Support for Shelter staff

Shelter staff on strike, photo Paul Mattsson

At the last Manchester branch meeting, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) members decided to support Ken Loach's call to suspend standing orders giving money to Shelter until the Shelter dispute is resolved. The branch took this decision after listening to one of the Shelter stewards in Manchester, who came to talk about the strike.

The NUJ Manchester branch now calls on all members who have a standing order to Shelter to suspend this as long as the dispute is going on.

We will also take this initiative to the trades council meeting and call on the wider Mancunian trade union movement to take similar initiatives in their own organisations.

Christian Bunke

Shelter: Third strike suspended

Shelter staff on strike, photo Paul Mattsson

AS a result of a second day of strike action, Shelter management sought preliminary talks with the union. These took place on 17 March and resulted in management agreeing to attend arbitration service ACAS for formal negotiations.

Before the strike action, management had been adamant that they would not return to talks and that they had nothing more to offer.

In addition, Shelter senior managers agreed to suspend the dismissal interviews and notices for those staff refusing to accept the new downgraded contracts. The union agreed to suspend the strike action planned for 19-20 March, pending the outcome of the ACAS talks.