Secretary’s Report Wolverhampton, Bilston & District TUC+ Wolverhampton Strike News
next WB&DTUC meeting Thursday 17th November @7-15pm via zoom speaker @ 8pm
Join Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83579903831?pwd=TmxaRUZaM2xrQVBrZ1RIaGlHMVFwUT09 link will be on website
or phone 0330 088 5830 Meeting ID: 835 7990 3831 Passcode: 306081
all local trade unionists welcome
Latest local picket line updates on https://wolvestuc.org.uk and on wolvestuc Facebook page
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CWU postal workers’ strikes further strikes dates have changed, are:
Thursday 24th November and Friday 25th November – known as Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in the calendar. Workers will also strike on Wednesday 30th November and Thursday 1st December – just two days after Cyber Monday, one of the busiest online shopping days. Previous dates announced for November were cancelled.
pickets at Wolverhampton’s NW Midlands Mail Centre at Sun St WV1A 1AA; supporters welcome at picket
– CWU took three days of strike action in October
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UCU – Over 70,000 university staff at 150 universities will now strike after UCU members overwhelmingly voted ‘yes’ to strike action in two historic national ballots.
STRIKE DAYS:
Thurs 24 November; Fri 25 November; Wed 30 November
In the pay and working condition ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 81.1% and the turnout was 57.8%. In the pension ballot, the yes vote for strike action was 84.9% and the turnout was 60.2%. Staff also voted yes overwhelmingly for action short of strike in both ballots.
UNITE members at West Midlands Metro go on strike.
strike days are:
- eight days strike action in October, these are next strike days:
- November: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29 and 30. (16, 17, 18 November suspended due to discussion of new pay offer)
- December: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31
- January 2023: 1, 2 and 5
support pickets for the metro drivers and conductors @ Potters Lane, Wednesbury, WS10 0AR (by Wednesbury Great Western tram stop). https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2022/september/west-midlands-metro-workers-announce-major-stoppage-in-low-pay-dispute/
request from strikers: Please help us get back to work as soon as possible and end the disruption by emailing customerservices@westmidiandsmetro.com and asking the company to pay us a wage we can live on.
UNITE West Midlands has appealed for donations to their branch, to be utilised to support these members throughout the coming months, some who will be suffering a financial loss due to taking part in this industrial action. Make payments direct to their branch:
UNITE WM/7087 Branch Sort Code – 60-83-01 Account Number – 20189480
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ASLEF, the train drivers’ union took strike action on 1st and 5th October as they have had no pay rise since 2019. Will strike on Sat 26 November
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UNISON agreed local government pay offer for 2022 with the back pay, from 1 April, £1,925 on all pay points (based on full-time working) and an additional day’s leave from 1 April 2023.
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40,000 CWU members working for BT and Openreach, triggered by BT’s unilateral imposition of real-terms pay cuts for all CWU-represented grades took four days strike action in October.
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RMT suspended strikes due take place on Sat 5, Mon 7 and Wed 9 November. RMT is now entering into talks with Network Rail and train companies, although the union added that its dispute remains “very much live”. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The threat of strike action and our strongly supported industrial campaign has made the rail employers see sense.”
RMT train managers on Avanti West Coast have also suspended strike action due Sunday 6 November in a row over the imposition of rosters expecting them to work 53hr week.
union branch donations can be made to the RMT hardship payments to support their striking members taking part in disputes then you can donate via https://www.rmt.org.uk/about/national-dispute-fund
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If you missed The Walk-in, the new ITV 4hour telling of Hope Not Hate’s expose of National Action’s plot to kill an MP and a policewoman based on the real-life experience of Matthew Collins, it’s on ITV catch-up https://www.itv.com/hub/the-walk-in/Matt was our contact with HnH during the decade of anti-BNP campaigning and one of our May Day speakers. Very well made and an accurate portrayal of what happened and of Matt’s own earlier life. Documentary about the programmes featuring Matt https://www.itv.com/hub/nazi-hunters-the-real-walk-in
read the story and an 45minute edit of the book on https://hopenothate.org.uk/2018/07/10/the-plot-to-murder-an-mp/
We Demand Better campaigning as part of a TUC national day, 1,000 leaflets given out in 45minutes by UNISON & UNITE delegates.
Peoples Assembly London demo on Sat 5th November coaches from Wolverhampton see https://wolvestuc.org.uk/peoples-assembly-demo/ for booking details
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Attila the Stockbroker and Jess Silk in Wolverhampton The Clarendon Hotel Pub, Wolverhampton 8pm Sat 5th November more details see https://www.facebook.com/events/636187874757650£8 in advance £10 on door