Date for your diaries!! 2024 NSSN Conference – Saturday 22nd June, 11am-4.30pm, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event
The NSSN sends greetings to all our supporters and affiliates as this Friday March 8th, the trade union movement celebrates International Women’s Day. We also send solidarity greetings to everyone attending this week’s TUC Women’s Conference. For IWD events – #IWD2024 & # InternationalWomensDay on X/Twitter.
Women workers have been to the fore during the strike wave over the last two years, as unions fight back against the Tory cost of living squeeze.
And now, the fight is on in local government as the funding crisis erupts after a decade of Tory cuts, with a whole number of councils issuing Section 114 Notices, declaring that they can no longer balance their budgets. Further swingeing cuts are on the agenda, posing the need for council unions to give a lead and say: ‘Enough is enough – no more council cuts’.
We send our full solidarity to council workers and their unions, and we will support any action they take in defence of their members and communities.
In the last few days, there have been protests by unions at councils passing threatening technical bankruptcy passing cuts budgets – Birmingham, Woking and Nottingham, and there is another at Nottingham this Saturday 9th March – assemble Robin Hood Statue 1.30pm. More info on Nottingham City Unison website
We call on Labour councillors to refuse to implement Tory cuts and instead join the fight with unions and working-class communities. This is also the official policy of Unite.
Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City – started by Nottingham City Unison
Unite statement on Birmingham council budget cut vote (5 Mar)
Birmingham workers back strike vote (4 Mar)
UNISON opinion: Why councils are on the brink – and how they can be pulled back (1 Mar)
Equity: “No other industry will be gutted in the same way that ours will be” (22 Feb)
Musicians Union: An Update on Local Authority Budget Cuts in the Midlands (26 Feb) – a statement from the Midlands TUC Creative and Leisure Industries Committee on severe cultural budget cuts at Birmingham City Council, and a petition opposing 100% cuts to the cultural budget at Nottingham City Council
After Welsh #SaveOurSteel demos, steel unions ballot for action
On 17th February, the NSSN marched alongside steel unions Unite, Community and GMB and hundreds of steelworkers and their families and supporters in Port Talbot and Newport.
The demonstrations were called against Tata Steel intention to make 75% of the 4,000-strong Port Talbot workforce redundant. This would also result in thousands more losing their jobs at other Tata steel plants, contracting companies, and threaten related jobs such as on the rails and the wider local economy.
From the rally platforms, union general secretaries Sharon Graham Unite and Roy Rickhuss Community announced industrial action ballots in opposition to the jobs massacre.
The NSSN stands in solidarity with steelworkers and their unions and will support any action that they take. And as we did in 2016, when the steelworks were under the same threat, we continue to demand the works be nationalised to save jobs and working-class communities. We will support and publicise all demonstrations, protests and industrial action called to save steel jobs and defend communities, in Port Talbot and in other steelmaking areas.
Unite: Tata workers urged to vote yes to industrial action over shutdown plans (1 Mar)
Redcar Athletic ‘Steelmen’ join Unite campaign to save UK steel (1 Mar)
Community confirms plans to ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK (4 Mar)
Community: Budget is an opportunity to back steel sector (4 Mar)
Sign the petition: https://surveys.unitetheunion.org/233412289055859
Fight the Tory attack on our #RightToStrike
About 5,000 trade unionists marched in Cheltenham on 27th January in opposition to the new Tory anti-union Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (MSL), and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Thatcher’s banning of union rights at GCHQ in the town.
It was just days after the U-turn by the state-owned LNER train operating company that was reported to have signalled its intention to have used the MSL against ASLEF. The union had reacted to this threat by putting in 5 additional strike days. This apparent retreat was a defeat not only for LNER bosses but for Sunak’s Tory Government.
It showed that workers’ action can smash this vicious Tory attack on our right to strike.
It is now vital that the statement that was passed at the Special TUC Congress in December – setting out a campaign of defiance and non-compliance – is implemented and built upon:-
- We will develop practical solidarity plans for unions actively engaged in strategies of non-compliance.
- Support any worker subject to a work notice, including with support from across the trade union movement, if their employer disciplines them in any way.
- Ensure that where any affiliate is facing significant risk of sanctions because of this legislation, we convene an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee to consider options for providing practical, industrial, financial and/or political backing to that union.
- Call on all employers and public bodies with oversight to oppose this counterproductive legislation. Employers and public bodies from across the public sector and the country have already signalled their opposition to the Strikes Act. All employers and public bodies must reject it
- Refuse to tell our members to cross a picket line.
- Call an urgent demonstration in the event a work notice is deployed and a union or worker is sanctioned in relation to a work notice.
This is the basis for the fighting strategy that workers and unions need and now needs to be enacted.
Public meeting – BUILDING THE UNITED FRONT: COMPLIANCE or DEFIANCE (called by Morning Star Readers & Supporters) – 6.30pm Thursday 7th March at NEU National Office Hamilton House, Mabledon Place London WC1H 9BB
Leading trade union figures discuss a co-ordinated response to the current Government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 details
Defend The Right to Strike
Strike Map and the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) have launched a ‘write to your council campaign’ to seek their commitment to not issue work notices and defend the right to strike as key employers read more in the Morning Star
Keep Our NHS Public has called an Emergency Day of Action on Saturday 9th March – click here for events in local areas
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government
See Stop the War website for info on protests.
- Workplace day of action in support of Palestinian women – Friday 8th March
- The next national demo in Central London is Saturday 9th March – assemble 12noon Hyde Park Corner to the US Embassy, Nine Elms
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
NSSN sends solidarity to UCU and its members at Queen Mary University in London after security broke into the Queen Mary UCU office in order to remove posters expressing solidarity with Palestine. For developments, follow Queen Mary UCU on X/Twitter @qm_ucu
(From Novara Media) Indian Port Workers Refuse to Handle Israeli Weapons (20 Feb) – An Indian trade union representing more than 3,500 workers at 11 ports has called on its members to refuse to handle military equipment being sent to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In a statement from 14 February, the Water Transport Workers Federation of India said it will “refuse to load or unload weaponised cargoes” from Israel or any other country which could handle military equipment for the war in Palestine read more on Novara Media
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it 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
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RMT
RMT urges Transport Secretary to reverse Shrewsbury to London service cut (5 Mar) – Rail union RMT, has called on Mark Harper to reverse the Avanti train service cuts which will mean there will be no direct train between Shrewsbury and London from June 2024. The damaging decision has been taken according to Avanti to “reduce public subsidy and put the railway on a more sustainable financial footing.” However, the publicly subsised company has paid out more than £24m in dividends to shareholders in the last two years read more
Bidvest Noonan cleaners begin 48 hour strike action (4 Mar) – RMT members working for Bidvest Noonan on Alstom NTL and TPE contracts will take strike action from Monday. The cleaners are taking action over pay and working conditions having rejected the latest offer from the company. Strikes will take place in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the conclusion of the strike, RMT members will take industrial action short of strike from Wednesday by not undertaking any biological hazard cleaning read more
London Overground workers win pay rise (1 Mar) – RMT have won a pay rise for London Overground staff working for Arriva Rail London. Workers overwhelmingly voted in favour of accepting the latest offer in an e-referendum. It means the dispute is now settled and all planned strike action has been cancelled read more
RMT responds to helicopter tragedy (29 Feb) – OFFSHORE UNION RMT sent condolences to Norwegian colleagues after a S-92 helicopter ditched into the sea off the coast of Norway while in training for oil firm Equinor, killing one crew member. Six people were recovered from the crash and taken to hospital in Bergen and the other five crew members have “varying levels of injuries”, according to a statement from operator Bristow. RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said that it was sad news and that the union’s thoughts were with the families of all those affected by this tragic event read more
Gateline workers at Northern to take strike action (19 Feb) – Contracted out gateline workers at Northern will take strike action this week in a dispute over pay. Strike action will take place from Wednesday just after midnight for 48 hours. RMT is also wants to see the ending of zero hours contracts and the removal of the Timegate app which has failed to accurately calculate pay and leave allowance. Carlisle Support Services who runs the contract for gateline workers at Northern do not provide sick pay, holiday pay and provide significantly lower wages to their staff compared with the rest of Northern read more
Hitachi Rail strike spreads from East Coast to Great Western Mainline (17 Feb) – RMT members at Hitachi Rail will take 48 hours strike action at the end of the month over a pay dispute. Workers who maintain rolling stock and the signalling system will take the stoppages between Thursday 29 February and March 2. The depots that will be taking action are the London North Pole, Doncaster Train Maintenance and Bounds Green and Craigentinny Train Maintenance. Hundreds of workers will join the action which follows a referendum where Hitachi workers rejected a pay offer from the private company. Strike action will now be taking place on depots on the East Coast and West Coast mainlines read more
ASLEF
Rail fare rises could drive people off the network (4 Mar) – Fares up by 4.9%. Rail fares have gone up by 4.9% today, in the midst of the Cost of Living Crisis. Commuters, who are already paying the highest fares in Europe, will be hit ever harder as they travel to work. This is a fare rise made in Downing Street. Fares are set by the government, with train operating companies then paid to run the service. Despite this fare rise, and others over the last three years, the passenger service is getting worse but the private operators’ profits are increasing read more
ASLEF announces strikes on LNER and Northern trains (14 Feb) – ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, has announced strikes and an overtime ban at two train companies – LNER and Northern – for their persistent failure to comply with existing agreements. ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, has announced strikes and an overtime ban at two train companies – LNER and Northern – for their persistent failure to comply with existing agreements. Members at LNER will take strike action on Friday 1 March for a failure by the company to adhere to the machinery of negotiation (‘regarding London North Eastern Railway’s abrogation of the diagramming and rostering agreements, and continued failure to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery’). Members at Northern will also take strike action on Friday 1 March for a failure by the company to adhere to existing agreements. And members will take action short of a strike (a ban on non-contractual overtime) on LNER and Northern from Thursday 29 February to Saturday 2 March read more
TSSA
TSSA dubs rail fares rise ‘outrageous’ (2 Mar) – Rail and transport union TSSA has slated an inflation busting hike in rail fares across England and Wales which comes into force as of tomorrow (Sunday). Rail fares will rise by 4.9 per cent, a move General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust, described as “outrageous” given the hardships faced by millions around the country read more
TSSA to ballot London Underground members (19 Feb) – TSSA rail union is set to ballot members working as Customer Service Managers (CSM) at London Underground. TSSA rail union is set to ballot members working as Customer Service Managers (CSM) at London Underground in a dispute about changes to working practices. TSSA members are extremely concerned about London Underground’s ‘Station Changes’ proposals which will dramatically reduce the number of CSM roles, changing their terms and conditions, pay and potentially work locations. TSSA has been to ACAS to try and resolve the dispute and to seek assurances regarding the proposed changes. When the dispute was not resolved through these channels TSSA was left with no option but to ballot for industrial action. Ballot papers will be sent to TSSA members on 22 February and must be returned by 7 March. TSSA are encouraging members to Vote Yes to “strike action” and “action short of strike action” read more
Unite
Unite statement on Birmingham council budget cut vote (5 Mar) – Commenting on the vote by Birmingham councillors to approve swingeing budget cuts, Unite national officer for local authorities Clare Keogh said: “These cuts are devastating for Birmingham council’s workers and the entire city. Vital public services are on the brink of being all but destroyed. This is the culmination of years and years of brutal budget reductions by central government. Birmingham council’s workers, who have already suffered well over a decade of falling wages and whose efforts have ensured increasingly depleted services functioned, must not pay the price for a crisis they didn’t create. Unite will do everything in its power, politically and industrially, to ensure they don’t.” Read more
Unite welcomes the end of deregulation of the bus industry in Wales (5 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the Welsh government’s ‘Our Road to Bus Reform’ plans, which will bring an end to the deregulation of the bus sector in Wales. Unite, which represents hundreds of bus workers in the country, has been one of the key stakeholders in finalising these reforms read more
Methodist Church overseas missionary redundancy plans blasted (5 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s faith workers union, has significant concerns over the Methodist Church’s plans to make all its nonordained overseas missionaries redundant. The church plans to make the missionaries, including doctors, nurses and teachers, redundant by August of this year. Since receiving the news in January, many missionaries have contacted Unite over the church’s proposals and the terms and conditions attached to them. Unite believes the redundancy process is potentially discriminatory because ordained ministers have not been considered for return to the UK read more
Bus strikes looming as Arriva Northumberland workers balloted over pay (5 Mar) – Hundreds of bus workers in Northumberland could strike later this spring, Unite the union announced today (5 March 2024). Over 300 Unite members who work as drivers and engineers across Northumberland are being balloted for industrial action after rejecting a pay increase of just four per cent from their employer, Arriva Northumberland. The ballot opens today (Tuesday 5 March) and closes on 19 March. Workers at other bus companies in the area, such as Go North East, have had substantial increases following campaigns by Unite read more
SQA dispute over as Unite members accept revised pay offer (5 Mar) – Union criticises ‘hostile’ management approach as it warns of more problems on the horizon. Unite the union can confirm today (5 March) that its 400 plus Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) membership have accepted an improved pay offer. A revised offer was put to the workforce late last week which led to a suspension in industrial action. The revised offer which was accepted by Unite members will mean a 5.75 per cent pay increase in 2023, and 3.15 per cent for 2024 along with a £1,000 cash lump sum. This represents a significant improvement on the initial pay offer of 4.75 per cent for 2023 by the SQA read more
Nexus workforce in Northern Ireland need urgent assurances, amidst scrapping for funding of counselling service for sexual abuse survivors (4 Mar) – Unite writes to health minister Robin Swann on jobs after end to funding for Nexus. Unite has written to Northern Ireland health minister Robin Swann to seek an urgent meeting following the announcement of the removal of funding for Nexus the charitable agency providing support and counselling services to survivors of sexual abuse. The union represents workers employed as counsellors and in administrative positions with the charity. As a result of the decision to end funding, there are major concerns for the future employment of those who provide this service. The decision leaves the charity entirely dependent on donations and charging for access to counselling services read more
Tata workers urged to vote yes to industrial action over shutdown plans (1 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, today (Friday) began formal industrial action proceedings over Tata’s plans to close its Port Talbot blast furnaces and shed 2,800 jobs. Yesterday evening Port Talbot steelworks, Tata UK HQ and Cardiff Castle were illuminated with a message urging Tata workers to vote yes for strike action. Unite says Tata’s decision to rush through the plans is incomprehensible given that the union has secured significant investment from Labour for the company’s UK operations. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Tata is planning to deal an absolutely devastating blow to Port Talbot and Llanwern that will spread destruction across the Welsh economy and risk national security. Unite will combat Tata’s plan with everything we have, including our multi-million pound strike fund. Now is the time for the steel workers of Port Talbot and Llanwern to fight for their communities and vote yes to industrial action. Tata knows there are other choices to be made – Unite has secured commitments from Labour that £3 billion for UK steel will be made available in the next parliament. Tata needs to change course, Unite won’t stop until it does.” Unite officially notified Tata today that it will be balloting around 1,500 workers at its Port Talbot and Llanwern sites from Friday 8 March to Thursday 11 April. Industrial action could begin before the end of April read more
Redcar Athletic ‘Steelmen’ join Unite campaign to save UK steel (1 Mar) – Redcar Athletic FC will join Unite’s campaign to save the UK steel industry on Saturday (2nd March). The first team, known as the ‘Steelmen’, will warm up ahead of the game against Whickham FC wearing ‘Support UK Steel’ t shirts and the approach to the ground will be lined with ‘Steel Not for Sale’ signs. At half time, a supporters’ band will accompany a banner parade calling for intervention to ensure the future of UK steel and campaign merchandise will be handed out by organisers read more
Mitie boss must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite (29 Feb) – Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley must pay healthcare workers in the West Midlands the lump sum they are owed, say UNISON and Unite today (Thursday). The general secretaries of the UK’s two largest unions have written to Mr Bentley to say strikes* planned for today (Thursday) from 5am and next Friday (8 March) will go ahead unless hospital staff get a one off £1,655 payment** that other NHS staff have already received. Cleaners, domestics, porters and catering employees are among around 300 workers set to take to picket lines again in protest following action which began with Unite in December. All are contracted by Mitie to work at three hospitals run by The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and are among the lowest-paid staff in the NHS read more
Barts NHS workers demonstrate at Department of Health over missing Covid payments (21 Feb) – Low-paid facilities staff from across London working for Barts NHS Trust demonstrated at the Department of Health in Westminster today (Wednesday 21 February). Around 100 Unite members took to the streets of Westminster to highlight the failure of Barts Trust to honor its commitment to pay NHS a lump sum “thank you” payment for working during the pandemic. Unite’s members at the time worked for an outsourcing company, Serco, before transferring back into the NHS just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the payment. So far NHS bosses have rejected their demands and refused to ask the Treasury for additional funding to cover the payment read more. Protest: 6th March. 10.30am till 12 noon. Meeting of the Trust Board. The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel E1 2BL
Outsourcer Serco’s profits would pay for over 7,000 nurses (29 Feb) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has said that Serco’s profits for 2023, announced today, would pay for more than 7,000 nurses. Serco, which holds around £10 billion worth of government contracts, announced increased profits of £249 million for 2023 – equivalent to the total wages of 7,114 nurses on £35,000 a year each. The outsourcer’s profits for this year (2024) are projected to climb even higher to around £260 million read more
Unite provides safety ‘road map’ to First Minister for Scottish bus drivers (29 Feb) – Union launches campaign in aftermath of Elgin bus driver’s death. Unite the union has stepped up its efforts to protect bus drivers across Scotland by offering a ‘road map’ to immediately improve the safety of bus workers across Scotland. The union which represents thousands of bus workers has written to the First Minister, Humza Yousaf, in the aftermath of Keith Rollinson’s death following an assault at his place of work in Elgin. Unite is urging the First Minister and the Scottish Government to work with the union and bus companies to implement a series of safety measures to discourage anti-social and violent behaviour on buses read more
Unite slams Southampton council over waste collection disruption (29 Feb) – Commenting on the disruption to the waste collections in Southampton, Unite regional officer Richard White said: “SCC have failed to conduct a round optimisation exercise since around 2017. This process involves looking at the workload on each round to make sure it is manageable, and the work is evenly distributed…” read more
DHL exposed of inflicting brutal pay cuts on East Midlands airport workers while company plans 20 billion takeover (28 Feb) – Union preparing to take campaign to German headquarters. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has revealed that its members who are employed by DHL at East Midlands Airport and are currently in a longstanding pay dispute, have suffered a brutal real terms pay cut of over six per cent since 2020. The workers who are responsible for bringing critical medical supplies as well as other cargo into the UK, worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. They played a crucial role in bringing lifesaving drugs and equipment into the UK despite not being issued the required PPE. Despite their dedication DHL has now been exposed of systemically reducing their pay in real terms. The workers, many of whom are paid less than £11 an hour, began an extended pay dispute last month and are set to take 24 days of industrial action during February and March. Speaking to the striking DHL workers during a picket line visit at East Midlands airport today (28 February), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We will not sit back and watch your employer DHL make millions and refuse to give you a decent pay rise…” read more
Gloucestershire Suntory strikes off as Unite lands 5.5% pay increase (27 Feb) – Over 180 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Suntory Beverage & Food in Gloucestershire have called off escalated industrial action after Unite secured a 5.5 per cent pay increase. This deal follows seven days of strikes because billion-pound Suntory – which produces famous drinks including Lucozade and Ribena – had rescinded on a commitment to undertake a pay review. Staff were promised a review should inflation exceed five per cent before June 2023. A promise that Suntory had failed to honour. However, following the initial industrial action earlier this month, fresh talks were held and an improved offer was made. The workers will now receive a back payment effective from April 2023 read more
Vital Derby rail maintenance workers to strike over failure to make pay offer (26 Feb) – Safety critical workers responsible for maintaining and preparing trains across the East Midlands are to begin strike action next month after their employer failed to make any form of a pay offer, Unite announced today (26 February). Around 70 Unite members at Alstom Engineering based in Derby are taking strike action on four days beginning on Wednesday 6 March. The workers are responsible for service and preparation of trains and carriages, fault finding and logging of incidents online and general problems with the fleet for East Midlands Rail and industrial action is likely to create a shortage of available rolling stock. Alstom has failed to make any pay offer despite the pay anniversary being 1 December with the real rate of inflation (RPI) running at above five per cent at the time adding to a cost-of-living crisis… Initial strike dates are set for 6, 7, 10 and 11 March but further dates are likely to be announced if Alstom fails to return to the negotiating table with an offer read more
Abellio London bus controllers to take further strike action (26 Feb) – Bus company staff in London are to escalate strike action next month after their employer failed to make an improved pay offer, Unite confirmed today (26 February 2024). Around 40 staff who work in the control rooms for Abellio buses (to be known as Transport UK from 2 March) and who control the bus routes, instruct drivers on traffic jams or accidents and ensure overall safety on the routes are to take a further 9 days of action beginning on 7 March… Controllers, managers and supervisors based at both Battersea bus garage and Twickenham bus garage are staging walkouts on the following dates: 7, 8, 9, 17, 19, 22, 27, 28 and 29 March read more
Translink unions to ballot members on improved pay offer (25 Feb) – Joint trade union press release: Planned 72 hour strike action due to commence midnight on Tuesday is suspended by all three trade unions. Following an improved pay offer by Translink the three public transport trade unions (Unite, GMB and SIPTU), will suspend the forthcoming strike action and will ballot their memberships on the new offer. Pay negotiations between the transport unions and Translink management were reconvened today (Sunday) following the rejection of an initial pay offer by management on Thursday (22 February). Following the receipt of an improved pay offer for all Translink employees workforce reps suspended the planned 72-hour strike action set for 00.01 on Tuesday (27 February). Workers in all three trade unions will now be balloted on the offer read more
Sainsbury’s Birmingham and Essex lorry drivers strike threat over outsourcing (23 Feb) – Anger that transfer to Wincanton will deprive 500 drivers of significant benefits. Around 500 Sainsbury’s lorry drivers based in Essex and Birmingham are being balloted for strike action over attempts to outsource their jobs. The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are directly employed by Sainsbury’s. The company, however, plans to transfer them to Wincanton at the end of April. The transfer would result in the workers no longer being eligible for benefits they receive as Sainsbury’s employees. These include a 15 per cent Sainsbury’s discount card worth up to £1,600 a year in savings, as well as share save and incentive schemes. In November last year, Sainsbury’s upgraded its profits forecast to between £670 and £700 million for 2023 having raked in £340 million for the six months to 16 September 2023… The ballot for strike action opens this Monday (26 February) and closes on 11 March. Industrial action will cause severe disruption to deliveries from the distribution centres in Coleshill, Birmingham and Waltham Abbey, Essex to Sainsbury’s stores read more
SQA set to be hit by strike action in escalating pay dispute (22 Feb) – 400 Unite members taking industrial action over three months at nation’s education qualifications body. Around 400 Unite members will take 24-hour strike action tomorrow (Friday 23 February) as part of an escalating pay dispute at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The union can confirm further talks were held this week which led to no substantive change in the pay offer by the SQA. Unite members will hold the first of two 24 hour strikes on Friday with the next strike scheduled to take place on 29 February. An overtime ban, a ban on weekend working and a ban on accruing time-off in lieu also came into effect on 16 February. This action short of a strike will continue until 10 May. Unite members supported strike action by 72 per cent on an 80 per cent turnout read more
Health visitors in Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board to take historic industrial action over unsustainable workloads (21 Feb) – Unite the union has today (21 February) announced its health visitor members at Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board will take industrial action. The health visitors at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board (CTM), have had their request for accurate job descriptions denied on multiple occasions and are faced with increasing and unsustainable demands for their specialist knowledge and expertise. The service is struggling under a tsunami of demands post-Covid alongside the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on families. The 67 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union recorded a 100 per cent yes vote in favour of industrial action. This action short of a strike, includes no unpaid overtime, no statistical reporting for the Welsh government and no covering for vacant caseloads. Action will begin on 26th February and continue until late July. This is the first time health visitors have taken industrial action as a distinct group of workers in Wales read more
London Sanctuary Housing workers strike for first time (21 Feb) – Housing association repair workers angry over pay and lack of union recognition. London Sanctuary Housing workers are to strike for the first time, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). Around 50 repair workers, who are based in Hackney but carry out repairs on Sanctuary Housing stock across London, are angry about a four per cent pay rise imposed in 2023. This was a significant pay cut, as the real rate of inflation, RPI, at the time was 11.4 per cent…The workers will strike on 29 February and 1 and 4 March. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved. The strikes will impact scheduled and emergency repairs to Sanctuary Housing’s stock in London read more • Pickets from 7.30am 9A Kingsmead Way, London E9 5QG 29th February, 1st March and 4th March
Slough facing chaos as Saba Park Services to strike over pay (21 Feb) – Over 30 of Saba Park Services parking enforcement officers in Slough will take strike action following a dispute over pay, according to Unite. The UK’s leading union said industrial action will take place from 26 February to 10 March – leaving the council without parking attendance, back office support, CCTV monitoring or enforcement in bus lanes read more
Strike action at Newtownards factory to severely impact Lakeland dairies profits (19 Feb) – Workers determined to defend £1 pay an hour differential between skilled grades and bare legal minimum. Strike will bring production to a standstill. Unite the union members working at LE Pritchitt & Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lakeland Dairies, which operates the company’s Global Logistics Centre in Newtownards will take a first week of strike action (beginning on Wednesday 21 February) in a mounting pay dispute. Negotiations ended last week without agreement after management refused to provide an increase which maintained a £1 an hour pay differential with the minimum wage for fully trained production operators read more
M25 disruption looms as road maintenance workers ballot for strike (19 Feb) – Balfour Beatty workers angry over profitable firm’s below inflation pay offer. Around 150 M25 maintenance workers employed by Balfour Beatty are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The workers, who are responsible for the maintenance of the entire M25, are angry at Balfour Beatty’s pay offer of 3.4 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 4.9 per cent this is a real terms pay cut. Increasing tensions, is the fact that the workers also received a below inflation pay rise last year. Balfour Beatty’s latest financial report said the company brought in revenues of £4.5 billion during the first half of 2023, with underlying profits increasing by 12 per cent to £95 million…The workers will begin balloting this week and the vote will close on 12 March, with industrial action expected soon after read more
Strikes by hundreds of Ford white collar workers on cards (14 Feb) – Attend Acas talks or face industrial action proceedings Ford told. Ford is facing the prospect of strikes across its UK sites by salaried and managerial staff, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The company has been told it must attend negotiations with the conciliation service Acas or Unite will begin preparing to ballot its members for industrial action. Offers put forward by Ford for over 3,000 salaried staff and managers have been rejected by over 90 per cent by both sets of workers. The offer for many of the salaried staff is an unconsolidated one-off payment of five per cent of their salary for 2024, meaning their actual wages will not increase this year. Management grades, who have recently organised and achieved union recognition, have been offered a performance related bonus payment, which provides no guarantee of a cost-of-living increase. In addition, the company has proposed changes to the current absence processes, despite acknowledging there is no issue with staff attendance read more
Gloucestershire Lucozade workers to strike over pay (2 Feb) – Over 180 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Suntory Beverage & Food in Coleford, Gloucestershire, will begin a week of strike action on Monday 5 February after management failed to address the cost-of-living crisis. Workers received a two year pay deal effective from April 1 2022, with a commitment from the employer to review the second year’s increase, should inflation exceed five per cent between January to June 2023. The inflation rate far exceeded this but the one-billion-pound Suntory Beverage & Food, which produces household name drinks including Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport and Ribena, has not met expectations in relation to this commitment read more
Security guards to strike at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital (30 Jan) – Unite the union today (Tuesday) announced that 30 security workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital will take part in discontinuous industrial action from 07:00 Thursday 1 February after the NHS Foundation Trust refused to negotiate on several areas. The UK’s leading union said that its members will strike for a week until Thursday 8 February at 06:59 read more
Escalation in industrial action at Cambridge University (29 Jan) – Vital workers at Cambridge University are taking to the picket line in an escalation of strike action over the low pay they are receiving and the refusal to offer a fair increase. Despite being one of the world’s most prestigious institutes of learning, the university is trying to force through a real terms pay cut. Workers have only been offered an increase of between a five and six per cent increase. The pay award was due to come into effect in August last year when the real inflation rate (RPI) stood at nine per cent. Unite’s members, some of whom earn under £23,000 are demanding above inflation rises to cope with the cost of living in one of the most expensive parts of the UK outside London. 450 members working in the university library, the department of engineering, estate management, the Fitzwilliam Museum and information services will be taking strike action from Wednesday 31 January until Friday 2 February 2024 read more
Gillingham workers to picket at PHINIA over removal of paid lunch break (26 Jan) – Unite the union today has announced that 60 Gillingham-based PHINIA employees will take part in discontinuous industrial action from 07:30 on Monday 29 January, as the company plans to remove staff member’s paid lunch break. Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be fully supporting workers throughout industrial action with the first strike beginning on Monday 29 January and running throughout February, with a total of seven days of strikes already announced. PHINIA features on the New York Stock Exchange as PHIN and recently reported a net revenue of approximately $800 million. Now the fuel systems company is seeking to revoke a contractually binding paid lunch break that was secured as part of negotiations 20 years ago…In a deplorable development, PHINIA has threatened to fire and rehire the entire workforce to try to force through its planned change read more
Mid Ulster District Council Leisure workers to continue all-out strike for improved coaching payments (26 Jan) – Strike by leisure workers continues at both Cookstown and Greenvale Leisure Centres. Approximately 30 members of Unite the union employed at both Cookstown Leisure Centre and Greenvale Leisure Centre are taking strike action in demand of improved payments for coaching duties. The all-out (indefinite) strike commenced on Monday [22 January] and in the absence of movement by council management is set to continue into a second week. The industrial action follows a ballot of the workers which returned an 80 per cent mandate for strike action. The workers are seeking improved payments for coaching duties which are outside their standard contract of employment read more
Offshore working rota disputes widen to cover chemists, heating and ventilation engineers (23 Jan) – Unite the union confirmed today (Tuesday 23 January) that it is balloting over 50 members in the offshore sector including chemists, heating and ventilation engineers. The union is holding industrial action ballots at IES Callenberg and SGS UK Limited for the failure by both companies to improve the jobs, terms and conditions of the workforce. The IES Callenberg dispute involves over 40 offshore workers who provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services on offshore platforms operated by BP, TAQA, CNR, Repsol, Serica and CNOOC. Chemists who provide services to the offshore oil and gas industry employed by SGS UK Limited are also being balloted on industrial action. The dispute exclusively centres on chemists servicing BP’s platforms the Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP and Glen Lyon. The ballots which are now open both close on 22 February read more
Kaefer contractors resume strike action at Mossmorran gas plant (22 Jan) – Around 90 Kaefer maintenance and repair contractors based at the Mossmorran Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant will resume strike action this week as part of an ongoing payment dispute. A 24 hour stoppage starts tomorrow (Tuesday 23 January) with a further round scheduled to start on Thursday (25 January) morning. There will then be further strikes next week and into February. Strike action took place between 27 November to 4 December last year in relation to the dispute. Picket lines will be held outside the Mossmorran plant from 07:00 on both mornings. The dispute centres on the contractor Kaefer not making a cost of living payment for 2023. Unite says its membership has been left with ‘no choice’ but to resume strike action. The union has taken aim at the operator Shell for the impasse stating it is refusing to support any negotiated deal with Kaefer at the Mossmorran plant read more
400 Unite members at bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis start two weeks of strikes (14 Jan) – Around 400 Unite members employed by Alexander Dennis will start a two week strike today (15 January) as part of a bitter pay dispute at the Falkirk based bus manufacturer. The strike action will continue until 29 January when the action will conclude. Unite represents coach builders and spray painters at the Camelon factory. The union’s members previously took two weeks of strike action between 4 to 17 December 2023… In December 2023 Alexander Dennis offered a penny-pinching additional 0.5 per cent on its original four per cent wage offer (4.5 per cent), and four per cent for 2024. The pay offer was emphatically rejected by the workforce read more
Long running Cardiff bin strike to extend into February (12 Jan) – Strike action by Unite members working within Cardiff council’s refuse and recycling department is being extended by a further four weeks. The current strike action which started on 28 December, was due to end on Thursday 25 January will now continue until Thursday 22 February. The fresh strike dates are in response to Cardiff council’s failure to make any progress in relation to Unite’s concerns on a number of local issues. The most prominent of these being the widespread bullying culture within the refuse and recycling department alongside the ingrained use of agency labour. Unite is concerned that Cardiff council are showing no desire to resolve the dispute, indeed the council leadership have disgracefully announced they intend to attack the annual leave accrual of striking workers read more End bullying and anti-union attacks at Cardiff Labour council
Drax canteen workers serve up more pay strikes (12 Jan) – Power station’s Baxter Storey food and drink facilities now at risk of ‘health hazard’. Strike action by Drax canteen workers employed by Baxter Storey has intensified, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The predominantly women workers began strike action in early December over poverty pay and a lack of union recognition. Since then, Baxter Storey has agreed to negotiate a voluntary recognition agreement and enter pay talks. The extremely profitable company’s offer of a one-off payment of £380, however, has been rejected as completely inadequate…The workers began their current round of industrial action on 8 January and will strike until 14 January. A further 14 days of strikes will begin on 22 January, with industrial action intensifying further if the dispute is not resolved read more
Bedford warehouse workers at Movianto head to picket line over trade union recognition (9 Jan) – Workers at Movianto, a specialised medical warehousing company in Bedford, are striking from Monday 8 January after their employer refused to recognise Unite for collective bargaining purposes. Over 85 Unite members have been campaigning for their union to be officially recognised but Movianto has strongly resisted such moves. Workers voted in favour of industrial action by nearly 80 per cent read more
CWU
CWU calls for new laws against offshoring (1 Mar) – Union demands a halt to the ‘haemorrhaging’ of UK jobs to cheap-labour countries. “We need a change and we need real protections for workers against offshoring of jobs,” said DGS-elect Karen Rose today, adding: “Far, far too often, good high-quality jobs here in the UK are lost because there’s nothing to stop greedy companies getting rid of workers here and exporting their jobs to far lower-paid workforces in poorer countries…” read more
Post Office workers offered 3.75% rise plus extra benefits (23 Feb) – Union recommends negotiated deal raising wages and improving annual leave arrangements. Around 1,500 CWU members working on Post Office Counters and in Supply Chain and Admin grades are being urged to vote YES to an agreement reached in talks between the CWU and management that will lift pay rates and introduce a range of other enhancements read more
Save Enniskillen EE (ex-BT) site – The EE Enniskillen call centre is a lifeline for our community. It’s closure threatens over 300 jobs, eroding the heart of our local economy. This is a community crisis. Local businesses, public services, and the Fermanagh economy stand on the brink of a devastating blow
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]
HMRC sacks PCS rep in Newcastle (5 Mar) – A PCS rep has been sacked, in the aftermath of the strike in Benton Park View, with a second PCS rep facing similar charges. Given Newcastle management have history when it comes to sacking union reps, PCS will be consulting members and PCS Legal. HMRC management in the department’s Benton Park View branch in Newcastle, have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse read more
PCS responds to chancellor’s civil service job cut plan (4 Mar) – Jeremy Hunt told journalists ahead of Wednesday’s budget that he wanted the number of civil service jobs return to pre-pandemic levels. In an interview with the Telegraph, the chancellor revealed that he will unveil plans in this week’s budget to crack down on bureaucracy in the public sector and to slash tens of thousands of civil service jobs read more
Joint statement by CPS, PCS and FDA on Hybrid Working consultation and next steps (4 Mar) – A CPS-DTUS joint communication has been issued following the Extraordinary Departmental Whitley Council meeting read more
PCS responds to Dowden’s comments on cutting civil service by using AI (1 Mar) – The Cabinet Office secretary and deputy prime minister said the government needs to “embrace” AI to “drive the numbers down”. In a briefing with journalists on 29 February, Cabinet Office secretary and deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden said that adopting AI could be a “significant downward driver” in reducing staff numbers in the civil service, with the chancellor aiming to cut 66,000 jobs by the end of the next Spending Review read more
Border Force members at Heathrow to be balloted for strike action (1 Mar) – PCS members who work for the Border Force in Heathrow Airport are to be balloted for strike action in a dispute over shift patterns and working conditions. More than 600 Border Force officers based at Heathrow Airport are to be balloted for strike action, which could take place during the Easter holidays, potentially causing long queues at the UK’s largest airport. In a ballot that opens today and runs until noon on March 22 they will be asked if they are prepared to take strike action read more
New series of strikes begins at The Pensions Regulator (27 Feb) – From 28 February, the members will be taking 12 more days of strike action in their dispute over pay. Around 380 PCS members in The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will be on strike again from 28 February, continuing on 29 February and 1, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, and 20 March 2024 in their dispute over pay. Members are deeply disappointed that the continued intransigence of TPR is forcing them into their seventh month of industrial action read more
Support the strike at National Museums Liverpool:-
Email the chairman of the NML board about paying the £1500 (26 Feb) – Use our online template to ask Sir David Henshaw to make the £1500 cost-of-living payment to PCS members at National Museums Liverpool. PCS members working for the seven museums and galleries that make up National Museums Liverpool (NML) are currently on strike because their employer is refusing to pay them the £1500 cost-of-living payment that the government agreed to pay last year read more
Solid start to strike at National Museums Liverpool (19 Feb) – Saturday was the beginning of eight weeks of strike action, with a massive turnout on the picket line and high levels of public support. PCS members working for the seven museums and galleries that make up National Museums Liverpool started strike action on Saturday 17 February in their dispute with the employer of its refusal to pay staff a £1500 cost-of-living payment. The strike is planned to continue until 14 April. On the first day of the strike on Saturday, around 70 striking members were on the picket line outside the World Museum Liverpool, which was closed to the public because of the strike. Many were dressed in historic costumes to represent museum exhibits, including Greek gods, suffragettes and even a dinosaur. There was music, dancing, and a vibrant and positive feeling among the pickets, many of whom have never been on strike before. The pickets started outside the World Museum and then marched through Liverpool to the Museum of Liverpool at the Pier Head, led by a member dressed as Zeus, king of the Greek gods read more Visit the picket line on 17 February from 8:30-11am at World Museum, William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EN
DVSA strike action suspended (6 Feb) – Following intensive talks with senior management at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency we have suspended our planned strike action which was due to take place from Thursday to Sunday (8-11 February). Following the negotiations which concluded yesterday, we are pleased to report that we have reached an improved proposal, presented as a full package, which meets the 8 demands PCS members were balloted on. These include members’ safety, terms and conditions and the standards of safety that driving tests require. Our members believe in the quality of the public service that they provide, that helps keep those using our roads as safe as possible. It is important to us that the integrity of that driving test, the safety of that driving test and of the service that we provide to the public is maintained. To allow us to fully consult members on these proposals, we have suspended the planned strike action. Members must now attend work on those dates. We will contact members shortly to outline the details of a consultative ballot on management’s proposals read more
Prospect
Union urges immediate vote on risk-based exclusion of MPs (4 Mar) – Prospect trade union, which represents many workers in the UK Parliament, has written to Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt MP urging her to bring forward a vote on the risk-based exclusion of MPs read more
Prospect warns against watering down protections for parliamentary workers (28 Feb) – Prospect union is calling for MPs to stand firm and not water down proposals for the risk-based exclusion of MPs from Parliament when they come to a vote on Monday (4 March) read more
Prospect ballots members at Defence Equipment & Support on strike action (16 Feb) – Prospect union is balloting its members at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), a Ministry of Defence (MoD) agency, on industrial action. The ballot comes after the employer failed to meet the union’s pay claim and imposed an unagreed pay offer for 2023/2024. Under the imposed pay offer, the majority of DE&S employees will receive a consolidated pay increase of 3.25% or less. Prospect is recommending that members vote yes to both strike action and action short of strike (ASOS) read more
Prospect moves to strike action over pay at AWE (10 Jan) – Prospect members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are moving to strike action after two months of action short of a strike have failed to produce any meaningful movement from the company read more
GMB
Amazon on brink of forced union recognition (5 Mar) – Amazon could be on the brink of being forced to recognise a trade union for the first time. Amazon could be on the brink of being forced to recognise a trade union for the first time in the UK, after GMB made a formal bid to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). The CAC – the Government body responsible for regulating collective bargaining between workers and employers – can force companies to recognise a trade union if more than 50 per cent of the work force are members. After over a year of industrial action, union membership at the company’s Coventry site has grown significantly and GMB is confident of surpassing the legal threshold for recognition. However, the union warns decision makers of Amazon’s track record of using union busting, dirty tricks to sidestep recognition – after an earlier recognition bid was met by the company flooding the fulfilment centre with 1,000 new workers in a week. Union recognition would mean Amazon would be forced to sit down with GMB on matters relating to pay, worker safety, terms and conditions read more
Dates announced as Amazon workers begin fresh wave of Industrial Action (8 Feb) – Fresh industrial chaos will hit the retail giant next week. GMB union has today announced that workers at the company’s Coventry will down tools next week. Strike action will take place on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 February with over 1000 workers expected to take part. This marks the first three days in a a fresh wave of industrial action after workers voted overwhelmingly to back an extension of strikes earlier this year. UK Amazon workers have now taken over 30 days of industrial action in their fight for £15 and union rights at the retail giant read more
Nursery staff cash bung ‘kick in the teeth’ say workers (4 Mar) – A cash incentive for nursery workers intended to solve the staffing crisis is ‘a kick in the teeth’, workers say. The £1,000 cash incentive has been announced today [Monday] as part of Government plans to recruit more staff read more
Birmingham workers back strike vote (4 Mar) – Birmingham City Council have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action to end the equal pay crisis. Strike action was backed by 87 per cent of GMB members voting in the council-wide consultative ballot. Workers in Birmingham City Council schools will now be asked to proceed with a formal strike vote, with strike dates anticipated for later this spring read more
One in five teaching assistant posts unfilled (1 Mar) – Schools face a staggering staff crisis. One in five teaching assistant (TA) posts are unfilled, shortages, new figures show. A massive 18 per cent of TA posts in local authority maintained schools are unfilled, according to those councils that tracked vacancies. GMB, a union representing more than 100,000 school support staff, obtained the records through Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities with responsibility for education in England. The East Riding of Yorkshire reported a vacancy rate of 19 per cent and Luton reported a vacancy rate of 22 per cent. Derbyshire reported the highest vacancy rate with 27 per cent of posts unfilled. However, the council said that this figure may be artificially high as schools were not obliged to remove vacancies from its system. The average vacancy rate was 18 per cent across the local authorities that provided information. Stockport council also said that schools experienced a 19 per cent turnover rate for teaching assistants in 2022/23 read more
GMB signs union deal a HS2’s Birmingham station (1 Mar) – GMB has signed a union deal at HS2’s Curzon Street station in Birmingham. The deal struck with MaceDragados – the joint venture building the station – will give GMB access to the workforce building the station, where they will recruit members and reps. The union will also be able to make sure standards in health, safety and wellbeing are maintained read more
Hounslow Council workers win union recognition (1 Mar) – GMB union has signed a recognition agreement with Lampton Group. Staff at Lampton, the London Borough of Hounslow’s wholly owned trading company, carry out a number of key roles in the borough, including property and grounds maintenance, waste and recycling and operating council leisure facilities. The deal will now see more than 1,200 members of staff protected by collective bargaining rights in terms of pay, terms and conditions. Workers at Lampton have welcomed the win after extensive negotiations read more
Asda Lowestoft strike vote dates announced (29 Feb) – GMB union has announced the dates Asda Lowestoft workers will vote on strike action. The ballot will open on 5 March and close three weeks later on 26 March. If workers vote to strike, the would be among the first Asda staff in the country to take industrial action read more
Methryr Tydfil faces library and lesiure strikes (29 Feb) – GMB members at Merthyr Leisure Trust voted unanimously for industrial action. Leisure services across the town will be affect, including the beleaguered Rhydycar leisure centre which could see yet another delay for the re-opening of the £6 million swimming pool. Workers are owed a pay uplift in line with local government staff, following a decade old promise. The trusts failure to honour the commitment of around £1 an hour to staff has led to staff striking for owed pay. In a further twist on Tuesday evening, the council announced plans on its Facebook page to offload the leisure trust to a private provider without any consultation read more
Asda Lowestoft faces strike vote (26 Feb) – Asda’s Lowestoft store faces a strike vote after workers said they were ready for industrial action. A consultative ballot of nearly 200 GMB members at the store showed almost 90 per cent were ready to strike, on a turnout of just under 80 per cent. GMB union will notify the company this week, with the strike vote likely to begin the week after read more
Asda faces three more strike votes (15 Feb) – Asda workers will begin a strike vote at three more stores. Nearly 400 GMB members at the Wisbech, Brighton Hollingbury, and Brighton Marina stores will vote on whether to take industrial action. The votes follow the first ever strike of ASDA workers at the retailer’s Gosport store, where almost 100 GMB members walked out in protest at the ‘toxic’ working environment. The new ballots will run from 16 February until 5 March read more
Translink strike suspended after new pay offer (26 Feb) – A planned 72 hour strike by Translink workers has been suspended. The move will allow union members to vote on a improved pay offer read more
NI education faces ‘further industrial action’ (21 Feb) – GMB Union has warned of further industrial action among school workers in Northern Ireland. The union, which represents more than 3,000classroom assistants, kitchen staff, bus drivers, cleaners, admin workers and others, met with Education Minister Paul Givan at Stormont today [Tuesday]. Mr Givan made it clear that within the current public sector pay budget of £684 million there was nothing to address the pay and grading review for school staff, which has been ongoing since 2018. GMB will now go back to members, with a view to taking further industrial action read more
Ofsted should meet striking Swindon social workers (21 Feb) – GMB Union made the call withsocial workers at Swindon Borough Council will walk out on 27 and 28 February following a ‘botched’ pay and re-grading review. On the same day, Ofsted inspectors are due to visit the council’s children’s services department following a failed inspection in July. In the wake of the inspection, the council developed an improvement plan, but the ‘botched’ review has undermined the plan and thrown the whole department into chaos. GMB has written to Ofsted advising the inspectors of concerns and asking them to meet the striking social workers read more
Wiltshire Traffic Wardens Balloted For Further Strike Action To Mark Second Anniversary of GMB’s Longest Running Dispute (13 Feb) – GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, has called a further strike ballot of traffic wardens opposing the removal of a 10% unsocial hours allowance, that would see each of them lose about £180 per month in take home pay. Social workers who provide the out of hours service are already planning a three-day strike, starting Friday 16th February, over a loss of a 20% allowance that will see them each lose from £500 to £750 per month read more
Brighton Refuse Workers Call For Meaningful Talks To Avoid Escalation Over ‘Service Delivery Issues’ (12 Feb) – Hard-working GMB members at City Clean are frustrated by management not dealing with issues. Brighton refuse workers have called for scheduled talks with the council over a series of service delivery issues affecting residents’ bin collections to be meaningful. A consultative ballot of GMB’s 119 members at the City Clean depot saw 95 per cent in favour of being balloted for industrial action over the changes read more
Regent’s Park gardeners strike (31 Jan) – Regent’s Park gardeners are on strike over pay today. Workers, employed by private contractor Idverde, will walk on on Thursday 1 February for 24 hours in anger at the fact they received lower pay than gardeners at the other Royal Parks. Staff at Regent’s Park were handed the prestigious BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) award for their work just last year read more
Wiltshire Social Workers announce 3 months of strike action (29 Jan) – Workers in the out of hours emergency service to strike every weekend until 19 May. Members of GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, have today informed their employer that they will be taking strike action every weekend for three months. The dispute centres around a proposed pay cut by the council, which would see a contractual out-of-hours bonus removed, costing some staff up to 20 per cent of their annual salary. The strike is an escalation of a dispute by GMB members across the council which has been running for 2 years and has seen 11 days of strikes by traffic wardens read more
Defence manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce faces strike threat (23 Jan) – Rolls-Royce members working in the submarine sector will begin balloting for industrial action. The vote at the Derby-based company comes as workers rejected the latest offer in an ongoing dispute on pay. Rolls-Royce is a world leader in the field of submarine technology, as well as being the supplier to Britain’s domestic nuclear submarine fleet. In agreement with the company, any industrial action will not jeopardise the UK’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent, safety of submarines or operational submarines at sea. Workers will begin balloting on Monday 29 January with a result expected after four weeks. GMB is Britain’s largest union in defence and nuclear manufacturing read more
South Tyneside faces third round of bin strikes (9 Jan) – Council needs to deal with bullying and release independent report. South Tyneside refuse workers will begin a third round of industrial action next week. Full strike action will be taken 9-12 January. Workers will put their concerns direct to councillors at the next full council meeting on 24 January 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
Energy firm OVO release must halt job cut plans and find another solution (5 Mar) – Further cuts will damage services. Responding to an announcement to staff today (Tuesday) that a further 250 jobs are at risk at energy firm OVO, UNISON head of business Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “This is another cruel blow and staff are understandably worried about the future. OVO has completely failed to explain why more redundancies are even necessary. There may be many other ways to secure the future of the firm read more
UNISON opinion: Why councils are on the brink – and how they can be pulled back (1 Mar) – Everyone knows why councils are on the brink of bankruptcy – a massive 41% cut in government funding over a decade, while demand for services has grown. But there is an alternative for a sustainable future for the local services we all rely on read more
A significant pay rise is essential for local government and school staff, say unions (29 Feb) – Claim calls for a wage rise of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is higher. The three local government unions, representing 1.4m council and school employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have called for a significant wage rise as they submitted their annual pay claim today (Thursday). UNISON, GMB and Unite say a decent pay award is essential as staff continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, while the value of their wages has plummeted for more than a decade read more
Mitie must pay healthcare workers what they are owed or strikes will continue, say UNISON and Unite (29 Feb) – Staff will strike for second time today over failure to honour NHS lump-sum payment. Mitie chief executive Phil Bentley must pay healthcare workers in the West Midlands the lump sum they are owed, say UNISON and Unite today (Thursday). The general secretaries of the UK’s two largest unions have written to Mr Bentley to say strikes* planned for today (Thursday) from 5am and next Friday (8 March) will go ahead unless hospital staff get a one-off £1,655 payment** that other NHS staff have already received. Cleaners, porters and catering employees are among around 370 workers set to strike again following action which began with Unite in December read more
UNISON opinion: Why could tribunal fees be on the way back? (28 Feb) – UNISON beat the government in a landmark legal win in 2018, securing the scrapping of employment tribunal fees. So why is the government trying to bring them back? Read more
Barnet UNISON Mental Health social worker re-ballot results (23 Feb) – Our Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers re-ballot results are now in. We had a 91% turn out with a 100% VOTE for strike action. Barnet UNISON Mental Health social workers have already taken 27 days of strike action which equates to approximately 4,050 lost contact days for Mental health service users in Barnet. Today UNISON submitted the results to the Barnet Council Chief Executive. UNISON has agreed to go into talks with Barnet Council and ACAS. UNISON have agreed a couple of dates in early March. UNISON has from the outset been prepared to negotiate to reach a resolution to what has become the longest running Mental Health social worker strike in UNISON’s history. Barnet UNISON has agreed a new strike timetable with our members which will begin in April in the unfortunate event that we are unable to reach a resolution. The strike timetable would be a significant increase in the number of strike days taken by the social workers so far:-
- From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
- From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
- From 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).
Our members are 100% behind UNISONs negotiating team and remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be secured to avoid any further strike action read more Send messages of support to [email protected]
Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council (16 Feb) – Together with colleagues teaching Pilates and aerobics, the instructors backed industrial action as Colchester City Council remains stubborn on pay. Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are to take strike action later this month after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON announced today. The fitness instructors will walk out for seven days from Wednesday 28 February until Tuesday 5 March read more
Teesside healthcare assistants to go on strike over pay (16 Feb) – Hundreds of healthcare assistants have voted to strike over pay. The workers at seven sites across two NHS trusts in Teesside will walk out over a dispute about staff not being paid enough for completing more complex duties than they are expected to. No strike dates have yet been set read more on BBC website
NIPSA
International Women’s Day rally and events (1 Mar) – International Women’s Day is on Friday 8 March this year, with many events taking place on Saturday 9 March. The theme for 2024 is ‘Peace and Courage!’. Please see attached and below details of the International Women’s Day Rally and events afterwards read more
Royal College of Nursing
Voting opens for new HSC pay offer in Northern Ireland (4 Mar) – Eligible members will have until 6pm on Thursday 21 March to have their say. The RCN is now consulting eligible members in Northern Ireland on the Department of Health’s new pay offer for Health and Social Care (HSC) staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Voting is now open and closes at 6pm on Thursday 21 March 2024. You will not be able to cast your vote after this time. If you vote more than once, only your latest vote will be counted 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
RCM
Implementation of non-pay elements of 2023 deal secured for Scotland members (1 Mar) – In a significant win for its members in Scotland the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has announced that its secured agreement and implementation of outstanding non pay elements of the 2023 negotiations read more
Long overdue pay offer finally arrives for midwives in Northern Ireland (26 Feb) – Months of waiting and campaigning, two days of strike action and a reformed Executive the RCM says has ‘finally’ resulted in a ‘long overdue’ pay offer for its members in Northern Ireland. The proposed pay offer would see the restoration of pay parity with England with an uplift of 5% and a one-off payment of £1,505 read more
CSP
Members urged to vote on Northern Ireland pay offer (26 Feb) – An offer on pay for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland staff will be put to CSP members following a breakthrough in talks read more
SOR
NI radiographers urged to share views on pay deal (4 Mar) – Northern Ireland’s Department of Health has put forward a 23/24 pay offer, and the Society of Radiographers is seeking member responses read more
Scottish NHS pay deal still awaiting government sign-off (5 Feb) – Agenda for Change trade unions and professional bodies reached agreement with government early last year, but delays continue read more
BMA
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Government tables revised pay offer for consultants (5 Mar) – BMA seeks agreement from senior doctors on pay and terms and conditions proposal. Consultants are being asked to back a new offer on pay and conditions, described by BMA consultants committee chair Vishal Sharma as a ‘positive step forward’. The BMA is encouraging consultants in England to endorse a new offer CC says will further improve terms on pay as well as institute significant improvements towards renewing the independence of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration read more
NHS Wales: Consultants and specialist doctors to strike (4 Mar) – BMA members have voted in favour for strike action over a dispute in pay. BBC Wales health correspondent. Consultant and specialist doctors in Wales have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay. The industrial action takes place from 7am on 16 April until 7am on 18 April. They will walk out over workplace conditions caused by extreme pressures, and unsafe staffing levels, the British Medical Association (BMA) said read more on BBC website
SAS doctors reject pay offer (1 Mar) – 62 per cent vote against Government proposed terms, with no call for industrial action. SAS doctors in England have rejected the Government’s offer on a new pay deal, with the BMA now set to consult members on the next steps. The association has urged the Government to hold further talks on improving pay and conditions for specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors, after a ballot on whether to accept the offer saw 62 per cent of doctors vote against endorsing the terms. The now-rejected offer would have seen a commitment to uplifts in basic pay of between 6 and 9 per cent for doctors on the 2021 SAS contracts, but notably excluded those doctors on the 2008 associate specialist terms. While the BMA specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors committee has not made a call for any industrial action yet, associate specialists and specialty doctors, as well as other SAS grade doctors (including SAS locally employed doctors), have a mandate for taking strike action read more
Junior doctors embark on tenth round of industrial action (27 Feb) – Government failure to present revised pay offer forces another walk-out. ‘None of us want to be here,’ says foundation year 2 Callum Parr, one of dozens of striking doctors stood on the freezing-cold picket line outside St Thomas’ Hospital in central London read more
Junior doctors strike for better pay in Wales (22 Feb) – Unacceptable pay offer forces overworked staff to walk out. Junior doctors who are striking in Wales this week have a strong sense of solidarity, even stronger resolve, but frustration runs deep. It’s not just Australia they’re competing with now, in their bid to retain colleagues: it’s England and other parts of the UK which are luring the workforce away, with the promise of better pay and conditions. The Welsh Government’s offer of a sub-inflationary 5 per cent last August was lower than any other offer made to junior doctors anywhere in the UK. That was hurtful but also damaging, according to junior doctors braving heavy rain at the demo outside University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff yesterday read more
Junior doctors in Northern Ireland vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action (19 Feb) – Junior doctors in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action in their fight to restore 16 years of pay erosion. 97.6% of those balloted voted yes to a full 24-hour walkout that will take place in hospitals across Northern Ireland from 8am on 6 March 2024 to 8am on 7 March 2024 read more
HCSA
Webinar: revised consultant package – what it means for you – Hosted by Dr Naru Narayanan President, HCSA. HCSA consultant members sent a clear message in January by rejecting the government’s proposed reform package. HCSA returned to the negotiating table and has now received a new and improved offer, which HCSA’s Executive is recommending you accept. HCSA President Dr Naru Narayanan and General Secretary Dr Paul Donaldson will present a member webinar on Wednesday 13th March at 7.30pm, where they will break down the offer in detail and answer your questions read more
HCSA announces fresh consultant referendum on revised offer (5 Mar) – HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union has today announced a referendum of consultant members in England over a revised reform package tabled by the government. HCSA’s Executive committee has issued a recommendation for members to accept, after improvements were made to several key areas of the agreement. The referendum will open on March 14th and close at midnight on April 3rd. It follows members’ rejection in January of the previous government offer read more
HCSA junior doctors announce five-day strike in February (9 Feb) – Junior doctors from HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union will strike for five days across England in February in the latest step in their pay dispute. This follows the government’s ongoing failure to address pay erosion, which has seen junior doctors’ pay fall by more than a quarter since 2008. Junior doctors will walk out from 7am on Saturday 24th February until 7am on Thursday 29th February read more
NEU
NEU launches preliminary ballot on pay and funding (2 Mar) – Fair pay is not just a request, but a necessity. Schools deserve proper funding for staffing provision – and the necessary funding to cover a pay rise. The NEU will today (Saturday 2 March) open its preliminary electronic ballot over pay and funding. Around 300,000 teacher members working in maintained schools and sixth forms across England will be consulted on whether they are prepared to take part in industrial action to win funding from Government for pay and additional staffing resources. This forms part of an ongoing campaign to secure a long-term correction in pay. Additional funding would ensure that a fully-funded, above-inflation pay rise could be achieved. The preliminary ballot opens on 2 March and closes on 28 March read more
NEU evidence to STRB (1 Mar) – The NEU’s written evidence to the STRB sets out the overwhelming evidence in support of the NEU’s call for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise that constitutes a meaningful step towards a long-term correction in teacher pay read more
Government evidence to STRB (1 Mar) – Strike action is a last resort but it will be an option our members will seriously consider in the face of such a belligerent approach from this Government read more
Please support the following strike action:-
| Action | Date | Contact | |
| Bradford Grammar / Bradford (TPS) | 5 March | Tom Bright [email protected] | |
| St Mary’s School Ascot / Windsor & Maidenhead (TPS) | 6, 7 March | Elaine Hurrell [email protected] | |
| Chetham’s School of Music / Manchester (TPS) | 5, 7 March | John Morgan [email protected] | |
| Cathedral School / Cardiff (TPS) | 7 March | Angela Jardine [email protected] | |
NASUWT
Teachers at Chetham’s School of Music to strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (26 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester are starting the first five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. Chethams, which is the UK’s largest specialist music school, is attempting to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior Defined Contribution scheme. If teachers choose to remain in the TPS they must accept a reduced salary read more
EIS
Education reform needs to progress & must be properly funded and resourced (29 Feb) – The EIS has today responded to the Parliamentary debate which took place late yesterday afternoon on the recommendations of the Hayward Review read more
Strong Support for Strike Action in Colleges Across Scotland Today (29 Feb) – There has been strong support from lecturers, students and supporters of Further Education as the EIS-FELA staged a day of national strike action over pay. Picket lines were in place at colleges across Scotland this morning, while a rally outside the Scottish Parliament also attracted strong support. EIS-FELA members have been engaged in a programme of action short of strike, including a work to rule and a resulting boycott, in recent weeks and today’s national day of strike action marks an intensification of the dispute in the continuing campaign for a fair pay settlement read more
College Lecturers Across Scotland Take Strike Action – Rally at Holyrood Today (28 Feb) – College lecturers across Scotland have walked out on strike action, as a long-running dispute over pay and jobs continues. Members of the EIS-FELA have been engaged in a programme of action short of strike (ASOS), including a work to rule and a resulting boycott, in recent weeks and today are staging a day of national strike action as the dispute intensifies. Following a morning on the picket line at their college campuses, lecturers from across Scotland will gather at a rally outside the Scottish Parliament at 11.30am ahead of First Minister’s Questions and Portfolio Questions to Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth read more
UCU
NSSN sends solidarity to UCU and its members at Queen Mary University in London after security broke into the Queen Mary UCU office in order to remove posters expressing solidarity with Palestine. For developments, follow Queen Mary UCU on X/Twitter @qm_ucu
UKRI investigation shows Secretary of State launched “outrageous attack on academic freedom” (5 Mar) – UCU has slammed the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan for her “outrageous attack on academic freedom”. The union was responding to the outcome of an independent investigation launched by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) after Donelan attacked members of the Research England Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion read more
Two new strike dates at North East college group in low pay dispute (4 Mar) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees will strike on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 March. The strikes come after an overwhelming 79.3% of UCU members at Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training Group, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy and Redcar and Cleveland College who voted, rejected the latest pay offer from employer Education Training Collective (ETC). Turnout was 64%. UCU also confirmed it will open a new strike ballot on Wednesday (6 March) that will run until Monday 15 April so it can continue to take industrial action if ETC refuses to settle the dispute. A successful ballot will allow the union to take strike action for a further six months. The dispute is over the 22/23 pay award read more
Strike ballot opens at Goldsmiths in bid to stop cull of over 130 jobs (29 Feb) – A strike ballot will open tomorrow over plans by Goldsmiths, University of London to cull 130 jobs as part of its ‘transformation programme’. The ballot will run until Thursday 28 March. Goldsmiths’ transformation programme lead wrote to UCU yesterday threatening to cut 130 full-time equivalent posts. These redundancies will mainly hit the departments of theatre and performance, history, English and creative writing, visual cultures, politics and international relations, music, anthropology, sociology, educational studies, psychology and social, and therapeutic and community studies. With so many academic staff on fractional and part-time contracts, the cuts will impact far more than 130 people read more
Outrage over ‘callous’ fire & rehire threat at SOAS (29 Feb) – UCU has launched an indicative ballot on taking strike action at SOAS, University of London over fire and rehire plans that place 34 staff at risk of losing their jobs and being rehired on worse terms and conditions. The cuts would eliminate all term time English-language and study skills support for international students. The indicative ballot runs until Wednesday 6 March and a successful result paves the way for an industrial ballot and strike action if SOAS management refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies read more
Aberdeen University staff overwhelmingly back industrial action in row over modern languages cuts and job losses (7 Feb) – Staff at the University of Aberdeen have today backed strikes in a dispute over plans to end single-honours degrees in modern languages and put 30 staff at risk of redundancy. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members, 80% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 60%. On 30 November, the same day that the Scottish Government launched its Scottish languages bill, the university announced a consultation with proposals to end single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German, and Spanish; to end both single and joint honours degrees; or to end all language degree programmes. At the time, amidst widespread criticism, UCU general secretary Jo Grady called the proposals ‘academic vandalism’ read more
Eight days of strike action begins today at London’s biggest college (16 Jan) – Staff at Capital City College Group (CCCG), London’s largest further education college group, begin eight days of strike action today in a long-running pay dispute. CCCG has campuses across London, including in Westminster, Camden and Enfield. Staff at CCCG have already taken three days of strike action in what began as a national dispute over low pay and poor working conditions. UCU has now settled disputes at 60 colleges with pay awards of up to 10%. The union said CCCG is an isolated employer and must look to other colleges and settle the dispute by making an acceptable offer read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
POA
National Chair update January 2024 read more
Political News W/C 19th February read more
BFAWU
Trade unions and civil society groups lodge international labour complaint on sexual harassment at McDonald’s UK (29 Feb) – An international coalition of UK, US, and global trade unions and civil society allies filed a complaint yesterday with the British government under the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Guidelines for Multinational Corporations in the wake of recent exposés of widespread sexual harassment in McDonald’s UK read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
Bristow helicopters pilots in BALPA to strike in pay dispute (20 Feb) – The British Airline Pilots’ Association has given notice to Bristow Helicopters that it will call on its members to strike in March. BALPA has been in negotiation with the company for months, but Bristow has failed to put forward any offer that its pilots and tech crew could support read more
NUJ
NUJ statement on PAC report (5 Mar) – The union has welcomed publication of the Public Accounts Committee report on financial management of RTÉ read more
Policing board urged to launch inquiry into covert spying of media (4 Mar) – The NUJ, Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice are calling for the Northern Ireland Policing Board to launch an investigation into unlawful covert surveillance of journalists by the Police Service of Northern Ireland read more
Police laid surveillance trap for journalists (28 Feb) – Tim Dawson, IFJ deputy general secretary, reports from the Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing where grave breaches by the PSNI over journalists’ surveillance and attempts to uncover a source have been disclosed read more
Letter of protest to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (27 Feb) – NUJ Belfast and District Branch to inform PSNI chief constable about concern over state surveillance of Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney read more
Euros kick off and pre-election coverage set to be hit by STV strikes (27 Feb) – STV faces a summer of disruption as journalists working on STV News vote for industrial action over pay. Potential strike action could affect coverage of news events up to mid-September, including the opening Scotland match against Germany at the Euros and a possible Westminster spring election, as well as the lunchtime and evening news bulletins read more
Equity
Equity responds to planned reduction of Hollyoaks episodes (5 Mar) – Equity is concerned by the decision of Channel 4 to cut Hollyoaks from five episodes a week to three on a permanent basis, with a reduction in episode length down to 20 minutes. This new transmission pattern, which comes into effect from September, will mean a reduction in cast and crew. This news comes after the BBC’s announcement of the decommissioning of Doctors in October last year read more
“No other industry will be gutted in the same way that ours will be” (22 Feb) –
Georgie Taylor, Chair, Equity Birmingham & West Midlands Branch on Birmingham City Council proposals for cuts to arts and culture funding read more
Musicians Union
An Update on Local Authority Budget Cuts in the Midlands (26 Feb) – We share a statement from the Midlands TUC Creative and Leisure Industries Committee on severe cultural budget cuts at Birmingham City Council, and a petition opposing 100% cuts to the cultural budget at Nottingham City Council read more
Community
Community confirms plans to ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK (4 Mar) – Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel at Community, the steelworkers’ union, said: “Community representatives from all Tata Steel UK plants have unanimously agreed to serve notice on the company should Tata confirm their intention to close Blast Furnace Number 4. This would be a national dispute and Community will ballot all members on a site-by-site basis including the downstream plants…” read more
Budget is an opportunity to back steel sector (4 Mar) – Speaking ahead of this week’s budget, Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss said: “It’s notable that the pre-budget press briefings coming from the Treasury – which appear to be little more than repackaged announcements – contain no reference to the steel industry. It’s alarming that a sector which underpins our manufacturing base, and one which is essential for national security and sovereignty, continues to serve as an after-thought for this government. While other European countries like Germany are investing billions in supporting their own domestic steel industries to decarbonise and grow, the UK Government has taken the cheapest option on the table with their and Tata’s discredited bad deal for steel…” read more
USDAW
B&Q stores could face disruption as Usdaw members vote for industrial action over pay at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon (5 Mar) – Members of Usdaw at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon, which operates a B&Q contract, have voted unanimously for industrial action over pay. The ballot of over 100 Usdaw members had an 87% turnout and was conducted after the company’s offer of 5.25%, with some investment in an attendance bonus and a damage bonus, was rejected. The ballot gives Usdaw a mandate to take industrial action from week beginning 18 March read more
Tesco Pay deal: Usdaw secures a 9.1% increase in hourly pay taking the basic rate over the real Living Wage (5 Mar) – Retail trade union Usdaw has negotiated a pay deal with Tesco that will significantly increase the hourly pay rate for staff in stores and fulfilment centres by £1 per hour to £12.02 per hour. Around 220,000 colleagues across the UK will benefit from this increase, which represents one of the largest investments in pay by Tesco in a single year read more
Usdaw negotiates £12.04 per hour for Asda workers – the offer now goes out to ballot (1 Mar) – Retail trade union Usdaw has negotiated an 8.4% pay rise for Asda staff, taking the hourly rate to £12.04 per hour across the UK and £13.21 inside the M25 from 1 July. The offer now goes out to ballot with Usdaw members in Northern Ireland and in Asda Express, which closes on 15 March. There will be an interim increase on 1 April to £11.44 and £12.61 for stores inside the M25, to meet National Minimum Wage read more
Sainsbury’s proposes a restructure that could impact 1,500 roles – Usdaw will enter into consultation talks (29 Feb) – Retail trade union Usdaw has been informed by supermarket giant Sainsbury’s that they propose a restructure that could impact 1,500 roles within the business. The proposals could affect the company’s store support structure, three Argos fulfilment centres at Bamber Bridge, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent; along with an outsourcing of work from their Widnes call centre. A change to bakery operations puts roles at risk, with the vast majority likely to have redeployment opportunities read more
UVW
Company forced to pay cleaner contracted holiday leave (28 Feb) – “You never know when you are going to need the support of your union, but one thing is clear, there’s always a first time” – Maria, cleaner and UVW member. Maria has never doubted that she needed to be a union member, whichever country she lived in. She is originally from Colombia, and lived in Spain for 16 years until moving to the UK in 2015. She joined UVW six years ago read more
“The only option is to fight for your rights” Amazon warehouse cleaners fight cuts to their paid break (28 Feb) – “As an ordinary person, I have the right to defend myself against their abuses. I feel that everything is for the convenience of the company, they don’t think about the workers at all” – Jessica, Amazon warehouse cleaner and UVW member. UVW members who clean Amazon warehouses in Enfield and Ipswich are preparing to ballot for strike action over attempts by their bosses to cut their paid breaks and bank holiday enhancements. The cleaners, outsourced to Mitie, part of the FTSE 250 Index, come from Latin America, Romania and England are the lowest paid workers in Mitie and Amazon. Yet in 2023 Mitie boasted a revenue of over £4 billion after expanding into several industries and businesses in the public and private sector and Amazon’s revenue was in the hundreds of billions last year read more
I ate a tuna sandwich and i was sacked. but i took direct action and it worked (27 Feb) – Gabriela, a single mother from Ecuador and UVW member, cleaned the offices of Devonshires Solicitors for two years with an impeccable record, until she was summarily sacked just before Christmas 2023 by the private contractor Total Clean. The reason? Eating a tuna sandwich, which had been left over from a meeting of lawyers, which she thought was for staff to help themselves before being chucked in the bin. Her bosses called it ‘theft’. Gabriela rallied UVW’s solidarity network for support, and armed with a speaker, 100 cans of tuna and 300 sandwiches, marched to Devonshires building. And it worked. UVW’s #tunagate solidarity protest unleashed a media storm and forced the hand of her bosses read more
Harrods’ hospitality workers ready to strike for third time if 2024 pay promise not kept (16 Jan) – Following two UVW victorious disputes for workers’ tips in 2017 and a huge 25 percent wage increase in December 2021, Harrods’s hospitality workers are ready for a third strike if Harrods doesn’t keep its 2024 pay rise promise. The London luxury store has offered them a pay review with an increase by 1 April 2024, following moves by UVW bar and kitchen staff. A majority of workers and UVW members voted positively in December over their willingness to declare a third pay dispute read more
IWGB
Game workers forced back to office oppose “reckless decision” from Rockstar (29 Feb) – On Wednesday 28 February Rockstar Games, one of the world’s largest games studios, announced that from 15 April, the majority of staff will be forced to work in the office five days a week, with management claiming exceptions will be “rare”. Workers for the company who are members of the IWGB Game Workers Union have described the move as “reckless decision making”, and raised concerns about ill-planning and serious impacts on wellbeing. Select individuals were notified in early February, though official communications took over three weeks to emerge, leaving many anxious of circulating rumours. The mandate comes one year after unionised workers submitted a petition with 170 signatures, demanding continued remote work options responding to a mandatory transition to 3 days office working, in one of the biggest ever trade union actions in the UK games industry to date read more
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate secures pay rise for long-service workers in Kavanagh Group Supervalu’s (1 Mar) – After 3 months of long negotiations, Mandate and Kavanagh Group came to an agreement to ensure a pay rise for its long-service workers in Supervalu stores across the West, including Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, and Galway. Over the past 3 weeks, Mandate staff and shop stewards have visited Supervalu stores across the West to ballot members and discuss the pay proposals with them. This ballot concluded in a yes vote with 87% of members accepting the pay proposals. The deal culminated in a pay increase of 5.75% for those with 5 years or more service, which is above inflation read more
Mandate urges Government to allow union-busting prevention legislation to pass (28 Feb) – Mandate Trade Union, representing almost 30,000 workers in the retail and bar sectors across the Republic of Ireland, has called on Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green Party to allow the “Protection of Employees (Trade Union Subscriptions) Bill 2024”, tabled by Deputy Joan Collins TD, to pass to the next stage in the Oireachtas. The Bill, if passed, would close off a number of loopholes in Irish law which allow some employers to engage in union-busting. It would also make it easier for a worker to join a trade union. The Government indicated at this morning’s debate that it would be opposing the Bill, but the vote will take place this evening (Wednesday, February 28th). Mandate believes there’s still time for the Government to do the right thing and allow the bill to proceed to the next stage read more
Other news
Sign this petition: To the Right Honourable Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister – Make toxic landfills safe – Support ‘Zane’s Law’! Find out more about this campaign here
Affiliate with STAMMA – STAMMA’s Employment Support Service helps people who stammer as well as those who don’t around issues related to stammering in the workplace. Union branches and regions can affiliate with STAMMA to access a range of services and support at a reduced rate.
- £75 for branches and regions
- £125 for national unions with under 400,000 members
- £200 for national unions with 400,000+ members
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Hazards urgently need our support
Many workers were blacklisted because they raised complaints about health and safety or took on the role of a union safety rep. So when our blacklisting campaign was first starting back in 2009, Hazards magazine set up the Blacklist Blog on their website. Alongside our FaceBook page it is the go to online resource for what our campaign has achieved over the past 13 years. www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Hazards is now in financial difficulty and needs the support of the union movement. Its major funding stream has vanished almost overnight. The magazine and the Hazards centres around the country need union branches or official unions to take out a regular subscription to keep the union movement’s flagship safety magazine in operation. If you or your union committee can afford it, please support Hazards:
UCU condemns ‘baffling’ dismissal of University of Sussex lecturer (25 Aug) – UCU has today condemned plans by the University of Sussex to make a member of teaching staff redundant after having advertised a new permanent post that includes all his current duties. Philosopher Lecturer James Furner has been employed at the university on consecutive fixed term part-time contracts since 2021, but on 22 August the university wrote to him to say that his employment will come to an end this month. Yet on July 7 it advertised a new full-time post of Lecturer in Philosophy stating that the post-holder ‘will be expected’ to teach the same four undergraduate modules that James taught in 2022-3. A petition has been launched in protest against the plans read more
Sign petition: Reinstate Anne Howie RMT Activist – Anne Howie RMT activist at Manchester Piccadilly is facing dismissal with no due process
UVW to sue LSE for disability discrimination and trade union victimisation after sacking strike leader (24 Aug) – “My condition has got something to do with it, but I think there’s more to it. I’ve always been at the forefront of the fight… because I consider myself a union leader” – Geovanny Moreno Buitrago, LSE cleaner and UVW member. UVW strike leader Geovanny Moreno Buitrago, a migrant cleaner from Colombia at the London School of Economics (LSE), was sacked after being off sick with a herniated disc as he tried to return to work. UVW is appealing and suing for his dismissal on grounds of disability discrimination and trade union victimisation. In spite of two expert medical opinions, Geovanny’s willingness to come back to work, his own recommendations on what he is capable of doing, and LSE’s own health policies, LSE sacked him read more
Support Lee Fowler – Another blacklisted construction worker sacked after making complaints about safety on site read more about Lee’s case
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. You can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.
International
Solidarity with the striking textile workers at Ozak in Turkey – read more on Twitter of Solidarity with the People of Turkey @spotturkey
Diary
2024
June
22 NSSN Conference 2024 – 11am Conway Hall, Holborn, London
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
