The NSSN headlines this week’s bulletin in solidarity with Unite members on strike at Oscar Mayer in Wrexham against fire and rehire. NSSN supporters met up with some of the workers at yesterday’s big protest against the cut to winter fuel allowances outside Parliament. We send them and their union our support and solidarity. We also call on the Labour government to deliver on its manifesto promise to outlaw fire and rehire.
The workers have been picketing their workplace and protesting outside different locations. This is a report of a recent protest:-
Striking Wrexham Oscar Mayer workers in Manchester protests (25 Sept) – Demos against fire and rehire at Oscar Mayer owner Pemberton Asset Management and client Co-Op. Striking Wrexham Oscar Mayer workers travelled to Manchester today to protest against fire and rehire outside firms associated with the company. The workers, who produce ready meals, protested outside Pemberton Asset Management, which owns Oscar Mayer, and the headquarters of the Co-Op, which is major client of the company.
More than 550 workers began striking on 12 September over the company’s plans to remove some paid breaks, reduce other breaks and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays. Oscar Mayer is threatening to fire and rehire the workers on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept the changes, which will see their take home pay plummet.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Oscar Mayer is dragging its own name through the mud with its despicable behaviour towards these workers. Unite will ensure that every organisation associated with Oscar Mayer, as well as the public who buy its produce, knows what the company is trying to do. Unite will not stop until Oscar Mayer reverses its abhorrent fire and rehire plans.”
Oscar Mayer is one of the major ready meal manufacturers in the UK and supplies large quantities of its products to Tesco, ASDA, Greggs, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the Co-Op. Strike action is having a significant impact on ready meal supplies nationwide. read more
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
The NSSN TUC Rally says: make the rich pay NOT workers!
Up to 120 union reps and activists attended the NSSN TUC Congress rally and lobby on Sunday 8th September. While celebrating the smashing of the Tories in July, the overwhelming message to the new Labour government ahead of their first budget next month was make the rich pay NOT workers.
We gave a platform to a number of union leaders and rank and file union reps and members who can be seen on these videos – Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Ian Lawrence NAPO General Secretary, Daniel Kebede NEU General Secretary, Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary, Marion Lloyd PCS NEC (personal capacity), Suzanne Muna SHAC – Social Housing Action Campaign & Unite Executive), April Ashley Unison NEC (personal capacity), Matt Webb Brighton & Hove Trades Union Council, Rob Williams NSSN Chair plus there was an open mic for union reps and members to speak. Chair: Katrine Williams NSSN Secretary
The rally called for support for motions and amendments at TUC Congress which set out a fighting strategy.
These included the EIS-led composite motion: ‘End of the hostile environment towards workers and unions’ which included an amendment from PCS – “Congress notes the Labour Party’s 2024 general election manifesto committed to implementing ‘Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People’ in full – introducing legislation within 100 days. If the government has not legislated within the first hundred days, a special TUC congress will be called to discuss next steps.”
Also, the POA motion ‘Repeal Section 127 Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994’ – calling for the restoration of the right to strike for their prison officer members was passed as well. This should be the fighting approach that unions take forward.
Time to deliver: FBU national rally and lobby – it’s time for the Westminster government to deliver a fire and rescue service ready for the risks we face
When: 11:30am, Tuesday 8 October; Where: Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
From Strike Map: London book launch & social: A Manual of Industrial Unionism – Join the exciting launch of our reprint of A Manual of Industrial Unionism by William Z Foster 6.30pm on 29 November at Marx Memorial Library more details
Workers Unity to stop the far-right
The NSSN stands with the rest of the union movement against the violent protests whipped up by the recent racist far-right and the fascists. Our supporters have taken part in the many counter-protests that are taking place.
The far-right are looking to exploit the horrific incident in Southport this summer for their own ends. We send support and solidarity to all those affected by that attack, especially the families of those killed and injured.
With absolutely no evidence and on the basis of deliberate misinformation, the far-right have targeted refugees, migrant workers and the Black and Asian and Muslim communities.
It is essential that the trade union movement plays the leading role in building a united movement against the far-right. This is especially the case as history has shown, the far-right and fascist forces have targeted unions and striking workers.
With 6.5million members, across all working-class communities, the unions have the authority and power to unite workers against racist division which weakens our movement and only assists the bosses.
The strike wave over the last few years has shown that workers and their unions are prepared and able to fight to defend jobs and living standards, and when they do so, they become a pole of attraction for all those suffering from austerity.
Therefore, we believe that the TUC and the unions should call a national Saturday demonstration to bring together workers in a united response to the far-right.
And where the racists call local protests, the union movement should take the lead in organising counter-protests, linking up with migrants, refugees and any targeted communities as well as anti-racist and anti-fascist organisations. All protests must be well stewarded by trade unions to guard against any threat from far-right groups.
We welcomed the motion passed at TUC Congress in 2018 that launched a “Jobs, Homes, Not Racism campaign to unite the wider trade union movement and to campaign effectively against the far right” as it is vital that the labour and trade union movement takes on racist division by giving an alternative to the decades of austerity and anti-worker policies of successive governments.
The union movement has responded to the far-right protests with statements including the following – TUC, Unite, RMT, CWU, PCS, Unison, NIPSA, CSP, NEU, UCU, FBU, NUJ, Equity, BFAWU, ASLEF, GMB, RCN, CSP, UCU, NAPO, POA, Musicians Union, Community, USDAW, IWGB, Prospect, SOR, BMA, HCSA, INTO, UVW, POA
Join the counter-protest to Tommy Robinson – central London Saturday 26th October. For details of this and other protests, see the Stand Up To Racism website.
NSSN news
NSSN will have a stall at the NAPO AGM in Newcastle this week – delegates are very welcome to come and meet us
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
London cable car staff suspend strike action after new offer (4 Oct) – Transport union, RMT has called off strike action tomorrow following an improved offer by Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC) management. The new offer includes a backdated pay offer, a 3-year deal and enhanced maternity, paternity and bank holiday benefits. The company has also offered to cut the working week in exchange for accepting the offer. RMT members working for DDC will now be balloted. All strike action from October 12 onwards remains on for the time being read more
RFA take two days strike action (3 Oct) – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers are set to strike on Friday 4 October and Tuesday 8 October due to a long running dispute over pay. While discussions between the RMT union and the Ministry of Defence have been constructive, no satisfactory offer has been made. Further talks are scheduled to take place next week in an effort to resolve the dispute. During the strike, all RFA workers will be standing down from their duties, though essential safety measures—such as monitoring moorings and gangways—will remain in place read more
Defending Jobs Pensions and Agreements ballot closes on 10th of October – now is the time to vote (24 Sept) – Dear RMT Member, DEFENDING JOBS, PENSIONS & AGREEMENTS – LONDON UNDERGROUND. The closing date for the ballot is Thursday 10th October, so if you haven’t done so already, now is the time to vote. Due to balloting laws I cannot stress enough how important it is that you fill in your ballot paper and return it as quickly as possible read more
London Underground staff secure 6-month strike mandate (1 Oct) – Tube union, RMT has won the backing from members for a strike action mandate on London Underground while pay negotiations continue. No strike dates have been announced but the union is keen to secure an improved offer on pay and to make sure all members are entitled to the same percentage increase. Due to changes being imposed by LU management to pay bands, as it stands, not all RMT members would be entitled to the same percentage increase and this is wholly unacceptable to the union. RMT will be meeting the employer soon and seeking to reach a negotiated settlement read more
Heathrow Express 48-hour strike action begins on Monday (20 Sept) – Heathrow Express staff will take 48 hours of strike action, from Monday, in response to a pay offer that was overwhelmingly rejected by members. Despite mulitple attempts to resolve the dispute, members will take the action next week read more
Pay ballot papers out on 3rd September – (From Mick Lynch RMT General Secretary): RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – TRANSPORT FOR LONDON & LONDON UNDERGROUND (TFL/0001 & LUL/0001). BALLOT PAPERS OUT on TUESDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER. VOTE ‘YES’ TO STRIKE OVER PAY. Further to my previous Circulars (IR/221/24, 23rd July 2024 & IR/229/24, 26th July 2024) RMT is conducting separate ballots for TfL and LUL members over the failure to table a suitable pay offer for 2024 and the insistence from both companies that the increase will only be paid as a non-consolidated lump sum to any member at the top of their pay band. Ballot papers will be posted out on Tuesday 3rd September and the closing date for the ballot is Tuesday 1st October 2024 read more
Solid bus strike action at First South West (12 Aug) – RMT bus driver members working for First South West took further solid strike action against low pay today (Monday August 12) at depots across Cornwall and Somerset. Speaking from a picket line at Penzance, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was the fourth day of action in the dispute which had prevented buses from operating across the region. “This union has put forward three different proposals following local consultations to prevent further strike action, but the bus company has refused to negotiate to end to the dispute. First South West’s parent company is raking in profits of £204 million while bus drivers at First South West are some of the lowest paid in the country…” read more
Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper staff vote for strike action (8 Aug) – RMT members working on key Scottish rail services have voted for strike action following a ballot. Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper workers were separately balloted after rejecting pay offers from both companies. Workers at Scotrail returned an 85% ‘yes’ vote for strike action on a 64% turnout. And Caledonian Sleeper members produced a 90% yes vote on a 66% turnout. The union will be speaking to both employers in order to come to a negotiated settlement read more
ASLEF
LNER strike action suspended (29 Aug) – Strike action due to take place at weekends between the end of August and mid November 2024 has been suspended. Drivers working at LNER were due to strike after a long dispute with the company which saw existing agreements broken by the employer. ASLEF members have consistently worked to negotiate with the company and explain why the breaking of agreements is unacceptable but the company continued to operate inappropriately, including paying driver managers a premium to drive trains, not recruiting enough drivers to run a full service, and trying to push drivers to work outside of agreed rostering systems. The railway is a safety critical environment and procedures are in place to ensure safe operation. ASLEF had raised safety concerns regarding driver managers ‘dual-rolling’ ie driving trains when they should have been available for on-call duties in the case of any incidents read more
TSSA
TSSA ballots for strike action in Wales over pay (1 Oct) – Rail union TSSA is balloting members at Transport for Wales (TfW) for industrial action, including a possible strike (ballot opens Wednesday 2nd October 2024). This comes after the union rejected a below inflation offer of 3.5 per cent (year one) from the company and pay linked to RPI inflation (Feb 2025) for year two. Several hundred TSSA members working across dozens of roles – including Station Staff, Depot Managers, Controllers, and Customer Services – will be given a say on the industrial action which includes strike action and action short of a strike. The ballot runs for three weeks, closing on the 23rd October, with results announced the same day read more
TSSA London Underground members balloted over pay, terms and conditions (18 Sept) – London Underground’s latest offer is 3.8% plus £300 for all grades. This is below the rate of inflation for February, which was 4.5%, and means yet another real term cut in pay compared to the cost of living. In addition, in recent pay talks London Underground has stated that any percentage pay rise will not automatically apply to pay bands, and that any increase to the maximum or the minimum of any pay band will be made entirely at their discretion. They have made it clear that they intend to freeze many pay bands read more
Unite
Campaign to restore Winter fuel payment for all pensioners launched on steps to Stormont (7 Oct) – At today’s National Pensioners Convention rally at Stormont, speaker after speaker assailed both the Labour government for ending the winter fuel payment and the Stormont executive for meekly enforcing the policy in Northern Ireland. Unite’s speakers committed the union to campaign to reverse the policy and highlighted the cruel impact it will have on pensioners in Northern Ireland, the UK region with the highest rates of fuel poverty read more
Knowsley housing workers announce strikes over low pay (7 Oct) – Residents living in Livv Housing are braced for serious disruption to housing services from later this month as over 200 workers begin industrial action in a dispute over pay. The dispute is a result of workers experiencing many years of below inflation pay rises. As a consequence, the workers have rejected a pay increase of five per cent because this does not reverse the real terms pay cuts they had previously experienced. The two initial days of strike action have been called for Wednesday 16 October and Wednesday 23 October. An overtime ban will also be in place on both 16 October and 23 October read more
MEBSCA dispute: Pickets set for Intel site tomorrow as dispute escalates (6 Oct) – Workers fight for travel time restoration against backdrop of falling living standards. Unite members working as plumbers, fitters, welders and apprentices are set to down tools tomorrow as they continue action to secure the reversal of the austerity-era cut to ‘travel time’. Pickets will be mounted from 0.01 am to 11.59 pm tomorrow (Monday 7 October) outside the flagship Intel project in Co Kildare, where several MEBSCA employers are carrying out works read more
Strikes to escalate at Fareham aerospace company with new dates announced (4 Oct) – Workers at Eaton Ltd manufacturing to stage further walks out over pay. Approximately 150 highly skilled aerospace workers in Fareham, Hants, are escalating their strike action after their employer, Eaton Ltd, continued to fail to make a pay offer that would bring them in line with industry averages. Unite members at the company voted overwhelmingly for strike action at the factory which produces essential parts and products for the aerospace sector. Fitters, technicians, supervisors and other staff will strike on the following dates: 16-19 October, 21-26 October, 29 October–1 November, 4-9 November, 11-16 November read more
Unite hails offshore medics recognition agreement (4 Oct) – MCL Medics on Harbour Energy installations secure platform for better jobs, pay and conditions. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, has signed a recognition deal with MCL Medics for offshore medics on Harbour Energy installations. The recognition agreement signed last week covers around 20 offshore medics who provide vital lifesaving services on the Harbour Energy contract. The medics service the following offshore installations: Armada, Britannia, Everest, Jade, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond, Solan and Tolmount. The MCL Medics agreement means that Unite will now have a platform to undertake collective bargaining on behalf of the workers to improve jobs, pay and conditions on the Harbour Energy contract…Unite further revealed that it is set to begin wage negotiations covering over 600 workers with several high-profile operators in the offshore sector in the coming weeks. This includes TotalEnergies, Repsol Resources, CNOOC and Equinor. In February, Unite confirmed it had also signed a recognition deal with the offshore operator Equinor covering around 70 workers. It added to several recent agreements involving Repsol Resources which covers around 350 workers, TotalEnergies around 80 workers, and the CNOOC agreement negotiated in May 2023 which covers around 140 workers read more
Bradford fridge/freezer maker EPTA facing disruption as workers strike over pay (3 Oct) – Major supermarkets including Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons and the Co-op facing delays in key infrastructure. Bradford based industrial fridge/freezer maker EPTA is facing severe disruption to its suppliers, as workers are set to take strike action in a dispute over pay. Around 70 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, have voted for industrial action after rejecting a pay offer of four per cent. The workers are paid barely above the minimum wage, despite undertaking skilled work. They have seen their pay differential, compared to the minimum wage, steadily whittled away over recent years. The workers will take extensive strike action across the second half of this month on October 15, 17, 21, 23, 29 and 31 read more
Doncaster First Bus cleaners join striking Sheffield colleagues in pay dispute (3 Oct) – First Bus real living wage employer but Bidvest Noonan contractors in Sheffield and Doncaster on poverty pay. Doncaster First Bus cleaning workers have joined striking Sheffield colleagues in their dispute over poverty pay. The Doncaster Bidvest Noonan workers voted overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot to join the dispute over their wealthy employer’s refusal to pay the real living wage of £12 an hour, despite First Bus contractors being obligated to do so. Cleaning and refuelling workers employed by Bidvest Noonan on behalf of First South Yorkshire at Sheffield’s Olive Grove depot began industrial action in September after being told their wages will not be increased above the legal minimum of £11.44 an hour. They are now ramping up strikes and will be joined in the coming weeks by their colleagues in Doncaster, who will soon begin a formal ballot for industrial action read more
Ealing parking free for all as traffic warden strikes intensify into November (3 Oct) – Council refusing to recognise traffic wardens’ union despite working with it to insource service. Strikes by Ealing traffic wardens will intensify from next week in a dispute over union recognition, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Around 40 parking services workers employed by council-owned Greener Ealing Ltd have been on strike since late August over their employer’s refusal to recognise their long-term union Unite for pay and other matters. The workers were previously employed by Serco before being transferred to Greener Ealing Ltd earlier this year. Their roles are completely different to the rest of Greener Ealing’s waste management workforce. As a distinct group, they want Unite, which has represented the workers for a decade, recognised for collective bargaining on their behalf read more
HSE: Unite health workers say ‘backdoor hiring freeze’ impacting patient services (3 Oct) – Lunchtime protests set for next week as unions prepare to ballot for action. Unite, which represents a range of grades across the Health Services Executive (HSE) said today (Thursday) that what it termed the HSE’s ‘backdoor hiring freeze’ is impacting on patient services and causing staff burnout. The union was commenting ahead of lunchtime protests scheduled for next week. In conjunction with other unions in the health sector, Unite will also be balloting for industrial action read more
Unite rail workers vote to accept pay deal (2 Oct) – Overwhelming acceptance of pay award in Network Rail and Train Operating Companies. Around 1000 Unite members will benefit from substantial pay increases after accepting the pay offer from the Department for Transport (DfT). Unite’s membership in Network Rail has accepted an increase of 4.5 per cent for 2024 and the Train Operating Company members have settled on a 2-year deal that sees a 4.75 per cent increase for 2023 and a further 4.5 per cent increase for 2024. Both settlements bring an end to a long running pay dispute within the train operating companies and reinforces the government’s desire to nationalise the rail industry read more
Altrad workers at Sellafield to strike over broken pay promises (2 Oct) – Unite members offered four per cent less than previously promised by employer. Vital workers operating at Sellafield are to strike this month following a string of broken promises from their employer, Altrad Services. Unite members at the site, who are responsible for access and maintenance of the Fellside site which produces steam for the wider Sellafield site next door, are taking industrial action from 10-15 October, 17-22 October and 24-29 October 2024. Workers at the site are furious that their employer, Altrad Services, has reneged on previously agreed pay deals, potentially costing workers thousands of pounds. Members were originally advised and agreed to a 11.3 per cent rise in January 2024. Prior to that during the cost of living crisis, Altrad paid an additional four per cent salary increase which staff were told was permanent. However, Altrad have only now given members a 7.3 per cent rise, rather than the agreed 11.3 per cent – the reduction being the same as the cost of living increase. This broken promise and backtracking has caused outrage among staff who have been left with little choice but to take industrial action read more
Waterford City and Co Council: Stoppage by members at Dunmore Depot deferred pending engagement with management (1 Oct) – Dispute surrounds unilateral change to work practices. Unite, which represents members working for Waterford City and County Council, today (Tuesday) said that it has deferred a 24-hour work stoppage by Unite members at Dunmore Depot in Waterford, which had been scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday), as a gesture of good faith ahead of local engagement with management next week read more
Biomedical scientists in Yorkshire to strike over unsustainable workloads (26 Sept) – Unite members in York and Scarborough hospitals to walkout over fears about patient safety. Biomedical scientists at hospitals in York and Scarborough are to take strike action this autumn in protest over unsustainable workloads that are putting patient safety at risk. Microbiologists at York Hospital and blood scientists at Scarborough & Bridlington Hospital, both part of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, have been forced to continually deal with workloads far beyond safe levels. Following a successful ballot, they will be taking strike action on 30 September, 7 October and 11 October 2024 read more
Llanelli Gestamp auto workers ballot for strike over poverty pay (19 Sept) – Industrial action would severely impact Nissan, BMW, JLR, Aston Martin and INEOS. Strikes by Llanelli Gestamp workers would severely impact the supply of critical parts to Nissan, BMW, JLR, Aston Martin and INEOS, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Around 200 workers on various grades are being balloted for strike action over unacceptably low pay offers by Gestamp. The Spanish-based company brought in revenues of €12.3 billion in 2023 and reported a profitability (EBITDA) of €1.4 billion. Despite Gestamp’s huge wealth, many of the workers at the Llanelli factory earn the national minimum wage and will only be taken slightly above it under the company’s current offer. Adding to the workers’ anger over poor pay is the fact that starter rates at Gestamp’s sister site in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, will rise to £13.77 in January 2025 read more
Unite comment on Welsh Government pay award for NHS staff (11 Sept) – Following the announcement that the Welsh Government has accepted the Pay Review Body’s (PRB) recommendation that pay for NHS staff should increase by 5.5 per cent for 2024/5, Unite, has issued the following statement. Unite regional officer Daryl Williams said: “Welsh NHS staff have suffered real terms pay cuts and have seen their living standards fall for over a decade. This has created huge recruitment and retention issues, which is a direct result of staff being thousands of pounds worse off in real terms. NHS workers across Wales deserve a restorative pay award and today’s announcement must be the beginning of Welsh Government honouring its 2023 commitment to pay restoration. Unite regional officer Daryl Williams said:
“Unite’s health members will have the final say on whether they believe this is an acceptable pay offer through a ballot.” Read more
Bakkavor workers in Spalding to take continuous strike action over low pay (18 Sept) – Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose facing shelf shortages. Over 700 workers in Spalding, Lincs, are to take continuous strike action beginning this month in protest at a derisory pay offer from their employer, Bakkavor Group. Members of Unite work in food preparation and manufacturing at Bakkavor. They make and prepare meals, soups, dips, salads, desserts, pizzas and breads for Bakkavor’s customers which includes Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Waitrose. Unite members will be taking part in continuous strike action from Friday 27 September read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Cardiff Valley Vets petition reaches 50,000 as poverty pay strikes escalate (10 Sept) – Historic strike taking on profiteering business model that harms animals and workers. The first ever strike at a private veterinary practice in the UK will escalate this week – as a petition in support of the striking workers grew to 49,503 signatures. Around 100 staff at Valley Vets in Cardiff, many of whom earn little more than the national minimum wage, have been on strike since July over poverty pay. Most support staff (80 per cent) report regularly borrowing money to make ends meet and five per cent report having to use food banks. VetPartners, owned by £138 billion private equity fund BC Partners, claims it cannot afford to give the lowest paid workers at Valley Vets the real living wage of £12 an hour. But in 2023, the company reported gross profits of £553 million. VetPartners says it is running at a loss despite its extremely healthy cash flow. This is because the company, which has more than 400 UK sites, has a policy of loading itself with debt to fund aggressive market expansion to increase its sale value. BC Partners bought VetPartners for £700 million in 2018; the company is now worth an estimated £3 billion…The workers have taken approximately six weeks of strike action since July. The next 24-hour strike will begin at 08:00 hrs on Friday 13 September read more
School staff to strike in Greenwich over job cuts and restructure, say unions (9 Sept) – Mulgrave School workers will walk out over threat to their livelihoods. Dozens of support staff at a London primary school are to strike on Wednesday (11 September) over a proposed restructure that would lead to 14 job cuts. Teaching assistants and other workers at Mulgrave School represented by Unite, GMB and Unison are walking out in response to Greenwich Council plans that involve scrapping flexible working arrangements, creating additional unpaid duties and cutting the pay of remaining workers. Staff represented by the three unions are furious at the plans and will be on the picket line to make their voices heard. The school and local authority have repeatedly failed to disclose the accounts to justify any restructuring and have called in neighbouring Hackney council to help support the restructure due to a lack of resource and expertise within Greenwich council read more
Unite will escalate ABC council dispute (5 Sept) – Bin workers based at Armagh depot suspend strikes but union members stand ready to defend reps. ABC council senior management have presided over a ‘hostile environment’ for union reps and their behaviour is ‘shameful’. Unite members employed in waste collection at the Armagh depot have voted to suspend a seven-week strike taken in response to the sacking of their union rep. Unite has vowed to continue to pursue justice for its sacked shop steward through all available avenues, including at employment tribunal where the council will have to justify its decision. The strike action will be suspended from midnight [Thursday] tonight with employees returning to work tomorrow. In a meeting notifying management of the decision to suspend, union officials demanded the council conduct an audit into its industrial practices, which they have agreed. The union has described the behaviour of senior council management at Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon (ABC) council towards its team of workforce reps as ‘shameful’ and warned that any further aggression towards its reps or to the jobs, pay, terms and conditions of its members will be completely opposed by workers read more
Striking Guys’ and St Thomas’ nurses intensify safe staffing dispute with series of protests (2 Sept) – Nurses says NHS staffing crisis and underinvestment cannot be cured by crushing workers with unsustainable workloads. Guys’ and St Thomas’ day surgery theatre nurses will hold a series of protests across London this week as they continue striking over safe staffing. Around 100 nurses are striking over unsustainable increases to shift times. Anger amongst the workforce is such that since the dispute began in June, the number of Guys’ and St Thomas’ theatre nurses who are Unite members has nearly doubled. During the strike days of 3, 4 and 5 September the nurses will protest outside: Downing Street, The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and London Bridge Hospital read more
Ammanford car seat manufacturer workers ballot for pay strikes (2 Sept) – Strikes by low paid Pullmaflex workers could impact Toyota, Nissan, VW and Stellantis. Around 200 workers employed at car seat manufacturer Pullmaflex’s Ammanford factory in Carmarthenshire are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Many of the workers are only paid the national living wage and have been offered no pay rise for 2024 except to ensure they are not being paid below the legal minimum. Workers on higher grades have had an imposed 3.8 per cent rise, which is a real terms pay cut, as the RPI rate of inflation was 4.9 per cent when the increase was due to be implemented in January. Adding to tensions, is the fact that workers’ finances have been squeezed year after year due to wages continually falling behind inflation at the company. The dispute is also about Pullmaflex’s attempt to make permanent a two-year temporary freeze of shift pay from percentage payments calculated on hours worked to one off payments. This breaks a collective agreement signed with Unite in 2022 read more
Unite local government members prepare to ballot for autumn strikes as pay offer rejected (30 Aug) – Members of Unite, employed by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have overwhelmingly rejected, the local government employers’ pay offer for 2024/5. Members, who cover many frontline roles including refuse collection workers, housing workers and care staff, returned a 85 per cent rejection of the pay offer which is worth a £1,290 flat rate, plus 2.5 per cent on allowances. This offer fails to tackle poverty pay or reverse the years of real terms pay cuts experienced by local government workers…Unite is now undertaking a full industrial action ballot for its local authority members. Balloting will begin today (30 August) and if workers vote for industrial action then strikes could begin later this autumn. Local authority workers have endured over a decade of pay freezes and below inflation pay increases which has seen their pay decline by over a quarter in real terms read more
National Education Union staff to strike over unacceptable workloads (28 Aug) – Employer unwilling to meet with staff to address concerns. Nearly 30 workers at the National Education Union (NEU) headquarters in London are to take three days of strike action due to the attitudes of their employer and its failure to address concerns over workloads. Unite members working in administrative roles at the NEU will walk out on 11 September and 2-3 October after management refused to meet with them or engage in meaningful negotiations over their concerns. Staff have repeatedly raised the alarm over workloads that are causing high levels of stress and sickness among staff. Further issues over workplace bullying and how this is addressed by the NEU’s management have been ignored. Having exhausted internal procedures and with an intransigent management, staff have been left with no option but to take to the picket line read more
Edinburgh Tram workrs back strike action over lack of toilet breaks (14 Aug) – Unite says it’s ’running out of track’ to resolve health concerns before strike action. Unite can confirm that its Edinburgh Trams membership have emphatically backed strike action in a dispute over late running times to the nation’s largest airport which is preventing workers from taking comfort breaks. Over ninety per cent of tram workers in the ballot supported strike action. Over 160 Unite members could now take strike action in a matter of weeks, if comfort breaks and wider health concerns impacting the workers are not swiftly addressed. Unite believes there is a shortfall of between 5-6 minutes in the running time from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven. Each round trip takes on average two hours to complete. The maximum driving time before a scheduled break is five hours, and many tram workers go this length of time without hydration or toilet breaks. This is due to running late and having to make up the time read more
Glen Dimplex workers in Portadown to begin industrial action (12 Aug) – Dispute is a result of planned site closure, Unite has notified employer of work-to-rule, training and overtime ban. The workforce at Glen Dimplex will commence the first phase of industrial action including a work-to-rule from 00.01am on Friday 16 August. The industrial dispute is a result of plans by Glen Dimplex’s management to offshore work to Lithuania which will lead to redundancies and the potential closure of the site in Portadown… The work-to-rule will proceed indefinitely and will see workers refuse to undertake overtime, refuse to mentor or train new staff, and they will work to contractual terms and conditions and their job description only read more
Over 1,500 Ford white collar staff involved in nationwide industrial action (9 Aug) – Staff in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood in dispute over pay and contract changes. Around 1,200 Ford office staff are joining hundreds of managers in taking industrial action over pay at sites across the country, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Friday). Yesterday, the office staff voted in favour of strike action and will begin action short of strike action on 22 August. Ford managers already have a strike mandate and are currently engaging in industrial action short of strikes. Both sets of workers, who are based in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood, are in dispute with Ford over unacceptable pay offers and contract changes. Coordinated strike action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more
Continuous strike action announced at by Unite members at UCU (7 Aug) – Unite the union staff working for the University and College Union (UCU) have today announced they will take all out continuous strike action in an escalation of industrial action. Around 200 members will indefinitely strike from 2 September if their employer doesn’t resolve their dispute over workplace racism, repeated breaches of their collective agreements, and broken industrial relations read more
Jiffy workers escalate strike action over “pathetic” pay offer (5 Aug) – Summer of discontent at north west packaging company. Over 50 workers at the Jiffy packaging plant in Winsford, Cheshire, are escalating their strike action this month following a pay offer from their employer that Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described as “pathetic”. Workers at the Cheshire factory are striking from today (5 Aug) until 17 August. They previously walked out for two weeks in July but with Jiffy management still unwilling to come back to the negotiating table, staff have been left with little choice but to ramp up their industrial action campaign. Workers at the plant have been offered a mere 1.5 per cent pay increase despite a cost of living crisis and real rate of inflation (RPI) standing at 4.3 per cent, when the pay increase was due. Workers are therefore receiving a real-terms pay cut. Unite’s members are demanding an eight per cent pay increase backdated to the 1 April 2024. Additionally, workers are furious that they only receive eight weeks of sick pay and want to see an increase to 12 weeks alongside the reinstatement of breaks during the working day and changes to bank holiday working practices read more
Support the Sanctuary strikes – contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]
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]
Massive solidarity for OCS strikers (7 Oct) – Ahead of tomorrow’s busy picket, messages of solidarity pour in. Tomorrow (8), caterers and cleaners working for OCS at FCDO East Kilbride will build on their seven days of action with a further day’s strike. The outsourced and underpaid OCS workers rallied to busy pickets twice last week with the support and attendance on Friday (4) of Scottish TUC’s deputy president Dave Moxham. Further strike days are planned for 10, 15, 17, 22 and 24 October and the dispute will continue to escalate as bosses ignore workers. Meanwhile, the strikers’ demands for fairer pay, terms, and conditions are winning popularity and support from all corners read more
Strike action continues at the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (4 Oct) – PCS members employed by OCS as caterers and cleaners on the FCDO East Kilbride contract are set to take a further 6 days of strike action this month in their dispute over pay, terms, and conditions. The strike action, which follows 7 days of action already taken, will see members walk out on 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24 in an escalation to their dispute. Both days of action this week were well supported, and Dave Moxham, deputy president of the STUC attended the picket line yesterday. There will be picket lines held on all dates between 7.30am and 10am at Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Rd, East Kilbride, G75 8EA. Messages of solidarity can be sent to [email protected]
Civil service pensions: News on McCloud Remedy (3 Oct) – Annual Benefit Statements show changed pension information. In a legal ruling, known as the McCloud Judgement, the government was found to have unlawfully discriminated, on the basis of age, in the way it introduced pension changes in 2015. New legislation is now in place and the scheme rules have been changed. This process is referred to as the McCloud Remedy read more
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) publishes its best and final offer (3 Oct) – While pay talks were conducted in good faith, PCS negotiators felt the offer falls short of the PCS national pay claim and have rejected it. Details of the DE&S pay offer have now been published on the staff Intranet. The PCS Defence Sector group executive committee (DSG GEC) met on 8 July and 21 August to review the “best and final offer” and have unanimously voted to reject it read more
New strike dates announced for G4S members in jobcentres (2 Oct) – The members will walk out for more dates in October and November in their long-running dispute over pay. The PCS members, employed by G4S as security guards in jobcentres, recently voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer made by G4S and to take further strike action. The pay offer made was just 32p per hour above the national living wage. Members voted by 84% to reject the pay offer and by 89% for more strike action. The workers have already taken 41 days’ strike action in their dispute, resulting in jobcentres being closed and a reduced service being offered in others. The new strike dates are from 1pm on 18 October to 11:59pm on 20 October, 1pm to 11.59pm on 21 October, from 1pm on 25 October to 11:59pm on 27th, 1pm to 11:59pm on 28 October and 1pm on 1 November to 11:59pm on 3 November, 1pm to 11:59pm on 4 November, 1pm on 8 November to 11.59pm on 10 November and 1pm to 11:59pm on 11 November read more
MoJ pay offer 2024/25 (2 Oct) – PCS responds to the 2024/25 pay offer from the Ministry of Justice. Pay meetings have been scheduled for October read more
PCS members working for G4S to be balloted for strike action (23 Sept) – The ballot involves members working as security officers at various government buildings across London. PCS members working for G4S are to be balloted for strike action in an escalation to their dispute over pay, terms and conditions following receipt of a derisory pay offer that does not meet PCS’s demands. The ballot covers security officers providing services to Cabinet Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the civil service hub in Canary Wharf. The ballot will run from 30 September to 14 October and asks members if they are prepared to take strike action over pay and a refusal to offer improvements to terms and conditions read more
Strike ballot announced for ISS workers at several government departments (21 Sept) – PCS is running a strike ballot from 26 September for cleaners, post room staff, porters, catering and reception staff employed by multinational ISS who work in several government departments. Our members are demanding increases in pay and improvements to terms and conditions to end the two-tier workforce with staff directly employed by the civil service in the buildings where they work on superior pay and terms and conditions. ISS, failed to make any offer in response to the workers claims of these workers at Old Admiralty (Department for Business and Trade), 10 Victoria Street (Department for Science Innovation and Technology an Cabinet Office), 22-26 Whitehall (DSIT) and 8 Salisbury Square (the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Competition Service, an agency of DBT). The Department for Business and Trade, whose secretary of state Jonathan Reynolds is responsible for the flagship Employment Rights Bill, is now facing possible strikes should members vote for industrial action in the ballot which runs until 14 October read more
G4S and DBT facing strike ballot (16 Sept) – PCS members working on the G4S security contract at 3 government departments will be balloted next week for strike action in a dispute over low pay. The ballot will run from 23 September until 7 October, and will include the G4S security members at Old Admiralty and 10 Victoria Street in London, home to several major government departments. These include the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and the Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT). We issued the ballot notice today after G4S failed, despite repeated attempts, to respond to our members’ claim for improvements to their pay and terms and conditions to bring them closer to the terms and conditions of the civil servants where they work. They are also calling for funding from their employer for Security Industry Authority licences, required to undertake the key duties and functions of their roles. This ballot comes on the back of increasing strike action by our G4S members across DWP offices read more
Trade unions support for sacked PCS reps (13 Sept) – Sacked PCS reps at HMRC Benton View Park are receiving widespread support from the trade union movement. At this week’s TUC Congress, over 100 signatures were collected from visitors to the PCS stall for the petition calling for them to be reinstated. This included TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak who signed to show his support read more. Email your local MP to ensure they add their support to the campaign
Enforced roster changes leave Heathrow Border Force members feeling suicidal (3 Sept) – PCS members working at passport control at Heathrow Airport have reported major adverse impacts to their family life, physical and mental wellbeing as a result of enforced roster changes. Amongst over 250 responses to our survey, PCS members were unequivocal in their condemnation of the changes to the roster, with several members reporting that not only were they finding it difficult to maintain a work life balance, but that several had lost access to their children completely…Members on the picket line at Heathrow airport during the four days of strike action that finish today have been holding signs with personal testimonies, including: “I’m so tired that I’m scared I’ll make a mistake” and “The shifts are so long that I just never feel like I have a break from work.” After a solidarity visit to the picket line from Hayes and Harlington MP John McDonnell, , members are more determined than ever. Plans are in place for more parliamentary work to help bring the dispute to the attention of the new government. The members will now follow a work-to-rule and overtime ban until 22 September read more
National campaign update for members (16 Aug) – Following the publication of the civil service pay remit guidance, the national executive committee (NEC) met on 12 August to consider the way forward for our national campaign read more
Cuts to jobcentre security staffing (14 Aug) – G4S, the private contractor that provides security to jobcentres, has announced plans to cut the number of security guards. PCS has written to the DWP permanent secretary to express serious concerns about plans by G4S to cut the number of security guards across the Jobcentre network. The letter asks the DWP to stop any planned reductions and to restore the number of security guards where they have already been removed. We believe that it is scandalous that the DWP are allowing G4S to reduce security staffing at a time when there are increasing numbers of serious incidents in Jobcentres and public safety is being threatened by the rise of violent activity by the far-right. DWP have allowed G4S to undertake “risk assessments” in sites where they are proposing that numbers of guards are reduced or removed, but have failed to consult with PCS health and safety representatives as is legally required. PCS has consulted with members in Sudbury and Mildenhall in Suffolk where the security guards have been removed entirely. Members in these sites have been subjected to serious incidents in the past and feel very vulnerable as a result of the closure of local police stations, meaning that members can no longer rely on a swift intervention by the police. Following the consultation, members have indicated that they are prepared to take industrial action in support of their security guard colleagues facing redundancy and for their own safety. PCS is hoping to meet with DWP officials to discuss the situation and find a solution that avoids the need to formally ballot members facing safety concerns. However, if a satisfactory outcome cannot be achieved, we will ballot members for industrial action read more
Use the e-action to fight de-recognition of PCS at the Imperial War Museum – The e-action sends an email to the director general asking her to halt plans to derecognise PCS, and preserve workers’ voices and rights. On 6 March, Imperial War Museum Director Francoise Harris wrote to PCS, FDA and Prospect unions confirming that they wish to derecognise PCS and FDA and move forward with only one union, Prospect. The three unions, Prospect, PCS, and FDA have a constructive and collaborative relationship and all three have appealed to management at the IWM not to derecognise PCS and FDA read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs – 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
FDA
FDA tells MSPs uncertainty around jobs regarding future of new education body has been “very difficult” (2 Oct) – The FDA has expressed concerns over job security, pay and a long hours culture to the Scottish Parliament, regarding the creation of a new education body in Scotland. The union gave written and oral evidence over the new Education (Scotland) Bill, which aims to replace the current Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with a new body, Qualifications Scotland read more
GMB
GMB members accept NHS pay award (7 Oct) – Tens of thousands of GMB members working in the NHS and Ambulance Service in England have today [Monday] accepted the Government’s pay award for 2024/25. Following a consultative ballot, a majority of more than 60 per cent voted to accept read more
‘Penny-pinching’ in store could lead to strike action if management don’t take action, says GMB (7 Oct) – Members of GMB, the union for Asda, are warning management at the Trowbridge store that they are prepared to take strike action unless conditions improve. In June 2024, a majority of staff in the store submitted a grievance about poor management at the store, and inadequate staffing levels. GMB then carried out a consultative ballot, which showed that members were in favour of taking action if matters do not improve. Complaints made by members include the music being played over the PA system ‘like being stuck in the lift at an undertakers’ and more generally that morale at the store is very low read more
Tetley’s dispute escalates as workers announce more strikes (4 Oct) – GMB Trade Union – Tetley’s dispute escalates as workers announce more strikes. The first ever industrial action by workers at Tetley’s has escalated. Almost 150 GMB members working at Tata Consumer Products, which makes Tetley Tea in Teesside, have walked out today [Friday] in anger over poverty pay. A further strike will take place on 10 October. Tensions were between workers and bosses were further inflamed when management called the police during previous industrial action, claiming the predominantly women strikers were being ‘intimidating’. Police took no action and now the company has launched an injunction against them for trespass read more
GMB members in G4S return 65% vote in favour of 2023/24 pay offer (4 Oct) – Dear members, Your GMB National Reps (LNC) want to thank members for participating in the recent ballot. We are pleased to report that members have returned a 65% vote in favour of the offer, with over 91% of members voting in the ballot. We know full well that the offer wasn’t perfect, and that it impacted members differently across the country. However this is a positive result that draws this chapter of negotiations to a close. The activism, energy and passion of members throughout the dispute has been amazing, and the growth in overall members and those wanting to stand up to represent GMB members on their site has been brilliant read more
Ramadan headscarf craft workers vote to strike (23 Sept) – Staff at Lappets Manufacturing have started voting on strike action, GMB announces today (Friday). The workers, whose tasks include intricate sewing and quality control, need years of experience to meet required standards. With high pressure from bosses to meet targets, workers feel undervalued and overworked. They are urging bosses to come to the table – to discuss fairer pay and more reasonable targets read more
More than 700 gas emergency workers vote to strike (23 Sept) – More than 700 gas emergency workers have voted to strike as GMB warns of a looming crisis in the sector. Almost 750 Northern Gas Network (NGN) workers are set to walk out over workplace issues which they say pose a serious health risk to the public. Emergency gas engineers work around the clock fixing gas leaks across the north of England. But they are being forced to work such long hours fatigue is a serious issue – a clear danger when working with flammable, toxic gas leaks. Meanwhile those with covid are not given sick pay – and told to wear masks, even when working in care homes with vulnerable residents. GMB members have raised these issues with management, but their calls have fallen on deaf ears. Strike dates will be announced in the coming days – industrial action could see towns and cities across the north facing major disruption if gas leaks cannot be fixed read more
Farmfoods faces frosty future as workers down tools (19 Sept) – Workers at fast growing food retailer will take strike action on Monday. GMB Union has today announced that Farmfoods workers at a Solihull distribution centre will take part in a two-day walkout in a dispute over pay, conditions and union rights. The campaign to improve conditions has already seen work rates fall by over 15%, but workers are furious after company managers have turned down requests for union recognition and fair pay. The strike action will take place on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September, with around 100 workers expected to take part read more
Asda Skelton faces strike (18 Sept) – Asda Skelton faces strike action after workers voted to walk out. More than 110 staff at the store will talk industrial action in anger at health and safety issue, a loss of working hours in the store and the wider fight for equal pay. A protest will take place outside the store tomorrow [September 19] at 11.30am. The ballot saw a total of 575 per cent of GMB members vote to walk out. Strike dates will be announced in the coming days read more
Consultative ballot open for Wexham Park Radiographers (17 Sept) – Stakes rise as radiographers at Wexham Park Hospital vote to protect NHS service provision. Members of GMB, the union at NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust, are voting in a consultative ballot in a dispute against the outsourcing of radiology services. The proposed contractor, InHealth, already provide some Diagnostic and Imaging Services to the NHS and run contracts worth over £300 million per year. The union members are employed as Radiographers, Radiology Assistants and associated support staff at Wexham Park Hospital near Slough. A grievance has previously been submitted to the Trust’s Chief Executive Lance McCarthy and Chairman Bryan Ingleby, with a formal meeting date to discuss concerns yet to be scheduled. The ballot opened on Friday and remains open until Friday 27 September and may lead to a formal industrial action ballot, pending the result read more
Leicestershire faces waste chaos as strike action looms (11 Sept) – Workers in the County’s tips are balloting for industrial action. GMB Union has today announced that workers in Leicestershire waste and recycling centres will begin balloting for strike action. The news comes after Leicestershire County Council announced plans to slash wages by as much as £1300 for workers at the sites in a bid to cut spending. Around 50 workers are expected to take part in the vote read more
Concrete makers escalate strike as fat cat bosses wine and dine (6 Sept) –Dozens of GMB members at Acheson & Glover’s (A&G) Toome are escalating industrial action. Further strike action comes after ‘fat cat’ bosses were wined and dined and a swanky awards ceremony. The workers, who make up more than 70 per cent of the workforce at the plant producing pavers and flagstones, will begin their fifth week of strike action on Monday [9 September]. The dispute arose when staff were offered a 2.5 per cent pay increase for 2024/2025, representing a real terms pay cut with RPI inflation at 3.1 per cent. The company announced pre-tax profits of £3.4m, while this week bosses wined and dined each other at a lavish awards ceremony read more
Brighton Asda Bank Holiday strike action suspended after last minute offer (22 Aug) – Members at the Hollingbury superstore have suspended action to consider an offer from ASDA. Members of GMB, the union for Asda, have this morning suspended their strike action planned for this weekend. Following on from strike action which took place over Whitsun Bank Holiday at the end of May, more than 100 members in store were due to strike from 10pm tomorrow to 10pm on Saturday. Previous talks before the first strike date had failed to result in any agreement between GMB and ASDA, but the employer has made a last-minute offer which will be discussed next week read more
Asda Lowestoft workers announce new strike (26 Jul) – Asda workers at Lowestoft have announced a new strike. More than 170 Asda workers will walk out of the store from 03:00 to 22:00 on Friday 9 August 2024 read more
Fifteen more Birmingham schools begin equal pay strike vote (22 Aug) – Second wave of Birmingham Equal Pay school strikes could be imminent. GMB union has today announced that fifteen additional Birmingham City Council schools are set to vote on joining industrial action, following the Council’s ongoing failure to resolve the City’s equal pay crisis. The escalation comes after support staff in thirty five schools across the city downed tools and took strike action earlier this year. Council bosses are facing criticism for the lack of meaningful progress towards a resolution. This week a body of accountants and researchers have called for an independent inquiry into the Council’s issuing of two Section 114 Notices, effectively declaring itself bankrupt. Over 250 school workers will take part in the new ballot which would bring the total number of Birmingham schools facing strike action to fifty. Balloting will begin today [Thursday 22 August] with a result expected mid-September read more
London City Airport faces first ever strike after workers shun pay deal (20 Aug) – GMB Union today (Wednesday) warns that London City Airport is facing the first major stoppage in its 37-year history following a 100 per cent rejection of the employer’s pay offer in July. Workers are demanding that management at Gatwick Ground Services (GGS), must offer pay parity with counterparts working at Gatwick Airport who are paid at least 17 per cent more, and enjoy other fringe benefits that the City Airport workers are denied. Management at GGS has delayed getting back to the negotiating table, giving rise to additional frustration and anger among GMB members working at the airport read more
Bathroom workers back strike action (20 Aug) – Ideal Standard’s Rugeley factory workers have backed strike action over years of real term pay cuts. Workers have been left disappointed by a suggested pay uplift that would not correct previous below inflation pay 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
Police staff members vote to accept 2024 pay offer (4 Oct) – 95% of members voted to accept the offer and, with other police staff unions also accepting, it is hoped it will be implemented as soon as possible read more
Opinion: Why you should vote ‘yes’ to strike in councils and schools (23 Sept) – Mike Short, head of local government, explains the situation for council and school staff pay in England and Wales, and why UNISON is asking members to vote to strike read more
Plans by Essex trust for mass outsourcing of NHS services are out of order (18 Sept) – Staff have made it abundantly clear they want to stay within the NHS because that’s the best way to ensure patient needs are met. UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea and hundreds of striking health workers are urging the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to abandon its plans for a large-scale outsourcing of NHS services, the union says today (Wednesday). Cleaners, porters and housekeepers at Colchester hospital and other community sites are walking out for a twelfth day today over the trust’s plan to move their jobs out of the NHS read more
Local government strike ballot could be extended to more workers (10 Sept) – Scotland’s largest local government union is considering widening its strike ballot to more than 90,000 staff in councils and associated services over pay. The move comes after all council workers in the union overwhelmingly rejected Cosla’s latest pay offer in a consultative ballot a week ago read more
Council workers vote overwhelmingly to reject latest pay offer (3 Sept) – Council staff in Scotland belonging to UNISON have voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest pay offer from local government employers, says the union today (Tuesday) read more
Strike ballots to be issued to staff working in social care charity (6 Sept) – Hundreds of staff working for Enable, one of Scotland’s largest charitable social care providers, are to be asked if they’re prepared to strike over pay, UNISON says today (Friday). UNISON has written to the charity to say that if its workers back industrial action there could be mass walkouts by Enable Scotland’s social care staff later in the autumn. The union says this is the first strike ballot for over a decade in Scotland’s charitable social care sector and shows the deep dissatisfaction that exists over pay read more
Local government employers must improve pay offer to avoid strike threat (4 Sept) – Council and school staff strike ballot begins. More than 360,000 council and school support staff across England and Wales will begin voting today (Wednesday) on whether to take strike action over pay, says UNISON. The 2024/25 flat rate pay offer of £1,290 from local government employers falls short of what council employees need and has also been superseded by the deals achieved by some other public sector workers, says the union. This year’s pay deal was due from April, but the disappointing offer has delayed the process, UNISON says. When the union consulted workers, more than four-fifths (81%) of those who took part opted to reject the sum. Now social workers, teaching assistants, refuse collectors, caretakers, planning officers and other staff at more than 4,000 organisations will be asked if they’re prepared to strike. The six-week ballot will begin today (Wednesday) and closes on Wednesday 16 October. Meanwhile, the union is urging employers to improve their offer and is calling for central government to help fund an improved deal and look at the longer-term investment it gives to councils read more
Colchester Hospital support staff vow to keep striking against outsourcing (2 Sept) – Hundreds of cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other support staff will follow an August strike with a further five days in September, in bid to remain in-house read more
Lancashire County Council – Social Care Support Worker Strikes (16 Aug) – The Chair of the Social Work Forum has sent a message of support to staff in social work teams across Lancashire who are taking a second round of strike action over salary grades and working cover read more
NIPSA
Statement From HSC Trade Unions Northern Ireland (4 Oct) – Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland have met with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt in our first engagement regarding pay for 2024/25. We pressed for this engagement as time is ticking on and there is still no clarity or certainty about our pay uplift for AFC staff working in health and social care in NI, an uplift that was due from April 2024. We clearly set out our frustration with the continuing time lag for health pay movement. We continue to be almost a year behind other parts of the UK NHS read more
NIPSA Response To Good Jobs Bill Consultation (3 Oct) – Members will be aware that the Department for the Economy sought views on a range of policy areas relating to employment rights through the ‘Good Jobs Employment Rights Bill’. The consultation on the Bill opened on 1 July 2024 and closed on 30 September 2024. A copy of NIPSA’s response to the consultation is attached for your information read more
Royal College of Nursing
NHS pay consultation in England: members vote reject (23 Sept) – Two-thirds of members who voted said the 5.5% pay award isn’t enough read more
NHS pay award in Wales: our consultation is now open (25 Sept) – Two weeks ago, the Welsh government announced a 5.5% pay award for NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts in Wales. As an award, this will be implemented in November and backdated to April 2024 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
Act now to end the postcode lottery of perinatal mental health services says RCM (3 Oct) – Act now to end the postcode lottery of perinatal mental health services says RCM. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has called on the new Government to act now to end the postcode lottery of perinatal mental health service provision across the UK read more
RCM press for progress on pay for members in Northern Ireland (7 Oct) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland says it’s pressing the Government for progress on an overdue pay award for its members. Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Northern Ireland were due their pay uplift on 1 April and the RCM says its completely ‘unfair’ that its members remain in limbo. The RCM alongside colleagues from other HSC trade unions last week met with the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt to press for immediate progress, with the RCM saying the delay is eroding staff morale, particularly as there have been announcements for members in all other parts of the UK read more
RCM urges members in Wales to have their say on pay award (23 Sept) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on all its members working in NHS in Wales to have their say on the 5.5% pay award announced by Wales First Minister Eluned Morgan earlier this month. The call comes as the RCM today opens a two-week consultation with midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Wales. The RCM says it’s pleased the award is above inflation which meets the asks set out in its pay claim and that it’s on a par with what midwives and MSWs will receive in England read more
CSP
NHS pay across the UK (24 Sept) – As pay for 2024-25 moves forward in three of the four UK countries we look at the latest information read more
Scotland – members overwhelmingly vote to accept offer
Wales – members should look out for their opportunity to have their say
England – the majority of members feel the award is acceptable
Northern Ireland – awaiting Executive response to PRB recommendations
SOR
SoR seeks responses from members in Wales on NHS pay award (2 Oct) – The 37th NHS Pay Review Body report has resulted in an offering of 5.5 per cent to radiographers and other NHS professionals read more
Pay award consultation for Scottish SoR members open now (4 Sept) – The Society wants to hear responses from members in Scotland over the proposed 5.5 per cent pay increase read more
BMA
GPs prepare to take collective action after overwhelming ballot result (1 Aug) – GPs across England have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking collective action. More than 8,500 GPs in England took part in the ballot and 98.3% voted in favour of taking part in one or more examples of collective action read more
NEU
Support the following NEU strikes:-
| Action | Date | Content |
| Southborough Primary School / Bromley (Transfer of Employment) | 14 Oct | Izzy Hickmet [email protected] |
| Wirral Send Team/ Wirral (Changes to Terms & Conditions) | 16 Oct | Ian Harris [email protected] |
Support staff pay – NEU members voted overwhelmingly (92% in England and 96% in Wales) to reject the offer. Similar consultations in NJC recognised unions led to Unison and Unite also rejecting the offer, though GMB have accepted it. NEU have already conducted an indicative ballot that indicated a willingness to take industrial action in support of the NJC claim alongside others, as well as a willingness to take industrial action on pay and funding alongside NEU teacher members. The vote and turnout strongly suggest that a formal ballot of support staff would return a legal mandate to take action in both scenarios. Therefore, we are approaching Unison and Unite to discuss co-ordinated action in pursuit of the claim. The ‘snap poll’ of state funded teachers in September may also open possibilities of co-ordinated action in schools in the next academic year. More details and the latest support staff newsletter are available here
NASUWT
Northumberland teachers strike to save jobs (7 Oct) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are continuing their campaign of strike action at three middle schools in Northumberland following the failure of Northumberland County Council to engage in meaningful consultation over plans to close the schools, which has resulted in over 100 redundancy notices being issued. The council wants to close Glendale, Tweedmouth and Berwick Middle Schools as part of a move to a primary and secondary school system. The NASUWT have tried for months to secure firm commitments from the Council and from Berwick Partnership Headteachers, to put in place real mitigations to avoid unnecessary compulsory job losses and teachers took strike action earlier this year in June. Teachers begin the first of seven days of strike action over the next three weeks beginning today (Monday 7 October). They will be on strike on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week and further action will take place on Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 October. Members will be demonstrating on Berwick Bridge on Monday and Tuesday between 8am and 9.15am and National Executive Member John Hall will be available to speak to media on Tuesday 8 October on Berwick Bridge read more
Lincolnshire teachers strike for safe and healthy working conditions (30 Sept) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at The Deepings School in Lincolnshire will take two days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday over working practices and a management culture which is driving up teachers’ workload and failing to support them to promote positive pupil behaviour. The strike action will take place despite extensive negotiations by the NASUWT with the employer, Anthem Schools Trust. NASUWT called off planned strike action last July after a series of talks on the key concerns facing members. It was agreed there would be consultation with union reps on those issues. However, on returning to school for the new academic year union members were presented with a revised policy on pupil behaviour that had not been agreed or even discussed with reps. Workload, due to staff shortages and management actions is a significant and growing problem in the school and new staff are expected to work through their lunchbreak as part of “The Anthem Way” read more
EIS
Despite Clear Ballot Result, Glasgow Teachers to be Blocked from Industrial Action (3 Oct) – Despite a very strong statutory ballot result, in which 95% of teachers voting backed a move to industrial action in opposition to Glasgow Council’s plans to make deep cuts to education provision and teacher numbers, the City’s teachers will be blocked from taking industrial action by the excessively restrictive anti-trade union laws brought in under the previous UK government. The current government has pledged to overturn these restrictive laws in the first 100 days of office, with legislation imminently expected. The statutory postal ballot, which closed on Tuesday, resulted in a 95% vote for Industrial Action Short of Strike (ASOS) and a 90% vote for strike action on a turnout of 46%, passing the threshold for majority support of those who voted. Whilst this would have given a lawful mandate for strike action under previous trade union legislation, the recently ousted Conservative government’s anti-trade union law now also requires a turnout of over 50% and (for teachers and other essential public services) that 40% of the balloted members to vote to support the strike action. The Glasgow EIS ballot result crossed two of these three thresholds, though fell just short of the turnout threshold read more
UCU
New strike date at five North East colleges (25 Sept) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today announced a further strike date at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees. UCU members at Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training Group, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy, and Redcar and Cleveland College will down tools on Thursday 10 October as part of a long running dispute over pay read more
UCU calls on Open University to withdraw fire and rehire threat (20 Sept) – UCU today called on the Open University (OU) to scrap its plans to fire and rehire staff. The OU first began consulting on fire and rehire plans in 2023 and expects to cut up to 26 tutor jobs by January 2025, if the tutors refuse to have their working hours and pay reduced. If tutors are fired and rehired, they would have the reduction of hours and pay imposed, without compensation read more
University of Hull carbon neutral campus plans go ‘up in smoke’ as strike ballot opens (30 Aug) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 2 September at the University of Hull over plans to sack up to 127 staff. The latest round of cuts comes after the closure of a voluntary severance scheme in May (2024) that led to 107 employees already leaving the university read more
Joint statement on this week’s New JNCHES dispute resolution meetings (23 Aug) – UCEA and the five trade unions (EIS, GMB, UCU, UNISON and Unite) met in two dispute resolution meetings on Monday 19 August and Thursday 22 August 2024 read more
Staff at Sheffield Hallam University set to strike (9 Aug) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will take four days of industrial action in September in defence of jobs and employment conditions, the UCU has announced today. Members of UCU at the university will strike from Monday 23 September until Thursday 26 September following a ballot that saw 87% of those voting agreeing to take action read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Time to deliver: FBU national rally and lobby – it’s time for the Westminster government to deliver a fire and rescue service ready for the risks we face
When: 11:30am, Tuesday 8 October; Where: Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW
Revealed: Firefighters arrive at work to find fire engines missing in Dorset and Wiltshire stations (3 Oct) – The Fire Brigades Union has revealed that firefighters turning up for shifts at Dorset and Wiltshire fire stations were alarmed to find fire engines missing this September. Fire appliances disappeared from Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough fire stations on September 19th and throughout that week. In August, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service announced plans to cut fire engines and downgrade fire cover across the region. [1] The service has confirmed that these fire engines were removed as part of this programme of cuts, which the Fire Brigades Union has condemned as putting firefighters and communities at risk. However, firefighters were given no official notice that fire appliances were going to be removed on that date. At a meeting of the Fire Authority on October 1, Fire Brigades Union representatives raised concern that these cuts have been made without consulting or communicating with fully or listening to the concerns of firefighters or the public read more
POA
National Chair Update September 2024 read more
Tragic events should unite us not divide us (4 Oct) – During difficult times we should value and support each other. The atrocities we have recently witnessed in Southport, committed by a 17-year-old ‘child’, should remind us all that – at times of despair and destruction – we need each other for support and should be united in our response. The dignified response of a devastated community in Southport has been desecrated by a violent mob that took advantage of misinformation on social media to justify hurling bricks at police, looting businesses and burning down properties read more
Launch of POA Briefing – “the right to strike” – Please find attached a letter from the Prime Minister and my response, together with a copy of “The Right to Strike” Briefing here
Prison officers demand the right to strike – POA publish briefing paper for TUC and Labour Conferences 2024 – Read the POAs briefing paper for TUC and Labour conferences 2024 here
POA demand equal treatment on trade union rights (6 Aug) – The POA welcome todays Government announcement regarding their intention to repeal the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act,2023. However, the repealing of this Bill does not affect POA Members who are still subject to some of the most pernicious legislation which removes the rights of Prison Officers to take any form of Industrial Action read more
NAPO
NSSN will have a stall at the NAPO AGM in Newcastle this week – delegates are welcome to come up and meet us
Government agree to re-open pay talks (2 Aug) – Napo’s Probation Negotiating Committee met yesterday to consider a pay offer that had received the personal endorsement of the new Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood. While the PNC noted that the offer does not wholly satisfy the terms of Napo’s current trade dispute on pay and workloads, it follows the joint unions’ campaign to re-open the three year pay award to give probation staff more pay now. The unions submitted a claim to get more pay back in 2023, which HMPPS rejected in April this year. But following votes in the UNISON and Napo consultative ballots of members which showed strong support for consideration of industrial action, the change of government, the escalating prison overcrowding crisis and the embarrassment of probation pay falling further and further behind prison pay, HMPPS finally agreed to re-open the award and offer more money in this final year of the Multi Year Pay Deal MYPD to our members. Of course, It would have been better if the employer had done this much earlier, but their hands were tied by the previous Conservative government. The HMPPS offer would not have happened without the unions’ campaign to re-open the pay talks over the last year and a half read more
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
Nautilus International
Constructive meeting between Nautilus and Stena Line Pte Ltd ahead of pay and conditions review (2 Oct) – On 5 September, Nautilus International officials and liaison officers met with Stena Line representatives at the company’s offices in Glasgow for the 15th Joint National and Consultative Committee meeting. The meeting covered issues including the SMART Pension scheme, officer vacancies, the Stena cadet programme, ETO officer rank structure and mental health awareness read more
Mounting pressure on government to resolve RFA pay dispute (23 Sept) – Members of Nautilus International working for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary stepped up their dispute with employers on Sunday 22 September with a rally outside the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. The protest was part of the ongoing dispute between RFA officers and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which oversees the service. Nautilus members are demanding the government end years of stagnating wages, and cuts to vital services leaving many feeling overworked, underpaid and undervalued read more
NUJ
Gaza: solidarity with journalists must continue (4 Oct) – NUJ urges donations to the IFJ Safety Fund as journalists’ killings rise in the war, one year after 7 October. A total of 138 journalists in Palestine, Lebanon, Israel and Syria have been killed since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on 7 October. Following the attack, Israeli air strikes and military action has led to the killings of at least 128 Palestinian journalists, and grave harm to Gaza’s media industry read more
NUJ condemns RELX for its union-busting decision to derecognise the union at LexisNexis and LexisNexis Risk Solutions (4 Oct) – The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has today received notification from LexisNexis and LexisNexis Risk Solutions (formerly RBI) of its intention to terminate long-standing recognition agreements with the union. The NUJ strongly condemns the decision, urging a reversal of the ill-judged attempt to remove collective bargaining rights from journalists and editorial workers read more
NUJ condemns arrest of journalist Mech Dara (3 Oct) – Cambodian authorities charged Dara with ‘incitement to disturb social security’ on 1 October. The NUJ and IFJ urge his release and an end to the persecution of journalists in the country read more
IPT hearings into PSNI covert surveillance continue (2 Oct) – The NUJ is represented at the Royal Courts of Justice as evidence into surveillance of ‘No Stone Unturned’ journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney is heard read more
Equity
WNO chorus strike remains paused following constructive discussions with new interim management (7 Oct) – Equity members in the chorus of the Welsh National Opera vote to continue to pause strike action, meaning they will not go on strike on Friday 11 October read more
Equity solidarity rally with SAG-AFTRA at UK games industry AGM (3 Oct) – Equity today held a rally to show solidarity with members of sister union SAG-AFTRA, who are on strike against major video games companies in the US read more
Break Down Barriers: Equity launches campaign to #AbolishAuditionFees for students (2 Oct) – Equity is launching a campaign to #AbolishAuditionFees for drama schools and performing arts courses read more
Musicians’’ Union
MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl Meets Chancellor Rachel Reeves as Part of TULO Delegation (3 Oct) – MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl, along with general secretaries from unions across the country, met with Chancellor Rachel Reeves to discuss economic policy affecting workers, including the issues of music streaming and live music venues read more
Welsh National Opera Orchestra Take Industrial Action Over Proposed Pay Cuts (24 Sept) – Musicians in the Welsh National Opera orchestra took Action Short of Strike on Saturday 21 September read more
USDAW
Belfast City Council’s consideration of extended Sunday trading is an unwelcome distraction says Usdaw (4 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw has written to all Belfast City Councillors to re-emphasise the union’s emphatic ‘no’ to longer Sunday trading hours. Usdaw has previously called on the City Council to engage in an industrial strategy for the retail sector that involves local and national government, retailers, workers and their trade union, along with all key stakeholders working together read more
Tesco distribution workers at eight sites reject a less than 5% pay offer – Usdaw consults members on industrial action (28 Aug) – Retail distribution trade union Usdaw has launched a consultation ballot, asking Tesco workers at eight sites across Great Britain if they are prepared to take a dispute over pay to industrial action. Members at all eight sites overwhelmingly rejected Tesco’s pay offer of between 2% plus £500 and 4.4%, depending on contract, along with some additional enhancements. The eight sites affected are: Hinckley, Magor, Southampton, Daventry Clothing, Goole, Lichfield, Livingston and Peterborough. The consultative ballot will run from 9 to 24 September 2024 read more
UVW
Strike ballot opens for security guards at the Science and Natural History museums after a pitiful pay increase (9 Sept) – Outsourced security guards at the Natural History and Science museum are balloting to strike in a fight for better pay and conditions. The security guards are asking for a wage of £16 an hour and full sick pay from day one. Their bosses, Wilson Wilson James reported making over £7 million profit after tax read more
IWGB
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
Mandate (Ireland)
Budget lacks vision and fails low income households (3 Oct) – Mandate Trade Union says Budget 2025 is a missed opportunity to address some of the key social and economic crisis’ facing workers in Ireland. The income tax cuts are regressive and benefit the highest income households most. An average worker on €25,000 will receive approximately €225 per year from the tax changes but a worker on €100,000 will receive more than four times that. This is simply not fair read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU wins €45m for Early Years pay in Budget 2025 (2 Oct) – SIPTU – The Early Years Union has welcomed the €45 million in Budget 2025 to raise Early Years Educators and managers pay. The Minister for Children, Roderic O’Gorman confirmed the news at the Early Learning and Care Stakeholders Forum held today (2nd October) that the full year’s €45 million, is ringfenced for pay read more
SIPTU members in Becton Dickinson in Drogheda commence industrial action today (25 Sept) – SIPTU members employed in the Becton Dickinson manufacturing plant in Drogheda, County Louth, commenced a ‘work-to-rule’ industrial action today due to the failure of management to meaningfully engage with their Union concerning the threatened closure of the facility read more
Citizens Information Service staff vote in favour of strike action (23 Sept) – SIPTU members employed in the Citizens Information Service have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay in a ballot counted this morning in Liberty Hall, Dublin read more
Other news
Affiliate with STAMMA – at this year’s NSSN Conference, Gary Clark retired CWU Royal Mail rep and a member of the NSSN Steering Committee spoke about 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
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
Make Equality Real – campaign call 23 October – We are a coalition of 14 national trade unions, community & campaign groups.We believe that social 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. Find below our campaign petition, pledge for local councillors and materials to use in your workplace and beyond. Support the campaign to end austerity and make equality real read more
SOS NHS National Conference at 10am on 2 November 2024 at Hamilton House, 13 Mabledon Place, WC1H 9BD. Doors open at 9.30am on the day read more
From Strike Map – Our final instalment of the ‘Industrial Unionism’ series with Manifesto Press is here. Building on this success of our other pamphlets- which has sold over 2,000 copies, our next pamphlet in our series is the infamous ‘A Manual of Industrial Unionism’ by William Z Foster. Click the button here to pre-order your copy for you and your organisation
NEW Play: Cramlington Train Wreckers – Following the national success of Wor Bella (about WW1 women footballers), Tyneside-based playwright Ed Waugh will present his new work in November, which is about the Cramlington Train Wreckers. Ed, who has the distinction for a local writer of having had a record five plays produced at Newcastle’s prestigious Theatre Royal, writes about forgotten working class stories and his latest play is set during 1926 General Strike when striking miners uncoupled a rail on the mainline Edinburgh to London railway. As we rapidly approach the centenary of Britain’s only General Strike, the most notorious incident of that societal unrest in May 1926 happened when miners inadvertently derailed the Flying Scotsman on the mainline Edinburgh to London railway at Cramlington in Northumberland. The Cramlington Train Wreckers, which is supported by Arts Council England, will tour the North East in November. For further details visit www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk
filmpro with ten public sharing launch party – The launch party for the filmpro with ten public sharing, celebrating our 10 disabled campaigners turned artists – Monday, 11 November 276 Oak Square London SW9 9AW more details
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. This has now escalated and widened.
See Stop the War website for info on protests.
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)
Ceasefire now – stop arming Israel: workplace day of action Thursday 10th October more details on Stop the War website
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC): Trade Unions Building Solidarity with Palestine – A conference for trade unionists to escalate their solidarity actions with the Palestinian people, against genocide and apartheid
Date: Saturday 19th October, 10am – 4.30pm in Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, WC1H 9BB London
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
1. Arthur Murray R.I.P.
Blacklisted workers are sad to hear the news of the death of Arthur Murray, one of the jailed Shrewsbury Pickets who fought for 5 decades to overturn a notorious working class miscarriage of justice. In 2021, the Blacklist Support Group and the Construction Rank & File presented Arthur with a ‘working class hero’ award (see photos). The TUC remembered Arthur at their Congress in Brighton last week. BSG send condolences to Arthur’s family, friends and comrades.
2. Blacklisted Construction Workers Retraining Fund
The Blacklisting High Court litigation resulted in the major contractors placing £230,000 in a fund to be used by litigants for retraining. Since the fund was relaunched last year, tens of thousands of pounds have been paid out to blacklisted workers to cover the cost of upgrading their qualifications and professional development training. The fund will cover new training courses in construction or in any other sector, and will cover the costs of any training costs paid by blacklisted workers themselves since 2016. BSG encourage all blacklisted workers who were part of the High Court litigation to apply for the funds – its your money!
3. Collusion investigation update
BSG have received multiple enquiries regarding the independent investigation into union collusion in blacklisting. We are not at liberty to provide detailed detailed updates, but we are able to say that the lawyers have made progress in taking evidence.
4. Spycops public inquiry update
This week there was a protest at the Home Office by activists spied on by undercover political police, calling on the new Labour government to rescind the former Conservative instruction for the inquiry to be closed down by 2026. Campaigners argue that this truncated timetable will mean the more recent examples of human rights abuse by spycops will be glossed over, and those spied on will be denied the opportunity to challenge the police narrative, let alone justice.
The public inquiry resumes taking oral evidence again on 7th October.
Support COPS – the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance. There will be a demo outside the public inquiry on the 21st Oct, 9am
Keep the faith
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
Nigeria: Support the campaign to demand the release of Adaramoye Michael (Lenin), Babatunde Oluajo(Sankara), Mosiu Sodiq and 1 other person abducted by the state. They are not criminals! They were leaders of the #Endbadgovernance protests in Abuja. You can make donations through the link below to support the campaign for their release.
Model motion – https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk
Turkey: Fernas mining workers marched to Parliament against slave-like conditions (4 Oct) read more on website of SPOT – Solidarity with the People of Turkey
Diary
2024
October
5 Troublemakers At Work Conference Central Hall in Manchester details
November
24 SOS NHS National Conference at 10am at Hamilton House, 13 Mabledon Place, WC1H 9BD. Doors open at 9.30am on the day read more
29 from Strike Map: London book launch & social: A Manual of Industrial Unionism
Join the exciting launch of our reprint of A Manual of Industrial Unionism by William Z Foster 6.30pm on 29 Nov at Marx Memorial Library more details
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
