The NSSN calls on trade unionists and anti-cuts campaigners to join protests and demonstrations called against Starmer’s Labour government’s £5billion welfare and benefit cuts. There are a number around the country taking part this week on the there #WelfareNotWarfare, including on this Wednesday when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces the government’s Spring Statement.
This is on the back of reports of 10,000 job cuts directly related to the scrapping of NHS England and potentially many more in the NHS and civil service. At the same time, local councils continue to make huge cuts, NHS services are under massive pressure and universities and colleges face a catastrophic funding crisis. In addition, public sector workers are in line for a below-inflation pay offer.
The union movement must put itself at the head of the fight against Starmer and Reeves’s austerity, demanding that it is the rich who must pay for the crisis, not working-class people and the most vulnerable in society. It is essential that unions immediately come together to agree a united campaign of opposition, up to and including demonstrations and co-ordinated strike action.
For details of local protests in your area, go to Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) – Facebook page and website
‘Balls to the Spring Statement’ (called by Disabled People Against Cuts – DPAC) – 11am Wednesday 26th March at Downing St
Unions must demand Employment Rights Bill is strengthened
Unions are responding to the Labour Government’s Employment Rights Bill, as it reaches an important milestone in its parliamentary progress (TUC, Unite, GMB, Unison, NASUWT, Equity, Community). The Report Stage of the legislation takes place on 11-12 March, as it moves through the House of Lords.
The NSSN welcomes the improvements to the rights of workers and unions that are contained in the Bill.
However, there are still loopholes with regard to zero-hour contracts that employers will look to exploit. Also, a major omission is not to bring in an outright ban on ‘fire and rehire. In this week’s NSSN bulletin alone, there are a whole number of current examples where employers in the private and public sector are using this disgraceful measure to look to smash workers’ pay and terms & conditions.
And while we also welcome steps taken to remove some of the Tory anti-union legislation, it is still short of the promises made by Labour in its general election manifesto. Sunak’s Minimum Service Levels Act (MSL) is to be scrapped but it is not sufficiently clear on Cameron’s Trade Union Act. Along with the MSL, the TU Act with its undemocratic voting thresholds for industrial action ballots, should have been immediately repealed by Starmer’s Government on gaining office last July. The unnecessary delay means that ballots still have to conform to Cameron’s thresholds, at a time when Starmer and Reeves are offering below inflation pay deals in the public sector and threatening cuts.
We also support the demand of the POA prison officers union that the amendment from John McDonnell MP be supported to restore their right to strike.
POA: Reinstate our right to strike demands prison officers’ leaders (4 Mar)
Nigeria Solidarity Protest – 1pm Wednesday 26th March at Nigerian High Commission, London details
Summit of Resistance: We Demand Change – Saturday 29 March
11:00am to 5:00pm at The Cause venue in East London – 60 Dock Road, London, E16 1YZ more details
Peoples Assembly demonstration: Austerity is a political choice, welfare not warfare, stop the far-right, stop the cuts – Saturday 7th June in Central London
Turkey’s People Rise Up for Democracy (25 Mar) – Mass protests are sweeping across Turkey as people take to the streets against the oppressive rule of President Erdoğan, which has made life unbearable for many read more on the website of SPOT – Solidarity with the People of Turkey
Advanced notice!! NSSN Annual Conference 2025 – Make the rich pay not workers!
11am-4.30pm Saturday 5th July in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Attendance fee – £10
This year’s NSSN Conference will be on the theme ‘Make the rich pay not workers!’ This is when the Starmer New Labour government is looking to slash budgets at the same time as councils make cuts, the NHS is under massive pressure and higher education is in crisis. This is alongside recessionary signs in the private sector, with threats to jobs while the cost of living squeeze remains.
A major part of our conference and our activity will be about the need for the trade union movement to organise against Starmer and Reeves’s austerity and the bosses’ offensive. Our conference will also demand the immediate repeal of the Tory anti-union laws, including the undemocratic voting thresholds, promised by Starmer but still in force despite his government being elected with a 160 seat plus majority last July. It will also be a platform for union reps and members from the growing number of disputes to speak about their action. We will continue to support workers’ struggles and publicise them in this, our weekly NSSN bulletin.
How Can Council Cuts Be Ended? Conference – hosted by NSSN – to debate a needs budget for Birmingham
12pm, Saturday 26th April – Comfort Inn, Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY
Full NSSN e-bulletin 719 HERE
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Union News
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RMT
Underpaid, Overworked, ignored – RMT members demand urgent reform for bus industry (25 Mar) – Bus workers are being pushed to breaking point by low pay, excessive hours, and rising violence on the job, a new survey has found. Data from two surveys of over 500 bus workers paints a stark picture of a workforce undervalued, overworked, and exposed to daily risk read more
Foreland Shipping seafarers overwhelmingly reject pay offer (24 Mar) – RMT seafarers at Foreland Shipping have overwhelmingly rejected the company’s pay offer in a recent referendum. 85% of RMT members want a better deal and the union has written to the employer calling for an urgent meeting with management in an effort to resolve the matter and avoid the need to move to a ballot for strike action. Foreland Shipping (Guernsey) Ltd is a British company providing strategic sealift services to the UK Ministry of Defence read more
Staff cuts undermine accessibility, Transport Select Committee report confirms (20 Mar) – Rail union, RMT has welcomed the Transport Select Committee’s Access denied: rights versus reality in disabled people’s access to transport report following its inquiry into accessibility for disabled people on the transport network. RMT gave oral evidence to the inquiry in September 2023 after the previous Government pushed plans to close nearly 1,000 ticket offices and cut around 2,300 station staff jobs. These controversial plans were only scrapped after a massive public backlash, led by a combination of RMT, disabled and older passengers read more
Outsourced cleaners will take strike action on Merseyrail (19 Mar) – Cleaners on Merseyrail will take 48 hours strike action from April 4 after they rejected a pay offer from Churchill. Despite repeated attempts to negotiate, outsourcing firm Churchill Services has refused to put forward an acceptable offer, leaving workers no other option but to take strike action read more
Unipart rail staff strike over union derecognition (27 Jan) – Rail workers at Unipart Rail’s Crewe Depot will strike Tuesday, in protest against the company’s decision to strip RMT of union recognition. The move, described by the union as a disgraceful assault on workplace rights, has sparked outrage among staff, who are demanding the immediate restoration of their right to collective representation read more. RMT: Sign petition: To Neil McNicholas – Managing Director Unipart Rail: Tell Unipart Rail to stop De-recognition of RMT Union
ASLEF
Train drivers all out at Hull Trains (17 Mar) – Drivers at Hull Trains – an open access operator which runs services up and down the East Coast main line – will walk out on strike for eight weeks from Monday 31 March to Saturday 24 May to defend a train driver colleague sacked for doing nothing wrong read more
Elizabeth line strike called off after pay offer (25 Feb) – Almost 500 drivers had been due to walk out on 27 February and 1 March. Planned strikes by train drivers on London’s Elizabeth line on Thursday and Saturday have been called off following a new pay offer. Members of Aslef were due to stage a series of walkouts that would have caused travel disruption in the capital. Aslef said its executive would consider a revised offer from the line’s operators MTR, on Wednesday. Although the strikes planned for Thursday and Saturday have been suspended, no announcement has been made about further strikes days on 8 and 10 March read more on BBC website
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Slow rate of Birmingham bin strike talks criticised by Unite (25 Mar) – Union asks if council decision-making hobbled by unelected commissioners. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has criticised the slow rate of negotiations over the Birmingham bin strikes and questioned if council decision making is being hobbled by unelected commissioners. Negotiations between Unite and the council took place last Thursday and are set to take place again this Thursday (27 March). As well as pay cuts of up to £8,000 for 150 workers, the council has refused to rule out further attacks on wages and conditions for the rest of the refuse workforce, including the drivers read more
Pizza Hut workers protest against wage theft and abusive working conditions (25 Mar) – Franchise owner Glenshire Brands accused of ‘breaking law’ as Unite demands action by government to tackle rogue employers. Unite the union can reveal today (Tuesday 25 March) that Pizza Hut cooks, cleaners and delivery drivers are enduring wage theft and the denial of breaks across 23 take away outlets in Scotland. Glenshire Brands which owns the Pizza Hut take away stores in various locations across Scotland has been accused by Unite of conducting a ‘systematic attack’ on the pay and conditions of around 200 workers after it took over the stores in 2022 (see notes to editor). On 10 March, the company announced that the ‘drivers’ commission’ was being removed with immediate effect. The payment amounted to £1.45 per delivery and it was paid for over 15 years amounting up to £70-80 a week for drivers. As a consequence, Unite will stage a protest and photo call:-
- When Tuesday 25 March at 13:00
- Where: Pizza Hut, Leith 170 Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5EA read more
Striking Livv Housing workers march through Knowsley (20 Mar) – Hundreds of striking Livv Housing workers will march through Knowsley demanding a fair pay rise, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers began striking in October, with the dispute stemming from years of below-inflation pay increases. The workers have rejected a five per cent pay rise as it fails to reverse the real terms pay cuts they have endured previously. Livv Housing, which manages properties primarily in Knowsley, reported reserves of £110.6 million in March 2024…The workers are currently taking strike action until 30 March. Tenant services to more than 13,000 homes are being affected. Unite’s members recently voted to extend their industrial action mandates, meaning strikes could extend well into the summer. The dispute also involves members from the Unison union read more
Birmingham bin agency workers fired for talking to picketers join strikes (20 Mar) – Agency refuse workers told there was a “lack of work”, as reason for dismissal as uncollected rubbish mounts. Commissioner-controlled council blame game and bullying hiding plan to replace directly employed refuse staff with agency workforce. Three agency bin workers fired for talking to colleagues on the picket line have joined the strikes, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The three temporary workers, one with five years of service and another with two but with minimal employment protections, were laughably told they were being dismissed “due to a lack of work”. The dismissals occurred after they briefly spoke to striking colleagues on the picket line, before undertaking their collection rounds. Unite is now providing the workers with its full support. The dispute over the commissioner-led council’s attacks on bin workers has brought into focus the plight of agency staff, who make up at least 40 per cent of Birmingham’s refuse workforce read more
Pay victory for Unite members at First Bus in Hampshire (20 Mar) – Strikes over as drivers win pay increase. Colleagues in Slough also get increase without threat of strike action. Drivers at First Bus’s Hoeford depot in Hampshire are celebrating a significant pay victory after the company made a new offer following a period of industrial action. Unite members across the south coast had taken part in 32 days of strikes before their employer saw sense and made an improved offer in the face of increasing industrial action. Despite having previously declared any additional pay increase “impossible”, First returned to the negotiating table with an improved offer that was accepted by Unite members after a ballot read more
Exam disruption looming as Liverpool Uni staff ballot for strikes over back to campus diktat (20 Mar) – Students in Liverpool are facing major disruption during key exam and clearing periods as hundreds of members of Unite employed at the University of Liverpool ballot for industrial action over changes to hybrid working. Over 340 professional services staff, including administrative employees who play a key part during these times, are currently being balloted after they were told they must have a minimum of 60 per cent attendance working on-site from 1 April 2025. Since the end of the Covid lockdown, staff undertaking hybrid working have been asked to work from campus two days a week. However, university management, at the behest of the university’s vice chancellor, have “unilaterally” mandated them to increase their time spent working on site, claiming this requirement is necessary for team working, without adequate negotiation with the workers read more
Plans to ship Bassetlaw ICU patients out to Doncaster revealed (20 Mar) – Transfers risk patient safety say medical staff and is an attempt to reduce critical Bassetlaw health services. Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is planning to start routinely transferring critically ill patients by ambulance from Bassetlaw Hospital to Doncaster, Unite revealed today. In online messages during a clinical governance meeting, a divisional director confirmed that the plans would reduce the number of ICU patients at Bassetlaw. The director stated that under the plans to transfer 50 per cent of level three patients (those who are ventilated or have multiple organ failure) ‘the numbers in Bassetlaw really do go down’. His statement contradicts the trust’s claims that Bassetlaw ICU nurses need to travel to work in Doncaster for at least two months a year as they risk being deskilled because of a lack of exposure to such patients read more
Ukraine security and American military aid cuts show need for government to buy British in defence manufacturing (20 Mar) – Unite union is calling on the government to ensure that a new tranche of British-made Typhoon is purchased rather than US F35…Unite estimates that around 6,500 jobs at BAE and at engine supplier Rolls Royce are directly dependant on work on the Typhoon, with a further 14,000 in the supply chain. Around half of the jobs are in the North West. Unite members have warned that work on new Typhoon’s is virtually at a standstill partially as result of the uncertainty over future RAF orders read more
Project Willow: Governments must act to save jobs and skills, Unite (19 Mar) – Unite, the largest union in Scotland, is calling for immediate action to preserve jobs and skills and support the Scottish economy, following today’s publication of Project Willow. Unite believes that the UK and Scottish governments must now step in to secure a workers’ transition at Grangemouth, with immediate action being taken to develop projects that can protect jobs at the oil refinery read more
Unite members celebrate landmark six-figure pay deal with American Airlines (19 Mar) – Heathrow-based engineers get bumper pay increase over three years.
Unite members working as aircraft engineers for American Airlines at Heathrow airport are celebrating securing a bumper pay deal with annual salaries now breaking £100,000 for the first time. The pay deal, negotiated by Unite, will see safety critical aircraft engineers get a new three year settlement with pay reaching £108,000 by 2027 read more
TfL enforcement officers vital for safety and security intensify strike action (19 Mar) – Workers dealing with violence and aggression being paid thousands less than London Underground colleagues doing same job. Pay strikes by hundreds of officers within the Compliance, Policing, Operations and Security Directorate (CPOS) at Transport for London (TfL) have intensified. The workers, who deal with violence and aggression across the TfL network to keep the passengers and staff safe, are paid thousands less than their counterparts on the London Underground. In some cases, the difference can be an astonishing £27,000 a year despite the roles being equivalent. Strike action began in December, following the imposition of a pay offer by TfL that had been overwhelming rejected by the workers as unacceptable. Further industrial action was taken in February, with fresh strikes to take place on 20, 21 and 22 March read more
French trade unionists head to Sheffield to join picket line with Veolia refuse workers (18 Mar) – Unite members joined by comrades from CGT union. Protests at Sheffield town hall. French trade unionists are heading to Sheffield tomorrow (Weds 19 March) to join their British counterparts on the picket line at the Lumley Street depot of union-busting firm, Veolia. French CGT – Confédération Générale du Travail (General Confederation of Labour) – members are joining workers, members and activists from the Unite in protest against Veolia who are refusing to recognise Unite to represent their workers read more
Strike action by infectious disease prevention team at Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals escalates (17 Mar) – NHS trust not willing to provide decent facilities for staff to wash themselves after shifts. Senior staff get vastly better conditions. Strike action is to escalate at Guys and St Thomas’ hospitals by the Rapid Response Team (RRT) responsible for controlling the spread of infections after the trust refused to improve the appalling facilities the staff have to use after their shifts. Over 40 members of the Unite trade union who work in the RRT are to take part in a second round of strike action after no improvements to their working conditions or commitments to do so have been made by the trust. RRT staff work long shifts in unpleasant conditions, cleaning and sterilising areas of the hospital to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases. Yet the trust has failed to provide adequate welfare facilities such as showers, changing areas, rest areas or toilets for staff to use before, during and after their shifts. Workers will now strike from 17-28 March inclusive to highlight their plight and put pressure on the trust to improve their working conditions. Staff are also unhappy about their job description and grading that means they are among the lowest paid workers in the hospital earning barely above minimum wage read more
Striking Heathrow British Airways cleaners protest at airline’s HQ over poverty pay (14 Mar) – Demonstrations also hit employer OCS as industrial action escalates. Striking workers employed by facilities services firm OCS to clean British Airway’s offices at Heathrow will protest outside the airline’s headquarters in London. The workers, who are on strike over poverty pay, will also stage a demonstration outside OCS’ Feltham offices read more
Strike action to hit Scottish Water as future Unite unrest set to flow (14 Mar) – Union criticises executives for using talks to ‘water down’ pay offer. Unite the union can confirm today (14 March) that its 500-strong Scottish Water membership will take strike action at the public body in a dispute over pay following a breakdown in talks. An initial 24-hour strike action will now take place on 28 March with the union warning more industrial action is ‘inevitable’ due to the stance of Scottish Water executives. The previous scheduled industrial action inclusive of a standby ban and a ban on contractual overtime over two consecutive weekends was postponed to allow talks through the conciliation service Acas. Unite has severely criticised Scottish Water executives for using the talks as a device to ‘water down’ an offer made to the workforce, and to fall back on an inferior offer read more
NI Ambulance workers vote for industrial action in shift dispute (11 Mar) – Management proposals risk leaving areas without adequate ambulance cover and are an attempt to make paramedics pay the price for a staffing crisis they did not cause. Paramedics and ambulance workers in Unite have voted decisively for industrial action in a recent consultative ballot. In total 86 per cent indicated a willingness to take strike action on management proposals to impose a new shift system. The new shifts were to be piloted in the South Eastern health and social care area for a year and would see a significant reduction in ambulance cover at nighttime. While the new shifts are only being trialled in the South East they will impact ambulance services across Northern Ireland. Existing NIAS cover arrangements see ambulances travel from across Northern Ireland to cover shortfalls. The new shifts will increase the likelihood for such long journeys which then has a knock-on impact leaving other areas, especially rural ones, with insufficient cover read more
HSE: Unite serves notice of industrial action over staffing crisis (10 Mar) – Unite, which represents a range of grades across the Health Services Executive (HSE), said today (Monday) that it has served notice of industrial action over the staffing crisis resulting from the HSE’s ‘Pay and Numbers Strategy.’ Last year it emerged that, despite the HSE’s claim that a recruitment ban had ended, vacancies are being benchmarked against the 2024 headcount. The result is that any vacancies unfilled in 2023 have effectively been lost to the health service, leaving a staffing shortfall of over 2,000 posts read more
Royal Navy tugboat crew strikes suspended for talks (6 Mar) – Consultations over Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane, Great Harbour Greenock and Kyle of Lochalsh Serco Marine services to go ahead. Strikes by around 300 Serco Marine workers providing Royal Navy afloat services have been suspended, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Following talks with the MoD, Serco and the Royal Navy, Unite has agreed to suspend strike action at Devonport, Portsmouth, Faslane, Great Harbour Greenock and Kyle of Lochalsh. Serco has agreed to delay signing its new contract with the MoD to allow for 30 days of union consultations read more
Eurotunnel maintenance workers to take strike action over pay (5 Mar) – Unite members at Eurotunnel to walk out for five Sundays after talks break down. Following a breakdown in negotiations, drivers and maintenance crew working at Eurotunnel Services Ltd are to take strike action throughout March. Around a dozen members will walk out after rejecting a pay offer from the employer. Unite’s members do highly skilled and safety-critical work for Eurotunnel and Le Shuttle ensuring tunnels and track are in good working conditions read more
Ealing council hit by protests over traffic warden union-busting (3 Mar) – Striking Ealing traffic wardens will protest outside the council’s headquarters over union-busting tomorrow (Tuesday 4 March). The traffic wardens, who are employed by Greener Ealing, began industrial action in August 2024 over the council-controlled company’s refusal to recognise their union, Unite. Since then, four wardens have been sacked on trumped up charges while they were taking strike action. Their roles are completely different to the rest of Greener Ealing’s waste management workforce. As a distinct group, they want Unite, which has represented the workers for over a decade, recognised for collective bargaining on their behalf read more. Send messages of support to Patrice 07915 064797 – Unite rep of Ealing Parking Assistants who has been sacked (along with 3 others) for leading strike action
Derby Premier Inn protests over sacking of worker for trade union activities (28 Feb) – Unite member Anne Marie Toal fired on spurious charges for raising health and safety concerns. A protest will be held outside Derby Premier Inn on Saturday (1 March) after a worker was sacked for being in a union read more
Heathrow passenger assistance workers ballot for strikes over pay (26 Feb) – Nearly 450 Wilson James Heathrow workers demand pay parity with Gatwick colleagues. Nearly 450 Heathrow workers providing assistance to passengers with restricted mobility (PRM) are being balloted for strike action over pay. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers are angry at being paid an average of 9.5 per cent less than Wilson James staff at Gatwick performing the same role. Wilson James’ reported gross profits of £35.4 million for the year ending July 2024, with the company’s gross turnover increasing by 17.7 per cent from the previous year. Heathrow Airport Limited, meanwhile, reported a profit before tax of £696 million in the nine months to 30 September 2024 read more
Go North East workers consulted for strike action amid reign of terror by management (17 Feb) – Staff threatened with dismissal on spurious grounds. Safety of drivers and passengers in danger. Out-of-control management at a bus company in the North East of England has forced over 1,000 workers to be consulted on next steps, including the possibility of strike action, the Unite union announced today. Drivers and engineers at Go North East, based in depots across Tyneside, Northumberland and County Durham, have been forced to the brink by a dangerous management culture that has seen drivers threatened with dismissal, suspended and sent home from work when health and safety issues are raised. Workers have been forced to resign, and management has imposed what one worker described as a “dictatorship” with “my way or the highway” style practices. Go North East has created a culture of fear to discourage members raising genuine safety concerns on behalf of passengers and drivers. Such behaviours are widely seen by union members as retribution by management after workers won a well-deserved pay rise after a bitter industrial battle in 2023 read more
Wrexham Oscar Mayer fire and rehire workers ballot to extend long running strikes (10 Feb) – Long running strike action at Wrexham’s Oscar Mayer ready meal factory is set to stretch into the summer as workers ballot to extend industrial action. Around 550 Oscar Mayer workers have been striking since last September over the company’s attempt to slash pay by up to £3,000 a year by firing and rehiring them on inferior contracts. The workers are now being balloted to extend strike action over the dismissal of a handful of colleagues during the industrial action. Oscar Mayer disgracefully sacked the workers after they sent a letter stating they would be working under duress under the revised terms the company wants to impose read more
Send messages of support to [email protected]
Send messages of protest to [email protected]
Sign petition: To Beaumont Myers, Marie Carter & Jonathon Kirby, Directors at Almost Famous – Justice for the Sacked Workers of Almost Famous Burgers – Pay Us What We’re Due!
Unite files ethical trading complaint against Bakkavor as dispute escalates (30 Jan) – Customers of food manufacturer to be targeted as union continues to campaign for fair pay. Unite has made a formal complaint on behalf of its members to the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) which ensures compliance with international labour standards in the global supply chains of member companies. Major high street supermarkets are signed up members of the ETI and will now be aware that Bakkavor is paying poverty wages to its workforce. Unite members at the food manufacturer have been on strike since the early autumn to secure better rates of pay. Hundreds of members working for Bakkavor Foods in Spalding, Lincolnshire, are taking industrial action after years of real terms pay cuts. Bakkavor’s management has refused to engage in meaningful negotiations. Instead, they have brought in strike-breakers from other sites. In response, Unite has complained to the ETI which means that it will have alerted all its members to Bakkavor’s appalling behaviour read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]
Capita staff begin strike action over pay (29 Jan) – Workers at outsourcer Capita will today (Wednesday 29 January) begin strike action in a dispute over their employer’s refusal to negotiate a pay award for 2024…The workers from Capita were due a 2024 pay award last April. The employer postponed the annual pay talks with their union Unite with the assurance that the 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. In December 2024, workers voted overwhelmingly to take strike action across the two Capita sites. This industrial action will start today following the decision of their employer to deny workers a pay increase. The dispute involves around 1,000 employees…The Capita staff in Manchester and Glasgow work on Royal London account which will all face disruption and delays if industrial action takes place…The picket locations and times:-
- Manchester: Broadhurst House, 56 Oxford Street, M1 6EU
- Glasgow from 08:00-10:00 at The Skypark, 8 Elliot Place, G3 8EP read more
Unite condemns union-busting and offshoring threats from Princes Foods (24 Jan) – Factories across the UK under threat. Princes threatening jobs by moving production overseas. Unite has condemned the union-busting approach of Princes Foods after its chairman threatened to withdraw all pay offers and to move production overseas with the risk of hundreds of job losses. Workers at Princes Food sites across the UK have been taking industrial action after the new owners, Italian conglomerate Newlat, refused to honour a pay rise that had been negotiated with previous owners, Mitsubushi. Today (23 Jan), the chairman, Angelo Mastrolia, announced that in response to the prospect of further industrial action in February, his company will transfer the production of much-loved British foods like Branston beans and Crosse & Blackwell to overseas facilities in retribution. This would also come with the threat of hundreds of job losses for those workers at sites in Cardiff, Lincolnshire, Glasgow, Bradford and Wisbech read more
Housing workers in Southwark to strike over annual leave disgrace (22 Jan) – Workers to walk out as council gives more leave to those on higher salaries. Nearly 160 essential housing and estate services workers in the London Borough of Southwark are set to strike later this month over the council’s disgraceful approach to annual leave. Unite members, who perform vital repairs and maintenance on council-owned housing stock and the council’s own properties get up to 12 fewer days annual leave than management grades in administrative positions at the council and the lowest paid technicians get two fewer days than higher paid colleagues in the same department. Despite negotiations by Unite, the council has refused to compromise or offer additional leave to housing workers to bring them up to the same level. Workers will now head to the picket line to voice their anger from 28-30 January read more
Reading parking chaos continues as strikes escalate (22 Jan) – Modaxo refusing to negotiate on pay. Outsourced traffic officers on worse pay than council staff. Residents of Reading, Berkshire, are to face further parking chaos in January and February as Unite members in the Modaxo enforcement teams take further strike action over pay. Nearly 40 civil enforcement officers are to take part in industrial action from 24-30 January and from 31 January-6 February. They have previously taken strike action in December last year. Reading council has outsourced parking protection to Modaxo. The dispute is in relation to Modaxo’s failure to address concerns around rates of pay. Civil enforcement officers are currently on just £12 per hour which is significantly lower than the rate they would be paid if they were directly employed by the council read more
Bidfood warned Unite takes zero tolerance view to union busting (21 Jan) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has warned that industrial action is probable at food wholesale and distributor Bidfood unless the company reverses its decision to tear up longstanding recognition agreements and derecognise unions. Bidfood is one of the UK’s largest food distributors and has a huge number of high profile clients across the country including schools, prisons, the army, Subway, Five Guys and Manchester United. Last Friday (17 January) Unite and the other recognised union were told without warning that Bidford was tearing up the recognition agreement that had been in place for over 30 years and was immediately derecognising them…Unite believes that the decision to derecognise the union is a precursor to attacks on workers’ pay and conditions. The majority of Unite’s members are based at Bidfood’s depots in Battersea, Birmingham, Plymouth and Salisbury…The GMB union also represents workers at Bidfood and has also been derecognised read more
Unions warn Belfast council of leisure centres strike threat (13 Jan) – Patience of leisure workers at end, Greenwich Leisure Limited must provide clarity and transparency. Trade unions Unite and NIPSA have met Belfast city council management and warned them of the prospect of disruptive industrial action by leisure centre workers. The workforce is in a pay dispute with outsourced management company Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). Following disputes in late 2023, GLL recommitted to an updated recognition agreement with both unions. Despite this, management failed to engage with the unions and instead imposed a pay settlement for 2024. This month a new employee absence policy was imposed for GLL staff in the face of opposition by both unions 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 – Our Union’s Humanitarian Work is Vital (20 Mar) – Trade unionism is about more than the workplace, and our union is no different. The CWU has a fantastic humanitarian aid arm that raises money, runs convoys, supports projects and much more – both in the UK and aboard. With this week’s show we will be live with representatives from CWU HA who can tell you more about their work, talk about how you can get involved and set out just why trade unionists need to be part of a community based movement like this. Hear from CWU HA about the critical projects they support and why collective action extends beyond the job watch video
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
PCS responds to huge civil service cuts announcement (23 Mar) – “The impact of making cuts will not only disadvantage our members but the public we serve and the services they rely on,” is how PCS has described the swingeing cuts to the civil service confirmed by chancellor Rachel Reeves this morning. Ahead of the spring statement on Wednesday, the chancellor told the BBC that the government is to tell the civil service it must make savings of more than £2 billion a year from its administrative costs by the end of the decade and cut 10,000 jobs. Civil service departments will be instructed to reduce running costs by 10% by 2028-29 and then 15% the following year, an efficiency target that would save £2.2bn annually read more
End of first week of strike action for Met Police Intel staff (21 Mar) – PCS members working for the Met Police in Met Intel have been taking strike action in their dispute over a forced return to offices. PCS members working for the Met Police are campaigning against the pulling of an agreed blended working framework and its replacement with an imposed policy which mandates at least 60% a week in an office workplace read more
Met Police strikers ramp up pressure on employer (20 Mar) – Met Police PCS members who are out on strike for 2 weeks are ramping up pressure on their employer to negotiate over imposed mandated office attendance read more
Donations have started to pour into PCS’s fighting fund, from non-striking PCS members who want to support the fight against 60% mandated office attendance, an issue affecting many across PCS. You can make a donation online. Please use our quick form to email the London mayor to ask him to intervene and work with the Home Secretary to find a resolution for our members read more
PCS opposes closure of British Council office in Manchester (20 Mar) – The proposed closure of the office will remove the organisation’s presence from the north of England and jeopardise the jobs of those who work there. British Council management want to close its Manchester office and offer all employees there homeworking contracts. Management say that anyone who can’t work at home full-time may be made redundant. On 12 March, PCS was informed of this proposal with no prior warning. The union will be doing all it can to protect the Manchester office from closure and save our members’ job read more
Members at IOPC vote for strike action (14 Mar) – In the ballot that closed yesterday (13), members at the Independent Office for Police Conduct have voted to take strike action over job cuts, terms and conditions. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is undergoing three years of restructures which has already led to job cuts, down-grading of roles and increased workloads. Management has also imposed mandatory office attendance. In the ballot of over 400 members that closed today (13), 79.25% said they were prepared to take part in strike action. The 400+ workers investigate the most serious complaints against the police. Any strike action is likely to increase the backlog of cases, which already stretches to eleven months read more
Border Force Maritime staff vote to strike (13 Mar) – Over 120 PCS members working on patrol boats in the English Channel have voted for strike action after allowances have been frozen for years. In a ballot of the members, which closed today (13) almost 99% voted for strike action on a 64% turnout. Members in Border Force Maritime who include the Cutters fleet that patrols UK waters 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, will now consider strike action read more
Email your MP to keep MHCLG offices open (12 Mar) – Join our calls for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to reconsider plans to close six regional offices. In November, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) formally announced plans to close six regional offices in Birmingham, Exeter, Newcastle, Sheffield, Truro and Warrington, leaving affected staff with uncertainty about their future and reducing the department’s presence in these communities. Please complete and share the MHCLG e-action to email your local MP to support this important campaign read more
MHCLG members to vote on strike action (26 Feb)
Fujitsu members to take more strike action (12 Mar) – The members will walk out for 22 days in March and April in their dispute over pay. The PCS members employed by Fujitsu Services UK on HMRC contracts will walk out for 22 days from March 21 to April 23. The dispute comes after their employer imposed a 1.5% pay offer while their civil service colleagues received 5% for doing similar jobs. The members took two days’ strike action in January to coincide with the tax deadline for self-employed people; the new round of action is expected to affect time-sensitive work, putting Fujitsu at risk of financial penalties for missing targets. Members are angry that Fujitsu reports large profits from the HMRC account while offering them below-inflation pay rises read more
Support striking CAA members (10 Mar) – PCS members working for the Civil Aviation Authority escalate their pay dispute by taking a further two days of strike action from tomorrow (11). Our members based at Gatwick Airport and Canary Wharf escalated their dispute over pay with well-supported joint strike action last month with Prospect members. Our members also walked out in January. They are angry that while some of them received a pay offer of just 3%, chief executive Rob Bishton last year was given a 32% pay rise read more
Benton Park View Strike action extended until 16 May (4 Mar) – The national disputes committee has agreed a further nine weeks of industrial action at Benton Park View in defence of three reps who were unfairly dismissed by HMRC. PCS members working in Employer Services at Benton Park View have been on strike since 23 December in support of three reps who were sacked by HMRC because of their trade union activity read more. Take action, show your support and send solidarity messages to the reps and branch, email HMRC group secretary Steve Swainston: [email protected] read more. Members can also support the campaign by donating to the fighting fund. Donations can be made to the PCS account with the reference ‘BPV Strikes’ –
- Account name: PCS Fighting Fund
- Levy account number: 20331490
- Sort code: 60-83-01
G4S security officers vote for more strike action (3 Mar) – The members who work in Jobcentres have already taken over six months of strike action in their long-running dispute. In a ballot that closed on Friday (28 February), PCS members working as security guards for G4S on the DWP contract have sent their employer the strongest possible message by voting 97.2% in favour of taking more strike action in their dispute read more
Facilities management action suspended to allow for talks (27 Feb) – PCS is to enter into intensive talks for 2 weeks from Monday (3) aimed at resolving our long-standing disputes with government contractors OCS, ISS and G4S over pay, terms and conditions. The suspension of the action comes because of a proposal to engage with PCS nationally on dispute resolution and will mean planned strike action in the ongoing facilities managements disputes will be suspended from 3 to 17 March to allow intense negotiations to attempt to reach a resolution to the trade disputes. Our members, who work in security, as cleaners, caterers, porters, receptionists, maintenance operatives and post room staff, have shown tremendous effort and resolve in their determination to win their fight for fair pay, terms and conditions. The strength they have shown on their picket lines for many weeks and the impact of their action has forced a concession of the offer of national negotiations read more
ONS workers balloted on continuing industrial action (27 Feb) – The members are already taking action short of a strike including refusing to comply with their employer’s new attendance policy. Since May 2024, over 1100 PCS members working for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in Newport in South Wales, Titchfield in Hampshire, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh, have refused to follow an instruction to spend at least 40% of their time in the office and are refusing to work overtime, out of hours and out of grade. Under the current industrial action (short of a strike), members are following PCS’s advice to spend as much or as little time in the office as they choose, rather than meet an arbitrary quota. This action has restored members’ autonomy over hybrid working to match the long-standing arrangements that were in place at ONS since lock-down restrictions were lifted. With their six-month strike mandate running out at the beginning of April, PCS is balloting members for a new mandate to allow the action to continue read more
PHSO members start week of targeted strike action (24 Feb) – The week’s action follows a one day strike by all PCS members at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman earlier this month. 40 members who carry out a range of casework and administrative roles relating to complaints and investigations about the NHS and other UK government bodies are taking five days of strike action this week. The dispute at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is over pay, a compulsory return to the office and proposals that could see extra responsibilities delegated to more junior staff without any extra pay. On 12 February over 200 PCS members at the PHSO held a one day strike. This week’s targeted strike action is being taken by members who work in sections which have a high turnover of work that others rely on. It is anticipated that backlogs of work will build up quickly. The strike involves members who are mainly based at Citygate in Manchester and the branch will hold picket lines outside the offices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8-10.30am. Please go along to Citygate, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3HQ to show your support read more
Border Force officers at Heathrow to be balloted for more strike action (29 Jan) – The members took industrial action last year over the imposition of a new, inflexible roster. Over 550 Border Force officers at London’s Heathrow Airport are to be balloted for more strike action after managers refused to address their concerns over a new roster system. In 2024 PCS members took 11 days of strike action and 53 days of action short of a strike in protest at the imposition of the new roster, which forced staff into a complicated pattern of long shifts with a lack of flexibility and disproportionately affects those with caring responsibilities read more
ISS GPA strike ballot – Vote YES (22 Jan) – Vote today, attend one of our online members’ meetings and read our Frequently Asked Questions. Members working for ISS delivering cleaning, catering and logistics services to the Cabinet Office, Canary Wharf Hub, and the Department for Education have been sent a strike ballot paper as part of our escalation of the ongoing disputes around pay and conditions read more
Land Registry Action Short of a Strike begins (22 Jan) – Nearly 4000 PCS members in England and Wales have begun an indefinite work to rule. PCS members in Land Registry began their action short of a strike (ASOS) yesterday (21) in pursuit of the objectives voted for in their industrial action mandate read more
Further strikes announced by G4S members in East Kilbride (13 Jan) – The members at the FCDO will take strike action for another five weeks. G4S members working as security officers at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) building at Abercrombie House in East Kilbride have already taken an extended period of strike action in their dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The new strike dates run from 24 January to 28 February. PCS met with FCDO management last week and we have another meeting scheduled, which we hope will be positive, but until the dispute is settled the strike action will continue. So far G4S has failed to make a pay offer that lifts members out of poverty pay and delivers any significant improvements to terms and conditions 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
Prospect
Bectu endorses Creative UK report and echoes call for a freelance commissioner (24 Mar) – Creative UK has launched a new report, endorsed by Bectu, calling for enhanced support structures for freelancers in the creative industries and echoing the call for the Government to appoint a freelance commissioner read more
Government must remember that a cheaper civil service is not the same as a better civil service (22 Mar) – Prospect has responded to Sunday Telegraph reports that the UK government will tell departments they must cut administration budgets by up to 15% over five year read more
Prospect members manage disruption after Heathrow closure (21 Mar) – Following the fire near Heathrow Airport, Prospect members have been working hard to manage flight disruption read more
Prospect urges Prime Minister to work with unions on civil service reforms (19 Mar) – Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy has written to the Prime Minister on behalf of members in the civil service following a series of government announcements on civil service reform read more
Prospect members at the CAA to take strike action (28 Jan) – Prospect members working at the Civil Aviation authority (CAA) will take strike action in a dispute over pay. Aircraft maintenance mechanic with a flash light inspects plane engine in a hangar. This will be the first time Prospect members have taken strike action there in 40 years. Strike action at CAA HQ in Crawley will be for 24 hours on 6 February.
Industrial action short of a strike, which has been ongoing since 20 January consisting of working to rule and an overtime ban, will pause for the duration of the strike, resuming on 7 February. Ongoing action short of a strike could cause delays across the industry to things like fleet refits, the introduction of new models, licensing of new hanger facilities. 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. NEXT strike action will be on this Tuesday and Wednesday 11-12 March
Vital Navy support workers to go on strike (27 Jan) – Prospect members working at Serco Marine will take strike action over a refusal of the company to engage with members on the parameters of a new contract with Ministry of Defence read more
Prospect members working at Draken Europe to take strike action (15 Jan) – Prospect members working at aerospace company Draken (in Hurn, near Bournemouth, and Teesside) will take strike action from the 20th to 21st of January inclusive read more
GMB
Barnet faces bill of tens of millions in London’s first council equal pay claim (24 Mar) – Barnet Council could be liable for tens of millions of pounds as it faces the first local authority equal pay claim ever launched in London. GMB Union has begun proceedings on behalf of around 400 women working as school support staff at the council. They say there are structural pay differences between members of staff working in roles staffed predominantly by women and those roles carried out mostly by men. Barnet’s Refuse Staff, who are overwhelmingly men, currently receive a full day’s wages even if they complete their work early. Some roles within the council’s Refuse Department have also been paid a retention bonus, which school support staff have not received despite serious issues with retention in schools in London and across the country. GMB has attempted to settle the claim through negotiations, but the council’s Head of HR has refused to meet with the union since January. If successful, members will be able to claim for up to 6 years pay differential, as well as for the time it takes to settle the case. Consequently, the longer the case takes to settle, the larger the potential costs will be for Barnet read more
Banks hotels and pubs face money shortage as cash workers strike (24 Mar) – Banks, hotels, ATMs and pubs face a cash shortage as more than 1,000 G4S workers vote to strike over a real terms pay cut. GMB members deliver money to companies such as NatWest, Lloyds Santander, Tesco, Asda, Wetherspoons, McDonalds and Travelodge. Workers have voted to strike with a majority of 91 per cent, on a 59 per cent turnout. They after being offered a deal as low as 1.4 per cent in some cases, while G4S’s directed competitor Loomis offered workers 4.6 per cent earlier this year. Industrial action could take place as early as the Easter bank holiday, with business and ATMs potentially left without cash, while airports may run out of foreign currency read more
Cheerios factory closure plan puts 300 jobs at risk (19 Mar) – A Merseyside factory which produces Cheerios could close at a cost of 300 jobs. Cereal Partner UK (CPUK) in Bromborough, which also makes rice crispies and cornflakes for all major supermarkets, has operated for more than 30 years. Despite the Bromborough factory being profitable, the company plans to close the site and move production to its site in Staverton, Wiltshire read more
Devon County Council backs down on fire and rehire (18 Mar) – Devon County Council (DCC) has backed down on its threat to fire and rehire almost 1,000 staff, after a GMB campaign. Following negotiations with the union, the local authority has agreed to new terms and conditions for workers. After negotiations with GMB, Devon County Council has agreed to new terms for 800 staff. Workers were angry over the councils’ proposals to remove the Essential Car User Allowance, which would have significantly impacted social workers, carers and education welfare officers who use their vehicles for work. After an intense campaign by union members, including a petition signed by more than 2,000 people, the council returned to discussions and put forward an improved offer. GMB members have unanimously accepted the deal read more
River Thames weir and lock keepers set for strike vote (17 Mar) – River Thames weir and lockkeepers are set to ballot for industrial action over safety concerns, GMB has warned the Government. In a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the union says workers are ready to act following ‘budget-driven decisions’ that are ‘putting people and property at risk’. There are only 52 permanent staff on the river, plus 10 temporary posts which expire at the end of this year and have yet to be filled. According to a 2008 EA assessment, more than 100 staff were needed during peak season. Climate change has seen an increase in severe weather and flooding, with workers managing multiple weirs while being denied the required 24-hour or 48-hour rest periods between shifts – posing a safety risk to both the public and staff. GMB members have now told the union they are ready to act read more
More than 1,000 cash handlers vote on strike (6 Mar) – More than 1,000 cash workers will vote on strike action after bosses offered them a real terms pay cut. GMB members are angry after being offered a deal as low as 1.4 per cent in some cases, while G4S’s directed competitor Loomis offered workers 4.6 per cent earlier this year. The ballot begins today [Thursday] and ends on 21 March. GMB Members working for G4S Cash deliver millions of pounds each week across the country to banks and businesses – a dangerous job which leaves them open to attack. If the workers went on strike, ATMs might be left without cash, while airports may run out of foreign currency read more
Whisky workers vote on strike action after talks bail (5 Mar) – Whisky workers at Inver House distillery will vote on strike action after refusing a 3 per cent pay rise. The Lanarkshire-based company, with distilleries across the Highlands, refused to re-open talks and engage with conciliation service Acas as workers seek a 4 per cent deal. A consultative ballot showed 94 per cent support for a vote on industrial action if talks broke down. The three-week ballot of GMB members on possible industrial action closes on 24 March. Inver House has five distilleries across the Highlands and produces whiskies including Balblair, Balmemach, Knockdhu, Old Pulteney and Speyburn. The company is a subsidiary of ThaiBev, one of the biggest drinks companies in Southeast Asia which recorded profits of £600m last year read more
Fire & rehire threat at Birmingham manufacturer (5 Mar) – Company managers are trying to slash workers terms and conditions while its still legal, says GMB. GMB Union has today slammed a Birmingham based door manufacturer after it came to light that workers had been threatened with the sack if they refused to accept worse terms and conditions. The threat, known at Fire & Rehire, has seen workers at fire-door manufacturer Knowles given just days to accept a new contract. Around 100 workers at the company are impacted by the threat read more
South London parking wardens stop issuing tickets (3 Mar) – Forced by ‘penny-pinching’ employer, wardens across four boroughs will stop issuing tickets from today. More than 200 parking wardens and environmental officers across four London Boroughs are due to stop issuing tickets as a form of industrial action from today [Monday 3rd March]. This is the continuation of a dispute which has seen GMB members take 14 days of strike action since November. The action is being taken by wardens in Wandsworth, Richmond, Lambeth and Kingston, and will continue indefinitely or until APCOA agree to settle the dispute read more
Britain faces potential Nandos shortage union warns (20 Feb) – Workers supplying the UK’s favourite Peri-Peri chicken are preparing to strike, says GMB. GMB Union has today warned of the potential for Nandos shortages on highstreets and delivery apps across the country. The warning comes as workers at the restaurant chain’s main poultry provider, Avara Foods, are considering strike action. Over 500 Avara workers could join the strike action after bosses threatened de-recognition of their trade union. Avara is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of poultry products to supermarkets and restaurants, including Nandos read more
Strike ballot opens at Tower Hamlets school over planned job cuts (14 Feb) – GMB Union has today (Friday 14 February) opened a ballot for members at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School after the school put forward plans to cut more than 20 per cent of teaching assistant roles. A recent indicative ballot saw over 90 per cent of GMB members at the school vote for strike action. Under the proposals, 6 of the 27 teaching assistants employed by the school would be made redundant. A further 2 agency teaching assistants will not have their contracts renewed. The school, located on the Isle of Dogs, has a significant number of pupils with special educational needs. The proposed redundancies raise questions about how well those pupils will be supported with fewer staff in the classroom. The ballot will close on Tuesday 4 March read more
Strike action looms at major HGV company (15 Jan) – Workers manufacturing spare parts for Volvo and Scania Heavy Goods Vehicles will walk out next month. GMB Union have today announced that workers at CNC Speedwell have voted overwhelmingly to support strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay. Workers at the Walsall based company manufacture key components for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), including Volvo, DAF and Scania. Staff are furious after company managers rejected demands for a pay rise of just £1. Industrial action could take place as early as February, with around 150 workers expected to walk out 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
Donate to show solidarity with members at Livv Housing (24 Mar) – UNISON members have been taking action over pay since last October. Christina McAnea joined Livv Housing members on the picket line earlier this year. UNISON is launching a national appeal to support members at Livv Housing on Merseyside, who are taking strike action in a long-running dispute that stems from years of below-inflation pay increases read more
Livv Housing strikers find solidarity at community conference (28 Feb) – Long-running Merseyside dispute follows a real-terms pay cut of 30% since 2011. UNISON members working for Livv Housing, on Merseyside, who are striking over pay, spoke about their action to the union’s community seminar in Bristol today. Their long-running dispute stems from years of below-inflation pay increases, and UNISON says the employer must make an offer that goes some way to addressing a real-terms pay cut of 30% since 2011. Individual teams who work in repairs, maintenance and the housing association’s call centre took strike action in October, November and January. The latest strike has run throughout February, affecting 13,000 homes across Merseyside 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 Unison and Unite are continuing their strike action this month. For strike dates, read more on Knowsley Unison website and Facebook page. Please donate to strike funds by emailing [email protected] for details
Local government reform can’t be used as cover for job cuts (20 Mar) – Services and staff must be protected. Council workers must be protected from job cuts, with services and democracy preserved in any plans to overhaul local government, says UNISON today (Thursday). Ministers are planning an extensive revamp of local authorities across England. This will move a step closer tomorrow, which is the deadline for six regions to submit their voluntary proposals to ditch two-tier councils in favour of new unitary bodies read more
Staff at Gloucester and Cheltenham hospitals start three-day strike over pay (17 Mar) – “Phlebotomists are vital to the health service and deserve much better than the treatment they’ve received.” Read more
Support Manchester Mental Health strikes by Unison and Unite members read more on Mancunian Matters website
NIPSA
NIPSA Calls for Support for Anti-racist Protest on Sunday 23 March (20 Mar) – The protest has been called in response to recent racist incidents and social media posts by far-right extremists who have called for a racist demonstration. Far-right extremists are small in number and have little support in society. Nonetheless, it is important that their attempts to divide workers are challenged. Their divisive antics weaken our ability to carry out united campaigns to achieve better living standards for members and to protect the services we deliver to communities. These people have a history of targeting public service workers, including health service staff, undermining the services we deliver. Please support the protest. Fight Racism: Fight for quality jobs, living standards and services for all read more
Industrial Action by Teaching Staff (12 Feb) – You will be aware that the teaching staff have entered into a period of industrial action by taking action short of strike action in relation to teacher’s pay. NIPSA members are encouraged to support this action and should only undertake work in accordance with their normal duties and job descriptions. Support can be shown by not undertaking any additional responsibilities that may arise directly from the action short of strike action. Please extend solidarity to our teaching colleagues fighting for fair pay read more
Royal College of Nursing
Student loan forgiveness would keep nurses in profession for up to a decade longer (21 Mar) – Nursing education must see investment from ministers, as an RCN report reveals the positive impact funding could have on staff numbers and patient care 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
CSP
CSP launches pay survey for NHS members (10 Mar) – The CSP is inviting members employed by the NHS in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to take part in a pay survey read more
SOR
SoR calls on members to participate in Change NHS survey (6 Mar) – The survey closes on Friday 14 April. Change NHS has published a new survey aimed at getting health professionals’ opinions on suggestions from the NHS Change: 10 Year Health Plan engagement process, and radiographers are being encouraged to take part read more
NEU
Use of teacher pension flexibility for pay (21 Mar) – Commenting on research by the Education Policy Institute suggesting teacher pay increases could be made at the expense of reduced pensions, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said; “The money to pay teachers properly must come from additional Government investment in our education service, not teachers sacrificing retirement benefits which would make the teaching profession less not more attractive. What is needed is a major pay correction to reverse the real terms cuts to teacher pay of around a fifth since 2010, starting with a fully funded above inflation pay rise this year…” read more
NEU launches indicative ballot on pay (1 Mar) – The National Education Union (NEU) has today (Saturday) launched a preliminary electronic ballot on the need for a fully funded pay award that takes steps to address the crisis in recruitment and retention. Around 284,000 teacher members working in maintained schools across England will be consulted over the government’s recommendation to the School Teachers’ Review Body of an unfunded pay rise of 2.8 per cent for teachers in 2025/26. A 2.8 per cent increase is likely to be below inflation and would do nothing to repair the damage to the competitive position of teacher pay against other graduate professions. Teachers face another pay cut. The already critical recruitment and retention problems damaging our education service will get even worse. The pay recommendation is unfunded read more
United Learning ballot (26 Feb) – The National Education Union has begun a formal strike ballot of around 400 teacher members working at 14 of United Learning’s independent schools in a dispute over pay. The employer’s pay offer is between 2-3%, depending on the workplace. This is insulting. If it were to be adopted, this would see teachers’ pay rates in many of the trust’s independent schools fall even further below the levels set by the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document for state schools with a number of schools falling below this level for the first time. The union is calling on United Learning to address longstanding pay erosion in the 14 schools with an 8% pay offer. We are seeking a commitment of parity with pay scales in the state sector. This is the first time there has been a national ballot at the trust, one of the largest operators of independent schools in the UK. The ballot opens today (26 February) and closes on 26 March, with action anticipated for week commencing 28 April read more
NEU Cymru to ballot members for strike action (8 Jan) – Members of the National Education Union Cymru at Ysgol Robert Owen in Newtown have asked their union to ballot for industrial action following proposals for massive redundancies. Ysgol Robert Owen opened on September 1st 2024, at a cost of £22m, and yet within months staff have been told that up to one in six of them face redundancy and the state-of-the-art Hydro Pool may never be used read more
Please support the following strikes:-
NASUWT
Legal action launched over pensions valuation limbo (24 Mar) – Law firm Leigh Day has launched a legal claim on behalf of current and former members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union who are facing long delays in obtaining pension transfer values. The delays are causing financial losses and emotional stress, as the valuations are often needed for divorce proceedings or retirement planning read more
Behaviour crisis in Wales deepens as teachers report pupil violence and negative impact on health (21 Mar) – New data from NASUWT Cymru shows that increasing numbers of physical assaults on teachers are having a major effect on teacher wellbeing read more
Opportunities missed to avoid Loughborough school closure (21 Mar) – Plans to close a Loughborough school, leaving up to 90 staff facing redundancy and forcing dozens of families to find alternative places for their children, could have been avoided, NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union believes. Last week governors of the Loughborough Schools Foundation voted to close Amherst School. Amherst is one of four schools belonging to the Foundation and next month celebrates its 175th anniversary just months before it closes its doors for good. NASUWT has opposed the closure since plans first emerged. The union has concerns about the way in which the consultation process over the closure was handled, including the failure of the Foundation to fully consider alternative options which may have avoided closure read more
Minibus safety petition launched (5 Mar) – A UK-wide petition to put school minibus safety on the political agenda has been launched today. It is the latest stage of a campaign by the parents of a child killed in a minibus crash and NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union. Liz and Steve Fitzgerald’s daughter Claire was 13 when she was killed along with 11 other pupils and their teacher. The tragedy occurred on November 18th 1993 when a minibus from Hagley Roman Catholic High School crashed on the M40 near Warwick. Only two pupils survived. Although much has been done to improve the safety of minibuses themselves since the crash, the NASUWT is deeply concerned that the fundamental cause of the accident – a teacher driving a minibus when they shouldn’t have been – remains unresolved. NASUWT is calling on parents, teachers and the public to sign the petition on the House of Commons website and call on their MP to back the campaign to ensure all schools with minibuses are required to have a full public service vehicle operator’s licence read more
Kent teachers strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (27 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Farringtons School in Chislehurst, Kent, are today taking strike action over changes to their pensions which will make them significantly worse off in their retirement. The fee paying school is seeking to force teachers to accept detrimental changes to their pension contributions. Those wishing to remain in Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) will see cuts to their pay or will have to join an inferior pension scheme. The employer has refused to recognise the NASUWT in discussions over the proposals and members have been left with no other option than to take strike action to seek to protect their incomes and their pensions. Further days of strike action are set to be taken on Tuesday 4 March, Wednesday 5 March, Tuesday 11 March, Wednesday 12 March and Thursday 13 March read more
Stockport teachers strike over violence and abuse from pupils (26 Feb) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Werneth School in Stockport will take the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Thursday) over working practices which have led to teachers being unacceptably exposed to poor student behaviour including verbal and physical assaults. Changes to working practices at the start of the autumn term have led to an increase in disruptive and violent behaviour from pupils. Four days of strike action originally due to take place last December were withdrawn to give the employer an opportunity to resolve the dispute. However, despite some changes, members do not feel substantive improvements have been made and have been left with no choice but to reinstate strike action read more
Strike action at Reading school over pensions fire and rehire threat (24 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Leighton Park School in Reading are taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts by the employer to make teachers choose between their pension and their pay. Teachers have been told they must make a choice between moving to an inferior pension scheme or remaining in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) but accepting a 7% pay cut. Furthermore, teachers have been threatened with being fired and reemployed on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept these changes read more
Real-term pay cut prompts strike action at Liverpool schools (21 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Merchant Taylors’ Schools in Liverpool (Merchant Taylors’ Senior Boys and Girls and Stanfield Preparatory School) will be taking the first of five planned days of strike action on Wednesday over teachers’ pay. Members have been given only a 1.14% pay award for the current academic year, in comparison to the 5.5% rise awarded to teachers in the state sector read more
NASUWT members vote for action in sixth form college disputes (11 Feb) – In ballots of teachers in sixth form colleges, NASUWT – the Teachers’ Union, has today announced that members in 23 sixth form colleges have voted in support of strike action and/or action short of strike action in their disputes over teachers’ pay. The Union is in dispute with individual college employers and with the sixth form colleges association over their failure to deliver a 5.5% pay award for 2024-25 backdated to September 2024. As a result of the NASUWT’s decision to ballot members working in sixth form college academies, the employers have confirmed that a 5.5% pay award backdated to September 2024 will now be paid to all teachers. Once the pay awards are implemented, the NASUWT’s disputes in individual sixth form college academies will be resolved. However, where employers of teachers working in non-academy sixth form colleges do not commit to paying in full a 5.5% award backdated to September 2024, NASUWT remains in dispute and members will take industrial action having voted in support with a turnout of 56%. NASUWT has identified significant levels of funding available to sixth form colleges with around £500 million in reserves. In April 2025, colleges will additionally receive a share of £50 million additional funding read more
Teachers in Northern Ireland vote to reject pay offer (6 Feb) – Teacher members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for teachers in Northern Ireland. Teachers had been offered 5.5% but the offer also sought to address other matters. 78% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with 5734 teachers participating in the survey. NASUWT members will now commence action short of strike in schools from Monday 10 February read more
Teachers at Liverpool school take strike action over adverse management practices (3 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Gateacre School in Liverpool will be taking the first of five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over concerns about the way in which they are being managed and a failure to recognise workforce trade unions. Members have been subject to a long-standing culture of adverse management practices and treatment which has undermined their wellbeing, health and safety in the workplace. This includes excessive workloads and working hours, the failure to address poor pupil behaviour and excessive monitoring and surveillance of staff. The employer has also failed to agree to any collective bargaining arrangements with education workforce trade unions. Northern Schools Trust, which officially took over the running of the school in December, derecognised workforce trade unions several years ago read more
East Dunbartonshire teachers to take action over failure to tackle abuse and violence (29 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Kirkintilloch High School in East Dunbartonshire are to begin a programme of industrial action over the failure of their employer to act to address poor pupil behaviour and abuse of teachers. Members are to begin taking action short of strike action from Wednesday 5th February which will initially consist of refusing to cover classes for absent colleagues. Members will also refuse to undertake any additional voluntary duties such as extra-curricular clubs, trips or study classes which are outside of their contracted working hours. Concerns include regular verbal abuse and swearing at teachers and some violent incidents, pupils being allowed to roam around corridors and shared spaces in the school when they should be in class, no serious consequences for poor behaviour and an overuse of ineffective restorative approaches to managing incidents of abuse. Furthermore, neither the school nor the local authority appear to have done anything significant to embed the key points of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour announced by the Cabinet Secretary last August read more
Teachers at Coventry School Foundation to take further strike action over attack on pensions (27 Jan) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at the Coventry School Foundation (Bablake Senior, Bablake Junior, King Henry VIII Senior and King Henry VIII Junior) are taking further strike action this week as a result of the failure of the employer to withdraw attacks on their pensions. Members are due to take strike action tomorrow (Tuesday), Wednesday and Thursday this week. Twelve further days of strike action have been pencilled in for late February and March. Members have already taken six days of strike action. Teachers have been told they must make a choice between moving to an inferior pension scheme or remaining in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) but taking a pay cut. Furthermore, teachers have been threatened with being fired and reemployed on new contracts if they do not voluntarily accept these changes read more
EIS
Robert Gordon University Lecturers Vote for Strike Action in Fight Against Job Cuts (21 Mar) – Lecturers at Robert Gordon University (RGU) in Aberdeen have voted in favour of industrial action in a dispute over cuts and redundancies at the university. The ballot, organised by the EIS closed yesterday and resulted in a strong majority vote in favour of strike action, with 83% of those voting backing strike action. The EIS has now notified the university of the result, which gives the EIS a clear mandate to take strike action, should the dispute not be resolved in the near future read more
Glasgow Teachers Suspend Planned Strike Action Following Offer from SNP Councillors over Cuts (13 Feb) – The EIS has announced that planned strike action in Glasgow schools has been suspended, following an offer from Glasgow City Council SNP group to withdraw future planned education cuts, and a promise that additional Scottish Government funding will be used to increase the number of teachers working in Glasgow’s schools to 2023 levels. Following discussion on the offer letter, Glasgow EIS Local Association has decided to suspend its initial planned day of strike action, scheduled for Thursday 20 February, as an act of good faith, until talks take place at full Council level on delivery of the offer outlined in the letter read more
Dispute Declared Over Teachers’ Class Contact Time – Statement from the SNCT Teachers’ Panel (7 Feb) – The Teachers’ Panel of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) has declared a formal dispute following the failure of COSLA and the Scottish Government to table a proposal on the nature and timescales for a reduction of class contact time to a maximum of 21 hours per week, as a step towards the alleviation of teachers’ workload. Following COSLA and the Scottish Government’s inability to table a proposal by a previously set deadline of 12 noon on Monday 3rd February, the Teachers’ Panel met today to consider its response. It was the unanimous view of panel members that the abject failure to realise publicly stated commitments and make meaningful progress on the promise to reduce class contact time to a 21 hour maximum, has left no option but the declaration of a formal dispute read more
INTO
Revised Pay Offer: How Does This Deal Impact on Workload? (24 Mar) read more
Revised Heads of Agreement (21 Mar) – The Revised Heads of Agreement document is now available on the INTO website under the Revised Pay Offer 2024/2025 Member Hub. Additionally, the recording of the INTO Town Hall Event for Members, held on 20th March, is also accessible. Please note that the consultation survey regarding the revised pay offer will open on Monday, 24th March 2025 at 9:00am and close on Thursday, 27th March 2025 at 12:00pm. Members will be asked to indicate their acceptance of the offer by selecting either Yes or No read more
Revised Pay Offer 2024/2025 (19 Mar) – Management Side have made a revised pay offer to teachers for the academic year 2024/25. The offer is for 5.5% read more
INTO Condemns Killing of Teachers in Gaza Strikes (20 Mar) – The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) is appalled and deeply saddened by the killing of teachers and other humanitarian workers in the latest Israeli strikes on Gaza, as reported by the United Nations today. We extend our deepest condolences to their families, students, and communities, and we stand in solidarity with all civilians caught in this devastating conflict read more
Action Short of Strike (ASOS) Action Commencing 10 February 2025 – Action Short of Strike (ASOS) Action Instructions: These action short of strike action instructions will apply to all INTO members. The action short of strike action instructions apply to all members working in grant-aided schools or employed directly by the Education Authority on teachers’ terms and conditions of employment. These action short of strike action instructions are effective and will be continuous from 00.01 on 10 February 2025 read more
UCU
BREAKING NEWS!! Cardiff University staff overwhelmingly vote for strike action (25 Mar) – Cardiff University staff have overwhelmingly backed industrial action in a fight against huge job cuts. A massive 83% backed strike action, while 86% backed action short of a strike up to and including an assessment boycott, in a ballot that saw over 64% of Cardiff UCU members vote. The ballot result means that staff could now down tools unless management agrees to rule out compulsory redundancies. Staff will meet later this week to decide and vote upon next steps including the options of strike action and action short of a strike, which could disrupt student graduations this summer. Management claims it needs to make deep cuts to balance the books, but UCU’s independent analysis of Cardiff University’s finances shows they could draw on £188m in available cash to protect jobs and student provision. Since the cuts were announced, Cardiff University leaders have come under sustained pressure to reverse them read more
University of Kent staff to strike this week over increasing workload and threats to jobs (24 Mar) – Staff at the University of Kent are striking every day this week over management failure to rule out compulsory job cuts, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. Staff at the University of Kent are striking every day this week over management failure to rule out compulsory job cuts, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today (Monday 24 March) read more
Sheffield Hallam staff to strike on Monday & Tuesday over withheld pay (21 Mar) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam University will strike on Monday and Tuesday over management’s decision to withhold part of staff pay for seven months. Staff will be on picket lines outside the Owen building both strike days from 8:30am-11.30am. The dispute is over Hallam management’s refusal to implement the 2024/25 pay award of 2.7% from Thursday 1 August 2024, equivalent to around £100 per month for the average lecturer once pension costs are factored in. The university initially claimed it could not afford to implement the award, but belatedly did so this month, after UCU won its strike ballot. However, management still refuses to pay staff their seven months of lost earnings from August (2024), when the uplift should have come in read more
UEA staff to strike over job cuts (20 Mar) – Staff at the University of East Anglia (UEA) will strike on Wednesday 26 March in a fight against job cuts that saw almost one in six staff put at risk of redundancy, announced the UCU. The strike comes after an overwhelming 82% of UEA UCU members who voted backed strike action in an industrial ballot with a turnout of 67%. Staff will also be taking action short of strike from Wednesday 26 March, which will include working to rule. The dispute is over management’s threat to cut over 190 staff to meet continued budget shortfalls at the institution read more
Labour’s cut to adult skills budget “shockingly cruel”, says UCU (19 Mar) – Responding to the Department for Education’s decision to slash adult skills budgets by 6%, University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Jo Grady said: ‘This shockingly cruel cut to adult education funding will hit learners hard and makes it less likely they will gain the skills needed to get good jobs or move on to further education…” read more
Industrial action warning over cuts at Edinburgh University (17 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) Scotland today (Monday) warned the principal of the University of Edinburgh that strikes and other forms of industrial action are a real possibility if senior management don’t roll back on threats of £140million cuts and take compulsory redundancies off the table. UCU members at the university were asked in a consultative ballot if they would be willing to take strike action if the university didn’t rule out compulsory redundancies. In a turnout of 59%, easily beating the anti-trade union threshold, 75% of members voting said that they would be willing to strike. 85% said that they would also take part in action short of strike which could include working to contract and refusing to cover for absent colleagues or undertake voluntary duties. If the same vote was repeated in a statutory ballot, which could open in the coming weeks, then the university will face the possibility of strikes and other action on campus read more
University of Bradford staff back strike action over 300 job cull (17 Mar) – University of Bradford staff have overwhelmingly backed strike action in a consultative ballot over plans to axe at least 300 jobs in a programme of cuts that will see chemistry and film & television courses shut down. An overwhelming 69% of staff who voted in the consultative ballot backed strike action, with the turnout surpassing the 50% anti-trade union threshold. If the result is repeated in a statutory ballot then the university faces the possibility of strikes on campus. The dispute is over the huge cuts programme university management is attempting to force through read more
University crisis will see over 10,000 staff lose their jobs, fears UCU (4 Mar) – UK higher education faces an unprecedented crisis, the University and College Union (UCU) declared today, with new data compiled by the union showing over 5,000 jobs at risk. The announcement comes as UCU launches ‘Stop the Cuts, Fund Higher Education Now’, a campaign calling for urgent action from the Labour government. So far, this academic year, university employers have announced their intention to cut over 5,000 jobs (5,361), while at least five other universities have asked staff to quit but refused to specify how much they want to cut from their staffing budget. Alongside this the sector has announced over £238m of cuts and declared deficits of at least £30m. Were university bosses to plug these holes solely through axing staff, UCU fears around 5,000 more jobs could go (4,739) read more
Brunel University staff begin strike action over job cuts (27 Feb) – Staff at Brunel University will begin 16 days of industrial action tomorrow in defence of jobs, announced the University and College Union (UCU). The first day of strike action will take place on Friday 28th February 2025, with further dates planned over six weeks. Staff will be on picket lines from 8:00 am to 10:00 am each day outside the Mary Seacole Building. The full strike dates are:-
- Week 1: Friday 28th February (1 day)
- Week 2: Wednesday 12th March (1 day)
- Week 3: Tuesday 18th March and Thursday 20th March (2 days)
- Week 4: Monday 24th March, Tuesday 25th March, and Friday 28th March (3 days)
- Week 5: Tuesday 1st April, Wednesday 2nd April, Thursday 3rd April, and Friday 4th April (4 days)
- Week 6: Monday 7th April, Tuesday 8th April, Wednesday 9th April, Thursday 10th April, and Friday 11th April (5 days)
The dispute arose over management’s plans to make 423 job cuts, 282 of which are compulsory redundancies read more
Strike ballot to open at Durham University over impact of £20m cuts (24 Feb) – Over 1,000 members of staff at Durham University are set to be balloted for strike action at Durham University, over plans by management to cut £20m from the university’s staffing budget. The ballot will open next Tuesday and run until Tuesday 1st April. It comes as management says it intends to axe around 200 professional services jobs by the end of summer with even more staff due to be culled next year read more
15 days of strike action begins today at University of Dundee (24 Feb) – University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Dundee today (Monday) begin 15* days of strike action over the university’s £30million deficit and the threat to cut jobs including by the use of compulsory redundancies. Staff at the university will strike each weekday for the next three weeks. In an earlier ballot over whether to strike, 74% of those voting backed strike action on a turnout of 64%. Staff will be on picket lines from 8am-11am outside the Tower Building on Perth Road in Dundee read more
University of Sheffield strike ballot opens today over plan to put as many as 1,000 staff at risk of redundancy (24 Feb) – Staff at the University of Sheffield are being asked to vote in support of strike action in a ballot that opened this morning. The strike ballot is over plans from management to threaten as many as 1,000 staff with redundancy. It will close on Monday 31 March, and a successful result would pave the way for strike action as soon as April if management refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies. The dispute is over management’s goal of cutting £23m from its staffing budget over this academic year and the next. UCU estimates this equates to over 400 jobs. The union believes as many as 1,000 professional services staff are about to be threatened with redundancy in a restructure of every school within the university read more
UCU: Please sign – Remove Coventry University vice-chancellor from government role
Up to 14 days of strike action to hit Newcastle University in March (14 Feb) – Newcastle University staff will strike for 14 days next month unless management protects jobs. The full strike dates are:-
- Week 1: Tuesday 4 and Thursday 6 March
- Week 2: Monday 10, Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 March
- Week 3: Monday 17, Tuesday 18, Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 March
- Week 4: Monday 24, Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26, Thursday 27 and Friday 28 March
Staff will be on picket lines outside university buildings each day of strike action read more
10 days of strike action begins tomorrow at University of Sheffield International College (11 Feb) – Staff at the University of Sheffield International College (USIC) will down tools tomorrow in the first of up to ten days of strike action in a fight to protect jobs. Staff will be on picket lines every day of strike action from 8am-12pm outside the campus building on Solley Street. The full strike days are:-
- Week 1: Wednesday 12 and Friday 14 February
- Week 2: Tuesday 18 and Thursday 20 February
- Week 3: Monday 24, Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 February
- Week 4: Tuesday 4 March and Thursday 6 March
- Week 5: Monday 10 March
The strike comes after USIC put 36 staff in the student support and academic teaching teams at risk of redundancy by April 2025. The employer has claimed the cuts are necessary due to a fall in student numbers this academic year, which it says has hit the company’s finances, but it has also described the financial situation as a “short-term gap” in communications to staff read more
Staff overwhelmingly back strike action at University of East Anglia over brutal cuts (6 Feb) – An overwhelming 82% of University of East Anglia (UEA) staff have voted in favour of strike action. The ballot resulted in the highest turnout UEA UCU has ever achieved, reaching 67%. 84% of staff also backed action short of strike, which could consist of working to rule. UCU said management now needs to begin meaningful negotiations to prevent compulsory redundancies if it wants to avoid industrial unrest. The dispute is over management’s threat to cut over 190 staff members to meet continued budget shortfalls. According to the business case published in November 2024, management intends to cut at least 30 staff in the faculty of medicine & health sciences, 25 in the faculty of science, 22 in the faculty of arts & humanities, and at least 90 from departments across professional services. This dispute follows over 400 staff leaving UEA in 2023 due to management’s projected £40m deficit in that year read more
Cardiff UCU Press Release against cuts announcement (28 Jan) – Cardiff University senior management today announced cuts to departments, and degree programmes on a scale that is unprecedented in UK higher education. Cardiff UCU, the recognised representative trade union for academic and academic-related staff at the University, condemned the plans as cruel and unnecessary, vowing to ballot for strike action and fight compulsory redundancies tooth and nail read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Chancellor must not betray ‘covid heroes’ with austerity, says union leader (25 Mar) – As the Chancellor prepares to deliver her Spring Statement, a trade union leader has urged her not to betray public sector workers by inflicting cuts to pay and services. During the pandemic, firefighters delivered medicine, drove ambulances and moved the bodies of the dead. Millions of workers remained at work, keeping the country running. Steve Wright, leader of the Fire Brigades Union, said that, as we mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, “cutting billions of pounds from welfare and public services would be an insult to these covid heroes. Instead, the Chancellor must use the Spring statement to introduce a wealth tax to fund public services and pay.” Read more
Firefighters protest against imposition of “punishing” new shifts in Mid and West Wales (24 Mar) – Over 200 firefighters and supporters gathered at a rally outside Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service headquarters this morning, calling for the fire authority to scrap plans to change working hours. The Fire Brigades Union says that senior managers in the service are refusing to listen to the valid concerns of the frontline by enforcing new 12 hour shifts. Firefighters in Mid and West Wales currently work 9 hour day shifts and 15 hour night shifts. Senior management of the service are planning to change these to 12 hour day shifts and 12 hour night shifts. The union says that there is no justification for this change to working hours, which will negatively impact firefighters with childcare and other caring responsibilities and take a toll on the mental and physical wellbeing of the workforce. This policy is being implemented without consultation despite January’s culture review calling for action following findings that senior management failings have created a “boys club” at the top of the service and a culture of fear and mistrust read more
Gloucestershire firefighters rally at council meeting as fire chief told to U-turn (21 Mar) – Gloucestershire’s chief fire officer Mark Preece has been told to abandon plans to change firefighter shifts by the county council’s fire and rescue scrutiny committee. This morning, firefighters rallied outside a meeting of the committee (who are appointed to hold Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the chief fire officer to account) in opposition to the imposition of “unsafe and punishing” working hours. The Fire Brigades Union has warned that changing day shifts from 8am to 7pm instead of 9am to 6pm for wholetime (full time) firefighters risks forcing many firefighters out of the service read more
Trade unions “dismayed” at delay to repeal of strike ballot thresholds (20 Mar) – Dozens of key trade unionists have expressed their “dismay” at delays to key parts of the Employment Rights Bill. The Bill has passed its third reading, and is now with the Lords. However, the government has stated that turnout thresholds introduced by the 2016 Trade Union Act will remain in place until after it has conducted a review into electronic balloting. These thresholds mean that, in order for a strike ballot to be valid, 50% of workers must vote. No other election – for local or national government, or for internal party elections – requires a threshold. The threshold is one of the key blockages in workers taking strike action to defend pay and public services. Labour had previously promised to ditch it within 100 days of taking office. The statement, signed by trade union leaders representing teachers, firefighters, post-16 education staff, civil servants, food workers, and public sector workers, argues that the restrictions “are an arbitrary and grossly undemocratic curb on workers’ rights.” Read more
POA
The Government must publish assessment of prison maintenance contracts says union (24 Mar) – The Trade Union representing the UKs Prison Officers is calling on the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood to publish a 2023 Cabinet Office assessment of Prison Maintenance Contracts. The Prison Officers Association (POA) has been highlighting the appalling condition of the Prison Estate with crumbling cells, compromised safety and rodent infested jails. The Union called on its members to provide testimony of the condition of the Prisons they were working in. The response was shocking with reports from across the country of the poor condition of the Prison Estate read more
Cuts to the prisons budget would pour petrol on an already blazing fire warns union leaders (24 Mar) – Cuts to the UK’s prisons budget would have the effect of pouring petrol on an already blazing fire Union Leaders have warned. The Chancellor of the Exchequer will make her spring statement to the House of Commons tomorrow. She is expected to announce swingeing cuts of around 7% across Government departments. Unions have reacted with anger to Government briefings disability benefit cuts, public sector job losses and big reductions in departmental budgets read more
Employment rights bill and prison officers right to strike (13 Mar) – POA Circular 14/2025 explained to members that John McDonnell MP had submitted amendments to the Bill that would reinstate the basic human right of Prison Officers ability to withdraw their labour. The Executive invited members, their families, friends and others in the Trade Union movement to contact their MPS to support the amendments. As a result of the campaign 1572 people contacted their MP by email, along with many others who contacted their MP by other means. Despite this, MPs were denied a vote on John’s proposal and the Bill has now gone through the Report Stage without John’s amendments included and we will continue to have our basic rights denied. John McDonnell did speak in the House of Commons on his amendments and a link to his speech can be found here. In addition, the following MPs added their name to the amendment: John McDonnell, Mary Kelly Foy, Richard Burgon, Mike Amesbury, Dr Simon Opher, Jon Trickett, Brian Leishman, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Kim Johnson, Nadia Whittome, Steve Witherden, Kate Osborne, Imran Hussain, Jeremy Corbyn, Andy McDonald, Ian Byrne, and Zarah Sultana read more
Mick Pimblett discusses the POA’s stance on the lack of rights to any form of industrial action for prison workers (10 Mar) – The POA’s Assistant General Secretary Mick Pimblett discusses the POA’s stance on the lack of rights to any form of industrial action for prison workers and the absence of their reinstatement from the Government’s new Workers Rights Bill read more
Steve Gillan calls on all MPs to support John McDonnell’s amendments to the Workers Rights Bill (8 Mar) – POA General Secretary Steve Gillan calls on all MPs to stand up for working people by supporting John McDonnell’s amendments to the Workers Rights Bill watch video
Prison officers’ right to strike (4 Mar) – As you are aware, in 1994 the right to strike for Prison Officers was removed by the then Tory Government via S127 of the Criminal Justice Act. The incoming Blair Government committed to reinstating the right to strike in England and Wales but failed to follow through on its pledge. Meanwhile the Scottish Government reinstated the right to strike for Prison Officers there in 2015. The right of Prison Officers to withdraw their labour is a fundamental human right recognised by the United Nations and should be reinstated for all UK Prison Officers. As the Employment Rights Bill returns to the House of Commons former Labour Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP has submitted amendments to the Bill that would reinstate this basic human right for Prison Officers in the rest of the UK. Please contact your local MP, urging them to support the amendments. This can be done by following the link below: https://unityconsulting.good.do/prisonofficersrighttostrike/poarighttostrike2025/ read more
Reinstate our right to strike demands prison officers’ leaders (4 Mar) – The right of Prison officers to withdraw their labour is a fundamental human right recognised by the United Nations and should be reinstated for all the UK’s Prison Officers according to the Prison Officers Union. In 1994 the right to strike for Prison Officers was removed by the then Tory Government. The incoming Blair Government committed to reinstating the right to strike in England and Wales but failed to follow through on its pledge. Meanwhile the Scottish Government reinstated the right to strike for Prison officers there in 2015. As the Employment Rights Bill returns to the House of Commons former Labour Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP has submitted amendments to the Bill that would reinstate this basic human right for Prison Officers in the rest of the UK read more
NAPO
HMPPS abandons contested breach plans (20 Mar) – In a victory for the Napo and UNISON campaign to oppose Court PSOs and Enforcement Officers being required to prosecute contested breach trials, HMPPS has finally agreed to abandon these plans in their entirety. Napo and UNISON want to thank our Court PSO and Enforcement Officer members who have resolutely stood against these unworkable plans. HMPPS, and previously NOMS, had insisted ever since the E3 reorganisation in 2016/17 that they were determined to make contested breach trial prosecution a key part of court staff duties read more
This changes everything! (18 Mar) – HMPPS has finally admitted that there is a deep and serious crisis in the Probation Service that bears out everything we have been saying in our Operation Protect campaign, launched back in June 2023 read more
Update: Ongoing Business as Usual (BAU) Pay Discussions (17 Jan) – This is a reminder regarding the content of our previous communication (JTU 62-2024 Pay Update). We want to emphasise that we are continuing to address Business As Usual (BAU) pay issues separately from the ongoing pay negotiations for 2025 read more
BFAWU
£6bn Cuts, Unsafe Workplaces, and a Mental Health Crisis: Why Government Policy is Failing Disabled Workers: A blog from our National President Ian Hodson (20 Mar) – The UK government’s announcement of £6 billion in welfare cuts to push disabled people back into work is being framed as a measure to promote independence and economic productivity. However, without stronger health and safety protections, this policy will fail—worsening work-related ill health, forcing people into unsuitable roles, and ultimately increasing the number of people unable to work read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
BALPA responds to Heathrow Airport closure (21 Mar) – Responding to the closure of Heathrow Airport today following a major power failure, Joji Waites, Head of Flight Safety for the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), said: “BALPA understands this will cause major disruption for thousands of passengers but for those concerned about aircraft still in the air, or otherwise affected by the disruption, pilots are rigorously trained to deal with such situations and every flight is planned with the possibility of a diversion. The professionalism and adaptability of both pilots and air traffic controllers, and the resilience of the airspace system in which they operate, ensures that flying remains safe…” read more
Nautilus International
Nautilus meets representatives of Stena Line Pte Ltd to review pay scales/rank structure (21 Mar) – On Thursday 13 March 2025, Nautilus head of industrial Mick Smyth and liaison officers Gareth Battersea, John Mallalue and Russell Marshall visited Stena Line’s offices at Skypark, Glasgow to review the pay scales/rank structure for all officer positions at the company read more
NUJ
Meta’s copyright-infringements a ‘blatant disregard’ for authors’ rights (25 Mar) – An article published in The Atlantic relating to Meta’s use of the Library Genesis data set has revealed unlawful scraping of copyright-protected material read more
NUJ condemns shocking attack on journalist Natiq Malikzada (25 Mar) – The journalist vocal in his opposition of the Taliban was attacked in his accommodation in February. The union has expressed its concern at the reported attack against journalist Natiq Malikzada on 13 February, at a Home Office asylum hotel read more
Tax breaks for tech giants a flawed approach, says NUJ (25 Mar) – The union is deeply concerned about possible changes to the Digital Services Tax (DST) after Rachel Reeves, UK chancellor, confirmed she was considering tax breaks for US technology and social media giants such as Amazon, Google, Meta, and X read more
NUJ condemns killing of journalist Husam Al-Titi (24 Mar) – The journalist’s death adds to the rising death toll of Palestinian journalists. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the killing of Husam Al-Titi, ABC News journalist, during an Israeli air strike this month. Al-Titi, his wife and daughter, were killed during the air strike on their home whilst asleep in Gaza City. At least 166 journalists including 152 Palestinians, have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to records held by the International Federation of Journalists. The NUJ has repeatedly called for the safety and protection of journalists as enshrined in international law, to be respected read more
NUJ’s Disabled Members’ Council expresses grave concern over proposed welfare reform (19 Mar) – Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, has joined trade union leaders in criticising the UK government’s benefit reforms following the introduction of their “Pathways to Work” Green Paper this week. The Trade Union Coordinating Group released an open letter which said, “As leaders of 11 national trade unions collectively representing over 1 million workers across the UK, we are profoundly concerned by the proposals outlined in the ‘Pathways to Work’ Green Paper.” Read more
Equity
Equity welcomes £10,000 of investment from Belfast City Council to support ‘Safe Home’ campaign at venues in the city (25 Mar) – Equity’s campaign calls on NI venues to pledge to safeguard performers and stage management working at night or in vulnerable locations in Northern Ireland read more
Equity win! Pay increase and improvements for performers in new BBC TV Agreement (24 Mar) – New Agreement will see a 13% increase to minimum episodic fees and associated payments and a 10% increase to minimum weekly fees and all other fees in the agreement read more
Performers owed money by Sneaky Experience challenge company’s liquidation (19 Mar) – Equity members challenging the liquidation of the events company, which recently shut down despite owing thousands to performers, businesses and members of the public read more
Welfare reforms will weaken the safety net that people rely on (19 Mar) – Equity is urging the government to end benefits cuts and stop the scapegoating of disabled people read more
Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club launch fighting fund to save BGWMC (25 Feb) – Friends group are campaigning to save the iconic venue. Equity is encouraging members to support the Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC) as they start fundraising to save the iconic London venue. Equity has backed the campaign by the Friends of BGWMC since last summer when the programming team at BGWMC were given two months’ notice to shut down and vacate the venue read more
Welsh National Opera chorus vote unanimously for further action short of strike (24 Feb) – Members will take further action short of strike on Thursday 27 February and Saturday 1 March read more
Musicians’’ Union
MU Members at Welsh National Opera Renew Mandate for Industrial Action (15 Jan) – MU members at WNO have voted to renew their mandate for industrial action read more
Community
Response to Secretary of State Liz Kendall’s benefit reform announcement (18 Mar) – In response to today’s announcement by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall, Community Union’s President Steve McGurk said: “We strongly support the Government’s ambition to get more people back into work, including the ‘Right to Try’ reform, but the wider reforms can’t come at the expense of disabled people. Community is deeply concerned by the impact that these benefit reforms will have on disabled workers across the country read more
USDAW
Usdaw demonstrators will call on shareholders to back trade union recognition (25 Mar) – Retail trade union Usdaw is organising a demonstration outside the annual general meeting of Boohoo Group plc, as shareholders are asked to vote on a name change to ‘Debenhams’. Usdaw is also asking shareholders to voice concerns about the reputational impact of the company’s persistent anti-union activity. Shareholders will need to formally approve the company adopting the Debenhams brand at the Boohoo Group plc general meeting, to be held at Addleshaw Goddard, 1 St. Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 3DE on Friday 28 March 2025 at 10.00 a.m. Protesters from Usdaw will be outside, seeking to engage with shareholders as they arrive, urging them to back trade union recognition read more
UVW
Museum strikes paused again as pay offer promised by 1 April – Following talks between UVW and Wilson James earlier this week, the incredible guards at Natural History Museum, London Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum have agreed to suspend daily strikes due to commence on 7 March, following confirmation that a pay offer will be presented by 1 April. The guards are demanding a significant pay rise after years of poverty pay, full sick pay for day one, more annual leave and other benefits. Since last October, 76 days of strike action have been called including periods of daily walks outs.
Strike action will resume in April if the museums fail to deliver UVW Facebook page
Security guards at London’s top museums pause strike action pending promised pay offer (20 Feb) – “We hope their promised response will be a positive one, helping to prevent future strikes” – Edi Palalej, security guard and UVW representative at V&A Museum. Security guards at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum have agreed to temporarily pause their historic strike action after nearly three straight weeks of daily walkouts throughout February. The decision comes following promises that the museums will present an acceptable offer by early March. If no offer is forthcoming, or if it fails to meet workers’ demands, guards will resume strike action every day from 7 March. On 14 February, the Business Director and Senior HR Business Partner of the museum contractor Wilson James told UVW representatives to expect an offer from the museums’ by 7 March latest read more
Solace Women’s Aid workers pause strike as redundancy process stops for talks – hold vigil for domestic violence victims (20 Feb) – “The victim/survivors have to be at the forefront of this conversation, because at the end of the day if they cut the service it mostly affects them. They won’t be able to get the support that they really, really need. We are the main service in Tower Hamlets. Without us, a lot of victim survivors will not have any kind of support and that’s the reality.” – Solace domestic support advisor and UVW member read more
UVW Stands in Solidarity with Courageous Fruit Pickers Fighting for Justice (29 Jan) – UVW was proud to stand in solidarity with our courageous members Juli, Aida, and their fellow fruit pickers outside the Home Office on January 24, alongside the Land Workers’ Alliance (LWA), the Solidarity Across Land Trades union (SALT), and other organisations to demand justice for seasonal workers from Latin America. The workers were lured to the UK with false promises, only to face harassment, discrimination and abuse. The conditions were so appalling that they took the historic step of organising the first-ever strike of UK seasonal workers read more
Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office has been targeted in a break-in! (10 Jan) – Overnight, laptops, essential equipment and other valuables worth several thousands of pounds were stolen, disrupting critical support for low-paid, migrant and precarious workers. This won’t stop our fight for justice. The theft comes as UVW leads critical campaigns with hundreds of workers taking strike action across London. Please support UVW during this critical time. Help replace stolen equipment and ensure campaigns for dignity and equality continue. Every donation makes a difference. Donate now: https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/donate. Read more on UVW Facebook page
IWGB
Join the drivers log-off: Friday 14th February (4 Feb) – Drivers working for apps like Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee are at a breaking point. Poverty pay, high car rents, brutally long hours to try and ends meet and the threat of unfair deactivation hanging over our heads are having a devastating financial, physical and mental impact on us and our families. Drivers’ lives are being torn apart by these companies in their endless pursuit of profit… That is why we are calling on all unions, groups and associations to join us on the 14th February in striking from 4pm-10pm read more
Mandate (Ireland)
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)
BNM Recycling workers serve strike notice for 2nd and 3rd April (18 Mar) – SIPTU members employed by Bord na Móna (BNM) Recycling, the country’s last publicly owned domestic waste collection service, have today served notice of a two-day strike action which will stop the company’s domestic waste collection services on 2nd and 3rd April read more
Other news
From SHAC (Social Housing Action Campaign) – Call to Action!
Housing Crisis Workplace Impact Survey:-
To aid our engagement with trade unions, and to expose a well-hidden aspect of the housing crisis, we have a survey about the impact of the housing crisis in the workplace.
The survey is completely anonymous. It asks about the impact of rising rents, as well as stress, illness and injury triggered by bad housing which in turn leads to workplace absences. The survey closes on 31st March 2025.
Please help by filling in the survey if you are in work, and for all to circulate within your networks.
www.shaction.org/housing-in-the-workplace-survey/
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
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government.
See Stop the War website for info on protests. The next national demonstration in central London is on Saturday 15th March 12noon
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
Gaza protest on Saturday 18th January in Central London: oppose the arrests, defend the right to protest – the NSSN stands in solidarity with all those who have been arrested, including Stop The War Coalition’s Chris Nineham. It is outrageous that as a ceasefire is announced, protestors were denied the right to march, particularly under the watch of a Labour government and Labour London Mayor. We demand justice for all those arrested – with the immediate dropping of all charges Stop the War Coalition statement
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
‘SPYCOPS’ EXPOSED AND DEFEATED – Campaigners have successfully exposed the scandal of 50 years of secret undercover political policing. In fact activists are also celebrating 5 decades of struggles for a better world, despite police spying and repression
Affiliate to the Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance (COPS) here
ITV documentary – https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/itv-spycops-documentary-coming-soon-spring-2025/
www.campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com
https://policespiesoutoflives.org.uk/
https://tmg-uk.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/?locale=en_GB
https://powerbase.info/index.php/UndercoverResearch_Portal
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
Turkey’s People Rise Up for Democracy (25 Mar) – Mass protests are sweeping across Turkey as people take to the streets against the oppressive rule of President Erdoğan, which has made life unbearable for many read more on the website of SPOT – Solidarity with the People of Turkey
Urgent: Stand in Solidarity with Turkey’s Oppressed Voices! 🚨
The Turkish government is cracking down on trade unionists, activists, journalists, and opposition voices. Over 300 people were arrested in February alone.
We must demand:
✅ Freedom for those detained
✅ An end to authoritarian repression
✅ International solidarity
Read & sign the petition and join the movement: https://tinyurl.com/solidarityturkiye
📅 Online Rally: 19th March. Details to follow…
#SolidarityWithTurkey #StandWithTurkey #FreeThemAll
Please share widely and stand with us! ✊
30 More People Arrested in Turkey for Supporting a Peaceful Future (22 Feb) read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT)
Turkey: Union Leader Detained Again After Meeting with Workers (17 Feb) read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT)
NIGERIA SOLIDARITY – END THE ATTACKS ON DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS! END THE ‘TREASON’ TRIAL AND DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST ADARAMOYE MICHAEL LENIN AND OTHER #ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTERS
The ‘treason’ trial of Michael Lenin and 10 other #endbadgovernance protesters was scheduled to commence on 29th of January after its postponement last year.
Adaramoye Michael Lenin and 10 others would be arraigned in Court on trumped up charges of treason and terrorism financing which could potentially earn them a death penalty if not quashed.
Nigeria Solidarity Protest – 1pm Wednesday 26th March at Nigerian High Commission, London details
Further details on www.NigeriaSolidarity.com/Events
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]
Diary
2025
July
5 NSSN Annual Conference 2025 11am-4.30pm Conway Hall London
12 Durham Miners Gala details
18–20 Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival details
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
