Disputes and Campaigns

March 24: PCS Rallies etc Budget Day

Besides the usual picket lines and leafleting sessions onthe Budget day strike PCS is planning lunchtime (11:00 am on) rallies (all public / private sector unions, Trades Councils etc welcome) at these locations amongst others : -

.First ever PCS civil service compensation scheme protest rally in Bournemouth
.PCSmarch in Bristol
.Rally/protest at the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff
.High profile demonstrations at major civil service sites across the country as Alastair Darling makes his budget speech including:
.The Houses ofParliament
.ExchangeSquare, Manchester
ClaytonSquare, Liverpool

Details on PCS web-site
go to home page Compensation Scheme latest update Compensation scheme action plan

Cut NSL profits - not jobs

(Camden UNISON Branch Health & Safety Officer)

Camden UNISON press release, Friday 19th March 2010

CCTV staff employed by NSL Parking Services will demonstrate about job cuts outside the Council's Executive meeting at Camden Town Hall, Judd Street on Wednesday 24 March from 6.00-7.00pm.
NSL management claim that they must cut costs on the Camden contract - the most lucrative contract ever awarded by Camden Council, valued at £44 million over 6 years. As a result they are looking to axe nearly 20 posts in a section where the vast majority of the workforce are UNISON members.
NSL are threatening to make between 9 and 18 CCTV operators redundant and these workers are angry that the company gave them only two weeks notice with virtually no information about their employment rights. NSL are only offering statutory redundancy pay for those who chose to take voluntary redundancy and refuse to pay financial compensation to those who are transferred to another contract on a lower salary.
So these workers have decided to take their protest to the Town Hall to let NSL and Camden know of their anger about being treated so badly after their work helped NSL win one of the most profitable parking contracts in the country.
NSL recently lost out on the highly lucrative Westminster parking contract, when the council announced their preferred bidder was Mouchel. However Westminster has now cancelled the tendering of this contract due to a legal flaw and must start the tendering process again from scratch.
For more information contact Sarah Friday, Camden UNISON branch officer on 07776 37 43 45 or George Binette, Camden UNISON branch secretary on 020 7974 1633 or 07905 826304

 

Fujitsu settlement

I'm writing on behalf of all the UNITE members at Fujitsu to thank you for your support during our dispute over Jobs, Pay and Pensions. Members have voted by 81% on a 72% turnout to accept proposals tabled by ACAS to settle the dispute. The news page of our web site (www.ourunion.org.uk/news) includes both a link to the UNITE press release and a copy of the ACAS proposals.

Whilst the ACAS brokered proposals do not fully satisfy our members’ aspirations, there have been significant changes in the company’s position on jobs, pay and pensions over the course of the dispute.

We could not have achieved what we did without the magnificent support and solidarity we received. We raised around £20,000, which allowed us to provide substantial Hardship Payments to the members most in need.

We come out of this dispute with a larger membership and a stronger organisation than ever before.

Support such as yours makes a real difference.

Thanks again

Ian Allinson, Chair, UNITE Fujitsu UK Combine Committee


Beating the Blacklist

Click here for information on the campaign to expose and root out the use of blacklists to intimidate workers' reps

Aid for the people of Gaza

Click here for useful contacts

RMT

Click here for news of disputes on the London Underground

Click here for other RMT news, and here for the campaign to keep the Tyne & Wear Metro public.

 

Unison

A shop steward sacked at Whipps Cross hospital in East London has won re-instatement after co-workers threatened to ballot on industrial action. More

Victimised trade unionists

Click here for details of trade unionists who face victimisation for carrying out their duties

Construction Safety Campaign

"The recession is having major effects on construction companies. This must not be allowed to be transferred into further safety cuts which would worsen the employers' dreadful safety record. Attend our meeting and support our campaign". Contact "Construction Safety Campaign", PO Box 23844, London, SE15 3WR or phone 07747795954

Justice for the Shrewsbury 24

After the 1972 Building Workers’ National Strike 24 Trade Unionists were tried at Shrewsbury in a hostile act perpetrated by a Tory Government to criminalise picketing. A number of these men were given severe prison sentences. Best known of them were Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson, who became referred to as the “Shrewsbury 2.” Des died as a direct result of the treatment that was meted out to him during his lengthy incarceration. Successive Governments both Tory and Labour, have remained unresponsive to the calls for these perverse judgements to be set aside, and for these men to be cleared. There is now a renewal of the campaign, even after all this time, and the death of some of those involved, to secure justice for these Trade Union Comrades.

The time has come to get justice for all of the 24 Trade Unionists who were political pawns whose only crime was to support their Union by picketing. The campaign is also calling for a Public Inquiry to expose the role of successive governments and the secret services in the events surrounding this important time in labour history.

Campaigners have established a facebook group "Justice for the Shrewsbury 24" at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=102601036784&ref=ts . The group currently has 698 members and if you could encourage more people to join would be fantastic as campaigners also post information etc. on there. You can also affiliate to the campaign. You could set up another support group in your area and spread the word amongst colleagues etc. For videos of the campaign and more information, also visit the site for PCS activists in Shropshire, http://www.cheriesplace.me.uk/pcsshropshirewordpress/index.php/2009/07/17/shrewsbury-24-campaign-video/

To publicise your workplace activity, dispute or campaign, please email info@shopstewards.net