Up to 120 union reps and activists attended the NSSN TUC Congress rally and lobby last Sunday in Brighton. While celebrating the smashing of the Tories in July, the overwhelming message to the new Labour government ahead of their first budget next month, was make the rich pay NOT workers.
We gave a platform to a number of union leaders and rank and file union reps and members who can be seen on these videos – 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), Matt Webb Brighton & Hove Trades Union Council, Rob Williams NSSN Chair plus there was an open mic for union reps and members to speak. Katrine Williams NSSN Secretary chaired the rally.
The rally called for support for motions and amendments at TUC Congress which set out a fighting strategy.
These included the EIS-led composite motion: ‘End of the hostile environment towards workers and unions’ which included an amendment from PCS – “Congress notes the Labour Party’s 2024 general election manifesto committed to implementing ‘Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ in full – introducing legislation within 100 days. If the government has not legislated within the first hundred days, a special TUC congress will be called to discuss next steps.”
Also, the POA motion ‘Repeal Section 127 Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994’ – calling for the restoration of the right to strike for their prison officer members was passed as well.
Both motions were passed, and represent the fighting approach that unions need to take forward.
Suzanne Muna spoke in the rally for ‘SHAC’ – the Social Housing Action Campaign. To find out more about SHAC, including how to support its work, click here
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 this summer 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
Join the counter-protest to Tommy Robinson – central London Saturday 26th October. For details of this and other protests see the Stand Up To Racism website.
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
Scottish government needs to scrap peak rail fares (11 Sept) – Rail union, RMT today called on the Scottish government to scrap peak rail fares on Scotrail. A non-binding opposition motion in the Scottish Parliament, urging the Scottish government to make the change, will be moved today read more
Royal Fleet Auxiliary members to take 3 more days strike action (9 Sept) – Seafarers working for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will take 3 days strike action later this month in a long running dispute over pay. RMT members have taken 5 stoppages since the dispute began under the previous Tory government. The union 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 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
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
ASLEF
Rail Public Ownership Bill – Through the House of Commons (4 Sept) – Labour’s rail public ownership bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons this week. This bill is the first step in bringing our railways into public ownership, with wheels and steel back together, under a guiding mind. Now it’s passed in the Commons, the bill will go to the House of Lords for debate and vote before becoming one of the first new laws of the new Labour government. ASLEF has been campaigning for the railways to be brought into public ownership for many decades as train drivers know that privatisation has led to safety concerns and a worse service for passengers. We are proud to have worked hand-in-hand with the Labour Party to see this legislation realised and look forward to future legislation that will take our railway forward read more
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
TSSA backs Shadow Great British Railways (4 Sept) – Rail union TSSA has welcomed as a ‘significant step forward’ the move by the government to create Shadow Great British Railways. This body will pave the way for the legislation leading to Great British Railways which will see track and trains brought together, something TSSA has long campaigned for and was a commitment won in the Labour Party’s manifesto prior to the general election. The move comes as the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill continues to make its way through the Commons, with the end result being rail services back in public hands read more
TSSA launches campaign tackling workplace violence against transport workers (4 Sept) – On Thursday 5 September at 16:30-17:30 the union is running free online tackling violence in the workplace training for transport workers. Journalists and workers across the transport industries are invited to join this online session, led by TSSA organisers, workplace representatives and training experts. The session will provide an overview of the types of abuse workers are subjected to, how to ensure adequate reporting and recovery post incident. Future sessions will focus on conflict avoidance and resolution, and health and safety in the workplace training for reps, to help minimise abuse targeted at staff. The campaign is being launched in response to the RSSB’s Annual Health and Safety Report 2023/24, which found that assaults on staff have increased, despite passenger journeys not fully recovering after the Covid-19 pandemic read more
TSSA welcomes ScotRail scrapping High Speed Trains (3 Sept) – Rail union TSSA has welcomed the announcement that ScotRail is to withdraw all High Speed Trains (HSTs) from service following a long campaign by the union. The High Speed Train (HST) fleet which operates on its InterCity routes between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness dates from half a century ago. TSSA has long called for the trains to be removed from service. The union expressed multiple concerns, not least after the Stonehaven derailment of 2020 in which three people died. TSSA raised the alarm after the RAIB report considered whether “significant areas of corrosion” in damaged areas of the train’s carriages had been a factor in the tragedy read more
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
Unite leader says reforms cannot be code for cuts (12 Sept) – Commenting on today’s NHS report and the prime minister’s comments, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “NHS staff are the bedrock of our health care system – without their dedication, hard work and commitment the NHS doesn’t exist. The prime minister is right that the NHS has been run into the ground by successive Conservative governments but reforms cannot be a byword for cuts or downgrades to our members’ pay and conditions…” read more
Unite general secretary calls Grangemouth decision act of industrial vandalism (12 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has vowed to explore all avenues to preserve high quality jobs at Grangemouth following the announcement that PetroIneos will go ahead with its plans to close its refinery. PetroIneos confirmed today that it intends to close the refinery at Grangemouth between April – June 2025 and become an import and export only facility. The announcement places in jeopardy the jobs of the 500 workers directly employed (represented by Unite) at Grangemouth and thousands more in the supply chain. There is widespread fury within the workplace due to the failure of the bosses and politicians to ensure the future of the site. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an act of industrial vandalism, pure and simple. This dedicated workforce has been let down by PetroIneos and by the politicians in Westminster and Holyrood who have failed to guarantee production until alternative jobs are in place. This is now the last chance for this Labour government to show whether its really on the side of workers and communities. The road to net zero cannot be paid for with workers’ jobs. The government must put its money where its mouth is to ensure the jobs are safeguarded. This is the only refinery left in Scotland and it must remain. There are alternative plans. This is yet another example of workers paying for a crisis they did not create while billionaire owners laugh all the way to the bank” read more
MEBSCA dispute: Pickets set for Pfizer sites in Grange Castle and Ringaskiddy tomorrow (12 Sept) – Employers warned refusal to engage puts stability of sector at risk. Unite members working as plumbers, fitters, welders and apprentices are set to down tools tomorrow (Friday) in a second day of action to secure the reversal of the austerity-era cut to ‘travel time’ read more
MEBSCA dispute: Time for MEBSCA/CIF to get serious (10 Sept) – Unite brands employers’ call for talks “disingenuous”. Meaningful offer needed to avert further disruption read more
MEBSCA dispute: Tomorrow to see first in series of strikes (5 Sept) – Pickets set for sites in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Kildare. Unite seeking reversal of austerity-era cut to ‘travel time’. Union warns of further strike action if MEBSCA does not make meaningful offer read more
300 Scotrail workers accept pay offer (11 Sept) – Over 90 per cent of Unite members lend support to deal. Unite the union can confirm today (Wednesday 11 September) that its 300 plus Scotrail membership have emphatically backed a 4.5 per cent pay offer. 91 per cent of Unite’s membership supported the wage offer by Scotrail which will be backdated to take effect from April for one year. Unite is the first of the rail unions to declare the position of its membership on the pay offer read more
Port Talbot: Government investment the first step towards a better future for South Wales steel (11 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the confirmation from the government that they are moving towards future investment for the South Wales steel industry, following their commitment today of a first stage of investment of £500 million in a 3.2 mega tonne electric arc furnace at Port Talbot. Unite was instrumental in securing a £2.5 billion fund for investment in steel and is in ongoing talks on further investment which should include new lines being installed and generating jobs at both Port Talbot and Llanwern. This should be agreed over the next 12 months. The disgrace is that the last government stood by and did nothing for years and years and has meant investment is being committed much later than it should have been read more
Unite comment on Welsh Government pay award for NHS staff (11 Sept) – Following the announcement that the Welsh 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. Unite regional officer Daryl Williams said: “Welsh NHS staff have suffered real terms pay cuts and have seen their living standards fall for over a decade. This has created huge recruitment and retention issues, which is a direct result of staff being thousands of pounds worse off in real terms. NHS workers across Wales deserve a restorative pay award and today’s announcement must be the beginning of Welsh Government honouring its 2023 commitment to pay restoration.
“Unite’s health members will have the final say on whether they believe this is an acceptable pay offer through a ballot.” Read more
Starmer TUC speech: Unite reaction (10 Sept) – Responding to the prime minister Keir Starmer’s speech at TUC Congress today, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It’s clear that Britain is better under a Labour government, however change must mean change. Tinkering around the edges is not enough. Labour must rule out austerity mark two and ensure we address the crisis in our crumbling public services and the lack of investment in British industry.” Read more
Hounslow CCTV strikes off after Unite backpay win (10 Sept) – Strikes by London borough of Hounslow CCTV operators employed by NSL have ended after Unite secured a deal for the workers’ outstanding 2023 pay claim. 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 with Serco, was not settled until the workers announced strikes would begin on 2 September. On Friday 30 August, Hounslow council and NSL put forward an offer and industrial action was suspended. Following acceptance of the deal by the workers, which will see them receive back pay from April 2023 to November 2023, all strikes have now been called off read more
Billingham fertiliser strike off after Unite secures 21% pay rise (10 Sept) – Strikes by Billingham workers employed by Hargreaves Industrial Services at CF Fertiliser’s plant have been called off after Unite secured an improved pay offer. The majority of workers, who pack and load ammonium nitrate produced at the County Durham site, will see their pay increase from £11.55 to £14 an hour – a rise of 21.2 per cent. Higher paid roles will also receive substantial pay rises and all workers will see their shift allowance increase by 75 per cent. The new rates will be back paid from April 2024 and workers with five years continuous service will gain two days extra annual leave. The deal, struck during the first set of negotiations since Unite signed a recognition deal with Hargreaves in June 2023, was secured without the need for industrial action. Strikes scheduled from 12 to 20 September have now been called off read more
Farmers facing fertiliser shortages as Billingham loading workers strike (4 Sept)
Cardiff Valley Vets petition reaches 50,000 as poverty pay strikes escalate (10 Sept) – Historic strike taking on profiteering business model that harms animals and workers. The first ever strike at a private veterinary practice in the UK will escalate this week – as a petition in support of the striking workers grew to 49,503 signatures. Around 100 staff at Valley Vets in Cardiff, many of whom earn little more than the national minimum wage, have been on strike since July over poverty pay. Most support staff (80 per cent) report regularly borrowing money to make ends meet and five per cent report having to use food banks. VetPartners, owned by £138 billion private equity fund BC Partners, claims it cannot afford to give the lowest paid workers at Valley Vets the real living wage of £12 an hour. But in 2023, the company reported gross profits of £553 million. VetPartners says it is running at a loss despite its extremely healthy cash flow. This is because the company, which has more than 400 UK sites, has a policy of loading itself with debt to fund aggressive market expansion to increase its sale value. BC Partners bought VetPartners for £700 million in 2018; the company is now worth an estimated £3 billion…The workers have taken approximately six weeks of strike action since July. The next 24-hour strike will begin at 08:00 hrs on Friday 13 September read more
Unite members at Diageo secure inflating beating pay deal (10 Sept) – 10.3 per cent delivered for thousands of workers. Unite the union today (10 September) confirmed that its over 500-strong membership at Diageo has voted to accept a one year pay deal successfully negotiated by the union. Diageo workers will receive a wage increase worth around 10.3 per cent for the 3,000 employees based in distilleries and bottling plants across Scotland. The deal is split into two parts with the first increase of eight per cent running from July until January 2025, and then an increase in real terms worth around 2.3 per cent will top-up the deal until July next year. Unite members at Diageo include: production operators, cask handlers and in distilleries read more
School staff to strike in Greenwich over job cuts and restructure, say unions (9 Sept) – Mulgrave School workers will walk out over threat to their livelihoods. Dozens of support staff at a London primary school are to strike on Wednesday (11 September) over a proposed restructure that would lead to 14 job cuts. Teaching assistants and other workers at Mulgrave School represented by Unite, GMB and Unison are walking out in response to Greenwich Council plans that involve scrapping flexible working arrangements, creating additional unpaid duties and cutting the pay of remaining workers. Staff represented by the three unions are furious at the plans and will be on the picket line to make their voices heard. The school and local authority have repeatedly failed to disclose the accounts to justify any restructuring and have called in neighbouring Hackney council to help support the restructure due to a lack of resource and expertise within Greenwich council read more
Wrexham Oscar Mayer fire and rehire threat strikes to go ahead (6 Sept) – UK supermarkets facing ready meal shortages over £2,000 attack on pay. UK supermarkets are facing ready meal shortages as low paid Oscar Mayer workers based in Wrexham strike over fire and rehire threats that will leave them £2,000 a year worse off. More than 550 workers voted by 98 per cent in a ballot with a 76 per cent turnout in favour of strike action. They are angry at the company’s plans to remove some paid breaks, reduce other breaks and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays. Oscar Mayer is threatening to fire and rehire the workers on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept the changes, which will see their take home pay plummet. Fire and rehire would result in the workers, many of whom speak English as a second language, being dismissed without redundancy pay or compensation if they refuse to sign the new contracts. Strikes will take place from 12 September to 10 October. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite secures Stansted passenger assistance workers over 12% pay rise (6 Sept) – 200 ABM workers also gain sick pay for first time and 50% increase in overtime rates. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured 200 Stansted airport workers employed by ABM Aviation a pay rise of 12.4 per cent. In addition, the workers, who provide special assistance for the airport’s most vulnerable passengers, will receive company sick pay for the first time and an increase in overtime rates of 49.4 per cent. The workers voted in favour of strike action; however, the deal was secured without the need for industrial action read more
Unite will escalate ABC council dispute (5 Sept) – Bin workers based at Armagh depot suspend strikes but union members stand ready to defend reps. ABC council senior management have presided over a ‘hostile environment’ for union reps and their behaviour is ‘shameful’. Unite members employed in waste collection at the Armagh depot have voted to suspend a seven-week strike taken in response to the sacking of their union rep. Unite has vowed to continue to pursue justice for its sacked shop steward through all available avenues, including at employment tribunal where the council will have to justify its decision. The strike action will be suspended from midnight [Thursday] tonight with employees returning to work tomorrow. In a meeting notifying management of the decision to suspend, union officials demanded the council conduct an audit into its industrial practices, which they have agreed. The union has described the behaviour of senior council management at Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon (ABC) council towards its team of workforce reps as ‘shameful’ and warned that any further aggression towards its reps or to the jobs, pay, terms and conditions of its members will be completely opposed by workers read more
Unite members back COSLA pay offer (5 Sept) – Over 70 per cent support minimum cash increase of £1,292. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm that its local government membership has voted to accept the revised COSLA pay offer. Unite’s thousands of local government members returned a 71 per cent yes vote in a consultative ballot to accept the revised offer made by COSLA read more
Unite secures deal worth 8.5 per cent for Allied Bakeries workers (5 Sept) – Two-year deal for drivers at Sighthill depot. Unite, Scotland’s leading transport trade union, confirmed today (Thursday 5 September) that around 60 Allied Bakeries drivers have overwhelmingly backed an inflation beating pay rise. The two-year pay deal will see the heavy goods vehicle drivers based at the Sighthill depot receiving a pay increase worth at least 8.5 per cent. The deal will come into effect on 1 August 2024 with the first year amounting to a five per cent increase, and 3.5 per cent in the second year (August 2025 to August 2026) read more
Inflation beating pay increase secured for Wirral Biffa waste workers (4 Sept) – Unite members vote to accept five per cent pay deal. Unite members working for Biffa refuse services in the Wirral are celebrating an above-inflation pay deal they secured. Over 200 workers will receive a 5.1 per cent pay increase for 2024/25. The pay agreement covers the operational workers collecting refuse and street cleansing on behalf of Wirral borough council. The deal is for 12 months until 31 March 2025…Workers will also receive pay for driver training and an increase in the core workforce to help with additional workloads. Unite is currently in dispute (and currently balloting for industrial action) with the national local government employers pay offer and victories like this show that where workers are strong in a union, improved pay and conditions are more than possible read more
Airbus cleaning strikes suspended following improved pay offer (4 Sept) – Strikes by workers employed by CBRE at Airbus’ sites in Broughton, Wales and Filton, Bristol have been suspended after an improved pay offer was put forward. Industrial action scheduled for 6, 7, 9 and 10 September has been suspended to allow the more than 140 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, to be balloted on the new offer read more
300 Stagecoach Strathtay and Perth drivers set for pay uplift (4 Sept) – 7.1 per cent deal over 16 months overwhelmingly backed by members. Unite, Scotland’s leading transport trade union, confirmed today (Wednesday 4 September) that around 300 Stagecoach Strathtay and Perth bus drivers have overwhelmingly backed an inflation beating pay rise. The 16-month pay deal will see Stagecoach drivers across Strathtay and Perth receiving a 7.1 per cent pay award with the deal coming into effect on 1 September 2024. The pay deal supported by 77 per cent of Unite’s membership, will now bring the drivers basic hourly pay up to £15.00 per hour, and the overtime rate will similarly increase to £18.26 read more
Striking Veolia refuse workers to protest at Sheffield Town Hall (3 Sept) – Refuse collectors to attend council meeting to make case for union recognition. 78 striking refuse workers from across Sheffield will descend on the Town Hall on Wednesday to demonstrate against their employer’s refusal to recognise their trade union membership for collective bargaining. Workers at Veolia’s Lumley Street depot have been taking part in continuous strike action since 20 August. The dispute is a result of the fact that, despite representing significant numbers at the depot, and despite Unite having other recognition agreements with Veolia in other depots around the country, the company is refusing to recognise Unite for bargaining over pay, conditions, and health and safety read more
Offshore wind auction: Government must tackle UK manufacturing deficit, warns Unite (3 Sept) – Responding to the announcement today that the government has awarded nine new offshore win contracts, Unite the UK’s leading union, has warned that the lack of an industrial strategy to increase UK wind manufacturing is preventing a just transition in green jobs. Seventy per cent of the offshore wind farms were awarded to the Danish multinational Orsted read more
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
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 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
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
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
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
Edinburgh Tram workrs 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
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
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
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
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
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]
Foreign Secretary cancels Scotland FCDO visit as strike action begins (13 Sept) – The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, has cancelled a visit to an FCDO office in Scotland next week as PCS member begin strike action over pay. PCS members employed by outsourced OCS at the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office in East Kilbride will walk out on Wednesday and Thursday in the dispute, with additional action to take place on 24, 25 and 26 September read more
OCS members in East Kilbride to take strike action (4 Sept) – The members employed as caterers and cleaners at FCDO will walk out for two days this month. PCS members employed as cleaners and caterers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office in East Kilbride will take two days of strike action on 18 and 19 September in an escalation of their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The strike action follows a resounding 100% vote in favour on a 100% turnout in a ballot that closed on 30 August read more
Trade unions support for sacked PCS reps (13 Sept) – Sacked PCS reps at HMRC Benton View Park are receiving widespread support from the trade union movement. At this week’s TUC Congress, over 100 signatures were collected from visitors to the PCS stall for the petition calling for them to be reinstated. This included TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak who signed to show his support read more. Email your local MP to ensure they add their support to the campaign
MP raises case of sacked HMRC reps in parliament (4 Sept) – Kate Osborne MP asked a question about the Benton Park View reps in the House of Commons yesterday read more
ONS members to vote on extending dispute (9 Sept) – PCS members at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are voting to renew their mandate to take action over mandatory workplace attendance. The ballot runs from 10 September until 12 noon on 1 October. The ballot to continue industrial action by ONS members reflects the continued failure of ONS management to engage with PCS to resolve the dispute, which was prompted by the introduction of a mandatory workplace attendance requirement of at least 40% from April 2024 read more
Consultative ballot to open for members on the DWP G4S contract (5 Sept) – PCS members working for G4S in jobcentres will be asked to vote on whether they want to reject the pay offer made to GMB members. PCS G4S members working on the DWP contract have been clear in meetings with PCS that the pay offer made to the GMB is not enough. Although GMB have suspended their strike action, PCS members will strike for two further weeks commencing 9 and 23 September, as the dispute has not been resolved for our members. PCS will now undertake a consultative ballot which will be run by independent balloting organisation Civica Election Services to ensure a fair and democratic test of members’ opinions on the pay offer. The ballot will run from Tuesday 17 to Friday 27 September and will be online for all G4S members that we hold an email address for. All other members will receive their ballot in the post read more
Enforced roster changes leave Heathrow Border Force members feeling suicidal (3 Sept) – PCS members working at passport control at Heathrow Airport have reported major adverse impacts to their family life, physical and mental wellbeing as a result of enforced roster changes. Amongst over 250 responses to our survey, PCS members were unequivocal in their condemnation of the changes to the roster, with several members reporting that not only were they finding it difficult to maintain a work life balance, but that several had lost access to their children completely…Members on the picket line at Heathrow airport during the four days of strike action that finish today have been holding signs with personal testimonies, including: “I’m so tired that I’m scared I’ll make a mistake” and “The shifts are so long that I just never feel like I have a break from work.” After a solidarity visit to the picket line from Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell, , members are more determined than ever. Plans are in place for more parliamentary work to help bring the dispute to the attention of the new government. The members will now follow a 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
Use the e-action to fight de-recognition of PCS at the Imperial War Museum – 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
JCB workers secure new jobs commitment (13 Sept) – 500 new jobs will now be created at the Midlands based manufacturing giant. GMB Union has today welcomed news that workers at Midlands based manufacturing giant JCB will receive an inflation matching pay rise for the next three years. The news comes after months of negotiations reached an agreement this week, including commitments from the company on pay along with huge investment in new jobs and skills. The offer was accepted in a ballot of thousand of union members across the company, and includes the creation of as many as 500 new jobs at JCB read more
GMB responds to Darzi NHS report (12 Sept) – GMB Union has responded to today’s report into the NHS, written by Lord Darzi read more
Nottingham faces goose fair tram strike disruption (11 Sept) – Over 90% workers on the City’s tram network have backed strike action. GMB Union has today announced that workers on Nottingham’s tram network have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay, with over 90% backing industrial action. The Union has warned that strike action could coincide with Nottingham’s annual Goose Fair, due to take place later this month. Around 300 workers are expected to join strike action, across the network’s drivers, ticket office staff and maintenance teams read more
Leicestershire faces waste chaos as strike action looms (11 Sept) – Workers in the County’s tips are balloting for industrial action. GMB Union has today announced that workers in Leicestershire waste and recycling centres will begin balloting for strike action. The news comes after Leicestershire County Council announced plans to slash wages by as much as £1300 for workers at the sites in a bid to cut spending. Around 50 workers are expected to take part in the vote read more
Wales public sector pay award great sign’ (10 Sept) – GMB has responded to the Wales public sector pay award, announced today [Monday] read more
Workers at drinks giant accept 10.3% pay offer (9 Sept) – Workers at drinks giant Diageo have voted to accept a double-digit pay deal. GMB Scotland announced a ballot revealed 85% of members backing the 10.3% offer. Negotiations between the multinational drinks company, which produces famous brands including Johnnie Walker whisky, Smirnoff vodka, and Gordon’s gin, had been ongoing since an initial offer of 6.8% was overwhelmingly rejected by the workforce read more
Concrete makers escalate strike as fat cat bosses wine and dine (6 Sept) – Dozens of GMB members at Acheson & Glover’s (A&G) Toome are escalating industrial action. Further strike action comes after ‘fat cat’ bosses were wined and dined and a swanky awards ceremony. The workers, who make up more than 70 per cent of the workforce at the plant producing pavers and flagstones, will begin their fifth week of strike action on Monday [9 September]. 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. The company announced pre-tax profits of £3.4m, while this week bosses wined and dined each other at a lavish awards ceremony read more
Asda equal pay demonstrations as 60,000 workers begin sex discrimination case (6 Sept) – Asda workers will demonstrate in Manchester and Brighton as their landmark equal pay claim begins. More than 60,000 Asda workers take their case to the Employment Tribunal today [Monday] in the largest ever private sector equal pay claim. In Manchester, dozens of Asda workers are set to demonstrate outside the Civil Justice Centre, where the case will begin this morning [Monday]. In Brighton, Asda staff will protest at the TUC congress, where delegates will debate GMB’s motion on equal pay for Asda workers. The case, expected to last three months, centres on the fact the predominantly female retail workforce is paid up to £3.74 per hour less than the predominantly male warehouse workforce. Claimants will argue retail work is of equal value to the company as warehouse work. The case is the latest step in a twelve-year fight for equal pay by Asda retail workers. This second and crucial stage will likely establish that retail work is of equal value to warehouse work and therefore needs to be paid equally. If successful, the bill for Asda could run into billions of pounds read more
New water anti-pollution laws ‘welcome’ (5 Sept) – GMB Union has today welcomed new legislation which could could see water company bosses banned from receiving bonuses and even sent to prison in a bit to combat pollution read more
Women workers fight for fairness at defence complex (5 Sept) – Women workers at a huge defence depot are fighting for fairness and free period products. A petition signed by more than half the workforce at the 180-acre site, in Ayrshire, calls for sanitary products to be offered to women. Most workers at the depot in Beith, which is run by Defence Supply and Equipment (DE&S) for the Ministry of Defence, are men but trade union GMB Scotland said all must be treated with dignity and respect. The union organised the petition signed by 125 staff, more than half the workforce, and GMB Scotland organiser Howard Wilkin is urging action at the complex where arms and munitions for UK defence forces are assembled and prepared for transport read more
Amazon pay rise ‘too little too late’ (4 Sept) – GMB, the union for Amazon workers, has responded to the company’s announcement today it will increase the minimum starting pay for workers. GMB members at Amazon Coventry have taken almost 40 days of strike action in their fight for £15 per hour and union recognition read more
GMB Scotland accepts council pay offer and halts strikes (29 Aug) – Ministers must not blame public service pay deals for spending cuts, according to GMB Scotland. The warning comes as the union announces members have voted to accept a council pay offer and halt looming industrial action. The union, one of the biggest across Scotland’s local authorities, revealed a ballot of members in councils showed 78% of those voting supported the deal offering up to 5.6% for frontline workers. The offer from Cosla, representing Scotland’s councils, came just days before the start of strikes in waste and cleansing earlier this month. Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, confirmed the industrial action, suspended during the vote, would not now go ahead 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
DWP G4S strike: GMB national reps receive improved offer – agree to ballot and suspend action (23 Aug) 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
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
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
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
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
Local government strike ballot could be extended to more workers (10 Sept) – Scotland’s largest local government union is considering widening its strike ballot to more than 90,000 staff in councils and associated services over pay. The move comes after all council workers in the union overwhelmingly rejected Cosla’s latest pay offer in a consultative ballot a week ago read more
Council workers vote overwhelmingly to reject latest pay offer (3 Sept) – Council staff in Scotland belonging to UNISON have voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest pay offer from local government employers, says the union today (Tuesday) read more
Funding shortfall of £4bn leaves councils on a precipice (9 Sept) – New UNISON figures show dire state of finances. Councils across England, Scotland and Wales have a collective hole in their finances amounting to more than £4bn for the coming financial year, way beyond any previous estimates, says UNISON research published today (Monday). New figures, based on information from local authorities, show council funding is in a dire state with massive cuts likely to essential services and jobs, says the union read more
Strike ballots to be issued to staff working in social care charity (6 Sept) – Hundreds of staff working for Enable, one of Scotland’s largest charitable social care providers, are to be asked if they’re prepared to strike over pay, UNISON says today (Friday). UNISON has written to the charity to say that if its workers back industrial action there could be mass walkouts by Enable Scotland’s social care staff later in the autumn. The union says this is the first strike ballot for over a decade in Scotland’s charitable social care sector and shows the deep dissatisfaction that exists over pay read more
Local government employers must improve pay offer to avoid strike threat (4 Sept) – Council and school staff strike ballot begins. More than 360,000 council and school support staff across England and Wales will begin voting today (Wednesday) on whether to take strike action over pay, says UNISON. The 2024/25 flat rate pay offer of £1,290 from local government employers falls short of what council employees need and has also been superseded by the deals achieved by some other public sector workers, says the union. This year’s pay deal was due from April, but the disappointing offer has delayed the process, UNISON says. When the union consulted workers, more than four-fifths (81%) of those who took part opted to reject the sum. Now social workers, teaching assistants, refuse collectors, caretakers, planning officers and other staff at more than 4,000 organisations will be asked if they’re prepared to strike. The six-week ballot will begin today (Wednesday) and closes on Wednesday 16 October. Meanwhile, the union is urging employers to improve their offer and is calling for central government to help fund an improved deal and look at the longer-term investment it gives to councils read more
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 to recommend NHS members accept Scottish government pay offer (23 Aug) – UNISON, the biggest union in the NHS, will recommend that its members working in the NHS vote to accept the Scottish government’s offer of a 5.5% pay rise. The union will launch a consultative ballot on Tuesday (August 27) 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
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
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
Lord Darzi’s NHS report shows investment in nursing is needed now (12 Sept) – The Prime Minister must back up his mission to repair the NHS with new investment to boost nursing recruitment read more
RCN Wales responds to Welsh government’s 5.5% NHS pay award for 2024/25 (10 Sept) – RCN Wales Board is now considering next steps for members read more
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
RCM responds to Darzi Report (12 Sept) – In July 2024, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care commissioned Lord Darzi to conduct an immediate and independent investigation of the NHS. The rapid review was completed in nine weeks and the report was published today (12 September) read more
RCM welcomes long overdue pay announcement for midwives in Wales (10 Sept) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Wales has welcomed First Minister Eluned Morgan’s announcement of a 5.5% pay award for its members in Wales. After months of waiting the RCM says it’s pleased the Welsh Government has accepted the recommendations of the Pay Review Body (PRB) which means midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) across Wales are now set to receive an above inflation pay award. The RCM says it’s pleased the award is above inflation and on par with what RCM members in England will receive read more
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
Welsh government announces pay award following publication of PRB recommendations (10 Sept) – The Welsh government has announced today that it accepts the Pay Review Body (PRB) report’s recommendations for NHS pay in Wales read more
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
Pay award consultation for Scottish SoR members open now (4 Sept) – The Society wants to hear responses from members in Scotland over the proposed 5.5 per cent pay increase read more
England NHS pay award: SoR members vote to accept offer (3 Sept) – Under the offer radiographers and other NHS staff will receive a 5.5 per cent pay rise read more
BMA
Junior doctors are changing their title to ‘resident doctors’ (13 Sept) – The BMA will use the title ‘resident doctors’ from 18 September to better reflect their skills and responsibilities read more
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
HCSA
HCSA welcomes Welsh Government pay announcement (10 Sept) – The Welsh Government has today announced the full implementation of this year’s Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body recommendations on pay read more
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
Support the following NEU strikes:-
| Action Date Content Ealing Schools / Ealing (transfer of employment) 17-18 Sept Stefan Simms [email protected] Chetham’s School of Music / Manchester (TPS) 17-19 Sept John Morgan [email protected] Palmers Green High / Enfield (TPS) 17-19 Sept Claire Docherty [email protected] Tring Park School / Herts (TPS) 17-19 Sept Barhey Singh [email protected] Highgate Wood / Haringey (conditions of service) 18-19 Sept Efe Kurtluoglu [email protected] Oulton Academy / Leeds (terms and conditions) 18-19 Sept Terry Bambrook [email protected] Mary Owen [email protected] Baylis Court / Slough (conditions of service) 19 Sept Damien Randall [email protected] Reading Girls School / Reading (conditions of service) 19 Sept Katie Gumbrell [email protected] Swanshurst School / Birmingham (transfer of employment) 20 Sept David Room [email protected] |
Government scraps single headline inspection grades (2 Sept) – Scrapping the headline grade is a step in the right direction read more
Sixth form pay ballot (11 Sept) – NEU to launch sixth form pay ballot on 14 September. National Education Union members who teach in sixth form colleges will commence a formal strike ballot over pay, running from 14 September to 7 November. Whilst academised sixth form colleges have been guaranteed funding to implement the same 5.5% pay award as offered to school teachers, this has not been the case for non-academised sixth form colleges. Members in 40 sixth form colleges will be balloted read more
NEU Cymru welcome public sector pay offer (11 Sept) – A 5.5% pay award is a necessary first step in the reversal of the real terms pay cuts inflicted upon teachers and school leaders during recent years read more
Ofsted Big Listen consultation (3 Sept) – Ofsted is broken and we need to see it replaced urgently by a system of inspection which is supportive, effective and fair read more
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
NASUWT members welcome teachers’ pay offer (12 Sept) – NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union agrees to accept the latest pay offer for teachers, but insists that more needs to done urgently to address teachers’ workload concerns read more
NASUWT comments on Wales teachers’ pay award announcement (10 Sept) – Commenting on the announcement from the Welsh Government of an above-inflation 5.5% pay award for teachers, exceeding the 4.3% recommended by the IWPRB, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary for NASUWT, said: “NASUWT welcomes the confirmation form the Welsh Government that it will exceed the recommendation of the pay review body and ensure teachers in Wales receive at least an equivalent pay award as their counterparts in England…” read more
EIS
Scottish teachers’ pay – statement from SNCT Teachers’ Panel (13 Sept) – The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has today agreed to accept the pay offer of 4.27% from COSLA. This decision was taken following the constituent unions on the panel consulting with their respective memberships read more
EIS Ballot Result: Teachers vote overwhelmingly in favour of pay offer (11 Sept) – The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has announced that its teacher members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting a 4.27% pay offer across all grades from employers for the year 2024-2025 read more
EIS-FELA and College Employers Formally Ratify Lecturer Pay Deal (4 Sept) – EIS-FELA and College employers have formally ratified a four-year pay award for lecturers. The agreement will deliver a £5,000 consolidated pay rise across the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, as well as a further increase of 4.14% in 2025/26 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
UCU
Joint UCU SMT/Unite statement: (5 Sept) – Unite and UCU negotiators met again at Acas on 4 and 5 September to try to find a way to address the issues in the current dispute. Negotiators agreed the following, on which basis Unite negotiators will recommend to members that the continuous strike action due to commence on Monday 9 September be suspended 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
Blair’s “despicable” Grenfell remarks are out of touch, says firefighter union leader (6 Sept) – In a TV interview, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that tragedies like Grenfell cannot be completely avoided, and that people are “going to make mistakes” even in “well-intentioned systems” read more
“Grief, anger and vindication” – FBU responds to the Grenfell Tower public inquiry (4 Sept) – The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has today published its final report. Responding to the report, Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: ”Today is a sobering reminder of the tragic deaths of 72 people, and the deep scar that the Grenfell Tower fire has left on the community. The FBU shares the grief and anger of the bereaved, survivors and residents, and we call for justice for those who were killed by this entirely preventable fire. The FBU has always argued that the fire was the result of decades of failure by central government to regulate the building industry – the prioritisation of private profit over human life…” read more
POA
General Secretary update: September 2024 here
National Chair Update August 2024 read more
Launch of POA Briefing – “the right to strike” – Please find attached a letter from the Prime Minister and my response, together with a copy of “The Right to Strike” Briefing here
Prison officers demand the right to strike – POA publish briefing paper for TUC and Labour Conferences 2024 – Read the POAs briefing paper for TUC and Labour conferences 2024 here
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 fears ticking time bomb as 1700 prisoners released (10 Sept) – Probation union Napo fears that the early prisoner release scheme is a ticking time bomb that could put public safety at risk. The scheme originally initiated by the previous government will see 1700 prisoners released early today to ease overcrowding in prisons. But Napo and its members fear that this is just moving the problem from one place to another without properly assessing the risks to probation staff and the general public. The probation service is currently facing a crisis of its own. Chronic staff shortages, excessive workloads and poor morale have staff worried about how they will be able to supervise this influx of service users – particularly those who should not be eligible for the scheme but are somehow being released because they are serving concurrent sentences involving a lesser offence read more
Enhanced Overtime package for Probation Staff – Napo still seeking clarity (6 Sept) – Even after several weeks of central discussions, Napo and our sister unions are still seeking clarity from senior HMPPS management on the many issues that are being continually raised by our members on the enhanced overtime scheme which, as members will have expected, featured prominently at yesterday’s meeting of Napo’s National Executive Committee (NEC) 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
RFA: three-day strike to coincide with Labour Conference (9 Sept) – The industrial action will now escalate to a three-day strike. Nautilus International has announced a further three days of strike action by its members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, from 20-22 September. The last day of action will coincide with the beginning of the Labour Party conference. This is an escalation from previous action, which took place over one day on Thursday 15 August and another day on Tuesday 3 September. Officers from different RFA departments will strike at various points across the three days read more
NUJ
NUJ condemns two threats made to Sunday World journalist in Northern Ireland (9 Sept) – The Sunday World journalist was twice notified by police, in recent weeks, that dissident republicans planned to attack them. The most recent threat was delivered this week read more
NUJ backs calls for improved workers’ rights on air pollution (6 Sept) – Occupational risks to health caused by air pollution have been highlighted by the Trade Union Clean Air Network read more
Further cuts to BBC leave it in a “perilous state”, says NUJ (4 Sept) – The NUJ has called for an urgent reconsideration of the BBC’s funding after yet more damaging cuts across the corporation were unveiled today. The BBC has confirmed that it intends to cut around 115 editorial and production roles in the Nations and Regions, as part of overall plans to save £500m by March 2026 read more
NUJ and IFJ statement on arrest of Richard Medhurst (3 Sept) – Michelle Stanistreet and Anthony Bellanger have written as general secretaries of the NUJ and IFJ to the Head of UK counter terrorism policing, over the use of anti-terror legislation against journalists read more
Equity
Strike still on as talks with WNO make little progress (13 Sept) – Equity members of the Chorus at Welsh National Opera remain resolute to take strike action next week read more
Over 1,000 sign open letter opposing WNO job cuts ahead of strike negotiations (12 Sept) – Over 1,000 people have signed an open letter to the Chair of the Welsh National Opera’s Board of Directors. Over 1,000 people have signed an open letter to the Chair of the Welsh National Opera’s Board of Directors calling on her to intervene with WNO management to save jobs in the company’s chorus. The WNO’s Board of Directors oversee the company’s affairs, with Chair Yvette Vaughn Jones heading up the group. The letter comes ahead of negotiations between WNO management and Equity – the trade union representing WNO chorus members – tomorrow (Friday 13 September) and the first strike date of Saturday 21 September read more
Equity calls strike action at Welsh National Opera (6 Sept) – Equity has called strike action at Welsh National Opera which will hit the opening night of Rigoletto on Saturday 21 September 2024 read more
Welsh National Opera chorus vote for strike action (5 Sept) – WNO chorus have voted for industrial action by 93% in a dispute over jobs and pay read more
Equity rally prompts talks with Scottish Culture Minister (6 Sept) – Over 300 people attend vibrant rally outside First Ministers’ Questions prompting talks with Scottish Culture Minister read more
Hundreds join Holyrood rally against arts cuts (5 Sept) – Over 300 Equity members and supporters have staged a rally outside Holyrood to protest the Scottish Government’s cuts to arts funding read more
Brutish Multitude theatre company signs first Equity House Agreement (9 Sept) – Equity have confirmed our first House Agreement with The Brutish Multitude theatre company read more
Musicians’’ Union
MU Urges Arts Council of Wales to Use Additional £1.5m Funding to Protect Welsh National Opera (13 Sept) – We welcome the acknowledgement of the crisis facing Welsh arts organisations, and urge Arts Council of Wales to use the additional funding to protect full-time performing jobs at Welsh National Opera read more
Welsh National Opera Orchestra Set Date for Industrial Action Over Pay Cuts (5 Sept) – Musicians in the Welsh National Opera (WNO) orchestra will be taking industrial action on Saturday 21 September, supported by the MU 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
Sign the Petition to Bring Back the Full Strictly Come Dancing Live Band (13 Sept) – The Musicians’ Union is calling on musicians and Strictly Come Dancing fans to sign the Keep Strictly Live petition read more
Community
UK Government statement on Tata Steel (11 Sept) – Further to the Business Secretary’s statement in the House of Commons on Tata Steel this afternoon, Community Union and GMB Union have issued a joint statement read more
Statement – Wales Public Sector Pay Award (10 Sept) – Responding to today’s Welsh Government statement on the public sector pay award, Helen Osgood, Community Union’s National Officer for Education and Early Years, said: “We welcome the First Minister’s statement and the recognition of the need for a substantive pay rise for teachers across Wales. We will be surveying our members in Wales over the weeks ahead and responding in full to the consultation…” read more
USDAW
Supreme Court finds in favour of Usdaw in a challenge to Tesco over ‘fire and rehire’ plans (12 Sept) – Retail distribution trade union Usdaw has won a Supreme Court battle against supermarket giant Tesco over so-called proposals to ‘fire and rehire’ workers on less favourable terms. This was the final stage of a long running legal battle in England, a similar case involving workers at the Livingston site has been stayed in the Scottish courts read more
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 James Allen’s Girls’ School win union recognition (11 Sept) – Cleaners at the prestigious James Allen’s Girls’ School (JAGS) in Dulwich, south London have been granted union recognition. This comes a week after the cleaners called off a strike they had unanimously voted to hold, after their employer offered a deal which will see pay cuts reversed and the introduction of full sick pay. The cleaners now have a legal right to negotiate with their employer as a bargaining unit based at the school, with United Voices of the World (UVW) as their union read more
Strike ballot opens for security guards at the Science and Natural History museums after a pitiful pay increase (9 Sept) – Outsourced security guards at the Natural History and Science museum are balloting to strike in a fight for better pay and conditions. The security guards are asking for a wage of £16 an hour and full sick pay from day one. Their bosses, Wilson Wilson James reported making over £7 million profit after tax read more
IWGB
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU ‘Our Union, Our Team’ welcomes progress towards a better FAI (13 Sept) – SIPTU has welcomed the progress that has been made by the ‘Our Union, Our Team’ campaign and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) Senior Leadership Team on issues concerning staff at the national sporting organisation, including pay and conditions following talks between the sides this week read more
‘Our Union, Our Team’ suspends actions to allow meeting with FAI (6 Sept) – SIPTU members employed in the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have suspended banner and leaflet drop actions that are part of the ‘Our Union, Our Team’ campaign after management agreed to a meeting to discuss their outstanding issues on Wednesday, 11th September read more
Labour Court calls on Decotek Automotive to engage with SIPTU members collectively (11 Sept) – SIPTU members employed in Decotek Automotive in Collinstown, County Westmeath, have secured a Labour Court recommendation that the company should engage with them as a collective, through their Union, for negotiations concerning their pay and terms of employment 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
Miners’ Strike photo exhibition sponsored by Coventry TUC
Miners Strike 1984-85: The Enemy Within
Photo exhibition from Report Digital
Litten Tree Building, 1 Warwick Row, Coventry CV1 1EX
6th to 27th September from 12 noon to 4 pm daily
Special viewing for TUC delegates and supporters:
Saturday, 14th September 2pm
With John Harris, the photographer who took many of the 69 photos in the exhibition (and who has worked for probably every trade union magazine that’s existed over the last 40+ years).
We hope you can make it on the 14th to meet with John, but if not, the exhibition will continue until the 27th of September.
Solidarity,
Coventry TUC
Coventry TUC
Web site https://coventrytuc.org/
Twitter @coventrytuc
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/coventrytuc
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.
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
Taiwan: First strike in the country’s maritime history read more via LabourStart
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
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
