responsibilities and forces them to undertake unnecessary – and often very lengthy – journeys to carry out work that they could have done from home, often via virtual meetings with colleagues in other offices. Having won an industrial action ballot, the union has pursued action short of a strike (ASOS) since May, in the form of non-compliance with the attendance policy. Members have been advised to spend as much or as little time in the office as they choose, rather than meet an arbitrary quota. The action has been well-supported and has had no adverse effect on productivity, proving PCS’s point that maximum flexibility is the best policy all round. While management have not yet penalised anyone for non-compliance, they have refused to engage with us to negotiate a mutually acceptable outcome. In a survey of PCS members, 88% who responded supported a continuation of action short of strike (ASOS), and 66% backed strike action if necessary. We have therefore informed management that, with effect from 27 August, we will be broadening out the ASOS to include a work-to-rule. If we still don’t receive a positive response from management we will ballot members in September to renew the industrial action mandate, with the option of beginning strike action if successful read more

Outsourced OCS workers to vote on strike action (9 Aug) – The pay offer received does not meet PCS members’ demands on pay and terms and conditions. Outsourced cleaners, caterers and facilities staff working at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in East Kilbride are to be balloted for strike action. The ballot will run from 16 to 30 August and ask members if they are prepared to take strike action over pay and a refusal to provide them with equal core employment terms with their civil service colleagues 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

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  

Prospect proposes agenda for change in the civil service (16 Aug) – Prospect has written to Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, describing ways to reform the operation of the civil service with the aim of creating better industrial relations, fairer pay structures and enhancing productivity read more

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

FDA

“Parliament shouldn’t have had different rules to every other workplace” (13 Aug) – Tom Nathan and Tommy Newell explain why MPs’ recent vote to introduce risk-based exclusion at the point of arrest – giving House authorities the power to exclude MPs accused of sexual or violent offences from the Parliamentary Estate – is so significant, and outline the FDA’s work to help make this happen read more

HMRC announce 5,000 additional staff following FDA recommendations (9 Aug) – In a significant win for the FDA, the government has announced investment in HMRC’s compliance work, technological infrastructure and customer services to recover more tax revenues read more

GMB  

Job Centre security guards with ex-cons early release ‘perfect storm of chaos’ (19 Aug) – A “perfect storm” of job centre security guards’ strikes and prisoner early release could make job centres even more volatile. More than 1,500 guards are due to walk out for a week from 27 August – the latest strike in an long-running dispute over pay. A survey of job centre security guards, taken before the prisoner release change, showed more than 80 percent regularly suffer abuse, including being savaged in the neck by dogs, punched, attacked with screwdrivers and customers behaving ‘like wild animals’. Workers fear that the early release scheme, of prisoners who often need job centre support, could drastically increase these risks. Despite receiving £250m from the taxpayer funded DWP contract, more than 90 per cent of G4S security guards are now paid just the minimum wage read more

Slough hospital workers submit grievance objecting to privatisation (15 Aug) – GMB members at Wexham Park Hospital present employer with a business case against the outsourcing of their department. Members of GMB, the union for the NHS, have submitted a grievance against their employer in opposition to plans to outsource their department. The union members work within the Slough Community Diagnostic Centre at Wexham Park Hospital, which is run by Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust. The same trust attempted to privatise all non-clinical services into a Wholly-Owned Subsidiary (WOS) in 2018, but these plans were shelved after a campaign of industrial action carried out by GMB members. The workers have laid out in their communications that there is a legitimate business case against privatisation and that they reserve the right to ask their union to ballot them for industrial action read more

Asda Wisbech strike suspended after eleventh hour deal (1 Aug) – A strike due to take place at Asda Wisbech tomorrow [Friday] has been postponed. Industrial action has been paused at the eleventh hour after the company agreed to ACAS talks. ASDA and GMB have now agreed to enter into negotiations alongside the conciliation service read more

Nottinghamshire hospital strikes suspended (31 Jul) – Strike action by private contractors at three of Nottinghamshire’s biggest hospitals has been suspended

Industrial action by nearly three hundred workers employed by contracting giant Medirest had been due to down tools at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Community Hospitals later this week. Action was scheduled for Thursday 1 and Friday 2 August in the ongoing dispute over the terms and conditions of private contractors in the NHS. The news comes after talks between GMB Reps and Medirest reached an agreement today. Workers will now take part in a ballot to decide on suspending future industrial action, with a result expected later this month read more

Pontypridd jelly workers strike over poverty pay (31 Jul) – GMB members at gelatin manufacturer PB Leiner will strike today. Almost 50 GMB members will also walk out tomorrow [1 August] in anger over an 13 per cent real terms pay cut. Workers at the Pontypridd based company [see notes for address] have seen a 6 per cent real terms cut in their wages this year, following a 7 per cent cut the year before. GMB union has vowed to escalate the action if the company continues their refusal to meet read more

Kent waste contractor hit by GMB strike ballot (29 Jul) – Suez, who only took over the contract in March, is already facing industrial unrest over pay rates. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, is balloting members across two local authorities as their new employer is failing to offer pay parity. Suez Recycling and Recovery Ltd took over the waste contract from Biffa in March 2024 across Ashford, Swale and Maidstone Councils. The company is offering employees working in Swale and Ashford a pay deal in some cases more than £1 per hour lower than that offered to those working in Maidstone. GMB’s ballot opens today and will close on Monday 19 August 2024 read more

Asda Lowestoft workers announce new strike (26 Jul) – Asda workers at Lowestoft have announced a new strike. More than 170 Asda workers will walk out of the store from 03:00 to 22:00 on Friday 9 August 2024 read more

Amazon faces legal challenge as recognition drive fails (17 Jul) – 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

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

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

Unison  

Donate to support striking workersAs 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

Lancashire County Council – Social Care Support Worker Strikes (16 Aug) – The Chair of the Social Work Forum has sent a message of support to staff in social work teams across Lancashire who are taking a second round of strike action over salary grades and working cover read more

UNISON urges branches to speak to employers about Mpox (16 Aug) – As news of a new strain of Mpox spreads, UNISON has produced guidance for branches in case the virus is found in the UK read more

Bin strikes in Scotland suspended (12 Aug) – Waste, recycling and street cleansing strikes that were due to be staged later this week have been put on hold, says UNISON today (Monday). The union has agreed to suspend the planned industrial action while it consults workers on Cosla’s latest offer. UNISON is recommending staff reject the offer. The union is also continuing its strike ballot of schools, early years and family centre staff read more

Solidarity appeal for healthcare assistants on strike this summer (30 Jul) – Healthcare assistants are calling for solidarity donations to support their strike. Healthcare assistants (HCAs) at five hospitals across Leicester and Northamptonshire will be on strike throughout August, escalating a dispute over back pay that has already led to 19 days of strike action. The employer refuses to negotiate, focusing instead on breaking the strike, including threatening leaders with disciplinary action. Despite these tactics, UNISON members remain steadfast in their fight for fair back pay, seeking recognition for years of being overlooked and performing tasks beyond their grade read more

Recap: Three days on the Derriford picket line in Plymouth (22 Jul) – Over 140 healthcare workers were treated to warm weather and blue skies. Hundreds of healthcare workers at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth took three days strike of strike action last week in their dispute over pay. Healthcare assistants, maternity care assistants, imaging care assistants and clinical support workers at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust walked out at midnight on Wednesday 17 June for 72hours. Over 140 healthcare workers were treated to warm weather and blue skies while they stood strong on the picket line from 7am – 1pm everyday read more

Council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland asked to vote on possible strike action, says UNISON (19 Jul) – Thousands of social workers, teaching assistants, planning officers, caretakers and other school and council staff are to be asked if they’re prepared to take strike action over this year’s pay offer, says their union UNISON today (Friday). The move follows a recent consultation concerning the 2024/25 wage rise for local authority and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In this vote 81% of the workers who took part opted to reject what they’d been offered. The pay offer from the local government employers was for £1,290. The wage rise was due in April. The offer has been accepted by the GMB, but not by UNISON or Unite. Ballot papers will now be sent to around 360,000 UNISON members across England and Wales, with Northern Ireland to follow later. The ballot will open on 4 September and close on 16 October read more

Swindon healthcare workers balloted for strike action in row over NHS pay deal, says UNISON (17 Jul) – “These dedicated staff keep NHS services running in Swindon”. Hundreds of the lowest-paid workers at Great Western Hospital are to be balloted for strike action after being denied a pay rise worth at least £1,655, says their union UNISON today (Wednesday). An industrial action ballot will open next week (Wednesday 24 July) and could see strike action take place in the autumn. The ballot will close on Wednesday 21 August read more

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]

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

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  

Agenda for Change pay award in England: consultation now open (8 Aug) – Ministers in Westminster have accepted the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body, including a 5.5% increase across all bands. Make sure your details are up to date and vote on whether you accept or reject the pay award read more RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more  

RCM

Long overdue pay offer finally arrives for midwives in England (29 Jul) – Months of waiting, a change of Government and finally the announcement of the long overdue pay rise for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in England has arrived. The Government’s announcement of a 5.5%, above inflation pay award has been welcomed by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) – but they also said that staff have had to wait far too long. This has, said the College, eroded the morale of staff and has made them feel undervalued. It says the Chancellors confirmation that she will reform the timetable to get NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) Government process back on track is very much welcome. However, the RCM has also said that it still awaits more detail so it can fully consider the award and the funding implications read more

SOR

SoR wants to hear member views on pay award for radiographers in England (8 Aug) – Radiographers are being asked to share their thoughts on latest pay offer via a consultation survey read more

BMA  

Donate to support striking junior doctors  

GPs prepare to take collective action after overwhelming ballot result (1 Aug) – GPs across England have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking collective action. More than 8,500 GPs in England took part in the ballot and 98.3% voted in favour of taking part in one or more examples of collective action read more 

BMA to put pay offer to junior doctors in England (29 Jul) – Nearly two years after its pay dispute began, the BMA will put a pay offer to junior doctors in England after negotiations with the new Government. If accepted by members, the total pay uplift across the two years of the dispute will be 22.3% on average. The pay offer consists of an additional 4.05% for the pay year 2023/24 on top of the average 8.8% previously awarded, taking last year’s pay uplift to an average of 13.2%. This will be backdated to April 2023. Separately, the recommendation of the pay review body – the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB)  – and subsequent Government award for 2024/25 announced today would give junior doctors an average 8% increase across junior doctor grades. Included in the deal are commitments from the Government to work with the BMA to streamline the way in which junior doctors report when they have worked additional hours to ensure they are paid for the work they do, and to reform the current system of junior doctor training and rotational placements, taking into account training bottlenecks. The BMA and DHSC have also agreed to change the name of “junior doctors” to “resident doctors” from September of this year to better reflect their expertise. As part of the deal the Government says it “acknowledges concerns raised by the BMA and other parties that the medical profession is not as attractive a career prospect as it once was” and asks the DDRB to consider in its annual recommendations the overall reward package and career progression for junior doctors “to ensure that medicine is an attractive and rewarding career choice to deliver our consultants and GPs of the future”. The BMA’s junior doctors committee (JDC) has chosen to recommend that members accept it read more

(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

Pay gateways: what you need to know (19 Aug) – An updated version of schedule 15 of the consultant contract (and schedule 23 for clinical academics) and accompanying guidance have been released which detail the new Pay Progression process. These documents are the result of tripartite negotiations between HCSA, NHS Employers and the BMA after HCSA consultants voted to accept the consultant pay deal in April 2024 read more

Member briefing: Pay offer to junior doctors in England (29 Jul) – The Government has announced a pay offer to junior doctors in England arising from negotiations, and an outcome from the DDRB pay review process for 2024/2025. The offer consists of three components; pay for 2024/25, pay for 2023/2024 and a series of additional measures read more

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

Special Executive to discuss Government pay offer (5 Aug) – The executive voted to recommend that members accept the offer. Commenting on a Special Executive held by the union today, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Today a Special Executive of the National Education Union met to discuss in detail the Government’s recent teachers’ pay and funding offer. We believe this is a significant first – but not last – step towards a long-term correction in teacher pay, secured as a direct consequence of members’ strike action in 2023 and their positive indicative ballot this March. The executive voted to recommend that members accept the offer. There will be a snap poll of NEU members between 21-30 September. It remains the case that more needs to be done to remedy teacher pay, workload and the recruitment and retention crisis. The Government should be under no illusion that a single pay deal is an end to the matter.” Read more

Teacher Pay ( 29 Jul) – This announcement is a strong signal to the profession about a new course of direction in education. Commenting on the Chancellor’s announcement of a 5.5% pay deal for teachers, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We thank the Secretary of State for showing the positive leadership needed on teacher pay and the recruitment and retention crisis that was missing under the previous 10 Conservative Education Secretaries. A 5.5% pay award is a necessary first step in the reversal of the real terms pay cuts inflicted upon teachers and school leaders during the Conservatives’ time in office. Clearly, there is still some way to go to restore what teachers and school leaders have lost since 2010 and we will expect this to be addressed in future pay rounds…” read more

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

NASUWT

Glasgow City Council failing pupils, parents and teachers on planned cuts (12 Aug) – As the new school year begins, NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is calling on Glasgow City Council to reverse its planned cuts to teacher numbers. A Freedom of Information request from NASUWT to the Council has revealed that it holds no information on any risk assessments that have been completed in relation to the Council’s plans to cut teacher posts and how those plans could impact on pupil and staff safety. Nor has it provided NASUWT with any equalities impact assessments that have been carried out in relation to the Council’s plans to cut teacher posts and any consequent impact on staff and pupils in relation to equal opportunities read more

Pay announcement an important start (29 Jul) – Responding to the Government’s announcement to accept in full the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body and award a 5.5% increase to the pay of teachers and headteachers from September 2024, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “Teachers will welcome the new Government’s commitment to delivering a timely and funded pay award against the backdrop of an ongoing recruitment and retention crisis and the pressures on school budgets…” read more

EIS  

EIS-FELA Suspends this Week’s College Strikes Following Progress in Talks (19 Aug) – The EIS has announced that strikes in Scotland’s Further Education colleges, scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, have been suspended following significant progress after some meetings this morning involving EIS-FELA representatives, College Employers Scotland and the Scottish Government Minister for Further & Higher Education read more

EIS-ULA Consultative Ballot Opens at Robert Gordon University (8 Aug) – The Robert Gordon University (RGU) branch of the EIS University Lecturers’ Association (EIS-ULA) has opened a consultative ballot in response to cutbacks, including lecturers’ jobs, at the university, following a reported £11.1 million recurrent deficit for the 2023/24 academic year. Members are being asked in a consultative ballot if they are willing to take industrial action up to and including strike action in defence of jobs as the university seeks to reach an £18 million savings target with £10.5 million in staff savings. The consultative ballot will run from the 1st of August until the 22nd of August read more

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

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 beats back Goldsmiths compulsory redundancies (19 Aug) – UCU has confirmed that no staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, will face compulsory redundancy in the next academic year, as it reached an agreement that ends the long-running dispute over brutal job cuts. The agreement provides a guarantee from management that the 14 remaining staff currently at risk will now keep their jobs and that no staff will be made compulsorily redundant during the 2024/25 academic year. It also brings an end to the marking and assessment boycott, halts the global academic boycott and means staff will no longer begin indefinite strike action next month. The UCU campaign aimed to halt all 130 compulsory redundancies, including the one in six academic staff, that management originally threatened. While it was able to beat back the compulsory redundancies, Goldsmiths management did pressure 62 members to accept a redundancy agreement, and 17 members to accept ‘overflow’ roles on worse conditions read more

A level results: College teachers must earn more if Labour is to fix educational inequalities (15 Aug) – UCU today congratulated students receiving their results, as well as the staff who have supported them. The union also urged the government to close the pay gap between school and college teachers, condemned the chaotic clearing process, and called for BTECs to be protected read more

Staff at Sheffield Hallam University set to strike (9 Aug) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will take four days of industrial action in September in defence of jobs and employment conditions, the UCU has announced today. Members of UCU at the university will strike from Monday 23 September until Thursday 26 September following a ballot that saw 87% of those voting agreeing to take action read more

UCU fighting fund:the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.  

  

FBU

FBU welcomes news that Labour set to scrap ‘authoritarian’ anti union laws (19 Aug) – The Fire Brigades Union has welcomed news that the government is set to scrap ‘authoritarian’ anti trade union laws introduced by the Conservatives. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Firefighters and other working people will say good riddance to these authoritarian and undemocratic anti worker laws. Both the Minimum Service Levels legislation and the 2016 trade union act sought to effectively ban workers taking strike action in defence of their jobs, wages and conditions. That vindictive anti-trade union legislation passed by the Tories would not have been out of place in a dictatorship. The FBU has been at the forefront of the campaign to scrap this assault on the working class. Today’s news is a massive victory for our union.” Read more

POA  

POA demand equal treatment on trade union rights (6 Aug) – The POA welcome todays Government announcement regarding their intention to repeal the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act,2023. However, the repealing of this Bill does not affect POA Members who are still subject to some of the most pernicious legislation which removes the rights of Prison Officers to take any form of Industrial Action read more

NAPO

Government agree to re-open pay talks (2 Aug) – Napo’s Probation Negotiating Committee met yesterday to consider a pay offer that had received the personal endorsement of the new Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood.  While the PNC noted that the offer does not wholly satisfy the terms of Napo’s current trade dispute on pay and workloads, it follows the joint unions’ campaign to re-open the three year pay award to give probation staff more pay now. The unions submitted a claim to get more pay back in 2023, which HMPPS rejected in April this year. But following votes in the UNISON and Napo consultative ballots of members which showed strong support for consideration of industrial action, the change of government, the escalating prison overcrowding crisis and the embarrassment of probation pay falling further and further behind prison pay, HMPPS finally agreed to re-open the award and offer more money in this final year of the Multi Year Pay Deal MYPD to our members. Of course, It would have been better if the employer had done this much earlier, but their hands were tied by the previous Conservative government. The HMPPS offer would not have happened without the unions’ campaign to re-open the pay talks over the last year and a half 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

Bristow pilots and technical crew accept pay deal (14 Aug) – The British Airline Pilots’ Association is pleased to announce that members at Bristow Helicopters have overwhelmingly accepted a multi- year pay deal and agreement on terms and conditions of employment. It follows over a year of negotiations and extensive industrial action that showed the strength of feeling and solidarity amongst the oil and gas and search and rescue crew read more

Nautilus International

Strong turnout for historic strike by RFA officers (16 Aug) – On Thursday 15 August 2024, members of Nautilus International at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) carried out a day of strike action for the first time in the organisation’s history. Vessels impacted by the strike were in the Far East, the Mediterranean as well as those in and around the UK. The strike follows a period of action short of strike since 1 June 2024. In April, members voted overwhelmingly for action short of strike and strike action, expressing their deep frustration and anger at an imposed 4.5% pay offer for 2023/24. The pay offer falls far below the rate of inflation for the same time period and is compounded by the over 30% real-term pay cut members have faced since 2010, and a recruitment and retention crisis in the service read more

NUJ   

Keep digging deep for Gazan journalists (16 Aug) – Nearly 10 per cent of the journalist community working in Gaza has been killed, reports IFJ treasurer Jim Boumelha, and now journalists’ donations are funding media centres with facilities so they can work and receive food and health parcels read more

Equity

Cambridge Shakespeare Festival – Major employment law victory (14 Aug) – Cambridge Shakespeare Festival wrong to treat performers as ‘volunteers’, judge rules read more

Musicians’’ Union

MU Takes on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing to Fight Against Cuts to Popular Live Band (15 Aug) – We are calling on musicians and Strictly fans to share their support for a fully live Strictly band using the hashtag #KeepStrictlyLive read more

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

Community responds to new UK Government funding for Port Talbot (15 Aug) – The UK Government is set to announce the immediate release of £13.5 million in funding to support supply chain businesses and workers affected by Tata Steel’s decarbonisation plans. This first tranche of funding will be confirmed by the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens at her second meeting as chair of the Port Talbot Transition Board, which will be held later today (Thursday 15 August) read more

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

UVW

Bosses: Get your hands off our tips! UVW members: Know your rights! (14 Aug) – On 1 October 2024, a new law and code will make it unlawful for bosses to steal our tips. Here’s what you need to know read more

IWGB

Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB

SIPTU (Ireland)

SIPTU secures €11,500 for worker unfairly dismissed by TD (16 Aug) – The SIPTU Workers’ Rights Centre has secured an award of €11,500 against Deputy Violet Anne Wynne in a case concerning a worker who was unfairly dismissed, without any proper recourse to fair procedures, by the TD read more

Victimisation highlights need for protections for union activists (15 Aug) – Claims of worker victimisation on a state-funded construction project on the North Quays in Waterford City highlights the need for Government action on a new EU Directive which necessitates effective legal protections for trade union activists, according to SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Greg Ennis read more

National Advocacy Service Staff pause Strike Action for talks (Jul 22) – National Advocacy Service staff brought their protest to outside the constituency office of the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in Wicklow last week 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

Other news  

Affiliate with STAMMA – at this year’s 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 

STAMMA website  

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. The next central London Saturday demonstration is 7th September assemble 12noon

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:

https://www.hazards.org/friends/index.htm

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  

Nigeria: Support the campaign to demand the release of Adaramoye Michael (Lenin), Babatunde Oluajo(Sankara), Mosiu Sodiq and 1 other person abducted by the state at 2am on Monday. They are not criminals! They  were leaders of the #Endbadgovernance protests in Abuja. You can make donations through the link below to support the campaign for their release.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-democratic-socialist-movement

https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk

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   

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ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE