Video: NSSN lobby of the TUC
April 25, 2013 in Reports
NSSN 7th annual conference
March 14, 2013 in Bulletins
11am-5pm, Saturday June 29th, Camden Centre, Judd Street, London, WC1H 9JE Speakers include Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, Billy Hayes, CWU general secretary and Steve Gillan, POA general secretary The NSSN was initiated by the RMT transport union in 2006. Seven national unions – RMT, PCS, CWU, NUM, POA, NUJ, and BFAWU – are either affiliated to the NSSN or officially support it as well as countless union branches, shop stewards committees and trades councils. We support workers in struggle as well as those facing victimisation for the crime of defending their members from the employer’s attacks. The conference will include [...]
Bulletin 142 2013 – The brutal reality of the Bedroom Tax & Fighting back
May 16, 2013 in Bulletins, Reports, Strikes
This week the impact of the brutal Bedroom Tax had tragic consequences. We pass on our sympathy and condolences to the family. On the eve of PCS conference, a rep from the union argues for the unions to be at the fore in the battle against this hated tax and the whole austerity programme: The Conservative-Liberal Democrat government has unleashed a brutal war on the historic social gains of the working class in Britain. Attacks on welfare provision – such as the Bedroom Tax – display the cold cruelty of the British ruling class. Since 1 April, 660,000 social housing [...]
NSSN Bulletin 141 – ‘we can’t sit back and wait for 2015′
May 9, 2013 in Bulletins
NSSN ebulletin 141 ‘We can’t sit back and wait for 2015’ The results of last week’s shire council elections have dealt a clear blow to the Con/Dem Coalition’s austerity juggernaut, both parties losing seats in large numbers. However, the protest vote did not accrue overwhelmingly to the ‘official’ opposition – as has been the case in recent times. Rather, UKIP cut a sizeable slice of the protest vote, undoubtedly for its right-wing populism and dangerous immigration policy, trying to capitalise on real fears over jobs and housing. Trade unions and particularly their leading bodies should view this development with some [...]
No. 140 Mayday – Still fighting for a shorter working week!
May 3, 2013 in Bulletins
NSSN ebulletin 140 MAY DAY is the traditional celebration of international working-class solidarity. Its origins lie in great struggles in the late 19th century and the martyrdom of workers’ leaders executed in Chicago in 1887. DAVE NELLIST, a member of the NSSN anti-cuts committee, explains the fighting origins of May Day. As relevant today as it has been in the past. WORKERS HAD long struggled for shorter hours. In England women and children were granted the ten-hour day in 1847. French workers won the 12-hour day after the February 1848 revolution. In 1886 in America, 350,000 workers in more than [...]
Bulletin 139 – Time to get your diaries out..
April 24, 2013 in Bulletins, Reports, Strikes
We’re supposed to be in the age of declining unions but if the TUC calls a 24 hour general strike, the young, the unorganised and the unemployed will join the unions.” RMT General Secretary Bob Crow closed the NSSN lobby of today’s (April 24th) TUC General Council, which saw up to 200 union member and activists chant “Name the date for a general strike!” It was apt that POA prison officers’ union leader Steve Gillan also addressed the lobby. It was his union’s motion 5 to last September’s TUC conference that called on the unions to consider the “practicalities of [...]
Union members to lobby TUC to name the date for a general strike
April 23, 2013 in Press Releases
A union rank and file organisation will be lobbying the TUC General Council on April 24th for the TUC to name the date for a 24 hour general strike against the ConDem austerity offensive. As the Financial Times reports today (‘Unions split over call for 24 hour general strike’ – April 3rd), the leaders of the trade unions will be meeting this month to discuss the idea of a general strike. The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) which was iniated by the RMT in 2006, welcomes this debate but will be calling for them to set a date for such [...]
Stop the Blacklist @ Crossrail protest today
April 19, 2013 in Reports, Strikes
You can’t describe how NOISY this demo was but it was part of the right response to the ongoing bullying of sacked Unite Rep Frank Morris. Yesterday he was attacked by Security guards and today there was a big and noisy Unite turnout to raise the game. NSSN Rob williams and other steering committee members also attended to support it. And just when some of them (including blacklisters who are based at this place) thought that was it for the day… We all ended up at KIER in central London. A lot of excellent support from passers by and cars [...]
NHS in Wales under attack
April 19, 2013 in Reports
Mass action needed to save our health service ! This is the full article from theNSSN NHS Bulletin3-1which we have just produced for distribution. The Welsh government has major plans to reshape the NHS in Wales. By 2014/15 spending per head of the population on health in Wales will be lower than in any other part of Britain. The seven health boards in Wales are drawing up individual plans and five have got together to produce a ‘South Wales Plan’ that will cut the number of hospital beds, reduce the number of A&E units and specialise services in fewer hospitals. [...]
Fight the Ford Closure
April 19, 2013 in Reports
Ford’s closure plans have angered workers in East London. Workers from Ford’s Dagenham Stamping & Tooling Operations plant finished their night shift and descended on Ford’s UK headquarters as Unite convenors from around the country met management on 18 April for a Ford National Joint Negotiating Committee (FNJNC). A consultative ballot for strike action gained an 81% yes vote from the Unite tool makers at the plant, since Fords announced the closure of the plant and a strike ballot is now proceeding. Vince Passfield, Deputy Regional Secretary of Unite told the NSSN that Ford’s simultaneous closures of two UK plants [...]
No. 138 Wearing Red & Seeing Red – Lobby TUC
April 18, 2013 in Bulletins, Reports, Strikes
It’s sad when someone dies but it was difficult not to celebrate or mark the death of Thatcher yesterday by wearing red or with action and discussion. As Thatcher ended her life in the extortionately priced Ritz hotel in London, it was revealed that she had also been given huge amounts of our money. And whilst care, social services & our NHS, which many other elderly people will need and use particularly at the end of their life, are being hammered, it particularly rubs salt into the wounds. An estimated £10million was paid out for yesterday’s funeral when we have [...]
