NSSN 642: Sharon Graham Unite, Sarah Woolley BFAWU & Steve Gillan POA to speak at NSSN TUC Rally

The NSSN is delighted to announce the first confirmed speakers at the rally that we have again called at TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday September 10th – Union General Secretaries Sharon Graham Unite, Sarah Woolley BFAWU & Steve Gillan POA. We’ll announce others when they are confirmed. We will also give a platform to the many strikes that are taking place.

NSSN rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday September 10th from 1pm at Premier Meetings, Liverpool Albert Dock L3 4AD

The main theme of our event will be fighting the Tory anti-union laws and in particular Sunak’s Minimum Service Levels (MSL) legislation. It is yet another massive attack on the right to strike, which could see unions fined up to £1million and workers sacked.

But it can be defeated. The NSSN welcomes the successful legal challenge, announced last week, by 11 trade unions and the TUC against the Tory Government’s legal change that allowed employment agencies to supply workers to replace those on strike. But the MSL could be law within weeks.

Workers are showing every day in the persistent and developing strike wave that they are prepared to fight against the Tory cost of living squeeze and the bosses’ offensive. The NSSN believes that if workers take action together, the Tories and their anti-union attack can be beaten.

The FBU has called for “mass opposition” and for unions to “act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.” At its recent AGM, the RMT passed a motion calling for a national demonstration against the MSL and co-ordinated strike action. And Unite at its Policy Conference last week, passed a motion to “call on the TUC to co-ordinate action, in the form of a 24-hour general strike.

The annual NSSN Conference on 24th June debated the model motion (below) and unanimously voted to agree it, including supporting the NSSN rally and lobby of TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday 10th September. We encourage all union branches and trades councils to discuss the motion and hopefully agree it.

Watch videos of NSSN Conference – Opening Chair’s remarks with brief highlights of the rally and interviews

Model Motion on Tory Minimum Service Levels Bill

This conference/union/branch/trades council recognises the ‘Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill’ is a major attack on trade union rights. Sunak’s Conservative government are attempting draconian, undemocratic measures to curtail the right to strike.

Coming on the back of four decades of brutal Tory anti-union legislation, from that of Thatcher and Major through to Cameron, Johnson and now Sunak, it is clearly designed to cut across the strike wave across all sectors, rather than tackle the causes of the cost-of-living crisis. This is another crude attempt to shift the blame for inflation onto the working class whereas every worker knows it is the bosses and their class’s profiteering, which has created the crisis.

The bill would allow employers to issue a notice to unions setting out who is required to work during a strike. This potentially leaves unions who refuse to comply open to serious financial penalties through sequestration of funds and removes workers’ protection from being dismissed for undertaking lawful industrial action.

We believe no individual union or member should be left isolated and the whole of the trade union movement must mobilise – collectively – in defence of workers’ rights.

We demand:

1.                All unions and the TUC urgently call a national Saturday demonstration against the new law;

2.                Keir Starmer pledges an incoming Labour government to reverse fines and other measures taken against any union under the terms of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act;

3.                All employers refuse to use the provisions of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act and that a lead in such non-compliance be given by any government, council, fire authority or other employer led by the Labour Party;

4.                If any union is taken to court or worker threatened with dismissal, an emergency demonstration is called and an immediate meeting of the TUC General Council be convened to organise mass co-ordinated strike action, including a 24-hour general strike;

5.                The repeal of all anti-union legislation. 

We support the NSSN rally to be held at TUC Congress in Liverpool on Sunday 10 September lobbying for this programme of action.

NSSN news

Plymouth NSSN Public Meeting: Sat 22nd July 8am to 12 noon

Join Plymouth RMT Branch picket at Plymouth Railway Station .

12 noon – March to Railway Club Stuart Rd Penny Cross Plymouth

1pm to 3pm NSSN Meeting

Speakers from RMT , Bakers , ASLEF , NEU so far . More to come. All welcome

Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.

You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.

Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to 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

You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.

RMT

RMT National Dispute Fund

RMT to ballot members at ISS (KAD Contract) (14 Jul) – Further to my previous Circular (IR/123/23, 3rd May 2023), an avoidance of disputes meeting took place with the Company and our negotiating team made progress in some areas as outlined below…However, the following items remain outstanding: A failure to address the 2023 pay award; A failure to improve Sick Pay entitlement and Night Allowance. This matter has now been considered by your National Executive Committee, which has taken the decision to ballot members at ISS (KAD Contract) for strike action and action short of a strike over the above issues. Ballot papers will be sent out on Wednesday 19th July and the ballot will close on Thursday 10th August 2023 read more

Arriva Rail London staff working in revenue protection vote for strike action (12 Jul) – Revenue protection inspectors on Arriva Rail London have voted to take strike action over a collective grievance issue. RMT members returned an 82.3% yes vote on a 77.2% turnout. Workers have become frustrated that a collective grievance into bullying has not been adequately dealt with and the employer is refusing to follow the right procedures in the collective bargaining agreement with the union read more

Unipart Rail workers on strike today in Crewe (12 Jul) – Engineers, clerical staff and production operatives working for Unipart Rail are on strike today in a row over pay. RMT members were offered a derisory 4.75% which they flatly rejected. However, Unipart bosses have failed to send a representative of senior management to meet with the union, demonstrating their contempt of the collective bargaining process. This is the second day of strike action Unipart rail workers have taken following a 24-hour stoppage last week. Unipart Group scored a 27.1 percent increase in profits for 2022 financial year read more

Keolis Amey Docklands ballot begins (12 Jul) – Further to my previous Circular (IR/193/23, 23rd June 2023), I can now advise that ballot papers will be posted out to all KAD members on Wednesday 19th July and the closing date for the ballot is Thursday 10th August 2023. All members are urged to vote ‘yes’ for strike action and action short of a strike to demand that the Company table an acceptable pay offer without further delay read more

Mitie staff on Eurostar begin strike ballot (11 Jul) – Security staff at Eurostar who are employed by contractor Mitie will begin a strike ballot over the dismissal of a colleague from today. All RMT members working for Mitie in security at Eurostar will be balloted from July 11 until 1 August. The member of staff was dismissed from employment by Mitie and the union believes the decision to be wholly unfair. In a separate dispute, Mitie workers have also rejected the company’s “appalling” pay offer, meaning future strike action cannot be ruled out read more

RMT launch National Day of Action against ticket office closures (11 Jul) – Rail union, RMT will step up its campaign to save ticket offices, with dozens of protests outside stations across the country on Thursday. In London, the union will hold a mass rally outside Kings Cross station at 6pm while local stations will be leafleted. The union is encouraging everyone to take part in the consultation, so rail companies and the government understand how much rail passengers value their ticket offices and staff. RMT is taking strike action on 20,22 and 29 July over pay, conditions and ticket office closures read more

RMT secures pay deal on Eurostar (11 Jul) – Railway workers on Eurostar have secured a pay deal following negotiations between RMT and management. The deal means directly employed Eurostar staff will get a  pay rise between  8 and 17 percent depending on their grade and role. All staff will get a minimum uplift of £4,300 for everyone on £45,000 or below. Other measures included within the package are increases in travel benefits, 100% basic pay for weeks 27-40 of maternity leave and support for bringing in greater digital services read more

RMT responds to public funding for green ships (7 Jul) – SEAFARERS Union RMT today responded to the Government’s distribution of another £34m to fund competition for shipping decarbonisation projects. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We recognise that shipping and every other part of the transport network needs to decarbonise, including the fleets of crew transfer and other vessels delivering clean energy from renewable offshore sources. Unfortunately, the latest tranche from the £206m budget for shipping decarbonisation continues to prioritise competition and the illusion of ‘green shipping corridors’ over seafarer jobs and maritime safety. It’s not good enough for the Government to be agnostic over technology whilst the likes of P&O greenwash their unlawful actions against British workers. RMT is extremely concerned that the failure to link this public funding to training and employment for maritime workers is a defect that will sink this Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy.” Read more

Tube workers to take a week of rolling strike action (6 Jul) – RMT will launch a week of action on London Underground from July 23 in a row over pensions, job cuts and attacks on working conditions. Different grades and sections of the tube will take strike action from Sunday 23 July until Friday 28 July. The union has been in a long running dispute with TfL over jobs, cuts, and attacks on pensions and working conditions. 600 jobs are scheduled to be axed, and London Underground staff stand to be poorer in retirement if TfL’s proposed changes go through. The job losses planned will affect every aspect of the tube including stations and maintenance, leading to the likelihood of more unstaffed stations and a lowering of safety standards. There are also planned attacks on tube drivers working agreements and jobs read more

DHL catering staff on Avanti to take strike action (4 Jul) – Catering workers will take 48 hours strike action from tomorrow evening in a row 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. DHL has pleaded poverty claiming they cannot afford a rise despite the fact its global business was worth £81bn last year. Instead of trying to settle the dispute by negotiating with RMT, DHL management have sent communications to staff using an intimidatory tone, instructing them not to speak to the media about their human right to take strike action…The 48 hour strike starts at 10pm on Wednesday 5 July and ends at 9.59pm Friday 7 July read more

Show your solidarity with our cleaning grades (3 Jul) – RMT has two petitions in circulation currently relating to campaigns being run to support our cleaning grades members. I’m asking all members to make sure they have signed – and shared – these petitions. We’re an all-grades union and we look after each other. Getting involved in the campaign to win insourcing and improvements to the pay and conditions of our cleaning grades members is part of what it means to be an industrial union. Bring London’s Tube Cleaners in-house – Add your name to this call on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to do the right thing by his cleaners currently outsourced to ABM: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/bring-london-s-tube-cleaners-in-h… Give free travel to rail cleaners and review their outsourcing – This petition to Secretary of State Mark Harper calls on the government to follow the Mayor of London in giving free travel to rail cleaners and reviewing the outsourcing of rail cleaning. Sign here: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/urgent-support-for-rail-cleaners read more

RMT to strike for 3 days in July (22 Jun) – 20,000 railway workers will walk out in July as part of the national rail dispute after train operators failed to make a new pay offer. RMT members working across 14 train operating companies will take strike action on 20, 22 and 29 July. Despite repeated statements from the union that we are willing to enter further negotiations, neither the rail operators nor the government have asked us to any meetings. The government has the mandate for the 14 rail operators RMT is in dispute with and contractually sets the negotiating parameters of those companies with the rail unions. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry…” read more

ASLEF

ASLEF announces another week-long overtime ban (17 Jul) – ASLEF today announced that members at 15 train operating companies will also refuse to work overtime from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August. As train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, to which 96% of the train drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales choose to belong, begin a week-long ban on working overtime on much of the UK’s passenger rail network, the union has announced that drivers will be taking another week of industrial action at the end of this month, too. ASLEF today [Monday] announced that members at 15 train operating companies will also refuse to work overtime from Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August. The ban – which is the latest move in our long-running national pay dispute – will seriously disrupt services as none of the train companies employs enough drivers to deliver the services they have promised passengers, and the government, they will run. That’s why they are dependent on rest day working, as it is called in the railway industry, which of course is voluntary, and, by agreement, and properly for the purposes of training, and which leaves them vulnerable to this sort of industrial action. The withdrawal of non-contractual overtime will start at 00:01 on Monday 31 July and end at 23:59 on Saturday 5 August at: Avanti West Coast; Chiltern Railways; Cross Country; East Midlands Railway; Greater Anglia; Great Western Railway; GTR Great Northern Thameslink; Island Line; LNER; Northern Trains; Southeastern; Southern/Gatwick Express; South Western Railway main line; TransPennine Express; and West Midlands Trains. It follows three previous week-long bans on working overtime [from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May; from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 July; and from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 July] which seriously disrupted services as companies cancelled trains right across the country read more

Tube train drivers in London to strike on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 July (10 Jul) – Tube train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, which represents 96% of the train drivers in Britain, will strike on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 July. Colleagues in the RMT will be taking action at the same time read more

No to ticket office closures (5 Jul) – Commenting on plans to close 1000 ticket offices across England, Mick Whelan, general secretary, said: “Ticket offices and properly staffed stations are vital to support the needs of passengers and make our railway a safe and welcoming place for all travellers. The impact of removing staff for disabled passengers and those with access needs, luggage or buggies, would be huge and would effectively be saying to those people ‘we don’t want you on our railway’. It’s wrong. As train drivers we want the railway to be for everyone…” read more

ASLEF Announces Further Overtime Ban (3 Jul) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced that members at 16 companies will refuse to work overtime from 17 – 22 July in the union’s ongoing national dispute over pay. ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced that members at 16 companies will refuse to work overtime from 17 – 22 July in the union’s ongoing national dispute over pay. This follows another week long overtime ban which commenced today [Monday 3 July] and will run until Saturday [8 July]. The withdrawal of non-contractual overtime will be in place from 00:01 on Monday 17 July until 23:59 on Saturday 22 July at Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Great Western Railway, GTR Great Northern – Thameslink, Island Line, London North East Railway, Northern, Southeastern, Southern and Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express and West Midlands Trains read more

TSSA

TSSA exposes government claims over ticket office use (16 Jul) – Rail union TSSA is today highlighting research showing that ticket office staff sell up to a whopping 360 million tickets a year. Station booking offices across England are under threat of closure with the government at Westminster stating that only 13 per cent of all tickets are sold in this way. However, figures uncovered by the union – which has many hundreds of members in ticket offices – show that this equates to 150 million rail journeys in the past year. In addition, many passengers purchase their season tickets at ticket offices – meaning as many as a further 210 million journeys stem from sales at dedicated offices.  As a result, the union is accusing the government of telling blatant half truths and attempting to deceive the public over the proposed loss of these vital services across England’s railways read more

Unite

BREAKING NEWS!! Offshore dispute ends after Unite Stork members win increase (18 Jul) – New offer will see the end to strike action with a 10 per cent salary increase, backdated to January. Unite members in Stork have today (Tuesday 18th July) voted by 61 per cent to end their industrial action after a ballot which will see offshore salaries increase by 10 per cent and be backdated to January 2023. The ballot, in which 88 per cent of Unite members voted, brings this long dispute to an end. Around 700 of Unite’s Stork membership have taken part in strike action since May read more

BREAKING NEWS!! Gatwick DHL strikes suspended but industrial action by other firms still on (18 Jul) – Strikes by nearly 600 DHL workers on the Gatwick EasyJet contract have been suspended following an improved pay offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The DHL workers will be balloted on the new offer and strikes scheduled to take place from 28 July to 1 August will now not go ahead. If the workers reject the deal, fresh strike dates will be announced. Gatwick strikes by around 450 ASC, Menzies Aviation and GGS workers are still scheduled to take place from 28 July to 1 August, with a further four days from 4 August to 8 August read more

BREAKING NEWS!! First Manchester bus strikes stretch into August (18 Jul) – Three-part offer must come in one instalment or strikes will continue to intensify. Pay strikes by around 360 bus drivers employed by First Manchester are to stretch into August, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). First Manchester, which pays drivers a pound an hour less than the region’s other bus operators, has offered a three-part deal. The split would see a rise backdated from April, with another implemented from October and a final one in January. The drivers have been clear that they expect any pay deal to be implemented fully from April. On top of difficult working conditions, including a lack of access to toilets, long shifts and exhaustion from looking after the safety of thousands of passengers in busy built-up areas, the drivers often face physical and verbal abuse. First Manchester can afford to put forward a pay offer that would be accepted by the drivers. First Group’s 2022 annual report shows that operating profits increased by more than £6 million to £226.8 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “First has millions in the bank and is penny pinching – much to the detriment of the travelling public. The amount it would cost to implement a single pay deal is water off a duck’s back to the company. “To First Manchester’s struggling drivers, however, receiving a full pay rise in one go will help relieve the financial pressures they are under from rising prices and historic low pay. Our members do a tough job, First Manchester needs to acknowledge that by providing a no-strings pay deal.” Previously announced strike action will take place on 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28 July. Further strikes have now been announced for 31 July and 2, 4, 7, 10 and 11 August. More strikes will be called if First Manchester does not put forward an improved pay offer read more

BREAKING NEWS!! Workington bin chaos to worsen as agency strike breakers banned (18 Jul) – Council-owned Allerdale Waste Services will not be able to bring in agency staff to cover striking bin workers after 10 August. The impact from all-out strikes by workers employed by Allerdale Waste Services, which is 100 per cent owned by Cumberland council, is set to worsen after a High Court ruling banning agency staff. Following the government’s decision to reverse the ban on employers hiring agency staff during strike action in July 2022, a group of trade unions, including Unite, challenged the decision through a judicial review coordinated by the TUC. The High Court last week upheld the unions’ judicial review. The 2022 amendment to the regulations has now been quashed due to the government’s complete failure to consult prior to implementing their proposals, as required by legislation. Employers will be barred from recruiting agency staff to undermine legal strike action from Wednesday 10 August. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is a total vindication for unions and workers. The government’s decision to allow employers to recruit agency staff to undermine legal strike action was a cynical move to back their friends in business and weaken workers’ legal rights to withdraw their labour. “It was entirely counterproductive as, rather than weaken industrial action, it has hardened attitudes and unnecessarily extended strikes. The dispute with Allerdale Waste Services and Cumberland council is a perfect example of that. The only way this dispute will be resolved is with an acceptable offer from the company.” The workers have been on all-out strike since 16 May in a dispute over pay. The workers’ pay rates are among the lowest in the entire country. The loaders are paid just £10.90 an hour, while the drivers, who are required to hold an HGV licence, are only paid £11.89 an hour. Tensions in the dispute have further increased as the agency staff brought in to undermine the strike are earning £14 an hour, well in excess of the rates for the permanent staff. Fresh talks between Unite and Cumberland council yesterday collapsed read more

BREAKING NEWS!! Somerset bin strikes off as Suez workers accept 9% pay rise (18 Jul) – Strikes by more than 200 Suez workers responsible for emptying bins on behalf of Somerset council have been cancelled after the workers accepted an improved pay offer. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, voted overwhelmingly to accept a nine per cent pay rise. The company’s original offer was 4.85 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “When workers stand together in a union they win, as Suez’s Somerset workers have shown. Once again, Unite’s laser focus on improving jobs, pay and conditions has put money into the pockets of our members.” Unite regional officer Tim Morris said: “This result shows why those looking to improve their wages and working lives should join Unite and get their colleagues to do the same.” Around 150 Suez workers employed the South Gloucestershire refuse contract remain on all-out indefinite strike over pay read more

Birmingham airport strikes suspended following last minute talks (17 Jul) – Strike action by over 150 Birmingham airport security officers and terminal technicians has been suspended following an improved pay offer by their employer Birmingham Airport Limited (HAL). All-out indefinite strike action, which was due to begin tomorrow (18 July), has been suspended as an act of goodwill to allow Unite’s members to be balloted on the new offer. Unite regional officer Sulinder Singh said: “Unite’s members have agreed to suspend strike action while they are balloted on the new offer. We will be making no further comment until the result of the ballot is announced.” If the offer is rejected, then indefinite strike action will begin on Tuesday 1 August read more

Impact of Birmingham airport strikes to be more severe after High Court ban on agency workers (14 Jul) – Airport workers reject latest ‘inadequate’ offer as number of strikers grows. The impact of an all-out strike by more than 150 Birmingham Airport security guards and terminal technicians will be increased after a High Court ruling banning agency workers. Following the government’s decision to reverse the ban on employers hiring agency workers during strike action in July 2022, a group of trade unions including Unite, challenged the decision through a judicial review coordinated by the TUC. The High Court has today upheld the unions’ judicial review. The 2022 amendment to the regulations has now been quashed due to the government’s complete failure to consult prior to implementing their proposals, as required by legislation. Employers will be barred from recruiting agency workers to undermine legal strike action from Wednesday 10 August…The workers will begin all out continuous strike action from 18 July and rejected a renewed offer from the company yesterday (Wednesday) read more

Major disruption at Stanlow oil refinery as 450 workers strike over pay (17 Jul) – Essar refinery generating massive profits but staff refused reasonable bonus rates. Around 450 Essar Stanlow refinery workers employed by several contractors at the Cheshire site will begin pay strikes this week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The construction workers, whose pay is set by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI), are striking over their employers’ refusal to raise bonus payments. Under NAECI, these payments are negotiated on a local level. Currently the workers, who include scaffolders, electricians, laggers, crane drivers, welders, pipe fitters, riggers and steel erectors, have experienced years of real terms pay cuts to their hourly NAECI rates. Despite this, they are paid a regular bonus rate of just 80p an hour, even though the refinery made operating profits of £253 million during the first half of the 2023 financial year. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Essar is absolutely awash with cash and its contractors at the refinery are on extremely lucrative contracts. It is completely unacceptable that these workers are being refused a reasonable bonus rate when there is clearly money to spare to pay them properly. Unite defends our members’ jobs, pay and conditions to the hilt and Stanlow’s workers have their union’s total backing in taking strike action.” A continuous overtime ban, inclusive of call out and stand by, begins today (17 July). The first 48 hours of strike action commences tomorrow (18 July), with further strikes taking place on 25 and 26 July and 1, 2, 8 and 9 August. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Workers at RCPCH double their pay offer following strike action (17 Jul) – 7 days of strikes deliver improved pay, more holidays, better maternity and paternity leave. Members of Unite employed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) have secured significant improvements to their jobs, pay and conditions after a series of strikes. The employer had imposed a 2.5 per cent pay increase last year but the offer has been doubled to 5 per cent alongside bonuses of between £1,000 and £2,000. Unite members have also secured an improved deal of 5 per cent from September 2023, bringing the total increase agreed to 10 per cent. The workers have also increased maternity pay to six months and doubled paternity pay. Additionally, Unite reps negotiated an end to the two-tier annual leave entitlement, resulting in more annual leave days for half the workforce backdated to January read more

Workers at KP Snacks won’t accept “peanuts” so they’re voting for strike action (17 Jul) – Angry workers at KP Snacks are fed up with being paid peanuts while the company increases its profits by 275% since 2018. Supplies of KP Nuts are at risk because KP Snacks refuses to give workers a fair portion of its multi-million pound profits. 135 workers at KP Snacks including low-paid cleaners will begin voting on strike action today (Monday 17 July). Strike action would shut down the factory and disrupt supplies of KP Nuts to pubs and supermarkets. The company made £54 million in profit and has increased its profits by 275 per cent since 2018. In stark contrast, average pay at KP Snacks has fallen in real terms by 14 per cent since 2018. To make matters even worse, the famous snacks brand has excluded the lowest paid cleaners from its pay offer. The hygiene team earn just £10.66 an hour, which management astonishingly call “the KP living wage”. Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “KP Snacks has increased its profits by 275 per cent since 2018. This year workers won’t accept being paid peanuts read more

Unite the union notifies Vista Therm of a further two days of strike action in dispute for recognition and improved pay (14 Jul) – Strike paralyses production at glass manufacturer with non-union workers joining the picket line. Union calls for employer to sit down and negotiate instead of adopting intimidatory approach to employees. Workers at Vista Therm, a glass manufacturer based at the Silverwood industrial estate in Craigavon took their first day of strike action today. The strike paralysed production at the factory with non-union workers joining Unite members the picket line. Unite the union has now lodged notice of a further two days of strike action next week – on Thursday and Friday 20th and 21st July and warned workers were likely to further escalate their action in the absence of any engagement by management. The industrial action follows a unanimous vote for strike action (100%) due to the refusal of management to engage the trade union in pay negotiations. Management have signalled that they no longer recognise the trade union despite a collective bargaining agreement existing within the workplace since 2007. On today’s picket line representatives of the company noted the names of workers on the picket line and police were called out. Vista Therm is part of Lehr Limited Partnership a campany registered in Jersey and is a highly successful and profitable business. Sales at Vista Therm have ramped up 31.5% since 2017 reaching £18.3 million in 2021 when the company’s pre-tax profits were £915k read more

Vista Therm workers vote 100% for strike action for union recognition and a pay increase (7 Jul) – Unite the union lodges notice of first planned day of strike action at Craigavon based Glass-manufacturer. Strike follows anti-union manoeuvres from company and will shut down production at site where approximately 150 workers are employed read more

Paint shortage looming as Akzo Nobel workers in Gateshead strike over pay (14 Jul) – Paint shortages are looming across the UK as workers employed by International Paints (parent company Akzo Nobel) will begin strike action later this month in a dispute over pay. The 230 plus workers are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union. They voted for strike action after rejecting a pay offer of 4.8 per cent, which is in effect a substantial real terms pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. The workers, who are based at the Stoneygate Lane factory, produce specialist paints, which are used on ships and offshore facilities, as well as producing the polymer that is used in most Akzo Nobel’s paint brands, including Dulux. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members undertake vital roles and are critical to the success of Akzo Nobel, in the teeth of the cost of living crisis there is no way they are going to accept a significant real terms pay cut. “Unite is totally focused on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and the workers at International Paints will receive the union’s complete support.” Strike action will begin on Thursday 27 July and will take place on every Monday and Thursday for a four week period with the last day of industrial action initially scheduled for Thursday 24 August. The workers who are taking strike action include production and distribution workers, engineering and technical support, some office and admin support and personnel in research and development read more

Summer strike action announced at Gatwick Airport in pay dispute (14 Jul) – Nearly a thousand workers are set to take eight days of strike action at Gatwick Airport beginning later this month in a dispute over pay. The 950 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed by four companies: ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd. All four companies conduct outsourced operations for major airlines primarily undertaking ground handling, baggage handling, ramp agent, dispatchers and check in agents roles. Given the scale of the industrial action, disruption, delays and cancellations are inevitable across the airport. While the workers are on varying rates of pay, the majority are paid on average under £12.00 an hour, despite undertaking highly demanding and safety critical roles. During the pandemic, many companies at Gatwick Airport made large-scale redundancies and cut the pay and conditions of their remaining staff. Unite has been in negotiations with the four companies since January but they all have failed to make offers that meets the workers’ expectations…The workers will strike initially for four days beginning on Friday 28 July ending on Tuesday 1 August. Then a further four days from Friday 4 August until Tuesday 8 August. The airlines affected include: British Airways, Easyjet, Ryanair, TUI, Westjet and Wizz. In addition to the four companies where an industrial action mandate has already been secured, Unite is also balloting its members at DHL Gatwick Direct, Red Handling and Wilson James. All three ballots will close on Monday 31 July if workers vote for industrial action, the strikes in these companies could begin by the middle of next month read more

Bar workers strike a resounding note as industrial action begins at Glasgow pub (14 Jul) – Unite members working for 13th Note take strike action as concerns remain. Unite the union can confirm that workers at the 13th Note in Glasgow will begin strike action today (14 July) following the failure of the pub’s owners to deal with concerns over pay and the health and safety of the workforce. Unite represents 95 per cent of the workers employed at the venue with 100 per cent of members voting to support strike action. The escalating dispute centres on the trade union’s campaign to secure better wages, improvements to health and safety, as well as achieving trade union recognition for the workers at one of Glasgow’s best known music venues…Unite can further confirm that the strike action at the 13th Note will start on Friday 14 July, and last for 48 hours in the first instance. It will then take place every weekend until 6 August. A meeting with Acas has been set up for 19th July when both Unite and the owners of 13th Note will try to seek a path through this dispute read more

South Gloucestershire bin chaos to worsen as agency strike breakers banned (13 Jul) – Suez will not be able to bring in agency workers to cover striking bin workers after 10 August. The impact from all-out strikes by around 150 workers employed by Suez emptying bins on behalf of South Gloucestershire council is set to worsen after a High Court ruling banning agency workers. Following the Government’s decision to reverse the ban on employers hiring agency workers during strike action in July 2022, a group of union’s including Unite, challenged the decision through a judicial review coordinated by the TUC. The High Court has today upheld the unions’ judicial review. The 2022 amendment to the regulations has now been quashed due to the Government’s complete failure to consult prior to implementing their proposals, as required by legislation read more

Unite’s Wood TAQA dispute ends after members win salary reinstatement (13 Jul) – A new offer, accepted by 86% of Unite members, will see the reinstatement of 10% on their salary, with new retention bonuses worth 15%. Unite members have yesterday (Wednesday 12th July) voted to ended their industrial action after winning the reinstatement of the 10% cut made to their salaries in 2015. Around 120 Unite members had taken 4 days of strike action in May and June and were carrying out an overtime ban on the Cormorant Alpha, North Cormorant, and Tern Alpha platforms. These workers will now see their salaries increased by a further 6% (4% received already), and have also won an additional 15% retention bonus, which could see a total increase for some of up to 25% this year. Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “The hard work and tenacity of our members has paid off with a victory that will see our members reclaim their earnings from oil & gas giants, taken from them in 2015.” Read more

Unite takes strike action over London Underground’s failure to protect pensions and jobs (13 Jul) – Hundreds of Unite members employed by London Underground will take 24 hour strikes on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 July in a dispute over jobs and pensions. ASLEF are due to take action on the same days and the RMT will take a series of rolling strikes between Sunday 23 July and Friday 28 July. Unite will not accept attacks on the pension scheme especially when the scheme is financially viable and in credit. The union is calling for guarantees that there will be no increases in employee contributions to the pension scheme, no decrease in employer contributions, and no reduction in pension fund benefits. The union is also calling for a guarantee of no job losses in London Underground following Government funding cuts read more

Unite: Agency workers verdict “total vindication” for unions and workers (13 Jul) – News that the High Court has quashed (Thursday 13 July) the Government’s decision to allow agencies to supply agency workers to employers to undermine legal strike action was today hailed by Unite as a “total vindication”. Following the Government’s decision to reverse the ban on employers hiring agency workers during strike action in July 2022, a group of union’s including Unite, challenged the decision through a judicial review coordinated by the TUC. The High Court has upheld the unions’ judicial review. The 2022 amendment to the regulations has now been quashed due to the Government’s complete failure to consult prior to implementing their proposals, as required by legislation read more

Bristol Waste strikes averted after workers accept improved offer (12 Jul) – Strikes by more than 300 refuse workers employed by Bristol Waste have been averted after workers accepted an improved pay offer. Under the deal, the workers, who collect bins, clean the streets and operate household waste and recycling centres, will see their pay rise by 8.5 per cent over 12 months, plus a one-off £500 payment. The workers will also receive between £2,500 and £3,500 in back pay, as the deal is back dated from November 2022 read more

Bristol Waste bin strikes suspended to allow ballot on improved offer (7 Jul)

Kings Lynn Cooper Roller Bearing workers ballot for strike action over pay (12 Jul) – Profitable company offering strings attached deal that amounts to ‘pay cut’. More than 100 workers employed by Cooper Roller Bearings in Kings Lynn are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said (Wednesday). The workers have rejected a 5.5 per cent pay offer. With the true rate of inflation, RPI, standing at 11.3 per cent, this is a real terms pay cut. The strings attached offer also comes with a performance related bonus of up to six per cent. Cooper Roller Bearings made a profit before tax of more than £7 million in the year ending 31 December 2022…The ballot for strike action closes on 27 July read more

Sussex HGV drivers fired due to “vile treatment” by buck-passing firms (12 Jul) – Family firm Bimson, as well as Ibstock and Wincanton, accused of ‘soulless corporate self-interest’. More than 20 HGV drivers and admin support staff working out of sites in Sussex and Durham, have been unfairly fired because of a dispute involving three firms over a contract changing hands. The workers were employed by haulage giant Wincanton on a contract for brick maker Ibstock. The contract recently transferred from Wincanton to ‘family’ haulage firm Bimson. Wincaton fired the workers without redundancy pay or remaining holiday pay on 3 July, saying Bimson has a duty to employ them on the same terms and conditions they were previously employed on. Wincanton says Bimson must do this because the company is liable under Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) legislation, known as TUPE read more

Unite secures landmark union recognition at Glee Club Cardiff (11 Jul) – Unite, Wales’ leading trade union, has secured union recognition for workers at the renowned comedy venue, Glee Club in Cardiff. The landmark victory for workers follows an extensive organising campaign by Unite amongst Glee Club employees. Recognition by Unite means workers will be covered by a collective agreement. This will enable Unite to negotiate with the employer regarding workers’ pay and other terms and conditions of employment. This victory is significant in that it is one of the first agreements of its kind within the Welsh hospitality sector. The Glee Club Cardiff employs around 35 workers read more

Strikes by Harlow housing workers end with pay victory (11 Jul) – Pay strikes by over 300 staff responsible for Harlow council’s housing stock and the cleaning and maintenance of council grounds and buildings have ended with a pay victory. The workers, who are employed by HTS, which is wholly owned by Harlow district council, took strike action in February, April, May and June over being paid less than workers doing the same jobs at other local authorities. They were demanding a cost-of-living payment and for their pay bands to be re-graded so that they were brought up to industry standards. The workers have now accepted a deal that includes a non-consolidated payment of £1,500 for all employees earning less than £40,000. The deal will also see a complete review of all job roles by the Local Government Association to ensure the workers are paid the correct salaries read more

University Workers in Scotland to be balloted for strike action (11 Jul) – Failure to reach agreement on pay could lead to disruptive strike action. Unite has confirmed that its members employed in a number of universities across Scotland will be balloted for strike action following the failure to reach agreement on the 2023/24 pay award. The vast majority of Unite members have instead had an award of 5-6% imposed on them.  This follows a previous derisory uplift of 3% for the majority of members last year and many years of sub inflation pay increases. The universities taking part in the action are: Aberdeen, Heriot Watt, Glasgow, Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian, Glasgow School of Art, Dundee, Abertay, Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University. This dispute is part of a national Higher Education pay dispute, the ballot in Scotland will run from 17 July and close on 21 August. There was also a failure to reach agreement on the sub inflation 2022/23 award which resulted in Unite members taking part in strike action last year read more

New research exposes workers’ pension and retirement time bomb (11 Jul) – New research by Unite, the UK’s leading union, has exposed the pension and retirement time bomb facing workers, with many stating they can’t continue working in key roles until state pension age read more

Pay and understaffing provokes strike ballot at Barts NHS Trust (11 Jul) – Workers transferred to the NHS from Serco demand pay justice and safe staffing. Unite accuses Barts of short changing some of the lowest paid workers in the trust. Over 1,000 NHS workers at Barts Health NHS Trust will begin voting on industrial action today (Tuesday 11 July) in a dispute over low pay and understaffing. Last year a tireless campaign by Unite activists and union reps, which included strike action, paved the way for the workers to be transferred to NHS employment. The cleaners, caterers, porters, security guards, ward hosts and domestic staff had previously been employed by Serco. But over 1000 workers who transferred onto NHS terms after 31 March 2023 are absolutely furious that Barts is refusing to pay them a £1,655 lump sum which is part of the NHS pay deal. A significant number of workers are also losing money due to the way the NHS disregarded their length of service while employed by Serco and attempts by the Trust to pay workers inferior overtime rates. The workforce are also suffering the effects of the worst staffing crisis in NHS history. Over stretched and overworked, they are calling on Barts and the UK Government to address the chronic shortages blighting their hospitals…The ballot opens today (Tuesday 11 July) and closes on Tuesday 22 August read more

ICTS Gatwick workers secure inflation beating pay increase (10 Jul) – Unite members employed by ICTS at Gatwick Airport have secured a 16 per cent pay increase and other benefits. The workers are responsible for undertaking security services at the airport, including baggage screening and aircraft guarding. The workers were preparing to ballot for industrial action but following further negotiations the employer made an improved offer, which was balloted on and accepted by the workers. The deal will benefit 120 workers at the airport. In addition the workers will receive an unsocial hours enhancement for hours worked between 23:00 and 06:00. ICTS has also agreed to curtail zero hours contract, with workers being offered a variety of permanent contracts read more

Unite reaction: Rachel Reeves refusing to commit to PRB recommendations (9 Jul) – Reacting to the comments made today (9 July) by shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves on whether Labour would endorse the recommendations of the Pay Review Bodies (PRBs), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “It’s beyond belief that Labour is refusing either to commit to paying public sector workers a fair salary or to pledge it will accept the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies if it wins the next election…” read more

Unions agree EDF deal for construction workers’ pay, as strikes called off (8 Jul) – Unite the union has agreed a deal on behalf of around 1,000 construction workers employed on EDF’s power station sites. Engineering construction roles at EDF’s seven power stations Hartlepool, Torness, Heysham 1 and 2, Dungeness, Hunterston Hinkley Point B and Sizewell B, will in future be covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) agreement, guaranteeing the workers’ pay and conditions. In addition all the workers will see their bonus payment increase to 80 pence an hour and this payment will be backdated to January 2023. It is estimated that on average this will be worth £500 per worker. Following the agreement, the strike action at Hartlepool and Torness due to begin on Monday (10 July) will not go ahead read more

First Manchester bus strikes intensify following ‘subpar’ renewed offer (7 Jul) – Drivers demand three-part offer comes in one instalment. Pay strikes by around 360 bus drivers employed by First Manchester will intensify during July following a renewed ‘sub par’ offer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). First Manchester, which pays drivers a pound less an hour than the region’s other bus operators, revised its previous two-part offer with a three-part deal. The split would see a rise backdated from April, with another implemented from October and a final one in January. The drivers have been clear that they expect any pay deal to be implemented fully from April. On top of difficult working conditions, including a lack of access to toilets, long shifts and exhaustion from looking after the safety of thousands of passengers in busy built-up areas, the drivers often face physical and verbal abuse. Historically low pay has also caused chronic staff shortages, leaving drivers at First Manchester with unsustainable workloads…The drivers began strike action on 3 and 4 July and are striking today (7 July). Strike action is also scheduled to take place on 10 and 13 July, with new dates set for 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28 July. Industrial action will intensify further if the dispute is not resolved read more

South London facing bus turmoil as Arriva drivers ballot for strikes over pay (7 Jul) – Bus users in South London are facing turmoil later this summer, if drivers employed by Arriva take strike action in a dispute over pay. Over 1,000 bus drivers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have rejected an offer worth around 7.3 per cent, as this amounted to a real terms pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. The drivers who are based at depots in Brixton, Norwood, South Croydon and Thornton Heath began balloting this week and the ballot will close on Wednesday 2 August. If the workers vote for strikes then industrial action could begin by the middle of next month read more

Irn-Bru supplies to ‘fizzle out’ after workers back strike action (7 Jul) – Unite warns A.G. Barr to improve derisory pay offer or face summer drought. Unite the union announced today (7 July) that its members employed by the world-renowned A.G. Barr have backed strike action in an escalating dispute over pay. Supplies of Irn-Bru are now directly under threat this summer as around a dozen trucker and shunter drivers at the company’s Cumbernauld production and distribution centre backed strike action by 83 per cent. Unite will accordingly update on prospective strike action dates in due course read more

Unite announces fresh NHS strikes in London and Yorkshire in pay and safe staffing dispute (7 Jul) – Unite members at Guys and St Thomas’ hospital in London and at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service will take strike action next week in the long running dispute over pay and safe staffing. The workers at Guys and St Thomas’ will hold a 24 hour strike from 07:00 on Thursday 13 July, while the union’s members at Yorkshire Ambulance Service will strike on Friday 14 July, between 15:00 and 22:00. The industrial action in both cases will coincide with the latest strike action being taken by junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association. The strikes are the latest development in the union’s long running pay dispute. Unite rejected the government’s pay offer this spring, as it failed to address the recruitment and retention crisis that has engulfed the NHS. Unite is also taking action due to increasing concerns about safe staffing in the NHS. A recent survey of Unite’s NHS workers found that in the past year 48 per cent of members had regularly witnessed staffing shortages that had compromised patient care. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The NHS’ recruitment and retention crisis is worsening by the day. Until the government addresses the chronic low pay of NHS workers, the problems currently being experienced will only become more severe. Unite’s focus on the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, means that our workers taking industrial action in the NHS will enjoy the union’s complete support.” Unite national lead officer Onay Kasab said: “Our members are determined to take a stand and highlight how the government’s real terms pay cuts are undermining the NHS and risking patients’ lives.” Unite is currently balloting/re-balloting a substantial number of its members at NHS Trusts throughout England to expand its industrial action mandate read more

Petrofac offshore contractors balloted on strike action (7 Jul) – Pay and working rotas at core of latest dispute. Unite the union confirmed today (7 July) that offshore workers employed by Petrofac Facilities Management Limited will be balloted on strike action. Around 80 Unite members contracted to work on Ithaca Energy’s FPF1 platform, Captain WPP, Captain floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, Alba FSU and Alba North installations are participating in the ballots. The Petrofac contractors have rejected a real terms pay cut, and they are demanding that the operator Ithaca Energy reverse its current ‘clawback’ policy of 14 days. This policy is significantly above the industry norm of 7 days, and it is the financial equivalent to £6,000 lost income per person. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite’s members employed by Petrofac have been battling for months to secure a fair pay rise, and that the operator Ithaca Energy ditch their draconian 14 days clawback policy. We will continue to fully support our members in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector.” The ballots open on Monday (10 July) and close on 4 August. The workers involved in the ballots include electrical, production and mechanical technicians in addition to deck crew, scaffolders and crane operators read more

Newbury and District Bus strikes suspended following improved pay offer (7 Jul) – The initial days of strike action involving drivers employed by Newbury and District Bus Company have been suspended following an improved pay offer by the company. This means that the strikes scheduled for today (Friday 7 July) and Monday 10 July will not go ahead as the members are balloted on the revised offer. Unite regional co-ordinating officer Scott Kemp said: “Unite was clear from the outset that the employer could make an improved offer and this has proved to be the case. It is now for our members to decide if what is on the table meets their expectations.” If the offer is rejected the strikes scheduled for 14, 19, 20 and 21 July will go ahead as planned read more

Darchem Teesside pay strikes intensify with shut downs across July and August (6 Jul) – Formula One, Rolls Royce, BAE, Hinkley Point impacted after ‘hugely profitable’ firm offers ‘pay cut’. Pay strikes by nearly 300 workers employed by engineering firm Darchem in Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees, will intensify over the summer, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers have already taken seven days of strike action over pay, with a further 15 days now scheduled to take place during July and August. This week, the workers rejected in a ballot by 92 per cent an offer of six per cent backdated to February, with a further four per cent in October. The offer removed a condition that the pay anniversary date be changed from February to October, which would have resulted in a 20-month pay deal being imposed. However, the workers believe that a split pay deal is still unreasonable given the company’s huge profits. 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…The strikes, which also involve members of the GMB union, will shut down Darchem’s Stillington factory. This will impact production for Darchem’s clients, including BAE, Formula One racing companies, Hinkley Point and Rolls Royce aerospace. The fresh strikes will take place from 18 to 21 July, 25 to 28 July, 1 to 4 August, 8 to 11 August and 15 to 18 August read more

Firefighters in Waterford and Tipperary to take industrial action tomorrow (6 Jul) – Dispute centres on LGMA refusal to engage with Unite members. Over forty Unite members working as retained firefighters in Counties Waterford and Tipperary will take industrial action tomorrow (Friday 7 July).  The dispute follows the ongoing failure of the Local Government Management Association – which represents local authorities – to engage with Unite regarding a number of issues. Retained firefighters, who form the backbone of the Ireland’s firefighting service, have seen their retainers and call-out fees frozen for a many years, and location requirements make it difficult or impossible for them to supplement their low earnings with other work.  Retained firefighters are also seeking structured and predictable ‘off-call’ times, rather than – as is currently the reality – operating on a 24/7 basis read more

St Mungo’s workforce roundly reject a divisive management pay offer (6 Jul) – The indefinite strike continues at the homelessness charity as management’s pay offer falls short. The pay would still leave workers in fear of losing their homes. Workers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s have roundly rejected a ‘divisive’ pay offer from management aimed at splitting the workforce and breaking the indefinite strike. The Charity’s pay offer falls short of alleviating the workers’ fear of being unable to pay their rent or mortgage on their current poverty wages. Unite reps believe bosses offered as little as possible to get the deal over the line and split the workforce. St Mungo’s increased its pay offer from 2.25% to a paltry 3.7% at a time when inflation is 11.3% and food inflation is at 18.4 per cent.  This is despite St Mungo’s having £16 million in cash and substantial reserves. The pay offer was rejected by a margin of 62% read more  strike fund  More info on Unite Housing Workers website

Cepac print workers in Darlington announce 10 days of strike action over pay (5 Jul) – Food and drink producers across the UK face running out of packaging as workers at Cepac strike in a dispute over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The 90 plus workers, who includes printers, engineers and conversion operatives, have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action. The first strike will begin on Tuesday 18 July, with further dates spread over the coming weeks until the end of September (see notes to editors). Further dates may be announced in the coming weeks if the dispute is not resolved. In addition to the industrial action there will be a continuous overtime ban. The industrial action is a result of the company only being prepared to offer an eight per cent strings attached pay increase. The offer is a real terms pay cut with the true rate of inflation (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. Cepac has said that the eight per cent increase is dependent on the working week increasing from 37 hours to 40 hours, an inferior sick pay scheme, changes to shift patterns and reduced overtime rates read more

Roads Service workers strike in dispute over productivity-based pay system (4 Jul) – Workers concerned that productivity unit bonus leaves workers subject to management victimisation and undermines health and safety. Strike action commenced at roads service depots in west yesterday [Monday 3rd July] and due at depots in east from Thursday 6th July. Roads Service workers in Unite the union have recommenced strike action in their industrial campaign to end pay being subject to manager’s discretion read more

Somerset facing July bin strikes as outsourcer Suez crisis deepens (29 Jun) – Somerset is set for extensive bin strikes beginning next month as refuse collection workers employed by waste management company Suez embark on 12 days of industrial action in a dispute over pay. The 200 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have voted for industrial action after only being offered a pay increase of 5.8 per cent. This is a real terms pay cut as the real inflation rate (RPI) currently stands at 11.3 per cent. The initial 12 days of strike action will be held Wednesday to Friday each week beginning on Wednesday 12 July with the final strike currently scheduled for Friday 4 August. From 12 July until 4 August an overtime ban and a ban on catch up working will also be in place read more

Tara Mines: Time to talk about public ownership (29 Jun) – Government must act now to secure future of Europe’s largest zinc mine. June 29th: Unite, which represents craft and staff grades at Tara Mines, today (Thursday) called on the Government to take the mine into public ownership in the absence of a firm commitment from the highly profitable parent company Boliden to an early resumption of operations at the mine and continued payment of workers’ wages in the interim read more

Leicester aerospace engine bolt maker Howmet hit by pay strikes (27 Jun) – Highly profitable firm offers low paid workers inadequate ‘strings attached’ pay deal. More than 50 Leicester factory workers employed by aerospace engine bolt manufacturer Howmet are to strike later this month, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). The workers, who earn as little as £11 per hour and an average of £12.50 an hour, have rejected a four per cent offer, plus purported pay incentives, that has more  ‘strings attached than a grand piano’. Howmet Fastenings’ latest financial report shows it made UK profits of over £4 million for the year ending December 2021. US-based parent company Howmet Aerospace, meanwhile, reported that international revenue in the first quarter of 2023 increased by 21 per cent to $1.6 billion, with profits of $360 million. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Howmet may proclaim that it has put forward a generous pay offer but it is smoke and mirrors – the deal has more strings attached than a grand piano. Howmet’s workers are low paid and struggling with rising living costs, while the company brings in millions. Unite’s top priority is our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these striking workers will receive the union’s full support until Howmet puts forward an acceptable pay offer.” Howmet’s Leicester factory supplies parts to Rolls Royce, Pratt and Whitney. The first day of strike action will take place on Thursday 29 June, followed by a continuous overtime ban and work to rule after the strike ends. If the dispute is not resolved further strike dates will be scheduled read more

Troubled waters as Scotland’s lighthouse workers take historic strike action (26 Jun) – Sea vessels moored as workers down tools in pay dispute. Unite the union confirmed that its Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) members are set to take 24-hour strike action on Monday (26 June) in a long-running dispute over pay. Around 40 Unite members including able seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians will take 24-hour strike action beginning at noon on 26 June until noon on 27 June. The workers maintain and operate Scotland’s lighthouses, beacons and buoys at sea ensuring that vessels and ships have safe passage through Scottish waters read more

Langford Lodge workers in Crumlin to commence weeklong strike action tomorrow morning (25 Jun) – Strike follows decisive rejection of inadequate last minute pay offer with 70% majority. Solidarity with workforce has already led to cancellation of visit by client Martin Baker. Members of Unite the union working at RLC Langford Lodge Ltd, a leading manufacturer of parts for the defence and civil aerospace sector, are to commence a first week of strike action tomorrow [Monday 26th June]. Pickets will be established at factory gates at the Crumlin site from dawn and will be maintained until midnight on July 2nd. The strike is an escalation of a pre-existing overtime ban in which workers are refusing to work outside their contracted hours or answer electronic devices. The strike will shutdown production at the factory at which 200 are employed read more

St Helens NGF glass cord engineers strike over pay (23 Jun) – NGF workers angry pay offer less than colleagues received at sister company Pilkingtons sites. St Helen’s engineering and maintenance workers employed by NGF, which produces glass cord used in rubber and plastic products, will strike over pay. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers are angry at being offered a 5.65 per cent pay rise plus an £800 bonus that is lower than offers received by their colleagues at nearby sites. NGF is a sister company to Pilkingtons UK, whose workers at a number of sites in the surrounding region have received pay rises 6.75 per cent plus £750 and 7.5 per cent. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Our members are rightly angry they are being treated as second class employees compared to their colleagues at nearby Pilkingtons. Unite is now completely focused on protecting and improving our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and these workers will receive their union’s total support.” The workers will stage two 48 hours strikes on 2 July and 14 July. If the dispute is not resolved strike action will escalate. The dispute also involved members of the GMB union read more

OCS workers at Glasgow Airport vote to strike after no shift on ‘poverty pay offer’ (22 Jun) – Workers who aid passengers with mobility challenges expected to stop during busy summer season. Unite has confirmed today (22 June) a key group of workers based at Glasgow Airport have emphatically voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay, and that the initial action will occur in July. Around 70 Unite members employed by OCS Group UK Limited voted by 95 per cent in favour of taking strike action on a 91 per cent turnout. Unite’s members previously rejected a ‘poverty pay’ offer by 96 per cent which would have taken basic pay to £10.90 per hour. There has been no improved pay offer to date by OCS. Unite has further confirmed that 24-hour strike action will now start on 6 July and end the following day with a further stoppage taking place on 11 July read more

Selby bin chaos as workers strike over ‘rubbish pay’ (21 Jun) – Nearly 40 Urbaser refuse workers to walkout in June, July and August over poverty wages. Nearly 40 outsourced refuse workers in Selby, employed by waste company Urbaser on behalf of the North Yorkshire unitary authority, will strike during the summer over ‘rubbish pay’. The dispute is a result of the workers rejecting an eight per cent pay offer because they are on some of the lowest rates in the country for their roles. Bin loaders and grounds workers are paid just £10.64 an hour and refuse lorry drivers, who require an HGV license, are paid just £12.51 an hour. The workers have also been offered a bonus, but they are angry it is less than the cost-of-living payment provided to refuse workers employed in other areas of the newly formed (Conservative controlled) North Yorkshire unitary authority read more

Network Rail facing signalling delays as Unipart Rail workers in Crewe strike over pay (21 Jun) – The UK is set for serious disruption of railway signalling parts, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned, as workers at Unipart Rail Ltd have announced strike action in a pay dispute following a derisory pay offer. The workers, who are based at Unipart Rail’s Crewe depot, have rejected a 4.75 per cent pay increase, which is in reality a pay cut, with the true inflation rate (RPI) currently standing at 11.3 per cent. The workers have announced two initial 24 hour strikes on Wednesday 5 July and Wednesday 12 July. An overtime ban will also be in place from 3 July until 16 July read more

Unite members set for industrial action on Water Services Framework (20 Jun) – Water delivery workers in local authorities to down tools on Friday 30 June. Unite seeking changes to Water Services Framework including referendum commitment. Unite members involved in water delivery services around the country will take industrial action on Friday 30 June.  The dispute follows members’ decision to reject the ‘Framework for the Future Delivery of Water Services’ document put forward by the Workplace Relations Commission last year.  The dispute centres around the failure of the local authorities and their representative association to engage with Unite concerning what the union believes to be shortcomings in the Framework document read more

Edinburgh University joiners to strike over pay (20 Jun) – Union warns of student safety concerns as 72-hour action set to start. Joiners employed by the University of Edinburgh are set to strike for 72-hours starting on Friday (23 June) in a long-running dispute over pay. Around a dozen estates department workers who are members of Unite previously voted for strike action by 100 per cent over the failure by University management to address pay disparities on campus. The trade union is highlighting that joiners, despite undertaking a four-year apprenticeship, are paid around £2,000 a year less than locksmiths who undertake training for two weeks. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The joiners at the University of Edinburgh fully deserve pay parity with other tradespersons on campus. Unite’s members provide skilled and vital work which keeps students safe in the event they are locked out their accommodation. We will support them all in the way in their fight for better jobs, pay and conditions.” A series of stoppages will take place throughout June and July with the first beginning at 8am on Friday (23 June) and continuing up to 26 June when the action concludes at 7:59am read more

Regulator of Social Housing on strike (20 Jun) – Striking for a week. There was a determined mood on the Regulator of Social Housing picket on Monday. Strike action had the Housing Ombudsman, another quango with a similar relation with the government, had been suspended on Friday following talks but the strike at the regulator continues for a week. Both groups of workers are calling on their employer to respond to the pressures of inflation currently standing at 11.4% RPI read more

Education Authority workers in Unite set to commence first day of seven day strike action (14 Jun) – Strike follows Secretary of State’s punitive budget that has left Education Department unable to deliver pay & grading business case. Unite the union members employed by the Education Authority are set to commence seven days of strike action tomorrow [15th June]. The industrial action follows an overwhelming ballot result in which 94% of Unite members voted for strike action. The strike results from the failure of the Department of Education to implement a pay and grading review. The review would see significant increases to the pay of Education Authority workers but its implementation has been prevented as a result of the punitive budget set for the Department by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The strike involves more than 700 education workers and will extend for seven weekdays. Schools across Northern Ireland are likely to experience significant disruption as a result as 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. The General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, committed her union’s full support for the striking education workers read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Members Ballot Result on National Agreement with Royal Mail Group – 75.8%YES, 14.2% NO, 62.1% turnout. More info on CWU Facebook page and website

CWU in urgent talks with Capita as 265 workers enter 45-day redundancy consultation period (17 Jul) – Clarity is being sought from Capita over any redeployment options that may exist for 265 individuals who have entered a formal 45-day consultation period that could result in redundancy – with the CWU intent on ensuring that every effort is made to mitigate against compulsory job losses. Under plans announced by management last Wednesday, VMO2 contract work on the Small Office Home Office (SoHo), Small Medium Business (SMB) and Social Media workstreams will transfer, at VMO2’s behest, to a different outsourcer which intends to conduct the work in the Philippines. Around 80% of those impacted are badged to the Leeds ABC contact centre – with the majority of the rest based at the unrecognised Dearne Valley site in Yorkshire, though some Preston Brook employees are also affected read more

CWU considers the options as Rivus members grasp magnitude of garage closure bombshell (13 Jul) – Members at Rivus Fleet Solutions are reeling from the shock announcement that over 85% of the company’s 56 strong garage network has been earmarked for closure once the company’s service and maintenance contract for BT and Openreach vehicles expires on September 29. Leaving around 650 CWU represented grade employees at the 48 threatened garages grappling to process what the devastating news could potentially mean for their jobs, Monday’s devastating announcement by Rivus comes in the wake of BT’s appointment of a new Fleet services provider called Holman Fleet Services – which bizarrely has no garage network of its own read more

Come clean on staff exposure to cyber attack data breach, Capita told (12 Jul) – Clarifications over the extent to which Capita members’ personal details were compromised by March’s cyber attack on the company are being urgently sought by the CWU amid growing unease as to the nature and scale of the threat the security breach could pose to employees. Despite initial assurances by management that the criminal hacking  was “limited to the Capita network” and that there was “no evidence of colleague, client or customer data having been compromised,” media speculation has been steadily mounting over the past few months that the breach may have been more serious than originally thought 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

PCS to launch national ballot on next stage in our campaign (12 Jul) – The NEC met today and discussed the next steps in our national campaign. The NEC received over 160 responses from branches to our consultation and based on that feedback agreed to run an online consultative ballot from 3 to 31 August. The ballot will ask members in the civil service and related areas to endorse the strategy proposed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) for the next stage in our national campaign read more

PCS warns of dispute over DVLA proposal to withdraw work bus services (17 Jul) – PCS has written to the DVLA CEO, Julie Lennard, in relation to the decision to withdraw from the current contract providing the DVLA work buses read more

PCS demands urgent meeting at DfT to discuss the £1500 cost-of-living payment (17 Jul) – The decision to make the payment pro rata for part time staff is unfair and potentially discriminatory. PCS has today (17) written to the Department for Transport (DfT) Permanent Secretary, Bernadette Kelly, seeking an urgent meeting to discuss the decision to pro-rata the £1500 cost-of-living payment read more

PCS responds to pay review body announcements (14 Jul) – PCS will demand employers in the civil service and related areas at least match the pay rises of between 5-7% offered this week to more than one million public sector workers, including teachers, police, senior civil servants and doctors read more

PCS wins victory in High Court over strike-breaking legislation (13 Jul) – PCS, with 13 other trade unions, has inflicted a major defeat on the government in the High Court over bringing agency workers in to cover strike action. In 2022, the government introduced legislation that allowed employers to bring in agency workers to cover industrial action.  PCS and 13 other unions challenged the legislation and this morning (13), the High Court ruled that the then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy failed to consult unions, as required by the Employment Agencies Act 1973. The High Court quashed the changes. In a damning judgement, the High Court ruled the government’s approach was “….so unfair as to be unlawful and, indeed, irrational.” Read more

Care Quality Commission members to strike over pay (12 Jul) – Members in PCS and three other unions will strike over the CQC’s refusal to pay the £1500 one-off cost-of- living payment. ver 90 PCS members in the Care Quality Commission will strike for three days over the CQC’s continued refusal to commit to pay a one-off cost-of-living payment of £1,500 as well as fair pay, protections to pensions and job security. PCS members will strike on 26, 27 and 28 July. The RCN, Unite and Unison, who have members at the CQC as well, are also serving notice for strike action read more

PCS opposes Department for Transport decision to pro-rata cost of living payment (10 Jul) – PCS has written to the Department for Transport (DfT) opposing the decision to pro-rata the cost-of-living lump sum payment read more

Strike action suspended at British Museum (10 Jul) – PCS has officially announced the suspension of the scheduled strike action at the British Museum which was due to begin tomorrow. In a recent development, the museum presented PCS with an offer that addresses the most pressing concerns of its members, leading to the decision to halt the 6–day strike. Although the offer falls short of meeting the union’s entire claim, it includes significant concessions that resolve the most pressing concerns raised by members read more

ISS members in BEIS London vote for industrial action (30 Jun) – PCS members employed by ISS in the former department BEIS have voted overwhelmingly in a ballot to support industrial action on a huge turnout. The PCS BEIS London South Branch has voted by 98.51% to support industrial action on a 69.07% turnout, easily surpassing the required threshold. Security guards, cleaners, receptionists, porters and post workers employed by ISS are among the staff that were 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. It has also raised concerns over health and safety and equality issues, calling on ISS to conduct an equal pay audit and develop an action plan with PCS to reduce gender and ethnicity pay gaps read more

Prospect

Freezing MoD recruitment is a disastrous error – Prospect responds to govt announcement on public sector pay (13 Jul) – The government has announced that it is to accept the recommendations of its pay review bodies on pay. This includes a 5.5% increase for senior civil servants but the government has not allocated extra money to pay for it. As a result some departments will have to make cuts to pay for the rise, while others will be able to make use of underspend to cover the cost. The government has also announced that it will freeze civilian recruitment at the Ministry of Defence, despite thousands of unfilled vacancies 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

Recommendations on Senior Civil Service pay “fair and reasonable” (13 Jul) – The FDA has today welcomed the recommendations made by the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB), and the government’s decision to accept those recommendations in full read more

“Victory for basic fairness”: FDA helps defeat unlawful government regulations allowing use of agency workers during strikes (13 Jul) – The High Court has ruled in favour of the FDA’s joint legal challenge – that government regulations allowing agency workers to stand in for those taking strike action strike are unlawful read more

GMB

BREAKING NEWS!! Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable bin strike to continue through August (18 Jul) – Our members are not making unreasonable demands, just for the market pay rates agreed in neighbouring authorities, such as Dover, Folkestone, Ashford and Swale, says GMB. GMB, the union for waste and recycling workers, has given notice to Canterbury Council’s contractor Canenco for further strike dates. GMB members employed by the council’s wholly-owned company will now be taking industrial action until at least Sunday 20 August, unless councillors in Canterbury take action to resolve the dispute. The workers are demanding £15 per hour for HGV drivers and £12 per hour for loaders and street cleaners, to bring them in line with those doing the same jobs in neighbouring local authorities read more

Second Amazon warehouse joins strike (17 Jul) – Amazon workers will walk out at a second warehouse after GMB union today [Monday] announced the outcome of a strike ballot at the company’s Rugeley fulfilment centre. More than 100 workers at the West Midlands site are now set to walk out after 86 per cent of those who voted backed the strike. The news comes as GMB reached 1,000 members at the Coventry fulfilment centre after twenty two days of strike action in the dispute over pay and union rights. GMB members will now plan strike dates at what will be only the second Amazon site in the UK where workers have taken industrial action read more

Amazon Coventry strike: 1,000 GMB members after Prime Week action (13 Jul) – GMB union has today announced reaching one thousand members at Amazon’s distribution centre in Coventry. This comes at the end of a three day long walk out across the retail giant’s Prime Week which saw hundreds of Amazon workers joining the union read more

Amazon workers strike during prime week (11 Jul) – Amazon workers are on strikes during Prime Week after GMB members at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre voted for more walkouts. Almost 900 have joined the strike action and will bring the total strike days at the retail giant to 22 read more

Biffa avoids bin chaos in Winchester by settling pay dispute (17 Jul) – We are pleased to announce that this dispute has ended before it has really begun, says GMB union. GMB, the union for waste and recycling, has announced a potential refuse strike to hit Winchester City Council has been avoided. The members, who are employed by the council’s waste contractor Biffa, have this morning accepted a pay deal which will see HGV drivers paid £15.50 per hour and loaders paid £12.00 per hour read more

Strike at missile depot threatens MoD supplies (16 Jul) – A strike at a Ministry of Defence missile depot will threaten munitions supplies, GMB Union warned. More than 50 workers at the Defence Equipment & Support (DES) munitions depot in Beith, Scotland walked out tomorrow [Monday]. A majority of 93 per cent of GMB members at the depot voted for strike action over a dispute on retention bonuses. Managers and craft workers are in receipt of bonuses whilst non-craft workers do not, meaning non-craft workers get less than many supermarket workers. DES is an arm’s length body of the Ministry of Defence which delivers equipment and support services to the UK armed forces read more

Canterbury Council ‘breaking the law’ by using agency workers during refuse strike – GMB (14 Jul) – After yesterday’s High Court ruling, Canterbury’s actions may be unlawful says GMB Union. GMB, the union for refuse workers, has warned Canterbury Council it is breaking the law by using agency workers during industrial action following a High Court ruling yesterday [Thursday]. The union wrote to the local authority after the High Court quashed the Government’s decision to permit employers to use agency workers to undermine strikes read more

GMB blast Canterbury Council Leader as ‘hypocrite’ in response to open letter (11 Jul) – These elected representatives of the Labour Party are poles apart from us as a union in how we conduct industrial relations, says GMB

GMB, the union for waste and recycling services, has responded to an open letter from senior Canterbury Councillors relating to the ongoing refuse strike in the city read more

High Court ruling ‘victory for all workers’ (13 Jul) – GMB Union has hailed today’s ruling by the High Court as a ‘victory for all workers’. In a decision handed down today [Thursday], the High Court has quashed the Government’s decision to permit employers to use agency workers to undermine strikes. In response to strike action last year the Government reversed the ban on employers hiring agency workers during strike action read more

Ashford and Swale refuse collectors accept large pay offer (11 Jul) – GMB, the union for waste and recycling services, can announce that its members working within Ashford and Swale Councils have accepted a pay rise worth over 10 per cent. The workers are employed by Biffa and operate within Ashford Borough Council, plus the towns of Sittingbourne and Faversham and the Isle of Sheppey. This constitutes the second pay rise this year for workers in Ashford, who six months ago won a pay rise to bring them on terms with those in Swale who were previously on a higher rate. The new deal will see loaders and street cleaners set to earn £12.00 per hour and LGV drivers £15.02. With this pay rise agreed, only Canterbury – currently in dispute with GMB – plus Dartford and Thanet, have failed to agree a pay rise across all local authorities in Kent read more

Aviation parts company faces first ever strike (11 Jul) – A Durham factory that finished parts for the aviation industry is facing the first strike in its 100 year history. GMB members at Nicholsons Sealing Technologies, in Stanley, will walk out on Friday [14 July] after rejecting the company’s pay offer of 6.7 per cent and a one off payment read more

Durham sewage and water tank workers strike (10 Jul) – Sewage and water treatment tank workers in Durham have begun a week-long strike over pay. GMB members at Premier Tech, in Peterlee, will down tools from Monday [10 July] to Friday [14 July] after a unanimous vote for industrial action. Workers want £12.50 per hour, which amounts to a 12 per cent pay increase. The company has only offered 7.9 per cent, with potential real terms pay cuts in subsequent years read more

Three weeks of refuse chaos as workers down tools in Leicestershire’s ‘low pay capital’ (7 Jul) – GMB Union has today announced a three-week strike action of refuse workers at Blaby District Council. Fifty refuse staff at the authority are anticipated to join the strike action after council top brass ignored union attempts to initiate negotiations in the dispute. Strike action will see as many at 50,000 households go without refuse collections on Tuesday 1st to Friday 18th August read more

Dartford bin workers vote for strike action (7 Jul) – GMB union members have voted to reject Urbaser’s pay offer, with action to take place at the end of the month. GMB, the union for refuse and recycling, can announce that Dartford will be the next local authority to be hit with a bin strike. Members of the union have voted to take action over pay and will be walking out at the end of July. The members are employed by Urbaser, Dartford Borough Council’s waste contractor as drivers, loaders and street sweepers read more

Swindon social workers balloted for strike action (6 Jul) – Swindon Council following the same path as Wiltshire Council, whose proposal was successfully blocked by GMB in December 2021. GMB, the union for social workers at Swindon Borough Council, is balloting for strike action in the Emergency Duty Service (EDS), the out of hours service providing 24-hour emergency care to vulnerable people in Swindon. Swindon Borough Council employs seven social workers in the Emergency Duty Service, including two managers, half of whom are mental health professionals. The council has announced that these staff will lose around £700 per month from 1 September, following a recent pay and regrading review, due to the removal of a 20 per cent unsocial hours payment. The union is warning that such a huge pay cut will see workers forced to leave for similar roles in other authorities or with other employers, jeopardising the viability of the service going forward. The legal notification was served today [Thursday 6 July], with the ballot due to open on Monday 17 July and close on Friday 28 July read more

South London hospital dispute to escalate despite partial victory on pay (6 Jul) – This is only a partial victory and the dispute will continue until ISS meets the pay claim submitted in 2022, says GMB union. GMB members working as cleaning catering staff across South London and Maudsley NHSFT are celebrating a partial victory in their long-running dispute. The members, who are employed by Danish outsourcing giant ISS, will be receiving pay rises previously owed to them in the next pay round. Their dispute over pay has been going on since April and has seen them take 13 full days of industrial action so far. Union members will be taking a further 8 days of strike action, commencing Monday 31 July read more

Welsh farm feed workers to strike over pay disparity with English (30 Jun) – Dozens of agricultural feed workers in workers in Wales are set to strike unless they get the same pay as their English counterparts. A majority of 85 per cent of GMB Members at Forfarmers, n Carmarthen, voted to take strike action after the company failed to make an offer that would see them put on an equal footing with their colleagues at sites in England. Workers doing same role in England are paid up to 30 per cent more by the company read more

Croydon housing and homeless department workers strike over cuts (27 Jun) – Slashing jobs in this service raises severe concerns around safeguarding, provision and remaining legally compliant, says GMB

Croydon Housing and Homelessness Department workers have voted to strike over the current restructure plans. GMB members at the authority will walk out on 28 and 29 June after a 94 per cent majority voted to walk out. Workers are worried and angry over a restructure across this vital department. Croydon Council declared bankruptcy for the third time in November 2022 read more

St Helen’s glass factory faces strike (26 Jun) – A St Helen’s glass cord manufacturer faces industrial action over pay. More than 170 workers at NGF Europe have voted to down tools following a final offer from the company of 5.65 per cent plus as £850 non-consolidated payment. Workers at other nearby NGF sites have been given a 6.75 per cent pay rise. Initial strike dates are as follows: 0600 2 July – 0600 4 July; 2100 8 July – 2100 10 July;

2100 13 July – 2100 14 July. A majority of 90 per cent of GMB members who voted supported strike action read more

Serco allowing ‘waste to pile high’ as Sandwell refuse strike enters third week (20 Jun) – GMB union has today urged action from outsourcing giant Serco as Sandwell refuse workers enter their third strike week. The calls come as the union has requested urgent talks with Council leadership following Serco’s refusal to negotiate with representatives of Sandwell’s refuse workers read more

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

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

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

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

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 condemns government plans to hike visa fees for migrants (17 Jul) – The cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge – a double tax migrant workers have to pay to access healthcare – is set to increase to over £1,000 a year for each person read more

Government must raise ‘out-of-date’ mileage rates for struggling public service staff, says UNISON (14 Jul) – Mileage rates are woefully out of date. More than a million public service workers including care staff, district nurses, housing officers, police staff and probation officers are being left thousands of pounds out of pocket because ministers have failed to update national mileage rates, says a UNISON report published today (Friday) read more

High Court rules ‘strike-breaking’ agency worker regulations unlawful (13 Jul) – Judge agrees with UNISON that the then business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, acted unlawfully, unfairly and irrationally read more

High Court finds strike-breaking legislation unlawful following UNISON case (13 Jul) – Mr Justice Linden has today upheld the claims of UNISON and other unions that the government acted unfairly, unlawfully and irrationally. Employers can no longer use agency staff to fill in for striking workers during industrial action after the High Court ruled that government legislation introduced last year is unlawful, says UNISON today read more

UNISON launches next stage of One Team Us2 pay campaign (11 Jul) – The union is targeting 18 private contractors in the NHS to persuade them to commit to pay that’s equal with directly employed staff read more

Migrant care staff in UK ‘exploited and harassed’ by employers, says UNISON (10 Jul) – Migrant staff deserve nothing but respect and dignity for coming to look after those who need care the most. Migrant staff coming to the UK to take up jobs in social care are being forced to pay back thousands of pounds in fees, housed in sub-standard accommodation and even forced to share beds with colleagues, says UNISON today (Monday). To highlight this appalling treatment, the union has written to care minister Helen Whately warning of a ‘significant rise’ in reports of unacceptable treatment by unscrupulous employers towards workers from overseas read more

Movement – keeping momentum going in HE strike ballot (4 Jul) – As the higher education autumn term strike ballot enters its final few weeks, UNISON has been using a new way of encouraging voting read more

Still time to vote on HE pay (20 Jun) – The higher education ballot is open until 31 July read more

Blog: Dig out that red envelope and vote ‘yes’ for strike action (20 Jun) – We need all of you to have your say, so we can smash through the restrictive anti-trade union ballot thresholds. If you’re a member in England or Wales and you work for a council or in a school, you have just two weeks left to vote for strike action. It’s a critical ballot in our dispute with your employers over pay, and the decision to take strike action is in your hands. Every single vote matters 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

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

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 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

NICS Pay Campaign Update (17 Jul) – You will have heard in the media that the Pay Review Body for some public servants in Britain has recommended increases of 5% – 7% for groups of workers including teachers, junior doctors and senior civil servants (SCS). The first thing to note is that the Pay Review Body does not cover civil servants, below SCS, and in Britain civil servants below SCS have been offered 4.5% – 5% for 2023/24, plus a compensatory lump sum payment of £1,500 for 2022/23. In the absence of an Assembly, decisions on budgets here are being made by the Secretary of State. In the budget set out in April, he has determined that any additional funding provided by Treasury to departments in England and Wales will not come to Northern Ireland as part of the Barnett Consequential but will come off the so-called debt of £330million he declared in October read more

Age Discrimination Pension Cases – Consent Reminder (11 Jul) – Pensions Injury to Feelings. I refer to Branch Secretary Circular GC-16-23 and the individual mailshot that was sent to members in May 2023 asking you to reaffirm your authority for NIPSA and McCartan Turkington Breen Solicitors to act on your behalf in relation to the Injury to Feelings cases lodged for those members who we believe were members of a public sector pension scheme on or before 1 April 2015 and who we believe have suffered age discrimination because of changes to their pension which occurred after this date. Further information about the claim can be accessed from the NIPSA website: here. The purpose of this circular is to remind members, if they have not already done so, to complete the consent form read more

Royal College of Nursing

RCN letter to Steve Barclay: ‘the government’s approach to public sector pay is reckless’ (14 Jul) – Following yesterday’s public sector pay announcement, RCN leader Pat Cullen has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to express her anger on behalf of members who deserve much better read more

RCN ‘outraged’ as NHS nursing pay rise eclipsed by other public sector pay increases (13 Jul) – The Prime Minister must explain why more than a million NHS workers have got the lowest percentage pay rise amongst public sector workers this year read more

RCN Wales pauses July strikes after securing formal talks with the Welsh government (27 Jun) – As a result, the upcoming RCN Wales statutory ballot, due to open on 3 July, will also be put on hold read more

Majority of Manx Care nurses vote to strike and reject latest pay offer (23 Jun) – Eighty per-cent (80%) of Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members who responded to the ballot for strike action, have voted in favour 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 expresses concern at ‘huge drop’ in number of applications to study midwifery (14 Jul) – RCM expresses concern at ‘huge drop’ in number of applications to study midwifery. The number of students applying to study midwifery in the UK has dropped by a fifth, according to the latest UCAS figures, raising concerns about future workforce planning read more

RCM pauses Northern Ireland strike action as pay talks scheduled (31 Mar) – Strike action set for Monday, 3 April by Royal College of Midwives (RCM) members across Northern Ireland has been paused. This follows an offer from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to meet the RCM and other unions next week to discuss HSC pay. The RCM will also be suspending action short of a strike planned for 3-10 April read more

CSP

CSP members in Northern Ireland to move to industrial action ballot (6 Jul) – CSP members in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly to move to an industrial action ballot following a consultative survey. This ballot is the necessary next step to potentially allow members to take legal strike action read more

BMA

Support the Junior Doctors strike read more

Donate to support striking junior doctors

Junior doctors in ‘for the long-haul’ as biggest strike in NHS history begins (13 Jul) – Sense of solidarity and camaraderie as consultants prepare to join pay restoration walkout. Ben Ireland reports from Sheffield. ‘Members are seeing that this is going to be a longer-term dispute if we are going to see more progress.’ Anirudh Kumar, a specialty trainee 4 in geriatric medicine, sums up the mood going into the fourth walkout in the industrial action in which junior doctors are demanding pay restoration to 2008 levels. This time, it is the longest strike in NHS history. Doctors hope fresh strikes will show the strength of feeling and get the message across to government, which announced a 6 per cent pay rise for junior doctors on the first day of the walkout – equivalent to another real-terms pay cut when compared to current inflation levels of 11.3 per cent (RPI). BMA council chair Phil Banfield said the offer ‘completely ignores’ the BMA’s calls to value doctors for their expertise and said ‘the BMA will continue to fight for the full restoration of pay lost since 2008’. A re-ballot to extend the strike mandate for BMA junior doctors in England is under way and, despite deductions from previous strikes beginning to bite amid an intensifying staffing crisis, doctors report a sense of renewed energy at the start of the latest round of industrial action. Part of that is seeing their colleagues continue to come out in force, arranging to spend restful time with them over the weekend, and knowing that their consultant colleagues are due to strike next week read more

Unsafe and unsustainable (11 Jul) – GPs in Wales share their stories of stress and fears for the future as the BMA launches its Save Our Surgeries campaign read more

Junior doctors strikes in Scotland suspended as improved offer to be put to BMA members (7 Jul) – Following an intensive series of negotiations the Scottish Government has put forward a new pay offer for Junior Doctors to BMA Scotland. Today this offer was reviewed by your Scottish Junior Doctors Committee (SJDC) in an emergency meeting. As a result SJDC has suspended strike action. This means the planned 72 hour walkout from 12-15th July will not go ahead read more

BMA calls on Government to come forward with credible pay offer for consultants in England and avoid strikes as senior doctors vote yes for (27 Jun) – The BMA’s consultants committee is calling on the Government to present a credible pay offer for consultants in England, and to commit to meaningful reform of the broken pay review process, in order to avoid strikes by senior doctors after members voted yes to industrial action. More than 24,000 consultants in England voted in the BMA’s ballot (a turnout of 71%), with 20,741 (86%) voting for industrial action read more

Juniors in England prepare to re-ballot read more

HCSA

Hospital doctors warn only negotiation will end industrial action (13 Jul) – HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union has issued the following statement in the wake of the Prime Minister’s announcement on medical pay. Commenting, HCSA President Dr Naru Narayanan said: “Instead of serious negotiation on doctors’ pay we’ve had a grandstanding PR stunt which remains scant on detail. The government has known the pay review body recommendations since May, but has been sitting on its detailed findings. This underlines why we are calling for root and branch reform of the system…” read more

HCSA Scotland urges health secretary to reopen talks after members vote no to pay offer (13 Jun) – HCSA Scotland – the hospital doctors’ union has today urged Health Secretary Michael Matheson to reopen pay talks after 67% of its junior doctor members voted No to the latest offer. A member consultation which concluded this week rejected Scottish Government’s pay offer for junior doctors, paving the way for strike action by HCSA Scotland members in coming weeks. HCSA Scotland junior doctor members voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a formal ballot last month read more

Society of Radiographers

Radiographers demand ‘at least’ the same pay rise as doctors and teachers (14 Jul) – Recommended rises of between 6 and 8.8 per cent strengthen SoR case for strike action. The SoR has called on the government to re-open the NHS 2023-24 pay round following the latest rises for public sectors workers outstripping the 5 per cent award to radiographers in England. SoR members across 43 NHS trusts in England voted for industrial action in protest at the award, and a 48-hour strike is planned across the country from 25-27 July – following strikes by junior doctors and hospital consultants over the preceding two weeks read more

SoR announces radiography strike dates in England (7 Jul) – 48 hours of action planned across NHS trusts after ministers cut off talks. The Society of Radiographers has announced that it will be holding 48 hours of strikes, from 8am on Tuesday 25 July to 8am on Thursday 27 July 2023. The union sent a letter to affected NHS trusts on Thursday 6 July, notifying them of the dates when members will be withdrawing their labour, after ministers ruled out further talks while industrial action was proposed. Representatives from each trust will work with employers to provide life and limb cover for patients. This usually consists of the same staffing levels that would be provided on a bank holiday. Members in trusts including the Royal Marsden, University College London Hospitals, Liverpool University Hospitals and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, have a mandate to go out on strike if the government is not prepared to discuss urgent improvements to pay and conditions for the radiography workforce read more

NEU

STRB recommendations on teacher pay (13 Jul) – Government accepts STRB recommendation on teacher pay. Following the publication of the STRB recommendations on teacher pay the Government has offered:

  • To fully implement the recommendations of the STRB report, awarding a 6.5 per cent pay increase from 1 September on all pay points and allowances.
  • To provide extra funding for schools to pay for it, amounting to £900m per annum.

Guarantees that this extra money will not come from any frontline services, including Special Educational Needs (SEND) funding, schools’ capital, Maintained Nursery or 16-19 funding provision. A set of commitments – agreed with the Prime Minster – to take urgent measures to reduce teacher workload. The National Executive of the NEU having considered the offer have agreed that it should be put to our members and to recommend acceptance. Should members vote to accept the offer, strike action involving teacher members in the autumn term will not go ahead. The union will set up an electronic ballot of members, which will run from 18-28 July read more

NEU strike action (7 Jul) – Following two further days of strike action this week by NEU teacher members across England for a fully funded pay increase, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education Union, said: “We are calling on the Government to publish the STRB report and restart discussions with the unions, which Government has paused since before Easter. We believe that the STRB has recommended a 6.5% across the board pay rise, and if such a rise were properly funded implementing such a rise could bring this dispute to a close. However, with no word from the Government about the reopening of negotiations and with rumours that the Government is intending not to implement the STRB report, the NEU continues with our re ballot of members for industrial action in September. We will not be alone. Education unions ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT are also balloting members for strike action read more

NEU Executive schedules further strike action (17 Jun) – The National Executive of the National Education Union has agreed two further days of strike action this term. The days of action will be on Wednesday July the 5 and Friday July 7. These strike days are covered by an existing ballot of members, which closed in January. Legislation requires that after six months, the ballot is renewed. The NEU’s re-ballot for strike action opened on 15 May and will close on 28 July. In parallel to this, the education unions ASCL, NAHT and NASUWT are also balloting members in pursuance of improved pay and funding for teachers in England. The NEU reballot and the ballots by the other unions will allow coordinated action in the Autumn term if there is no settlement to the dispute 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

Teachers at Hutchesons’ Grammar in historic vote for union recognition (13 Jul) – Members of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow have voted in favour of recognising teacher trade unions, including NASUWT, for the purposes of collective bargaining over teachers’ terms and conditions. The vote follows a protracted and ongoing dispute with the school over attempts to withdraw teachers from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme, which has included threats to sack teachers if they did not agree to the transfer of their pensions to an alternative and inferior scheme. This is the first successful ballot for union recognition conducted at a private school in Scotland. The NASUWT has already announced six further days of strike action in August and September, following two days of strikes in May, over the dispute read more

Schools across Swansea to close as teachers take strike action (13 Jul) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union in secondary schools across Swansea will be on strike today (Thursday 13th July) over adverse employer practices, threats to their job security and the failure of Swansea Council to comply with existing collective agreements with the NASUWT. In a recent industrial action ballot 92% of members voted to support strike action and 96% voted to support action short of strike, based on a turnout of 59% of the Swansea membership read more

NASUWT statement on Northern Ireland teachers’ pay award (13 Jul) – The NASUWT -The Teachers’ Union has called on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton Harris, to deliver a teachers’ pay settlement in Northern Ireland which at least matches the pay levels offered in England. Today (13 July), teachers in England were offered 6.5% for 2023-24 while they have already received 5% for 2022-23. Teachers and FE lecturers in Northern Ireland have not had a pay increase for three years read more

NASUWT succeeds in legal challenge against the Government (13 Jul) – The NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union has succeeded in winning its legal action against the Government over its unlawful decision to allow the use of agency workers to cover for striking workers read more

NASUWT statement on the teachers’ pay award (13 Jul) – Commenting on the announcement from the Prime Minister that he has accepted the recommendation of the STRB for a 6.5% pay award for teachers and school leaders in England, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “We welcome that our ballot of NASUWT members has now unlocked months of prevarication and brought the government back to the negotiating table…The NASUWT National Executive has agreed to put this deal to our members with a recommendation to accept the STRB recommendation and we will now be consulting our members on it.” Read more

Teachers vote for industrial action (12 Jul) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in schools across England have voted in favour of industrial action over pay, workload and working time. NASUWT members in state-funded schools in England have balloted in support of industrial action, with 88.5% of eligible members voting to support strike action and 94.3% voting in support of action short of strike action, based on an overall turnout of 51.9%. The Union has confirmed today that it intends to issue notice of a programme of continuous action short of strike action commencing in September, details of which will be announced shortly. Dates for strike action in the autumn term will also be considered by the Union, coordinated with other education unions where possible read more

Surrey teachers strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (29 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at More House School are taking strike action as part of a series of strikes over threats to sack staff unless they agree to changes to their pensions, making them worse off. The school in Frensham, Surrey, is forcing teachers to accept changes to their pension contributions under threat of “fire and rehire”. Staff have been left with no option but to take further strike action to protect their incomes and their pensions read more

Barnet teachers strike over workload and working conditions (21 Jun) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Mill Hill School in North London are taking the first of seven days of planned strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over workload and working conditions. The school is pressing ahead with changes which will increase teachers’ workload and is also cutting paid time off for staff to care for sick children and for key dates of religious observance read more

Teachers at Coventry School Foundation take further strike action over pay (13 Jun) – Members of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at the Coventry School Foundation (BKHS Bablake Senior, BKHS Bablake Prep, BKHS King Henry VIII Senior and BKHS King Henry VIII Prep) are taking two further days of strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday over pay. Members are now facing a second successive significant pay cut. Following the imposition of a pay award for 2022/23 that was significantly below inflation, employers have made a pay offer for 2023/24 which once again represents a real-terms pay cut read more read more

Trade dispute – sixth form colleges (13 Jun) – In ballots of teachers in sixth form colleges, NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union, has today issued notice to the Education Secretary and employers of potential national industrial action, including strike action and action short of strike action across sixth form colleges in England. NASUWT members in 56 sixth form colleges secured ballot mandates with 87.6% of eligible members voting to support strike action and 93.7% voting in support of action short of strike action based on an overall turnout of 64.9% 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

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

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

Joint statement on government pay offer (14 Jul) – The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, the General Secretaries of the four education unions – Paul Whiteman, Mary Bousted, Kevin Courtney, Geoff Barton, and Patrick Roach – and General Secretary Elect of NEU, Daniel Kebede, said: “This is the largest ever recommendation from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). A 6.5% increase for teachers and school leaders recognises the vital role that teachers play in our country and ensures that teaching will continue to be an attractive profession. The Government has accepted the STRB’s recommendation and has agreed to bring forward wider reforms to reduce teacher and leader workload in partnership with all four unions…ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT and NEU will now put this deal to members, with a recommendation to accept the STRB recommendation. This deal will allow teachers and school leaders to call off strike action and resume normal relations with government.” Read more

NAHT Cymru welcomes ‘step forward’ on school workload and calls for resolution on pay and funding (13 Jul) – Responding to the Welsh government’s statement on reducing workload and bureaucracy for school staff, Laura Doel, director of school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “Our members across Wales are taking industrial action to take a stand over pay, workload and funding. Today’s announcement is a significant positive step forward in our negotiations to ensure school leaders are able to concentrate on what is important – leading teaching and learning in their schools, rather than being tied up in endless bureaucracy that has no positive impact for pupils…” NAHT Cymru members have been taking action short of strike since February as part of the ongoing industrial dispute read more

NAHT members in Jersey back industrial action in island’s schools (27 Jun) – Members of school leaders’ union NAHT have voted in favour of industrial action in Jersey. A resounding 86% of members voted in favour of strike action, with 98% supporting action short of strike (ASOS). Turnout was 68%. Following the ballot, NAHT’s Jersey executive has decided members should take action short of strike in the first instance. It will today serve the seven working days notice required, meaning the action will commence on Wednesday, July 5 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

Teachers at Hutchesons’ Grammar School vote for Union Recognition in Historic Ballot (13 Jul) – Members of the EIS at Hutchesons’ Grammar School have voted for union recognition in a historic ballot at the school. The ACAS-conducted ballot results were revealed as 59% voting in favour of union recognition at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, with a turnout of 72% read more

EIS-FELA Edinburgh College Staff Take Strike Action Over Compulsory Redundancies (26 Jun) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland – Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) at Edinburgh College have today (Monday) taken the first in a series of days of strike action in response to compulsory redundancies at the College. The EIS-FELA Branch at Edinburgh College has had an active strike mandate in place for some weeks in pursuit of a dispute regarding compulsory redundancies, which has been successful in reducing the number of jobs under threat, through negotiation. The EIS wrote to the College Principal last week urging further talks. Despite this, the College has rejected the appeal of one member of the lecturing staff against compulsory redundancy as of 30th June 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

Industrial Action Update (29 Jun) – As members prepare for their well-deserved and much needed summer break, it is now a full school year since you were balloted and voted for industrial action. Teachers and school leaders continue to demonstrate their capacity to fight for a salary that properly reflects their true worth to society, a salary that will allow them to feel properly valued and respected as the professional educators they are. While congratulating our members, and those teachers from the other unions that make up the NITC for their determination and resolve, I would like to take this opportunity to outline the proposed road of travel for the unions moving forward. The thirty-five individual pieces of action that make up our current action short of strike remain in place for September 2023. I would ask members to take some time to revisit these actions, and to ensure that they are embedded in their school practice going into the new school year. The five teacher unions have acted as one throughout this period of action, and this must continue. To this end, the NITC Industrial Action Sub-committee will meet prior to schools returning to prepare a calendar of further action for the 2023/24 school year. Once these dates have been agreed, we will communicate them to our members. This will happen in August so that the Committee will be acting against the background of the most up-to-date information regarding the political and educational situation and to allow for fully informed decisions to be taken. It is imperative that this fight continues read more

UCU

Joint statement from UCU & UCEA on today’s talks (14 Jul) – Joint statement from the University and College Union and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association on today’s talks: “Today’s exploratory talks between UCEA, UCU and the other joint unions’ side secretary were constructive, although there is still significant ground to be covered. We have explored obstacles to resuming negotiations and bringing an end to the Marking and Assessment Boycott, with both sides recognising the complexity of the issues. Both sides welcomed the positive tone of the discussion and have identified dates for further urgent talks. Further discussion will also take place with the Joint HE Trade Unions to consider the scope and remit of a review of sector finances” read more

College strike ballot looms over pay as sector gets new DfE funding (14 Jul) – England’s biggest-ever strike ballot is on the cards, confirmed UCU, after it entered into dispute with 88 English college employers over low pay and poor working conditions. The dispute comes as the Department for Education announced colleges will receive an additional £185m in 23/24 and £285m in 24/25. On BBC Breakfast this morning, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the funding is “equivalent” to that provided to schools for the 6.5% teachers’ pay award. UCU will launch a strike ballot in September if employers fail to meet the union’s demands. A successful ballot would pave the way for strikes this autumn at further education colleges across England read more

Public sector pay award shows university bosses must move on pay (13 Jul) – UCU said university bosses must move much further on pay. The union was responding to the government’s acceptance of pay review body recommendations. UCU is currently boycotting marking at UK universities in a dispute over pay and working conditions. Employer body the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has so far refused to make an improved pay offer. UCU will meet with UCEA for the first time since the marking boycott began tomorrow read more

Staff to strike tomorrow at University of East Anglia over mass redundancy threat (11 Jul) – UCU members at the University of East Anglia will strike tomorrow over the continued threat of redundancy faced by more than 100 staff. UCU general secretary Jo Grady and president Justine Mercer will join UCU members on the picket line from 8am-11.30am at UEA’s campus on Earlham Road. The dispute is over cuts the university is forcing through because of its multi-million pound deficit read more

Strike ballot opens at five North East colleges over low pay (10 Jul) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 17 July at five colleges across the North East of England over low pay. The ballot will run until Friday 29 September. The colleges being balloted are:-

  • Bede Sixth Form College
  • NETA Training Group 
  • Stockton Riverside College
  • The Skills Academy
  • Redcar and Cleveland College.

They are all part of employer group Education Training Collective (ETC) and are based in Stockton on Tees, Redcar and Cleveland. The dispute is over the employer’s 22/23 pay award. UCU members overwhelmingly rejected the original 3% offer. The college then offered to add an additional 1% from May and to remove the bottom point of the lecturer pay spine, which UCU members again voted to reject read more

University marking boycott requires UK-wide resolution (28 Jun) – UCU called on UCEA to immediately commence negotiations to resolve the UK-wide marking boycott. The union was responding to the interim arrangement reached between Queen’s University Belfast management and UCU branch read more

Strike ballot opens at Stanmore College after ‘pitiful’ 1% pay increase (21 Jun) – A strike ballot over low pay and poor working conditions will open tomorrow at Stanmore College in London. The college has offered staff a paltry 1% consolidated pay increase alongside a £1.5k one off payment. It has also attempted to reconfigure its offer but the envelope of money available has not changed. The most recent college accounts show the number of senior management earning £60k-£160k doubled from three to six in 2022, representing a £165k increase to the wage bill read more

Nine days of strikes at University of Leicester over pay docking (19 Jun) – Staff at the University of Leicester begin nine days of strike action on Wednesday over the university’s enforcement of 50% wage deductions for staff taking part in the marking boycott. The full days of strike action are:

  • week 1: Wednesday 21 June
  • week 2: Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 June
  • week 3: Tuesday 18 July, Wednesday 19 July, Thursday 20 July, Friday 21 July.

Management at Leicester plans to stop paying staff 50% of their salary from the first day marking becomes available until the boycott ends. The boycott covers all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally at 145 UK universities. It will continue until employer body the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (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 ongoing national pay and conditions dispute, allowing action to be called for a further six months at 145 universities, including Leicester. UCU members at 21 universities have now either taken or confirmed they will take strike action over pay docking read more

Strikes set for Liverpool John Moores University over pay docking (13 Jun) – Staff at Liverpool John Moores University will down tools on Friday in the first of eight days of strike action in response to the university’s enforcement of 50% wage deductions for staff taking part in the marking boycott. Friday’s strike will hit a key university open day, and staff will rally outside Metropolitan Cathedral, next to the university’s John Foster building from 1pm. The full days of strike action are:-

Week 1: Friday 16 June

Week 2: Thursday 17 and Friday 18 August

Week 3: Monday 18, Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 September.

Management at John Moores has started docking the pay of staff who are boycotting marking by 50% despite the fact that staff continue to teach, support students, write references, provide pastoral care, undertake research and attend public events read more

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

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

UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.

FBU

BREAKING NEWS!! Firefighters’ union calls for Northamptonshire’s Police and Fire Commissioner to go after appointment fiasco (18 Jul) – The Fire Brigades Union has today called for the resignation of Northamptonshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold, following a fiasco around the appointment of an Interim Chief Fire Officer for the county. After Northamptonshire’s Chief Fire Officer, Mark Jones, resigned suddenly last week, Commissioner Stephen Mold appointed his own chief of staff, Nicci Marzec, to the role – despite the fact that Ms Marzec had never been a firefighter and had no operational experience of the fire service. After an outcry from the Fire Brigades Union and local politicians, Stephen Mold has now clarified that Nicci Marzec has ‘stepped back’ from the role. In a press statement, he accepted that he “acted too quickly and did not engage with the Police, Fire and Crime Panel”, and that his friendship with Marzec had “become the story”. The Fire Brigades Union has today called for Mold to resign as Commissioner following what it described as a “shambolic” series of events, in which the explanations for Mold’s actions “don’t appear to add up” read more

Firefighters need 12-month maternity pay to protect mothers and babies, says union (13 Jul) – NWC maternity pay: The Fire Brigades Union has called for twelve months of maternity leave on full pay for firefighters, citing research finding that exposure to contaminants while firefighting impacts the health of pregnant firefighters, foetuses, and babies. In a letter addressed to the Local Government Association, the FBU’s National Women’s Committee reports that many women feel they must return to firefighting duties once their pay is halved as they cannot afford to stay on maternity leave read more

Scottish Firefighter Ewan Williamson commemorated on anniversary of Balmoral Bar fire (12 Jul) – On 12th July 2023, a ceremony marking the 14th anniversary of the Balmoral Bar fire was held in Edinburgh’s Parliament Square to honour fallen firefighter Ewan Williamson read more

Oxfordshire firefighters protest ‘dangerous and insulting’ Direct Entry scheme (11 Jul) – Firefighters rallied outside Oxfordshire County Council today, demanding that councillors reverse their decision to hire senior fire service managers with no experience of firefighting or the fire service. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is currently advertising a role for a Station Manager in the region requiring no experience of work in the fire and rescue sector as part of a new scheme called ‘Direct Entry’. The FBU Oxfordshire Brigade committee has condemned the scheme, and firefighters from fire stations across the region have voted to oppose it. A motion passed by FBU branches describes Direct Entry as “not the way forwards”, citing the serious risks of “watering down of our managers at an operational level” and “limiting opportunities for existing staff to progress”. A public petition calling for Oxfordshire County Council to stop Direct Entry has gained over 500 signatures in less than 24 hours read more

London wildfire response failures were “negligence driven by cuts” (10 Jul) – The London Fire Brigade has today released a Major Incident Review looking at its response to the July 2022 wildfires. It confirms that a shortage of crew and fire appliances hampered the response. Since 2010, around one in five firefighter jobs have been cut, while the risk of extreme weather events has been on the rise read more

Fire Brigades Union raises concerns over appointment of non-firefighter Interim Fire Chief (8 Jul) – On Friday 7th July, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service announced the sudden departure of its Chief Fire Officer, Mark Jones. In a letter to employees, Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold announced that he was appointing his own Head of Paid Staff Nicci Marzec as the county’s Interim Chief Fire Officer. This is highly unusual, as Marzek has never worked in the Fire Sector read more

Tory anti-union laws could be met with mass campaign of non-compliance (3 Jun) – The government’s latest anti-union laws could be met with a mass campaign of non-compliance after they become law. The Minimum Service Levels Bill would give employers and the government the power to compel workers in some sectors to work on strike days despite having a democratic mandate for industrial action. In a letter to fellow trade union leaders today, Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack said that the legislation was “one of the worst assaults on the rights of working people in Postwar Britain”, adding that “we have no choice but to build mass opposition to it, including developing a strategy of non-compliance and non-cooperation to make it unworkable.” He wrote: “This campaign cannot be won by any union acting alone. We must act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.” The Fire Brigades Union is now calling for a conference in the autumn to discuss the strategy and practicalities of such a campaign – putting the plan into action. Momentum is also now building behind a national demonstration against the new laws, initiated by the RMT at its conference last week. In his letter to fellow trade union general secretaries, Wrack argued that “with a national demonstration and a mass movement of non-compliance, we can build an alliance that can defeat this law in the streets and in the workplace.” Read more

POA

BREAKING NEWS!! Steve Gillan on Talk TV: Prisons in England and Wales are overcrowded and a ticking “time-bomb” watch here

Closed grade staff (14 Jul) – The 2023 Prison Service Pay Review Body England and Wales report has now been laid in Parliament https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/psprb-twenty-second-report-on-england-and-wales-2023. Closed grade staff are rightly infuriated about the recent HMPPS pay recommendations and the approval from the Pay Review Body that they will not now or in the future receive another pay increase. Members are reminded that the National Executive Committee asked for a 12% increase for all grades including closed grades. This request was obviously ignored. The Executive agree that this insult to our most experienced staff is a disgrace. As an Executive we are working behind the scenes so we may exhaust all options to support closed grades. The Pay Review Body agreed with HMPPS that there should be a one tier workforce subject to the same pay scales and have decided to incentivise closed grades to opt into Fair and Sustainable pay scales so it can be achieved. F&S in the majority of cases for closed grades now increases band 3 pay above that of closed grade pay. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the transfer from a closed grade to F&S pay scales. The following is factual and is devised to assist closed grades consider their options read more

Pay award for prison officers divisive POA state (13 Jul) – The Prison Officers Association has reacted cautiously to today’s announcement covering the pay of Prison Officer and Operational Support grades working within Public Sector Prisons in England and Wales. The headline award includes a total increase of £2400 for Operational Support Grades amounting to a 10.3% rise and a 7% increase for Prison Officer Grades who are subject to “Fair and Sustainable” pay scales. The most experienced staff who are classed as “closed grades” will not receive any award now or in the future because they will now earn more by “opting” in to “Fair and Sustainable” pay scales. National Chair Mark Fairhurst stated: “It is abhorrent that once again our most experienced Officers who are closed grades have not been rewarded for keeping the service afloat for the past decade…” read more

Strike breaking agency worker regulations are unlawful (13 Jul) – The High Court has today ruled that the Government’s Agency Worker Regulations are unlawful following a successful legal challenge by 13 Unions, of which the POA was one. The ‘strike breaking regulations’ were brought in last summer and allowed employers to replace staff undertaking industrial action with agency workers read more

NAPO

Senior probation staff needed for HMIP thematic report (7 Jul) – Napo members who are Senior Probation Officers may want to consider contributing the current HMIP ‘Thematic Inspection of Frontline Leadership and Management Oversight in Probation’ by completing a survey online. The deadline for the completion of this survey has recently been extended to 5pm on Monday the 31st of July 2023 read more

Probation staff burnout survey (7 Jul) – Napo members who are, or in the last 6 months have held, certain roles as defined by the researcher (Probation Officer, Probation Service Officer or PQiP) are invited to take part in an online, anonymous survey to support a research project regarding stress and burnout in Probation practitioners. The researcher has indicated the survey will take approximately fifteen minutes to complete. In light of our ongoing ‘Operation: Protect’ national workloads campaign we would encourage as many eligible members to support this research project if at all possible read more

BFAWU

High Court overturns strike-breaking agency worker rules (13 Jul) – Coalition of trade unions defeat the government’s anti-trade union laws! Sarah Woolley, General Secretary of the BFAWU, the largest independent trade union specialising in the Food sector and allied trades, has spoken out after the Tory government suffered a major defeat in the High Court as judges ruled its strike-breaking agency worker regulations are unlawful. Sarah said: ‘We are proud to have stood with the other ten trade unions and the TUC to challenge these changes legally, and will continue to stand with our sister unions to push back against the ever more draconian measures this Tory Government are intent on trying to push through read more

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   Donate to the strike fund

Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more

NUJ

BREAKING NEWS!! BBC journalists strike for the third time to save local radio (18 Jul) – BBC journalists are out on strike again – from 11am on Thursday 20 July to 11am Friday 21 July – go along on visit them. The walkouts will affect the coverage of three by-elections. The placards, flags and posters will be dusted off for the third time this year for picket lines at England’s local radio stations. Despite the dispute winning huge support among the 5.4m loyal local radio listeners, MPs and councillors of all parties, a huge range of charities, non-league football fans, and community groups, the BBC is going ahead with plans to cut local content by almost half, with many popular presenters losing their jobs or choosing to go read more

Global Radio cuts – another blow to local journalism (14 Jul) – Up to 40 journalists are believed to be at risk of redundancy in plans to centralise radio news. The latest job cuts announced by Global Radio are yet another blow to the news coverage by local journalists, says the NUJ read more

RTÉ announces independent review of voluntary exit schemes (2017, 2021) (14 Jul) – The National Union of Journalists has welcomed news of an independent review of RTÉ’s voluntary exit schemes read more

Unions demand government support for RTÉ (12 Jul) – Workers at RTÉ today called on the Irish government to match rhetoric about public service broadcasting with action to tackle the funding crisis at RTÉ read more

High court rules ‘strike breaking’ agency worker regulations are unlawful (13 Jul) – A legal challenge brought by the NUJ and several unions has defeated the UK government’s efforts to allow agency workers to fill in for employees on strike read more

NUJ ballots BBC journalists for further industrial action (10 Jul) – The union has informed the broadcaster of a new ballot to members at BBC Local (England) over changes to local radio services and jobs. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is in an ongoing dispute with the BBC over drastic changes to local radio services. Despite talks, the organisation has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies and major changes including to rotas and journalists’ terms and conditions. As the current mandate for industrial action expires in August, the NUJ is seeking members’ views on strike action, to inform next steps read more

Further strike dates announced in dispute over BBC local radio (6 Jul) – BBC journalists in England will be taking strike action from 11am on July 20 to 11am on July 21, which will hit coverage of the results of a number of Parliamentary by-elections. The NUJ is in dispute with the BBC over plans to cut local radio output by almost half making many popular presenters redundant, cancelling shows and forcing local stations to share content across larger regional areas. The action follows a 48-hour strike last month and a 24-hour stoppage in March. The strike will involve journalists working in local radio, regional TV and online read more

Equity

Equity release joint statement with SAG-AFTRA following industrial action announcement (13 Jul) – Equity UK have today released a joint statement with SAG-AFTRA following the announcement of upcoming US industrial action, vowing to support the action and its members by “all lawful means” as well as SAG-AFTRA’s refusal to issue new Global Rule One addenda read more

Equity publishes report calling for reform of Universal Credit (10 Jul) – New research finds the social security system is pushing the creative workforce into destitution, and out of their industries read more

USDAW

Protect the right to strike! Usdaw urges the Government to drop their anti-union Bill as Peers’ continue to insist on more scrutiny (17 Jul) – Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on the Government to drop their Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill to break the deadlock on this controversial legislation. Today (17 July) the House of Commons will consider the Bill for a third time after Peers again insisted on more consultation and scrutiny read more

High Court declares the Government’s ‘strike-breaking’ agency worker regulations unlawful – Usdaw welcomes the verdict (13 Jul) – Retail trade union Usdaw is one of eleven unions to have launched a judicial review of new Government regulations that would allow employers to engage agency workers to fill in for striking workers. The High Court has today ruled in favour of the unions and against the Government read more

UVW

School cleaners return to the picket line to fight for their jobs (4 Jul) – “I’m fighting for the many injustices committed against me for being a trade union member and I believe this is trade union victimisation… I’m simply going to fight for my rights, for me and for my colleagues” – Patricia Medina Gallego, sacked cleaner at the La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School and UVW member. The outsourced cleaners at La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School in south London are returning to the picket line on 5 and 7 July, for the second time in three years, alongside striking National Education Union (NEU) teachers. The striking cleaners are demanding that the school withdraw plans to change their working hours that would lead to several cleaners losing their jobs. They are further demanding the reinstatement of a cleaner, Patricia – a 21 year old Spanish national – who was fired without due process or right of appeal. UVW has filed an application for interim relief with the Employment Tribunal on her behalf read more

If you want to support these brave workers, you can DONATE and or SHARE their strike  crowdfunder.

You can also JOIN their action group for updates on the campaign and details of how to join a picket line. 

Get to know the workers and their demands here and SPREAD THE WORD! Or send a letter of protest to their employers. Takes 1 minute! 

Read more

IWGB

Donate to IWGB strike fund

UCL Security Guards protest at Open Day after redundancies and pay cuts announced during cost of living crisis (30 Jun) – UCL’s outsourced security guards will protest to disrupt the university’s Open Day on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July, resisting plans to make 40 staff members redundant and drastically reduce the contractual hours for many of the remaining workers. The demonstration, organised by members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), will highlight to prospective students UCL’s broken commitment of parity between in-housed and outsourced staff made in 2019 and draw attention to the many staff being forced into poverty because of these reneged on promises. Security guards, outsourced to subcontractor Bidvest Noonan, have been campaigning since 2019 against “structurally racist” outsourcing practices at UCL, which they say create a two-tier workforce where the majority BAME outsourced workers are denied the same rights, pay and working conditions as directly employed staff read more

Cycling instructors set for first ever strike after 14 year pay freeze (30 Jun) – London based cycling instructors representing the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain (IWGB) will go on strike for the first time ever after a 14 year pay freeze. The strike will take place on Friday afternoon, with further strike action planned for every week in July. Striking cycling instructors are demanding pay restoration, a fair cancellation policy and an end to unpaid admin time read more

Mandate (Ireland)

Mandate lodge Tesco 2023 pay claim (10 Jul) – “Today Mandate has served your pay and benefits claim on Tesco and we have asked them to respond by Friday 28 July next. The claim is based on what you the members said you wanted through the survey Mandate conducted and it has been endorsed by thousands of you through the pledge card campaign. If you have not yet signed your pledge card yet then please get one from your shop steward or by calling your local Mandate Office, sign it, return it and join the thousands of your fellow members who have pledged to fight to secure the terms contained in your pay & benefits claim…” read more

SIPTU (Ireland)

SIPTU calls for early introduction of increased pay related job seekers benefit (17 Jul) – SIPTU Divisional Organiser, Adrian Kane, has welcomed a commitment by the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, to provide increased payments to workers who lose their jobs and to link them to previous earnings read more

SIPTU members and other unions accept proposals to resolve dispute at Tara Mines (13 Jul) – SIPTU members, along with those in Unite and Connect, have voted to accept proposals brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in relation to the temporary lay-offs at Tara Mines. SIPTU members accepted the proposals with a 60% to 40% majority following a ballot. The proposals include assurances on improved allowances for members facing lay-off and guarantees that workers will return on existing terms and conditions following the proposed temporary closure read more

SIPTU retained firefighters express major disappointment at Labour Court recommendation (11 Jul) – The SIPTU National Retained Firefighter Committee has expressed major disappointment at the terms of a Labour Court recommendation in relation to their dispute concerning staff and other issues in the service, following a meeting today (Tuesday, 11th July) read more

Other news

People’s Assembly National Day of Action Against Food Poverty July 22 – The protests will take place on the first day of the School holidays as the group says many families will struggle to feed their families’ over the summer holiday read more on Peoples Assembly website

‘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

From NUJ website: Journalists remain under attack in Yemen (14 Jul) – The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate has published a report revealing 40 media violations including attacks against journalists read more on NUJ website

From NUJ website: NUJ sends message of solidarity to BBC Cairo (14 Jul) – The journalists are holding a three-day strike from July 17 over their demands for fair payread more on NUJ website

Diary

July

29 Troublemakers at Work Conference 2023: Friends Meeting House, Manchester – supported by Workers Can Win!, Strike Map, NSSN and Organise Now!

September

10 NSSN TUC Rally Liverpool 1pm

October

1 Demonstrations at Tory Party Conference 12noon:-

CONTACT US

PHONE 07952 283 558

EMAIL mailto:[email protected]

TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts

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ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE