JULY JULY 2024 2024
AndreaEgan,BranchSecretary
tothemonthlybranchnewsletter
NJCPAYCONSULTATIVEBALLOT
TheballotclosedonJune28thandthenthe NationalUNISONNJCcommitteemettoconsider theheadlineresultsoftheconsultation 8077%of membersvotedtorejecttheoffer,butwitha variedturnoutrateacrossthecountry Committeeagreedthatthattheycouldnotyet takeapositionforadefinitivedecisiononnext steps.
Afullbreakdownoftheresultsisbeingproduced, whichwillprovidethedatabyemployer.Once thisisformatted,Regionswillbeaskedto considertheirresultsviaconsultationwith stewardsacrossdepartmentsineachCouncil andschool.
AfurthermeetingoftheNJCCommitteeislikely aroundthe18thJulytoconsiderfeedbackfrom regionsaswellastheoutcomesoftheother unions’consultations(GMB’sconsultationcloses on5thJulyandUnite’scloseson10thJuly)
“YOU NEED TO HOLD YOUR NERVE!” ASHFIELD ACADEMY STRIKE
At June’s Branch Committee we were joined by Tom Barker. Tom is a steward at Ashfield Academy in Leicester who was one of the key organisers of a very successful strike action last year, resulting in winning a pay increase of 18-25% for workers Tom spoke to Branch Committee about what happened and how they managed it.
Tom is a long-time union member who had been involved in industrial action before but had never led, so he and others learnt as they went along. To begin, a strike committee was set up 4 months before the strike, made up of 10-12 members who were seen as capable and enthusiastic Getting other members to commit to action was trickier at first but things which had been rejected by the employer during initial negotiations suddenly begun to become available once the action started, which helped strengthen resolve and encourage members to join in
Altogether there were 110 members, of which 15 were hostile to industrial action and did not participate Tom’s Branch weren’t supportive but the wider union (including Bolton Branch), colleagues and family boosted him, also parents & teaching unions at the school.
Members got strike pay but no Universal Credit because no hours were being worked, so some were effectively starved back to work even though they wanted to stay out. 43 (nonconsecutive) days of strike ended when they announced all out action for November 2023 and the employer capitulated There were lots of lessons learnt so Tom has produced a pamphlet – ‘Organising to Win’. The Branch ordered 40 copies - if you would like to read one, get in touch!
Getting ready for the annual Ellen Strange walk from Emmanuel Church over Holcombe Moors - the highs and the lows of the day! It’s a bugger of a hike but why we are doing it drives us on, raising awareness, of domestic abuse.
The sun shone as we all met at Emmanuel Church in Holcombe. Each walker was given a commemorative Ellen Strange badge along with water and snack to help us on the walk, 20 walkers set of to walk the 2 rugged miles up to the cairn This is thought to be the only person-made monument remembering a victim of Domestic Abuse in the world and is in memory of Ellen Strange who was murdered in 1761 at the hands of her husband, John Simpson.
The weather every year throws us a curve ball, and we have had it all Blistering sweltering sun, winds that could blow you off your feet and yesterday rain that felt it could well have washed us away!!
There were 2 speakers: firstly myself (Andrea Egan), and I reminded everyone that domestic abuse is a trade union issue, and then a representative from Endeavor on behalf of Gill Caldwell (CEO) who had only gone and broken her leg! The names of those (mainly women and some children) killed through domestic abuse were read out It was a sobering time up at the cairn, but one that reminded us of the importance of our work. The Vicar then read a blessing and we trekked another 2 miles back to the church to listen to a local Ukulele group, have a cuppa and a light buffet and this year try to dry out!
Housing Crisis: Tenants Need a Voice
A motion was brought to June’s Branch Committee highlighting the lack of an independent Tenant body organising for better scrutiny of Social and Private Landlords and speaking up for Tenants’ rights in Bolton.
The motion carried unanimously and the Branch resolved to establish links with the Greater Manchester Tenants Union, initially by inviting representatives to speak at Branch Committee and then to organise a public meeting.
Are you interested in getting involved, or maybe you’d like to attend branch committee to hear the speaker? Let us know!
2025HolocaustMemorialEvent planningmeetings
The branch is setting up a working group to start planning an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Holocaust Memorial Day is in January every year and following on from our event this year we will again be be working with the library and the Mayor’s Office.
Are you interested in joining the planning? Please ring the branch and we will pass you the details of the meeting dates.
The unmarked grave found from the church's record of Ellen Strange, buried in a pauper ' s grave