The NSSN is delighted to hail the fantastic victory of the Butterfields tenants in East London. This will give huge confidence to working-class people generally and especially the fight against the new Tory Housing Act. NSSN national secretary Linda Taaffe, who is also secretary of Waltham Forest Trade Union Council, has played a leading role in the campaign:-
“On Saturday we got the fantastic news that all 49 flats with tenants in them are being bought by Dolphin Living Trust. This means that tenants on the estate will be able to stay in their homes and court procedures will be halted.
THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS. It’s a testimony to campaigners who battled for almost a year. Not one person, not one family is now facing imminent eviction. They can stay in their homes. We feel sad that the residents in 13 flats felt so stressed and insecure that they left and sadly one feisty but disabled pensioner died recently.
Also, we salute the role played by Nicole Holgate especially as our Tenants Association Secretary. She played a vital role in this campaign. Ten months ago Glasspool sold 63 properties behind our backs to Butterfields E17 Ltd. They sent the first tranche of letters in January stating that we were under notice to leave. We were under massive pressure.
WE GOT ORGANISED. And crucially we decided not to budge. We would stick together. For 10 months we have tried to carry on our normal lives while organising all kinds of protest activities. We got support from thousands of people.
The lesson is if you fight you might get something. If you stick together the landlords can be forced back.”
Boogie for Butterfields – Friday 25th November, Orford House Social Club – 73 Orford Road
Housing Act Summit – October 22nd details here and in ‘Other News’ below
RMT
Southern RMT guards strike “solid and determined” (11 Oct) – Latest phase of Southern RMT guards strike again this morning. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said; “Despite all of the threats and bullying from the company RMT can confirm that the strike action is rock solid and determined again this morning across the Southern Rail network as we fight to put rail safety and access before the profits of the failed Govia Thameslink operation. “This action has been forced on us once again by the arrogance and inaction of Govia Thameslink and the Government who have made it clear that they have no interest in resolving this dispute or in tackling the daily chaos on Southern. The union has made every effort, right up to the wire, to get talks back on track at ACAS but Southern have deliberately slammed that door in our face. Passengers will be rightly furious at the sheer contempt that Southern have shown for both staff and the public alike. “Once again this morning Southern have been peddling the lie that this dispute is about who opens and closes the doors when, in fact, it’s about the retention of a guaranteed, second safety-critical member of staff, with the full range of safety competencies, on all current services. Despite all the spin and bluster the company refuse to give that guarantee read more
Tuesday 1st November 12.30pm – protest demonstration and rally at Houses of Parliament on 1st November to support Southern conductors and oppose DOO read more
Justice for cleaners: RMT day of action 13 October – DEMONSTRATE: Thursday, 13 October, 2016 -10am, City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, SE1 2AA, London Bridge Tube), and 3pm, Interserve HQ (1-3 College Hill, EC4R 2RA, Cannon Street Tube). Bring flags, banners, and noisemakers. Every day, more than 3,000 cleaning workers clean stations, depots, trains, and other facilities to ensure London Underground can run read more
RMT lobby of the SNP conference Saturday October 15th details here
NSSN news
This is a video of the NSSN TUC Congress Rally – Tories Out! Keep Corbyn!
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 is below
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
Unison
Labour council accused of intimidating UNISON teaching assistants in Durham dispute (7 Oct) – Teaching assistants who belong to UNISON – currently voting on possible strike action against Durham County Council’s plans to cut their pay by almost a quarter – are facing intimidation tactics from their employer, says their union leader Dave Prentis. Almost 1,700 classroom assistants across the county are members of UNISON. They are in dispute with the council over its decision to slash their pay by as much as 23% read more
Teaching assistants urge public to support their dispute with Derby council (6 Oct) – Derby teaching assistants – striking today (Thursday) for the eighth time since the city council cut their pay in June – are taking their campaign into the community to get the public to lobby councillors on their behalf read more
To contribute to the Durham TAs’ fund, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/CountyDurhamTeachingAssistants?utm_id=108&utm_term=9Q4zdDrP7
Durham TAs Facebook page read more
Derby Unison branch Facebook page read more
Sign petition to support the Kinsley School cleaners in Wakefield on indefinite strike since September 6th sign here
Lobby Bolton Council tonight Wednesday 12 October to save children’s centres – 6.30pm onwards
PCS
Black History Month: PCS celebrates our past, present and future read more
Sign the petition to end privatisation at the Imperial War Museums sign here
Unite
See Scottish Rank & File construction workers video in organising in High Voltage Sector here
Support Unite members at Fujitsu Manchester who are currently balloting for strike action over pay, pensions and job security. We attach a leaflet summarising the situation, which is also available here. If you were able to send us a message of support this would be appreciated by members. It would also let us know you were still interested and could keep you updated. In addition, Unite nationally is campaigning over the company’s announcement that it is terminating its UK information & consultation body, Fujitsu Voice. This will result in a loss of redundancy rights as well as rights to information and consultation. There are more details here – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uniteatfujitsu Twitter: https://twitter.com/unitefujitsu Fujitsu to axe 1,800 IT jobs ‘a hammer blow’ to the UK economy, says Unite
GMB
Sheffield AMEY workers strike (Oct 10) – “AMEY = A Massive Empty Yard”. That’s how one of the ‘bright’ sparks (electrician) described the effect of the GMB union’s strike at the Amey depot at Olive Grove in Sheffield, because so few had gone into work. Over 200 GMB members took one-day strike action today, Monday 10 October, to protest at Amey’s threat of compulsory redundancies from their misnamed Streets Ahead team read more
GMB Members On Collision Course With Nottingham Council (Oct 6) – GMB Members On Collision Course With Nottingham City Council Over Cuts And Terms And Conditions. Nottingham City Council are determined to make cuts that leave our hardworking members at suffering says GMB read more
NUT
Read the latest issue of The Teacher magazine here
Free school meals in small schools threatened (10 Oct) – Commenting on analysis of leaked figures from the Small School Taskforce report by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary group on School Food showing that over 2,800 schools have lost out on a total of £6.5 million in grants to support the provision of universal free school meals, Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers read more
Support Simon O’Hara — victimised teacher at Small Heath School in Birmingham
BFAWU
Blackpool Burtons Biscuits workers call 4 strike days from October 18 – send messages of support to Roy Streeter on 07739326011, or email [email protected]
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
FBU
Public safety compromised in Tyne and Wear due to government cuts, say firefighters (7 Oct) – Two fire engines are being cut from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service’s (TWFRS) operational fleet today. The removal of the two vehicles, from West Denton and Hebburn, is going to increase safety risks to both the public and to firefighters, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) read more
UCU
Strike date confirmed in Hull College redundancy dispute (5 Oct) – Staff at Hull College will walk out next Thursday (13 October) in an increasingly bitter row over redundancies at the college. The one day strike has been announced in response to proposals which could see up to 142 staff lose their jobs read more
Support the reinstatement of London Met union reps: Mark Campbell and David Hardman https://uculondonmet.wordpress.com/
CWU
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
Brixton and Hackney Picturehouse cinema workers to strike on Saturday October 15th Brixton Facebook Page Hackney Facebook Page
NUJ
Newsquest South London strike is back on (6 Oct) – Following talks between Newsquest and the NUJ at the arbitration service ACAS yesterday, Wednesday 5 October, the NUJ chapel has agreed unanimously that the strike is back on. There has been no meaningful consultation about the cuts proposed and there has been no change in management’s approach. The chapel raised concerns about the job cuts, recruitment freeze and existing staffing levels, health and safety, excessive workloads and the deterioration in quality at the titles and websites that have been created by many previous cuts. The NUJ South London Newsquest chapel has agreed to go on strike on Thursday 13 October until Wednesday 19 October followed by an indefinite work to rule read more
BMA Junior Doctors
Please sign this petition to support the junior doctors
BURSARY OR BUST: Continuing the fight to save NHS bursaries https://www.facebook.com/NHSbursarycutsforum/
IWGB
Deliveroo Campaign Public Meeting – 8 November 7pm London (venue TBC) Facebook event
United Voices of the World
John Lewis Protest: bring the Cleaners into the partnership! – SAVE THE DATE: 5 NOVEMBER 2-5pm (John Lewis, Oxford Street) https://www.facebook.com/events/1765354393752143/
Read more on United Voices of the World Facebook Group and Website
Other News
Axe the Housing Act – Build the Housing Summit
Saturday 22 October 2016 11.30am @ NUT HQ, Hamilton House
Workshops, Discussions and planning of future actions to resist the vicious, destructive Housing and Planning act!
The Act attacks existing tenants and will push more into private renting without rights or rent controls. It will not come into full force until after April 2017 and this allows us a little time to build on nation wide consensus against it. A big and growing grassroots movement is determined to resist and defeat it. Trade unions and councils have a key part to play to stop this Act
#AxeTheHousingAct https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/axethehousingact
#WeAreNotMoving https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wearenotmoving
#RentControl https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/rentcontrol
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 13th October 2016
- Compensation is not the same as Justice
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-a666-Compensation-could-never-equal-justice#.V_4bC_krLs2
- DCI Gordon Mills sues GMB
The senior police officer who gave the PowerPoint presentation at a Consulting Association meeting to senior executives of blacklisting construction companies is suing the GMB union for defamation. You couldn’t make it up!
http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=27378
- Ricky Tomlinson at COPS meeting
Jailed Shrewsbury picket turned national treasure Ricky Tomlinson spoke at a packed out Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) public meeting on Monday night. He talked about the conspiracy between building employers and the state that resulted in his imprisonment and the chemically induced Parkinson’ Disease that killed his friend Des Warren. Over 40 years after the events, the Home Secretary still refuses to release the official government papers in order to cover up the involvement of undercover police and the security services in the 1972 building workers strike and the Shrewsbury trial. Ricky shared the platform with ‘Lisa’, a female activist who had a long term relationship with the undercover police officer Mark Kennedy, Duwayne Brooks, friend of Stephen Lawrence and witness at his murder and lawyer Tamsin Allen. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/undercover-with-paul-lewis-and-rob-evans/2016/oct/05/duwayne-brooks-ricky-tomlinson-and-lisa-jones-to-tell-how-police-spied-on-them
https://onesmallwindow.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/spy-cops-watching-me-watching-you/
- COPS Scotland launched
https://theferret.scot/review-of-secret-police-condemned-as-an-insult-and-whitewash/
- House of Lords
Baroness Jenny Jones put down a question in the House of Lords on Monday after consultation with me & Phil and relating to the whole police spying on trade unions issue. Below:
“To ask Her Majesty’s Government, what plans they have to strengthen provisions in the Investigatory Powers Bill to give sufficient protection to data relating to trade union and political activities?”
Unsurprisingly, the Tory government are not intending to make any changes.
- Police spying on unions during News International dispute
- Andy Higgins R.I.P.
Details of funeral
11am Friday 21st October 2016
St. Marylebone Crematorium
East End Road
Finchley
N2 0RZ
Wake:
The Boston Arms
178 Junction Road
N19 5QQ
Message from Construction Safety Campaign:
Andy Higgins died on 17th September age 86.
Andy Higgins member of UCATT, previously a member of its London regional council and branch secretary. He dedicated his life to fighting for all those whom faced oppression. Having left Ireland to come to Britain at the age of 17. He went on to become a Carpenter Joiner working in many parts of the country. Andy alongside other Irish construction workers were in their
early years very involved with the Construction Safety Campaign (CSC) and also involved in the 1960-70s civil rights movement carried out by Connolly Association in the UK. Andy was one of the leading campaigners that successfully exposed the establishment lies which led to the Birmingham Six convictions being overturned and them being released from prison. From the
1960s up to before his death he continued to be involved in all the major worker’s battles, in particular the 1972 Building Workers Strike. Andy was also a great singer and dancer. In 1988 when the Construction Safety Campaign was founded he became its National Treasurer and held this position up until early this year. He didn’t just do the important paperwork needed as treasurer as he was a major figure in galvanizing construction workers to support all our activities. He was a very important part of what the CSC achieved.
Condolences go to Teresa Andy’s wife and family.
In preference to floral tributes Andy would have appreciated a donation to The Morning Star or The Construction Safety Campaign.
- Thanks for the invites:
GMB Justice conference Liverpool, Institute of Employment Rights Liverpool, North West Labour Film Festival Liverpool and Orgreave Truth & Justice confernce
Roy Bentham, Tony Sweeney and Dave Smith representing
https://www.facebook.com/GMBNWItradeunion/
http://www.ier.org.uk/events/health-and-safety-update-2016-liverpool
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/orgreave-campaigners-to-hold-sheffield-conference-1-8147451
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/NWFF16_Postcard_A6_310816_v2_WR.pdf
- Blacklisted book
Thank You to UNITE Liverpool Construction branch, UNITE Middlesborough construction branch, NW&I region GMB for purchasing bulk orders 50 copies each of the updated edition of Blacklisted book.
Bulk orders of the book for union branches receive a reduced rate and are available directly from the publishers: Dan at New Internationalist danrb@newint.org
- Blacklisting coming up soon at:
Sat 15th Oct – CWU Youth event – Sheffield
Sat 15th Oct – Lucy Parker at Equity – The Old Vic, London https://vimeo.com/177553232
Tues 18th Oct – Institute of Employment Rights – London
Sat 29th October – The new ‘Blacklisted’ film at the London Anarchist Bookfair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8
- Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
Jeremy Corbyn states support for full inquiries into justice campaigns including blacklisting, Orgreave and Shrewsbury in his keynote speech.
John McDonnell co-founder of the BSG attended the Liverpool v Hull match where a banner was unfurled on behalf of those justice campaigns with our collective support being reaffirmed for Corbyn after his reelection as leader of the Party
http://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2016-09-24/fans-to-unfurl-corbyn-banner-on-the-kop/
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
Sudan: Nationwide doctors’ strike defies regime – Solidarity with striking doctors needed! read more Help spread the news about the doctors’ strike by sharing this statement on social media, by posting photos, with banners, in solidarity with the strike, and send protest letters to the Sudanese Health Ministry on [email protected], with copies to [email protected]
Liberia: Union rights now – reinstate fired union leaders read more
Leading fast food chain in Indonesia escalates repression against workers demanding basic rights read more
Solidarity with Korean workers on strike! Protest outside South Korean Embassy 12.30pm Wednesday October 12th – 60 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AJ Facebook event
Diary (see & use false economy)
2016
October
29 “Solidarity with the People of Turkey” (SPOT) in partnership with the NUT, will be hosting a conference which provides an opportunity to bring journalists, trade unionists, minority activists and human rights campaigners together from both Turkey and the UK
November
5 National libraries, museums and galleries demonstration https://www.facebook.com/events/282708008768589/
19 NUS/UCU United for Education national demonstration in London read more
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
