NSSN 304: Deliveroo workers strike against #Slaveroo pay cuts!

NSSN supporting Deliveroo strike
NSSN supporting Deliveroo strike

Hundreds of drivers working for takeaway food courier company Deliveroo protested outside their head office on 15 August, the beginning of a strike over changes to their pay. At the moment drivers get £7 an hour plus £1 extra for each delivery, Deliveroo want to cut the hourly rate and move to a zero-hour contract which would mean drivers earning only £3.75 for each delivery.

Deliveroo boss William Shu came out to talk to workers but tried to pull the wool over their eyes and request ‘one on one’ discussions with the workers which was met with boos.

The drivers, organised in the independent IWGB union, already face little job security with no sick pay, no paid holidays and no guaranteed hours. The new terms are even worse. The drivers are demanding the London Living Wage of £9.40 an hour plus the £1 for each delivery.

One driver said: “If a driver falls off their bike, they get no sick pay, no holiday pay, their completely on their own but on the other hand if Deliveroo catch you not wearing your uniform, you’ll be penalised. So the whole concept of being independent contractors is for their benefit and not for anyone else’s.”

The government have intervened to say that workers will have to be paid the National Living Wage unless a court rules that the drivers are self-employed, leading to Shu being forced to apologise. But we can’t rely on a Tory government that has seen zero-hour contracts rise to almost a million, the dispute is already attracting solidarity and support across the union movement. Over £8,000 has already been raised via: www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/47/the-deliveroostrike

This dispute has exposed the Victorian conditions that more and more workers are facing but this militant action, coming soon after the 58 day strike at 100 Wood Street by cleaners organised in United Voices of the World, shows that even workers on precarious contracts are prepared to organise and fight.

For details of daily picket lines 9am-5pm see IWGB Facebook

Watch video of IWGB striker here

 

NSSN news

NSSN TUC Congress rally: ‘Cameron Gone – get the rest of the Tories Out!’ – Confirmed speakers: PCS President Janice Godrich, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, BFAWU General Secretary Ronnie Draper and POA General Secretary Steve Gillan

1pm Sunday 11th September Ashdown Suite in the Holiday Inn 137 King’s Rd (seafront), Brighton BN1 2JF Map

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1100714456673911/

NSSN TUC 2016

This is a video of the 10th annual NSSN Conference which took place on Saturday July 2nd in London on the themes: “Cameron’s gone – now get rid of the rest of the Tories! Link the strikes!’

 

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 attached and here

Download the ‘Join the NSSN’ leaflet 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

United Voices of the World

STRIKE AT 100 WOOD STREET IS OVER! – After 58 days of strike action by the cleaners at 100 Wood Street, UVW is pleased to be able to issue the following statement:

“The dispute at 100 Wood Street between the cleaners, members of United Voices of the World the union, and their employer, Thames Cleaning and Support Services Limited, has now been resolved. As a result we are pleased to announce that all advertised protests have now been cancelled and the picket line at 100 Wood Street has now been lifted.”

This was the longest strike in the history of the City of London and the longest strike by an entirely migrant workforce in the UK.

Thank you everyone for all your amazing support and solidarity! This wouldn’t have been possible without you!

Read more on United Voices of the World Facebook Group and Website

 

NUT

July-August edition of NUT The Teacher magazine

Support Simon O’Hara — victimised teacher at Small Heath School in Birmingham

 

BFAWU

Reinstate Kumaran Bose – sacked by Samworths! The NSSN is supporting the BFAWU’s campaign in support of Kumaran Bose who was dismissed for speaking out and for organising a union in his workplace read more    Facebook group

 

RMT

Southern Rail dispute latest:

Southern dispute talks breakdown as company reject RMT proposal to ensure second person on train to deliver safety, customer service and access (15 Aug) – Talks at ACAS over the future of Conductor/Guards on Southern services have broken down this morning after the company rejected out of hand a solid union proposal that would have ensured the second person on a train and the safety, customer service and access role that they deliver to the travelling public read more   Donate to hardship fund

All Eurotunnel industrial action suspended (12 Aug) read more   RMT Eurostar strike “solid and determined”    TSSA suspends strike action at Eurostar

RMT confirms strikes on Virgin East Coast after 84% vote for (12 Aug) – RMT today confirmed a programme of strike action on Virgin Trains East Coast over a threat to jobs, working conditions and safety after an 84% strike vote was announced earlier this week read more

 

Unison

Portsmouth dock strike – Unison members have served notice for strike action this coming weekend

Glasgow school janitors strike in first week of new school term (8 Aug) – UNISON trade union members employed as janitors in Glasgow’s primary, nursery and additional support for learning schools will take further strike action next week. The five day strike will begin on the first day of the new school term read more

Health staff in Luton rally against attack on sickness leave (11 Aug) – UNISON warns that move risks staff coming to work ill to avoid triggering process that could lead to dismissal – in a trust that has one of best sick-leave records in the region read more

Victory in Wales after unanimous vote for strike action (10 Aug) – Staff at a private contractor for the Welsh NHS managed to halt changes to their terms and conditions after all members voted for strike action. The staff at Cofely (now called Engie), provide portering, catering, security, reception, housekeeping and cleaning staff to St. David’s Hospital in Cardiff read more

Support school support staff against pay cuts – Join teaching assistants Facebook Group here

 

PCS

HMRC staff in Reading to protest over redundancies (15 Aug) – Of the three redundancies announced, two are of disabled members of staff. A lunchtime demonstration is planned. PCS members in HMRC’s Reading office are staging a lunchtime demonstration on Tuesday 16 August 2016, following a decision to make three members of staff redundant – with two of the three staff considered to be disabled read more

PCS gains recognition for members at Ofgem (10 Aug) – PCS and the FDA are signing a recognition agreement with the energy regulator Ofgem today (10 August). PCS currently has a growing number of members across the regulator’s three offices in London, Glasgow and Cardiff read more

Pay ballot opens for members at Tate Gallery (10 Aug) – PCS members working at the Tate Galleries are being balloted on the 2016 pay offer, with a recommendation to reject. Negotiations on pay began in February this year and concluded in late June read more

100 BIS Sheffield jobs saved but 70 still at risk (4 Aug) – PCS will continue to fight for the 70 jobs that remain at risk at the former Department of Business Innovations and Skills office in Sheffield as about 100 specialist further education policy posts due to be moved to London have been saved read more

 

Unite

Unite secures minimum wage victory for Sports Direct workers (15 Aug) – Thousands of workers at Sports Direct’s Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire are set to receive back pay totalling an estimated £1 million for non-payment of the minimum wage, Britain’ largest union, Unite announced today (Monday 15 August) read more

Statement on Wood Group dispute (12 Aug) – The following announcement has been issued jointly by Wood Group and the Unite and RMT Trade Unions in relation to the current dispute involving workers on the Shell facilities in the North Sea. “Wood Group and the Unite and RMT unions can confirm we have agreed to restart the process for resolution of the current dispute. We will hold a number of full-day meetings over the next few weeks, starting early next week, to take a fresh look at the issues…read more

 

GMB

GMB Ballot At Swanley Council (Aug 8) – GMB Ballots Members At Swanley Town Council. Our members can no longer tolerate how they’ve been treated in the workplace says GMB. GMB, the union for local government staff, has begun balloting members employed at Swanley Town Council for strike action over accusations of bullying, intimidation and subsequent victimisation following a collective grievance being raised about their treatment.  The industrial ballot will run until Friday, 19th August read more

 

BMA Junior Doctors dispute

Junior doctors call for ‘escalated’ industrial action (12 Aug) – Junior doctors in England will take ‘escalated’ industrial action if the Government refuses to address concerns over patient safety and fairness in its proposed new contract. Yesterday, the BMA junior doctors committee called for an extraordinary council meeting to approve a rolling programme of industrial action in September. Doctor leaders say politicians have remained ‘persistently silent’ despite worries being repeatedly raised read more

For more info follow #JuniorDoctorsStrike #NotSafeNotFair #JuniorDoctors on twitter

BURSARY OR BUST: Continuing the fight to save NHS bursaries https://www.facebook.com/NHSbursarycutsforum/

 

UCU

UCU confirms Saturday 19 November as date for national central London demonstration with National Union of Students (29 July) – UCU and the National Union of Students (NUS) have confirmed a November national demonstration in central London. Set for Saturday 19 November, the demonstration – ‘United For Education’ – will represent a rallying call for free, accessible and quality further and higher education across the UK, and to demand an end to the marketisation of university and college education read more

Stop the sackings of union reps at London Met – #savelondonmet #saveourreps Yesterday (April 30) our branch chair Mark Campbell and secretary David Hardman were made redundant in what is an outrageous attack on their strenuous and tireless trade union activities defending jobs and education at London Met read more   Sign petition   Since launching this petition, the situation at London Met has now deteriorated further. University management have commenced a further round of compulsory redundancies that threaten the jobs of almost 400 academic and administrative staff – some one-third of all substantive university staff. They have also stated their intention to further increase the use of zero-hour contracts and reduce research to that which explicitly ‘generates a profit’. Please see details here

 

CWU

CWU to Royal Mail: ‘We’ll strike to defend pension rights’ (11 Aug) – Any attempt by Royal Mail to cut postal workers’ pensions will meet the united and determined opposition of the union and its members, warned Terry Pullinger this afternoon read more

Reinstate Clive Walder – Clive Walder, a longstanding leading rep in the CWU was sacked last November after 38 years of service with British Telecom. Clive is chair of the CWU Birmingham, Black Country & Worcester branch. Last week, his Employment Tribunal was dismissed on a technicality after a claim by BT, denying Clive the right of a fair hearing. This is outrageous.

Clive worked in a BT call centre and was dismissed after an aggressive customer reported him to management just 33 seconds into a phone call. The decision was made without taking stress into account despite the local CWU branch reporting that 7% of staff at the call centre leave their jobs each month, some walking out mid shift. Management took the decision without consulting any medical advice or taking into account any mitigation.

Clive is a NSSN steering committee member and we will be supporting the campaign protesting the sacking and campaigning for his reinstatement.

Contact Clive to send messages of support and invite him to your union branch, shop stewards committee, trades council etc – [email protected] 07771931185

 

Nationalise Tata – support the Steelworkers

For latest developments, follow Facebook group

 

BECTU

BECTU Strike Ballot at Brixton’s Ritzy Cinema (9 Aug) – BECTU Members are Voting in a Ballot for industrial action at The Ritzy Cinema. BECTU Members who work at the Ritzy cinema in Brixton are being asked to vote yes in a ballot for industrial action. The ballot gets underway on Tuesday 9 August 2016 with a closing date of 30 August https://www.bectu.org.uk/news/2610

 

 

Other News

Crowdfunder for van for ‘Dare Devil Rides To Jarama’ – UK theatre tour read more

 

Blacklisting & Victimisation

Buy the book ‘Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists’ Author: Dave Smith and Phil Chamberlain. Blacklisted tells the controversial story of the illegal strategies that transnational construction companies used to keep union activists away from work. See the official trailer from ReelNews  

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)

Blacklist Support Group update – John McDonnell at major employment rights conference, 16-17 Sept

John McDonnell is just one of many high profile speakers confirmed to speak at the ‘Blacklisting, Bullying & Blowing the Whistle’ conference at University of Greenwich on 16-17 September.

This conference is co-hosted by the Blacklist Support Group (BSG) and the Work & Employment Rights Unit (WERU) set to expose the hidden underbelly of the modern workplace often ignored by the mainstream media and academia. The conference is FREE to delegates and is ideal for union members, students, lawyers, journalists and TUC diploma courses – in fact anyone with an interest in improving employment rights for working people.

The conference is smack in the middle of TUC & Labour Party conference and just days before the close of the Labour Party leadership election closes and is bound to attract media coverage.

Runing alongside the conference is supporting artwork by a number of contemporary artists and photographers, coordinated by Art Against Blacklisting

Booking is strongly recommended.  Please circulate to your mailing lists.

http://www.gre.ac.uk/business/services/events/events/current/BlacklistingBullyingBlowingtheWhistle

Book http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70

Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/

Donate to ReelNews – http://reelnews.co.uk/donationssubscriptions/

 

 

International

Australia: Support Victoria Electrical Trades Union – 55 workers were sacked and then offered their jobs back on a 65% pay cut Victoria ETU Facebook page

Hong Kong: Multinational MTR takes socialist Sally Tang Mei-ching to court read more

NUJ-led delegation meets Turkish ambassador to discuss attacks on press freedom read more

 

Diary (see & use false economy)

 

2016

 

September

10 6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival https://wigandiggersfestival.org/

 

11 NSSN TUC Congress rally ‘Cameron Gone – get the rest of the Tories Out!’ – 1pm Ashdown Suite in the Holiday Inn 137 King’s Rd (seafront), Brighton BN1 2JF https://www.facebook.com/events/1100714456673911/

 

 

CONTACT US

PHONE 07952 283 558

EMAIL mailto:[email protected]

 

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts

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ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE