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NSSN 787: Fight for a Budget for workers – keep up the pressure on the TUC for National Saturday Demo!

This week’s NSSN bulletin comes out the day before Andy Burnham’s Labour Government moves its Budget on Wednesday 28th October.

As the cost of living crisis escalates, the choice facing Burnham and his Chancellor Healey is: whose side are you on? Because working-class people have had enough of always paying the price while the bosses keep piling up the profits. But at the recent Labour Party Conference, Burnham announced the end of the pension triple lock.

The NSSN has been arguing that the unions have to pile the pressure on this Government by mobilising our movement.

At the 2026 TUC Congress on 13-16 September, Motion 34 from the PCS was passed, which included the call for the TUC to organise a national Saturday demonstration. As we warned in the NSSN Rally before the start of Congress, a motion calling for a national Saturday demonstration was passed at last year’s TUC Congress but wasn’t implemented by the TUC.

The motion stayed ‘on the table’ at the TUC General Council on 21st October. But we need to keep fighting for the TUC to call the demo. Therefore, it is vital that union reps, members and activists keep calling on their respective unions to vote for the motion to be enacted when the TUC Executive meets in early November.

Pre-Budget protests:-

  • ‘March Against Austerity’ – Tuesday 27th October, assemble 6pm Victoria Embankment for march to Downing St via Trafalgar Square
  • PCS Budget Day Pay Protest – Wednesday 28th October, 1pm Old Palace Yard, opposite the Houses of Parliament, SW1P 3JY details

Please table this model motion below in your union meetings and trades councils for the TUC to call a demonstration. Brighton and Hove TUC is one of the latest union organisations to pass it:- 

Model Motion

This union organisation/trades council welcomes the overwhelming vote at the recent TUC Congress to pass Motion 34: ‘Public Sector Pay’ from the PCS.

The motion instructed TUC Congress to ‘urgently call a national Saturday demonstration this autumn for investment in public services, against austerity and for pro-worker policies.’

This union organisation/trades council believes that this is a vital action to mobilise the trade unions to put forward our movement’s demands as Andy Burnham moves towards his first Budget on 28th October.

This is imperative as the employers lobby for policies to make working-class people and communities to pay the price for the crisis caused by big business, centred on a further austerity offensive. At Labour Party Conference, Burnham announced the end of the pension triple lock.

Therefore, this union organisation/trades council calls on our union to demand that the TUC agrees to enact Motion 34 and name the date for a ‘national Saturday demonstration’ before the end of this year.

PCS: National Campaign ballot to open on 20 October (9 Oct)

Napo reject pay offer and move to industrial action (9 Oct)

The NSSN conference NSSN proposed an ‘Action Programme’, to be taken out to the wider trade union movement to take on the cost-of-living crisis (download here).

We appeal to union members to take the NSSN Action Programme, which was passed at this year’s NSSN Annual Conference, into their union branches and committees, shop stewards committees and trades councils, and raise on picket lines, protests and demonstrations. This set of demands must be put forward on Burnham’s government. We can’t afford to take the pressure off.

That Action Programme is carried below:

NSSN Conference 2026 Action Programme to defend workers from the cost of living squeeze: ‘We’re not paying for the bosses’ crisis’

  • Above inflation pay rises for workers – automatic rises in pay as inflation increase. In the public sector, for these to be fully funded by central government.
  • Scrap all age exemptions on pay, including the national minimum wage. For the immediate implementation of the TUC demand of a £15-an-hour minimum wage for all as a step towards a real living wage, without exemptions.
  • Stop the profiteering: nationalise the energy & water companies.
  • Freeze rents and energy & utility bills.
  • Demand that councils refuse to implement cuts, and instead pass no-cuts needs budgets.
  • Oppose disability benefit cuts and attacks on pensions and campaign for a fully resourced, supportive social security system to meet needs of working class people.
  • Demand that the TUC enact Congress 2025 policy by calling an Autumn national demo against Labour austerity. If not, for a trade union ‘coalition of the willing’ to step in to organise such a demonstration.
  • Support the NSSN lobby of the TUC Congress in Brighton from 1pm on Sunday 13th September, in the Holiday Inn Hotel.
  • Strike together: co-ordinate the fight on national public sector pay – unite workers across the public and private sectors.
  • Repeal all the Tory anti-union laws – immediate scrapping of the undemocratic 50% strike ballot threshold.
  • Restore the right to strike to the POA.
  • Workers unity to face down Reform and the far-right: for the unions to implement 2018 TUC Congress policy ‘to launch a campaign of Jobs and homes not racism’.
  • Launch the discussion for a Workers Charter, and how we can fight for it, against the attack on our living standards.

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Mass 300,000 strong Ireland Public Sector Wide Strike on 14 October forces Government to the negotiating table

From SIPTU: Pay talks resume Bank Holiday Monday (25 Oct) – SIPTU members’ industrial action has brought the Government and trade unions to the table and pay negotiations are now underway in the Workplace Relations Commission. By the end of the week it should become clear whether this government is serious about concluding a fair deal on pay for public sector workers if it is not the majority of Irish voters support further strikes. The ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC) agreed to defer the strike action following discussions between Government and trade union representatives. While strike action has been deferred, work-to-rule action will remain in place where operational read more

From SIPTU: SIPTU declared strike-ready and reinvigorated by public sector industrial action (22 Oct)

From Unite: Public sector: Unite reps agree to suspend Wednesday strike pending talks outcome (19 Oct) – New deal must deliver no-strings cost-of-living pay increase. Unite, which organises workers across the public sector and is a member of the ICTU Public Services Committee, said today (Monday) that a meeting of the union’s reps in the public sector has agreed to suspend Wednesday’s strike action read more

From Unite: Message to government clear: No more business as usual (14 Oct)

INTO’s 5 October directive remains active as public sector pay talks begin (19 Oct)

Read more from Fórsa  

The NSSN stands with mass workers action in France and Spain!

  • CGT union in France: The CGT is calling for a general strike on November 5th – ‘During the meeting between the Prime Minister and labor unions on October 21st at Matignon, Sophie Binet strongly criticized the government for its failure to address the social unrest. Faced with the government’s refusal to listen to the demands, the CGT is calling for a general strike on November 5th to force through alternative social policies’ – Strike Map is organising a solidarity delegation to Paris for the 5th November General Strike. Contact Strike Map about being part of the delegation and/or getting your union to donate to the costs
  • CCOO union in Spain: The CCOO and UGT unions are demanding a 7% increase in the minimum wage by 2027 while organizing a general strike – ‘The unions incorporate the rent conflict into the framework of the large mobilizations for housing. Salaries are not enough to pay for housing and cope with inflation’

November 20 International Youth Strike

Read more on Socialist Students website – On Friday 20 November, students and young people across Europe will be striking in opposition to capitalism, war and racism as part of the International Youth Strike, “Fight for our future, Not their wars”. Tens of thousands of young people are set to walk out and protest across Europe on November 20 – and you can be a part of it. Socialist Students are alongside other organizations, helping students build for November 20.

  • The National Education Union NEU, the largest education union in Europe, has agreed to support the International Youth Strike taking place in Britain and all across Europe on November 20.
  • Union and College Union UCU: “On Friday 20 November, UCU members at universities across the UK will come together for a national day of action. With jobs, courses and the future of higher education under threat, we’re coming together to fight back.”

If you’re interested in building a youth strike at your school, college, University or in you’re local area then fill out the form below to get in touch with Socialist Students to help build the strike.

Support the Birmingham bin workers – over a year and half 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 then Labour Council, shamefully on the watch of a Labour government.

We demand that the new council honour this agreement.

Senior figures in Birmingham bin talks confirm Unite deal (5 June) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the statements by former Acas chair Lord Brendan Barber and Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker. Both statements from two senior figures in the room over the months of negotiations with Unite and the leader of the council, are clear and unambiguous. The negotiations between Barber, Parker, former leader of Birmingham council John Cotton and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham began in December 2025 and the deal was concluded in March 2026. As Lord Barber has said, Unelected officers and commissioners of the council attempting to cause delay is unacceptable.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “As Lord Barber and Mayor Parker have both said, the deal to end this dispute has been negotiated and agreed. The continued attempts by unelected council officers and commissioners to block, delay and throw into doubt this deal is unacceptable and will simply not work. We look forward to the elected members of the council agreeing the process for the implementation of the deal, so the usual ballot of members can take place. Workers and residents have put up with enough of the constant dither and delay. This is a good deal for workers and residents and it needs to be swiftly finalised.” Read more

   

Union News     

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  • Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.     

     

RMT     

RMT National Dispute Fund  

Jackdaw drilling approval must come with workers’ rights (21 Oct) – OFFSHORE union RMT said that the government’s approval to drilling at the Jackdaw gas field must focus on protecting the jobs, conditions and skills for offshore energy workers and their communities. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey called for strong industry-wide trade union collective bargaining agreements that secure the future for offshore energy workers throughout the entirety of the supply chain read more

RMT members to strike again over threat to water down safety on East West Rail (16 Oct) – RAIL UNION RMT members working as Train Managers for Chiltern Railways will take a further 24 hours of strike action this Saturday (17 October) as the company continues to refuse to provide guarantees over the safety-critical role of the second person on board proposed East West Rail services. The latest walkout follows strike action last Saturday (10 October) and comes amid growing concerns over plans to introduce driver-only operation on East West Rail, threatening both passenger safety and the existing Train Manager roles at Chiltern Railways. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union remained determined to resist any attempt to undermine safety standards on the railway read more

RMT condemns the imposition of the offshore safe weights limit policy and warns of the threat to workers livelihoods (15 Oct) – OFFSHORE UNION RMT has condemned the introduction of Offshore Energy UK’s (OEUK) safe weight limit policy which comes into effect on 01 November 2026, warning that the restrictions could have serious consequences for offshore workers, their employment, and their livelihoods. RMT has raised serious concerns over the unilateral introduction of the restrictions, the lack of meaningful consultation with workers and their representatives, and the potential for experienced and medically fit offshore workers to be excluded from their employment solely based on their weight. The RMT is particularly concerned that the policy could provide employers with an opportunity to remove workers from employment without following appropriate redundancy procedures or providing any kind of financial compensation. Concerns have also been raised regarding the duplication of medical examinations, particularly for offshore divers who already undergo stringent medical assessments to establish their fitness to work in demanding and hazardous environments. RMT believes the implications extend far beyond the offshore oil and gas industry, with the potential for similar restrictions to affect workers in the maritime and renewable energy sectors, including those travelling to installations by vessel read more

RMT challenges disciplinary action against Tube inspector who intervened during assault (12 Oct) – An RMT member employed as a London Underground Revenue Control Inspector faces possible dismissal after intervening during an assault on staff and a passenger at Bond Street station. The incident happened in October 2025, when the inspector and colleagues were carrying out a ticket check. At the time, two men verbally and physically assaulted staff and a member of the public after inspectors attempted to deal with suspected fare evasion. The RMT member used the minimum force necessary to prevent further assaults on staff and customers. London Underground Limited has referred the inspector to disciplinary proceedings, alleging that his actions fell outside its policy. British Transport Police arrested and charged the two men. Both men were subsequently convicted at City of London Magistrates Court of offences arising from the incident. The passenger who was also assaulted has written to London Underground and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, expressing outrage that the inspector faces possible dismissal following his intervention read more

Workers at Wood Group to take industrial action as company threatens to fire and rehire (5 Oct) – RMT members working for Wood Group will begin strike action tomorrow (October 6) at 00:01 hours in defence of their existing terms and conditions. The dispute is about protecting hard-won agreements and preventing the erosion of terms and conditions read more

Outsourced Mitie Tube workers to take strike action over spycams (2 Oct) – TUBE union RMT announced strike action this weekend by members on the Mitie cleaning Transport for London contract from Sunday October 4 to Wednesday October 7 over the imposition of spycams. Members working as mobile night supervisors on the Mitie contract voted unanimously for strike action after the company installed intrusive inward facing cameras in vans for a ‘trial period’. But Mitie has made clear that it had no plans to remove the dashcams at the end of the trial period claiming that they were for improving the safety of drivers and other road users. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the spycams had been installed without the agreement of the union and called for them to be removed read more

RMT suspends strike action on TPE (2 Oct) – RAIL UNION RMT has suspended strike action by conductors planned for Sunday October 4 on Transpennine Express. The action was suspended for further talks after the company agreed to return to productivity negotiations. However, further action planned for the remaining Sundays in October remain in place. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the union will remain in dispute until a satisfactory agreement can be reached with the employer read more

Striking outsourced rail workers to take battle to Labour Party conference (25 Sept) – RAIL union RMT will hold protests outside Labour Party conference meeting in Liverpool on Monday September 28 with striking outsourced rail workers to highlight low pay and calling for them to be taken in-house. Outsourced RMT members on TransPennine contracts working for Bidvest Noonan and Rail Gourmet are striking against low pay and in-work poverty. Outsourced workers on another publicly owned contract LNER who work for Gate Solutions will also be taking strike action next month at Doncaster, Edinburgh Waverley, King’s Cross, Leeds, Newcastle and York starting with 24-hour action from October 16. The growth in strike action by outsourced workers comes as the Common Wealth think tank published a report which says that by allowing public service outsourcing the government was effectively driving workers into poverty read more

Industrial action at Go Cornwall (23 Sept) – BUS union RMT announced industrial action short of a strike from Friday October 2 by members at Go Cornwall over the refusal of the company to recognise the union. RMT members voted overwhelmingly for action to assert their right to trade union representation. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that Go Cornwall should accept the result of the TUC Disputes Committee verdict back in January to recognise RMT read more

Strike action suspended on East Midlands Railways (11 Sept) – RAIL union RMT has suspended planned strike action for next Wednesday and Thursday September 16/17 following some substantial movement from management regarding faulty Class 810 fleet trains. However, action short of strike action by relevant EMR members due to commence on Sunday September 20, 2026 remains in place if any unsolicited brake applications occur to stop the train. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey congratulated members for their continued determination to make sure the Class 810 fleet is only used in safe conditions read more

Merseyrail cleaners to take action (6 Aug) – Cleaners on Merseyrail employed by outsourcing firm Churchill Services will take 24-hour strike action against low pay from Friday (tomorrow) to Saturday (August 8). There will be a picket line outside Rail House, located on Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool, L1 1JF from 07.30 hours. The union believes that Churchill can improve the current low pay offer as the company reported a post-tax profit of £15.3 million for the 2025 financial year, and distributed dividends of approximately £13.5 million. Moreover, the company’s highest paid director, who is also a significant shareholder, received remuneration of £603,000. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that the company clearly had the capacity to fund the relatively small additional cost required to maintain the current pay differential sought by members read more

  • The NSSN would like to send our best wishes and solidarity to Craig Johnston RMT Regional Organiser who is dealing with a major health concern.

TSSA

TSSA ballots for strike action in Great Western Railway (20 Oct) – Rail union TSSA is to ballot members working across several roles at Great Western Railway (GWR) for possible strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute with the company relating to pay, pensions and workload. Members will each take part in the ballots, which open on Thursday 22nd October and close on Wednesday 11th November. GWR was served with notice to ballot as of 14th October. One dispute is around ‘flexibility allowances’ for shift work, with the union calling for these to come under basic pay. This is a means of protecting salary and enhancing pension rights. In discussion with GWR the union has also pointed out that these workers run the risk of poorer health outcomes and lower life expectancy as a result of night shift working and currently see their pay negatively impacted when taking maternity or other similar leave (because the majority of this is only calculated on the basis of basic pay). The union also believes these workers find it harder to afford mortgages under the existing arrangements and end up paying higher interest rates as a result. The dispute relating to flexible working affects TSSA management members in a number of areas at GWR – Rostering & Resources, Train Service Delivery, Performance Strategy and Network Delivery who carry out critical work that keeps the railways running in roles either in or linked to the Control Centre enabling both trains and train crew to be where they need to be so that train services run. Support for industrial action has already been expressed in an indicative ballot of almost 100 members held by TSSA. On the question of taking strike action 85 per cent of those taking part voted in favour. The figure for those indicating in favour of action short of a strike was 98 per cent. In a separate dispute concerning Clerical Grades – members working for the Finance Directorate within Retail Accounts at GWR are also being balloted for strike and action short of a strike. This is over the addition to their workload of ‘accounts receivable’ work, where they are now expected to chase other organisations to pay unpaid bills, this has never previously been part of the role, but is as a result of a reorganisation, all whilst being graded lower than other equivalent clerical roles within the business, staff are now asking to be re-graded in a bid for parity with other clerical colleagues. Again, in an indicative ballot there was widespread support for industrial action – with 60 per cent in favour of strike action and 80 per cent backing action short of astrike read more

Crackdown on antisocial behaviour must be backed by serious commitments – TSSA (19 Oct) – Transport and travel union TSSA has welcomed the government’s move to issue fines for littering, vaping, playing loud music and threatening behaviour across public transport, but warned that more action is needed. TSSA has been at the forefront of an extensive campaign to stop violence and abuse on the railways, be it against the public or transport workers while at the same time protecting budgets in British Transport Police. The union is calling on the government to go further in the light of the announcement of these new measures read more

Unite     

Further strikes at East Lancashire Blood Sciences department (27 Oct) – Hospital Trust spending tens of thousands a week on outsourcing rather than resolving dispute. The beleaguered blood sciences department at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) is set to be hit by further strikes over holiday pay irregularities. Dozens of workers are now taking additional strike action across November due to the Trust failing to resolve issues that has seen workers missing out on owed overtime and absence pay. LTHT has admitted that they have spent over £1million (£60,000 per week) on outsourcing to mitigate the duties of striking workers, instead of using such funds to resolve the dispute. LTHR has refused to engage in arbitration, has refused to acknowledge that there are any problems and recently agreed to make a settlement offer but then reneged and stopped communicating read more

XPO Hertfordshire HGV drivers and warehouse workers secure pay win after strike ballot (26 Oct) – Hatfield XPO workers on Arla diary contract achieve company sick pay scheme. Around 500 Hatfield HGV drivers and warehouse workers have secured a much-improved pay offer after balloting in favour of strike action. The workers, who are employed by XPO to warehouse and transport Arla dairy products, will benefit from a 3.4 per cent pay rise as well as the introduction of a company sick pay scheme. Previously workers had to rely on statutory sick pay if they became ill. The company’s initial pay offer was 2.5 per cent, with no company sick pay…The workers voted in favour of taking industrial action but the dispute was resolved without any strikes taking place. As well as a pay rise and company sick pay, XPO drivers at Hatfield will also receive an extra day of annual leave read more

Unite wins new pay day for Edinburgh Airport workers (26 Oct) – EASL workers secure inflation beating boost to jobs, pay and conditions. Unite has secured a new inflation beating pay deal for workers based at Edinburgh Airport. Approximately 50 workers employed by EASL (Edinburgh Airport Services Ltd) backed a two year pay deal negotiated by Unite. This year the pay deal delivers a 5.75 per cent increase in basic pay alongside a five per cent increase in shift pay. The workers will also receive a one-off £230 payment with the deal being backdated to January. In 2027, the pay deal includes an increase of 0.5 per cent above the RPI inflation rate on basic pay and shift rates. A new bonus scheme will further boost take home pay by up to £250 read more

Unite: The failed Liz Truss budget cannot be an excuse for doing nothing (24 Oct) – In response to commentators warning the government not to invest more in the economy Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Political cowardice wrapped up as sensible politics will not be forgiven. The working class are demanding change now, not warm words and little action. The Liz Truss budget was a set of unfunded tax cuts. That is not the same as borrowing to invest and creating assets on our books. The markets have been punishing us anyway. If we have a clear, costed strategy to get Britain back on its feet they will accept it. What nobody wants is death by a thousand cuts…” read more

Unite statement on proposed Barclays job losses (22 Oct) – Commenting on today’s announcement from Barclays on the loss of 5000 jobs worldwide, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Barclays workers deserve better than this. The company is using AI as an excuse to discard its loyal and long-suffering workforce…” read more

Unite Welcomes Jackdaw Decision (21 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has welcomed the government’s decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field read more

Motherwell based firms to close with over 200 jobs at risk (20 Oct) – Union demands action to support Resideo and Honeywell green manufacturing jobs. Unite, Scotland’s leading manufacturing union, has today (20 October) reacted with anger to the news that Motherwell based firms Resideo and Honeywell are set to close with the loss of over 200 jobs. Resideo confirmed the devastating news to its workforce at the end of last week that it intends to transfer its production to Brno, Czech Republic, and Nagykanizsa, Hungary, on the basis that these facilities have lower operational costs. The company manufactures a range of products designed to help with the transition towards a lower-carbon economy such as heating thermostats, air-conditioning thermostats, smart climate solutions, plumbing components for boilers and heat pumps, timers and heating controls. Approximately 116 jobs are at risk if the closure goes ahead. This morning (Tuesday), the adjacent Honeywell site announced to the workforce that it intends to close its doors with the loss of a further 91 jobs. The company propose to primarily transfer work to Poole in England but Unite understands work could be transferred abroad.  The company specialises in the design and manufacturing of electronic hardware and systems. Honeywell has delivered a number of government contracts with the MoD and produced more than 70 million face masks during the Covid pandemic read more

Christmas in peril at Sainsburys as lorry drivers prepare to strike (20 Oct) – Drivers employed by Wincanton in the South West balloted for strikes over low pay. Over 100 lorry drivers who deliver for Sainsburys are being balloted on strike action that would see shelves around Bristol and the South West empty this Christmas. Drivers employed by Wincanton on the Sainsburys contract have been in talks since March but have failed to receive an adequate pay offer from their employer. The most recent offer was four per cent but that still leaves them earning 14 per cent less than colleagues doing the same job at the Basingstoke depot…Unite members are also demanding a 30 minute paid break, time and half pay when they are forced to work on rest days and paid banked hours also paid at time and a half. Despite their pay anniversary being in July, Wincanton has dragged its feet over a reasonable offer. The ballot is open and runs until 4 November. A mandate for industrial action could see strikes crippling deliveries to Sainsburys stores across November and December read more

NatWest’s office attendance diktat shows contempt for workers (20 Oct) – Unite accuses bank of reneging on commitments as workers face higher costs, disruption to caring responsibilities and increased barriers for disabled staff. Unite has condemned NatWest’s decision to increase office attendance requirements for more than 30,000 workers, warning that the move will pile additional financial pressure on staff already struggling with rising living costs while undermining arrangements relied upon by carers and disabled workers…The union is calling on NatWest to return to the agreed blueprint process and work with Unite’s reps to find a fair solution read more

Government’s NHS pay plan is a real terms pay cut for NHS staff – Unite (20 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading health union, has rebuked the government’s plan of a 2.4 per cent pay rise for NHS Agenda for Change (AfC) staff in 2027/28 as a real terms pay cut. The proposal is contained in written evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, published today. It says anything above 2.4 per cent would force “difficult trade-offs”. Inflation currently stands at 3.1 per cent and that the Bank of England expects it to climb further. Private sector pay settlements are averaging 3.6 per cent this year. A 2.4 per cent rise would deepen a pay squeeze that has run for over a decade read more

Leeds Bradford Airport strikes suspended for talks (19 Oct) – Strikes by over 130 workers at Leeds Bradford Airport starting this week have been suspended to allow for fresh negotiations. Unite members including air traffic controllers and hourly paid staff such as passport control workers and passenger assistance were due to walk out from Friday (23 October) to 2 November. Both air traffic controllers and the hourly paid workers have heavily rejected the airport’s latest pay offers. However, members have agreed to pause industrial action to allow for talks between the airport and Unite, which will be brokered by the conciliatory service Acas read more

Leeds Bradford Airport strikes won’t go ahead (15 Oct)

Unite announces 24-hour strike action by offshore Apache workers set to hit UK fuel supplies (19 Oct) – Union warns industrial disruption could bring down Forties pipeline. Unite, the UK’s largest offshore union, can confirm 24-hour strike action by over 160 Apache offshore workers is set to take place this week, as the union warns UK fuel supplies could be ‘severely disrupted’.

  • The strike action will start at 06.00 hours on Wednesday 21 October and ends at 05.59 on Thursday 22 October.

There are seven Apache assets associated with the Forties and Beryl oil fields set to be impacted by the industrial disruption. Apache workers emphatically backed strike action in the escalating pay dispute after workers rejected an offer from the operator which amounts to a real terms pay cut for many workers, ranging from a pay freeze to below inflation increases. The operator has set deadl   ines for reaching an agreement over back pay, and indicated payments may be withheld which would leave workers potentially thousands of pounds out of pocket. Unite can confirm that talks with the conciliation service Acas are scheduled prior to Wednesday’s action, but the union is warning that Apache has shown ‘no willingness’ to resolve the dispute ahead of the 24-hour strike action. If there is not sufficient progress made in talks to potentially avert strike action, Unite has repeated its warning that industrial disruption could lead to the critical Charlie platform being brought to a standstill. The scenario could result in a lack of pressure that can lead to the entire Forties Pipeline System (FPS) going down. It is estimated that over 80 offshore fields and the St Fergus gas plant flow through pipelines into the FPS. The system operated by Ineos is reported to handle approximately 29 per cent of the UK’s oil and 30 per cent of its gas read more

Strikes by lowest paid health workers in London to continue (19 Oct) – Nearly 300 staff at Guys and St Thomas’s to walk out over low pay and workplace issues. Hundreds of the lowest paid workers at Guys and St Thomas’s Trust are to take further strike action over the coming weeks due to poverty levels of pay. NHS band two workers in central London earn just £15.89 per hour and perform some of the toughest roles within the hospital – such as cleaners, porters, stores operatives and food service assistants – yet are treated appallingly by the trust’s management. Alongside poverty pay levels staff have a number of long running complaints that the trust’s management have failed to address. This includes racist and bullying behaviour by facilities management, issues over bank contracts and hours, a failure to provide adequate welfare facilities like showers or changing facilities and the failure to provide adequate safety equipment to security staff. Striking workers will also march on Downing Street to express their anger directly to politicians in this latest round of industrial action. Failure to address their concerns could see strikes escalating into the new year… Workers at GSTT will head to the picket line on19-21 October with more strike dates planned throughout the autumn if NHS management don’t come back to the negotiating table with real solutions read more

Unite response to government’s public transport anti-social behaviour plans (19 Oct) – Responding to the government’s announcement of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour on public transport, Unite, which represents tens of thousands of bus and tram workers, has described the plans as “well meaning” and of course giving some assistance to commuters, but “inadequate” to tackle the abuse being experienced by transport workers on a daily basis read more

Great Yarmouth council workers strike halted after new offer (16 Oct) – Great Yarmouth council maintenance and repair staff will be balloted on a new offer on terms and conditions. Strikes starting on Monday (19 October) by 40 workers at Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) have been halted following a new offer from the employer. The Unite members, who are maintenance and repair workers, were due to walk out on Monday and Tuesday (20 October) in a dispute around terms and conditions. However, this has now been called off following an offer of improvements from the council. Workers will now be balloted on whether or not to accept this read more

Taylor Wimpey engaging in fire and rehire of workers (16 Oct) – Unite has criticised housebuilder Taylor Wimpey for firing and rehiring some of its North East construction workers. Taylor Wimpey has handed dismissal notices to 31 joiners and 19 scaffolders for the purpose of saving money on bonus pay. Taylor Wimpey is planning to cut bonus pay by over 30 per cent. In construction, bonus pay frequently makes up half of workers’ actual pay. Termination notices were given to workers on 1 October, which they were forced to sign by 7 October. Taylor Wimpey is now planning to hire them on inferior contracts. Workers, with the support of Unite, have attempted to raise concerns via several collective grievances and were denied their statutory right to do so. Meanwhile, they have also requested financial information which would have been vital for a meaningful consultation and to come to an agreement but this has never been supplied… Unite is in the process of considering all options available including industrial, legal and political avenues to ensure the firing and rehiring of these workers is reversed read more

Government Neets scheme must prevent undercutting, Unite (16 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents thousands of hospitality workers, has called on the government to ensure that employers don’t use a new scheme to get Neets into employment in hospitality, to jettison existing workers or undercut pay and conditions. Under the scheme the government is intending to get up to 100,000 18-24 year olds into work in the hospitality sector, over the next three years. While Unite recognises the importance of supporting Neets into work, it believes that the proposed scheme does not tackle the fundamental challenges the economy is facing. Instead funding needs to be found for a huge increase in high quality apprenticeships together with proper investment in lifelong learning read more

Bin strike in Havering as workers act over unbearable conditions (16 Oct) – There will be major disruption to bin collections in the London Borough of Havering later this month as over 40 refuse collectors strike over poor conditions. The Unite members work as loaders and drivers at FCC Waste Management, which provides outsourced services for the local council. They have voted to take industrial action after raising a series of concerns for years with management that have not been addressed, including excessive workloads, fatigue and hot weather working, vehicle safety and welfare. Workers have to routinely work overtime for rounds to be completed, causing fatigue, while in the recent summer heatwaves work wasn’t cut short when the heat soared, while other boroughs routinely reduced working days for refuse and other manual workers. This led to some loaders suffering heatstroke. The team is also short-staffed. Havering geographically is a far bigger borough than most London boroughs, but although more housing has been built in the area the amount of rounds and workers has not increased to meet demand… Strikes will take place from 26 to 30 October. During this time, Havering residents will face disruption to their waste collections read more

Strikes averted at Do & Co as Heathrow Airport workers win improved pay (15 Oct) – Industrial action at airport catering firm Do & Co has been avoided after over 270 workers won a significantly improved pay deal. The Unite members, based at London Heathrow Airport, had voted to strike after initially being offered a below-inflation pay rise of three per cent. However, following negotiations they overwhelmingly accepted a new offer which will see loaders receive a 6.25 per cent rise and all other members get five per cent. Unite members will also benefit from increases to overtime rates and an additional day of company sick pay for each year of service, up to a maximum of 26 days. This is all backdated to 1 April 2026 read more

Glasgow Caledonian University set for closure as Unite members join strike action (14 Oct) – All four campus trade unions take action for first time at university. Unite membership at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) will take strike action on 15 October as all four campus unions are set to walk out for the first time over planned job cuts. Over 50 Unite members will join the picket lines after overwhelmingly backing strike action in response to job cuts and the university’s failure to commit to no compulsory redundancies. GCU management propose to cut approximately 50 posts and refuse to rule out compulsory redundancies under organisational change proposals designed to bridge a £33m drop in income over the last two years read more

Urgent action needed on gas storage to protect energy security and jobs (15 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is calling on the government to ensure the security of the UK’s gas supply and also safeguard hundreds of jobs. There is growing concern that Centrica, will close the Rough gas supply storage, which is situated 18 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, unless the government agrees a new funding formula read more

Diageo strike action suspended at Cameronbridge (14 Oct) – Planned strikes by Unite members at the Cameronbridge distillery, owned by drinks giant Diageo, have been suspended. Following one day of strike action that took place on 12 October, further planned strikes over job losses on 15, 19 and 22 October have been called off…Action short of strike, including an overtime ban, will continue while talks take place read more

Cardiff Bus workers in strike vote after drivers penalised during heatwave (13 Oct) – Workers who highlighted dangerous conditions have pay stopped. Cardiff is facing being brought to a standstill this autumn after Cardiff Bus workers prepare to vote for strike action. Over 500 drivers, engineers, cleaners and other workers are being balloted after 11 workers had their pay stopped when they refused to work in highly dangerous conditions during the summer heatwave. One driver was so unwell due to the heat they required medical attention yet the diktat from Cardiff Bus was that they, and every other driver, should continue working. During the heatwaves, ‘in cab’ temperatures sky rocketed and many members felt at risk while driving and some made the right decision that it was too dangerous for them and their passengers to continue read more

NHS lorry driver strike suspended (13 Oct) – A planned strike involving nearly 200 lorry drivers, based in based in Derbyshire, Somerset, Kent, West Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Suffolk and Newcastle, who deliver NHS supplies has been suspended. Strikes were due to take place from 13 to 15 October, 20 to 22 October and 27 to 29 October read more

Workers ballot for strikes over cuts to East London NHS services (12 Oct) – Swingeing staff cuts set to put the health of the public at risk. Health workers in East London are to vote on strike action in a dispute with the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) over plans to axe over 330 posts as part of a £25 million cuts plan. Over 500 staff who work in roles across ELFT including mental health nurses, psychologists, health care assistants, and administrative workers are being balloted over swingeing cuts that would decimate services and put public health at risk. According to a finance report released on 3 June, the trust plans to cut Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Adult Psychology, Community Health Services and other services patients rely upon…The ballot for industrial action runs until 9 November. If successful, widespread strike action could take place throughout this winter. The ballot is also over the removal of a Unite branch secretary in an act of trade union victimisation, a dispute over the care navigator position and the wider issue of low NHS pay read more

Sign this petition: Tell East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) – Hands off Mark Dunne! Stop trade union victimisation! Mark Dunne, ELFT’s most senior trade union representative, is facing redundancy. This redundancy and other processes related to it, have been handled with unprecedented hostility indicating a clear act of trade union victimisation

Hundreds of City & Guilds workers to be balloted for strikes over ‘vindictive’ work from home policies (12 Oct) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is preparing to formally ballot hundreds of its members at City & Guilds over sudden and ‘vindictive’ work from home policies. City & Guilds has instructed all staff that they must work from the office for at least two days a week and more if instructed, even though many workers were employed on the basis of working remotely and have been doing so since well before Covid. Moreover, current CEO Andy Moss has previously encouraged the offering of flexible location contracts as a strategy to overcome recruitment difficulties. City & Guilds does not provide overnight accommodation or expenses for staff who live long distances, often hundreds of miles, from the offices they are expected to attend. Those with children are also facing significant difficulties with arranging costly day and overnight childcare due to the new policy. Unite believes the sudden diktat has been issued from City & Guilds new Greek owner PeopleCert as a way to try and force workers out of their jobs without announcing redundancies read more

Age UK call centre and office workers pay strike ballot opens (12 Oct) – Age UK’s staff including call centre and office staff are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The 200 low-paid workers are angry after years of below-inflation pay rises have resulted in their wages falling by 15.3 per cent in real terms since 2021. Industrial relations have deteriorated further since Age UK imposed an insulting pay rise of just two per cent for most workers amid a cost-of-living crisis. Age UK claimed that it could only afford two per cent, because it was concerned that its reserves would drop to £25 million. However, the charity has now confirmed that its reserves are forecast to stand at £31 million by the end of the year read more

Sanctuary Housing must recognise Unite (11 Oct) – Workers the biggest housing association employer, Sanctuary, have been calling on senior management to recognise their union, Unite, for years. Many local managers see the importance of working with Unite and, in practice, they engage with Unite reps but the senior bosses refuse to engage read more on Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers Branch

Unite secures Forestry Commission workers above RPI inflation pay rise (8 Oct) – Lowest paid workers will go from just above minimum wage to Real Living Wage. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured above RPI inflation pay rises for hundreds of Forestry Commission workers across the country. Workers across a range of roles will receive pay rises of between 3.5 and 5.5 per cent – RPI inflation currently stands at 3.4 per cent. Those on the lowest pay band, which is just above the minimum wage, will receive a 5.5 per cent pay rise taking them to the real living wage of £13.45 an hour read more

Gate Gourmet strike averted as workers win improvements to conditions (8 Oct) – There will no longer be a threat of disruption to inflight meals operating on British Airways CityFlyer routes from London City Airport as Unite members at Gate Gourmet have won significant improvements to conditions. Earlier this summer the affected workers, who are delivery drivers of inflight meals, were TUPE transferred from Dnata to Gate Gourmet. Staff were based at Barking, however the Civil Aviation Authority closed the site and Gate Gourmet relocated them to Gatwick – a 50-mile trip away. Unite members at Gate Gourmet were due to walk out later this month after voting for strike action over the situation. However, following negotiations between Unite and Gate Gourmet members are now working directly from City Airport. Previously, when they were working from Gatwick they would have to drive for up to two hours there, pick up their truck, drive to City to work from there, do a 10-hour shift, then drive the vehicle back to Gatwick before going home. This was causing workers significant fatigue read more

New pay deal delivered for EnQuest offshore workers (8 Oct) – Dozens of workers set to benefit on Magnus offshore asset. Unite, the UK’s largest offshore union, has hailed a new pay deal for workers employed by the North Sea oil and gas operator EnQuest. Approximately 70 workers on the operator’s Magnus platform backed a two-year deal negotiated by Unite. The agreement will deliver an average increase of nine per cent in the base salary and a substantial average increase in the offshore allowance worth 74 per cent over the period. There are further increases in overtime and training day rates for members. The overall pay lift, which will be backdated to January this year is estimated to be worth on average over £14,000 for workers by the end of the pay agreement in March 2028 read more

Oxford University Press workers to demonstrate against offshoring plans (6 Oct) – on 7 October, striking Oxford University Press (OUP) finance operations staff will continue their fight against offshoring plans with a rally outside OUP’s headquarters. As well as protesting outside OUP, 30 Unite members at the company are currently on strike until Friday (9 October) over plans to move their roles to India. They have been seeking a resolution since the announcement was made in June. The workers were given a deadline to sign the settlement agreement a day before the first planned industrial action or be transferred to new employer EXL and lose the standard redundancy terms, which has been described as ‘intimidating’, and they have also been asked to stay on for six months to train their replacements read more

Loganair cabin crew strike ballot in pay dispute (6 Oct) – Unite rejects unacceptable pay offer citing management ‘arrogance’. Loganair cabin crew are being balloted on industrial action after rejecting a ‘final’ wage offer from the company before pay negotiations had even taken place. Over 60 Loganair cabin crew involved in the ballot are based out of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Isle of Man and Southampton airports. The cabin crew service flights across the UK and Ireland…The ballot will open on 8 October and close on 27 October read more

Strikes by MoD drivers suspended (5 Oct) – Planned strikes by drivers at the Ministry of Defence have been suspended following last minute concessions by the employer. Drivers has been due to strike over a complete breakdown in workplace relations but, having announced strike action, the MoD came back to the negotiating table with a new commitment to resolve long-standing issues read more

Offshore dispute at Wood Group escalates in strike action ballot (5 Oct) – Unite says it will resist all attempts to slash jobs, pay and conditions. Strike action involving Wood Group offshore workers starts tomorrow (6 October) as part of a series of stoppages on assets operated by Harbour Energy. Unite is in dispute with the Wood Group over its decision to slash the pay, and conditions of dozens of workers, including through the threat of issuing fire and rehire notices. Strike action starts at 00.01 on 6 October and will last until 23.59 on 7 October. Further days of action will take place on 20-21 October, and 3-4 November over the same hours read more

Tower Hamlets health visitors and support staff strike for NHS parity (29 Sept) – Tower Hamlets GP Care Group refusing guarantees to fully align with NHS pay structures. Nearly 120 East London health visitors and support staff will take strike action over service restructuring after their employer failed to give guarantees it would fully align NHS Agenda for Change pay structures. The workers have already forced Tower Hamlets GP Care Group (THGPCG) to scrap plans that included dangerous reductions in staffing levels for the borough’s zero to five years old health visiting services, which covers nearly 20,000 patients. During consultations with Unite, however, THGPCG has failed to give commitments that all staff contracts will fully align with NHS Agenda for Change pay, terms and conditions…The workers will strike on 6, 7 and 8 October. Further industrial action will be scheduled if the dispute is not resolved read more

East London private school staff to strike over swingeing pay cuts (25 Sept) – Catering staff and cleaners at an expensive private school in East London are taking strike action next week in a dispute over pay cuts. The workers at Forest School in Snaresbrook are employed on a contract by Compass Group UK & Ireland Limited. They are facing a pay cut of up to 13.5 per cent as Forest School has cut the contract to term time only, so 45 weeks instead of 52. These plans will leave workers, many of whom earn just above the minimum wage and do not receive the London Living Wage, in a precarious financial situation. Many of them live in London and Essex, which are areas with high rent prices and an expensive cost of living… Workers are also calling for Unite to be formally recognised as their union for collective bargaining. Membership surged after the pay cut plans was announced three months ago and membership is growing. Strikes will start this coming Monday (28 September) to Friday (2 October). It means staff and pupils won’t receive meals and areas of the school will not be cleaned read more

  • Strike fund: Account name: UNITE 1/1228 Branch; Sort code: 60−83−01; Account number: 33207980; Reference: Forest School
  • Messages of support should be sent to [email protected]

Hovis Avonmouth strike suspended after new offer (24 Sept) – Continuous strike action at Hovis starting today (24 September) has been called off following eleventh hour pay talks. Around 60 Unite members working as distribution drivers at the Avonmouth, Bristol, site were due to walk out in a pay dispute. However, following late night negotiations this has been paused to allow workers to vote on a new pay offer read more

Unite calls on Plaid to honour election promises and end health visitor dispute in Wales (14 Sept) – Open letter to First Minister published ahead of workers’ demo at the Senedd. Striking health visitors in Wales have written an open letter to Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth calling on the Plaid government to honour its pre-election promises and bring the long-running dispute to an end. Unite members at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University health board (CTMUHB) have been on continuous strike since February over their employer’s refusal to recognise their skills and experience and pay them at the correct pay band. This intransigence is currently costing them £9000 per year in lost pay. Before the Welsh Senedd elections in May, Plaid Cymru supported the health visitors campaign and promised to end the dispute if they formed a government. Now in power, Plaid has yet to make good on its commitment and continues to pass the buck back and forth with CTMUHB. Now, in an open letter published in Welsh media, health visitors are calling on Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth to honour his promises and bring the dispute to an end and ensure the workers are paid the correct salary…Striking health visitors will be making their anger towards their employer and frustration with the Welsh government heard on Wednesday as they march on the Senedd read more

Strikes escalate at Lancashire hospitals over holiday pay dispute (10 Sept) – Biomedical staff at Blackburn and Burnley hospitals taking further action. Scientists at two teaching hospitals in Lancashire are escalating their strike action over the NHS trust’s continued refusal to pay the holiday pay they are entitled to. Management at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust have a long history of poor employee relations and this is continuing despite an employment tribunal finding against them. The employer lost at tribunal over this issue several years ago for one employee, but it has refused to settle it for the rest of the employees who are now owed thousands of pounds. This is despite senior management stating that they would always be open to negotiations following previous strikes over safe staffing levels. Management at the hospital have disputed the union’s claims but now have refused Unite’s offer to enter into a binding arbitration meeting that would see staff return to work and the strikes called off…Affected employees work in the biomedical sciences department dealing with urgent and routine blood tests as well as wider diagnostic work for patients. Strike action already underway will see significant delays to tests and procedures across the trust as workers take to the picket line from 7-11 September, 14-18 September, 21-25 September and 28 September-2 October read more

Cumbria bus turmoil as Stagecoach drivers ballot for strikes (9 Sept) – There is set to be disruption to bus services across Cumbria as over 350 bus drivers are being balloted for industrial action over pay. Drivers working for Stagecoach North West and are members of Unite, are voting on whether to strike after rejecting an unsatisfactory pay offer from the company. The pay deal does not address the fact that they are paid less than drivers in other areas of the North West, despite having the same cost of living pressures. Bus drivers in Cumbria are paid £15.20 per hour for all hours worked, which is less than other depots covered under Stagecoach North West. Meanwhile, drivers in Preston and Chorley are currently on £17.10 rising to £17.80 in May 2027 while those in Lancaster and Morecambe currently earn £16.25 per hour Monday to Friday with an extra £1 per hour on Saturdays and Sundays…The ballot opens on 15 September and closes on 29 September. The drivers work at the Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington depots read more

Ulster University redundancy plans offers no assurance to workforce, Unite (8 Sept) – Unite has responded to the Ulster University’s publication of its voluntary redundancy scheme. The union said the plan fails to provide any analysis of how cutting 450 (equivalent to 15 per cent of the workforce) would affect the quality of education, the sustainability of its four campuses or the impact on already hard-pressed workers. The university has also failed to provide any assurances that compulsory redundancies will not follow if insufficient volunteers are accepted on the voluntary scheme read more

Public sector craftworkers in Ireland serve strike notice in pay equity fight (4 Sept) – Workers seeking restoration of pre-crash analogue agreement. Unite said today (4 September) that it has served three weeks’ notice of industrial action on the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). Unite is part of a coordinated campaign by the Public Sector Craft Group of Unions (PSCGOU) in the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to secure restoration of the analogue agreement. The agreement, which ensured pay parity between craftworkers in the public sector and comparators in the private sector, was suspended following the 2008 financial crash. A recent ballot by PSCGOU affiliates, including Unite, returned a 95 per cent aggregate vote in favour of industrial action. The nature and timing of the action will be determined by the PSCGOU National Strike Committee. The industrial action could begin as soon as 28 September read more

Workers at Leicester aerospace company SPS Technologies Ltd to walk out indefinitely over pay (3 Sept) – Around 200 Unite members at Leicester-based aerospace firm SPS Technologies Ltd will take continuous strike action in a dispute over pay. Workers at the firm have turned down a two-year pay offer of four per cent this year and four per cent next year as they don’t believe this goes far enough to address years of low pay offers. This is the third year in a row workers at SPS Technologies have had to ballot for industrial action to improve pay offers. SPS Technologies’ recent finances show an annual turnover exceeding £54 million. It is a subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corp (PCC), part of Berkshire Hathaway which was headed up by US billionaire Warren Buffet – one of the world’s richest people – until the end of last year. The pay offer to SPS Technologies workers is less than what has been offered to other PCC workers in the East Midlands. Meanwhile, SPS Technologies is also trying to impose changes to workers’ conditions by removing the use of emergency holidays and changing the absence policy in relation to staff who work a nine day fortnight…They will strike from tomorrow (4 September). SPS Technologies has recently started a new order of making parts for Airbus and industrial action will dramatically impact the delivery of this read more

South London & Maudsley NHS estates workers strike suspended (1 Sept) – Strikes by South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust estates staff have been suspended following an improved offer. The workers, including joiners, electricians, plumbers and painter and decorators, will now be balloted on the new deal. Strike action scheduled to take place between 1 and 7 September has now been called off. Further industrial action could take place if the offer is rejected read more

GAC dock workers in Eastham to strike over pay (28 Aug) – More than a dozen dock workers at GAC at the QEII dock in Eastham are to take strike action next week after a poor pay offer from their employer. The highly skilled dock operatives currently earn approximately £30,000 per year and have been offered a pay increase as low as two per cent for some workers. This real-terms pay cut was unanimously rejected by workers who then voted for industrial action. Workers are also angry over on-call arrangements. Unite has calculated that a single day of strike action will cost the company more than the value of the pay claim, as ships will have to anchor outside the dock at significant cost. These ships cannot go to alternative docks either, so there is no commercial sense to GAC’s intransigence…Workers at GAC will be taking industrial action on 1, 3 14 and 16 September 2026. Picket lines will be from 07:00 until 12:00 on these days at the dockside in Eastham read more

Kimpton Clocktower workers to strike during Manchester Pride (24 Aug) – Workers at Kimpton Clocktower will walk out on the Saturday of this year’s Manchester Pride, in a long-running dispute over union busting. Unite members at the hotel and its bar venue The Refuge will take 24 hours of strike action on 29 August – historically the most lucrative day of the year for their employer. The Kimpton Clocktower is located very close to the parade route, which takes place on 29 August. For several years, the venue has been a very popular location for people attending the parade and it runs several Pride events read more

Honeywell chemicals County Durham and Lancashire workers in strike vote over pension lies (21 Aug) – Strikes would cause shortages of vital chemicals for BP, Shell, theysenkrupp and DG Fuels. Nearly 320 chemicals workers employed by Honeywell at sites in Billingham and Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham and Clitheroe in Lancashire are being balloted for strikes over pensions. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the workers are furious at huge reductions in their pension schemes after their former employer Johnson Matthey Catalyst Technologies was acquired by US conglomerate Honeywell in July. During the acquisition, the workers were told Honeywell’s pension provision was ‘broadly comparable’. In fact, many workers will see employer pension contributions drop by nine per cent. In addition, death in service cover at Honeywell is significantly lower than it was under Johnson Matthey… The workers are being balloted for strike until 2 September read more

Clyde marine pilots balloted on strike action (19 Aug) – Clydeport dispute over failure to bring pay into line with industry standards. Clydeport marine pilots based on the River Clyde are being balloted on industrial action as part of a pay dispute. Around a dozen pilots (who are members of Unite) involved in the dispute are based at the King George V dock in Glasgow and at Greenock Ocean terminal. The pilots who move vessels around the Clyde are angry at the company’s refusal to honour a benchmarking exercise which would bring their pay into line with other pilots in the industry which was part of pay negotiations two years ago. The ballot on strike action opens today (19 August) and closes on 27 August read more

Isle of Wight RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre workers vote to strike amid redundancy terms dispute (3 Aug) – Workers at the Isle of Wight’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Inshore Lifeboat Centre workers will take industrial action as the charity is still failing to offer improvements to a redundancy package for Unite members, despite weeks of negotiations. Last month, the RNLI stated it would close the Inshore Lifeboat Centre by 2028, which would cause job losses and have a huge impact on the local community and local marine industry, and would only build lifeboats in Poole, Dorset, instead. Talks between conciliatory body ACAS and the RNLI broke down, after the RNLI said it would not offer any enhancement on the redundancy payments due to the ‘generous’ relocation allowance it has offered to staff. However, for most workers at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre, relocating to Poole, a more expensive area, from the island isn’t feasible for their finances or their families. The union is calling on the RNLI to negotiate a fair package for these workers that will be made redundant after the organisation promised them a ‘job for life’. The workforce in East Cowes do a highly skilled role supplying and maintaining lifeboats for over half of the 238 stations run by the RNLI across the UK…Workers at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre will strike on 11, 19 and 25 August. There will be a series of planned actions, including workers going to East Cowes to ask businesses and travellers at the ferry port to support Unite’s petition  read more

National Standards Authority: Workers set for industrial action following redundancy threat (30 July) – NSAI accused of undermining public sector industrial relations. Workers at the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action over proposed job losses. The move by Unite members in the Medical Devices Division follows the NSAI’s decision to seek government sanction to impose compulsory redundancies contrary to established practice in the public sector. The NSAI is also proposing to impose staff reassignments without agreement. The industrial action will start on Tuesday 4 August and will initially involve Product Reviewers withdrawing from billable work linked to conformity assessments, while Auditors will only be available to conduct audits for their daily contracted hours inclusive of travel time read more

Sign this petition: Provide 24/7 toilet facilities for East Ham Central Park bus drivers – The hardworking bus drivers on Transport for London (TfL) routes 115 and 58 at East Ham Central Park are currently facing a serious health and hygiene issue due to the lack of accessible toilet facilities. This oversight not only affects their personal wellbeing but also has potential negative implications for the service they provide to the public

CWU

Update on DM26 Talks, Government Intervention and the Future of Royal Mail (26 Oct) – Joint Statement Overview: Two weeks ago, the union took the decision to pause any further deployments of DM26 because we believed Royal Mail was moving too slowly to address those units where the new system was not working effectively.  This was contrary to the national agreement.  In addition, the union believed Royal Mail was prioritising further deployments over carrying out the formal reviews needed to resolve local issues and make permanent the 8,100 temporary part-time uplifts. The union also had major concerns. According to Royal Mail’s own figures, the company’s self-inflicted recruitment and retention crisis has increased from on average 326 to 400 employees leaving per week, primarily new entrants.  The CWU has been consistent in stating that unless the company honours its agreement with the union and delivers stable resourcing, then customer quality can never be properly restored read more

Update on DM26 – 16 October – This statement provides an update on developments since the CWU took the decision last week to pause the further deployment of DM26 until Royal Mail agrees a clear plan to address the units that are not working and completes the agreed formal reviews read more

Capita TVL members vote for strike action (21 Oct) – Capita bosses have been warned to “listen to employees and act accordingly”, as nine out of ten TV Licensing (TVL) workers have voted for strike action. Communication Workers Union (CWU) Assistant Secretary Andy Furey has urged the outsourcing giant to engage with the union through the Acas arbitration body, after workers voted by 91.5% to take strike action against what they saw as a derisory pay offer. The vote, which was on a turnout of 71.5%, followed September’s unanimous rejection by members of the same pay offer read more

CWU calls for emergency summit to save Royal Mail (14 Oct) – The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is calling for an emergency summit between the government, employers and union representatives to save Royal Mail as it stands “on the brink of collapse”. The union – which represents Royal Mail’s workforce – has urgently called for formal talks between the union, company management and the government to identify a way forward for Royal Mail, and to rescue the company from serious crisis. The news comes as BBC reporters warned of a “nightmare Christmas” for the company, with profound issues over the recruitment and retention of staff being reported across the country 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]     

National Campaign ballot to open on 20 October (9 Oct) – PCS has formally served dispute and ballot notices on all 138 employers covered by our national campaign, PCS has formally served dispute and ballot notices on all 138 employers covered by our national campaign, marking an important step forward in our fight for improved pay, pensions, jobs, terms and conditions, and workplace rights. Subject to the completion of the final statutory requirements, the national ballot is expected to open on 20 October 2026 and close on 1 December 2026 read more

Support Super Spooky Saturday to get the vote out (26 Oct) – With our national ballot in full swing, we are asking all PCS members involved to spare some time on 31 October and 14 November to help get the vote out in Super Saturday events. It is crucial everyone votes in our national ballot and our activists are working hard to deliver a big yes vote, including joining a Super Saturday event this weekend. Our activists will be contacting members who have not yet voted, speaking to them about the ballot and the importance of voting. Following changes in legislation, most members are able to vote electronically read more

Support the MHCLG Budget Day strike (26 Oct) – PCS members at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will strike on Wednesday, following a period of targeted strike action. During October, PCS members working in the Finance and RED directorates of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have taken three weeks of targeted strike action. However, despite new leadership in MHCLG, members have not seen progress to addressing their demands and all PCS members in the department will therefore take strike action on Wednesday 28 October.

Picket lines will be held outside offices from 8-10am on strike day, 28 October:-

  • Darlington – Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), Feethams House, Feethams, Darlington, DL1 5BF
  • Hemel Hempstead – The Forum, Marlowe, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1DN
  • London –2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
  • Leeds – 7/8 Wellington Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4AP
  • Wolverhampton – Wolverhampton Interchange, Railway Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LG read more

V&A strike suspended for talks (26 Oct) – PCS members at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum have called off this week’s strike action. PCS reps at the V&A have decided to suspend the planned 29 and 30 October strike to allow for ACAS-facilitated talks, after the employer sent an improved offer. Should these negotiations fail to produce a deal that is acceptable to our members, however, PCS will announce further strike action. PCS members at the V&A are determined to get the deal they deserve. And they continue to have a strong mandate for industrial action. PCS had already entered negotiations with the V&A over the provision of water bottles and adequate seating for front of house staff at V&A Storehouse. Now, the V&A has also made an improved offer on pay. PCS members are demanding a reasonable pay award and London Living Wage accreditation. They are also looking for heat mitigation measures, improved food offers at the East sites and a new industrial relations framework. You can support our members by using our e-action to email your MP read more

MHCLG members to strike on Budget Day (21 Oct) – The action is part of a long-running dispute over office closures, arbitrary office attendance and changes to location and recruitment policies. During October, PCS members working in the Finance and RED directorates of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have taken three weeks of targeted strike action, withdrawing their labour to stand up for colleagues across the department and to demand a fairer deal for staff. Members have also been taking part in action short of strike for the past six months, as part of the branch’s action to support the “Our Work, Our Way” campaign. The dispute centres on the closure of six regional offices, affecting hundreds of staff. There are also concerns over strict office attendance targets and recruitment policies that could restrict future opportunities for staff based in regional offices and contribute to further closures. Members continue to express concerns that the department is not listening, and that despite new leadership in MHCLG, they have not seen progress to addressing their demands. Given the lack of movement, PCS MHCLG is calling all members to take strike action on Wednesday 28 October read more

Ofwat members vote overwhelmingly for strike action (20 Oct) – In the ballot that closed on Monday (19), 74% of members said they were willing to strike over assurances on jobs and their future. PCS members in Ofwat have voted in favour of industrial action to secure guarantees on jobs, terms and conditions, pay, and wider working conditions. In the ballot that closed on Monday 19 October, 73.72% of those who voted said they were willing to take strike action and 91.3% voted yes for action short of strike. The ballot result shows the strength of feeling among union members working in the water regulator. Over a year after the government announced plans to abolish Ofwat and create a new water industry regulator, these members are still waiting for the assurances they need about their future. PCS will write to the employer and ministers in both Defra and the Welsh Government to demand swift action to deliver basic assurances on the members’ conditions of employment. If these assurances are not provided, PCS will consider a plan of strike action and action short of strike in order to secure these demands read more

Huge win for PCS members at Capita Pensions Solutions (16 Oct) – PCS members at Capita Pensions Solutions have secured a major pay victory, with most members receiving a 10.2% increase. This significant win shows the power of collective bargaining and what workers can achieve when they stand together. It will also help retain the skilled and experienced pensions administrators needed to support pension payments. PCS members took strike action last year to win trade union recognition and protect their pay, terms and conditions following their transfer to Capita Pensions Solutions from MyCSP. Their action helped safeguard experienced staff whose knowledge is vital to the effective administration of civil service pensions. PCS members know that Capita Pensions Solutions is failing too many pensioners through delays, errors and unresolved payment problems, as they see the consequences first-hand. They face the frustration and anger of pensioners every day, even though they are doing everything in their power to correct issues, resolve cases and ensure payments are made. The responsibility for these failures lies with Capita, not with the dedicated staff working under immense pressure to put matters right. Imposing what would effectively have been a pay cut risked driving out experienced administrators and making an already unacceptable service worse read more

Ask your MSPs to support Marine Energy jobs in Scotland (16 Oct) – PCS members in Wave Energy Scotland have, through engagement with Scottish politicians, secured the submission of a cross-party Scottish Parliament motion. An e-action has been created to enable individuals to easily ask their MSPs to support the important motion, Realising the Economic Potential of Marine Energy (S7M-01592). All PCS members living in Scotland are encouraged to use the e-action to ask their MSPs to support the motion, and to share the link with colleagues and family who are also resident in Scotland read more

MPs to double down on Capita’s performance (15 Oct) – PCS continues to hear from members of the Civil Service Pension Scheme who have no confidence in the scheme’s current administration by Capita read more

National Galleries of Scotland strike secures win for gallery attendants (15 Oct) – PCS members at National Galleries of Scotland have won an agreement to increase staffing levels following four days of strike action during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in relation to rota cuts for gallery attendants. Dispute resolution talks held through ACAS following the action led to an agreement being accepted by members in the branch through a ballot to resolve the dispute read more

FCDO strikers take to picket lines while foreign secretary delivers Labour speech (29 Sept) – As our members in London and East Kilbride held their latest day of strike action at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote called on Ed Miliband to resolve the dispute read more

Ofwat members to vote in industrial action ballot (28 Sept) – Vote opens today (28 September) as members seek guarantees on jobs, rights and conditions. PCS members working in Ofwat are being urged to vote yes to strike action and yes to industrial action short of strike action in the industrial action ballot. More than a year after the government announced plans to abolish Ofwat and create a new water industry regulator, members are still waiting for the assurances they need about their future read more

Ask your MP to support National Gallery security staff (24 Sept) – PCS has launched a new e-action calling on MPs to sign an early day motion and help secure a fair resolution to the ongoing dispute involving CIS Security staff. PCS members employed by CIS Security at the National Gallery have been campaigning for equal treatment, fair pay and decent workplace facilities read more

PCS suspends NCA strike following ACAS talks (20 Aug) – PCS’s National Disputes Committee has agreed to suspend tomorrow’s strike by PCS members employed by OCS at the National Crime Agency, to allow security supervisors, security officers and CCTV operators time to consider an offer from their employer. Our members, who are facing redundancy or having to apply for new roles on inferior terms with no guarantee of employment, because of closure of the NCA facility at Spring Gardens, Vauxhall in London were out in number on the picket line on their first day of strike action on Monday read more

PCS members in Sodexo on strike again (17 July) – PCS members working in Sodexo started their second wave of strike action today (17) against cuts to hours and jobs. PCS members working for Sodexo, who previously took two weeks of strike action to oppose cuts to hours, redundancies and changes to job roles and responsibilities, have now received letters from the employer notifying them that the individual consultation has concluded and Sodexo is planning to impose the changes. PCS does not yet have trade union recognition with Sodexo, but supported members through the individual consultation process, met with Sodexo management and continue to seek to engage with them in finding a resolution to the dispute. Despite repeated requests for information from Sodexo to explain their proposals and justification for the cuts, Sodexo has not provided it, making it difficult for PCS to offer detailed alternatives at this stage. PCS members work as receptionists, cleaners, porters and kitchen staff, providing essential services in Erskine House, the UK Government Hub building, and Carne House Belfast. They are paid on or around the national minimum wage and are committed to fighting the cuts by Sodexo, a multinational outsourcing company which reported profits in the region of £679 million. Today’s successful picket marked the first day of the second wave of strike action. There will be a picket line at Erskine House, Chichester Street, Belfast every day from 8am to noon, from Monday 27 July to Friday 31 July 2026. Please visit and support our members on the picket line and reps from the Revenue and Customs branch, donate to the strike fund, marking it Sodexo or send solidarity messages to [email protected]  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

Prospect members to take further strike action at Royal Museums Greenwich (22 Oct) – Prospect members at Royal Museums Greenwich will take further strike action on 31 October as part of a long-running dispute over pay, terms and conditions. The union members took strike action for two days in August, resulting in the closure of some sites and the cancellation of a number of events related to the solar eclipse. While some progress has been made in negotiations with management, particularly over use of fixed-term contracts and annual leave, the union is frustrated with the absence of binding commitments and timelines which it says risk undermining the agreement. The union says that its remaining demands are perfectly reasonable and that they hope that management will agree to them so that they can call off the strike read more

Norwich Airport members secure improved pay and conditions (21 Oct) – After an 18-month dispute, Prospect members working in air traffic control (ATC) at Norwich Airport, have voted to accept the latest offer made by their employer read more

“We need a system that will deliver a functional and competitive civil service”: Prospect responds to Government recommendation on Senior Civil Service pay (19 Oct) – The Government has today published its written evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) on the pay of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) for 2027 to 2028 read more

V&A strike escalated to all London sites (19 Oct) – Prospect members at the V&A in London are to escalate their industrial action by going on strike on the 29th and 30th of October (half term) in a dispute over pay and working conditions. The strike action is being coordinated with PCS members who are also striking on those days in a parallel dispute. It will affect V&A South Kensington, V&A East, V&A Storehouse and Young V&A 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   

New boss of Leeds hospitals must resolve ongoing strike (23 Oct) – Brendan Brown resolved a similar dispute with UNISON at his previous trust. The newly appointed chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust must make resolving a long-running pay dispute with theatre assistants his top priority. Brendan Brown was confirmed as the trust’s new permanent chief executive yesterday, after holding the post in an interim capacity for more than a year. During that time, he has failed to negotiate with UNISON over regrading theatre assistants to reflect the clinical duties they perform. The dispute has led to repeated walkouts, with staff now on indefinite strike. Theatre assistants carry out vital clinical duties, help keep operating theatres safe and sterile, and support surgical teams. Yet the lowest paid earn just 21p above the national minimum wage, says UNISON. The union says that Brendan Brown must prioritise resolving the dispute now that his position has been made permanent read more

Striking Leeds health workers take campaign for fair pay to Westminster (15 Oct)

Derwentside College scraps living wage commitment for lowest-paid staff, says UNISON (23 Oct) – Low-paid staff at Derwentside College will miss out on the latest increase in the real Living Wage after the college decided to end its accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation, says UNISON today (Friday). The decision affects 24 workers, including receptionists, catering assistants, learning support staff, exams administrators, salon assistants and facilities staff. The college has paid the real Living Wage since 2022. While the real Living Wage is a voluntary benchmark, unlike the lower national minimum wage, it is considered by many to be based on the cost of essentials actually needed for a decent standard of life – including housing, food and heating. The Living Wage Foundation recently announced a 4.8% increase in the voluntary hourly rate to £14.10 an hour. Derwentside college had initially failed to commit to any cost-of-living increase for staff this academic year. Following pressure from UNISON and the other unions, affected employees will now receive a 3.5% pay rise from April 2027 until 31 July 2027. However, Derwentside staff now face uncertainty about future pay increases because the college will no longer be tied to annual rises set by the Living Wage Foundation. UNISON is calling on the college to reconsider its decision and recommit to the real Living Wage read more

Mass lobby demands law to stop businesses harming nature and human rights

UNISON members joined other Corporate Justice Coalition campaigners in Westminster (21 Oct) – Mass lobby demands law to stop businesses harming nature and human rights. UNISON members have joined activists from across the UK in Westminster today (Wednesday 21 October) for the Good Business Matters mass lobby of parliament. The lobby is to demand a new Business, Human Rights and Environment Act, which would hold companies legally responsible over practises that harm communities, workers and the environment. UNISON is calling for the new law as part of the Corporate Justice Coalition, which brings together organisations including the TUC, Amnesty International, UNICEF, the Fairtrade Foundation, Global Justice Now, War on Want, the World Wildlife Fund and Focus on Global Exploitation. Campaigners will be inviting politicians to sign the Good Business Matters pledge, which is already backed by more than 80 parliamentarians read more

NHS staff 2.4% pay proposal ‘derisory’, says UNISON (19 Oct) – ‘This government came into office on a promise of change. Two years later, it’s pledging hope. But most NHS workers have seen neither’ read more

Hampshire Reform leader’s support for far-right group raises serious concerns, says UNISON South East (19 Oct) – Hampshire Reform leader’s support for far-right group raises serious concerns, says UNISON South East. Responding to ITV News revelations about Hampshire Reform leader Cllr George Madgwick’s support for the Portsmouth Patriots, a group associated with far-right extremism and Nazi imagery, UNISON South East regional secretary Jo Galloway said: “Public sector workers across Portsmouth and Hampshire will be deeply concerned by revelations about Reform UK councillor George Madgwick’s support for the Portsmouth Patriots, a group associated with far-right extremism and Nazi imagery…” read more

Healthcare workers in Wiltshire and Somerset to strike over safety and workloads (19 Oct) – Staff working for HCRG Care Services in Bath, Chippenham and Swindon will take 24 hours of strike action from 8am on Wednesday read more

Scandal-hit Essex mental health NHS trust wants to scrap security guards (15 Oct) – EPUT plans to remove security staff from most of its sites read more

Support the strike by Barnet Unison members at The Barnet Group (TBG) – 24-hour strike 27th October

‘They Were Heroes During Covid. Now They Are Fighting for Fair Pay. We Must Stand With Them’ – Branch Secretary Blog — John Burgess, Barnet UNISON

On Tuesday 13 October, Barnet UNISON announced that our members working for The Barnet Group had voted overwhelmingly for strike action. 88% voted YES on a 55% turnout. That is a powerful result, and I want to explain why this dispute matters to every Barnet UNISON member, not just those working for The Barnet Group. Who are The Barnet Group workers? The Barnet Group (TBG) is a company wholly owned by Barnet Council. It includes Barnet Homes, which provides housing services, and Your Choice Barnet, which provides social care and support services.

These are not optional services. Housing and social care are essential public services which councils have statutory responsibilities to provide or arrange.

Our members include care and support workers looking after vulnerable adults, and housing workers helping residents with their homes, repairs and housing needs.

They are public service workers. They work for organisations owned by Barnet Council. But they are not treated the same as Barnet Council employees.

Many members reading this may be surprised to learn that TBG workers do not automatically receive the same pay, annual leave, sick pay, overtime rates or other terms and conditions as Council staff. They also do not have the same access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). How can that be right? Read more on Barnet Unison Facebook Page

UNISON joins pre-budget lobby of Westminster (13 Oct) – Members are calling on MPs to invest in public services. UNISON members assembled in Westminster today (13 October) to join a mass lobby of parliament. The action took place ahead of the budget, which is expected to take place on 28 October. The event was organised by the Cost of Living Action (COLA), of which UNISON is a part. The union’s involvement was part of its We Show Up campaign, calling on the government to invest more in public services read more

UNISON secures major improvements on pay and grading at Glasgow City Council (5 Oct) – UNISON has secured significant new protections for Glasgow City Council workers following intensive negotiations involving the council and Scottish government, says the union today (Monday). Following an intervention by the Scottish government, a proposal for pay protection for workers facing losses has been increased to three years, UNISON says. The council has also agreed to continue discussions with UNISON on outstanding issues including lower-paid workers, allowances, unevaluated jobs, equality impacts and the operation of the new pay model. UNISON says the latest position creates a route towards a ballot of its membership, without the council dictating the union’s recommendation or communications. Under the proposals, the council has agreed not to issue fire and rehire notices during the ballot process. The union says important issues remain unresolved and negotiations will continue before members vote, including further investment to address detriment and the position of workers whose jobs have still not been evaluated.

  • Glasgow City UNISON branch secretary Chris Sermanni said: “UNISON stood firm because Glasgow’s workers deserved better than what was originally put on the table. That position has secured significant movement. Staff will have three years’ pay protection and further commitments around workers facing detriment. There’s now a path for UNISON members to give their verdict without the immediate threat of dismissal and re-engagement hanging over them. Importantly though, this isn’t UNISON’s acceptance of the pay and grading package and the fight for improvements isn’t over. Thousands of workers are owed substantial and long-overdue increases and we want them to receive every penny. At the same time, other workers face significant losses and some still don’t even know their final outcome. The period ahead will be used to keep fighting to give the whole workforce the information they need to make their decision. Ultimately, it will be UNISON members who decide.” Read more
  • Read more on UNISON Glasgow City Branch Facebook Page

Glasgow Caledonian University staff to strike for two weeks over redundancies (1 Oct) – Security staff, cleaners, couriers, accommodation and registry workers at Glasgow Caledonian University are to strike across 15 days from tomorrow in a dispute over compulsory redundancies, says UNISON today (Wednesday). The union says employees will walk out en masse tomorrow and on Thursday 15 October, while individual staff groups will take selective strike action every day during the next two weeks. UNISON says up to 100 jobs remain at risk of compulsory redundancy. The union was in negotiations through arbitration organisation Acas earlier this month. But the talks failed after the university remained intent on pursuing compulsory redundancies read more

Camden UNISON traffic wardens on strike – On Monday 28 Sept, Camden UNISON traffic wardens (employed by profiteering private company NSL) will be walking out to start 8 weeks of strike action. The dispute is over pay and conditions – for a £2ph pay rise, an increase of 7 days annual leave and for company sick pay from day 1. Currently, traffic wardens work 42.5 hours a week (almost a day longer than other council workers every week, so 50 days more a year) and only get 20 days annual leave (the statutory minimum). So their demand is to have the same annual leave that Council employees start with. There will be picket lines 7-10am at the following places, all solidarity visits welcome:-

* Camden Car Pound, Regis Rd NW5 3EW

* 13-15 Guilford St WC1N 1DW

* 199 Belsize Rd NW6 4AA

Solidarity messages to [email protected]  Camden Unison website & Facebook page

Tower Hamlets Union: East End Homes – Stop the Pensions Theft – EEH Pension Strike

No to Fire & Rehire

Strike Update:-

UNISON members working for EEH impacted by a plan by the Board and executive management to wreck their pension futures are taking strike action over July and August 2026. Disgracefully, the CEO, Daniel Killian has written to impacted staff to inform them that if they don’t consent to the detrimental contract change then EEH is prepared to use dismiss and re-engage (also known as fire and rehire) to impose it.

Read the leaflet for full information and how you can show solidarity with the strikers. Click EEH Pension Strike

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust must listen to workers and ditch outsourcing plans, says UNISON (17 Sept) – Hundreds of staff at Musgrove Park Hospital and community hospitals across Somerset have been facing transfer from direct NHS employment to Simply Serve Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the trust. Workers will lobby Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s annual general meeting in Taunton today (Thursday) to demand it permanently abandons plans to outsource their jobs, says UNISON. Porters, housekeepers, maintenance workers, other NHS staff and union representatives will gather outside the trust’s AGM at Somerset County Cricket Club at 3pm. Hundreds of staff at Musgrove Park Hospital and community hospitals across Somerset had been facing transfer from direct NHS employment to Simply Serve Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the trust. The proposals were paused following pressure from workers and UNISON while the trust awaits further guidance from NHS England read more

School support staff deserve better, says UNISON (17 Sept)

Scrapping union recognition at University of Brighton will affect student experience, says UNISON (15 Sept) – University of Brighton makes unilateral decision to end 20 year recognition agreement with staff unions. The University of Brighton’s decision to scrap union recognition will put the quality of students’ university experience at risk, warns UNISON today (Tuesday). The university has told UNISON and the University and College Union it intends to terminate their recognition agreement. For 20 years, unions and the university have worked together on key issues including sick pay, maternity and parental leave, annual leave and flexible working. University staff held a protest at 1pm today at the University of Brighton’s City Campus on Grand Parade to oppose the decision read more

University of Essex staff to strike over job cuts (14 Sept) – Huge attack on jobs and services provokes walkout from professional services staff. Staff at the University of Essex will strike next week over plans to slash jobs and services, UNISON says today. It’s the first time admissions advisors, IT technicians, admin workers and other professional services staff have walked out over the proposals to cut 400 posts. They will strike for a day next Monday. The £24 million cuts, which have already forced the closure of Essex’s Southend campus, will hit the quality of students’ education and the support available to them, warns UNISON. Staff say they’ve been left with no choice but to strike after university leaders refused to properly engage with them or listen to suggestions to minimise job losses. The strike is timed to coincide with the university’s annual ‘court’ meeting on Monday, where the vice-chancellor attempts to highlight achievements over the past year read more

Islington Town Hall staff go on strike amid jobs row – Council workers ‘left with no alternative’ but to stage a walkout (21 Aug) – MP Jeremy Corbyn joins education and public health staff on the picket line after a proposed ‘reorganisation’ at the Town Hall. COUNCIL workers began industrial action yesterday (Thursday) – their union’s first strike at the Town Hall for almost 25 years. Education and public health staff on the picket line told the Tribune they had been left with “no alternative” but to walk out. The Labour-run council is proposing a “reorganisation” that would see all staff in specialist data-gathering teams working together in one department. Union bosses say the changes mean more work for the same pay and amount to a “lack of job security” for long-standing staff members who have been told to re-apply for their positions. There are also concerns that cuts are coming down the line with the council set to lose a huge chunk of funding over the coming years. Islington Unison rep Rachel Ivens, a data analyst in the education department at the Town Hall, said: “Effectively, what this restructuring means is just cuts, cuts and more cuts read more on Islington Tribune website

Strikes back on at four Greater Manchester hospitals after payment offer withdrawal, says UNISON (19 Aug) – Hundreds of NHS operating theatre staff at four hospitals in Greater Manchester will be back on strike for three days next week in a dispute about overtime payments, says UNISON today (Wednesday). More than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees, including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers, at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield Hospital in Bury, are walking out on Monday 24, Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 August. UNISON says an offer to resolve the dispute was initially tabled by NCA bosses but withdrawn before discussions could take place. The row centres on the trust’s use of an outside agency – NHS Professionals (NHSP) – to manage overtime. When covering staff shortages, staff are entitled to time-and-a-half pay. However, in some cases staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, with some missing out on more than £80 per shift, adds the union. Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines at all four sites in June read more. Send messages of support to [email protected]

Gloucestershire care workers announce strike action over transfer plans (7 Aug) – Reablement workers will take two weeks of strike action from Monday 17 August over plans to outsource their roles to a private company read more

Donation Appeal for members on strike at Ash Field Academy (9 July) – Members at Ash Field Academy are taking strike action in defence of their rep, Tom Barker who was suspended after members at the school voted to strike on a previous dispute. The employer has allowed an investigation to be elongated, failed to provide detailed allegations and sought to undermine the collective strength of the union.  The members did not choose this fight — it was forced upon them — and they are showing remarkable courage in standing up for what is right. There have been discontinuous strike since April 2026, with the next scheduled dates taking place 6th to 9th July 2026.

  • Donations can be made via BACS transfer to the following:-

Bank: Unity Trust

Account name: UNISON Leicester City Branch

Account Number: 20059879

Sort Code: 60−83−01

Reference: Ash Field Strike Funds

Sign petition to: Paul Stone, CEO, Discovery Schools Academy Trust

Stop union-busting: protect union reps! Reinstate Tom Barker!

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’

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

Enough Is Enough: Defend Daisy Hill (23 Oct) – NIPSA members have made their message clear. Across the Health and Social Care service, workers are demanding fair pay, safe staffing levels, and properly funded public services. In the Southern Trust, that fight also means defending maternity services at Daisy Hill Hospital. The proposed transfer of maternity services away from Daisy Hill has been presented as a temporary response to consultant recruitment difficulties. However, recruitment challenges should be met with investment, workforce planning and long-term solutions, not the removal of vital local services. Healthcare workers and local communities should not be forced to pay the price for political decisions and years of underfunding. Stormont ministers and the UK Government must take responsibility for funding decisions that have left health services under increasing pressure. The impact of losing local maternity services will be felt most by working families, particularly those who face additional travel costs and longer journeys to access care read more

Education Workers Warn of Industrial Action as Minister Delays Agreed 3.3% Pay Award (15 Oct) – Education Support Staff Trade Unions are extremely concerned that the Education Minister has not yet given approval for the Education Authority (EA) to implement the NJC pay award of 3.3%, following NJC pay being settled in August. This is despite the commitment from the Department of Education (DE) since 2015 for workers to receive their contractual and legal entitlements to pay awards when they fall due. Education workers in other UK regions have received their 2026/27 3.3% pay uplift, backdated to 1st April, with EA employees in Northern Ireland still without any clarity as to when the pay uplift will be in place here. This means that a promise made by DE that pay awards would be implemented when they fall due is now broken. Education workers are extremely frustrated and angry at the failure of the Education Minister and DE to implement their contractual entitlement to the pay award. Education Support Staff Trade Unions wrote to the Education Minister, Paul Givan, last week requesting that he gives urgent attention to approving the NJC pay award. The Education Minister has responded that in the absence of an agreed Executive Budget for 2026/27, the pay award remains part of wider Executive discussions around public-sector pay and he is not in a position to provide approval to implement the award. Education Support Staff Trade Unions have repeatedly expressed our serious concerns at the inadequate funding available for education services and want to see a budget that delivers against the level of need. But we are very clear that NJC pay is a contractual and legal entitlement and cannot be held back by the delays in the NI Executive agreeing a budget. The Education Minister must recognise the contractual right of the workforce and give approval to the EA to implement the pay award. The Minister should further make funding available for Voluntary Grammar Schools and Grant Maintained Schools to implement the pay award. Any further delay in implementing the pay award risks exacerbating difficulties in recruiting and retaining the workforce and damaging workforce morale. The Education Minister should demonstrate that he values the immense contribution made by the many thousands of Education workers delivering services across our education system. Education workers will not accept their contractual rights being denied and cannot be caught in the middle of the ongoing budgetary issues. The longer the Education Minister delays on giving approval for the NJC pay award, the greater the potential of industrial action becomes. Education Support Staff Trade Unions are now seeking an urgent meeting with the Education Minister for the immediate approval of the NJC pay award for Education workers read more [The Education Support Staff Trade Union Side comprises NIPSA, UNISON, GMB and UNITE and represents thousands of non-teaching education workers across Northern Ireland]

Health Strike Action – NIPSA to ballot health workers for industrial action over cuts, pay delays and staffing crisis (9 Oct) – The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) is set to formally notify Health and Social Care Health and Social Care employers of its intention to ballot members for industrial action as growing anger mounts over proposed cuts, delayed pay awards and increasing pressure on frontline services. The ballot will open on 21 October and close in November, with thousands of Health and Social Care workers being asked whether they are prepared to take industrial action to defend jobs, staffing levels, pay and services. The move follows NIPSA’s Enough Is Enough campaign and an extensive consultation with members working across the Health and Social Care Trusts. Members have told the union they are no longer prepared to accept a cycle of broken promises, increasing workloads, unsafe staffing levels and cuts to services. NIPSA’s decision comes after confirmation that Health and Social Care organisations will be expected to deliver savings of more than 12% over the next three years. The union has warned that, after years of so-called efficiency measures, cuts of this scale cannot be delivered without damaging services and impacting staff read more

Bust the Budget, Not Our Public Services (28 Sept) – NIPSA has called on working class people to stand united in defence of our public services.  NIPSA demands that Executive Ministers refuse to impose further cuts on public services if Westminster does not provide the funding needed. NIPSA General Secretary Carmel Gates said: “Public services cannot withstand another round of cuts. Years of underfunding have left services stretched to breaking point and the workers delivering them facing relentless pressure. Our members did not create this crisis, yet they are being expected to carry the consequences through increased workloads, pressure on pay and conditions, and services struggling to meet growing need. Westminster must provide the funding required to deliver public services according to need.  If it refuses to do so, Executive Ministers must refuse to make the cuts. Ministers must be prepared to bust the Budget rather than make workers pay the price for continued underfunding. NIPSA’s message is clear: refuse the cuts and defend our public services.” NIPSA has consistently called for a needs-based Budget, warning that continued underfunding will result in further damaging cuts to public services and public-sector pay read more

  

NEU

New remit for the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in England (22 Oct) – Commenting on the Secretary of State’s remit letter to the STRB on teacher pay and conditions in England published today, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “At a time when we desperately need the Government to step up and deliver the properly funded education system our children and young people deserve, the narrowness of the new STRB remit is shocking.  Teachers have lost around a fifth of the value of their pay in real terms against RPI inflation since 2010 and inflation is on an upward trajectory – but the STRB remit does not include a review mechanism on the proposed 3 per cent pay increase for September 2027. Unfair blocks to pay progression, often due to school funding issues, remain in place and drive experienced teachers out of the profession. Yet there is nothing in the remit about the fair, mandatory and transparent national teacher pay structure needed to support recruitment and retention…” read more

NEU pause strike ballot (24 Sept) – The executive of the National Education Union met today to discuss the commitment from government to fully fund at a national level the teacher and support staff pay award for 2026/27. They have agreed to pause the ballot that was set to launch on 3 October read more

School teachers’ pay: Joint union response to Secretary of State (24 Sept) – ASCL, NAHT, NEU and Community have jointly responded to the Secretary of State’s consultation on the STRB report.  Underlining the consensus in the profession, they call on the Government to recognise and act on the key issues affecting the pay and working conditions of teachers and school leaders read more

NASUWT

Pay award fails schools, teachers and pupils (24 Sept) – The teachers’ pay award falls far short of what is needed to resolve the recruitment and retention crisis and safeguard children’s education, NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, has warned. NASUWT has called on the Education Secretary to agree to urgent discussions on a long-term solution to school funding and real-terms pay cuts for teachers. In its response to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report on pay, the Union has argued that the 3.5% pay award for 2026/27 fails to protect teachers against rising inflation and or to begin the process of pay restoration after years of real-terms pay cuts. Furthermore, the Union’s letter highlights that the announcement last week of £500 million for the pay award from savings made to the Local Government Pension Scheme does not represent additional funding for school budgets and the impact is not uniform across schools read more

NI teachers to start industrial action over excessive workload (21 Sept) – Teachers in Northern Ireland will start a campaign of industrial action after the failure of negotiations to produce a satisfactory solution to long running concerns over excessive workload. NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in Northern Ireland, has expressed profound disappointment following the conclusion of intensive negotiations on the implementation of the Independent Review of Teacher Workload recommendations, after management side failed to offer any meaningful period of calm in schools that would have given teachers and school leaders the time and space needed to plan for and implement agreed workload reductions. The Minister’s own Independent Review of Teacher Workload was unequivocal in its findings. It concluded that workload levels were unsustainable and were causing serious harm to teachers, the profession and the quality of education provided to young people across Northern Ireland. It sounded a clear alarm throughout the education system that urgent action was required read more

   

EIS   

EIS ULA Condemns GCU Management’s Inaction as Members Prepare for Further Strike Action (9 Oct) – The EIS ULA has reaffirmed its determination to secure a no compulsory redundancy guarantee for all staff at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU). The ongoing dispute, which centres on safeguarding high-quality education, research and protecting jobs, remains unresolved due to senior leadership’s continued refusal to address the significant concerns of the workforce. Members at GCU have already taken an unprecedented fourteen days of strike action in protest against the ongoing threat of compulsory redundancies and have been joined on a number of those days by colleagues from UCU and Unison read more

EIS and STUC Jointly call on First Minister to Intervene in City of Glasgow College Dispute (28 Aug) – The EIS and STUC have written to First Minister John Swinney, urging the Scottish Government to intervene to help facilitate a resolution to the long-running Health and Safety Dispute at City of Glasgow College (CoGC). EIS members within the Welding and Fabrication Department at CoGC have been engaged in a programme of strike action since March, as they seek vital improvements to protections for staff and students undertaking hazardous welding activities in the college read more

INTO

Updates – re: local bargaining payments for primary teachers working in a substitute/part-time capacity; dispute resolution arrangements; and pay deal negotiations read more

Trade dispute over teachers’ workload (21 Sept) – Mark McTaggart Northern Secretary: I wrote to you on 1 September 2026 in accordance with Article 118 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 informing you of the results of the INTO’s ballot for industrial action. Following the results of the ballot of members in Northern Ireland, I am authorised by Northern Committee and CEC to instruct you to take continuous action short of strike action with effect from Monday 28 September 2026. The form which the action short of strike action will take is set out in the attached document entitled ‘Action Short of Strike Action Instructions’. We remain available and willing to continue discussions on the detailed implementation of the proposals and to work constructively with all parties to secure meaningful and lasting workload reductions for teachers and school leaders. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support during the process of negotiations read more      

Nearly 100% of INTO members back industrial action (18 Sept) – Primary teachers to begin work to rule on 5 October. Exactly 80 days after the expiry of the previous public service pay agreement, the INTO’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) has announced that its 48,000+ members in the Republic of Ireland will begin work to rule on Monday, 5 October. Members in the union’s 155 branches who voted have strongly endorsed a campaign of action – up to and including strike action – to secure a credible pay settlement for the second half of 2026 and beyond. The union said that the notable turnout of 57.5% of INTO members and the result – 99.5% of those who voted being in support of action – indicates how angry teachers are at the continued disregard shown to them by Government. The massive support for a yes vote far exceeds the 2/3 majority required to proceed with action read more

UCU     

UCU ‘Education It’s Ours’ campaign  

UCU calls on Burnham to extend public control agenda to post-16 education (26 Oct) – Ahead of the Budget on 28 October, UCU general secretary Jo Grady has today (26 October) said: “Higher and further education are in crisis. Ministers can no longer afford to look the other way. More than 30,000 university jobs have been lost in three years, most of them on Labour’s watch, as university bosses slash jobs, attack terms and conditions and push staff onto inferior pensions. Without a long-term funding plan, governance reform and stronger employment rights, this race to the bottom will continue. In further education colleges, lecturers are paid £7,000 to £9,000 less a year than teachers in secondary schools, despite often teaching the same curriculum. This disparity is fuelling a recruitment and retention crisis, that damages our student’s education. The Budget is an opportunity for the government to commit to closing the pay gap and properly funding colleges…” read more

UCU and Unison members at INTO Manchester declare dispute in pay and workload row (22 Oct) – Staff at INTO Manchester have declared a formal industrial dispute in a row over pay and workload, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today. INTO Manchester is a private international study centre in central Manchester, that prepares international students for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at UK universities. It charges students as much as £30,000, and in 2025 made a net profit of almost £9 million. The decision follows a vote that closed last week where 91% of UCU members who voted called for a formal dispute, in a vote which paves the way for potential industrial action.  Unison members in support roles at the centre are also in dispute and moving to ballot, which could result in staff from all departments across the centre taking strike action read more

Strike ballot at Aberdeen University raises prospect of Autumn industrial action (21 Oct) – Members of UCU at Aberdeen University are being asked if they are willing to take future strike action in a ballot that opens today. The dispute is over job cuts at the university, including the failure by management to rule out compulsory redundancies, and the lack of consultation between management and the union. The dispute also relates to the dismissal of long-standing union rep at the university, Professor David Anderson, and concerns about him being victimised by management for carrying out trade union activities. Last month the union withdrew from negotiations with management over his dismissal. The ballot also asks members if they are willing to take action short of strike, such as working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and including a possible marking and assessment boycott. The branch took ten days of strikes earlier in the year over job cuts and the possibility of compulsory redundancies. The ballot closes on 30 November. A petition set up calling on university management to reinstate David Anderson has been signed by over 1,100 people in just over a week, with signatories signing from across the word including 100s from France. The union said that the speed with which people had signed and the support from the academic community and beyond abroad showed the dismissal risked damaging the university’s reputation at a time when the university’s attractiveness to international students and researchers has never been more important read more

Lakes College UCU members declare dispute in workload row (20 Oct) – Staff at Lakes College in Cumbria have declared a formal industrial dispute in a row over workload, the University and College Union (UCU) announced today. The decision follows a branch vote last week where UCU members overwhelmingly called for a formal dispute, in a vote which paves the way for potential industrial action. The dispute centres around on-going issues around excessive workload, stress and timetabling changes with little communication, and the impact this is having on both staff and student wellbeing. The union said staff and students shouldn’t have to suffer the mistakes of senior management and added that industrial action could be inevitable unless meaningful discussions and actions plans are put in place to address staff concerns read more

Union calls on Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to open up about cuts plans and rule out job losses (15 Oct) – UCU is calling on Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to be open about potential cuts and rule out job losses. LSTM is seeking savings of approximately £8 million this financial year, with similar savings in each of the following two years, as announced by the vice-chancellor in all-staff communications at the end of July. A voluntary severance process has taken place, with significant redundancies now being considered. Staff unions have not received a sufficiently detailed explanation of the plans and UCU is calling on LSTM management to share its intentions with the unions, and outline in full its financial position, the proposed savings, the scale and distribution of any potential redundancies, and the potential impact on research programmes, education, and specialist expertise read more

University of Sunderland staff declare dispute in fight against job cuts (15 Oct) – Staff at the University of Sunderland have declared a formal industrial dispute in a row over job cuts, UCU announced today. The decision follows a branch meeting last week where UCU members overwhelmingly called for a dispute, a vote which paves the way for potential industrial action. The dispute centres on the university’s plans to operate ‘on a budget that costs £40m less than it does currently’ and will involve cuts in both staff and non-staff costs. The dispute also follows the controversial decision taken by the university to employ all new academic tutors through a wholly owned separate company, with these staff ineligible for the industry-standard Teachers’ Pension Scheme. The union has said that this means that the University of Sunderland now has a two-tier workforce read more

UCU condemns De Montfort University plans to employ staff through subsidiary company (14 Oct) – UCU has today condemned plans by De Montfort University (DMU) to employ new professional services staff and new academic teaching fellows through a subsidiary company, DMU People, on worse terms and conditions. The company is wholly owned by the university but the decision would mean that De Montfort bosses remove newly employed staff from their statutory entitlement to a public sector pension scheme. UCU says the proposed use of a wholly-owned subsidiary company risks creating a two-tier workforce, with new employees denied the terms, conditions and pension provision available to colleagues employed directly by the university. Staff appointed through DMU People would instead be enrolled in a private pension scheme rather than the Local Government Pension Scheme or Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Similar measures have been taken at other universities, including Southampton Solent, leading to calls for the government to close the loopholes that enable employers to avoid paying staff statutory entitlements read more

Striking lecturers rally at London South Bank University (8 Oct) – UCU members on strike at London South Bank University (LSBU) held a rally on campus today to highlight their dispute over cuts, changes to contracts and union recognition. UCU members began a week of strike action on 5 October, with further action planned for 19-20 October and 2-3 November. The dispute has escalated after LSBU put forward proposals that could see 66 academics dismissed and re-employed on new contracts before Christmas. UCU says the university intends to do this by breaching notice clauses in staff contracts, in what the union says would amount to ‘fire and rehire’ read more

University of Lincoln staff vote for strike action in fight against job cuts (6 Oct) – Staff at the University of Lincoln have voted in favour of industrial action in a row over job cuts, the University and College Union announced today. The decision follows a ballot in which 85% of participating staff backed strike action, on a turnout of 60%, with 88% voting in favour of action short of a strike. The dispute, which will run throughout the 26/27 academic year, centres on the university’s redundancy plans which originally saw over 140 staff put at risk across the schools of humanities and heritage, engineering and physical sciences, social and political sciences, chemistry, geography, and design and architecture, as well as the Lincoln Business School, and have already seen 25 staff leave the university this year. The union said that this is the fourth year of job losses in a row, that has seen hundreds of staff who were at Lincoln four years ago leave. The strike threat follows an overwhelming no confidence vote against the vice-chancellor and senior leadership team over their poor leadership and potential damage to the provision of teaching and research read more

Strike ballot opens at Glasgow University over job cuts (6 Oct) – A ballot for industrial action, including possible strikes, opens today at Glasgow University in a dispute over cuts, job losses and possible compulsory redundancies. University and College Union (UCU) members at the university are being balloted on whether they are willing to take strike action and action short of strike.  Action short of strike could include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and other actions up to a possible marking and assessment boycott.  The ballot will run from today until 10 November. The ballot is in response to the announcement of job cuts and the opening of a voluntary severance scheme on 14 August.  Managers have also confirmed their intention to undergo a number of organisational change projects which the union said will involve cuts to staff numbers, and they have also cancelled promotions for academic staff during the current academic year, although the union has negotiated their reinstatement from next year. The union said that it had repeatedly asked university senior management to rule out compulsory redundancies but that they had refused to do so.  An earlier, consultative ballot showed support for strike action at 68% read more

University of Nottingham staff to strike for two months from October in redundancy fight (28 Sept) – Staff at the University of Nottingham will strike on Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October, and then solid strike action from 5th October until 11 December in a row over jobs and course cuts, the University and College Union has confirmed today. The first two strike days this week will coincide with the university’s council meeting at which the final business case for cuts will be considered. The action will also include action short of a strike, such as only working to contract and not covering for absent colleagues read more

Staff at the University of Edinburgh start five-week strike (28 Sept) – Members of the University and College Union at the University of Edinburgh today start five-weeks of strikes in a dispute over £140million cuts and compulsory redundancies. The strike follows the announcement two weeks ago that 90 programmes at the university face closure.  The dispute began nearly two years ago when the university principal announced £140million cuts with “nothing off the table”, pointing to compulsory redundancies.  Since then, 100s of staff have lost their jobs with the union saying some were pushed out or with expected contract extensions or renewals not happening.  Hourly-paid staff have had their hours slashed and positions have disappeared.  Naming those courses and degree programmes facing closure is an escalation in the dispute and increases the possibility of management forcing staff out of work by compulsory redundancies. The 1,800 jobs the union estimates will be cut is unprecedented in Scottish higher education.  It is happening in the wealthiest Scottish university, and the third richest in the UK, currently sitting with over £3billion reserves read more

Glasgow Caledonian University hit by six days of strike action during autumn term (22 Sept) – Members of the University and College Union working at Glasgow Caledonian University are today taking the first of six days strike action in a dispute over job cuts and compulsory redundancies. The dispute, which is taking place as Dundee and Edinburgh universities also face strikes, is over plans announced in March by senior management to cut up to 100 posts at the university despite not having a deficit.  With staff taking voluntary redundancy, the number of posts management want to cut is now approximately 50.  The union said that there is no need to cut jobs and that the university is in a strong financial position, so much so that the university recently bought land in Glasgow city centre at Buchanan House Gate that was previously used by Network Rail.  The land is believed to have cost around £4.5million but, at present, the intended use is unknown by the university’s staff.  The branch claimed that making investments of this scale at the same time as cutting the staff who deliver the teaching and research central to the university’s mission shows that management’s priorities are out of step. As well as striking today, members of the branch will also be on strike on 24 and 29 September and on 1, 6 and 8 October.  UCU members have already taken three days of strikes and members of other unions on the campus have also taken industrial action.  The cuts and job losses have been raised in the Scottish Parliament with seventeen MSPs calling on the university to engage constructively with unions to end the dispute read more

Dundee University staff begin five-week strike (21 Sept) – UCU members at the University of Dundee today begin a five-week strike in the almost two-year long dispute over cuts and compulsory redundancies. Staff at the university will strike each weekday from Monday 21 September until Friday 23 October over the first five weeks of the new academic year in a bid to prevent compulsory redundancies. They will also be taking part in action short of strike like not undertaking voluntary activities or covering for absent colleagues and which could also see a marking and assessment boycott at the university. The ballot authorising strike action was passed earlier in the summer when 79% backed strike action read more

UCU condemns University of Brighton derecognition plans (15 Sept) – UCU has today condemned plans by the University of Brighton to derecognise UCU on campus. The university told UCU’s Brighton branch yesterday, that from June next year it would terminate its current recognition agreement and all collective agreements, effectually ripping up contracts that have been negotiated over recent years. The union said this could mean full union derecognition and worsening terms and conditions for staff read more

Heriot-Watt University staff stage two-day strike (14 Sept) – Members of UCU at Heriot-Watt University will today take the first of two-day’s strike action over cuts and compulsory redundancies. Last month, members of the union voted to back strike action by 70% and the strike today and tomorrow is the first strike action to take place under the new 12-month mandate. The dispute centres on job losses at the university’s Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and Scholar programme. There had previously been an agreement reached in June, which committed the university to no compulsory redundancies at the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies (LINCS) before Spring next year, but the union said that management are failing to honour that commitment and are actively progressing plans that could involve compulsory redundancies in both LINCS and in the long-running Scholar programme which delivers web-based learning to schools across Scotland. Staff there are facing compulsory redundancy despite more staff having applied for voluntary redundancy than the target set by management. Since the dispute began back in March, staff have been on strike for twelve days. This week’s strike means that, overall, almost three weeks of work has been disrupted. As well as strike action, staff have also been participating in action short of strike such as working to contract and not covering for absent colleagues and future action short of strike could also involve a marking and assessment boycott read more

University of Birmingham staff to consider strike ballot over redundancies that fall entirely on minority ethnic staff (11 Sept) – Staff at the University of Birmingham will meet next week to consider potential strike action in a battle against redundancies, UCU said today. The dispute is over plans by the university to make five translation and interpreting staff redundant, all of whom are from a migrant or minority ethnic background. In February, the university announced its Silver Race Equality Charter award, an Advance HE accreditation recognising ‘significant and sustained progress in advancing race equality’, which the vice-chancellor welcomed in a message to all staff read more

University of Exeter staff back industrial action in redundancy fight (9 Sept) – Staff at the University of Exeter have overwhelmingly backed a mandate for industrial action in a battle to save jobs, UCU announced today. In a ballot that closed today, 91% of UCU members voted in favour of potential further industrial action on a turnout of 74%. The branch will meet on Thursday 10 September to decide on next steps. The dispute is over proposed cuts, which put 500 research and teaching staff, including more than eight in 10 academics in the faculty of humanities, arts and social sciences, at risk of redundancy, originally threatening 200 compulsory job losses. A coordinated campaign involving petitions and a vote of no confidence has forced the university to pull compulsory redundancy plans and move towards agreements on talks on a renewed workload model and greater financial scrutiny. But members have voted to continue to hold management to account, particularly over ballooning workloads and sky-high executive pay. The union said that despite some wins, including ending the threat of compulsory job cuts, the fight will continue to protect the university from any further cuts or redundancies. The loss of valued colleagues through so-called voluntary redundancy and the knock-on impacts on staff workloads and student experience have been ignored by an out-of-touch senior management read more

University of Cumbria staff face ‘fire and rehire’ over pensions (7 Sept) – The University and College Union (UCU) has warned that University of Cumbria staff could face the threat of ‘fire and rehire’ as the university begins a process to remove workers from the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and move them into a significantly less secure pension arrangement. The university told affected staff in August that they had until Monday 7 September to sign a new contract which would end their membership of the LGPS and move them into a defined contribution pension scheme run by Scottish Widows. Staff who agree to move to the new scheme will receive £8,000 in ‘compensation’. Those who do not agree to the change face the prospect of having their existing contracts terminated and being offered new contracts on worse terms. The university is due to begin this process on Tuesday 8 September. UCU has strongly opposed the proposed changes, warning that staff who have spent years building up their pension through the LGPS should not be forced into a less secure retirement. The union has also raised concerns about the impact of the proposals on staff who have given long service to the university read more

University of Sheffield vice chancellor given vote of no confidence by staff (21 Aug) – The University and College Union (UCU) has today called on the vice chancellor of the University of Sheffield to resign after staff delivered an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the university’s executive board and council. Over 1,900 staff and PGRs at the university took part in the vote, with over 1,600 voting in favour of the motion. Members’ jobs continue to be at risk leaving staff constantly stressed, with high workloads, increased pressure due to job insecurity and in danger of burn out. Members are involved in an ongoing dispute over job cuts, restructures and management’s decision to withhold staff pay, not just during recent strike action, but once they returned to the workplace to pressure them to make up teaching lost to the strike. Management has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies and at risk letters have been sent out to staff in the department of East Asian Studies, with at least four more departments also set for cuts. More than 500 staff have lost their jobs at the university through ‘voluntary severance’ since this round of restructuring began in November 2024. The vote of no confidence follows the formal censure of the university by the academic community for its continued attack on staff read more

University of Sussex staff vote to strike in redundancy fight (14 Aug) – Staff at the University of Sussex have overwhelmingly backed strike action in a battle to save jobs. In a ballot that closed yesterday 81% of UCU members voted in favour of strike action on a turnout of 70%. The vote is over management’s threat to cut 200 jobs in plans to save £35m a year. Sussex UCU has put forward proposals to protect jobs and student provision, including allowing staff to volunteer to move part-time and working to bring down the pay of senior management, alongside campaigning to lobby policymakers to invest in the future of higher education. Management is now considering the union’s feedback but has already agreed to extend timelines and to consult with staff over voluntarily moving to part time read more

Indefinite strike action to begin Monday 8 June over Goldsmiths lockout (29 May) – Staff will commence an indefinite strike on Monday 8 June at Goldsmiths, University of London. The union said the imposition of 100% pay deductions for participation in action short of strike is an effective lockout, and staff will refuse to work because management refuses to pay them. UCU began a marking boycott, as part of its action short of strike, on Monday 27 April, refusing to mark all work and assessments in a fight to protect jobs. Management responded by threatening to dock 100% of pay even if staff continue to complete all their other duties, including teaching, research and recruitment. The employer confirmed its intention to dock pay from Friday 22 May, ahead of a bank holiday weekend, and UCU has now responded by giving notice for indefinite strike action beginning Monday 8 June. Worryingly, university management has also reportedly issued an ultimatum to students, threatening to ban them from campus for protesting in solidarity with staff. Currently 269 professional services staff and academics are in scope of redundancy, more than one in five of the 1,230 strong workforce. Further academic staff cuts are also slated to start from September. This is the third round of redundancies at Goldsmiths in the last five years, and these cuts are going ahead despite close to £24m being saved in the two previous rounds read more

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

     

GMB  

Nottinghamshire tram strikes called off (21 Oct) – Tram workers are vital to our city and deserve respect, says GMB. GMB Union, representing workers across Nottinghamshire’s tram network, has today announced that workers have voted to accept a negotiated package to end the ongoing strike action. The news comes after four days of strikes across the network, and brings to an end the prospect of twenty five further strike days planned for later this year. Workers voted to accept a new deal from company management, after months of negotiations read more

Jackdaw approval ‘right thing for our country’ (21 Oct) – GMB, the energy union , has described the Government’s approval of Jackdaw today [Wednesday] as ‘the right thing for our country’ read more

Third of delivery drivers paid less than NMW (21 Oct) – More than one in three self employed delivery drivers are paid below the minimum wage, a shocking new report shows. The University of Sheffield paper – Work and Employment in UK Last Mile Parcel Delivery – spoke to almost 1,500 couriers of a two year period, many of whom are GMB members. Of those, 35 per cent of self employed drivers estimated they earn less than the National Minimum Wage – as well as facing significant costs, including fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance and mobile phones read more

Government’s taxi response must increase driver rights (21 Oct) – GMB Union has responded to the Government’s response to the Transport Select Committee’s report on private hire and taxis read more

Royal Berkshire Hospital porters strike for further five days (20 Oct) – Workers to walk out next week after two days of action in September. Almost 100 porters working at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading will take five days of strike action starting on Monday 26 October. The members of GMB union took two days of action on 29 and 30 September but have not received a sufficient offer to call off the action. The dispute centres around overtime payments, which the Trust have removed read more

Covid inquiry care module – GMB reacts (20 Oct) – GMB Union has reacted to the findings of the Covid Inquiry’s care module which were released today [Tuesday] read more

Barnsley nursery workers vote to strike (20 Oct) – Dozens of nursery workers across Barnsley have voted to strike with a 100 per cent majority. Industrial action is now expected in November following the unanimous vote. The early years workers are employed by six nurseries across Barnsley which have been outsourced by the council to private provider Limetree. Despite repeated promises they would keep their existing Local Government pensions, staff have now been told they will be moved onto the private company’s basic statutory pension scheme. This will result in a significantly lower pay out in their retirement and removes their Death in Service entitlement read more

Government must not shy away from nationalising Thames Water (20 Oct) – GMB Union has reacted to reports that the Prime Minister has asked officials to present more radical plans to fix Thames Water read more

Strike by ‘vital’ defence manufacturing workers begins (19 Oct) – Workers at  Nottinghamshire’s Cinch Connectors will down tools from today, says GMB. GMB Union Members have today announced that workers at Cinch Connectivity Solutions near Worksop have begun a week of strike action. This news comes in due to an ongoing dispute with management over pay for production and warehousing staff at the company. Cinch Connectivity Solutions are one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of advanced electrical components, primarily for the defence and aviation industry. Strike action has begun today, lasting for one week. Around 50 workers are expected to join the strike read more

Sunderland carers ready to strike over equal pay (16 Oct) – Hundreds of Sunderland care workers have voted overwhelmingly for strike action in anger over equal pay. More than 300 staff at Sunderland Care and Support (SCAS) voted in favour of industrial action during the indicative ballot, which closed today [Friday]. GMB will now open a full, legal strike ballot in the coming days. The women workers have an equal pay claim against Sunderland Council after the authority outsourced the service. This mean they were denied access to the Local Government Pension Scheme and paid less than male colleagues doing work over similar value to the council. GMB Union has a second claim against the council based on discrimination against female dominated roles such as teaching assistants and catering staff read more

1000s of Leeds council workers ready to strike (15 Oct) – Thousands of Leeds Council workers have said they are ready to take strike action over equal pay. Almost two and a half thousand workers took part in the indicative ballot for industrial action, with 94 per cent percent voting in favour. GMB Union launched the ballot after Leeds Council acknowledged the equal pay dispute – meaning women have been systematically underpaid for the work they do. GMB will now open a legal strike ballot, which will begin in the coming days read more

South Yorkshire witness liaison officers vote to strike (15 Oct) – Dozens of witness liaison officers are set to go on strike after a unanimous vote for industrial action. GMB Union members are demanding the same pay as their counterparts at West Yorkshire Police – who are often paid £5,000 a year more for the same job. Witness Liaison Officers provide support and assistance to victims and witnesses throughout the criminal justice process, often speaking with and supporting highly vulnerable individuals including rape, domestic and child abuse victims. Without them key evidence sessions in court are unlikely to go ahead. Strikes will be decided in the coming days – and GMB warns of disruption to the criminal justice system as witness liaison officers walk out across South Yorkshire read more

Delivery robots on Nottingham streets, union responds (14 Oct) – Developments must be negotiated and never come at the expense of real people and real jobs, says GMB. GMB Union, representing couriers across Deliveroo’s rider network, has today responded to the trial of Deliveroo delivery robots on Nottingham streets read more

Barnsley Hospital threatens 200 with fire and rehire (7 Oct) – Almost 200 workers at Barnsley Hospital are ready to take action after bosses threatened them with fire and rehire. Barnsley Hospital NHS Trust wants to hit nurses, radiographers and front line care staff with worse contracts – removing all paid breaks and imposing longer unpaid breaks which will see staff working extra and longer shifts for no more pay. Anyone who doesn’t sign up to the new deal will be sacked. Earlier this year the trust imposed the worse terms on more than 1,000 workers but backed off when more 400 refused to sign. But now bosses appear to be taking advantage of the Government’s delay in implementing new restrictions on fire and rehire practices by sneaking the worse terms through read more

1000 school support staff to march on parliament over pay (7 Oct) – More than 1000 teaching assistants and other school support staff are expected at a rally and march this Friday in Westminster. These GMB members are employed at schools in Merton and Greenwich and are taking a second day of strike action, having previously downed tools on Friday 1 May. Their dispute centres around London Weighting payments, whereby teachers in their schools receive the Inner London rate and they receive the lower Outer London rate – a difference of up to £1400 per year. The workers will stage a rally in Old Palace Yard before marching to the Department for Education to take their message to senior politicians read more

Amazon deploys ‘Orwellian’ AI tools (7 Oct) – Amazon must come clean on how it monitors workers in the UK. GMB Union has today responded to reports that Amazon is deploying sophisticated AI powered systems to monitor union activity amongst its workforce. The report [1] highlights use of Atlas, an AI powered tool that combines hundreds of data points to assess union organising risk at individual workplaces, and predict where future unionisation efforts may emerge. The report focuses on it’s use in Canada, but source data [2] from the company reveals that company bosses have identified the retail giant’s Coventry and Minworth sites as at risk of unionisation efforts. Described as “Risky” by the company, these sites have been the focus of worker-led campaigns for union recognition in recent years. The classification of sites is reportedly based on the collection of multiple data-points by the Atlas system and company bosses, including correspondence between staff and even comments made on external websites such as Reddit. Coming just weeks before new trade union workplace access rights come into force, the union has today called on Government to urgently seek answers from Amazon about the use of Atlas in British workplaces read more

Briar Chemicals staff begin strike vote (29 Sept) – More than 100 workers at agrochemical firm Briar Chemicals Ltd in Norwich will begin voting in a formal strike ballot in a row over pay. The workers, who are represented by GMB Union and work in operational, engineering, maintenance and technical roles, recently voted 97 per cent to reject a pay offer that would have seen them receive no pay rise in year one and just 1 per cent in year two. They also voted 87 per cent in favour of industrial action in an indicative ballot. The formal ballot will close on Tuesday 13 October read more

Royal Parks gardeners take further strike action (28 Sept) – The gardeners, who look after London’s most prestigious parks, including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and St James’s Park, voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action last month after their employer Idverde offered them a 70p an hour pay rise. They will now take part in further strike action after Idverde failed to deliver an improved pay offer read more

Amazon and Apple furniture factory facing strike over pay (11 Sept) – GMB members at Herman Miller’s factory in Melksham, Wiltshire will be taking strike action over pay. The members will walk out on Thursday 24 September, having rejected three pay offers so far. The company makes office furniture (chairs, desks, lighting and office accessories) as well as home furnishings, with some pieces costing several thousand pounds. Furniture production will be affected, including to their high-profile customers including Amazon and Apple read more

Belfast Airbus workers to vote on strike (26 Aug) – GMB members will be balloted on strike action following a dispute over pay. Airbus employs nearly 1600 workers in Belfast. They produce the wings and the mid-fuselage for the A220 aircraft. The most recent pay offer from the company was rejected by over 90 per cent of members. The strike ballot opens on 2 September and closes on 30 September. Members of Unite the Union will also be balloted on strike action for the same reason read more

Thanet refuse collectors in industrial action vote (24 Aug) – More than 50 Thanet refuse collectors will begin an industrial action ballot over management failures. GMB members say they have had enough of bearing the brunt of the public’s frustrations and the councillors’ excuses over the state of refuse collection in the district. GMB has written to the council to raise a collective grievance over members concerns. The indicative industrial action ballot ends on 4 September and, if successful, the next stage could be a full strike ballot read more

North Somerset faces bin strike (21 Aug) – North Somerset faces bin chaos after more than 100 GMB members at North Somerset Environment Company (NSEC) voted for strike action. A majority of 95 per cent voted to walk out over a deal which would leave them paid up to £4 per hour less than other refuse collectors in the region. GMB will now meet with reps to decide on strike dates read more

Strike at UK’s only uranium enrichment plant (19 Aug) – GMB Union members at Urenco, in Cheshire, have voted for strike action in a dispute over pay. More than 80 per cent of GMB members, the largest union at the Capenhurst enrichment site, have voted to take strike action. The ballot opened on 21 July 2026 and closed today, following protracted pay negotiations that began at the end of 2025. Union members are demanding a pay rise of at least 4.5 per cent, in line with RPI in September 2025. They have received a pay settlement based on this figure for nearly a decade, but the company have only offered 4.1 per cent as a final offer read more

FBU   

Firefighters demand action as survey exposes wildfire resilience crisis (21 Oct) – Nearly three quarters of firefighters want to see thousands more recruited to the service to ensure the UK is wildfire resilient, a new survey by the FBU has found. Thousands of FBU members took part, laying bare the scale of the wildfire resilience crisis facing the country, with overwhelming support for more funding and national standards on PPE and equipment. The Fire Brigades Union survey found that 98 per cent of respondents believe funding for fire services in their local brigade should be increased following this summer’s wildfires. Almost all firefighters who responded to the survey want national standards for wildfire PPE and equipment, and 84 per cent back legal requirements for proper welfare and fatigue management on scene. But our data also reveals how poorly equipped firefighters are for the reality of prolonged wildfires. Some 69 per cent feel significantly under-equipped, with only 8 per cent saying they feel fully equipped. Nearly half (50 per cent) reported that welfare facilities during wildfire deployment were insufficient, with just 7 per cent saying they were fully adequate. 71 per cent fully support recruiting at least 5,000 more firefighters to the service over the coming years. The FBU has warned that over a decade of Tory led cuts and the loss of 12,000 firefighters have stripped the service of its resilience to deal with wildfires read more

FBU demands West Midlands fire service halt frontline cuts (15 Oct) – The Fire Brigades Union has called on West Midlands Fire Service and the West Midlands Fire Authority to halt all proposed reductions to frontline fire and rescue cover, warning the plans would leave communities across the region less safe. Proposals under discussion include the closure and relocation of Ward End Fire Station, the removal of night-time cover from stations at Bloxwich, Willenhall and Kings Norton, and a reduction in overnight availability from second fire engines at up to 11 further stations. Overall 14 fire stations at risk across Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The union said the changes would reduce the number of firefighters and fire appliances available, particularly at night, when major incidents can occur. The union has warned that the service has not provided the operational modelling needed to properly assess claims about the impact on fire attendance times read more

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

POA     

General Secretary update read more

National Chair update Sept 2026 read here  

NEC minutes Oct 2026 read more

Zero tolerance on racism and misogyny (15 Oct) – The POA has a clear and unequivocal position that racism, misogyny, discrimination and hate have no place in our Union, our workplaces or our society. Recent allegations concerning a Reform UK Councillor, identified as working as a custodial manager by the media have brought these issues into the public spotlight. Whilst the allegations must be dealt with fairly and in accordance with due process, the POA wishes to make its position clear. The individual concerned is not a POA member. However, our opposition to racism and misogyny is not dependent upon union membership, political affiliation or job title. We have zero tolerance for racism and misogyny, whoever is responsible read more

Right to Strike Campaign – contact your MP (6 Aug) – POA Circular 33/2026 requested membership assistance, regarding contacting MPs about the Right to Strike. To date 71 Members of Parliament have responded to members’ letters, in both a positive and negative way. These responses have been posted on our social media and have been noted in the ‘corridors of power’ at Westminster read more

NAPO

Setting the Record Straight – Probation Pay Offer and CBF (21 Oct) – Napo members will have seen the HMPPS issued communications to all employees yesterday, including what they claimed to be “a clarification” on Napo’s earlier mailout of the 9th of October 2026 read more

Napo reject pay offer and move to industrial action (9 Oct) – Pay negotiations with HMPPS have ended with a 5% “best and final” conditional pay offer being presented to the trade unions. Napo’s Probation Negotiating Committee (PNC) – made up of Napo members across different pay bands and roles – have rejected this offer as unacceptable and members will now be asked to vote for industrial action on pay, along with the question on workloads, in a formal ballot on industrial action to launch on the 19th of October 2026 read more

BFAWU     

BFAWU statement on proposed Gregg’s manufacturing changes (2 Oct) – The BFAWU is deeply concerned by today’s announcement from Greggs, which places hundreds of workers and their livelihoods at risk as part of proposed changes to the company’s manufacturing network. Our immediate priority is our members, their jobs, their families and the communities that could be affected by these proposals. Greggs is clear in its own announcement that the business continues to perform strongly, that more customers are choosing Greggs than ever before, and that it is investing significantly to support further growth. Against that backdrop, our members will understandably be asking why their jobs and livelihoods should now be put at risk in the name of efficiency and future progression. The workers affected by these proposals have played a huge part in getting Greggs to where it is today. They have worked through enormous changes within the business, increased demand, restructuring and the challenges of recent years. They have produced the food, packed the products and kept the operation moving while Greggs has expanded from just over 2,100 shops in 2021 to almost 2,800 today. They cannot simply be dropped like stones as the company moves on to its next phase of growth. We recognise that Greggs has stated that no final decisions have been made and that a consultation process will now take place. BFAWU will be entering that process determined to scrutinise these proposals in full, challenge the business case where necessary and explore every possible alternative to compulsory redundancies and site closures read more

Post BFAWU Conference Foodworker 2026 read more

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

Nautilus International

Unions highlight fatigue dangers for Panama Canal workers after tug captain’s death (14 Oct) – Nautilus Federation affiliate the Unión de Capitanes y Oficiales de Cubierta (UCOC) has called for urgent changes to reduce fatigue for tug crew working on the Panama Canal after a tug captain died while working his sixth straight midnight watch. Captain Efrain Otero, 59, died in the wheelhouse of his vessel on the night of 30 September 2026 while working mandatory overtime. Initial indications are that he suffered a stroke, but many are asking whether exhaustion may be at least in part to blame read more

BALPA

BALPA backs ECA findings: pilots must not be pushed to the limits of flight and duty time (26 Oct) – “The ECA’s survey of almost 7,200 pilots is a clear safety signal. That 24% of pilots usually continue flying rather than report themselves unfit due to fatigue is a concern. Aviation is the safest mode of transport through pilots’ expertise and professionalism in tandem with other aviation professionals; however, fatigue remains one of the most significant threats. Safety margins cannot hold if pilots are routinely rostered to the upper limits of their flight and duty time limitations (FTL). With almost half of pilots fearing repercussions for reporting fatigue, we fully support ECA’s call for EASA to strengthen fatigue rules and enforce non-punitive reporting and responsible calls on the use of commander’s discretion…” – Joji Waites, Director of Flight Safety, Policy and Regulation read more

Royal College of Nursing     

Nursing student debt: immediate action needed over ‘deep injustice’ (22 Oct) – A toxic debt system is harming recruitment and retention while posing a threat to national care service plans, the RCN says read more

RCN Northern Ireland opens strike ballot over absence of pay award (14 Oct) – RCN members urged to use their vote. RCN Northern Ireland has today opened a ballot for industrial action and strike action among nursing staff employed in Health and Social Care (HSC) in Northern Ireland, following the continued failure to deliver a pay award for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Eligible RCN members now have until Friday 20 November 2026 to return their ballot papers to Civica Election Services. Members are being urged to vote in support of both action short of strike and full strike action. The ballot follows months of uncertainty over pay. Earlier this year, the NHS Pay Review Body recommended a 3.3% pay increase for staff across all pay bands. While health care workers in England and Wales have already received the award, nursing staff in Northern Ireland are still waiting for confirmation of when, or if, the award will be implemented. Despite previous commitments from former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to implement the pay award, ongoing political deadlock over Northern Ireland’s budget has left thousands of nursing staff without the increase recommended for 2026/27 read more

RCN opens donations to strike fund in response to public desire to support striking staff – We’ve launched a donation page for people to financially help nursing staff on strike read more 

RCM

Fix the staffing emergency, don’t shrink maternity services says the RCM (19 Oct) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned that closing maternity units is not the answer to the pressures facing services, after the NHS Alliance suggested up to 20 of England’s 155 consultant-led units may need to close or change their role read more

SOR

SoR says government-proposed below-inflation pay rise would be unreasonable and self-defeating (23 Oct) – The NHS Pay Review Body is expected to limit salary increases for Agenda for Change workers to 2.4 per cent read more

SoR consults members in Northern Ireland on outstanding pay award (9 Oct) –

The industrial action ballot stems from delays to recommended pay increases for health workers in NI. The Society of Radiographers is consulting members on industrial action in Northern Ireland over the lack of a pay award for 2026-27. The consultative ballot stems from the failure to honour, or provide a timeframe for, introducing the 3.3 per cent increase recommended by the NHS Pay Review Body for all Health and Social Care staff in Northern Ireland for 2026-27. The pay award for NHS staff in Northern Ireland should have been made in April 2026, in line with pay changes for NHS staff in England and Wales. This follows the recommended 3.6 per cent pay award for all Health and Social Care staff in Northern Ireland for 2025/26, which was due to be introduced in April 2025, but was not paid until late March 2026 read more

CSP

Government pay proposal is ‘unacceptable, short-sighted and counter-productive’, says CSP (20 Oct) – The UK government has proposed a below-inflation pay rise of no higher than 2.4 per cent for the NHS for 2027/28 read more

CSP opens indicative ballot for HSC members in Northern Ireland (14 Oct) – Six months into the 2026/27 financial year, the Northern Ireland Executive still has no agreed budget, putting pressure on health and social care services, staff, patients and communities read more

BMA

Consultants announce strike action (26 Oct) – Senior doctors decide on industrial action following Government’s sub-inflationary pay offer. Consultants in England will strike next month, with senior doctors warning that the Government had ‘run out of road’ in negotiations over improving working conditions and pay. The BMA consultants committee confirmed today that a 48-hour walkout would take place between 25 and 27 November, unless the health secretary Yvette Cooper took meaningful steps to avoid action. The strikes, which would be the first-time consultants in England have taken industrial action since 2023, would see consultants providing only Christmas Day level care across the two-day-period. The announcement of fresh strike dates comes just days after it was revealed that the Government was recommending a sub-inflationary pay rise of just 2.4 per cent for all doctors in 2027/28 to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration. Consultants in England have been in dispute with the Government since May 2025, with members delivering a mandate for strike action following a ballot in July this year read more

Pay offer ‘beggars belief’, says BMA (20 Oct) – Government plans to propose below inflation pay rise for doctors next year. The BMA has expressed its disbelief at the Government’s recommendation of a below inflation pay rise for doctors for 2027/28. The association has warned that a proposed pay increase of just 2.4 per cent for all doctors in 2027/28 will exacerbate the NHS’s existing staffing shortages and further undermine the health service’s ability to deliver care. The warning comes after the Government released its recommendation on 19 October to the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration for the pay award it will announce next year read more

Call to boost armed forces doctors’ pay (16 Oct) – BMA report claims pay rates have not kept pace with developments such as the pay deal for resident doctors in England reached following industrial action read more

Doctors prepare to strike (15 Oct) – Northern Ireland health service faces workforce walk-out owing to pay dispute. Secondary care doctors in Northern Ireland are set to stage walk outs next month, as part of the latest strike actions around pay. Consultants, specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors and resident doctors will all be engaging in industrial action, with BMA Northern Ireland warning that such action could face further escalation in future unless meaningful progress on restoring pay is made. Resident doctors will stage a full walk-out from 7am on 20 November until 7am on 21 November, while consultants and SAS doctors will provide only Christmas day cover as part of action scheduled from 7am 23 November until 7am 24 November. Should action go ahead it will be the second time this year that the three secondary care branches of practice in Northern Ireland have been forced to down tools after taking strike action at the end of June. The announcement of fresh strike dates comes following efforts by BMA Northen Ireland leaders to engage with Northern Ireland’s health minister over finding a way forward on resolving stagnating pay amid increasing demand on Northern Ireland’s health service read more

Consultants prepare to seek strike mandate (9 Sept) – Senior doctors in Scotland eye industrial action after government reneges on pay pledge. Consultants in Scotland have moved a step closer to strike action while warning that the Scottish Government is relying on a ‘sticking-plaster’ approach to keeping NHS services safe. The BMA Scottish consultants committee is preparing to ballot members on whether to walk out – if they vote in favour, it will be the first time Scottish doctors have gone on strike read more

NUJ   

NUJ wins recognition at POLITICO (23 Oct) – The NUJ has secured a recognition agreement at POLITICO following months of thorough negotiations and an arbitration process read more

BBC cuts risk public service mission and universal access (22 Oct) – The BBC’s relentless campaign of cuts and increasing adoption of digital-only services put at risk the broadcaster’s mission to provide universal, high-quality output that informs, educates, and entertains, the NUJ has said. On 20 October, the BBC announced plans to close its BBC Three and BBC Scotland television channels in the Spring, making them online-only with some programmes available on iPlayer. This would not include BBC Scotland’s News at Seven programme, which will be axed when the linear channel ceases. Radio 4 Extra is also set to be closed read more

NUJ condemns SLAPP-style intimidation of undercover ITV journalists by Reform UK (22 Oct) – Reform UK announced yesterday (21 October) that they have reported two ITV journalists to the police and initiated legal proceedings over undercover reporting into racism in the party. The NUJ has expressed significant concern over what appears to be a thinly-masked Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) style move by the party read more

Branch solidarity with Reach workers following latest redundancies (21 Oct) – The NUJ Birmingham & Coventry branch has passed a motion in support of colleagues at Reach. Last month the company announced large-scale redundancies with 220 roles due to be cut, mitigated by the creation of 61 new roles. The NUJ condemned the cuts as “an act of self-sabotage”, while Reach members passed a vote of no confidence in editorial leadership read more

Lancet strike action continues as publication impacted (21 Oct) – NUJ members at The Lancet have moved into the third consecutive day of strike action over pay. Publication of The Lancet – one of the world’s leading medical journals – will be impacted with fewer articles published in a reduced edition. On 22 September, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members at The Lancet staged a walkout and held action short of a strike over a two-week period. This followed a ballot in which 97.8% of members on a turnout of 87.5% voted for industrial action over the company’s failure to offer an adequate pay deal despite extensive negotiations. With no movement from the employer on its pay offer since the action last month and attempts by the NUJ to facilitate negotiations through the employment mediator Acas, union members called three consecutive days of further strikes read more

  • From Niall Mulholland – Chair, NUJ London magazine branch: Journalists at The Lancet, the 200-year-old medical journal, are taking three days of strike action from Monday 19th October in a fight for fairer pay. Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) face rising workloads and falling living standards, with many worse off than five years ago. Meanwhile, the journal’s owner, publishing giant Elsevier, made an adjusted operating profit of 1.035 billion in 2025. Despite these huge profits, Elsevier has refused the workers’ pay demands and walked away from negotiations. After the strike, NUJ members will begin working to rule, causing significant disruption to the journal’s operations.

India: numerous journalists detained during Delhi protests (15 Oct) – The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the National Union of Journalists India (NUJI) in condemning the media crackdown during protests against alleged election manipulation in Delhi read more

NUJ condemns intimidation of journalist at protest in Derry (14 Oct) – The NUJ has condemned attempts to stop a journalist from filming a public protest in Derry’s Waterside last night read more

NUJ decries largescale job cuts at Metro (13 Oct) – The NUJ has responded to plans to cut significant numbers of staff at Metro, warning that the decision will “undermine” future success at the company and contribute to a wider industry decline read more

NUJ responds to arrests of journalists at Palestine Action protest (12 Oct) – The NUJ has issued a statement following the arrest of numerous journalists at a Palestine Action protest in Leicestershire on 8 October read more

Equity

Urgent Information on a recent Video Game Casting (23 Oct) – Warning and advice on broad AI terms and assignment of rights read more

Equity survey shows precarity of creative workforce (22 Oct) – Strong backing for AI protections and low confidence in employer efforts to tackle sexual harassment also key findings read more

“A significant blow” for audio artists – Equity responds to BBC closing linear broadcast services for Radio 4 Extra, BBC Three, and BBC Scotland (20 Oct) – Equity has responded to the BBC’s announcement that it will be closing linear broadcast services for Radio 4 Extra, BBC Three, and BBC Scotland from April 2027 read more

Archers cast tell BBC DG to keep iconic show in Birmingham (16 Oct) – Move “risks ripping out the heart of Ambridge” warn cast and crew read more

Equity opposes The Archers Birmingham axe (13 Oct) – Union calls Tea Factory downgrade a “hollowing out of BBC facilities” read more

Equity and Brighton Fringe sign UK-first agreement (16 Oct) – Landmark agreement signed with world’s third largest fringe festival read more

Musicians Union

New REMEL Report Highlights Barriers Facing Black and South Asian-Led Music Events in London (15 Oct) – Black Lives in Music has published the REMEL (Race Equality in Music Event Licensing) report, produced with the Greater London Authority, Metropolitan Police Service, UK Music, LIVE and the MU read more

Support Staff and Music Education at Goldsmiths (24 Sept) – Staff at Goldsmiths, University of London, including colleagues in the Music Department, are taking sustained strike action over proposed cuts and redundancies, amid wider pressures facing music provision in UK higher education read more

USDAW

Usdaw condemns Gordon Brothers for failing to engage and is deeply concerned that Poundland is being pushed into administration (12 Oct) – Retail trade union Usdaw persistently sought urgent talks with the owners of discount retailer Poundland, as soon as rumours started about Gordon Brothers putting the business up for sale. The union condemns the owner for failing to engage and is now concerned that the company will go into administration read more

UVW   

Covid-19 Inquiry fails to recognise heavy toll on migrant care workers (22 Oct) – on 20 October 2026, the UK covid-19 inquiry published its module 6 report on the care sector. “By failing to address the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on migrant care workers, the inquiry risks repeating the very injustice it was established to expose. Care workers came forward despite the emotional toll and trauma of reliving their experiences, hoping their testimonies would lead to meaningful change. To overlook their voices is a devastating wasted opportunity” – Nelly Ospino, UVW general secretary. Migrant workers kept care homes and private households running throughout the pandemic. Many were working for poverty pay, with inadequate protective equipment and little job security. Some of our members even had to source and make their own personal protective equipment (PPE). Yet the Inquiry’s report fails to properly recognise their contribution or confront the specific injustices they faced read more

A reply isn’t an answer: UVW slams Government’s failure to address migrant workers’ demands (14 Oct) – In July, UVW joined 50 trade unions and organisations from across the UK in a joint letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling for major changes to immigration policy and migrant workers’ rights. The Government has now responded. But it has failed to answer the demands we put to it. The letter, initiated by the Migrant Rights Coalition, warned that immigration status can make it harder for migrant workers to leave exploitative jobs, report abuse and organise collectively. These are the conditions that prompted the coalition to write to the Government in the first place – and they have not gone away. We called for a system based on security, dignity and equal rights for all workers read more

UVW seeks court injunction against Butlin’s over alleged union intimidation and blacklisting (17 Sept) – “Butlin’s management should be ashamed that they’re intimidating us into not exercising our fundamental right to join a union and organise together.” – Jamie, shift supervisor at Butlin’s Bognor Regis. UVW is seeking the first ever court injuction under blacklisting regulations against Butlin’s over concerns of union intimidation and blacklisting. This comes after 10 unionised security officers were subjected to investigations. These investigations follow collective grievances against a manager and during a live dispute over pay, working conditions and health and safety. UVW is seeking injunctive relief under Regulation 13 of the Blacklisting Regulations 2010 amid concerns that Butlin’s may have breached the Regulations by identifying and discriminating against workers because of their trade union activities. The dispute concerns security officers working at Butlin’s Bognor Regis resort. In the lead-up to industrial action, workers submitted two collective grievances concerning the conduct of a manager whose removal from managerial duties is one of the workers’ demands read more

IWGB

Final hearing in legal battle over GTA firings to begin this week (7 Sept) – Rockstar Games, the studio behind Grand Theft Auto, will appear before Glasgow Employment Tribunal this week as the final hearing begins in its legal battle with the IWGB Union over the mass dismissal of 31 GTA VI workers in October last year. The IWGB alleges that the dismissals were unlawful both in the reasoning behind them and in the process used to carry them out. The union claims that Rockstar targeted workers because of their union involvement, compiled and used lists of their names for the purpose of discriminating against them – known as “blacklisting” – and then denied them basic procedural protections by refusing to follow a disciplinary process or provide right of appeal. Rockstar has said the employees were dismissed over messages posted in a private union Discord channel which it claims breached their confidentiality agreements. The union denies this and maintains that the dismissals were an attack on the workers’ union activity. The hearing will run from 10 September until 16 October, concluding just weeks before the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November. The workers are seeking reinstatement or, failing that, compensation, as well as a finding from the tribunal that their dismissals were unfair. The hearing follows an interim ruling in which Rockstar attempted to have the blacklisting allegations removed from the union’s claim. The judge rejected the studio’s application, meaning Rockstar will now have to answer the blacklisting allegations in full at the final hearing read more

Mandate (Ireland)

Minimum wage increase masks poor budget for retail and hospitality workers (6 Oct) – This afternoon’s announcement of Budget 2027 saw those depending on the National Minimum breathe a sigh of relief as the speculation about a postponement of the 79 cent per hour increase proved to be unfounded. However, in many ways this increase – which had been proposed by the Low Pay Commission during the summer – proved to be the highlight of what was a disappointing budget for retail and hospitality workers. The flipside to the increase in the National Minimum Wage is that workers aged under 20 years of age are still denied the full hourly rate increase as the cursed sub-minimum wage rates are maintained for the foreseeable future. Yet younger workers are still expected to pay for the same rent – if they can find a flat or a house – food bills and mobile phone costs as everybody else. The sub-minimum wage rates are discriminatory and unjustifiable and Mandate will be doubling down on its work to make this a political priority in the period ahead read more

SIPTU (Ireland)   

Health Division escalates dispute in 30 hospitals (22 Sept) – SIPTU Health Division has today (22nd September) notified the HSE and voluntary hospital employers that more than 11,000 members across 30 hospitals will undertake a full day of strike action on Wednesday, 14th October, in a major escalation of the Union’s campaign to secure meaningful public service pay negotiations. The strike action follows a one-day work-to-rule by SIPTU Health Division members on the 30th September. During the work-to-rule, members will withdraw all voluntary flexibility and goodwill that employers increasingly rely on to maintain services, including the provision of non-rostered overtime and other voluntary additional duties. The escalation comes after what SIPTU describes as the Government’s continuing failure to establish a forum for negotiations on a successor public service pay agreement following the expiry of the current agreement on 30th June. The proposed strike action will affect 30 major hospitals across the country and represents a significant intensification of the campaign by health workers for a fair and sustainable pay deal that reflects the reality of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis read more

SIPTU Local Authority and State Agency members to begin industrial action (16 Sept) – SIPTU members employed across the Local Authority and State Agency sectors will commence industrial action on 30th September in a dispute resulting from the failure of the Government to establish the basis for formal negotiations on a successor public service pay agreement. The Union has repeatedly sought meaningful engagement on arrangements to replace the current agreement and to address public service workers’ concerns regarding pay, living costs, recruitment, retention challenges and the future of public services. Despite these efforts, no satisfactory basis for formal talks has been established. From 30th September, SIPTU members across Local Authorities and State Agencies will commence industrial action, including work-to-rule action and the withdrawal of workplace goodwill arrangements. The action will involve members working strictly within their contractual obligations and withdrawing cooperation from a range of non-statutory initiatives and change programmes read more

  

Other news     

New Book: ‘YOU WILL HEAR ME SPEAK’: Memoirs of a Marxist trade unionist with a stammer. BY GARY CLARK (Former CWU postal rep & NSSN Steering Committee Member) order a copy

Affiliate with STAMMA – at this year’s NSSN Conference, Gary Clark retired CWU Royal Mail rep and a member of the NSSN Steering Committee spoke about STAMMA. STAMMA’s Employment Support Service helps people who stammer as well as those who don’t around issues related to stammering in the workplace. Union branches and regions can affiliate with STAMMA to access a range of services and support at a reduced rate.    

  • £75 for branches and regions    
  • £125 for national unions with under 400,000 members    
  • £200 for national unions with 400,000+ members    

STAMMA website    

New Book: CABLE STREET 1936-2026: ‘NOT THEN NOT NOW’ from Unite the Union. Regular price £19.36 order from Rough Trade Books

New Book: ‘LET THEM HAVE IT LADS’: THE BATTLE OF HOLBECK MOOR AND ANTI-FSCISM IN LEEDS 1936 – £5. Order from the authorMichael Agboh-Davison by emailing [email protected]

Lucas Plan 50th Anniversary Celebration – REGISTER HERE. AN IDEA WHOSE TIME MUST COME! A conference for trade union, left, green, peace, community activists and students and academics. Nov 21st 2026 at University Place, Manchester FREE – REGISTER NOW

Sign this petition: Protect the Residents of St James Estate in Southwark, South London – We, the undersigned, call on Southwark Council to take urgent action to protect residents of the St James Estate from eviction, excessive rent increases, and housing insecurity. More than 100 families, including many who were previously homeless or housing insecure, face eviction from a long-established community they have called home for up to 35 years, risking homelessness and placing further strain on overstretched housing services  St. James Tenants Association    Support us   read more on the website of Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers Branch

Motion passed by Unite RISC CYWNfP – Use or adapt for your union or political group

Timms Review: calls for Welsh govt. to back independent disability review – A powerful coalition of Welsh disability, carers’, and trade union organisations have today written to the Welsh Government asking ministers to lodge their “strongest possible grievance” with the UK Government over the Timms Review into the PIP disability benefit. The UK-wide review was announced in parliament late last year, with promises of “co-production” with disabled people, and a pledge of no further cuts until its conclusion. However, Welsh Disabled Peoples’ Organisations are adamant that co-production is not happening, with Welsh disabled people, they claim, treated with particular contempt. The intervention comes in the final week before the Senedd summer recess, after local authorities, including Swansea Council, admitted they have made “no provision” for impending disability cuts in their medium-term budgets. The groups have asked the new Welsh Government to deliver on its promise of providing practical assistance in achieving a “long standing demand” of “a genuine disability review, led independently and democratically by disabled people and our organisations, including our trade unions.”

  • The letter was coordinated by Disabled People Against Cuts Cymru (DPAC Cymru). Co-signatories include Disabled Peoples’ Organisations, unpaid Carers’ Organisations, and trade union organisations including the Social Workers Union, BFAWU, PCS Wales, TSSA Wales No 1. Branch, Unite Community Wales, the NSSN, and Welsh trades councils.
  • The letter to the Welsh Government, the full list of signatories, and a briefing, is available here: Non-Easy Read version  Easy Read version

For any press enquiries please email [email protected]

Or for anything else please email [email protected]

This May Day, Strike Map launched the Solidarity Fund. A simple to use permanent place, you can contribute to support striking workers read more

From the Banner Theatre: A Just Transition – Jobs, People, Planet/ First of May Band (duo) – see tour dates and book tickets

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.”

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   

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 blacklisting & union victimisation

Blacklist Support Group update October 2026

1. “Our report is in the final stages. We hope to clarify a final date for delivery soon”. 

Nick Randal KC – Independent #Blacklisting Collusion Inquiry

4th October 2026

Everyone is frustrated about the length of time the collusion inquiry has been going on. This recent statement by the lawyer leading the inquiry confirms that the report is very close to completion. The delays mean that there are rumours circulating that the inquiry report is some how being influenced by UNITE. The oversight committee (made up of 3 blacklisted workers) have been assured by the lawyers that this is not the case. Any delay has been due to new evidence arising that needed to be fully investigated before a fair and robust report can be published. 

2. Trade Union Football & Alcohol Committee 10th Anniversary Party

The iconic TUFAC have assisted the Blacklist Support Group on multiple occasions during our campaign for justice. They made ‘Blacklisted’ stout, football tops, t-shirts & posters. All the profits were donated to good causes, including striking workers & foodbanks. 

On Sat 24th October, TUFAC are holding a 10th anniversary party in New Cross (South London). A crowd of blacklisted workers from London are attending – be great to see other friends & comrades too. Tickets in the link below. Nearest station New Cross. If you’re coming from outside London, you might need to find accommodation. 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-tufac-10th-year-birthday-bash-tickets-1985905933105

Statement from the Independent Blacklisting Collusion Inquiry legal team (31 July) read more

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

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

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

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

Opening statement to the Undercover Policing Inquiry on behalf of:

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

Blacklist Support Group

book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/

blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

   

        

Keep an eye out for other Facebook and social media groups and pages that are being created. You can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.      

     

International     

Nigeria: 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]

Workers unity against the far-right

The far-right are again trying to whip up racist division by scapegoating refugees and migrants. The NSSN calls for the unions to play a leading role in opposing this offensive, which will only weaken our movement in the interests of the 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

   

   

Diary      

  • 20 November – N20 Youth Strike

  

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