There couldn’t be a more poignant time to mark two of the most important dates in the calendar of the labour and trade union movement. On Wednesday, International Workers Memorial Day will be commemorated while on Saturday, May Day – the global Workers’ Day – will be celebrated. Both days will bring home the two primary challenges facing workers and their unions – the need for workplace safety during Covid and the fight against the offensive of the bosses and their Tory government.
There has never been a more important time for workers to be organised in a union, in the fight for our lives and livelihoods. A year ago, some at leadership level in the unions capitulated to the idea of ‘national unity’ with Johnson’s government and the employers, calling off action and suspending disputes. But the brutal ‘fire and rehire’ that has sacked hundreds of British Gas workers and rolled out in many sectors has shown once and for all that there is no common cause and we have to be organised for the fight of our lives.
And, workers are showing that they are up for the fight. Not only is the number of strikes increasing but so is their intensity, with more days of action and many going indefinite. We have to use the platform of May Day to spread the word about the disputes that are building and the need for the unions to fight together. The motto for International Workers Memorial Day has never been more important: “remember the dead fight for the living”.
Rob Williams NSSN Chair
For events this week, follow on social media: #IWMD #IWMD21 #IWMD2021 #MayDay #MayDay21 #MayDay2021
May Day Rallies (socially-distanced)
Southampton: 12pm Bargate (hosted by Southampton & South West Hampshire Trades Union Council)
Hackney: 12pm Hackney Town Hall (hosted by Day-mer and Unite)
Swansea: 12pm Castle Square (hosted by Swansea Trades Council)
Cardiff: 12pm Senedd (hosted by Cardiff Trades Council)
Liverpool: 12pm Derby Square L2
NSSN Conference 2021: 11am Sunday 20th June online via Zoom Facebook event
Stop victimisation of union reps
Donate to the reinstatement campaign of Declan Clune RMT bus driver in Southampton (on behalf of Declan Clune and all RMT Southampton District Bus and Coach Branch members). Email message of support: [email protected]
RMT to ballot for action over victimisation and sacking of leading bus activist (25 Mar)
Support Gary Carney RMT rep on London Underground
Defend Adrian Mitchell RMT driver on London Underground
Donate to solidarity campaign of Moe Muhsin Manir Unite bus rep Email messages of support to Moe: [email protected]
Support Kirstie Paton Greenwich NEU – online event 9.30am this Friday April 30th ‘drop disciplinary proceedings against Kirstie
Stop victimisation of NEU rep Louise Lewis
Solidarity with NEU reps Tracy McGuire and Keiran Mahon
Unite: Groundhog Day as Woolwich Ferry workers hold strike ballot over victimised rep (7 Apr)
St Mungos management escalate dispute by suspending Unite reps
Watch Reel News video: Victimised union reps: Act like it’s you and fight back
Fight Tory 1% NHS Pay Insult
For more information: Nurses and Midwives say NO! to Public Sector pay inequality, Keep Our NHS Public, Health Campaigns Together (read April’s HCT bulletin)
The Sparks force bosses back de-skilling at Hinkley Point but struggle continues
Rank and file construction electricians have launched a struggle against what they see as multi-skilling by bosses at the massive site Hinkley Point to build the nuclear power station, estimated to cost £22.5 billion.
It is reported that an agreement to employ about 500 electrical apprentices had been reneged on and instead a training course for ‘Support Operatives’ is being put on. This would mean lower-paid unskilled workers being employed instead of skilled electricians.
The campaign has already seen protests in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Scotland and Wales and recently there was the first demonstration at Hinkley. Unite now report that the training course at Hinkley has been stopped, which is a great victory. But the fight goes on, particularly targeting NG Baileys and Balfour Beatty, until de-skilling is totally off the agenda.
Solidarity to the Sparks!
See Reel News video of last week’s protests – Sparks invade Balfour Beatty job over deskilling
See Reel News video of recent protest at Hinkley Point
Read latest Siteworker bulletins of the Rank & File
For details of Sparks protests, follow NO TO ESO (UNSKILLED LABOUR) Facebook page
Sign petition: Permanently BAN the practice or notion of de-skilling professional trades!
Support 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. Feel free to use this affiliation letter
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]
Watch the NSSN pre-TUC Rally from last September and follow us on twitter via @NSSN_AntiCuts and Facebook
The NSSN is continuing to report on how workers are organising during the coronavirus pandemic
The NSSN is opening up our weekly email bulletin, website and social media platforms of Facebook and twitter to provide a public forum for workers during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. We want to be a place where we can all share queries and experiences that workers are facing in their workplaces. These include reports of action taken by workers to defend themselves from their employers.
You can read about many of these actions in our weekly bulletin and out social media groups, especially our Facebook group: NSSN – defend workers’ rights under Coronavirus.
You can also send the NSSN your reports and queries via our website, twitter – @NSSN_AntiCuts and email – [email protected]
We welcome the information being sent to union members concerning the spread of coronavirus, including the Accord, Advance, AEP, AFA-CWA, ASLEF, BDA, BECTU Sector of Prospect, BFAWU, BOS-TU, College of Podiatry, Community, CSP, EIS, Equity, FBU, FDA, GMB, HCSA, MU, NAHT, NASUWT, National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD), Nautilus International, NEU, NGSU, NUJ, PFA, Prospect, RCM, SoR, TSSA, TUC, UCU, UNISON, Unite, URTU, USDAW, WGGB and the RCN
But it is absolutely vital that unions retain their ability to organise and act independently in defence of their members and workers generally. This includes the right of unions to take industrial action. We are already aware of workers being forced to take unofficial action on health and safety grounds. We also believe that unions should have oversight of any government bans on protests and picketing. This is the same Tory government that tabled more new anti-union laws in December’s Queens Speech last December and cannot be trusted and is now attacking the right to protest through its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
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. The Tory government have announced measures that include some workers receiving 80% of their wages. This furlough scheme was due to end but has now been extended because of the 2nd lockdown.
However, we believe that no worker should pay the price for any spread of the virus. We say: work or full pay. Any worker who is required not to attend work or is unable to do so because of COVID, childcare or transport closures should receive full pay and not be forced to take annual leave. But unions have to remain vigilant that any government payments actually happen and also covers all workers, including those in precarious employment such as zero-hour contracts and in the gig economy.
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.
Keep an eye out for other Facebook and social media groups and pages that are being created. The Coronavirus Support Group for Workers has been set up on Facebook and is a useful forum and you can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK
Union News
RMT
Fifth day of strike action by Scotrail conductors (25 Apr) – Fifth day of strike action by Scotrail holding firm again today as Abellio bosses continue to block talks. RAIL UNION RMT said that a fifth day of strike action by Scotrail conductors in a fight for equality and workplace justice over enhanced payments for rest day working is holding firm again today as Abellio bosses block talks and line their own pockets at staff and taxpayer expense in the dying months of their franchise:-
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 28th March 2021
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 4th April 2021
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 11th April 2021
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 18th April 2021
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 25th April 2021
- 00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 2nd May 2021 read more
ScotRail ticket examiners vote yes for action read more
RMT warns Government won’t cut carbon emissions by cutting public transport services (20 Apr) – Responding to the news that the Government is set to speed up its targets to cut carbon emissions RMT today claimed the rhetoric must be met with much more ambitious actions. Transport emissions account for 20% of the UK’s total emissions and the union highlighted the Government’s hypocrisy with its current plans for railway austerity and potential cuts to rail services and rail jobs read more
Sign petition: to The Mayor of London and the London Assembly – End the privatisation of cleaning at Transport for London
RMT members to take industrial action at Unipart Rail Doncaster – RMT members working at Unipart Rail Doncaster will be taking industrial action next month following a ballot after a derisory pay offer from the company. Unipart Rail’s Doncaster warehouse supplies parts to the rail industry. With effect from 00:01 hours on Friday 2nd April 2021, until further notice, RMT members working at Unipart Rail Doncaster are instructed:-
- Not to work any non-contractual overtime
- Not to work on a rest day read more
Fight job cuts at Queens Park – In January, LU announced a plan to cut train driver jobs at Queen’s Park depot. They’ve refused to back away from that, so our driver members will now ballot for industrial action. The ballot opens on 25/03 and closes on 08/04. Resist the cuts, vote yes! Read more
Sign this petition: RMT steps up campaign for TfL funding
Please Support RMT Members With No Wages! – RMT London Transport Region Zero Hours & Self-Employed members need our Solidarity Now! Many of our regions self-employed members and those on zero hours have not any had wages for 2 months since March. They have been abandoned by London Underground, TfL, the London Mayor and their agency employers. They MUST NOT be abandoned by us too; their RMT sisters and brothers! The RMT London Transport Regional Council and LU Engineering RMT branch are calling out to all branches, members and friends to dig deep and give meaningful solidarity to our hard pressed members facing poverty and possibly eviction from their homes. To help support by donating to the fund or to ask after support for yourself, please email: [email protected] read more
ASLEF
Stonehaven interim report (19 Apr) – ASLEF has welcomed an interim report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch into the crash at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire on Wednesday 12 August 2020 which claimed the lives of three people – driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62 – and in which six other people were injured. The RAIB exonerated the driver of the train and has found that the accident, which cast a long shadow across Britain’s railway industry, was caused by ‘debris washed onto the track near Carmont, Aberdeenshire, following heavy rainfall. The washout was caused by unusually heavy rain. The subsequent derailment resulted in the death of three people, injuries to the six other people in the train and catastrophic damage’ read more
TSSA
Pollution death shows “health must come first” says TSSA (21 Apr) – Transport union TSSA today welcomes the coroner’s report into the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and backs the call to reduce pollution limits, saying “health must come first”. The inquest into the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the busy South Circular road in Lewisham, London, found that air pollution “made a material contribution” to her death. Ella suffered from asthma, one of several conditions known to be caused and/or exacerbated by air pollution read more
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”: STUC backs TSSA against breakup of Network Rail in Scotland (21 Apr) – TSSA leader Manuel Cortes has welcomed Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) support for the union’s campaigns to defend the integrity of Network Rail and bring ScotRail permanently into public ownership after the 124th STUC conference voted to support their motion. TSSA argues that breaking up Network Rail would make its parts ripe for privatisation and impose extra costs on Scottish taxpayers as purchasing power from economies of scale are lost read more
Carmont RAIB interim report: We must learn the lessons – Cortes (20 Apr) – TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes has welcomed the interim Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report into the tragic derailment at Carmont near Stonehaven in 2020 and urged governments and Network Rail to learn the lessons from the report read more
Unite
Unite launches national campaign to end ‘bully boy’ fire and rehire with a day of coordinated strikes and actions across the country today – Unite the union will today (Monday 26 April) launch a major national campaign to end the growing practice of fire and rehire. The UK’s leading trade union kicks off the campaign with coordinated strikes and actions across the country, including at Go North West, Goodlord and Fife Council. Workers, trade unionists and supporters around the country will come out on strike, arrange solidarity actions and leaflet workplaces, as pressure mounts of the government to take action against a practice labelled “bully-boy” by a government minister. Fire and rehire, which forces workers to accept worse pay and conditions in order to keep their job, has been described as a ‘disease that’s ripping through our workplaces’ by Unite’s leader Len McCluskey. The TUC found that already one in 10 workers had been threatened with fire and rehire during the pandemic, with that number set to grow dramatically as furlough ends unless the law is changed. Unite is representing its members in a number of disputes with employers over their fire and rehire attacks on workers, including at Goodlord, Go North West, Brush Electronics, SAICA, Tesco and Jacobs Douwe Egberts. The union successfully supported workers to defeat fire and rehire at SPS Technologies read more
Support the indefinite bus strike in Manchester – follow Go Ahead STOP the attacks on Queens Road Facebook page and strikes London bus strikes
Khan and Burnham must outlaw fire and rehire in London and Manchester buses – Unite, Britain’s leading union, is today (Thursday 15 April) calling on the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan to publicly back a declaration to outlaw fire and rehire on bus services. Activists will deliver the declarations to London City Hall (SE1 2AA) and the Greater Manchester Mayor’s office (M1 6EU) at 1.00pm on Thursday 15 April. The Go Ahead group which owns bus services in London and Manchester (Go North West) is using the disgraceful fire and rehire tactic to attack Manchester bus drivers’ pay and conditions. Other bus workers could face a similar fate unless the leaders of London and Manchester act. The Mayors have the power to outlaw fire and rehire by barring employers which use this immoral tactic from bidding for bus contracts controlled by Transport for London and Transport for Greater Manchester. Over 400 drivers in Manchester have been on all out strike since Sunday 28 February. Go North West’s fire and rehire plans mean bus drivers will be forced to work longer for no additional pay. Go North West is expecting its drivers to undertake 130 hours of unpaid work per annum, resulting in drivers being £2,500 a year worse off. Go North West is also intent on tearing up the existing sick pay policy, which will result in a 67 per cent cut in sick pay for workers with over five years’ service. Unite executive officer Sharon Graham said: “Today we are calling on Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan to publicly back a declaration which bars employers who use fire and rehire from bidding for future contracts in the great cities of London and Manchester. Warm words in support of the bus drivers in Manchester who are under attack are simply not enough and workers in London could be next. It’s time to act…” read more
London bus strikes suspended following new pay offer (25 Apr) – Bus strikes scheduled for tomorrow (Monday 26 April) have been suspended following an eleventh hour improved pay offer. Bus drivers employed by London United, a subsidiary of French company RATP, based at seven depots in South and West London have been involved in a series of strikes in a dispute over pay. The strike action has been suspended so that details of the revised offer can be finalised. Once the offer is finalised members of the Unite union, who have been involved in the industrial action, will be balloted on the proposed pay deal read more
Metroline has until 10 May to jettison ‘remote sign-on’ in London – or face summer of strikes (23 Apr) – London bus operator Metroline has until 10 May to permanently drop its controversial ‘remote sign-on’ policy – or it will face a summer of strikes, Unite the union warned today (Friday 23 April). Unite said if Metroline dug in its heels, it would face a rolling programme of strikes by more than 4,000 bus drivers which would seriously disrupt its services in north and west London. At present, the dates for strike action are being kept under wraps. Unite has health & safety concerns about this policy for its members and also the travelling public. London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has instructed the bosses at Transport for London (TfL) to introduce an immediate moratorium, which will not be lifted until detailed research into ‘remote sign on’ is completed. Metroline has stated it is only pausing the introduction of ‘remote sign-on’. A total of 96 per cent of Metroline West and 97 per cent of Metroline Travel members have voted for strike action on Metroline routes. The company employs about 16 per cent of all bus drivers in the capital. Unite regional officer Mary Summers said that Metroline bosses were ‘drinking in the last chance saloon’, as the union had a massive mandate from its members for strike action read more
Public meeting (hosted by Solidarity Shouts): Passenger Transport, the employers’ offensive and how to fight it – 7pm Friday 30th April. Register by emailing [email protected]
Fresh revelations of undercover policing infiltration of unions must not be glossed over (25 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is demanding that the Mitting Inquiry into undercover policing does not gloss over the infiltration of unions by spycops. The union issued its demand following the opening statements in the latest phase of the inquiry which is examining the period from 1973-82 when David Barr QC, the counsel to the inquiry, revealed for the first time that several undercover officers had been members of the TGWU (a predecessor union to Unite). It has been revealed that the undercover police officer with the code name David Hughes infiltrated the TGWU during his deployment from 1971-76 and the undercover officer with the code name Barry Tompkins also infiltrated the TGWU during his deployment from 1979-83 read more
Spycops: ‘so called’ blacklisting protest at ‘so called’ public inquiry – 11am Amba Hotel, Marble Arch Monday 26th April
Unite issues proposals to tackle bogus self-employment (Apr 25) – Presumption of employment and new Statutory Code of Practice central to decent work blueprint. Unite, which represents workers in all sectors, today (Sunday) published a set of proposals designed to tackle the scourge of bogus self-employment as well as other precarious working practices. The proposals have been submitted to the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection in response to their draft recommendations. The union has identified six key measures which, it said, would address bogus self-employment and other precarious work practices, including those involved in the so-called platform economy read more
Engineers at Melrose-owned Brush Electrical in strike ballot over fire and rehire cuts of up to £15,000 (23 Apr) – Global field service engineers employed by Loughborough-based Brush Electrical Machines, owned by venture capitalists Melrose, are being balloted for strike action in response to ‘fire and rehire’ pay cuts of up to £15,000, Unite said today (Friday 23 April). Unite, the UK’s leading union, said around 30 field service engineers, who service transformers around the world, are being balloted from today, with the ballot closing on 10 May. The proposed contracts include reductions to overtime rates, allowances, holidays and other terms and conditions that would result in a pay cut of between £10,000 and £15,000 a year. The engineers have been threatened with redundancy if they do not sign the new contracts, which will leave them on pay rates ‘well below industry standard’. Brush Electrical Machines manufacturers electrical generators for gas and steam turbines read more
Unite victory for workers on zero hours at Sheffield University Students Union (23 Apr) – Members of Unite employed by the Students Union at Sheffield University have won a significant victory on zero hours and sick pay following a year long campaign. Hundreds of student workers, on precarious contracts, employed by Sheffield Students’ Union have been calling on management to address its sick pay policy and the use of zero hours. COVID 19 prompted the workers’ union Unite to step up its call to management to introduce sick pay entitlements for casual staff in line with full time staff, and to end poor employment practices. The board of trustees have now voted to support the union’s proposals which include minimum hours for current and future staff and full sick pay after 12 weeks service read more
Intel Covid outbreak: Unite reiterates long-standing call for regular and rigorous on-site testing (Apr 23) – Union wrote to Intel project management companies in March. NPHET must provide guidance on testing for construction sector. April 23rd: Responding to the news that at least 70 construction workers on the Intel site in Kildare have tested positive for Covid-19, Unite – which organises workers throughout the construction sector – today (Friday) highlighted the urgent need for a rigorous testing regime on construction sites read more
Crossrail’s moved goalposts allows contractors to avoid tax payments (22 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s construction union, has learned that secret changes to the way procurement rules operate on the heavily delayed Crossrail project mean that contractors are able to ignore previous rules and boost their profits by not paying national insurance contributions for workers. Since the beginning of the Crossrail project clear procurement rules have been in place stating that workers on the project should be “employees”. This means that contractors were obliged to pay employers’ national insurance contributions which are 13.8 per cent of an employees’ earnings. However, earlier this year, Unite revealed that the rules on only employing employees were being broken on the Bond Street station project by the principal contractor Engie and sub-contractor NCCT. Electricians who were working on a full PAYE basis were being made redundant while workers who had been engaged on self-employed terms were continuing to work on the project. When Unite further challenged this with Crossrail the union received the following response from Angela Williams, the chief people officer at Crossrail: “As you know the engagement of NCCT as a contractor working on the Crossrail programme is now a matter for NCCT and ENGIE and not Crossrail directly.” Williams’ statement means that Crossrail believes the rules on direct employment and the requirement that workers are employees no longer apply if work is contracted or sub-contracted (which is standard practice in the construction industry) read more
Security guards at Reading hospital to be balloted again for strike action in ‘David and Goliath’ pay battle (21 Apr) – Security staff at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, locked in the long-running ‘David and Goliath’ pay and conditions battle with their employer, are to be balloted again for strike action. The ballot of the 20 members, who are employed by Kingdom Services Group Ltd to provide security for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, will open on Tuesday (27 April). It closes on Thursday 13 May. Unite said that the easiest way to settle this dispute, which has seen a wave of strikes from December 2020 to early March, is for the security guards to be brought back ‘in house’ under NHS management read more
Support striking Reading hospital security guards – Text solidarity messages via Jessica 07718668497 and donate to strike fund: Acc. No.: 20173991 Sort Code: 60-83-01. Sign petition to Mark Wallace , Kingdom Service Group Managing Director: Pay Royal Berkshire Hospital security staff a wage they can live on
Devonport naval base faces more disruption as tugboat crew to strike again for 24 hours in rostering row – Another 24 hour strike is to be held by Plymouth tugboat crews in the continuing rostering dispute, which will again cause serious disruption to naval traffic in the docks, Unite the union warned today (Monday 19 April). About 40 tractor tug crew members employed by Serco Marine at Devonport’s naval base will strike from 07:00 on Monday 26 April until 06:59 on Tuesday 27 April 2021. This follows on from the first 24 hour strike (9/10 April) in the long-running dispute over the imposition of a new three weeks ‘on’ and three weeks ‘off’ roster. Unite has repeatedly said that there were serious health & safety risks for its members, including excessive tiredness, with the new three week system introduced in December. It also has adverse implications for their annual leave entitlement. The strike will again cause serious disruption to naval vessels, including submarines, which need the tugs to get into the docks and out again into open sea read more
Unions sound alarm after wave of redundancies puts future of critical nuclear facility at risk (21 Apr) – Trade unions have warned that a new wave of redundancies at Springfields Fuels Ltd, the UK’s only nuclear fuel manufacturing facility, risks not only the future of the site but the UK’s drive for Net Zero. Springfields has told some staff there are to be 120 redundancies, which unions Prospect and Unite warn risks hollowing out the skills base at the site which employs around 800 people near Preston in Lancashire, and supports 4,000 jobs in the wider supply chain read more
‘Summer holidays ban’ for Banbury coffee workers to thwart industrial action in ‘fire and rehire’ row, claims Unite (21 Apr) – Reports that bosses at JDE (Jacobs Douwe Egberts) in Banbury will stop workers from taking summer holidays to thwart an overtime ban, starting on 1 May, in the ‘fire and rehire’ dispute has sparked outrage. Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, understands that management have sent a letter to staff setting out conditions for applications for leave which may not be accepted if production is at risk at the Oxfordshire plant. The revelation comes on the eve of proposed talks tomorrow (Thursday 22 April) between Unite and the company, and as the union starts legal proceedings over allegations that some workers were offered inducements of £750 to accept pay cuts and inferior employment conditions. As sections of the Ruscote Avenue site already rely on overtime to keep production running to schedule, Unite said the attempt to stop summer holidays was ‘a deliberate and underhand ploy’ to undermine the continuous overtime ban from 1 May. The overtime ban follows Unite members voting by an 87 per cent majority to strike over the decision by the Dutch-owned company to issue notice of dismissal and engagement for 291 employees. Strike action is expected from June, if the overtime ban throughout May does not bring a resolution to the dispute read more
Unite to fight to save jobs as Argos announces closure of Somerset distribution centre (20 Apr) – Unite the UK’s leading union, is committed to fight to save as many jobs as possible following the announcement that Argos intends to close its distribution centre in Bridgwater, Somerset. Unite understands that around 230 jobs are at risk at the site which is now earmarked for closure in 2022. Unite is seeking urgent meetings with the company at a senior level and will be exploring all avenues to preserve jobs. The union will be demanding to see the business case behind the closure decision, while also exploring if the number of job losses can be reduced or whether affected workers can be redeployed read more
Ealing parking strikes latest in series of industrial disputes to hit outsourcer Serco – Serco civil enforcement officers in Ealing have voted to strike over the targeting of union activists in the latest in a series of industrial disputes to hit the outsourcer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday 15 April). After a near unanimous vote, more than 40 civil enforcement officers will strike over Serco’s offer of severance to elected Unite representatives and activists in order to undermine trade union organisation. The dates for the strikes have yet to be announced. As well as targeting union reps and activists, Serco offered severance to individual employees in order to undermine collective consultation. Serco is also refusing to negotiate a new absence management policy for employees working on the Ealing contract. Unite believes the present policy is being used to unfairly dismiss employees and should be renegotiated. This dispute follows a botched and unjustified restructuring and redundancy programme that Serco tried to instigate in late 2019, with minimal consultation with Unite. Meanwhile, Serco catering workers at the Royal London hospital in Whitechapel are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over bullying and the imposition of new rotas read more
Support Thurrock bin strike! – Strike dates set as Thurrock council heroes resist cuts to pay and conditions – Council workers providing essential services through the health crisis to the residents of Thurrock will strike for three weeks because of Thurrock Council’s plans to brutally cut their pay and conditions. Refuse workers, highway maintenance and street cleaners will take strike action from Tuesday 13 April until Friday 7 May, excluding 3 May. The very workers who have been supporting residents, by providing key services throughout the current health crisis, are furious that they are now the target of proposed cuts of between £2,000 – £3,500 a year for refuse workers, highway maintenance and street cleaners. Meanwhile, the council has not proposed any cuts to the pay and conditions of senior management. Lyn Carpenter, the chief executive earns almost £200,000 a year read more
Follow Justice For Refuse Workers & Cleansers on Facebook
Sign petition: Thurrock Residents Please Support Key Workers Pay & Terms & Conditions
Life Residential and Featherstone Leigh estate agents ‘facing further pain’ with fresh Goodlord strike ballot – London estate agents using services from Goodlord are ‘facing further pain’ after striking workers from the lettings software provider were balloted for fresh industrial action over £6,000 pay cuts. More than 20 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed in Goodlord’s referencing department have been on strike since 22 February over fire and rehire plans that would see their pay plummet from £24,000 to £18,000. Goodlord provides services for a number of estate agents in London, including Life Residential, Best Estate Agents, Andrews and Featherstone Leigh. The ballot for another round of strike action takes into account not just the pay cuts, but the dismissal and hostile targeting of union members while on strike, as well as Goodlord’s use of agency labour during the industrial action. It opens on 14 April and closes on 26 April read more See Reel News video of Goodlord strike Messages of support to [email protected]
- Email complaints to [email protected]; tweet complaints to @sogoodlord
- Strike fund donations to Unite LE/7098L London ITC Branch, sort code 60-83-01, account 20303680, reference Goodlord
St Mungo’s maintenance strikes called as concern at charity’s ‘bullying and anti-union culture’ grows – Maintenance workers at the St Mungo’s housing charity will begin indefinite strike action from Thursday 22 April in response to ‘appalling treatment’ by senior management, Unite, Britain and Ireland’s largest union, said today (Thursday 8 April). The all-out strike follows a warning in March by Unite, which has more than 500 members at St Mungo’s, that a ‘bullying and anti-union culture’ amongst the management at the London-based charity needed to be addressed. St Mungo’s staff staged walk-outs last year, in part due to the charity’s unbalanced and unfair use of disciplinary procedures. Unite pointed to the targeting of the 44 per cent of workplace reps at the charity, who are currently engaged in formal processes concerning their own employment, as evidence of an anti-union bias by management. Staff relations have become so bad within St Mungo’s property services department that 12 Unite members will begin indefinite strike action on 22 April. The strike was called after a number of staff grievances against property services senior management were dismissed read more
St Mungos management escalate dispute by suspending Unite rep – Orwellian move at St Mungos: management suspend Unite rep for grievance about bullying. In an Orwellian escalation of the crisis at St Mungo’s, management have suspended a union rep who had raised a grievance concerning bullying management. The grounds include that senior managers were distressed by the suggestion of a bullying management style. Astounding 44% of reps already facing formal processes regarding own employment. This twist follows a vote for strike action by this team following a failure to adequately investigate bullying management! Read more
Sainsbury’s faces South East Easter shortages as DHL strikes over ‘union busting’ loom – Sainsbury’s is facing Easter shortages at its stores across the South East, including parts of London, after DHL staff at its Dartford regional distribution centre voted for strike action over ‘union busting’, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday 12 February). The Dartford strike ballot was called after a Unite steward, who was providing support to a member of staff during an investigation hearing, was suspended for challenging a DHL managers’ version of events. The reason given for the suspension by the manager was that the Unite steward was being aggressive – an accusation flatly contradicted by a neutral member of staff who was present at the meeting as a third party. After the vote in favour of strike action, more than 350 DHL staff are now poised to stage walk out’s throughout March, April and May read more
Read document by Unite Community Cumbria branch: ‘Covid and the Tories – a world beating catastrophe’
PCS
PCS members to take further strike action at the DVLA over health and safety (20 Apr) – PCS has today notified the DVLA of its intention to take a further four days of strike action from 4 to 7 May. This latest period of strike action follows the successful walkout during 6-9 April, where over 1,400 PCS members took strike action over health and safety concerns at the DVLA sites. Over 2000 staff are being made to attend the site daily. PCS will again be asking all staff who are being made to go into work to take the action. This is in a bid to get the DVLA senior leadership to take health and safety concerns seriously and reduce numbers on site read more Sign our DVLA e-action
Please sign this PCS petition to Save Ealing Tax Office – we ask that you sign this eaction to the Chancellor calling on him to intervene urgently, to halt the office closures and redundancies, and consult fully with the union and work to retain the experience and vital knowledge contained within Ealing Tax Office. Support our call to SAVE JOBS, SAVE SERVICES and STOP THE CLOSURES
GMB
Addison lee latest gig economy employer to fall in workers’ rights fight (22 Apr) – Private hire firm Addison Lee is the latest gig economy firm to have their bogues self-employment exposed by the courts. The Court of Appeal has today ruled they will not be able to fight the decision by the Employment Tribunal’s that drivers are entitled to workers’ rights. The decision was made in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment stating that Uber drivers, represented by law firm Leigh Day, are entitled to receive the National Minimum Wage and holiday pay. Addison Lee’s appeal to the Court of Appeal had been put on hold in anticipation of the Supreme Court judgment read more
GMB strikes pioneering new deal for disabled workers with Securitas (23 Apr) – Securitas becomes first security employer to sign up to ‘life-changing’ reasonable adjustments disability passport. GMB has struck a deal with Securitas to become the first security provider to sign up to the union’s ground-breaking disability passport. The passport – developed by GMB and the TUC – is a straightforward, worker owned process, that removes the stress and uncertainty many disabled workers face around reasonable adjustments. Securitas employs 355,000 people in 48 markets including more than 9,000 UK Employees. The move will mean all staff will be covered by the policy – which agrees the adjustments for employees with disabilities need to stay in work read more
Unions call for cost-cutting plan at The Bay CE School to be scrapped (20 Apr) – Questions over rationale for proposals that could see 15 jobs axed at Sandown school. Trade unions have joined forces to challenge cost-cutting plans at The Bay CE School on the Isle of Wight which could see up to 15 jobs axed. GMB, Unison, NASUWT and NEU UNIONS are concerned following the resumption of budget-slashing consultation meetings read more
Support the GMB strike against ‘fire and rehire at British Gas – send a message of support and donate to the GMB British Gas ‘Fire and Rehire’ Strike Fund
Unison
It’s “never been clearer” that Mitie can afford to pay, as Cumberland Infirmary workers begin third round of strike action (22 Apr) – More than 150 porters, cleaners, switchboard and catering staff employed by Mitie at Cumberland Infirmary are set to begin a further three days of strike action tomorrow (Friday) over missing payments for working unsocial hours. The hospital workers have already taken four days of strike action in recent months. While the strike action escalates, trade union UNISON says that it has “never been clearer” that Mitie can afford to pay NHS rates to the Infirmary workers it employs read more
Proposed job cuts at Cadent Gas are irresponsible and unnecessary (20 Apr) – Company must reconsider job loss plans. Plans to cut up to 450 jobs at Cadent Gas are totally unnecessary and must be urgently reconsidered, says UNISON today (Tuesday). As part of a consultation that has begun this week, the company announced that roles in the customer services, technical, scheduling and dispatch, repair planning and supervisory teams will go, despite past assurances by the company read more
Unison: Support the Birmingham NHS Heartlands Porters Dispute – UNSION members who are Heartlands Hospital Porters are currently taking strike action about the proposed imposition of a new rota. This will result in them working detrimental rotating 8 shifts pattern. The proposed rota impacts on our members health and well being; their caring responsibilities; their work/life balance and results in a significant cut in wages for many read more on Facebook page.
Email message of support to [email protected]
Donate to hardship fund: Unison University Hospitals Birmingham Branch 22536, Unity Trust Bank, Ac: 20403849 Sort Code: 60 83 01
Sign petition: We call upon the Chair of the Trust Jacqui Smith and the Chief Executive David Rosser to halt the imposition of the rota and to not ‘fire and rehire’ their Heartlands Hospital Porters on the 1st Feb. We urge them to ask the senior management to work with UNISON to implement a jointly agreed rota which is based upon a ‘fixed’ shift basis
CWU
Talks resume with Openreach as RPEs notch up 15 days of strike action (23 April) – A solid week of industrial action is today (Friday) drawing to a close in Openreach, with the CWU’s small but fiercely loyal membership of repayment project engineers (RPEs) more determined than ever to maintain their battle against the company’s imposed regrading of their role. Every day since Monday the 170-strong group have maintained highly visible pickets outside Openreach workplaces the length and breadth of the country over the company’s refusal to engage with the union over legitimate concerns that the move creates a dangerous mismatch of responsibilities. Not since the 1987 national strike has any group of workers anywhere in BT Group felt compelled to make such a decisive stand against management intransigence and belligerence. And if management had been assuming that RPEs fighting spirit would be starting to wane as the 15th day of RPE industrial action draws to its conclusion, they will have been sorely disappointed! Indeed, if anything, this week’s five consecutive days of strike action has been marked by spiralling high spirits and an increasing determination to prevail. (See below). That mood no doubt influenced the company’s surprise decision earlier this week to resume talks with the union after weeks of stonewalling the CWU calls for meaningful talks read more
Full steam ahead to industrial action ballot as members see through BT cash ‘bribe’ – Members across BT, Openreach and EE have delivered a resounding message of defiance after BT’s surprise attempt to kick this year’s pay review into touch by fobbing off employees with one-off cash ‘bung’. Within minutes of management’s disingenuous announcement yesterday (Wednesday) of “an exceptional package for an exceptional year” – and the simultaneous release of a CWU counter-message to members exposing the company’s “desperate move” for exactly what it is – there was no doubting which argument was winning amongst those who really count. Throughout the day all the CWU’s social media channels were bombarded with renewed messages of support from members for the union’s ‘Count Me In’ campaign of resistance against ruthless attacks on job security and hard won terms & conditions that have erupted across the whole of BT Group. In addition to countless furious social media posts, hundreds of emails were also received by the union from members expressing their astonishment and dismay at management’s apparent belief that employee anger over compulsory redundancies and looming site closures can be ‘bought off’ with a £1,000 ‘bribe’. Yesterday evening, no fewer than 14,000 tuned in to a special CWU Facebook Live session across the union’s social media channels – a record breaking real-time viewing figure which has continued to grow throughout today with catch-up views. Poignantly the Facebook Live broadcast took place at the end of the tenth day of industrial action by the unions small but fiercely loyal membership of Repayment Project Engineers (RPEs) in Openreach – themselves fighting against that division’s steadfast refusal to listen to genuine workforce concerns about the imposed regrading of their role. With anger now reaching boiling point across the whole of BT Group at the similar disregard being shown by top bosses to employee dismay at the company’s current trajectory, the union has now set up a special CWU solidarity fund to provide financial support for the 170-strong group of brave RPE strikers. “We will not leave this small group of members isolated,” stresses CWU general secretary Dave Ward. See full details here
Sign petition: Keep BT desk based sites open in London and the South East
New BTPS indexation battle looms as trustees challenge planned scrapping of RPI inflation measure (23 Apr) – The CWU has welcomed the decision of the BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) Trustees to mount a landmark legal challenge to Government’s plans to ditch the time-honoured Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation measure. Amid concerns the Government’s decision last November to scrap time-honoured RPI calculations in 2030 – replacing it with the typically lower Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure that includes housing (CPIH) – will significantly lower some indexation rates after that date, the BTPS has joined forces with the Ford and M&S pension schemes in seeking a Judicial Review of the decision read more
Paragon members urged to accept across the board inflation-plus pay offer (23 Apr) – Pay negotiations with Paragon Customer Communications have delivered a ‘final’ offer that, if accepted, will see members on the Santander account receive a fully consolidated 2% increase read more
NIPSA
NIPSA Condemns the Cowardly Attack on NIPSA Member, Police Staff Member and Part-time Reserve Officer (21 Apr) – NIPSA the largest public sector trade union in Northern Ireland utterly condemns the brutal attack this morning on the Police Staff member and Part-Time police officer and NIPSA member. It is clear that this was an attempt on this worker, young mother and her young daughter. This is a callous and reprehensible act from those in society who offer nothing other than to seek to drag us back to the dark days. Our member can be assured of the support not just of NIPSA but the whole of the Trade Union Movement read more
QUB Creche Workers Commence Industrial Action – Sixteen NIPSA members employed in QUB Crèche commence industrial action today in defence of their terms, conditions and employment. It is ironic on International Women’s Day low paid women workers’ have been forced to take industrial action. Despite being engaged in conciliation via the Labour Relations Agency unfortunately that process did not deliver anything that would have allowed the action to be called off. The action today commences with Action Short of Strike Action – but messages of support to these brave NIPSA members will be passed on read more
POA
HMPPS Submission to the Prison Service Pay Review Body (23 Apr) – Please find the HMPPS Submission to the Prison Service Pay Review Body attached read more
NAPO
Cafcass Workload Crisis – Union members demand urgent solutions (23 Apr) – Napo’s Family Court Section is engaging regularly with senior CAFCASS management on a range of issues including health and safety, excessive and dangerous workloads and the need for more resources from Government. Unions and the employer will also hold a Partnership meeting next week where the Chief Executive will be asked to report on progress following her appearance before the Justice Committee session last Month as well as the emerging conclusions from the current OFSTED inspection read more
Napo supporting all members in the run up to reunification (23 Apr) – Nobody ever suggested that putting Probation back together from the fragmentation caused by Transforming Rehabilitation would be easy. This is why Napo Officials and Officers have been fully engaged in negotiations on future restructuring in the NPS and the extensive consultation within CRCs on the ‘measures’ that will support the transfer of staff to the NPS or providers of Dynamic Framework support services to be commissioned by the new probation regions. Napo is currently engaging with these providers to explore the possibilities of establishing collective bargaining arrangements, but meanwhile it is very important that any Napo members based in a CRC who are moving into the DF sector retain your Napo membership read more
FBU
Government fire advisor appointment ‘harbinger of doom’, says FBU (23 Apr) – Firefighters must be ready to fight ‘tooth and nail’ for their service, say the Fire Brigades Union, after the appointment of former National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) chair Roy Wilsher as a government advisor on forthcoming reform to fire and rescue services in England. Wilsher, who served at the top of the government-funded NFCC for four years, has this week been officially announced as the person who would advise the Home Office ahead of a white paper, which is due later this year read more
BFAWU
The Fundamental Right to Safe and Healthy Work – #IWMD21 – This year as I write about International Workers Memorial Day 2021, I would like to record thanks to all those BFAWU Safety Reps who have spent the last year, keeping workers safe and healthy at work. You have not only stood up for your members, but you have saved thousands of lives and everyone owes you a huge debt of gratitude. We know that where there is a strong organised active trade union, workers are twice as safe. Your role has not only saved the lives of your work and trade union colleagues, but the lives of your family and others in your community read more
NEU
Support these NEU strikes:-
| Action | Date | Contact |
| Leaways School /Hackney
(TU Victimisation and Abuse of Disciplinary Procedures) |
Wednesday 28 April
Thursday 29 April |
[email protected] |
| Parkwood Primary School / Hackney (Redundancies) | Tuesday 27 April
Wednesday 28 April |
[email protected] |
| Beal High School/Redbridge
(Sick pay) |
Wednesday 28 April
Thursday 29 April |
[email protected] |
| North Huddersfield Trust School/Kirklees
(Victimisation of Rep) |
Wednesday 28 April
Thursday 29 April |
[email protected] |
| Victoria Education Centre / Bournemouth
(Terms & Conditions) |
Tuesday 27 April
Wednesday 28 April |
[email protected] |
| Cheadle & Marple SFC/ Stockport
(Pay) |
Wednesday 28 April
Thursday 29 April |
[email protected] |
Support the strikes to Reinstate Sharon Morgan LONDON DESIGN AND ENGINEERING UTC Newham – At the start of this term, teacher and NEU rep Sharon Morgan was summarily dismissed from her job by London Design and Engineering UTC. Sharon was sacked without due process, with no formal investigation or a hearing where she could put her case. At an employment tribunal the judge described LDE’s behaviour as “morally reprehensible” and LDE subsequently agreed to reinstate Sharon. But the next day LDE changed their mind and refused to reinstate her. In reality, Sharon was sacked for helping NEU members stand up for better working conditions for staff, in the interests of the whole school community. This is trade union victimisation and it’s unacceptable. The sacking of Sharon is an attack on all trade unionists at LDE, in Newham, and everywhere.
Support Newham Little Ilford School strikes against unsafe expansion – NEU members have been taking strike action at the enormous comprehensive in Manor Park, east London, which already teaches 1,470 students. Labour-run Newham Council wants it to take 1,800. Sign petition: Newham Council is trying to force Little Ilford School to expand to 1800 pupils. But expanding will mean an overcrowded school and an overwhelming environment for all staff and pupils. It will undermine the quality of education and care that can be provided to pupils. And the expansion is opposed by virtually the entire staff body
EIS
Scottish college graduations under threat as lecturers strike enters second month (18 Apr) – Lecturers in Scotland’s further education colleges are striking over plans to see them replaced by instructor-assessors, who are less qualified to teach and also paid less. The strike began on March 25 and is set to continue after an agreement struck by negotiators in the Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS) and Colleges Scotland failed to be ratified by the latter’s Employer’s Association, consisting of FE College principals. As a result, the action by lecturers – which means they are not marking, preparing classes, connecting to online teaching platforms or responding to students – is set to continue, with potential further action including a boycott of assessments, which could rule out graduations read more in The Scotsman
18 days of strike action at Forth Valley college – Starting from tomorrow (16 Mar), over 200 EIS members at Forth Valley College are set to take strike action in another escalation in the dispute over the removal of 30 lecturers’ jobs. College staff will be striking across three different campuses, including Falkirk, Alloa, and Stirling for 18 days over three months, from Wednesday 17 March. The decision to take industrial action follows a strike ballot that resulted in 77% of members voting yes to the escalation, on a 55% turnout read more
UCU
Updates on latest UCU disputes
Petition calling for fair funding and online learning
Three days of strikes announced for prison education staff across England – UCU announced three days of strike action at prisons across England over Covid health and safety concerns. UCU prison education members will stage a one-day walkout at 49 prison and young offender institutions on Monday 26 April followed by a two-day strike on Tuesday 11 May and Wednesday 12 May. Further industrial action may be announced if the employer, Novus, fails to resolve the dispute read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes. As always, members are asked to contribute whatever their circumstances allow. A donation in solidarity of any amount will be gratefully received by members taking action.
NUJ
FOI: Defending the right to know (23 Apr) – Journalists, politicians and academics come together to raise the alarm. The NUJ campaigns to defend and expand the existing provisions and entitlements set out in the UK’s Freedom of Information Act (FOI). This is a core piece of legislation that is linked to the principles set out in the union’s ethical code of conduct read more
NUJ calls for greater transparency at policing public inquiry (23 Apr) – As the second phase of the undercover policy public inquiry starts in London this week, the NUJ has called on the authorities to deliver meaningful transparency. For a public inquiry to fulfil its purpose, it must ensure the media and the public are able to access key information, documents, evidence, and witness testimony yet in this case the only venue where witnesses and the public can see a (delayed) live-stream of the hearings is at the Amba hotel in London. No audio-visual transmission of the evidence will be made outside the hearing room except in the case of any witness who requests it read more
Prospect
Unions sound alarm after wave of redundancies puts future of critical nuclear facility at risk (21 Apr) – Trade unions have warned that a new wave of redundancies at Springfields Fuels Ltd, the UK’s only nuclear fuel manufacturing facility, risks not only the future of the site but the UK’s drive for Net Zero read more
Bectu condemns racist social media abuse of Arts Council of Wales’ Agent for Change officer (21 Apr) – Bectu is disgusted by recent racist tweets targeted at the Arts Council of Wales’ new Agent for Change officer Andrew Ogun read more
Smart motorway response does nothing to address the shortage of staff (21 Apr) – The government has announced changes to the way it runs Smart and All Lanes Running (ALR) motorways after safety concerns read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate condemns treatment of ex-Debenhams workers on Parnell Street (23 Apr) – Mandate Trade Union has condemned the heavy-handed tactics of Gardai last night on Parnell Street, Dublin where ex-Debenhams workers were forcefully removed from picket line at the request of KPMG, the Debenhams liquidator. Mandate General Secretary Gerry Light said the incident was entirely unnecessary and preventable. “This incident should never have happened. The workers had decided to ballot for a potential resolution to this dispute at 4:30pm yesterday and then we see these traumatic videos last night where female retail workers, who were treated abysmally by their employer and left without their agreed redundancy packages, are being manhandled and dragged away from their picket line.” He added, “We need legislation to prevent this from ever happening again, and we need it now. This government have been dwelling on this long enough. We know what needs to change, and they need to change it, immediately” read more
Support striking Debenhams Workers: Email messages of support to the strikers via [email protected] and Mandate through [email protected]. Also, follow Stand with Debenhams Workers Facebook page
A New Deal for Retail & Essential Service Workers – webinar (22 Apr) – Congress Retail Sector Group is hosting a webinar – A New Deal for Retail & Essential Service Workers Thursday May 6 @11.30-1pm. Workers in retail, distribution and other essential sectors were on the frontline over the last year as we struggled with the Covid 19 public health crisis. Across the island, they worked to keep the shelves stacked, the shops open and the supply lines clear read more
Mandate Trade Union calls for urgent establishment of retail task force following 480 more job losses in Carphone Warehouse (21 Apr) – Mandate General Secretary Gerry Light has called on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Leo Varadkar, to establish a task force looking into the future of retail in Ireland as a matter of urgency following today’s announcement that almost 500 jobs have been lost in Carphone Warehouse read more
SIPTU
SIPTU calls for urgent meeting with contractors on Intel site after Covid-19 outbreak (22 Apr) – SIPTU members have called for an urgent meeting with the main contractors on the Intel construction site in county Kildare following a Covid-19 outbreak read more
SIPTU blows the whistle on FAI attempts to silence union representative (19 Apr) – SIPTU has criticised the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for making unwarranted threats against a union representative who has spoken out about staff issues read more
IWGB
Defending charity workers of colour after the Sewell report by IWGB (23 Apr) – The IWGB Charity Workers Branch committee condemns the actions of Tory MPs who have asked the Charity Commission to investigate the Runnymede Trust in response to the trust’s criticism of the Sewell Report. We stand in solidarity with workers of colour in the charity sector who will have further challenges to their rights justified by the report’s claim that there is no institutional racism in the UK read more
Other News
Tamil Solidarity trade union newsletter and model motion
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
Protest outside Spycops hearing – Monday 26 April 11am, Outside Amba Hotel, Marble Arch. We demand an end to political policing and infiltration of the labour movement and we demand the UCPI cover the legal costs so TUs can fully participate in the inquiry and get core participant status, currently denied them
Keep up with developments and read and watch campaigners’ statements on the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) and Undercover Policing Inquiry websites and spycops info Facebook group
Builders Crack: The Movie
In the current situation, this long lost film from the 1990s about rank and file union organising in the construction industry is intended to lift the spirits, but also to spark a debate in our movement. Hope the youngsters in this film put a smile on your face.
Watch – Share – Discuss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZ-QMA1FMg
Blacklist Support Group
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
Sign petition: St Mungo’s brutal treatment of BAME worker opposed by Unite – Without income for twenty-one weeks. Female worker comes to the end of a period of sickness during the pandemic. Health conditions put her at raised risk. She is also older and from a BAME background. Her normal job would expose her to further increased risk. Rather than furlough her or find her alternative work the employer simply stops her pay without going through any personnel procedure. Management reject appeals to senior levels from Unite leaving the worker without income and desperate for twenty-one weeks
Sign petition and support the strikes to Reinstate Sharon Morgan LONDON DESIGN AND ENGINEERING UTC – At the start of this term, teacher and NEU rep Sharon Morgan was summarily dismissed from her job by London Design and Engineering UTC. Sharon was sacked without due process, with no formal investigation or a hearing where she could put her case. At an employment tribunal the judge described LDE’s behaviour as “morally reprehensible” and LDE subsequently agreed to reinstate Sharon. But the next day LDE changed their mind and refused to reinstate her. In reality, Sharon was sacked for helping NEU members stand up for better working conditions for staff, in the interests of the whole school community. This is trade union victimisation and it’s unacceptable. The sacking of Sharon is an attack on all trade unionists at LDE, in Newham, and everywhere
Security guard seeks ‘groundbreaking’ injunction to stop his ‘unlawful’ sacking in what his union UVW describes as the first case of its kind for a low paid worker (23 Nov) – A security guard at the Francis Crick Institute in London is set to face off against his employer Wilson James in an injunction hearing in what his trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW), has described as an “unprecedented legal showdown”. On 11th November after only 3 weeks in his new job Cetin Avsar, the security guard from Turkey bringing the legal action, received a letter inviting him to a probationary review hearing stating “[his] conduct has not reached the required standards” citing only his membership of his trade union, his previously having participated in a strike and his views, shard by his union, that outsourcing is ‘discriminatory’. The letter warned him that he might be dismissed after the hearing read more
PCS: Trade unionists asked to send solidarity to PCS rep dismissed after blowing the whistle (25 July) – Trade unionists are being urged to send solidarity messages to a PCS rep dismissed after whistleblowing at the Department of Work and Pensions. Enrico La Rocca, who had worked for the DWP for more than 27 years, lost his job in May after highlighting serious concerns with management over a number of years. His complaints resulted in questions being asked about the department’s handling of Carer’s Allowance overpayments by the National Audit Office (NAO) and raised by in a Work and Pensions Select Committee report read more from Union News
RMT: SUSPENSION OF RMT REPRESENTATIVES, FRATTON – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY – Following my previous Circular (IR/171/20) dated 14th May 2020, as you are aware, two of our representatives, Mark Gamble and Brian Perren, were suspended from duty using unscrupulous charges. South Western Railway’s actions throughout this dispute have been appalling. The company have clearly targeted our members as they are hardworking and effective representatives. The callous action of South Western Railway has been abhorrent from the very start of this dispute. Our members recently had their disciplinary hearings and after successful representation Brother Brian Perren has been reinstated to his substantive role. However, Mark has been left in limbo by the company and still faces these ridiculous charges. This means that the ballot that was due to close today (4th June) has been cancelled. As one of our members has been reinstated, this changes the basis of the original ballot. Unfortunately, because of the anti-trade union laws we would not have been able to use any mandate we received from this ballot. Therefore, we have to run a fresh ballot and this will be to continue to defend our suspended Brother Mark Gamble. The National Executive Committee has considered this matter and has congratulated our members and all those who assisted Brian in proving his innocence and ensuring he is reinstated to his substantive role. The NEC has also instructed me to run a fresh ballot in defence of our Brother Mark Gamble who still remains suspended. It is incredibly disappointing that the company has failed to see sense and instead have chosen to drag on an unnecessary dispute. It is disgraceful that Mark remains suspended and we have no choice but to stand shoulder to shoulder and defy SWR’s callous and distasteful decision. I have written to the company today to advise them of this union’s position and they have been left in no doubt that we will not allow them to pursue outrageous charges against our from democratically elected representatives (from RMT general secretary Mick Cash)
Clara Paillard PCS victory – We are delighted to announce that the threat of dismissal has been lifted and Clara, PCS president in the Culture sector, is ‘back at work’ (although from home during the current pandemic).
Reinstate Percy Yunganina UVW union – Percy is a cleaner at King’s college with 5 years on the job, and a UVW executive committee member, who’s just been sacked after a disciplinary hearing he refused to attend due to observing the government’s social distancing guidelines but which King’s College proceeded with anyway in his absence without even letting him know or inviting him to attend via phone. The hearing would have had 8 people cramped together in a small room in complete disregard of the government’s instructions about social distancing. Percy has explained the reaons for not attending and asked for the decision to be overturned and the hearing to be reconvened via phone or in person after Lockdown. However, King’s have scandalously refused this request and have insisted on upholding his dismissal which now leaves Percy out of work and out of pocket in the middle of a pandemic! He will formally appeal but it could take months to hear and deliver an outcome. We will also take King’s to tribunal but that could take over a year. This is utterly shameless conduct by King’s HR team, led by Nigel Smith, the Head of People Services. They need to be held to account. Everyone deserves the right to a fair hearing and should not have that right denied them for respecting the government’s public health guidelines about social distancing. Please repost this and write to Nigel Smith at the following address telling him to reinstate Percy – [email protected]
Sign the petition: Reinstate Ezra Christian RMT – We, the undersigned, are appalled at the treatment and summary dismissal of our Bakerloo Line colleague Ezra Christian. Ezra has been treated very harshly and does not deserve to be sacked. We call on London Underground to do the right thing in this case and Reinstate Ezra back into London Underground Employment immediately
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
Sign the petition: Reinstate UNISON rep Peter Moorhead and stop victimising trade unionists at Alternative Futures Group (AFG)
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!
Guardian: Ricky Tomlinson’s criminal convictions to be re-examined
Appeal court to look again at case of Royle Family actor after claims he may have been unjustly jailed
The criminal convictions of actor Ricky Tomlinson, who starred in the TV comedy the Royle Family, are to be re-examined by appeal court judges after an official body suggested he may have been unjustly jailed. Tomlinson and other trade unionists have been campaigning for years to clear their names after they were jailed during a strike in the 1970s. On Tuesday, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the public body that scrutinises alleged miscarriages of justice, announced it had asked the court of appeal to review the cases of Tomlinson and others. Tomlinson, 80, said it was “good news” and an opportunity to prove that he and 23 other men were prosecuted in what amounted to a politically motivated attack on the trade union movement by the government, police and managers read more in Guardian
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
Diary
NSSN Conference 2021: 11am Sunday 20th June online via Zoom 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
