NSSN Bulletin No. 73
16 January Thursday
12th January saw a lobby of the TUC Public Sector Liason Group as it met
over the governments ‘offer’, which means still paying more whilst
working longer despite the most pension pots making surpluses! NUT, PCS
& UNITE has rejected the so-called offer.
However a few unions, led by Unison and the GMB, reiterated their
position to 'continue negotiations'. This is a betrayal of the
magnificent strike action taken on 30 November (N30) by over two million
workers, a massive show of determination against a vicious government.
By signing the Con Dems' 'heads of agreement' they have accepted the
financial limits or 'cost ceilings' set by the government. Therefore,
any improvements negotiated by the unions will have to be balanced by
concessions elsewhere. It will still be the case that most Unison and
GMB members will pay in more to get out less and work longer to get it.
They will be asking the question, how much more is on the table now than
was available on N30. Many will be furious that the momentum created by
that incredible N30 strike is now in danger of being lost.
Unison's health executive will be meeting in two weeks to discuss the
deal again and a full membership ballot. Therefore, members of those
unions still in the fight should use every opportunity to show support
and solidarity with Unison members, leafleting, joint meetings and
debates around the issue to help them put pressure on their leadership.
In the PSLG meeting Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS civil
service union, called on all those termed the ‘rejectionist’ unions to
meet at the earliest possible time to look at planning further united
strike action.
PCS Left Unity hosted an important and very successful open organising
conference on Saturday 7 January, which agreed a committee of the lefts
in the unions there to help push the campaign forward. Video:
http://www.shopstewards.net/
Full Report: http://www.shopstewards.net/news.229.htm
This weekend the committee of the National Shop Stewards Network will
meet and also discuss calling public debates between those unions who
oppose the deal and those who think its acceptable. As part of the
campaign alongside lobbying our leadership and lobbies the NSSN has
taken further steps to develop regional bases to ensure discussion and
debate on tactics can be proposed and acted upon.
NSSN Regional Meetings begin. Merseyside meeting opened optimistically,
with chair of NW PCS looking at the success of November 30th and a
number of unions still rejecting the government’s “offer”, Martin said
“If someone had said to me a year ago that we’d have 2 million out in
November and could have one million out in early 2012, I’d have bitten
their hand off”
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.228.htm
OTHER DISPUTES
Workers occupy La Senza - 1,600 workers from La Senza given 10
minutes notice to collect belongings. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.230.htm
UNILEVER Unite, USDAW & GMB workers protest over Pension cuts at
shareholders meetings more strikes to follow: strikes will be taking
place over 12 days from January 17th at Purfleet, Port Sunlight,
Warrington, Leeds, Crumlin, Gloucester, Norfolk, Leatherhead,
Bedfordshire, Manchester, Burton-on-Trent and Ewloe in North Wales,
(dates differ at each site). http://tinyurl.com/7qjkuak http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/latest_news/unilever_strike_dates.aspx
SPARKS Continue protests across UK over campaign to defend JIB
and stop cuts of 35%. First national Rank & File meeting Birmingham Sat
14th - Carrs Lane
Church Centre. http://jibelectrician.blogspot.com/
http://www.shopstewards.net/news.227.htm
Video of today’s sparks protest at Grangemouth refinery:
http://tinyurl.com/7czqvw6
PCS National Gallery workers will walk out of the major tourist
venue between 1pm and 3pm on Thursday, 19 January and between 4pm and
6pm on Saturday, 28 January. More strikes are possible if management
don’t review staffing levels. http://tinyurl.com/7gubkrl NHS UNISON
Ambulance workers vote for industrial action 84%: “This ballot gives a
separate – additional – mandate to the existing ballot for strike
action, and does not supersede it” http://news.lasunison.eu/?p=537
REMPLOY Springburn and Chesterfield strike again on 26th Jan.
http://www.gmb.org.uk/gmb_campaigns/other_campaigns/remploy.aspx
BECTU members at the BBC's Birmingham Mailbox site have voted for
strike action. Members are challenging the BBC's decision to move
substantial parts of production for TV and radio away from the
Birmingham site to Bristol, a move announced at the same time as the
Delivering Quality First proposals last October. http://www.bectu.org.uk/news/1423
RMT is to calling two further 24-hour strikes at the West of Scotland
Signaling Centre following a total failure by the management to make
any progress in respect of settling the dispute over career progression.
Monday 23rd and Friday 27th Jan
VICTIMISATION
QMUL UNISON Branch Secretary Vikhas Chechi was suspended from his
post at the Centre of the Cell, Queen Mary University of London.
Management still hasn’t completed their preliminary investigation. The
process started on October 18th
- almost 3 months ago. Messages of support and protest: info@shopstewards.net
PCS Rep John Brookes has been sacked for highlighting job cuts
and reduction to services on the Work Programme. See link on model
letters of support.
http://tinyurl.com/7m6zssn
GENERAL UPDATES
RMT & Thameslink demanded that the Government reverse the decision to
award the crucial Thameslink fleet contract to Siemens after it
emerged in a series of parliamentary answers to Derby MP Chris
Williamson that the Siemens bid was priced in Euros and with the 10%
decline in the value of the currency since tendering the cost to the UK
taxpayer on the £1.4 billion contract has soared by £140 million.
http://tinyurl.com/72h4gnv 100th Anniversary of BREAD & ROSES STRIKE “On
Jan. 12, 1912, some 25,000 workers at the mills of the American Woolen
Company in Lawrence walked off the job when the company cut their pay.
The strike is notable because it was the first time that over 25,000
people from 50 nationalities speaking 27 different languages united to
win rights in the workplace. The labor movement in 1912 was very young
and no decisive victory had really been achieved until the 1912 strike
in Lawrence.’
http://tinyurl.com/73hnuso
INTERNATIONAL
NIGERIA
4th Day of an indefinite general strike over increase in petrol prices
has seen hundreds of thousands on the strike and take action!
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-20465-f0.cfm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLfWWcpB4D4
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5521
GREECE
On Tuesday, trade unionist Nikos Photopoulos, President of GENOP, along
with over a dozen of his colleagues, is due to stand trial for
protesting at your Government's austerity policies, and, specifically,
against the policy of enforcing the new property tax through power
bills.
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1231
Kazakhstan
Oil workers continue fight to establish genuine trade unions against
immense state repression and violence.
http://tinyurl.com/7duzpfo
DIARY
Saturday 14th: First electricians National Rank & File meeting
Birmingham - Carrs Lane Church Centre. http://jibelectrician.blogspot.com/
Monday 16th Jan - 7.30pm
NSSN Staffordshire - No retreat on Pensions - Fight until we win!
Sacred Hearts Social Centre corner Downey St & Regent Rd, Hanley
Stoke-on-Trent ST1 2NZ
Saturday 20th Jan 10.30am
Just say No to Dorries' abstinence education bill!
Organised by a Brighton Anti Cuts Activist Houses of Parliament, London
http://www.facebook.com/events/195189847230161/
MONEY: Please donate or affiliate to support the NSSN – Cheques
or online or standing orders all welcome!
Get in touch if you can contribute: http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
Comradely NSSN
Web: http://www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
Twitter: NSSN_AntiCuts
Facebook main group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/332519048044/
Facebook anti cuts group:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-the-Cuts/169842406395858
Email: info@shopstewards.net
Phone: 07952 283 558
Post: PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
