Workplace news in brief


NSSN affiliate

The Probation Officers union Napo has become the eighth national union to affiliate to the National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN).

Forthcoming NSSN conferences include Southern region on 18 January and the national conference on 5 July.

For more see: shopstewards.net

Southampton walkout

A dispute over a colleague’s wrongful suspension resulted in 90 postal workers walking out at Royal Mail’s Southampton delivery office on 9 January.

The action taken by the defiant posties followed months of bullying and harassment by management concerning working hours and shift lengths, but the impromptu strike ensured that the suspension was reviewed and the matter further investigated.

With a ballot due on the deal reached between Royal Mail and the CWU this incident is a reminder to workers of what may face us in the future following the company’s privatisation and the essential need to maintain our ability and right to strike.

A Southampton postal worker

Cleaners’ strike

Cleaners working at the Royal Opera House in London are due to strike during the Bafta film award ceremony to be held there.

The workers are fighting for the London living wage of £8.80 an hour. They earn £7 an hour at the moment and have just had their tea break abolished.

The strike will be from 10pm on 16 February, the night of the awards. The workers are employed by contractors Mitie and are members of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.

Yorks ambulance

Unite is balloting its 450 members at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service for strike action over the imposition of longer shift patterns.

There has been no consultation with the union over the proposals which the trust want to impose in February.

The new shifts could mean staff working ten hours before having a meal break. The union is fighting for a protected 30 minute meal break after six hours work.

The trust has been making cuts in the service – now up to £46 million over five years. And it de-recognised the union last February.

The trust is also using Emergency Care Assistants – workers with six weeks of training, while paramedics have to undergo a two-year degree course.

The union suspects that the cuts and changes are to prepare the service for privatisation – private ambulances are already having to be used at peak times.

The ballot closes on 24 January.