Planes, trains & ferries face strikes - Biggest 4-day week trial - Seasonal workers charged illegal fees
6 - 12 June 2022
After a two-week hiatus The Week in Work is back, and there’s plenty to catch up on. The list of industrial disputes keeps on growing to include trains, planes, ferries, buses, Scottish councils, telecoms, doctors, barristers and many more. In the case of the trains and the telecoms sector, these will be the biggest strikes in their respective sectors since the 1980s.
Meanwhile, the biggest 4-day week trial has kicked off in the UK, while European Parliament plans to create EU-wide rules on minimum wages passed an important hurdle.
And finally a bit of self-promotion. A couple of weeks ago I published this investigation, which found that as many as 150 Nepalese workers that came to work on UK farms were charged thousands of pounds in illegal fees. There’s been some reaction to our findings by MPs and by industry leaders. If you or someone you know has worked in the agricultural sector and wants to chat about their experience, please get in touch.
DISPUTES
Transport strikes: Rail workers across all grades working for Network Rail and several operators will be going on strike in late June in the biggest dispute in the network since 1989. The RMT has produced this FAQ document for members. The Guardian reports that Aslef also has a day of industrial action planned and that TSSA is balloting its members.
There has been a lot of discussion about the rail dispute in the media, much of it framed by broadcasters as a way to catch out Labour MPs. You can easily search for that online, so I won’t be sharing it here. Instead I’ll just leave this from Loose Women:
London could see continued disruption as well, as more than 1000 Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground workers will take strike action later this month over pensions, pay and jobs, Unite says.
Yorkshire bus dispute: Yorkshire Arriva bus drivers are on strike in parts of Yorkshire in a dispute over pay, the BBC reports. The strike will continue “for an undisclosed period of time”
Heathrow strike vote: Hundreds of Heathrow check in and ground staff are voting for strike action, GMB says. The union says a ten percent pay cut imposed during the pandemic has not been reinstated. Unite previously announced a strike ballot of Heathrow staff as well.
Scotland local government strike: Unison Scotland says it is balloting 25,000 local government members, GMB Scotland says it is balloting 10,000 members and Unite says it is balloting members in 32 Scottish councils. The unions are opposed to the 2% pay offer made by COSLA, the umbrella body representing council employers, to workers providing council services including in schools, nurseries, and waste and recycling.
There could be additional industrial action, if an estimated 40,000 public sector jobs are lost as a result of the Scottish government’s spending review, Unison’s Scottish Secretary Tracey Dalling, tells the Scottish Daily Express.
Junior doctors preparing for strike: The BMA will begin preparations for an industrial action ballot of junior doctors if their demand to reverse a 22% decline in take home pay since 2008 is not met, the union says.
Criminal bar strike: The Criminal Bar Association is balloting more than 2,400 criminal barristers in England and Wales on options for action, including refusing new defence instructions and possible walkouts, the Observer reports.
First BT strike in decades: CWU says it is balloting members from this week on possible strike action at BT Group, which includes BT, Openreach and EE. This would be the first national strike at BT in 35 years.
Care workers fight fire and rehire: St Monica Trust care workers, nurses and residential staff have voted for strike action after managers threatened them with the sack unless they accepted a pay cut, Unison says. The union says the company is offering to pay agency staff £7 an hour more than what it pays its permanent staff.
Lancashire hospital workers strike: Outsourced cleaners, porters, caterers and domestics employed by OCS and working in Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Trust have voted in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay, according to a tweet by Unison North West.
Coventry fights on: Coventry HGV refuse workers have voted to renew their strike mandate, Unite says.
Croydon bin strike: Croydon refuse workers employed by Veolia are striking from this week in a dispute over pay, Unite says.
FCA exodus: A Freedom of Information request reveals 1000 employees have left the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) since CEO Nakil Rathi took office in October 2020, Unite says. FCA workers have an ongoing dispute over changes to pay and conditions.
Bottle shortage ahead: More than 160 workers are to strike over pay at O-I Glass, a supplier of bottles for brands such as Diageo, Chivas, Bacardi and Carlsberg, Unite says.
Brighton bar strike: Bar staff at Saint James Tavern in central Brighton are going on strike over pay and conditions, UVW says. Some of the workers are also taking their employer to a tribunal over harassment, including allegations of sexism, homophobia, transphobia, disability discrmination and anti-semitism, the union says.
Southampton ferry strike ballot: Red Funnel’s Southampton to Cowes ferry workers are voting for strike action in a dispute over pay, Unite says.
Port brought to standstill: Lerwick Port Authority workers will go on a continuous strike in a dispute over pay, overtime and pensions contributions that could shut down the port, Unite says.
POLITICS & POLICY
End to ban on strike cover: The government has said it is preparing plans to allow companies to hire agency workers to cover roles during strikes, the BBC reports. The CEO of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation, which represents employment agencies, says in a tweet that the REC will oppose any move by the government to change these rules.
But as RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch tells GB News, the regulations banning the use of agency staff to cover for striking workers have been ineffective and agency workers have repeatedly been used over the years to break disputes.
Four-day week trial starts: More than 3,300 workers in 70 UK companies have started a 6-month four-day week trial, considered to be the biggest ever, the Guardian reports.
EU minimum wage rules: The European Parliament and Council negotiators have reached a preliminary deal on Europe-wide minimum wage rules, according to a EU Parliament press release. The new rules will have to be approved by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, followed by a plenary vote and approval by The Council.
Euronews has produced a helpful chart comparing minimum wages across the EU. At the top is Luxembourg, where the minimum is €2,257 (£1,928) per month.
The case for £15 minimum wage: A £15 per hour minimum wage would compensate workers for a lost decade of zero wage growth and disproportionately benefit workers in the North of England, according to a new report by the Progressive Economy Forum.
Robo-waiter pilot: The Bella Italia chain is testing out robots to provide table service to customers at its restaurant in Center Parcs Whinfell Forest, the Guardian reports.
PAY AND CONDITIONS
Supermarket Sweep: The CEO of Sainsbury’s received pay worth £3.8m, three times what he got the previous year, as the supermarket rejected calls from investors for it to ensure all store workers received a living wage, the Guardian reports.
Universal Credit eligibility tool: The Work Rights Centre has developed an online tool in five languages to help people check if they are eligible for Universal Credit.
TRIBUNALS
Strip club ban challenge: United Sex Workers has launched an appeal to raise £20,000 to fund legal proceedings challenging Edinburgh’s recent strip club ban, UVW says.
Employment tribunal president: Judge Susan Walker has been appointed president of the Employment Tribunal (Scotland).
Firefighters pension case: The Fire Brigades Union is taking legal action over members not receiving the full pension they are entitled to, the union says.
NHS nurse wins: An employment tribunal found that an NHS nurse that took 85 sick days for migraines, anxiety and depression was discriminated against and unfairly dismissed by University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust, Personnel Today reports.
Sacked for a text: A Waitrose worker has won nearly £50,000 at an employment tribunal after he had the police called on him and was fired over a joke text, the Metro reports.
WINS
NHS outsourcing win: NHS Lanarkshire will take over the hospital contract for cleaning, catering, portering and security services at University Hospital Wishaw from private contractor Serco, Unison Scotland says. The jobs of 400 workers will transfer from the private contractor to NHS Lanarkshire later this year and there will be no job losses.
Hospital outsourced worker pay increase: Porters, domestics and caterers working at Calderdale Hospital and outsourced to ISS have won a pay increase from £9.50 to £9.72 per hour, as well as a £1 per hour enhancement for weekend work, GMB says.
College workers win: Strike action was called off at Hopwood Hall College in Greater Manchester after staff voted to accept a pay offer worth up to 7.5%, UCU says.
Ineos unlawful inducement: The Employment Appeal tribunal has ruled that the imposition of a pay offer by Ineos was an unlawful inducement and must now compensate workers for attempting to do so, Unite says.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Windfarm death: An investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man died at a wind farm construction site in Shetland, the BBC reports.
Asbestos compensation: A former Waltham Forest Council employee has been paid hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation after he was knowingly exposed to asbestos in the Town Hall, the Waltham Forest Guardian reports.
WHAT’S COMING UP
Ongoing: Coventry refuse workers on strike
Ongoing: Arriva bus drivers dispute in Yorkshire
Ongoing: Wealden refuse workers on strike
Every Friday and Saturday until 26 June 2022: London night tube strike
13 June: Resolution Foundation labour market outlook
14 June: UK monthly unemployment figures
18 June: National Demo on the cost of living. March route here
15 June: O-I Glass Devilla Forest Quarry workers on strike
16 - 17 June: O- I Glass Alloa Glasshouse workers on strike
19 - 20 June: O-I Glass Harlow plant workers on strike
16 June - 8 July: Croydon refuse workers on strike
20 June: Lerwick Port Authority workers begin continuous strike action
21, 23 and 25 June: Rail strike
21 & 22 June: London Underground and TfL workers on strike over pensions and pay
21 & 28 June: Richmond upon Thames College staff on strike
25 June & 2 July: Saint James Tavern workers on strike in Brighton
26 July: End of Unison Scotland, Unite and GMB local government strike ballot
FEEDBACK
Did I miss anything? Email me on theweekinwork [at] gmail [dot] com.