The NSSN sends solidarity greetings ahead of May Day – May 1st, International Workers’ Day, which celebrates the struggles of workers and their unions globally. We continue to build support and solidarity for the strikes that are happening every week. Find out about these in this, our weekly bulletin.
There will be May Day demonstrations, rallies and meetings this Wednesday and over next weekend, many of them organised by unions, trades councils and regional TUCs. To assist in finding events in your area, follow #MayDay24 #MayDay2024 on social media. Solidarity!
Save our Steel
The NSSN stands in solidarity with steelworkers as steel unions ballot their members for industrial action. We salute the Unite strike vote. We will support any action that they take against Tata Steel’s intention to make 75% of the 4,000-strong Port Talbot workforce redundant. This would also result in thousands more losing their jobs at other Tata steel plants, contracting companies, and threaten related jobs such as on the rails and the wider local economy. And as we did in 2016, when the steelworks were under the same threat, we continue to demand the works be nationalised to save jobs and working-class communities. Recently, the struggle to save Port Talbot steelworks reached a new stage when Tata announced the closure of the coking ovens. The whole of the union movement must come behind the steelworkers and their fight to save steel jobs and defend communities, in Port Talbot and in other steelmaking areas.
Unite: Tata plan confirmation will be answered with industrial action (25 Apr) – Other options available to Tata – it must be forced to change course. Tata’s confirmation today that it is ending national union consultations and will begin enacting its devastating plans for south Wales will be answered with industrial action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said. Around 1,500 Unite members employed by Tata in Port Talbot and Llanwern have an industrial action mandate against plans to shut both blast furnaces and shed 2,800 jobs, with strikes to be announced soon read more
Unite: 30,000 strong Support UK Steel petition handed to Welsh Government and Corby, Hartlepool and Scunthorpe politicians (24 Apr) – The petition, sending a clear message to Westminster that the UK needs a strong steel industry, is part of the campaign to secure the sector’s future by Unite, the UK’s leading union
Find out more about the campaign: www.unitetheunion.org/campaigns/the-fight-for-steel
“This Isn’t Over” – Community responds to Tata’s rejection of Multi-Union Plan (25 Apr) – Community has blasted Tata Steel’s decision to reject the Multi-Union Plan for Port Talbot – the credible alternative to the company’s bad deal for steel. A delegation of Tata Steel executives informed steel unions of their decision at a meeting today, outlining that they would be rejecting the plan – which had been endorsed by industry experts, the Labour Party, and MSs from all political parties in the Senedd – on cost grounds read more
Community ballots for industrial action at Tata Steel (11 Apr) – Community is urging members to take a stand in support of the steel industry as we launches our ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK today. We are balloting members in response to Tata’s bad deal for steel, a proposal which would remove the UK’s virgin steelmaking capacity and result in the loss of thousands of steel jobs. The bulk of the job losses would be at Port Talbot and Llanwern, with further losses at Trostre and other downstream sites across the UK read more
NSSN Conference 2024 June 22nd Tories Out – fight for a Workers’ Manifesto
NSSN Conference 2024: Saturday 22nd June, 11am-4.30pm, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, Holborn, London WC1R 4RL Facebook event. Attendance fee – £8. You can pre-register here https://forms.gle/WjFYyvrn1BXSMJHg9. Email us for more info – [email protected]
This year’s NSSN Conference will be the last before the General Election. Trade unionists are rightly desperate to see the back of the Tories. Over the last 14 years, we’ve been on the receiving end of vicious austerity, pay cuts, the cost of living squeeze and continued attacks on our right to strike through ever more restrictive and undemocratic Tory anti-union laws. And the unions still have to be prepared to fight together if Sunak looks to implement his Minimum Service Levels (MSL) legislation before the election.
But this has also been a period when workers and their unions are increasingly showing that it’s possible to fight back and win. In March 2011, over 750,000 workers marched against the brutal cuts of Cameron, Clegg and Osborne, and that November, the N30 pensions strike saw up to 2 million public sector workers strike together. Over the last two years, we have seen the strike wave – the biggest sustained level of strikes for over 3 decades, with many workers taking action for the first time. Workers want the Tories out, but they also demand real change.
The NSSN has played our part in all the many strikes that have taken place. But in these disputes, we have also argued for policies to defend workers’ interests. This year’s NSSN Conference is an opportunity for union reps, members and activists to again share experiences about our struggles and disputes, but also to set out the programme that we need – a workers’ manifesto.
To repeal Sunak’s MSL and Cameron’s Trade Union Acts, and all the rest of the Tory anti-union laws, going back to Thatcher and Major. To re-nationalise Royal Mail, BT, the energy and utility companies and steel. To end privatisation in the NHS and our public services. For a real inflation-proof pay rise for workers, that protects our living standards. And there is much more to discuss and fight for. Come to NSSN Conference and join the discussion.
Fight the Tory attack on our #RightToStrike
About 5,000 trade unionists marched in Cheltenham on 27th January in opposition to the new Tory anti-union Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 (MSL), and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Thatcher’s banning of union rights at GCHQ in the town.
It was just days after the U-turn by the state-owned LNER train operating company that was reported to have signalled its intention to have used the MSL against ASLEF. The union had reacted to this threat by putting in 5 additional strike days. This apparent retreat was a defeat not only for LNER bosses but for Sunak’s Tory Government.
It showed that workers’ action can smash this vicious Tory attack on our right to strike.
It is now vital that the statement that was passed at the Special TUC Congress in December – setting out a campaign of defiance and non-compliance – is implemented and built upon:-
- We will develop practical solidarity plans for unions actively engaged in strategies of non-compliance.
- Support any worker subject to a work notice, including with support from across the trade union movement, if their employer disciplines them in any way.
- Ensure that where any affiliate is facing significant risk of sanctions because of this legislation, we convene an emergency meeting of the Executive Committee to consider options for providing practical, industrial, financial and/or political backing to that union.
- Call on all employers and public bodies with oversight to oppose this counterproductive legislation. Employers and public bodies from across the public sector and the country have already signalled their opposition to the Strikes Act. All employers and public bodies must reject it
- Refuse to tell our members to cross a picket line.
- Call an urgent demonstration in the event a work notice is deployed and a union or worker is sanctioned in relation to a work notice.
This is the basis for the fighting strategy that workers and unions need and now needs to be enacted.
Defend The Right to Strike – Strike Map and the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) have launched a ‘write to your council campaign’ to seek their commitment to not issue work notices and defend the right to strike as key employers read more in the Morning Star
Stop the attack on Gaza
Many NSSN supporters have joined marches and protests against the escalation of violence in the Middle East, particularly the invasion and bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli government
See Stop the War website for info on protests.
A number of unions have issued statements on the situation in the Middle East, including: the TUC, FBU, RMT, NEU, Unite, Unison, PCS, ASLEF, TSSA, UCU, EIS, CWU, Equity, BMA, NUJ, UVW, GMB, SOR, RCM, RCN, IWGB, Prospect, CSP, NAPO, INTO (Ireland), SIPTU (Ireland) and Mandate (Ireland)
NSSN news
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, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.
Feel free to use this affiliation letter.
And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Katrine on [email protected]
The NSSN is developing a campaign pack for social care, which we hope to make available in the not-too-distant future for supporters to use in their localities. As part of this, communications officer Dave Gorton is keen to hear from supporters who:
(1) work in social care (either local authority, private or independently provided)
(2) represent social care workers for a trade union
(3) are in need of social care provision themselves or act as an (unpaid/underpaid) carer for a family member
Dave can be contacted in the first instance via [email protected]
Union News
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RMT
RMT response to Labour rail announcement (24 Apr) – Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary said: “Labour’s commitment to bring the train operating companies into a new unified and publicly owned rail network is in the best interests of railway workers, passengers and the taxpayer. We strongly welcome these bold steps to fix 14 years of Tory mismanagement of our privatised railways and Labour’s promise to complete a transition to public ownership within its first term in office. For too long private companies have made millions in profit from taxpayer subsidies and in return provided appalling levels of service. This announcement however should be a first step to completely integrating all of our railway into public ownership. It is time for a railway fit for the 21st century that serves the public, not the privateers and shareholders.” Read more
RMT rejects Network Rail pay offer (18 Apr) – RAIL UNION RMT has rejected a below-inflation 2024 pay offer from Network Rail of just 3.5 per cent today (Thursday April 18, 2024) at a time when MPs have handed themselves an uplift of 5.5 per cent. The company offered an increase of just 3.5 per cent, even though the benchmark measure of inflation used for negotiations is the November RPI figure which was 5.3 per cent. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that such double standards were unacceptable and an insult to hardworking Network Rail staff read more
CrossCountry trains strike suspended after progress (11 Apr) – RMT has suspended planned strike action on CrossCountry this Saturday, after management agreed to intensive talks to resolve the dispute. CrossCountry had refused to recognise RMT at all grades within the company. This is despite written evidence to the contrary. Now the company has agreed to sit down with RMT to address our concerns with no changes to agreements in this period read more
RFA members vote for industrial action over pay (9 Apr) – Seafarers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over pay. RMT members working as civilian merchant seafarers onboard the fleet of Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels which provide the Royal Navy with vital logistic and operational support including humanitarian operations around the world, have rejected a below inflation pay offer from management. RFA have implemented a one-year deal of 4.5% which was totally unacceptable to RMT members. Up to 500 RFA seafarers were balloted for strike action by RMT union, and we will now consider our next steps read more
Eurostar Rail Gourmet workers to take strike action over pay (6 Apr) – RMT members working for Rail Gourmet on the Eurostar contract will take strike action from 19-23 April in a dispute over pay. This follows a magnificent 95% yes vote in our strike ballot, which has given the union a mandate to pursue industrial action to win better pay for low paid members working within the continental rail service read more
Gateline workers to take strike action (15 Mar) – Contracted out gateline workers at Northern will take strike action on Saturday in a dispute over pay, union recognition and working conditions. RMT members working for Carlisle Support Services on the Northern contract will set up picket lines in Manchester, Leeds and Wigan. The strike action will start on Saturday at 12.01am and finish 11.59pm the same day. Among the demands of workers is the ending of zero hours contracts and the removal of the Timegate app which has failed to accurately calculate pay and leave allowance read more
RMT to launch strike ballot on Scotrail over DOO (13 Mar) – Scotrail workers will be balloted for strike action over Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains, RMT can reveal. Bosses at the Scottish government run train company have said Barrhead and East Kilbride routes can run services without a second member of staff at the discretion of the driver. Over a 100 hundred conductors who will be affected by Scotrail’s plans will be balloted read more
Bidvest Noonan cleaners begin 48 hour strike action (4 Mar) – RMT members working for Bidvest Noonan on Alstom NTL and TPE contracts will take strike action from Monday. The cleaners are taking action over pay and working conditions having rejected the latest offer from the company. Strikes will take place in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the conclusion of the strike, RMT members will take industrial action short of strike from Wednesday by not undertaking any biological hazard cleaning read more
Hitachi Rail strike spreads from East Coast to Great Western Mainline (17 Feb) – RMT members at Hitachi Rail will take 48 hours strike action at the end of the month over a pay dispute. Workers who maintain rolling stock and the signalling system will take the stoppages between Thursday 29 February and March 2. The depots that will be taking action are the London North Pole, Doncaster Train Maintenance and Bounds Green and Craigentinny Train Maintenance. Hundreds of workers will join the action which follows a referendum where Hitachi workers rejected a pay offer from the private company. Strike action will now be taking place on depots on the East Coast and West Coast mainlines read more
ASLEF
Train strikes announced for May Bank Holiday week – Rail passengers are being warned of disruption during the week of the May Bank Holiday after drivers announced more strikes and an overtime ban. Staff at 16 train companies will take part in rolling one-day walkouts between 7 and 9 May over pay and working conditions. An overtime ban will also take place between 6 and 11 May. Passengers are advised to check before they travel, with the action likely to lead to delays and cancellations. The Bank Holiday falls on 6 May this year. Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said it is seeking better pay for its members and claimed drivers are being asked to sacrifice working conditions in exchange for a wage increase. Drivers from several train companies will strike on different days.
- Tuesday 7 May: c2c, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and Island Line
- Wednesday 8 May: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway and West Midlands Trains
- Thursday 9 May: LNER, Northern Trains and TransPennine Express read more on BBC website
Working together to fix Britain’s railways (25 Apr) – This morning, Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh MP announced the Labour Party’s plans for the future of rail. Labour will bring our railways into public ownership, and plan long-term to secure the future of our industry read more
Train drivers at LNER to strike in row over terms and conditions – Rail services from London King’s Cross will be disrupted by the walkout on Saturday read more on Independent website
TSSA
TSSA welcomes Labour’s rail nationalisation plans (25 Apr) – TSSA has welcomed Labour’s plans to renationalise the train network in their first term in office. This morning Louise Haigh, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, set out plans to nationalise the train network whilst offering the cheapest fares to passengers. Labour plan to bring passenger rail into national ownership under Great British Railways when the contracts currently held by private operators end read more
London Underground – Further Strike Action (25 Apr) – TSSA will take strike action at London Underground on 26 April. TSSA rail union has announced a further day of strike action on Friday 26 April at London Underground by members working as Customer Service Managers. The walkouts will take place on Friday 26 April where members will not commence work on any shift starting between 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday, 26 April 2024. Accordingly, strike action will also take place on Saturday 27 April 2024 in respect of any members expected to commence shifts before 23:59 on Friday 26 April 2024 whose shifts run into Saturday 27 April 2024. When TSSA Customer Service Managers took strike action on 10 April stations closed at short notice. Similarly, the strikes this week are likely to cause stations to close at the last minute, including late night and into Saturday morning (night tube on Friday night). TSSA Customer Service Managers at London Underground will also take part in an overtime ban from 29 April to 5 May. This overtime ban will again lead to station closures at very short notice read more
Easter weekend strikes at ScotRail (29 Mar) – Members of rail union TSSA will hold strike action at ScotRail over the Easter weekend in a long running dispute over on call working arrangements. The walkouts take place on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st of March by Operations Team Manager (OTM) grades in the latest stage of a dispute going back to late 2021. Similar action took place last December. Since discussions were last held with ScotRail, including in person talks with TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, the company has offered no solution or means to end the dispute which is already having an impact on the network. As part of the dispute TSSA members have withdrawn from the ‘out of hours’ on call period – generally between 23:00 and 07:00 hrs. During this period ScotRail have no first line on call coverage. Earlier this month the safety implications of this situation were highlighted when the driver of an Aberdeen to Inverness train passed a red signal – and therefore had to immediately be relieved of duties while appropriate checks were carried out. With TSSA’s Driver Team Managers staff in dispute, passengers had to remain in the stationary vehicle for three hours until the driver was relieved. The union has now met Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, to urgently highlight concerns, stressing that ScotRail must act to stop this happening again read more
TSSA warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales (22 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW). TSSA warns of ‘crippling’ industrial action at Transport for Wales. Rail union TSSA is to ballot dozens of members in Fleet Management at Transport for Wales (TfW) for possible strike action and action short of a strike. The union is in dispute with the company over so-called ‘bolt-ons’ – additional payments which cover shift work. These have been awarded to other staff outside Fleet Management, and without them, managers would effectively miss out on the accruement of pensionable pay. The ballot will open on the 28th of March and conclude on the 18th of April. The union is warning that a walkout or work-to-rule would seriously hamper the ability of TfW to run trains across Wales. Fleet Management are responsible daily for signing off safety critical work across TfW read more
Looming industrial action at South Western Railway (15 Mar) – Rail union TSSA is warning South Western Railway (SWR) that potential industrial action, including a strike could be on the cards after the two sides have formally failed to agree in an escalating dispute over the imposition of changed working arrangements among Control staff. The union has now officially served a ‘Failure to Agree’ notice to SWR —the first stage of an official process that, without an agreement in the short term, could lead to industrial action by its Train Service Managers. This is despite the union’s efforts to engage in meaningful dialogue over several months and because the company has undermined TSSA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with SWR read more
Unite
BREAKING NEWS!! Refuellers strike at Heathrow called off as Unite wins new deal for workers (29 Apr) – Refuelling workers at Heathrow airport have called off their planned strike that was due to begin this week after they accepted a new and improved pay and conditions offer from their employer, AFS. Unite members at AFS, employed as refuellers had been due to walkout for 72 hours on 4 May, potentially grounding as many as 35 airlines. However, after negotiations, AFS has agreed to improve the pension and sick leave offered to new workers to bring them closer in line with existing staff read more
New wave of strikes to hit south west London bus services (29 Apr) – Bus company staff in London are to escalate strike action next month after their employer failed to make an improved pay offer, Unite confirmed today (29 April 2024). Around 40 staff who work in the control rooms for Transport UK buses (previously known as Abellio) and who control the bus routes, instruct drivers on traffic jams or accidents, and ensure overall safety on the routes are to take a further eight days of action from 8-10 May and from 13-17 May. Control room staff, who use high-tech satellite GPS systems to monitor bus routes across London, have been offered just a five per cent pay increase for 2023 by Transport UK, a substantial real terms pay cut, as inflation stood at 13.4 per cent last January when the pay rise was due. The workers already earn approximately £10,000 per year less than similar staff at other bus companies and have been offered a smaller pay increase than that offered to members doing the same job at competitor companies read more
Unite to unveil plaque to commemorate Bristol Bus Boycott (29 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, will hold an event tomorrow (Tuesday 30 April) to unveil a plaque at its offices in Bristol to mark the sixty first anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott.
When: Tuesday 30 April 17:00; Where: Tony Benn House, Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6AY.
The Bristol Bus Boycott began in 1963 when a group of young West Indians led a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, as it was refusing to recruit black and Asian workers to bus crews. Disgracefully the T&GWU, a predecessor union of Unite, actively supported the racist policy. Following a huge amount of publicity, the racist policy was removed and black and Asian workers began to be recruited. The Bristol Bus Boycott was a key factor in the passing of Race Relations Acts in 1965 and 1968, which outlawed racial discrimination in public places, employment and housing. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham will be in attendance at the event alongside the surviving members of the bus boycott, MPs and regional and national BAEM & equality representatives read more
CofE Leicester diocese signs first ever union agreement with Unite (29 Apr) – The Leicester diocese of the Church of England has signed an historic agreement with Unite to represent its clergy and lay staff. The agreement, negotiated by the Church of England Clergy & Employee Advocates (CEECA) covers clergy and lay staff. The CEECA is a distinct part of Unite’s wider faith workers’ branch. It is the first agreement of its kind ever to be signed by a Church of England diocese and ensures collective bargaining rights for clergy stipends and staff pay, as well as terms and conditions for both read more
Stormont budget failure risks strikes during school exam period (28 Apr) – Unite calls on four education unions to stand and strike together for improved pay. Unite officials and workforce reps have begun coordinating the union’s industrial response, due to the Stormont budget failing to provide anything for low paid education workers. The pay and grading review that the education department was instructed to implement to tackle low pay and inequalities in 2018, is set to remain unfunded for a seventh year threatening an even worse staffing crisis in the sector read more
Unite to coordinate on strikes after finance minister fails to deliver pay and grading review (25 Apr) – School support staff in Unite prepare to recommence strike action. Unite’s members in education have responded with disappointment and anger after being informed by the education minister that the Northern Ireland executive has adopted a budget that fails to provide the funding needed for the long awaited pay and grading review for school support staff. The decision comes despite the department of finance having accepted the department of education’s business case for the review. The national joint committee, the body which sets pay for education workers in Northern Ireland, first instructed the pay and grading review should be delivered six years ago in 2018, to address equality and low pay concerns. Unite members employed by the education authority have taken strike action repeatedly over the last two years about the issue. Unite represents education workers across a variety of low paid positions including classroom assistants, bus drivers, bus escorts, catering, admin and other school support staff. Pay rates in 2023-24 for workers who provide personal care to special educational needs children, including on occasion having to conduct medical and life-saving procedures, can be as low as £11.92 an hour read more
New wave of strikes in Haringey as housing repair workers walk out over pay (26 Apr) – Housing repair workers in the London borough of Haringey are to take further strike action next week as they escalate the dispute over pay with the council. Over 100 Unite members will be taking industrial action from 29 April until 2 May. The long-running dispute has seen members already take 15 days of industrial action but the employer has refused to negotiate. Unite members are in dispute with the council over several issues including:
· The refusal to increase annual leave for housing maintenance workers to match the increase over council employees annual leave
· The failure to increase allowances, including London weighting and out of hours payments, in line with the 2022 and 2023 pay awards
· The failure to increase craft productivity scheme rates, allowances and limits since 2014.
On the first day (Monday 29 April) of this round of strikes, workers and union staff will be protesting at a Haringey council event:
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, High Road, N17 0BX
When: Monday 29 April 09:00-12:00 read more
Unite: Tata plan confirmation will be answered with industrial action (25 Apr) – Other options available to Tata – it must be forced to change course. Tata’s confirmation today that it is ending national union consultations and will begin enacting its devastating plans for south Wales will be answered with industrial action, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said. Around 1,500 Unite members employed by Tata in Port Talbot and Llanwern have an industrial action mandate against plans to shut both blast furnaces and shed 2,800 jobs, with strikes to be announced soon read more
Unite: 30,000 strong Support UK Steel petition handed to Welsh Government and Corby, Hartlepool and Scunthorpe politicians (24 Apr) – The petition, sending a clear message to Westminster that the UK needs a strong steel industry, is part of the campaign to secure the sector’s future by Unite, the UK’s leading union
Unite secures JLR workplace menopause support policy (25 Apr) – Win comes after Unite research shows over 80% of women do not have access to menopause support at work. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has secured a menopause workplace support policy for women employed by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The policy, which is a day one right and can be accessed at any time, includes workplace adjustments, such as flexible working, access to fans, additional breaks and changes to workwear. The policy also addresses sick leave for menopause symptoms read more
Unite members claim pay victory in dispute with Arriva Northumbria (24 Apr) – Unite members working at the Arriva Northumbria bus company are celebrating after their hard-fought industrial dispute with their employer has resulted in a substantial pay increase. Hundreds of workers had voted for industrial action but the employer came back to the negotiating table at the last minute and Unite secured a 6.1 per cent increase for all staff from 21 April 2024. Staff will also receive a £350 lump sum payment. This pay increase matches the best bus company pay in the region and was achieved through the determination of Unite members and reps in their negotiations with Arriva read more
Unite secures 10 per cent pay rise for ABM workers at Glasgow Airport (24 Apr) – Basic pay will be uplifted above Real Living Wage for 60 cleaners after union campaign. Unite has secured a pay deal for around 60 cleaners employed by ABM based at Glasgow Airport, the UK’s leading aviation trade union confirmed. The pay deal will raise basic pay to £12.10 per hour effective from April 2024 up from £11 per hour in the previous year, which represents a 10 per cent pay uplift. Night shift pay will also increase to £12.90 from £11.50 an hour which is the equivalent to a 12.2 per cent rise in the shift rate. The pay deal was overwhelmingly accepted by Unite members and represents a victory for the ABM cleaners in a long-running union campaign to have basic pay levels sustained above the real living wage level. Unite is set to launch a ‘New Deal’ for Scottish aviation workers ahead of the busy summer period which will focus on enhancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members across all Scottish airports read more
Striking Drax canteen workers protest outside power station’s London AGM (24 Apr) – 19 low paid workers, mainly women, asking for just 50p more per hour to get off breadline. Striking canteen workers employed by BaxterStorey at the Drax power station in East Yorkshire, will protest outside the power station’s annual general meeting on Thursday over poverty pay. The workers have been striking since early December in a dispute with their employer BaxterStorey and Drax’s management. BaxterStorey’s latest financial figures show it had a turnover of £449 million in 2022 and brought in gross profits of £54.6 million and operating profits of £25 million. The company also has net assets of £201 million. Meanwhile, in 2023 Drax made an operating profit of £908 million and profit before tax of £796 million read more
Sullom Voe oil terminal facing industrial action in pay and recognition disputes (24 Apr) – Worley Services and Altrad workers unanimously back strike action. Unite the union can confirm that its Worley Services and Altrad Services members are the latest group of oil and gas workers to demand a better deal on jobs, pay and conditions at the Sullom Voe terminal in the Shetland Islands. Unite can further reveal that its membership employed by Worley Services and Altrad Services both unanimously backed strike action in industrial action ballots. Unite represents over 40 Worley Services workers including chargehands, pipefitters, riggers, mechanical fitters along with electrical and instrument technicians. The dispute centres on Unite members demanding a significant pay increase, and improvements to other terms and conditions. The demands include the establishment of a union recognition agreement with Worley Services in order that Unite can formally bargain on jobs, pay and conditions. If there is no meaningful movement by Worley then 24 hour strike action will take place on 7 and 21 May. This will be followed by 48-hour strike action taking place on 4-5 June, and 18-19 June read more
‘Desperate’ Sanctuary Housing offers staff loan access in response to poverty pay (24 Apr) – Super-rich Sanctuary cites ‘money related stress’ for workers but refuses to raise wages. Sanctuary Housing, which has assets of nearly £6 billion and a surplus of over £100 million, has offered hard up staff access to loans following pay strikes by its London workers. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said the housing association, which is the largest third sector employer in the country with 14,000 predominantly low paid staff, is encouraging struggling workers to take on further debt rather than agreeing trade union recognition and union-negotiated wages to improve their finances sustainably. The union said Sanctuary’s partnership with fintech firm Salary Finance, where loan repayments are taken directly from their salaries, was a ‘sop’ and a ‘desperate’ attempt to quell escalating strike action in London and head off increasing numbers of staff joining Unite in other parts of the country read more. Contact the Unite LE/1111 Housing Workers branch to offer support or if you are a housing worker wanting to get organised [email protected]
Barts and Synergy workers embark on next wave of strike action over pay (24 Apr) – Hundreds of workers at Barts NHS Trust and contractor Synergy are embarking on a new wave of strike action over the failure of their employer to pay a lump sum payment worth over £1,600. Nearly 700 Unite members working as porters, cleaners and facilities staff at the largest NHS trust in the UK, are taking further strike action next month as they fight for a lump-sum payment owed to them. Synergy is a sub-contractor at Barts who employs workers cleaning and preparing linen and bedding for patients. Workers at Barts NHS Trust are to strike from 7-19 May in protest at the failure to pay them the lump-sum payment that other NHS workers were offered for working during the pandemic. Unite’s members at the time worked for another outsourcing company Serco before transferring back into the NHS just after the imposed deadline for staff to receive the payment. So far NHS bosses, locally at the trust and at NHS England, have rejected their demands and refused to ask the treasury for additional funding to cover the payment read more
Fresh delays to fair tips legislation slated by Unite (24 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s union for hospitality workers, has slated the government’s decision to delay the implementation of the Fair Tips Act from 1 July to 1 October 2024. The union, which began campaigning for legislation to be introduced to prevent hospitality employers deducting staff tips in 2007, said the ‘unnecessary’ setback was the latest in years of delays…Unite has won improved fair tipping policies for workers at Pizza Express, Cameron House and TGI Fridays. The union has also secured protective awards for workers made redundant at Glasgow’s 13 Note and Jamies Italian and conducted successful campaigns to improve wages and T&Cs within a number of other high profile hospitality employers, including Marriot, Grosvenor Casinos and The Ivy Edinburgh read more
Unite secures access agreement for HS2 Old Oak Common after ‘relentless’ campaign (23 Apr) – Agreement with BBVS leaves SCS only joint HS2 venture without union access agreement. An agreement to allow trade union access to the HS2 Old Oak Common construction site has been signed today (Tuesday 23 April) between joint venture company Balfour Beatty, Vinca, SYSTRA (BBVS) and Unite. The agreement secures the right of Unite representatives to visit the project’s inductions. It also allows Unite representatives access to rest facilities to talk to all the workers on the site during their breaks, in order to deal with any concerns or worries they may have. It was signed after a ‘relentless’ two-year campaign by Unite, which included regular demonstrations, leafletting workers and resolving their concerns read more
Gatwick catering strikes suspended as workers balloted on new deal (23 Apr) – Airline catering strikes at Gatwick, by members of Unite employed by dNata, have been suspended to allow workers to be balloted on a new settlement offer. Following negotiations, a new offer was put forward by dNata. Strike action scheduled from Friday 26 April to Monday 29 April has been suspended read more
GLL workers in Greenwich stage further walkout over pay and conditions (23 Apr) – Library workers in Greenwich are to stage a further 24-hour strike after their employer, GLL, failed to negotiate a resolution to the dispute. Over 60 workers across the London Borough of Greenwich will walk out on 30 April as part of a long-running dispute over pay and the use of zero-hour contracts. GLL promotes itself as a London Living Wage (LLW) employer and yet some employees receive below the LLW and GLL has also delayed implementation of a rise to the LLW by nearly six months. Employees at GLL are rightly furious over its behaviour and the employer has refused all offers from Unite to come to the negotiating table. As well as the strike, demonstrations will be taking place across the borough. Unite is seeking to draw attention to the presence of three Labour councillors who sit on the board of GLL. Greenwich is Labour-run and yet it is contracting services to an organisation that uses zero hour contracts and fails to recognise trade unions despite describing itself as a “social enterprise”. Demonstrations will be held at the following venues on Tuesday 30 April:
- 10:00 – Libraries Connected ( GLL partner ), Islington Central Library, 2 Fieldway Crescent, N5 1PF
- 12:00 – The Reading Agency ( GLL partner ), 24 Bedford Row, WC1R 4EH
- 14:00 – CILIP ( Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals – GLL Partner ) British Library, 96 Euston Rd, NW1 2DB read more
Heathrow facing major disruption as outsourcing plans cause strike action (23 Apr) – Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport, is facing major disruption after management announced its intention to outsource hundreds of roles in a cost-cutting exercise. Nearly 800 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, will be taking part in a week of strike action beginning at 00:01 on Tuesday 7 May and ending at 23:59 on Monday 13 May. Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has ignored existing consultation procedures and has announced a fait accompli that workers in passenger services (who assist travellers to catch connecting flights), trolley operations, and campus security (the security guards who are responsible for all workers at Heathrow and vehicles being checked before entering Heathrow), will be outsourced by 1 June read more
Threat of planes being grounded at Heathrow as refuelling workers strike (22 Apr) – Strikes by Unite members at Heathrow could see planes delayed, disrupted and grounded due to their inability to be refuelled, the union warned today (Monday 22 April). 50 refuellers working for AFS are to take industrial action for 72 hours beginning on 4 May after their employer imposed drastic cuts to the terms and conditions of new staff recruited since January 2024. AFS, a joint venture between multi-million pound oil and gas companies (Air BP, Total, Q8 Air and Valero), is attacking the most vulnerable new staff in its workplace by offering them reduced pension and sickness benefits read more
Britain’s bus drivers facing a tsunami of abuse, warns Unite (21 Apr) – A horrifying 82 per cent of bus drivers were subject to abuse last year, with the same percentage stating that the turmoil of the incidents negatively impacted their mental wellbeing. The findings come after Unite, the UK’s leading union, surveyed its bus driver members. Over half of those questioned said they did not report incidents to their employer. And those that did, were not satisfied with the response read more
Warning of empty shelves at Morrisons as Cheshire and Wakefield logistics workers could strike over pensions (18 Apr) – Hundreds of workers for the supermarket chain Morrisons could be heading to the picket line after their employer forced through changes to their pensions that will leave them worse off by around £500 a year. Approximately 1,000 Unite members working as warehouse stock controllers, cooks, canteen staff, and administrators are being balloted for strike action to protect their pensions and take home pay. Staff are based in warehouses in Cheshire and Wakefield and perform essential roles that ensure lorries are loaded and shelves are filled in the nearly 500 supermarkets and convenience stores run by Morrisons read more
Strikes advance at Lancashire’s ELE Advanced Technologies over pay dispute (17 Apr) – Workers at Lancashire’s ELE Advanced Technologies – who are members of the UK’s leading union, Unite – have voted overwhelmingly for strike action beginning on Wednesday 1 May after failing to reach an agreement regarding pay (video footage and voice note attached to release). Despite the company boasting it provides an “inspiring, supportive, and collaborative working environment for its employees”, ELE Advanced Technologies has refused to fairly increase its workers’ wages. The company has offered the workers a £1,000 pay increase (worth approximately four per cent) from May 2023 and five per cent from May 2024. This amounts to a substantial real terms pay cut, the real inflation rate (RPI) stood at 11.3 per cent in May last year. The 80 plus workers will begin strike action at 06:00 on Wednesday 1 May, with strike action continuing on 2 and 3 May. Further industrial action will be announced unless the company improves its pay offer read more
Birkenhead hospital workers on strike over pay and grading (17 Apr) – Healthcare workers at the Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, Merseyside, are striking this week and next week over a failure to recognise their workplace responsibilities. Members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, who work as recovery theatre practitioners, who care for patients recovering from serious operations, are not being paid appropriately by their employer, the Wirral University Hospital Trust. The vital healthcare workers are being paid a grade below the level of responsibility and duties they are providing. Workers have been left up to £8,000 out of pocket due to being wrongly graded…Having exhausted all avenues of negotiation with their employer, staff have been left with no option but to head to the picket line. The workers were on strike yesterday (16 April) and today (17 April). More strikes are scheduled for next week, 23 and 24 April read more
Unite announces Dounreay power station strike action (15 Apr) – Unite the union confirmed today (Monday 15 April) its 460-strong membership employed by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS) based at Dounreay power station will take strike action in a pay dispute. Unite’s members will take strike action on 1 and 2 May with more action scheduled for the 15 and 29 May. There will also be an overtime ban in place. The union had previously warned that strike action was ‘inevitable’ in the coming weeks, and it said NRS had a ‘final opportunity’ to resolve the dispute by making a revised pay offer to the workforce. The company has recently changed its trading name from Magnox Limited read more
Glenrothes based Bosch Rexroth workers in strike ballot over pay (15 Apr) – German owned firm makes ‘pitiful’ 1.25% offer. Unite has confirmed that around 240 members working at Bosch Rexroth in Glenrothes are being balloted on strike action over a massive real terms pay cut. The German-owned global tech and engineering giant proposed an offer of 1.25% which was overwhelmingly rejected by Unite’s membership. Bosch Rexroth engineer parts for the construction industry including gears and brakes, as well as parts for forklift trucks. The trade union will now hold a ballot on industrial which opens today (15 April) and closes on 30 April. If the ballot is successful, then strike action could start in May read more
Offshore chemists, heating and ventilation engineers resume strike action in escalating disputes (12 Apr) – Unite members in industrial action against IES Callenberg and SGS UK Limited over rotas and pay. Unite the union confirmed today (Friday 12 April) that around 60 members in the offshore sector including chemists, heating and ventilation engineers will resume strike action next week in escalating disputes over working rotas and pay. Unite’s IES Callenberg membership will take three-days of strike action starting on Monday (15 April) until the end of Wednesday (17 April), while chemists employed by SGS UK Limited will start week-long action on the same day but conclude their action on Sunday (21 April). The IES Callenberg dispute involves around 50 offshore workers who provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning services on offshore platforms operated by BP, TAQA, CNR, Repsol, Serica and CNOOC. The SGS UK Limited dispute exclusively centres on chemists servicing BP’s platforms the Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP and Glen Lyon read more
Northern Ireland: Workers at Balcas Timber Ltd in Enniskillen to ballot for strike action in pay dispute (9 Apr) – Workers reject below inflation pay increase offered by company whose latest accounts reported a dramatic surge in profits.
Unite the union has today notified management at Balcas Timber Ltd, a wood-mill and Combined Heat Power plant employing approximately 280 at Killadeas, Co Fermanagh of its intent to conduct a strike ballot of the workforce. The strike ballot will open onTuesday 16 April and remain open for three weeks closing on Tuesday 7 May. The workforce are paid as little £10.68 an hour, which is only now being increased to £11.44 an hour to comply with national minimum wage legislation read more
Pathology services in London under threat as medical workers balloted over strike action (27 Mar) – Hundreds of pathologists in London are being balloted over strike action after their employer, Synnovis, imposed an unwanted and damaging restructure that puts jobs at risk and severely downgrades working conditions. Synnovis, which is part of SynLab, has a 15 year contract to run the outsourced pathology services for the 6 Hospitals (Guys, St Thomas, Kings College, Princess Royal University Hospital, Royal Brompton & Harefield) across 2 trusts (Kings College NHS Foundation Trust, Guys & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust). Synnovis has heavily invested in a new Hub at Blackfriars and plans to migrate the majority of it’s staff there, leaving only skeletal essential services at each of the hospitals. Pathologists were previously employed directly by the NHS but were outsourced and are now working for a private company. This is a stark example of NHS privatisation driving down pay and conditions for workers and leading to serious concerns over patient safety. Over 350 members of Unite are deeply unhappy and concerned over such a move. Job cuts will lead to a deterioration of pathology services across London and a loss of jobs as staff leave due to poor working conditions read more
Croydon Tramlink strikes suspended after TfL agrees to meaningful talks (22 Mar) – Strikes by Croydon Tramlink engineers have been suspended after Transport for London (TfL) agreed to engage in meaningful talks over pay disparities with Unite, the UK’s leading union. Five days of strikes scheduled to begin this Sunday (March 24) have been suspended. If the talks do not result in an offer that meets the engineers’ expectations, strike action will take place from 5 May to 9 May and 11 July to 15 July read more
New Holland tractor shortages if Basildon CNH workers strike (19 Mar) – 500 workers balloted for strike over broken pay agreement. Around 500 workers employed by CNH Industrial at its New Holland tractor factory in Basildon are being balloted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Tuesday). Strike action would severely compromise the supply of New Holland tractors, which are shipped across the world. The workers are angry that the company has reneged on an agreement struck during 2022 stating pay increases would be calculated by the average rate of inflation over the year. CNH is instead offering four per cent for 2024, rather than the 7.4 per cent it should be under the original agreement. For 2025, the company is offering the rate of inflation as of December 2024. Last month, CNH announced revenues of $24.7 billion for 2023 and a pre-tax earnings of more than $2.38 billion read more
Northern Ireland public transport trade unions agree to re-enter discussions with Translink management (15 Mar) – Joint Trade union release: The three public transport trade unions, UNITE, GMB and SIPTU, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink’s management with the aim of achieving a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute over the 2023-24 pay offer. Members of all three trade unions voted last week voted decisively to reject the previous pay offer, which was considered to be inadequate. The unions agreed this approach following discussions with reps and officials. The three trade unions have agreed to not make any further public comments on the dispute ahead of the conclusion of talks read more
Security guards escalate strikes at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital (15 Mar) – Security workers at London’s Guys and St Thomas’ hospital will take fresh industrial action after the trust declined to pay them a wage increase worth £2,000, which equals just 0.96 pence per hour. Unite, the UK’s leading union, said its members will walk out for seven days from 07:00 on Monday 18 March. As a result, safety could be compromised as the officers play a crucial role in protecting staff and patients across two hospitals in South London: St Thomas’ Hospital and Guys Hospital…The latest wave of strikes follows two previous days of industrial action which took place because the security guards are amongst the lowest paid at the hospital. The workers are also paid less than their counterparts at hospitals across London, such as Kings’ College Hospital, where a security officers’ salary starts at £30,000 per annum read more
M25 strike chaos on as Balfour Beatty told to share massive profits (13 Mar) – Vital M25 maintenance workers strike as Balfour Beatty announces £10bn revenues. Around 150 M25 maintenance workers employed by Balfour Beatty have voted for strike action over pay, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The workers, who provide vital maintenance for the entire M25, are angry at Balfour Beatty’s meagre pay offer of 3.4 per cent. With the real rate of inflation, RPI, at 4.9 per cent this is a real terms pay cut. Increasing tensions, is the fact that the workers also received a below inflation pay rise last year. Today, Balfour Beatty announced that its revenues for 2023 have increased by seven per cent to £9.6 billion, while underlying profits from operations rose by two per cent to £236 million…The workers operate from depots based at Barnet, Uxbridge, Swanley, Epping and Dartford and strike action will cause serious disruption to journey times. Dates for industrial action will be announced in the coming days read more
Cambridge University revealed to have £6 billion as workers languish on poverty-level wages (11 Mar) – In depth research from Unite, the UK’s leading trade union, has uncovered that Cambridge University is sitting on over £6 billion of cash and investments while trying to maintain it can’t afford to help its lowest paid workers. The revelations coincide with fresh strike action by university workers. Cleaners, librarians, museum workers and many other staff at the university have been in a long-running pay dispute over the failure of the institution to acknowledge the cost of housing in Cambridge as well as the wider inflationary pressure on its lowest paid workers. Some are being paid less than £23,000 per year yet live and work in one of the most expensive parts of the country. Unite has compiled a financial report that shows that Cambridge University is in rude financial health read more
Biomedical scientists in Merseyside to strike over pay dispute (6 Mar) – Highly skilled scientists working in the microbiology department at a Merseyside hospital are to take substantial industrial action over pay, Unite announced today (6 March 2024). The workers, who are members of Unite the UK’s leading union, based at the Whiston Hospital on Merseyside are to take 36 days of strike action between March and June (see notes to editors), beginning with three days from 14 March. The workers, who covered all Covid testing for the region, have been informed they do not qualify for the essential services payment worth £4,000. The workers, employed by the Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, are taking unprecedented action due to the failure of the trust to pay the scientists in the microbiology team the same £4,000 payment that other members of the pathology department have received read more
DHL exposed of inflicting brutal pay cuts on East Midlands airport workers while company plans 20 billion takeover (28 Feb) – Union preparing to take campaign to German headquarters. Unite, the UK’s leading union, has revealed that its members who are employed by DHL at East Midlands Airport and are currently in a longstanding pay dispute, have suffered a brutal real terms pay cut of over six per cent since 2020. The workers who are responsible for bringing critical medical supplies as well as other cargo into the UK, worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. They played a crucial role in bringing lifesaving drugs and equipment into the UK despite not being issued the required PPE. Despite their dedication DHL has now been exposed of systemically reducing their pay in real terms. The workers, many of whom are paid less than £11 an hour, began an extended pay dispute last month and are set to take 24 days of industrial action during February and March. Speaking to the striking DHL workers during a picket line visit at East Midlands airport today (28 February), Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “We will not sit back and watch your employer DHL make millions and refuse to give you a decent pay rise…” read more
Vital Derby rail maintenance workers to strike over failure to make pay offer (26 Feb) – Safety critical workers responsible for maintaining and preparing trains across the East Midlands are to begin strike action next month after their employer failed to make any form of a pay offer, Unite announced today (26 February). Around 70 Unite members at Alstom Engineering based in Derby are taking strike action on four days beginning on Wednesday 6 March. The workers are responsible for service and preparation of trains and carriages, fault finding and logging of incidents online and general problems with the fleet for East Midlands Rail and industrial action is likely to create a shortage of available rolling stock. Alstom has failed to make any pay offer despite the pay anniversary being 1 December with the real rate of inflation (RPI) running at above five per cent at the time adding to a cost-of-living crisis… Initial strike dates are set for 6, 7, 10 and 11 March but further dates are likely to be announced if Alstom fails to return to the negotiating table with an offer read more
Health visitors in Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board to take historic industrial action over unsustainable workloads (21 Feb) – Unite the union has today (21 February) announced its health visitor members at Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board will take industrial action. The health visitors at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board (CTM), have had their request for accurate job descriptions denied on multiple occasions and are faced with increasing and unsustainable demands for their specialist knowledge and expertise. The service is struggling under a tsunami of demands post-Covid alongside the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on families. The 67 workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union recorded a 100 per cent yes vote in favour of industrial action. This action short of a strike, includes no unpaid overtime, no statistical reporting for the Welsh government and no covering for vacant caseloads. Action will begin on 26th February and continue until late July. This is the first time health visitors have taken industrial action as a distinct group of workers in Wales read more
Strike action at Newtownards factory to severely impact Lakeland dairies profits (19 Feb) – Workers determined to defend £1 pay an hour differential between skilled grades and bare legal minimum. Strike will bring production to a standstill. Unite the union members working at LE Pritchitt & Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lakeland Dairies, which operates the company’s Global Logistics Centre in Newtownards will take a first week of strike action (beginning on Wednesday 21 February) in a mounting pay dispute. Negotiations ended last week without agreement after management refused to provide an increase which maintained a £1 an hour pay differential with the minimum wage for fully trained production operators read more
Strikes by hundreds of Ford white collar workers on cards (14 Feb) – Attend Acas talks or face industrial action proceedings Ford told. Ford is facing the prospect of strikes across its UK sites by salaried and managerial staff, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today (Wednesday). The company has been told it must attend negotiations with the conciliation service Acas or Unite will begin preparing to ballot its members for industrial action. Offers put forward by Ford for over 3,000 salaried staff and managers have been rejected by over 90 per cent by both sets of workers. The offer for many of the salaried staff is an unconsolidated one-off payment of five per cent of their salary for 2024, meaning their actual wages will not increase this year. Management grades, who have recently organised and achieved union recognition, have been offered a performance related bonus payment, which provides no guarantee of a cost-of-living increase. In addition, the company has proposed changes to the current absence processes, despite acknowledging there is no issue with staff attendance read more
Gloucestershire Lucozade workers to strike over pay (2 Feb) – Over 180 members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, employed by Suntory Beverage & Food in Coleford, Gloucestershire, will begin a week of strike action on Monday 5 February after management failed to address the cost-of-living crisis. Workers received a two year pay deal effective from April 1 2022, with a commitment from the employer to review the second year’s increase, should inflation exceed five per cent between January to June 2023. The inflation rate far exceeded this but the one-billion-pound Suntory Beverage & Food, which produces household name drinks including Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport and Ribena, has not met expectations in relation to this commitment read more
CWU
Save Enniskillen EE (ex-BT) site – The EE Enniskillen call centre is a lifeline for our community. It’s closure threatens over 300 jobs, eroding the heart of our local economy. This is a community crisis. Local businesses, public services, and the Fermanagh economy stand on the brink of a devastating blow
PCS
You can show your support to the strikes by PCS members by:
- Making donations to the PCS Fighting Fund Levy account, sort code: 60-83-01, account no. 20331490
- Sending solidarity messages to [email protected]
PCS National ballot opens today (18 Mar) – The postal ballot opens today (18) and runs until 13 May, asking members if they are prepared to take strike action over our national campaign demands. Opening today, 18 March. the postal ballot will run until 13 May, after which the national executive committee will meet to consider the next steps in our national campaign. It is vital that all PCS members take part to ensure we beat the 50% threshold for strike action read more
PCS to speak to Home Office over plan to move civil servants to Rwanda to oversee asylum scheme (26 Apr) – Home Office staff have been asked to apply for jobs in Rwanda to help process the asylum claims of migrants sent there from the UK, the i has revealed. We took legal action against the UK Government over the Rwanda scheme, but have not been consulted on our members being expected to go to Rwanda to work read more
Support striking members at Heathrow (26 Apr) – PCS members in Border Force at Heathrow airport start four days strike action on 29 April. PCS members who work in the passport control area at Heathrow airport will strike from 29 April to 2 May in a dispute over a new roster that is being imposed from 29 April. Around 250 members are being forced out of their current jobs on passport control as the Home Office have indicated they will no longer accommodate their contractual flexible working arrangements, reasonable adjustments, or ‘legacy’ contractual terms on the new roster. There is anger at the rigidity of the new roster with many members saying it won’t work. The strike action comes because of the employer’s failure to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS, and lack of willingness to offer any movement on their plans. The members are committed to the action and expect that their walkouts will disrupt passport checks for travellers coming into the UK at Heathrow airport. The strike will start with a picket line at the Nene Road roundabout on the way to the airport on Monday 29 April.
Show your support:-
- Visit the picket lines on 29 or 30 April at the Nene Road roundabout (near the ibis Styles London Heathrow Airport) – postcode for Nettleton Road TW6 2LA – from 8am-12pm.
- Send messages of support to [email protected] read more
PCS members to begin industrial action at ONS (25 Apr) – The action short of a strike from 8 May will take the form of non-compliance with the mandatory return to the office directive. PCS members in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will begin action short of a strike on 8 May over the organisation’s introduction of a mandatory workplace attendance policy. Members voted overwhelmingly for strike action and action short of strike in a ballot that closed on 2 April, in response to an instruction that staff spend at least 40% of their working time in an office, with effect from the start of April read more
PCS to hold strike ballot of G4S security staff on DWP contract (24 Apr) – PCS members working in 700 jobcentres across the UK working on the DWP security contract are to be balloted from 1-15 May for strike action over pay. We are seeking a pay rise for all 200 members employed by G4S Solutions, as well as reinstating the pay differential between grades because supervisors currently earn just 1p more an hour than the security guards they oversee. The workers are employed on a private contract for the Department for Work and Pensions…GMB members working for G4S Solutions have already announced strikes on May 7, 8, 13, 20, 28 and 29. Strike action by members on the DWP G4S contract will be very disruptive and has the potential to close many of the around 700 jobcentres across the regions and nations read more
More strike dates announced at National Museums Liverpool (12 Apr) – The museum and gallery staff will walk out for a further 30 days in their dispute over the unpaid cost-of-living payment. PCS members employed at the seven museum and gallery sites across Merseyside are coming to the end of a period of 56 days of strike action, which started on 17 February. National Museums Liverpool (NML) is the only employer out of over 200 covered by the civil service pay remit guidance to withhold the £1,500 cost-of-living payment. The eight weeks of strike action taken so far have led to widespread museum and gallery closures affecting the Museum of Liverpool, the World Museum, the International Slavery Museum and the Maritime Museum, as well as the Walker Art Gallery, Sudley House and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Although there has been some progress in negotiations, an acceptable settlement has not yet been reached, and the members have voted to take further action to increase the pressure on the employer. PCS negotiators are optimistic that NML will act to end this long running dispute by making a decent offer to its staff who are amongst the lowest paid workers in the country. The members will walk out again on eleven weekends and half term week, from May until July. The dates in full are: 4, 5 and 6 May, 11 and 12 May, 18 and 19 May, 25 May to 2 June, 8 and 9 June, 15 and 16 June, 22 and 23 June, 29 and 30 June, 6 and 7 July, 13 and 14 July and 20 and 21 July. The strike action coincides with the planned opening of new exhibitions at World Museum and at the Walker Art Gallery, as well as the busy half term and spring/summer period read more
PCS rep in Newcastle sacked by HMRC (5 Apr) – Gordon Askew was sacked by HMRC on grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse following strike action taken by the branch. HMRC management at Benton Park View in Newcastle have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse. PCS members at Benton Park View, alongside HMRC East Kilbride, took part in targeted strike action last year, as well as their members taking part in the three national days of strike action. Following the strike action, the department launched an investigation into two Newcastle-based representatives. The charge against Gordon was a ‘potential’ breach of the department’s IT policy; arising from a Microsoft Teams message sent to a number of PCS members, relating to strike action. The department’s decision maker claimed that Microsoft Teams had been used “without a legitimate business reason”. A second rep is on a similar charge. We understand the decision maker said that they had considered a lesser penalty, but had decided to sack the rep because he didn’t appear to be sorry enough for what he had done. This was despite him having nearly thirty years of spotless service to the department. PCS is discussing next steps with our Legal Department read more
PCS fighting Imperial War Museum derecognition threat (22 Mar) – PCS is campaigning against the threat of being derecognised as an official union with negotiating rights at the Imperial War Museum, which has 5 sites in England and Northern Ireland. On 6 March, Imperial War Museum Director Francoise Harris wrote to PCS, FDA and Prospect unions confirming that they wish to derecognise PCS and FDA and move forward with only one union – Prospect. Essentially, derecognising PCS constitutes a direct attack on IWM workers’ rights, job security, economic equality, workplace protections, solidarity, and democratic principles. PCS does not accept derecognition and are launching a campaign to maintain recognition at IWM read more
Pensions Regulator strike suspended (13 Mar) – The strike action has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS. The strike action which was due to restart today and continue into next week has been suspended as a result of TPR agreeing to enter into meaningful negotiations with PCS over the proposals we have made to end the dispute. Importantly TPR has agreed with the key proposal that they commit to securing the funding for the full percentage pay increase to the overall pay pot suggested by the 2024/25 Treasury Pay Remit Guidance. The have stated that they are already engaging with DWP on the pay strategy for the year ahead. They have also committed to submitting a pay flexibility case for the Pay Remit Guidance in 2024/25 which will guarantee additional money to the basic pay remit pot. TPR have also agreed “to engage in meaningful consultation, on matters relating to TPR’s employee value proposition, including reward, annual leave entitlement and the pay and terms and conditions of staff TUPE transferred to TPR.“ The agreement from TPR management is as a result of PCS members taking over 50 days of strike action since 2023. We have reminded TPR that we still have a mandate for strike action until 8 May and that a failure to progress the issues in good faith and time will result in further strike action. TPR members remain in the PCS national campaign and will be participating in the ballot due to start on Monday 18 March read more
Sign our petition for members in Hinduja Global Solutions to keep their jobs (12 Mar) – Members in HGS in Liverpool have been told they will need to relocate 40 miles to keep their jobs. In November 2023 Hinduja Global Solutions announced a significant restructure on the Disclosure and Barring Service contract, which they planned to take effect from 1 April 2024. Staff were told that the restructure was a direct result of the new contract for services between HGS and DBS. The impact on PCS members in Liverpool has been damaging because the changes mean a 41% reduction in headcount (later reduced to a 26% cut) and withdrawal of all staff from the Tithebarn Street office, meaning HGS would no longer have a presence in the city read more
Prospect
Prospect launches Defence Sector safety form to mark International Workers Memorial Day (26 Apr) – Prospect marks International Workers Memorial Day on 28 April, to commemorate all workers who have sadly been killed just for doing their jobs. Around the world, every year more people are killed at work than in wars read more
Prospect demands action on public sector gender pension gap (25 Apr) – Prospect has written to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott highlighting the extent of the gender pension gap (GPG) in the public sector and demanding action to address it read more
Many areas of the public sector are essential to our security – not just the armed forces (24 Apr) – The government has told journalists that it will pay for its recently announced increase in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP through cutting civil servants read more
Prospect members at Dounreay to take industrial action for first time in a generation (15 Apr) – Prospect members at Dounreay have voted to take industrial action over pay, starting with two days of strike action on May 1st and May 2nd followed by a work to rule read more
Prospect ballots members at Defence Equipment & Support on strike action (16 Feb) – Prospect union is balloting its members at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), a Ministry of Defence (MoD) agency, on industrial action. The ballot comes after the employer failed to meet the union’s pay claim and imposed an unagreed pay offer for 2023/2024. Under the imposed pay offer, the majority of DE&S employees will receive a consolidated pay increase of 3.25% or less. Prospect is recommending that members vote yes to both strike action and action short of strike (ASOS) read more
GMB
Cumberland Urgent Care Team stages demo (29 Apr) – Cumberland’s Urgent Care Team will stage a demonstration outside a meeting of the full council.
Where: Civic Centre, Rickergate, Carlisle, CA3 8QG
When: 12noon, 30 April 2024
Approved Mental Health Social workers in the Urgent Care Team have already staged three strikes in their fight for a proper job evaluation. More than 4,000 members of the public has signed a petition backing the Urgent Care Team’s campaign. The Urgent Care Team is on the front line of mental health emergencies – on call across Cumbria 24 hours a day and making on the spot decisions on whether immediate detention is necessary. In July 2022, these dedicated professionals submitted an application for a regrading of their role, believing it was incorrectly evaluated. Cumberland Council denied their request read more
NI education workers ready to strike after budget (29 Apr) – GMB members working in Northern Ireland’s education system say they are ready to strike
Workers are furious after the executive failed to deliver on their pay and grading demands. The Northern Ireland Finance Minster has said there will be no additional money for the pay and grading review for all school support staff. Previously, the Department of Finance accepted the business case from the Department of Education that addressed the inequality in pay grades for staff, which should have been addressed in 2018. GMB represents staff in low paid positions such as classroom assistants, cooks, cleaners, catering assistants, drivers and bus escorts along with admin staff and technicians. This mainly low paid women workforce are either are on temporary contracts, only work term time or are on part-time contracts read more
Sacked Mersey Care workers given redundancy in GMB win (29 Apr) – More than 50 long-standing NHS staff sacked have been given their redundancy following a GMB campaign. Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust recently closed their Calderstones Hospital site in Mitton Road, Whalley near Blackburn and told more than 50 workers they would now have to work in Aspen Wood, near Liverpool – an 80 mile round trip or accept a unsuitable alternative role. Those who wouldn’t, or couldn’t make the trip – or accept the unsuitable offers – were sacked, without redundancy pay, on Easter Sunday. But following GMB pressure, the trust has now agreed to pay them their dues read more
Amazon faces legal challenge over workers’ rights revelations (26 Apr) – GMB Union has today filed legal proceedings against Amazon. The union claims Amazon has engaged in widespread attempts to coerce staff to cancel their trade union membership. Known as an Inducement Claim, Amazon workers formally lodge a claim against their own employer for encouraging them to pass up their trade union and collective bargaining rights. The challenge just days after GMB won a formal recognition ballot at the company, a process which requires the union to prove they have meet a threshold of GMB members in the company’s fulfilment centre. Union recognition would mean Amazon would be forced to sit down with GMB on matters relating to pay, hours, and holidays; the first time this has been achieved anywhere in the world outside of the USA read more
Amazon workers will decide on union recognition (19 Apr) – Amazon workers are one step closer to Europe’s first recognised union at the retail giant. GMB Union has today announced that the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), the Government body responsible for regulating collective bargaining between workers and employers, has ruled in favour of GMB’s application for a union recognition vote at the company’s Coventry Warehouse read more
Birmingham Amazon workers join strike action (27 Mar) – Workers are escalating their campaign for £15 and union recognition at the online retail giant’s Birmingham warehouse. Workers at Amazon’s new flagship HQ in Birmingham, a £500 million site that only opened its doors in October, will down tools this week in an escalation of the ongoing strike action hitting the company. The strike dates come as GMB members at the company submit their application for mandatory recognition to the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee (CAC). Last week workers at the company’s Coventry fulfilment centre walked out, making March the biggest month of strike action in company history read more
Hundreds of school children lose hot school dinners (25 Apr) – Hundreds of school children in North Tyneside face weeks with no hot dinners. Around 200 Year 7 pupils from Churchill Community College were being taught at Monkseaton High School while their own building was checked after the roof fell in at another school [Fordley Primary School]. With GCSE exams looming, Monkseaton needs more space – so from 7 May Churchill pupils will be forced to move to an empty office building [Cobalt Business Exchange building] with no specialist learning equipment. North Tyneside council has also warned parents and carers children will only be provided with a ‘cold food service’ read more
Swindon Borough Council faces strike vote over ‘colonial era work practices,’ says GMB (24 Apr) – Social workers at Swindon Borough Council are set for a strike vote over ‘colonial era working practices’, GMB Union claims. Staff – many recruited directly from India – were handed a contractually agreed £8,000 signing on bonus and a £7,000 recruitment and retention bonuses spread over three years. The recruitment and retention bonus has now been stopped but they are still being told if they leave Swindon Council within three years, they will have to pay back the £8,000. The move only affects staff recruited from India – with no equivalent reduction of money for social workers from the UK. All 14 workers have written writing to management but have been ignored, while Jim Robbins, Labour leader of the council, has not responded to GMB Union. The ballot closes on Friday 26 April 2024 read more
More than 1,000 job centre security guards to strike (23 Apr) – More than 1,000 job centre security guards are set to walk out in a dispute over pay
Staff employed by G4S to work at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will walk out across the country as follows:
- 7 May at 00:00 until 8 May at 23.59
- 13 May from 00:00 until 23.59
- 20 May from 00:00 until 23.59
- 28 May at 00:00 until 29 May at 23.59
The dispute is over a G4S below-inflation pay offer, meaning nearly 70 per cent of the security guards, are now only paid the minimum wage read more
Birmingham braced for school strikes (22 Apr) – Council’s delay to settling equal pay claims to blame. GMB Union has today announced that workers at Birmingham City Council have voted in favour of supporting strike action. The outcome comes as Council bosses have been slammed for delaying the settlement of equal pay claims made by low paid women workers at the council. Workers at thirty-five city schools have voted to back the action, with 96 per cent supporting industrial action. Strike dates will be announced in the coming weeks read more
Epsom & St Helier ambulance strike to begin on Wednesday amid union claims of expensive strike busting (22 Apr) – The Trust look set to pay for private hire vehicles for patients on the strike days but not to pay these members what they’re owed, says GMB. GMB, the union for NHS workers, can today announce the dates for the strike action at Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust. Members of the union employed as Care Assistants in the patient transfer ambulances will be taking strike action this Wednesday [24 April] and will also strike on Thursday 2, Friday 3 and Tuesday 7 May. The escalating dispute centres around backpay, with some workers owed up to £1300 for non-payment of the London Living Wage read more
Asda Lowestoft workers announce strike dates (18 Apr) – Asda workers Lowestoft have announced the dates they will strike. Almost 200 workers are set to down tools for 48 hours from 00:01 on Friday 10 May until 23.59 on Saturday 11 May read more
Brighton Asda superstore workers vote to strike (16 Apr) – Workers at an Asda store in Brighton have become the latest to vote for strike action. The ballot, which closed this afternoon [Friday 12 April], was in favour of industrial action at Brighton Hollingbury superstore. The dispute centres around a number of concerns raised by members in the store, including Health & Safety issues and management bullying. GMB members have previously taken strike action in Asda stores in Gosport in Hampshire and Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. The Asda strike committee will meet early next week to decide on next steps read more
Wisbech Asda workers in two day Easter strike (28 Mar) – Asda Wisbech workers will strike this Easter weekend on one of the supermarket’s busiest periods. Around 170 Wisbech Asda workers will walk out from 00:01 to 23:59 on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 March – Easter weekend. The strike has been caused by cuts to hours and an increase in a bullying management culture. Workers are also angry about poor levels of training and support for their job roles, the equal pay claim dragging on for years, health, safety and fire safety issues being ignored and a lack of collective bargaining with GMB Union read more
South Western Ambulance Workers balloted over ‘dangerous’ breaks (16 Apr) – South Western Ambulance Trust (SWAST) workers are set to be balloted over a break policy which could be dangerous. Workers are forced to take their break wherever the nearest, often overcrowded, depot is and have been advised to carry their food in their cabs. The union has health and safety concerns over the new policy – including the risk of food poisoning due to a lack of chilled storage and loose food and drink containers posing a risk when travelling at speed responding to an emergency. GMB, the union for ambulance workers, has told SWAST some staff with reasonable adjustments prescribed by occupational health must be exempt from the policy – but management has so far refused to hear grievances. The ballot is due to close on 17 May 2024 and could see members balloted formally for strike action read more
Hundreds of gas emergency workers to strike (26 Mar) – Hundreds of gas emergency workers are set to strike across Yorkshire. A majority of 99.5% per cent of workers at Northern Gas Network (NGN) voted to take industrial action on a 97 per cent turnout. Workers are angry after the company failed to implement necessary improvements to terms and conditions and safety changes. GMB has been raising concerns over working practices for a number of years. Concerns include engineers being forced to work excessive hours and a culture of workplace bullying. These concerns were so serious that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stepped in and ordered NGN and other gas distribution companies to limit shift length to a maximum of twelve hours. GMB are concerned for both public and worker safety. GMB representatives have been negotiating with NGN to address the shift length alongside other terms and conditions, but due to NGN’s failure to respond in a timely manner workers took the decision to ballot. The industrial action could potentially take place in the spring read more
Northern Ireland transport unions re-enter Translink talks (15 Mar) – Unions have issued the following joint statement: “Northern Ireland’s transport unions – GMB, SIPTU and Unite, have agreed to re-enter discussions with Translink management…” read more
Merthyr Tydfil faces library and leisure strikes (29 Feb) – GMB members at Merthyr Leisure Trust voted unanimously for industrial action. Leisure services across the town will be affect, including the beleaguered Rhydycar leisure centre which could see yet another delay for the re-opening of the £6 million swimming pool. Workers are owed a pay uplift in line with local government staff, following a decade old promise. The trusts failure to honour the commitment of around £1 an hour to staff has led to staff striking for owed pay. In a further twist on Tuesday evening, the council announced plans on its Facebook page to offload the leisure trust to a private provider without any consultation read more
Wiltshire Traffic Wardens Balloted For Further Strike Action To Mark Second Anniversary of GMB’s Longest Running Dispute (13 Feb) – GMB, the union for Wiltshire Council, has called a further strike ballot of traffic wardens opposing the removal of a 10% unsocial hours allowance, that would see each of them lose about £180 per month in take home pay. Social workers who provide the out of hours service are already planning a three-day strike, starting Friday 16th February, over a loss of a 20% allowance that will see them each lose from £500 to £750 per month read more
Brighton Refuse Workers Call For Meaningful Talks To Avoid Escalation Over ‘Service Delivery Issues’ (12 Feb) – Hard-working GMB members at City Clean are frustrated by management not dealing with issues. Brighton refuse workers have called for scheduled talks with the council over a series of service delivery issues affecting residents’ bin collections to be meaningful. A consultative ballot of GMB’s 119 members at the City Clean depot saw 95 per cent in favour of being balloted for industrial action over the changes read more
Unison
Donate to support striking workers – As UNISON members continue to take strike action, the union is asking for donations to its strike fund
Stop the Council Cuts – Sign the petition: Save our Services – Nottingham City – started by Nottingham City Unison
Stop violence at work: Please take the campaign survey (29 Apr) – A new survey will help your union to understand the problem and guide work on it read more
Support Barnet UNISON Mental Health social worker strike – Strike preparations commence for 15 April – Barnet UNISON Mental Health strikers are due to start the next phase of strike action on Monday 15 April. Our strikers have already taken 27 days of strike action and by the end of this next phase they will have taken 72 days of strike which equates to 1,305 lost working days or 13.050 lost contacts with Mental Health service users. We have had two meetings with Acas where we have established that Barnet Council have confirmed that they do have twice the funding they would need to settle this dispute. It is now clear that thus dispute is not about the money and as each day that goes by it feels like this is an attempt by senior officers to break UNISON read more
The strike timetable:-
- From 15 April to 26 April 2024 (two weeks).
- From 13 May to 1 June 2024 (three weeks).
- From 17 June to 12 July 2024. (four weeks).
Our members are 100% behind UNISONs negotiating team and remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be secured to avoid any further strike action read more Send messages of support to [email protected]
Bedfordshire NHS hospital staff in 48-hour strike over pay (11 Mar) – Staff across two Bedfordshire hospitals say they are being asked to perform medical tasks above their pay grade, such as inserting cannulas. Hundreds of NHS emergency hospital staff are expected to take part in strike action in a dispute over pay and rebanding of roles. Some 400 workers at the Bedford and Luton & Dunstable hospitals will walk out for 48 hours from 07:30 GMT. The union Unison said healthcare assistants were being asked to carry out clinical tasks without extra pay read more on BBC website. Unison: ‘Ripped off’ Bedfordshire NHS staff vote on strike action
NHS staff across Teesside announce strike date in pay dispute, says UNISON (27 Feb) – Around 1,000 healthcare assistants at North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will take strike action next month in a dispute over pay… Staff at the trusts’ seven sites* will walk out for 24 hours from 7am on Monday 11 March as part of their campaign to be paid on a higher wage band which accurately reflects the work they have been doing read more
Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council (16 Feb) – Together with colleagues teaching Pilates and aerobics, the instructors backed industrial action as Colchester City Council remains stubborn on pay. Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are to take strike action later this month after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON announced today. The fitness instructors will walk out for seven days from Wednesday 28 February until Tuesday 5 March read more
NIPSA
NIPSA health industrial action starts tomorrow (24 Apr) – Social work staff in the Belfast Health Trust will begin industrial action tomorrow, 25 April 2024. The action will extend into the Northern Trust on 2 May and will roll out to other Trusts over the next few weeks. The dispute centres around a sustained staffing crisis in Family and Childcare services. In many areas, staffing has been 30+% below required levels for a considerable time. Long-term chronic understaffing has led to a position where the service is not being provided safely, staff are carrying excessive caseloads, and stress & illness are commonplace read more
Royal College of Nursing
RCN members vote to reject pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland (22 Mar) – The results of the RCN’s consultation on the HSC pay offer for nursing staff in Northern Ireland have been announced 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
RCM launches snap poll for members in Northern Ireland (22 Apr) – The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) is calling all its members in Northern Ireland to take part in its snap poll on additional hours worked which launches today. The RCM wants to know how many unpaid extra hours its members worked during last week, 15-21 April. Midwives and Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) can let the RCM know by taking this quick poll here. Earlier this month RCM members in England, Scotland and Wales told the RCM that they had worked 136,834 extra unpaid hours to keep services running safely. The RCM says that now members in Northern Ireland have voted to accept the pay offer, it’s their turn to tally up the extra unpaid hours they’ve been working read more
SOR
SoR joins healthcare unions to call for action on harassment of international recruits. International NHS recruits are being bullied, harassed, and discriminated against, according to unions (26 Apr) – The Society of Radiographers has joined other health unions in calling for action to tackle bullying of international recruits. SoR has joined the Royal College of Midwives and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy to produce new guidance for recruiting health professionals to the UK. The guidance comes in response to the treatment of international recruits – which these health unions found was poor, with recruits being bullied, harassed, and discriminated against read more
Scottish NHS pay deal still awaiting government sign-off (5 Feb) – Agenda for Change trade unions and professional bodies reached agreement with government early last year, but delays continue read more
BMA
Donate to support striking junior doctors
Consultants in Northern Ireland to be balloted for industrial action (25 Apr) – No alternative’ as talks break down and deal agreed in England. Consultants in Northern Ireland are to be balloted on industrial action, the BMA has announced. The five-week ballot will open on 7 May 2024 after talks between consultant representatives from the BMA Northern Ireland consultants committee and the devolved Department of Health broke down. Consultants had raised their concerns with the continuing erosion of their pay and the effect this is having on consultant recruitment and retention in Northern Ireland, and the subsequent effect this has on patient care, and to seek a solution to these issues. Consultants in Northern Ireland are still waiting for last year’s Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration-recommended 6 per cent uplift to be applied. And with a new pay deal for consultants in England having been accepted, pay talks continuing in Scotland and Wales, and higher pay available for consultants working in the Republic of Ireland, BMA NI consultants committee chair David Farren said it was ‘imperative’ consultants in Northern Ireland do not fall further behind. Last year, 77 per cent of respondents to a survey of BMA Northern Ireland consultant members said they were willing to take industrial action read more
Doctors to enter pay negotiations with the Welsh Government (9 Apr) – BMA Cymru Wales has suspended forthcoming industrial action for Consultants and SAS doctors following a constructive meeting with the Welsh government to resolve its pay disputes. As a result of sustained pressure, including three rounds of industrial action by junior doctors in Wales, the Welsh Government has made a significant proposal to form the basis of talks to end the pay disputes with all secondary care doctors including Consultants, SAS and Junior doctors. Since the meeting last week, the committees representing doctors from all three branches of practice have voted to enter pay negotiations based on this proposal. The planned 48-hour strike by Consultants and SAS doctors due to take place from 16th April will now be suspended. Junior doctors have paused plans to announce more strike dates whilst they enter negotiations with the Welsh Government. The Welsh junior doctors committee, Welsh SAS committee and Welsh consultants committee will now each engage in pay negotiations, with the aim of reaching deals which can be taken separately to their respective members read more
Junior doctors in England urge Health Secretary to come forward with new offer as they vote for six more months of industrial action (20 Mar) – Junior doctors in England today urged the Government to present a new and credible offer after voting overwhelmingly in favour of continuing their industrial action in their campaign for full pay restoration. With 98% (or 33,869) of junior doctors voting to continue industrial action on a turnout of 62%, their re-ballot has renewed their mandate for industrial action for another six months. The new mandate lasts from 3rd April to 19th September 2024. The ballot also approved the use of action short of strike (ASOS) read more
Frustration turns to action as junior doctors in Northern Ireland strike for first time (6 Mar) – Doctors earning lowest rate in the UK walk out for 24 hours in fight for pay restoration. It is hard to have a pay dispute when there has not a devolved government to argue with, while at the same time government in Westminster insists your dispute is a devolved issue. Yet this has been the case for junior doctors in Northern Ireland. Even since last month, when the Northern Ireland executive was reformed after two years of stalemate, they have been told the devolved government’s hands are tied until Westminster comes to an agreement with junior doctors in England. Earning as little as £13 an hour, the lowest rate in the UK, BMA members in Northern Ireland had to act. From 8am 6 March, about 2,000 junior doctors walked out on strike for 24 hours as they call for restoration of pay to 2008 levels in real terms, with an above-inflation uplift this year to stem the immediate workforce crisis read more
HCSA
HCSA junior doctors announce five-day strike in February (9 Feb) – Junior doctors from HCSA – the hospital doctors’ union will strike for five days across England in February in the latest step in their pay dispute. This follows the government’s ongoing failure to address pay erosion, which has seen junior doctors’ pay fall by more than a quarter since 2008. Junior doctors will walk out from 7am on Saturday 24th February until 7am on Thursday 29th February read more
NEU
NEU launches independent school support staff campaign (27 Apr) – Support staff are the backbone of every school, yet often taken for granted. As the biggest union in the independent sector NEU will use our strength to organise and campaign for support staff in the sector read more
Cathedral School Llandaff using agency workers during strike (12 Mar) – NEU Cymru considers legal action over CSL’s shock use of agency staff. Today (12th March) as teachers from the school again take to the picket line outside the Cathedral School Llandaff this morning, NEU Cymru is shocked to learn that CSL is using an agency to put on revision classes – a clear legal breach read more
Support the following strikes:-
City Academy / Bristol (Conditions of Service) 30 April – 1 May Michaela Wilde
LV Ascot School / Bracknell (TPS & Victimisation of Rep) 30 April – 1 May Paul Tatum [email protected]
Canary Wharf College / Tower Hamlets (Conditions of Service) 30 April – 2 May Lucy Preston [email protected]
St Edward’s College / Liverpool (Conditions of Service) 30 April – 2 May Peter Glover
St Mary’s School Ascot / Windsor & Maidenhead (TPS) 30 April – 2 May Elaine Hurrell [email protected]
St Francis Hill Community Primary School / Lincs (Conditions of Service) 1 May Ken Rustidge [email protected]
Tring Park School for the Performing Arts / Herts (TPS) 1 May [email protected]
Bedford Greenacre Independent School / Bedford (TPS) 1-2 May Deidre Murphy
Claremont School / East Sussex (Redundancies) 1-2 May Phil Clarke [email protected]
Windermere School / Cumbria (TPS) 1-2 May Andy Brewerton [email protected] Yvonne Craig
St Ursula’s Convent Secondary School / Greenwich (Victimisation of Rep)
3 May Tim Woodcock [email protected]
NASUWT
NASUWT response to attack at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (24 Apr) – Commenting on the attack that took place today at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “It is extremely distressing to learn that an attack has taken place at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman. Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary, and it will be of the utmost concern for every teacher whenever that sense of safety and security has been broken. No teacher should have to fear being assaulted at work, and everything that can be done must be done to ensure the safety of staff and pupils. Staff and pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman will be very much in our thoughts at this difficult time.” Read more
Strike stalemate as redundancy plan continues (22 Apr) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union will take further strike action at Llangors Church in Wales Primary School on 23rd, 24th and 25th April over concerns with management, governance, working conditions and redundancy. Strikes already took place on 10th, 17th and 18th April. Despite numerous attempts by NASUWT to solve the dispute, there has been no further engagement from school leadership or Powys County Council. NASUWT is especially concerned that the school continues to issue misleading communications to parents. Contrary to recent communications, the redundancy process at the school has not been paused; it has merely been delayed by eight days. A redundancy announcement is now expected on 24th April. The proposed redundancy at Llangors CiW Primary will likely result in six separate year groups being amalgamated into five larger mixed age year groups, which presents a number of disadvantages to both teachers and pupils. Parents have shared their dismay over this arrangement on social media, with over 600 signing a petition to halt the redundancy process read more
Teachers to strike at Lincoln school over bullying concerns (22 Apr) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School in Lincoln will begin strike action this week over bullying and adverse management practices. The first planned day of industrial action will take place on Wednesday 24th April and further days are planned for the 1st and 2nd May. NASUWT members have endured a pattern of bullying that has affected the health, safety and welfare of teachers. Strike action is the last resort to restore a safe and supportive atmosphere to the school read more
Employer intransigence prompts further strike action at Ascot school (17 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at St Mary’s School in Ascot are taking the first of six further days of strike action today over attempts to downgrade their pensions. This follows an initial day of strike action in March. Teachers are facing the forcible withdrawal of their pensions from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) to an inferior Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Teachers have been told that if they do not accept the transfer of their pensions, they will be dismissed from their jobs and reengaged on new contracts which include the DC pension arrangements read more
Norfolk teachers strike to protect their pensions (16 Apr) – Teachers at Aurora Eccles and Aurora Whitehouse schools in Norfolk are taking strike action after their employer threatened to remove them from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) under threat of being sacked. The Aurora Group runs publically funded schools for children and young people with special needs. The DFE have fully funded councils to pay for increased employer contributions to the TPS and the council has passed this funding onto Aurora. Aurora are however choosing to keep this money instead of passing it on to teachers, which means that teachers would be forced to move to a cheaper, inferior pension scheme. The employer has repeatedly refused to negotiate with the NASUWT, causing great distress to our members. They are left with no action but to take strike action this week and in the coming weeks to protect their pensions and their livlehoods. Further strike action is planned for Tuesday 23 April, Wednesday 24 April and Thursday 25 April read more
Teachers at Boston school strike for a safe working environment (16 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Haven High Academy in Boston are due to begin the first of six days of strike action on Wednesday over adverse management practices, including the failure of the employer to put in place adequate measures to deal with poor pupil behaviour. Teachers at the school feel they are being left vulnerable to abuse and violence from pupils due to a lack of consistent sanctions for students and support from management to manage pupil behaviour read more
Teachers at Chester college strike over pensions attack (15 Apr) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Abbey Gate College in Chester are taking a further five planned days of strike action, starting tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. The employer is attempting to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior Defined Contribution scheme. If teachers choose to remain in the TPS they must accept a reduced salary. Teachers took an initial day of strike action last month read more
Nursery school staff strike over restructure (26 Mar) – A strike will take place at Eastwood Nursery School in Wandsworth on Wednesday 27th March after the employer proposed a restructure that threatens to move two nursery provisions to one site with only one qualified member of staff on duty each day. Further days of strike action are planned for 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th and 25th April read more
Lecturers in Northern Ireland vote to reject pay offer (20 Mar) – Lecturer members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union have voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer for Northern Ireland’s Further Education Lecturers. Lecturers had been awarded 5% plus an unconsolidated payment of £1500. 87% of NASUWT members voted in favour of rejecting the offer, with a turnout of 63%. 71% said they were prepared to take further strike action and 93% said that they were prepared to take further action short of strike action. The NASUWT National Action Committee will now consider the results of the member survey before deciding on the union’s next steps read more
Pension threats prompt strike action at Newcastle school (18 Mar) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Dame Allan’s Schools in Fenham are taking the first of six planned days of strike action tomorrow over attempts to downgrade their pensions. Teachers are facing the forcible withdrawal of their pensions from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) to an inferior Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, which will pay out less in retirement. Teachers have been told that if they do not accept the transfer of their pensions, they will be dismissed from their jobs and reengaged on new contracts which include the DC pension arrangements. We do not accept that there is any financial necessity for the school to undermine teachers’ financial security in this way read more
Tring Park School teachers take strike action over pension sabotage (12 Mar) – Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts have begun a series of strike days due to a dispute over their pensions. After being offered a pay rise below levels of inflation, teachers at Tring Park School have now been told that if they wish to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme – the standard scheme for teachers across England – they will need to take a pay cut in order to compensate for their employer’s contributions. Their only alternative is to move to a scheme of lower value. Strike action took place at Tring Park School on Tuesday 12th March and will take place again on Wednesday 13th March. Further days are planned on 19th, 20th and 21st March read more
Teachers at Chetham’s School of Music to strike over attempts to downgrade pensions (26 Feb) – Members of NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester are starting the first five planned days of strike action tomorrow (Tuesday) over attempts to make teachers choose between their pension or their pay. Chethams, which is the UK’s largest specialist music school, is attempting to remove staff from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and enrol them in an inferior Defined Contribution scheme. If teachers choose to remain in the TPS they must accept a reduced salary read more
NAHT
NAHT responds to incident at school in Wales (24 Apr) – Commenting following the incident at a school in Carmarthenshire today, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone in the Ysgol Dyffryn Aman school community after today’s shocking and traumatic events. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further until more information has been shared through the appropriate channels.” Read more
EIS
EIS-FELA Members Begin Programme of Rolling Strike Action (12 Apr) – The EIS FELA is set to begin a programme of rolling strike action in a long running dispute over pay. This marks a further escalation in the pay dispute, where members of the EIS-FELA have been taking action short of strike since the middle of February. This is in addition to a national day of strike action and six days of targeted strike action within the parliamentary constituency areas of key Scottish Government Ministers read more
INTO
Advice to members re: Working Practices in schools (22 Apr) – BULLETIN 2 – Restoration of Working Practices – this bulletin supersedes Bulletin 1 Restoration of Working Practices. Please click HERE to view
UCU
Staff at Myerscough College win pay rise of up to 12.8% (18 Apr) – Workers at Myerscough College, in Lancashire, have won a huge pay rise following strike action and talks at Acas. UCU members at Myerscough only won recognition at the college last year making this year the first time it has had to bargain with the union. UCU said the pay deal is the best staff have seen in years, showing the importance of unionising read more
Staff at North East college group renew strike mandate with yes vote (18 Apr) – Staff at five colleges in Cleveland, Redcar and Stockton-on-Tees have again voted to strike renewing their mandate to take action. An overwhelming 94% of members who voted said yes to strike action in a ballot that with a turnout that beat the anti-trade union threshold of 50%. The strike vote is the latest escalation in the long running dispute over the 22/23 pay award. It comes after staff took six days of strike action and rejected employer Education Training Collective’s (ETC) latest offer. This did not include any improvement on pay and was limited to an extra two “wellbeing days” and additional points on the lecturer and course leader pay scales starting on Thursday 1 August 2024. ETC’s position on pay remains that it wants staff to accept a paltry increase of just 3% for 22/23, with an additional 1% from May 2023. ETC, which runs Bede Sixth Form College, NETA Training Group, Stockton Riverside College, The Skills Academy, and Redcar and Cleveland College, has over £6 million in the bank, and in 2022, over £300k went to college principals read more
Strike threat at University of Lincoln as over 220 staff face the axe (18 Apr) – Staff at the University of Lincoln are poised to take a stand against brutal cuts. A consultation over potential strike action is set to begin Monday. The looming threat targets over 220 employees, including one in ten academic staff. Cuts include the phasing out of the fashion degree and ending specialist support for widening participation students in the foundation studies centre. The centre’s teaching team have been notified their jobs are at risk read more
University of Kent staff vote to strike over course closure “bonfire” as VC quits (5 Apr) – Staff at the University of Kent have backed strike action in defence of jobs. The result comes as the person in charge of the cuts, vice-chancellor Karen Cox, announces she will step down in May, before they are even implemented. An overwhelming 85% of UCU members who voted said yes to strike action in a ballot with a turnout of 57%. The vote comes after 58 staff were placed at risk of redundancy as part of a programme that would see courses closed across the university read more
Strike ballot at Sheffield Hallam over “scandalous” cuts programme (5 Apr) – A strike ballot will open on Monday 15 April at Sheffield Hallam University, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today. UCU has accused the university of pushing ahead with expensive building projects while launching a wholesale attack on staff and students through an unprecedented cuts programme, severely breaching the post-92 contract and national framework, and attacking on working conditions read more
Goldsmiths marking boycott set to begin this month over “brutal” sackings (5 Apr) – The University and College Union (UCU) today confirmed staff at Goldsmiths University will begin a marking boycott on Friday 19 April over plans to sack more than one in six academic staff. The boycott will cover all marking and assessment, including in writing, online, or verbally. It will also include any assessment-related work such as exam invigilation and the administrative processing of marks. UCU warned that graduations will be impacted unless the university resolves the dispute by halting its plans to cut over 130 jobs. Alongside the boycott, UCU members will take other forms of industrial action including working to rule and boycotting processes related to management’s “transformation programme” of cuts. The boycott follows an overwhelming vote for industrial action against the cuts, which would see more than a third of academics axed in the 11 affected departments in the schools of arts & humanities; culture & society; and professional studies, science & technology read more
Goldsmiths staff vote to strike over “incomprehensible” bonfire of jobs (28 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today announced staff at Goldsmiths University have overwhelmingly voted to take industrial action in a fight to stop the sacking of more than one in 6 academic staff at the institution read more
Staff consulted on industrial action at University of Portsmouth over planned job cuts (27 Mar) – The University and College Union (UCU) today confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Portsmouth, as the union starts a consultation of its members. 398 academic staff are to be put at risk of redundancy, as part of University of Portsmouth’s “academic reset” programme that management says is necessary due to recruitment challenges and increased costs read more
Strike threat at University of Winchester over ‘catastrophic’ job cull (14 Mar) – UCU confirmed strike action could be on the cards at the University of Winchester after its members voted to consult over taking industrial action at a packed meeting last Friday. Staff have been put at risk of redundancy in changes that would see the university close its English language programme; institute for climate and social justice; centre for religion, reconciliation and peace; and managed housing, and see cuts to psychology, acting and apprenticeships. The university claims it needs to make the cuts due to a £6m structural deficit. There are 40 jobs planned to go in the current phase, with fears of further job cuts pending read more
Strike ballot at New College Durham over low pay (11 Mar) – UCU has opened a strike ballot at New College Durham in a dispute over low pay. The ballot will close on Monday 15 April and a successful result paves the way for strike action if the employer refuses to make a realistic offer. The ballot comes after staff voted to reject a paltry pay offer of 4% (from August 2023). According to its most recent accounts the college has over £9m in assets, a £2m increase on the year before, and is rated as having outstanding financial health by the government’s Education and Skills Funding Agency, yet UCU’s research shows it spends less of its income on pay than any other college in the region read more
Outrage over ‘callous’ fire & rehire threat at SOAS (29 Feb) – UCU has launched an indicative ballot on taking strike action at SOAS, University of London over fire and rehire plans that place 34 staff at risk of losing their jobs and being rehired on worse terms and conditions. The cuts would eliminate all term time English-language and study skills support for international students. The indicative ballot runs until Wednesday 6 March and a successful result paves the way for an industrial ballot and strike action if SOAS management refuses to rule out compulsory redundancies read more
Aberdeen University staff overwhelmingly back industrial action in row over modern languages cuts and job losses (7 Feb) – Staff at the University of Aberdeen have today backed strikes in a dispute over plans to end single-honours degrees in modern languages and put 30 staff at risk of redundancy. In the ballot of UCU Scotland members, 80% of those who voted backed strike action on a turnout of 60%. On 30 November, the same day that the Scottish Government launched its Scottish languages bill, the university announced a consultation with proposals to end single honours degrees in French, Gaelic, German, and Spanish; to end both single and joint honours degrees; or to end all language degree programmes. At the time, amidst widespread criticism, UCU general secretary Jo Grady called the proposals ‘academic vandalism’ read more
UCU fighting fund: the link is here and donations to the fund are spent on supporting members involved in important disputes.
FBU
Firefighters win 4% pay offer and advances on maternity following talks (26 Apr) – 4% headline pay offer 2024. Firefighters and fire control staff have been offered a package of pay improvements, including an above-inflation pay rise, improvements to maternity pay, and a large increase to the retainer paid to on-call firefighters. Pay negotiations have been underway at the National Joint Council (NJC) between the Fire Brigades Union and fire employers for some months read more
POA
Scotland: reporting on the Scottish pay deal (23 Apr) – It took a long time to reach agreement, but it was worth the wait. It took an extraordinary length of time to get the pay deal over the line, delays that frustrated the membership and the SNC, delays due to negotiations back and forth between the TUS and SPS. During this time, we also had two separate ballots for POAS members to vote on the pay deal and a ballot on whether or not to take strike action. The membership eventually voted 77% in favour of accepting the deal, and in my opinion it was worth the wait, considering that the first offer from Scottish Government was a 3.5% one-year deal but this was unacceptable to the constituent unions that form the TUS read more
Circ 018: National Chair Update March 2024 here
NAPO
TUC Black Women and Sexual Harassment Advisory Group – survey (26 Apr) – The TUC Black Women and Sexual Harassment Advisory Group working alongside Queen Mary University, has launched a survey to gather data on Black women’s experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace. Please see this letter which outlines who the survey is aimed at, further details of the project and how participants can access the survey read more
Update on One HMPPS Joint Trade Union Dispute (26 Apr) – Napo alongside our sister Trade Unions, UNISON and GMB, registered a further dispute on the OneHMMPS initiative on the 15 Feb 2024. The panel met on the 9th April to hear the dispute. We made progress in a number of areas. However, the panel was split on whether to agree to a pause and a reconsideration of the matching process. It fell to the Chair of the panel to make a decision and sadly the chair decided no to a pause and changing the matching process read more
Unions press management for clarity on the use of the JES process (19 Apr) – The Probation unions are currently in urgent engagement with senior Probation management following receipt of a substantial number of communications from our Programme Facilitator members on the Job Evaluation (JES) appeal (trade union) result read more
Re-open the Pay Award (11 Apr) – Joint Probation Trade Union Statement: Back in June 2023, the trade unions submitted a claim to the Probation Service to re-open the current 3 year pay award considering the cost-of-living crisis. We had been told during the negotiations over the 3 year pay offer that re-opening the pay award in this way would be possible read more
BFAWU
Support the campaign to unionise Samworth Brothers – get organised, sign the petition read more
BALPA
Bristow helicopters pilots in BALPA to strike in pay dispute (20 Feb) – The British Airline Pilots’ Association has given notice to Bristow Helicopters that it will call on its members to strike in March. BALPA has been in negotiation with the company for months, but Bristow has failed to put forward any offer that its pilots and tech crew could support read more
Nautilus International
Officers at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vote for strike action (5 Apr) – RFA employees have faced a real terms pay cut of over 30% since 2010. Nautilus International members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted strongly in favour of industrial action. The ballot followed the rejection by members of a 4.5% pay offer for 2023 that fell far below the rate of inflation. Since 2010, RFA employees have faced real terms pay cut of over 30%, beyond other blue light services, leading to significant challenges in recruitment and retention and low morale across the workforce read more
NUJ
RTÉ should not be held to ransom in order to secure funding, says NUJ (23 Apr) – The union has urged the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports, and Media to expedite publication of the expert reports on RTÉ and to end the uncertainty over the funding of public service broadcasting in Ireland read more
NUJ’s campaign for recognition at PA moves to next stage (19 Apr) – Central Arbitration Committee makes decision. The NUJ’s long-running campaign for recognition for editorial staff at PA Media has taken another step forward. The union’s application to negotiate in an organised way on important issues like pay moved to the next stage following a ruling by the Central Arbitration Committee, the independent body responsible for determining union recognition read more
NUJ agrees to postpone tomorrow’s STV strike following pay negotiations (15 Apr) – Day of action on hold pending further talks. Following extensive talks today aimed at resolving the current pay dispute at STV the NUJ has agreed to postpone tomorrow’s planned strike (Tues 16th April) pending talks resuming later this week. The scheduled strike day of 1st May which coincides with STV’s shareholder AGM, is still in place. It follows a successful strike on 28 March at various sites across Scotland read more
Equity
Equity shares evidence with the United Nations on the UKs treatment of disabled people: damning report published (25 Apr) – Equity member Natalie Amber and Emma Cotton, Social Security and Tax Officer, gave evidence to the UN’s Committee on the Rights of Disabled People on the impact of welfare reform read more
Stop the scapegoating: the truth behind UK Government’s attack on ‘sick note culture’ (25 Apr) – Rishi Sunak’s recent attack on ‘sick note culture’ doesn’t add up. Read our analysis by experts in Equity’s Social Security and Tax team on the reality behind his words read more
Community
“This Isn’t Over” – Community responds to Tata’s rejection of Multi-Union Plan (25 Apr) – Community has blasted Tata Steel’s decision to reject the Multi-Union Plan for Port Talbot – the credible alternative to the company’s bad deal for steel. A delegation of Tata Steel executives informed steel unions of their decision at a meeting today, outlining that they would be rejecting the plan – which had been endorsed by industry experts, the Labour Party, and MSs from all political parties in the Senedd – on cost grounds read more
Community presses Tata Steel to adopt expert-backed Multi-Union Plan ahead of crucial talks (24 Apr) – Community is pressing Tata Steel UK to scrap its bad deal for steel and commit to the alternative Multi-Union Plan ahead of crucial talks with the company this week read more
Community ballots for industrial action at Tata Steel (11 Apr) – Community is urging members to take a stand in support of the steel industry as we launches our ballot for industrial action at Tata Steel UK today. We are balloting members in response to Tata’s bad deal for steel, a proposal which would remove the UK’s virgin steelmaking capacity and result in the loss of thousands of steel jobs. The bulk of the job losses would be at Port Talbot and Llanwern, with further losses at Trostre and other downstream sites across the UK read more
MP shows support for Llanwern steelworkers (19 Apr) – Newport East MP Jessica Morden met with Tata Steel members in Newport today to show her support for the steel industry. Jessica Morden was joined at the meeting by Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary of Community Union; Alasdair McDiarmid, Assistant General Secretary of Community Union; and Alun Davies, Community’s National Officer for Steel. Community, which represents the vast majority of Tata Steel workers impacted by the company’s decarbonisation strategy, is currently balloting its members at Llanwern, Port Talbot and downstream sites on industrial action. The planned course of action is in response to Tata’s bad deal for steel, which would cut thousands of jobs in the steel industry across South Wales and remove Britain’s capability to produce primary steel read more
USDAW
Usdaw members at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon start industrial action over pay on Sunday, which could impact B&Q stores (22 Mar) – Members of the retail distribution union Usdaw at a GXO distribution centre in Swindon, which operates a B&Q contract, are starting a 48-hour strike over pay, starting at 2pm on Sunday 24 March 2024. Over 100 drivers and clerical staff are set to take part in the action read more
UVW
Cleaners descend on the Dorchester hotel over the sacking of Peruvian cloak room attendant (9 Apr) – “I want my job back. I want my reputation back. I did nothing wrong. I don’t deserve this treatment. I’m not scared and I want justice” – Teresa Calixto, sacked cleaner and UVW member. On Saturday 6 April, over 50 members and supporters of UVW descended on The Dorchester Hotel in central London to protest against the callous and, we believe, unlawful sacking of our fellow UVW member Teresa, a former cloakroom attendant at the five-star hotel. Teresa Calixto, a migrant cleaner from Peru, was subjected to seven hearings over five months, assaulted at work and asked to work through Christmas without a break before being sacked for trivial issues. She was paid poverty wages. Teresa is bringing legal proceedings against The Dorchester for unfair dismissal read more
Cleaners at the Department for Education launch second strike ballot over equality (28 Mar) – “No sick pay, too much work, no proper holiday cover. We are treated with disdain and we are fed up and stressed but united in our resolve. We can’t wait for our ballot papers” – Gloria Mancera, cleaner of 18 years service at DfE, and UVW member. The brave United Voices of the World (UVW) members who clean the Department for Education (DfE) have had enough of being ignored by their bosses and treated like second class citizens. Yesterday they instructed UVW to launch their second strike ballot in a year over parity of terms and conditions with civil servants read more
IWGB
Workers at debt charity vote to strike following “aggressive intimidation” from management (8 Mar) – Frontline workers at the debt advice charity Rooted Finance will down tools later this month after their ballot to strike passed with a 100% yes vote. The decision to walk out on March 18 and 19 follows what workers have described as “anti-union and intimidatory tactics” from management read more
Find out more about the couriers’ strikes on the X/twitter of the IWGB Couriers’ branch @IWGB_CLB
SIPTU (Ireland)
SIPTU condemns lack of clarity on job losses and irregular contracts at RTÉ (24 Apr) – SIPTU representatives have condemned a lack of clarity concerning proposed job losses and the continued use of irregular contracts of employment at RTÉ, ahead of an appearance before the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports, and Media today to discuss the future of the national broadcaster read more
Other news
WOR BELLA – the incredible story of heroic women footballers during WW1. An out-of-town run at the Bread and Roses Theatre, Clapham, before transferring to the prestigious 1200-seat Newcastle Theatre Royal in April. The play features a to-camera cameo by Alan Shearer.
The fantastic women footballers (worldwide) of all ages today stand on the shoulders of these incredible, heroic working class women from over a century ago (before women’s football was banned by the FA in 1921).
www.worbella.co.uk Google: “Wor Bella ed waugh”.
These are the trailers (to date) for the play.
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
Affiliate with 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
Fight blacklisting and victimisation of union reps
Hazards urgently need our support
Many workers were blacklisted because they raised complaints about health and safety or took on the role of a union safety rep. So when our blacklisting campaign was first starting back in 2009, Hazards magazine set up the Blacklist Blog on their website. Alongside our FaceBook page it is the go to online resource for what our campaign has achieved over the past 13 years. www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Hazards is now in financial difficulty and needs the support of the union movement. Its major funding stream has vanished almost overnight. The magazine and the Hazards centres around the country need union branches or official unions to take out a regular subscription to keep the union movement’s flagship safety magazine in operation. If you or your union committee can afford it, please support Hazards:
PCS rep in Newcastle sacked by HMRC (5 Apr) – Gordon Askew was sacked by HMRC on grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse following strike action taken by the branch. HMRC management at Benton Park View in Newcastle have sacked Gordon Askew, a member of the branch executive committee, on the grounds of ‘potential’ computer misuse. PCS members at Benton Park View, alongside HMRC East Kilbride, took part in targeted strike action last year, as well as their members taking part in the three national days of strike action. Following the strike action, the department launched an investigation into two Newcastle-based representatives. The charge against Gordon was a ‘potential’ breach of the department’s IT policy; arising from a Microsoft Teams message sent to a number of PCS members, relating to strike action. The department’s decision maker claimed that Microsoft Teams had been used “without a legitimate business reason”. A second rep is on a similar charge. We understand the decision maker said that they had considered a lesser penalty, but had decided to sack the rep because he didn’t appear to be sorry enough for what he had done. This was despite him having nearly thirty years of spotless service to the department. PCS is discussing next steps with our Legal Department read more
Construction blacklisting: Evidence sought in union officials’ collusion inquiry (11 Apr) – Unite, the UK’s leading union, is stepping up its search for information into the possible collusion by trade union officials into the blacklisting of construction workers. In April 2022 Unite established an independent inquiry into allegations that some union officials may have colluded with the blacklisting of construction workers. Unite has instructed a legal team of Nick Randall KC (Matrix Chambers), John Carl Townsend (33 Chancery Lane Chambers) and Paul Heron from (Public Interest Law Centre), to examine and investigate whether any union officials from Unite or its predecessor unions (T&G, UCATT, Amicus, AEEU or MSF), were involved in the blacklisting of construction workers. The inquiry is now entering its next stage and an online portal has been launched to allow anyone who has any information relating to the inquiry to submit information read more
Builders Crack: The Movie
In the current situation, this long lost film from the 1990s about rank and file union organising in the construction industry is intended to lift the spirits, but also to spark a debate in our movement. Hope the youngsters in this film put a smile on your face.
Watch – Share – Discuss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VZ-QMA1FMg
Blacklist Support Group
Book: http://newint.org/books/politics/blacklisted-secret-war/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcgrNs6pB8
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklist-SG/
Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog
Blacklist Support Group financial appeal: the Blacklist support group is desperately short of funds, to continue the incredible work we need more finance, would you please consider making a donation, raise it at your branches and trade councils. Please make cheques payable to Joint sites committee and send to 70 Darnay Rise Chelmsford Essex CM1 4XA. Please forward onto your contacts many thanks Steve Kelly (JSC Treasurer)
Blacklisted t-shirts available at: https://shop.hopenothate.org.uk/component/hikashop/product/78-blacklisted-t-shirt
Keep an eye out for other Facebook and social media groups and pages that are being created. You can catch up on disputes at Strike Map UK. Also, check out Organise Now! – Support for new worker organising.
International
(From NUJ) Russia: Journalists Antonina Favorskaya and Olga Komleva detained on charges of extremism (9 Apr) read more
(From NUJ) Pakistan: Prominent exiled Afghan journalist shot in Islamabad read more
Solidarity with the striking textile workers at Ozak in Turkey – read more on Twitter of Solidarity with the People of Turkey @spotturkey
Diary
2024
June
22 NSSN Conference 2024 – 11am Conway Hall, Holborn, London
CONTACT US
PHONE 07952 283 558
EMAIL mailto:[email protected]
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/NSSN_AntiCuts
FACEBOOK NSSN GROUP or STOP The CUTS Likes page
ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE
