Hands off a nurse's right to strike

UNISON has responded robustly to the outrageous interference of the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) in the pensions dispute. On Thursday the NMC issued a statement (ahead of next week's ballot) implying that nurses taking industrial action would breach their professional code of conduct. Dave Prentis said “we have taken legal advice, and in our view, the NMC’s threatening statement was wrong. If members choose to take lawful industrial action they will not be in breach of the Code of Conduct". UNISON will be launching legal action on Monday:http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2474

Mission accomplished for International Brigade cycle tour

East London Advertiser reports on the National Clarion Cycling Club’s­ reception in Cable Street last weekend following a 645 mile cycle ride in honour of the International Brigade - which had set off from Edinburgh on September 19:

Rushlight by Elizabeth Rimmer

Perhaps at the damp end of a dour day,
when whey-thin clouds clot and curdle
against a washed out sky, and the puny wind
sharpens the rain in my face like teeth,

Low paid cleaners protest on World Day for Decent Work

Today is World Day for Decent Work and is being marked by a great initiative by UNISON members at London South Bank University who are calling on the Vice-Chancellor to pay them the living wage by holding a protest rally. More than a hundred cleaners, who are employed by Interserve get paid £6.08 an hour, and do not receive sick pay. The current London living wage is £8.30 an hour.
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2472
http://www.wddw.org/-English-

Mervyn the Money Magician Exposes How It Really Works

Is all the pain of recession and public sector pension attacks really worth it? Surely not when we have the ability to create money out of thin air and spend it into the economy!

Southampton City Council - selective action sustaining pressure on an intransigent employer

Yesterday's 24 hour strike by UNISON and Unite members in social work and street cleansing respectively was the latest phase of joint union action in a long running dispute against pay cuts. As public sector unions consider strategic industrial action beyond the one day national pensions strike planned for 30 November, the fighting example of Southampton merits consideration:

UNISON's Iron Lady

The Belfast Telegraph published a profile of Patricia McKeown, UNISON Regional Secretary, following yesterday's successful 24 hour strike against the cuts. It claims she has a 'tenacity which has led some critics to characterise her as prone to being “hot-headed” - for her part Patricia says UNISON is “a trade union which is a real agent of social change, both at home and on [an] international basis.” http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/patricia-mckeown-tenacious-union-boss-who-called-the-action-16059765.html

Dissent & Devolution

Interesting reflections on yesterday’s UNISON strike in Northern Ireland by Lorcan Mullen on the Slugger O’Toole blog. Large scale strikes against cuts in devolved administrations are relatively unchartered waters and very complex given the cause and effect of austerity measures. There is political divergence between the hard line cost cutting UK Government and the administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales which since devolution have been generally pro-public services and less hostile to workforce interests but nonetheless operate within Westminster imposed financial straitjackets:
http://sluggerotoole.com/2011/10/06/dissent-and-devolution-notes-on-the-unison-strike/

Cameron’s speech - a translation for trade unionists

UNISONActive apologies for the delay in posting this, but simultaneous translation from Tory to trade union English is fraught with the same difficulties as translating from Klingon.

UNISON NEC debates upsurge in protest & strike action as whole union mobilises against austerity

The national industrial action ballot on pensions - involving 1.1 million UNISON members and over nine thousand employers - was the dominant issue at today's NEC meeting in London. General Secretary Dave Prentis gave a comprehensive report on negotiations and preparations for the industrial action, supplemented by reports from national officers responsible for communications, mobilising in regions and planning at UNISON Centre. http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=7264