This week’s NSSN bulletin headlines the struggles against the rising tide of closures and redundancies in industry and threats across the public sector. This is on the back of the closure earlier this year of the blast furnaces at Tata’s Port Talbot Steelworks. We send our support to workers facing these threats, including at the Grangemouth Oil Refinery, Harland & Wolff shipyards, Stellantis Luton van plant, Ford, British Steel, Gelatin manufacturer PB liner in Treforest, Morrisons’s Rathbones bakery in Wakefield, TGI Fridays plus 5,000 civil service jobs in the Ministry of Defence and others.
We stand in solidarity to these workers and their unions, and all those facing job losses as the many workers taking action on a whole number of issues. We will continue to support the action that is taken to defend workers and their communities and call for threatened industries and workplaces to be nationalised to save jobs.
Please sign and share the following petitions:-
- RMT: Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
- Sign the petition: To Joanne Maguire, Managing Director ScotRail and Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport – Stop the cuts to ScotRail ticket offices
- Sign the petition – Restore ticket office hours and Oyster facilities at London Overground ticket offices
- Unite: Support the sacked TGI Fridays workers: Sign this petition
- Unite: Please sign this letter to Lizzie Hieron, chief customer officer: Shame on Sanctuary – Rents up, bills up. Wages down. Fair pay and union recognition now! Support Sanctuary Housing repair workers!
- Unite: Sign this petition – Striking Haringey housing workers need a pay rise now!
- Stand with PCS reps at Benton Park View, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
- BFAWU: Stop the job cuts at Morrisons’s Rathbones bakery in Wakefield
- Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City Unison
NSSN news
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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)
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Union News
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RMT
RMT secures pay win on London Underground (27 Nov) – RMT have achieved a substantial victory on London Underground after issuing strike dates and pursuing strong negotiations with tube management. The union accepted London Underground’s latest pay offer, delivering notable improvements for members terms and conditions read more
Strike action at Unipart Rail Crewe (27 Nov) – Unipart Rail Crewe workers are taking strike action today in response to the company’s de-recognition of the union and its campaign of intimidation. The action follows weeks of escalating hostility from Unipart Rail management, who have sought to undermine union representation through bullying and harassment. Despite these tactics, workers remain united and determined to fight back read more. Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
MTR Elizabeth Line Control Room Grades to strike (23 Nov) – RMT has announced industrial action by Control Room grade members at MTR Elizabeth Line after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer. Members are due to strike between 9pm on Tuesday 31 December 2024 and 8:59pm on Wednesday 1 January 2025. They are also not working rest days or overtime from Thursday 5th December till the end of Wednesday 18 December. The union has rejected the company’s pay offer and is seeking improvements to holiday entitlement and a fair reduction in working hours read more
Rail for London Infrastructure strike to go ahead after bosses refuse to negotiate (15 Nov) – RMT members working for Rail for London Infrastructure (RFLI) will go on strike Saturday, after the company failed to meet with the union to resolve a raft of serious issues. The 24-hour walkout will begin at 6:00am on Saturday and finish at 5:59am on Sunday this weekend, affecting critical infrastructure repairs and maintenance across the network read more
Sign the petition: To Joanne Maguire, Managing Director ScotRail and Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport – Stop the cuts to ScotRail ticket offices
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
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
ASLEF
The Social Model – Disability History Month (25 Nov) – Amy Nicholson, ASLEF Disabled Members Representative Committee member, writes to mark Disability History Month. Since our formation, the Disabled Members Representative Committee has worked hard to raise awareness of many constraints we face in the workplace read more
Dignity for Drivers Launch Events (22 Nov) – This week we launched a new report, Dignity for Drivers, to mark World Toilet Day. Industrial and political leaders met in both Westminster and Edinburgh to hear from ASLEF representatives about their experiences and issues with a lack of access to toilets and hygiene facilities during the working day. Rachel Hopkins MP, Chair of ASLEF’s Parliamentary Group, hosted the event in the House of Commons and Alex Rowley MSP welcomed guests to the Scottish Parliament read more
Tube strikes called off after union talks (5 Nov) – Planned strikes on the London Underground have been suspended following talks over pay between the Aslef union and Transport for London (TfL). Industrial action was due to begin on Thursday and a walkout was also planned for next Tuesday. Aslef said it had been given a “significantly improved” pay offer by London Underground management and it would discuss that offer with union members on Thursday read more on BBC website
TSSA
True scale of ScotRail ticket office reduction plans revealed (27 Nov) – Rail union TSSA is today outlining the true scale of ScotRail’s plans to drastically reduce the opening hours of 101 ticket offices. The union – which is spearheading the campaign calling on the rail operator and Scottish Government to ditch the proposals – has uncovered that ScotRail’s plans mean railway ticket office hours will be cut by a whopping 2745 hours a week across the network read more
TSSA calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider ticket office proposals that jeopardise the safety of women and girls (25 Nov) – Today, on White Ribbon Day—the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls—TSSA calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider proposals that jeopardise the safety of women and girls across Scotland. The proposal to reduce ticket office opening hours at rail stations risks compromising the security and well-being of passengers, particularly women and girls, who rely on staffed stations for assistance and safety read more
TSSA kicks off save Scotland’s railway ticket offices campaign (22 Nov) – Rail union TSSA kicks off a campaign of action on Friday against ScotRail’s plans to drastically reduce the opening hours of 101 ticket offices. Activists from the union will be joined at 11:30am today(Friday 22nd November) at Blairhill station in Coatbridge by SNP MSP Fulton McGregor, with TSSA calling for cross party resistance after similar plans were widely rejected last year in England. The union will warn passengers and passers-by that Blairhill will lose 53 hours of ticket office staffing a week, a move which will lead to passengers paying more for their tickets, and reduce safety and accessibility for women, girls and people with disabilities read more
Unite
Edinburgh airport tanker drivers dispute could ground flights over festive season (2 Dec) – Unite set to issue strike days involving North Air workers who fuel domestic and international flights. Tanker drivers employed by North Air who supply fuel to airlines operating at Edinburgh airport are on the verge of taking strike action over the festive season, Unite, the nation’s leading aviation trade union confirmed today (Monday 2 December). North Air provides refuelling services for domestic and international airlines who fly into and out of the nation’s largest airport in Edinburgh. The pay dispute relates to a rejected 4.5 per cent pay offer by the company, following years of below inflation pay increases. Unite members have in turn overwhelmingly backed strike action in a drive to secure a better pay offer from North Air. Despite recent talks having being held at the conciliation service Acas, there has been no enhanced pay offer by the company to avert widespread travel disruption. Unite is now warning North Air that unless there is movement over pay in the coming days then it will have ‘no option’ but to issue strike dates which would directly hit peak festive season flights. A number of key routes would be impacted by strike action as North Air is the only fuel supply company providing services to domestic and long-haul flights from Edinburgh airport. Prestigious routes including United Airlines to New York and Emirates to Dubai along with Loganair’s domestic routes to the islands could be directly impacted read more
Yorkshire Ambulance workers celebrate after Unite secures pay victory (29 Nov) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has won a pay uplift for patient liaison workers employed by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS). Following successful negotiations between Unite and YAS, around 30 patient liaison assistants working in patient transport services will move up a pay band from Band 2 to Band 3. As a result, the workers will see their pay uplifted by £456 a year, with a further uplift of £1,603 once they reach the top of Band 3 read more
Hounslow Christmas parking and CCTV disruption during pay strikes (29 Nov) – Traffic wardens and CCTV operators angry at inadequate pay offer for 2024. London borough of Hounslow traffic wardens and CCTV operators will strike over pay during December and January, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers, who are employed by NSL, are angry over an inadequate pay offer for 2024. NSL is part of Marston Holdings, which had revenues of £326 million in 2023 and made operating profits of £31.7 million…The workers will strike from 5 December to 27 January. Parking enforcement and CCTV monitoring in Hounslow will be severely impacting during the strikes read more
Stormont must protect pensioners from devastating loss of winter fuel payment (28 Nov) – Today, representatives from organisations backing the campaign, to restore the winter fuel payment including trade union Unite, met with Communities minister Gordon Lyons to demand urgent action to shield low-income pensioners from the impact of the payment cut. The campaign has called on the Northern Ireland executive to step up and secure funding to fully restore the winter fuel payment for this year and beyond. While Lyons has allocated £17 million to provide a one-off payment of £100 per household, campaigners insist this falls far short of what is needed. They argue that only full and permanent restoration of the payment can ensure pensioners are adequately supported during the winter months read more
Fuel poverty awareness day: Stormont must restore pensioners’ warmth, dignity and fairness (26 Nov)
Winter Fuel: Unite applies to High Court for Judicial Review (28 Nov) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has taken the next step in seeking a Judicial Review, to overturn the government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments to all but the poorest pensioners. Last week (Friday 22 November) the union made a formal application to the High Court for leave to go forward with a full Judicial Review of the government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments read more
Ford Dagenham Lineside Logistics workers ballot for strike (28 Nov) – Warehouse workers angry over pay, disgusting toilets and union-busting. Around 150 warehouse workers employed by Lineside Logistics based at Ford Dagenham are being balloted for strike action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers have rejected a 2.5 per cent pay offer after cleaning and facilities workers employed by the same company at Ford Dagenham were offered a five per cent pay rise. They are also balloting over the unacceptable state of the toilets at the site – including the constant smell of sewage and instances of blocked drains causing waste to backflow. In addition, there is anger over union-busting after a Unite member who was actively campaigning for better welfare facilities was dismissed for spurious reasons read more
Ford staff strike escalates as anger over pay and contract changes grows (11 Nov) – Targeted industrial action hits key Ford operations in Dagenham and Speke. Strikes by Ford salary staff escalated today over the company’s refusal to address the workers’ concerns around pay and contract changes. 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. Despite absences running at less than two per cent, it is attempting to change the long-standing sick pay policy and also wants to change the collective bargaining agreement with Unite read more
Southampton hospital porter strike suspended (28 Nov) – Scheduled strikes by Southampton hospital porters due to begin today have been suspended following last ditch talks. The 60 plus porters who were due to begin strike action today (Thursday 28 November) due to workplace bullying and harassment, suspended the industrial action late last night. The decision to suspend the strike action was made following extensive talks at the conciliation service Acas. The talks have made progress on the issues affecting the workers and as an act of good faith, the porters’ union Unite agreed to suspend today’s strike as an act of good faith and to allow for further talks…If the hospital management fails to agree to take action to resolve the problems at the heart of the dispute them strike action on each Friday and Monday beginning on 6 December and running throughout December and January will go ahead as planned read more
Unions warn minister pay deal delay for water workers will lead to strikes (27 Nov) – Unite – GMB joint trade union press release: NI Water and NI Water Alpha employees in Unite and GMB preparing to take industrial action. Trade unions Unite and the GMB have warned finance minister Caoimhe Archibald that she risks a potentially disruptive strike in the water and waste water service. The warning came after unions received correspondence from the minister stating that while she had received the business case for a pay award for 2023-24 from the department of infrastructure, she was awaiting a due diligence review on its affordability. Both unions are currently undertaking full industrial action ballots which are due to end in the coming days. The unions wrote to the minister recently to highlight the risk of strike action commencing in the middle of December. This would be the first industrial action in NI Water in 10 years and the first involving NI Water Alpha workers – meaning the strike will have a substantially greater impact read more
Capita staff begin vote on strike action (27 Nov) – Ballot of Capita workers in Manchester, Plymouth and Glasgow opens today over refusal of company to conduct 2024 pay negotiations. Workers at Capita will today (Wednesday 27 November) vote on strike action in a dispute over their employer’s refusal to negotiate any pay award for 2024. The workers, from Capita Life and Pensions regulated services, were due a 2024 pay award in April. The employer postponed the annual pay talks with their union Unite with the assurance that these workers would be given a pay rise in October. This has not materialised despite this part of the business reporting profits and a healthy balance sheet. The ballot which opens today across the three Capita sites will ask if staff wish to take strike action following the decision of their employer to deny them a pay increase…The ballot opens today (Wednesday 27 November) and closes at noon on Tuesday 17 December 2024 read more
HSE: Unite members vote for action over staffing crisis (27 Nov) – Unite, which represents a range of grades across the Health Services Executive (HSE) said today (Wednesday) that members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over the staffing crisis resulting from the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers Strategy’. After the HSE claimed that it had lifted its recruitment ban, it emerged that vacancies are being benchmarked against the 2024 headcount, with the result that any vacancies unfilled in 2023 have effectively been lost to the health service read more
Unite response to Stellantis Luton van plant closure threat (26 Nov) – Responding to the announcement today that Stellantis is proposing to close its van plant in Luton, a Unite spokesperson said: “The proposal that has been tabled today has been a complete slap in face for our members in Luton, where Vauxhall vehicles have been manufactured for 120 years. Whatever the positive benefits this plan may have for Ellesmere Port, that is not acceptable. We stand ready to support our members in doing whatever we can to ensure that historical vehicle manufacturing is maintained in Luton and we call on the government to do the same.” Read more
Grangemouth: Unite to hold march and rally to Scottish Parliament (26 Nov) – Unite, Scotland’s largest union, will stage a march and rally this Thursday in Edinburgh at the Scottish Parliament in protest at plans by Petroineos to close the Grangemouth refinery…Hundreds of workers from Grangemouth and other Scottish oil and gas workplaces will attend the march and rally. The rally will be addressed by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham among others. Petroineos announced in September that it intends to close Grangemouth (Scotland’s only oil refinery) in the second quarter of next year, with the loss of 400 directly employed workers and thousands more in the supply chain read more
Ditch unfit for purpose pay body to stop staff leaving, cut NHS backlog and improve patient care, say unions (26 Nov) – The government must bypass the independent panel that reviews NHS pay if the health service is to be fit for the future, say three of the UK’s largest health unions today (Tuesday). UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite have written to health secretary Wes Streeting urging him to hold direct pay talks with unions, not wait until the lengthy NHS pay review body process (PRB) has run its course before awarding next year’s wage increase. Their letter to the health and social care secretary says yet again a million NHS staff in England, including nurses, paramedics, healthcare assistants, porters, health visitors and estates workers won’t receive their pay rise on time in April if the government waits for the pay review body to report read more
Keir Starmer must extend his ambitious vision to include Spirit Aerosystems workforce (24 Nov) – Government has a vital role to play to secure transfer of all Spirit Aerosystems sites together and sustaining Northern Ireland aerospace. Unite the union which represents the majority of the 3,600 Spirit Aerospace workers has called on prime minister Keir Starmer and ensure the retention of the company’s skilled workforce read more
Buy out of Harland & Wolff needs to safeguard workforce (22 Nov) – Those involved in the behind closed doors negotiations need to understand that there can be no going forwards without protections for workers’ jobs and continuity of employment. Unite, the largest trade union in Britain and Ireland, has highlighted that workers need that a transfer of Harland & Wolff shipyards to a new employer mist assure jobs, production and continuity of employment. Talks involving Navantia continue behind closed doors over a proposed takeover of Harland & Wolff. Workers have been kept in the dark and uncertainly hangs over the future of jobs and continuity of employment read more
Unite leader blasts latest energy price increase (22 Nov) – Calls for public ownership of utility companies increase as customers face further woe. Commenting on today’s announcement by energy regulator Ofgem that the average bill would rise by 1.2 per cent to £1738, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Today’s price hike piles fresh pressure on the budgets of workers, the elderly and the sick. It is further proof the government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners was reckless. Picking the pockets of pensioners while bills are surging, is endangering the welfare of the most vulnerable in society…” read more
Plymouth care staff to strike over being forced to work twice for pay (22 Nov) – Shortfall shift system means vital care workers made to work unpaid. Essential care workers at Plymouth council are to take strike action for the first time due to disgraceful management practices at the Independence @ Home (I@H) department. Workers at I@H provide support and care across the city for vulnerable adults at all times of day and night. They care for adults with mental health issues, substance addictions and terminal illnesses read more
Greater Manchester braced for bus and tram passenger service strike disruption (21 Nov) – Transport for Greater Manchester workers vote for industrial action after years of falling wages. Around 200 bus and tram network workers employed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TGM) have voted in favour of strike action over pay. The predominantly low paid workers are angry at having suffered years of below inflation pay rises that have resulted in their wages falling in real terms. The workers have rejected an offer of a £1,290 pay increase and are demanding a rise that reflects the increased cost of living and reverses the fall in the value of their wages…Strike action will be announced in the coming days and will impact ticketing, passenger assistance and information services across the Greater Manchester bus and tram network read more
Wrexham Oscar Mayer workers vote to extend fire and rehire strikes (21 Nov) – Huge 97 per cent vote in favour of escalating industrial action. Wrexham Oscar Mayer strikes will intensify after nearly 600 workers overwhelmingly voted in favour of extending their industrial action mandate, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers, who make up the vast majority of the Wrexham factory’s workforce, have been striking since September over the company’s plans to fire and rehire them to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year…Oscar Mayer is one of the UK’s major ready meal manufacturers and supplies large quantities of its products to Tesco, ASDA, Greggs, Aldi, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op. The next round of strike action takes place from 28 November to 5 December. With the extension of the industrial action mandate, further strikes impacting supermarket Christmas supplies will be announced in the coming days read more.
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
Unite heads to French Parliament as Veolia campaign continues (20 Nov) – Delegates meeting with National Assembly vice-president. Veolia shareholders also targeted. Campaigners from the Unite, the UK’s leading union, have been invited to meet senior French politicians in Paris as the battle against union-busting at Veolia in Sheffield continues. Tomorrow (Thursday) morning, Unite delegates have been invited to meet with Nadège Abomangoli, Vice President of the French National Assembly, and her fellow National Assembly member Gabriel Amar. At the meeting, Unite members will be pressing the case for recognition of Unite for collective bargaining purposes at Veolia’s site in Sheffield and the immediate reinstatement of sacked members. Workers at Veolia’s Lumley Street depot in Sheffield have been taking part in continuous strike action since 20 August. The dispute is a result of the fact that, despite representing significant numbers at the depot, and despite Unite having many other recognition agreements with Veolia, the company refused to sign a recognition agreement with Unite for bargaining over pay, conditions, and health and safety. Veolia then needlessly escalated the dispute by sacking four Unite members…Veolia has made verbal concessions on recognition but Unite is calling on the company to finalise the recognition agreement as soon as possible. Unite is also demanding the reinstatement of its members who have been sacked since the dispute begun read more
Knowsley Livv Housing strikes intensify as repair and maintenance services suffer (20 Nov) – Call backlogs, delayed jobs and faulty repairs by third-party contractors impacting services for 13,000 homes. Knowsley Livv Housing strikes by hundreds of workers have intensified causing further disruption to repair and maintenance services. 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 have previously experienced. Livv Housing, which manages and maintains over 13,000 properties primarily in the Knowsley area, reported reserves of £110.6 million in March 2024…Unite’s members will take fresh strike action on 22, 25, 28, 29 and 30 November and 1 December. Unison members will take further strike action on 22, 25, 26 and 29 November. Additional strikes will be called if the dispute is not resolved read more
Birmingham bin workers ballot for strike over pay attack (18 Nov) – Workers balloting over plans to downgrade Waste Recycling and Collection Officer roles. Around 400 Birmingham refuse workers are being balloted for strike action over the council’s plans to slash wages. The vote comes after the council refused to back down on its plans to cut pay by removing the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role…The ballot for strike action opens this Friday (22 November) and closes on Wednesday 4 December read more
Safehouse Habitats workers in three months strike action over attack on pay and conditions (11 Nov) – Dundee firm provides working shelters for major oil and gas operators. Unite the union can confirm that Safehouse Habitats workers based in Dundee will begin three months strike action from today (11 November). The dispute at Safehouse Habitats involving over a dozen technicians has escalated into all-out strike action following the refusal of the company to make any pay offer to the workforce. The company is also attempting to force through detrimental changes to the sick pay policy which could leave workers facing the minimum statutory sick pay level instead of six months full pay. The Safehouse Habitats workers made a salary sacrifice of around three per cent two years ago in order to access the scheme. The Safehouse Habitats technicians will be taking strike action commencing at 00:01 hours on 11 November continuing each day up to 2 February 2025 when the three months’ industrial action will conclude at 23:59 hours unless there is a resolution to the dispute read more
Support the sacked TGI Fridays workers: Sign this petition – On 7th October, over 1000 TGI Fridays workers were given 57 minutes notice of a call with their CEO at which they were all sacked. 35 sites across the company were padlocked and workers locked out of their workplaces with valued possessions inside. Support our national petition to demand legal, financial and political justice for these workers
‘Hypocritical’ Sheffield First bus slammed for strike breaking in poverty pay dispute (8 Nov) – First says Bidvest Noonan workers should get real living wage but is providing labour to undermine industrial action. Sheffield bus refuelling and cleaning strikes over poverty pay have intensified despite ‘hypocritical’ First South Yorkshire’s attempts to undermine the industrial action. First has publicly supported the Olive Grove depot workers’ demand that contractor Bidvest Noonan pay them the real living wage before the contract renewal date of November 2026. The company, however, is using its own staff to move buses within the depot – a role normally carried out by Bidvest employees – to undermine the two-month-old strike…Industrial action has now been extended to four days a week throughout November, with Bidvest Noonan workers employed at First’s Doncaster Leger Way depot also joining the strikes read more
Union takes pay dispute to Iceland in support of striking Spalding food workers (7 Nov) – Unite activists and members have taken the fight for fair pay to Reykjavik, Iceland as part of the industrial dispute with food processing company Bakkavor. Over 700 workers are currently taking part in continuous strike action at the Bakkavor production plant in Spalding, Lincolnshire after years of real terms pay cuts. Bakkavor’s biggest shareholders are Icelandic “tycoons” Agust and Lydur Gudmundsson. Lydur Gudmundsson was previously convicted for financial fraud against the people of Iceland. Now he and his brother are making millions on the backs of poorly paid workers in the UK. Together they own half of Bakkavor shares and have huge power over the company. Bakkavor made £94 million in profit last year. In the last five years it has paid out £158 million to shareholders. But most workers in Spalding are only paid £11.54 an hour, just 10 pence above the minimum wage. The workers have seen their pay decrease by 10.6 per cent in real terms over the last three year. Unite members are demanding a pay rise of 81 pence an hour on average. This amounts to just two per cent of Bakkavor’s profits. Protests took place across the Icelandic capital yesterday (6 November) including at the homes of the Gudmundsson brothers, at the headquarters of their holding company and at the Icelandic film school owned by Agust. Unite representatives were joined by comrades from the Efling Icelandic trade union as they made noisy protests, handed out leaflets and projected images onto the sides of buildings read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Airlines braced for foodless fights as catering workers at eight UK airports ballot for strikes (7 Nov) – Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, London City, Stansted, Bristol, and Birmingham dnata workers ballot for industrial action
Passengers at airports across the country are facing the prospect of having no onboard food or drink during long and short haul flights as dnata catering workers ballot for strike action. More than 700 dnata workers providing food for airlines at Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, London City, Stansted, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham airports are balloting for strike action. The production line, warehouse and delivery workers are angry at the company’s attempts to change their terms and conditions without consultation. If strikes go ahead, major airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, BA, Emirates, America Airlines and Air India, will be impacted read more
Guys and St Thomas’ staff in protest against merciless jobs cull (30 Oct) – Workers in trust’s facilities and capital development division face 58 per cent jobs cuts. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed at the Guys and St Thomas NHS Trust will hold a protest this week against plans to slash a huge number of jobs from the in the Essentia in-house facilities and capital development team. Under the trust’s plans the in-house team covering facilities and capital development including roles such as fire safety, water quality, major projects, maintenance and minor construction work, will be reduced from 154 roles to just 64. To add insult to injury all the workers in the division will be required to reapply for their jobs, with many of the new posts being paid at a lower rate for principally the same work 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
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
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
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
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]
Sign this petition: Striking Haringey housing workers need a pay rise now!
To: Councillor Peray Ahmet and Andy Donald, Leader and CEO of Haringey Council
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
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]
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
Support the Sanctuary workers – contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]. “At Sanctuary Housing we are also campaigning for recognition. Sanctuary is a massive employer. It has 14,000 members of staff but currently recognises no union. Scandalously this organisation receives millions of pounds in public money. Shamefully much of this money comes from Labour authorities. No Labour authority should hand out contracts to union hostile employers! You can help us in our fight by dropping a few Join Unite@Sanctuary leaflets at your local Sanctuary care home, supported living or estate office. Message me via this platform, personally or via email if you can help. [email protected]. You can search your nearest Sanctuary workplace via this link: https://www.sanctuary-supported-living.co.uk/
Please sign this letter to Lizzie Hieron, chief customer officer: Shame on Sanctuary – Rents up, bills up. Wages down. Fair pay and union recognition now! Support Sanctuary Housing repair workers!
CWU
CWU LIVE – The Failure of BT’s Privatisation & Rebuilding the Union | Interview with Telecoms National Officer (28 Nov) – On today’s episode of CWU LIVE, we’re focusing on the vital work of T&FS members and the challenges we face together as a union. We’re marking the retirement of Allan Eldred, BT’s long-standing national officer, who’s dedicated his career to championing workers’ rights. We’ll be talking about everything from building solidarity across the movement, and how to better engage our members on key issues like job security, pay, and pensions read more
TV Licensing workers need respect, CWU warn BBC (11 Nov) – The Communication Workers Union have written to the BBC warning that TV Licensing (TVL) workers balloting for potential strikes are a “disrespected workforce”. In a letter addressed to BBC Chief Customer Officer Kerris Bright, CWU Assistant Secretary Andy Furey wrote about the dispute, which is related to the real terms pay freeze that TVL workers are having forced on them at the insistence of their contractor, Capita. The contractor was awarded the contract to do this vital work by the national broadcaster for the sum of £456 million over five years. Capita bosses are demanding that these 500 workers be subjected to a pay freeze for 2024, with the pay date intended to be for 1st April. Bosses claim that the pay freeze is necessary, and that any raise is financially impossible. However, as Furey says in the letter, Capita can “readily afford” a pay rise with reflects the cost of living, due to this “very lucrative” contract read more
Capita TVL BBC contract members to vote on strikes (1 Nov) – Industrial action ballot process begins, after employer refuses to offer pay rise. “We’ve now entered a formal Trade Dispute in accordance with the law, as a consequence of Capita imposing a pay freeze on our members working on the TVL / BBC Contract,” CWU assistant secretary Andy Furey told CWU News this morning. Nearly 500 CWU members are set to take part in the ballot, which asks two questions, on strike action and action short of a strike (ASOS). Ballot papers are being sent out next Friday and the result will be declared on Tuesday 3rd December 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 requests meeting with Work and Pensions Secretary (29 Nov) – The meeting would discuss the proposals in the Get Britain Working White Paper, published this week. This week the government published its Get Britain Working White Paper with outlined reforms for the way unemployment benefits are delivered, including the suggestion that a new National Jobs and Careers Service will be created read more
Land Registry strike ballot begins (29 Nov) – Members are being balloted for strike action over three key areas including a return to offices, use of personal data and unpaid extra responsibilities. A ballot for strike action and action short of a strike opened yesterday (28) for all PCS members working for the Land Registry. Land Registry staff are being ordered to return to working in their offices for three days a week. Members are very angry about this arbitrary demand from their employer and are demanding more flexibility. The 3,800 workers based in 14 offices across England and Wales are also concerned about the employer inappropriately using personal data and having to accept extra responsibilities without extra pay read more
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman members ballot for strike action (28 Nov) – A ballot is under way for PCS members working at the PHSO who are in dispute over pay, hybrid working and proposals being piloted that could see extra responsibilities delegated to more junior staff without any extra pay. More than 200 members working at the PHSO in Manchester and London are being balloted from 27 November to 22 January. The issue over pay follows PHSO’s refusal to match the 5% pay increase set out in the Civil Service Pay Remit. While senior management at PHSO argue that existing contractual pay increments mean a minority of staff will receive more, a 3.4% across the board increase was imposed earlier this year read more
PCS Benton Park View members explain why they are voting to strike (26 Nov) – PCS members are sharing why they are voting to strike in defence of 3 sacked HMRC reps at Benton Park View in Newcastle. The ballot of more than 200 PCS members in employer services runs until 9 December. Three elected PCS representatives, Gordon Askew, Rachel Farmer and Joel Hamilton have been sacked by HMRC read more. You can email your local MP and send messages of support to Steve Swainston, PCS Revenue and Customs group secretary at [email protected]. Email your local MP to ensure they add their support to the campaign. Sign petition: stand with PCS reps at Benton Park View, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Forced office attendance: “Hybrid working helps with the costs of living crisis” (26 Nov) – The ballot for strike action over an enforced return to offices for PCS members working in the Met Police is drawing to a close. As they vote in the statutory ballot, which runs until 10 December, members working in civilian roles at the Metropolitan Police shared their reasons for being against the new policy that the employer is set to impose, forcing them back into offices for up to 100% of the time read more
DBS members to take strike action (25 Nov) – PCS members working at the Disclosure and Barring Service are in dispute over the imposition of a new customer contact system. Over 50 PCS members working for the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in Liverpool are to take two weeks’ industrial action in the run-up to Christmas. The members are in dispute with their employer over the imposition of a new customer contact system, “Max Contact”. PCS is demanding that the changes are withdrawn or amended before they are introduced in a fortnight. If managers impose the changes, the PCS members in the Complaints and Complex Enquiries team will take strike action on December 9 and 10, followed by all members in the Customer Services team taking action short of a strike from December 9 to 24 read more
Update on the G4S dispute (22 Nov) – Mark Page, PCS industrial officer, gives us the latest on the long-running industrial action. G4S guards in the DWP provide security services for around 700 workplaces across the country. There are 3200 workers on the DWP G4S contract read more
G4S strikes continue in central London (22 Nov) – The PCS members will be holding picket lines on strike days throughout November and December. PCS members employed by G4S at several London workplaces are walking out from 25 to 29 November and 9 to 13 December in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The members have already taken ten days of strike action in October and November. The dispute comes as a result of the failure of G4S to provide a fair pay increase and improvements to terms and conditions, including the introduction of company sick pay read more
PCS calls for urgent meeting as permanent secretary announces mass MOD cuts (21 Nov) – PCS has called for an urgent meeting with defence ministers after permanent secretary David Williams told MPs today that thousands of civil service jobs are likely to go at the Ministry of Defence over the coming 5 years. As reported by Civil Service World, the senior civil servant told the parliamentary defence committee this morning that he expected to see a headcount reduction in the region of 10% over the course of the current parliament. He said present numbers are in the region of 56,800 – with the implication that the MoD will have at least 5,000 fewer full-time equivalent staff by the end of the decade 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
GMB
More than 300 GMB members to strike in South London hospitals as talks fail (28 Nov) – Last-minutes talks fail to prevent a strike of ISS workers across 5 hospital sites. Members of GMB, the union for all NHS workers, are set to strike across two NHS trusts and five hospital sites in South London. The workers are employed by private contractor ISS as domestics, porters and catering staff and will be taking four days of strike action from tomorrow. On the final day of strike action, Monday 2 December, the members will be marching to ISS UK Headquarters in Canary Wharf. The dispute centres around pay, terms and conditions read more
One in three car workers can’t afford to be off sick (28 Nov) – One in three care workers at the UK’s biggest provider can’t afford to take time off, a shock survey shows. More than 1,000 carers working for HC-One completed the poll, with one in three saying they cannot afford to take time off sick when asked ‘what is your current sick pay position?’ One in three also said they would definitely or seriously consider leaving the organisation if pay does not rise to meet the challenge of costs. Last year HC-One implemented a ground-breaking policy of paying carers sick pay from day one: the current rate is £16.67 a day. GMB’s survey results form part of a pay claim to the company, calling on the daily sick pay rate to rise to £40 a day read more
Two in three NHS workers considered quittting in the past six months (25 Nov) – Two thirds [66 per cent] of NHS workers have considered leaving the NHS in the past six months, a mass survey shows today [Monday]. A poll of almost 2,000 NHS and ambulance workers also reveals 60 per cent said they wouldn’t sign up to work for the NHS if they were starting their carer again, knowing what they know now. GMB Union conducted the survey as it gathers evidence for a Pay Review Body (PRB) submission on 26 November. The PRB reviews evidence from various stakeholders – including workers bodies and the Government – before making a recommendation for NHS pay rises for the following year read more
Almost 100 jobs at risk at Treforest jelly manufacturer (25 Nov) – Gelatin manufacturer PB liner has announced plans to close its Factory in Treforest. The factory currently employs 96 staff. PB Liener’s parent company Tessenderlo announced plans for closure of the site, citing declining demand for products made at the Treforest site. GMB union called the plans a potential hammer blow for Treforest and pledged to fight for the best deal for their members. Back in July the company saw strike action after the company looked to impose a 6% pay cut read more
Labour’s cash-strapped Lambeth Council set to lose £300,000 a week as parking strike hits borough revenue (12 Nov) – Cllr Claire Holland, Leader of Lambeth council is burying her head in the sand about the strike hitting council’s parking service. GMB, the union for local government workers, has estimated that the current strike being carried out by parking wardens in Lambeth is set to cost the local authority around £300,000 a week in lost revenue. Lambeth Council’s parking contractor Apcoa employs the traffic wardens within the borough, as well as neighbouring boroughs Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth. Dozens of members are taking action over a litany of workplace issues, including the fact that some workers have been offered no pay rise at all for 2024 read more
More than 200 parking wardens to strike across three London Boroughs as last-ditch talks fail (8 Nov) – Zero pay rise, no recognition and disrespect towards members has led to strike, says GMB. More than 200 parking wardens and environmental officers across three London Boroughs are set to walk off the job from 7am on Monday 11 November until Midnight on Sunday 17 November. The strike will take place across the boroughs of Wandsworth, Richmond and Lambeth, with members in Kingston also currently voting on whether to join their colleagues read more
Luxury headscarf makers walk out again later talks break down (7 Nov) – Dozens of headscarf workers will walk out for four more days after talks broke down. Skilled weavers at Lappet Manufacturing, in Carlisle, will walk out today, tomorrow [Friday], Saturday [9 November] and Sunday [10 November] in anger at low pay and ‘crushing’ targets, GMB has said. Workers need years of experience to make the high end headscarves, predominantly for the Saudi Arabian market, but their pay does not reflect that, says GMB Union 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
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 Unison
Workers at Livv Housing continue to strike as pay and conditions row heightens – HUNDREDS of workers at a housing association will be next on strike in December: Unison dates – 6th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 23rd and 24th targeted action, 20th all out. From 6th to 21st everyday targeted action of contact centre for evenings and weekend shifts. Unite – All out on 6th, 9th, 18th, 20th, 23rd and 24th read more on Knowsley Unison website
Support Manchester EIS Strike by Unison and Unite members – 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. Next strikes 10-12 December. Picket line: Friday 8th & Monday 11th November, 8am -11am 70, Manchester Rd, M21 9UN
Swansea Bay hospital staff to strike for two days in row over pay, says UNISON (25 Nov) – Hundreds of healthcare support workers at hospitals in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot are to strike for two days over pay, says UNISON today (Monday). Staff at eight hospitals* in the area, including Neath Port Talbot, Morriston and Singleton will walk out on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 December. The action follows a ballot that saw 99% of workers who took part voting in favour of a strike read more
Verbal abuse and violence are daily issues for one in three school staff, says UNISON (29 Nov) – Underpaid and undervalued school support staff dealing with violence. More than one in three (35%) school support staff witness verbal abuse at work every day, according to a survey released today (Friday) by UNISON. The report comes as official figures show the number of school suspensions has almost doubled since before the pandemic and the number of pupils permanently excluded has risen by nearly a third read more
Government plans to increase tribunal time limit to six months (27 Nov) – Responding to the win, head of legal services Shantha David said: “UNISON has championed and campaigned for this and we welcome the Government’s proposals” read more
Health workers in East Suffolk and North Essex launch strike appeal (26 Nov) – More than 350 workers at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) have launched three weeks of strikes to stop their jobs being outsourced. On Monday 25 November, cleaners, porters, housekeepers and other facilities staff started three weeks’ worth of strike action to keep their jobs in the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT). The dispute comes after the trust wrote to staff in April to tell them their jobs could be outsourced. In May, the chief executive of the trust, Nick Hulme, was filmed telling workers lobbying a board meeting that the decision to outsource had already been made. Staff fear the sell-off will threaten their pay and conditions and pose a serious risk to patient safety. As an example, outsourced staff in Ipswich get fewer days of annual leave and less sick pay than their colleagues directly employed by the NHS. They also missed out on the extra one-off payment of £1,655 that NHS staff received in the last financial year. Now, more than 350 workers, employed at Colchester Hospital, Aldeburgh Hospital and several other ESNEFT community sites have walked out until Friday 13 December – or until the trust abandons plans to outsource their jobs. They had already taken more than 20 days of strikes and ahead of this week’s strikes, staff had to hold a second ballot to renew their legal mandate to take industrial action. Workers again voted 99% in favour of strikes in results announced on Friday (22 November) read more. Sign petition Write to the Board. How to donate to the strike appeal: UNISON Colchester & Ipswich Area Health, UNITY Bank, Sort code: 60-83-01, Account number: 20403881, Reference: STRIKE
Grimsby maternity support workers launch strike appeal (26 Nov) – Maternity support workers at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby are fighting for proportionate backpay and need your support. Maternity support workers at Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby have just completed two weeks of strike action in their fight to secure proportionate back pay for carrying out clinical duties beyond their pay band for years. Although the NHS trust re-banded them from Band 2 to Band 3 in October 2023, the trust is currently refusing to make an equitable offer of backpay. As things stand, the current proposals would see some maternity support workers, who have nearly forty years’ service, and have worked high levels of unsocial hours, receiving less backpay than someone who has been at the trust for only four years. The support workers took two days and then one week of strike action earlier in the year and started a two-week strike as of Monday 11 November read more. How to donate: Unity Trust, Sort Code: 60-83-01, Account Number: 20337627, Account name: Grimsby Goole Scunthorpe health branch
Ditch unfit for purpose pay body to stop staff leaving, cut NHS backlog and improve patient care, say unions (26 Nov) – UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and Unite urge Wes Streeting to hold direct pay talks read more
UNISON Scottish Police Staff members have voted to REJECT the pay offer and are willing to take industrial action to secure a fair and reasonable pay deal PoliceStaffScotland @UNISONPSS on X/Twitter
Serco workers at Swindon’s Great Western Hospital to escalate strike action (28 Oct) – Workers will begin their second 48-hour walkout at 7am on Monday 11 November. Caterers, housekeepers, security guards and porters employed by Serco at Great Western Hospital in Swindon will take further strike action in their ongoing dispute over pay, says UNISON today (Monday). Workers will begin their second 48-hour walkout at 7am on Monday 11 November as they demand the same one-off payments already awarded to their NHS colleagues. They previously took action in September read more
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
NIPSA
Sleep In Shifts And Wakefulness (22 Nov) – As you are aware from a recent NIPSA HSC Central Panel bulletin the residential ‘sleep-in’ Industrial Tribunal claim taken jointly by NIPSA and Unison was unfortunately unsuccessful read more
Statement On Recent Offer To Healthcare Workers (22 Nov) – The Minister of Health has returned to the trade unions following a meeting with the Executive, presenting an offer that is strikingly similar to the previous one—a proposal that undermines the principle of pay parity. This offer asks healthcare workers to relinquish a portion of their pay increase, with no guarantee that the full amount will be paid in the future. As a result, healthcare workers in Northern Ireland would face an overall lower percentage pay rise of for the 2024/25 financial year, compared to the 5.5% already awarded to their counterparts in Great Britain. This raises a crucial question: how can this offer be considered parity? Read more
Statement From HSC Trade Unions (22 Nov) – Following an update from the Department of Health and on the Executive discussion on public sector pay, Health Trade Unions in Northern Ireland reaffirmed our position that the Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation should be implemented in full. Furthermore, the Health Trade Unions insisted that any pay offer must ensure pay parity be backdated to 1st of April 2024. This serious matter remains unresolved. We remain committed to representing our members’ interests and will consult with them in due course regarding any further developments read more
Industrial Action Update in Children’s Social Work Services (9 Nov) – NIPSA moving to CAP caseloads to protect social work members. The purpose of this article is to provide Social Work members with an update on the current industrial action situation in Children’s Social Work services, which is driven by chronic staffing shortages and unsafe workloads. Despite months of discussion with key representatives from the Department of Health and the five HSCT’s and subsequent assurances that an offer was imminent. Negotiators reported that there has been no contact with NIPSA, from the Department since 4 October 2024. Branch Officers from the five HSC Trusts, therefore met this week to review the current situation. It was unanimously agreed that a significant escalation of current action was now unavoidable due to the employer’s inaction. The action agreed will take the form of calling a halt on employers exploitation of our members’ good will and professionalism. NIPSA will move to implement a ‘cap’ or ‘ceiling’ on the number of cases assigned to Social Workers in all Looked After Children (LAC) and Family Support/Family Intervention Services across Northern Ireland. Action being developed, in addition this will include limits on Social Workers supervising contact, limits on Social Workers covering Duty and an extension of current industrial action on private law to include Article 56 work. Given the complications around these issues, and to ensure consistency in this escalation regionally, it was agreed Branches will meet with their members working in these areas, to address any queries this escalation may entail read more
Royal College of Nursing
Hold direct pay talks in England to fix NHS, RCN tells health secretary (26 Nov) – The RCN – and 2 other leading health unions – want Wes Streeting to abandon the time-consuming NHS pay review body process read more
NHS pay consultation in Wales: RCN members vote reject (4 Nov) – RCN members working for the NHS in Wales have overwhelmingly voted to reject the 2024/25 pay award from the Welsh government 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
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
Statement from HSC trade unions Northern Ireland (15 Nov)
‘Improving pay part of solution to recruitment and retention crisis,’ RCM tells Pay Review Body (27 Nov) – ‘Paying staff fairly and valuing the skilled work they do is an important part of the solution to the maternity staffing crisis.’ That’s what the RCM has told the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) this week, in its written evidence submission for the 2025/26 pay round for England, Wales and Northern Ireland read more
RCM press for progress on pay for members in Northern Ireland (7 Oct) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland says it’s pressing the Government for progress on an overdue pay award for its members. Midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Northern Ireland were due their pay uplift on 1 April and the RCM says its completely ‘unfair’ that its members remain in limbo. The RCM alongside colleagues from other HSC trade unions last week met with the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt to press for immediate progress, with the RCM saying the delay is eroding staff morale, particularly as there have been announcements for members in all other parts of the UK read more
RCM urges members in Wales to have their say on pay award (23 Sept) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on all its members working in NHS in Wales to have their say on the 5.5% pay award announced by Wales First Minister Eluned Morgan earlier this month. The call comes as the RCM today opens a two-week consultation with midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Wales. The RCM says it’s pleased the award is above inflation which meets the asks set out in its pay claim and that it’s on a par with what midwives and MSWs will receive in England read more
CSP
The CSP has called for an above-inflation pay rise for NHS staff in its submission to the pay review body for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (26 Nov) – In evidence to the pay review body (PRB), the CSP cited severe workforce shortages that are placing enormous strain on patient care and the health and wellbeing of physiotherapy staff. The submission drew on testimony from local representatives that provided a stark insight on working in the NHS read more
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
HSC Trade Unions Northern Ireland discussions with Department of Health hit stalemate (25 Nov) – Negotiations regarding pay have stalled out, with hopes being raised for a meeting later this week in pursuit of public sector pay deal 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 better deal for SAS doctors (26 Nov) – SAS doctors in Northern Ireland will be asked to vote on whether to accept a pay offer from government. NISASC chair Leanne Davison explains why the vote should be yes read more
BMA thanks other unions for donation to strike fund (25 Nov) – Trade unions including UCU, Unison and UNITE have donated more than £6,000 to the BMA strike fund. We’ve written to thank them for their solidarity with us read more
BMA statement on backpay for resident doctors in England (22 Nov) – Position statement and guidance for resident doctors in England who have not received backpay read more
Resident doctors accept pay deal in Scotland (21 Nov) – A significant majority voted to accept the latest pay offer, but there is still work to be done read more
NEU
First day of strike action in sixth form colleges (28 Nov) – National Education Union teacher members across 32 non-academised sixth form colleges in England have taken part in today’s strike action. Whilst academised sixth form colleges have been included within the Government’s guaranteed funding for the 5.5% pay award for teachers, this has not been the case for non-academised sixth form colleges. Members working in non-academised sixth form colleges have been on strike calling on Government to ensure they receive an above-inflation pay award consistent with the rest of the profession. Further strike days are planned for 3 December and 4 December unless the Government provides a resolution to this dispute read more list of colleges which are striking
Support the following NEU strikes:-
| George Dixon Primary / Birmingham (Transfer of Employer) | 4-6 Dec | David Room [email protected] |
| Longcroft School & Sixth Form / East Riding (Conditions of Service) | 3,4,6 Dec | Steve Scott [email protected] |
| Haggerston School / Hackney (Conditions of Service) | 3-5 Dec | David Davies [email protected] |
| Oulton Academy / Leeds (Terms & Conditions) | 3-5 Dec | Terry Bambrook [email protected] Mary Owen [email protected] |
| LIPA / Liverpool (Conditions of Service) | 3, 5 Dec | Graham Copsey [email protected] |
| Mulgrave Primary / Greenwich (Unacceptable Workload) | 4 Dec | Orkun Ari [email protected] |
| Sir George Monoux / Waltham Forest (Conditions of Service) | 5-6 Dec | Mallainee Martin [email protected] Pablo Phillips [email protected] |
| The Sixth Form College Farnborough / North East Hampshire (Terms & Conditions) | 4 Dec | David Dhanjal-Field [email protected] |
NASUWT
Members in Northern Ireland to be balloted on industrial action (13 Nov) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers Union in schools across Northern Ireland are being balloted over industrial action, the Union has announced today. Education Minister Paul Givan has been informed of the Union’s intentions to ballot for industrial action on pay. The announcement follows the failure of the Department of Education and employers to bring forward a satisfactory pay offer for 2024-25. A three year pay offer was agreed in April 2024 for the period September 2021 to August 2024 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
EIS
Teachers Calling on Scottish Government to Deliver on Promises to Education in Budget (22 Nov) – The EIS has written to First Minister John Swinney and Finance Secretary Shona Robison, calling on the Scottish Government to deliver its promises to Scotland’s learners and teaching professionals in the Scottish Budget statement on 4 December read more
INTO
Member Update – INTO Ballot on Strike Action (22 Nov) – At a meeting of the Northern Committee of INTO on Friday 8th November 2024, it was unanimously decided by the Committee, that they had no option but to seek a mandate for industrial action from the membership. The Central Executive Committee of INTO has taken the decision to ballot all our members within the Education Sector in Northern Ireland following the failure of the employers and Department of Education [DE] to make a pay offer to teachers and School Leaders for the 2024/25 year, while teachers and school leaders in England receive a pay award of 5.5% for 2024/25 read more
UCU
HE offer 2024/25: member consultative ballot – Following a decision by UCU’s higher education committee, we are running a formal electronic consultation of HE members in participating institutions on the final pay and conditions offer for 2024/25. This launched on Tuesday 12 November 2024 and closes on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at 17:00. UCU’s higher education committee recommends that you:-
- vote to REJECT the pay element of the offer, and
- vote to ACCEPT the terms of reference on the pay-related elements (contract types/casualisation, workload, equality pay gaps, pay spine review).
This consultative electronic ballot launches on 12 November and closes on 3 December 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
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
“A wake up call for the fire authority”: FBU responds to damning report into Shropshire fire service (29 Nov) – The Fire Brigades Union has responded to the latest inspection report into Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. Released today, the report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) finds Shropshire fire service “requiring improvement” in six key areas, and “inadequate” at managing resources. The inspectorate raises concerns about the performance of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service in managing resources to keep people safe from fire and other risks. The report criticises issues around the scrutiny of financial decisions, transparency around the funding of capital projects, and performance management arrangements. HMICFRS also concludes that the service hasn’t made enough progress on equality, diversity and inclusion, and that firefighters lack confidence in processes tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination. Despite commissioning an independent review into its culture, the service has failed to progress any of the recommendations. Chief fire officer Simon Hardiman has recently returned to work, having received a written warning after he was found to have exchanged misogynistic messages about a female colleague read more
Firefighters call on Labour to take urgent action for UK-wide flooding resilience (26 Nov) – The Fire Brigades Union has written to ministers in light of the flooding caused by Storm Bert, to demand a statutory duty on fire and rescue services to respond to flooding. Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have already implemented a duty for fire services to respond to flooding. This duty is needed to clarify responsibilities, and to obligate the government to provide investment for sufficient numbers of firefighters, training and suitable equipment to be deployed in response to flooding emergencies. Fire and rescue services in England still do not have this legal duty, resulting in a flood response postcode lottery across the country. In the letter to the Home Secretary, the FBU calls on the government to make the UK more resilient to flooding by giving the fire and rescue service a statutory duty to respond to floods in England, to introduce national standards, and to deliver long term investment to increase resilience read more
POA
National Chair Update November 2024 read more
Video tribute to Joe Simpson
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
Independent Sentencing Review 2024 to 2025 (29 Nov) – Further to last week’s mail out alerting members about the launch of the Sentencing Review, we are now in a position – following approval at this week’s meeting of Napo’s National Executive Committee (NEC) – to detail the process for individuals to have input into Napo’s evidence. The deadline for formal submissions to the review is the 7th January 2025, which means there will be a short window in which to gather the views of our membership in the run up to the festive season and early into next year read more
BFAWU
News from Bakers Union: Union Fury at Private Equity Owned Morrisons Bakery Closure (20 Nov) – The BFAWU have reacted furiously at the beyond disappointing announcement today that Morrisons are to close their Rathbones site in Wakefield and make redundant 400 loyal workers, with many more in the supply chain and agency workers also impacted. Many of the workers losing their jobs have worked at the site throughout the 20 years it has been producing bread for Morrisons. This news comes after Morrisons were taken over by Private Equity firm Clayton & Dubilier in 2021 read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
BALPA sends it’s condolences following Vilnius Airport crash (25 Nov) – In response to the crash at Vilnius Airport, BALPA’s General Secretary Amy Leversidge has said the following: “Any loss like this is felt right across the global aviation family and for our DHL members this tragedy is particularly saddening. We send our deepest condolences to all those affected. Our Pilot Advice and Support (PAS) group is ready to offer support to members at this difficult time…” read more
Nautilus International
Nautilus calls for strengthening of Employment Rights Bill to prevent another P&O Ferries (29 Nov) – Nautilus International has told MPs that loopholes allowing ‘fire and rehire’ must be closed by the UK government’s Employment Rights Bill during an evidence-gathering session in Parliament. The Bill is currently at committee stage during its passage through the House of Commons. This is where a detailed examination of the Bill takes place and experts and interest groups from outside Parliament are called upon to speak. Every clause in the Bill is either agreed to, removed or amended by MPs on the committee during this stage. Speaking to the MPs during a panel that also featured Gemma Griffin, vice-president of global crewing for DFDS, and Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray said that the Bill, while a positive step, requires improvement read more
WISTA Golden Jubilee events highlights the challenges facing female seafarers (28 Nov) – On November 26 2024, representatives from Nautilus International traveled to the House of Lords for an event hosted by the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) and sponsored by the Union read more
Nautilus calls for end to employment loopholes that allow exploitation of fishers (26 Nov) – Nautilus International has joined with other maritime and workers’ rights organisations in calling for the UK government to stop the exploitation of fishers through the Employment Rights Bill, which is currently at the committee stage in the House of Commons. In a letter to home secretary Yvette Cooper – signed by Nautilus International, Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Fisheries Section, the Ethical Trading Initiative, Stella Maris and The Seafarers’ Charity – the organisations lay out the appalling conditions often faced by migrant fishers and explain exactly how to prevent these abuses read more
RFA officers overwhelmingly vote to continue strike action (6 Nov) – Nautilus International members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted by an overwhelming majority to continue both strike action and action short of strike. Even more members voted in favour of industrial action than the first ballot in early 2024, strengthening the Union’s mandate in the fight for fair pay at a service where wages have shrunk by 30% in real terms since 2010. The Union was required by law to reballot members in order to continue industrial action, which began with action short of strike on 1 June and has since escalated to include five days of full strike action – the first strikes in the history of the organisation. However, the mandate for industrial action is now even stronger after the government’s failure to put forward a serious pay offer. On a turnout of 63%, 97% of members voted for action short of strike and 90% voted for strike action. In the previous ballot, the turnout was 60% with 79% voting yes to strike action and 85% voting yes to action short of strike read more
NUJ
Four Female BBC Journalists appeal Equal Pay ruling (28 Nov) – Four prominent BBC news presenters—Martine Croxall, Kasia Madera, Annita McVeigh, and Karin Giannone—have filed an appeal with the Employment Appeal Tribunal taking forward their long-running battle over alleged pay inequality at the broadcaster read more
NUJ urges reversal of BBC digital radio station plans (25 Nov) – The National Union of Journalists has reiterated its concern over the BBC’s proposals to launch two new digital radio stations including an extension to BBC Radio 2 read more
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (22 Nov) – NUJ condemns the violence and abuse targeted at women globally, whilst standing in solidarity with women journalists reporting from conflict zones and under repressive regimes read more
Guardian & Observer journalists vote to strike (20 Nov) – Journalists at the Guardian & Observer will undertake two 48-hour periods of strike action on 4-5 December and 12-13 December following a resounding ballot result in favour of industrial action. 93% of journalists voted in support of a walkout over the planned sale of The Observer, pursued by the Guardian Media Group (GMG). The NUJ has repeatedly urged GMG to halt exclusive talks with Tortoise Media and engage constructively with the union on the future of the title. The union discovered during ACAS negotiations on 19 November that the GMG board had taken the decision on Friday to recommend the title’s sale, despite the company telling the NUJ on Thursday that due diligence hadn’t at that point been completed read more
Equity
£4.2 million in royalties paid to performers in November (27 Nov) – Equity has delivered £4.2 million in royalties payments to more than 12,000 performers this month read more
Equity warns of major games/voice company attempting to undermine unions (27 Nov) – Equity is aware of a casting call for a major games/voice company coming to the UK in an attempt to undermine unions in France and Spain read more
Campaign to stop closure of Applecart Arts and save freelancing jobs (21 Nov) – The creative arts space is facing immediate cashflow issues due to funding cuts, with the doors likely to be closed before Christmas if action is not taken. Equity’s London branches have launched a fight to save Applecart Arts, a much-loved community performance space in Newham, East London, from imminent closure. The centre is facing immediate cashflow issues due to funding cuts, with the doors likely to be closed before Christmas if action is not taken read more
Bristol City Council must keep promise on Bottle Yard Studios consultation (19 Nov) – Equity is asking Bristol City Council to keep their promise regarding the proposed sale of Bottle Yard Studios read more
Equity’s Class Network supports call to reinstate National Theatre’s primary school touring programme (13 Nov) – Network “stands in complete solidarity” with letter calling on National Theatre to reinstate their primary school touring programme read more
Welsh National Opera Chorus strike action update (8 Nov) – Industrial action short of strike is ramped up and strikes planned for February. Equity members of the Chorus at Welsh National Opera today agreed to postpone planned strike action set for Friday 15 November, but other industrial action will continue. Further talks are expected and both sides hope to build on progress made in recent weeks. However, Equity members are clear that the situation cannot drag out, and strike action is now planned for 6, 7 and 8 February 2025 if the dispute is not resolved, in addition to further industrial action short of strike. The 30-strong Chorus are taking action to save jobs and prevent compulsory redundancies. Industrial action short of strike has seen Chorus members wear campaign t-shirts on stage during curtain calls, make speeches to the audience from the stage, demonstrate outside venues, and hand out campaign leaflets as audiences arrive read more
Tower Hamlets Council say Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club can only be used as a cultural venue (5 Nov) – Equity is encouraging people to sign an open letter calling on Tower Hamlets Council to save the venue by buying it and leasing it back to a community group read more
Musicians’’ Union
MU Supports Campaign Against National Theatre Cuts to Primary Theatre Touring Programme (27 Nov) – Equity’s Class Network is behind a campaign to re-instate the National Theatre’s touring programme, which was aimed at giving primary school aged children their first experience of live theatre read more
Protect Welsh National Opera: Email Your Political Representatives for Support (30 Oct) – Email your political representatives to support musicians campaigning to protect Welsh National Opera jobs and secure the company’s future, including touring in England and Wales read more
Musicians’ Unions Worldwide Back Call to Save Northern Ballet’s Orchestra (5 Nov) – The International Federation of Musicians backs Northern Ballet Sinfonia in a message of solidarity signed by over 20 musicians’ unions worldwide read more
Community
Short-staffing in Scottish prisons a clear risk to safety (29 Nov) – This week’s new report from HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland (HMCIPS) has identified ‘serious concerns’ with overcrowding and staff shortages in Scottish prisons. The combination of short-staffing and overcrowding in Scottish prisons is a clear risk to safety read more
British Steel – update (22 Nov) – Statement from Community, UNITE and GMB: The steel unions’ expert consultants, Syndex, have concluded their report assessing the decarbonisation strategy for British Steel. Today Syndex presented the report to the union reps at British Steel, who have unanimously endorsed the report and its important recommendations. The next stage will be for the National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee, comprising of senior representatives from Community, Unite and GMB, to formally present the report to Jingye, and to discuss in private with the owner how to take forward its contents 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
Usdaw members at KP Snacks in Ashby-de-la-Zouch overwhelmingly vote for strike action in a dispute over pay (27 Nov) – Usdaw members at the Ashby-de-la-Zouch site of KP Snacks have voted to strike, with action to commence in week beginning 9 December. The formal ballot over a dispute about pay resulted in a nearly 80% vote in favour 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
She asked for a chair three years ago… and she’s still waiting. a disabled science museum guard sues her employer for discrimination (20 Nov) – “I’m really happy we all joined the union and are fighting for our rights. My fight through the courts and our strike at the Science and Natural History for better pay and conditions are intimately connected, because no one should be discriminated against or treated poorly at work. We deserve dignity and respect in our workplace” – Malina Nowicka, disabled security guard at Science Museum and UVW member. Malina is a disabled cancer survivor with a fainting condition who works at the Science Museum as a security guard. She asked for a chair at work to help her avoid fainting, but her requests were ignored for years. On five occasions, an ambulance had to be called to the museum due to her condition, yet no action was taken to alleviate her situation. Now she is taking the Science Museum and security contractor Wilson James to court read more
V&A Museum security guards join the fight for fair pay! (18 Nov) – “We’ve been let down by Wilson James and we’ve been let down by the V&A. We work in the same building, for the same corporation as the directly employed staff, everyone should be paid and treated fairly. Cleaners get more than we do and they deserve to, they work hard as we do. But this shows how we are unappreciated” – Edi Palale, V&A Duty Shift Manager of 15 years. The security guards at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum have joined the fight for £16 per hour and improved working conditions in the security sector. They will be balloted for strike to strike between 22 November and 6 December in what is a first for the museum’s guards. The guards, members of United Voices of the World (UVW), at all three of the world-renowned South Kensington-based museums, V&A, Science and Natural History Museum guards are now in dispute with outsourced contractor for security, Wilson James. The V&A vote follows the strike ballot at the other two world-renowned South Kensington-based museums, which saw a 96% yes vote out of a 95% turnout read more
“We want to have a voice”: Battersea Power Station migrant cleaners demand fair wages and union recognition (12 Nov) – “We are getting organised with our union, so we can negotiate collectively for fair treatment and respect. We want to have a voice, and to be able to say: we’re here too, and we have rights” – Carlos Vásquez Ortiz, Colombian cleaner and UVW member. After years of relentless overwork and staff shortages, under a series of cleaning contractors, the cleaners at Battersea Power Station—one of London’s most iconic landmarks—are demanding change. The recent takeover by OCS is seen as an opportunity to start afresh, and the workers, many of them migrants, are calling for official union recognition in a joint effort by United Voices of the World (UVW) and GMB unions. Their demands include better pay, improved working conditions and an end to the chronic issues that have left them exhausted and feeling undervalued for years read more
“We call Scrooge”! Hundreds of Harrods workers preparing to strike over Xmas bonus and more! (11 Nov) – “There’s a real sense that everyone’s fed up and has had enough, and we’re ready to push for more. It feels like they throw us breadcrumbs and expect us to accept it, while they only seem to care about their own business interests. It’s on us to stand up and ensure workers are protected, and we’re prepared to strike to make that happen” – Alice Howick, Harrods waiter and member of UVW. Instead of a Christmas carol, Harrods is singing from the same old tune of neglect Much like a modern-day Scrooge, Harrods is denying Christmas bonuses, fair wages and working conditions for its dedicated workforce, prioritising profits and paying grotesque sums to its owners – among the richest people in the world. Hundreds of workers across Harrods’ retail, restaurant, kitchen and cleaning departments have had enough and yet again are going to be balloted for strike action over the busy Christmas season unless the luxury London store promptly addresses their demands. This will be UVW’s fifth campaign at Harrods, following four previous wins for tips, substantial pay rises and against unfair leave policies read more
Now, that’s what you call a picket! Over 300 join striking Natural History and Science Museum security guards (31 Oct) – “I’m here at the picket line because my colleagues and UVW had no choice. We’ve felt ignored and undermined for so long, we had to make a stand. There was no other option. Being on strike is an empowering experience and you win confidence. There’s a lot of people supporting you, different trade unions, MPs speaking, members… Others should make a stand too. It’s not impossible. It can be done“ – Bayo Owolabi, museum guard on strike. On Saturday 26 October, UVW staged its largest-ever picket, with over 300 striking security guards and supporters gathering outside the Natural History and Science Museums read more
UVW threatens landmark private prosecution over use of strike breakers (29 Oct) – UVW has instructed the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) to serve notice on Wilson James, the security contractor at the Science and Natural History Museums, and the BMSL* agency that private prosecutions will be brought against them if they use agency workers to cover security guards on strike. Strikes have been called for between 25 and 27 October 2024, and between 30 October and 1 November 2024. This would be the first prosecution in relation to these regulations and the first time an employer could be held criminally liable as an accessory read more
IWGB
RESPEITO E DIGNIDADE: Support the eCourier strike! – “For years, our company, eCourier, has been denying me and my colleagues our basic rights by illegally misclassifying us as independent contractors. In 2017, eCourier, owned by Royal Mail, were found to have broken the law in not classifying as workers, and committed to an internal investigation. Since then, no investigation has taken place. Every time workers at eCourier try to speak out, we are met with bullying and harassment from management, led by CEO Malcolm Fullick. We’ve tried to go through the courts to take back what is rightfully ours, but we’ve come to realise that no one is coming to save us. If we want to transform our workplace, it’s our job to make that happen ourselves. We’re taking the fight directly to eCourier, demanding worker status, dignified pay, a fairer workplace and an end to bullying and harassment. We’re balloting for strike action, and we won’t back down until we win what we deserve. We’re up against huge companies like Royal Mail, with deep pockets and institutional power, so we’re going to need all the help we can get to achieve justice. Help us win our fight by joining us on the front lines, fighting against lawlessness and exploitation in the gig economy. Please sign our petition and donate to support the campaign
Workers at Royal Mail subsidiary eCourier vote to strike with 94% yes vote (30 Oct) – Couriers working at last mile delivery service eCourier have voted 94% in favour of strike action with an 84.75% turnout. The couriers, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), will take strike action for 6 days between now and the end of the year read more
Mandate (Ireland)
SIPTU (Ireland)
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
The Campaign for Trade Union Freedom is holding its second on-line only webinar on the Employment Rights Bill, looking at what’s good in the Bill and also looking to campaign on the Employment Bill’s shortcomings.Webinar 2 – Thursday 12th December at 6:00 pm
Speakers: Fran Heathcote – General Secretary, Public & Commercial Services Union
Prof Keith Ewing – Campaign for Trade Union Freedom
Lord John Hendy KC – Campaign for Trade Union Freedom
Chair: Tony Burke – Campaign for Trade Union Freedom
To register for this event Webinar 2 click here:
or paste in this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KkwLdVXwQDKmpggLBolsLw
Strike Map data report launch – 6pm 5th December Mechanics Institute 103 Princess St, Manchester M1 6DD. Speakers: Sarah Woolley (BFAWU), Dr. Emma Runswick (BMA) as well as the report writers Dr. Stephen Mustchin and Dr. Andy Hodder. Strike Map invites you to a very a special launch of the strike data that they have collected for 2023. This report has been written by Dr. Andy Hodder (University of Birmingham) and Dr. Stephen Mustchin (University of Manchester) and is the first analysis of all the strike data we have been capturing. It will review the data and link it to other sources such as the Office For National Statistics (ONS). All those attending in person will get a copy of the report to take away
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. www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk
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
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government. This has now escalated and widened.
See Stop the War website for info on protests.
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
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
Germany: Request for solidarity message for German strikers who are mainly responsible for cash transport – They are in the ver.di trade union in Berlin-Brandenburg. The drivers have very precarious conditions (some have 10 to 11 hour shifts without a real break as they are not allowed to leave their vehicles) and are generally on a low wage. The bosses are blocking improvements and demand changes for the worse which has heightened anger. The latest strike saw over 2000 of the 10,000 workers nationally striking. Next strike starts on 11 November. Email messages of support via [email protected]
Nigeria: Support the campaign to demand the dropping of the charges 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.
Latest news on campaign – #EndBadGovernance Global Solidarity Protest Call for Dropping of Charges against Protesters and End to Sham Trials
Model motion – https://linktr.ee/nigeriansolidarityuk
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-democratic-socialist-movement
Türkiye: journalists among groups detained in raids (29 Nov) – NUJ condemns detentions and joins the International Federation of Journalists in calling for their immediate release read more on NUJ website
Diary
2024
2025
July 5 NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall London
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
