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NSSN 773: Come to 2026 NSSN Conference this Saturday 27th June

Come to 2026 NSSN Conference – Register today or you can do it when you turn up on the day!

20th annual National Shop Stewards Network NSSN conference: Saturday 27 June 11am-4.30pm in Conway Hall 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

The NSSN Conference will once again be a platform for workers from the increasing number of disputes to use to spread the word about their action. Coming just as Starmer has resigned, its essential that the unions hammer out a strategy and programme to defend workers from the cost of living crisis.

Agenda:

10am-11am: Registration

11am-1pm: We won’t pay for the bosses’ crisis! Discussion on how we fight for our rights and to defend our living standards

1pm-2pm: Lunch

2pm-4:30pm: Forum – the fightback in local government after May’s elections

11am-1pm:

We won’t pay for the bosses’ crisis! Discussion on how we fight for our rights and to defend our living standards

Speakers so far:

  • Steve Gillan – POA General Secretary
  • Sarah Woolley – BFAWU General Secretary
  • Steve Wright – FBU General Secretary
  • Pádraig Mulholland – NIPSA Deputy General Secretary
  • Dave Semple – PCS Deputy President (personal capacity)
  • Matt Reid – Unite Birmingham Binworkers
  • Rob Williams – NSSN Chair
  • Rhys Harmer – RMT London Transport Regional Council President
  • Ben Golightly – DPAC: Disabled People Against Cuts
  • Seema Syeda – Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)
  • Christina Paine – UCU London Met University
  • Mehmet Türkmen – President of BİRTEK-SEN United Textile, Weaving and Leather Workers’ Union in Turkey

As the cost-of-living crisis is set to intensify with the rising energy price cap on July 1st, workers across the public sector are preparing to take on the Labour government and the bosses. Members of Unite, Unison and the GMB have all rejected the pay offer made in Local Government. Meanwhile, members of the NEU and UCU are preparing to begin balloting in the Autumn for industrial action.

The NSSN conference, which every years brings together rank and file reps and activists from across the movement, comes at a vital time. This year, the NSSN will be discussing in the morning session an NSSN proposed ‘Action Programme’, to be taken out to the wider trade union movement to take on the cost-of-living crisis. 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.

2pm-4:30pm:

Forum – the fightback in local government after May’s elections

Speakers so far:

  • Ed Poole – Greens Organise steering group
  • Hugo Pierre – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

To put yourself forward for the NSSN Steering Committee, either email [email protected] before 27th June or inform organisers at NSSN Conference before lunchtime

If your organisation or campaign would like a stall at NSSN Conference, email [email protected] before 27th June

Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50

Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it and/or making an additional donation to help our work. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month via a standing order.  

You can either pay online to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. 

Or you can pay by cheque to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’ and post to NSSN, 16 Warren Road, London, E10 5QA.  

The NSSN was initiated by the RMT under its late great general secretary Bob Crow in 2006. Nine national unions – RMT, Unite, CWU, NUM, POA, NUJ, BFAWU, NAPO & FBU – now officially support our campaigning work, as well as many union branches, shop stewards committees and trades councils. We have always been eager supporters of trades councils.

Looking forward to your positive response and in solidarity,

Katrine Williams (NSSN National Secretary) & Rob Williams (NSSN National Chair)

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

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

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

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

Affiliation letter     

Contact us: email – [email protected].

Unions respond to Starmer’s resignation – RMT, Unite, Unison, NEU, Musician’s Union; Community; USDAW

Support the Birmingham bin workers – over a year of indefinite strike action

The Unite Birmingham bin workers have taken over a full year of indefinite strike action against the brutal £8,000 slashing of their wages by the 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

Details of the proposed deal read more

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

It should have been scrapped on day one of the new Labour government. Workers have voted for action by huge majorities, only to fall foul of this outrageous attack on democratic union rights. Unions must now demand that the 50% is scrapped immediately.

We also support the call of the POA union for the restoration of the right to strike for prison officers.

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

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

Consider taking this brief model motion to your next union meeting:-

  • This union NEC/branch/union branch committee/trades council welcomes the unanimous vote at this year’s TUC Congress for the motions from the TUC Disabled Workers Conference and Trades Councils Conference.
  • We fully support the demand in the motions: “for the TUC to organise a weekend demonstration against Labour austerity as a launchpad for sustained trade union action in defence of workers and young people.”
  • We welcome that this is now official TUC policy and call on our union NEC to demand that the TUC name the date for such a demonstration.

   

Union News     

You can receive this bulletin via email or you can choose to unsubscribe and stop receiving them. Like everyone else, the NSSN has to adhere to new data protection regulations. Therefore you must click here to subscribe/unsubscribe. Reports from unions do not necessarily reflect NSSN’s views.     

     

RMT     

RMT National Dispute Fund      

Luton/Bedford crash update (19 June) – An RMT spokesperson said: “We are deeply concerned by reports of a train collision between Bedford and Luton and the serious injuries sustained by on-board train staff and passengers. The thoughts of the whole union are with those affected and we continue to monitor the situation.” Read more

RMT confirms further strike action in Carlisle Support Services pay dispute (18 June) – RMT members employed by Carlisle Support Services, working on the Northern rail contract will continue their long-running dispute over pay by taking 48 hours strike action from Saturday. The action follows Carlisle Support Services’ continued refusal to negotiate a proper pay settlement through collective bargaining, despite increasing demands being placed on frontline staff including gate line operatives and revenue officers…Carlisle Support Services has recently claimed that it has “honoured our agreement to implement an annual pay uplift in line with the Living Wage increase”. RMT has rejected that claim, making clear that the increase is not the result of any negotiated agreement with the union but stems from the company’s commitment as an accredited Living Wage employer read more

RMT members at Heavy Haul Rail to take 48-hour strike action (16 June) – Rail union RMT, will take strike action at Heavy Haul Rail Ltd on Thursday 25 June for 48 hours, after the company refused to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of a major restructuring programme. Despite ongoing discussions and some mitigation measures being secured through negotiations, the employer continues to refuse to provide assurances that jobs will be protected. The dispute centres on proposals affecting Control, Rosters, TOPS, Train Planning, Administration and Management grades, with the company seeking to restructure operations, merge roles, revise job descriptions, and relocate some roles around 200 miles away for no operational or cost benefit. The major rail freight and bulk haulage operator, which supports critical infrastructure projects as well as Network Rail renewal and maintenance work, has rejected the union’s demand for a no compulsory redundancy agreement read more

RMT issues joint letter with NSAR over GBR and productivity (9 June) – Rail workers and industry skills leaders have called for a workforce strategy under Great British Railways, warning that fragmentation, short-term funding cycles and a narrow focus on cutting labour costs are holding back productivity across the railway. In a joint letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, RMT and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) are encouraging the government to use the creation of Great British Railways as an opportunity to reform the industry’s approach to workforce planning, skills and productivity, including through the development of a national GBR Workforce Strategy and a regional pilot scheme read more

RMT responds to government consultation on mandatory rights for seafarers (5 June) – General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “The launch of this consultation is a necessary and welcome step towards ending the race to the bottom that has blighted much of the ferry sector for far too long. More than four years after nearly 800 seafarers were unlawfully sacked by P&O Ferries, there are still thousands of workers in the ferry sector facing low pay, fatigue, and the denial of basic employment rights. RMT has long argued that voluntary standards are not enough to tackle operators that rely on exploitative crewing models and refuse to engage constructively with trade unions. The failure of some ferry companies to meet even voluntary charter standards demonstrates exactly why enforceable protections under the law are needed…” read more

RMT calls for insourcing of all railway staff following GTR nationalisation (31 May) – Rail union RMT, demands all Govia Thameslink Railway staff be brought into direct employment after the train company became the latest to be brought under public control. The union has been campaigning for all elements of the railway to be taken into public ownership and has welcomed the commitment by the government to launch Great British Railways with track and train all nationalised. However, thousands of cleaners, gate line, security staff infrastructure maintenance, renewal and engineering workers, will remain employed by private contractors despite the Labour government’s commitment to undertake the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation read more

RMT drivers to strike as management continue to ignore demands or provide reasonable assurances (29 May) – 4-DAY WORKING WEEK & TRAINS FUNCTIONAL COUNCIL REPRESENTATION – LONDON UNDERGROUND. As you know, the strike action which had been scheduled for last week was suspended to allow further negotiations in obtaining clarity on what management’s position is on protecting those drivers who do not wish to accept new terms and conditions to enter into the compressed four-day week arrangements. Your Regional Organiser, accompanied by the functional negotiating team, have met twice with management where the employer summarised its position that has since been formally received in correspondence, and LUL has failed to adequately address the points raised by RMT read more

RFA strike Friday 8 and Wednesday 13 May over pay (7 May) – RMT members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) will strike on Friday 8 May and Wednesday 13 May in a dispute over pay, transparency and concerns around compliance with National Minimum Wage legislation. During the 24-hour strike action, members will continue to ensure the safety of vessels is maintained at all times, including the management of moorings and gangways. The union says that despite ongoing talks and some progress in negotiations, no acceptable proposal has been tabled by RFA management to address members’ concerns. The union argues that RFA seafarers can routinely work up to 12 hours a day and more when operational duties demand, often spending months at sea, while there remains no clear or transparent formula explaining how pay is calculated against hours worked. RMT has also warned that years of below average pay settlements, combined with poor transparency and growing dissatisfaction over conditions, are contributing to retention problems across the service read more

ASLEF

Luton/Bedford crash (19 June) – Our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of the driver who died in the crash near Bedford today, and with the passengers injured in the accident. We want to thank the emergency services who responded so quickly to help those on board and are still at the scene read more

Fewer than one in five Tube train drivers will be women in thirty years’ time (16 June) – New research has revealed that unless London Underground changes its recruitment practices for Tube train drivers, women will still be less than 20% of the Underground workforce in 30 years’ time. Almost 50 years after the first woman qualified as a London Underground driver, women are still hugely under-represented in the role. Just 19% of current Tube drivers are female and TfL recruitment practices are doing nothing to change that read more

TSSA

TSSA statement on suspension of Translink services following violence (10 June) – Transport and travel union TSSA has backed Translink’s decision to suspend rail and bus services on safety grounds following violent protests in Belfast overnight. These took place in the wake of a highly publicised knife attack read more

Statement on forthcoming strike action at West Midlands Trains (18 May) – Rail union TSSA has said strikes planned for later this week at West Midlands Trains over rest day working payments are still due to take place. TSSA is seeking parity with other unions on rest day pay – but talks today between the union and the arbitration service ACAS produced no breakthrough. Therefore, walkouts remain in place for this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday across the WMT network with the strong likelihood of services being cancelled under a much-reduced timetable. The action involves Roster Clerks who are due to walk out on Thursday (21st May) from midnight (00:01) for 24 hours, and also Duty Train Crew Managers and Control Staff who have planned strike action from noon on Friday (22nd May) until midday Saturday (23rd) May. TSSA balloted over 100 members across these roles for the relevant industrial action read more

Unite     

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

South London & Maudsley NHS estates workers ballot for strikes over equal pay (23 June) – Hospital joiners, electricians, plumbers and painter and decorators angry at creation of two-tier workforce. South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust estates staff are being balloted for strike action over unequal pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The workers, including joiners, electricians, plumbers and painter and decorators, are on different pay grades – ranging from band three to band five. Some workers are on band three despite doing exactly the same job as colleagues on band five and having worked in those roles for up to 25 years…The workers are being balloted until 6 July. Industrial action will result in disruption to estates and maintenance services at Bethlam Royal, Lambeth, Lewisham and Maudsley hospitals read more

Brake Brothers workers in strike ballot over pay dispute (23 June) – Motherwell based firm delivers meals to restaurants, prisons and schools. Unite can confirm that over 350 workers employed by Brake Brothers based in Newhouse, Motherwell, are being ballot on industrial action in a pay dispute. The strike ballot involving warehouse workers, hygiene and distribution drivers opens today (Tuesday 23 June) and closes on 14 July read more

Welsh defence workers cheered by hefty pay rise (22 June) – Two year deal of eight per cent at Denbighshire defence optics firm Qioptiq. Staff at a high-tech North Wales defence manufacturer are celebrating after securing an eight per cent pay increase following the threat of industrial action. Workers at Qioptiq had voted to take strike action earlier in June after rejecting the company’s initial offer of just three per cent. Following their threat to strike a new deal was offered by the company and accepted by workers that will see them receive a 3.5 per cent increase in year one alongside a 1.5 per cent bonus in December and additional annual leave, followed by a 4.5 per cent increase in year two read more

Disruption to frontline social care services as Change Grow Live staff ballot for strikes (22 June) – There is set to be disruption to frontline social care services run by charity Change Grow Live (CGL) as over 1,200 workers at almost 150 sites across England and Scotland are being balloted for strike action over pay. Change Grow Live (CGL) is one of the UK’s largest health and social care charities, providing vital support for people facing issues with drugs, alcohol, homelessness, mental health, justice, and employment. Its funding is sourced from the UK government… The ballot opens on 26 June and closes on 10 August. Any strike action would cause disruption to the vital services offered by CGL read more

Unite reaction to Bedford train crash (19 June) – Responding to the Bedford train crash, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The train crash near Bedford is deeply worrying and upsetting. The thoughts of the entire union are with everyone involved in this accident and their families. Tragically we now know that at least one person has died. Safety must always be the first priority on the railways and our senior reps and Unite officers will be fully involved in the investigation to understand how and why it happened and to ensure that such accidents never happen again.” Read more

Unite council housing worker’s strike (18 June) – As we have previously reported craft workers in local authorities are in dispute over the ‘Red Book’ and strike action started yesterday. Many of our members working for housing associations do very similar work and we send solidarity. Over a thousand local government craftworkers have started strike action yesterday (17 June) in a dispute over pay and attacks on their conditions. The highly skilled workers predominantly undertake the local authority housing maintenance and repair work that keeps council tenants safe and comfortable in their homes. But, after years of pay freezes and paltry increases, these dedicated craftworkers have downed tools in Bristol, Stoke-on-Trent, Newham, Leeds and Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils read more

Haldane Fisher strike causing construction sector disruption across Ireland (18 June) – Approximately 40 members of Unite have entered the eighth day of strike action at Haldane-Fisher in Newry. The strike is a result of the workers rejecting a below-inflation, 2.5 per cent pay increase imposed by management. Haldane-Fisher has its own network of shops but its Newry supply store is central to its supply trade to builders’ merchants across the Republic of Ireland. The strike has severely impacted deliveries and raises the prospect of significant disruption to the construction sector – coming at a time when contractors traditionally seek to finish work before the holiday period. Haldane-Fisher group’s latest accounts [year to end 2024] show after-tax profits of £1.9 million and a dividend paid to the company’s shareholders of £3.5 million. In the four years of published accounts since 2021 the pay of the highest paid director increased 27 per cent to £154k while average (inflation adjusted) pay for workers fell by four per cent in real terms read more

MoD drivers to strike as management accused of “letting wheels fall off” (18 June) – A group of civil servants within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are taking strike action following years of unresolved concerns regarding workplace treatment, management practices, and failures in leadership accountability. Members of the Unite union have, for years, raised serious and ongoing concerns about the conduct, capability, and decision-making of immediate line management. The specialised civilian service VIP chauffeur drivers operate nationwide, providing discreet, secure, and highly professional transport for senior government personnel. Drawn from highly skilled backgrounds, including former military personnel and ex-police officers, they possess advanced driving qualifications and a deep understanding of security protocols. Beyond the safe and efficient movement of individuals, they are also entrusted with the secure handling and transportation of sensitive and classified documents, delivering a trusted. For over five years, staff have raised serious and ongoing concerns about the conduct, capability, and decision-making of their immediate line management. Despite repeated efforts to resolve these issues through both informal discussions and formal union channels, meaningful progress has not been achieved. Concerns raised have consistently been acknowledged but not acted upon, with agreed actions frequently ignored and established MoD policies not followed…Strike will take place across five days on 16-17 July and 20-22 July read more

City & Guilds provides guarantees to Unite over mass redundancies and offshoring (18 June) – Financial settlement also reached for limited number of workers currently facing redundancy. City & Guilds has provided Unite with guarantees that plans for mass redundancies and offshoring to Greece referenced in a leaked business plan will not go ahead. Following intensive negotiations with the training and qualifications body, Unite has also secured a financial settlement for the limited number of workers currently being made redundant. The settlement means that compulsory job losses can largely be avoided through voluntary redundancies read more

City & Guilds facing legal and industrial action over ‘dishonest’ redundancy plans (3 June)

Morrisons Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Cheshire HGV drivers’ strike threat ends in victory (18 June) – Eddie Stobart ends union-busting by agreeing new drivers will be on full pay, terms and conditions. Nearly 500 HGV drivers employed by Eddie Stobart supplying Morrison’s supermarkets across the north of England have ended their strike threat after the company signed a deal to end union-busting. The workers, based at Morrison’s three distribution depots in Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Northwich in Cheshire, voted to strike over Eddie Stobart’s increasing use of agency drivers to drive down employment standards. As well as excluding temporary workers from the collective bargaining rights permanent staff are entitled to, the company was also planning to hire new directly employed drivers on inferior pay and terms and conditions. Following the successful strike ballot vote, Eddie Stobart agreed to reduce its reliance on temporary workers and increase permanent staff, who will be on the same hourly pay rates, allowances, holiday and sick pay entitlements as their colleagues. They will also be covered under a collective bargaining agreement with Unite…The drivers voted for strike action on 4 June but negotiations between Unite and Eddie Stobart meant a deal was secured before any industrial action was taken read more

British Airways HQ cleaners win union recognition after two-year campaign (17 June) – Workers employed by OCS at Heathrow took two rounds of strike action to gain formal collective bargaining agreement. British Airways cleaners based at the company’s Waterside HQ and offices around Heathrow have secured union recognition following a determined two-year campaign led by Unite, the UK’s leading union. During the campaign, the workers took two rounds of industrial action in 2024 and 2025 in support of their demand for union recognition and a stronger voice in the workplace read more

University of Dundee faces ‘decimation’ as 190 jobs axed (17 June) – Over 800 jobs to go due to university mismanagement. Unite has today (17 June) demanded urgent government action to protect a further 190 jobs from the axe at Dundee University as workers face “decimation”. The university claims that it still requires annual savings of £20 million after cutting 675 jobs through voluntary redundancies since a £35m deficit was first revealed in November 2024. The union has warned that if the university proposes compulsory redundancies as part of its swinging cuts, then this will be met with the ‘full force of Unite’. The Gillies Report in June 2025 into the university’s financial crisis led to the resignations of its interim principal Prof Shane O’Neill and senior members of its governing body. The report said university bosses and its governing body failed multiple times to address the financial problems and continued to overspend. Almost £40m of ringfenced money had been spent elsewhere read more

Hundreds of Greater Manchester bus drivers celebrate after Unite secures huge pay win (17 June) – Pay for Go North West drivers in Bolton, Denton, Heywood and Wigan jumps by £2.50 an hour. Nearly 600 Bee Network drivers in Bolton, Denton, Heywood and Wigan will receive pay rises of between 23 and 56 per cent over three years – with pay rising by £2.50 an hour for most in the first year. The deal was secured after the Go North West workers, who are members of the UK’s leading union, Unite, voted for strike action…The dispute was resolved before any industrial action took place, following negotiations between Unite and Go North West. The deal, which workers voted to accept yesterday, sees baseline pay for most drivers increase from £15.51 an hour to £18 backed dated to April 2026. From April 2027 pay will increase to 19.50 an hour, before rising to £21 an hour from 2028. Pay across wage scales will increase from between 23 per cent to 53 per cent over three years read more

Isle of Wight RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre workers to ballot for strike action (16 June) – Approximately 50 workers at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Inshore Lifeboat Centre are currently balloting for strike action after the employer refused to recognise Unite. Staff have been calling for Unite to be recognised since last year. In January, Unite started the formal legal process to recognise the union, going through the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) to ask for statutory recognition. The CAC have just completed its membership checks which demonstrates a clear desire by the majority of workers to have the union negotiate on their behalf, however the RNLI is still refusing to allow Unite recognition read more

Unite criticises Transport for London half a million pounds spend on ‘insulting’ initiatives to tackle fatigue (16 June) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has criticised Transport for London’s schemes for tackling bus driver fatigue. In 2019, following the publication of a report into London bus driver fatigue by Loughborough University, TfL made £500,000 available to bus companies for the running of a ‘fatigue, health and wellbeing bus safety innovation challenge’. A Freedom of Information request found this money was spent on 10 initiatives, eight of which were related to fatigue and all the projects have now been rolled out into depots or on buses. However, none of them go anywhere near far enough to solving the major problem of bus driver fatigue. The schemes include Compass, which provides ’emotional support’ on driver wellbeing, videos for drivers to watch on managing their health and online educational courses on fatigue. Meanwhile, bus company Metroline placed two ‘Rest Space’ sleep pods in its Willesden depot, which currently retail for over £10,000 per pod. These resemble a cramped cupboard which locks from the outside and has one flat pillow inside it and are now used for storage as drivers refused to enter them. Meanwhile, Tenshi Senseye – eye-scanning fatigue detection technology which would vibrate a seat if it found drivers to be fatigued was put in place but has been removed from buses post Covid read more

Striking Walsall Village Hotel workers protest during England’s opening World Cup game (16 June) – Demonstration outside busy big screen venue to show poverty pay and union-busting the red card. Walsall Village Hotel staff striking over poverty pay will demonstrate outside their workplace while it is packed with football fans watching England’s opening World Cup game. The hospitality, gym, events, reception and housekeeping workers are taking strike action over Village’s failure to pay the Living Wage rate of £13.45 an hour and its refusal to pay young workers’ wages equal to their older colleagues doing the same jobs. They are also striking over the company’s failure to recognise their union, Unite, for collective bargaining…Strike action will take place on 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 30 June and 2, 4, 7 and 10 July. The strikes will severely impact Village Hotel bar and grill services during the extremely busy World Cup period when fans will be watching matches on the venue’s big screens read more

Wage win for Prestwick Airport workers averts strike action threat (16 June) – Pay deal secures increases in pay, allowances and holidays. Unite has successfully negotiated a pay deal for workers at Prestwick airport averting the threat of strike action. Unite has secured significant improvements to the pay, terms and conditions of over 400 workers at Prestwick. A ballot on strike action was due to be concluded this week over a previous failure to make an acceptable pay offer to the airport workers. However, progress was made in wage negotiations leading to a new offer being overwhelmingly backed by the membership. The enhanced offer will see the vast majority of members pay rise from 5.1 up to eight per cent alongside an extra day annual leave for this year, and improvements to shift payments and pension contributions. The pay deal backdated to 1 April also guarantees the real living wage (RLW) of £13.45 per hour for all permanent staff. Unite represents workers including airport security, firefighters, airfield operators, ground crew, ground handling, cargo, customer services, and cleaners read more

Unite: Oxford University Hospitals specialist early pregnancy loss and gynaecology counselling service must not close (15 June) – Unite is campaigning to save a vital service for women in Oxfordshire who are experiencing early pregnancy loss and complex gynaecological conditions after it has been earmarked for closure. The Gynaecology Counselling Service, operated by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, provides emotional and psychological support and is used by 80 women on average a week. Its early pregnancy loss service works with women and couples experiencing loss up to 16 weeks gestation, with women and couples experiencing recurrent loss and with women and couples that have had life threatening ectopic loss while it also offers help to women who have chronic pelvic pain. In early April staff were informed by email that the Trust intended to close the service, and the consultation period on the service’s future was due to close by the end of last month. However, following Unite’s intervention the consultation period has been paused but the service remains under threat read more

Edinburgh airport workers secure new two-year pay deal ending strike threat (15 June) – Over 400 key aviation workers receive boost to jobs, pay and conditions. Unite, Scotland’s leading aviation union, can confirm that workers employed by the owners of Edinburgh airport have secured an enhanced pay deal following the threat of strike action. Over 400 workers employed by Edinburgh Airport Limited have secured a two year pay deal after emphatically supporting strikes in an industrial action ballot. The new offer, overwhelmingly backed by the membership, will benefit the workers by £1800 or 5.5 per cent – whichever is greater – in 2026 alongside improvements to shift, sickness and paternity pay. In 2027, the workers are to receive four per cent or the RPI inflation rate plus 0.5 per cent effective of January 2027. There are also similar enhancements to wider terms and conditions in the second year of the pay deal. The workers set to benefit include airport ambassadors, airside support officers, engineers, and managers read more

Year on from Casey Report cross border taxi hiring still threat to women and children (15 June) – “Out of area” licensing loophole endangering passengers and destroying taxi and private hire car livelihoods. On the first anniversary since the Casey Report found that cross border hiring puts women and children at risk and needs urgent reform, the government has still done nothing, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Unite is also concerned current plans by the Department for Transport to tackle the issue of out of area working have been watered down, as it has said it will not bring in a start or finish rule – a key demand from the union to end cross border hiring and protect taxi drivers who play by the rules read more

Hundreds of Glasgow airport workers back new pay deals (14 June) – Menzies Aviation and ICTS workers secure enhanced offers after strike threat. Nearly 400 workers employed by ICTS and Menzies Aviation and members of Unite, have backed pay offers at Glasgow airport lifting the threat of imminent strike action. Around 230 ICTS workers at Glasgow airport who deal with passengers directly in the security search areas and process them for flights have backed a two year pay deal. A five per cent increase in basic pay and shift allowances will be backdated to 1 January with a one-off bank holiday included in this year’s deal. In 2027, the workers will receive the RPI inflation rate plus one per cent in basic and shift pay alongside a boost to terms and conditions from 1st January. In another positive resolution to a pay dispute around 160 ground services crew employed by Menzies Aviation at Glasgow will recieve a 4.4 per cent increase backdated to January, and then from 1 July a minimum pay increase of five per cent rising to 11.1 per cent for some workers. The one year pay deal covers Menzies dispatchers, allocators, airside agents, and controllers. The Menzies Aviation and ICTS workers previously backed industrial action after the rejection of unacceptable pay offers read more

ZEV Mandate reforms huge win for car workers as government acts on Unite lobbying (14 June) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, which represents tens of thousands of UK automotive workers, has welcomed news that the government will transform the ZEV (zero emission vehicle) mandate, to protect the jobs of UK workers. Unite has been pushing for the government to act after it became increasingly clear that the way that the ZEV mandate was currently configured would cost jobs read more

Unite slams decision by UPS to outsource delivery drivers (12 June) – Unite , the UK’s leading union, has condemned plans by foremost courier company UPS to casualise its delivery service, which will lead to swathes of job losses and result in the extinction of the company’s iconic brown delivery vans. Under UPS’ plans by June 2027 the company will no longer employ any frontline staff, instead it will be reliant on self-employed drivers using their own vehicles with any remaining workers being transferred to third party employers. Under UPS proposals the workforce will reduce from 4,000 to 800 workers. Changing to  self-employed drivers, will mean that delivery  drivers will be denied basic employment rights with no job security, no holiday and no sick pay. UPS is currently involved in a formal consultation on its plans. Unite is considering all possible options including industrial action to best protect its members interests read more

Aberdeen airport workers secure pay deals after strike threat (12 June) – Unite resolves disputes with ICTS central search and Aberdeen Airport Limited workers. Unite, Scotland’s leading aviation union, can confirm that two groups of key workers based at Aberdeen airport have secured enhanced pay deals after the threat of strike action. Approximately 70 workers employed by Aberdeen International Airport secured a 4.2 per cent pay deal in a one-year deal after supporting strike action in an industrial action ballot. The workers to benefit from the pay deal include administrative staff, airfield operators, technicians, firefighters, and crew commanders. The airport owners made a profit of £12.1m in 2024. The union can further confirm another pay dispute involving around 70 workers employed by ICTS at Aberdeen airport has also been resolved after workers voted to back an improved offer. ICTS central search workers who deal with passengers directly in the security search areas and process them for flights at Aberdeen airport backed a two year pay deal. A five per cent increase in basic pay and shift allowances backdated to 1 January with a one-off bank holiday are included in this year’s deal. Next year, the workers will receive the RPI inflation rate plus one per cent in basic and shift pay alongside a boost to terms and conditions from 1 January 2027…An industrial action ballot involving ICTS HBS security staff at Aberdeen airport remains open and will close on 17 June. No new pay offer has been put to the security staff since they rejected an unacceptable pay offer read more

Northern Ireland: First one day strike set to shutdown Balcas sawmill (11 June) – Low-paid workforce at highly profitable Enniskillen sawmill vote overwhelmingly to reject insulting pay offer. Unite members at Enniskillen-based sawmill Balcas are to commence the first of three 24-hour strike actions on Thursday (June 18). In the absence of an improved offer from management, the strike will be followed by two further one-day strikes on June 25 and July 2 when the workforce is prepared to escalate the action further. The industrial action is a result of the workers rejecting the three per cent pay increase offered by management. The strike will shut down all production of timber at the site. Balcas is owned by Longford-based Glennon Brothers – a highly successful timber company which recently acquired the Pontrilas group which operates wood processing sites in Wales. In the latest accounts submitted for Balcas in Northern Ireland [end 2024] show the company had pre-tax profits of £18.7 million on turnover of £130.8 million – a profit margin of almost 15 per cent. Meanwhile workers at the Enniskillen plant are paid barely above the minimum wage with new entrants being paid at the minimum wage itself…In 2019, Balcas workers took strike action for a week to end a situation where below minimum wage pay had to be topped up by production bonuses. They won a significant uplift at that time but in the intervening period pay increases have failed to keep pace with inflation or the minimum wage read more

Northern Ireland: Unite condemns violence and demands all employers ensure workers’ safety (10 June) – All workers have a right to go to work without fear or harassment. Serious disorder in Northern Ireland last night saw rioters commandeer a glider bus, forcing the driver off before setting it alight. Public transport services have been suspended to protect drivers and transport workers. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite condemns the violence carried out across Northern Ireland last night including the racist targeting of workers and even family homes. Burning buses and terrorising workers and their families does nothing for the victim, whose family have asked that this attack not be used to divide people or fuel hostility…” read more

Great Yarmouth summer stink as refuse workers prepare for poverty pay strikes (10 June) – Household waste, street cleaning and grounds maintenance staff would not even earn minimum wage under current offer. Great Yarmouth Services workers are to be balloted for strike action over poverty pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The bin workers, street cleaners, tree surgeons and gardeners, the majority of who earn pennies above minimum wage, are angry at a 3.3 per cent pay offer from the council-owned company. The offer would not even give the majority of workers a legal increase to be in line with the minimum wage, which rose by 4.1 per cent in April. When workers expressed their dissatisfaction with the offer, they were told by council officials that they “are lucky to have this as Great Yarmouth is a low wage, poverty area” and that if they are unhappy they “should work for Sainsburys or Tesco”… Around 100 workers are being balloted for strikes until 1 July. Industrial action would severely impact household waste, street cleaning and landscaping services during the height of the summer season…The dispute also includes members of the UNISON and GMB unions read more

Strikes at cutting-edge Welsh defence optics company (9 June) – Workers at Qioptiq Teledyne, in Denbighshire are set to walk out in June in row over pay. Skilled workers at a cutting edge military optics maker in Wales are taking strike action later this month in a row over pay. Unite members at Qioptiq, based in Denbighshire, are walking out after the company refused to improve it’s three per cent pay offer despite talks and negotiations with Unite and GMB trade unions. Qioptiq Teledyne make avionic displays for fighter pilot helmets, night vision equipment and space optics for the UK military. The highly skilled workers at the factory are demanding a fair pay increase after the company posted profits of over £20 million in their last accounts…Members of the Unite and GMB trade unions will take strike action from 16-19 June. The joint action will see over 400 workers heading to the picket line read more

Further strikes at Sellafield as management fail to negotiate (9 June) – Nearly two thousand workers to walk out over special site pay. Further strikes are to take place at the Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria following the failure of the employer group to engage in discussions. Construction workers at the site are seeking a site-specific allowance due to the specialist skills needed to work at a nuclear site and the hazardous nature of that site. Construction workers at Sellafield undertake highly skilled work in one of the most complex and heavily regulated nuclear environments in Europe. They contribute directly to hazard reduction, major project delivery, and the long-term mission of the site. Other groups of nuclear workers across the Sellafield site are recognised and rewarded for the unique environment in which they work and the contribution they make. Construction workers rightly ask why their contribution continues to be treated differently. Unite continues to make efforts to avert industrial action and remains committed to securing a negotiated settlement. This latest industrial action will begin on Monday 15 June 2026 and conclude on Sunday 21 June 2026 read more

Stormont Executive has no excuse for failing to deliver on basic rights for workers (9 June) – Political parties are warned that if they fail to deliver for workers they will not be forgiven. Responding to recent developments in Stormont around the Good Jobs Bill, Unite the union has demanded that the promises for workers’ rights be delivered in the current assembly term read more

Northumberland Amcor strikes end after Unite secures pay deal (8 June) – Strikes by medical packaging supply workers employed by Amcor in Cramlington, Northumberland, have ended after an improved pay deal was secured. The workers voted to accept the pay deal after beginning strike action in mid-May. The deal is worth 12.3 per cent over three years. The workers will receive a 4.8 per cent increase in the first year, a four per cent increase in the second and 3.5 per cent increase in the third. The deal also includes improvements to performance related pay and bonuses, harmonising members on a new contract with those on a legacy contract. All further strike action has now been cancelled read more

Tower Hamlets Be Well leisure centre staff to strike over zero-hour contracts (8 June) – Workers also angry over unequal pay, bullying, last minute rota changes, overwork and job roles. Tower Hamlets Bell Well leisure centre staff will begin strike action this week over insecure contracts and mismanagement, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. Managerial staff, lifeguards, fitness instructors, customer service workers and swimming teachers at the John Orwell, Mile End, Poplar, Whitechapel, York Hall and Tiller leisure centres will start striking from tomorrow. The council has allowed an indefensible two-tier workforce to develop inside its own in-house leisure service. Some workers remain on zero-hour contracts, some have no formal written contract at all, others are guaranteed as little as five hours a week, while some are on full council contracts. This has resulted in workers doing the same role being treated differently on pay, job security and terms and conditions. Workers also report unsafe levels of understaffing, particularly in swimming pools, overwork and the denial of rest breaks. In addition, staff have also been forced to carry out duties that have nothing to do with their job roles, such as swimming teachers being expected to clean toilets. The dispute is also over mistreatment by managers, including the arbitrary changing of rotas, as well as attempts to identify union members who will be taking strike action. Tower Hamlets’ leisure services were operated by Greenwich Leisure Ltd until May 2024, when they were brought back under council control. The workers will strike on 9, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20, 23, 25 and 28 June severely impacting services across all Be Well sites. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Unite council workers to strike over pay and conditions (8 June) – Over a thousand local government craftworkers will take strike action later this month in a dispute over pay and attacks on their conditions. The craftworkers who predominantly undertake local authority housing maintenance and repair work are employed at Bristol, Stoke-on-Trent, Newham, Leeds and Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils. The workers will strike on 17,18, 23 and 24 June read more

Haldane-Fisher workers in Newry set to commence all out strike (8 June) – Strike follows overwhelming rejection of inadequate pay offer by workforce at company’s supply store. Members of Unite employed by Haldane-Fisher at its Newry-based central supply store are to commence all-out strike action from Wednesday June 10. The strike results from an escalating pay dispute and will see up to 40 workers walk out severely impacting the operations of the region’s leading building and timber merchant. The strike occurs after union members voted to reject a below inflation two per cent pay increase which has been imposed by management despite Unite’s recognised status at the company read more

Staff at Lancashire hospitals to strike over holiday pay refusal (8 June) – Biomedical staff at Blackburn and Burnley hospitals to walk out this summer. Scientists at two teaching hospitals in Lancashire are being forced to take strike action over the NHS trust’s refusal to pay holiday pay that they are entitled to. Management at the 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 they have 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…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 will see significant delays to tests and procedures across the trust as workers take to the picket line on 15-19 and 22-26 June, 29 June – 3 July and 6-10 July read more

Irish Ambulance dispute: Labour Court proposals offer pathway forward (5 June) – Unite, which represents ambulance workers throughout Ireland, has said that proposals issued yesterday (Thursday) by the Labour Court offer a pathway towards resolving the long-running dispute which saw workers take industrial action last month. The dispute had centred on the failure to fully implement the 2020 ‘Roles and Responsibilities Review’ which recommended enhanced pay scales to reflect the fact that the qualifications, clinical responsibilities and operational duties of ambulance personnel have expanded significantly in recent years. The new Labour Court proposals recommend significant pay increases while largely protecting ambulance workers’ terms and conditions read more

Bilfinger offshore workers strike suspended (5 June) – Alba FSU and FPF1 assets involved in dispute. Industrial action by 20 offshore Bilfinger workers has been suspended following discussions between Unite and Bilfinger aimed at resolving issues raised by the workforce. Bilfinger workers on the Alba Floating Storage Unit (FSU) and its Floating Production Facility (FPF1) were due to undertake eight days of rolling industrial action. However, following progress in talks between the parties, strike action has been suspended while the agreed process is concluded. The Bilfinger employees involved include scaffolders, engineers, deck crew and rope access workers read more

Bilfinger offshore workers to strike over pay (2 June)

Port Talbot fire damage must be rebuilt ASAP and jobs protected (4 June) – Commenting on the fire at one of Tata’s production lines at Port Talbot, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “I want to thank the emergency services for bringing the situation under control so quickly. Thankfully no one was injured in the fire and workers were evacuated safely. However, the fire did cause substantial damage to a vital production line. Measures must now be put in place to protect jobs both at Tata and down the supply chain during any period of disruption. Meanwhile we are asking Tata and the government to ensure that operations are rebuilt as swiftly as possible.” Unite Wales secretary Peter Hughes said: “Unite is committed to working with the company to ensure the long-term future of Port Talbot and the entire Tata operation in the UK.” Read more

Unite members at Barclays vote to accept sector-leading pay deal (3 June) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, has today (Wednesday 3rd June) welcomed an overwhelming vote by Barclays members to accept an improved pay offer, following negotiations between the union and the bank. The result delivers an agenda setting pay settlement in the finance sector and follows Unite’s successful campaign to secure significant improvements to Barclays workers’ pay read more

Neo Next offshore workers to be balloted on strike action (1 June) – Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms involved in pay dispute. Unite the union can confirm an industrial action ballot for offshore workers on the Elgin Franklin and North Alwyn platforms operated by Neo Next + Energy opens today (1 June). The pay dispute involving approximately 50 Unite members is a result of an unacceptable pay offer of below three per cent which was overwhelmingly rejected by the workers. Neo Next + Energy E&P Limited is the largest independent oil and gas producer in the North Sea and is the product of a merger between NEO NEXT and TotalEnergies’ UK Upstream oil and gas operations. The workers involved in the ballot include control room, production and senior operators alongside operations and production technicians. The ballot opens today and closes on 6 July read more

Fresh disruption to London buses as Bow drivers continue strikes (27 May) – There is further strike action ongoing at Bow bus garage in East London as a dispute around scheduling and driver fatigue continues. Over 300 drivers at the East London Bus & Coach Company (part of Stagecoach) are striking from today (27 May) to Friday (29 May) and then from 11 to 14 June. It comes after the employer has failed to listen to their concerns about scheduling and rota issues, which workers say is leading to severe fatigue issues. These include bus drivers completing multiple hour and a half long journeys without adequate breaks, having just 10 hours of rest times between shifts and Stagecoach refusing to schedule meal relief breaks at the depot, leaving drivers without a suitable area to recover as well as expecting them to refuel vehicles using remote electric charge points, which increases work demands read more

Hundreds of Thales defence workers in strike action ballot (26 May) – Unite members at Govan and Reading plants reject unacceptable pay offer. Unite has confirmed that 300 workers employed by defence manufacturer Thales are being balloted for strike action in a pay dispute. Hundreds of Unite members based at the  Thales’ sites in Govan, Glasgow and dozens in the company’s Reading headquarters are involved in the ballot after rejecting a pay offer below the current rate of inflation. Thales remains the sole supplier of periscopes and optronics masts to the Royal Navy. The company has record levels of orders with the Ministry of Defence recently announcing export deals for Thales worth £1.1 billion sustaining hundreds of jobs in Glasgow. The workers involved in the ballot include electronics, software and systems engineers along with manufacturing and mechanical technicians. The ballot opens on 2 June and closes on 23 June read more

Staff at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge to rally over pay (26 May) – Unite members at Addenbrookes Hospital will hold a rally tomorrow (27 May) in their fight for fairer pay. The medical workers will be calling for an NHS high cost area supplement (HCAS) as part of a wider fight for fairer pay among Unite members in Cambridge. Workers at the university of Cambridge are also calling for a ‘Cambridge weighting’ supplement. Like their university counterparts, medical staff at Addenbrookes, the primary teaching hospital for the university’s medical students, receive no extra pay for working in Cambridge. A recent travel survey commissioned by the hospital trust showed that over 50 per cent of staff are travelling over 10 miles from outside the city to work. High costs are driving workers away from the hospital where they are employed and this means they are far away from the patients that rely on their support. Unite believes they need to be given the NHS HCAS payment now to enable them afford to live in Cambridge – this payment is given to NHS workers in London and Oxford. Unite has been carrying out a HCAS campaign and petition, which already has over 1,600 signatures demanding this supplement payment. The Addenbrookes staff involved in the dispute include those who work as porters, clinical engineering technicians and genomics scientists read more

Staff at world-leading Institute of Cancer Research to strike over pay (21 May) – Scientific institute paying poverty wages to hundreds while CEO makes over £400k. Hundreds of staff at the world-renowned Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London will take strike action following an unacceptable pay offer. Unite members based at the ICR in Sutton and in Chelsea are furious over the lack of an improved pay offer when the organisation has hundreds of millions in cash reserves and pays its CEO over £400,000 per year…For the first time in their history staff will now head to the picket line in industrial action that will see the Institute’s work severely affected and many laboratories and facilities shuttered. Staff will walk out on 3 and 4, 9, 10, 11, and 15, 16, 17, and 18 June read more

Striking Cambridge Uni workers joined on picket line by Unite leader (21 May) – Unite general secretary Sharon Graham will join nearly 600 striking Cambridge University workers on the picket line tomorrow. The workers, including library, museum, estates management, finance, student services and IT staff, amongst others, are demanding the introduction of ‘Cambridge weighting’. This is a pensionable local pay supplement for all staff to address the exceptionally high cost of living in the city. The University of Oxford has a pensionable Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 per year. Cambridge staff receive no equivalent, apart from a 2.5 per cent interim payment, which does not address the cost of living for those on a low salary. This interim payment can be removed at any time. Cambridge, like Oxford, is one of the most expensive cities in the UK – with rental costs 30 per cent above the national average. At the same time, Cambridge University has multiple billions in assets read more

Unite general secretary joins Cwm Taf health visitors picket line to demand that new government resolves dispute (18 May) – Striking health visitors in Wales are demanding the enforcement of government policy to ensure they receive fair pay. General secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, will be visiting striking health visitors tomorrow (19 May) to hear their concerns and call on the new Plaid Cymru first minister and health minister to resolve the dispute. Unite members at the Cwm Taf Health Board (CTMUHB) have been on strike since February demanding they are paid at the correct grade that recognises their qualifications and skills. The refusal by the health board to do so is currently seeing them lose out on up to £9000 per year. The former Labour Welsh government had asked the health board to honour the job evaluation process and the previous health & social care Jermey Miles wrote to the health board urging an early resolution to the dispute. However, CTMUHB is still refusing to do this. In opposition Plaid Cymru, had also been supportive of the health visitors campaign and called on the health board to pay the workers the correct pay read more

British Army facing vehicle crisis as Babcock workers consider strikes over pay (18 May) – Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Babcock Defence Support Group (DSG) on the British army engineering and maintenance contract, are considering strike action, following a derisory pay offer. The approximately 1,400 workers on the contract have rejected a derisory pay increase which is worth on average 2.20 per cent per worker. This is a substantial real terms pay cut as the RPI inflation rate is 4.1 per cent and is set to rise further read more

GKN aerospace workers in Filton strike over pay (18 May) – Unite members to walk out over below inflation pay offer while CEO makes millions. Workers at world-leading aerospace supplier GKN Aerospace are to take strike action over pay following below-inflation pay offers from the company. GKN is a supplier of airframe and engine structures, electrical wiring and landing gear, with a presence on 90 per cent of today’s aircraft. Around 900 workers at the Filton site in Gloucestershire make wings for the Airbus A320. For years workers at GKN have seen their pay fall behind that of other nearby aerospace firms like Airbus and Rolls Royce that has seen many employees leave in search of better pay.  GKN has offered just a 3.3 per cent increase. Unite members have exhausted all avenues of negotiation and are now striking as a last resort. Workers will head to the picket line from Tuesday 26 May until Monday 1 June read more

TfL bus controllers strike to escalate this week (18 May) – There will be further strike action by Transport for London bus workers this week due to an ongoing dispute about rota changes. Over 150 workers, who are bus controllers and network traffic controllers, will walk out on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 May), coinciding with strike action taken by London Underground drivers who are members of the RMT. Bus controllers and network traffic controllers do safety critical roles for TfL, which include dealing with incidents and accidents, managing bus stations and putting in place bus stop closures and diversions due to traffic or emergencies such as accidents read more

Second Unite rep sacked at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower amid union dispute (29 Apr) – A second Unite representative has been sacked at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower hotel after workers began organising for better conditions. The worker was suspended for over 35 days before being dismissed. Kimpton Clocktower owner InterContinental Hotels Group had previously been accused of union busting by Unite, after it also sacked another rep on unfair charges following workers’ attempts to unionise and fight for recognition. Unite believes the two members of staff were targeted for undertaking trade union activities, something that is illegal under UK employment law read more

Workers to protest Queens University Belfast café closures by Clements (28 Apr) – Clements is proposing closing its four café outlets at Queens University Belfast with the loss of over 30 jobs. Unite which represents the majority of workers is challenging management on the way workers are already being directed towards the Redundancy Payments Service, raising the prospect of taxpayers picking up the bill for redundancies. Management is refusing to engage in meaningful collective consultation with the union. The union met with Queens University to raise the workers’ concerns last Friday [24 April] read more

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS pathology privatisation concerns mount as outsourcing scandal grows (22 Apr) – Strikes increase as answers demanded over outsourcer Siemen’s funding of chief executive trip to Munich conference and £1.3m reimbursement for failure to service MRI machines. Strikes at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust will increase, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. The industrial action, which began in January, involves both pathology and clinical engineering staff based at Queen’s Hospital in Romford over outsourcing and pay protection…The workers will strike outside of Queen’s Hospital from 27 April to 1 May after having taken eight days of strike action in March and February. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved read more

Luton Arriva bus engineers strike over serious sexual harassment and assault issues (20 Apr) – Unite shop steward fired after he demanded issues be taken seriously. Arriva bus engineers in Luton will strike in April and May over the company’s despicable response to matters of incredibly serious sexual harassment and assault within the workplace. The workers are also striking in defence of a Unite shop steward fired on supposedly unrelated matters after he refused to allow the company to ignore the sexual harassment and assault issue. They believe he was suspended and then dismissed in retaliation for holding the company to account. The individual at the centre of the allegations, who was in a managerial role, is no longer employed after the police were called. The workers, however, are angry that Arriva previously dismissed the allegations as “banter” and “horseplay” and completely failed to offer adequate support to those impacted. Multiple workers, including young apprentices, reported being subjected to unwanted touching, squeezing and striking, including kicking and striking in sensitive areas. They also reported being exposed to simulated sexual acts and gestures as well as offensive and sexually explicit remarks about close family members. In addition, repeated intimidation, mocking and humiliation of staff was also reported. The workers will strike from 27 April to 1 May, from 11 May to 15 May and 25 May to 29 May. Strike action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved. Strikes will severely impact Arriva’s bus operations in Luton and the surrounding area read more

1,100 Unite members set to strike at five Scottish universities (20 Apr) – Latest 24-hour action due to successive real terms pay cuts. Over 1,100 Unite members at five Scottish universities are set to take part in the latest round of 24-hour strike action on Friday (24 April) in an escalating dispute over an imposed real-terms pay cut. The strike action at Glasgow, Strathclyde, Glasgow School of Art, Edinburgh Napier and Heriot Watt universities follows successive poor pay awards and years of industrial unrest in the higher education sector.  On 10 April, members at Glasgow, Strathclyde and Napier universities took 24-hour action as part of the same pay dispute. The dispute is based on UK universities imposing a 1.4 per cent pay offer for 2025/26 on the Scottish university workforce. With RPI inflation currently running at 3.6 per cent – and significant increases in inflation expected due to the war in Iran – this represents a massive real terms pay cut. Pay talks involving the joint trade unions and the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) impacting 138 higher education institutions across the UK have already taken place for 2026/27 with a further meeting scheduled for 13 May. The joint trade unions in higher education are demanding an increase of at least RPI plus three per cent or £3,000, whichever is the greater to be paid in full in August 2026. Unions are also demanding a minimum hourly rate of pay of £15. Over a decade and a half of below inflation pay rises has led to higher education wages falling by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010. The union’s members work primarily in non-academic roles within the higher education institutions including estates and security staff alongside cleaners, technicians, libraries and administrative roles.

JLR Solihull DHL logistics workers to take indefinite strike action over pay (16 Apr) – DHL JLR HGV drivers also voted for strike action with dates to be announced if talks fail. Around 300 DHL logistics workers based at JLR in Solihull will begin indefinite strike action over pay in early May, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today. More than 300 DHL HGV drivers working on the JLR contract in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Solihull and Widnes have also voted in favour of strike action, with dates yet to be announced. The logistics workers and HGV drivers, involved in delivering parts and cars to and from JLR’s West Midlands and North West operations, are angry at an unacceptable three per cent pay offer for 2026…DHL’s offer is a real terms wage cut with the RPI rate of inflation standing at 3.6 per cent. DHL recently announced operating profits of 6.1 billion euros for 2025. DHL JLR Solihull workers will begin indefinite strike action at 00:01 hours on 7 May. DHL JLR drivers have agreed to meet with the company for further talks under the auspices of the conciliation service Acas. If an acceptable offer is not put forward, strike action will be scheduled read more

Unite rally at Village Hotel as workers enter fourth month of strike action (27 Mar) – Long-running dispute over poverty pay and working conditions. Workers at the Village Hotel Glasgow are holding a rally tomorrow (Saturday 28 March) to coincide with strike action entering its fourth month in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. Village Hotel workers including staff in the Pub & Grill and the franchised Starbucks have been on all-out strike action since 28 November 2025 fighting for the real living wage for all workers, union recognition, and safe working conditions including taxi fares for late and unsociable hours worked read more

Disruption to student buses as workers at Universitybus, University of Hertfordshire ballot for strikes (25 Mar) – There is set to be disruption to bus services to and from the University of Hertfordshire, as almost 200 workers including drivers at Universitybus Limited are balloting for industrial action. The dispute centres around union victimisation. In November, Unite’s lead representative at the Hatfield depot, who had worked for the firm for over 15 years, was unfairly suspended, pending disciplinary investigation. Workers at Universitybus, which trades as Uno, want the rep reinstated and believe they were targeted for trade union activity. This is illegal under UK employment law. Meanwhile, there is a dispute with the company on behalf of members regarding the inconsistent and unfair way the company deal with disciplinary procedures, with junior staff believing they are treated more harshly by management than more senior workers…The ballot is ongoing and closes on 14 April. Strikes could coincide with the busy exams period in late spring read more

Unite responds to this year’s local council pay offer (25 Mar) – Unite has today (25 March) responded with dismay to this year’s local government pay offer. The offer of 3.3 per cent from 1 April has been presented as “full and final” by the national employers without any meaningful negotiation with Unite or its sister unions. Unite believes this offer represents a real terms pay cut and does not address historic problems with low pay for the local authorities sector…Unite is set to meet with its members in the coming weeks to obtain their views and discuss next steps read more

Northern Ireland pubs could run dry in Drinks Inc pay dispute (13 Mar) – Strike at Northern Ireland’s largest drinks distributor will halt all deliveries to bars, restaurants and off licenses. Unite is opening a strike ballot of its members working in for Drinks Inc (Musgrave Distribution Ltd). The strike ballot opens Tuesday, 17 March and closes Tuesday, 31 March with industrial action possible by mid-April. The pay dispute has erupted over the interpretation of a three-year pay deal which included an inflation escalator clause for the third year [2026]. Unite highlights that cumulative inflation has risen above the threshold which means that the pay deal for the third year has to be revisited. Management is disputing this read more

Dale Farm farmers warned of risks from milk outsourcing plans (12 Mar) – Any move to de-recognise Unite will result in strike ballot of drivers at outsourced companies. Unite has warned Dale Farm of potential industrial action should plans to outsource milk collection threaten union rights. Unite represents around 60 farm collection tanker drivers at the company. Dale Farm management intends to expand outsourcing of milk collection from 40 per cent to 75 per cent. Wauchope is to take on collection at Omagh with Pennybridge-based collection going to Milk Trans and Woodside. Unite warns any move to derecognise the union by the new operators will be met with a strike ballot read more

Unite to ballot Nelipak workers for strikes in real living wage dispute (9 Mar) – Dismissal of workforce rep during pay negotiations will be fought for Unite by all means available. Unite is balloting its members at Nelipak, a manufacturer of sterile barrier systems for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, based in Derry/L’Derry, in a dispute over pay. The low-paid workforce voted overwhelmingly to reject Nelipak’s inadequate pay offer. They are demanding the company become an accredited Living Wage employer, with workers being paid at least £13.45 an hour. During the current pay dispute one of Unite’s workforce reps was dismissed and this has further damaged industrial relations at the site. The ballot opens on Monday 16 March and closes on Thursday 2 April. If workers vote for industrial action, strikes could begin in the middle of next month read more

CWU

CWU/RMG Agreement 2026 – FAQs read more

Outsourced workers at CBRE Group in Britain have accepted an above-inflation pay deal (2 June) – Following discussions between Communication Workers Union (CWU) representatives and the employer, CWU members will receive a 3.4% pay increase for workers, with a standby payment increased to £177 – a 3.5% pay lift. The employees, who work on the BT estate as technicians, air conditioning engineers and ground maintenance, ratified the deal by 75% to 25% in a vote. Workers will also receive an extra day in annual leave for 2026, and CBRE have committed to working with the union on salary benchmarking, so that all salaries and ranges for each role receive annual review. CBRE believe that the increases, which will be backdated to April 1st, will be included in the June payroll read more

SPS workers vote on above-inflation pay deal (28 May) – Outsourced workers at SPS UK&I have accepted a pay deal which sees a nearly 7% pay bump for some workers. Following negotiations between the employer and Communication Workers Union (CWU) representatives, workers at the documentation services contractor voted by 60% to accept a deal which gives pay rises ranging from 3.94% to 6.86% to different employees. This pay bump comes on top of 12 employees already receiving a 3% wage increase to achieve the national living wage of £12.71 an hour in April 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]     

Low paid Belfast members launch petition following strike action (23 June) – The petition calls on outsourcing giant Sodexo to reverse planned cuts to jobs and working hours. The Megaphone petition calls on Sodexo to immediately withdraw proposals to cut workers’ hours, remove all threats of redundancy, and abandon plans to merge roles into multi-functional positions. Please sign and share the petition; it only takes a couple of minutes. The petition, addressed to Paul Anstey, CEO for Government and Energy UK & Ireland at Sodexo, urges the company to withdraw proposals that would make members poorer and threaten jobs. Supporters are also being asked to donate to the PCS strike fund to help members sustain strike action without falling into financial difficulty read more

PCS statement on anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh (22 June) – PCS condemns Friday’s violent attacks on Edinburgh’s Muslim community. PCS is shocked and saddened by the recent events which took place in Edinburgh which targeted members of the Muslim community read more

Red warning for heat – know your rights (22 June) – A red weather warning has been issued for parts of the UK as temperatures soar. As we enter the summer proper after an incredibly warm spring, it’s important that PCS members are aware of their rights read more

National Library of Wales members ballot on industrial action (19 June) – The ballot is in response to proposed detrimental pension changes. An industrial action ballot of PCS members at the National Library of Wales opened on 15 June in response to proposed pension changes put forward by Library management and approved by the Library Board. The ballot closes on 9 July. The proposed changes to the pension scheme include increasing employee contributions by between 3-6%, depending on pay level; increasing the retirement age to the State Pension Age; and significantly reducing the employer’s contribution to the scheme. These changes will further increase the disparity between National Library terms and conditions and those of PCS members elsewhere in the Welsh devolved sector. The attack on our members’ pensions follows over a decade and a half of austerity and cuts to the National Library and the culture sector in Wales. Wales is one from the bottom of a league table of European nations in terms of spending on cultural services per person and since 2008 the National Library’s budget has been reduced or frozen. 104 permanent posts were lost between 2010-2024. In 2020, PCS members at the library led a successful campaign in conjunction with the library’s other main trade union that stopped a £2 million cut to the Library’s budget. And in 2023, alongside PCS members from Amgueddfa Cymru, they launched a campaign against cuts. Members at the National Library are now balloting to fight the attack on their pensions. PCS is demanding the withdrawal of the proposed changes to the Library pension scheme and for an agreement to transfer scheme members to the Civil Service Pension Scheme, so that they receive the same pension rights as their colleagues elsewhere in the Welsh devolved sector read more

Ask your MP to help protect outsourced workers at the National Crime Agency (19 June) – A planned restructure threatens the jobs, terms and conditions of PCS members employed by OCS as security guards. The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a vital role in protecting the UK from serious and organised crime read more

PCS welcomes landmark insourcing win for 2,000 members (17 June) – PCS has welcomed the decision to insource facilities management contracts managed by the Government Property Agency, bringing around 2,000 workers back into the civil service read more

Capita to miss 30 June deadline on Civil Service Pensions (16 June) – In a meeting with PCS, the Cabinet Office has confirmed that it expects Capita will miss the ministerial deadline to restore pension administration services to contractual standards. In April, the paymaster general and minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas-Symonds, made it clear that Capita was expected to deliver the full terms of its £239 million contract by no later than 30 June 2026. However, PCS has been informed in a meeting on 12 June, that not only will the service fail to meet contractual standards by the ministerial deadline, but the extensive recovery operation established to prop up the failing contractor will also need to continue beyond that date. Critical cases, including bereavement and ill-health retirements, were due to be resolved by February 2026. Four months later, they are still being actively chased and escalated. Around 150 staff from HMRC’s “Surge” team, brought in earlier this year as an emergency measure, will be required to stay on to help clear backlogs and support core pension administration functions that Capita has been unable to deliver read more

PCS Scotland Executive Committee stands firm against far-right division (10 June) – The committee has issued a statement following the mobilisation of far-right supporters in Scottish towns and cities read more

PCS Statement on N Ireland Violence (10 June) – PCS utterly condemns the violence and disorder that has taken place across N Ireland over the past 24 hours. We appeal for calm and restraint at what is already a deeply tense and distressing time for many communities. Firstly, our thoughts remain with the victim of Monday night’s brutal and horrific attack. Such acts of violence are reprehensible, and our sympathies are with those affected. However, the scenes witnessed since then do nothing to serve justice or support the victim. Instead, they risk causing further harm and division. We are deeply concerned that this attack has been cynically exploited as a flag of convenience by elements of the far right to inflame tensions and mobilise unrest. The actions we have seen bear all the hallmarks of organised attempts to intimidate, divide, and scapegoat. This must be called out for what it is read more

PCS pressure forces U-turn as Met agrees to retain PCSOs (5 June) – The Metropolitan Police has agreed to retain and redeploy Police Community Support Officers who had faced losing their roles. PCS has secured a major victory for its members after the Metropolitan Police agreed to retain and redeploy Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) who had faced losing their roles following changes to red route enforcement. The decision follows sustained campaigning and intervention from PCS, which had warned that hundreds of experienced staff were at risk of being forced out of policing altogether read more

First day of Sodexo strike in Belfast (4 June) – PCS members working in Sodexo are on strike from today (4) until 17 June, after members voted 100% for strike action to stop compulsory redundancies. The striking members are employed by outsourcing company Sodexo as receptionists, cleaners, porters and kitchen staff, providing essential services in Erskine House, the UK Government hub building which is home to multiple departments including HMRC, Cabinet Office and Northern Ireland Office and Carne House in Belfast. Sodexo is a multinational outsourcing company which reported profits in the region of £679 million. Yet, to “align with the financial position of the contract” Sodexo has decided to cut 140-160 hours, meaning up to four staff, who are on or just above the national minimum wage, are facing compulsory redundancy. PCS supported members through the individual consultation process, offered alternatives to redundancies and have met with Sodexo management, to try and resolve this issue in good faith read more

PCS Scottish Government Group members fighting removal of the digital pay supplement (1 June) – The Scottish Government’s decision to withdraw the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) supplement from two-thirds of the Digital profession, will leave hundreds of workers facing a pay cut of up to 14% from 30 April. Members have responded with force. PCS reps and activists across Scottish Government group built a campaign by holding mass members meetings, sending campaign briefings to maintain momentum, build awareness and solidarity across the wider membership, launched a survey and a consultative ballot. And the response was incredible. On a remarkable 83% turnout, an overwhelming 99% of members voted to back restoring the DDaT supplement, with 95% telling us they were ready to take industrial action to defend it. That’s not just a remarkable result – it’s a demonstration of their industrial strength read more

Ballot FAQs – industrial action ballot on FCDO2030 (29 May) – Vote now! Ballot papers must reach scrutineers by 22 June (noon) – and over 50% of members must vote. PCS is re-balloting members on FCDO2030 in a bid to save jobs and ensure a better outcome to the restructure. We need over 50% of members to vote and post back your ballot paper – we were just 19 votes short of 50% in the first ballot 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 campaigns to end civil service pension chaos (16 June) – Prospect is calling on the government to bring civil service pension administration back in-house after ongoing problems with the service run by Capita. Prospect has co-sponsored a petition with PCS which highlights delays to pension payments, missing information and difficulties accessing support experienced by thousands of members of the scheme. The petition calls for pension administration to be returned to the public sector, the establishment of a compensation scheme for all those affected by pension administration failures, and urgent action to clear existing backlogs read more

Royal Museums Greenwich staff reject pay offer (3 June) – Prospect members at Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) have overwhelmingly rejected the employer’s latest pay offer, with 92% voting to reject with a turnout of 96%. The offer was for a cash increase of £1,668 for all staff. The result comes after a year in which most staff received no pay increase, except for those on or immediately above the London Living Wage. The dispute at RMG covers a wider range of issues. A major concern for staff is the museum’s refusal to accredit to the London Living Wage. Members are also opposing changes to custom and practice arrangements that would require front-of-house staff to use annual leave to cover museum closure days over Christmas. Additional issues raised by staff include paid breaks for security workers, additional pay for bank holiday working, concerns around the use and renewal of fixed-term contracts, an inconsistent and opaque approach to pay progression, and the absence of a dedicated training and development budget for teams. 90% of members who voted to reject the offer said they would be prepared to take industrial action if the dispute is not resolved. The ballot result reflects concerns among staff about how workplace issues have been handled at the museum. Prospect is calling on RMG to engage constructively with staff and listen to concerns that have been raised in order to improve industrial relations and reach a resolution read more

AWE members turn out for strike action over shambolic restructure (12 Mar) – Prospect members working at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) went on strike today, Thursday 12 March, over a shambolic and botched restructure programme, where the senior management have failed to consult properly with staff. There was a strong and highly visible union presence at several of the entrance gates at the main AWE site at Aldermaston and there was also a vibrant picket line at the Burghfield site read more

GMB  

Fighter pilot equipment makers win pay rise (19 June) – Welsh fighter pilot equipment workers have won a pay rise following ‘tough’ negotiations. Staff at Qioptiq Teledyne, in Denbighshire, will now get a 4 per cent rise for the next two years, following talks between bosses, GMB, Unite and the ACAS conciliation service. Qioptiq Teledyne workers make avionic displays for fighter pilot helmets, night vision equipment and space optics for the UK military read more

Five Guys and Manchester United workers keep union voice (17 June) – More than 1,800 staff at Bidfood – a company which delivers food for Five Guys, Subway and Manchester United, have voted to keep their union voice. It means the workers, who also provide food for the army, prisons and schools across the UK, will continue to have GMB and Unite negotiating pay, terms and conditions on their behalf. The unions had been recognised by Bidfood for more than thirty years – but in January Bidfood bosses ripped up the deal with immediate effect, without the standard notice period. Now workers have voted the unions back in during a ballot held by the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). Both unions will now seek to re-engage with Bidfood management to rebuild constructive industrial relations and deliver fair outcomes for transport workers, while continuing their campaign to extend bargaining rights across the wider workforce read more

Government must end uncertainty for Thames Water workers and consumers, says GMB (16 June) – GMB Union has today reacted to news that the government has rejected a proposed rescue deal for Thames Water read more

1,000s of Evri drivers reject pay deal (15 June) – Thousands of Evri drivers have rejected a pay deal from bosses with a massive majority. More than 6,000 couriers voted on the offer– which dates back to 2025 – with almost 97 per cent voting to turn it down. GMB Union, which has had a recognition deal with Evri since 2019, recommended drivers reject the deal for the first time. GMB will meet with couriers to discuss next steps read more

Doncaster pension ‘rip-off’ sees 100s overpaying (15 June) – GMB Union has today [Monday] demanded as end to the Doncaster pension ‘rip-off’ which sees hundreds of workers pay over pay each month. Since 2019, staff across the local authority including street cleaners, gritters, adult and child social carers have had their pensionable overtime payments calculated monthly rather than annually. Council workers are part of the Local Government Pay Scheme – yet Doncaster is thought to be the only council in the country to funnel the cash in toe general pension fund, rather than workers’ own individual pots. GMB has launched a campaign calling for a refund of workers’ overpayments and potentially compensation read more

Strike action at rail manufacturing giant Vossloh (15 June) – Workers at Vossloh in Scunthorpe will down tools this week. GMB Union has today announced that workers at Vossloh will begin industrial action this week. The news comes after pay talks between the company and GMB failed to reach agreement. Workers are furious after company managers offered a below inflation pay rise, despite staff in other parts of the company abroad being offered packages worth over 5.5% and company Directors pocketing 10% bonuses. The company manufactures rails and connector components, currently planned for Sheffield’s tram network. Workers will down tools from 6AM from today, Monday 15 until June read more

Belfast ‘pogrom’ riots condemned by GMB Union congress (11 June) – Rioting in Belfast has been slammed as ‘nothing short of a pogrom’ by GMB Congress. Delegates at the union’s annual event – this year held in Blackpool condemned ‘racist attacks on ethnic minorities, workers and much respected members of our communities today [Thursday]. The emergency motion was moved following two nights of violence in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK read more

Chase Farm Hospital staff at ISS to take strike action (4 June) – Dozens of staff at Chase Farm Hospital have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action following allegations of bullying, overwork, and a toxic workplace culture. The staff, who are represented by GMB Union, are employed by outsourcing giant ISS in a variety of roles including catering, cleaning, and security. They voted 95 per cent in favour of industrial action, which is set to begin on Wednesday 15 July. Serious allegations made by staff include bullying from managers – including racist comments – failure to properly pay overtime for bank holidays, changes to working patterns causing unmanageable workloads, and workplace grievances taking months to be resolved. Despite repeated attempts by GMB and its members to resolve these concerns with ISS, ISS has yet to make any formal counteroffer to attempt to avert industrial action read more

Strike threat as ‘unacceptable’ delays to equal pay (3 June) – Workers have today written to the City’s lead Commissioner demanding action, says GMB. GMB Union members have today written to Birmingham City Council Lead Commissioner, Tony McArdle, calling on the authority to do more to end delays to equal pay settlement. The open letter, co-signed by hundreds of GMB members, calls on Tony McArdle and the city’s Commissioner team to intervene to end the deadlock in settling outstanding claims. Hundreds of equal pay claimants still await settlement details from the authority, despite commitments from the council bosses to speed up the process read more

Sandwell school workers strike (1 June) – Workers from The Orchard School have been pushed to the edge, says GMB. Teachers, Teaching Assistants and Midday Supervisors will begin strike action in Sandwell next week as part of the ongoing dispute at The Orchard School. The strike is joint action between GMB, the union for school support staff, and NASUWT, Britain’s teachers union. Ninety workers at the school are anticipated to join the strike action which comes weeks after overwhelming support for industrial action in a recent ballot of staff at the school. Workers are furious after school bosses failed to respond to grievances and concern raised about student and staff safety at the facility read more

Fresh equal pay headache for Coventry council (1 June) – Delays by Council top brass could add tens of millions to the final settlement bill, warns GMB. GMB Union, representing workers across Coventry City Council, have today announced it is re-opening equal pay claims at the authority after what it has called ‘unacceptable’ delays from the Council’s leadership. The move will see thousands of workers given a fresh opportunity to add their name to the union’s legal challenge against Coventry City Council for the historical pay discrimination faced by the city’s women workers. The new comes after talks aimed at finding a negotiated settlement to the discrimination collapsed earlier this year. Union figures have warned that the new claims could add millions to the final settlement bill read more

East London primary school staff to strike over proposed pay cuts (22 May) – Teaching assistants at Sir William Burrough Primary School in Tower Hamlets will take strike action over a restructure that could see their pay slashed by thousands of pounds. The workers were balloted by their union, GMB Union, and voted 88 per cent in favour of strike action on a 100 per cent turnout. The school, which is part of the University Schools Trust, has paused the restructure, but declined to scrap it entirely, meaning staff are living with the threat of having their jobs downgraded. If it went ahead, it would see some support staff moved from grade 5 to grade 3, which could represent a loss of up to £7,500 per year for nursery nurses and up to £2,500 a year for learning support assistants. Any staff member who opposes the changes will have no choice but to resign, as the Trust has refused to offer redundancy pay. GMB is also supporting its members in another school in the Trust, St Paul’s Way, which is consulting on a restructure that would affect the jobs and salaries of both teachers and support staff read more

Net-A-Porter deliveries to be ‘savaged’ as 100 strike at warehouse

GMB Union (19 May) – Luxury fashion merchant Net-a-Porter is set to have its distribution centre savaged by industrial action tomorrow and Thursday. 100 distribution workers will walk out for two days after the company failed to honour its commitment to pay the London Living Wage to its lowest‑paid staff. Net-a-Porter offers high-end fashion deliveries, and its website includes items for sale which cost more than £150,000. In the run up to this action, GMB members have complained of being made to feel under pressure for taking part in lawful and visible union activity read more

Strike action begins at Crane Building Services and Utilities (11 May) – More than 100 workers at Crane Building Services and Utilities (BS&U) in Hitchin have started two weeks of strike action in a row over pay. Strikes will continue until Friday 22 May inclusive and stop manufacturing on the site. The workers, who are represented by GMB Union, voted 84 per cent in favour of strike action following frustrations around an unsatisfactory pay offer that has left them feeling undervalued. This vote marks the second time in two years that Crane BS&U workers have had to take industrial action to secure a decent pay award that matches their skills and experience read more

More than two hundred South London hospital staff to strike over cuts (5 May) – ‘Wards in disarray’ and ‘bad food’ facing three mental health sites for three days

GMB members working for OCS across three hospital sites within South London & Maudsley NHS Trust will take strike action between Wednesday 6 and Friday 8 May. More than 200 workers are expected to take action, who work in cleaning and catering at Maudsley Hospital, Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Ladywell Unit, Lewisham. Having been outsourced to OCS, the contract is now facing a proposed 2000 hours of cuts, which represents a drop in service provision of twenty per cent read more

Cumbria packaging workers to strike (30 Apr) – Cumbria packaging workers to strike. Almost 100 workers at a Cumbria packaging firm will strike in a dispute over pay. Staff at Futamura will walk out after a majority of almost 90 per cent voted for industrial action. The site in Wigton makes cellulose film for packaging. GMB members turned down an offer of 1.2 per cent, which represents a real terms pay cut read more

Brighton Pavilion to be rocked by second day of strike action (14 Apr) – Buildings and collections may face closure as staff walk out over terms and conditions proposal. GMB members within the Brighton Pavilion and Museums Trust will tomorrow take their second day of strike action against a proposal to remove them from National Joint Council (NJC) contracts. The members were outsourced from Brighton & Hove City Council in 2020 but retained their local government contracts, including access to pay, annual leave and other contractual rights. Trust management have this year instructed staff to sign new contracts which will pull them out from the NJC terms package and leave them vulnerable to contractual changes. This second day of action follows a successful strike day on Saturday 4 April read more

Thurrock Council caretakers protest over ‘disrespectful’ downgrading plans (9 Apr) – Thurrock Council caretakers are today [Thursday 9 April] staging a protest over a proposal by the council to downgrade their roles. The workers, who are represented by GMB Union, are furious about the council’s plans to downgrade around 50 caretaker roles by one band, which could result in average salary reductions of around £2,000. The caretakers involved clean and maintain properties across the council’s housing estate, including removing graffiti, clearing litter, and ensuring fire, health, and safety measures are in place. The council is under intense financial pressure after a series of failed solar farm investments, with estimated debts of £1.4 billon read more

GMB responds to council workers (24 Mar) – GMB Union has responded to the pay offer of 3.3 per cent for more than one million council employees and school support staff read more

Cadent gas workers announce strike days (24 Mar) – GMB members at Cadent Gas will walk out for six days as a dispute over excessive weekend working intensifies. Dozens of staff in the North West will strike on the following dates:-

Saturday 4 April, Sunday 5 April, Monday 6 April, Friday 10 April, Friday 17 April, Friday 24 April. Frontline staff say they are regularly required to work more than half of all weekends, leaving little opportunity for proper family time, rest days or holidays. Despite repeated warnings from workers Cadent management, who do not work weekends, continue to insist the current rota is ‘reasonable’. Workers are calling for a modest improvement: reducing their weekend commitments by just one weekend a year read more

Shell Bacton Gas Terminal workers vote to renew strike action (20 Mar) – Altrad employees at the Shell Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk have voted overwhelmingly to continue their pay-related strike action, which entered its sixth month today [20 March]. GMB Union, which is representing the members, recorded 100 per cent vote in favour on a 96 per cent turnout. Altrad employees are currently paid around £1.20 per hour less than workers doing the same jobs at neighbouring terminals. The vote to continue strike action comes after the workers rejected a pay offer from Altrad, which would have seen them enjoy two weeks of pay parity before being paid on average 71p less an hour than their colleagues from April read more

Almost 1,500 cash protection officers ready to strike (19 Mar) – Almost 1,500 cash handlers working for G4S and Loomis are ready to strike over pay. In separate consultative ballots across both companies, more than 90 per cent said they were ready to walk out after bosses announced pay freezes. Almost 95 per cent also rejected the offer, which represents a massive real terms pay cut in the face of rising inflation. GMB Members working for G4S Cash and Loomis deliver millions of pounds each week across the country to banks and businesses – a dangerous job which leaves them open to attack. If the workers went on strike, ATMs might be left without cash, while airports may run out of foreign currency read more

‘Defiant’ hospital workers plan further protests over pay and sick pay (18 Mar) – Outsourced Lewisham Hospital workers determined to win adequate sick pay and the London Living Wage, says GMB. As part of an ongoing campaign, GMB members at Lewisham Hospital will stage two demonstrations tomorrow [Thursday 19 March]. Domestic, portering and catering staff who have been outsourced to transnational company ISS will protest outside the hospital main entrance at 12noon and then again at 2pm. They are demanding the London Living Wage as well as an adequate sick pay scheme in a GMB campaign, which has already seen them hold three lunchtime demos read more

Docker strike hits petroleum giant (6 Mar) – GMB union has today announced that workers at Immingham based petroleum contractor Briggs Marine will take strike action next week. The industrial action will begin on Monday 9 March with nearly fifty workers expected to take part. The dispute comes after company bosses were accused of dismissing employees outside of due process, with the union labelling the process ‘a disgrace.’ Workers at the Briggs Marine site at Immingham Docks operate one of the UK’s largest petroleum product terminals, handling imports and exports of vital fuels from across the world read more

   

Unison     

Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund   

Bedfordshire hospital staff to strike next week in overtime pay row (22 June) – NHS operating theatre staff in Bedfordshire will strike next week in a dispute about overtime pay, says UNISON today. Hospital workers say they will walk out on Thursday and Friday (25 and 26 June) unless managers reverse plans to cut pay for staff working extra hours. Workers employed by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Bedford and Luton & Dunstable hospitals, are upset bosses have scrapped a payment worth up to £120 a shift for staff who work beyond their contracted weekly hours. The union says the payment is urging the trust to reverse its decision to bring overtime payments back in line with national agreements paying time and half for the extra shifts. In February, hospital bosses said they were switching to a system where staff doing extra hours had to take shifts paid at a flat rate. UNISON fears the change will lead to staff shortages and more cancelled operations read more

Sacked mining museum worker submits unfair dismissal claim (18 June) – Neil Williams was removed from his position as health and safety manager at the National Coal Mining Museum last Decemberread more

Hospital staff in Leeds to begin two-week walkout next week (18 June) – Theatre assistants are due to strike as part of the union’s Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign. Low-paid NHS staff working in operating theatres across Leeds are set to strike for two weeks in an ongoing dispute over back pay and fair grading. The theatre assistants employed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will walk out from 8am on Monday (22 June) and remain on strike for 14 days. The workers say they have been carrying out duties that should be paid at a higher rate. This includes reducing the risk of infection for patients, handling clinical samples, supporting surgical teams and assisting with specialist equipment. They are currently employed at band 2, the lowest NHS pay grade, despite carrying out a range of clinical duties which should be paid at the higher band 3. Theatre assistants earn less than £13 per hour. It would cost little more than £1 an hour extra for them to be at the top of band 3, the union adds. UNISON says no progress has been made in resolving the dispute despite a productive meeting with hospital bosses earlier this month. Staff have now been left with no option but to strike. The trust’s position is increasingly out of step with NHS organisations across the region and country. Many others have agreed regrading and back pay settlements for healthcare support workers carrying out higher-level duties. Since the launch of the union’s Pay Fair for Patient Care campaign, tens of thousands of healthcare support staff in England and Wales have secured regrading and back pay settlements. This follows acknowledgement by employers that support staff had been undertaking work above their pay grade read more

A time to heal – UNISON South East statement on events in Southampton on Tuesday 2 June 2026 read more

Hundreds of migrant care workers take Fair Visa Campaign to Westminster (11 June) – Andrea Egan and Angela Rayner address mass rally in Parliament Square, as migrant members demand their rights read more

Children’s social care managers in Bath escalate strike action over pay and grading (14 May) – Workers will walk out from Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 May. Bath and North East Somerset Council workers protesting in Bath. They’re holding placards. Children’s social care managers at Bath and North East Somerset Council are to strike for a further three days in an escalating dispute over pay and grading, says UNISON today (Thursday). Team managers and deputy team managers will walk out from Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 May. Workers at the local authority unanimously backed strike action following concerns about the council’s job regrading programme, says UNISON. Those affected by the scheme say it was imposed without proper consultation, and has left many on the wrong grade and underpaid. The union says the dispute comes at a time of wider upheaval in children’s services. In March, the council announced a restructure of which UNISON says has left staff facing further uncertainty read more

University of Gloucestershire workers to walk out in pay dispute (16 Apr) – “Universities can’t hide behind national bargaining when staff are struggling. They should be using their voice to push for a fair deal”. Support staff at the University of Gloucestershire will take strike action today (Thursday) after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer of just 1.4%, says UNISON. Library assistants, administrators, IT workers and other support staff are taking action because the proposed increase fails to reflect the rising cost of living and follows years of pay deals that have lagged behind inflation, says the union read more

Further strike at Leeds Conservatoire this week (25 Mar) – Support staff at a leading music education institute in Leeds are set to walk out on Friday (27 March) in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. Workers at Leeds Conservatoire, including performance assistants and studio technicians, staged a two-day walkout last month unhappy at what they say are broken promises over pay and holidays. Following a restructure three years ago, many employees were transferred out of direct employment by the conservatoire to provider Luminate Education Group. UNISON says this resulted in some staff receiving lower pay and fewer holidays. Those remaining on Leeds Conservatoire contracts were told their pay would match that of staff transferred to Luminate. However, they’ve received worse pay offers and have less annual leave read more

School support workers vote overwhelmingly to strike in support of victimised trade union rep (20 Mar) – UNISON members at Ash Field Academy, a SEND school in Evington, Leicester, have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action to demand the reinstatement of their elected representative. In a formal industrial action ballot which closed on 18th March, 87% of voting members supported strike action over the suspension of their workplace steward, Tom Barker – who has been suspended since October 2025 – and the attack this represents on their trade union rights. The turnout easily cleared the legal 50% participation threshold. For more than four months, UNISON’s Leicester City branch has been campaigning for Tom’s reinstatement. Discovery Schools Academy Trust (“DSAT”), the multi-academy trust which runs the school, claims that they are still investigating his case – though they have changed the allegations they claim to be investigating since the initial suspension. More than 400 trade unionists, including the UNISON’s new General Secretary Andrea Egan and prominent MP Zarah Sultana, have signed an open letter demanding Tom’s reinstatement read more

KCL: Strike action: 25 & 26 March 2026 – This year’s pay offer of just 1.4% is the lowest offer of all public sector areas. We balloted our members on this offer, and 89% of participating members voted to strike. We are now calling for further strike action for the pay deal KCL workers deserve read more

NHS pay rise improvement talks are vital, say unions (17 Mar) – Staff crisis will continue to grow without restructure progress. The government must improve on its inadequate 3.3% pay rise for NHS staff by putting significant extra funding into long-delayed pay restructure talks or the workforce crisis will continue to grow, health unions say today (Tuesday). In a joint letter to health secretary Wes Streeting, they warn the pay award fails to keep pace with the cost of living, won’t repair years of lost pay and doesn’t address lower rises for those on Agenda for Change contracts than other groups. Staff are angry and feel deeply let down after years of falling wages and relentless pressure, say the 14 unions representing more than a million health workers. They point out that by relying on the discredited NHS Pay Review Body process rather than negotiating directly with unions, ministers have wasted an opportunity to deal with headline pay awards and much-needed reform of the pay structure at the same time through comprehensive talks. The 2026/27 headline rise will be imposed in a fortnight (on 1 April), with negotiations to follow on structural fixes, which would mean additional rises for some staff if a deal is reached. But unions say those talks were promised more than 18 months ago and the ongoing delay has wrecked trust read more

Sign this petition: To: Northern Care Alliance – Our Skills Don’t Pay The Bills!

Critical Care NHS workers striking after Greater Manchester’s Northern Care Alliance cuts pay. NHS staff working at Salford Royal, Royal Oldham and Fairfield Hospital, Bury are in dispute with Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust after the trust decided to cut their pay when they undertake overtime to cover staff shortages. The Trust fails to pay overtime in line with their terms and conditions of employment, NHS Agenda for Change. NCA have engaged an alternative private employer, ’NHS Professionals’, to cover shifts which means staff that assist the Trust in covering staff shortages are now seeing a significant drop in pay as well as being able to avoid employer pension contributions. NHS Professionals last year posted pre tax profits of a staggering £11.4M. Critical Care units across the Trust which cover Salford, Oldham, Rochdale and Bury are heavily reliant on covering shifts to meet safe staffing requirements or critically ill patients.  The specialist nature of the care required in critical care means most shifts are picked up by staff already working on the unit. UNISON members are calling on the Trust to be given the right to choose whether to work the shift as Overtime or NHSP Bank rates. This choice would allow staff to be paid the correct pay for the crucial duties they are undertaking and no less for additional work they carry out whilst also being able to contribute to their pension. The worrying reliance on a private entity in the NHS is forcing UNISON members into financial hardship. A UNISON member said “I’m a highly trained and skilled clinical professional and I literally keep people alive. NCA has reduced my pay by £10 an hour for our extra hours rates that we rely on and I’m now struggling to make ends meet at home”. After over a year of trying to resolve this issue with the Trust UNISON members have now voted 98% in favour of strike action support striking workers

Defend Ameen Hadi and Salford City UNISON against the Far Right sign petition – ‘We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with trade unionist and lifelong anti racist campaigner Ameen Hadi. He has been placed under investigation by Salford City Council, following a malicious allegation, driven by far right YouTubers and Fascist Tommy Robinson, after a TOGETHER unity rally in Manchester on International Women’s Day’

Reinstate Connor UNISON Newham libraries rep! Connor is a UNISON Steward at Newham Council, East London. He works in libraries, and was suspended from work on 18 Feb 2026 following his participation in the ‘Save Newham Libraries’ public campaign. Save Newham Libraries is a community campaign setup to stop the Council slashing the libraries budget by 50%, with closures, staff cuts, and service reductions for residents threatened Sign this open letter

Andrea Egan speaks at rally against university cuts in Southend: The job cuts in Southend are symptomatic of a “growing financial crisis across universities” (6 Feb) – General secretary Andrea Egan (pictured above) joined the crowds of union members at the University of Essex yesterday at a protest against job cuts and the closure of the university’s Southend campus. UNISON is one of three unions fighting back against the university’s plans to cut 400 jobs and close the Southend campus over the summer. It represents the cleaners, student support workers and other non-academic staff affected by the cuts and is in a formal dispute with the university read more

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

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

NIPSA

NIPSA Warns Of “Systemic Failure” In DAERA As Vets’ Dispute Escalates (15 June) – NIPSA has warned Stormont’s Agriculture Committee that failures in DAERA’s Veterinary Service have triggered a workforce crisis now affecting key public protections. In evidence to the Committee on 11 June, union officials said the dispute was “entirely avoidable”, accusing management of years of inaction and poor governance. They said two groups of vets were allowed to carry out identical work on different pay scales, despite clear internal policy requiring early review. NIPSA said DAERA ignored repeated warnings from 2019 and failed to carry out a mandatory grading review within required timelines, allowing a known equal pay risk to persist. A long-delayed grading review in 2024 confirmed both roles should be paid the same. While some staff were upgraded last year, NIPSA said DAERA has refused to address years of lost earnings, pension impacts and ongoing financial disadvantage. After “years of being ignored”, members backed industrial action with near-unanimous support. Action is now impacting TB control, export certification and wider veterinary services read more

DAERA Vets Escalate Industrial Action Over Long‑Running Pay Dispute (4 June)

NIPSA Calls For Working Class Unity Against Racism (11 June) – NIPSA is calling for working class unity against the racists. Trade union and community activists have been working in communities and in workplaces to defend people and drive back the far right who are intent on organising attacks in working class communities. NIPSA General Secretary, Carmel Gates, said, “NIPSA wishes to put on record our support for activists who are showing working‑class solidarity at its best. The work done in communities and workplaces has begun to push the far right back. A series of demonstrations have been organised to allow workers to express their anger at the far right. This is a big step forward, but much more needs to be done. It is vital that we challenge all attempts to promote racism, oppose criminal violence in our communities, and fight to end the economic and social misery that has become a breeding ground for the far right. If attacks continue, then the next step must be for people to hold work stoppages and mass demonstrations across Northern Ireland.” NIPSA members are organising and participating in a series of anti‑racism demonstrations, and we strongly encourage members and the public to support them and send a clear message: racism has no place here read more

NIPSA Stands In Solidarity With Teachers And Urges Action On Education Staff Pressures (8 June) – NIPSA has expressed full solidarity with teaching unions as they ballot members over excessive workload pressures. Speaking following a meeting at Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU) last week, NIPSA General Secretary Carmel Gates commented: “This issue was discussed at NIC-ICTU and I made clear that NIPSA gives full support to the teaching unions. We also welcome the wider support being shown by trade unions to their action on workload – this is an issue that affects the whole education workforce.” While NIPSA does not represent teachers, the union highlighted that its members across the Education Authority – including classroom assistants and support staff – are facing similar and increasing pressures in their roles. The union will continue to monitor developments and keep members informed read more

URGENT: Show Your Support For The Good Jobs Bill (5 June) – The Good Jobs Bill (GJB) has stalled at the NI Executive. If there is not agreement to release it to the Assembly next week there may be insufficient time for the Bill to complete the democratic legislative process before the current Assembly term ends. This is not a radical piece of legislation. The GJB simply affords vulnerable and precarious workers here basic protections, aims to improve work/life balance and strengthen worker voice through trade union representation for the benefit of workers, employers and the economy. We call on everyone to send the draft template letter below to your MLAs urgently. Please feel free to amend the letter to your circumstances. It’s time to demand that Stormont delivers for working people! Read more

NIPSA Annual Report 2025 ‘For Working Class Unity and a Socialist Economy’ is now available to download here

   

Royal College of Nursing     

Violence in Belfast: ‘Racism has no place in our society’ (12 June) – The RCN is deeply concerned by reports of nursing staff being prevented from getting to work and feeling unsafe travelling home after their shifts 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

South Tyneside and Sunderland midwives vote overwhelmingly for strike action (19 June) – Midwives in South Tyneside and Sunderland have voted overwhelmingly for strike action to prevent being rostered on-call on their days off. In a ballot of impacted members that closed this week, 92 per cent of RCM members voted yes to strike action. The RCM has been in negotiations with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust for more than three years, seeking a solution that keeps maternity services safely staffed, without forcing midwives onto on-call shifts at busy times. The union has warned that the proposed on-call system is unsafe and unsustainable, risking increased burnout and damage to the recruitment and retention of midwives read more

RCM to ballot Barnsley members on industrial action over ‘fire and rehire’ threat (24 Apr) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has announced its intention to move to a formal industrial action ballot of members at Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust, following escalating concerns over the use of “fire and rehire” following changes to breaks. The decision comes after months of engagement with the trust regarding proposed changes to staff breaks, which would see midwives and maternity support workers working an additional seven hours a month due to longer unpaid breaks. RCM members in Barnsley have made clear that these proposals are neither safe nor workable. Staff report they are already unable to take their existing breaks due to clinical pressures, raising serious concerns about the impact on both staff wellbeing and the safety of care provided to women and families. Despite constructive efforts by trade unions to reach a compromise, including a negotiated proposal with mitigations, RCM members overwhelmingly rejected the deal in consultation. The trust has now moved to a formal dismissal and re-engagement process, placing hundreds of staff at risk, including more than 100 working in maternity services. A consultative ballot of RCM members showed strong support for escalation, with a clear majority backing a move to formal industrial action. The RCM says the use of “fire and rehire” in the NHS is unacceptable and risks damaging trust, morale and ultimately patient care read more

CSP

CSP committed to inclusive society in wake of Edinburgh anti-Muslim attack (21 June) – The CSP has condemned knife attacks on Muslims in Edinburgh read more

CSP condemns racist hate in Belfast forcing members out of their homes and workplaces (12 June) – We are appalled by the outbreak of racist violence in Belfast and beyond that has led to physiotherapy staff and students leaving their homes and staying away from work or their place of study read more

SOR

SoR shares statements of solidity with radiographers and all healthcare professionals across Northern Ireland (18 June) – The supportive messages were shared after racist violence broke out in the region last week read more

BMA

The Government offer and impact on LEDs (19 June) – There are a number of facets to the latest Government offer specifically for LEDs and we wanted to make sure that you have all of the facts before casting your vote read more

Vote opens on Government pay offer to resident doctors (18 June) – BMA members in England to decide if latest proposal enough to end long-running dispute read more

Doctors prepare to strike for improved pay (9 June) – NHS staff overwhelmingly vote for industrial action in bid to redress pay shortfall in Northern Ireland read more

GPs vote to reject contract changes (1 Apr) – GPC England considers next steps after referendum result reveals overwhelming opposition to Government proposed contract changes read more

Secondary care doctors prepare for strike ballot (31 Mar) – Consultants and SAS doctors in England respond to ‘inadequate’ pay award read more

GPs vote to reject contract changes (26 Mar) – GPC England considers next steps after ballot result reveals overwhelming opposition to Government proposed contract changes. GPs across England have roundly rejected contract changes set to be imposed from next month, with the BMA calling on the Government to return to negotiations. More than 16,000 GPs and GP registrars voted to oppose the planned changes to the GMS and PMS GP practice contracts for 2026-27, following the outcome of a ballot released today [26 March]. The ballot, which was launched last month following the abrupt release of contract reform proposals by the Government, saw 98.9 per cent of those participating vote against the changes, with the vote having a turnout of 55 per cent. Under the terms of the contract, which is set to be imposed from 1 April, the BMA has warned that GPs would effectively be required to ‘more with less’ by having to provide a range of enhanced services read more

Government offers doctors in England below-inflation pay award (25 Mar) – The Government has announced a pay award of 3.5 per cent for doctors in England, below RPI inflation levels, following a recommendation from the doctors’ and dentists’ pay review body (DDRB). The BMA says this will be a ‘crushing blow’ to doctors in England and will ‘dash any hope’ that the Government is prepared to properly recognise a profession that is ‘burning out’ read more

NEU

NEU Cymru members at Darland High School strike over cuts to teaching staff, behaviour, and workload (23 June) – NEU and NASUWT members at Darland High School are today (23/06/2026) taking their first day of strike action, with two days of action planned for next week. Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of action due to the detrimental changes the employer has made to staffing levels. The cuts in staffing will further exacerbate the already serious challenges around behaviour, with little to no support from Senior Leaders. Meetings have taken place between the unions and the employer, and there has been recognition that the issues raised are fair and reasonable.  The school leadership need to convince and reassure members that urgent action is being taken to address the long-standing concerns of members to avoid further action. Staff will need reassurances about class sizes, timetables, genuine and visible SLT support for behaviour and action on workload read more

NEU to launch a formal ballot for strike action (9 May) – The national executive of the NEU has today (Saturday) taken the decision to move to formal ballots for strike action over pay and funding. The formal ballots of teachers and support staff in state-maintained schools in England will open on 3 October and close on 15 December. Early reports indicate that the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) report and the decisions of the Chancellor and Education Secretary will not result in a fully-funded pay offer for teachers that exceeds inflation, nor in sufficient funding for schools to prevent redundancies and rises in workload. The NEU is today signalling that we will move to formally ballot our members for strike action in October if the government does not take urgent action to address these issues. This is part of the NEU’s campaign to save education. The formal ballot follows NEU indicative ballots of teachers and support staff in England, carried out between February and April. Members voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action over the issue of pay, funding and workload read more

NEU members at Llantwit Major High School are today taking their third day of strike action (23 Apr) – NEU Cymru members at Llantwit Major High School strike over consequences of attack on members terms and conditions. NEU members at Llantwit Major High School are today taking their third day of strike action. Members voted overwhelming to take this action after the school and governors confirmed a decision to cut our members Planning Preparation and Assessment time to the absolute minimum allowed under current rules. Our members are clear that by taking this action, longstanding behavioural issues at the school will get worse as sufficient PPA time is essential for dealing with these issues. While meetings have taken place between the unions, the employer and ACAS as yet it has not been possible to reach agreement so therefore the NEU is taking strike action to highlight the situation and the seriousness with which our members take this issue. Some of the communications around this issue from the school have not helped the situation and have made resolution more difficult. We call on the employer to get back around the table with the unions and find a resolution to this issue read more

Support the strikes:-

  • St Cuthbert’s RC High School / Rochdale (Redundancies) 23-25 June; NEU contact: Nick Wigmore [email protected]
  • Our Place / Worcester (Conditions of Service) 26 June; NEU contact: Sean Mccauley [email protected]
  • Cardinal Griffin College / Staffordshire (Conditions of Service) 22-25 June; NEU contact: June Rebecca Cann [email protected]
  • Forest Fields Primary & Nursery School / Nottingham (Conditions of Service) 23-25 June; NEU contact: Sheena Wheatley [email protected] 
  • Homewood School & Sixth Form / Kent (Restructuring/Redundancies) 23-24 June; Paige Horsford [email protected]
  • Horncastle Education Trust Schools / Lincs (Redundancies) – Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, The Banovallum School, New York Primary School, Huttoft Primary School, Frithville Primary School, 22-23 June; NEU contact: Ken Rustidge [email protected]
  • Treehouse / Haringey (Conditions of Service) 25 June; NEU contact: Efe Kurtluoglu [email protected]
  • Woodfield School / Brent (Reduction to teaching assistant hours) 22, 25-26 June; NEU contact: Jennifer Cooper [email protected]  
  • Learning Partnership West / Bristol (Conditions of Service) 25 June; NEU contact: Tom Bolton [email protected]  
  • Grays Convent High School / Thurrock (Redundancies) 23 -25 June; NEU contact: Paul Robinson [email protected]
  • Grimley & Holt CofE Primary / Worcs (Redundancies, Restructure, Workload) 23-24 June; NEU contact: Sean McCauley [email protected]
  • The Orchard School / Sandwell (Conditions of Service) 25 June; NEU contact: Jo McEwan [email protected]
  • Dixons Fazakerley Academy / Liverpool (Conditions of Service) 23, 25 June; NEU contact: Graham Copsey [email protected]
  • Ark Putney / Wandsworth (Redundancies) 25 June; NEU contact: Emily Parsons [email protected]
  • Ark Priory Academy / Ealing (Workload) 25-26 June; NEU contact: Aisha Abbasi [email protected] & Mat Milovanovic [email protected]
  • Dairy Meadow Primary & Nursery / Ealing (Redundancies) 23, 25 June; NEU contact: Aisha Abbasi [email protected] & Mat Milovanovic [email protected]
  • Melbourn Village College / Cambs (Conditions of Service) 25 June; NEU contact: Helen Brook [email protected]
  • Rushey Green Primary Lewisham (Conditions of Service) 24 June; NEU contact: Karina Maloney [email protected]
  • Woodlands School /Harrow (Failure to pay SEN allowance to Support Staff Unsustainable Workload) 22-24 June; NEU contact: Alex Davies [email protected]
  • Darland High School / Wrexham (Conditions of Service) 23 June; Tracey Williams [email protected]
  • Codsall Academy Trust / Staffs (Conditions of Service) 23-25 June; NEU contact: Rebecca Cann [email protected]
  • Tewkesbury Academy / Gloucs (Conditions of Service) 23 -25 June; NEU contact: Michaela Wilde [email protected]

NASUWT   

Abbotsholme teachers speak out following school’s sudden sale and closure (18 June) – NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has grave and urgent concerns about the wellbeing of teachers and pupils at Abbotsholme School in Rocester, following its recent sale to a new owner and sudden closure to the majority of its pupils. Though the school remains open for boarders and pupils taking exams, the teachers have not been paid since April and the new employer, Tony Costigan, has offered teachers, pupils and their families no certainty as to the school’s future in September read more

Glamorgan teachers speak out (6 June) – Teachers at Llantwit Major High School are speaking out following a contentious email sent to parents by the school’s headteacher. NASUWT has been taking industrial action at Llantwit Major High School since March over concerns about teachers’ welfare and workload. The Headteacher at Llantwit Major High School has sent an email to parents claiming that ‘rewards trips’ for pupils will need to be cancelled due to planned strike action. The email states that ‘concessions’ have been made and lists the planned NASUWT strike days for the rest of term. The communication further states: “Unfortunately, as a result of this strike action, the rewards trips planned for Thursday 16th July will need to be cancelled.” NASUWT teachers were not aware that any ‘rewards trip’ had been planned and only learned of it very recently. The school was notified of new potential strike dates on 20th April. NASUWT will move the July 16 strike date to ensure that any such trips can go ahead read more

Industrial action ballot over toxic teacher workload in Northern Ireland (2 June) – NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in Northern Ireland, has today served formal notice of an official industrial action ballot across all state-funded schools, following the Department of Education’s sustained failure to deliver a credible implementation plan for the 27 recommendations of the Independent Review of Workload. The ballot will open on Wednesday 10 June and will close on Tuesday 1 September read more

Teachers at SEND school strike against overcrowding (1 June) – Teachers at The Orchard School in Oldbury will begin the first of four days of strike action tomorrow. The Orchard School is a SEND school run by Sandwell Local Authority. Teachers at The Orchard have serious concerns about the numbers of pupils on roll and the impact overcrowding has on their workload, and the safety of both staff and pupils read more

Haberdashers staff strike over pensions raid (11 May) – Teachers at Haberdashers Boys and Girls Schools in Elstree are to start five days of strike action on Wednesday over attempts to impose detrimental changes to their pensions. Employers are trying to cap their future contributions to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, meaning that teachers would have to foot the bill for any future increases in the employer contribution rate, rather than the employer meeting the additional costs. The employer has used fire and rehire tactics to try to force through these changes, with large numbers of teachers receiving letters of dismissal and reengagement on amended contracts. Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at both schools are due to take strike action on 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th and 21st May. Teachers will be picketing outside the school between approximately 7.15am and 9.30am read more

Workload threats prompt strike action at two Lincolnshire schools (10 May) – Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Banovallum School and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, both in Horncastle, are due to begin four days of strike action tomorrow (Monday) over the detrimental impact of job cuts and changes to working conditions on teacher workload. The Horncastle Education Trust, which runs both schools, is making seven voluntary staff redundancies and is proposing to cut the time allocated to teachers for planning, preparation and assessment from 15% of timetabled teaching time to 10%. Strike action is planned for 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th May. NASUWT teachers will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between approximately 8am and 9am read more

Strike action begins at St Helens college (7 May) – Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Cowley International College in St Helens began the first of four days of strike action today as a result of adverse management practices, escalating workload pressures, and a breakdown of trust caused by the school’s leadership. Teachers have been subjected to unprofessional treatment by the employer and a persistent failure by senior leadership to address workload and safety concerns. By the time the employer began to acknowledge the seriousness of the concerns raised, trust had already collapsed. Teachers now have no confidence that commitments made by management will be honoured. Despite this, they have agreed to attend work to ensure exam classes are taught, demonstrating their continued commitment to their pupils read more

Trust failings prompt further action at Rochdale school (30 Apr) – Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at St Cuthbert’s RC High School in Rochdale are beginning a further four days of strike action today (Thursday 30th April) as a result of the continued failure of Trust leadership to address serious concerns around behaviour, health and safety, staffing and resourcing. St Teresa of Calcutta Academy Trust, which runs the school, has confirmed they intend to progress with a planned restructure which the Union believes will worsen staffing, the ability of teachers to provide a safe and calm learning environment for students and the safety of the workplace. NASUWT believes that the Trust has failed to invest in and maintain the school, resulting in an unsafe and chaotic working environment for staff. This has led to volatile and violent behaviour from some pupils, which is not adequately addressed, and unacceptable levels of workload, high levels of staff absence and working conditions that are impeding teachers’ ability to deliver for pupils. Teachers believe that the school has been stripped of staff and resources since it became part of St Theresa of Calcutta Academy Trust. It is of profound concern to the Union that Salford Diocese continues to force catholic schools in the area to join the Trust in light of the problems which have developed at St Cuthbert’s since St Theresa of Calcutta trust took over its running. NASUWT teachers have already taken nine days of strike action since February and further strike action is planned for 30th April and 5th, 6th and 7th May. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between 8am and 8.45am. NASUWT teachers will continue to teach their year 11 pupils on the strike days to ensure they receive continuity of support in the run up to their GCSE exams read more

Job cuts threat prompts strike action at Nottingham and Lincolnshire schools (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary Academy in Nottingham and Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary School in Sleaford are due to begin two days of strike action tomorrow (24th March) over proposed job cuts which they believe would seriously affect the quality of education and support provided to pupils. The Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs both schools, is planning to reduce the number of teaching jobs across the Trust. The proposed staffing cuts equate to 2.5 members of staff at Our Lady of Good Counsel and 1.03 at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. This is on top of planned cuts to teaching assistant posts and some voluntary staff redundancies. The Trust has cited financial pressures as the reason for proposing these staffing cuts, however financial data shows that in August 2025 the Trust had reserves of £5.69 million. Strike action is planned for the 24th and 25th March. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between approximately 8am and 9am read more

Further strike action at Stockport school over continued threat to jobs (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Stockport are taking two further days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) and Thursday as a result of the failure of the employer to engage meaningfully over planned job cuts. NASUWT teachers have already taken three days of strike action over the last two weeks over plans by the St Ralph Sherwin Multi-Academy Trust, which runs the school, to cut one full-time equivalent teaching post, reduce six hours from the admin assistant role and cut ten Kids Club administration hours. The Trust has not responded to NASUWT requests for further negotiations since before the start of strike action on 12th March. The Trust’s failure to engage with us has made further strike action necessary. The Trust has cited financial pressures as the reason for proposing staffing cuts, however the Union does not believe that these planned reductions in staffing will solve the significant financial issues being experienced by the Trust and believes that stronger financial management and accountability are needed. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school on each strike day between approximately 7.45am and 9am read more

Further strike action at Hexham school over continuing failure to address behaviour management (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Haydon Bridge High School in Hexham will be taking the first of 12 planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over the continuing failure of school management to put in place an effective pupil behaviour management system. NASUWT teachers at Haydon Bridge took strike action in December over a lack of action to deal with poor pupil behaviour. Further action was suspended to allow school management to implement a new behaviour policy and measures to tackle disruptive behaviour. However, several months on and there has been no improvement, leaving NASUWT with no choice than to take further strike action. NASUWT teachers will take strike action on 24th, 25th, 26th and 31st March and 1st, 2nd, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th and 30th April. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school tomorrow (Tuesday 24th) and on April 1st between approximately 8am and 8.45am. This action excludes year 10, 11 and 13 examination classes. NASUWT members will attend work and teach these lessons only read more

Fire and rehire threat prompts strike action at Westminster school (23 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Arnold House School in St John’s Wood are due to take strike action tomorrow (24th March) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension and their pay. Teachers being threatened with fire and rehire if they do not agree to either withdraw from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and be enrolled in an inferior pension scheme, or to give up some of their pay through salary sacrifice in order to remain in the TPS. The school is already in phased withdrawal from the TPS, but existing members of the scheme had been assured by school management at the time that decision was taken that they could remain in the TPS. There was no suggestion at that time that they would have to sacrifice any of their pay in order to do so. NASUWT will be picketing outside the school between approximately 7.45am and 9am read more

Abergele teachers strike over culture of bullying and intimidation (6 Mar) – On Monday 9th March, teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan will take a day of strike action in protest of the continuous bullying and intimidation they face from the school’s leadership team. NASUWT Cymru has had concerns about the wellbeing of members at the school for a long time. Following a rushed restructure where management positions were removed but management work was not, teachers experienced increased workloads and problems with school systems and policies. When they raised concerns, they were penalised by senior leaders. The union has tried to work with leaders to resolve these issues but does not believe that the restructuring consultation was meaningful. Progress made at meetings does not seem to be translated to the workplace read more

Job changes prompt strike action by Kent teachers (4 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union working for Specialist Teaching and Learning Services (STLS) at Kent County Council began five days of strike action today over fundamental changes to their job roles which are undermining their ability to provide high-quality support for schools and pupils with disabilities and special needs. Teachers working for STLS work with schools to provide education support services for children and young people across Kent with disabilities or complex needs. Last September the council took control of STLS and made significant changes to job roles, effectively removing STLS teachers from working directly within schools. Strike action is planned for 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th March read more

    

EIS   

Lecturers at Glasgow Caledonian University to take strike action in fight against job cuts (18 June) – Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland University Lecturers Association (EIS ULA) at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) are to take strike action in an escalation of a dispute over job cuts and redundancies at the University. The union’s recent ballot resulted in an overwhelming majority vote in favour of strike action, with 95.9% of those voting backing strike action. The EIS has given notice to the University on the planned strike action and has again urged GCU management to return to the negotiating table with a promise to rule out compulsory redundancies read more

INTO

Update: Final pay increase reflected in salaries today, payment dates confirmed for agreed allowances (18 June) – The final pay increase of 1% under the Public Service Agreement (PSA) 2024-26 is fully reflected in salaries issued to members today. The impact of these increases on salaries is outlined in Circular 55/2026. In addition to the 1% increase, the 7.5% pay uplift agreed under local bargaining to the principals’ allowances as outlined in Circular 54/2026 has been applied. Arrears, which are backdated to 1 September 2025, have also been paid today read more

NITC Lodges Dispute with Department of Education over Teacher Workload Response (12 May) – On 28 April the Minister published his response to the report from the Independent Panel on Teacher Workload. NITC met with the Minister and a range of representatives to discuss the response. The five teaching unions then met with their executive bodies and took comment from members regarding the report. Subsequently, the concerns which were expressed from members right across the system were compiled into a document for consideration by the Minister and the Department. The plan as it currently stands is simply not acceptable to the NITC. Members were informed on Tuesday 5 May that NITC submitted the letter detailing the concerns and requested a reply by Monday 11 May. No reply was received with DE indicating that we may receive a response next week. NITC as a whole, and each constituent union, took the decision in the absence of a response on the date requested, to lodge a dispute with the Department of Education. These actions were taken today. The dispute relates to the failure of the Department of Education to publish a plan which is capable of fully implementing the recommendations from the Independent Review of Teacher Workload read more

UCU     

UCU Stop the Cuts campaign  

Sign petition against the education cuts  

University of Nottingham condemned after latest attempt to end industrial action (19 June) – University and College Union (UCU) has today (Friday 19 June) condemned University of Nottingham management for their lack of willingness to help resolve the current dispute. UCU officials met with University of Nottingham management yesterday in a bid to end the ongoing dispute over large-scale job cuts, course closures and workload concerns. UCU had earlier this week provided potential further savings and a more detailed financial counterproposal to the employer’s plans and on top of the number of staff who may leave voluntarily. With graduations in just a few weeks, this was the ideal time to seek a resolution read more

Staff at Northumbria University to be balloted for strike action in job cuts row (18 June) – UCU has today formally declared a dispute with Northumbria University and will ballot members over potential strike action. The dispute is in response to management plans to slash around 1 in 10 jobs before Christmas, across Geography and Natural Sciences; Engineering, Physics & Maths; Humanities; Theatre & Performance; and Design departments.  Management has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies. The £5 million cuts follow an already damaging restructure, plans to push staff out of pension schemes and the folly of expensive building projects, including a £2.5m Centre for Writing which would house some of those staff who survive the cull. The move to a dispute and potential strike action follows votes of no confidence in both the senior executives and the Board of Governors read more

Staff at the University of Lincoln deliver a damning vote of no confidence in the institution’s senior leadership team (18 June) – University of Lincoln staff have delivered an overwhelming no confidence vote in the senior leadership team in a dispute over job cuts, UCU announced today. 97% of members that voted said they had lost confidence in management, driven by poor leadership, insufficient transparency in decision‑making, and policies that have adversely impacted staff wellbeing, job security, and the quality of teaching and research. The union accused the employer of losing around a third of the workforce and refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies either in this academic year or the next. Despite efforts by the union to negotiate with the university over the changes, UCU has been left with no choice but to survey members and hopes the result will be a wakeup call for the employer read more

LSBU staff to strike next week in fight against vicious assault on academics’ terms and conditions (16 June) – UCU has today announced that staff at London South Bank University (LSBU) will take two days of strike action next week in a row over proposed sham redundancies and contract changes. Staff will down tools on Monday 22 June and Thursday 25 June, with pickets at the main entrance on Borough Road, SE1 0AA and the Keyworth Building entrance on Keyworth Street, SE1 6NG from 9am to 12pm on both days. Staff will also hold a rally on Monday 22 June from 12pm until 1pm outside the LSBU Hub on 100-116 London Road, SE1 6LN. The dispute is over LSBU’s decision to terminate the contract of all academic members of staff and pit them against each other in a redundancy selection process determined by the Research Excellence Framework read more

UCU comment on 190 additional job losses at University of Dundee (16 June) – Commenting on the news that the University of Dundee is to cut an additional 190 jobs on top of the 675 that have already been lost, Ian Ellis, Dundee UCU branch co-president, said: ‘This is devastating news for staff at the University of Dundee and anyone who cares about the university, its future and students at Dundee. Staff are once again paying the price for management failings and a catalogue of managerial missteps read more

University of Dundee staff vote for strike action in re-ballot (9 June) – Staff at the University of Dundee have again backed strike action in the long running dispute over jobs cuts and management’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. In a ballot that ended at 12noon today, UCU Scotland members voted by 79% to back strike action. The turnout was 58%. Action short of strike, including working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not taking on voluntary activities and a possible marking and assessment boycott was also backed by 89% of members. The branch’s members will now decide what action to take. The re-ballot was required as mandates for strike action are time limited under employment law. Recent changes to the law mean that this new mandate will last for a full calendar year read more

Union stops attack on pensions at Sheffield Hallam (15 June) – UCU has today welcomed Sheffield Hallam University’s decision to reverse its plan to force staff into a subsidiary company and out of their pension scheme. Following weeks of industrial action, UCU members at Hallam have secured an agreement that academic staff will remain employed by the university and retain access to their existing Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS). Strikes planned for this week are now off. Hallam is attempting to save £27m by the end of this academic year, following two years of cuts that have already seen 1,000 staff leave the university. UCU had demanded that the university halted plans to move staff over to a subsidiary employer, continued to allow all academics to access TPS, stopped trying to degrade staff working and student learning conditions, and worked with the union to avoid compulsory redundancies read more

Statement on violent disorder in Northern Ireland (11 June) – Following the events in Northern Ireland in recent days we stand in solidarity with our members and their communities. We condemn the monstrous attack that took place on Monday evening on Stephen Ogilvy. Our thoughts are with him and his family. The dignity shown by Stephen’s family in speaking out against all forms of violence, appealing for calm and pointing out the positive role migrants play in our society is an example to us all. It is this approach we should all unite behind. The violent disorder that followed the attack will do nothing to unite communities or move forward together read more

Global academic boycott imposed on University of Sheffield over job cuts & pay docking (4 June) – The University of Sheffield has just been hit with the ultimate sanction of a global academic boycott by the biggest higher education union in the UK read more

Glasgow Caledonian University strike starts today (3 June) – Members of UCU at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) today begin three days of strike action in a dispute over job cuts and possible compulsory redundancies. Staff are taking strike action today and tomorrow, and on Tuesday 4 August.  In the vote authorising the strike members supported the action by 79% with a 69% turnout.  Staff are also taking part in action short of strike including working to contract, not undertaking voluntary duties or covering for absent colleagues. The strike is over proposals by senior managers to cut up to 100 posts even though the university is not currently in deficit read more

UCU responds to threat of over 100 job cuts at Aberdeen University (29 May) – Speaking following the announcement from the University of Aberdeen that it plans to make over 100 job cuts, UCU Aberdeen co-chair Dan Cutts said: ‘This is absolutely devastating for the workforce. There is a lot of anger, distress and worry amongst our members who have been working tirelessly to support their students. Our members are baffled as to why senior management are choosing to make these drastic job cuts when the university’s financial situation has improved and they report we are in surplus. Management plans are illogical and will be damaging to the student experience here at Aberdeen University. UCU will be gauging the feelings of our membership over the next few days and there is no doubt that our union will be fighting back against these devastating cuts.’ Read more

Ten-day strike at Aberdeen University starts today (13 Apr)

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

Union condemns University of Sussex threat of compulsory redundancies (29 May) – UCU has condemned the University of Sussex management’s threat to cut 200 jobs, with around 600 staff placed at risk of redundancy. The threatened job losses form part of a £35m cuts programme following a fall in student recruitment. UCU Sussex, along with sister branches UNISON and UNITE, has written to vice-chancellor Sasha Roseneil demanding that compulsory redundancies be ruled out until Saturday 31 July 2027. UCU said it would fight any threat of compulsory redundancies read more

Staff at Queen Margaret University vote for strike action (22 May) – Staff at Queen Margaret University (QMU) have voted for strike action in a dispute over jobs cuts, compulsory redundancies and changes to working practices. University and College Union (UCU) Scotland members at the university voted by 92% to back strike action on a turnout of 67%.  Action short of strike, which could involve working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues or voluntary activities, was also backed by 96% of members voting.  Members of the branch will now decide their next steps in the dispute. Senior managers at QMU are looking to make savings of £4million in staffing costs this academic year and in 2027/28 and have refused to rule out the possibility of compulsory redundancies.  On top of the job cuts, management also proposed cutting research and scholarship time for academic staff.  Research-led teaching is recognised universally as the benchmark across higher education and the union argues that any step backwards on this would harm the university read more

First day of summer of strikes begins at Heriot-Watt University (14 May) – University and College Union Scotland members at Heriot-Watt University will today begin the first of six strike days across May and June. Today’s strike takes place as the university court, the university’s highest decision-making body, meets to consider future strategy.  UCU members will also take strike action in June unless management take steps to resolve the dispute before then.  Staff are striking over plans to cut jobs in the university’s Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies and the potential closure, including possible compulsory redundancies, of the successful Scholar programme which delivers online learning in schools.  Members backed strike action by 74% on a 70% turnout and took nine days of strike action strike action earlier in the Spring read more

Four strike days begin tomorrow at Capital City College Group over workload issues (11 May) – Staff at Capital City College Group (CCCG) begin four consecutive days of strike action tomorrow after the employer failed to meaningfully negotiate over workload concerns. UCU members will be on picket lines each strike day (Tuesday 12, Wednesday 13, Thursday 14, and Friday 15 May) from 8am across the eight college sites. The dispute is over excessive workloads, and the action comes after CCCG failed to meaningfully progress workload issues after belatedly meeting with the union last week, in response to the strike threat (Wednesday 6 May). Prior to that meeting, management had failed to meet with the union over workload concerns since January (when inadequate notice was given to UCU reps of the meeting date), despite committing to two further meetings before the Easter break. UCU demands include increased tutorial time, more support for students with special educational needs, and additional student wellbeing staff read more

Outrage as DfE hire refuses national recommendation to raise pay (5 May) – Staff at Windsor Forest Colleges Group (WFCG) will strike tomorrow (Wednesday 6 May) as they continue to fight for fair pay. College principal Gillian May is now set to leave at the end of the month to take up a senior post, as deputy commissioner for further education, at the Department for Education. Despite holding down her own staff’s pay, she has accepted a 7.8% increase to her own salary of over £10,000. The group runs four colleges across Berkshire and Surrey: Slough and Langley College, Windsor College, Strode’s College, and the Berkshire College of Agriculture. Staff have already taken five days of action and are asking for a fair pay award. WFCG has refused to even meet the 4% pay award recommended by the Association of Colleges, unlike every other college in the region read more

University of Essex strike, rally & call for vice-chancellor to resign (22 Apr) – Staff at the University of Essex will strike again tomorrow (Thursday 23 April), having already taken 16 days of action in a fight to save jobs, protect course provision and keep the university’s Southend campus open. UCU members will be on picket lines tomorrow morning from 8am. Staff, students and community members will also be demonstrating on Saturday 25 April Staff, students and local community members will hold a rally to save Southend campus meeting at 1pm at the top of Pier Hill and marching to Broadway. The strike and protest come after more than 400 staff overwhelmingly passed a motion of no confidence in the vice-chancellor and university’s senior leadership team. Over 96% of staff voted in favour of the motion, which was tabled last week by UCU, Unison and Unite. The motion calls for the resignation of vice-chancellor Frances Bowen and an apology from the senior management team, as well as the re-opening of the cuts consultation process, including the threatened closure of Southend campus. The dispute is over the wave of cuts management is forcing through. The university originally said it intended to axe 200 academic and 200 professional staff and close Southend campus before the start of the next academic year. It has now confirmed it has made over £10m in savings – more than half of its target – after staff worked together to reduce their hours and many made the tough decision to take voluntary redundancy. UCU is also pressing the university to confirm how many staff remain at risk, as numbers set out vary by more than 700 people. Last month, more than a dozen staff were incorrectly told their jobs were safe before management confirmed they were still at risk read more

Solent University staff to strike for 5 days in fight to save pension (22 Apr) – Southampton Solent University staff will begin five days of strike action next week after management began forcing them out of their pension scheme by threatening them with the sack…The strike comes after management emailed 357 academic staff who are on the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS) during the Easter break (Tuesday 31 March) to tell them it wants to employ them through a subsidiary company from Wednesday 1 July. This means they would be forced out of the scheme, leaving them poorer in retirement. The university says it needs to slash pension benefits to achieve financial savings, but its own analysis shows that the proposed cuts are less than a quarter of the outstanding deficit for the current financial year. However, the challenges faced by Southampton Solent University are not caused by the industry standard pension benefits, but by management failure to grow the university, despite it receivingTEF Gold in 2023, the highest rating in the UK’s Teaching Excellence Framework, and toppingthe Hampshire rankings of the National Student Survey last year. Last December, management forced all 286 professional support staff onto the inferior pension scheme by threatening to cease their employment “immediately” and without compensation if they refused to transfer over. UCU estimates the pension cut would reduce pension benefits by a third, leaving Southampton Solent University’s academic staff up to £10,000 worse off per year in retirement read more

Statement on Ulster University job cuts (16 Apr) – The shocking announcement to cut 450 jobs at Ulster University is unprecedented and represents a direct threat to the quality of education, respect for staff, desires and ambitions of students and the long-term future of our institution. Staff already work under sustained pressure, with rising workloads and impossible demands. Imposing redundancies on this scale is deeply alarming and unsustainable. Removing hundreds of staff will fundamentally damage the student experience and weaken academic provision. Our members deserve full transparency, genuine consultation, in line with legal obligations, as well as the opportunity to challenge the assumptions underpinning these decisions. Any process that falls short of this will be robustly contested and our members will not be afraid to take action to challenge these decisions. We are also clear: compulsory redundancies will be strongly resisted. This is not just about jobs; it is about protecting the integrity of higher education in Northern Ireland. Ulster University plays a critical civic role, and decisions of this magnitude if forced through would have far-reaching detrimental consequences for students, local communities, and the wider regional economy read more

Staff back further industrial action at Edinburgh University (1 Apr) – Staff at the University of Edinburgh have backed strike action in the coming year in a ballot over £140million cuts, up to 1,800 job losses, hidden redundancies and meaningful consultation with trade unions. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members at the university, 88% voted to back strike action with a turnout of 55%.  94% of those voting also voted to back action short of strike which could include working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues and the possibility of a marking and assessment boycott read more

8 days of strikes to hit London Met this month over jobs cull (26 Mar) – Staff at London Metropolitan University will begin eight days of strike action on Wednesday 15 April over plans to sack up to 120 staff, including more than one in five academics. The dispute is over London Met’s plan to restructure every academic school, delete 295 jobs and to axe up to 120 staff through compulsory redundancy by the end of the academic year (Friday 31 July). The cuts primarily impact academics and UCU believes over a fifth would go under the plans read more. Next strike days: May 26-27; June 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 15,  

Strikes escalate at University of Sheffield International College over pay freeze (24 Mar) – Staff are on strike today and Thursday at University of Sheffield International College (USIC) as action escalates in a fight against a pay freeze. UCU’s members have already been on picket lines for five days (Monday 16 February, and Tuesday 10, Thursday 12, Monday 16 and Wednesday 18 March) and will also strike on Monday 30 March, and Wednesday 1 April. A meeting took place yesterday with management representatives from USIC’s owner Study Group and UCU. The union made it clear that members are open to meaningful negotiation to resolve the dispute and end the strike action but no offer was made. An agreement was reached at the end of the meeting to bring in ACAS to try and break the stalemate. Staff are on picket lines each day of strike action [NOTE 1]. The strikes come as management told staff their cost of living pay increase, which had already been delayed by six months, would by 0% for the second year in a row. Despite freezing staff pay CEO Ian Chrichton took home over £600k in 2024, including a bonus of over £195k read more

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

     

FBU   

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 May 2026 read here  

NEC minutes May 2026 read more

Right to strike campaign – further action (5 June) – POA Circular 033/2026 asked members to contact their local MP and request their support for the POA’s Right to Strike Campaign. If you have received a response from your MP, whether positive or negative, please forward it to [email protected]. This is part of a simple but powerful campaign that will send a clear message that Prison Officers must have their right to strike restored read more

Right to strike campaign – postcard action (28 Mar) – POA Circular 23/2026 was promulgated on 23rd March 2026 and POA Circular 34/2026 was promulgated on the 2nd April 2026 as part of our ongoing Campaign to have our Right to Strike Reinstated and explained that the POA would be distributing pre-printed postcards to all our members. The postcards contain a message to the Prime Minister urging him to Reinstate our Right to Strike. These postcards are addressed to the Prime Minister and will play a vital part in demonstrating our strength and unity on this issue read more

Right to Strike campaign – further action (2 Apr)

NAPO

Unions submit joint Probation pay claim for 2026/2027 – Following a meeting of Napo’s Probation Negotiating Committee (PNC), and discussions with the other recognised trade unions (Unison and GMB/SCOOP), a joint pay claim for our members in the Probation Service has been submitted to HMPPS for the 2026/27 pay year. In submitting this claim the trade unions commit to work for our members to secure a realistic cost of living increase and address low pay in Probation, while continuing our campaign to make up the lost ground on comparable pay. It has been agreed the claim will be supplemented by further detailed evidence, to be provided once the employer has shared detailed workforce and other data, which will also provide a key part of the union’s joint approach to negotiations read more

End IPP – march on 15 July 2026 – Join the march calling for an end to IPP sentences taking place on 15 July at 11am, starting at the MoJ and ending at Parliament. Any members wishing to attend must do so in their own time read more

BFAWU     

Spring Foodworker 2025 read more

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

Nautilus International

RFA officers call off strike action (11 June) – Nautilus members working with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have called off planned strike action following receipt of a revised pay offer from the Ministry of Defence.  The updated proposal represents a step forward, reflecting a more thorough assessment of the issues raised by members throughout this process. Whilst discussions are ongoing, the offer provides a stronger and more encouraging foundation for continued engagement. In light of this progress, members took the decision to suspend strike action to allow space for meaningful and focused dialogue to continue read more

Nautilus welcomes landmark international ruling that affirms right to strike (3 June) – Nautilus International has welcomed a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) confirming that the right to strike is protected under international law. The Court found that the right to strike is safeguarded through the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) fundamental principles on freedom of association – a decision hailed by unions as a major victory for workers worldwide. The ruling is particularly significant for Nautilus members, as seafarers often operate across multiple legal jurisdictions read more

NUJ   

NUJ responds to first wave of BBC cuts (17 June) – The NUJ has warned that further brutal BBC cuts will be “devastating” for workers and audiences, urging management and the government to prioritise investing in the broadcaster read more

NUJ condemns intimidation and attacks against journalists covering Belfast riots (11 June) – The NUJ has strongly condemned threats, intimidation, and attacks against reporters covering riots in Belfast in recent days, and has repeated calls for further action to protect journalists read more

Statement from the DC Thomson NUJ chapel representatives (1 June) – Editorial staff at DC Thomson are coming together to seek formal recognition for the NUJ, ensuring colleagues have an independent and collective voice in discussions about pay, conditions and the future of our work read more

NUJ slams Ofcom decision to approve STV cuts to local news (1 June) – The NUJ has condemned Ofcom’s decision to allow STV to cut its dedicated news coverage for the North of Scotland as “the weakest of decisions in the face of the strongest of opposition”. However following extensive lobbying and campaigning by unions, politicians, business leaders and viewers, Ofcom insisted on additional safeguards prior to opening the consultation to provide stronger local coverage for viewers in the north and north-east. The approval comes after an eight-month campaign by the NUJ following STV’s announcement in September 2025 that it planned to cut 60 jobs and axe the STV North edition of their flagship six o’clock news programme. Following pressure from the NUJ and one day of industrial action in January over the changes, there have been no compulsory redundancies in the newsroom read more

Financial Times workers stand together in the United Kingdom and United States (21 May) – The following statement was released jointly by the NUJ and News Media Guild. Both unions represent workers at the Financial Times in the United Kingdom and United States, respectively read more

Equity

BBC cuts “devastating for creative industries” says Equity (17 June) – Equity questions whether the public service broadcaster will be able to fulfil its Charter requirements read more

Arts organisations at risk in Northern Ireland, says Equity (17 June) – Arts funding in Northern Ireland has ground to a halt, Equity has learned this week. The Department for Communities, the Northern Ireland government body responsible for setting the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s (ACNI) budget, confirmed that grants to artists and arts organisations are effectively at a temporary standstill read more

Equity members in Wales vote to adopt landmark new TAC television agreement (8 June) – The new collective agreement is believed to be one of the first in the UK to establish specific protections governing the use of AI in TV read more

West End workers vote YES for strike action in Equity indicative ballot (19 May) – Performers and stage management across the West End have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action and to back Equity’s claim in negotiations, in an indicative ballot aimed at moving talks forwards. The union says producers “must wake up to the real possibility of a summer of strikes unless offers are improved.” Indicative ballot results:-

  • 98% of current West End workers voted YES to supporting strike action on an 89% turnout
  • 99% of all West End workers from the past three years voted YES to back Equity’s claim on a 78% turnout
  • Equity will move to a statutory ballot for strike action if an improved offer is not made read more

Musicians Union

MU Stands with Staff and Students Fighting Nottingham University Cuts (7 May) – MU officials joined staff and students at the University of Nottingham yesterday to protest proposed job and course cuts, including the suspension of music courses for new entrants, as concerns grow over the wider threat facing arts subjects in higher education read more

Sign the Petition for Fair Work in Scotland’s Creative Industries (2 Apr) – With Scotland’s elections fast approaching, we’re calling on musicians to help secure real change by signing the petition for Fair Work across the nation’s creative industries read more

USDAW

Usdaw urges employers to keep workers safe as temperatures rise and calls for a maximum workplace temperature (22 June) – Retail trade union Usdaw has called on employers to mitigate issues with high temperatures, to keep workers safe in the current heatwave. The Met Office has announced amber and red weather warnings for extreme heat, from today through to Thursday, in Southern England, the Midlands, the south of the North West and Yorkshire read more

Usdaw members vote overwhelmingly for strike action at the Morrisons Bridgwater distribution centre (4 Mar) – Retail distribution trade union Usdaw has balloted 100 drivers and transport clerical staff at Eddie Stobart Limited, who operate a Morrisons contract at the Bridgwater distribution centre in Somerset. Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, in a dispute over the 2025 pay award, with an 83% yes vote. The ballot closed on 2 March and the turnout was 83% read more

UVW   

Migrant cleaners at south London school to be balloted for strike over pay and payroll disputes (2 June) – “We are workers who keep this service running through our daily effort, waking up at 4:00 in the morning, enduring exhausting shifts and an ever-increasing workload. While we sacrifice our health and family life for this job, the company continues to ignore our demands, impacting our families’ livelihoods” – Maria, Cleaner at Ark Globe Academy. Outsourced migrant cleaners at Ark Globe Academy in south London are set to be balloted for strike action in a dispute over pay, payroll problems and working conditions read more

Migrant cleaner takes Hackney council to court for discrimination and breach of contract (29 Apr) – “I have felt bullied despite giving 100 percent of myself at work. It is not fair that at the slightest issue, workers can be made to feel belittled and pushed out as though they are worth nothing” – Maryori Pacheco Masias, UVW member. “I have felt bullied despite giving 100 percent of myself at work. It is not fair that at the slightest issue, workers can be made to feel belittled and pushed out as though they are worth nothing” – Maryori Pacheco Masias, UVW member. A migrant cleaner is taking legal action against Hackney Council, alleging bullying, harassment, and discrimination after her working conditions were abruptly changed, leaving her in financial hardship read more

100% YES! Concierges and cleaners at London luxury apartments vote unanimously for fresh strikes (23 Apr) – “We all have a right to a decent life and to feel financially secure…We remain positive, which is why we have voted to strike again. We are not letting our guard down” – Karin, cleaner and UVW member. Cleaners and concierges at West End Quay in central London have once again voted to take strike action, delivering a unanimous result in the third ballot in just over a year. The dispute, now in its 19th month, has become the longest-running in UVW’s history — and workers say they are determined to see it through. The 100% YES vote reflects growing frustration among staff, who say they are still waiting for the 2025 pay rise and a 2025 bonus that was never paid. Many feel they have been left with no choice but to escalate read more

V&A and Science Museum Guards on brink of strike action over pay and ‘sham’ sackings—one year after walkouts (25 Mar) – “After a long struggle, we managed to secure a trade union recognition deal, signed between UVW and our management. It is unfortunate that after last year’s campaign and the new recognition agreement, we have to again ballot for strike – and we may have to go on strike again -because management decided they were not going to respect the new agreements” – Evariste, UVW member and museum security guard. Outsourced security guards working at the Victoria and Albert and Science museums are set to ballot for strike action after their employer, Wilson James, refused to negotiate on a series of demands relating to pay and working conditions, as well as anger over the “sham” sacking of  a strike leader and two fellow union members. The ballot comes a year after major strikes in the institutions. The ballot organised by their union UVW comes amid growing frustration over contractor Wilson James’ refusal to negotiate a better deal, following years of low pay and poor conditions in the high-profile institutions they protect read more

Solidarity Financial Appeal: UVW’s office was targeted in a break-in! – in January 2025, laptops, essential equipment and other valuables worth several thousands of pounds were stolen, disrupting critical support for low-paid, migrant and precarious workers. This won’t stop our fight for justice. The theft comes as UVW leads critical campaigns with hundreds of workers taking strike action across London. Please support UVW during this critical time. Help replace stolen equipment and ensure campaigns for dignity and equality continue. Every donation makes a difference. Donate now: https://www.uvwunion.org.uk/donate. Read more on UVW Facebook page   

IWGB

Rockstar suffers legal setback as judge rules against studio in union-busting dispute (17 June) – An employment tribunal has ruled against Rockstar Games in the latest stage of a legal dispute over alleged union-busting at the studio. The ruling allows the IWGB Union to continue bringing blacklisting claims against the company at the final trial set to take place over September and October this year. Following the sudden dismissals of 31 of its members in October last year, the IWGB Union has been preparing to take Rockstar to court over allegations including blacklisting – the practice of compiling information about workers involved in union activity in order to discriminate against them.At the latest preliminary hearing, Rockstar sought to strike blacklisting claims from the case being brought against it, but the ruling, published yesterday, rejects this attempt to narrow the scope of the case, and confirms that every one of the union’s allegations relating to union-busting can proceed to trial. The dates for the final hearing have now been shared, with the trial set to begin on the 10th of September and run to the 15th of October this year. The court case will conclude just over a month before the planned release of Grand Theft Auto VI on the 19th of November, expected to be one of the biggest video game launches in history read more

RCA cleaners fired after protesting sexual harassment and workplace abuse (13 May) – Two cleaners at the Royal College of Art have been dismissed after taking part in a letter hand-in protest over alleged workplace abuse and sexual harassment, involving supervisors employed by the university’s cleaning subcontractor, PfP Students. The workers, who are members of the IWGB Union, say they are being victimised for speaking out about harassment and safety concerns in the workplace read more

SIPTU (Ireland)   

SIPTU members at Castolin Eutectic to escalate strike action (22 June) – SIPTU has notified Castolin Eutectic Ireland, Magna Business Park, Citywest, Dublin 24, of five further days of strike action as part of a dispute concerning the company’s failure to implement a Labour Court Recommendation on redundancy terms. The Labour Court Recommendation provides for an increase in redundancy terms of 1.5 weeks per year of service over statutory entitlements. SIPTU members at Castolin Eutectic have already taken industrial action and placed pickets on the facility in Citywest on Friday, 19th June, and today (Monday, 22nd June). Further strike action is also scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, 23rd June). The five further days of strike action will take place from Monday, 29th June, to Friday, 3rd July, and will mark a significant escalation in the dispute read more

SIPTU members in Castolin Eutectic Ireland to begin industrial action over redundancy terms (16 June) – SIPTU members in Castolin Eutectic Ireland in Magna Business Park, Citywest, Dublin 24, will commence strike action on Friday, 19th June, which will be followed by further work stoppages on Monday, 22nd June and Tuesday, 23rd June. Earlier this year, the company announced collective redundancies at the plant in Magna Business Park. The dispute was brought before the Labour Court, and a recommendation was issued awarding the affected workers an increase in redundancy terms of 1.5 weeks per year of service over their statutory entitlement read more

SIPTU calls on Carlow College to engage with Union (15 June) – SIPTU representatives have condemned an attempt by Carlow College – St Patrick’s management to postpone a meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, 16th June), as further evidence of the institution’s failure to adequately engage with workers’ representatives concerning the threat of mass redundancies read more

SIPTU members in Dublin home care organisations vote to accept pay proposals (15 June) – SIPTU has confirmed that, following a day of balloting across two of Dublin’s home care organisations on Wednesday, 10th June, members in Blanchardstown and Inner City Home Care have voted in favour of pay proposals secured through negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on 29th May. In addition, members in Trinity Community Care have also voted to accept pay proposals achieved through local negotiations with management, which concluded on 29th May. These outcomes represent a significant advance for home care workers and reflect the strength, unity and determination of SIPTU members, supported by robust union representation throughout the process read more

SIPTU to support broadcast and transport workers who refuse to assist Israel games (15 June) – SIPTU will support members who refuse to assist in any way with the holding of football matches involving Israel, as the Union renewed its call to the Government to listen to the vast majority of people in Ireland who want the games boycotted read more

Ambulance dispute update: Labour Court recommend pay rises (5 Jan) – SIPTU representatives have described a Labour Court recommendation of pay rises for ambulance workers as “a major breakthrough” in a long-running dispute over the failure of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to implement the McHugh/Crabtree report. The recommendation includes pay increases for Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, Specialist Paramedics, and Paramedic Supervisors. It also protects the majority of the existing terms and conditions of ambulance personnel. SIPTU represents around 90% of the NAS personnel affected by the ongoing dispute. It follows the HSE’s failure to implement the recommendations of the independent McHugh/Crabtree report on updating ambulance personnel’s pay scales to reflect changes in their responsibilities and workloads over the last 20 years. SIPTU spent four days in the Labour Court arguing the Union’s case for recognition of changes and upskilling involving the NAS operational grades, which were the subject of the recommendations of the McHugh/Crabtree report read more

SIPTU members in RTÉ vote for industrial action to prevent further outsourcing (3 June) – SIPTU members employed in RTÉ have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action if there is any further outsourcing of production or roles at the national broadcaster. In a ballot, the results of which were released today (Tuesday, 2nd June), the vote was 85% to 15% in favour of proposals for industrial action if management attempts to implement any further outsourcing of roles and production responsibilities. SIPTU organises approximately 600 RTÉ staff carrying out a wide variety of roles read more

SIPTU receives proposal from Dublin home care provider in pay dispute (29 May) – SIPTU received a revised pay proposal from the Dublin-based home care provider, Trinity Home Care following intensive engagement with the organisation’s management. The proposal represents progress in the ongoing discussions to resolve the current pay dispute. The proposal has the potential to deliver substantial financial gains for members of over 10%. It also includes increases to the Night Allowance for those who provide this service between 5.00pm and 10.00pm. Change in the workers’ pay scales will result in members in their first five years of service benefiting from an annual increase. In line with established procedures, SIPTU will now be putting this proposal to members for their consideration through a formal ballot. To facilitate this democratic process, the planned industrial action has been placed on hold pending the outcome of the ballot read more

Rally calling for reform of public procurement contracts on 1st July in Dublin (28 May) – SIPTU members in essential contract services are being urged to mobilise for a protest at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation on 1st July, to demand reform of public procurement processes to ensure workers’ rights are included.

The protest will highlight the need for the Government to ensure that public contracts support decent work, collective bargaining and quality services, rather than rewarding employers who win contracts by driving down wages and conditions read more

SIPTU healthcare workers to begin strike action over pay failure (11 May) – SIPTU members of Blanchardstown and Inner-City Home Care will commence strike action on Tuesday (12th May) for failure by management to fully implement the 2023 Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Agreement. Within the agreement, SIPTU members were to receive an 8% pay increase backdated to 1st April 2023. However, Blanchardstown and Inner City Home Care have failed to fully implement these increases or provide any of the outstanding money owed read more

Strike action set at STERIS Tullamore in union recognition dispute (10 May) – SIPTU members employed by STERIS AST in Tullamore, County Offaly have served notice of strike action on their employer, in a dispute resulting from management at the contract sterilisation and lab testing facility’s refusal to engage with their Union on issues including sick leave and pay. SIPTU members will conduct work stoppages commencing at 8.00am on Friday, 15th May, and concluding at 8.00am on Saturday, 16th May 2026. During this time, pickets will be placed at the entrance to the plant read more

  

Other news     

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

Centenary of the 1926 General Strike – Monday May 4, marks the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and an event appropriately called Centenary will be held at Glasshouse Gateshead to commemorate that momentous occasion, which was the biggest rupture in British society since the English civil wars of the 1640s. Centenary will comprise songs, comedy sketches, stand-up comedy and recitations.  

Producer Ed Waugh penned Carrying David, Wor Bella, Hadaway Harry and The Cramlington Train Wreckers which transfers to Newcastle Theatre Royal in July.  

Ed explained: “Centenary is an appropriate name for the show because it’s amazing to think we’ll be performing the show exactly 100 years to the day that the General Strike actually started. “While Centenary will commemorate the UK’s only General Strike it will also celebrate other working class struggles from the Napoleonic Wars to the present time using popular culture.”

The one-off show will be compered by Micky Cochrane, who is the current  Performer of the Year (North East Culture Awards) for his outstanding performances in the Cramlington Train Wreckers and Carrying David.

Ed continued: “Paul Weller and Tom Robinson have has given us personal permission to use their  songs. Likewise the tremendous Paul Simmonds of The Men They Couldn’t Hang and the estate of the late-great Alan Hull of Lindisfarne.” He added: “Not only will it be first-class entertainment, we think people will come away inspired, having learnt about real, working class, history.”

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – adapted by Neil Gore from the book by Robert Tressell, directed by Louise Townsend details

Alan Hardman ‘Need not Greed’ – Alan Hardman’s razor-sharp political cartoons collected for the first time. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, Need Not Greed is a career-spanning collection of visual art by one of Britain’s greatest unsung political cartoonists. Alongside Alan Hardman’s essential work, the book also includes a contribution from former President of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, as well as a foreword by Jeremy Corbyn order a copy – £45 each   

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

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

STAMMA website    

Sign this petition: To the Right Honourable Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and The Right Honourable Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister – Make toxic landfills safe – Support ‘Zane’s Law’!  Find out more about this campaign here   

From Strike Map – Our final instalment of the ‘Industrial Unionism’ series with Manifesto Press is here. Building on this success of our other pamphlets- which has sold over 2,000 copies, our next pamphlet in our series is the infamous ‘A Manual of Industrial Unionism’ by William Z Foster. Click the button here to pre-order your copy for you and your organisation   

     

Oppose blacklisting & union victimisation

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

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

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

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

Opening statement to the Undercover Policing Inquiry on behalf of:

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

Blacklist Support Group

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

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

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

blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

   

        

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

     

International     

Germany: International solidarity against union busting – CWI member under attack for his defence of workers’ rights (19 June) – Cologne’s swimming pool operator, Köln-Bäder GmbH, a subsidiary of Cologne’s council’s municipal services provider, Stadtwerke-Köln GmbH, has filed a motion for the extraordinary termination of employment of works council member, Martin Löber. The reason given for this termination is alleged working-hour fraud. Experts from ver.di (the public sector union) who have reviewed the case have stated that this incident does not even warrant a discussion. Various claims made in the justification for the termination have been proven false, as evidence has already shown. There is a strong suspicion that the grounds for the termination have been fabricated. For Martin, the termination is yet another attempt by his employer to get rid of him. He has already been suspended twice during previous conflicts…Send letters of protest to Köln-Bäder GmbH at [email protected] with copies sent to [email protected]  read more

Turkey: Mehmet Türkmen released but the fight for workers’ rights in Turkey continues – The release of Turkish trade union leader Mehmet Türkmen after 57 days in prison is a victory for workers, trade unionists, and all those who stood in solidarity against repression in Turkey. But his case has exposed something far deeper than the unjust imprisonment of one union organiser: it has shone an international spotlight on the deadly working conditions faced by textile workers in Gaziantep and the growing criminalisation of labour activism read more on the website of Solidarity with the People of Turkey

Nigeria: A Call for Solidarity – Drop Trumped-Up Charges against Soweto and Dele Frank Now! On March 11, 2026, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and spokesperson of #EndBadGovernance Movement Lagos, and Dele Frank (Arole Fela) are expected to appear before a magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos for the commencement of a sham trial on the trumped-up charges preferred against them by the Lagos State Police Command over their participation in a peaceful protest read more, including model letter of protest. Send copies of letters of protest to the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) is [email protected]

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      

  • 2026 NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 27th June 11am-4.30pm
  • NSSN lobby of TUC Congress will be from 1pm on Sunday 13th September in the Holiday Inn Hotel Brighton

  

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