NSSN Conference 2024: Saturday 22nd June, 11am-4.30pm, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event. Attendance fee – £8. You can pre register here https://forms.gle/WjFYyvrn1BXSMJHg9. Email us for more info – [email protected]
This year’s NSSN Conference will be the last before the General Election. Trade unionists are rightly desperate to see the back of the Tories.
Over the last 14 years, we’ve been on the receiving end of vicious austerity, pay cuts, the cost of living squeeze and continued attacks on our right to strike through ever more restrictive and undemocratic Tory anti-union laws. And the unions still have to be prepared to fight together if Sunak looks to implement his Minimum Service Levels (MSL) legislation before the election.
But this has also been a period when workers and their unions are increasingly showing that it’s possible to fight back and win.
In March 2011, over 750,000 workers marched against the brutal cuts of Cameron, Clegg and Osborne, and that November, the N30 pensions strike saw up to 2 million public sector workers strike together.
Over the last two years, we have seen the strike wave – the biggest sustained level of strikes for over 3 decades, with many workers taking action for the first time.
Workers want the Tories out, but they also demand real change.
The NSSN has played our part in all the many strikes that have taken place. But in these disputes, we have also argued for policies to defend workers’ interests. This year’s NSSN Conference is an opportunity for union reps, members and activists to again share experiences about our struggles and disputes, but also to set out the programme that we need – a workers’ manifesto.
To repeal Sunak’s MSL and Cameron’s Trade Union Acts, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major. To re-nationalise Royal Mail, BT, the energy and utility companies and steel. To end privatisation in the NHS and our public services. For a real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards.
And there is much more to discuss and fight for. Come to NSSN Conference and join the discussion.
Steel unions ballot for action
The NSSN stands in solidarity with steelworkers as steel unions begin balloting their members for industrial action. We will support any action that they take against Tata Steel’s 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. 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.
Just last week, the struggle to save Port Talbot steelworks reached a new stage when Tata announced the closure of the coking ovens. The whole of the union movement must come behind the steelworkers and their fight to save steel jobs and defend communities, in Port Talbot and in other steelmaking areas.
Unite: Port Talbot coking oven closure result of years of Tata betrayal (18 Mar) – Strike action vote to save jobs and prevent blast furnace closure ongoing read more
Unite: Tata workers urged to vote yes to industrial action over shutdown plans (1 Mar)
Community Statement – Morfa Coke Ovens, Port Talbot (18 Mar) read more
Community confirms plans to ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK (4 Mar)
Sign the Unite petition: https://surveys.unitetheunion.org/233412289055859
Find out more about the campaign: www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-steel
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.
PCS members at Heathrow vote for strike action (22 Mar)
FBU: ‘Fundamentally flawed’: Welsh Government hits back at ‘minimum service levels’ (20 Mar)
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
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. The next Central London demo is Saturday 30th March, assemble 12noon Russell Square
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
You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.
RMT
RMT slams Network Rail cuts after redundancies announcement (22 Mar) – Rail union, RMT has criticised cuts to Network Rail funding following a decision to cut 42 jobs at Babcock Rail. The company which supplies services to Network Rail has said that due to a reduction in workbank volume they will have to undertake a reorganisation leading to 42 job losses. The 42 roles proposed to be made redundant are within the Rail Systems Alliance Scotland (RSAS) and are located at Cadder Depot. The reduction of work has come about due to Network Rail having its funding cut over the next five years, in what is called Control Period Seven (CP7) read more
RMT welcomes Transport for the North’s call to terminate Avanti contract (20 Mar) – RMT today welcomed the news that the Board of Transport for the North voted unanimously to write to the Secretary of State calling on him to terminate Avanti West Coast’s contract and bring it into public ownership under the Operator of Last Resort. With Avanti’s performance consistently poor and deteriorating since December, Transport for the North, which brings together Northern Metro Mayors and council leaders, called for Transport Secretary Mark Harper to put an end to First Group’s tenure on the West Coast mainline read more
Gateline workers to take strike action (15 Mar) – Contracted out gateline workers at Northern will take strike action on Saturday in a dispute over pay, union recognition and working conditions. RMT members working for Carlisle Support Services on the Northern contract will set up picket lines in Manchester, Leeds and Wigan. The strike action will start on Saturday at 12.01am and finish 11.59pm the same day. Among the demands of workers is the ending of zero hours contracts and the removal of the Timegate app which has failed to accurately calculate pay and leave allowance read more
RMT to launch strike ballot on Scotrail over DOO (13 Mar) – Scotrail workers will be balloted for strike action over Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains, RMT can reveal. Bosses at the Scottish government run train company have said Barrhead and East Kilbride routes can run services without a second member of staff at the discretion of the driver. Over a 100 hundred conductors who will be affected by Scotrail’s plans will be balloted 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
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
Tube train drivers in London to strike in April and May (20 Mar) – ASLEF announced strike action on London Underground April 8 & May 4. Tube train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, which represents 96% of the train drivers in Britain, will strike on Monday 8 April and Saturday 4 May read more
Strike Action (20 Mar) – ASLEF announces a new programme of rolling strikes. More strikes across the rail network in pursuit of a pay rise for drivers who have not had an increase in salary for five years – since 2019. Train drivers who are members of ASLEF, the train drivers’ trade union, will take part in another programme of rolling one-day strikes, coupled with a six-day overtime ban, as we increase the pressure on 16 intransigent train companies – and the tone-deaf Tory government that stands behind them – to get train drivers, who have now not had a pay rise for five years, since April 2019, the salary increase they deserve. Members will walk out at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry on Friday 5 April; at Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains on Saturday 6 April; and at c2c, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line on Monday 8 April. Members will also refuse to work their rest days from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April 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 warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales (22 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW). TSSA warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales. Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW) for possible strike action and action short of a strike. The union is in dispute with the company over so-called ‘bolt-ons’ – additional payments which cover shift work. These have been awarded to other staff outside Fleet Management, and without them, managers would effectively miss out on the accruement of pensionable pay. The ballot will open on the 28th of March and conclude on the 18th of April. The union is warning that a walkout or work-to-rule would seriously hamper the ability of TfW to run trains across Wales. Fleet Management are responsible daily for signing off safety critical work across TfW read more
Further strikes announced at ScotRail (15 Mar) – Rail union TSSA has announced further strike action at ScotRail in a long running dispute over on call working arrangements. Strikes have been declared for the 30th and 31st of March by our Operations Team Manager (OTM) grades in the latest stage of a dispute going back to late 2021. Similar action took place last December. Since then, and after high-level in person talks between ScotRail bosses and TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, the company has done nothing to suggest they are prepared to shift their ground read more
Looming industrial action at South Western Railway (15 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is warning South Western Railway (SWR) that potential industrial action, including a strike could be on the cards after the two sides have formally failed to agree in an escalating dispute over the imposition of changed working arrangements among Control staff. The union has now officially served a ‘Failure to Agree’ notice to SWR —the first stage of an official process that, without an agreement in the short term, could lead to industrial action by its Train Service Managers. This is despite the union’s efforts to engage in meaningful dialogue over several months and because the company has undermined TSSA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with SWR 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
Strike success for Slough’s parking enforcement officers as Unite lands 25% pay increase (26 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has landed a monumental pay increase for parking enforcement officers in Slough, following successful industrial action last month. The 40 workers employed by Saba Park Services have achieved a total pay increase of 25.6% since strike ballots were opened last April. Taking the lowest hourly pay to £13.20 from its original £10.50. Further to a current rise, Unite achieved a continuous pay increase to match the RPI rate of inflation over the next two years. Unite, who saw its membership triple at Saba Park Services from 13 to 40 members, also established recognition during negotiations. As well as electing two workplace representatives and a health and safety officer read more
Unite: Ministers must extend Hitachi train contract to safeguard County Durham jobs (25 Mar) – Government incompetence now impacting both Hitachi in Newton Aycliffe and Alstom in Derby. Unite, the UK’s leading union, is demanding ministers extend the West Coach contract at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe train factory and safeguard jobs. The factory is currently working on two large contracts for West Coast and East Midlands railways. However, work on these contracts are set to decline by October 2024, with no new contracts in the short term. The West Coast Railway contract contains an option to purchase more trains that was supposed to be decided upon in March 2023. The delays in decision making by the Department of Transport (DfT) and other parties means the factory is facing a production gap starting in late 2024 read more
Northern Ireland: Pilgrim’s Foodmasters workforce in Enniskillen wins inflation-busting pay increase (25 Mar) – Workers agree to accept an increase of £1.02 an hour – worth up to 9.3% for lowest paid. Members of Unite the union working at Pilgrim’s Foodmasters, formerly Kerry foods, in Enniskillen have ended an industrial dispute with their employer after accepting a pay improvement worth £1.02 an hour to all grades. The increase will be paid to all grades commencing from the beginning of April, the anniversary date. The increase will be worth 9.3 percent to production workers at the meat and meat-free processor who currently are paid £11.00 an hour; for team leaders the increase is worth 7.6 percent and 5.6 percent for engineers. All these are significantly above the current twelve-month (RPI) inflation rate. The initial offer from the employer was for only an extra 85 pence an hour an offer which was rejected leading to preparations for a strike ballot before an improved offer was obtained read more
Unite wins lump sum payment for Dudley healthcare workers (25 Mar) – Healthcare workers in the west midlands are celebrating after being awarded over £1600 lump sum payments after a lengthy campaign by Unite the union. Members working at the Russells Hall, Corbett and Dudley Guest hospitals in roles including catering, restaurant, coffee shops, patient food services and administrative staff had been told that private sector outsourcing company Mitie, wouldn’t pay the award due to the nature of their contracts. Many have decades of service in the NHS and were subsequently outsourced into the private sector. Unite led around 70 members through an industrial dispute which included strike action. Following a determined campaign, Mitie has now agreed to back down and pay the lump sum Unite members were owed… Unite is currently also in dispute with Barts NHS trust over its failure to pay the lump sum for workers previously employed by an outsourcing company but who are now directly employed by the trust read more
Unite to protest at Good Morning Britain over NHS pay (14 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is to lobby at the Good Morning Britain studios on Friday (15 March) as part of its campaign for its members at Barts NHS Trust, over withheld payments. The protests are part of the escalation campaign on behalf of the union’s members at Barts. The chair of Barts, the former home secretary Jacqui Smith, is a regular contributor to the programme. Unite members working as porters, cleaners and facilities staff at the largest NHS trust in the UK, are fighting for a lump-sum payment owed to them. Last year the government awarded a lump sum payment of at least £1,600 to the majority of NHS workers who worked during the Covid pandemic. However, Unite’s members at Barts have been denied the payment. They were employed by the outsourcing company Serco during the Covid pandemic before transferring back into the NHS, just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the payment. Barts bosses have rejected their demands to receive the payment and have refused to ask the treasury for additional funding to cover the payment read more
Unite statement on Peter Mandelson workers’ rights comments (24 Mar) – Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Peter Mandelson earns his corn working as a consultant for private corporations. His constant attacks on workers’ rights seem to be driven by his personal financial interests as well as his outdated desire to see Labour reduced to a 1990’s neoliberal tribute act. Throughout the cost-of-living crisis, where profiteers have been allowed to run amok, only trade union bargaining power has defended the living standards of working people. And only a resurgence in collective bargaining across all sectors, will ensure that the economic pie is better divided and that ordinary workers get the pay rise they deserve.” Read more
Croydon Tramlink strikes suspended after TfL agrees to meaningful talks (22 Mar) – Strikes by Croydon Tramlink engineers have been suspended after Transport for London (TfL) agreed to engage in meaningful talks over pay disparities with Unite, the UK’s leading union. Five days of strikes scheduled to begin this Sunday (March 24) have been suspended. If the talks do not result in an offer that meets the engineers’ expectations, strike action will take place from 5 May to 9 May and 11 July to 15 July read more
Unite members working in Health and Social Care vote overwhelmingly to accept pay parity offer and end industrial dispute (22 Mar) – Union celebrates historic win for workers and pledges to continue efforts to secure legal protections for safe staffing. Members of Unite the union working for the health and social care service in Northern Ireland have voted decisively, with an 81 percent majority, to accept a pay improvement offer made by their employer. The positive ballot outcome was repeated in all the other health side trade unions meaning that the industrial pay dispute in health and social care for the 2023-24 year has been formally ended. The pay deal will mean that health and social care workers receive the same pay increase offered to NHS workers in England and Wales and restores pay parity. This amounts to 5 percent across all grades and a lump sum of £1,505. The offer was won through a campaign of mounting strike actions by health workers leading up to the one-day public sector strike in Northern Ireland on January 18th which brought the region to a standstill read more
Arriva Northumbria workers to strike over pay this spring (22 Mar) – Unite members at Arriva Northumbria, a bus company in the north east of England, are to take weeks of strike action this spring in protest over their pay and conditions, it was announced today (Friday 22 March). Over 300 drivers and engineers voted overwhelmingly for strike action following the refusal of Arriva to improve a pay offer of just 4 per cent. Strikes begin for one week on 7 April and a further week starting on 21 April. Arriva drivers are currently the lowest paid out of the three main operators in Tyne & Wear. The best-paid drivers earn less than those employed by Go North East and Stagecoach read more
Unite welcomes CMA investigation into ‘harmful’ Vodafone-Three merger (22 Mar) – Investigation a chance for competition watchdog to prove it has teeth and block this dangerous merger. Union warns merger will raise prices for consumers and put jobs at risk. Unite the Union welcomes the decision of the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA) to launch a full investigation of the proposed merger between telecoms giants Vodafone and Three, after acknowledging the serious concerns raised by the union and politicians. Following an initial Phase I investigation, the regulator has highlighted serious concerns around the potential impact on consumers and businesses in the UK. Unite has been actively leading the campaign against the blighted deal, warning that it could add an additional £300 a year on consumers’ bills and risk thousands of jobs read more
‘Shocking’ report highlights DWP pension failures says union leader (21 Mar) – Commenting on today’s report from PHSO highlighting the failures of the DWP to adequately communicate changes to the women’s state pension age, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This shocking report makes it clear that the government not only mistreated millions of working women whose retirement plans were demolished overnight but has then repeatedly refused to acknowledge, apologise or put things right. This is a national disgrace and these women should be given proper compensation and a full apology without further delay.” Read more
Bromley and Greenwich library workers to strike against GLL over pay and conditions (20 Mar) – Over 100 workers, employed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), are to take industrial action over low pay and shoddy working practices. Unite, the UK’s leading union, stated its members will walk out on Tuesday 26 March for a day of protest in a demand for permanent jobs, immediate changes to unfair sick pay schemes and new minimum pay rates for 2023 and 2024. The controversial social enterprise – who has previously seen strike action in both boroughs – employs people on zero hours contracts and implements policies that do not align with local government conditions. This then leads to a race to the bottom for outsourced workers. In both boroughs, pay awards would have been higher if staff were still in house read more
Rachel Reeves speech: Labour’s growth plan is “for the birds” says Unite (19 Mar) – Responding to the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves heavily trailed keynote speech at the annual Mais Lecture, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned that growth rhetoric is disguising the lack of any coherent plan to deliver for the real economy. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Labour needs to be focused on delivering good jobs, public services and dignity in retirement, not more rhetoric about abstract economic concepts, like GDP growth. If you stick to phoney fiscal rules, rule out taxing the wealthy and pander to the profiteers, you end up in a straightjacket of your own making…” read more
New Holland tractor shortages if Basildon CNH workers strike (19 Mar) – 500 workers balloted for strike over broken pay agreement. Around 500 workers employed by CNH Industrial at its New Holland tractor factory in Basildon are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). Strike action would severely compromise the supply of New Holland tractors, which are shipped across the world. The workers are angry that the company has reneged on an agreement struck during 2022 stating pay increases would be calculated by the average rate of inflation over the year. CNH is instead offering four per cent for 2024, rather than the 7.4 per cent it should be under the original agreement. For 2025, the company is offering the rate of inflation as of December 2024. Last month, CNH announced revenues of $24.7 billion for 2023 and a pre-tax earnings of more than $2.38 billion read more
Dounreay power station faces threat of strike action (18 Mar) – Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 18 March) around 450 of its members employed by Magnox Limited based at Dounreay power station are being balloted for strike action in a pay dispute. The ballot which is now open will close on 2 April. The dispute is a result of an inadequate pay offer of 4.5 per cent effective from April 2023 which was emphatically rejected by 95 per cent in a consultative pay ballot. The offer amounts to a substantial real terms pay cut, the true rate of inflation, RPI stood at 11.4 per cent. Unite’s Magnox membership includes craft technicians, general operators, chemical and electrical engineers, and maintenance fitters and safety advisors read more
Northern Ireland public transport trade unions agree to re-enter discussions with Translink management (15 Mar) – Joint Trade union release: The three public transport trade unions, UNITE, GMB and SIPTU, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink’s management with the aim of achieving a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute over the 2023-24 pay offer. Members of all three trade unions voted last week voted decisively to reject the previous pay offer, which was considered to be inadequate. The unions agreed this approach following discussions with reps and officials. The three trade unions have agreed to not make any further public comments on the dispute ahead of the conclusion of talks read more
Security guards escalate strikes at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital (15 Mar) – Security workers at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital will take fresh industrial action after the trust declined to pay them a wage increase worth £2,000, which equals just 0.96 pence per hour. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said its members will walk out for seven days from 07:00 on Monday 18 March. As a result, safety could be compromised as the officers play a crucial role in protecting staff and patients across two hospitals in South London: St Thomas’ Hospital and Guys Hospital…The latest wave of strikes follows two previous days of industrial action which took place because the security guards are amongst the lowest paid at the hospital. The workers are also paid less than their counterparts at hospitals across London, such as Kings’ College Hospital, where a security officers’ salary starts at £30,000 per annum read more
M25 strike chaos on as Balfour Beatty told to share massive profits (13 Mar) – Vital M25 maintenance workers strike as Balfour Beatty announces £10bn revenues. Around 150 M25 maintenance workers employed by Balfour Beatty have voted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The workers, who provide vital maintenance for the entire M25, are angry at Balfour Beatty’s meagre 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. Today, Balfour Beatty announced that its revenues for 2023 have increased by seven per cent to £9.6 billion, while underlying profits from operations rose by two per cent to £236 million…The workers operate from depots based at Barnet, Uxbridge, Swanley, Epping and Dartford and strike action will cause serious disruption to journey times. Dates for industrial action will be announced in the coming days read more
London Sanctuary housing pay strikes intensify as repairs grind to halt (13 Mar) – Cancellation of over 200 repair jobs from initial industrial action set to worsen as more strikes set. Pay strikes by London Sanctuary Housing repair workers are to intensify, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Three days of strike action in late February and early March led to more than 200 repair jobs on Sanctuary Housing’s stock in London being cancelled, Unite understands. A further five days of strike action in March will cause increased delays to Sanctuary’s repair schedule. Around 50 repair workers, who are based in Hackney but carry out repairs across London, are striking over 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. Meanwhile, Sanctuary Housing revenues for last year stood at £943 million, with its surplus increasing by 73 per cent to £101.3 million. Sanctuary Housing’s CEO, Craig Moule, is paid £380,000 a year…Adding to tensions, is the fact that Sanctuary Housing has completely ignored the workers’ requests for their union, Unite, to be recognised and has locked them out of collective pay negotiations. Currently, Sanctuary Housing does not engage in pay negotiations with any union. The workers will strike again on 20, 21, 22, 25 and 26 March. Industrial action will further 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 at 9A Kingsmead Way, London E9 5QG. Contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]
Flintshire and Stafford military equipment maintenance strikes intensify (12 Mar) – MoD owned DE&S Deca workers angry after decade of falling wages. Pay strikes by skilled military, avionic and electronic equipment maintenance workers in Flintshire and Stafford intensified today (12 March). The workers, employed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) owned DE&S Deca, have endured over a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay rises. Due to wages not keeping up with inflation, the annual spending power of many workers’ annual salaries has fallen by more than £7,000 since 2010…One of Deca’s most important functions is to offer an in-house repair facility to drive down the high prices charged by the private defence industry. Since 2015, DE&S Deca has saved the MoD more than £225 million, with £37 million pounds worth of savings achieved in 2022 alone. The workers, based in Sealand, Flintshire and Beaconside, Stafford, began industrial action in October. They are striking again today (12 March), tomorrow (13 March) and Thursday (14 March). The strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved and the workers’ resolve remains solid despite DE&S Deca’s attempts to punish them for striking by targeting their annual leave read more
Cambridge University revealed to have £6 billion as workers languish on poverty-level wages (11 Mar) – In depth research from Unite, the UK’s leading trade union, has uncovered that Cambridge University is sitting on over £6 billion of cash and investments while trying to maintain it can’t afford to help its lowest paid workers. The revelations coincide with fresh strike action by university workers. Cleaners, librarians, museum workers and many other staff at the university have been in a long-running pay dispute over the failure of the institution to acknowledge the cost of housing in Cambridge as well as the wider inflationary pressure on its lowest paid workers. Some are being paid less than £23,000 per year yet live and work in one of the most expensive parts of the country. Unite has compiled a financial report that shows that Cambridge University is in rude financial health read more
Offshore chemists, heating and ventilation engineers set for strike action (11 Mar) – Dozens of Unite members at IES Callenberg and SGS UK Limited involved in working rota disputes. Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 11 March) around 60 members in the offshore sector including chemists, heating and ventilation engineers have emphatically backed strike action in disputes over working rotas. The IES Callenberg members supported strike action by 82.8 on a 72.5 per cent turnout. The dispute involves around 50 offshore workers who provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services on offshore platforms operated by BP, TAQA, CNR, Repsol, Serica and CNOOC. Unite can confirm its IES Callenberg membership will take three-days of strike action over a series of months. This involves strike action on 25-27 March; 15-17 April, 6-8 May, and 27 May until the close of play on 29 May. The union’s SGS UK Limited membership also supported strike action by 89 per cent on a 100 per cent turnout. Chemists employed by the company provide services to the offshore oil and gas industry. The dispute exclusively centres on chemists servicing BP’s platforms the Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP and Glen Lyon. The chemists will take week-long strike action over a series of months. This involves strike action on 25-31 March; 15-21 April; 6-12 May and 27 May until the close of play on 2 June read more
Striking Drax canteen workers escalate dispute on International Women’s Day (8 Mar) – Female strikers say: “Our message on International Women’s Day is – We are fighting back, and we will win.” On International Women’s Day, striking Drax canteen workers, who are predominantly female, have escalated their industrial dispute over fair pay. The workers, who have been striking since early December in a dispute with their employer Baxter Storey and Drax’s management, announced today that they have voted to extend their strike action mandate. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The women at Drax are an inspiration and demonstrate the exact qualities that International Women’s Day celebrates: Empowered women effecting change to better their own lives and those of others. They have the full backing of Unite behind them as they strike for a fair pay rise.” Unite rep at the Drax canteen, Diane Power, said: “On International Women’s Day, we remember women who stood up against the status quo and created meaningful change. Today is particularly important for those of us who are striking at Drax because we are doing just that in our own workplace… Fresh strike dates will be announced in the coming days read more
Biomedical scientists in Merseyside to strike over pay dispute (6 Mar) – Highly skilled scientists working in the microbiology department at a Merseyside hospital are to take substantial industrial action over pay, Unite announced today (6 March 2024). The workers, who are members of Unite the UK’s leading union, based at the Whiston Hospital on Merseyside are to take 36 days of strike action between March and June (see notes to editors), beginning with three days from 14 March. The workers, who covered all Covid testing for the region, have been informed they do not qualify for the essential services payment worth £4,000. The workers, employed by the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, are taking unprecedented action due to the failure of the trust to pay the scientists in the microbiology team the same £4,000 payment that other members of the pathology department have received 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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]
PCS National ballot opens today (18 Mar) – The postal ballot opens today (18) and runs until 13 May, asking members if they are prepared to take strike action over our national campaign demands. Opening today, 18 March. the postal ballot will run until 13 May, after which the national executive committee will meet to consider the next steps in our national campaign. It is vital that all PCS members take part to ensure we beat the 50% threshold for strike action read more
PCS members at Heathrow vote for strike action (22 Mar) – Massive ‘yes’ to striking over rosters by Border Force officers. Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport have voted to take strike action over proposed changes to rosters and their working conditions in a ballot that closed today (22). The members, who carry out immigration controls and passport checks, voted by 89.71% in favour of strike action and 94.35% for action short of a strike. The turnout passed the legal requirement of 50% for strike action and the additional hurdle that is imposed on staff working in Border Force that the number of individuals answering yes to the ballot question must be at least 40% of the number of individuals entitled to vote in the ballot. The PCS members are angry at planned alterations to their shift patterns that would have a detrimental effect on all the current staff and leave nearly 250 without a job on passport control, including many with disabilities or caring responsibilities. If they refuse to accept the new contracts, they would be forced to seek jobs elsewhere in the Home Office. No dates have been announced for the strike, but the walkouts could begin as soon as April 8. PCS is currently challenging the government’s new Minimum Service Levels legislation in the courts. We will vigorously defend our members’ right to strike if ministers try to impose a work notice read more
PCS fighting Imperial War Museum derecognition threat (22 Mar) – PCS is campaigning against the threat of being derecognised as an official union with negotiating rights at the Imperial War Museum, which has 5 sites in England and Northern Ireland. On 6 March, Imperial War Museum Director Francoise Harris wrote to PCS, FDA and Prospect unions confirming that they wish to derecognise PCS and FDA and move forward with only one union – Prospect. Essentially, derecognising PCS constitutes a direct attack on IWM workers’ rights, job security, economic equality, workplace protections, solidarity, and democratic principles. PCS does not accept derecognition and are launching a campaign to maintain recognition at IWM read more
It’s pay review time (20 Mar) – There are a number of important pay related issues happening in April. Firstly, both the national minimum wage and statutory sick pay rates will increase. Secondly, your 2024 FM pay claim has been agreed by PCS National Executive Committee read more
Union win! Solidarity works (20 Mar) – PCS campaigning works. Read how catering and cleaning staff campaigned to keep their monthly pay date when they transferred from Mitie to ISS – and won. After a long campaign, PCS members employed by ISS have won the right to return to having their wages paid monthly read more
PCS condemns suspension of Civil Service Muslim Network (19 Mar) – On Thursday, the deputy prime minister suspended the Civil Service Muslim Network. While civil service networks sit outside of the remit of PCS, it is concerning that Oliver Dowden should suspend a network whose purpose is to represent and support Muslim civil servants. That this has taken place during Ramadan is entirely insensitive. Added to government departments such as HMRC claiming that donating to a legitimate humanitarian charity, Medical Aid for Palestine is contrary to civil service values, raises deep concerns of Islamophobia at the heart of government read more
Pensions Regulator strike suspended (13 Mar) – The strike action has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS. The strike action which was due to restart today and continue into next week has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS over the proposals we have made to end the dispute. Importantly TPR has agreed with the key proposal that they commit to securing the funding for the full percentage pay increase to the overall pay pot suggested by the 2024/25 Treasury Pay Remit Guidance. The have stated that they are already engaging with DWP on the pay strategy for the year ahead. They have also committed to submitting a pay flexibility case for the Pay Remit Guidance in 2024/25 which will guarantee additional money to the basic pay remit pot. TPR have also agreed “to engage in meaningful consultation, on matters relating to TPR’s employee value proposition, including reward, annual leave entitlement and the pay and terms and conditions of staff TUPE transferred to TPR.“ The agreement from TPR management is as a result of PCS members taking over 50 days of strike action since 2023. We have reminded TPR that we still have a mandate for strike action until 8 May and that a failure to progress the issues in good faith and time will result in further strike action. TPR members remain in the PCS national campaign and will be participating in the ballot due to start on Monday 18 March read more
ONS strike ballot opens over mandatory return to the office policy (13 Mar) – Management is insisting that the members should be present in the workplace for at least 40% of the working week. A ballot of PCS members at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has begun in response to management’s insistence that all staff should be physically present in the workplace for at least 40% of their working week. 1,200 members in Newport, Titchfield, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh are being asked to support strike action and action short of strike. The ballot will close on 2 April read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs (12 Mar) – Members in HGS in Liverpool have been told they will need to relocate 40 miles to keep their jobs. In November 2023 Hinduja Global Solutions announced a significant restructure on the Disclosure and Barring Service contract, which they planned to take effect from 1 April 2024. Staff were told that the restructure was a direct result of the new contract for services between HGS and DBS. The impact on PCS members in Liverpool has been damaging because the changes mean a 41% reduction in headcount (later reduced to a 26% cut) and withdrawal of all staff from the Tithebarn Street office, meaning HGS would no longer have a presence in the city read more
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
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
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
Failure on pay is leaving the public sector weaker as skilled and experienced workers leave (22 Mar) – The Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a report on Civil Service pay, recruitment and performance which highlights issues contributing to the current recruitment crisis read more
Restore collective bargaining and industrial relations capabilities to solve public sector disputes (22 Mar) – General Secretary Mike Clancy has called for the next government to restore collective bargaining and rebuild industrial relations institutions and capabilities to deliver better pay and minimise potential disputes in the public and private sectors 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
£42 million Scilly Isles ferry contract goes to Vietnam (25 Mar) – A £42 million Scilly Isles ferry contract has headed to a Vietnamese shipyard. The Scilly Isles Steamboat company (SISBC) operates two ferries, one passenger and one cargo, between the mainland and the islands. Both ferries – which are coming to the end of their lives and need to be replaced – were built at the nearby Appledore Shipyard in Devon. But instead of being built locally, or even in the UK, the contract for the new ships has gone to a French company Piriou, which has indicated it will build the ships in Vietnam read more
GMB wins sick pay for 19,000 care workers (22 Mar) – Massive win a landmark shift in culture for the entire care sector, says GMB Union. GMB has won day one sick pay for 19,000 care workers. Carers working for HC-One – the UK’s biggest care provider – have accepted a pay deal that gives them the contractual right to at least Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from day one of any absence. Prior to this deal, carers would not get paid for their first three days of sickness – creating a perverse incentive for workers to spread germs among the elderly people they care for. The deal comes after a GMB survey of HC-One care workers revealed one in four were considering quitting over ‘poverty pay’ read more
Doncaster Sheffield Airport saved after GMB campaign (22 Mar) – Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been saved following a GMB campaign. People in the area a jubilant after 125 year lease was signed with the council read more
Hull leisure workers to take to the streets (22 Mar) – More than 100 hundred Hull Culture and Leisure workers will take to the streets. The demonstration on 25 March, takes place ahead of a cabinet meeting that will decide the service’s future, as follows: Where: The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, HU1 2AA; When: Monday, 25 March 8.30am – 10am; Contact: Les Dobbs – 07966 327967 or [email protected]. HCAL, which runs leisure facilities across the city – including parks, swimming pools, libraries and the Ice Arena – is owned by Hull City Council, who set up HCAL ten years ago. Now Councillors are proposing to bring a small number of its staff back under the Council umbrella, creating a two-tier workforce in pay and conditions. GMB members will hand over a petition signed by members who work at dozens of sites around Hull, demanding all leisure services are brought in-house by Hull City Council and calling on them ‘not to divide Hull Culture and Leisure staff’ read more
Cumberland urgent care team announce 72 hour strike (22 Mar) – The approved Mental Health Social workers in the Urgent Care Team will walk out from 9am 22 March to 9am 25 March, 2024. It’s the second time Cumberland’s carers have walked out in the dispute, following industrial action last week. More than 2,100 members of the public has signed a petition backing the Urgent Care Team’s fight. The Urgent Care Team is on the front line of mental health care – on call across Cumbria 24 hours a day and making on the spot decisions on whether immediate detention is necessary. In July 2022, these dedicated professionals submitted an application for a regrading of their role, believing it was incorrectly evaluated. Cumberland Council denied their request read more
School support staff rally for SEND overhaul (19 Mar) – School support staff and parents groups will rally outside Leeds Civic Hall. The group is calling for a radical overhaul of the special educational needs (SEND) provision. The workers, who are on the frontline supporting children with additional needs in Leeds, will then take a formal deputation to the full council, who will then vote on SEND reforms. GMB Union have been campaigning across the city to organise staff and parents alike, to fight for safe staffing levels, fair pay, and proper staff development read more
Swindon social workers to strike again (19 Mar) – Social workers for Swindon Borough Council will be taking their third day of strike action tomorrow. GMB, the union for social workers, had paused strike action for two weeks to give the council the opportunity to engage in meaningful talks in the ongoing dispute over pay. The council has now confirmed that they are unwilling to engage in talks with GMB to resolve the strike and as such the strike action will recommence from Tuesday [19 March] morning read more
Northern Ireland transport unions re-enter Translink talks (15 Mar) – Unions have issued the following joint statement: “Northern Ireland’s transport unions – GMB, SIPTU and Unite, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink management…” read more
Wolverhampton faces waste strike chaos (13 Mar) – Household waste could pile high when workers at the city’s incinerator walk out. GMB union has today announced workers at Wolverhampton City Council’s Energy from Waste site will take strike action this month. Workers will down tools on Wednesday 20 – Friday 22 March in a dispute with council bosses over pay. Workers at the site, which processes over 100,000 tonnes of household waste each year, are angry at facing a pay freeze since April 2022 despite cost of living pressures. Their union, GMB, believes the council are currently breaching the terms of their contract which guarantees annual pay negotiations. Workers at the site are expected to transfer over to a new employer, expected to take place next month read more
Wisbech Asda workers announce strike dates (13 Mar) – Workers at Wisbech have announced their strike dates. Around 170 Wisbech Asda workers will walk out from 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 March – Easter weekend. The strike has been caused by cuts to hours and an increase in a bullying management culture. Workers are also angry about poor levels of training and support for their job roles, the equal pay claim dragging on for years, health, safety and fire safety issues being ignored and a lack of collective bargaining with GMB Union. Wisbech will become just the second Asda store to face strike action, after more than 100 GMB members walked out at Gosport last month 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
Amazon workers announce new strike dates (12 Mar) – Fresh industrial action comes as the retail giant could be on brink of forced union recognition. GMB union has today announced further strike dates at two Amazon fulfilment centres. The strike dates come just days after GMB members at the company submitted an application for mandatory recognition at Amazon 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. Workers will down tools at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre as well as at Amazon’s new flagship HQ in Birmingham, a £500 million site that only opened its doors in October. Strike action will take place in Coventry on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 March and in Birmingham on Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 March read more
Thirty five Birmingham schools facing strike threat (8 Mar) – Council bosses must act urgently to avoid springtime school strikes. GMB Union has today announced the names of thirty-five Birmingham Schools that will begin a formal strike vote next week. The ballot comes after the union accused Birmingham City Council on delay in resolving the equal pay crisis impacting city workers. Nearly ninety per cent of Birmingham workers backed strike action in a council wide consultative ballot earlier this month, with further waves of formal strike ballots expected to be announced 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
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
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
Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City – started by Nottingham City Unison
Dudley NHS staff gain Mitie victory (25 Mar) – Private contractor gets funding from government to pay non-medical staff the COVID bonus. A group of Mitie workers with Christina McAnea on a visit to UNISON Centre. More than 300 hospital workers in Dudley represented by UNISON are celebrating victory after their employer, Mitie, committed to paying the lump sum COVID bonus due to them at the end of last week. The one-off payment is worth at least £1,655 for full-time health workers, including porters, domestics, sterile services and catering staff working in the NHS. Mitie applied for funding for the pay deal from the Department of Health and Social Care and has written to UNISON to say that its application for funding had been successful. Staff had taken three days of strike action over the company’s previous refusal to honour the payment, already given to health workers employed directly by the NHS in June read more
Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to strike for one-off payment, says UNISON (26 Mar) – Commenting on the government funding that will now allow thousands of health workers to receive the one-off payment given to NHS staff last year, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Low-paid health workers shouldn’t have had to go on strike and lose money to win the cash that’s rightfully theirs. Nor should they have had to wait many months for the one-off payments their directly employed NHS colleagues got months ago…” read more
Opinion: Why the fight for Waspi pension justice is far from over (25 Mar) – The lack of sympathy toward Waspi women is not surprising. Society continues to undervalue the work that women do and takes their contribution for granted read more
UNISON hosts housing roundtables with Generation Rent (22 Mar) – The roundtables in mid-April will be open to all union members who privately rent, and participants’ time will be reimbursed with gift vouchers read more
Swift compensation needed now to right huge pension wrongs (21 Mar) – Ombudsman recognition welcome but process has been too long. Commenting today (Thursday) on the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on changes to the state pension age for women, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Raising the state pension age, with barely any notice, was catastrophic for a whole generation of women. It left their retirement plans in tatters. It’s only right the thousands of women left in dire financial straits are given compensation now. This has all taken far too long…” read more
Dudley MP raises Mitie strikers’ struggle in the Commons (13 Mar) – Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt MP says she will make sure the case of the Dudley workers is looked at read more
Bedfordshire NHS hospital staff in 48-hour strike over pay (11 Mar) – Staff across two Bedfordshire hospitals say they are being asked to perform medical tasks above their pay grade, such as inserting cannulas. Hundreds of NHS emergency hospital staff are expected to take part in strike action in a dispute over pay and rebanding of roles. Some 400 workers at the Bedford and Luton & Dunstable hospitals will walk out for 48 hours from 07:30 GMT. The union Unison said healthcare assistants were being asked to carry out clinical tasks without extra pay read more on BBC website. Unison: ‘Ripped off’ Bedfordshire NHS staff vote on strike action
NHS staff across Teesside announce strike date in pay dispute, says UNISON (27 Feb) – Around 1,000 healthcare assistants at North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will take strike action next month in a dispute over pay… Staff at the trusts’ seven sites* will walk out for 24 hours from 7am on Monday 11 March as part of their campaign to be paid on a higher wage band which accurately reflects the work they have been doing 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
NIPSA
HSC Pay Offer 2023/24 (6 Mar) – Patrick Mulholland Deputy General Secretary: NIPSA has now received a formal pay offer for the 2023/24 pay year. See link below – Pay Offer – Letter to Trade Unions.pdf. The HSC Central Panel Branches unanimously agreed to recommend to members that we accept the offer. This should not be misconstrued as a blanket endorsement of the offer. Members are encouraged to attend Branch meetings in the coming days. Details of which shall be issued through your Branch Secretary read more
Royal College of Nursing
Long overdue payments for nursing staff delivering NHS care (25 Mar) – Following campaigning by the RCN, staff on Agenda for Change contracts who aren’t directly employed by the NHS will finally receive one-off payments promised last year by the government read more
Half of England’s nursing staff could quit as analysis reveals impact of decade-long attack on pay (22 Mar) – We are reiterating the urgency of a substantial pay rise for every member of the nursing workforce read more
RCN members vote to reject pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland (22 Mar) – The results of the RCN’s consultation on the HSC pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland have been announced read more
COVID inquiry: RCN presents evidence on testing, PPE and staffing in the care sector (20 Mar) – Care services were chronically under-resourced to deal with pandemic pressures and lessons must be learned, we told the inquiry 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
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
CSP members in Northern Ireland accept pay offer (22 Mar) – CSP members working for Health and Social Care Northern Ireland have voted clearly to accept the 2023/24 offer on pay. The pay offer includes a five per cent consolidated pay offer backdated to April 2023 that would bring Northern Ireland members back in line with colleagues in England if implemented. Additionally, there would be a non-consolidated lump sum of £1,505 for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions who have been working during the 2023-24 period. 84 per cent of voters accepted the offer on a turnout of 57 per cent of eligible members. At a meeting of the joint trade unions representing Health and Social Care staff in Northern Ireland, the majority also reported acceptance. This outcome has been reported to the government and we are now waiting for their response read more
SOR
SoR members in Northern Ireland vote to accept pay offer for HSC staff (22 Mar) – 73% of SoR respondents voted to accept the 2023-2024 pay award. Following negotiations with Minister Robin Swann and Department of Health officials, an offer for the 2023-2024 pay award was put forward to HSC staff. The pay offer includes a consolidated 5% uplift and a lump sum payment of £1505. A consultation was held to survey SoR members’ opinion on this offer from Friday 1st March to Thursday 21st March 2024 where 73% of respondents voted to accept it read more
Isle of Man health unions agree pay settlement for 2023/24 (19 Mar) – In a joint statement, Manx Care and other organisations confirmed the 6 per cent deal. Health unions in the Isle of Man have agreed to the pay settlement for 2023/24, following consultation with staff. In a joint statement, Manx Care, Manx Pay Terms and Conditions (MPTC) and the National Joint Council (NJC) confirmed that they had settled the pay offer for 2023/24, following confirmation from staff-side representatives. The pay offer for MPTC/NJC staff of 6 per cent will be back paid from March 2024 read more
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
Junior doctors in England urge Health Secretary to come forward with new offer as they vote for six more months of industrial action (20 Mar) – Junior doctors in England today urged the Government to present a new and credible offer after voting overwhelmingly in favour of continuing their industrial action in their campaign for full pay restoration. With 98% (or 33,869) of junior doctors voting to continue industrial action on a turnout of 62%, their re-ballot has renewed their mandate for industrial action for another six months. The new mandate lasts from 3rd April to 19th September 2024. The ballot also approved the use of action short of strike (ASOS) read more
Continuing resolve (20 Mar) – Years of real-term pay decline and an unsustainable workload mean junior doctors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are determined to carry on with industrial action read more
Frustration turns to action as junior doctors in Northern Ireland strike for first time (6 Mar) – Doctors earning lowest rate in the UK walk out for 24 hours in fight for pay restoration. It is hard to have a pay dispute when there has not a devolved government to argue with, while at the same time government in Westminster insists your dispute is a devolved issue. Yet this has been the case for junior doctors in Northern Ireland. Even since last month, when the Northern Ireland executive was reformed after two years of stalemate, they have been told the devolved government’s hands are tied until Westminster comes to an agreement with junior doctors in England. Earning as little as £13 an hour, the lowest rate in the UK, BMA members in Northern Ireland had to act. From 8am 6 March, about 2,000 junior doctors walked out on strike for 24 hours as they call for restoration of pay to 2008 levels in real terms, with an above-inflation uplift this year to stem the immediate workforce crisis read more
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
Junior doctors in Wales announce new strike dates in fight to restore pay (5 Feb) – BMA Cymru Wales’ junior doctors committee has announced new strike dates as part of the dispute over pay. In the absence of a credible pay offer to form the basis of talks to end the dispute, junior doctors from across Wales will take part in two further walkouts in February and March this year. The first, a 72 hour full walkout will take place from Wednesday 21st February and the second a 96 hour full walkout from Monday 25th March. The new rounds of strike action follow a 72-hour full walkout by junior doctors in January. The committee decided to announce new dates after the Welsh Government failed to produce a credible offer to end the dispute read more
HCSA
Be bold, be forthright and show you have teeth, HCSA tells DDRB pay body (20 Mar) – HCSA leaders have told doctors’ pay review body the DDRB “to show it has teeth” and tackle long-term pay erosion. At a face-to-face meeting with DDRB members general secretary Dr Paul Donaldson (pictured, right) and Junior Doctors’ Committee chair Dr Karim Salem (left) said it must “put a marker in the sand” on real-terms cuts to salaries in order to win back the trust of the medical profession read more
HCSA junior doctors urge action on Associates at NHS England meet (19 Mar) – HCSA junior doctors’ leaders have met senior NHS England representatives to call for action on growing concerns over medical “associate” professionals. The HCSA delegation also challenged “unacceptable” behaviour by some trusts who are trying to bully doctors in training into breaking strike action read more
HCSA calls for action on ‘cover-up culture’ fuelled by NHS leadership (18 Mar) – HCSA has provided testimony to senior MPs over the culture of fear created by NHS managers trying to prevent doctors speaking up on safety. It made the case for change in a submission to the Commons health and social care committee investigation into leadership culture 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
Cathedral School Llandaff using agency workers during strike (12 Mar) – NEU Cymru considers legal action over CSL’s shock use of agency staff. Today (12th March) as teachers from the school again take to the picket line outside the Cathedral School Llandaff this morning, NEU Cymru is shocked to learn that CSL is using an agency to put on revision classes – a clear legal breach read more
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
Please support the following strike action (email address of NEU reps included):-
Abbey Gate / Chester (TPS) 26 March Greg Foster [email protected]
St Michael’s CofE School / Sefton (Conditions of Service) 26 March Alastair Devey
Lycee Francais De Gaulle / Kensington & Chelsea (Pay) 26-27 March John Friend [email protected]
King Solomon High School / Redbridge (Conditions of Service) 26-28 March Venda Premkumar [email protected]
Dame Allan’s Schools / Newcastle (TPS) 27 March Brian Metcalf [email protected]
Wandsworth Nursery Schools / Wandsworth (Redundancies) 27 March Anita Conradi [email protected]
South Chingford / Waltham Forest (Conditions of Service) 28 March Pablo Phillips
[email protected] Sandra Faria [email protected]
NASUWT
Norfolk teachers strike over pension exploitation (25 Mar) – Teachers at Aurora Eccles and Aurora Whitehouse schools in Norfolk will begin strike action on Tuesday 26th March after their employer, the Aurora Group, threatened to remove them from their pension scheme via a fire and rehire process. Further strike days are planned on the 27th March, and 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th and 25th of April read more
Lecturers in Northern Ireland vote to reject pay offer (20 Mar) – Lecturer members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for Northern Ireland’s Further Education Lecturers. Lecturers had been awarded 5% plus an unconsolidated payment of £1500. 87% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with a turnout of 63%. 71% said they were prepared to take further strike action and 93% said that they were prepared to take further action short of strike action. The NASUWT National Action Committee will now consider the results of the member survey before deciding on the union’s next steps read more
Teachers in Northern Ireland vote to accept pay award (20 Mar) – Teacher members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted to accept the terms of the 2021-24 pay offer as part of the process for securing resolution of their ongoing dispute with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. 82% of NASUWT members who responded to the pay survey voted in favour of implementing the offer, with a turnout of 63%. The NASUWT National Action Committee will now consider the results of the survey ahead of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee meeting on 26 March read more
Teachers at Llangors CiW Primary School to take industrial action over concerns with school management and governance (19 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School in Llangorse, Powys will be taking Action Short of Strike Action from Monday 8th April over adverse management and employer practices, potential job loss, health and safety, working conditions and redundancy. Eleven days of strike action are planned through April, May and June, with the first strike day to take place on 10th April read more
Pension threats prompt strike action at Newcastle school (18 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Dame Allan’s Schools in Fenham are taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow over attempts to downgrade their pensions. Teachers are facing the forcible withdrawal of their pensions from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) to an inferior Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Teachers have been told that if they do not accept the transfer of their pensions, they will be dismissed from their jobs and reengaged on new contracts which include the DC pension arrangements. We do not accept that there is any financial necessity for the school to undermine teachers’ financial security in this way read more
Tring Park School teachers take strike action over pension sabotage (12 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have begun a series of strike days due to a dispute over their pensions. After being offered a pay rise below levels of inflation, teachers at Tring Park School have now been told that if they wish to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme – the standard scheme for teachers across England – they will need to take a pay cut in order to compensate for their employer’s contributions. Their only alternative is to move to a scheme of lower value. Strike action took place at Tring Park School on Tuesday 12th March and will take place again on Wednesday 13th March. Further days are planned on 19th, 20th and 21st March read more
Teachers at Cheshire college strike over pension attacks (6 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Abbey Gate College in Chester are taking strike action today over attacks on their pensions. The College is planning to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Staff can opt to remain in the TPS, but only on the condition they accept a significant cut to their pay read more
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
FELA Annual Conference says no to Compulsory Redundancies & cuts to Educational Provision at UHI Shetland (22 Mar) – The annual conference of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) took place in Perth, in the context of the continuing long-running national dispute over pay and continuing cuts to education provision in Scotland’s college sector read more
College lecturers escalate to national rolling strike action in pursuit of long overdue pay award (21 Mar) – The Educational Institute of Scotland has given notice to all of Scotland’s Further Education colleges of a programme of rolling strike action in a long running dispute over pay. This marks a further escalation in the pay dispute, where members of the EIS-Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) have been taking action short of strike since the middle of February and have already taken a national day of strike action read more
Lecturers begin targeted strike action in constituency areas of key Scottish Government ministers (12 Mar) – Lecturers in three Scottish colleges will take targeted industrial action over the coming weeks. With Dundee & Angus College taking the first of two days of targeted strike action, starting Monday, and continuing on Wednesday this week. Fife College lectures are set to take two days of strike action next week followed by Glasgow Clyde College the week after. Each of these colleges sit within the parliamentary constituency areas of Scottish Government Ministers with the responsibility for these public bodies; Dundee & Angus College for the Minister for Higher and Further Education (Graeme Dey), Fife College for the Cabinet Secretary for Education (Jenny Gilruth) and Glasgow Clyde College for the First Minister (Humza Yousaf) read more
INTO
INTO Members Accept Teachers’ Pay Offer 2021-2023 (20 Mar) – INTO members in Districts 1 and 2 have chosen, by a substantial margin to accept the Teachers’ Pay Offer for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in an electronic survey of members in the north. The union result announced today (20 March). 2,417 members (68.42%) supported the offer. 1,129 members (31.58%) were against the offer. The turnout was 50.2% of the NI membership. The Northern Committee of the union scrutinised the offer negotiated by the NITC Pay Team and issued a formal recommendation to the membership, urging acceptance of the 3-year award which covers the school years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. A significant majority of members agreed to accept the proposals 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
OfS a vehicle for government “authoritarianism” (26 Mar) – UCU has called for the Office for Students (OfS) to be abolished as soon as the Tories are voted out of office. The union was responding to new OfS guidance on freedom of speech read more
Over 1,000 people sign petition opposing Northumbria University cuts (25 Mar) – Over 1,000 people have now signed the petition supporting Northumbria University UCU Branch in their campaign against compulsory redundancies. Signatories include the Northern Regional Secretaries of the National Education Union, UNISON, and UNITE. On Saturday, delegates from 16 trade unions attended the annual conference of the Northern Region Trades Union Congress, and showed their support for UCU and UNISON members in Higher Education by voting to back staff fighting against a swathe of cuts that have been announced by universities in the region. UCU members at Northumbria University are continuing to vote yes for strike action in an industrial action ballot this week, buoyed by the support they are getting from the wider trade union movement and the public read more
Strike threat at University of Winchester over ‘catastrophic’ job cull (14 Mar) – UCU confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Winchester after its members voted to consult over taking industrial action at a packed meeting last Friday. Staff have been put at risk of redundancy in changes that would see the university close its English language programme; institute for climate and social justice; centre for religion, reconciliation and peace; and managed housing, and see cuts to psychology, acting and apprenticeships. The university claims it needs to make the cuts due to a £6m structural deficit. There are 40 jobs planned to go in the current phase, with fears of further job cuts pending read more
Northumbria University strike ballot opens Monday over job cuts (14 Mar) – UCU announced a strike ballot will open at Northumbria University on Monday 18 March after management refused to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of plans to make £12.5m of staffing cuts. The ballot closes on Friday 26 April. Talks between management and UCU to resolve the dispute were due to take place earlier this week but the university cancelled them without explanation. The union has now been told that senior management will not meet for talks. The university has also pulled back from a joint statement that had previously been agreed read more
Strike ballot at New College Durham over low pay (11 Mar) – UCU has opened a strike ballot at New College Durham in a dispute over low pay. The ballot will close on Monday 15 April and a successful result paves the way for strike action if the employer refuses to make a realistic offer. The ballot comes after staff voted to reject a paltry pay offer of 4% (from August 2023). According to its most recent accounts the college has over £9m in assets, a £2m increase on the year before, and is rated as having outstanding financial health by the government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency, yet UCU’s research shows it spends less of its income on pay than any other college in the region 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.
FBU
‘Fundamentally flawed’: Welsh Government hits back at ‘minimum service levels’ (20 Mar) – The Fire Brigades Union has welcomed Welsh Government opposition to Westminster’s new minimum service levels regulations for the fire and rescue service. In a letter to fire minister Chris Philp, Hannah Blythyn, Welsh Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, has condemned the Act as an “unworkable intrusion into devolved matters”, describing the legislation as “fundamentally flawed, damaging and counter-productive”. Under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, fire service employers will be given the power to issue ‘work notices’ during a period of strike action. Recently published regulations state that these work notices will be able to dictate that 73% of appliances should be crewed on a strike day, while control rooms will be expected to operate as if it was a non-strike day read more
‘Allowed to act with impunity’: Firefighters’ union responds to Northants PFCC standing down (18 Mar) – The Fire Brigades Union has responded to the announcement that Northamptonshire PFCC Stephen Mold will not stand for re-election, calling for an end to the police, fire and crime commissioner model. Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said: “Firefighters and the public have welcomed the news that Stephen Mold will not run for re-election as Northamptonshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner. Following eight months of scandal, culminating in unacceptable sexism, Mold should have been formally held to account…” read more
POA
POA pay submission (13 Mar) – The POA Pay Submission can now be officially sent out as the other parties involved have now shared their documents. Please find attached our written submission and we will update you when we have given our oral evidence. This document will also be available on the POA website with the full Annex’s read more
NAPO
Employment Tribunal Fees – Take Action! (20 Mar) – The TUC have a tool to help unions and activists respond to the consultation. This is one for union staff and more committed activists and reps – over 200 people have already shared their concerns. Please use it to get responding to the consultation – the deadline is 25 March so do it THIS WEEK! Read more
Probation workloads crisis: write to your MP (20 Mar) – Napo, UNISON and GMB/SCOOP are encouraging members to write to their MP about the current workload crisis in probation and the effect that this is having on services, staff, and communities. Enclosed with this bulletin is a model letter for this purpose. Recently Amy Rees was asked questions by the Justice Select Committee about Probation workloads which had been influenced by engagement with Napo, UNISON and GMB/SCOOP read more
BFAWU
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
Nautilus International
Agreement reached between officers and Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (22 Mar) – Nautilus members have voted strongly in favour of a new agreement negotiated with the company, which will give them more time at home than originally offered. Ships’ officers working for Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IOMSPCo) have reached agreement with their employer over changes to terms and conditions relating to live aboard arrangements read more
Union tells rally: our members were ‘discarded like dirt’ by P&O Ferries (21 Mar) – Nautilus International alongside RMT, The TUC and ITF at demonstration acknowledging two years since P&O Ferries. The government has been urged to fulfil its promises to protect seafarers made in the wake of the P&O Ferries scandal in which 786 crew lost their jobs. Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray told a rally attended by MPs and trade unionists to mark the second anniversary of the mass sackings that Nautilus members were ‘discarded like dirt’ and treated with contempt by the company. Mr Gray criticised the Seafarers’ Wages Act and voluntary Seafarers’ Welfare Charter, brought in by the government, which lack sufficient legislative backing to address exploitation in the industry. Despite admitting to breaking the law, P&O Ferries has to date faced no criminal or civil sanctions read more
NUJ
NUJ welcomes temporary reprieve in Assange appeal judgment and reiterates its call for US plea deal (26 Mar) – Michelle Stanistreet has welcomed the decision to give Julian Assange leave to appeal, handed down at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on 26 March by Judges Victor Johnson and Dame Victoria Sharp, subject to assurances from the US government that address their grounds of appeal read more
National World figures reveal “financial flexibility” and 13 per cent digital growth (21 Mar) – NUJ calls on the publisher to fairly remunerate its journalists through a decent pay rise, following publication of its 2023 figures. The publisher of titles across the UK and Ireland including The Scotsman, Sunderland Echo, Belfast News Letter and The Yorkshire Post had a closing cash balance of £10.7m and saw 13 per cent increase in digital revenue as outlined by chairman David Montgomery in its year-end results. National World journalists are seeking a pay increase that addresses enshrined pay anomalies across grades and helps ease financial pressures associated with cost of living increases read more
STV journalists vote for strike action as pay talks break down (11 Mar) – Journalists at STV are set to go on strike after an industrial ballot showed overwhelming support in favour of industrial action at the Scottish broadcaster. Members of the NUJ have voted 89 per cent in favour of strike action after last minute talks at ACAS resulted in the management refusing to improve its offer to resolve a pay dispute. STV News faces a summer of disruption to its flagship news programming as journalists are expected to walk out of newsrooms and onto picket lines. NUJ members at the broadcaster will be meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss the form and timescale of industrial action read more
Equity
Equity calls for the Communities Minister to Save the Arts in Northern Ireland (26 Mar) – Over 130 members of the community showed up to Equity’s Save the Arts, Resist the Cuts public meeting this afternoon read more
Musicians Union
Kent University Announces Closure of All Music Courses (26 Mar) – The MU expresses solidarity to all staff and students affected by the closures read more
Community
Community blasts Scottish Prison Service over derecognition at HMP Kilmarnock (22 May) – Justice workers’ union Community has blasted the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Scottish Government over the decision to re-recognise the trade union at HMP Kilmarnock following the prison’s transfer from Serco to the public sector read more
Statement on shortage of riot officers in prisons (19 Mar) – Responding to recent reporting on the shortage of Tornado squad riot officers in prisons, Adrian Axtell, Community’s National Officer for the Justice sector, said: “The shortage of riot control officers is indicative of the wider staffing crisis in the prison service – a situation which is now a clear and present risk to the safety of our members in the justice sector…” read more
Statement – Morfa Coke Ovens, Port Talbot (18 Mar) – Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel at the steelworkers’ union Community, said: “The early closure of the coke ovens is a massive blow but we knew they have been deteriorating and our number one concern is the safety of our members. Tata know the unions will not accept any compulsory redundancies and we are working to conclude negotiations on an enhanced redundancy and retention package. Regretfully the coke ovens were always going to close during the transition period, but once the national consultations conclude we will ballot for industrial action should Tata confirm their intention to close Blast Furnace Number 4” read more
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
USDAW
Usdaw members at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon start industrial action over pay on Sunday, which could impact B&Q stores (22 Mar) – Members of the retail distribution union Usdaw at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon, which operates a B&Q contract, are starting a 48-hour strike over pay, starting at 2pm on Sunday 24 March 2024. Over 100 drivers and clerical staff are set to take part in the action read more
Asda Express workers pay to go above the real Living Wage after discussions with Usdaw (19 Mar) – Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed Asda agreeing a substantial pay increase for all hourly staff at Express stores, Food Services and LEON read more
UVW
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
Workers at debt charity vote to strike following “aggressive intimidation” from management (8 Mar) – Frontline workers at the debt advice charity Rooted Finance will down tools later this month after their ballot to strike passed with a 100% yes vote. The decision to walk out on March 18 and 19 follows what workers have described as “anti-union and intimidatory tactics” from management read more
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
ICTU ratify new public service pay agreement (25 Mar) – SIPTU representatives can confirm the ratification of a new public service pay agreement, effective January 1st, 2024, and lasting until June 30th, 2026. The news comes following a meeting of the ICTU Public Services Committee this morning read more
New public sector pay deal endorsed by SIPTU members (21 Mar) – SIPTU members across the public service have spoken loud and clear, with a resounding majority voting to accept the proposed new Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024 – 2026. The ballots were counted today (Thursday, 21st March) at count centres in Dublin, Cork, and Galway read more
Other news
WOR BELLA – the incredible story of heroic women footballers during WW1. An out-of-town run at the Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham, before transferring to the prestigious 1200-seat Newcastle Theatre Royal in April. The play features a to-camera cameo by Alan Shearer.
The fantastic women footballers (worldwide) of all ages today stand on the shoulders of these incredible, heroic working class women from over a century ago (before women’s football was banned by the FA in 1921).
www.worbella.co.uk Google: “Wor Bella ed waugh”.
These are the trailers (to date) for the play.
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
