The rising tide of industrial disputes – with more and more workers on strike and balloting for action – is the surest sign that anger is building against the spiralling cost of living squeeze. We all can see food and fuel prices are going through the roof, with one of the main drivers being Trump and Netanyahu’s brutal attack on Iran.
But workers shouldn’t be paying the price for this.
The 2022-23 strike wave, the biggest level of union action for over 30 years, showed that workers are prepared to fight to protect the living standards of them and their families.
The NSSN continues to build support and solidarity for this action, and it will be a major theme of our conference at the end of June. We will mark the 20th anniversary of the NSSN in the only way we know – organising to fight back!
- 2026 NSSN Conference is on Saturday 27th June 11am-4.30pm in Conway Hall in London – £10 attendance fee Letter for union branches & trades councils
Download and distribute our 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).
Contact us: email – [email protected].
Support the Birmingham bin workers – over a year of indefinite strike action
The Unite Birmingham bin workers have taken over a full year of indefinite strike action against the brutal £8,000 slashing of their wages by the Labour Council, shamefully on the watch of a Labour government.
In an unprecedented tremendous development, agency workers employed by Job & Talent began strike action on 1 December over bullying and harassment.
Disgracefully, the Council has used vicious strike-breaking measures. But there has been mass support for the binworkers, including on three Mega Pickets, hosted by Strike Map.
But instead of looking to resolve the dispute, this Labour Council has shamefully applied to the courts for and been granted an injunction against Unite, resulting in a massive fine of £265,000.
In addition, they have also been granted a ‘persons unknown’ legal injunction to stop solidarity protests, which threaten fines and even imprisonment. But no legal action will stop the trade union movement supporting the binworkers and their union, Unite.
This dispute can be won – victory to Unite and the binworkers.
Bin strike fine ‘pathetic attempt to intimidate workers’, Unite (17 Mar) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has vowed that it will not allow Birmingham bin workers “to pay the price for the council’s failings” after the union was fined by the courts for picketing. The bin workers have been striking since January 2025 after the council decided to cut their pay by up to £8,000 (between a quarter and a fifth of their earnings). Last week marked the first anniversary of the strike becoming all-out industrial action. The council has not been in negotiations over ending the dispute since May last year, after they reengaged on a “ballpark deal” agreed with council chief executive Joanne Roney and brokered by the conciliation service Acas. Unite remains ready to return to negotiations based on the “ballpark deal”, but the council has refused and it continues to waste millions trying unsuccessfully to break the strike read more
Unite vote to cut Labour affiliation by 40 per cent on the anniversary of the Birmingham bin strike (11 Mar) – Unite has made it clear that the actions of Labour against the Birmingham bin workers will not continue to be tolerated. As well as an escalation of the strike in Birmingham, Unite has voted to cut its Labour affiliation by £580,000. This move is unprecedented and shows the anger of Unite members. Read more
Music single released backing Birmingham bin strikers one year on (6 Mar) – A music single has been released backing the Birmingham bin strikers, marking a year since the all-out strike began in March 2025. Power To The Bin Strikers (Unite For Workers Rights) has been recorded by Birmingham’s Banner Theatre in partnership with Unite and raises funds for the Unite members who have been taking industrial action for over a year. Political theatre troupe Banner Theatre have reworked the 1960 hit My Old Man’s A Dustman by Lonnie Donegan into a contemporary protest song. A satirical anthem, it hits out at politicians and council proposals to reduce workers’ pay by up to £8,000 per year – the issue at the centre of the dispute. Birmingham bin worker Danny Taylor, who has been on strike since the dispute began in January 2025, said: “Myself and the other bin workers are delighted with the song and want to thank Banner Theatre for their support. It is a recognisable folk song reworked to portray the striking bin workers targeted by a Labour council. We hope the general public will like it as much as we do.” The single is out today (6 March) on all platforms including iTunes, Bandcamp, Spotify, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, Deezer, Tidal and Qobuz. It is performed by Dave Rogers and Mike Bethall from Banner Theatre and the music video features footage of the industrial action, including from the Unite picket lines and demonstrations around the bin strike. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite thanks Banner Theatre for writing and recording the song. The song will help to remind the general public why our members are on strike.” Bin workers are striking because Birmingham city council has fired and rehired both senior loaders (former WRCOs) and drivers onto contracts that reduce pay by up to £8,000. Earlier this month, they voted to extend their industrial action mandate past local elections in May and into September read more
- Pontypridd Benefit Gig for the striking Birmingham Binworkers – from 7pm Thursday 23rd April in the Tipsy Owl Facebook event
- 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/
- Go to the Facebook pages of Unite the Union and Unite for a Workers Economy for videos and photos of the strike, and watch a video of the MegaPicket from Reel News on YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
- StrikeMap: [email protected]
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.
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.
Savage UC severe conditions criteria (SCC) cuts have begun (6 Apr) read more on the Benefits and Work website
Another legal challenge to UC migration council tax hikes (2 Apr) read more on the Benefits and Work website
PIP and work linked in appalling Timms review public consultation (19 Mar) read more on DPAC website
General Strike Centenary with Unite the Union – Barnsley Saturday May 2 from 5 pm to 11:30 pm Facebook event
Unite the union is working with Durham Miners Association and the National Union of Mineworkers to mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike.
This is a time to celebrate our history, and to use those lessons to fight for a better future.
The workplaces of 2026 might look very different to today, but the words of miners’ leader A. J. Cook are as important for workers now as they were in our great-grandparents’ time:
“Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day!”
We are bringing together trade unionists, historians, musicians, artists and authors to make this a truly memorable celebration of working-class pride.
Add the date to your calendar, and for news and updates as the day takes shape, register your interest at:
https://actionnetwork.org/…/general-strike-centenary…
Tickets for the evening’s gig at Vault 27 can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1983796257007?
Here’s what’s planned for Saturday 2 May:
10.00 to 12.30 – Barnsley Civic – breakfast and talks by leading historians of 1926
13.00 to 14.30 – March with brass bands from town centre to National Union of Mineworkers building
14.30 to 16.30 – Rally and speakers at NUM building, and performance by Commoners Choir
17.00 til late – Evening gig at Vault 27, with Ferocious Dog, The Wakes, The Primevals, Katrina Tia Charles, and more.
Workers unity against the far-right – on 28th March, the NSSN proudly marched on the Together Alliance demonstration in Central London along with hundreds of thousands against the poisonous division of Reform and the threat of 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 employers. We call on the TUC to implement the policy passed at its 2018 Congress, to launch a campaign of ‘Jobs and homes NOT racism.’
For details of protests, check your local trades council and go to the website of Together Alliance
Union News
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RMT
Sign this petition to Tricia Williams, Managing Director, Northern Trains
Northern Trains: End the dispute with Carlisle and bring outsourced rail workers in-house
RMT accuse TfL of U-turn in negotiations ahead of tube strike (18 Apr) – RMT has accused TfL bosses of reneging on promises to negotiate in good faith, making tube driver strike action next week inevitable. During the dispute over a fake four day week imposition, TfL wrote to the union, offering to negotiate on all elements of the proposals. However, this week they informed RMT that their proposals to condense the working week into 4 days against the expressed wishes of most drivers in two separate referendums, will now be imposed. As a result strike action will take place as scheduled and further action is planned for the coming months read more
Support the strikes:-
- 12:00 (midday) hours on Tuesday 21st April to 11:59 hours on Wednesday 22nd April
- 12:00 (midday) hours on Thursday 23rd April to 11:59 hours on Friday 24th April
- 12:00 (midday) hours on Tuesday 19th May to 11:59 hours on Wednesday 20th May
- 12:00 (midday) hours on Thursday 21st May to 11:59 hours on Friday 22nd May
- additional strike action on 16 and 18 June has been put in place
RMT slams Network Rail maintenance cuts as Manchester rail chaos continues (17 Apr) – Rail union RMT has condemned Network Rail’s “Modernising Maintenance” programme after major disruption at Manchester Piccadilly forced the issuing of a “do not travel” instruction, leaving many passengers stranded. The union says the ongoing chaos is the direct result of a staffing crisis driven by cuts to maintenance teams, with engineers warning that reduced fault response cover has left the network dangerously exposed. RMT has been told that Network Rail is now unable to resource teams to safe and effective levels, meaning faults are not being dealt with in a timely manner, particularly in worst-case scenarios. The union says the reduction in frontline maintenance staff and fault teams under the Modernising Maintenance programme has severely weakened the railway’s resilience, with predictable and foreseeable consequences impacting on rail workers and passengers read more
RMT welcomes commitments from Scotland’s political parties to protect transport workers (16 Apr) – Transport union RMT has welcomed the Scottish National Party’s commitment to introduce specific legal protections for public transport workers, as part of its programme to tackle rising levels of abuse and violence read more
RMT members in Royal Fleet Auxiliary to go on strike (15 Apr) – Maritime union RMT, will take strike action at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tomorrow (Thursday 16 April) after the employer failed to table a new offer. Despite repeated attempts by the union to reach a negotiated settlement, no improved offer has been made by RFA management. During the 24 hour strike action, members will continue to ensure the safety of vessels is maintained at all times, including the management of moorings and gangways. 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 read more Write to your MP today to intervene over this national disgrace
RMT pledge action against assaults in a national campaign day (14 Apr) – Transport union RMT, will hold a national day of action to tackle the growing threat of assaults across the rail, bus, metro and ferry sectors on April 28. The union is stepping up its Action Against Assaults campaign in a bid to improve the day to day working lives of members, to create a safer environment for passengers and to ensure employers and the governments in the UK to take their responsibilities seriously. RMT wants to see an end to lone working and staffing levels, increased funding and presence of the British Transport Police and to put pressure on politicians in Scotland and Wales ahead of devolved elections. The union is seeking commitments from Scottish political parties for a bespoke offence of assaulting a transport worker to become law in the next Scottish Parliament. Activities such as leafleting of rail stations, ports and bus depots will take place across the country on Tuesday April 28, which coincides with International Workers Memorial Day read more
RMT cleaners win sick pay demand (10 Apr) – TfL cleaners have made a significant gain, as outsourced contractor Mitie, which took over the contract from 1 April, announced it will implement a company sick pay scheme. Cleaners will now be entitled to four weeks’ full sick pay. This would not have been achieved without union pressure. RMT has protested outside City Hall, and lobbied the Mayor and the TfL Board. For the past several years, three key demands for RMT have been travel passes for cleaners, company sick pay, and improved pensions. We have now secured two out of these three read more
Windrush line strike over pay (25 Feb) – Strike action on the Windrush Line will take place this Thursday after Cleshar CS Ltd failed to table a new pay offer despite repeated talks with the union. Signalling, telecoms, and track maintenance workers have been offered just a 1.5 per cent pay rise, well below RPI inflation, and the company has refused to offer any improvement. Keeping basic pay low is incentivising excessive overtime across the workforce leading to increased fatigue, union activists have said. In safety-critical roles, that creates unacceptable risks and puts passenger safety potentially in jeopardy. The employer is recklessly using this tactic of relying heavily on overtime instead of addressing the pay aspirations of members and dealing with understaffing. Members are also raising serious concerns about underpayment of overtime and annual leave, alongside cuts to sick pay and paternity pay compared to arrangements under the previous contractor. Strike action will take place on Thursday 26 February, Thursday 26 March and Thursday 23 April 2026, with each stoppage lasting 24 hours. These workers carry out safety-critical duties and without their work, the Windrush line cannot operate safely. Cleshar CS Ltd made a profit of £991,915 in its most recent financial year read more
Piccadilly line fleet strike action (19 Feb) – RMT members at Northfields fleet maintenance depot servicing Piccadilly line trains are taking four days of strike action this week following a breakdown in industrial relations. Instead of engaging with staff, management has responded by extending maintenance schedules to dangerous levels. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that this was putting the public in potential danger by running trains way beyond current maintenance cycles read more
TSSA
Union warns government over Iran conflict cost of living (13 Apr) – Transport and travel union TSSA has called on the government to take immediate action to help the public with the cost of living in the face of ongoing economic volatility related to the US/Israel conflict with Iran. This includes making public transport free at the point of use for the next year. Oil prices have seen further spikes as a result of President Trump’s threat to blockade Iran’s ports and its traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – which if carried out would push up the price of energy, food and other items in Britain read more
Unite
NHS rally | Together against NHS cuts on 22 April – Hundreds of NHS workers are coming to parliament to protest against NHS cuts to jobs and services. Join striking health visitors from Wales and Unite members from across the UK to make our voices heard.
Unite: NHS workers “at breaking point” as cuts risk patient safety (21 Apr) – Union rally at Westminster calling for the NHS to be fully and properly funded across the UK. The NHS is “running on empty” and in danger of a complete breakdown according to Unite, one of the UK’s leading health sector unions. The cuts are so serious that patient safety is being risked. Hundreds of Unite members and activists are rallying in Westminster on Wednesday (22 April) in protest at planned cuts to NHS budgets and headcounts read more
SIGN UP HERE: I want to come to the Save our NHS and stop the NHS cuts rally.
WHEN: Wednesday 22 April 2026, 11:00
WHERE: Old Palace Yard, opposite St Stephen’s Gate, Westminster SW1
SPEAKERS: Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, health visitor and striker from Wales and more details
Unite demands action to back green bus manufacturing at Alexander Dennis ( 21 Apr) – Union says ‘all options’ must be on table to support skilled manufacturing jobs at risk. Unite the union has today demanded government ministers and Alexander Dennis urgently explore ‘all options’ to support the 115 jobs at risk at the bus manufacturer’s Falkirk and Larbert sites. A delegation of union reps from Alexander Dennis will attend the STUC Congress in Dundee as an emergency motion will be debated on the future of bus manufacturing jobs, prior to a meeting with the first minister where the workers will make direct demands of government and the company read more
Over 500 Cambridge University staff strike over pay (20 Apr) – Unite members demand ‘Cambridge weighting’ supplement to match Oxford, as staff wages fall behind soaring cost of living. More than 500 Cambridge University workers will strike over pay from tomorrow, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers, including library, museum, estates management, finance, student services and IT staff amongst others, are demanding the introduction of ‘Cambridge weighting’. This is a pensionable local pay supplement for all staff to address the exceptionally high cost of living in the city. The workers are also seeking a full pay review to tackle severe compression at lower grades which has resulted in a lack of fair wage progression. Cambridge University has imposed a 1.4 per cent pay increase for 2025/2026, which is a significant real terms pay cut…In 2024, the University of Oxford introduced a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of £1,500 per year. In August 2025, Oxford increased the payment by 15 per cent to £1,730 and extended it to all non-clinical staff. Cambridge staff receive no equivalent, apart from a 2.5 per cent interim payment, which does not address the cost of living for those on a low salary. This interim payment can be removed at any time, due to no firm commitments to retain it permanently. Cambridge, like Oxford, is one of the most expensive cities in the UK – with rental costs 30 per cent above the national average – and Cambridge University can more than afford to introduce weighting. The university had net assets of £8.26 billion at July 2025 and its endowment fund manages assets in excess of £4.5 billion and generated a net return of 9.1 per cent in 2024. The workers will strike on 21 and 22 April, followed by further action on 30 April and 1 May. Picket lines will run from 08:30 to 12:30 at various locations across the university read more
Luton Arriva bus engineers strike over serious sexual harassment and assault issues (20 Apr) – Unite shop steward fired after he demanded issues be taken seriously. Arriva bus engineers in Luton will strike in April and May over the company’s despicable response to matters of incredibly serious sexual harassment and assault within the workplace. The workers are also striking in defence of a Unite shop steward fired on supposedly unrelated matters after he refused to allow the company to ignore the sexual harassment and assault issue. They believe he was suspended and then dismissed in retaliation for holding the company to account. The individual at the centre of the allegations, who was in a managerial role, is no longer employed after the police were called. The workers, however, are angry that Arriva previously dismissed the allegations as “banter” and “horseplay” and completely failed to offer adequate support to those impacted. Multiple workers, including young apprentices, reported being subjected to unwanted touching, squeezing and striking, including kicking and striking in sensitive areas. They also reported being exposed to simulated sexual acts and gestures as well as offensive and sexually explicit remarks about close family members. In addition, repeated intimidation, mocking and humiliation of staff was also reported. The workers will strike from 27 April to 1 May, from 11 May to 15 May and 25 May to 29 May. Strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Strikes will severely impact Arriva’s bus operations in Luton and the surrounding area read more
1,100 Unite members set to strike at five Scottish universities (20 Apr) – Latest 24-hour action due to successive real terms pay cuts. Over 1,100 Unite members at five Scottish universities are set to take part in the latest round of 24-hour strike action on Friday (24 April) in an escalating dispute over an imposed real-terms pay cut. The strike action at Glasgow, Strathclyde, Glasgow School of Art, Edinburgh Napier and Heriot Watt universities follows successive poor pay awards and years of industrial unrest in the higher education sector. On 10 April, members at Glasgow, Strathclyde and Napier universities took 24-hour action as part of the same pay dispute. The dispute is based on UK universities imposing a 1.4 per cent pay offer for 2025/26 on the Scottish university workforce. With RPI inflation currently running at 3.6 per cent – and significant increases in inflation expected due to the war in Iran – this represents a massive real terms pay cut. Pay talks involving the joint trade unions and the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) impacting 138 higher education institutions across the UK have already taken place for 2026/27 with a further meeting scheduled for 13 May. The joint trade unions in higher education are demanding an increase of at least RPI plus three per cent or £3,000, whichever is the greater to be paid in full in August 2026. Unions are also demanding a minimum hourly rate of pay of £15. Over a decade and a half of below inflation pay rises has led to higher education wages falling by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010. The union’s members work primarily in non-academic roles within the higher education institutions including estates and security staff alongside cleaners, technicians, libraries and administrative roles.
- GLASGOW RALLY: Unite’s Pay and Fair Funding Rally will take place on Friday 24 April at 12.30pm, top of Buchanan St, next to the Concert Hall and Donald Dewar statue read more
Unite members in Danone savour inflation-beating pay increase (20 Apr) – Union delivers nearly nine per cent pay increase over two years plus benefits. Unite members working for Danone Nutricia in Wexford have voted overwhelmingly to accept a two year pay deal which will see pay rise by nearly nine per cent over two years.The deal negotiated by Unite will see base pay, production bonuses and service pay increase by 4.5 per cent in 2026 and 4.3 per cent in 2027, with workers also receiving vouchers totalling €900 each year as well as free annual medicals. The agreement is backdated to 1 January 2026 read more
London bus driver fatigue putting drivers and public at risk (17 Apr) – A landmark survey by Unite, the UK’s leading union, has laid bare the impact of bus driver fatigue in London, which is putting workers, passengers and pedestrians at risk. Unite surveyed its London bus driver members, receiving over 2,000 responses. It found over a third (36 per cent) of drivers have experienced sleepiness while driving two or three times a week, while 24 per cent had this happen once a week. Disturbingly, almost half (48 per cent) have had a ‘close call’ due to fatigue in the past 12 months. Fatigue causes a higher risk of accidents such as bus crashes. Factors that lead to fatigue include long shifts, insufficient rest time and breaks and inadequate running times resulting in drivers undertaking overtime to complete journeys. Unite has found London bus drivers are regularly experiencing all of these problems, for example Unite’s survey found when asked it was common practice to work 13 days on with one day off with 12 hour shifts also commonplace read more
North Air workers driving more wage wins across Scottish airports (17 Apr) – Latest pay deals build on Runway to Success campaign. Unite the union has secured wage wins for North Air workers based across Scottish airports, the nation’s leading aviation union confirmed today (17 April). Over 80 tanker drivers and airfield operators who provide refuelling services for airlines who fly into and out of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkwall (Orkney), Sumburgh (Shetland) and Stornoway are all benefiting from a 4.2 per cent wage win backdated to April. A five per cent increase to shift allowances and overtime rates was also successfully negotiated…The latest pay win builds on the recent successes at ICTS Glasgow airport screeners, Highlands and Islands Airport workers and Aberdeen airport cleaners employed by Bidvest Noonan read more
Strikes by ABM workers at Stansted Airport called off (16 Apr) – Strikes by ABM workers at London Stansted Airport have been called off to allow workers to vote on an improved pay offer. Over 100 Unite members who look after passengers with disabilities at the airport were due to walk out from tomorrow until Monday 20 April in a dispute about pay. However, following negotiations between Unite, the employer and conciliatory service Acas this has now been postponed after a new offer was put forward read more
Hundreds of Filton aerospace workers could strike at GKN over pay (16 Apr) – Unite members being balloted over below inflation pay offer while CEO makes millions. Workers at world-leading aerospace supplier GKN Aerospace are set to take strike action over pay as they are balloted following below-inflation pay offers from the company. GKN is a supplier of airframe and engine structures, electrical wiring and landing gear, with a presence on 90 per cent of today’s aircraft. Around 700 workers at the Filton site in Gloucestershire make wings for the Airbus A320. For years workers at GKN have seen their pay slip behind that of other nearby aerospace firms like Airbus and Rolls Royce that has seen many employees leave in search of better pay. GKN has offered just a 3.3 per cent increase.
Unite members have exhausted all avenues of negotiation and are now balloting as a last resort. The ballot for industrial action opens today (16 April) and closes on 7 May. If the ballot is positive for industrial action dates could take place across the spring and summer read more
Inverness based Bear Scotland workers secure wage win (16 Apr) – Unite the union can confirm that Inverness based Bear Scotland road workers who deliver services for major roads across the Scottish Highlands have secured a wage win. Unite secured a 5.5 per cent pay increase alongside a similar increase in standby payments for around 20 Bear Scotland workers read more
JLR Solihull DHL logistics workers to take indefinite strike action over pay (16 Apr) – DHL JLR HGV drivers also voted for strike action with dates to be announced if talks fail. Around 300 DHL logistics workers based at JLR in Solihull will begin indefinite strike action over pay in early May, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. More than 300 DHL HGV drivers working on the JLR contract in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Solihull and Widnes have also voted in favour of strike action, with dates yet to be announced. The logistics workers and HGV drivers, involved in delivering parts and cars to and from JLR’s West Midlands and North West operations, are angry at an unacceptable three per cent pay offer for 2026…DHL’s offer is a real terms wage cut with the RPI rate of inflation standing at 3.6 per cent. DHL recently announced operating profits of 6.1 billion euros for 2025. DHL JLR Solihull workers will begin indefinite strike action at 00:01 hours on 7 May. DHL JLR drivers have agreed to meet with the company for further talks under the auspices of the conciliation service Acas. If an acceptable offer is not put forward, strike action will be scheduled read more
London bus turmoil as TfL workers vote to strike over rota changes (16 Apr) – London bus services will see disruption this month as over 150 Unite members at Transport for London will strike over roster changes. Workers, who are bus station and network traffic controllers, will walk out from 23 to 25 April, to coincide with RMT workers taking action on the London Underground. The dispute is around changes to rosters with increased weekend working and further travel to sites across London that teams haven’t previously covered. Unite members say this will leave them fatigued and also put them at risk of disciplinary action as they are unlikely to be able to travel to every site in time read more
Ministers must intervene to prevent job cut threats and provide funding for University of Ulster (16 Apr) – Management plans for 450 redundancies is a huge and unexpected blow to staff and the wider regional economy. Unite has blasted the scale of job cuts announced by management at the University of Ulster. The union represents more than 300 non-teaching staff across all university campuses. University authorities highlight the failure to secure adequate funding from the Stormont executive as the reason for proposals which will see approximately 14 per cent of the workforce losing their jobs read more
Dewsbury RXO warehouse workers ‘betrayed’ during site closure despite decades of service (16 Apr) – Workers handling freight for Tesco, Argos, John Lewis and Amazon ‘stabbed in back’ over bare minimum redundancy terms. Dewsbury warehouse workers being made redundant by multi-billion-dollar logistics firm RXO are facing bare minimum severance terms despite decades of service. RXO is closing its Shawcross warehouse, which provides freight services for Tesco, Argos, John Lewis and Amazon to cut costs. While HGV drivers at the site are being offered enhanced redundancy terms, warehouse and other staff are being offered statutory redundancy, despite some of them working there for more than 30 years read more
Cork water crisis: Latest breaches highlight need for referendum (16 Apr) – Water safety too important to be left to private sector. Trade union Unite said today that the latest revelations regarding ongoing breaches of drinking water safety in Cork again highlight the need for a referendum enshrining public ownership of water services in the Constitution. Unite is part of the Keep Water Public group of unions demanding that the government ‘name the date’ for the long-promised referendum enshrining public ownership of water services in the constitution. Unite has condemned the decision to omit this commitment from the current programme for government read more
Northern Ireland minister’s unfunded fare freeze creates service cuts fears (15 Apr) – Minister Liz Kimmins’ continued squeeze creating mounting skills shortage – impacting the most vulnerable in society. Unite has challenged Infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins on her failure to properly fund public transport services. Following the announcement that bus and rail fares would be frozen for a second year without any commitment to compensate Translink, the publicly-owned passenger transport provider read more
Unite: Government must back our defence workers now but not at the expense of most vulnerable (15 Apr) – Defence Investment Plan must fully funded and be published without further delay…However, Unite has entirely rejected the suggestion by Lord Robertson and others that increased defence spending should come from cutting the welfare bill. Instead Unite believes that if extra money is needed it should be through a wealth tax read more
Unite secure inflation beating pay rise for workers at dairy company Saputo (14 Apr) – Unite, the leading union for workers in the food and drink sector, has secured an above inflation pay deal for more than 100 members at global dairy processor Saputo. Following negotiations, workers will receive a 3.9 per cent pay increase, a rate higher than the retail prices index (RPI) read more
Bridlington Hospital elderly ward closure plans slammed (13 Apr) – Moving services from Bridlington to Scarborough ‘worst possible outcome’ for patients and staff. Plans to close Bridlington Community Unit, which provides elderly care, would result in the ‘worst possible outcome for patients and staff’, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has written to more than 50 impacted staff announcing consultations on the proposed closure. The cost cutting measures would result in elderly patients being transferred to Scarborough, with nurses and healthcare assistants facing redundancy or transfer to York or Scarborough. As well as leaving Bridlington without vital health services, the closure would rack up huge costs as patients would need to be transferred back and forth from Scarborough by taxi. Shutting down the ward would also cause huge pressure on Scarborough Hospital, which is already facing crippling bed shortages read more
National Ambulance Service: Unite members vote overwhelmingly for action (10 Apr) – Union slams six-year wait for implementation of review recommendations. Management must stop foot-dragging on outstanding issues. Trade union Unite, which represents members working for the National Ambulance Service (NAS), said today (Friday) that members have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action, up to and including strike action, due to management’s ongoing failure to implement the 2020 ‘Roles and Responsibilities Review’ read more
Fresh East London bus disruption as Bow bus garage strikes escalate (10 Apr) – There will be further disruption to bus services going across east to central London beginning from next week, as over 300 drivers at the East London Bus & Coach Company have escalated industrial action. The dispute concerns bus driver fatigue. Drivers at the East London Bus & Coach Company (part of Stagecoach) are driving long distances without adequate breaks, have had increased weekend working and are not given sufficient time between shifts to recuperate. Meanwhile, meal breaks are not being scheduled at the depot with many workers taking these on the side of the road instead of in an adequate rest area. This situation is leaving drivers concerned about their own health and safety as well as that of passengers and pedestrians. Drivers at Bow bus garage have reported having ‘near misses’ while driving due to the fact they are driving while fatigued…Strikes will take place on 17 and 24 April and 15 May. Industrial action last month caused cancellations of bus services as well as delays. Industrial action will impact services that operate from Bow bus garage and go to central London and Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. These are the 8, N8, 25, N25, 45, 205 and N205 read more
Doncaster bus drivers to increase strike action (8 Apr) – There will be further disruption to bus services in Doncaster, as First South Yorkshire workers have escalated industrial action over pay. The drivers, members of Unite, have turned down a pay offer from their employer as this does not give them pay parity with those doing the same job at First in Sheffield, just over 20 miles away. Further strike action will now take place on 14 and 17 April, alongside the already-announced dates of 22 and 24 April. Previous industrial action on 28 and 30 March and yesterday (7 April) caused major disruption to bus services in and out of Doncaster city centre and the surrounding areas, with many cancelled or running a limited service read more
1,000 workers set to strike at Glasgow, Strathclyde and Edinburgh Napier universities (7 Apr) – 24-hour action to take place on 10 April over real terms pay cut. 1,000 Unite members at Glasgow, Strathclyde and Edinburgh Napier universities are set for 24-hour strike action on Friday (10 April) over an imposed real-terms pay cut. The strike action at the three universities follows successive poor pay awards and years of industrial unrest in the higher education sector. UK universities imposed a 1.4 per cent pay offer for 2025/26 on the Scottish university workforce. With RPI inflation currently running at 3.6 per cent – and significant increases in inflation expected due to the war in Iran – this represents a massive real terms pay cut. Pay talks are already underway for 2026/27 with the joint trade unions in higher education demanding an increase of at least RPI plus three per cent or £3,000, whichever is the greater to be paid in full in August 2026. Unions are also demanding a minimum hourly rate of pay of £15. Over a decade and a half of below inflation pay rises has led to higher education wages falling by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010. The union’s members work primarily in non-academic roles within the higher education institutions including estates and security staff alongside cleaners, technicians, libraries and administrative roles.
UK bottle crisis looms as workers at Encirc Elton announce further strikes (1 Apr) – Industrial action at glass manufacturing and logistics firm Encirc over health and safety concerns has escalated. Over 100 Unite members at Encirc’s Elton site had already walked out after the company announced plans to reduce headcount by almost 30 people. Workers at Encirc said losing this number of staff will lead to issues around health and safety. Redundancies have now taken place, but workers believe the health, safety and wellbeing concerns of fewer members of staff have not been adequately considered by Encirc. Unite members have said they leave shifts physically fatigued and mentally drained and they fear this could lead to accidents at work. As well as the planned strikes from 3 to 7 April, workers at Encirc will also walk out on their night shifts from 16 to 28 April, then from 9 to 15 May read more
Unite rally at Village Hotel as workers enter fourth month of strike action (27 Mar) – Long-running dispute over poverty pay and working conditions. Workers at the Village Hotel Glasgow are holding a rally tomorrow (Saturday 28 March) to coincide with strike action entering its fourth month in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Village Hotel workers including staff in the Pub & Grill and the franchised Starbucks have been on all-out strike action since 28 November 2025 fighting for the real living wage for all workers, union recognition, and safe working conditions including taxi fares for late and unsociable hours worked read more
Jones Engineering in Belgium: MEPs support Unite campaign against union-busting (26 Mar) – Unions and parliamentarians raise ‘social dumping’ concerns. Jones warned not to export shoddy labour practices. Belgian trade unionists and MEPs joined Unite this week in Charleroi to send a clear message to Irish company Jones Engineering: Union-busting will not be tolerated. As part of the General Labour Federation of Belgium – FGTB’s day of action against social dumping, a protest was held at the Google site in Farciennes, just east of Charleroi, where Jones Engineering is a sub-contractor read more
Disruption to student buses as workers at Universitybus, University of Hertfordshire ballot for strikes (25 Mar) – There is set to be disruption to bus services to and from the University of Hertfordshire, as almost 200 workers including drivers at Universitybus Limited are balloting for industrial action. The dispute centres around union victimisation. In November, Unite’s lead representative at the Hatfield depot, who had worked for the firm for over 15 years, was unfairly suspended, pending disciplinary investigation. Workers at Universitybus, which trades as Uno, want the rep reinstated and believe they were targeted for trade union activity. This is illegal under UK employment law. Meanwhile, there is a dispute with the company on behalf of members regarding the inconsistent and unfair way the company deal with disciplinary procedures, with junior staff believing they are treated more harshly by management than more senior workers…The ballot is ongoing and closes on 14 April. Strikes could coincide with the busy exams period in late spring read more
Unite responds to this year’s local council pay offer (25 Mar) – Unite has today (25 March) responded with dismay to this year’s local government pay offer. The offer of 3.3 per cent from 1 April has been presented as “full and final” by the national employers without any meaningful negotiation with Unite or its sister unions. Unite believes this offer represents a real terms pay cut and does not address historic problems with low pay for the local authorities sector…Unite is set to meet with its members in the coming weeks to obtain their views and discuss next steps read more
Unite hits out at union busting management at iconic Manchester hotel (24 Mar) – Unite, the leading union representing hospitality workers, has criticised the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel for engaging in union busting tactics after staff began to organise for better conditions. Workers at the Kimpton Clocktower, as well as its restaurant The Refuge, made the decision a few months ago to join Unite and move towards formal union recognition after enduring poor conditions including chronic understaffing leading to fatigue and burnout, issues with sick pay and having less than 11 hours (the legal minimum) between shifts. However, after filing a collective grievance one Unite representative was suspended then later dismissed on unfair charges, while another has been suspended and is awaiting a disciplinary hearing. Unite believes the two members of staff were targeted for undertaking trade union activities, which is illegal in UK employment law. Workers who have joined the union have also been on the receiving end of derogatory comments from management. However, more members of staff are joining Unite daily read more
Bilfinger offshore workers in strike ballot over jobs, pay, and conditions (16 Mar) – thaca operated Alba FSU and FPF1 assets set for disruption. Unite workers employed by Bilfinger are being balloted over strike action on North Sea assets operated by Ithaca Energy in a dispute over jobs, pay, and conditions. Around 20 workers are involved in a dispute over the refusal by Ithaca Energy to extend a retention bonus worth up to £14,500 to Bilfinger workers on the Alba Floating Storage Unit (FSU) and its floating production facility (FPF)1. Ithaca Energy have excluded the Bilfinger employees who include scaffolders, engineers, deck, and rope access workers from the bonus scheme without any explanation to Unite. Unite has since learned that workers of other companies on the Ithaca Energy assets are in receipt of the bonus payment. The Ithaca Energy-operated Alba field operates the assets for storing heavy crude before transfer to tankers. The ballot will open on 18 March and run until 8 April read more
Northern Ireland pubs could run dry in Drinks Inc pay dispute (13 Mar) – Strike at Northern Ireland’s largest drinks distributor will halt all deliveries to bars, restaurants and off licenses. Unite is opening a strike ballot of its members working in for Drinks Inc (Musgrave Distribution Ltd). The strike ballot opens Tuesday, 17 March and closes Tuesday, 31 March with industrial action possible by mid-April. The pay dispute has erupted over the interpretation of a three-year pay deal which included an inflation escalator clause for the third year [2026]. Unite highlights that cumulative inflation has risen above the threshold which means that the pay deal for the third year has to be revisited. Management is disputing this read more
Dale Farm farmers warned of risks from milk outsourcing plans (12 Mar) – Any move to de-recognise Unite will result in strike ballot of drivers at outsourced companies. Unite has warned Dale Farm of potential industrial action should plans to outsource milk collection threaten union rights. Unite represents around 60 farm collection tanker drivers at the company. Dale Farm management intends to expand outsourcing of milk collection from 40 per cent to 75 per cent. Wauchope is to take on collection at Omagh with Pennybridge-based collection going to Milk Trans and Woodside. Unite warns any move to derecognise the union by the new operators will be met with a strike ballot read more
Health visitors crank up pressure on Cwm Taf health board with eight more weeks of strikes (11 Mar) – Children in South Wales will have development checks cancelled or delayed as a health board refuses to pay health visitors the correct salary. Health visitors at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have announced they are taking a further eight weeks of strike action over pay. The industrial action will see essential, mandatory appointments go unfulfilled due to the stubbornness of their employer who is refusing to pay them the correct salary based on their qualifications which is costing them between £8000 to £9000 per year…Following yesterday’s march to the Senedd in Cardiff where health visitors loudly made their anger plain, they will now take further industrial action that will last until at least 15 May read more
Striking Romford NHS workers demonstrate at Wes Streeting’s constituency office (10 Mar) – Striking Queen’s Hospital workers will demonstrate outside of their constituency MP Wes Streeting’s office tomorrow on Wednesday 11 March. The workers initially took three days of strike action over a range of issues in February. Fresh strikes began on Monday (9 March) and will end on Friday (13 March). They are demanding that health secretary Wes Streeting takes a more active role in ensuring Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust puts forward an acceptable offer to bring the dispute to end. The strikes are causing disruption to blood tests and other laboratory services carried out by the pathology workers for the trust and GP services. The maintenance and management of medical technology carried out by the engineering workers is also being disrupted read more
Unite to ballot Nelipak workers for strikes in real living wage dispute (9 Mar) – Dismissal of workforce rep during pay negotiations will be fought for Unite by all means available. Unite is balloting its members at Nelipak, a manufacturer of sterile barrier systems for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, based in Derry/L’Derry, in a dispute over pay. The low-paid workforce voted overwhelmingly to reject Nelipak’s inadequate pay offer. They are demanding the company become an accredited Living Wage employer, with workers being paid at least £13.45 an hour. During the current pay dispute one of Unite’s workforce reps was dismissed and this has further damaged industrial relations at the site. The ballot opens on Monday 16 March and closes on Thursday 2 April. If workers vote for industrial action, strikes could begin in the middle of next month read more
Bassetlaw NHS union-busting during ICU dispute put patients in danger (23 Feb) – Union-busting tactics by Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS trust put intensive care patients in danger, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Intensive care nurses at Bassetlaw hospital have been taking industrial action over fire and rehire contract changes that will force them to rotate between Bassetlaw and Doncaster Royal Infirmary. The nurses – who fear the transfers are one more step towards Bassetlaw hospital losing its ICU permanently through ‘decommissioning by stealth’ – have taken action short of strike through a ban on working on any ward or unit other than Bassetlaw ICU. In response, the trust banned the nurses from work and is denying them pay. The nurses continued to attend and make themselves available to work, complying fully with their contracts. However, they were denied access to clinical areas and had to spend 12-hour shifts sat alone in a canteen. Under the direct leadership of acting chief executive Zara Jones, the trust banned nurses from working, despite them not taking strike action. Bassetlaw ITU was then staffed by nurses sent from Doncaster. This caused safety issues at both hospitals. On January 8, a critical care doctor from Doncaster Infirmary, who Unite is not naming, contacted Unite and informed the union that they had been told to discharge a patient early. The doctor said this was against medical advice and was done in order to reduce the number of patients on the intensive care unit read more
St Enoch VUE cinema workers resume strike action in long-running dispute (17 Feb) – Unite presents VUE with ‘World’s Worst Cinema’ award in run-up to Oscars. VUE cinema workers resume strike action today (Tuesday 17 February) in a long-running dispute over better jobs, pay and conditions at the St Enoch’s centre in Glasgow. Dozens of Unite hospitality members have been taking strike action since December as part of a campaign to secure the real living wage for workers aged 18 and over, union recognition, and safe subsidised transport home for workers at the end of late night shifts. Unite which represents the vast majority of the customer assistant and team leaders at the VUE St Enoch’s site will present management with a ‘World’s Worst Cinema’ award over the unfair and unequal way its workers are being treated as they resume strike action… Unite can also confirm that its membership at Village Hotels in Govan will continue their strike action after a fresh powerful mandate from the workers. Dozens of Village Hotel workers gave Unite a new mandate for industrial action with 96.5 per cent emphatically supporting strike action. Industrial action has been ongoing since late November in a similar dispute over jobs, pay and conditions read more
Local government craftworkers to ballot for strikes over pay (16 Feb) – Over a thousand local authority craft workers on the red book agreement will be balloted for strike action after receiving an unsatisfactory pay offer. The dispute comes after the Local Government Association, who handle local council workers’ pay, put forward a full and final below RPI offer of 3.2 per cent for 2025 without any negotiations. It also decided to remove apprentices from the national agreement and put a new entrant on the same pay scale as a craft operative, which is a qualified position. The LGA is also seeking to impose NJC job evaluation, which Unite is concerned could be used unfairly, will result in cuts in pay and dilute the level of service delivered to the public…Unite has made several attempts to negotiate with the LGA, which is refusing to honour the disputes process by constantly rejecting offers to come to the table including the union’s suggestion that Unite sits on a number of competency groups for craft workers; and would bring this knowledge and support to these discussions. The red book agreement covers local authority craftworkers who are primarily involved in housing maintenance work, such as plumbing and heating engineering. Workers at the following councils will be balloted initially over the issues: Durham, Leeds, Stoke, Dudley, Southwark, Newham and Bristol. Ballots will open from 19 February and close on 26 March. It is possible that more councils will follow. As red book craft workers are responsible for the upkeep of local authority housing, strike action will cause significant disruption to key services involved in maintaining people’s homes read more
Unite outrage at NHS pay imposition (12 Feb) – Forcing PRB pay “deal” on staff will further deteriorate trust in Labour government. Unite, one of the UK’s leading trade unions in the healthcare sector, has denounced the latest pay “deal” imposed by government. Today’s announcement of 3.3 per cent comes after months of scoping out what pay talks might look like and publicly stating that the government’s preference was for a multi-year deal. With the RPI rate of inflation standing at 4.2 per cent, the pay increase amounts to substantial real terms pay cut. At a time when unions were calling for a restorative pay award to counteract years of below inflation increases, which has devalued roles and resulted in workers leaving the NHS in their thousands. Instead, in an act of political cowardice and financial betrayal of NHS workers, they have decided to revert to the discredited Pay Review Body (PRB) recommendation. Unite has a long-standing opposition to the PRB process and for the first time ever all but one of the other health unions joined Unite in entirely boycotting the process. Unite, and other major unions, are demanding an immediate return of direct negotiations over pay and conditions read more
Imperial College strikes resume over wealthy university’s dodgy pay deal (10 Feb) – Hugely wealthy university used faulty pay calculations to implement real terms wage cuts. Pay strikes by Imperial College London workers will resume, Unite, the UK’s leading union, has announced. Around 1,200 workers, including more than 250 Unite members, have already taken part in 10 days of strikes between October and the end of November over the imposition of a two per cent pay rise. Not only is this a significant real-terms pay cut, with RPI inflation currently standing at 4.2 per cent, but it was calculated by the university using faulty benchmarking data… The workers will walk out again on 12, 16 and 24 February. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Yorkshire Airedale NHS microbiology pay strikes escalate (9 Feb) – Strikes by Airedale NHS microbiology workers responsible for carrying out diagnostic tests will escalate, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. 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 previously took strike action from 18 to 25 December. Fresh strikes will take place from 9 February to 11 February and from 18 February to 20 February, resulting in testing delays for Airedale general hospitals and local GP services. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more
Sports events under threat as snooker and tennis ball cloth workers take further strike action (2 Feb) – Workers at WSP textiles take further strikes. Snooker baize and tennis ball felt supplies at risk. Sporting tournaments like Wimbledon and the Snooker World Championships could be at risk as workers at the Gloucestershire factory which makes the balls and baize fabrics take further strike action. Workers at WSP textiles are striking due to the company refusing to make a fair pay offer. 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…Previous strikes dates have already seen the factories grind to a halt and given the lack of anew offer from WSP, workers have been left with little choice but to escalate industrial action. They began a new set of strikes today 2-7 February and 11-13 read more
CWU
Workers will resist “car crash” working arrangements and fight for new entrants (11 Mar) – Postal workers will continue to fight the “car crash” that is the Optimised Delivery Model (ODM) and fight for equalisation of new entrants, the union’s leadership has said. Hundreds of South Wales and South West region members attended a meeting on Monday 23rd February in Taunton, where they first heard from Deputy General Secretary Martin Walsh, who outlined the current situation. Warning that the USO faces its “most dramatic change since 1968”, Martin opened by paying tribute to union representatives “getting flak for a workplace crisis that isn’t their fault”, in a climate where Royal Mail’s financial position is only adding to pressure. The union, he said, “is urgently trying to resolve it”. Last July, the union secured a reasonable 4.2% no strings pay deal. There were commitments to reach a USO agreement with the aim by July and both EP and Royal Mail recommitted to the equalisation of new entrants pay, terms and conditions. Questions over the Optimised Delivery Model (ODM) were addressed, with Martin echoing the majority of workers who felt ODM was “a car crash”, and that the union could not support it as it stands. This was ratified by the release of a poll which showed that every pilot office balloted on ODM has rejected the model in favour of the union’s position read more
Royal Mail Campaign 2026 – In December 2022, Royal Mail started employing new recruits on worse terms and conditions. The CWU did not agree to this, has never agreed to this, and is striving to resolve this. We want a pathway to equalisation. The postal industry regulator Ofcom has changed the statutory delivery requirements for the UK. The company wants to implement this change by an ‘optimised delivery model’ (ODM) which does not work in practice. The CWU wants to implement this change by a ‘heavy and light’ method, which will work in practice. Talks are ongoing on both issues at this time read more
Latest updates:-
- We’re Not Going Anywhere – ‘If any of the top brass at Royal Mail or EP think the unions going anywhere, they’ve got another thing coming.’ Rousing Speech from Ralph Ferrett, South Wales/South West Div Rep
- USO Pilot Consultation Result – Update from CWU Deputy General Secretary (Postal), Martin Walsh, on the membership consultation from the 35 Royal Mail USO reform pilot sites
VMO2 members set to vote on inflation-busting wage rises (4 Mar) – CWU members at VMO2 are voting on a deal that will see the company’s lowest paid workers achieve a significant wage rise. After negotiations which started at the beginning of the new year and finished on 19th February, the union’s national negotiation team have agreed a final offer with the company read more
BT Group members to vote on pay deal starting Thursday (3 Mar) – BT workers in the CWU are being urged to “have your say” on an inflation-busting pay deal. Union members at BT are to be sent a consultative ballot on whether to accept or reject a pay offer for the coming financial year. The offer, which was reached after an intense bout of recent negotiations, is against the backdrop of a fall in the rate of inflation, with CPI inflation being reduced to 3% in January, and being forecast to drop over the coming months. The ballot will open this Thursday (5th March) and will close on Wednesday 18th March read more
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
PCS FCDO Industrial action ballot result (20 Apr) – Turnout was 48.76% in the ballot on FCDO2030 restructure. PCS members in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of a strike in the ballot which closed today (Monday 20 April). Unfortunately, the turnout was 48.76% which falls just short of the 50% voting threshold needed to legally comply with the anti-trade union laws. This means that action cannot be called at this time. The ballot was over the department’s controversial plans to restructure the workforce, failure to meaningfully consult PCS and the other unions, and refusal to guarantee no compulsory redundancies. The elected branch executive is meeting urgently on 21 April to agree next steps in the campaign read more
FCDO permanent secretary’s forced exit – unions call for urgent meeting (17 Apr) – FCDO trade unions have written to department’s new interim permanent secretary requesting urgent discussions on the FCDO2030 restructure. PCS believes that yesterday’s departure of the FCDO permanent under-secretary, Sir Olly Robbins – for a decision relating to the vetting of the previous ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson – raises serious questions about other decisions taken under his leadership. This includes the ongoing FCDO2030 restructure. PCS has consistently opposed the restructure plans in their current format, which include cutting up to 25% of jobs. We believe the scale of the proposed cuts, combined with the absence of a clear workforce plan and lack of meaningful consultation with unions, leaves the department exposed and risks undermining its ability to respond to international crises. Our ballot for industrial action, based on our demands for an immediate ‘pause’ to allow for meaningful consultation with unions and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, closes on Monday (20 April) read more
FCDO industrial action ballot – a few hours left to vote! (17 Apr) – Ballot papers posted 1st class can still reach scrutineers by noon on Monday 20 April read more
PCS members raise their concerns at meeting ahead of Senedd election (17 Apr) – Concerns about jobs, pensions and public services were highlighted in a meeting joined by more than 350 PCS members ahead of the Senedd election on 7 May read more
PCS calls for formal talks with Cabinet Office on AI (17 Apr) – As artificial intelligence systems are being introduced into a range of civil service functions, and their use is expected to grow significantly PCS has called for substantive national‑level discussions on AI within the civil service read more
FCDO2030 – Industrial Action ballot opens (17 Mar)
Trade unions demand government delivers ‘biggest wave of insourcing’ in response to Capita scandal (15 Apr) – PCS supported a Trade Union Coordinating Group rally in Westminster last night alongside RMT, Equity, UCU, Napo, POA and BFAWU. The rally focused on the ongoing issues with Capita, the pensions scandal and the failure of Labour to deliver the ‘biggest wave of insourcing’ following its election promise in 2024 read more
Overwhelming support for further strike action at Palace of Westminster (13 Mar) – Members returned a 98% yes vote for strike action in the ballot that closed on 12 March. PCS members employed as security staff at the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) have been balloted to ask if they are willing to take strike action in their dispute over the loss of annual leave, changes to rotas and break patterns, the stagnation of pay and a widening ethnicity pay gap. The members have already taken strike action – in September, November and December 2025 – alongside action short of a strike consisting of an overtime ban and work to rule. The ballot that closed at noon on Thursday 12 noon was a re-ballot to extend the strike mandate. Of those who voted, 98% voted YES for industrial action and 99% for action short of a strike. PCS will continue meeting with the employer in an attempt to end the dispute, and the willingness of members to take further strike action will strengthen our position in those negotiations read more
Ofgem staff to be balloted to renew strike mandate (3 Mar) – Members working for Ofgem are involved in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and industrial relations. Nearly 1000 PCS members employed by the energy regulator Ofgem in Glasgow, London and Cardiff are to be balloted for further strike action. The ballot opens on 4 March and closes at noon on 10 April 2026. PCS has been in dispute with Ofgem since March 2025 and took well-supported strike action last year in August, September and October. The strike action led to significant progress on key issues such as office attendance, but there has been a lack of progress on a number of other issues, which has led to the decision to reballot. Ofgem members are still awaiting a satisfactory pay offer, proper assurances on jobs including a commitment to no redundancies or compulsory relocations, and better agreements on how the decisions about these are made read more
PCS members at MHCLG ballot for strike action (27 Feb) – The members are in dispute over office closures, mandatory office attendance and changes to recruitment opportunities. PCS members at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government will be balloted for industrial action from 2 March to 15 April in a dispute centred on three key issues: office closures, the imposition of a mandatory 60% office attendance policy, and changes to recruitment opportunities. The department’s plans affect 367 staff across six regional offices. By 2 March 2026, four of those offices will have closed, with three already shut leaving employees facing uncertainty, significantly longer commutes and restricted career progression read more
MOPAC members to strike for three more days (19 Feb) – The members at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime are continuing their dispute over pay. PCS members working for the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) were initially offered a pay increase of only 1.5%. After pressure from PCS, the employer moved to 2% which is still below inflation, represents a real-terms pay cut, and falls short of the branch’s 4.1% pay claim. It is also one of the lowest pay rises across the public sector in London. Members took four days of strike action in January, but despite meeting with us twice since then the employer has made no meaningful offers. This has left members with no option than to turn to further strike action. The members will walk out on Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 February…Use our e-action to ask your MP to write to Sadiq Khan to ask him to resolve the dispute read more
Write to your MP to oppose DfE office closures (18 Feb) – Six offices of the Department for Education are earmarked for closure, impacting over 350 staff. The DfE plans to close offices in Croydon, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle, Peterborough and Watford. At the same time it is refusing to consider proposals for increased homeworking or hybrid flexibility measures that could help avoid compulsory redundancies and reduce the impact on staff. Many of the affected buildings are government offices that will remain open for other departments, meaning that withdrawing DfE staff will not necessarily generate savings for the public purse. Use our e-action to ask your MP to write to the minister about the office closures. PCS members are taking part in a consultative ballot over the office closure plans, the potential job cuts and the current arbitrary office attendance rules. The ballot closes on 11 March 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
Public services reps meet to discuss pay strategy (17 Apr) – Prospect representatives from across the public services sector met in London this week to coordinate strategy on delegated pay negotiations and key sector issues read more
AWE members turn out for strike action over shambolic restructure (12 Mar) – Prospect members working at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) went on strike today, Thursday 12 March, over a shambolic and botched restructure programme, where the senior management have failed to consult properly with staff. There was a strong and highly visible union presence at several of the entrance gates at the main AWE site at Aldermaston and there was also a vibrant picket line at the Burghfield site read more
FDA
Never again: Civil Service Pensions Scheme crisis (16 Apr) – Following the unacceptable issues arising from the civil service pension scheme transfer to Capita, Adrian Prandle outlines the FDA’s ongoing work to ensure members get the support they need as quickly as possible read more
GMB
Key industries disgracefully ignored by competitiveness scheme (16 Apr) – GMB Union says members in world famous manufacturing sectors are ‘sickened at the lack of support’ in the Government’s British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, announced today [Thursday] read more
Uber must help UK drivers with fuel crisis (15 Apr) – Uber must help UK drivers with the fuels crisis in the same way the company has offered a relief package to its drivers in Australia, GMB has said. Drivers for the ridesharing giant in Australia are now being paid an extra 5 cents per kilometre, it has been announced. GMB Union has twice called on Uber and other operators for similar help for UK drivers, but has so far not received a positive response read more
Liberty Steel preferred bidder must safeguard future (15 Apr) – GMB Union has responded to a preferred bidder being chosen to buy Liberty Steel read more
Historic Royal Palaces accused of ‘towering insult’ over below-inflation pay offer (15 Apr) – GMB Union has criticised Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which manages the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, after workers rejected a below-inflation cost of living increase. Around 1,000 staff work across the two sites, which between them attract roughly 3.6 million visitors a year. Employees have been subjected to years of sub-inflationary cost of living increases, in addition to reduced headcounts, recruitment freezes, role changes, increased workloads, and the removal of allowances and bonuses read more
Dartford bin workers vote for strike action (15 Apr) – Operatives and Drivers working for FCC reject their employer’s low pay offer. GMB members working on FCC Environment’s refuse contract in Dartford have voted in favour of industrial action after rejecting the company’s low pay offer. The industrial action ballot closed at noon on Monday 13 April and on a turnout of 72 per cent, 75 per cent voted in favour of industrial action. Although FCC slightly revised its latest pay offer, it did not go far enough to meet members expectations or bring pay into line with comparable contracts. Talks between GMB and FCC are due to take place this week read more
Brighton Pavilion to be rocked by second day of strike action (14 Apr) – Buildings and collections may face closure as staff walk out over terms and conditions proposal. GMB members within the Brighton Pavilion and Museums Trust will tomorrow take their second day of strike action against a proposal to remove them from National Joint Council (NJC) contracts. The members were outsourced from Brighton & Hove City Council in 2020 but retained their local government contracts, including access to pay, annual leave and other contractual rights. Trust management have this year instructed staff to sign new contracts which will pull them out from the NJC terms package and leave them vulnerable to contractual changes. This second day of action follows a successful strike day on Saturday 4 April read more
Thurrock Council caretakers protest over ‘disrespectful’ downgrading plans (9 Apr) – Thurrock Council caretakers are today [Thursday 9 April] staging a protest over a proposal by the council to downgrade their roles. The workers, who are represented by GMB Union, are furious about the council’s plans to downgrade around 50 caretaker roles by one band, which could result in average salary reductions of around £2,000. The caretakers involved clean and maintain properties across the council’s housing estate, including removing graffiti, clearing litter, and ensuring fire, health, and safety measures are in place. The council is under intense financial pressure after a series of failed solar farm investments, with estimated debts of £1.4 billon read more
Strike ballot opens at Crane Building Services and Utilities (8 Apr) – More than a hundred workers at Hitchin-based Crane Building Services and Utilities (BS&U) will today [8 April] begin voting in a formal industrial action ballot in an ongoing dispute over pay. The ballot, which is organised by GMB Union and closes on Wednesday 22 April, will determine whether members take strike action after months of pay negotiations failed to secure a fair offer. Workers have raised serious concerns that the company is refusing to recognise the skill involved in their roles and maintain appropriate pay differentials, with the latest offer rejected by 81 per cent of members. Angry workers have accused Crane BS&U of ‘flushing their core values down the drain.’ Any strike action would effectively shut down the company’s operations in Hitchin read more
GMB responds to council workers (24 Mar) – GMB Union has responded to the pay offer of 3.3 per cent for more than one million council employees and school support staff read more
Cadent gas workers announce strike days (24 Mar) – GMB members at Cadent Gas will walk out for six days as a dispute over excessive weekend working intensifies. Dozens of staff in the North West will strike on the following dates:-
Saturday 4 April, Sunday 5 April, Monday 6 April, Friday 10 April, Friday 17 April, Friday 24 April. Frontline staff say they are regularly required to work more than half of all weekends, leaving little opportunity for proper family time, rest days or holidays. Despite repeated warnings from workers Cadent management, who do not work weekends, continue to insist the current rota is ‘reasonable’. Workers are calling for a modest improvement: reducing their weekend commitments by just one weekend a year read more
Shell Bacton Gas Terminal workers vote to renew strike action (20 Mar) – Altrad employees at the Shell Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk have voted overwhelmingly to continue their pay-related strike action, which entered its sixth month today [20 March]. GMB Union, which is representing the members, recorded 100 per cent vote in favour on a 96 per cent turnout. Altrad employees are currently paid around £1.20 per hour less than workers doing the same jobs at neighbouring terminals. The vote to continue strike action comes after the workers rejected a pay offer from Altrad, which would have seen them enjoy two weeks of pay parity before being paid on average 71p less an hour than their colleagues from April read more
Almost 1,500 cash protection officers ready to strike (19 Mar) – Almost 1,500 cash handlers working for G4S and Loomis are ready to strike over pay. In separate consultative ballots across both companies, more than 90 per cent said they were ready to walk out after bosses announced pay freezes. Almost 95 per cent also rejected the offer, which represents a massive real terms pay cut in the face of rising inflation. GMB Members working for G4S Cash and Loomis deliver millions of pounds each week across the country to banks and businesses – a dangerous job which leaves them open to attack. If the workers went on strike, ATMs might be left without cash, while airports may run out of foreign currency read more
‘Defiant’ hospital workers plan further protests over pay and sick pay (18 Mar) – Outsourced Lewisham Hospital workers determined to win adequate sick pay and the London Living Wage, says GMB. As part of an ongoing campaign, GMB members at Lewisham Hospital will stage two demonstrations tomorrow [Thursday 19 March]. Domestic, portering and catering staff who have been outsourced to transnational company ISS will protest outside the hospital main entrance at 12noon and then again at 2pm. They are demanding the London Living Wage as well as an adequate sick pay scheme in a GMB campaign, which has already seen them hold three lunchtime demos read more
Net-A-Porter workers in strike vote (6 Mar) – More than 100 workers at the luxury retailer’s Charlton warehouse will vote on whether to walk out over the broken promise. Net-A-Porter – which sells high end goods including a £9,000 bag, £14,000 dress and a £158,000 necklace – promised to pay the London Living Wage in 2021 but has now offered workers significantly less. Under current proposals the lowest paid staff will receive £14.41 per hour. Meanwhile the designer store just completed a redundancy process in which many workers who volunteered to leave were refused because they were considered ‘too valuable’ to the business read more
Docker strike hits petroleum giant (6 Mar) – GMB union has today announced that workers at Immingham based petroleum contractor Briggs Marine will take strike action next week. The industrial action will begin on Monday 9 March with nearly fifty workers expected to take part. The dispute comes after company bosses were accused of dismissing employees outside of due process, with the union labelling the process ‘a disgrace.’ Workers at the Briggs Marine site at Immingham Docks operate one of the UK’s largest petroleum product terminals, handling imports and exports of vital fuels from across the world read more
Cumbria packing workers in strike vote (4 Mar) – Workers at a Cumbrian packaging firm will now be balloted for industrial action after conciliation talks through ACAS failed to make progress on pay. More than 100 production workers at Futamura, in Wigton, have rejected the company’s 1.2 per cent offer, insisting it falls far short of an inflation‑linked rise. Members say the offer amounts to a real‑terms pay cut. Two further proposals made by the company were also rejected, as they required workers to self‑fund any increase through severe cuts to sick pay, alongside discussion of potential ‘affordable redundancies.’ GMB represents production workers, alongside wider teams of office staff, team leaders, engineers and electricians employed at the site read more
Strike at Shard and Everton stadium steel firm (12 Feb) – More than 100 workers are set to strike at the UK’s largest structural steel contractor. Staff at Severfield Plc’s site in Bolton, will walk out after being offered a 0 per cent ‘pay rise’ by bosses. More than 90% of GMB members, working as welders, platers and machine operators, voted in favour of strike action at the company’s Lostock site. The company, which has provided the steel work for iconic projects like the Shard and the new Everton stadium, says it suffered a loss and won’t provide a pay rise. GMB members have been conducting an overtime ban this week, and will start with one full day of strike action on Monday 16 February, followed by two full days of strike action on Monday 23 February and Tuesday 24 February read more
Strike vote at Bridgend insulation firm (12 Feb) – Workers at a Bridgend insulation firm have begun voting on strike action. More than 100 workers at Rockwool Limited will take part in the ballot after bosses cut pay and forced staff to work on bank holidays. The ballot closes on 2 March 2026 read more
Merton school support staff balloted for strike action (9 Feb) – Staff are losing around a thousand pounds every year and are sick of waiting. GMB members working as school support staff within London Borough of Merton will be balloted for strike action over a long-standing pay discrepancy. TAs and school support staff within LB Merton receive London Weighting at the Outer London rate, while their teacher colleagues in the same schools receive the higher Inner London rate – a difference of £1400 per year on average. Despite members having submitted a petition of more than 500 signatures last year, discussions with the Labour local authority to find a resolution to this problem have now broken down. The ballot will open on 27 February with any action to take place in the run up to the upcoming local elections in May, in which Labour Councillors will be up for re-election read more
Hula-Hoops and Pom Bears workers vote to strike (6 Feb) – Workers making Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, Pom‑Bears and Discos have voted to strike. Dozens of staff at KP Snacks’ site in Billingham, Country Durham, voted to walk out in a dispute over additional duties imposed without extra pay or proper consultation. Bosses have cut process workers in crisps and snacks to a single break per shift. Workers have also raised concerns that operational changes have compromised safety, including leaving heat exchangers running during breaks without proper supervision. GMB Union will now meet with members to discuss strike dates – any industrial action could disrupt the supply of popular snack brands, including Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, Pom‑Bears and Discos read more
Hundreds of Barnsley Hospital workers ready to strike (5 Feb) – Hundreds of workers at Barnsley NHS Trust have said they are ready to strike after bosses threatened them with fire and rehire. More than 600 workers took part in a consultative ballot – with 97 per cent voting in favour to taking strike action, on a turnout of more than 76 per cent. The trust wants to impose new contracts upon thousands of staff, including nurses, technicians and clerical workers, removing their right to a paid twenty-minute shift break. GMB has now lodged a formal dispute with the trust and will meet with reps to discuss next steps – including a full strike ballot – if the trust does not back down 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
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
University of Gloucestershire workers to walk out in pay dispute (16 Apr) – “Universities can’t hide behind national bargaining when staff are struggling. They should be using their voice to push for a fair deal”. Support staff at the University of Gloucestershire will take strike action today (Thursday) after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer of just 1.4%, says UNISON. Library assistants, administrators, IT workers and other support staff are taking action because the proposed increase fails to reflect the rising cost of living and follows years of pay deals that have lagged behind inflation, says the union read more
The pickets will be held as follows:-
- 16th April – Oxstalls (Main entrance) – 08:30-11:00
- 21st April – FCH (Swindon Road entrance) – 08:30-11:00
- 22nd April – Park (Entrance opposite Tivoli Road) – 08:30-11:00
University of Bristol staff begin three-day strike over pay (14 Apr) – “A pay rise of 1.4% is nowhere near enough when rents, food and energy bills continue to soar” read more
More than 20,000 NHS posts to be axed over £1.1bn budget deficit (13 Apr) – Extensive UNISON research shows scale of cuts. Thousands of NHS staff at health trusts across England are to lose their jobs as deficit-hit employers struggle to balance their books, new research by UNISON finds today (Monday). At least 21,000 roles are due to be cut by 2028 in hospitals and other health facilities, according to a major data-gathering exercise by the union. The union’s new report, Less Fit for the Future, shows NHS providers ran up a combined deficit of more than £1.1bn last year read more
Police staff pay claim 2026 (10 Apr) – Unions submit 2026 pay claim on behalf of police staff members in England and Wales read more
Further strike at Leeds Conservatoire this week (25 Mar) – Support staff at a leading music education institute in Leeds are set to walk out on Friday (27 March) in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. Workers at Leeds Conservatoire, including performance assistants and studio technicians, staged a two-day walkout last month unhappy at what they say are broken promises over pay and holidays. Following a restructure three years ago, many employees were transferred out of direct employment by the conservatoire to provider Luminate Education Group. UNISON says this resulted in some staff receiving lower pay and fewer holidays. Those remaining on Leeds Conservatoire contracts were told their pay would match that of staff transferred to Luminate. However, they’ve received worse pay offers and have less annual leave read more
School support workers vote overwhelmingly to strike in support of victimised trade union rep (20 Mar) – UNISON members at Ash Field Academy, a SEND school in Evington, Leicester, have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action to demand the reinstatement of their elected representative. In a formal industrial action ballot which closed on 18th March, 87% of voting members supported strike action over the suspension of their workplace steward, Tom Barker – who has been suspended since October 2025 – and the attack this represents on their trade union rights. The turnout easily cleared the legal 50% participation threshold. For more than four months, UNISON’s Leicester City branch has been campaigning for Tom’s reinstatement. Discovery Schools Academy Trust (“DSAT”), the multi-academy trust which runs the school, claims that they are still investigating his case – though they have changed the allegations they claim to be investigating since the initial suspension. More than 400 trade unionists, including the UNISON’s new General Secretary Andrea Egan and prominent MP Zarah Sultana, have signed an open letter demanding Tom’s reinstatement read more
KCL: Strike action: 25 & 26 March 2026 – This year’s pay offer of just 1.4% is the lowest offer of all public sector areas. We balloted our members on this offer, and 89% of participating members voted to strike. We are now calling for further strike action for the pay deal KCL workers deserve read more
NHS pay rise improvement talks are vital, say unions (17 Mar) – Staff crisis will continue to grow without restructure progress. The government must improve on its inadequate 3.3% pay rise for NHS staff by putting significant extra funding into long-delayed pay restructure talks or the workforce crisis will continue to grow, health unions say today (Tuesday). In a joint letter to health secretary Wes Streeting, they warn the pay award fails to keep pace with the cost of living, won’t repair years of lost pay and doesn’t address lower rises for those on Agenda for Change contracts than other groups. Staff are angry and feel deeply let down after years of falling wages and relentless pressure, say the 14 unions representing more than a million health workers. They point out that by relying on the discredited NHS Pay Review Body process rather than negotiating directly with unions, ministers have wasted an opportunity to deal with headline pay awards and much-needed reform of the pay structure at the same time through comprehensive talks. The 2026/27 headline rise will be imposed in a fortnight (on 1 April), with negotiations to follow on structural fixes, which would mean additional rises for some staff if a deal is reached. But unions say those talks were promised more than 18 months ago and the ongoing delay has wrecked trust read more
Sign this petition: To: Northern Care Alliance – Our Skills Don’t Pay The Bills!
Critical Care NHS workers striking after Greater Manchester’s Northern Care Alliance cuts pay. NHS staff working at Salford Royal, Royal Oldham and Fairfield Hospital, Bury are in dispute with Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust after the trust decided to cut their pay when they undertake overtime to cover staff shortages. The Trust fails to pay overtime in line with their terms and conditions of employment, NHS Agenda for Change. NCA have engaged an alternative private employer, ’NHS Professionals’, to cover shifts which means staff that assist the Trust in covering staff shortages are now seeing a significant drop in pay as well as being able to avoid employer pension contributions. NHS Professionals last year posted pre tax profits of a staggering £11.4M. Critical Care units across the Trust which cover Salford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury are heavily reliant on covering shifts to meet safe staffing requirements or critically ill patients. The specialist nature of the care required in critical care means most shifts are picked up by staff already working on the unit. UNISON members are calling on the Trust to be given the right to choose whether to work the shift as Overtime or NHSP Bank rates. This choice would allow staff to be paid the correct pay for the crucial duties they are undertaking and no less for additional work they carry out whilst also being able to contribute to their pension. The worrying reliance on a private entity in the NHS is forcing UNISON members into financial hardship. A UNISON member said “I’m a highly trained and skilled clinical professional and I literally keep people alive. NCA has reduced my pay by £10 an hour for our extra hours rates that we rely on and I’m now struggling to make ends meet at home”. After over a year of trying to resolve this issue with the Trust UNISON members have now voted 98% in favour of strike action support striking workers
Defend Ameen Hadi and Salford City UNISON against the Far Right sign petition – ‘We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with trade unionist and lifelong anti racist campaigner Ameen Hadi. He has been placed under investigation by Salford City Council, following a malicious allegation, driven by far right YouTubers and Fascist Tommy Robinson, after a TOGETHER unity rally in Manchester on International Women’s Day’
Reinstate Connor UNISON Newham libraries rep! Connor is a UNISON Steward at Newham Council, East London. He works in libraries, and was suspended from work on 18 Feb 2026 following his participation in the ‘Save Newham Libraries’ public campaign. Save Newham Libraries is a community campaign setup to stop the Council slashing the libraries budget by 50%, with closures, staff cuts, and service reductions for residents threatened Sign this open letter
Mining museum bosses’ refusal to come clean over finances is prolonging strikes (19 Feb) – Managers’ failure to come clean over finances at the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield is prolonging a long-running pay dispute. The union says it has repeatedly asked for clarity on the museum’s financial position in an effort to find a solution that suits all parties. Staff, who’ve been on strike since mid-August, submitted six questions to the museum last month, following a pledge from bosses that these would be answered. However, no response has been provided and UNISON says it hasn’t received any correspondence from the museum since then. The refusal to answer questions after encouraging workers to submit them is another bizarre move from chief executive Lynn Dunning. Dunning has previously called the police to a picket line, spent tens of thousands of pounds on private security and attempted to include a clause in a pay offer which would’ve seen staff disciplined when they returned to work read more
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 walk out for further strikes next week (12 Feb) – Low-paid NHS staff working in operating theatres across Leeds will be on strike next week in their ongoing pay dispute. Theatre assistants, who are on the lowest grade in the NHS, will walk out for five days on Monday (16 February). They want to be regraded and paid properly for the extra duties they say they’re now carrying out, and compensated for the extra work they’ve already done. They’re required to carry out crucial clinical work, such as establishing sterile environments, collecting samples and assisting with complex machinery. Staff, who work at three sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, went on strike for five days earlier this month, as well as for 48 hours in December. UNISON says the trust’s refusal to pay staff fairly is out of line with other hospital trusts across the region, and around the country. Since 2021, over 100 NHS trusts and health boards in England and Wales have agreed deals on regrading and back pay worth £250m for over 65,000 healthcare support workers. This includes a deal at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, which was overseen by the current interim chief executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Brendan Brown read more
NHS pay award will leave staff angry, says UNISON (12 Feb) – Below-inflation rise means staff are expected to deliver more for less. Commenting on the 3.3% wage rise announced today (Thursday) for most NHS staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2026/27, UNISON head of health Helga Pile said: “Hard-pressed NHS staff will be downright angry at another below-inflation pay award…” read more
Andrea Egan speaks at rally against university cuts in Southend: The job cuts in Southend are symptomatic of a “growing financial crisis across universities” (6 Feb) – General secretary Andrea Egan (pictured above) joined the crowds of union members at the University of Essex yesterday at a protest against job cuts and the closure of the university’s Southend campus. UNISON is one of three unions fighting back against the university’s plans to cut 400 jobs and close the Southend campus over the summer. It represents the cleaners, student support workers and other non-academic staff affected by the cuts and is in a formal dispute with the university read more
Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City Unison
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
NIPSA Annual Report 2025 ‘For Working Class Unity and a Socialist Economy’ is now available to download here
NIPSA Response to Executive Agreement on Home‑Heating Oil Support (17 Apr) – Northern Ireland Public Sector Alliance (NIPSA) has today acknowledged the Northern Ireland Executive’s agreement of a £36.4 million support package for home‑heating oil users, recognising that it reflects the seriousness of the fuel cost crisis facing households. Patrick Mulholland, Deputy General Secretary of NIPSA, said: “The Executive’s recognition that rising fuel costs require emergency intervention is welcome, but this crisis does not stop at the front door of people’s homes. Workers across Northern Ireland are facing escalating costs simply to get to work or carry out their duties, and far too many are absorbing those costs themselves. Meaningful support must extend beyond domestic heating and reach everyone who has no choice but to rely on fuel to work.”read more
Fuel Crisis: Urgent Action Sought (15 Apr) – NIPSA has formally written to the Health Minister to raise serious concerns about the ongoing fuel crisis and its devastating impact on our members, particularly those working in domiciliary care and other essential frontline roles. In our correspondence, we highlighted the stark reality facing many members who are being forced to choose between putting fuel in their cars to attend work or putting food on the table. With fuel costs having increased significantly and average fuel bills for some workers rising by as much as 50%, many are now experiencing in-work poverty, despite delivering critical services. We made clear that the current mileage reimbursement rates are no longer fit for purpose, as they are based on outdated fuel prices. In real terms, this has resulted in a pay cut for staff, who are effectively subsidising the delivery of Health and Social Care services. The situation is further compounded by delays of up to six weeks in receiving expense payments read more
NIPSA calls on Executive for Urgent Action on Fuel Costs (13 Apr) – Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) Leadership met this morning to discuss the deepening cost‑of‑living crisis and the escalating fuel costs facing civil servants and wider public service workers. Members reiterated the concerns raised in NIPSA’s press statement issued on Friday, noting that growing financial pressures on staff continue to go unaddressed. Rising fuel prices and everyday living costs are placing unsustainable strain on workers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet. Following a review of NIPSA’s engagement with employers, the Executive Committee agreed that progress remains insufficient. As a result, NIPSA is now demanding that the Northern Ireland Executive immediately release funding to the Civil Service and wider public services to enable employers to properly address these costs read more
Massive Fuel Increase Hits Workers Hardest (10 Apr) – Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) has warned that the fuel crisis is placing intense pressure on workers, particularly lower‑ and middle‑income earners and those with limited access to public transport. Fuel prices in Northern Ireland have risen faster than anywhere else in the UK, with some of the steepest increases seen anywhere in Europe. Since the end of February, petrol prices have increased by 19%, while diesel prices have risen by 35%. The cost of filling a standard 50‑litre tank now averages £75 for petrol and £91 for diesel, compared with £63 and £67 respectively just weeks ago. NIPSA says these increases are having an immediate and severe impact on workers’ ability to get to and from work. With disruption being discussed in Belfast in response to rising fuel costs, NIPSA has stressed the need for urgent action to ease pressure on workers and prevent further strain on workplaces and public services 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
BMA
Doctors in Northern Ireland to vote on strike action (21 Apr) – Doctors in Northern Ireland will vote on whether to take strike action in response to an unacceptable offer on pay, in a ballot opening next month read more
GPs vote to reject contract changes (1 Apr) – GPC England considers next steps after referendum result reveals overwhelming opposition to Government proposed contract changes read more
Secondary care doctors prepare for strike ballot (31 Mar) – Consultants and SAS doctors in England respond to ‘inadequate’ pay award read more
GPs vote to reject contract changes (26 Mar) – GPC England considers next steps after ballot result reveals overwhelming opposition to Government proposed contract changes. GPs across England have roundly rejected contract changes set to be imposed from next month, with the BMA calling on the Government to return to negotiations. More than 16,000 GPs and GP registrars voted to oppose the planned changes to the GMS and PMS GP practice contracts for 2026-27, following the outcome of a ballot released today [26 March]. The ballot, which was launched last month following the abrupt release of contract reform proposals by the Government, saw 98.9 per cent of those participating vote against the changes, with the vote having a turnout of 55 per cent. Under the terms of the contract, which is set to be imposed from 1 April, the BMA has warned that GPs would effectively be required to ‘more with less’ by having to provide a range of enhanced services read more
New resident doctor strike dates announced (25 Mar) – Resident doctors in England are set to strike from next month following the BMA’s rejection of an offer on jobs and pay put forward by the Government. Resident doctors in England are set to strike from next month following the BMA’s rejection of an offer on jobs and pay put forward by the Government. The association’s resident doctors committee voted to reject the offer yesterday [24 March], accusing the Government of ‘moving the goalposts’ on the pay element of the deal. The offer had included commitments to reforming the structure of pay scale nodal points and pay uplifts for doctors successful completing their ARCP (annual review of competence progression). However, RDC negotiators said that, at the last moment, the Government had opted to reduce the value of the original investment on the pay element of the offer and stretch this over a period of three years. In response, the RDC has today [25 March] confirmed that doctors will stage a six-day walkout from 7 April until 13 April. This announcement comes as the DDRB (Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration) 2026/27 pay recommendations have proposed a 3.5 per cent increase for all doctors, below the RPI (retail price index) measure of inflation which stands at 3.6 per cent read more
Government offers doctors in England below-inflation pay award (25 Mar) – The Government has announced a pay award of 3.5 per cent for doctors in England, below RPI inflation levels, following a recommendation from the doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body (DDRB). The BMA says this will be a ‘crushing blow’ to doctors in England and will ‘dash any hope’ that the Government is prepared to properly recognise a profession that is ‘burning out’ read more
NEU
Results of NEU indicative ballots on pay, funding and workload (17 Apr) – Two indicative ballots of NEU members have now closed. Teacher and support staff members working in state schools in England were consulted online in separate ballots between 28 February and 17 April 2026. Teacher and leader members of the National Education Union (NEU) have voted to reject the government’s proposed unfunded pay offer of 6.5 per cent over three years. Teachers, leaders and support staff in England all indicated their willingness to take strike action not only over pay, but also funding and workload…The national executive will meet next month to determine the next stepsread more
Support the strikes:-
- Children’s Hospital School at Great Ormond Street and UCH / Camden (Conditions of Service) 20-21 April. NEU contact: Megan Quinn [email protected]
- Connaught School for Girls / Waltham Forest (Conditions of Service) 21-24 April. NEU contacts: Pablo Phillips [email protected], Mallainee Martin [email protected]
- Haydon Bridge Northumberland (Behaviour Policy/Health & Safety) 21-23 April. NEU contact: Sean Kelly [email protected]
- Llantwit Manor High School / Vale of Glamorgan 23 April. NEU contact: Mairead Canavan [email protected]
- Penhurst Primary School / East Riding (Redundancies) 22 April. NEU contact: Steve Scott [email protected], Damian Walenta [email protected]
- Royal Alexander & Albert School / Surrey (Redundancies & Restructure) 21 April. NEU contact: Leslie Jackson [email protected]
- SGS Forest High School / Gloucestershire (Support Staff Pay/Pay Freezes) 21-23 April. NEU contact: Dave Hampson [email protected]
- St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Mat Schools / City of Derby – Holy Rosary, The Priory, St Benedict, St Joseph’s Derby, St Elizabeth’s, St Thomas More, St Alban’s (Redundancies) 21-22 April. NEU contact: David Boulter [email protected]
NASUWT
Healthy menus mean nothing if children are too hungry to learn (13 Apr) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union is today warning that moves to make school meals healthier, while welcome, will not address the scale of hunger faced by many pupils across the country. Under Government proposals, deep‑fried foods will be removed from school menus and items such as pizza slices and sausage rolls will be restricted in a bid to improve children’s health. While the Union welcomes efforts to improve nutritional standards, the measures don’t do anything to help the number of children arriving at school hungry read more
Teachers could strike unless urgent improvements are made to education (3 Apr) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have passed a motion at their 2026 Annual Conference to allow a ballot for national strike action if their calls for change are not met by the government. Teachers report a, “vicious cycle of decline” in education funding and teachers’ working conditions, leading to overstretched schools, overworked staff, and a recruitment and retention crisis that sees half of all teachers leave the profession within ten years of qualifying read more
Glamorgan teachers walk out over continued threats to their welfare (25 Mar) – Teachers at Llantwit Major School in the Vale of Glamorgan will take the first of four planned days of strike action on Thursday 26 March. Despite over a year of union negotiations, members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at the school have rapidly worsening concerns over workload, pupil behaviour, and their own health, safety and welfare. A Central South Consortium review of the school in September 2024 highlighted serious issues with pupil behaviour that teachers feel have not been resolved. The school has failed to implement an effective behaviour policy that keeps staff and pupils safe, meaning that pupils who physically assault and verbally abuse their teachers are kept at school, creating health and safety risks. School leaders continue to ask teachers to complete tasks that are not included in their contracted working time. This includes contact time with pupils such as teaching during form time read more
Job cuts threat prompts strike action at Nottingham and Lincolnshire schools (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary Academy in Nottingham and Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary School in Sleaford are due to begin two days of strike action tomorrow (24th March) over proposed job cuts which they believe would seriously affect the quality of education and support provided to pupils. The Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs both schools, is planning to reduce the number of teaching jobs across the Trust. The proposed staffing cuts equate to 2.5 members of staff at Our Lady of Good Counsel and 1.03 at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. This is on top of planned cuts to teaching assistant posts and some voluntary staff redundancies. The Trust has cited financial pressures as the reason for proposing these staffing cuts, however financial data shows that in August 2025 the Trust had reserves of £5.69 million. Strike action is planned for the 24th and 25th March. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between approximately 8am and 9am read more
Further strike action at Stockport school over continued threat to jobs (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Stockport are taking two further days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday as a result of the failure of the employer to engage meaningfully over planned job cuts. NASUWT teachers have already taken three days of strike action over the last two weeks over plans by the St Ralph Sherwin Multi-Academy Trust, which runs the school, to cut one full-time equivalent teaching post, reduce six hours from the admin assistant role and cut ten Kids Club administration hours. The Trust has not responded to NASUWT requests for further negotiations since before the start of strike action on 12th March. The Trust’s failure to engage with us has made further strike action necessary. The Trust has cited financial pressures as the reason for proposing staffing cuts, however the Union does not believe that these planned reductions in staffing will solve the significant financial issues being experienced by the Trust and believes that stronger financial management and accountability are needed. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between approximately 7.45am and 9am read more
Further strike action at Hexham school over continuing failure to address behaviour management (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Haydon Bridge High School in Hexham will be taking the first of 12 planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over the continuing failure of school management to put in place an effective pupil behaviour management system. NASUWT teachers at Haydon Bridge took strike action in December over a lack of action to deal with poor pupil behaviour. Further action was suspended to allow school management to implement a new behaviour policy and measures to tackle disruptive behaviour. However, several months on and there has been no improvement, leaving NASUWT with no choice than to take further strike action. NASUWT teachers will take strike action on 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st March and 1st, 2nd, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th and 30th April. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school tomorrow (Tuesday 24th) and on April 1st between approximately 8am and 8.45am. This action excludes year 10, 11 and 13 examination classes. NASUWT members will attend work and teach these lessons only read more
Fire and rehire threat prompts strike action at Westminster school (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Arnold House School in St John’s Wood are due to take strike action tomorrow (24th March) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension and their pay. Teachers being threatened with fire and rehire if they do not agree to either withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and be enrolled in an inferior pension scheme, or to give up some of their pay through salary sacrifice in order to remain in the TPS. The school is already in phased withdrawal from the TPS, but existing members of the scheme had been assured by school management at the time that decision was taken that they could remain in the TPS. There was no suggestion at that time that they would have to sacrifice any of their pay in order to do so. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school between approximately 7.45am and 9am read more
Abergele teachers strike over culture of bullying and intimidation (6 Mar) – On Monday 9th March, teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan will take a day of strike action in protest of the continuous bullying and intimidation they face from the school’s leadership team. NASUWT Cymru has had concerns about the wellbeing of members at the school for a long time. Following a rushed restructure where management positions were removed but management work was not, teachers experienced increased workloads and problems with school systems and policies. When they raised concerns, they were penalised by senior leaders. The union has tried to work with leaders to resolve these issues but does not believe that the restructuring consultation was meaningful. Progress made at meetings does not seem to be translated to the workplace read more
Job changes prompt strike action by Kent teachers (4 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union working for Specialist Teaching and Learning Services (STLS) at Kent County Council began five days of strike action today over fundamental changes to their job roles which are undermining their ability to provide high-quality support for schools and pupils with disabilities and special needs. Teachers working for STLS work with schools to provide education support services for children and young people across Kent with disabilities or complex needs. Last September the council took control of STLS and made significant changes to job roles, effectively removing STLS teachers from working directly within schools. Strike action is planned for 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th March read more
Unsafe working environment prompts strike action at Rochdale schools (24 Feb) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at St Cuthbert’s RC High School in Rochdale began nine days of strike action over the failure of the trust leadership to provide adequate staffing and resources and to put in place systems to address violent and abusive behaviour from some pupils. The Union believes that St Teresa of Calcutta Academy Trust has failed to invest in and maintain the school, resulting in an unsafe and chaotic working environment for staff, which has resulted in volatile and violent behaviour, unsustainable levels of workload, high levels of staff absence, and working conditions that are impeding teachers’ ability to deliver for pupils. Teachers have been hit, shoved, grabbed, sworn at, threatened and slammed with doors. Pupils have smashed windows, overturned tables and kicked doors open. Teachers have had to receive hospital treatment for their injuries in some cases. Members believe that the school has been stripped of staff and resources since it became part of St Theresa of Calcutta Academy Trust and that this has contributed to the turmoil at the school. There has been an overall reduction of more than 20 members of staff which is driving up workloads for remaining staff and leaving important roles unfilled, further exacerbating challenges in managing pupil behaviour and meeting pupils’ needs. Funding for educational equipment and resources has dwindled to the point where members report that even basics such as books and pens are in short supply. Strike action is planned for 24th, 25th and 26th February, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th March. The NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between 8am and 8.45am read more
Tewkesbury teachers taking further strike action over behaviour management (19 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Tewkesbury Academy in Gloucestershire will take further strike action from next Monday (23rd February) over the continued failure of school management to address abusive and disruptive behaviour from a minority of students. Despite two meetings since strike action started on 4th February with representatives from the Cabot Learning Federation, which runs the school, no significant progress has been made towards addressing the concerns of teachers. Therefore the NASUWT has had no choice but to notify the employer of nine further days of strike action. Strike action is scheduled for 23rd, 24th and 25th February, 4th, 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th and 13th March. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school between approximately 7am and 9.30am on each day of strike action read more
EIS
More City of Glasgow College strike days issued, strike pay boosted for the welding lecturers (2 Apr) – Striking lecturers from the City of Glasgow College (CoGC) Welding and Fabrication department are to continue with their programme of strike action in their ongoing dispute over the Health & Safety of staff and students within the department. The EIS has today (Thursday) issued formal notice of 12 further days of strike action in the coming weeks. The lecturers are currently engaged in a programme of strike action over Health and Safety issues in the department at the college’s Riverside campus, including the lack of adequate safety measures to protect staff and students from welding fumes, which are known to be carcinogenic. In a display of its continuing support for its members, the EIS has agreed that the striking lecturers will now qualify for full strike pay, equivalent to their normal net rate of pay, for future strike days read more
Agreement on Teacher Workload Dispute Reached – All Industrial Action Suspended (13 Mar) – The EIS has announced that it is suspending all planned industrial action over teacher workload, following an agreement being reached between the EIS, Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA). A draft agreement, approved earlier this week by both the EIS and Scottish Government, was also approved by COSLA leaders at a meeting earlier today. The draft agreement, as approved by all three sides, will now pass to the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) for formal approval and implementation. The agreement will deliver the promised 90-minute per week reduction in the maximum class contact time for teachers as a means to tackling excessive teacher workload and to provide more time for teachers to undertake important areas of activity such as the preparation and correction of pupil work read more
ENU Lecturers to take Fourth Day of Strike Action, with no Further Movement on Job Security (20 Feb) – Lecturing staff at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) are taking their fourth day of strike, demonstrating their determination to protect jobs and oppose any move by the university to seek compulsory redundancies. Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) will be picketing again today and next week, maintaining their presence at the university’s three campuses. The continuing strike action highlights the concern among staff regarding the potential impact of the planned cuts on their and their colleagues’ jobs as well as on academic provision for students read more
INTO
Unions challenge business opposition to Good Jobs Bill (13 Apr) – Trade unions have criticised calls from business lobby groups urging the Economy Minister to abandon or delay the Good Jobs Bill, describing the intervention as misguided and lacking evidence. The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC‑ICTU) said the legislation represents the most significant update to employment law in a generation and has been in development for more than two years, with extensive consultation involving employers and trade unions. NIC‑ICTU highlighted strong cross‑party public support for the proposed reforms, including action on insecure work, exploitative zero‑hours contracts, reasonable notice of shift changes, and access to trade unions in the workplace. The union body argued that many employers already meet these standards and warned that delaying the Bill would only benefit bad employers who undercut good practice. Unions have called on the Assembly and Executive to show political leadership by progressing the legislation and delivering long‑promised improvements to workers’ rights and working conditions across Northern Ireland read more
UCU
UCU Stop the Cuts campaign
Sign petition against the education cuts
New free speech rule shows Labour happy to take money from universities but won’t help those in financial pain, says UCU (20 Apr) – Responding to the announcement of the new university free speech complaints system, UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Labour seems all too willing to intervene to take money away from universities, but refuses to step in and help when universities face financial pain. We have big concerns over how the Office for Students, which was often wielded as a political cudgel by the previous Conservative government, will use its powers and whether they will be applied fairly…” read more
Statement on Ulster University job cuts (16 Apr) – The shocking announcement to cut 450 jobs at Ulster University is unprecedented and represents a direct threat to the quality of education, respect for staff, desires and ambitions of students and the long-term future of our institution. Staff already work under sustained pressure, with rising workloads and impossible demands. Imposing redundancies on this scale is deeply alarming and unsustainable. Removing hundreds of staff will fundamentally damage the student experience and weaken academic provision. Our members deserve full transparency, genuine consultation, in line with legal obligations, as well as the opportunity to challenge the assumptions underpinning these decisions. Any process that falls short of this will be robustly contested and our members will not be afraid to take action to challenge these decisions. We are also clear: compulsory redundancies will be strongly resisted. This is not just about jobs; it is about protecting the integrity of higher education in Northern Ireland. Ulster University plays a critical civic role, and decisions of this magnitude if forced through would have far-reaching detrimental consequences for students, local communities, and the wider regional economy read more
Sheffield University censured by UK academic community as it continues attacking staff (15 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) today announced the formal censure of the University of Sheffield by the UK academic community. The union’s move comes in response to Sheffield management’s unnecessary and damaging series of ‘restructures’, their cynical punishment of striking staff, and a refusal to meaningfully negotiate with union representatives read more
Marking boycott looms at Goldsmiths over £20m of cuts to staff (14 Apr) – Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, have overwhelmingly voted for industrial action in a fight to protect jobs, UCU announced today. In a ballot that closed on Friday 10 April, 92% of UCU members who voted backed taking industrial action, including a potential marking and assessment boycott, on a turnout of 63%. Following the ballot result, at a branch meeting this week, UCU members voted to launch a marking and assessment boycott as soon as legally possible, meaning it could potentially begin later this month. The boycott would see staff stop all summative marking and associated assessment activities and would effectively block students from progressing and graduating until the dispute is settled. The dispute is over plans by the university to make £22m worth of cuts by the end of the next academic year (2026/27). £20m of the cuts would come from staffing, including mass compulsory redundancies. According to its latest accounts, the university spends around £83m on staffing, so the cuts represent almost 25% of its staffing costs, and if split proportionately across the workforce would mean around a quarter of the 1,230 staff facing the axe read more
Ten-day strike at Aberdeen university starts today (13 Apr) – Members of the University and College Union at Aberdeen university begin the first of ten days strike action today in a dispute over job cuts and the threat of compulsory redundancies. The strike comes after staff at the university also walked out for four days last month. Staff are striking today, tomorrow and for another eight days through to May. In total the university will have been disrupted for 14 days this term. The dispute is over plans by managers to cut jobs. The union says that management are also holding back on academic promotions and refusing to rule out using compulsory redundancies despite being repeatedly asked. In the vote authorising the strike members backed strike action by 83% with a 60% turnout. Staff are also taking part in action short of strike including working to contract, not undertaking voluntary duties or covering for absent colleagues read more
Staff back further industrial action at Edinburgh University (1 Apr) – Staff at the University of Edinburgh have backed strike action in the coming year in a ballot over £140million cuts, up to 1,800 job losses, hidden redundancies and meaningful consultation with trade unions. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members at the university, 88% voted to back strike action with a turnout of 55%. 94% of those voting also voted to back action short of strike which could include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and the possibility of a marking and assessment boycott read more
8 days of strikes to hit London Met this month over jobs cull (26 Mar) – Staff at London Metropolitan University will begin eight days of strike action on Wednesday 15 April over plans to sack up to 120 staff, including more than one in five academics. Staff will strike on:-
- week 1: Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April
- week 2: Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 April
- week 3: Monday 27, Tuesday 28 and Thursday 29 April
- Staff will also work to rule from Monday 6 April for up to six months if the dispute remains unresolved. The action comes after a 90% yes vote in a ballot that beat the 50% turnout threshold.
The dispute is over London Met’s plan to restructure every academic school, delete 295 jobs and to axe up to 120 staff through compulsory redundancy by the end of the academic year (Friday 31 July). The cuts primarily impact academics and UCU believes over a fifth would go under the plans read more
Strike vote at Sheffield Hallam over plan to axe pensions (26 Mar) – Staff at Sheffield Hallam will begin voting to take strike action from Tuesday 31 March in a fight to protect their pensions. The ballot will run until Tuesday 5 May read more
Ballot for strike action opens at Glasgow Caledonian University (25 Mar) – A ballot for industrial action opens today at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in a dispute over job cuts and the possible use of compulsory redundancies. UCU members at GCU are being balloted on whether they are willing to take strike action and action short of strike against job losses and the threat of compulsory redundancies. Action short of strike could include working to contract and not covering for absent colleagues. The ballot runs from today until Thursday 23 April. The ballot is being held in response to plans announced by university management to cut up to 100 posts through a targeted voluntary redundancy scheme in response to a predicted deficit of £10million. The university is not currently in deficit. The union says that it wants to work with management to save jobs and find alternative savings but called on senior management at the university to rule out the use of compulsory redundancies. A joint union rally at the university last week saw staff from across the institution and students join together to voice their opposition to the cuts and oppose compulsory redundancies. NUS Scotland also issued a statement of support with university staff across Scotland taking industrial action to oppose cuts and save jobs read more
Strikes escalate at University of Sheffield International College over pay freeze (24 Mar) – Staff are on strike today and Thursday at University of Sheffield International College (USIC) as action escalates in a fight against a pay freeze. UCU’s members have already been on picket lines for five days (Monday 16 February, and Tuesday 10, Thursday 12, Monday 16 and Wednesday 18 March) and will also strike on Monday 30 March, and Wednesday 1 April. A meeting took place yesterday with management representatives from USIC’s owner Study Group and UCU. The union made it clear that members are open to meaningful negotiation to resolve the dispute and end the strike action but no offer was made. An agreement was reached at the end of the meeting to bring in ACAS to try and break the stalemate. Staff are on picket lines each day of strike action [NOTE 1]. The strikes come as management told staff their cost of living pay increase, which had already been delayed by six months, would by 0% for the second year in a row. Despite freezing staff pay CEO Ian Chrichton took home over £600k in 2024, including a bonus of over £195k read more
Strike rally at Northumbria University over “pension theft” & pay freeze as management wastes millions on capital spend (24 Mar) – Northumbria University staff will rally on Wednesday 25 March as they protest management’s attempt to rob them of their pension. The rally takes place on the first of three strike days this week (Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March). Staff will be on picket lines from 9am Wednesday morning before the rally starts . They have already taken twelve days of action since February and will strike for five more in April if management refuses to enter meaningful negotiations to help resolve the dispute. The rally will begin at Newcastle Civic Centre at 12.30pm and attendees will march to Grey’s Monument. Speakers include UCU general secretary Jo Grady, president-elect Dyfrig Jones, as well as reps from Northumbria UCU, sister UCU branches also under attack and sister unions. The dispute is over management’s decision to force staff out of the post-92 university standard pension, the Teacher’s Pension Scheme, by freezing the pay of any staff member who tries to stay in it. The university has now told staff it needs to cut £25 million from university expenditure by the end of the year (December 2026) read more
More strikes loom at University of Essex among redundancy chaos (17 Mar) – University of Essex staff members have backed escalating strike action as they fight to save jobs, student provision and the Southend Campus. The vote comes after the university emailed dozens of staff to tell them their jobs were now safe, only for them to be emailed again three days later and told this was a mistake, and they are still in fact, at risk of redundancy. UCU is pressing the university to confirm how many staff are at risk, as numbers management has set out vary by more than 700 people. During a packed branch meeting last week, Essex UCU members voted to strike as early as next month if management refuses to commence serious negotiations aimed at resolving the dispute. The vote also paves the way for coordinated strike action with professional services staff in Unite and Unison once their ballots close and a potential marking and assessment boycott if the dispute remains unresolved by exam season. Staff returned to the picket line this week as part of 16 days of action throughout February and March. The university originally said it intended to axe 200 academic and 200 professional staff and close the Southend campus, all before the start of the next academic year. Management has now confirmed it has made over £10m of savings – more than half of its target – after staff worked together to reduce their hours and many made the tough decision to take voluntary redundancy read more
Windsor Forest Colleges staff begin two-day strike tomorrow over low pay (16 Mar) – Staff at Windsor Forest Colleges Group will down tools tomorrow and Wednesday after management refused to make a fair pay award. Four colleges across Berkshire and Surrey will be hit by the action: Slough and Langley College, Windsor College, Strode’s College, and the Berkshire College of Agriculture. Staff will be on picket lines each strike day. The strike comes after management refused to make an improved offer at a meeting with UCU on Thursday 5 March and the board of governors refused to meet with the union. Staff had already voted to reject an improved offer of just £500 after they had also rejected an offer of 1.7%. Even with the additional £500, all staff would be paid below the rate recommended by employer body the Association of Colleges (4%) read more
Durham University staff begin industrial action this week (26 Feb) – Staff at Durham University will begin working to rule tomorrow. The start of the action coincides with Trades Union Congress’ (TUC) ‘work your proper hours day’ and will highlight the unbearably high workloads management has forced onto staff after axing hundreds of their colleagues. Working to rule includes strictly adhering to mandated hours, refusing to undertake any voluntary activities, the withdrawing of ‘goodwill’ and refusing to cover for absent colleagues. It will continue for six months, unless management begins meaningful negotiations over unfair workloads, with the potential for a reballot and extended mandate read more
Staff back industrial action in vote at University of Stirling (17 Feb) – Staff at the University of Stirling have today (Tuesday 17 February 2026) backed industrial action in a dispute about job cuts and the failure of management to rule out compulsory redundancies. In the ballot of University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at Stirling university, 80% backed strike action on a turnout of 66%. 88% of those voting additionally said they would be willing to take part in action short of strike which could include not covering for absent colleagues, working to contract or undertaking voluntary activities. Action short of strike could also include a marking an assessment boycott. UCU members in the branch will now decide what action they want to take read more
Heriot-Watt University staff back industrial action (16 Feb) – Workers at Heriot-Watt University have today (Monday 16 February 2026) backed industrial action in a dispute about job cuts and the failure of management to rule out compulsory redundancies. In the ballot of University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at the university, 74% of those voting backed strike action on a turnout of 70%. 87% also said they would be willing to take part in action short of strike which can include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, or undertaking voluntary activities. Following the results of the ballot, UCU members at the university will decide their next steps read more
Staff at New City College vote to strike over trade union victimisation (16 Feb) – Staff at Arbour Square and Tower Hamlets campuses of New City College in east London have overwhelmingly backed strike action in a dispute over the unfair dismissal of a long serving member of staff. An overwhelming 92% of those who voted backed strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 70%. The strike vote comes after Wojtek Dmochowski, a long-standing teacher and UCU branch rep, was unfairly dismissed just before Christmas (2025) after working at the college for over two decades. UCU is calling on the college to reinstate Wojtek and agree clear protocols for dealing with complaints or issues involving union representatives. A website and petition have been launched calling on the college to think again and reinstate Wojtek read more
Truro & Penwith College staff to strike over low pay & high workloads (11 Feb) – Staff at Truro and Penwith College will strike on Monday 23 February in an escalating dispute over low pay and poor working conditions. The union has already called three days of strike action since the start of the year (Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 January) after the college imposed a pay award of just 2%, only half that recommended by employer body the Association of Colleges. The college seems reluctant to engage in committing to agree to implement meaningful blocks of protected time to allow academic staff to properly plan, prepare and assess the work of their students. There was also a mass redundancy programme last year which has seen workloads rocket at a college that already has one of the highest weekly teaching allocations in the region read more
Strikes likely at Strathclyde University as staff vote for industrial action (9 Feb) – Staff at Strathclyde University have backed industrial action in a dispute about job cuts and the failure of management to rule out compulsory redundancies. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members at the university, 80% of those voting backed strike action on a turnout of 58%. 87% also said they would be willing to take part in action short of strike which can include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, or undertaking voluntary activities. Action short of strike could also include a marking an assessment boycott. Following the ballot for industrial action, UCU members at the university will now decide the next steps read more
Southampton Solent strike begins next week in fight over fire & rehire pension attack (3 Feb) – Staff at Southampton Solent University will take two days of strike action beginning next week after management forced staff out of their preferred pension scheme, and threatened to sack all those who refused to exit it. Staff will down tools on Monday 9 February and Tuesday 17 February, with pickets planned at the Spark Building and Michael Andrews Building (both at East Park Terrace, Southampton, SO14 0YN) between 8am and 1pm on both days. An overwhelming 93% of those who voted in the ballot backed strike action on a turnout of 72%. In December (2025) 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 pay less into staff pensions, leaving them poorer. University management told the 286 staff to email HR by “close of business” if they “object to the transfer” and that their employment would then cease immediately. The university has now stated its intention is to also move academic staff out of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme by the end of this academic year read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters defeat “dangerous” cuts to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (14 Apr) – Firefighters in Oxfordshire have successfully forced the withdrawal of plans to cut the county’s fire and rescue service, following months of campaigning by the Fire Brigades Union. The proposals would have seen three fire stations close, six fire engines removed, and at least 42 firefighter jobs cut. The FBU warned that the plans would put public safety at risk. After a sustained campaign involving rallies, public meetings and a consultative ballot for industrial action, the proposals have now been dropped read more Oxfordshire FBU Facebook page
FBU launches national ‘Cuts Kill’ campaign – Our fire and rescue service is stretched to breaking point. The demands on firefighters are rising fast, with climate change creating more extreme wildfires, flooding and severe weather. Yet the service responsible for protecting us is being asked to do more with less. For over a decade, deep cuts have hollowed out the service. Across the country, fire engines are arriving at emergencies without enough crew on board to respond and save lives. Some engines aren’t leaving the fire station at all because there simply aren’t enough firefighters to staff them. Response times are getting longer every year. And in an emergency, every second counts. Cuts kill. Firefighters and communities have raised the alarm repeatedly, but those warnings have been brushed aside while politicians made decisions that stripped vital resources from the frontline. After 14 years of cuts and austerity, it’s time to draw a line in the sand… Join the fight
This fight is for every job, every station and every community. Wherever they try to force through more cuts, we must stand together and push back. Write to your MP and call on them to sign the Early Day Motion demanding investment in the fire and rescue service
To find out more about the campaign go to: https://www.fbu.org.uk/campaigns/cuts-kill
POA
NEC minutes April 2026 read more
General Secretary update read more
National Chair update March 2026 read here
Words are not enough (17 Apr) – Mark Fairhurst National Chair: The General Secretary and I recently held an in-person meeting with the Secretary of State for Justice and Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy. The tone was courteous, the discussion was positive, concerns were aired and notes were taken. But for those of us who have sat around that table many times before, the sense of ‘déjà vu’ was impossible to ignore. Over the years, different Secretaries of State have come and gone, yet the dynamic rarely changes. They listen carefully. They acknowledge the pressures. They speak about shared priorities. What they do not do, at least not often enough, is commit. And that is where patience begins to wear thin. At this stage in the political cycle, prison officers need more than sympathetic engagement. We need delivery read more
Towards a 2nd Employment Rights Bill (17 Apr) – The Employment Rights Act, which received Royal Assent in 2025, was one of the headline policies of the incoming Labour government. Years in the making, the genesis of the act came from work done by former shadow cabinet member and employment lawyer, Andy McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East. McDonald worked closely with trade unions, carefully building a programme of legislative change that unions would not only support but had been central to creating. However, by the time of the Labour conference of 2021, McDonald resigned, frustrated and angry at Keir Starmer’s refusal to commit to a £15 per hour National Minimum Wage read more
POA Circular 23/2026 Right to Strike campaign – postcard action (2 Apr) – POA Circular 23/2026 was promulgated on 23rd March 2026 as part of our ongoing Campaign to have our Right to Strike Reinstated and explained that the POA would be distributing pre-printed postcards to all our members. The postcards contain a message to the Prime Minister urging him to Reinstate our Right to Strike. These postcards are addressed to the Prime Minister and will play a vital part in demonstrating our strength and unity on this issue read more
Right to Strike campaign – further action (2 Apr)
Annual Conference motion 86/2025 Simpson House – Following the adoption of Annual Conference Motion 86/2025. “That (POA North Regional Office) Linden House is renamed Simpson House in memory of Joe Simpson previous Deputy General Secretary.” I am delighted to inform you that the renaming to Simpson House is now complete at Land Registry and Title Deeds read more
Prison officers union accuses politicians of nauseating hypocrisy over pay award (26 Mar) – The Leaders of the Prison Officer’s Union have slammed UK Government Ministers accusing them of nauseating hypocrisy following the announcement by The Prison Service Pay Review Body that Prison staff will receive a 3.5% pay increase for the coming year. The increase comes at a time when inflation is sitting at 3% and millions of workers are facing a cost of living crisis fuelled by global conflict, soaring energy prices and an increase in everyday essentials such as food, housing, clothing etc. Anger has been stoked by the fact that the 3.5% award for Prison Officers is significantly below the 5% MPs will receive over the same period read more
NAPO
Probation Pay Ballot Result – 2025-2026 (17 Apr) – The indicative ballot on the above pay offer closed at Noon today. 75.2% of Napo members have voted to accept the offer, with 24.8% of Napo members voting to reject it. The overall turnout was 84.01%. We have been informed that both UNISON and GMB/SCOOP members have also accepted this pay offer. HMPPS has been advised of these ballot results. They continue to indicate that any backpay owed will be paid to staff in May’s payroll run. Napo’s Probation Negotiating Committee will meet next week to review our position in respect of the current workloads dispute, including considering all available options open to us, and have further discussions on our pay claim agenda for 2026-2027. More news on these vital issues will follow when available. Meanwhile, we would like to thank all those Napo members who have engaged in such impressive numbers, by voting as well as organising and taking part in all-member or Branch meetings, with the ballots which have been held in relation to this pay offer read more
BFAWU
Spring Foodworker 2025 read more
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
Employment Rights Bill: a positive step for protecting pilots (20 Apr) – As we reach the middle of April, we’re excited to see new employment rights take effect this month, thanks to the Employment Rights Bill. A positive step forward for protecting our pilots read more
Nautilus International
RFA officers vote for strike action (20 Feb) – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) officers have delivered an emphatic ballot result, demonstrating immense strength of feeling over pay and conditions across the workforce. The statutory ballot achieved a 56% turnout, with members returning decisive majorities in favour of action:-
- 88% voted YES to taking strike action
- 95% voted YES to taking industrial action short of strike
Nautilus International said the result represents one of the largest and most significant RFA ballots ever conducted, both in scale and engagement. In this ballot, 32% more members were entitled to vote than in the previous RFA ballot, around 17% more officers actively participated, despite the challenges of returning postal ballots whilst at sea and on active operations. The union says this context is crucial to understanding the result and highlights the depth of concern across the service read more
NUJ
NUJ sounds alarm on BBC plans to decimate jobs (15 Apr) – The NUJ has condemned the BBC’s plans to cut around 2,000 jobs, urging the broadcaster to meaningfully engage workers and trade unions and reconsider its proposals. In an all-staff meeting at 3pm today (15 April), BBC management said that between 1,800 and 2,000 jobs – about one in ten – could be cut across various departments. In February the corporation announced a further 10% cut to its total costs by the end of 2028-29 read more
NUJ joins anti-SLAPP day of action (15 Apr) – The NUJ has joined its partners in the UK Anti-SLAPP Coalition in a day of action to spread awareness of abusive legal threats and lawsuits. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) are abusive legal threats and lawsuits filed to silence critical speech. They can be targeted at journalists, whistleblowers, campaigners, academics, and more read more
NUJ stands in solidarity with ABC colleagues on strike (10 Apr) – The union has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in sending a message of support to journalists in Australia who went on strike for the first time in 20 years. The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) called on ABC management to ensure fair pay, secure work, and improved conditions that protect quality public-interest journalism. The industrial 24-hour strike action began on 25 March as a result of the rejection of ABC management’s latest revision to proposed enterprise agreement, with 60 per cent of staff voting against the offer that included limited improvements to job security but no increase to pay or key conditions, with a one-off $1,000 payment offered in lieu of a base salary increase read more
NUJ stands in solidarity with ABC colleagues on strike (10 Apr) – The union has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in sending a message of support to journalists in Australia who went on strike for the first time in 20 years read more
STV staff vote overwhelmingly for industrial action (18 Mar) – Members of both the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Bectu at STV News have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action over a pay dispute in one of the first strike ballots to be held under the new Employment Rights Act. The NUJ ballot showed 84% in favour of strike action and 94% for action short of a strike on a turnout of 73.5%. A parallel ballot run by Bectu, who represent technical staff, showed 73% for strike action and 82% for action short of a strike on a turnout of 57% read more
Musicians Union
Buskers Mark One Year Anniversary of the Leicester Square Busking Ban (15 Apr) – Buskers are continuing their high-profile campaign, calling on Westminster Council to find new viable and accessible busking pitches in the borough to replace what was lost read more
New ABO/MU Agreement Secured with Pay Increases and Strengthened Access Rights (14 Apr) – Our new agreement with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) includes pay increases and important contractual improvements for freelance orchestral musicians read more
Sign the Petition for Fair Work in Scotland’s Creative Industries (2 Apr) – With Scotland’s elections fast approaching, we’re calling on musicians to help secure real change by signing the petition for Fair Work across the nation’s creative industries read more
USDAW
Usdaw seeks discussions on how plans to ‘spin off’ the fashion chain will affect staff (21 Apr) – Retail trade union Usdaw is seeking discussions with Associated British Foods (ABF) after it revealed plans to ‘spin off’ its Primark retail business. The company said it expects to separate Primark by the end of 2027. Primark runs 486 shops, employs more than 83,000 workers and Usdaw is the recognised trade union read more
Usdaw members vote overwhelmingly for strike action at the Morrisons Bridgwater distribution centre (4 Mar) – Retail distribution trade union Usdaw has balloted 100 drivers and transport clerical staff at Eddie Stobart Limited, who operate a Morrisons contract at the Bridgwater distribution centre in Somerset. Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, in a dispute over the 2025 pay award, with an 83% yes vote. The ballot closed on 2 March and the turnout was 83% read more
Tetrosyl recognition dispute (6 Feb) – Usdaw applies for a statutory agreement after the Rochdale based company fails to enter into talks. Usdaw is the trade union for staff working at car care products manufacturer Tetrosyl and Tetrosyl Express based in Rochdale. The union has been seeking talks with the company about a recognition agreement since late last year. Management has failed to engage, which has forced Usdaw to use the statutory process by applying to the Central Arbitration Committee read more
UVW
Fired over a juice carton: Migrant cleaner takes on Amazon after summary dismissal (14 Apr) – “I want my job back. I want my name cleared, because they have completely tarnished it” – Tobeida, former Amazon cleaner. A 60-year-old migrant cleaner who worked at Amazon’s Belvedere warehouse in southeast London has been sacked after an incident involving a damaged carton of juice that had been placed for disposal. Backed by UVW, she is now taking both Amazon and its cleaning contractor TCFM to the Employment Tribunal for race discrimination. With over seven years of spotless service, Tobaida who hails from Latin America, was accused of theft and dismissed on the spot — without notice read more
V&A and Science Museum Guards on brink of strike action over pay and ‘sham’ sackings—one year after walkouts (25 Mar) – “After a long struggle, we managed to secure a trade union recognition deal, signed between UVW and our management. It is unfortunate that after last year’s campaign and the new recognition agreement, we have to again ballot for strike – and we may have to go on strike again -because management decided they were not going to respect the new agreements” – Evariste, UVW member and museum security guard. Outsourced security guards working at the Victoria and Albert and Science museums are set to ballot for strike action after their employer, Wilson James, refused to negotiate on a series of demands relating to pay and working conditions, as well as anger over the “sham” sacking of a strike leader and two fellow union members. The ballot comes a year after major strikes in the institutions. The ballot organised by their union UVW comes amid growing frustration over contractor Wilson James’ refusal to negotiate a better deal, following years of low pay and poor conditions in the high-profile institutions they protect read more
Migrant Women Housekeepers Lead the Fight for Union Recognition at Radisson Blu (24 Mar) – UVW members are making history — again. At Radisson Blu hotels in London, mainly migrant women housekeepers are leading a powerful fightback against exploitation in one of the UK’s least unionised sectors. After winning their historic 2025 strike at Canary Wharf — the first hotel strike in England since 1979 — these workers are continuing to push forward, determined to secure lasting change. The dispute began when outsourcing giant WGC imposed brutal cuts to hours alongside soaring workloads. In response, housekeepers — predominantly migrant women from South Asia — organised through UVW and took bold strike action in July 2025. United and determined, they forced their employer to back down and concede every demand: better pay, manageable workloads and more secure hours. Inspired by that victory, housekeepers at a second hotel, Radisson Blu Euston Square, organised collectively and won the same improvements without needing to strike, demonstrating the growing strength and confidence of workers across the sector. Now, the fight has entered a new phase. Housekeepers at both Canary Wharf and Euston Square have applied for trade union recognition through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), and UVW’s application has been accepted because the union represents a majority of workers — a major breakthrough read more
Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office was targeted in a break-in! – in January 2025, 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
Workers at Build A Rocket Boy take action over data privacy violations from management (21 Apr) – Workers at games studio Build A Rocket Boy (BARB) have initiated legal proceedings against the company over concerns of data protection violations, after management installed invasive Teramind surveillance software onto their devices without their knowledge read more
Royal College of Art cleaners say abuse and sexual harassment allegations ignored for years (2 Apr) – Cleaners at the Royal College of Art (RCA) have launched a public campaign calling for protection from workplace abuse and sexual harassment, alleging that the institution has failed to act on serious complaints about a supervisor over several years. Through their union, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), the cleaners are urging staff, students, and alumni to call on the RCA to remove the supervisor in question, commission an independent investigation into how complaints have been handled, and provide meaningful support to affected workers read more
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU calls for cost-of-living measures to protect workers during energy crisis (16 Apr) – The National Executive Council (NEC) of SIPTU met today in Liberty Hall, Dublin, to discuss the current energy crisis and its impact on the cost-of-living. The NEC unanimously resolved to ensure that workers and their families are protected during this enduring cost-of-living crisis and the impact of the current energy crisis that is eroding the wages and spending power of working people. SIPTU’s NEC is calling on the Government to immediately meet with the representatives of the trade union movement to agree on the implementation of a suite of measures to ensure that workers are protected. The NEC further resolved that SIPTU will support members in pay talks in all sectors of the economy, both the private and public sectors, including in the taking of industrial and strike action to ensure their pay and living standards are protected. To all workers, including those who are not in a union, SIPTU says the best way to protect and advance your pay and working conditions is to bargain collectively through your union with your employer. Workers have collective power in a trade union read more
RTÉ workers to hold protective ballot to prevent further outsourcing (16 Apr) – More than 600 SIPTU members in RTÉ will vote in a protective ballot indicating their intent to take industrial action, up to and including strike action, if management at the broadcaster attempts to further outsource any of the station’s core programme productions or other roles read more
SIPTU serves notice of strike action on National Ambulance Service (13 Apr) – SIPTU has notified the National Ambulance Service (NAS) of its intention to conduct strike action next month as part of a long-standing dispute with the HSE regarding unimplemented recommendations from a 2020 independent report. Last week, approximately 2,000 SIPTU members in the NAS, from across the country, voted overwhelmingly for industrial action, up to and including strike action. The first date of action will be a 24-hour stoppage on 12th May, followed by a 48-hour stoppage beginning on 19th May and a 72-hour stoppage beginning on 26th May, with further strike action planned for June read more
SIPTU welcomes Fire Services investment plan but highlights gaps of ‘grave concern’ (13 Apr) – SIPTU has today (Monday 13th April) welcomed the Government’s new investment plan for the country’s full-time and retained fire services but highlighted serious gaps of grave concern. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage published a statement on Tuesday (7th April), announcing that the government would invest €328.5 million in fire and emergency services through the Fire Services Capital Programme (2026–2030) read more
SIPTU condemns Government failure to support workers (13 Apr) – SIPTU General Secretary, John King, has condemned the Government’s abandonment of low- and average-income households amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis driven by spiralling energy costs, with no targeted support measures read more
SIPTU members in Dublin Home Care provider vote for strike action (9 Mar) – SIPTU members working in Blanchardstown and Inner City Home Care have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over pay inequality read more
Nationwide Health Care Assistants’ strikes suspended (19 Feb) – SIPTU has suspended all planned Health Care Assistant (HCA) strikes in the Northwest, West and South regions following agreement with the HSE on key issues regarding underpayments, rostering and working conditions for these critical frontline staff. Strike action, which was due to commence over four days in counties Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Clare and Donegal, will not take place. The deal, reached with the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission, resolves long-standing issues for SIPTU HCA members in the HSE Home Support Service, resulting from their employer violating national agreements on terms and conditions read more
Other news
National Housing Demonstration – Saturday 18th April 1pm Central London read more
Centenary of the 1926 General Strike – Monday May 4, marks the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and an event appropriately called Centenary will be held at Glasshouse Gateshead to commemorate that momentous occasion, which was the biggest rupture in British society since the English civil wars of the 1640s. Centenary will comprise songs, comedy sketches, stand-up comedy and recitations.
Producer Ed Waugh penned Carrying David, Wor Bella, Hadaway Harry and The Cramlington Train Wreckers which transfers to Newcastle Theatre Royal in July.
Ed explained: “Centenary is an appropriate name for the show because it’s amazing to think we’ll be performing the show exactly 100 years to the day that the General Strike actually started. “While Centenary will commemorate the UK’s only General Strike it will also celebrate other working class struggles from the Napoleonic Wars to the present time using popular culture.”
The one-off show will be compered by Micky Cochrane, who is the current Performer of the Year (North East Culture Awards) for his outstanding performances in the Cramlington Train Wreckers and Carrying David.
Ed continued: “Paul Weller and Tom Robinson have has given us personal permission to use their songs. Likewise the tremendous Paul Simmonds of The Men They Couldn’t Hang and the estate of the late-great Alan Hull of Lindisfarne.” He added: “Not only will it be first-class entertainment, we think people will come away inspired, having learnt about real, working class, history.”
- For further details about Centenary visit www.cramlingtontrainwreckers.co.uk
- There will be two performances of Centenary at 4pm and 8pm on Monday, May 4. For tickets visit: https://theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/centenary-celebration-of-1926-general-strike
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – adapted by Neil Gore from the book by Robert Tressell, directed by Louise Townsend details
Alan Hardman ‘Need not Greed’ – Alan Hardman’s razor-sharp political cartoons collected for the first time. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Need Not Greed is a career-spanning collection of visual art by one of Britain’s greatest unsung political cartoonists. Alongside Alan Hardman’s essential work, the book also includes a contribution from former President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn order a copy – £45 each
Affiliate with STAMMA – at this year’s NSSN Conference, Gary Clark retired CWU Royal Mail rep and a member of the NSSN Steering Committee spoke about STAMMA. STAMMA’s Employment Support Service helps people who stammer as well as those who don’t around issues related to stammering in the workplace. Union branches and regions can affiliate with STAMMA to access a range of services and support at a reduced rate.
- £75 for branches and regions
- £125 for national unions with under 400,000 members
- £200 for national unions with 400,000+ members
Sign this petition: To the Right Honourable Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister – Make toxic landfills safe – Support ‘Zane’s Law’! Find out more about this campaign here
From Strike Map – Our final instalment of the ‘Industrial Unionism’ series with Manifesto Press is here. Building on this success of our other pamphlets- which has sold over 2,000 copies, our next pamphlet in our series is the infamous ‘A Manual of Industrial Unionism’ by William Z Foster. Click the button here to pre-order your copy for you and your organisation
Oppose Trump and Netanyahu’s attack on Iran
- TUC General Council interim statement on Iran (2 May)
- ‘Statement against the illegal war on Iran’ by trade union general secretaries and leading trade unionists (2 Mar) – from the following unions: TSSA, RMT, PCS, BFAWU, Equity, UCU, NEU, FBU, Aegis, SIF, POA, PCU, GFTU, AUE, Unison, Unite, CWU
- RMT condemns bombing of Iran (1 Mar)
- Prospect statement on the Middle East conflict (2 Mar)
- UNISON statement on conflict in Middle East (2 Mar)
- RCN ‘deeply concerned’ by escalating crisis in Middle East (2 Mar)
- Nautilus International calls for seafarer protections as Middle East conflict disrupts key shipping routes (2 Mar)
- BALPA Statement: Conflict in the Middle East (2 Mar)
- NUJ: Statement on US-Israel attacks against Iran (2 Mar)
- Usdaw responds to the Iran conflict (3 Mar)
- INTO Condemns Attacks on Schools in Iran (3 Mar)
- MU Statement on Conflict in Iran (18 Mar)
- TSSA: Union warns government over Iran conflict cost of living (13 Apr)
For details of protests, see the Stop the War Coalition website
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.
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
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
Turkey: Türkmen Remanded in Custody – Mehmet Türkmen, the General President of BİRTEK-SEN, who was detained yesterday because of a speech he gave during the protest of Sırma Carpet workers who took action for their rights, has been remanded in custody read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey
Nigeria: A Call for Solidarity – Drop Trumped-Up Charges against Soweto and Dele Frank Now! On March 11, 2026, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and spokesperson of #EndBadGovernance Movement Lagos, and Dele Frank (Arole Fela) are expected to appear before a magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos for the commencement of a sham trial on the trumped-up charges preferred against them by the Lagos State Police Command over their participation in a peaceful protest read more, including model letter of protest. Send copies of letters of protest to the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) is [email protected]
- Lobby of the Nigerian High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BX, on Wednesday 11th March at 5:30pm
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 on 24th January. 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
USA: Support the Starbucks strike – read more on Starbucks Workers United website and follow @SBWorkersUnited on X/Twitter
Diary
- 2026 NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 27th June 11am-4.30pm
- NSSN lobby of TUC Congress will be from 1pm on Sunday 13th September in Brighton
