Budget Day events March 11th
This coming Wednesday, new Chancellor Rishi Sunak will deliver Boris Johnson’s Tory budget. Such is the crises affecting the government, up until a few weeks ago, they weren’t certain if the budget would go ahead on March 11th after Sajid Javid’s resignation. This is an opportunity to protest against continuing Tory austerity and their planned new anti-union laws, and continue building the campaign against them.
Join the PCS Budget Day Downing Street protest (5 Mar) – PCS members are urged to join general secretary Mark Serwotka at our Budget Day protest outside 10 Downing Street from 12.15pm on 11 March. The government is robbing our members of 2% every month by making them pay more for their pension than an independent valuation says that they should. We have told the government to cut pension contributions immediately by 2% and guarantee that moving forward they will implement the legal case won by the Fire Brigades Union to improve everybody’s pensions. We are serious about wanting pension justice and want our members to say that to the government, so we are asking them to organise pension protests across the UK on Budget Day and on their next payday on 31 March read more
Socialist Students, who had called a protest in Westminster at 1pm on Wednesday have brought their event forward to join with that of the PCS at 12.15pm read more
PCS: Join PCS pension justice campaign protests (2 Mar)
Join PCS/People’s Assembly for a Budget 2020 special event – Join PCS and leading figures from the Labour movement in London and live on Facebook at 7.30pm on Budget Day (11 March) for a breakdown of the Tory government’s announcements. Two of the key questions for the 90-minute event, we are co-hosting with the People’s Assembly, at Central Hall, Westminster are:
- What will the Budget mean for ordinary working people?
- Is austerity really over?
Get your ticket. There are limited tickets to watch the event live in Central Hall, so book your place now read more
Workers shouldn’t pay the price for Coronavirus
The NSSN welcomes the information being sent to union members concerning the spread of coronavirus, including the TUC, Unison, Prospect, Unite, RMT, PCS, TSSA, Mandate, NUJ and the GMB.
We believe that it is essential that workers are protected during this worrying period and are not impacted, whether in terms of their safety as well as their pay and employment rights.
We have drafted this model motion which we’ve made into a bulletin that can be downloaded and printed off to be distributed. Feel free to use in your union and trades council, in totality or partially to highlight the issues that need to be addressed.
Fight the anti-union laws events
Gloucester & District and Cheltenham TUCs hosting ‘Striking back to defend workers’ and trade union rights’ – Saturday 14th March at the Friendship cafe, Painswick Rd, Gloucester 11.30am-4pm https://thefriendshipcafe.com/ . Speakers include: Terry Pullinger CWU DGSP, Katrine Williams NSSN vice-Chair, AJ Singh CWU Cardiff Secretary, Julius Marstrand NHS campaigner
Watch video of London NSSN rally on February 18th
(Send us details of these events and we’ll advertise)
Stop union victimisation
Defend Moe Unite – support Moe Muhsin Manir, a hardworking Unite rep on London buses, working for Abellio. We are delighted to report that Moe is back at work. We will keep everyone up to date on any developments. Moe would like to thank everyone who sent support and solidarity.
Reinstate Clive Walder: the campaign continues – Unfortunately, we have to inform you that the appeal by Unite against Clive’s dismissal by National Express in Birmingham was unsuccessful. In the hearing on 5 March, the company downgraded his offence from gross misconduct to misconduct and altered the penalty from summary dismissal to dismissal with four weeks notice. We believe dismissal is totally disproportionate and Clive should be reinstated. Clive and his union Unite the union will shortly decide the next steps in his campaign against his sacking. Clive would like to thank all those who have expressed solidarity with him, including supporters of the National Shop Stewards Network who took part in the protest leafleting of his workplace before the appeal hearing. It was successful enough for National Express to report it to the Unite full time official. Please continue to send protest emails to [email protected]. The NSSN has produced a flyer which can be downloaded and printed off to give to National Express employees and customers in support of Clive. We are appealing to our supporters to take photos of any solidarity protests and post on social media
Support Danyal Aziz Unite – Daniel was a Unite rep at London City Airport, who was recently sacked. Labour MP Sam Tarry has tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion in support of Danyal. Email your local MP to get them to sign the EDM
Defend Paul Williams PCS – Stop the victimisation of senior PCS rep Paul Williams – Paul Williams has a long and proud history of defending his colleagues at the Department for Transport, and predecessor departments, for nearly 40 years but as a result of his union activities is facing compulsory redundancy even though there are vacancies at his grade read more
Support Tony Smith Unison – Tony Smith one of the leaders of the successful FCC dispute which won sick pay for nearly 2,500 workers is being victimised. charged with gross misconduct over health and safety charges, his hearing is on Thursday. Please send messages of support to Hull Trades Council c/o [email protected]
Sign the petition: Reinstate UNISON rep Peter Moorhead and stop victimising trade unionists at Alternative Futures Group (AFG)
UCU
UCU urges minister to back students’ call for universities to do more to end strikes – UCU has written to new universities minister Michelle Donelan asking her to encourage universities to do more to end the wave of strikes at 74 UK universities read more. The full strike dates are:
Week one – Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February
Week two – Monday 24, Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February.
Week three – Monday 2, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 March
Week four – Monday 9, Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 & Friday 13 March
UCU members at 60 universities walked out for eight days in November and December last year in action that affected around one million students. This next wave of strikes will affect another 14 universities and an additional 200,000 students, as more UCU branches crossed a 50% turnout threshold required by law for them to take industrial action read more
Scotland: UCU/EIS
EIS-ULA & UCU Scotland Demo 12th March – Thursday 12th March, 12:30 Buchanan Street Steps – Glasgow read more
EIS
EIS members in the ULA are also taking strike action at Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow School of Art and the University of the West of Scotland are taking action on the following dates:-
- Thursday, 20th February 2020
- Tuesday, 25th February 2020
- Monday, 2nd March 2020
- Thursday, 12th March 2020
- Friday, 13th March 2020
Members at the University of the West of Scotland are out on the first 4 days but also out on Wednesday 11th March instead of Friday 13th March read more
Support this indefinite industrial action:-
Unite
Support Westex Carpets staff strike – Westex Carpet strike reaches two month mark: Members of Unite at the Westex Carpets factory in Cleckheaton are about to reach the two month mark in their ongoing dispute over pay. The strike began on November 20th after workers rejected a minimal pay rise which was then withdrawn by the company, which has since refused further dialogue read more Westex Carpets ‘won’t win battle of wills’ as strikes head into ninth week after talks collapse (22 Jan)
To make a donation to the hardship fund:-
Account name – TGWU
Account number – 20175407
Sort code – 60/83/01
Reference – WESTEX STRIKE FUND
NSSN news
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. Feel free to use this affiliation letter
Date for your diary: 2020 NSSN Conference Saturday July 4th 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
This leaflet advertising the 2020 NSSN Conference can be downloaded and printed off
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
Watch NSSN TUC Rally video
Union News
RMT
Sign petition: to The Mayor of London and the London Assembly – End the privatisation of cleaning at Transport for London
RMT demands that new Condor Ferries owners take urgent action to sort pay and conditions scandal (9 Mar) – SEAFARERS Union RMT today responded to news confirming that Condor Ferries has been purchased by a consortium involving Brittany Ferries by demanding that the new owners take urgent action to resolve a long-running pay and conditions scandal. The union has consistently protested against seafarer pay rates below the National Minimum Wage in the UK and of Jersey and Guernsey which sees local seafarers and industry conditions undermined by imported crew read more
RMT Tube pay ballot opens today (6 Mar) – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed that a ballot of 10,000 staff across London Underground for both strike action and action short of a strike will open today after more than a year of negotiations have failed to produce an offer on pay that meets the very reasonable demands of the workforce. The ballot will conclude on the 31st March. RMT said it is angry and frustrated that over a year of talks has still resulted in a stalemate and has called on the Mayor and his TFL officials to lift the cap on pay and allow a deal to be done that fully recognises the enormous efforts of staff to keep London moving against a backdrop of overcrowding, creaking infrastructure and surging levels of violence and assaults. Workplace union representatives have taken soundings from depots and workplaces across the combine and have recommended the move to a vote for action in pursuit of pay justice read more
RMT Rail Gourmet workers at Paddington depot to take further strike action next month in fight for workplace justice – RAIL UNION RMT has confirmed that Rail Gourmet workers at Paddington depot will be striking again next month in an on-going fight for workplace justice and safety. RMT Rail Gourmet members at Paddington have been instructed to take further strike action by not booking on for any shifts that commence between:- 0001 Hours on Wednesday 11th March 2020 to 2359 Hours on Friday 13th March 2020 read more
RAIL UNION RMT said today that it has suspended strike action on South Western Railway in good faith to allow further talks to take place this Friday 6th March read more
Donate to the RMT strike fund on South Western Railway – The NSSN is appealing for financial support and solidarity for the RMT and their members on SWR, who have just voted to renew their mandate to take mote strike action. Send messages of support and requests for speakers for your union branch and/or trades council to RMT NEC member and SWR guard Geoff Kite – [email protected]
To make a donation to the hardship funds set up for RMT members striking against Driver Only Operation:-
National Dispute Fund:
Transfers can be made directly into the account using the details below:
Account name: RMT Head Office National Dispute Fund
Account no: 20113524
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Alternatively, you can send cheques to the Finance Department at Head Office – Unity House 39 Chalton Street London NW11JD
RMT Wessex DOO Dispute Fund:
Transfers can be made directly into the account using the details below:
Account name: RMT Wessex DOO Dispute Fund
Account no: 20399461
Sort Code: 60-83-01
More PCS
Join PCS pension justice campaign protests – PCS is holding pension justice protests on Budget Day as part of our campaign to force the government to act to end pensions injustice. The government is robbing our members of 2% every month by making them pay more for their pension than the independent valuation says that they should. We have told the government to cut pension contributions immediately by 2% and guarantee that moving forward they will implement the legal case won by the Fire Brigades Union to improve everybody’s pensions read more
Support Interserve strikers – Interserve workers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, were on strike for the whole of February. You can support the strike in the following ways:
- Sign and publicise the E-action
- Donate to the PCS fighting fund
- Send messages of support to [email protected]
More Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Wirral bin workers begin voting for strike action (10 Mar) – Residents of the Wirral on Merseyside are bracing themselves for bin strikes next month, as members of Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, employed by Biffa Waste Services, begin voting for strike action in a dispute over pay. The dispute is a result of Biffa refusing to meet the pay claim of Unite members for last year, and also trying to move the workforce on to monthly pay, without meaningful consultation or agreement on safeguards being put in place to ensure that members are paid correctly when pay day arrives. Negotiations to resolve the dispute, which involved the conciliation service Acas, have failed to find a resolution, however Unite remains committed to on-going discussions in the hope that a negotiated settlement can be reached, to avoid its members having to take strike action. The strike ballot will open tomorrow (Wednesday 11 March) and close on Wednesday 25 March. If workers vote in favour of strike action then strikes could begin next month, immediately after the Easter holidays read more
Greenwich council housing repair workers to strike after bosses ‘backslide’ on pay deal (10 Mar) – About 120 housing repair workers at Greenwich council will strike for two days later this month after bosses reneged on a settlement over a new pay structure, Unite said today (Tuesday 10 March). Last October, Unite called off industrial action after a deal was hammered out with the Royal Borough of Greenwich for the carpenters, electricians and plumbers based at the Birchmere depot, Eastern Way, London (SE28 8BF). Unite today accused the council’s management of ‘backsliding’ in failing to implement the new pay structure. As a result, there will be two 24-hour strikes on 23 and 24 March, starting at 00:01 and ending at 23:59. Last autumn’s deal promised that the instances when Unite members’ pay can drop will be minimised. There will also be ‘pay protection’ and, most importantly, no imposition of any changes unilaterally. Unite regional officer Onay Kasab said: “Unite negotiated a settlement in good faith last October, but the management have been foot dragging and backsliding ever since. We thought we had a deal, but apparently that has turned out to be a mirage…” read more
Workers vote for strikes at EnQuest’s Sullom Voe terminal (9 Mar) – Workers have voted “emphatically” in favour of strike action at the Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland. Offshore union Unite said 94% of members voted to strike in response to “brutal proposals” by operator EnQuest to alter terms and conditions, including the pension scheme. Unite said it would announce a series of strike dates “imminently” in response to the ballot, which had a 97% turnout. EnQuest said it was “disappointed with the results” and will seek “immediate dialogue to resolve this dispute without the need for industrial action”. It comes after EnQuest said in July that it would cut around 80 jobs at the major terminal by the end of 2019. There were 250 workers there at the time of that announcement read more on Energy Voice
Southampton Airport ‘must be protected’ after Flybe collapse (6 Mar) – The government must step in to protect Southampton Airport following the collapse of Flybe, which was responsible for operating more than 85 per cent of the airport’s flights, Unite said today (Friday 6 March). Unite represents nearly 400 staff working in a range of roles across Southampton Airport, as well as around 500 Flybe employees nationwide. The union is calling on the government to protect Southampton and other regional airports through the subsidisation of key routes, so that those previously operated by Flybe are rapidly filled by other carriers read more
Stately-Albion union members due to strike over pay (5 Mar) – Stately-Albion workers employed at the company’s manufacturing facility in Abercarn have voted overwhelmingly to support strike action in a dispute over pay. Unite members will commence industrial action with an overtime ban starting on 13 March 2020. This will be followed by a series of nine one day strikes throughout April and May read more
University Hospital Waterford: Unite seeks referral of dispute with Momentum to Labour Court (Mar 5) – Unite today (Thursday) wrote to the Workplace Relations Commission seeking that the strike with service provider Momentum at University Hospital Waterford be referred to the Labour Court. The dispute is in its tenth day following the decision of Momentum to unilaterally change the working conditions of Unite members working at the hospital read more
Unite statement on RSPCA Acas talks (4 Mar) – Unite regional officer Jesika Parmar said: “We are very disappointed that talks yesterday (Tuesday 3 March) with the RSPCA management broke down. “The management barely moved during the day of Acas-brokered talks which, in retrospect, appears to have been a shallow manoeuvring tactic to run down the clock to the 31 March deadline for signing the new detrimental contracts by our members. As a result, we have no alternative but to announce strike dates by the weekend. These will be made public once the management has been informed” read more
Unite calls for St Mungo’s CEO to step down as strike dates set in ‘race to the bottom’ jobs row (3 Mar) – Workers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s are gearing up for three days of strike action from 16 to 18 March 2020 inclusive, after last ditch talks, under the auspices of the conciliation service, Acas, failed to resolve a row over job security and a reinstatement of race to the bottom terms and conditions. Unite which represents over 500 members at the homeless charity, is now calling for the CEO, Howard Sinclair, to step down immediately after he and his team rejected a sound and sensible solution, proposed at Acas, to settle the long running dispute over changes to the junior staffing cap agreement. Unite has accused St Mungo’s senior management of pulling the rug out from under workers, when it tore up the junior staffing cap agreement, in a bid to bring in a cheaper workforce in May 2019. Local authority commissioners of St Mungo’s homelessness services and clients are warned to expect some disruption during the strike and are urged to put pressure on the charity’s senior management to accept the new junior staffing proposal read more
Heathrow braced for ‘Easter holiday chaos’ after baggage and freight handling strikes set – Heathrow airport is braced for ‘Easter holiday chaos’ following the announcement of strikes over a pay dispute and attempts at ‘union-busting’ at ground handling firm Vanderlande, Unite said today (Tuesday 3 March). The strikes, which will take place over six days between 14 March and 9 April, could leave thousands of passengers without their baggage and potentially impact air travel, as well as affecting International Airline Group (IAG) freight services. Unite represents around 80 workers at Vanderlande, which operates the Terminal Three luggage belt as well as transporting passenger baggage to and from the terminal, where planes from One World Alliance, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates dock read more
Black hole looming for Heathrow luggage as baggage specialists strike throughout March – Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, is warning passengers who are separated from their luggage at Heathrow next month, that they are unlikely to be reunited with it, as specialist baggage handlers take fresh strike action over pay. The workers who are employed by Global Baggage Solutions Ltd will begin strike action at 00:01 on Monday 2 March until 23:59 on Monday 9 March. There will be two further eight day periods of strike action beginning on Saturday 14 March until Saturday 21 March and Thursday 26 March until Thursday 2 April. The workers play a crucial role in locating and repatriating lost baggage with worried customers read more
Tower Hamlets set for ‘overflowing bins and piles of rubbish’ in refuse workers strike – Tower Hamlets residents are facing the prospect of ‘overflowing bins and piles of rubbish’ following the announcement of strike action by Veolia refuse workers over unsettled holiday pay arrears, Unite said today (Tuesday 25 February). Bin collections and street cleaning services in the London borough of Tower Hamlets are set to stop after workers at Veolia, which holds the refuse, recycling and street cleaning contract for the borough, voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over an unsettled collective holiday pay claim. Despite reaching an agreement with Unite and other trade unions on the calculation of holiday pay in August 2018, Veolia owes around 150 workers significant sums in arrears. The firm’s UK waste management division generated revenues of nearly £1 billion in the first half of 2019. Unite, which has about 250 members at Veolia, said that instead of settling the claim collectively the company had deterred staff from claiming the arrears by requiring individuals to launch ‘complicated and drawn out’ legal proceedings. Unite members voted overwhelmingly (96.5 per cent) in favour of strike action in a ballot with a 70 per cent turnout that was held earlier this month. Seven days of strike action beginning on Monday 9 March at 5am and ending on Monday 16 March have now been set read more
TfL workers step-up strike action across the capital (28 Feb) – Hundreds of workers employed by Transport for London will stage a 24-hour walkout today (Friday 28 February) to fight back against cuts to pay and holidays. 80 workers employed in TfL’s control centre who are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the capital will join the series of strikes. TfL is cutting their holidays by imposing a system of counting holidays in hours instead of days, which has the effect of slashing the workers’ holiday entitlement by five days (see note to editors). Around 300 workers employed by Dial-a-Ride and 300 TfL revenue protection inspectors, road transport enforcement officers and compliance officers will strike for 24 hours for a second time over the imposition of a real terms pay cut. Further action is planned on 27 March and 24 April read more
Drinkers may face ‘beer drought’ after Greene King workers announce strike dates in pay dispute – Workers at drinks giant Greene King have announced a rolling programme of strikes into July in a pay dispute that could mean drinkers going thirsty as deliveries dry up. Unite today (Wednesday 26 February) announced the first two days of strike action on 12-13 March by its 160 delivery drivers, draymen, brewery production staff and warehouse workers at Bury St Edmunds, the firm’s Suffolk headquarters, and distribution centres at Abingdon, Oxfordshire and Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. The workforce, employed by the brewing and brands department, voted overwhelmingly for strike action in January angry at years of two per cent pay rises that failed to reflect the soaring cost of living. The workers will strike on 12-13 March depending when their shift starts which, for some, may stretch over to 14 March. The other 12 dates for strike action won’t be announced until 14 days beforehand, as required by law. There will also be a lunchtime protest at the Westgate brewery, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QT on Friday 6 March read more
CWU
Support the CWU and the posties as union re-ballots in Royal Mail – The NSSN sends solidarity to the CWU as they move to re-ballot members in Royal Mail. As readers of this bulletin will know, the union overwhelmingly smashed the undemocratic voting thresholds in the Tory anti-union laws in their national strike ballot last October – a 97% vote for action in on a 76% turnout. Scandalously however, one unelected High Court judge dismissed the ballot and the action, planned for during the general election and the busiest time of the year for the company. Now after attempts by the union to resolve the dispute, they feel no option but to again ballot members for action. This comes at the same time as Boris Johnson’s tory government planning even more anti-union laws, targeted for now at least at the rail and transport unions. The NSSN pledges our full support to the CWU and their members in Royal Mail. Already, NSSN members are organising solidarity meetings to build support for the CWU, the rail and transport unions and other workers taking action. We encourage such rallies and meetings of the NSSN, trades councils and union branches – ‘An injury to one is an injury to all!’
Terry Pullinger tells Royal Mail: ‘No justice, no peace’ – “Let’s make history and let’s tell Royal Mail, as Paul Kennedy said earlier: ‘No justice, no peace’,” commented our deputy general secretary postal after today’s 500-strong national reps briefing in central London read more
Watch CWU video on re-ballot here
For our jobs, our security and our future – we need to vote YES
Join CWU Supporters now – The fight against exploitative employers, dodgy contracts and insecure work requires the support of every single community across the country. Our recent vote for strike action in Royal Mail Group was secured by connecting with our membership in every corner of the UK – both online and on the ground – click here to join
CWU patience snaps on Connect 44 pay outrage (Mar 6) – Members in Connect 44 who haven’t received a pay rise since 2017 are being treated with total disregard and contempt by their bosses – but also deserve better from their erstwhile employer, Telefónica, whose systems they still service on an outsourced basis. That’s the blunt message that has been delivered to both companies by the CWU following three years of stonewalling by Connect 44 every time the CWU has attempted to raise the fact that static wage levels effectively represent annual pay cuts as the cost of living rises. The 19 engineers in question were TUPE transferred from Telefónica to Huawei in 2012, but subsequently re-TUPEd from Huawei to Connect 44 in 2017 read more
Strike ballot demanded over BT compulsory redundancy threat (Mar 5) – Colleagues of the first BT team member grade employee ever to have been served a compulsory redundancy notice have today (Thursday) issued a formal request to CWU headquarters to be balloted for industrial action. The dramatic escalation of an already serious situation at BT Enterprise follows weeks of mounting dismay and disbelief amongst South East Central branch members at not just the company’s treatment of the individual in question – a female engineer in her 40s with 31 years of service – but also a sizeable number of her colleagues who expect to receive CR notices imminently read more
Unison
Oxford University signs up to living wage (4 Mar) – Thousands of staff benefit – now UNISON urges colleges to follow suit. Almost 2,000 employees at the University of Oxford will get a pay rise as the university becomes the largest employer in the city to sign up to the Oxford Living Wage (OLW). Staff will see their wages go up to at least £10.21 per hour as they move onto the new minimum hourly rate from 1 August 2020. UNISON welcomed the move today, while urging the city’s colleges – each an individual employer – to follow suit read more
UNISON and GMB have issued statements opposing Tory-controlled Derbyshire County Council’s plans to close 7 of its 23 adult care homes, moving almost 200 vulnerable adults into alternative accommodation, most into privately run care homes. Family members, trade unionists and the general public are being urged to join an event alongside local Labour activists on Saturday, 14th March between 10.30 and 12.30 (outside Asda on Sheffild Road, Chesterfield).
GMB
Wilko slashes sick pay for tens of thousands of workers (5 Mar) – Wilko is set to slash sick pay for tens of thousands of retail and distribution workers. The company plans to cut sick pay entitlement for every member of staff in stores and distribution centres. There will be no company sick pay after the first occasion of sickness. Anyone who has been with the company for less than a year is entitled to no sick pay at all from Wilko. Even long-standing staff will only be eligible for sick pay on one occasion per year. The retail giant only narrowly avoided strike action last year over ‘punishing’ changes to their weekend working rota read more
GMB: ‘Massive public backlash’ against Wilko plans to slash sick pay
Coronavirus: GMB win for workers as ISS guarantees full pay during Covid-19 self isolation (3 Mar) – The Government must now follow ISS’ lead and ensure no worker is forced to choose between public safety and paying their rent, says GMB Union. GMB, the union for NHS staff, has scored a big win for 1000s of workers after private outsourcing company ISS promised full pay for all health workers self-isolating due to Coronavirus read more
Support the ASDA workers and reinstate Michael Hunnum – 12,000 workers faced being sacked before Christmas by scrooge bosses ASDA, who are now owned by US superstore giant Walmart. This threat hanging over them was unless they agree to the new ‘Contract 6’ which will see them lose all their paid breaks and forced to work bank holidays. The same employer is sacking North East GMB member Michael Hunnam. Michael’s fight is part of the same struggle to resist the offensive of the ASDA bosses. Michael’s supporters believe that his determined opposition to Contract 6 is what has put him in the ASDA firing line. Support the ASDA workers and reinstate Michael!
NIPSA
HSC NIPSA Pay Ballot Consultation (4 Mar) – The NIPSA Health Central Panel met yesterday to consider the results of the Pay Ballot consultation process across our HSC Branches. The overall result is as follows:
80% voted to Reject 20% voted to Accept
Whilst the majority of our members have voted to reject the Pay Offer, you will be aware that the Employer issued notice last week to inform all staff that the majority of Trade Unions have now signed up to the deal and monies owed will be paid to all staff in March 2020 salaries. That was disappointing for NIPSA as we had not completed our democratic Consultation Process. It is our view, for now, NIPSA solely cannot continue to campaign on Pay, particularly as the pay agreement will now be implemented from this month. We thank all of our members for their support in the Pay element of our campaign to date and the Safe Staffing dispute continues and more information on that will follow. Please contact your Branch Secretary with any queries that you have in relation to this bulletin.
Maria Morgan Assistant Secretary read more
NEU
Please find below details of forthcoming action. You are encouraged to send messages of solidarity to the email addresses below:
| Action | Date | Contact |
| Caerleon Comp / Newport (Staffing Restructure/TLR) | Tuesday 10 March | John Griffiths [email protected] |
| Chivenor Primary / Birmingham (Workload/Unacceptable Management Style) |
Tuesday 10 March Wednesday 11 March Thursday 12 March |
Shirley Perry [email protected] |
| Colfe’s School / Greenwich (Teachers’ Pension Scheme) |
Wednesday 11 March Thursday 12 March |
Tim Woodcock [email protected] |
| St Michael’s Catholic Primary / Newham (Enforced Academy) | Tuesday 10 March Wednesday 11 March Thursday 12 March |
Louise Cuffaro [email protected] |
| St Bonaventure’s School / Newham (Enforced Academy) | Tuesday 10 March Wednesday 11 March Thursday 12 March |
Louise Cuffaro [email protected] |
| Sixth Form colleges (list of striking colleges is available here) |
Tuesday 10 March details | Please send solidarity messages to colleges in your area |
More News
March Against Racism: UN anti-racism day protest – Sat, 21 Mar 2020 – 12:00 to 16:00, Portland place, London W1A 1AA read more on TUC website
Book launch: ‘Couldn’t pay, wouldn’t pay, didn’t pay – the struggle against the poll tax in Kent’. Compiled by Eric Segal secretary of South East Kent Trades Union Coluncil – 7.30pm, Thursday 12th March Whitstable Labour Club, 12 Belmont Road CT5 1QP details
TUC courses at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CoNEL) at the Tottenham Campus
Please see here, our course flyers for TUC courses starting in April and September 2020. Please note that there are two new Certificate courses that we have developed entitled Health & Safety Essentials Certificate and Equality Certificate. The Trade Union Education Department of the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CoNEL) at the Tottenham Campus is delivering these courses. If you have any issues applying online, please give us a call on 020 8442 3075 with your email address and we can send you an application form. It would be appreciated if you could also speak to your branch secretary or other branch officers and reps to promote these courses. Many thanks colleague.
Kind regards
Mark Andrew
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)
Unite welcomes decision to refer Shrewsbury 24 convictions to Court of Appeal (6 Mar) – Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, today (Friday 6 March) welcomed a decision by the Criminal Case Review Commission to refer the historic convictions of eight members of the Shrewsbury 24 to the Court of Appeal. The union has provided support and financial backing for the Shrewsbury 24 Campaign to overturn the convictions of the building workers, who were arrested during the early 1970s while picketing over pay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The eight appeals apply to those who were jailed or received suspended prison sentences in 1973-74. Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: “This is excellent news and hopefully the referral to the Court of Appeal will lead to the miscarriage of justice experienced by those amongst the Shrewsbury 24 who were jailed or given suspended sentences being overturned. It has taken far too long to get to this stage but the victims, whose only crime was to be trade unionists, can rest assured that Unite will support them every step of the way until justice is done.” Read more
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
Nigeria Solidarity Appeal – ABBEY TROTSKY VS SUMAL FOODS LIMITED:
Drop Trumped-up Charges, Recall Sacked Workers and End Slave Conditions in Sumal
Court Case on Trumped-Up Criminal Charges comes up on March 3, 2020
An appeal for more local and international Solidarity actions and financial support!
Following the intervention of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) – a campaign platform of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) – in the strike action of casual workers at Sumal Foods Limited, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, over pay and poor working conditions on October 2, 2018, Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky) is currently facing four different court cases.
Abbey Trotsky is the Oyo State Coordinator of the CDWR but also doubles as the acting National Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN).
The management of Sumal Foods, sadly in connivance of right wing/reactionary leadership of National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employee (NUFBTE), is using the police to persecute Abbey Trotsky with trumped-up criminal charges at magistrate court. Indeed, before Abbey was arraigned in court he had been arrested and detained many times by the Police and Department of State Service (DSS) – the Secret Police.
In addition to the criminal matter there are three civil matters – one at magistrate court and two at the National Industrial Court – instituted by the company and the outsourcing companies that recruit casual, insecure and poorly paid workers for Sumal Foods.
All the cases came up at different dates in January 2020. Their next adjourned dates fall between March and April 2020. Specifically the criminal case comes up on March 3, 2020.
The basis for all these numerous cases is to deter members of the CDWR particularly Abbey Trotsky from intervening in the plight of poor casual workers of Sumal Foods Limited and also to strike fear into the heart of mass of casual workers in the company especially now that the enactment of a new minimum wage of N30, 000 will mean that workers could begin to demand an increment in their daily pay.
Despite the continued persecution of comrade Abbey Trotsky, members of CDWR have remained undaunted and resilient as they had launched a campaign against casualisation and indecent labour practices not only in Sumal Foods but also in other workplaces in Ibadan and its environs. Political activities are also organised on regular basis by members of CDWR to support the legal defence being handled by a number of lawyers led by Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika of Citipoint Chambers pro bono. These political activities have greatly helped to deepen and strengthen the campaign against casualisation and indecent labour practices such that CDWR is gradually becoming a point of attraction to some layers of workers who are not only dissatisfied with their slave working condition but also interested in a fight back.
At the moment, over 20 workers that cut across no fewer than four different Ibadan workplaces have joined CDWR and have been actively involved in the campaign against casualization and activities often organised to support the legal defence against the persecution of comrade Abbey Trotsky. We thank all members and supporters as well as civil society and socialist organisations locally and internationally particularly members of CWI and our lawyers for all their solidarity and support which has helped to sustain the struggle this far. We equally recognise the fact that to sustain and build on this campaign will require more solidarity action and financial support both locally and internationally.
We call for immediate dropping of all trumped-up charges against Abbey Trotsky at magistrate court; withdrawal of all frivolous civil cases in the industrial courts; NUFBTE leadership must defend interest and rights of workers including casuals and end its unholy alliance with the management; reinstatement of all workers sacked because of their involvement in the struggle for better pay and conditions; and Sumal Management must end slave conditions in the company, end casualisation and respect law laws and regulations.
It is in the light of this that we call on the leadership of the three labour centres, Nigeria labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United labour Congress (ULC) at the national and state level, industrial unions, civil society organisations and socialists locally and internationally for more solidarity actions including physical presence at the court, public statements, petitioning and picketing of Nigerian Embassies and High Commissions. These can also include financial support to support the political activities and campaigns towards the struggle on the plight of workers in Sumal Foods, Ibadan, and against casualisation, outsourcing and other anti-labour practices.
We request that sms Protest Messages should be sent to the following persons:
-Federal Ministry of Labour Oyo State Office – +2348035676740
-President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) – +2348036556600
-Commissioner of Police Oyo State – +2348038467592
-Speaker Oyo State House of Assembly – +2347032542579
-Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Zone 11 – +2348036536581
Copies of all protest letters or messages to be sent to: [email protected] or WhatsApp – +2348033914091
Please Donate to CDWR Account:
Fortress Books Nigeria
1012616511
Zenith Bank
For donations from outside Nigeria please email the CDWR on [email protected] or contact local CDWR supporters to arrange payment.
Rufus Olusesan
National Chair CDWR
Email: [email protected]
USA: Workers on US farms victimized for denouncing contract labour abuses and seeking union recognition read more
Diary
2020
July 4 – NSSN Conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL
September 13 – NSSN TUC Rally Brighton 1pm
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