E-Bulletin, Issue 22 - December 2008
Welcome from Unite North West Regional
Secretary, Kevin Coyne
I would like to wish you season's greetings from
Unite. On a personal note I would like to thank you
all, Unite officers, staff, representatives and members throughout
the region for your hard work over the last year.
We will be closing over the festive season at 5.00 pm on Tuesday
23rd December and will re-open on Monday 5th January.
Have a great Christmas and New Year!
Shop Stewards/Representatives and Activists
Meeting
Unite shop stewards, representatives and activists
across the North West are invited to listen to and question the
Joint General Secretaries at two separate meetings to be held as
follows:
8 January 2009 - Tony Woodley, JGS
Venue: The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Ranelagh Place,
Liverpool L3 5UL commencing at 11.30 a.m.
15 January 2009 - Derek Simpson, JGS
Venue: The Haydock Thistle Hotel, Penny Lane, Haydock WA11
9SG commencing at 6.30 p.m.
These meetings are called to advise you of developments in
relation to the merger and other matters, to ask questions and to
meet with other reps.
If you wish to attend I would be grateful if you could contact
Trish Angino/Helen Evans at T&G Section Office on 0161 848
0909 or Dianne Kennedy at Amicus Section Office on 0161 798 8976 as
soon as possible.
Unite’s NHS members hold day of action on Wednesday, 3
December over pay
Unite NHS members from the North West took part in the ‘work to
rule’ day of action in National Blood Centres in Manchester and
Liverpool on Wednesday, 3 December over the ‘derisory’ three-year
NHS pay deal.
And as Unite members take action in hospitals and health centres
throughout the UK, the union argues that giving public sector
workers, including NHS staff, a fair pay rise would also have the
added benefit of boosting consumer spending power in the High
Street – and would cost a fraction of the billions earmarked to
bail-out irresponsible bank bosses.
Unite’s Joint General Secretary, Derek Simpson said: ‘I
am pressing for an urgent meeting with Gordon Brown where I will
raise the whole sorry saga of the Government’s negative attitude to
public sector pay, with particular reference to our NHS
members.’
Members are taking action in a bid to get the government to restart
negotiations over the pay deal which is below the current rate of
inflation and promises two further years of below-inflation pay
rises.
The work to rule day of protest included a ban on non-essential
paperwork, email exchanges, attendance at meetings and telephone
calls and using personal mobiles for work calls.
For more details on the Cut My Pay, No Way campaign please click
here.
Unite steams ahead with trade union recognition at
Waterman’s ex-railway company
It’s full-steam ahead for Unite at Pete Waterman’s ex-railway
company, London and North Western Railway (L&NWR), based in
Crewe.
After a successful recruitment drive Unite has secured around
75% support from the engineering workforce in order to gain trade
union recognition at L&NWR. However, despite the
company refusing to enter into a voluntary recognition agreement
the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) has accepted Unite's
application to start the first stage in the recognition process for
exceeding the criteria on membership levels.
Unite National Officer for Railways, Bob Rixham said:
“We are positive that L&NWR will recognise Unite
for collective bargaining, our members want a trade union at the
Crewe-based railway and we are prepared to give them a voice,
and ensure Unite members have the right to have a say in
matters that affect them at work."
Transport Group Arriva are understood to have recently bought
the Crewe-based railway company from Pete Waterman.
Unite comment on AstraZeneca job losses in
Macclesfield
Unite Regional Officer, Gary Owen said:
"We are disappointed but not surprised at AstraZeneca’s
proposed changes to cut 240jobs at its facilities in Macclesfield
by 2013.
"However, 240 jobs is a serious blow to any community and will have
devastating effect on workers and their families in Macclesfield
during these difficult times.
"We will be meeting with local union representatives to discuss the
company’s proposed plans and job cuts."
Tesco shoppers are being asked to look at what's not on
the Tesco meat label by Unite
Unite representatives from the North West staged another protest
outside the Tesco store in Manchester last week as the union
continues nationwide demonstrations to alert the public about the
lack of information on meat labelling and the treatment of workers
employed by companies in the supply chain that produces meat for
Tesco stores.
The union believes that retailers like Tesco are using imported
meat from countries like Thailand and the increase of cheap meat
imports is contributing to the driving down of conditions for
low-paid workers in Britain and Ireland, who are employed by
companies in the meat supply chain.
For consumers, they often do not know how long ago the meat product
was slaughtered, where it was cooked, or whether it has undergone
preserving processes such as chilling or freezing either before or
after it has been cooked. The label often does not say.
Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said:
"Tesco sales are still growing despite the credit
crunch but the workers employed by companies that supply meat to
Tesco often face low pay, discrimination and
abuse.
“We believe the supermarkets desire to source meat
more cheaply is contributing to a race to the bottom in the UK
supply chain. But the meat label from products sourced overseas
often does not tell consumers what they should know about the meat
product they are buying.
“We believe that Tesco’s procurement practices are
creating divisions between migrant and indigenous workers across
Britain and Ireland.
"It's time for Tesco to value its meat supply chain and make sure
every worker counts. Unite is calling on Tesco to use its influence
to ensure companies in its meat supply chain sign a minimum
standards agreement and to establish Tesco Ethical Model Factories.
This will cost next to nothing but will make a world of difference
to workers in Tesco's meat supply chain as well as establishing
Tesco as an ethical leader. The power is in the hands of Tesco to
make a real difference."
The
demonstrations are part of an ongoing campaign by Unite to improve
the treatment of workers, including agency workers, in the UK
supermarket supply chain. Unite is concerned that agency workers
are often on poorer conditions of employment than core workers and
the undercutting of directly-employed workers has caused division
in the workplace and damaged social cohesion.
To view Unite reps on the protest outside the Tesco store in
Manchester click
here.
For further information on the campaign “Every Workers Counts”
click
here
Unite in talks with Mayr-Melnhof Packaging over job
cuts
Unite met with managers from Mayr-Melnhof Packaging
last week on the issue of the proposed 45 job cuts from the Bootle
site in Liverpool announced by the company last month.
Unite North West Regional Officer Phil Morgan said: “Up
to now we have already held a couple of meeting with the company to
try and get the number of proposed job cuts reduced.
“We are meeting the Chapel Committee next week to determine our
response.”
The Bootle site provides
packaging for the food industry.
Unite defends the right to Mesothelioma
Compensation
In a landmark test case in the High Court, Unite,
has successfully defended the rights of vulnerable asbestos victims
from insurers' attempts to avoid their liabilities.
The union has resisted a legal challenge by insurance companies
which, if successful, could have deprived thousands of mesothelioma
sufferers and their families of compensation.
The High Court last month (November 21, 2008) ruled that
Employers' Liability insurers remain liable to pay compensation for
mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos in the work place if
they insured the employer at the time the asbestos exposure
occurred.
The important decision comes after a nine-week court battle in
June and July 2008.
Unite Joint General Secretary, Derek Simpson said:
"This is a hugely important victory for the victims of
the deadly dust and for their families. Having to suffer or watch
your relatives suffer from a slow and painful death is
horrific.
“Thousands of men and women across the UK have been
negligently exposed to asbestos by their employers but insurers
have tried and failed to use legal technicalities to escape their
responsibility to pay compensation under the policies they sold to
employers. They sought to avoid their liabilities while pocketing
the money.
"We are prepared to take on the big cases and
fight for our members' rights to justice. We are delighted the High
Court has protected the right of mesothelioma sufferers to obtain
compensation from insurers. This decision illustrates the role and
importance of Unite. Without trade unions many of these cases
would never have been fought . Unite has been at the forefront of
the legal and political campaign to win compensation for the
victims of asbestos."
In what has become known as the mesothelioma "trigger issue"
test case a number of insurers argued the policies they sold, to
insure employers against liability for workers who were injured or
suffered illness due to work, were "triggered" by the development
of the disease rather than by the exposure to asbestos.
Often the time lapse between exposure to the deadly dust and the
development of mesothelioma can 40 years or more.
If the insurance companies' defence had been successful it could
have deprived thousands of asbestos victims and their families of
their right to compensation.
The successful conclusion to the test case means the family of
mesothelioma victim and Unite member Charles Michael O'Farrell will
be a step closer to receiving £152,000 in compensation from his
former employer's insurers Excess Insurance Company Limited.
Charles O'Farrell was a retired member of Unite who died in
2003. He was exposed to asbestos while working as a steel erector
for Humphreys & Glasgow Limited from 1964 to 1967. The company
ceased trading in1986 and is currently in liquidation.
Excess had refused to pay the damages citing the trigger issue
defence as their reason. If the High Court had found in favour of
the insurer Charles' family would not receive any compensation.
It would also mean thousands of mesothelioma victims and their
families, now and in the future, would be unable to obtain
compensation because by the time the worker developed the disease,
if the employer who exposed them to asbestos was defunct, no
insurance would exist to pay the claim.
Head of Asbestos Policy at Thompsons Solicitors, Ian McFall
said: "The court had to grapple with many difficult and
complex legal issues in this important test case to decide the true
meaning and effect of the insurance policies. The outcome is a
great relief for many asbestos victims and their families and a
victory for fairness, justice and common
sense.”
Charles' daughter, Maureen Edwards
said: "My dad died a painful death from mesothelioma
and watching him suffer was agonising for all of us. Excess
Insurance poured salt into the wound by forcing us to fight them in
court to receive compensation which we had already been awarded but
they refused to pay.
"My dad would have been proud today that, with the backing of his
union, we have finally achieved justice for him. But he would have
been disgusted by the lengths the insurers went to get out of
paying.”
Unite wins protective award of almost £500,000 for
former Spooner Vicars employees
Unite has won a protective award totalling £489,000
for the 100 employees who lost their jobs when the historic Spooner
Vicars of Newton-le-Willows went into administration at the start
of the year.
The company known locally as Vicars, was established in 1849 and
manufactured equipment for the biscuit and bread bakery industry.
On 11 January 2008 the company went into administration making the
100 workforce redundant with immediate effect.
Spooner Vicars Limited failed to follow any procedure when
dismissing the employees. The employees were not invited to a
meeting to discuss the redundancy situation, they did not receive
notice of the termination of their employment and no consultation,
collectively or individually, regarding the redundancies was
given.
Unite, which was the recognised union at the company for the
purposes of collective bargaining, pursued a protective award claim
through Unite solicitors Rowley Ashworth for the company’s failure
to inform and consult under the Trade Union and Labour Relations
(Consolidation) Act 1992 (“TULR(C)A”).
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Unite Education Programme 2009 – Workplace
Representatives’ Training
The course programme for 2009 is currently being
finalised and will be available to download shortly. Please click
here.
North West Conference - TUPE Regulations: possibilities
and problems, 24th February
North West activists are invited to attend the above North West
Conference sponsored by Unite (Region 6) and Thompson Solicitors on
Tuesday 24th February 2009 from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm at the Britannia
Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool L3 5UL.
For conference flyer please click
here.
For conference booking form please click
here.
For conference question form please click
here.
Unite campaign on tips and service charges - sign our
online petition here!
Waiting staff in Unite want to
eradicate some of the scams regularly applied by employers in
restaurants and hotels when it comes to distributing tips left by
customers.
Join our campaign to support restaurant and hotel workers get the
tips they have rightfully earned. Sign our petition - click
here!
Seminar on Flexible Working – 10th January 2008,
Liverpool
North West TUC Women’s Committee invites you to a
seminar on Flexible Working on Saturday 10th January 2009 from
10.45 am – 2.15 pm at Unite (TGWU Section), Jack Jones House, 143
Sefton Street Liverpool L8 5SN. There will be various
workshops along with Guest Speaker, Susan Routledge from Thornley’s
Solicitors. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Creche facilities are available but they will need to be
informed of requirements by 16th December 2008. If you are
interested in attending the event please email KStevens@tuc.org.uk by 6th January
2009.
Dates for Diary 2009
8th January – Tony Woodley, JGS - Shop Stewards/Representatives and
Activists Meeting, please see above.
10th January – Seminar on Flexible Working, please see
above.
15th January – Derek Simpson, JGS - Shop
Stewards/Representatives and Activists Meeting, please see
above.
24th February – NW Conference – TUPE Regulations:
possibilities and problems, please 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.
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