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, Daniel Kebede NEU General Secretary, Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary, Marion Lloyd PCS NEC (personal capacity), Suzanne Muna SHAC – Social Housing Action Campaign & Unite Executive), April Ashley Unison NEC (personal capacity), 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]
The NSSN rally and lobby at TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 8th September – takes place 2/3 of the way through the first 100 days of the Labour Government. While Labour has made a number of pay offers to some workers in the public-sector and on the rails, which unions are considering, they have also announced cuts to pensioners’ heating allowances and refused to scrap the two-child cap on child benefits. But the unions can fight to win more out of this government, including that all pay rises must be above inflation and 100% funded. We must send a clear message that it’s the rich who must pay not workers.
Watch TUC Congress sessions on TUC website
June’s NSSN Conference endorsed the NSSN’s Workers Manifesto of demands (below) and agreed to mobilise for the NSSN rally and lobby. Come and join us!
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
Andy Kerr CWU RIP
The NSSN is, of course, extremely saddened to hear of the death of former CWU activist, president and Deputy General Secretary Telecoms & Financial Services, Andy Kerr, just a few months after his retirement. Some of our supporters and activists had known Andy for almost 50 years from his humble beginnings in the Post Office Engineering Union Greenock branch. He will be missed by many and our thoughts and sympathies go out to his family and friends.
CWU: Andy Kerr – a true friend and comrade
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
RFA seafarers take fifth stoppage in pay dispute (2 Sept) – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers will take strike action tomorrow over pay in their long running dispute. Coinciding with Merchant Navy Day, the strike will be the fifth stoppage in our fight for pay justice. RMT has had cordial meetings with the Ministry of Defence but has not received any improved offer. All RFA personnel have been directed to abstain from duties on strike day while ensuring essential safety protocols, including maintaining moorings and gangways, are strictly observed. Merchant Navy Day honours those merchant seafarers who gave their lives in World War 1 and subsequent conflicts but also recognises their vital contribution to the economy, accounting for 95% of the UK’s trade read more
RMT wins pay rise for MTR Elizabeth line staff (28 Aug) – Rail union, RMT has won a pay rise for Mass Transit Rail (MTR) workers on the Elizabeth line, following intensive negotiations. The agreement, which covers the period from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025, delivers a range of improvements for RMT members across the stations and revenue grades. These include a one year above inflation pay award, a salary boost for low paid workers and a night shift allowance increase. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch welcomed the agreement, adding: “This is a well-deserved victory for our members, achieved through strong negotiation…” read more
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
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 strike action suspended (29 Aug) – Strike action due to take place at weekends between the end of August and mid November 2024 has been suspended. Drivers working at LNER were due to strike after a long dispute with the company which saw existing agreements broken by the employer. ASLEF members have consistently worked to negotiate with the company and explain why the breaking of agreements is unacceptable but the company continued to operate inappropriately, including paying driver managers a premium to drive trains, not recruiting enough drivers to run a full service, and trying to push drivers to work outside of agreed rostering systems. The railway is a safety critical environment and procedures are in place to ensure safe operation. ASLEF had raised safety concerns regarding driver managers ‘dual-rolling’ ie driving trains when they should have been available for on-call duties in the case of any incidents read more
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
London Underground strike suspended but dispute continues (30 Aug) – Strike action by rail union TSSA at London Underground due to take place next Wednesday (4th September) has been suspended. Hundreds of TSSA members working as Customer Service Managers took the decision after discussions with the company showed some progress. The dispute has been ongoing since the spring and has already seen walkouts with stations closing as a result. It was triggered by London Underground’s ‘Stations Changes’ proposals, which carries potential changes to the terms and conditions, job role and location of Customer Service Manager members, who are responsible for running stations read more
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
Striking Guys’ and St Thomas’ nurses intensify safe staffing dispute with series of protests (2 Sept) – Nurses says NHS staffing crisis and underinvestment cannot be cured by crushing workers with unsustainable workloads. Guys’ and St Thomas’ day surgery theatre nurses will hold a series of protests across London this week as they continue striking over safe staffing. Around 100 nurses are striking over unsustainable increases to shift times. Anger amongst the workforce is such that since the dispute began in June, the number of Guys’ and St Thomas’ theatre nurses who are Unite members has nearly doubled. During the strike days of 3, 4 and 5 September the nurses will protest outside: Downing Street, The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and London Bridge Hospital read more
Airbus Broughton and Filton maintenance and cleaning workers strike (2 Sept) – CBRE workers striking over low pay while company rakes in £36 million profits. Maintenance and cleaning workers based at Airbus’ sites in Broughton, Wales and Filton, Bristol will strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Around 140 workers employed by facilities management contractor CBRE are angry at a derisory offers for 2023/2024 from the company. Strike action will severely impact cleaning and maintenance at both sites and cause disruption to Airbus’ operations. Many of the workers are currently on the national minimum wage and have only been offered a measly increase to ensure they are paid the legal minimum…CBRE Managed Service Limited latest financial accounts state the company made after tax profits of £35.9 million in the year ending December 2022. The Broughton and Filton workers will strike on 6, 7, 9 and 10 September. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more
Ammanford car seat manufacturer workers ballot for pay strikes (2 Sept) – Strikes by low paid Pullmaflex workers could impact Toyota, Nissan, VW and Stellantis. Around 200 workers employed at car seat manufacturer Pullmaflex’s Ammanford factory in Carmarthenshire are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Many of the workers are only paid the national living wage and have been offered no pay rise for 2024 except to ensure they are not being paid below the legal minimum. Workers on higher grades have had an imposed 3.8 per cent rise, which is a real terms pay cut, as the RPI rate of inflation was 4.9 per cent when the increase was due to be implemented in January. Adding to tensions, is the fact that workers’ finances have been squeezed year after year due to wages continually falling behind inflation at the company. The dispute is also about Pullmaflex’s attempt to make permanent a two-year temporary freeze of shift pay from percentage payments calculated on hours worked to one off payments. This breaks a collective agreement signed with Unite in 2022 read more
Sheffield bus fuelling and cleaning strikes to impact services (2 Sept) – First Bus real living wage employer but Bidvest Noonan contractors on poverty pay. Sheffield First Bus services will be impacted as workers responsible for fuelling and cleaning buses at the UK’s second largest bus depot strike over pay. Workers employed by Bidvest Noonan on behalf of First South Yorkshire at the Olive Grove depot will strike after being told their wages will not be increased above the legal minimum. Bidvest Noonan is part of the Bidvest Group, which earned £278 million in profits in the half year to December 2023. In April, First Group announced that it had become an accredited real living wage employer paying all workers at least £12 an hour. First stated that ‘includes workers employed through third party contractors’…Strikes will take place on 4, 12, 20, 24, 30 September and 8, 9,16, 17, 24 and 25 October. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved. Strike action will impact operations at the depot causing problems for bus services in Sheffield read more
Unite delivers strong pay increase for Orkney Ferries workers (30 Aug) – Trade union secures 4.5 per cent pay deal. Unite the union confirmed today (30 August) that it has secured a 4.5 per cent pay deal for its membership at Orkney Ferries. The union successfully negotiated the above inflation wage increase for around 30 outer north and inner isles workers. Back pay will also be lifted from single to double time for all staff training that has taken place involving workers since April 2024. Unite has further secured a commitment by Orkney Ferries to revisit triple time for sickness and vessel refit cover by the end of October 2024. The company will also look at the increased number of staff since April in order to assess whether this is allowing staff to take time off in order to deal with fatigue read more
Unite delivers new pay deal for Alvance aluminium workers (30 Aug) – Two-year pay deal worth eight per cent for Lochaber workforce. Unite has confirmed today (30 August) that it has secured a two-year pay deal worth eight per cent for Alvance aluminium workers based in Lochaber, Fort William. The union negotiated two separate wage increases: five per cent for plant operators effective from April this year, and four per cent for those in staff and administrative roles effective from September. A three per cent increase will then be applied to the operators pay grades from April 2025, while a four per cent rise has been negotiated to take effect in January 2025 for staff and administrators. The entire 200-strong workforce which includes engineers, electricians, smelter operators, maintenance and administrative staff will all receive the eight per cent in the two-year pay deal read more
Unite local government members prepare to ballot for autumn strikes as pay offer rejected (30 Aug) – Members of Unite, employed by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have overwhelmingly rejected, the local government employers’ pay offer for 2024/5. Members, who cover many frontline roles including refuse collection workers, housing workers and care staff, returned a 85 per cent rejection of the pay offer which is worth a £1,290 flat rate, plus 2.5 per cent on allowances. This offer fails to tackle poverty pay or reverse the years of real terms pay cuts experienced by local government workers…Unite is now undertaking a full industrial action ballot for its local authority members. Balloting will begin today (30 August) and if workers vote for industrial action then strikes could begin later this autumn. Local authority workers have endured over a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay increases which has seen their pay decline by over a quarter in real terms read more
Unite secures pay win for Mitie Manchester Airport workers (29 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured a major pay victory on behalf of workers employed by Mitie at Manchester Airport. Approximately 300 workers employed by Mitie, working on cleaning contracts (both landslide and airside) including window cleaning will see their pay increase from £11.54 an hour to £12.20, an increase of 5.7 per cent. The workers had voted for industrial action and announced strike dates. However, following last ditch negotiations, an improved offer was made, strikes were called off, as members were balloted on the improved offer which was accepted. Unite will be looking to build on this pay victory across Manchester Airport, to ensure that all Unite members are paid fairly read more
Unite hosts Port Talbot Support UK Steel family fun day (29 Aug) – A Port Talbot family fun day will be held this weekend, as part of Unite’s Support UK Steel campaign 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
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
Unite accuses MEBSCA of failing mechanical employers, as strikes set to begin (29 Aug) – Union offers to support application for SEO incorporating ‘travel time’. Sectoral collective agreement best way to ensure level playing field. Trade union Unite, which represents plumbers, fitters, welders and apprentices, today (Thursday) said that the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA) is failing its members by rejecting Unite’s offer to support an application for a new Sectoral Employment Order (SEO) incorporating ‘travel time’. Mechanical workers on construction projects across Ireland are preparing to down tools on Friday 6 September in a dispute surrounding the union’s claim for reinstatement of the first hour of ‘travel time’, which was cut in the wake of the 2008 financial crash. ‘Travel time’ was originally introduced in the 1960s to compensate construction workers for the fact that they have no set place of work but may be required to travel to sites around the country, often at short notice read more
National Education Union staff to strike over unacceptable workloads (28 Aug) – Employer unwilling to meet with staff to address concerns. Nearly 30 workers at the National Education Union (NEU) headquarters in London are to take three days of strike action due to the attitudes of their employer and its failure to address concerns over workloads. Unite members working in administrative roles at the NEU will walk out on 11 September and 2-3 October after management refused to meet with them or engage in meaningful negotiations over their concerns. Staff have repeatedly raised the alarm over workloads that are causing high levels of stress and sickness among staff. Further issues over workplace bullying and how this is addressed by the NEU’s management have been ignored. Having exhausted internal procedures and with an intransigent management, staff have been left with no option but to take to the picket line read more
Eaton mess as Hampshire aerospace workers to strike after poor pay offer (28 Aug) – Workers at Eaton Ltd manufacturing to walk out over pay. Approximately 150 highly skilled aerospace workers in Fareham, Hants, are to take strike action after their employer, Eaton Ltd, failed to make a pay offer that would bring them in line with industry averages. Unite members at the company voted overwhelmingly for strike action at the factory which produces essential parts and products for the aerospace sector. Fitters, technicians, supervisors and other staff will strike on the following date: 29-30 August; 16, 20, 27, 30 September read more
Hounslow traffic and public safety disruption during CCTV pay strikes (28 Aug) – Employer NSL and council ‘ducking responsibility’ for 2023 pay rise. London borough of Hounslow CCTV operators employed by NSL are set to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Due to Hounslow council changing contracts, the workers transferred employment in December 2023 from Serco to NSL with the same pay, terms and conditions. However, their pay claim for 2023, which was tabled at the beginning of that year, has still not been settled. The original claim was submitted to Serco but since the transfer has become NSL’s and Hounslow council’s responsibility. Both, however, are refusing to meet their obligations. NSL is part of Marston Holdings, which had revenues of £326 million in 2023 and made operating profits of £31.7 million…The workers will strike from 2 September to 21 September, with further dates set to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. Industrial action will severely impact traffic enforcement and public safety monitoring read more
Fresh Guys’ and St Thomas’ nurses strikes scheduled ahead of talks (21 Aug) – Safe staffing campaign intensifies with protests and petition hand-ins. Fresh safe staffing strikes by Guys’ and St Thomas’ day surgery theatre nurses have been scheduled ahead of talks with management, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The trust’s leadership and Unite are set to meet over an ‘unsustainable’ increase in shift times under the auspices of the conciliation service Acas tomorrow (22 August). If the dispute is not resolved during the talks, fresh strikes on 3, 4 and 5 September will go ahead. The nurses previously took strike action on 27 June and 2, 9, 30 and 31 July. Membership of Unite amongst Guys’ and St Thomas’ theatre nurses has doubled since the dispute began. The announcement of further strikes came as Unite handed in gift wrapped petitions to the Guys’ and St Thomas’ board at their offices in central London. The union also staged a demonstration outside of the Florence Nightingale Foundation where Guys’ and St Thomas’ chief nurse Avey Bhatia also serves as vice president read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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]
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
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) site – The EE Enniskillen call centre is a lifeline for our community. It’s closure threatens over 300 jobs, eroding the heart of our local economy. This is a community crisis. Local businesses, public services, and the Fermanagh economy stand on the brink of a devastating blow
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
PCS members employed by OCS at the FCDO vote for strike action (30 Aug) – Members have voted overwhelmingly for action to demand decent pay, terms and conditions. Cleaners and caterers working for the private contractor OCS at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. In a ballot which closed today (30), PCS members rejected an insulting pay offer and 100% of members voted for industrial action. The turnout was also 100% read more
Survey shows the stress and problems caused by roster at Heathrow (29 Aug) – A survey of PCS members on Passport Control has revealed the issues affecting members and why they are taking strike action. PCS members who work in passport control at Heathrow airport have been in dispute with their employer after a new, inflexible, roster was imposed in April. They took seven days of strike action in April, May and June, with a work to rule and overtime ban and will be on strike again this weekend from August 31 to 3 September. A PCS survey of the members highlights how the members are feeling as a result of the new roster and why they are on strike read more
Further strike action announced in G4S dispute (23 Aug) – The jobcentre security guards will take another 14 days of strike action in September. PCS members working as security guards at DWP sites and jobcentres are to take a further 14 days’ strike action in their ongoing dispute over pay. Over 400 PCS members employed by G4S for the DWP will walk out for fourteen more days during the weeks beginning 9 and 23 September. They have already taken 22 days’ strike action and are also on strike next week from 27 August. PCS membership has more than doubled during the dispute and members have been holding well-supported picket lines outside jobcentres, many of which have been forced to close during the strike action, which also includes members of the GMB read more
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
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
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
GMB
Water companies claiming capping bills is sewage risk ‘balderdash’ (28 Aug) – Water companies’ claims that plans to cap water bills will harm efforts to stop sewage leaks are ‘absolute balderdash’. In a letter to Ofwat, industry trade association Water UK said capping bills could create a ‘material risk’ suppliers may fail to raise enough cash to invest in stopping sewage leaks
DWP G4S strike: GMB national reps receive improved offer – agree to ballot and suspend action (23 Aug) read more
Northern Ireland concrete makers strike over below inflation pay offer (27 Aug) – Concrete makers in Northern Ireland are on strike in anger at a below inflation pay offer. Dozens of GMB members at Acheson & Glover’s (A&G) Toome site are in the midst of the company’s first strike in a generation. The workers, who make up more than 70 per cent of the workforce at the plant producing pavers and flagstones, will walk out for four days this week [27 – 30 August]. The dispute arose when staff were offered a 2.5 per cent pay increase for 2024/2025, representing a real terms pay cut with RPI inflation at 3.1 per cent. Meanwhile this week the company announced pre-tax profits of £3.4m read more
Brighton Asda Bank Holiday strike action suspended after last minute offer (22 Aug) – Members at the Hollingbury superstore have suspended action to consider an offer from ASDA. Members of GMB, the union for Asda, have this morning suspended their strike action planned for this weekend. Following on from strike action which took place over Whitsun Bank Holiday at the end of May, more than 100 members in store were due to strike from 10pm tomorrow to 10pm on Saturday. Previous talks before the first strike date had failed to result in any agreement between GMB and ASDA, but the employer has made a last-minute offer which will be discussed next week read more
Skelton Asda faces strike vote (20 Aug) – Another Asda store faces industrial action in a wave of unrest facing the retail giant. Skelton’s Asda workers are concerned by health and safety, a loss of working hours in the store and the wider fight for equal pay led by GMB Union members. In an indicative ballot, 88 per cent of GMB members in Skelton voted, with 86 per cent supporting strike action. The formal strike ballot opens tomorrow (Thursday 15th August) and will close on 9th September. The GMB Equal Pay Claim opens in the High Court on September 9th. Any Skelton industrial action could begin later in September 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
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
Fifteen more Birmingham schools begin equal pay strike vote (22 Aug) – Second wave of Birmingham Equal Pay school strikes could be imminent. GMB union has today announced that fifteen additional Birmingham City Council schools are set to vote on joining industrial action, following the Council’s ongoing failure to resolve the City’s equal pay crisis. The escalation comes after support staff in thirty five schools across the city downed tools and took strike action earlier this year. Council bosses are facing criticism for the lack of meaningful progress towards a resolution. This week a body of accountants and researchers have called for an independent inquiry into the Council’s issuing of two Section 114 Notices, effectively declaring itself bankrupt. Over 250 school workers will take part in the new ballot which would bring the total number of Birmingham schools facing strike action to fifty. Balloting will begin today [Thursday 22 August] with a result expected mid-September read more
Steel transition board ‘welcome sign of reset’ (20 Aug) – Responding to today’s transition board, Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer, said:
“Today’s transition board meeting was productive and a welcome sign of the reset this new government offers…” read more
London City Airport faces first ever strike after workers shun pay deal (20 Aug) – GMB Union today (Wednesday) warns that London City Airport is facing the first major stoppage in its 37-year history following a 100 per cent rejection of the employer’s pay offer in July. Workers are demanding that management at Gatwick Ground Services (GGS), must offer pay parity with counterparts working at Gatwick Airport who are paid at least 17 per cent more, and enjoy other fringe benefits that the City Airport workers are denied. Management at GGS has delayed getting back to the negotiating table, giving rise to additional frustration and anger among GMB members working at the airport read more
Scotland bin strikes suspended (20 Aug) – GMB Scotland today suspended looming industrial action in Scotland’s local authorities after receiving a revised pay offer. The union, one of the biggest in Scotland’s local authorities, paused eight days of strikes in waste and cleansing, due to start on Wednesday, to allow members to vote on the new terms. GMB Scotland’s local government committee met this morning to discuss the offer from Cosla, representing Scots councils, involving a 3.6% increase for all grades with a rise of £1,292 for the lowest paid, equivalent to 5.6% read more
400 GMB members lodge equal pay claims against Brighton (20 Aug) – GMB Union members have lodged a first tranche of 400 legal claims against Brighton and Hove City Council. The claims centre around sex discrimination over the pay of members in predominantly female job roles. The value of the claims identified is estimated to be tens of millions of pounds but could be much more. The claims are now lodged with ACAS, which prompts 6 weeks in which early conciliation can take place between the employer and the union to seek a resolution to the issues prior to Employment Tribunal claims being lodged. GMB has approached Brighton and Hove City Council for a meeting to discuss equal pay issues, but the council have yet to agree to a meeting read more
Bathroom workers back strike action (20 Aug) – Ideal Standard’s Rugeley factory workers have backed strike action over years of real term pay cuts. Workers have been left disappointed by a suggested pay uplift that would not correct previous below inflation pay read more
Repealing ‘gimmick’ MSL act resets industrial relations (20 Aug) – Responding to the Government’s plans to repeal the Minimum Services Level Act, Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “This is a reset to industrial relations – and a vital step towards building a fairer world of work. The Minimum Services Level Act was always about the previous Tory Government shifting blame from themselves onto striking workers…” 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
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 workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City – started by Nottingham City Unison
Support the Homerton Hospital outsourced workers! – Join the Protest:Thursday 5th September 5pm Homerton Hospital Education Centre – Join us this Thursday to show the Homerton Council of Governors that Hackney wants in-housing. Porters, caterers, domestics and security workers at Homerton Hospital are outsourced to private giant ISS. ISS enforce a 2-tier workforce, punitive sickness and attendance policies, and have denied the majority of their workforce the covid bonus hospital workers received for working through the pandemic. The Hospital Trust are currently deciding whether to bring the workers back in house and employ them directly with the NHS. Join us for a rally outside the Council of Governors’ meeting this Thursday to support the workers’ demands. If you haven’t yet, please also sign and share this petition that we’ll deliver to the Governors on Thursday: https://www.change.org/p/homerton-healthcare-nhs-foundation-trust-bring-soft-facility-management-in-house
Colchester Hospital support staff vow to keep striking against outsourcing (2 Sept) – Hundreds of cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other support staff will follow an August strike with a further five days in September, in bid to remain in-house read more
UNISON enters into recognition agreement with EDF Renewables (29 Aug) – Agreement also includes Unite, Prospect and GMB and covers the company’s workplaces across the UK and Ireland. Representatives of UNISON, Unite, Prospect and GMB with the CEO of EDF Renewables for the signing of a recognition agreement. UNISON, together with Unite, Prospect and GMB, has entered into a recognition agreement with renewables energy developer EDF Renewables UK and Ireland. The agreement will cover the company’s 633 staff, who work in five offices, eight service centres and 44 renewable energy sites across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales read more
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
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
NHS Scotland pay consultation opens today (27 Aug) – From today, we’re asking members working in the NHS in Scotland to vote to accept or reject the offer. Pay-Offer Last week, Scottish government made a pay offer for NHS Scotland staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions. From today, we’re asking members working in the NHS in Scotland to vote to accept or reject the offer. On Tuesday 20 September, negotiations between the RCN, other health trade unions and the Scottish government concluded with the Scottish government making a final offer of a one year pay deal of 5.5% consolidated and across all Agenda for Change bands, effective from 1 April 2024. RCN Scotland board has considered the offer and is asking you to vote on the pay offer and tell us if you accept or reject it. Eligible members have until noon on Friday 20 September 2024 to cast their vote read more
RCN to consult members in Scotland on pay offer (22 Aug)
RCN Scotland responds to Scottish government’s NHS pay offer for 2024/25 (20 Aug)
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
CSP
CSP recommends that members accept Scottish government’s pay offer (29 Aug) – Scottish members have until 9am on Monday 23 September to vote to accept or reject this offer. The Scottish government has made a final offer of a 5.5 per cent pay increase for 2024/25 (consolidated), for Agenda for Change healthcare staff. Pay setting for NHS Scotland is by direct negotiations, not by the pay review body process which has made recommendations for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All health unions have agreed to consult with their members on the above-inflation offer. The CSP is consulting with Scottish members on whether to accept or reject the pay offer for 2024/25. The CSP member-led pay sub-group reviewed the offer and are recommending Scottish members vote to accept the pay offer read more
SOR
Opinions sought from members in Scotland over new pay deal (22 Aug) – An offer of a 5.5 per cent pay increase for NHS workers in Scotland has been made, with the SoR now seeking consultation from members read more
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
HCSA opens member referendum on junior doctor pay offer (28 Aug) – HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union has today launched a referendum of members on the government pay offer to junior doctors in England. Junior doctor members are being asked whether they wish to accept or reject the offer 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
NEU
Government scraps single headline inspection grades (2 Sept) – Scrapping the headline grade is a step in the right direction read more
Support South Chingford foundation School strikes – Striking over increased working hours and support staff terms and conditions. Pickets from 7am
September dates: Thursday 5th, Friday 6th, Monday 9th, Tuesday 10th, Wednesday 11th, Thursday 12th, Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th, Messages of support to: [email protected]
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
Support staff pay – NEU members voted overwhelmingly (92% in England and 96% in Wales) to reject the offer. Similar consultations in NJC recognised unions led to Unison and Unite also rejecting the offer, though GMB have accepted it. NEU have already conducted an indicative ballot that indicated a willingness to take industrial action in support of the NJC claim alongside others, as well as a willingness to take industrial action on pay and funding alongside NEU teacher members. The vote and turnout strongly suggest that a formal ballot of support staff would return a legal mandate to take action in both scenarios. Therefore, we are approaching Unison and Unite to discuss co-ordinated action in pursuit of the claim. The ‘snap poll’ of state funded teachers in September may also open possibilities of co-ordinated action in schools in the next academic year. More details and the latest support staff newsletter are available here
NASUWT
Ofsted changes welcome but root and branch reform needed (2 Sept) – Speaking following announcements from the Department for Education regarding changes to the inspection and accountability system for schools, NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “The new Government has made the right decisions to immediately abandon the system of single word inspection grades. We have seen the destructive consequences of that system which did nothing to support the work of schools and was of little or no value to parents…” 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
Ballot Result: College Lecturers Vote Overwhelmingly in Favour of New Pay Offer (30 Aug) – The EIS has announced that its members in the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting an improved pay offer from college employers. The EIS opened the indicative ballot one week ago, and it closed at noon. 95% of lecturers voting in the ballot voted in favour of accepting the improved offer, with 5% voting to reject. Turnout in the ballot was 84% read more
EIS to open statutory industrial action ballot in Glasgow Education cuts dispute (26 Aug) – The EIS has notified Glasgow Council that the EIS will open a statutory industrial action ballot one week from today (Monday 2 September) over the Council’s plans to axe 450 teaching posts from Glasgow schools over a 3-year period. EIS members in Glasgow will be urged to use their vote in the ballot to back a programme of industrial action, up to and including strike action, to force the Council to scrap its damaging and dangerous proposals 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
UCU
UCU welcomes end of single-word Ofsted rulings (2 Sept) – Commenting on the government’s decision to end single-word Ofsted rulings, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘We welcome the scrapping of single-word Ofsted rulings. UCU and our members have long argued for this, and it is a step in the right direction. We now need Labour to move further by completely abolishing Ofsted inspections…” read more
University of Hull carbon neutral campus plans go ‘up in smoke’ as strike ballot opens (30 Aug) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 2 September at the University of Hull over plans to sack up to 127 staff. The latest round of cuts comes after the closure of a voluntary severance scheme in May (2024) that led to 107 employees already leaving the university read more
New strike dates set to hit start of term at five colleges in the North East (30 Aug) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees will strike for four days next month in a long running dispute over low pay that has already seen staff down tools for nine days read more
Joint statement on this week’s New JNCHES dispute resolution meetings (23 Aug) – UCEA and the five trade unions (EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite) met in two dispute resolution meetings on Monday 19 August and Thursday 22 August 2024 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
Time to deliver: FBU national rally and lobby – it’s time for the Westminster government to deliver a fire and rescue service ready for the risks we face
When: 11:30am, Tuesday 8 October; Where: Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
MP calls for rethink of Dorset and Wiltshire fire service cuts as FBU warns of risk to public (30 Aug) – Labour MP for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, has raised concern over cuts to Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service. Following meetings with firefighters, the MP for Poole has called for “consideration of what the proposed change actually means for residents, businesses and firefighters”, stating that figures used to justify the cuts “simply don’t add up”. Poole is one of eight areas set to lose a fire engine, as part of plans that the Fire Brigades Union has said will “put lives and homes at risk”. The fire service is also planning on downgrading fire cover across the region, which will mean fewer firefighters available during the night. Fire stations covering large areas will be impacted, reducing resilience and firefighter availability across Dorset and Wiltshire read more
POA
National Chair Update August 2024 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
NAPO
Napo Neurodiversity Survey (28 Aug) – On behalf of the Equal Rights Committee, Napo has launched a survey on Neurodiversity. We are encouraging the employer to develop a comprehensive neurodiversity strategy for the probation service, which includes increasing employer awareness of neurodiversity, tailored training for all staff, addressing issues related to neurodiversity, and support for neurodiverse individuals on probation. Napo has been working with the employer to address neurodiversity issues, and in some cases (when all other options have been exhausted) launching ET cases to hold the employer accountable for discrimination read more
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
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
Nautilus International
Royal Fleet Auxiliary officers: second strike planned for Merchant Navy Day (21 Aug) – Nautilus International officers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will hold a further strike day on Merchant Navy Day, Tuesday 3 September. This strike date follows on from the historic strike action on Thursday 15 August, with RFA officers withdrawing their labour for the first time in the history of the service. The action on 15 August had far reaching impacts on vessels in the Far East, Mediterranean, and in UK Waters. Officers have also been undertaking a continuous period of action short of strike since 1 June 2024, which has also had a significant impact on RFA capability. The dispute has arisen as RFA employees have faced a real term pay cut of over 30% since 2010, with a below inflation pay offer of 4.5% for 2023/24 imposed in November. The service faces a recruitment and retention crisis after more than a decade of below inflation uplifts and erosion of terms and conditions of employment read more
NUJ
NUJ Disabled Members’ Council calls for lasting improvements to access for disabled people (30 Aug) – As the Paralympics and the achievements of Paralympians draw worldwide attention, the National Union of Journalists calls on the media industry to play its part in challenging the lack of access and inclusion in everyday life read more
TUC poll finds more than half of LGBT+ people have experienced bullying or harassment at work in the last five years (29 Aug) – Young LGBT+ workers are the most likely to face abuse. Ministers called on to change the law, so employers have a new duty to properly protect their staff from harassment at work. More than half (52%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) people report being bullied or harassed at work, according to TUC research read more
Equity
Stop the cuts – tax wealth instead, rally called outside Holyrood (21 Aug) – Equity will rally outside of the Scottish Parliament at 12.30pm on Thursday 5th September to protest the Scottish Government’s funding cuts read more
Equity responds to Creative Scotland cuts (20 Aug) – Equity has criticised the Scottish Government following the closure of a major Creative Scotland arts fund read more
Equity to ballot Welsh National Opera members for strike action (20 Aug) – Members of the Chorus of WNO are being balloted for industrial action over pay and redundancies read more
Musicians’’ Union
Union Members Vote Yes to Potential Strike Action at Welsh National Opera (17 Jul) – Welsh National Opera’s orchestra have voted overwhelmingly in favour of potential strike action, in response to proposals that would reduce the employment of the orchestra from a full-time to 85% contract, along with a 15% pay cut read more
Protect Welsh National Opera: Sign the Petition Now – Musicians at Welsh National Opera orchestra are campaigning to keep the orchestra full time and secure the company’s future read more
RWCMD Petition Hits 10,000 Signatures and is Discussed at Senedd Petitions Committee (4 Jul) – More leading figures from music and the arts sign the Union’s open letter in support of Young RWCMD, as the Senedd Petitions Committee call for urgent action to protect the programme read more
Protect the Junior RWCMD department: Sign the Petition – Members at the Junior RWCMD department are campaigning to keep the college’s junior music and drama programmes open read more
Community
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
USDAW
Tesco distribution workers at eight sites reject a less than 5% pay offer – Usdaw consults members on industrial action (28 Aug) – Retail distribution trade union Usdaw has launched a consultation ballot, asking Tesco workers at eight sites across Great Britain if they are prepared to take a dispute over pay to industrial action. Members at all eight sites overwhelmingly rejected Tesco’s pay offer of between 2% plus £500 and 4.4%, depending on contract, along with some additional enhancements. The eight sites affected are: Hinckley, Magor, Southampton, Daventry Clothing, Goole, Lichfield, Livingston and Peterborough. The consultative ballot will run from 9 to 24 September 2024 read more
UVW
Cleaners at the prestigious James Allen’s Girls School halt strike after pay deal (29 Aug) – Outsourced migrant cleaners at the prestigious £24,000-a-year private school James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) in Dulwich, London, have for now, called off a planned strike in September after reaching a deal which will see pay cuts reversed and the introduction of full sick pay. The three day strike that was due to take place next week has been called off by the cleaners’ union United Voices of the World (UVW) after all the pay cuts have been reversed and backdated and workers told they will receive compensation for the reduced hours they were given. The migrant cleaners will be paid the London Living Wage and have been guaranteed annual pay increases and agreed enhanced pay for any cover work read more
IWGB
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU calls on Amnesty to secure the jobs of laid off staff in Ireland (30 Aug) – SIPTU has called on the Board of Amnesty International Ireland to use every means at its disposal to work to secure the employment of its staff in Ireland who are due to be laid off next month as the human rights organisation struggles with a financial crisis read more
‘Our Union, Our Team’ FAI workers’ campaign to ramp up actions (29 Aug) – The SIPTU ‘Our Union, Our Team’ campaign, which demands respect for FAI workers, will increase its activities next month with the announcement of several high-profile supporters, a campaign of political pressure through the local authorities and will be maintaining its leaflet and banner drops at selected domestic football matches read more
21% pay increase for craft workers employed in the motor industry (29 Aug) – SIPTU has agreed a new three-year pay deal with the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), the national trade association for the motor industry, which secures a 21% increase in wages for craft workers employed across the sector over the next three years 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
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. 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
Indonesia: journalists fired by CNN Indonesia (2 Sept) read more on NUJ website
Indonesia: 11 journalists attacked in widespread protest (30 Aug) read more on NUJ website
Hong Kong: journalists found guilty of sedition (2 Sept) read more on NUJ website
Italy: APPEAL As GKN factory occupation in Florence passes three years, help us fund rank and file contingent to first international assembly on 12-13 October. New Reel News film out today with all the details of this visionary struggle,as GKN workers mark three years in occupation with an incredible outdoor concert followed by a huge demonstration through the centre of the city – at 2 o’clock in the morning. And with major steps forward in the most important just transition struggle anywhere in Europe, we’re asking for your help to fund a rank and file contingent to go over to Florence for the first international shareholders assembly from Reel News
Diary
2024
September
8 NSSN TUC Congress Rally & Lobby – 1pm The Old Ship Hotel Brighton
October
5 Troublemakers At Work Conference Central Hall in Manchester details
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
