NSSN 332: March against Racism this Saturday!

 

The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) is supporting the ‘Marches against Racism’ this Saturday March 18th in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

 

United Voices of the World union cleaners LSE picket
United Voices of the World union cleaners LSE picket March 16 (see below)

Watch this video of Unison NEC members April Ashley and Hugo Pierre who spoke to the NSSN in a personal capacity on why they will be marching and why workers’ unity against racism and austerity is needed to force back the division whipped up by Trump, UKIP and the Tories.

March 18 National Demo: Refugees and Migrants Welcome – Stand Up To Racism, Islamophobia & Anti-Semitism details here on ‘Stand up to Racism’ website

London: 12pm, (BBC) Portland Place, W1A 1AA

Glasgow: 11am, Holland St

Cardiff: 11am, Grange Gardens, CF11

 

PCS

Thatcher’s plot against union leader revealed (13 Mar) – A plot by Margaret Thatcher’s government to undermine a former civil service union leader has been unearthed in official papers. Downing Street planned to block John Macreadie from negotiations because of his political views, the Morning Star newspaper reveals today. Secret Cabinet Office papers from the time, now released to the national archives, show he was considered a “subversive”. The news comes just weeks after the current Tory government’s Trade Union Act came into force, further restricting unions’ ability to represent members and take industrial action. Macreadie served as deputy general secretary in one of our predecessor unions, CPSA, from 1986 until 1993 and died from a brain tumour in 2010 aged 64. Our president Janice Godrich wrote in his obituary: “His concentration on organisation, democratic transparency and accountability was an inspiration to many hundreds of union reps in CPSA.” Commenting on the Morning Star story, our general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “John was a great trade unionist and a friend and, while not at all surprising, it is still shocking to see evidence of Thatcher’s government conspiring against him as part of its wider project to undermine democratic trade unions and reshape society.” Mark added it would be “tempting to think this kind of extreme reaction was in the past, but the parallels with today are obvious”, with this Tory government seeking to complete Thatcher’s work through more anti-union legislation and restrictions from PCS website     Read interview with PCS Assistant General Secretary Chris Baugh who was on CPSA NEC in 1987

John Macreadie speaking at 1986 Labour Party Young Socialists demo
John Macreadie speaking at 1986 Labour Party Young Socialists demo

31 March: join the PCS payday protest (16 Mar) – PCS is asking members to get involved in a major, nationwide day of pay protests on the last payday in March. Our payday protests on 31 March will send a powerful message to government that we need and deserve a decent pay rise and will back up our national pay claim to the Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer and the head of the civil service Jeremy Heywood… Central London-based members will gather outside the Treasury building at 1pm on 31 March, with speakers and photo stunts taking our message right to the heart of government. Your local PCS rep will let you know the protest plan for your workplace – and if you have your own idea for something special you and your fellow PCS members could do to get noticed that day, let your rep know read more

Oppose DWP office closures – join the national lobby of parliament (10 Mar) – PCS has arranged a speaker meeting and lobby of parliament on 28 March as part of our campaign to oppose office closures within DWP. PCS is calling a lobby of parliament on Tuesday 28 March as part of our campaign against the government’s proposal to close over 100 DWP offices, including 74 job centres, representing over 10% of the total.  This will lead to at least 700 job losses. DWP plans to replace staff they make redundant with new staff, at a further cost to the tax-payer. The lobby will start with a speaker meeting in parliament at 1 pm followed by a lobby from 2-4 p.m. in Committee Room 16, Houses of Parliament (St Stephen’s Gate Entrance) Westminster, London SW1A 0AA read more   Sign online petition

York MP launches campaign to save barracks

 

NSSN news

Trade Union Act came into force on March 1st – TUC call a special conference

The Tories have confirmed that their anti-union laws, incorporated in the Trade Union Act, including new undemocratic industrial action ballot thresholds will come into force on March 1st. The NSSN calls on the TUC to implement the policy passed at last September’s TUC Congress which was moved by the RMT which includes:

“Congress believes the General Council needs to convene an urgent conference of affiliates to provide a practical forum, including workshops, as to how to best coordinate our legal and industrial response to the Act in line with policy already set by Congress.”

and an amendment from the FBU:

“Congress should discuss all options for challenging the new legislation. This should include stepping up the campaign to scrap the Act and other anti-union legislation as well as the practical steps to be taken to support any unions and groups of workers threatened by this anti-worker legislation.”

 

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 Facebook event

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

2,000 RMT members strike back against DOO on Southern Rail, Arriva Rail North and Merseyrail on March 13th stoppage

Southern proposed agreement “the old deal in a new envelope”

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

RMT reaction to unanimous Martin Zee not guilty verdict (16 Mar) – General Secretary Mick Cash said; “RMT welcomes this verdict but condemns the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing this outrageous prosecution which the union believes served no public interest whatsoever. “The prosecution of Martin Zee has caused untold stress to both him and his family and has had a corrosive impact on the entire rail industry. “No one should face prosecution for simply doing their job and we expect that lessons have now been learnt and that there will be no repeat of the appalling treatment of Martin.” read more

RMT Night Tube drivers vote by over 96% for strike action (14 Mar) – TUBE UNION RMT confirmed today that Night Tube drivers have voted overwhelmingly for both strike action and action short of a strike over a block on career progression which has been imposed by London Underground. Members voted by over 96% for strike action and by over 98% for action short of a strike. The results of the ballot will now be considered by RMT’s executive committee who will decide the next course of action read more

 

Unite

Bank of England governor’s birthday marred as pay dispute escalates (16 Mar) – Bank of England governor Mark Carney has received an unwelcome 52nd birthday present with the news that Unite, the country’s largest union, is set to escalate its dispute over a derisory below-inflation pay offer for staff. The union said that its members at the bank were having a paltry annual pay award imposed, while the bank’s disgraced deputy governor Charlotte Hogg, who resigned for failing to disclose that her brother holds a senior position in Barclays, reportedly pocketed £350,000-a-year. The news that Unite members are considering an industrial action ballot will be an unwelcome birthday present for Mark Carney who celebrates his birthday today (Thursday 16 March) read more

BMW workers in ‘pension robbery’ protests (14 Mar) – BMW workers at the home of the Mini in Cowley and the Hams Hall engine plant in the West Midlands will be protesting tomorrow (Wednesday 15 March) over the carmaker’s plans to close their final salary pension scheme. Closure of the BMW occupational pension scheme could see some of the car firm’s UK workforce lose up to £160,000 in retirement income. Tomorrow’s protests come as voting for industrial action gets underway over BMW’s plans to close the pension scheme by 31 May 2017 read more

AWE workers to strike for eight days as pensions’ dispute ramps up (8 Mar) – Angry workers at AWE plc – the Atomic Weapons Establishment – are ramping up their long-running pensions’ dispute with eight more days of strike action this spring. Unite, the country’s largest union which represents about 600 workers, is due to meet AWE management for talks tomorrow (Thursday 9 March) under the auspices of the conciliation service Acas. The workers, who are pivotal to delivering the Trident nuclear programme, will strike for 24 hours from 00.01 at AWE’s two sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire on 23 and 27 March; 6, 10, 20 and 24 April; and 4 and 8 May. This will bring the number of strike days since last November to 16 read more

Mixed Fleet cabin crew re-ballot: keep supporting the workers! – Send messages of support and donations (make cheques out to Unite the Union and write ‘Mixed Fleet Hardship Fund’ on the back) to: Unite the Union, Ron Todd House, 33-37 Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB. Tweet support to @MFUnite

Support next national Fujitsu strike March 17 – Unite members across Fujitsu Services Limited in the UK have voted for strike action and action short of strike in a dispute over jobs, union recognition, pay and pensions. The next strike is on Friday March 17. Send a message of support to [email protected] or Unite the Union, Fujitsu MAN34, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP read more

Donations payable to “Manchester IT Workers Group” can be sent c/o John Wood, 50 Brooklyn Street, Crewe, CW2 7JF. Or transfer online to Account: 00980539, Sort Code: 30-91-48 and email [email protected] with details. Follow and promote the campaign on social media using #FujitsuFightback. www.facebook.com/uniteatfujitsu  www.twitter.com/unitefujitsu   picket line details

 

Unison

Derby school support staff on all out strike read more   latest from Derby Unison website

Donate to Derby hardship fund here

Derby Unison branch Facebook page here

Support the Durham Teaching Assistants from Unison and ATL who have also taken strike action to stop wage cuts of 23% – Save the date! Solidarity demo 25th March Facebook event   

Donate to the Durham TAs’ fund here

Durham TAs Facebook page here

Support ongoing Glasgow Unison janitors’ dispute – Facebook group and website

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

 

GMB

Protest over Privatisation of Barnsley Hospital (Mar 15) – Demonstrators expected to turn out in opposition to deal which raises ‘fundamental conflict of interests’ as Barnsley MP backs union campaign. Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis has backed a GMB campaign against the privatisation of Barnsley hospital. Demonstrators are expected to gather outside the hospital on Wednesday in anger at a deal which raises a potential conflict of interest for the directors read more

Wandsworth roadsweepers to strike again March 22-23 read more

GMB ballot at Sussex PTS provider Thames ambulance over broken promises (9 Mar) – GMB members working for Thames Ambulance on the Sussex Patient Transport service are to be balloted over broken promises of an hourly rate rise and associated pay issues and as a response to company threats to dismiss staff prior to offering re-engagement as a way to avoid honouring original company offers. Staff have turned down the management’s offer of a compensatory one off payment after they back tracked on the offer and removed the higher rate from staff already in receipt of it read more

 

CWU

MP and residents unite for ‘Save our Crown’ fight (Mar 9) – North London residents vowed to campaign against the threat to privatise their Crown Post Office at a packed public meeting in Harringay on Tuesday read more

Pay impasse at Gather & Gather (Mar 9) – A formal protest has been lodged with Gather & Gather at the outright refusal of the catering company to award any salary increases whatsoever to anyone who gets paid more than the national minimum wage read more

The NSSN wishes to send our condolences to the family of Bernard Roome, former members of CWU’s NEC and long-time supporter of our Network who sadly recently passed away. Memorial meeting – 3pm Saturday 25th March Grand Hotel opposite Swansea train station. An obituary can be read here

 

FBU

Fury as cash strapped fire service award senior managers’ bumper pay rise (15 Mar) – The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has slammed a deal to give two senior managers at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service a £35k pay rise as 48 frontline firefighter posts face the axe. The union called the decision by North Yorkshire chief fire officer (CFO) Nigel Hutchinson, and members of the county’s fire authority to increase the two officers’ pay to over £112k each, obscene and immoral read more

 

BFAWU

The Fast Food Rights campaign are calling for ‘Fight for £10 – May Day Pay Day’ marches this May Day – contact Gareth Lane [email protected] for info

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   BFAWU Statement On Samworth Brothers’ Sacking Of Kumaran Bose

 

UCU

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

 

NUT

Can a school set a deficit budget? (13 Mar) – The campaign to oppose school cuts and to demand fair funding for all schools continues to gain momentum. Heads, staff, parents, students and local politicians are all getting involved as the scale of the threat is becoming better understood. Many schools are already making cuts now. After all, the National Audit Office reported that 59% of maintained secondary schools were spending more than their income in 2014-15. 15% were already actually in deficit with the average deficit as high as £326,000. That was two years ago. The situation in 2016-17 will undoubtedly be even worse. As I wrote in a previous post, cuts of this magnitude cannot be ‘managed’, they have to be fought read more

 

BECTU

Brighton Picturehouse joins Living Wage dispute on joint 18 March strike (10 Mar) – BECTU members at the Duke of York’s in Brighton are to stage their first strike for the Living Wage on Saturday 18 March. The Duke of York’s is part of the 23 venue Picturehouse circuit. Members at the Picturehouse Central, Crouch End Picturehouse, Hackney Picturehouse and The Ritzy in Brixton will also be on strike for 24 hours starting at 5am on Saturday 18 March

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

 

NUJ

National Insurance U-turn welcomed by the NUJ (15 Mar) – The NUJ has welcomed the U-turn by The Chancellor on the proposed increase in Class 4 National Insurance Contributions. The union had condemned the move from the outset as an unacceptable burden on freelance workers. One third of its members are freelance journalists and NUJ president Tim Dawson said the Chancellor’s plans would “hit the incomes of some of the most economically-fragile workers in the economy” read more

 

United Voices of the World union (UVW)

Support the LSE cleaners on strike on March 15-16 for equality and dignity – UVW members who are cleaners at the London School of Economics (LSE) have returned a 100% yes vote for strike action. They are demanding parity of basic terms and conditions of employment with the rest of the LSE community. This result is almost unprecedented and shows the strength of feeling among the cleaners and their determination to stop the LSE treating and paying them like second class workers read more

Please consider making a donation to LSE cleaners’ strike fund – http://www.uvwunion.org.uk/justiceforlsecleaners/

Website: www.uvwunion.org.uk   Facebook: www.facebook.com/uvwunion   Twitter: @UVWunion

 

IWGB

Come and #RideWithUs in Brighton on April 1st! It’s a spontaneous celebration of Deliveroo’s low wages and poor conditions, riding around Brighton to the most popular restaurants.

Brighton Deliveroo riders demand:

1) A freeze in recruitment

2) £5 per drop

3) No victimisation

4) A guarantee of the living wage per hour

Critical Mass Brighton April 1st – Deliveroo RideWithUs Facebook Event

 

 

Other News

Support the Irish anti-water charge protestors who are facing trial for a protest in Jobstown. Please send messages of protest:  https://sites.google.com/view/jobstownnotguilty/   https://www.facebook.com/Jobstown-Not-Guilty-1056889327677242/

 

 

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.

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

Turkey: 14 union leaders face prison read more

IFFCO Egypt union leaders acquitted of criminal charges face retrial read more

New Zealand: Keep Cadbury Dunedin open! read more

Parmalat maintains its lockout of Australian workers read more

 

 

Diary

 

2017

March

18 National Demo: Refugees and Migrants Welcome – Stand Up To Racism, Islamophobia & Anti-Semitism read more

 

July

1 11th annual NSSN Conference 11am in Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

 

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