This year’s NSSN Conference is two weeks today! It will hear about the many strikes taking place across all sectors as workers fight back against the cost of living squeeze. Read about those disputes in this weekly bulletin.
But instead of negotiating with unions, Sunak’s Tory Government are bringing in yet more restrictive and undemocratic anti-union legislation, all designed to maintain the profits of big business. The Minimum Service Level Bill comes on top of four decades of Tory attacks on workers’ right to strike, going back to Thatcher.
But this isn’t the act of a strong and powerful government – the Tories are crisis-ridden and can be defeated, if unions fight together.
The NSSN Conference on Saturday 24th June in London is a vital forum for trade unionists to come to and participate in the discussion about how we defeat the Tory cost of living squeeze and their anti-union laws.
2023 NSSN Conference – Saturday 24th June in Conway Hall, London 11am-4.30pm –Attendance fee £6. You can register on the day at conference or register in advance here
Confirmed speakers so far: NIPSA General Secretary Carmel Gates, BFAWU General Secretary Sarah Woolley, POA General Secretary Steve Gillan, NAPO National Official Annoesjka Valent, GMB Officer Gary Palmer from the victorious #GMBThree (personal capacity)
NSSN Conference letter for union branches and trades councils Facebook event
Hundreds of thousands of workers have been on strike for the first time. Many hundreds if not thousands have become workplace reps or stewards for the first time. Our conference will bring together active rank-and-file trade unionists – both new and longstanding – from across the whole of the trade union movement, including every union that has been involved in strike action. All union members are very welcome to attend
NSSN news
NSSN official fringe meeting at BFAWU Conference – 3.30pm Sunday 11th June
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
RMT negotiate Scotrail deal (8 Jun) – Rail union RMT, have accepted the latest management pay offer from Scotrail. All RMT members will receive a 5% basic uplift with the lowest paid receiving as much as an 8% increase. The pay deal was overwhelmingly endorsed by Scotrail members in a referendum. Scotrail RMT members will also benefit from various measures which have added value to the overall pay package. General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “This was a tough negotiation and our members have voted to accept this modest pay deal…” read more
Bring safety critical tube staff in-house (7 Jun) – Bring safety critical tube Track Protection staff in-house protest tomorrow. TUBE Union RMT is calling a protest tomorrow (June 8, 2023) outside London Town Hall in Newham to demand an end to the outsourcing of Safety Critical Track Protection Staff and bring Morson and Cleshar’s Framework workers in-house. The union has written to London deputy mayor Seb Dance regarding the issue following a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Board into a track worker struck by a train at Chalfont Latimer in April last year read more
RMT expresses condolences over India railway tragedy (3 Jun) – Hundreds of people have been killed in India following a massive train crash after the Coromandel Express, which runs from Kolkata in West Bengal to Chennai in Tamil Nadu, derailed at 80mph. More than 300 are reported dead with 900 injured with the casualty list expected to rise in the coming hours and days. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The thoughts of everyone within the RMT are with Indian railway workers, passengers and their bereaved families following this awful tragedy. Whenever there is an accident of this magnitude, it underlines that safety on railway systems everywhere must be a top priority” read more
RMT writes to MPs as 20,000 railway workers’ strike (2 Jun) – RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has written to all MPs, criticising the government for its handling of the long running national railway dispute. In the letter, Mr Lynch accuses the government of deliberately “squandering billions of pounds on a futile war against the rail unions” and demanding that parliamentarians write to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to insist the government facilitate an improved offer that “will protect staffing and services and deliver a fairer deal for rail workers” read more
A message for RMT members (1 Jun) – Ahead of the next round of industrial action, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch delivers a message to RMT members involved in the National Rail Dispute read more
Stork offshore workers take strike action (1 Jun) – Offshore workers are taking strike action today in a row over pay, rotas and other conditions. RMT members working for Stork Technical Services are taking action to get a decent pay offer, changes to rotas and other outstanding conditions of work. The strike started at 06:30 hours on Thursday 1 June and will last until 06:29 on Saturday 3 June. Workers will also be on strike next week for 48 hours on Thursday 8 until 10 June. Unions had been led to believe the employer was prepared to make an improved offer but nothing in writing emerged read more
Track workers on London Underground ‘afraid to raise safety concerns’ (1 Jun) – 63% of ‘gig economy’ track workers being used by London Underground would be unhappy about raising safety concerns about their work, for fear of not being offered future shifts, the RMT revealed today. Publishing the results of a new survey, workers who perform vital and safety-critical work on London Underground’s track, are engaged through two ‘employment agencies’, Morson and Cleshar, who put them on bogus self-employed contracts that deny them sick pay, holiday, pensions and travel facilities. Workers’ report having to monitor their phones constantly in case they are offered shifts read more
DHL contract staff vote for strike action on Avanti (26 May) – RMT members working in catering supply for Avanti have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay. The workers who are employed by contractor DHL provide the catering stores for Avanti trains. They have not been offered a pay rise despite the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation. Members delivered a 97.5% ‘yes’ vote on a 66% turnout read more
London Underground staff vote to extend strike mandate with huge YES vote (23 May) – Tube union, RMT have extended their mandate for strike action on London Underground with a huge 96% vote for action. RMT members on London Underground are in dispute with TfL over jobs, cuts, and attacks on pensions and working conditions. The re-ballot which is a requirement of UK anti trade union legislation smashed all thresholds. 96% of those that voted said “Yes” for more strike action on a turnout of 56.5%. Those voting “yes” represent 54% of those entitled to vote read more
ASLEF
Train Drivers take three days of strike action – Train drivers at 15 companies will be taking strike action on Friday 12 May, Wednesday 31 May, and Saturday 3 June 2023 in a long-running dispute. Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; CrossCountry; East Midlands Railway; Great Western Railway; Greater Anglia; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; London North Eastern Railway; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; SWR depot drivers; SWR Island Line; TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains. ASLEF members at these train companies have been in dispute for almost a year over the failure of management to offer a fair deal on pay. Most of the drivers have not had a pay increase at all since 2019 and with inflation still well over 10% and the cost of living spiralling, this is not acceptable read more
TSSA
First Profits reveal Franchise system “broken” – TSSA (8 Jun) – First Group announced that underlying earnings had more than doubled to £82.1 million from £36.2 million last year. TSSA today slammed First Group’s £82.1m profits as evidence that privatisation is benefitting shareholders but failing passengers. This came after First Group announced yesterday that underlying earnings had more than doubled to £82.1 million from £36.2 million last year. In May First Group recently lost the contract for TransPennine Express (TPE) after an avalanche of complaints about poor services and cancellations going back many months read more
TSSA statement – Jamie Driscoll (7 Jun) – Transport and travel union TSSA is calling for the Labour Party to either reverse or fully account for its decision to exclude Jamie Driscoll from the North East mayoralty selection process read more
TSSA plans ‘contingency strategies’ to combat anti-strike law (4 Jun) – TSSA has declared it would ‘prepare appropriate contingency strategies’ to combat the Westminster government’s ‘Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill’ which is now in its final stages before becoming law. TSSA considers the legislation, to impose minimum levels of service across the public sector during industrial action walkouts, to be both unworkable and draconian. At TSSA’s annual conference, being held in Cork, delegates agreed to ‘prepare appropriate contingency strategies to be pursued in the event of industrial disputes in order to minimise their [minimum service levels] impact on the effectiveness of industrial action’ read more
TSSA sends condolences to victims and relatives of India Train Crash (2 Jun) – TSSA today sent condolences to survivors and relatives of victims of the train crash in Odisha, India. At least 288 died and hundreds were injured when two passenger train collided at 7pm local time yesterday read more
Unite
Unite announces Xplore Dundee strike action after meaningless conciliation talks with company (9 Jun) – Blame for 12 weeks strike action lies with company management for failure to move on pay. Unite the union announced today (9 June) that around 200 workers employed by Xplore Dundee will take twelve weeks strike action in a dispute over pay. The bus workers based from the East Dock Street depot will begin the strike action from Monday (12 June) lasting until 3 September. Unite’s members recently supported strike action by 93 per cent on an 88.6 per cent turnout. Unite members involved in the ballot included drivers, duty managers, platform staff, and administrative staff read more
Housing regulator workers to strike in pay dispute (9 Jun) – Hundreds of members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at the Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing will hold a week-long strike from Monday 19 June in a dispute over pay. The union represents equal numbers of workers at both employers. Neither group has yet been formally offered a pay increase but both employers have said that they will not pay above the Treasury’s figure of a 4.5 per cent pay increase for the current year. With the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 11.4 per cent this is a substantial real terms pay cut. The looming real pay cut follows a two per cent pay increase last year, which in reality was also a substantial real terms wage reduction. The organisations have substantial reserves but are declining to use them on increasing wages, claiming to do so would result in them being required to submit “a qualified audit” read more
Education Authority workers in Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly to take strike action to demand implementation of a pay & grading review (9 Jun) – Unite members working in the Education Authority vote 94% for strike action and 96% for action short of strike action. Ballot follows Department of Education inability to fund pay & grading business case due to punitive budget set by Secretary of State. Unite the union members working for the Education Authority have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over the failure to implement a pay and grading review offered as a alternative to the very poor pay increase for the 2021-2022 year. The union has lodged notice for seven days of strike action commencing from Thursday 15th June. The strike will involve more than 700 workers and result in significant disruption at schools across Northern Ireland. Unite’s membership includes school bus drivers, escorts and maintenance workers, catering staff, classroom assistants, playground supervisors, school administrative staff, cleaners, building supervisors and ground maintenance staff read more
Unite announces new ambulance and hospital strikes as NHS pay and safe staffing dispute intensifies (9 Jun) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced fresh strikes in the NHS as it further escalates its industrial action over pay and safe staffing levels. Unite’s members at the West Midlands Ambulance Service will take strike action on Monday 12 June. This will be followed by union members at the Christie hospital in Manchester and the City Hospital in Birmingham, who will take strike action on Wednesday 14 June to coincide with the British Medical Association (BMA) junior doctor’s strike. Unite’s members at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service will also take strike action on Friday 23 June and Monday 26 June read more
Workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites all-out strike action enters second day (9 Jun) – Employees at Creative Composites, the Lisburn-based car parts manufacturer, are taking their second day of strike action seeking an inflation proof pay increase. The strike action follows a ballot of workers in which there was unanimity for industrial action, up to an including strike. Unite the union understands that the strike action has effectively shut down production at the factory which provides plastic components for a variety of vehicle manufacturers including Hyster-Yale, Wrightbus as well as high profile sports car builders such as Lotus and McLauren read more
Workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites vote unanimously for strike action for pay increase (5 Jun) – Unite industrial ballot return at leading UK composite manufacturer was 100% for strike action on a 100% turnout. Workers at Creative Composites, the UK’s leading advanced production composite manufacturer based in Lisburn, have voted unanimously on a 100% turnout to take strike action in pursuit of a cost of living pay increase. The ballot was held after workers rejected an insulting pay offer of a bare 4.5% tied to the increase in the bare legal minimum wage. The workforce at Creative Composites is low-paid despite the highly-skilled nature of their employment and the fact that the company sells components to leading vehicle manufacturers. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham pledged her support for the workforce in their fight to win a cost of living pay increase read more
Local Authority workers to stage protests in London and Cardiff (9 Jun) – Strike ballots start to open next week. A decade of real terms pay cuts means council pay has become so low workers can’t pay their bills. Local authority workers will stage protests in London and Cardiff as Unite members prepare to ballot for strikes from next week. The workers will deliver a clear message to the Local Government Association in England and Wales that they will not accept a real terms pay cut. Members of Unite, employed by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have overwhelmingly rejected, the local government employers’ pay offer for 2023/24. The pay offer of just £1,925 equates to 3.88 per cent and 9.42 per cent depending on the worker’s individual grade – a real terms cut read more
700 Bilfinger offshore workers accept ‘vastly’ improved wage offer (8 Jun) – Industrial action over after 10 per cent pay uplift in 2023. Unite the union confirmed today (8 June) that over 700 offshore members at Bilfinger UK Limited have accepted a ‘vastly’ improved wage offer bringing the pay dispute to an end. Unite’s Bilfinger members accepted a further 6 per cent increase on basic pay in addition to the 4 per cent rise in January 2023. With other uplifts made by Bilfinger in November 2022, the increase in basic pay has been lifted by up to 19 per cent for some members in less than a year. The deal for example means a £5.15 uplift in hourly pay for an advanced scaffolder and it constitutes the highest annual pay increase ever in the North Sea for Bilfinger contractors read more
Activists & local politicians join St Mungo’s workers on strike in Brighton (8 Jun) – Unite union rally on Friday in Brighton to mark two weeks of strike action at St Mungo’s homeless charity. St Mungo’s provides services to Brighton & Hove council to support the homeless in Brighton. Local activists, councillors and the local Labour MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle will show their support for St Mungo’s workers in Brighton who have reached a half point in their month long strike. Fury amongst the workforce has ensured solid support for the strike action over a pitiful 2.25% wage hike offered by the homeless charity read more
Support the St Mungo’s strike: London Mayor urged to support striking workers who help the city’s homeless (5 Jun) – London Mayor urged to support striking workers who help the city’s homeless. Unite union demo on Monday 5th June, will urge London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to intervene on behalf of strikers at St Mungo’s homeless charity. Workers begin their second week of a month long strike which began on Tuesday 30 May and ends on Monday 26 June. This year, City Hall gave the charity an extra £2 million in grants while St Mungo’s are attempting to force poverty wages on their own street workers. Workers at the homeless charity St Mungo’s are on a month long strike in protest at the pitiful 2.25% wage hike offered by the homeless charity. Fury amongst the workforce has ensured solid support for the strike action. Many of the workers are now in fear themselves after being unable to pay their rent or mortgage on their current poverty wages. After tax and deductions frontline workers take home less than £20,000 a year read more picket lines & strike rallies strike fund
First ‘deplorable’ pay offer means Manchester braced for bus chaos as drivers’ strike looms (8 Jun) – First Group profits released today are soaring but workers paid ‘worst rates in region’. Around 360 bus drivers employed by First Manchester are balloting for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). Drivers at First Manchester earn less than other bus companies in the area. First Manchester drivers earn £13.50 an hour, while Go North West pays £14.37, Diamond Bus £14.30 and Stagecoach £14. The difference in wages is expected to increase as the other companies implement their yearly pay increases. First Manchester drivers say that without a significant pay rise, chronic staff shortages and overwork will worsen at the company. The workers have rejected a 7.4 per cent pay offer backdated to April with a further 3.4 per cent in October. First Groups’ 2022 annual report, released today, shows that operating profits increased by more than £6 million to £226.8 million read more
GSK strike action escalates in pay dispute (8 Jun) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by pharmaceutical giant GSK are set to escalate their strike action in a dispute over pay. The 750 workers – who undertake a wide variety of roles including engineers, process technicians, laboratory analysts, warehouse workers and fire officers – have rejected a significantly below inflation offer of six per cent and a one off lump sum of £1,300. This is a substantially below the real inflation rate, RPI, of 11.4 per cent. The pay offer is in stark contrast to the huge salary of GSK’s chief executive Emma Walmsley, who received £8.4 million last year. It has been estimated that she only has to work a single day to receive the same pay that the employees striking receive for the entire year. GSK is an incredibly wealthy company. It’s latest financial results reveal it made an operating profit of £8.15 billion, a 26 per cent increase on the previous year. The cost of resolving Unite’s pay claim would be just 0.05 per cent of the company’s profits. GSK has said they can afford the workers’ pay claim but have decided to use the money in other areas. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a clear example of corporate greed on a grand scale. The company is hugely profitable, the chief executive is paid in millions and yet they won’t give the workers a fair pay rise. Make no mistake, Unite will be giving its members at GSK its total support. The company’s attitude is indefensible.” The strike action will involve workers at GSK’s plants at Barnard Castle, Irvine, Montrose, Ulverston, Ware and Worthing. The first strike this month will be at Ware on 9 June (full details of all the strikes in notes for editors). Further strikes will be announced in the coming days. Unite members took initial strike action in the dispute last month read more
Darchem Teesside factory to shut down during pay strikes (8 Jun) – Formula One, Rolls Royce, BAE, Hinkley Point impacted after ‘hugely profitable’ firm offers ‘pay cut’. Nearly 300 workers employed by engineering firm Darchem in Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees, will strike over pay in June and July, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers voted for industrial action after rejecting an effective 20 month pay deal that would see pay rise six per cent from February, with a further four per cent in October. With the true rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.4 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. The deal was offered on the condition that future pay rises would then be negotiated from October of each year, rather than February, meaning workers would have to wait a year and eight months for their next annual pay rise. Darchem, owned by the US-based TransDigm Group, is an extremely profitable company that makes a range of products for the automotive, aerospace, energy and shipbuilding industries. The company’s latest financial returns show it had a turnover of over £108 million in 2021. During the same year, operating profits increased by 53.3 per cent to £25.3 million pounds read more
Crunch talks get underway to avoid strikes at Europe’s biggest soft drinks plant (8 Jun) – Coca Cola Europacific Partner’s (CCEP) offers a real terms pay cut whilst profits rise 37% to £1.85 billion. Crippling strikes are due to begin next week. Union leaders will meet with Coca Cola bosses today (Thursday 8 June) to demand a fairer share of the company’s mammoth profits. The union is warning that a failure to improve the company’s pay offer will mean a crippling two week strike at the largest soft drinks plant in Europe as summer gets underway and demand increases. Unite is planning 14 days of strikes beginning on 14 June. But the union is not ruling out calling further strikes read more
Unite supports proposed legislation to end age-based Minimum Wage discrimination in Ireland (8 Jun) – Bill would help tackle exploitation of young workers. Trade union Unite, which represents workers in all sectors, today (Thursday) called on TDs from all parties to back the National Minimum Wage (Equal Pay for Young Workers) Bill 2022. The legislation, which is due to be debated in the Dail on Wednesday 14 June, would abolish age-related sub-minimum rates of pay for young workers read more
Manchester Metrolink tram strike suspended (7 Jun) – The Manchester Metrolink tram strike due to take place this weekend (Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June) has been suspended following an improved pay offer. The 600 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will now be balloted on the revised offer. If it is rejected then new strike dates will be announced. The revised pay offer was achieved following talks brokered by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham read more
Allerdale bin strike to continue as peace talks collapse (7 Jun) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned that the long running refuse collection strike in Workington and the surrounding area will continue indefinitely. The workers, who are employed by Allerdale Waste Services, which is 100 per cent owned by Cumberland council, have been on all-out strike since 16 May in a dispute over pay. This week, the workers, who are members of Unite, unanimously rejected Allerdale Waste’s latest offer as it did not address the pay issue. Talks were held yesterday (Tuesday 7 June) between the union and Allerdale Waste/Cumberland council. Management became hostile when Unite informed them their offer had been rejected and then the talks collapsed as management refused to consider the union’s counter proposal ‘as it was not on the agenda’ read more
Drax materials handling workers to begin pay strikes (7 Jun) – Around 100 Hargreaves workers being ‘ripped off’ over shift pay. Around 100 Hargreaves workers employed in a technical materials handling capacity at Drax power station in Selby in Yorkshire, will begin pay strikes later this week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). Workers employed directly by Drax performing the same role are paid £16,000 a year on top of their base pay for working shifts – ten times the around £1,600 a year Hargreaves staff receive for shift work. The pay deal currently on offer from Hargreaves, which includes an eight per cent increase in the workers’ basic rate, does not address the disparity in shift pay. It is also a real terms pay cut, with the real rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.4 per cent. In the six months to November 2022, Hargreaves made profits before tax of £18.7 million. The firm’s highest paid director has also received a 26.8 per cent pay increase to £246,000 a year. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Hargreaves is an extremely profitable company and can afford to pay these workers properly. It is disgraceful that they are being treated as second class employees compared to their colleagues employed directly by Drax. This needs to change. Hargreave’s workers have their union’s unflinching support as they strike for a fair wage rise and proper shift pay.” The workers will stage an initial 24-hour walkout beginning at 19.00 hrs on Sunday 11 June. Strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Strike action could impact electricity generation operations at Drax read more
Pay strikes announced at Heathrow as airport set for summer of strife (7 Jun) – Unite the union has announced a major escalation of its dispute with Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) over low pay. The union has announced 31 days of strike action beginning on Saturday 24 June (see notes to editors for full list below). The strikes will involve over 2,000 security officers. For the first time security officers based at Terminal Three, who voted for strike action last week, will join their colleagues from Terminal Five and campus security on the picket line. Campus security are responsible for checking all personnel and vehicles going airside. The walkout by workers at Terminal Three will result in a large number of airlines facing the prospect of disruption, delays and cancellations this summer. These include: Virgin, Emirates, Qatar, United, American and Delta. The extensive walkouts at Terminal Five will heavily affect British Airway’s summer schedule read more
Leeds braced for bus chaos as First West Yorkshire drivers stage continuous strike (7 Jun) – 800 Leeds bus drives strike over company’s refusal to move pay anniversary date back to normal. Around 800 First West Yorkshire bus drivers will begin strike action every day from 18 June over the company’s refusal to return the date on which new pay rises are enacted back to normal. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, agreed during the pandemic to change their anniversary pay date to October to assist the company financially. First West Yorkshire has refused to move the date back to April however, meaning workers have been left struggling during the cost-of-living crisis and will not receive a much needed pay increase until October at the earliest read more
Trelleborg Leicester workers ballot for strike action over pay (7 Jun) – Workers offered large pay cut while Trelleborg brings in millions. More than 100 workers at the Leicester factory of industrial sealing solution firm Trelleborg are being balloted for strike action, Unite, the UK’s the leading union, said today (Wednesday). The shop floor workers have rejected a one-year deal of four per cent, plus a £700 lump sum. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.4 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. Trelleborg Industrial Products latest financial returns, meanwhile, show it made a gross profit of £9 million for the year ending December 2021. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Trelleborg is making substantial profits but demanding its workforce shoulder a large real terms pay cut during a cost of living crisis. Our members are simply asking for a reasonable pay increase, which Trelleborg can more than afford to pay. Unite is entirely focused on defending and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Trelleborg’s Leicester workforce will be receiving the union’s full support.” The ballot for strike action closes on 21 June, with strike action expected to be announced shortly afterwards. The Leicester site makes products for Bombardier, Alstom, M.T.R.C, JBC, Caterpillar and John Deere read more
Trelleborg Gloucestershire and Somerset strikes end after two year 11% offer (2 Jun) – Strikes at industrial seal manufacturer Trelleborg’s factories in Tewkesbury and Bridgewater have ended after workers accepted an improved pay offer. The more than 200 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted to accept a pay deal worth at least 11 per cent over two years. The workers will receive an eight per cent pay rise this year. In the second year, pay will increase by three per cent, however renewed pay negotiations will take place if inflation is above five per cent. They workers were originally offered a 5.2 per cent one year deal read more
Hayle Maen Karne protest to be held over company’s ‘disgraceful’ union-busting (6 Jun) – Demonstration supporting HGV drivers striking for union recognition. A protest will be held in Hayle in Cornwall on 7th June against concrete product supplier Maen Karne, whose HGV mixer drivers are striking over the company’s refusal to recognise their union. Pictures and video of the protests will be available on request. The workers requested a voluntary recognition agreement from Maen Karne, owned by the GRS Roadstone group, on behalf of Unite to allow for collective bargaining over pay and conditions, which was rejected. The drivers deliver fresh concrete across Cornwall and began strike action on 30 May, with the current round of industrial action set to last until Friday 9 June. If the dispute is not resolved strike action will escalate, causing further delays of concrete to construction sites across Cornwall read more
Welwyn Hatfield council facing summer of bin strikes as Urbaser workers walk out over pay (6 Jun) – Residents of Welwyn Hatfield council are facing a summer of refuse collection strikes, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned. Over 60 workers employed by waste company Urbaser Limited, on the outsourced refuse collection and street cleansing service let by Welwyn and Hatfield council, will begin all out (continuous) strike action from Monday 19 June in a dispute over pay. The dispute is a result of the workers rejecting Urbaser’s substandard pay offer of 6.8 per cent. This amounts to a substantial real terms pay cut when the true inflation rate, RPI, is currently standing at 11.4 per cent read more
Striking workers attend first meeting of newly-elected Belfast City Council to raise need for inflation-proof pay increases (6 Jun) – Unite the union delegation demands politicians take the side of workers in coming strike wave. A delegation from Unite the union, including striking workers at the Dunmurry-based manufacturer Survitec, has addressed the first meeting of the newly-elected Belfast City Council [last night, 5th June]. The delegation warned councillors of an impending wave of strikes across Belfast as workers were forced to take strike action to win inflation-proof pay increases. The union has just confirmed that workers at Lisburn-based Creative Composites has voted by 100% on a 100% turnout for strike action on pay as well. Unite the union General Secretary Sharon Graham congratulated the striking Survitec workers on their initiative read more
North London braced for bus chaos as Arriva drivers strike over pay (6 Jun) – London bus passengers are braced for a summer of bus chaos as over 1,700 bus drivers employed by Arriva have announced strike action in a dispute over pay. The 1,700 plus bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have rejected a seven per cent pay increase. This is an effective real terms pay cut when the real inflation rate (RPI) is standing at 11.4 per cent. The workers will undertake an initial two day strike on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 June followed by a further two days of strike on Tuesday 27 June and Wednesday 28 June. If the dispute isn’t resolved further strikes will be called. The strikes will predominantly affect routes in North and East London. The bus garages the drivers operate from are Ash Grove, Barking, Clapton, Edmonton, Enfield, Palmers Green, Tottenham and Wood Green. The drivers start on pay rates of just £13.65 an hour, which they report they cannot afford to live on in London read more
Unite ballots OCS workers at Glasgow airport after no improved wage offer (5 Jun) – Workers provide aid passengers with mobility issues. Unite has confirmed today (5 June) that its members employed by OCS Group UK Limited based at Glasgow Airport will be balloted on strike action. Around 70 Unite members previously rejected an offer by 96 per cent which would take basic pay to £10.90 per hour. The UK’s leading aviation trade union can confirm that OCS has to date refused to table an improved offer to the workforce. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members provide specialist services which are absolutely vital if some passengers are to pass through the airport safely. We cannot accept continued poverty pay and our members are rightly angry. Unite will always stand up for our members fighting for better pay, terms and conditions.” OCS Group workers aid passengers with reduced mobility issues including assisting with wheels chairs and ambilift vehicles for travellers at airports. The company recorded a profit after tax for the period ending 31 December 2021 of £19.6m. The ballot will open 6 June and close a fortnight later on 20 June. If the ballot is successful then this could see Unite members beginning strike action in early July during the busy summer airport schedule read more
Unite secures pay deal for ICTS Search workers at Glasgow Airport (1 Jun) – Basic pay uplifted by 34 per cent over two years. Unite has secured a significantly improved pay deal for ICTS Search workers based at Glasgow Airport, the UK’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Thursday 1 June). Around 250 workers at ICTS Central Search will now receive a phased increase worth up to 11 per cent. This will uplift hourly pay to £12.77 in August compared with last year’s rate of £11.50. Hourly pay has increased by 34 per cent over two years from £9.50 an hour in 2021. The offer was emphatically backed by 78 per cent of Unite members on a 97 per cent turnout read more
Jamie Driscoll mayoral omission a major error (4 Jun) – The Labour Party’s decision to exclude North Tyneside mayor Jamie Driscoll from the north east regional mayoral shortlist has been described as a cynical ‘move to prevent support for energy re-nationalisation ‘ and a major error by Unite, the UK’s leading union read more
Unite warns of summer strike action to hit key events as talks with COSLA collapse (1 Jun) – Trade union demands Scottish Government intervention. Unite the union today (1 June) demanded that the First Minister, Humza Yousaf, directly intervenes in the brewing local government pay dispute following what it describes as a ‘collapse’ in negotiations with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities’ (COSLA). The trade union is warning that it is actively preparing to ballot its local government membership, and a number of key events across Scotland including the Cycling World Championships to be held in Glasgow (3-13 August) could be under threat of cancellation unless the pay dispute is resolved. The trade unions representing local government workers have jointly condemned the behaviour by COSLA at a meeting of the Scottish Joint Council (SJC) held on 30th May 2023. At the meeting, councillors voted against a trade union motion which called for the SJC – the negotiating body for the main local government workforce – to approach the Scottish Government for additional funds to improve upon the current 5 per cent pay offer for 2023 read more
NI: Striking workers at Survitec in Dunmurry determined to win an inflation-proof pay increase (1 Jun) – Picket lines formed outside Survitec’s site from 6.45 am today in all-out strike by workforce. Unite the union members working at Survitec, a manufacturer of marine life-saving equipment, commenced an all-out strike for a cost of living pay increase this morning at 6.45am. Workers have previously rejected a pay offer of 6 percent and are seeking a pay increase that meets the real cost of inflation. Over the last year the retail price inflation index, the best measure of rising costs facing workers, peaked at 14.6 percent in the worst cost of living crisis in generations. Workers voted unanimously (100 percent) on an 80% turnout for strike action. Survitec has had a highly successful period with sales expanding rapidly by more than 130% over the last four years – rising from £45.1m to £103.8m as demand for life-saving equipment has increased since the pre-pandemic period. The workers’ pay claim in Dunmurry would cost just £860k or less than one percent of sales, which the workforce believe can easily be covered by the company read more
Unite explores legal action against Bonar Yarns owners as firm informs workers of closure (31 May) – Trade union says workers ‘remain in the dark’. Unite the union has today (31 May) slammed the owners of the Dundee based Bonar Yarns after the workers were verbally informed by management that the firm is set to close. The manufacturing company which has a 100-years long history in Dundee employs around 60 workers. The business was sold to Newman Yarns Limited after it fell into administration in April 2023. Newman Yarns was founded by John Newman, owner of Elite Turf USA, a leading distributor and installer of synthetic sports turf. Elite Turf USA was previously a customer of Bonar Yarns read more
Somerset set for stinking summer as Suez staff ballot for strikes over substandard pay offer (31 May) – Somerset residents should be braced for a summer of refuse collection strikes Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned. Unite is balloting over 200 members employed by waste management company, Suez, for industrial action after the workers rejected a sub-standard pay offer of 5.8 per cent. The offer amounts to a substantial real terms pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.4 per cent. The workers are responsible for refuse collection across the county on a contract tendered by Somerset Waste Partnerships, which is operated by Somerset council. Existing wage rates are low, with drivers paid just £13.63 an hour despite being required to hold an HGV licence, while loaders are paid just £10.98 and expected to work in all weathers. The industrial ballot opens today (Wednesday 31 May) and closes on Wednesday 14 June. If workers vote for strike action then strikes could begin before the end of next month read more
Labour needs a properly funded plan for the North Sea and North Sea workers – Unite will not accept jam tomorrow (30 May) – Unite general Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Grabbing the headlines is easy, developing a serious plan for more renewable energy is not. When Keir Starmer decided to let the world know that he would halt new oil and gas production in the North Sea he left out everything that was important – the detail. Labour must now be very clear that they will not let workers pay the price for the transition to renewable energy. When it comes to jobs we can’t have jam tomorrow. We need a worker-led transition through collective bargaining that will guarantee jobs, pay and conditions for all the tens of thousands of workers in North Sea and supporting industries. We cannot have a repeat of the devastation wrought on workers and their communities by the closure of the coal mines. It is reckless in the extreme to talk about halting this industry without offering a coherent, fully funded plan for jobs. A workers’ transition plan for the North Sea must involve three things. First, it needs to put workers in the industry, and their communities, front and centre. It must be carried out with their full involvement, and guarantee decent jobs for all involved with no loss of pay and conditions. Second, it will require substantial investment. We have yet to see Labour, or any political party, commit to the serious amounts that will be needed. Finally, to ensure a just transition actually happens, we are calling for public ownership and democratic control of the energy industry. We cannot trust the private sector, whose only concern is squeezing every last drop of profit out of the UK’s remaining oil and gas reserves, to deliver for workers and communities…” read more
Bristol braced for ‘foul-smelling summer’ as bin workers’ strike vote begins (30 May) – Workers at council-owned Bristol Waste offered pay cut despite £2.3m gross profits. More than 200 refuse workers employed by Bristol Waste are being balloted for industrial action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers, who collect bins, clean the streets and operate household waste and recycling centres, are angry at a 17 month pay offer of seven per cent or £2000, whichever is greater for their salary. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, running at 11.4 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. While many of the workers are paid little more than the minimum wage, Bristol Waste, which is owned by the council, made gross profits of more than £2.3 million for the year ending March 2022 read more
South Gloucestershire facing ‘stinky summer’ during bin strikes (30 May) – Around 150 Suez bin workers angry at ‘pay cut’ while company rakes in millions. Around 150 workers employed by Suez emptying bins on behalf of South Gloucestershire council are to strike in June and July over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers voted to strike by 89 per cent after rejecting an eight per cent pay offer from the company, which, according to its latest UK financial returns, brought in profits of £80.8 million in 2021. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 11.4 per cent, this is a significant real terms pay cut. The company’s South Gloucestershire bin loaders earn just £11.53 per hour. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Suez is an extremely profitable company but is offering these workers a real terms pay cut during the worst cost of living crisis in generations. “Unite’s total focus on defending our members’ jobs, pay and conditions will ensure that Suez’s workforce have their union’s absolute support in fighting back against their employer’s greed.” The workers will strike from 12 June until 18 June and again from 26 June until 9 July. If the dispute is not resolved, industrial action will intensify over the summer read more
Leeds pump manufacturer facing strike action across June which will disrupt supply (24 May) – Many of the UK’s largest companies are braced for problems and delays in acquiring specialist pumping products as workers at Leeds based Sulzer Pumps, have announced strike action following a poor pay offer. The approx 100 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who are based at the company’s Manor Mill Lane factory have rejected a pay offer of 6.5 per cent and a £275 one off payment. The pay offer was in effect a substantial real terms pay cut with the current true rate of inflation (RPI) at 11.4 per cent. The workers will initially take strike action next month on 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 June as well as 7 July read more
Striking HTS workers to protest at Harlow Council meeting Thursday (24 May) – 300 low paid outsourced workers employed by council owned firm angry over pay rip off. Striking HTS workers responsible for Harlow’s social housing stock and maintaining the local authority’s grounds and buildings will stage a pay protest outside the full council meeting on Thursday (25 May) read more
Unite – Fresh NHS strikes in London and Yorkshire (23 May) – The latest strikes form part of the union’s targeted approach to industrial action as it continues to put plans in place to further escalate the dispute and pressure the government to re-open pay negotiations. Unite members from across the Guy’s and St Thomas’ workforce, including nurses and other frontline workers, will stage a 24 hour strike beginning at 07:00 am on Thursday 1 June. This will be followed by a strike by Unite members employed at the Yorkshire Ambulance Trust, including paramedics and call handlers. The workers will be striking on Friday 2 June for up to seven hours, with strike action occurring between 14:00hrs and 22:00hrs read more
Unite offshore strike action steps up as 1650 contractors to strike hitting oil and gas operators (23 May) – Unite offshore strike action steps up as 1650 contractors to strike hitting oil and gas operators. Fresh rounds of 48-hour action to hit multibillion corporations including BP, Shell and Total. Unite the union can confirm today (23 May) that around 1650 contractors will begin two new rounds of 48-hour strike action in an increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector. Around 1650 contractors across five companies will now participate in strike action starting on 1 June (6.30am) and ending on 3 June (6.29am), and then from 8 June (6.30am) to 10 June (6.29am). The prospective action includes electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders, crane operators, pipefitters, platers, and riggers working for Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork Technical Services, and Sparrows Offshore Services read more
Strike at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to go ahead after pay cut proposed (22 May) – College’s latest offer amounts to a real terms pay cut of 12%. Strike action set for 23-25 May during the College’s annual conference will go ahead. Members of Unite employed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) will continue strike action this week and stage a protest at the RCPCH annual conference in a dispute over an “appalling pay offer” read more
Workers at ‘monstrously wealthy’ City of London Corporation strike over pay attack (22 May) – Local authority for Square Mile has over £1.2b in reserves but slashes pay by 8.5% in real terms. More than 250 workers at the City of London Corporation, the local authority for London’s Square Mile financial centre, are to strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The City of London Corporation has imposed a lump sum pay increase for 2022/23 that is on average worth around 5 per cent. With the real rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 13.5 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut of 8.5 per cent. The workers also not see their wages rise during 2021/22, after the corporation reneged on the previous pay agreement. Unite’s members at the corporation are struggling with rocketing living costs and rents in London, one of the most expensive cities on the planet. Workers have reported using foodbanks, with one even sleeping in their car during the working week to keep travel costs down. Meanwhile, the local authority’s latest financial report shows it had reserves of over £1.2 billion in March 2022. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The City of London Corporation is monstrously wealthy but believes its already hard up workers should swallow a substantial real terms pay cut. The corporation does much to support and advocate for elite bankers earning millions. How can it possibly accept that its own staff should be driven to measures like using foodbanks and sleeping in cars just to get by? Unite never accepts attacks on our members’ jobs, pay or conditions and the corporation’s workforce will receive Unite’s unflinching support during these strikes.” The striking workers are employed in a variety of roles including security, police staff, grounds maintenance and administrative functions. Members of the GMB union are also involved in the dispute. The workers will stage an initial 24-hour strike on Thursday 25 May, severely disrupting the corporation’s key services. More industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Felixstowe 4’ protest demands justice at CK Hutchison AGM (18 May) – Unite delegation engages key investors at CK Hutchison AGM in Hong Kong. Banner drop at AGM demands reinstatement of four unfairly sacked dockers from Felixstowe. A campaign delegation has delivered Unite the Union’s demand for justice for four unfairly sacked Felixstowe dockers at the AGM of CK Hutchison in Hong Kong (18 May). Facing heavy security, Unite’s delegation engaged with CK shareholders and displayed a large banner within the building demanding: CK Hutchison: Reinstate the Felixstowe Four read more
Mahle Engine Systems workers strike in pay dispute (15 May) – Unite blames Kilmarnock based company for ‘failing to own its mistakes’. Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 15 May) that over 120 members based at Mahle Engine Systems will take strike action tomorrow (16 May). The dispute relates to pay discrepancies at the Kilmarnock plant after management failed to apply an extra increase to the entire workforce, in addition to a 3.4 per cent increase which all workers received from January 2023. The strike action will take place over the following dates: 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th and 30th May, and 1st June. Unite’s members emphatically supported strike action by 80 per cent in an 81.3 per cent turnout. The trade union can further confirm that its Mahle membership will hold an overtime ban effective from 7am today (15th May) until 14th August read more
UK facing taps and pipes shortage as Warrington based GXO drivers strike over sacking of Unite rep (12 May) – HGV drivers, employed by GXO on the contract to supply City Plumbing and PTS outlets, are set to take indefinite strike action from later this month, following the sacking of a Unite rep. The drivers have voted for strike action following the dismissal of Unite representative Paul Roberts on “trumped up charges”. The drivers, who are based at GXO’s Lockheed Road depot in Warrington, will begin their continuous strike action on Monday 22 May. Given the just-in-time nature of distribution contracts, City Plumbing and PTS will swiftly run short of materials read more
Ford at Dagenham facing standstill as Lineside Logistics workers strike over pay (11 May) – Ford’s iconic engine plant at Dagenham, East London, is set to come to a standstill later this month as workers employed by Lineside Logistics, who are responsible for engine and parts distribution, take strike action over pay. The 120 plus workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are also responsible for the company’s parts distribution network in Turkey and South Africa. The strike is a result of the company making a pay offer of 7.5 per cent at a time when the real inflation rate (RPI) currently stands at 13.5 per cent. This amounts to a substantial real terms pay cut. An initial nine days of strike action have been announced and will take place on 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 30 and 31 May as well as 1 and 2 June read more
Campaigners to demand NI Water intervene with their contractor Murphy International to reinstate ‘Murphy 4’ (14 May) – When: 10.30am Monday 15th May; Where: NI Water HQ, Westland Road, Belfast. Campaigners seeking the restoration of four Unite members, including a shop steward dismissed by he the Murphy group’s Irish subsidiary are to demand NI Water intervene with Murphy International, a contractor, to secure the re-employment of the workers. The protest is the latest in a campaign to reinstate the workers after their dismissal on what Unite members believe to be spurious grounds read more
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site. We’ll keep everyone informed of future protests read more about Lee’s case
Cumberland council exposed using anti-union laws to undermine lawful Allerdale refuse strike (4 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has discovered that Labour-controlled Cumberland council is using new Conservative anti-trade union laws in an attempt to undermine a lawful strike. Low paid refuse workers employed by Allerdale Waste Services began strike action last week after their employer refused to increase pay rates of £10.90 an hour for loaders and £11.89 for drivers, which are amongst the lowest in the UK for refuse workers. Allerdale Waste Services is a private company that is 100 per cent owned by Labour controlled Cumberland council. Unite has learned that rather than seek a resolution to the dispute, Allerdale Waste Services has instead utilised recently introduced Conservative anti-trade union laws, which allows the employer to recruit agency workers to undermine lawful industrial strike action. Unite has further learned that the agency loaders and drivers are being paid £14 an hour, which is far in excess of the rates of pay for its permanent staff read more
Ferrari and Rolls Royce facing production delays during Gloucestershire and Somerset pay strikes (24 Apr) – Trelleborg workers in Tewkesbury and Bridgewater strike over ‘pay cut’ while firm brings in huge profits. More than 200 Trelleborg workers in Tewkesbury and Bridgewater supplying seals to aerospace, auto, medical, food and energy firms will strike over a real terms pay cut, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The factory workers, who make seals for clients such as Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Air Bus, the Ministry of Defence and Carl Zeiss, are striking after rejecting a 5.2 per cent pay offer. With the true rate of inflation, (RPI), at 13.5 per cent this is real terms pay cut of 8.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Trelleborg Seal Solutions’ latest financial report shows a turnover of £96.6 million and gross profits of £28.8 million…The first round of strikes will take place from 2 to 5 May, with industrial action set to intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Construction contractors to strike at DSM’s Dalry plant (17 Apr) – 3 week-long strike set to begin over bonus dispute involving Kaefer and Altrad. Unite the union members are set to begin a three-week long strike tomorrow (18 April) at DSM’s Dalry plant. The dispute is over the failure by Kaefer Limited and Altrad Babcock Limited to pay a local bonus to engineering construction workers who operate under the National Agreement for Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) across the UK. The workers are demanding a local bonus under the terms of the NAECI agreement in recognition of flexibility and work being undertaken to assist with the delivery of a new manufacturing plant. Kaefer and Altrad along with DSM, who own the manufacturing plant, have refused to enter negotiations over bonus payments. DSM’s parent group – Royal DSM N.V. Group – recently recorded a net profit of €1.7bn (£1.5bn) for 2022. The strike action begins from 18 April and continues each day up to 8 May 2023 when the action will conclude at 23:59pm 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
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
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
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
CWU
Royal Mail Group National Agreement – Suspension of Ballot Timetable.
TO ALL MEMBERS: The position reached with Royal Mail Group is the right agreement for this moment in time. Set against the most brutal dispute in our history, a self-inflicted but very real financial crisis for the company and jointly agreed need for change, this agreement will secure the future of the company, jobs, and the service. However, what has become clear is the environment we are attempting to deliver this agreement in remains toxic. Royal Mail Group has not stepped back from their attacks in the workplace. This became more evident when they announced their Quality of Service results and failed to take any responsibility whatsoever for the disastrous position the company finds itself in. Unless Royal Mail Group openly accept that their culture of imposition and the ‘our business to run’ mantra must go – then the integrity of the negotiators agreement will be irreparably damaged. The CWU has made it clear to Royal Mail Group that unless we seriously revisit failed revisions, restore quality of service and end USO failures the business will not succeed. Royal Mail Group committed to this as the first step of the agreement but their ongoing actions and what you are seeing and feeling in the workplace do not in any way reflect this. On this basis, the Postal Executive has agreed to suspend the vote on the national agreement until the following actions are completed:
1. In line with section 2.5 of the agreement (Improving Quality of Service and USO Compliance), immediate measures must be agreed to restore quality of service and genuinely review all failed revisions.
2. A mass zoom meeting for every CWU Representative and Manager in the UK to confirm the measures we agree with the company will be implemented. This must also cover the following:
• A pause on year 3 revisions until quality of service is restored and productivity measures are realistic and achievable.
• The full restoration of the IR Framework agreement – including acceptance that savings targets are negotiable.
• The right for part-time members to move to full-time / increase their contractual hours (on current terms and conditions) ahead of bringing in new entrants.
3. All offices are in receipt of their proposed finish times.
We will be updating Branches on these developments later this afternoon.
This must finally be the wakeup call that senior management need to change the culture of imposition, command and control and finally show the humility required to deliver the agreement and change in a way that takes the workforce with them. We have written to Royal Mail Group in line with the above and are awaiting their response. Further developments will be reported in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Dave Ward General Secretary
Andy Furey Acting Deputy General Secretary (Postal)
Follow the latest news via CWU’s Facebook page, website and Twitter @CWUnews
Perseverance pays off as Manx Telecom members accept deal worth 8.5% in 2023 (9 Jun) – Members in Manx Telecom have voted by nearly three-to-one to accept a significantly improved pay offer that leaves all CWU-represented grades in line for a 5.5% fully consolidated increase plus one-off cash lump payments worth 3% of salary read more
SPS pay offer worth a minimum of 10.1% for all out to ballot (8 Jun) – Members working for SPS (formerly known as Swiss Post Solutions) in BT mailrooms whose roles are in scope of the Recognition Agreement for the purpose of pay negotiations are being urged to accept fully consolidated pay rises worth 13.5% for those paid under £11 an hour – and 10.1% for everyone else. Electronic voting forms were emailed to all CWU members covered by SPS’s ‘full and final’ offer yesterday (Wednesday) – with members now having two weeks to decide whether to accept the CWU-brokered deal read more
Overwhelming ‘YES’ to ISS pay deal worth 8.45% for most (7 Jun) – Members across ISS have voted by just over four-to-one to accept an 11-month pay offer which delivers a fully consolidated rise of 85p-per-hour to well over a thousand housekeepers and security guards working on the outsourced facilities services provider’s BT contract. No fewer than 81% of those participating in an electronic consultative ballot which closed yesterday (Tuesday) supported the CWU-brokered deal, which includes two additional weeks of backdated pay. That’s because although the pay rise effectively became due on May 1, ISS had agreed in talks to retrospectively apply the Real Living Wage (RLW) uplift from April 17 if the deal was ratified by members. Bringing forward the 2024 pay review date by one calendar month – from May 1 to April 1 – should prevent any future need for the payment of interim increases resulting from the Government’s confusingly renamed ‘National Living Wage’ (the statutory minimum wage) temporarily leapfrogging the RLW. The 2023 settlement also maintains monetary pay differentials for all supervisor grade employees who sit above the RLW baseline read more
Below inflation rises aren’t sustainable, CWU warns Computacenter, as members begrudgingly accept 5% (6 Jun) – Members in Computacenter have delivered a pointed message to management that an inflation-plus increase next year is essential – with more than a third of those participating in a consultative ballot dismissing this year’s ‘final’ offer as insufficient. Despite a 34% ‘NO’ vote on a 75.8% turnout, however, a clear majority of those casting a vote opted to accept a 5% across-the-board increase on base salary and salary related allowances – meaning the settlement will be paid in this month’s salaries, backdated to January 1 read more
Resounding ‘YES’ to GXO pay deal worth double digits for many (2 Jun) – Members across GXO have voted by four-to-one in favour of a CWU-brokered pay deal which delivers a fully consolidated rise of £1,500 for all ex-BT Supply Chain warehouse employees and base pay uplifts for drivers averaging 19%, with some receiving up to 53%. The company’s final offer, which was ratified by 81% of those participating in a consultative ballot that closed yesterday (Tuesday), addresses longstanding CWU concerns that base pay levels for drivers were well below market rates – an argument that BT itself tacitly accepted in September 2021 when it took emergency steps to deal with a full-blown staff retention crisis read more
Menopause awareness and recruitment go hand in hand at Bootle Financial Services branch (2 Jun) – A month-long menopause awareness initiative has just drawn to a close at Santander’s Alaska House offices in Bootle – with local CWU reps dual-purposing the important health education drive to bring membership density back to pre-pandemic levels 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
Join a pay meeting (9 Jun) – We are urging all branches in the UK civil service and related areas to hold meetings over the next 3 weeks to discuss the government’s concessions in the national dispute read more
Inland Pre-clearance update (8 Jun) – Update for members following the department’s decision to close the Hayes and Milton Keynes Inland Pre-clearance centres. The Inland Pre-clearance (IPC) in Hayes is to close imminently and the lease in Milton Keynes has been extended to January 2025 read more
Audit Wales members start two days of strike action (7 Jun) – The employer is claiming financial restraints prevent it offering parity with other Welsh Government departments. PCS members were out on the picket line outside Audit Wales in Cardiff this morning alongside colleagues from Prospect union who were also on strike today read more
Significant concessions from government in national dispute (5 Jun) – A meeting took place last Friday 2 June with Jeremy Quin MP, the Minister for the Cabinet Office to discuss the ongoing dispute in the UK civil service and related areas read more
Watch Facebook live 7pm 12 June – Got a question about the government’s pay offer? Ask it at a special online meeting at 7pm on Monday (12) read more
First HMRC targeted action draws to a close (2 Jun) – Eighteen days of industrial action in HMRC’s Benton Park View and East Kilbride branches has drawn to a close, following tremendous support from members read more
Poor pay offer means more members balloted for strike (2 Jun) – PCS members working for OCS as security staff on the HM Courts & Tribunals Service estate are being balloted with a strong recommendation to vote for strike action. The latest pay offer tabled by OCS would give security guards a mere 38p per hour above the minimum wage, even though OCS is an accredited Real Living Wage employer read more
Further DVSA strike action announced as dispute escalates (1 Jun) – Further strike action in the DVSA has been called for 15, 16, 19, 22, 23 June. Our previous rolling regional strike action across the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was well support and an estimated £2.8million was lost in driving test revenue. This further action will have a significant impact on the employer’s operations read more
Northern Ireland Office (Belfast) members to take strike action (1 Jun) – PCS members in the Northern Ireland Office (Belfast Office) will take three days of strike action on Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 June read more
Northern Ireland Office members to take three days strike action (1 Jun) – PCS members in the Northern Ireland Office in Erskine House will walk out on 6, 7 and 8 June 2023 as part of our programme of targeted strike action. PCS members in the Northern Ireland Office in Stormont House will walk out for three days in June as part of our programme of targeted strike action read more
ISS members in BEIS London to ballot for strike action (30 May) – Over 100 members working for ISS on the BEIS contract in London are being balloted for industrial action. Security guards, cleaners, receptionists, porters and post workers are amongst staff being balloted for action. PCS is in dispute with ISS in BEIS over pay, improvements to conditions and union recognition for PCS. PCS have also demanded a no compulsory redundancy agreement and meaningful talks around an office move that takes place in the summer. This ballot is about making the workplace a better paid, safer and more inclusive place for all members to work. The ballot starts 8 June and closes 29 June read more
New DVLA strike dates announced (26 May) – We are asking DVLA members working for Output Services Group at TY Felin and Morriston in Swansea to take part in strike action on 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 June, as part of our national campaign. Due to shift working, the strike action will commence at 10pm, Sunday 11 June and those with a shift that commences on Sunday 25th will be covered to strike for the whole of that shift. This latest targeted strike action follows a resounding 96.66% vote in favour of industrial action on a turnout of 53.5% for DVLA 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
Prospect
Prospect pauses strike action after Welsh Government offers meaningful talks (6 Jun) – Prospect union has paused planned strike action by Welsh civil servants after the Welsh Government have offered to engage in meaningful talks read more
Vote on excluding MPs from Parliament unacceptably delayed (8 Jun) – Parliament recently published a report recommending a risk-based system to exclude from the Commons, MPs accused of serious misconduct read more
Win for unions as report recommends excluding MPs from parliament when accused of serious offences (5 Jun) – The House of Commons Commission has published a report into the potential for excluding from the parliamentary estate, MPs accused of serious offences such as rape or other violent crimes read more
Prospect responds to improved government pay offer following industrial action (2 Jun) – After entering meaningful talks with Prospect and other unions this week, the government has announced that they will offer civil servants below Senior Civil Service grades a £1,500 lump sum payment for 2022/23. The government has also announced a moratorium on any changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies wherever possible read more
Prospect union members vote for further industrial action at the Environment Agency (4 May) – A ballot of Prospect members in the Environment Agency has renewed the industrial action mandate for a further six months. Staff are taking ongoing action short of a strike and will join Prospect members from other Civil Service employers in taking strike action on Wednesday 10 May read more
FDA
FDA welcomes proposals on risk-based exclusion of MPs from Parliament (6 Jun) – The House of Commons Commission has published a report outlining their proposals on risk-based exclusion of MPs from the Parliamentary estate read more
FDA secures new pay deal for civil servants (2 Jun) – In response to the FDA’s planned ballot for industrial action, Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin has today presented a new package intended to recognise the contribution made by civil servants and the pressures felt during 2022/23 read more
GMB
Hinkley, EDF & Rolls Royce supplier faces strike (9 Jun) – Workers at a Hinkley Point C, EDF and Rolls Royce supplier have voted to strike after turning down a pay deal. More than 150 platers, welders and sheet metal workers at Darchem Engineering, in Stockton-Upon-Tees, will walk out for seven days follows: 22 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 27 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 29 June, from 6am for 24 hours, 4 July, from 6am for 24 hours,
6 July, from 6am for 24 hours, 11 July, from 6am for 24 hours, 13 July, from 6am for 24 hours. Workers turned down a pay deal of 6 per cent from 1 February, with a further 4 per cent from 1 October read more
More support for families following Avonmouth tragedy (9 Jun) – GMB Union annual congress this week pledged more support for members’ families following fatal workplace accidents in the wake of the Avonmouth tragedy. An explosion at the Wessex Water plant in Avonmouth back in 2020, saw four workers killed including GMB member Brian Vickery. Brian was survived by his Widow and three sons. The union hosted a minute silence in their memory shortly after. In a motion at GMB’s national conference in Brighton today, the union has pledged for more support for Members families after fatal accidents until all legalities are improved read more
Amazon ‘dirty tricks’ mean GMB withdraw recognition bid (8 Jun) – GMB has accused Amazon of ’dirty tricks’ after the union was forced to withdraw its historic bid of recognition at the internet giant’s Coventry warehouse. After months of strike action, GMB’s membership at the warehouse had rocketed to 800. Amazon publicly stated last year there were 1,400 workers at the warehouse, meaning GMB members made up more than the 50 per cent needed for statutory union recognition. However, once GMB made an official application to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), Amazon claimed to have 2,700 workers – a claim accepted by the CAC. GMB members working at Amazon Coventry claim the warehouse has been flooded with up to 1,000 new starters since the strike action began. Further strike action at Amazon Coventry will take place on 12, 13 and 14 of June read more
Amazon yearly taxpayer income rockets to £222 million (7 Jun) – Taxpayer cash spent on Amazon rocketed to a record-breaking £222 million last year, a new report commissioned by GMB Union shows. The amount of central government, local government and NHS money spent on the internet giant in the calendar year 2022 was £222 million – a rise of 69 per cent rise on the year before, and the highest figure on record. The figures emerge as Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer committed to public procurement coming with ‘terms and conditions’ such as union recognition at GMB’s annual congress in Brighton. In total, Amazon has generated £684 million in revenue from the public purse since 2018, according to research commissioned by GMB from Tussell, a data provider on public sector contracting and spending. The highest expenditure was from HMRC, despite public concerns over Amazon’s tax record. The tax authority spent £228 million on Amazon over the last five years and provided 36 per cent of Amazon’s public sector revenue. HMRC was followed by the Home Office, which spent £189 million. 99 per cent of identifiable spending was on Amazon Web Services, the company’s lucrative internet hosting arm. GMB members in Amazon Coventry are taking industrial action and fighting for GMB to become the first union in the UK to be formally recognised by the online retailer read more
Amazon accused of ‘desperate’ tactics as workers down tools (24 May) – GMB members at Amazon in Coventry will begin two further days of strike action this week, bringing the total days on the picket line to 16. This comes as Coventry Amazon workers await the outcome of their historic union recognition bid to the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee and Amazon workers in Rugeley and Mansfield vote on joining strike action. Around 700 Coventry workers are expected to walk out on the two days of strike action read more
Two more Amazon strike ballots begin (12 May) – Amazon faces new strikes at two more warehouses as GMB launches two new strike ballots today [Friday 12 May]. Union members will now vote on full and binding industrial action ballot at Amazon’s Mansfield and Rugeley fulfilment centres. The new strikes ballots follow 14 days of strike action at the retail giant’s Coventry depot, which saw as many as 700 workers down tools in the UK’s first strike at an Amazon fulfilment centre. The ballots at Rugeley and Mansfield will begin today and run for four weeks until 9 June. As many as 150 workers are expected to be asked to vote in the ballot read more
GMB responds to reports of ‘reckless’ Serco managers putting strikers at risk (8 Jun) – GMB has today called on Serco management to act urgently after picket line observers reported senior managers at Serco Sandwell driving aggressively around strikers. Serco Sandwell refuse workers are today [Thursday 8 June 2023] on their fourth day of strike action in a dispute with management over the imposition of a real terms pay cut read more
Sandwell refuse workers announce 9 strike days (2 Jun) – Where: Shidas Lane, B69 2BP 5.30am – 12noon; When: 5.30am – 12noon on June 5, 6, 7, 8 ,12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Sandwell refuse workers have announced nine days of strike action after they rejected a further real terms pay cut offer from their employer. Serco Sandwell – the outsourced refuse provider – has refused to meet the rate of inflation so far in pay offers. The industrial action covers those working on street cleansing, waste site (tip), waste collections (drivers and loaders on the bins), administration and the transfer station read more
Urgent answers needed on Rolls Royce jobs (7 Jun) – GMB has today called on manufacturing giant Rolls Royce to provide urgent clarity on media reports of potential job losses at the company. This intervention comes as consultants have reportedly been commissioned by the company to advise on organisational restructuring read more
Women’s teams deserve equal FA cup prize money (7 Jun) – Women and men’s football teams deserve equal prize money for winning the FA Cup, GMB congress was told. The union, which represent match hospitality and security staff at several premiere league stadiums, calls on Football Association to end the gender discrimination in footballers pay read more
Public sector workers on Universal Credit rockets 155 per cent (6 Jun) – The number of public sector workers on Universal Credit has rocketed 155 percent since the start of the pandemic, new GMB analysis shows. Between late 2019 and the end of 2022, the number of public sector workers in receipt of Universal Credit has risen by a staggering 119,000. GMB analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data shows in the fourth quarter of 2019, 76,803 public sector workers were in receipt of Universal Credit. By the fourth quarter of 2022, that number had shot up to 195,772. The findings are revealed in a special report to GMB’s annual Congress, which takes place in Brighton today read more
Ambulance workers suffer at least 9,500 violent attacks (4 Jun) – Ambulance workers been subject to at least 9,500 violent attacks in the line of duty over the last five years, a GMB investigation has revealed. Attacks, which saw blue light crews bitten, head-butted, spat at and struck with weapons, took place more than 9,565 times from the financial year 2017/18 to 21/22. A total of 1,248 of these were sexual assaults. The true numbers of assaults are likely to be far higher as only eight out of 13 ambulance trusts across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland responded to GMB’s Freedom of Information Act request read more
Solihull parks and cemetery workers to strike (2 Jun) – Solihull parks and cemetery workers are set to strike in a pay dispute. Dozens of ground maintenance crews working for contractor IDverde will walk out for two weeks from 3 July and 10 July. A strike ballot, which closed today (Friday) saw 100 per cent vote for strike action on a 70 per cent turn out. Workers are angry because IDverde – who took over the contract from Amey last year – are trying to impose a real terms pay cut read more
Parking strike called off in Westminster as union members pocket bumper pay deal (2 Jun) – GMB, the union for local government, can announce that the parking warden strike scheduled for next week all over the city of Westminster has been called off. The union members, who are employed by the council’s contractor NSL have accepted a pay deal which will see their wages rise by 15 per cent from today to a minimum of £14.50 per hour. A further rise will follow next April to £15 per hour or to match inflation, whichever is higher, meaning a total pay rise of at least 19 per cent. The members have taken three days of strike action in May and were due to walk out next week before they accepted this latest pay deal read more
Park workers striking across Merton and Sutton (30 May) – Industrial action over pay set to disrupt annual cricket tournament this week, along with the plans of many local people. GMB, the union for public services, is warning of huge disruption to the parks within the London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton as their members take strike action today and tomorrow [Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 May]. Parks workers outsourced to Idverde are taking two days’ strike action after unanimously rejecting the 2.5 per cent offer the company made them. The union members carry out a number of roles connected to the maintenance of parks, including landscaping, litter picking and opening and locking the parks. This action will therefore mean that parks risk not being opened up at all and is set to disrupt the running of the International Masoor Cricket Tournament, due to begin today in Merton read more
Tourist attractions across London to close as workers strike today (25 May) – London tourist attractions including Tower Bridge, Old Bailey, Barbican, museums, gardens, parks and markets could be forced to close after workers voted to strike. More than 900 City of London Corporation workers will walk out for 24 hours on 25 May in a dispute over pay. Workers voted for strike action by a majority of 77 per cent read more
Wiltshire Traffic Wardens vote for further strike action in ‘Fire & Rehire’ dispute (22 May) – GMB would prefer an amicable, negotiated solution, but if the council don’t compromise, we are ready for the fight, with a fresh strike mandate. GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council staff, has confirmed that members have voted for further strikes in the ‘fire and rehire’ dispute affecting many frontline key workers. The dispute has already seen Civil Enforcement Officers (parking wardens) across the county take 10 days of strike action since plans were announced in 2021 to remove a contractual uplift for unsocial hours, which would cost hundreds of front-line workers up to 20 per cent of their salaries. GMB also understands that despite denials by council bosses that ‘fire and rehire’ was ever on the table, Wiltshire Council sought legal advice from a top legal firm in June 2022, on how to use the tactic to force through this pay cut. The strike ballot closed on Friday 19 May with 100 per cent of members who voted choosing to take action, thus extending the industrial action mandate read more
48 hour walkout begins at iconic Derbyshire glass firm (24 May) – GMB union members at glass manufacturer Pilkington Plyglass have begun a two day walkout in a dispute over pay. Workers at the firm have manufactured glass for iconic buildings worldwide, such as Dubai’s Palm Tower and the Stonehenge visitors’ centre. The company have been criticised for disparity in pay between Pilkington sites, with workers in Derbyshire reportedly offered a pay package £750 less than counterparts in other parts of the UK business. Workers will down tools on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 May read more
Durham aviation parts workers in strike vote (23 May) – A Durham factory that finished parts for the aviation industry is facing a strike vote. Dozens of GMB members at Nicholsons Sealing Technologies, in Stanley, will take part in an industrial action ballot beginning on 19 May. The vote will run until 1 June. Workers – many of whom operate heavy machinery and dangerous chemicals yet had to recieve a pay rise in April just to keep them above the new minimum wage – are angry over a ‘poverty’ pay offer. Although the offer is 6.7 per cent, that figure includes the legal rise the company was forced to give to keep workers above the National Minimum wage when it rose last month read more
Scapa tape makers strike (17 May) – Tape manufacturing giant Scapa faces industrial action after more than 50 workers voted to down tools over ‘unreasonable’ shift changes. The Ashton-Under-Lyme company wants workers – who until now have either worked early or late day shifts – to work 6pm to 6am night shifts every other week. After months of discussions, GMB Reps proposed a voluntary night shift which met the business’s needs – however this was dismissed, and bosses told workers the night shifts would be enforced from the middle of June. After a successful strike ballot, Scapa workers will walk out for the first time on Thursday 1 June from 6am to 10pm. An overtime ban will also come into force on 1 June, lasting until November read more
Further strikes to hit South London hospital trust (15 May) – GMB, the union for NHS and healthcare workers, has announced that the strike action being undertaken by their members within South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) will continue for a further four days this month. The members are employed by outsourcing giant ISS as domestics and caterers within the Trust and are in dispute with their employer over wages and conditions. The workers have already taken strike action for 2 days, and will walk out for a further 4 days commencing Wednesday 17 May read more
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
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
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 writes to civil service boss for clarity over pay offer (9 Jun) – General secretary expresses disappointment that the union was not told of a proposed one-off, unconsolidated payment and calls for a pay meeting read more
£300,000 in back pay for council and schools workers in Bolton (2 Jun) – UNISON sets the record straight after hundreds of workers’ holiday pay was miscalculated by Bolton council. UNISON has secured a deal totalling almost £300,000 pounds in holiday pay for over 2,000 council workers and schools staff in Bolton. The deal resolves a two-year disagreement between the union and Bolton council, after hundreds of workers’ holiday pay was miscalculated read more
EA workers renew strike mandate (31 May) – For the second time in this dispute over the 2022/23 pay offer, members at the agency voted to take industrial action. UNISON has announced that Environment Agency members have secured a mandate for strike action over the next six months after the recent industrial action ballot. The new mandate marks a continuation of the dispute, begun last year, where EA members voted for strike action over pay for the first time in the agency’s history read more
Care workers in Wales win 15% increase and Foundation Living Wage (31 May) – After four months of collective action, support workers received £780 back pay alongside the pay increase read more
South Gloucestershire workers continue strike dispute (31 May) – Social workers and occupational therapists are taking their fourth and fifth days of strike action this week. Social workers and occupational therapists (OTs) working for South Gloucestershire council are to strike twice this week. Staff will walk out for two days of action, today (Tuesday) and again on Thursday (1 June) after voting overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute over pay. UNISON has been in dispute with the local authority since last summer. The new dates follow three days of strike action in April read more
The numbers behind council and school pay (31 May) – UNISON has been campaigning for a decent pay rise for council and school workers, calling for a pay increase of inflation plus 2% – based on the Treasury’s annual forecast for RPI for 2023, this amounted to 12.7% at the time of the pay claim. However, the local government employers have responded with an offer of a flat rate increase of £1,925 (with less for part-time and term-time workers). So, what does that mean for council and schools workers? Read more
Council and school staff begin strike ballot over pay, says UNISON (23 May) – Staff are leaving their jobs because pay is falling ever further behind, and neighbourhoods will suffer. More than a third of a million council and school support staff across England and Wales will begin voting today (Tuesday) on whether to strike over pay, says UNISON. The wage offer made by employers to local government staff is nowhere near what’s needed to meet rising prices during the cost of living crisis, says the union. UNISON had called for an increase of 2% above inflation. Now the union is asking more than 360,000 workers it represents in the sector whether they are prepared to take industrial action. Since 2010, the value of local government pay has fallen by 25% and the offer of a flat rate rise of £1,925 falls way short of workers’ expectations and needs, says UNISON. The six-week ballot, which closes on Tuesday 4 July, includes refuse collectors, social workers, teaching assistants, librarians and many more working at 4,000 different employers. A separate ballot for Northern Ireland will open in August read more
University strikes loom unless pay increases (15 May) – Staff at nine higher education institutions vote for action. Support staff at nine universities in England have voted to strike over a “sub-par” pay offer from the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), says UNISON today (Monday). Cleaners, IT technicians, library staff and other higher education workers will now decide on dates to take action unless UCEA increases its pay offer for 2023/24. UNISON says the current offer falls a long way short of inflation and staff deserve more. Staff could walk out at the University of Bedfordshire, University of Bristol, Liverpool Hope University, University of Leeds, University of Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sussex, University of Winchester and SOAS University of London. The 2023/24 pay offer is worth 5-8% depending on salary, with a higher percentage rise for lower paid workers. Some of this amount – around £83 per month before tax – was paid early to staff in February to help with the increasing cost of living 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!
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up – Council staff are staged a protest on 17th May after several library staff, including Hackney Unison Branch Chair Brian Debus, have been handed compulsory redundancy notices. Hackney Unison have 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
NI Civil Service Pay Protest: Wednesday 28 June (5 Jun) – NICS Pay: My Article of 10 May gave a brief overview of the current situation in relation to the punitive budget set by the Secretary of State and our continuing pay campaign which includes the lobbying of the political parties. There is no doubt that the points raised by NIPSA are being echoed in statements made by political parties. As previously advised, the ongoing delay in a return to an Assembly has made it difficult for us to make progress on pay. As part of our campaign, I wrote to the Secretary of State to seek a meeting. The Northern Ireland Office has eventually responded to my letters, but the response puts the onus for resolving pay back onto local parties. It does not address the budget cuts and crisis created by Westminster, nor the failure to provide enough money to resolve the pay claims for civil servants and other public sector workers. For that reason, the Civil Service Executive Committee has agreed that we need to bring more pressure to bear on the Secretary of State to make the money available. The letter from the NIO states that they wish “to continue to ensure that civil servants are best supported in the vital work across public services”. We need to put pressure on them to put money behind that statement. To mark the imposition of the derisory and insulting award which will be implemented in June, the Executive Committee has called a protest on Wednesday 28 June. The protest will take place from 12.30 – 1.30pm at the Northern Ireland Office, Erskine House, Chichester Street, Belfast. At the next Civil Service Executive Committee meeting on 26 June, there will be further strategic discussion about the dispute and about our action short of strike action and possible selective action 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
Royal College of Nursing
Royal College of Nursing to consult Manx Care members on latest pay offer (7 Jun) – The Isle of Man’s largest nursing trade union is consulting with members about a revised pay offer from Manx Care read more
Royal College of Nursing to ballot Manx Care members on strike action (31 May)
Further RCN strike action in Wales begins today (6 Jun) – RCN members working for the NHS across Wales will withdraw their labour from 7am read more
RCN Wales announces further strike action after members reject latest NHS pay offer in Wales (10 May) – RCN Wales has written to the Minister for Health & Social Services, Eluned Morgan, seeking to urgently re-enter negotiations. Strike dates confirmed after RCN Wales members reject NHS pay offer. The results of the consultative ballot, which took place between 24 April and 10 May are: 46.79% accept, 53.21% % reject. The vote comes after members forced the Welsh government to re-open negotiations earlier this year, resulting in an improved pay offer for 2022/23 and a new pay offer for 2023/24. The RCN has called for the Welsh government to urgently return to the negotiating table and, unless a resolution is found, will take strike action on 6 and 7 June and 12 and 13 July. Strike action will run for the duration of the day shift on each day and derogations will be tighter than those in place during strike action in December 2022. All members employed where there is a mandate to strike will be called on to take strike action on these days read more
England strike ballot opens as RCN leader meets health secretary (23 May) – Members working for the NHS in England are urged to vote ‘yes’ to strike action as we pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff read more
Members employed by the Care Quality Commission begin industrial action (17 Apr) – They’ll work to rule continuously until our mandate to take industrial action expires in September or a new formal pay offer is made 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 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
BMA
Support the Junior Doctors strike read more
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Scottish Government makes pay offer to junior doctors (22 Jun) – BMA members to vote on 14.5 per cent uplift offered over two years. BMA junior doctor members in Scotland are to vote on a pay uplift of 14.5 per cent over two years after an offer was made by the Scottish government. The pay offer amounts to a 6.5 per cent uplift for this year and an increase from 4.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent backdated for 2022/23 read more
Junior doctors in England announce June strike action after Government fails to make credible pay offer (22 May) – Following today’s talks with DHSC, the BMA has confirmed further industrial action will be undertaken by junior doctors in England. A 72-hour walkout will take place between 0700 on Wednesday 14 June and 0700 on Saturday 17 June read more
Junior Doctor pay – BMA Scotland to put offer to members (22 May) – BMA Scotland today confirmed that following extensive negotiations it will put the pay offer made by the Scottish Government to its junior doctor members in a consultative vote. The pay offer made amounts a 6.5% uplift for this year and an increase from 4.5% to 7.5%, backdated for 2022/23 – an aggregate uplift of 14.5% over two years. The Scottish Government has also committed to a Junior Doctor Pay Bargaining Review Taskforce which will have a remit to develop a new pay bargaining system that seeks to prevent pay erosion and finally ensure pay properly recognises the contribution of junior doctors in Scotland. The consultative vote on the pay offer will open in the next fortnight and will run for two weeks. BMA Scotland will adopt a neutral position on the offer, providing the relevant figures and information to members but empowering them to make the final choice. An overwhelming mandate for strike action, provided by the ballot undertaken by BMA Scotland earlier this year, remains in place for six months – ensuring all options remain open following the outcome of the vote read more
Juniors in England prepare to re-ballot read more
GPs plan industrial action if contract not revised (27 Apr) – Threat to patient safety must be removed if doctors to avoid dispute read more
NHS consultants in England to be balloted in May for industrial action (3 Apr) – The BMA will ballot NHS consultants in England for strike action from the 15th May if the Government does not meet its demands for restoring consultants’ pay and reforming the broken pay review body read more
NEU
Call to publish STRB report (9 Jun) – The NEU has written to the Secretary of State for Education ahead of our National Executive meeting on 17 June. We are repeating the call from ASCL,NAHT NASUWT and the NEU for the leaked STRB report to be published and for negotiations on the dispute over teacher and leader pay and the funding of pay awards to re-commence immediately. Should this letter be ignored, and negotiations are not in place by the 17 June the NEU National Executive will be discussing our next steps. This will include the consideration of NEU teacher members in England taking further strike action in the week beginning 3 July. The NEU alongside ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT are all balloting members for strike action in the autumn term read more
Education unions’ joint action (6 Jun) – Education unions to hold joint industrial action campaign meetings in every school in England. Today (Tues 6th June), the general secretaries of teacher and school leader unions, including NAHT, ASCL and NEU, have written to their members in all schools in England encouraging them to hold joint-union staff meetings on industrial action. The unions have previously announced their intention to co-ordinate industrial action going forward. Speaking at school leaders’ union NAHT’s Annual Conference last month, the general secretaries pointed out that their combined memberships would mean action if taken would affect nearly every school in England. All the unions are currently balloting their members to take strike action in the Autumn term, with NEU and NAHT’s ballots currently running, and ASCL’s due to commence this month read more
NEU re-ballot (15 May) – NEU re-ballots members in continuance of dispute with Government for a fully funded teacher pay increase. Today (Monday) the National Education Union is commencing a new national ballot of teacher members in England. The dispute between Government and the National Education Union for a fully funded pay increase which stops the decline in teacher recruitment and retention remains unresolved. Therefore, the union is re-balloting teacher members working in England’s state-funded schools. Re-balloting of our members is necessary as the current ballot is only effective as a mandate for strike action during a six-month period. The legitimacy of the current ballot ends on 13 July 2023. This second ballot, opening today and closing on 28 July 2023 read more
NASUWT
NASUWT withdraws further strike action at Hutchesons’ Grammar (6 Jun) – Following further negotiations with employers, the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has agreed to withdraw the two days of strike action planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow over teachers’ pensions and fire and rehire. The employer has made a proposal to delay for a year plans to compulsorily transfer all teachers from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) to the schools’ alternative defined contribution scheme. The NASUWT’s formal trade dispute with Hutchesons’ will remain in place for now and the Union has not accepted the employers’ suggested compulsory implementation date for all teachers to move to the defined contribution scheme on 1 September 2024. However, the delay allows for further negotiations in the new academic year, and in order to facilitate further talks the NASUWT has agreed to withdraw the action planned for this week as a gesture of goodwill. NASUWT members took two days of strike action last Tuesday and Wednesday after the school threatened to sack teachers if they did not agree to the transfer of their pensions to the new scheme read more
London teachers strike over threats to pensions (24 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Augustines’ Priory School in West London are taking strike action today and tomorrow (Wednesday May 24 and Thursday May 25) as part of eight days of strike action in May and June over threats to sack staff unless they sign contracts that will leave them with inferior pensions. The Ealing school, which charges as much as £18k a year, wants teachers to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and accept an inferior pension leaving them worse off in their retirement. Members have been told they must sign new contracts or risk being dismissed from their jobs. The school’s governors are refusing to allow trade unions to be part of formal negotiations opposing the changes. This has left NASUWT members with no other option but to take strike action at the independent Catholic girls’ school read more
Jersey teachers balloted for industrial action (18 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in Jersey are now being balloted for industrial action over pay and workload. The ballot opened on Monday (15th May) and will close on Monday 12th June. Members in all Jersey government schools (including Highlands College), grant aided colleges, and independent schools will be balloted for both strike action and action short of strike action. The ballot is the result of the failure of the States to address the years of real terms pay erosion that teachers have suffered since 2008 or to address spiralling workloads read more
Adverse management forces Swansea teachers to strike (17 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Gendros Primary School in Swansea will be taking the first of eleven planned days of strike action from today over adverse management practices which are affecting teachers’ health and working conditions. Members at the school are taking action as a result of the failure of the local authority and school governors to adequately act to address management incompetence at the school read more
Guildford teachers strike to protect pensions (17 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Royal Grammar School Senior in Guildford are taking the first of five days of planned strike action today after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they agree to new contracts that would leave them with worse pensions. The Employer is seeking to impose inferior pension arrangements on teachers which would adversely affect their future financial security read more
NASUWT to ballot members for strike action (15 May) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is balloting eligible members for industrial action in state-funded schools and sixth form colleges across England over pay, workload and working time. The ballot for state-funded schools will open on June 5 and close on July 10. A ballot for sixth form colleges opens today (May 15) and will close on June 12. The ballots are the result of the failure of the Government to agree the NASUWT’s demand for a fully-funded restorative pay award for all teachers employed in state-funded schools and sixth form colleges in England, and to resolve the issue of excessive workload and long working hours read more
Teachers strike over variation of contracts through fire and rehire (2 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Farlington School in West Sussex are taking strike action today and tomorrow (Tuesday 2nd May and Wednsday 3rd May) as part of eight days of strike action throughout May over threats to sack staff unless they sign contracts that will leave them with deteriorating working conditions read more
Teachers at Durham High School take action over bullying (26 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Durham High School for Girls will be taking the first of three planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over bullying and intimidation by school management. Members have been subject to a long-standing culture of adverse management practices and treatment which has undermined their wellbeing, health and safety in the workplace read more
NAHT
NAHT Cymru to re-ballot members on industrial action (25 May) – School leaders in Wales are to be re-balloted in a bid to secure a fresh mandate for industrial action, which could include strike action. In March, members of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru voted to reject an offer from the Welsh government covering both 2022/23 and 2023/24 in their dispute over pay, workload and funding. The government nevertheless awarded the 3% pay uplift offered for the current academic year, but despite its assurances this would be fully funded, concerns among NAHT members that this would not be the case have proved justified in many areas of the country. Talks have taken place over recent weeks between NAHT, the Welsh government and local government employers. But a breakthrough has so far proved elusive, with a promised review of funding for both school budgets and pay awards still being discussed and an agreement to reduce workload still not finalised. NAHT members have been taking action short of strike since January, when 95% of participants in NAHT’s first ballot supported this option – while a majority, 75%, also supported strike action. But this mandate expires in July, prompting the decision to run a new ballot, when both options will again be on the table. The ballot begins next Thursday, June 1 and will run until Tuesday, 27 June read more
NAHT opens strike ballot after school leaders reject government’s offer (15 May) – School leaders’ union NAHT has today opened its strike ballot after members rejected the government’s most recent offer on pay and working conditions. Ballot papers are this week being sent to the homes of NAHT members asking one simple question: ‘Are you prepared to take part in industrial action consisting of a strike’? The union’s ballot is open until 31 July, with education unions having agreed to coordinate strike action in the autumn term if it is supported by their members and the dispute cannot be resolved. Members have to vote by post by law. The ballot is being held over four issues: pay and funding; recruitment and retention; workload and wellbeing; and inspection – specifically the impact this has on school leaders’ mental health and wellbeing read more
EIS
EIS suspends strike action at Hutchesons’ Grammar school (7 Jun) – The EIS has this afternoon (Tuesday) agreed to suspend strike action scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, a fee-paying school in Glasgow. The move to suspend this week’s action follows developments in the dispute over the school’s fire and rehire practice to force teachers onto new contracts with inferior pension provision. The two scheduled strike days are being withdrawn following a new proposal from the school to delay their plans for a year. While the EIS still does not agree with the school’s proposals, the decision has been taken to halt this week’s strike action to allow for further negotiation and to seek further amendments to the school’s proposals read more
EIS-FELA Dundee and Angus College Staff Balloting for Industrial Action (6 Jun) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) at Dundee & Angus College are balloting for industrial action, following a proposal by the college to begin compulsory redundancies by the end of June. The proposals come as part of a wider plan by college management to make savings, including cuts to the number of courses on offer to prospective students and staff in these areas. EIS-FELA has warned that the move will undermine the Scottish Government’s efforts to retrain young people in target industries and risks damaging the reputation of the college read more
EIS-FELA Responds to “Completely Unacceptable” Revised pay Offer from Colleges (2 Jun) – Negotiators from the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) met again, with College Employers Scotland, in an attempt to settle a long running pay dispute. Despite the EIS-FELA making significant movement, by revising their previous pay claim, college employers only tabled a marginally improved offer, asserted as their full and final offer, that still amounts to substantial real terms pay cut for the lecturing workforce. With college students due to complete their studies in the coming weeks, time is now running out to avoid large numbers of students failing to receive their results due to industrial action short of strike, in the form of a resulting boycott, being taken by the EIS-FELA membership. The EIS-FELA has made clear previously that in the absence of an acceptable pay offer, industrial action will be escalated to national strike action early in the new academic year read more
City of Glasgow College Lecturers take Strike Action (30 May) – There has been strong turnout on picket lines as lecturers at City of Glasgow College (CoGC) began a programme of strike action over planned cuts and redundancies. Lecturers at the college will be on strike for the rest of the week, with 4-days of strike action then set to continue each week for the following three weeks. The commencement of strike action is an escalation in the dispute, building on a programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS) already in place at the college read more
INTO
A Reminder for Members on our Key Actions Short of Strike (31 May) – INTO, NEU and UTU have produced the poster below to highlight for members our key actions short of strike read more
Industrial Action: Phase 4 from 8am Monday 3 April (9 May) – From 3 April 2023, INTO members were instructed to undertake additional, continuous Phase Four action. A reminder of the full details can be found in the documents below:
PHASE 4: Action Short of Strike from 3 April 2023 (pdf)
PHASE 4: Appendix 1: Expansion of Action Point 28 – Leadership Members – Non-provision of Data (pdf) read more
UCU
Strike at University of Bristol amid ‘dodgy’ degree scandal (7 Jun) – Staff at the University of Bristol are set to strike on Friday 16 June during an open day in an acrimonious pay dispute, UCU announced today. UCU members are also boycotting marking. The university has responded by bypassing degree accreditation processes and confirming it will dock 50% of pay from staff participating in the boycott. Hundreds of staff and students have signed an open letter condemning management’s attempts to degrade the credibility of any degrees awarded by the university read more
Strike ON tomorrow at University of Westminster over 100% pay docking (6 Jun) – Staff at the University of Westminster will be on strike tomorrow after management confirmed it will dock 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking boycott. Striking staff will be picketing main entrances at 309 Regent Street and 35 Marylebone Road from 5pm to 7.30pm to coincide with the university’s postgraduate open day. UCU members are striking because Westminster is deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. The boycott covers all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally at 145 UK universities. It will continue until employer body UCEA makes an improved offer in the ongoing pay and working conditions dispute, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off. In March UCU successfully renewed its mandate in the dispute, allowing action to be called for a further six months at 145 universities, including Westminster read more
Indefinite strike action to hit University of Leeds over 100% pay docking (2 Jun) – Over 1,800 staff at the University of Leeds will begin indefinite strike action from Thursday 15 June after management confirmed it will be deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking boycott. The strike could continue for months unless management stop docking staff pay. UCU said pay deductions of up to 100% are utterly unacceptable as staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott continue to teach, lecture and support students as normal read more
Tyne Coast College faces two strike days next week in pay row (2 Jun) – Over 100 staff at Tyne Coast College will down tools next week in a fight over fair pay. Staff will strike on Monday 5 and Wednesday 7 June. They will be picketing outside main entrances from 7.30am to 9.30am on both strike days. The College has said it will be ‘closed for lessons’ during the strike days. The strike comes after 94% of those who voted backed strike action. Turnout was 54%. It is over the 2022/3 pay claim, which comes on top of multiple real-term wage cuts and a recent pay freeze (2019/20) read more
Strikes to hit four Yorkshire colleges during GCSE exams in pay & conditions fight (1 Jun) – Staff at Leeds City, Harrogate, Kirklees and Bradford colleges will strike for four days from Monday 5 June unless employers make an improved pay offer. The days of strike action taking place at all four colleges are: Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June, Monday 12 June, Wednesday 14 June. UCU said college leaders only have themselves to blame if strikes disrupt crucial GCSE maths and English exams set to take place next week. Staff at Kirklees and Bradford colleges already went on strike last month in their disputes. Bradford college staff also intend to take further action in June read more
Five days of strikes to hit Sheffield Hallam University in pay docking fight (30 May) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will resume strike action tomorrow (Wednesday 31 May) in the first of five days of action after the university began deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott. Staff at the university have already taken two days of strike action in response to the deductions, on 25 and 26 May. The further full days of strike action called are: Wednesday 31 May, no pickets; Thursday 1 June, no pickets; Friday 2 June, picket location: City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB; Wednesday 7 June, picket locations: Collegiate Cres, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2BP; City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB; Thursday 8 June, picket locations: Collegiate Cres, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2BP; City Campus, Howard Street, S1 1WB. Staff are striking because Sheffield Hallam is deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking and assessment boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal read more
UCU Congress votes for England wide college strike ballot (28 May) – Members attending UCU’s Congress have voted to ballot further education colleges across England for strike action. The ballot will be launched in September and if successful will lead to strikes from October, unless employers meet UCU’s demands over pay, workloads and the Living Wage. The decision follows an e-ballot of around 18,000 UCU members at 190 college branches in which 87% of members who voted said yes to strike action. Turnout was over 50%. UCU is demanding a pay offer in excess of RPI inflation, a national workload agreement and binding national pay negotiations. Earlier this month employer body the Association of Colleges refused to make a national pay offer read more
University of Winchester staff begin strike action tomorrow in fight against pay deductions (23 May) – Staff at the University of Winchester will begin strike action tomorrow as part of a fight back against 100% pay deductions for staff taking part in the current marking and assessment boycott. The University of Winchester has announced that they will make wage deductions of 100% for staff taking part in the boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. Strike action will last for at least 6 days in the first instance throughout May and June. Last month, UCU successfully renewed its industrial action mandate, allowing strikes to be called for a further six months. The current marking and assessment boycott covers all marking and assessment, including that in writing, online, or verbally. The boycott will also cover any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks read more
University of Cambridge calls on employer body UCEA to re-enter negotiations & end marking boycott (22 May) – The University of Cambridge has called on its own employer body, UCEA, to ‘urgently’ resume negotiations with UCU so that students can graduate. The move, described as ‘hugely significant’ by UCU, was communicated via a joint statement signed by Dr Anthony Freeling, acting vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Michael Abberton, president of UCU’s Cambridge branch. UCU said it is unacceptable that UCEA is risking student graduations by refusing to negotiate, and that other universities now need to follow Cambridge and demand UCEA ends the dispute. On Thursday 11 May UCEA wrote to UCU to formally withdraw from negotiations. University staff at 145 universities across the UK are currently boycotting marking and assessments in a pay and working conditions dispute. By refusing to negotiate UCEA is putting the graduations of hundreds of thousands of students at risk read more
Staff at Manchester College and UCEN Manchester to begin strike action next week in row over low pay (12 May) – Staff at Manchester College and UCEN Manchester will take 12 days of strike action starting on Monday 15 May, UCU announced today. The strike comes after 94% of members who voted said backed industrial action in a ballot with a 59% turnout. This will be the fifth time that staff have been forced to take industrial action this year. An offer of 2.7% (the lowest for colleges in the North-West) was rejected by members against a backdrop of a cost of living crisis and inflation above 13% read more
Brighton University staff vow to strike in defence of over 100 jobs (10 May) – Staff at the University of Brighton have voted unanimously to ballot for strike action at an emergency UCU branch meeting last Friday. The meeting was called after the university announced plans to make up to 97 academic posts and a number of professional services staff redundant. UCU said the cuts could see well over 100 staff lose their jobs. The university claims it is cutting staff because it needs to make £17.9m in savings. The cuts would mean a huge reduction in lecturers in subjects including art, media, education, architecture, engineering, humanities and sport science. Yet Brighton already has one of the worst student to staff ratios in the UK and has spent over £50m on building projects in the last two years. Unless the university halts it could be hit with a strike ballot before the end of the month read more
Barnet & Southgate College strikes set to hit GCSE, BTEC & A-level exams (10 May) – Staff at Barnet and Southgate College will strike for three days from Friday 19 May in a long-running pay dispute. The strike dates will impact crucial GCSE, BTEC and A-level exams, including English and Maths. The full strike dates are: Friday 19 May, Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June. UCU said there is still time to call the strikes off and stop disruption to exams if the college makes a realistic pay offer. The strike comes after an overwhelming 96% of staff who voted backed taking action in a ballot to extend the union’s industrial mandate. UCU members have already downed tools for three days 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 pay award of just 2.5% for 2022/23 read more
Strike ballot opens at Barnsley College over ‘unacceptable’ 2% pay offer (5 May) – A ballot for strike action opened today at Barnsley College over a consolidated pay offer for 2022/23 of just 2%. The ballot will run until Monday 12 June and if successful will pave the way for strike action during key admissions dates unless management comes back with a better offer. The industrial ballot comes after 97% of members who voted said they would back strike action in a consultative poll with a 70% turnout read more
City College Norwich staff on strike today in low pay dispute (5 May) – Staff at City College Norwich are on picket lines this morning in a strike over low pay, confirmed the University and College Union (UCU) today (Friday). They will also be on strike on Tuesday and are demanding that management urgently raise pay to meet the cost of living crisis. Staff have already taken two days of strike action this year after the 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
Bradford College staff to strike tomorrow over low pay (3 May) – Staff at Bradford College will strike tomorrow in a dispute over low pay and working conditions. Staff will be on picket lines outside college entrances from 7am, UCU confirmed. The strike will be the first of 14 days of action unless staff get an improved pay offer and movement from management on unmanageable workloads read more
More strikes at Darlington College after staff reject ‘offensive’ 3% pay offer (27 Apr) – Staff at Darlington College will strike for two consecutive days on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 May after rejecting a lowball 3% pay offer. The union said there is still time for the strike to be halted, but that the college must make staff a realistic offer that helps them meet the cost-of-living crisis. Staff have already been on strike for three days so far this academic year after the college imposed a pay award of just 1% for 21/22 and UCU is reballoting its members so it can call further action read more
Further strike action this week at Havant and South Downs College in row over low pay (24 Apr) – Staff at Havant and South Downs College (HSDC) will strike tomorrow and Thursday in an ongoing dispute over low pay amid the cost-of-living crisis. Staff will be picketing main entrances to the college each strike day. The college’s pay award is worth just 3% for most college lecturers, who earn £30k – £40k. It also made a one off payment, which was only £400 for most staff. Inflation is 13.5% meaning staff are suffering a huge real terms pay cut. The National Education Union (NEU) will be joining UCU on both days of strike action, following strikes at the college in February of this year read more
Marking and assessment boycott to hit 145 UK universities from tomorrow, UCU confirms (19 Apr) – The University and College Union has today [Wednesday 19 April] confirmed that a marking and assessment boycott will commence tomorrow [Thursday 20 April] at 145 UK universities after employers failed to produce an improved offer in the pay & conditions dispute. Earlier this week, UCU members working in UK higher education voted to reject pay & conditions proposals agreed with employers. A marking and assessment boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including that in writing, online, or verbally. The boycott will also cover any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks. This is expected to impact graduations. A number of university employers have already announced that they will make wage deductions of up to 100% for staff taking part in the boycott, despite staff continuing to teach, lecture and support students as normal. The union has condemned the threats and said further strike action could be called in response. The boycott will continue until employers make an improved offer, at which point UCU will decide whether to continue the action or call it off. In the pensions dispute, the union will now move forward proposals with employers to restore benefits after 85% of UCU members voted in favour during a recent consultation. UCU has been clear, however, that it retains the right to take action if employers backtrack. Last month, UCU successfully renewed its industrial action mandate, allowing industrial action to be called for a further six months read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Governments must ‘heed stark warning’ of Scottish wildfire visible from space says FBU (1 Jun) – This week, firefighters have battled a wildfire that started burning on Sunday afternoon near Cannich, south of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. 1,500 hectares have burned so far, with images of the 22-mile long plume of smoke captured by NASA from space. Two firefighters injured tackling the blaze have since been released from hospital read more
Scottish wildfire rages as fire service faces cuts, warns union (31 May) – Cuts to the number of fire appliances in Fife and Tayside are the latest in a long line of cuts affecting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service read more
Firefighters’ union hails “workers’ revolt” as protesters rally against anti-union laws (May 19) – The House of Commons have voted on the Minimum Service Levels Bill. Thousands of workers rallied outside in protest at the proposed laws. Last month, Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf declared that the Scottish Government would “not issue a single work notice” under the proposed legislation read more
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
POA
POA condemn short-sighted government announcement (6 Jun) – The POA has condemned the Government for announcing that only a select group of Civil Servants will receive a one off £1500 cost of living payment in addition to any pay award for 2023/24. The Government have declared that Staff in scope of the announcement are those covered by this year’s Civil Service pay remit guidance (all non-SCS staff working in MoJ HQ, HMCTS, LAA, OPG, CICA), and non-SCS staff in the Probation Service. The announcement precludes Operational and Non Operational Prison staff who are subject to a Pay Review Body. The Union that represents Prison Officers, Operational Support Grades and a host of other Prison Workers have criticised the announcement read more
NAPO
Home Detention Curfew Scheme News (30 May) – Napo continues to raise urgent concerns with HMPPS on the impact on workload, for staff in the community as well as in custody, resulting from the recent expansion of the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme from 135 days to 180 days read more
BFAWU
BFAWU members at Allied Bakeries in Liverpool are out on Strike! (31 May) – Our members at Allied Bakeries in Liverpool have taken the difficult decision to withdraw their labour this week over a pay dispute, the picket line over the last 24 hours has had plenty of support from the membership and the public with lots of drivers beeping their horns and waving and passers by passing on their support! Read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
BBC Local strike impact and support (8 Jun) – Strike action by NUJ BBC Local members on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 June had significant impact on programming, with some BBC local radio stations and programmes completely off air and many others taking a shared ‘sustaining’ service containing no local content, or replacing shows with cricket, gardening or auction room re-runs read more
NUJ strikes take BBC radio and TV off air (7 Jun) – BBC local radio and television news bulletins were missing across England today as the NUJ’s BBC Local 48-hour strike kicked into gear with widespread impact on programming across the 39 radio stations, 11 regional TV news programmes and online services involved read more
BBC journalists set to commence 48-hour strike (6 Jun)
BBC journalists pass vote of no confidence in senior leadership team (2 Jun) – NUJ members working across BBC Local in tv, online and radio have expressed they no longer have confidence in BBC senior leadership read more
VICE UK staff “devastated” as they face redundancy on minimum terms (31 May) – Journalists at VICE UK are facing statutory redundancy terms, with many having to leave with almost nothing, since the company filed for bankruptcy and sought a buyer. Its recent global CEO Nancy Dubuc was on a $1.5m annual salary read more
#SaveBBCNI BBC Northern Ireland strike (19 May) – Picket photos from today’s BBC Northern Ireland strike read more
Equity
London Assembly formally objects to ACE decision in unanimous motion to Save the ENO (9 Jun) – The London Assembly has made a unanimous cross party call for Arts Council England to end its requirement to move ENO outside of London. ENO workers and campaign supporters packed the public gallery to hear the motion on the ENO adopted unanimously. Assembly Members await an invitation to a meeting with ACE CEO Darren Henley to discuss their concerns. The London Assembly has formally raised its objection to the Arts Council’s shock decision to defund the English National Opera and require it to move out of London, in a unanimous vote receiving cross-party support. ENO workers who are members of Equity and the Musicians’ Union packed the public gallery on Thursday afternoon, along with campaign supporters, to hear the motion tabled by Elly Baker AM from the City Hall Labour Group read more
Community
Community recognised at Movianto in Bedford (8 Jun) – Community has secured a recognition agreement at Movianto’s Bedford and Bedford Link warehouses. As the recognised trade union, Community can now undertake collective bargaining on behalf of members at the site on pay, hours, holidays, and disciplinary and grievance matters. Movianto UK is a logistics company servicing a range of clients, from large pharmaceutical customers to medical device suppliers read more
USDAW
Protect the right to strike! Usdaw calls on Peers to press their amendments rejected by the Government and Conservative MPs (8 Jun) – Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the Government to drop their Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. Today the House of Lords will consider the Government’s response to amendments made to the bill by Peers and the rejection of them by MPs. Unions are still calling for the Bill to dropped completely read more
BSI menopause and menstruation standard for workplaces to support staff welcomed by Usdaw (31 May) – Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed a new workplace standard for businesses being launched to support employees experiencing menopause or menstruation. The British Standards Institute (BSI) has published the new guidance to help organisations retain experienced and talented staff after a consultation with experts and the public read more
UVW
Over 100 low-paid, migrant workers to kick off joint three-day strike action aboard open-top double-decker bus! (31 May) – “We are slowly losing all of our rights. We want our bosses to see that they have made the wrong choices because we are not prepared to give up our rights” – Carlos Llerena, cleaner at Streatham and Clapham High School and UVW member. Some 145 low- paid and migrant cleaners, carers and concierge workers, UVW members, across the public and private sectors, will walk out of their jobs simultaneously on the 13, 15 and 20 June to demand dignity, equality and respect. The brave strikers and their supporters will kick off the three-day strike action through central London aboard a double-decker open-top bus! The seven workplaces involved in the dispute include billion-pound global giants Amazon and publishing powerhouse Ogilvy, the prestigious London School of Economics and the private Streatham and Clapham High School in South London, the Department of Education, Sage Nursing home and West End Quays luxury flats read more
IWGB
UCL to sack 40 security guards and fire-and-rehire remaining 216, prompting strike action (9 Jun) – Outsourced security guards working at University College London (UCL) have received communications from subcontractor Bidvest Noonan confirming that 40 out of 256 of the total staff will be made redundant as part of a restructuring process taking place before the 2023/24 academic year. Remaining security guards will face changes in contracts which will include cuts to hours for many staff of 18 hours per week, amounting to a pay cut of £13,500 per year, as well as changes in job responsibilities and the deletion of various roles. Upon receiving the news, security guard members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) held an indicative vote for strike action by show of hands at a meeting attended by over 100 security guards, resulting in a unanimous Yes vote in favour of industrial action. The official ballot will run from 14 June – 3 July. The restructuring and redundancies take place during an ongoing campaign by outsourced workers at University College London represented by the IWGB to end outsourcing. The campaign, which started in 2019, most recently saw the security guards at UCL taking strike action in December 2022 and February 2023 read more
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate supports legislation to end age discrimination in National Minimum Wage (8 Jun) – Mandate Trade Union has rolled in behind legislation tabled by People Before Profit/Solidarity which seeks to give young workers access to the full minimum wage instead of a reduced rate. Since 1 January 2023, the national minimum wage is €11.30 for people aged 20 and over. However, for workers under 18 it’s €7.91 (70%), aged 18 it’s € 9.04 (80%) and aged 19 it’s €10.17 (90%) read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU expresses condolences on death of worker following Stryker plant accident (9 Jun) – SIPTU representatives have expressed sincere condolences to the family and colleagues of John Murphy following his death due to injuries he received in a workplace accident at the Stryker plant at Anngrove in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, on 18th April read more
SIPTU calls on employers to show leadership on Early Years pay deal (8 Jun) – SIPTU representatives have tonight (Thursday, 8th June) called on childcare services employers groups to show the leadership necessary to conclude a pay deal for workers in the sector at ongoing talks at the Early Years Joint Labour Committee which are taking place in Dublin read more
SIPTU says lack of preparation for escalation in fire service dispute endangers public (8 Jun) – SIPTU representatives have called on the Government and local authorities to outline the measures that will be taken to ensure public safety when the industrial action by union members in the Retained Fire Service escalates to strike action next week read more
SIPTU joins unions across EU to demand end to exploitation of construction workers (6 Jun) – SIPTU members will join with construction workers from across the EU in a call for the European Commission to take action to limit and curtail exploitation in sub-contracting chains in the construction sector at a protest in Brussels, Belgium, tomorrow (Wednesday, 7th June) read more
Water Services strike averted as Government concedes to SIPTU members’ demands (2 Jun) – A nationwide strike by SIPTU members in local authority water services has been averted following the decision by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, to concede to their demands to have all their earnings protected if they do not transfer to Uisce Éireann read more
Cork City Council community wardens to begin industrial action on Friday (25 May) – Cork City Council community wardens will commence a campaign of industrial action, including a picket on the headquarters of the local authority at City Hall, Anglesea Street, Cork, on Friday (26th May) at 9.00 a.m., in a dispute concerning the failure to have their work roles adequately evaluated read more
SIPTU Retained Firefighters to begin industrial action on 6th June (21 May) – SIPTU members employed as Retained Fire Services firefighters by local authorities across the country will begin a campaign of industrial action on 6th June, in a dispute resulting from the failure of management to adequately address a worsening recruitment and retention crisis in the service read more
SIPTU serves notice of strike action by water workers on local authorities (15 May) – SIPTU representatives have confirmed today that they have served notice of strike and industrial action on 30 local authorities around the country. Stephen Kelly, water worker and chair of the SIPTU national negotiating committee said: “We have taken the difficult step of serving notice on the local authorities. There will be a two-day strike on 7th and 8th, June followed immediately by a series of industrial actions…” read more
Other news
How We Fight, How We Win: A Rank-And-File Organising Conference – Saturday 10th June, 10am-5pm Rich Mix 35-47 Bethnal Green Road London E1 6LA details
Orgreave Annual March & Rally (organised by the Orgreave Truth and Justice Camapign @orgreavejustice on Twitter) – Saturday 17th June. Assemble 1pm Sheffield City Hall, Barkers Pool, Sheffield S1 2JA
‘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 read more about Lee’s case
Support the ‘Murphy 4’ Campaign to reinstate sacked Unite members read more
Felixstowe 4’ protest demands justice at CK Hutchison AGM (18 May) read more
UK facing taps and pipes shortage as Warrington based GXO drivers strike over sacking of Unite rep (12 May) read more
Protest as Hackney Unison chair amongst those handed compulsory redundancies in libraries shake-up: 6pm Wednesday 17th May Hackney Town Hall Read more on Hackney Citizen website
#SPYCops Inquiry exposes state surveillance of workers movement
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
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
Erdogan turned illegitimate elections in his favour! (7 Jun) read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey
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
