The first Budget of the new Labour Government is this Wednesday 30th October. In the run-up to the Budget, Starmer and Reeves have been warning about spending limits. But the NSSN believes that after 14 years of Tory austerity and cost of living squeeze, working-class people need a programme that transforms their lives. And after a period of super-profits, it’s the rich that must pay for the massive increase in spending we need into public services and the NHS.
Budget Day protests on Wednesday 30th October
- Wakefield NSSN Budget Day protest to: Save the Winter Fuel Allowance, End Arms Exports to Israel, No Privatisation of Our NHS, Repeal the Anti-Union Laws – 12.30pm on the Cathedral Precinct
- WASPI – Women Against State Pension Inequality: ‘The WASPI Can’t Wait – Compensate Demonstration’ – 12noon onwards Parliament Square read more
- People’s Assembly: ‘Austerity is a Political Choice: Tax the Rich’ – 3pm onwards Richmond Terrace, outside Parliament Facebook event
- Socialist Students: Funding Not Fees Oct 30 day of action details of protests
Devon & Cornwall NSSN Meeting: ‘After the Budget – an industrial strategy for workers’ – 2pm-4pmSaturday 2nd November, Railway Club, Stuart Rd, Plymouth PL3 4EB
Southampton March & Anti-cuts Conference – Saturday 2nd November, assemble 12noon Bargate. Conference: 1pm Friends Meeting House SO15 2AZ
For more info – contact Declan Clune Secretary Southampton & South West Hampshire Trades Union Council. Tel: 07873 958510
Stand Up for Bus Workers demo – Tuesday 5th November (Organised by bus drivers. Supported by Unite)
Assemble: 11:00, Ron Todd House, 33-37 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB
Rally: 13:00, TfL HQ 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ read more
Unions must keep the pressure on for a real Workers’ New Deal
The NSSN headlined our recent bulletin on the Labour Government’s unveiling of its Employment Rights Bill. We welcome any improvements in workers rights in this bill, which is due to come into effect in 2026.
We also welcome the commitment to repeal the most recent Tory anti-union legislation, namely the Minimum Service Levels Act and the Trade Union Act. The latter law enshrines the undemocratic 50% industrial action ballot voting thresholds. However, we call on the Government, with its overwhelming majority of nearly 160, to enact emergency legislation to immediately abolish these brutal laws.
But we also call for the bill to go much further. The POA should have the right to strike for its prison officer members restored. And, all the Tory anti-union laws going back to Thatcher and Major should be repealed.
These laws and their attack on the ability of unions to act collectively outline the main weakness of the Government’s bill.
As Professor Keith Ewing and Lord John Hendy KC have stated in their article in the Morning Star: “The bitter truth is that what working people (half the total population of Britain — with most of the rest dependent on them) need is not more individual rights, welcome as they may be, but greater power. Power to have a real say over the pay, terms and conditions on which they work. That means freeing the trade unions from the shackles imposed in six Acts of Parliament by Thatcher’s crew in the 1980s and ’90s. No-one else will represent workers. And to do that job unions need the power, when necessary, to organise industrial action and compel employers to bargain with them. What is also needed is a framework of laws which support collective bargaining and decent terms and conditions…Much of the Bill is thus about individual employment rights…There are welcome new employment rights and improvements of existing rights. But it does not do nearly enough to remove the restraints on trade unions or to give them the powers they need to make a significant difference to the lives of the millions of workers who are without a voice at work.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has said: “This Bill is without doubt a significant step forward for workers but stops short of making work pay…Failure to end fire a rehire and zero hours contracts once and for all will leave more holes than Swiss cheese that hostile employers will use. The Bill also fails to give workers the sort of meaningful rights to access a union for pay bargaining that would put more money in their pockets and, in turn, would aid growth. Unite will continue to make the workers’ voice heard as we push for improvements to the legislation as the Bill goes through parliament.”
It is essential that the union movement scrutinises the proposed legislation in order to demand that it is strengthened.
The annual TUC Congress in September passed an 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.”
Such a congress would be an important tool for the unions and their members to draw a balance sheet about the bill and the plan of action needed to fight for a real Workers’ New Deal.
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
Organise Now, are leading a campaign to organise the coffee shop and bakery chain, GAIL’s – they have just announced a week of action on 25 November- 1 December. Click here to join this campaign and sign up for one of the volunteer briefings later this month
Emergency meeting: ‘WHY NHS PRIVATISATION ISN’T THE ANSWER’ – 6:30pm – 8:00pm at the NEU Building, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, WC1H in central London on Wednesday 13 November. The event is a fully hybrid and free event so you will be able to attend on zoom and if you’re in London or nearby, we strongly encourage to attend our event IRL so you can watch the speakers and participate in the Q&A in person! Details
Workers Unity to stop the far-right
The NSSN stood with the rest of the union movement against the violent protests that have whipped by the racist far-right and the fascists. Our supporters have taken part in the many counter-protests that have been taking place that have forced the far-right back. This includes the central London demonstration against Tommy Robinson last Saturday.
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
NSSN news
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
Unipart attacks RMT members legal right to strike (29 Oct) – Rail union RMT, slammed Unipart Rail for issuing outrageous and baseless threats to sack employees for participating in lawful strike action this Thursday. The dispute follows Unipart’s aggressive decision to derecognise the RMT union at its Crewe site—a move that has sparked deep frustration and led workers to vote overwhelmingly for industrial action. Despite this lawful vote, Unipart has issued threats that staff members who stand up for their rights on the picket line could face termination. RMT asserts that Unipart has no legal grounds to declare the planned strike “unofficial,” nor to dismiss employees for participating in a lawfully sanctioned action. Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary, said: “Unipart Rail’s threats to dismiss our members for exercising their democratic and legal right to strike is a disgrace and an attack on fundamental workers’ rights. We will not stand by while our members are bullied in this disgraceful manner…” read more. Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
Night Shifts Are Wrecking Rail Workers’ Health and Family Lives, RMT Warns (26 Oct) – Night work is pushing rail workers towards dangerous health conditions and damaging their family lives, according to a new RMT report. Based on interviews with rail staff from Network Rail, London Underground, and London Northeastern Railway, the study lays bare the severe impact of night shifts, highlighting widespread fatigue, long-term health problems, and intense pressure on family relationships read more
DLR security and revenue protection workers strike (23 Oct) – DLR security and revenue protection workers striking in support of unfairly sacked colleague. RMT members working in security and revenue protection for ISS on the Docklands Light Railway are on strike today, in protest against the unfair dismissal of Mmaduka Joshua Obi. Mr Obi, an RMT representative with 15 years of service, was unjustly sacked for defending the rights of his colleagues by the company and the union will not stand for it. The union says he is a victim of a third party dismissal where KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD) who run the DLR insisted that his employer ISS remove him from the contract. This is despite the fact a full investigation by ISS found that Mr Obi should continue in his role. Strike action is scheduled to take place on the following dates:
- 05:00 on Wednesday 23rd October until 04:59 on Thursday 24th October
- 05:00 on Wednesday 30th October until 04:59 on Thursday 31st October read more
Doppelmayr Cable Car workers secure pay rise and improved conditions (23 Oct) – RMT members working for Doppelmayr Cable Car (DCC) have voted to accept a pay and conditions offer following negotiations with the company. The deal includes a 3.3% pay increase, backdated to 1st May 2024, with further increases linked to inflation for the next two years. On top of the pay increase, members have won significant improvements to working conditions, including a reduction in the working week from 44 to 40.5 hours, with paid meal breaks included read more
RMT responds to train collision in Wales (22 Oct) – Tragic incident in Wales. Mick Lynch, general secretary said: “This is a tragic incident and the thoughts of everyone at RMT are with the family and friends of the passenger who died, and all the train crew and travelling public who were injured during this accident.” The crash happened near the village of Llanbrynmair, in Powys at 7.30pm on Monday read more
London Underground workers to strike over pay offer (16 Oct) – RMT members on London Underground will take strike action after rejecting a pay offer deemed wholly inadequate. While some progress was made in negotiations, the current proposal leaves a large number of staff excluded from collective bargaining, which remains a core issue for the union read more
Tube pay strike details announced (17 Oct) – RMT members on London Underground will take strike action after rejecting a pay offer deemed wholly inadequate. While some progress was made in negotiations, the current proposal leaves a large number of staff excluded from collective bargaining, which remains a core issue for the union 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
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
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
The Employment Rights Bill – Delivering the New Deal for Working People (28 Oct) – After many years of working alongside Labour colleagues in opposition, ASLEF are delighted that the Labour Government has taken the first step to delivering the New Deal for Working People in full read more
London Tube drivers to strike over pay (16 Oct) – London Underground train drivers are set to strike next month in a dispute over pay, the Aslef union has announced. As well as Tube drivers, instructors, management grade staff and those in the engineering section are to take action. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has also announced industrial action by its members next month. Aslef said train operators and management grade staff would strike on 7 and 12 November, and those in the engineering section for 24 hours from 18:00 GMT on 1 November. Transport for London (TfL) said the action by Aslef and the RMT was “disappointing” but it remained engaged with the unions read more on BBC website
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 Comment on Keir Starmer’s pre-Budget speech (28 Oct) – Commenting on Keir Starmer’s pre-Budget speech, today, TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said, “Working people suffered for fourteen years under the Tories’ vicious austerity regime. Whilst the super-rich got richer, workers worked harder for less. Labour’s first budget in power is a golden opportunity to put things right read more
The Health and Safety Impacts of Night Working: The case of TSSA workers (25 Oct) – Transport and travel union TSSA has backed as ‘vital and compelling’ a major report into effects of night working. The new analysis – undertaken on behalf of TSSA, CWU, Community, Equity and the RMT by Anglia Ruskin University – demonstrates staff shortages are leading to excessive work demands being placed on night workers read more
TSSA London Underground members: Pay talks and industrial ballot update (23 Oct) – As you are aware, TSSA Reps resumed pay talks with the company on Friday, 18 October. London Underground have written to the trade unions today, 22 October, providing further clarification regarding the pay offer and pay bands read more
TSSA comment on Wales train Crash (22 Oct) – TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “Safety is always the number one priority on our railways and therefore it will be vital to gain a detailed understanding of what happened in this case. “Our union is greatly saddened by any loss of life or injury on the rail network and we send our sympathy and solidarity to the families and friends of those involved in this incident.” Read more
Unite
Ford staff in nationwide strike action over pay and contract changes (29 Oct) – Over 1,000 Ford workers in Dunton, Stratford, Dagenham, Daventry and Halewood to strike. A long running dispute at Ford over pay and contract changes involving over 1,000 administrative staff has escalated into strike action beginning tomorrow, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Ford has failed to offer its workers a permanent pay increase. Instead, the company has offered many of its office workers a one-off payment for 2024 and wants to impose 100 per cent performance related pay from 2025 for all staff read more
All seven Stormont party leaders sign winter fuel payment pledge (28 Oct) – Party leaders unite behind union demand for the reinstatement of the winter fuel payment as a universal benefit. Retired members of Unite in Northern Ireland have scored a clean sweep of political leaders in support of their winter fuel payment campaign. The leaders of all Northern Ireland parties: Democratic Unionist Party; the Alliance party; the Ulster Unionist party; the Social Democratic and Labour Party; the Traditional Unionist Voice and People Before Profit, have signed a pledge opposing the cutting of the winter fuel payment read more
MEBSCA dispute: WRC issues invitation to Unite and employers (27 Oct) – Union agrees pause in industrial action pending engagement. Unite, which has been in a trade dispute with employers belonging to the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA) since early September, has accepted an invite to talks from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The dispute centres on Unite’s claim for restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time,’ which was cut in the wake of the 2008 financial crash. The WRC has invited both parties to exploratory talks to establish if circumstances exist for a pathway forward read more
MEBSCA dispute: Pickets set for Echelon site tomorrow (24 Oct) – Mechanical construction workers remain determined to secure travel time restoration. Employers responsible for prolonging dispute. Unite members working for employers who belong to the Mechanical Engineering & Building Services Contractors’ Association (MEBSCA) will down tools tomorrow in a continuation of their fight 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 (Friday 25 October) outside the Echelon DUB10 data centre project in Clondalkin where MEBSCA employers are carrying out works read more
New sexual harassment laws: Unite puts employers on notice (25 Oct) – Preventative sexual harassment policies must be in place from today. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned employers it will hold them to account if they do not abide by new sexual harassment laws that come into force today (Saturday). The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act) Act 2023 requires employers to have policies in place to help prevent sexual harassment before it takes place. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Although it isn’t perfect, Unite welcomes the new law and is today putting employers on notice that we will be holding them to account if proactive policies to prevent sexual harassment are not in place…” read more
Stagecoach drivers in the Scottish Highlands and Islands back strike action (25 Oct) – Around 200 Unite members set to bring bus services to a stop after ‘unacceptable’ pay offer. Unite the union can confirm today (25 October) that around 200 Stagecoach bus drivers are set to take strike action in a dispute over pay which could bring bus services across the Highlands and Islands to a stop. Stagecoach Highlands bus drivers overwhelmingly supported strike action. The mandate for action follows an empathetic rejection of a pay offer made by the bus company which is based in Inverness. Any industrial action would impact on Stagecoach services in Skye, Orkney, and to the north and west of Inverness read more
Southampton hospital porters denied toilet and period dignity (25 Oct) – Hospital porters employed by University Hospital Southampton will begin balloting for industrial action from Monday (21 October) due to appalling levels of bullying and harassment. The 59 porters, who are members of Unite the UK’s leading union, have been informed they’re required to notify their managers before and after they go to the toilet. Staff who have periods are further required to inform management during their cycle in order to be granted additional toilet time. The porters who walk vast distances across the hospital premises, are denied breaks so they cannot drink water, even during high temperatures. In addition, management have removed chairs, so that porters are prevented from sitting down when waiting to move patients read more
Llanelli Gestamp auto workers to strike over poverty pay (23 Oct) – Strikes to severely impact Nissan, BMW, JLR, Aston Martin and INEOS. Strikes by Llanelli Gestamp workers will severely impact the supply of critical metal components to Nissan, BMW, JLR, Aston Martin and INEOS, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Around 200 workers on various grades will begin strike action later this month over unacceptably low pay rates 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…Strikes will take place from 28 October to 11 November. Industrial action will escalate if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite local government workers to continue local pay disputes (23 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has confirmed that it will fully support its members who have secured an industrial action mandate. The union’s decision follows the announcement yesterday that the other local government unions have accepted this year’s ‘Green Book’ national pay offer, which covers the majority of workers in the sector. Unite recently completed balloting its local government members. Where it has secured an industrial action mandate it will go ahead with strike action on a council by council basis. Further details of this industrial action will be announced in due course once it is agreed with local members…In addition to the local industrial action Unite will also be focussing on local government funding. Several councils have effectively filed for bankruptcy, many others are on the verge of doing so while most have been forced to cut essential services read more
Spirit workers still waiting for answers about their future (22 Oct) – Share
Workers have still received no answers three months after Boeing acquisition of Spirit confirmed. Secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn yet to meet unions representing Spirit workers. Unite is calling for the workforce at Spirit Aerospace to receive firm assurances about their future. In July Boeing announced the acquisition of Spirit. However, Airbus intends to take over wing production lines in Northern Ireland. Yet no assurances have been given to workers, in particular those on non-Airbus production lines, leaving all workers concerned for their future. Unite represents the majority of the 3,700 Spirit employees in Northern Ireland. It has warned that uncertainty over jobs at Spirit represents a huge threat to the wider Northern Ireland economy and its vital aerospace sector. Unite estimates that a further 7,000 workers are employed in the wider Spirit supply chain. If the company must be sold Unite is calling for a single operator to take on all production in Northern Ireland. The union says that this is the best way to safeguard jobs, skills and the future of aerospace read more
Marshalls construction materials workers ballot for strikes across England (22 Oct) – 300 workers in West Yorks, Cleveland, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Lancashire reject derisory pay offer. Workers employed by construction materials manufacturer Marshalls at sites across England are being balloted for strike action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers have rejected a ‘derisory’ pay offer of a one-off non-consolidated £700 payment for 2024. Marshalls annual report for 2023 states it brought in revenues of £671.2 million and had an adjusted operating profit of £70.7 million. Chief executive Matt Pullen, who joined the company in March, is paid a salary of £580,000…The ballots for strike action at five of Marshall’s sites opened yesterday and will close on 11 November. The sites are located in Halifax in West Yorkshire, Stockton-on-Tees in Cleveland, Sandy in Bedfordshire, St Ives in Cambridgeshire and Ramsbottom in Lancashire read more
West Midlands Citizen Housing strikes impact maintenance services for 30,000 homes (21 Oct) – 200 repair workers in Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford and Worcester walk out over pay. Citizen Housing’s gas engineers, electricians, construction workers and admin staff will begin strike action over pay this month, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers are angry at a derisory four per cent pay offer from Citizen Housing, which had a turnover of £192.6 million and an operating surplus of £48.3 million for 2023/24. Even with the four per cent offer, some workers will still only be on the national minimum wage. Meanwhile, Citizen Housing’s tradespeople are furious that years of falling wages in real terms have left them being paid thousands of pounds below industry standards. The housing association is trying to justify keeping wages low because it enacted a long overdue reward review scheme in May over terms and conditions. But this is totally separate from annual pay negotiations…The workers will strike on 28 October and 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29 November. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Striking workers to march to Spalding town centre as Bakkavor dispute continues (21 Oct) – Hundreds of striking workers from the Bakkavor food production factory in Spalding, Lincolnshire, are to march to the town centre this week. Unite members who have been on strike for three weeks in their fight for fair pay will congregate in Spalding on Tuesday. They will be seeking to gather further support from their local community. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham visited the picket line on Wednesday 16 October to give workers a morale boost in their dispute. She was greeted by hundreds of workers outside the factory who made their voices heard in their ongoing dispute read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Princes “in a pickle” product shortages predicted in pay dispute (18 Oct) – Unite members at the Princes food production factories across the country are balloting for industrial action over pay that could see popular household staples disappear from shop shelves including big supermarkets like Sainsbury, Tesco, Waitrose M&S, Asda, Lidl and Aldi. Over 800 workers at five sites (Long Sutton, Wisbech, Cardiff, Bradford and Glasgow) are being balloted after rejecting a pay deal from the company’s new owners that would leave them worse off than the offer promised by the previous owners. Princes produce tinned meats, fish, vegetables, sauces, soups and soft drinks for some of the most well-known household brands including Branston, Crosse & Blackwell, Napolina and Batchelors. If workers agree to take strike action, many of these products could quickly become unavailable in shops. Unite’s members who work as line operatives and engineers had been offered between a 4-7 per cent pay rise dependent on salary by the previous owner, Mitsubushi. The company was subsequently bought by Newlat S.p.A who withdrew that offer. Instead they are offering just a three per cent pay rise. Staff at the factories, are furious at this behaviour and after attempts to negotiate with the employer failed are now balloting for strike action. The ballot opens on 24 October and closes on 19 November read more
Valley Vets closures expose UK vet giant’s profiteering from animal lovers (17 Oct) – Closures a reaction to historic strike action in South Wales over poverty pay and overcharging of pet owners. VetPartners’ closure of four Valley Vets surgeries shows the damage the private equity giant is willing to do to a 40-year-old animal healthcare service so it can continue to overcharge and underpay workers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. VetPartners said permanently closing four surgeries in Cardiff, Caerphilly, Pentyrch and Ystrad Mynach was necessary because of long term vet shortages. It has moved all services and workers to its animal hospital in Gwaelod y Garth. The company also announced a small number of redundancies, which Unite believes to be the equivalent of around six full time roles. The surgeries had been closed temporarily, in reaction to historic strike action by Valley Vets staff angry about poverty pay and the overcharging of pet owners. In the last two years alone, Valley Vets’ prices have increased by around 25 per cent read more
Unite leader to address striking Oscar Mayer workers in Wrexham (17 Oct) – Unite general secretary Sharon Graham will address Wrexham Oscar Mayer workers striking over fire and rehire on Friday (18 October). More than 500 Oscar Mayer workers began indefinite/all out-strike action in early September because they stand to lose up to £3,000 a year under the company’s fire and rehire plans. Oscar Mayer wants to fire and rehire the workers in order to remove some paid breaks, reduce other breaks and eradicate any enhanced payments and days off in lieu for working bank holidays read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
Crisis in Haringey housing department leads to continuous strike action (14 Oct) – Housing maintenance and repair workers at Haringey council begin strike action tomorrow over the continued crisis within the council’s housing department.
Unite’s members haven’t had a pay rise in over a decade despite a cost-of-living crisis and inflation running rampant in recent years. The lack of pay increases for productivity is estimated to have left workers over £6000 out of pocket. Following previous industrial action this year, and with no sign of the council listening or negotiating, workers have been left with little choice but to escalate their industrial action to a continuous strike from 15 October. Unite has compiled a “dodgy dossier” following years of broken promises by management to meaningfully negotiate with union members on pay, terms and conditions read more. Send messages of support to [email protected] and messages of protest to: [email protected] Haringey Council CEO and Council Leader at [email protected]
Newham ICT workers balloted on strike action over outsourcing plans (14 Oct) – Vital workers set to down tools this autumn over “catastrophic” privatisation scheme that could put resident’s data at risk. Unite members working for Newham council’s ICT department are being balloted over potential strike action this autumn after the council announced plans to outsource the department – putting jobs at risk and endangering residents’ data. Following the release of a previously withheld report documenting the council’s plans for the ICT department, workers reacted with dismay at Newham’s shortsighted plans. The main issue with Newham ICT is the lack of resources as no recruitment has taken place since 2012 to fill vacancies. There are currently around 45 full time staff and a number of posts being covered by contractors. The current business case clearly outlines a staffing capacity of around 130 to deliver the aspirations of Newham. While councils across the country have recognised the cost of outsourcing and have begun returning ICT departments in-house, Newham will now buck this trend because it claims to be unable to attract staff because its pay and conditions are “poorer than elsewhere” 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
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. Send messages of support to [email protected]
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
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
Veolia Sheffield dispute escalates with Paris and Yorkshire protests (24 Sept) – Refuse Workers to lobby the Leeds and York NHS Foundation Trust Board of Directors in Leeds. Striking Veolia refuse workers will be joined by Unite members representing different parts of the region in lobbying the Leeds and York Foundation Trust Board of Directors about their financial partnership with Veolia through the North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative funding framework (NOE CPC) and against Veolia’s treatment of their employees by refusing to recognise their union for collective bargaining. This is the beginning of an escalation of the dispute as there have been stories of intimidation and the sacking of Unite members in the Veolia depot in Sheffield who are involved in legitimate and lawful industrial action. Sheffield refuse workers and Unite delegates visited Paris on Friday last week to deliver a clear message to Veolia HQ as their campaign for union recognition enters a new phase. Noisy protests took place at the new Veolia headquarters in Aubervillier on the northern edge of Paris 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
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
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
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
Capita’s ZERO pay offer risks industrial dispute (16 Oct) – Management refusal to offer a 2024 pay rise forces CWU to consider membership ballots. “Industrial action in is now a strong possibility, unless a serious pay offer is forthcoming,” CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey told CWU News today, after a meeting of one the union’s two industrial executives gave its formal approval to a ballot timetable in accordance with the law. Andy, who represents around 450 members working for the company’s BBC contract, explained that the decision to move forward with this plan had been “the last thing we wanted, but sadly, the failure of the business to make any pay offer at all in the seven months since the 2024 pay settlement date left us with no alternative…” read more
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
PCS responds to workplace attendance announcement (25 Oct) – PCS has reacted with disappointment to the announcement that the 60% minimum workplace attendance requirement will remain in place across the civil service read more
PCS MCHLG workers launch campaign for a 4-day week (24 Oct) – PCS members at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have already 500 signatures on petition asking for staff to work 80% of their hours for 100% of their pay. The civil servants this week launched a campaign for a four-day working week. These members follow their colleagues at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in seeking a better work-life balance. A petition launched two weeks ago calling on managers to allow staff to work 80% of their hours for 100% of their pay already has more than 500 signatures read more
PCS members employed by OCS continue their action (24 Oct) – The facilities management staff took their 13th day of strike action today. PCS members employed by OCS at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in East Kilbride took their thirteenth day of industrial action today in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. In an escalation to the dispute a further 15 days are planned, starting next week and running throughout November. G4S members employed at the FCDO will also be taking strike action at the same site from 28 October. Philip Barton, permanent under secretary for the FCDO, attended the site today for an all-staff meeting. Philip stopped at the picket line to talk to our OCS strikers about their dispute, taking a sticker and leaflet and asking questions about the negotiations. We continue to call on OCS and the FCDO to act to resolve the dispute. Members at FCDO will hold picket lines outside Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Rd, East Kilbride, G75 8EA from 7:30am to 10am on Monday 28 October until Friday 1 November and then from Monday 4 to Friday 8 November (G4S workers throughout, OCS workers Tuesdays to Thursdays) read more. Messages of solidarity can be sent to [email protected]
Support our Facilities Management staff on the picket lines (24 Oct) – Further strike action starts next week as PCS members working on outsourced contracts with G4S, ISS and OCS walk out in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. From Monday 28 October, PCS members working for G4S and ISS will begin strike action for two weeks at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and the Cabinet Office. From Tuesday 29th October PCS members working for OCS at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will commence a further 15 days of action, scheduled to run right through November in a further escalation to their dispute…In East Kilbride, at the FCDO, picket lines will be 7.30am to 10am on Monday 28 October to Friday 1 November and then Monday 4 to Friday 8 November (G4S workers throughout, OCS workers Tuesdays to Thursdays). The OCS members have already taken 13 days of action and grow more committed the more managers try to ignore them. In London, picket lines are on Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October and Monday 4 to Thursday 7 November. Pickets and times will be:-
- 22 Whitehall, SW1A 2EG from 8am to 10am (ISS and G4S)
- 70 Whitehall, SW1A 2AS from 7.30am to 10am (G4S)
- 10 South Colonnade, E14 5EA from 8am to 10am (G4S)
- 10 Victoria Street, SW1H 0NB from 8am to 10am (ISS and G4S)
- Old Admiralty Buildings, SW1A 2EG from 8am to 10am (ISS and G4S) read more
PCS members in DBS Customer Services to be balloted for strike action (22 Oct) – Staff are angry that new systems are being introduced without proper consultation. Over 50 PCS members working for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in Liverpool are to be balloted for strike action. The staff who work in customer services are in dispute over the planned introduction of a new customer contact model and outsourced work 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
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
Prospect
Budget 2024: how the Chancellor can kickstart growth in Prospect’s industries (28 Oct) – Rachel Reeves will deliver the first Budget by a Labour Chancellor since 2010 next week and it’s a particularly important one for Prospect members read more
GMB
Sellafield budgets cuts risk ‘devastating consequences’ (28 Oct) – Budget cuts at Sellafield increases the risk of a ‘devastating consequences’ at the world’s biggest plutonium stockpile, GMB Union has said. In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the budget next week, the union highlights ‘risks posed by reducing funding for such a complex and hazardous site’. The correspondence, signed by Sellafield worker Roger Denwood and GMB Regional Secretary Denise Walker, points out ‘Sellafield houses vast quantities of radioactive materials, including the ‘largest stockpile of plutonium in the world, at over 140 tonnes’. Funding cuts would reduce safety standards, increasing the likelihood of ‘serious incident’ including ‘contamination of land and water resources’, the letter adds read more
Education funding announcement ‘ray of sunshine’ (28 Oct) – GMB Union has responded to the Department for Education’s announcement today [Sunday] read more
More than 100,000 accept local government pay deal (22 Oct) – More than 100,000 GMB working in Local Government and schools have accepted the pay deal for 2024/25. Following ballots of council, school and social care workers, GMB has written to the Local Government Association to confirm acceptance of the deal, which represents a rise of almost ten per cent for the lowest paid read more
Thousands of Spirit Aerosystems Belfast workers left ‘in limbo’ (22 Oct) – More than 3,700 workers at one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers still face an uncertain future as bosses at Spirit Aerosystems Belfast remain silent. Earlier this year, the company announced Boeing was taking ownership of the factory and production of the wing for the A220 jet. But since that announcement workers have been left in limbo. GMB has met with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, the Economy Minister and the local MP. But requests to meet with the CEO from Spirit, Boeing and Airbus have been met with silence – while to date Secretary of State Hilary Benn has also failed to meet with unions, which is not acceptable read more
Ramadan headscarf workers vote to strike (17 Oct) – Ramadan headscarf workers have voted to strike over poor pay and punishing targets. Dozens of worker at Lappet Manufacturing, in Carlisle, will walk out on the following dates:-
30 and 31 October, 2 and 3 November, 6 and 7 November, 9 and 10 November, 13 and 14 November, 16 and 17 November. These skilled workers – who specialise in weaving high end headscarves for the Saudi Arabian market – need years of experience to meet required standards read more
Winter walk-out headache for British Gas over supplier strike (15 Oct) – Strike action by contractors in the energy giant’s supply chain could lead to delays, says GMB. GMB Union has announced today that workers at British Gas supplier TVS Supply Chain Solutions have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. More than 90 per cent of workers rejected the company’s pay offer and were willing to take industrial action, which comes after 10 months of talks and a three year pay-freeze for TVS staff. The company provides parts and maintenance support across British Gas home heating products, including home boilers and metering. Around 150 workers at the company’s Leicester and Coventry HQ are expected to take eight days of strike action between 18 – 21 and 25 -28 October 2024 read more
Tetley’s workers walk out again (9 Oct) – Tetley workers will walk out again today as GMB announce 12 more strike dates. Almost 150 GMB members working at Tata Consumer Products, which makes Tetley Tea in Teesside, will down tools in anger at ‘poverty pay’. Dates of further industrial action, likely to be during the next two months, will be announced in the coming days read more
Brighton & Hove Council refuses talks on multi-million pound equal pay claims (10 Oct) – Any hope that the employer would engage with GMB union early have been dashed – now staff must make legal claims. Brighton and Hove Council has refused to talk to workers about their multi million pound equal pay claim, GMB Union has said. GMB members at the council have submitted equal pay claims on the advice of their union. The claims relate to historic underpayment of roles within the council, predominantly carried out by women. In less than a week, the deadline to submit claims – potentially worth thousands of pounds each – will expire. As part of the equal pay process GMB has not only written to the council requesting talks but also asked the Government’s independent conciliation service Acas to facilitate talks. To date the council has refused to engage with GMB or Acas 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
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
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
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
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 –
Employment Rights Bill gets the green light from MPs (22 Oct) – In the days leading up to the vote, over 13,000 UNISON members emailed their MPs, asking them to back the bill at second reading read more
Support Manchester EIS Strike – Mental Health workers in Early Intervention in Psychosis will be on strike. It’s not over pay, which is not enough, but over serious concerns for the service, it’s users, & the community. Show your support. @MancStrikeNHS. Picket line: Wed 16th October, 8am -11am outside Prestwich Hospital, M25 3BL
Support the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS support staff strikes – Cleaners, caterers, porters, housekeepers and other East Suffolk and North Essex support staff are striking to stay in the NHS. They want to defend the quality of services they provide to the public as well as their own pay and conditions read more
Plans by Essex trust for mass outsourcing of NHS services are out of order (18 Sept)
Strikes will close schools for two weeks in first minister John Swinney’s constituency (8 Oct) – UNISON, the largest local government union, has notified Perth and Kinross Council that schools and early years centres will close for two weeks from 21 October, in a pay dispute that affects all council staff in Scotland, the union says today (Tuesday) read more
Workers at Livv Housing to strike as pay and conditions row heightens (7 Oct) – HUNDREDS of workers at a housing association are set to go on strike next week as a dispute of pay and conditions intensifies read more on website of St Helens Star
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
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
NIPSA Urges Immediate Action on Children’s Services Staffing Crisis Amid Strike (28 Oct) – NIPSA Completes Three-Day Strike, Demands Safe Staffing Levels in Children’s Services. The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) has completed a three-day strike (October 23-25), culminating in a rally and delivery of a letter to Minister Nesbitt. NIPSA’s action highlights critical staffing shortages that compromise the safety of vulnerable children across Northern Ireland and calls on the Department of Health (DoH) to prioritise children’s welfare read more
Rally at Stormont Buildings Friday 25 October at 12 noon (24 Oct) – Following two days of successful Strike Action and Picket lines in Northern Trust, the Branch have decided that there will be no picket lines on Friday 25 October 2024 in order to maximise full attendance at the rally scheduled for 12 noon at Castle Buildings on Friday 25 October read more
Belfast for All: Anti Racsim Rally, Belfast, Saturday 26 October – An anti-racism rally and march being held this Saturday, 26 October in Belfast City Centre read more
NIPSA Announces Strike Action In Children’s Social Work Teams Over Unsafe Staffing Levels (21 Oct) – NIPSA (Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance) has announced three days of strike involving members working in Children’s Social Work across Gateway and Family Support & Intervention Teams (FSIT) within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The strike will take place from Wednesday 25 October to Friday 27 October 2024 in response to a growing crisis in the sector caused by serious workforce shortages and unmanageable workloads read more
Royal College of Nursing
Government must fix broken nurse education model (28 Oct) – Ahead of the budget, RCN analysis shows new nurse numbers are collapsing in every English region read more
RCN Council statement calls for an end to the deliberate targeting of health workers and health systems (25 Oct) – Conflict in the Middle East: RCN reiterates call for immediate and permanent ceasefire read more
Nursing must be at heart of plan to fix NHS, says RCN, as public consultation begins (21 Oct) – Members urged to share expert views to shape 10-year vision for the NHS in England read more
Nursing must be at heart of plan to fix NHS, says RCN, as public consultation begins (21 Oct) – Members urged to share expert views to shape 10-year vision for the NHS in England read more
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
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 welcomes largest ever public consultation on future of the NHS (22 Oct) – Government seeks opinions from the nation on its plans to overhaul the service, accelerate digitisation and update 10-year health plan read more
SoR refers Royal Devon University NHS Trust to pension regulator over bank pay dispute (16 Oct) – The Society of Radiographers has escalated a dispute with the Royal Devon NHS Trust to the Pension Regulator over pension opt-out concerns read more
Northern Ireland health trade unions meet with health minister over pay (9 Oct) – With health staff in Northern Ireland still almost a year behind other parts of the UK, health trade unions pressed for clarity over uplifts read more
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
A call to save our GP surgeries (25 Oct) – GP Kevin Thomas shares his first-hand experience of the evolving challenges, especially post-pandemic, that have seen demand skyrocket and practices pushed to the brink read more
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
Government announcement about the Budget (27 Oct) – Commenting on the allocation by the Government of £1.4bn for school rebuilding, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The crumbling school estate is emblematic of 14 years of neglect by the previous government. The Conservative’s decision to slash spending on the school estate when they took office in 2010 has meant a cumulative cut to school capital funding of over £40 billion…” read more
NEU publishes report into Black Teachers’ Pay and Progression (27 Oct) – We must, together, tackle the barriers facing Black teachers. New figures from the National Education Union show that Black teachers are paid less than white teachers, remain underrepresented at leadership level, and are more likely to be pushed from the profession through workplace discrimination than their white peers read more
Institute of Fiscal Studies report into college finances (24 Oct) – The continuing crisis in college funding has had a dire effect on pay read more
National Audit Report into special educational needs (24 Oct) – This is a wake-up call about the scale of the SEND crisis and the level of ambition required to fix it read more
Review of Free Schools (22 Oct) – The Government has an opportunity to undo fourteen years of chaos in school management and planning read more
Further Education pay recommendation 2024/25 (11 Oct) – All staff working in FE deserve better than this deeply unsatisfactory offer read more
Support the following NEU strikes:-
| Action | Date | Contact |
| Holy Trinity Primary / Lambeth (school closure) | 4-5 Nov | Jessica Edwards [email protected] |
| Fenstanton Primary /Lambeth (school closure) | 4-5 Nov | Jessica Edwards [email protected] |
| New City College (BSix Campus) / Hackney (pay/workload) | 5 Nov | David Davies [email protected] |
| SGS Pegasus / South Glos (conditions of service) | 6 Nov | Elly Owen [email protected] |
| Benson Primary / Birmingham (unacceptable management practices) | 7-8 Nov | David Room [email protected] |
| George Dixon Primary / Birmingham (transfer of employer) | 8 Nov | David Room [email protected] |
NASUWT
NASUWT welcomes pre-Budget announcements on education funding (27 Oct) – Commenting on the Government’s pre-Budget commitments on education and early years investment, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “The decision to commit additional investment to rebuild and restore the infrastructure in our schools and early years is further indication of the Government’s commitment to education and to improving opportunities for all children…” read more
Government review of planned free schools is necessary (22 Oct) – Commenting on today’s announcement that the Government will review the mainstream free schools planned by the last government that have not yet opened, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “A world class education system depends on equality of opportunity and structures that meet the needs of all children and young people. It has become increasingly clear that planning of school places must be led by the evidence on changing pupil numbers and needs…” read more
Teachers strike after failure to make progress on behaviour and wellbeing (8 Oct) – On Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th October, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, at Ysgol Nantgwyn, Rhondda Cynon Taff, will take strike action after promises of change from the employer to deal with poor pupil behaviour failed to materialise read more
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
INTO
Belfast for All – Stand Together Against Racism (24 Oct) – United Against Racism, in partnership with Amnesty International NI and the Belfast Islamic Centre, is calling on the people of Belfast to once again show unity against racism, hatred and division and join the community rally ‘Belfast For All’ on Saturday 26 October at 11.30am at Writers Square, Belfast. This rally is part of the day of national mobilisation against the far-right called by Stand Up to Racism read more
UCU
UCU members at North East colleges win pay award worth up to 16.5% (23 Oct) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees have overwhelmingly voted to accept a pay award worth up to 16.5% and end their dispute with employer Education Training Collective (ETC), which has seen them win two industrial ballots and take 13 days of action over the past 17 months read more
UCU responds to further education sector finance report (15 Oct) – UCU has today responded to a report from the Education Policy Institute on the financial health of the further education sector read more
UCU response to ‘disappointing’ further education pay recommendation (11 Oct) – UCU has today responded to the latest further education pay recommendation from the Association of Colleges (AoC). The further education employer body is recommending a pay offer of 2.5% or £750, whichever is greater. As part of the union’s New Deal For FE campaign, UCU members are calling for a 10% or £3k pay rise along with: parity with schoolteacher pay, a minimum starting salary of £30,000, closure of equality pay gaps, national agreements on workload, a return to national bargaining 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
Union leader warns Reeves of “threat to public safety” without increased funding (24 Oct) – Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, has written to Rachel Reeves ahead of Labour’s first budget, to call for urgent funding for the fire and rescue service. While welcoming Labour’s workers’ rights package, the union warned that this approach “must be reflected in funding for pay offers in the public sector workers to avoid disputes similar to that faced by the fire service in early 2023.” In the letter, Wrack said: “Low wages, crumbling infrastructure and inadequate public services are not just a blight on the lives of working people. They are also a threat to public safety. “Fire and rescue service response times are worse than ever before in recent history. It now takes more than nine minutes for a first appliance to reach a fire, significantly longer than it did thirty years ago.” Labour has already promised to re-establish national standards in the fire service but, Wrack warns, funding will be crucial: “we cannot deliver a resilient, joined-up fire service that is fit for the future without investment. Under the Tories, the fire service lost 30% of its central government funding in cash terms…” read more
POA
National Chair Update September 2024 read more
POA campaign to repeal Section 127 of the Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994 – The POA held a Parliamentary Reception in the House of Commons on 21st October 2024. At the same time the second reading of the Employment Rights Bill was being debated as well. Many Members of Parliament raised concerns there was nothing in the Bill regarding the right to strike for Prison Officers in the England/Wales service and in Northern Ireland. I am extremely grateful for the interjections of those MPs on our behalf as part of our campaign. The Employment Bill now moves to committee stage early next year with January 2025 pencilled in. Previously I asked all POA members to engage in this campaign for the repeal of this pernicious piece of legislation. Many branch officials and individual POA members have sent letters to their respective MPs seeking their support and we have received some good support, however we now need to step up the campaign and every POA member needs to play their part. The specimen letter already drafted is available on the POA website to download read more
NAPO
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
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
BALPA
BALPA welcomes the Creating of a UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS) (22 Oct) – BALPA welcomes the joint DfT-CAA consultation announced today on a new UK Airspace Design Service (UKADS read more
NUJ
NUJ alarmed at ongoing police crackdown of journalists (28 Oct) – The NUJ has repeated its concern and alarm over the targeting of journalists arrested using counter-terror legislation read more
Guardian & Observer journalists to ballot for industrial action over sale of The Observer (25 Oct) – The NUJ has informed the Guardian Media Group of its intention to ballot members following an overwhelming indicative vote in favour of industrial action. 93 per cent of journalists on a turnout of 70 per cent indicated their willingness to take strike action and 96 per cent voted in favour of action short of a strike. The resounding decision is in opposition to the proposed sale of the Observer and follows confirmation by the Guardian Media Group last month that it is engaged in exclusive talks with Tortoise Media. At a meeting of the NUJ Guardian & Observer chapel on 24 October, reps agreed a formal postal ballot process should now proceed with journalists urged to vote yes to participating in industrial action read more
NUJ condemns killing of three Lebanese journalists by Israeli air strike (25 Oct) – The death toll of Lebanese journalists killed since the outbreak of war has risen to eight, following an strike in southern Lebanon on 25 October read more
NUJ strongly condemns IDF accusations against Al Jazeera journalists (24 Oct) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has accused six Palestinian Al Jazeera journalists of being operatives in terror groups. In a post published on X on 23 October, the IDF labelled the journalists “Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.” Read more
NUJ urges reform of BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporter scheme (23 Oct) – Following a summit of LDR union members, the NUJ has raised its concerns including on inconsistent LDR pay rates and unacceptable story count levels, calling for urgent change to the scheme 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
Equity
Equity demands hair and makeup equality on set (24 Oct) – Equity is in negotiations with the Producers’ Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) to ensure members of all ethnicities and cultures receive appropriate hair and makeup read more
Equity issues caution advice about Mad Dog Casting Ltd and Somebody Ltd (22 Oct) – Equity is urging members to exercise caution in relation to casting agency Mad Dog Casting Ltd and a possibly related company called Somebody Ltd, following dozens of instances of non-payment read more
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
Musicians’’ Union
The MU and FAC Publish Open Letter to Government and Live Sector on Cost-of-Touring Crisis (29 Oct) – The letter states how artists have previously been locked out of support mechanisms offered to other parts of the industry, and calls for a blanket ticket levy on stadium events to help musicians progress in the sector. Members can show support for the letter by signing the MU and FAC’s petition read more
Help Protect Instrumental Music Services in Scotland (28 Oct) – Instrumental Music Services across Scotland are under threat. Help protect their existence and the livelihoods of their workforce by contacting your local authority councillors and MSPs, to demand that government grants to cover instrumental music tuition are used only as they are intended read more
Creatives Sign Statement Calling for Consent and Fair Payment Where Works are Used to Train Generative AI (23 Oct) – Over 10,500 creatives have signed a statement to artificial intelligence (AI) companies, calling for explicit creator consent and fair remuneration when training generative AI systems. Umbrella body UK Music, of which the MU is a founding member, has also signed 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
Community
New report shows challenge night shift workers face (29 Oct) – Community has welcomed the launch of a new report on the challenges facing night shift workers. The new report, which was undertaken on behalf of Community, CWU, Equity, RMT and TSSA by University of Greenwich and Anglia Ruskin University, highlights some of the excessive work demands being placed on night workers read more
HelloFresh workers protest mass dismissals (18 Oct) – Workers and members of the community gathered in Birmingham today to protest HelloFresh’s decision to dismiss 79 workers from its Nuneaton warehouse. The company dismissed workers via email last week following concerns being raised about the dire working conditions on site read more
USDAW
Alarming 29% increase in shoplifting across England and Wales – Usdaw welcomes the Labour Government’s commitment to tackle retail crime (24 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw is deeply concerned by today’s police recorded crime statistics for England and Wales showing that in the year to June 2024, there was a 29% increase in shoplifting. This continues the trend of persistent quarterly increases since the pandemic, with incidents now having risen to their highest level in 20 years 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
Security guards at the Natural History and Science museums vote overwhelmingly to strike! (9 Oct) – “We’re going through all this pain but we don’t show it. Yet the Museum looks at us as second-class citizens; directly employed staff get frequent breaks but we don’t. We do our best for the millions of people that come through the doors and all the high-profile events with politicians, billionaires, celebrities, and royalty that we look after” – Sempijja Juma, Science Museum security guard and UVW member. Outsourced security guards at the Natural History and Science museums, who are members of United Voices of the World (UVW) union, have overwhelmingly voted to strike with 96% in favour out of a 95% turnout, in a fight for better pay and conditions. They will walk out on the weekend of the 25 – 27 of October read more
IWGB
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU calls for workers’ right to unionise to be central to General Election debate (24 Oct) – SIPTU’s Manufacturing Divisional Organiser, Neil McGowan, has called for workers’ rights and the right to unionise to be central to the debate in the upcoming General Election at the Union’s Manufacturing Division Biennial Delegate Conference in Galway today read more
Union busting leads to “climate of fear” in Irish workplaces, new report finds (24 Oct) – A damning new report launched today by the Respect at Work campaign exposes the scale and human cost of union busting activity across Ireland. The report finds that 69% of workplace representatives have observed at least one form of anti-union behaviour by employers, with the most common being victimisation of union activists (42%) and discouraging workers from joining a union (40%). Its findings also reveal the harmful impact of employer hostility to unions, with 43% of respondents saying it had negatively affected their mental and physical health 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
Alan Hardman ‘Need not Greed’ – Alan Hardman’s razor-sharp political cartoons collected for the first time. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Need Not Greed is a career-spanning collection of visual art by one of Britain’s greatest unsung political cartoonists. Alongside Alan Hardman’s essential work, the book also includes a contribution from former President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn order a copy – £45 each
Can you help? Crowdfunding to tour a production and exhibition of The Grunwick Strike Autumn 2025 – 2026 – We wanted to get in touch to let you know we are crowdfunding for a new production and interactive exhibition. The theatre show will tell the story of Jayaben Desai – the inspirational leader of the 1976-78 Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike. We need your help to get this production and exhibition on the road, any donation you make will mean we are one step closer to getting this very important story out there performing to audiences across the UK. Any money raised will be matched by other funders. We’ve just got eight weeks to reach our target. Please find the link for our crowdfunding campaign HERE. Link to our Crowdfunding video HERE
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
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. The next national demo in Central London is Saturday 2nd November 12noon details
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)
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Blacklisting collusion investigation update:-
Statement from the independent investigation into union collusion in blacklisting, commissioned by Sharon Graham:
“90 per cent of the investigation has been completed. However, in preparing the last 10% some new issues have been thrown up which need some urgent investigation, and these issues have to be looked into which will cause a delay.”
The independent investigation into union officials colluding in blacklisting was one of the first things Sharon Graham set up when she was elected as General Secretary of UNITE the union. The independent legal team is headed up by Nick Randall KC (Matrix chambers), alongside JC Townsend (XXIV Old Buildings) and Paul Heron (Public Interest Law Centre). Witness statements, documentary and electronic evidence has been collated over the past two years.
The investigation was set up because blacklisted union members in the Blacklist Support Group, the Construction Rank & File and UNITE branches campaigned for it. An oversight committee made up of blacklisted workers, has been assisting the legal team, and has ensured that the investigation is independent from the union itself. There has been much speculation about the likely outcome of the final report. This statement gives an indication that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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
Afghanistan: multiple journalists arrested by Taliban intelligence (19 Oct) read more on NUJ website
Yemen: journalist sentenced to death by Houthi-controlled group (19 Oct) read more on NUJ website
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
November
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
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