NSSN 756: Support the striking Birmingham binworkers – Join MegaPicket 3-D this Friday

• Join the Brum Bin Strike Megapicket 3-D, 30 January

Start: Friday, January 30, 2026•06:00 AM

Location: 5 • picket sites, Birmingham and Coventry – RSVP to join the MegaPicket

Hosted by StrikeMap: [email protected]

The NSSN salutes the heroic strike by the Birmingham binworkers, who have been on strike for over a year and on indefinite action since last March against the brutal fire & rehire by the Labour council, leading to the slashing of their wages by up to £8,000 a year. Outrageously, the council has used vicious strike-breaking measures, backed by Starmer’s government.

However, in an incredible and historic development, agency workers have joined the strike to fight against bullying, harassment and the threat of blacklisting.

We joined the strike rally late last year, of all the binworkers, on the first day of the agency workers’ action.

The long-running dispute is now at a pivotal stage, and a great victory can be won. All unions must now come to their aid.

Join the MegaPicket this Friday hosted by StrikeMap.

The NSSN will continue to help build solidarity – victory to the Birmingham binworkers!

• Go to the Facebook pages of Unite the Union and Unite for a Workers Economy for videos and photos of the strike, and keep an eye out on Reel News on X for videos via @ReelNewsLondon   

Unite: Birmingham council report on spending £33m to break bin strike still likely to underestimate costs by millions (19 Jan) – Report to be presented to council cabinet tomorrow shows resolving dispute fairly would cost a fraction of the price. Birmingham council report to be presented to its cabinet tomorrow showing that its attempts to break the bin strikes have cost a staggering £33.4 million is still likely to be an underestimation. The report, by director of finance Carol Culley, identifies the following costs: £4.2 million in lost income from bulky waste, commercial waste and paper, £4.4 million in lost income from green waste and £10.2 million in ‘street scene saving non-delivery’. The report also states that £14.6 million has been spent in direct costs, including “street cleansing, mobile household waste and recycling centres, security costs and additional support”. Around £19.4 million of the total costs are expected to be funded by the council cutting spending in other areas. Putting additional pressure on other under-funded services.

The report is likely to underestimate the true cost of the council’s colossal mishandling of the dispute, which is over fire and rehire pay cuts of up to £8,000 for drivers and former WRCOs (waste recycling and collection officers).

For example, it is not clear what “direct costs” in the report include. Council contract data shows it spent an extra £12.6 million in the first 11 months of 2025 on agency and contract staff (compared with the whole of 2024). If these costs are not already included, the total comes to £56 million.

In comparison, a fair deal for the bin workers would cost much less. The “ballpark deal” agreed at the conciliation service Acas in May last year and then reneged upon by the council, would cost just a fraction of the millions wasted.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “While council officials have been repeatedly refusing to engage in negotiations with Unite, the council has squandered millions of council taxpayers’ cash. Costs are mounting every day. The council now needs to get in the room because these strikes will not end until there is fair deal for Birmingham’s bin workers.”

The council claims it cannot honour the ballpark deal, involving fair compensation payments for downgraded drivers and former WRCOs, as it would create new equal pay liabilities. Unite has shared with the council its own expert legal advice comprehensively disproving this. The council, however, has refused to share its own legal advice on the matter either to the union or its own councillors.

Unite believes that the council is using equal pay as a smokescreen to break any opposition to the cuts it wants to inflict on bin workers and ultimately to other staff and services across the council read more

Directly employed bin workers have been on strike since January 2025 over pay cuts of up £8,000 for drivers and loaders. Agency workers employed by Job & Talent began strike action on 1 December over bullying and harassment.

• Birmingham council’s total spend on agency staff in 2024 was £6.4 million, averaging £533,000 a month. There was no spend on Tom White Waste or any equivalent outsourced contract. The total spend on agency staff (Job & Talent) between January and August 2025 was £8.4 million, with another £5 million spent on Tom White Waste – totalling £13.4 million or £1.675 million a month 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/

Watch Reel News video of the 20th September 2025 demonstration in Birmingham and keep an eye out on Reel News on X for videos of yesterday’s strike rally – @ReelNewsLondon

Unions must demand Starmer scraps 50% strike ballot threshold now!

Starmer’s Labour government’s Employment Rights Act received royal ascent on 18 December. The NSSN welcomes any improvements in the rights of workers and trade unions. But in the Government’s press briefings, there is nothing about the undemocratic 50% threshold in industrial action ballots, brought in by Cameron in 2016.

This raises yet further unacceptable delays, despite being an election promise by Starmer before being elected with a massive 160+ seat majority in the 2024 general election. It should have been scrapped on day one of the new Labour government. Workers have voted for action by huge majorities, only to fall foul of this outrageous attack on democratic union rights. Unions must now demand that the 50% is scrapped immediately.

The NSSN demands the repeal of all the Tory anti-union legislation, going back to Thatcher. We will continue this fight.

After Starmer & Reeves’s Budget and Starmer’s employment rights U-turn, TUC must call demo!

We will continue to support workers taking action to resist the cost of living squeeze, while at the same time continuing to demand that the TUC calls a national weekend demonstration against Starmer’s austerity offensive. This action was passed at last September’s TUC Congress and is now TUC policy. The TUC and the unions must now name the date! 

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.

Download and distribute our new NSSN Workplace Report - ‘We’re Struggling Down Here’    

Affiliate your union branch/trades council to NSSN (£50).    

Renew/donate online (HSBC: 40-06-41, 90143790)    

Cheque (NSSN, 16 Warren Rd, London E10 5QA).    

Use this affiliation letter     

Contact us: email – [email protected].    

• SAVE THE DATE!! 2026 NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 27^th June 11am-4.30pm in Conway Hall in London

FINISHING THE JOB: Demand an Employment Rights Bill #2 – Organised by : Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) and Strike Map

As the Employment Rights Bill completes its parliamentary journey, all eyes are on the Tory and Liberal Democrat amendments made to the Bill in the House of Lords. Although these amendments have caused justifiable outrage amongst trade unionists, it is widely predicted that they will be rejected by the government wielding its majority in the House of Commons, and that the original terms of the Bill will be restored. Whilst we recognise the progress made in improving worker’s rights, we believe that a second employment rights bill is needed, one that strengthens the rights of all workers. This would include:-

 1.⁠ ⁠An Immediate repeal of all anti-union laws.

 2.⁠ ⁠A full ban on ‘fire and rehire’, enforceable by injunction.

 3.⁠ ⁠End all zero-hours contracts .

 4.⁠ ⁠A £15 per hour minimum wage with no age exemptions.

 5.⁠ ⁠A statutory right to collective bargaining for all workers and a legal mechanism for creating sector-wide collective bargaining.

 6.⁠ ⁠Amending our labour laws to comply with international standards.

 7.⁠ ⁠Universal employment rights, including for workers on working visas, through a single worker status.

 8.⁠ ⁠All workers to be entitled to all employment rights from day one.

 9.⁠ ⁠A full trade union right to access workers on employers’ premises, enforceable by injunction.

10.⁠ ⁠End restrictions on industrial action and introduce a positive right to strike, including the right to take solidarity action.

• Sign this form to confirm your commitment to an employment rights bill #2. Please share this action.
• Campaigning for an Employment Rights bill #2 rally – NEU HQ, Hamilton House, London WC1H 9BD on March 21, 2026 at 11am (hosted by the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom and Strike Map) register here

Support the Unite Sheffield Bin Strike

New strike tactics at Sheffield waste depot aim to cause increased disruption (16 Oct) – Workers at Veolia will now return to work periodically to disrupt employer’s use of agency strike breakers. Striking workers taking part in a year-long dispute in Sheffield are set to cause greater disruption for their employer as new dates for action have been announced. Members of Unite working for Veolia at the Lumley Street depot have been on strike for over a year in their fight for union recognition. In a new tactic designed to disrupt Veolia’s use of agency staff in strike-breaking roles, workers will now periodically return to work before then heading back to the picket line. Workers will now walk out from 10-16 November, 24-30 November, 8-14 December, 22-28 December, 5-11 January, 19-25 January, 2-8 February, 16-22 February and 2-8 March read more

Donate to the strike fund – Unite NEYH, 60-83-01 20173962

Sign the Statement of Solidarity

Support the Unison Gloucestershire phlebotomists strike

Support the striking Phlebotomists, the longest-running strike of NHS workers in history – The 36 specialist staff, who take and handle blood samples from patients, have been on strike since March in a dispute over their demand to be paid fairly for the skills and expertise needed for their roles, says the union. Putting them on to the right pay band would cost their employer, the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, approximately £60,000 per year, says UNISON. It would also recognise the valuable contribution the workers make to health services across the county, adds the union. UNISON has calculated that the cost of ensuring all the trust’s phlebotomists are on the correct wages is just a quarter of chief executive Kevin McNamara’s annual salary for 2024/25 of around £245,000 read more

• Picket plan week 46:
• Monday 26th: No picket, phlebotomy meeting at Redwood Education Centre lecture hall from 08.00 to 11.30.
• Tuesday 27th: Joint outside Shire Hall Gloucester for Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee from 08.00 to 11.30.
• Wednesday 28th: Joint picket Cheltenham General Hospital from 08.00 to 11.30.
• Thursday 29th: 300 days! Joint picket Gloucester Royal Hospital from 08.00 to 11.30.
• Friday 30th: Relaxed picket at both sites.

Caroline Hayhurst, UNISON rep for the phlebotomists at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, speaking about their strike action at this evening’s Gloucestershire Association of Trades Council’s banner unveiling event. Free to attend, you can register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gloucestershire-association-of-trades-union-councils-banner-unveiling-tickets-1979708120280.  

You can also following the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1758802048149392/.  

Caroline is also due to speak at the Birmingham bin workers strike megapicket on 30th January: https://actionnetwork.org/events/join-the-brum-bin-strike-megapicket-iii-30-january-2026.

Strike Map have produced “I Give a Phleb” badges for the UNISON Gloucestershire Phlebotomists. Over £400 raised and sent already, is 1,000. Every penny to the strike fund.  Grab your £1 badge using the following link: https://organiseandstrike.sumupstore.com/product/i-give-a-phleb-gloucestershire-phlebotomists-strike-support-badge-pre-sale

• 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 

USA: NSSN stands with workers, their unions and communities against ICE

We send our solidarity to the family of nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti who was killed in Minneapolis last Saturday. His union American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has issued this statement.

We also send our support and solidarity to all those who took part in the mass strike and shutdown in Minneapolis last Friday and have protested there and across the USA.

NSSN Chair Rob Williams sent this message of support

   

Union News     

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RMT     

RMT National Dispute Fund      

DLR cleaners will strike alongside City Hall outsourcing protest on February 4 (27 Jan) – Outsourced cleaners will strike alongside a protest at TfL’s Board meeting on 4 February, increasing pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan over outsourcing and democratic control of the capital’s transport system. The protest, starting at 9.30am at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE, comes amid ongoing strike action by outsourced cleaners on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) employed by contractor Bidvest Noonan, who are in dispute over company sick pay. RMT says cleaners have been told that sick pay would only be considered in extremely limited circumstances, such as terminal illness, which the union branded an insult. The union says the dispute is a direct consequence of TfL’s outsourcing model, which allows private contractors to drive down terms and conditions while TfL and the Mayor distance themselves from responsibility. At the same time, TfL has awarded a new five-year cleaning contract covering more than 2,000 workers to outsourcing giant Mitie, despite Mayor Khan previously stating his support for bringing cleaners back in-house. RMT says the decision demonstrates that the Mayor of London is allowing TfL pursue private corporate interests, overriding both democratic accountability and the interests of workers and passengers read more

Windrush line strike action over pay and conditions next month (23 Jan) – RMT members working on the Windrush line will take strike action in February after their employer refused to make a decent pay offer. Workers employed by Cleshar CS Ltd, including the vital signalling and telecoms team, have been offered just a 1.5 per cent pay rise, well below the current rate of RPI inflation. The dispute also involves ongoing problems with overtime and annual leave pay, and inferior terms and conditions compared with those in place under the previous contractor, Carillion. Strike action will take place on Thursday 26 February, Thursday 26 March and Thursday 23 April 2026, with each strike running for 24 hours. Signals and telecoms staff carry out safety-critical duties and without their important work, trains will not be able to run. The employer already relies heavily on overtime because of understaffing, highlighting how central the workforce is to the operation of the line. Cleshar CS Ltd made a profit of £991,915 in its most recent financial year and paid out more than £533,000 in dividends read more

London Mayor must end corporate capture of TfL and insource cleaners (21 Jan) – RMT will stage a protest outside Transport for London’s Board meeting at City Hall on Wednesday 4 February as the union steps up pressure on Mayor Sadiq Khan to reclaim democratic control of TfL and bring cleaners back in-house. The demonstration, beginning at 9.30am at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London E16 1ZE, follows TfL’s decision earlier this month to award a new five-year cleaning contract covering more than 2,000 workers to outsourcing giant Mitie, despite the Mayor previously telling the union that he supports insourcing. RMT says the decision shows that the Mayor has effectively relinquished control of TfL to private outsourcing interests, allowing corporate priorities to override both his democratic mandate and the interests of workers and passengers. At the same time, outsourced cleaners on the Docklands Light Railway have been taking strike action after their employer told them that sick pay would only be available to workers who are terminally ill – an example of the appalling immoral behaviour of outsourcing companies. The union is calling on the Mayor to terminate the Mitie contract, publish an urgent plan for the early insourcing of all TfL cleaners, and immediately mandate decent sick pay for DLR cleaners. RMT says the outsourcing of cleaning is part of a broader pattern of corporate capture at TfL, pointing to the recent re-privatisation of London Overground through an eight-year contract awarded to FirstGroup read more

• Insource TfL’s cleaners. End the corporate capture at TfL
• Protest outside the TfL Board meeting at City Hall – Wednesday 4th February 9.30am City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE

RMT rejects inadequate 4.5% pay offer for RFA seafarers (21 Jan) – Maritime union, RMT has rejected a 4.5% pay offer for seafarers employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), describing it as wholly inadequate and failing to address years of below-inflation offers, minimum wage concerns and a growing retention crisis across the service. RMT says successive pay deals below RPI have significantly eroded earnings, with RFA management unable to demonstrate that pay rates comply with the legal minimum wage once the actual hours worked by seafarers are taken into account. Seafarers can routinely work up to 12 hours a day and there remains no clear or transparent formula setting out how pay is calculated against those hours. During previous industrial action, some of the lowest-paid RFA workers faced deductions of £87 for a single day, showing how little RFA management believed they were being paid read more

Passengers face filthy trains as DLR cleaners strike over sick pay refusal (30 Dec) – Cleaners on the Docklands Light Railway will strike on New Year’s Eve in a dispute over company sick pay. RMT members employed by contractor Bidvest Noonan will mount picket lines from 6am Wednesday 31 December through to Thursday 1 January, following earlier strike action in late November and early December. Bidvest Noonan has only been willing to discuss the limited possibility of one week’s full sick pay for certain serious or terminal diagnoses, which RMT has branded an insult to its members read more

DLR workers to strike New Year’s Eve in contractor pay dispute (17 Dec)

RMT members at Svitzer Terminals vote for strike action over sick pay (27 Nov) – RMT members employed by Svitzer Terminals at Fawley Esso Refinery have voted overwhelmingly for strike action following the company’s continued failure to resolve the long-running dispute over contractual sick pay. The dispute originates from the TUPE transfer of staff from Solent Towage to Svitzer Terminals, after the company failed to apply sick pay properly in line with long-standing practices. RMT has made multiple attempts over months to resolve the issue through talks but these have failed. This dispute affects all grades employed onboard the Svitzer tugs operating out of the refinery read more

RMT announces strike action on CrossCountry (21 Nov) – RMT will take strike action on CrossCountry next month after the company failed to resolve long-running issues on pay, staffing and previously agreed commitments. The union has tried repeatedly for months to reach a negotiated settlement. But regretfully the company has failed to honour agreements on overtime payments, staff resourcing and wage discrepancies for different grades read more

Carlisle Support Services must end pay freeze and return to meaningful talks as Northern revenue staff strike (14 Nov) – RMT heavily criticised Carlisle Support Services today for shutting down negotiations and refusing to make any pay offer, on the day contracted out Northern Trains revenue and gate line members take strike action read more

ASLEF   

Hull Trains drivers strike as row over ‘unfair sacking’ of colleague continues read more on Hull Live

TSSA

Spain train crashes highlight climate change concerns (21 Jan) – Rail union TSSA has said the second fatal train crash in Spain in a matter of days further highlights the need for constant safety vigilance on the railways and the growing threat posed by climate change. The latest crash, near Barcelona, which saw the train driver killed and dozens injured happened during heavy storms. It followed the two-train collision in the south of the country which more than 40 people have died read more

TSSA begins Amey strike ballot over pay (2 Dec) – Railway tracks with platform in view and lighting on. Early morning sky. Rail union TSSA is to ballot hundreds of members employed by Amey after the engineering company implemented a below-inflation pay offer amounting to a real-terms cut in wages. TSSA members employed by Amey across Scotland, Wales, North East, Midlands, London and all Southern regions will be asked to support strike action in the ballot which opens on Wednesday 3 December and closes at 12 noon on Monday 15 December. This action follows Amey’s decision to proceed with a pay offer of 2.2 per cent or £900 underpin, despite the offer being rejected by TSSA members. Industrial action would likely lead to delays and disruption in surveying and maintaining railway infrastructure which is key to a safe running network. Around three hundred TSSA members will be balloted read more

TSSA members to take industrial action at TransPennine Express (17 Nov) – TSSA rail union members working at TransPennine Express (TPE) as Operations Managers have voted unanimously in favour of both strike action and action short of strike, in a dispute over on call working arrangements. To date TPE has refused to offer an acceptable on-call, overtime and compensatory time off in lieu (TOIL) package to staff in the roles of Driver Managers, Operational Development Managers and Driver Operations Managers. Several dozen members at TPE responsible for safety issues and operational problems around the clock were balloted – and of those choosing to vote 100 per cent were in favour of strike action and action short of a strike read more

Unite     

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS staff strike (27 Jan) – Workers walk out over imposed shift changes, loss of pay, bullying and outsourcing. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust workers will strike in February, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The dispute involves both pathology and clinical engineering staff at the trust. Pathology staff will strike over plans to introduce a new shift system without meaningful consultation, which is expected to result in a loss of earnings for staff. Pay protection has been reduced from five years to two, further undermining financial security when working arrangements change. Staff have also suffered financial losses due to failures to reimburse mileage expenses and late-night taxi travel in line with local agreements. Pathology staff are also striking over the failure of the trust to tackle claims of bullying, harassment, and discrimination within the department, even after they were substantiated during an employment tribunal. As a result, these behaviours have been allowed to continue. In clinical engineering, staff strongly oppose the outsourcing of their department and the proposed transfer of roles to Siemens Healthineers. This would erode terms and conditions and would not benefit staff or patients…the workers will take strike action on 4, 5 and 6 February. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

International Transport Workers Federation strike ballot over union rep sackings (26 Jan) – International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) workers based in London are balloting for strike action over the sacking of two union reps, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Unite is calling for the immediate reversal of the unjustified terminations on January 15, which failed to follow internal procedures. After Unite members challenged planned redundancies and went on strike in September 2025 for the first time in the 129-year history of the union federation, ITF management targeted two union activists. Internal policy states that staff facing redundancy must first be offered an individual consultation as part of the employer’s responsibility to identify redeployment opportunities. A Unite shop steward, who played a leading role in workplace negotiations and the strike effort, unexpectedly received a termination letter on 15 January stating that “we do not believe further consultation would be meaningful.” He had previously been told that he would be invited to a consultation meeting after the hearing of his grievance, which has yet to be scheduled. The grievance raised concerns over a pattern of detrimental treatment connected to his trade union activity, including the denial of his statutory protection as a new parent, and the lack of consideration for his status as a migrant worker on an employer-sponsored visa. Another outspoken union representative received a termination letter on 15 January that acknowledged “shortcomings in your particular redundancy process” but insisted that the outcome “would not have changed” despite his own pending grievance regarding serious procedural issues. Before prematurely issuing the dismissal notice, ITF management did not even give the staff member the opportunity to apply for vacant roles in his newly restructured team… The ballot for strike action is over the sacking of the reps, the failure to take sufficient steps to tackle sexual harassment and misogyny, and the ITF’s proposals to implement detrimental changes to T&Cs in a manner which breaches agreed bargaining procedures. It opens on 2 February and closes on 26 February read more

Unite raises Village Hotel Glasgow illegal strike breaking with government (23 Jan) – Union highlights job agency adverts during strike action by hospitality workers. Unite has lodged a legal complaint concerning illegal strike-breaking by Village Hotels. The complaint focuses on the unlawful use of agency labour during industrial action by workers. Workers at the Glasgow-based hotel have participated in ongoing strike action since 28 November. Unite members unanimously supported taking industrial action in the dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Unite has received job advert information which indicates that employment agency – Mint People – provided temporary workers to directly replace striking workers. This is clearly against the law. The union has requested that the department of business and trade urgently investigate and take enforcement action as appropriate. Village Hotels sought to recruit agency workers through the agency to undertake roles including pub and grill staff and night porters. Unite has further written to the managing director of Mint People Agency to put on record its concerns over the unlawful deployment of agency labour during industrial action read more

Leeds Passenger Transport strikes suspended after council puts forward improvement plans (22 Jan) – Strikes by around 80 Unite members at Leeds City Council Passenger Transport this week have been suspended after the employer came back with plans to tackle problems within the service. Workers involved in the dispute were due to walk out today (22 January) and tomorrow (23 January) as well as later this month. They include drivers who take service users such as children with learning difficulties to school as well as passenger assistants and office support staff. They have already taken industrial action after cuts to the service such as a lack of proper equipment and missing risk assessments had led to workers and those who use the service being harmed. However, strikes have been halted after negotiations. Leeds City Council has agreed improvements with Unite, including providing risk assessments and training and hiring an interim head of service to provide additional support. Unite has given Leeds City Council until 2 February to implement these changes. If this does not happen, strike action will restart from 4 February read more

Cambridge Stagecoach workers intensify strike action over pay disparities (21 Jan) – Cambridge one of UK’s most expensive cities but drivers paid £1.78 an hour less than Manchester colleagues. Cambridge Stagecoach workers will stage further strike action later this month and into February, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The 200 drivers and engineers are demanding a pay increase that reflects the difficulties and stresses of the job and the high cost of living in Cambridge, one of the most expensive cities in the UK. While Cambridge drivers are paid just £16.22 hour, drivers in Manchester are paid £18 an hour and Liverpool drivers are on £17.43. Stagecoach made operating profits of £97.3 million in the year to April 2024 on sales of £1.6 billion… The workers began strike action in late December. As well as striking on 24 January, fresh strikes have been scheduled for 26, 28 and 30 January and 9, 11 and 13 February. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Unite signs landmark sexual harassment policy at Heathrow Airport (20 Jan) – Unite, the UK’s leading union in the civil aviation sector, has signed a landmark sexual harassment policy at London’s Heathrow Airport. This policy covers all workers at Heathrow Airport Limited, including those who are employed by third party companies such as British Airways and OCS. It is the first such sexual harassment policy signed by Unite since law changes on workplace sexual harassment in October 2024. Key parts of the policy include mandatory training on sexual harassment – such as what behaviour constitutes this – which all employees must do and sign off on, as well as regular risk assessments and a commitment to the employer taking swift and effective action when sexual harassment is reported.  The policy also includes clear procedures in cases where an individual is disciplined or dismissed following a finding of sexual harassment read more

Unite responds to lifeboat charity RNLI’s blocking of union recognition (20 Jan) – Unite has hit out at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s refusal to formally recognise the union at one of its major UK sites. Staff at the charity’s Inshore Lifeboat Centre, which is based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, have been calling for Unite recognition at their workplace after the RNLI announced last year that it was considering closing the facility and putting their jobs at risk. However, after Unite formally wrote to the RNLI earlier this month asking for recognition, the organisation responded by saying this was not needed as there was already a works council in place. This argument does not stand up legally, as a works council does not undertake the independent collective bargaining or negotiation which can only be done by a trade union read more

More London bus turmoil as drivers back further strikes (19 Jan) – There will be further disruption to bus services in North East London as 350 bus drivers will continue to strike in a dispute over bullying and union busting. Workers at the Lea Interchange Bus Company (part of Stagecoach) have agreed to take further industrial action due to the absence of credible proposals to solve problems at the depot, which have included Unite representatives being bullied by management. Unite reps have been the target of aggressive behaviour, including being unfairly dismissed then reinstated and suspended on trumped-up charges. Unite believes the reps are being targeted for undertaking union activities, which goes against UK employment law…The drivers operate several routes across North East London from the Lea Interchange Bus Garage in Leyton, East London. These include the 97 which serves the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre and the 276 which goes to Newham Hospital. Drivers will strike on 6 and 7 February and 20 and 21 February, impacting weekend travel including shopping trips to Westfield as well as half term journeys. Previous industrial action on 12 and 13 December and 9 and 10 January saw cancellations of most services operating out of the Lea Interchange garage, with no buses leaving it at all during the December strikes read more.

• Email messages of solidarity to:-

           branch secretary Faz – [email protected]

           branch organiser Moe – [email protected]

• Donate to the strike fund: Unite LE/254 Lea Interchange branch; Unity Trust Bank; Sort Code 60-83-01, Account no. 20060855 (reference: enter your name/union branch/trades council/organisation)

Unite’s ballots hundreds of workers over Strathclyde university job cuts (19 Jan) – Over 400 hundred workers at the University of Strathclyde will be balloted over strike action. Unite can confirm that over 400 hundred workers at the University of Strathclyde will be balloted over strike action in response to proposed job cuts and a failure by the institution to consult on organisational change. In December, it was revealed that the university is set to slash 76 full-time posts, revealing it had a £35m funding gap. Unite has condemned the university’s failure to fully consult unions over the planned cuts to jobs and to rule out compulsory redundancies… Any strike action following a successful ballot would impact on cleaning and maintenance services along with the security of buildings and student residences.  Trades staff taking any strike action would lead to a lack of joiners, electricians and plumbers who deal with leaks, lighting and gas issues in university buildings. Technicians involved in strike action would directly impact on student learning in labs. The ballot opened on 16 January and will close on 16 February read more

Crane operators strike will see building sites across the UK shutdown (13 Jan) – Workers from Wolffkran cranes taking action over pay and conditions. Strikes by workers from Wolffkran tower cranes at building sites across the UK will see construction work grind to a halt this winter. Nearly 100 tower crane operators are taking strike action after not receiving a pay rise in three years. Unite members at Wolffkran are furious that the company is now also seeking to cut some of their additional benefits including standby payments. Given the importance of tower cranes on major construction projects, sites will see work halted when the crane operators walk out later this month. Wolffkran operates on some of the biggest construction sites in the UK including the Grenfell Tower deconstruction, the Cambridge Science Park and the new headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Berkshire read more

London Metropolitan Police strike suspended as Unite members vote on new pay offer (13 Jan) – Upcoming strikes by Unite members working for the capital’s Metropolitan Police have been suspended after talks resulted in an improved pay offer. Unite members at the Met working in MetCC call centre and in the force’s fleet were due to walk out from 19 to 24 January in a dispute around pay. However, this has now been suspended to allow the Unite’s entire membership in the Met to vote on a new offer from the Met following talks between the force, Unite and the conciliatory service Acas. This consultative pay ballot will close on 28 January 2026 read more

Diligenta staff escalate strike action in pay dispute (12 Jan) – Unite members have today stepped-up strike action on five Diligenta sites over pay. Unite members employed by finance sector outsourcer Diligenta have today (Monday 12 January 2026) restarted industrial action across five sites in a dispute over pay. The Diligenta staff in the head office site in Peterborough will now also be balloted for industrial action. Diligenta management have failed to meaningfully negotiate with Unite on pay and this strike action follows five days of strike action which took place in November and December. Unite has made clear that further strike action could have been avoided if they had given its workforce an acceptable pay rise for 2025. The strike action will cause yet more disruption to Diligenta’s clients, Management have had every opportunity to make Unite members a fair pay offer but have refused to take part in meaningful negotiations on pay. Approximately 1,000 Unite members working at Diligenta sites in: Liverpool, Glasgow, Reading, Edinburgh and Stirling will take further strike action from Monday 26  – Friday 30 Jan (5 days) from 00:01 until 23:59 on Sunday 18 January. Picket lines will be congregating from 7:00 on Monday 12 January. Picket line locations:-

• Liverpool 101 Old Hall Street L3 9BD
• Edinburgh 30 Lothian Road Edinburgh EH1 2DH
• Glasgow 125 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 2SD
• Kildean – Stirling 15 Central Way Kildean Business Park Stirling FK8 1FT
• Reading 3 Forbury Place 23 Forbury Road Reading Berkshire

No balls please! Tennis ball and snooker cloth makers go on strike over pay (9 Jan) – WSP Textiles in Gloucestershire make professional cloth and tennis ball material – shortages could affect tournaments. Workers at sports cloth manufacturer WSP Textiles are to take strike action for the first time in their history which will see snooker and tennis tournaments under threat due to a lack of baize and balls. Unite members at WSP are furious at the 2.35 per cent pay offer that the company has put forward given the current cost of living crisis. Most earn little more than the minimum wage and haven’t had an above-inflation pay rise in years. WSP workers at the factories in Stroud and Dursley, Gloucestershire, produce some of the most famous sporting cloth in the world. The tennis ball felt is used by manufacturers like Wilson, Slazenger and Dunlop and used at Wimbledon, the French and Australian Open. Their snooker baize is used to cover tables across the globe and used in World Snooker Tour tournaments in the UK, USA and China…Strikes are due to take place 12-20 January and 22-23 January and will see nearly 50 workers head to the picket line, bringing the factory to a standstill and orders going unfulfilled. Major tennis and snooker tournaments are set to be affected if the strikes continue throughout winter and spring read more

St Enoch VUE cinema workers continue strikes as dispute intensifies (7 Jan) – Entertainment cinema workers set for a further round of four weeks’ strike action. Dozens of VUE Entertainment cinema workers based at the St Enoch’s centre in Glasgow are set for a further round of four weeks’ strike action starting tomorrow (8 January) in a fight to secure better jobs, pay and conditions. In a historic first at a major Scottish cinema chain, Unite hospitality members  have been taking strike action over four weeks during the festive period as part of the campaign to secure the real living wage for workers aged 18 and over, union recognition, and safe subsidised transport for workers at the end of shifts. The latest round of strike action will last for four weeks starting from 8 January 2026 and continuing each day up to 6 February 2026. Unite represents the overwhelming majority of the customer assistant and team leaders at the VUE St Enoch’s site read more

Sodexo workers at Sullom Voe terminal strike (7 Jan) – Shetland based members in dispute over company refusal to make acceptable pay offer. Unite can confirm that Sodexo workers resumed 24-hour strike action today (Wednesday 7 January) as part of an escalating pay dispute with the company. Around 30 members performing various roles including mechanics, cleaners, plant operators and electricians are set to take part in a series of stoppages on 7, 12, 14, 21, and 28 January. Unite members have rejected an unacceptable two-year pay offer by Sodexo which falls short of the workers’ pay aspirations after unanimously backing strike action. In 2024, Sodexo Remote Sites Scotland posted profits after tax amounting to £593,000. The Sodexo strike action at Sullom Voe terminal is in addition to the forthcoming strike action involving around 60 Altrad contractors on 12 and 26 January 2026 read more

Health visitors in Wales balloted for strikes due to losing thousands in pay (19 Dec) – Workers preparing to strike due to incorrect grading costing them up to £9000 a year. Health visitors working in South Wales are balloting for strikes in the new year, after their NHS employer refused to pay them the correct salary based on their qualifications which is costing them between £8000 to £9000 per year. A ballot for industrial action opened this week for Unite members who work as health visitors in Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM). The ballot closes on 26 January and should workers vote for strike action this could commence in February. Health visitors who do vital community outreach work for new mothers and families, are furious that they are graded as Band 6 workers. This is despite internal job grading now matching as a Band 7 requiring a masters qualification. The CTM University Health Board has refused to acknowledge their own job descriptions and pay health visitors accordingly. This deliberate act of downgrading is costing health visitors between £8000-9000 per year dependent on where workers are on their pay scale read more

Doncaster Cheswold Park secure mental health hospital strikes suspended after improved offer (18 Dec) – Strikes by around 120 Cheswold Park hospital workers have been suspended following an improved offer from South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Industrial action scheduled for 18, 19, 25 26 and 31 December and 1 January has been called off to allow the workers to ballot on the offer read more

British Airways cleaners at Heathrow to strike over low pay this Christmas (18 Dec) – Over 80 Unite members employed by facilities services firm OCS to clean British Airways offices and buildings across four terminals at Heathrow are taking industrial action this Christmas over low pay. Staff involved in the dispute are currently paid the minimum wage of £12.21 per hour. Since early last year, these workers have been asking for the London living wage of £13.85 per hour – calculated to match the high cost of living in the capital. Their counterparts on the Mitie contract at Heathrow, who do similar roles, are paid the London living wage…Strikes will take place from today (18) to 29 December. There will also be a demo outside Hatton Cross station today (18) and tomorrow (19) from 12-2pm both days…The workers involved in the dispute are employed under the OCS soft services contract. As well as offices including BA’s Waterside head office, they clean cargo and engineering hangars where planes are repaired read more

Yorkshire Airedale NHS microbiology workers strike over being underpaid and over worked (16 Dec) – Airedale NHS microbiology workers responsible for carrying out diagnostic tests are to strike over being underpaid and over worked. Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has failed to address the fact that the workers are on the pay band below what they should be for the work they carry out. The trust has also agreed to undertake extra work for another trust that the microbiology workers will have to carry out, increasing the number of call outs during nights and weekends. As a result, out of hours rotas have been changed without consultation or regard to current workloads…The workers will strike from 18 to 25 December, resulting in testing delays for Airedale General Hospitals and local GP services. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

New strikes at Sellafield as “union-busting” sees workers laid off (12 Dec) – Contractors exploiting legal loophole to lay off workers in Cumbria. A fresh wave of strike action is due to take place at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria this winter as workers walk out amid union-busting tactics from employers. Unite members will take part in industrial action from 15-19 December that will severely hamper operations at the site in a dispute over Sellafield-specific allowances that would see workers rewarded fairly for their work on a hazardous, nuclear site. In the latest development in the ongoing dispute, workers at five subcontractors are to walk out. This continued phase of the escalation plan is causing widespread disruption due to targeting production more effectively in conjunction with an overtime ban…The strikes come amid “union-busting” tactics from some employers who are exploiting a legal-loophole to allow them to lay off workers involved in the strike action. These layoffs (issued by Altrad, Enigma Industrial Services, Kaefer and William King Construction, PPS Electrical, ES Steel and Shepley Engineers)  are taking place under a cover-story of a lack of work, but in reality are retribution for strike action…Unite remains committed to resolving the dispute. The union is calling on employers to enter into discussions with credible solutions that recognise the unique hazards and skills set required at Sellafield. Workers at the following contractors will be taking part in this action: Altrad, Enigma, Kaefer, Stobbarts Limited and Design Grid read more

Christmas chaos at Village Hotels in Leeds as workers walk out (12 Dec) – Staff at hotel join colleagues in Glasgow in taking strike action in dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Workers at two Leeds hotels are to take strike action for the first time after members voted to walk out. Over 80 per cent of housekeeping staff who are Unite members at the Leeds North and Leeds South Village hotel will take strike action from 26-28 December. At this busy time of year for the hotel, customers will be faced with unmade beds and no cleaning services. Workers at a Village Hotel in Glasgow are already engaged in strike action due to the poor pay and conditions that workers are forced to endure. Unite Hospitality members at Village Hotels in Leeds will go on strike for equal pay, the real living wage and union recognition read more

London Grosvenor Casinos workers to strike over key festive party dates (12 Dec) – All bets are off for Grosvenor Casinos management this festive season, as licenced gaming staff as its three largest venues have voted to take industrial action. Around 140 workers, members of Unite, will walk out in two different 48-hour strikes after rejecting a below-inflation 2.5 per cent pay rise. Staff involved in the dispute operate from the three biggest Grosvenor Casinos in the UK, all based in London. These are Rialto in Leicester Square, the Victoria on Edgware Road and the Gloucester, Gloucester Road. The Unite members involved in the dispute work in roles such as running the poker rooms and roulette tables. These are extremely specialist jobs, which require rigorous training and a legal requirement to hold a licence to be able to work in the industry. The strikes will take place on Boxing Day and 27 December followed by New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, historically very busy days for the casino chain read more

Rally in support of Bassetlaw ICU nurses striking against fire and rehire (12 Dec) – Dispute has escalated after trust tries to union bust by threatening to not pay nurses on days they are working. Protesters will rally in support of Bassetlaw nurses striking against fire and rehire contract changes on Monday. The nurses are striking over fire and rehire contract changes that will force them to rotate between Bassetlaw and Doncaster Royal Infirmary. The nurses fear the transfers are one more step towards Bassetlaw hospital losing its ICU permanently through ‘decommissioning by stealth’. They would also face overly long commutes before and after 13-hour shifts, with the risk of exhaustion putting themselves and patients at risk. In an attempt to union bust, the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has written to the nurses and told them that they will not be paid if they take action short of strike action. The nurses began action short of strike action through a ban on working on any ward or unit other than Bassetlaw ICU on 13 November. This week, the trust said it will class them as volunteers and not pay them if they continue to only work on the ICU as part of their industrial action…The nurses are striking from 15 December to 19 December. Industrial action will further intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Fresh bus strikes across West London as workers reject latest pay offer (11 Dec) – Staff at London Transit to walk out in run-up to Christmas. Over 350 workers employed by London Transit bus company in West London are to take further strike action after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer. Drivers and other workers have already taken part in industrial action this autumn and will now walk out on 12, 15, 22, 23 and 24 December. Strikes will cause widespread disruption across west London with Christmas markets and festivities in full flow. Drivers, engineers and stores workers based at the Westbourne Park depot are furious at the latest pay offer they received which included a new, lower paid starter grade for drivers read more

Transport for Greater Manchester workers join Metrolink Tram staff in December strikes (11 Dec) – TfGM and tram strikes to take place over busiest shopping period of the year. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) workers begin a fresh round of strike action tomorrow over fair pay. More than 200 Unite members, who undertake vital roles including ticketing, passenger assistance and information services for the bus network, began industrial action in October. They are striking alongside their colleagues in the Unison union. The workers have rejected a below inflation 3.2 per cent pay rise and are demanding an increase that reflects the rising cost of living and the increased workloads they have taken on since the creation of the Bee Network. TfGM can well afford to improve its pay offer as it holds £2.1 billion in reserve…Fresh strikes will take place on 12, 13, 19 and 20 December, with disruption across the Bee bus and tram network read more

Thirty workers targeted after speaking out about dangerous conditions at Royston site, where two colleagues have also tragically committed suicide (10 Dec) – Thirty workers targeted after speaking out about dangerous conditions at Royston site, where two colleagues have also tragically committed suicide. More than 30 workers have been suspended from the Johnson Matthey’s hydrogen gigafactory construction site in Hertfordshire for refusing to accept worsening dangerous conditions. Workers are also angry that contractors BGEN and Bilfinger are disregarding mental as well as physical health, following the companies’ inadequate response to two separate on site suicides. The safety breaches include: No running water or heating, no cold weather PPE and inadequate ventilation despite the grinding of paint containing carcinogens. The site was shutdown by the operators for two weeks due to the health and safety concerns; however the issues have not only not been resolved but are worsening. BGEN and Bilfinger are refusing to allow union access on site and two workplace reps have been suspended. Unite understands Johnson Matthey has instructed BGEN and Bilfinger to union bust, despite both companies being part of the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry. The £80 million government backed project will produce hydrogen battery components for electric vehicles when it is completed read more

Turners’ tanker drivers resume halt to fuel deliveries at nation’s largest airports (10 Dec) – New supply shock to Edinburgh and Glasgow airlines. Grangemouth based tanker drivers working for Turners (Soham) Limited will resume strike action this week in a long-running pay dispute impacting fuel supplies to major airlines operating at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. The Turners drivers will strike for four days on December 11 and 12 and December 22 and 23. Previous strike action took place during October and November. The imminent strike action follows an ongoing impasse in talks involving Unite and Turners through the auspices of the conciliation service Acas. The company has refused to improve on a real terms pay cut amounting to one per cent for 2025 at a time when the broader inflation figure stands at 4.3 per cent read more

Christmas shortages of Guinness Zero as strikes at Diageo plant in Belfast back on after workers reject substandard pay offer (9 Dec) – Empty shelves could greet shoppers looking for Guinness Zero this Christmas after Unite members at Diageo in Belfast voted overwhelmingly to reject an inadequate pay offer from management and to take strike action. Around 90 workers will commence an eight-day strike from 7am on Friday 12 December continuing until the early hours of Saturday 19 December. A previous eight-day strike was due to commence on Friday 5 December but was suspended by workforce reps to allow consideration of the new pay offer made the day before. The strike will shut down the site which is the world’s largest producer of Guinness Zero. The workers are seeking a pay deal ending the pay gap with Diageo’s site in Runcorn, England. Earlier this year Diageo reported net profits of more than $2.5 billion globally and a key driver of that success is Guinness Zero – the UK’s best-selling alcohol-free beer read more

Christmas chaos at BAE Systems as workers escalate strike action (4 Dec) – Members of the Unite, the UK’s largest trade union in the defence and aerospace sector, are fighting against a real-terms pay cut being offered by BAE despite the company making over £3 billion in profits. Around 160 staff who work in safety critical roles will take further strike action at least until 24 December, that will see sites in Warton and Salmesbury severely affected. Previous strikes have seen managers without the same level of skills, and qualifications attempting to fill the roles done by experienced workers. Other staff will be taking action short of strikes including a refusal to travel, refusal of overtime and a refusal to take on additional work… Staff have already been on strike from 26 November until 17 December and this latest announcement will now see industrial action continue through until Christmas Eve read more

Bilfinger offshore workers to strike over pensions (2 Dec) – Unite has announced that over 400 offshore members employed by Bilfinger UK Limited have supported taking strike action in an escalating dispute over pensions. A majority of Bilfinger workers have emphatically backed strike action in a fight to secure a fairer pension deal. Unite members are demanding that Bilfinger move to a gross earnings pension scheme like many other private sector and offshore companies because workers are losing out on thousands of pounds in pension contributions due to their pattern of pay being weekly. The majority of Bilfinger workers are enrolled in a statutory minimum workplace pension scheme where the company pays a maximum three per cent of “qualifying earnings” contribution. The qualifying earnings income is between £6,240 and £50,270. Anything above or below that does not factor in pension contributions. It means Bilfinger’s annual pension contribution is capped at £1,320.90 per year irrespective of income. Unite estimates that around £2254 is being lost every year in employer pension contributions when compared with a gross salary pension scheme for a worker earning £59,580.36…If Bilfinger fails to act on the pensions issue then strikes will be called in the coming weeks read more

Council and school staff need a fair pay rise, say unions (2 Dec) – Unions representing 1.4 million council and school staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are calling for a wage rise of at least £3,000 to recognise soaring workloads and increasing household costs, they say today (Monday 1 December). Unite, UNISON and GMB have submitted their joint annual local government pay claim for 2026-27, demanding a substantial award from April after years of effective pay cuts, which have left staff struggling to keep up with rising household bills. The unions are warning pay for council and school staff continues to lag behind many other public services. In turn, low wages have led to a recruitment and retention crisis while demand for key services – such as social care, children’s services and housing support – has soared. Local authority employers gave a 3.2% uplift this year, but that has already been surpassed by inflation, which currently stands at 3.6%. The pay claim for 2026-27 calls for an increase of at least £3,000 or 10% (whichever is greater) for all staff, as well as a minimum hourly rate of £15. Unions say that since 2010, the real value of local government pay has fallen by more than 26%. That has left many workers finding it hard to keep pace with housing costs, food prices, transport fares and energy bills read more

NO to union-busting at Sanctuary read more on Unite Housing Workers LE/1111 branch website

Christmas delivery chaos as UPS workers ballot for strikes (21 Nov) – Consumers are facing major delays to Christmas and January sales parcel deliveries nationwide as Unite members working for UPS ballot for strike action. Over 2,000 Unite members at the firm, which is headquartered in Feltham, West London, are being balloted over industrial action in a dispute about pay and conditions. Workers including delivery drivers have rejected the company’s latest pay offer of a 2.8 per cent increase and 3.2 per cent increase for 2025 and 2026 respectively. The pay offer is less than the inflation rate (RPI) of 4.5 per cent and a real terms pay cut…The ballot opened this week and closes on 3 December. UPS has already attempted to interfere in the democratic process by putting up posters in its workplaces advising workers not to vote in the ballot. Action could begin in mid-December, hitting last-minute Christmas gift deliveries as well as purchases made during the popular Boxing Day and January sales read more

Unite launches strikes ballot over Edinburgh council tracking drivers (19 Nov) – Ballot opens on Friday 21 November and closes on 5 January 2026. Unite the union will ballot around 100 workers employed by the City of Edinburgh Council in a dispute over tracking drivers in housing services. The dispute is over the use of data collected by telematics in vehicles. In June 2025, Edinburgh council proposed introducing ‘exception reports’ which record each time a vehicle is used more than an hour before or after a shift. These reports are thereafter sent on to line manages.

Unions previously negotiated a telematics policy with the council so that it was based on the system improving driving standards and ensuring safety. It had protections against using the technology to intrude on members’ privacy. The policy was agreed to in May 2023. Under the policy, managers must request telematics data from Fleet Services and have legitimate reasons for accessing the data. The council is now trying to breach its own policy through exception reports. Unite’s housing services members are concerned about ‘overreach’ into their privacy, and the potential abuse of the telematics system by management to target workers which will lead to disciplinary triggers if a commute takes more than an hour. The union has raised repeated concerns with Edinburgh council to avoid an escalation in the industrial dispute, but management have continued to signal their intention to proceed with the exception reports… The ballot opens on Friday 21 November and closes on 5 January 2026. If the ballot for industrial action is successful, then industrial action in the new year by Unite’s members would lead to all housing services repairs and maintenance being cancelled for Edinburgh tenants. In a consultative ballot in August, Unite’s members across all housing services trades including electricians, joiners, heating engineers, and plumbers overwhelmingly backed strike action and action short of a strike read more

MCL Medics set to strike on Harbour Energy platforms (11 Nov) – Unite the union can confirm that over a dozen offshore medics employed by MCL Medics, who provide lifesaving services, are set for strike action. The medics work on the Armada, Britannia, Jasmine, Judy, Lomond, and North Everest assets owned by Harbour Energy. In a long-running dispute over pay levels and training allowances, MCL Medics have backed strike action, and unanimously rejected an unacceptable pay offer from the company. The medics are now set for three 24-hour stoppages over 21-22 November, 5-6 December and 19-20 December. A continuous ban on overtime will also start on 21 November read more

Imperial College union membership grows as strike escalates (11 Nov) – Dodgy pay figures used by hugely wealthy university driving anger amongst workers. There has been an increase in the number of Imperial College London workers taking industrial action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said as it announced further strikes. Unite membership at Imperial has increased by 10 per cent due to the dispute and is continuing to grow, with other unions also reporting an increase in new members at the university. Workers are angry that the university’s management is refusing to restart talks even after it was revealed that faulty benchmarking data was used to calculate an insulting two per cent pay deal it has imposed on the workforce. This imposed deal is in effect a substantial real-terms pay cut, as RPI inflation currently stands at 4.5 per cent. This equates to staff having to work for a week for free this year… Around 1,200 teaching and non-teaching workers are involved in the dispute, including around 250 Unite members. The workers took four days of strike action in October. They will walk out again on 13, 14, 25, 26, 27 and 28 November. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

   

CWU   

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]     

Join next Super Saturday to help win DWP ballot (26 Jan) – After 6,000 calls were made last Saturday, PCS members are preparing for the second Super Saturday (31) event, where they can call DWP members to increase turnout in the ongoing strike ballot. If you are a DWP member, you should’ve already received your ballot. You must complete the ballot form and return it by post by 23 February read more

Retired civil servants left without pensions as Capita delays payments (23 Jan) – Thousands of retired civil servants are struggling financially due to unpaid pensions and lump sums. PCS has been contacted by distressed current and former members since Capita took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme on 1 December, reporting significant delays to lump-sum payments and first pension instalments – often the sole source of income for newly retired staff read more

PCS writes to Cat Little about Pensions Crisis (23 Jan) – There has been a fundamental failure to deliver by Capita since it took over administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in December read more

MPs call for urgent action over Civil Service Pensions (22 Jan) – Several MPs have raised serious concerns in parliament over widespread delays and non‑payment issues since Capita took over the contract from Equiniti in December 2025. Andy McDonald MP has today (22) spoken in parliament to back PCS’s call for action against the unacceptable performance of Capita and called for urgent action from the Cabinet Office minister. Concerns were also raised by MPs at yesterday’s PMQs and at today’s Business Questions read more

Driving examiners told “Boxing Day is a normal working day” (23 Jan) – Examiners on new contracts with DVSA will be expected to work as usual for their basic rate of pay. DVSA senior management welcomed DVSA driving examiners back to work in January with an email about Christmas 2026: driving examiners on the new contracts with DVSA, where there is an expectation to work weekends regularly on single time pay, will be expected to work Boxing Day 2026, if on the rota, for single rate time read more

Concerns about new Super-regulator for Water (20 Jan) – PCS members in Ofwat, which is due to be abolished, are seeking assurances about their jobs, and terms and conditions read more

Met Police staff suspend strike action (15 Jan) – An improved pay offer has been made in response to planned strike action. Met Police management has made a revised pay offer to staff in response to strike action planned by PCS members on 15 January. The planned strike was intended to repeat the successful industrial action on 5 November which closed nearly all custody suites and two thirds of 999 call handling units across the whole of London. Met Police met all four unions (PCS, FDA, Prospect and Unite) on Friday (9) with a new pay offer. PCS agreed to pause our planned strike action and will hold consultative meetings with members followed by a ballot. PCS now has over 6,800 members working in civilian roles for Met Police – a number which is growing rapidly, and adds to the negotiating power of the union read more

Forestry Commission members support a shorter working week (9 Jan) – PCS members in the Forestry Commission have decisively indicated their support for a shorter working week in a recent survey. In the Forestry Commission, PCS put forward a survey to all members to establish the strength of feeling for a reduced working week with no loss of pay. A resounding 93% of members voted in favour read more

DWP members in Lincoln continue their strike action for a further two weeks (5 Jan) – DWP members in  Lincoln Service Centre began a further two weeks of strike action today (5) to follow on from the 31 days of strike action they have already taken. Members who work in the service centre are absolutely determined to fight to keep their jobs in Lincoln. As low paid workers they cannot afford to travel long distances to remain working in the DWP and they have been clear that redundancy is not an option for them. DWP are refusing to back down on their announcement to close the Lincoln Service Centre, which could see over 80 members of staff face the risk of redundancy read more

FCDO restructure – Bargaining demands and Indicative ballot (23 Dec) – PCS is running an indicative online ballot of all members in FCDO and Wilton Park with a deadline of 2pm on Friday 9 January. Members are asked to tell us if you support our bargaining demands, and if you are prepared to take industrial action. While some progress has been made in dispute talks between PCS and FCDO, the department is still failing to consult PCS meaningfully on a range of key issues. Full details are in the Members’ Briefing issued on 22 December. At our dispute meeting with FCDO on 18 December, your PCS representatives again asked FCDO to pause the restructure until reviews into the work of the FCDO are completed and the organisation redesigned, based on those reviews. We said that PCS would pause our campaign opposing the job cuts in response. However, FCDO would not agree. Unfortunately, this gives us no choice but to press ahead with an indicative ballot on industrial action read more

Update on Tate Galleries dispute (22 Dec) – Since 30 September, PCS has been in dispute with Tate Galleries over the employer’s failure to offer an above-inflation pay award for a second consecutive year. PCS remains committed to working with the employer to resolve the dispute. Following a meeting between both parties on 4 December, Tate Galleries has agreed to produce a series of proposals on how to resolve the dispute. Tate has been clear they cannot afford a further increase to the 3% pay award for 2025/26 due to their financial position. The organisation’s accounts from 2024/26, for example, revealed a deficit of £5million. The organisation has blamed a reduction in grant-in-aid funding, Covid-19, and Brexit for a reduction in their revenue during Maria Balshaw’s tenure as director. However, concerns remain about financial mismanagement at Tate. Tate Galleries are due to put forward proposals for better terms and conditions to PCS by 9 January 2026. This will be followed by a meeting between PCS and Tate Galleries on 12 January. While PCS welcomes the move for better terms and conditions for workers, we are continuing to push for an inflation-proof pay rise with an element of restoration. Should the proposals put forward by Tate Galleries be rejected, PCS will consider further industrial action in the new year read more

British Library members asked to sacrifice terms and conditions for pay (22 Dec) – On 12 December, management approached PCS with a revised pay offer which involved scrapping employees’ health cash plans to subsidise a 4.2% pay award. As the majority of our members at the British Library are low-paid workers, they rely heavily on the health cash plan for routine health expenses such as eye tests, dental treatment, and prescriptions. As such, the revised offer was rejected by PCS on the basis that it would translate into a worse pay deal than any previous offers. Since then, the British Library (BL) has returned to its offer of 3.8%, with a £2,000 uplift for employees on the Grade C minimum, and the promise of a review of the alternative working pattern (AWP) allowance for security officers. The offer does not include restoration for last year’s shortfall when other public sector workers received 5% in line with the civil service pay remit but BL workers received only 3%. Almost half of Grade C staff would not be entitled to the £2,000 uplift, meaning the longest-serving members of staff would be earning the same as new starters. In addition, we are still awaiting a pay review that was promised three years ago. In a letter to PCS on 18 December, the British Library stated, “We have worked in good faith to address valid concerns raised only to have further demands made and conditions for ending industrial action changed.” This is incorrect. Our original pay claim in March contained seven asks, and we have since centred on three main demands in an attempt to settle the dispute:-

• Inflation-proof pay with restoration
• Addressing grade compression for Grade Cs
• AWP allowance for security officers.

PCS met with the British Library on 15 December to discuss alternatives to resolve the dispute, including multi-year pay awards, pay modernisation, and a joint approach with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Almost all proposals were rejected by the Library on the basis of affordability. This latest refusal comes off the back of repeated insults from the British Library, such as advising workers to ‘skip’ Christmas presents for the year to help with the cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile, we have heard that the British Library has promoted eight senior members of staff to interim director posts, without transparency or interviews. The British Library has repeatedly claimed they are in dispute with a “minority of workers”. However PCS represents nearly 500 members across both British Library sites in St Pancras and Boston Spa, making us the largest trade union at the library. In negotiations with management, PCS has repeatedly highlighted the results of an earlier survey of unionised staff which revealed that 71% found their salary insufficient to meet basic needs such as groceries, bills, and transport costs…As of 19 December, the British Library has said there will be no further increases to the pay award for 2025/26. Both parties have agreed to meet with ACAS in an attempt to resolve the dispute read more

Palace of Westminster security staff to strike again on New Year’s Eve (19 Dec) – The security staff’s fourth day of strike action threatens to disrupt a planned event by Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle. Over 300 PCS members who work in security at the Palace of Westminster will strike on 31 December in their ongoing dispute over a loss of annual leave, pay and terms and conditions. The 24-hour strike follows previous action in September and November. The strike on 31 December has already led to the cancellation of the Commons Terrace New Year’s Eve event and is expected to force Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of the House of Commons, to cancel another function, a charity event, that evening. As speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay is responsible for the parliamentary estate, but he has refused to intervene in the dispute or speak up for the strikers read more

More strike action announced at Border Force Maritime (27 Nov) – Following the success of their strike action on 14 November, which rendered several vessels non-operational, our Border Force Maritime members will strike again on 1 December over frozen allowances and unresolved changes to terms and conditions. More than 120 PCS members who patrol UK waters, including the English Channel, are striking from 6am to 6pm, across all Maritime staff. In a ballot which closed last month, 96% of members voted for strike action and 94.95% for action short of a strike, on a turnout of 80% read more

Get the PCS Samba Band to your protests and demonstrations – go to their Facebook page and on X/Twitter @PCS_Samba_Band

Prospect

What the latest National Shipbuilding Office update means for members (21 Jan) – The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) has published its latest update on the direction of UK shipbuilding and while much of the language will sound familiar, there are real developments that matter to jobs, skills and long-term security in the industry, writes Prospect Negotiations Officer, William Dooley read more

AWE members slam ‘incompetence’ of restructure and consultation process (21 Jan) – Across three packed branch meetings, nearly 1,000 Prospect members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment gave collective voice to their growing dismay, anger and frustration with senior management and the ‘sheer incompetence’ of a major restructure and redundancy programme read more

AWE members to vote on industrial action over botched restructure (13 Jan) – Prospect members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) are to vote on industrial action after a litany of errors and poor consultation from senior management at the organisation, which builds and maintains the UK’s nuclear deterrent read more

Workers at the Planning Inspectorate to take industrial action (15 Dec) – Prospect members working as planning inspectors and other professional staff within the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) are to take industrial action in a dispute over pay and job evaluation. Our members at the Planning Inspectorate play a vital role in helping to deliver the Government’s growth missions, whether for key national infrastructure, national housing targets, or smaller scale approvals and appeals. The industrial action short of strike will commence today (15 December) and could run until 23 May 2026 unless progress can be made to resolve the dispute. It comes after a ballot in which 79% voted in favour of taking action. The action will be continuous and consist of only working contracted hours and a voluntary overtime ban. The action is taking place after the imposition of a rejected pay deal which results in below inflation pay awards for significant numbers of members linked to a contested job evaluation exercise and the freezing or reducing of pay minima and maxima for some grades read more

ONS take industrial action over hybrid working policy (5 Nov) – Prospect members at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have vote to extend further industrial action short of strike in their ongoing dispute over the department’s handling of its return-to-office policy. The policy, announced in spring 2024 and implemented later that year, requires staff to attend the workplace at least 40% of the time. It was introduced without meaningful consultation and ignores successful flexible and hybrid working arrangements that have previously delivered strong results for both ONS and the public read more

GMB  

Asda outsources George deliveries – 1,200 jobs at risk (20 Jan) – Asda will outsource delivery of its clothing brand George to DHL, risking up to 1,200 jobs in the process, GMB Union has said. The supermarket giant currently runs distribution of its clothing label through three depots; Lymedale, North East Clothing and Brackmills. Under the plan, the work will all move to one depot run by DHL in Derby read more

Airedale hospital workers hand in 7,000 petition ahead of strike (16 Jan) – Striking Airedale Hospital workers will today [Friday, 16 January 2026] hand in 7,000 strong petition to bosses, days before they walk out for a week. More than 200 essential staff, including porters, domestic staff, catering teams, and security personnel, will strike from 20 January to 26 January, demanding NHS pensions for NHS work. Today GMB members will hand-deliver a petition with more than 7,000 signatures to Airedale NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, Foluke Ajayi. The affected staff were outsourced to AGH Solutions (AGHS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, in 2018. Since then, they have secured significant improvements to bring their terms and conditions closer to NHS standards. However, pension inequality remains unresolved read more

Dozens of Bromley Parking Wardens to protest outside council meeting (8 Dec) – Dozens of GMB members employed as parking wardens will protest outside the full council meeting of London Borough of Bromley tonight. The outsourced workers are employed by the council’s contractor APCOA, a multi-million pound, multi-national company. The members were taking a third day of action today, after no further pay offers were made by the company since their last strike read more

Strike at ‘frozen turkey capital’ this Christmas (2 Dec) – Workers at one of the UK’s largest frozen food facilities will walk out from today. Members of GMB Union have begun a two week walk-out at frozen food storage giant Magnavale Easton. The Lincolnshire based company employs nearly 100 people and is one of the areas largest storage facilities for frozen turkey products on the lead into Christmas. With customers including owners of the Bernard Matthews brand, the 2 Sister Food Group, concerns are mounting about the impact the strike action could have on operations at the site and availability of turkeys on the run up to Christmas. Strike action will take for two weeks place until Sunday 14 December read more

Christmas crisp shortage? Hula-Hoops workers vote to strike (28 Nov) – The UK faces a Christmas crips shortage as almost 50 workers making Hula-Hoops, McCoy’s, Pom-Bears and Discos vote to strike. A majority of 85 per cent of process operatives at KP Snacks in Billingham vote for industrial action after the company imposed additional duties and responsibilities without any increase in pay. Bosses have now halted all holiday requests while it evaluates the potential impact of industrial action, in what looks like a punitive measure. GMB Union is seeking legal advice on whether this decision is unlawful. Members will now meet to discuss strike dates read more

Salford chemical workers in rights fight (28 Nov) – Chemical workers at Luxfer MEL Technologies in Salford are taking action to protect their union recognition. Currently, the company recognises GMB Union to negotiate on pay, conditions, jobs and other key workplace issues. Bosses have now announced they will end the voluntary arrangement in January. In response, GMB will apply to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for statutory recognition, a stronger, legally binding form of union recognition that cannot simply be removed by the company read more

Shell Bacton Gas Terminal workers begin strike action (20 Oct) – Altrad workers at the Shell Bacton Gas Terminal have today [20 October] started their strike in a row over pay. The strike ballot, held by GMB Union, saw 100 per cent of members backing strike action on a 96 per cent turnout. The dispute was triggered by Altrad’s offer of a one-time 4 per cent pay uplift, which is far below the two-year deal of 11.3 per cent and 5.5 per cent proposed under the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI). Altrad workers on the Perenco contract at an adjacent site doing the same type of work are being paid in line with the NAECI increase following another dispute resolved by GMB. This means workers at Shell site are now being paid less than their peers for the same work. Strikes will take place over three weeks in total, on 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th October, and 3rd and 4th November 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   

Squeezing staff pensions is bigger source of income for NHS subcos than new business, says report (20 Jan) – Subsidiary companies are failing to generate new business or income for the NHS, says a report released today (Wednesday) by UNISON. The findings explode the myth that the companies – known as subcos and set up to bring in extra revenue – are winning external contracts to drive profit, the union says. The report, by Trinava Consulting, found most of the work done by subcos comes from the NHS trusts that set them up and much of the profit is generated from squeezing staff pensions. UNISON says the growth of subcos has been an increasingly controversial feature of the NHS landscape, with trusts using them a mechanism to make savings by driving down pay and pensions for new staff read more

Appeal for striking members at the National Coal Mining Museum (19 Jan) – 40 members have been on strike since 20 August 2025 over a pay rise which was offered, then retracted by their employer. Members of UNISON Wakefield branch who work at the National Coal Mining Museum – and who have been on strike for six months – are appealing for financial support. In June 2025, the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield made a pay offer to its workers of £1 per hour, or 5%, whichever was greater. UNISON agreed to ballot members with a recommendation to accept the offer. Ten days later, the employer withdrew the offer and replaced it with a reduced offer of 80p per hour, or 5%. When the strike action started last August, the National Coal Mining Museum further escalated matters. In October, it withdrew the 80p offer entirely and replaced it with an offer of just 62p per hour.

Branches or individual members can donate using the details below:-

Cheque payment – Please make cheques payable to ‘UNISON Wakefield’, mark payment as ‘MINING STRIKE on reverse of cheque and send to: Wakefield District UNSION, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield WF1 3BZ.

BACS transfers –

Account Name: UNISON WAKEFIELD M.D 13351 BRANCH

Account number: 20320236

Sort Code: 608301

Please mark your payment as ‘MINING STRIKE’ read more

Sign this petition calling for the resignation of the board of trustees and chief executive Lynn Dunning

Hospital staff in Leeds to strike this week in back pay row (15 Dec) – NHS staff who work in operating theatres in hospitals across Leeds are to strike for two days later this week in a dispute over money they are owed. Theatre assistants employed across four hospital sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust* will walk out at 8am on Thursday (18 December) for 48 hours. The workers perform tasks such as inserting cannulas, collecting samples, and sterilising equipment, which the union says should have been paid at a higher rate. UNISON says staff should be moved to the correct grade and compensated fairly for the extra duties they’ve already carried out. Earlier this year, trust interim chief executive Brendan Brown oversaw a deal at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust that saw staff given five years’ back pay. UNISON says the Leeds trust’s refusal to settle up is out of step with what is happening elsewhere in the region and around the country. Since 2021, more than 40,000 healthcare workers have been regraded and awarded back pay through deals with the union at over 60 NHS trusts across England and Wales read more

Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City Unison    

Sign open letter: Reinstate Tom Barker, UNISON rep at Ash Field Academy in Leicester

(Hosted by Leicester and District Trades Union Council).

To Paul Stone, Discovery Schools Academy Trust (DSAT)

Leader, and Richard Bettsworth, Chair of DSAT Trustees.

On October 20 2025, UNISON members at Ash Field Academy, a

special educational needs school in Leicester, voted to take industrial action

over inadequate staffing levels, excessive workload, and health and safety.

Staffing levels at Ash Field, which was taken over by Discovery Schools Academy

Trust (DSAT) in 2024, have been diminishing over the last year as DSAT sought

to make savings.Combined with a redundancy consultation that took place

shortly before the 2025 Summer break, this led to the loss of approximately 10%

of the school’s workforce, mostly from frontline workers. These cuts have

greatly increased the workload of the remaining staff, stretching them to the

point that their health and safety is at risk. The union, which represents around 100 members at the school, completed a formal industrial action ballot on October 20. 86% of members voted in favour of strike action, on a turnout of 60%.

Just three working days after the result of this ballot, UNISON’s lead steward at the school, Tom Barker, was suspended from his duties. Tom was given no prior warning of a complaint and was escorted from the

premises. This is a disgraceful act of trade union victimisation and

potentially places DSAT outside the relevant employment laws. Tom’s suspension

is a direct attempt to silence union members and victimise their rep who also

now sits on the UNISON’s National Executive Council (NEC)  SIGN HERE

NHS staff need pay talks now, says UNISON (2 Dec) – Direct talks are the way to fix pay and avoid falling foul of minimum wage laws. The government must hold urgent talks with health unions to fix the NHS pay structure once and for all to avoid staff falling below the legal minimum wage each year, says UNISON today (Tuesday). Without action, tens of thousands of employees on the lowest wage bands will once again drop beneath the statutory minimum level when it rises by 50p an hour to £12.71 from April 2026. That’s also the date all NHS staff are due their annual pay rise. But UNISON says delays and a failure to tackle low earnings properly mean the government risks having to resort to a temporary top-up to avoid falling foul of the law read more

Council and school staff need a fair pay rise, say unions (1 Dec) – Failure to deliver a meaningful pay rise will make recruitment and retention problems worse. Unions representing 1.4 million council and school staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are calling for a wage rise of at least £3,000 to recognise soaring workloads and increasing household costs, they say today (Monday). UNISON, GMB and Unite have submitted their joint annual local government pay claim for 2026-27, demanding a substantial award from April after years of effective pay cuts, which have left staff struggling to keep up with rising household bills. The unions are warning pay for council and school staff continues to lag behind many other public services read more

Three branches, one message: UNISON rejects below-inflation pay offer (21 Nov) – The offer was made five months after unions submitted a pay claim and three months after the pay rise was due. UNISON members holding signs on their picket line reading ‘no pay, no way’ and ‘fair pay now’. UNISON members across three transport employers have balloted for strike action, following a pay offer of just 3.2%. These workers include engineers, admin staff, project managers, transport planners, IT & environmental specialists, to name a few. They are essential operational support staff who keep bus, tram, rail and wider transport services running safely and efficiently. Their work ensures that thousands of passengers can rely on accessible, coordinated, and secure public transport every day – making them some of the most vital workers in the transport system. The 3.2% offer was made five months after unions submitted a pay claim and three months after the pay rise was due. It was rejected by a large majority. UNISON says that these frontline workers – already on low wages – continue to face rising living costs without a pay increase that reflects the value of their work or the financial pressures they experience…The Transport for Greater Manchester branch has taken full strike action on 30 Oct, 5 Nov, 7 Nov, 12 Nov and 14 November and is currently undertaking action short of strike from 15–24 November. It also has action planned for 25-28 November inclusive. The West Midlands Combined Authority branch took strike action on 14 November and began action short of strike on 15 November. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority strike dates are to be announced soon. All branches are currently planning additional industrial action dates, including further days of full strike action. If anyone would like to send a message of support to those on strike, please use the branch email addresses:-

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority & Transport branch: [email protected]
• West Midlands Combined Authority: [email protected]
• Transport for Greater Manchester: [email protected]   read more

Support Camden Unison school support staff members at Richard Cobden school for fair pay and safe staffing levels Camden New Journal: School strike over cuts to support staff

NIPSA

Public Sector Pension: Age Discrimination Claims. Final Deadline, Friday 30 January – NIPSA commenced age discrimination claims in June 2022 on behalf of approximately 45,000 members arising from unlawful changes to public sector pension arrangements introduced in 2015. A recent Employment Tribunal judgment has confirmed that NIPSA acted properly in submitting these claims on a protective basis. However, the Tribunal has also ruled that members who do not provide consent for their claims to proceed will have their claims struck out. NIPSA is continuing to contact affected members by post and email to seek outstanding consents read more

Education Support Staff Trade Unions EA Changes to Car Users Allowances (20 Jan) – On 17 December 2025, the Education Authority issued a notice to staff informing them of significant changes to the Essential Car Users Allowance Scheme and mileage rates. These changes will have a detrimental financial impact on thousands of staff. The EA have ceased the payment of the Essential Car Users from January for some staff. Other staff will receive a reduction in the mileage rate they can claim from 1 April read more

Education Workers Take Action Against Education Cuts And School Meals Price Increase (1 Dec) – The joint trade unions (UNISON, NIPSA, Unite, GMB), representing support staff in education are urging the public to join a protest against proposed education cuts and the Education Authority’s proposal to increase the price of school meals on Wednesday, 3rd December at 12:30 PM on the steps of Stormont. Due to insufficient budgets and chronic underfunding, proposals have been made to cut services and increase fees across the education sector. One such proposal includes raising the cost of school meals by 50p. These measures unfairly place the burden of underfunding on children, education staff, parents, and families—while failing to address the root cause: a fundamental budget shortfall read more

   

Royal College of Nursing     

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

‘Enough is enough’: Royal College of Midwives calls on Government to take urgent action with safe staffing campaign (22 Jan) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling on the Government to take urgent action to address chronic staffing shortages in maternity services that are putting women, babies and staff at risk. The Safe Staffing = Safe Care campaign sets out five clear asks for policymakers, including dedicated long-term funding, protected learning time for midwives and maternity support workers, stronger professional leadership in maternity services, investment in prevention and cultural competence, and urgent improvements to crumbling maternity estates read more

CSP

CSP shines national spotlight on worsening physiotherapy staffing crisis (26 Jan) – Through an article in Health Service Journal, the CSP has shone a national spotlight on the rapidly deepening physiotherapy workforce crisis read more

Scotland NHS pay award adjusted after inflation rises (23 Jan) – CSP members working in the NHS in Scotland will receive a bump in pay after the triggering of an inflation clause read more

SOR

Members in Northern Ireland asked to contribute to 2025/26 pay award consultation (15 Dec) – With assurance from the Northern Ireland Minister of Health regarding pay parity in AfC banding, the updated award will now be prepared. A consultation for members of the SoR in Northern Ireland has opened, inviting radiographers in the region to participate in the 2025/26 pay award consultation. Opened on Wednesday 10 December, the consultation will run until midnight on Sunday 4 January, giving members a chance to confirm whether or not they accept the pay award, as recommended by the Pay Review Body, of 3.6 per cent for 2025/26. If not accepted, members will be asked if they are willing to undertake industrial action read more

BMA

Resident doctors in Scotland suspend strikes (9 Jan) – Further negotiations produce offer from Scottish government the BMA recommends doctors accept. Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end-of-year pay uplift for this year and 9.4 per cent for 2026-27 read more

Resident doctors reject offer (15 Dec) – Government revised proposal to avert strike knocked back via indicative vote. Strike action for resident doctors in England will go ahead this week after doctors resoundingly rejected a recently revised offer put forward by the Government. Resident doctors across England will stage another full five-day walk out from this Wednesday following a vote on whether to delay action in light of the new terms put forward by the Department of Health. The indicative poll, which closed today and saw a turnout of 65 per cent, saw 83 per cent of doctors vote to continue industrial action. The vote was called following the Government’s announcement last week of a new offer on measures aimed at addressing the unemployment crisis among resident doctors. Measures included increasing the number of new specialty training posts from 1,000 to 4,000 over the next three years, as well as a pledge to bring forward emergency legislation in the New Year to prioritise UK medical graduates for these posts. BMA resident doctors committee chair Jack Fletcher said the results of the indicative poll clearly demonstrated the Government’s proposals had simply not gone far enough to address doctors’ concerns with the job crisis read more

NEU  

Teachers and support staff at Bristol Brunel Academy have the full support of the Union (24 Jan) – The NEU Executive has made clear that the teachers and support staff at Bristol Brunel Academy have the full support of the Union. The reason why the invitation for Damien Egan MP to visit Bristol Brunel Academy was postponed by the school last September was not, as the press widely misreported, because he was Jewish. That would be abhorrent and entirely wrong. In September 2025, when the visit was proposed to take place, the Israeli assault upon Gaza was at its height. At the time 76 per cent of school buildings in Gaza had been directly hit, and many more damaged. At least 20,000 children had been killed and this figure continued to rise. Damien Egan MP is Vice Chair of Labour Friends of Israel and voted against a ceasefire in Parliament. Teachers and support staff when raising legitimate concerns about outside speakers coming into their schools should be able to do so without fear of reprisals. The school chose to postpone the visit because of a planned protest by members of the community outside. The NEU will defend our members against any politically motivated attacks read more

IFS annual report on education spending reinforces that schools are ‘running on empty’ (21 Jan) – Commenting on the Institute for Fiscal Studies Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “This report confirms that increases in SEND funding, though insufficient, have been paid for by starving mainstream funding. NEU analysis shows that mainstream school funding per pupil has fallen from £7,541 in 2015-16 to £6,904 in 2024-25 when accounting for school costs. This just isn’t good enough…” read more

• Support the strikes:-

Action	Date	Contact
Access Creative College / Tower Hamlets  (Conditions of service)	27-29 Jan	Natasha Chaudhury  [email protected]
Arthur Terry Learning Partnership Schools (ATLP) /Birmingham  (Conditions of servce)	26-29 Jan	Chris Denson  [email protected]
Belmont Park / Waltham Forest  (Conditions of service)	26-27, 29-30 Jan	Pablo Phillips  [email protected]
Bideford College /Devon  (Conditions of service)	27-28 Jan	Camilla Simpson  [email protected]
Colebourne Primary School / Birmingham  (Pay policy)	26, 29 Jan	Shirley Perry  [email protected]
Hillyfield Primary Academy / Waltham Forest  (Unacceptable pay and appraisal scheme)	26-28 Jan	Pablo Phillips  [email protected]
Samworth Church Academy / Nottinghamshire  (Conditions of service)	28 Jan	Rob Illingworth/Sarah Brown  [email protected]  Sarah Brown  [email protected]
Sensory Support Service/Ealing  (Unacceptable management style)	26-30 Jan	Stefan Simms  [email protected]
Tewkesbury Academy / Gloucs  (Conditions of service)	27-28 Jan	Michaela Wilde  [email protected]
Whitefield School / Waltham Forest  (Conditions of service)	26-27 Jan, 29-30 Jan	Pablo Phillips  [email protected]
Wombourne High School / Wolverhampton  (Conditions of service)	27-29 Jan	Rebecca Cann  [email protected]

NASUWT   

Culture of violence and intimidation prompts teacher strikes at two primary schools (5 Jan) – Teachers at Lily Lane Primary School in Manchester and Ravensfield Primary School in Tameside – part of Changing Lives in Collaboration (CLiC) Trust – will begin strike action on Tuesday 6th January. Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at both schools report that pupil-on-teacher and pupil-on pupil-assaults have grown to untenable levels, and that leaders are refusing to acknowledge or resolve urgent issues around health and safety, safeguarding, or staff safety and wellbeing. In some cases, the schools’ culture of violence is causing pupils to be fearful of attending school read more

Further strike action at Kettering school over inadequate management (15 Dec) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Meadowside Primary School in Kettering will be taking further strike action on 15th and 16th December over adverse management practices which are affecting teachers’ health and working conditions. NASUWT teachers at Meadowside took a day of strike action on 4th November, but agreed to withdraw a further five days of planned strike action as a gesture of goodwill after the employer offered further talks. However, since then the school management has failed to put in place any effective measures to address the issues of excessive workload, a lack of transparency and effective communication and lack of career progression. As a result, further strike action has become necessary read more

Hexham teachers strike over failure to address behaviour management (8 Dec) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Haydon Bridge High School in Hexham will be taking the first of five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over the failure of school management to put in place an effective pupil behaviour management system. NASUWT withdrew the first two days of planned strike action on the 19th and 25th November as a gesture of goodwill after management agreed to act to address members’ concerns about a lack of action to deal with poor pupil behaviour. However, no effective actions have subsequently been put in place by school management, leaving NASUWT with no choice than to reinstate strike action read more

Ballot opens over Scottish class contact time dispute (19 Nov) – The Scottish Government is facing avoidable industrial action disruption in the new year unless it agrees to act with urgency to address teachers’ workloads, NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has warned. The Union is opening its ballot of members in Scotland today (Wednesday) over class contact time. NASUWT teachers are being balloted for both strike action and action short of strike action over the Scottish Government’s failure to make significant progress on its manifesto commitment to reduce teachers’ maximum class contact time from 22.5 to 21 hours per week. The ballot will close on Wednesday 14th January read more

    

EIS   

EIS Members at Craigclowan School Continue with Programme of Strike Action to Protect Their Pensions (21 Jan) – EIS members at Craigclowan School near Perth will continue with their fifth day of strike action as a dispute over cuts to the staff pension scheme continues. Members are striking in order to protect their pension from being moved out of the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) and into an inferior scheme as part of a cost cutting measure read more

EIS Serves Statutory Industrial Action Ballot Notices – New Workload Ballot to Open in February (20 Jan) – The EIS has served new statutory industrial action ballot notices to each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities in a dispute over teacher workload. In the notices, the EIS formally notifies all local authorities that it will open the statutory ballot on the 2nd of February and close it on the 4th of March. EIS members will be asked to vote for both Strike Action and Action Short of Strike (ASOS) in an attempt to compel local authorities and the Scottish Government to deliver long-promised actions to reduce excessive teacher workload read more

Lecturers at Edinburgh Napier vote for strike action over job cuts (12 Jan) – Lecturers at Edinburgh Napier University have overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over planned job cuts at the university. The ballot was arranged by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS). 93% of those voting in the ballot backed the move to strike action in opposition to the planned job cuts, with 7% voting against. The result also exceeds current legal threshold for strike action, and provides the EIS University Lecturers’ Association (EIS-ULA) with a clear mandate to commence strike action at Edinburgh Napier…The EIS-ULA Executive will now consider the next steps to be taken in the dispute, and will issue further information in due course. The move towards strikes at Edinburgh Napier follows on from a continuing dispute over planned redundancies at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, where EIS members have already been engaging in a programme of strike action. These disputes highlight continuing concern over the funding of the Higher Education sector in Scotland, and the growing threat to jobs and courses in Scotland’s universities read more

EIS opens formal ballot for industrial action at Lenzie Academy over serious Health & Safety concerns (15 Dec) – Following an overwhelming indicative ballot result at Lenzie Academy—where 95% of EIS members voted in favour of industrial action—the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has now opened a statutory ballot for industrial action. The formal ballot opened last week and will close on Friday, 30 January. If the employer, East Dunbartonshire Council, fails to address the serious health and safety concerns raised by staff, EIS members have indicated a willingness to take strike action, with strike dates to be confirmed following the formal ballot process. EIS members have repeatedly raised urgent concerns about the safety of the school environment read more

INTO

Outcome of Member Survey on 2025-2026 Teachers’ Pay Offer (13 Jan) – INTO surveyed members in relation to the pay offer from the Management Side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC), dated 6 January 2026, between 9:00am on Thursday, 8 January 2026, and 5:00pm on Monday, 12 January 2026. The outcome of the survey indicated that 81% of those members who responded were in favour of accepting the offer. Following verification of the survey outcome, the Northern Committee and the Central Executive Committee of the INTO have considered the offer and the survey responses. They have agreed to accept the offer of a 4% consolidated pay award, applicable to all teacher salary scale points and to teaching and special needs allowances, with effect from 1 September 2025. This decision is made on behalf of the membership, as set out in Rule 121, Part E, within the INTO Rules and Constitution (2024). The Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC) has formally notified the Management Side of acceptance, bringing the 2025/26 pay round to a close read more

UCU     

UCU Stop the Cuts campaign  

Sign petition against the education cuts  

Defend London Met – in 2026! London Met management has announced 120 academic redundancies, one fifth of the permanent academic workforce. This is a major attack on jobs, students, and working-class education, and it demands a collective response across UCU. London Met was founded to educate those excluded elsewhere: working-class students, mature learners, migrants, carers, disabled students, and first-generation students. Cutting 120 academic posts is not “restructuring” — it is the systematic dismantling of a public, inclusive university. These proposals will mean larger classes, reduced student support, loss of access routes, and the erosion of disciplines that serve London’s communities. If this can happen here, it can happen anywhere. We are asking for solidarity from across UCU.

• Stand with London Met UCU – join the protests (see details below in leaflet)
• Defend jobs. Defend students.
• Defend working-class education read more

Union condemns treatment of education leaders on Palestine visit (26 Jan) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today condemned the blocking by Israel of a delegation of education leaders trying to visit Palestine as part of International Day of Education. The delegation, which included UCU general secretary Jo Grady, NEU president Ed Harlow, the general secretary of Education International, and leaders of education unions from across the world, was travelling at the invitation of the General Union of Palestinian Teachers read more

Northumbria University staff vote for strike action in pay and pensions row (23 Jan) – Staff at Northumbria University have voted to take industrial action over plans to pressure them to leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), the UCU announced today. The decision follows a ballot in which 80% of participating staff backed strike action, on a turnout of 60%. University management wants to save money by moving staff onto the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which could leave them significantly worse off. Those who refuse the transfer will have their pay frozen, effectively punishing employees who wish to remain in TPS and locking them into years of real terms pay cuts. Northumbria wants to save £11 million through these cuts which UCU says amount to an attack on long-term retirement security. The dispute comes amid growing national concern about universities such as Northumbria and Solent seeking to cut pension costs at the expense of their staff. A petition calling on the university to rethink its plans has reached over 1000 signatures, and MPs have raised concerns and tabled a motion in Parliament. Public figures including the North East Mayor and local councillors wrote to the university recently offering support to staff and calling on the university to rethink its plans read more

Union condemns continued docking of staff pay following strike action at University of Sheffield (22 Jan) – UCU today condemned the lockout and withholding of staff pay at the University of Sheffield following lawful industrial action. Staff at the university took 16 days of strike action in November and December in a fight against job cuts in professional service staff and further plans to cut jobs in academic areas. The university has this week informed staff that if they do not reschedule any teaching lost during the strike (for which staff were not paid) wages would be withheld between 19 January and 6 February and any work undertaken regarded as voluntary. Over 900 students have this week signed an open letter to Sheffield’s vice-chancellor, Koen Lamberts, saying they have lost confidence in him and calling on him to resign read more

UCU statement on hunger strikers and prolonged remand (20 Jan) – UCU is deeply concerned by the length of time people connected to alleged actions involving Palestine Action are being held on remand. In a democratic society, prolonged detention without trial should be exceptional. Holding people for many months and in some cases close to two years without conviction raises serious concerns about fairness and access to justice. Where there is no conviction and no immediate risk, bail should be the default. UCU is also concerned by reports of inadequate medical care and aftercare for those who have undertaken prolonged hunger strikes. Proper medical monitoring and specialist support are essential during recovery and must not be compromised. These issues raise important questions about whether the justice system, and the duty of care owed to people in custody, are being upheld read more

University of Essex staff vote for strike action in fight against job cuts (20 Jan) – Staff at the University of Essex have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over plans axe 400 jobs, UCU announced today. The decision follows a ballot in which 85% of participating staff backed strike action, on a turnout of 66%. The dispute centres on the university’s plan axe 200 academic and 200 professional services staff, meaning more than one in 10 of the workforce would lose their job. University management informed staff of the plan just before Christmas, wants to issue redundancy notices by May and has since announced plans to close the Southend campus over the summer read more

Staff at 17 English college employers on strike from today for better pay and working conditions (14 Jan) – staff at 17 colleges across England will begin three days of strike action from today after bosses refused to make fair offers over pay and working conditions, the University and College Union (UCU) confirmed today read more

Strike ballot looms at Durham University over workloads and job insecurity (8 Jan) – Staff at Durham University are moving towards a strike ballot after senior management refused to engage constructively with the union over untenable workloads and worsening job insecurity, UCU announced today. The ballot, seeking a mandate for strike action and industrial action short of a strike (ASOS), is due to open on 15 January and run until 6 February read more

New Year strike ballots at four Scottish universities (5 Jan) – Strike ballots over job losses and the possible use of compulsory redundancies begin today (Monday) at four Scottish universities. The strike ballots will take place at Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde universities where members of the University and College Union (UCU) Scotland are being asked if they are willing to take strike action.  As well as strike action, members are also being asked if they are willing to take action short of strike which can include actions such as working to contract; refusing to cover for absent colleagues or undertaking voluntary activities; and marking and assessment boycotts. The ballots at the four universities leave open the possibility of strikes and disruption on university campuses as universities enter their busy Spring terms when much of the teaching, examination and marking of students’ work takes place.  If members vote for strike action, they will join UCU members at the University of Dundee where members have been taking strike action last year in a long running dispute over cuts and job losses.  A dispute at the University of the Highlands and Islands was resolved before Christmas and significant progress was made at Edinburgh in a dispute there over job cuts. In the event of ‘yes’ votes in the four separate ballots, it will then be up to members to decide what action to take and how to pursue the dispute against their employer.  The disputes share a common cause of principals seeking to make cuts and refusing to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies read more

University of Sheffield International College staff to strike over pay and conditions (23 Dec) – Staff at the University of Sheffield International College (USIC) have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today. In the ballot, 90% of those that took part voted for strike action, with 100% backing action short of a strike (ASOS). The turnout was 61% read more

Huge strike vote at Southampton Solent over brutal fire & rehire pension attack (15 Dec) – UCU members at Southampton Solent University have voted to strike after management forced hundreds of staff out of their preferred pension scheme and onto new contracts all while threatening to sack those who refused to be moved, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today. An overwhelming 93% of staff who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 72%, paving the way for disruption in the new year if management refuses to change course. Last Thursday (11 December), Solent moved 286 staff off of the university’s books and into a subsidiary company, Solent University Services Ltd (SUSL), forcing them out of the industry standard Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and onto a scheme that allows Solent to get away with paying less into staff pensions, leaving them poorer. The preceding day (Wednesday 10 December), university management told the 286 staff to email HR by “close of business” if they “object to the transfer” and their employment would then cease immediately read more

4 days of strikes begin tomorrow at Imperial College London over real terms pay cuts (24 Nov) – Imperial College London staff will down tools tomorrow in a fight for a fair pay award, the University and College Union (UCU) confirmed today. Management misled staff over benchmarking used to justify pay levels whilst pushing ahead with £2bn of capital spending. Management offered more   leave on full pay to fathers’ than to mothers, then took back the additional leave out of shared parental leave. Further strike action called for 1 – 12 December if management refuses to return to negotiations. The full strike days this week are from Tuesday 25 – Friday 28 November and pickets will take place on each day of the action at the South Kensington and White City campuses from 8.30am until 10.30am. If management continues to refuse to make a fair offer, the union has also called strike action on the following dates: Monday 1 – Friday 5 December; Monday 8 – Friday 12 December. UCU members have already taken six days of strike action this term over management’s refusal to increase its below-inflation 2% pay award, an offer that was rejected overwhelmingly by members of all three recognised unions (UCU, Unison and Unite) read more

Edinburgh University three-day strike over cuts, ongoing job losses and threat of compulsory redundancies (17 Nov) – University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at the University of Edinburgh today (Monday) begin three days of strike action in a dispute over £140million cuts and job losses, including the possible use of compulsory redundancies. As well as striking today, UCU members will also be on strike on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 November.  Future action could also see a marking and assessment boycott which would see members refuse to take part in marking and assessment duties, including work such as exam invigilation and the processing of marks, and would be an escalation of this dispute read more

University of Derby staff vote for strike action over threat of compulsory redundancies and course closures (13 Nov) – Staff at the University of Derby have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in a dispute over potential compulsory redundancies and course closures, UCU announced today. In the ballot, 82% of those that took part voted for strike action, with 93% backing action short of a strike (ASOS), on a 66% turnout. The dispute centres on the university’s refusal to rule out compulsory job losses and course closures for the 2025/26 academic year. This comes after two previous rounds of redundancies, which have already targeted research and managerial positions. Despite repeated attempts by the UCU branch to engage in constructive negotiations, senior management has refused to provide assurances that there will be no further job cuts. The union said the threat of redundancies is unjustified, particularly given the university’s significant recent spending, including £75 million on the Cavendish Building project. The union also said the dispute could be resolved immediately if the vice-chancellor and senior leadership commit to no compulsory redundancies and no course closures read more

Strike dates set at Dundee University in long running dispute as employer announces further job cuts (3 Nov) – UCU members at the Dundee University will take five days of strike action next week beginning on Monday 10 November. As well as Monday, staff will also be striking during the rest of the week on Tuesday 11, Wednesday 12, Thursday 13 and Friday 14 November 2025. UCU members will also take part in action short of strike which will involve staff taking actions including working to contract, not covering for colleagues or undertaking voluntary activities at the university. The strike follows a re-ballot where 72% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout 58% read more

UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.     

     

FBU   

Hundreds sign petition against cuts to Buckinghamshire fire and rescue service (23 Jan) – A petition protesting plans to cut the fire and rescue service in Buckinghamshire has gained over 500 signatures. Launched by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the petition calls for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority to stop plans to remove 7 fire engines and close 2 fire stations in the county. The FBU says that these proposals will lead to slower response times with fewer crews available and longer distances to travel to emergencies, reduced fire cover, and increased danger for residents and firefighters. The petition also calls for the fire authority to scrap plans to expand the chief fire officer’s operational independence, stating that this will reduce democratic oversight, transparency, and accountability at the top of the fire and rescue service read more

Fire service names eight fire stations under threat of closure in Dorset and Wiltshire (23 Jan) – Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has this morning informed firefighters of proposals to close eight fire stations across the county, in a series of cuts that the Fire Brigades Union has warned will put lives at risk read more

Union leader calls for “real change, not half-measures” in wake of water white paper (20 Jan) – The Westminster government has today released its white paper, A new vision for water. It follows the Cunliffe Review, which was prevented at looking at ownership models 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     

Retired prison officers hit by failing pension scheme administration (26 Jan) – Retiring Prison Officers are being left in a state of financial and emotional distress because of the failure of private pension administrators, Capita, to make pension payments on time. The outsourcing company took over the running of the Civil Service Pension Scheme in late 2025 and the system has been dogged with problems since. It is understood the company inherited a backlog of over 90,000 cases from the previous pensions administrators MyCSP/Equiniti. The Prison Officers’ Association has heard from members who have had to wait for months on their lump sum and initial pension payments, many of these former officers have no other income and are being forced to take out emergency loans or borrow from family and friends read more

PENSIONS – UPDATE: POA calls for urgent action on civil service pensions (20 Jan) – As part of a NTUC joint trade unions, the POA has written to the Cabinet Office calling for urgent and effective action to address continuing failures in the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. Following the transition of pension administration to Capita, which inherited a backlog of approximately 90,000 cases from the previous contractor MyCSP/Equiniti, many members are experiencing unacceptable payment delays. These include delays to the payment of lump sums and the commencement of pension payments for newly retired and partially retired staff. As part of the NTUC group the POA has made clear to the Cabinet Office that these failures are causing serious financial hardship and distress to members and are undermining confidence in the pension scheme. The union has set out urgent actions it expects to see implemented without delay read more

NEC minutes January 2026 read more

General Secretary update read more

National Chair update Dec 2025 read here  

NAPO

Probation Pay Offer for 2025-2026 finally received – Napo recommend rejection (26 Jan) – Over a year has passed since the Probation trade unions submitted a joint pay claim for 2025-2026, and despite meetings with Government Ministers who failed to deliver on their promise to produce a pay offer by Christmas and after several subsequent complaints, pay negotiations between senior Probation management and the unions resumed last week after a totally inexcusable delay. Following the conclusion of these, a formal pay offer was received which was immediately considered by your Probation Negotiating Committee (PNC). Napo is a member led union and the role of the PNC as a nationally elected body is to arrive at a recommendation based on the merits of the employers offer. Having done so, the PNC unanimously voted to advise our members to reject this pay offer read more

Update on 2025 Probation Pay Offer (Joint Statement Probation Service and recognised Trade Unions) (21 Jan) – This week has seen a resumption of Pay negotiations for the financial year 2025-2026 , and the following joint statement is being issued to all Probation Staff (England and Wales) this afternoon. More information will be made available to members next week after the Napo Probation Negotiating Committee have met to consider the offer. If you missed it, here is the bulletin that Napo issued on December 19th 2025 which sets out the process that we will be following read more

BFAWU     

Why Climate Action Is a Trade Union Issue (22 Jan) – Sarah Woolley BFAWU General Secretary: A new year always brings a sense of renewal and purpose and as we enter the third month of the Year of Climate Action, that sense of purpose has never been more needed. The climate crisis isn’t just an environmental issue it’s a class issue, and that means it’s a trade union issue. From the rising cost of food and energy to unsafe working temperatures and extreme weather hitting our communities, working-class people are on the frontline of the crisis. But we’re also the ones with the power to change things when we act together read more

BFAWU Welcomes Government Mediation Offer in McDonald’s Case (7 Jan) – The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU) welcomes the UK Government’s offer of mediation in a major sexual harassment complaint involving McDonald’s UK. The offer, made by the Department for Business and Trade under the OECD Guidelines, follows a complaint submitted by trade unions and the Corporate Justice Coalition highlighting serious and ongoing failures to protect workers from gender-based violence and harassment. BFAWU President Ian Hodson said: “We welcome this step and have accepted mediation in good faith. McDonald’s must now engage meaningfully with workers and their unions to deliver real change.” More than 700 current and former McDonald’s workers are reported to be taking legal action. If mediation is refused, the Government may proceed to a full examination and issue formal findings read more

Winter Foodworker 2025 read more

Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more     

Nautilus International

Pay victory at Lloyd’s Register (22 Jan) – Members at Lloyd’s Register’s Dutch operations have secured a significant pay improvement following industrial action, ending a protracted dispute at the classification society. They voted overwhelmingly to end the action after the company unilaterally offered an uplift of between 3.9% and 4.2% – almost double its usual increase and close to the 4.5% sought by Nautilus. Industrial relations at the company deteriorated sharply during 2025 after Lloyd’s Register imposed a series of below-inflation pay offers, despite recording near-record profits and awarding substantial bonuses to senior management. Nautilus International, which now represents the majority of employees at the Dutch operation, repeatedly sought meaningful negotiations on behalf of members, but these efforts were rebuffed read more

NUJ   

Palestine: Journalists continue to be killed despite ceasefire agreement (23 Jan) – At least 234 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023, the latest figures by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) show. This comes after three freelance journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza yesterday (21 January) read more

Philippines: Frenchie Mae Cumpio convicted for “financing terrorism” (23 Jan) – The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in condemning the conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio on baseless charges of “financing terrorism”. Cumpio, 26, has been sentenced to 12-18 years in prison, having already spent almost six years in pre-trial detention read more

NUJ would welcome investigation into Telegraph takeover (21 Jan) – The proposed takeover of the Telegraph Media Group by the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) may need to be referred for regulatory scrutiny, UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has suggested. DMGT announced it had agreed a £500m deal with RedBird IMI on 22 November, shortly after the US private equity firm abandoned its own takeover bid read more

NUJ members win union recognition and 7.3% pay rise at Wyvex Media (20 Jan) – NUJ members at Wyvex Media have secured formal trade union recognition, alongside a new house agreement that delivers transparent pay scales and a 7.3% pay rise for journalists. The agreement marks a significant step forward for journalists at the Scotland-based media company, which publishes a number of well-known titles including The Oban Times and Scottish Field read more

NUJ reacts to Ofcom’s ‘astonishing’ embrace of damaging STV cuts (15 Jan) – The NUJ has blasted Ofcom after the regulator described proposals that include axing STV North News at 6 as the “best thing for audiences across Scotland.” Read more

Kerrang! journalists’ strike shows true metal (13 Jan) – In December freelance writers at music magazine Kerrang! showed the power of coordinated, collective action. After 16 freelance contributors withdrew their labour, the magazine’s management agreed to meet all their terms. These included the settlement of all outstanding invoices, some of which stretched back to the summer; the reversion of the 30-day payment timetable; and assurances on contributors being paid in full and on time in future read more

STV strike round-up (7 Jan) – STV staff across Scotland went on strike on Wednesday (7 January), braving the cold weather and heavy snow to oppose damaging cuts planned by the company’s management. Around 50 staff members formed a picket line outside the Glasgow office, carrying “stop the cuts” and “save local news” placards. They were joined in solidarity by Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, and Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader read more

Equity

Equity win! Bristol City Council will not cut Cultural Investment Programme for next three years (22 Jan) – Council halts plans to cut arts funding following campaign from Equity activists and local arts and community groups read more

Equity welcomes improved offer in AI protection negotiations in film and TV (21 Jan) – AI protections for performers could be closer to becoming reality as Equity received an improved offer from PACT yesterday, in the face of threats of industrial action. The deadline of Monday 19 January was met late in the day by negotiators for PACT (the Producers Alliance for Cinema and TelevisionV, the trade body representing producers covering the UK), who sent over new wording with improvements in relation to AI protections which had been in dispute. Following a meeting yesterday (Tuesday 20 January), both sides have agreed to enter a further period of negotiation in good faith read more

Equity makes bid for Manchester Pride assets to protect workers from “further exploitation” (20 Jan) – “The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.” Read more

Musicians Union

MU Responds to New Report on Women’s Experiences of Sexual Violence and Harassment in Scottish Folk Music (22 Jan) – A new report has been published by researchers at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow, representing the largest evidence base on harassment within Scottish Folk Music read more

US Suspends Immigrant Visa Applications for 75 Countries (20 Jan) – The Trump administration has suspended immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, affecting artists planning to work in the US read more

Sign the Petition to Stop Education Cuts in Dumfries and Galloway (14 Jan) – Ahead of a final decision in February, our sister union, the EIS, has published a petition against education cuts in Dumfries and Galloway, including the proposed removal of the instrumental music service read more

MU Backs Petition to Stop Closure of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Music Department (12 Dec) – The MU is supporting members who have raised concerns and is currently involved in consultation with the RSC read more

USDAW

Tetrosyl strike – 30 January: Company’s failure to engage forces Usdaw to call another day of action in a ‘fire and rehire’ dispute (8 Jan) – Usdaw, the trade union for staff working at car care products manufacturer Tetrosyl and Tetrosyl Express, has given the company notice of a sixth day of industrial action from 6am on Friday 30 January, in a dispute over the company’s use of ‘fire and rehire’ to reduce terms and conditions for staff at their Rochdale site read more

UVW   

Christmas strikes to hit West End Quay after luxury flats bosses enforce “Scrooge-style” pay freeze (10 Dec) – “None of us wants to spend Christmas on strike, but management has left us no choice. They froze our pay; they denied all the staff a pay rise for this year and walked back agreements we had reached, and even brought in agency staff during our strikes at a cost far higher than what we earn. We’ve even faced surveillance, yet all we’re asking for is the pay rise we had previously agreed to — one they had previously confirmed was affordable” – Francesco Lombardo, concierge and UVW member. UVW cleaner and concierge members at the luxury flat complex in Paddington, central London, where properties sell for millions- say they have been left with no choice but to take further action this Christmas, yet again. The new 12-day walkout, from 29th December till 2nd January, will mark the third strike in 2025 (and fifth overall at WEQ) in an escalating industrial dispute that has defined the entire year at WEQ. Bosses reneged on an ACAS-brokered agreement and imposed a year-long pay freeze on low-paid, non-managerial staff only. For the workers, who are overwhelmingly migrant and Black and brown, the bosses seem to be behaving like “the ultimate Scrooges”, squeezing the lowest-paid while some are believed to pocket eye-watering six-figure salaries 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

IWGB Issues Legal Claims Against Rockstar Over Unfair Dismissal of Staff (12 Nov) – The IWGB has issued claims against Rockstar Games for unfairly dismissing staff for union activity and blacklisting its members. This legal claim comes shortly after the announcement of the delay of Grand Theft Auto VI, which is expected to break records in sales upon its scheduled release in November 2026. The union believes that these dismissals amount to victimisation and collective dismissal linked to trade union activity. So far Rockstar has declined to meet with the IWGB, leading the union and barristers to issue formal legal claims on behalf of the Claimants read more

UCL Cleaners – Stop the Cuts! – In August 2025, UCL and Sodexo announced plans to make dramatic cuts to cleaning services at UCL and across students’ halls of residence. UCL say that these redundancies are part of a modernisation and cost-cutting agenda. At the same time, the university is in a very strong financial position, with student numbers up from 38,000 in 2015/16 to 52,000 last year. These changes come after cleaners have reported long standing issues with overwork, unsafe conditions and precarious contracts read more. More info on IWGB Facebook page

Mandate (Ireland)   

Mandate Says Dunnes Stores’ 3% Pay Increase Is “Simply Not Good Enough” (16 Dec) – Mandate Trade Union has criticised Dunnes Stores’ announcement of a 3% pay increase, stating that it fails to keep pace with inflation, falls below trade union pay guidance, and does not address the wider issues facing Dunnes workers. The union was also highly critical of Dunnes Stores’ refusal to pay workers for maternity and paternity leave. Workers across Ireland continue to experience significant cost-of-living pressures, with rising prices for essentials such as food, energy, housing and childcare placing ongoing strain on household budgets. Against this backdrop, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has recommended private sector pay increases in the range of 4% to 7% to prevent workers from experiencing a real-terms cut in pay. Mandate says Dunnes Stores’ decision to limit the increase to 3% leaves many workers worse off in real termsread more

Sign NOW! #RespectAtWork

SIPTU (Ireland)   

HSE Home Support HCAs announce regional strike action dates (22 Jan) – SIPTU members working as Health Care Assistants (HCAs) in the HSE Home Support Service across counties Donegal, Clare, Limerick, Cork and Kerry will engage in strike action during February, on a regional basis, in a dispute arising from their employer’s failure to honour national agreements on terms and conditions. HCAs in the HSE Home Support Service will implement 24-hour work stoppages in County Donegal on 13th and 20th February; in counties Cork and Kerry on 19th and 26th February; and in counties Limerick and Clare on 17th and 24th February read more

SIPTU to meet Newbridge Silverware management following redundancy threat (21 Jan) – SIPTU representatives will meet with management at Newbridge Silverware today to discuss its threat to make up to 11 workers redundant at its manufacturing plant in Newbridge, County Kildare read more

SIPTU Caredoc members defer industrial action to consider pay proposals (24 Dec) read more

Carroll’s Cuisine strike action suspended as management agree to talks (27 Nov) – Strike action at Carroll’s Cuisine in Tullamore, County Offaly, has been suspended following management’s agreement to enter negotiations with union representatives this week. These talks aim to secure a collective agreement that will deliver improvements in pay and conditions for workers at the meat-processing plant read more

Sign this petition: Take Action for Workers’ Rights!

  

Other news     

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – adapted by Neil Gore from the book by Robert Tressell, directed by Louise Townsend – Sands Film Studios, 82 Saint Marychurch St, London SE16 4HZ details

• Running time/interval – Act 1 40 min Act 2 30 min 20 min interval
• Age suitability – 11 plus
• Wednesday 25th February in person at 19.30 and also Broadcast online
• Thursday 26th February in person at 19.30 and also Broadcast online

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, this 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

www.worbella.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    

STAMMA website    

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 demonstration is on Saturday 31^st January, assembling at 12noon.

A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, USDAW, BFAWU, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, MU, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)     

Oppose Trump’s attack on Venezuela

We oppose Trump’s brutal imperialist assault on Venezuela. We send solidarity greetings to the Venezuelan people, and support the protests taking place.

• Read statements from the following unions – RMT, Unite, PCS, BFAWU, UNISON, GMB, NUJ, Nautilus International
• For info about protests, go to the website of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign

Workers unity against the far-right – 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 union and trades councils social media and the Stand Up to Racism website.

• Keep racist UKIP out of Whitechapel – Saturday January 31^st, 12pm, meet opposite Whitechapel Station
• National demonstration ‘in unity and against the far-right’ called by Together Alliance – Saturday 28^th March in central London read more

Oppose blacklisting & union victimisation

Spycops inquiry condemned as “fundamentally flawed” in statement by blacklisted workers – The SpyCops public inquiry that restarts evidence hearings this week is described as “fundamentally flawed” by the Blacklist Support Group (BSG). The comments appear in an opening statement for the inquiry’s Tranche 3 hearings. The statement opens with a section stating:

“Undercover police officers infiltrated and spied on trade unions. SDS reported on union meetings, union activists, union campaigns, and industrial disputes. For decades, police and security service records were used to blacklist trade union and leftwing political activists from employment. Through official and unofficial routes, the police intelligence was disseminated to government departments, major private sector employers and the unlawful blacklisting bodies; the Economic League and the Consulting Association”. The statement goes onto catalogue 10 years of missed opportunities and broken promises in relation to blacklisting, including highlighting how intelligence gathered by undercover police is used to provide state organised vetting for employers known as ‘List X companies’. One section of the statement reads: “The failure to fully investigate blacklisting is either a remarkable lack of curiosity, or an intentional self-imposed restriction of the Inquiry’s terms of reference. Either way it is against the public interest and is a failure to fulfil the Inquiry’s terms of reference as laid out by Parliament”. 

BSG’s opening statement is published on the inquiry’s website as part of the submission by Imran Khan KC, who also represents Baroness Doreen Lawrence OBE, Suresh Grover and the Monitoring Group. Full statement in link below – BSG section starts at page 35.

https://www.ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/T3P1-Opening-Statement-Imran-Khan-Partners.pdf

Opening statement to the Undercover Policing Inquiry on behalf of:

Lois Austin, Richard Chessum, ‘Mary’, Dave Nellist, Hannah Sell, Youth against Racism in Europe read here

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/blacklistSG/

blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

   

        

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     

Nigeria Solidarity: Victory At Last! #EndBadGovernance Activists ‘Treason’ Trial Cancelled – Pressure forces Nigerian Government to anabdon sham trial of Adaramoye Michael Lenin and 10 other #EndBadGovernance protestors charged with treason and terrorism

Today, December 10, 2025, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja struck out the treason and terrorism charges against Adaramoye Michael Lenin and 10 others. In his ruling, Justice Emeka lamented that the prosecuting counsel had shown a lack of diligence and seriousness in the case they initiated against the protesters. Subsequently, Michael Lenin and his co-defendants, who were detained and put on trial over the August 2024 nationwide #EndBadGovenance protest against mass hunger, economic hardship and anti-poor policies of Bola Tinubu government, were acquitted. Other activists are Daniel Akande, Mosiu Sadiq   Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Angel Love Innocent, Bashir Bello, Nuradeen Khamis, Buhari Lawal, Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon, Suleiman Yakubu. Abdulsalam Zubairu read more

USA: Support the Starbucks strike – read more on Starbucks Workers United website and follow @SBWorkersUnited on X/Twitter

Türkiye: No to union-busting at Digel read more

   

   

Diary      

2026 NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 27^th June 11am-4.30pm