Workplace news in brief


No to McNulty

The annual meeting of rail union RMT has endorsed plans for a massive national campaign, including a cross-industry strike ballot if necessary, to resist any attempts by the government to roll out its McNulty Rail Review assault on Britain’s railways.

The RMT warns that McNulty would mean, among other things: pay freezes and longer hours, inferior conditions for new entrants, driver only operation, reduced safety standards and increased fares.

RMT has vowed to work with other unions, passenger groups, politicians and local communities to build a mass campaign of national resistance to McNulty.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: ” …we will be building a mass, national campaign against this all-out assault on our railways that will leave no stone unturned in the fight to stop us being dragged back to the days of Railtrack, Hatfield and Potters Bar while the private companies are locked into gold-plated deals that leave them laughing all the way to the bank.”


Uni strike

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at London Southbank University (LSBU) were on strike on 29 June. Rob Williams, NSSN chair, spoke to the pickets. “The dispute is over the university management’s decision to take LSBU out of national pay bargaining with the clear intention to attack pay and terms and conditions. As part of this, management have refused to honour the national pay settlement for 2009-10, the princely rate of 0.5%! This shows how determined management are.

“UCU members are also concerned that this is just the start and will also include attempts to bring in performance-related pay which will mean going from national pay agreements to local and even individual contracts which will undermine the union and staff unity.”

All the lecturers also supported the 30 June strike, with many of them attending the London city-centre rally.


Greenwich cuts

The Unite trade union in Greenwich, south London has made a plea to MPs and councillors to halt the proposed transfer of the highly valued welfare rights service to a trading company.

If allowed to go ahead borough residents and advisers may no longer have access to a specialist local service as the union fears that the transfer will eventually lead to the end of the service.

The company has already cut jobs, pay and conditions following transfers to the company of other council services.

Unite branch secretary Onay Kasab stated: “…welfare rights is not a “trading” organisation, nor can it be. It does not raise a profit, it raises money for residents.. This proposal is bad news for the council, bad news for staff and bad news for residents”.