NSSN 165 Support the Grangemouth workers!
The National Shop Stewards Network gives full support to the workers at the refinery against the scandalous scare tactics of Ineos. Our supporters attended the rally at the plant on Sunday read report from NSSN website Events are moving quickly with this morning, Ineos announcing the closure of the petrochemical works on the site with the loss of up to 800 jobs. The effective lock-out at the oil refinery is still continuing. This means that all trade unionists have to step up their support and solidarity, particularly if the workers decide to occupy the site.
We salute those workers who have bravely followed the advice of their shop stewards and their union Unite to refuse to sign up to cost-cutting contracts. We support the call that to protect jobs, contracts and pensions, the plant should be nationalised.
The NSSN and its supporters will continue to support the struggle of these workers for a future for themselves and their families. Send a message of support Also See Unite website for latest updates
(Full bulletin and most of the listings put together by Rob Williams)
Feeling furious, we’ve missed your campaign or dispute? Email us [email protected] by Wed next week for the bulletin or you might get a full webpage if needed.
NSSN NEWS
Want to get more involved in the NSSN? 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 Linda on [email protected]
November 23 Yorkshire NSSN conference – 10am-4pm, Cosmopolitan Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 4AE
November 30 Midlands NSSN conference – Unite offices in Broad Street, Birmingham Flyer can be downloaded here
8th Annual NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 5th July 2014 in London.
Union News
First UK-wide joint strike between higher education unions UCU, Unite & Unison set for 31 October. Universities across the UK will be brought to a standstill by strike action later this month unless a row over pay can be resolved in the next two weeks read joint union statement
CWU
Postal workers vote 4 to 1 for strike action, starting on November 4th (16th October) – Postal workers in Royal Mail have today (Wednesday) voted by 4 to 1 (78%) in favour of strike action in a move to protect their jobs, terms and conditions and secure a pay rise. CWU is allowing two weeks to reach an agreement but has also announced that strike action will take place on Monday 4th November if no agreement is concluded by that date. This would be one day of all-out strike action, with further action under consideration. The union is also announcing a new ballot that will enable postal workers to boycott competitors’ mail, to supplement the strike action read more
Action brings POL to negotiating table (21st October) – Hopes of a resolution to the long-running dispute over Crown Workers’ pay, job security and the future of the network have risen after Post Office bosses and CWU leaders agreed a “high-level agenda” for talks over the coming weeks read more
Union bargaining rights extended at ISBAN (18th October) – An agreement to extend collective bargaining rights for a group of former Alliance & Leicester staff who work for Santander UK subsidiary ISBAN has been reached read more
Napo votes for industrial action against 70% privatisation of the Probation Service read more
PCS
National executive agrees next phase of national campaign (22 October) – Our national executive met today and considered the results of the huge consultation exercise undertaken over the summer months following the decisions of our annual conference. Seventy-eight per cent of our branches representing 206,000 members took part in the consultation on the next steps in our campaign to defend members’ pay, jobs and pensions. The national executive wishes to thanks branches for their positive and serious engagement in the consultation exercise.
The executive discussed how the consultation could inform the campaign strategy. First, it was agreed to step up attempts to build co-ordinated joint action with other unions over the public sector pay freeze and pension cuts. Approaches will be made urgently to unions currently engaged in campaigns of action. The national disputes committee will meet to consider whether effective co-ordinated action is possible.
Secondly, the executive agreed a strategy of national and targeted action aimed at exerting sustained pressure on the employer in the civil service and related organisations read more
Shared services members in DWP and DEFRA to strike on October 25 – PCS has today (18 Oct) served notices to DWP, DEFRA and civil service head Sir Bob Kerslake informing them of strike action called for Friday 25 October. Our members working in shared services for DWP and DEFRA are taking the action to protect jobs and services and to safeguard the personal data of thousands of their fellow workers. The staff involved face privatisation on 1 November with the threat of site closures, redundancies and off-shoring to follow read more
NUT / NASUWT
Two videos from 15,000-strong teacher’s demo in London on October 17th which saw a lively and energetic march in London by teachers from the NUT and NASUWT. The march was part of the rolling regional strike action in London, South East, South West and the North. Here are two videos from that demonstration here
FBU
Firefighters postpone strike to allow government and employers to provide guarantees (October 18) – The planned firefighters’ strike tomorrow (Saturday) evening has been postponed, after last-minute shifts in stated positions of the government and the employers, which they claim effectively guarantee that no firefighter will be left without either a job or an unreduced pension read more FBU Executive statement
Unite
Post Office managers to work to rule on Friday in pay dispute (23 October) – Unite’s 900 managers in the Post Office will be staging a 24 hour overtime ban and work to rule on Friday (25 October) over the 16 month failure of the company to reach a fair pay settlement read more
Unemployed workers protest at Ferrybridge power station (22 October) – Unemployed construction workers and union activists from West Yorkshire will hold a protest tomorrow (23 October) outside the Ferrybridge power station read moreThe unemployed workers are angry that they have not been given the opportunity to get jobs on the site even though there are significant job opportunities in an area which is in need of regeneration and community support
Protest and lobby of parliament against the Immigration bill (21 October) – Unite will be joining a lobby tomorrow (Tuesday 22 October) at 10:30, on College Green opposite parliament ahead of an MPs’ vote on the Immigration bill at its second reading. In the myriad of hostile legislation brought in by this coalition government this has to rank as one of the most regressive bills yet to be introduced read more
Visteon workers continue pensions battle (October 17) – Last Saturday October 12th Ford/Visteon pensioners protested at their loss of pension which had been guaranteed and promised by Ford Motor Company when 3300 of its employees were transferred from Ford to Visteon, a new company described as an ‘Enterprise of Ford’ read Visteon Pensioners’ press release
New offer at One Housing Group – As more money has been offered we will be balloting members for their opinion on whether to accept or reject the following Members meeting to discuss next week. Read More
Unison
Employment tribunal claims underlines importance of UNISON judicial review this week (October 21) – UNISON is in the High Court this week arguing its case at a Judicial Review Hearing against the Government’s introduction of Employment Tribunal fees. The union is publicising new figures from the Government which show a significant drop in the number of individual claims being taken. The statistics are not straightforward as there are a number of large on-going claims which skew the figures, but the underlying trend is a massive fall in claimants read more
RMT
First Great Western Mitie cleaners to strike again (21 October) – Members of rail union RMT working for sub-contractors Mitie on First Great Western will strike again for 24 hours from Friday morning in a fight for a Living Wage and workplace justice read more
London tube ticket office closure protest (17 October) – RMT will hold a protest at Whitechapel station at 9.30 am this Saturday – 19th October – as the union steps up the campaign to defend ticket offices on London Underground from attempts by Mayor Boris Johnson to smuggle in closures through the back door – despite pledging to oppose the closures before he was elected read more
GMB
Northern Ireland Education Pay Protest (October 22) – GMB Northern Ireland Members Protest 1pm Tomorrow (23rd October) At Department Of Education In Bangor Over Delay To Pay Award
Members who have waited patiently since April are angry about delay and are no longer willing to accept any further delays says GMB read more
More talks at Stansted in pay dispute (October 22) – Notice Period for strike action extended for more talks to avert strike at Stansted over pay dispute for GMB ground handling staff read more
ASLEF
CrossCountry workers to strike on November 5 & 7 after Ballot Result (17 Oct) – ASLEF’s executive committee met today to consider the result of the ballot of members for industrial action over the rest day working dispute with CrossCountry read more
Hazards Mag – Check out the dust storm, tough luck on stresses and strains of work. Read more
Other news
Council Tax cuts 3.2 million effected. Last Friday saw Unite Community organise a mass court protest against council tax benefit cuts. Joined by Benefit Justice and Unite LE1111. More court protests and on the spot advice will be going to other boroughs. Read More & Direct advice if your facing court – DO NOT agree payments with court officers, argue to see the magistrate. Scary, yes, but more effective and better opportunity to see some debts written off, court costs etc. Read more
Support for Karen as she is faced with an eviction notice over the Bedroom Tax. Barnsley crown court 29th Oct.
Yorkshire Ambulance campaign Thank you for your support in the struggles Unite Health members are facing in Yorkshire. The political lobby has now been arranged for Wednesday 20th November at 1 pm and coincides with the day of action against blacklisting If you can show some support at Westminster on the day it would be appreciated. If you require more postcards let me know and I will get them sent out. Leeds Teaching Hospitals are in process of a re-ballot and the result should be known tomorrow. (Steve Miller Unite EC)
Following recent events -such as the Featherstone Massacre Commemorative Guided Walk (in which 15 participated) and yesterday’s Dublin Lock Out Meeting (which 21 attended) we are looking to form a Wakefield Socialist History Group. A meeting will be held next Saturday 26th October 2013 at 2pm at the Red Shed, Vicarage Street, Wakefield WF1 where we hope to set the group up. The meeting and the group will be open to anyone who is interested in the history of the class struggle and the fight against oppression who defines themselves as being on the Left. The group will be non-sectarian and not aligned with any particular party. Alan Stewart ([email protected].
Crisis in the number of mental health beds: does this mean unsafe practice? Read More
Southampton – Campaign victory for rebel councillors as local pool to be re-opened Read More
Chinatown Shuts Down Over Uk Border Agency Raids read more & Immigration Bill: Whipping up racism to cut our services read more
Nottingham University Hospitals Trust are intending to privatise the Estates and Facilities Department – in a contract valued at £200 million over the next five years.
Youth fight for jobs statement on role of trade unionists fighting welfare attacks. Read More
Rocketing Rents in wales by 7% and London 4.5%. Cap rents not benefits!
Where’s the money? MPS plan on 11% pay rise for themselves, earning 3 times more than the average worker.
Blacklisting & Victimisation
CIPD Must Help Blacklist Clean Up (October 18) – 34 HR Professionals Named As Blacklisters – Are They Current Or Past Members Of Chartered Institute For Personnel And Development GMB Asks. HR professionals who ran the blacklist for nearly 20 years must apologise for what they did and atone by telling all they know about how it operated says GMB read more
International (also see Labourstart)
Korea: Teachers’ union threatened with de-legalisation – The Korean government has given the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) until 23 October to amend its by-laws to ban dismissed and retired teachers from union membership — or face deregistration read more
Turkish and Canadian workers together call on Crown to stop busting Read more
Sri Lanka Ansell workers in Sri Lanka on strike for justice Read More
Italy Unions strike over coalition budget compromise read more
Peru Precious metals mining company Compania de Minas Buenaventura SAA (BVN, BUENAVC1.VL) said Tuesday unionized workers and contractors started a strike at its Orcopampa gold mine Monday. Read more
Hong Kong Mass protests over TV licenses. Read more
Diary (see & use false economy)
22 Re-launch of Exeter TUC Barnfield Theatre, Exeter EX1 1SN at 6pm (doors open 5.30pm). Guest speakers include Bob Crow (RMT) here
24 Brighton Benefits Campaign meeting against zero hours contracts 7.30pm Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, BN1 1AF
26 Southwark & Lambeth Welfare & Information day 3-6pm The Brix, St Mathews
Benefit for Barnet Alliance for Public services 7pm Thre Griffen, N20
South Wales axe bedroom tax march Cardiff 1pm City Hall
29 Protest at Barnsley court over Bedroom tax eviction court dates.
November
2 No to NHS Privatisation at Brighton Hospitals. Called By GMB and Defend the NHS Sussex – 10:30am outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital
4 CWU National Rally, London
5 Bonfire against privatisation and austerity plus many actions nationwide.
7pm, Staines Community Centre, Thames Street TW184EA (beside the Elmsleigh Centre, near the bus station and 10 minutes from the train station)
14 Barnet against Privatisation 5pm Greek Sypriot Centre N12
16 Moving Forward: Identifying and resisting the enemies of democracy in 2014. Conference organised by Searchlight Book places here
20 TUC Day of Action against Blacklisting: As part of the Day of Action there will be a Lobby of Parliament to put pressure on MPs to hold an inquiry. Assemble on Old Palace Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament at 13:00. read more
23 Yorkshire NSSN conference – 10am-4pm, Cosmopolitan Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 4AE
30 Midlands NSSN conference: Unite offices in Broad Street, Birmingham
CONTACT US
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07952283558
Post: NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
For all press and media enquiries contact:
Secretary: Linda Taaffe
Email: lindataaffe66@
Phone: 07952283558
Regular reports and further information on our website
