Over 100 trade unionists, including TUC Congress delegates, attended the NSSN Rally last Sunday 7th September to demand that Congress in Brighton voted for motions from the TUC Disabled Workers Conference and Trades Councils Conference that set out a strategy to take on Starmer’s austerity offensive, specifically: “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 NSSN welcome that these motions were passed unanimously by Congress, and it is now official TUC policy to call a national Saturday demonstration. But the NSSN is now calling on union reps and members now to demand that the TUC name the date for this demonstration. As NSSN Chair Rob Williams said in Sunday’s Rally: The TUC should name the date. He called for it to be on Saturday 22nd November – just before the Budget on 26th November. Rob said that the bosses are lobbying Starmer’s Labour Government in their interests, the trade union movement must mobilise to put our demands forward – no to austerity, make the rich pay!
Consider taking this brief model motion to your next union meeting:-
- This union NEC/branch/union branch committee/trades council welcomes the unanimous vote at this year’s TUC Congress for the motions from the TUC Disabled Workers Conference and Trades Councils Conference.
- We fully support the demand in the motions: “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.”
- We welcome that this is now official TUC policy and call on our union NEC to demand that the TUC name the date for such a demonstration.
- We believe that Saturday 22nd November – just before the Budget on 26th November – would be an ideal day for this demonstration to demand no to austerity, make the rich pay!
Watch the videos of the NSSN rally speakers: Steve Gillan POA General Secretary, Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary, Mick Whelan ASLEF General Secretary, Ian Lawrence NAPO General Secretary, Steve Wright FBU General Secretary, Danny Taylor Unite striking binworker from Birmingham & Joel Mayfield Unite striking binworker from Sheffield, Paula Peters DPAC, Matt Webb Brighton & Hove Trades Union Council and Rob Williams NSSN Chair.
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Support the striking Birmingham Binworkers: come to the national solidarity demo on Saturday 20th September – Assemble Unite the Union, Jennens Rd
Set off at 10 am and March to Victoria Square Register here Facebook event Book a seat on the London Bus
The workers have been on indefinite strike since March after being threatened with pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year, and are facing brutal strike-breaking measures by the Labour council, backed by Starmer’s government. Solidarity is even more essential as the council effectively threatens to fire and rehire the workers.
Birmingham bin workers vote to extend strike past Christmas and into spring (2 Sept) – Dispute escalates as government commissioners block deal and government allows fire and rehire. Birmingham residents paying millions in extra costs for agency workers and injunctions. Long running strikes by Birmingham bin workers over effective fire and rehire pay cuts of up to £8,000 could be extended past Christmas and into spring, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers have overwhelmingly voted to extend their industrial action mandate to March 2026 over the brutal cuts, which would leave some at risk of losing their homes. Strikes have continued after the government appointed commissioners in Birmingham scuppered a deal that would have ended the dispute. Talks brokered by the conciliation service Acas in May and led by the council’s chief executive Joanne Roney agreed a “ball park” deal which would have ended the dispute. However, Ms Roney latterly advised that she could not get the deal past the commissioners. It is clear therefore that there is no point at this stage having further negotiations with the council. The ball is in the government’s court. It has also been revealed that the cash strapped council is paying millions extra to operate its refuse service during the strikes. In July, Birmingham Live published a freedom of information response that revealed that Birmingham council had already spent £6.5 million on agency workers supplied by the Job and Talent employment agency. In addition, £1.3 million had been spent with the contractor Tom White Waste (wholly owned by Coventry council) to try to undermine the strike. The council has also spent hundreds of thousands on legal injunctions against the striking workers, which again would have been unnecessary if the dispute had been resolved. Costs to council taxpayers will continue to climb the longer the dispute continues. In July, the government amended the Employment Rights act so that councils like Birmingham could legally fire and rehire their workers… The council’s threats to make workers redundant unless they accept the cut in pay is a clear case of fire and rehire. The Labour government had promised to ban fire and rehire but has now effectively reneged on that commitment. Birmingham’s bin workers voted 99.5 per cent in favour of strike action with a turnout of 72 per cent. The workers began intermittent strike action in January and indefinite strike action in Marchread more
Fire and Rehire ban now “burned-out shell”, Unite (7 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has described the Labour government’s commitment to ban the practice of fire and rehiring workers, as now nothing more than a “burned out shell”. Unite had already been highly critical of Labour’s decision to allow private sector employers to continue to use fire and rehire, if a company was facing financial issues and cuts to pay and conditions, would reduce those financial difficulties. In July of this year, the government made fresh amendments to its Employment Rights Bill and further weakened the ban on fire and rehire. Under the new provisions local government and public sector employers can fire and rehire workers 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/
Support the Unite Sheffield Bin Strike
The NSSN supported the Solidarity Rally on Tuesday 19th August to mark the year’s anniversary of the Unite Veolia dispute. There was a fantastic turnout of supporters, showing the huge support for the action, which gave everyone a boost.
Sheffield Veolia workers remain resolute as they spend one year on the picket line (19 Aug) – Workers remain strong in face of union-busting activities by employer who refuses to recognise their union for collective bargaining. Striking workers in Sheffield are staying strong on the picket line as the one-year anniversary of their strike action approaches. Unite members at refuse company Veolia have been on strike since 19 August 2024 in a fight for recognition. Despite having been the majority of workers at the Lumley Street site, Veolia refused to recognise Unite for collective bargaining – dealing with issues like pay, conditions, disciplinary matters and work policies. Workers remain furious at this refusal and continue to take strike action in demand of a basic democratic right. An agreement was even reached at Christmas only for Veolia to go back on the deal at the last minute. Unite activists have travelled across Europe and North America to exert pressure on Veolia management as part of a sustained campaign. Unite is continuing to maintain pressure on the picket line in Sheffield and at Veolia HQ in the UK and France read more
Donate to the strike fund – Unite NEYH, 60-83-01 20173962
Sign the Statement of Solidarity
Support the Unison Gloucestershire phlebotomists strike
Read the latest about the strike.
The results of the NHS phlebotomists in Gloucestershire Hospitals industrial action ballot returned a 100% YES vote, with a turnout of 100%.
Picketing and plan of action for week 27:
- Monday 15th: Joint picket at Gloucester Royal Hospital from 07:30 to 12:00.
- Tuesday 16th: Late picket at Cheltenham General Hospital, outside Sandford Education Centre. Annual members meeting picket from 14:00, meeting from 15:00 to 17:30.
- Wednesday 17th: Joint picket at Gloucester Royal Hospital from 07:30 to 12:00.
- Thursday 18th: Joint picket at Cheltenham General Hospital from 07.30 to 12:00.
- Friday 19th: Relaxed picket at both site TBC
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
Demonstrate against Trump’s visit
National demonstration against Trump’s state visit: TRUMP NOT WELCOME – London Wednesday 17 September. Assemble 2pm Portland Place W1B, rally 5pm parliament square read more on Stop Trump Coalition Website
Youth walkout against Trump – from the Socialist Students website
It’s official: Donald Trump is coming to the UK for a state visit from Wednesday 17 September – Friday 19 September. Trump has attacked the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people and other minority groups, and supports the mass deportation of migrants. He has bragged about helping billionaires get even richer, all while millions of Americans live in poverty. Socialist Students is putting out the call for Trump to be met by a massive youth walkout on September 17 – the day he arrives in the UK. We can start to prepare now, by organising meetings in our schools, colleges and universities on how we can protest and build the walkouts. Let’s get ready to show Trump that we reject him and his politics of exploitation and division!
Workers unity against the far-right – March Against Fascism demo this Saturday 13th September. Assemble 12pm Russell Square. Read more on Stand Up To Racism Website
The far-right are again trying to whip up racist division by scapegoating refugees and migrants. The NSSN calls for the unions to play a leading role in opposing this offensive, which will only weaken our movement in the interests of the employees. We call on the TUC to implement the policy passed at its 2018 Congress, to launch a campaign of ‘Jobs and homes NOT racism.’
See info on counter-protests on the Stand Up to Racism website.
Italy: USB proclaims a general strike for September 22: defend the Flotilla, stop the genocide in Gaza, stop the war economy (12 Sept) – The decision to proclaim the general strike of all public and private categories for the entire day of September 22, 2025 was taken by USB as a result of the large assembly that took place yesterday in Genoa, at the Port Authority Club, in the presence of a thousand people. An exciting assembly promoted by the CALP dockers together with the Global Sumud Flotilla, Music for Peace and the USB, which saw the participation of students, workers, social movements and solidarity realities from all over the country read more
Union News
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RMT
RMT Demonstration: No Sackings, No Deportations, Defend our members’ right to stay! – 8am Wednesday 17th September, the Home Office, Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF. Nearest Stations Westminster and St James Park
RMT demands Summit with the Mayor to end tube dispute (10 Sept) – RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey has called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to attend a summit with the union to find a resolution urgently to the escalating London Underground dispute. Speaking at TUC Congress in Brighton, Mr Dempsey told delegates from across the 6 million strong trade union movement, “I’ve got a message for the Mayor. Instead of going on social media, instead of the old tired clichés, telling trades unionists to get round the table, you’re the Mayor of London, you’re the Chair of TfL. Stop going on social media, invite us to the meeting, let’s have a discussion, because I want to know what is going on in London.” He warned of more strike action if there was no resolution but pointed out that members did not want to be in this position. Mr Dempsey said: “We take no pleasure in causing disruption but we make no apology for fighting for our members. So if the mayor has any sense, he will reach out to us.” Moving the unanimously backed motion which means the TUC Congress collectively calls on the summit to take place, Mr Dempsey added: “This Congress calls on the mayor, to urgently convene a summit to resolve all these disputes, improve industrial relations, end outsourcing and defend ticket offices.” Read more
RMT explains tube strike to BBC News (6 Sept) – RMT Regional Organiser Jared Wood has appeared on BbC London News to discuss our dispute read more
RMT slams Elizabeth Line ticket office closure plan (5 Sept) – RMT today blasted plans by the Elizabeth Line to close every ticket office by August 2027, calling the move “a betrayal of station staff and passengers” with a vow of sustained industrial action to stop it. The union said the proposal comes just months after a mass outcry forced the previous government to abandon similar ticket office closure plans across the rail network. The information came to light when the union were given sight of unredacted documents signalling that the ticket offices would be earmarked for closure by 2027 read more
Tube cleaners threaten strike action over wages and sick pay (4 Sept) – RMT has declared a formal dispute with outsourcing giant ABM after the company failed to improve on its derisory offer to cleaners working on the London Underground cleaning contract. Despite repeated calls for a fair pay settlement, ABM management have refused to go beyond the statutory London Living Wage uplift and have made no offer whatsoever on sick pay, leaving cleaners with no protection when they fall ill. Unless the company comes back to the table with a serious offer, RMT will move to ballot its members across the Underground cleaning contract for strike action. The potential strike comes against the backdrop of Mayor Sadiq Khan previously calling on TfL to assess its ability to bring cleaning services back in-house, improve sick pay and urging the government to fully implement Labour’s “New Deal for Working People,” which pledges the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation read more
Northern Trains revenue and gateline staff to strike (30 Aug) – Rail union, RMT has announced strike action by staff working on the Carlisle Support Services contract for Northern Trains, covering revenue protection and station gateline roles. Members voted overwhelmingly for action in a dispute over pay and conditions after the company has refused to make an offer despite nine months of negotiations. Staff will strike for 24 hours on Tuesday 2 September. And from Wednesday 3 September, members will also begin continuous action short of a strike by refusing to scan tickets or charge company equipment at home. This action will disrupt ticket checks and gateline operations across the Northern network read more
Breakdown in industrial relations – Cross Country – Firstly, I would like to congratulate you and your colleagues again for returning a splendid result in the ballot for industrial action. The union’s National Executive Committee has considered the matter and has taken the decision to call on all our Cross Country members to take the following strike action:
- Members are instructed not to book on for any shifts that commence between:
00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Saturday 23rd August 2025
00.01 hours until 23.59 hours on Monday 25th August 2025
- Additionally, the union’s National Executive Committee has called the following industrial action short of a strike: No electronic scanning of tickets from 00.01 hours on Sunday 24th August 2025 until further notice.
To comply with legal advice the above industrial action short of a strike will be suspended for the duration of the strikes but will commence again immediately after the strike action has concluded. This dispute is about protecting the future of your jobs, the protection of negotiated agreements and the right of your Union to represent you effectively read more
Orkney Ferries seafarers to take industrial action (16 Aug) – Maritime union RMT, will begin industrial action on Orkney Ferries later this month, in a dispute over pay and conditions. From Thursday 28 August, RMT members will take action short of a strike by refusing to work any overtime until further notice. The move comes after the company failed to enter into meaningful negotiations with the union over the 2025 pay settlement. RMT is the largest trade union representing workers at Orkney Ferries and has consistently raised concerns about pay, working conditions and management’s lack of engagement 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
ASLEF
Train drivers to strike on CrossCountry (9 Sept) – Train drivers at CrossCountry will walk out on strike on Friday 3rd October and refuse to work non-contractual overtime from Sunday 21st September over the company’s persistent refusal to adhere to negotiated agreements read more
Rally for striking Hull Trains drivers (29 Aug) – from ASLEF Facebook page: Our solidarity rally started this morning with ASLEF Hull Trains Lead Officer Nigel Roebuck addressing those gathered to show solidarity. we also heard from David Pike, TUC North East, Yorkshire & Humber Regional Secretary, GMB officer Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, BFAWU General Secretary Sarah Wooley, FBU President Ian Murray who also informed us that the FBU have donated £2,000 to the strike fund and NEU Executive Member Hannah Scott.
ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan closed the rally
“‘Thank you for coming today to show your support for a driver who has been sacked for doing nothing wrong. He is the victim of a witch hunt. He has a completely clean safety of the line record. The company are liars and have lied throughout this dispute. They think we will go away. Today shows that we are right and they are wrong”.
Thank you for your show of solidarity today don’t forget you can Support our members by telling Hull Trains to stop their attacks on union members via the following link https://actionnetwork.org/letters/write-to-hull-trains
#HullTrainsStrike
TSSA
TSSA urges government to keep focus on Employment Rights Bill (8 Sept) – Transport and travel union TSSA has urged the Labour government at Westminster not to lose focus and deliver in full the Employment Rights Bill, and with it a significant uplift in protections for British workers. The call follows the departure of Angela Rayner, who was steering the Bill and Justin Madders as Employment Minister. The legislation – which includes greater protections against unfair dismissal, a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts and the repeal of anti trade union laws – is currently going through Parliament read more
TfL pay talks update (29 July) –
- TfL declines to improve its offer
- All unions present state the offer is unacceptable in its current form
TSSA are representing you as TfL Head Office’s largest trade union in TfL Pay Talks for Pay Bands 1-3. At today’s round of pay talks, TfL’s negotiating team declined to improve their offer of 3.4% for this year. All trade unions present stated that this offer is not acceptable in its current form. TfL asked that all unions provide a written response to the offer by Thursday 31 July – and said that if all unions put the offer to their members and the offer was accepted by 28 August, they would be in a position to implement the deal in the November payroll. TSSA reps do not believe that this offer is yet in a fit state to present to you, our members, based on the results of our consultation with you in preparing our pay claim. There are no further meetings scheduled at this stage read more
TSSA members to commence action short of strike in Translink 30th July read more
Unite
First West of England bus drivers’ strike to bring Bristol to a standstill (12 Sept) – Strikes taking place next week by 600 bus drivers at First West of England’s City Line will go ahead next week, causing severe disruption to services in inner-city Bristol and the surrounding area. The drivers, members of Unite, operate out of the Lawrence Hill and Hengrove Bus depots. These depots serve inner-city bus routes in the city as well as Bristol Airport, the local universities and Amazon’s Bristol warehouse. Previous industrial action from 4 to 8 September had been suspended to allow Unite members to be balloted on a new pay offer, after drivers previously rejected a two-year pay deal, However, members have now voted to reject the latest offer from First West of England read more
London International Transport Workers’ Federation staff announce new strike dates to protect jobs (12 Sept) – Additional strike action announced due to lack of movement by management in redundancy negotiations. More than 100 workers at the London-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have announced new strike dates in response to planned redundancies and attacks on collective bargaining. The workers, members of Unite, are striking after the ITF’s management initiated an organisation-wide restructuring that includes cutting a quarter of the workforce this year. In July, the workers voted by 89 per cent for strike action and by 90 per cent for action short of strike action on a turn out of 89 per cent read more
JLR supply chain workers impacted by cyberattack must receive government support, says Unite (12 Sept) – Thousands of workers in the JLR supply chain are at risk of losing their livelihoods unless the government steps in with a furlough scheme to support them. Unite, the UK’s automotive union, said that a scheme must be introduced as soon as possible to ensure workers’ jobs remain open during the time it takes for JLR to recover its operations. The union has already had reports that supply chain workers impacted by the cyberattack at JLR are being laid off read more
Bus summit in Manchester ignores workers as Bee Network strikes loom (11 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union representing workers in passenger transport, has today (11 September) blasted the UK Bus Summit for failing to include workers’ voices. The event, held today (11 September), brought together key voices in the sector, but the voices of bus workers were excluded from the event, sending a message that the rights of bus workers are not high on the agenda. The Bus Summit is taking place in Greater Manchester, home of the Bee Network. However, there will be large-scale disruption to bus services in the area from Friday 19 to Monday 22 September as over 2,000 Unite members working for the Bee Network will walk out in a co-ordinated strike over pay. There are also bus strikes set to take place in the Home Counties and Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston in the coming weeks, while Unite members working for First Bus in Bristol and the surrounding areas are currently awaiting the outcome of a ballot to see whether or not they will suspend their strikes due to take place next week. Unite has constantly raised issues with bus firms about the poor pay and conditions facing bus workers read more
Mass disruption to Greater Manchester Bee Network as bus workers strike (5 Sept) – There will be serious disruption to bus services in Greater Manchester this month as over 2,000 Unite members including bus drivers working for the city’s ‘Bee Network’ walk out in a co-ordinated strike. The workers are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester and First Bus Rochdale – firms which are among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network. At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5 per cent. There are also 1,000 Metroline Manchester members at the following depots: Sharston, Hyde Road, Ashton and Wythenshawe involved, who will walk out after turning down an unsatisfactory below inflation pay offer of 3.5 per cent. Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis. Meanwhile, 110 members at First Bus Rochdale have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6 per cent, which does not go far enough to address the fact workers there have had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies and are the lowest paid in the region read more
Tarmac strike in Derbyshire suspended as workers vote on new pay offer (11 Sept) – A strike next week at Tarmac’s Alfreton Blocks Plant in Derbyshire has been suspended after the company put forward an improved pay offer. Over 30 Unite members at the plant, who include maintenance workers, quality technicians and fitters who make aerated concrete blocks for construction projects and pack them on the production line, were set to walk out on Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 September then Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 September. They had overwhelmingly voted to reject a pay offer of four per cent, which workers do not believe goes far enough to address years of low pay. However, next week’s strike action has been suspended to allow workers to vote on the new deal…Depending on the outcome of this ballot, the following week’s industrial action could still go ahead read more
Gatwick immigration services workers ballot for strike action over poverty pay (10 Sept) – OCS workers face abuse, physically gruelling shifts assisting UK Border Force staff. Gatwick immigration services workers are being balloted for strike action over poverty pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The OCS workers, who earn little more than the minimum wage, are demanding a pay rise that reflects the demanding nature of the job and the rising cost of living. The workers provide support to the UK Border Force at the airport’s immigration gates. During gruelling 12-hour shifts, they are not allowed to sit down, face regular abuse from arriving passengers and only receive a half hour paid break…The ballot for industrial action will run until 22 September. Strikes would cause disruption to immigration services at Gatwick read more
James Walker workers in Cockermouth to strike over pay (9 Sept) – Production lines at James Walker and Co will grind to a halt later this month as 250 Unite members at the Cockermouth-based firm will walk out in a dispute about pay. James Walker and Co is a privately owned global industrial business, which supplies high-performance fluid sealing products to virtually every industry sector. Workers have overwhelmingly rejected a below-inflation pay offer of three per cent. James Walker and Co is profitable company with a turnover of £44.9m and a profit of £1.4m after tax. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “James Walker is putting profits before people and Unite will not allow it. A 24-hour walkout at the Cumbrian site will take place from 06:00 on September 22 after 91 per cent of Unite members voted to strike. Workers will also undertake a continuous overtime ban from 19 September read more
Unite delivers sweet pay deal for Tunnock’s factory workers (5 Sept) – One-year pay deal effective from 1 July amounts to 4.4 per cent. Unite can confirm strike action at the Tunnock’s factory in Uddingston has been avoided after an enhanced pay offer was accepted by over 300 workers. The one-year pay deal effective from 1 July amounts to 4.4 per cent taking the hourly rate to £13. Eligibility to the company sick pay will also take effect from day one of any sickness absence for a trial period read more
Home counties bus chaos as Arriva workers walk out (5 Sept) – Staff at garages in Beds, Bucks and Herts to strike over pay. Over 800 bus drivers, engineers, cleaners and shunters across the South-East of England are taking strike action over derisory pay offers. Members of the Unite union, Britain’s leading transport union, are walking out after their employer, Arriva, failed to make a decent pay offer. They are now set to strike for 16 days across September and October. The dispute covers workers across Arriva the Shires and Arriva Kent Thameside across five depots. These are Luton, Milton Keynes, (both the Arriva The Shires) and Stevenage, Ware and Hemel Hempstead (Arriva Kent Thameside). At the Shires, around 50 routes a day operate out of Milton Keynes and Luton while Kent Thameside operates approximately 30 routes a day out of Hemel Hempstead, Ware and Stevenage…Strikes are to take place on the following dates: Tuesday 23 September – Friday 26 September, Wednesday 1 October – Saturday 4 October, Thursday 9 October – Sunday 12 October, Tuesday 14 October – Friday 17 October read more
Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston bus chaos as Stagecoach drivers strike (5 Sept) – 500 Stagecoach workers walk out over pay disparities. Birkenhead, Chorley and Preston Stagecoach bus services will be severely disrupted during strikes by 500 drivers, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers are demanding a pay rise that reflects huge disparities between their pay and drivers in the same areas. For example, Arriva drivers in Birkenhead earn £2.69 an hour more than Birkenhead Stagecoach drivers and £2.13 an hour more than Stagecoach drivers in Chorley and Preston…The workers will take strike action from 29 September to 5 October and from 13 October to 19 October. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Unite announces SQA industrial action ballot as pay dispute escalates (5 Sept) – Pay increase five months overdue to hundreds of workers. Unite can confirm today (Friday 5 September) that around 400 members at the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) are being balloted on industrial action in an escalating dispute over pay. The pay dispute centres on the SQA’s pay offer of three per cent for 2025 just as the broader cost of inflation hit 4.8 per cent in July. Unite is highlighting that any pay increase for the workforce is now five months overdue as it was expected to take effect on 1 April. The union held a consultative ballot of its membership on the pay offer which indicated 97 per cent wanted to be balloted on industrial action if no movement was made by the SQA on the pay offer…The ballot on industrial action opens on Friday 5 September and closes on Thursday 25 September read more
Unite responds to Teesside-based chemicals firm Venator going into administration (4 Sept) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has today (4 September) responded to news that Teesside-based firm Venator has gone into administration. More than 500 jobs are under threat after Venator Materials plc, the parent company of Venator Materials UK, appointed administrators. There are almost 200 Unite members working for Venator at three sites in the North East – Birtley, Greatham and Wynyard. The majority of Unite’s members are based at the Greatham site read more
Strikes at Bournemouth Airport suspended after new pay offer (4 Sept) – Industrial action that would have “shut down” Bournemouth Airport this weekend has been halted after the employer made a new pay offer. Over 100 workers at the airport were due to strike from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 September then Sunday 14 September in a dispute about pay. This would have had a significant impact on airport operations as it included workers from many different areas including baggage handling, flight dispatching, check-in staff and the fire service. However, Bournemouth Airport has now put forward a new pay offer. Strike action has been postponed to allow members to be balloted on this read more
Lindsey oil refinery workers rally at Parliament to save plant (3 Sept) – Lindsey oil refinery workers will rally outside of parliament on Wednesday to call for urgent government action to keep the site operational and prevent it from being split off into parts. The site supports 450 directly employed workers plus a further 500 contract jobs and potentially thousands in the supply chain. As well as being vital to North Lincolnshire’s regional economy and local communities, the refinery plays a critical role in the UK’s energy security read more
Altrad offshore contractors to be balloted on strike action (2 Sept) – Oil platforms Magnus and Thistle Alpha owned by EnQuest. Unite the union can confirm an industrial action ballot for Altrad offshore contractors working on the Magnus and Thistle Alpha platforms operated by EnQuest opens today (3 September). The pay dispute is based on Altrad Employment Services Limited reneging on a four per cent wage increase which is due to around 50 workers on the platforms effective from 1 January under the offshore Energy Services Agreement (ESA) read more
Unite accuses the SSPCA of worker ‘neglect’ over real terms pay cut (2 Sept) – Trade union cites years of ‘low pay’ while new executive earns bumper wage
Unite the union can confirm that around 140 members employed by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) are being balloted over strike action in a dispute over pay. SSPCA workers have emphatically rejected a two year pay offer which amounts to a significant real terms pay cut. In 2025, the offer on average amounts to around 1.6 per cent with some members having their pay frozen. A one-off payment has been tabled worth around two per cent. In 2026, only a two per cent offer has been tabled. The broader cost of inflation has just hit 4.8 per cent in July… The SSPCA has two main workplaces those being its headquarters in Dunfermline and at Cardonald, Glasgow. The ballot opens today (Wednesday 3 September) and closes on 17 September read more
First West of England strikes in Bristol, Bath, Wells and Weston-Super-Mare suspended (2 Sept) – A planned strike this week by 400 drivers in Bristol and surrounding areas has been suspended after management came forward with a new pay offer. The affected Unite members work for First West of England’s Badgerline out of the following depots: Bristol Marlborough Street, Bath, Wells and Weston-Super-Mare. They were due to walk out for five days from this Thursday (4 September) after previously rejecting an unsatisfactory pay offer from First Bus. However, the first wave of strikes from 4 September to 8 September has been halted so Unite members can be balloted on the new pay offer over the coming days read more
Airbus strikes postponed due to new pay offer (29 Aug) – Strikes due to take place from 2 September at UK aerospace giant Airbus have been postponed following an improved pay and pension offer from the employer. Unite members at the Filton and Broughton factories will now be balloted between Friday 12th September and Friday 19th September. Should the offer be rejected by members, industrial action will resume on 23 and 24 September read more
Workers at Tarmac’s Alfreton Blocks Plant in Derbyshire striking over pay (29 Aug) – Over 30 Unite members at Tarmac’s Derbyshire-based Alfreton Blocks Plant will walk out next month in a dispute over pay. The workers include maintenance workers, quality technicians and fitters who make aerated concrete blocks for construction projects and pack them on the production line. They have overwhelmingly voted to reject a pay offer of four per cent, which workers do not believe goes far enough to address years of low pay and the fact many of them earn just about the national minimum wage and have struggled with the increased cost of living. At other Tarmac sites, workers also get large bonuses for meeting targets which the members involved in the dispute at Alfreton Blocks Plant are not eligible for…Tarmac is an extremely profitable company. Last year, it was reported that Birmingham-based Tarmac saw revenues surpass £2 billion and profits increase in 2023. Unite members will walk out on 15 and 16 September and 22 and 23 September, shutting down production and causing a backlog, after 93 per cent voted to strike read more
Facilities staff at London mental health centre to strike over pay (29 Aug) – Workers in Newham take to picket line over pay as workplace relations breakdown. Dozens of staff that keep a London mental health facility in a fit and proper state are striking next week over a failure by their employer to pay decent wages. Unite members at the Newham Centre for Mental Health are striking from 1-5 September and from 15-21 September due to their anger over pay and conditions read more
AW Crewing staff in Lowestoft to strike over pay and conditions (28 Aug) – Workers at AW Crewing are set to take industrial action next month in a dispute around pay and conditions. The almost 30 Unite members make up the crew of the Cefas Endeavour – a government surveying ship based out of the Port of Lowestoft, Suffolk. Workers are employed by the Guernsey and Isle of Man based AW Crewing – both areas which are tax havens – and include the captain and deckhands who facilitate scientists coming on board to do surveys of British waters. This is an extremely skilled role, however these workers are paid less than their counterparts working for the same firm. Cefas Endeavour staff employed by AW Crewing have been offered a 6.5 per cent pay rise but this has been rejected as it still leaves some crew members earning less than their counterparts on other vessels…The Unite members voted 100 per cent for strike action on an 81 per cent turn out. Strikes will take place from 9 to 12 September and would see the Cefas Endeavour being docked with no crew read more
National Grid and Scottish Power shortages of critical transformer oil due to strikes (27 Aug) – Ellesmere Port Electrical Oil Services workers striking over pay. Energy companies including the National Grid and Scottish Power have shortages of critical transformer oil due to pay strikes by Electrical Oil Services workers in Ellesmere Port. Electrical Oil Services, which supplies oil to lubricate, cool and insulate power company transformers, has informed its clients that stock is very low due to ongoing industrial action. Due to the crucial role the striking plant operators perform, stocks began to run out after just a few days of strike action that began last week and which is still underway… The workers took strike action from 18 August to the morning of 25 August, due to an inadequate pay offer. Further strikes began yesterday (26 August) and will last until 1 September. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Pathology staff across London to strike over pay and grading (26 Aug) – Major disruption at multiple hospitals as blood tests to cease. A&E services severely impacted. Pathology staff at laboratories across London are to take strike action over pay and grading it was announced today, severely impacting operations at seven London hospitals. Over 800 Unite members employed by Health Services Laboratory (and sister company The Doctors’ Laboratory) are taking three days of strike action on 3, 4 and 5 September. Staff at the HSL laboratories who conduct blood, skin, and tissue tests for two London healthcare trusts are furious over the lack of transparency in their grading. This means staff are often doing the work of more senior colleagues without being properly paid or doing the same job as other colleagues and being paid different rates. The privatised service, despite being a supplier to the NHS, does not adhere to NHS pay scales and staff earn less money than if they were directly employed by the NHS read more
Turners tanker drivers balloted on strike action in pay dispute (25 Aug) – Grangemouth based drivers deliver fuel for major aviation companies. Unite can confirm that Grangemouth based logistic drivers working for Turners (Soham) Limited are being balloted on strike action in an escalating pay dispute. The logistic drivers work on two contracts which provide fuel services for a number of major aviation companies. Turners has offered a miserly one per cent just as the broader cost of inflation hit 4.8 per cent in July. In its latest after tax profits, Turners recorded £51m for the year ending 2023. The union believes fuel supplies to major aviation companies including Jet 2, easyJet and Emirates operating at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle airports will be directly impacted if the drivers take industrial action following a successful ballot result read more
OCS workers at Edinburgh airport back strike action (21 Aug) – Unanimous support for action in poverty pay dispute. Over 100 OCS Group workers based at Edinburgh airport are set to take strike action next month in an escalating dispute over poverty pay, Scotland’s leading aviation union, revealed today (21 August). The union can confirm that Unite’s OCS membership unanimously backed strike action in a ballot with a turnout of over 90 per cent. OCS workers at Edinburgh airport are now set for a series of 48-hour stoppages during September. The two day strike action will take place over the following dates: 3rd-4th; 7th-8th; 11th -12th; 14th-15th; 18th-19th; 21st-22nd; and 25th-26th. The dispute centres on OCS management tabling the lowest possible wage offer of £12.60 an hour matching the Scottish Living Wage minimum rate, which the workers overwhelmingly rejected read more
Back-to-school chaos as bus strikes hit West London (19 Aug) – Drivers, engineers and controllers to walk out over backdated pay. Parents and pupils heading back-to-school are set to be hit by bus strike chaos as nearly 2,000 workers at London United and London Transit taking strike action on Friday 29 August and Monday 1 September. Members of the Unite, Britain’s leading union, are furious that not all elements of the new pay offer they have received from their employer are being backdated to the pay anniversary date n December. This would mean drivers losing out on hundreds of pounds of back pay after First Bus bought the company earlier this year from RATP. One of the subsidiaries involved, London United, is also attempting to change the pay anniversary of some workers and is refusing to reinstate shift work premiums for others read more
Jones Engineering: OECD finds Unite complaint merits further consideration (19 Aug) – Complaint related to treatment of workers following 2023 dispute. Unite welcomes OECD offer of mediation. August 19th: Unite today welcomed the decision by the Ireland National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that a complaint submitted by Unite and the global federation Building and Woodworkers International in respect of Jones Engineering and its American parent company Cathexis merits further consideration. The decision is available here. The complaint centres largely on the treatment of union members by Jones following a 2023 trade dispute surrounding the union’s claim for restoration of the first hour of ‘travel time’ read more
PX Limited strike suspended as workers are balloted on new pay offer (18 Aug) – A 24-hour strike tomorrow (19 August) by Unite members at PX Limited which would have caused disruption to the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria has been suspended to allow workers to vote on a new pay offer. Almost 40 workers were set to walk out after previously turning down two unsatisfactory pay offers from PX Limited, citing the fact they are an intrinsic part of processes at Sellafield. However the company has come back to the table with an improved proposal which employees are being balloted on. The affected staff at PX Limited provide critical process steam and electricity to Sellafield. Strike action would have caused disruption to any facilities that rely on this read more
Sellafield construction workers begin work-to-rule after overwhelming ballot result (14 Aug) – Strikes not ruled out if dispute continues. Unite, the UK’s leading union, that represents over 1,500 construction workers across 34 contractors at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria, today confirmed that its members would be enacting a work-to-rule policy after members voted strongly in favour of industrial action over the refusal to pay Sellafield-specific allowances. The ballot returned a decisive mandate with well over 90 per cent support for strike and non-strike action. Unite members have given their employers a clear message: negotiate or face disruption. The work to rule will begin on Saturday 23 August and is indefinite. The action is scheduled to maximise impact with work hampered and delayed across disciplines including electricians, joiners, pipe-fitters, riggers, welders, groundworkers and painters read more
Fawley refinery poverty pay canteen strikes escalate (18 Aug) – Strikes by Fawley oil refinery canteen workers over poverty pay have escalated, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The predominantly female workers, employed by catering outsourcer Compass, are paid only slightly more than the minimum wage. They are demanding a pay rise that reflects the rising cost of living and ensures the gap between their wages and the absolute legal minimum does not shrink. London-based Compass Group is the world’s largest catering provider and raked in nearly £1.2 billion in operating profits in the six months to March 2025 – an increase of 11.6 per cent. The workers began strike action in July. The latest round of strike action began today (18 August) and will last until 22 August. Further strikes will take place from 26 to 28 August and from 1 to 5 September. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. The Fawley refinery is operated by multinational Esso read more
Stoke residents face repair delays unless leave problems resolved (14 Aug) – Stoke on Trent council housing residents will face repair and maintenance delays due to industrial action if a dispute over annual leave is not swiftly resolved. Currently, Stoke council office workers receive two days annual leave more than craftworkers at the local authority. In a consultative ballot of over 225 craftworkers, who include joiners, plumbers and electricians, 99 per cent voted in favour of taking industrial action over the disparity…Unite will begin formal industrial action proceedings if the council does not provide annual leave parity in a timely manner read more
Imperial College freshers braced for strike disruption as workers ballot over pay (14 Aug) – Teaching and support staff offered insulting pay offer from UK’s top university with total income of £1.3 billion. Imperial College freshers are facing disruption at the start of the academic year as teaching and non-teaching staff ballot for industrial action over pay. Members of Unite, along with members of other recognised unions, are angry at Imperial’s two per cent imposed pay increase. It is a real terms pay cut given that the latest RPI inflation stands at 4.4 per cent…Unite members are being balloted until 15 September. The staff involved in the industrial action ballots perform a variety of roles from teaching, research and library services to maintenance, administration and student welfare. Industrial action would have a severe impact on services across the university read more
Liverpool University staff halt strike action after hybrid working win (13 Aug) – Unite members at the University of Liverpool have voted to halt planned strike action tomorrow (14 August) and in September after accepting new terms to protect home working. Over 300 workers – professional services staff – took action including striking and holding a rally in June followed by working to contractual hours only (no overtime, no evenings, no weekends) after senior management tried to force through changes to their hybrid working practices without proper consultation with staff or Unite read more
Orkney Ferries workers overtime ban in pay dispute (13 Aug) – Unite claims ferry services will be reduced by industrial action. Unite the union confirmed today that Orkney Ferries workers will take part in industrial action in an escalating dispute over pay. Over 20 outer north and inner isles Orkney Ferries workers represented by Unite will take part in a continuous ban on overtime starting from 00:01 on 28 August. The union claims that due to the ferries relying on the goodwill of workers to take shifts beyond their contracted hours and at short notice that services could be reduced by the industrial action. The latest development in the pay dispute follows Unite’s membership overwhelmingly rejecting a two-year pay offer. Unite members have also reacted angrily to an enhanced ‘recall’ rate given for extra hours worked now being removed by Orkney Ferries read more
Unions lodge notice of first 24-hour strike by workers at Belfast council leisure services (7 Aug) – Joint UNITE-NIPSA press release: Belfast leisure workers are lowest paid in Northern Ireland and are seeking a one pound an hour increase to the current pay offer. Talks ended without management company Greenwich Leisure Limited making any improved pay offer. Unite and NIPSA trade unions have announced a 24-hour strike by leisure staff at facilities operated by Green Leisure Limited in Belfast. 14 leisure centres and two gyms owned by Belfast City Council are operated by the arms-length management company. The strike will commence at 00.01 on Tuesday August 12 and continue until midnight. The industrial action is likely to shut down entirely the operation of several leisure centres, given that more than 200 leisure workers are members of two trade unions. Pay at Belfast leisure centres has fallen behind that of other council leisure facilities in Northern Ireland following the decision to outsource them to Greenwich Leisure Limited. Belfast leisure worker pay is now the lowest in Northern Ireland…The strike follows an overwhelming ballot for industrial action by workers in both unions and represents an escalation from a work-to-rule which came into force on Tuesday 15 July. Labour Relations Agency-mediated negotiations between the trade unions and the employer ended on Wednesday 30 July, after management failed to provide any improved offer read more
Unite hits out at union busting firm supplying coffee chain Starbucks (30 July) – Unite has hit out at the unfair treatment of two shop stewards working at Food Service Logistics, who have been suspended on trumped-up charges. The reps are a senior shop steward and their deputy, who have been falsely accused of being involved in an altercation after being singled out to do work not in their job description and now face disciplinary hearings next week. It comes after these Unite stewards had previously brought numerous grievances against Food Service Logistics including discrimination for trade union activity and behaviour of management towards them and other Unite members. Hemel Hempstead-based Food Service Logistics is a primary supplier to the Starbucks retail network in the south of England, including franchised stores. Starbucks itself has come under fire in recent years after facing accusations of unfair dismissals and union busting in the US read more
Unite ballot shows NHS staff overwhelmingly reject pay deal (29 July) – Unite’s ballot of members in health has demonstrated the strength of feeling among the NHS workforce with 89 per cent of members believe that the pay award (3.6%) is unacceptable and are prepared to take action up to including strike action. The strength of feeling around government cuts was even greater with 95 per cent of members expressing their willingness to take action in order to oppose cuts to the NHS. We are calling on the UK government to meet with us and in order to avoid a strike that is likely to affect a number of Trusts (including Ambulance Trusts) and a number of national organisations such as NHS England and NHS Blood and Transplant. The pay award offered to Agenda for Change NHS staff (i.e. most staff other than doctors) was below RPI and CPIH. It is less than the award for doctors and it is less than that offered through negotiations in Scotland…Unite is committed to resolving this issue and will work with the government to do so, but given the lack of willingness from ministers to date, Unite will progress towards the next formal ballot we are required to carry out in order that we can take action. Our members have witnessed the NHS deteriorate for years and feel duty bound to take a stand to defend it 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 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
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
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
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
CWU
CWU LIVE – All The Updates from Trade Unions Congress (11 Sept) – This week CWU LIVE comes to you direct from Brighton, where the trade union movement gathered for TUC Congress 2025. Hosted by Head of Comms Chris Webb, we bring together the voices of activists, leaders and first-time delegates fighting for a stronger, more democratic movement. At a time when insecure work, digital exploitation and political attacks on workers’ rights are accelerating, TUC 2025 was about one thing: building the power to fight back. Catch up with all the highlights, debates and interviews on CWU LIVE at TUC 2025 read more
Support the Tik Tok workers – CWU UTAW branch (UTAW_uk on X/Twitter)
✊ Join us to demand fair redundancy packages for over 300 workers✊
Last week TikTok announced a mass redundancy putting over 300 of its London employees at risk. TikTok employees have known these cuts were coming and were a week away from voting on union recognition. TikTok has timed this to hurt our movement and avoid scrutiny and transparency on a sham redundancy.
💪 WE’RE DEMANDING A FAIR REDUNDANCY PACKAGE OR REDPLOYMENT FOR ALL
💪 WE’RE STANDING AGAINST TIKTOK’S UNION BUSTING
💪 WE’RE CALLING TIKTOK OUT FOR ITS RECKLESS ATTITUDE TO ONLINE SAFETY
📢 Stand with us on 4th September at 3pm outside TikTok, EC1A 9HP 📢
Read more about TikTok’s union busting redundancies here
VM02 Capita workers condemn “heartless and destructive” offshoring redundancies (2 Sept) – The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said that the strength of feeling among VM02 Capita workers is “unprecedented”, after the firm has announced “heartless and destructive” redundancies. Workers in Payment Management on the Capita contract on VM02 were told of new redundancies on 18th August, with management’s justification being operational changes and consistent financial losses. It is expected that the 150 jobs will be offshored to South Africa, which has already seen a steady stream of VM02 jobs over the years. The union has attacked the timing of the redundancies as unacceptable, with the redundancies being announced just 12 days after a separate redundancy consultation, affecting more than 200 workers, was completed. This means that the same workers who had been told they had retained their roles are immediately facing a fresh bout of uncertainty 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]
PCS Rejects Public Sector Pay Offers Across Defence (12 Sept) – PCS has formally informed the Ministry of Defence of our rejection of this year’s pay offer, following a meeting of our defence sector group executive. While the group has rejected the offer, it has agreed not to stand in the way of its imposition read more
Support the MHCLG strikers taking action in London (12 Sept) – PCS members at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government continue their industrial campaign with targeted action at the department’s London office on Tuesday (16). Our members hope Steve Reed, the new secretary of state, swiftly enters into negotiations to end the dispute over office closures, attendance polices and recruitment strategy. Earlier this month, our MHCLG members supported strike action with busy picket lines in Birmingham, Darlington, Edinburgh, Hemel Hempstead, London, Leeds and Manchester. And workers in Hemel walked out again on Wednesday. The action has now switched to targeted action which sees over 170 staff walk out until 25 September. Support the picket line in London on Tuesday (16) outside MHCLG London’s office in 2 Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF from 8-10:30am. Send messages of support to [email protected] read more
Support the MHCLG strikers taking targeted action (9 Sept) – PCS calls for talks with Steve Reed, the new secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, as our dispute continues with targeted action this week. Our members in Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government took well-supported strike action last week with busy picket lines on Monday in Birmingham, Darlington, Edinburgh, Hemel Hempstead, London, Leeds and Manchester. Angela Rayner, former the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government resigned from government on Friday lunchtime and had failed to engage with members in her department. PCS hopes her successor will want to swiftly enter into negotiations to end the dispute over office closures, attendance polices and recruitment strategy. The action has now switched to targeted action which will see over 170 staff walk out until 25 September. Please support members who will be on a picket from 8-10.30am on Wednesday (10) outside the MHCLG office, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1DN. A further picket will also be taking place on Tuesday (16) outside MHCLG London’s office in 2 Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF from 8-10:30am read more
PCS Members at MyCSP Extend Strike Action Over Representation Dispute (12 Sept) – PCS members employed by pension administrator MyCSP have already undertaken 10 weeks of strike action. Now we have formally notified the employer of plans to extend the industrial action by a further six weeks, continuing until 7 November. The ongoing dispute centres on MyCSP management’s refusal to allow PCS to represent staff in discussions ahead of the scheduled TUPE transfer to Capita in December read more
Second 24-hour strike for security staff in the Houses of Parliament (9 Sept) – The members will walk out on Wednesday 10 September for the second time in two weeks. Over 300 PCS members who work at the Palace of Westminster are taking their second 24 hours of strike action from 7am on 10 September to 7am on 11 September. The members are also taking part in an overtime ban and a work-to-rule. The members are angry about their employer’s removal of six days’ annual leave from contracts, pay stagnation, worsening conditions and a widening ethnicity pay gap. They are also disappointed that the employer wrongly claims that they agreed to reduce their annual leave entitlement and refuses to take this grave concern seriously read more
MPs show support for parliamentary security strikers (5 Sept)
Palestine Solidarity Campaign stands with PCS members in Westminster (4 Sept)
FCDO staff vote overwhelmingly against performance-based pay (9 Sept) – 73% of members voted to oppose performance pay and 62% said they would take industrial action to get it scrapped. The new pay system means that the basic cost of living increase, mandated by the government’s pay remit, will only be paid in full to staff marked as higher performers. The FCDO is alone in insisting on a differentiation which is based on the 2024 to 2025 performance markings, effectively changing performance expectations retrospectively. In the civil service there have been failed attempts in the past to make the annual pay rise subject to performance markings, but the inability of employers to equality-proof their appraisal systems meant staff could have no confidence that pay awards were fair. As a result, performance related pay is mainly limited to smaller non-consolidated bonuses read more
Unions come together to protest visa rule changes threatening migrant workers in rail and DWP (9 Sept) – RMT, with the support of PCS, will protest outside the Home Office on 17 September against skilled worker visa changes pushing migrant rail and civil service workers into crisis. The demonstration follows the government’s announcement on 1 July 2025 of new immigration regulations, which came into force just three weeks later on 22 July. The changes significantly narrowed the list of occupations eligible for sponsorship under the skilled worker visa, excluding any role not classified at Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 6—equivalent to graduate level—unless it appears on the shortage occupation list. Among the 180 occupations removed from eligibility is Rail Travel Assistant, a role held by many RMT members currently working in the UK on graduate visas. These workers had expected to transition to skilled worker visas but now face deportation when their current visas expire. The abrupt nature of the changes has left many in a state of uncertainty, with no clear pathway to remain in the UK despite having worked in essential roles for months or even years. The DWP group in PCS has also been campaigning against the impact on our own members in the DWP, where migrant workers in frontline roles have similarly found themselves excluded from visa sponsorship. Many of these workers were recruited during the pandemic to support vital public services, including benefits processing and customer support for vulnerable claimants. Now, despite their contributions, they are being told they must leave the UK when their graduate visas expire. Both unions argue that the changes were rushed through without proper scrutiny, consultation, or transitional arrangements read more
PCS launches consultative ballot on pay for DWP members (8 Sept) – PCS has rejected the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) final pay offer for 2025–26 and will move to a consultative ballot for industrial action. PCS has rejected the DWP’s final pay offer for 2025–26 because it fails to address the serious issue of chronic low pay. Again AAs, AOs and some EOs face the prospect of being on the National Living Wage (NLW) from April 2026 read more
Met Police to close more police station front counters (3 Sept) – The plan will impact on public safety and the jobs of public access officers who are PCS members. Between 2012 and 2022, 112 police stations with front counters were closed across the whole of London as part of the Met Police’s “Tough Choices” cost-saving initiative. Now the Met Police want to close a further 18 front counters, leaving only 19 to cover the whole of London, of which only 8 will operate 24/7. This move will have a devastating impact on the safety of Londoners and visitors alike, as well as threatening the jobs of PCS members who work as public access officers (PAOs) read more
Civil Service Pension Scheme in crisis (4 Sept) – It’s time for members to take action: add your voice to demand urgent reform. A recent investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) has exposed shocking failures in the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. From long call wait times to a massive backlog of unanswered emails, the report paints a picture of a system that is failing the very people it was designed to support – civil servants who have dedicated their careers to public service read more
Revenue & Customs Pay 2025 (2 Sept) – PCS rejects the pay offer from Revenue and Customs as it falls way short of the union’s pay claim. Revenue & Customs have written to both PCS and ARC unions to confirm that the HMRC pay offer will be implemented in September salaries. PCS has already rejected the offer (equivalent to 3.25% of the pay bill with a further 0.5% for targeting specific issues including low pay), as way below the demands in our national pay claim. The offer also sees members on terms and conditions transferred on moves into R&C having their pay ranges frozen, except for where increases are required due to National Living Wage increases. Over 2,700 members attended branch meetings to discuss the offer with 58% of members either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the offer, compared to only 15% who were either satisfied or very satisfied. PCS will continue to campaign for the pay rises that members deserve following decades of pay restraint under successive governments. Branches across R&C will be holding members’ meetings with speakers from the union’s national executive committee to hear about discussions the union has held with the Cabinet Office on civil service pay and reward strategy as well as to discuss next steps in the campaign read more
Show support for Ofgem strikers (22 Aug) – PCS members at UK energy regulator Ofgem will be out in number on picket lines next week as hundreds of them take 3 days of strike action from Tuesday. More than 700 members employed by the regulator in Glasgow, London and Cardiff will walk out on 26 August, 27 August – the day the energy regulator announces its latest energy price cap – and 28 August in a dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions. In a recent ballot, 85.22% of members voted for strike action. They are demanding that Ofgem resolves longstanding pay issues in the organisation, provides reassurances on jobs, and properly engages with trade unions and the agreements it makes with them. Every Ofgem building across the country will be picketed by PCS on each day of the strike. send messages of support to the branch: [email protected]
- show your support on social media with the hashtags #LightsOut #OfgemStrike #PriceCapStrike
- donate to the strike fund: https://www.pcs.org.uk/donate read more
Super picket and social marks mid-way point of MyCSP strike (18 Aug) – The members have taken six weeks of strike action and start the next six weeks today, in their fight for union recognition. PCS members working for MyCSP in Liverpool and Cheadle have been on strike since the beginning of July, in an effort to secure union recognition and to ensure that PCS is fully involved in the talks to protect their terms and conditions ahead of the transfer of the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) contract from MyCSP Ltd to Capita on 1 December. The initial six weeks’ strike was due to end on Friday 15 August but another six weeks have been added as the employer has failed to address our demands for recognition and negotiation. Since the dispute began, new members have been joining PCS and taking part in strike action and picket-;line duty. Picket lines have been held every day of the strike action in Liverpool and Cheadle, but the numbers on the picket lines were swelled on Friday 15 August to mark the end of the first six weeks. The weather was perfect and as local rep Gary Wheeler said, “the sun shone on the righteous”. Lots of cars passing were beeping their horns for the dozens of picketers and supporters and there was a party atmosphere on the picket lines read more
PCS industrial action escalated at ONS (7 Aug) – PCS members at the Office For National Statistics have stepped up their long-running dispute over a forced return to workplaces by instigating a zero-office attendance policy and increasing their use of work to rule. More than 1200 members began the escalation with immediate effect on 25 July, while the branch considers next steps in the use of its mandate to use strike action. In a ballot which ended on 31 March, members voted for strike action with 68% of ONS members taking part voting to take strike action while 91% voted to take action short of a strike (ASOS), on a 71% turnout. PCS members have been in dispute with ONS since April 2024 over changes to the hybrid working policies and have since held three statutory ballots on a programme of continuous industrial action involving non-compliance with mandated office attendance targets and working to rule. The PCS ONS Branch has been placing pressure on the interim ONS senior management to engage with us after a growing number of ONS members have reported managers attempting to force attendance based on wafer-thin “business requirements” to undermine our action short of a strike (ASOS) that has restored working autonomy to members read more
IOPC staff vote to pause industrial action after improved offer (4 Aug) – The members at the Independent Office for Police Conduct have been taking action short of a strike in a dispute over office attendance and job cuts. Over 400 members at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have been taking action short of a strike since 1 April after management announced the imposition of a change to existing hybrid working arrangements. The IOPC has also seen restructuring which involves job losses 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]
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
Prospect
Prospect and FDA raise concerns over job cuts at Department for Business and Trade (12 Sept) – Prospect and FDA, have written to Gareth Davies, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), to raise concerns about the department’s proposed staffing reductions read more
Prospect sets out priorities for public services members in letter to new minister (11 Sept) – Prospect General Secretary, Mike Clancy, has written to the new Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Darren Jones MP, on behalf of our 28,000 members working in the public services sector read more
GMB
Europe’s largest quarry braced for strike action (9 Sept) – ‘Huge disruption’ as workers at Tarmac’s Mountsorrel Quarry down tools later this month. GMB Union has today announced that members at Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire have voted to support strike action. The news comes after workers at the Tarmac operated site rejected a pay offer from company management. 90 per cent of votes supported industrial action, with one hundred workers at the quarry expected to join strike action later this month. Mountsorrel is Europe’s largest quarry, producing aggregate materials for construction, road and rail projects across the UK read more
Health Secretary to intervene in Airedale Hospital dispute (9 Sept) – The Health Secretary has promised striking Airedale Hospital workers he will intervene in the dispute. Airedale staff met Wes Streeting at the TUC congress in Brighton this week to tell him about the two-tier system at the trust that has left them feeling like ‘second class citizens’. Porters, domestics, catering and security staff at the hospital are employed by AGH Solutions (AGHS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, which does not honour NHS terms and conditions, including NHS pensions, sick pay rates, annual leave and Sunday working enhancements. More than 150 Airedale Hospital workers will go on strike from 12 – 15 September as part of the same dispute. The Health Secretary listened to workers concerns and promised to contact the trust to discuss a way forward read more
Bacton Gas Terminal workers begin vote on strike action (4 Sept) – Altrad workers at the Shell Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk will today begin voting in an industrial action ballot. At the centre of the dispute is Altrad’s offer of a one-time 4 per cent pay uplift, which falls far short of the two-year deal of 11.3 per cent and 5.5 per cent proposed under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry. A recent indicative ballot saw members vote 100 per cent in favour of strike action and if a strike were to go ahead, it would bring work at the site to a halt. Altrad staff at an adjacent site saw their pay increase following another recent GMB dispute. Workers at the Bacton site – who do identical work, including scaffolding, painting, and thermal insulation – are now seeking the same resolution. The ballot closes on Thursday 18th September read more
Derbyshire manufacturer braced for strike action (28 Aug) – Workers refuse to accept a pay packet of pennies, says GMB. GMB Union has today announced that workers at Altrad Belle will begin a week of strike action from Monday 1 September 2025. The news comes after workers rejected a pay offer from company management and voted overwhelmingly to support industrial action. The company, one of the UK’s biggest manufacturers of light equipment for the construction sector, has been slammed for paying skilled workers little more than £12 an hour read more
Bromley parking wardens begin talks in fight against poverty pay (15 Aug) – On Tuesday [19 August] GMB Union will sit down with Apcoa Parking, the private contractor running parking services for Bromley Council. Workers there are currently paid the legal minimum wage of £12.21 per hour – well below the London Living Wage of £13.85 an hour. The talks come while Apcoa is embroiled in ongoing disputes with GMB members in neighbouring Richmond, Wandsworth, and Kingston. In Lambeth, Apcoa workers recently settled their dispute after securing a new rate of £15 per hour read more
Striking Sellafield workers left to urinate in public (14 Aug) – Striking Sellafield workers are being left to urinate in public after the company refused to provide facilities for them. Almost 200 workers have walked out of the Cumbria nuclear facility after overwhelmingly rejecting the 3.5 per cent deal offered by the company. GMB members working for Mitie, have begun their ninth day of strike action today [Thursday]. Not only has Sellafield refused to provide access toilet access to those on the picket line, as yet they haven’t provided GMB with a location to install a Portaloo. The nearest public toilet is several miles away. Mitie’s pay offer would leave these frontline workers, responsible for cleaning, security, landscaping, waste management, postal services, and laundry support the safety and functionality of one of Europe’s most hazardous nuclear facilities, earning little more than £13 per hour read more
Waltham Forest bin workers reject pay deal as strike threat looms (31 July) – Outsourced refuse workers in Waltham Forest have rejected a 2.8% pay offer, sparking the possibility of industrial action. The offer did not apply to those workers recently placed on the London Living Wage, despite them being among the council’s lowest paid employees. Over half the workforce employed by FCC Environment and working on behalf of Waltham Forest Council voted in a ballot, which saw 100% of GMB members reject the pay deal on 100% turnout. A 3.2% pay offer is now on the table – although it still excludes London Living Wage employees and sits below the rate of inflation. GMB will ballot members on the offer. Refuse workers’ frustration with FCC Environment and the council extends beyond pay. Concerns have also been raised over inadequate staff facilities at the waste depot and insufficient supplies of water for workers, particularly in hot weather read more
NHS workers reject pay award – GMB demands meeting with Streeting (25 July) – GMB members have voted by 67 per cent to reject the pay award offered for 2025/26 in England. The union has now written to the Secretary of State calling for an urgent meeting to discuss pay and other issues of significant importance to GMB members working across the NHS and ambulance services read more
Hula-Hoops, Pom-Bears and Disco workers begin strike vote (22 July) – Hula-hoops, Pom-Bears and Disco crisps could be in short supply as workers begin voting on strike action, GMB Union has warned. KP Crisps workers at the company’s site in Billingham, County Durham, rejected a pay rise of just 77 pence per hour. The ballot closes on 12 August, with any industrial action likely to take place in September 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
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
County Durham and Darlington healthcare staff set to walk out in pay row, says UNISON (28 Aug) – Hundreds of healthcare assistants employed by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have voted to strike in a fair pay dispute, says UNISON today (Thursday). Staff will walk out in the coming weeks unless there’s an improvement in the amount of back pay the trust is prepared to give them, says the union. The NHS workers have been regraded to a higher band of the NHS Agenda for Change salary scale to reflect increasingly complex tasks. But UNISON says they deserve adequate back pay to reflect the extra work they’ve been doing above their pay rate for many years. The trust awarded just seven months’ money but the union says this should be far higher. Despite months of negotiations with the employer to settle the dispute, a fair offer the health workers find acceptable has still not been put forward. In a ballot that closed yesterday, 99.4% of staff said they will walk out unless the employer comes back with a better deal to compensate them for the extra work they’ve done. This is the fifth trust in the north east to be in dispute with staff over wage banding. The other successful campaigns have been at Teesside, South Tyneside and Sunderland, while a dispute in Northumberland is still ongoing read more
Barnsley hospital workers step up campaign for fair pay (28 Aug) – A group of rehabilitation support workers based at Kendray Hospital in Barnsley are demanding to be paid properly for the increasingly complex work they do. The staff, who provide care to patients in the community and are employed by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust, have held a series of protests outside Kendray Hospital, and launched a petition to gain support for their campaign. The union says the workers are carrying out duties – such as performing observations and clinical care tasks – that should be paid at a higher rate read more
Mining museum to spend almost £50k to prolong dispute over 20p pay rise (26 Aug) – An ongoing strike at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield could be settled for a fraction of the cost managers are spending to block a fair pay rise, says UNISON today (Tuesday). The union estimates that by the end of a four-week walkout, bosses will have paid up to five times more than the modest increase low-paid workers want. More than 40 members of staff began their industrial action last week in a dispute over pay, with the strike scheduled to run until at least Sunday 14 September. They include guides who are veterans of the year-long miners’ strike four decades ago. But the museum is choosing to rack up tens of thousands of pounds to bring in private security and make alternative visitor arrangements, when it could resolve the dispute for far less, UNISON says read more
Strike on the cards at Dorset hospitals in outsourcing dispute (12 Aug) – Overwhelming majority of health workers say they want to vote for strike action. Three women holding UNISON placards that say ‘Stop Subcos – Keep the NHS public’. Healthcare staff at three NHS trusts in Dorset say they want to vote for strike action in a row over plans to move 1,700 staff from the NHS to an external company. An overwhelming majority (98%) of members, including porters and cleaners, have backed plans for an industrial action ballot, which is set to open in the coming weeks. Any action could result in widespread disruption across the region read more
Health workers prepared to take strike action over pay, warns UNISON (6 Aug) – Pay consultation must act as a wake-up call for ministers. NHS staff in England are far from happy with this year’s pay rise and many are prepared to take strike action to challenge it, says UNISON today (Wednesday). Seven in ten (70%) of UNISON members who responded to the union’s consultation on the 2025/26 NHS pay award said they’d back walkouts if the union were to ballot for strike action. The result should be a wake-up call for ministers who must commit now to dealing directly with growing anger among health workers, says the union. The government must hold urgent talks to address problems with the outdated NHS salary structure and combine these with negotiations on next year’s wage rise. This is the only way to convince health workers that ministers get the seriousness of the situation, says UNISON. The pay award of 3.6% for NHS workers on ‘Agenda for Change’ contracts barely matches inflation. That’s done nothing to lift staff morale, adds UNISON read more
Pay up Mitie: Striking cleaners demand the pay that they are owed (16 July) – The striking workers, most of whom are women, are experiencing extreme distress as a result of Mitie’s failure to pay them what they’re owed. NHS cleaners employed by private contractor Mitie in East Lancashire are striking to demand the pay that they deserve. So far, the cleaners have taken six days of strike action. They are striking for the whole of this week. Today, the group met with UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea at UNISON Centre in London. The 40 cleaners, contracted by Mitie, are among the lowest-paid staff in the NHS. They have been routinely underpaid for months, due to payroll problems, on top of which they have yet to receive their COVID-19 recovery payments, which were agreed in 2023. The £1,655 COVID-19 recovery lump sum payment was part of the deal agreed by the government and health unions following strikes in the NHS. It was made in an effort to recognise the sustained pressure facing the health service. Tens of thousands of NHS staff have received the payment. However, the hard-working cleaners employed by Mitie, who are essential to maintaining hygiene standards in hospitals, have received nothing 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
NIPSA
Newry Anti-Racists Counter Demonstration (5 Sept) – Following a series of racists demonstrations, attacks on property and the targeting of the Pride demonstration in Newry, the far-right has called a demonstration in the city. The demonstration aims to divide people on the issue of provision of public services and has been called under the headline ‘Locals First’. Newry anti-racists have called a counter demonstration for Saturday 6 September at 1.30pm Marcus Square, Newry. NIPSA members are asked to join the counter demonstration. If you wish to assist with stewarding, please contact [email protected] read more
Unions lodge notice of first 24-hour strike by workers at Belfast council leisure services (7 Aug) – Joint UNITE-NIPSA press release: Belfast leisure workers are lowest paid in Northern Ireland and are seeking a one pound an hour increase to the current pay offer. Talks ended without management company Greenwich Leisure Limited making any improved pay offer. Unite and NIPSA trade unions have announced a 24-hour strike by leisure staff at facilities operated by Green Leisure Limited in Belfast. 14 leisure centres and two gyms owned by Belfast City Council are operated by the arms-length management company. The strike will commence at 00.01 on Tuesday August 12 and continue until midnight. The industrial action is likely to shut down entirely the operation of several leisure centres, given that more than 200 leisure workers are members of two trade unions. Pay at Belfast leisure centres has fallen behind that of other council leisure facilities in Northern Ireland following the decision to outsource them to Greenwich Leisure Limited. Belfast leisure worker pay is now the lowest in Northern Ireland…The strike follows an overwhelming ballot for industrial action by workers in both unions and represents an escalation from a work-to-rule which came into force on Tuesday 15 July. Labour Relations Agency-mediated negotiations between the trade unions and the employer ended on Wednesday 30 July, after management failed to provide any improved offer read more
Royal College of Nursing
RCN urges government to act now to evacuate sick children from Gaza (5 Sept) – Plans to evacuate critically ill children for treatment in the UK are not happening quickly enough as attacks on Gaza continue read more
RCN Northern Ireland lodges formal dispute over failure to implement pay award (1 Aug) – Absence of a pay award in Northern Ireland will once again push nursing staff out of pay parity with colleagues across the UK read more
NHS and HSC pay consultations results: 3.6% is not enough (31 July) – Swift investment is needed now as RCN members deliver their verdict on a broken system that holds back nursing pay and careers…Consultations took place in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a record number of nursing staff taking part. In England, the turnout in the consultation reached 56%, with more than 170,000 nursing staff voting. Nine in 10 (91%) said 3.6% was not enough to turn around a struggling profession gripped by widespread vacancies or keep patients safe amid an NHS corridor care crisis. We’re telling ministers in England to use the summer to reach agreement or face formal escalation to dispute and an industrial action ballot. In Wales, members working in the NHS also voted overwhelmingly to say that 3.6% is not enough. We’re now pushing for meaningful discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and considering next steps. As a pay award, staff on AfC NHS Terms and Conditions in England and Wales will receive the 3.6% consolidated uplift backdated to 1 April 2025 from August salaries. In Northern Ireland, members were consulted on the recommended award and voted to say 3.6% is not enough. However, no funding has been made available by the Northern Ireland Executive to award the 3.6% uplift that the Northern Ireland Health Minister has said he wants to pay. We’re working on next steps to secure this long-overdue award and make sure that nursing staff in Northern Ireland don’t continue to fall behind on pay parity. Read more about the results in Northern Ireland and Wales 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
‘Utterly unfair’ that RCM members in Northern Ireland are still without pay uplift (5 Sept) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) in Northern Ireland says it’s pressing the Northern Ireland Executive for progress on an overdue pay award for its members. The RCM has described the delay as ‘utterly unfair’ and ‘completely demoralising’ for hard working midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs). The Health and Social Care (HSC) Trade Unions in Northern Ireland of which the RCM is part of have issued a statement today also calling out the lack of progress and ‘broken commitments’ from the Northern Ireland Executive read more
BMA
Senior doctors prepared to strike (4 Sept) – Indicative ballot reveals consultants and SAS doctors are willing to take industrial action in struggle to achieve pay restoration read more
Resilience and redemption: the fight for asylum seeker doctors’ right to work (3 Sept) – In the face of relentless negative media coverage, it’s easy to overlook that seeking asylum is a fundamental human right enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention read more
GPs discuss next steps in funding dispute (3 Sept) – Roadshow in Scotland sees doctors gather to tackle issues facing the profession read more
‘Greater mutual understanding’ achieved between government and resident doctor leaders (6 Aug) – Meeting between health secretary and RDC leads to further cooperation on bringing strike action to an end and addressing pay claim. Agreement on further negotiations on pay, jobs and working conditions for resident doctors in England has been reached following ‘constructive’ talks between the BMA resident doctors committee and Wes Streeting. A meeting held yesterday between the health secretary and RDC co-chairs Ross Nieuwoudt and Melissa Ryan has seen each side commit to further discussions aimed at meeting doctors’ demands and bringing strike action to an end. The meeting, which has been described by Dr Nieuwoudt and Dr Ryan as ‘constructive’ and ‘informative’, comes following a five-day full walkout by resident doctors in England last month. Following the walkout, the BMA had urged Mr Streeting to ‘reconsider his strategy’ on reaching a solution to the impasse on doctors’ pay and resume talks. Striking a cautious yet optimistic tone on their meeting with the health secretary, Dr Nieuwoudt and Dr Ryan said they felt they had ‘achieved a greater mutual understanding’, and that they were eager to work with the Department of Health in finding a way forward read more
NEU
NEU Cymru members at Flint High School to take strike action (11 Sept) – NEU Cymru members at Flint High School to take strike action over workplace bullying and failures to tackle pupil behaviour read more
Call for Bridget Phillipson to intervene and delay the roll out of new Ofsted system before it’s too late (9 Sept) – A letter has been sent today (Tuesday), to the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, signed by school leaders, national organisations, ex-school inspectors, trade unions and Professor Julia Waters, whose sister, headteacher Ruth Perry died in 2023. This letter is being sent in response to the publication of Ofsted’s final proposals for a new school inspection system in England read more
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 read more
Support the strikes:-
| Action | Date | Contact |
| London East Alternative Provision / Tower Hamlets (redundancies, workload, closure of site) | 15 – 17 Sept | Natasha Chaudhury [email protected] |
| Hanham Woods Academy / Bristol (conditions of service) | 16 – 18 Sept | Michaela Wilde [email protected] |
| The Children’s Hospital School / Camden (conditions of service) | 17 – 18 Sept | Megan Quinn [email protected] |
| Visually Impaired Team / Leeds (conditions of service) | 17 – 18 Sept | Mary Owen [email protected] |
| Flint High School /Flintshire (conditions of service) | 17 – 18 Sept | Cheryl Latham [email protected] |
| King’s Academy Ringmer / East Sussex (conditions of service) | 17 – 18 Sept | Jennifer Drapans [email protected] |
| Malvern St James / Worcestershire (pay/union recognition) | 16 – 18 Sept | Sean McCauley [email protected] |
| Drumbeat School & ASD Service / Lewisham (redundancies/workload) | 18 – 19 Sept | Eleanor Davies [email protected] |
| St Joseph’s School / Nottingham (TPS) | 16 Sept | Caitlin Bradbury [email protected] |
| Whitefield School / Waltham Forest | 16 – 18 Sept | Pablo Phillips [email protected] |
NASUWT
More Dorset teachers strike as dispute widens over restructuring plans (15 July) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Sturminster Newton High School in Dorset are taking strike action today (Tuesday) in protest at restructuring plans. The Sherborne Area Schools Trust (SAST), which runs Sturminster Newton and Shaftesbury schools, is pushing ahead with plans to cut teachers’ jobs and cut the pay of subject leads and head of year posts. The NASUWT believes this is unacceptable and will significantly impact the remaining teachers’ workloads, their pay and status and will be detrimental to pupils’ education. NASUWT members at Shaftsbury School have already taken strike action over the plans and now teachers at Sturminster Newton are striking, with further days of action planned in September 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
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
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
EIS
EIS ULA Members at RGU and UWS set to strike tomorrow against job cuts (9 Sept) – Members of the EIS ULA at Robert Gordon University (RGU) and the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) will take co-ordinated strike action tomorrow, Thursday 11th September read more
EIS Joins Other Teaching Unions in Calling for Pension Age Review (5 Sept) – The EIS has joined with education unions across the UK in calling for the UK Government to review the link between Normal Pension Age (NPA) and State Pension Age (SPA) read more
Teachers Send Strong Message to Scottish Government and COSLA on Workload (29 Aug) – Scotland’s teachers have today sent a very strong and very clear message to the Scottish Government and local authority employers: deliver on your commitments to tackle teacher workload, or we will move to industrial action. A ballot organised by the EIS has today displayed strong support for both Action Short of Strike (92% in favour) and strike action (83% in favour), if a long-awaited promise to cut teachers’ class contact time is not delivered in the near future. The online consultative ballot opened at the EIS AGM in June, and ran throughout the summer holiday period before closing this week. The result makes clear that the patience of teachers is at an end, and they expect the promise made, prior to the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, to be delivered as a matter of urgency read more
Lecturers at UWS and RGU to Take Strike Action in Fight Against Job Cuts (28 Aug) – EIS members at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are to commence strike action in an escalation of a dispute over job cuts and planned redundancies at the university. A recent ballot, organised by the EIS, resulted in a strong majority vote in favour of strike action, with 94% of those voting backing strike action. The EIS has now notified the university of the move to strike action and again urged the UWS management to return to the negotiating table with a promise to rule out compulsory redundancies. EIS members at Robert Gordon University (RGU) will also take another day of strike action next month, with no progress made on reaching a resolution on the redundancy dispute there. The day of action is in addition to the previous five days of strike taken by members over April and May. EIS members at both universities will take strike action on Thursday 11th September, with further strike dates at UWS taking place throughout September and October read more
UCU
UCU Stop the Cuts campaign
Sign petition against the education cuts
Strike ballot at the University of the Highlands and Islands in dispute over job cuts (10 Sept) – A ballot for industrial action opens today at the University of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) in a dispute over job cuts and the use of compulsory redundancies. Members of UCU employed at UHI’s Executive Office are being asked if they are prepared to take part both in strike action and action short of strike. Action short of strike means that members would work strictly to contract and not cover for absent colleagues. The ballot will close on Tuesday 7 October. The ballot follows the announcement last month by university’s senior management that they plan to make 16 people redundant as part of an effort to save £2million read more
UCU response to University of Greenwich ‘takeover’ of University of Kent (10 Sept) – Responding to the announcement that the University of Greenwich and University of Kent will merge, UCU general secretary Jo Grady today said: ‘Staff and students at both institutions will be alarmed by today’s announcement, especially as many have heard about the plans through the news. It is clear this is the result of severe financial pressure – anyone attempting to say otherwise is deceiving the public – and urgent reassurance that jobs and student provision will be protected is now needed. ‘This isn’t a merger; it is a takeover read more
UCU condemns new Ofsted report card system (9 Sept) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today (Tuesday 9 September) denounced Ofsted’s decision to press ahead with its new report card system, warning it will increase pressure on education staff and deepen the culture of fear and anxiety already endemic in inspections. The changes confirm the removal of the single overall effectiveness grade, replacing it with a report card outlining grades across individual areas read more
UK wide ballot paves way for national strike action across university campuses (8 Sept) – Over 65,000 University and College Union (UCU) members working in universities across the UK will be balloted for strike action after employers refused to budge from their ‘offer’ of 1.4%, which represents a 3% real-terms pay cut the union announced today. The dispute comes in the context of more than a decade of vicious attacks on the pay and conditions of university staff, which have led to pay being degraded against inflation by at least 30%. All five trade unions representing higher education workers at the pay negotiations have voted to reject the 3% real terms pay cut offered by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). The 1.4% pay award also compares poorly to awards from similar sectors, such as the 4% recommended to teachers. UCU has now begun preparations for an aggregated UK-wide ballot of its members, covering 138 institutions, which it expects to open in the week commencing Monday 20 October. UCU’s sister trade unions in HE are also considering ballots of their members. In the absence of movement from employers, successful ballots will help pave the way for coordinated industrial action between every union representing university workers in the new year, causing maximum disruption on campus. The last UK-wide strike action UCU took resulted in a momentous win with the UK’s largest private pension scheme fully restoring a 35% cut to staff pensions read more
Five-day strike at Edinburgh University at start of new term over cuts and job losses (8 Sept) – Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh today begin the first of five days of strike action over senior managers’ plans to cut £140million from the annual budget and cut up to 1,800 jobs, including by compulsory redundancies. Staff will be on picket lines across the university and will hold a rally from 12noon today at George Square in Edinburgh. The strike lasts throughout the week and covers the ‘welcome week’ at the university which sees new students arrive on campus for the first time. As well as taking strike action, members have been taking action short of strike since 20 June, which includes working to contract and not volunteering for duties or covering for absent colleagues read more
UCU joins other teacher unions to demand a review of TPS pension age (6 Sept) – Teaching unions have today (Saturday 6 September) joined together to demand the government initiates a review of the link between the state pension age and the normal pension age in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS). Unions which are members of the TPS Scheme Advisory Boards in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have written a letter to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, calling for the promised review of the link between the normal pension age in the scheme and state pension age read more
More strikes possible at Dundee University as union opens new strike ballot (5 Sept) – Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Dundee university are being re-balloted from today (5 September) to take industrial action as the financial and management crisis at the university enters its eleventh month. The ballot will run from today until Monday 6 October read more
Strike ballot opens at University of Sheffield staff over job cuts (27 Aug) – Staff at the University of Sheffield are being asked to vote for strike action, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. The ballot opened yesterday and will close on Tuesday 30 September. The dispute is over management’s plans to put staff in five academic areas at risk of redundancy, as well as continued risk of redundancy to professional services staff across the university read more
University of Bradford staff to continue strike action this week in ‘vicious’ cuts row (13 Aug) – Staff at the University of Bradford will strike for three more days this week over budget cuts that will see hundreds of jobs go and multiple courses close, UCU confirmed today. As part of the planned cuts the university aims to reduce staffing to the level it was in 2019. This which equates to the loss of around 300 full-time equivalent jobs, but well over this figure once part-time roles are included. The cuts will see chemistry and film & television courses shut down, despite Bradford being UNESCO’s first City of Film and this year’s UK City of Culture. Chemistry, and its successful apprenticeship programme, are crucial to training skilled workers for the regional economy and the uptake for chemistry degree apprenticeships is increasing. Staff will strike on Thursday 14 August, Friday 15 August and Saturday 16 August, following five days of action in July, with pickets at the university’s main campus on Great Horton Road on each day. The days of action will coincide with the release of A-Level results, as well as an Open Day on Saturday, highlighting the commitment of members to defend both staff working conditions and student learning conditions at the university read more
Staff at Liverpool Hope University announce strike action over job cuts (31 July) – UCU members at Liverpool Hope University have announced they will take 10 days of strike action across the first two weeks of teaching in response to the university’s plans to slash academic jobs. Staff will walk out from Monday 22 September to Friday 26 September, and again from Monday 29 September to Friday 3 October. The action comes after 69% of UCU members voted in the recent ballot, with 85% backing strike action. The dispute centres on proposed cuts to academic posts across multiple departments, including Education and Social Sciences, Creative Arts and Humanities, and Human and Digital Sciences. UCU says these plans pose a serious threat to the university’s academic mission and the quality of provision for students. Despite a partial retreat by university management, after union-negotiated alternative proposals reduced the number of roles at risk, 11 positions and over 30 staff remain under threat. Management has reopened its voluntary redundancy scheme yet refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies. UCU says there is no financial justification for these cuts, pointing to significant cash reserves and highlighting that the university’s recent deficits stem not from staff costs but from rocketing non-staff expenditure, including major capital projects. Meanwhile, senior leaders at the university have continued to enjoy generous pay packages, with the vice-chancellor receiving a total of £313,000 in 2024 read more
Strike ballot opens at University of Leicester over threat of compulsory redundancies (31 July) – UCU has this week opened a ballot for strike action at the University of Leicester. The dispute is over university leadership’s refusal to rule out a programme of compulsory redundancies in the upcoming academic year read more
97% strike vote at Manchester international student college (15 July) – Staff at INTO Manchester, a private college for international students, have overwhelmingly voted to strike over low pay. An incredible 97% of UCU members voted to take strike action in a ballot that saw a turnout of 83%. The union said strike action can now only be avoided if management agrees to pay staff fairly. The dispute is over a paltry 2% pay award for 2025. INTO Manchester has refused to make an improved offer despite charging international students up to £38k per year, making over £20m last year and paying out £15m in dividends read more
Huge 94% strike vote at Warrington & Vale Royal College over frozen pay (14 July) – An overwhelming 94% of staff at Warrington and Vale Royal College backed strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 75%, UCU announced today. The huge vote reflects staff anger at having their pay frozen for almost a year (from Thursday 1 August 2024). Warrington is now the only college in the North West that has refused to make a pay offer this academic year 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
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% 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
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
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Cancel Trump visit, say firefighters, as fire service asked to deploy scant resources (9 Sept) – The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is calling on Keir Starmer to cancel Donald Trump’s state visit after it emerged that firefighters would be deployed to Chequers during his visit. The deployment means that the fire service will look to crew an additional two fire engines and a water tanker, during a period in which it has been stretched to breaking point by cuts and wildfires. Buckinghamshire fire and rescue service has emailed all staff offering overtime in order to crew the vehicles for Thursday 18th September. The fire service is expected to deploy at Chequers to provide fire cover for President Trump’s visit. The move comes at a time when the fire and rescue service is facing substantial cuts, across the country and in the local area. Buckinghamshire is looking at cuts to retained fire appliances, as well as station closures. The fire trucks sent to chequers will have the recommended five firefighters on board, while residents of the county only get crews of four due to a lack of resources – a practice which puts firefighters and the public at risk. Cuts mean that the fire service is struggling to meet the demands of a warming climate and the growing risk of wildfires. One in five firefighter jobs have been lost since 2010, and response times are three minutes slower than in the 1990s. The FBU represents the overwhelming majority of firefighters in the UK read more
Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire service announces plans to force through cuts despite agreed delay (5 Sept) – Chief fire officer Neil Odin has today sent a video message to Hampshire and Isle of Wight firefighters announcing that cuts to the service will go ahead, despite the fire authority voting to delay the decision on 29 August. Firefighters, councillors, members of the public and the fire authority have raised serious concerns that £1.6 million cut to the frontline in the region will put public safety at greater risk. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has already lost one in four firefighters since 2010, and recent inspections reveal the service is struggling to meet its own emergency response standards. The latest HMICFRS report rated the service as inadequate in staffing and skills, requiring improvement in emergency response and resource management. In the video emailed to fire service staff, the chief also stated that a letter has been sent to government ministers today, calling for the government to commit to funding the service in the future – but not pushing to prevent this round of cuts. The FBU is urging the service to use the £23.9 million reserves it holds to plug the gap while it campaigns for more funding from central government read more
Sign this petition: To Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire Authority and Chief Fire Officer – STOP, THINK & REASSESS Dangerous Cuts to Firefighter Numbers
POA
NEC minutes September 2025 read more
General Secretary update read more
National Chair update August 2025 read here
Scotland: Prisons ‘still have far too many inside’ (11 Sept) – Overcrowding is the biggest issue in Scotland’s prisons, the prison officers’ union has said. Story by Craig Paton read more
Scotland: Union Plea on Prison Crowding (11 Sept)
Supporting women in the workplace workshop (8 Sept) – The above workshop will be held from Tuesday 18 – Thursday 20 November 2025 at the Quorn Grange Hotel, Wood Lane, Quorn, Loughborough read more
Employment rights bill and prison officers right to strike – 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
BFAWU
Post BFAWU Conference Foodworker 2025
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
NUJ
Abuse against journalists must never be tolerated (11 Sept) – The National Union of Journalists has condemned the rising levels of online and in-person abuse wielded against journalists read more
Surveillance operations withheld by Police Service of Northern Ireland (11 Sept) – The NUJ has strongly condemned a previous decision by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) not to disclose details of two surveillance operations to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) read more
The Observer – vote of no confidence ballot results (11 Sept) – Staff, freelances and casuals at The Observer before its transfer to Tortoise Media were balloted earlier this year with the overwhelming majority returning a vote confirming they had no confidence in Katharine Viner, Guardian Editor-in Chief read more
NUJ Reach group chapel strongly condemns proposed editorial cuts (10 Sept) – The group chapel has expressed no faith or confidence in the company’s strategy, and voiced its concern over the use of artificial intelligence, seeking clear commitments and greater transparency from the company read more
NUJ decries new job cuts by Reach plc (8 Sept) – Over 300 jobs within editorial are at risk of being cut following an announcement of a restructure today. The NUJ says this serves a ‘devastating body blow’ to the publisher’s journalists read more
Palestine: At least 221 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza (10 Sept) – Latest figure follows death of photojournalist Rasmi Jihad Salem read more
NUJ concerned at arrest of journalist Nathalie Blackham (8 Sept) – On 1 September, Israeli authorities arrested and detained the journalist for several hours in Israel read more
Equity
Equity seeks to appeal Spotlight High Court judgment (10 Sept) – Equity Council vote in favour of appealing High Court judgment read more
Equity statement on Spotlight High Court ruling (3 Sept) – Today’s judgment from the High Court is disappointing for Equity’s 50,000 members. Responding to today’s (Wednesday 3 September) judgment from the High Court which dismissed Equity’s challenge to Spotlight’s fees, Equity has released the following statement
Community
Community statement on the launch of the new Ofsted framework (10 Sept) – Community note that the reformed Ofsted Inspection arrangements have now been published, alongside their response to the consultation into report cards. Similarly the Department for Education (DfE) have now published their response to the consultation on school accountability read more
USDAW
Employment Rights Bill: Usdaw Group of MPs call on Lib Dem MPs to reject a Lords amendment on the right to guaranteed hours (10 Sept) – Retail trade union Usdaw has welcomed the intervention of their parliamentary group in the forthcoming consideration of Lords’ amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, due to take place on Monday 15 September in the House of Commons read more
Usdaw urges the Government to stand firm against Lib Dem and Tory attempts to weaken workers’ rights (4 Sept) – Retail trade union Usdaw welcomes that the Employment Rights Bill has completed all its stages in the House of Lords. The Bill will now enter “ping-pong”, a process where Peers’ amendments will be considered by both Houses of Parliament until agreement is reached. Usdaw is calling on the Government to resist Lib Dem and Tory efforts to water down the important protection the legislation provides read more
UVW
Historic strike vote pushes GESH board to consider NHS equality for facilities workers (9 Sept) – “The lowest paid staff have been ignored for many years, and only now that hundreds of us are all ready to strike, they are finally starting to listen. We deserve equal treatment just like any other NHS worker, and we will not stop until we get equal rights which the Trust Board has deliberately taken away from us. If we have to strike, we all are ready” – Farrokh Hormoz, a UVW member and porter at St Helier Hospital. A groundbreaking strike ballot by hospital cleaners, porters and caterers has forced St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospital Group (GESH) to take an unprecedented step: the Board has now committed to voting on whether to grant these workers full NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) contracts. More than 300 facilities workers, all members of United Voices of the World (UVW), voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action last week. These staff are directly employed by the NHS but, for the past four years, have been denied the same pay, pensions and conditions as their NHS colleagues. The powerful mandate from workers has now pushed GESH to put AfC contracts – which set the national standard for NHS terms and conditions – on the agenda for the first time. Strike action, which was due to begin this September, has been temporarily postponed in light of the Board’s commitment. But workers have made clear: unless equal treatment is secured, they are prepared to take action 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
Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office was targeted in a break-in! – in January, 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
Mandate (Ireland)
Mandate Members Urged to Support UAR & Le Chéile Anti-Racist Street Carnival (10 Sept) – United Against Racism and Le Chéile have announced they will be co-hosting an anti-racist, multicultural community carnival in Dublin on Saturday the 27th of September 2025. The event will begin at 1pm at the Garden of Remembrance and march to the Custom House. Mandate members, along with all people, organisations and communities in Ireland who wish to take a stand against racism are encouraged to attend read more
Mandate Backs Fórsa Strike for Equality in Schools (28 Aug) – Mandate stands in solidarity with the school secretaries and caretakers represented by Fórsa as they commence indefinite strike action today, Thursday, 28th August. This strike arises from the ongoing denial of access to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme for secretaries and caretakers—despite the fact that they work in the same schools, under the same management, and on the same payroll system as teachers and Special Needs Assistants. Their exclusion from this scheme, and from other basic employment entitlements, is unjust and indefensible read more
National Week of Action for Workers’ Rights (27 Aug) – September 1st – 7th 2025 is National Week of Action for Workers’ Rights. Trade Unionists across Ireland will be taking action and urging the public to support the Respect at Work petition, demanding that the Government strengthen workers’ rights legislation. The petition is growing – so far, over 7,500 members of the public have already pledged support. Currently, workers in Ireland have no right to join a Union, or to collective bargaining read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU warns Ministers of industrial disputes increase due to Labour Court weakening (12 Sept) – SIPTU has written to three Government Ministers calling for their urgent intervention to ensure the reappointment under warranty of a Labour Court Deputy Chairman, and warning that failure to do so will seriously diminish that body’s effectiveness and will likely lead to a greater number of industrial disputes read more
SIPTU says Government has ‘bottled’ productivity challenge in new Action Plan (10 Sept) – SIPTU representatives have called out the Government for ‘bottling’ the challenge to improve Ireland’s economic productivity in its new Competitiveness Action Plan published today read more
Minister must protect workers and rescued animals in threatened closure of ISPCA centre in Donegal (4 Sept) – SIPTU members employed in the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) are calling on the urgent intervention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, due to the threatened denial of protections for workers and services arising from the proposed closure of the organisation’s rehabilitation centre in Ballyare, County Donegal read more
Dublin Fire Brigade to begin industrial action over safety concerns (1 Sept) – SIPTU members in Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) have served notice of industrial action due to serious safety concerns over the introduction of a new call-out and dispatch system. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is attempting to impose this Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system onto DFB without consultation read more
Sign this petition: Take Action for Workers’ Rights!
Other news
From SHAC – Social Housing Action Campaign: Conference to Discuss Forming a National Tenants and Residents Union – 11am – 4pm Saturday 11th October. SHAC is working towards a new, national, democratic tenants’ and residents’ union. Our conference brings together tenants, residents, and housing campaign groups to discuss the creation of a national tenants and residents union. The aim is to form a steering committee that can take the project to the next level. Register here
Join Disabled People Against Cuts to protest against the Labour policies killing disabled people outside the Labour Party conference in Liverpool 29/09/2025 at 12pm. We will assemble near the Wheel of Liverpool on Keel Wharf L3 4FN. We encourage those who can to a mask in order to protect immunocompromised members of our community and will have some masks available for those who do not have their own details
Townsend Theatre Productions presents: WE ARE THE LIONS, MR MANAGER!
– the story of Jayaben Desai and the Grunwick Strike
Written by Neil Gore Directed by Louise Townsend
We Are The Lions Mr Manager!” is the story of the Great Grunwick Film Processing Factory Strike of 1976-8, and the inspirational strike-leader Jayaben Desai, one of many newly arrived Gujarati women workers from East Africa.
Grunwick wasn’t a strike about wages – it was about something much more important than that: it was about dignity. Dignity at work. And, for the small band of Asian women strikers, who braved the sun, rain, and snow month-in and month-out on the picket lines, from August 1976 to July 1978, rights in the workplace and pride at work were far more important than any amount of money
- Tour dates and tickets here. Tickets: £15 and £7.50 concessions
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
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
Affiliate with STAMMA – at this year’s NSSN Conference, Gary Clark retired CWU Royal Mail rep and a member of the NSSN Steering Committee spoke about STAMMA. STAMMA’s Employment Support Service helps people who stammer as well as those who don’t around issues related to stammering in the workplace. Union branches and regions can affiliate with STAMMA to access a range of services and support at a reduced rate.
- £75 for branches and regions
- £125 for national unions with under 400,000 members
- £200 for national unions with 400,000+ members
Sign this petition: To the Right Honourable Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister – Make toxic landfills safe – Support ‘Zane’s Law’! Find out more about this campaign here
From Strike Map – Our final instalment of the ‘Industrial Unionism’ series with Manifesto Press is here. Building on this success of our other pamphlets- which has sold over 2,000 copies, our next pamphlet in our series is the infamous ‘A Manual of Industrial Unionism’ by William Z Foster. Click the button here to pre-order your copy for you and your organisation
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government.
See Stop the War website for info on protests. The next national central London demo is on Saturday 11th October – 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, USDAW, BFAWU, 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
Please support – MassArt in USA: rescind the suspension and drop all punishment for the exercising of free speech and protest! Union educator Peggy Wang was successfully brought back to work by supporters after a 3-month-long campaign against MassArt administration’s attempts to fire her for participating in a peaceful pro-Palestinian protest. But now, MassArt administration is suspending her without pay for 2 weeks, punishing her through retaliatory measures. We demand that MassArt immediately rescind the suspension and drop all punishment against her. Those in the MassArt community should have the right to free speech, assembly, and protest; pro-Palestinian protests should not be an exception! Send letter of protest
Iran: Stop the execution of labour activist Sharifeh MohammadiDear Brothers and Sisters,In mid-August the Supreme Court of the Islamic Republic of Iran once again confirmed the death sentence against Sharifeh Mohammadi, a long time labour activist. Her life is now in immediate danger.Sharifeh Mohammadi is a committed Iranian activist who has long been engaged in the struggle for workers’ and women’s rights. In July 2024, after a 30 minute trial in the previous month, she was sentenced to death by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Court on charges of “armed rebellion” and “propaganda against the state.” The authorities accused her of alleged ties to banned groups, particularly Komala, the Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.Mohammadi has firmly denied these accusations. Her legal team emphasised that her work with workers’ organisations, including the ‘Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organisations’, was entirely lawful under international standards. These charges are widely seen as politically motivated — a means to suppress independent labour organising and silence critical voices. The regime is clearly unpopular, as shown in low turnouts in elections, and has faced both protests like the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in 2022/3 and, especially since 2017, a number of workers’ protests and strikes. In October 2024, Iran’s Supreme Court overturned her death sentence and granted her a retrial. However, despite national and international pressure, the retrial in December 2024 found her guilty and in February 2025 the death sentence was reinstated. Now the Supreme Court has confirmed that decision — a dangerous signal not only for Mohammadi but for all political dissidents in Iran as the regime seeks to especially repress both protests and independent organising.Sharifeh, a mother with a 14 year old son, and many others urgently need your solidarity and support. Public statements, political pressure, support for campaigns, and media engagement can all help save her life and bring global attention to the Iranian regime’s repression of activists. Every action counts.Demand the lifting of death sentences on Sharifeh Mohammadi and other Iranian oppositionists. Free political and labour activist prisoners
- For the right to freely organise trade unions and other bodies
Protests by all workers organisations, including factory organisations and local union branches, regional bodies and national trade unions can have an impact.
Please send protests to Iranian embassies and ask other union bodies to do the same.
Sharifeh Mohammadi’s family and leftist labour activists living abroad, have launched an international campaign since her detention, with pages on Telegram, Instagram, and X/Twitter:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/free_sharifeh_mohammadi/
Telegram: https://t.me/freesharife
X/Twitter: https://x.com/freeSharifeh
Copies of protests should be sent to [email protected] and also to the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organisations’ Telegram account https://t.me/komite_h
Recent reports:-
18 August 2025, Iran Wire: Iran’s Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence for Sharifeh Mohammadi
18 August 2025, Radio Free Europe (US funded):
Iran’s Supreme Court Upholds Activist’s Second Death Sentence
19 August 2025, Center for Human Rights in Iran:
Death Sentence for Woman Labor Activist In Iran Re-Issued – Center for Human Rights in Iran
Background
Februart 2025 – Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/womens-rights-defender-resentenced-death
July 2024 – Human Rights Watch: Iran: Labor Activist Sentenced to Death | Human Rights Watch
Support Nigeria Solidarity
From Rob Williams NSSN Chair:-
At a recent international conference recently I had the privilege to meet Adaramoye Michael, National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign in Nigeria. Michael is one of the Nigerian activists facing trial for treason, which can carry the death penalty, for the ‘crime’ of protesting against bad governance and poverty. The trial of Michael and other defendants has been delayed repeatedly but is now set for 9 October, 2025. Please show your support by asking your branch to pass the Nigeria Solidarity motion that can be found here: Union Motion – Nigeria Solidarity, sending protest letters to the Nigerian High Commission (template here: Letter to Embassy on #EndBadGovernance Protestors Repression – Google Docs), donating to the campaign if possible, and taking solidarity photos in the days before 9 October.
Further details on www.NigeriaSolidarity.com/Events.
Philippines: Support striking workers at Kawasaki Motors read more
Diary
2025
September
7 NSSN TUC Congress lobby & rally 1pm Brighton
7 Burston strike school rally – 10am details
