NSSN Bulletin
No. 83
George Osborne’s Budget is a continuation of the
ConDems’ blatant pro-business anti-working class agenda to force
ordinary people to pay for the bankers' crisis. On one hand, the
50p top rate of income tax is dropped for the rich and
corporation tax is slashed while the minimum wage is frozen for
the youngest and pensioners will have to pay more tax. The end
of national pay bargaining in the public sector is firmly in
their sites. This opens up a seemingly endless pay freeze for
existing workers and drastically reduced pay for new starters.
In the so-called ‘richer’ areas in London and the South East,
workers will be isolated and be themselves vulnerable to attack.
All this on top of what is now effectively a four year pay
freeze.
If any of the trade union leaders had any doubt about the full
character of the onslaught facing the working class and the
trade union movement, it should be dismissed now. The ConDem
cabinet of millionaires banged the table in delight this week as
the last Parliamentary barrier was overcome to their bill with
which they hope to dismantle and wreck the NHS.
Let's use our anger and disgust to rededicate ourselves to
fighting back. The inevitable outrage that will follow the
Budget should be mobilised by the TUC in a national weekend
demonstration against austerity and to defend the NHS and
welfare state as a way of giving a fresh stimulus to the
opposition to this government. Unions like the PCS, NUT, UCU and
Unite in health have overwhelmingly rejected the government's
final offer on pensions. Unison and GMB among others are due to
vote very soon. The NSSN calls on them all to reject and join
together in co-ordinated national strike action before the end
of April. We pledge total support and solidarity to NUT and UCU
members who will be on strike in London next Wednesday March
28th. Get mad but also get even. March together and strike
together against this cabinet of millionaires!
Big thanks to Matt Wrack FBU general secretary for donating
£2000 from his personal campaign fund to the NSSN. We also
appreciate all donations from individuals, union branches,
trades councils etc like £50 from CWU Welsh Valleys this week.
More is of course welcome, and necessary ;). Donate, set up a
standing order and/or affiliate http://www.shopstewards.net/affiliate.htm
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NSSN Public meetings:
Manchester. Weds 28 March 7pm at the Manchester Friends Meeting
House (room 7) on Mount Street, Manchester city centre M2 5NS
London Wed 28th 2pm - Contact [email protected] for more
info
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PENSIONS
London Pension Strike Wed 28th – NUT & UCU will strike and Unite
NHS who rejected the government offer will also have a day of
action against the pension cuts – “Unite EC commits itself to
maximising its support to the public sector members to
participate in further action, including co-ordinated national
strike action alongside other public sector unions in April”.
Join picket lines in your area to support members and also join
the march in London - assemble at 11am in Malet Street, London
WC1E 7HY and march to Westminster http://www.teachers.org.uk/pensions
RMT members in Royal Fleet Auxiiary will also be striking over
pensions
-http://tinyurl.com/6s9qes3
Further updates: PCS – Next Steps in the campaign http://tinyurl.com/6ulswto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRl7F1nzgqA
NUT - http://electmartin1.blogspot.co.uk/2012_03_01_archive.html
FBU Court of Appeal rejects appeal by unions to switch from RPI
to CPI
-http://www.fbu.org.uk/?p=5357#more-5357
RMT urge VOTE yes for action on LU tube lines over pensions.
http://tinyurl.com/7p78pke
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UPDATES
200 royal mail workers walkout in Warrington in defence of one
of their members in Cheshire http://t.co/HbKcUAPP
SWINDON GMB - Swindon hospital workers 7 day strike over
bullying at Hospital finishes later this week. They have also
protested at agencies used to undermine strike action. http://tinyurl.com/6v4e6dx
REMPLOY activists have mobilised members and supporters in the
week since announcement of the closure of 36 factories. Over
2000 attended a protest in Wrexham last week jointly organised
with North Wales against the cuts.http://www.shopstewards.net/news.262.htm
http://www.saveremployfactories.co.uk/
Liverpool - support the MMP locked out workers: http://tinyurl.com/7y3n8q6
Unite protest this Saturday, 24 March 2012 at 11.00 am, Church
Street (opposite Primark), Liverpool City Centre L1 (City
Central Business Improvement District)
GMB will ballot Baggage handlers at stanstead airport,
contractor SWISSPORT on pay cuts of up to £1,000 a year. http://tinyurl.com/86d5ynz
BAE workers take battle to save Brough to shareholders http://tinyurl.com/6v2xjsk
London Hazards Centre - London Councils, from whom LHC receives
a grant, may discontinue funding LHC as from 31st March 2012,
despite various assurances to the contrary over the last months.
Letters of support welcomed.www.lhc.org.uk
Sparks - BESNA beaten, now organise to bin the Blacklist
!http://www.shopstewards.net/news.260.htm
The latest Reel News DVD covers the recent victory of the Sparks
against the Big 7 electrical contractors. Trailer:
http://tinyurl.com/72q2z4f
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VICTIMISATION
RMT - Following two rock-solid strikes that led to cancellation
and disruption of all Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect
services, rail union RMT today announced an escalation of
industrial action in support of sacked driver Zahid Majid and
victimized RMT representative Liaqat Ali. Sat 24th & Sun
25th.http://tinyurl.com/84khdyb
UCATT expel Mick Dooley! - http://www.shopstewards.net/news.255.htm
Support 6 Unite drivers sacked by Grangemouth (Tesco
contract).http://tinyurl.com/87bfbvn
Former Labour Cabinet Minister Michael Meacher MP has written to
the Home Secretary Theresa May demanding a Public Inquiry into
blacklisting and asking her to refer the Consulting Association
scandal to the Director of Public Prosecutions in order to
prosecute the 44 construction firms involved in the illegal
blacklisting of building workers - Cameron's response is:
http://tinyurl.com/6q6933l
[email protected]
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INTERNATIONAL
Spanish unions support general strike Thurs 29th March; http://tinyurl.com/89l9d4a
Tamil Solidarity, formerly Stop the Slaughter of Tamils (SST),
is set up in response to the terrible slaughter of thousands of
Tamil people http://www.tamilsolidarity.org/
Unions call for a $26 wage rise to help our lowest paid catch up
to average earnings http://tinyurl.com/6ug8n9e
Paris Commune 1871 when “workers stormed heaven”
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5647
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DIARY
Sat 24th
Youth Fight for Jobs joins PCS young members network activists
in Bathgate HMRC to leaflet and campaign for the demonstration
at the Tory party conference in Troon.. http://tinyurl.com/6vkam89
MMP Unite protest 11.00 am, Church Street (opposite Primark),
Liverpool City Centre L1 (Liverpool City Central Business
Improvement District)
Mon 26th
Chris Grayling will be entertaining his friends at a workfare
conference entitled ‘Tapping into talent: putting employers at
the heart of the Work Programme’.http://tinyurl.com/7gfh973.
www.boycottworkfare.org/
Wed 28
NUT & UCU in London, RMT Fleet Auxillory STRIKE over pension
cuts!
Visteon pensioners/ Unite London demonstration on 3rd
anniversary of Visteon's bankcruptcy which now threatens their
pensions that Ford promised to guarantee
http://www.visteonpensionactiongroup.co.uk/ - see video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ0aYx0DO50&feature=youtu.be
Tenants will join trade unions, MPs and councillors to protest
at the Housing Minister's HQ in London from 8am to demand
investment in council housing with really-affordable rents and
secure tenancies. (Defend Council Housing)
NSSN Manchester. Weds 28 March 7pm at the Manchester Friends
Meeting House (room 7) on Mount Street, Manchester city centre
M2 5NS
NSSN London meeting on after NUT/UCU strike demonstration Wed
28th2pm - Contact [email protected] for more info
SERTUC International Committee - Open Meeting Human Cost of the
Olympics” Amirul Haque Amin General Secretary National Garment
Workers' Federation in Bangladesh http://tinyurl.com/6w9qlwc
30 March 2012 - 12 April 2012 Filmaker Jafar Panahii is
currently serving six years in prison in his home country of
Iran, and a 20 year ban on filmmaking, traveling abroad or even
giving interviews for making "propaganda against the regime
http://www.ica.org.uk/31986/Film/This-is-Not-a-Film.html
28th April workers H & Safety Day - http://www.hazards.org/wmd/news.htm
May day – International workers day!
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NSSN 6th Annual National Conference: Saturday 9th June, London
Confirmed speakers - Bob Crow RMT General Secretary, Mark
Serwotka PCS General Secretary, Kevin Courtney NUT Deputy
General Secretary, Rank & File Unite construction electrician
New flyer/ Booking Form:http://tinyurl.com/7p6old2
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07952 283 558
Post: PO Box 54498, London E10 9D
Web: www.shopstewards.net
Twitter: NSSN_AntiCuts
Main FB group http://tinyurl.com/4yckq5j FB NSSN ‘Stop the cuts’
http://tinyurl.com/7esg2gp
