NSSN 77 with Teresa Mackay

The silence from some 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 with all 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, which coming
increasingly closer. But 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 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.

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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:
info@lawas.org.uk 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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Please donate or affiliate to support the NSSN.

Email: info@shopstewards.net

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

NSSN Bulletin 38 - Stepping up for acton

With unions such as the ATL now looking at strike action over pensions, the
battle to fight the cuts is now deepening & widening. We would like to
encourage supporters in branches, regions and anti cuts groups to consider what
they could do to support to develop national co-ordinated action against the
cuts.

NSSN NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 5th annual conference of the NSSN will be on Sat June 11th this will work
well to link in with delegates attending to share information and develop
stronger links for action against the cuts and just prior to co-ordinated
action. We would also appreciate it if people could register for the
conference in advance http://tinyurl.com/6kdzycc

UPDATES:
National union conferences will also be taking place and we have a bulletin we
would ask all supporters to distribute. We are aiming to have fringe meetings
as well. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.73.htm

Our Health Service Not for Sale demo – Tuesday 17 May assemble 5.30pm
University College Hospital, march to Department of Health. As more and more
cuts are proposed such as those in Lewisham & adolescent Mental health services
of £500,000 it is crucial to step up the battle for our services.

SALTEND UPDATE: At a mass meeting of the locked-out workers today, Vivergo's
offer of cash was rejected and it was agreed to re-start the protest in the
morning. http://www.shopstewards.net/news.74.htm messages of support: Keith
Gibson: geminis@geminis.karoo.co.uk 07743135183

Lincolnshire county Council workers to look at strike action against the 900
post cuts. Union rep argues for a needs budget!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-13150339

NUJ Journalists at Tindle Newspapers in Enfield, North London, are currently on
strike until 5th May against cuts. Over one third of editorial staff that have
left has not been replaced, and the remaining workers are facing increasing
exploitation, with only 3 reporters producing 9 newspapers a week!
strikegazadpres@hotmail.co.uk or FOC Jonathan: 07917 871 421

RMT announced this morning that it is to ballot for strike action and action
short of a strike on Heathrow Express in a dispute over pay. In addition, RMT
today called for direct talks between the Mayor, unions and passenger groups,
and demanded an immediate halt to tube jobs and maintenance cuts, after what
the union described as 24 hours of tube hell this week.

AFFILIATE
Great to hear a few new affiliates come through this week including Coventry
CWU & Bolton Trades Council. You can now affiliate online so please do or post
us a cheque. http://www.stopcuts.net/affiliate.htm.

Other Dates for your Diary:

Thur 28th April - Workers Memorial Day - Remember the dead & fight for the
living!

Manchester: 9:30am to 11:00 am at Mechanics Institute. Rally at Peace Gardens
Chorley: 6pm Astley Park, Chorley
London Hazards Protest at DWP London, SW1H 9DA

Nuneaton Against the Cuts public meeting on Thursday 28th April 7pm Bentley
Road Sports & Social Club 23 Bentley Road, Nuneaton, CV11 5LR

MAYDAY - International Workers Day!
Fri 29th April
Dundee Mayfest 11.30 Hiltown Park, with anti royal wedding party from 1pm

Sat 30 April
Croydon Mayday 11am Croydon Trades Union Council march and celebration Elmwood
Road, West Croydon to Ruskin House (speakers and music from 1pm)

Leeds Mayday Assemble 11am @ Victoria Gardens (outside Leeds Art Gallery)

Swansea No to Public Sector Cuts – Defend Jobs and Services! Assemble 12:00,
at the Guildhall, marching to rally Castle Square

Sun 1st May - London Assemble 12:00 noon, Clerkenwell Green, London EC1
http://www.londonmayday.org/home.php

Ipswich- Demonstration 11am Giles Circus, Princes St & March to Alexandra Park,
with family events on till 6pm www.ipswichmaydayfestival.co.uk

Youth Fight for Jobs Jarrow fundraiser - 7 - 11pm sponsored by RMT and PCS
young members' network at Slaughtered Lamb Pub, Great Sutton Street, EC1V

11th May - The Hardest Hit demo, disabled people from across the country will
be coming to London to demonstrate their anger and lobby their MP about cuts in
benefits and services by the current government along with raising their
concerns about the welfare reform bill. Assemble 11.30am Embankment/Horse
Guards Avenue

Exhibition - Anniversary of Wapping
The Marx Memorial Library with UNITE and NUJ is hosting an exhibition to mark
the anniversary of the Wapping / News International dispute of the 1980s. The
exhibition starts on Sunday 1 May www.marx-memorial-library.org

Join – Affiliate – Get involved!

info@shopstewards.net
http://www.shopstewards.net/index.htm
http://on.fb.me/fNkaIo

NSSN Anti-cuts campaign:
http://on.fb.me/eolOEE
http://www.stopcuts.net/

Representing Resistance? Performing Resistance!

This week is mad..

Yesterday Firefighters struck against the 90 day notices to sack them all which ends later this end, if they do not sign new contracts with shift changes.

- Update link on NSSN - LIKES page
- Update info on NSSN group page
- Collect info to send to Group e on FB, also through main elist and Morning Start group also forwarded both our emails.

- Towards the end of the day 2 firefighters are injured, one seriously by scabs... information shared online and in conversations.
- RMT arrange a protest at the peoples question time - info shared, text, email and mainly FB.

Share information on ASLEF/RMT H & S concerns around work..

Funny no news except Croydon local online about injuries... mention them as protestors as opposed to a striking firefighter being run over by fire managers and senior staff! Its a disgrace..

Pictures

Meeting Dave Sinclair today - photos from Liverpool 80's and the Liverpool 47 Council.

Maybe I could also ask for Alan Hardmans Cartoons? (Men again, men?)

Some photos in the Book Liverpool a city that dared to fight, those expelled by Labour, Walton Prison...

Would like all photos on a slide show on DVD or part of an exhibition. Building houses ad, Cellar in Huntely (where interviews will be held). Tina C pregnant with Dave & Ti's son Jack 1984. Shaw st, Percy St. Big demo jack was born 2 days before...

Paving stones on trolly

Kids in mersey

Locations

Young students march

So before I go some reading:

1:

Roots of Liverpool - Special?

Population 1000 in 17c, to over 200,000 in 1841 due to Slave trade, docks etc.

1840's also sees Irish famine and 500,000 Irish come to Liverpool

14:

'Blood and anger of Irish - low wages. Divide and Rule. Casual Labour. Drop in wages despite expansion of Capital.

15:

'TU was restricted to the skilled trades who jealously guarded their posative principles'

16:

NALGO (TU) built by a tory!

1888 Liverpool Trades council revived 'Greatest depth of union organisation...from unskilled"

17:

LTC in 1891 has 121 delegates and 47 trades covered representing 46,000 workers

1900 LRC formed

18:

1910-1914 'Shadow of Revolution hung over Britian" Trotsky

18/19:

Trotsky argued "neither recession nor an economic upswing necessarily radicalises working class or results in strikes. It is the change from one period to another. " With a new generation of young workers impatient of LP and 'ossiefied TU'.

20:

Dock strike 1911 TOM MANN (Man...man..) meeting at Canning Place with 2-3, 000 people. After dockers won, Walton women rubber workers took strike action . "union ale" shared...

21:

13:8:1911 Troops drafted in with live amunnition. Behind barricades residents and community stood for 36 hours. 2 days later 3000 workers marched to Jail, jail was full.

22: 14th Aug eve of General strike (This day I ran away to Liverpool 1987)

23: Terrorial army forced to surrender and dual power exsisted!

1919 police strike

1926 General Strike UK

1932 Birkenhead Riots

50:

Seeds of conflict from Thatchers public expenditure cuts.

52: Red Clare

Companies offered relaxed planning

100% Capital allowance

1980 Liberals put through 34% rent rise.