Thousands of nurses in England went on strike for a second time yesterday , with picket lines reported to be large and lively and receiving massive public support. The nurses, who are members of the RCN union, are fighting for a larger pay rise than the £1,400 a year below inflation payment that was imposed on them by the government last year. The strikes are part of an effort to defend the NHS, which is currently facing a daily struggle. Activists from other unions such as NEU, Unite, RMT and UCU also came to show their support for the striking nurses.
Our video shows a lively picket braving freezing weather at UCU in London.
Unions play a vital role in ensuring that the rights and interests of workers are protected. However, in order for unions to be effective, they must be able to communicate their message to the public. Unfortunately, relying on the mainstream media to disseminate information about unions can be problematic.
One major issue with relying on the mainstream media to put union message across is that the media often presents a biased perspective on labour issues. Mainstream news outlets are often owned by large corporations, which have a vested interest in portraying unions in a negative light. As a result, the media often focuses on stories that highlight conflicts between unions and management, while downplaying the positive contributions that unions make to the economy and society.
Another problem with relying on the mainstream media to disseminate information about unions is that the media often oversimplifies complex issues. For example, the media may portray a labour strike as a simple dispute between management and workers, rather than as a complex struggle over economic and political power. This oversimplification can lead to misunderstandings and a lack of support for union efforts.
Given these issues, it is essential that unions do not rely solely on the mainstream media to put their message across. Instead, unions must support efforts to build a counter media that can provide a more accurate and nuanced perspective on labour issues. This might include supporting alternative news outlets, such as labour newspapers or online publications, that are more likely to be sympathetic to union issues. Additionally, unions can use social media and other digital platforms to communicate directly with workers and the public, bypassing the mainstream media altogether.
Unions play an important role in protecting the rights and interests of workers. However, to be effective, unions must be able to communicate their message to the public. Relying solely on the mainstream media to disseminate information about unions is problematic due to bias and oversimplification of complex issues. Therefore, Unions must support efforts to build a counter media that can provide a more accurate and nuanced perspective on labour issues. This will help to ensure that the public has a better understanding of the vital role that unions play in our society.
Solidarity’s is assisting with Union News, a weekly podcast, and it’s a great example of how unions can support the development of a counter media. By assisting this podcast, Solidarity helps reach a wider audience, and provide a platform for discussing important labor issues in a more engaging and accessible way than traditional news outlets.
In addition to Union News, supporting established ventures like the Morning Star daily newspaper and Workers magazine is also important. Both of these publications have a long history of providing a pro-labour perspective on news and issues, and they can serve as valuable resources for union members and supporters.
The government’s new anti-strike legislation, which aims to enforce “minimum service levels” in key public sectors including the NHS and schools, has met with fierce opposition from unions and criticism from experts.
The proposed Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is being seen as a direct attack on workers’ fundamental human rights and an affront to parliamentary democracy. The Bill will apply to strikes in six essential sectors: health services, fire and rescue services, education services, transport services, nuclear decommissioning, and border security. These are the same six services identified in the previous Trade Union Act 2016, which already imposed strict requirements for strike mandates to have the support of at least 40% of those eligible to vote as well as a majority of those voting.
The Bill goes even further, however, by removing the requirement for minimum service levels (MSLs) to be negotiated by agreement between trade unions and employers, and instead gives complete discretion to the Secretary of State, Grant Shapps, to set the MSLs in each of the six services. This means that the MSLs can be set at such a high level that any strike will be rendered largely ineffective.
Furthermore, the Bill is a worrying symptom of how the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has become not only the friend of employers but also an instrument of the coercive state. Despite the government’s claims of respecting the right to strike, the Bill effectively renders the right to strike to be nothing more than a right to make a meaningless protest. The Bill also includes disproportionate sanctions to ensure obedience to the will of the state, further undermining workers’ rights.
Under the new law, bosses in health, education, fire, ambulance, rail and nuclear commissioning will be able to sue unions and sack employees if minimum levels are not met. Union members who refuse to work under the minimum service requirement could lose their jobs. The new law will also back employers bringing an injunction to prevent strikes or seeking damages afterwards if they go ahead.
This Bill is a dangerous and undemocratic attempt to silence workers and deny them their basic human rights. It must be opposed by all those who value democracy and workers’ rights. Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition, has pledged to repeal the anti-trade union legislation if Labour forms the next government.
Union News is a source for news and information about the UK union and labour movement. It is dedicated to providing accurate and unbiased coverage of these issues, which are often overlooked or misrepresented in mainstream media. By sharing links and following Union News on platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube, you can help to support this alternative source of information and build a counter media that accurately represents the experiences and concerns of working people. If you have news to share, Union News welcomes submissions and encourages you to get in touch. You can contact Union News here: UnionNewsServices@protonmail.com
The music featured in Union News is created by Tim Bragg, a talented multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. You can listen to his songs on YouTube and other streaming services.
In this edition of Union News we look at predictions about the UK cost-of-living crisis, the first national rail strike by rail cleaners, the restoration of the whip by the Scottish National Party to the disgraced MP ‘Groper Grady’, a big win for Merseyside bin workers and firefighters pay.
UK cost-of-living crisis predicted to continue despite end of double-digit inflation
According to the Resolution Foundation, in 2023, the UK can expect to see an end to double-digit inflation, but many families’ incomes are predicted to fall by as much as they did in 2022 due to rising energy bills, tax bills, and mortgage payments. Low-income families are three times more likely to lack confidence in their financial situation over the next three months, according to a YouGov survey. The Foundation attributes this to the precarious employment conditions that exist in sectors that have been privatized or deregulated, leading to a general reduction in wages. To address this, the Foundation suggests that the government regulate energy prices, raise benefits and pensions, end pay constraints in the public sector, and impose windfall taxes on profits. However, it is uncertain whether these measures would be implemented by the current Tory government or a potential Labour administration.
UK railway cleaners to launch first national strike on New Year’s Eve
Railway cleaners in the UK will go on strike for the first time on New Year’s Eve, demanding a wage of £15 per hour, sick pay, decent holidays, and pensions. The industrial action, led by transport union RMT, will involve more than 1,000 contracted-out cleaners at private contractors for several rail operators, including Avanti West Coast, GWR, LNER, and TransPennine Express. ISS cleaners on London’s Dockland Light Railway will also strike over pay, rosters, and working conditions. The strikes follow the suspension of planned action last week and come amid a lack of progress in the dispute.
SNP restores party whip to MP found to have sexually harassed teenage employee
The SNP has restored the party whip at Westminster to Patrick Grady, a former chief whip who was found to have sexually harassed a teenage party employee. Grady had resigned from the party last summer following the ruling by the Commons authorities, but the SNP’s member conduct committee only imposed a six-month suspension of his party membership, which has now expired. Grady has therefore had his membership of the SNP reinstated and regained the SNP Westminster group whip. This move has prompted criticism of the party’s handling of the issue and its commitment to taking such issues seriously. Pat Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity union, said: “The SNP are ‘woke’ in their speeches but act tribally to protect their own. Mr Grady was given, in effect, a slap on the wrist. What kind of message does this send out to others? It’s amazing that this is still happening after MeToo.”
Merseyside refuse workers win pay increase following strike action
Refuse workers in Merseyside, England, have won a pay increase of 15% after going on strike earlier this month. The deal, which covers more than 200 workers employed by Biffa on an outsourced contract for Wirral Council, will be backdated to April and includes a commitment to boost pay again in April 2023 by between 7% and 9% depending on inflation rates. The pay increase was secured through the efforts of the workers’ trade union, Unite.
Firefighters in UK paid up to six times less than their bosses, says union
Firefighters in the UK are paid up to six times less than their bosses, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU). Freedom of Information requests revealed that chief fire officers earned an average of £148,000 per year, with the highest salary being £206,000. This is significantly more than the salary of an ordinary firefighter. The FBU also reported that after a decade of below- or at-inflation pay settlements, many firefighters and control staff are relying on foodbanks and taking on additional jobs to make ends meet. The union is currently holding a ballot on whether to go on strike over pay, after rejecting a 5% pay offer. The result of the ballot will be announced on today.
Union News brings you news of the UK union and labour movement. We can’t rely on the UK media to give unbiased accounts on these issues. Please support Union News by sharing links and following us on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. Thanks for your support in building the counter media. If you have news to share please get in touch.
Episode Notes
Our music is provided by Tim Bragg. Tim is a multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter. You can hear his songs here: – or any streaming service or on YouTube.
If you have news, video footage, pictures etc that you want featured in Union News please email: UnionNewsServices@protonmail.com
2022/2023 Presidential Message from Glen Nicklasson
Please click on image above t hear this as a podcast.
As 2022 draws to an end it would appear the year was a year of Good byes – Good bye to Covid 19, Goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II and goodbye to two Conservative Prime Ministers. This year people have been able to travel freely, in contrast to last year, where people’s liberties were largely restricted based on vaccine status.
It serves as an important reminder how Liberty and Freedom can be swiftly taken from us and we should protect freedom vigorously. Whether you’re a Royalist or not, I think you would’ve been as shocked and saddened by the sudden death of our longest ever serving Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She sat as Head of State for seventy years and recently celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. She will be sorely missed by the establishment and many of her subjects throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. She was Interred with her late beloved husband the Duke of Edinburgh.
Did 2022 witness the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party? Let’s hope so. After Boris Johnson resigned in the face of a lying allegation, the Tories subjected the British public to a Tory leadership contest with Liz Truss coming out on top. Unfortunately for Liz She was almost immediately replaced by Rishi Sunak. Rishi Sunak is a Billionaire who once claimed in an interview that he had Working-Class friends. Mr. Sunak realised his mistake and retracted the false statement immediately.
The Year has ended on a positive note for the Trade Union movement with many Unions calling for Strikes in the wake of the Cost of Living Crisis. There have been walkouts by the RMT, CWU, RCN and many more. We in Solidarity support these strikes and urge you to support those taking Industrial action in any way you can. Do not cross a picket line, honk your horn in support if you see workers on a picket l ine and support local your local strikes on social media etc. Solidarity the Union looks forward to representing all working people in 2023 and would like to remind you to support each other at work. Together we are Strong!
Here’s a round-up of trade union and labour related news from around the UK. In this programme union leaders announce plans for major strikes in health, post and rail sectors, Unison calls on Welsh Government to make deals with health workers to avoid strike action and military personnel take over passport inspection as Border Force workers go on strike.
Union leaders announce plans for major strikes in health, post and rail sectors
Union leaders in the UK have announced new dates for strikes in the new year across the health, post, and rail sectors. The government has been criticized for using the military to undermine strikes and for paying armed forces personnel a bonus of £20 per day for taking the place of striking workers. Nurses and ambulance workers will go on strike in January, and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has announced strikes for tomorrow. The RMT has accused the government of sabotaging attempts to negotiate with employers, and has said it is still willing to negotiate. The General Medical Services union and Unison have also announced new dates for strikes by ambulance workers following a strike last Wednesday. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced new strike dates for January, following the first-ever strike by the organization last Tuesday.
The RCN union has announced new strikes for Wednesday 18 January and Thursday 19 January after the government failed to make any new pay offer. This follows strikes on 15 and 20 December. Picket line details will be out early in 2023.
The Unison union has called further ambulance strikes on Wednesday 11 January and Monday 23 January. The GMB union has wrongly called off strikes planned for 28 December—but has instead called action alongside Unison on 11 January.
Union Unison has called on the Welsh government to make a pay deal with health workers in order to avoid strike action
Union Unison has called on the Welsh government to make a pay deal with health workers in order to avoid strike action. Unison has asked the government to “reprioritize” spending, including a £460m ($622m) tax giveaway to businesses, in order to reach a “meaningful agreement” and prevent conflict. Health workers in Wales voted by more than 90% in favour of strike action over pay, but did not meet the turnout threshold set by the Westminster government in its anti-union legislation. Unison is calling for a pay increase of £1,400, which it argues is a real-terms pay cut, and is reballoting its members in the Welsh Ambulance Service following disruption caused by strikes at Royal Mail.
Military personnel take over passport inspections at major airports as Border Force workers go on strike
Military personnel have taken over passport inspections at major airports in the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, as Border Force immigration workers went on strike. Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) are striking after suffering years of real-terms pay cuts. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said that armed forces personnel will receive daily bonuses of £20 after tax for covering the strikes between 19 December and 2 January. The strikes have also affected jobcentres, driving test centres, the Rural Payment Agency and the Highways Agency. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka has warned that travellers could face further disruption unless the government improves its pay proposals.
Notes
Our music is provided by Tim Bragg. Tim is a multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter. You can hear his songs here: – or any streaming service or on YouTube.
If you have news, video footage, pictures etc that you want featured in Union News please email: UnionNewsServices@protonmail.com
The motto of Leith, where I live, is Persevere. Our local coat of arms depicts a ship with that motto as Leith is and was the Port of Edinburgh and it’s fortunes were bound closely to the Sea and international trade. Both can witness misfortune and obstacles. In your own life you will have faced your own problems and setbacks. It’s the same with organisations. There are bound to be barriers and difficulties that block your path. To overcome these challenges and move forward we need perseverance. Perseverance is a skill that helps us stay motivated and helps us work towards our goals. Perseverance helps us make progress even when things get tough.
If we can work through hard times, it can open up new opportunities for us. The ability to persevere in difficult situations gives us a head start when we face problems and difficulties. Life isn’t easy, and there will always be times when things don’t go according to plan.
Perseverance boils down to the drive and resilience we display while completing an objective. Regardless of the challenges that emerge or the time it takes us to complete the task, we persist tirelessly and pursue our set goal(s). It’s an important quality in life as it allows us to stay in the game even though everyone else says it’s time to call it quits. Perseverance helps us achieve our life’s dreams, goals and vision.
Our union is prepared to spend years pursuing a case if need be. We don’t give up and we deal patiently with anything that is thrown at us. We stand by our members for however long it takes to get them to a better position.
Some cases are more straightforward and can be resolved fairly quickly. Our Reps are busy every day defending the rights of our members in disciplinaries, redundancy consultations and grievances. They are high-quality, committed people, who care and want to change things for the better. All of them deserve our gratitude and they certainly have mine and also my respect. We have won many settlements for our members in the past year but we currently have three active Employment Tribunal cases pending where settlement has not yet been agreed. These will be pursued to their conclusion.
This year we faced a regulatory threat to our very existence as a union. We dealt with it as a team and we overcame it. Not only that but we turned it to our advantage by studying the problem and looking for ways to turn it into a win. What seemed a huge problem we turned into a win – through perseverance.
We’ve also learned that we can’t rely on the mainstream media reporting our activities, or indeed being fair to us or any other union. That’s why we work hard to create our own media. It can be as simple as our weekly internal bulletin ‘British Worker’. Or it can be more ambitious as with our latest project Union News. Union News is a weekly podcast, made by our union. Currently it is available on Spotify, YouTube and Amazon music. In the new year I will lead the team behind it forward to improve the quality of the broadcasts and make it more widely available through other streaming platforms. It’s an important part of building our counter-media.
We may be a small union but we think big and we certainly punch above our weight. We are committed to reaching our goals. We are dedicated to completing whatever task lies in front of us. We continue steadfastly, especially in something that is difficult or tedious. That’s one thing which marks our union out from other organisations – we persevere!
Finally, on a personal note, may I say how honoured I was to be elected once more in 2022 as your General Secretary and wish you, even in these very hard times, a very Merry Christmas.
Note
You can view the last episode of Union News on YouTube here Don’t forget to like and subscribe to Union News wherever you can!
Trade Union News. Here’s a round up of the latest trade union and labour related news from around the UK. In this programme: NHS Staff March on Downing Street, Train Drivers to Strike, Christmas Post Truce Rejected By Management, Ambulance Workers Pledge To Maintain Essential cover and Union Leaders Meet To Discuss a unified day of strikes.
NHS Staff March on Downing Street
NHS staff and campaigners marched on Downing Street yesterday as picketing nurses were greeted with outpourings of public support in towns and cities across the country. The march was organised jointly by campaign groups NHS Workers Say No! and NHS Staff Voices which are part of the Keep Our NHS Public campaign. Spirits were high on nurses’ picket lines nationwide, with many people honking their horns in encouragement as they passed by.
Train Drivers to Strike
Train drivers represented by their Union, Aslef, will go on strike on Thursday January 5, joining RMT members who are scheduled to walk out on January 3, 4, 6 and 7. This is a result of a new ballot that was forced on them by government anti-strike laws. The mandate was even stronger than in the original ballot six months ago – 93 per cent for strike action on an 85 per cent turnout. The drivers’ strike will halt services at 15 train companies including Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia and GTR Great Northern Thameslink. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place.”
Christmas Post Truce Rejected By Management
The Communication Workers Union has announced that postal workers will be striking on December 23 and 24, after Royal Mail rejected their offer of a Christmas truce. The union had sought to get Royal Mail to sign a joint agreement incorporating the company’s latest promise of no compulsory redundancies, but the offer was rejected almost immediately. This will be the 17th and 18th day of action in the dispute over pay, and is likely to cause significant delays in mail delivery during the festive period.
Ambulance Workers Pledge To Maintain Essential cover
GMB national secretary Rachel Harrison said that unions representing ambulance workers had been working “round the clock” to ensure there were enough strike exemptions to keep critical services running. Tens of thousands of ambulance staff including paramedics and call handlers are expected to walk out today in a dispute over pay. Speaking to MPs on the Commons health and social care select committee, Ms Harrison said strike action would go ahead unless Health Secretary Steve Barclay is willing to talk about pay. The GMB leader said that “essential” parts of the service will still be covered today, including responses for the most life-threatening conditions, like cardiac arrest. Ms Harrison told MPs that ambulance workers have been forced to take strike action after raising concerns for years about ambulance delays and unsafe conditions for patients as well as pay.
And finally, Union Leaders Meet To Discuss a unified day of strikes
According to a report in Socialist Worker Trade union leaders are planning to call a unified day of strikes on Wednesday 1 February, which could involve over a million workers. Union leaders met last week to discuss whether some sort of joint action was possible, and agreed to reconvene on 10 January when a final decision could be made.
This plan is a sign of the potential for powerful struggles to transform British politics says the report.
Episode Notes
Thanks for listening to this episode of Union News. Don’t forget to like & share to spread news of the labour and trade union movement in the UK. You can also send us news, soundclips, photos and video footage by email. Our email is given in the show notes. Please email: UnionNewsServices@protonmail.com
Our music is provided by Tim Bragg. Tim is a multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter. You can hear his songs here: – or any streaming service or on YouTube.
The recent spate of strikes in the UK has been sparked by a number of grievances, ranging from pay and pension issues to job security concerns. In addition, many workers are calling for an end to austerity, which has resulted in deep cuts to public services and a squeeze on wages. For these reasons, it is important for all citizens to stand in solidarity with the striking workers and support their cause.
In recent years, workers across the country have suffered as a result of austerity-driven reforms. Public sector pay has been routinely frozen or cut while real-terms wages have stagnated. This has made it increasingly difficult for many families to make ends meet and left them struggling to keep up with rising costs of living. Furthermore, jobs are becoming more precarious as companies turn towards zero-hour contracts and other forms of insecure work. In this context, strikes provide an essential tool for workers to push back against unfair labour practices and secure better working conditions.
The strikes also reflect wider economic trends in the UK that disproportionately impact lower-paid workers who struggle the most under austerity measures. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen as corporate profits continue to soar while average wages fail to keep pace with inflation. Austerity policies have also had a detrimental effect on public services such as education and health care which are critical for people’s well-being yet suffer from chronic underfunding due to limited resources. These issues must be addressed if long-term progress is to be achieved and this can only be done through collective action, such as striking.
It is therefore important that everyone supports the rights of UK strikers by standing in solidarity with them during their protests. Strikes can serve as an effective way for workers to push back against exploitation and demand fairer treatment from employers but they can only achieve results when there is broad public support behind them. By lending our voices we can help ensure that working people get the pay rises they deserve, secure improved job security provisions,and safeguard essential public services that so many rely upon day-to-day across Britain.
The strikers’ demands should not be seen simply as special requests from a single group but rather part of a broader effort towards achieving social justice throughout the nation – something which requires us all to take action together if we wish to make lasting progress towards greater equality and prosperity for all citizens in the United Kingdom.
Pete Seeger had a hit with the song “Which Side Are You On?” in 1967. The song was written by Florence Reece in 1931. Florence was the wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky, USA. In 1931, the miners of that region were locked in a bitter and violent struggle with the mine owners called the Harlan County War.
Just as then the question was simple which or whose side are you on? Then you could side with the striking miners or the bosses, today you side with the strikers fighting for social justice, decent pay and reasonable conditions or against them. Whose side are you on?
