Truss at odds with public on unions - Absolute poverty to grow by 3 million - Amazon strike ballot
29 August - 4 September 2022
In just a few hours, the Conservative Party will announce its new leader and the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The favourite to win, Liz Truss, has spent much of the contest vowing to strip back employment and union rights. But with polling out last week showing a majority of people support nurses and postal workers taking industrial action, it seems she has misjudged, or has simply ignored, the public mood.
The public’s support for industrial action is understandable, since predictions of inflation surpassing 20% next year mean most people will be facing a real-terms pay cut. Some economists even predict that the number of people in absolute poverty will increase by three million.
Read on for those stories, but also strikes leading to several inflation-busting pay deals, a new study showing racism at work is rampant, but underreported, and possibly the first-ever formal strike ballot at a UK Amazon warehouse.
As always, if you have something coming up that I should include in the newsletter let me know here, or send me an email to theweekinwork [at] gmail [dot] com.
DISPUTES
Possible Amazon ballot: GMB will formally ballot members at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse for industrial action, according to union official Stuart Richards. The union says that more than 300 workers at the site already voted in a consultative ballot. Worker inquiry journal Notes from Below has an interactive map covering all the warehouses, including Coventry, where wildcat action took place last month.
Rail strikes return: Workers across the three main rail unions will be on strike on 15 September, with workers from two unions also striking on 17 September, RMT, TSSA and ASLEF say. TSSA members will take industrial action at nine rail operating companies on 26 and 27 September as well, the union says.
Unite is also balloting over 140 workers at Abellio rail in the East Midlands, the union says.
Firefighters ballot: The FBU executive council has agreed to set out a timetable to ballot for strike action over pay, according to a tweet by an executive council member.
Arriva strikes spread: Over 600 Arriva bus workers in Kent will strike this month in a dispute over pay, Unite says. The union’s Arriva members in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire have also recently announced strike action, and the results of a ballot of Arriva workers in North London should be announced this week.
Stagecoach ballots: Two unions are balloting Stagecoach workers for industrial action over pay. GMB says almost 200 Stagecoach drivers in Sunderland are voting on strike action, following a 6% pay offer over two years, while Unite is balloting 250 workers in Hull following an 8.7% offer.
Liverpool dock workers to strike: More than 560 port operatives and maintenance engineers at the Liverpool docks will take strike action from 19 September to 3 October over a seven per cent pay offer, Unite says.
Whitehall strike: Cleaners, security guards, reception workers, post and porterage staff working at the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy are taking action later this month, PCS says. The workers called off strike action for this week after receiving concessions from subcontractor ISS, the union says.
University workers vote to strike: Thousands of university staff, from cleaners to administrators, in 20 universities have voted for strike action, following a 3% pay offer, Unison says. UCU will also start its ballot of workers at 150 universities this week.
Scottish council strikes suspended: Strikes among refuse and school workers across several Scottish councils have been suspended as union members vote on a new offer, GMB, Unison and Unite say. The offer includes a flat rate fully consolidated offer of £2000 for those earning up to £20,500, £1925 for those earning between £20,500 and £39,000, 5% for those earning between £39,000 and £60,000 and a maximum increase of £3k for those earning above £60,000, Unison says. The consultative ballot on the offer, which the unions recommend, will be completed by 22 September, Unite says.
…but there could be teacher strikes in a few months: The Executive Committee of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is running a consultative ballot until 16 September on the latest pay offer for teachers and potential strike action, the union says. EIS recommends members reject the 5% pay offer.
Northern Ireland council disputes: Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council workers will commence continuous strike action this week, after the council failed to make a pay offer, Unite says. There are now pay disputes across nine of the eleven councils in Northern Ireland, the NI Housing Executive, Education Authority and other education providers over the 2021-202 2 NJC pay award.
Support for nurses strike: Nearly two-thirds of the public supports nurses taking strike action, according to a poll by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The union also says that it has increased strike payments by 10% to £50 a day.
…and support for postal workers: Almost two-thirds of the public believe industrial action by postal workers is justified, according to a Survation poll.
NHS pay offer ballot: GMB is balloting tens of thousands of workers over the NHS pay offer until 27 September, the union says.
Chemical workers strike: More than 100 workers at chemical company Venator Materials are taking strike action in a dispute over pay, Unite says.
Walsall Housing workers strike: Walsall Housing Group workers are striking after being offered just a 3.1% pay deal, while the group’s Chief Executive was handed a 14.7% pay rise, GMB says.
Barnet housing workers strike ballot: Barnet council housing repair workers are voting on possible strike action, according to a tweet by Barnet Unison.
Opera cleaners vote to strike: Cleaners and porters at the Royal Opera House have voted for strike action, the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union says.
Dundee University strike: Unison members at Dundee University have voted for strike action for a third time, the union branch says. This follows Unite members at the university starting continuous strike action.
POLITICS AND POLICY
PM hopeful to strip employment rights: Liz Truss, the favourite to become the UK’s next Prime Minister, is preparing to review employment protections derived from EU law, such the 48-hour working week and how holiday pay and breaks are calculated, the Times reports. The policy will be led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, who Truss is lining up to be the next business secretary.
This follows on from an earlier pledge by Truss to further restrict trade union rights. Last month, a recording was leaked where Truss said that British workers needed “more graft”.
The results of the conservative leadership contest will be announced today (Monday) at 12:30 PM.
Inflation to hit 22%: Investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts inflation could top 22% next year if natural gas prices remain elevated in the coming months, Bloomberg reports.
Local Council 4-day week trial: South Cambridgeshire District Council plans to start a four-day week trial in January, making it the first council to pilot the initiative, The 4 Day Week Campaign says.
PAY
People in absolute poverty to rise by three million: Real household disposable incomes are expected to fall by 10% over this year and next – the deepest living standards squeeze in a century – while the number of people living in absolute poverty is set to rise by three million, according to a new report by the Resolution Foundation.
M&S cuts cleaners’ pay: Cleaners at a Marks & Spencer distribution centre in South Yorkshire are being threatened with fire and rehire if they do not accept their pay being slashed from £11.41 to £10 per hour, GMB says.
DISCRIMINATION
Racism prevalent but not reported: Two in five Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have faced racism at work in the last five years, but four in five don’t report racism for fear of it not being taken seriously or having a negative impact on their work life, according to a new TUC report.
WINS
Ferry workers win above inflation pay deal: Fed Funnel Ferry workers win a pay deal worth 18.3% for the lowest paid and 13.4% for all other staff, following sustained strike action, Unite says.
Royal bin win: Refuse workers at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have called off their strike action after securing a pay rise of up to 17%, GMB says.
Outsourced workers win parity: Outsourced workers at City University have won the same core terms and conditions as directly employed staff, including 6 months full sick pay and 42 days holiday, Unison’s City University branch says in a tweet.
Autoworkers win 14% deal: Workers at VFS Southampton, who assemble large vehicles for Ford and Mercedes, have called off their strike action after winning a pay deal of between 11.65% and 14%, Unite says.
10% raise for refuse workers: Around 100 waste loaders and LGV drivers workers employed by Bath and East Somerset council have won a 10% pay increase, while all other waste service workers will see their pay grade increased by one level, Unite says. The deal is on top of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) offer for council workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland of £1,925 for 2022.
Holiday pay win: Electricians employed by Balfour Beatty will receive 32 full days of holiday pay, Unite says. Previously they received holiday pay based on 20 days full pay, with the remaining (up to 12 days a year) paid at basic rate pay.
BA holiday victory: British Airways engineers have recovered holiday days the company “stole” during the pandemic, Unite says.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
“The most unsafe job”: An anonymous whistleblower has posted on an online message board that the repair and refurbishment work on Ensco 92 rig at Seaton Carew is the “the most unsafe job I have ever seen in all my years”, Energy Voice reports. The Health and Safety Executive is now investigating after workers flagged a number of severe incidents.
Diver death: A diver employed by a subcontractor of engineering company McLaughlin and Harvey died following an incident at the Stornoway Deep Water Terminal project, The Herald reports.
LEGAL
“Casual worker” wins redundancy pay: An employment tribunal has ruled that a former Turner Contemporary staff member was entitled to redundancy pay, despite the gallery’s move to class her as a casual worker rather than an employee, Employee Benefits reports.
Meta cleaner employment tribunal: The London Central Employment tribunal will this week hear an unfair dismissal and trade union detriment case brought by a cleaner who worked for Churchill Contract Services at Meta’s (formerly Facebook) London offices, The Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union says.
MODERN SLAVERY
Anti-slavery commissioner not replaced: The Home Office is accused of deliberately failing to appoint a new anti-slavery commissioner to avoid scrutiny while trying to push through legislation on the issue, the Guardian reports.
WHAT’S COMING UP
Ongoing: Bosch Rexroth Glenrothes strike every Monday and Tuesday and overtime ban every day
Ongoing: Foinaven Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) workers on strike
Ongoing: Dundee university workers start strike.
5 September - 11 September: Cleansing workers strike at Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
5 September - 16 November (not continuous): Baker Hughes workers on strike
5 - 9 September: Judicial review of government Rwanda plans, backed by PCS
5 - 10 September: HGS workers on strike at the Disclosure and Barring Service
5 - 7 September: Arriva drivers strike in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire
5, 16, 20, 30 September: Arriva bus workers strike in Kent
6 September: Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council workers commence continuous strike action
6 - 7 September: Burnley College, The Manchester College, City of Liverpool College, and Oldham College staff on strike
6 September - 21 October: Ballot of 150 universities by UCU
8 - 9 September: Royal Mail workers on strike
9, 12, 23, 26 September: Wandsworth parking attendants on strike
11 - 14 September: TUC Congress
12, 16, 19, 23, 26 and 30 September: Walsall Housing Group workers strike
13 - 14 September: BEIS outsourced workers on strike
13 - 17(morning), 27 - 29 September: Venator Material workers on strike
14 - 16 September: Reach Plc journalists on strike
15 September - 13 October: RCN strike ballot
19 September - 3 October: Liverpool dock workers on strike
26 September - 7 November: PCS national strike ballot
19 October: TUC mass lobby of parliament
27 October - 25 November: Unison NHS strike ballot
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