2022 NSSN Conference – Saturday 2nd July 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event
Confirmed speakers include: Sharon Graham Unite General Secretary
Attendance fee £6. Register on the day or email [email protected]
You can download the conference leaflet plus a letter for union branches, trades councils
The NSSN will be again holding our rally at TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 11th September 1pm-3pm
It’s never been more necessary for the trade unions to give a fighting lead. Workers are facing up to the biggest squeeze on their living standards for generations. The cost of living is going through the roof with real inflation heading towards double figures. Yet the bosses and their Tory government want to make us pay the price. Boris Johnson is continuing to hold down public sector pay, while effectively letting P&O get away with 800 brutal illegal sackings on the back of the vicious employers’ Fire and Rehire offensive.
The last 2½ years of Covid showed that workers are the key force in society, and we have had to get organised to keep workplaces safe and resist the bosses’ attacks. Many workers have been prepared to take action and have forced companies to concede significant wage rises. Other important victories have been won, such as the Manchester busworkers and at Barts NHS Trust in London. But the dispute at P&O shows that with the bosses’ profits at stake, they will use brutal measures against us. Disgracefully, Labour Coventry council have spent millions trying to break the bin strike.
The NSSN was initiated by the RMT under its late great general secretary Bob Crow in 2006. We continue to build solidarity and support for unions and their members taking action. But we have always argued that mass united action can push back the Tories and bosses. In March 2011, 750,000 union members marched through the streets of London on the TUC demonstration against the austerity offensive of the Tory-led government. It led directly to the 2 million strong public sector general strike that November on pensions.
We welcome that the TUC have finally called the ‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’ demo on 18th June. We will help build what needs to be a massive mobilisation that could be the platform for industrial action across the public and private sectors.
This will be the 15th national NSSN conference and the first in-person one for three years. As usual will be a vital forum for union reps and members along with anti-cuts campaigners to come together to talk about their struggles and discuss out the strategy, tactics and programme needed for the fight of our lives.
TUC National Demonstration Saturday 18th June Central London
The TUC has called a national demonstration this summer. The NSSN welcomes this so that the biggest possible national demonstration can be built as a platform for the mass co-ordinated industrial action that is needed as workers fight the squeeze on their living standards.
12noon Parliament Square, Westminster, London SW1P 3BD read more
Support sacked P&O workers
NSSN supporters have taken part in demonstrations to support the 800 sacked P&O workers and their unions the RMT and Nautilus International and other seafarer unions. We will advertise solidarity protests in this bulletin and we will update it during the week, and on social media when they are announced. We support the calls for P&O to be nationalised to save jobs and defend communities.
Latest demonstrations:-
Dover – Tuesday 19th April, 2pm RMT Office Snargate Street CT17 9BZ Facebook event
Stop union victimisation: support the Coventry bin strike
The Labour council has disgracefully targeted Pete Randle, one of the senior Unite shop stewards. We call on all our supporters to support Pete and his striking members
Protest: ‘No Confidence in Coventry Councillors: – 1pm Tuesday 12th April Council House, Coventry Facebook event
Unite lodges employment tribunal claim against the Labour controlled Coventry Council for trade union victimisation (7 Apr) – Unite has formally lodged an employment tribunal claim against the Labour controlled Coventry Council on behalf of union rep Pete Randle. The council stands accused of shamefully victimising Pete for his trade union duties. On Tuesday (5 April), supporters of Pete Randle were out in force to show solidarity ahead of his investigatory hearing which appeared to be based on groundless and unsubstantiated charges. Last month, the council took the outrageous decision to escalate tensions with Unite by suspending the union’s shop steward on bogus charges in the middle of the bin lorry drivers’ dispute. Strikes began early this year and the 70 HGV drivers have been on all out strike since 31 January in a dispute over low pay. The workers’ basic rate of pay begins at just £22,183 per annum, which is far below pay rates of neighbouring councils. The dispute has already cost Coventry council millions, with costs rising daily, when it would cost just £300,000 to resolve the dispute. The council has even set up a strike breaking, rogue alternative bin collection service. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Why on earth is Pete Randle being dragged through this kangaroo court? Judging from Tuesday’s hearing the council’s charges are groundless and they must be dropped. Unite will not allow Pete to be victimised for carrying out his trade union duties on behalf of members. We have now lodged a claim at the employment tribunal on Pete’s behalf” read more
Sign petition to Councillor George Duggins – Coventry Council: Reinstate Pete Randle, stop union busting, stop strike breaking and pay the rate
Follow @UniteWestMids on twitter. Coventry bin worker’s strike fund – Unity Trust Bank; Name of Account: Unite WM/7116 Branch Coventry Local Government; Account number: 20302665 Sort code: 60-83-01; send messages of solidarity to [email protected]
Stop the war in Ukraine
The NSSN calls for the unity of working-class people across Ukraine, Russia and the whole region against war, militarisation and repression. We support the actions of independent trade unions in Ukraine and Russia in defending workers.
FBU Executive Council Statement – Invasion and War in Ukraine
Unite executive council – statement on Ukraine crisis
NIPSA statement: Russian Invasion of Ukraine
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.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Linda on [email protected]
Union News
RMT
Atalian Servest West Coast cleaners return to the picket lines (8 Apr) – New report exposes the face of exploitation. As Atalian Servest cleaners return to the picket lines this weekend for a 48-hour strike on 9 and 10 April, a new report has exposed the brutal reality of life for cleaners working to clean Avanti West Coast trains. In a report published today by RMT 91% of Atalian Servest cleaners said they were struggling to make ends meet, with 68% saying they were regularly struggling and a shocking 94% of said they had had to come into work while sick because they couldn’t afford not to. The long running dispute is over fair pay for twice-outsourced cleaners employed by French multinational Atalian Servest working in French multinational Alstom’s depots, cleaning Avanti West Coast’s trains read more
Bosses on Southeastern Trains exposed as getting free travel while denying it to cleaners (6 Apr) – RAIL UNION RMT today accused bosses at the publicly owned Southeastern Trains of ‘rank hypocrisy’ after it was revealed that they get free rail travel while denying it to the cleaning staff who work to ensure that Southeastern trains are safe and hygienic to use read more
RMT on bus and local transport funding announcement (4 Apr) – RMT describes Government announcement on bus and local transport funding as “a drop in the ocean and a postcode lottery”. Responding to the Government announcement on bus and local transport funding RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “This announcement of funding is a drop in the ocean compared to what our bus and local transport desperately needs after years of Government cuts, austerity and mismanagement by the private bus industry…” read more
24 hour strike on TransPennine Express (31 Mar) – 24 hour strike on TransPennine Express this weekend to go ahead. Conductors will take 24 hours of strike action in row over pay and Sunday working. RMT said the company had refused TPE conductors’ request to increase pay for staff coming in on their days off and Sundays. The union says there is a large discrepancy in pay levels for conductors and other train crews for doing the same thing. TPE Conductor members to take further industrial action. Members are instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between:-
- hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 13th March 2022
- hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 20th March 2022
- hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 27th March 2022
- hours until 23.59 hours on Sunday 3rdApril 2022
- hours on Saturday 16th April 2022 until 23.59 hours on Sunday 17th April 2022
- hours on Saturday 30th April 2022 until 23.59 hours on Sunday 1st May 2022
- hours on Saturday 4th June 2022 until 23.59 hours on Sunday 5th June 2022 read more
Congratulations on rock solid London Underground action – All RMT London Underground members are congratulated for the rock-solid strike action across the entire network this week. There has been a brilliant show of solidarity and support from you all and you are commended for your commitment to fight against vicious attacks on your jobs and pensions in order to pay for the TfL funding crisis read more
Support the London Night Tube strike: every Friday and Saturday nights on Central and Victoria lines read more
Unite
Andor poised for strike ballot as Unite reveals 9 in 10 of workforce can’t make ends meet as costs rise (9 Apr) – Workers at the optical instruments manufacturer Andor Technology site in Springvale, Belfast are poised to ballot for strike action in a bid to improve their pay in order to meet rising living costs read more
Unite DHL Tradeteam drivers at Burton-on-Trent celebrate pay deal worth up to £6,000 (8 Apr) – More than 100 HGV drivers employed by DHL Tradeteam in Burton-on-Trent are celebrating a pay deal worth up to nearly £6,000 a year, negotiated by Unite, the UK’s leading union. The drivers, who were due to begin strike action this week, voted overwhelmingly in favour of an improved offer put forward by the company. The deal includes a pay increase worth 7.5 per cent, which has typically raised basic pay by £2,750 for 2022 read more
Massive win for Unite at DHL Aberdeen securing both union recognition and 13 per cent pay rise (7 Apr) – Unite the union has today (Thursday 7 April) announced that it has secured union recognition and a 13 per cent pay increase over two years at DHL Aberdeen. Around 30 logistics drivers will benefit from a two year pay deal of 8 per cent this year on all rates of pay, and 5 per cent in 2023. The agreement also ensures that DHL Aberdeen will recognise Unite for purposes of collective bargaining and negotiation following an organising campaign which has seen trade union membership grow by a third since the beginning of the year read more
Unite condemns threat to 745 Glasgow Lighthouse Lab jobs as public health risk (7 Apr) – Unite the union today (Thursday 7 April) confirmed that it has demanded urgent intervention from the First Minister and Scottish Government ministers over the future of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab. Unite, which represents the workforce including sample handlers and lab technicians, has expressed concerns about the public health impact of the decision by both the Scottish and UK governments to abolish testing at the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab. Last week, Glasgow University was left with no alternative other than to enter into a formal 45-day consultation period on redundancies with Unite due to the lack of funding and pending contracts. If no resolution can be found it is anticipated that contractual notice will be served on around 745 experienced and highly skilled employees with contracts terminating as early as 14 May 2022. Unite is taking legal advice on the contractual position of its members read more
Freight ‘chaos’ on the cards at Heathrow Airport as cargo handlers ballot for strike action in pay row (7 Apr) – Top international airlines, including American Airlines, face chaos to their freight operations at Heathrow Airport, if 200 cargo handlers and truckers vote for strike action in a pay dispute. Unite the union is holding a strike ballot for its members employed by Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) from Wednesday 13 April, after the company imposed a pay freeze for the pay year starting January 2021. The ballot closes on Wednesday 27 April. Unite is calling on WFS to match the pay awards of competitors, such as dnata and Menzies, who had given pay rises for 2021 ranging from seven to 10 per cent and/or £3,000 one-off payments in recognition of the galloping cost of living crisis engulfing UK households read more
Plans by NHS bosses to create a super lab in North West shelved after three-year campaign by Unite (7 Apr) – Proposals to create a new super NHS laboratory in the North West by closing local sites, which could have led to delays in analysing patient samples, have been halted after a three-year campaign spearheaded by Unite the union. Unite hailed as ‘a significant victory for common sense’ the decision by the Pathology Collaboration Trust board to pause the TUPE transfer process involving 200 biomedical scientists and stop all progress on the hub building, earmarked for Samlesbury, Lancashire. But Unite hit out at more than £6m of taxpayers’ money shelled out on consultants to prepare the business case to secure funding from NHS England, which never materialised. It would have meant the labs at Barrow in Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Kendal, Lancaster and Preston being merged into one super lab which, Unite argued, would cause delays in testing samples and a detrimental impact on the estimated 1.5 million people the hub was intended to serve. It would have been too remote from GP practices and hospitals. There were also fears that it could have been sold off to a private healthcare company read more
Northern Ireland bus drivers confirm first dates for strike action (7 Apr) – Joint union strike action will shut down public bus services across Northern Ireland. Unite has confirmed initial dates for strike action on Ulsterbus and Metro bus services. These will be taken in conjunction with GMB who also represents bus workers at Translink. The strike action planned will be a week starting 25 April and concluding on 1 May and a single day on Friday May 6. The strike comes after members of the union overwhelmingly voted for industrial action after rejecting the latest Translink management pay offer read more
Hackney council workers strike over “insulting” 1.75% pay offer (6 Apr) – More than 200 Hackney council workers will strike over an “insulting” 1.75 per cent pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday 6 April). Staff working in refuse, building services and passenger services for those with disabilities and special educational needs, will strike between 25 and 27 April and 3 May and 5 May. While the rate of real inflation (the RPI) is running at 8.2 per cent and rising, the 1.75 per cent offer, rising to 2.75 per cent for those on the bottom pay point, has been set nationally by the Local Government Association (LGA) for 2021/22. Unite is urging Hackney council to reject the LGA recommendation, table a proper pay rise and prevent the possibility of long-running strike action read more
Luton Easter holiday strikes by baggage handlers and check-in staff to impact Wizz Air (5 Apr) – Easter holiday strikes at Luton airport by baggage handlers and check-in staff employed by GH London Ground Handling Services will impact Wizz Air passengers, Unite warned today (Tuesday 5 April). Unite, the UK’s leading union, said around 100 of its members will strike between 14 April and 19 April, over GH London’s failure to introduce promised improvements to sick pay for all employees. The workers are also striking over the regular failure to pay wages on time. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “There’s a cost-of-living crisis gripping the country – workers need every penny of their wages, and they need it paid on time. GH London has to get a grip to sort out its payroll and stick to its promise to give company sick pay to all employees. “Unite is entirely dedicated to defending our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and GH London’s workforce have the union’s full backing during these strikes.” Wizz Air is based at Luton airport and flies to more than 140 destinations. Unite’s GH London members voted by 96 per cent for industrial action in a ballot with an 82 per cent turnout read more
Teesport facing Easter blockage as Svitzer tug boat crews call fresh strikes in pay battle (5 Apr) – Teesport is facing severe delays and disruption during the busy Easter period as tugboat crews employed by Svitzer Marine take fresh strike action in a dispute over pay. The crews, who are responsible for ensuring that container ships can enter and leave the port safely, are facing a pay freeze. This is despite Svitzer Marine’s parent company, shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, reporting record profits of $16.5 billion last year (£13.9 billion), helped by increased volumes during the pandemic. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will strike for four days in the Easter week beginning at 08:00 on Wednesday 13 April and ending on Sunday 17 April at 07:59 read more
Unite urges Woolwich Ferry – seize opportunity to resolve dispute as strike ballot suspended to kick-start talks (5 Apr) – Woolwich Ferry’s workers have suspended their industrial action and also plans to hold another strike ballot in a goodwill gesture to resolve the long-running dispute, Unite the union said today (Tuesday 5 April). Unite has put forward proposals, which remain confidential, to Transport for London (TfL) bosses to kick-start meaningful talks over the poor employment relations that have been the hallmark of successive operators of the troubled ferry. Six workers, including two Unite reps, still remain unfairly suspended when the last bout of industrial action ended on 28 March read more
Unite members to take strike action at `greedy’ Caterpillar after overwhelming rejection of latest pay offer tied to compulsory overtime (4 Apr) – Strike action likely to paralyse production at both Springvale, Belfast and Larne production sites. Unite has notified management of a series of dates for a campaign of industrial action at Caterpillar in Northern Ireland. The first strike will occur for the four day production period on Monday 11 April and be followed up the week after Easter with a further four day stoppage on 25 April. The strike action will then recommence for the week after the May day holiday (Tuesday 3 May) and the following week read more
Nottingham’s Riverside Bakery strikes off after Unite secures pay win (4 Apr) – Strike action at Nottingham’s Riverside Bakery has been cancelled after Unite, the UK’s leading union, negotiated a pay deal worth nearly seven per cent for around 170 workers. The workers were due to commence continuous all-out strike action, but the dispute ended after they voted by more than 90 per cent to accept the new offer. A strike would have hit production of quiches, flans and savoury tarts for sale by major retailers including Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Marks and Spencer. The 12-month pay deal also protects premium rates for weekends, bank holidays and overtime, with workers receiving backpay for all hours worked since 1 October 2021 read more
Heathrow Easter baggage maintenance engineer strikes postponed following new pay offer (4 Apr) – Heathrow Easter holiday strikes by more than 160 baggage maintenance engineers employed by Vanderlande Industries have been postponed following a new pay offer by the company. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the strike action, which was scheduled to take place between 8 April and 10 April, has been postponed to allow its Vanderlande members to vote on the new deal. If the deal is rejected by the membership, then strikes will be rescheduled for a later date. Any strike action would impact all airlines at Heathrow, including BA, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa read more
Strike action continues as GE Aviation accused of ‘dirty tricks’ in Gloucester pay dispute – Workers at Gloucester’s Hurricane Road GE Aviation factory will be striking every Friday until their call for a fair wage is honoured, Unite the union has said today (Tuesday 29 March). Multinational GE Aviation has been accused of `dirty tricks’ in an attempt to undermine the workers. The 90-plus workers are employed by GE’s subsidiary Dowty Propellers. The workers have rejected a two year pay offer worth just 4.5 per cent which, with the actual level of inflation (retail price index) standing at 8.2 per cent, amounts to a real terms pay cut read more
Petrol stations facing disruption as workers fight for a fair wage from ‘filthy rich’ Exxon at Southampton oil refinery – Petrol station and airport fuel supplies are facing disruption as workers at Exxon’s Southampton oil refinery fight for a fair wage from their “filthy rich” employer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday 29 March). Around 100 workers, who make up a third of the contractors at the Fawley Refinery, will strike on 8 April, 25 April and 6 May, with more strikes to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. Fawley supplies a sixth of petrol stations nationwide and all airports. As some workers provide safety critical services, strike action could lead to shutdowns across the plant read more
Northern Ireland Education Authority workers to continue campaign for improved pay with further day of strike action – Following the first week of strike action taken by its members working in councils, the housing executive and education, Unite has confirmed that a further day of strike action is now planned by workers at the Education Authority for this coming Friday [1 April]. The strike announcement comes ahead of a meeting involving workforce reps from across all NJC-pay sectors this week which is likely to determine the union’s wider strategy to win improvements to pay read more
Veolia workers across Edinburgh and Lothians set to strike over `insulting’ pay offer – Unite can confirm today (24 March) that more than 50 members working for Veolia Water across Edinburgh and the Lothians are set to take strike action in a dispute over pay. The strike action, involving plant operatives, electrical maintenance, mechanical, and administrative staff, was supported overwhelmingly by 94 per cent of Unite’s members in a ballot turnout of 83 per cent. The Veolia workers are demanding a significantly improved pay offer from the company. With the more realistic cost of living (RPI) currently running at 8.2 per cent per cent, Veolia’s offer of 2.6 per cent for this year is a pay cut. Strike action will take place from 7-13 April, and then continuous strike action from 21 April read more
Airbus Broughton workers set for industrial action – Unite members working at Airbus’ Broughton site in North Wales are set to take industrial action following a rejection of the company’s latest pay offer. Over 3,000 workers at the giant Broughton plant will commence industrial action from 7 April unless Airbus improves the pay deal read more
Strikes at County Durham car bearing factories set to disrupt automakers – Pay strikes at car bearing manufacturers NSK Bearings and AKS Precision Ball in Peterlee, County Durham, are set to disrupt supply chains for automakers, including VW, Toyota and Renault, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned. Around 200 workers, comprising the entire shopfloor workforce at the two factories, both owned by NSK Europe, will take strike action every Wednesday and Saturday for the next six weeks over an ‘insulting’ 1.6 per cent pay offer. The first strike will begin tomorrow (23 March) with the possibility of industrial action intensifying if a new offer is not put forward read more
Industrial action set to have a ‘severe impact’ on Lerwick Port – Unite the union today (15 March) confirmed that its members working at the Lerwick Port Authority have voted in support of industrial action over pay, terms and conditions. For a number of years, despite the prosperity and expansion of the port, skilled and semi-skilled employees have been paid considerably less than nationally agreed rates. Around a dozen key workers voted unanimously in support of strike action and an overtime ban. The industrial action will include engineers, electricians, joiners and general operatives. Unite members will now commence a continuous overtime ban from 28 March at the main port in the Shetland Islands. Due to the significant hours of overtime required to ensure the effective running of operations at the port, Unite has stated that any overtime ban in itself will have a ‘severe impact’ on the cruise liners and oil and gas vessels, as well as the general shipping, which use the harbour read more
Ford facing tipper truck and van shortages as VFS workers in Eastleigh to strike over pay – Workers employed at the south coast firm VFS Southampton Ltd, who assemble tipper trucks and vans for Ford, have announced extensive strike action in a dispute over pay. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted overwhelmingly for the action after VFS imposed a pay award which the company claims is worth 3.65 per cent but, with the RPI (retail price index) rate of inflation currently standing at 7.8 per cent and set to rise further, is in reality a pay cut. VFS also assembles large vehicles for Mercedes so the strikes will hit both companies with delays to the delivery of vehicles. Unite’s members will hold a 24-hour strike on Tuesday 29 March with a further six strike periods scheduled for a total of 25 days until mid-June. The workers will be striking on the following dates: 29 March, 1 April, 11-14 April, 25-29 April, 3-6 May, 23-27 May and 6-10 June read more
Striking workers increase the pressure on Chep, a major UK pallet supplier – Unite will raise the pressure on Chep UK where workers based in Trafford Park have been on strike since December 2021 in a dispute over pay. Unite has accused the company of “failing its workforce in the middle of a cost of living crisis”. The UK’s leading union is staging protests over the coming weeks across the pallet maker’s customer base in Wales and the North West including Unilever, Heinz, DHL, Heineken, Proctor and Gamble and Two Sisters. Chep UK, which is based in Trafford Park, Manchester, repairs and supplies pallets for supporting and transporting goods to a host of prominent companies. The workers have been on strike since December – and recently renewed their mandate for strike action into the spring by a majority of 94 per cent. Chep UK made £70.5 million in profit in 2021. The company would only need to increase its current pay offer by an estimated £67,000 to resolve the dispute read more
Sign this petition to Brambles CEO Graham Chipchase & Vice-President for CHEP UK & Ireland Matt Quinn – CHEP UK – Your Pay Offer is unPALLETable!
GE Steam Rugby buyer EDF warned it’s ‘inheriting industrial unrest’ as first strike in 45 years continues – EDF’s plans to buy Rugby’s historic turbine factory could result in the French energy giant inheriting industrial unrest unless pay strikes against the current owner GE Steam Power are resolved, Unite has warned. The first strike in 45 years will continue at the 120-year-old factory tomorrow (Friday 4 March) and Monday (7 March) at Newbold Road, Rugby, CV21 2NH. The dispute is over GE Steam Power’s refusal to negotiate over flexible working payments and the expectation that workers will take on new roles without extra pay. More than 75 Unite members, comprising nearly the entirety of the factory’s workforce, are taking a further eight days of strike action between 18 March and 2 May. Since GE Steam Power’s acquisition of the Rugby site 11 years ago, the relationship between the workers and management has been become increasingly strained over pay, redundancies, attacks on pensions and cuts to death in service benefits read more
Envases Liverpool Ltd printers to strike over dismissal of Unite rep – Members of Unite employed as printers by Envases Liverpool Ltd will take 12 days of strike action next month following the dismissal of the union’s rep. Unite believes that its rep John Williams was dismissed on the false charges as a direct consequence of him standing up for the Unite members at the factory. Envases had sought to use misleading information and a false statement to try to drive a wedge between Unite and another union at the factory. After Mr Williams exposed the company’s actions he was dismissed read more
Support the Scunthorpe Scaffolders: Follow @UniteNEYH & @UnitedScaffs on twitter
Donate to strike fund:-
Either via bank transfer – sort code: 60-83-01 account number: 20173962, account name: Unite North East Region 1% Fund, reference: Actavo Limited and your branch number
Or by cheque made payable to ‘Unite the Union’ and forwarded to the Leeds Regional Office, Unite the Union, 55 Call Lane, Leeds LS1 7BW marked for the attention of the Regional Secretary (Actavo Limited Dispute). Letters of support can be sent to the Regional Office
Economic forecasters to strike in a row over inflation – Economists and researchers at the world famous NIESR (National Institute of Economic and Social Research) will stage a two week strike in a row over two years of below inflation pay offers. The strike begins on Friday 21st January and ends on Friday 4 February. The action means that there is a very real possibility that the forthcoming forecasts for the UK and global economies, which have been published quarterly since the 1980s, will not go ahead. NIESR staff will be unable to deliver on project work for external partners and funders, and will be unable to participate in events and other dissemination activities. The RPI reached 7.1 per cent at the end of 2021 but NIESR bosses are sticking to their decision to give staff 0% for 2020-21 and just 2% for 2021-22. The pay offer fails to keep up with the rising cost of living and represents a significant pay cut in real terms read more
Strike action set to hit Dalkeith based FLB print firm – Unite the union has today (10 January) confirmed that around 110 workers at print and publishing firm FLB Group in Dalkeith, which owns the Filofax and Letts brands, will take strike action this week in a dispute over pay. The strike action will take place on Wednesday (12 January) at 6am and conclude at 05:59am on Thursday. It is the first of a series of 24 hour stoppages commencing every Wednesday into Thursday until 31 March. Some 95.7 per cent of the eligible workforce previously voted in support of strike action in late November on an 84.4 per cent turnout. The pay dispute originates from early 2021 when Unite’s members were informed by FLB that there would be no pay rise. Due to pressure from Unite, the company made several unsatisfactory offers that ended with a below inflation two-year offer of 2.75 per cent. Unite is demanding a six per cent pay increase at a time when the cost of living is at a ten-year high. The Retail Prices Index stood at 7.1 per cent in November 2021 read more
Strike action by Turners of Soham logistic drivers set to impact major aviation companies – Logistic drivers working for Turners of Soham based out of Grangemouth are set to begin strike action tomorrow (6 January) in a dispute over pay. The logistic drivers work on the Q8 Aviation Deliveries contract which provides fuel services for a number of major aviation companies. The strike action follows 100% of Unite members voting to take strike action, on a turnout of 100% at the end of December 2021, following a lack of progress after months of negotiations with the company. The current wave of strike action ends on 14 January at 24:00 hours with further dates to be planned in the coming weeks. Unite’s members based at Grangemouth have been offered an 8.7% increase, despite the same company awarding its drivers in the North West of England 17.5% in October of last year read more
Evonik workers at historic Manchester chemicals site strike over pay – Evonik workers at a 130-year-old Manchester chemicals site are to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday 13 October). Around 25 production and warehouse operatives at Evonik’s Clayton site, which has been a chemical plant since 1892, are taking industrial action after rejecting a 1.5 per cent pay offer read more
PCS
PCS and Ofsted: Joint Statement 7 April 2022 – Following the industrial action ballot outcome, PCS and Ofsted met for urgent trade dispute talks. Following the outcome of the PCS industrial action ballot, Ofsted met with PCS officials this morning. We believe we have begun productive discussions and ones which will continue over the coming weeks. Both parties will continue to work together to seek a mutually agreeable resolution to the ongoing trade dispute regarding the 60% return to offices. Ofsted have agreed to consider exploring the possibility of additional criteria for exceptions to meet the aspirations of PCS members and Ofsted staff. We will be discussing this further in the coming weeks read more
78% vote to take action at Ofsted (6 Apr) – Despite 78% of members who voted voting for strike action, Ofsted ballot fell 1 vote short of the statutory 50% threshold to take industrial action read more
GMB
Translink bus strike dates announced (7 Apr) – Bus drivers on the Translink network are set to strike from 25 April for one week, GMB Union announced today (Thursday). Drivers will down tools from 00.01 25 April to 23.59 on 1 May – with a further one day strike planned for 6 May to mark the Assembly Election count beginning. In a successful industrial action ballot conducted in Translink, 82 per cent backed strike action. Unions submitted a pay claim of 6 per cent to help the bus drivers, cleaners and shunters cope with rampant inflation. Inflation has now hit 8.2 per cent and with further price hikes in energy costs announced, the struggle for working people to cover essential bills will only worsen read more
Calderdale hospital workers protest over ‘poverty pay’ (7 Apr) – Outsourcers ISS appear to be nothing more than private profiteers leaching from our NHS. GMB members working at Calderdale Royal Hospital are protesting ‘poverty pay’ read more
Thousands of Asda distribution workers vote over strike action (6 Apr) – Thousands of Asda workers begin a consultative vote on industrial action today [6 April 2022] over proposed cuts to their sick pay and a real terms pay cut. Bosses are trying to force through a pay deal which would see loyal workers lose sick pay entitlement – including the first three days of paid sick pay in any sickness absence and the last 13 to 26 weeks of sick pay. The sick pay scheme was introduced in 2012 when Asda distribution workers where at increased risk of workplace stress and musco-skeletal issues due to higher pick rates. The consultative ballot of nearly 8,000 GMB members working in driver, warehouse and clerical roles ends on 4 May read more
ASDA now the worst paying of big 4 supermarkets (7 Apr) – GMB, the union for Asda workers, has criticised the supermarket for today becoming the worst paying of the ‘big four’ of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda read more
GMB initiate eleventh-hour talks to avoid North Somerset bin strike (6 Apr) – An eleventh-hour attempt to avoid a North Somerset bin strike will take place today [7 April] as GMB union and the council meet for talks. More than 100 workers at recycling centres and refuse collection services run by North Somerset Environment Company are set to walk out for six days in April: 12 to 13, 16 to 17 and 21 to 22 read more
Fox’s Glacier Mint workers protest over fire and rehire – Striking Fox’s Glacier Mint workers are set to stage a mass protest on Monday [28 March 2022] telling bosses to drop their fire and rehire threat. Workers will be joined by a giant polar bear, labour councillors and York Knights rugby players at the event. Staff at Valeo York, who also make Poppets and humbugs, mint assortments butter mints, rhubarb and custards and lemon sherberts for well-known supermarkets including M&S, are on strike following attacks on their pay, terms, and conditions. They have been told by bosses they will be fired and re-hired unless they agree to a new contract which reduces their holiday and pay – which some have through fear of losing their job read more
Barrow bin strike: Six more days of industrial action – Refuse collectors in Barrow have announced six more days of industrial action in their fight for a living wage. GMB members working FCC Environment will walk out on from 30 March to 1 April and then 6 to 8 April read more
Northampton refuse workers begin bin strike – Northampton town’s bin strike ballot begins today [18 March 2022] as GMB Members vote on industrial action. The ballot will close three weeks from today, on 6 April. The earliest date of any industrial action – which could affect 94,000 homes – would be 20 April. Northampton’s refuse collectors – employed by Veolia – are angry after turning down a pay offer of just 2.5 per cent – despite inflation running at a 7.8 per cent. The council, ultimately responsible for bin collections, has increased Veolia’s funding by 5.5 per cent, but the company are refusing to pass that on to workers read more
Adur and Worthing bin strike dates announced – GMB Union has announced the Adur and Worthing bin strike will begin on Monday 14 March. Industrial action – set to last at least 14 days – will continue until March 27. The council’s Chief Executive and Director for Digital, Sustainability and Resources now have three weeks to avoid disruption to 82,000 homes, the union says. More than 60 refuse, streets and recycling operatives and drivers will walk out after their demands for a pay increase, increased rates for overtime and shift patterns, plus a review of operating and management practices were ignored by management read more
Unison
Cap on pay increase an ‘insult’ to Environment Agency staff (7 Apr) – A maximum of 3% is ‘woefully inadequate’ for staff amid cost-of-living crisis, says UNISON. The government has capped this year’s pay increase for Environment Agency (EA staff) to a maximum 3%, on the same day that unions, including UNISON, submitted a 10% pay claim on behalf of members read more
Delays to university pay talks are ‘unacceptable’ say unions (6 Apr) – The UCEA’s decision not to present a pay offer ‘sends a message that employers don’t understand the urgency of the issue’. Joint education unions, including UNISON, have voiced their ‘outrage’ at the university employers’ decision not to present a pay offer for members in the first meeting of the 2022/23 pay round, last week. The five unions, who are part of the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES), released a statement yesterday, condemning the decision by the Universities and Colleges Employer’s Association (UCEA) that they were “not yet in a position” to present a pay offer. The UCEA was presented with the unions’ fully evidenced pay claim at the end of February, and had over a month to consider it and prepare an offer read more
Third round of strike action to take place at Dundee University (4 Apr) – Donate to the branch’s hardship fund to help members fight against pensions proposals. UNISON members at Dundee University who are part of, or are eligible to be part of the university’s superannuation scheme are taking further strike action over proposed changes to the scheme. This will be the third round of action for members, in response to plans which would affect around 900 staff on grades one to six. Those on higher grades would not be affected as they fall under a different, nationally negotiated, scheme read more
UNISON vows fightback after legal decision backs bosses over staff who strike (1 Apr) – Application being made to Supreme Court. Bad employers will feel emboldened to mistreat employees who participate in union-organised workplace disputes due to the government’s intervention in a legal case, says UNISON. The union says the Court of Appeal (CA) judgment gives bosses the green light to discipline staff who strike. UNISON is now applying to the Supreme Court in a bid to overturn the decision and protect the rights of working people. The long-running case began in 2019 and was taken by care worker Fiona Mercer against the Alternative Futures Group (AFG) read more
Scottish college staff vote 80% for strike action – UNISON members across Scotland’s colleges have voted by an overwhelming 80% to move to a strike ballot. Having previously rejected the college employers’ below inflation pay offer, and with the cost of living crisis rapidly worsening, college support staff have now authorised a formal ballot for industrial action to fight for a better deal. In an online consultation, the voter turnout surpassed the 50% turnout requirement for the upcoming postal ballot. UNISON is the largest trade union for college support staff, and this consultation involved thousands of members from all parts of Scotland. Union representatives will meet with college employers leaders on Monday in a bid to resolve the dispute read more
HE workers prepare for further strikes over pay and pensions – University staff provide vital services, but they’ve seen the value of their pay plummet. Workers on the picket line in Leeds, with placards that say ‘Fair pay now’ and ‘1.5% doesn’t pay the rent’. UNISON members will take further strike days at eight universities over pay and pensions issues from this week. This is the second round of strikes at each of the universities, following a series of dates in February and earlier this month. Action is to take place during the next three weeks at Birkbeck, SOAS, City, King’s College London (all University of London), Brighton University, Gloucestershire University, Edinburgh Napier University and Leeds University. Staff at each of the institutions have voted to strike over the imposition of a 1.5% settlement in August 2021, which came on top of a 0% settlement imposed in 2020. In addition, workers at two of the universities – Leeds and SOAS – are also taking industrial action over changes to their pension, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). These strikes will take place on the 24 and 25 March read more
NIPSA
Hybrid Working Policy (4 Apr) – You will be aware that the NICS was aiming to launch the above policy today, 4 April 2022. Trade Union Side were advised last week that this date will be delayed as the NI Executive has not changed its working from home message. We have had sight of the Head of the Civil Service message to staff dated 1 April, advising you that while a delay is in place nothing will change and you should continue to work from home where you can, subject to business needs and in agreement with your line manager read more
NI Assembly Members: Notice of Ballot for Industrial Action (1 Apr) – Members in NI Assembly please see below letter sent today to MLAs from Dooley Harte Assistant Secretary: I am writing to provide you with a copy of a press release (link below) that we have just issued today after lodging notice to ballot our members employed by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission on Pay and Working from Home read more
NIPSA Members employed as Education Welfare Officers announce 72 Hour stoppage – NIPSA, the largest union from the non-teaching workforce in Education, announces that members employed as Education Welfare Officers will embark on 3 full days of strike action commencing 2nd March read more
RCN
National insurance hike and rising inflation leaves experienced nurses over £900 worse off (6 Apr) – New RCN analysis highlights concerning financial outlook for nursing staff, even with proposed NHS pay rise in parts of the UK read more
Fair mileage rates now: RCN writes to England’s chief nurses for support (4 Apr) – Our campaign for an urgent mileage rate review continues as cost-of-living crisis escalates read more
CWU
CWU rejects insulting two percent pay offer from Post Office (6 Apr) – Employer proposes basic deal worth less than a quarter of current RPI inflation, plus a ‘derisory’ £250 lump sum. “Insulting and downright inflammatory” were among the choice words used by CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey in robust message to branches yesterday, to describe the pay proposals received from the Post Office. “They’re offering a basic, across-the-board consolidated 2 per cent, with an added £250 non-consolidated lump-sum for each employee (pro-rata for part-time) – and even worse than that, they’re refusing to offer a single penny of backpay.” This offer, as set out by the Post Office, proposes to apply the pay adjustment with-effect from 1st April 2022, with the next pay settlement date to be 1st April 2023. But the union is currently in dispute over the total pay freeze imposed by management during the 2021/22 financial year. Andy explains: “Our pay dispute with Post Office Limited, and the issue upon which our members returned a 97.3 per cent YES vote for strike action, is the employer’s refusal to pay any pay rise at all for 2021/22, so any offer that comes now must include backpay to 1st April 2021 at the very least…” read more
NASUWT
Abbots Hill teachers forced to take 4.7% pay cut to remain in pension scheme (6 Apr) – NASUWT members have so far taken 13 days of strike action, with further days of action planned, after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they sign new contracts that would see them with worse pensions and working conditions read more
School teachers in the Isle of Man vote overwhelmingly for action over pay, workload and working practices (5 Apr) – NASUWT members in the Isle of Man have voted overwhelmingly in support of industrial action in a dispute over pay, workload and working practices. 84% of ballot papers returned voted in support of strike action, with 94% in support of action short of strike action, based on a two-thirds turnout. In the last 12 months alone, 88% of Manx teachers have reported an increase in their workload. But since 2010, teachers have witnessed the value of their pay fall by almost 30%, against rising inflation read more
Pocklington teachers strike to protect pensions – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Pocklington School in East Yorkshire are starting the first of five days of planned strike action tomorrow (21 Mar) after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they agree to new contracts that would leave them with worse pensions. The Employer is seeking to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and impose inferior pension arrangements on teachers which would adversely affect their future financial security read more
Northumberland teachers take strike action over workload and working practices – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Bedlington Academy in Northumberland will take the first of fifteen planned days of strike action tomorrow (7 Mar) over adverse management practices which are negatively impacting on members’ health and welfare. Members at the school are facing excessive and unacceptable workload burdens, along with a failure by management to put in place effective measures to manage pupil behaviour read more
Ipswich teachers strike to protect pensions – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Ipswich School are taking the first of six days of planned strike action tomorrow (1 Mar) after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they agree to new contracts that would leave them with worse pensions and working conditions. The Employer is seeking to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and impose inferior pension arrangements on teachers which would adversely affect their future financial security read more
London teachers strike over attack on pensions – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Forest School in North East London are starting the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday 22 Feb), over adverse plans for their pensions, all of which have the potential to leave teachers worse off in future read more
EIS
Dundee’s Teachers set to open Statutory Ballot for Industrial Action (4 Apr) – The EIS has served Dundee City Council with a notice of a Statutory Ballot for Industrial Action. The ballot will open on 19 April 2022. An earlier consultative ballot organised by the Dundee Local Association of the EIS saw Dundee’s teachers vote strongly in favour of industrial action over Dundee Council’s proposals to move to a faculty structure in its secondary schools read more
UCU
Union calls for 10% pay increase for college staff as members signal appetite for strike action (7 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) has submitted a formal pay claim for 2022-23 to employer body the Association of Colleges (AoC), as part of the fight to improve pay and conditions for staff across the sector. The claim, submitted jointly with other unions representing further education staff in England (GMB, Unison, NEU and Unite), calls for a 10% pay increase on all points with a minimum uplift of £2000, all colleges to become accredited Foundation Living wage employers and for significant movement towards agreements on workload in colleges. Negotiations with AoC are expected to formally commence in May. The claim comes as further education staff across England voted in their thousands to consider the next steps towards industrial action in defence of the claim. Nine in ten members (91%) that took part in the recent indicative ballot voted to consider strike action and many branches may soon move towards statutory postal ballots for industrial action – the last step needed before strikes can take place. Since 2009 pay in further education has fallen behind inflation by more than 35%. The gap between school and college teachers stands at around £9000 and the AoC themselves recently described the current staffing crisis as the worst in decades read more
Strike action at 27 universities begins as survey shows most UK university staff considering leaving the sector (28 Mar) – University staff at 27 universities begin a five day walkout today over cuts to pensions and deteriorating pay and conditions. The UK wide action started last week when staff at 40 universities downed tools for five days. This is the third round of strike action this academic year. Staff recently took up to 10 days of strike action over three weeks, from Monday 14 February to Wednesday 2 March, and previously went on strike for three days in December 2021. The University and College Union (UCU) also warned of a staff exodus from UK universities after two thirds of university staff said they are considering leaving the sector. The finding comes from a new UCU report ‘UK Higher Education – a workforce in crisis’ based on a survey of almost 7,000 university staff at over 100 institutions read more
Staffordshire University to face two additional days of strike action in March and April – UCU has today (22 Mar) – announced two additional days of strike action at Staffordshire University, unless management drop plans to employ new staff via a wholly owned subsidiary company. Staff are already striking next Monday 28 March, so the university now faces staff walking out for two days next week and again in April. The full strike days are Monday 28 March, Wednesday 30 March and Thursday 7 April. The latest announcement comes after Staffordshire University staff voted to strike over management’s introduction of a two-tier workforce. The union has also announced that its members will take part in action short of a strike which begins on Thursday 31 March and could last up to five months unless management reverses its contract changes. This will include working strictly to contract and refusing to undertake voluntary activities. The additional strike days have seen the university cancel an applicant visit day, planned for 30 March. 70% of staff who voted in the ballot voted yes to strike action. 80% of those who voted also voted yes to action short of strike read more
Ballots for industrial action open today at universities across the UK – UCU today (16 Mar) began balloting staff to take further industrial action over cuts to pensions and deteriorating pay and conditions.
- 149 universities being balloted for strike action and action short of strike.
- Five days of strike action also set to begin at 68 universities next week
- Preparation being made for UK wide marking and assessment boycott
UCU said the ballots, which opened at 149 universities today and will run until Friday 8 April, pave the way for action to continue throughout the remainder of 2022. The union’s members are voting on whether to take strike action and action short of strike (ASOS) in both of the two ongoing disputes: pensions, and pay and working conditions [NOTE 1]. UCU originally balloted universities in October 2021, and mandates at most universities will end on Tuesday 3 May. Successful reballots will allow staff to continue taking action through this calendar year. Over 50k university staff at 68 universities are set to begin five more days of strike action from Monday 21 March, after recently taking up to ten days of strike action over three weeks, from Monday 14 February to Wednesday 2 March, having gone on strike for three days in December 2021. In total 149 universities face new ballots. Staff at 65 universities in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) are being balloted over pension cuts, and staff at 143 universities are being balloted over pay and working conditions. Some universities face ballots in both disputes, others just one. Successful ballots could see action short of strike such as a marking and assessment boycott beginning next term. This could stop hundreds of thousands of students from graduating read more
Strikes begin today at Goldsmiths in jobs row – Industrial action by University and College Union (UCU) members will begin today (Monday 7 Feb) at Goldmiths University as part of an ongoing dispute over plans to sack 46 members of staff. Goldsmiths wants to make the cuts as part of a ‘recovery plan’ after years of financial mismanagement have left the university with a £12.7m deficit. The union says the ‘recovery plan’ is a deal struck with Lloyds and Natwest banks to use redundancies to improve the university’s finances. Following a failure by the university last week to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies staff have been left with no option but to take industrial action in defence of jobs. Staff will walk out today (Monday 7 February) and tomorrow, and follow this up with strike action alongside that taking place as part of UCU’s national pay and pension disputes later this month. The full dates that Goldsmiths staff will be on strike over this dispute are – Week 1 Mon 7 & 8 Feb; Week 2 Wed 16 – Fri 18 Feb; Week 3 Mon 28 Feb – Fri 4 March
The university has already been hit with a global boycott which means UCU is asking its members, other trade unions, labour movement organisations and the international academic community to support its members at Goldsmiths in any way possible read more Follow @GoldsmithsUCU on twitter
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
London and Manchester firefighters reach agreement for city-wide availability to respond to Marauding Terrorist Attacks (8 Apr) – Firefighters in London and Manchester have signed agreements that will see them respond to Marauding Terrorist Attacks (MTA), following a ballot of FBU members read more
FBU filing further legal claims over government pension inaction (5 Apr) – The government is facing calls to deliver pension justice that a Court of Appeal ruling has mandated, with their lack of action meaning that the Fire Brigades Union is being forced to begin preparing relevant legal claims on behalf of its members. Furthermore, in an unusual step the FBU and fire and rescue employer representatives have sent a joint letter to the government, calling on them to alter steps which mean that fire and rescue services are currently unable to comply with a Court of Appeal ruling and remedy pension injustice. In December 2018 the Court of Appeal ruled in the McCloud/Sargeant case that 2015 reforms to the judicial and firefighter pension schemes were unlawful in that they afforded greater protection to older workers, with an “underpin” ensuring workers did not lose out in the new scheme but only available based on age. Workers are now entitled to be treated as if they had remained in the previous, better pension scheme when the schemes were reformed in April 2015, up until the end of the “remedy period” (31 March 2022) read more
NUJ
Information commissioner is told Freedom of Information is “broken” (7 Apr) – More than 100 newspaper editors, MPs, journalists, celebrities and campaigners signed a letter calling on John Edwards to fix FOI. The letter, coordinated by openDemocracy, highlighted growing concern about the state of Freedom of Information in Britain read more
BBC North West journalists vote for work to rule (6 Apr) – NUJ members are making a stand about the damaging impact of job cuts on news output in the region. As well as working with a significantly reduced workforce, staff at BBC North West are now expected to take on more and more technical duties previously carried out by skilled technical staff. If allowed to continue, the quality of the regional news programmes will suffer and deteriorate, they say. More than 97 per cent of NUJ members in the chapel voted in favour of industrial action. It follows the BBC’s decision to cut £25m from BBC England’s budget, leading to 450 job cuts cross England. The vast majority of journalists who work for BBC North West are NUJ members read more
NUJ will fight to oppose privatisation of Channel 4 (5 Apr) – Séamus Dooley, says the proposed sell off of Channel 4 would be bad for employment in the sector, bad for journalism and bad for the UK. Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, described the proposal by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries as “a wanton assault on a valued British institution disguised as a gift to the creative industry in the UK” read more
Prospect
Supporting members at Hinkley Point C (7 Apr) – Ben Middleton (National Secretary) Louise Staniforth and Chris Perry (Organisers) spent valuable time with reps Bobby Carson and Phil Back at Hinkley Point C on 31st March. This is one of the many site visits we’re undertaking over the year across EDF, with key objectives to support and grow our rep base, plus strengthen the overall branch membership read more
Prospect energy workforce survey highlights stress, fatigue and heavy workloads (5 Apr) – The third iteration of Prospect’s Energy Workforce Survey was carried out in early February 2022. More than 2,700 Prospect members working across the energy industry, from electricity networks to nuclear decommissioning, were surveyed on issues such as staff shortages, stress, working hours, and concerns about fatigue and excessive workloads. The results suggest that in some parts of the sector, especially in the electricity networks, the workforce is under significant pressure. Most survey respondents believe staffing levels are too low at the company where they work, and think their own departments are not adequately staffed for safe working read more
Equity
Support for students and staff affected by ALRA closure (5 Apr) – We extend our full solidarity to all those impacted by the closure of The Academy of Live and Performing Arts (ALRA) including students, staff and the members of the creative workforce engaged by the institution. This will come as a devastating shock to students, who have already faced disruption to their studies throughout the pandemic, and now face yet more uncertainty. Members of the creative workforce receive this news of loss of income amidst an unprecedented fall in living standards and rising costs of living read more
Sign the petition to save Stratford Circus! https://www.change.org/p/save-stratford-circus
USDAW
Today’s feeble rise in Statutory Sick Pay is an insult to working people says Usdaw (6 Apr) – Retail trade union Usdaw continues to call for reform to Statutory Sick Pay following the Government announcing a mesely £3 rise to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) that will take it to just £99.35 a week read more
#ReinstateMax: defend sacked Tesco USDAW rep Max McGee – 3 months on from exhausting all appeals, Max McGee is preparing to take Tesco to an Employment Tribunal over his trade union victimisation and sacking. A GoFundMe page has been set up to donate to Max’s reinstatement campaign and trade union comrades are encouraged to raise the campaign at their Trade Union branches and Trades Councils over the coming weeks. Link to the page below:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/reinstate-max-usdaw-rep-socialist
Messages of solidarity and photos can be sent to [email protected]
UVW
Security guards defiant in fight against racist outsourcing at Great Ormond Street Hospital (8 Apr) – After an epic six-week strike in February and March, the heroic security guards at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) are continuing their fight against racist outsourcing by striking on every Friday in April. The predominantly Black, brown and migrant security guards are the only workers at the well-known hospital who do not receive full NHS sick-pay. On Friday 29 April the guards and their union, United Voices of the Word (UVW), will be holding a large strike rally outside the hospital. By this point, the workers will have taken over 50 days of strike action as part of their fight for justice and equality read more
Security guards at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) are on strike every Friday in April as part of their fight against racist outsourcing. The trustees need to do the right thing and give these workers the rights they deserve! Support the six-week GOSH security guards strike read more on UVW Facebook page
UVW tells government to listen to low-paid workers too as part of Covid-19 inquiry (6 Apr) – United Voices of the World (UVW) has asked for the voices of its members, low-paid, Black, brown and migrant workers who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic, to be included in the government’s Covid-19 inquiry. UVW was responding to the inquiry’s appeal for people to share their thoughts on what the independent investigation should cover read more
IWGB
Migrant cleaners protest poverty pay, bullying and Covid violations outside private London Bridge Hospital (4 Apr) – Outsourced migrant cleaners from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are demonstrating outside the private London Bridge Hospital over poverty pay, harassment, and a slew of health and safety concerns read more
Write to London Bridge Hospital: End poverty pay & poor treatment of cleaners! Use this quick tool to back the workers by writing to the London Bridge Hospital bosses at HCA Healthcare and Compass Group read more
Longest Gig-Economy Strike Hits Day 100 as Stuart Delivery Boss Admits to Pay Cuts in Meeting (1 Apr) – The longest gig-economy strike in history hits day 100 as JustEat subcontractor Stuart Delivery’s UK general manager Brendan Hamill declares pay was previously too high in recent meetings with a union representative. This represents the first admission from the company that the new pay structure equates to a pay cut, despite Stuart previously claiming that the 24% cut to the base rate rolled out in early December 2021 was “fairer” read more
Write to Stuart Delivery, JustEat: END THE STRIKE, PAY RISE NOW!
SIPTU (Ireland)
Other News
Conference: UNDERCOVER POLICING, TRADE UNIONS AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM by Blacklist Support Group, TMG, PSOOL, COPS
Sat, 7 May 2022 10:30 – 17:30 at UNITE House, 128 Theobald’s Rd, Holborn,
London WC1X 8TN read more & register. Our conference will increase awareness of the impact of political policing on trade unions and movements for social change since 1968
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Support GARY CARNEY, TRAIN OPERATOR – 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]
Trade union rep victimisation at Woolwich Ferry reaches ‘obscene levels’, says Unite
Unite: Ealing’s Labour council ‘actively helping’ Serco ‘hound’ union rep from civil enforcement job
St Mungos management escalate dispute by suspending Unite rep – sign petition: End the culture of fear at St Mungo’s – model motion
St Mungo’s: Unite will not tolerate victimisation and bullying
Sign petition: Reinstate Gary Bolister sacked GMB rep at Islington Council
Watch Reel News video: Victimised union reps: Act like it’s you and fight back
Reinstate John Boken Shropshire NEU rep – For more details and send solidarity messages, email [email protected]
Sign petition to support Redbridge NEU Rep Keiran Mahon
Watch Reel News video: Huddersfield teachers strike to defend Louise Lewis
Victimised Tesco warehouse rep Max McGee fighting for reinstatement read more. There is now a GoFundMe to support the campaign (https://www.gofundme.com/f/reinstate-max-usdaw-rep-socialist) and Max can be invited to speak at Usdaw and other union branches plus trades councils ([email protected])
QC appointed to lead the independent Unite inquiry into blacklisting (25 Mar) – Unite is delighted to announce that Nick Randall QC and John Carl Townsend have been appointed to investigate the possible collusion by union officers in blacklisting. Over the past months, evidence gathering by Thompsons solicitors has continued, with many blacklisted construction workers and other witnesses having already been interviewed. The work of the independent investigators is expected to start officially on 11 April read more
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
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
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
International news
NUJ backs calls for the release of Yemeni journalists on death row (5 Apr) read more on NUJ website
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 the Queens Speech in December 2019 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 finish but has now been extended because of the 2nd lockdown. But it’s clear that the Tories are looking to end it asap.
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
Diary
June
18 TUC National Demonstration – 12noon Parliament Square, Westminster, London SW1P 3BD read more
July
2 NSSN Conference 2022 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event
9 Durham Miners’ Gala 2022 Facebook event
15-17 Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival 2022 read more
September
11 NSSN TUC Rally 1pm Brighton
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
