NSSN 184 – Join POA march against austerity on Budget Day

The POA prison officers union will be holding a march and rally on the 19th March 2014 to coincide with Budget Day in order to demonstrate at the budget cuts, pay freeze, pension age, assaults on POA members and privatisation. In recent years, budget cuts have seen the Prison Service impose an almost total recruitment freeze alongside pay freezes. These factors along with the unjustified increase in pension contributions are leading a return to “long hours culture” as POA members are forced to work excessive hours to operate prisons and to earn a living wage with a rising prison population. As a result, more and more staff are being forced off work with work related stress due to excessive workloads, which is leading to burnout.

Whilst it is accepted that people in society are living longer, it cannot be said that operational staff will continue to be fit enough to perform the full range of duties, including the ability to undertake and pass five elements of the fitness test in addition to annual mandatory Control and Restraint training. The POA do not believe the Coalition Government has demonstrated that Prison Officer Grades, those that work in our Special hospitals, or immigration centres can work to the age of 68 years.

The POA are adamant that it should not be our members picking up the pieces as they did not wreck the economy this wreckage of the global economy was caused by bankers’ greed and the spivs and speculators gambling with casino style recklessness with our money. The POA will be using the march and demonstration on the 19th March 2014 as a foundation for an ongoing campaign up to the next general election.

Details of the march are: leading off from Trafalgar Square at 10.00am past Whitehall to the Central Methodist Hall where a rally will commence at 11.00am with Members of Parliament, and trade unionists speaking. Join the POA in a march and rally against the cuts.

Steve Gillan General Secretary POA

 

For other budget day protests around the country – see False Economy and  People’s Assembly  

 

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. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE. Affiliation letter here

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 Linda on [email protected]

The 8th Annual NSSN Conference will be on Saturday 5th July in Conway Hall – 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL – delegate/visitor fee £6. Speakers include Ronnie Draper BFAWU bakers’ union general secretary here

 

 

Union News

 

RMT

Tubeworker John Reid victimized over February strike (March 14) – John Reid, President of the RMT’s London Transport regional council, has been suspended from his work pending investigation following a complaint against him made while he was carrying out his lawful duties on the picket line in the February strike to defend jobs and ticket offices read more

RMT on the death of Tony Benn (14 March) – RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary Mick Cash said; “RMT is deeply saddened by the death of our close comrade Tony Benn. Wherever members of our union were engaged in struggle it was a matter of course that Tony Benn would be standing at their shoulder read more

 

GMB

Ealing Hospital Strike Against Race To Bottom (March 14) – ability of decent firms to provide proper public services hamstrung by under-funding that is part of ideologically driven race to the bottom. 150 outsourced members starting a further seven days at Ealing Hospital today against race to the bottom are paid  44% below the lowest comparable NHS rate in London of £9.09 per hour read more   Photo of NSSN supporting strike

Support striking Ealing Hospital workers read more on NSSN website

 

NUT

March 26th national Nut strike see NUT website for latest news

London NUT pre-strike rally on Wednesday March 19th at NUT HQ Hamilton House at 5.30pm

London March 26th Strike-Day Demonstration and Rally – Assemble 11:30amDuchess Street, London W1A. Next to BBC Broadcasting House: nearest tubes Oxford Circus or Regents Park. March at 12 noon via Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus to rally at Central Hall Westminster

 

Unite

Unite calls for ‘meaningful talks’ on pay with Hunt (14 March) – Unite would be prepared to take up Jeremy Hunt’s offer of talks on NHS pay – but only if they were ‘meaningful’. Unite said that it had never had such angry feedback from its members, following yesterday’s (Thursday) announcement on pay, which means that 600,000 NHS employees will receive no cost of living pay rise on 1 April. Unite pointed out that the RPI rate of inflation was running at 2.8 per cent read more

 

BFAWU

National Fast Food Rights Day of Action announced for March 29th to coincide with Youth Fight for Jobs campaign against zero-hour contracts BFAWU   Youth Fight for Jobs      Fast Food Rights  

 

PCS

National Gallery staff say join our campaign: Defend the Arts, Don’t cut jobs & conditions, Pay the living wage – JOIN THE PROTEST At Exhibition Preview, Tuesday 18 March 6pm National Gallery Trafalgar Square WC2. Called by PCS and Prospect National Gallery branches

 

Unison

UNISON condemns Carmarthen council for removal of trade union secondments (March 14) – see Unison website for more

 

UCU

UCLan strikes cancelled as university agrees to conciliation talks (17 March) – UCU has agreed to suspend strike action planned for today (Monday) and Tuesday 18 March at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) following an agreement by the university to enter into conciliation talks with UCU about proposed changes to staff terms and conditions, as well as the decision not to proceed with any compulsory redundancies read more

 

 

 

Other News

International Workers Memorial Day – April 28th

REMEMBER THE DEAD FIGHT FOR THE LIVING

Fight the attacks by this coalition on Workers Health and Safety

After decades of Blacklisting thousands of workers many for speaking out over Safety not a single apology has been issued !

Just to let people know that the last organising meeting for IWMD took place on the day of torrential rains and the Tube strike and many people couldn’t get there.

So far confirmed speakers Steve Murphy Gen/Sec UCATT . Gail Cartmail Ass/Gen/Sec UNITE. speaker from London Hazards and Tony O’Brian . Construction Safety Campaign. A Piper will play a Lament to those Workers who have lost there lives at work.

The follow up meeting is planned for this Thursday 6pm. Leigh Day offices 76-86 Turnmill Street EC1.

This is 3 minutes from Farringdon road tube stn.

If people are attending could they let Paul know at the London Hazards centre so we know numbers please.

Paul  02075275107  or Email – LHCMail<[email protected]>.

Hope to see you there Pete Farrell Chair CSC / London Hazards.

 

 

Blacklisting & Victimisation

The true cost of an industrial accident by Stewart Hume, electrician and Unite activist (March 14) – On 1 February 2014, a National Rank and File meeting was held in Glasgow. One of the guest speakers was Louise Taggart from the Scottish Hazards and FACK (Families Against Corporate Killers) campaigns who gave a really moving health and safety presentation around fatalities in the workplace. She spoke in detail about her own personal experience of when her brother who was an electrician was electrocuted and killed at his work and how it affected her family read more

Commons committee says ‘blacklist the blacklisters’ (March 14) – Blacklisting firms jeopardise workplace safety, should be banned from publicly funded contracts and their victims should be compensated, MPs have said.  The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee also paid tribute to the activists of the Blacklisting Support Group for exposing the injustice. The damning 14 March 2014 report of the committee’s investigation into the blacklisting scandal says that just ending blacklisting is not enough read more

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70

Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

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

 

 

 

International (also see Labourstart)

Turkey: Solidarity Appeal – Justice for Berkin Elvan – The AKP government in Turkey has continued its violence against trade unions political parties and social groups. This was graphically demonstrated in the attacks against mourners at the funeral of Berkin Elvan. Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT), an organisation supported by the NSSN has issued an appeal for solidarity with those facing state violence and intimidation. Please take the time to read the covering letter and leaflet below. Messages of protest can be sent to the email addresses listed on the leaflet details here

 

Diary (see & use false economy)

March

22 Stand Up Against Racism and Fascism demonstration – Assemble 11.00 am @ Parliament Square. Parade from parliament Square to the rally in Trafalgar Square

26 Battersea & Wandsworth TUC organized Action for Rail public meeting @ 19:30 in the PCS HQ (160 Falcon Road, London, SW11 2LN)

29 Uniform Day

April

2 Visteon/Ford pensioners 5th anniversary march – 10.45 Assemble outside Unite House, Theobalds Road, Holborn, 11.00 Speeches, 11.30 March to Parliament Square, 12.30 Speeches and meet MP’s

28 Workers’ Memorial Day visit TUC website for info about events    Hazards magazine

June

21 Hurrah for the Luddites: challenging the myths about Luddism – 2-4pm at the Red Shed, Vicarage Street, Wakefield WF1.

The event is about seeing the Luddites in their proper historical context.  Contrary to myth, they weren’t a bunch of head bangers.  Luddism was a genuine social movement made up of normal working people fighting for justice.  They had immense support, were well organised and for a time were immensely successful.  Come along and hear more about the true Luddites!

Speakers are:

Ken Rowley: Ken is a former Vice President of the National Union of Mineworkers.  He is a member of the Wakefield Socialist History Group.  He has spoken widely on the Luddites and their West Yorkshire connections to both the University of the Third Age and to local history groups.

Shaun Cohen: Shaun is a member of the Ford-Maguire Society.  The Society is named after two notable Leeds socialist pioneers Isabella Ford and Tom Maguire.  Shaun’s particular interest is the radical history of Leeds.  He has researched widely into the Luddite revolutionary tradition.

Admission to the event is free and there will be a free buffet.

Fraternally

Alan Stewart

Convenor, Wakefield Socialist History Group

01924 360565

July

5 8th Annual NSSN Conference – Conway Hall – 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

12 Durham Miners Gala 2014 visit Durham Miners’ Association official website

18-20 Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival – Tolpuddle, near Dorchester, Dorset visit Tolpuddle Martyrs museum

October

18 TUC demonstration in London – ‘Britain Needs a Pay Rise’. It will begin with a march through central London, culminating in a rally in Hyde Park read more

 

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