The NSSN sends New Year greetings to all our supporters and affiliates. 2025 is starting as 2024 ended, with workers on the picket line. The NSSN will continue to report on workers’ disputes and strikes in our weekly bulletin and build support and solidarity for them.
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
Advanced notice!! NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Saturday 5th July in Conway Hall London
Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.
You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790.
Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
RMT members stage separate strikes on the Elizabeth line (31 Dec) – MTR Elizabeth Line and Rail for London Infrastructure (RFLI) workers are taking strike action today in disputes over pay, working conditions, and safety concerns. Control Room staff at MTR Elizabeth Line will strike from 9:00 PM on December 31, 2024, to 8:59 PM on January 1, 2025, after rejecting the latest pay offer. The union is demanding improved holiday entitlements and reductions in working hours. RFLI staff will strike from 6:00 AM on December 31, 2024, to 5:59 AM on January 1, 2025, citing issues including unsafe rostering, pay progression delays, and safety concerns read more
Avanti Train Managers to strike on December 31 and January 2 (30 Dec) – Avanti West Coast train managers will strike on December 31st and January 2nd after overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s latest offer to resolve an ongoing dispute. The rejected offer followed Avanti management paying £300 or more to management grades to cover rest day working. Train managers argue that Avanti has failed to address their concerns adequately, leading to the action read more
Avanti strikes suspended after latest offer put to referendum (13 Dec) – RMT has suspended strike action planned for 22, 23, and 29 December after receiving a revised offer from Avanti West Coast. Train Managers will now vote on the offer in a referendum, which concludes on Tuesday 17 December 2024 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
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
ASLEF
The value of collective action (12 Dec) – Mick Whelan’s column – December 2024: Colleagues, as we look back over the past four years we have proved our value as a trade union collective – a word that is not often used these days. First the dark days of Covid, when we went to work to serve our communities and country, initially not knowing how we would be impacted, but knowing the need to move medicine and key workers around the UK and keep the economy moving. Then we entered the two years of the political dispute with the Tories trying to destroy the rail unions, and our industry, and trying to take away what we had paid for, through productivity, in the past. Enabled and encouraged by the employers so long as they kept their own snouts in the trough of the failed privatisation model. When they could not beat you they changed the law to introduce forced labour and yet you beat them again 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
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! 100 North Air workers secure boost to jobs, pay and conditions across Scottish airports (7 Jan) – Wage and recognition deals fuels Runway to Success campaign. Unite has secured pay deals for North Air tanker drivers based across Scottish airports, the nation’s leading aviation union confirmed today (7 January). Around 100 tanker drivers and airfield operators who provide refuelling services for airlines who fly into and out of Aberdeen, Edinburgh Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall (Orkney), Sumburgh (Shetland) and Stornoway are all benefiting from a basic minimum wage increase of 4.5 per cent. A 10 per cent increase to the shift allowance will also be applied along with a boost to the company’s driver training and training champion bonus schemes. This could see an increase by up to 150 per cent from £200 to £500 and from £400 to £1,000 in the company bonus schemes read more
Fatigued Bus Driver March – assemble 11am Victoria Bus Station Wednesday 29th January Facebook event
Workers must be at heart of government NHS plans, Unite (6 Jan) – Commenting on the plans to dramatically reduce NHS waiting lists, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has called on the government not to ignore the challenges facing NHS staff if it wants it plans to succeed read more
UK-wide Princes Food strikes escalate as no new offer on table (2 Jan) – Supermarket tinned goods shortages during strikes in Bradford, Cardiff, Glasgow, Long Sutton and Wisbech. Strikes are set to escalate at Princes Food after the company failed to come back to the negotiating table with an improved offer after Christmas. Industrial action has already taken place at the company’s Cardiff factory but strikes at factories across the country will see hundreds of Unite members head to the picket line in January. Factories in Bradford, Wisbech, Long Sutton and Glasgow will see strikes as well as additional walkouts in Cardiff. Princes Foods make dozens of household name products, such as Branston and Crosse & Blackwell, as well as their own brand tins and jars of meat and fish. The strikes are likely to lead to shortages in supermarkets and shops across the country. Unite members are taking industrial action after having seen previous pay offers revoked by new owners. Unite’s members, who work as line operatives and engineers, had been offered between a four and seven per cent pay rise dependent on salary by the previous owner, Mitsubishi. The company was subsequently bought by Italian based multinational Newlat S.P.A, which withdrew that offer. Instead, it is offering just a three per cent pay rise read more
Transport for Greater Manchester strikes called off after Unite secures improved pay deal (23 Dec) – Strikes by more than 200 workers employed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have been called off after an improved pay deal was secured, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers, who undertake a variety of roles including ticketing, passenger assistance and information services across the Greater Manchester transport network, voted in favour of accepting the deal. The deal sees wages for the lowest paid workers increase by up to 8.9 per cent. In addition to improvements to the base rate of pay for all grades, standby and call out payments have been doubled and will be back paid to April 2024 read more
Southampton hospital porters secure landmark agreement to end bullying dispute (23 Dec) – Planned strike action by porters employed at Southampton hospital has been suspended after the workers accepted wide-ranging proposals to end bullying and harassment. The 60-plus porters overwhelmingly voted for extensive strike action beginning in late November. They had endured years of bullying and harassment from management including having toilet breaks and periods monitored, barred from sitting down while at work, and being unable to take water breaks while on duty. Unite also raised concerns about financial bullying through the unfair allocation of shifts to private agency workers while NHS porters had to survive on minimum wage, many resorting to food banks to feed their families. Porters advocating for patient safety, sufficient staffing and equipment, and a safe culture at work were ignored or disciplined. Through this action, Unite members stood up and clearly said ‘enough is enough, basic human rights and dignity must be respected in the NHS’. Following marathon negotiations facilitated by the conciliation service ACAS over the last four weeks, the planned strikes in December and January were initially suspended and then called off entirely, after members voted to accept the agreement reached with the hospital to end bullying and harassment. Unite maintains the strong strike mandate until summer 2025 to ensure that the hospital delivers on its commitments to staff read more
Unite condemns Sunseeker Scrooge act at Christmas time (20 Dec) – Luxury yacht maker to make hundreds redundant with little pay just before festive season. Unite is calling on luxury yacht maker Sunseeker to think again over its abhorrent, Scrooge-like behaviour as details emerged of hundreds of workers being made redundant. The company, based in Poole, Dorset, is set to make up to 250 workers redundant with a focus on those with less than two years of service. This means that they will be paid just one week’s redundancy pay plus any wages owed read more
Birmingham bin workers to strike in new year over pay attacks (19 Dec) – Birmingham bin workers will undertake extensive strike action from early next year after the council refused to reverse or even delay the implementation of attacks on workers’ pay. The dispute will involve over 350 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, and is a result of the council’s decision to abolish the safety critical Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role. The 150 affected workers face losing £8,000 a year and the cut could also reduce future pension payments. Many of the affected workers have decades of service at the council. Talks broke down on Tuesday when the council unexpectedly refused to delay the implementation of the cut in the WRCO role and was not even prepared to wait for the competition of the council’s own job evaluation process on the loader role which is set be completed in February… From Thursday 2 January an overtime ban will be in place as well as a work to rule which will mean workers adhering to official start and finish times and returning to the work yard for their 15-minute break and 30 minute lunch period. This will cause considerable disruption. In addition, there will be 12 days of full strike action with the first strike on Monday 6 January read more
Remaining Synnovis strike dates suspended (18 Dec) – London based pathologists to return to work while negotiations with employer continue. The remaining three days of strike action at privatised pathology lab, Synnovis, have been suspended to allow talks to continue. Over 500 pathologists were due to strike 16-20 December over a restructure that had introduced threats of redundancy, downgrading and reduced staffing levels that would put patient safety at risk. Strike action today (Wednesday) and for the rest of the week has now been suspended while talks between Unite and Synnovis continue read more
Knowsley Livv Housing condemned as Scrooge employer as strikes extend into Christmas (18 Dec) – Livv Housing CEO cancels Christmas parties and tries to break strike by offering pay deal to workers who confirm they are ‘non-union members’. Pay strikes by Livv Housing workers in Knowsley will extend into Christmas, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The strikes will continue despite Livv Housing CEO Leanne Hearne offering workers in a company-wide email on 3 December a pay rise of five per cent before Christmas if they confirm they are “non-union members”. Unite believes this is an attempt to try and get workers to give up their union membership in order to weaken the strike. Hundreds of Livv Housing workers began striking in October after rejecting the five per cent offer, which does not reverse the real terms pay cuts they have experienced after many years of below inflation pay rises. Livv Housing, which manages and maintains over 13,000 properties primarily in the Knowsley area, reported reserves of £110.6 million in March 2024 read more
Gloucestershire facing winter bus chaos as Stagecoach drivers ballot for strikes (17 Dec) – Hundreds of drivers in Cheltenham, Coleway, Gloucester and Stroud angry over pay. More than 250 Stagecoach West drivers are being balloted for strike action over inadequate pay offers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The drivers are based at four depots across Gloucestershire with each depot negotiating pay separately. The pay deals put forward by Stagecoach for each depot exclude backpay and have been offered on the condition that Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday rates are abolished. The offers would still leave the workers being paid less than drivers at other Gloucestershire bus operators, which not only pay higher regular rates but have enhanced weekend and bank holiday rates as well read more
Luton Stellantis factory workers protest ‘totally unnecessary’ closure plans (16 Dec) – Move to shut profitable factory should be shown the door with failed CEO Tavares. Luton Stellantis workers will hold a two-day protest and a rally over the company’s plans to shut its profitable electric van factory, Unite, the automotive workers’ union, said today (Monday). A protest from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs will be held on Tuesday 17 December and Wednesday 18 December. A rally will also take place at 12:00hrs on Tuesday 17 December. The protest will be at Gate 1, Vauxhall (IBC Luton), Kimpton Road, Luton, LU2 0JX. Unite is calling for Stellantis to halt its plans to shut the Luton factory following the shock departure of CEO Carlos Tavares just days after the proposal to close the site was announced. Tavares suddenly left Stellantis at the beginning of this month after his ruthless cost cutting to drive up short-term profits damaged the company’s global operations read more
Petrol shortages predicted at West Midland’s Tesco garages as tanker drivers strike (13 Dec) – Drivers taking industrial action over pay. Drivers elsewhere in the country earn up to £11k more. Around 20 tanker drivers in the West Midlands are taking strike action in the run up to Christmas that could see petrol run dry at Tesco garages across the region. Drivers contracted to XPO Bulk UK Ltd deliver petrol from refineries to Tesco stores across the West Midlands. Unite members at XPO are taking strike action from 19-24 December of the lack of a fair pay offer from their employer. Tanker drivers in other parts of the country earn up to £11,000 more read more
Bakkavor workers vote for further strike action as company refuses pay demands (12 Dec) – Lincolnshire workers pass ballot for further industrial action. Hundreds of food factory workers in Lincolnshire have again voted for further strike action due to the continued failure of their employer, Bakkavor, to pay them a fair wage. Workers in Spalding, Lincolnshire, have been on strike since September and following a re-ballot, voted overwhelmingly for continuing their industrial action indefinitely. Bakkavor’s customers, major UK supermarkets like Waitrose, M&S and Tesco are seeing a shortage of products like dips and soups on their shelves. Shortages are expected to worsen as more and more workers join Unite and take to the picket line read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Sheffield bin strikes to continue following Veolia betrayal (12 Dec) – Refuse workers have deal pulled from table at the last minute. Sheffield refuse workers at outsourcing company Veolia have been left angry and dismayed after the company backed out of an agreed recognition deal at the 11th hour. Unite members have been on strike for months seeking a recognition agreement as they make up a majority of the workforce at the Lumley Street depot. A deal had finally been reached following months of painstaking negotiations by Unite representatives. Unite members voted on the picket line on a proposal that the company put forward and this was agreed. This agreement was relayed to Veolia. Unite representatives were meeting to discuss the return-to-work agreement, a common issue following strikes and a further indication that a recognition agreement had been reached. However, at the last minute, Veolia has reneged and backed out of the deal leaving Unite members on the picket line furious at such a betrayal read more
Fare free-for-all in London as enforcement officers take strike action (6 Dec) – Compliance staff at TfL to strike over unacceptable pay offer. Hundreds of operations officers within the compliance unit at Transport for London (TfL) are to take strike action this month that will see London descend into a free-for-all fare scenario. Nearly 300 officers in the Compliance, Policing, Operations and Security Directorate (CPOS) are to head to the picket line after rejecting a pay offer from the company. Unite members voted for strike action after the company refused to make a percentage increase offer for staff and instead simply offered a lump sum payment. Additionally, the company is refusing to deal with pay parity issues with equivalent London Underground staff who earn considerably more…Unite has announced strike dates on 12,13 and 14 December and then the 20,21 and 22 December read more
Hampshire bus workers set to strike over pay (5 Dec) – First Bus drivers and supervisors to walk out over lack of fair offer. Over 140 drivers and supervisors at First Bus in Hampshire are set to strike this month after the company failed to make a reasonable fair pay offer. Workers based at the Hoeford depot who operate across Gosport, Fareham, Portsmouth and into Southampton will take to the picket line to demonstrate their anger at the pay rates on offer. Staff are now being paid barely above the minimum wage for a skilled and stressful job. Strikes are due to take place from 19-27 December meaning that bus services over the Christmas period will be close to zero. First has offered workers just a four per cent pay deal and has also refused to reinstate many of the terms and conditions that were removed during the Covid pandemic read more
Shortage of Christmas turkeys in West Midlands as drivers strike (5 Dec) – Drivers at Culina who deliver chilled poultry to strike after company plays Scrooge with no pay increase. Residents in the West Midlands could see empty tables this Christmas as HGV drivers who deliver chickens and turkeys to supermarkets go on strike this month. Around 40 drivers who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are taking industrial action after their employer, Culina, failed to offer them any pay rise this year. Culina’s contract is with Avara Foods Hereford who supply Tesco and Marks & Spencers to deliver poultry from abattoirs to supermarket warehouses. Despite being in pay negotiations since April, no offer has been made to drivers who have been left with little choice but to take industrial action read more
Oscar Mayer fire and rehire risks millions in council pension investment for owners Pemberton (3 Dec) – A protest will be held outside a Local Authority Pension Fund Forum meeting in Bournemouth calling for councils to divest from Pemberton Asset Management over its role in firing and rehiring Oscar Mayer ready meal workers. Last week, Clwyd Pension Fund, which looks after retired officers and councillors from Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire, pledged not to invest anymore in Pemberton after discovering that £5.6 million of member funds were indirectly invested in the business. Six other Welsh pension funds have investments tied to Pemberton, as do many other local authority funds across the UK…Around 600 Oscar Mayer 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 read more
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
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
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
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
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
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
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 – Takeover Agreement Update (18 Dec)
Tesco Mobile and VM02 workers to vote on pay rise starting today (23 Dec) – CWU members at Tesco Mobile and VM02 are set to vote on an inflation-busting pay offer starting today. The workers, who work on Capita contracts at the phone giants, will see ballots land today (23rd December) on whether to accept a deal from their employer. For Capita members on the minimum wage, an hourly increase to £12.66 an hour – a real-terms increase of 9.52% – will be in effect from 1st January 2025. For those who are above the Capita minimum rates, it will mean a 5.5% uplift from January 2025. It was also confirmed that the pay agreement applies until the next round of discussions, which will take place in April 2025. The offer comes following the union’s negotiations with Capita, and after the union began plans to ballot workers for industrial action. If the ballot is successful, Capita has confirmed that the increase will be paid in January’s salary read more
TV Licensing workers to receive inflation-busting pay rise, as Acas talks succeed (23 Dec) – TV Licensing (TVL) workers are set to vote on an inflation-busting pay rise in the coming weeks. Following a number of meetings held earlier this month between union representatives and Capita through the arbitration service Acas, agreement on pay for 2024-25 has been reached. These meetings came after over 96% of the workers balloted for strike action earlier in December. The key features of the agreement include a 5.5% pensionable pay increase – or an increase to £12.66 an hour, depending on which choice is financially preferable to the individual worker, effective from 1st January 2025. This applies to all Field, TUPE’d members, and also longstanding staff in Darwen, Lancashire. The agreement will also see a new minimum pay rate of £12.66, starting from 1st April 2025 – a 9.5% wage increase for those on the current Capita minimum rates. It will also see a reduction in the working week from 37.5 to 36.5 hours without loss of pay, an extra days’ annual leave, and new responsibility allowances. The deal is now set to be ratified by individual members, after having been endorsed by the union’s postal executive. Union representatives wish to ensure workers that the timetable for the ballot will be arranged so that, should the deal be ratified, the pay uplift can be included in the January salaries. It was also established that the next round of pay discussions will begin on 1st April 2025 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]
Industrial action at Met Police begins (6 Jan) – The action comprises a refusal to comply with the employer’s return to the office demands. From 6 January 2025, PCS members working in the Met Police Service (MPS), will be taking part in industrial action short of strike in their dispute over a return to offices read more
PCS members at the CAA vote to take strike action over pay (24 Dec) – The members based at Gatwick Airport and Canary Wharf rejected a pay offer that would see some of them receive as little as 3%. PCS members working for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have overwhelmingly voted to take action short of strike and strike action in a ballot that closed yesterday (23). The CAA, with staff working in offices at Gatwick Airport and at Canary Wharf, made an offer well below deals won by PCS members in other parts of the aviation industry. The offer is 4% for the lowest-earners, and 3% for other grades. If industrial action takes place, it will be a first for the CAA, the regulator for the aviation sector read more
Land Registry members vote for strike action (24 Dec) – The dispute is over three key areas including a return to offices, use of personal data and unpaid extra responsibilities. In an industrial action ballot that closed yesterday (23) 69% of members who voted said yes to taking strike action and 84% voted for action short of a strike. The dispute covers office attendance, with the imposition of an arbitrary 60% attendance requirement. The 3,800 PCS members based in 14 offices across England and Wales are also concerned about the employer inappropriately using personal data which will lead to micromanagement; and reclassification of work which will lead to downgrading of some work and restricting of promotion opportunities. The Land Registry group executive committee will meet early in the new year to agree the next steps, but in the meantime, PCS is urging departmental management to resolve the dispute for the benefit of the members, the organisation and the public who use the service read more
HMRC deploy Surge Response Officers to counter PCS industrial action (23 Dec) – Members in Employer Services based at Benton Park View are today (23) beginning 8 weeks of strike action in defence of three reps dismissed by HMRC. The three reps, Rachel Farmer, Joel Hamilton and Gordon Askew, have been dismissed by HMRC in a clear case of trade union victimisation. Members working at Employer Services in PT Ops in Benton Park View in Newcastle will be on strike from today until 14 February unless the employer reappoints the sacked reps. To mitigate the effect of the industrial action, HMRC have decided that over 100 staff who work in the Surge and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) will be deployed to work in Employer Services. No consultation took place with PCS before Surge Response Officers were told last Wednesday that the deployment will start on 6 January, and will be compulsory for those selected. PCS told HMRC their decision is provocative and will undermine industrial relations. Rather than strike-breaking, Surge Response Officers could have been helping to clear the backlog of pension credit applications in advance of the deadline for winter fuel payments read more
Strike action begins in support of sacked PCS reps (23 Dec) – Hundreds of members based at Benton Park View in Newcastle have today (23) started eight weeks of discontinuous strike action. Workers at Benton Park View in Newcastle today began eight weeks of planned strike action in support of the three reps sacked by HMRC in relation to their trade union activity. Members at the branch are demanding the reinstatement of their reps who have provided them with help and support over the years, and are now taking action to repay that support. Members working at Employer Services in PT Ops in Benton Park View in Newcastle will be on strike from today until 14 February unless the employer reappoints the three reps. The reps were all dismissed in 2023 following a period of successful targeted strike action by PCS in the same area which contributed to members across the civil service securing an improved pay deal that year read more. Strike fund donations – donations to support the strikers can be made to the following account with the reference ‘BPV Strikes’: account name: PCS Fighting Fund Levy, account number: 20331490, sort code: 60-83-01
Rose Touati (20 Dec) – PCS has received the sad news of the passing of PCS rep, Rose Touati, PCS R&C West Mercia branch rep and PCS Midlands regional committee member read more
PCS responds to review of Ofgem (19 Dec) – Many PCS members are concerned that a comprehensive review of the roles and responsibilities of Ofgem, the regulator for gas and electricity markets could create further uncertainty for them. PCS is by far the largest trade union in Ofgem. We represent hundreds of workers across its London, Cardiff, and Glasgow sites read more
Support our Facilities Management strikers at the FCDO (19 Dec) – We have launched an e-action calling on Philip Barton, Permanent Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to intervene and resolve the ongoing disputes with OCS and G4S. PCS members employed by OCS and G4S as cleaners, caterers, and security officers at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in East Kilbride are in dispute with their employer over, pay terms and conditions after both companies failed to table acceptable pay offers. The members are currently taking strike action which is planned to continue for the rest of December and into early January read more
Met Police staff to refuse to comply with return to the office directive (19 Dec) – The industrial action, a first for the Met Police, will start from 6 January 2025. PCS members working for the Metropolitan Police will next year refuse managers’ instructions to go into the office for additional unnecessary days, ranging from 60-100% of the working week. The new policy affects over 2,400 civilians staff who support the day-to-day work of police officers. It disproportionately impacts women, part-time workers and those with disabilities. In the ballot that closed on 10 December, 91% of those who voted said they were prepared to take action short of a strike and 85% were prepared to take strike action. This is the first time that Met Police staff have voted for industrial action. The action short of strike, in the form of non-compliance with the new workplace attendance policy, will start from 6 January 2025. The intention is to persuade Met Police management to continue the current blended working deal read more
Strike ballot opens for ISS members at the DESNZ (18 Dec) – The facilities management workers at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in Whitehall are in dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The 57 members being balloted for strike action are employed by outsourcing company ISS in facilities management roles such as security guards and cleaners at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) read more
Fujitsu ballot opens for strike action over pay (17 Dec) – PCS members working on government contracts for Fujitsu Services UK have received only a 1.5% pay offer. PCS members working on government contracts for Fujitsu Services UK will from today be sent ballot papers in a dispute over a derisory 1.5% pay offer. Our pay claim is for 7.5% or £1750 cash underpin which is based on inflation and a catch-up element for the years of below inflation rises our members have endured. If the members vote for action, the subsequent strike could hit people completing their self-assessment tax forms in the new year. The ballot opens today and closes on 14 January 2025 read more
Successful two-day strike at DBS (10 Dec) – The PCS Disclosure and Barring Service picket line in Liverpool was well supported during the strike action this week in the dispute over the imposition of a new customer contact system. Striking workers held picket lines on both strike days (9 and 10) outside their workplace at Shannon Court in Liverpool where they spoke to the public and other staff from the building and made themselves visible with their placards and banner. The strike action affected people requiring DBS checks for their employment as our members routinely help customers with email queries about their DBS check, help with barring referral disputes, and deal with complaints from the public. Introduced without proper consultation, the new customer contact system, “Max Contact” would not only force members to carry out work they’ve not been required to do before, but has also been beset by early technical problems and will fail to offer customers the resolutions they need. The two-day strike by our members in DBS Customer Services will now be followed by a work to rule up to 24 December. PCS has a further meeting with DBS on Thursday morning to discuss the new system. Show your support for the strikers by emailing [email protected] read more
Heathrow members to decide on the future of their dispute (6 Dec) – Border Force officers have already taken eleven days of strike action in their dispute over enforced rota changes. 650 Border Force officers have taken 11 days of strike action and 53 days of action short of a strike against a roster imposed in April as a result of Priti Patel’s disastrous tenure as Home Secretary… The members are now being surveyed to ask about the continuing impact of the rota and whether they want to vote for more strike action in 2025. The survey opened today (6) and closes on 24 December 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
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
Use the e-action to fight de-recognition of PCS at the Imperial War Museum – The e-action sends an email to the director general asking her to halt plans to derecognise PCS, and preserve workers’ voices and rights. On 6 March, Imperial War Museum Director Francoise Harris wrote to PCS, FDA and Prospect unions confirming that they wish to derecognise PCS and FDA and move forward with only one union, Prospect. The three unions, Prospect, PCS, and FDA have a constructive and collaborative relationship and all three have appealed to management at the IWM not to derecognise PCS and FDA read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs – Members in HGS in Liverpool have been told they will need to relocate 40 miles to keep their jobs. In November 2023 Hinduja Global Solutions announced a significant restructure on the Disclosure and Barring Service contract, which they planned to take effect from 1 April 2024. Staff were told that the restructure was a direct result of the new contract for services between HGS and DBS. The impact on PCS members in Liverpool has been damaging because the changes mean a 41% reduction in headcount (later reduced to a 26% cut) and withdrawal of all staff from the Tithebarn Street office, meaning HGS would no longer have a presence in the city read more
Prospect
CAA workers vote to take strike action for the first time in 40 years (17 Dec) – Prospect members working at the Civil Aviation authority (CAA) have voted strongly in favour of industrial action in a pay dispute. This is the first time in 40 years that its employees have voted for industrial action. 73% of those who voted did so in favour of taking strike action (27% against) while 94% voted in favour of taking action short of a strike (6% against). Turnout was over the legal threshold. The CAA imposed a 3-4% pay offer on staff after going through the motions of negotiating – an offer which neither kept pace with the industry nor civil service (The CAA is a Non-Departmental Public Body) read more
Union members balloted on strike action over navy support contract (9 Dec) – Prospect members working at Serco Marine are balloting on industrial action over a refusal of the company to involve members in the development of a new contract with MoD read more
Supplier of advanced Royal Navy and RAF training threatened with strike action (18 Nov) – Prospect members working at aerospace company Draken have voted to take industrial action in a dispute about pay which has failed to keep up with competitors in the industry… Prospect is now seeking an urgent meeting with the employer to try to find a way to resolve the dispute. Details of any dates for strike action or action short of a strike will be announced in due course unless a resolution can be achieved read more
GMB
Christmas chaos across South London streets as traffic wardens strike (20 Dec) – Streets in Kingston, Lambeth, Richmond and Wandsworth face gridlock in two days before Christmas. GMB, the union for local government, are warning of Christmas chaos across the streets of South London as parking wardens across four London Boroughs take two days of strike action. The members employed by Apcoa work within the boroughs of Kingston, Lambeth, Richmond and Wandsworth and are taking action in a dispute that has already seen them strike for a week in November. The parking wardens will not be working on Monday 23 or Tuesday 24 December, which will see little or no civil enforcement across the boroughs on the two days preceding Christmas read more
BCP Council plots ‘Scrooge-like’ plan to fire and rehire 5000 workers for Christmas (3 Dec) – Council’s written threat to staff must be withdrawn after members expressed worries about costly new job evaluation scheme, says GMB union. GMB, the union for local government workers, is warning Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council not to fire and rehire its entire workforce – a plan set to be unveiled at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 10 December. BCP Council Chief Executive Graham Farrant has written to all employees announcing all workers will be dismissed and reengaged on new terms – leading frightened staff to contact GMB with worries they will be dismissed. This tactic, also known as ‘fire & rehire’ was roundly condemned by the Labour Party when P&O Ferries dismissed all its staff in 2022. The party will now seek to ban the practice in legislation soon to go before parliament. BCP Councill’s ruling Liberal Democrat ruling group will decide at the 10 December meeting whether to proceed with the Chief Executive’s preferred option of dismissing the whole workforce or to potentially go to ACAS, who may be able to independently mediate. GMB believes the council may have wasted millions of pounds on a new, unfit-for-local-government job evaluation scheme when such money could have been spent on the residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole read more
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
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
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
Tougher laws needed to protect ambulance staff against violence and abuse (7 Jan) – Nobody should endure violence or abuse just for doing their job. Commenting on new figures published by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives today (Tuesday) highlighting the levels of physical and verbal abuse directed at UK ambulance staff, UNISON deputy head of health Alan Lofthouse said: “Nobody should endure violence or abuse just for doing their job. It’s appalling that paramedics and ambulance workers, who deliver life-saving care, are targeted with punches, kicks, death threats and other disgraceful tirades. “This shocking report shows an alarming rise in incidents that has to be addressed. Tougher consequences and better protection for staff are needed urgently…” read more
Getting pay right for demoralised staff is key to turning NHS around, says UNISON (6 Jan) – Union says prime minister’s plans can only succeed with proper investment in staff. Commenting on the prime minister’s new measures announced today (Monday) to tackle hospital backlogs, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Staff are the bedrock of the NHS and key to turning around its fortunes. Ministers know that all the extra appointments and other ways of increasing capacity won’t happen on their own. Health workers have been taken for granted for years by governments and little they’ve heard from the prime minister on his plans will encourage them to feel differently. It’s not just the state of services and the quality of care that are making staff feel so low. Many are at breaking point as they’ve too few colleagues to get the job done and they keep seeing those they work with quit for pastures new. That’s why getting decisions right on pay, and recruiting and retaining skilled, experienced workers must be at the heart of any recovery plan for the NHS…” read more
National care service and fair pay must be priority for new commission, says UNISON (3 Jan) – Union says action needed urgently to create world-class service. Commenting on the government’s announcement today (Friday) that an independent commission on social care will begin in April headed up by Baroness Louise Casey, UNISON head of care Gavin Edwards said: “Long-term neglect has left social care with a workforce crisis. The fragmented, profit-driven sector is unable to deliver for the hundreds of thousands of people who are in need. The sooner pay and standards are reformed, the better…” read more
Staff call off industrial action at Transport for Greater Manchester, says UNISON (23 Dec) – Employees win better deal on pay and commitment on conditions.Around 300 workers employed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have today (Monday) called off industrial action after agreeing an improved pay deal, says their union UNISON. The employees, who undertake a variety of roles across the Greater Manchester transport network, voted in favour of the deal. This will see wages for the lowest paid workers increase by up to 8.9%. In addition to improvements to the basic pay rate for all grades, there will be a doubling of standby and call-out payments, backdated to April. In addition, TfGM has made a commitment to improve its family-friendly policies early in the new year and revise role profiles for workers who earn below £14 an hour by April 2025 read more
Opinion: Water under pressure – the case for renationalisation (19 Dec) – A new UNISON report highlights the problems of the privatised water sector in England and maps a way to renationalisation read more
Swansea Bay health workers’ strike suspended following new pay offer, says UNISON (10 Dec) – A strike by hundreds of NHS staff at hospitals in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot set for this week has been suspended after health board managers made an improved pay offer, says UNISON today (Monday). Healthcare support workers were due to walk out at eight hospitals in the local area from 7am tomorrow (Tuesday) until 7pm on Wednesday. The union says it is now to put the improved offer to the healthcare assistants over the next two weeks to establish whether they want to accept or reject the proposals. The dispute centres on Swansea Bay University Health Board’s refusal to pay staff for extra work they have been doing. Hospital workers say their wages should reflect the more complex extra tasks they’ve been doing for years and that they should have been paid at a higher salary grade read more
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. Trade Union wide demo supporting Livv striking workers – from 8am today
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
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
NIPSA
Agenda for Change Pay Arrangements 2024/25 (23 Dec) –
Please see below correspondence issued by the Department of Health on 19 December 2024, outlining the Agenda for Change pay arrangements for 2024/25 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
HSC pay consultation now open (19 Dec) – The Department of Health has offered a 5.5% pay award for Health and Social Care (HSC) staff on Agenda for Change contracts in Northern Ireland 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
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
RCM
RCM welcomes long overdue pay award for members in Northern Ireland (17 Dec) – A long overdue pay award has finally arrived for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) in Northern Ireland. In a letter to Health and Social Care unions the Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt has confirmed that RCM members in Northern Ireland will receive a pay rise of 5.5%. The proposed pay award is on par with what RCM members received in England and Wales and the RCM has welcomed confirmation that it will be backdated for all Agenda for Change (AFC) staff to June 2024. A memorandum of understanding also confirms that full parity will be maintained and that the remaining two months 1 April to 31 May will be paid at a later date read more
SOR
SoR launches consultation on Northern Ireland pay offer (19 Dec) – Agenda for Change workers in NI have been offered a backdated 5.5 per cent increase read more
BMA
Why I have voted to reject the 24/25 GMS contract (13 Dec) – Accepting the offer displays we are willing to do more with less which would be unsafe and unsustainable read more
NEU
Support the NEU Sixth form college strikes – next strike action: 7, 8 and 9 January details of striking colleges
NASUWT
Teachers send united message as they vote for industrial action (16 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union in Northern Ireland have voted overwhelmingly in support of industrial action in a dispute in relation to pay for the 2024-25 Academic year. 92.7 % of those returning ballot papers voted in support of strike action, with 99.0% in support of action short of strike action. Teachers in Northern Ireland have yet to receive a formal pay offer for this academic year while teachers in England and Wales received a 5.5% pay uplift read more
Members strike over school closure plans (10 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Lewis Girls School, Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, are taking strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) over plans to close the school and merge with Lewis Pengam School. The decision over the closure is being made without any consideration to the impact the changes will have on members’ workload, working conditions and the welfare of members. Members have been given no assurances that they will not lose their jobs read more
Striking teachers protest at the Senedd over pupil behaviour (10 Dec) – On Thursday 12th December, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, at Ysgol Nantgwyn, Rhondda Cynon Taff, and Ysgol Abersychan in Pontypool will take strike action over poor pupil behaviour and will be taking their protest to the steps of the Senedd. At 11am on Thursday, striking members from both schools will gather in front of the Senedd to express their concern over the lack of progress on this crucial issue read more
Essex teachers threatened with school lock out (9 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Gable Hall School in Thurrock are being threatened with being locked out of the school and prevented from teaching their pupils after they voted to take industrial action in an ongoing dispute over workload and working practices. Members at the school are due to begin action short of strike action from Wednesday over concerns about adverse management practices which are resulting in unsustainable workloads that are undermining teachers’ health, safety and wellbeing. NASUWT members have sought to minimise any disruption to pupils’ education at the school. However, the employer has responded by threatening to lock out more than three-quarters of the teaching staff at Gable Hall School. Despite making every effort to avoid industrial action, the employer is refusing to engage in genuine negotiations and has now threatened teachers with a lock out. Mossbourne Trust Management is currently running the school and will formally take over as of the 31st December from The Ortu Federation read more
EIS
Unfair ‘Tax on Teachers’ Leaves Scotland’s Teaching Professionals Millions out of Pocket (23 Dec) – Scotland’s teachers have collectively been left out of pocket by potentially tens of millions of pounds, as the result of an ongoing impasse between 16 Scottish local authorities and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over the implications of the 2022-23 pay settlement to Scotland’s teachers read more
Glasgow Strike Ballot will Test Government and Council Commitment on Teacher Numbers (20 Dec) – The EIS, has announced that it will open a statutory ballot for strike action in Glasgow schools, if Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government do not confirm the reversal of teacher cuts in Glasgow. The planned ballot, set to open on the 6th of January, will be a key test of the recently announced Scottish Government / COSLA budget agreement, a component of which is a pledge to return teacher numbers to 2023 levels read more
SNCT Statement: Class contact time reduction – plan must be forthcoming to avoid dispute (16 Dec) – The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee (SNCT) has met in response to the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s parliamentary statement of Tuesday 10th December and the joint COSLA/Scottish Government statement issued on the same date read more
INTO
Member Update: Action Short of Strike (ASOS) Action Instructions Commencing 13 January 2025 read more
Member Update: Ballot Result on Strike Action (16 Dec) – The results of the postal ballot are in:
- Turnout – 49.52%
- Vote for Strike Action – 92.53%
- Vote for Industrial Action Short of Strike – 97.27%
On the back of a strong turnout in the postal ballot we are committed to embarking on a campaign of co-ordinated and planned industrial action in conjunction with our fellow trade union colleagues in the UTU and NASUWT. The NEU’s ballot does not close until Thursday 19 December 2024 when we hope they will be joining these three unions in a campaign of industrial action. The unions are currently engaging with each other to agree a co-ordinated approach to industrial action. Members will be informed of the timeline and details of the first phase of action short of strike following the Christmas break read more
UCU
UCU responds to Coventry University VC government appointment (20 Dec) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today responded to the announcement that the vice chancellor of Coventry University has been appointed a non-executive board member at the Department for Business and Trade. The appointment comes as Coventry University threatens more than 300 staff with the sack whilst forcing those who remain to work through a subsidiary company on behalf of the university. New starters would be unable to access the industry-standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme read more
Strike ballot on the cards as 300 staff threatened with sack at Coventry University (17 Dec) – Coventry University has threatened more than 300 staff with the sack. Those who remain will be forced to work through a subsidiary company on behalf of the university, and any new starters would be unable to access the industry-standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme. From correspondence it has received from university management, UCU estimates over 100 staff could lose their jobs and more than 200 could be contracted over to Peoples Futures Limited (PFL), a company owned by the university. UCU said its Coventry University members are meeting this week to decide how to fight the punitive proposals and that they will likely begin balloting for strike action read more
UCU calls on Open University to withdraw fire and rehire threat (13 Dec) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today reiterated its call for the Open University (OU) to scrap plans to fire and rehire staff. In a letter sent to the OU’s vice chancellor and chair of council, the local branch has expressed their shock at the institution’s plan to threaten a group of Associate Lecturers with fire and rehire proceedings. The OU first began consulting on fire and rehire plans in 2023 and expects to fire over 20 lecturers in the early part of 2025 if those staff refuse to have their working hours and pay reduced. Many of the 160 staff initially threatened with fire and rehire have confirmed they only signed up to reductions in hours and pay because of that threat. The tutors under threat (who provide tuition and academic support to students) have a high workload, often because they have agreed to do additional work in areas the university has found it hard to recruit in read more
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 fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters exposed to toxic smoke at Grenfell Tower fire suffering debilitating health effects, research finds (3 Jan) – New research has found that over a quarter of surveyed firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire are now suffering from long-term health disorders. The research, independently carried out by the University of Central Lancashire with assistance from the Fire Brigades Union, analysed available data from 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the disaster read more
FBU demands “significant above-inflation” pay rise ahead of talks (10 Dec) – The Fire Brigades Union has written to fire service employers to start the process of negotiating a pay rise for the UK’s firefighters and fire control staff. After more than a decade of real terms pay cuts under the Tories, the union is looking to the Labour government to make funding available for an above-inflation rise. Last year’s pay settlement saw a rise of 4%, as well as a boost to on-call firefighters’ retainers, and a minimum of six months’ paid maternity leave across the UK. In 2022 and 2023, the threat of strike action forced rises of 7% and 5%. Unlike many other parts of the public sector, the fire and rescue service has collective bargaining, meaning that the union will sit down with employers to negotiate a pay rise. Fire service pay is negotiated July to July read more
POA
National Chair Update December 2024 read more
Early day motion calling for prison maintenance to be insourced (20 Dec) – The National Audit Office estimates the Prison maintenance backlog has doubled to £1.8 billion in the past four years. Kim Johnson MP has tabled an Early Day Motion, EDM, calling for Prison maintenance to be brought back ‘in-house’ read more
Spotlight on the right to strike (17 Dec) – The debate over giving prison officers back their ‘industrial muscle’ is heating up, reports Charley Allan. The ban on prison officers taking any form of industrial action has been raised many times in Parliament in recent years, often in the context of exploitative pay, terms and conditions. Back in December 2020, Labour’s Grahame Morris highlighted how “it is a criminal offence even to suggest that they should, for example, start working to rule” when attacking the then Tory government for rejecting the pay review body’s recommendation of a £3,000 rise for Band 3s, which he described as “an abuse of power” read more
General Secretary update (13 Dec) read more
NAPO
Pay News for Probation, FCS and PBNI members (20 Dec) – In recent months Napo has continued to press the case at every opportunity, including meetings with Ministers and HMPPS senior managers as well as in media interviews, for a significant increase in pay for Probation staff in 2025. With other trade unions we have also been developing our case in support of a pay award that will help attract new staff but, much more importantly, encourage the retention of experienced Probation staff. This is an issue which HMPPS has clearly failed to deliver on and it is crucial their approach changes, with the next pay deal being the most obvious way they can demonstrate their commitment in this regard. In advance of formal negotiations, which we are hoping will commence as early as possible in 2025, we have been clear that it won’t be possible for this or any other Government to build it’s way out of the ongoing crisis in prisons. What has been obvious to our members for many years now increasingly appears to be being more widely accepted – that high quality rehabilitation services in the community, delivered by Probation Service staff, is the only viable alternative. To support this we have stressed the need for substantial investment in the Probation Service – in particular it’s workforce – along with a coherent long term plan to address the wider systemic failings of the criminal justice system read more
Cafcass Pay Consultation update (16 Dec) – Thank you to all those members who voted in the consultation ballot on the Cafcass pay offer for 2024-25. We are aware it was a quick turnaround, but there was overwhelming support to accept the offer with over 89% of those voting in favour. UNISON had a similar result, in that their members also voted to accept the offer. The joint trade unions have informed management this morning of the fact that the offer of 4.43% for all staff has been accepted and we have assurances from the employer that they will be able to ensure that this appears in your January pay. The Section Executive Committee wish all our members an enjoyable and relaxing break and we will be in touch in the New Year with consultation on the 2025-26 pay round. Thank you for your support over the last 12 months – The Family Court Section Executive Committee 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 thoughts to those affected by The Jeju Air crash (29 Dec) – Responding to news of the tragic Jeju Air crash, BALPA General Secretary Amy Leversidge said: “Pilots around the globe are deeply saddened by this news. Members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association send condolences to all those affected. It is vital a full and thorough investigation is now carried out without interference or unhelpful media speculation about the causes so that future tragedies can be avoided.” Read more
BALPA sends condolences to those affected by the Azerbaijan Airlines crash (26 Dec) – Responding to the news of the Azerbaijan Airlines crash, BALPA General Secretary, Amy Leversidge said: “The global aviation community is always deeply saddened by tragedies like these and we at BALPA send our deepest condolences to those affected. It is through a culture of learning from accidents and incidents that aviation has developed a strong safety record and we are able to prevent future tragedies. That is why it is vital that air accident investigators are now given the space to carry out an independent and thorough investigation without interference or unhelpful media speculation about the causes.” Read more
Nautilus International
Nautilus awaits Stena response during pay review (3 Dec) – Nautilus International is awaiting a response from Stena Line Pte Ltd after ‘respectfully’ rejecting the company’s offer at the 2025 pay and conditions review 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
NUJ calls on Apple to remove Apple Intelligence, warning of harm to journalism (7 Jan) – The NUJ has joined calls urging Apple to remove its AI feature Apple Intelligence, following several examples of inaccurate summaries relayed to readers using the generative AI tool read more
Another journalist killed in Gaza as Al Jazeera suspended by Palestinian Authority (3 Jan) – Continuation of threats to media freedom and journalists’ safety in the region. The new year has begun with another journalist being killed in an Israeli attack in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority suspending the operation of Al Jazeera in the West Bank read more
Johnnie Walker remembered for his “loyal and effective” support for the NUJ (2 Jan) – Broadcaster held firm during strike. The late radio DJ Johnnie Walker has been remembered by former NUJ colleagues who recalled his “principled” outlook and “commitment to the union.” Read more
122 journalists and media workers killed in 2024 (2 Jan) – One of deadliest years for journalists read more
NUJ condemns killing of five journalists by Israeli forces in Gaza (26 Dec) – The National Union of Journalists has strongly condemned the killing of five journalists today in central Gaza. All five worked for the satellite channel Al-Quds Today. The journalists were sleeping in the van where they should have been safe read more
NUJ condemns deaths of two Kurdish journalists killed by alleged drone attack (24 Dec) – The National Union of Journalists joins with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning the killings of two Kurdish journalists in Syria last week, and joins in calls for a swift investigation read more
NUJ response to Media Concierge takeover of National World (19 Dec) – The National Union of Journalists has said the commitments made by Media Concierge as part of its takeover of National World need to be backed up with concrete actions to ensure the survival of quality local journalism read more
NUJ condemns threats to journalists made by Dmitry Medvedev (19 Dec) – The NUJ has condemned the remarks by Russian security council deputy head, Dmitry Medvede read more
Equity
Casting advice warning: auditions involving intimacy, nudity and sex (19 Dec) – Equity has serious concerns about recent casting and audition activity involving virtual – ie online video – auditions 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
Musicians’’ Union
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
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
TUC and Usdaw call on retailers not to undermine workers’ rights by use of “freelance” staff (6 Jan) – Retail trade union leader Paddy Lillis, Usdaw general secretary, and Kate Bell, Assistant General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), have jointly written to the chief executives of retailers Urban Outfitters, Lush, Gymshark, Uniqlo and Emma Sleep; challenging the use of “freelance” retail staff to undermine workers’ rights read more
KP Snacks strike suspended after negotiations with Usdaw (9 Dec) – Usdaw has suspended strike action at the Ashby-de-la-Zouch site of KP Snacks in Leicestershire, which was due to start today (9 December), this follows a restart in pay negotiations read more
UVW
Department for Education security guards to join mass strike on 21 December (17 Dec) – “We all saw how the cleaners and caterers were treated, and how UVW stood up for them. They were able to win their demands, and it was their fight that inspired me to join UVW. Morale is high despite G4S’s response, which really showed they don’t seem to care about us. They say they won’t negotiate with UVW, even though all the guards have joined. We do not accept that they want to negotiate with a union that doesn’t represent us. We are ready to strike” – Dele Bodumde, who has served as a security officer at DfE for 12 years and is a UVW member. Security officers employed by G4S at the Department for Education (DfE), who are members of United Voices of the World (UVW), will strike on Saturday 21 December in a fight for fair pay and sick pay parity with civil servants. The guards, who work at Sanctuary Buildings in central London, are demanding a minimum pay rate of £15 per hour, a comprehensive sick pay scheme in line with directly employed DfE staff, improved annual leave entitlements and better quality uniforms read more
Hundreds of Harrods workers to strike over pre-Christmas weekend and boxing day as store refuses talks (10 Dec) – “As one of the world’s leading luxury department stores, Harrods should be setting the standard for retail and hospitality workers. Instead, we are earning the living wage and denied basic benefits such as a food allowance and Christmas bonus – something which should be commonplace in a company accumulating millions of pounds in profit year on year” – Alice Howick, Harrods waiter and UVW member. Hundreds of retail, restaurant, kitchen, and cleaning workers at Harrods will walk out of their jobs on the weekend of the 21 and 22 December as well as Boxing Day – the busiest retail dates of the year – if the luxury store continues to deny them a Christmas bonus and improved working conditions 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
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
IWGB
IWGB in Italy: Standing with GKN Workers for Jobs, Justice, and Climate (2 Dec) – When IWGB representatives joined a delegation to Italy to support the GKN workers, it was a powerful opportunity to stand in solidarity. They travelled alongside trade union activists from the UK and across Europe, all gathering in Florence to support GKN workers. This was a solidarity trip that exemplified the strength of collective action. The GKN Fight: Three Years of Relentless Resistance. The story of the GKN factory in Campi Bisenzio near Florence goes back to 2021. With no warning, GKN’s workforce was told their factory would be closed, and hundreds of jobs gone in a stroke. But the GKN workers refused to accept this fate. They took control of the factory, launching a worker-led cooperative and occupying the site to protect their livelihoods and their right to shape their own future. What began as a fight to save jobs has transformed into a movement for a *just transition* that centres on workers, communities, and environmental sustainability. The GKN workers have also been innovative in their fight for justice read more
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
Mandate (Ireland)
Dunnes members win 5 percent pay increase but continue to push for progress on outstanding issues (18 Dec) – Mandate Trade Union is pleased to announce that Dunnes Stores workers have secured a five percent pay increase, following continued campaigning by its members. This latest increase marks a significant achievement for Dunnes workers and follows a series of wins over the past four years, during which Dunnes employees have seen their pay rise by more than 29 percent since January 2020 read more
Tesco Workers Begin Protests for Respect & Representation (12 Dec) – Members of the Mandate Trade Union have today (Thursday, 12th December 2024) launched public protests following Tesco management’s decision to deny workers their right to be represented by their trade union and refusing to agree to an adequate pay increase. The first protest took place at Ardkeen in Waterford at 10am. According to Mandate, the protests will continue until Tesco agree to “respect their workers” read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU says incoming Government must not renege on water referendum commitment (6 Jan) – SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, John King, has called on the incoming Government to honour a commitment, given on a number of occasions to trade unions, to hold a referendum to provide constitutional protection against the future privatisation of public water services read more
Report shows major pay gap between Health Care Assistants in public and private employment (8 Dec) – A new report from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) has revealed a significant pay gap between the earnings of Health Care Assistants (HCAs) in the public and private sectors in some European countries, including Ireland read more
SIPTU to consult Section 39 Organisation members on industrial action on pay claim (3 Dec) – SIPTU is to begin a process of consultation with members in Section 39 Organisations concerning industrial action over the issue of Government inaction in relation to a longstanding pay claim in the sector read more
Other news
Alan Hardman ‘Need not Greed’ – Alan Hardman’s razor-sharp political cartoons collected for the first time. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Need Not Greed is a career-spanning collection of visual art by one of Britain’s greatest unsung political cartoonists. Alongside Alan Hardman’s essential work, the book also includes a contribution from former President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn order a copy – £45 each
Can you help? Crowdfunding to tour a production and exhibition of The Grunwick Strike Autumn 2025 – 2026 – We wanted to get in touch to let you know we are crowdfunding for a new production and interactive exhibition. The theatre show will tell the story of Jayaben Desai – the inspirational leader of the 1976-78 Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike. We need your help to get this production and exhibition on the road, any donation you make will mean we are one step closer to getting this very important story out there performing to audiences across the UK. Any money raised will be matched by other funders. We’ve just got eight weeks to reach our target. Please find the link for our crowdfunding campaign HERE. Link to our Crowdfunding video Here. 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
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
How Do We Invigorate And Democratise Our Unions? Part of the Troublemakers’ AGM online – 25 January 2025 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm GMT details
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government. This has now escalated and widened.
See Stop the War website for info on protests. The next national demonstration is Saturday 18th January in Central London – assemble 12noon BBC Portland Place
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
Blacklist Support Group New Year message: 2025 – the year when justice finally arrives?
Happy New Year to all our supporters. It is more than 15 years since the Consulting Association blacklist was exposed. Yet despite a select committee investigation, a public apology in the High Court and new legislation, union members who were repeatedly denied employment are still fighting for truth and justice. No senior executives from the multinational construction companies who oversaw the secret conspiracy, nor the police and union officials who colluded with the employers have been held accountable for their actions. 2025 is set to be a year where at least some elements of the hidden underbelly of the blacklisting scandal are brought into the public domain. Here’s what to expect:
Independent Collusion Investigation
The independent investigation into collusion by officials from UNITE and predecessor unions that was set up by Sharon Graham is set to publish its findings early in 2025. Nick Randall KC and John Townsend, assisted by solicitors from the Public Interest Law Centre have gathered oral and documentary evidence from around 90 individuals, searched the union’s electronic archive and sought permission from the High Court to use documents never before placed in the public domain.
The Blacklist Support Group and the Construction Rank & File publicly fought for an investigation that was independent from UNITE to be set up, and three blacklisted activists have acted as an oversight committee throughout the investigation.Neither BSG nor the oversight committee have any knowledge of what will appear in the final report, but we have faith in the independence of the lawyers, and in the robustness of their investigation.
Spycops Inquiry
Core participants in the union strand of the undercover policing public inquiry, the Blacklist Support Group (BSG), UNITE, FBU, NUM, and seven individual activists (Steve Acheson, Frank Smith, Dan Gilman, Steve Hedley, Lisa Teuscher, John Jones, Dave Smith) were scheduled to give evidence in April 2025. This has now been pushed back to a date later in the year. Spycops who infiltrated and gathered intelligence on trade unions, plus the managers and politicians who oversaw the political spying operation will also be giving evidence.
The BSG opening statement made specific allegations that the police and security services passed on intelligence to major employers and the blacklisting organisations; the Consulting Association and the Economic League, and about undercover officers acting as agent provocateurs, and state interference in the internal democratic processes of trade unions (in breach of ILO conventions).
The public inquiry has already published an interim report that slated the human rights violations of the Special Demonstration Squad, concluding that the police unit should have been closed down in the 1960s. However, blacklisting was specifically omitted from the interim report. The evidence hearings in 2025 will be the first time the judge led inquiry properly considers the BSG and union concerns.
Retraining Fund
As part of the settlement of the High Court trial, the major blacklisting employers placed over £220,000 in a fund administered by UNITE, to be used to pay training costs for blacklisted workers who were claimants in the litigation. For the first few years, those overseeing the fund turned out multiple applications. But in late 2023, the fund was relaunched and in 2024 tens of thousands of pounds has been paid out to blacklisted workers. The money has been spent on updating certificates for work on the railways, offshore and in the High Voltage sector, but also in costs for career changes such as teaching. If any High Court claimant has paid out for any training since 2016, please claim the money back from this fund.
Labour government pledges
The government has announced proposals for new laws on blacklisting. You might think that as the primary victims of the UK’s biggest blacklisting scandal ever, that the BSG might be consulted on the proposals. Yet, despite having directly contacted Angela Rayner on this subject, and despite BSG secretary, Dave Smith having co-authored a pamphlet published by the Institute of Employment Rights about the need for new legislation on blacklisting. To this date, the BSG has not been contacted to be part of the consultation on the new blacklisting laws. Its hard to imagine politicians not talking to the victims of the Post Office scandal about possible new legislation. Perhaps it takes a TV drama before MPs take notice.
Lee Fowler employment tribunal
Blacklisted construction union activist, Lee finally gets his day in court in January for his discrimination claim against Cargill following a dispute at the Liverpool site in late 2023.
Lee Fowler -v- Cargill PLC
15th -17th January 2025
Liverpool Employment Tribunal
35 Vernon Street
Liverpool
L2 2BX
Unless there is a last minute offer, the Blacklist Support Group will be at the court.
SOLIDARITY PROTEST
9am Wednesday 15th January
Show your support – Bring your banners
Affiliate to the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) here
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
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
