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J30 strike: NUT, PCS, UCU, ATL call for a general strike on June 30th

Spanky Longhorn said:
Yes they can.

Phone in sick - do not express any support for the strike in front of people you arent 100% sure about.

Anyone can be sacked for going on strike btw.

And lastly this is not a general strike and I think it's misleading to describe it as such, it's a national strike involving a large number of public sector workers and is a good first step to hopefully a series of strikes across the year, and hopefully later Unison will also be involved - but I think calling it a general strike is potentially disempowering at this stage.
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yeah. i'm slightly confused by it?
 
I think the original call was "generalise the strike" calling for people to do more than just go on picket lines, and for anyone else who can (eg: students, unemployed, precarious workers, those who can pull a sickie) to join in with direct action, occupations etc..
rather than a call for a general strike..
twasn't the unions that did the callout in the op either, it was a group of anarchists from the names I recognise on the admin list for the event - Phil Dickens, some SolFeds and IWW's .. noticed Mark Bergfield there as well so guess trots as well.. radical lefties anyway..
 
BigTom said:
twasn't the unions that did the callout in the op either, it was a group of anarchists from the names I recognise on the admin list for the event - Phil Dickens, some SolFeds and IWW's .. noticed Mark Bergfield there as well so guess trots as well.. radical lefties anyway..
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Ah, trying to hijack some more union events to flatter their own egos?!
 
Not sure about that CR.

I take responsibility for the poor summary (all points taken Tom, others).

The information I have is not that clear. I'll happily wedit the OP as needed, and ask a mod to sort the title. Any specifics yiu want changed beyond generalise and remoce the unions call for ambiguity?
 
No.. I already knew what this was and the title didn't bother me initially, those are the only things I've noticed that could be changed for clarity.

CR, the union people I know in Birmingham would love this strike to be about all the cuts, but it can't be because unions can only strike about a specific greivance against an employer - in this case pensions, and for Unison in Birmingham council branch pay & conditions.. However, those of us who can act outside the strictures of union regulation can.
I don't see this as hijacking. The unions (in Birmingham anyway) want more to happen.
 
More building for the next big push, I'd say. Encouraging there is so much support from unexpectedly militant memberships. Great sign.
 
BigTom said:
I think the original call was "generalise the strike" calling for people to do more than just go on picket lines, and for anyone else who can (eg: students, unemployed, precarious workers, those who can pull a sickie) to join in with direct action, occupations etc..
rather than a call for a general strike..
twasn't the unions that did the callout in the op either, it was a group of anarchists from the names I recognise on the admin list for the event - Phil Dickens, some SolFeds and IWW's .. noticed Mark Bergfield there as well so guess trots as well.. radical lefties anyway..
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Yeah ive not been working that long and ive never actually been on a strike myself so i am a bit worried about it and i don't really know the law that well. i suppose that's what puts alot of people off going on a strike. how do i find out who is on strike in my area because i get to work by public transport and that might also be a problem, and i don't want to cross a picket line to do so.
 
I have no idea, but I don't think that any of the transport workers are striking. I imagine someone will have a better idea than me though. All I know is that I have to go into work, on the day my temporary contract ends, and do nothing because I'll have nothing to do.
Probably every school will have a picket line.. if you're not in the union(s) that have been balloted and agreed to strike then you legally cannot refuse to cross the picket line (or at least you can legally be sacked if you do refuse to cross it), as far as I understand things.
I'm not sure how PCS strike will affect things to be honest.. that's the civil service so they are in lots of different places..
 
BigTom said:
I have no idea, but I don't think that any of the transport workers are striking. I imagine someone will have a better idea than me though. All I know is that I have to go into work, on the day my temporary contract ends, and do nothing because I'll have nothing to do.
Probably every school will have a picket line.. if you're not in the union(s) that have been balloted and agreed to strike then you legally cannot refuse to cross the picket line (or at least you can legally be sacked if you do refuse to cross it), as far as I understand things.
I'm not sure how PCS strike will affect things to be honest.. that's the civil service so they are in lots of different places..
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Worth saying - if you aren't in the union (or you're in the wrong one) and you want to strike, i believe you can still do so if you join the right union pretty sharp. For schools with high NASUWT membership, that might be the difference between the school staying open or being closed.
 
Yeah i work in a building owned by a university. are ucu going out that day? last time they had a strike there wasn't a picket line at my workplace, but i also think that my workplace has a few gmb members in it.
 
Yes UCU are going out that day, GMB are not.

Your best bet will be to phone in sick.

It's not quite true to say you can't be sacked if you're in the right union - you can be sacked for going on strike, as long as everyone else working for your employer who goes on strike is also sacked - as it's breach of contract. Not only that but the agency could simply decide you're surplus to requirements for X reason and nobody would ever know.

So be careful!
 
Spanky Longhorn said:
Yes UCU are going out that day, GMB are not.

Your best bet will be to phone in sick.

It's not quite true to say you can't be sacked if you're in the right union - you can be sacked for going on strike, as long as everyone else working for your employer who goes on strike is also sacked - as it's breach of contract. Not only that but the agency could simply decide you're surplus to requirements for X reason and nobody would ever know.

So be careful!
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yep, wise words SL
 
BigTom said:
I think the original call was "generalise the strike" calling for people to do more than just go on picket lines
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absolutely - wish it was a 'general strike' situation but calling for one on facebook does not make one...
 
frogwoman said:
are unison members going to be ballotted about this?
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Unison Members are not being balloted for strike action. The official line is that Unison do not have their membership records up to date and accurate so any ballot would not be legal. Either Unison central office are astoundingly inept or this is a load of bull. Personally, I'd go for both. I spoke to someone in our branch about not being able to ballot for strike action and they said that Unison central office don't have the political will for industrial action because it would reflect badly on Labour who get much of their funds through union donation. That may be so but surely the same could be said for the other unions. Ho hum. Anyway, Unison have got lovely new headquarters. I was there for some training on dealing with reorganisations the other day. It's nice to know my union subs are being put to good use. :cool:
 
Unison council workers branch will be out in Birmingham.
They just spent ages going through their membership records to make sure they are up to date and 100% accurate to prevent any legal challenge so I imagine that unison centrally would have to do the same and that would be a mammoth task (but one they should do)
 
teahead said:
It's just a Tory ruse. They want the workers to aspire to higher level posts so they can start taking backhanders, like all the proper respectable public servants. :D

Edit: last time there was a strike some management I met (smem?) asked people to say in advance if they were going to be out of the office that day and to explain why. I called the Union to find out if it was legal to do that and they said it was. So much for private balllots and rights of dissent...
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Your union office misinformed you. You do not have to inform your employer prior to the strike that you are planning on taking strike action. however you must tell them, IF ASKED, after the event if you were on strike. But you do not have to volunteer the information, but only do so if asked.

Loads of employers try it on and attempt to intimidate employees in the uprun to industrial action. My own employer (a well respected but deeply malign institution) pulls exactly the same trick. Its human resources people send out group emails saying we must tell management 2 days before strike action if we plan to be out on strike. It is bollocks. Teahead, I would have words with your union to make sure that they know the right answer and don't accidentally misinform (see question: Do I have to tell my employer that I am taking strike action? on UCU webiste http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5289#faq5299)
 
golightly said:
Unison Members are not being balloted for strike action. The official line is that Unison do not have their membership records up to date and accurate so any ballot would not be legal. Either Unison central office are astoundingly inept or this is a load of bull. Personally, I'd go for both. I spoke to someone in our branch about not being able to ballot for strike action and they said that Unison central office don't have the political will for industrial action because it would reflect badly on Labour who get much of their funds through union donation. That may be so but surely the same could be said for the other unions. Ho hum. Anyway, Unison have got lovely new headquarters. I was there for some training on dealing with reorganisations the other day. It's nice to know my union subs are being put to good use. :cool:
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It's nothing to do with ineptness - it is incredibly hard to keep uptodate with people's correct information especially direct debit payers, who generally don't tell their union when they change job or workplace, or move house, especially as there isn't a steward in their imeadiate workplace. In fact many people don't even give their correct jobtitle when they join, because they don't know it themselves.

The work on the head office was started before the economic crisis. Something had to be done as the old one was crumbling and contained asbestos and so on which made it cheaper at the time to build the new one. Allegedlly.

Having said that there has been a lack of political will which has slowed things down, but I think memories of the last big strike when the GMB ran round as the non strike union hoovering people up who wanted to cross the picket line without guilt are still raw. The big three have to strike together, or at least Unite and Unison have to strike together and it does take time to build up support for that, not that I don't think moves should have been made a lot earlier.
 
Thanks for the background SL. It's just really frustrating that we are not able to join the industrial action. I do worry that the initiative is slipping away from us.
 
Yes, cheers SL.

Is there a legal means to update the database at the same time as balloting? Signed slip confirming/amending details with ballot for it to count? Summat like that...
 
Ungrateful said:
Your union office misinformed you. You do not have to inform your employer prior to the strike that you are planning on taking strike action. however you must tell them, IF ASKED, after the event if you were on strike. But you do not have to volunteer the information, but only do so if asked.
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This is correct. If you're hassled by management to say whether or not you're gonna be on strike, the best way of dealing it with it is to say you don't know/havent decided yet and put them off until you go home the day before strike day.

As for joining a union before strike day, some unions (PCS included) deem you to be a member from the moment you sign the form, so in theory you can actually join the union on strike day on the picket line by filling in the membership form.
 
If these proposal go ahead i'll have to rethink teaching. I can not afford the additional contributions to start with and stand to lose in excess of £250,000 in total (if i manage to live to a ripe old age after retirement). Anyone know the average kicking the bucket age of a retired secondary school teacher?
 
teahead said:
Edit: last time there was a strike some management I met (smem?) asked people to say in advance if they were going to be out of the office that day and to explain why. I called the Union to find out if it was legal to do that and they said it was. So much for private balllots and rights of dissent...
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Ungrateful said:
Your union office misinformed you. You do not have to inform your employer prior to the strike that you are planning on taking strike action.
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I suspect that managers have a "legal right" to ask the question just as workers have a "legal right" not to answer 'yes' or 'no'.

When managers ask this question it is best for workers to say, as previously suggested, "I haven't decided yet" (if they are sufficiently confident to do so - questions like that from managers can be quite intimidating for some people). Where the union is strong it should put in a complaint about this being an act of bullying.
 
After Vince's speech in Brighton today, what's to follow pending strikes on the 30th? Will Dave & his cohorts go full steam ahead with new anti union laws? Will he finish Thatcher's work?
 
Red Leicester said:
I suspect that managers have a "legal right" to ask the question just as workers have a "legal right" not to answer 'yes' or 'no'.

When managers ask this question it is best for workers to say, as previously suggested, "I haven't decided yet" (if they are sufficiently confident to do so - questions like that from managers can be quite intimidating for some people). Where the union is strong it should put in a complaint about this being an act of bullying.
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"I am finding your attitude somewhat threatening. If you wish to pursue this, please do so in writing."

Usually works.
 
Voting yes in the PCS ballot tomorow, but I'm not at all optimistic that at my workplace level, the majority will be achieved.

Will catch up with whole thread when I can ....
 
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