Workplace News in brief


NSSN lobby of the TUC

On 11 September the National Shop Stewards Network is organising a lobby of the TUC, demanding they call a one-day public sector general strike.

Transport details are as follows: From the North East: Newcastle Central Station, 7am picking up in Durham 7.30am and Teesside, Middlesbrough 8am. Cost £10 unwaged or low waged, £20 waged. To book email [email protected] or call Paul on 07989806104

West Midlands: phone Lenny 07530429441

Southern: phone Keiran 07814184624

Wales: phone Rob 07541145108 South West: phone Dominico 07786926585

Yorkshire: phone 07706710041 All other regions email [email protected]


Wyndeham Impact, Basingstoke

Workers at the Impact printers in Basingstoke, members of Unite, have been forced to strike after a long list of attacks by management. The long-established magazine printing company has been in trouble since the collapse of the Icelandic Landsbanki and the management have been trying to make the workers bear the brunt of this. There have been wage cuts, sick pay cuts, holiday cuts and compulsory redundancies.

  • Please send messages of support to the chapel rep at: [email protected].
  • Donations to the strike fund can be made c/o Steve Attwill, Unite, Transport House, 15-16 The Avenue, Southampton SO17 1XF

Unison expulsion

Socialist Party member Onay Kasab has been informed by the Unison leadership that his appeal against expulsion from the union has failed.

He was accused of ‘bringing the union into disrepute’ by allegedly encouraging Greenwich Unison members to leave and join Unite. Unison were unable to provide any evidence of this.

Unison members have left the union, sickened by the way the branch has been run by the regional officials.

Since the branch has been taken over by the full time officials no effective campaign against cuts in jobs and services has been mounted and there have been no democratic elections of branch officials.

A fuller report will be in next week’s Socialist.


Unilever pension strike

Members of Unite, GMB and Usdaw are balloting for strike action against Unilever’s plans to close its final salary pension scheme to existing members. A consultative ballot showed only 22 out of 1,459 workers responding being prepared to accept the company’s plans. 5,000 of the 7,000 workforce are involved.