NSSN 682: BMA call 5-day Junior Doctors Strike during general election

The NSSN sends our solidarity to the BMA and their junior doctor members who are taking further action in their long-running pay dispute with the Tory Government. Please support this and all other workers’ action that is taking place.

From BMA website: Junior doctors plan strike prior to general election (29 May) – BMA requested Government make final offer which failed to materialise forcing further action. Junior doctors in England are set to resume strike action ahead of the general election, following the Government’s failure to provide a credible offer over restoring pay. The association’s junior doctors committee has announced doctors will stage a full, five-day walkout from 7am 27 June, unless the Government announces a ‘concrete commitment’ to restoring pay. Following months of industrial action, the BMA announced earlier this month that it had agreed to enter externally mediated talks with the Government in an effort to reach a ‘credible solution’ over the long-running pay dispute. Today’s announcement of renewed strikes comes after prime minister Rishi Sunak’s decision last week on 22 May to call a general election for 4 July. Following this announcement, the association said it gave ministers a ‘final opportunity’ to make an offer and avoid further strike action, but that this request was ignored. BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Robert Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi said that doctors will now embark on a full walk-out by junior doctors beginning at 7am 27 June 2024 and ending 7am 2 July read more

NSSN Conference 2024 Saturday 22nd June: General Election called; Tories Out – Fight for a Workers Manifesto

NSSN Conference 2024: Saturday 22^nd 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]

Finally, Sunak has called the General Election for 4th July. Workers are desperate to get rid of the Tories.

Our annual conference is on Saturday 22nd June. As usual, we will be giving a platform to leaders and rank and file reps from unions involved in industrial disputes, to build support and solidarity for their action.

However, as this year’s NSSN conference takes place during the General Election, the additional theme of our event will be: ‘Tories Out – Fight for a Workers Manifesto’.

This session will be concerned with how the union movement fights for the policies that workers desperately need. We have invited representatives from a number of parties and organisations to take part in the discussion.

We have set out a list of demands:-

To repeal Sunak’s ‘Strike Minimum Service Levels Act (MSL) along with Cameron’s Trade Union Act 2016, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major.
To re-nationalise Royal Mail, BT, buses, the energy and utility companies, steel. Immediate re-nationalisation of the railways, rather than waiting for franchises to expire
To end privatisation in the NHS and our public services.
For a real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards.
For a £15/hour minimum wage with no age exemptions
Repeal of Fire & Rehire and Zero-hour contracts
Workers’ rights from day one of employment

The conference will be a chance for workers to organise for their voice to be heard in the election – and even more importantly prepare for the battles that will follow July 4th! Come to NSSN Conference – support the strikes and join the debate.

Support the steelworkers at Tata

The NSSN stands in solidarity with steelworkers as steel unions ballot their members for industrial action. Both Unite and Community unions have now voted 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, the NSSN continues to demand the works be nationalised to save jobs and working-class communities. Recently, 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.

From BBC website: Community union votes for strike action over Tata job losses (9 May) – Community said 85% of its members backed industrial action. Members of the largest steelworkers’ union, Community, have voted in favour of industrial action over Tata Steel’s restructuring plans. The union said 85% of those who voted supported the move. Workers were balloted after Tata Steel announced 2,800 job losses across the UK as part of the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and a transition to greener steelmaking read more on BBC website

Union prepares to escalate Tata industrial action after company refuses to wait for Labour’s promised investment (2 Jun) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is preparing to escalate industrial action at Port Talbot and Llanwern after Tata showed its true colours and threatened to cut redundancy pay in response to the announcement earlier this week that Unite members will begin an overtime ban and work to rule later this month. In a further significant threat Tata has told workers that next month’s general election will not affect it plans to close its blast furnaces. It said: “Neither the general election nor its outcome has any impact on the timings or our decision to proceed with the winding down of our heavy-end operations (blast furnaces).” In the same communication the company has threatened “to bring forward” the closure of blast furnaces. The company’s statement on its closure plans is a direct rebuff to the Labour Party, which is committed to creating a £3 billion investment steel fund to preserve steel making in the UK. On Thursday when launching Labour’s campaign in Wales, Labour leader Keir Starmer said on Tata: “I will fight for every single job and fight for the future of steel in Wales.” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite and its members will not tolerate Tata’s bully boy tactics and neither should Labour. The union is now preparing to escalate industrial action in direct response to the company’s threats. The company is trying to hold the country to ransom, while needlessly throw thousands of workers on the scrapheap. If Tata is not prepared to do the right thing, then an incoming Labour government must ensure it does. “Tata’s actions show the fundamental problem with private multinational companies owning the UK’s foundation industries. It has no concern for the long-term economic damage and harm its action will cause in the UK.” Read more

Tata industrial action begins as workers fight to stop shutdown plans (30 May) – Tata must halt plans and wait for Labour government in July. Around 1,500 Tata steelworkers based in Port Talbot and Newport Llanwern will stage industrial action over the company’s plans to close its blast furnaces and cut 2,800 jobs. The workers, who are members of Unite, will begin working to rule as well as taking part in a continuous overtime ban from 18 June. The industrial action will severely disrupt and delay Tata’s operations and order book. Strike action will be scheduled if the company does not row back on its plans read more

Find out more about the campaign: www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-steel

GMB responds to Labour’s Port Talbot call (22 May) – GMB Union has responded to Labour’s call for job support and training guarantees read more

Fight the Tory attack on our #RightToStrike

About 5,000 trade unionists marched in Cheltenham on 27^th 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.

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 national demonstration in London is on Saturday 8^th June, assemble at 12noon

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 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 National Dispute Fund 

Avanti West Coast Caterers to strike over intolerable working conditions (1 Jun) – RMT will take strike action on Avanti West Coast next week, after the company imposed rosters that are causing widespread stress and fatigue. Caterers at the company are deeply unhappy about short notice changes to shift patterns, job cuts and enforced overtime. RMT members are unable to fulfil or plan family commitments, attend medical appointments and that is having a detrimental affect on the workforce. Since Avanti took over the West Coast Main Line franchise from Virgin, it has been dogged by numerous industrial relations disputes, culminating in this latest stoppage on Friday June 7 read more

Rail Gourmet Eurostar strike action over pay continues (30 May) – Contracted out workers on Eurostar are striking over pay today. RMT members working for Rail Gourmet are trying to get management back round the negotiating table. Last month, they took several days action and are determined to get a decent pay deal. The strike started on Wednesday 6am and will end Friday at 5.59am read more

Contracted out gate line staff to strike on Northern Rail (23 May) – Super-exploited workers at Northern Rail will take strike action on Friday 24 May and Saturday 8 June over poor pay and dreadful working conditions. RMT members who are employed by Carlisle Support Services work at Northern Rail gate lines but are paid less than directly employed staff and cannot enter the company pension scheme or receive sick pay from their employer. The contractor also does not recognise RMT for the purposes of collective bargaining read more

RFA staff to strike on Sunday over pay (17 May) – RMT Seafarers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) will take strike action on Sunday despite efforts by the union to find a settlement. RFA have imposed a one-year deal of 4.5% which does not reflect the value and sacrifices of staff in the fleet. RMT members work as civilian merchant seafarers onboard the fleet of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels which provide the Royal Navy with vital logistic and operational support including humanitarian operations around the globe. Over 500 RFA seafarers will be taking part in the Sunday strike read more

RMT suspends strike action on Scotrail after guard role secured (15 May) – Rail union, RMT has successfully retained the guard and all the responsibilities of the role on every train along the Barrhead and East Kilbride route. Conductors will also continue to dispatch trains, including full control of the doors on departure and perform their safety critical duties. This means strikes due to go ahead on May 18,19,25,26 and June 1,2 have all been called off read more

London Underground Jobs, Pensions and Agreements dispute: RMT members smash Tory anti-union ballot thresholds once again (25 Apr) read more

CrossCountry trains strike suspended after progress (11 Apr) – RMT has suspended planned strike action on CrossCountry this Saturday, after management agreed to intensive talks to resolve the dispute. CrossCountry had refused to recognise RMT at all grades within the company. This is despite written evidence to the contrary. Now the company has agreed to sit down with RMT to address our concerns with no changes to agreements in this period read more

RFA members vote for industrial action over pay (9 Apr) – Seafarers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over pay. RMT members working as civilian merchant seafarers onboard the fleet of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels which provide the Royal Navy with vital logistic and operational support including humanitarian operations around the world, have rejected a below inflation pay offer from management. RFA have implemented a one-year deal of 4.5% which was totally unacceptable to RMT members. Up to 500 RFA seafarers were balloted for strike action by RMT union, and we will now consider our next steps read more

ASLEF
Train strikes announced for May Bank Holiday week – Rail passengers are being warned of disruption during the week of the May Bank Holiday after drivers announced more strikes and an overtime ban. Staff at 16 train companies will take part in rolling one-day walkouts between 7 and 9 May over pay and working conditions. An overtime ban will also take place between 6 and 11 May read more on BBC website

Train drivers at LNER to strike in row over terms and conditions – Rail services from London King’s Cross will be disrupted by the walkout on Saturday read more on Independent website

TSSA

London Underground – Further Strike Action (25 Apr) – TSSA will take strike action at London Underground on 26 April. TSSA rail union has announced a further day of strike action on Friday 26 April at London Underground by members working as Customer Service Managers. The walkouts will take place on Friday 26 April where members will not commence work on any shift starting between 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday, 26 April 2024. Accordingly, strike action will also take place on Saturday 27 April 2024 in respect of any members expected to commence shifts before 23:59 on Friday 26 April 2024 whose shifts run into Saturday 27 April 2024. When TSSA Customer Service Managers took strike action on 10 April stations closed at short notice. Similarly, the strikes this week are likely to cause stations to close at the last minute, including late night and into Saturday morning (night tube on Friday night). TSSA Customer Service Managers at London Underground will also take part in an overtime ban from 29 April to 5 May. This overtime ban will again lead to station closures at very short notice read more

Unite 

Unite welcomes Labour’s decision to allow Diane Abbott to stand (31 May) – Responding to the announcement by Keir Starmer that Diane Abbott will be allowed to stand at the general election, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “I welcome the news that Diane Abbott is finally free to go forward as a Labour candidate. This is good news for her, good news for Labour and good news for democracy. I am sure she will now do all she can to ensure that the next Labour government is one that delivers for workers.” Read more

Great British Energy: “concrete job plan and serious investment” needed, Unite (31 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the confirmation today that the next Labour government will create Great British Energy, but has called on the party to provide full details of how it intends to create well paid green skilled jobs. The union’s call comes after it earlier this month launched its campaign for Labour to reverse its plans not to issue new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, until a genuine programme for a just transition is in place. The campaign is titled No ban without a plan read more

Fuel shortages across North West and Scottish borders as tanker drivers strike (31 May) – Tanker drivers supplying forecourts and aviation fuel across the North West and Scottish borders, will strike over pay next week, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). Around 50 Stanlow oil refinery-based drivers, who work for Hoyer, which has recently rebranded as Oxalis, are angry that their pay offer is significantly lower than that of their colleagues in other parts of the country. For example, Oxalis drivers in Thurrock and Birmingham have been offered £2 an hour more than the Stanlow drivers…The workers deliver fuel from the Stanlow oil terminal to Shell, BP and Esso forecourts predominantly across the North West and Scottish borders, as well as to airlines, including Jet2 at Liverpool airport. The workers will strike from 6 to 8 June and 13 to 15 June. The industrial action will cause significant disruption to fuel supplies across the North West and Scottish borders. Further strike will be called if the dispute is not resolved read more

Liverpool bus misery as Stagecoach drivers strike over pay (30 May) – Profitable Stagecoach pays drivers £3,000 a year less than Arriva for same job. Nearly 500 Liverpool Stagecoach bus drivers will strike over pay in June, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Thursday). The workers are angry over the huge disparity between their pay and that of Arriva Liverpool drivers. Arriva drivers are paid £1.40 more an hour, equating to around £3,000 a year, for performing the same role. Stagecoach is a profitable company that announced revenues of £773.2 million for the half year to 28 October 2023, up from £669.6 million during the previous six months. In the same period, operating profits increased to £51.1 million from £33.1 million…The workers will strike from 13 June to 18 June. As well as day-to-day travel, transport to events during the strike action, such as concerts by Taylor Swift and Pink, will also be disrupted. If the dispute is not resolved industrial action will escalate, including the possibility of indefinite all out strikes read more

Jeremy Hunt guilty of gross double standards over increased wages comment, says Unite (30 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has said that chancellor Jeremy Hunt is peddling “gross double standards” after he told Sky News that he welcomes higher wages for workers. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The chancellor is guilty of gross double standards. Attempting to claim that he was pro-higher workers’ pay, when throughout the worst cost-of-living crisis in living memory he claimed workers shouldn’t seek pay rises as it fuelled high inflation read more

Unite wins double digit pay increase at Edinburgh Airport (30 May) – EASL workers secure 12% pay uplift and boost to shift rates and holidays. Unite the union has secured a double digit pay deal for workers based at Edinburgh Airport, Scotland’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Thursday 30 May). Around 50 workers employed by EASL (Edinburgh Airport Services Ltd) backed a pay deal which delivers an increase in basic pay from £10.90 to £12.20 per hour along with enhancements to shift rates, sick pay, and holidays. EASL workers undertake various roles including customer services, drivers, and baggage handlers. The company has been in operation since 2019 and Unite signed a recognition agreement with EASL in 2023 read more

Unite warns of Glasgow airport security risks as workers ‘routinely’ denied breaks (30 May) – Union to progress industrial action ballot ahead of summer holidays. Unite has warned of potential security risks ahead of the summer holiday rush at Glasgow Airport due to understaffing and security staff being denied contractual breaks. Scotland’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Thursday 30 May) that it has been directly informed by workers at ICTS Central Search that they are being ‘routinely’ denied breaks which they are legally entitled to read more

Brighton buses accused of Big Brother bugging of drivers and passengers (30 May) – No warning signs on buses could be a breach of data protection laws. The Brighton and Hove bus company has today been accused of potentially seriously breaching data protection laws and spying on passengers and drivers after the Unite trade union revealed it was secretly recording audio feeds on its bus network. The bus company, part of the Go-Ahead Group, has installed audio recording equipment in drivers’ cabs on some buses under the auspices of protection for drivers in cases of verbal abuse. But the devices are also able to hear and record the conversations of passengers in areas close to the cab. No warning signs are present on the buses, meaning passengers are completely unaware that their conversations may be being recorded. The devices were secretly installed without any consultation with the union and drivers did not know they were present. It is not known what is done with the recordings, who has access to them and how they are stored by Brighton and Hove buses read more

Unite launches industrial action ballots across 29 Scottish councils (29 May) – Strike action involving cleansing and waste workers could begin in July. Unite, Scotland’s largest union, has today (Wednesday 29 May) announced that it has served industrial action notices to 29 councils in an escalating pay dispute. The trade union confirmed that it will ballot thousands of its members in cleansing and waste services from 5 June until 1 July when the ballots close. If the ballots for industrial action are successful, Unite revealed that strike action could begin from July with major events potentially being impacted during the summer including the Edinburgh international and fringe festivals…The only councils not involved in Unite’s ballot process are Clackmannanshire, East Lothian, and the Orkney Islands read more

Unite recommends rejection of local government pay offer (28 May) – Local government representatives of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have agreed to recommend rejection of the local government pay offer, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unite is now undertaking the process of holding consultative ballots for its workers covered by both the local government green book agreement (the majority of council workers) and the red book (local authority craftworkers). The national employers’ pay offer of a £1,290 flat rate, plus 2.5 per cent on allowances, fails to tackle poverty pay or reverse the years of real terms pay cuts experienced by local government workers read more

Sanctuary Housing ‘terrible’ tenant services and ‘awful’ treatment of staff linked (28 May) – Strikes by London repair workers intensify as Sanctuary named in housing ombudsman severe maladministration report. Huge social landlord Sanctuary Housing’s ‘awful’ treatment of staff, which has led to long running strikes by its London repair workers, and its ‘terrible’ tenant service provision are linked, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). Unite said Sanctuary – one Britain biggest housing associations, with assets of £5.6 billion, a surplus of £100 million and a CEO, Craig Moule, on £400,000 a year – behaves like the ‘worst kind of corporate outsourcer’ to its workers and tenants. Last week, the housing ombudsman named Sanctuary along with other landlords for knowledge and information failings in its latest report on severe maladministration. Earlier this month, an independent review into 4,000 Sanctuary homes found serious issues surrounding the landlord’s processes for dealing with repairs and complaints. The review was ordered by the housing ombudsman after it issued two ‘severe maladministration’ findings against Sanctuary. The findings, which included a case where the landlord had disregarded a tradesperson’s warning over acute damp, prompted housing secretary Micheal Gove to write to Mr Moule in December demanding improvements. The issues at Sanctuary are longstanding, with the association dubbed a ‘new landlord from Hell’ by Channel Four’s Dispatches in 2019 read more. Contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]

Fire and Rehire: Labour should jettison ex-Heathrow boss from business supporters (28 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is demanding the Labour Party drop former Heathrow boss John Holand-Kaye from its list of business supporters that it released today. In late 2020, during the COVID pandemic, John Holland-Kaye, the then chief executive of Heathrow Airport Ltd, brutally fired and rehired over 4,000 of his staff, forcing them onto vastly inferior terms and conditions. Workers saw their pay drop by up to a quarter of their earnings with some losing £8,000 per annum. Holland-Kaye’s endorsement of Labour is particularly problematic as the party has recently watered down its commitment to outlaw the practice of fire and rehire and instead left the door open for the practice to continue in “exceptional circumstances” read more

Berry Norwich strikes postponed following improved pay offer (28 May) – Strikes by workers employed by Berry Norwich have been postponed after an improved pay offer was put forward by the company. Industrial action scheduled from 28 May to 30 May and on 1 and 2 June has been postponed to allow the more than 100 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, to be balloted on the new offer. If the offer is rejected, further strike action will be scheduled. The workers previously took strike action from 19 May to 21 May read more

Amcor Workington strikes suspended following improved pay offer (28 May) – Strikes by workers employed by Amcor Packaging in Workington have been suspended after an improved pay offer was put forward by the company. Industrial action scheduled for 29 May, 1 June and 2 June has been suspended to allow the more than 100 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, to be balloted on the new offer. If the offer is rejected, strikes scheduled for 5 June and 9 June will take place read more

Unite launches ‘Runway to Success’ for Scotland’s airport workers ahead of summer rush (28 May) – Plan aims to secure minimum conditions for workers across the nation’s airports. Unite the union has today (28 May) launched its ‘Runway to Success’ plan for Scotland’s airport workers in the post-Covid era. The trade union represents thousands of aviation workers directly and in the wider supply chain at the nation’s major airports: Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Unite also represents hundreds of workers at the publicly owned Prestwick airport and the eleven airports across the Highlands and Islands Airport Limited (HIAL) Group: Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Inverness, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick read more

New industrial action set to hit Dounreay power station (28 May) – Unite blasts Nuclear Restoration Services over pay impasse. Unite the union has today (Tuesday 28 May) announced extra days of industrial action set to hit Dounreay power station as part of an ongoing pay dispute. Over 500 Unite members employed by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS) will now take 24-hour strike action on 19 June in addition to the action scheduled for tomorrow (29 May) read more

Registered childminders demand level playing field on staffing ratio rules in Northern Ireland (26 May) – Welcome increase in financial support for parents to pay for childcare does nothing for registered childminders. Trade union Unite has warned that large numbers of registered childminders have left the sector due to the failure of consecutive Stormont executive’s to raise staffing ratios in Northern Ireland to the levels elsewhere in Great Britain read more

Greenwich council repair workers strike over pay being slashed by a third (24 May) – Nearly 150 workers employed by Greenwich council will begin strike action next week after the local authority brought in plans that would see them lose nearly a third (30 per cent) of their wages. The workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are employed within the repairs and investment service department at the London council. The council says it has done a pay benchmarking exercise and will reduce the workers’ wages. The cuts, which would be enacted in stages over four years, will see some workers lose nearly £17,000 from their salary by the fourth year…Over 140 workers will take an initial day of strike action on Tuesday 28 May. A picket line will be in place outside the Birchmere Centre in Thamesmead, SE28 8BF, from 07:00. Housing repairs across the borough will be delayed and disrupted due to the walkout. Strike action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more

Workers at UCU to strike over working practices (23 May) – Nearly 200 workers at the University and College Union (UCU) are to take an initial day of industrial action in protest at their employer’s working practices, it was announced today (23 May 2024). Unite the union represents UCU’s staff and they are unhappy over the complete breakdown of industrial relations and the unreasonable approach taken by their employer to any negotiations. Unite’s members voted overwhelmingly for strike action. The single day of strike action will take place on 30 May 2024 alongside protests outside UCU’s conference in Bournemouth read more

Unite will make school support staff campaign for a pay and grading review an election issue (23 May) – Unite leader Sharon Graham visits Northern Ireland school support workers’ picket lines and vows to escalate campaign for improved pay and equality. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham committed her union to make an election issue of the campaign of school support workers to secure a six-year overdue pay and grading review after visiting striking education workers on the picket lines outside Mitchell House school in east Belfast yesterday. 1,500 members of Unite working as school support staff for the education authority were undertaking their third day of strike action. The pay and grading review was instructed for implementation by the national joint council pay body in 2018 but which has been left unfunded in both February’s public pay package and the draft executive budget for 2024-25 read more

Essential bus drivers for elderly and disabled in Manchester to strike over pay (22 May) – Over 60 bus drivers in Greater Manchester who transport the elderly and disabled are set to strike due to the low pay paid by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport (GMAT), a registered charity. Members of Unite, the country’s leading trade union, are paid just above minimum wage to do a physically and mentally demanding job. They provide an invaluable service, transporting the elderly, infirm or disabled from their homes across Greater Manchester to vital medical appointments, for essential shopping or for leisure and entertainment. Around 7,000 users depend on the service and Unite has encouraged the employer to come back to the negotiating table with improved terms above the below-inflation offer. Currently the lowest paid drivers receive just £11.50 per hour. Yet across Greater Manchester the current rate of pay for bus drivers is closer to £16 per hour. Following a successful industrial ballot, members will be taking strike action later this spring/summer with dates to be announced in due course read more

Vital healthcare and safety equipment workers in Wrexham to strike over pay (21 May) – Over 150 workers in Ruabon, North Wales are taking industrial action after a failure by their employer, Ceramtec UK, to make a decent pay offer. Unite’s members have been offered a measly 79 pence increase to their basic hourly rate. Considering the National Living Wage has increased by £1.02, workers at the factory expect to match or improve on that increase. Ceramtec produces high-tech ceramics for use in healthcare, safety components within the automotive and manufacturing industry. This includes items such as replacement hips and safety transducers but also advanced ceramic components for medical applications. A typical grade C, day worker, who is responsible for manufacturing ceramic medical equipment such as sensors and transducers currently earns just £11.44 per hour. Strikes are due to take place for four days from 28 – 31 May 2024. Disrupted production of Ceramtec’s products could lead to significant consequences for its customers given the use of ‘just in time’ supply chains read more

Safety critical Guys and St Thomas’ security staff intensify pay strikes (20 May) – Strikes by security staff critical to the safe running of Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals in South London have escalated, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The low paid workers, who protect staff and patients across the two hospitals, are asking for a 96p per hour pay rise. Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, however, is refusing to put forward an increase even though the workers are 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… The 30 security workers will strike for 10 days from 23 May to 2 June. Further strike action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more

Babcock Marine facing strikes as Clyde nuclear naval base workers balloted over pay (20 May) – Strike action involving 600 workers looming at Coulport and Faslane naval bases. Unite the union confirmed today (20 May) that its membership at the Coulport and Faslane naval bases on the Clyde will be balloted on industrial action in a dispute over pay. The dispute involves 600 Unite members employed by Babcock Marine (Clyde) Ltd who undertake specialist services for the UK’s nuclear deterrent submarines. The offer amounts to a seven per cent increase backdated to August 2023, and three per cent for the next pay round effective from August this year. Unite’s membership have emphatically rejected the two year pay offer by 99 per cent. Unite maintains the offer represents a substantial pay cut as the true rate of inflation, RPI, stood at 9.1 per cent when the pay increase was due in August last year. The ballot which runs for two weeks opens tomorrow (21 May) and closes on 11 June read more

Fresh strike dates for workers at GXO Logistics, says Unite (17 May) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is escalating strike action at London’s GXO Logistics, in a dispute over alarmingly low pay. Unite members will now strike from Tuesday 28 May until Tuesday 18 June. New dates for the warehouse worker walkout have been announced to include weekend shifts – causing further disruption to food and beverage distribution across the capital read more

University Hospital Waterford: Support staff take action in pay justice dispute (16 May) – Dispute centres on HSE failure to upgrade laundry workers, and to recognise long serving support staff. Unite accuses HSE of leaving hospital and union in the dark over regrading plans. Trade union Unite, which represents support staff at the University Hospital Waterford (UHW), today (Thursday) announced that over 100 members working in the laundry, catering and portering departments will be engaging in a work-to-rule from Monday 27 May read more

Croydon Tramlink strike impact still being felt with reduced services (14 May) – ‘Hugely unfair pay disparities’ causing strikes and staff shortages for vital repairs. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has laid the blame for the ongoing disruption to Croydon Tramlink directly at the door of Transport for London (TfL). The disruption has been caused by essential engineering delays because of strike action and staff shortages due to ‘hugely unfair pay disparities’. Around 60 tram, stores and infrastructure engineers, who are members of Unite, took five days of strike action from Sunday (5 May) because their colleagues on the London Underground, who require the same qualifications and perform the same roles, are paid up to £10,000 more a year. Since the strike action ended, Tramlink services have been severely impacted and will likely not resume normal service until well into the summer because of wheel damage across the fleet. Disruption will become significantly worse if TfL does not engage in good faith negotiations with Unite to resolve the pay disparities, the union warned read more

Tyne and Wear British Engines workers strike over pay (13 May) – Workers angry over profitable firm’s 3% offer after wages plunge by 18% since 2019. Around 170 workers employed in Newcastle and South Shields by historic North East engineering firm British Engines will strike over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Monday). The strikes will impact three British Engines businesses: BEL Engineering in Newcastle and Rotary Power and Michell Bearings in South Shields. The workers are angry at being offered a three per cent pay rise, with each workplace voting overwhelmingly for strike action in three separate ballots. The offer is a real terms pay cut given that the real rate of inflation, RPI, is still above four per cent. Making matters worse, due to five years of below inflation pay deals, the spending power of the workers’ wages has fallen by 18 per cent since 2019. Meanwhile, according to British Engines’ latest financial report, the company made a profit after tax of £5.6 million in 2022. The year before, British Engines’ after tax profits were £5.4 million…Strike action will take place from Friday 24 May to Thursday 30 May. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Ford managers in nationwide strike action ballot (10 May) – 500 workers balloting over company’s “unacceptable” pay offer and refusal to negotiate under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. Around 500 Ford managers at sites across the country are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). The ballot, which closes on 30 May, came after Ford refused to improve their pay offer and Unite’s request to attend talks with the conciliation service ACAS. The workers, who have recently organised and achieved union recognition in 2023, have been offered a performance related bonus payment, which provides no guarantee of a cost-of-living increase read more

Basildon CNH facing tractor shortages as factory stops work over pay betrayal (8 May) – 500 workers striking over super-profitable company’s broken pay promises. More than 500 workers at Basildon’s largest employer, the CNH Industrial tractor factory, will begin pay strikes in May, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. 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. CNH Group reported record profits of £2.4 billion in 2023, and profits are forecast to stay high for the next three years. CEO Scott Wine received a total compensation package of £19 million in 2022, which was 310 times the pay of the average worker at CNH Group…The workers, comprising nearly the entire shopfloor of the factory, will strike on 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30 May. More strikes will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more

Bosch Rexroth workers back strike action in pay dispute (2 May) – 250 Glenrothes based workers set for 12-weeks strike. Unite has confirmed today (Thursday 2 May) that around 250 members working at Bosch Rexroth in Glenrothes have backed strike action in a dispute over a massive real terms pay cut. Unite’s membership overwhelmingly supported taking strike action by 83.2 per cent on a 66.8 per cent turnout. The trade union can further confirm that the workforce is now set to take 12 weeks of continuous strike action starting on 20 May until the close of play on 11 August. The dispute centres on the German-owned global tech and engineering giant making a rejected 1.25 per cent pay offer which represents a massive real terms pay cut. Bosch Rexroth engineer parts for the construction industry including gears and brakes, as well as parts for forklift trucks read more

New wave of strikes in Haringey as housing repair workers walk out over pay (26 Apr) – Housing repair workers in the London borough of Haringey are to take further strike action next week as they escalate the dispute over pay with the council. Over 100 Unite members will be taking industrial action from 29 April until 2 May. The long-running dispute has seen members already take 15 days of industrial action but the employer has refused to negotiate. Unite members are in dispute with the council over several issues including:

· The refusal to increase annual leave for housing maintenance workers to match the increase over council employees annual leave

· The failure to increase allowances, including London weighting and out of hours payments, in line with the 2022 and 2023 pay awards

· The failure to increase craft productivity scheme rates, allowances and limits since 2014 read more

Sullom Voe oil terminal facing industrial action in pay and recognition disputes (24 Apr) – Worley Services and Altrad workers unanimously back strike action. Unite the union can confirm that its Worley Services and Altrad Services members are the latest group of oil and gas workers to demand a better deal on jobs, pay and conditions at the Sullom Voe terminal in the Shetland Islands. Unite can further reveal that its membership employed by Worley Services and Altrad Services both unanimously backed strike action in industrial action ballots. Unite represents over 40 Worley Services workers including chargehands, pipefitters, riggers, mechanical fitters along with electrical and instrument technicians. The dispute centres on Unite members demanding a significant pay increase, and improvements to other terms and conditions. The demands include the establishment of a union recognition agreement with Worley Services in order that Unite can formally bargain on jobs, pay and conditions. If there is no meaningful movement by Worley then 24 hour strike action will take place on 7 and 21 May. This will be followed by 48-hour strike action taking place on 4-5 June, and 18-19 June read more

Barts and Synergy workers embark on next wave of strike action over pay (24 Apr) – Hundreds of workers at Barts NHS Trust and contractor Synergy are embarking on a new wave of strike action over the failure of their employer to pay a lump sum payment worth over £1,600. Nearly 700 Unite members working as porters, cleaners and facilities staff at the largest NHS trust in the UK, are taking further strike action next month as they fight for a lump-sum payment owed to them. Synergy is a sub-contractor at Barts who employs workers cleaning and preparing linen and bedding for patients. Workers at Barts NHS Trust are to strike from 7-19 May in protest at the failure to pay them the lump-sum payment that other NHS workers were offered for working during the pandemic. Unite’s members at the time worked for another outsourcing company Serco before transferring back into the NHS just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the payment. So far NHS bosses, locally at the trust and at NHS England, have rejected their demands and refused to ask the treasury for additional funding to cover the payment read more

GLL workers in Greenwich stage further walkout over pay and conditions (23 Apr) – Library workers in Greenwich are to stage a further 24-hour strike after their employer, GLL, failed to negotiate a resolution to the dispute. Over 60 workers across the London Borough of Greenwich will walk out on 30 April as part of a long-running dispute over pay and the use of zero-hour contracts. GLL promotes itself as a London Living Wage (LLW) employer and yet some employees receive below the LLW and GLL has also delayed implementation of a rise to the LLW by nearly six months. Employees at GLL are rightly furious over its behaviour and the employer has refused all offers from Unite to come to the negotiating table. As well as the strike, demonstrations will be taking place across the borough. Unite is seeking to draw attention to the presence of three Labour councillors who sit on the board of GLL. Greenwich is Labour-run and yet it is contracting services to an organisation that uses zero hour contracts and fails to recognise trade unions despite describing itself as a “social enterprise” read more

Warning of empty shelves at Morrisons as Cheshire and Wakefield logistics workers could strike over pensions (18 Apr) – Hundreds of workers for the supermarket chain Morrisons could be heading to the picket line after their employer forced through changes to their pensions that will leave them worse off by around £500 a year. Approximately 1,000 Unite members working as warehouse stock controllers, cooks, canteen staff, and administrators are being balloted for strike action to protect their pensions and take home pay. Staff are based in warehouses in Cheshire and Wakefield and perform essential roles that ensure lorries are loaded and shelves are filled in the nearly 500 supermarkets and convenience stores run by Morrisons read more

Birkenhead hospital workers on strike over pay and grading (17 Apr) – Healthcare workers at the Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, Merseyside, are striking this week and next week over a failure to recognise their workplace responsibilities. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who work as recovery theatre practitioners, who care for patients recovering from serious operations, are not being paid appropriately by their employer, the Wirral University Hospital Trust. The vital healthcare workers are being paid a grade below the level of responsibility and duties they are providing. Workers have been left up to £8,000 out of pocket due to being wrongly graded…Having exhausted all avenues of negotiation with their employer, staff have been left with no option but to head to the picket line. The workers were on strike yesterday (16 April) and today (17 April). More strikes are scheduled for next week, 23 and 24 April read more

Offshore chemists, heating and ventilation engineers resume strike action in escalating disputes (12 Apr) – Unite members in industrial action against IES Callenberg and SGS UK Limited over rotas and pay. Unite the union confirmed today (Friday 12 April) that around 60 members in the offshore sector including chemists, heating and ventilation engineers will resume strike action next week in escalating disputes over working rotas and pay. Unite’s IES Callenberg membership will take three-days of strike action starting on Monday (15 April) until the end of Wednesday (17 April), while chemists employed by SGS UK Limited will start week-long action on the same day but conclude their action on Sunday (21 April). The IES Callenberg 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. The SGS UK Limited dispute exclusively centres on chemists servicing BP’s platforms the Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP and Glen Lyon read more

Northern Ireland: Workers at Balcas Timber Ltd in Enniskillen to ballot for strike action in pay dispute (9 Apr) – Workers reject below inflation pay increase offered by company whose latest accounts reported a dramatic surge in profits.

Unite the union has today notified management at Balcas Timber Ltd, a wood-mill and Combined Heat Power plant employing approximately 280 at Killadeas, Co Fermanagh of its intent to conduct a strike ballot of the workforce. The strike ballot will open on Tuesday 16 April and remain open for three weeks closing on Tuesday 7 May. The workforce are paid as little £10.68 an hour, which is only now being increased to £11.44 an hour to comply with national minimum wage legislation read more

CWU

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]

Jobcentre security guards set to strike for 7 days (31 May) – Security guards working in jobcentres across the UK will strike for 7 days in support of fair pay from midnight on 17 June. The 200 PCS members are joining their comrades from GMB in taking action. PCS has served notice for a week of strike action on G4S for members working on the DWP contract. These members work in jobcentres and DWP back-of-house areas providing essential security that assists in keeping DWP employees and claimants safe read more

Vibrant picket line kicks off latest round of Heathrow walkouts (31 May) – The first day of the latest Heathrow Border Force strike action got off to a brilliant start with reps and members out on a vibrant and playful picket line. More than 500 PCS members in Border Force at Heathrow airport started 3 days’ strike action today in an ongoing dispute over a new roster that has been imposed. It will be followed by 3 weeks of action short of a strike that will include a work to rule and overtime ban running from 4 to 25 June read more. Sign the petition to support striking Heathrow workers

Support striking Heathrow members on their latest action (30 May) – More than 500 PCS members in Border Force at Heathrow airport are taking 3 days’ strike action this weekend in an ongoing dispute over a new roster that has been imposed read more

Prison Capacity Crisis (31 May) – PCS members working in Offender Management Units in prisons are under pressure because of over-crowding and the need to free up cell space read more

National Museums Liverpool strike suspended (25 May) – The long-running strike at National Museums Liverpool will be suspended from Tuesday (28 May) to Sunday, 2 June to allow members to vote on an improved offer from management. Our members at NML have taken more than 60 days of action in protest over the employer withholding a cost-of-living payment, leading to widespread gallery closures affecting the Museum of Liverpool, the World Museum, the International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum, as well as the Walker Gallery, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. The £1,500 payment, which was part of the government’s pay offer for 2022/23, came as a result of our union’s national campaign, which also doubled the original 2023/24 pay offer to at least 4.5%. Following talks this week, PCS is putting the employer’s improved offer to a ballot of all NML members involved in the dispute in the coming days. Strike action due to take place during half-term next week (28 May to 2 June) has therefore been suspended. However, a planned strike over the bank holiday (25 to 27 May) is going ahead read more

Conference deplores dismissal of HMRC reps (23 May) – Conference deplored the actions of HMRC in dismissing two PCS reps from Benton Park View, and in recent weeks, for launching a further two conduct and discipline cases read more

PCS strike ballot results published (15 May) – The ballot papers have been counted in our strike ballot that closed on 13 May. Our ballot of 171 civil service and related areas for strike action over our national campaign demands closed on Monday, 13 May. The ballot papers have now been counted. The total percentage of members voting yes for strike action was 83.7% of those who voted. But while a large percentage of members voted for action, the number of people who can strike is severely limited by the Tories’ anti-union laws. We achieved over 50% (the turnout required by law for strike action) in employers including DVSA, HM Land Registry, DEFRA, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Rural Payments Agency. This means that in those areas we have a legal mandate to take strike action. The turn-out figures in the areas that were below the 50% needed for action still place us in a strong position for negotiating with the government in those specific areas and more generally across the civil service. The PCS national executive committee (NEC) is meeting today to discuss the results and our annual delegate conference in Brighton next week will decide on the next steps in the campaign. Reports of decisions made at conference will be posted regularly on the PCS website read more

PCS members to begin industrial action at ONS (25 Apr) – The action short of a strike from 8 May will take the form of non-compliance with the mandatory return to the office directive. PCS members in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will begin action short of a strike on 8 May over the organisation’s introduction of a mandatory workplace attendance policy. Members voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of strike in a ballot that closed on 2 April, in response to an instruction that staff spend at least 40% of their working time in an office, with effect from the start of April 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

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

Prospect 

Prospect members at Dounreay to take industrial action for first time in a generation (15 Apr) – Prospect members at Dounreay have voted to take industrial action over pay, starting with two days of strike action on May 1st and May 2nd followed by a work to rule read more

GMB 

Up to £1600 Covid bonus for outsourced St George’s Hospital workers – GMB (29 May) – Cleaners, porters, and catering staff at St George’s Hospital secure bonus for pandemic work. Outsourced NHS workers at St George’s Hospital have won a bonus of up to £1600 for their work during the Pandemic, GMB announces today (Wednesday). Members of GMB, the union for healthcare workers, have been fighting for a Covid bonus that was afforded to NHS staff – but not to those who have been outsourced to private companies. The non-consolidated bonus came after 97% of GMB members at St George’s backed action in an indicative strike ballot. Outsourcing giant Mitie u-turned to offer the bonus to avoid strike action read more

Strike set to ‘decimate’ services at Orpington’s Princess Royal Hospital (28 May) – More than 100 workers at Princess Royal University Hospital are set to down tools from early morning on Wednesday 29 until midnight on Thursday 30 May.

Members of GMB, the union for healthcare workers, voted to take action over a number of workplace issues, including regularly delayed pay and non-payment of a Covid bonus paid to other colleagues on site. The striking workers are employed by the hospital’s private contractor ISS as cleaners, caterers, porters and security staff. Anyone wishing to visit the picket line can do so any time from Wednesday 29 May 00:01 to Thursday 30 May at 23:59, with a demonstration photocall between 9am and 10am on Wednesday. The demonstration will be outside the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough Common, Orpington, BR6 8ND read more

Asda Brighton Hollingbury Bank Holiday Weekend strike set to cause barbecue chaos (24 May) – Customers will have to cross a picket line to get barbecue and picnic supplies. More than 100 workers at Asda’s Brighton Hollingbury superstore are set to down tools from 20:00 on Friday 24 May until 15:00 on Saturday 25 May read more

Nottinghamshire hospital workers announce more strikes (24 May) – Private contractors at three of Nottinghamshire’s biggest hospitals are set for two more days of strikes. Employed by Medirest, a private contractor in Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Forest Hospital Trust, workers are furious as company bosses refuse to keep terms and conditions in line with colleagues employed directly by the NHS. Strike action will take place from 06:00 on Thursday 30 May through to 05:59 on Saturday 01 June. Nearly three hundred workers, including porters, cleaners, security staff, catering workers and reception teams will take part in the walkout at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community and Newark Community Hospitals read more

Birmingham faces school strike escalation (22 May) – GMB Union will ballot members in 35 additional schools. Along with the thirty-five that took part in strike action earlier this month, this brings the total number of Birmingham schools facing equal pay strike distribution in the city to 70. Workers including teaching assistants, catering staff and grounds maintenance workers will take part in the ballot. The vote comes after the union slammed council bosses for delays and broken promises on settling GMB members claims for equal pay read more

DWP must step in to stop Job Centre strikes (20 May) – The DWP must step in to end a dispute which will see more than 1,000 job centre security guards strike. Security guards employed by G4S across the UK are set to walk out from 00:01 until 23:59 on 20 May over a real terms pay cut that has seen 90 per cent of them paid just the minimum wage. DWP has handed G4S £211 million by the Department for Work and Pensions since Dec 2022, despite employment costs being just £161 during the same period. GMB has now called on DWP to step in ahead of the next strike dates, May 28 and 29 read more

BCP Council hit by GMB union strike ballot (20 May) – Council workers being balloted over non-disclosure of information relating to job re-evaluation. Members of GMB, the union for BCP Council, are now being balloted as part of a long-running dispute, centred around the council’s job re-evaluation and regrading process. The workers are based within the council’s waste, recycling and street services and are based at the Southcote Road and Hatchpond Depots. The council is aiming to harmonise pay across the council, after the coming together of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Borough Councils on 1 April 2019. Despite several meetings with GMB union since members first rejected the council proposal in mid-March, council staff are still not being allowed to see data informing them of how changes will affect them personally. The formal ballot, scrutinised by Civica, is now open and will close on Wednesday 29 May, meaning any strike action could take place as early as mid-June read more

More than 3,000 NI education workers announce strike dates (14 May) – More than 3,000 GMB members working in Northern Ireland’s education will strike in a dispute over pay and grading

Classroom assistants, drivers, bus escorts, catering staff, cleaning staff, administrative, building supervisors and technicians are set to take four days of industrial action on 20 and 21 May and 3 and 4 June 2024. This mainly low paid women workforce are either are on temporary contracts, only work term time or are on part-time contracts. GMB, along with Nipsa, Unison and Unite, is fighting for a fully funded implementation of the education pay and grading Review for these workers. Primary responsibility for funding lies with the Northern Ireland Assembly and ultimately with Treasury read more

Cheshire nuclear workers vote to strike (13 May) – Nuclear workers in Cheshire have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. Around 500 staff at the Urenco Nuclear site in Capenhurst voted for industrial action after pay talks broke down. Unions GMB, Unite and Prospect will now meet with members to discuss strike dates read more

Industrial action hits defence giant Rolls-Royce (29 Apr) – GMB members working on the company’s nuclear submarine programme have begun industrial action. The action begins today, Monday 29 April, and will run for one month. The action comes after 90 per cent of GMB members at the company supported action if company bosses failed to present a pay rise acceptable to union members. Known as ‘work to rule’, the industrial action will see GMB members applying strict limits to working outside of pre-agreed processes read more

Amazon workers will decide on union recognition (19 Apr) – Amazon workers are one step closer to Europe’s first recognised union at the retail giant. GMB Union has today announced that the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), the Government body responsible for regulating collective bargaining between workers and employers, has ruled in favour of GMB’s application for a union recognition vote at the company’s Coventry Warehouse read more

Birmingham Amazon workers join strike action (27 Mar) – Workers are escalating their campaign for £15 and union recognition at the online retail giant’s Birmingham warehouse. Workers at Amazon’s new flagship HQ in Birmingham, a £500 million site that only opened its doors in October, will down tools this week in an escalation of the ongoing strike action hitting the company. The strike dates come as GMB members at the company submit their application for mandatory recognition to the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). Last week workers at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre walked out, making March the biggest month of strike action in company history read more

Swindon Borough Council faces strike vote over ‘colonial era work practices,’ says GMB (24 Apr) – Social workers at Swindon Borough Council are set for a strike vote over ‘colonial era working practices’, GMB Union claims. Staff – many recruited directly from India – were handed a contractually agreed £8,000 signing on bonus and a £7,000 recruitment and retention bonuses spread over three years. The recruitment and retention bonus has now been stopped but they are still being told if they leave Swindon Council within three years, they will have to pay back the £8,000. The move only affects staff recruited from India – with no equivalent reduction of money for social workers from the UK. All 14 workers have written writing to management but have been ignored, while Jim Robbins, Labour leader of the council, has not responded to GMB Union. The ballot closes on Friday 26 April 2024 read more

Epsom & St Helier ambulance strike to begin on Wednesday amid union claims of expensive strike busting (22 Apr) – The Trust look set to pay for private hire vehicles for patients on the strike days but not to pay these members what they’re owed, says GMB. GMB, the union for NHS workers, can today announce the dates for the strike action at Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust. Members of the union employed as Care Assistants in the patient transfer ambulances will be taking strike action this Wednesday [24 April] and will also strike on Thursday 2, Friday 3 and Tuesday 7 May. The escalating dispute centres around backpay, with some workers owed up to £1300 for non-payment of the London Living Wage read more

Asda Lowestoft workers announce strike dates (18 Apr) – Asda workers Lowestoft have announced the dates they will strike. Almost 200 workers are set to down tools for 48 hours from 00:01 on Friday 10 May until 23.59 on Saturday 11 May read more

Wisbech Asda workers in two day Easter strike (28 Mar) – Asda Wisbech workers will strike this Easter weekend on one of the supermarket’s busiest periods. 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 read more

South Western Ambulance Workers balloted over ‘dangerous’ breaks (16 Apr) – South Western Ambulance Trust (SWAST) workers are set to be balloted over a break policy which could be dangerous. Workers are forced to take their break wherever the nearest, often overcrowded, depot is and have been advised to carry their food in their cabs. The union has health and safety concerns over the new policy – including the risk of food poisoning due to a lack of chilled storage and loose food and drink containers posing a risk when travelling at speed responding to an emergency. GMB, the union for ambulance workers, has told SWAST some staff with reasonable adjustments prescribed by occupational health must be exempt from the policy – but management has so far refused to hear grievances. The ballot is due to close on 17 May 2024 and could see members balloted formally for strike action 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

Support Barnet UNISON Mental Health social worker strike – Mental Health Social Worker Strike Escalates! (17 May) – UNISON has sent a strike notification to the soon to be departing chief executive stating that our members will be on strike for the period between 3 June and 14 June. Our previous strike timetable was as follows:-

From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks). Already taken.
From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
From 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).

The strike notification in effect means our members will be on strike continuously from Monday 13 May until Friday 12 July a total of nine weeks read more

Send messages of support to [email protected]

Watch video!! #BarnetUNISON mental health social workers speaking out against strike breaking

Cutting staff is a false economy and won’t help the NHS meet its targets (31 May) – Services and waiting times won’t improve if staff numbers fall. Commenting on a survey by NHS Confederation published today (Friday) suggesting many health leaders are considering staff cuts to balance their books, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Tackling the mounting pressures on the NHS will be a major priority for whoever forms the next government. No part of the NHS should be cutting staff when what’s really needed is for many thousands of vacancies to be filled. False economies like these are foolhardy in the extreme…” read more

Workers in councils and schools should reject low pay offer, says UNISON (23 May) – Staff to be consulted over employers’ pay proposal. Council and school staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are worth far more than the “disappointing” pay increase they’ve been offered by employers, says UNISON today (Thursday). The union is to consult hundreds of thousands of workers in local government over the £1,290 offer made last week, with a recommendation they vote to reject it. UNISON is calling for an improvement to pay that fairly rewards council and school staff, many of whom are in low-wage roles, for the essential services they provide read more

Striking NHS staff across Teesside announce five more days of action (15 May) – UNISON has repeatedly asked the trusts to negotiate a resolution to the dispute but the employers have so far refused to do so. Healthcare assistants employed by North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been forced to take a further period of strike action in their dispute over wage rates and back pay, says UNISON today (Wednesday). The latest action will begin at 8am on Monday (20 May) and continue for five days until Saturday morning. This round of walkouts across Teesside follows a 24-hour strike in March and a 72-hour stoppage last month (April), in which hundreds of staff left their posts across seven sites at the two trusts. Staff have been campaigning to move to a wage band in the NHS Agenda for Change pay scale that more accurately reflects the work they’ve been doing and secure a fair back pay settlement read more

Clare Williams – an open letter to North Tees and Hartlepool and South Tees Hospitals NHS FTs (16 May) – The letter is requesting urgent talks to resolve the ongoing dispute relating to fair banding and back pay for Health Care Assistants read more

NIPSA 

Education members update: its your future, fight for it (21 May) – Welcome to this edition of our NIPSA Members Update for education workers. We hope you find it useful. You will be aware that NIPSA is involved in action to achieve Pay and Grading justice. This has involved publicity, campaigning, lobbying and industrial action. We have made considerable progress but there is still some distance to go. With that in mind NIPSA Education Strike Committee met today, 21 May 2024, to agree next steps. All NIPSA branches in education were represented. The Strike Committee has agreed the following, A strike day on Monday 3 June 2024 read more

Health Strike (30 Apr) – NIPSA, the largest trade union in Northern Ireland, has issued notice to the Belfast Health Trust that strike action will commence on May 8 and continue until May 10. This action is being taken in Family and Childcare (social services). The strike action will run in parallel with action short of strike action and will be expanded to other health trusts over the next few weeks. Approximately 40 NIPSA members will take part in the strike action read more

Royal College of Nursing 

Corridor care: RCN declares ‘national emergency’ and demands political action (3 Jun) – Nursing staff are regularly forced to provide care to patients in chairs and corridors, compromising patient safety and dignity. We’re asking members to call it out and join our fight to eradicate the practice 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

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

Election is no excuse to delay already overdue pay rise says RCM (28 May) – A General Election is no excuse to delay the already overdue pay rise hardworking midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) need and deserve. That’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in a letter to Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The RCM has written to the Secretary of State highlighting its frustration and anger of its members as they wait for another year in limbo when it comes to their pay read more

RCM launches snap poll for members in Northern Ireland (22 Apr) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling all its members in Northern Ireland to take part in its snap poll on additional hours worked which launches today. The RCM wants to know how many unpaid extra hours its members worked during last week, 15-21 April. Midwives and Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) can let the RCM know by taking this quick poll here. Earlier this month RCM members in England, Scotland and Wales told the RCM that they had worked 136,834 extra unpaid hours to keep services running safely. The RCM says that now members in Northern Ireland have voted to accept the pay offer, it’s their turn to tally up the extra unpaid hours they’ve been working read more

BMA 

Donate to support striking junior doctors 

Junior doctors plan strike prior to general election (29 May) – BMA requested Government make final offer which failed to materialise forcing further action. Junior doctors in England are set to resume strike action ahead of the general election, following the Government’s failure to provide a credible offer over restoring pay. The association’s junior doctors committee has announced doctors will stage a full, five-day walkout from 7am 27 June, unless the Government announces a ‘concrete commitment’ to restoring pay. Following months of industrial action, the BMA announced earlier this month that it had agreed to enter externally mediated talks with the Government in an effort to reach a ‘credible solution’ over the long-running pay dispute. Today’s announcement of renewed strikes comes after prime minister Rishi Sunak’s decision last week on 22 May to call a general election for 4 July. Following this announcement, the association said it gave ministers a ‘final opportunity’ to make an offer and avoid further strike action, but that this request was ignored. BMA junior doctors committee co-chairs Robert Laurenson and Vivek Trivedi said that doctors will now embark on a full walk-out by junior doctors beginning at 7am 27 June 2024 and ending 7am 2 July read more

Strike for fair pay commences (22 May) – Rejection of demand for full pay restoration forces walk-out in Northern Ireland read more

Government offers revised pay deal (16 May) – SAS doctors are set to vote on a new and improved offer on pay, after the BMA secured a concession following negotiations with the Government read more

Consultants in Northern Ireland to be balloted for industrial action (25 Apr) – No alternative’ as talks break down and deal agreed in England. Consultants in Northern Ireland are to be balloted on industrial action, the BMA has announced. The five-week ballot will open on 7 May 2024 after talks between consultant representatives from the BMA Northern Ireland consultants committee and the devolved Department of Health broke down read more

Doctors to enter pay negotiations with the Welsh Government (9 Apr) – BMA Cymru Wales has suspended forthcoming industrial action for Consultants and SAS doctors following a constructive meeting with the Welsh government to resolve its pay disputes. As a result of sustained pressure, including three rounds of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, the Welsh Government has made a significant proposal to form the basis of talks to end the pay disputes with all secondary care doctors including Consultants, SAS and Junior doctors. Since the meeting last week, the committees representing doctors from all three branches of practice have voted to enter pay negotiations based on this proposal. The planned 48-hour strike by Consultants and SAS doctors due to take place from 16th April will now be suspended. Junior doctors have paused plans to announce more strike dates whilst they enter negotiations with the Welsh Government. The Welsh junior doctors committee, Welsh SAS committee and Welsh consultants committee will now each engage in pay negotiations, with the aim of reaching deals which can be taken separately to their respective members read more

HCSA

HCSA launches pay consultation of consultant and SAS members in Northern Ireland (21 May) – HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union has today opened a consultation of consultant and SAS doctors in Northern Ireland on NHS pay. Members are being asked whether they are willing to take strike action and/or action short of strike over pay read more

HCSA launches fresh reballot of junior doctors in England (29 Apr) – Today, HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union has opened a fresh ballot of junior doctors in England in the ongoing pay dispute. If successful, this will extend the right to strike for another six months until December 2024. The ballot will close on 4th June 2024. The ballot also asks members for the first time whether they would be willing to take Action Short of Strike (ASOS); a form of industrial action which could consist of doctors working strictly to contract and refusing to perform certain tasks. HCSA is calling on junior doctors to vote in favour of both strike action and action short of strike. If successful, this will give HCSA Dispute Committee the flexibility required to exert maximum leverage in the face of anti-strike legislation read more

NEU

General Election: 40 days to stop school cuts (24 May) – A General Election has been called and, after 14 years of neglect that has left education in tatters, we’re ready for it. We all know the devastation that has been inflicted on our schools and colleges by over a decade of underfunding. Soaring staff vacancies, ballooning class sizes and schools literally crumbling around students’ ears. Child poverty at record levels, rising mental health problems and students with SEND left without vital support. As we approach this election, every political party has to ditch the vague promises and piecemeal solutions. We need meaningful proposals that will truly reverse the damage. It is time to stop school cuts. Watch video by NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede

NASUWT

Windermere teachers strike over pensions sabotage (21 May) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Windermere School in the Lake District will take strike action on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May over forced changes to their contracts. The changes demand that they are moved to an inferior pension scheme – whether they consent, or are fired and rehired on a new contract offering only the inferior scheme – and could leave them significantly worse off in retirement than teachers in the standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme. The employer has so far refused to engage in negotiations with NASUWT or ACAS conciliation talks. Further days of strike action are planned for 5 and 6 June if a resolution cannot be found.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach will join striking teachers on the picket line from 07:30 – 08:45 on Thursday and will be available to speak with press and media read more

Cheadle teachers fight pay and pensions attack (14 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Lady Barn House School in Cheadle are taking the first of six planned days of strike action on Thursday after they were threatened with being fired from their jobs unless they accept a pay cut to retain access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). The employer is threatening teachers with ‘fire and rehire’ to force through new and inferior contracts which impose a 3.5% pay cut in return for remaining in the TPS. Despite current financial forecasts from the school stating they can afford to continue paying pension contributions up to 2028, the employer has refused to delay the imposition of contractual changes on staff read more

Teachers at Llangors CiW Primary School escalate to councillors in 6th week of strike action (13 May) – On Tuesday 14th and Thursday 16th May, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Llangors CiW Primary School in Llangorse will once again take strike action. An early morning picket will take place from 07:30 – 09:00 on Thursday with support from members of the local community. This will include the school’s former Foundation Governors, who resigned last month in support of the teachers. The dispute continues as the Council’s failure to engage in negotiations with NASUWT persists, with no communication from the local authority since 29th April. NASUWT members have now reached out to all 67 councillors in Powys, stating terms for resolution and requesting urgent action read more

Teachers to strike at Lincoln school over bullying concerns (22 Apr) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School in Lincoln will begin strike action this week over bullying and adverse management practices. The first planned day of industrial action will take place on Wednesday 24th April and further days are planned for the 1st and 2nd May. NASUWT members have endured a pattern of bullying that has affected the health, safety and welfare of teachers. Strike action is the last resort to restore a safe and supportive atmosphere to the school read more

Employer intransigence prompts further strike action at Ascot school (17 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Mary’s School in Ascot are taking the first of six further days of strike action today over attempts to downgrade their pensions. This follows an initial day of strike action in March. 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 read more

Norfolk teachers strike to protect their pensions (16 Apr) – Teachers at Aurora Eccles and Aurora Whitehouse schools in Norfolk are taking strike action after their employer threatened to remove them from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) under threat of being sacked. The Aurora Group runs publically funded schools for children and young people with special needs. The DFE have fully funded councils to pay for increased employer contributions to the TPS and the council has passed this funding onto Aurora. Aurora are however choosing to keep this money instead of passing it on to teachers, which means that teachers would be forced to move to a cheaper, inferior pension scheme. The employer has repeatedly refused to negotiate with the NASUWT, causing great distress to our members. They are left with no action but to take strike action this week and in the coming weeks to protect their pensions and their livlehoods. Further strike action is planned for Tuesday 23 April, Wednesday 24 April and Thursday 25 April read more

Teachers at Boston school strike for a safe working environment (16 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Haven High Academy in Boston are due to begin the first of six days of strike action on Wednesday over adverse management practices, including the failure of the employer to put in place adequate measures to deal with poor pupil behaviour. Teachers at the school feel they are being left vulnerable to abuse and violence from pupils due to a lack of consistent sanctions for students and support from management to manage pupil behaviour read more

Teachers at Chester college strike over pensions attack (15 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Abbey Gate College in Chester are taking a further five planned days of strike action, starting tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. The employer 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. Teachers took an initial day of strike action last month read more

EIS 

EIS Rejects Further Education Minister’s call for end to Action Short of Strike (31 May) – The EIS has responded to the statement made In the Scottish Parliament, by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Graeme Dey in regards to the ongoing national pay dispute involving college lecturers. In his statement, the Minister conveyed Scottish Government tolerance of Scottish colleges in their use of deeming, which is the withholding of up to 100% of salaries from staff taking industrial action short of strike (ASOS). Rather than put an unequivocal stop to threats of deeming by college employers, Mr Dey invited the EIS-FELA to abandon the industrial action that they have been forced to take in pursuit of a fair pay rise, in exchange for colleges not to deem – essentially asking members to give in to the threat of deeming read more

EIS Agrees £5 Million Hardship Fund for College Lecturers on Strike Action (30 May) – A special meeting of the EIS Executive Committee has agreed to establish a £5Million fund to support college lecturers engaged in an ongoing programme of industrial action in a long-running dispute over pay. The major cash injection will support universal hardship payments for lecturer members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers’ Association (EIS-FELA) in colleges across Scotland read more

Glasgow EIS Opens Consultative Ballot over Education Cuts (22 May) – The Glasgow local association of the EIS has opened a consultative ballot of its members to gauge their willingness to take industrial action in opposition to Glasgow’s Council’s planned education cuts. This three-week ballot is the next step in EIS Glasgow’s dispute with Glasgow City Council over deep cuts to teacher numbers which has already seen 125 teachers lost this year, with a further 172 set to go next session and a total of 450 proposed teaching posts lost over the course of Glasgow City Council’s 3-year budget plan read more

INTO

Education Unions unite to tackle educational disadvantage in Northern Ireland (31 May) – In a landmark move towards fostering unity and progress, education unions from both sides of the Irish border have embarked on an INTO-inspired initiative to deepen connections between the island’s education systems. The gathering, attended by Presidents and General Secretaries/Regional Secretaries of nine education unions, marked a significant step towards collaborative efforts to enhance education standards across Ireland read more

Non Teaching Staff Strike Action 03 June 2024 – INTO acknowledge that our sister unions must pursue their objectives in ways most appropriate to their members. The interests of INTO and our non-teaching trade unions are not dissimilar, and to be clear, the INTO supports their endeavours. Our non-teaching education staff are essential and vital to the running of our schools. Indeed, our schools simply would not function without them. Our members have reported, over many years, difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff to the many essential non-teaching roles in schools. This is directly related to their salary and how they are valued. Our children need these workers to be appropriately remunerated for the essential role they fulfil. Therefore, we stand fully behind them in this dispute and will take no steps to undermine their campaign. INTO members should not reduce the efficacy of the industrial action of classroom assistants. Our members should undertake no duties that would be untypical of that day read more

UCU 

University of Surrey management given vote of no confidence by staff  (24 May) – Staff and students have called on the University of Surrey management to stop the threat of job cuts after staff and students delivered an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Provost and the Executive Board. Over nine in ten voters (97%), in a ballot organised by the University and College Union (UCU) and other campus unions at the University of Surrey, said they have no confidence in Surrey’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof GQ Max Lu, its Provost, Prof Tim Dunne (the architect of the cuts programme) and the Executive Board. Staff are furious at the axing of more than 140 jobs as part of a radical programme of cuts. The unions, staff and students fear these moves are merely the thin end of the wedge, with further cuts to jobs, provisions, and course content likely in the future, which may lead to closure of some degree programmes read more

Strike confirmed at University of Winchester over ‘vicious job cuts’ and ‘unhealthy’ workloads (21 May) – The University and College Union (UCU) today announced that University of Winchester staff will strike on Tuesday 4 June over drastic job cuts, unless the university halts plans to get rid of staff and impose excessive workloads. An overwhelming 79% of members who voted backed strike action, in a ballot that closed last week with a turnout of 59%. 93% also voted for action short of strike, which will begin on Wednesday 5 June and includes working to contract and refusing to cover for absent colleagues. The dispute is over plans to cut around 40 academic staff, and unfavourable changes to workloads which the union fears will lead to unhealthy and unmanageable working hours read more

Outcry over University of Portsmouth job cuts (16 May) – UCU has lodged a trade dispute with the University of Portsmouth over job cuts. The dispute comes after the university put 163 academic staff at risk of redundancy on Tuesday (14 May) with over 20 set to lose their jobs. A further 434 academic related professional and support staff have also been put at risk and UCU estimates that up to 100 could go. Staff are now being forced to reapply for their jobs at the same time as they are preparing students for year-end assessments and graduation read more read more

297 staff threatened with the sack at London South Bank University (16 May) – Staff at London South Bank University have no confidence in the vice-chancellor and senior leadership team, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today after 297 posts were put at risk, including almost one in five (226 out of 1082) academic staff read more

Staff to strike at North East college group open day (2 May) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees will strike on Thursday 16 and Wednesday 22 May in a long running dispute over low pay that has already seen staff down tools for eight days. On Thursday 16 May staff will picket the open day at Redcar and Cleveland College campus and on Wednesday 22 May they will picket Stockton and Riverside College campus. The strike action is the latest escalation after staff rejected employer Education Training Collective’s (ETC) most recent offer. This did not include any improvement on pay and was limited to an extra two “wellbeing days” and additional points on the lecturer and course leader pay scales starting on Thursday 1 August 2024. ETC’s position on pay remains that it wants staff to accept a paltry increase of just 3% for 22/23, with an additional 1% from May 2023 read more

Strike threat at University of Lincoln as over 220 staff face the axe (18 Apr) – Staff at the University of Lincoln are poised to take a stand against brutal cuts. A consultation over potential strike action is set to begin Monday. The looming threat targets over 220 employees, including one in ten academic staff. Cuts include the phasing out of the fashion degree and ending specialist support for widening participation students in the foundation studies centre. The centre’s teaching team have been notified their jobs are at risk read more

University of Kent staff vote to strike over course closure “bonfire” as VC quits (5 Apr) – Staff at the University of Kent have backed strike action in defence of jobs. The result comes as the person in charge of the cuts, vice-chancellor Karen Cox, announces she will step down in May, before they are even implemented. An overwhelming 85% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 57%. The vote comes after 58 staff were placed at risk of redundancy as part of a programme that would see courses closed across the university read more

Strike ballot at Sheffield Hallam over “scandalous” cuts programme (5 Apr) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 15 April at Sheffield Hallam University, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. UCU has accused the university of pushing ahead with expensive building projects while launching a wholesale attack on staff and students through an unprecedented cuts programme, severely breaching the post-92 contract and national framework, and attacking on working conditions read more

Goldsmiths marking boycott set to begin this month over “brutal” sackings (5 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) today confirmed staff at Goldsmiths University will begin a marking boycott on Friday 19 April over plans to sack more than one in six academic staff. The boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally. It will also include any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks. UCU warned that graduations will be impacted unless the university resolves the dispute by halting its plans to cut over 130 jobs. Alongside the boycott, UCU members will take other forms of industrial action including working to rule and boycotting processes related to management’s “transformation programme” of cuts. The boycott follows an overwhelming vote for industrial action against the cuts, which would see more than a third of academics axed in the 11 affected departments in the schools of arts & humanities; culture & society; and professional studies, science & technology read more

Goldsmiths staff vote to strike over “incomprehensible” bonfire of jobs (28 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today announced staff at Goldsmiths University have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action in a fight to stop the sacking of more than one in 6 academic staff at the institution read more

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

FBU

Labour must unite and reinstate barred candidates, says union leader (30 May) – In recent days, there have been conflicting reports about the status of Diane Abbott as a parliamentary candidate. Other left wing Labour candidates have also reportedly been barred from running read more

“Crews left exhausted”: crisis of understaffing in Essex Fire and Rescue Service (28 May) – The BBC has revealed that Essex Country Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is facing a crisis in staffing, with a Freedom of Information request finding that the service moved firefighters from their usual bases to elsewhere in the county on 2,570 occasions in 2023. Crews are regularly asked to travel across the county, leaving smaller communities without adequate cover. There were 304 fire engines moved in August, with 301 in October and 278 in December read more

Firefighters win 4% pay offer and advances on maternity following talks (26 Apr) – 4% headline pay offer 2024. Firefighters and fire control staff have been offered a package of pay improvements, including an above-inflation pay rise, improvements to maternity pay, and a large increase to the retainer paid to on-call firefighters. Pay negotiations have been underway at the National Joint Council (NJC) between the Fire Brigades Union and fire employers for some months read more

POA 

National Chair update May 2024 read more

BFAWU 

Make Equality Real campaign launches call for the inclusion of socio-economic duty into the Equality Act 2010 and the end of austerity (2 Jun) – The BFAWU along with a coalition of eight other national trade unions and campaign groups have launched the Make Equality Real campaign. This campaign is directly calling on all political parties to make a clear commitment in their election manifestos to make section 1 of the equality act law – the socio-economic duty, reducing poverty, and helping make austerity unlawful. The campaign’s petition to Westminster party leader’s states that “the socio-economic duty should be written into the Equality Act 2010 as part of a campaign to end austerity and make equality real. Ensuring that everyone in Britain can live secure and fulfilling lives.” Alongside a petition, the campaign has outlined a pledge for all candidates standing in the general election, materials to promote the campaign in workplaces and also social media graphics read more

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

BALPA

Bristow Helicopters Dispute Update Statement (16 May) – In response to the latest Bristow Helicopters statement to media, BALPA General Secretary Amy Leversidge said: “We appreciate Bristow Helicopters management finally acknowledging that pilots and tech crews are critical to the success of the company and indicating they want to come back to the table to negotiate with us. However, they need to accept that in a ballot of our members 95% rejected the current offer on the table. After the ballot we entered back into ACAS talks and after over a week of trying to get movement from Bristow management they tabled an offer that was virtually indistinguishable from the rejected offer. There is no confusion or misunderstanding on our part, our members are clear and resolute – we need an offer that is just focused on pay and is not reliant on reducing terms and conditions…” read more

Nautilus International

Royal Fleet Auxiliary officers to press ahead with planned industrial action ahead of UK General Election (31 May) – Nautilus has called on all UK political parties to use the UK election period to ‘affirm their support for our national defence and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary by committing to a pay rise reflective of the rate of inflation and restoring the pay our members have lost over the last decade’. Nautilus International members in the RFA voted overwhelmingly for action in response to a below inflation pay offer for 2023/2024 and real terms pay cut of over 30% since 2010. Nautilus has consistently called for a consolidated pay rise that reflects the high rate of inflation and a pathway to pay restoration. But after a series of talks between the Union and the Government, no credible offer to RFA officers was made. Members therefore chose to proceed with the action, despite a general election being announced, due to the strong sentiment that their work supporting the country’s national defence is underpaid and undervalued read more

NUJ  

Lyra McKee murder trial commences (31 May) – Peter Cavanagh, Jordan Devine and Paul McIntyre are on trial for the murder of journalist and former NUJ member Lyra McKee read more

The NUJ Disabled Members’ Council welcomes new BBC guidance on accessible images (30 May) – The guidance launched by the BBC outlines how to make images and visual data accessible, especially for people who use screen readers to access information online read more

National World journalists voice anger at 1.5 per cent pay award for Local Democracy Reporters (29 May) – NUJ calls on National World to offer a fair pay rise to its Local Democracy Reporters read more

Springer Nature staff hold unprecedented vote on industrial action (14 May) – Writers on respected journals ballot for first time. In an unprecedented move, UK staff working on the renowned Nature portfolio of science journals are balloting for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The portfolio, which includes the world’s leading science magazine Nature, is owned by international publisher Springer Nature read more

Equity

Equity confirms first House Agreement with Hull Urban Opera (29 May) – Equity has confirmed its first House Agreement with Hull Urban Opera read more

Equity members vote to continue fight against pay cuts and compulsory redundancies at Welsh National Opera (19 May) – Today at Equity’s Annual Conference members voted unanimously to pass an emergency motion supporting the Chorus of the Welsh National Opera read more

Musicians’’ Union

Musicians Protest Ahead of Romeo & Juliet Performance to Keep Northern Ballet Live (30 May) – Ahead of the first performance of Northern Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet in London earlier this week, members of the Northern Ballet Sinfonia dressed as Shakespeare and took to the streets to protest against plans to replace the live orchestra with recorded music read more

Protect Welsh National Opera: Sign the Petition Now (2 May) – Musicians at Welsh National Opera orchestra are campaigning to keep the orchestra full time and secure the company’s future read more

Community

Keir Starmer demonstrates strong support for Welsh steel industry (30 May) – Responding to Keir Starmer’s remarks on the Welsh steel industry today, Community General Secretary Roy Rickhuss said: “In his speech in Monmouthshire today Keir Starmer demonstrated why Labour is the only party that will stand up for working people, and highlighted how a strong partnership between Labour governments in Westminster and the Senedd will make a real difference for the people of Wales, compared to the 14 years of Tory chaos we’ve seen…” read more

Union votes for strike action over Tata job losses (9 May) – Community said 85% of its members backed industrial action. Members of the largest steelworkers’ union, Community, have voted in favour of industrial action over Tata Steel’s restructuring plans. The union said 85% of those who voted supported the move. Workers were balloted after Tata Steel announced 2,800 job losses across the UK as part of the closure of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces and a transition to greener steelmaking read more on BBC website

USDAW

Tories played political games with shop worker safety says Usdaw after the Criminal Justice Bill is dropped (28 May) – Retail trade union Usdaw has criticised Tory ministers for failing to follow through on their promise to create a standalone offence of assaulting a shop worker. The Government did table an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, which was weaker than the law that already exists in Scotland, but it fell when a general election was called and didn’t get through Parliament’s so-call wash-up read more

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

UVW

Migrant cleaners at Department For Education to strike for equality in June (9 May) – “No sick pay, too much work, no proper holiday cover. We feel we are treated with disdain, we are fed up and stressed but united in our resolve” – Gloria Mancera, cleaner of 18 years service at DfE and UVW member

The cleaners at the Department for Education (DfE) have voted unanimously to strike again, returning a 100% yes vote, and will walk out of their jobs for the second time in a year on 11 and 12 June 2024. They took three days of strike action last summer as part of a mass strike by UVW members demanding dignity, equality and respect. The cleaners, who are outsourced to ISS UK Limited and are members of United Voices of the World (UVW), demand parity of terms and conditions with civil servants 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)

Putting Union Busting on the political agenda (2 Jun) – With the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages and a national action plan to promote collective bargaining on the horizon, now is the time to shine a light on workers’ rights. In Ireland, trade unions including SIPTU, the Communication Workers’ Union, Mandate and the Financial Services Union are leading the charge over the Directive under the Respect at Work banner. The message is simple: we need real legislative change read more

SIPTU retained firefighters seek urgent WRC meeting on retainer increase (31 May) – SIPTU retained firefighters are seeking an urgent meeting at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) concerning the failure of the Government to follow through on a commitment for a significant second increase to their retainer payment read more

SIPTU members in the National Advocacy Service vote for strike action starts 12th June (31 May) – SIPTU members employed in the National Advocacy Service (NAS), who provide free representation for adults with disabilities across Ireland, have served notice of strike action on their employer to commence on the morning of Wednesday, 12th June and continue until there is a just resolution of their pay dispute read more

Other news 

ORGREAVE 40th ANNIVERSARY MARCH AND RALLY – Saturday 15 June 2024. Assemble 1pm City Hall, Barkers Pool Sheffield S1 2JA details

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

STAMMA website

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:

https://www.hazards.org/friends/index.htm

PCS rep in Newcastle sacked by HMRC (5 Apr) – Gordon Askew was sacked by HMRC on grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse following strike action taken by the branch. HMRC management at Benton Park View in Newcastle have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse. PCS members at Benton Park View, alongside HMRC East Kilbride, took part in targeted strike action last year, as well as their members taking part in the three national days of strike action. Following the strike action, the department launched an investigation into two Newcastle-based representatives. The charge against Gordon was a ‘potential’ breach of the department’s IT policy; arising from a Microsoft Teams message sent to a number of PCS members, relating to strike action. The department’s decision maker claimed that Microsoft Teams had been used “without a legitimate business reason”. A second rep is on a similar charge. We understand the decision maker said that they had considered a lesser penalty, but had decided to sack the rep because he didn’t appear to be sorry enough for what he had done. This was despite him having nearly thirty years of spotless service to the department. PCS is discussing next steps with our Legal Department read more

Construction blacklisting: Evidence sought in union officials’ collusion inquiry (11 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is stepping up its search for information into the possible collusion by trade union officials into the blacklisting of construction workers. In April 2022 Unite established an independent inquiry into allegations that some union officials may have colluded with the blacklisting of construction workers. Unite has instructed a legal team of Nick Randall KC (Matrix Chambers), John Carl Townsend (33 Chancery Lane Chambers) and Paul Heron from (Public Interest Law Centre), to examine and investigate whether any union officials from Unite or its predecessor unions (T&G, UCATT, Amicus, AEEU or MSF), were involved in the blacklisting of construction workers. The inquiry is now entering its next stage and an online portal has been launched to allow anyone who has any information relating to the inquiry to submit information read more 

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 

Russia: Ukrainian journalist detained by authorities (30 May) read more on NUJ website

Palestine: Israeli authorities arrest multiple journalists (28 May) read more on NUJ website

Pakistan: two journalists killed (28 May) read more on NUJ website

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

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 