(From RCN website) RCN members vote to reject NHS pay offer for nursing staff in England (14 Apr) – We’re seeking an urgent re-opening of pay talks with the UK government and planning a new 48-hour strike from 8pm on 30 April without derogations.
The results of the RCN’s consultation on the revised NHS pay offer for nursing staff in England have been announced:-
- 61% of eligible members voted
- 46% voted to accept the offer
- 54% voted to reject the offer
We’ve written to the Health Secretary to seek an urgent re-opening of pay talks with the UK government and are organising a 48-hour strike with no derogations (exemptions from strike action) from 8pm on 30 April to 8pm on 2 May. This is within our current mandate to strike, which covers the 2022-23 pay year only. A full list of employers where strike action is called can be found on our strike hub. We’ll also conduct an England-wide statutory ballot to extend the scope and duration of our current mandate for strike action read more
Rank and file groups of nurses campaigned for a reject vote. ‘NHS Workers Say NO’ has produced a statement after the ballot result
UNISON health workers vote to accept NHS pay offer (14 Apr)
Support the BMA Junior Doctors after 4-day strike
Junior Doctors took their second round of strikes last week – they held a 96 hour walk out of all junior doctors in England in order to achieve a full pay restoration read more
To keep up to date with the strike action, including demonstrations and rallies, follow BMA Junior Doctors website and twitter @BMA_JuniorDocs #JuniorDoctorsStrike #PayRestoration #SaveOurNHS
HCSA
HCSA junior doctors in Scotland move to ballot for strike (31 Mar) – HCSA, the hospital doctors’ union, has announced a formal ballot on strike action over pay for junior doctor members in Scotland. Junior doctors in Scotland have faced pay erosion representing real-terms pay cuts of 23.5% since 2008. At a time of escalating inflation, the pay award for 2022-23 of 4.5% served only to worsen the outlook for junior doctors. The ballot will open on Friday 14th April and close on Friday 5th May read more
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site
Protest: Thursday 20th April 1pm Cargill site, The Dock Road, Bootle L20 8DF read more about Lee’s case
Support the ‘Murphy 4’ – Support the campaign to secure the reinstatement of four Unite members, including a shop steward, dismissed by the Murphy group’s Irish subsidiary on what Unite members believe to be spurious grounds read more
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up – Council staff staged a protest outside Hackney Town Hall after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, were handed compulsory redundancy notices. The protest by Hackney Unison on Wednesday 15 March was also held to support striking teachers, junior doctors and Tube staff. It followed several days of strike action by Unite and Unison library workers after the council unveiled a shake-up of library services which will see 19 jobs go. Hackney Unison said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website
This year’s NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 24th June in Conway Hall, London 11am-4.30pm
GMB Officer Gary Palmer from the victorious #GMBThree is speaking at NSSN Conference Case against ‘GMB Three’ collapses
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
Railway cleaners start two day national strike action (13 Apr) – Hundreds of contracted out cleaners working on trains across the country will take strike action on Friday and Saturday this week. RMT members working as cleaners for the likes of Churchill, Bidvest Noonan, and Atalian Servest are demanding £15 an hour, company sick pay, decent holidays and good pensions from contractors who are raking in profits worth millions of pounds. The train companies that will be affected are Avanti West Coast, GWR, Northern, GTR and South East Trains. Cleaners working on the Network Rail High Speed contract will also be taking part in the stoppage. The union is determined to see justice done for contracted out cleaners, who are some of the most exploited railway workers in the country read more
RMT welcomes public transport and climate report (12 Apr) – RMT responds to TUC transport and climate change report. Responding to the TUC Public Transport for the Climate Emergency report, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This is a welcome report that shows investing in public transport is not only vital for fighting climate change but that it will deliver significant economic and social benefits for everyone. The government – in league with private transport operators, are ideologically committed to securing the maximum profit for shareholders. This approach is leading to the managed decline of rail and bus services across the country…” read more
Mick Lynch: Vote YES in the reballot (11 Apr) – A video message from Mick Lynch for all members involved in the National Rail Dispute read more
RMT update on national dispute with 14 train operators (6 Apr) – The union has had several meetings with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) since we suspended our strike action on the 14 train operators, following a proposal made to us on March 22nd. These meetings were to further discuss the issues of the dispute – in particular Year 2 of the proposal that led to the suspension of strikes and the process of workforce reform. However, no new document has been produced by the employer. Members are rightly frustrated by this, and the Tory government is once again absent when it comes to giving the RDG the mandate to produce a new document. The RDG have agreed to write to us in due course and we will be meeting them next week. While negotiations continue, we remain in dispute and resolute in our determination to win a further mandate for strike action in the upcoming re-ballot. Be in no doubt, if further strikes are needed, RMT will not hesitate to act to ensure a negotiated settlement on jobs, pay and working conditions. Notes: Re-ballot papers for a further 6-month strike mandate go out today with a closing date of May 4 read more
RMT’s victory on TfL travel passes for sub-contracted cleaners – passes issued from now (3 Apr) – RMT’s victory on TfL travel passes for sub-contracted cleaners – passes issued from now read more
ISS workers in weekend walkout on DLR (31 Mar) – Contracted out staff working for ISS on the Docklands Light Railway will take 48 hours strike action this weekend. Revenue protection, cleaners, security and travel safe staff will walk out after rejecting an insulting pay offer of 1.8%. RMT which represents the workers have highlighted the fact ISS staff on the DLR are underpaid compared to others on TfL performing equivalent roles. On top of poor pay, ISS staff have so far not been told whether they will get access to the free travel facility. This is despite the fact London Mayor Sadiq Khan having already promised all contracted out staff would get free travel across TfL read more
London Cable Car strike announced (27 Mar) – The National Executive Committee congratulated all members for returning this magnificent ballot result and having noted a report received from the Lead Officer, the NEC took the decision to instruct all members to take strike action and not to book on for any shifts that commence between: 00:01 hours on Friday 7th April 2023 and 23:59 hours on Monday 10th April 2023 read more
Action short announced on Edgware Road and Ladbroke Grove Areas (27 Mar) – Further to my previous Circular (IR/052/23. 28th February 2023), a resolution has been received from our Hammersmith & City Branch, regarding the imposition of new rosters. The Company has not properly consulted our Reps over these rosters which are unworkable, and members wish to fight back against the detrimental effect these cuts will have, including on their work/life balance. The National Executive Committee has thanked the Branch for its resolution and taken the decision to instruct:
All Station Grades members (Area Managers, Customer Service Assistants, Customer Service Supervisors, Customer Service Managers) on the Edgware Road and Ladbroke Grove Areas not to work any overtime or rest day working from 00.01 hours Wednesday 5th April 2023 to 23:59 hours on Wednesday 19th April 2023 read more
Balfour Beatty engineers take strike action after profits boast (17 Mar) – RMT members working in engineering for Balfour Beatty will take strike action tonight in a row over pay. It will be the third 36-hour stoppage after members rejected the company’s 5.5% pay offer from April 2022. Balfour Beatty has just released its latest financial information from last year which shows huge profits and dividends for shareholders…Strike action will begin at 10pm on 17 March and end 9.59am Sunday 19 March read more
Tube strike shuts London Underground (15 Mar) – Over 10,000 RMT members have today shut London Underground in a strike over pensions, job cuts and attacks on working conditions. The job losses planned will affect every aspect of the tube including stations and maintenance, leading to the likelihood of more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards. Workers from across London Underground set up picket lines across most major tube stations, ensuring that London Underground was completely shutdown. RMT joins several unions taking strike action today across the economy on a variety of industrial matters, including better pay, good working conditions and job security. The union wrote to London Mayor Sadiq Khan yesterday outlining how job cuts must be halted and that safety of the travelling public was foremost in tube workers minds read more
TSSA
TSSA backs report into climate change and public transport (11 Apr) – Peter Pendle, a middle aged bald white man with glasses stands, speaking behind a table with other people sitting at it. The audience faces him and we can see the backs of their heads. Also sitting at the table are Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, Mick Whelan, leader of ASLEF an Mick Lynch leader of RMT. TSSA has backed a new report by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) which calls for a radical increase in government spending on public transport across England and Wales to tackle the climate emergency read more
TSSA marks Belly Mujinga anniversary (5 Apr) – TSSA is marking three years since our member Belly Mujinga died from coronavirus and is calling for greater focus on health and safety for workers. Belly worked at Victoria station in central London and was one of the first front-line workers to die of the virus, which went on to take the lives of many more colleagues across rail, transport and the wider country. Belly had reported being coughed and spat at by a member of the public on the concourse at Victoria station and was frightened that this was how she contracted the deadly virus. Belly had underlying health problems and sadly died on 5 April 2020 at Barnet hospital. She was 47 years old and left behind her young daughter, Ingrid, and devoted husband, Lusamba. Belly’s story touched the world, becoming an international news story, and Belly’s name was displayed in Black Lives Matter demonstrations later that year. A petition seeking justice for Belly drew more than two million signatures, and her death was commented on by the Prime Minister, Labour leader and many politicians and activists read more
Unite
DEMONSTRATION: don’t raise the state pension age – 68 is too late! Tuesday 2nd May at 2pm, by the Houses of Parliament on College Green, SW1P 3JY – The state pension age is due to be reviewed in the next Parliament. With a general election just around the corner, it is crucial we show politicians that we will not allow our state pension to be raided to pay for their mistakes. 68 is too late! Please sign the petition below and join the demonstration on Tuesday 2nd May. Workers create the wealth in our society, and we deserve a share of that wealth in our old age. Sign the petition here
TotalEnergies latest offshore workers balloted on strike action (14 Apr) – Unite the union announced today (14 April) that offshore workers employed by TotalEnergies are being balloted on strike action. Around 70 Unite members based on the Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms along with the Shetland Gas Plant are being balloted on strike action as part of a ‘tsunami’ of industrial unrest in the offshore sector. The latest dispute centres on the pay claim for 2023, and a reduction in the days worked offshore. Unite is spearheading the campaign to secure a better work and life balance for offshore members. The ballot covering Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn is currently open while the ballot covering the Shetland Gas Plant opens on 19 April. Both ballots close on 5 May… Unite last week announced that 1350 offshore workers across five companies will take strike action starting on 24 April until 26 April. Unite predicts the coordinated strike action will bring platforms and the offshore installations of major oil and gas operators to a ‘standstill’. The corporations to be hit by the action include BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour Energy, Ithaca, Shell and Total read more
Unite announces major 48-hour stoppage as ‘tsunami’ of industrial action set to hit oil and gas operators in massive pay dispute (7 Apr) – 1350 offshore workers predicted to bring dozens of platforms to a ‘standstill’ including BP, Shell and Total assets. Unite the union today (7 April) announced an unprecedented 48-hour major stoppage as part of a ‘tsunami’ of industrial unrest in the offshore sector. 1350 offshore workers across five companies will take strike action to demand a better deal on jobs, pay and conditions. The trade union predicts the strike action starting on 24 April until 26 April will bring platforms and the offshore installations of major oil and gas operators to a ‘standstill’. The corporations to be hit by the action include BP, CNRI, EnQuest, Harbour Energy, Ithaca, Shell and Total read more
Sparrows contractors begin ‘tsunami’ of offshore strike action over pay (3 Apr) – Dozens of platforms and operators to be hit including Shell and Harbour Energy. Unite the union confirmed today (Monday, 3 April) that around 150 Sparrows Offshore Services contractors will start strike action from Wednesday (5 April). A series of stoppages will continue up to 9 June by Sparrows contractors in a dispute over pay which will hit more than 20 oil and gas platforms. 95.5 per cent of Unite members previously voted to take strike action on a 75 per cent turnout. The strike action will hit a number of major operators including Apache, Shell, and Harbour Energy.The workers include offshore Crane Operatives, Crane Maintainers, Lifting Personnel and Deck Crew. The strike action involves Sparrows’ ‘Flying Squad’ who provide maintenance support across all installations with no set platform
Tesco accused of ‘rampant profiteering’ as ‘obscene’ profits published (13 Apr) – Tesco has a 27 per cent share of the UK supermarket sector which makes it Britain’s biggest supermarket. This year’s figures were announced today by the stock exchange. Although down on last year’s record total of £2 billion pre-tax profits, today’s figures nonetheless mean that in the last two years Britain’s most important food retailer has gouged out profits from its customers totalling £3 billion read more
Saica paper workers in Manchester to strike in pay dispute (12 Apr) – Workers employed at Saica Paper UK Ltd in Manchester are to begin industrial action this month in a dispute over pay. The 40 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed in production roles at the Manchester Road factory. The company produces 100 per cent recycled paper for corrugated cardboard. The workers recorded a 97 per cent vote in favour of strike action, having rejected a below inflation pay offer. They were offered a 9.5 per cent pay increase which is in itself a real terms pay cut with the inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 13.8 per cent. To make matters worse workers on average only received 6.5 per cent of the offer as a consolidated increase (permanent pay) with the rest being a one off lump sum payment…An initial series of six 12 and 24 hour strikes have been called for 21, 25 and 29 April, followed by 1, 5, 8 May read more
Dagenham Ford plant facing standstill as Lineside Logistics workers ballot for strikes over pay (12 Apr) – Workers employed by Lineside Logistics based at Ford’s engine plant in Dagenham are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The ballot for industrial action began this week and closes on Tuesday 2 May. If the 120 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, vote for industrial action then strikes could begin next month. The workforce has rejected a pay offer of 7.5 per cent which is in reality a substantial real terms pay cut with the real inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 13.8 per cent read more
Construction blacklisting: Evidence sought in union officials’ collusion inquiry (11 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is stepping up its search for information into the possible collusion by trade union officials into the blacklisting of construction workers. In April 2022 Unite established an independent inquiry into allegations that some union officials may have colluded with the blacklisting of construction workers. Unite has instructed a legal team of Nick Randall KC (Matrix Chambers), John Carl Townsend (33 Chancery Lane Chambers) and Paul Heron from (Public Interest Law Centre), to examine and investigate whether any union officials from Unite or its predecessor unions (T&G, UCATT, Amicus, AEEU or MSF), were involved in the blacklisting of construction workers. The inquiry is now entering its next stage and an online portal has been launched to allow anyone who has any information relating to the inquiry to submit information read more
Mahle Engine Systems workers to vote on strike action (11 Apr) – Unite blames ‘mismanagement’ over failure to apply ‘top-up’ to entire workforce. Unite the union confirmed today (Tuesday 11 April) that over 120 members based at Mahle Engine Systems are to vote on strike action in a dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The dispute relates to pay discrepancies at the plant after management failed to apply a supplementary ‘top-up’ to the entire workforce in addition to a 3.4 per cent increase agreed for January 2023. Unite is demanding that the ‘top-up’, which equates to 6.8 per cent on top of the January increase, be applied to all workers across the plant. The union has also accused Mahle of acting outside the collective bargaining arrangements. The ballot opens today (11 April) and closes on 25 April read more
Rosyth dockyard workers to strike for 12 weeks threatening Type 31 Frigate contract (7 Apr) – 100 Kaefer contractors to down tools in pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (7 April) that around 100 members employed by construction contractor Kaefer Limited are set to take 12 weeks all-out strike action at the Rosyth dockyard. The Kaefer workers, which includes painters, cleaners, scaffolders and support service staff, are set to take the strike action from 17 April up to 10 July. Unite claims the strike action will directly threaten progress on the Type 31 frigates contract. Unite members emphatically supported strike action by 98.4 per cent over the failure by Kaefer to make a formal pay offer. The company following the strike vote made a 7.2 per cent pay offer which has been rejected by the workforce. Inflation currently stands at a forty-five year high of 13.8 per cent (RPI) read more
Newry Mourne and Down council services to be heavily impacted by industrial action from April 10th (6 Apr) – Members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU commence work-to-rule from Monday 10th April, to be joined by Unite from 12th April. Industrial action by members of all four trade unions at council proceeds after management renege on commitment to partnership-based job evaluation process. Trade unions at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council confirmed that industrial action is to commence at the local authority body. The action is set to commence with a work-to-rule by members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU on Monday April 10th with members of Unite the union joining the action from April 12th. The unions have warned that the industrial action, although confined to a ‘work-to-rule’ at this stage, is likely to result in significant impact to council services including those at leisure centres and with bin collections. The industrial dispute proceeds after members of all four unions voted for both strike action and action short of strike action in ballots. The dispute centres on attempts by management to ditch an earlier commitment reached in 2021 to a partnership-based approach for job evaluations. Management are also seeking to remove allowances for new staff members – creating a two-tier workforce. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is one of the last councils to meaningful engage with trade unions in the RPA process – despite the new councils coming into being 8 years ago. The work-to-rule will see workers refuse to take on overtime, tasks outside their job description, providing absentee cover or using their own vehicles for work purposes read more
Unite blames “astonishing management indifference” for a month-long strike at St Mungo’s (6 Apr) – Workers at the homeless charity are struggling to pay the rent but bosses haven’t resolved a pay dispute going back to 2021. 93% voted for strike action at St Mungo’s – strike begins on Monday 24 April. Dedicated charity workers who are on the streets helping the homeless every night have been left with no other choice but to take strike action. “Workers are at the end of their tether”. The homeless charity still hasn’t resolved a pay dispute going back to 2021 in the midst of falling pay and a cost of living crisis. The workers are fed up with highly paid management at top of their homeless charity while at the bottom they struggle to make ends meet. The four week strike starts on Monday 24 April 2023 and ends on 21 May 2023. Unite balloted over 500 workers across southern England including in London, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford, Bournemouth and Reading read more
Heathrow strikes go ahead as last-ditch talks fail (30 Mar) – Ten days of strikes involving over 1,400 security officers at Heathrow Airport will go ahead as planned from tomorrow (Friday 31 March) as last-ditch talks held today (Thursday) failed to resolve the current pay dispute. The talks broke down because Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) failed to substantially improve its pay offer and was only prepared to offer a lump sum payment as an addition to the current offer. This is in stark contrast to the remuneration of the Chief Executive, John Holland-Kaye. The latest HAL accounts show that between 2020 and 2021 his pay soared from £800,000 to £1.5 million pa – up an astonishing 88 per cent. The current average salary of a Heathrow security guard, working endless shifts, is £30,000. This is made up of a basic £26,000, after three years experience, with a £4,000 shift allowance. That’s down 24 per cent in real terms since 2017 read more
Strike by over 300 Dundee City Council trades workers goes ahead (3 Apr) – Dispute over outsourcing and management failures. Unite the union can confirm today (3 April) that strike action by over 300 trades workers at Dundee City Council will go ahead tomorrow. All-out strike action is set to begin on 4 April for three weeks until 28 April, and then it will be followed by rounds of daily action until 23 June (see notes to editor). The dispute is centred on claims that public contracts to private contractors are being prepared for outsourcing by Dundee City Council read more
Pay strikes by Harlow housing repair and grounds workers intensify (28 Mar) – Staff at council-owned company paid less than other workers doing same job. Pay strikes by over 300 staff responsible for Harlow council’s housing stock and the cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and buildings are to intensify, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers, who are employed by HTS, which is wholly owned by Harlow district council, began strike action in late February. New strike dates have now been scheduled for 5, 6, 24, 25, 27 and 28 April. HTS’s workforce voted by 87 per cent for strike action as a result of pay being less than workers doing the same jobs at other local authorities. The workers are demanding a cost-of-living payment and for their pay bands to be re-graded so they are brought up to industry standards. The council’s latest financial report showed it had assets of £63 million on 31 March 2022, an increase of £19 million from the year before read more
Unite announces consultation on government’s offer to NHS workers in England (27 Mar) – Unite the union has announced the details of the consultative ballot it will hold for its members working in the NHS in England covered by Agenda for Change. From Friday 31 March until Friday 28 April, Unite’s eligible NHS members will be asked to consider the government’s revised pay offer. The government is proposing an additional unconsolidated cash lump sum payment on this year’s pay and a five per cent rise in pay for 2023/24 (full details here). The revised offer emerged through negotiations that followed strike action by Unite members in December, January and February. Unlike other health unions, Unite is making no recommendation on the government’s pay offer stating that it will be the union’s members who will decide whether it should be accepted or rejected read more
Guys and St Thomas’ NHS staff deliver resounding vote for strike action over pay (23 Mar) – Crisis loans and second jobs needed for staff to get by. 800 staff poised for strike should government’s pay offer be rejected. More than 800 staff at Guys and St Thomas’ hospital in Central London could take strike action over pay after a successful industrial action ballot, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers, who include nurses, pharmacists, estates staff and medical technicians, returned a ‘resounding’ 92 per cent vote in favour of strike action. Such is the struggle for NHS staff at the hospital to make ends meet, Unite is involved in arranging crisis loans for workers. Strike action by Unite’s NHS members is currently paused as a consultation on the government’s recent offer gets underway read more
Christie Manchester cancer treatment staff join widening NHS pay strikes (1 Mar) – More than 100 staff employed at Manchester’s Christie NHS Foundation Trust and its linked pathology provider, which is a public/private partnership, will strike for 24 hours from 0700hrs on Thursday (2 March) over pay. The workers’ union, Unite, says that more strikes will be scheduled if the government fails to address poor pay and unsafe staffing across the NHS read more
East Lancashire biomedical scientists latest to join NHS pay strikes (21 Feb) – Unite says government is failing the country as NHS strikes spread. Around 70 biomedical scientists at the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust will strike at Royal Blackburn hospital from 0700 hrs to 1900 hrs on Wednesday (22 February). The workers’ union, Unite, says that more strikes will be scheduled if the government fails to address poor pay and unsafe staffing across the NHS. With more ambulance worker strikes also set for the coming weeks, Unite has again hit out at the prime minister for failing to get into the room to address chronic low pay and unsustainable workloads. These issues are driving a recruitment and retention crisis and devastating the NHS read more
Unite blasts disgraceful Kingspan strikebreaking in effort to avoid fair pay (22 Mar) – Union escalates to round-the-clock pickets at Portadown site to defeat company greed. English workers get four star treatment while Polish workers left with hostels. Unite the union can reveal that Ulster Rugby sponsor Kingspan is flying in strikebreakers in a `disgraceful’ effort to undermine workers taking strike action for fair pay. Workers from Kingspan sites in Williton in Somerset, England and Rokietnica in Poland have been flown over in recent weeks and are now being used in an attempt to continue production onsite read more
Imperial College strike action over ‘massive pay cut’ stretches into fifth month (21 Mar) – 10.1% pay attack for workers while Imperial has £1.7 billion reserves and paid vice chancellor record salary. More than 200 Imperial College workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will strike on Wednesday (22 March), as industrial action over a pay dispute stretches into its fifth month. The workers are striking over the imposition of a 3.3 per cent pay offer for 2022/23 by London’s Imperial College, which Unite says is a clear 10.1 per cent pay cut when the real rate of inflation, RPI, is running at 13.4 per cent. Imperial College’s latest financial figures shows it brought in an income of over £1.2 billion for 2021/22 and had cash reserves of £1.7 billion. Further, Imperial College is one for the best paying universities for senior leadership staff. Until July 2022, the university employed the UK’s highest paid vice chancellor with an annual pay package worth £714,000, a massive increase of 35.5 per cent on the previous year read more
JW Suckling drivers secure fantastic pay rise but Jet Garage strikes remain on in North West as Hoyer fail to make pay offer (20 Mar) – Unite the union has secured an inflation-busting pay increase for tanker drivers employed on the Phillips 66 contract delivering to Jet Garages and employed by JW Suckling. The deal is worth up to £11,000 a year for the drivers based in Essex, Grangemouth and West London. However, strike action involving Hoyer drivers based in the North West operating from the Bramhall terminal and who work on the same contract is set to take place for a week beginning on March 27, as the company has failed to enter into peace talks. The pay deal brings the annual salaries of Unite members from £43,315 to £54,579 per year. The deal also includes improved overtime rates increasing at least 29%, bonuses increasing by a stunning 47 per cent as well as the introduction of callout read more
Workforce at Queen’s University to take strike action to defend pay and pensions (14 Mar) – Unite the union striking on 16th March, UCU on 15th and 16th March. Both Unite and UCU at QUB are set to take further strike action at Queen’s University as part of their ongoing industrial dispute with management over fair and equitable pay, pensions, and precarious employment practices. The strike action follows ballots held by both Unite and UCU at QUB which provided a strong mandate for industrial action up to and including strike action at Queen’s. The UCU action is to continue on the 20th, 21st and 22nd of March and the union has action short of a strike in force continuously. Unite’s strike action is also set to continue with further strike dates identified in April read more
Cargotec: Strike sends strong message in ‘bogus TUPE’ dispute (10 Mar) – Company must come to table and negotiate collectively. March 10th: Following a 93% vote for industrial action, Unite members working for cargo handling manufacturer Cargotec in Dundalk took to the picket line today in a move which saw production at the facility closed down. The dispute surrounds what Unite has termed a ‘bogus TUPE’ process which members fear could impact their terms and conditions going forward. Unite is calling on the company to come to the table and negotiate collectively with the workers affected read more
Unite leader hails successful defence of right to strike against legal challenge (9 Mar) – Unite shop stewards defended against legal attack. Mechanical strike going ahead tomorrow (Friday) at H.A. O’Neil and Leo Lynch. March 9th A strike by mechanical workers in HA O’Neil’s and Leo Lynch’s will go ahead tomorrow (Friday 10 March) after trade union Unite fought off an attempt today by HA O’Neil (Jones Engineering) to obtain an injunction restraining Unite members from taking industrial action. Accordingly, official pickets will be placed at HA O’Neil and Leo Lynch sites in Leixlip (Intel) and Grange Castle (Pfizer) tomorrow. The action follows an overwhelming vote for strike action in pursuit of a claim for restoration of the first hour of travel time, which was originally cut as a so-called ‘temporary measure’ following the 2008 financial crash read more
Roads Service maintenance workers in Unite commence one week strike action (26 Feb) – Road Workers demand productivity payment be integrated into payscales to remove potential mechanism for pay victimization. More than two hundreds Unite members employed by the Roads Service of Northern Ireland will be joining with colleagues in the GMB in taking strike action for a week commencing Monday 27th February. The industrial action follows a ballot of Unite members which returned a 95.30 percent vote for strike. The workers seek changes to their terms and conditions meaning the integration of a productivity bonus into their payscales. Roads Service workers’ pay is dependent on a productivity-based payment which is subject to the determination of managers. In the recent year roads workers at some hubs have taken strike action over allegations of bullying and harassment and are now seeking to close down a mechanism which potentially leaves them subject to victimization by managers. The strike pickets will be established at 8am on Monday 27 February and will last seven days and affect roads maintenance work across Northern Ireland. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham pledged her union’s full support for the Roads Service workers read more
Weekend strike action and protests resume over pay dispute at Diageo’s Leven plant (24 Feb) – Unite ‘actively’ exploring legal options amid claims workers could have been unlawfully induced to sign new contracts. Engineering workers based at Diageo’s plant in Leven are set to resume strike action tonight (24 February) and over the weekend in an increasingly bitter pay dispute with the drinks industry giant. The strike action will begin at 19:00 p.m. tonight and conclude on Monday (27 February) morning at 6 a.m. The strike action will directly impact on the engineering support for the bottling plant. Unite believes it is not safe to run the plant without the support its engineering members provide. Unite can also confirm that it will hold another protest on Saturday (25 February) at The Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh from 12 noon to 2.30 p.m. There will be a further protest on Sunday (26 February) outside the bottling plant in Levenfrom 12 noon to 2.30 p.m. The protests are highlighting that some of Unite’s engineering members are set to lose around 6 per cent of their pay when moved to a proposed lower rate of pay read more
Protestors expose Morrisons’ anti-union tactics in Gibraltar (22 Feb) – Supermarket giant sits on millions but flew workers to Gibraltar to deny low-waged workers fair pay. Union stages protest at Morrisons’ Bradford HQ. Campaigners will stage a protest on Friday 24th February at the head office of Morrison’s in Bradford to expose shabby mistreatment and anti-trade union tactics directed against Unite members in Gibraltar. Morrisons’ workers in Gibraltar have been on strike since 30 January in a dispute over a paltry 2.4 per cent pay increase when the retailer’s underlying profits for last year were a massive £828 million. According to Unite, instead of negotiating to end the strike Morrisons wasted money by flying in UK workers to replace the roles of striking workers in Gibraltar – paying them £2 an hour more than workers on the Rock. This pay disparity is one of the main reasons for the dispute. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “If Morrisons think it can sneak strike-breaking tactics into Gibraltar then, it should think again…” read more
Royal Holloway University strikes intensify over 10% pay cut presented as rise (9 Feb) – Pay strikes will hit Royal Holloway University in February as a dispute over pay intensifies, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). Non-teaching staff, members of Unite, have rejected an imposed pay deal set by the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) that amounts to three per cent for most workers. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 13.4 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 10.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the university’s latest financial report states it is in a strong financial position. It had total reserves of £293 million for the year ending 31 July 2022… The workers, who include cleaners, janitors, estates staff and technicians, will strike on 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23 February in coordination with members of other higher education unions at Royal Holloway. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Strike action resumes at GSK pharmaceutical plant in Irvine (6 Feb) – Kaefer contractors begin week-long strike in dispute over bonus payments. Members of Unite employed in engineering construction roles at the GSK plant in Irvine will resume strike action today (6 February) in a dispute over bonus payments. Around 40 workers employed by contractor Kaefer Limited will take strike action from 07:30 a.m. on 6 February up to 07:29 a.m. on 13 February. A previous round of strike action took place from 9 to 23 January. The current round of strike action is in addition to an existing discontinuous overtime ban which ends on 2 April. The industrial action will directly impact on the maintenance of the plant. The dispute is based on Unite members 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]) read more
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]
CWU
Support the CWU strike in Royal Mail – 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
CWU Royal Mail update: The CWU has issued a statement that they have “…reached a negotiators agreement with Royal Mail Group. The CWU Postal Executive will now meet and consider the agreement on Monday and Tuesday and we are putting in plans to brief representatives across the unions structures…”
Tata TUPE recognition deal triggers protections and a pay rise for exiting BT Digital members (14 Apr) – A post-TUPE recognition deal, brokered by the CWU’s BT Digital National Team, guarantees a continuation of the union’s right to collectively bargain on behalf of team member grade employees who are part of a group who work supporting legacy mainframe systems. Comprehensive protections have been secured for members who are in the process of being transferred as their work is outsourced to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – and the CWU has also successfully negotiated a pay rise which will be applied at the point of transfer read more
All gain and no pain in Consumer ‘call observation’ grading harmonisation deal (13 Apr) – Grading discussions over the ‘call observation’ role in EE and ex-BT Consumer have culminated in a deal which delivers significant pay rises for some, full protection for others and the safeguarding of a valuable promotion opportunity for future applicants. The agreement, which has already been briefed out to the 17 team members directly affected, means an immediate £5,000 pay rise for nine EE call observers who were already in post prior to the inward TUPE transfer of their ex-BT Consumer counterparts read more
Royal Mail’s Collective Pension Plan (13 Apr) – There has been some good news relating to the Collective Pension Plan, in that the Pensions Regulator has informed the Trustees of the Plan that the application for authorisation has been successful read more
Post Office Counters, Supply Chain & Admin workers vote ‘YES’ to pay deal (12 Apr) – Staff in Post Office Limited (POL) are set for a major cash boost, after CWU members returned a 94 per cent majority for a 9 per cent-plus-cash settlement negotiated by the union. Under the deal, all CWU-grades employees in POL will receive a fully consolidated 9 per cent pay increase with effect from 1st April 2023, along with significant cash lump sums. Monies will be paid into their May salaries read more
Comprehensive protections secured for 700-plus in EE to BT TUPE (11 Apr) – Detailed negotiations on behalf of 735 team member employees in EE Enterprise who are in the process of transferring to BT Enterprise have delivered firm assurances that any EE terms and conditions that are better than BT’s are protected. While many stand to benefit from alignment BT WF2020 Ts&Cs, in several areas – notably including long service awards but also extending to the legacy sick pay entitlements enjoyed by some long-serving employees – some transferring individuals’ EE terms are superior to those that are standard in BT. In those situations, transferees will continue to benefit from their existing entitlements, and in the case of sick pay, those with a 26 or 50 week entitlement will continue with that entitlement for tenure of their employment. The majority of transferring EE Enterprise employees, however, are on EE sickness terms that offer eight weeks or less sick pay – and they will significantly benefit from alignment to BT’s terms on transfer read more
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
- Signing our petition to tell prime minister Rishi Sunak to intervene and hold meaningful talks to end the strikes.
- Support us on social media with the hashtags: #PCSonStrike #BlameTheGovt
- New E-action in support of PCS national pay and pensions campaign – The E-action calls on MPs to support our demands over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security read more
Show support for Ofgem strikers (15 Apr) – We are urging members and supporters to show support for Ofgem strikers on the final day of a 5-day strike on Monday by coming along to picket lines in London and Glasgow. PCS members working in the delivery and schemes directorate at Ofgem have been on strike since 11 April as part of targeted strike action in our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms. Reps and members are looking to round of their action with big turnouts on picket lines at 10 South Colonnade E14 5EA in Canary Wharf and at Commonwealth House, 32 Albion Street, Glasgow GL1 1LH. Both picket lines run from 8-10am read more
PCS slams IPC closure ‘shambles’ (14 Apr) – On Friday 14 April, a notice headed “Closure of Hayes IPC” was posted by Wincanton management. The notice stated that they had been “formally” told by HMRC that the department “wish to bring the site closure forward to 31st May 2023” read more
Government’s insulting pay announcement is another reason to vote yes (14 Apr) – PCS members have been urged to vote ‘Yes’ for more industrial action after general secretary Mark Serwotka described today’s government pay announcement as “insulting” and “completely inadequate”. Following a meeting this morning with minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin, to discuss this year’s pay remit, Mark Serwotka said PCS members had been offered no improvement on 2022’s 2% pay rise and just 4.5-5% – half the rate of inflation – for 2023 read more
Ofgem strike gets off to a strong start (11 Apr) – Members working in the Delivery and Schemes Directorate started five days of targeted strike action today read more
Targeted strike action continues to impact on services (11 Apr) – PCS members marked the first week of April with impactful strike action across the UK. Last week members were on strike in HM Passport Office, the British Library, British Museum, National Highways, Government Digital Services, DVSA and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This week members of DVLA and Ofgem and more DVSA members will join this phase of targeted strike action read more
Ofgem members to take 5 days strike action (4 Apr) – They will join other PCS members in our programme of targeted strike action during April. Members working in Ofgem Delivery and Schemes will walk out on 11, 12, 13, 14 and 17April as part of an escalation in the PCS national campaign over pay, pensions justice and job security read more
Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre strike dates announced (31 Mar) – PCS members working for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at the Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre are to take targeted strike action on 14, 15 and 16 April in our national campaign over pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms read more
Efra Action Short of Strike Guidance (31 Mar) – Members in Defra, the Forestry Commission, Marine Management Organisation and Rural Payments Agency voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking Action Short of Strike alongside the current national industrial action as part of PCS’s national campaign read more
PCS calls all-out strike on 28 April (27 Mar) – More than 130,000 PCS members across the civil service and public sector will strike on 28 April in our latest one-day action alongside a month of walkouts to increase the pressure on the government on pay, pensions and job security. The all-out strike, called by our national executive committee today, taking place on the April payday, alongside a month of action beginning on 3 April to increase the pressure on the government read more
Action short of strike to begin at 4 employers (24 Mar) – More than 3,000 PCS members in Defra core, Forestry Commission England, Marine Management Organisation and Rural Payments Agency will take action short of strike action from 11 April as part of our national campaign on pay, pensions and job security read more
New PCS civil service ballots now open (20 Mar) – Fresh PCS strike ballots haven opened today (20 March) of 124,125 members in 186 employers, across the civil service and public sector so members can continue to fight for fair pay, pensions justice and job security as part of our national campaign. Our current 6-month legal mandate for strike action in 124 groups expires on 6 May, so to continue our industrial action campaign our national executive committee has agreed we need to ballot members again. The new postal ballots run from 20 March until 9 May, so look out for your ballot pack arriving through the post next week and then use your vote and post it in the pre-paid envelope. The levy of members, which supports those taking strategic action, will remain in place for the duration of the dispute. HMRC members will not be balloted this time as they have a strike mandate which runs until 26 August read more
Prospect
Further public sector strikes announced as Government refuses to negotiate with its own staff (14 Apr) – Prospect union has notified employers that it will be taking further strike action on 10 May and 7 June across its public service membership. This follows the refusal of the government to enter negotiations to resolve the current pay and conditions dispute, having instead announced a pay control of 4.5% which will further erode living standards read more
FDA
FDA to consider strike action in response to contemptuous announcement on civil service pay (14 Apr) – The government has today published its approach to pay for 2023 in the civil service. The Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance headline figure is a 4.5% increase with an additional 0.5% for the living wage uplift. Critically, unlike health and education, there is no non-consolidated award to compensate for 2022/23. This was worth £1,000 in education and £1,600 + 2% in health read more
GMB
GMB union issue Canterbury Environment Company notice of strike ballot over pay (14 Apr) – ‘Canenco have left our members no choice but to take this next step’ say GMB Southern region. Canenco the waste management service provider for Kents Cathedral city of Canterbury faces a possible walk out over low pay as GMB the union for all waste and recycling operative’s ballots members seeking negotiation and settlement of their pay claim. The dispute which is around the subsidiary company owned by Canterbury Council failure to negotiate with GMB, staffs union of choice over their 30% pay claim aimed at for them correcting what’s seen as an historically a low paid role, which has left the hard-working refuse, recycling, and street cleansing workers like many low paid workers least able to cope with the on-going cost of living crisis read more
GMB union members at Wealden District councils waste and recycling services vote for strike action (14 Apr) – ‘Our members have made it clear with this ballot result, enough is enough, so sort out the Biffa Bully’s or get them to empty the bins’ says GMB Southern. GMB Union members working for Wealden councils waste contractor Biffa’s Municipal services have voted for strike action over the company’s failures to address ongoing bullying and harassment by local mangers together with failures over promised changes and consultation over long-standing kerbside collection rounds issues and imbalances within the contract read more
Amazon strikes escalate with six more dates at Coventry and ballots at five new sites (31 Mar) – GMB strikes at Amazon are set to escalate as members in Coventry announced six further days of walk outs as the union today [31 March] begins ballots at five new sites. More than 560 workers at the Coventry warehouse will down tools on 16 – 18 and 21 – 23 of April, which will bring the total strike days at the site to 14. Meanwhile, hundreds of GMB members will begin fresh ballots for industrial action at five further fulfilment centres across the Midlands: Mansfield in Nottinghamshire; Coalville in Leicestershire; Kegworth in Leicestershire; Rugeley in Staffordshire; Rugby in Warwickshire. The ballots – which open today [31 March] and run for several weeks – will ask GMB members if they are willing to strike over a 50p pay rise enforced by Amazon management. Amazon Coventry has been the focal point of three months of industrial action by GMB after they made history by staging the first ever UK Amazon strike read more
Join the #Amazon strike Solidarity rally – Monday 17th April 6pm, Sayer Drive Lyons Park Coventry CV9 5PF
Hartlepool metal company sacks workers after staff win pay rise (3 Apr) – A Hartlepool metal company is slashing jobs just weeks after workers won a pay rise. Just 51 days after GMB members resolved their pay dispute, the Expanded Metal Company has announced up to ten redundancies at Hartlepool. Workers were handed redundancy letters last week advising them that they are at risk of redundancy and inviting them to a meeting. Management appears to be trying to push through the redundancies within a week of first issuing redundancy notices. Despite citing a downturn in work as the reason for the redundancies, the company are advertising the role of a Finance Controller/Financial Director Designate role for 70K read more
Hinkley Point supplier faces strike (3 Apr) – A Hinkley Point C supplier faces strike action after workers turned down a pay deal. Engineers at Darchem Engineering, in Stockton-Upon-Tees, voted to walk out by a majority of 87 per cent in an indicative ballot. A full strike ballot will go ahead if the company doesn’t significantly improve the six per cent offer on the table. Industrial action could lead to big delays at Hinkley Point C – the £25 billion nuclear reactor in Somerset read more
Strike disruption looms at healthcare logistics giant Movianto (28 Mar) – GMB Union has today announced two dates of industrial action by drivers at Movianto in Coventry. The strike comes after a below inflation pay offer was made by company management at its West Midlands HQ. Movianto is a major healthcare logistics provider to private clients and the NHS. Drivers at the company are responsible for transporting essential and often lifesaving medicines, including individual prescriptions and NHS medical supplies.
The strike action is due to take place on Thursday 6 and Tuesday 11 April read more
Strike disruption on horizon as Stoke council accused of ‘union busting’ (24 Mar) – GMB Union has today slammed attempts by Conservative-run Stoke City Council to force through attacks on the terms and conditions of low paid workers. Despite good faith attempts on the part of GMB and other staff unions, official documents due to be presented to the Council’s Cabinet reveal the administration’s unwillingness to engage with dispute resolution read more
Croydon Council payroll staff ballot for strike over potentially discriminatory restructure (22 Mar) – Employees and residents should not pay for Croydon’s disastrous financial position, says GMB union
GMB union is to ballot members working at Croydon Council’s payroll department over strike action. The local authority is proposing a departmental restructure in which a quarter of jobs are at risk of being lost. Meanwhile grievances raised by GMB members have been ignored. The union is concerned that not all staff are included in the restructure – with those affected exclusively women from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Staff have made a number of counter-proposals to save money and protect jobs, which have not been fully considered. They have also submitted numerous grievances which have not been acknowledged by HR. The ballot opens on 27 March and is due to close on 3 April read more
Teesside energy from waste company faces strike (21 Mar) – A Teesside energy from waste company faces strike action over a massive real terms pay cut. Around 100 GMB members at Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, in Haverton Hill, are ready to walk out. Almost 99 per cent reject a pay offer of 6 per cent during a consultative ballot. Workers have seen there real terms pay cut by more than 30 per cent since 2012. A full strike ballot will begin in the coming days read more
Almost 300 Mersey Care workers to strike this week (17 Jan) – Almost 300 health care workers at Mersey Care will take strike action this week over pay. GMB members including nurses, health care assistants, support staff, cleaners and admin staff will walk out for 24 hours from 00:01 to 23.59 on 18 January 2023. Mersey Care workers voted to strike over the Government’s imposed 4 per cent pay award – another massive real terms pay cut read more
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
UNISON health workers vote to accept NHS pay offer (14 Apr) – Almost three-quarters voted to accept with over 150,000 having their say. NHS workers who belong to UNISON have voted decisively to accept the pay offer from the government, says the union today (Friday) read more
UNISON secures equal pay for 800 workers in Brighton and Hove (14 Apr) – After a ten-year campaign, UNISON has secured a momentous equal pay victory for low-paid women in Brighton and Hove. Around 800 Brighton and Hove city council workers, many of whom are women working in care, will see pay improved in line with refuse and recycling workers. They will also receive a settlement of up to £2000 read more
The government must intervene on Environment Agency pay to prevent permanent damage (14 Apr) – Third block of strike action begins today. Staff at the Environment Agency will today (Friday) begin a third block of strike action in the ongoing dispute over their “woeful” pay rise, says UNISON. Workers providing crucial services to ensure communities are kept safe, pollution-free and protected will walk out over the space of four days spanning this weekend. It marks a significant escalation of the industrial action that began late last year to win a wage rise that would enable the Agency workforce to better weather the ongoing financial storm, says UNISON. Staff have had a terrible deal, which amounts to one of the worst wage rises paid to public sector workers, says UNISON. It follows year after year where pay at the Agency has consistently trailed the cost of living. The union has written to chancellor Jeremy Hunt this week urging him to intervene in the dispute and free up more money so the Agency can pay its employees fairly read more
Care workers in Powys face fire and rehire (14 Apr) – Care workers in Powys have been stripped of their paid break times and must now work longer hours. UNISON members working for Shaw Healthcare have been forced to accept changes to their contracts or face being fired and rehired read more
UNISON launches new migrant member network (12 Apr) – UNISON is launching a dedicated network to support migrant members read more
Sign petition: Stop the closure of the Peak District National Park visitor centres! – The Peak District National Park Authority are considering closing all four of its visitor centres, making the staff redundant. Councillors will be asked to endorse the chief executive’s ill-thought out ‘money-saving plan’ which will not only affect staff but could very much harm the local economy. The visitor centres are not just shops. They are a key contributor to visitors being able to experience a safe and enjoyable time in the Peak District. This is especially the case with first-time or infrequent visitors. Far from being underused, the centres deal with around 400,000 visitors a year. Unless there is a public outcry, we will lose these centres from our national park, at a time when other national parks have rejected such ideas. Decisions will be taken from as early as May. Help Derbyshire UNISON stop them!
Raise wage offer and prevent more university strikes, says UNISON (6 Apr) – Staff are already leaving for better-paid jobs in supermarkets, warehouses and coffee shops. Support staff at 14 universities in England are being balloted from this week for industrial action over the “inadequate” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today (Thursday). Over the next five weeks, higher education workers including cleaners, IT technicians and library staff are to vote on whether to strike after the university employers put forward a wage rise that’s way below inflation, the union says. The ballot of staff at universities in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, Brighton, Bristol, Winchester and Luton began on Tuesday (4 April) and continues until Tuesday 9 May. Those taking part in the vote are the University of Bedfordshire, University of Bristol, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sussex, University of the West of England and University of Winchester, as well as a number of University of London institutions: Birkbeck, Queen Mary, SOAS and Kings College London. The 2023/24 pay offer falls far short of what staff deserve, says UNISON. It is worth between 5% and 8% depending on salary level, with lower paid workers getting the highest percentage rise. Some of this amount – around £83 per month before tax – began to be paid to staff in February to help staff with the increasing cost of living. UNISON put the pay offer to higher education staff in February and their decision was to reject the amount read more
South Gloucestershire social workers strike over pay (4 Apr) – Staff say “market forces” supplement should be applied across the board. Social workers and occupational therapists working for South Gloucestershire Council are to strike from today (Tuesday), says UNISON. Staff will walk out for three days from today until Thursday (4 to 6 April) after voting overwhelmingly* for industrial action in a dispute over pay. UNISON has been in dispute with the local authority since last summer. This is over its decision to award staff in children’s services an additional temporary £3,000 payment on top of their basic annual salary, but not those doing the same job in adult services read more
Orchard Day Nursery must be saved, says UNISON (22 Mar) – Staff, parents and children have been treated abominably. The owners of a Merseyside day nursery that closed without warning last weekend – leaving more than 50 staff jobless and the parents of more than 200 youngsters without childcare – must think again, says UNISON today (Wednesday). Orchard Day Nursery in Huyton shut its doors at such short notice that many workers, children and parents only found out about the permanent closure via a notice fixed to the gates, the union says. The nursery has since gone into insolvency. Its owners also operate a number of other nurseries across the north of England. The first some staff and parents knew was when the company sent an email on Saturday, announcing the immediate closure. But many remained unaware until they turned up to work or arrived to drop off their children on Monday morning, says UNISON. The shutdown chaos came just days after workers at the nursery took industrial action last week over pay. The walkout took place after the company refused to pay qualified nursery workers more than the real living wage, which is £10.90 an hour read more
Care Quality Commission staff vote to strike over pay, says UNISON (7 Mar) – Overwhelming backing for industrial action. Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have voted to take strike action over pay, says their union UNISON today (Tuesday). More than 700 workers were balloted by UNISON, including those in the organisation’s health and social care teams and call centres, along with clerical staff and data analysts. CQC staff regulate health and social care bodies across England including hospitals, care homes, GP practices and dental surgeries ensuring the safe delivery of services. Of those who took part in the UNISON vote, 73% opted to strike and 92% for action short of a strike. This means, for example, that staff would only work to their contracts, refusing to do any overtime. UNISON is one of five unions so unhappy at the pay award imposed this year (2022/23) they decided to ask their members to vote for industrial action. The five – UNISON, PCS, Prospect, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite – all have strike votes that have either already closed or are about to read more
Stop Hackney Council cutting library services read more about the campaign here – Hackney library staff have been taking strike action against cuts
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up (16 Mar) – Council staff staged a protest outside Hackney Town Hall after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, were handed compulsory redundancy notices. The protest by Hackney Unison on Wednesday 15 March was also held to support striking teachers, junior doctors and Tube staff. It followed several days of strike action by Unite and Unison library workers after the council unveiled a shake-up of library services which will see 19 jobs go. Hackney Unison said it was “registering our disgust that three library workers including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus are due to be made compulsorily redundant. This despite there being more than enough posts available in the restructured library service.” Read more on Hackney Citizen website
NIPSA
NICS Pay Strike: 26 April (7 Apr) – The Civil Service Executive Committee met today and agreed that NIPSA members in the NICS, ALBs and NDPBs will take strike action on 26 April. Strike action on that date is also being taken by PCS, the teaching unions and other public sector trade unions. This combined action is in response to the continuing failure of Westminster and the Secretary of State to provide the funding needed to give civil and public sector workers the pay rise they need read more
Joint GMB-NIPSA-SIPTU-Unite Press Release (6 Apr) – Newry Mourne and Down council services to be heavily impacted by industrial action from April 10 Members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU commence work-to-rule from Monday 10th April, to be joined by Unite from 12 April Industrial action by members of all four trade unions at council proceeds after management renege on commitment to partnership-based job evaluation process Trade unions at Newry, Mourne and Down District Council confirmed that industrial action is to commence at the local authority body. The action is set to commence with a work-to-rule by members of GMB, NIPSA and SIPTU on Monday April 10 with members of Unite the union joining the action from April 12. The unions have warned that the industrial action, although confined to a ‘work-to-rule’ at this stage, is likely to result in significant impact to council services including those at leisure centres and with bin collections. The industrial dispute proceeds after members of all four unions voted for both strike action and action short of strike action in ballots read more
Education Welfare Officer Members Commence Lunchtime Protests (3 Apr) – NIPSA, the leading public sector Trade Union, representing over 8,000 members in the Education Sector, announces lunchtime protests by members employed as Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) read more
Royal College of Nursing
RCN members vote to reject NHS pay offer for nursing staff in England (14 Apr) – We’re seeking an urgent re-opening of pay talks with the UK government and planning a new 48-hour strike from 8pm on 30 April without derogations read more
Members employed by the Care Quality Commission to begin industrial action on 17 April (3 Apr) – This follows a member vote in response to the employer’s latest pay award read more
RCN ballots members on Four Seasons Health Care pay award (30 Mar) – Members employed by Four Seasons Health Care/brighterkind are encouraged to vote on the proposed 2023-24 pay offer read more
RCN Wales re-enters negotiations with Welsh government after Health Minister responds to RCN letter (3 Mar) – The Welsh government has agreed to further negotiations, after RCN members overwhelmingly rejected the latest NHS pay offer read more
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
Royal College of Midwives
RCM opens England pay consultation and recommends members accept (3 Apr) – Midwife and maternity support worker (MSW) members of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) working in the NHS in England are being consulted on the Government’s pay offer. The online consultation opens today and closes at midnight on 25 April read more
RCM pauses Northern Ireland strike action as pay talks scheduled (31 Mar) – Strike action set for Monday, 3 April by Royal College of Midwives (RCM) members across Northern Ireland has been paused. This follows an offer from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to meet the RCM and other unions next week to discuss HSC pay. The RCM will also be suspending action short of a strike planned for 3-10 April read more
CSP
Voting opens on NHS pay offer in England (29 May) – CSP members employed by the NHS in England are being urged to vote on the new pay offer in an online vote that opens today read more
NEU
Teachers in Northern Ireland to strike (6 Apr) – NEU Northern Ireland announces strike on 26 April. The National Education Union (NEU) has announced that its members will be going on strike on April 26, 2023 along with colleagues from other teaching unions. Teachers have not seen an uplift in pay since April 2022 decision comes after months of negotiations with the Department of Education over issues such as pay, workload, and funding for schools read more
NEU members reject Government pay offer (3 Apr) – 191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan’s offer in less than six days. The NEU consultative ballot on the Government’s pay offer has been rejected by an overwhelming 98% of NEU teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%. 191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan’s offer in less than six days. It is not surprising that the offer has been rejected. The offer was not fully funded, would have meant teachers in England would see their pay fall even further behind their counterparts in Wales and Scotland and it would represent another two years of real-terms pay cuts. It would do nothing to reverse the problems of recruitment and retention in our schools read more
Teachers’ pay campaign motion (4 Apr) – the motion includes:-
Conference notes: The executive decisions to:
- Reject the new pay offer and, if members vote to endorse the executive recommendation, give notice of two further days of strike action to employers as soon as practicable, and for those days to be Thursday 27 April and Tuesday 2 May
Conference instructs the executive to:
- Use the period of exams from 15 May to begin a re-ballot of teacher members in England running until the end of July
- Timetable in a 3 day strike in late June/early July to be confirmed by the executive on 18 May
NASUWT
NASUWT members reject the Government’s pay offer (8 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union have emphatically rejected the Government’s pay offer for teachers in England, it was announced today. 87% of eligible members agreed that the Union should reject the Government’s pay proposals. The Union’s consultative survey also asked members whether they were willing to vote for strike action to achieve a fair pay award. 77% of members said they would do so. Following the results of the survey the NASUWT National Executive met to confirm that the Union will ballot members in schools and sixth form colleges in England for industrial action read more
Drop fire and rehire plans or face industrial action, Glasgow school warned (3 Apr) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is warning employers at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow that it has one last chance to avert industrial action over attempts to ‘fire and rehire’ teachers. Employers at the school, where the new First Minister Humza Yousaf was a pupil, are attempting to impose an inferior pension scheme on teachers read more
Members to take strike action in Northern Ireland (3 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union will take strike action In Northern Ireland on Wednesday 26 April over the failure to offer teachers and Further Education lecturers a fair and decent pay award. The strike action follows a half day of strike action in schools on the 21 February and coincides with a further escalation of action short of strike action which begins in schools today (3 April). NASUWT members in Northern Ireland’s Further Education colleges will join their school teacher colleagues in taking strike action. The Union has announced the full day of strike in furtherance of our campaigns for a Better Deal for Teachers and Lecturers read more
Teachers at Plymouth school take strike action over workload and working hours (29 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Plympton Academy in Plymouth will be taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over the failure of school leaders to address excessive working hours and workload which are adversely affecting the wellbeing of teaching staff. The current arrangements for managing teachers’ working hours are driving up workload and undermining teachers’ professionalism read more
Teachers at Swansea school to take more strike action (29 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Clydach Primary School in Swansea will have taken five days of strike action over the failure of the Governing Body to settle a dispute over inadequate management at the school by the end of this week. The Union has now decided that lack of progress warrants an escalation of the dispute and the school is to be given notice of 6 more days of strike action. Members at the school are taking action as a result of the failure of the local authority and school governors to act to address serious longstanding management failings on the part of the permanent headteacher. These include the bullying of staff, failure to take appropriate responsibility for managing and leading teaching and learning, failure to fulfil duties around safeguarding the health and safety of pupils and staff and a failure to adequately meet the professional standards teachers expect of a school leader read more
Teachers at Denbighshire school strike over excessive workload (27 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Rhuthin, Denbighshire will be taking the first of three planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over adverse management practices which are affecting teachers’ workload, working conditions and wellbeing. Members at the school are taking action as a result of the failure of the local authority and school governors to act to address serious workload issues. These include an excessive marking and assessment policy that the Union has sought to reasonably amend, but with little result read more
Industrial action at three Wrexham schools over adverse management practices (15 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are this week starting discontinuous strike action at three schools in Wrexham: Ysgol Clywedog, Darland High and Acton Park Primary School, over adverse management practices affecting workload and working conditions. The NASUWT has been in dispute at Acton Park for nearly a year, with strike action taking place in July 2022. However, lack of progress has forced NASUWT members to ballot again. The NASUWT has been in dispute with Ysgol Clywedog and Darland High since November 2022 over the failure of the school to adhere to Welsh Government andlocal policies, endorsed and recommended by the Wrexham Local Authority and already implemented in other Wrexham schools. At Clywedog and Darland there has also been an element of victimisation of trade union officials read more
NAHT
School leaders vote overwhelmingly to reject government’s ‘inadequate and unaffordable’ pay offer (5 Apr) – School leaders in England have voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer put forward by the government on teacher pay. School leaders’ union NAHT closed its online consultative ballot at 5pm on Tuesday 4th April, a week after it opened. 64% of its eligible membership responded, with 90% voting to reject the offer. 92% said the offer was unaffordable, saying they did not have the headroom in their budget to be able to afford the proposed pay offer for the next academic year (2023/24) read more
NAHT Northern Ireland to take strike action in industrial dispute (3 Apr) – For the first time in its 125 year history, members of school leaders’ union, NAHT, will strike over pay. NAHT Northern Ireland will join the other teaching unions in strike action on 26 April read more
NAHT takes first step towards judicial review proceedings against Ofsted following its failure to pause inspections (31 Mar) – Today (Friday 31st March), school leaders’ union NAHT has written to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector to demand a suspension of Ofsted inspections while steps are taken to address the risk to the mental health of school staff and enable suicide risk prevention to be put in place. The letter is the first step in judicial review proceedings and cites Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which imposes obligations on public authorities to take reasonable steps where there is a real and immediate risk of a loss of life. NAHT argues that the recent death of Ruth Perry, and the citing of Ofsted inspections as a factor in the deaths of 10 teachers*, indicates the human rights of school staff are not being protected by the current Ofsted regime and that immediate action is needed to minimise harm and protect lives. NAHT has called on Ofsted to pause inspections whilst a review is carried out to identify and put in place immediate measures to minimise the risk of harm to school staff read more
NAHT Cymru members reject Welsh government offer (24 Mar) – School leaders in Wales have rejected an offer from the Welsh government in their dispute over pay, workload and funding. Following a 10-day online ballot that closed at noon today, 54.5% of NAHT Cymru members taking part voted to reject the offer. The union says that during extensive talks with members across the nation, it was clear that funding arrangements remained a major concern for school leaders. NAHT Cymru director Laura Doel placed the blame firmly with the employers, citing a lack of transparency as the reason members rejected the deal read more
EIS
College lecturers vote for industrial action in fight for fair pay (14 Apr) – Scotland’s colleges are facing a programme of sustained industrial action by college lecturers, over pay, following the conclusion of a statutory ballot late yesterday (Thursday 13th April). Members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA), who are lecturers across Scotland’s 26 FE Colleges, voted to take action short of strike (ASOS) and strike action in pursuit of a fair pay settlement, as a protracted pay dispute continues read more
EIS Gives Notice to Hutchesons’ Grammar School of Statutory Ballot for Strike Action (31 Mar) – Hutchesons’ Grammar School, an independent school in Glasgow, issued letters to teaching staff saying they need to agree new contracts, with detrimental pension provision, by 14th April or their contracts will be terminated as they would have been deemed to have ‘resigned’. With only two working days’ notice, EIS members have been told they will be sacked and replaced if they don’t sign the contract. EIS Reps have asked the Rector if he would be willing to meet with trade union Reps in order to negotiate regarding the pension proposal. There has been no response from the School read more
EIS Opens Ballot for Industrial Action at City of Glasgow College (21 Mar) – City of Glasgow College lecturers are now voting on whether to take industrial action over the College’s plans to reduce the number of lecturing staff, reduce the amount of teaching time per student, and burden lecturers with more classes in a bid to reduce costs. An industrial action ballot of EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) is now open, and runs until 17th April read more
EIS Opens Statutory Industrial Action Ballot for Scotland’s FE Lecturers (20 Mar) – A statutory ballot for industrial action opened across Scotland’s 26 Further Education colleges, as college lecturers seek to secure a fair pay award. Members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) are being balloted following a lack of progress in negotiations at the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC), where college employers have failed to improve on an offer of a 2% salary uplift that was rejected by negotiators before Christmas. The statutory ballot runs from 20th March until 13th April. Members of the EIS-FELA are being asked to indicate a willingness to engage in both strike action and Action Short of Strike (ASOS) read more
SSTA
SSTA ready to Boycott the SQA Exams next year (30 Mar) – The SQA has announced that National Qualifications course assessments in session 2023-24 will return to full requirements – including reinstating coursework and exam assessment and the National 4 added value unit read more
INTO
Teacher unions unite for a full-day strike (3 Apr) – The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and four other teacher unions – NAHT, NASUWT, NEU and UTU have announced a full-day strike on Wednesday, 26 April 2023. The announcement coincides with an escalation of Action Short of Strike which commences today read more
UCU
UCU comment on the Scottish Funding Council’s announcement of indicative university funding allocations for 2023/24 (14 Apr) – commenting on the Scottish Funding Council’s announcement today of indicative funding allocations for universities for the academic year 2023/24, Mary Senior, Scotland official for the University and College Union (UCU), said: “It’s bitterly disappointing to see cuts being made to university funding, especially at a time when inflation is at double figures. The First Minister has committed to a ‘radical, ambitious and progressive policy agenda’, and investment in higher education should be fundamental to achieving this read more
University staff renew strike mandate with historic ballot result (3 Apr) – UCU today announced it has successfully renewed its strike mandate at UK universities for a further six months, telling employers that ‘university staff are in the driving seat.’ In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 85.6% and the turnout was 56.4%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 89% and the turnout was 58.4%. In both disputes, the yes vote is up on the previous ballot. Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots and UCU will now begin preparations to serve notice for a marking and assessment boycott. Tomorrow, UCU will also begin a consultation with its members over new proposals put forward by employers. The ballot results mean the union is able to call further strike action at 150 universities across the UK should university staff decide it is required. 70,000 staff began strike action in November last year in the long running disputes over pay, working conditions and pension cuts. Employers made commitments to restore cuts made to pension benefits but have already begun implementing a pay offer of 5-8% that was rejected by UCU and other campus unions. Employers have also proposed time limited negotiations to reach agreements over casualisation, workloads and equality pay gaps read more
Strike action on the cards at Barnet & Southgate College as staff vote for industrial action over low pay (3 Apr) – Staff at Barnet and Southgate College have voted to take industrial action in a long-running dispute over low pay and workload, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today (Monday). Staff were balloted last month and voted 96% in favour of strike action on a turnout of 67%. Staff have already taken three days of strike action in the long-running dispute after college bosses imposed pay awards of just 1% for 2021/22 and 1% for 2020/21. The college has now imposed a further “pitiful” pay award of just 2.5% for 2022/23 read more
Strikes loom as Sheffield College staff reject derisory pay offer (22 Mar) – Staff at Sheffield College have overwhelmingly voted to reject a derisory 3.5% pay offer for 2023/24. Staff were consulted on the offer in an e-ballot. Turnout was over 50% and more than 81% of those who voted said they would not accept it. Staff have already taken four days of strike action this year over the college’s 2022/23 pay offer of just 2.5% after winning a strike ballot. The union paused strike action to enter into Acas mediated talks with the employer but were only offered an additional £100 one off payment. UCU’s ballot result means it is able to call further action. The college has more than £90m in reserves with over £14m cash in the bank. UCU is demanding a pay rise of 4.5% for 23/24, which would cost the college just £1.6m read more
City College Norwich staff to strike over huge real terms pay cut (6 Mar) – Staff at City College Norwich will strike on Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 March over a huge real terms pay cut. The announcement comes after an overwhelming 88% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in an industrial ballot. Turnout was an incredible 73%. In January City College imposed a pay award so low it ended the college’s accreditation as a Real Living Wage employer. The lowest paid received an increase of just 5.1%, college lecturers were awarded a paltry 4% and other staff only 2.5%. Since 2009 pay for college staff has fallen behind inflation by 35%, which is now 13.4%. UCU is demanding a 14% pay rise to help staff meet the cost-of-living crisis read more
Staff strike at Havant and South Downs College over low pay (21 Feb) – Staff at Havant and South Downs College will strike for two consecutive days tomorrow and Thursday in a dispute over low pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. The strike comes after 76% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action. The turnout was 53%, surpassing the 50% threshold imposed by Tory anti-trade union laws, despite the ballot only being open for two weeks. The National Education Union (NEU) also balloted members at the college with a similar result. 79% of NEU members voted for strike action with a 58% turnout and will be joining both days of strikes read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters’ union calls for defiance of anti-strike laws (25 Mar) – Trade unions must build a campaign to defy the anti-strike laws being pushed through parliament by the Tories, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack has said. The firefighters’ leader said the Trades Union Congress should lead a campaign of “mass non-cooperation and non-compliance” with the Minimum Service Levels bill. An emergency congress of the TUC must be called to launch a campaign of defiance and civil disobedience against the bill if it becomes law, the FBU says. The FBU’s governing executive council has passed a resolution calling on the TUC to adopt the strategy, and to build a mass movement to resist the legislation. National demonstrations and sustained mass mobilisations can defeat the bill, the union says. Non-compliance with the bill would be one of the most significant attempts by unions to defy employment law since the 1984-85 miners’ strike. FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said the strategy of non-compliance was needed, as there was “no obvious route to challenge this attack through the courts” read more
Merseyside firefighters start action short of strike – Merseyside firefighters, control members and Green Book staff are commencing industrial action in the form of refusing to undertake pre-arranged overtime on Thursday 1st December for a period of up to 6 months read more
POA
Results of statutory ballot Merseycare Trust/Nottinghamshire Trust (14 Apr) – The results of the statutory ballot showed an overwhelming rejection of the pay offer which has been imposed by NHS Employers. However, in order for the POA to have been able to take industrial action over 50% of members needed to have voted and this did not occur in either trust. As this is the first statutory ballot for health trusts under the new trade union legislation of 2016 it has been a learning curve for those branches which took part in the ballot read more
NHS pay offer – indicative ballot: Rampton, Ashworth and Broadmoor (3 Apr) – Following lengthy discussions between the NHS Staff Council and the employer a formal offer has been made to all staff who are subject to Agenda for Change pay and terms and conditions… During the pay negotiations, which POA were not part of due to our Observer status, all NHS unions with the exception of Unite agreed to recommend members acceptance of the pay offer. The POA will not make a recommendation regarding this additional payment for 2022/2023 or the new offer for 2023/2024 as the POA believes it is for members to make the decision whether to accept or not read more
BFAWU
BFAWU Launches New Recruitment Film! (30 Mar) – We are proud to present our new recruitment video, where BFAWU members and reps talk about why they joined and love our union! Read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
NUJ responds to BBC over local radio cuts (1 Apr) – The NUJ is happy to correct its figures and instead note that large parts of England will have less than half the 100 hour output per week that is specific to their local area. Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary said: “The #BBC have challenged the #NUJ’s statement decrying its plans that will see BBC local radio output plummet to just 40 hours per week. They have said that this is inaccurate and misleading, and confirmed that the actual minimum figure in local radio content will in fact be just 48 hours per week, when you factor some extra sports coverage that will take place across a week in some areas. The NUJ is happy to stand corrected and reiterates its deep concern and opposition to the BBC’s plans to lay waste to BBC Local radio output – slashing it in large parts of England to less than half the 100 hour output per week that local communities currently enjoy and rely upon.” Read more
Second BBC strike over cuts to radio will coincide with local elections (31 Mar) – BBC journalists in England have announced a second 24-hour strike from midnight on Friday 5 May to coincide with the reporting of local election results, over cuts to local radio. BBC management wants local radio stations to share programmes across the network from 2pm on weekdays and at weekends, going from more than 100 hours of local programming on every radio station every week, down to just 40. The plans will result in a number of job losses and journalists are now having to re-apply for their own jobs. The union says the proposals will slowly kill off local radio which has 5.7m loyal listeners. The first strike took place on Budget day, on March 15, and was followed by a work to rule which is already having a significant impact, proving just how much output depends on goodwill and working extra hours by the staff. This came to the fore when the late TV bulletin last week was moved to 11pm and because of the work to rule NUJ members walked out leading to most of the 11 regional bulletins being affected in some way read more
NUJ to ballot members for industrial action over radical changes at BBC Radio Foyle (24 Mar) – The National Union of Journalists is to ballot for industrial action following a decision of management at BBC Northern Ireland to enforce radical changes to the morning programme schedule at BBC Radio Foyle. In changes announced today, the current two-hour Morning Show on Radio Foyle is to be replaced by a 30-minute programme. The union had been engaged in negotiations on the proposed changes but on Monday management abandoned the process and decided to press ahead with changes, despite consideration progress in the talks. 10 staff based at BBC Radio Foyle remain at risk of redundancy read more
Equity
“The campaign to save our ENO is not over” we respond to the latest Arts Council England funding news (12 Apr) – Arts Council England (ACE) have announced that £24 million will be made available for English National Opera (ENO) to apply for to fund their activity in 2024-2026, in a joint statement released today. We welcome this announcement which represents a significant increase in funding compared to ACE’s initial offer in November, which has been achieved through the campaigning efforts of Equity members, others in the workforce and the public engagement with the ENO’s ‘Love ENO’ campaign. However, funding at this level still marks a significant real terms cut to ENO’s regular funding and is still being given on the condition that the company develop a primary base outside London which will come at a huge cost to the workforce. The campaign to save our ENO and protect ENO jobs is not over. Equity will continue to fight for a funding model which protects the freelance and permanent workforce based at the London Coliseum, who have built their lives and livelihoods around their work in London read more
Sign and share this petition to reinstate the English National Opera (ENO) funding and lobby your MP to back our industries and their workforce
USDAW
Northamptonshire Sainsbury’s distribution workers could be affected by the company’s proposals – Usdaw to engage in consultation talks (12 Apr) – Retail and distribution trade union Usdaw has been informed by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s of their latest plans to further change the company’s warehouse and transport logistics operations. Usdaw members at the Sainsbury’s in-house frozen food operation at Pineham, on the outskirts of Northampton, could be affected by the proposed transfer of the site to logistics business GXO read more
IWGB
SIPTU (Ireland)
Irish Equity calls for EU protections of intellectual property rights for artists in Ireland (13 Apr) – Irish Equity has called for the complete extension to Ireland of EU protections for intellectual property rights for performers in order to end practices which are denying these workers ongoing earnings from their work read more
Other news
‘Drawing the Line’ – exhibition by picket line artist Inga Bystram – 7 days a week at The Cock Tavern 23, Phoenix Road NW1 1HB (near Euston train station). Tel: 07908330117 Insta: ingabystram
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site
Solidarity with Lee Fowler, who has been dismissed by the electrical contractor Bilfinger after he raised safety issues at the Cargill’s Refinery site in Merseyside (next to the new Everton football stadium construction project). The experienced and highly qualified electrician made several complaints about unsafe working conditions and helped four co-workers to obtain a pay rise.
Lee Fowler commented after his dismissal: “I got the four lads a 14% pay rise and I raised health and safety concerns about the site. I was involved in a serious accident myself, and the subsequent report found no blame on my part whatsoever. I have repeatedly asked to see the safety documents relating to my accident, and that request has been repeatedly denied. And for that I was dismissed? I have fought for workers’ health and safety for over 30 years: they won’t silence me!”
Lee Fowler is a member of Unite the Union who are representing him. Frank Morris and Tony Seaman, UNITE Executive Council members for construction issued a joint statement: “It is really disappointing that in 2023, we continue to see workers who are prepared to raise genuine concerns about safety being targeted. Despite all that was promised by major contractors in the High Court in 2016, this issue continues to blight our members lives. Blacklisting is one of the reasons that the construction sector has such a horrendous safety record. We cannot stand by and watch union members be repeatedly victimised. Unite will never stop fighting the harassment faced by workers who stand up for their rights. An injury to one is an injury to all”.
Blacklist Support Group posted on their Facebook page: Lee Fowler is a leading member of the Blacklist Support Group – having first been blacklisted after becoming an OILC safety rep in the North Sea in the early 90s.
Construction workers who raise concerns about potential hazards that could affect people on site and the surrounding community should be applauded. The industry has glossy posters that encourage workers to speak out. But time and again, workers who are conscientious about safety get sacked. Get your banners ready, another blacklisting dispute is about to kick off.
Support the ‘Murphy 4’ Campaign to reinstate sacked Unite members read more
Crossrail ‘blacklisting’ case to conclude with open court statement read more
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
Blacklisting of workers and union infiltration by Spy Cops a dark stain on the police and ‘no stone must be left unturned’ in learning the full truth (23 Feb) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is demanding that no stone is left unturned in discovering the full extent of the Special Demonstration Squad’s (Spy Cops) role in blacklisting workers and infiltrating trade unions. In the closing statements to the first tranche of the Mittings Inquiry into Undercover Policing, Dave Barr KC the counsel to the inquiry, for the first time accepted that information on individuals who were spied upon was frequently passed to employers and that spy cops infiltrated unions and spied on their members as part of their cover. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Finally it has been admitted what our members have always said. For decades not only were workers secretly spied upon by undercover police officers, for no good reason, but information was then frequently leaked to employers who used it to blacklist workers. Now the inquiry has finally accepted that blacklisting frequently occurred, no stone must be left unturned in discovering the true scale of blacklisting by the spy cops and reveal who in authority gave the green light for this. Equally there must be complete exposure of the infiltration of trade unions including answers as to why it happened and who considered it acceptable. This is the very minimum that workers and their families, who had the lives destroyed by blacklisting, deserve.” Read more
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.
International
(From Unison website) Trade unionist Gonul Erden released from prison in Turkey (6 Apr) read more
(From Unison website) UNISON opposes school demolition in West Bank (3 Apr) read more
(From NUJ website) Hong Kong: journalists report multiple stalking and harassment incidents (4 Apr) read more
Diary
June
24 NSSN national conference 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall, London
July
29 Troublemakers at Work Conference 2023: Friends Meeting House, Manchester – supported by Workers Can Win!, Strike Map and Organise Now!
September
10 NSSN TUC Rally Liverpool
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
