NSSN 314: November 5 Libraries, Museums & Galleries demo

It’s the demonstration every Library & Museums campaigner has been calling for and now it’s on. It is supported by PCS, Unite and Unison. Public Libraries and Museums remain the lynchpin of communities, offering access to learning, reading, history, art, information and enjoyment. But since 2010, austerity policies meant that we have lost:

  • 8,000 paid and trained library workers;
  • 343 libraries (600-plus including ones handed to volunteers); and
  • One in five regional museums at least partially closed.

We’ve also seen:

  • Libraries’ and museums’ opening hours cut;
  • Budgets, education programmes and mobile/ housebound/specialist services slashed;
  • An escalation in commercialisation and privatisation;
  • A 93% increase in the use of volunteers in libraries;
  • Income generation become the priority for almost 80% of museums.

nov-5-library-demo

Support the protest on Saturday 5th November!

Assemble 12noon outside British Library

https://www.evensi.uk/national-libraries-museums-amp-galleries-demonstration-the/183822684

Barnet UNISON Library workers strike on 5th November

 

 

NSSN sends solidarity to the Orgreave truth and Justice Campaign after inquiry denied by Tories

The Battle of Orgreave gave the police the confidence to cover up what happened at Hillsborough, according to the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign. Home secretary Amber Rudd has announced there will be no inquiry into what happened at Orgreave. In 1984 thousands of miners clashed with police at the Yorkshire coking site. Campaigners claim South Yorkshire Police falsified evidence about the incident and they were heavy-handed.

Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign chairperson Joe Rollin told Talk Radio: “They’ve always said, right from the start, that we’ll never get to the bottom of what happened at Hillsborough until we find out what happened at Orgreave. The police who falsified the evidence against the miners were then given the confidence to go and do that again [at Hillsborough] five years later,” he added. “It was probably [the Tories] that instructed the police to behave in the way that they did. Wherever there was a pit, there’s now a business park, and they’re employing our children on zero-hour contracts and paying them the minimum wage. That’s the legacy of the miners’ strike and that’s another reason why we need justice for the miners.”

Listen to Talk Radio interview here

Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign website   Facebook group

 

GMB Wins Monumental Victory In Employment Case Against Uber (Oct 28) – GMB has won their case against Uber as the London Employment Tribunal has determined that Uber has acted unlawfully by not providing drivers with basic workers’ rights. GMB brought two test cases to the Central London Employment Tribunal on 20 July 2016 and it has decided that Uber drivers are entitled to receive holiday pay, a guaranteed minimum wage and an entitlement to breaks. The Tribunal decision will have major implications for over 30,000 drivers in London and across England and Wales and for workers in other occupations read more

 

NSSN news

Early notice – the 11th annual NSSN Conference will be on Saturday July 1st 2017 from 11am in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. It is open to all trade union and anti-cuts campaigners

This is a video of the NSSN TUC Congress Rally on 11 September – Tories Out! Keep Corbyn!

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 is below

Download the ‘Join the NSSN’ leaflet 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]

 

Union News

RMT

The NSSN calls on all our supporters and affiliates to support RMT members who are in dispute with Southern Rail workers – the next strike dates are: Friday November 4 to Saturday 5, Tuesday 22nd November to Wednesday 23rd November and Tuesday 6th December to Thursday 8th December read more here and here. Please send messages of support and donations to the RMT – [email protected] RMT Unity House 39 Chalton Street London NW1 1JD

Brighton solidarity march with the RMT – in support of Southern rail strike: Saturday November 5th – assemble 10am Clock Tower. Organised by Brighton & Hove Trades Union Council

RMT to ballot Southern drivers over extension of Driver Only Operation

ASLEF to ballot for action on Southern

Role of the guard and extension of DOO Southern (GTR) & Evening Standard’s bogus story on bogus offer

RMT lobby of Parliament November 1st
RMT lobby of Parliament November 1st

RMT to ballot Piccadilly Line drivers for strike action over a wholesale breakdown in industrial relations (27 Oct) – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that it will be balloting over 400 drivers on the Piccadilly Line for strike action in a dispute over breaching agreements, procedures and policies which amounts to a wholesale breakdown in industrial relations between the union and London Underground. The ballot will open on the 1st November and conclude on the 15th November read more

RMT confirms ballot timetable for London Underground staff in dispute over jobs and safety (26 Oct) – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed a ballot timetable today for nearly 3500 workers a week after the terror alert at North Greenwich put tube safety right back at the top of the agenda.  Station staff members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Unions (RMT) will be balloted for strike action and action short of strike action in an on-going battle over job numbers, the critical safety role of control rooms, forced displacement of staff, grading and a crisis resulting from London Undergrounds closure of ticket offices. The ballot will open on 1st November and close on the 15th November read more   TSSA: Reverse cuts to London’s transport budget!

RMT moves forward with ballot to stop cleaning jobs carve-up on Virgin West Coast (25 Oct) – Rail union RMT has announced it is moving forwards with a ballot of cleaning staff on Virgin West Coast for industrial action following confirmation from cleaning sub-contractors Voith that they intend to press ahead with a mass jobs carve-up that would reduce staffing numbers by 15% and leave those remaining facing an intolerable workload read more

 

Unison

Durham teaching assistants to take two days of strike action, announces UNISON (31 Oct) – Teaching assistants in Durham will take strike action on 8 and 9 November in the long-running dispute over cuts to their pay, their union UNISON has announced today (Monday). This follows a ballot over Durham County Council plans to move teaching assistants to term-time pay. This could see school support staff lose up to 23% of their wages read more    ATL’s Durham teaching assistants vote to strike over pay cut

To contribute to the Durham TAs’ fund, please visit: here

Durham TAs Facebook page read more

Donate to Derby hardship fund here

Derby Unison branch Facebook page read more

UNISON and Scottish FE employers to talk at Acas (Oct 20) – Further education committee agrees to talks, but further strikes remain a possibility read more

Sign petition to support the Kinsley School cleaners in Wakefield on indefinite strike since September 6th sign here   Facebook Group  Donate to strike fund – send to Wakefield Unison, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield WF1 3BZ

Lobby Against Privatisation of Glasgow City Council IT Services – Wednesday 26th Oct at 1pm – 1.30pm, Glasgow City Chambers https://www.facebook.com/events/354878838181695/

 

NUJ

Newsquest south London staff back, but on a work to rule (31 Oct) – Journalists on Newsquest south London titles returned to their office following ten days’ strike action and will be working to rule. The dispute followed the company putting all but a handful of the 29 staff at risk of redundancy and proposed a “restructure” resulting in 12 reporters covering news, sport and leisure across 11 newspapers and associated websites under a single content editor read more  To send messages of support and donations to the hardship fund, email Bernard Roche at [email protected] noting the amount and send the money to Account number 20143387 Sort code 608301

 

PCS

PCS ballot: vote ‘yes’ to oppose cuts to redundancy pay (27 Oct) – PCS is running a ballot from 7-28 November to urge members to vote yes to reject the Cabinet Office’s ‘offer’ on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme which proposes deep cuts to redundancy terms read more

Sign the petition to end privatisation at the Imperial War Museums sign here

 

Unite

Online construction Rank & File Siteworker bulletin here

Strike action on cards after sacking of Wiltshire rep with ‘unblemished’ record (2 Nov) – A union rep working for Cereal Partners in Trowbridge, Wiltshire with an ‘unblemished’ 18-year work record has been unfairly sacked, Unite, the country’s largest union, said today (Wednesday 2 November). Unite called for the immediate reinstatement of manufacturing operative Justin Beckett, a union rep of 10 years standing at the Staverton site, which makes the Shredded Wheat and Shreddies breakfast cereals read more

Massive vote for strike action at AWE over threat to pension scheme (1 Nov) – Bosses at AWE plc – the Atomic Weapons Establishment – are being urged to have urgent talks, after staff voted overwhelmingly to strike over the threat to close the defined benefit pension scheme and substitute it with an inferior alternative. Unite called on management to hold talks on the pensions’ issue, otherwise a campaign of industrial action is on the cards. Workers, members of Unite, the UK’s largest union, voted by 92 per cent for strike action and by 97 per cent for industrial action short of a strike. The staff at AWE sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire are angry over the company’s decision to close the scheme on 31 December this year read more

Unite accuses Diageo of ‘corporate greed’ over pensions (31 Oct) – Unite the union is to ballot for industrial action at Diageo over plans to slash worker pensions at a time when the company is making massive profits. Diageo is looking to change The Diageo Pensions Scheme – its final salary pension scheme – into a career average scheme worth much less to members. The company also wants to close a separate scheme – the Diageo Lifestyle Plan – to new employees, and replace it with a new defined contributions pension with much worse returns for workers. The company’s last reported profits were £2.8 billion read more

BMW accused of ‘pensions robbery’ as car workers start consultative ballot (31 Oct) – BMW group car workers who make the iconic Mini and prestigious Rolls-Royce begin voting in a consultative action ballot today (Monday 31 October) amid accusations of a ‘pensions robbery’ over the carmaker’s plans to rush through the closure of their final salary pension scheme. The ballot, involving over 5,000 Unite members across sites in Cowley, Farnborough, Goodwood, Hams Hall in the West Midlands and Swindon, follows mounting anger over the plans which could see workers losing thousands of pounds a year in retirement income read more

Manchester Fujitsu workers strike for job security, pay and pensions (27 Oct) – Up to 300 workers at IT giant Fujitsu in Manchester will be staging three days of strike action starting next week in a dispute over pay, pensions and job security. The workers, members of Unite, the country’s largest union, claim that the company has been cutting pay rates for years, despite very healthy profits and very large increases in senior management pay. The union said that Fujitsu is failing to address a significant gender pay gap and refusing to become a ‘living wage’ accredited employer read more

 

GMB

‘Bah Humbug!’ – GMB Fights Scrooge Confectionary Maker In Run Up To Christmas (Nov 2) – GMB, Britain’s General Union, has announced four days of strikes and continuous action short of strike in November where GMB members in York will down tools after a failure to reach agreement with their employer, Tangerine. The row centres after a planned pay rise left factory workers frustrated and angry. When the company finally agreed to meet with GMB representatives they begrudgingly offered a 1% pay deal, indignant that they had already introduced the national living wage to the low paid workers. The offer was unanimously rejected by members in favour of a ballot for industrial action read more

G4S strike at St George’s Hospital (1 Nov) – There was a lively picket line of ambulance workers outside St George’s hospital in Tooting in South London on November 1st. The GMB members are in dispute with their employer G4S who run the outsourced service because their pay and terms & conditions are now inferior to other NHS workers. The strike has shone the spotlight on outsourcing of such vital services and patients will be horrified that their ambulance drivers are working for a company with the reputation of G4S. Scandalously, two of the union reps have been suspended by the company.  It is apt that the first strike was on the very day that the Trust was out in special measures. Trade unionists should give support to the workers and their union but this dispute shows yet again why there has to be a mass union-led campaign to defend the NHS and the new Tory health cuts and why the March 4th 2017 demonstration will be so important. Email messages of support to [email protected] and post donations to GMB Southern Region – GMB Southern: Cooper House, 205 Hook Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 1EA

GMB picket at St George's Hospital
GMB picket at St George’s Hospital

Drinks Giant Strike Ballot Launched (Oct 31) – GMB Scotland launch strike action ballot against drinks giant Diageo. GMB Scotland has today (Monday 30 October) served notice to drinks giant Diageo that it will undertake an industrial action ballot of its Scottish membership over the company’s plans to cut pensions read more

Sheffield bin workers’ action strengthens in numbers and mood (27 Oct) – Despite Veolia bringing in scabs and agency workers from all around the country, thousands of Sheffield’s rubbish bins have not been emptied because of the city’s bin workers’ industrial action. Around 150 GMB union members have now taken two full days and two half days of strike action in pursuit of their pay claim read more

 

POA

POA threat of action forces NOMS to agree to immediate negotiations to resolve concerns regarding Health and Safety (1 Nov) read more  and more

 

Ireland

Police vote to take strike action (2 Nov) – At a meeting in Tullamore on 29 September, the Garda Representatives Association (GRA) voted to reject a pay offer from the government and to take strike action on the four Fridays in November with a demand for full pay restoration read more

 

NUT

London NUT demonstration ‘Invest don’t cut!’ – assemble 5pm Thursday November 17 in Whitehall opposite Downing Street for march to Department of Education and rally at 6.30pm in Emmanuel Centre in Marsham Street

Support Simon O’Hara — victimised teacher at Small Heath School in Birmingham

 

BFAWU

Reinstate Kumaran Bose – sacked by Samworths! The NSSN is supporting the BFAWU’s campaign in support of Kumaran Bose who was dismissed for speaking out and for organising a union in his workplace read more    Facebook group

 

UCU

Support the reinstatement of London Met union reps: Mark Campbell and David Hardman https://uculondonmet.wordpress.com/

 

CWU

PO strike: support grows nationwide (1 Nov) – While yesterday’s action in London included an old-style, horse-drawn ‘coffin’ and a jazz band, there was a Halloween theme to the union’s protest in Liverpool, where the ‘Grim Reaper of the North West’ and several ‘witches’ gathered at the city’s Liverpool One Shopping Centre read more    Dave Ward: ‘We’ll escalate PO action in run-up to Xmas’

Reinstate Clive Walder – Clive Walder, a longstanding leading rep in the CWU was sacked last November after 38 years of service with British Telecom. Clive is chair of the CWU Birmingham, Black Country & Worcester branch. Clive worked in a BT call centre and was dismissed after an aggressive customer reported him to management just 33 seconds into a phone call. The decision was made without taking stress into account despite the local CWU branch reporting that 7% of staff at the call centre leave their jobs each month, some walking out mid shift. Management took the decision without consulting any medical advice or taking into account any mitigation.

Clive is a NSSN steering committee member and we will be supporting the campaign protesting the sacking and campaigning for his reinstatement.

Contact Clive to send messages of support and invite him to your union branch, shop stewards committee, trades council etc – [email protected] 07771931185

 

Nationalise Tata – support the Steelworkers

For latest developments, follow Facebook group

 

BECTU

Hackney Picturehouse cinema workers to strike again on November 4thstarts at 3.30pm https://www.facebook.com/events/1414483978566059/

Brixton Ritzy Picturehouse cinema workers went on strike for 3rd time on October 31st read more

Brixton Facebook Page     Hackney Facebook Page   Support the Picturehouse Strike Fund – donate now

 

BMA Junior Doctors

Please sign this petition to support the junior doctors 

 

BURSARY OR BUST: Continuing the fight to save NHS bursaries https://www.facebook.com/NHSbursarycutsforum/

 

IWGB

Deliveroo Campaign Public Meeting – 8 November 7pm Marchmont Street Community Centre, 62 Marchmont St, WC1N 1AB London Facebook event

 

United Voices of the World

Trade union victimisation: Topshop cleaners have been sacked! Support UVW’s legal proceedings (Oct 27) – Two cleaners at billionaire BHS buster Philip Green’s flagship brand Topshop have been sacked for campaigning for a living wage. Susana was summarily sacked this month by Topshop’s contractor Britannia Services Group, under pressure from Topshop and the Arcadia Group of which Topshop is the flagship brand. She was sacked for having held a placard saying “Topshop shame on you” during a protest for a living wage outside the store. Another cleaner at Topshop, Carolina, who is Susana’s best friend, and was also a campaigner for the living wage has also beeen sacked for the same reason. The Topshop Two, as they are known, are both single mums from Ecuador who had cleaned Topshop’s falgship store for 9 years between them. Susana had worked there for 7 of those years and was the longest serving cleaner there

Their union UVW have started legal proceedings on their behalf for trade union victimisation. However, legal fees can cost several thousand pounds for two big claims like this and UVW runs on a shoe string budget. Therefore, if you would like to contribute towards the legal fees of the Topshop Two’s Tribunal claims then please do so via paypal by following this link  http://www.uvwunion.org.uk/emergency-appeal (you’ll see the button at the bottom of the page) or just by transferring directly to UVW’s bank account: The Co-operative Bank Account title: United Voices of the World Sort code: 08-92-99 Account: 65755617

John Lewis Protest: bring the Cleaners into the partnership! – SAVE THE DATE: 5 NOVEMBER 4pm (John Lewis, Oxford Street) https://www.facebook.com/events/1765354393752143/

Read more on United Voices of the World Facebook Group and Website

 

 

Other News

Health Campaigns Together National Demonstration ‘It’s Our NHS’, Saturday 4th March, London http://www.healthcampaignstogether.com/

BOOK NOW for a conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Lucas Plan! – Leading figures from the left, trade union, environmental and peace movements are coming together at a conference on November 26th with a fresh perspective on tackling current crises, using the ideas of socially useful production pioneered in the Lucas Plan. The Plan, produced by workers at the Lucas Aerospace arms company, showed how jobs could be saved by converting to make products that answer a social need, rather than weapons. To book for the conference, visit www.lucasplan.org.uk/tickets.  See www.lucasplan.org.uk

 

 

Blacklisting & Victimisation

Buy the book ‘Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists’ Author: Dave Smith and Phil Chamberlain. Blacklisted tells the controversial story of the illegal strategies that transnational construction companies used to keep union activists away from work. See the official trailer from ReelNews  

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)

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

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

Blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog

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

Donate to ReelNews – http://reelnews.co.uk/donationssubscriptions/

 

 

International

Spain: Historic student general strike read more

South Africa: Victimisation of #OutsourcingMustFall activists read more

Côte d’Ivoire: Construction company workers force unprecedented bosses’ concessions read more

Turkey: Chokehold On Free Expression Tightens read more

USA: Equity sends message of support to SAG-AFTRA read more

 

 

Diary (see & use false economy)

 

2016

 

November

5 National libraries, museums and galleries demonstration https://www.facebook.com/events/282708008768589/

 

19 NUS/UCU United for Education national demonstration in London read more

 

CONTACT US

PHONE 07952 283 558

EMAIL mailto:[email protected]

 

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ADDRESS NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE