The NSSN Conference on Saturday 5th July brought together hundreds of union reps and members together to support the strikes that are taking place and to discuss how we organise against the austerity from Starmer’s Labour Government. Fighting union leaders and striking workers spoke from our platform, followed by a full discussion from the floor.
NSSN Chair Rob Williams introduced the conference, and his speech can be viewed here.
Watch the videos of the other platform speeches here – Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Steve Wright FBU General Secretary, Carmel Gates NIPSA General Secretary, Onay Kasab Unite National Lead Officer, Ian Hodson BFAWU National President, Ed Harlow NEU Vice-President, Fiona Brittle PCS NEC (personal capacity), Danny Taylor Unite Birmingham Bin Striker, Joel Mayfield Unite Sheffield Veolia bin striker, Caroline Hayhurst striking Unison Gloucestershire phlebotomist, Paula Peters DPAC, Lois Austin SpyCops
The NSSN has produced the following model motion for union branches & trades councils to get support for NSSN TUC Congress lobby & rally 1pm The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton Sunday 7th September, which will lobby for support for the motion from the TUC Trades Councils Conference that will be tabled at the 2025 TUC Congress which campaigns to “oppose the attacks on disability benefits to…build support for the TUC Disabled Workers Committee to organise a demonstration and lobby of Parliament…and for the TUC to organise a weekend demonstration against Labour austerity as a launchpad for sustained trade union action in defence of workers and young people.”
The motion was tabled at the TUC Trades Councils Conference by NSSN National Secretary Katrine Williams on behalf of Cardiff Trades Council.
This (union branch/trades council) notes that the Starmer Labour government has announced its intention to slash governmental budgets, which includes its vicious Welfare Bill to cut disability benefits. This is at the same time as councils make cuts, the NHS is under massive pressure and there is a funding crisis at all levels of education. This is alongside recessionary signs in the private sector, with threats to jobs while the cost-of-living squeeze remains.
This [union branch / trades council] believes that it is essential that the trade union movement takes the lead in organising against Starmer and Reeves’s austerity and the bosses’ offensive. We 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.
This [union branch / trades council] welcomes the motion from the TUC Trades Councils Conference that will be tabled at the 2025 TUC Congress which campaigns to “oppose the attacks on disability benefits to…build support for the TUC Disabled Workers Committee to organise a demonstration and lobby of Parliament…and for the TUC to organise a weekend demonstration against Labour austerity as a launchpad for sustained trade union action in defence of workers and young people.”
Therefore, this [union branch / trades council] supports the 2025 National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) rally at TUC Congress in Brighton on Sunday 7th September, which will be on the theme ‘Make the rich pay not workers’ and will lobby for TUC Congress to pass the motion from the TUC Trades Councils Conference
This [union branch / trades council] resolves to:
• Affiliate / reaffiliate to the NSSN
• Publicise the NSSN lobby and rally at TUC Congress in Brighton to all our members and affiliates, and encourage them to attend
• Make a donation to the NSSN to help cover the cost of the rally
Download and distribute our NSSN Workplace Report
Affiliate your union branch/trades council to NSSN (£50).
Renew/donate online (HSBC: 40-06-41, 90143790)
Cheque (NSSN, 16 Warren Rd, London E10 5QA).
Contact us: email – [email protected].
Support the Unite Birmingham Bin Strike – The NSSN will continue to give full solidarity to Unite and the striking binworkers and will keep mobilising support for the strike and for any action called to back the workers.
Unite conference votes overwhelmingly to re-examine relationship with Labour and suspend Angela Rayner from Unite membership over Birmingham bins dispute (11 July) – Unite has overwhelming voted to re-examine its relationship with Labour and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has had her Unite membership suspended over her role in the Birmingham bin strike. The decision was taken following an emergency motion passed at the union’s policy conference in Brighton today that condemned Birmingham’s Labour council and the Labour government for attacking the bin workers. Birmingham council leader John Cotton and fellow Unite Birmingham councillors have also had their Unite membership suspended for their roles in effectively firing and rehiring the workers, who are striking over pay cuts of up £8,000. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette. Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cutsread more
Birmingham bins fire and rehire threats won’t work, Unite (9 July) – Labour has been a disgrace and should hang their heads in shame. Missing in action Birmingham council leader John Cotton’s threats to effectively fire and rehire striking bin workers shows Labour is complicit in attacking workers. The bin workers are striking over pay cuts of up to £8,000 – up a quarter of their wages for some – and have an industrial action mandate until December. They have been told to accept these lower terms or be made redundant. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Let’s be very clear, what Birmingham city council has proposed is fire and rehire in a Labour council under a Labour government read more
Ombudsman urged to investigate Birmingham commissioners’ financial conflicts in keeping bin strike going (8 July) – Government planned to relieve commissioners of duties before major incident over bins declared in April. Unite is calling on the local government ombudsman to investigate whether Birmingham’s government appointed commissioners have a financial conflict of interest in keeping the bin strike going read more
- Sign petition to support binworkers
- Send a message of support to Unite and the binworkers
- Donate to the strike fund – Unite WM/7186 Branch, account: 20308397, sort code: 608301. Title donation: BCC Strike Donation
- Send a postcard to tell Birmingham Council’s leader to ‘Stop attacking your workers’ at https://supportbinworkers.unitetheunion.postbug.app/
- Join the MegaPicket2 (hosted by Strike Map) – Friday 25th July details
Twenty-five unions sign open letter calling on government and Birmingham Council to end bin strike read more in Morning Star
Support the Unite Sheffield Bin strike – Unite: Strikes at Veolia in Sheffield set to continue as company refuses to negotiate (26 June) – Fresh ballot from union shows strong support for continuing industrial action read more. Strikes at union-busting firm Veolia are set to continue in Sheffield following the latest successful ballot of workers at the Lumley Street depot read more
Support the Unison Gloucestershire phlebotomists strike
Time for ‘rogue’ NHS trust to resolve 100-day blood specialists strike, says UNISON (4 July) – The bizarre and counterproductive approach adopted by senior executives at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is not only out of step with the rest of the NHS, but it clearly isn’t working either read more
Gloucestershire phlebotomists pass 100 days on strike read more
Picketing and plan of action for week 18:
Monday 14th: Joint picket at Cheltenham General Hospital from 07:30 to 12:00.
Tuesday 15th: Joint picket at Gloucester Royal Hospital from 07.30 to 12:00.
Wednesday 16th: Joint picket at from Cheltenham General Hospital from 07:30 to 12:00.
Thursday 17th: Joint picket at Gloucester Royal Hospital from 07.30 to 12:00.
Friday 18th: Each site to decide
Donate to the strike fund
Please show phlebotomists your support and solidarity by donating to their strike hardship fund:
Make a donation via SumUp
UNISON Gloucestershire DHC Branch 21311
Sort code: 60-83-01
Account number: 20301750
Reference: strikefund
Union News
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RMT
Shocking survey reveals extent of poverty and pressure faced by Metro cleaners (11 July) – A new RMT survey of Tyne and Wear Metro cleaners has laid bare the devastating impact of outsourcing, with the vast majority of staff reporting poverty pay, lack of sick pay, and rising workloads under private contractor Churchill read more
RMT remembers those who were killed on 7/7 (7 July) – On the 20th anniversary today of 7/7 London Bombings on July 7, 2005 Tube union RMT remembers those who were killed and injured in the attack. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that it was important to remember the bravery of those who responded to the bombings, particularly transport workers, emergency services staff and public services who provided essential support read more
Government must act over P&O Ferries (4 July) – SEAFARERS Union RMT called on the government to stop P&O Ferries profiteering from public funds following the release of the company’s 2023 accounts today nearly a year later than required by law. The P&O accounts were published nearly ten months late following the resignation of its auditors in May. The company has already broken the law by firing and replacing seafarer RMT members with foreign agency crew who are paid under £5 an hour with no protection, working a minimum of 12 hour days, seven days per week for months in UK waters. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that P&O Ferries was a pariah company that had torched its reputation and that of the UK shipping industry to cut labour costs read more
RMT to ballot GWR Gateline staff over dangerous lone staffing plans (11 June) – Rail union, RMT is balloting over 300 Gateline staff across Great Western Railway (GWR) for strike action in response to company plans to impose single staffing and extend working hours. The proposals would leave staff isolated, more exposed to abuse and violence, and unable to provide proper ticket enforcement and adequate assistance to passengers. Unfortunately management have resorted to attempting to intimidate workers by insisting they will not win the ballot and that the new working arrangements are being imposed regardless of union action. RMT is clear that single staffing on Gatelines is a direct attack on the safety, dignity and job security of frontline workers and the union will not accept it read more
CrossCountry workers to begin overtime ban in rest day working dispute (23 May) – RMT members at CrossCountry will begin an overtime ban and refuse to work rest days from Monday 9 June to Friday 25 October – excluding Sundays. The action follows Cross Country’s refusal to negotiate on enhancements for all grades to overtime and rest day working, despite previously agreed commitments read more
RMT strike action to hit Nottingham bus services in pay dispute (23 May) – Bus workers employed by CT4N in Nottingham will take strike action across four days in June and July in a dispute over pay and working conditions. Strike action will take place on the following days:
• Thursday 12 June 2025
• Wednesday 18 June 2025
• Wednesday 25 June 2025
• Wednesday 2 July 2025
Bus workers operate critical services across Nottingham, including the Medilink routes serving NHS hospitals and clinics. Despite the vital role they play in the city’s transport system, CT4N staff remain underpaid and undervalued read more
Balfour Beatty Rail Plant strike ballot to open (19 May) – Rail union RMT, will open a ballot for industrial action on Tuesday, after Balfour Beatty refused to improve its derisory 2.5% pay offer. RMT members working rail infrastructure maintenance, operations and engineering and technical support, have already overwhelmingly rejected this offer, which does nothing to address the rising cost of living. Despite further talks, the company has refused to make a meaningful improvement in their approach. The ballot will close on Tuesday 10th June 2025 and the union is urging members to vote “Yes.” Read more
ASLEF
ASLEF in action on Hull Trains – as long as it takes (9 July) – Mick Whelan, general secretary, ASLEF:COLLEAGUES, may I take this opportunity to praise our colleagues on Hull Trains who have been on all out strike in support of a colleague who has been terminated for doing nothing wrong, and outside the agreed processes and procedures, which is a real kick in the teeth to the safety culture of the whole railway. It has been made clear to the company that we are here until we get a right and just resolution to the issue and, along with the many messages of solidarity, we shall be sending a message to Hull Trains and the whole railway industry, that our branches will support financially their colleagues and friends for as long as it takes read more
TSSA
TSSA supervisors win Translink concessions over strike ahead of the Open (11 July) – TSSA members working in Supervisor Grades (including railway controllers) at Translink have accepted an offer of a pay rise which removes the immediate threat of strike action for this group of workers ahead of the Open Championships at Portrush. Members in Supervisor Grades had been due to walkout over pay on Friday 18th July and Saturday 19th July before the company came back today with an offer of a pay rise which averages at around 7 per cent. The offer is contingent on this group of TSSA members agreeing to pause their planned industrial action (strike and action short of a strike). However, this does not end the dispute – with full agreement yet to be finalised. Nor does it end the threat to the services next weekend – with two other groups of workers – Clerical staff as well as Management, Professional & Technical Grades (MPT) – still due to walk out. The union is in no doubt that should those strikes go ahead they will have a significant impact on the ability of people to use trains and buses during the period of the planned walkouts. TSSA is now calling on Translink to meet them at the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) with acceptable offers for members in Clerical staff as well as Management, Professional & Technical Grades (MPT). The remaining industrial action is due to commence for
- Northern Ireland Railways from 00:01 on Friday 18th July 2025 until 23:59 on Saturday 19th July 2025
- In Ulsterbus – the strike action will take place from 00:01 on Friday 18th July 2025 until 23:59 on Saturday 19th July 2025.
TSSA members at Northern Ireland Railways and Ulsterbus (operating as Translink) strongly backed the industrial action in a dispute mainly over pay read more
TSSA members at Translink to strike during the Open (11 July) – Hundreds of TSSA members in Translink are to strike over pay, with dates scheduled to coincide with the Open golf championship at Portrush. Walkouts will take place on Friday the 18th and Saturday 19th of July raising the prospect of a complete stoppage of rail services, and impacting on bus services. An offer received from Translink on Wednesday was rejected by TSSA as it failed to address members’ aspirations read more
TSSA Remembers London 7/7 Attacks 20 Years On (7 July) – Two decades on from the horrific attacks of 7th July 2005, rail and transport union TSSA has paid tribute to those involved in the events of that day. Fifty-two people were killed and almost 800 more were injured when four suicide bombers struck London’s transport network read more
TSSA holds ‘constructive’ meeting with Minister over Translink pay dispute (1 July) – Rail and transport union TSSA has held a ‘constructive’ meeting with the Minister for Infrastructure at Stormont today in a bid to end a dispute which threatens a summer of industrial action at Translink. Following the meeting with Liz Kimmins MLA at Parliament Buildings the union declared it was ‘optimistic’ the Minister was listening to concerns about the unfair two-tier pay system operating at Translink. Hundreds of TSSA members at Northern Ireland Railways and Ulsterbus (operating as Translink) have strongly backed industrial action in a dispute over pay. Members who work in Supervisor Grades (including railway controllers) as well as Clerical, Management, Professional & Technical Grades (MPT) have overwhelmingly voted for strike action and action short of a strike. Within Supervisor grades at N I Railways support for strike action was over 90 per cent in favour. There were similar results in other areas – including Ulsterbus and Management grades at N I Railways with over 80 per cent support. No dates have yet been set but the union says the dispute by members raises the prospect of services being reduced or failing to run at all during action taken over the summer months read more
TSSA to meet Minister over Translink dispute (30 June)
TSSA calls on MPs to oppose welfare reform bill (1 July) – The Labour affiliated union TSSA has issued an urgent call to MPs across the House of Commons to oppose the government’s welfare reform Bill in a key vote later today read more
Unite
Unite ballots Orkney Ferries workers on strike action in pay dispute (11 July) – Strike ballot opens on 15 July. Unite the union confirmed today that it is balloting Orkney Ferries workers on industrial action in an escalating dispute over pay. Unite represents around 30 outer north and inner isles workers who have rejected several offers from Orkney Ferries. The latest offer overwhelmingly rejected amounted to a basic four per cent increase. The ballot will open on 15 July and closes on 5 August, if workers vote for industrial action strikes could begin from the end of August read more
Unite sets Glasgow airport summer strike action (11 July) – Union resolves ICTS dispute with pay deal for 250 workers. Unite confirmed today (Friday 11 July) that around 100 workers are set for summer strike action in July as the pay dispute with Glasgow Airport Limited escalates. The trade union revealed that despite repeated offers to restart negotiations in an attempt to resolve the pay dispute, it has been informed that no new pay offer will be made to the workers. Unite says it has been left with no option but to issue strike dates claiming that the airport’s new management is ‘spoiling for a fight’. 48-hour strike action is set to take place from 06:00 on Thursday 24 July to 05:59 on Saturday 26 July. Last week, an emphatic 98.7 per cent of Unite members at Glasgow Airport Limited backed industrial action to secure a better pay offer after rejecting a basic four per cent pay offer. The workers include airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers and managers. The company made £40.65m in its latest recorded accounts. AviAlliance, a subsidiary of PSP Investments, acquired AGS Airports (which includes Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Southampton airports) in a £1.53 billion deal in January 2025.
Meanwhile, Unite can confirm it has now successfully negotiated a pay deal covering 250 ICTS central search workers at Glasgow Airport. The workers who deal with passengers directly in the security search area and process them for flights have secured a basic pay increase of five per cent. The ICTS deal means that disputes involving around 740 workers have been successfully resolved through negotiation at Glasgow Airport. This includes around 300 Menzies Aviation workers securing a pay deal which establishes a four per cent minimum increase for new starters, and up to 10 per cent for workers depending on grades. 50 Falck firefighters who perform fire safety functions at the airport also accepted a basic wage increase of 4.5 per cent while there have been wage wins for over 140 workers based at Glasgow airport employed by ABM and OCS… Over 100 Swissport workers remain in a dispute over working rotas and work-life balance, plus health and safety concerns. Workers provide ground handling services to many major airlines, including ticketing and baggage handling. A consultative ballot on a new offer made by Swissport to address these outstanding issues has been put to the workforce. The ballot concludes on 14 July. If this offer is rejected, Unite will move to open a full industrial action ballot read more
Hundreds of Glasgow airport workers head towards summer strike action (4 July) – Three pay disputes with Glasgow Airport, ICTS and Swissport remain unresolved. Unite confirmed today (Friday 4 July) that around 450 workers are on course for summer strike action in unresolved disputes with three companies based at Glasgow airport read more
Unite members back COSLA pay offer (10 July) – Over 70 per cent support two-year deal. Unite, Scotland’s leading trade union, can confirm that its local government membership has voted to accept the two-year COSLA pay offer. Thousands of Unite’s local government members returned a 77 per cent yes vote in a ballot to support the deal worth four per cent this year and 3.5 per cent in 2026/27. The deal represents a cumulative uplift in basic pay of 7.6 per cent by April 2026 read more
Glasgow subway strike action ends in time for TRNSMT festival (10 July) – Interim deal reached in dispute over SPT working conditions. Unite can confirm that an interim deal has been backed by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) workers on the Glasgow subway bringing strike action to an end. Industrial action involving around 100 SPT workers was scheduled for Friday (11 July), Saturday (12 July) and Sunday (13 July) which would have coincided with the TRNSMT music festival at Glasgow Green. An enhanced interim offer made by SPT on Tuesday has now been backed by Unite’s members after a previous offer was overwhelmingly rejected. The deal will deliver an increase in basic pay, allowances, sick pay and overtime rates along with a commitment by SPT to enter into negotiations on the future terms and conditions of workers in line with the subway modernisation plan. The overall cost of the interim deal to SPT is estimated to be around £245,000 per annum and the enhancements are in addition to the four per cent COSLA pay award. Unite’s members previously held three days of action at the end of June which brought the subway system to a stop as no stations were open and services weren’t running read more
East Coast bus drivers strike ballot over pay (10 July) – 130 drivers reject two-year offer at publicly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses. Unite has confirmed around 130 drivers employed by East Coast Buses are involved in an industrial action ballot after rejecting a two-year pay offer. The ballot will open today (10 July) and close on 24 July. If workers vote for industrial action then strike action could start in early August potentially impacting on the Edinburgh Festival and the Oasis concert (9 August) at Murrayfield. The East Coast Buses drivers provide services from the city of Edinburgh and the East Lothian coast and mainland. East Coast Buses and Lothian County are both owned by the publicly run Lothian Buses. A separate pay deal has been successfully negotiated by Unite for Lothian County bus drivers which run services across west Edinburgh and West Lothian read more
Unite responds to job losses at Dow’s plant in Barry, South Wales (8 July) – Unite has today (July 8) responded to plans to cut jobs at Dow in Barry, South Wales. The firm, which has produced chemicals in Barry since the 1940s, has confirmed it is closing the Basics area of its plant, with closure plans first announced in April this year. Initially almost 300 jobs were at risk but following negotiations with Unite it is expected that this will be reduced to 200, with almost 150 of these voluntary redundancies. Employees who are set to lose their jobs have also secured enhanced redundancy packages read more
Sexual harassment endemic in UK workplaces, landmark Unite survey finds (8 July) – Unite has today (8 July) released the results of a landmark survey into sexual harassment in the workplace. The union, which has almost 300,000 women members, polled women working across all 19 sectors Unite represents on whether they had experienced sexual harassment while at work, travelling to work or from a colleague including in or out of work hours read more
Sexual harassment endemic in Scottish workplaces, landmark Unite survey finds (8 July) – Nearly 10 per cent of women in Scotland suffered work-related sexual assault. The Worker Protection Act has failed women workers who are being assaulted at work and feel unable to report incidents. Unite has today released the results of a landmark survey into sexual harassment in the workplace read more
Belfast GLL leisure workers vote for industrial action (7 July) – Largest council in Northern Ireland has worst pay for leisure workers. Industrial action to commence Tuesday 15 July with a work to rule at outsourced leisure centres and gyms. Members of Unite and NIPSA employed at Belfast’s municipal leisure centres have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. The ballot followed the refusal of Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) to agree the workforce’s pay claim. The company is contracted by Belfast City council to manage its outsourced leisure centres and gyms. As a result of GLLs failure to offer a fair pay offer a continuous work-to-rule will begin on Tuesday 15 July. The unions also contacted GLL to clarify that they stood ready to commence negotiations to resolve the pay dispute at any time. Because of the outsourcing of leisure services by Belfast City Council, pay for workers at leisure centres has fallen considerably behind that for leisure workers employed by other councils in Northern Ireland. Workers are seeking an additional one pound an hour pay increase this year which will reduce the pay differential with other leisure workers. The unions have also contacted GLL to clarify that they stood ready to commence negotiations to resolve the pay dispute at any time read more
Betrayal of BAE workers at Warton as final assembly of Typhoon fighter jets ends (7 July) – Unite, Britain’s leading union in the defence and aerospace sectors, has issued a scathing criticism of government procurement policy after production lines for the Typhoon fighter jet in Warton, Lancashire ground to a halt. Hundreds of workers at the site, employed by BAE Systems, have had to be transferred to other BAE factories or to RAF bases as there are no further domestic or export orders for the Typhoon. Unite has long campaigned for the government to place a new order for a fourth tranche of the Typhoon read more
Further disruption to North East bus services as Stagecoach workers ballot on strikes (4 July) – There could be a shutdown of the bus network across the North East this summer as over 80 engineers and cleaners for Stagecoach are being balloted for strike action in a dispute about pay. After years of historic low pay, the Unite members at Busways Travel Services, part of the Stagecoach North East group, have overwhelmingly rejected a below inflation pay offer of 3.3 per cent backdated to 1 April 2025. The company has struggled to recruit engineers in recent years, with low pay frequently cited as the issue…Nearly 500 members at Slatyford and Walkergate are also undertaking a ballot for strike action over pay. Their ballot closes on 15 July which means action could take place at the same time as their colleagues, from next month, if successful read more
International Transport Workers’ Federation staff strike to protect jobs (4 July) – A quarter of staff facing redundancy while senior management wages increase 47%. More than 100 workers at the London-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) will strike over planned redundancies and attacks on collective bargaining read more
Village Hotel workers in Glasgow ballot for strike action over jobs, pay and conditions (3 July) – Unite can confirm that workers at the Village Hotel in Glasgow are being balloted on strike action in an escalating dispute over pay, paid breaks and working conditions. Around 90 per cent of the food and beverage workforce are involved in the dispute which follows the refusal of Village Hotels management to negotiate over improved pay, contracts, and conditions. The ballot opened this week and closes on 15 July. If a strike mandate is achieved it will be the first strike action at a major hotel in over 40 years. The workers are demanding equal pay for everyone regardless of age starting at the real living wage of £12.60, paid breaks for everyone, and backdated wages for those under 21-years at the same rate as fellow workers in Village Edinburgh – who are paid significantly more for the same roles read more
Staff must be at centre of new NHS plan but any cuts to Agenda Change will be resisted, Unite (2 July) – Unite, one of the country’s leading healthcare unions, has offered a cautious welcome to the government’s new 10-year plan for the NHS. Released today, the plan highlights the changes necessary to ensure the NHS remains fit for purpose and Unite believes many of the measure outlined are vital read more
Unite reject pay award from Welsh NHS and prepare for strikes (2 July) – NHS staff across Wales have voted to take strike action following a poor pay award. Members of Unite, one of the country’s leading health sector unions, have voted in heavy numbers to reject the pay award and indicated they are prepared to take industrial action demanding that the Welsh government make improvements to their pay. Unite members in Wales have voted in large numbers that the pay award is unacceptable. 87 per cent rejected the pay award and said they were prepared to take strike action to try to achieve a better and fairer pay increase. Unite is now calling on the Welsh government to open up pay negotiations with unions. If negotiations on pay do not happen Unite will have no choice but to start the formal industrial action ballot process. Any industrial action will affect a number of services including ambulance services where Unite has particularly high membership read more
Unite response to Employment Rights Bill, Roadmap (2 July) – Responding to the publication of the government’s roadmap for the implementation of the employment rights bill, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Workers have been crying out for decent employment rights for decades. While being far from perfect, this bill does go some way towards levelling the playing field. It is important that many key collective rights in the bill will come into effect relatively quickly. But it is disappointing that the government has created a long and winding road before other much needed rights come into effect.” Read more
Cardiff bus services under threat as workers ballot for strike action (1 July) – Bus services in Cardiff could be severely disrupted this summer, as over 450 Unite members including drivers are being balloted for strike action. The Unite Wales members work for Cardiff City Transport Services, better known as Cardiff Bus, which is the main operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area including Barry and Penarth. Workers are financially struggling and have rejected the company’s latest offer which leaves driver pay below levels in the rest of the UK…The ballot closes on 22 July. If workers vote to strike, action could start in early August and would be the first by members at Cardiff Bus in 10 years. Members being balloted work in driver, garage operative and engineering roles read more
Wincanton strikes called off as Unite members win pay victory (1 July) – HGV drivers on Marshalls contract win above-inflation pay award. Nearly 200 drivers from the logistics firm Wincanton, who deliver building supplies for Marshalls, have won a new pay deal following their threat to take strike action. Drivers have won a five per cent pay increase, an additional £1,000 payment and access to a private healthcare scheme. Unite’s members work for Wincanton on behalf of Marshalls building supply company, whose customers include household names like Travis Perkins, Jewsons, Wickes, Taylor Wimpy and Barrett Homes. Drivers had been due to stop all overtime and overnight work away from home from yesterday but a last minute offer was overwhelmingly accepted read more
Over 200 staff covering advice and support line vote for Unite ahead of recognition ballot covering entire workforce (30 June) – Over 200 staff covering advice and support line vote for Unite ahead of recognition ballot covering entire workforce. Macmillan Cancer Support services division workers, including advice and support line staff, have voted to have Unite recognised as the union representing their interests. Unite and Macmillan will now sign an already negotiated recognition agreement. This will enable Unite to collectively bargain on behalf of the more than 200 workers, who are based around the country, on issues such as pay, working conditions and annual leave read more
Airbus workers balloted for strike action over pay (30 June) – Unite members at Broughton and Filton could walk out if pay offer isn’t improved. Over three thousand aircraft fitters and engineers at aerospace giant, Airbus, are being balloted from today (Monday 30 June) for industrial action in a dispute over pay. Members of the Unite union, Britain’s largest union in the defence and aerospace sector, are to be balloted about taking industrial action following a series of unacceptable pay offers. Although Unite has begun balloting for industrial action, the union remains hopeful that Airbus will return to the negotiating table and a mutually acceptable agreement can be reached. The highly skilled workers play a critical role in the production of aircraft wings for the hugely successful A320 family, A330, A350 and A400M military transport aircraft – core programmes in Airbus’s global operations. Should they vote to strike the company’s sites in Broughton (Flintshire) and Filton (near Bristol) will grind to a halt, delaying delivery of aircraft wings bringing aircraft deliveries to a standstill read more
Government must intervene immediately at Lindsey oil refinery, Unite (30 June) – Fuel supplies, workers and communities must be all supported. Following the announcement this morning that the Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery, in North Lincolnshire, has gone into administration, Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents workers at the complex, has demanded the government intervenes immediately to protect workers, oil supplies and the local community read more
Unite: Plans to close a major cancer mental health service in the East Midlands ‘disgraceful and unethical’ (30 June) – Unite has responded to plans to close a highly-valued cancer mental health service in the East Midlands, which would see the loss of 15 clinical psychologist roles. The East Midlands Cancer Alliance Centre for Psychosocial Health (EMCA-CPH) has been earmarked for closure by Integrated Care Boards commissioners without any warning or consultation with Unite and its members there, despite the fact it is a highly successful and valued service covering five counties within the East Midlands region and remotely provides psychological therapies for over 500 cancer patients per year. In addition, the service is involved in leading clinical trials that could help improve outcomes for patients on NHS waiting lists, which will fail to complete when the service is planned to close this September read more
Tata Steel: Strike set to escalate tonight as management cancels scheduled talks (26 June) – Pay freezes have left Tata workers at just over minimum wage. Unite has served Tata Steel with notice of five more days of strike action over the coming weeks following management’s decision to cancel scheduled talks on pay differentials. The next strike action follows a 48-hour stoppage last week and will take place from 21:59 hours tonight (26 June 2025) until 22.01 on 30th June 2025. There will be another one-day stoppage starting 21.59 hrs on 10 July 2025, with further strike action from 21.59 on 24 July 2025 until 22.01 on 28 July. The strike action is in addition to the continuous ban on overtime and work to rule and the discontinuous strike action as set out in Notice of Action dated 11 June 2025. The dispute surrounds the workers’ claim for restoration of pay differentials eroded as a result of pay freezes in recent years read more
Council workers overwhelmingly vote to reject this year’s pay offer (24 June) – Local authority workers who are members of Unite have overwhelmingly voted to reject this year’s pay offer of 3.2 per cent. Council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were offered the increase from 1 April 2025, which was tabled by national employers without any negotiation with unions. However, 84 per cent of Unite members in local authorities have rejected it in a consultative ballot. Following discussions with sister unions in the local authority sector who were consulting at the same time, Unite could now hold ballots for industrial action which could take place from late summer read more
Rally and strikes at Liverpool University over hybrid working diktat (18 June) – Hundreds of Unite members who are long-standing employees at the University of Liverpool will go on strike this week over proposed changes to their hybrid working patterns. It comes as Liverpool University management decided to impose an extra day to the hybrid working option currently set at 40 per cent on-campus working, expecting staff to come in for 60 per cent of their working week without any negotiations with unions. Workers will be taking industrial action on both Friday (June 20) and Saturday (June 21). These are key open days for the university and events where staff play a key role. There will be a rally at Liverpool University, Harold Cohen library building L3 5TX at 13:00 on Friday, which press are welcome to attend. While the diktat has not yet been fully implemented, some managers have been accused of using ‘under the radar’ tactics to compel workers into attending campus for more than is currently agreed, such as by scheduling in-person meetings read more
Supermarket wine shortage looms as Encirc glass workers in Bristol strike (18 June) – There is set to be shortages of bottled, box and bags of wine on supermarket shelves this summer as over 200 Unite members at the Encirc site in Avonmouth, Bristol strike over pay and collective bargaining. Members at the factory work across different areas, including bottling and packaging red, white, rose and sparkling wine and distributing it from warehouses. Encirc supplies all the major supermarkets with wine, which is the most popular alcoholic drink in the UK. Encirc is a very profitable company, with a turnover of over £600 million. However, the firm has only offered its workers a 3.2 per cent pay rise without negotiating with Unite – the recognised union – and has now repeatedly stated from now on it will only give pay rises tied to inflation. This effectively means removing Unite’s collective bargaining rights, as any pay increases will be set by Encirc without negotiations before being imposed on workers. Previously, the union had been able to negotiate with management on pay. Unite members at Encirc, overwhelmingly voted to take strike action. Strikes will take place between 19 June and 5 July, with workers in different parts of the business taking strike action on different dates and times according to production schedules to have the biggest impact. There will also be a 12 week overtime ban as part of the action. Encirc asked for negotiations with conciliation service Acas, which Unite agreed to. However workers were then offered a worse deal than that which had already been rejected read more
London Hedin Mercedes mechanics to strike (17 June) – Brooklands, Bromley and Croydon workers walkout over real terms pay cuts. Mechanics at Hedin Mercedes-Benz dealerships will strike in June and July over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The mechanics, responsible for Mercedes repairs, MOTs and servicing across the capital, voted for industrial action over the company’s refusal to put forward a pay offer for 2025. Last year, the workers received a two per cent pay rise, while the average rate of RPI inflation for 2024 was 3.6 per cent. Meanwhile, RPI inflation for April 2025 was 4.5 per cent. The workers will strike on 23, 25, 27 and 30 June and 2, 4, 7, 9 and 11 July. Further dates will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved. The industrial action will impact Hedin customers requiring repairs, servicing and MOTs across its sites in Brooklands, Bromley and Croydon read more
Unite to ballot 1500 construction workers at Sellafield for strikes over lack of pay (11 June) – Nuclear site clean-up could grind to a halt if workers walk out. Staff demanding recognition for specialised work. Unite, the country’s leading trade union for nuclear site workers, is to ballot around 1,500 construction workers from 36 contractors at Sellafield. The affected workers range from electricians, joiners, pipefitters, riggers, groundworkers, welders and painters and other vital construction roles. The long running dispute is around the employers at Sellafield refusing to resolve requests for additional ‘Sellafield Specific Allowances’. The requested allowances relate to Unite construction members engaging and constructing on advanced technologies projects. A further demand was for the introduction of a nuclear professional allowance for Unite members who are working in a unique working environmental at Sellafield. All such requests have been refused by the employers read more
Wigan Alpla UK plastic packaging strikes over fire and rehire disgrace (9 June) – Coca Cola, Muller, Unilever, Britvic supply chains facing disruption due to Alpla UK’s exploitation. Plastic packaging workers employed at Alpla UK in Golborne, Wigan, will strike over the company’s attempts to fire and rehire them on degraded contracts. Over 150 workers, members of the UK’s leading union, Unite, are being threatened with the sack if they do not accept shift changes that will increase their hours, including extra nights and weekend working…The workers will strike on 16, 17, 27 and 28 June and 11 and 12 July. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Clients reliant on plastic packaging from the Golborne factory, including Coca Cola, Muller, Unilever and Britvic, will be impacted read more
Glasgow and Edinburgh airports summer strike action looms (27 May) – 600 Menzies Aviation ground service workers to ballot unless new offer tabled. Ground services crew employed by Menzies Aviation at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports have overwhelmingly rejected pay offers as Unite says summer strike action looms over the nation’s largest airports. Around 600 workers including dispatchers, allocators, airside agents and controllers have rejected two separate pay offers by Menzies Aviation at each airport. In the region of 300 Menzies Aviation workers emphatically rejected a basic uplift worth around 4.25 per cent at Glasgow airport. By an emphatic 100 per cent, around 300 workers based at Edinburgh airport also rejected an offer worth around four per cent read more
Unite to ballot NHS members over “substandard” pay award (4 June) – Union urges members in England and Wales to reject real-terms pay cut. Workers also balloted for industrial action. Unite, one of Britain’s biggest health unions, has begun balloting its NHS members over the recent below-inflation pay award from the government. The union, which represents staff working across the NHS in almost every professional group has urged members to reject the insultingly low 3.6 per cent award. It is also balloting members on whether they would be prepared to take strike action. The pay award is below the rate of inflation, with RPI sitting 4.5 per cent in April. The increase is less than doctors and dentists, who have been awarded four per cent along with an additional £750 increase. The increase is also lower than Scotland NHS pay award where workers were awarded 4.25 per cent for 2025/26 and 3.75 per cent for 2026/27 with a guarantee this is 1 per cent above the Consumer Price Index (CPI)… The ballot for Welsh NHS staff opens on 9th June and the ballot for English NHS workers on 16th June. The ballots will be open for three and four weeks respectively. Should staff reject the award and vote for industrial action, Unite will announce dates and locations in due course read more
Scottish Water pay offer rejected as strike action resumes (30 May) – Seven days of strike action set for next week. A new wave of strike action is hitting Scottish Water next week as the pay dispute continues to boil over. The latest pay offer which contained no substantive improvements was overwhelmingly rejected by Unite’s 500-strong membership on Friday (30 May). Strike action is taking place from 2 June until the end of 8 June involving Unite’s membership at offices and wastewater treatment works across the whole of Scotland. Unite will stage protests: When & Where: 10:00 – Wednesday 4 June at Shieldhall Depot, 38 Renfrew Road Govan Glasgow, G51 4SU read more
CWU
CWU LIVE – Royal Mail Group National Agreement – Your Questions Answered (9 July) – Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Martin Walsh and Head of Communications Chris Webb are live and answering members questions about the recent Royal Mail Group National Agreement read more
We’re Backing No Sweat’s Crowdfunder – Get Involved! (7 July) – We’re really excited to be supporting our friends at No Sweat as they launch a new crowdfunder to grow their amazing union-made T-shirt project – the heart of their campaign against sweatshop labour read more
CWU LIVE – Posties Make Up HUGE Amount of Dog Attacks (3 July) – Dog Awareness Week Special highlighting the risks postal workers face from dog attacks. With 1 in 3 attacks targeting delivery staff, we discuss the issue with Jamie McGovern (CWU Health & Safety) and share safety tips read more
Special Restructuring Conference 2025: Report (1 July) – Hundreds of CWU members met in Blackpool this weekend to decide the structures that will “prepare the future of our union” read more
CBRE members to vote on “inflation-busting” pay rises (25 June) – CBRE members of the CWU are being urged to vote ‘yes’ on a deal that will guarantee inflation-busting pay rises. Members on the facilities services provider’s BT contract are being encouraged to accept the deal, which have concluded after a series of negotiations between union representatives and management. Fundamental to the agreement is a 3.8% pay increase for all workers on the contract. The deal also includes several other key offers that the union is recommending to members read more
CWU members in Santander need your support. They have faced outsourcing, offshoring and technology is being used to negatively impact our members futures. They are now fighting back with a joint campaign with Advance Union. All CWU members, family members, friends and the wider public can help us by signing and sharing this petition.
Every signature counts – https://cwu.eaction.org.uk/cwuadvancepetition
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]
Successful first week for MyCSP strike (11 July) – Strikers at MyCSP are today finishing the first of six weeks of strike action over their employer’s failure to recognise PCS. PCS members working for MyCSP in Liverpool and Cheadle have taken the first of six weeks of strike action over the employer’s failure to recognise PCS and to negotiate with the union on vital TUPE talks. The action this week has been well supported by long-standing and newer members, some of whom have never taken strike action before read more
Support the MyCSP strikes (4 July) – PCS members working for pension administrator MyCSP start six weeks of strike action on Monday 7 July. PCS members employed by pension administrator MyCSP in Liverpool and Cheadle will be taking six weeks of strike action from Monday 7 July to Friday 15 August, in response to their employer’s refusal to recognise PCS. The company is excluding the union from critical TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) talks ahead of a planned takeover by outsourcing giant Capita read more
DWP Lincoln City Hall Office Closure (10 July) – Please use our e-action to ask your MP to take part in the campaign to keep the DWP Lincoln Universal Credit Service Centre open. The DWP has announced the closure of Lincoln City Hall office in an ill-thought-out and unnecessary move which will put 128 experienced, front line DWP officers at risk of redundancy. The DWP group executive committee has long campaigned against office closures and we are urging all members to sign the e-action to bring this decision and our campaign to the attention of your MP read more
PCS relaunches its tax justice campaign (4 July) – PCS will relaunch our tax justice policy on 14 July in parliament, calling for fairer taxation and proper HMRC funding. Billions lost to avoidance, evasion, and under-resourcing could fund public services read more
Employment Rights Bill roadmap – PCS calls for ministers to speed up, not delay the process (3 July) – PCS National President Martin Cavanagh responds to roadmap publication and legislative timeline. The UK Government published the employment rights bill implementation roadmap, setting out timelines for measures in the bill coming into effect, on 1 July. While PCS cautiously welcomed the legislation when it was introduced, it has since been through a series of changes which have ultimately weakened much of its content. Although the bill is likely to receive Royal Assent in September, many of the proposals are yet to be consulted on and will not come into force until 2026 or 2027 via secondary legislation read more
PCS opposes call to remove pensions triple lock (2 July) – State pension levels should continue to rise above arbitrary fiscal targets and ensure pensioners can live free from poverty, says PCS in response to an Institute for Fiscal Studies review which argues the pensions triple lock may no longer be needed read more
They fought, they won: FM members vote yes to end long dispute (20 June) – Groundbreaking victory for members working for outsourcing giants OCS, G4S and ISS, as they agree to accept offer of pay rises and improved terms and conditions following months of determined and heroic strike action read more
PCS responds to government’s welfare reform bill (1 July) – Labour is risking the lives of disabled people for the sake of accounting gimmicks, says PCS in response to the government’s welfare bill passing its second reading in the House of Commons tonight read more
PCS members at MHCLG escalate industrial action (26 June) – PCS members in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will begin action short of a strike from 30 June.The dispute, which began earlier this year, centres on the closure of six offices, the imposition of rigid office attendance policies, and the withdrawal of location-neutral recruitment read more
Third two-day strike at CAA starts tomorrow (16 June) – Civil Aviation Authority members at Gatwick Airport and Canary Wharf will be walking out again on 17 and 18 June. PCS Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) members based at Gatwick Airport and Canary Wharf are taking six days of industrial action in their dispute over pay. In this six-day period of strike action, the members working for the aviation industry regulator walked out for two days on 3 and 4 June and 10 and 11. This is a continuation of the dispute that also saw them take strike action in January and March as well as a work to rule with an overtime ban. The members’ pay dispute goes back to 2024: the imposed pay offer for 2024-2025 was below the industry rate and the civil service pay remit. We are currently negotiating pay for 2025-2026, which will also consider the 2024-2025 pay dispute read more. And send messages of support to [email protected]
Resounding turnout and yes vote in OFGEM strike ballot (12 June) – PCS members at the energy regulator OFGEM have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay, jobs, working conditions and industrial relations. On a turnout of 65%, smashing the undemocratic ‘threshold’ for action, 85% of members voted ‘yes’ for strike action. This is a resounding result, demonstrating the members’ depth of feeling and resolve. Our members have called time on OFGEM’s failure to fix pay in the organisation, on its refusal to provide reassurances on jobs and on its lack of regard for the agreements it makes with their union. With this new mandate now on the table, we now expect serious responses from OFGEM to resolve all the issues in dispute read more
Benton Park View strike rally attracts support from across the movement (9 June) – The strike rally at Benton Park View in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne drew support from across the labour and trade union movement. The rally on Friday marked over 5 months of strike action by employer services members on the site in defence of PCS reps Joel, Gordon and Rachel, dismissed by HMRC for trade union activity. Acting branch secretary Angie Foggett thanked members for their selfless support for the 3 reps. Joel and Gordon gave emotional accounts of the impact of the dismissals on their lives and those of their families… PCS HMRC Group will now meet to discuss the next steps in the campaign 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
Palace of Westminster security staff balloted for strike action (4 June) – The dispute is around five main issues which the employer has failed to address, of which the key issue is the removal of six days’ annual leave/rest days. Nearly 300 PCS members employed as security staff at the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) are being balloted to ask if they are willing to take strike action over their employer’s failure to address a number of outstanding issues read more
ONS members vote to escalate industrial action (2 Apr) – PCS members in the Office for National Statistics have voted for strike action in their dispute over a forced return to workplaces. In a ballot that closed on Monday (31 March), 68% of Office for National Statistics (ONS) members taking part voted to take strike action while 91% voted to take action short of a strike (ASOS), on a 71% turnout. Since May 2024, over 1100 PCS members working for the ONS in various locations (Newport in South Wales, Titchfield in Hampshire, London, Darlington, Manchester and Edinburgh) have been taking action short of a strike by refusing to comply with the new attendance policy. They 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. This action had no tangible impact on the ONS’s outputs, proving PCS’s argument that there was nothing to be gained by the attendance policy change. To increase the pressure on the employer, members had been working-to-rule since 27 August 2024. By extending the strike mandate by a further six months, this ballot result will allow PCS to further ramp up the pressure on ONS management over their insistence that staff spend at least 40% of the time in a designated workplace read more
Prospect
Bectu responds to report that BBC plans to outsource jobs (11 July) – Head of Bectu Philippa Childs responding to reports that the BBC plans to outsource jobs: “The BBC is at the heart of the government’s creative industry strategy – outsourcing and potentially offshoring large numbers of jobs runs totally counter to the growth agenda…” read more
Prospect and GBE-N sign recognition agreement (4 July) – Prospect has signed a comprehensive recognition agreement with Great British Energy – Nuclear, covering negotiation on pay, pensions and terms and conditions, as well as consulting in areas of policy and reorganisation read more
Onshore wind strategy will need good unionised jobs to succeed (4 July) – A plan to almost double onshore wind in England by 2030 has been unveiled by the government, but to succeed it will need to address significant workforce and skills challenges, says Prospect read more
North Hyde report underlines urgency of ensuring resiliency of infrastructure and the workforce (2 July) – A review has found that the root cause of a fire at North Hyde substation, which led to the closure of Heathrow Airport, was most likely moisture entering equipment and causing an electrical fault read more
Review of parental leave must consider the self-employed and pensions, says Prospect (1 July) – The government’s review of parental leave must also consider how to better support self-employed workers and the effect of taking any leave on pensions, says Prospect read more
Reforms to Building Safety Regulator will need investment in staff to be successful (30 June) – The government has unveiled reforms to the Building Safety Regulator to speed up housebuilding, but Prospect warns that it will need proper investment in staff to be effective read more
Prospect raises formal Failure to Agree with Babcock Group boss over pension reforms (3 June) – Prospect has written to David Lockwood, chief executive of Babcock International Group, to raise a formal Failure to Agree following unsuccessful negotiations over making much-needed improvements to the company’s pension scheme read more
Prospect responds to BT’s full year review as it enters formal trade dispute over pay offer (22 May) – Rachel Curley, Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, responding to BT’s full year results, said: “BT’s decision to increase its dividend at the same time as giving a derisory or non-existent pay rise to managers shows the disregard they have for Prospect members. People will be incensed that when 28% of managers are being offered a 0% pay rise, and the offer is worth 1.24% on average, the company has taken this decision to increase dividends. The overwhelming rejection this week of the insulting pay offer shows the strength of feeling among our members. We have subsequently notified the employer that we are now in a formal trade dispute with them in the hope that BT will now offer a fair deal. If an acceptable offer does not materialise in the coming weeks, we will be looking at all options available to us.” Read more
FDA
FDA rejects claims civil service to blame for delays to Northern Ireland infrastructure projects (25 June) – The FDA’s National Officer for Northern Ireland Robert Murtagh has spoken out against claims that the Northern Ireland Civil Service are to blame for the failure of major infrastructure projects to be completed on time read more
GMB
Yorks Water begins hosepipe ban after leaking 95 billion litres (11 July) – GMB Trade Union – Yorks Water begins hosepipe ban after leaking 95 billion litres
GMB has described Yorkshire Water’s decision to impose a hosepipe ban after wasting 95 billion litres of water last year as ‘outrageous’ read more
GMB Reacts to NHS 10 Year plan (11 July) – GMB Union has responded to the first part of the Government’s ten year plan for the NHS, announced today [Wednesday] read more
Leicester hospitals slash free staff transport (8 July) – Leicester hospitals have slashed free transport for staff, a move which GMB Union has branded ‘a pay cut by stealth’. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust currently provides a ‘hopper’ service, allowing staff to travel between sites for free. But from 25 August, NHS workers will be charged £1.80 for using the bus service from non-hospitals sites read more
Asda Distro managers to vote on union recognition (7 July) – Managers working in Asda’s distribution operation will vote on whether they want a union voice following a decision from the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). More than 1,000 salaried employees working in 23 depots across the UK will take part in a ballot on whether they want GMB to be their recognised union. The CAC granted the ballot after the union provided a petition showing more than 60 per cent of workers backed the move read more
Asda worker among lowest paid again (4 July) – Asda workers are among the lowest paid supermarket workers in the UK – even after their latest pay rise. Hourly pay at the retail giant goes up to £12.45 per hour on 6 July, leaving them lagging behind workers at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl. A promised wage rise to £12.60 has been delayed to October, leaving workers on average £200 worse off over the year, GMB says. In addition to this, due to a loophole in the law, ASDA paid retail workers below the National Minimum Wage during the first two weeks of April. ASDA wages were just £12:04 per hour until 13 April, when they rose to £12:21 read more
Birmingham equal pay strikes loom (1 July) – Birmingham could be set for more equal pay strikes as women workers vote with hundreds of millions of pounds of stolen wages left unpaid. Members of GMB Union, Birmingham Council Council’s largest trade union, will today begin a consultative vote on strike action. Around 3,000 workers across Birmingham schools are expected to take part in the initial ballot. Birmingham Council admitted it had an equal pay liability in June 2023. Then in December 24 agreed a formula – with unions – which valued the claims at at least £250 million read more
GMB members reject local government pay offer (30 June) – GMB members have voted to reject a 3.2 per cent pay offer from the Local Government Association (LGA) for 2025/26. The union balloted almost 150,000 school staff, carers and other council staff. A majority of 77 per cent rejected the deal. GMB Local Government and Schools Committees then unanimously agreed for the union to demand a meeting with the local government employers read more
Carers suffer 6,500 violent attacks in five years (30 June) – More than half of care workers suffer violence including being bitten, headbutted and chocked at work, a GMB investigation has shown read more
Historic secret judge appointment case could ‘blow up old boys’ network’
GMB Union (1 July) – Secret Soundings to be challenged in court this week
A landmark case on the secretive way judges are appointed begins this week, in a hearing that could ‘blow up the old boys’ network’ in the judiciary. Kate Thomas, a judge with 30 years’ experience in the legal profession, will challenge the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) over its use of ‘secret soundings’ in the Court of Appeal. Under the current system, the JAC takes ‘secret soundings’ before appointing a new judge – essentially comments and views which the prospective candidates can neither read nor respond to. Ms Thomas, a member of GMB’s dedicated branch for members of the judiciary, will argue the system is flawed and unfair read more
Rugby league players left defenceless after funding pulled (30 June) – Rugby League players have been left defenceless after the union representing them had its funding pulled. The Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) – a branch of GMB Union – has represented playing staff for years and helped recoup thousands in unpaid wages during the Toronto Wolfpack pay scandal, along with other high profile cases. Lead rep at the branch was former Great Britain international Garreth Carvell, whose role was funded by the Rugby Football League, via a charity called Ruby League Cares (RLC). Now, with another pay scandal brewing at Salford Red Devils, the RLPA has suddenly had its funding pulled, leaving players with no representation read more
Administration at ‘vital’ Lindsey oil refinery (30 June) – GMB Union, representing workers across the UK’s petrochemical industry, has today responded to the news that administrators have been called into the Prax Lindsey Oil refinery on the North East Lincolnshire coast read more
Stafford school strikes loom (24 June) – Workers are furious after school bosses demand more work for less money, says GMB union. GMB Union has today announced that workers at a West Midlands primary school will stage strike action next week. Schools support staff at Doxey Academy in Stafford, owned by Creative Learning Partnership Trust, will down tools after school bosses threatened to impose a new contract on staff. The new contract will see support staff and Teaching Assistants paid only for term time work. The changes could see some staff as much as £6,000 worse off a year. Strike action will begin on Wednesday 2 July read more
Thames weir and lockkeepers suspend industrial action (17 June) – River Thames weir and lockkeepers have suspended industrial action after a last-minute offer from bosses. Workers, employed by the Environment Agency, had voted to strike and we’re set to begin ‘work to rule’ today [Tuesday] over concerns only 52 permanent trained staff were expected to perform tasks needing more than 90 during peak season. They have now received an offer pledging at least 80 staff during the summer. Industrial action has been suspended will GMB and members review details of the offer read more
Brink’s staff vote to strike over pay row (30 May) – GMB Union members employed by logistics and security giant Brink’s have voted decisively to strike over a dispute about pay and working conditions. The strike ballot saw 78 per cent of members, who are based in Feltham, vote in favour of industrial action. These workers, employed as driver couriers, are responsible for transporting cash and valuables—a role that carries significant risk and responsibility. Despite this, members say their concerns have been ignored and their work undervalued. GMB is calling on Brink’s to return to the negotiating table with a fair and respectful offer that reflects the vital role these workers play in the UK’s cash-handling infrastructure read more
GMB ballots NHS staff on pay award (22 May) – GMB Union has begun balloting tens of thousands of NHS and ambulance workers in England on this year’s pay award. The Department for Health and Social Care announced today [Thursday] NHS staff will receive a 3.6 per cent pay rise for 25/26. The ballot opens today and closes on 17 July read more
School staff demand parity with teachers’ pay (22 May) – School support staff have demanded parity with teachers following the pay award today [Thursday]. Teachers have been handed a 4 per cent award, while school staff including teaching assistants, caterers, admin staff and caretakers have been offered just 3.2 percent. Research by GMB, which represents more than 100,000 school support staff across the country, shows teaching assistants earn an average annual salary of just £17,000 read more
Sunderland refuse fury at bin bag snooping (21 May) – Workers at Pallion Recycling Centre are balloting for industrial action that will shut the site this summer. Private company SUEZ, which runs the plant, wants to introduce ‘bag splitting’ – asking workers to open residents’ black bags and search them for recyclable materials. GMB members have raised multiple safety concerns, including the lack of proper protection from the risk of needles and dangerous chemicals. So far SUEZ has not listened. The ballot closes on Friday, 30 May, – with any industrial action expected in June. A petition calling for a reversal of the decision is now live read more
More than 150,000 council and school workers vote on pay offer (6 May) – GMB Union has recommended more than 150,000 members working for councils and schools reject the local government pay offer. Local authority and education workers across England and Wales have been offered a 3.2 per cent pay rise for 2025/26. GMB’s Local Government and Schools Committees has unanimously recommended a rejection and to seek support for industrial action to secure an improved offer. The consultative ballot – which will include a commitment to industrial action – opens on 12 May and closes on 20 June read more
Strike action begins at Tower Hamlets primary school over staff cuts (1 Apr) – School support staff at St Luke’s Primary School in Tower Hamlets are today [Tuesday 1 April] starting strike action over reduced staffing levels. A further walk out will take place on Thursday this week. The strike ballot saw 100 per cent of participating members vote in favour. A restructure at the school will cut the number of teaching assistants from 28 to 21 – a reduction of 25 per cent – while the overall workload is unchanged. The school – which has a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs – has failed to demonstrate how these staffing levels will work in practice. To date, the school has not shared a risk assessment outlining the impact of these cuts on the safety of the staff or children 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
Social care sector has yet to learn the lessons of pandemic, says UNISON (8 July) – Christina McAnea highlights need for social care reform in evidence to Covid Inquiry read more
Strike fund appeal for Nottingham healthcare workers (7 July) – Donations are being sought for healthcare support workers as their dispute at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust continues read more
School support staff: Have your say now (1 July) – UNISON is urging school support staff members in England to take part in a consultation on the make-up of their new negotiating body read more
The inspiring St Luke’s school strikers E14 are back on the picket line this Thurs 1 May. UNISON Teaching Assistants and NEU Teachers are striking together to demand a safe school. Rally at 8.40am & are doing a call out to activists to join us read more on Tower Hamlets Unison website
Royal College of Nursing
COVID inquiry: ‘There were no nurses left, it was just me’ (4 July) – Nursing testimony at the COVID-19 inquiry highlighted that the lack of staff available in the care sector led to a distressing and inadequate level of care during the pandemic read more
Public backs better pay for nursing as tens of thousands vote on NHS award (16 June) – As RCN members have their say on a pay increase of 3.6%, the public shows its support for nursing read more
RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more
RCM
RCM ballots members on industrial action over on call arrangements (26 June) – Midwives in South Tyneside and Sunderland are being balloted on industrial action over proposals for on call arrangements that would see them being ‘on call’ on their days off read more
RCM announces details of consultation with members on pay award (29 May) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has announced plans to consult with its members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on the 3.6% pay award. Last week the RCM cautiously welcomed the news that the governments in all three nations had accepted the pay recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) in full. On Wednesday the RCM Board met to discuss next steps and approved a consultation which will be launched on Monday 16 June and run for three weeks, closing Monday 7 July. The RCM says that, as in previous years it will be led by its members and is urging all Agenda for Change (AfC) members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure their details are up to date so they are able to have their say when the consultation opens read more
CSP
We will take action against employment law breaches, CSP warns employers (3 July) – An employment tribunal has found that an employer are bound to pay a physiotherapist more than £20,000 damages for breach of contract, unlawful deductions from wages and unpaid holiday pay read more
CSP to consult members on NHS 2025 pay award in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (5 June) – A consultation will open on 9 June so that CSP members can have their say on the 3.6 per cent pay award for NHS staff in 2025, as announced by the UK government, Welsh government and Northern Ireland assembly. The CSP’s member-led pay sub-committee met to discuss the pay award last week and agreed to consult members working in the NHS in those countries. The consultation will run from 9 June until 18 July. The CSP pay sub-committee is recommending that members accept the award read more
SOR
NHS England pay award consultation closes with acceptance (3 July) – The society’s consultation on the 2025/26 pay award closed last week, with more than half of participating members accepting the result read more
BMA
Resident doctors vote yes to strike (9 July) – BMA urges health secretary to return to negotiations to make the ‘right’ decision. Resident doctors in England have delivered a renewed mandate for strike action in the fight for pay restoration, following the outcome of a six-week ballot. They will stage a full walk out from 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July. Leaders of the BMA resident doctors committee have advised that doctors have ‘spoken clearly’ after the results of a vote published this week revealed 90 per cent of resident doctors voting in favour of a potential return to industrial action. The ballot, which ran from 27 May until 7 July, saw a turnout of 55 per cent, almost 30,000 (29,741) votes cast with 26,766 of those participating endorsing the use of strike action as part of efforts to restore pay. The result means that resident doctors have now secured a fresh mandate for industrial action from now until January 2026. BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt said that, while no doctor took the possibility of striking lightly, a clear majority of members felt that they had no other choice given the ongoing failures to move the needle on pay restoration read more
NEU
Teacher and school leader pay (9 July) – Joint education union response to Secretary of State: “Responding to the Secretary of State’s consultation on the STRB report, ASCL, NAHT, NEU and Community have set out their united view on the need for the Government to provide the additional investment needed to fully fund September’s 4% teacher and school leader pay increase. Teachers and school leaders have seen huge real terms cuts to their pay since 2010. Their pay cuts have been much greater than those of other professions and as confirmed by the STRB this has hit the competitiveness of teacher and school leader pay hard. Excessive workload and poor wellbeing are driving teachers and leaders out of the profession, worsening the recruitment and retention crisis in education. The unions are also calling for a fair national pay structure and the removal of performance-related pay read more
Sixth Form College indicative pay ballot results (4 July) – National Education Union members who teach in sixth form colleges have returned a strong result in their indicative ballot over their readiness to undertake a formal strike ballot in support of their 2025/26 pay claim. Over 4,500 members across 75 colleges were balloted, achieving a 68.2 per cent turnout overall and an 88.7 per cent vote in favour of action. Should the pay claim not be met satisfactorily by the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA), then a formal strike ballot will follow in the autumn term read more
OGAT strike action over increased working hours continues into July (30 June) – National Education Union members in fourteen Outwood Grange Academy (OGAT) secondary schools across the country will continue to take strike action throughout July. The dispute is over an increase to workload created by the proposed extension to the school day. Ongoing talks are in place to find a resolution. ACAS talks have also been scheduled for 10 July. However, until such time as a clear picture emerges of how workload will be reduced members are not willing to stop the action. Dates for action are 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16 and 17 July read more
Support the strikes:-
- George Dixon Primary / Birmingham (Transfer of employer) 14 – 15 July David Room [email protected]
- Harris Academy Schools Peckham, East Dulwich Girls (redundancies) 16 July Izzy Hickmet [email protected] Freddy Vanson [email protected]
- London East Alternative Provision / Tower Hamlets (closure of Riverside Site/redundancies) 14 – 17 July Natasha Chaudhury [email protected]
- Central Foundation Girls School / Tower Hamlets (conditions of service) 17 July Rosie Bond [email protected] Lucy Preston [email protected] Natasha Chaudhury [email protected]
- Maiden Erlegh School / Wokingham (pay & conditions) 15 – 16 July Kelly Moon [email protected]
- St Francis CofE Primary School /Cornwall (conditions of service) 14 – 16 July Martin Dixon [email protected]
- The Charter Educational Trust Schools / Southwark & Lambeth (conditions of service) 15 – 17 July Freddy Vanson [email protected] Jessica Edwards [email protected]
- The UCL Academy / Camden (conditions of service) 15 – 17 July Megan Quinn [email protected]
- Haydon Bridge High School /Northumberland (managing pupil ehaviour/H&S) 15 July Sean Kelly [email protected]
- Shaftesbury School / Dorset (restructure) 17 – 18 July Amy Brisden [email protected]
NASUWT
Chaotic and unsafe culture at Salford school prompts strike action (7 July) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Moorside Primary School in Swinton will take the first of nine planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) as a result of the failure of school leadership to deal with a number of concerns related to health and safety, pay practices, safeguarding, adverse management practices and dangerous pupil behaviour. Management have failed to deal with repeated assaults by pupils on staff and have failed to ensure a consistent behaviour management policy is in place to address pupil behaviour, leaving the safety and welfare of staff at risk. Pupils with special needs and disabilities are not receiving their entitlements, with staff put under pressure to support pupils without the necessary resources to do so adequately and safely. Changes to policies and practices are being imposed without communication or consultation with staff and teachers are being expected to carry out unpaid responsibilities read more
Shaftesbury teachers draw public support as dispute deepens over restructure (7 July) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union will continue strike action at Shaftesbury School this week as Sherborne Area Schools Trust (SAST) refuses to come back to the negotiating table. SAST has made a number of teachers redundant in a cost-cutting exercise and now expects Heads of Department to be shared between Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High School. Teachers at Shaftesbury School will hit the picket lines on Tuesday 8th and Thursday 10th July, and will enjoy renewed public support after a video from last week’s picket line went viral on TikTok over the weekend. In the video, Shaftesbury teacher Rachel Sammons explains the “traumatic” impact of losing her job as Head of English after working at the school for twenty five years. Thousands of people, including her ex-pupils, have commented to share their shock and dismay at the cuts read more
Call to Education Secretary to act on antisemitism in schools (1 July) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has today written to Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson to ask that the Department for Education provides guidance for schools on dealing with antisemitism and all forms of racism. In a survey of Jewish teachers conducted by NASUWT, 90% of the respondents said their employers need more training on recognising and challenging antisemitism read more
Teachers’ union says welfare concessions do not go far enough (28 June) – Commenting on the changes to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, Matt Wrack, Acting General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “The government has rightly been put under pressure by trade unions and campaigners to ensure that disabled people feel safe and supported…” read more
Yorkshire school limping towards closure demands teachers work for free (27 June) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at the independent Fulneck School in Pudsey have declared an industrial dispute after discovering they would not be paid for the school’s last half term of operation – despite the fact that they are still expected to work read more
Teachers strike at £24k-a-year private school over ‘second class’ pay offer (26 June) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Surbiton High School are taking the first of three days of strike action today (Thursday) over a pay award that is 45% lower than that given to state school teachers. The fee-paying school in the London borough of Kingston, Surrey, which charges as much as £24k a year per pupil, has only offered 3% to teachers for the 2024/25 academic year. In contrast teachers in the state-funded sector were awarded 5.5% for the 2024/25 academic year read more
4% pay award for Wales teachers is progress but not pay restoration, says NASUWT (11 June) – Commenting on the publication of the IWPRB Report 2025’s recommendation to uplift teacher pay by 4.8%, and the government’s announcement that they will offer teachers a 4% pay increase, Matt Wrack, Acting General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “NASUWT Cymru will need to talk our members. The decision to fully fund pay will be welcome, although we will need to assess what this means in reality in schools. Considering the scale of the recruitment and retention crisis for teachers in Wales, it is alarming that the government is refusing to fully implement the findings of the IWPRB, which has recommended an increase of 4.8%…” read more
Teachers strike at OGAT schools over planned increase to school day (2 June) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at five secondary schools run by the Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) are to take strike action over plans to increase the length of the school day and the resultant impact on teachers’ working hours, workload and the welfare of staff and pupils. Members at OGAT Hindley in Wigan, OGAT Foxhills in Scunthorpe and OGAT Easingwold in York will begin six days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday). Members at OGAT Portland and OGAT Valley, both in Worksop, will begin five days of strike action on Tuesday 10th June. OGAT is planning to increase the length of the school day and teaching contact by 30 minutes per day from September 2025 onwards read more
Glodwick teachers strike over years of mistreatment (22 May) – On Thursday 22nd May, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union will begin strike action at Glodwick Infant and Nursery School in Oldham due to continuous issues with health and safety, and mistreatment of staff. Further strike days are planned on 3, 4, 5 and 10, 11 and 12 June. For years, teachers at Glodwick have endured a lack of action from school leadership over health and safety risks onsite. It is becoming increasingly difficult for teachers to report and mitigate these risks as leadership is not responding in an appropriate manner. Two months ago, the teachers took the difficult decision to escalate their concerns to Oldham Local Authority. Last week, it seemed that progress had finally been made, with Oldham promising to put measures in place to mitigate risks and protect teachers. But Oldham have reneged on the deal, leaving teachers vulnerable to persistent intimidation and bullying from senior leaders. They have no choice but to take industrial action read more
NASUWT responds to STRB report (22 May) – Responding to the publication of the STRB report, Matt Wrack, Acting General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union said: “Teachers have been waiting for this announcement and it is welcome that the Government has published the report and its response early enough for the award to be applied from September. We also welcome that the STRB recommendation has recognised the need to increase pay by more than the 2.8% the Government proposed in its evidence and that this has been accepted. Teachers in the NASUWT will be wanting to assess the details and the Union will be carefully considering the implications of today’s announcement…” read more
LIPA teachers strike over critical management failure (19 May) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at LIPA School in Liverpool will begin strike action this week after leadership failed to deal with a number of concerns related to health and safety, adverse management practices, and dangerous pupil behaviour. While NASUWT representatives have met with leaders at the school, no progress has been made. LIPA Multi Academy Trust does not appear to recognise trade unions read more
Westbourne Academy teachers strike over constant disruptive behaviour (12 May) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union members at Westbourne Academy in Ipswich will begin strike action on Tuesday 13th May due to untenable levels of classroom disruption. A large group of pupils at Westbourne Academy are refusing to attend lessons and instead choose to roam the school, disrupting other lessons and engaging in threatening behaviour towards staff and other pupils. Teachers have sought help from school leadership but no plan has worked in practice, with teachers often waiting for most or all of their lessons for urgent assistance read more
Epsom teachers strike to protect pensions (6 May) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Ewell Castle Senior and Prep Schools in Epsom are starting the first of seven days of planned strike action tomorrow (Wednesday) after being threatened with dismissal from their jobs unless they agree to new contracts that would leave them worse off in retirement. The Employer is seeking to withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and impose inferior pension arrangements on teachers which would adversely affect their future financial security. Teachers have been threatened with fire and rehire if they do not agree to sign new contracts amending their pension entitlements read more
EIS
EIS ULA Members Launch Consultative Ballot Over ‘Derisory’ 1.4% Pay Offer (1 July) – EIS ULA announced that its members have commenced a consultative ballot on a proposed 1.4% pay offer for the 2025-26 academic year, with the trade union recommending members reject the pay offer and vote YES to taking industrial action. The ballot will be open for six weeks and will close on Monday, August 11th read more
EIS Opens statutory ballot at UWS over redundancy threat (26 June) – The Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association (EIS ULA) branch at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) has announced the opening of a statutory ballot for strike action. This significant step comes as the Union seeks a firm guarantee from UWS management that there will be no compulsory redundancies as part of the ongoing Organisational Change Project (OCP). The ballot opened on Monday, June 23, 2025, and will close at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 read more
EIS AGM: EIS Launches Consultative Strike Ballot Over Workload (5 June) – The EIS opens a consultative industrial action ballot over teacher workload. The ballot will be launched on Friday afternoon by General Secretary Andrea Bradley during her keynote address to the EIS Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Aviemore read more
EIS Members at Robert Gordon University escalate strike action as compulsory redundancy dispute continues (28 May) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers’ Association at Robert Gordon University are set to take their fourth and fifth days of strike action on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th May, intensifying their ongoing dispute with University management over planned compulsory redundancies. This escalation underscores the deep-seated concerns of staff regarding job security and the potential detrimental impact on the quality of education and research at RGU read more
UCU
UCU Stop the Cuts campaign
Sign petition against the education cuts
Staff & students rally to defend jobs at Working Men’s College (10 July) – Staff, students and supporters of the historic Working Men’s College (WMC) in Camden held a rally in protest against sweeping cuts to staffing and the college’s vital adult education offer. UCU members organised the rally to coincide with a meeting of the college’s governors, who are threatening to cut staff and student provision. Nineteen jobs have been placed at risk just weeks before the start of the new academic year as a direct consequence of funding cuts read more
UCU statement: Stop authoritarian attacks on the Palestine movement (9 July) – The Prime Minister and Home Secretary are completely wrong to have proscribed Palestine Action, a move which accelerates our slide into authoritarianism read more
University and College Union strike ballot at University of the West of Scotland in dispute over threat of compulsory redundancies (7 July) – A ballot for industrial action opens today at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) in a dispute over job cuts and university senior management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. The ballot could pave the way for strikes at the university. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at UWS are being asked if they are prepared to take part in strike action and action short of strike. Action short of strike could include working to contract and not covering for any absent colleagues. The ballot will run until 14 August read more
Staff to lead rally against job cuts at Redbridge Institute of Adult Education (7 July) – The University and College Union today condemned plans by Redbridge Institute of Adult Education (RIAE) to cut at least 12 staff ahead of the new academic year this September, and confirmed staff will be protesting against the cuts later this week. On Friday (11 July) staff and students will demonstrate outside the college at 12.30pm to demand management halts the cuts. RIAE management is trying to slash jobs, cut student service provision and reduce teaching hours. Management claims the cuts are necessary due to funding pressures. However, UCU, supported by fellow unions Unison, GMB and NEU, said the proposals are unjustified, excessive, and deeply damaging to students and staff. The union also warned the loss of experienced teaching and support staff would harm students and place unsustainable pressure on remaining staff read more
UCU response to Employment Rights Bill roadmap (1 July) – Responding to the publication of roadmap for the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “While this legislation is a step towards a fairer employment system, with long overdue improvements to rights and protections for workers, there is still a long way to go, and university and college staff will rightly be dismayed by the two year delay in banning exploitative zero-hour contracts. These contracts are the unacceptable underbelly of further and higher education and must be scrapped as soon as possible.” Read more
Warrington & Vale Royal College set to sack 19 staff (30 June) – Warrington & Vale Royal College is set to axe 19 staff, 17 of whom are women, and shut down its IT course at the end of term, UCU revealed today read more
Centre for Academic Language and Development staff at University of Bristol to strike in July and August (26 June) – Staff working in the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Language Development (CALD) have voted to take 21 days of strike action in a dispute over plans to threaten staff with redundancy, the University and College Union (UCU) has announced today. An overwhelming 95% of UCU members who voted backed strike action in a ballot that had a turnout of 82%. Staff will down tools on the following days (picket info tbc):
- Wednesday 9 to Friday 11 July
- Monday 14 July, Wednesday 16 July and Thursday 17 July
- Monday 21 July to Thursday 24 July
- Monday 28 July, Wednesday 30 July and Thursday 31 July
- Tuesday 5 August to Friday 8 August
- Monday 11 August
- Wednesday 13 August to Friday 15 August read more
Cheshire College South & West staff to strike in July and August (25 June) – Staff at Cheshire College South & West (CCSW) will take industrial action for four days over July and August in a dispute over pay, the University and College Union (UCU) has announced today. An overwhelming 79% of UCU members who voted backed strike action in a ballot that had a turnout of 58%. Staff across the three CCSW campuses in Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Chester will down tools on Monday 7 July and again on Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Tuesday 26 August, with pickets at the Crewe campus from 8am-11am on each day. The dispute is over management’s refusal to provide staff a pay award for the current year; instead imposing a paltry one-off payment of just 1.5% read more
University of Bradford staff to down tools for 10 days over £16m cuts programme (25 June) – Staff at the University of Bradford will begin ten days of strike action next week over plans to make £16m of cuts, slash hundreds of jobs and close multiple courses. The full strike dates are;-
- Monday 30 June
- Monday 7, Tuesday 8, Thursday 10 & Friday 11 July
- Monday 21, Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 July
Staff will be on picket lines from 8am every strike day and the branch is planning a rally outside the front of the university on Monday 30 June at 11.30am. The action comes after an overwhelming 67% of UCU members who voted backed downing tools in a ballot with a 57% turnout. The dispute is over the £16m of cuts management wants to force through read more
Edinburgh University staff strike in dispute over £140million cuts and job losses (20 June) – University and College Union (UCU) members at the University of Edinburgh are on strike today, Friday 20 June, in the first of a series of strikes over senior management’s plans to cut £140million from the annual budget and refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. Staff will be on picket lines across the university and will hold a rally from 11.00am on George Square in Edinburgh. As well as striking today, to coincide with a university open day, staff at the university will also take strike action at the start of the new academic year in September. The union estimates that cuts of £140million could see 1,800 staff lose their jobs. The strike follows a ballot where 84% of UCU members at the university voted to back strike action and 93% to back action short of strike. The turnout was 60% read more
Staff back strikes at Truro and Penwith College in job cuts dispute (19 June) – Staff at Truro and Penwith College have overwhelmingly voted to take strike action in defence of jobs and student provision. Last week over eight in ten of UCU members who voted (82%) backed strike action, in a ballot that beat the anti-trade union turnout threshold of 50%. The dispute is over management’s plans to axe up to 100 employees in redundancy plans that have already seen some staff given the boot. Financial mismanagement has led to a £4.2m shortfall for 2024/25 and the college is refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies. College expenditure has persistently outstripped income since 2017 read more
University of Lincoln staff vote for strike action (9 June) – Staff at the University of Lincoln have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over plans to threaten nearly 300 staff with redundancy, the University and College Union has announced today. An overwhelming 86% of UCU members who voted backed strike action in a ballot that had a turnout of 61%. The dispute is over the announcement by the university to threaten up to 285 staff with redundancy, having previously told UCU that were no plans for large-scale cuts. This comes after 220 staff already lost their jobs through voluntary severance and redundancy last year read more
Four days of strike action begins at Bournemouth University this week (9 June) – Staff at Bournemouth University will strike on Wednesday 11, Thursday 12, Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 June, in opposition to management plans to cut over 100 academic staff, UCU announced today. The walkout follows an overwhelming 75% yes vote in favour of strike action with 91% backing action short of strike on a turnout of 78%. There will be pickets across multiple campuses on the strike dates. The dispute is over plans to cut 116 academic staff next month (by Thursday 31 July). Bournemouth leaders claim they need to make £20m cuts due to a fall in student numbers. This would see 15 courses permanently closed, including undergraduate degrees in English, politics and anthropology. Overall, including academic and professional services staff, the university is planning to slash more than 200 jobs read more
Three days of strikes to hit Havant & South Downs College (6 June) – Staff at Havant & South Downs College (HSDC) will strike on Friday 13, Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 June over plans to cut the jobs of around one third of the workforce, UCU announced today. The Principal and Chief Executive, Mike Gaston, announced his retirement this week, and this follows the announcement of formal intervention in the running of the college. The college is based over three sites, Alton, Havant and South Downs and staff will be picketing all three from 8am to 10am each day. The walkout follows a ballot of UCU members, in which 64% backed strike action on a turnout of 61%. National Education Union (NEU) members will also be joining the action. The dispute is over management’s plans to axe around one in three staff by the end of the month due to a financial crisis of its making. The college claims it needs to cut £3.7m from its budget and wants to cut staff by 29% at Alton, 30% at Havant and 33% at South Downs. The Department for Education has intervened in the management of the college, issuing a Financial Notice to Improve and demanding additional oversight from the Further Education Commissioner. College management has offered talks with UCU and NEU next week about how the strike can be avoided and the trade dispute resolved read more
University union lays ground for its first ever strike ballot against Labour (26 May) – Delegates at the University and College Union’s (UCU) annual Congress have overwhelmingly voted to prepare for an industrial dispute with the Secretary of State for Education over university funding, the first step towards a potential strike ballot, announced the union today (Monday 26 May) read more
UCU Congress votes for England-wide college strike ballot over low pay (25 May) – Members of the University and College Union (UCU) attending the union’s Congress (UCU) today (Sunday 25 May) voted to ballot staff at further education colleges across England for strike action. UCU has already launched a consultative ballot, which closes on Friday 20 June, to lay the ground for a strike ballot to open in Autumn. The union is demanding a new deal for further education workers, including a 10% pay rise, parity with schoolteachers, national bargaining and nationally agreed workloads read more
Union vows to fight cuts at Liverpool Hope (21 May) – Liverpool Hope University intends to axe 39 staff before the end of the year, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. The threatened cuts will fall on the faculties of education and social sciences, creative arts and humanities, and human and digital sciences with courses including sociology, education studies and health science being hit. Management claims it needs to make the cuts due to a its own predicted deficit, with staff set to go as soon as November (2025). Despite the cuts to front line staff, the university has healthy cash reserves and its vice-chancellor takes home a total package worth over £300k. If the university refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies by Friday 23 May, UCU will enter into a formal industrial dispute, which is the first step towards a possible strike ballot and disruption on campus read more
Strike ballot opens at Kingston University over cuts & course closures (19 May) – Over 300 staff at Kingston University will be asked to vote yes to strike action in a ballot that will open tomorrow. The dispute is over a £20m cuts programme that university management is forcing through, including the closure of the humanities department alongside courses in the department of criminology, sociology and politics. The university has already tried to get staff out the door through a voluntary severance scheme. UCU fears compulsory redundancy is also on the cards and that a further nine departments are at risk. Management pulled out of talks aimed at resolving the dispute and refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies despite its £7m surplus (23/24) and the over £400m it holds in reserves read more
University of East Anglia staff begin strike action today over threat of compulsory redundancies and lack of financial transparency (1 May) – Staff at the University of East Anglia (UEA) will begin nine days of strike action today (Thursday 1 May) in a dispute over compulsory redundancies, financial accountability, and transparent governance. Pickets will be in place from 8:00-11:00 read more
UCU declares academic boycott of Brunel University over mass redundancies (15 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) has declared an academic boycott of Brunel University London in response to the institution’s continued pursuit of mass redundancies. Brunel University has already overseen significant numbers of voluntary redundancies and is now pressing ahead with plans to impose further compulsory job cuts. UCU believes that the future of entire academic departments are under threat. The union has condemned the university’s refusal to engage meaningfully with staff representatives and warned that these actions could cause irreparable damage to Brunel’s reputation. The union’s higher education committee (HEC) has unanimously backed the boycott, also known as ‘greylisting’, which is the most serious sanction the union can impose. The boycott will begin on Tuesday 15 April 2025, unless the university withdraws the threat of compulsory redundancies, provides transparent financial information, enters collective conciliation talks through Acas, and reinstates those already involuntarily dismissed read more
Brunel University staff begin strike action over job cuts (27 Feb)
Keele University staff vote to strike over brutal cuts programme (11 Apr) – Staff at Keele University have overwhelmingly backed strike action in a fight to protect jobs and student provision, announced the University and College Union (UCU). An overwhelming 75% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 55%. While 89% also backed taking action short of strike, which could include working to rule. Strike action is now set to take place on Monday 28 April, Tuesday 29 April, Thursday 1 May, Tuesday 6 May and Thursday 8 May read more
Durham University UCU members overwhelmingly back industrial action in the fight against huge job cuts (2 Apr) – UCU members have voted in favour of strike action with a majority of 72%, whilst 81% have backed action short of a strike up to and including an assessment boycott, in a ballot that saw 64% of Durham UCU members vote. The ballot result means that staff could now down tools unless management agrees to rule out compulsory redundancies. Members of UCU will now meet to decide and vote upon next steps including the options of strike action and action short of a strike and is calling on Durham University leaders to listen to its workforce, and work with the union to avoid compulsory redundancies and prevent industrial unrest on campus read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
“Introduce a wealth tax, don’t raid firefighter pensions”: FBU hits back at Whitehall proposals (11 July) – According to reports from the Telegraph, Catherine Little, permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office, has been heading discussions in Whitehall around lowering pensions for nurses, teachers, firefighters and other public sector workers in exchange for negotiations on pay read more
Former Labour leader joins calls for Starmer to tax wealth (7 July) – Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock called for a wealth tax this weekend, telling the Guardian that Starmer should target wealth above £6m or £7m, where a 2% tax would raise £10bn or £11bn a year read more
Heatwave: Firefighters’ union urges govt to tax Big Oil to fund cash-strapped responders (30 June) – As another 30C heatwave hits parts of the UK, the country’s leading firefighter union has urged the government to tax fossil fuel polluters to help support underfunded emergency response services. The Fire Brigades Union, which represents over 30,000 fire responders in the UK, has joined a fast-growing initiative calling for ministers to force big carbon polluters to pay their fair share towards the damage they are causing read more
POA
NEC minutes June 2025 read more
National Chair update June 2025 read here
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
NAPO
Exploring the wellbeing of the probation workforce in England and Wales (2 July) – We are criminology researchers from the University of Huddersfield. We are interested in the impact of working in the Probation Service on the wellbeing of its workforce. If you are working in any probation practitioner role (i.e. you have direct contact with people on probation in any capacity) we would like to hear from you read more
Unions submit 2025 Pay Claim to Cafcass (4 June) – The attached joint pay claim has been submitted to the employer by Napo and UNISON this week. We are seeking on behalf of our members: Either a 6% rise or a flat rate of £3,500 whichever is higher read more
Our position on Probation pay (23 May) – Members will have seen yesterday’s pay announcement on the intranet about the Prison Service Pay Review Body and the publication of the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance and, in case needed, we wanted to make clear the current position for staff subject to Probation Service terms and conditions. The recommendations of the Prison Service Pay Review Body do not apply to Probation Service staff who are subject to different terms and conditions as well as a separate pay process read more
Unions lodge Pay Progression Dispute (1 May) – The Probation Unions position is that the trade unions and employer previously reached an agreement that, under the Competency Based Framework, on the 1st of April each year eligible staff would achieve incremental progression – i.e. moving up one pay point within their bay band. Also, that this process is completely separate to the outcome of any pay negotiations between the employer and trade unions, which can result in increases in the value of employee’s pay. Our view is that there exists a wealth of evidence, much of it previously issued by HMPPS to its staff, that they were – at least until recent months – of the same view read more
BFAWU
Challenging Workplace Sexual Harassment: Lessons from Around the World
Sarah Woolley (2 July) – This online event put together by the Workers Policy Project as part of the End Not Defend Campaign brought together powerful voices from across sectors and continents — to share strategies, expose employer inaction, and build pressure for serious, preventative change read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
“Huge win” for workers’ rights as Court of Appeal upholds landmark ruling (8 July) – In a major victory for workers’ rights, the Court of Appeal has today upheld a landmark ruling that a pilot, exclusively flying for Ryanair but engaged via a third party, was a worker — not a self-employed contractor. The decision sets an important precedent that could influence employment practices across aviation and other industriesread more
Nautilus International
Unions urged to support ‘once in a lifetime’ employment bill (3 July) – Employment expert Professor Melanie Simms has highlighted significant opportunities for workers within the UK government’s Employment Rights Bill, and stressed the need for positive engagement from unions as the Bill makes its way through parliament read more
Dutch MP targets ‘fake unions’ in maritime sector (30 June) – A Dutch member of Parliament has joined Nautilus International’s Council meeting to discuss strategies for combating ‘fake’ unions that undermine workers’ rights, particularly in the maritime industry. Mariëtte Patijn, a labour parliamentarian with extensive union experience, shared her concerns about ‘yellow unions’ like the International Seafarers’ Union (ISU), which she described as commercial operations designed to favour employers over workers read more
NUJ
NUJ statement on BBC outsourcing claims (11 July) – The National Union of Journalists has called for greater clarity from the BBC following reports the broadcaster is considering a major outsourcing drive as reported by The Guardian read more
NUJ deeply concerned by sweeping Reach redundancies (10 July) – The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) understands that the UK and Ireland’s largest commercial news publisher Reach plc has placed 104 roles at risk read more
Palestine: journalists in the West Bank face increased attacks (10 July) – NUJ and IFJ condemn rising number of threats and violent attacks against Palestinian journalists read more
Equity
Warning about Lucy Harrison Casting (11 July) – Equity is warning members not to engage with or accept new work through Lucy Harrison Casting as concerns over liquidation and non-payment mount. Lucy Harrison Casting (LHC) – the trading name of an agency registered as Happy House Productions Ltd – has recently announced it is entering liquidation owing Equity members thousands of pounds in unpaid earnings. Equity has become aware that, despite this announcement, LHC is continuing to trade by sending out casting opportunities to clients by email and inviting applications read more
Cambridge Shakespeare Festival agrees to pay performers (10 July) – Festival has agreed to pay its performers following a campaign led by Equity activists read more
Standing room only at public meeting to Save Square Chapel Arts Centre (4 July) – Close to 100 people turned out to a public meeting in Halifax on Thursday night to support the ‘Save Square Chapel for the People’ campaign, with organisers having to turn dozens of people away at the door. The public meeting, which was held in the Calderdale Industrial museum on 3 July, was co-ordinated by Equity, the Calderdale Trades Council, and the TUC Yorkshire Creative and Leisure Industries Committee in response to the ongoing closure of Square Chapel Arts Centre read more
Equity backs Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign (30 June) – Much-loved arts and performance centre at risk over funding gap read more
Musicians Union
Save Pernambuco Bows: Write to Your MP Today (10 July) – The MU is calling on members to take urgent action to protect the future of high-quality bow making and the musicians who rely on it, after a proposal to move pernambuco wood from Appendix II to Appendix I read more
Westminster Council: Back Your Buskers! (9 July) – Sign the petition calling for new pitches in Westminster to replace those lost due to the Leicester Square busking ban read more
USDAW
Increased bereavement leave for workers who face pregnancy loss – Usdaw welcomes the addition to the Employment Rights Bill (7 July) – Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed that the Government has acted to support families suffering pregnancy loss with new rights to time off, as part of the Employment Rights Bill. Families who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks are set to become entitled to protected bereavement leave, under new amendments to the Employment Rights Bill announced today read more
Usdaw urges the company to improve their pay offer to avoid planned strikes (28 Apr) – Usdaw members working at breakfast cereal giant Weetabix will be taking three days of industrial action in a dispute about pay from tomorrow (29 April). The strikes affect sites at Corby and Burton Latimer read more
Burton Latimer and Corby Weetabix strikers ‘determined’ as they begin two-day industrial action (29 Apr) read more on website of Northamptonshire Telegraph
UVW
Awed’s story: No warning. No process. Just gone (1 July) – “Being told I was no longer needed, just a day after the union notified management of a strike ballot, made it clear to me what this was about” Awed Nur, kitchen worker. Awed Nur, a kitchen worker at Draughts—a trendy board game bar chain with branches in Stratford, Hackney, and Waterloo—was abruptly dismissed mid-way through his shift, just one day after UVW formally notified management of an upcoming strike ballot. This ballot, set to involve workers across all three Draughts sites, marks the first coordinated strike action in the company’s history. Awed’s only ‘offence’? Organising with his coworkers to demand dignity, respect, and fair treatment at work read more
West End Quays concierge and cleaners to strike in July against surveillance, intimidation and punitive pay policy (25 June) – Cleaners and concierge at West End Quays luxury apartments in West London will walk out on strike on July 7, standing up to what they say is an aggressive and union-busting agenda from management. The workers, all members of United Voices of the World (UVW) union, are fighting the attempted imposition of performance-related pay, the unlawful use of CCTV surveillance and a culture of bullying and abuse of disciplinary processes read more
Hundreds of NHS facilities’ workers at St Helier and Epsom Hospitals launch historic strike ballot in major push for equality (25 June) – “We are the pillars of this hospital — if we don’t clean, transport people around or serve food, patients and their families suffer. The board knows this. It’s time they gave us the respect we deserve. Change our contracts. Give us equality, dignity, and the recognition every NHS worker should have” – Dennis Gyamfi, a cleaner at Epsom Hospital and UVW member read more
Crisis at Solace Women’s Aid: Barnet and Tower Hamlets Support Workers set to strike (11 June) – “We are calling for a healthier work environment—for ourselves and for the survivors we support—and a real say at work through our union, UVW.” Domestic violence advisors at Solace Women’s Aid charity in Barnet have opened a strike ballot in response to unmanageable workloads and chronic understaffing. Meanwhile, their counterparts in Tower Hamlets are also poised to strike, with a separate ballot still live, following the charity’s backtracking on a promise to voluntarily recognise their union. Both groups are members of United Voices of the World (UVW). The dispute now spans two critical Solace teams in the UK’s fight against domestic violence read more
Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office was 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
Cleaners vote for first ever strike at Ernst & Young in the face of job cuts (14 July) – Cleaning staff working at EY (Ernst & Young) sites in London have successfully voted to strike on 15-18 and 20-22 July after being told by subcontractor Mitie that 37% of their jobs would be at risk. The cleaners, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), voted by a margin of 98% to strike, with a 90% turnout. Cleaners will be picketing at EY offices at 1 More London Place and 25 Churchill Place on the morning of Tuesday 15th July and the afternoon of Wednesday 16th July, with a protest at 1 More London Place at 12pm on Tuesday and a protest at 25 Churchill Place at the same time on Wednesday. Before the redundancies were announced, cleaners had reported issues of overwork, including some reporting physical health conditions such as arthritis. Cleaners have expressed concerns that their already high workload will be pushed onto a smaller number of staff, exacerbating these issues read more
TfL faces potential legal action over ‘serious and systemic failures’ leaving thousands of drivers out of work (4 July) – Transport for London (TfL) could face an ‘unprecedented’ legal action over ‘serious and systemic failures’ that have left thousands of minicab drivers across the capital unable to work for months, leading to debt, car repossession and homelessness. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which represents private hire drivers for platforms such as Uber and Bolt, is working with law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn to investigate whether TfL has breached its legal duties by failing to process minicab license renewals on time read more
IWGB Statement against the proscription of Palestine Action and the escalation of imperial violence in Iran (24 June) – The IWGB stands in unequivocal solidarity with Palestine Action and strongly condemns the British government’s proposal to ban the group as a “terrorist” organisation. This misuse of terror legislation against a non-violent protest movement is an attack on the right to protest, a dangerous criminalisation of international solidarity, and a shameful alignment with Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza read more
CITY CLEANERS STRIKE: ROUND 2! – Outsourced cleaning staff at City University have just announced they will STRIKE AGAIN, from 22nd to 24th May. Join them at their strike rally on Thurs 23rd May at 12pm, outside City University (Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB)! Follow @IWGBUoL on X/Twitter
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate Calls for Right to Request More Working Hours (2 July) – Mandate trade union calls for workers to have legal right to request more working hours where they are available. Union also calls for abolition of ‘discriminatory’ sub-minimum wage rates for younger workers. Mandate Trade Union has today called for workers to have the legal right to request more working hours where they are available. The union’s Assistant General Secretary, Jim Fuery was speaking on this matter at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ biennial conference in the Waterfront Hall, Belfast read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
City Hotel Derry management agree to LRA talks with SIPTU representatives (12 July) – SIPTU members employed in the landmark City Hotel Derry have suspended planned protest action following agreement by the company to engage with their Union representatives at the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) at a meeting in Belfast scheduled for 16th July at 10.00am read more
Artists’ petition delivered to Government calling for safeguarding artists’ incomes (10 July) – PRAXIS (The Artists Union of Ireland) members have presented a petition signed by over 1,500 artists and arts workers to Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, urging immediate action to safeguard their incomes amidst ongoing instability within the Arts Council read more
Labour Court recommends a final extension to Long Covid scheme (27 June) – The Labour Court has issued its recommendation on a Union-wide claim for an Occupational Illness Scheme for Long Covid sufferers read more
Unions seek management meeting prior to referring Tara Deep dispute to WRC (9 June) – Tara Mines Group of Unions has written to management requesting an urgent meeting to discuss its failure to commence work on the Tara Deep project in-line with the agreement which resulted in the mine’s operations recommencing last year read more
Industrial action at AbbVie plant in Cork in pay and collective bargaining dispute (30 May) – A work-to-rule industrial action in the AbbVie manufacturing facility in Carrigtwohill, County Cork began on 19th May in a dispute concerning pay and anti-union practices being implemented by the pharmaceutical manufacture read more
Other news
General Strike Centenary & The Cramlington Train Wreckers 2026 – As you know, next year is a hugely important year for working history (centenary of the General Strike) .Following the success of The Cramlington Train Wreckers last November (4,000 people attended 7 venues) it is transferring to the 1200-seat Newcastle Theatre Royal next July. We are looking to touring it next year but would like feedback from unions re support. Can you circulate it among your affiliates, please? We also have an event at Glasshouse in May to mark the first full day of the centenary of the General Strike.
We are using both events to encourage a new layer of (young) trade union activists. It is an opportunity to draw in people We had a tremendous intervention in at Durham Miners’ Gala over the weekend. Any support would be appreciated.
The Cramlington Train Wreckers is transferring to Newcastle Theatre Royal after a sell out tour at 7 North East venues (4,000 attended!) last November.
www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk
www.wisecrackproductions.co.uk
From SHAC (Social Housing Action Campaign) – 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 central London demo is on Saturday 19th July at 12noon details
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, MU, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
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
Support Berlin hospital strike – support a strike that has been going on for several weeks at CFM, the outsourced facility management company of Charité, one of the largest and best-known university hospitals in Europe. CFM colleagues earn much less than their directly employed colleagues who were not outsourced, even though their work as non-medical staff keeps the hospital running. They are demanding reintegration into the regular workforce, equal pay for equal work and the same collective wage agreement as the public sector so that they can fight together. This is an important dispute in which we have repeatedly been involved since the start of the outsourcing process (2006) and the fight against it. We therefore ask you to send us messages of solidarity for the strike so that we can pass them on to the colleagues. We have already been able to read out and distribute several statements of solidarity from other sectors and other cities, which has greatly motivated and strengthened the strikers. You can find a short English article here: https://www.socialistworld.net/2025/05/29/call-for-international-solidarity-with-striking-berlin-workers/. Please send your messages of solidarity to: [email protected]
Appeal for support for two victimised Mass Art (Massachusetts College of Art and Design) workers over their participation in a rally over Gaza. This is part of the current nationwide crackdown on opposition, especially in educational bodies, which the Trump administration is demanding. Please send copies of any messages of support to [email protected].
Sign the petition if you haven’t already. Share widely! https://chng.it/9JcTZ8QBcr
Call and email MassArt administration:
MassArt President Mary Grant (617) 879-7077
Like, share, and comment on the Instagram post by Massachusetts Teachers Association Rank and File for Palestine (MTA RF4P) calling to defend our right to protest against genocide and for us to be taken off leave and not disciplined: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJeVFBlxh9b/?igsh=MXRobzA2cjk4dTE3aQ==
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
Online Rally: Thursday 3rd April
#SolidarityWithTurkey #StandWithTurkey #FreeThemAll
Please share widely and stand with us! ✊
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.
Further details on www.NigeriaSolidarity.com/Events
Diary
2025
July
18–20 Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival details
26 Troublemakers At Work conference central Manchester read more
September
7 NSSN TUC Congress lobby & rally 1pm Brighton
