Unions and their members will be taking part in events from Friday to Monday and next weekend to celebrate two major events in the workers’ calendar.
International Workers Memorial Day (IWMD) is this Friday April 28th, and we call on our supporters and affiliates to attend any events in their area as well as May Day protests, rallies and demonstrations which will be taking place over this and next weekend
To find IWMD events in your area see TUC website or follow #IWMD17 on twitter
Some May Day events are listed below and those in the London, Southern, South East and Eastern area can be found here – others can be found via #MayDay2017
London: Monday May 1, assemble Clerkenwell Green 12 noon, march to Trafalgar Square 13.00. Speakers include John McDonnell MP Labour Shadow Chancellor www.londonmayday.org
Sunday April 30 – Ipswich Facebook event and Norwich Facebook event
North East: Saturday April 29 Newcastle Facebook event
North West: Saturday April 29 Manchester Facebook event
Scotland: Saturday April 29 – Dundee, Sunday April 30 – Glasgow, Saturday May 6 – Edinburgh, Irvine and Fife details of all Scottish events here
Wales: Cardiff – Saturday April 29, assemble 12noon Churchill Way CF10 2 Facebook event
East Midlands: Saturday April 28 – Nottinghamshire Mansfield Facebook event and Leicester Facebook event, Monday 1st May Chesterfield Facebook event, plus Saturday 6th May Save our NHS rally in Lincoln Facebook event
Yorkshire: Saturday 29th April Leeds Facebook event
NSSN news
Trade Union Act came into force on March 1st – TUC call a special conference
The NSSN calls on the TUC to implement the policy passed at last September’s TUC Congress which was moved by the RMT which includes:
“Congress believes the General Council needs to convene an urgent conference of affiliates to provide a practical forum, including workshops, as to how to best coordinate our legal and industrial response to the Act in line with policy already set by Congress.”
and an amendment from the FBU:
“Congress should discuss all options for challenging the new legislation. This should include stepping up the campaign to scrap the Act and other anti-union legislation as well as the practical steps to be taken to support any unions and groups of workers threatened by this anti-worker legislation.”
The 11th annual NSSN Conference will be on Saturday July 1st 2017 from 11am in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. It is open to all trade union and anti-cuts campaigners Facebook event
This is a video of the NSSN TUC Congress Rally on 11 September – 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
CWU
Conference sends out strike ballot warning (25 April) – Any attempt by Royal Mail to impose its proposed cuts to pensions, allowances, and other terms and conditions will “activate an immediate ballot for strike action,” according to a resolution unanimously approved by conference this afternoon…Conference this afternoon collectively voted to condemn the company’s response and authorised the postal executive to “consider all means up to and not excluding a national industrial action ballot” in the event that the business “fails to reach an agreement with the CWU or positively respond to the union’s Four Pillars of Security agenda by August 2017.” Read more
RMT
BREAKING NEWS!! RMT 24 hour strike on Arriva Rail North in guards’ safety dispute goes ahead as company rule out tripartite talks with DfT (26 April) – Rail union RMT has confirmed that a 24 hour strike on Arriva Rail North this Friday, 28th April, goes ahead after the company failed to offer any progress at all in further talks this week over the guards and drivers safety dispute read more
RMT Suspends Strike Action on Virgin East Coast (24 April) – rail union RMT confirmed this evening that 48 hours of strike action scheduled for this Friday and Saturday on Virgin East Coast has been suspended following progress in talks with the company read more
TALKS AIMED at ending the Merseyrail guards’ dispute collapsed today when the company flatly refused to discuss RMT’s compromise proposal (24 April) – The union had refrained from calling more strike action on Merseyrail to coincide with strikes in separate disputes at Arriva Rail North and Virgin East Coast, in order to give the talks a fair wind. But RMT’s offer to put the contentious issue of train despatch and door operation into a joint safety working-group was rejected out of hand by Merseyrail bosses, who know that the Merseyside public will be left to pick up the bill for the dispute, thanks to a reimbursement clause hidden in their contract read more
National Protest Against Driver Only Operation – 12noon Wednesday 26th April, Old Palace Yard, opposite Parliament, London, SW1P 3 Facebook event RMT on Southern Rail talks
RMT members to take action over “London Bridge Three” – Tube staff sacked and disciplined for stopping violent assault (20 April) – TUBE UNION RMT has confirmed today that station staff across the London Bridge groups will take both strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute after one member was sacked and two others disciplined for intervening to stop a serious assault by a fare-dodger on fellow staff members including one who was pregnant. RMT’s executive has decided on the following course of action; We instruct all members at London Bridge to take strike action by not booking on for any shifts commencing 22:00hrs on Sunday 7th May 2017 until 21:59 on Monday 8th May 2017 read more
Unite
Ford workers at Bridgend to be balloted on industrial action (25 April) – Staff at the Ford engine plant at Bridgend are to be balloted on industrial action, according to a report. Workers will vote on whether to go on strike or take industrial action short of striking, according to ITV News. The ballot will take place next month with the result expected before the general election in June read more on Wales Online
AWE pensions’ snub prompts two more days of strike action (25 April) – Pension proposals by workers at AWE plc – the Atomic Weapons Establishment – to break the logjam in their long-running pensions’ dispute have been ignored, Unite, the country’s largest union, said today (Tuesday 25 April). The snub dished out to the workers has led to the announcement of two more 24 hour strikes on 10 and 18 May at AWE’s two sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, starting at 00.01. These strikes by more than 700 workers, who are pivotal to delivering the Trident nuclear programme, are on top of the already announced strikes on 4 and 8 May, bringing the number of strike days since last November to 18 read more
Devon window makers to strike for 48 hours from 26 April (25 April) – Workers at Sierra Windows in Paignton, Devon will be striking for 48 hours from Wednesday 26 April in a dispute over pay and an imposed change to shift patterns. Unite, the country’s largest union, called on the ‘secretive’ management to come clean on the company’s finances and negotiate in a constructive fashion, as the 150-strong workforce has not had a pay rise since 2015. The workers will strike for 48 hours from 06.00 and the two-day stoppages will be repeated on 3 May, 10 May, 17 May and 24 May read more
Construction material warning as Cemex drivers ballot on strike action (20 April) – HGV drivers at building materials specialists Cemex UK operations Ltd have started voting for industrial action in a pay dispute which could lead to supplies to Heathrow and infrastructure projects, such as the Mersey Gateway being disrupted, their union, Unite, warned today (Thursday 20 April) read more
Woolwich Ferry strike suspended, as talks make ‘positive’ progress (20 April) – Tomorrow’s strike (Friday 21 April) that would have hit travellers using the Woolwich Ferry has been suspended, as ‘positive progress’ has been made in talks today (Thursday 20 April) in the dispute over a bullying culture read more
Support striking BMW workers fighting to defend their pensions – details of next strikes from May 3rd here
Support striking Fujitsu workers – Workers at Basingstoke, Belfast, Birmingham, Bracknell, Crewe, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Stevenage, Wakefield and Warrington have taken 8 days of strike action in a dispute centres on pay, pensions, job security and union recognition – and takes place against a background of Fujitsu’s plans to axe and offshore 1,800 jobs in the UK read more on Fujitsu dispute page. Send a message of support to [email protected] or Unite the Union, Fujitsu MAN34, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP.
The next strikes called are:
- Thursday 27th – Friday 28th April
- Thursday 4th – Friday 5th May
- Monday 8th May
- Thursday 11th – Friday 12th May
Donations payable to “Manchester IT Workers Group” can be sent c/o John Wood, 50 Brooklyn Street, Crewe, CW2 7JF. Or transfer online to Account: 00980539, Sort Code: 30-91-48 and email [email protected] with details. Follow and promote the campaign on social media using #FujitsuFightback. www.facebook.com/uniteatfujitsu www.twitter.com/unitefujitsu picket line details
Mixed Fleet cabin crew re-ballot: 90% vote for more strikes!! Keep supporting the workers! – Send messages of support and donations (make cheques out to Unite the Union and write ‘Mixed Fleet Hardship Fund’ on the back) to: Unite the Union, Ron Todd House, 33-37 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Tweet support to @MFUnite
Unison
‘The fight’s not over’ in campaign to save NHS bursaries (25 April) – UNISON health delegates hear moving proof of the value of the bursary for student nurses and other health professionals read more
Derby Teaching Assistants have ended their 10-month dispute against 23% pay cuts after members voted to accept a new offer from the council. Their colleagues in Durham who have also been taking action against similar attacks marched on March 25th
Donate to the Durham TAs’ fund here
Durham TAs Facebook page here
Support ongoing Glasgow Unison janitors’ dispute who are on strike again for 3 days this week – Facebook group and website
Support the Kinsley School cleaners in Wakefield on indefinite strike since September 6th – Facebook Group. Donate to strike fund – send to Wakefield Unison, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield WF1 3BZ
GMB
OCA Ballot Looms (April 19) – Statement from GMB regarding OCA. David Hulse, National Officer for Offshore Industry, said: “It is important that we make acknowledgment of both GMB and Unite. “GMB and Unite met with the OCA member companies with Acas in attendance. “Progress was not made and both unions intend to go ahead with a ballot for industrial action.” read more
TSSA
Translink members vote for industrial action (20 April) – TSSA Management, Professional and Technical (MPT) members at Translink, Northern Ireland’s public transport network have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of strike in support of their claim for an equal pay rise settlement with their colleagues read more
BFAWU
BFAWU force McDonald’s to scrap zero-hour contracts and offer fixed-term contracts to 115,000 staff read more from Guardian
Blackpool needs a pay rise: £10 now! – Launch Saturday May 13th from 10am Savoy Hotel Queen’s Promenade, Blackpool FY2 9SJ. Blackpool Fylde & Wyre Trades Union Council is organising a campaign aimed at improving pay and calling for investment to create long term employment opportunities available in the Blackpool and Fylde area. We are joining the call for the minimum wage to be a real living wage of at least £10an hour and will be working with Fight for 10 and fast food rights amongst others to win for all in our community read more
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 BFAWU Statement On Samworth Brothers’ Sacking Of Kumaran Bose
UCU
Brighton Uni UCU Strike 26th and 27th April – Members voted by a majority of over three to one for strike action on a high turnout in response to a series of management breaches of existing agreements, followed by a refusal to abide by the disputes resolution procedure. The University has cancelled promotions to Principal Lecturer, has demoted a number of part-time lecturers to demonstrator status (unilaterally reclassifying lecturer work as demonstrating), and is pushing through compulsory redundancies in a School which has failed to implement a recently signed workload allocation agreement read more
Support the reinstatement of London Met union reps: Mark Campbell and David Hardman https://uculondonmet.wordpress.com/
NUT
Support the NUT London school strikes against cuts on April 25 and 26 at Forest Hill Forest Hill in Lewisham, Plumstead Manor in Greenwich and Corelli College in Blackheath – Watch video of march & rally for Forest Hill School in Lewisham on April 22
BECTU
See reports of the April 15th Picturehouse strikes: Brixton Ritzy, Hackney, Crouch End, Central, Duke of York Brighton and Dulwich East Picturehouse cinema strike spreads Support the Picturehouse Strike Fund – donate now
IWGB
Security Officers’ April 25-26 strike at the University of London against zero-hour contracts – University of London security officers are on strike demanding that the university put on end to zero-hours contracts, with around ten buildings expected to be severely affected as a result of the industrial action. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is also demanding proper itemised payslips and a 25% increase in pay for all security officers, increasing the salary of the lowest paid officer to around £12 an hour. Cordant, the company that has the contract for the provision of security officers in the University of London’s central administration buildings has so far been unwilling to negotiate with the IWGB, while the University of London has said dealing with this issue is not its responsibility read more Facebook event
United Voices of the World union
BREAKING: Cleaners at the LSE vote to strike every single week indefinitely until victory! Cleaners at the LSE have today voted to take further strike action following the LSE’s failure to concede their claim for parity of terms and conditions of employment with in-house staff, or make any offer of settlement. The cleaners have voted to strike one day a week, every week, forever, until the LSE sees sense and concedes their demands. The first day of renewed strike action will be on 10th May 2017 and will continue one day a week, every week thereinafter
Please consider making a donation to LSE cleaners’ strike fund – http://www.uvwunion.org.uk/justiceforlsecleaners/
Website: www.uvwunion.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/uvwunion Twitter: @UVWunion
Other News
Support the Irish anti-water charge protestors who are facing trial for a protest in Jobstown
Please send messages of protest: https://sites.google.com/view/jobstownnotguilty/ https://www.facebook.com/Jobstown-Not-Guilty-1056889327677242/
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.
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)
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
Turkey: Erdogan and the AKP government claim victory in rigged referendum read press release from Solidarity with the People of Turkey
Cambodia: Brewery giant Carlsberg seeks to punish union for defending workers’ rights read more
Diary
2017
July
1 11th annual NSSN Conference 11am in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
8 Durham Miners Gala www.durhamminers.org
14-17 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/festival
September
10 NSSN rally at TUC Congress
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
