The NSSN headlines this week’s bulletin with the series of strikes called by the CWU in Royal Mail, BT and the Post office. We send our full support and solidarity to the union and its members. We support the call of the CWU for Royal Mail and BT to be re-nationalised. Follow the latest news via CWU’s Facebook page, website and Twitter @CWUnews
The action is as follows:-
Friday 26th August – Royal Mail Group and Post Office Crowns, Admin and Supply Chain
Saturday 27th August – Post Office Crowns
Tuesday 30th August – BT Group, Openreach and Post Office Admin and Supply Chain
Wednesday 31st August – Royal Mail Group and BT Group, Openreach
Thursday 8th September – Royal Mail Group
Friday 9th September – Royal Mail Group
POL raise pay offer to 5% – ‘better but not enough’ says CWU (18 Aug) – After three bouts of industrial action, and with another three days of strikes due next week, Post Office bosses put an extra 2 per cent on the table. “It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s still less than half the rate of inflation,” was the initial response of CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey to the news that the Post Office has increased its pay offer to employees. From a position of setting out a 3 per cent pay rise, senior management have now upped their pay proposal to 5 per cent – a shift in the Post Office’s stance, which comes in the aftermath of three previous bouts of strike action, with more days having been announced for the end of this month. “There’s no doubt this is a move on their part,” Andy continued. “It’s definitely new money on the table, but even with the extra 2 per cent, we are a long way behind the latest retail price index inflation rate of 12.3 per cent and therefore we cannot recommend this offer to our members. Let’s also not forget this offer relates solely to the financial year 2022/23 and still there has been no pay rise offered for the whole of 2021/22. Therefore, this current pay proposal of 5 per cent, plus £500 cash is poor when considering the whole two-year period.” CWU and Post Office negotiators have been in talks facilitated by independent arbitration service ACAS and these discussions are scheduled to resume next week. We’re encouraged by this improved pay offer and it’s our hope that, in the talks next week, we can move further towards a fair and reasonable pay agreement – not only for 2022/23, but for 2021/22 as well,” Andy concluded. If no agreement is reached, the next strike days will take place on Friday August 26th (All Post Office members), Saturday August 27th (Crowns) and Tuesday August 30th (Admin & Supply Chain) read more
Royal Mail Customer Experience bonus payment criteria to improve for next year (18 Aug) – Members in some of our smaller ‘back-office’ function grades will see their maximum bonus potential double next year. Hundreds of hard-working Customer Experience (CE) employees will now have the opportunity to double their bonus in 2022/2023, after the CWU and Royal Mail agreed a new incentive package, which includes changing the targetry criteria. This agreement will take the maximum bonus payout, per annum, up from 1,000 to 2,000. (Pro-rata for part-time workers) read more
Post Office strike – three new days of action announced for August (Aug 12) – Everybody out Friday 26th, Crown Office staff walk again on 27th, Supply Chain & Admin resume their action on 30th as pay fight escalates. Post Office workers will take their fourth round of industrial action at the end of this month, with a strike that coincides with the first walkout of the CWU’s Royal Mail members on Friday 26th August. Some 2,000 Crown Office, Supply Chain and Admin grades workers will stop work for the day, as around 115,000 postmen and women from all parts of the UK begin their action – both strikes in pursuit of a fair pay rise for hard-working and dedicated staff CWU serve notice of 2nd strike ballot over Royal Mail management’s change proposals (20 July) read more
Notice served for second round of national BT Group strike action (Aug 12) – Around 40,000 BT Group workers will hold their second two-day strike against real-term pay cuts on Tuesday August 30 and Wednesday August 31 following management’s failure to take up the union’s offer of serious talks to end the dispute. This afternoon – two weeks to the day after the first national strike in BT since 1987 ended a 35-year run of industrial peace at the telecommunications and broadband giant – the CWU served formal legal notice of the two consecutive days of industrial action which will take place directly after the August bank holiday weekend. The move comes amid a groundswell of mainstream political support that manifested itself at picket lines during the first two strike days, with dozens of Labour politicians – national as well as local – turning out to support CWU protests outside more than 200 BT Group sites the length and breadth of the country read more
BT pay dispute: Avalanche of political support for striking workers as union considers next steps (Aug 11) – Members across BT Group are being urged to write to their local MPs, expressing their anger and frustration at the double standards of a hugely profitable company that is imposing real-term pay cuts on frontline employees while splashing out hundreds of millions on shareholder dividends. The move comes amid a groundswell of mainstream political support that has manifested itself at picket lines across the country. Numerous Labour MPs have publicly demonstrated their solidarity with striking BT and Openreach employees despite the party leadership’s confused position on industrial action at a time of an ever-deepening cost of living crisis. Undeterred by Keir Starmer’s controversial sacking of ex-shadow transport minister Sam Tarry following media appearances at a RMT picket line last month, dozens of Labour politicians – national as well as local – turned out to support CWU protests outside more than 200 BT Group sites the length and breadth of the country on Friday July 29 and Monday August 1. What started with Jeremy Corbyn’s, John McDonnell’s and Sam Tarry’s defiant riposte to the Party leadership at the BT Tower picket line on the first day of industrial action mushroomed into a heartfelt outpouring of support from a raft of MPs from every wing of the party read more. The next CWU strikes in BT and Openreach will be on 30th and 31st August – the first day co-ordinated with CWU members in the Post Office and the second with those in Royal Mail
Royal Mail strike – mobilising our Divisions across the UK (Aug 10) – ‘We’re battle ready’ is the immediate response from CWU reps from all corners of the UK, as union prepares for biggest strike of the summer. Around 115,000 postal workers have been called out for four days – Friday 26th and Wednesday 31st August and then Thursday 8th and Friday 9th September – in what will be the largest action of this 2022’s Hot Strike Summer. As soon as the action was announced yesterday evening – by our general secretary Dave Ward and deputy general secretary postal Terry Pullinger – CWU reps all around the country got busy mobilizing and setting plans in place for the battle ahead read more
CWU asks Capita to bring Real Living Wage increase forward (Aug 22) – Union officers Andy Furey and Tracey Fussey write to company’s CPO urging RLW adjustment from 1st October read more
Fight the Tory pay insult: Come to the NSSN TUC Congress Rally & Lobby #StrikeTogether – 1pm Sunday 11th September Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront Facebook event – speakers confirmed so far: Sharon Graham Unite General Secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary, Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Ian Lawrence NAPO General Secretary, Brighton Trades Union Council.
As usual with NSSN events, there will be an open mic to give a platform to union reps, members and activists, especially those in dispute.
The NSSN is again lobbying TUC Congress, And it is especially important this year, given the escalating cost of living crisis. Join the lobby – send the message to the union leaders: co-ordinate the action. There will be a rally in the Holiday Inn Hotel and then a march to lobby TUC Congress delegates at the Brighton Centre.
Please support this model motion and take it to your union branch and trades council and support the NSSN rally and lobby in Brighton:-
“This (union branch/trades council) gives our full support to workers being forced to take strike action against their employers backed by the Tory government. The cost of living crisis, fire and rehire tactics and other attacks by employers in pursuit of maintaining profits at our expense all mean workers are uniting to fight back.
We will continue to give our solidarity, building practical and financial support to all striking workers. The increasing number of disputes shows the immense power of workers. If unions act together, significant victories can be won. We also oppose the Tories’ threats to introduce further anti-union legislation to the raft of undemocratic restrictions already in existence and call on the TUC to co-ordinate opposition.
We call on unions in struggle to urgently come together to discuss and formulate a strategy to co-ordinate industrial action ballots and strikes.
We therefore agree to build the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 11 September behind this call.”
Please let us know if your union branch/trades council supports our rally and we’ll add to our list of supporting union organisations.
If you want to attend the NSSN TUC Rally and need transport and/or you want leaflets and posters to give out, email us via [email protected]. To make a donation to the NSSN and/or get your union branch/trades council to affiliate for an annual fee of £50, either make a cheque out to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE or pay online: HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Watch the video of the NSSN Conference platform speakers here
Leicester NSSN Meeting: Building Solidarity, Striking Together – Tuesday 23rd August 7pm Secular Hall, Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WB
TUC rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 19th October against the cost of living crisis Unison website NAPO website
‘The working class is back as a movement’ – Enough is Enough read more on CWU website. People can find out about events and how to join the campaign via the Enough is Enough website
Protest the Tory Party Conference – 2 Oct, 1pm, Victoria Square, Birmingham
National Demonstration – 5 Nov 2022, London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
Support the rail strikes
Donate to the RMT National Dispute Fund
Day of Action Tuesday 23rd August against Tories and rail bosses plan to close 1,000 ticket offices (22 Aug) – RAIL UNION RMT will be holding a campaigning day of action tomorrow (Tuesday August 23) at stations around the country in response to the government and rail industry’s plans to close nearly all ticket offices around the rail network. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the planned closure of nearly 1,000 ticket offices were clearly about protecting the profits of train companies by further de-staffing the rail network see details of protests
RMT: Shapps threatens to impose fire and re-hire (19 Aug) – RAIL UNION RMT has slammed plans announced by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps to impose new contracts on railway workers, effectively ‘fire and re-hire’ on worse conditions, unless RMT calls off strike action. The Tory minister told Sky News that if the dispute cannot be settled “we will have to move to what’s called a Section 188, it’s a process of actually requiring these changes to go into place”. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that Mr Shapps had no authority to issue Section 188 notifications as he was not the legal employer but now seems intent on forcing through fire and re-hire on rail workers despite previously claiming that he had nothing to do with negotiations between the employers and the unions. “Despite his denials Mr Shapps has clearly been dictating how the train companies should conduct negotiations with RMT and now he’s ordering them to fire and re-hire workers read more
RMT demands government stops blocking settlement (18 Aug) – RMT has written to Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps to demand that the government ends its deliberate policy of prolonging rail disputes for political reasons. The union insisted that by refusing to meet with RMT while dictating how the train companies conduct the negotiations through a ‘shameful and irresponsible use of taxpayers’ money’. “Your government has made the decision to use taxpayer’s money to bailout private train companies from being liable for revenue lost because of industrial action on the condition the same companies comply with government instructions to hold down pay, cut thousands of safety critical rail jobs, introduce Driver Only Trains and close ticket offices across the network,” the letter said. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the union had calculated that, including the previous and forthcoming action, over £120 million of taxpayer’s money had been used to bail out private train companies to date read more
RMT strikes on the Tube and Overground (18 Aug) – RMT workers on London Overground and London Underground will go ahead tomorrow (Friday) against jobs cuts, attacks on pensions, low pay and the imposition of working practices. RMT members on London Overground voted overwhelmingly for strike action after rejecting a below inflation pay offer and negotiations with Tube employers have failed to make any progress on cuts imposed by the government. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that London Overground and Underground workers were determined to protect their pensions, secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions read more
RMT confirms national rail and tube strikes to go ahead (17 Aug) – Over 50,000 workers to walk out. Over 50,000 workers across Network Rail, London Overground, London Underground and other 14 train operating companies will walkout this week following no breakthrough in any talks. RMT members on London Overground voted overwhelmingly for strike action after rejecting a below inflation pay offer and negotiations with employers at Network Rail, train operating companies and the tube have failed to produce satisfactory settlements due to ongoing government interference. As a result, strike action will take place on the rail network tomorrow (Thursday) and Saturday as planned and on the tube and London Overground this Friday read more
Join the rally – save London’s public transport. Event date: Wednesday, 31st of August ’22. Dear colleague, PUBLIC RALLY: SAVE LONDON’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT – Resist the managed decline of services, jobs and conditions, 7pm, Wednesday 31st August, Conway Hall, London, WC1R 4RL. London’s public transport system has been under sustained attack since the Covid pandemic exposed the fallacy of attempting to fund a public service out of fare revenue. The Tory government has exploited the collapse of Transport for London’s finances to launch an assault on the pay, pensions, jobs and working conditions of London’s transport workers and it seems intent on driving the managed decline of our public transport system. We will not let them do this. London Underground workers are fighting back against attempts to make them pay the price of this crisis. London’s bus workers are campaigning against swingeing cuts to services. Other workers are joining the struggle. RMT is hosting a rally of unions involved in this struggle, open to passengers and the public at Conway Hall in central London on 31st August at 7pm. Please bring this rally to the attention of your members, come along yourselves and bring branch banners – Michael Lynch RMT General Secretary
ASLEF joins rally to save London’s Public Transport
Grant Shapps blocking rail talks, says TSSA (20 Aug) – Thousands of TSSA members took to picket lines again today (Saturday) in the first week of industrial action by the rail union. Union leaders and rail workers across the country have called on Grant Shapps to break the impasse in talks and even industry leaders have called for pay rises and talks as Southeastern Managing Director Steve White tweeted his views. Ticket office and station staff, Controllers, and a wide range of operational and support staff walked out for a second day of strike action in the dispute over pay, conditions and job security, bringing rail services to a halt across the country. Talks are set to continue next week with Network Rail. However, the 15 train operators (TOCS) under the control of the Department for Transport (DfT) are prevented by Grant Shapps from negotiating with trade unions and no talks are scheduled read more
TSSA: Shapps advocating fire and rehire (19 Aug) – TSSA has accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of “advocating fire and rehire” tactics following his claims on media this morning that he will “impose modernisations through Section 188”. Section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act is a duty requiring employers to consult trade union representatives. It is not a mechanism for imposing unilateral change. Such notice for compulsory redundancies has already been issued by Network Rail with their proposal to cut up to 1,900 jobs from the industry. This is not “reform” it’s just cuts. It is one of the reasons why TSSA members are on strike. Many of the changes being proposed require big changes to people’s contracts of employment including rosters, more night shifts, and working practices. These require agreement between unions and the employer. This is another reason we are on strike read more
TSSA call on Grant Shapps to mandate new deal ahead of further strike action (19 Aug) – TSSA have called upon Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to join unions at the negotiating table following strike action which saw trains ground to a halt yesterday as thousands of rail workers took to picket lines across Britain, with further industrial action set to go ahead tomorrow (Saturday). Following yesterday’s action TSSA’s General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, said it was now time for ‘common sense to prevail’ and a revised offer to be brought to the table. TSSA say they have not heard from train operating companies since an ‘insulting’ initial offer which forced many of their members to take strike action for the first time. The railway union argues that this is largely down to the Department for Transport read more
TSSA hails “magnificent” members (18 Aug) – Thousands of members from rail union TSSA have taken strike action and action short of strike, with picket lines across the country. TSSA General Secretary has hailed the “magnificent” members for their action, and is calling on the government, train operators and Network Rail to break the impasse in talks read more
TSSA calls for rail public ownership as inflation soars (17 Aug) – TSSA has today (Wednesday) called for rail companies to be brought into public ownership and slammed the current rail fares model as ‘outdated and impractical’, following the announcement of a 12.3 per cent RPI rate for July read more
Construction workers action – action has started at NAECI sites over pay, with thousands taking part. The next planned day is this coming Wednesday. Without resolution, there will be further action every second Wednesday there after
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Linda on [email protected]
Union News
RMT
RMT slams decision not to prosecute P&O Ferries (20 Aug) – RMT slams decision not to prosecute P&O Ferries over mass sackings. RATINGS UNION RMT has slammed the decision by the Insolvency Service not to press criminal charges against P&O Ferries after it fired nearly 800 employees in March and replaced them with low paid agency workers. Only days earlier the rogue employer posted first half year profits of £600 million exposing claims that the mass sackings were necessary for operational sustainability as a complete fabrication. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the rampant profiteering following P&O Ferries sacking 800 workers was already a stain on the government’s international reputation. “Now the company has been allowed to get off the hook legally despite claims by the government it would take action…” read more
Tories and rail bosses plan to close 1,000 ticket offices (22 Aug) – RAIL UNION RMT will be holding a campaigning day of action tomorrow (Tuesday August 23) at stations around the country in response to the government and rail industry’s plans to close nearly all ticket offices around the rail network. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the planned closure of nearly 1,000 ticket offices were clearly about protecting the profits of train companies by further de-staffing the rail network read more, including details of protests
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Notting Hill Carnival set for bus strike disruption as RATP fails to negotiate in pay dispute (24 Aug) – Visitors to the Notting Hill Carnival this weekend are set to face severe transport disruption due to a bus strike in the local area. Over 1,600 bus drivers based in West and South London are set to walk out for a second time on Sunday 28 August and Monday 29 August. This follows initial strike action on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August. The workers are employed by a British bus company, London United, which is wholly owned by the French company RATP. RATP is extremely lucrative and had a turnover of £4.8 billion in 2021 recording a profit of £174 million read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Muller Gloucestershire strikes threaten M&S and Waitrose milk product sales (23 Aug) – HGV drivers and shunters at Stonehouse factory striking over ‘excessive’ rota demands. HGV drivers and shunters at Mullers’ Stonehouse factory in Gloucestershire will strike over imposed rota changes by the company that will negatively impact the workers’ quality of life. The change to a five days on two days off rota system contravenes an agreement with Unite signed by the company earlier this year. Nearly 70 staff, responsible for delivering milk, flavoured milk and potted cream to M&S and Waitrose nationwide, will strike on 25, 26 and 27 August and 1, 2 and 3 September. More strikes will be set if the dispute is not resolved read more
BREAKING NEWS!! September Arriva bus strikes to hit Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire (23 Aug) – Around 900 bus workers at German-owned giant to strike over real terms pay cut. Staff at bus company Arriva, which has paid £560 million from its UK operations to owner Deutsche Bahn since 2012, will strike from 0300 hrs on 5 September to 0259 hrs on 7 September. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. Arriva is offering drivers, admin staff, engineers, cleaners and shunters pay rises of between four per cent and six per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, running at 12.3 per cent, this is a pay cut in real terms. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bahn has paid dividends of £5 billion to the German government over the last decade read more
Red Funnel Isle of Wight ferry strikes suspended as workers balloted on new deal (22 Aug) – Strike action on all Southampton to Cowes ferry services, run by Red Funnel, has been suspended to allow workers to vote on an improved pay offer. Following extensive negotiations, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said around 120 of its members, working as customer service staff, shunters and ratings, will return to work as normal during the ballot. If the deal is rejected, then further strike action will be scheduled read more
Premier Periclase must be fast-tracked for assistance under new scheme (22 Aug) – Management and government urged to work with unions to secure jobs. Trade unions Unite and Connect, which represent workers at the Drogheda magnesia plant Premier Periclase, have welcomed the news that the European Commission last week approved a scheme of supports for companies facing liquidity and energy-cost challenges, as provided for by the Commission’s Temporary Crisis Framework read more
Offshore drillers and contractors balloted on strike action (22 Aug) – Unite urges talks before dispute escalates. Unite the union is to ballot over 300 offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA). The ballot which opens today (22 August) and closes on 27 September follows Unite members rejecting a 5 per cent pay offer. The UKDCA which covers around 600 workers includes a number of major offshore contractors including Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell read more
Unite calls out ‘crocodile tears’ of Felixstowe employers claiming they can’t afford to pay workers wage rise (21 Aug) – Unite calls out ‘crocodile tears’ of Felixstowe employers claiming they can’t afford to pay workers wage rise. Unite leader Sharon Graham says company prioritising profits and dividends instead of pay. Dividends pay-out in three years touching £200m. Unite investigations of the Felixstowe Docks company, its subsidiaries and ultimately its parent company, based in Hong Kong, show the company is crying ‘crocodile tears’ when it claims it can’t afford to pay its dockers. Since 2017 the company has paid out £198 million in dividends most of which have gone to parent companies, with the ultimate holding company being CK Hutchinson Holdings Ltd, which is registered in Hong Kong. For example, Felixstowe’s accounts for 2020 (at the height of the pandemic) show the company made pre-tax profits of £61 million while also paying a dividend of £99 million read more
Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham to visit Felixstowe picket line – Wednesday 24th August 2022
Stagecoach bus drivers in Aldershot and Guildford secure inflation beating pay increase (19 Aug) – Bus drivers employed by Stagecoach working from depots in Aldershot and Guildford have agreed substantial pay increases following extensive negotiations. The drivers at the Aldershot bus depot will receive a 13 per cent pay increase while those at the Guildford depot will receive 12.57 per cent. The deal covers a total of 170 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union read more
Alexander Dennis workers vote to strike (19 Aug) – ‘Pitiful’ wage offer rejected at Camelon factory. Unite the union can confirm today (19 August) that its members based at Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) in Camelon, Falkirk, have voted to take strike action after the rejection of a ‘pitiful’ pay offer. 79.5% of Unite members participated in the strike ballot with 89.5% voting for strike action. The strike mandate follows the rejection of a 4 per pay offer by the bus manufacturing company. Unite represents around 400 coach builders and spray painters at ADL’s Camelon factory. Unite members are aggrieved at having received no pay rise for three years in addition to the sacrifices made by the workforce at ADL in Camelon and Larbert with around 140 jobs having being lost through voluntary redundancy. The company also rejected a proposal by Unite to move production to a four-day week (32 hours) from five days (36 hours) with it stating there would be no reduction in weekly hours worked read more
Union hits out at another government assault on workers during cost-of-living crisis (19 Aug) – Union hits out at another government assault on workers during cost-of-living crisis. Responding to the latest threats to workers and their unions from the government, this time made by foreign secretary and leadership contender Liz Truss, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It looks like a competition about who can be the most belligerent about implementing more anti-trade union laws. Truss one day, Shapps another. “This government has made it very clear what it thinks of this country’s workers. P&O blatantly sacked nearly 800 workers without notice because it was cheaper to break the law and the Government saw no need to change it read more
Unite hails magnificent win at Arriva North West (19 Aug) – Overwhelming vote to accept pay deal worth £2900 a year. After 29 days of all-out industrial action, Unite the union has today (Friday) declared the strike at Arriva North West over having securing a magnificent pay deal for its members. Unite’s 2043 members across 11 Merseyside garages have voted overwhelmingly (by nearly 10 to one) to accept the 11.1 per cent offer, worth an additional average of £2300 on the workers’ salaries, equal to an extra £55 per week read more
Arriva North West strike suspended after 11.1% pay offer (17 Aug)
Unite campaign secures sick pay for 19,000 Keir Group workers (19 Aug) – Union urges other construction employers to follow suit. Following a campaign by Unite, the union for construction workers, construction giant the Keir Group has agreed to implement sick pay across the company. 19,000 workers working for the Keir Group on highways and construction will now receive sick pay of up to £100 per day from day one of their illness, a vast improvement on the statutory rate which can be as little as £16 per day read more
Unite union chief heralds council workers’ pay victory in Northern Ireland (18 Aug) – Sharon Graham says Mid Ulster council workers taking strike action won the day. Pay win secured after workers notified bosses of intent to move to all-out action after conclusion of four week strike. The Win: two fully-consolidated pay point increases and a one off payment of £750 above the bare National pay offer. Unite’s General Secretary Sharon Graham congratulated members of her union at Mid Ulster District Council on winning a decisive victory on pay. After weeks of strike action, a deal involving two pay point increases and a one-off £750 lump sum above that mandated by the National Joint Council (NJC) pay award. The pay offer was agreed by striking Unite members, ending their four-week strike action at the council and avoiding the prospect of continuous action commencing from next Monday read more
Unite secures pay deal at Prestwick Airport (18 Aug) – Dispute ends after pay and conditions boosted by up to £2,000. Unite can confirm that its members based at Prestwick Airport have voted to accept an improved wage offer bringing the dispute to an end. The trade union has secured significant improvements to the pay, terms and conditions of over 80 members. On average workers will receive a pay uplift of around £1,500 and for some workers up to £2,000 over the year read more
Unite’s power in the workplace spreads to battleground seats to create a Workers’ Economy (18 Aug) – Unite’s power in the workplace spreads to battleground seats to create a Workers’ Economy. From workplace to community Unite is driving a UK-wide strategy to help bring change to ‘heartland’ communities following the failure of politicians to act. With the aim of unifying collectivism at the workplace and within local communities, the Union will now look to drive the political agenda as opposed to commenting on it read more
Arriva bus drivers in Kent and Essex to strike over pay (17 Aug) – Around 800 bus workers at German-owned giant to strike over ‘pay cut presented as rise’. Staff voted to strike after Arriva, whose UK bus division has paid a total of £560 million to parent company Deutsche Bahn during the last ten years, offered a 7.8 per cent pay increase. This is a substantial pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.3 per cent. The bus drivers earn as little as £12.12 an hour. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Offering a pay cut presented as a rise is completely unacceptable. Arriva can well afford to return with a better deal and needs to do so. Unite will not stand for employers, such as Arriva and Deutsche Bahn, driving down our members’ jobs, pay and conditions so they can keep raking in profits during a cost-of-living crisis.” The striking drivers are based at depots in Colchester, Harlow and Southend-on-Sea in Essex and in Gillingham, Maidstone, Gravesend and Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Dates for the strikes have not yet been set. Deutsche Bahn is one of the largest transport companies in the world and is effectively owned by the German government read more
Strikes at Merseyside glassmaker Pilkington suspended following improved pay offer (16 Aug) – Strikes by glassmakers employed at the Pilkington factory in St Helens have been suspended following an improved pay offer from the company, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday 16 August). Strikes due to take place between 17 August and 23 August have been postponed to allow the workers to vote on the new offer. If the offer is rejected, further strike action by the more than 170 workers – including production operators, warehouse staff, engineers and technicians – will be scheduled read more
Chester company supplying Airbus and Magellan Aerospace faces strikes (16 Aug) – Metal Improvement Company has massive profits but offers workers a real terms pay cut. Skilled workers, based in Broughton in Chester, supplying manufacturers including Airbus, will take a series of one day strikes in a dispute over pay beginning tomorrow (17 August). The company, which produces coatings to protect a range of components for the aerospace industry, made pre-tax profits of £36.2 million in 2021, a 26 per cent increase on the previous year. But the company is offering workers a pay deal which significantly falls behind inflation. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This specialist manufacturing company has the financial resources to support its workforce with a pay deal which keeps up with inflation. “The workers have Unite’s full support. They deserve a fair pay deal which protects their incomes and recognises the contribution the workers have made to this successful business.” More than 40 workers employed by the Metal Improvement Company (MIC) will take a series of one day strikes on 17, 24 and 31 August after a 100 per cent vote in favour of strike action read more
Unite statement on record fall in UK wages (16 Aug) – Commenting on the record three per cent fall in wages in real terms for UK workers, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This record fall in real wages demonstrates the vital need for unions like Unite to defend the value of workers’ pay. It also underlines the fact that – as we have said many times – wages are not driving inflation. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to defend jobs, pay and conditions during this cost-of-living crisis.”
Liverpool docks braced for disruption after MDHC port operatives overwhelming strike vote (15 Aug) – Vote comes as separate strike ballot of MDHC maintenance engineers opens. More than 500 port operatives will strike over an ‘inadequate’ seven per cent pay offer, which Unite, the UK’s leading union, said is a real terms pay cut. In a ballot with an 88 per cent turnout, 99 per cent voted for strike action. The strikes, the dates of which have not yet been set, will bring Liverpool container port, one of the largest in the country, ‘grinding to a halt’. MDHC, which made more than £30 million in profits in 2021, is owned by the Peel Group – based in the Isle of Man tax haven. The group’s majority owner is UK tycoon John Whittaker, who is worth more than £1.4 billion and is also based in the Isle of Man. The Australian investment fund, Australian Super, is the group’s second largest investor read more
Unite rejects ‘paltry’ COSLA pay offer as waste strikes set to start (15 Aug) – Edinburgh waste workers walk-out on Thursday. Unite the union can confirm that its representative committee involving local government workers formally rejected the latest COSLA pay offer today (15 August). Unite said that the 3.5 per cent offer announced by COSLA on Friday (12 August) was ‘nowhere near good enough’ which is also a position supported by several council leaders including those in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The formal rejection comes as strike action is set to begin this Thursday (18 August) in Edinburgh. It will end in the capital city on 30 August the day following the end of the Edinburgh International and Fringe festivals. It is estimated that around 250 Unite members based in Edinburgh will participate in the ‘first wave’ of strike action. Unite will be the largest trade union in terms of members involved in this initial phase of council strike action to hit all waste services read more
Council workers in Scotland vote for strike action in pay dispute – Unite confirms 26 councils set to face targeted action. Unite the union can today (27 July) confirm that its local government membership in 26 councils have rejected the ‘derisory’ 2 per cent pay offer and voted for industrial action. Unite can confirm that the following 26 councils are now set to be hit by industrial action: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Highland, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian. Unite’s members employed by Tayside Contracts have also voted in favour of industrial action which will result in schools in Perth and Kinross Council now being impacted. The trade union which represents thousands of local government workers balloted its members in schools and cleansing across all Scottish councils. Unite will be finalising the strike dates in the coming week with action in refuse and waste services expected to begin in mid-August. Action specifically impacting schools is expected to begin in early September read more
Long hot summer for Newham as bin collections face disruption (11 Aug) – 99% of union members back strike action. Bin collections in the London Borough of Newham will grind to a halt from Saturday 27 August. Members of Unite are taking strike action to demand a significant pay increase as spiralling price rises mean the essential workers face an impending financial emergency. 99 per cent of the workers who took part in the ballot backed strike action on an 81 per cent turn out. The workers are paid far less than refuse workers in neighbouring Hackney and Greenwich. For example an operative in Newham earns £22,850 compared to £24,763 for a worker in Greenwich doing the same work. 130 loaders, sweepers and drivers employed by the London Borough of Newham will take strike action between Saturday 27 August and Saturday 3 September with more action to follow unless a deal is reached read more
The picketing location will be the front and back gates of Central Depot, Folkstone Road, London E6 6BX
The dates of picketing will be:-
Saturday 27th August from 5.30am through to 2pm
Tuesday 30th August – 5.30am through to 5.30pm
Wednesday 31st August – 5.30am through to 5.30pm
Thursday 1st September – 5.30am through to 5.30pm
Friday 2nd September – 5.30am through to 5.30pm
Saturday 3rd September to be confirmed
Strike by DHL Services workers set to commence at Spirit Aerosystems next Monday (10 Aug) – Workers vote with 84 percent majority for strike action, rejecting insulting 4 percent pay offer when inflation is running at almost 12 percent. Industrial action of DHL workers will impact production at all Spirit Aerosystems sites in Northern Ireland. Unite the union which represents workers employed by DHL Services at Spirit Aerosystems has confirmed a first, one-week strike is set to commence on Monday [August 15] at sites across Northern Ireland. Unite members working for DHL Services at Spirit Aerosystems voted with an 84 percent ballot majority for strike action after rejecting an inadequate pay offer from management. The offer provided only a four percent increase to consolidated pay – far below the current rate of inflation (RPI) which has surged to 11.8 percent with the cost of living crisis. DHL workers elsewhere in Northern Ireland have received higher pay offers than those working on the Spirit-Aerosystems contract; recently Unite members at DHL Services in Scotland won a double-digit improved pay offer read more
Unite members to strike for a second time in long running pensions dispute at the University of Dundee (10 Aug) – University plunging workers into ‘pension poverty’. Unite Scotland can confirm today (10 August) that its members at the University of Dundee will take part in continuous strike action from the 25th August 2022. Unite Members supported taking further strike action by 83 per cent in a ballot turnout of 66 per cent. The dispute stems from the University’s decision in March 2021 to propose the closure of the Defined Benefit Pensions Scheme to Grades 1-6 and replace it with a Defined Contributions Scheme, meaning the lowest paid workers would lose up to 50 per cent of their pension, plunging them into “pension poverty”. Following 11 days of strike by Unite Members in October 2021 and the support of local Councillors and MSP’s, the University withdrew their proposals for a Defined Contribution Scheme and Unite went back into talks to explore all Defined Benefit options. Frustratingly we have seen insufficient movement by the University. The proposals would see some workers in the proposed scheme pensions drop from £20,100 to £14,400 per annum. This is a massive drop of £5,700 read more
Coop Funeral Care Workers Serve Notice of Strike Action (8 Aug) – Unite Scotland Press Release: Coop Funeral Care Workers Serve Notice of Strike Action. Refusal to meet with union over wage dispute leads to disruptive strike action. Unite has confirmed that its members employed in the manufacture of coffins for Cooperative Funeral Care have voted for strike action with an initial week of action scheduled for August in a dispute over pay. The site is the Coop’s only coffin production site. Unite members voted for action by 96 per cent on an 86 per cent turnout. The initial strike action is scheduled to take place from Monday 22nd August 2022 and will continue each day up to Monday 29th August 2022 read more
Chester-le-Street Birtley Group and Bowater Doors strikes suspended after pay offer (8 Aug) – Pay strikes at Chester-le-Street based construction supplies companies Birtley Group Ltd and Bowater Doors Ltd have been suspended following a new pay offer. Birtley Group and Bowater Doors share the same premises and are both owned by Hill & Smith Holdings PLC. More than 120 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, were due to begin 13 days of strike action at the two companies on Wednesday 10 August. A continuous overtime ban has also been suspended. If the pay offer is rejected, 16 days of strike action scheduled to begin on Sunday 4 September will go ahead and the overtime ban will be reinstated read more
Sainsbury’s facing summer shortages as DHL workers strike over ‘second-class’ treatment – Strike action set to hit all Scotland and Northern Ireland stores. Unite the union has today (Tuesday 2 August) announced a week-long strike action that will hit supplies to Sainsbury’s stores throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland after a poor pay offer was rejected by DHL workers. 96 per cent of DHL workers on a 68 per cent turnout emphatically voted to take strike action following the rejection of DHL’s final offer which represents a real terms pay cut with inflation soaring to hit a forty year high of 11.8 per cent. Unite’s members are fighting for a fair pay deal that values their contribution to DHL and equal treatment by the company. Currently DHL are offering lower wages to workers based in Scotland when compared to other parts of the UK. Unite represents over 300 DHL warehouse workers who are based at the distribution centre in Langlands Park East Kilbride. The distribution centre supplies Sainsbury’s stores throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland. DHL’s German owned parent company – Deutsche Post DHL Group – announced in May 2022 that its revenue improved by 19.8 percent to 22.6 billion Euros. The company boasted of having recorded an ‘excellent opening quarter’ to 2022 with its operating profit increasing to 2.2 billion Euros. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our DHL Sainsbury’s members deserve a fair pay rise and to be treated equally with their fellow workers based throughout the UK. Unite will challenge DHL and its mega-wealthy owners. We don’t do our members being treated as ‘second class’. They have their union’s full support in this fight for better jobs, pay and conditions at DHL Sainsbury’s.” Negotiations have taken place under the auspices of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) but Unite has now served notice of the strike action following the failure of DHL to make an improved offer in the talks. Unite’s members are now set to begin the week-long strike action from 06:00 hours on 13 August 2022 and continuing each day up to 20 August 2022 when the action will conclude at 05:59 hours read more
Go North East bus workers forced to strike in battle to prevent Chester-le-Street garage closure – Bus workers employed by Go North East at its Chester-Le-Street garage in Durham, will begin strike action later this month as a direct response to the company’s plan to close the depot. The industrial action will involve 170 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. The all out continuous strike action will begin on Friday 12 August. The strike action has been called due to the company’s plans to close the Chester-le Street garage next month and permanently move the workers to different depots, some of which are 14 miles away read more
North Sea strike to hit Foinaven vessel – 96% vote for strike action over inferior redundancy package. Unite the union today (25 July) confirmed that its members operating the Foinaven Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) have voted to take strike action. 96 per cent voted for strike action on an 84 per cent turnout. Continuous strike action is now scheduled to take place from 5 August. The dispute centres on offshore members being given a significantly inferior redundancy package compared with Altera’s onshore workforce. The Foinaven field is situated approximately 120 miles west of the Shetland Isles within the Faroes/Shetland Trough. Production from the field was suspended in 2021 read more
Glasgow Subway workers vote for strike action – First Rangers home game to be hit by walk-out. Unite has confirmed that its Glasgow subway members have voted for strike action with the first Rangers home game (6 August) of the season against Kilmarnock set to be hit by the walk-out. Unite members voted by 99 per cent for strike action on a 83 per cent turnout. The 24-hour strike action is scheduled to take place on the following days: Saturday 6 August, Tuesday 9 August, Saturday 13 August, Saturday 27 August. The dispute centres on the subway system operators Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) enforcing changes to duty schedules. Unite members are increasingly being called in to work shifts at short notice leading to significant work-life pressures read more
Tipton workers in McLaren, Aston Martin and Bentley supply chain using foodbanks – CabAuto workers building interiors for luxury cars renew strikes. More than 100 West Midlands workers, paid just £9.90 an hour, will stage two weeks of strike action in July over a three per cent pay offer. The fresh industrial action follows on from seven days of strikes in June and at the beginning of this month. This is a significant real terms pay cut when prices are soaring and RPI inflation is running at 11.7 per cent. CabAuto’s owner, the Adler Pelzer Group, made profits of £118 million (€137.6 million) in 2020. Meanwhile, some CabAuto workers are so poorly rewarded that they have been forced to use food banks read more
Eastleigh Ford and Mercedes assembly workers to strike in July and August over ‘insulting’ pay offer – Automotive assembly contractor VFS workers wage deal amounts to a pay cut. Workers employed at the south coast firm VFS Southampton Ltd, who assemble large vehicles for Ford and Mercedes, have announced strike action in a dispute over pay. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted overwhelmingly for the action in March after VFS imposed a pay award of less than four per cent. At the time the real rate of inflation (RPI) was running at 7.8 per cent but has now reached 11.7 per cent. Industrial action was previously postponed to allow for negotiations. However, an ‘insulting’ revised offer put forward by the company in June was overwhelmingly rejected by the membership. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “VFS has put forward an insulting pay offer that is in fact a real terms pay cut. Unite defends our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and our VFS membership will have the union’s full support during these strikes.” The workers will stage 24 hour strikes on 27 and 29 July and 2, 4, 8, 10 and 12 August. If the dispute is not resolved more strike action will be scheduled. During the strikes, picket lines will be in place at the company’s Chickenhall Lane factory in Eastleigh, Hampshire read more
Workers at Derry City & Strabane district council to launch four-week strike action after they reject latest, inadequate pay offer – Council management has been notified of a four-week strike commencing 18 July and ending 14 August. Latest pay offer provided no additional consolidated pay increase, leaving workers unprotected from surging inflation. Unite has notified bosses at Derry City & Strabane district council of a further four weeks of strike action. This industrial action follows two previous strikes by workers at local councils, the Education Authority and the Housing Executive. Workers are demanding a pay increase which will protect them from the current cost of living crisis. The dispute is in respect of pay following an inadequate national pay deal which offers workers a bare 1.75 per cent increase, an offer which was rejected by Unite members as inflation is currently surging at 11.7 per cent. The latest pay offer from management at Derry City & Strabane district council came after a second strike action by workers at the local authority. Workers suspended their action to allow space for further negotiations, however management merely offered a non-consolidated, one-off payment. While this would help meet immediate challenges, it would have left workers with no protection for inflation into the future. Unite is warning that the strike at Derry City & Strabane is likely to be followed by similar at other local authorities; indeed other trade unions are now balloting on industrial action at a number of councils read more
Workers to strike for a cost of living pay increase at Hampton Conservatories Ltd in Portrush – Three percent increase is a disgraceful 8.7 percent wage cut; initial eight-day strike action to start 16 July. Unite has confirmed that its membership at the small Portrush-based manufacturer and installer of conservatories will commence an initial eight-day strike action starting 16 July 2022 read more
Petrol stations face pump problems as Gilbarco engineers take strike action over pay – Problems at petrol pumps throughout the UK will be left unattended as service engineers employed by Gilbarco Veeder-Root Ltd take strike action tomorrow (July 7) in a dispute over pay. The service engineers who, are home based and required to travel extensively for their work, have rejected a pay increase of just four per cent. This is in effect a substantial pay cut as the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently stands at 11.7 per cent. According to its last accounts, the Jersey-registered company has a multi-million pound turnover and recorded a gross profit of £4 million. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union will take two days of strike action beginning at 06:00 on Thursday 7 July and ending at 18:00 on Friday 8 July read more
Bosch Rexroth workers to strike in dispute over pay and shift changes – Unite slams global giant’s plans that leave Scottish workers £7000 a year worse off. Unite has today (Monday 4 July) confirmed that members working at Bosch Rexroth Glenrothes, will walk out over a pay proposal that will leave workers £7000 a year worse off. The German-owned global tech and engineering giant has proposed a six per cent pay deal, which Unite says is a significant pay cut given that real inflation currently stands at 11.7 per cent. The employers are also refusing to back-date the pay award to 1 January or to reverse changes to shift patterns and shift allowances, which means the combined impact of the offer is to leave workers around £7,000 per year worse off. Workers at the site have rejected the company’s proposal by 74 per cent. Unite says that the Bosch Rexroth, a subsidiary of Bosch, is in a strong financial position and has no need to attack the workers’ pay and conditions. In its 2021 annual report, Bosch Rexroth boasted of `reaching a new high on incoming orders’ which have generated sales of £5.4 billion (6.2 billion euros), up by nearly one fifth on the year before. The union’s members, 245 workers, will take continuous strike action from Tuesday 5 July until Tuesday 12 July inclusive. Thereafter they will strike every Monday and Tuesday going forward with an ongoing ban on overtime throughout 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
Notice of strike action served at ISS (22 Aug) – Low-paid cleaners, security guards, receptions workers, post and porterage staff employed by ISS will take strike action in September. ISS members took industrial action last year and as a result health and safety protocols were agreed, s well as improved arrangements for paying staff, but these have not been adhered to by the employer. As a result members were balloted and voted overwhelmingly for further action. Today PCS has served notice that our members employed by ISS on the BEIS contract will take strike action on 5 and 6 September, with a few shift workers continuing into early on 7 September read more
HGS strike: Day 6 sees DBS contact centre closed down (22 Aug) – Saturday saw the Disclosure and Barring Service call centre closed down completely as staff working for Hinduja Global Solutions completed six days of strike action. HGS has a contract with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to run the contact centre/back-office operations. 94 PCS members working for HGS have been on strike from 15-20 August in their dispute over pay and conditions. Over the six days of the strike, our members’ actions have had a major impact on services, particularly the phone lines read more Sign petition to support striking workers at Hinduja Global Solutions
PCS to call civil service trade dispute if demands not met (19 Aug) – The CEO of the civil service must give PCS guarantees on our demands on pay, jobs, pensions and redundancy pay by 5pm on 2 September or we will call a trade dispute and ballot our members on a campaign of industrial action read more
Anger over Rees-Mogg’s plans to slash Cabinet Office jobs (19 Aug) – PCS members reacted angrily to today’s announcement by minister for government efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg that he intends to slash jobs at the Cabinet Office by 25% over the next three years read more
PCS members vote to accept OCS pay offer (19 Aug) – PCS members working for OCS on the court service security contract have voted overwhelmingly to accept the pay settlement offer from the company following a PCS consultative ballot over pay which closed at noon today read more
Reps prepare for ballot-ready Wednesday (19 Aug) – PCS reps are preparing for a mass leafleting session at most buildings in and around central London from 8am on Wednesday (24) to help get members ready for our national ballot and there is also a virtual payday rally on 31 August. We expect to have activists outside most of the major government departments, including the Home Office, HMRC, FCDO, MoJ, DfT, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Defra, BEIS and Treasury Solicitors. If you are in central on London, stop by for a chat about the ballot, which starts on 26 September, with our friendly reps and if you are not a member, join PCS read more
Support PCS at judicial review of government’s inhumane Rwanda deportation policy (19 Aug) – We are urging PCS members and supporters to show their opposition to the government’s Rwanda deportation policy outside the Royal Courts of Justice during our full judicial review into Priti Patel’s inhumane policy, which starts on 5 September read more
Email your MP to save defence jobs and services (17 Aug) – The Ministry of Defence plans to close its Defence Business Services offices in Liverpool and Cheadle Hulme putting 500 employees at risk of redundancy. PCS members affected by the planned closures work at Walker House in Liverpool (268 staff), Dairy House Lane in Cheadle Hulme (347 staff) and at Piccadilly Gate in Manchester (8 staff). The government has announced it will consolidate the DBS North West sites to Blackpool, which raises questions about forced relocations and redundancies for those unable/unwilling to move read more
PCS rejects MOD pay offer 2022 (17 Aug) – The PCS national disputes committee has rejected the below inflation 2022 pay offer from MOD. Inflation in the UK is predicted to reach 13.5% this year and as a whole the country has seen the value of wages drop by 3% in the last 12 months. In this climate the MOD wanted PCS members to sell terms and conditions in exchange for just one year’s worth of inflation; giving up term and conditions for a three year pay cut read more
Government plots massive cuts to civil service redundancy terms (16 Aug) – The government has given PCS members yet another reason to vote for industrial action in next month’s national statutory strike ballot by signalling its intention to slash civil service redundancy terms read more
GMB
BREAKING NEWS!! DHL drivers for JCB back industrial action (23 Aug) – GMB union members at DHL working on JCB World Logistics have backed industrial action in a dispute over an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer from DHL management. Dozens of GMB members, employed by delivery giant DHL, voted 87 per cent per cent to proceed to a formal strike ballot. Depending on the result of the ballot, walk-outs at DHL could take place later in the Autumn read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Calderdale council strike looms (23 Aug) – Strike action looms at Calderdale Council after GMB members returned a huge 88 per cent majority in favour of moving to a full industrial action ballot. Workers are angry after the authority refused to shift position on an equal pay review, fire and re-hire and an anti-trade union facilities agreement. GMB members were asked if they would be prepared to move to a strike action ballot if the Labour-run council continued to stick to its position – and last week’s indicative ballot result confirmed that they would read more
GMB ballot more than 100,000 local govt workers over pay (19 Aug) – GMB is set to ballot more than 100,000 local government workers over the NJC pay deal. Workers including carers, school staff, social workers, refuse collectors are set to vote on a £1,925 flat rate proposed settlement from the local government employers. The ballot opens today [22 August 2022] and closes on 21 October read more
Arriva bus strike officially over (19 Aug) – The long-running Arriva North West bus strike is officially over after workers voted to accept a new pay deal. GMB members overwhelmingly accepted a new deal of £15 per hour or an 11.1 per cent pay increase. The ballot means the five week industrial action comes to an end read more
Further Budweiser strikes planned after talks collapse (19 Aug) – Further strike action at Budweiser has been scheduled after workers turned down the latest pay offer from the company. A total of 275 GMB members working at BBG’s Samlesbury site, near Preston, will down tools from 22 – 29 August. In total, 93 per cent of GMB members rejected latest offer from Budweiser read more
Leeds Bradford airport strike suspended (19 Aug) – Planned strike action by security staff at Leeds Bradford Airport next week has been suspended to give the union time to consult with members over an improved pay deal put forward by airport bosses. Workers at the airport were set to walk-out for three days following a dispute over pay – which saw a ballot return of 93 per cent vote in favour of industrial action read more
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead facing bin strike (19 Aug) – GMB, the union for refuse collectors, has announced members working in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) will strike from 31 August. The union members, who work for the council’s waste contractor Serco, will be taking action until their employer offers an improved pay offer. The present rate of pay for refuse loaders is £9.91 per hour and even with the 6 per cent offer which has been rejected by members, still sits below the rates paid by neighbouring authorities. Workers at Biffa and Veolia in the local area are paid closer to £12 per hour, while those employed directly by Slough Borough Council earn £11.24 per hour and enjoy a better package of terms and conditions read more
Further strikes announced by Wandsworth traffic wardens (17 Aug) – GMB, the union for parking attendants, have announced members will take a further four days of strike action as the dispute over pay continues. The members, who are employed by Wandsworth Council’s parking contractor NSL, are seeking an improved pay deal which reflects the extremely high rate of inflation and the attached cost of living crisis. The latest dates which have been announced to the employer are Friday 9, Monday 12, Friday 23 and Monday 26 September. The dispute has been ongoing since June and has already taken in 20 days of strike action so far read more
Tens of thousands of Uber drivers to get pay rise (15 Aug) – Tens of thousands of Uber drivers are set for increased earnings following GMB negotiations with the company. Prices will increase across the UK, at different rates for different cities. In London prices will go up on average by around five per cent. GMB union and Uber last year signed a groundbreaking trade union recognition deal. The company has already introduced holiday pay, guaranteed minimum earnings and access to a pension plan- the only major private hire operator to do so read more
Solidarity with GMB after yet another arrest on a bin picket line – For the second time in months, GMB Southern Region officers have been arrested on a picket line of their striking refuse members. Previously, arrests were made on the Wealden picket. They appeared at Hastings Magistrates Court on 29th June. The case was adjourned to Brighton Crown Court on November 16th. Then two weeks ago, further arrests were made on the Surrey bin picket line. This is outrageous attacks on the right of trade unions to strike, picket and protest. The NSSN sends our continued solidarity and support read more about Surry strike
Sign petition – To St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mitie out: Demand fair pay and conditions for staff at St George’s Hospital
Support the Amazon sit-in strikes!
NSSN sends our solidarity to workers at Amazon sites across the country who have been taking action over the last few weeks against the insulting pay offer. Our supporters have taken our support to Amazon warehouses. This is yet another stage of the growing strike wave, bringing into the struggle new layers of workers. It is more confirmation that if workers act collectively and are organised in trade unions, they have the power to win victories. Keep up to date by following ‘amazon walk outs’ @Walkout20201 on Twitter
GMB: Record real wage drop shows Amazon must get real on wages (16 Aug) – GMB Union says today’s labour record breaking real wage drop shows big businesses like Amazon must get real on pay read more
GMB: Amazon workers stage Bristol canteen sit in protest over pay (11 Aug) – After walkouts and slowdown work at warehouses, protests continue to spread across the country. Bristol Amazon warehouse sees further worker protests over pathetic pay offer, GMB announces today (Thursday). At the site, where management have erected new fencing around the perimeter in the last days, workers staged canteen sit ins. The current 35p per hour offer from Amazon is worth just £10 per week for the average worker. GMB submitted a formal pay claim to the company (Tuesday), asking for a real terms rise. In the letter submitted on behalf of members across the country, GMB is asking for talks on pay – facilitated by the government arbitration service ACAS. The move is also a step towards having a formal industrial relationship between the multinational and the trade union GMB read more
Unite Supports Amazon walkouts at Tilbury: demands union protection for workers (5 Aug) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has today (Friday 5 August) joined Amazon workers who are taking action at Tilbury distribution centre over an insulting 35p an hour pay offer. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has renewed calls for union protection so Amazon workers can secure the pay rise they deserve. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary said: “Unite will stand with any Amazon worker who takes action against this insulting 35p pay offer. Across the country workers are taking action and winning the proper pay rises they deserve. Workers at Amazon – one of the wealthiest companies on earth – deserve nothing less.” “This brave action shows why Amazon workers need a collective voice of their own. It’s time this company came to the table and agreed union protection and a proper pay deal for these workers” read more
Unison
BREAKING NEWS!! Exam board staff will strike this week on GCSE results day (23 Aug) – Fourth round of action in pay dispute. Staff at exam board AQA will tomorrow (Wednesday) begin a further set of strikes coinciding with the days when schools and pupils receive GCSE grades, says UNISON. It marks the fourth round of action in a dispute over pay and fire-and-rehire threats to staff, says the union read more
Pledge Yes for the NHS (22 Aug) – UNISON launches next stage of its NHS pay campaign, in lead up to industrial action ballot read more
Manchester NHS workers get back pay thanks to UNISON campaign (18 Aug) – Healthcare assistants are re-banded after the union revealed that they were carrying out clinical tasks that were above the grade they had been hired on. In a landmark victory, thousands of workers across Manchester have received up to £5,000 in backdated earnings thanks to UNISON’s hard-won, six-year battle to have their roles re-banded. For years, healthcare assistants (HCAs) in hospitals across the city have been performing clinical duties that are above their pay grade. After joining forces within the union’s North West region, they’ve forced Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust to reward and recognise this. The campaign began in 2016, when Manchester University Health Branch provided diaries to HCAs to document what duties they were doing every day read more
Care staff announce new strike dates over pay, says UNISON (16 Aug) – Workers at St Monica Trust plan 48-hour walkout and two-day strike in August. Care workers, registered nurses and residential home staff employed by Bristol-based St Monica Trust will take further strike action next week, said UNISON. Staff at the Russets and Sherwood care home in Sandford, North Somerset, will walk out for 48 hours from 7am on Tuesday 16 August, while workers at Cote Lane in Bristol will launch a two-day strike from Friday 19 August. The new dates follow five days of action in June and July over fire and rehire threats and cuts to pay read more
There is a strike fund which is being collected for. Many of these workers are low paid and part time. With cost of living ever rising it’s essential that we can ensure no one feels like they can’t stand up with their colleagues and strike for fear of lost pay. The union will be paying strike pay and members can request hardship payments up to their full wages so no one gets left behind.
For donations please send to the following details with the reference “SMT”
Account name: UNISON South West; Account number: 49021079; Sort Code: 60-83-01
Exam board staff add strike on GCSE results day (12 Aug) – Fourth set of AQA strike dates includes further key results day. New strike dates involving staff at exam board AQA will coincide with the day later this month when students receive their GCSE grades, says UNISON today (Friday). This is the fourth round of action to be announced in the long-running dispute regarding pay and fire and rehire threats to staff, says the union. The 180 workers, including staff in customer services who would normally take calls from schools, parents and pupils on results day, will take action from Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28 August. These new dates are in addition to those already announced that will see AQA staff on strike next week from Wednesday to Sunday (17 to 21 August). A level results are published on Thursday 18 August. Exam board employees are also striking from today until Monday (12 to 15 August). The first round of action took place the weekend before last (29 to 31 July) read more
OCS LANCASHIRE: PAY UP NOW – Pay our hospital heroes what they are owed for working throughout the pandemic. We are NHS workers in Lancashire and we urgently need your support. As hospital cleaners and catering staff, we are outsourced to OCS and have worked 24/7 throughout the pandemic to keep staff and patients safe. But while OCS boasts it turned over hundreds of millions during the COVID crisis, it continues to pay us less than our NHS colleagues doing exactly the same jobs. Hospital workers employed by OCS are £2000 worse off than our colleagues working for the NHS. We also have inferior working conditions including 7 days less annual leave and lower sick pay. 45 of us submitted a collective grievance about this issue in May 2021, but EIGHT MONTHS on, we have still not been listened to. We have become increasingly frustrated and have now voted 97.8% in favour of taking strike action to resolve this issue…We think that a great way to get the Chief Executive’s attention is to flood his inbox with emails from all of us. Can you take a few minutes to email Bob Taylor? It’s easy, you just need to add your details and press send. https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/ocs-pay-up-now. Post messages of support on social media: please tag @NorthWestUNISON. Use hashtags #ONENHS and #PayUpNowOCS read more
University of Leeds members prepare to strike again – Action is over the 2021-22 pay round with member resoundingly rejecting the latest offer. The University of Leeds branch is taking further strike action over the 2021-22 pay round, on 20-24 June. Members have lost 20% of their pay against inflation over 12 years. They have used the pay calculator to show just how many thousands of pounds staff are being cheated in their pay read more
NIPSA
Your Public Sector Pension Injury to Feelings Case (19 Aug) – You may be aware that NIPSA had lodged tribunal cases for Injury to Feelings arising out of the McCloud decision on public sector pensions. The cases have been lodged for all current NIPSA members, but the case will only apply to you if you were in a public sector pension on and before 1 April 2015. The purpose of this bulletin is to advise members that individual correspondence on the cases will be issued to each member. The information will include the background to the case, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and details of how you can opt out of the case read more
Update: NICS Pay 2022 (18 Aug) – In my article on 22 July, I advised that the NICS pay claim for 2022 had been lodged in June and that NIPSA has also asked the Minister to consider an additional payment as compensation for the work done during the pandemic and to help alleviate the below inflation pay awards imposed during that time. You will be aware that offers are currently being made to workers in other areas of the public services and so this short bulletin is to let members in the NICS and ALBs know that we have not yet received any official response to our claim. I am aware that members are significantly affected by the continuing cost of living crisis and are keen for an increase in pay, which was due from 1 August, to help alleviate the additional financial pressures read more
Local Pay Negotiations in Mid Ulster Council Offer (17 Aug) – Following a prolonged period of negotiations with Mid Ulster District Council (MUDC) through the Local Joint Consultative and Negotiating Forum, which concluded today, 17 August 2022, Management Side has issued a final proposal on pay to include the following improvements read more
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Strike Action: Monday 15 August onwards – Picket information For All Unions for Actions in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
- Armagh Palace Demesne from 6.30am to 2pm
- Gosford Forest Park from 7.30am to 2pm
- Banbridge Depot from 6.45am to 9am
- Banbridge Civic Centre/Leisure Centre from 9am to 2pm
- Carn Depot from 6.30am to 9am then moving to South Lakes Leisure Centre
- South Lakes Leisure Centre/Civic Centre from 9am
Members from the above are then asked to assemble at South Lakes Leisure Centre for a joint trade union demonstration – from 3pm to 4pm
Action short of strike from the 16 August 2022 for NIPSA members will take the following form:
- A total ban on overtime from union members
- Members working to their job description;
- Members not covering for absent colleagues for whatever reason;
- Working to written, agreed protocols where these exist including refuse and leisure;
- order to clarify (4) in particular we have prepared some examples below read more
RCN
New RCN ballot results give clearest sign yet of strike action by nursing staff across the UK. RCN members in Scotland overwhelmingly reject NHS pay deal with majority backing strike action (12 Aug) – The results of our recent ballot of members working for the NHS in Scotland provide the clearest sign yet that industrial action could take place across the UK later this year. The ballot of nursing staff on Agenda for Change contracts in Scotland saw more than double the number of members turnout to vote than a similar ballot last year. More than 90% rejected the Scottish government’s pay offer, with the majority voting in favour of taking strike action. The turnout far exceeded 50%, which is the minimum turnout needed for strike action to be legal. Members in Scotland will now be asked to vote in a statutory ballot by post, which is required by law for nursing staff to join picket lines. The recent ballot was indicative of members’ feeling towards the pay offer and industrial action, but did not meet the strict criteria required for a strike to be lawful. Members working for the NHS in Scotland will now join those in England and Wales asked to vote in a statutory strike ballot opening on 15 September. We’ll be encouraging members eligible to take part in that ballot to vote in favour of strike action read more
Vote to strike: RCN members urged to support industrial action in strike ballot over NHS pay. Hundreds of thousands of nursing staff in England and Wales will soon have the chance to vote on whether to take historic strike action. RCN members ballot for industrial strike action in England and Wales opens 13 October (9 Aug) – Our postal ballot on industrial action will open on 15 September. We will encourage RCN members working for the NHS in England and Wales, on Agenda for Change contracts, to vote in favour of strike action. Eligible members will receive their ballot in the post and will have four weeks to respond, with the vote closing on 13 October. We need you to urgently check that we have your up-to-date home address, employer details and job title so that every eligible member receives their postal ballot. If enough members vote for industrial action, it will be the first time in RCN history that members in England and Wales go on strike. RCN Council, made up of elected members, has increased our strike fund to £50 million (up from £35 million) to provide some financial support to members who lose earnings during any industrial action. The ballot has been called by members in response to the latest NHS pay award read more
NASUWT
NASUWT condemns derisory 3.5% pay offer for Scottish teachers (18 Aug) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has criticised a revised pay offer of 3.5% for 2022/23 for teachers in Scotland following an SNCT (Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers) meeting today read more
Members reject England teachers’ pay offer (12 Aug) – Following the publication of the report by the School Teachers’ Pay Review Body (STRB), the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union surveyed its members on the Government’s proposals on the teachers’ pay award for 2022/23. Of the nearly 9,000 teachers who responded:
- 68% said they disagreed or were angry with the proposed award;
- 72% believe the pay award should be rejected as inadequate/unacceptable read more
Members reject Wales teachers’ pay offer (12 Aug) – Following the publication of the report by the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB), the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union surveyed its members on the Welsh Government’s proposals for the teachers’ pay award for 2022/23. Of the nearly 700 teachers who responded:
- 70% said they disagreed with or were angry with the proposed award;
- 78% believe the pay award should be rejected as inadequate/unacceptable read more
EIS
Unacceptable pay Offer to Teachers Likely to lead to Ballot of EIS Members (18 Aug) – The EIS has expressed its profound disappointment in the revised pay offer of 3.5% made to Scotland’s teachers. The EIS has announced that its Salaries Committee will formally consider the offer at its next meeting, where it is likely that the Committee will recommend a rejection of the offer and a ballot of the membership on their willingness to take industrial action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement read more
UCU
Date set for strike ballots at UK universities over pay, conditions & pensions (22 Aug) – Strike ballots will open at UK universities on Tuesday 6 September. UCU will run two ballots: one over pay and working conditions and the second over pension cuts. In total 151 universities will be balloted. The ballots will run until Friday 21 October and are aggregated. This means that for the first time in these disputes, if UCU achieves an overall turnout of 50% or above and a majority YES vote in a ballot, all universities in that ballot will be hit by strike action. This would represent unprecedented action in the sector read more
Union demands an end to the use of non-refundable deposits for post-graduate courses (17 Aug) – The University and College Union (UCU) has called on universities to end the ‘appalling’ use of non-refundable acceptance deposits for both domestic and international post-graduate (PGT) courses. In a letter to Universities UK, the union called on the higher education employer body to ask all universities to review their PGT application process and immediately end their use read more
Strike action announced at colleges across north west England – Four colleges across the north west of England will be hit with more strike action later this year unless employers agree to raise staff pay, the UCU announced today. Staff at Burnley College, The Manchester College, City of Liverpool College, and Oldham College will walk out for two days during college induction weeks on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 September. UCU says college leaders must act now if they want to avoid a repeat of the disruption of strike action in May and June, which impacted thousands students read more
Richmond upon Thames College to face 14 days more strike action over fire & rehire plans – Staff at Richmond upon Thames College are set to down tools for 14 consecutive days over a three-week period in August and September over plans by management 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 announcement comes as staff take a further day of strike action today (Tuesday) aimed at disrupting an open day taking place at the college. Striking staff will be picketing and holding a rally at the Marsh Farm Lane entrance to the college at 4pm today as prospective students and their parents visit the college. The protests will include a mobile billboard outlining the college’s plans to sack over 100 members of teaching staff. Strike action in the summer will hit enrolment, induction and first week of teaching and take place on the following days: Monday 22 August, Tuesday 23 August, Wednesday 24 August, Thursday 25 August, Friday 26 August, Tuesday 30 August, Wednesday 31 August, Thursday 1 September, Friday 2 September, Monday 5 September, Tuesday 6 September, Wednesday 7 September, Thursday 8 September, Friday 9 September. Staff will be picketing the college on every morning of the strike action. 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. Management began the deeply controversial process, widely known as ‘fire and rehire’, without any prior engagement or consultation with staff. The college claims that ‘trust’, ‘integrity’ and ‘excellence’ are the values that ‘underpin everything’ it does read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
POA
NHS pay offer – indicative ballot: Rampton, Ashworth and Broadmoor (17 Aug) – Following pay submissions made to the NHS Pay Review Body, the Government has offered Agenda for Change staff approximately £1400 for all grades. There are variations to this for the top of Bands 6 and 7. Please see the link for the Pay Review Body Response https://www.nhsemployers.org/news/202223-nhs-terms-and-conditions-service-pay-materials. Following a meeting with all Health Unions, there were clearly different positions taken by individual trade unions in respect of the following:
- Accepting the pay offer with most trade unions holding the view that this is not an acceptable offer.
- Setting up a staff survey/indicative ballots to ascertain the wishes of the membership: this is the position of most trade unions.
- Commencing preparations for a statutory ballot in September which a couple of the unions are going to undertake.
The POA will be asking Rampton, Ashworth and Broadmoor local branch officials to hold an indicative ballot in order to ascertain the views of their members, as to whether they would accept/reject the offer and whether they would be willing to take action up to and including strike action read more
BFAWU
Post Conference Foodworker 2022 here
NUJ
Reach hardship fund (22 Aug) – Show support for Reach strikers – donate to the NUJ Hardship Fund. When NUJ members are on strike, all members of the union are encouraged to offer support and show solidarity. As NUJ members across Reach gear up for strike action, we are launching a union-wide appeal raising funds for a special NUJ Hardship fund read more
NUJ members at Reach to strike over pay dispute (12 Aug) – staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and action short of a strike. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) balloted a total of 1093 members at publisher Reach plc. A turnout of 70 per cent was achieved, as 749 members out of 1069 in the UK returned their ballot papers. 79 per cent voted in favour of strike action, and 88 per cent in favour of action short of a strike. The ballot closed at noon on 12 August 2022. NUJ members across Reach titles include those at the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Manchester Evening News. Today’s ballot results demonstrate a commitment from members to fight for a decent and fair pay increase, supported by the full backing of the union. The NUJ is urging a return to negotiations by Reach senior management, with a fair and increased final offer that can be put to members read more
Details of Reach picket lines here
Oxford council signs motion opposing cut to local BBC TV bulletin (16 Aug) – The city councillors say the BBC’s plan to end TV bulletins from the city will undermine local democracy and older viewers’ ability to receive news on their local area read more
August date spells strike action across two Scottish newspaper groups (15 Aug) – Journalists working at two companies in Scotland, on titles including The Scotsman, Daily Record and Sunday Mail, will be taking strike action on Friday 26 August. Staff on Reach plc titles – including the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Perthshire Advertiser, Stirling Observer, Dumfries and Galloway Standard and the Live websites – have voted for strike action and action short of a strike over the company’s failure to improve its pay deal of 3 per cent/£750 minimum increase read more
Scotsman and other Scottish titles vote for industrial action (10 Aug) – NUJ members on National World’s Scottish titles have voted in favour of taking industrial action over compulsory redundancies. Two separate ballots have been held: one for the members at Scotsman Publications; and another for those employed at the company’s Scottish Weeklies. The titles affected include The Scotsman, The Edinburgh Evening News, Scotland on Sunday, The Falkirk Herald, and Milngavie and Bearsden Herald. Of the 45 members balloted at the former, 29 voted: a turnout of 64.4 per cent. Of those, 27 voted yes to strike action, and 26 voted for action short of a strike. Of the members on the weekly titles, 23 were balloted and 15 voted: a turnout of 65.2 per cent. Ten voted in favour of strike action, and 11 in favour of action short of a strike read more
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
Equity
Statement of Commitment Against Bullying, Harassment and Inappropriate Behaviour in TV (22 Aug) – Today Equity has launched a Statement of Commitment Against Bullying, Harassment and Inappropriate Behaviour in TV. The Statement of Commitment (which you can read in English and in Welsh) brings together 21 major organisations in the TV industry – both in the UK and internationally – who pledge to tackle workplace bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviour read more
USDAW
RPI inflation hits 12.3% – Usdaw demands immediate action from Government (17 Aug) – Retail trade union Usdaw is again calling on the Government to take immediate action to tackle the cost of living crisis, as inflation continues to grow and wages are devalued by rising prices. The Retail Prices Index rate of inflation increased to 12.3% today and the Consumer Prices Index reached 10.1%. Usdaw argues that RPI is a more accurate measure of inflation, particularly as it includes housing costs. Results from Usdaw’s cost of living survey show that low-paid workers, many of them delivering essential services, are struggling to make ends meet read more
UVW
Latin American cleaners in Battersea celebrate and prepare to strike! (18 Aug) – This week talks between cleaners and Latchmere Leisure Centre bosses resulted in winning union recognition, broken promises on a pay offer and the cleaners strike ballot returned a 100% Yes vote. Latchmere centre bosses rescheduled last week’s talks, facilitated by independent body Acas, where UVW members were promised a decision on recognition and a much awaited pay offer. Disgracefully the promised pay offer was replaced with broken promises and delaying tactics. Policy and Employee relations specialist, Stuart Lowry, kicked pay talks into the long grass by insisting on agreeing a union recognition framework first, which could take weeks to agree. This understandably stoked the flames of indignation of UVW members who pointed out that Latchmere bosses were treating them with disrespect and wasting their time, for which unlike Stuart Lowry, they are not paid for read more
Brighton workers suspend strike as pub bosses sit down to talk (9 Aug) – “This shows the power we have as a united working class and that together we can improve our conditions within hospitality and beyond” – Jake, unjustly sacked SJT strike leader and UVW member. The workers at the SJT pub in Brighton have temporarily suspended their strike action as a gesture of goodwill as talks with the leaseholders take place with the mediation of ACAS. They had planned to be on strike for 20 days in July and August, including the weekends of Brighton Pride and the August Bank Holiday, as part of their fight for better terms and conditions and demand for respect in the workplace read more
IWGB
Private hire drivers oppose “discriminatory” English Language Test policy from Transport for London (17 Aug) – Private hire drivers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) are condemning a policy that requires workers to pass two English Language Tests in order to work in London read more
Support striking workers and their fight back against the #CostOfLivingCrisis by donating to the strike fund
Barristers take action over pay and conditions and vote for indefinite action
From The Criminal Bar Association website: Ballot Announcement (22 Aug) – Following another extensive period of consultation with ordinary members and leaders of the Criminal Bar, the third ballot which opened on 8th August has now closed. Over the course of these past 14 days 2273 of you cast your vote. The turnout exceeded that on the second ballot in June (2,055) and was significantly higher than that witnessed in the first ballot in March (1,908). Given that many members have been away during this month, the increased level of participation in this latest ballot speaks volumes about the strength of feeling amongst colleagues across all six Circuits. We take great pride in the fact that our members have so consistently demonstrated such a deep commitment to the democratic process. It reflects an unshakeable underlying belief in the power of collective action and a demand to be heard. You were asked to choose one option from a selection of three that reflected the principal views that emerged from the consultation process. The result of the ballot was as follows:
- Option 1 (Cessation of all action) – 207 votes (9.11%)
- Option 2A (Continuation of current action) – 258 votes (11.35%)
- Option 2B (Escalation of action) – 1808 votes (79.54%)
Every vote has been fully validated by the CBA administrator who has again ensured the complete integrity of the entire ballot process. In accordance with the terms of the ballot, it follows that the CBA membership has voted in favour of Option 2B.
This means that the weeks of action, combined with no new instructions (which includes no returns), will come into effect on an indefinite basis from Monday 5th September.
Given that we are currently committed to a programme of weeks of action and no new instructions (which includes no returns), the current programme of action will continue in the interim period.
As such, the next scheduled week of action will commence on Tuesday 30th August. Therefore, the last working day for criminal barristers participating in weeks of action pursuant to the ballot vote will be Friday 26th August read more
Police Scotland officers to ‘withdraw goodwill’ in pay row
(From BBC website) Police officers in Scotland will withdraw “all goodwill” after they were offered a “derisory” £565 pay rise, the force’s chief constable has been told. The Scottish Police Federation said members would claim payment for any overtime they were ordered to work read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU members at De La Salle College, Waterford to ballot for strike action in outsourcing dispute (18 Aug) – SIPTU members employed by De La Salle College, Waterford are to ballot for industrial and strike action and strike following a decision by management to unilaterally outsource their employment to a private sector provide read more
SIPTU members at Kyte Powertech in Cavan to take strike action (15 Aug) – SIPTU members employed by Kyte Powertech in Cavan will begin a campaign of strike and industrial action due to a pay dispute, with a 24 -hour work stoppage commencing at 12.01 a.m. (midnight) on Friday, 19th August read more
Other news
Book launch: A Very British Conspiracy – the Shrewsbury 24 and the Campaign for Justice
Dear colleague
Your Trades Council has been a supporter of our campaign over many years. I am pleased to inform you that Verso is publishing my book about the Shrewsbury pickets entitled, A Very British Conspiracy: the Shrewsbury 24 and the Campaign for Justice. The book tells the full story of how the state prosecuted these workers and the campaign that was established to overturn this miscarriage of justice.
As the voluntary Researcher for our Campaign my priority was to discover the evidence that would get the pickets’ convictions overturned. But during that 12-year quest I also discovered an enormous amount of information about the building workers strike and the prosecution of the North Wales pickets. The book outlines the government and police documents that revealed the careful planning of the prosecution of the 24 men. It shows how the state used the criminal justice system to secure convictions, revealing how, in the absence of hard evidence, the Police and prosecution went to extraordinary lengths to criminalise trade unionists.
The book will be launched at the TUC Congress in Brighton on Tuesday 13 September, at an event sponsored by the TUC. Amongst the speakers will be Frances O’Grady, Mark Serwotka (PCS), Dave Ward (CWU), Jim Mowatt (Unite) and investigative journalist Laurie Flynn. If you are attending Congress, you are welcome to come along.
The book is available on Verso’s website here (https://www.versobooks.com/books/4057-a-very-british-conspiracy). All proceeds from the book will go to The Casa, the club and meeting place for the labour movement set up by sacked Liverpool dockworkers.
If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
In solidarity
Eileen Turnbull
Secretary and Researcher Shrewsbury 24 Campaign
Tel 07927 937773
Shrewsbury 24 Campaign, PO Box 92 Liverpool L19 3WD
Website:www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk (http://www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk)
International news
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
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
August
16 Peterloo Annual Commemoration – Gather at the memorial in Windmill Street, Manchester at 5:30pm for a 6:00pm start Peterloo Memorial Campaign Facebook page
September
4 Burston Strike School Rally Facebook group
11 NSSN TUC Rally 1pm Brighton
October 19 TUC Rally & Lobby of Parliament
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
