This week, hundreds of thousands of NHS workers start an industrial action ballot on pay. It poses the possibility of them joining the other public sector workers who are striking on October 14th. The NSSN also gives full support to the People’s March for the NHS which is currently on its way to London from Jarrow. To join up with the march, go to www.999callfornhs.org.uk/
This is from a South Wales nurse:
“Tory MP Mark Simmonds recently announced he was leaving parliament. He claims that his MP’s wage and expenses don’t give him the life he aspires to for himself and his family.
Well join the club, Mr Simmonds! Your government’s policies and actions over the last four years have made every family I know feel the same way – and with far greater cause. Simmonds gets no sympathy from me. I’m a nurse and he does not spare public sector workers a second thought.
Simmonds and his wife (working as his assistant) have a combined yearly wage of £115,000. He can claim an additional £27,875 in accommodation expenses. In 2013 he reportedly claimed £173,000 in expenses. Simmonds, however, thinks this income represented too great a “sacrifice” on his part to work in public office.
What does this man know about ‘sacrifice’ for his family? This career politician is far removed from the rest of us – he knows nothing of the sacrifice ordinary people make every day.
His party in government has denied 70% of nurses a pay rise over the next two years. That’s after four years of below-inflation pay rises which resulted in a 10% pay cut in real terms.
The Tories are demolishing the health service but NHS workers are working harder than ever against the odds to deliver services and safe patient care. That’s why Unison is balloting health workers over strike action: if approved, health workers will be on strike in October. We have no choice but to take this action to defend pay and conditions being devastated by Simmonds and his friends.” read more on Unite website read more on Unison website
NSSN News
NSSN rally & lobby of TUC Conference on September 7th in Liverpool – The 2014 NSSN conference agreed that the Network will hold a public rally at the TUC Congress in Liverpool to lobby delegates to keep up the pressure for further co-ordinated strikes – 2pm Sunday September 7th in Jury’s Hotel opposite Echo Arena conference centre in Albert Dock. PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka is one of the confirmed speakers alongside Ronnie Draper BFAWU General Secretary and Steve Gillan POA General Secretary. Download NSSN leaflet Transport is being organised around the country, including buses from London and Yorkshire – email us on [email protected] if you want to come
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. Affiliation letter here
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 Linda on [email protected]
Union News
Unite
Yorkshire ambulance staff to strike for two days in continuing patient safety dispute (26 Aug) – Yorkshire ambulance service workers, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, will strike on Friday and next Tuesday (2 September) in the 20 month dispute over patient and staff safety issues. Unite said that the management at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust had repeatedly snubbed the union’s attempts during the summer to hold constructive talks under the auspices of the conciliation service, Acas. The nearly 400 Unite Yorkshire ambulance members will strike from 15:00 to 21:00 hours on Friday (29 August). The staff will strike again from 15:00, ending at 21:00, on Tuesday (2 September) read more
Unite LE1111 housing branch: A Fightback Fundraiser – Remember the golden age of the protest gig? We’re bringing this spirit back with a Fightback Fundraiser! Sunday 14th September 1pm – 7.30pm 12 Bar Club, Denmark Street, London, WC2H 8NL Details
Unite ballot for strike action over ‘insulting’ NHS pay offer opens today
Thousands of health workers have a chance from today (Tuesday 26 August) to send a strong message of protest to health secretary Jeremy Hunt over his ‘contemptuous behaviour’ on NHS pay. Details
RMT
August edition of RMT London Calling here
Unison
Care UK members begin new strike – UNISON members at Care UK in Doncaster will began new strike action this Monday for three weeks, putting them over 50 days of strike action. The action comes after a new ballot and is in support of a pay claim that calls for a minimum starting rate of £7.65, which is the national living wage outside London. The current pay for basic grade staff is £7 an hour.
Messages of support or donations should be sent to: Yvonne Butcher, branch secretary Doncaster District and Bassetlaw Health Branch, 20511 UNISON Office – Jenkinson House, White Rose Way, Doncaster DN4 5GJ
Food Standards Agency hold first four-hour strike (Aug 26) – Following on from today’s four-hour strike by meat inspectors and official veterinarians employed by the Food Standards Agency, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said: “Most of our members employed by the FSA across the country took part in today’s strike action. “It was a shot across the bows that clearly shows the strength of feeling amongst slaughterhouse workers, who are saying they are not prepared to accept an insulting pay offer of just 0.75% read more
Academy school support staff to vote on strike (Aug 26) – UNISON members in a number of academy schools are voting on strike action this September, after a derisory 1% pay offer meant that they were being expected to take another pay cut this year. The ballot will involve members in as many academies as possible, within a tight timeframe, whose pay is tied to the national joint council for local government services read more
Aberystwyth university workers vote on pensions strike (Aug 21) – Aberystwyth University workers are voting on strike action over university plans to close their pension scheme and replace it with a worse one, which could see low-paid workers lose up to half their pension read more
GMB
GMB strike ballot in Kings Lynn in pay dispute (Aug 21) – GMB strike ballot at Kier refuse services in Kings Lynn and West Norfolk in pay disputeread more
SIPTU Ireland
SIPTU members in Irish Rail conduct work stoppage in response to wage cuts (25 Aug) – SIPTU members in Irish Rail are today (Monday, 25th August) manning pickets at stations across the rail network as part of a 24-hour work stoppage called in response to a unilateral cut to their wages read more
Locked out Greyhound workers address community meeting in East Wall, Dublin (22 Aug) – Locked out Greyhound workers and their partners addressed over 50 local residents at a SIPTU organised meeting in the Sean O’Casey Community Centre, East Wall, Dublin 3, on Wednesday (20th August) read more Send messages of support and donations via www.facebook.com/greyhoundworkers
FBU
Support locked-out Buckinghamshire fire-fighters – During the recent action by the FBU in England & Wales when fire-fighters took action for periods of two and one hours over 8 days, Buckinghamshire Fire Authority docked wages for the whole shifts. To contribute to Bucks FBU hardship fund:-
HSBC
Account No: 71603124
Sort Code: 40-33-33
Bucks FBU Hardship Fund
Also, email Complaints to Bucks FRS – [email protected]
NAPO
National Rally at Parliament – Members’ Voices – 3 September
Napo is organising a national rally of Parliament from 2pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday 3 September. Branches have been asked to organise delegations. Contact your Branch now if you are able to be there. Most crucially we are calling on members to write to their MP over the summer (or better still visit them in their constituency) urging them to attend and hear from frontline Probation staff about the chaos that is TR.
Ask your MP to sign EDM 111 calling for the government to assess the risk to public safety of the new probation service and halt the process of privatisation read more
BFAWU
Fast Food Rights campaign actions on 28 Aug and next London planning meeting on September 8th – at the last Fast Food Rights campaign planning meeting on 25 June, the campaign decided on a plan of action for the months to come. This followed the global day of action that saw protests across Britain as well as in over 30 other countries on 15 May in solidarity with US fast food strikes. Read more from Fast Food Rights
Please send details of any local actions to [email protected] / [email protected] see BFAWU video
BECTU
Members at Interserve vote for action (Aug 21) – Members working for Interserve – the facilities management contractor engaged by the BBC in April 2014 – have today (Thursday 21 August) voted for industrial action. The dispute centres on planned changes to work practices which BECTU believes will seriously compromise the functioning of buildings in London and lead to large-scale redundancies in engineering, cleaning and logistics read more & sign petition to BBC management
Ritzy workers vote to reject improved pay offer
Union members at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton, South London, have voted by the narrowest of margins to reject the pay offer hammered out at ACAS late last month. Details
Statement from Ritzy workers facebook page
Yesterday the ballot to determine whether BECTU members at The Ritzy would accept or reject the offer that was achieved by our negotiating team at ACAS last month closed.
BECTU members at The Ritzy have voted by a slim majority to reject the offer. Details
Blacklisting & Victimisation
GMB: Balfour bid shows Carillion lack of priority on blacklisting compensation (Aug 20) – GMB ask Scottish officials to note Carillion’s extra £200m in new Balfour bid with the £6m blacklist compensation offer by 2 firms with combined value of £3.5 billion. Compensation offer of between £15m and £20m is grossly inadequate for firms with pre-tax profits of £1.04 billion who have to own up, clean up and pay up and until they do so they should get no more work in Scotland read more
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
Other news
LONDON HAZARDS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014 issue.
To all London Hazards Supporters
We are pleased to report that London Hazards August issue is now available. We have as usual some important and relevant articles contributed by specialists in their fields on a whole range of topical subjects.
1. Asbestos in schools more than 75% of our schools contain it. read its problem and its threats.
2. International Workers Memorial Day 28th April. 2014 Demo outside Qatar Embassy London and the rally at Tower Hill.
3. Mesothilioma Day London and the Launch of a London Asbestos support group to help families and victims.
4. Safety in Laboratories.
5. Affiliation to London Hazards and appeal for help.
6. Turkish Mining disaster over 300 miners were killed.
7. M&S saleswoman exposed to Asbestos wins case.
8. Crossrail a culture of fear and spying.
9. Blacklisting updates.
10. Want to help London Hazards buy a raffle ticket you could win £1000. towards your 2015 summer holiday.
Please let me know or Paul at our office 0207 527 5107 email – [email protected] how many copies you would like for your organisation / site / office / housing estate / schools.
Thank you for your continued support Pete Farrell Chair of London Hazards
International (also see Labourstart)
Dear Friends,
Tamil Solidarity, together with the Day-Mer Turkish and Kurdish community centre, is holding its annual Solidarity Day on 6th of September from 12 pm onwards.
The venue this year is at:
North London Community Centre
22 Moorefield Road
Tottenham
N17 6PY
Registration will begin at 12.
Free entry: please book your attendance to enable us to order food and reserve your seat.
The day will be packed with entertainment, an afternoon of discussion, a trade union rally and ending with delicious traditional Tamil food.
We expect many activists from various backgrounds to take part in the Solidarity Day. The cultural aspects will include literary meetings, music, drama, art display and many more. The famous playwright Rani Moorthy will do a special performance.
This is an important event that requires your solidarity.
See the link below for more details:
https://www.facebook.com/events/874767942542077/
Yours in solidarity
Isai Priya
Poland: LOT sacks union leader read more
Diary (see & use false economy)
August
30 Demo against NATO summit in Newport http://stopwar.org.uk/events/national-protests-no-new-wars-no-to-nato-protests#.U_RbLcVdWPv
September
3 Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs branch meeting
6 Anti-Austerity March and Rally in Manchester – assemble 11am Castlefield Arena
Featherstone Massacre Commemoration. We will be meeting at the Bradley Arms, North Featherstone at 2pm. There will then be a graveside commemoration followed by a guided walk led by local socialist historian John Gill.
If you would like to get involved (or if you would like to speak at the commemoration) please get in touch.
We are also looking to organise an event about the First World War later in the year…this is likely to be on a Saturday afternoon in November. Again if you are interested in speaking -or can recommend a speaker- please get in touch.
Fraternally
Alan Stewart
Convenor, Wakefield Socialist History Group
07931927451
October
18 TUC demonstration in London – ‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’. It will begin with a march through central London, culminating in a rally in Hyde Park read more here
November
5 Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs branch meeting
December
3 Leeds Youth Fight for Jobs branch meeting
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