Workers’ action is continuing into January. These include the following – NEU have names further national strike dates in Sixth Form Colleges and has a number of local disputes, PCS members are striking against the victimisation of HMRC reps in Benton Park View and has called more strikes in its long-running dispute of outsourced workers. Unite has a whole range of disputes, including bin workers in Sheffield and Birmingham, bus workers in Hampshire and Princes Food workers, while Unison and Unite are continuing their action in Livv Housing in Knowsley. RMT is in dispute on Avanti and at Unipart. The UVW union has members taking action in museums and has members balloting in Tower Hamlets. These are just some of the disputes taking place at this time. The NSSN will continue to support all unions and their members taking action, publicising them in this weekly bulletin and on our social media platforms.
Please sign and share the following petitions:-
- RMT: Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
- Sign the petition: To Joanne Maguire, Managing Director ScotRail and Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport – Stop the cuts to ScotRail ticket offices
- Sign the petition – Restore ticket office hours and Oyster facilities at London Overground ticket offices
- Unite: Support the sacked TGI Fridays workers: Sign this petition
- Unite: Please sign this letter to Lizzie Hieron, chief customer officer: Shame on Sanctuary – Rents up, bills up. Wages down. Fair pay and union recognition now! Support Sanctuary Housing repair workers!
- Unite: Sign this petition – Striking Haringey housing workers need a pay rise now!
- Stand with PCS reps at Benton Park View, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
- BFAWU: Stop the job cuts at Morrisons’s Rathbones bakery in Wakefield
- BFAWU: To Alistair Macrow, McDonald’s UK and Ireland CEO – McDonald’s: Protect your staff from abuse by ending insecure work
- Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City Unison
NSSN news
Advanced notice!! NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Saturday 5th July in Conway Hall London
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]
NIGERIA SOLIDARITY – END THE ATTACKS ON DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS! END THE ‘TREASON’ TRIAL AND DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST ADARAMOYE MICHAEL LENIN AND OTHER #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTERS
The ‘treason’ trial of Michael Lenin and 10 other #endbadgovernance protesters is scheduled to commence on 29th of January after its postponement last year.
Adaramoye Michael Lenin and 10 others would be arraigned in Court on trumped up charges of treason and terrorism financing which could potentially earn them a death penalty if not quashed.
Join the Nigeria Solidarity demonstration on the trial day! Support the campaign!
📍 Nigeria High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5BX
🕐 1pm Wednesday 29th January
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Discuss with activists how we can support the movement against the anti-poor policies in Nigeria!
7pm Tuesday 4th February https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82035302180?pwd=fF7TlibV4raxFfGbBpVpar6CUK58yG.1
Further details on www.NigeriaSolidarity.com/Events
Gaza protest last Saturday in Central London: oppose the arrests, defend the right to protest – the NSSN stands in solidarity with all those who have been arrested, including Stop The War Coalition’s Chris Nineham. It is outrageous that as a ceasefire is announced, protestors were denied the right to march, particularly under the watch of a Labour government and Labour London Mayor. We demand justice for all those arrested – with the immediate dropping of all charges Stop the War Coalition statement
GKN Florence: workers’ struggle and just transition (solidarity film night)
Come and learn about the Italian factory workers fighting for their jobs, their community and the future of the planet – Organised by Battersea & Wandsworth Trades Council and RMT Morden & Oval branch – Thursday, January 23 · 7 – 9pm at The Bread & Roses, 68 Clapham Manor Street London SW4 6DZ details
STAND UP FOR THE MINERS! A night of comedy marking 40 years since the Miners Strike, in support of the Durham Miners Gala. The 100 Club, Oxford Street, London Saturday 8 February 2025 7pm – 10.30pm Facebook event (The 139th Durham Miners Gala takes place on Saturday 12 July 2025)
Oppose the far-right – workers unity not racist division
- Demonstrate: Oppose UKIP leader Nick Tenconi Far-Right leader of UKIP – Southampton Saturday 25th January 12noon Bargate (called by Southampton & West Hampshire Trades Union Council)
- Demonstrate: Oppose Tommy Robinson supporters – Central London Saturday 1st February (details to be confirmed) transport details on Stand Up To Racism website
Union News
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RMT
RMT pays tribute to miners strike legend Ken Capstick (18 Jan) – Ken Capstick – the former National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Yorkshire area vice president has died. Mr Capstick played a key role in the Battle of Saltley Gate in 1972 and subsequently during the miners strike in 1984/5 as part of the union’s leadership read more
Avanti strike on Sunday suspended to allow intensive talks (16 Jan) – RMT has suspended planned strike action on Avanti West Coast services for the next two Sundays to allow intensive talks to take place following recent approaches by Avanti. Strike dates suspended are:-
- Sunday 19th January
- Sunday 26th January
All other previously announced strike dates remain in place read more
RMT members stage separate strikes on the Elizabeth line (31 Dec) – MTR Elizabeth Line and Rail for London Infrastructure (RFLI) workers are taking strike action today in disputes over pay, working conditions, and safety concerns. Control Room staff at MTR Elizabeth Line will strike from 9:00 PM on December 31, 2024, to 8:59 PM on January 1, 2025, after rejecting the latest pay offer. The union is demanding improved holiday entitlements and reductions in working hours. RFLI staff will strike from 6:00 AM on December 31, 2024, to 5:59 AM on January 1, 2025, citing issues including unsafe rostering, pay progression delays, and safety concerns read more
Strike action at Unipart Rail Crewe (27 Nov) – Unipart Rail Crewe workers are taking strike action today in response to the company’s de-recognition of the union and its campaign of intimidation. The action follows weeks of escalating hostility from Unipart Rail management, who have sought to undermine union representation through bullying and harassment. Despite these tactics, workers remain united and determined to fight back read more. Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
Rail for London Infrastructure strike to go ahead after bosses refuse to negotiate (15 Nov) – RMT members working for Rail for London Infrastructure (RFLI) will go on strike Saturday, after the company failed to meet with the union to resolve a raft of serious issues. The 24-hour walkout will begin at 6:00am on Saturday and finish at 5:59am on Sunday this weekend, affecting critical infrastructure repairs and maintenance across the network read more
Sign the petition: To Joanne Maguire, Managing Director ScotRail and Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport – Stop the cuts to ScotRail ticket offices
ASLEF
This will be your legacy (18 Jan) – Mick Whelan’s Column – January 2025: Colleagues, the last four years have shown the dedication, resilience, solidarity, and unity of this trade union, a union with a proud history, and with new chapters that complement our past and which will be remembered by future generations of train drivers. From doing our duty as key workers during covid to winning the longest – Tory-driven and political – dispute in our history, during a year when we marked the 40th anniversary of the bitter miners’ strike under a previous Tory government, this has been your achievement and this will be your legacy. During which, of course, your executive committee challenged the unsafe and unworkable forced labour legislation of Minimum Service Levels and beat the government. Another milestone in our history and the wider trade union movement read more
TSSA
TSSA steps up campaign to save ScotRail ticket offices (14 Jan) – TSSA steps up its campaign against ScotRail’s plans to slash the hours at 101 ticket offices this week with a week of protesting at the worst hit rail stations. TSSA activists will leaflet passengers and passers-by at six stations, starting with Dalmarnock at 8am on Tuesday 13 January, followed by Garrowhill on Wednesday, Airdrie on Thursday and Largs, Wemyss Bay and Greenock West on Friday. Under ScotRail’s plans the six stations stand to lose a whopping 385 hours read more
Unite
Bidfood warned Unite takes zero tolerance view to union busting (21 Jan) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned that industrial action is probable at food wholesale and distributor Bidfood unless the company reverses its decision to tear up longstanding recognition agreements and derecognise unions. Bidfood is one of the UK’s largest food distributors and has a huge number of high profile clients across the country including schools, prisons, the army, Subway, Five Guys and Manchester United. Last Friday (17 January) Unite and the other recognised union were told without warning that Bidford was tearing up the recognition agreement that had been in place for over 30 years and was immediately derecognising them…Unite believes that the decision to derecognise the union is a precursor to attacks on workers’ pay and conditions. The majority of Unite’s members are based at Bidfood’s depots in Battersea, Birmingham, Plymouth and Salisbury…The GMB union also represents workers at Bidfood and has also been derecognised read more
Unite hosts meeting at Stormont as part of campaign to restore the Winter Fuel Payment (20 Jan) – Unite the union will be holding a meeting at the Long Gallery in Stormont today (3.30pm) as part of its campaign to fully restore the Winter Fuel payment. The meeting will address the devastating impact of the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment and the growing fuel poverty crisis affecting pensioners across Northern Ireland. The campaign aims to provide a chance to work together on solutions and ensure the voices of those most affected are heard read more
Little for workers in ‘Programme for Business’ (20 Jan) – Unite slams failure to restate commitments on living wage, sick pay, and water referendum. Commenting on the draft programme for government, trade union Unite today (Monday) accused the new coalition of ticking off a shopping list of employer demands while paying little attention to the demands of workers. Unite, which represents workers throughout the economy, pointed out that previous commitments on workers’ rights – including the move to a statutory living wage and the extension of paid sick leave – are notably absent from the document read more
Over half of MSPs support Unite’s No Ban Without a Plan oil and gas campaign (16 Jan) – More than half of MSPs have backed Unite’s North Sea oil and gas No Ban Without a Plan campaign read more
GDP figures: Economy must be rebooted to cure anaemic growth, Unite (16 Jan) – Responding to the UK’s stunted economic growth, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The UK’s anaemic growth rate shows the limits of a begging bowl economic policy. Workers and their families have been paying the price must take priority. Courting asset managers and billionaires is not the answer read more
Strikes looming at Strathclyde university as workers vote on pension attack (16 Jan) – Unite understand workers could be left thousands of pounds ‘worse-off’ every year in retirement despite £100m university pension surplus. Unite Scotland has today (16 January) confirmed that around 350 members at the University of Strathclyde are to be balloted on industrial action in reaction to the threat of detrimental pension changes. The workers are part of the Strathclyde Pension Fund (SPF) and are at risk of losing thousands of pounds a year due to the University of Strathclyde proposing to move existing and future workers into an inferior superannuation scheme because the university wants to access a pension surplus of nearly £100m. Unite is highlighting that the University of Strathclyde is proposing to make around 1,100 workers ‘worse off’ in retirement using the drop in overseas students as the pretext for an attack on the pension scheme. Unite is aware of no other education institution that is part of the wider SPF proposing a similar detrimental move for staff read more
Closing Lloyds Liverpool site is a huge mistake warns Unite (15 Jan) – Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has today (Wednesday 15 January) informed its workforce of the decision to close the large office in Liverpool, Speke. Staff have been told that the bank will no longer have an office in Liverpool and that they must travel to Chester. Unite is opposed to the closure of the Speke, Liverpool office which employs nearly 500 staff read more
Unite response to latest inflation figures (15 Jan) – “Inflation might of slowed slightly but let us not forget price increases are baked in, therefore the cost of living crisis is far from over for everyday people. This is the reality. Talk of rebuilding our economy for the better, cannot focus on growth without jobs. Britain needs highly skilled well paid jobs, to ensure that all of society benefits…” read more
Unions warn Belfast council of leisure centres strike threat (13 Jan) – Patience of leisure workers at end, Greenwich Leisure Limited must provide clarity and transparency. Trade unions Unite and NIPSA have met Belfast city council management and warned them of the prospect of disruptive industrial action by leisure centre workers. The workforce is in a pay dispute with outsourced management company Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). Following disputes in late 2023, GLL recommitted to an updated recognition agreement with both unions. Despite this, management failed to engage with the unions and instead imposed a pay settlement for 2024. This month a new employee absence policy was imposed for GLL staff in the face of opposition by both unions read more
East Yorkshire council protest over investments in fire and rehire firm (8 Jan) – Council has invested £40m in Pemberton – owner of ready meal maker Oscar Mayer, which is firing and rehiring Wrexham workers. East Riding councillors attending the council’s full meeting in Beverley today (Wednesday) were greeted by protests over the council’s links to fire and rehire firm Pemberton Asset Management. Pemberton Asset Management is the owner of Wrexham-based ready meal maker Oscar Mayer, which is attempting to fire and rehire hundreds of workers to slash wages by up to £3,000. The council’s pension fund has allocated £26.57 million to Pemberton via the Pemberton UK Mid-Market Direct Lending Strategy and £13.45 million via the Pemberton European Mid-Market Debt Fund I. Unite is calling for the council to halt any further investments in hugely wealthy Pemberton until Oscar Mayer’s fire and rehire attacks against its already low paid workers are stopped…Around 600 Oscar Mayer workers, who make up the vast majority of the Wrexham factory’s workforce, have been striking since September over the company’s attempts to terminate their contracts and force them to sign new inferior ones that reduce take home pay by up to £3,000 read more.
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
Fatigued Bus Driver March – assemble 11am Grosvenor Gardens, London , SW1W OBP Wednesday 29th January Facebook event
UK-wide Princes Food strikes escalate as no new offer on table (2 Jan) – Supermarket tinned goods shortages during strikes in Bradford, Cardiff, Glasgow, Long Sutton and Wisbech. Strikes are set to escalate at Princes Food after the company failed to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer after Christmas. Industrial action has already taken place at the company’s Cardiff factory but strikes at factories across the country will see hundreds of Unite members head to the picket line in January. Factories in Bradford, Wisbech, Long Sutton and Glasgow will see strikes as well as additional walkouts in Cardiff. Princes Foods make dozens of household name products, such as Branston and Crosse & Blackwell, as well as their own brand tins and jars of meat and fish. The strikes are likely to lead to shortages in supermarkets and shops across the country. Unite members are taking industrial action after having seen previous pay offers revoked by new owners. Unite’s members, who work as line operatives and engineers, had been offered between a four and seven per cent pay rise dependent on salary by the previous owner, Mitsubishi. The company was subsequently bought by Italian based multinational Newlat S.P.A, which withdrew that offer. Instead, it is offering just a three per cent pay rise read more
Birmingham bin workers to strike in new year over pay attacks (19 Dec) – Birmingham bin workers will undertake extensive strike action from early next year after the council refused to reverse or even delay the implementation of attacks on workers’ pay. The dispute will involve over 350 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, and is a result of the council’s decision to abolish the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role. The 150 affected workers face losing £8,000 a year and the cut could also reduce future pension payments. Many of the affected workers have decades of service at the council. Talks broke down on Tuesday when the council unexpectedly refused to delay the implementation of the cut in the WRCO role and was not even prepared to wait for the competition of the council’s own job evaluation process on the loader role which is set be completed in February… From Thursday 2 January an overtime ban will be in place as well as a work to rule which will mean workers adhering to official start and finish times and returning to the work yard for their 15-minute break and 30 minute lunch period. This will cause considerable disruption. In addition, there will be 12 days of full strike action with the first strike on Monday 6 January read more
Remaining Synnovis strike dates suspended (18 Dec) – London based pathologists to return to work while negotiations with employer continue. The remaining three days of strike action at privatised pathology lab, Synnovis, have been suspended to allow talks to continue. Over 500 pathologists were due to strike 16-20 December over a restructure that had introduced threats of redundancy, downgrading and reduced staffing levels that would put patient safety at risk. Strike action today (Wednesday) and for the rest of the week has now been suspended while talks between Unite and Synnovis continue read more
Knowsley Livv Housing condemned as Scrooge employer as strikes extend into Christmas (18 Dec) – Livv Housing CEO cancels Christmas parties and tries to break strike by offering pay deal to workers who confirm they are ‘non-union members’. Pay strikes by Livv Housing workers in Knowsley will extend into Christmas, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The strikes will continue despite Livv Housing CEO Leanne Hearne offering workers in a company-wide email on 3 December a pay rise of five per cent before Christmas if they confirm they are “non-union members”. Unite believes this is an attempt to try and get workers to give up their union membership in order to weaken the strike. Hundreds of Livv Housing workers began striking in October after rejecting the five per cent offer, which does not reverse the real terms pay cuts they have experienced after many years of below inflation pay rises. Livv Housing, which manages and maintains over 13,000 properties primarily in the Knowsley area, reported reserves of £110.6 million in March 2024 read more
Gloucestershire facing winter bus chaos as Stagecoach drivers ballot for strikes (17 Dec) – Hundreds of drivers in Cheltenham, Coleway, Gloucester and Stroud angry over pay. More than 250 Stagecoach West drivers are being balloted for strike action over inadequate pay offers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The drivers are based at four depots across Gloucestershire with each depot negotiating pay separately. The pay deals put forward by Stagecoach for each depot exclude backpay and have been offered on the condition that Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday rates are abolished. The offers would still leave the workers being paid less than drivers at other Gloucestershire bus operators, which not only pay higher regular rates but have enhanced weekend and bank holiday rates as well read more
Luton Stellantis factory workers protest ‘totally unnecessary’ closure plans (16 Dec) – Move to shut profitable factory should be shown the door with failed CEO Tavares. Luton Stellantis workers will hold a two-day protest and a rally over the company’s plans to shut its profitable electric van factory, Unite, the automotive workers’ union, said today (Monday). A protest from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs will be held on Tuesday 17 December and Wednesday 18 December. A rally will also take place at 12:00hrs on Tuesday 17 December. The protest will be at Gate 1, Vauxhall (IBC Luton), Kimpton Road, Luton, LU2 0JX. Unite is calling for Stellantis to halt its plans to shut the Luton factory following the shock departure of CEO Carlos Tavares just days after the proposal to close the site was announced. Tavares suddenly left Stellantis at the beginning of this month after his ruthless cost cutting to drive up short-term profits damaged the company’s global operations read more
Petrol shortages predicted at West Midland’s Tesco garages as tanker drivers strike (13 Dec) – Drivers taking industrial action over pay. Drivers elsewhere in the country earn up to £11k more. Around 20 tanker drivers in the West Midlands are taking strike action in the run up to Christmas that could see petrol run dry at Tesco garages across the region. Drivers contracted to XPO Bulk UK Ltd deliver petrol from refineries to Tesco stores across the West Midlands. Unite members at XPO are taking strike action from 19-24 December of the lack of a fair pay offer from their employer. Tanker drivers in other parts of the country earn up to £11,000 more read more
Bakkavor workers vote for further strike action as company refuses pay demands (12 Dec) – Lincolnshire workers pass ballot for further industrial action. Hundreds of food factory workers in Lincolnshire have again voted for further strike action due to the continued failure of their employer, Bakkavor, to pay them a fair wage. Workers in Spalding, Lincolnshire, have been on strike since September and following a re-ballot, voted overwhelmingly for continuing their industrial action indefinitely. Bakkavor’s customers, major UK supermarkets like Waitrose, M&S and Tesco are seeing a shortage of products like dips and soups on their shelves. Shortages are expected to worsen as more and more workers join Unite and take to the picket line read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Sheffield bin strikes to continue following Veolia betrayal (12 Dec) – Refuse workers have deal pulled from table at the last minute. Sheffield refuse workers at outsourcing company Veolia have been left angry and dismayed after the company backed out of an agreed recognition deal at the 11th hour. Unite members have been on strike for months seeking a recognition agreement as they make up a majority of the workforce at the Lumley Street depot. A deal had finally been reached following months of painstaking negotiations by Unite representatives. Unite members voted on the picket line on a proposal that the company put forward and this was agreed. This agreement was relayed to Veolia. Unite representatives were meeting to discuss the return-to-work agreement, a common issue following strikes and a further indication that a recognition agreement had been reached. However, at the last minute, Veolia has reneged and backed out of the deal leaving Unite members on the picket line furious at such a betrayal read more
Fare free-for-all in London as enforcement officers take strike action (6 Dec) – Compliance staff at TfL to strike over unacceptable pay offer. Hundreds of operations officers within the compliance unit at Transport for London (TfL) are to take strike action this month that will see London descend into a free-for-all fare scenario. Nearly 300 officers in the Compliance, Policing, Operations and Security Directorate (CPOS) are to head to the picket line after rejecting a pay offer from the company. Unite members voted for strike action after the company refused to make a percentage increase offer for staff and instead simply offered a lump sum payment. Additionally, the company is refusing to deal with pay parity issues with equivalent London Underground staff who earn considerably more…Unite has announced strike dates on 12,13 and 14 December and then the 20,21 and 22 December read more
Hampshire bus workers set to strike over pay (5 Dec) – First Bus drivers and supervisors to walk out over lack of fair offer. Over 140 drivers and supervisors at First Bus in Hampshire are set to strike this month after the company failed to make a reasonable fair pay offer. Workers based at the Hoeford depot who operate across Gosport, Fareham, Portsmouth and into Southampton will take to the picket line to demonstrate their anger at the pay rates on offer. Staff are now being paid barely above the minimum wage for a skilled and stressful job. Strikes are due to take place from 19-27 December meaning that bus services over the Christmas period will be close to zero. First has offered workers just a four per cent pay deal and has also refused to reinstate many of the terms and conditions that were removed during the Covid pandemic read more
Shortage of Christmas turkeys in West Midlands as drivers strike (5 Dec) – Drivers at Culina who deliver chilled poultry to strike after company plays Scrooge with no pay increase. Residents in the West Midlands could see empty tables this Christmas as HGV drivers who deliver chickens and turkeys to supermarkets go on strike this month. Around 40 drivers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are taking industrial action after their employer, Culina, failed to offer them any pay rise this year. Culina’s contract is with Avara Foods Hereford who supply Tesco and Marks & Spencers to deliver poultry from abattoirs to supermarket warehouses. Despite being in pay negotiations since April, no offer has been made to drivers who have been left with little choice but to take industrial action read more
Ford Dagenham Lineside Logistics workers ballot for strike (28 Nov) – Warehouse workers angry over pay, disgusting toilets and union-busting. Around 150 warehouse workers employed by Lineside Logistics based at Ford Dagenham are being balloted for strike action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers have rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer after cleaning and facilities workers employed by the same company at Ford Dagenham were offered a five per cent pay rise. They are also balloting over the unacceptable state of the toilets at the site – including the constant smell of sewage and instances of blocked drains causing waste to backflow. In addition, there is anger over union-busting after a Unite member who was actively campaigning for better welfare facilities was dismissed for spurious reasons read more
Ford staff strike escalates as anger over pay and contract changes grows (11 Nov) – Targeted industrial action hits key Ford operations in Dagenham and Speke. Strikes by Ford salary staff escalated today over the company’s refusal to address the workers’ concerns around pay and contract changes. Ford has failed to offer its workers a permanent pay increase. Instead, the company has offered many of its office workers a one-off payment for 2024 and wants to impose 100 per cent performance related pay from 2025 for all staff. Despite absences running at less than two per cent, it is attempting to change the long-standing sick pay policy and also wants to change the collective bargaining agreement with Unite read more
Capita staff begin vote on strike action (27 Nov) – Ballot of Capita workers in Manchester, Plymouth and Glasgow opens today over refusal of company to conduct 2024 pay negotiations. Workers at Capita will today (Wednesday 27 November) vote on strike action in a dispute over their employer’s refusal to negotiate any pay award for 2024. The workers, from Capita Life and Pensions regulated services, were due a 2024 pay award in April. The employer postponed the annual pay talks with their union Unite with the assurance that these workers would be given a pay rise in October. This has not materialised despite this part of the business reporting profits and a healthy balance sheet. The ballot which opens today across the three Capita sites will ask if staff wish to take strike action following the decision of their employer to deny them a pay increase…The ballot opens today (Wednesday 27 November) and closes at noon on Tuesday 17 December 2024 read more
HSE: Unite members vote for action over staffing crisis (27 Nov) – Unite, which represents a range of grades across the Health Services Executive (HSE) said today (Wednesday) that members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over the staffing crisis resulting from the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers Strategy’. After the HSE claimed that it had lifted its recruitment ban, it emerged that vacancies are being benchmarked against the 2024 headcount, with the result that any vacancies unfilled in 2023 have effectively been lost to the health service read more
Plymouth care staff to strike over being forced to work twice for pay (22 Nov) – Shortfall shift system means vital care workers made to work unpaid. Essential care workers at Plymouth council are to take strike action for the first time due to disgraceful management practices at the Independence @ Home (I@H) department. Workers at I@H provide support and care across the city for vulnerable adults at all times of day and night. They care for adults with mental health issues, substance addictions and terminal illnesses read more
Safehouse Habitats workers in three months strike action over attack on pay and conditions (11 Nov) – Dundee firm provides working shelters for major oil and gas operators. Unite the union can confirm that Safehouse Habitats workers based in Dundee will begin three months strike action from today (11 November). The dispute at Safehouse Habitats involving over a dozen technicians has escalated into all-out strike action following the refusal of the company to make any pay offer to the workforce. The company is also attempting to force through detrimental changes to the sick pay policy which could leave workers facing the minimum statutory sick pay level instead of six months full pay. The Safehouse Habitats workers made a salary sacrifice of around three per cent two years ago in order to access the scheme. The Safehouse Habitats technicians will be taking strike action commencing at 00:01 hours on 11 November continuing each day up to 2 February 2025 when the three months’ industrial action will conclude at 23:59 hours unless there is a resolution to the dispute read more
Support the sacked TGI Fridays workers: Sign this petition – On 7th October, over 1000 TGI Fridays workers were given 57 minutes notice of a call with their CEO at which they were all sacked. 35 sites across the company were padlocked and workers locked out of their workplaces with valued possessions inside. Support our national petition to demand legal, financial and political justice for these workers
‘Hypocritical’ Sheffield First bus slammed for strike breaking in poverty pay dispute (8 Nov) – First says Bidvest Noonan workers should get real living wage but is providing labour to undermine industrial action. Sheffield bus refuelling and cleaning strikes over poverty pay have intensified despite ‘hypocritical’ First South Yorkshire’s attempts to undermine the industrial action. First has publicly supported the Olive Grove depot workers’ demand that contractor Bidvest Noonan pay them the real living wage before the contract renewal date of November 2026. The company, however, is using its own staff to move buses within the depot – a role normally carried out by Bidvest employees – to undermine the two-month-old strike…Industrial action has now been extended to four days a week throughout November, with Bidvest Noonan workers employed at First’s Doncaster Leger Way depot also joining the strikes read more
Airlines braced for foodless fights as catering workers at eight UK airports ballot for strikes (7 Nov) – Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, London City, Stansted, Bristol, and Birmingham dnata workers ballot for industrial action
Passengers at airports across the country are facing the prospect of having no onboard food or drink during long and short haul flights as dnata catering workers ballot for strike action. More than 700 dnata workers providing food for airlines at Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, London City, Stansted, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham airports are balloting for strike action. The production line, warehouse and delivery workers are angry at the company’s attempts to change their terms and conditions without consultation. If strikes go ahead, major airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, BA, Emirates, America Airlines and Air India, will be impacted read more
Support the Sanctuary workers – contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]. “At Sanctuary Housing we are also campaigning for recognition. Sanctuary is a massive employer. It has 14,000 members of staff but currently recognises no union. Scandalously this organisation receives millions of pounds in public money. Shamefully much of this money comes from Labour authorities. No Labour authority should hand out contracts to union hostile employers! You can help us in our fight by dropping a few Join Unite@Sanctuary leaflets at your local Sanctuary care home, supported living or estate office. Message me via this platform, personally or via email if you can help. [email protected]. You can search your nearest Sanctuary workplace via this link: https://www.sanctuary-supported-living.co.uk/
Please sign this letter to Lizzie Hieron, chief customer officer: Shame on Sanctuary – Rents up, bills up. Wages down. Fair pay and union recognition now! Support Sanctuary Housing repair workers!
CWU
CWU LIVE – Your Questions Answered on Postal with Martin Walsh (16 Jan) – On this episode of CWU Live, Martin Walsh, Deputy General Secretary (Postal) breaks down the agreement with EP Group and the massive win for CWU members – 11,000 workers have secured additional contractual hours, with over 7,000 moving from part-time to full-time! In a huge Q&A – we’ve gathered your questions from across our socials and put them to Martin read more
Santander members to vote on inflation-busting pay deal (8 Jan) – CWU members at Santander are being urged to back an above-inflation pay deal fought for by the union. Members are being urged to back the deal in a consultative ballot, following a strong recommendation from the Santander National Committee (SNC) read more
Tesco Mobile and VM02 workers to vote on pay rise starting today (23 Dec) – CWU members at Tesco Mobile and VM02 are set to vote on an inflation-busting pay offer starting today. The workers, who work on Capita contracts at the phone giants, will see ballots land today (23rd December) on whether to accept a deal from their employer. For Capita members on the minimum wage, an hourly increase to £12.66 an hour – a real-terms increase of 9.52% – will be in effect from 1st January 2025. For those who are above the Capita minimum rates, it will mean a 5.5% uplift from January 2025. It was also confirmed that the pay agreement applies until the next round of discussions, which will take place in April 2025. The offer comes following the union’s negotiations with Capita, and after the union began plans to ballot workers for industrial action. If the ballot is successful, Capita has confirmed that the increase will be paid in January’s salary read more
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]
G4S and ISS facilities workers to take 6 more days of strike action (20 Jan) – The ongoing dispute involves members based in various government departments across central London. Nearly 300 PCS members employed by outsourcing companies G4S and ISS as security, cleaners, porters, receptionists and post room staff will take another six days of strike action in February. PCS is in dispute with G4S and ISS over their failure to meet our demands to improve pay, terms and conditions such as an increase in annual leave and the introduction of company sick pay. At present these members are treated like second class citizens compared to their civil service colleagues based in the same workplaces. The members have already taken a substantial amount of strike action in the dispute, including over Christmas and into the new year. The further six days of strike action for the ISS members will run from 4 – 13 February. For the G4S members it will run from 3 – 12 February or 4 – 13 February, depending on where they work. The members work at the offices of the Cabinet Office, Canary Wharf Hub, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) read more
We will fight for right to work from home, PCS rep tells BBC (20 Jan) – Various PCS disputes about attendance policies will feature tonight (20) in a BBC Panorama documentary that discusses some of the benefits of working from home. In tonight’s episode of Panorama, titled ‘Should We Still Be Working from Home?’, the BBC documentary programme investigates homeworking arrangements by speaking to a range of stakeholders, including a Welsh PCS rep who works for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), where members voted last year to strike in protest at plans requiring them to be in the office for at least 40% of the working week. Ed, a rep for PCS who works as an IT delivery manager at the Office for National Statistics, told Panorama that he has worked almost entirely from home since the pandemic. He explained that these arrangements help him to get his children to school and nursery, avoiding the wasteful time spent every day on commuting read more
Fujitsu members to take strike action over pay (16 Jan) – PCS members employed by Fujitsu Services UK voted by 87% for strike action. More than 300 workers employed by outsourced Fujitsu Services UK at Telford and offices across the UK will take strike action on January 30 and 31 after being offered a pay rise of just 1.5%. Their civil service colleagues employed directly by HMRC got 5% this year for doing similar jobs. The two days of strike action will take place on the two days prior to the self-assessment online tax return deadline. Members voted by 87% for strike action and by 95.6% for action short of a strike on a turnout of 79.5% read more
Caxton House closure plans are ‘extremely concerning’ (15 Jan) – PCS has raised concerns about the planned closure of Caxton House, the DWP headquarters in London. Last week Civil Service World reported that the Government Property Agency (GPA) is expecting the DWP to vacate the Whitehall site in 2026. It is expected that these DWP workers will move to Sanctuary Buildings, the Department for Education headquarters read more
PCS members at Civil Aviation Authority to strike for two days (14 Jan) – The members voted for strike action after their employer imposed its pay offer. PCS members at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are taking industrial action on 16 and 17 January after their employer imposed a pay offer of 4% for the lowest-earners, and 3% for other grades. The CAA is the regulator for the aviation industry. It will be a first that PCS members there have taken industrial action. The strike action will be followed by continuous action short of a strike (a work to rule with no overtime) with further strike action if required read more
Further strikes announced by G4S members in East Kilbride (13 Jan) – The members at the FCDO will take strike action for another five weeks. G4S members working as security officers at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building at Abercrombie House in East Kilbride have already taken an extended period of strike action in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The new strike dates run from 24 January to 28 February. PCS met with FCDO management last week and we have another meeting scheduled, which we hope will be positive, but until the dispute is settled the strike action will continue. So far G4S has failed to make a pay offer that lifts members out of poverty pay and delivers any significant improvements to terms and conditions read more
ISS in DESNZ – 100% vote yes for strike action (7 Jan) – Security guards, cleaners and other facilities staff employed by ISS at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay, health and safety and redundancy terms. The result of the three-week ballot was announced yesterday (7), with a 100% yes vote for action on a turnout of more than 80% read more
Industrial action short of a strike planned in Land Registry (8 Jan) – PCS has served notice on HM Land Registry of our intention to begin indefinite action short of a strike (ASOS) from Tuesday 21 January read more
Strong response by members as HMRC staff strike over sacked union reps (7 Jan) – Picket lines have been announced as over 200 HMRC staff strike until next month to demand the reinstatement of three sacked reps. Striking HMRC members have announced a series of picket lines at Benton Park View in Newcastle, one of the UK’s biggest public sector workplaces. Going on into the middle of next month, PCS members are determined to get their colleagues’ jobs back and end trade union victimisation in HMRC. The first vibrant picket, on 23 December, began at six-thirty in the morning outside the main gate, with a noisy sea of flags, banners and placards read more. Strike fund donations – donations to support the strikers can be made to the following account with the reference ‘BPV Strikes’: account name: PCS Fighting Fund Levy, account number: 20331490, sort code: 60-83-01
Industrial action at Met Police begins (6 Jan) – The action comprises a refusal to comply with the employer’s return to the office demands. From 6 January 2025, PCS members working in the Met Police Service (MPS), will be taking part in industrial action short of strike in their dispute over a return to offices read more
Successful two-day strike at DBS (10 Dec) – The PCS Disclosure and Barring Service picket line in Liverpool was well supported during the strike action this week in the dispute over the imposition of a new customer contact system. Striking workers held picket lines on both strike days (9 and 10) outside their workplace at Shannon Court in Liverpool where they spoke to the public and other staff from the building and made themselves visible with their placards and banner. The strike action affected people requiring DBS checks for their employment as our members routinely help customers with email queries about their DBS check, help with barring referral disputes, and deal with complaints from the public. Introduced without proper consultation, the new customer contact system, “Max Contact” would not only force members to carry out work they’ve not been required to do before, but has also been beset by early technical problems and will fail to offer customers the resolutions they need. The two-day strike by our members in DBS Customer Services will now be followed by a work to rule up to 24 December. PCS has a further meeting with DBS on Thursday morning to discuss the new system. Show your support for the strikers by emailing [email protected] read more
Heathrow members to decide on the future of their dispute (6 Dec) – Border Force officers have already taken eleven days of strike action in their dispute over enforced rota changes. 650 Border Force officers have taken 11 days of strike action and 53 days of action short of a strike against a roster imposed in April as a result of Priti Patel’s disastrous tenure as Home Secretary… The members are now being surveyed to ask about the continuing impact of the rota and whether they want to vote for more strike action in 2025. The survey opened today (6) and closes on 24 December read more
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman members ballot for strike action (28 Nov) – A ballot is under way for PCS members working at the PHSO who are in dispute over pay, hybrid working and proposals being piloted that could see extra responsibilities delegated to more junior staff without any extra pay. More than 200 members working at the PHSO in Manchester and London are being balloted from 27 November to 22 January. The issue over pay follows PHSO’s refusal to match the 5% pay increase set out in the Civil Service Pay Remit. While senior management at PHSO argue that existing contractual pay increments mean a minority of staff will receive more, a 3.4% across the board increase was imposed earlier this year read more
Update on the G4S dispute (22 Nov) – Mark Page, PCS industrial officer, gives us the latest on the long-running industrial action. G4S guards in the DWP provide security services for around 700 workplaces across the country. There are 3200 workers on the DWP G4S contract 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
Further job cuts at Meta concerning for workers and UK tech sector (15 Jan) – Meta have announced plans to cut around 5% of their global workforce read more
Prospect members working at Draken Europe to take strike action (15 Jan) – Prospect members working at aerospace company Draken (in Hurn, near Bournemouth, and Teesside) will take strike action from the 20th to 21st of January inclusive read more
CAA workers to take industrial action for the first time in 40 years (7 Jan) – Prospect members working at the Civil Aviation authority (CAA) are to take industrial action for the first time in 40 years in a dispute over pay. Industrial action will start on 20 January and consist of working to rule and an overtime ban. The extra hours that CAA members work beyond those they are contracted for are essential for the aviation sector. Removing these extra hours could have an impact on the industry and ultimately affect passengers. The CAA imposed a 3-4% pay offer on staff after going through the motions of negotiating – an offer which neither kept pace with the industry nor civil service (The CAA is a Non-Departmental Public Body) read more
Union members balloted on strike action over navy support contract (9 Dec) – Prospect members working at Serco Marine are balloting on industrial action over a refusal of the company to involve members in the development of a new contract with MoD read more
Supplier of advanced Royal Navy and RAF training threatened with strike action (18 Nov) – Prospect members working at aerospace company Draken have voted to take industrial action in a dispute about pay which has failed to keep up with competitors in the industry… Prospect is now seeking an urgent meeting with the employer to try to find a way to resolve the dispute. Details of any dates for strike action or action short of a strike will be announced in due course unless a resolution can be achieved read more
FDA
9% pay rise for NI civil servants ‘genuine attempt to tackle pay erosion’, says FDA (20 Jan) – The FDA is recommending to members to accept the Northern Ireland civil service pay offer for 2024/25, which represents a 9% increase over a 20-month period read more
GMB
Old Bailey cleaning staff to be outsourced (20 Jan) – Cleaning staff at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court) represented by GMB Union have been informed that their roles will be outsourced to OCS, a private company. In total, 32 staff currently employed by the City of London Corporation will be transferred on 1 March. They received no prior warning of the Corporation’s plans to outsource cleaning services. The move to transfer these workers to OCS has prompted concerns about their job security. They are anxiously waiting to hear what this move will mean for their futures read more
Subway and Five Guys food workers face ‘P&O style’ threat (20 Jan) – Workers delivering food for Manchester United, Five Guys and Subway face a ‘P&O style’ fire and rehire threat, Unions have warned. Thousands of staff at Bidfood – a company which also delivers food for the army, prisons and schools across the UK – could now be sacked and reemployed on worse terms and conditions. Workers at the company have been left exposed to fire and rehire after bosses tore up a long-standing recognition deal with unions GMB and Unite at the firm. The deal between unions and Bidfood goes back thirty years – but management this week ripped it up with immediate effect, without the standard notice period. GMB and Unite will now talk to members to discuss next steps, which will likely include a strike vote read more
Northern Ireland Civil Service workers to discuss pay deal (20 Jan) – Northern Ireland Civil Service staff working across the Road Service, Forestry, Rivers Agency, Environment Agency and Fisheries will meet with GMB to discuss a new pay deal the union received today [Monday]. The offer includes a 3 per cent pay rise from August 2024 to August 2025, then 6 per cent from August 2025 to April 2026 read more
‘Justice Secretary must remove Judicial Appointments chair’ (20 Jan) – GMB Judicial Branch has called for the Secretary of State to remove Helen Pitcher, Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission. Judges made the call in an open letter to Shabana Mahmood today. JAC Chair Helen Pitcher recently resigned as the chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) – the body that investigates miscarriages of justice – after failings that saw an innocent man jailed for 17 years for a rape he did not commit. Meanwhile the JAC itself has come under fire for taking secret references when judges apply for promotion which outweigh assessments of their ability and their open references. A senior judge in the Court of Appeal, Sir Geoffrey Vos criticised this as unfair in June 2024, in a case brought by District Judge Kate Thomas read more
Strike action looms at major HGV company (15 Jan) – Workers manufacturing spare parts for Volvo and Scania Heavy Goods Vehicles will walk out next month. GMB Union have today announced that workers at CNC Speedwell have voted overwhelmingly to support strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay. Workers at the Walsall based company manufacture key components for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), including Volvo, DAF and Scania. Staff are furious after company managers rejected demands for a pay rise of just £1. Industrial action could take place as early as February, with around 150 workers expected to walk out read more
Christmas chaos across South London streets as traffic wardens strike (20 Dec) – Streets in Kingston, Lambeth, Richmond and Wandsworth face gridlock in two days before Christmas. GMB, the union for local government, are warning of Christmas chaos across the streets of South London as parking wardens across four London Boroughs take two days of strike action. The members employed by Apcoa work within the boroughs of Kingston, Lambeth, Richmond and Wandsworth and are taking action in a dispute that has already seen them strike for a week in November. The parking wardens will not be working on Monday 23 or Tuesday 24 December, which will see little or no civil enforcement across the boroughs on the two days preceding Christmas read more
BCP Council plots ‘Scrooge-like’ plan to fire and rehire 5000 workers for Christmas (3 Dec) – Council’s written threat to staff must be withdrawn after members expressed worries about costly new job evaluation scheme, says GMB union. GMB, the union for local government workers, is warning Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council not to fire and rehire its entire workforce – a plan set to be unveiled at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 10 December. BCP Council Chief Executive Graham Farrant has written to all employees announcing all workers will be dismissed and reengaged on new terms – leading frightened staff to contact GMB with worries they will be dismissed. This tactic, also known as ‘fire & rehire’ was roundly condemned by the Labour Party when P&O Ferries dismissed all its staff in 2022. The party will now seek to ban the practice in legislation soon to go before parliament. BCP Councill’s ruling Liberal Democrat ruling group will decide at the 10 December meeting whether to proceed with the Chief Executive’s preferred option of dismissing the whole workforce or to potentially go to ACAS, who may be able to independently mediate. GMB believes the council may have wasted millions of pounds on a new, unfit-for-local-government job evaluation scheme when such money could have been spent on the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole read more
More than 300 GMB members to strike in South London hospitals as talks fail (28 Nov) – Last-minutes talks fail to prevent a strike of ISS workers across 5 hospital sites. Members of GMB, the union for all NHS workers, are set to strike across two NHS trusts and five hospital sites in South London. The workers are employed by private contractor ISS as domestics, porters and catering staff and will be taking four days of strike action from tomorrow. On the final day of strike action, Monday 2 December, the members will be marching to ISS UK Headquarters in Canary Wharf. The dispute centres around pay, terms and conditions read more
Luxury headscarf makers walk out again later talks break down (7 Nov) – Dozens of headscarf workers will walk out for four more days after talks broke down. Skilled weavers at Lappet Manufacturing, in Carlisle, will walk out today, tomorrow [Friday], Saturday [9 November] and Sunday [10 November] in anger at low pay and ‘crushing’ targets, GMB has said. Workers need years of experience to make the high end headscarves, predominantly for the Saudi Arabian market, but their pay does not reflect that, says GMB Union 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 Unison
Council-owned firms creating a two-tier workforce, says UNISON (20 Jan) – More than six in 10 councils own at least one local authority trading company. Thousands of workers employed by council-owned trading companies are paid less and receive inferior pensions than town hall staff, says UNISON today (Monday). Exclusive research by the union reveals that over three-fifths (62%) of councils now own at least one local authority trading company (LATC). These are arms-length firms delivering local services or generating income. The Trading Places study reveals UK councils have established over 850 companies, many of which provide housing, social care, and waste services, alongside investment projects like commercial property rentals. Around one in 20 (5%) of the local government workforce are now employed by council-owned trading companies. Staff transferred or recruited directly by these firms are not guaranteed pay deals in line with nationally negotiated agreements. More than half of large local authority trading companies that responded to freedom of information requests do not follow standard council pay scales, says UNISON. For example, in 2024, Independence Matters – owned by Norfolk County Council – refused to pass on the full local government pay rise, leaving staff around £500 short. Research also shows that these firms often offer poorer pension packages, opting for cheaper and less secure schemes than the standard Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Fewer than half (48%) of the large firms that responded to UNISON’s survey said they provided full access to the LGPS for all staff read more
Swansea Bay health workers’ strike suspended following new pay offer, says UNISON (10 Dec) – A strike by hundreds of NHS staff at hospitals in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot set for this week has been suspended after health board managers made an improved pay offer, says UNISON today (Monday). Healthcare support workers were due to walk out at eight hospitals in the local area from 7am tomorrow (Tuesday) until 7pm on Wednesday. The union says it is now to put the improved offer to the healthcare assistants over the next two weeks to establish whether they want to accept or reject the proposals. The dispute centres on Swansea Bay University Health Board’s refusal to pay staff for extra work they have been doing. Hospital workers say their wages should reflect the more complex extra tasks they’ve been doing for years and that they should have been paid at a higher salary grade read more
Workers at Livv Housing continue to strike as pay and conditions row heightens – HUNDREDS of workers at a housing association will be next on strike in Unison and Unite are continuing their strike action this month. For strike dates, read more on Knowsley Unison website and Facebook page. Please donate to strike funds by emailing [email protected] for details
Support Manchester EIS Strike by Unison and Unite members – Mental Health workers in Early Intervention in Psychosis will be on strike. It’s not over pay, which is not enough, but over serious concerns for the service, it’s users, & the community. Show your support. @MancStrikeNHS. Next strikes 10-12 December. Picket line: Friday 8th & Monday 11th November, 8am -11am 70, Manchester Rd, M21 9UN
Health workers in East Suffolk and North Essex launch strike appeal (26 Nov) – More than 350 workers at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) have launched three weeks of strikes to stop their jobs being outsourced. On Monday 25 November, cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other facilities staff started three weeks’ worth of strike action to keep their jobs in the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT). The dispute comes after the trust wrote to staff in April to tell them their jobs could be outsourced. In May, the chief executive of the trust, Nick Hulme, was filmed telling workers lobbying a board meeting that the decision to outsource had already been made. Staff fear the sell-off will threaten their pay and conditions and pose a serious risk to patient safety. As an example, outsourced staff in Ipswich get fewer days of annual leave and less sick pay than their colleagues directly employed by the NHS. They also missed out on the extra one-off payment of £1,655 that NHS staff received in the last financial year. Now, more than 350 workers, employed at Colchester Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and several other ESNEFT community sites have walked out until Friday 13 December – or until the trust abandons plans to outsource their jobs. They had already taken more than 20 days of strikes and ahead of this week’s strikes, staff had to hold a second ballot to renew their legal mandate to take industrial action. Workers again voted 99% in favour of strikes in results announced on Friday (22 November) read more. Sign petition Write to the Board. How to donate to the strike appeal: UNISON Colchester & Ipswich Area Health, UNITY Bank, Sort code: 60-83-01, Account number: 20403881, Reference: STRIKE
Grimsby maternity support workers launch strike appeal (26 Nov) – Maternity support workers at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby are fighting for proportionate backpay and need your support. Maternity support workers at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby have just completed two weeks of strike action in their fight to secure proportionate back pay for carrying out clinical duties beyond their pay band for years. Although the NHS trust re-banded them from Band 2 to Band 3 in October 2023, the trust is currently refusing to make an equitable offer of backpay. As things stand, the current proposals would see some maternity support workers, who have nearly forty years’ service, and have worked high levels of unsocial hours, receiving less backpay than someone who has been at the trust for only four years. The support workers took two days and then one week of strike action earlier in the year and started a two-week strike as of Monday 11 November read more. How to donate: Unity Trust, Sort Code: 60-83-01, Account Number: 20337627, Account name: Grimsby Goole Scunthorpe health branch
NIPSA
Industrial Action Update in Children’s Social Work Services (9 Nov) – NIPSA moving to CAP caseloads to protect social work members. The purpose of this article is to provide Social Work members with an update on the current industrial action situation in Children’s Social Work services, which is driven by chronic staffing shortages and unsafe workloads. Despite months of discussion with key representatives from the Department of Health and the five HSCT’s and subsequent assurances that an offer was imminent. Negotiators reported that there has been no contact with NIPSA, from the Department since 4 October 2024. Branch Officers from the five HSC Trusts, therefore met this week to review the current situation. It was unanimously agreed that a significant escalation of current action was now unavoidable due to the employer’s inaction. The action agreed will take the form of calling a halt on employers exploitation of our members’ good will and professionalism. NIPSA will move to implement a ‘cap’ or ‘ceiling’ on the number of cases assigned to Social Workers in all Looked After Children (LAC) and Family Support/Family Intervention Services across Northern Ireland. Action being developed, in addition this will include limits on Social Workers supervising contact, limits on Social Workers covering Duty and an extension of current industrial action on private law to include Article 56 work. Given the complications around these issues, and to ensure consistency in this escalation regionally, it was agreed Branches will meet with their members working in these areas, to address any queries this escalation may entail read more
Royal College of Nursing
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
CSP
Government risking below-inflation pay rise for NHS staff in England, CSP warns (15 Jan) – It is ‘simply implausible’ to make much-needed reforms to Agenda for Change within a cost envelope also intended to deliver a pay rise for NHS staff, the CSP has told the pay review body read more
SOR
HSC pay award delays in Northern Ireland to have ‘devastating impact’ on waiting lists (14 Jan) – Health and Social Care pay awards in Northern Ireland are unlikely to reach employees until late in the pay year, the SoR has said read more
SoR response to government’s AI action plan: ‘There can be no imaging without radiographers’ (14 Jan) – The UK government has released its AI action plan, including implementation in hospitals – but the SoR has warned tech needs people read more
NEU
Strike ballot in 18 Harris schools and colleges (20 Jan) – The NEU’s formal strike ballot of over 700 members in 18 Harris secondaries and sixth form colleges opens today (Monday) and closes on 28 February. The ballot concerns excessive and unhealthy levels of workload, an unfair and punitive pay progression system, and the unfair treatment of Caribbean and other overseas trained teachers. Members’ terms and conditions in Harris-run schools and colleges are clearly having an impact on teacher retention. At the end of Summar Term 2023, a quarter of teachers (27%) in Harris schools left. This is far higher than in local authority maintained schools where only one in seven (15%) teachers left their school. Teacher retention at Harris schools has been in the bottom 10% of multi-academy trusts for 9 out of the last 10 years. The strength of feeling amongst staff is so great that our indicative ballot that has led to this formal ballot had an 80% turnout with a 92% yes vote for strike action. The question on the formal ballot paper reads: “Are you prepared to take part in sustained and discontinuous strike action in furtherance of this dispute?” read more
Vast majority of schools to face funding cuts next year (20 Jan) – New research released today by the School Cuts coalition shows that the vast majority of schools – 76% of primary schools and 94% of secondary schools – will not be able to afford their costs next year. This follows the Government’s remit letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) which recommended a 2.8% rise in teacher pay for 2025/26 but provided no new funding to cover this. The government have admitted that most schools will not be able to cover the cost of staff pay rises next year but expect schools to make efficiencies. However, this research lays bare the scale of the problem with the majority of schools needing to make further cuts to balance their budget read more
Further Sixth Form College strike days announced (16 Jan) – National Education Union non-academised sixth form college teachers have announced further strike action in their ongoing dispute with the Secretary of State for Education, over the enduring failure to provide funding to non-academised colleges for a fair, fully-funded pay award that constitutes a meaningful step towards pay restoration. This has resulted in a differential pay offer for the earlier part of the academic year (September 24 – March 25) put forward by the SFCA, in which academised teachers would receive a 5.5% pay increase, but their colleagues in non-academised colleges doing the same work were offered only 3.5%. Unions have since rejected this offer on the basis that it would constitute a two-tier pay award. With the continued absence of guaranteed funding from Government to ensure that all colleges can implement the same pay award, over 2,000 National Education Union teacher members working across 32 non-academised colleges will be taking further strike action across the following dates: Wednesday 29 January, Thursday 6 February,
Friday 7 February. This follows seven days of strike action already taken as part of this dispute. While £50 million has been made available by the Department for Education to FE colleges for pay, including sixth form colleges, this is only for the period April 2025 to July 2025 and includes no firm guarantees that this will ensure that all sixth form colleges will be sufficiently funded to enable them to offer the same pay award. Nor does it address the negative pay differential suffered by non-academised sixth form college teachers between September 2024 and March 2025 read more
NEU announce indicative ballot on pay (9 Jan) – At a special meeting of the national executive of the National Education Union, held this week, the union has agreed to proceed with a preliminary online ballot of teacher members in England. This is to gauge the strength of feeling about the Government’s recent recommendation to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) of an unfunded 2.8% pay rise for teachers in 2025/26. The NEU will commence an indicative ballot of members from 1 March which will close on 11 April read more
NEU Cymru to ballot members for strike action (8 Jan) – Members of the National Education Union Cymru at Ysgol Robert Owen in Newtown have asked their union to ballot for industrial action following proposals for massive redundancies. Ysgol Robert Owen opened on September 1st 2024, at a cost of £22m, and yet within months staff have been told that up to one in six of them face redundancy and the state-of-the-art Hydro Pool may never be used read more
| Action | Date | Contact |
| Longley Park Sixth Form College / Sheffield (victimisation of rep) | 21 Jan | Duncan Blackie [email protected] |
| Haggerston School / Hackney (conditions of service) | 21-22 Jan | Dave Davies [email protected] |
| Our Lady’s Abingdon School / Oxfordshire (TPS) | 21-22 Jan | Stuart Robinson [email protected] |
| Cottingham High School / East Riding (unreasonable management practices) | 21-23 Jan | Steve Scott & Damien Walenta [email protected] [email protected] |
| Coventry Foundation Schools / Coventry (TPS) | 21-23 Jan | Steve Scott & Damien Walenta [email protected] [email protected] |
| Coventry Foundation Schools / Coventry (TPS) | 21-23 Jan | Chris Denson [email protected] |
| LIPA Sixth Form College / Liverpool (conditions of service) | 21-23 Jan | Graham Copsey [email protected] |
| Wanstead High School / Redbridge (conditions of service) | 21-23 Jan | Venda Premkumar [email protected] |
| George Dixon Primary / Birmingham (transfer of employer) | 21-24 Jan | David Room [email protected] |
| Ealing Virtual School / Ealing (redundancies) | 22 Jan | Stefan Simms [email protected] |
| Plumstead Manor School / Greenwich (conditions of service) | 22-24 Jan | Orkun Ari [email protected] |
NASUWT
Ballots open over sixth form pay dispute (13 Jan) – An industrial action ballot of members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union working in sixth form colleges opens today. The ballot is over the failure to offer teachers working in sixth form colleges a fair and equitable pay offer for 2024/25. The ballot will run until Monday 10th February. The Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA) has offered a 5.5% pay award to teachers working in sixth form college academies, but only on the condition that teachers working in non-academised sixth form colleges accept a pay offer of 3.5% from September 2024 to April 2025. These teachers would only receive 5.5% from April 2025 – seven months later than their colleagues read more
Teachers at Coventry School Foundation take strike action over attack on pensions (8 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at the Coventry School Foundation (Bablake Senior, Bablake Junior, King Henry VIII Senior and King Henry VIII Junior) are taking the first of nine planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over attempts by the employer to make teachers choose between their pension and their pay. Teachers have been told they must make a choice between moving to an inferior pension scheme or remaining in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) but accepting an almost 12% pay cut. Furthermore, teachers have been threatened with being fired and reemployed on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept these changes read more
Teachers send united message as they vote for industrial action (16 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in support of industrial action in a dispute in relation to pay for the 2024-25 Academic year. 92.7 % of those returning ballot papers voted in support of strike action, with 99.0% in support of action short of strike action. Teachers in Northern Ireland have yet to receive a formal pay offer for this academic year while teachers in England and Wales received a 5.5% pay uplift read more
Members strike over school closure plans (10 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Lewis Girls School, Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, are taking strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) over plans to close the school and merge with Lewis Pengam School. The decision over the closure is being made without any consideration to the impact the changes will have on members’ workload, working conditions and the welfare of members. Members have been given no assurances that they will not lose their jobs read more
Striking teachers protest at the Senedd over pupil behaviour (10 Dec) – On Thursday 12th December, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, at Ysgol Nantgwyn, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and Ysgol Abersychan in Pontypool will take strike action over poor pupil behaviour and will be taking their protest to the steps of the Senedd. At 11am on Thursday, striking members from both schools will gather in front of the Senedd to express their concern over the lack of progress on this crucial issue read more
Essex teachers threatened with school lock out (9 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Gable Hall School in Thurrock are being threatened with being locked out of the school and prevented from teaching their pupils after they voted to take industrial action in an ongoing dispute over workload and working practices. Members at the school are due to begin action short of strike action from Wednesday over concerns about adverse management practices which are resulting in unsustainable workloads that are undermining teachers’ health, safety and wellbeing. NASUWT members have sought to minimise any disruption to pupils’ education at the school. However, the employer has responded by threatening to lock out more than three-quarters of the teaching staff at Gable Hall School. Despite making every effort to avoid industrial action, the employer is refusing to engage in genuine negotiations and has now threatened teachers with a lock out. Mossbourne Trust Management is currently running the school and will formally take over as of the 31st December from The Ortu Federation read more
EIS
Clock is Ticking if Formal Dispute Over Teacher Class Contact Promise is to be Avoided (9 Jan) – The EIS has reiterated that the clock is ticking if a formal dispute over teacher class contact time in schools is to be avoided. Last month, the Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) issued a warning that a dispute will be declared, if no concrete proposals on the delivery of the promise to reduce teachers’ maximum class contact time is forthcoming by the 3rd of February. With just 24 days to go until that deadline, there has been little or no movement from the Scottish Government and COSLA towards delivery of a plan read more
Glasgow Strike Ballot will Test Government and Council Commitment on Teacher Numbers (20 Dec) – The EIS, has announced that it will open a statutory ballot for strike action in Glasgow schools, if Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government do not confirm the reversal of teacher cuts in Glasgow. The planned ballot, set to open on the 6th of January, will be a key test of the recently announced Scottish Government / COSLA budget agreement, a component of which is a pledge to return teacher numbers to 2023 levels read more
INTO
Member Update – Statement on Suspension of ASOS (14 Jan) – The Northern Ireland Teachers Council entered a pay claim in June 2024. In August 2024, the STRB recommended that teachers in England should receive a pay uplift of 5.5%; this was accepted by the British Government and fully funded. At the INTO local branch meetings last term, members made clear to officials and Northern Committee members present, the strength of their feelings that they had not been awarded the same pay as that which had been given to their English counterparts. There were numerous calls, in the face of the silence coming from the Minister’s Office, for the INTO to ballot members on this issue, to try to persuade the Education Minister, Paul Givan to make the same award, or better, to teachers here. Led by members’ depth of feeling towards the current pay disparity, the Northern Committee, at its November 2024 meeting, voted to ballot INTO members for ASOS and Strike Action on pay. This was overwhelmingly ratified by the governing body, the Central Executive Committee. Ballot papers were sent to members, the first line of which explained to members exactly what the purpose of the ballot was: “Given that the Department of Education has failed to bring forward an adequate offer in relation to resolving the issue of teachers’ pay, the Central Executive Committee of INTO has taken the decision to ballot all of our members within the Educational Sector in Northern Ireland for Industrial Action”. INTO members sent back a resounding return – 97.27% of INTO members voting in favour of Industrial Action on the issue of pay. In response to this huge vote, members were issued on Monday, 6 January 2025 with details of ASOS, due to commence on Monday, 13 January. At a meeting of the Teachers Pay Group on 9 January, the Union Side received a request from Management Side to postpone ASOS for a period of four weeks to enable intensified negotiations on pay,– in accordance with Article 117 (1) (b) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (NI) Order 1995. The threat of ASOS by the four teaching unions has brought about negotiations with a definite time frame of four weeks read more
UCU
Labour should dispense with Tory culture war bill altogether, says UCU (15 Jan) – Responding to the resumption of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act’s implementation, UCU general secretary, Jo Grady said: ‘In stripping out its statutory tort element, Labour is making clear they understand that the bill is fundamentally rotten. They should therefore go further and dispense with this Tory culture war legislation altogether read more
Strike ballot opens at University of East Anglia over swingeing job cuts (14 Jan) – A strike ballot has opened at the University of East Anglia (UEA) after almost one in six staff were put at risk of redundancy. The ballot will run until Tuesday 4 February, and a successful result will pave the way for strike action to begin later that month unless management rules out compulsory redundancies. The dispute is over management’s threat to cut over 190 staff to meet continued budget shortfalls at the institution. According to the business case published in November (2024), management intends to cut at least 30 staff in the faculty of medicine & health sciences, 25 in the faculty of science, 22 in the faculty of arts & humanities, and at least 90 from departments across professional services at the institution. This dispute follows over 400 staff leaving UEA in 2023 due to management’s projected £40m deficit in that year read more
Staff under redundancy threat at Sunderland University “gagged” by management (13 Jan) – Staff threatened with a restructure by Sunderland University management have been told they cannot tell colleagues they are at risk of losing their jobs. Last week, upon returning from their Christmas break, a small team of academic staff were told they would be restructured and that at least one post would be deleted. However, university management forbade impacted staff from having any “discussions with students, alumni or colleagues.” When UCU challenged the university’s decree, management said gagging impacted staff would prevent “unnecessary unrest”. This latest restructure comes just a few months after the university announced plans to seriously reduce its workforce read more
Strike ballot to open at Newcastle University over the impact of £35m cuts (13 Jan) – Over 1.000 UCU members will be balloted for strike action at Newcastle University later this month over £35m in cuts management is slashing from the university’s budget. The ballot, which opens next Monday (20 January), is over the impact of huge cuts across the institution. These include cancelling promotions, restricting travel, and asking staff to quit the institution via a voluntary severance scheme. The university has also refused to rule out compulsory redundancies. The university claims it needs to make the cuts due to a shortfall in international student numbers, but UCU said staff should not pay the price for financial mismanagement from those at the top. A UCU survey on the impact of cuts showed their detrimental impact, especially for those staff on precarious contracts read more
Strike ballot on the cards as 300 staff threatened with sack at Coventry University (17 Dec) – Coventry University has threatened more than 300 staff with the sack. Those who remain will be forced to work through a subsidiary company on behalf of the university, and any new starters would be unable to access the industry-standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme. From correspondence it has received from university management, UCU estimates over 100 staff could lose their jobs and more than 200 could be contracted over to Peoples Futures Limited (PFL), a company owned by the university. UCU said its Coventry University members are meeting this week to decide how to fight the punitive proposals and that they will likely begin balloting for strike action read more. UCU responds to Coventry University VC government appointment (20 Dec)
UCU calls on Open University to withdraw fire and rehire threat (13 Dec) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today reiterated its call for the Open University (OU) to scrap plans to fire and rehire staff. In a letter sent to the OU’s vice chancellor and chair of council, the local branch has expressed their shock at the institution’s plan to threaten a group of Associate Lecturers with fire and rehire proceedings. The OU first began consulting on fire and rehire plans in 2023 and expects to fire over 20 lecturers in the early part of 2025 if those staff refuse to have their working hours and pay reduced. Many of the 160 staff initially threatened with fire and rehire have confirmed they only signed up to reductions in hours and pay because of that threat. The tutors under threat (who provide tuition and academic support to students) have a high workload, often because they have agreed to do additional work in areas the university has found it hard to recruit in read more
HE offer 2024/25: member consultative ballot – Following a decision by UCU’s higher education committee, we are running a formal electronic consultation of HE members in participating institutions on the final pay and conditions offer for 2024/25. This launched on Tuesday 12 November 2024 and closes on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at 17:00. UCU’s higher education committee recommends that you:-
- vote to REJECT the pay element of the offer, and
- vote to ACCEPT the terms of reference on the pay-related elements (contract types/casualisation, workload, equality pay gaps, pay spine review).
This consultative electronic ballot launches on 12 November and closes on 3 December read more
UCU response to ‘disappointing’ further education pay recommendation (11 Oct) – UCU has today responded to the latest further education pay recommendation from the Association of Colleges (AoC). The further education employer body is recommending a pay offer of 2.5% or £750, whichever is greater. As part of the union’s New Deal For FE campaign, UCU members are calling for a 10% or £3k pay rise along with: parity with schoolteacher pay, a minimum starting salary of £30,000, closure of equality pay gaps, national agreements on workload, a return to national bargaining read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
FBU demands “significant above-inflation” pay rise ahead of talks (10 Dec) – The Fire Brigades Union has written to fire service employers to start the process of negotiating a pay rise for the UK’s firefighters and fire control staff. After more than a decade of real terms pay cuts under the Tories, the union is looking to the Labour government to make funding available for an above-inflation rise. Last year’s pay settlement saw a rise of 4%, as well as a boost to on-call firefighters’ retainers, and a minimum of six months’ paid maternity leave across the UK. In 2022 and 2023, the threat of strike action forced rises of 7% and 5%. Unlike many other parts of the public sector, the fire and rescue service has collective bargaining, meaning that the union will sit down with employers to negotiate a pay rise. Fire service pay is negotiated July to July read more
POA
National Chair Update December 2024 read more
General Secretary update (13 Dec) read more
Recruitment and retention crisis is putting staff and prisoners at risk union leader tells Lords committee (14 Jan) – In a blistering evidence session to the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee Mark Fairhurst, National Chair of the Prison Officers Association told the committee that a major crisis in recruitment and retention is destabilising prisons and endangering staff and prisoners. Mr Fairhurst also said that if left unaddressed it is only a matter of time before a drone is used to drop a firearm into a Prison. The POA was giving evidence to the Committee’s Inquiry into Prison Culture, Governance, Leadership and Staffing. The Inquiry sessions took place on the day that two highly critical inspectorate reports were published into Prisons in Manchester and Lang Lartin read more
Spotlight on the right to strike (17 Dec) – The debate over giving prison officers back their ‘industrial muscle’ is heating up, reports Charley Allan. The ban on prison officers taking any form of industrial action has been raised many times in Parliament in recent years, often in the context of exploitative pay, terms and conditions. Back in December 2020, Labour’s Grahame Morris highlighted how “it is a criminal offence even to suggest that they should, for example, start working to rule” when attacking the then Tory government for rejecting the pay review body’s recommendation of a £3,000 rise for Band 3s, which he described as “an abuse of power” read more
NAPO
Update: Ongoing Business as Usual (BAU) Pay Discussions (17 Jan) – This is a reminder regarding the content of our previous communication (JTU 62-2024 Pay Update). We want to emphasise that we are continuing to address Business As Usual (BAU) pay issues separately from the ongoing pay negotiations for 2025 read more
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
Nautilus International
Nautilus awaits Stena response during pay review (3 Dec) – Nautilus International is awaiting a response from Stena Line Pte Ltd after ‘respectfully’ rejecting the company’s offer at the 2025 pay and conditions review read more
BALPA
BALPA Secures Landmark Court Victory Against Ryanair Over Illegal Blacklisting Practices (17 Jan) – The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has achieved a significant legal triumph in the Court of Appeal, securing a landmark judgment that not only delivers justice for Ryanair pilots but also sets a powerful precedent for the entire trade union movement. The Court’s ruling today firmly established that Ryanair’s practice of putting pilots who exercised their legal right to strike in 2019 on a blacklist in order to withdraw their travel benefits constituted a breach of the Blacklisting Regulations. This decision underscores that such retaliatory actions against workers who take part in lawful industrial action are both unacceptable and unlawful read more
NUJ
Apple suspends AI-generated news summaries (17 Jan) – The union has welcomed the decision to halt Apple Intelligence news summaries following errors relayed to audiences read more
NUJ welcomes Gaza ceasefire deal (15 Jan) – The union has called for clear guarantees for press freedom and urged both sides to play their important role in allowing for the safety and protection of all citizens, including brave journalists on frontlines read more
NUJ urges enforcement of UK copyright law as AI Opportunities Action Plan is published (14 Jan) – “The pursuit of innovation and opportunities in AI must not be at the expense of our members” says Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary read more
Equity
Equity launches campaign to Save Audio Drama at the BBC (15 Jan) – Equity is fighting to save Audio Drama on BBC Radio 3 read more
Equity sends solidarity to American unions over California wildfires (14 Jan) – Equity has sent messages of solidarity to our sister unions in America read more
Welsh National Opera Chorus strike action update (8 Nov) – Industrial action short of strike is ramped up and strikes planned for February. Equity members of the Chorus at Welsh National Opera today agreed to postpone planned strike action set for Friday 15 November, but other industrial action will continue. Further talks are expected and both sides hope to build on progress made in recent weeks. However, Equity members are clear that the situation cannot drag out, and strike action is now planned for 6, 7 and 8 February 2025 if the dispute is not resolved, in addition to further industrial action short of strike. The 30-strong Chorus are taking action to save jobs and prevent compulsory redundancies. Industrial action short of strike has seen Chorus members wear campaign t-shirts on stage during curtain calls, make speeches to the audience from the stage, demonstrate outside venues, and hand out campaign leaflets as audiences arrive read more
Musicians’’ Union
MU Members at Welsh National Opera Renew Mandate for Industrial Action (15 Jan) – MU members at WNO have voted to renew their mandate for industrial action read more
Community
HelloFresh workers protest mass dismissals (18 Oct) – Workers and members of the community gathered in Birmingham today to protest HelloFresh’s decision to dismiss 79 workers from its Nuneaton warehouse. The company dismissed workers via email last week following concerns being raised about the dire working conditions on site read more
USDAW
Employment Rights Bill – Usdaw calls for secure hours to help workers meet the cost of living (14 Jan) – Retail trade union leader Paddy Lillis has today given evidence to the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee, at which he called for all workers to have a contract that reflects their normal hours of work over a 12-week reference period. Usdaw is also calling for the right to be available to all workers, including agency staff, and there must be anti-avoidance safeguards and effective enforcement to make the right meaningful read more
KP Snacks strike suspended after negotiations with Usdaw (9 Dec) – Usdaw has suspended strike action at the Ashby-de-la-Zouch site of KP Snacks in Leicestershire, which was due to start today (9 December), this follows a restart in pay negotiations read more
UVW
Domestic violence advisers in Tower Hamlets are balloting to strike over significant redundancies (17 Jan) – These cuts threaten the critical domestic abuse support services they provide. Tower Hamlets has the second-highest number of domestic abuse cases in London. Cutting the Solace Women’s Aid team will drastically impact vulnerable community members, predominantly women, and the quality of this essential service. The Solace workers are a lifeline for survivors of domestic abuse. They provide emotional support, safety planning, risk assessments and advocate with police, social services and housing. Their work empowers survivors to rebuild their lives. The team tackles systemic barriers, helping survivors navigate immigration restrictions, financial challenges and legal hurdles. They connect survivors with solicitors, manage homicide risks with professionals and ensure every step is consent-based. Their work saves lives. The Solace workers in Tower Hamlets are fighting to ensure everyone in the borough can live safely and with dignity. They need your support to continue their vital work. From April to December 2024, the Tower Hamlets Solace team handled 1,139 referrals and supported 227 victim-survivors. Cutting staff risks leaving many without life-saving support during their most vulnerable moments. The Solace workers urge Tower Hamlets Council to intervene and protect these critical services. The Tower Hamlets Solace workers have tirelessly supported the community and now need your help. They’ve joined the United Voices of the World union to fight these unfair redundancies and protect vital domestic abuse services. Come to the public meeting at Casa UVW on Wednesday 22 January 6pm at the Casa UVW, 144 Cambridge Heath Road, London E1 5QJ read more on UVW Facebook page
Science, Natural History and V&A museum security guards strike continues in January as contractor faces lawsuits (14 Jan) – “We are carrying on with the strike again this year, starting on January 17 and after several rounds of industrial action before Christmas, because we are still underpaid and we have no other choice. We are fighting for our survival and our wellbeing. We are not going to stop until management takes us seriously” – Evariste, Science Museum security guard at and UVW member. Over 100 outsourced security guards at the world-renowned Science Museum, Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum, all members of United Voices of the World (UVW), will strike again from Friday 17 January to Monday 20 January, bringing the total strike days to 22 in three months. They demand fair pay, sick leave and respect. The guards outsourced guards to security contractor Wilson James have already taken 18 days of strike action in five stoppages since October. They are committed to continuing in 2025 until their demands for better pay, sick leave and more annual leave are met read more
Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office has been targeted in a break-in! (10 Jan) – Overnight, laptops, essential equipment and other valuables worth several thousands of pounds were stolen, disrupting critical support for low-paid, migrant and precarious workers. This won’t stop our fight for justice. The theft comes as UVW leads critical campaigns with hundreds of workers taking strike action across London. Please support UVW during this critical time. Help replace stolen equipment and ensure campaigns for dignity and equality continue. Every donation makes a difference. Donate now: https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/donate. Read more on UVW Facebook page
Department for Education security guards to join mass strike on 21 December (17 Dec) – “We all saw how the cleaners and caterers were treated, and how UVW stood up for them. They were able to win their demands, and it was their fight that inspired me to join UVW. Morale is high despite G4S’s response, which really showed they don’t seem to care about us. They say they won’t negotiate with UVW, even though all the guards have joined. We do not accept that they want to negotiate with a union that doesn’t represent us. We are ready to strike” – Dele Bodumde, who has served as a security officer at DfE for 12 years and is a UVW member. Security officers employed by G4S at the Department for Education (DfE), who are members of United Voices of the World (UVW), will strike on Saturday 21 December in a fight for fair pay and sick pay parity with civil servants. The guards, who work at Sanctuary Buildings in central London, are demanding a minimum pay rate of £15 per hour, a comprehensive sick pay scheme in line with directly employed DfE staff, improved annual leave entitlements and better quality uniforms read more
Hundreds of Harrods workers to strike over pre-Christmas weekend and boxing day as store refuses talks (10 Dec) – “As one of the world’s leading luxury department stores, Harrods should be setting the standard for retail and hospitality workers. Instead, we are earning the living wage and denied basic benefits such as a food allowance and Christmas bonus – something which should be commonplace in a company accumulating millions of pounds in profit year on year” – Alice Howick, Harrods waiter and UVW member. Hundreds of retail, restaurant, kitchen, and cleaning workers at Harrods will walk out of their jobs on the weekend of the 21 and 22 December as well as Boxing Day – the busiest retail dates of the year – if the luxury store continues to deny them a Christmas bonus and improved working conditions read more
IWGB
RESPEITO E DIGNIDADE: Support the eCourier strike! – “For years, our company, eCourier, has been denying me and my colleagues our basic rights by illegally misclassifying us as independent contractors. In 2017, eCourier, owned by Royal Mail, were found to have broken the law in not classifying as workers, and committed to an internal investigation. Since then, no investigation has taken place. Every time workers at eCourier try to speak out, we are met with bullying and harassment from management, led by CEO Malcolm Fullick. We’ve tried to go through the courts to take back what is rightfully ours, but we’ve come to realise that no one is coming to save us. If we want to transform our workplace, it’s our job to make that happen ourselves. We’re taking the fight directly to eCourier, demanding worker status, dignified pay, a fairer workplace and an end to bullying and harassment. We’re balloting for strike action, and we won’t back down until we win what we deserve. We’re up against huge companies like Royal Mail, with deep pockets and institutional power, so we’re going to need all the help we can get to achieve justice. Help us win our fight by joining us on the front lines, fighting against lawlessness and exploitation in the gig economy. Please sign our petition and donate to support the campaign
Mandate (Ireland)
Tesco Workers Begin Protests for Respect & Representation (12 Dec) – Members of the Mandate Trade Union have today (Thursday, 12th December 2024) launched public protests following Tesco management’s decision to deny workers their right to be represented by their trade union and refusing to agree to an adequate pay increase. The first protest took place at Ardkeen in Waterford at 10am. According to Mandate, the protests will continue until Tesco agree to “respect their workers” read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU Section 39 workers to ballot for strike over Government inaction on pay (17 Jan) – SIPTU’s Health Division is to begin a ballot of up to 5,000 members working in Section 39 Organisations for strike action due to the failure of the Government to honour a pay agreement struck at the Workplace Relations Commission in October 2023 read more
Action on care workers’ pay needed due to recruitment crisis (14 Jan) – SIPTU representatives have called on the Government to honour a commitment to raise the Minimum Annual Remuneration thresholds required to obtain an employment permit for Health Care Assistants (HCAs) and Home Support Workers or face a worsening crisis in these services read more
SIPTU considers strike action to save bin collection service (10 Jan) – SIPTU members employed by Bord na Móna Recycling will meet later this month to consider industrial action, up to and including a strike, to safeguard the future of the country’s last publicly-owned domestic waste collection service read more
Other news
Alan Hardman ‘Need not Greed’ – Alan Hardman’s razor-sharp political cartoons collected for the first time. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Need Not Greed is a career-spanning collection of visual art by one of Britain’s greatest unsung political cartoonists. Alongside Alan Hardman’s essential work, the book also includes a contribution from former President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn order a copy – £45 each
Can you help? Crowdfunding to tour a production and exhibition of The Grunwick Strike Autumn 2025 – 2026 – We wanted to get in touch to let you know we are crowdfunding for a new production and interactive exhibition. The theatre show will tell the story of Jayaben Desai – the inspirational leader of the 1976-78 Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike. We need your help to get this production and exhibition on the road, any donation you make will mean we are one step closer to getting this very important story out there performing to audiences across the UK. Any money raised will be matched by other funders. We’ve just got eight weeks to reach our target. Please find the link for our crowdfunding campaign HERE. Link to our Crowdfunding video Here. www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk
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
From Strike Map – Our final instalment of the ‘Industrial Unionism’ series with Manifesto Press is here. Building on this success of our other pamphlets- which has sold over 2,000 copies, our next pamphlet in our series is the infamous ‘A Manual of Industrial Unionism’ by William Z Foster. Click the button here to pre-order your copy for you and your organisation
How Do We Invigorate And Democratise Our Unions? Part of the Troublemakers’ AGM online – 25 January 2025 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm GMT details
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. This has now escalated and widened.
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)
Gaza protest last Saturday in Central London: oppose the arrests, defend the right to protest – the NSSN stands in solidarity with all those who have been arrested, including Stop The War Coalition’s Chris Nineham. It is outrageous that as a ceasefire is announced, protestors were denied the right to march, particularly under the watch of a Labour government and Labour London Mayor. We demand justice for all those arrested – with the immediate dropping of all charges Stop the War Coalition statement
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Blacklist Support Group New Year message: 2025 – the year when justice finally arrives?
Happy New Year to all our supporters. It is more than 15 years since the Consulting Association blacklist was exposed. Yet despite a select committee investigation, a public apology in the High Court and new legislation, union members who were repeatedly denied employment are still fighting for truth and justice. No senior executives from the multinational construction companies who oversaw the secret conspiracy, nor the police and union officials who colluded with the employers have been held accountable for their actions. 2025 is set to be a year where at least some elements of the hidden underbelly of the blacklisting scandal are brought into the public domain. Here’s what to expect:
Independent Collusion Investigation
The independent investigation into collusion by officials from UNITE and predecessor unions that was set up by Sharon Graham is set to publish its findings early in 2025. Nick Randall KC and John Townsend, assisted by solicitors from the Public Interest Law Centre have gathered oral and documentary evidence from around 90 individuals, searched the union’s electronic archive and sought permission from the High Court to use documents never before placed in the public domain.
The Blacklist Support Group and the Construction Rank & File publicly fought for an investigation that was independent from UNITE to be set up, and three blacklisted activists have acted as an oversight committee throughout the investigation.Neither BSG nor the oversight committee have any knowledge of what will appear in the final report, but we have faith in the independence of the lawyers, and in the robustness of their investigation.
Spycops Inquiry
Core participants in the union strand of the undercover policing public inquiry, the Blacklist Support Group (BSG), UNITE, FBU, NUM, and seven individual activists (Steve Acheson, Frank Smith, Dan Gilman, Steve Hedley, Lisa Teuscher, John Jones, Dave Smith) were scheduled to give evidence in April 2025. This has now been pushed back to a date later in the year. Spycops who infiltrated and gathered intelligence on trade unions, plus the managers and politicians who oversaw the political spying operation will also be giving evidence.
The BSG opening statement made specific allegations that the police and security services passed on intelligence to major employers and the blacklisting organisations; the Consulting Association and the Economic League, and about undercover officers acting as agent provocateurs, and state interference in the internal democratic processes of trade unions (in breach of ILO conventions).
The public inquiry has already published an interim report that slated the human rights violations of the Special Demonstration Squad, concluding that the police unit should have been closed down in the 1960s. However, blacklisting was specifically omitted from the interim report. The evidence hearings in 2025 will be the first time the judge led inquiry properly considers the BSG and union concerns.
Retraining Fund
As part of the settlement of the High Court trial, the major blacklisting employers placed over £220,000 in a fund administered by UNITE, to be used to pay training costs for blacklisted workers who were claimants in the litigation. For the first few years, those overseeing the fund turned out multiple applications. But in late 2023, the fund was relaunched and in 2024 tens of thousands of pounds has been paid out to blacklisted workers. The money has been spent on updating certificates for work on the railways, offshore and in the High Voltage sector, but also in costs for career changes such as teaching. If any High Court claimant has paid out for any training since 2016, please claim the money back from this fund.
Labour government pledges
The government has announced proposals for new laws on blacklisting. You might think that as the primary victims of the UK’s biggest blacklisting scandal ever, that the BSG might be consulted on the proposals. Yet, despite having directly contacted Angela Rayner on this subject, and despite BSG secretary, Dave Smith having co-authored a pamphlet published by the Institute of Employment Rights about the need for new legislation on blacklisting. To this date, the BSG has not been contacted to be part of the consultation on the new blacklisting laws. Its hard to imagine politicians not talking to the victims of the Post Office scandal about possible new legislation. Perhaps it takes a TV drama before MPs take notice.
Lee Fowler employment tribunal
Blacklisted construction union activist, Lee finally gets his day in court in January for his discrimination claim against Cargill following a dispute at the Liverpool site in late 2023.
Lee Fowler -v- Cargill PLC
15th -17th January 2025
Liverpool Employment Tribunal
35 Vernon Street
Liverpool
L2 2BX
Unless there is a last minute offer, the Blacklist Support Group will be at the court.
SOLIDARITY PROTEST
9am Wednesday 15th January
Show your support – Bring your banners
Affiliate to the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) here
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
Germany: Request for solidarity message for German strikers who are mainly responsible for cash transport – They are in the ver.di trade union in Berlin-Brandenburg. The drivers have very precarious conditions (some have 10 to 11 hour shifts without a real break as they are not allowed to leave their vehicles) and are generally on a low wage. The bosses are blocking improvements and demand changes for the worse which has heightened anger. The latest strike saw over 2000 of the 10,000 workers nationally striking. Next strike starts on 11 November. Email messages of support via [email protected]
Nigeria: Support the campaign to demand the dropping of the charges 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.
Latest news on campaign – #EndBadGovernance Global Solidarity Protest Call for Dropping of Charges against Protesters and End to Sham Trials
Model motion – https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-democratic-socialist-movement
Türkiye: journalists among groups detained in raids (29 Nov) – NUJ condemns detentions and joins the International Federation of Journalists in calling for their immediate release read more on NUJ website
Diary
2025
July 5 NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall London
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
