The NSSN sends our full support to the RMT and their members as the union announces action nationally and on London Underground. And as the crisis-ridden Tories have raised bringing in even more new anti-union laws, specifically aimed at transport workers, the whole trade union movement will need to act in solidarity with the RMT if Johnson’s government intervenes.
RMT launch 3 days of national train strike action (7 June)
Rail union RMT launch 3 days of national strike action across the railway network. Over 50,000 railway workers will walkout as part of 3 days of national strike action later this month, in the biggest dispute on the network since 1989. The union will shut down the country’s railway network on 21st, 23rd and 25th June, due to the inability of the rail employers to come to a negotiated settlement with RMT. Network Rail and the train operating companies have subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs which will make the railways unsafe. Despite intense talks with the rail bosses, RMT has not been able to secure a pay proposal nor a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies. In a separate dispute over pensions and job losses, London Underground RMT members will take strike action on June 21st.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the government has failed to take their concerns seriously. We have a cost-of-living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1pc and rising. Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the railway system. Rail companies are making at least £500m a year in profits, whilst fat cat rail bosses have been paid millions during the Covid-19 pandemic. This unfairness is fuelling our members anger and their determination to win a fair settlement. RMT is open to meaningful negotiations with rail bosses and ministers, but they will need to come up with new proposals to prevent months of disruption on our railways.”
Tube strike shuts London Underground (6 June) – 4,000 striking station and revenue control staff have shutdown London Underground in a show of strength to oppose pension attacks and job cuts. Trains have remained in depots across the network and RMT activists are reporting huge attendances at picket lines despite heavy rain across the capital. 600 station staff jobs will be lost if TfL (Transport for London) plans go through and RMT members face huge detrimental changes to their pensions and working conditions read more
88% vote YES in RMT Night Tube betrayal dispute re-ballot (7 June)
BREAKING NEWS!! Unite members at TfL and London Underground to strike over pensions, pay and jobs (8 June) – Strikes will hit the capital’s transport network this month as Unite members at Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground (LU) take action to defend pay, pensions and jobs. On Tuesday 21 June, over 1,000 Unite members will walk out in protest at plans to slash the value of their pensions and close the existing final salary scheme. Due to shift patterns, services could also be hit on 22 June. Unite says that the pension cuts are an unacceptable effort to make members pay the price of the pandemic. The cuts are being demanded by central government in return for ongoing pandemic recovery funding for TfL. The workers are also angry over TfL’s failure to make an acceptable pay offer to members for either 2021 or 2022, and concerns that TfL refuses to guarantee there will be no job cuts read more
TUC National Demonstration Saturday 18th June Central London
11am assemble and 12pm depart from Portland Place W1A 1AA, rally 1pm at Parliament Square
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. This will be even more important as there are reports of further planned Tory attacks on trade union’s right to strike
This week we have seen Boris Johnson wounded by the close vote of confidence. A massive show of strength can put even more pressure on to get rid of this Tory government.
There is transport being organised in every area for the 18th June demo – details here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/travel-coach
More info – https://www.tuc.org.uk/DemandBetter
Also, in the run up to the demo, the TUC and unions are organising public Town Hall meetings around the country. Details of these can be found here
2022 NSSN Conference: ‘Mobilise and organise to all strike together after the 18th June TUC Demo’ – 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, Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Terry Pullinger CWU Deputy General Secretary Postal and Unite Coventry bin striker
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.
Cairnryan P&O blockade set for Monday over job losses (1 June)
RMT responds to Government terminating contract with P&O (31 May)
Joe Kirby RIP – the NSSN sends our deepest condolences to Joe’s family and solidarity to the RMT. Joe, a member of the union’s NEC, has tragically passed away. We have worked with Joe in campaigning against the Tory Freeports plans and he has been especially prominent in the fight against the brutal P&O sackings. RIP
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
Sign petition to Councillor George Duggins – Coventry Council: Reinstate Pete Randle, stop union busting, stop strike breaking and pay the rate
100 per cent strike vote by HGV drivers sends determined message to Coventry Council (7 June) – In a resounding show of unity and determination, striking HGV drivers in Coventry have voted to renew their strike mandate and continue industrial action into the summer. Putting pressure on Coventry council to settle with the union, 100 per cent of those workers who voted support continuing strike action until an agreement is reached. The HGV drivers have been on all out-strike since 31 January in a dispute over low pay and the council’s refusal to pay the HGV refuse lorry drivers the market rate for the job read more
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]
Solidarity with GMB as arrests made on Wealden bin strike picket
The NSSN like many others in the trade union movement sent solidarity to the GMB after officers and a member were arrested last Friday. They remained in police custody for hours but were released later that day. This was an outrageous act. The NSSN will continue to support the GMB and its members in Wealden. Donate to GMB Southern region fighting fund
There is a protest to support the three officials who got arrested last week on the Wealden Biffa picket line. Three of them have been charged with obstructing a public highway and ordered to appear at Hastings Magistrates Court 29th June at 10am
GMB responding to reports of arrests on Wealden refuse strike picket line this morning (27 May) – “GMB members, the majority of whom earn less than £10 an hour, working for Biffa in Wealden, East Sussex have been on strike for four weeks today. The protests have been peaceful throughout. GMB understands three of the picketers were arrested today whilst asking strike breakers not to cover the work of those fighting for better pay, including a manager driving a vehicle who GMB and the strikers believe does not have the correct paperwork to drive the vehicle he was in. This is a serious health and safety risk for GMB members on the picket line he was crossing and the general public. The licence violation was reported to the police. At ACAS talks on Wednesday, GMB made a counter offer to Biffa to settle the dispute, which included major concessions and which the company rejected. GMB remains ready to return to talks; anytime, any place, anywhere but the refuse workers of Wealden are determined to be paid enough to feed and support themselves and their families.”
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
BFAWU Conference fringe meeting – the NSSN would like to thank the BFAWU for allowing us an official fringe meeting at this week’s union conference. It was an excellent meeting of over 50 delegates to listen to Pete Randle Coventry bin striker from Unite and NSSN Chair Rob Williams. We send solidarity greetings to the BFAWU, one of our affiliated unions, and conference delegates
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
Churchill cleaners began 5 days of strike action (2 June) – Cleaners continue their fight for a £15 per hour. Staff in cleaning roles on GTR, Network Rail, HS1 and South East Trains will be on picket lines throughout the weekend. The union is demanding Churchill pay company sick pay and free travel for cleaning staff across the network, to bring them in line with every other railway worker on the network. Due to the cost-of-living crisis with prices rising at their fastest rate in 30 years and inflation running at 11.1 percent, these workers need a pay rise now. Churchill made £39m profit in 2020 but is flat out refusing to raise cleaners’ wages to a liveable standard. Reports from picket lines suggested no trains were being cleaned and RMT members were in good spirits in their fight for pay justice read more
48 hour TransPennine Express strike action goes ahead (1 June) – TPE conductors on major railway lines will take 48 hours of strike action from Saturday in row over pay and Sunday working. The company continues to refuse TPE conductors’ request to increase pay for staff coming in on their days off and Sundays. However, this week it emerged, that TPE bosses have offered drivers an increase of 15% for working on their days off. RMT has made it clear if the same offer was made to conductors, then this latest strike action would be suspended read more
Cairnryan P&O blockade set for Monday over job losses (1 June) – RMT members and fellow trades unionists will protest outside the port of Cairnryan on Monday against bandit capitalists P&O. The ferry company sacked 800 workers in March and has since crewed shifts without proper safety protocols and paid poor wages to super exploited foreign workers. Protesters will start their action from 1.45pm on Monday 6 June read more
RMT demands talks with the Mayor of London before 6th June tube strike (1 June) – Tube workers demanded urgent talks with London Mayor Sadiq Khan to avert a tube strike on Monday next week. RMT met with ACAS this week but London Underground Limited (LUL) were not interested in trying to settle the dispute. LUL made it clear that not only were they not prepared to change tack and be prepared to compromise but they were not given the authority to do so. As it stands, under current proposals, 600 jobs will be lost, working agreements will be torn up and the looming threat to pensions remains in place. RMT remains available for constructive talks but only if LUL are prepared to actively negotiate a genuine settlement to this dispute read more
RMT responds to government terminating contract with P&O (31 May) – Maritime union welcomes overdue step. The government has cancelled a contract with P&O Ferries after it sacked nearly 800 staff without notice in March. Reacting to the news, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This decision to terminate the Border Force’s contract with P&O is an overdue but welcome step…” read more
Update on national rail dispute (31 May) – RMT has today agreed to continue discussions. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Since the ballot results on 24th May, discussions have been taking place at industry-wide level under the auspices of the Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG) to create a framework and structure for negotiations on all issues in the dispute. RMT has today agreed to continue these discussions in order to create a framework for negotiations on all aspects of the dispute. The matter will be considered again by the RMT NEC on Tuesday 7th June, when we will consider how to develop our campaign including the issue of setting dates for phases of industrial action…” read more
RMT slams DP World (30 May) – RMT slams DP World chief for praising P&O sackings as an ‘amazing’ job. MARITIME union RMT has called for P&O Ferries’ owner to been taken to task for describing the sacking of 800 workers illegally fired and replaced with low paid agency staff in March as an ‘amazing’ job read more
Atalian Servest cleaners strike (30 May) – Further to our previous correspondence, despite your union’s best efforts to try to resolve this matter, Atalian Servest has continued to fail to negotiate a pay offer which is adequate. At the conclusion of the latest talks, the company advised your union that intend to impose their latest derisory pay offer. Therefore, the strike action this weekend which I previously notified you about remains on. For ease of reference members are instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between: 00:01 hours on Saturday 4th June 2022 and 23:59 on Sunday 5th June 2022 read more
RMT suspends June 3 action (27 May) – Tube union RMT suspends June 3 action after “significant progress” with LUL. Station staff at Euston and Green Park stations have faced bullying and intimidation from a single manager for years, leading to a breakdown of industrial relations. However, following intense negotiations between RMT and tube bosses, an agreement was reached to have a review with union involvement to deal with the bullying issue. RMT says if no immediate improvements are seen and the review does not lead to a just settlement, then strike action for a different day will be called read more
Support the London Night Tube strike: every Friday and Saturday nights on Central and Victoria lines read more
TSSA
TSSA call for independent inquiry as Abellio still making money from Scottish taxpayers three months after ScotRail franchise terminated (6 June) – TSSA today called for an independent inquiry after it emerged that Abellio is still making money from ScotRail three months after the end of their franchise contract. Abellio’s contract was brought to an early end after years of service failures and soaring ticket prices. But it was revealed yesterday that ScotRail had admitted that Abellio will continue to run services for them, estimated to be worth millions, for the next three years. The services include a customer helpline, parts of ScotRail’s payroll department, and rail replacement buses and taxis and the management of station tenancies read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Major Unite victory protects workers’ rights at Ineos (8 June) – In a major victory for Unite the union and workers employed at the Ineos Grangemouth site, a tribunal has ruled that an employer cannot impose a pay offer – and that Ineos must now compensate workers for attempting to do so. Unite says that the long-anticipated Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) judgement also has huge ramifications for workers everywhere, and calls on employers to note that any attempts to impose pay deals or present them as a `final offer’ will be challenged by the union. The EAT has also awarded each of Unite’s 28 members who took the claim £3,830. It is estimated that Ineos’s breach of the legislation will cost the company in total over £100,000 in compensation read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Strikes over poverty pay at Red Funnel set to shut down Southampton to Cowes ferries (8 June) – Strike action could shut down all Southampton to Cowes ferry services, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). In a dispute over poverty pay, around 120 customer service staff, shunters and ratings, who work on Red Funnel’s Southampton to Cowes passenger ferry and car ferry, will be balloted for strike action between 14 June and 5 July. The workers have rejected a pay offer of 4.5 per cent, rising to 6.5 per cent for the lowest paid staff. They are calling for an increase that reflects the real, fast-rising cost of living which Unite says runs at 11.1 per cent. The majority of the employees at Red Funnel, which operates the lucrative routes, are on the national minimum wage. Unite says the workers are increasingly struggling to pay increased rents. Some are turning to food banks and ‘making the most’ of food allowances at work to keep bills down read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Doncaster rail maintenance workers to strike over ‘abhorrent’ fire and rehire by US multi-national (8 June) – Unions declare ‘shame on you’ to Wabtec’s breaking of proud history. Members of Unite and the RMT unions employed by rail maintenance firm Wabtec in Doncaster will strike over ‘abhorrent’ fire and rehire plans. Over 200 workers will take strike action on 10, 11, 12 and 13 June. A second round of strike action will begin on 27 June and end on 3 July, with more strikes set to be announced. The unions say that the US-owned firm is bringing shame to Doncaster, home of the Flying Scotsman, which was built on the site Wabtec operates from. Wabtec is seeking to fire and rehire the workers onto new contracts that will see breaks cut and staff having to work extra hours, including at the end of their shift, for no extra pay. The company is offering workers that sign the contracts a two-year below inflation pay rise. With inflation (RPI) running at 11.1 percent, this is a real terms pay cut over two years. The unions are advising staff who have been pressurised by management during one-to-one meetings into signing the new contracts that they can still take action to fight the changes read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Main port on Shetland Isles could be forced to close after negotiations with Port Authority break down (8 June) – Unite warns strikes could bring Lerwick harbour to a standstill. Unite the union confirmed today (8 June) that its members working at the Lerwick Port Authority are set to start all-out strike action in a dispute over pay, terms and conditions. Around a dozen key workers will begin continuous strike action from 00:01 hours on Monday 20 June at the main port in the Shetland Islands. The all-out strike marks an escalation from the current overtime bans, and will bring operations at the port to a ‘standstill’ impacting cruise liners and oil and gas vessels, as well as the general shipping read more
Unite wins 13% pay rise for Babcock workers at Devonport dockyard (7 June) – Unite members employed by Babcock International at the Plymouth Devonport dockyards have secured a major pay increase to help offset the cost of living crisis. An offer from Babcock of an across the board £1,500 per annum pay increase has been accepted by Unite’s members at the site. For the lowest paid, the deal is worth 13 per cent read more
Croydon facing stinking summer as Veolia workers announce strike over poverty pay (7 June) – Refuse workers employed by French-owned waste management company Veolia on the outsourced Croydon council refuse collection contract will strike for an initial three weeks this summer in a dispute over poverty pay. Over 100 refuse workers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, and employed as drivers, loaders and sweepers, will begin strike action on Thursday 16 June with the strike ending on Friday 8 July. Further strike action could be announced if no progress is made in the dispute. The workers are striking over poverty rates of pay, with many workers earning over £7,000 a year less than comparative roles in other London boroughs read more
Strikes end at Southampton’s Exxon Fawley refinery as Unite secures pay lift for 100 workers (7 June) – Strikes at the Exxon Fawley oil refinery near Southampton have ended after Unite, the UK’s leading union, secured a deal for around 100 workers. The workers, employed by Trant Engineering Limited, Veolia Services and Altrad Services, began strike action in April over a 2.5 per cent pay offer. Unite’s members rejected this as a pay cut at a time when real inflation (RPI) was running at 9 per cent. Following strike action, the workers accepted an offer to raise hourly rates and overtime premiums that will see annual wages increase by 9.2 per cent. A new working group on sick pay has also been set up read more
Unite warns that the Scottish Government’s failure to address the crisis in local government pay could see schools close and waste ‘pile up on the streets’ (6 June) – Unite the union is demanding immediate action by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Finance Secretary, Kate Forbes, over the continuing local government pay dispute. In a letter to both Scottish Government ministers, Unite, along with the joint trade unions, is warning that failure to resolve the pay dispute swiftly will “close schools across the country and see waste pile up on the streets.” Last week, the trade union confirmed that it has served notice to all thirty-two Scottish local authorities. Strike ballots involving thousands of its members in schools and cleansing will now open from 10 June and close on 26 July. Strike action could begin in August as the new school term commences. Unite, along with other local government trade unions, has rejected outright a 2 per cent pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA). Unite says the offer is derisory and, amid the deepening cost of living crisis with inflation hitting 11.1 per cent, amounts to a massive pay cut read more
Unite launches ballot over pay at every Scottish local authority (30 May) – Unite has today (Monday 30 May) confirmed it has served notice to all thirty-two Scottish local authorities that strike ballots are imminent in an escalating pay dispute. The trade union has confirmed that it will ballot thousands of its members in schools and cleansing. The ballot will open on 10 June and close on 26 July. If the ballot for industrial action is successful then strike action could begin in August at the beginning of the new school term. Unite along with other local government trade unions has rejected outright a 2 per cent pay offer from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA). Unite has been vocal in expressing its anger over the offer amid the deepening cost of living crisis with inflation hitting 11.1 per cent read more
Moy Park strike shuts production at Randalstown feed mill as workers demand the rate for the job (6 June) – Unite members at the Moy Park site on the Moneynick Road, Randalstown have established pickets at the feed mill in a strike to win pay parity with other Northern Ireland sites. Strike action at the mill, which began at 7 am this morning, has shut down production at the mill which produces chicken feed for thousands of farms supplying Moy Park across Northern Ireland. Unite is warning that the company’s greed is attacking members’ wages and putting animal welfare at risk. The industrial action proceeds after drivers, mill operators and engineers voted by 78 percent to take strike action having rejected management attempts to tie a pay parity deal to removal of wider terms and conditions. Workers at the site are paid less per hour than Moy Park workers doing similar work elsewhere in Northern Ireland but the employer says that any movement to end unfavourable pay rates must be tied to workers’ losing holiday and day premiums. Moy Park group made an operating profit of £86 million last year with the total package paid to its highest paid director worth £924,000 read more
Moy Park feed mill workers at Randalstown site vote overwhelmingly for strike action over pay and threat to holiday premiums (31 May) – Unite members at the Moy Park mill in Randalstown have voted by 78 per cent to take strike action in a dispute over pay parity across the business’s Northern Ireland sites. Unite members working as drivers, mill operators and engineers at the Moneynick Road feed mill have rejected Moy Park management’s attempts to tie a pay parity deal to removal of wider terms and conditions. Workers at the Moneynick Road site are currently paid less per hour than workers doing similar work at other Moy Park sites but the employer says that any movement to end unfavourable pay rates must be tied to workers’ losing holiday and special day premiums – which are also paid at other sites. Strike action at the mill is set to start from 7 am on Monday 6 June. The approximate workforce of 40 who work at the mill produce chicken feed for thousands of farms supplying Moy Park across Northern Ireland. Unite is warning that the company’s greed is attacking members’ wages and putting animal welfare at risk. Moy Park group made an operating profit of £86 million last year with the total package paid to its highest paid director worth £924,000 read more
Unite secures another fantastic pay deal winning 15% for ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport (6 June) – Unite has secured another improved pay deal for ICTS workers based at Glasgow Airport, the UK’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Monday). Around 250 workers at ICTS Central Search will now receive an increase of up to 15 per cent from £10 to £11.50 per hour. The pay deal also ensures that former Glasgow Airport Limited workers who transferred over to ICTS, and all new starts at the company will receive the same basic rates of pay. The latest deal mirrors a similar one announced by Unite last week, which involved around 50 ICTS hold baggage screeners at Glasgow Airport. The ICTS workers are covered under separate bargaining agreements. The Central Search workers deal with passengers directly in the security search area and process them for flights. They cover mobile patrols, control access posts, screen all deliveries and deal with emergency services at Glasgow Airport read more
Unite secures huge 28.5% pay deal for ICTS workers at Glasgow Airport (30 May) – Unite the union has secured an improved pay deal for ICTS hold baggage screeners based at Glasgow Airport, the UK’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Monday). Up to 50 ICTS hold baggage screeners covered by the wage deal will now see their basic pay increase by 15 per cent from £10 to £11.50 per hour backdated to May. A one-off bonus of £500 will also be paid to all ICTS workers. The latest deal follows successive increases in the basic rate of pay achieved by Unite over the course of this year from £8.95 to £11.50 per hour which is the equivalent to an increase in the basic rate of pay of 28.5 per cent read more
Unite vows to defend jobs and pay as London bus services cut in funding row (1 June) – Unite, the union, which represents 20,000 London bus workers, has hit out at Transport for London (TfL) plans to cut London bus routes, announced today (Wednesday 1 June). Under TfL’s plans, which are now open to public consultation, inner London bus services will be cut by at least four per cent, including around 16 routes. Unite fears that the jobs of bus workers, including engineers, cleaning and catering staff, will be put at risk. The reduction in routes is also set to hit drivers’ earnings. Many drivers currently rely on overtime and rest day working to top up their pay. TfL claims that the service cuts are focused on routes which mirror rail or tube lines and where demand has decreased since the pandemic occurred and have not yet recovered. However, Unite warns that failure by the Department for Transport to agree further funding requested by TfL will lead to further plans to cut services on top of those already under consultation read more
Airport crisis caused by failure to ‘hard-wire’ public cash to jobs guarantees (1 June) – As the crisis across UK airports deepens, the leading aviation union, Unite, is blaming businesses for taking public money but then slashing jobs during the pandemic. The union is calling for a ‘hard wire’ link to jobs to prevent taxpayers’ cash being misused to prop up share prices at the expense of workers’ jobs and pay read more
Ryanair flights from Stansted could face serious disruption this summer (1 June) – Ryanair flights from Stansted could face serious disruption this summer. Unite, Britain’s leading union, is warning that Ryanair flights from Stansted could face serious disruption this summer as struggling workers demand fair pay after suffering a 10 per cent pay cut in 2020. Workers employed by the ground handler Blue Handling, which provides baggage handling, check-in and other services to Ryanair at Stansted, have rejected a four percent offer. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic they suffered a 10 per cent pay cut read more
Unite: Road haulage bosses must act on pay and conditions as damning report issued on state of industry (1 June) – Unite the union said the transport select committee report out today (Wednesday) was ‘another flashing warning light’ for the UK’s haulage sector. The union, which represents thousands of haulage drivers, says that the industry can no longer drag its heels on the need to tackle driver shortages, poor pay and a lack of decent on the road facilities that are causing workers to walk away from the sector read more
Action needed on ‘glaring’ gender pay inequalities in the veterinary profession, says Unite (31 May) – Unite the union has challenged veterinary employers to take immediate action to rectify the estimated 21 per cent pay disparity between male and female veterinary surgeons. The union said it would fully support any member who has suffered gender pay inequality, if they took steps to challenge their employers. Up to six years of back pay, plus interest, could be recovered, if such a claim were successful read more
Royal Mail strike ballot over threat to 542 jobs and ruinous changes to the service (31 May) – Royal Mail could soon be hit by UK-wide strikes over plans to remove 542 frontline delivery managers alongside a redeployment programme to bring in worsening terms and conditions, as Unite the union announced today (Tuesday 31 May) a ballot for strike action in defence of these jobs. Unite said that about 2,400 managers across over 1,000 workplaces would be balloted for strike action and industrial action short of a strike between 6 June and 29 June – and the union warned that letter and parcel delivery chaos was on the cards. The ballot comes after Unite members rejected the latest proposals from management. Royal Mail bosses have already cut 450 jobs, but have refused to row back from their demand for 542 further jobs to go, as well as undermining agreed existing pay arrangements. Coming out of the pandemic where Unite’s members worked tirelessly to ensure that the mail got delivered and collected, Royal Mail senior management has rewarded them by increasing the workload, relocating them unreasonably and destroying their career progression read more
Hyster-Yale workforce votes overwhelmingly for industrial action to win living costs pay (30 May) – Members of Unite the union have voted with a 85.3 per cent majority to take strike action in pursuit of cost of living pay increase at Hyster-Yale in Craigavon. The vote signalled the workforce’s rejection as inadequate of a below inflation 5.5 per cent offer – at a time when inflation measured by the RPI-index is running at 11.1 per cent. A strike by the 300 plus bargaining unit, which includes engineering and office staff, will shut the site, according to Unite read more
British Airways’ passengers warned of major delays as workers ballot for pay strikes (30 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is balloting its members employed as check-in staff by British Airways at Heathrow airport for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The workers who are employed in the company’s ‘A scales division’, are angry that the company has restored management pay to pre-pandemic levels but refused to reverse a 10 per cent pay cut which was imposed on them during the pandemic. The industrial action ballot, which covers around 500 staff, will open on Tuesday 7 June and close on Monday 27 June. Should workers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes are expected to occur in July when demands for flights are expected to be high read more
Unite secures improved offshore pay deal for Total workers following constructive talks (27 May) – Unite the union has confirmed that offshore workers employed by Total Energies have today (27 May) voted to accept an improved pay offer, backdated to January 1, 2022 read more
Pay victory for Unite refuse collectors & street cleaners in Rugby who took strike action (27 May) – Pay victory for Unite refuse collectors & street cleaners in Rugby who took strike action. Bin collections and street cleaning in Rugby will restart next Tuesday (31 May) after the workers who took strike action won significant pay increases. The members of Unite have been on strike since 26 April and are now due pay increases of up to 12 per cent. The street cleansers, HGV lorry drivers and loaders took action to demand a significant pay increase as spiralling price rises meant workers were struggling to afford the basics. The council had claimed they were bound by a nationally agreed local authority pay deal, however as soon as the workers withdrew their labour the Tory controlled council set about negotiating a solution to address poverty pay with Unite read more
Pay strikes at UK’s only ink manufacturer to hit Daily Mail, Amcor, Scheizwer and Multi-Colour Corp – Pay strikes at the UK’s only ink manufacturer, Sun Chemical, will impact the printing of the Daily Mail as well as production for Amcor, Scheizwer and Multi-Colour Corp. Nearly 200 Sun Chemical employees, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will take strike action at sites across the country over an ‘insulting’ three per cent pay offer. An overtime ban will commence on 6 June followed by a 24-hour strike on 9 June at seven sites, with more strikes set to be announced. The sites are in Bristol, Midsomer Norton in Somerset, Workington in Cumbria, Alfreton in Derbyshire and Heywood, Milnrow and Urmston in Greater Manchester. Sun Chemicals is part of the global DIC corporation. According to the DIC 2021 report, the corporation made £2.5 billion in profits, with its Europe and Africa division, of which Sun Chemicals is the largest company, netting profits of £60 million read more
GXO drivers on Co-op contract suspend strike action following new pay offer – Strikes planned for next week, which would have affected supplies to over 400 Co-op stores, have been suspended following an improved pay offer. Over 330 lorry drivers and transport clerks employed by logistics giant GXO on the outsourced Co-op contract, and based at the company’s Elton Head Road distribution centre in St Helens, were due to hold an initial 48 hour strike beginning on Tuesday 31 May. However, following an improved pay offer, the first strike action has been called off to allow members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, to be balloted on the new offer. If the offer is rejected then the remaining 19 48 hour strikes scheduled throughout June, July and August will go ahead as planned, with the first one taking place on Wednesday 8 June read more
Yorkshire bus passengers face severe disruption as Arriva workers announce extensive strike action over `pitiful’ pay (25 May) – Bus passengers in Yorkshire are braced for substantial strike action in June as workers challenge Arriva’s failure to tackle low pay. Over 650 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have recorded 96 per cent vote in favour of strike action following the company’s pitiful offer of a 4.1 per cent pay increase, far below the real inflation rate (RPI) which currently stands at 11.1 per cent. Indefinite (all out) strike action will begin on Monday 6 June involving bus drivers and engineers based at depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Selby and Wakefield read more
Carlisle can factory strikes to hit summer supplies of Coca Cola, Heineken, Brewdog and Magners – June pay strikes at Carlisle’s Crown Bevcan factory will hit summer supplies of cans of Coca Cola, Heineken, Brewdog, Magners and Bulmers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday 24 May). Around 200 workers, who have already taken two days of strike action over a three per cent pay offer, will strike on 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 June. The tin can production workers are seeking a pay deal that reflects rising living costs read more
Unite says Marine Scotland strikes on after impasse in talks with Scottish Government – Unite the union has confirmed today (Tuesday 24 May) that strike action at Marine Scotland will go ahead following a failure by the Scottish government to make an improved pay offer. The trade union has been engaged in several rounds of discussions with the Scottish government following a two per cent pay imposition for 2021, which Unite contests could constitute an ‘unlawful inducement’. However, with the Scottish Government refusing to re-open pay talks for 2021, strikes are to go ahead. Unite members at Marine Scotland in seafaring roles will now take part in two separate periods of 48-hour strike action involving Marine Protection Vessels (MPV) Hirta on 26 and 27 May, and Jura on 3 and 4 June. The vessels are normally based at Aberdeen harbour read more
Hinkley Point facing delivery delays as engineering workers strike in pay dispute – The flagship Hinkley Point nuclear power plant development could face significant delays due to a pay dispute at Darchem Engineering in Stockton-on-Tees. Strike action will hit Darchem Engineering, which manufactures industrial pond liners for Hinkley Point as part of £200 million contract with the next delivery due in June. The workers are challenging an increasing pay disparity between trades at the company. The welders’ pay has increased by over £2 an hour but the company has refused to give a similar increase to the platers and sheet metal workers. Industrial action by Unite’s members will begin with an overtime ban starting on Monday 6 June. This will then be followed by three 48-hour strikes beginning on Monday 13 June, Monday 20 June and Monday 27 June. Further strikes could be called depending on the response of the employer read more
Langford Lodge strikes to go ahead as Unite pursues pay rise and action on equal pay scandal – Unite has notified management at Crumlin-based Langford Lodge that their workers will commence a first week of strike action in pursuit of a pay increase from 00.01am on Thursday 26 May. The union also wants the scandal of unequal pay addressed at the company. A significant grouping of women machinists for example are being paid £1.93 per hour less than male colleagues while they do work of similar or equal value. The strike is an escalation of an overtime ban previously in force at the RLC Engineering-owned, precision engineering aerospace manufacturer. Last minute talks failed to result in agreement on the pay and equality improvements sought by Unite, leaving the union’s members with no alternative but to follow through on plans for a first week of strike action read more
Hackney council strikes escalate as parking services workers join pay dispute – Strikes at Hackney council will escalate in the coming weeks, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned, with 70 parking services workers now joining more than 200 of their colleagues in a dispute over pay. Staff working in refuse, building services and disability transport services took six days of strike action in late April and early May over an ‘insulting’ 1.75 per cent pay offer. With the real rate of inflation (RPI) now running at 11.1 per cent, strike action is set to step up in the coming weeks. In addition, Hackney parking services staff are to be balloted for industrial action over pay and conditions after their department was insourced back to the council on 1 April this year – potentially bringing the total number of striking workers to 270. Parking services staff have been told that negotiations over their pay, terms and conditions will not even be considered until next year. The workers are on inferior wages and contracts compared to other Hackney council workers read more
Lerwick Port industrial action back on as workers demand the rate for the job – Unite the union today (16 May) confirmed that its members working at the Lerwick Port Authority are set to re-start industrial action over pay, terms and conditions following a breakdown in negotiations. Around a dozen key workers will begin a continuous ban on overtime from 00:01 hours on 25 May at the main port in the Shetland Islands. With significant hours of overtime required to ensure the effective running of operations at the port, the overtime ban will have a ‘severe impact’ on the cruise liners and oil and gas vessels, as well as the general shipping, that use the harbour. Unite members are demanding that they are paid the same rate as that paid at other UK ports and are challenging a number of detrimental changes to basic pay, overtime, standby and call-out payments, and pension contributions. The changes will further cut the incomes for workers who already derive 40p in every pound of their pay from overtime payments read more
Strike action at Ulsterbus and Metro in Northern Ireland after inadequate pay offer rejected – Northern Ireland bus drivers at both Ulsterbus and Metro have rejected the latest pay offer from management as inadequate in the face of spiralling living costs. Following the result, Unite today gave notice to Translink of a first, one-week strike action from next Tuesday (17 May). The strike is likely to shut down all bus transport services for the duration. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham expressed her support for the bus drivers’ fight for improved pay read more
Unite warns of four more weeks of strike at `greedy’ Caterpillar in fight to win ‘cost of living’ pay – Unite the union has today (Tuesday 10 May) notified Caterpillar that their members working for the corporation at Larne and Springvale in Belfast will launch a further four weeks of strike action at both plants in the fight for a pay deal that reflects the deepening cost of living crisis. In a dispute that has already seen four weeks of strikes, the union has been battling Caterpillar’s ‘greed’ and the company’s hostility to efforts to find a negotiated solution. According to Unite, Caterpillar’s management has adopted anti-trade union tactics, including offering a payment bonus to office workers from other locations to cross picket lines and continue production. In the first quarter of this year, Caterpillar reported profits of £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion), using the vast majority of these funds to benefit shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. The business’ lead director enjoys a rewards package worth £18 million ($23 million) in compensation read more
C2C rail passengers warned of disruption as Alstom workers begin strike over pay attacks – 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
Historic strike action begins by staff at Financial Conduct Authority in London and Edinburgh – 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 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
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
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
PCS
Government cuts: Even more HMRC jobs at risk (6 June) – The government ramps up the jobs threat with demands that departments explore job cuts of up to 40%. In HMRC that would be more than 27,500 job losses. In the wake of the government’s announcement of its plans to cut 91,000 civil service jobs, when PCS met the Cabinet Office last month, we were told that each department would be tasked with producing plans to cuts between 20-30% of their workforce read more
PCS members protest against job cuts (6 June) – HMRC members in Scotland are organising a protest today over job cuts, pay restraint and the pensions robbery. PCS Cumbernauld, Glasgow and East Kilbride HMRC branches have organised a protest today (6 June) at the 1 Atlantic Square site at 3.30pm. The protest is against the announced 15-20,000 job cuts in HMRC over the next three years, future pay restraint from 2022-23, the pensions robbery (where members contribute 2% more than is required) and the plan to reduce the civil service compensation scheme by 33% read more
PCS response to job cuts announcement (1 June) – We have met with the Cabinet Office to make our opposition clear and demanded a meeting with the prime minister. The government announced last month that it intends to cut 91,000 jobs in the UK civil service over three years to return to the 2016 staffing levels. The announcement was initially made through the media, showing a disgraceful lack of respect for civil servants. The Cabinet Office has written to civil service unions confirming that departments and arms-length bodies which employ civil servants need to make proposals by 30 June for how they would achieve 20%, 30% and 40% reductions to staffing. They also need to set out the impact of the reductions on services. Targets for departments will be set during September/October and they will then be expected to implement their plans. Departments will be expected to use recruitment freezes, reductions in agency and consultancy workers and exit schemes to include redundancies if necessary. Privatisation will also be considered. PCS met with the Cabinet Office on 31 May to make clear our opposition to the job cuts. We demanded that there should be no compulsory redundancies and no privatisation, made clear that the civil service needed more staff and resources not less, and that there must be full consultation and negotiation at Cabinet Office and departmental level with the trade unions on the departmental plans. General secretary Mark Serwotka has demanded a meeting with Boris Johnson on the job cuts plans read more
PCS serves notice of further strike action at British Council (1 June) – Members will strike for three days in June as the dispute over cuts escalates. PCS members at the British Council took two days of industrial action earlier this year after British Council management ploughed ahead with their plans to make hundreds of staff redundant, and to outsource large parts of the organisation. Following the strike on 24 and 25 March, the chief executive officer of the British Council agreed to meet with PCS having previously refused read more
PCS pushes DVSA to step back from RoSPA Introduction (31 May) – The DVSA have told PCS they are scrapping plans to introduce RoSPA contractors to carry out driving tests, citing a lack of available resources and a negligible impact on the waiting time for driving tests read more
No to staff cuts in UK Defence (30 May) – As the government announces it intends cutting 91000 civil service jobs, DSg issues a clear message, no cuts here. The government announced that they want 91,000 job cuts across the civil service. We are concerned that defence cuts would affect the defence sector in both private and public sector jobs. PCS in defence has pushed back against any suggestion that cuts should fall in defence read more
GMB
BREAKING NEWS!! Wandsworth parking wardens set for strike action (8 June) – GMB union members who work as parking wardens in the London Borough of Wandsworth will be going on strike over pay. The members, who are employed by NSL Parking Services, will be taking industrial action on 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 June 2022. The workers have previously had to resort to strike action in 2018 and the council, when under Conservative control have been offering below-inflation pay rises to all outsourced workers within the borough read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Garbage chaos looms as London’s largest waste transfer stations set for strike (8 June) – GMB union members based at the largest waste transfer stations in London are set to take strike action over pay. Waste transfer stations collect commercial and household rubbish before it’s sent to landfill or recycled. The members, employed by Cory Environmental Ltd have rejected the company’s full and final pay offer as it falls well short of inflation and is therefore a de facto pay cut. All of the major waste carriers in South London use the sites at Smugglers Way in Wandsworth and Cringle Dock in Battersea, including Veolia, Biffa, Amey, Serco and Continental Landscapes, as well as the general public. The union are warning residents of all South London boroughs to expect a knock-on effect on their waste collection services, since no local waste sites have the capacity to store the large volumes of rubbish that would build up in the event that the Cory sites close read more
Hundreds of Heathrow workers begin BA strike ballot (7 June) – Hundreds of GMB members working as Heathrow check in and ground staff begin voting on strike action today. If the British Airways workers vote to take industrial action, they would walk out during the summer holiday period. The ballot ends on 23 June with the result expected the same day. Workers are furious because a ten per cent pay cut imposed on them during the pandemic has not been reinstated – despite bosses having their pre-covid pay rates reinstated. While other BA workers have been given a 10 per cent bonus, the check in staff have had nothing read more
Translink bus strike ends as workers accept new deal (7 June) – Translink management offered a new pay offer at the eleventh hour – which bus drivers, cleaners and shunters have accepted. The offer means strikes will not go ahead read more
Cadent strike suspended (7 June) – Thousands of field force workers at the gas giant Cadent were due to strike on Monday [30 May]. But the strike has been suspended after last minute discussions led to an improved pay offer. Workers had previously rejected a below inflation pay increase of 2 per cent for 2021 and 4 per cent from July 22. The key part of the new offer is a Retail Prices Index inflationary increase from July 2023, with a guaranteed 5% minimum read more
St George’s hospital faces ‘severe disruption’ as workers strike (26 May) – St George’s Hospital faces ‘severe disruption’ when staff go on strike next week, GMB Union has warned. Staff employed as cleaners and hostesses by outsourcing giant Mitie at the Tooting hospital will take their first three days of strike action from Monday [30 May] over pay and conditions. The company caused huge anger when wages were withheld for seven weeks whilst they restructured pay cycles – shortly before announcing they had acquired telecom company 8point8 for £10 million. The planned three days of strike action, which will begin on Monday 30th May for 24 hours, will include a march and a rally as GMB members demand that the contract is taken back in house by St Georges NHS Trust read more
Rhondda faces bin strike after workers vote for industrial action (26 May) – Rhondda residents look set to face a bin strike after GMB members in the waste and recycling department voted for industrial action. GMB members at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council refuse and recycling dept have voted overwhelmingly to support industrial action with a majority of 95 percent. The move could see 130 people strike in May, leaving around 108,000 homes without refuse collections. The union is calling for amendments to the job evaluation scheme after the current system leaves essential workers short-changed for their work. During the pandemic, refuse workers alongside other essential service workers were put at risk, whilst council big wigs worked from home. Over the last decade local government staff have seen their wages cut by around 25 percent read more
Wealden bin strike to carry on after talks break down (26 May) – The long-running Wealden bin strike is set to continue until at least 11 June after GMB members turned down the latest pay offer from the company today [26 May 2022]. GMB Union yesterday arranged a meeting with Biffa – who employ the refuse collectors – with employment adjudicator ACAS present. No agreement was reached and the resulting offer was turned down by 98% of the workers this morning – so the strike, which has been ongoing since April 25, will carry on. The dispute was sparked by GMB members turning down a real terms pay cut from Biffa bosses. Almost 65,000 households are affected by the strike read more
Solidarity with GMB as arrests made on Wealden bin strike picket – The NSSN like many others in the trade union movement sent solidarity to the GMB after officers and a member were arrested last Friday. They remained in police custody for hours but were released later that day. This was an outrageous act. The NSSN will continue to support the GMB and its members in Wealden. Donate to GMB Southern region fighting fund. There is a protest to support the three officials who got arrested last week on the Wealden Biffa picket line. Three of them have been charged with obstructing a public highway and ordered to appear at Hastings Magistrates Court 29th June at 10am
Police make arrests on Wealden picket – the NSSN like many others in the trade union movement sent solidarity to the GMB after officers and a member were arrested last Friday. They remained in police custody for hours but were released later that day. This was an outrageous act. The NSSN will continue to support the GMB and its members in Wealden
Chesterfield bin strike looms after workers turn down pay deal (25 May) –
Workers employed by waste contractor Veolia Environmental services in Chesterfield voted by 100 per cent to reject a real terms pay cut offer of 4.48 per cent. Chesterfield could be facing a bin strike after refuse collectors at Veolia Environmental services voted unanimously to reject a real terms pay cut. GMB Union will now launch a formal industrial action ballot, the dates of which will be announced in the coming days. Workers are furious after being offered what amounts to a 3 per cent pay offer – with inflation rampant at more than 11 per cent. Tens of thousands of homes across Chesterfield could be affected if workers down tools read more
Budweiser workers announce summer strike dates (19 May) – Budweiser workers have announced a series of summer strikes following a pay dispute. A total of 225 GMB members working at BBG’s Samlesbury site, near Preston, will down tools in a series of dates in June in anger over a real terms pay cut. It is the first time workers at the site, which brews Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale, have gone in strike in its 50 year history. 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 11.1%, the offer amounts to a massive pay cut in real terms read more
Wiltshire traffic warden strike continues to second day – GMB union has confirmed a second day of strike action by traffic wardens across Wiltshire on Tuesday 17 May. This follows a successful strike on Saturday 7 May, when parking enforcement was completely suspended across the county by the industrial action. The dispute is due to a proposed pay cut of up to 20 per cent through the withdrawal of a contractual unsocial hours payment. This affects 350 staff, with social workers losing 20 per cent – around £7000 – and traffic wardens losing 10 per cent, which equates to over £2000. Wiltshire Council has refused the offer by ACAS, the Government arbitration service, to facilitate talks to resolve the dispute 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
Unions call for inflation-busting pay rise for local government and school staff (6 June) – Significant pay boost vital to meet spiralling costs. The three local government unions, representing 1.4 million council and school employees, today (Monday) have submitted a pay claim for staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to receive a pay boost of at least £2,000 each. UNISON, GMB and Unite say only a significant rise will help protect services and enable staff to weather the growing cost of living pressures following a decade of local authority cuts and pay restraint. The 2022 claim, which would apply from the start of April, would see council employees receive either a £2,000 rise at all pay grades or the current rate of RPI (presently 11.1%), whichever is higher for each individual. This would lift all council and school employees back above the real living wage of £9.90 per hour (outside London). The three unions say staff working in local government have seen an average of 27.5% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010, the unions say read more
Unions call for expansion of free school meals provision (1 June) – A joint-union letter, signed by UNISON, calls on the government to take an urgent interim step and increase eligibility. UNISON joined other education unions, this week, in calling on the government to urgently expand the free school meals programme to all families receiving universal credit or an equivalent benefit read more
FE unions reject pay offer (30 May) – ‘Appalling’ offer from Association of Colleges falls far short of the joint union pay claim. UNISON and the other further education unions have jointly rejected a 2.25% pay offer for 2022/23 from the Association of Colleges (AOC). The offer, made last Thursday, is not binding, meaning that individual colleges are under no obligation to implement it. And it is in stark contrast to the claim that the unions jointly submitted In March – for a pay rise of 10% on all points, with a minimum uplift of £2,000, all colleges to become accredited Living Wage Foundation employers and for significant movement toward agreements on workload in colleges. A joint statement from the unions – including GMB, NEU, UCU and Unite – points out that the offer follows a decade of real terms pay cuts for further education staff, which has seen pay fall behind inflation by more than 35% since 2009 read more
NIPSA
Cost of Living Crisis – NIPSA lodges local claim with FE Sector (30 May) – NIPSA is acutely aware of the many painful pressures that are currently squeezing your household incomes from all directions on a daily basis. You will have seen, and I hope completed, the cost of living survey which we devised and shared with all NIPSA members across the Further Education and other NJC related sectors to seek your experiences of the cost of living crisis and give you the opportunity to shape our joint Campaigns with our Sister trade unions going forward and inform the detail of our negotiations with your Employer read more
CWU
Virtual mass meetings to expose the great BT pay affordability lie (June 6) – Following on from tonight’s special Facebook Live session for CWU members across EE, two further mass membership events will take place later this week to highlight why members across the whole of BT Group must stand united against real-term pay cuts being imposed by a hugely profitably blue chip company. On Wednesday evening at 7pm a CWU Live session for members in BT will torpedo the cynical myth being perpetuated by bosses that a company that has just announced annual profits of £1.3 billion is too hard up to pay loyal employs a rise that keeps pace with inflation. And on Thursday evening, also at 7pm, it will be the turn of members across Openreach to ponder the jaw-dropping unfairness of them being expected to suffer falling living standards while shareholders stand in line for £761 million dividend payout bonanza read more
You’re not turning back the clock, EE members tell BT bosses (7 June) – Members across EE have delivered the clearest possible rejection of a return to the imposition of annual real term pay cuts that typified the decade before union recognition was secured in 2020. Last night well over a thousand of the mobile giant’s contact centre employees tuned in to an online CWU mass meeting to discuss the BTGroup-wide industrial action ballot that will commence a week tomorrow (June 15) read more
We can’t tolerate a return to the bad old days of pay imposition, EE members told (1 June) – The dire consequences that would flow from not making a stand on the imposition of an “insulting and totally inadequate” BT Group-wide pay rise will be graphically presented to members in EE in a special Facebook Live session directly after the Jubilee bank holiday weekend. On Monday June 6 at 8pm the union’s EE National Officer, Stephen Albon, will front the first of a series of online mass meetingsexplaining the crucial importance of members in different parts of BT Group delivering a resounding ‘Yes’ vote in the forthcoming industrial action ballot. Monday’s broadcast for EE members follows on from last week’s announcement that, amid a tidal wave of employee fury over the imposition of a real-term pay cut, voting papers will be despatched to 40,000 members in BT, Openreach and EE on Wednesday June 15 read more
BT Group-wide strike ballot to commence on June 15 (May 26) – BT, Openreach and EE bosses given ultimatum to budge on pay, or face the first BT Group-wide industrial action ballot in 35 years. The countdown has begun towards the first national statutory industrial action ballot in BT Group since 1987. Barring movement from a senior management team which has so far shown itself impervious to a tidal wave of employee fury over the imposition of a real-term pay cut, voting papers will be despatched to 40,000 members in BT, Openreach and EE on Wednesday June 15. If, as the CWU confidently expects, the ballot confirms members’ outright rejection of a vicious attack on living standards by a hugely profitable blue chip employer, BT bosses will have no-one but themselves to blame for the first company-wide strike in 35 years. At the heart of the dispute, after all, is the company’s abandonment of time-honoured negotiating protocols based on partnership and consent that have underpinned decades of industrial peace. This year, for the very first time, an unagreed pay settlement has been imposed within 24 hours of its formal rejection by the CWU read more
CWU protest outside BT HQ 4.30pm Tuesday 14th June before ballot for national strike action Facebook event
Countdown to first BT Group-wide strike ballot since 1987 begins in earnest (May 24) – Members across Openreach, BT and EE are being urged to tune in to the union’s social media channels tomorrow (Wednesday) evening for a special live announcement on the forthcoming industrial action ballot on pay read more
Royal Mail chiefs compared to Victorian-age bosses (June 7) – ‘Pushem & Sloggem’ quip from CWU delegate at yesterday’s Liverpool briefing summed up the anger and frustration of hard-working postmen and women around the country, as the Royal Mail pay dispute heads towards a national strike ballot. “When does the ballot start?” was the big question as branch, area and local unit reps from the North West, North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland gathered in central Liverpool for the third of three regional briefings on the current situation – and from the loud cheers and prolonged standing ovation that greeted DGSP Terry Pullinger’s closing speech, it was abundantly clear that our activists are ready for the campaign read more
Is the Government pressuring employers to keep pay low? (1 June) – As members’ anger over pay mounts, our deputy general secretary Terry Pullinger asks if Royal Mail’s irrational wages policy and provocative industrial relations attitude may be rooted in external political pressures. “Do you honestly believe that it’s a massive leap in conspiracy to ask if the Government has called in these big companies – especially where we’re unionised – and said to them:’ Don’t you go dishing out great big pay rises to these people. Don’t you start doing that’,” suggested our DGSP to a packed meeting of frontline CWU representatives in central London yesterday. With this year’s pay dispute rapidly escalating towards a nationwide strike ballot, the CWU’s Postal leadership held the first two of three mass briefings this week to update our activists as to the latest state of play and to hear their collective feedback. Yesterday’s gathering in the capital saw hundreds of activists from our London, South East, Central and Anglia divisions pack into Conway Hall, following on from Monday’s upbeat Birmingham meeting of Midlands, South Wales and South West reps. Next Monday, CWU reps from Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North East and the North West will head to Liverpool for the third part of the UK tour and, if the first two events are anything to go by, it will be a lively day on Merseyside read more
Post Office Supply Chain & Admin strike hits hard (June 6) – Hundreds walk out from depots and units across the UK this morning, following up on Saturday’s Crown counters action. From Belfast to Birmingham and from Aberdeen to Swansea, cash collection and delivery drivers and their admin colleagues stopped work, just two days after counters staff closed Crown Offices across the country in their ongoing fight for a fair pay rise. Speaking from a lively picket line at Hemel Hempsted, CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey said: “This is the second bout of industrial action and I want to thank our members for their fantastic support and solidarity today and on Saturday. This weekend has shown once again that Post Office workers will not accept the appalling treatment by senior management and that they will keep fighting until a fair deal is achieved.” Post Office bosses refused to award any pay rise at all for 2021/22 and have put forward what the union describes as a “derisory” proposal for 2022/23 consisting of a 2.5 per cent wage increase and a £500 lump sum read more
Jubilee Crown Post Office strike (May 20) – Counters staff to walkout Saturday 4th June and Supply Chain and Admin workers will down tools Monday 6th as pay row escalates. A second bout of nationwide strikes was announced by the CWU today as Post Office management continued to refuse the union’s call for a fair pay deal. “Their latest offer is for a 2.5 per cent rise with effect from April 1st 2022, plus a £500 lump sum,” says CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey. “So not only is this way, way below the April 2022 RPI inflation figure of 11.1 per cent, it also offers absolutely no back-pay for whole 2021/22 period – for which Post Office is imposing a pay freeze. “Post Office bosses can hardly be surprised that this proposal has been emphatically rejected, particularly when we all know the Post Office can easily afford a decent pay rise – they announced £35 million in profits earlier this week and a decent pay rise for our members to settle the dispute would only cost around £5m.” The strike action takes place over the Jubilee Holiday Weekend at the beginning of June, with Crown Post Office staff striking on Saturday 4th and their Supply Chain and Admin colleagues hitting the picket lines on Monday 6th read more
Relief in Cardiff and Taunton following discussions with GXO (1 June) – Representations made by the union have secured a reprieve for members at two depots that had been earmarked for closure under the outsourcing of BT Supply Chain warehouse and transport operations that concluded on May 1. Ever since the TUPE transfer of 288 Supply Chain staff to logistics giant GXO was announced in February, the CWU has been questioning both the business case and practicality of plans to relocate work conducted at the Cardiff and Taunton sites to a GXO facility at Avonmouth read more
NEU
Legal Filing on Holland Park School (6 June) – NEU joins legal filing against unlawful move to force Holland Park School into a multi-academy trust read more
Support these strikes:-
NASUWT
NASUWT rejects IOM pay offer (27 May) – The NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union has today rejected the second full and final offer made by the Isle of Man government on behalf of its members for a number of reasons: With CPI inflation at 9.0% (IOM April figure) the headline 3.6% pay rise represents a real terms pay cut of at least 5.4% for the majority of our members. This represents the largest single annual real terms cut since 2010. When the proposed pay award is added to the current pay points a significant number of teachers move into a high pension contribution band which in affect reduces the offer by at least 1%. The variable percentage pay increase which sees those on the lower pay grades receiving the most is extremely divisive given that those on the upper pay range have been those worst affected by the erosion of their pay over the past 12 years read more
IOM members to begin action over pay and working conditions – 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
Pocklington teachers strike to protect pensions – 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
EIS
EIS Launches Teachers’ Petition in Campaign for Fair Pay Rise (31 May) – The EIS has launched a national petition as part of its ongoing ‘Pay Attention’ campaign which is seeking a 10% pay rise for Scotland’s teachers. Petitions have been sent out to EIS Reps in every school in Scotland, and the EIS is urging all teachers to sign the petition. Once completed, the petition will be delivered to COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) and the Scottish Government to call on them to reach a fair pay settlement without further delay read more
EIS-FELA Urges College Management to talk in hope of Ending pay (24 May) – Ahead of an eighth day of national strike action by college lecturers and with the significant disruption of a results boycott looming, the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) has as of yet received no acceptance to a formal request for further negotiations with their employers read more
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
Secondary Teachers in Dundee to take Strike Action over Council’s Faculty Plans – Secondary teachers in Dundee are set to take strike action in protest at the council’s faculty proposals which would remove subject specialist Principal Teachers from the authority’s Secondary schools. The first day of strike action is scheduled to take place on the 22nd of June across all of Dundee’s Secondary schools. Secondary members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) in Dundee have been voting in a statutory industrial action ballot over the past three weeks, and have voted strongly in favour of taking strike action over the council’s proposals. 88% of those voting in the ballot backed the move to strike action, with 12% against. Turnout in the ballot was 62%, and the ballot result comfortably exceeds strict UK government restrictions designed as a barrier to legal industrial action read more
UCU
Strike off at Hopwood Hall College after staff win pay rise of up to 7.5% (7 June) – Strike action due to take place today and Friday 10 June at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale and Middleton, Greater Manchester, has been called off after staff overwhelmingly voted to accept a pay offer worth up to 7.5%. For 2022/23 the offer amounts to more than 6% (6.49%) and over 7% (7.52%) for lecturers on the lowest salaries. The deal comes as another four colleges in the region walk out today and Friday. UCU has urged the other employers to make improved pay offers and avoid any further disruption. The four colleges facing strike action are: Burnley College, City of Liverpool College, Manchester College and Oldham College. Staff have been on picket lines at college entrances since 8am today and will be on picket lines at 8am on Friday (10 June). Staff from the four colleges are also holding a rally at 12pm on Friday in Sackville Gardens read more
Colleges across North West England take strike action from tomorrow (17 May) – UCU members across the North West of England will be on strike tomorrow in a dispute over low pay read more
Stop ‘dangerous assault’ on higher education, UCU urges education secretary (1 June) – UCU wrote to Secretary of State for Education Nadhim Zahawi urging him to act now to stop a ‘dangerous assault’ on arts and humanities provision. In a letter from UCU general secretary Jo Grady, sent on the first day of UCU’s annual Congress, the union urged Mr Zahawi to reverse the Office for Students 50% cuts to funding for arts and creative subjects and to stop attacking so-called ‘low value’ courses. The union also slammed plans to restrict access to courses that do not meet arbitrary graduate outcomes data read more
Alarm at real terms cuts to Scottish universities in spending review (31 May) – UCU Scotland has expressed concern at the year-on-year real terms cuts to higher education set out in today’s Scottish Government’s Spending Review. At a time when inflation is running at 9% and set to increase further, the flat cash settlement for the universities over the next four years will mean a year-on-year reduction in funding for higher education read more
Strength of USS pension scheme must be used to improve member benefits (31 May) – UCU said the vast improvement to the Universities Superannuation Scheme’s financial performance must be used to increase staff benefits. The union was responding to USS’s latest financial monitoring report, which shows assets have increased by £22.3bn since the scheme’s last valuation in March 2020 read more
Strike threat at University of Wolverhampton over 146 course cull (31 May) – UCU has declared a dispute with the University of Wolverhampton and said today that it will be left with no choice but to ballot staff for strike action if the university pushes ahead with plans to suspend student recruitment onto 146 courses read more
Strike ballot at Hugh Baird College over ‘derisory’ 1% pay offer (30 May) – A ballot for strike action opened today at Hugh Baird College in Merseyside after management insisted it would only offer staff a ‘derisory’ 1% pay increase and a one off payment of just £500. Inflation is currently at 9%, making the offer a huge pay cut in real terms. The ballot will run until Monday 20 June and if successful will pave the way for strike action during key dates early in the next academic year. It follows an overwhelming 89% of UCU members indicating they would be prepared to back strike action in a consultative ballot with a turnout of 81% read more
Staff vote to escalate strikes as local MP calls on Richmond upon Thames College to withdraw fire and rehire threat (27 May) – UCU confirmed staff at Richmond upon Thames College have voted to take further strike action in a dispute over fire and rehire that has already seen five days of strikes, with new dates to be confirmed next week. The college’s constituency MP, Munira Wilson has now called on the college to withdraw the threat, saying: ‘the fact that the college has issued a section 188 notice (which begins the consultation process to fire staff), whilst still in the process of negotiating with those affected, undermines their ability to negotiate in good faith. I have urged the college to withdraw the section 188 notice, as I believe this could help bring the strike to an early end and allow for an amicable settlement to be reached.’ The college wants to sack all 127 members of its teaching staff and make them reapply for their jobs on new contracts that would see them lose 10 days holiday. UCU had offered to pause any further action if management lifted the threat of compulsory dismissals for staff that do not sign new contracts. However, management repeatedly refused. Today, in a meeting with UCU, college principal Jason Jones rejected the union’s offer once again. Earlier this month an overwhelming 97% of UCU members who voted in the industrial ballots said yes to strike action. The turnout was 88%, smashing the Tory anti trade union legal threshold of 50% read more
Staff strike at Richmond upon Thames College over Fire & Rehire (23 May) – Staff down tools today (Monday) after management confirmed that they intend to issue notices to sack every teacher at the college and force them to reapply for their jobs on worse terms and conditions if they want to stay. The strike will continue every day this week until Friday 27 May read more
University marking boycott begins Monday despite ‘lock out’ threats (20 May) – UCU urged vice chancellors to revoke pension cuts and meet staff demands for improvements to pay and working conditions as it confirmed that more than 20 universities will proceed to a marking boycott on Monday despite threats of 100% pay deductions from some rogue bosses. The boycott means university staff will stop marking work, returning marks and setting or sitting exams and coursework. The graduations of well over 100,000 students are set to be disrupted. UCU also warned rogue bosses against docking pay and using external contractors to bus in unqualified workers to mark work during the boycott read more
Association of Colleges’ 2.25% pay offer slammed as a ‘betrayal’ by unions (27 May) – UCU members working in further education in England are to be balloted over taking industrial action after the union rejected this year’s pay offer. Five unions representing staff in English further education colleges rejected the 2.25% pay recommendation for staff from the Association of Colleges, which was made at a joint negotiating meeting read more
MP joins protest at University of Cambridge over ‘gig economy’ working conditions (27 May) – Undergraduate supervisors who deliver the University of Cambridge’s tutorials are protesting today to demand an end to their ‘gig economy’ working conditions and for fair pay, secure contracts and paid training read more
University marking boycott begins despite ‘lock out’ threats (20 May) – UCU urged vice-chancellors to revoke pension cuts and meet staff demands for improvements to pay and working conditions as it confirmed that more than 20 universities will proceed to a marking boycott on Monday despite threats of 100% pay deductions from some rogue bosses. The boycott means university staff will stop marking work, returning marks and setting or sitting exams and coursework. The graduations of well over 100,000 students are set to be disrupted. UCU also warned rogue bosses against docking pay and using external contractors to bus in unqualified workers to mark work during the boycott read more
Furness College staff to strike on Wednesday over low pay (17 May) – On Wednesday 18 May lecturers at Furness College will strike after management refused to offer staff more than a paltry 1% increase in pay whilst staff face soaring inflation and a cost of living emergency. Inflation is currently at 9%, meaning the 1% offer is a real term pay cut. Staff will be picketing outside the main entrance of college from 8am Wednesday morning. The strike comes after overwhelming 93% of University and College Union (UCU) members who voted in industrial ballots said yes to strike action. Further days of strike action are planned for 8 and 9 June if management continues to refuse to pay staff more 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
FBU slams government rejection of key Grenfell inquiry recommendation for disabled people (June 7) – The Fire Brigades Union has written to the government to demand it rethinks its decision to reject a key Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendation, on the evacuation of disabled residents of high-rise buildings. The inquiry recommended that “that the owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to prepare personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs)” for all disabled residents. But last month the government rejected the recommendation and revealed downgraded plans, which have been roundly criticised including by Grenfell campaigners and disability rights campaigners read more
FBU goes to court after bosses’ “secret letter” aimed at blocking pensions (June 7) – An organisation representing fire service bosses has been accused of attempting to block firefighters receiving the pensions they are legally entitled to, via a secret letter. The letter was circulated in secret by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and its existence has only been revealed after it was posted anonymously to the Fire Brigade Union’s head office. The firefighters affected are those not receiving their full pension benefits. The FBU through the courts won a legal challenge on whether the government’s transitional protection arrangements to their pensions were discriminatory. The courts’ decision was that their full pension entitlement should be paid. The government has stated that they are not prepared to do this until October 2023, which has left many retired firefighters facing financial hardship. As a consequence of the secret letter the union is now planning to go to court on behalf of every member who continues to be denied their full pension read more
Firefighters respond to zero increase in fire budget in Scottish spending review (June 1) – Firefighters have responded to the Scottish finance secretary’s statement on the Scottish spending review, which sees zero increase in the budget of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service over the next five years. This means a potential large real terms cut, especially so given the currently rampant rate of inflation read more
Cheshire firefighters hit out against plan for them to be sent out with only a single fire extinguisher (May 31) – Cheshire firefighters have spoken out against a plan which is set to see some crews sent to incidents with no firefighting equipment except a single fire extinguisher. Additionally, this will involve attendance by just two to three firefighters, and in a pick-up truck rather than a fire engine. The union has issued a “Safety Critical Notice” to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the policy, which means it believes there is a serious breach of health and safety guidelines read more
POA
Scotland: SPS PAY offer 2022/23 (31 May) – We have received a formal pay offer from the SPS for 2022/23 and we are aware that the offer has now been published on the SPS SharePoint site. While we recognise that the SPS have made an offer based on the Scottish government public sector pay policy, we are nonetheless extremely disappointed with the terms of the offer given the current cost of living crisis being experienced right across the UK. With inflation alone sitting in and around 10% today the offer does not in any way reflect the costs being felt by the membership and does nothing to help alleviate those daily pressures, which are not going to ease any time soon. It will be for the trade unions within the TUS to now meet and discuss the response and next steps for us all in managing this offer, but there are two things that will happen from a POA perspective. The SNC will be conducting a workplace ballot of the members to ascertain your position on the offer, and it will be a straightforward yes or no question on the ballot paper read more
BFAWU
Unionise Samworths in Leicestershire – I’m writing to you on behalf of Unionise Samworths, a new campaign organised by the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) and the Peace and Justice Project. The campaign aims to organise workers at Samworth Brothers, Leicestershire’s longest private employer with 9 sites in the region and several more across the country, manufacturing well-known brands including Ginsters and Soreen, as well as supplying sandwiches to high street retailers including Tesco and M&S. Currently, Samworths do not recognise a trade union, do not pay workers a fair living wage and have recently made changes to the pension scheme meaning workers will lose out. We have started a petition and are planning on holding a rally on the Sunday 19th June in Leicester (which will also be livestreamed) as part of the campaign, inviting workers to the rally where we will ask them to join the union, with the plan to hold a CAC ballot later this year. As you can imagine, the campaign requires lots of resources and we hope you will be able to support this campaign through a financial donation. We’d also be grateful if your organisation shared our content on social media and through your mailing list. We would of course be delighted to discuss this further if you have any questions or please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email on [email protected] or 07525725859.
In solidarity, Unionise Samworths www.unionisesamworths.co.uk
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
Horizon Europe – UK must prioritise getting deal over the line (1 June) – Prospect has responded to reports of Universities UK writing to the UK government to warn of a cliff edge on negotiations over Horizon Europe read more
There will be deep anger from Civil Servants about PM’s letter on cuts (31 May) – Prospect have responded to a letter sent to all Civil Servants by the Prime Minister on cuts to public services read more
Equity
The Chancellors’ Cost of Living statement: what you need to know (1 June) – On 26 May 2022 the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that the government would be making one-off cash payments to certain people to help with the cost of living crisis 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]
UVW
Worker’s power: Employer forced to pay back nearly two years in unpaid wages to cleaner after it cut her hours without her consent (1 June) – “My victory should give hope to all of us workers. We have rights and we should fight for them. UVW was there for me and I won” – Sandra Patricia Rivera Uzuriaga, cleaner & UVW member. A Colombian migrant cleaner and UVW member who sued her employer for cutting her hours and wages without her consent, will be paid almost two years of unpaid wages she is owed. An Employment Tribunal ruled at the end of May that the company she worked for had no right to unilaterally cut her contractual hours and pay, including her holiday entitlement. Following the judgement, the company also offered her the missing hours back. Workers should have a say in how, where and when we work. Employers can’t just take away our contractual hours and pay without our agreement if they haven’t offered us proper alternatives. Sandra Patricia Rivera sued her employer, outsourcing cleaning contractor Bayleaf Facilities Management Ltd (Bayleaf), with the help of her union United Voices of the World (UVW) read more
No worker left behind: A lone worker and her union fight back! (1 June) – “From the very first moment I have felt supported by UVW. I’m not scared and I’m going to demand all my working rights, because they must be respected. Why should they be able to take away your work in an instant?” – Sandra, sole cleaner and UVW member. This is the story about a one-woman struggle to get paid what she deserves. The story of a lone, outsourced worker who is taking on her employer and of a small union standing by her side. Together, they forced a giant facilities company to raise her salary to the Living Wage, but the employer hit back taking away some of her work. Now they are fighting to get it restored. Sandra was a lone, minimum wage cleaner who declared a dispute with outsourcing giant Mitie and with the help of her union, forced her employer to give her the Living Wage. Sandra had been the sole cleaner at the offices of a government agency in Birmingham for several years. She is an outsourced worker, employed not by the government agency but by private contractor Mitie read more
Brighton bar staff vote on strike action and sue their employer – “For me and my friends and fellow workers at St James’ Tavern, for the bare minimum conditions and respect at work. That’s why I’m striking.” Tris Houseman, bartender at St James Tavern and UVW member
A small team of pub workers in Brighton are taking on their bosses, voting to go on strike over pay and conditions and suing them for alleged harassment and discrimination. They are saying enough is enough! The determined group of workers and United Voices of the World (UVW) members claim they have been subjected to mistreatment for a long time, alongside poor working conditions. The situation was so dire that many felt compelled to quit their jobs and some of those remaining have second jobs due to their low wages. Bar staff at the emblematic St James’ Tavern (SJT) in central Brighton are being balloted in May for strike action over pay and working conditions. Some of the workers are also suing SJT for alleged harassment and discrimination, including allegations of transphobia, sexism and anti-Semitism read more
Security guards at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) have been taking strike action 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
Dalston couriers and community groups protest over-policing following immigration raids (25 May) – Food delivery couriers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) and other community groups will protest outside Hackney Town hall today at 6:15PM over the harassment of BAME couriers picking up orders at Ashwin Street by police and civil enforcement. Couriers in the area report a sudden spike in the issuing of anti-social behaviour (ASB) notices on Ashwin Street since April, when loading bay times were extended. Today’s protest follows two recent immigration raids targeting majority-BAME couriers in the area, under the guise of routine vehicle checks. At the most recent raid, which took place on Saturday 14 May, hundreds of Dalston locals gathered to support couriers. Police quickly became violent, and both this raid and an earlier raid in January have been condemned by Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville read more
Outsourced workers protest at University of London in fight for dignified pay and end to exploitative outsourcing (24 May) – Hundreds of outsourced cleaners and security staff employed at UCL and LSHTM will protest this Thursday at 5PM over pay and exploitative outsourcing. The protest, organised by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), is the latest in two recent campaigns launched at UCL and LSHTM amidst the cost of living crisis 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
Write to Stuart Delivery, JustEat: END THE STRIKE, PAY RISE NOW!
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU says inferior pay and conditions for daa workers key factor in Dublin Airport crisis (31 May) – SIPTU representatives highlighted the impact of inferior pay and conditions of employment for new daa staff as a key factor in the current crisis at Dublin Airport at a meeting with Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton, this afternoon (Tuesday, 31st May) read more
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
Free imprisoned trade unionists in Iran read more
NUJ stands up for human rights in Oman (1 June) – The union expresses solidarity with the LGBTQ community and calls for equality read more
Turkey: Statement of Solidarity with Imprisoned Gezi 8 – Signatories of a petition released today in Turkey sent a message of solidarity with the Gezi 8. “Whatever they said or did during the Gezi movement, we did the same, we said the same words. If they are convicted, we must be convicted too. If they are considered guilty, we are guilty too. We are reporting ourselves to the prosecutor’s office by declaring that we are in agreement with their ideas and actions” said the 888 signatories of the petition 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