Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2016
From: info@shopstewards.net
To: shopstewardsnet@lists.riseup.net
Subject: [shopstewardsnet] NSSN 280: Defend the Junior Doctors – Fight Hunt’s imposition!
www.shopstewards.net
The full version of this week’s NSSN e-bulletin no.280 can be viewed here
The NSSN calls on all our supporters and affiliates to continue to give solidarity to the BMA and the junior doctors. Why not offer them the chance to speak at a meeting of your union branch, trades council or NSSN group? We encourage everyone to discuss with the BMA in your area the idea of organising local solidarity activities and protests – some are being organised this Saturday - and link up with unions locally, trades councils and campaigning organisations including the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group of unions (TUCG), Unite the Resistance, People's Assembly, Campaign for Trade Union Freedom, Keep Our NHS Public, Disabled People Against Cuts, the National Pensioners’ Convention, Youth Fight for Jobs and any local health and anti-cuts campaigns.
Email us your protests via info@shopstewards.net and we’ll share them.
The NSSN will continue to call for the TUC and the trade unions, particularly in health, to organise a national demonstration to defend the NHS and support the BMA and the junior doctors as well as defending NHS bursaries. This could really build confidence about co-ordinated industrial action across the health service.
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| Royal London picket line on February 10 strike |
This article is from Dr Clare Blackwell, a junior doctor at Poole Hospital.
“Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt unilaterally imposed his unsafe and unfair new contract on junior doctors in England on 11 February. The new conditions, which include dangerous longer hours for reduced overall pay, are due to take effect in August. Last year, members of doctors’ union BMA voted overwhelmingly for industrial action against the change. We have struck twice already.
The BMA is currently considering its options for how to resist Hunt’s decision. More strike action is one possibility. There have also been discussions about ‘mass resignation’, where doctors quit collectively if a certain number signs up to do so.
The mood among junior doctors is mixed. People are quite despondent about Hunt’s imposition, and feel devalued and demoralised. But we are determined to resist what has happened.
Junior doctors came out solidly on the last strike day. In Poole we had 50 people on the picket line at times. We had support from the paramedics and members of public sector union Unison. The fire brigade drove past and honked their horns. There was a lot of public support from local people as well. It was all quite heartening.
Before Hunt’s imposition, it looked like there might have been a weak compromise proposal on the table. But after years of goodwill in the face of vicious attacks on the NHS, doctors are not willing to accept any deal worse than our current arrangement. The strikes have politicised junior doctors. People have realised the collective power they have. This has spread to other healthcare staff as well: nurses are talking about striking again. Striking together would be a huge step forward.”
Emergency Rally: Not Without A Fight, Save Our NHS. No to imposition! – 6.30pm Wednesday February 17th Conway Hall, London 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL (Tube: Holborn) http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/events
PCS 100% behind junior doctors
Unison: Ask your MP to sign EDM on the NHS bursary
NSSN holds public solidarity #SaveOurSteel meeting in Port Talbot - Rob Williams, chair of the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN), addressed a NSSN solidarity meeting on February 10th in Port Talbot for steel workers who are facing mass redundancies at the Tata plant. Trade unionists from across the region spoke passionately about the impact of the job losses for the workers, their families and communities. Rob, highlighting the real danger of the run down and possible closure of the plant, said that nationalisation, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need (which means Tata's executives would get nothing!) was the only realistic plan to guarantee the jobs of thousands of workers in the area. See photos from meeting
Owen Herbert, RMT regional secretary, reminded the meeting of how popular the idea of re-nationalisation of the railways has become and said that nationalisation of steel would receive similar support. An ex-Visteon worker drew applause when he said that if the government can nationalise to save white collar workers (the bankers) then they should do the same for blue collar workers (the steel workers)! Community: Steelworkers march on Brussels (Feb 15)
Unite
South London library workers’ prepare to escalate strike action (by a Unite member) - Unite members in Greenwich and Bromley are escalating the campaigns in both boroughs following recent strike action which launched a joint campaign (see last week’s NSSN e-bulletin). In Bromley the Tories are handing 6 libraries over to Community Links who will run libraries with unpaid volunteers replacing paid, professional staff. The remaining libraries will be handed over to a private company.
So far, the council are refusing to say who has made a bid. Unite will now target our campaign at Community Links to persuade them to pull out - and when we get the identity of the privateers, they too will be targeted. In Greenwich, there will be 2 lobbies of the Labour council in the coming weeks. Attempts will be made to persuade Greenwich Labour members to support the campaign. The council is conducting a public consultation - judging by the over 1,000 signatures gathered on the picket lines, the response from the public will be to oppose the closure.
Unite has issued a clear warning - should the council ignore the protests and strikes, there will be further escalated strike action. Unite is making a call to all those opposing library closures to unite in a co-ordinated campaign. This can start in south London, where in addition to Bromley and Greenwich, campaigners and unions in Lewisham and Lambeth are also fighting to defend libraries. A public meeting bringing all four borough campaigns together alongside campaign group Stand Up For Libraries and the National Shop Stewards Network could launch a London trade union led campaign.
Since the Tories came into government, over 400 libraries have closed. Families relying on food banks and benefits and those on low incomes cannot buy books and many will not have WiFi at home. One campaigner said: "libraries facilitate a collective social conscience - library closures lead to collective, social dementia”
Protest Outside Bromley Community Links: Community House, South St, Bromley BR1 1RH (Near Bromley North Station) 24th Feb 2pm till 3pm, 25th Feb 6pm till 8pm, 2nd March 9am till 10.30am, 4th March 9am till 11am
NUT
The academy threat to Small Heath School has been withdrawn - now lift Simon O'Hara's suspension! (1 Feb) — On Friday 29th January Birmingham City Council informed the unions that the threat of the academisation of Small Heath School was off the table as the sponsors had walked away. This came after staff from the NUT, NASUWT and ATL increased their strike action and campaigned with parents to say that students in Small Heath are best served by their school remaining as part of the Local Authority family of schools. Staff are committed to getting the school out of special measures but for this to happen the suspension of the NUT Rep Simon O'Hara must be lifted. NUT members in the school have voted 100% in favour of striking to defend their Rep with strikes on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 February if the school refuse to end the victimisation of Simon O'Hara.
Please share the petition and encourage as many people as possible to sign. We say well done to the strikers for stopping the academisation of Small Heath School and that now the LA and the IEB should lift the suspension of Simon O'Hara. You are encouraged to send messages of support to David Room at banut@btconnect.com. A petition to defend Simon and to say ‘no to academisation’ of Small Heath School has attracted well over 2000 signatures – please add your signature sign here
6th Form Colleges – Pay and Funding campaign: Save our sixth form colleges – vote YES in the NUT ballot - The NUT is balloting members in sixth form colleges for strike action in support of the NUT campaign read more
CWU
Reinstate Clive Walder
The NSSN is delighted to announce that John Vasey a sacked CWU postal rep in Wakefield, West Yorkshire has finally been reinstated by Royal Mail (see CWU website). We now demand that Clive Walder gets his job back at British Telecom. Clive Walder, a longstanding leading rep in the CWU had an appeal against unfair dismissal rejected by British Telecom on 9 November, confirming his sacking after 38 years of service. Clive is chair of the CWU Birmingham, Black Country & Worcester branch.
Clive worked in a BT call centre and was dismissed after an aggressive customer reported him to management just 33 seconds into a phone call. The decision was made without taking stress into account despite the local CWU branch reporting that 7% of staff at the call centre leave their jobs each month, some walking out mid shift. Management took the decision without consulting any medical advice or taking into account any mitigation.
Clive is a NSSN steering committee member and we will be supporting the campaign protesting the sacking and campaigning for his reinstatement. Contact Clive to send messages of support and invite him to your union branch, shop stewards committee, trades council etc - cliverwalder@hotmail.com 07771931185
- 20,000 Royal Mail workers face the axe read more
- Bridgwater disabled postman is going back to work! (Feb 12) - POSTIES at Bridgwater’s Royal Mail delivery office have been celebrating victory after the reinstatement of deaf postman Andrew Mootoo. After a two-year David and Goliath style battle with the country’s second largest employer – culminating with a 24-hour unofficial walkout on November 11 last year, 113 Communication Workers' Union members at Bridgwater Royal Mail Delivery Office have secured the reinstatement of Mr Mootoo who also has MS read more
- Reps meet to plan Royal Mail pay strategy read more
- Defend the People’s Post sign the petition here
National demonstration in solidarity with the Kurds
- Stop Turkey's war on the Kurds
- Break the Silence
NSSN / Kill the Bill news
As expected, the Tory Trade Union Bill passed its 3rd reading on November 10th. It now is now going through the Lords. But we must keep up the pressure and prepare for resisting it if it becomes law.
The NSSN supported the protest that the Trade Union Co-ordinating Group of unions (TUCG) organised outside Parliament on the 2nd House of Lords reading of the TU Bill on Monday January 11th. We will be publicising protests on the 3rd reading. See video of PCS national Vice-President John McInally speaking on protest
TUC comments on leaked ministerial letter calling for Trade Union Bill concessions
Rob Williams NSSN chair was interviewed live on BBC’s Daily Politics at TUC Congress watch here at about 30 minutes
Early notice – the 10th annual NSSN conference will on Saturday July 2nd 2016 in Conway Hall, London. Please put in your new diaries!!
Yorkshire NSSN Conference: Stop the Union Busters / Organise the Unorganised - Saturday, 5th March at Ebor Court, Skinner St, Leeds, LS1 4ND https://www.facebook.com/events/514766158692960/
The last two pink NSSN ‘£10 Now’ t-shirts are available for £8. Both are women’s large sizes. First come first served! Order by emailing info@shopstewards.net
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 attached and here
Download the ‘Join the NSSN’ leaflet here
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
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