Strike!

[hitmouse]

Unison he balloting for action atm, sent in my vote the other day

Yep, Unison balloting earlier than UCU in a rare example of them being the more proactive union, although otoh it might've been a good idea for them to wait a little while longer instead of running their HE ballot over the July/August period.
Although Novara's "essential guide to the next few months of industrial action" still lists UCU as the only union balloting in HE, despite the fact that they're not actually balloting yet. Come to think of it, said guide also doesn't seem to mention local government workers at all.

 

[Pickman's model]

Yep, Unison balloting earlier than UCU in a rare example of them being the more proactive union, although otoh it might've been a good idea for them to wait a little while longer instead of running their HE ballot over the July/August period.
Although Novara's "essential guide to the next few months of industrial action" still lists UCU as the only union balloting in HE, despite the fact that they're not actually balloting yet. Come to think of it, said guide also doesn't seem to mention local government workers at all.

I'm not persuaded the Unison leadership wants a strike

 

[hitmouse]

I'm not persuaded the Unison leadership wants a strike

It is the sort of thing where I try not to get too into conspiracy theories, but after they managed to run the 2020 pay offer ballot in July/August 2021(!), then the 2021 pay offer ballot over Christmas, and now this year's in July/August again, if they're not deliberately picking the worst possible times of year then they do seem to be having a run of very bad luck.

 

[Pickman's model]

It is the sort of thing where I try not to get too into conspiracy theories, but after they managed to run the 2020 pay offer ballot in July/August 2021(!), then the 2021 pay offer ballot over Christmas, and now this year's in July/August again, if they're not deliberately picking the worst possible times of year then they do seem to be having a run of very bad luck.

Many years ago when I was an su sabbatical I went on some nus training where I was told about ways to wreck meetings (I took them to be things to avoid) like having them when other people can't come, sending out the agenda at the last minute if at all, making someone useless chair and so on. Perhaps the Unison leadership received similar training in bygone years but saw it as something to emulate

 

[Lord Camomile]

Unison he balloting for action atm, sent in my vote the other day

Likewise

Yep, Unison balloting earlier than UCU in a rare example of them being the more proactive union, although otoh it might've been a good idea for them to wait a little while longer instead of running their HE ballot over the July/August period.
Although Novara's "essential guide to the next few months of industrial action" still lists UCU as the only union balloting in HE, despite the fact that they're not actually balloting yet. Come to think of it, said guide also doesn't seem to mention local government workers at all.

It is the sort of thing where I try not to get too into conspiracy theories, but after they managed to run the 2020 pay offer ballot in July/August 2021(!), then the 2021 pay offer ballot over Christmas, and now this year's in July/August again, if they're not deliberately picking the worst possible times of year then they do seem to be having a run of very bad luck.

Official reasoning for the ballot timing is so that we have enough time to call action in September, which on the face of it I was glad to see they finally seemed to be thinking somewhat strategically.

Although yes, while I really have all but the most superficial knowledge of these things, routinely not impressed with UNISON hierarchy.

 

[Lord Camomile]

At the very least, HE action and campaigns very rarely seems to be high on UNISON's agenda or get much attention. Plus, just 'cause I take any opportunity to say it, their website's predominantly useless.

 

[hitmouse]

Official reasoning for the ballot timing is so that we have enough time to call action in September, which on the face of it I was glad to see they finally seemed to be thinking somewhat strategically.

Although yes, while I really have all but the most superficial knowledge of these things, routinely not impressed with UNISON hierarchy.

I can see the logic of that, but it seems like the most important thing strategy-wise would be to coordinate action with UCU, and as I understand it the timetable UCU's gone for means that they won't have time to call action in September, so the choice for branches that get over the threshold will be to strike on their own, or to wait around until UCU's ballot is finished.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I can see the logic of that, but it seems like the most important thing strategy-wise would be to coordinate action with UCU, and as I understand it the timetable UCU's gone for means that they won't have time to call action in September, so the choice for branches that get over the threshold will be to strike on their own, or to wait around until UCU's ballot is finished.

: shrug :

The (lack of) coordination between UNISON and UCU, at a national and local level, continues to bemuse me.

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Another dispute - this time Unite dockworkers- in the private sector. 92% voting in favour of action over pay:

 

[hitmouse]

Lovely video from the Coventry bin strike:

 

[hitmouse]

RMT demo at Scottish Tory HQ in Edinburgh, Thursday 11 August:

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Amazon warehouse staff in Tilbury walk out over 35p an hour pay rise

The GMB union claims the online retailer needs to "drastically improve pay and working conditions".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Smokeandsteam]

Amazon warehouse staff in Tilbury walk out over 35p an hour pay rise

The GMB union claims the online retailer needs to "drastically improve pay and working conditions".

www.bbc.co.uk

On a grim day this is the best news I've heard by far. Up the fucking Amazon workers!

 

[hitmouse]

Submit your strike report

by Notes from Below // Share your experience of a strike with Notes from Below and Strike Map

notesfrombelow.org

(I sort of thought Notes from Below might be dead, but it seems not.)

 

[hitmouse]

Q: What's better than an Amazon warehouse walkout?

A: Two Amazon warehouse walkouts!

Amazon Rugeley workers 'walk out over 50p pay rise offer'

A worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said dozens of employees walked out at lunch time

www.birminghammail.co.uk

 

[hitmouse]

Joint RMT/TSSA/Unite/Unison strike rally planned for Manchester on the 20th:

 

[hitmouse]

(Count from Sesame Street voice): Three! Three Amazon warehouse walkouts!

Amazon staff in Coventry hold sit-in protest over pay offer

The GMB union says staff do not see the rise as enough but the firm says it is "competitive".

www.bbc.co.uk

Sounds there's also stuff happening at Bristol:

Amazon Workers in the UK Walk Out in a Cost-of-Living Rebellion

After news of a “pointless” pay increase spread, workers at three warehouses stopped work to demand higher wages as inflation and interest rates surge.

www.wired.co.uk

AWW will be leafleting the Bristol site tomorrow morning:


Detailed report from Tilbury:

Hundreds of Amazon Workers Stage Wildcat Strike Over ‘Kick in the Teeth’ Pay Offer | Novara Media

Workers at a gigantic Essex warehouse are protesting after being offered just 35p more per hour from the multinational.

novaramedia.com

 

[Jeff Robinson]

Q: What's better than an Amazon warehouse walkout?

A: Two Amazon warehouse walkouts!

Amazon Rugeley workers 'walk out over 50p pay rise offer'

A worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, said dozens of employees walked out at lunch time

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Four now

Hundreds of Amazon warehouse workers stage wildcat strikes over 'pathetic' pay rise - The Big Issue

Workers at three Amazon warehouses have now downed tools in the wake of a protest at an Essex warehouse over a “pathetic” pay rise

www.bigissue.com

 

[Smokeandsteam]

More Amazon. This is so brilliant and encouraging to see.

 

[hitmouse]

A first-hand report:

Wildcat strike at Amazon

by An anonymous Amazon worker // A report of the recent wildcat strikes currently sweeping through Amazon warehouses in Britain, from a worker on the shopfloor.

notesfrombelow.org

 

[hitmouse]

It's frustratingly hard to find anything about this, but sounds like there's going to be a major construction wildcat starting on Wednesday:

Warning to motorists as chemical workers plan major wildcat strike

The protests over pay and the cost of living crisis could affect routes around sites across Teesside next week

www.gazettelive.co.uk

Bizarre that it sounds like there might be a national wildcat planned and the only coverage of it is one article in the Teesside local press warning it may cause traffic disruption? They say "They will be joined by thousands at refineries, factories and power plants across the UK" but that link just goes to the paper's "employment" tag.

 

[hitmouse]

More on Wednesday's action:

Hundreds of workers at Grangemouth could be set for 'wildcat strike'

Around 500 maintenance and repairs staff could walk out.

news.stv.tv

 

[hitmouse]

Amazon action spreads to Dartford:

Amazon workers hold 'slowdown' protest over 35p pay rise

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Kent have joined others across the country in staging protests over pay and conditions inside centres.

www.kentonline.co.uk

 

[Serge Forward]

And Coalville, Leicestershire.
Amazon workers in Leicestershire walk out over 35p pay rise

 

[hitmouse]

Report from Coventry:

How the Amazon wildcat spread

by An anonymous Amazon worker in Coventry // In this report, a worker in Coventry tells us how they joined the current wave of wildcat strikes sweeping through Amazon warehouses in Britain.

notesfrombelow.org

 

[hitmouse]

London bus drivers organised through Unite due to strike on the same days as RMT tube/national rail strikes:

London bus drivers set to strike on same days as Underground and rail workers | ITV News

The union said strike action was a result of the company offering a pay increase of 3.6% in 2022 and 4.2% next year. | ITV News London

www.itv.com

Also, RMT calling for a day of protests to save ticket offices on Tuesday 23rd:

Save ticket offices

 

[hitmouse]

For those who aren't on tiktok, there's now a twitter account to follow:

 

[hitmouse]

Royal Mail strike dates announced:


(cue a huge sigh of relief from Unison HE reps, as the strike won't start until the very end of that ballot period)

 

[hitmouse]

And again, it seems likely that tomorrow morning is going to see at least an attempt at a nationwide wildcat among engineering construction workers:

 

[hitmouse]

Also, two Unison Northwest strikes this week, at OCS in Blackpool and AQA in Manchester:



eta, more background on the disputes:

OCS Lancashire: Pay Up Now

Welcome to UNISON North West. With 200,000 members, we are the biggest union in the region and we are growing.

www.unisonnw.org

Strikes to go ahead after exam board fails to improve pay offer, says UNISON | News, Press release | News | UNISON National

Workers have been left with no alternative after years of what have effectively been wage cuts.

www.unison.org.uk

Exam board staff to strike on A-level results day, says UNISON | News, Press release | News | UNISON National

UNISON says AQA is stubbornly refusing to discuss pay with staff.

www.unison.org.uk