NSSN Bulletin No. 89

04 May May Day celebrations, building for May 10th strikes, updates on disputes, victimisations and international reports

May Day celebrations

This week many trade unionists and wider activists across the world rallied and marched to commemorate Mayday, which began as Chicago workers took part in a general strike for an 8 hour day in 1886. Whatever we have today, we have fought for and many of us have had or having our hours extended, pay cut directly or indirectly through pensions. Whilst a tiny proportion of the population live off our backs.

Strike on May 10th
The strike on May 10th by up to half a million public sector workers represents an opportunity to reignite the struggle to defend pensions from the attacks of the ConDem Coalition. It has taken nearly 5 months to regroup since the TUC and unions like Unison broke the incredible 2 million plus strong N20 strike coalition. PCS, Unite, UCU, NIPSA, ISU and RMT members in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will be on strike. The NSSN calls on its members, supporters and affiliates to give full support to these workers. We also call on all other unions to not only give support on the day but ensure that they too are involved in any future action. We therefore welcome the rejection of the government’s deal by Unison members in the NHS and call on GMB members in health to follow their union’s recommendation to also reject. We encourage teachers to attend the Local NUT Associations rank and file conference in Liverpool on November 16th to call on their union to strike in June. And of course, we call on all workers top come to the 6th annual NSSN conference in London on Saturday June 9th to listen to the likes of Bob Crow RMT and Mark Serwotka PCS to pile on the pressure to ensure we resurrect the N30 coalition which shook the ConDem's. We also support Unite’s call for a national TUC demonstration against austerity in the summer.

Elections
The elections yesterday have shown that this government is weak, divided and unpopular. Union members and working-class people in general voted to get rid of them. Support the May 10th strike and build a movement of public and private sector workers that can push out the cabinet of millionaires.
At the same time, the pension changes have stolen from workers wage packets whilst prices rise, travel costs go up and job opportunities are being limited.
Key services such as refuges have been closed and our NHS is about to be dismantled. In fact, at least 80% of the cuts are still to come. The urgency and anger to fight is still bubbling, sometimes beneath the surface, often exploding above it. Whatever the confidence we have individually and collectively, we know we cannot let this continue. We have to gather or forces, for the battles ahead.

1. UPDATES

ASLEF will be striking again on 8, 10, 15 May on East Midlands Trains. Please do what you can to support ASLEF members in dispute, including visiting the picket line, considering a financial donation from your branch, and sending a message of support to the ASLEF Branch Secretary Richie Doran at [email protected]

UNITE MOD 700 firefighters to strike on 10th May http://tinyurl.com/cskmgkg

PCS campaign events and protests on 10th May (some will be jointly with other unions):

Brimingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Cornwall, Exeter, Glasgow, Hastings, Inverness, , Leeds, Liverpool, London, , Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Leicester, Plymouth, Preston, Sheffieild, Swansea, Wrexham, York.
http://tinyurl.com/c6ff53e

EXETER Speakers from PCS, UCU, NUT, Unite and RMT. Food provided Stall/leafleting/stunt in town from 10.30. Rally 12.00 in the City Gate Inn.

On May 10 Unite workers at Colchester General Hospital will be taking industrial action to protest against government changes to their pensions, the health reforms and attacks upon their T&C's. Please send them a message of support to: [email protected]

Greenwich library staff strike against privatisation - Unite in Greenwich libraries were on strike over planned sell off from 27th April to 29th. A further day is planned for 11th May. Send messages of support to [email protected] http://www.shopstewards.net/news.281.htm

BMW - Earlier this month workers at BMW's Mini plant in Oxford overwhelmingly rejected a 'strings attached' pay offer. The company has now offered a two year deal of 4.5 per cent in 2012 and 2.3 per cent in 2013. Ballot will begin on Tuesday 1st May and finish with the count on Tuesday 8 May.

RMT confirms ballot of Churchills Tyne and Wear Metro cleaners over pay andconditions. http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=159169

RMT – TUBE UNION is balloting tube cleaners working for ISS and Initial for both strike action and action short of a strike in disputes over pay, pensions and benefits http://tinyurl.com/86f95n4

NUT & Pension Strikes & what next? http://tinyurl.com/874kb7d

BMA – ‘I stood for [the] council because I believe the BMA has a vital role in providing leadership in the continuing campaign to defend the NHS … I promise to continue to work hard on this issue.’
http://web2.bma.org.uk/nrezine.nsf/wd/CPAN-8TRG3X?OpenDocument&C=28+April+2012

Legal aid cuts: Campaigners have warned thousands of children could be hit by restrictions on legal aid in housing cases: http://bit.ly/K2mw0n

After 13 years of New Labour and two years of the Coalition, nearly 4 million children are living in poverty: http://bit.ly/HfmLde

2. VICTIMISATION

Blacklist support group calls for union conference emergency motions to expose police collusion and call for a public enquiry. Full motion:[email protected]

Shrewsbury - The 1972 Building Workers Strike http: www.shopstewards.net/news.275.htm

3. INTERNATIONAL

VITA CORTEX – IRELAND 32 workers with 847 years of service are now sitting in for 136 days in order to receive the remaining 0.9 weeks redundancy payment per year, a very modest demand by any standards.
http://vitacortexworkers.wordpress.com/

Kazakhstan - Activists arrested in Almaty and jailed for two weeks! Vicious attack on democratic rights and freedoms. Following the preliminary hearing, during which the judge turned a blind eye to numerous breaches of legal procedure, the trial of Vadim Kuramshin has been resumed today, 2 May. If found guilty, Vadim faces between seven and fifteen years in prison on trumped up charges of extortion. Please pass model resolutions, send protest emails and invite speakers to your meetings. http://campaignkazakhstan.org/

4. DIARY

International Workers Day marches and protests continue this weekend.

Sorry from Ipswich Trades council to anyone who turned up, rain stopped play.

Bedford 7 May 2pm Tavistock Community Centre.

Info: [email protected]

Cardiff 5th May 12.00 Callaghan Square

Dundee 5th May1 2.00 Hilltown Park

Edinburgh 5th May 11.00 Johnston Terrace

Glasgow 5th May 11.00 George Square

Hastings Saturday 5 May assemble 11.30am at Hastings Pier for march to town centre & rally. [email protected] 01424 225 425

Irvine 5th May10.30 Woodlands Centre

Manchester 7th May 11.00 Bexley Square, Salford

Newcastle 5th May 11.00 Times Square

Nottingham 5th May 10.00 Forest Recreation Ground

05 May

Demonstrate to save Greenwich libraries – assemble 11.30am at Eltham library,
2 Archery Rd SE9 for march to rally on General Gordon square in Woolwich

Ilford "Defending the Welfare State won in Struggle by Previous Generations"
4pm Town Hall Steps, High Road. Contact Bob Archer NUT 07956 656 086 or Cllr Andy Walker 07956 263 088

06 May

Social and collection for the Remploy workers facing closure of their workplaces. Ye Olde Rose & Crown Pub, 53 Hoe Street, E17 4SA, 2pm till late.

10 May

Strike by PCS, UCU, UNITE NHS, NIPSA, ISU & RMT Royal Auxiallary.
& UNITE Mod fire-fighters also to strike. Police Federation also march over pensions.

14 May

6.30 Goodbye Barcelona Presentation of Video extracts and discussion with the writer and composer team, Judith Johnson and K.S. Lewkowicz. Marx Memorial Library 37a Clerkenwell Green, nearest tube: Farringdon. Buses: 55, 63, 243
Admission: £2 (concessions 50p).

23 May

Cut Rents not Benefits - No evictions due to benefit cuts from 9.15am outside Commonwealth Club London 25 Northumberland Avenue London WC2N 5AP.

Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud is driving through vicious Housing Benefit cuts, bringing poverty, insecurity and the threat of eviction to the low paid and poorest, families, the sick and disabled Housing Emergency

*******************************************************************************
NSSN 6th Annual National Conference: BOOK NOW!
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
*******************************************************************************************

16 June

NUT Local Associations for National Action on Pensions - http://classroomteachers.blogspot.co.uk/

Join, get active, donate or affiliate to support & develop the NSSN

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07952 283 558
Post: PO Box 54498, London E10 9D
Web: www.shopstewards.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/NSSN_AntiCuts
Main FB group http://tinyurl.com/4yckq5j

FB NSSN 'Stop the cuts' http://tinyurl.com/7esg2gp