Issue 49
Spring 2013
IN THIS EDITION DD Prospect political fund DD Work your proper hours day DD Branch council and delegate conference DD Farewell Steve DD Let’s hear your positive experiences DD Career development as a Prospect rep DD Twin approach to life-saving
Correspondence to: Doug Hyam RPA Room 1 Allen House London E10 5SQ tel: 020 8539 6147 fax: 020 8539 7128 mob: 07867 506959 email: douglas.hyam@ defra.gsi.gov.uk
Muckraker
YOUR UNION – YOUR VOICE
Newsletter of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Branch
,,POLITICAL FUND
Why we need to retain our voice David Heaver of Natural England explains the reasons why we need a political fund PROSPECT’S BIENNIAL National Conference in 2012 decided unanimously that to safeguard our campaigning and lobbying activity in defence of members’ interests, the union must retain a political fund. Without a political fund we run the risk of legal challenges to actions in support of legitimate negotiating objectives but which the courts might deem to be ‘political’. We have received clear advice that the absence of a political fund could leave the union dangerously exposed at a time when we need to campaign effectively in the parliamentary and political arena. The BNC also endorsed the status of the fund and the party political neutrality of Prospect. By law, a new ballot to maintain a political fund is required every ten years. (Both Prospect and Connect held ballots in 2003.) To renew the political fund in 2013 we need to have conducted a ballot of members by March 31 so the ballot will take place between March 4–27. Current ‘political’ activity by Prospect includes campaigning on behalf of members over a range of topics that have an impact on their interests, regardless of sector, industry, working or retired member status. These activities include: DD Opposing privatisation and contracting out. DD Opposing national government policies, for example the RPI-CPI switch for indexation of pensions. the rundown
of health and safety protection; the tripling of university fees. DD Opposing policies that threaten members’ jobs in the public or private sectors. For example public spending cuts; cancellation of investment programmes and contracts; termination of grant aid. DD Lobbying MPs in their constituencies over the local impact of national policies. For example opposition to job losses or site closures, especially during a general election campaign. The term ‘political fund’ is a misnomer, forced on unions by the 1984 Trade Union Act. Its introduction was clearly aimed at getting union members to reject proposals to set up political funds. In fact no union has voted to reject a political fund – a tribute to the effective way unions explained the issues to members and won majority support in ballots. If it was called a ‘campaign fund’ nobody would even question its purpose – to support industrial and negotiating objectives. But the 1984 act continues to make a separate political fund necessary. The National Executive Committee is committed to campaigning on this issue and is keen to be given the opportunity to speak to as many members as possible prior to the ballot. Please ensure that the campaign to maintain our political fund is on the agenda for any section meetings and AGMs. Please send any questions or requests for speakers to politicalfund13@prospect.org.uk.
IT’S TIME TO WORK OUR PROPER HOURS STAFF WORKING in the Efra family are renowned for not claiming all the hours they work. But do you know how many extra hours that adds up to over a year? The TUC’s Work Your Proper Hours Day takes place this year on Friday, March 1. Prospect is encouraging Efra staff to take part. The TUC has calculated that the period between January 1 and March 1 is
equivalent to the time that the average person who does unpaid overtime completes in unpaid days each year before they start getting paid. Work Your Proper Hours Day is a lighthearted campaign that celebrates the unsung – and unrewarded – hours that staff put in to help their employer and boost the UK economy. On that Friday the TUC will be urging bosses to let their staff take a proper lunch hour and leave work on time, and to lead by example by working their proper hours too. Last year, the TUC found that employees across the UK worked nearly two billion unpaid hours, worth over £29bn to the economy. ,, Visit: www. worksmart.org.uk/ workyourproperhoursday/