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NSSN bulletin 105
Trade unionists in Britain have been stunned by
the scenes of slaughter on our TV sets from the Marikana platinum
mine in South Africa. For many veterans of the anti-Apartheid
movement it was all too reminiscent of the massacres in Sharpeville
and Soweto. But this horror turned very quickly to anger when the
reports came through that 34 striking miners were killed by the
police and 78 injured for just fighting for a decent living wage. As
one miner said on the news "We can't live on this money." To add
insult to injury, the owners of the mine Lonmin gave mourning miners
an ultimatum to return to work or be sacked.
In a heroic show of solidarity, less than a third went to work on
Monday, meaning that the pit couldn't operate. Since then, the ANC
government has been forced by pressure within South Africa and
around the world to apply pressure on Lonmin to drop this ultimatum.
The National Shop Stewards Network sends our solidarity and support
to the miners and their families. We lobbied the South African High
Commission last Friday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh5ThXcACiw&feature=plcp
with a few hours notice and again this Monday demanding that the ANC
government stand down the police and stop the killings on behalf of
this brutal multi-national corporation. We called for the mine and
all of Lonmin's operations in South Africa to be taken out of their
blood soaked hands and nationalised in the interests of the miners
and the South African working-class as a whole. Solidarity with the
South African miners!
STOP PRESS:- Remploy reps occupied the HQ of Remploy in Leicester!
Messages of protest about closure of Remploy factories to Maria
Miller ('factory killer') DWP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
maria.miller.mp@parliament.uk
Lobby the TUC on Sunday September 9th in Brighton – march together
on October 20th against austerity then strike together!
Assemble 1pm at The Level park - Union Road, Brighton BN2 for march
at 1.30pm to Brighton Conference Centre and then rally at Hilton
Metropole
Speakers include: Bob Crow RMT, Mark Serwotka PCS, Steve Gillan POA
Over 300 people have already committed to coming to the lobby of the
TUC. This is even more important now as rumours circulate of even
more cuts to come because the ConDems’ austerity has caused an even
bigger deficit. Steve Hedley RMT newly elected Assistant General
Secretary explains why he is attending. So book a place and get your
members, workplaces, families behind the NSSN lobby of the TUC in
Brighton, Sunday September 9 to call for a 24 hour general strike
against austerity. Please sign & share the PETITION we will hand to
the TUC over this, thanks.
More information.
Birmingham and Coventry 8am Priory, Queensway then 8.30 Coventry
sports centre, Fairfax st. Clive Walder 07771 931185
Brighton & South East Nssnsoutheast@gmail.com 07894716095
Bristol Leaving at 8am from Anchor Road, tradom@live.co.uk
Eastern (Herts, Cambs, East Anglia) Steve Glennon 07905167703
East Midlands (Leicester, Notts, Derbys, Northants, Lincoln) Dave
Gorton 07432120621
Hampshire Contact Dave Boyes 07833 412757
Huddersfield 6:00am - Mike Forster 07887668740
Hull - details tbc contact Mike Whale 07528780098
Leeds 6:30am - Kevin Pattison 0707962867034
London 10.45 London Bridge station, contact us to reserve a ticket
£5 & West London coach 07977132391
North West Andy Ford, 07742 417 862, nwshopstewardsnetwork@gmail.com
Portsmouth Chris Pickett 07707 039071
Southampton Graham O'Reilly 07578 331537
Totnes & Newton Abbot- Minibus leaving Totnes 8am, pick up in Newton
Abbot. Alex Moore aleximoore@btinternet.com 01803 868713
Sheffield 7:30am- Alistair Tice 07706710041
Wales Tumble - 5.00am, Llanelli Town Hall - 5.20am
Swansea railway station - 5.45am, Cardiff Museum - 6.30am
Ronnie Job ron.job@sky.com 07963 454 041
If your area is not covered but you want to come let us know. info@shopstewards.net
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GENERAL UPDATES
a) STRUCK
Unite, GMB and UCATT members strike in
Sheffield City Council – And the toilet seat goes to…Sheffield
City Council!
Dozens of Camden UNISON members on the NSL parking enforcement
contract rounded off their third consecutive day of strike action
with a march along the pavement between Holborn tube and Euston
mainline stations on Saturday afternoon (11 August).
More info
b) STRIKING
RMT members in Carlisle Cleaning & Support
Services (Transpennine Express) - 24-hour strike on Friday 24th
August and industrial action short of a strike in the form of an
overtime and rest day working ban 25th August – 8th September
More info
PCS Month of action by tax workers against cuts: Despite the fact
that they are only half way through the current programme of action
calling for 'Tax Justice for All', the PCS have already made gains
on their key demands. The Tax Justice message, coupled with
campaigning and action by members on the ground, has resulted in the
department beginning to listen. The 1,000 temporary jobs announced
recently is recognition that the department is under resourced and
more investment is needed. Strike action planned for beginning of
September if talks fail
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/revenue_and_customs_group/
Unite members at Bombardier vote for industrial
action: Hundreds of workers at Bombardier have voted to take
industrial action and action short of strike in the coming weeks in
a long running dispute over pay. The majority of the workers are
based in the Central Rivers depot, Barton-under-Needwood,
Staffordshire. The action will consist of a continuous overtime ban
effective from Saturday 25 August and six periods of discontinuous
strike action between Sunday 26 August and Saturday 9 September.
More info
Remploy closures & sackings - week of strike action in Chesterfield
and Springfield September 3-10
More info plus protest in Stratford
at beginning of Paralympics, 1pm August 29th
c) BALLOTING
RMT balloting crew working on the Mitie contract on First Great
Western for both strike action and action short of a strike over the
blatant victimisation of union representative Sharon Petrie
More info
RMT to begin balloting CalMac Scottish ferries staff for strike
action in an on-going dispute over pensions and workplace rights.
More info
POA REJECT FINAL OFFER ON PENSIONS
POA members have overwhelmingly rejected the final offer from the
coalition government on changes to the Principal Civil Service
Pension Scheme (PCSPS) following the conclusion of a postal
consultative ballot of members in England and Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland.
More info
FBU achieved a 90% no vote on a consultative ballot for control
members in England and Wales who belong to the Local Government
Pension Scheme (LGPS). The union’s executive council believes
government proposals are still unacceptable – especially a
retirement age of 68 and pensions accrual and inflation revaluation.
More
Journalists in York who face a pay freeze – which when inflation is
taken into account is equivalent to a pay cut – are balloting for
industrial action.
More info
NUT urges YES vote on ballot open over workload.
d) OTHER UPDATES
Staff working at the private hospital Royal
Bucks, only got paid 20% of their wages for July. They were given
three days notice of this. A week later they were given 30 days
notice of redundancy and that the hospital was closing. A hardship
fund has been set up; initial donations can be made payable to Bucks
Health Unison and sent to the Union Office, Tindal Centre, Bierton
Rd, Aylesbury Bucks, HP19. Contact steve bell, bucks unison branch
sec and Unison SGE - STOP PRESS: workers have won back their unpaid
wages!! Thanks for support!
Unite and Rank & File Sparks target Crown House to stop ‘BESNA 2’ –
nationwide protests start against company who’ve withdrawn from JIB
after defeat of BESNA earlier this year. Reports that Crown House
are issuing notices of change of contracts. Flash protests around
the country. London last week, more this week. Keep your ear to the
ground. Email us for information.
Brighton Green council is planning to close homes for adults with
learning difficulties.
VICTIMISATION…
RMT member at Churchill Cleaning services, Tyne & Wear has succeeded
in his claim against unfair dismissal. He was dismissed after
providing an honest critique of mismanagement in a comments box, he
was dismissed without notice. Staff balloted and took action in his
support and over poverty pay.
Three workers (2 UNITE members) who were sacked by Liverpool Mutual
Homes (HMS) , alongside 12 others, are also now facing court action
over questionable charges over workers who have been at the head of
the campaign. Many trade unionists in Liverpool stood outside the
court this week in support; the case is adjourned till 23rd August.
BLACKLISTING: latest events
Protest against Balfour Beatty in Glasgow (see Diary for details)
Chris Clarke v Balfour Beatty - blacklisting case
Tues 28th August 9.30am, Case Management Discussion, Central London
Employment Tribunal Kingsway
Scottish Affairs Select Committee
Tues 4th September 2pm, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, GMB give
evidence to blacklisting inquiry
SHREWSBURY: 1st Sep Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets 40th anniversary
conference.
justice4pickets@lists.riseup.net
INTERNATIONAL…
Turkey – 5,000 textile workers are striking
indefinitely in Gaziantep for a wage rise. With the support of
security forces the textile company bosses are planning to divide
the workers’ struggle, increasing pressure on the workers and
organising wide ranging attacks to force them to return to work at
existing conditions. Messages of support info@daymer.org. More
Kazakhstan – Fight the threat to imprison Vadim
Kuramshin for 14 years…plus MEP sends message of support
http://campaignkazakhstan.org/
RUSSIA – Release Pussy Riot immediately! More
DIARY …
24 Aug
Protest against Balfour Beatty 10am, Balfour Beatty Engineering
Services HQ, 40 Ainslie Road, Hillington Park, Glasgow, G52 4RU.
Protest called jointly by: Blacklist Support Group and UNITE
Scottish Sparks rank n file.
28 Aug
National protests against ATOS at 12pm:-
Bournemouth - 1st Floor, Tamarisk Hse, Jobcentre plus, Cotland rd
Swansea - Grove House, Grove Place
9.30am, Case Management Discussion, Central London Employment
Tribunal Kingsway
Chris Clarke v Balfour Beatty - blacklisting case
31 August
National Hazards conference, Keele University
hazconf@gmhazards.org.uk
1st Sep
Justice for Shrewsbury Pickets 40th anniversary conference, 12 noon,
Unite HQ, Liverpool, L3 8EF
We are Waltham Forest march “We are united against the EDL” and
event 11am
02 Sep
Burston Longest strike in British history 10.45am-3.45pm Church
Green, Burston, Norfolk. Music, speakers and march! In April 1914,
two teachers at Burston Village School were sacked because one of
them organised the labourers into the union. The pupils walked out &
for many years were taught by those sacked teachers whilst money was
raised for a Strike school.
04 Sep
Houses of Parliament, Westminster, GMB give
evidence to blacklisting inquiry
06 Sep
Hope not Hate gig in Sheffield including ex-Housemartins
& Beautiful South Paul Heaton
http://www.the-plug.com/events-and-tickets/live/paul-heaton
08 Sep
Wigan Diggers - A FREE Open Air Festival celebrating the life and
ideas of Wigan born and bred Gerrard Winstanley (1609-1676) & the
17th Century Diggers' (True Leveller) Movement. The Wiend, Wigan,
12-8.
09 Sep
'Strike against Austerity!' NSSN lobby of TUC
conference: Brighton 1pm, assemble at The Level and rally at Hilton
Hotel.
11 Sep
Rally against McNulty - Brighton, September 11
(TUC week), 2012
http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=162387&int1stParentNodeID=89731&int2ndParentNodeID=89763
15 Sep
“No hospital closures, no cuts to services” Greenwich & Bexley
trades council demo, Assemble 1pm General Gordon Sq.
lynne.windeatt@btinternet.com
22 Sep
Protest against the LibDem conference Brighton – No to Austerity!
Noon @ The Level (Stop the Cuts & Brighton Trades Council)
30th Sep
Rally against McNulty - Manchester, September
30 (Labour Party conference week), 2012
http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=162385&int1stParentNodeID=89731&int2ndParentNodeID=89763
Lobby of Labour Party conference for a clear
commitment to repeal the Health and Social Care Bill and rebuild our
health service.
07 Oct
Protest at Tory party Conference
14 Oct
Defend the Right to Protest National Conference 11.30 -5.30pm,
London
17 Oct
Youth fight for Jobs Scotland & PCS Young members network March for
Jobs!
MIDLANDS NSSN Conference Unite offices, 211 Broad Street,
Birmingham, B15 1AY. 1200-1600. Speakers include Joe Simpson, Asst
Gen Sec POA
20 Oct
TUC Mass demonstration, ‘A Future That Works’ TUC with rally in Hyde
Park More. Transport details can be seen at, & should be uploaded to
False Economy.
21 Oct
Ragged Trousered Philanthropist performance introduced by Matt
Wrack, GS of FBU.
20-24 Nov
The Visteon/Ford Occupation, a play 7.30pm (£10) The emerald
Roadhouse, Finaghy rd, North Belfast. For tickets contact John Dunne
info@londonirishtheatre.com
24 Nov
YORKSHIRE & HUMBER NSSN Conference 10am - 4pm. Leeds, Cosmopolitan
Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, LS1 4AE. Contact Kevin Pattison
07962867034.
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Follow us on Twitter NSSN_Anticuts, share information with us on
Facebook main group 'National Shop Stewards Network' & the NSSN FB
'Stop the cuts' & regularly check our website! But most importantly
get active to develop the NSSN and our trade union and community
movement against the cuts! There is an alternative.
Email: info@shopstewards.net
Phone: 07952 283 558
Post: NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9D
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