Latest news with #industrialaction
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Staff at a Dorset school strike over restructuring plans for two schools
Staff at a state school are taking industrial action in protest at restructuring Sherborne Area Schools' Trust (SAST) said Shaftesbury School and Sturminster Newton High in Dorset had been facing a budget deficit of £1m between them so it was "looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads".On 17 June, Shaftesbury School staff who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) walked out over the restructure, which the NEU said would "take teaching resource away from the front line."SAST said it continued to engage "in constructive dialogue with union colleagues". Jon Timbrell, who represents the NEU in the South West, said the restructure is "stripping half of the heads of curriculum out of the schools" and "prioritising retaining a large layer of executive management".He said a lot of the changes the trust had proposed "have been really unpopular within the community" and the turnout on Tuesday "was huge", with sixth formers, parents and other residents coming to show support."In negotiations with the trust, we raised the fact that the financial picture has changed quite significantly," Mr Timbrell added, referring to the 4% pay rise for teachers announced by the government and the investment in education proposed in the spending said the union was calling on the trust "to look again at the figures in light of that as well."More strikes are planned for next Tuesday and Wednesday. SAST said the plans were "designed to ensure long-term financial sustainability".It said similar issues were being faced "by many rural secondary schools, who are having to decide whether their sixth forms are sustainable".It had also commissioned an independent report in conjunction with the Department for Education, which looked at ways to reduce costs "whilst maintaining educational provision". The schools already share an executive headteacher and operate in a joint sixth form."We believe that sixth forms should remain in our local communities, and we are therefore looking to share some leadership roles across the two schools to reduce overheads whilst encouraging collaboration between them," the trust added there had been "a full consultation involving staff and union representatives"."We have listened throughout and made considered adjustments in response to genuine feedback, while keeping our focus on what matters most — the experience and outcomes of our students." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
ABC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Peabody coal mine workers locked out in wages dispute
Workers from an underground New South Wales coal mine are facing a lockout after taking limited industrial action over wage negotiations. About 160 permanent employees were locked out without pay from Wednesday this week to Thursday next week at the Metropolitan Mine in Helensburgh. The Mining and Energy Union said it would lodge a claim for a 15 per cent wage increase over three years, a one-off market rate increase of $1.50 per hour, plus a $4 increase to crib payments. The president of the union's NSW South West District, Mark Jenkins, said mine owner Peabody was punishing workers for exercising their industrial rights as they sought to negotiate a new enterprise agreement. "The workers enacted their industrial right and took some limited one-hour stoppages across their shifts," he said. Mr Jenkins said there was no warning. "We went into a bargaining meeting with the company on the day of the lockout and found out probably about an hour and 45 minutes after the bargaining meeting that the lockout was taking place," Mr Jenkins said. A Peabody spokesperson said Metropolitan Mine acknowledged that employees had engaged in industrial action, and the union had notified the company of further industrial action to come. "In response, Peabody implemented employer response action, with a lockout of employees commencing night shift Wednesday, 18 June and continuing until day shift Thursday, 26 June," the spokesperson said. The action follows a Federal Court decision last year ruling that 22 Peabody Energy crew members unjustly lost their jobs before being replaced by external contractors at the same mine in June 2020. The court found that replacing full-time employees with labour hire did not constitute "genuine redundancies". The lockout comes at a time when the nearby Tahmoor mine is also under pressure, but for a different reason, as the mine hasn't mined coal since February due to unpaid bills. About 560 mineworkers are still being paid but have been stripped of their regular bonuses. They are increasingly anxious about whether the mine, owned by British industrialist Sanjeev Gupta, and linked to the Whyalla steelworks, will reopen. Independent Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan said this week the state government was monitoring and negotiating with the mine's owner GFG Alliance. The union has called for the state government to intervene.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Railway staff at Translink vote for industrial action
A union representing more than 300 Translink workers has warned of potential disruption after members voted in favour of industrial action in a dispute over Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) represents mostly workers in NI Railways in clerical, administrative, supervisory and managerial have voted for both action short of strike and walkouts with the union saying any action "raises the prospect of services being reduced or failing to run at all in the face of action taken over the summer months". Translink said that it had "proposed a pay increase, in line with other public sector pay rises". Why might workers walk out? The company said it "remains committed to reaching an agreement that will not impact passenger services". TSSA said members in "control roles" at NI Railways are "equivalent" to air traffic controllers for trains and are "essential" for railway safety. If control workers were to go on strike, trains would not be able to run, according to the union. TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said members had "given an overwhelming mandate". "Translink's refusal to offer a fair deal has left us no option but to prepare for industrial action."Our union does not take this step lightly, but we have been left with no choice after other grades in Translink were offered the equivalent of a 5.77% pay increase, yet our members are expected to accept less for doing critical work that keeps Northern Ireland moving."Unless Translink and the Department for Infrastructure urgently step up with a meaningful offer, they will bear full responsibility for the disruption facing the public this summer," she added. The GMB union, which also represents NI Railway staff, is currently balloting its members over industrial Department for Infrastructure has been contacted for comment.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Isle of Man school leaders asked to vote on industrial action
School leaders on the Isle of Man are being asked if they want to consider taking industrial action due to the alleged "further misuse of disciplinary proceedings" by the education department. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has held an emergency meeting to initiate a formal ballot for its members on the island.A formal dispute with the education department was raised by the union last month, citing a "toxic" culture and alleging an abuse of BBC has asked the education department for a response to the NAHT's concerns. The NAHT has opened an electronic ballot which asks members whether they would support a ballot for industrial union said it was determined to "protect its members from further misuse of disciplinary proceedings by the island's education department".It claimed there had been a "disregard of agreed policies and procedures, and the victimisation of [union] officials". 'Months of inaction' The formal complaint was raised by NAHT assistant general secretary Rob Kelsall, who wrote to the island's interim chief executive Mark Lewin. Mr Kelsall said the ballot was "unavoidable" due to "months of inaction, repeated policy breaches, and a failure to uphold basic employment rights".He added: "The integrity of our profession and the dignity of our members is on the line."We will not stand by and see school leaders being treated with contempt and their union representatives subjected to a witch-hunt and victimised."The NAHT alleged there had been breaches of the Fairness at Work Policy and the Code of Conduct for Public Servants. It claimed the education department had been misusing disciplinary procedures by imposing "punitive sanctions" rather than supporting professional union said concerns went "far beyond the experiences of any one or two individuals" and included "multiple breaches of employment policies and professional standards".It said: "We remain committed to finding a constructive resolution and believe these steps are necessary to rebuild trust and ensure fairness for all."The ballot will close on 18 June. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
News.com.au
13-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Electrical Trades Union seeks to block vote on train deal that ended months of Sydney strikes
The Electrical Trades Union is seeking to halt a vote on a new enterprise agreement for tens of thousands of rail workers after months of industrial action, claiming it was unfairly left out of 11th-hour meetings. The ETU broke with the Combined Rail Unions last month after the CRU, led by the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union, reached an in-principle agreement with the state government over Sydney and NSW Trains staff. The agreement is supposed to be put to a vote of union members following an order by the Fair Work Commission but could be delayed following an application by the ETU before the commission on Friday. Lawyers representing the ETU claimed during an hours-long hearing that neither Sydney and NSW Trains nor the RTBU had engaged in legally mandated good-faith bargaining during the final days of negotiations. The union, which represents electricians, claims it was excluded from a meeting in late May between the CRU and the state government, which later held three days of meetings with the ETU in early June. The meetings centred on two differences between the ETU and the RTBU that led to the ETU objecting to the pay deal, chiefly the restructuring of competency scales for trade-related staff, known as uplifting. The uplift was granted to 'non-trade' employees under the proposed deal, with the ETU seeking to have the same measure applied to electricians – something it claims is a longstanding desire of the ETU. The rail agencies and the RTBU object to the measure that they say was put forward after negotiations had ended, with Sydney Trains executive Fatima Abbas stating it would impact about 350 workers. The commission was told it wouldn't matter if the uplift cost '$1m or $100m', the rail agencies were not seeking to 'increase the package and consider it the final offer', their lawyer told the court on Friday. 'There are 13,500 employees that will be covered by this agreement. The majority of bargaining representatives support and agree to the final package. If the applicant refuses, the package will not change,' he said. RTBU lawyer Leo Saunders told the commission that the union claimed the ETU had 'excluded themselves' from meetings, and it hadn't put the uplift as a 'formal claim' previously. The possibility of a delay comes after months of negotiations and brinkmanship between the CRU and the RTBU and the state government, including rounds of industrial action and court orders. Following a cooling-off period mandated by the commission earlier this year, a breakthrough in talks came after a fallen wire at Strathfield sparked days of chaos across Sydney's rail network in May. The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission will deliver their judgment at 4.30pm.
