Tag: Strike action

Shelter Strike Action

Three day strike over pay cuts to hit national housing charity

The housing charity Shelter is set to be hit by a three day strike next week as Britain’s largest union, Unite announced that 400 of its members would be walking out from Tuesday 16 December over pay cuts of up to £5,000 for frontline staff.

Amid warnings that ‘cut rate pay’ will lead to a ‘cut rate organisation’, the advice and support workers are angry over the imposition of a new pay scale at the charity leading to pay cuts of up to £5,000 for new starters, with the pay of current frontline staff only being guaranteed until 2016.

The action, hitting the charity’s advice and support work, was backed by two thirds (69.2 per cent) of those taking part in a recent strike ballot and follows a continued refusal by Shelter management to negotiate meaningfully.

In addition to pay cuts for new frontline staff, the proposed pay changes have left the charity open to accusations of creating a two tier workforce. The new pay scale only affects frontline staff and will see some advice workers earning several thousands of pounds less than non-frontline colleagues working on the same grade elsewhere in the charity.

Shelter’s main offices in London, Glasgow and Sheffield as well as smaller ones in cities such as Manchester and Bristol will be affected by the three day strike, which starts at 00:01 hours Tuesday 16 December and concludes at 23:59 hours on Thursday 18 December.

Unite regional officer Peter Storey said: “Our members care deeply about the help they give and the people they support. They are fearful that ‘cut rate pay’ will lead to a ‘cut rate organisation’ as managers struggle to recruit experienced replacements on the new lower rates of pay.

“Shelter’s frontline support and advice workers are the lifeblood of the charity and deserve better than pay cuts while those with huge salaries at the top see their pay protected.
“Cutting pay for some of our lowest paid staff is simply not necessary. Shelter is in a healthy financial position and management need to get back around the table to negotiate a fair settlement.”

we are encouraging Unite Community Members to attend the picket line at Furnival House, Furnival way, Sheffield, from 8am each day, next Tuesday, Wed and Thursday.

View the newsletter: Strike at Shelter Newsletter

Hardline university bosses refuse to budge on pay, as 3 December strike looms

Hardline bosses at cash rich universities are blamed by Unite, the country’s largest union, for failing to reach a fair settlement before a second day of strike action at UK universities on Tuesday (3 December).

Despite talks under the auspices of the conciliation service, Acas, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) refused to budge, so Unite’s members in higher education will be joining Unison, the University and College Union (UCU) and the Scottish education union, the EIS for a one day strike on Tuesday.

Unite contrasts the five year pay drought which its members have endured, resulting in a 13 per cut in pay in real terms since 2008, with the lavish remuneration packages – averaging just under £250,000 a year – that the UK’s vice chancellors enjoy.

Unite national officer for education Mike McCartney said that the one per cent pay offer on the table for 2013/14 was “completely unacceptable”, given that the cumulative operating surplus in the higher education sector was now over £1 billion.

Mike McCartney said: “We had a very successful one day strike on 31 October when our members were heartened by the strong support from other staff, students and members of the public.

“The intransigence of the employers, who are sitting on a cash mountain of £1 billion, has not moved us forward. No new offer, other than the existing one per cent, leaves the higher education unions with no choice, but to take further strike action on 3 December.

“The unions are at a loss as to why the meeting under Acas’ watchful eye went ahead with nothing extra being put on the table – it makes a mockery of the concept of negotiation.

“It should be not be forgotten that it is the hard work of higher education staff that keeps Britain in the top ten of the world’s universities.

“While highly paid vice chancellors travel the world, in some style, drumming up student numbers, it is our members that underpin the whole higher education system.”

Unite’s membership embraces technicians, laboratory assistants, administrators and facilities management staff. The union has about 20,000 members in higher education.

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Barnsley College UCU Strike Tuesday 3rd Dec

University and College Union (UCU) members at Barnsley College as part of a one day national strike across post 16 Education. The strike is against a derisory pay offer of 0.7%. In the universities, UNISON, UNITE and UCU are on strike, in the colleges just UCU.

UCU members will be picketing the main sites of the college from 7am – 9.15am and then heading through to Sheffield for a regional rally.

Barnsley College UCU has been in the forefront of showing solidarity for other workers who are taking action. In 2013, they have held collections for strikers including those at Mid Yorks Hospitals UNISON and Chesterfield College UCU, Also in 2013, UCU members have supported PCS, CWU, NAPO , UNITE Yorkshire Ambulance and FBU picket lines.

I would ask you to get your union branch/activists to do 2 things in solidarity with this strike:

1. Send a message of support to the UCU branch secretary Lee Short at: lee.short1975@gmail.com

2. Get a delegation to visit the picket line (and in my experience of UCU picket lines some Christmas cake/parkin etc will go down well!)  You will be made very welcome.

 The UCU branch buys a breakfast for all picketers after the picket and financial donations to the cost of that will be gratefully received. (cheques payable to Barnsley College UCU)

The branch hopes that lots of retired UCU members will come and join the picketline for a while too.

in solidarity,

Dave Gibson

Support the FBU this Wednesday

As Firefighters walk out on Wednesday 13th November
for their fourth strike, join Barnsley Trades Council Rally in support.
12.30 to 1.15pm, in Barnsley Precinct.

If you are free at 9.45am, join trade unionists cheering FBU members as they walkout.
More information:07594 857960.
Download the flyer here Support FBU Weds 13 Nov