The NSSN is mobilising for the two demonstrations this week against the Tories, the cost of living crisis and their plans for further union restrictions.
New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was Boris Johnson’s Chancellor, will also look to make workers and their families pay for the crisis. We face massive austerity and the threat of even more anti-union laws to try and stop us taking action we need to keep a roof over our heads as the cost of living squeeze tightens. The threat of legal action by Royal Mail against action by the CWU is another stark reminder of these legal restrictions on our right to strike.
The TUC has organised a lobby of parliament on Wednesday 2nd November. The NSSN believes that this must now be turned into a mass ‘Tories Out’ midweek demonstration, to mobilise workers and all those furious at Tory policies. The People’s Assembly demo also in London on Saturday 5th October must be a mass mobilisation as well.
TUC rally and lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 2nd November against the cost of living crisis – 2pm Palace of Westminster, London SW1A 0AA (RMT mustering at 1.30pm at Old Place Yard) and 6pm rally at Westminster Methodist Hall more details on TUC website
RMT: TUC Mass Lobby of Parliament – Fight the new Anti-Trade Union laws!
“Let’s rise up in Westminster on 2 November – in UNISON”
POA: Autumn of action – lobby and rally 2nd November 2022
The TUC is organising town hall rallies around the country. Find your local event here.
National Demonstration – 5 Nov 2022, London, Assemble 12noon Embankment, WC2N 6NS
The NSSN has proposed the following model motion, which can be tabled at union branches and trades councils as part of the discussion about how the unions build the movement we need now:-
“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. Many of these disputes are seeing workers win significant gains.
We will continue to give our solidarity, building practical and financial support to all striking workers. We oppose any attempt by the Tory Government to impose more austerity to pay for tax cuts for the rich and big business
We 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 call on unions:-
- to co-ordinate industrial action ballots and strikes to fight the cost of living squeeze
- to mobilise for the TUC’s 2nd November lobby of Parliament, to build a massive midweek demonstration to support striking workers and oppose the Tory Government and its anti-worker policies
We call on the TUC:-
- to co-ordinate union strike funds, for a public financial appeal to support unions and their members taking strike action
We call on the TUC and the unions:-
- to prepare for the maximum co-ordinated industrial action, up to and including a 24 hour general strike if the Truss Tory Government moves to implement new anti-union laws and restrictions”
‘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
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
RMT launches cleaners ballot (28 Oct) – More than 1 in 10 cleaners on the transport network are using food banks, RMT survey finds. The union’s survey of 1,000 contracted out cleaners also found that over a quarter have skipped meals (28%), 1 in 3 are relying on credit cards to pay for cost of living and 84% are struggling to make ends meet. RMT members working for the likes of Churchill, Mitie and other wealthy contractors have had enough and are being balloted for strike action from today. The ballot will close on the Tuesday November 22. Cleaners are demanding £15 an hour, company sick pay, decent holidays and good pensions from contractors – some of whom are raking in profits of over £100 million read more
RMT adds new strike date in national rail dispute (26 Oct) – RMT members working for the train operating companies were already taking strike action on November 5 but now will also walkout on November 9. Network Rail members are already scheduled to strike on 5, 7 and 9 November in the national rail dispute. In a separate set of strikes, TfL and London Overground (Arriva Rail London) will walkout on November 10 read more
RMT update on national rail strike days (25 Oct)
RMT call to Government on Seafarers Wages Bill (26 Oct) – Maritime union RMT today called on the Government to agree to amendments to the Seafarers Wages Bill to recover seafarers’ jobs, skills and employment standards in the UK shipping sector after P&O Ferries unlawful assault on jobs and conditions. Report Stage in the Lords on 26 October is a chance to amend the legislation to cover more conditions of employment than basic pay, and amendments have been tabled by Labour Peers to achieve this read more
RMT responds to TfL pension proposals (24 Oct) – RMT has accused TfL bosses of colluding in imposing a £100m pension cut that they know is wrong and will result in members being 30% worse off in retirement. As part of its funding deals with the government, TfL has agreed to work up options for reforming TfL’s pension scheme. In their latest report TfL admit that there is no deficit in the scheme and that the government’s demand of a £100 million cut in the annual cost of pension provision is unnecessary, unfair and will result in punitive cuts to members pensions. Yet they continue to work up options for the government to undertake attacks they know to be unjust. LU managers are also planning at least 600 station staff job cuts and are undermining agreements to support work life balance on the tube read more
Bus workers take strike action (21 Oct) – RMT members working on buses in Somerset, and Cornwall are on strike today for better pay and conditions. First Group workers are angry that many of them are only paid just over £11 and hour and that bosses only offered a small uprate to £12 an hour. The company paid out £500m to shareholders in 2021/22 and has an operating profit of £226m read more. 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
Avanti workers to take two days strike action – Train managers on Avanti West Coast will take strike action on Oct 22 in a row over the imposition of rosters. RMT members will also walkout on Sunday 6 November. Avanti bosses claim that imposing rosters was to prevent cancellations. However, the company is in such dire straits that they have slashed services and left staff with poor morale and feeling neglected. Controversially the stricken company has had its contract renewed on the West Coast mainline despite its appalling track record running the franchise read more
ASLEF
Drivers are not to blame for poor services (28 Oct) – Train operator Transpennine Express (TPE) is blaming ASLEF members for their poor service across the North of England. Passengers are facing a service that’s getting worse every day, with cancellations and – on some routes – trains only running every few hours. In reality, the company has not hired enough drivers over a long period of time, and is now expecting drivers to work on their rest days to run services read more
TSSA
TSSA November Strikes round up (27 Oct) – TSSA is taking a week of industrial action in November. You can find details here
TSSA writes to new Transport Minister for ‘Urgent’ talks ahead of Industrial Action (27 Oct) – TSSA’s Interim General Secretary Frank Ward has today written to the new Secretary of State for Transport urging him to “remove the blockage” stopping a negotiated settlement being reached, saying the Secretary has an opportunity to “avoid the mistakes of Grant Shapps” read more
TSSA announces more strike action for 9 November (27 Oct) – Rail union TSSA today announced new industrial action in four rail industry companies on Wednesday 9 November in their long-running dispute over jobs, pay and terms & conditions. Thousands of TSSA members will take strike action in Network Rail, Avanti West Coast, Southeastern, and South Western Railway. The announcement comes after TSSA cancelled industrial action on Thursday 3 November in order to support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Day read more
TSSA announces a week of industrial action in November (24 Oct) – UPDATE: TSSA has cancelled its strike action, and action short of strike on 3 November to honour the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Day. Rail union TSSA has today announced nearly a week of industrial action, including strikes in November in their ongoing dispute over pay, job security and conditions read more
Unite
South West London geared for winter bus chaos following sacking of Unite steward at London United (28 Oct) – South West London is facing major disruption to its bus services this winter as members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at London United, will be balloted for industrial action, following the company’s dismissal of a local shop steward. The dispute involves 330 bus drivers based at the company’s Fulwell depot in Twickenham. The dispute arose after the depot’s shop steward was dismissed following the successful pay strikes at the company this summer. The industrial action ballot will open on Monday 7 November and closes on Monday 5 December, if the drivers vote for industrial action, then strike action could occur throughout the winter. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will never allow its workplace representatives to be victimised and the union will use all its collective strength to right this wrong. An injury to one is an injury to all. “London United must accept our member should never have been dismissed and reinstate him immediately.” London United is a subsidiary of the French state owned transport company RATP. Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “This is trade union victimisation – clear and simple. Our members took strike action and won. Now the employer, in an act of spite, has decided to attack union organisation by attacking our rep…” read more
Unite vows to take on whisky giant in row over pay (27 Oct) – Unite has today (Thursday 27 October) vowed to continue the fight with whisky giant Diageo after the company introduced a lower rate of pay for new starts without consultation with the unions. This is a race to the bottom and the company have now confirmed this by indicating that they will change the current shift pattern which will in effect bring others down to a new starter rate. This issue has been ongoing for a considerable time and was first raised through the grievance process in 2019 however the company have dragged their heels over our members concerns. The members affected by this change are the weekend engineering support for the bottling plant (10 in total). Unite believes it would not be safe to run the plant without any engineering support read more
GXO draymen strike suspended following new pay offer (27 Oct) – Strike action by 1,000 draymen employed by multinational giant GXO has been suspended following a much improved pay offer by the company. The first round of strikes was due to run between Monday 31 October and Friday 4 November. However following the new improved pay offer from GXO the strike action has been suspended. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union will now be balloted on the new offer. Unite national officer for food, drink and agriculture Joe Clarke said: “Following a significantly improved pay offer from GXO the strike action planned for next week has been suspended as an act of good faith.” The industrial action would have affected 22 GXO depots spread across the UK read more
Unite pledges to back local government workers battling for better terms and conditions (27 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has pledged to step up the fight for better pay, terms and condition for local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is gearing up for fresh campaigns in councils. Unite’s local government members overwhelmingly rejected the national employers’ final pay offer. Green book (National Joint Council) members recorded a 78 per cent vote against the offer. However, Unite has ruled out a national ballot for strike action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unite’s sister unions recognised for the green book have announced that their members have voted to accept the offer. The joint unions will be meeting in early November and it is expected that the national pay offer will be implemented following this. Unite will instead focus on campaigns on local issues with Unite members covered by the green book. Where members are committed to mounting local campaigns, they will receive the union’s complete support. This will build on the localised pay campaigns that have already won pay increases for workers over the last year, including in Coventry, multiple councils in Northern Ireland, Rugby, Croydon and Bath/Somerset read more
East Midlands Airport security staff secure a 10 per cent pay increase (27 Oct) – Members of Unite the union, employed within security at East Midlands Airport, have secured a 10 per cent pay increase after voting for strike action. The Unite members recorded a 92.81 per cent vote for strike action over low pay earlier this month. The strike vote coincided with East Midlands Airport making a substantial pay offer. This was then accepted following a ballot of members. In addition to a 10 per cent increase in pay backdated to 1 September 2022, the security staff will also receive an additional one per cent pay increase in September 2023 and 2024. The one per cent increase will be on top of any annual increase agreed for the entire airport read more
Unite calls on members to reject ‘new’ NHS Scotland Pay offer (26 Oct) – New flat rate offer for NHS Scotland staff represents even less in a wage increase than the previously rejected 5% offer for some workers. Following a meeting of the Unite Scotland Health Committee, reps will call on members across the NHS in Scotland to reject the latest offer of a flat rate increase. In a previous consultation of Unite members in August, 89% of the NHS membership rejected an offer of 5%: that represented a real terms pay cut for Unite members as the cost of living continues to skyrocket with RPI reaching a 40 year high of 12.6% read more
Hull Stagecoach dispute intensifies as company tries to union-bust (26 Oct) – Massively profitable Stagecoach tries undermining strike by targeting individual workers. Individual striking Stagecoach workers in Hull are to be targeted by their employer in an attempt to pressure them into accepting an already rejected pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The 250 drivers, engineers and cleaners have been on all out strike since 7 October. They are striking over a below inflation pay offer, are paid much less than their colleagues in other regions and have seen their pay increase by just one per cent in three years. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Stagecoach’s transparent attempt to undermine the strike will not work. Our members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action and will not be split read more
Unite slams fire & rehire by occupational therapists’ union (26 Oct) – Workers given just 3 days to make life changing redundancy decision or accept new jobs on worse terms. Stressed workers forced to seek the very services that the Royal College of Occupational Therapists champion. Workers do not rule out Industrial action. Bosses at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists must scrap their callous redundancies, negotiate with Unite or face the consequences, including possible industrial action. On Monday 17 October the College which is registered as a union, informed its staff that it was placing 1 in 10 workers at risk of redundancy. Astoundingly, the College gave the workers just 3 full days to decide whether to take a poor redundancy package or apply for other jobs on worse terms. Workers who unsuccessfully apply for alternative employment will be forced out on statutory redundancy terms. Unite is just weeks away from signing a formal recognition deal with the College read more
Offshore drillers accept 10% pay increase (26 Oct) – Strike called off as workers win improved pay offer. Unite the union confirmed today that over 450 offshore drilling and drilling maintenance workers covered by the United Kingdom Drilling Contractors Association (UKDCA) have accepted an improved offer of 10% on their rates of pay back dated to 1st June 2022 read more
Arriva Kent bus disputes ends as workers accept inflation beating 14 per cent pay increase (26 Oct) – The long running Arriva Kent bus dispute has ended after bus drivers accepted an improved pay offer. The 480 plus drivers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, recorded a 59 per cent vote in favour of accepting the company’s latest offer of a 13.92 per cent pay increase, which is fully backdated to 23 April 2022 read more
Southampton Airport faces shutdown as workers prepare to strike after three year pay freeze (26 Oct) – Southampton Airport faces shutdown as workers prepare to strike after three year pay freeze. No pay increase since 2019. The workers made huge sacrifices during the pandemic to keep the airport safe. Workers at Southampton Airport who haven’t had a pay increase since 2019 will take a series of one day strikes beginning on 5 November after months of unacceptable delays by airport bosses. Airside operations controllers, firefighters, technicians and engineering workers will take 1 day of strike action on Saturday 5 November, Saturday 12 November and Saturday 19 November read more
Ambulance workers in England begin strike ballot as new PM warned over NHS pay (26 Oct) – Strike ballots for nearly 3,000 ambulance workers in England open today (26 October) and close 30 November. The workers, including paramedics and emergency call handlers, are angry over the four per cent NHS Agenda for Change pay award. The award falls well short of the real rate of inflation, RPI, which stands at 12.6 per cent. The award, which was imposed on staff, meant most staff received a little over £100 more in their monthly pay packets read more
Strike action begins at Renold Couplings (25 Oct) – Workers employed by Renold Couplings in East Cardiff have today commenced four weeks of continuous strike action over pay. In a recent ballot Unite members at the site in East Cardiff, voted by over 91% in favour of industrial action. Renold Couplings, who manufacture power transmission products, have offered workers a pay offer well below inflation. This is despite the fact that workers endured a pay freeze during the Covid pandemic read more
Pickle and vinegar shortages growing as Mizkan Rochdale workers announce fresh strikes over real terms pay cut (25 Oct) – Shortages of the UK’s most popular pickles and vinegars, including Branston Pickle, Sarsons Vinegar and Haywards Pickled Vegetables, will increase as Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced further strike action as a result of the employer’s (Mizkan Euro) derisory pay offer. The 50-plus workers, who are based at Mizkan Euro’s factory in Rochdale, will take fresh strike action for three days beginning on Wednesday 3 November and ending on Saturday 5 November. The workers took three days of strike action earlier this month (18-20 October) in response to the company offering the workers an increase of just five per cent, which is in reality a pay cut, with the actual inflation rate (RPI) now standing at 12.6 per cent read more
TfL prolonging Woolwich Ferry dispute by using agency staff (25 Oct) – Unite raises safety concerns over poorly trained agency workers. TfL delays preventing the suspension of strike action. Unite has written to London Assembly members to raise concerns about the use of poorly trained agency workers being used to run a limited service during the Woolwich Ferry strike. The union has called on GLA members to give an assurance that the agency staffing arrangements along with the condition of the boats give no cause for concern as far as safety is concerned. The strike began on Monday 24 October and ends on Friday 28 October. 87% of the workers who took part in the ballot voted for strike action. Unite is meeting TfL on Monday 31 October read more
New Covent Garden Market facing week long “turmoil” as OCS security guards strike over poverty pay rates (25 Oct) – New Covent Garden Market in Nine Elms London is facing a week of turmoil as its security guards, employed by outsourcers OCS Group UK Ltd, take a week of strike action, after the company refused to even enter into formal pay talks. The security guards, who also act as the first aiders at the fruit, vegetable and flower market, are paid just £9.69 an hour. The workers are seeking to be paid at least the London Living Wage which now stands at £11.95 an hour. Strike action will begin on Thursday 27 October and last for a week. New Convent Garden Market is operated by the Covent Market Garden Authority (CMGA), a statutory corporation that reports to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) read more
Gatwick airport taxis not available during protests over attacks on union reps (25 Oct) – Driver with 23 years’ service fired by Airport Cars for performing union duties. Gatwick airport taxis will not be available during protests held by drivers employed by Airport Cars during protests over an attack on their rep, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The worker has been sacked for undertaking his duties as a Unite union workplace representative. The protests will take place from between 0700 hrs and 1000 hrs today (25 October) and between 1200 hrs and 1500 hrs on Saturday (29 October). Protests are also planned for next week (beginning 31 October), with more scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Press conference as trade unions launch Women Demand Better campaign (25 Oct) – Rally and protest to be held Saturday. Campaign demands supported accommodation for homeless women and action on the cost of living crisis read more
Shoppers facing Christmas Fox’s Biscuit shortages as Batley workers take strike action in pay cut dispute (24 Oct) – Shoppers will struggle to buy Fox’s Biscuits this Christmas as engineers, employed by the company at its Batley factory, take strike action in a pay dispute. The dispute involves 36 engineers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. They have been offered an increase of five per cent (with strings attached). The offer is in reality a real terms pay cut, with the current inflation rate (RPI) at 12.6 per cent. The engineers will take four days of strike action beginning on Sunday 6 November followed by a further four days of strike action beginning on Monday 14 November read more
Liverpool Dock Strike: Peel Ports continue to refuse to pay a decent pay rise despite huge profits (21 Oct) – Two week pay strike from Monday to go ahead after talks end in chaos. Peel Ports’ board continues to refuse to give workers a decent pay rise whilst profits soar. The union has in good faith been at the negotiating table with management to thrash out a deal: A deal the company has now reneged on. It was believed the deal would be accepted by the workforce. However, any chance to halt the industrial action has been lost after Peel Ports’ board intervened to stop the deal, which had been agreed in principle, from going ahead read more
Walsall Housing Group workers to strike over imposed pay cut (19 Oct) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are stepping up strike action this week after their employer Walsall Housing Group imposed a real-terms pay cut on the workers. The company has imposed a 3.1 per cent increase and an additional £300 one-off payment on the workers, far below the current real inflation rate (RPI) of 12.3 per cent. The Walsall Housing Group workers play an essential role in keeping tenants’ homes safe and repaired. Over 40 members of Unite at Walsall Housing Group will take 12 days of strike action over the coming weeks on October 21, 24, 28 and 31 and then on 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25 and 28 November read more
Quorn strikes go all-out over super-profitable firm’s ‘derisory’ pay offer – Company’s efforts to undermine strike causing chaos and raises safety fears. More than 60 workers at Quorn’s meat-free paste production factory will begin all-out strike action this Thursday (20 October) in a dispute over a ‘derisory’ pay offer. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have already taken nine days of strike action in October over a four per cent pay offer plus a one-off payment. The workers are seeking a nine per cent pay rise, which was the RPI inflation rate in April when negotiations began. The strikes are expected to lead to shortages of Quorn products in supermarkets read more
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and M&S hit by poverty pay strikes at Lincolnshire food manufacturer – Bakkavor food manufacturer made £100 million profits but minimum wage workers offered pay cut. More than 700 workers at Bakkavor’s food manufacturing factory in Spalding, Lincolnshire, will strike over poverty pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The production line operatives, who make own brand soups, sauces and deli produce for major supermarkets, will strike from 1 November to 9 November. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Strike action set to hit Co-op coffin factory based in Glasgow – Action follows rejection of pay cut. Unite members at Co-op Funeralcare based at Bogmoor Place, Glasgow, are set to take strike action following the rejection of a real terms pay cut. Around 50 craft workers based at the Co-op’s only coffin manufacturing facility in the UK overwhelmingly rejected a real-terms pay cut and served notice of strike action. The offer on the table from the Co-op is less than half that of the current real rate of living cost, which is 12.3 per cent. The strike action will commence 31 October and it will continue each day until 7 November when the action will conclude read more
West Midlands Metro strike goes ahead as Unite members vow to defeat pay pittance – Extensive strike action affecting the West Midland Metro will begin tomorrow (Saturday 15 October), in a dispute over rates of pay described as a ‘pittance’. Fifty-three days of strike action will get underway following the employer’s failure to improve its pay offer or to propose fresh negotiations. The dispute involves over 174 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by West Midlands Metro, who are seeking a major improvement on their pay. For some it is the lowest rate of pay in the country for the roles they undertake. Saturday is the first of 53 days of strike action, which has been scheduled to continue until Saturday 5 January 2023 read more
Derby Alstom pay cut strikes to impact East Midlands Rail maintenance – Alstom profits at £233m but workers offered just four per cent. More than 70 highly skilled workers who maintain the rolling stock at Alstom’s Derby site will strike over pay on 27 October and 29 October. If the dispute is not resolved more strikes will be scheduled. The workers will also begin industrial action comprising of a work to rule and an overtime ban on 19 October over the four per cent pay offer, well below the RPI rate of inflation of 12.3 per cent. French-based Alstom’s latest financial report shows it made sales of £13.6 billion in 2021/22 and net profits of £233 million read more
Tyne and Wear braced for Metro disruption as Stadler Rail engineers vote to strike – Stadler makes £119 million profit but offers workers a miserable 4%. More than 50 Tyne and Wear Metro engineers will strike after their employer Stadler Rail Service Ltd offered them a miserable four per cent pay rise. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 12.3 per cent and expected to rise, their union Unite says that this is a real terms pay cut. Strike dates are yet to be announced but an overtime ban will commence tomorrow (14 Oct). As maintenance schedules are reliant on staff working overtime, the ban is expected to impact services on the Metro, which is the UK’s busiest light rail system outside of London read more
Arrow home deliveries facing strikes until Christmas over ‘dismal’ pay offer – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Arrow XL, will begin strike action later this month in a dispute over pay. Unite represents 350 workers who undertake two-person deliveries for major retailers including Amazon, Very Group, LG Electronics, Richer Sounds and Buy it Direct read more
Unite lays blame for mounting repairs backlog firmly at employers’ door as NI Housing Executive strike enters ninth week – As Unite members employed by the NI Housing Executive enter their ninth week of strike action, the union has hit out at the employer’s failure to resolve the dispute, which is causing mounting problems for vulnerable tenants. According to Unite, the strike is having a huge impact on the operations of the NI Housing Executive read more
Arriva drivers in Northumberland to strike over threatened closure of Jesmond depot – Bus drivers employed by Arriva will begin strike action later this month in opposition to the company’s plans to close its Jesmond depot. The strike will involve over 100 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. Beginning on Thursday 21 October, it will be an all-out (continuous) strike. The drivers recorded a 97 per cent vote in favour of industrial action. The Jesmond depot is due to close on Monday 31 October. The closure threatens jobs and will result in a poorer bus service throughout Newcastle and Northumberland. The company has failed to adequately consult Unite over its plans read more
Felixstowe dock workers return to picket lines – 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
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
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 union’s 19 days of rolling action has been suspended due to a legal challenge by Royal Mail. However, the union has called two furrher national strike days on 12th & 14th November. The CWU has launched a strike fund – please support: Unity Bank, CWU General Fund, 60-83-01 33019822
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
Royal Mail Strike 8: Whole UK standing rock-solid for the CWU & against Mr Thompson’s destruction (27 Oct) – From Penzance to Wick, from Coleraine to Colchester, 115,000 postal workers the length and breadth of the nation show their unity, strength, resilience and defiance once again. Royal Mail workers walked out for the eighth time yesterday, taking the total number of days lost to industrial action in 2022 – in total CWU strikes – to 1.252 million. At Westminster, arrogant and out-of-touch politicians once again ignored the people and chose another unelected Prime Minister, but here in the real world, magnificent CWU members proved their fighting spirit at picket lines in every corner of the country, filling our CWU social platforms with their photos, their good humour, optimism and determination. CWU News spoke with branch secretaries from each of our CWU Divisions yesterday, and the message from them all was that our members want a deal, want an agreement and want a resolution – BUT they will not accept Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson’s job-destroying, asset-stripping, business-destroying agenda read more
Steely determination and undented resolve as BT Group strike hits day eight (24 Oct) – Yet another rock-solid display of workforce fury across BT and Openreach is underlining the folly of senior management’s presumption that battle fatigue and financial pressures would sap the will of employees to continue fighting for a fair pay rise. Today (Monday) around 40,000 CWU members are embarking on their eighth day of all-out strike action – demonstrating undiminished workforce disgust at the steadfast refusal of BT Group to reconsider the real-term team member pay cuts that have triggered the first national industrial action in BT Group for 35 years. Following the company’s stonewalling of repeated CWU appeals for a return to the negotiating table to achieve a fair and just settlement of an increasingly bitter pay dispute, the union is now embarked on a co-ordinated programme to up the ante. This includes plans to reballot the entire workforce including members in EE –announced in a special Facebook Live broadcast on last Tuesday night – and a specially convened meeting with some of BT’s largest institutional investors which took place this afternoon read more
PCS
National Ballot – Post your ballot paper today! (28 Oct) – Our ballot closes on 7 November and you should return your ballot paper as soon as possible to ensure your vote counts. Our national ballot for strike action over pay, pensions and cuts to the civil service compensation scheme closes on Monday 7 November read more
London and South East Pay Day Rally – Join us on 31 October to hear about our ballot, how the cost of living crisis is affecting you, with speakers from CWU and a dispute-winning barrister. London and south east region is holding a virtual pay day rally on Monday 31 October at 12 noon on Zoom. Speakers at the event will include Vinnie Micallef from the CWU, updating us on the postal workers’ dispute and Russell Fraser, barrister at Garden Court Chambers and Haldane Society on how they won read more
Strike action continues in Magistrates Courts (28 Oct) – Legal advisors and court associates are nearing the end of their nine days of strike action in the dispute over the Common Platform computer system. The strike in HMCTS has been very successful with PCS members in over 65 magistrates courts across the country taking action against the Common Platform system. This week has seen three successful picket lines in Manchester, Peterborough, and Luton where the pickets received support from other PCS members who were not called to take strike action. There has been disruption all over England and Wales with cases adjourned and courts cancelled, often at the last minute. On one strike day in Manchester only four courts sat, 70 people were in custody, 20 cases were postponed and the court set an 11am arrival cut-off point for prisoners. Our online strike demo on 26 October was well attended and supported and provided an opportunity to hear from PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka and group assistant secretary and national executive member Karen Watts and there were plenty of messages of support from MPs and other unions. The strike has also had significant media coverage. After this round of strike action ends on 30 October, PCS will expect to get back around the table quickly with HMCTS and work to resolve the dispute. We have a mandate to take further action and reserve the right to call more strike action if necessary. Send solidarity messages to [email protected]. Donate to our fighting fund: PCS Fighting Fund Levy Account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no: 20331490, quoting transaction ref: MOJ CP Strike Donation read more
Advice to HMCTS members using Common Platform (28 Oct) – PCS has submitted a number of demands to HMCTS in relation to Common Platform. We have demanded urgent action to protect the health, safety, and welfare of members and to ensure the administration of justice is not adversely impacted read more
PCS Opposes DWP office closures and redundancies (27 Oct) – PCS has written to the DWP and to the Cabinet Office demanding that they immediately halt plans for office closures and redundancies. The DWP plans to close 57 offices, but claims that these office closures are not about job cuts. Yet nearly 800 staff, with thousands of years of experience between them, are already at risk of redundancy and that figure is likely to rise to over a thousand read more
Buy a coffee for the strikers: A fundraiser has been set up to buy hot drinks on the picket line for the striking workers at HGS in Liverpool (25 Oct) – PCS members working for Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) on the Disclosure and Barring Service contract in Liverpool are on their second week of their current period of strike action. The strike began on 17 October and will end on 29 October. The low paid workers also took 12 days of strike action during August and September in the dispute over pay and terms and conditions. The north west TUC has set up a fundraiser to help keep spirits up on the picket line by buying a hot drink for any striker who wants one. You can donate as much as you can afford online. Any surplus money will be used to offer the same service to strikers from other affiliated unions read more Sign petition to support striking workers at Hinduja Global Solutions
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
GMB
Burger King, Pizza Hut, KFC And Wagamama delivery workers begin strike vote (28 Oct) – Hundreds of workers delivering food to some of Britain’s best loved family restaurants begin voting on strike action today [28 October 2022]. The Bestfood Logistics workers, who deliver fresh food to the likes of Pizza Express, KFC, Zizzi, Burger King, Wagamama and Pizza Hut, have rejected a six per cent pay offer, which would amount to a real terms pay cut this year and into next. The ballot will run until 18 November, with the result coming later that day. Any industrial action could well leave many household name restaurants short in the run up to Christmas read more
Nottingham faces tram strike over mistreatment of terminally ill workers (27 Oct) – GMB members working across Nottingham’s tram network have begun balloting for industrial action over the mistreatment of two terminally ill GMB members employed by Keolis, the company responsible for the city’s tram system. Hundreds of tram workers are balloting in outrage after the company announced it would slash the pay of Robert Currie, an RAF veteran, and popular local tram worker David Brown as they battle life-threatening conditions. Despite long and dedicated service to Nottingham Trams, both are now confronting the double threat of serious illness in their personal lives and massive loss of earnings. Keolis are signatories to the ‘Dying to Work Charter’, the agreement with GMB and the Trade Union Congress to guarantee vital protection for workers when facing terminal illness. Management has indicated they could withdraw from the agreement, leaving Nottingham’s tram workers without vital protections if they face a terminal illness read more
Strike action to hit oil terminal (26 Oct) – GMB members at oil logistics contractor Briggs Marine will begin strike action on Friday [28 October]. Workers voted overwhelmingly for industrial action at the oil logistics firm in Immingham, near Grimsby, after rejecting the company’s below inflation pay offer. Briggs Marine is one of the largest oil logistics companies in the UK, unloading fuel from all over the world and distributing for use across the UK. The strike is expected to have a significant impact on operations at the terminal read more
Ambulance strike ballot begins as more than 15,000 workers vote (24 Oct) – More than 15,000 ambulance workers across 11 trusts in England and Wales begin voting on strike action today [Monday 24 October]. Thousands more NHS workers will also be balloted across other NHS trusts, with more votes set to follow. Ambulance workers from the following trusts will take part in the vote, which closes on 29 November read more. Workers are angry over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award – another massive real terms pay cut – as well as unsafe staffing levels across the ambulance service
Waverley Borough Council next in line for bin strike (24 Oct) – Residents and businesses within the borough will have their kerbside collections stopped for three weeks from Thursday 3 November. GMB, the union for refuse workers, can announce that their members working within Waverley Borough Council have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action. The members, who are employed by the council’s waste contractor Biffa, will be walking out from Thursday 3 November for three weeks. The area that will be affected by the action includes Godalming, Farnham, Haslemere, Cranleigh and the surrounding areas read more
Christmas beer drought fears as Budweiser workers strike (18 Oct) – Hundreds of Budweiser workers are on strike again after talks collapsed. Staff at the beer giant’s Salmesbury site will now strike until 7am 22 October in anger at a real terms pay cut. Workers at the plant brew Budweiser, Stella Artois, Becks, Boddingtons and Export Pale Ale. Meetings between GMB, the company and conciliation service ACAS collapsed last week after bosses only upped their offer by £250 for 2023 read more
New Sunderland bus strike dates announced (14 Oct) – GMB Union has announced two new strike dates in the Sunderland Bus dispute. Almost 200 bus drivers will take part in 24 hour walkouts on 28 and 31 October. GMB members were keen to take part day strikes – from 10am until 3pm – so the people of Sunderland were able to get to and from work and school. Unfortunately Stagecoach told them they would not be able to work for any part of a day when they took industrial action. The dispute broke out after Stagecoach offered a massive real terms pay cut of just 4 per cent, with 2 per cent to follow later in the year read more
Polyflor profits hit £52 million as struggling workers strike (5 Oct) – Flooring company Polyflor has seen profits rise to more than £52 million while hard up workers take strike action to make ends meet, says GMB Union. James Holstead – Polyflor’s parent company – posted a 9.6 per cent rise in revenue year-on-year to £291.9 million for the year that ended June 30. Pre-tax profit increased 1.6 per cent £52.1 million. Almost 200 workers at the firm are in midst of three weeks’ solid strike action until 14 October. Pickets will be staged from 8 to 10am and 4 to 6pm, Monday to Friday 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 are to be suspended…please do not turn up for your shift(s) from 6am on Thursday 1st September’ read more
Walsall Housing Group strike extends into October – 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
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
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
Strikes across the NHS edge closer as latest industrial action ballot begins (27 Oct) – Around 350,000 NHS employees, working for more than 250 health trusts and boards across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, are being asked to vote for strike action over pay this winter from today (Thursday), says UNISON. The most pressing issue for the new prime minister and health secretary is without doubt finding a solution to the many problems affecting the NHS, says UNISON. If, as Rishi Sunak says, he wants to strengthen the NHS, ministers have no option but to build upon the rise of £1,400 awarded to health workers in England earlier in the summer, urges the union. A second wage increase that better protects staff against the ravages of inflation, and helps the NHS hold on to the many leaving for more lucrative, less challenging jobs elsewhere, would make the world of difference, says UNISON read more
OCS workers secure major victory after 26 days of strike action (26 Oct) – The outsourced workers have won a pay rise of over 14%, an extra week’s leave and the same sick pay as their directly-employed NHS colleagues. UNISON members at Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust have secured a major victory after taking 26 days of strike action over four months. In a new deal, announced last week, the workers – who are outsourced to private healthcare facilities firm OCS – have won a pay rise of over 14%, an extra week of annual leave and the same sick pay as their colleagues who work directly for the NHS trust. The 50 workers include porters, catering staff and cleaners at hospitals, mental health units and clinics in Blackburn, Blackpool, Ormskirk, and Preston. The deal also included an agreement from the trust that the next outsourced contract will award the workers full pay parity with NHS employees read more
Police staff receive £1,900 pay increase, matching officers (24 Oct) – The original award was reopened due to a clause ensuring police staff did not ‘suffer any detriment to their officer colleagues’. Police staff in England and Wales will see their salaries rise by £1,900, bringing their pay award into line with the increase given to police officers this year read more
Working a day every week for free at the Environment Agency (21 Oct) – UNISON members at the agency have seen pay fall since 2011, but now these vital workers are balloting for industrial action – and three explain why they’re voting ‘yes’ read more
Council housing repair staff at Barnet Group begin strike action (17 Oct) – Council housing repair staff at Barnet Group begin strike action. Council housing repair staff working for the Barnet Group have walked out in a dispute over sick pay, says UNISON today (Monday). The workers have voted for strike action after a colleague was denied sick pay despite being injured at work. UNISON says the worker was three weeks away from signing a new contract which would have entitled them to sick pay. The Barnet Group is refusing to provide any support for the employee, according to the union read more
“It’s started!”: #BarnetStrikers all out strike action has begun today (17 Oct) – All-out strike action by our Council Housing repairs service has started. Daily picket lines 7.30-8.30am, Grahame Park Housing Office 17-19 The Concourse NW9 5XA. Please send messages of solidarity to [email protected] read more
Support the Unison strike at Reigate & Banstead Council – the branch of UNISON were successful in their ballot and have strike action arranged on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. There will be two pickets each day. One at the Town Hall, Castlefield Rd, Reigate RH2 0SH and the other will be at Earlswood Depot, Horley Road, Redhill, RH1 6PN from 5.00am
Stop Hackney Council cutting library services read more about the campaign here.
Workers at Leeds Beckett University begin strike over pay, says UNISON – Low pay has been a massive, and growing, problem in the university sector for a decade and more. Low-paid employees at Leeds Beckett University will walk out today (4 Oct) in a row about pay, says UNISON. The workers – including those in administrative, cleaning, library, security and catering services – will continue their strike tomorrow and Thursday after rejecting a 3% pay award from the University and Colleges Employers Association. UNISON had called for an increase of 2% above the rate of inflation, currently running at 9.9%. With further rises in the cost of living expected, the award effectively amounts to a pay cut, the union says read more
University staff to strike over pay as new term begins – 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
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
NIPSA Health Service Ballot Opens Today – 27 October 2022 – The NIPSA Industrial Action ballot of Health Service members opens today, 27 October and closes 18 November 2022. NIPSA is urging all members to have their say in regards to Pay, Unsafe Staffing Levels and Travel Reimbursement rates all of which have been subject to historical under investment. The ballot is seeking majority support for actions including strike and action short of strike action read more
Royal College of Nursing
Public support for nursing staff going on strike is at its highest (29 Oct) – As the RCN’s historic ballot enters its final days, new polling reveals nearly two thirds of the public strongly support strike action as concern over the number of nursing staff working in the NHS peaks read more
Scottish Government fails to address nurse staffing crisis with latest pay offer (21 Oct) – The Scottish government’s latest pay offer remains a real terms pay cut for the majority of nursing staff. The offer comes after discussions with the health trade unions, Cabinet Secretary, Deputy First Minister, Scottish government officials and employers ran late into last night (20 October) read more
RCN’s biggest ever strike ballot now open – Fight for safe staffing and fair pay by voting ‘yes’ to strike action. More than 300,000 members will receive ballot papers in the post from today (6 October), launching the RCN’s biggest strike ballot in its 106-year history. You can make your mark on that history by voting “yes” to strike action. RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “We are understaffed, undervalued and underpaid. For years our profession has been pushed to the edge, and now patient safety is paying the price. We can’t stand by and watch our colleagues and patients suffer anymore. “Though strike action is a last resort, it is a powerful tool for change. And we must demand that change. Enough is enough. I urge you to vote ‘yes’ in this ballot” read more
Royal College of Midwives
Scotland’s midwives vote yes to industrial action over pay (27 Oct) – Midwife and maternity support worker (MSW) members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) across Scotland have overwhelmingly voted yes on taking industrial action, up to and including strike action, over the Scottish Government’s ‘insulting’ pay offer. Smashing through the Government imposed ballot threshold, the result comes after the RCM ballot on pay closed earlier today. In a turnout of 61% of eligible voters over 88% voted yes to taking industrial action consisting of a strike. On the question are you prepared to take industrial action short of a strike, 94.6% voted yes…The RCM says if industrial action takes place, NHS employers in Scotland will be given adequate notice of any type of industrial action read more
Have your say on Northern Ireland pay says RCM to members as pay consultation opens (20 Oct) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on its members in Northern Ireland to make their voices heard over pay. The College is consulting its members in Northern Ireland on whether they are willing to take industrial action over their pay. The consultation opens today for RCM members working in the HSC in Northern Ireland and runs until 10 November. Midwives and maternity support workers (MSW) in Northern Ireland have no pay offer on the table because of the absence of a functioning executive and lack of a budget says the RCM. Health Minister Robin Swann has said he is willing to accept the NHS Pay Review Body’s (PRB) recommendations on pay. This equates to around a 4% pay award for staff at the top of Band 6 and Band 7, and a £1400 consolidated award for most others on the Agenda for Change pay structure. Inflation is now over 10% and predictions are it will rise even higher. The RCM says that even if the pay award is implemented the PRB recommendation is an insult, lags way behind the spiralling cost of living, and is effectively a pay cut read more
RCM announces date it will ballot members in England and Wales on industrial action (7 Oct) – The RCM is urging all members working in the NHS in England and Wales to vote yes to industrial action over pay as it announces the date its official ballot will open. After members in both countries overwhelmingly rejected their governments’ below-inflation pay award, the statutory ballot for midwives and maternity support workers will open on 11 November and run for four weeks. All members working as midwives or MSWs employed by the NHS in England and Wales are eligible to vote. For now, the RCM says it’s vital that every member ensures their postal addresses and employment details are up to date, so they do not miss out on their chance to vote provide all member data to Civica, the independent voting service read more
BMA
BMA Junior Doctors have tweeted today (17 Oct): Starting around January 9 2023, we will ballot junior doctor members in England for industrial action. Keep up to date via @BMA_JuniorDocs on twitter
Government refuse to engage – We are deeply disappointed that despite ample opportunity, Ministers have ignored our calls to value junior doctors appropriately and duly restore their pay to 2008/09 levels. We requested official approval from BMA council, the union’s principal executive committee, to ballot members in England around the 9 January 2023 for industrial action. The last two years have been far from ordinary for anyone working in the NHS and junior doctors have made both an enormous contribution and a significant sacrifice. The effects on their wellbeing are likely to be felt for years to come whilst tackling the daunting backlog of treatment for patients. And yet none of this is recognised by the government, who by refusing an enhanced uplift, are simply further eroding junior doctors’ pay read more
NEU
NEU announces dates of formal ballots over pay (18 Oct) – NEU writes to employers with notification of intention to carry out national ballots. Today the National Education Union is writing to employers with notification of our intention to carry out national ballots of around 300,000 teacher and support staff members in England and Wales. These formal postal ballots will open on Friday 28 October 2022 and close on Friday 13 January 2023. Dates for potential strike action are yet to be decided, but likely to be from week commencing 30 January 2023. In our recent indicative ballots, which closed last week:-
– 62% of teacher members and 68% of support staff members in more than 23,000 schools voted;
– 98% of teacher members believe that all teachers should receive a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise;
– 86% of teacher members would be willing to take strike action to demand that rise;
– 92% of support staff reject the employers’ final pay offer for 2022/23;
– 78% of support staff would vote yes to strike action.
The formal ballots will ask members “Are you prepared to take strike action in furtherance of this dispute?” Each dispute is about the failure to give a commitment for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise (as measured by September 2022 RPI) read more
Support these strikes:-
Nottingham Academy/Nottingham City: 1 November [email protected]
West Coventry Academy/Coventry: 1-3 November [email protected]
NASUWT
Ballot opens on industrial action over teachers’ pay (27 Oct) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is today (Thursday) opening its formal statutory industrial action ballot of teachers in England and Wales over pay. The ballot in England and Wales will remain open until 9 January. The Union opened a ballot of members in Scotland yesterday (Wednesday) which will remain open until 21 November. The ballots are the result of the failure by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh governments and employers to guarantee teachers and headteachers a fully-funded real-terms pay award of 12%. Members in schools and sixth-form colleges are being balloted over both strike action and action short of strike action. A timetable for and details of what any possible industrial action will entail will be determined once the ballots are concluded read more
EIS
Don’t get Spooked, Post your Completed Strike Ballot by Halloween (31 Oct) – The EIS is urging its members across Scotland to complete and return their completed strike ballots in the post by today, Halloween. Although the EIS strike ballot does not officially close until 8th November, the ongoing impact of strike action by trade union colleagues in the postal service means that today (Monday 31 October) is the recommended last posting date for completed EIS strike ballot papers. The EIS, which represents 8 out of 10 teachers in Scotland, is urging its members to vote Yes to strike action, in the continuing campaign for a fair pay settlement for teachers read more
EIS Opens Strike Ballot over pay in all Council Areas Across Scotland (11 Oct) – The EIS has opened a statutory strike ballot over teachers’ pay in all 32 Council areas across Scotland. Postal ballot papers are now being issued to EIS members across Scotland, who will have until 8th November to use their vote. The EIS, which represents 8 out of 10 teachers in Scotland, is urging its members to vote Yes to strike action, in the continuing campaign for a fair pay settlement for teachers read more
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
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
Lost USS pension benefits can be returned and backdated, trustee data confirms (27 Oct) – The majority of pension benefits lost under cuts drawn up by Universities UK (UUK) could be retroactively paid back, returning around £0.5bn to the retirement funds of the 200,000 university staff in the pension scheme. Employer body UUK forced through a package of cuts in April 2022, which included a cut to pension accrual rates and a cap on protection against inflation. But, under pressure from UCU, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) trustee has released new information which shows the scheme is in such a healthy position that those lost benefits could be paid back, backdated to April – and still leave the scheme in surplus. USS pension cuts were predicated on a valuation of the scheme conducted in March 2020 as markets collapsed. After recording a deficit of £14.1bn, the scheme has since recovered and according to the most recent trustee data holds a £1.8bn surplus read more
University staff vote for UK-wide strike action in historic ballot (24 Oct) – Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities could now strike after UCU members overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to strike action in two historic national ballots. The results in both ballots saw the union deliver momentous turnouts that beat the anti-union threshold. More than eight in ten of those who voted said ‘yes’ to strike action. The union now has a mandate to deliver strike action at practically every university in the UK and has called on vice chancellors to enter negotiations immediately and make improved offers in order to avoid disruption. Staff were balloted across two separate ballots: pay & working conditions, and cuts to pensions. In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 81.1% and the turnout was 57.8%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 84.9% and the turnout was 60.2%. Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots. UCU said the result is a clear indication of the anger felt by university staff read more
Cost-of-living college strikes enter fourth week (17 Oct) – Strike action continues tomorrow across England as staff walk out over low pay amid the cost of living crisis, confirmed UCU. Staff at 22 colleges are striking for three consecutive days. In every college outside of London, the strikes will be on the following days: Tuesday 18 October, Wednesday 19 October, Thursday 20 October. In London some colleges began their three day strike this morning. Staff will be picketing the entrances of all colleges every day of the strike action. This is the biggest wave of industrial action further education has ever seen. Overall, staff will walk out for up to 10 days in total in an action that started four weeks ago read more
Three day strike began this morning at five London Colleges (17 Oct) – UCU confirmed staff at five colleges across London are on picket lines this morning as they begin three consecutive days of strike action over low pay. The full strike days are: Monday 17 October, Tuesday 18 October, Wednesday 19 October. Staff at the colleges have already taken four days of strike action over the past two weeks in a dispute centred on low pay. The colleges are part of the same employer group, New City College. UCU is demanding it makes a pay offer that reflects the soaring cost of living. In June, employer representative the Association of Colleges made a pay recommendation of just 2.5%. RPI inflation is now at 12.3%. This week a further four colleges in London will join the strike action. Nationally, this is the fourth week of strike action in what is the biggest industrial action ever in English further education. Staff at dozens of colleges have been on strike over low pay for up to 10 days. So far the action has led to improved pay offers at a number of colleges, such as Croydon College read more
Plymouth City College warned that crunch talks are the last chance to avoid further strike action (14 Oct) – UCU today warned Plymouth City College that it has until crunch talks due to take place on Monday 17 October (2022) to make a meaningful pay offer to staff, or it will face three consecutive days of strike action starting the very next day. If the union fails to receive an offer, staff will strike on the following days: Tuesday 18 October, Wednesday 19 October, Thursday 20 October. Staff at the college have already taken seven days of strike action over the past three weeks in a dispute centred on low pay. UCU is demanding Plymouth makes a pay offer that reflects the soaring cost of living. In June, employer representative the Association of Colleges made a pay recommendation of just 2.5%. RPI inflation is now at 12.3%. Despite the three weeks of strike action, management has so far refused to meaningfully improve its offer to staff read more
Three day strike begins Monday at Falmouth University over 2-tier workforce (14 Oct) – UCU today confirmed staff at Falmouth University will be taking three consecutive days of strike action from Monday 17 October in a long running dispute over management’s introduction of a two tier workforce. The university has been employing all new academic staff through a subsidiary company on worse terms and conditions since September 2021. The full strike days are: Monday 17 October, Tuesday 18 October, Wednesday 19 October. Staff will be on picket lines every day of strike action from 8am and a series of teach outs and workshops will also take place. The strike comes after 90% of members who voted said yes to strike action to protect the terms and conditions of all academic staff at the university. The dispute centres on Falmouth University’s decision to employ all new academic staff through its subsidiary company Falmouth Staffing Ltd (FSL) read more
Prison educators vote to strike across England over low pay (6 Oct) – Over 400 staff working in education at 48 prisons and youth offender institutions across England could walk out after voting for strike action. Members voted overwhelmingly for strike action with 94.47% of those voting, voting ‘YES’ in a vote that surpassed the 50% turnout threshold imposed by Tory anti trade union legislation. The prison educators, who are employed by Novus, have seen their pay fall by more than 25% since 2009. Prison education is already one of the lowest paid sectors, as highlighted by the House of Commons Education Select Committee read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Consultative pay ballot announced (Oct 18) – The union will hold a consultative ballot of members on the revised 5% pay offer from Monday 31 October to Monday 14 November in the next step of the pay campaign. The Executive Council is recommending that members reject the offer. Prior to the revised 5% offer, the union’s leadership had rejected a 2% offer following consultation with members and began preparing a ballot for strike action. This ballot is a consultative ballot on the pay offer itself, with rejection not automatically leading to strike action. Should members reject the offer, the union will move to formally ballot on strike action. In this consultative ballot, members can vote online or by post. Members will receive the consultative ballot via email, or via post where we don’t hold members’ email addresses read more
POA
Pension challenge – Firefighter, Police & POA members injury to feelings compensation (27 Oct) – Our members have posed the question as to why they are receiving less compensation than firefighters and the Police. I asked the question to our solicitors and Barristers dealing with this on behalf of members, please see below a letter explaining the issue read more
Autumn of action – lobby and rally 2nd November 2022 – The TUC are currently finalising plans for the Lobby of Parliament and evening mass rally on Wednesday 2nd November 2022. Westminster Central Hall is booked as the base for the day and evening read more
NAPO
Time’s up for ‘reckless and insulting’ Parole changes (20 Oct) – The decision by former Secretary of State Dominic Raab to strip probation officers of the right to make recommendations to the Parole Board endangers the public and further de-professionalises this vital public service. Probation officers have serious concerns that allowing Parole hearings to take place in public at the request of prisoners will put them in danger due to the personal and detailed information they provide – or will have the effect of preventing them from speaking freely. The Government now need to listen to the experts and reverse course or see the morale of the Probation Service workforce – still reeling from the reckless “Transforming Rehabilitation” failed privatisation experiment – sink even further read more
NUJ
NUJ members vote for industrial action in pay dispute with Al Jazeera (19 Oct) – After almost three years of no pay increase, NUJ members at Al Jazeera have voted 96.97 per cent in favour of industrial action and 100 per cent in favour of industrial action short of a strike. After months of negotiations, they rejected Al Jazeera’s offer of a 4.5 per cent increase for 2022 pay, which would not extend to 2023 and a subsequently a non-consolidated lump sum of £500 for anyone earning below £50,000 a year following a session with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Bectu members, representing technicians and other staff, at the broadcaster have also balloted for strike action read more
Prospect
Prospect ballots members at AWE on industrial action over pay (19 Oct) – Prospect will ballot its members on industrial action over pay at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE). Headquartered in Aldermaston, Berkshire, AWE supports and maintains the UK nuclear deterrent. The ballot opens on 24th October and will run for two weeks. Unite union will also be balloting about the same issue read more
UVW
UVW member wins huge £217,500 compensation for debilitating work accident (27 Oct) – “This is a reminder to all members in UVW that we are here for you and we’ll support you to get justice by any means possible” – Petros Elia, UVW General secretary. A UVW member who fell and hurt his elbow whilst doing engineering maintenance work in a hotel swimming pool has been awarded £217,500 in compensation after a bitter five-year battle in the courts. This is a huge amount compared to other types of personal injury claims, reflecting the seriousness of his case. UVW is pleased to have helped him achieve this life-transforming payout read more
UVW wants to make bosses pay for union busting (26 Oct) – “All of us suffered in that workplace so to finally get some reparation is a big step up for both us as well as workers rights in hospitality”. Union busting is rife, but as workers we have ways to defeat it. We can fight back and make it costly for employers to do. The brave workers of the Saint James Tavern (SJT) pub in Brighton didn’t give up and fought for what is right. Here the pub workers and strikers tell you how they did it read more
IWGB
Leeds strike by delivery drivers at Deliveroo, UberEats and Just follow IWGB & IWGB Couriers Branch on Twitter – @IWGBunion @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU members ballot for industrial action in two health facilities in Clifden (20 Oct) – SIPTU members in Clifden District Hospital and St. Anne’s Community Nursing Unit in Clifden, county Galway, are to ballot on industrial action in a dispute resulting from unilateral changes to their conditions of employment including their sick leave scheme read more
Other news
SHAC the Social Housing Action Campaign’ and other housing campaigners are demanding a freeze on social rents, shareholder rents, and service charges. The campaign is already moving government. In August, government announced a cap on around 5% (instead of the 10% that would have been likely under the previous formula). But we don’t believe that this is low enough or broad enough. We need urgent funding to pay for campaign materials and basic admin costs. We also need trade unions to help us get our message across. Please see here to find out more, download our model motions for unions, or make a donation to account name ‘The Social Housing Action Campaign’, account number 20434685, Sort Code 60-83-01
International News
Reinstate dismissed Marlboro workers in Turkey (called by SPOT – Solidarity with the People of Turkey) – Send messages of protest to union DiSK Gida-is – [email protected]; Send messages of protest to Philip Morris – [email protected]
(From NUJ website) Turkey: multiple journalists arrested and detained (28 Oct) – The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists in urging for the immediate release of journalists held following home raids read more
(From NUJ website) Chad: journalist killed at protest (28 Oct) – NUJ backs calls for an independent investigation into the murder. The National Union of Journalists has joined the International Federation of Journalists in condemning the murder of Oredje Narcisse, shot dead while covering a protest in the capital city N’Djamena read more
Release arrested Iranian Trade Unionists and Worker Activists – Release all detained protesters and political prisoners in Iran
The Iranian regime is facing a new wave of widespread popular opposition sparked off by the death of 22 year old Jina Mahsa Amini’s death at the hands of the so-called ‘morality’ police. Since then over 200 people have been killed in the protests and thousands detained as protests have taken place across the whole of Iran. Strikes have and are taking place in support of the protests, something which terrifies the regime. As the below report from Iran shows arrests of workers have begun before declared strikes have started. In this situation solidarity and protest messages are very important both for the morale of the struggle and to help put pressure on the regime.
Report from Iran: Freedom for the arrested strikers – At 1am on the night of Sunday 09.10.2022 to Monday 10.10.2022 at Revolutionary Guards came to companies working in the Assaluyeh petrochemical complex and took away from their workrooms more than 100 workers who had announced a strike to start on the Monday. The companies hey worked for are Bushehr Petrochemical and Hengam Petrochemical. On 11 October 18 workers from the Sina Sanat Petrochemical Company, who had been on strike since October 9, were arrested on the street. Also that day Revolutionary Guard intelligence forces came to the Sina Sanat workshop with photos and videos on their phones and searched for people. They identified and arrested two people named Reza Najafi and Majed Ebadi. We tried to prevent them and there was a conflict, but unfortunately they took them. The security forces are currently using video reconnaissance as a regular method to identify and arrest striking workers in Iran. Some of those arrested are:
Reza Najafi
Majid Ebadi (Abadan)
Mohammad Heydari
Goderz Ebrahimi
Samad Rahnama
Ali Esmaili
Ahmed Esmati
Hossein Selahshur (welder, from Izeh)
Reza Kouravand (welder, from Izeh)
Rasoul Nowrozi (welder, from Izeh)
Omid Kouravand (Izeh)
Amin Alizadeh (Izeh)
Arman Kavossi (welder, Izeh)
Mehrdad Kavousi (fitter, Izeh)
Aslan Sawari (fitter, Izeh)
Hassan Ahmadi (Izeh)
Samad Rafiei (Sarkhon)
Nima Gholami (Sarkhon)
Ruhollah Masoumi (Yasuj)
Ali Biranvand (Bushehr site of the Farjoud Company)
We demand:
- The immediate and unconditional release of all arrested strikers, protestors and all political prisoners.
- The right to political and trade union organisation.
- The acceptance of all demands of the strikers
Please send protests to the Iranian Embassy
Please send copies of protests and solidarity messages to the Tehran bus workers union [email protected]
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/blacklist-SG/
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
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
