London and Eastern

Big win for Hackney bus workers

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A long running dispute between Hackney Council and school bus staff has been brought to an end after workers secured increased pay and a commitment to make agency roles permanent.

The pay deal came after 38 Unite members, who are drivers and passenger escorts on school buses for children with disabilities, carried out a series of strikes in relation to the dispute during 2019.

Hackney council has agreed to yearly lump sum payments which will be backdated to April 2019 and are linked to annual National Joint Council pay increases for local government staff.

The agreement also includes a review, led by the conciliation service Acas, into improving working relationships within the bus service, as well as a commitment to review agency staff positions each term with a view to making those roles permanent.

Full story here:

Win! Hackney bus dispute called off after workers secure pay rise

Solidarity with Prysmian Cables strikers

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Unite members in Eastleigh are in dispute with Prysmian Cables who have offered them a sub-inflation 2% pay “rise”. They have struck for one day per week for four weeks, escalated with a two day strike the week before last, and are scheduled to strike for another two days on Wed 7 – Thu 8 November. Give them your support.

unite prysmian cables picketline

The strike is solid and the picketlines are strong. Now is the time to offer financial support. Though Unite are paying double strike pay, this members still need financial support to sustain the action and win. As well as individual donations, branches can contribute.

The Engineering & Manufacturing Sector is not known for frequent industrial action, bosses get away with far too much at members’ expense. When members in engineering and manufacturing do take strike action they do not do so lightly. We need to win the disputes or we all fall, if they win this strike in Hampshire against a below inflation “payrise” then we also win elsewhere because we can look to the victory and show our bosses what happens when they try to get us to accept below inflation payrises, this fight is our fight.

Please make cheques payable to “Unite 2/13 Prysmian Cables Branch” and send to Steve Philips, Unite 2/13 Prysmian Cables Branch, c/o Unite House, 41 Castle Way, Southampton SO14 2BW.

Unite press release