We send International Women’s Day (IWD) greetings to all our supporters and affiliates. There will be events on IWD this Saturday 8th March and throughout the month of March. We also send comradely greetings to delegates at TUC Women’s Conference, which meets this week.
We headline this week’s NSSN bulletin with the indicative ballot that opened last Saturday by the NEU union as well as the victory by the RMT in defending its members’ pensions on London Underground.
NEU launches indicative ballot on pay (1 Mar) – The National Education Union (NEU) has today (Saturday) launched a preliminary electronic ballot on the need for a fully funded pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention. Around 284,000 teacher members working in maintained schools across England will be consulted over the government’s recommendation to the School Teachers’ Review Body of an unfunded pay rise of 2.8 per cent for teachers in 2025/26. A 2.8 per cent increase is likely to be below inflation and would do nothing to repair the damage to the competitive position of teacher pay against other graduate professions. Teachers face another pay cut. The already critical recruitment and retention problems damaging our education service will get even worse. The pay recommendation is unfunded. The government has proposed that schools can pay for it by making ‘efficiencies’ elsewhere in their budget. The reality, as every teacher knows, is that schools have endured 14 years of school cuts under the Conservatives. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has not given schools what they need. Research shows that 76 per cent of primaries and 94 per cent of secondaries will be forced to make cuts, not only to balance the books but to meet this pay award.
The preliminary electronic ballot opens on 1 March and closes on 11 April. It will ask teachers and leaders in state-funded schools in England the following two questions:
- Do you accept or reject the government’s recommendation of an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay rise?
- Are you willing to take strike action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention?
The NEU’s national executive recommends REJECT on the first question and YES on the second.
Commenting on the launch of the indicative ballot, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“We all know that an unfunded 2.8 per cent pay award is unacceptable. It will deepen the chronic recruitment and retention crisis in our schools, and means more cuts for already struggling schools. Pay has fallen by around a fifth against inflation since 2010, pushing education into the worst crisis in decades. More schools are in deficit now than at any point since 2010. Class sizes are the largest on record. Our members do not want to strike but ignoring the profession and backing educators into a corner means we will be left with no choice. The government was elected in the hope it would value education, but a 2.8 per cent pay award without funding does the opposite. Like the Conservatives before them, they are forcing schools to make more cuts. It is short-sighted, it is wrong, and teachers will not stand for it. There is time yet for Rachel Reeves and her colleagues to think again and deliver for teachers, children, and our schools.”
RMT wins pension victory after TfL forced to back down (3 Mar) – Tube union RMT, has secured a major victory in the fight to defend the TfL Pension Fund. Transport for London has now confirmed that there are no plans to change the scheme and that the pension review management team has been disbanded. This hard-fought success follows years of determined campaigning by RMT members, in the face of a concerted effort by the employer to attack their pensions. After seven consecutive strike ballots were won, leading to six days of all-grades strike action,
TfL has made the correct decision and abandoned their plans.
Due to RMT’s campaign, this means:
All pension benefits remain intact, continuing to be based on final salary
- Retirement at 60 with no penalties is protected
- Pension increases remain linked to RPI, not CPI
- Any future pension fund shortfall must be covered by TfL—not employees
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This is a huge victory for our members who showed tremendous tenacity to stand together to defend their pensions. We were told these cuts were inevitable, but our members determination has ensured that these attacks on pensions have been thwarted. This win proves that when workers are organised and willing to take strike action, they can defeat even the most determined attacks on their rights and living standards. RMT will continue to stand ready to take action to protect our members if any such attacks on pensions or terms and conditions come to pass in the future.”
Advanced notice!! NSSN Annual Conference 2025 – Make the rich pay not workers!
11am-4.30pm Saturday 5th July in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Attendance fee – £10
This year’s NSSN Conference will be on the theme ‘Make the rich pay not workers!’ This is when the Starmer New Labour government is looking to slash budgets at the same time as councils make cuts, the NHS is under massive pressure and higher education is in crisis. This is alongside recessionary signs in the private sector, with threats to jobs while the cost of living squeeze remains.
A major part of our conference and our activity will be about the need for the trade union movement to organise against Starmer and Reeves’s austerity and the bosses’ offensive. Our conference will also demand the immediate repeal of the Tory anti-union laws, including the undemocratic voting thresholds, promised by Starmer but still in force despite his government being elected with a 160 seat plus majority last July. It will also be a platform for union reps and members from the growing number of disputes to speak about their action. We will continue to support workers’ struggles and publicise them in this, our weekly NSSN bulletin.
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, 16 Warren Road, London, E10 5QA.
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]
Campaign For Trade Union Freedom Rally: 3 years on from P&O sackings – strengthening the Employment Rights Bill – Join our rally to demand more from the Employment Rights Bill – Saturday, March 22, 11am – 3:45pm, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place London WC1H 9BB details register
From SHAC (Social Housing Action Campaign) – Call to Action!
Housing Crisis Workplace Impact Survey:-
To aid our engagement with trade unions, and to expose a well-hidden aspect of the housing crisis, we have a survey about the impact of the housing crisis in the workplace.
The survey is completely anonymous. It asks about the impact of rising rents, as well as stress, illness and injury triggered by bad housing which in turn leads to workplace absences. The survey closes on 31st March 2025.
Please help by filling in the survey if you are in work, and for all to circulate within your networks.
www.shaction.org/housing-in-the-workplace-survey/
Union News
You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.
RMT
RMT demands Scottish government scrap Scotrail ticket office cuts (3 Mar) – Rail union RMT, alongside other campaign organisations, has demanded the Scottish Government halts ScotRail’s proposed cuts at up to 100 ticket offices. In a joint letter signed by multiple campaigning organisations, the union outlines how these plans will worsen accessibility, safety, and service for passengers across Scotland read more
New research shows rail reform can pay for freezing passenger fares (28 Feb) – RMT has published new research showing that a national fare freeze could be funded through further rail reform with passengers facing yet another above-inflation fare hike of 4.6% on Sunday. The union’s analysis reveals that even after the government’s welcome plans to bring train operations into public ownership, at least £630 million a year is still being drained from the railway through outsourced track, train, and station contracts, as well as rolling stock leasing firms read more
RMT suspends Avanti strikes following new offer (27 Feb) – RMT has suspended planned strike action in the Avanti Train Managers dispute following a new offer from the company. Strikes scheduled for 9 and 16 March will not go ahead while members vote on the deal in a referendum read more
Government must guarantee jobs and pay in decarbonisation plans (26 Feb) – RMT has welcomed the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest report on decarbonisation, calling for clear guarantees on jobs, pay, and conditions for workers
RMT calls off Rail Gourmet (TPE contract) strike action (14 Feb) – RMT has suspended planned strike action today and Monday by Rail Gourmet members on the TransPennine Express (TPE) contract, following significant progress on disciplinary issues read more
Unipart rail staff strike over union derecognition (27 Jan) – Rail workers at Unipart Rail’s Crewe Depot will strike Tuesday, in protest against the company’s decision to strip RMT of union recognition. The move, described by the union as a disgraceful assault on workplace rights, has sparked outrage among staff, who are demanding the immediate restoration of their right to collective representation read more. 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
ASLEF
Elizabeth line strike called off after pay offer (25 Feb) – Almost 500 drivers had been due to walk out on 27 February and 1 March. Planned strikes by train drivers on London’s Elizabeth line on Thursday and Saturday have been called off following a new pay offer. Members of Aslef were due to stage a series of walkouts that would have caused travel disruption in the capital. Aslef said its executive would consider a revised offer from the line’s operators MTR, on Wednesday. Although the strikes planned for Thursday and Saturday have been suspended, no announcement has been made about further strikes days on 8 and 10 March read more on BBC website
Train drivers to strike over colleague’s sacking (12 Feb) – Drivers at Hull Trains will stage a series of strikes following a dispute over the sacking of a colleague, a union has said. Members of Aslef are due to walk out on every Friday between 7 March and 25 April, and every Saturday between 8 March and 26 April read more on BBC website
TSSA
TSSA Comment on Transport for London ticket price increase (28 Feb) – Increases in Transport for London’s fares that take effect on Sunday (2 March) are down to the previous Conservative government claims rail union the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA). The TSSA says the Conservative government’s decision to remove TfL’s Operating Grant has left London the only major city in the world that doesn’t receive public funding for its public transport operations read more
TSSA union launches report highlighting the scale of violence experienced by UK transport workers (26 Feb) – The TSSA Union – the union for transport and travel workers – today (Wednesday) launched a report, detaiing the main findings from research conducted on TSSA members about workplace violence. The union launched the report at parliament on Wednesday 26 February 2025, where parliamentarians have been invited to find out more about the campaign and take action to curb violence and abuse experienced by transport workers read more
Unite
First Bus Hampshire strikes suspended as workers vote on new pay offer (3 Mar) – Strikes due across March now suspended by Unite. Strikes by Unite members at First Bus Hampshire have been suspended today (Mon 3 March) as a goodwill gesture after the bus company came forward with a new and improved pay offer. Over 140 drivers and supervisors at First Bus in Hampshire were to take further strike action and March after the company attempted to impose a pay deal that had already been rejected by workers. After last minute talks on Friday, First have made a new pay offer read more
European shareholders targeted as Unite escalates dispute with Veolia (3 Mar) – French waste giant refuses to recognise Unite in Sheffield. Shareholders now targeted across Europe by activists. Activists and members of Unite the union, the UK’s leading trade union, are travelling across western Europe this week to target major shareholders in French waste company Veolia as part of a long running campaign to get them to recognise Unite at their Sheffield waste depot. Protestors will be alerting Veolia’s major shareholders to the company’s union-busting tactics in the UK. While, calling on shareholders to put pressure on Veolia’s management in both France and the UK to recognise Unite for collective bargaining. Workers at the Lumley Street depot in Sheffield have been on continuous strike since August in their attempts to get the company to accept their wishes to be represented by Unite. Unite will be protesting in European cities on the following dates and targeting the following shareholders read more for details
Ealing council hit by protests over traffic warden union-busting (3 Mar) – Striking Ealing traffic wardens will protest outside the council’s headquarters over union-busting tomorrow (Tuesday).
- When: 1800 to 1930, Tuesday 4 March 2025
- Where: Perceval House (W5 2HL)
The traffic wardens, who are employed by Greener Ealing, began industrial action in August 2024 over the council-controlled company’s refusal to recognise their union, Unite. Since then, four wardens have been sacked on trumped up charges while they were taking strike action. Their roles are completely different to the rest of Greener Ealing’s waste management workforce. As a distinct group, they want Unite, which has represented the workers for over a decade, recognised for collective bargaining on their behalf read more
Striking Birmingham bin workers protest at ‘zombie council’ budget meeting (3 Mar) – Striking Birmingham bin workers will protest outside the council’s budget meeting on Tuesday.
- When: From 10:00 hrs, Tuesday 4 March 2025
- Where: Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB
The workers began strike action in January over the scrapping of the waste collection and recycling officer role, which has impacted 150 workers with pay cuts of up to £8,000. Removing the role also effects the rest of the refuse collection workforce, most of who earn little more than the minimum wage, by leaving them without a fair path for pay progression even after years of service in a demanding, dirty and difficult job. The workers already voluntarily accepted cuts to pay and terms and conditions to assist the council after it declared bankruptcy – including giving up £1,000 in shift pay. They now believe that further attacks to jobs and wages will follow. The attacks on the refuse workforce are being led by Birmingham’s commissioners, who were handed control of the council by the previous government. Negotiations to end the dispute are being hampered due to the commissioners, who are overseeing massively damaging budget reductions across the city read more
Birmingham bin strike goes all out as dispute escalates (26 Feb) – Workers also being balloted to extend strike action through spring and summer. Industrial action by more than 350 Birmingham refuse workers will escalate into an indefinite all out strike from Tuesday 11 March. Unite, the UK’s leading union, announced that the workers are also being balloted to extend strike action through the spring and summer. The ballot is over the council’s use of temporary labour to undermine the industrial action. The workers began strike action in January over the scrapping of waste collection and recycling officer role, which resulted in pay cuts of up to £8,000 for 150 workers. The workforce is fearful that further attacks to jobs and wages will follow, including the blocking of a fair path for future pay progression read more
Birmingham BMW strikes off after Unite secures improved pay deal (1 Mar) – Birmingham BMW strikes by more than 600 workers have been called after an improved pay deal was secured by Unite, the UK’s leading union. Workers at the Hams Hall site voted in favour of the deal, which will see pay increase by 3.5 per cent for 2024, which was the average RPI rate of inflation for last year. Crucially, the deal improved on previous offers because it left the workers’ bonus arrangements untouched read more
Ealing Traffic wardens renew strike action over union busting (28 Feb) – Wardens pressured to hit ‘rip off’ ticket targets fired for taking industrial action. Ealing traffic wardens will begin fresh strike action for a month over a long running union-busting dispute with the council. The workers will strike from 12 March and 12 April. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. The traffic wardens, who are employed by Greener Ealing, began industrial action in August 2024 over the council-controlled company’s refusal to recognise their union, Unite. Since then, four wardens have been sacked on trumped up charges while they were taking strike action read more
Derby Premier Inn protests over sacking of worker for trade union activities (28 Feb) – Unite member Anne Marie Toal fired on spurious charges for raising health and safety concerns. A protest will be held outside Derby Premier Inn on Saturday (1 March) after a worker was sacked for being in a union read more
Retired workers meet communities’ minister Gordon Lyons demanding reversal of winter fuel payment cuts (27 Feb) – Campaigners hand over thousands of submissions demanding restoration of universal payment and criticising after the fact DfC Equality Impact Assessment. Thousands of consultation responses demanding the restoration of the universal Winter Fuel Payment (WFP) were today (27 February) handed over to the department for communities (DfC) during a demonstration organised by Unite retired members. The consultations were received personally by communities’ minister Gordon Lyons who met with a delegation from the campaign. The demonstration was joined by campaigners from across the anti-poverty movement as well as retired workers and pensioners who were demanding restoration of the winter fuel payment read more
Cork brown water: Unite demands action as tests confirm contamination ahead of protest (27 Feb) – Iron and manganese levels render water unsuitable for human consumption. Protest set for Grand Parade on Saturday. Unite, which represents water service workers in Cork and around the country, today announced the results of tests carried out on Cork’s ‘brown water’. Unite had sent samples to a Health Services Executive (HSE) laboratory for testing following significant concerns regarding water quality in parts of Cork and surrounding areas read more
Winter fuel protests to demand answers from Miliband in Doncaster (27 Feb) – Pensioners struggling to pay for fuel costs after government cuts. Pensioners and retired trade union activists are to challenge the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, in his Doncaster constituency on Friday as part of Unite the union’s campaign to highlight the grave injustice of the cuts to the winter fuel allowance read more
Fareham Kelvion Limited manufacturing workers ‘betrayed’ as work moved abroad (27 Feb) – Disgraceful offshoring of work leads to loss of 150 jobs and an end to over 100 years of manufacturing. Fareham Kelvion workers have been betrayed by the company’s decision to offshore work to Poland with the loss of 150 jobs, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers manufacture heat exchangers and dry coolers for multiple industries, such as supermarkets and power stations. Production will end tomorrow (28 February). A small number of workers in the research and development and sales departments will remain at the site. Kelvion began trading in 1921 in London’s Camden Town as the Searle Radiator company before moving to Quay Street in Fareham in the 1930s. It became part of the Kelvion group after being bought by the private equity company Triton in 2014 read more
Royal Navy tugboat crews strike to protect critical naval services (27 Feb) – Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane, Great Harbour Greenock and Kyle of Lochalsh Serco Marine workers demand consultation over future of Royal Navy’s afloat services. Around 300 Royal Navy tugboat and marine services crews, many with decades of experience, will strike in March due to being locked out of consultations over the services they provide, despite their vital expertise…The workers begin working to rule and an overtime ban on 6 March. Tug masters, boatmasters and bargemasters will take 24 hours of strike action on the same day. The next day (7 March), technical managers, workshop managers, senior engineers, junior engineers, tank cleaners and technicians will take 24 hours of strike action. On 10 March, all shore grades, office, workshop and shore staff, mates, able seaman, fuel supervisors, barge operatives and pilot boat crews will stage a further 24-hour strike. Unite represents about half of Serco Marine’s total workforce. Further industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority budget raises Sellafield safety concerns (26 Feb) – Safety could also be impacted at 16 other Nuclear Decommissioning Authority sites. Safety concerns over the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) budget, which includes Sellafield as well as UK-wide services for nuclear waste and restoration, have been raised by Unite, the UK’s leading union. The NDA group is responsible for decommissioning and cleaning up 17 nuclear sites. The group’s key operating companies include Sellafield, Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) and Nuclear Waste Services (NWS). The CEOs of all the operating companies have all stated that their current budgets are not enough to provide full services read more
Heathrow passenger assistance workers ballot for strikes over pay (26 Feb) – Nearly 450 Wilson James Heathrow workers demand pay parity with Gatwick colleagues. Nearly 450 Heathrow workers providing assistance to passengers with restricted mobility (PRM) are being balloted for strike action over pay. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers are angry at being paid an average of 9.5 per cent less than Wilson James staff at Gatwick performing the same role. Wilson James’ reported gross profits of £35.4 million for the year ending July 2024, with the company’s gross turnover increasing by 17.7 per cent from the previous year. Heathrow Airport Limited, meanwhile, reported a profit before tax of £696 million in the nine months to 30 September 2024 read more
Bolton Toby Carvery workers in groundbreaking campaign for union recognition (26 Feb) – Workers not intimidated by Toby Carvery owner Mitchells & Butlers’ anti-union behaviour. Toby Carvery workers in Bolton are engaged in a groundbreaking campaign for union recognition. Unite believes they are the first workers to begin the formal process for union recognition at a workplace operated by a major pub chain. Concerns over the distribution of tips, the setting of rotas and health and safety issues, has led to the workers’ demands for a formal recognition agreement with their employer. Toby Carvery is owned by the UK’s largest pub operator Mitchells & Butlers, which also owns the All Bar One, Harvester and O’Neill’s chains read more
Energy price cap: Cruel increase for workers and elderly, Unite (25 Feb) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has labelled the 6.4 per cent increase in the energy price cap as “cruel” and further evidence that the current energy system is broken beyond repair read more
Scottish Water faces industrial action in nationwide pay dispute (24 Feb) – Public body refuses to improve pay offer as CEO Alex Plant rakes in £483,000. Unite the union can confirm today (24 February) that its 500-strong Scottish Water membership will take industrial action at the public body in a dispute over pay. In the opening phase of action at Scottish Water, Unite can reveal that its members will hold a standby ban and a ban on contractual overtime over two consecutive weekends. The bans will begin at 16:00 on 7 March up to 08.00 on 10 March and then take place at the same times on 14 March until 17 March. Scottish Water relies heavily on workers doing overtime or the organisation would need to pay substantial payments to contractors to undertake outstanding remedial works read more
Infectious diseases cleaning team at Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals forced to strike over working conditions (21 Feb) – COVID heroes being treated with disdain. Staff working in the most dangerous areas of hospital given inhumane rest and wash facilities. Dozens of infection control workers who form the ‘rapid response team’ at Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital are to strike later this month after bosses refused to recognise their frontline work and provide them with decent facilities. The team who perform “ultra cleans” in the most highly infectious disease areas of the hospital and are called upon to prevent the further spread of diseases, are furious at their treatment at the hands of Guys and St Thomas’s NHS Trust. The majority are BAME and are already some of the lowest paid workers within the NHS read more
Two-weeks strike action at Strathclyde university over pension attack (20 Feb) – Fight against detrimental proposals intensifies as university stockpiles £100m pension surplus. Unite Scotland can confirm today (20 February) that hundreds of members at the University of Strathclyde will take two-weeks strike action in March as the fight against detrimental pension changes intensifies. The strike action will start on 10 March lasting for two weeks until the 23 March. The development follows a ‘cynical’ attempt by the university to amend its initial detrimental pension proposals without consulting the union read more
TfL enforcement officers vital for safety and security escalate strikes (19 Feb) – Workers dealing with violence and aggression being paid thousands less than London Underground colleagues doing same job. Pay strikes by hundreds of officers within the Compliance, Policing, Operations and Security Directorate (CPOS) at Transport for London (TfL) will escalate in February. The workers, who deal with violence and aggression across the TfL network to keep the passengers and staff safe, are paid thousands less than their counterparts on the London Underground. In some cases, the difference can be an astonishing £27,000 a year despite the roles being equivalent. The first round of strike action took place over six days December, following the imposition of a pay offer by TfL that been overwhelming rejected by the workers as unacceptable. The workers will strike again on 20, 21 and 22 February and further industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Go North East workers consulted for strike action amid reign of terror by management (17 Feb) – Staff threatened with dismissal on spurious grounds. Safety of drivers and passengers in danger. Out-of-control management at a bus company in the North East of England has forced over 1,000 workers to be consulted on next steps, including the possibility of strike action, the Unite union announced today. Drivers and engineers at Go North East, based in depots across Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham, have been forced to the brink by a dangerous management culture that has seen drivers threatened with dismissal, suspended and sent home from work when health and safety issues are raised. Workers have been forced to resign, and management has imposed what one worker described as a “dictatorship” with “my way or the highway” style practices. Go North East has created a culture of fear to discourage members raising genuine safety concerns on behalf of passengers and drivers. Such behaviours are widely seen by union members as retribution by management after workers won a well-deserved pay rise after a bitter industrial battle in 2023 read more
Heathrow British Airways cleaners strike over living wage hypocrisy (12 Feb) – Employer OCS Living Wage Foundation accredited but pays BA workers minimum. Workers employed by facilities services firm OCS to clean British Airway’s offices at Heathrow are to strike over pay. OCS is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation for paying its directly employed staff the real living wage of £12.60 an hour and £13.85 an hour in London. Most of OCS’ 50,000 employees are not covering by the real living wage, however, because the outsourcing company does not pay it to workers on its external contracts. This has resulted in OCS’ BA workers being paid the legal minimum wage of £11.44 an hour in one of the most expensive cities on the planet. Poverty pay has resulted in some workers, who wear BA branded uniforms, having to use foodbanks while others are struggling to pay their rent…The workers are based at BA’s offices at Heathrow airport. They will strike from 25 to 28 February. Escalating industrial action is planned if a satisfactory pay offer is not put forward read more
Bassetlaw ICU nurses to strike over fire and rehire Doncaster transfer threat (11 Feb) – Nurses fear forced transfer could lead to Bassetlaw ICU shutting through ‘decommissioning by stealth’. Intensive care nurses at Bassetlaw Hospital will strike over attempts to transfer them to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for at least two months a year, with the possibility of it being increased to four. Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has threatened to fire and rehire the nurses on new contracts stipulating they must work part-time in Doncaster if they refuse to transfer voluntarily. The proposals have already led to four members of staff leaving Bassetlaw ICU for other units. The nurses fear the transfers are one more step towards Bassetlaw Hospital losing its ICU permanently through ‘decommissioning by stealth’ read more
Wrexham Oscar Mayer fire and rehire workers ballot to extend long running strikes (10 Feb) – Long running strike action at Wrexham’s Oscar Mayer ready meal factory is set to stretch into the summer as workers ballot to extend industrial action. Around 550 Oscar Mayer workers have been striking since last September over the company’s attempt to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year by firing and rehiring them on inferior contracts. The workers are now being balloted to extend strike action over the dismissal of a handful of colleagues during the industrial action. Oscar Mayer disgracefully sacked the workers after they sent a letter stating they would be working under duress under the revised terms the company wants to impose read more
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
Sign petition: To Beaumont Myers, Marie Carter & Jonathon Kirby, Directors at Almost Famous – Justice for the Sacked Workers of Almost Famous Burgers – Pay Us What We’re Due!
Knowsley Livv Housing workers step up strikes throughout February (31 Jan) – Hundreds of low-paid workers at Knowsley-based Livv Housing are escalating their pay dispute with strikes taking place throughout February, Unite and UNISON said today (Friday). Repair, maintenance and call centre staff already took strike action in October, November and January. The February strike, beginning on Monday (3 February) and running to Friday 28 February, will be the longest yet, with staff walking out across the entire organisation. More than 13,000 homes will be affected. The dispute stems from years of below-inflation pay increases. The workers have rejected a five per cent pay rise as it fails to reverse the real-terms pay cuts they have endured previously, say the unions. Livv Housing, which manages properties primarily in Knowsley, reported reserves of £110.6 million in March 2024. Additional strike dates will be announced if the dispute remains unresolved. Significant disruption will be caused to Livv Housing’s entire operations, including to tenant services read more
Unite files ethical trading complaint against Bakkavor as dispute escalates (30 Jan) – Customers of food manufacturer to be targeted as union continues to campaign for fair pay. Unite has made a formal complaint on behalf of its members to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which ensures compliance with international labour standards in the global supply chains of member companies. Major high street supermarkets are signed up members of the ETI and will now be aware that Bakkavor is paying poverty wages to its workforce. Unite members at the food manufacturer have been on strike since the early autumn to secure better rates of pay. Hundreds of members working for Bakkavor Foods in Spalding, Lincolnshire, are taking industrial action after years of real terms pay cuts. Bakkavor’s management has refused to engage in meaningful negotiations. Instead, they have brought in strike-breakers from other sites. In response, Unite has complained to the ETI which means that it will have alerted all its members to Bakkavor’s appalling behaviour read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Capita staff begin strike action over pay (29 Jan) – Workers at outsourcer Capita will today (Wednesday 29 January) begin strike action in a dispute over their employer’s refusal to negotiate a pay award for 2024. There will be ongoing industrial action until 5.59am on Wednesday 5 February. The workers from Capita were due a 2024 pay award last April. The employer postponed the annual pay talks with their union Unite with the assurance that the 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. In December 2024, workers voted overwhelmingly to take strike action across the two Capita sites. This industrial action will start today following the decision of their employer to deny workers a pay increase. The dispute involves around 1,000 employees…The Capita staff in Manchester and Glasgow work on Royal London account which will all face disruption and delays if industrial action takes place…The picket locations and times:-
- Manchester: Broadhurst House, 56 Oxford Street, M1 6EU
- Glasgow from 08:00-10:00 at The Skypark, 8 Elliot Place, G3 8EP read more
Unite condemns union-busting and offshoring threats from Princes Foods (24 Jan) – Factories across the UK under threat. Princes threatening jobs by moving production overseas. Unite has condemned the union-busting approach of Princes Foods after its chairman threatened to withdraw all pay offers and to move production overseas with the risk of hundreds of job losses. Workers at Princes Food sites across the UK have been taking industrial action after the new owners, Italian conglomerate Newlat, refused to honour a pay rise that had been negotiated with previous owners, Mitsubushi. Today (23 Jan), the chairman, Angelo Mastrolia, announced that in response to the prospect of further industrial action in February, his company will transfer the production of much-loved British foods like Branston beans and Crosse & Blackwell to overseas facilities in retribution. This would also come with the threat of hundreds of job losses for those workers at sites in Cardiff, Lincolnshire, Glasgow, Bradford and Wisbech read more
Housing workers in Southwark to strike over annual leave disgrace (22 Jan) – Workers to walk out as council gives more leave to those on higher salaries. Nearly 160 essential housing and estate services workers in the London Borough of Southwark are set to strike later this month over the council’s disgraceful approach to annual leave. Unite members, who perform vital repairs and maintenance on council-owned housing stock and the council’s own properties get up to 12 fewer days annual leave than management grades in administrative positions at the council and the lowest paid technicians get two fewer days than higher paid colleagues in the same department. Despite negotiations by Unite, the council has refused to compromise or offer additional leave to housing workers to bring them up to the same level. Workers will now head to the picket line to voice their anger from 28-30 January read more
Reading parking chaos continues as strikes escalate (22 Jan) – Modaxo refusing to negotiate on pay. Outsourced traffic officers on worse pay than council staff. Residents of Reading, Berkshire, are to face further parking chaos in January and February as Unite members in the Modaxo enforcement teams take further strike action over pay. Nearly 40 civil enforcement officers are to take part in industrial action from 24-30 January and from 31 January-6 February. They have previously taken strike action in December last year. Reading council has outsourced parking protection to Modaxo. The dispute is in relation to Modaxo’s failure to address concerns around rates of pay. Civil enforcement officers are currently on just £12 per hour which is significantly lower than the rate they would be paid if they were directly employed by the council read more
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
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
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
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 – Parcelforce: Your Questions Answered with Davie Robertson (27 Feb) – Davie Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Parcelforce members answers members questions live details
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]
More Met Police staff to take strike action (4 Mar) – Hundreds of civilian staff working in Crime Intelligence are to take two weeks’ strike action over a forced return to workplaces. The 359 PCS members work in Met Intelligence where they provide analytical reports of where crime is being reported so resources can be strategically deployed. They will walk out from March 17 to 28, following a two week strike by their colleagues in referencing and vetting in February after management threatened to dock the wages of staff who refused to comply with the directive to work from the office read more
Benton Park View Strike action extended until 16 May (4 Mar) – The national disputes committee has agreed a further nine weeks of industrial action at Benton Park View in defence of three reps who were unfairly dismissed by HMRC. PCS members working in Employer Services at Benton Park View have been on strike since 23 December in support of three reps who were sacked by HMRC because of their trade union activity read more. Take action, show your support and send solidarity messages to the reps and branch, email HMRC group secretary Steve Swainston: [email protected] read more. Members can also support the campaign by donating to the fighting fund. Donations can be made to the PCS account with the reference ‘BPV Strikes’ –
- Account name: PCS Fighting Fund
- Levy account number: 20331490
- Sort code: 60-83-01
Picket lines have been organised at the site for the dates below, from 7am – 9am. The branch is asking all striking members and supporters to attend to show their solidarity on:-
- Friday, 14 February (main gate)
- Wednesday, 19 February (main gate)
- Tuesday, 25 February (main gate)
- Wednesday, 26 February (Ainthorpe)
- Tuesday, 4 March (Ainthorpe)
- Wednesday, 5 March (main gate)
- Friday, 14 March (Ainthorpe).
G4S security officers vote for more strike action (3 Mar) – The members who work in Jobcentres have already taken over six months of strike action in their long-running dispute. In a ballot that closed on Friday (28 February), PCS members working as security guards for G4S on the DWP contract have sent their employer the strongest possible message by voting 97.2% in favour of taking more strike action in their dispute read more
Women’s History Month – March is Women’s History Month. This year’s theme, chosen by the PCS national women’s forum, is “Leading Today and Building Tomorrow” read more
Trade unions advocate for stronger worker protections in the Good Jobs Bill (27 Feb) – Trade union leaders gave evidence to Stormont’s economy committee on 26 February ahead of the expected publication of the Good Jobs Bill, which aims to strengthen worker protections in Northern Ireland read more
Facilities management action suspended to allow for talks (27 Feb) – PCS is to enter into intensive talks for 2 weeks from Monday (3) aimed at resolving our long-standing disputes with government contractors OCS, ISS and G4S over pay, terms and conditions. The suspension of the action comes because of a proposal to engage with PCS nationally on dispute resolution and will mean planned strike action in the ongoing facilities managements disputes will be suspended from 3 to 17 March to allow intense negotiations to attempt to reach a resolution to the trade disputes. Our members, who work in security, as cleaners, caterers, porters, receptionists, maintenance operatives and post room staff, have shown tremendous effort and resolve in their determination to win their fight for fair pay, terms and conditions. The strength they have shown on their picket lines for many weeks and the impact of their action has forced a concession of the offer of national negotiations read more
ONS workers balloted on continuing industrial action (27 Feb) – The members are already taking action short of a strike including refusing to comply with their employer’s new attendance policy. Since May 2024, over 1100 PCS members working for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in Newport in South Wales, Titchfield in Hampshire, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh, have refused to follow an instruction to spend at least 40% of their time in the office and are refusing to work overtime, out of hours and out of grade. Under the current industrial action (short of a strike), members are following PCS’s advice to spend as much or as little time in the office as they choose, rather than meet an arbitrary quota. This action has restored members’ autonomy over hybrid working to match the long-standing arrangements that were in place at ONS since lock-down restrictions were lifted. With their six-month strike mandate running out at the beginning of April, PCS is balloting members for a new mandate to allow the action to continue read more
MHCLG members to vote on strike action (26 Feb) – PCS members in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are being balloted for strike action over office closures, recruitment and office attendance policies. The ballot for strike action and action short of a strike, comes after months of frustration from staff over the department’s refusal to reconsider harmful policies that threaten both working conditions and job opportunities. In November, MHCLG formally announced plans to close six regional offices in Birmingham, Exeter, Newcastle, Sheffield, Truro and Warrington, leaving affected staff with uncertainty about their future and reducing the department’s presence in these communities read more
PCS members at the IOPC balloting for industrial action (26 Feb) – Members at the Independent Office for Police Conduct are in dispute with their employer over job cuts and terms and conditions. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is undergoing three years of restructures which has already led to job cuts, down-grading of roles and increased workloads read more
PHSO members start week of targeted strike action (24 Feb) – The week’s action follows a one day strike by all PCS members at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman earlier this month. 40 members who carry out a range of casework and administrative roles relating to complaints and investigations about the NHS and other UK government bodies are taking five days of strike action this week. The dispute at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is over pay, a compulsory return to the office and proposals that could see extra responsibilities delegated to more junior staff without any extra pay. On 12 February over 200 PCS members at the PHSO held a one day strike. This week’s targeted strike action is being taken by members who work in sections which have a high turnover of work that others rely on. It is anticipated that backlogs of work will build up quickly. The strike involves members who are mainly based at Citygate in Manchester and the branch will hold picket lines outside the offices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8-10.30am. Please go along to Citygate, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HQ to show your support read more
Aviation workers take well-supported joint action (11 Feb) – Aviation regulator workers escalated their dispute over pay with joint strike action. PCS and Prospect members at Aviation House and Westferry took joint action on Thursday (6). This strike was a follow-up action to the PCS strike on the 16 and 17 January. With the unions having a combined membership of over 450 members at the Civil Aviation Authority, this strike action was well supported with a picket line from 8am until 3pm. Both unions are now likely to take further industrial action, alongside the action short of strike which is continuous. PCS members at the CAA walked last month after rejecting the pay offer imposed by their employer. After years of below-inflation pay rises, the workers rejected a pay offer that would see some of them receive as little as 3%. In addition to taking strike action, CAA members are also taking part in a continuous overtime ban read more
G4S in DWP – strike ballot begins (7 Feb) – A strike ballot involving 650 members who work for G4S as security guards has begun today, running until noon on 28 February, in an ongoing dispute over pay and terms and conditions. PCS has made a number of attempts to get G4S and DWP around the table to discuss our very serious demands on pay and terms and conditions. We believe G4S has failed to meet its contractual obligations and have called on DWP to sanction G4S for its contractual failures. Despite our concerted efforts both the department and G4S have refused to engage with us and left the union with no choice but to ballot members for further strike action read more
First day of Met Police strike receives widespread support (4 Feb) – From the picket line to an online rally, to messages of support from our parliamentary group and media coverage, the members have received great support today. Over 300 PCS members, working as civilian staff for the Metropolitan Police, have today (4) taken their first day of a two-week strike. The dispute is over a forced return to the office, which goes against a previously agreed Blended Working Framework drawn up in 2021. Management have refused to negotiate with PCS and when members voted to take action short of a strike, refusing to comply with the new hybrid working model, management threatened to dock the wages of its staff for continuing to work at home. PCS members were therefore forced to take strike action which started today and ends on 17 February. Members were out on the picket line outside Marlowe House, opposite Sidcup train station this morning and picket lines will continue on 5 February from 7-10am and on 6, 11, 12 and 13 February…Donations have started to pour into PCS’s fighting fund, from non-striking PCS members who want to support the fight against 60% mandated office attendance, an issue affecting many across PCS. You can make a donation online. Please use our quick form to email the London mayor to ask him to intervene and work with the Home Secretary to find a resolution for our members read more
First day of Fujitsu strike off to a strong start (31 Jan) – The members in Telford are on strike on 30 and 31 January over the imposition of a 1.5% pay rise. More than 300 PCS members employed by outsourced Fujitsu Services UK at Telford and offices across the UK are on strike today (30) and tomorrow (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 take place on the two days prior to the self-assessment online tax return deadline read more
Border Force officers at Heathrow to be balloted for more strike action (29 Jan) – The members took industrial action last year over the imposition of a new, inflexible roster. Over 550 Border Force officers at London’s Heathrow Airport are to be balloted for more strike action after managers refused to address their concerns over a new roster system. In 2024 PCS members took 11 days of strike action and 53 days of action short of a strike in protest at the imposition of the new roster, which forced staff into a complicated pattern of long shifts with a lack of flexibility and disproportionately affects those with caring responsibilities read more
ISS GPA strike ballot – Vote YES (22 Jan) – Vote today, attend one of our online members’ meetings and read our Frequently Asked Questions. Members working for ISS delivering cleaning, catering and logistics services to the Cabinet Office, Canary Wharf Hub, and the Department for Education have been sent a strike ballot paper as part of our escalation of the ongoing disputes around pay and conditions read more
Land Registry Action Short of a Strike begins (22 Jan) – Nearly 4000 PCS members in England and Wales have begun an indefinite work to rule. PCS members in Land Registry began their action short of a strike (ASOS) yesterday (21) in pursuit of the objectives voted for in their industrial action mandate 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
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
Prospect
Culture is not just about artefacts and buildings – it’s also about people (20 Feb) – The government has announced a new funding package for arts and culture including a 5% increase in the funding for National Museums and Galleries read more
Tech Union asks MPs to quiz multinationals on DEI (19 Feb) – Leading union for tech workers Prospect has written to Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee asking it to look into concerns that US multi-nationals are using policy changes in the US as a way to undermine their DEI obligations in the UK read more
Prospect members at the CAA to take strike action (28 Jan) – Prospect members working at the Civil Aviation authority (CAA) will take strike action in a dispute over pay. Aircraft maintenance mechanic with a flash light inspects plane engine in a hangar. This will be the first time Prospect members have taken strike action there in 40 years. Strike action at CAA HQ in Crawley will be for 24 hours on 6 February.
Industrial action short of a strike, which has been ongoing since 20 January consisting of working to rule and an overtime ban, will pause for the duration of the strike, resuming on 7 February. Ongoing action short of a strike could cause delays across the industry to things like fleet refits, the introduction of new models, licensing of new hanger facilities. 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
Vital Navy support workers to go on strike (27 Jan) – Prospect members working at Serco Marine will take strike action over a refusal of the company to engage with members on the parameters of a new contract with Ministry of Defence 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
GMB
South London parking wardens stop issuing tickets (3 Mar) – Forced by ‘penny-pinching’ employer, wardens across four boroughs will stop issuing tickets from today. More than 200 parking wardens and environmental officers across four London Boroughs are due to stop issuing tickets as a form of industrial action from today [Monday 3rd March]. This is the continuation of a dispute which has seen GMB members take 14 days of strike action since November. The action is being taken by wardens in Wandsworth, Richmond, Lambeth and Kingston, and will continue indefinitely or until APCOA agree to settle the dispute read more
Devon council threatens almost 1,000 staff with fire and rehire (3 Mar) – Devon County Council has issued fire and rehire threats to almost 1,000 staff unless they capitulate submit to inferior terms and conditions. The move comes after union members decisively rejected the councils’ proposed changes to terms and conditions to the essential car users’ allowance. Rather than return to the negotiating table, the council has informed 834 staff of its plans, and told them to submit before 23 March, or face being given notice of termination of employment on 31 Marc – with dismissal and re engagement taking place by 1 July. The controversial policy has also been used by P&O ferries who dismissed 800 staff without consultation and British Gas back in the winter of 2021. GMB union has pledged to do ‘whatever is necessary’ to protect its members and urged the council to ‘put its toys back in the pram’ and return to the negotiating table read more
Leisure centres saved with 70 jobs (28 Feb) – Two Lancashire leisure centres have been saved – along with 70 jobs – after a GMB campaign. Councillors in West Lancashire this week voted to save the Park Pool in Ormskirk and Nye Bevan in Skelmersdale. This victory follows a hard-fought campaign by GMB members and the local communities. GMB will continue to work closely with members and West Lancashire Council to ensure the long-term sustainability of these services and to protect jobs, pay, and conditions for the dedicated workers who keep them running read more
Education research group joins call to count TA vacancies (26 Feb) – A prestigious education research group has joined GMB’s demand for teaching assistant vacancies to be monitored amid an ‘acute’ shortage. The report by the National Foundation for Educational Research into special schools this week made the call because of the ‘criticality of teaching assistants to special schools’. GMB has long-campaigned for school support staff vacancies to be recorded by the ONS – in the same way teaching vacancies are read more
Outsourcing of Old Bailey cleaners paused after GMB Union campaign (26 Feb) – GMB Union, which represents members employed as cleaners at the Old Bailey (Central Criminal Court), have won a temporary reprieve for staff due to be outsourced. Cleaning staff were due to be transferred to contractor OCS on 1 March. Outsourced staff are at risk of worse pay and conditions than their directly employed colleagues, and OCS has a track record of poor working practices. After GMB raised concerns about the transfer at a recent Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting, the City of London Corporation agreed to look at the proposal again. Among the concerns raised were the speed of the transfer and the potential impact on the working conditions and job security of staff read more
Energy Price Cap rise ‘underlines system is broken’ (25 Feb) – GMB has responded to the announcement today [Tuesday] that the energy price cap will rise read more
More than 100 jobs to go as dairy factory shuts (25 Feb) – More than 100 jobs are set to go after a North Yorkshire dairy factory announced its closure today [Monday]. Arla Foods UK has said it will close the facility in Settle and move production to the company’s site in Lockerbie, Scotland. Up to 120 jobs could be lost as services are mothballed before closing in 2027 read more
Britain faces potential Nandos shortage union warns (20 Feb) – Workers supplying the UK’s favourite Peri-Peri chicken are preparing to strike, says GMB. GMB Union has today warned of the potential for Nandos shortages on highstreets and delivery apps across the country. The warning comes as workers at the restaurant chain’s main poultry provider, Avara Foods, are considering strike action. Over 500 Avara workers could join the strike action after bosses threatened de-recognition of their trade union. Avara is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of poultry products to supermarkets and restaurants, including Nandos read more
Strike ballot opens at Tower Hamlets school over planned job cuts (14 Feb) – GMB Union has today (Friday 14 February) opened a ballot for members at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School after the school put forward plans to cut more than 20 per cent of teaching assistant roles. A recent indicative ballot saw over 90 per cent of GMB members at the school vote for strike action. Under the proposals, 6 of the 27 teaching assistants employed by the school would be made redundant. A further 2 agency teaching assistants will not have their contracts renewed. The school, located on the Isle of Dogs, has a significant number of pupils with special educational needs. The proposed redundancies raise questions about how well those pupils will be supported with fewer staff in the classroom. The ballot will close on Tuesday 4 March read more
South London streets set for car parking chaos (31 Jan) – Lambeth and Kingston parking wardens set to strike with Lambeth refuse workers possibly joining in. Streets of two South London boroughs are set to be affected by five days of strike action from Monday [3 February], with parking wardens taking further action in a long-running dispute. Members of GMB union working for Apcoa in Kingston and Lambeth will be possibly joined by refuse workers in Lambeth employed by Serco, with a last-minute offer set to be tabled this weekend. The parking wardens also took action in December of last year. Talks between GMB and Apcoa management took place this week, with the union agreeing to suspend pre-arranged action in Wandsworth and Richmond following a renewed offer 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
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
Nurses and midwives subjected to violence at work on a daily basis (4 Mar) – NHS staff say assaults can be a daily occurrence. More than nine in ten nurses and midwives have experienced physical violence while doing their jobs, according to data released by UNISON and Nursing Times today (Tuesday) read more
Support Manchester Mental Health strikes by Unison and Unite members read more on Mancunian Matters website
Livv Housing strikers find solidarity at community conference (28 Feb) – Long-running Merseyside dispute follows a real-terms pay cut of 30% since 2011. UNISON members working for Livv Housing, on Merseyside, who are striking over pay, spoke about their action to the union’s community seminar in Bristol today. Their long-running dispute stems from years of below-inflation pay increases, and UNISON says the employer must make an offer that goes some way to addressing a real-terms pay cut of 30% since 2011. Individual teams who work in repairs, maintenance and the housing association’s call centre took strike action in October, November and January. The latest strike has run throughout February, affecting 13,000 homes across Merseyside 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 for tenants must become the Grenfell Tower legacy (26 Feb) – Unsafe cladding must be a thing of the past. Commenting on the government’s response to the findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said today (Wednesday): “Words can barely describe the horrors of that night, including the pain still suffered by the survivors and the victims’ families…” read more
Ramadan 2025: your rights at work (24 Feb) – NHS Employers have produced new guidance on how to support Muslim workers during Ramadan, which encourages flexibility around holidays, working patterns and breaks read more
NIPSA
Industrial Action by Teaching Staff (12 Feb) – You will be aware that the teaching staff have entered into a period of industrial action by taking action short of strike action in relation to teacher’s pay. NIPSA members are encouraged to support this action and should only undertake work in accordance with their normal duties and job descriptions. Support can be shown by not undertaking any additional responsibilities that may arise directly from the action short of strike action. Please extend solidarity to our teaching colleagues fighting for fair pay read more
Royal College of Nursing
Pay crisis in general practice nursing: government must change funding model now (28 Feb) – Almost a third of GP nursing staff are going without a pay rise, undermining government ambitions to move more care into the community read more
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
RCM
CSP
Delay to NHS Scotland working week reduction ‘extremely disappointing’ (24 Feb) – The CSP has criticised Scottish government health secretary Neil Gray’s decision to postpone the next reduction in the working week for NHS Scotland staff read more
NEU
NEU launches indicative ballot on pay (1 Mar) – The National Education Union (NEU) has today (Saturday) launched a preliminary electronic ballot on the need for a fully funded pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention. Around 284,000 teacher members working in maintained schools across England will be consulted over the government’s recommendation to the School Teachers’ Review Body of an unfunded pay rise of 2.8 per cent for teachers in 2025/26. A 2.8 per cent increase is likely to be below inflation and would do nothing to repair the damage to the competitive position of teacher pay against other graduate professions. Teachers face another pay cut. The already critical recruitment and retention problems damaging our education service will get even worse. The pay recommendation is unfunded read more
Harris Federation landmark victory (28 Feb) – NEU members have secured a landmark victory against the Harris Federation in the fight for fair terms and conditions of employment for teachers, support staff and overseas trained teachers. This is a Federation known for its intransigence in correcting unacceptable work practices throughout its workforce. The NEU’s strong strike ballot of members showed the willingness of staff to stand up to their employer in the face of unscrupulous practices that have left Harris with one of the worst teacher retention records. Harris schools have been in the bottom 10 per cent of multi-academy trusts for 9 out of the last 10 years. At the end of Summer Term 2023, a quarter of teachers (27 per cent) in Harris left their school. This is far higher than in local authority-maintained schools where one in seven (15 per cent) teachers left. Following talks at ACAS which have resulted in a significant change in Harris’s position, NEU members voted to suspend the strike ballot of over 700 members in 18 Harris schools and sixth form colleges. The ballot addressed concerns about excessive and unhealthy levels of workload, an unfair and punitive pay progression system, and the unfair treatment of Caribbean and other overseas trained teachers (OTTs) read more
United Learning ballot (26 Feb) – The National Education Union has begun a formal strike ballot of around 400 teacher members working at 14 of United Learning’s independent schools in a dispute over pay. The employer’s pay offer is between 2-3%, depending on the workplace. This is insulting. If it were to be adopted, this would see teachers’ pay rates in many of the trust’s independent schools fall even further below the levels set by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document for state schools with a number of schools falling below this level for the first time. The union is calling on United Learning to address longstanding pay erosion in the 14 schools with an 8% pay offer. We are seeking a commitment of parity with pay scales in the state sector. This is the first time there has been a national ballot at the trust, one of the largest operators of independent schools in the UK. The ballot opens today (26 February) and closes on 26 March, with action anticipated for week commencing 28 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
Please support the following strikes:-
| Action | Date | Contact |
| George Dixon Primary School / Birmingham | 5-7 March | [email protected] |
| Leighton Park School / Reading | 4-5 March | [email protected] |
| Coventry Foundation Schools / Coventry | 4, 6 March | [email protected] |
| Our Lady’s Abingdon – Oxfordshire | 4-6 March | [email protected] |
| Voyage Learning Campus / Somerset | 4-7 March | [email protected] |
| Elmwood School / Walsall | 5-6 March | [email protected] |
| Highbury Quadrant Primary / Islington | 5-6 March | [email protected] |
| St Jude & St Paul’s Primary / Islington | 5-6 March | [email protected] |
| Cottingham High School & Sixth Form / East Riding | 5-7 March | [email protected] |
| Newquay Tretherras / Cornwall | 4-6 March | [email protected] |
| St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School / Hackney | 4-6 March | [email protected] |
| New City College (BSix Campus) / Hackney | 5 March | [email protected] |
| The Bridge Academy / Hackney | 5 March | [email protected] |
| Haringey: Fortismere School; Gladesmore Community School; Highgate Wood School; Hornsey School for Girls | 4-6 March | [email protected] [email protected] |
| Lammas School / Waltham Forest | 4-5 March | [email protected] [email protected] |
| Leytonstone School / Waltham Forest | 4-5 March | [email protected] [email protected] |
| Willowfield Secondary School / Waltham Forest | 4-5 March | [email protected] [email protected] |
| Vanguard School / Lambeth | 4-5 March | [email protected] |
| Longley Park / Sheffield | 5 March | [email protected] |
| Red Hill CofE Primary / Worcestershire | 5 March | [email protected] |
| Newbury Park Primary / Redbridge | 5-7 March | [email protected] |
NASUWT
Kent teachers strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (27 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Farringtons School in Chislehurst, Kent, are today taking strike action over changes to their pensions which will make them significantly worse off in their retirement. The fee paying school is seeking to force teachers to accept detrimental changes to their pension contributions. Those wishing to remain in Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) will see cuts to their pay or will have to join an inferior pension scheme. The employer has refused to recognise the NASUWT in discussions over the proposals and members have been left with no other option than to take strike action to seek to protect their incomes and their pensions. Further days of strike action are set to be taken on Tuesday 4 March, Wednesday 5 March, Tuesday 11 March, Wednesday 12 March and Thursday 13 March read more
ASN report should be wake-up call for Scottish Government (27 Feb) – Commenting on the briefing into additional support for learning by Audit Scotland, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “This report echoes what we have been saying for years – that the presumption of mainstream policy was introduced without sufficient planning, resourcing or funding…” read more
Stockport teachers strike over violence and abuse from pupils (26 Feb) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Werneth School in Stockport will take the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over working practices which have led to teachers being unacceptably exposed to poor student behaviour including verbal and physical assaults. Changes to working practices at the start of the autumn term have led to an increase in disruptive and violent behaviour from pupils. Four days of strike action originally due to take place last December were withdrawn to give the employer an opportunity to resolve the dispute. However, despite some changes, members do not feel substantive improvements have been made and have been left with no choice but to reinstate strike action read more
Strike action at Reading school over pensions fire and rehire threat (24 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Leighton Park School in Reading are taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) 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 a 7% 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
Real-term pay cut prompts strike action at Liverpool schools (21 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Merchant Taylors’ Schools in Liverpool (Merchant Taylors’ Senior Boys and Girls and Stanfield Preparatory School) will be taking the first of five planned days of strike action on Wednesday over teachers’ pay. Members have been given only a 1.14% pay award for the current academic year, in comparison to the 5.5% rise awarded to teachers in the state sector read more
NASUWT members vote for action in sixth form college disputes (11 Feb) – In ballots of teachers in sixth form colleges, NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union, has today announced that members in 23 sixth form colleges have voted in support of strike action and/or action short of strike action in their disputes over teachers’ pay. The Union is in dispute with individual college employers and with the sixth form colleges association over their failure to deliver a 5.5% pay award for 2024-25 backdated to September 2024. As a result of the NASUWT’s decision to ballot members working in sixth form college academies, the employers have confirmed that a 5.5% pay award backdated to September 2024 will now be paid to all teachers. Once the pay awards are implemented, the NASUWT’s disputes in individual sixth form college academies will be resolved. However, where employers of teachers working in non-academy sixth form colleges do not commit to paying in full a 5.5% award backdated to September 2024, NASUWT remains in dispute and members will take industrial action having voted in support with a turnout of 56%. NASUWT has identified significant levels of funding available to sixth form colleges with around £500 million in reserves. In April 2025, colleges will additionally receive a share of £50 million additional funding read more
Teachers in Northern Ireland vote to reject pay offer (6 Feb) – Teacher members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for teachers in Northern Ireland. Teachers had been offered 5.5% but the offer also sought to address other matters. 78% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with 5734 teachers participating in the survey. NASUWT members will now commence action short of strike in schools from Monday 10 February read more
Teachers at Liverpool school take strike action over adverse management practices (3 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Gateacre School in Liverpool will be taking the first of five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over concerns about the way in which they are being managed and a failure to recognise workforce trade unions. Members have been subject to a long-standing culture of adverse management practices and treatment which has undermined their wellbeing, health and safety in the workplace. This includes excessive workloads and working hours, the failure to address poor pupil behaviour and excessive monitoring and surveillance of staff. The employer has also failed to agree to any collective bargaining arrangements with education workforce trade unions. Northern Schools Trust, which officially took over the running of the school in December, derecognised workforce trade unions several years ago read more
East Dunbartonshire teachers to take action over failure to tackle abuse and violence (29 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Kirkintilloch High School in East Dunbartonshire are to begin a programme of industrial action over the failure of their employer to act to address poor pupil behaviour and abuse of teachers. Members are to begin taking action short of strike action from Wednesday 5th February which will initially consist of refusing to cover classes for absent colleagues. Members will also refuse to undertake any additional voluntary duties such as extra-curricular clubs, trips or study classes which are outside of their contracted working hours. Concerns include regular verbal abuse and swearing at teachers and some violent incidents, pupils being allowed to roam around corridors and shared spaces in the school when they should be in class, no serious consequences for poor behaviour and an overuse of ineffective restorative approaches to managing incidents of abuse. Furthermore, neither the school nor the local authority appear to have done anything significant to embed the key points of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour announced by the Cabinet Secretary last August read more
Teachers at Coventry School Foundation to take further strike action over attack on pensions (27 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 further strike action this week as a result of the failure of the employer to withdraw attacks on their pensions. Members are due to take strike action tomorrow (Tuesday), Wednesday and Thursday this week. Twelve further days of strike action have been pencilled in for late February and March. Members have already taken six days of strike action. 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 taking a 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
EIS
Audit Scotland Report Highlights Challenges of ASN Provision in Scotland’s Schools (27 Feb) – The EIS has welcomed the publication of a new report by Audit Scotland which highlights the scale of the Additional Support for Learning (ASL) challenge in schools across Scotland. The Report states that the Scottish Government and Scottish local authorities must fundamentally rethink how they plan, fund and staff additional support for learning as part of core school education in Scotland read more
Music to our ears: EIS protects Instrumental Music Tuition in Midlothian schools (27 Feb) – Sustained and successful campaigning by the EIS, parents and young people, as well as local musicians has led to a reversal in cuts proposed by Midlothian Council to the authority’s Instrumental Music Service (IMS) read more
EIS Marks Anti-Bullying Day and States Commitment to Rights of LGBT and Transgender People (25 Feb) – The EIS has marked anti-bullying day and issued a statement which highlights its commitment to supporting the rights of LGBT and transgender people, at a time when these rights are increasingly being threatened across the globe read more read more
Glasgow Teachers Suspend Planned Strike Action Following Offer from SNP Councillors over Cuts (13 Feb) – The EIS has announced that planned strike action in Glasgow schools has been suspended, following an offer from Glasgow City Council SNP group to withdraw future planned education cuts, and a promise that additional Scottish Government funding will be used to increase the number of teachers working in Glasgow’s schools to 2023 levels. Following discussion on the offer letter, Glasgow EIS Local Association has decided to suspend its initial planned day of strike action, scheduled for Thursday 20 February, as an act of good faith, until talks take place at full Council level on delivery of the offer outlined in the letter read more
Dispute Declared Over Teachers’ Class Contact Time – Statement from the SNCT Teachers’ Panel (7 Feb) – The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has declared a formal dispute following the failure of COSLA and the Scottish Government to table a proposal on the nature and timescales for a reduction of class contact time to a maximum of 21 hours per week, as a step towards the alleviation of teachers’ workload. Following COSLA and the Scottish Government’s inability to table a proposal by a previously set deadline of 12 noon on Monday 3rd February, the Teachers’ Panel met today to consider its response. It was the unanimous view of panel members that the abject failure to realise publicly stated commitments and make meaningful progress on the promise to reduce class contact time to a 21 hour maximum, has left no option but the declaration of a formal dispute read more
INTO
Member Update: Joint Consultations with Members (14 Feb) – Dear Members, Following the outcome of the NITC constituent members consultation around the pay offer from management side, NITC informed management side that it was not in a position to accept the offer. NITC has requested that further negotiations take place in an attempt to find a solution that is acceptable to teachers and school leaders. While the recommendations of the Workforce reviews being enacted has the potential to create the conditions for a reduction in teacher workload, INTO along with other teaching unions remain keen to engage with members to find a definitive understanding of the workload issue in schools. Any proposed change to working conditions cannot be a one size fits all solution as the issues will vary depending on which sector (primary, post primary, special, nursery or support services) teachers or school leaders work in read more
Action Short of Strike (ASOS) Action Commencing 10 February 2025 – Action Short of Strike (ASOS) Action Instructions: These action short of strike action instructions will apply to all INTO members. The action short of strike action instructions apply to all members working in grant-aided schools or employed directly by the Education Authority on teachers’ terms and conditions of employment. These action short of strike action instructions are effective and will be continuous from 00.01 on 10 February 2025 read more
UCU
University crisis will see over 10,000 staff lose their jobs, fears UCU (4 Mar) – UK higher education faces an unprecedented crisis, the University and College Union (UCU) declared today, with new data compiled by the union showing over 5,000 jobs at risk. The announcement comes as UCU launches ‘Stop the Cuts, Fund Higher Education Now’, a campaign calling for urgent action from the Labour government. So far, this academic year, university employers have announced their intention to cut over 5,000 jobs (5,361), while at least five other universities have asked staff to quit but refused to specify how much they want to cut from their staffing budget. Alongside this the sector has announced over £238m of cuts and declared deficits of at least £30m. Were university bosses to plug these holes solely through axing staff, UCU fears around 5,000 more jobs could go (4,739) read more
Brunel University staff begin strike action over job cuts (27 Feb) – Staff at Brunel University will begin 16 days of industrial action tomorrow in defence of jobs, announced the University and College Union (UCU). The first day of strike action will take place on Friday 28th February 2025, with further dates planned over six weeks. Staff will be on picket lines from 8:00 am to 10:00 am each day outside the Mary Seacole Building. The full strike dates are:-
- Week 1: Friday 28th February (1 day)
- Week 2: Wednesday 12th March (1 day)
- Week 3: Tuesday 18th March and Thursday 20th March (2 days)
- Week 4: Monday 24th March, Tuesday 25th March, and Friday 28th March (3 days)
- Week 5: Tuesday 1st April, Wednesday 2nd April, Thursday 3rd April, and Friday 4th April (4 days)
- Week 6: Monday 7th April, Tuesday 8th April, Wednesday 9th April, Thursday 10th April, and Friday 11th April (5 days)
The dispute arose over management’s plans to make 423 job cuts, 282 of which are compulsory redundancies read more
UCU condemns redundancy plans at Birmingham City University and calls on VC to rethink restructure (26 Feb) – University and College Union (UCU) members at Birmingham City University (BCU) have announced an official dispute over the university’s plans to make staff redundant as part of a wide-ranging “restructure”. The union has condemned the plans to sack 36 staff in academic leadership roles across the institution by the end of July and called on the employer to work with them to look at an alternative plan and rule out compulsory redundancies or face the prospect of industrial action read more
Edinburgh university principal announces university planning £140million of cuts (26 Feb) – The principal of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, announced today (Tuesday 25 February) in an email to all staff that senior management at the university are looking to make cuts of around £140million read more
Union and leading campaigners condemn Cambridge Uni attempt to quash peaceful protest through the High Court (26 Feb) – The University and College Union (UCU) today joined Liberty and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in condemning an attempt by the University of Cambridge to place legal restrictions on all pro-Palestine protests for five years through an application to the High Court for an injunction, due to be heard tomorrow (Thursday 27 February) read more
UCU calls on Labour government to protect international students (25 Feb) – Responding to reports that the government’s immigration white paper will contain proposals to force international students to leave the UK unless they get a graduate level job, University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Jo Grady today (Tuesday 25 February) said: “This threat to further restrict international students’ ability to live and work in the UK when higher education is already on its knees, is bad for the sector, bad for the economy, and bad for our standing in the world…” read more
Strike ballot to open at Durham University over impact of £20m cuts (24 Feb) – Over 1,000 members of staff at Durham University are set to be balloted for strike action at Durham University, over plans by management to cut £20m from the university’s staffing budget. The ballot will open next Tuesday and run until Tuesday 1st April. It comes as management says it intends to axe around 200 professional services jobs by the end of summer with even more staff due to be culled next year read more
15 days of strike action begins today at University of Dundee (24 Feb) – University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Dundee today (Monday) begin 15* days of strike action over the university’s £30million deficit and the threat to cut jobs including by the use of compulsory redundancies. Staff at the university will strike each weekday for the next three weeks. In an earlier ballot over whether to strike, 74% of those voting backed strike action on a turnout of 64%. Staff will be on picket lines from 8am-11am outside the Tower Building on Perth Road in Dundee read more
University of Sheffield strike ballot opens today over plan to put as many as 1,000 staff at risk of redundancy (24 Feb) – Staff at the University of Sheffield are being asked to vote in support of strike action in a ballot that opened this morning. The strike ballot is over plans from management to threaten as many as 1,000 staff with redundancy. It will close on Monday 31 March, and a successful result would pave the way for strike action as soon as April if management refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies. The dispute is over management’s goal of cutting £23m from its staffing budget over this academic year and the next. UCU estimates this equates to over 400 jobs. The union believes as many as 1,000 professional services staff are about to be threatened with redundancy in a restructure of every school within the university read more
UCU: Please sign – Remove Coventry University vice-chancellor from government role – Coventry UCU Rally Saturday 15th March
Manifesto launched as data shows over 6 in 10 university research staff denied permanent jobs (21 Feb) – UCU launched its ‘Research Staff Manifesto’ as new data confirms more than six in ten (65%) university research staff are employed on fixed-term contracts, some less than a year in length. University researchers conduct world-leading research, helping to develop vaccines, create computer chips and solve novel engineering problems. They draw in billions of pounds in research funding. Yet most are denied a permanent post. The lack of job security can prevent research staff from getting a mortgage and being able to plan for the future read more
Up to 14 days of strike action to hit Newcastle University in March (14 Feb) – Newcastle University staff will strike for 14 days next month unless management protects jobs. The full strike dates are:-
- Week 1: Tuesday 4 and Thursday 6 March
- Week 2: Monday 10, Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 March
- Week 3: Monday 17, Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March
- Week 4: Monday 24, Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March
Staff will be on picket lines outside university buildings each day of strike action read more
10 days of strike action begins tomorrow at University of Sheffield International College (11 Feb) – Staff at the University of Sheffield International College (USIC) will down tools tomorrow in the first of up to ten days of strike action in a fight to protect jobs. Staff will be on picket lines every day of strike action from 8am-12pm outside the campus building on Solley Street. The full strike days are:-
- Week 1: Wednesday 12 and Friday 14 February
- Week 2: Tuesday 18 and Thursday 20 February
- Week 3: Monday 24, Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 February
- Week 4: Tuesday 4 March and Thursday 6 March
- Week 5: Monday 10 March
The strike comes after USIC put 36 staff in the student support and academic teaching teams at risk of redundancy by April 2025. The employer has claimed the cuts are necessary due to a fall in student numbers this academic year, which it says has hit the company’s finances, but it has also described the financial situation as a “short-term gap” in communications to staff read more
Staff overwhelmingly back strike action at University of East Anglia over brutal cuts (6 Feb) – An overwhelming 82% of University of East Anglia (UEA) staff have voted in favour of strike action. The ballot resulted in the highest turnout UEA UCU has ever achieved, reaching 67%. 84% of staff also backed action short of strike, which could consist of working to rule. UCU said management now needs to begin meaningful negotiations to prevent compulsory redundancies if it wants to avoid industrial unrest. The dispute is over management’s threat to cut over 190 staff members to meet continued budget shortfalls. 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. This dispute follows over 400 staff leaving UEA in 2023 due to management’s projected £40m deficit in that year read more
Cardiff UCU Press Release against cuts announcement (28 Jan) – Cardiff University senior management today announced cuts to departments, and degree programmes on a scale that is unprecedented in UK higher education. Cardiff UCU, the recognised representative trade union for academic and academic-related staff at the University, condemned the plans as cruel and unnecessary, vowing to ballot for strike action and fight compulsory redundancies tooth and nail 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
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Fire Brigades Union responds to government’s Grenfell Inquiry action plan (26 Feb) – Ministers have today published the government’s official response to the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which gave 58 recommendations in September 2024. The government has accepted the findings of the inquiry, and has set out a plan to take action the recommendations. This includes establishing a new single construction regulator; investigating seven companies for potential debarment from public contracts; and promises to strengthen transparency and accountability in building safety read more
Fire service funding in Scottish budget “won’t touch the sides”, says firefighters’ union (26 Feb) – The Scottish Parliament has voted to approve its 2025 budget, including allocated funding for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). The Fire Brigades Union says that although funding will see a moderate increase, this “won’t touch the sides” due to inflationary pressures. More than 1,200 firefighter posts have been lost to cuts over the past 13 years. In 2023, 10 fire engines were axed due to budget cuts and remain unavailable. The SFRS has identified that £80 million per year of capital investment is required to address “significant backlogs”, which has left fire stations and control rooms in poor condition read more
POA
NEC Minutes February read more
National Chair Update February 2025 read more
The late Joe Simpson – Memorial Race at Ripon Races – 29 May – As you are aware, Joe Simpson passed away last year after a short illness. I previously informed you that as per his and his family’s wishes there was no funeral held, and it was Joe’s wish that he had a pure cremation. Since the passing of Joe, many people have expressed the wish that they would like to celebrate his life in some way. After consulting Joe’s partner, Emma, it has been deemed appropriate that we hold an event to celebrate his life. At the NEC Meeting of 26 February. It was agreed that the NEC would personally sponsor a Horse Race in Joe’s name and this race will be held at Ripon Races on 29 May 2025. Joe was a big horse racing fan, and it was felt that this would be a great event which would allow friends, family, and colleagues to pay tribute to him 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
BALPA
BALPA to highlight to MPs health and safety risks affecting pilots (26 Feb) – Gaps in health and safety requirements as directly applicable to aircrew onboard aircraft are putting pilots’ health and wellbeing at risk, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) will tell Members of Parliament and Peers today (26 February), at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Healthread more
NUJ
TUC publishes AI manifesto (4 Mar) – Calls for greater transparency from technology companies, respect for the value of human creativity and consent over the use of works all feature. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has welcomed publication of the Trades Union Congress’ manifesto outlining proposals for addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on creative work and workers read more
122 journalists killed in 2024, reports IFJ (3 Mar) – The 34th annual report by the International Federation of Journalists records a shocking number of media professionals killed globally. 2024 was among the five deadliest years since the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) began its Killed List in 1990, with recorded killings of 122 journalists worldwide. The Federation also recorded an alarming 30% increase in imprisoned journalists and media workers, with figures rising from 393 in 2023 to 516 last year read more
FT chapel achieves 2025/2026 pay deal (28 Feb) – Following months of pay talks, a 3.75% agreement for editorial staff has been agreed for 2025 and an increase of 3.5% for 2026, with agreement to review next year’s deal should annual inflation reach 3.5% or beyond. For 2025, pay for all editorial staff will increase by 3.75 per cent. This rise will be back-dated to 1 January read more
Ukraine: journalist Tatiana Kulyk killed by Russian drone (28 Feb) – The union is supporting calls for an investigation into the killing, with perpetrators brought to justice. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) joins the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning the killing of Tatiana Kulyk read more
NUJ expresses concern at removal of Apple’s ADP (24 Feb) – Weakened protections for UK Apple users risks harm to journalists and our democracy, says Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary read more
More journalists detained in Turkey (24 Feb) – Further concerns about press freedom. The escalating threats to press freedom and ability of the media to carry out their work freely in Turkey has been highlighted after four journalists were detained in police raids and two others sentenced to prison read more
Equity
Concern at non-payment by Sneaky Experience events (3 Mar) – Members who have worked for Sneaky Experience should contact us as soon as possible read more
Equity calls for stronger AI protections for creative workers (3 Mar) – Union’s publish manifesto to stop the “theft of performers’ and artists’ work.” Read more
Equity Launches Welsh Language Network to Support Members working in Welsh (28 Feb) – The network will advocate for greater recognition of Welsh language work in the arts and entertainment industries read more
Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club launch fighting fund to save BGWMC (25 Feb) – Friends group are campaigning to save the iconic venue. Equity is encouraging members to support the Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC) as they start fundraising to save the iconic London venue. Equity has backed the campaign by the Friends of BGWMC since last summer when the programming team at BGWMC were given two months’ notice to shut down and vacate the venue read more
Welsh National Opera chorus vote unanimously for further action short of strike (24 Feb) – Members will take further action short of strike on Thursday 27 February and Saturday 1 March read more
Musicians’’ Union
‘Is This What We Want?’ Album Protests Proposed Changes to Copyright Law (27 Feb) – Over 1000 musicians back ‘silent’ album in protest against UK government proposals to allow tech firms to train AI models on creative work read more
Join Mass Demo to Protest Proposed Axing of Cardiff University’s School of Music (21 Feb) – On Saturday 22 February, musicians, students and alumni will be gathering to publicly protest the proposed closure of Cardiff University’s School of Music read more
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
UVW
Noor’s fight for sick pay and dignity at the V&A Museum (24 Feb) – “They only pay me Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – £500 a month – the months I’m sick. I have a family to look after and the cost of living is too high. How can I live on £500?” – Noor Sadiq security guard at V&A Museum and UVW member. For three years, Noor Sadiq, a British citizen of Somali heritage, has worked as a Security Relief Officer at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). Every day, he protects the museum, its visitors and its priceless collections. But when Noor developed chronic back and foot pain from long hours of standing, his employer Wilson James refused to support him. “They know about my back pain and foot pain, but they don’t want to pay my sick pay properly. They only give me £500 a month—Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). I have a family to look after. My rent is £2,000, and the cost of living is too high. I’m not on benefits. How can I live on £500?”… Noor and his colleagues have had enough. Backed by their union United Voices of the World (UVW) they have joined forces with colleagues from the Natural History and Science museums and all together they are demanding a real pay rise to £16 an hour after years of wage stagnation, sick pay from day one, like directly employed museum staff and equal rights and benefits as other museum workers. They’ve been on strike for three weeks in February alone, after several rounds of strikes which started in October 2024 read more
Security guards at London’s top museums pause strike action pending promised pay offer (20 Feb) – “We hope their promised response will be a positive one, helping to prevent future strikes” – Edi Palalej, security guard and UVW representative at V&A Museum. Security guards at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum have agreed to temporarily pause their historic strike action after nearly three straight weeks of daily walkouts throughout February. The decision comes following promises that the museums will present an acceptable offer by early March. If no offer is forthcoming, or if it fails to meet workers’ demands, guards will resume strike action every day from 7 March. On 14 February, the Business Director and Senior HR Business Partner of the museum contractor Wilson James told UVW representatives to expect an offer from the museums’ by 7 March latest read more
UVW Stands in Solidarity with Courageous Fruit Pickers Fighting for Justice (29 Jan) – UVW was proud to stand in solidarity with our courageous members Juli, Aida, and their fellow fruit pickers outside the Home Office on January 24, alongside the Land Workers’ Alliance (LWA), the Solidarity Across Land Trades union (SALT), and other organisations to demand justice for seasonal workers from Latin America. The workers were lured to the UK with false promises, only to face harassment, discrimination and abuse. The conditions were so appalling that they took the historic step of organising the first-ever strike of UK seasonal workers 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
IWGB
Join the drivers log-off: Friday 14th February (4 Feb) – Drivers working for apps like Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee are at a breaking point. Poverty pay, high car rents, brutally long hours to try and ends meet and the threat of unfair deactivation hanging over our heads are having a devastating financial, physical and mental impact on us and our families. Drivers’ lives are being torn apart by these companies in their endless pursuit of profit… That is why we are calling on all unions, groups and associations to join us on the 14th February in striking from 4pm-10pm read more
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)
Statement on behalf of ICTU Group of Unions – WRC talks adjourn (3 Mar) – Talks aimed at resolving the long running pay dispute in the community and voluntary sector have been adjourned tonight, at the request of the WRC, until Friday morning (7th March) at 10.00am. Some progress was made at the talks today, however, there are a number of outstanding issues that remain to be resolved read more
Group of Unions seek urgent meeting with Minister on water referendum commitment (28 Feb) – The Water Services Group of Unions has written to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne, requesting an urgent meeting in relation to the long-standing Government commitment to hold a referendum on providing a constitutional protection for the public ownership of water services read more
BNM Recycling workers commence strike ballot due to threat to employment conditions (20 Feb) – SIPTU members employed in Bord na Móna (BNM) Recycling, the country’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service, will commence a ballot for strike action in response to the threat to their terms and conditions of employment from a proposed privatisation of the enterprise read more
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
Other news
From SHAC (Social Housing Action Campaign) – Call to Action!
Housing Crisis Workplace Impact Survey:-
To aid our engagement with trade unions, and to expose a well-hidden aspect of the housing crisis, we have a survey about the impact of the housing crisis in the workplace.
The survey is completely anonymous. It asks about the impact of rising rents, as well as stress, illness and injury triggered by bad housing which in turn leads to workplace absences. The survey closes on 31st March 2025.
Please help by filling in the survey if you are in work, and for all to circulate within your networks.
www.shaction.org/housing-in-the-workplace-survey/
Summit of Resistance: We Demand Change – Saturday 29 March
11:00am to 5:00pm Central London location tba more details
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
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 on Saturday 18th January 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
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
Urgent: Stand in Solidarity with Turkey’s Oppressed Voices! 🚨
The Turkish government is cracking down on trade unionists, activists, journalists, and opposition voices. Over 300 people were arrested in February alone.
We must demand:
✅ Freedom for those detained
✅ An end to authoritarian repression
✅ International solidarity
Read & sign the petition and join the movement: https://tinyurl.com/solidarityturkiye
📅 Online Rally: 19th March. Details to follow…
#SolidarityWithTurkey #StandWithTurkey #FreeThemAll
Please share widely and stand with us! ✊
30 More People Arrested in Turkey for Supporting a Peaceful Future (22 Feb) read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT)
Turkey: Union Leader Detained Again After Meeting with Workers (17 Feb) read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT)
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 was 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.
Further details on www.NigeriaSolidarity.com/Events
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]
Diary
2025
July
5 NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall London
12 Durham Miners Gala details
18–20 Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival details
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
