The National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) says:

The NSSN agrees with fighting unions that are calling for action to ensure that no union is left isolated against the Tory anti-union laws. The NSSN believes that if workers take action together, the crisis-ridden Tories and their anti-union offensive can be defeated.

The FBU has called for “mass opposition” and for unions to “act together to build a movement to defy and defeat this law.” At its recent AGM, the RMT passed a motion calling for a national demonstration against the minimum service levels legislation, and coordinated strike action. And Unite passed a motion at its July Policy Conference, to “call on the TUC to coordinate action, in the form of a 24-hour general strike.

Building support in Liverpool for lobbying the TUC

Dave Walsh, Liverpool Trades Council

I moved the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) motion at Liverpool Trades Council in July. It had been agreed by my Unite construction branch in June.

It stimulated a good debate. The motion is well written and covers all the main actions that unions must take to fight the new anti-strike legislation, so the motion was not amended.

We also sent the motion to Unite’s Merseyside Area Activist Committee where it was agreed, and will now go to the Unite North West regional committee.

The motion reflects the mood of many trade unionists, that the forces which have built up over the last year during the strike wave must now be brought together, with the main focus being to smash the anti-union laws and demand a programme of policies that end austerity and improve living standards.

We need the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to take action and lead an almighty struggle. But most rank-and-file trade unionists know that they will only act if they are put under enormous pressure. A big rally at Congress in Liverpool will be an important first step in that direction.

The NSSN reports that the following are supporting lobbying the TUC. To add your union branch, trades council etc to the list, the model resolution can be found in the NSSN bulletin at shopstewards.net

  • RMT AGM
  • Ealing TUC
  • Coventry TUC
  • BFAWU Kernow
  • Walsall TUC
  • Sheffield RMT
  • Hounslow TUC
  • Carlisle TUC
  • Barts Health
  • Sheffield TUC
  • Free Our Unions
  • Birmingham TUC
  • Birmingham UCU
  • Hackney Unison 
  • Hounslow Unison
  • CWU Highland Amal
  • RMT LU Engineering
  • Hull Trades Council
  • Surrey County Unison
  • Coventry CWU Telecomms
  • Newham Trades Council
  • Scotland CWU No2 branch
  • Hackney Trades Council
  • Bristol Trades Council
  • Cardiff Trades Council
  • Swansea Trades Council
  • Unite NW 127404 Branch
  • Unite NW 127404 Branch
  • Brighton Trades Council
  • Stevenage & District TUC
  • Southwark Trades Council
  • Liverpool Trades Council
  • Winchester & Andover TUC
  • Wakefield Trades Council
  • Unison health Manchester
  • Portsmouth Trades Council
  • Caerphilly Trades Council
  • Leeds Trades Union Council
  • Unite Housing Workers LE1111
  • Waltham Forest Trades Council
  • Unite WM/6050 Tom Mann branch
  • RMT Picadilly and District West
  • East Kent Trades Union Council
  • Unison Knowsley Local Government
  • Unison NCA Health branch committee
  • Unison Mid Yorkshire Health Branch
  • Unite Notts Area Activist Committee
  • Cardiff General Unite branch WA/1048
  • Unite WM/6030 South Birmingham branch
  • Southern East Kent Trades Union Council
  • Basildon Unison Local Government Branch
  • Southampton and South West Hampshire TUC
  • Hampshire County Associations of TUCs   
  • Unite Merseyside Area Activist Committee
  • Unite EMNG32 Nottinghamshire Health Branch
  • Unite NW540 Howden supply division Runcorn
  • Unite LE/1228 Waltham Forest Council Branch
  • Carmarthenshire Unison Local Government Branch,  
  • Nottinghamshire, Nottingham & Mansfield Trades Council
  • Unite Community Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire branch