Last weekend saw mass strikes and big solidarity protests in many towns and cities, including on Sunday at the Tory Party Conference in Birmingham. Last Saturday, the escalating strike wave saw its biggest day of action so far.
There is fury that in the midst of the spiralling cost of living crisis, Truss’s Tory Government brings in a giveaway budget to the rich at the expense of workers and their families.
But we can chalk up one quick victory with the U-Turn on the abolishing of the 45p tax rate. As with the energy price cap, this retreat is because of the rising anger against the weak and divided Tories, which is being mobilised in workers’ action. More strikes are happening every week as well as industrial action ballots, including national ones in the public sector.
There are reports that Truss is looking to set out her threatened further anti-union restrictions next week. This must be met with the TUC and the unions preparing for a 24 hour general strike.
The Tories can be defeated on pay, cuts and any new anti-union measures. The re-scheduled TUC Congress meets on the 18th October in Brighton. It must be a council of war to co-ordinate strike action to win for workers.
The TUC’s lobby of parliament on Wednesday 2 November is a vital platform to build co-ordinated strike action. The TUC and the unions must mobilise to make it a mass mid-week demonstration.
Workers strike back – come to NSSN TUC Congress Action Summit
1pm Sunday 16th October Holiday Inn Brighton Facebook event.
For transport details, email [email protected]. Let us know if your union/organisation would like a stall at our event
It is a hybrid event – to allow those who can’t make it to Brighton to take part online – Zoom details: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88529269348 Meeting ID: 885 2926 9348
The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) has rearranged its pre-TUC congress event to Sunday 16 October, to set out a fighting programme for the reconvened TUC Congress. The push into autumn makes this even more important. It is now an action summit – to bring together striking union reps and members or those moving into action – to demand that the unions coordinate action so that millions of workers across the private and public sectors, all struggling to keep a roof above their families’ heads, can strike together. Come and take part in the discussion.
TUC rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 2nd November against the cost of living crisis – 11am Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA more details on TUC website
The TUC is organising town hall rallies around the country. Find your local event here. The TUC has also called a national Day of Action, including activity such as leafleting on Friday 14th October – details of activity in your area here
‘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
National Demonstration – 5 Nov 2022, London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
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]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
BREAKING NEWS!! Bus workers to take strike action (5 Oct) – RMT members working on buses in Somerset, and Cornwall will take strike action from October 10, in a fight for better pay and conditions. Four days of strike action will take place on the following dates: 10 October, 21 October, 4 November, 11 November. Around 400 workers who are planning to take action are furious that many of them are only paid just over £11 and hour and that bosses only offered a small uprate to £12 an hour read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Music legends back RMT strike action (5 Oct) – Rail union RMT has welcomed support for Saturday’s strike (October 8) from artists from Primal Scream, Dexys, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie and Andrew Innes} together with Dexys’ Kevin Rowland and Sean Read, plus Jesus and Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart have joined forces to produce a song and video in support of RMT’s fight against low pay and cuts to jobs and services. They are currently working on the song ‘Enough is Enough’ to highlight support for rail workers strike action and against Tory austerity read more
BREAKING NEWS!! RMT marks Ladbroke Grove rail disaster (5 Oct) – TWENTY-THREE YEARS after 31 lives were lost in the Ladbroke Grove rail disaster, RMT say that Government policy is in danger of dragging the railways closer towards the same cocktail of conditions that lead to tragedy on 5th October 1999. Ladbroke Grove was one of a number of disasters under the watch of the privatised Railtrack, ultimately leading to its abolition and creation of the publicly owned company, Network Rail. However, RMT is warning that casualisation, a myriad of contractors, long-hours and fatigue – all driven by cuts on the railway – has turned the clock back read more
Rail Dispute Update (1 Oct) – RMT will be taking further strike action on 1st and 8th October, following our suspension of action on the death of Her Majesty the Queen. This action has been called because of failure to make progress in negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group and Network Rail. Neither has produced an offer that addresses the cost-of-living crisis or our members’ concerns about the threats of mass redundancies, hugely detrimental changes to terms and conditions and the imposition of longer working hours for less pay read more
RMT accuse government of supporting (1 Oct) – General Secretary Mick Lynch has written to the Transport Secretary Anne Marie Treveleyan to take “urgent steps to allow a negotiated settlement” after the latest figures show railway bosses benefiting from government tax cuts. Railway bosses stand to gain up to £61,000 per annum from the Chancellor’s tax giveaway for the better off. They stand to get more from the government’s tax cut than most RMT members will earn in a year and in many cases twice as much read more
RMT letter to EHRC (28 Sept) – RMT letter to the EHRC about the impact of ticket office closures and Driver Only Operation on accessibility read more
RMT to take strike action 10 October on ScotRail (23 Sept) – Railway workers in Scotland will take strike action on Scotrail after the union rejected a real terms pay cut. ScotRail bosses have offered 5% but with inflation running at well over 11%, and a cost-of-living crisis that shows no signs of ending, RMT is demanding the company puts forward a decent proposal. The day long stoppage will take place on 10 October, 2 days after national strike by Network Rail and 15 train operating companies across Britain read more
Orsted Energy workers to strike for four days (21 Sept) – RMT members at Orsted Energy in Barrow upon Furness and Birkenhead will take two 48 hour stoppages in a row over pay. Strike action will take place on 23-24 September and 30th September and 1st of October. The dispute is over a paltry pay offer of 3.5% from Orsted bosses, amounting to a real terms pay cut with inflation rapidly rising. Orsted have done little to help settle the dispute, by refusing to meet the union to even discuss the matter read more
ASLEF
New strike dates: 1st and 5th October – Train drivers will walk out for two further days of strike action – Saturday 1st and Wednesday 5th October – in an ongoing dispute over pay. Drivers previously took strike action on 30th July and 13th August but their employers are still failing to come to the table with any improved offer read more
Croydon Tramlink Drivers to Strike Again (10 Oct) – Tram drivers on London Tramlink based in Croydon have rejected a below inflation pay offer and will strike again on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th October read more
TSSA
TSSA prepares for more strikes and other industrial action (3 Oct) – Hundreds of TSSA rail union members will take industrial action – including strikes – this week in their ongoing national dispute over pay, job security and conditions. TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has described strikes to date as “rock solid”, telling the government they must “get wise and act now to deliver a fair deal which will halt a winter of rail misery across the network.” Strike action is taking place in five companies, with action short of strike (where workers take action such as working to rule, overtime bans or callout bans) is happening at another nine companies read more
TSSA says strikes ‘rock solid’ in biggest national rail dispute walk-out (30 Sept) – TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes, has said rock solid action across the network from the union in today’s national strike shows members remain determined to get a just deal. More than 50,000 rail workers are on strike around the country in an ongoing dispute over pay, job security and terms and conditions. TSSA members are on strike at a number of train operating companies as well as Network Rail read more
TSSA Industrial Action October 2022 – Summary (29 Sept) – Across October TSSA continues to fight to defend jobs, protect terms and conditions and secure a pay rise for members that meets the ever-rising cost of living. Industrial action including strike action and action short of a strike will take place on multiple dates throughout the month starting Saturday 1 October read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Offshore drillers and contractors set to hold 48-hour stoppages after vote for strike action (5 Oct) – 95% support action following real terms pay cut. Unite the union confirmed today (5 October) that over 300 offshore drilling and contract maintenance workers employed by Archer, Maersk, Transocean and Odfjell have backed strike action. The mandate for industrial action follows Unite members rejecting a 5 per cent pay offer. The pay dispute involves workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA). 95 per cent supported strike action in a ballot turnout of 86 per cent. The strike action will involve a series of 48-hour stoppages every second week for the first 8 weeks. The action will start on 20 and 21 October. A further series of stoppages will take place on 3-4 and 17-18 November, 1-2 and 15-16 December. Unite has further warned that the action could thereafter escalate to all-out strike action. Unite members by 98 per cent also supported action short of a strike. This could include an overtime ban from 18 October limiting the working day to 12 hours; no extra cover provided during scheduled field breaks, and the withdrawal of goodwill pre and post tour briefings preventing handovers between shifts read more
BREAKING NEWS!! Abellio East Midlands workers announce strike action over pay (5 Oct) – Strikes begin as company with £401m profit fails to make any pay offer. Workers at train company Abellio East Midlands will begin strike action this week after the company refused to make any pay offer to its members. Over 140 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin a 48-hour strike on Thursday 6 October, followed by a further 48-hour strike beginning on Monday 17 October. Abellio made a net profit of £401 million in 2021. However, it has blamed its failure to make a pay offer on the Department for Transport (DfT), claiming that ministers have not authorised it to make a pay offer to its workers. The workers – based at depots in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and employed as cleaners, technicians, shunters, engineers, inspectors, lathe operators, team leaders and supervisors – recorded an 84 per cent vote in favour of industrial action read more
MediaHuis closure of Newry site is a severe blow to Northern Ireland’s print sector (4 Oct) – Unite seeks to defend employment of 46 workers who face prospect of redundancy. Last week the MediaHuis group, which owns the Independent titles and Belfast Telegraph, made public its plans to end printing at their Newry site. The facility is their last remaining printing site in Ireland, north or south, and is now set to close at the end of January with the loss of 46 jobs. Unite the union, which represents the majority of the workforce, is engaging in the redundancy consultation process with the aim of avoiding closure and the loss of jobs read more
Unite to ballot NHS Wales members on strike action (30 Sept) – 7 in 10 say yes to a vote in overwhelming rejection of pay-cutting deal. A strike among NHS workers in Wales could be on the cards as leading union, Unite, confirms today (Friday) that it will begin the formal process of balloting its members on industrial action. The move follows the results of a consultative ballot in which Unite’s NHS Wales members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in what the union says is `an emphatic rejection’ of the recently imposed pay deal. 70 per cent of Unite NHS Wales members voted for strike action with 89 per cent voting for action short of a strike. Turnout in this ballot exceeded that of all previous ballots, which Unite say illustrates the immense strength of feeling among NHS Wales workers. The NHS Wales pay award, implemented earlier this month, was below inflation for all staff, including the lowest paid. At a time of rocketing costs, most staff received a little over £100 per month in their pay packet, an around £1,400 increase to their salaries read more
Unite tells Liverpool council no more `buck passing’ – Make Hale Road Safe (30 Sept) – Union campaign follows tragic death of Ryanair cabin crew. Leading trade union, Unite, has today (Friday) called on Liverpool City council to act without delay to address the hazardous conditions on the city’s Hale Road. The move follows the recent death of a much-loved union member, Cinzia Ceravolo, who, in August, was killed trying to cross Hale Road on her journey home from work at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Airport workers, the union says, have little option but to attempt to cross the dangerous road on their way to and from work. Unite’s members say that they stand ready to give evidence to the council to make the case for the crossing to be made safer read more
Arriva London strikes off as workers secure major pay rise (30 Sept) – Planned strike action by bus drivers employed by Arriva in North London has been called off after the workers secured an improved pay offer, Unite the union announced today (Friday). The 2,000 drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will receive an 11 per cent pay increase from Saturday 15 October. The workforce will also receive 10 per cent in back pay from 2 April. In addition, drivers who undertake a night shift on 26 December will now receive an extra £50 payment read more
Northern Ireland Housing Executive workers’ strike for improved pay to continue for a further four weeks (30 Sept) – Absence of any movement from NIHE management on 1.75% offer “galling”. Unite the union confirmed that it had lodged notification that the four week strike action being taken by its members working in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive will continue for a further four weeks. Housing workers in the union are seeking a pay improvement above the 1.75 percent increase for 2021-22 recommended by the National Joint Council for local authorities employers. Workers are seeking a two pay point uplift and a cost of living payment but as yet the union understands that management have not even sought any additional funding from the Department to settle the pay dispute. Strike action at the housing executive is resulting an ever extending backlog of improvement work to public housing units. This is impacting social housing tenants who are left without measures to improve energy efficiency or for conversion to better suit those with disabilities read more
Liverpool port strikes intensify as senior staff join walkouts (29 Sept) – Fresh strikes over ‘hugely profitable’ MDHC’s below inflation pay offer. Nearly 600 Liverpool port workers will take seven days of fresh strike action beginning on 11 October and ending on 17 October, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday 29 September). As well as port operatives and engineers, who began two weeks of industrial action on 19 September, senior control room operators and control room operators have now voted to join the strikes. In addition, the port’s dock masters, shift managers and vessel traffic services officers are also preparing to be balloted for strike action. The combined impact of so many roles striking means the entire port will ‘literally become inoperable’. The workers are angry at MDHC’s pay offer of around 8.3 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 12.3 per cent this is a pay cut. The dispute is also over MDHC’s failure to honour the 2021 pay agreement. This includes the company not undertaking a promised pay review, which last happened in 1995, and failing to deliver on an agreement to improve shift rotas read more
Unite members vote for COSLA pay offer (29 Sept) – Trade union says frontline service cuts ‘won’t be tolerated’. Unite the union can confirm that its local government membership have voted for the revised COSLA pay offer. Over 70 per cent of Unite’s members in a consultative ballot voted to accept the revised offer made by COSLA on 2 September. The revised offer will fully consolidate £2,000 for those earning up to £20,500. This is the equivalent to an increase of around 10 – 11 per cent for the lowest paid. The offer – backdated to April – will also be fully consolidated into overtime, allowances and pensions. The offer further includes the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration fee – a key Unite demand – being fully funded by the Scottish Government, and one additional day of annual leave. COSLA had initially offered workers 2 per cent then 3.5 per cent and 5 per cent – all rejected outright by Unite – before a revised offer on 2 September was tabled. It is estimated that the revised offer resulted in a £600m package being brought forward by COSLA and the Scottish Government read more
Petrofac workers in strike ballot over pay (29 Sept) – Operator Repsol awash with profits of £2.1bn. Petrofac workers are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay, Scotland’s leading offshore trade union Unite can confirm. Around 140 members will vote on industrial action with the ballot opening today (29 September) and closing on 27 October. The workers include deck crew, platers, pipe fitters, electricians and riggers. The industrial action ballot follows Unite members rejecting a 3 per cent pay offer with the broader measure of inflation (RPI) standing at 12.3 per cent. Unite has made a series of demands including the restoration of the onshore training day and medical payments along with the reinstatement of a 10 per cent salary deduction worth up to £7,000. The salary cut was made in 2020 at the outset of the Covid pandemic. If the ballot for industrial action is successful then it will have a major impact on the maintenance and running of Repsol’s North Sea platforms and the Flotta Oil Terminal read more
October strike dates announced in Arriva Kent bus strike (28 Sept) – Over 600 bus drivers employed by Arriva in Kent have announced further strikes next month in a dispute over pay. The workers had already announced they are taking industrial action this Friday 30 September and this will be followed by a further four days of industrial action on 6,7, 10 and 11 of October. The workers are seeking a pay increase in line with the real inflation rate and which addresses years of pay erosion. Despite the increasing disruption caused by the ongoing dispute Arriva has failed to make a new offer to the workers or return to the negotiating table read more
West Midlands Metro workers announce major stoppage in low pay dispute (28 Sept) – 52 days of strike action announced. Workers employed on the West Midland Metro have voted to take substantial strike action in a dispute over low pay. The first strike will take place on Saturday 15 October and there are a further 52 days of strike action scheduled between then and Saturday 5 January 2023. Unite represents over 176 workers on the West Midlands Metro who recorded a yes vote of 86 per cent on an 84 per cent turnout read more
Newham refuse workers demand pay justice from borough councillors (28 Sept) – Refuse workers are fighting for a living wage – while councillors claim generous allowances and some own more than one home. Unite, Britain’s leading union, has written to Newham borough councillors to expose the contrast between workers striking for a fair wage and councillors on generous allowances failing to intervene. Some, according to the register of interests, even have second homes. Unite is calling on councillors to use their influence to ensure the council reaches a fair deal with the workers read more
2,000 workers at eleven Scottish universities balloted for strike action (27 Sept) – Escalation follows ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. Unite the union has confirmed today (27 September) that around 2,000 members at eleven Scottish universities are being balloted for strike action over pay. The university staff involved in the ballots cover Aberdeen, Abertay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow School of Art, Herriot Watt, Napier, St Andrew’s and Strathclyde universities. It is the first time in Scotland that Unite has balloted simultaneously across this number of universities. The ballot opens from 27 September and closes on 21 October. The staff involved include cleaners, janitors, estates staff, and technicians. The Unite members are part of a UK nationwide pay dispute involving the University and College Employers Association (UCEA). Unite has rejected an offer which is worth as low as 3.1 per cent for some members, despite all university staff having worked on-site throughout the pandemic read more
Felixstowe dock workers return to picket lines (26 Sept) – Workers at the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe will renew strike action tomorrow (Tuesday 27 September) in an ongoing dispute over pay. Over 1,900 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin strike action at 07:00 on Tuesday 27 September with the eight day strike ending on 06:59 on Wednesday 5 October. Strike action is resuming after the company refused to return to negotiations following the initial eight days strike action in August. Instead the company imposed a seven per cent increase on the workforce. This amounted to a real terms pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.3 per cent. The workers rejected the imposed pay offer by 82 per cent on 78 per cent turnout read more
Unite’s Network Rail workers to join latest strikes – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has confirmed that its members employed in electric control rooms will join other rail unions in taking strike action next month on Saturday 1 October, Wednesday 5 October and Saturday 8 October. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members at Network Rail play a crucial and demanding role in maintaining the electrical supply to the rail network. To be faced with a three year pay freeze during the worst cost of living crisis in decades is disgraceful. They will continue to receive Unite’s complete support.” The workers, based at control rooms in Brighton, Paddock Wood, Raynes Park, Romford, Selhurst Park and York, play a vital role in controlling and managing the network’s power supply read more
Bus strikes from Hull Fair to Christmas hit ‘hugely profitable’ Stagecoach – Stagecoach operating profits reach £72m in 2021/2 but workers offered ‘pay cut’. A huge industrial action mandate will see more than 250 Hull Stagecoach bus drivers, cleaners, engineers and commercial assistants take all out strike action from 7 October until 29 December. Hull Fair runs from 7 October to 15 October. ‘Palpable anger’ at a below inflation pay offer, lack of pay parity compared to other areas and a one per cent increase in wages since 2019, resulted in workers voting by 96 per cent for strike action in a ballot with an 87 per cent turnout. Stagecoach, whose revenues increased by nearly £300 million to £1.2 billion in 2021/22, is offering workers a one year 8.7 per cent increase. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 12.3 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut read more
Quorn Billingham workers strike after pay offer with ‘no meat on bone’ – Latest Quorn operating profits £236m, CEO paid £1.7m but workers offered 4% plus bonus. More than 60 workers at Quorn’s meat free paste production factory will strike on 30 September and 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 October. More strikes are set to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. Workers rejected a four per cent pay offer plus a £1,000 bonus. They voted to strike after the company refused to meet their demands of a nine per cent pay rise, which was the RPI inflation rate in April, when negotiations began read more
M&S and Waitrose milk disruption continues with fresh Muller Gloucestershire strikes – HGV drivers and shunters at Stonehouse factory striking over ‘excessive’ rota demands. HGV drivers and shunters at Mullers’ Stonehouse factory in Gloucestershire will begin a fresh round of strike action this week over imposed rota changes that are detrimental to their 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 and other dairy products to M&S and Waitrose nationwide, have taken nine days of strike action since 25 August. A further six days of strike action will take place on 22, 23, 24, 29 and 30 September and 1 October. More strikes are set to be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Alexander Dennis workers strike – Action follows wage offer rejection. Unite the union can confirm that its members based at Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) will begin strike action tomorrow (13 September) following the rejection of a wage offer. The first round of strike action at the bus manufacturing company based in Camelon and Larbert will finish on 16 September at 23.59 hours. The trade union can further confirm that there will be a second round of strike action starting on 3 October which will continue each day up to 14 October when the action will conclude at 23.59 hours read more
Honeywell workforce set for strike action – Workers reject ‘pitiful’ pay offer at Edinburgh aerospace company. Members of Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, employed at aerospace company Honeywell, will begin strike action tomorrow (8 September) in a dispute over pay. Around Unite 20 members including production and assembly workers recorded a 78.6 per cent vote in favour of strike action on a 77.8 per cent turnout at Honeywell. The first day of strike action (8 September) will be followed every Thursday for the next twelve weeks. The company, which specialises in the design and manufacturing of electronic hardware and systems, has proposed a multi-year deal of 2.75 per cent for this year and next year then followed by 0 per cent in 2024. This offer has been resoundingly rejected by the workers read more
Workers at Causeway Coast and Glens council to commence all-out strike action tomorrow after councils vote down pay increase – Offer of two pay points plus a cash lump sum to end dispute was rejected at last night’s council meeting by a single vote in the chamber. Unite the union has confirmed that its members at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council will commence continuous strike action at the local authority tomorrow (8 Sept). The decision by workers followed last night’s vote at full council at which a proposal to settle the strike by offering two pay point increments and a lump sum to workers – similar to that provided in Derry City & Strabane and in Mid-Ulster District Councils – was voted down by a majority of one councillor. General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, pledged her union’s full support to the striking council workers read more
Striking Tipton CabAuto workers reveal shocking levels of in-work poverty – Workers in McLaren, Aston Martin, JLR and Bentley supply chains ‘terrified of winter bills’. Striking Cab Auto worker – “How can it be that I work for a company that makes millions in profits, yet I have to use a begging bowl at food banks?” More than 100 West Midlands workers, paid just £9.90 an hour, are taking renewed strike action, which began on 23 August and will finish on 16 September, over a three per cent pay offer. The real rate of inflation, RPI, is running at 12.3 per cent and is expected to climb even higher. The workers, who make luxury car interiors but do not receive company sick pay or shift pay, have taken 26 days of strike action since 28 June read more
Real terms pay cut forces strike by Hartlepool chemical workers at Venator – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at chemical company Venator Materials Ltd, will begin strike action this week in a dispute over pay. The company, which produces pigments and additives, has only offered the workers a five per cent pay increase – far below the rate of inflation. The 100 plus members of Unite at the company recorded an 81 per cent vote in favour of strike action on an 84 per cent turnout… The workers will take a total of 10 days of strike action (see note to editors for details) this month in the dispute. The first four day strike will begin on Thursday 1 September at 18:59 and will initially involve the night shift read more
Baker Hughes strike action amid fire and rehire claims – Billion dollar US oil and gas giant plans to wipe-off £10,000 from salaries. Unite the union members working for US oil and gas giant, Baker Hughes, are starting strike action today (29 August) in a dispute over fire and rehire tactics. Around 110 workers are taking strike action with Unite accusing the multi-billion pound company of `laying waste to Scottish jobs’. Unite estimates that detrimental contractual changes could wipe-off up to 29 per cent from the annual wages of Baker Hughes workers. The equivalent to a £10,500 drop in annual income. Unite members voted for strike action by 87.3 per cent on an 87.5% per cent turnout to defend their jobs, terms and conditions. The all-out strike action will last until the morning of 14 September with a series of 48-hour stoppages taking place until 16 November read more
Strike notice issued to Northern Ireland Housing Executive after management fail to make any pay offer – Four week strike will have severe impact on housing services. Strike involving 300 Unite members will start on Monday 5 September. Unite the union has confirmed that it has given the Northern Ireland Housing Executive seven day notice of a strike action over pay. The strike by the union’s approximately 300 members working at the agency is due to commence on September 5th and will remain in place for four weeks. The strike has been called after management failed to make any offer whatsoever to improve pay and meet the pay claim of Unite members. Workers’ demands include a cash payment alongside a consolidated two pay point increase above the [National Joint Council] national pay offer for 2021-22, which is a bare 1.75 percent. Workers at the Housing Executive engaged in two strikes earlier in the year but the latest announcement represents a clear escalation read more
Unite anger over University of Dundee imposing ‘pension poverty’ – Striking workers fight against £5,700 pension cut. Unite Scotland has today (26 August) angrily reacted to the University of Dundee confirming that it will forge ahead with detrimental pension changes. Over 100 Unite members are on continuous strike action since yesterday (25 August). The workers include technicians, administrators, student support staff and estates staff such as plumbers, joiners and electricians 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
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
CWU
Support the CWU strikes in Royal Mail, BT/Openreach & Post Office – the next Royal Mail strikes are 30th September – 1st October and 19 further days of action have just been announced, BT-Openreach workers will be taking action on October 6, 10, 20 and 24, while CWU members in the Post Office are out today September 28th. There is a Post Office strike protest today at 9am outside Post Office HQ, Finsbury Dials, Finsbury Street, London EC2Y 9AQ
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
CWU spearheading biggest strike surge this century – crucial period for UK working class (1 Oct) – With five national Royal Mail Group strikes, four across BT Group and six Post Office walkouts so far, total days lost to strikes by CWU members are already over 700,000. Industrial action by this union, along with walkouts by our fellow trade unionists in other under-pressure sectors, are quickly making 2022 the biggest year of strikes since the mass public-sector pension dispute of 2011. And, as strikers dig in for what is widely expected to be a long haul, it looks highly likely that that total will be surpassed within a few weeks. This past week saw the resumption of CWU strikes, with Post Office members walking out on Wednesday and their Royal Mail colleagues returning to action on Friday and Saturday, when some 115,000 workers at around 1,400 workplaces covering every aspect of the nationwide operation came out on strike in their tens of thousands. As well as strike action by our members, rail workers also took action in their long-running dispute over pay, contracts and passenger safety. And today also saw many joint rallies and events in various cities and towns of the UK. As is clear from today’s CWU social platforms, the pickets have been as lively and good-humoured as ever and the joint protests are growing, as unity across the working class builds. And the call of ‘Enough is Enough’ becomes ever louder read more
Magnificent Post Office members strike for the sixth time (29 Sept) – Resolute series of walkouts has forced management to more than double initial pay offer – but money on table from 1st April 2022 remains way below inflation. Yesterday morning saw hard-working Post Office staff gather on picket lines for the sixth time, with CWU members knowing that their action so far has shifted the company significantly, but also determined to keep fighting until an acceptable deal is achieved. Post Office Limited’s national headquarters saw a lively protest with union banners and placards displayed highlighting the contrast between the real-terms wage cuts being offered to frontline workers and the enormous sums being pocketed by senior directors, CEO Nick Read, in particular, receiving strong criticism for having paid himself the princely sum of £415,000 read more
Royal Mail – bosses’ shabby treatment provokes another massive strike vote (27 Sept) – Cleaners, maintenance engineers and related admin workers return a 93.5% YES to strike action over pay and change. “Today’s result sends another loud and clear message to the so-called ‘leadership’ of this company that their selfish attitudes will never work,” said acting CWU DGSP Andy Furey after the result of a nationwide poll of members working in Royal Mail’s property and facilities (P&FS) functions was announced today read more
999 strike: Emergency call operators to walk out with their BT/Openreach colleagues (22 Sept) – Company intransigence over pay means that October will see some 40,000 telecoms engineers, call-centre staff and others being joined by critical-service workers. “We intend to serve notice on BT Group today for four days of strike action during October,” CWU deputy general secretary Andy Kerr told this morning’s national meeting of branch delegates in central London. “And we intend to up the ante – so we’ll remove all emergency cover and pull out 999 operators.” With four all-out national strikes having taken place at the end of July and during August in response to the company’s imposition of a flat-rate £1,500 pay deal, there was now a need to increase the impact of the action on the business, he explained. While there had been meetings with BT, the individuals on its negotiating team had refused to move on pay and had declined, in their words, to ‘re-open 2022 pay’ read more
PCS
Common Platform Dispute Update (3 Oct) – Update on common platform dispute in HMCTS. Two weeks ago we issued comms to say that we had persuaded HMCTS to delay the roll-out of the common platform case management system to further sites until the new year. Through these negotiations, we managed to delay the roll-out of Common Platform to Lancashire and South Yorkshire, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire courts. However, we are incredibly disappointed to find that HMCTS has been unable to maintain this position to pause the roll-out and, despite our representations in negotiations with HMCTS, the roll-out is set to continue in Essex as of tomorrow. The PCS dispute was never solely about the pausing of a further roll-out. We are opposing the CP system as a whole and the detrimental impact it is having on our members’ well-being and their ability to deliver justice. The pausing of further roll-out as, instead, a credible and visible way that HMCTS could show they were taking our concerns seriously and were prepared to reconsider the common platform rollout. PCS will continue to negotiate with HMCTS in the hope of dispute resolution, but HMCTS must recognise that this has been made harder by them continuing to rollout the common platform to more courts. This move to continue the rollout of common platform this week means PCS will again be forced to use the two overwhelming mandates for industrial action to progress dispute resolution in this case. We are now seeking the authority from the PCS National Disputes Committee to give notice to HMCTS for industrial action. We will be in touch with members about this in due course read more
Update: IfATE pay offer 2022 (30 Sept) – PCS rejects the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education pay offer 2022 as it falls far below our pay claim and what our members deserve and should reasonably expect given the economic context read more
PCS launches strike ballot of 150,000 civil servants (26 Sept) – PCS today begins a strike ballot of more than 150,000 civil servants. Our members in 214 government departments are being urged to vote ‘Yes’ for strike action over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms. PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The government has ignored our demands for a fair pay rise, so we have no choice other than to launch what is the most significant ballot for strike action in our history read more
10 more courts vote to join the strike action in HMCTS (26 Sept) – Legal Advisers and Court associates in 10 more courts have voted to join their colleagues in taking strike action over the Common Platform rollout. The ballot results are as follows: Turnout: 75.44%; Percentage of members voting in favour of strike action: 95.24%; Percentage of members voting in favour of action short of a strike: 100.00%. This ballot represents more PCS members in HMCTS joining the action to oppose the Common Platform rollout. Already, the first ballot mandate has moved the employer and led to the commencement of constructive discussions. This second ballot will further drive the dispute towards a satisfactory conclusion. PCS will be in touch with members on the announcement of strike dates in due course read more
Sign petition to support striking workers at Hinduja Global Solutions
PCS Devonport security guards start strike action read more
GMB
North East Ambulance Service faces industrial action (30 Sept) – North East Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days.
The vote comes following a consultative ballot which saw almost 90 per cent of NEAS members vote in favour of a walk out. GMB has almost 750 NEAS Paramedics and ambulance workers, who are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut. GMB has also announced a formal strike ballot among almost 1,5000 members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service read more
Water pollution fines must come from bosses’ pockets- not workers (3 Oct) – GMB Union says massive fines water companies face for pollution must come from bosses’ pay and profits – not workers’ pay and conditions. Thames Water, Southern Water and others will have to return about £150m to customers in the form of lower bills in the 2023-24 financial year, the water regulator for England and Wales, Ofwat, announced today read more
Sunderland bus strike dates announced as talks break down (30 Sept) – GMB Union has announced the dates of the Sunderland bus strike after talks broke down. Almost 200 Stagecoach bus drivers will walk out for five continuous days from 00:01 on Tuesday 11 October until midnight on Saturday 15 October. GMB met with Stagecoach today – but the company refused to budge on their initial offer, which amounts to a big real terms pay cut read more
Walsall Housing Group strike extends into October (29 Sept) – Industrial action at Walsall Housing Group will extend into next month, GMB Union has said. Almost 200 GMB members will walk out for six days in October 12, 14, 17, 21, 24 and 28. The industrial action comes on top of strike dates in September. Staff are angry after being offered just a 3.1 per cent day deal, amounting to massive real terms pay cut with RPI inflation at 12.3 per cent. Meanwhile Walsall Housing Group’s highest paid director was handed a 14 per cent pay rise between 2020 and 2021 read more
Almost 200 floor manufacturers stage three week strike (28 Sept) – Almost 200 workers at a Manchester floor company are staging three weeks’ solid strike action. Staff at Polyflor Ltd, in Manchester, will down tools until 14 October. Pickets will be staged from 8 to 10am and 4 to 6pm, Monday to Thursday, outside the factory on Radcliffe New Road, M45. Workers voted to strike over a pay dispute. Shortly after they received a message from the company saying ‘process shifts for process workers continue to be suspended…please do not turn up for your shift(s) from 6am on Monday 5th September.’ The company is a leading manufacturer of vinyl floor coverings read more
Yorkshire Ambulance Service faces strike vote (28 Sept) – Yorkshire Ambulance Service faces a strike vote as GMB Union launches a formal industrial action ballot. Ballot dates will be announced in the coming days. The vote comes following the a consultative ballot which saw 90 per cent of GMB’s almost 1,500 YAS members vote in favour of a walk out. Turnout on the consultative ballot was 80 per cent. Paramedics and ambulance workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award, which leaves them facing yet another massive real terms pay cut read more
All options back on the table as rogue Wiltshire Council bosses break agreement that averted GMB strike action in June (23 Sept) – Members are scandalised that Wiltshire Council’s top bosses have walked back from a deal, says GMB. GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, is calling for members to reject a revised proposal from Wiltshire Council after bosses reneged on the agreement negotiated through the offices of Acas (the governments advisory and conciliation service) in June. The council’s proposed pay cuts to council staff amount to £2,000 for traffic wardens and £7,000 for social workers per year. Ballots are running from now until 13th October among the 300 staff affected by the pay cut read more
Amazon workers begin first ever UK strike ballot – Amazon workers at a Coventry warehouse will become the first in the UK to take part in a formal strike ballot. Hundreds of workers will today begin voting on whether to walk out in anger over the company’s 35 pence per hour pay offer. The ballot closes on 19 October, with any industrial action likely to take place in November. Amazon workers across the UK have staged informal protests in anger at a three per cent pay offer from the company. Last September, Amazon reported paying £492m in tax the previous year – despite UK revenue soaring to £20.6billion in the pandemic read more
Further Budweiser strikes planned after talks collapse – 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
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
Unison
University staff to strike over pay as new term begins (20 Sept) – Workers have reached breaking point and have little choice but to strike. Thousands of university staff including administrators, cleaners, library, security and catering employees are to walk out in a wave of strikes that will hit universities from today (Tuesday), says UNISON. Universities will be disrupted across England and Scotland as employees push for a fair pay rise that takes account of soaring cost of living pressures and years of below-inflation awards, says the union. The workers, among the lowest paid in the higher education sector, took the difficult decision to strike after rejecting a 3% pay award from the University and Colleges Employers Association in May, the union says. Staff are asking for a wage increase of 2% above inflation, the lowest measure for which is currently 9.8% read more for details of picket lines
Support the OCS Lancashire strikes: pay up now – Pay our hospital heroes what they are owed for working throughout the pandemic read more
Care staff announce new strike dates over pay, says UNISON – 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
NIPSA
Mini-Budget – The Rich Continue to Benefit (23 Sept) – Carmel Gates NIPSA General Secretary: “As you will be aware today saw the release of what was described as a “mini-budget”. While there is now a new Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister overseeing such events, the echoes of their predecessors’ preference for avoiding the fullest scrutiny remains. Indeed, the release of such a budget statement in this manner without accompanying Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts/analysis of the figures at this time, suggests that the longstanding, limited commitment to accountability is likely to be further diminished by the new leadership at the top of the UK Government…” read more
Royal College of Nursing
RCN members stage protest at Conservative party conference (3 Oct) – Nursing staff chanted demands for fair pay and safe staffing amidst chronic workforce crisis read more
‘Vote to strike’ urges RCN as number of nurses leaving NHS hits record high (30 Sept) – Nurses are quitting for better pay in retail and hospitality as cost-of-living crisis takes its toll read more
RCN announces new industrial action strike ballot dates (15 Sept) – Our ballot of members working for the NHS and HSC will take place between Thursday 6 October and Wednesday 2 November read more
Royal College of Midwives
RCM recommends members vote YES to industrial action as ballot opens in Scotland (29 Sept) – ‘Stand by and get ready to vote on industrial action’ that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Scotland as it formally launches its ballot on industrial action today. The RCM is recommending that members vote yes to both strike action and action short of a strike and say they do not take this decision lightly and understand its members don’t either read more
RCM members in England and Wales to be balloted on industrial action over pay (22 Sept) – RCM members working in the NHS in England and Wales are set to be formally balloted on industrial action over pay. This follows a consultation in which RCM members overwhelmingly rejected their governments’ pay awards of £1400 for most Agenda for Change NHS staff. The amount equates to a 4% increase for those at the top step point of band 6 and those on band 7.Two-thirds of eligible members in England and more than eight out of 10 in Wales took part in the consultation, with three-quarters (75%) saying they wanted to be balloted on industrial action. The RCM’s Board – comprised of, and elected by, members – considered the consultation results and made the decision to prepare to ballot members in both countries. The dates of the ballots will be announced in the coming weeks read more
NEU
Be ballot ready – reject the pay cut read more
Support these strikes:-
NEU strikes next week:-
Coulsdon Sixth Form College / Croydon (Pay) 4-6 October [email protected]
Calverton Primary School / Newham (unacceptable management practices) 4-6 October [email protected]
Drapers Pyrgo Priory School / Havering (Conditions of Service) 4-6 October [email protected]
NASUWT
Pay teachers in Scotland 12% or risk industrial action (29 Sept) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is today issuing formal notices to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, local authorities and employers in Scotland that it is in dispute over the failure to confirm a pay award of 12% for all teachers for the 2022/23 year. In the event that an immediate programme of pay restoration is not confirmed, commencing with a pay award of at least 12% for all teachers this year, the NASUWT will have no alternative other than to launch a ballot of members for industrial action read more
Scottish Government must urgently enter pay talks (28 Sept) – At an event with member representatives held at the STUC, the NASUWT called on the Cabinet Secretary for Education urgently to get around the table to address teachers’ anger over further proposed pay cuts. A further meeting between the NASUWT and the Cabinet Secretary for Education has once again been called off by the Minister read more
Pay teachers in Wales 12% or risk industrial action (29 Sept) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is today issuing formal notices to the Minister for Education, local authorities and employers in Wales that it is in dispute over the failure to confirm a pay award of 12% for all teachers for the 2022/23 year. In the event that an immediate programme of pay restoration is not confirmed, commencing with a pay award of at least 12% for all teachers this year, the NASUWT will have no alternative other than to launch a ballot of members for industrial action read more
Pay teachers in England 12% or risk industrial action (29 Sept) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is today issuing formal notices to the Secretary of State for Education, local authorities and employers in England that it is in dispute over the failure to confirm a pay award of 12% for all teachers for the current academic year. In the event that an immediate programme of pay restoration is not confirmed, commencing with a pay award of at least 12% for all teachers this year, the NASUWT will have no alternative other than to launch a ballot of members for industrial action read more
IOM teachers vote to continue action over pay, workload and working practices (23 Sept) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in the Isle of Man have voted overwhelmingly to continue with their campaign of industrial action in a dispute with the DESC over pay, workload and working practices. 82% voted in support of strike action with 92% in support of action short of strike action in a reballot. NASUWT members have been undertaking action short of strike action since late April, withdrawing from a range of activities which do not directly relate to teaching and learning, including attending meetings and providing cover for absent colleagues. This action was escalated earlier this month with members no longer undertaking break duties or any marking, setting and assessment of cover work arising from any planned or unplanned staff absence read more
EIS
Teacher pay: EIS Issues Formal Strike Ballot Notices to all 32 Local Authority Employers (5 Oct) – The EIS has announced that it has issued formal notices to all 32 Scottish local authorities confirming that the EIS will open a statutory strike ballot for teachers one week from today, on Wednesday 12 October. The move to a statutory ballot for strike action follows the overwhelming result in a recent consultative ballot, in which 91% of EIS members confirmed their willingness to move to strike action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement read more
Teachers’ pay Offer Formally Rejected and Dispute Declared (22 Sept) – The EIS is moving ahead with its plans to open a statutory strike ballot of its members in pursuit of a fair pay settlement for Scotland’s teachers and associated professionals. This follows today’s meeting of the Extended Joint Chairs of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), where the latest pay offer to teachers was formally rejected by the Teachers’ Side and a dispute has been declared with local authority employers. The decision to move ahead with the statutory ballot – the final step to ensuring that strike action can be taken by Scotland’s teachers – follows the overwhelming result in an EIS consultative ballot last week, where 94% of EIS members voted to reject the current 5% pay offer and 91% voted in favour of a move to strike action towards securing a fair settlement read more
EIS-ULA Opens Statutory Ballot (29 Sept) – The EIS has today (Thursday) opened a statutory ballot for industrial action for its members in the Higher Education Sector. Following a consultative ballot, which strongly indicated members of the EIS University Lecturers’ Association (EIS-ULA) wished to take action in the current pay dispute, the EIS-ULA Executive is recommending members vote yes to strike action read more
UCU
Falmouth University staff to strike over two-tier workforce plans (4 Oct) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today (Tuesday) announced that staff at Falmouth University will take three days of industrial action over the decision by the university to employ all new academic staff through a subsidiary company, Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL). UCU members will walk out for three consecutive days from Monday October 17th until Wednesday October 19th to defend the employment status of staff teaching at the university if management does not reverse its decision read more
Oldham College strike will go ahead tomorrow despite management threats (3 Oct) – UCU confirmed strike action at Oldham College is legal and will go ahead tomorrow despite reported intimidation of staff by management. The union’s general secretary Jo Grady wrote to Oldham College UCU members today to reassure them UCU has discharged all its legal duties and that strike action at the college is completely lawful. The letter comes after multiple members told the union that college management is threatening staff with potential dismissal if they take strike action. Staff at Oldham College are taking three consecutive days of strike action alongside Liverpool and Burnley colleges over low pay starting tomorrow. On Thursday (6 October 2022) they will be joined by dozens more colleges, including Blackburn and West Lancashire read more
Strike wave over low pay hits more North West colleges (3 Oct) – Staff at the City of Liverpool, Burnley and Oldham colleges begin three consecutive days of strike action tomorrow in a dispute over low pay, confirmed UCU. The full list of strike dates for the three colleges are:
- Tuesday 4 October
- Wednesday 5 October
- Thursday 6 October
Staff at the colleges will be on picket lines every morning of strike action. Burnley staff will also picket their college from 4pm tomorrow to coincide with the college’s open day. UCU president Janet Farrar will join the City of Liverpool College picket tomorrow morning. Staff at Blackburn and West Lancashire colleges are also set to strike over low pay from Thursday alongside 24 other colleges across England. The full strike dates for these colleges are:
- Thursday 6 and Friday 7 October (2 days)
- Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October (2 days)
- Tuesday 18 Wednesday, 19 and Thursday 20 October (3 days)
Next Tuesday 11 October 2022 staff at The Manchester College will also take three consecutive days of strike action. Staff at Manchester, Oldham and Burnley colleges have already taken two days of strike action this term over low pay, whilst staff at Blackburn and West Lancashire colleges were on strike for three days last week read more
UCU members at Croydon College win significant pay rise (28 Sept) – Staff at Croydon College have won an improved pay deal, UCU has confirmed. The pay award means those earning under £25k will see their pay rise by 8%, and those earning between £25k and £40k, including lecturers, will see their pay rise by 5%. The deal comes after 89.9% of UCU members in national ballots voted YES to strike action on an overall turnout of 57.9%, which is the biggest mandate for industrial action ever across English further education colleges. Strike action was suspended at Croydon College after the offer was made but went ahead this week at 17 colleges, with a further 12 set to join the strike next week. Staff at eight further colleges also have mandates to strike but are not yet going forward with action. Should these colleges fail to make staff suitable pay offers, industrial action could follow read more
Unprecedented ‘cost-of-living’ strike hits dozens of colleges (22 Sept) – Around 4,000 staff at 29 colleges will take up to 10 days of strike action starting next week in a dispute over low pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. Staff at 17 colleges across England begin their strike next Monday 26 September with a further 12 colleges striking the week after. The level of industrial action being undertaken is ‘unprecedented’ in England, UCU says. Staff will be picketing outside every college on each morning of strike action. The strikes will take place over four weeks in the first half term of the academic year. The full dates of strike action are:
- Week 1: Monday 26, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 September (3 days)
- Week 2: Thursday 6 and Friday 7 October (2 days)
- Week 3: Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 October (2 days)
- Week 4: Tuesday 18 Wednesday, 19 and Thursday 20 October (3 days)
Staff at Burnley, Liverpool and Oldham colleges are also striking over pay, but are striking on different dates, which are: Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October… Staff at nine further colleges also have mandates to strike but are not yet going forward with action. Should these colleges fail to make staff suitable pay offers, industrial action could follow…UCU is also balloting staff at 150 universities including over low pay read more
University strike ballots open today amidst cost-of-living crisis (6 Sept) – Ballots for industrial action opened today at universities across the UK in disputes over pay, working conditions and pension cuts amidst the worst cost of living crisis in living memory, confirmed UCU. In total, over 70,000 staff at 150 universities are being balloted across two separate ballots. 67 institutions are being balloted over pension cuts to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and 145 are being balloted over pay and working conditions. Both ballots 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 both ballots, all 150 universities will be hit by strike action, which would be unprecedented read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
FBU update: revised pay offer (4 Oct) – Matt Wrack, general secretary commented: “We have today met with the fire service employers at the National Joint Council (NJC) and Middle Managers Negotiating Body (MMNB). Employers had previously written to ministers and government departments across the UK, seeking additional funding funding for an improved pay proposal. The Home Office have unequivocally declined this request. Despite this, employers have made a revised pay offer. Offer: 5% increase on all Grey Book rates of pay, including CPD, from 1 July 2022. The FBU will now consider the revised proposal. The Executive Council is in session and will also be meeting tomorrow to assess and discuss this offer in the context of out campaign and our discussions across the union. Further updates will be issued as soon as possible” read more
Labour conference backs firefighters on pay (28 Sept) – Labour conference has passed a motion backing firefighters on pay as they prepare to ballot for strike action. Successful conference motions become Labour Party policy. Labour leader Keir Starmer has previously failed to back striking workers and advised frontbench shadow cabinet members to stay away from picket lines. The FBU-backed motion states that “Conference condemns the 2% pay offer made by fire employers to firefighters in June this year” and “is appalled by the 12% real-terms cut in average full-time firefighters’ pay (measured by CPI) since 2010”. It also committed “the Labour Party to vigorously campaigning alongside the FBU in defence of firefighters and their service” read more
Fair pay or fire strike – all members meeting on pay (27 Sept) – Amid the pay dispute, Matt Wrack, general secretary will address members online on Thursday 29 September at 6.30pm. RMT assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey is also set to speak on the movement’s struggle for fair pay, terms and conditions. The meeting will discuss the 2% pay offer made by fire service employers and a potential ballot on strike action read more
Firefighters prepare for ballot for strike action over pay (6 Sept) – Firefighters and firefighter control staff are preparing for a ballot for strike action, following consultation in Fire Brigades Union branches and a meeting of the union’s executive council on 2 September. The decision follows firefighters and firefighter control staff receiving a 2% annual pay offer on 27 June, which has not been improved upon since despite union representations to multiple parties. Inflation (CPI) has been measured at 10.1%, meaning that such a pay offer represents a significant real-terms pay cut. The aim is for the ballot to be held in five weeks’ time read more
POA
Autumn of action – lobby and rally rescheduled to 2nd November 2022 – Due to the new TUC Congress dates (18th-20th October), the TUC have rescheduled the lobby of parliament and evening mass rally to Wednesday 2nd November 2022. Westminster Central Hall is still booked as the base for the day and evening. Before the TUC rescheduled the national lobby, over 320 people had registered to meet their MP. The TUC are contacting these people and supporting them to book in meetings with their MP on 2nd November 2022. 320 sign-ups is a good start but we need hundreds more union members to sign up to make their voice heard. It’s time for a new deal for working people. We need a real pay rise for every worker, starting with a £15 minimum wage as soon as possible, and more help with bills. It’s time to ban zero hours contracts and end fire and rehire read more
NAPO
Napo adds name to TUC letter to prime minister (30 Sept) – Napo and other unions signed a letter from the TUC demanding better from the prime minister read more
BFAWU
Organise Now! Launches today! (Sept 26) – Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary: Bakers, Food and Allied Workers, Strike Map and Notes from Below launch new organising project, Organise Now! LAUNCH VIDEO IS HERE. Today (24 September), The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU), Strike Map UK and Notes from Below launch a new union organising project called Organise Now! This project is inspired by the Emergency Workplace Organising Committee (EWOC) launched in the USA a few years ago, which has seen tens of thousands unorganised workers contacting them looking for help in building a union in historically low unionised areas, like Starbucks and Amazon. The Organise Now! website launches with two forms. One form is for workers who want support and the other is for volunteers to sign up. Within 72 hours of filling out the form, workers receive a call back from a volunteer. They are assigned an experienced organiser who will coach them through their organising at work read more
NUJ
Almost 400 posts to go at the World Service (29 Sept) – The NUJ says the government must directly fund the service, as it did prior to 2011. The BBC has announced it is to cut 382 posts at the World Service, as part of £500m of annual savings caused by the freezing of the licence fee, soaring costs, inflation and to fund its move to a digital-first service read more
Pay survey of NUJ members in Ireland (27 Sept) – NUJ members in Ireland should complete the union’s short pay survey by 28 September. The National Union of Journalists is currently conducting a pay survey of its members in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The survey is completely confidential and should take less than five minutes to complete. It remains open until midnight on Tuesday, September 20th read more
NUJ to ballot members at Al Jazeera (22 Sept) – Members employed by Al Jazeera International Ltd are being balloted on whether they are prepared to take part in strike action and action short of strike. 40 members will receive ballot papers following a decision by the Al Jazeera group chapel to move to an industrial action vote, rejecting the company’s 2022 offer of 4.5% plus an unconsolidated £500 for those earning less than £50,000 read more
Prospect
Prospect signs recognition and procedural agreement with RWE Renewables (3 Oct) – Prospect has signed a new Recognition and Procedural Agreement with RWE Renewables, which establishes a formal role for the union regarding information and consultation across the RWE Renewables’ business read more
Equity
The Mini-Budget: what you need to know (29 Sept) – On 23/05/22 the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced a ‘mini-budget’ as part of The Growth Plan 2022. Here are some of the main proposed changes to be aware of at this initial stage read more
USDAW
Tesco’s agreement to make additional investment in pay welcomed by Usdaw (5 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw has today welcomed the company’s agreement to provide additional support for Tesco shopworkers in the midst of the cost of living crisis, with an additional pay increase outside of the annual pay review and a further commitment from the business to bring next year’s pay negotiations forward to the Spring of 2023 read more
Booker’s agreement to make additional investment in pay welcomed by Usdaw (5 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw has today welcomed the company’s agreement to provide additional support for Booker employees in the midst of the cost of living crisis, with an additional pay increase outside of the annual pay review. Booker hourly paid retail staff will receive an additional 25p per hour increase from 13 November, taking the base rate from £9.75 to £10.00 per hour. This is on top of an increase in May of 6.67%, taking the overall increase this year to 9.4% read more
Usdaw joins a TUC co-ordinated legal challenge against the Government’s “strike-breaking” agency worker regulations (20 Sept) – Retail trade union Usdaw is one of eleven trade unions to launch a judicial review of “anti-worker” regulations which “undermine the right to strike”. They are being coordinated by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and represented by Thompsons Solicitors LLP read more
UVW
Judge orders Brighton pub to pay wages to sacked UVW strike leader (26 Sept) – “I’m ecstatic by the decision from the court to grant my interim relief! It’s a huge win for the UVW members of the Saint James Tavern and the labour movement across the hospitality sector” – Jake Marvin, sacked UVW strike leader and former bar manager. A judge ordered pub bosses at Saint James Tavern (SJT) in Brighton to pay wages to a United Voices of the World (UVW) strike leader, who was abruptly sacked allegedly for his union activities. And they will have to pay wages until there is a final hearing on his dismissal, which could be in a year or so. Former bar manager and UVW member Jake Marvin applied to the Employment Tribunal in early July for interim relief following his abrupt sacking just days after the workers’ first picket line on June 25. Interim relief is when a boss is ordered to reinstate or pay a worker where the Employment Tribunal believes they have been sacked for trade union activities. The judgement will remain in force until a final hearing on unfair dismissal and trade union victimisation takes place in a year or so read more
IWGB
Security Staff at University College London to Strike over Pay as Part of Campaign Against Outsourcing (26 Sept) – Outsourced security staff working at University College London (UCL) from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have voted unanimously to take strike action over pay and union recognition. This follows the launch of an ongoing campaign in May by the majority-BAME and migrant outsourced workers demanding to be brought in-house, after years of subcontractor mismanagement. At the height of the cost of living crisis, security staff are demanding £15/hr, equivalent to the wage paid to security over two decades ago before outsourcing was introduced at UCL (and still paid to a small number of staff who have remained employed since that time and whose conditions are protected by TUPE). Outsourced workers are also demanding an end to exploitative outsourcing at the university read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Dunnes Pay & Benefits Petition Update (3 Oct) – Almost 1300 Dunnes Workers have shown their support for the Dunnes Pay and Benefits claim by signing the petition since it was launched 3 weeks ago. Click here if you haven’t already signed the petition. The Dunnes National Committee wrote to the Directors of Dunnes Stores on the 20th of July seeking action on your Pay and Benefits claim. The Directors have not yet responded read more
Barristers action
From the Criminal Bar Association twitter account The CBA @TheCriminalBar – The offer from government has resulted from constructive talks between the MOJ and the leadership of the CBA. This offer represents substantial positive movement from government. As a result the offer will be put to a ballot… The ballot will open on Tuesday 04 October 2022 at 1600 and close at midnight on Sunday 09 October 2022. The ballot result will be announced at 0900 on Monday 10 October 2022. All chambers are encouraged to organise their own internal meetings.
Barristers in England and Wales to vote on ending strike after new pay offer (29 Sept) – Criminal Bar Association agrees to ballot members again after fresh government offer on legal aid fees read more on the Guardian website
Keep up to date on The Criminal Bar Association website
Other news
October is Black History Month – follow #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth2022 #BHM #BHM2022 on twitter for events as well as visit union websites
Sign petition: Liz Truss, give a 10% pay rise and equal pay to all care workers and personal assistants from Disability Rights Action [email protected]
International News
NUJ expresses solidarity with people of Iran (3 Oct) – As journalists continue to report on protests in Iran, the union and its Equality Council extends a message of solidarity. The NUJ has condemned the arrests of journalists in Iran, following protests prompted by the death of Mahsa Amini on 16 September while detained by the Morality Police of Tehran. Over the past fortnight, access to social media and the internet has been restricted, impacting freedom of expression. 22 journalists have been detained since protests began. At its last meeting, the union’s equality council passed a motion in solidarity read more on NUJ website
NUJ: Australia: police seek permission to raid news outlet NT Independent (28 Sept) – NUJ echoes calls by the IFJ and sister union Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance for the protection of journalists in Australia’s Northern Territory. The National Union of Journalists joins the International Federation of Journalists in condemning efforts by Australian authorities to stifle press freedom read more on NUJ website
Pakistan flooding disaster – Urgent appeal from the Sindh Workers’ Alliance read more and find details on how to donate
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
QC appointed to lead the independent Unite inquiry into blacklisting – 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
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
October
16 NSSN pre-TUC congress Action Summit – 1pm Holiday Inn Brighton
November
2 TUC Rally & Lobby of Parliament
5 People’s Assembly National Demonstration – London, Assemble Embankment, WC2N 6NS
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
