NSSN Staffordshire

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info@shopstewards.net

FBU Gaza statement

Read the full NSSN e-bulletin 203 here:http://shopstewards.net/2014/07/nssn-203-fbu-gaza-statement/

The vast majority of trade unionists are outraged by the events in Gaza over the last few weeks and many have attended the protests and demonstrations that have taken place. In this week’s NSSN e-bulletin, we re-produce the FBU’s
statement on Gaza.

The Fire Brigades Union deplores the horrific attacks on Gaza and calls for an immediate, negotiated and total ceasefire. The union sends our support, solidarity and sympathy to all those affected by the conflict, including the families of the victims.

In particular, the FBU applauds the tremendous work done by firefighters helping the victims of atrocities, and who put themselves at even greater risk in order to assist others.

The FBU notes with horror that so far the Israeli armed forces have killed hundreds of people in Gaza, and the death toll continues to rise. These deaths include workers in health, education and journalism, with 80% of those killed being women and children. Around 120,000 people are seeking shelter, with food and water now running out. The assault amounts to the collective punishment of a population already suffering terribly from the effects of the blockade.

The FBU is appalled that UK-manufactured military equipment could be used in the attack on Gaza and calls for the suspension of UK arms sales to Israel.

The FBU is concerned by the bias shown by most broadcasters reporting the conflict and demands that Palestinian voices are heard.

The FBU condemns the one-sided approach of British ministers, who should be pressing the Israeli government to cease the attacks and enter into meaningful peace negotiations. The FBU welcomes the offer from Scottish hospitals (and
endorsed by External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf) to offer specialist treatment to the injured should that be possible. Similar offers should be made elsewhere in the UK and across Europe.

The FBU demands: 

An immediate ceasefire.

Peace talks aimed at finding a lasting and just solution to the conflict. The Israel government lift the blockade on Gaza.

Support for the boycott of illegal settlements, settlement goods and those corporations benefiting from the occupation and the wall.

The Israeli offensive is completely unjustified. The FBU believes that only a ceasefire observed by all – including those firing rockets into Israel – followed by serious negotiations with all parties can bring peace to the region. There is no military solution to the conflict – only a political solution based around two states can bring justice to all involved.

The FBU supports the PGFTU’s three-day general strike in the West Bank in protest at the Israeli government’s actions.

The FBU supports demonstrations called around the UK to stop the war on Gaza and calls on our members and friends to attend these mobilisations.

NSSN News

Over 300 shop stewards, union rep and anti-cuts activists attended the 8th Annual NSSN Conference on Saturday July 5th. The speakers included Ronnie Draper BFAWU bakers’ union General Secretary, POA General Secretary Steve Gillan, Janice Godrich PCS President and Peter Pinkney RMT President…plus Ginger Jentzen from the victorious Seattle $15Now campaign.

Watch a video of the first session here -
http://shopstewards.net/2014/07/nssn-conference-1st-session-feat-peter-pinkney-and-ronnie-draper/

See photos from the conference here -
http://shopstewards.net/2014/07/in-pictures-nssn-conference-2014/

Watch the video shown at the start of the conference – All strike together & Memorium for Bob Crow -
http://shopstewards.net/2014/07/video-all-strike-together-memorium-for-bob-crow/

The conference agreed that the NSSN will hold a public rally at this year’s TUC Congress in Liverpool to lobby delegates to keep up the pressure for further co-ordinated strikes – 2pm Sunday September 7th in Jury’s Hotel opposite Echo Arena conference centre in Albert Dock. PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka is one of the confirmed speakers.

Get your trade union branch or trades council to affiliate to the NSSN – it only costs £50. Already affiliated? Please think about renewing it. Also, many of our supporters pay a few pounds a month. You can set up a similar standing order to ‘National Shop Stewards Network’, HSBC – sort code 40-06-41, account number 90143790. Our address is NSSN, PO Box 54498, London E10 9DE.

Affiliation letter here - http://shopstewards.net/2014/02/nssn-affiliation-letter/

And if you can, come to one of our regional Conferences. If there is not one in your area, get in touch to either assist in organising or have a speaker at one of your meetings or events. Contact Rob or Linda on info@shopstewards.net

Stoke strike rally to End low Pay!

Thousands of public sector workers including teachers, fire fighters, civil servants, refuse collectors and care workers went on strike together yesterday across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle and Staffordshire as part of the 1.5 million taking action nationally. Libraries, 134 schools, Hanley Museum and other services like local Centres in Meir, Abbey Hulton, Blurton, Chell Heath and Fenton were closed along with many other services partially affected.    

                                                                                            

PCS picket at Hanley Job Centre

 

Albion Square in Hanley was virtually taken over by workers on strike with large PCS pickets outside the tax office at Blackburn House and at the benefits office at the side of Wilko’s along with Unison members picketing Hanley Town Hall. Many people passing by congratulated strikers for taking a stand. PCS members also picketed Hanley, Kidsgrove and Longton Job Centres.

 

There was a large and lively picket of GMB, Unison and Unite members outside Cromer Road Council Depot with passing cars honking support along with many other picket lines including Unison members at the Civic Centre in Stoke.

 

Later in the day, over one hundred strikers and supporters came together at a colourful and noisy rally outside the Civic Centre in Stoke. The crowd including teachers, fire fighters, council workers, civil servants etc waved union banners, flags and placards as they listened to speakers from all the unions on strike. There was also a Green Party banner, Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) banner and of course our NSSN banner and placards!

     

 

North Staffs DWP branch secretary, Pete Rofe, speaking at the rally explained the crucial need for “an escalation of the action and called on the TUC to name the date for a 24 hour general strike as soon as possible”.

 

Some Labour councillors joined picket lines and attended the rally to show their support for the strike. This should be welcomed but as one striker told us supporters, "It's no good supporting workers fighting for a decent pay increase while they are sacking local council workers and slashing our public services".

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HELP THE NSSN BUILD SUPPORT FOR 10 JULY STRIKE!

 

The line-up for the July 10 strike is now complete. Fire-fighters defending their hard won pension rights will be walking out on the same day as up to 1½ million council and school workers, teachers, civil servants and others who are resisting the continuing public sector pay freeze.

 

Workers from Unison, PCS, Unite, GMB, NUT, FBU and NIPSA will be on strike together. Transport for London workers as well as power control operators on London Underground will also be out on strike that day, meaning that RMT and TSSA can be added to the growing list. 

It’s vital that we build for the strike and get our message across – the need to use the strike as a launch pad towards a 24 hour general strike of public and private sector workers. That's why NSSN supporters across Staffordshire will be building support for Thursday’s strike action.

We will be leafleting workplaces on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

• Can you spare an hour or two this week, in the day or evening, to help?
• Can you give out some leaflets in your workplace? – you don’t have to be upfront about it, you can just leave them where workmates will see them. It doesn’t matter whether your workplace is on strike or not.
• You could give leaflets out to friends, leave some on buses, in shops – anywhere really.
• You don’t have to collect leaflets – we can drop them off for you.

We will also need help on the day of the strike to give out leaflets on picket lines, on the streets and at the Strike Rally outside the Civic Centre in Stoke on Thursday from 11.30am onwards.

One NSSN supporter is taking the day off work on Thursday – can you do the same or for a few hours?

Can you get your union banner and take it along to a picket or to the rally?

Have you got any other ideas how we can build support for workers taking strike action on Thursday?

 

Please get in touch asap if you are able to do any of this stuff so we can plan how your valuable time can be put to good use.

You can call or text  us on 07845893607 any time

END LOW PAY

Fight ’till we win!

Build for a 24 hour general strike

J10 – striking against low pay

Over a million public sector workers are taking strike action to demand an end to the pay freeze. Public sector pay has been virtually frozen since 2010, meaning inflation has cut 16% out of the value of a pay packet.

But the super-rich are not touched. Britain now ‘boasts’ 104 billionaires, with a collective wealth of £301 billion, up by more than a fifth in a year. To add insult to injury it’s reported that their cost of living is actually falling. Prices for caviar and fine wines are dropping.

We pay the price

Almost half a million local government workers earn less than the living wage, set at £7.65 or £8.80 in London. This is not enough to live a decent life – but is more than the measly current £6.31 minimum wage level.
 

Unison, GMB and Unite are calling for a pay rise of £1 an hour for local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. That would mean that workers on the lowest scale wages would rise to £7.45 an hour.
 

The Socialist Party gives its backing to this campaign – but we also go further. We argue for a campaign for the immediate implementation of the living wage a step towards a minimum wage of £10 an hour with no exceptions, and with regular increases to cover price rises. At their recent national conferences the demand for £10 an hour was taken up by the BFAWU bakers’ union and the GMB.
 

A higher minimum wage needs to be part of a programme of other measures, including a major investment in job creation, an end to zero-hour contracts, the introduction of rent controls and the construction of new council housing.

But, if we are to win, J10 must be a step in a determined campaign of action. Workers have shown their determination to struggle time and again. Two million walked out in de-fence of pensions in mass coordinated strike action on 30 November 2011.
 

But their courage has not been matched by the right-wing trade union leaders who, instead of building on the big success and popularity of the strike, settled for a few crumbs. That gave the Con-Dems and their big business masters the confidence to relentlessly turn the screw in pushing down workers’ pay and conditions.

First step

The 10 July strike is another opportunity to launch a battle against austerity. In doing so, the unions could draw behind them millions of unorganised workers and all those suffering from these brutal cuts.
 

Unison has already named 9 and 10 September as the next dates for action in this pay strike. They should be the next steps in mass coordinated strike action, building for a 24-hour general strike that can smash the pay freeze. This will open up the prospect of defeating this government of the 1%.
 

It is understandable that some workers are sceptical about the prospects for this struggle given the woeful role of the right-wing trade union leaders in recent years. However, the only way to defeat the attacks of the employers and the government is to determinedly set out to organise and fight until we win. The strike on 10 July is an important first step.
 

The best way to keep pressure on the union leaderships is by building the broad lefts, democratic fighting left organisations in the trade unions, through organising local strike committees and involving more members in the activity and structures of the unions.