With so many issues to address, it can be hard to take stock and acknowledge our progress. So Organise's Head of Campaigns, Roxy, wants to share some great wins and milestones.
I'm Roxy, Organise’s Head of UK Campaigns, and I'm here to navigate the tumultuous yet triumphant waters of workers' rights alongside you. With a vibrant community of over 1 million members, it's easy for countless achievements, both big and small, to breeze past without their due moment in the spotlight!
This isn't just a blog - it's our victory lap. It's where I'll share not just the milestones we've reached together but the roads we travelled to get there. From policy breakthroughs to heartwarming victories at the grassroots level, this is our monthly dose of inspiration, resilience, and progress.
Over 30 Palestinian trade unions and professional associations have issued a united call to end all complicity and to stop arming Israel and workers have been mobilising across the globe to show solidarity. As workers, we have felt a responsibility to put pressure on the government as the UK continues to support the devastating attacks on civilians by permitting the sale of arms to the Government of Israel, despite being aware that these weapons may be used to commit war crimes in Gaza. Until the new government takes action, our country is complicit in the killing of civilians in Gaza, so workers on Organise are showing their solidarity.
Over 10,000 Organise members have already signed the petition demanding that the UK stop arming Israel and another 12,500 have emailed the Ministry of Defence and David Lammy, the Foreign secretary directly on the issue.
In fantastic news: the government has now suspended selling arms to Israel, but we will closely watch the news on this and we will be ready to take action if they U-turn.
British workers’ minimum rights to sick pay remain among the worst in the developed world. For those of us who rely on statutory sick pay (SSP) when we fall ill, a measly £116.75 a week is given to us to live off. 95% of us agree that the current amount is too low and over 25,000 of us have signed the petition to reform the current policy.
The new government has just met some of our demands by agreeing to pay SSP from day one and removing the lower earnings limit that leaves many low-paid workers without sick pay. This is amazing, but there is still work left to do, so together hundreds of us have been emailing the new Employment Minister demanding an increase to the statutory sick pay.
The Government has just announced plans to outlaw the cruel practice of Fire and Rehire in their new Employment Rights Bill. It took four years and relentless people-powered tactics to persuade MPs - with over 250,000 Organiser members making this happen!
Over 50,000 Organise members have mobilised to protect cash payments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after a government proposal in early 2024 to replace PIP with a voucher scheme.
Over 47,600 Organise members signed the petition "Don't strip PIP cash payments from sick and disabled people!" and 98% of people think the plan to replace cash payments with vouchers is wrong. There are over 16 million people in the UK living with disability and sickness and every single person deserves proper financial support.
Thousands of Organise members had their say in the government consultation to decide the future of PIP. This is one of the largest consultation submissions into disability benefits, with many Organise members citing it was the first time they’ve ever been asked about how PIP works and how it could be improved. The government are expected to respond this month.
You can see the summary of our huge response to the consultation here.
Here's just a few of the powerful responses from the Organise community:
“I have always worked as much as I can over the years, but there is no safety net for me apart from PIP. I am so very grateful that I can use PIP to pay for my basic living needs. I can’t see how vouchers or a catalogue would work for someone in my position, and it would limit independence severely. Limiting independence and choice, in turn, negatively affects mental health and self-esteem, which reduces health, well-being, and the ability to work.”
"I rely on PIP to cover fuel bills for my hospital trips. I have stage 4 cancer, and without PIP, I wouldn’t be able to make my hospital appointments."
"The PIP process is not fit for purpose - it is long and difficult for those that are genuinely struggling with day-to-day living. There should be a better understanding of chronic health conditions and more support available to those that want to work but physically can’t."
The Four Day Week Campaign has just launched a new pilot into flexible working policies and now, Organise members in over 10 workplaces are running campaigns to demand that their employers sign up to the new trial and introduce a 3-day weekend with no loss of pay. For example, workers at British Gas have been sharing what impact the introduction of a 4 day week would have on them, and here are the top lines:
Together we have turned these results into a people-powered report and sent them to the CEO of British Gas. If you'd like to start a campaign for a 4 day week at your workplace, get started on Organise.
Organise’s recent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to NHS England Trusts about private interests profiting from charging workers and patients to use NHS car parks have revealed shocking results. 7 trusts in the UK currently have profitable contracts with private companies, so we are now working with NHS workers up and down the country, putting them in touch with journalists and exposing private profits in the NHS.
Water companies have been dumping sewage into UK waterways for years, passing on costs to customers through bill increases, while awarding their CEOs hundreds of thousands in salary and bonuses. Members are frustrated with water firms and the regulator Ofwat, who are prioritising profit over people.
When the Supreme Court ruled that water companies can be sued for nuisance even without negligence or deliberate misconduct, we asked our members if we should mount a legal challenge.
At the beginning of August, it was announced that Ofwat will fine Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water for a total of £168m.
Over the past month, over 1,000 people have shared their experiences of menopause and perimenopause at work and the results are pretty bleak.
Top lines:
Together we are collecting all this data and turning it into a huge report to demand action from employers who are not providing adequate support for employees. You can share your experiences here.
With a Secretary for Health and Social Care, we launched a petition calling on Wes Streeting to stop the growing privatisation of the NHS. Wes Streeting - even before the election was called - has made very clear that he intends to continue Conservative party policy to use NHS funds to pay private healthcare supposedly to solve gaps in patient care.
Now, members are emailing Wes Streeting calling on him to stop using NHS funds to pay private contacts. Join in here.
With the news of Chancellor Rachel Reeves scrapping winter fuel payments for over 10 million pensioners, more than 50,000 Organise members took the survey on the issue - and over 12,500 members have gone on to send Chancellor Rachel Reeves an email, putting pressure on her to reverse her decision!
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Roxy dives in to help Organise members start and win their campaigns. She can help you plan your tactics and build your confidence.
