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. Get in touch with your union urgently to book transport so we can fill the streets of London.
11am assemble and 12pm depart from Portland Place W1A 1AA, rally 1pm at Parliament Square
More info – https://www.tuc.org.uk/DemandBetter
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
Two weeks after the TUC demo 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.
The NSSN will be again holding our rally at TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 11th September 1pm-3pm
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.
RMT condemns Hebblethwaite P&O promotion (5 May)
RMT responds to Pride of Kent failed inspection (4 May)
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
Coventry council’s shocking double standards emerge amid Coventry bin strike (4 May)
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
RMT reveals rail industry’s plan for a cull of ticket offices (9 May) – Rail union RMT today revealed imminent plans by the rail industry for mass closures of ticket offices across the network, with over 1,000 ticket offices at impending risk of closure. RMT understands that government has amended its guidance relating to changes to ticket office opening hours clearing the way for train operating companies to seek to cut or close the majority, if not all, ticket offices at rail stations across the country. RMT believes that such far-reaching ticket offices cuts reflect the train companies’ goal of slashing thousands of station staff jobs. This will make the railway less safe, secure and accessible and create a ‘muggers paradise’ across the network read more
RMT condemns Hebblethwaite P&O promotion (5 May) – Disgraced P&O CEO Peter Hebblethwaite has been promoted to another directorship within the beleaguered company, despite overseeing 800 unlawful sackings and countless breaches of safety on the P&O fleet. Mr Hebblethwaite who admitted breaching employment law during a Transport Select Committee hearing in March, by sacking 800 seafarers and replacing them with agency crews, was appointed on 1st April to the new post which has been announced today on Companies House read more
RMT responds to Pride of Kent failed inspection (4 May) – For the third time the Pride of Kent has failed a full safety inspection by the MCA. General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “For the third time in a month P&O’s Cypriot flagged Pride of Kent has failed a full safety inspection by the MCA. “Passengers and hauliers need to know that P&O’s fleet is operated by over worked and under skilled agency crews, some expected to work for up to 17 weeks on the intensive Dover-Calais route read more
Support RMT strike on TransPennine Express – TPE conductors on major railway lines are striking over pay and Sunday. The company has point blank refused TPE conductors’ request to increase pay for staff coming in on their days off and Sundays. 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
Support the London Night Tube strike: every Friday and Saturday nights on Central and Victoria lines read more
TSSA
TSSA backs TUC rail cuts safety concerns (4 May) – TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has backed a call from the TUC (Trades Union Congress) that the government abandons plans for major cuts and job losses across the rail industry. A new report from the TUC (see below) says safety on the railways will be compromised, increasing the risk of serious accidents, unless Ministers change course and ditch plans for widespread post-pandemic cuts at Network Rail (NR). These will see at least 5000 jobs going at NR including 2,600 jobs lost from safety-critical maintenance and works delivery teams at the rail infrastructure company read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! BMW faces strikes at Oxford MINI as component pay offer overwhelmingly rejected (9 May) – Strikes by warehouse workers based at Oxford’s MINI plant will resume after a pay offer was overwhelmingly rejected by the workforce, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The members voted by 91 per cent to reject the offer on a ballot with a 98 per cent turnout because it failed to address low wages across the company. Industrial action had been postponed while the offer was voted on, however strikes by the 200 workers will now take place on 10, 12, 17 and 19 May. The workers, made up of warehouse staff and shunter drivers, handle components for BMW and the strikes will significantly impact production at the Mini plant read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Unite demands action by new council leaders as social carers, cleansing and school workers prepare for summer strikes (9 May) – Unite the union has today (9 May) called on all new council leaders at Scottish local authorities to take immediate action to improve pay, or see strikes this summer. The trade union confirmed that it is in the process of targeting selected groups of workers employed in all thirty-two Scottish authorities with a view to balloting its members in schools, home care and cleansing as early as June. Unite further accused COSLA leaders, who recently voted against making a further pay offer, of having ‘zero backbone’ in standing up for local government workers and demanding more financial support from the Scottish Government. Along with the local government trade unions, Unite has now written to COSLA expressing its anger at this disregard for the workforce amid the deepening cost of living crisis read more
C2C rail passengers warned of disruption as Alstom workers begin strike over pay attacks (8 May) – Passengers using the C2C rails line between London and Southend are set for considerable disruption over the coming weeks as maintenance engineers employed by Alstom take strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions. Strikes are due to begin tomorrow (Monday 9 May) with further action scheduled for 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30 May and 3 June. Disruption to services is likely on both the strike days and on days following the strike action. An overtime ban is also in force. The workers are taking action following a series of attacks on their pay and condition and concerns about high sickness and low morale at Alstom, the French company that bought Bombardier in 2020. The workers recorded a 95 per cent yes vote in favour of strike action read more
Strike off at Tesco forecourts as Unite secures 27% pay increase for XPO drivers (4 May) – Fuel tanker drivers employed by XPO on the outsourced Tesco petrol station contract have secured a 27 per cent pay increase with a two year pay deal – lifting pay by £12,000 on average. The 57 drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, had recorded a 100 per cent yes vote for strike action in their determination to improve their pay, which was lower than that paid by competitors. Once XPO understood the strength of the drivers’ feelings, fresh talks were held and a vastly improved offer was made. The drivers were balloted on the new offer and voted to accept it overwhelmingly. The 27 per cent increase will bring the workers’ pay into line with other drivers on similar contracts in the sector. On average, the deal is worth just under £12,000 per year to the drivers. The threatened strike action is now off but it would have led to fuel shortages across southern and South West England and across much of Wales read more
Strike vote looms as Norwich council staff deliver emphatic ‘no’ to ‘woefully inadequate’ pay offer, says Unite (4 May) – A full-scale strike ballot by workers employed by a Norwich City Council-owned company is on the cards after they overwhelmingly rejected a 4.2 per cent pay offer in a consultative ballot, Unite the union said today (Wednesday 4 May). Unite, which represents about 200 workers at NCSL, such as grave diggers, housing maintenance staff, street cleaners and those tending the city’s parks, said the pay offer for the year starting 1 April 2022 was ‘woefully inadequate’, given that the RPI rate of inflation has soared to nine per cent read more
Strikes off at First Glasgow as Unite secures pay deal (4 May) – Unite the union confirmed that dozens of workers employed by First Glasgow set to strike today (4 May) have voted to accept an improved pay offer. The 60 First Glasgow workers, including bus cleaners and shunters, voted by 89 per cent to accept the offer in a ballot turnout of 92 per cent. Two periods of 48-hour strike action which were due to begin today and 5 May, and 18 and 19 May are now off. The deal ensures a significant pay increase along with improvements to sickness pay which will increase by up to 50 per cent. This will bring sickness pay into line with industry standards at 80 per cent of full pay for the workers read more
Unite warns Marine Scotland strikes ‘inevitable’ after lack of progress in talks with Scottish Government (4 May) – Unite the union has today (4 May) said that strikes at Marine Scotland are ‘inevitable’ in the coming weeks unless the Scottish Government makes a significantly improved offer following disappointing talks in Edinburgh this week. The trade union also confirms that it has received a massive strike mandate from its Marine Scotland members with 90 per cent supporting strike action in a 68 per cent turnout. Unite, which represents around 80 Marine Scotland workers based at Scotland’s fisheries protection fleet, has reacted furiously to a two per cent pay imposition for 2021 by the Scottish Government stating that it could in fact constitute an ‘illegal inducement’. An illegal inducement – when an employer imposes a pay award against the wishes of the workforce – breaches collective bargaining arrangements. By doing this, the Scottish Government could be potentially in breach of the law. The Scottish Government previously confirmed the imposition of the pay award in January 2022, in effect a substantial real terms pay cut given that the broader measure of living costs has now hit nine per cent read more
Coventry council’s shocking double standards emerge amid Coventry bin strike (4 May) – Coventry council’s shocking double standards emerge amid Coventry bin strike. It has just emerged that refuse vehicle drivers employed by Tom White Ltd, a subsidiary of Coventry council that is being used to try to break the bin strike, have been given a 12 per cent pay increase. Meanwhile, Coventry council is still refusing the reasonable pay demands of striking workers in Coventry who earn a basic rate of just £22,183. Unite members on strike are demanding to be paid the market rate, a demand that residents in Coventry support according to a recent poll. Refuse vehicle drivers in Birmingham earn up to £5,500 more than those in Coventry read more
Yorkshire bus workers employed by Arriva to ballot for strike action in pay dispute (4 May) – Over 650 bus workers employed by Arriva in Yorkshire are being balloted for strike action in a dispute over low pay. The dispute is a result of Arriva offering a pay increase of just 4.1 per cent, which is less than half of the real inflation rate (RPI) of nine per cent. The strike will involve Arriva workers, including bus drivers and engineers, based at depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Selby and Wakefield. Many of the company’s bus drivers are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. New starters are on just £9.78 an hour, just 28p an hour above the minimum wage. The ballot opened this week and will close on Monday 23 May. If workers vote in favour of industrial action then strikes could begin in early June read more
Historic strike action begins by staff at Financial Conduct Authority in London and Edinburgh (4 May) – Members of Unite have embarked on historic strike action at the Financial Conduct Authority today (Wednesday 4 May). This industrial action is the first action since the inception of the regulator. It follows many months of refusals by FCA management to listen to the concerns of their workforce. The FCA has rejected all approaches to engage in discussions with employee representatives read more
Unite wins 10% pay deal for Aberdeen Stagecoach Bluebird drivers (3 May) – Around 270 Stagecoach Bluebird bus drivers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire have won an inflation beating 10 per cent pay deal over eighteen months. The workers voted to accept the pay deal following negotiations led by Unite shop stewards with the bus company. The wage deal comes as increasing numbers of bus drivers are leaving the industry to find better paid jobs elsewhere with negative knock-on effects on the availability of bus services read more
Langford Lodge workforce vote overwhelmingly for strike action for improved pay (3 May) – Unite members working at Langford Lodge, the successful Crumlin-based Aerospace & Defence company, have voted overwhelmingly for strike action on the issue of pay and an equal pay audit. The majority for strike action was 86.5 percent on a turnout of 90 percent. Following the vote, Unite has written to Langford Lodge management seeking a meeting to secure a fair offer or the union’s members will serve notice to take industrial action. Langford Lodge’s latest accounts confirm made a pre-tax profit of £2.7 million on turnover of £23.5 million read more
Unite to NI Local Authorities: stop misleading the public and use your powers to provide real pay improvement – As Unite members in councils, education and housing across Northern Ireland continue strike action, the union has hit out at the misinformation from the employers. The workers are on strike in pursuit of a pay increase to recover earnings lost through over a decade of attacks on wages and to help combat the harm to earnings caused by surging inflation. The union is challenging the National Joint-Council (NJC) employers to stop the disinformation and own up to the powers that they do have to end the dispute by improving workers’ pay read more
Unite industrial action set to hit Renfrewshire Council elections – Unite has today (29 April) confirmed days of industrial action which is set to hit the Renfrewshire Council elections on 5 May. Around 200 craft workers employed by the local authority will take part in strike action commencing at 08:00 hours on 3 May and up to 6 May when the action will conclude at 13:00 hours. An overtime ban will also be in place during this time. Unite’s members are responsible for setting up and dismantling the polling stations and were also due to deliver the ballot boxes to the count in the forthcoming council elections. Tradespersons and apprentices working within Building Services covered by the local authority craft agreement at Renfrewshire Council have previously voted unanimously to back strike action read more
Carlisle drinks can manufacturer hit by strikes after ‘unacceptable’ pay offer – Workers at the Crown Bevcan soft and alcoholic drinks can factory in Carlisle will strike over an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer from the company. Around 200 workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will stage two 24 hour strikes on 11 May and 14 May after rejecting a three per cent pay offer plus a one-off payment. More strikes will be scheduled if an acceptable offer is not put forward by the company. The production workers are seeking a pay deal that reflects the rising cost of living read more
Fresh London bus strikes announced in Arriva pay dispute – London bus drivers employed by Arriva are to take part in further strikes next month in a dispute over pay. The strikes involve 1,000 drivers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, and based at garages in Brixton, Croydon, Norwood and Thornton Heath. The drivers operate routes across south and central London. There will be an initial one day strike on Wednesday 11 May and this will then be followed by a 48 hour strike beginning on Monday 16 May. Service reductions in the capital have reduced the workers’ earnings. They are also suffering the same cost of living crisis as other workers, rendering the company’s three per cent offer substandard read more
Unite blasts ‘outrageous’ suspension of Fawley rep on false charges as colleagues vote not to cross picket line – Unite the union has hit out at employers at the Fawley Exxon refinery over the ‘outrageous’ suspension of one of their union reps. The rep, who is employed by Altrad Services, was suspended after 50 of his colleagues – who are not part of the dispute – refused to cross the picket line during a strike on 8 April. The decision not to cross the picket line had been taken earlier in a vote by the workers. Around 100 workers, who make up a third of the contractors at the Southampton oil refinery, have been striking over pay. The union has hit out at Altrad Services’ false accusation that Unite’s rep initiated secondary industrial action and potentially put the refinery and staff at risk. The workers’ vote not to cross the picket line was carried with the proviso that safety critical staff would be on site, which was what occurred. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an outrageous victimisation of an innocent man. Altrad Services is clearly rattled by the strength of the support across the workforce for this action for fair pay and against corporate greed…” read more
Rugby GE Steam strikes could worsen as company uses outside consultants to ‘undermine’ union – The first strikes in 45 years at Rugby’s 120-year-old GE Steam turbine factory could worsen as the company uses outside consultancy firm Shape Associates to ‘undermine’ union organisation. Unite, the UK’s leading union, is preparing to re-ballot more than 75 of its members at the factory to extend strike action over attacks on pay. The initial round of strike action began on 17 April and is due to end on 2 May, with the next strike on 29 April. The union said GE Steam has given over the responsibility of running the factory to Shape Associates so the consultancy firm can force through cutbacks prior to the site’s sale to EDF read more
Refuse collectors and street cleaners in Rugby take strike action to put food on the table – Some workers, lone wage earners, turn to local food banks to put food on the family table. Bin collections and street cleaning in Rugby will grind to a halt from Tuesday (26 April). Members of Unite are taking strike action to demand a significant pay increase as spiralling price rises mean workers are struggling to afford the basics. The strike centres on the refuse, recycling and street cleansing services at Rugby Borough Council. It begins at 00:01 hours on 26th April 2022 and ends on 10th May 23:59 hours. However, the union has not ruled out further action if a deal has not been reached. Street cleansers, HGV lorry drivers and loaders will begin all out strike action because their employer, the Tory controlled Rugby Borough Council, has dragged its feet for more than a year instead of hammering out a pay deal. The workers are some of the lowest paid compared to neighbouring councils and to local transport and warehouse workers in the private sector read more
County Durham car factory strikes intensify in fight for fair pay rise – Pay strikes at car bearing manufacturers NSK Bearings and AKS Precision Ball in Peterlee, County Durham, have intensified as workers step up their fight for a fair pay rise. Around 200 workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have taken eight days of strike action since 23 March after rejecting an ‘offensive’ 1.6 per cent pay offer. The real cost of living, RPI, currently stands at nine per cent and is set to rise further. They will now stage a further 11 days of strikes, which begin today (20 April) and end on 15 May read more
Bullying culture at Cardiff City Council Waste Services provokes near 100% vote in favour of protest strike action – Following an industrial action ballot in which Unite members voted by a majority of 98 per cent to strike in a dispute over widespread bullying within the Cardiff City Council Waste Services, waste service workers employed by Cardiff City Council will start six weeks of continuous strike from 22 April. The strike will cause widespread disruption to the city’s refuse and recycling collections. A survey of Unite members working within Waste Services found that over 60 per cent of workers have either witnessed workplace bullying or had been bullied themselves. Unite has raised a number of other issues with the council which stem from the bullying culture. These include health and safety failings, misuse of agency labour and unfair targeting of Unite union reps read more
Unite warns Caterpillar that attempts to break strike threaten health and safety of workers – Strike by Caterpillar workers at Larne and Belfast results in huge impact to production on site. Unite, the union representing Caterpillar workers who commenced strike action yesterday [Monday 11 April], has hit out at management whose failed attempts to undermine the strike have resulted in mounting concerns for workers’ health and safety. Over the weekend reports circulated that untrained employees at sites in Britain were being offered money to take up production roles at the company’s two Northern Ireland sites during the dispute. In a letter to Unite responding to its challenges over the health and safety implications of such a deployment, Caterpillar management claimed that “the health and safety of all our workers is of paramount importance and…safety is our number 1 priority.” However, on the first day of strike action (yesterday) a striking worker was hit by a HGV as it was attempting to speed past the pickets. The worker escaped with minor injuries as he was able to jump out of the way but left Unite questioning how encouraging drivers to cross picket lines tallied with a purported commitment to worker safety read more
Hackney council workers strike over “insulting” 1.75% pay offer – 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
Unite urges Woolwich Ferry – seize opportunity to resolve dispute as strike ballot suspended to kick-start talks – 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
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
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
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
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
PCS
Pay Business case for Defra (6 May) – PCS has concerns about the update on the Pay Flexibility Case, which will cover Defra, RPA, APHA and VMD, that has been published on the Defra intranet. The update on the intranet gives more information than would usually be shared before negotiations with the trade unions on a pay offer. While we are not opposed to transparency, the update was not shared with us before it was published read more
Mark Serwotka calls out Rees-Mogg on return to the office policy (6 May) – His letter to the government minister is in response to the notes left on civil servants’ desks referring to seeing them “in the office very soon”. In his letter of 29 April to Jacob Rees-Mogg, general secretary Mark Serwotka reminds him that “PCS members worked hard to keep the country running during the pandemic, adapting to extremely difficult circumstances and, in many cases, at risk to their health” read more
DfE Hybrid Working Update (4 May) – An update on talks held with the DfE and a direction for members to speak to line managers about hybrid working, reporting to PCS if their request is refused. PCS along with our colleagues in other unions, met with senior leaders in the DfE on 4 May to further discuss the drastic change in hybrid working guidance. This follows on from the all members meeting PCS held on 3 May, which saw 200 PCS members from DfE gather to get an update from PCS negotiators, ask questions and share their experiences of the impact this change is having read more
GMB
BREAKING NEWS!! Thousands of Cadent gas workers begin industrial action (9 May) – Thousands of field force workers at gas giant Cadent will begin industrial action tomorrow [Tuesday 10 May]. Despite nearly 2,000 GMB members voted to walk out in a strike ballot last month [1], GMB is only calling on members to take part in an overtime ban from 00:01 on Tuesday 10 May 2022. The overtime ban includes stopping working additional hours and members will withdraw from pre-planned overtime to cover gaps in rosters and sick leave. The industrial action could potentially cause outages at homes and businesses throughout five regions in England; North West, East and West Midlands, East Anglia and North London. Workers resoundingly rejected a below inflation pay increase of 2 per cent for 2021 and 4 per cent from July 22. With inflation running at 9 per cent, the deal amounts to a massive real terms pay cut read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Translink bus strike back on (9 May) – The Translink bus strike is back on after GMB members turned down a revised pay offer today [9 May 2022]. Drivers, cleaners and shunters across the company will walk out for seven days from 17 to 23 May 2022, causing the entire bus network to grind to a halt. Unions submitted a pay claim of 6 per cent to help the bus drivers, cleaners and shunters cope with rampant inflation of 9 per cent read more
Thousands of Asda workers vote in favour of strike action in pay ballot (5 May) – Thousands of Asda workers have indicated they are ready to take strike action in a consultative vote. GMB balloted their 8,000 GMB members working in driver, warehouse and clerical roles – 95 per cent of those who voted said they were will to take industrial action over a real terms pay cut. Asda is trying to force through a pay deal which would see 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. GMB will now meet with members to discuss next steps read more
JCB delivery drivers vote for strike action (4 May) – JCB delivery drivers have voted to take strike action in anger at a real terms pay cut. Dozens of GMB members, employed by delivery giant DHL, voted 96 per cent per cent in favour of industrial action during a formal strike ballot. The workers, who deliver JCB parts between factories across the UK, will walk out on 23 and 24 May, with more dates to be confirmed. The dispute stems from bosses trying to impose at 5 per cent pay award, with inflation running at 9 per cent read more
Commonwealth games face strike disruption over equal pay (4 May) – GMB union has today warned delays to resolving equal pay claims by GMB members at Birmingham City Council could lead to strike disruption during this summer’s Commonwealth Games. Claims lodged by staff at the council relate to systematic inequality in pay faced by women workers employed by the council. GMB’s 7,000 members at Birmingham City Council work in services across the city, including refuse, adult social care, education and administration. The union has so far urged its members not to sign any settlement agreement after significant new information emerged surrounding problems with the council’s job evaluation scheme read more
Northampton bin strike called off (4 May) – Northampton town’s bin strike has been called off after workers won a ‘significant’ new pay deal. Industrial action – which could affect 94,000 homes – was due to take place later this month. But GMB members have now voted to accept a new deal which will see loaders paid £10 per hour for loaders and £12 for drivers. The two year deal will also increase with inflation next year read more
Translink workers to vote on pay deal today (3 May) – Workers will now vote on revised deal, unions say. Translink bus workers will begin voting on a new pay deal from today. Drivers, cleaners and shunters across the country had been due to walk out in a mass strike that would ‘bring Northern Ireland to a standstill’. Industrial action was suspended after bosses made a revised pay offer. The ballot closes on Monday 9 May at 12 noon with the result expected later that day read more
Budweiser workers take industrial action – Budweiser faces industrial action after more than 200 workers voted to down tools over a real terms pay cut. A total of 225 GMB members working at BBG’s Samlesbury site, near Preston, will start an overtime time ban, not engage in training or complete face to face handovers from Wednesday 11 May 2022. The site brews Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale. After months of discussion with the world’s biggest brewer they tabled a full and final offer of 3 per cent increase for 2022 and 3 per cent for 2023 with increases in overtime rates. With the cost-of-living crises and inflation at 9 %, the offer amounts to a massive pay cut in real terms. Members also support full strike action – which would be the first time. Strike dates are to be confirmed read more
Wealden bin strike paused after Biffa makes 11th hour pay offer – The Wealden bin strike has been paused after Biffa made an eleventh hour pay offer to GMB members. Refuse collectors across Wealden District Council were due to walk out for a week of industrial action from Monday [25 April]. The last minute offer from Biffa falls shot of workers’ expectations – but GMB members have paused the strike and consider the offer on Monday read more
Fox’s Glacier Mint workers strike over fire and rehire threat – Fox’s Glacier Mint workers will take a full day of strike action tomorrow [April 14] in anger at the company’s fire and rehire threat. 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, will be joined by the Yorkshire Polar Bear and local councillors 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
Unison
Restore free testing in schools or risk SATs disruption, warns UNISON (6 May) – National testing in English primary schools this year could be severely affected because of Covid absences, according to concerns raised in a UNISON survey released today (Friday). More than seven in ten (74%) teaching assistants and learning support staff say pupils are facing more disruption to their education than usual because school employees and children have recently been off sick with Covid read more
UNISON police staff members vote to accept pay offer (6 May) – First digital ballot in the sector helps to produce higher turnout. UNISON police staff members in England and Wales have voted by a margin of nearly two to one to accept the Police Staff Council employers’ pay offer for 1 September 2021 to 31 August to 2023 read more
One week, all-out strike under way at University of Dundee – The strike started as employers are urged to “show some commitment to their loyal, low paid staff”. Members at the University of Dundee took to the picket line on Monday 18th April, and started one week of all-out strike action over the employer’s plans to impose changes to the university pension scheme. This is the third round of action taken at the university over the same issue and the initial five-day strike will be followed by selective action in high-impact areas over the coming three weeks. The previous rounds of strike action provoked a u-turn by the employer of the decision to close the defined benefit scheme, but the dispute now centres on the terms with which the scheme remains open – with proposals to increase the retirement age, diminish the accrual rate and close the scheme to new joiners. When consulted, members strongly rejected this package which was imposed rather than negotiated read more
CWU
McColl retailer collapse proves risk of franchising Crown Post Offices, says CWU (6 May) – Today’s shock news that a convenience store chain has gone into administration is a terrible blow to hard-working shop staff and provides yet more evidence that the Post Office’s ‘retail partnership’ model is deeply flawed read more
Capita TVL pay dispute – ACAS referral provides ‘last chance’ to avoid strike (6 May) – Union agrees to company bosses’ arbitration request in bid to avoid industrial action by hundreds of TV licensing workers over annual wage settlement. “We’ve agreed to this referral in the hope that common sense will win the day and that these talks will lead to a fair resolution – but this is our last chance to avoid a strike,” warned CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey yesterday, after independent arbitration service ACAS was called in to assist in finding a way forward in this long-running row read more
‘Determined’ members’ morale is ‘sky high’ after today’s Post Office strike (3 May) – Striking Post Office workers are ‘determined to get the pay they deserve’, as a wave of strikes called by the CWU paralyses postal operations. 114 Crown Post Offices faced mass disruption as CWU members took industrial action across the UK today, alongside members’ working in the Post Office’s Supply Chain and Admin functions read more
Conference votes to ballot for action at BT, Openreach & EE – Conference voted today (29 Apr) to serve legal notice to BT Group of the union’s intention to ballot all appropriate members for industrial action as soon as possible, after rejecting BT Group’s ‘final offer’ of a £1,500 flat rate pay rise. Delegates deemed this an insult to members struggling with a spiralling cost-of-living crisis from a company that had made £5.7 billion in profit in 2021, and the motion expressed how “appalled” members were by the failure to “adequately reward the contribution made by CWU members keeping the country connected during the pandemic” read more
NEU
30 years of Ofsted (6 May) – Teachers across England mark 30 years of Ofsted with hand delivered ‘unhappy’ birthday cards. Today, 6 May, Ofsted turns thirty years old. This is not a cause for celebration. National Education Union (NEU) members are marking the occasion by delivering giant ‘unhappy birthday cards’ to Ofsted’s seven regional offices*, along with hundreds of handwritten messages from teachers and school leaders calling for the toxic inspectorate to be replaced with a new system that is supportive, effective and fair read more
Support these strikes:-
NASUWT
Pocklington teachers strike to protect pensions (29 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Pocklington School in East Yorkshire will be taking a further nine days of strike action over threats to sack them unless they sign new contracts which would leave them with worse pensions in retirement. The school’s Board of Governors want to remove them from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and force them to be worse off in their retirement, threatening their financial security read more
IOM members to begin action over pay and working conditions (25 Apr) – Isle of Man members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will begin a programme of action short of strike action from Wednesday (27th April) in a dispute over pay, workload and working practices. From this date members will no longer undertake a range of activities which do not directly relate to teaching and learning. These include attending meetings or responding to emails outside pupil session times, undertaking routine administrative tasks, providing cover for absent colleagues or submitting lesson plans. Teachers will still continue to prepare for their timetabled lessons, teach and mark and assess pupils’ work. Members were balloted for action earlier this month, with 94% in support of action short of strike action, based on a two-thirds turnout read more
EIS
Scotland’s College lecturers begin strike action on pay – College lecturers across Scotland will today (Wednesday 20th April) take strike action seeking a fair pay award that recognises their efforts during the COVID 19 Pandemic. Members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) are taking action following protracted negotiations, regarding pay, that began with the submission of their pay claim in June 2021. In a move that evidences a strong sense of feeling amongst college lectures, EIS-FELA members will also commence a resulting boycott on the same day that strike action begins read more
UCU
UCU wins recognition deal at Royal College of Arts (6 May) – UCU members at the Royal College of Arts (RCA) today announced that they have voted to accept recognition from the employer as part of a resolution to a long-running dispute, which has seen 41 days of strike action take place since 2020. The UCU RCA branch overwhelmingly voted to adopt a deal negotiated with college management which includes:
- full employment rights for all
- no more zero-hour contracts
- new routes to permanent contracts
- caps on teaching workloads for staff.
RCA management have heavily relied on casualised contracts for a number of years, and failed to properly engage with UCU over the issue. In the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years, there were more than 1,000 ‘visiting’ lecturers working at RCA on zero hours contracts with minimal employment rights and no guaranteed work read more
UCU members back marking boycott in pension dispute (4 May) – UCU confirmed that a boycott of marking and assessments will take place in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension dispute. The decision to also escalate the pension dispute to a marking boycott was made by delegates at a meeting of UCU’s special higher education sector conference (SHESC) on Wednesday 26 April. It follows a decision made by delegates in the pay and working conditions dispute, who also backed a marking boycott and to keep both disputes coupled. UCU’s higher education officers have met to formalise the timetable for the marking and assessment boycott in both the pensions and pay and working conditions disputes which will be communicated with members on Friday 6 May read more
Raise pay and prevent strike action during GCSEs, North West college bosses told (4 May) – UCU told the bosses of six colleges in the North West to urgently raise staff pay if they want to avoid strike action set to take place on Wednesday 18 May, the day many GCSE students are due to take a crucial English exam. The six colleges facing a day of strike action on Wednesday 18 May are: Burnley College, Bury College, City of Liverpool College, Hopwood Hall, Nelson & Colne College Group and Oldham College read more
Unfair dismissal an indictment of Northampton University’s toxic culture (3 May) – UCU said Northampton University needs to address a toxic work culture that led to a staff member being bullied out of their job. The union was responding to an employment tribunal finding that Northampton University had unfairly dismissed employee Chris Hill, as reported in The Telegraph. Northampton University UCU branch chair Nick Cartwright said: ‘Unfortunately, it is not at all surprising the tribunal ruled that Northampton University unfairly dismissed Ms Hill. UCU has raised issues including the culture of bullying, excessive workloads, and a grievance procedure that isn’t fit for purpose many times with management read more
Staff at 24 UK universities back further strike action in ballot over USS pension cuts –
- Almost eight in ten (79.5%) back strikes
- Dispute over cuts of 35% to guaranteed retirement incomes of staff
- UCU calls for new valuation of USS scheme as value of assets soars
- Union’s members holding meeting later this month to decide next steps in pension dispute
Staff at 24 UK universities have secured a mandate to take further strike action in a dispute over cuts to pensions which could see disruption continue throughout the rest of the academic year. Overall, eight in ten (79.5%) backed strike action with almost nine in ten (88.1%) voting for action short of strike (ASOS). The vote in favour of strike action is higher than it was during the ballots that concluded in November last year, where 76% backed strike action. Today’s results mean that staff at 27 universities have a mandate to take strike action over pensions which will last until October 2022. Staff at Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University did not take part in the ballots but will join any possible action as their mandate remains live. Queen Mary University of London has a live mandate until July read more
Staff at 36 UK universities back further strike action in ballot over pay and working conditions –
- More than seven in ten (74%) back strikes
- Employers more intransigent than ever, UCU says
- Union’s members holding meeting later this month to decide next steps
Staff at thirty-six UK universities have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay and working conditions which could see higher education hit by further disruption this academic year. Overall, over seven in ten of those who voted (74%) backed strike action with over eight in ten (85.9%) voting for action short of strike. The vote in favour of strike action is higher than it was during the ballots that concluded in November last year, where 70.1% backed strike action read more
Support the UCU Goldsmiths strikes – University and College Union (UCU) members at Goldmiths University are continuing to take strike action 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. 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. Follow @GoldsmithsUCU on twitter and on Facebook
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters’ Memorial Day to be marked by FBU (3 May) – Firefighters’ Memorial Day is being marked with a minute’s silence around the country at midday tomorrow. Firefighters’ Memorial Day falls on 4 May every year, and honours firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Over 2,300 such deaths are recorded by the Firefighters’ Memorial Trust. The minute’s silence will take place on the forecourts of fire stations and other fire and rescue service workplaces, with many of the UK’s circa 54,000 fire and rescue service employees participating. Members of the community, local politicians and families of fallen firefighters may also be in attendance at the minute’s silences around the country read more
NUJ
BBC North West journalists vote for work to rule – NUJ members are making a stand about the damaging impact of job cuts on news outpt 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
Prospect
Bectu responds to Cinderella cancellation announcement (3 May) – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella musical has announced its West End run will close early, with the final performance set for 12 June 2022 read more
Equity
Equity wins landmark holiday-pay ruling for its members against world’s biggest pantomime producer (5 May) – We’ve won a major legal victory for our performer and stage management members against QDos Pantomimes (now Crossroads Pantomimes, which describes itself as the “world’s biggest pantomime producer”). On Monday 4 April 2022, an employment tribunal ruled that 16 Equity members had a legal right to receive holiday pay from QDos – the ruling was published on Monday 25 April 2022 and is publicly available to read on the gov.uk website. This win has ramifications for rogue producers across the sector who seek to evade the law and Equity’s collective agreements – emphasising our longstanding campaign for performers and stage management to receive holiday pay and other workers’ rights read more
Cinderella cast and creative workers must be treated with dignity (3 May) – Equity members working on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella were told on Sunday 1 May that the show will end on 12 June. Not only was the news shared on a Sunday before a bank holiday – meaning those affected could not contact their agent for support – but we understand that some cast members and stage management heard the news first through social media or the press. This is unacceptable – all creative workers deserve to be treated with dignity at work. In addition, new cast and stage management had recently been hired and were due to start work soon. These performers had planned their lives around what they thought was going to be their next job, including expected future earnings, accommodation arrangements and even turning down other work. That they have been told they have lost this work now, points to the long running precarity of the entertainment industry, perpetuated by poor management and a lack of respect for our members – which is why Equity is fighting for better working rights across the sector read more
USDAW
#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]
Community
Aviation Business Continuity pay rise (6 May) – We are incredibly happy to confirm that we have secured pay increases and full-time contracts for our members at Aviation Business Continuity. This will mean that all staff have been offered full-time contracts, and that pay has risen to well above the London Living Wage for all. Aviation Business Continuity are at the heart of the logistics team at Heathrow Airport, helping to ensure that the airport can fly it’s over twenty-two million passengers every single year read more
UVW
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
IWGB
JustEat strike online supporters meeting – Tuesday May 10 6pm register here. Speakers include John McDonnell MP, Vicky Blake UCU President & John Moloney PCS Assistant General Secretary
A meeting for members of the public who want to support the historic UK gig economy strike being waged by food delivery couriers
Write to Stuart Delivery, JustEat: END THE STRIKE, PAY RISE NOW!
Hundreds of UCL cleaners and security launch campaign to be brought in house after subcontractor neglect during COVID (4 May) – Outsourced cleaners, porters and security officers at University College London (UCL) are launching a campaign to be brought in house for equal rights and fair pay, after experiencing neglect and discrimination by their subcontractors throughout the pandemic read more
In-house without fair pay is discrimination: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine pay your workers a dignified salary! – We are cleaners, porters, post-room and security staff at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). We are a majority Black, Asian, Latin American and migrant workforce. Many of us have worked for years at LSHTM and we work hard to keep this university running. We are fighting for an end to discrimination and for fair and dignified pay read more & support campaign
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
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU says unfair dismissal case win highlights the right of workers to privacy (4 May) – SIPTU representatives have said that the over €12,500 awarded to a worker at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) following his unfair dismissal from Dawn Meats in Grannagh, county Waterford, highlights the right of employees to have their privacy strictly respected. Aeron James, who was represented by the SIPTU Workers Rights Centre, received the award after the WRC found that his dismissal was substantively and procedurally unfair read more
Other News
Ceilidh for Palestine – hosted by South East Kent Palestine Solidarity Campaign. 7pm Saturday 14th May, 2022 at the Westgate Hall, Canterbury. Commemorating al-Nakba and celebrating resilience.
Join us for an Irish and Palestinian cultural celebration with a performance by Hawiyya Dabke Dance Troupe and Ceilidh Tree’s ace fiddles and amazing caller, guaranteed to get you dancing. With speakers, fundraising raffle, food, stalls and more! All funds raised will support South East Kent PSC. Please buy tickets and encourage family and friends to join us. Details about tickets here
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Those targeted by undercover police demand action as public inquiry restarts – As the much delayed public inquiry into undercover policing restarts hearings this week (Mon 9th May), those spied on by the UK Spycops met at the weekend at the the ‘Undercover Policing: Trade Unions and Social Activism’ conference held at the HQ of UNITE the Union to demand action on the glacial progress of the UCPI, seven years after it began. Photos available via Jess Hurd: https://jesshurd.com/clients/2205UndercoverPolicingGallery/
Dave Smith from the Blacklist Support Group (both core participants in the public inquiry) opened the conference by stating that “institutional racism, institutional sexism and anti-union bias is central to the worldview of those at the top of the UK’s political policing units”.
Veteran anti-racism campaigner, Mark Wadsworth was interviewed by Suresh Grover from the Monitoring Group (both core participants in the inquiry)
Wadsworth told the conference how he was spied on while campaigning with the family of Stephen Lawrence, including when he arranged the meeting with Nelson Mandela to meet Doreen and Neville Lawrence. Wadsworth concluded: “We do not expect justice from the British state investigating itself, but we will be using the public inquiry as a platform to shine a light on the undemocratic nature of the British secret state”.
The disgraced undercover policing units are being investigated for highly abusive conduct ranging from the theft of deceased children’s identities and instigating sexual relationships with activist women, to spying on members of Parliament and grieving families of murder victims – often victims that died at the hands of uniformed police. The next round of evidential hearings in the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) will begin on Monday, hearing evidence from unit managers for the period 1968-1982. The inquiry has been plagued by delays resulting from the obstructive and secretive approach taken by the police[1] Nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence that units such as the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) were running unlawful, anti-democratic, secret political policing operations without proper oversight or control.
Kate Wilson, who recently successfully sued these units for Human Rights violations commented:
“The Investigatory Powers Tribunal findings in my case included violations of the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. The evidence coming out of the UCPI shows that those practices were not the exception, they were the rule. Thousands of people had their rights violated in this way during five decades of secret political policing. We need to understand how and why that was allowed to happen and to go on for so long. We must not forget that he police are a hierarchical organisation. The problems start at the top, and we should therefore be paying very close attention to what the managers have to say.”
In the closing session, Lois Austin from Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance stated: “Our people were fighting for a fairer, greener, more equal world, and they were treated appallingly by the British state. This is not just about uncovering the truth. We have a score to settle”
One of the guest speakers, John McDonnell MP reflected: “We have exposed the terrible suffering that came from police spies that abused women activists and provided information to the illegal blacklist. Now the government has passed the Covert Human Intelligence Source Act to make the very same criminality by undercover police, and even rape, torture and murder, perfectly legal. The potential threat to democracy is even worse now. The trade unions and social movements need to respond at scale”
It is vital to keep the pressure on to ensure the truth about these unlawful police practices is subjected to proper public scrutiny. There will be a demonstration at 9am on 12th May outside the Thistle Hotel in Marble Arch, where the public screening of the witness evidence will take place. Core participants and witnesses to the UCPI will be accompanied by a digital advan, showing a short film by Police Spies Out Of Lives, pulling no punches as to their perceptions of the Inquiry to date. Video released on Twitter today: https://twitter.com/out_of_lives/status/1523559953520218112
The conference was co-organsied by: Blacklist Support Group, Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance, Police Spies Out of Lives, The Monitoring Group, The Haldance Society and UNITE the Union.
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
Kazakhstan: Free the worker activist Erzhan Elshibayev read more
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
