Preparations for 30th November Strike Day
15/11/2011
Following the result for the statutory industrial action ballot NIPSA will be calling all members in employment areas covered by the ballot to take part in a strike on 30th November 2011.
Click here to download pdf bulletin
Click here to download pdf Industrial Action Guidelines on Picketing
Dear Colleague
You will be aware from previous circulars that following the result for the statutory industrial action ballot NIPSA will be calling all members in employment areas covered by the ballot to take part in a strike on 30th November from 12.00 midnight covering a period of 24 hours. The 24 hour nature of the stoppage is to ensure the inclusion of employees who work shift work or outside the normal 9.00 am to 5.00 pm pattern.
In preparation for the strike branches are advised of the following:-
1. Branch or branch committee meetings should be convened to agree arrangements for setting up picket lines. However branches will need to be mindful of any restrictions imposed by the relevant Facilities Agreements. It is recommended that picket lines be put in place 15 minutes before normal workplace opening hours. All members should be encouraged to participate in picketing their place of work.
2. Material for branches to be used on the picket line will be sent to branches. This will include leaflets for distribution to the public, NIPSA vests and strike stickers. Placards and posters can be collected from NIPSA HQ or the Derry Office. In addition NIPSA Officials will be convening meetings of the geographical networks of NIPSA representatives. At these meetings strike material including placards will be distributed. I attach a list of the areas covered by the geographical networks and the NIPSA HQ Official with responsibility for each network. While it is important that local representatives attend these meetings they are not a substitute for meetings of branch committees.
3. Details of the date, time and location of the meeting of the geographical networks will be sent to branches and will be posted on the NIPSA website www.nipsa.org.uk.
4. On 30th November a number of events ie marches and rallies will be organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and local Trades Councils. Details of these events will be forwarded to branches and will also be posted on the NIPSA website.
5. Guidance on picketing is attached and additional copies will be distributed to branches. It is important that these guidelines are adhered to by members involved in picketing.
6. It has been a longstanding policy of NIPSA that during strikes members will cover emergencies. These are defined as situations where the health and safety of humans or animals could be endangered. In order to ensure a consistency of approach both within and across the different areas of the public sector, requests by Management for exemptions should be considered by the relevant Departmental Committee/Panel in the first instance.
7. However it is NIPSA which determines the situations in which members should work in these circumstances not the Management. NIPSA will enter into discussions with employers in regard to this matter. Where branches are approached by Management about emergency cover the NIPSA HQ Official should be contacted immediately. Branches should not enter into their own arrangements with Management without consultation with NIPSA HQ for the reasons outlined in paragraph 6 above.
8. NIPSA has advised employers of the result of the ballot. Employers will shortly be notified formally, in line with the legal requirements, of the union’s intention to call its members out on strike on 30th November.
9. As previously reported to branches members voted both for strike action and action short of strike action. A direct mailshot will be posted to all members covered by the ballot in advance of the 30th November. The NIPSA General Council will be giving consideration to calling on members to carry out action short of strike action in addition to the strike action. The details of “Action Short of Strike Action” are under active consideration by the union. A further communication will be issued to members on this issue in due course.
10. Branches should also use this time to recruit new members into NIPSA and a leaflet specifically aimed at recruiting new members in advance of 30th November has been emailed to branches and hard copies will be distributed in the next day or so.
11. During disputes of this nature it is common for many ordinary members of the union to become more involved in the work of the branches. Members should be encouraged to do so and should also be encouraged to play an active part in the branch by taking on the role of local NIPSA representative. Members wishing to take on a representative role should be advised that training is provided by NIPSA.
12. In the last few days the results of the industrial action ballots of a number of other public sector unions have been released. In Great Britain the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the FDA and Prospect have all announced that their members have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. The NAHT and FDA results for members in Northern Ireland are due to be released shortly. TSSA members in the transport sector in Northern Ireland have voted for strike action. These votes for strike action are in addition to the “yes” votes from UNISON, PCS, University Colleges Union, National Union of Teachers, ASPECT and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) the main union for teachers in Scotland. Details of the outcomes of the remaining unions’ ballots including the teachers unions in Northern Ireland will be communicated to branches when they are available.
Yours sincerely
BRIAN CAMPFIELD
General Secretary
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