NSSN Bulletin No. 77
Pensions dispute
The silence from some of the trade
union leaders over further action against the Government�s plan to make
public sector workers work longer, pay more and get less has been
deafening! Support for N30 was phenomenal, those participating in the
magnificent marches and rallies all over the country were as one in
looking to that day as just the beginning of the campaign � not the end!
April 1st is the Government�s
implementation date, is coming closer. Yesterday we have seen a light at
the end of the tunnel as the PCS and NUT National Executive Committees
have agreed to launch a consultative survey to build for on-going
pensions action. This will open on 24 February for national strike on
Wednesday 28 March! They do not see this as winding down the campaign
but giving it a new momentum where they will re-group �a coalition of
the willing� to counter those right wing unions who have decided to
withdraw from the battle. Pressure must be increased in the other unions
so that our General Secretaries hear the message loud and clear � we
need more action not less so let�s begin to build for 28 March!
With the FBU Executive Council recommendation that there is a rapid move
to prepare a strike ballot over fire service pensions & Unite balloting
NHS members on the offer, everything moves forward again.
http://www.fbu.org.uk/?p=5218
http://tinyurl.com/6utsxa5
As part of the campaign against pension cuts, Unions will be appealing
against the High Court on Feb 20th over moving from RPI to CPI (word
play for working longer and paying more!). This is affecting both public
and private sector workers such as BA, RSA and the Pensions Trust. Unite
is calling for a large protest in the morning.
Save the NHS!
Under the Health and Social Care Bill
self-governing Foundation Trusts will be allowed to raise 49% of funds
through non-NHS work so fee-paying private patients will get priority
over NHS patients. There will be increased competition between hospitals
for resources leading to more cuts and closures.
A leaked NHS report showed that private companies will direct the
commissioning of patient services when 80% of the health budget is
transferred to GP consortia!
Support the actions on Wednesday 7 March, but we would take this a step
further & demand that the TUC call a massive Saturday demo as a part of
a determined united campaign to save and rebuild our NHS, calling on
trade unions to strike against this Bill. The alternative will be to see
its implementation after Easter! Also sign �Drop the Health Bill� -
e-petition.
epetitions.direct.gov.uk
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NSSN 6th Annual National Conference: Saturday 9th June, London
NEWS: BOB CROW, RMT leader to speak! http://tinyurl.com/7y2vsx7
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DISPUTES & UPDATES
Stagecoach South Yorkshire � Strike
Day 11 � management getting desperate, is doing everything to try to
break this strike. Since November, they have bussed in management and
scabs. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.245.htm
Sparks and the law � As they are
dragging it out in the local law court, wasting �1000�s rank and file
members and UNITE will taking part in a national day of action next
Wednesday 15th Feb. (And for all those who didn�t get to put on their
glad rags the night before, the ECA Awards dinner is also on the 15th)
http://jibelectrician.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/241483325933453/ Full details in �Diary�
RMT gets �500 Olympics payment for
more workers & has secured a pay rise to
�8 for Eurostar cleaners. http://tinyurl.com/7kmlpdx 25,000 London bus
workers who are members of Unite are also being balloted over the �500
Olympic award.
Oil tanker drivers, employed by haulage firm
Wincanton on the ConocoPhillips contract to deliver fuel to
Jet forecourts, began their second week of strike action http://www.shopstewards.net/news.244.htm
Unilever management are now in talks
with conciliation service ACAS, the national officers of the joint trade
unions - Unite, Usdaw and GMB - statement:
"We welcome the fact that Unilever has at last recognised its
responsibility to talk to us about a possible resolution to the dispute.
However, it is very early days and the dispute will continue until
proposals have been put forward that are acceptable to our members."
Following today's (9 February) announcement from
Bombardier that its Derby plant is secure for the next
three years, Unite has called on the government to learn lessons from
its mistakes and ensure there is not a repeat of the Thameslink fiasco.
UNITE: "The Department for Transport must now construct the bidding
process for new train contracts so that UK based manufacturers can
compete on a level playing field.�
Private companies to profit from public debt
- collecting the money owed to government will mean more private
companies profiting from public debt, PCS warns. Take it this is not big
corporate tax dodgers eh?
http://tinyurl.com/86zjn7r
RMT & Railways: A NEW REPORT
commissioned by rail union RMT reveals that two decades of private
profiteering, alongside years of underinvestment in infra-structure
while fares have gone through the roof, and UK�s railways at the bottom
of the league compared to other parts of Europe.
http://tinyurl.com/7ctrdum
Bromley Council has announced that
they intend moving away from the National Agreement for Local Authority
workers.
Bin Collectors across Stoke-on-Trent
are planning to vote on strike action to defend their pay. The council
wants to tear up their contracts and force workers to 'drop pay bands'
which means they will lose up �90 a week!
Birmingham 40 years ago - 30,000
engineers walked out in solidarity with striking miners over pay cuts.
Bill Mullins, NSSN officer, then rep, was part of this action report
will be added to our website.
http://www.saltleygate.co.uk/
VICTIMISATION
Len Hockey - Good News! Health
bosses back off from attack on Unison rep joint Unison branch secretary
at Whipps Cross hospital in London, received a letter from his employer
Initial stating that there is no case to answer. As soon as the threat
to Len was raised, with a unanimous show of hands an emergency meeting
of Unison members agreed to prepare for strike action and to demand the
London region of Unison do everything in their power to defend Len.
Emails of protest flooded in to the employer from all over the country,
and to Unison to demand they defend Len.
Overwhelming votes for action on Heathrow
Express over sacking of driver and victimisation of RMT
activist. Nearly 80% have voted to strike in a ballot of drivers over
the sacking of driver member Zahid Majid and over 80% for strike action
in a ballot of all Heathrow Express staff over the continued
victimisation of RMT rep Liaqat Ali.
http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=155156
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INTERNATIONAL
GREECE
Greek workers have just begun another 48-hour general strike after 24
hours earlier this week. http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5571
IRELAND
Sat Feb 11
March with the Vita Cortex Workers 2:00pm until 4:00pm https://www.facebook.com/events/160905400689547/
Campaign against household charges is growing http://nohouseholdtax.org/
BRAZIL
Police took strike action over pay last week & then occupied a key
government building. Over 300 have been surrounded by the army in a
stand off.
DIARY
See http://tinyurl.com/79wpk2d for
other dates & details And please send us dates of budget meeting
protests that are currently happening.
Sat 11th Feb
Scottish Rank & File meeting Glasgow @ STUC Woodlands Rd 10am -1pm
Mon 13 February
NSSN Staffordshire "Solidarity with workers in struggle!" 7.30 pm With
workers from Unilever, Remploy, PCS & NUT � Sacred Hearts Social Centre
corner of Downey St & Regent Rd, Hanley ST1 3BY.
Tue 14 February
London Keep Our NHS Public meeting, Camden Town Hall, WC1 7:00pm Save
the DVLA Protest Trafalgar Street Office Brighton 12:30pm
Wed 15th Feb
Sparks National Day of Action
6am - Connoco Phillips in Immingham, Sellafield, Ratcliffe, Grangemouth
5.30pm - protest @ employers' awards - Grosvenor House, Park Lane,
London
Southampton Unite & Unison lobby of the Council 1.00 - 2.00 p.m
Thurs 16 Feb
No Cuts! Barking against the Cuts Broadway Theatre 7:30pm
SAT 18th Feb
Health and Safety at Work with London Hazards Centre 13:00 - 17:00
Contact:
[email protected] or a text: 07412 396713. (Spanish with English
translation)
Mon 20th Feb
Unisons will be appealing against the High Court ruling over pensions
moving from RPI to CPI. 8.30am � 10am Royal Courts of Justice, The
Strand, WC1
Tue 22 February
Kirklees Save Our Services are organising a lobby of Kirklees Council
4pm
Sat 25 Feb
Protest against Tory Local Government Conference, Leeds
Wed 7 March
Save our NHS National rally and lobby of Parliament. London http://tinyurl.com/7l6rqrq
Wed 28th March
Proposed STRIKE day of action over pension cuts � NUT & PCS
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