E-Bulletin, Issue 16 - May 2008
Welcome from Unite North West Regional Secretary, Laurence
Faircloth
What do YOU want from a Labour Government?
On May 1st, voters passed judgement on Labour in power. The council
elections in some parts of England could be seen as a referendum on
eleven years of Labour Government. `Must do better’ is the
inescapable conclusion from the party’s worst election results for
40 years.
Keen to give the Government a bloody nose, some voters decided
to take a chance on the Tories. Worryingly also for Labour,
many core supporters chose to stay at home. Repeated at a
general election, then the threat of Tory power will become a
reality.
As a Unite member, you have a unique opportunity to let the Labour
Government know what you think about their policies. What would
make a difference for you, your friends and family?
We know the way the Tories are thinking. Shadow Chancellor
George Osborne has called for further restrictions on the right to
strike. London Mayor Boris Johnson wants no-strike agreements. The
Tories oppose equal treatment for temporary and agency workers -
our key employment rights measure. They are instinctively opposed
to more social and affordable housing and they privatise first, ask
questions later.
The Labour Party is still the best option for working people.
Would the Tories have introduced legislation to allow for union
recognition where a majority want it? Would they have improved
maternity and paternity rights, or supported working parents? Would
they have introduced a corporate manslaughter bill or a pension
protection fund to compensate workers whose firms go bust? The
answer to all of these core questions is ‘no’.
Labour and Gordon Brown made mistakes over the 10p tax rate.
But they listened and they acted. Now millions of working people
across the country will benefit. Our challenge now is to
ensure they do more to reconnect with Labour voters, because that
is the way to reconnect with the electorate.
This is where Unite and its members make a difference. Our
role is to connect our party with our people, to ensure they stay
in tune with the hopes of millions of ordinary, working people. So
share your political views with us. Tell us what you think the
Government should be doing by participating in our online members’
survey. Click
here to take part today.
Unite and Mirror launch fair tips
campaign
Unite has joined forces with the Daily Mirror newspaper in a
campaign to urge restaurants and hotels in the North West to sign
up to a fair tips charter.
The campaign is calling on the hospitality industry to sign up to
the Unite and Daily Mirror ‘Fair Tips Charter’ to demonstrate their
commitment to ensuring tips and services charges are distributed
fairly among staff. Wages in the hotel and catering sector
have been historically low and staff have always relied on tips to
make a decent living.
Laurence Faircloth, Unite regional secretary said:
“Customers want to see that the tips they leave are going
to the hard-working staff who serve them. Our ‘Fair Tips Charter’
will enable people to tip with confidence.
“Employers in the hospitality industry must ensure that all
employees receive a decent living wage with 100% of tips added on
top. We welcome the commitment by Pizza Hut and TGI Friday to take
a lead on this issue by signing the charter. The union now wants
others within the sector to demonstrate their commitment to a fair
and transparent tipping system.”
For more information on the campaign click here.
Speak up for public services rally and lobby – Monday 9th
June
Unite members are invited to attend a TUC lobby of Parliament to
protest against the reduction in living standards for hundreds of
thousands of people working in the public sector.
Morale among Public Sector employees is low and many feel
undervalued. Our members are angry that there has been no
meaningful consultation over widespread reforms of our public
services and the government’s failure to increase pay in line with
inflation has heightened the feeling of alienation.
If we want the government to listen, we must make sure our voice
is heard. It is vital that Unite has a strong presence on the day.
We need Unite activists and members on the ground to attend the
rally and lobby their MPs.
Rally in Central Hall, Westminster from 1pm. Lobby MPs
from 3.30pm
If you would like to attend the lobby please contact Phil Allman
or Terry Burns at the Prestwich Office on 0161 798 8976 for
details of transport on the day.
Campaign materials are available either from your regional
office or as a download from the Unite website at www.unitetheunion.org/speakup.
Ken Loach joins union pickets at Shelter in
Manchester
Members of Unite were joined on the picket line this
month by Ken Loach, the UK’s most famous independent film
maker.
The workers at Shelter Manchester have carried out a series of
stoppages since February in protest against management plans to
scrap their pay and grading structure and force them to sign new
employment contracts.
Unite National Secretary, Doug
Nicholls, said: "Increasing public concern at the treatment
of workers in Shelter has led not just to Early Day motions in
Westminster and the Scottish Executive but a number of MPs are now
planning to organise significant adjournment debates on the
issue.
"It is with some disbelief that public bodies and politicians from
all parties are registering the fact that an important organisation
within the overall campaign for social justice is treating its own
staff so shabbily."
Ken Loach added: "I am shocked and saddened
about what is happening at Shelter, and how hardworking and
dedicated employees are being treated. At a time when we are
heading into an recession, and a rise in homelessness and
repossessions is a real risk, charities like Shelter are needed now
more than ever to give good quality advice and support to people in
housing crisis."
Click here for Unite press release.
Unite in talks with Quinn Radiators over closure
Unite is holding urgent talks with managers at Quinn
radiators after the company announced its plan to close its site at
Leigh near Wigan.
Nearly 200 workers at the Leigh plant, which manufactures the
traditional round top radiator, will lose their jobs if the closure
announced on Friday 18th April goes ahead. The company says a
decline in sales volume and the market moving away from the product
they manufacture in Leigh are the reasons behind the closure.
Unite Regional Officer, Debbie Brannan said: “We will
use the consultation period to see the company’s plans and examine
the rationale behind this decision.
Quinn Radiators is one of the largest employees in
Leigh. If the company ceases production at their site in Leigh
there will be a devastating affect on our members and the local
economy.
Unite and our hard working Reps will do everything they
can to explore alternatives to closure.”
Unite secures recognition agreement
at Anderton Concrete
Unite has secured a recognition agreement at Anderton Concrete
based in Northwich.
Employees at Anderton Concrete, voted, via an ACAS administered
ballot, in favour of union recognition. This means that
Unite can now negotiate on behalf of members on all aspects of
their employment from pay to holiday entitlement.
Unite Regional Officer, Phil Morgan said: “This is great
news for our members at Anderton Concrete. Unite is now the
recognised union and we look forward to working with the
company.”
Unite ballots Argos workers for industrial
action
Unite will hold a strike ballot amongst 2000 distribution workers
at Argos, including the distribution centre at Heywood, Lancashire
in a dispute over pay.
Workers have rejected the company’s pay offer of 4.0%. They are
also furious that Argos intends to erode the sick pay scheme and
implement monthly pay instead of weekly pay without any
compensation.
In 2007/8 Argos made an overall profit before tax of £433
million up 15% on the previous year. The highest paid
Executive Director's pay rose by 58% between March 2006 and March
2007 from £1.04 million to 1.7 million. Most distribution workers
earn between £17,000 and £20,000.
In the event of a yes vote, a dispute will cause significant
disruption to the delivery of products.
Click here to view Unite press release.
Unite signs new agreement at CFS
The Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) and joint trade unions
(Unite, NACO and Usdaw) have signed three new core agreements to
further support their ongoing relationship.
The central principles of the new agreements between CFS and the
joint trades union are that they will -
• Strive to retain staff in employment, valuing their in-depth
experience and knowledge, thereby safeguarding the continuing
growth of the business, where this is possible
• Introduce a more flexible staff resource model, providing
much greater opportunity for staff to move around the organisation,
gaining new skills and experience as the business changes to meet
the demands of customers
• Ensure that we balance growth and attrition across the
business making redundancy the absolute last resort, used only if
all other avenues for continuing appropriate employment have been
exhausted, or where practical alternative roles do not exist.
As David Anderson said, “Together we will be in an even
stronger position to support the transformation of our business,
adopting a flexible approach to managing change and ensuring that
we offer value, fairness and Social Responsibility right across the
Co-operative Financial Services. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank our trade union colleagues for their continued
support, particularly during 2007”.
The joint trades unions and CFS are committed to continue to
work together to support the company’s vision to become the UK’s
most admired financial services business.
North West supports Workers Memorial Day –
28th April
Hundreds of workers, union representatives and bereaved families
attended events and demonstrations across the North West to
remember those killed by work and fight for stronger law and
enforcement to prevent other deaths.
Rally to support Council workers in Blackburn
Council workers in Blackburn are planning strike
action on Friday 23rd May which will include a mass rally in the
city centre in an ongoing dispute over pay.
Unite is calling on supporters to join them on the rally outside
Blackburn Town Hall at 12.00 noon to protest against imposed pay
cuts to staff.
Workers are also angry that the council are refusing to give the
lowest paid workers, facing wage cuts of up to £4,000, pay
protection for three years, similar to other council employees
across the country.
Tony Hayes, Unite Regional Official said: “It is totally
unacceptable that the council is telling their staff to either
accept a £4,000 pay cut or they could lose their jobs. No decent
council should be allowed to treat people this way."
"Many low paid council workers are already
struggling to keep up with rising food prices, housing and energy
costs and this situation will only put more pressure on these hard
pressed workers."
For further details on the rally please contact Tony
Hayes on 01772 729 243.
Unite union learning reps hit the silver screen
Unite Union Learning Reps are to star in a new TU
TV film featuring the work that they do in their workplaces. In the
film Learning reps explain why they got involved in learning,
skills & training, and how promoting learning has improved the
lives of Unite members.
Ian Scott, Unite learning development officer said: “Our
film shows real people telling their own story in their own words.
The idea is to shine a light on this very busy group of activists,
to let others see what is going on and hopefully pick up ideas for
their own workplace.”
Government minister for Skills, David Lammy MP, has agreed to
host a reception at the House of Commons to launch the new film in
early June.
For more information contact your Unite regional Learning
Organiser in your regional office, or check out the Lifelong
Learning pages on the Unite website.
‘Keeping Mum’ equality campaign launched
The Government’s keeping quiet about the links
between women’s inequality and child poverty. But a new campaign
being launched this week by Unite, in partnership with women’s
rights organisation, the Fawcett Society, aims to change that –
with your help.
Shockingly, having a child in the UK puts women in danger of losing
their job, moving into extremely low-paid work and getting into
debt.
From the moment they conceive a child, many women face immediate
financial penalties - thousands lose their jobs, and many more face
disadvantages and reduced opportunities in the workplace.
We’re calling for the Government to bring in specific measures
to tackle maternity discrimination and enable mothers to access
well-paid work. We need your support to do this! If you have two
minutes to spare now, you can send a campaign e-postcard to Gordon
Brown at http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/
To join our campaign mailing list, send an email to ellie.cumbo@fawcettsociety.org.uk
Disability Sports Events News
Unite’s charity – The Amicus Foundation supports Disability Sports
Events (DSE). DSE organise championships in a variety of sports,
which provide opportunities for disabled people to take part.
To download a copy of DSE News newsletter please click here.
Equality Reps’ Project Overview
If you would like to find out more about the Equality Reps project
or arrange for a presentation on the project please click here for further details.
TUC & Unite launch Radical Route – a walking tour of
Liverpool, city of protest
The North West TUC with Unite launched A Radical Route: a walk
through the trade union and radical history of Liverpool on
Wednesday 14th May.
It takes you through hundreds of years of Liverpool’s history,
from the 1775 riots and seamen’s strikes, the 1911 transport strike
and “Bloody Sunday”, right up to the present day. Encouraging
participants to look at Liverpool’s great architecture in a
different light and to remember the wonderful characters who made
the city great and fought for the conditions and benefits that we
enjoy today in our working lives.
The Radical Route was first conceived
by the Transport and General Workers’ Union in 2007. It celebrates
the strong contribution made by all the city’s trade unions to the
radical history of Liverpool and also marks the role played by
others such as the suffragettes and Liverpool’s black
community.
Guests attended a party at the Newz Bar, home of David Jacques
“Some Liverpool Radicals” murals, followed by a guided tour led by
Steve Binns, Liverpool’s Community Historian.
Dave McCall, Regional Secretary of the T&GWU section of
Unite said: “Liverpool is a city which has always had its
own unique character, a city with radical traditions - a city of
protest. This walk gives visitors and local people alike the
chance to find out more about Liverpool's long and proud tradition
of radicalism, and also about the women and men who have been its
radical leaders. Of course, we'll all have our own idea of
what we mean by radicalism, but I think that everybody will get a
lot of enjoyment from this experience.”
Unite NW Regional Women's Representatives
Training/Development Day
Unite is holding a one-day Women’s Representatives
Training/Development Day on Friday 4th July at Unite Office,
Columbus Quay, Liverpool.
If you are interested in attending please contact Nancy Greene
on 07919 325369 or email Nancy.Greene@unitetheunion.org.
North West Legal
A Unite member has been awarded £20,000 in provisional damages
after being exposed to asbestos in the workplace.
Our member from Waterloo in Liverpool developed asbestosis after
being exposed to the dangerous dust while working for Harland &
Wolf shipyard during the 1960s.
The member, who joined the union as an apprentice, said the
condition has left him unable to do the gardening and other jobs
around the house and he has had to give up his passion for
swimming.
He was a repairer electrician for the firm and worked on board
cruise liners which came to the yard for refitting. He remembers
being exposed to asbestos on a regular basis but was not warned of
the dangers or given any protective clothing.
He contacted his union when he was diagnosed with asbestosis in
2005 and they dealt with the legalities of the compensation
claim. The member remains free to claim further compensation
if he goes on to develop fatal asbestos related diseases including
mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Unite Regional Secretary for the North West, Laurence Faircloth
said: “We are pleased we have been able to assist our
member to find a satisfactory outcome for his claim.
“Asbestosis can be a debilitating disease and often
sufferers are exposed to asbestos unwittingly in the workplace. We
will continue to fight for compensation for our members who have
been negligently exposed to asbestos.”
New appointment for North West Region
Phil Allman has been appointed as the North West Regional
Development Co-ordinator.
Phil, a former Unite rep at Vauxhalls Motors, Ellesmere Port and
Chair of NW Regional Council will be based at the Prestwich
Office.
Phil will be supporting officers in local campaigns linking in with
local councillors and MPs, liaising with different groups such as
sector, area, branch, retired members etc to talk about national
campaigns, joining the Labour party and taking an active part in
their Local labour group and the CLPs in general.
Dates for Diary
23rd May - Rally to support council workers in
Blackburn - see above.
9th June – Speak up for public services lobby
and rally - see above.
4th July - NW Regional Women’s Representatives
Training Day - see above.
This bulletin has been produced by Karen Viquerat, if
you have any stories or contributions please email
karen.viquerat@unitetheunion.org
or telephone Karen on 01704 546 500.
