This week, as the end of the year nears, the developing strike wave against the cost of living squeeze reaches a new stage with hundreds of thousands of workers walking out. Alongside further national strikes by the RMT on the railway and CWU in Royal Mail as well as growing localised disputes, health workers start taking action.
Today there is a Northern Ireland wide NHS strike by NIPSA, Unison and GMB and this Thursday members of the Royal College of Nurses take their first day of industrial action. They will walk out again on 20th December. On December 21st, ambulance drivers in Unison, Unite and GMB will be striking together.
Last week, both the FBU and the CWU organised mass protests in Westminster. On Tuesday, as the FBU started their pay strike ballot, over 2,000 firefighters and control staff marched on Parliament to lobby MPs, while on Friday 20,000 striking postal workers protested there and then marched to Buckingham Palace in defence of Royal Mail.
This week’s strikes will also see significant co-ordination – on Wednesday, the RMT and CWU, and on Thursday the CWU and RCN. This bringing together of workers’ action in mass joint action is vital in taking on the offensive of the Tories and the employers.
NSSN news
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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!! No to network Rail offer (12 Dec) – Network Rail members emphatically reject company offer. RMT members from Network Rail have voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest offer from company bosses. It means that all strike action this week, from 6pm Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27 and into the new year, remains on for both Network Rail and the 14 train operating companies under the DfT mandate. 63.6% voted to reject the Network Rail offer on an 83% turnout. The Network Rail offer included a 5pc and 4pc pay rise over a two-year period with thousands of job losses, 50pc cut in scheduled maintenance tasks and a 30pc increase in unsocial hours. Bosses at Network Rail have also said they will try and impose these detrimental changes from December 15. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “This is a huge rejection of Network Rail’s substandard offer and shows that our members are determined to take further strike action in pursuit of a negotiated settlement. The government is refusing to lift a finger to prevent these strikes and it is clear they want to make effective strike action illegal in Britain…” read more
RMT request talks with Rishi Sunak (10 Dec) – Rail union RMT request talks with PM to resolve rail strikes read more
Merseyrail cleaners to protest against outsourcing (9 Dec) – Outsourced cleaners who work on Merseyrail stations will be protesting at 5pm today outside Liverpool Central Station, calling on the company to bring them into direct employment and end their controversial contract with Mitie. The cleaners have fought a long-running campaign for fair pay and to be brought in house, winning support from across the City Region. Last year Seven MPs, the Mayor of Liverpool and councillors from Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and Tories put their names to a letter calling on Merseyrail’s Managing Director to bring the cleaners in-house. Merseyrail’s contract with Mitie ends in 2023 and the union is calling on Merseyrail to take this opportunity to finally put an end to the outsourcing of cleaning read more
London Underground workers renew strike mandate (8 Dec)
RMT survey of Avanti staff (8 Dec) – On third Anniversary of taking over West Coast, Avanti staff survey says company has no hope of delivering improvements and has lied to Parliament. As Avanti mark their third anniversary on the West Coast mainline, RMT has revealed that the troubled operators’s staff have no confidence that much lauded December improvements can be delivered and believe the company has lied to Parliament about the problems on their line. RMT members were surveyed over 5 days and over 1,000 members responded, condemning the company in overwhelming numbers and making it clear that they have no confidence that the management can turn things around in December. Staff, most of whom worked for Avanti’s predecessor, pointed to chronic understaffing and incompetent and hostile management attempts to run the service on the cheap as the key issues underlying the collapse of good will. Crucially, they also accuse the company of lying to Parliament in claiming that it had no problems at all before July 2022 read more
DOO intervention scandal (7 Dec) – Secretary of State for Transport refuses to deny that Number 10 intervened to scupper deal ahead of Christmas. Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper repeatedly refused to deny that Number 10 had intervened to scupper a deal in the rail dispute by inserting a precondition that the union accept Driver Only operation read more
Low paid outsourced rail cleaners take their fight to Government (7 Dec) – Outsourced cleaners will protest outside the Department for Transport (DfT) at 3pm today, calling on the Secretary of State to end the scandal of poverty pay. Transport union, RMT is calling on Mark Harper to give a mandate to train operators to end the scandal of outsourcing. Cleaners working on 10 outsourced contracts around the UK rail network voted to take strike action in pursuit of £15 an hour, company sick pay and decent pensions. The cleaners are employed by companies such as Churchill, Atalian Servest, Mitie and Bidvest Noonan to clean trains and stations on Govia Thameslink Railways, LNER, Northern, GWR, Avanti West Coast, Transpennine Express, Southeastern, Eurostar and HS1 read more
RMT Rail Strike Update (7 Dec) – Strike to go ahead. RMT has just heard from the RDG and there will be no revised offer from them on the TOC-side of the dispute and they have been instructed by the Government instead to take on the strike action set out, rather than trying to resolve the dispute through negotiations. It is now absolutely clear that the RDG’s attempts to resolve the dispute by making a revised and improved offer have been blocked by the Government. The companies know that RMT cannot, and never will, accept the implementation of Driver Only Operation (DOO) as a national principle for operating the railways. It is also clear that it is the Government itself, and not the RDG, that insisted that DOO was inserted in to the proposals on Sunday evening as a pre-condition, and the responsibility for the failure to progress proposals towards a resolution lies solely with the Government, who have torpedoed the dispute resolution process. The planned Industrial action for RMT Train Operating Company members goes ahead as scheduled as there is no resolution to the dispute and in fact a resolution to the dispute is now further away due to the Government’s late intervention in the negotiating process read more
Picket line details December 13,14,16,17
RMT to put Network Rail offer to members (5 Dec) – Rail union RMT has decided today to put a new offer from Network Rail to members in an electronic referendum with a recommendation to reject which will close next Monday, December 12 at Noon. All strike action planned for December 13, 14, 16 and 17 will go ahead as planned. Furthermore, further strike action will take place and members will be instructed not to book on from between 18.00 hours on December 24 through to 05.59 hours December 27 2022. This strike coincides with the wind down of passenger services and the commencement of engineering works. All scheduled overtime bans have been cancelled. On the train operating companies there has been no improved offer from the Rail Delivery Group who still await a mandate from the government. As a result, all scheduled strike action will go ahead and the union awaits the outcome of a planned meeting with the RDG tomorrow. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was unfortunate that that union had been compelled to take this action due to the continuing intransigence of the employers read more
RMT announces 4 weeks of industrial action – Rail union, RMT will put on a series of 48 hour strikes in December and January after industry bosses failed to offer any new deals to reach a settlement. Over 40,000 members across Network and 14 Train Operating Companies will take strike action on 13, 14, 16 and 17 December and on January 3,4,6 and 7. There will also be an overtime ban across the railways from 18 December until 2 January, meaning RMT be taking industrial action for 4 weeks. Despite every effort made by our negotiators, it is clear that that the government is directly interfering with our attempts to reach a settlement. The union suspended previous strike action in good faith to allow for intensive negotiations to resolve the dispute. Yet, Network Rail have failed to make an improved offer on jobs, pay and conditions for our members during the last two weeks of talks. At the same time Rail Delivery Group, representing the train operating companies, have also broken a promise to make a meaningful offer on pay and conditions and even cancelled negotiations that were due to take place yesterday. We also have evidence from all 14 of the train companies denying that Rail Delivery Group has the authority to conduct negotiations on their behalf, even as the RDG urged us to come back to the table read more
Eurostar security staff to strike for 4 days in December over pay – RMT members working as security staff for Eurostar will walkout on the 16,18,22 and 23 of December in a dispute over pay. The workers, some of whom earn as little as £10.66 per hour rejected a below inflation pay offer and emphatically voted for strike action with an 81% ‘yes’ vote. The strike action will severely affect Eurostar services and travel plans for people over the December period. Security staff perform essential duties of keeping passengers safe during international rail travel and are contracted out to facilities management company Mitie. Mitie made £50m in profit between March and September this year. Over 100 staff are expected to take part in the action read more
Railway cleaners name strike dates in pay dispute – Contracted out cleaners will take national strike action for the first time on 22 23, and 31 December. Over 1,000 contracted out cleaners working for the likes of Churchill, Atalian Servest and Mitie are eligible to take walkout. 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 a year. Rail companies who use contracted out cleaning providers such as Avanti West Coast, GWR, LNER and TransPennine Express will be affected by the action read more
Reinstate Branch Secretary Jason Moriarty – A new newsletter has been produced as a part of our organising to get Jason Moriarty reinstated. Please download it to learn more. The RMT offers full support and solidarity with our comrade Jason Moriarty following his disclosure to his employer, London Underground, of a disability read more
ASLEF
Ballot results: train drivers vote overwhelmingly to continue to strike (7 Dec) – Results of ballots of members at Greater Anglia, Arriva Rail London, Great Western Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Southeastern, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Southern, Thameslink Great Northern, Island Line and South Western Railway (Depot Drivers only). ASLEF members at 12 train companies have voted overwhelmingly to continue strike action in a long-running dispute over pay. The union had to ballot members again as a mandate, under the law, is only valid for six months. ‘This shows just how angry – and determined – our members are,’ said Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, which represents 96% of the train drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales. ‘The turnouts were huge and the mandates are overwhelming.’ Read more
TSSA
Government “guarantees Christmas rail chaos” (8 Dec) – Rail strikes in the run up to Christmas “come gift wrapped from Rishi Sunak” says TSSA as the government blocks any improvements to offers for workers in train operating companies. This was the bombshell reality following discussions with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on Wednesday evening. Despite some hope earlier in the week that progress and movement could be made in an attempt to resolve the dispute, the government yesterday blocked efforts by employers to table an improved offer read more
Status of industrial action and ballots (7 Dec) – TSSA has called a combination of strike action and action short of strike in the following companies on the following dates. Details of re-ballots are also given. TSSA rejected an offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on Sunday 4 December. We remain in touch with both the RDG and government and we are seeking further talks to progress and improve the offer for members. Currently, the below action is ON. Industrial action in Network Rail was suspended following an offer which we are putting to members read more
TSSA to put Network Rail offer to members (5 Dec) – Rail union TSSA has called off strike action planned for December and is putting an offer to members in Network Rail. However, an offer from the Rail Delivery Group has been rejected meaning industrial action in train operators remains on the cards unless progress can be made. Following talks with Network Rail over the weekend, TSSA received a ‘Best and Final Offer’ in writing from the company on Sunday 4 December. The offer was considered at a meeting of TSSA’s Network Rail reps on Monday 5 December. After months of detailed negotiations – and an industrial action ballot and strike action – TSSA’s reps felt the offer addresses the core issues of the dispute sufficiently to put it to members for acceptance or rejection in a referendum. An online referendum (vote) will open in the coming week for all TSSA members in Network Rail bands 5-8 and Controllers to have their say on the offer. Dates to be confirmed read more
TSSA ballots for strike action on Elizabeth Line (2 Dec) – TSSA – the biggest union in Transport for London – is balloting members working on the Elizabeth Line for strike action. Ballot papers are issued today (Friday 2 December) in a dispute over pay, with the affected workers paid significantly less than equivalent colleagues across the network. TSSA represents management grades employed by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) including Traffic Managers, Service Infrastructure Managers and Incident Response Managers who are safety critical to running services across London’s new flagship west-east line. A strike by these staff would stop services running read more
Unite
Unite confirms NHS Scotland vote to accept improved pay offer (12 Dec) – Industrial action across the NHS Scotland by Unite members is now off. Unite the union can confirm today (12 December) that an increased pay offer has now been accepted by its NHS Scotland membership. Unite’s health membership voted yes by 64% in the thousands to accept the improved offer which was tabled two weeks ago following extensive talks involving the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, the Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, NHS Scotland and the trade unions. Industrial action by Unite which was initially set to hit the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and the wider NHS Scotland is now off read more
New Covent Garden security guards secure 22% pay increase as Christmas strikes averted (12 Dec) – Security guards employed by OCS, at New Covent Garden Market, have secured a 22 per cent pay increase. The pay deal has averted strike action planned for this week that would have heavily disrupted Christmas trade at the fruit, vegetable and flower market. The security guards, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, had previously taken strike action in September and October. They were due to begin a further five days of strike action from yesterday (Sunday 11 December). However, last ditch talks were held and it was agreed that security guard pay would increase from £9.69 an hour to £11.05 an hour from 1 January 2023 and then further increase to £11.30 an hour from 1 April 2023. This increase is on the top of the 5.4 per cent increase the workforce received from 1 April 2022, following a collective grievance being submitted to OCS. In total Unite has secured a 22 per cent increase for the security guards read more
Beer drought as Greene King workers announce strikes over Christmas & New Year’s Eve (12 Dec) – Brewery workers offered a “Scrooge” pay deal of 3% when inflation is almost five times higher at 14.2%. Workers announce seven days of strike action beginning on 21st December. Beer drinkers are facing severe shortages over Christmas and New Year’s eve because Greene King refuses to give its workers a decent pay increase in the midst of a cost of living crisis. Supplies of well-known beers and ales to pubs, restaurants and shops including IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale will be affected. The 188 workers, including production and distribution workers, drivers and draymen, who are members of Unite are based at Bury St Edmunds, Eastwood (Nottinghamshire) and Abingdon (Oxfordshire). The workers will take three days of strike action between 21st December and 23rd December and a further four days between 28th December and 31st December. The workers took an initial five days of strike action which ended on Friday 9 December. The workers voted for strike action after Greene King only offered them a three per cent pay increase and a further one-off payment of £650. With the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 14.2 per cent, this amounts to a very substantial real terms wage cut read more
Community support workers in Hounslow stage protest as strike goes ahead (12 Dec) – What: Striking charity workers stage protest; Where: Hounslow council buildings, TW3 3EB; When: 12.30pm on Tuesday 13th December. Community support workers in Hounslow stage protest as strike goes ahead. Workers employed by Hestia taking strike action on 12 and 13 December, will stage a protest at the Hounslow council building on Tuesday 13 December. Hestia Hounslow LIFE is a referral service which provides adult services in Hounslow. Staff say the charity is refusing to address understaffing and imposing unrealistic changes in working practices which will make it near impossible to provide the important services that at risk Hounslow residents desperately need. This is despite the referral service receiving an increase in funding from the local authority. Hestia management are also refusing to negotiate with Unite over a cost of living pay increase and the provision of adequate travel expenses. Bosses have outrageously threatened Unite members with disciplinary action if they discuss pay with colleagues during work read more
Unite hails another victory for hospitality workers as Glasgow City Council pledges to get them home safely (9 Dec) – One of the biggest councils in the country, Glasgow City Council, has backed Unite the union’s Get Me Home Safely campaign the union announced today (Friday). Glasgow City Council is the eighth and largest local authority so far to call on employers to provide safe and free transport home for all workers past 11pm. Unite says that because there are often no safe public transport options late at night, its members are spending the equivalent of two hours’ wages on getting home safely from work read more
Go North East bus engineers to strike in Christmas week (9 Dec) – Bus engineers employed by Go North East will take strike action in the week prior to Christmas. The 150 engineers have rejected a 10 per cent pay increase, which is a real terms pay cut with the true inflation rate (RPI) standing at 14.2 per cent. The engineers will begin strike action on Monday 19 December with the dispute ending on the morning of Sunday 25 December read more
Another wave of strikes set to hit offshore installations (8 Dec) – Unite Petrofac members resolute in ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. Unite, the UK’s largest industrial union, confirmed today (8 December) that around 146 members will begin strike action at the Petrofac Repsol installations on 8th and 9thDecember as a result of an ongoing, and increasingly bitter dispute over pay and working terms. The dispute relates to the removal of a 10 per cent Equal Time payment, years of below inflationary pay increases as well as issues around payments for OEUK medicals, mileage and stand in duties. In a separate dispute, Unite members at Petrofac’s BP installations: Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, and Glen Lyon installations will also begin strike action on 8 and 9 December. The Petrofac BP dispute centres on the working rotation, which is currently a work 3 on/3 off rotation. An industrial action ballot returned a result of 98.3 per cent in favour of industrial action. This action involves 76 members. Unite anticipates that the strike action at both Petrofac Repsol and Petrofac BP are likely to cause considerable disruption read more
Unite blasts back at PM’s anti-union attacks (7 Dec) – Following prime minister Rishi Sunak’s anti-union attacks at prime minister’s question time today (Wednesday 7 December), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Yet again the prime minster shows how completely out of touch he is. Rather than dealing with the critical issue of workers suffering pay cuts as prices rocket, he promises to attack the very organisations that are fighting for workers and putting more money in their pockets. No one will be fooled by this attempt to divert attention away from the sheer incompetence of this government. For Unite, this is very clear. We will not be intimidated by anti-trade union attacks. If they put more hurdles in our way, then we will jump over them. We are ready industrially and financially. As general secretary of Unite I will continue to fight and win for workers” read more
Arrow XL workers to protest at Logistics UK Awards (7 Dec) – Low paid workers employed by Arrow XL will protest tomorrow outside the prestigious Logistics UK Awards, where the company’s sister company Yodel has been shortlisted for an award. The demonstration will feature a banner reading: Arrow XL Time to Deliver Fair Pay. The 350 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, at the company have been taking strike action since October in a dispute over pay. Many of the workers are only paid the minimum wage, with other workers paid just above £9.50 an hour…The workers will begin all-out (continuous) strike action from Friday (9 December). They had been striking on every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The industrial action began in October read more
Metroline London bus drivers secure 11 per cent pay increase (7 Dec) – Industrial action involving over 2,000 Metroline bus drivers in London (working for the subsidiary Metroline Travel Ltd) has been called off after the workers accepted a greatly improved pay offer. The workers have accepted an 11 per cent pay increase with a 10 per cent increase on back pay. As a result of the workers accepting the improved offer the planned strike action for later this month has been called off. The 11 per cent increase is a significant improvement on the four per cent increase the drivers were originally offered by Metroline read more
Unions react to news that the Northern Ireland Education Authority faces £100 million cuts before April 2023 (7 Dec) – Trade Union Officials from NIPSA, UNISON, GMB and UNITE met with EA Senior Management on 5 December to receive a briefing on the budget position for the current financial year. Education Authority management confirmed that their projected overspend had reduced from £290m to £100m and had been advised that no further money would be available to address the funding gap of £100m. The Department of Education has instructed EA management to deliver proposals to make savings of £100m during the remaining three months of the current financial year read more
Over 1,600 ambulance workers to strike on 21 December (6 Dec) – More than 1,600 workers at the West Midlands, North West and North East ambulance service trusts will strike on Wednesday 21 December 2022 their union, Unite announced today (Tuesday). Unite says that the action is a `stark warning’ to the government that it must stem the crisis engulfing the NHS following ministers’ deliberate 12-year assault on pay. Unite’s ambulance workers voted by up to 92 per cent for strike action. Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, said: “Make no mistake, we are now in the fight of our lives for the very NHS itself. These strikes are a stark warning – our members are taking a stand to save our NHS from this government read more
Unite ballots 4,000 Health and Social care workers for strike in early 2023 (6 Dec) – Healthcare staff warn NHS on life support and may not survive staffing crisis. Nearly 4,000 more health and social care workers across Northern Ireland have begun balloting for strike action, Unite, which represents some 100,000 NHS workers across the UK, said today. Unite said its healthcare members are warning the NHS is on ‘life support’ and that without serious investment to stem the recruitment and retention crisis and save failing services it may not survive. The workers perform roles in nursing, healthcare, science, counselling, psychology, dentistry, pharmacology, audiology, optometry, administration, IT and building maintenance services read more
Strike dates set to hit Highlands and Islands Airports in lead up to Christmas (6 Dec) – Disruption likely as Unite members at HIAL take action in pay dispute. Unite the union, which represents members across eleven airports in the HIAL group, including those working in Fire and Rescue, Security and administration, has confirmed today (6 December) that strike action will take place commencing at 00:01 hours and concluding at 23:59 hours on 19th December 2022; And commencing at 00:01 hours and concluding at 23:59 hours on 22nd December 2022. Members of Unite voted by 73.5 per cent in favour of taking strike action and by 92.8 per cent in favour of taking action short of strike in a bid to improve pay for rural communities amid a cost of living crisis. The union has previously warned that strike action will cause huge disruption over the winter break and festive period. The workforce has already rejected an 5 per cent offer which they deemed unacceptable with inflation soaring to hit a 40-year high of 14.2 per cent (RPI). The eleven airports across the HIAL Group are Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick read more
Trade unions welcome Bilfinger offshore bargaining agreement (6 Dec) – Unite the union and GMB union are pleased to announce today (6 December) that a collective bargaining agreement has been entered into in relation to Bilfinger’s Inspection teams working on all TAQA UK offshore assets in the North Sea. This agreement follows a decision by Bilfinger last year to join the Energy Services Agreement read more
Bristol council housing officers continue striking over terrible working conditions (5 Dec) – Around 50 Bristol council housing officers and team leaders, responsible for managing the local authority’s 27,000 tenancies, will continue striking over unsustainable workloads on 14, 15 and 16 December. The workers previously took four days of strike action in late October. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are angry that Bristol council is refusing to act even though the extra work is causing high rates of stress and anxiety. They are calling on the council to reduce workloads and allocate additional resources read more
Great Western Railway engineers continue strike action over pay (5 Dec) – Around 350 Great Western Railway (GWR) engineers will take further strike action on Thursday 15 December over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers previously went on strike in October. Despite GWR’s parent company First Group, which is based in Aberdeen, making pre-tax profits of £654 million in 2021/22, the company is refusing to offer the workers a pay rise. It will be the third year in a row their pay has been frozen. Meanwhile the real rate of inflation, RPI, is at 14.2 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members at Great Western Railway have not had a pay rise in three years. Now, with soaring living costs, their wages are falling even further behind. Great Western and First Group have no reason not to address this when their profits are so high. It is sheer greed on the part of the employer and our members have Unite’s full backing in striking for a fair pay rise.” The striking workers are based at depots and stations in London, Exeter, Tiverton, Plymouth, Swindon, Swansea, Reading, Penzance, Oxford and Bristol. If the dispute is not resolved then more strikes will be scheduled read more
Scrooge Co-op denies coffin factory workers Christmas cheer (5 Dec) – Unite can confirm that further strike action is set to hit the Coop Funeralcare in Govan, Glasgow for a week beginning today (Monday 5 December). Unite members at the coffin manufacturing factory will continue strike action after Co-op Funeralcare bosses failed to make an acceptable offer to resolve the long running pay dispute. The strike action will last from Monday 5th December to Sunday 11th December. Around 50 craft workers based at the Co-op’s factory are fighting for a fair pay award. The company has offered around 4.0 per cent for 2022, and 5 per cent for 2023, which has been rejected amid inflation soaring to hit a 40-year high of 14.2 per cent (RPI) read more
Protest at port of Felixstowe to end bullying management culture and to defend union reps (2 Dec) – One union rep victimised for failing to say ‘good morning’. Workers protest and begin voting in consultative strike ballot. Union chief calls on port of Felixstowe to end attempts to intimidate union reps and get serious about negotiations. Hundreds of workers from the port of Felixstowe will hold a protest in defence of seven Unite members and Unite reps who have been victimised by “malicious” bosses. Seven workers have been victimised on trumped up charges, including one union rep who the company is attempting to suspend for failing to say ‘good morning’ to a manager. A consultative ballot for industrial action will get underway on Monday 5 December to demand the immediate reinstatement of the seven. Over 1,900 Unite members took strike action at the Port of Felixstowe between August and October and are still in dispute. But management bullying and intimidation against a number of union reps and members has opened up a new but completely avoidable front in this long running dispute. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “It’s clear the Felixstowe bosses think they can intimidate the union and its reps. They are adopting bully-boy tactics because they are panicking about the dispute. Unite cannot and will not accept the victimisation of our union members. The trumped-up charges against those who have been prominent in fighting for a new deal must be dropped. The management need to stop playing games and get serious about real negotiations”. Messages of solidarity and support can be sent to the Felixstowe 7 at: [email protected] read more
Unite Network Rail members to join latest walkouts (2 Dec) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has confirmed that its members employed by Network Rail in electric control rooms will join their colleagues at other rail unions in taking industrial action as part of the latest planned walkouts. The workers will take industrial action on the following dates: Tuesday 12 December, Wednesday 13 December, Friday 16 December, Saturday 17 December, Sunday 25 December, Monday 26 December, Tuesday 3 January, Wednesday 4 January, Friday 6 January and Saturday 7 January read more
Heathrow passengers braced for Christmas getaway misery as Menzies workers strike over pay (2 Dec) – Passengers flying from Heathrow for pre-Christmas getaways have been warned to be braced for delays as ground handlers employed by Menzies have announced fresh strike action in a pay dispute. The dispute involves 350 workers employed by Menzies who will take strike action from 04:00 on Friday 16 December for a 72 hour period. The dispute will lead to disruption, delays and cancellations for flights leaving Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4. The strike action will particularly affect Air Canada, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air Portugal, Austrian airlines, Qantas, Egypt Air, Aer Lingus and Finnair. The previous strike action in the dispute held last month caused considerable disruption across Heathrow read more
Harrods’ strike breaking agency employed under new anti-union law named and shamed (1 Dec) – Protective Security Group Ltd workers ‘didn’t know’ they had been brought in to break pay strike. The agency brought in to break a pay strike by Harrods’ security guards and CCTV operators has been named and shamed as Protective Security Group Ltd. Under the new anti-trade union law passed this summer by the government, Harrods has been allowed to replace striking workers with agency staff. The company threatened the workforce with the legislation previously and is one of the first employers in the country to use it. To break the strike, Harrods, owned by the Qatari state, has contracted Protective Security, which is registered in Ruislip, Middlesex, and has two directors, Jonathon Robinson and Edward Thomas Miller. Unite understands that Protective Security workers brought into work at Harrods during the strikes were not told there was industrial action taking place and were uncomfortable crossing a picket line…More than 50 Harrods uniformed security guards and CCTV operators are striking over a ‘pay cut dressed up as a rise’. The workers began three days of strike action over a seven per cent pay offer on 25 November and will strike again on 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 26 December. The offer is a pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, stands at 14.2 per cent and rising read more
UK facing Christmas pickle crisis as industrial action at pickled onion factory Mizkan in Rochdale intensifies (1 Dec) – Lovers of some of UK’s most popular pickles face being denied their favourite condiments this Christmas as strike action at the Mizkan Euro factory in Rochdale intensifies in a dispute over pay. The factory produces Haywards Pickled Onions, Sarsons Vinegar and Haywards Pickled Vegetables. The 50 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK leading union, have already taken 19 days of strike action since October. The strike action is a result of the company only being prepared to offer its workers a five per cent pay increase, with the real inflation rate (RPI) now standing at 14.2 per cent, this is a very substantial real terms pay cut. Due to the just in time nature of supermarket deliveries, the strike action will almost inevitably create severe shortages at a time of year when many consumers relish these products, often with cold meat and cheese. Pickled onions and pickled vegetables are at the highest demand at this time of year read more
Strikes stepped up at Fawley refinery as heavy-handed policing deepens tensions in dispute (29 Nov) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed in engineering construction roles at Fawley oil refinery in Hampshire will step up strike action in a dispute over bonus payments. The 130-strong workforce, who are employed by three contractors Altrad, Bilfinger and Enerveo, are seeking a bonus payment of £2.37 an hour, the maximum allowed under the relevant industrial agreement (National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry [NAECI]). The Fawley refinery is operated by ExxonMobil, which last month recorded a quarterly profit of £17.3 billion. Tensions in the dispute have dramatically increased due to intimidatory behaviour by Hampshire police and false allegations made the employer read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Wirral facing Christmas bin strikes as Biffa workers demand end to low pay (28 Nov) – Around 200 workers employed by Biffa on the outsourced Wirral council refuse contract will begin strike action next week in a dispute over low pay. The workers are making a stand to end low pay rates: HGV drivers being paid just £11.95 an hour, refuse operatives £11.50 and street operatives only £10.76. The workers are seeking a 15 per cent increase in pay to reset their pay rates and also tackle the cost of living crisis, where the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently stands at 14.2 per cent. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will begin strike action on Monday 5 December with the strike action ending on Saturday 10 December. If the dispute is not resolved then further industrial action is likely read more
Imperial College London disruption as workers strike over derisory pay offer (28 Nov) – Over 200 Unite members walkout over 3.3% offer, which is a pay cut. More than 200 workers at London’s Imperial College will strike on 30 November over a derisory 3.3 per cent offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. With the true rate of inflation, RPI, at 14.2 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. Imperial Colleges’ latest financial figures shows it brought in an income of over £1 billion for 2020/21. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Imperial College can absolutely afford to put forward a proper pay rise to these workers, who are struggling with rocketing living costs in the one of the most expensive cities in the world. Unite will never fail to defend our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and our Imperial College members will receive the union’s unwavering support in their fight for a fair pay rise.” The workers include cleaners, technicians and maintenance and security staff. The dispute also involves members of University and Colleges Union (UCU) employed at Imperial College. Imperial College negotiates pay directly with staff, so the dispute is not part of wider higher education strike action involving the University and Colleges Employers Association read more
Abellio bus drivers in South and West London announce 10 days of pay strikes – Over 950 bus drivers employed by Abellio in South and West London will take 10 days of strike action in a pay dispute. The dispute is a result of the company failing to enter into meaningful pay talks, despite indicating that it was prepared to do so. Workers’ pay is due to increase from January 2023, but Abellio has failed even to make an initial pay offer. The workers will begin strike action on Tuesday 22 November and will also strike on the 25, 26 of this month. They will be followed by further strikes on 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 December read more
Please donate: Over 2,000 Abellio Bus Drivers at 6 garages have set strike days in a fight for pay justice. This is the first dispute at Abellio for over 10 years. The pay claim is for £20 per hour which might seem like a lot. However the the company made over £40 million in profit in 2021. It would cost the company about £11 million to pay our demand. The Abellio bus drivers are some of the lowest paid bus drivers in London. The dispute is also about fairer schedules which are exhausting and also to stop bus route cuts. The drivers have had enough. Membership has grown dramatically in the last few months. Now we are requesting financial support for the strike from branches. This money will be used primarily to top up strike pay as drivers will be losing a significant amount on strike days. We really appreciate any support and please feel to make contact for further information.
Account Details: Unity Trust Bank, Acc No: 20210456, Sort Code: 608301, Branch Name: TGWU1/768, Hayes Branch LE/768. Contact [email protected]
Reinstate Radek (Radoslaw Worbel) sacked Unite London bus rep at RATP London United Fulwell bus garage – send a message of complaint to [email protected] and a message of support to to Radek via the Unite Bus Combine: [email protected]
UK braced for Dulux paint shortages as Imperial Chemical workers in Stowmarket strike over deplorable pay offer (23 Nov) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Imperial Chemical in Stowmarket, Suffolk, will begin strike action later this month following a derisory pay offer by the company. The workers, who recorded a 94 per cent yes vote in favour of strike action, have been offered a pay increase of just 4.3 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, now running at 14.2 per cent, this amounts to a huge real terms pay cut. The workers will initially take two 24-hour periods of strike action on Wednesday 30 November and Wednesday 7 December. The workers are principally employed as production operatives and produce paint. The most popular brand is Dulux paint and the strike action will quickly result in shortages of the product in DIY stores and supermarkets read more
Tenants groups in Belfast and Craigavon challenge NIHE on impact of unresolved strike (21 Nov) – Workers enter their fifteen week of strike action for improved pay as LRA-mediated talks are due to commence this week. Striking housing workers at NIHE have linked up with tenants associations and residents groups across the three housing regions impacted by the ongoing industrial dispute which is now entering its fifteenth week. The pay dispute is in relation to the 2021-2022 year and housing workers are seeking two pay grade increases and a cost of living payment. At present workers have had a 1.75 percent increase for that year imposed after it was recommended by the National Joint Council. Unite Regional Officer Michael Keenan confirmed that his union’s members had secured strong support from tenants groups who were bearing the brunt of the unresolved strike read more
Welwyn and Hatfield grounds maintenance workers strike over poverty pay rates – Workers on Welwyn and Hatfield council’s outsourced grounds maintenance contract, employed by Continental Landscapes, are to take substantial strike action over low pay. The Hertfordshire-based workforce, who are responsible for all of the council’s grounds maintenance contract, including grass cutting and hedge trimming, are currently being paid just £10.12 an hour. Continental Landscapes has offered an increase of seven per cent, however with the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 12.6 per cent, this amounts to a real terms pay cut. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will take eight days of industrial action. They will strike on every Monday and Tuesday beginning on Monday 21 November, with the final strike day scheduled for Tuesday 13 December. The strike action will cause extensive disruption to Welwyn and Hatfield’s grounds maintenance programme read more
Shelter workers announce two weeks of strike action in pay dispute – Over 500 workers at the housing charity Shelter will stage a two week strike next month, in response to the organisation’s management attempting to impose a real terms pay cut on its staff. The workers, who are based across the UK, returned an 85 per cent vote in favour of industrial action and will begin strike action on Monday 5 December, with the strike ending on Sunday 18 December. Management at Shelter has sought to impose a three per cent pay increase on staff, which is a huge real terms pay cut with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 12.6 per cent. Management has refused to return to the negotiating table and has instead begun to impose one off payments. These will leave pay rates at unacceptably low levels and fail to take into account rampant inflation read more
Support strikes at Muller Stonehouse, Gloucestershire – Super-rich Muller wants to milk more from workers to boost profits. Nearly 70 HGV drivers and shunters employed by the German dairy giant and who are responsible for delivering milk products to supermarkets nationwide have been on strike since August. The dispute is over imposed rota changes which destroy workers’ ability to spend time with their families. In contravention of an agreement signed with Unite earlier this year, Muller is trying to impose a five days on two days off rota system. The changes would require all drivers to work at least one day every weekend. The company, which made a £16.5 million profit in 2020 and forecast more in 2021, wants to impose the rota to save money when they contract third party hauliers to deliver products read more
Southampton Airport faces shutdown as workers prepare to strike after three year pay freeze – 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
Walsall Housing Group workers to strike over imposed pay cut – 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
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
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
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
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
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 has called 6 more days of strike action in Royal Mail in addition to those already announced. They will be out in total on these days pending the outcome of talks – November 24, 25, 30 December 1, 9, 11, 14, 15, 23, 24.
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
Determined Post Office workers to strike & ban overtime (28 Nov) – Union urges Post Office bosses to ‘see sense and offer a fair deal’, as they announce action up until Christmas. Around 1,400 staff working at Crown Offices and in Admin functions will walk out for two days in just under a fortnight’s time, while Supply Chain members will begin a two-week overtime ban from next Monday until Christmas Eve. The action follows an overwhelming endorsement in the reballot held earlier this month, which returned an astonishing 91.24 per cent YES to the union’s strike plan – as well as a similar 90 per cent-plus majority for action short of a strike. It was the first time in the CWU’s history that the same group of members have returned consecutive YES votes in the same calendar year read more
Recognition deal at GXO as BT’s outsourced supply chain partner goes for growth (12 Dec) – A comprehensive new recognition agreement has been finalised with logistics giant GXO covering all of the former Supply Chain warehousing and transport operations that were outsourced by BT in May. Crucially, the agreement enables the union to begin canvassing potential new members at the Midway Distribution Centre in Milton Keynes, where the union has never previously been recognised for collective bargaining purposes. That site is now set to be the centrepiece of GXO’s consumer operations under plans which will also see significant new investment in Northallerton read more
‘Bank the money and our collective strength,’ BT Group members urged, as ballot begins on company’s ‘final’ pay offer (6 Dec) – Members across the whole of BT Group are strongly advised to accept management’s ‘final’ offer to end six months of industrial strife. The deal on the table – which is now subject to a consultative ballot that gets underway today (Tuesday) – sees all CWU-represented grade employees in BT, Openreach and EE receive a further £1,500 fully consolidated pay increase from January 1, 2023. This comes on top of the £1,500 flat-rate increase that was imposed by BT in April this year, so the deal equates to a headline fully consolidated and pensionable pay increase totalling £3,000 in the current financial year read more
PCS
More DWP Doncaster staff to strike (12 Dec) – More PCS DWP members in Doncaster are to join our rolling programme of action across the UK. All front-facing jobcentre workers, visiting officers and counter fraud, compliance and debt staff at Doncaster Crossgate House will strike on 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31 December. They join PCS members in Doncaster back of house, Toxteth Jobcentre Liverpool Duke Street Jobcentre and Liverpool City Jobcentre, who have already announced they will take action on certain dates between 19 to 31 December as part of our strategy of targeted action read more
Update on RPA strike action starting 13 December (12 Dec) – PCS members working in the Rural Payments Agency Customer Service Centre will start strike action tomorrow as part of the first wave of action in our national campaign. PCS members working in the Rural Payments Agency Customer Service Centre will be striking in Workington, Newcastle and Caernarfon from 13 December. These members answer calls from members of the rural communities and general public for the RPA on farm subsidies, payments for other rural businesses and other subjects like the Pet Travel Scheme. The dates of action are 13-16 and 19-23 December 2022, and 3-6 and 9-13 January 2023 read more
“Put money on the table, not soldiers in airports” – PCS on military strike-breaking (9 Dec) – PCS has called on the government to stop using military personnel to break the legitimate strike by Border Force workers over Christmas. The union on Wednesday announced eight days’ strike action at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports, and the port of Newhaven. Now members of the armed services are being trained to replace the more than 1,000 trained Border Force officers expected to take action read more
Further strike action called over Christmas in Common Platform dispute (9 Dec) – PCS has served notice of further strike action in HMCTS over Common Platform, to take place from 24 December to 4 January. PCS has today (9) served notice of strike action in HMCTS over the common platform dispute. This action will take place from 24 December to 4 January and will involve legal advisers and court associates in courts across the country. The third tranche of members balloted over the common platform have voted overwhelmingly to join their colleagues in taking action over the failing system; with 97% of members balloted voting to join the strike action read more
HMCTS Strike Action 16 – 19 December (2 Dec) – PCS has served notice of further strike action in HMCTS over the Common Platform dispute. PCS has today served notice of further strike action in HMCTS over the Common Platform dispute. The action will take place from Friday 16 December to Monday 19 December 2022. Part of the action will be for legal advisers and courts associates in the following regions: London and South East. This is true for the action on Friday 16, Sunday 18 and Monday 19 December. The action on Saturday 17 December 2022 will be for all legal advisers and court associates in the courts who have already been balloted. Please see the list below for which courts are being called to take strike action on which days. This is in addition to the action called from 2 to 5 December and the action called from 9 – 12 December read more
Border Force officers to strike over Christmas (7 Dec) – Border Force officers at locations in England, Scotland and Wales are to take strike action for eight days over Christmas. PCS members employed by the Home Office on passport control will take action at London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow airports on December 23, 24, 25, 26 28, 29 and 30 and 31. Members will also strike at the port of Newhaven on the same dates. The strike comes after 100,000 PCS members in 214 government departments and other public bodies voted to take strike action over a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms. It follows strikes announced in the Driver and Vehicle Standard Agency (DVSA), Rural Payment Agency (RPA), National Highways and Department for Work and Pensions read more
PCS members to be re-balloted over national campaign (6 Dec) – More than 33,000 PCS members in the civil service are to be re-balloted so they can potentially join national strike action in the new year over pay, pensions, changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and jobs read more
First DWP strike dates announced (5 Dec) – Our rolling programme of action across the UK will see members at 4 DWP offices take strike action on certain dates between 19 to 31 December as part of our strategy of targeted action, with the potential of more to come. Our national strike ballot on pay, pensions, jobs and cuts to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme closed last month and we received a positive result for strike action in many areas of the civil service, including DWP read more
Join eve of strike Facebook rally 6pm 12 December – With the first wave of PCS civil service strike action getting underway on 13 December we are holding an eve-of-strike rally for all members and reps as a Facebook Live and Zoom event at 6pm on 12 December. Workers at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, including driving examiners, staff in the call centre, driving instructor examiners and local driving test managers, are to take action on a rolling regional basis starting in Scotland and Northern England from 13-18 December. And staff at the Rural Payments Agency will walk out from 13 to 16 December and follow that up with further strikes on 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 December and 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 January read more
Join the all-activists’ forum 6pm 19 December – As our civil service strikes get underway it is essential that all reps, activists, advocates and active members attend our all-activists’ forum on Zoom at 6pm on 19 December read more
National Highways strike dates announced (2 Dec) – Our rolling programme of action across the UK will see traffic officer service members starting to take strike action from 16 December. Our national strike ballot on pay, pensions, jobs and cuts to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme closed earlier this month and we received a positive result for strike action in many areas of the civil service, including DVSA read more
12 days of strikes on highways announced (2 Dec) – PCS members working on England’s highways have announced 12 days’ strike action over Christmas and the New Year. The National Highways employees, who plan, design, build, operate and maintain the country’s roads, will take part in a series of staggered strikes from 16 December to 7 January. The action, which risks bringing the road network to a standstill, will coincide with planned strikes by RMT members on the railways and comes after 124 government departments and other public bodies voted for strike action over a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms read more
RPA strike dates announced (29 Nov) – Our first wave of targeted action will see RPA staff starting to take action from 13 December. Our national strike ballot on pay, pensions, jobs and cuts to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme closed earlier this month and we received a positive result for strike action in many areas of the civil service, including the Rural Payments Agency read more
DVSA strike dates announced (29 Nov) – Our rolling programme of action across the UK will see members starting to take strike action from 13 December read more
Dates announced in first wave of PCS civil service strikes (29 Nov) – Driving examiners and rural payment officers across the UK have announced strike dates in the first wave of sustained industrial action by civil servant members of PCS. Workers at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, including driving examiners, approved driving instructor examiners and local driving test managers, are to take action on a rolling regional basis starting in Scotland and Northern from 13-18 December. And staff in the call centre and accounts payable department at the Rural Payments Agency will walk out from 13 to 16 December and follow that up with further strikes on 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 December and 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 January read more
HGS members threaten indefinite industrial action (29 Nov) – The 82 workers, employed by HGS to run the contact centre and back-office functions of the government’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), have already taken four weeks of strike action. Talks with conciliation service ACAS broke down earlier this month, leading the union today to tell managers they will strike for a further two weeks from 12 December, as well as imposing an indefinite overtime ban from 26 December read more
GMB
Cream cracker strike ends with win for workers (12 Dec) – More than 750 workers at the Jacobs Cream Crackers factory have won a significant pay deal after all out strike action. The pay deal secures every worker:-
- 5 per cent rise backdated to January
- £500 bonus payment
- £250 bonus January 2023
Staff at the Aintree plant – who also make Jaffa Cakes, Twiglets, Club bars and Mini Cheddars – have been taking limited industrial action since September in their dispute over pay. In total the strikes lasted 11 weeks read more
Ambulance strike dates announced (9 Dec) – GMB Union has announced strike dates for more than 10,000 ambulance workers across nine trusts in England and Wales. Paramedics, Emergency Care Assistants, call handlers and other staff will walk out on December 21 and 28 in the following trusts read more
Cumbria packaging firm faces strike action (9 Dec) – Workers at a Cumbria packaging firm at set to vote on strike action over a real terms pay cut. More than 200 GMB members at Innovia, in Wigton, which makes surface engineered films for label packaging and security applications across the globe, will now vote in an industrial action ballot. Dates of the vote will be announced in the coming days. Workers have overwhelmingly rejected two pay offers, both of which were real terms pay cuts and the second of which disproportionally increased the wages of higher earners at the company read more
GMB union: ExxonMobil ‘throwing money’ at agencies rather than our members (9 Dec) – GMB, the energy union, are preparing to name and shame companies who are providing strike-breakers in the midst of a trades dispute at Fawley oil refinery near Southampton. The union have been informed that agency workers have been retained on full pay until strike action recommenced, following a temporary suspension of action actioned by GMB and sister union Unite. Strike action at the refinery was suspended for Monday to Wednesday of this week to allow negotiations to take place, only for GMB to be told that talks would not be happening as there was “nothing to discuss.” Read more
Fresh Sunderland bus strike dates (9 Dec) – Sunderland’s bus strikes are set to continue after drivers turned down a below inflation pay deal. The new strike dates are December 23, 24, 26 and 27. An overwhelming majority of GMB members working for Stagecoach Sunderland rejected the deal, which amounted to a real terms pay cut. Stagecoach’s regional bus services made an operating profit of £58 million in the financial year 2021/22 – more than double the year before. Almost 200 Sunderland bus drivers have taken several days of strike action already in anger over ‘poverty pay’ read more
Act now to save the Stoke potteries (9 Dec) – Wades Ceramics, who have been producing ceramics in Stoke-on-Trent for more than two centuries, announced on Friday that they have been forced into administration. GMB Union has today warned the Government against sitting on the side-lines any longer as an iconic British industry is left to struggle alone read more
Chichester bin strike called off as GMB members accept pay uplift (9 Dec) – GMB members have suspended the threat of New Year strike action by accepting a new pay proposal from Chichester District Council. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling workers, have today called off the threat of strike action in Chichester in the new year. Members of the union have today accepted an offer from Chichester’s District Council which will add an Environmental Factors allowance uplift of 5 per cent to the recently awarded 10 per cent national pay settlement. HGV drivers at the depot will also see their market supplement formally retained for a further two years, together with a 4.1 per cent uplift from January. The offer also contains confirmation all existing current terms and conditions will be retained and back pay to June 2022 will be paid in December’s pay cycle read more
GMB warns Wiltshire motorists to check for unlawfully issued parking tickets during strike days (7 Dec) – If Wiltshire don’t follow the letter of the law, then parking fines issued during the strike are open to legal challenge, says GMB. GMB, the trade union for Wiltshire Council staff, has learned of plans to deploy untrained managers to stand in for their striking traffic warden members. Wiltshire Civil Enforcement Officers [wardens] are due to be taking strike action from 10 to 17 December and during the last strike no wardens went out to work on strike days. The members are taking strike action due to a proposed removal of a contractual, unsociable hours uplift of 10 per cent to their salaries, which compensates them for having to work on Saturdays and Sundays plus evenings and early mornings. GMB has learned that the council is planning to use managers who have not been properly trained to patrol and potentially issue Parking Charge Notices and highways staff to cover other duties normally carried out by the CEO read more
Hundreds expected to march against NHS outsourcing in Croydon (5 Dec) – GMB union are expecting a massive turnout at their march and rally this Saturday. GMB, the union for all NHS staff, have organised a mass rally and march in Croydon this Saturday. Members of the union employed by outsourcing giant G4s in Croydon University Hospital will be assembling outside the hospital entrance before marching into the town centre and staging a rally outside the Whitgift Shopping Centre. The march and rally have been organised to demand that their service be brought back in-house, having been outsourced from the NHS for years. The rally will be taking place as follows: Date: Saturday 10 December; Time: Assembling at 11:30am; Venue: Croydon University Hospital (London Road Entrance), Croydon, CR7 7YE read more
Newcastle energy company announces strike dates (29 Nov) – Workers at a Newcastle energy company have announced when they will strike over a real terms pay cut. More than 200 workers at Baker Hughes, in Walker, will take eight days of industrial action from 12 – 15 December and 12 – 18 January. GMB members at the company – who makes undersea pipelines and cable conduits for the oil and gas industry – have overwhelmingly turned down pay offers of as little as four per cent. With inflation at 12.3 per cent, both offers amount to massive real terms pay cut read more
Almost 100 workers strike after ‘Grinch’ bosses cancel Christmas (29 Nov) – Almost 100 Durham chemical workers will go on strike tomorrow [Wednesday] after ‘Grinch bosses’ cancelled their Christmas holidays. GMB members Thomas Swan, in Consett, voted overwhelmingly to walk out over a real terms pay cut. Following the vote, company bosses cancelled all prebooked holidays over the Christmas period. The strike will last for 24 hours, with further industrial action set for Dec 7, 14 and 21 and 4 Jan. A revised offer of 5.1 per cent – capped at £1,500 – was overwhelmingly rejected read more
KFC, Wagamama, Burger King and Pizza hut delivery workers to strike (24 Nov) – Almost 400 workers delivering food to KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Wagamama will strike over a real terms pay cut. A majority of 76 per cent of those who voted were in favour of industrial action. Bestfood drivers, who also deliver fresh food to the likes of Pizza Express and Zizzi, will announce strike dates imminently read more
Money shortage fears as 1,200 G4S Cash workers vote to strike (22 Nov) – G4S faces its first ever strike after 1,200 GMB members voted to walk out. The workers, who deliver cash and coins to the likes of Barclays, HSBC, Tesco, Wetherspoon, Santander, Asda and Aldi, returned a 97 per cent vote for industrial action. The 48 hour strike is scheduled to take place from 3am on Monday 5 December 2022, sparking genuine fears of cash shortages over Christmas. The last time G4S Cash workers voted to strike; the Bank of England is thought to have pressured G4S into improving their offer because they the Bank’s insurer demands minimum staffing levels. G4S Cash, part of Allied International, originally offered members a part pay freeze, though have now tabled an offer of 4 per cent and lump sum bonus based on contracted hours read more
Three week Waverley bin strike starts today (3 Nov) – GMB, the union for refuse workers, have announced that their members working in refuse within the borough of Waverley will be taking three weeks of strike action, starting this morning [3 November]. The members, employed by the council’s waste contractor Biffa, rejected a pay deal this morning and immediately commenced the first day of picketing. The dispute centres around pay, with members unhappy with the pay offer their employer has made, which falls well below the current rate of inflation read more
Strike action to hit oil terminal – 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
Christmas beer drought fears as Budweiser workers strike – 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
Polyflor profits hit £52 million as struggling workers strike – 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 – 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
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 and was due to take place on November 16th but has been delayed again. This is an outrageous attack on the right of trade unions to strike, picket and protest. The NSSN sends our continued solidarity and support read more about Surry strike
Unison
Health workers in Northern Ireland need all our support (12 Dec) – This winter will bring more worry and stress for families struggling to pay their heating bills. UNISON is supporting members taking action because we’re determined to get more money into their pockets read more
Environment Agency staff start industrial action over pay, says UNISON (12 Dec) – Wages there have been held down for years. Thousands of Environment Agency workers in England will stop attending incidents such as floods, water pollution, spills, waste fires and fly-tipping in December and over Christmas, as they begin industrial action from today (Monday), says UNISON read more
Government can stop strikes and strengthen NHS if it makes an effort with pay (11 Dec) – Ministers would be best advised to concentrate on ending disputes. Responding to ministers’ comments about the government’s continuing refusal to talk to unions about health workers’ pay, UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said today (Sunday) read more
NEC hears plans for industrial action, plus new ballots (7 Dec) – Affected areas include the NHS, higher education and the Environment Agency. UNISON’s national executive council (NEC) met today and heard reports on the preparations for strike action, balloting and re-balloting across the union, as the third Conservative prime minister of the year shows little sign of improving the lives of working people read more
NHS workers in Northern Ireland prepare for strike action (6 Dec) – UNISON members, alongside those from Nipsa, have not received any pay award this year. UNISON members working in the NHS in Northern Ireland will be taking strike action on Monday 12 December in the ongoing battle for a pay rise. Health workers in Northern Ireland have received no pay rise at all for 2022-23 after the Democratic Unionist Party withdrew from the Stormont executive earlier this year in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the Brexit deal. The UNISON members will be joined by colleagues in the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa). Both unions began indefinite action short of a strike yesterday read more
Start talking to avert health strikes later this month (6 Dec) – Strike date announced for December 21 – but it’s not too late for ministers to talk. Ambulance crews working for five services in England – London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West – are to go on strike over pay and staffing on Wednesday 21 December, says their union UNISON today (Tuesday). The pre-Christmas date coincides with action being planned by two other unions – GMB and Unite – with members in ambulances services in England. The UNISON strike involving paramedics, emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians and other 999 crew members will run from midday to midnight. The ambulance workers are to be joined by nurses, porters, healthcare assistants, cleaners and other NHS workers at two Liverpool hospitals, who will also take action that day. The strike at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and Liverpool University Hospital starts at 07.30 on Wednesday 21 December and ends 24 hours later. UNISON is also about to begin reballoting around 13,000 NHS staff working for ten trusts and ambulance services where turnout in the recent strike vote fell just short of the threshold required by law. These ten NHS employers include all the remaining ambulance services in England – West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East Coast and South Central. In addition, staff working at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, London’s Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the North West-based Bridgewater Community Trust are being asked again to vote for strike action. UNISON members at NHS Blood and Transplant are also being reballoted read more
Environment Agency workers announce industrial action dates (29 Nov) – Action short of a strike will begin in December. UNISON members who protect communities during severe weather conditions will be taking part in industrial action from 12 December. Members in the Environment Agency (EA) will take continuous action, short of strike, from that date read more
Thousands of university workers strike again over wages (21 Nov) – Second wave of action for HE workers. Higher education staff will walk out from today (Monday) in a new wave of strikes over inadequate pay, says UNISON. Administrators, cleaners, library, security and catering workers – many of them among the lowest paid in the university sector – are among those taking industrial action. The employees are after a fair pay rise to help them cope with soaring prices. This follows several years where wages have failed to keep pace with inflation, the union says. For most of the 19 institutions affected, this is the second wave of industrial action this term. There has already been disruption at universities in England and Scotland, with a series of strikes in September and October. The university support staff rejected a 3% pay rise from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association back in May read more
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
Support striking care workers at St Monika Trust in Bristol – Care workers, registered nurses and residential home staff employed by Bristol-based St Monica Trust have been taking action 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
Time to Fight: Health Workers Strike Today (12 Dec) – Today, 12 December 2022, Health service workers across Northern Ireland are taking strike action for the first time since 2019. Tens of thousands of members of NIPSA, UNISON and GMB are involved in the action. All three unions have said that they are getting a very strong response to the strike call. Clinical, professional and administrative staff are involved in the strike. Measures have been put in place to ensure patients have not been put at risk. NIPSA Deputy General Secretary, Pádraig Mulholland, stated: “The health service heroes who fought the COVID pandemic are now fighting for the future of our health service. They know this is a fight we cannot afford to lose. Either we win or our health service will continue to degrade and be at the mercy of the money grabbing profiteers…” read more
Strike Action Monday 12 December Goes Ahead (9 Dec) – HSC Pay HSC Strike Action. Many of you will have seen the government’s announcement that they intend imposing the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body for Agenda for Change staff including £1,400 or 4% payable before the end of the financial year. While the addition of extra cash is welcome in members pockets, I would draw your attention to the Bulletin to members on 12 August 2022 and the decision taken to reject this Recommendation as it again amounts to a Pay Cut for members and since then the ever increasing Inflation rate has trebled, the Cost Of Living crisis deepens and Energy costs soar. This news from Government comes too late to assist members in the depth of winter and Christmas and has drawn an angry response from NIPSA members in the Health Service who are continuing to see their standard of living cut to pieces. While it is encouraging to see that this announcement comes as we begin our campaign of Industrial Action, it falls far short of the National Unions call for an “inflation busting” Pay Rise to address the underlying issues including the Cost of Living Crisis, Recruitment, retention and Low Morale in the NHS along with acknowledging the continued commitment of staff during the Pandemic read more
Fight for an Inflation Busting Pay Rise (9 Dec) – HSC Pay HSC Strike Action. The government’s announcement that they intend imposing a £1,400 pay settlement has drawn an angry response from NIPSA members in the health service who are continuing to see their standard of living cut to pieces. Patrick Mulholland, NIPSA Deputy General Secretary, stated: “The government has responded to our industrial action with a paltry pay settlement that would see a real terms pay cut for health service workers. This is missed an opportunity to properly address the pay and staffing crisis in the Northern Ireland health service. Their attempt to impose a below inflation pay settlement is an insult to the heroes who kept the health service on its feet through the COVID pandemic. On top of this shameful attack on health workers living standards, the government has completely failed to address the staffing crisis in our health service. Clearly they are not listening to the voices of the vast majority in society who want to defend and develop a properly resourced and publicly owned health service. Their actions only make NIPSA members even more determined to continue our fight for an inflation busting pay rise and safe staffing. Our action short of strike action will continue and our health service strike will go ahead on Monday. Patient safety remains very important for health staff who will take industrial action. Discussions are ongoing to ensure the employers take the necessary steps to protect patients during the dispute” read more
Health Strike Locations: Fight for an Inflation Busting Pay Rise
Health Service: Joint Trade Union Statement (5 Dec) – Health HSC Strike Action. UNISON and NIPSA members in all employment areas in the health service in Northern Ireland will begin action short of strike action from Monday 5 December. Health service wide strike action will take place on Monday 12 December. This is the first strike in the health service since 2019. A return to strike action is a reflection of the depth of the crisis in the health service. Health workers in Northern Ireland who have made enormous sacrifices during the COVID pandemic have not even received a 2022/23 pay offer from their employers. An effective and efficient health service cannot be based on driving down the living standards of staff some of whom who now rely on food banks. A decent pay rise is essential to maintain the stability of the workforce and retain staff read more
Unions react to news that the Education Authority faces £100 million cuts before April 2023 (8 Dec) – EA Pay. Trade Union Officials from NIPSA, UNISON, GMB and UNITE met with EA Senior Management on 5 December to receive a briefing on the budget position for the current financial year. Education Authority management confirmed that their projected overspend had reduced from £290m to £100m and had been advised that no further money would be available to address the funding gap of £100m. The Department of Education has instructed EA management to deliver proposals to make savings of £100m during the remaining 3 months of the current financial year read more
NICS Pay Update (6 Dec) – NICS Pay. The Civil Service Executive Committee met yesterday, 5 December, to consider the budget set by the Secretary of State. It is clear that the Westminster Government’s position is to continue its attack on workers. It is our expectation that we will have a very difficult pay round this year and anticipate a pay offer in the coming weeks. On that basis, I want to let you know that Executive Committee members will be getting in touch with Branches over the next short while to discuss and plan next steps read more
Joint local Pay Claim with NIHE (2 Dec) – NIHE Pay. (From Kim Graham Assistant Secretary) As you are aware, I submitted a Joint local Pay Claim with the NIHE on behalf of NIPSA and Unite in June. Due to the lack of meaningful progress on the key demands, and as explained in my previous circular of 13 October 2022, NIPSA and Unite have withdrawn from the Reward and Recognition Sub-Committee. Your trade union side negotiating team is currently engaging with your Employer in dispute resolution talks under the auspices of the LRA, together with our sister union Unite. A further such meeting is scheduled to take place next Thursday. The NIPSA Central Panel met today to discuss how to progress the Claim. The Panel has agreed that should the pay talks not progress meaningfully, or if the talks break down, NIPSA is mandated to undertake a ballot of members in the NIHE for Industrial Action. Further information will be shared as this matter develops read more
Royal College of Nursing
Start formal NHS pay negotiations now, demands RCN, as new report shows UK nursing staff are worse off than their European counterparts (8 Dec) – Health Secretary Steve Barclay can still stop imminent strikes if he chooses to value nursing staff and pay them fairly read more
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff (7 Dec) – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
NHS pay dispute: first nursing strike dates announced (25 Nov) – RCN members will strike on 15 and 20 December at employers across England, Northern Ireland and Wales after the UK government rejected our offer of formal negotiations. Our first phase of strike action will take place on Thursday 15 and Tuesday 20 December after the UK government turned down our offer of formal, detailed negotiations as an alternative to strikes. The strikes will happen in England, Northern Ireland and Wales with a list of employers where strike action will take place announced next week. Strike action will happen in phases, meaning more strike dates could be announced after initial action in December, if governments fail to enter into formal negotiations. They have the power and means to stop strikes at any point but have chosen to go down this route. Not all members at employers where there is a mandate to strike will be called to strike on these first two dates. Phase one could be just the beginning of a longer period of strike action. The announcement of strike dates follows the result of our recent ballot in which members at the majority of NHS employers across the UK voted to strike. The dispute is over pay, but also patient safety. Staffing levels are so low that patient care is being compromised. Only by paying nursing staff fairly will we recruit and retain people in our profession read more
RCN announces what NHS services will be exempt from nursing strike action this December (2 Dec) – Chemotherapy, dialysis, critical care units (for example ITU/HDU), neonatal and paediatric intensive care units are the services exempt from strike action later this month read more
NHS pay dispute: December strike locations confirmed (30 Nov) – Up to 100,000 nursing staff will take part in strikes in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. RCN members working for NHS employers in England will strike at half the locations where the legal mandate for strike action was secured earlier this month. The number of employers affected will increase in January unless formal negotiations with the UK government are held. There will be strike action throughout Northern Ireland and at all but one NHS employer in Wales. The strikes will take place on Thursday 15 and Tuesday 20 December with the same employers affected on both days. See the full list of employers affected read more
Scottish government returns to pay negotiations with RCN to avoid nursing strikes (18 Nov) – The RCN has paused formal announcement of strike action in Scotland as the Scottish government has agreed to return to the negotiating table on NHS nursing staff pay read more
Royal College of Midwives
‘This changes nothing’ says RCM as 4% pay award implemented in Northern Ireland (9 Dec) – The inadequate pay award for midwives, maternity supports workers (MSW), and their HSC colleagues will do nothing to reduce their frustration. That’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) responding to the announcement that the 4% pay award for HSC staff is to be implemented in Northern Ireland. The RCM – who represent most midwives and MSWs in Northern Ireland – consulted its members on the pay offer last month. Nearly 90% said they would be prepared to take industrial action if the current NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations of a 4% pay award were implemented read more
RCM to consult its members on the latest Scottish Government pay offer (1 Dec) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is consulting its members in Scotland on the latest Scottish Government pay offer made late last week. The RCM online consultation opens today and closes on 15 December. The RCM – which represents most midwives and also maternity support workers (MSWs) in Scotland – says while the latest offer is an improvement on the last, it falls far short of what was asked. This is especially the case for those skilled and experienced midwives on higher pay bands who are the backbone of maternity care in Scotland read more
RCM urges midwives to vote yes to industrial action as England and Wales pay ballot opens (11 Nov) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has today launched only its second ballot on industrial action in England and its first in Wales in its142 year history. The College, which represents most midwives and also maternity support workers (MSWs) in the UK, is calling on its members to vote yes to industrial action over pay. The RCM’s 30,000 eligible members working in the NHS in England and Wales will be asked two questions: whether they are prepared to take industrial action short of a strike, and whether they are prepared to take strike action. The postal ballot is due to close at midday on 12 December. The move comes after a consultation which saw RCM members overwhelmingly reject the Westminster and Wales Governments’ below-inflation 4% pay award. 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 read more
BMA
BMA Junior Doctors national strike ballot on pay will start on January 9 2023 in England. Keep up to date via @BMA_JuniorDocs on twitter
NEU
NEU announces dates of formal ballots over pay – NEU writes to employers with notification of intention to carry out national ballots. Today (18 Oct) 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. 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
NASUWT
Scotland teachers strike over pay (6 Dec) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in Scotland will take strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday over the failure to offer teachers a fair and decent pay award. A typical teacher in Scotland is almost £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay failing to keep pace with inflation since 2010, a loss which will be further compounded by the current below-inflation pay offer. The NASUWT is calling for a fully funded 12% pay award for 2022/23. Following the strike action, NASUWT members will begin a programme of ongoing action short of strike action from 9 December read more
IOM teachers begin strike action (29 Nov) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in the Isle of Man will begin a programme of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday in an escalation of the ongoing dispute over pay, workload and working practices. Teachers in the Isle of Man have experienced a 30% real-terms cut to their pay since 2010, a loss which will be further exacerbated by the current below-inflation pay award which is being imposed on teachers despite its overwhelming rejection by NASUWT members. The NASUWT is calling for a multi-year fully funded pay offer that begins to address the real-terms historic erosion of pay. In addition, the NASUWT has put forward proposals to address the workload and working practices issues that are dogging the profession. However, despite our best attempts to negotiate with the DESC, the lack of sufficient progress has left teachers with no choice other than to escalate industrial action read more
Further industrial action at Glasgow school over failure to protect teachers from abuse (28 Nov) – Further strike action by members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Bannerman High School in Glasgow will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) after talks with Glasgow City Council failed to make sufficient progress in addressing violent and abusive pupil behaviour, amid continuing threats to withhold pay from some members. The NASUWT has been in negotiations with Glasgow City Council in a bid to resolve the dispute. While some progress has been made to identify appropriate safeguards to address risks to the health and safety of employees, the employer is still threatening to send staff home without pay if they refuse to stay in a classroom with a pupil who is threatening their safety. Strike action is planned for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, with a further eight days planned during December. This follows an initial day of strike action last Thursday (24th November) read more
Ballot opens on industrial action over teachers’ pay – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is today (27 Oct) 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
Teacher strikes send an “embarrassing lesson” to the Scottish Government on fair pay (8 Dec) – The EIS General Secretary has said that the Scottish Government is being given an “embarrassing lesson” by the first national teachers strikes on pay since the time of the Thatcher government read more
EIS Supporting STUC ‘Scotland Demands Better’ mass Lobby at Scottish Parliament (8 Dec) – The EIS, will be supporting the Scottish Trade Unions Congress (STUC) Mass Lobby of Parliament today. The event in support of the People’s Plan of Action follows the recent publication of the STUC report Scotland Demands Better: Fairer taxes for a fairer future which highlights how progressive tax reform could raise an additional £3.3Billion by 2026, including £1.3Billion of tax reforms by April 2023 to help fund public services and public sector pay read more
Teaching Unions Unanimously Reject Divisive Pay Offer from Scottish Government and COSLA (30 Nov) – Trade unions representing Scotland’s teachers have issued a formal unanimous rejection of the latest ‘revised’ pay offer from the Scottish Government and COSLA. The differentiated 5% offer which was presented by the Scottish Government and COSLA represented no real improvement on their previous offer, which was rejected by teaching unions three months ago read more
EIS Announces 16 New Strike Dates for Teachers as Dispute over 5% Pay Offer Intensifies (25 Nov) – The EIS has announced an additional sixteen days of strike action in schools across Scotland, as a dispute over a sub-inflationary 5% pay offer for teachers intensifies. Yesterday, in the first day of national pay strike action by teachers in four decades, EIS members were on the picket lines as the strike led to the closure of every state school on mainland Scotland read more
UCU
UCU statement on pay negotiations (2 Dec) – The joint university unions (UCU, Unison, Unite, GMB, and EIS) met with representatives of the employers on Wednesday read more
Staff at Truro & Penwith College begin six days of strike action today in pay dispute (1 Dec) – Staff at Truro & Penwith College were on picket lines today pressuring management to begin meaningful negotiations in a long running dispute over low pay. Today’s strike is the first of six extra days of action being taken because management is refusing to negotiate with UCU officials read more
Staff to strike at Barnet & Southgate College (1 Dec) – UCU today confirmed Barnet and Southgate College will be hit with two days of strike action later this month in an ongoing dispute over low pay. UCU members at the college will walk out on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December. The industrial action follows a ballot in which 98% of those that voted called for strike action. Staff have already taken three days of action in October in the dispute over management’s paltry 2% pay award for the previous two financial years (1% 2020/21 and 1% 2021/22). Inflation is currently at 14.2% and UCU is demanding a significant uplift to help staff meet the cost of living crisis read more
Staff to strike at University of Sheffield International College (25 Nov) – UCU has today announced that members at the University of Sheffield International College will take three days of strike action from Monday 28 November in a long running dispute over low pay. The action will be the first ever strike to take place in a privatised higher education provider. The full days of strike action are: Monday 28 November, Tuesday 29 November, Wednesday 30 November. Staff will be picketing all main entrances on each day of strike action. Staff will also work to rule from Thursday 1 December, which includes working strictly to their contracted hours, refusing to make up work lost as a result of strike action and refusing to cover for absent colleagues read more
Biggest picket lines ever on university campuses across the UK (24 Nov) – Commenting on today’s strike action, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘Today’s picket lines are huge. 70,000 university staff have turned out like never before, defying bullying tactics from management to show they will no longer accept falling pay, pension cuts, brutal workloads and gig-economy working conditions. If vice-chancellors doubted the determination of university staff to save our sector then today has been a rude awakening for them. ‘We have been overwhelmed by the support of thousands of students who have joined us on the picket lines. They recognise that vice-chancellors are wrecking the sector for staff and students alike and are determined to stand with us and fix it read more
Furness College staff to strike over low pay (23 Nov) – UCU has today announced three days of strike action at Furness College. Staff will walkout on Tuesday 6 December, Wednesday 7 December and Thursday 15 December following the results of the ballot in which 85% of those who voted said yes to strike action. Members will also be engaging in action short of strike action from 8 December until 13 May 2023, this could include not doing additional work or covering for absent colleagues. The action come after the employer offered a pay award of just 2.5% alongside a one off payment of £750 for those earning less than £25k and £500 for those who earn more. RPI is currently at 14.2% so the award means staff pay has fallen dramatically behind inflation. UCU is demanding an increase of at least 10% to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis read more
Staff to strike at Darlington College (21 Nov) – UCU has today announced three days of strike action at Darlington College. Staff will walkout on Tuesday 6 December, Wednesday 7 December and Monday 12 December following the results of the ballot in which 95% of those that voted said yes to strike action. The strikes come after the employer imposed a pay award of just 1% alongside a one off payment of £250. RPI is currently at 12.6% so the award means staff pay has fallen dramatically behind inflation. UCU is demanding a pay award of at least 10% to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis. Staff at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, recently won a deal worth 9.2% for the majority of college lecturers read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Over two thousand firefighters and control staff rally in Westminster (7 Dec) – On 6 December, over 2,000 firefighters and control staff from across the UK assembled in Westminster to protest low pay after their strike ballot opened yesterday. Extraordinary scenes saw speechmakers including MPs speaking to a packed Methodist Central Hall and hundreds of firefighters and control staff gathered outside in an overflow area. MPs including Zarah Sultana and Jeremy Corbyn addressed the crowds, as well as FBU general secretary Matt Wrack and several FBU officials and members. After the rally firefighters and control staff marched to Parliament to lobby their MPs on the issue of pay read more
FBU strike ballot opens (5 Dec) – A strike ballot for firefighters and control staff opens today Monday 5th December. Firefighters and control staff are being balloted on potential strike action on a “derisory” 5% pay offer. That pay offer had recently been rejected by FBU members in a consultative ballot by 79% on a 78% turnout. Annual CPI inflation currently stands at 11.1%. Due to restrictive anti-trade union laws the ballot will be a postal ballot only. If you’re an FBU member and your postal address has changed or you think it might be wrong, it is vital that you contact [email protected] as soon as possible read more
Merseyside firefighters, control staff and Green Book staff vote for Action Short of Strike (14 Nov) – Merseyside firefighters, control staff and green book staff (non-uniformed staff) have “overwhelmingly” voted to take action short of strike in relation to a host of issues in Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. The percentage of those voting who voted “Yes” to Action Short of Strike is 88.06%. The action short of strike will consist of a refusal to undertake pre-arranged overtime, beginning no earlier than Thursday 1st December 2022 and potentially lasting for 6 months. The ballot comes after a serious break down in industrial relations between Merseyside Fire Brigades Union and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority and the failure to reach agreement on several issues read more
BFAWU
Trade Union Coordinating Group “Fair Pay Now” pamphlet read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
IFJ records 67 killings of journalists and media staff (12 Dec) – New figures released by the International Federation of Journalists reveal an increase in the number of journalists murdered while undertaking their work. The rise in deaths marks a shift from recent years where a decline in figures had been recorded. 47 journalists and media workers were killed in 2021, compared to 67 this year read more
#FreeAssangeNOW campaign (7 Dec) – The union has renewed calls for the release of Julian Assange and for an end to extradition efforts by the United States government. Assange faces 175 years in prison if he is convicted of offences, several of which relate to the Espionage Act. He is accused of publishing classified information including documents exposing US military involvement in crimes. The NUJ has condemned his pursuit by US authorities and echo concerns by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) about the chilling effect Assange’s extradition will have on all journalists. NUJ members can support the IFJ’s campaign by raising awareness on Twitter with #FreeAssangeNOW read more
Prospect
Prospect members in public services move to strike ballot after overwhelming indicative vote (7 Dec) – Prospect members in the civil service and its agencies have indicated in strong terms that they support industrial action over pay (and the Cabinet Office “cap” of 3% on pay offers), threats of job losses and a proposed cut to redundancy terms read more
Equity
Sign and share this petition to reinstate the English National Opera (ENO) funding and lobby your MP to back our industries and their workforce
IWGB
Emergency support measures demanded by North Yorkshire foster carers forced into poverty by cuts and cost of living crisis (8 Dec) – Over 120 North Yorkshire foster care workers have written to Cllr Janet Sanderson, the Executive Member for Children’s Services, and Stuart Carlton, the Director of Children’s Services, to demand urgent emergency measures to improve conditions for fostered children. Their petition demands include an emergency increase in allowances in line with inflation, free school meals and recognition for their union, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) read more
Follow updates on UCL strike by following @IWGBunion on twitter
UCL breaks commitment to equal terms and a living wage for all, bringing in agency workers to undermine the ongoing strike by IWGB workers (15 Nov) – The ongoing strike followed a unanimous ballot for industrial action by hundreds of outsourced security workers from the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) demanding £15/hour, union recognition and an end to outsourcing where they work at University College London (UCL). Over 150 people attended the picket line yesterday, which begins again today at 6am at the entrance to UCL on Malet Place, followed by a protest with guest speakers including Owen Jones and John McDonnell MP from 8.15am. On the morning of Friday 11 November, a few days before industrial action was due to begin, UCL security staff woke to find their overtime shifts for the following days and weeks had been cancelled without explanation. Further enquiries revealed that the directive came from Bidvest Noonan’s managing director, Sarah Cork, and that Bidvest Noonan workers at UCL have been stripped of all overtime shifts, which for some amounts to as much as a one third cut to their monthly take home pay. The base £15/hour rate demanded for all outsourced workers is equivalent to the wage of security staff over twenty two years ago, before outsourcing was introduced read more
UVW
Going home for Christmas: don’t let them stop you! (9 Dec) – “My supervisor told me: ‘We all lie to get out of here’. That was what hurt me most. My mum was dying and I just wanted to say goodbye and that she’d be able to meet her grandchildren. I wasn’t lying. I told myself: This won’t stay like this” – Maribel Garcia Torrico, migrant cleaner and UVW member. Maribel works as an outsourced cleaner for a services company in London. After the summer she told her supervisors she wanted to take a three-week holiday to visit her terminally-ill mum in Bolivia over the Christmas period. When her bosses denied her request for leave, she fought for her right to travel on her own terms and won read more
Migrant cleaners at Mercedes-Benzes luxury car showroom to ballot for strike action over poverty wages (9 Dec) – “It’s £13 an hour or strike! There’s no other option for us because the current situation is so dire and the cost of living crisis is only going to get worse… We are not asking for anything extraordinary, we are asking for a very reasonable increase, affordable and fair” – José, cleaner and UVW member. Migrant cleaners working at the Mercedes-Benz showroom in Dartford have had enough of earning poverty wages. They will be balloted for strike action during Christmas with a view to strike early next year for a 30% pay rise. The luxury car giant reported a whopping net profit of €23.4 billion for 2021 while their cleaning contractors pay migrant workers pitiful wages read more
Other news
‘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
TRADE UNION DISPUTES SOLIDARITY RALLY – WALTHAM FOREST
Venue: William Morris Community Centre, 6-8 Greenleaf Road E17 6QQ
Date: 13 December 2022 Time: 7.00pm
Hundreds of thousands of workers including nurses, higher education workers and civil servants have voted to strike over pay. They are joining rail workers and post workers who have been taking strike action for some months. Teachers and more health workers could be joining them shortly. Waltham Forest Trades Council is holding a solidarity rally so the public and supporters can hear from striking workers themselves about what they are fighting for and how we can help them win and beat the cost of living crisis. The rally is hybrid so people can attend in person or on line (bit.ly/WFTC-Solidarity).
Speakers include: Nathan Wallace RMT Central Line East, Paul Phillips Waltham Forest NEU, Len Hockey Unite Barts Hospital Trust, Jordan Rivera UNISON Homerton Hospital, Speakers also invited from CWU, ASLEF and UCU
NSSN NHS strikes rallies – Bedford Street North shields: 1pm Saturday December 17th Facebook event
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
Hi All – Thanks for your continuing support for Trade Union Education at The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (Conel). Please find attached some courses were have advertised for next term and beyond. All courses are advertised in the https://www.tuc.org.uk/TUCcoursesAs.
Couple of updates:-
- Employment law diploma is now full for Jan 2023.
- Cert in employment law have moved it to classroom.
Seasons Greetings
Best Regards
Jonathan Jeffries
PS If you need any ICT courses contact [email protected]. We also do bespoke courses for trade unions
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. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.
Diary
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
