Workplace news in brief


NSSN public meetings

The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) encourages all union branches and trades councils to organise #KillTheBill rallies, public meetings and protests to help build opposition to the Tory Trade Union Bill – email us the details of your events and we’ll publicise them online and in the Socialist.

Kill the Bill meetings:

Manchester

3 November, 7pm, at the Britons Protection, 50 Great Bridgewater Street, M1 5LE

Liverpool

3 November, 7.30pm, at the Casa pub, 29 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BQ

Pay strike first

900 PCS and Prospect members working at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) took strike action for the first time ever on 14 September, staging a half day walkout as part of a dispute over pay. Members at the NERC, which funds and carries out impartial environmental science research, have been given the choice of either accepting an inadequate buyout or remaining on their current contract but with no future pay increases. PCS members and their colleagues in Prospect walked out at 17 sites.

Open Uni attack

500 jobs are at risk as Open University plans to close regional centres. The jobs could disappear from seven Open University centres in England under controversial plans described as ‘catastrophic’ by UCU. Thousands of current and potential students could be affected by the move, which would see the removal of vital services such as careers counselling, study advice and support for disabled students.

Reinstate John

John Vasey, a CWU postal rep in Wakefield, West Yorkshire has been sacked on what his work colleagues recognise as stitched-up charges. The Socialist Party calls on all our members and supporters to join John’s campaign for reinstatement:

Please send messages of protest to Jon Millidge, Royal Mail Group HR Director, c/o Tallents House, South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB.