“We’ll be out as long as it takes”, was the strident attitude of Liebherr strikers. The Unite the Union and GMB members on the picket line told NSSN North East supporters that they are striking for a decent pay increase. Liebbherr’s offer of 3% was rejected by a decisive 94%.
Liebherr is a global company, and the site in Sunderland is profitable. They assemble high quality cranes for the oil and maritime industries. Globally, turnover was almost 10 billion Euros for 2017. Yet, management, “aren’t forthcoming” when it comes to offering a decent pay increase.
For a number of years the company has made promises to pay more when the company does better. As their leaflet says: “The members expect the management to make good on its previous ‘jam tomorrow’ promises.”
The mood on the picket line is upbeat. The only ones going into the plant are temps and apprentices. While I was there a lorry making a delivery was turned away, and many others have also refused to cross the picket line.
Future strikes dates are: 23/24, 28/30 August and 3/4, 6/7, 10/11, 13/14 September
Send messages of support to Unite Regional Officer Mark Sanderson [email protected] and donations c/o Unite the union, John Dobson Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8TW
NSSN news
NSSN TUC Congress Rally Sunday September 9th in Manchester
In the year of the 150th anniversary of the TUC, the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) will again be organising a rally before the start of TUC Congress.
It will be from 1pm on Sunday September 9th in the Manchester Mechanics Institute/Conference Centre, Princess Street, M1 6DD.
Leaders from fighting unions will be speaking alongside rank & file union reps and activists, including those who have been taking action.
Confirmed speakers so far: RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, BFAWU General Secretary Ronnie Draper, USDAW President Amy Murphy (personal capacity), POA Deputy General Secretary Joe Simpson, Linda Taaffe NSSN National Secretary, Rob Williams NSSN National Chair
The NSSN has a proud record of supporting workers and building solidarity. We also have a history of fighting for the biggest co-ordination of action across the unions to take on Tory austerity and the bosses’ offensive.
There is a union letter here and please share the Facebook event
The NSSN thanks the CWU for including in this month’s ‘Frontline’ magazine for its union reps a report of last month’s NSSN Conference, which was addressed by CWU Deputy General Secretary Postal Terry Pullinger
We have also produced a leaflet for our supporters in Unite after the union agreed to affiliate to the NSSN
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
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]
Follow us on twitter via @NSSN_AntiCuts and Facebook
Union News
Unite
Unite wins trade union recognition at TCS (21 Aug) – Unite the union has today (Tuesday 21 August) won trade union recognition at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd through the Central Arbitration Committee. The recognition covers staff who transferred to TCS from Prudential in May 2018. Unite has welcomed the CAC decision following a strong campaign to ensure that the trade union was not derecognised following the TUPE transfer of 157 staff read more
Woolwich ferry workers set dates for strike action – Unite has issued notice to Briggs Marine, the contractor who operate the Woolwich Ferry, for strike action to take place on 28th August, 3rd, 7th , 10th, 14th, 17th and 24th September. The strike action is to protest against the imposition of weekend working into the normal working week, job cuts and lone working. The bigger issue is about automation and its impact on workplaces. New hybrid boats will be introduced and as a result jobs will be cut due to the boats needing less maintenance. The union had already negotiated an agreement, following a previous ballot for strike action, which guaranteed no compulsory redundancies and significant pay protection. But now the employers have stated that they want weekend working to become part of the normal shift – leading to a cut in pay as overtime will no longer be paid as well as the loss of the weekend and the impact on personal and family life. The proposal did not form any part of prior negotiations. Unite Regional Officer Onay Kasab stated “This is the sharp end of the debate on automation. We welcome the development of technology, but not at the price of this being paid out of the pockets of the workers we represent”
Workers at TGI Fridays to strike for historic fifth time (10 Aug) – Bank holiday walk-out to highlight tips `robbery’. Workers at two TGI Fridays restaurants in Milton Keynes and Covent Garden in London will walkout for a historic fifth time, with workers at Stratford City in London, joining the action for the first time in an ongoing dispute over the company’s refusal to address concerns over tips and minimum wage abuses. The workers, members of Unite, Britain’s biggest union, voted by a 100 per cent on turnouts of between 52.4 – 76.5 per cent in a second industrial action ballot. Three days of strikes will start on Friday 24 August, the beginning of the bank holiday weekend read more
Sign this petition: Stop the Cuts to London’s Buses – London’s bus services are being cut because the government has withdrawn £750m from TFL’s operating budget. The buses are losing passengers because of the amount of traffic in London. We say control the amount of Uber cars and delivery vans and let the buses run to win back passengers. We also want Central Government to give back the operating budget as we are now the only capital city in Western Europe without a Government funded public transportation system
RMT
RMT confirms further phase of strike action by key group of staff at London Underground’s Ruislip Depot goes ahead (21 Aug) – TUBE UNION RMT has confirmed a further round of strike action by transplant train maintenance and stores staff at London Underground’s Ruislip Depot goes ahead from tomorrow with two forty eight hour strikes starting Wednesday 22nd August and through the Bank Holiday weekend as management continue to fail to make any progress with the union on the issues at the heart of the disputes. The strike action is over disputes about pay parity and payments associated with train preparation based on the duties staff undertake in their role. The escalation of the action coincides with a major programme of track works over the bank holiday weekend including joint Ballast Track Replacement (BTR) works at Wimbledon with Network Rail. BTR forms the bulk of the TransPlant’s workload and has to be supported by a fleet of TransPlant engineering vehicles from Ruislip Depot and the operational staff to accompany it. The two groups of staff in dispute at Ruislip depot will take strike action as follows-
48hrs – Wednesday 22/08/18 07:00 – 07:00 Friday 24/08/18
48hrs – Friday 24/08/18 19:00 -19:00 Sunday 26/08/18 read more
RMT South Western Railway Guards’ safety action rock solid this morning (18 Aug) – Rail union RMT said today that members are standing rock solid and united across the South Western Railway network this morning in the fight to retain guards and protect safety, security and accessibility on the companies services. RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said: ”RMT members are standing rock solid and united again this morning across South Western Railway in the latest phase of the campaign to put public safety, security and access before private profit. RMT is angry and frustrated that efforts by the union to get an agreement on the guard guarantee with South Western Railway bolted down this week was met with the same old tired response from the company that refuses to move the process on and address the fundamental issues read more. The next strikes are:-
- 0001 Hours on Friday 31st August 2018 and 2359 Hours on Saturday 1st September 2018
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Sunday 2nd September 2018
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 8th September 2018
- 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 15th September 2018 read more
RMT confirms further strike dates on Northern Rail in fight over guards and rail safety as company makes a mockery of talks process – RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that further strike action will take place on Arriva Rail North over attacks on the role of the safety-critical guard and the extension of Driver Only Operation in the name of increased profits. RMT has confirmed the fresh wave of action after the company made a mockery of the talks process the union had committed to in good faith. The union accused company bosses of stringing its negotiators along rather than looking seriously for a settlement. All Arriva Rail North Conductor, Conductor Instructor and Train Driver members are instructed to take action as follows: Not to book on for on for duty between:
- 00:01 and 23:59 on Saturday 25th August 2018,
- 00:01 and 23:59 on Saturday 1st September 2018
- 00:01 and 23:59 on Saturday 8th September 2018 read more
National dispute fund (DOO disputes) – If you would like to donate to the RMT National Dispute Fund which makes payments to support their striking members taking part in National DOO disputes then you can donate via PayPal using the donate button below or make a cheque payable to RMT National Dispute Fund and send it to the address below. Alternatively, you can ring their Freephone helpline on 0800 376 3706 who will be happy to process a credit card payment for you, or, if you would like to pay via internet banking, please email [email protected] for further details. Vicky Thompson, Finance Manager RMT, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. Tel: 020-7529-8843
PCS
Fair pay fight goes on as PCS rejects MOD pay offer (22 Aug) – PCS Defence Sector Group has rejected the Ministry of Defence pay offer for 2018 as it comes nowhere meeting the demands of our national pay claim read more
MOJ MEP going down badly with PCS members (18 Aug) – PCS members in the Ministry of Justice are continuing to share with us why they think the department’s “modernising employment proposition” which aims to increase their working week, cut overtime cut and reduce their sick pay reduced is a bad deal for them. PCS is running a ballot until 2pm on 30 August on the proposals, which could mean the working day finishing much later – 8pm is a possibility – and staff regularly being asked to work Saturdays and bank holidays for no extra money read more
FDA and Prospect reject MoJ MEP pay deal as PCS also recommends ‘no’ vote (17 Aug) – PCS has welcomed FDA and Prospect rejecting the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) pay offer, urging the government to scrap the scheme and get back round the negotiating table. The unions who represent members in the MoJ, both came back with resounding “no” votes in their ballots which closed today. PCS are currently balloting our members in the MoJ on the same modernising employment proposition (MEP) offer read more PCS: GMB latest to reject MoJ MEP deal
Unison
UNISON Glasgow City Branch notify of a strike ballot in Cordia and Education! (21 Aug) – UNISON Glasgow City Branch is balloting its members for strike action after its members have lost all confidence in Glasgow Council to settle equal pay claims across the City. After months of talks UNISON members are clear that the Council has failed to meet all its commitments to settle their claims. UNISON members feel they have been betrayed by the council negotiators who now want to stop all talks with their unions and instead work out a deal behind closed doors. The Council negotiators, at a meeting with the representatives of all the claimants, have said they wish to cancel all further talks and instead would produce their own offer later in the year, effectively ending all joint negotiations on the settling of these claims for equal pay. UNISON members are clear that they will not accept being presented with an offer at the 11th hour and the pressure this would bring on them as low paid, undervalued workers. This is not what the Council Leader promised in January, not what the Council politicians decided, and breaks the commitments given in June after the union ran a consultative strike ballot. UNISON members want negotiated settlements and want their employer to engage in meaningful discussion read more
Yorkshire hospitals strike called off after trust halts privatisation plan (15 Aug) – Trust announced that it has scrapped plans to create a wholly-owned subsidiary after angry response at staff meetings. A three-day strike by UNISON members at the Mid Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust, which was scheduled to begin on Monday, has been called off after the trust’s management lifted the threat of creating a wholly-owned subsidiary…Branch secretary Adrian O’Malley said that the trust knew that “the strike was going to be solid” after experiencing a tough reception at staff meetings that they had organised last week” read more
Support the striking Birmingham home care workers – Please send messages of support and donations to Unison Birmingham branch, 46 The Priory Queensway Birmingham B4 7LR. Email [email protected] Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/birminghamunison/
FBU
Support FBU Merseyside’s campaign to stop the proposed downgrading of Liverpool City Centre fire station – follow @fbumerseyside on twitter
POA
HMP Birmingham staff let down by Government (20 Aug) – The POA National Executive Committee have praised their members at HMP Birmingham today after the Ministry of Justice have taken direct control of the prison after a scathing report by the Prisons Inspector. The POA have consistently campaigned against the Government’s cuts agenda, leaving both staff and prisoners vulnerable from intolerable conditions and violence read more
NAPO
G4S not wanted here either! (20 Aug) – News that HMP Birmingham is to revert back into state control will come as no surprise given the events that have found their way into the national spotlight over the last few months. Today’s announcement from Rory Stewart has sparked much social media activity as people ask the obvious questions about the woeful performance of G4S and why, in spite of this latest calamity befalling the company and myriad failures of other private providers in the Justice system, this Government continue to have faith in the so called benefits of ‘Marketisation’ read more
NEU
Tutors struggle to get pay from ex-Manchester City player’s training company (17 Aug) – Two staff who worked at an education services company owned by ex-Manchester City footballer Jamie Pollock are struggling to get the pay they were owed after he terminated their employment in January with only a week’s notice read more
CWU
Royal Mail managers need to change (Aug 15) – Deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger sent out a strongly-worded warning to Royal Mail today that the company must “walk the walk, not just talk the talk” on cultural change within the business, after a summer of growing discontent in delivery. With several local disputes taking place over recent weeks at offices around the country, a common theme has been complaints of bullying and harassment by managers and unfair allocation of work and duties read more
BFAWU
We’ve got beef with McDonald’s – if you’ve been #McBurned, speak up – Last year, we successfully organised a series of UK-wide #McStrikes in response to McDonald’s record of offering low wages and zero hour contracts. This gained national attention and our ongoing Fast Food Rights campaign continues to turn up the heat on fast food giants who are letting poor terms and conditions and inadequate workplace safety measures become the status quo. As part of our organising work with members, we identified a genuine risk to McDonald’s workers of suffering avoidable burns injuries, and wanted to help them to take action. We want workers to know that burns are not, and should never be, ‘part and parcel’ of the job. That’s why we’ve launched the new McBurned campaign with Thompsons Solicitors. If you have been burned while working at McDonald’s, we’re encouraging you to speak up – confidentially – and to consider making a personal injury claim. You can read more about the campaign in this factsheet. Keep sending solidarity to the McStrikers in the BFAWU, post cheques to BFAWU, Stanborough House, Great North Road, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 7TA and donate to the strike fund. Also help the fund by buying a #McStrike t-shirt. More info on the Fast Food Rights/Hungry for Justice website
GMB
GMB members overwhelmingly reject Ministry of Justice pay deal (20 Aug) – GMB considers we expressed our members’ views on these particular points, and others, very strongly throughout the six months of negotiations that led to the offer. GMB, the union for Ministry of Justice staff, has announced members have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed self funding pay deal. The deal was supposedly worth 11% over five years but for GMB members working in the Legal Aid Agency it would have led to an increase in hours and substantial cuts in pay once pay protection had ended. Also may other terms and conditions including travel allowance and overtime would have been eroded. A total of 81.6% of members balloted rejected the offer, on a 76% turnout read more
Bank holiday chaos looms at John Lennon airport as GMB members take strike action (16 Aug) – Liverpool Airport Ltd has failed to meet the aspirations of the GMB members, who have rejected the company’s proposed below inflation pay offer of 2%. Bank holiday chaos looms at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport after GMB members voted to strike. A total of 80 workers from aviation rescue and firefighting services, the control room, engineering and driver operations and airport bird control will walk out during the bank holiday weekend. The 36 hour strike will begin 7pm on Thursday August 23 and carry on until 7am Saturday August 25. This will be followed by a further 12 hour of strike beginning at 7am on Monday September 3 read more
BECTU
Read the latest about the Picturehouse dispute on Brixton Ritzy Facebook Page and those of Hackney, Crouch End, Central, Dulwich East and Duke of York Brighton
Donate to the Picturehouse Cinema strike fund: https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/250/picturehousestrike
NUJ
FT chief executive’s offer to return £510,000 pay increase fails to meet staff demands (15 Aug) – An offer by John Ridding, Financial Times chief executive, to return part of his 2017 pay remuneration, following criticism from staff, does not go far enough to addresses their concerns, the NUJ’s chapel agreed read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Up to 40 Lloyds Pharmacy stores across Ireland impacted by strike action today (18 Aug) – Up to 270 Lloyds Pharmacy workers in almost 40 stores across Ireland will strike today (Saturday, 18th August 2018) as they continue their campaign against low pay and zero hour contracts in the company. Mandate Trade Union has apologised for any inconvenience caused to the public but say the company has left their members with no choice but to strike after management refused to accept a Labour Court recommendation instructing them to negotiate with their workers’ representatives read more
United Voices of the World
BREAKING NEWS: partial VICTORY for cleaners across London’s luxury private hospitals after threat of strike action wins 20% pay rise…but the STRIKE goes on! (21 Aug) – On the eve of the closure of UVW’s strike ballot for cleaners across London’s luxury private hospitals owned by HCA – the world’s largest private hospital group – the cleaning contractor Compass Group, which is also the largest contract foodservice company in the world, has just announced that they will increase the cleaners’ pay to £9.18 per hour up from their current wage of £7.83 per hour. This equates to a wage increase of over 17%, and up to 20% for the cleaners under the age of 25 who used to be paid even less. However, the cleaners strike ballot was in regards to Compass and HCA’s failure to pay them the London Living Wage, currently £10.20 per hour and due to increase in November. Therefore this pay offer is over £1 less per hour, or £2,121.60 less per year, than what they need to survive in London. This is unacceptable for any workers anywhere, and especially so when working for two companies with a combined annual revenue of over £50 billion. The ballot was also in relation to the absence of any occupational sick pay scheme which financially constrains the cleaners to work when sick due to only receiving Statutory Sick Pay which pays them nothing for the first 3 days they are off and then just over £18 a day thereafter. This naturally puts their own health and that of HCA’s patients health at risk which is an astoundingly careless and callous policy for the world’s largest private hospital group to defend. The third demand of the ballot was in relation to the failure to provide basic vaccinations including Hepatitis B and Tetanus which the cleaners are currently denied despite regularly coming in direct contact with bodily fluids including blood. Whilst the pay rise is welcome and a great testament to the cleaners courage and the power of the threat of strike action, the actual strike will proceed as planned as part of UVW’s “Triple Strike”, in conjunction with the cleaners at the Ministry of Justice and Kensington and Chelsea Council who took 3 days of historic co-ordinated strike action on 7th, 8th and 9th August
Press coverage on the strikes Press release: Ministry of Justice occupied
Please make a donation to their strike fund if you can https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/current-campaigns/
Other news
New book – ‘Workers Control & Workers Management’
Sisters and Brothers who attended the NSSN Conference, will remember Ted Mooney’s brief speech about the reasons for the Book he has written. Ted is a retired AEU Engineering Shop Steward. He was to the fore in the struggle for the occupation of the English Electric/GEEC factories on Merseyside. This fight and the general arguments about Workers Control and Management are explained in his Book. The 60 copies were sold out at the Conference and it has sold so well that a reprint is now available at £5 each.
Also bulk orders can be supplied to TU and other Organisations from this National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) by emailing [email protected]
Blacklisting & Victimisation
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)
Blacklisted t-shirts available at: https://shop.hopenothate.org.uk/component/hikashop/product/78-blacklisted-t-shirt
Book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
International
Spain: Support Carlos Naranjo reinstatement! Enough of repression union in Ford-Valencia! International solidarity day this Friday August 24th when Carlos meets Ford – please share this poster on social media, including with selfies
Read and share leaflet and letter demanding reinstatement and email to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and copies to [email protected]
China: Release Shen Mengyu and arrested Jasic Technology workers! – Police repression against workers at Shenzhen factory who are campaigning to set up a democratic trade union read more and watch video
Diary
2018
September
2 Annual Burston Strike School Commemoration 9am-6pm Church Green, Norfolk, Burston, near Diss, Norfolk details
9 NSSN TUC Rally in Manchester from 1pm Facebook event
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
