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union for professionals • www.prospect.org.uk ISSUE 7 • DECEMBER 2010

SEASON’S GREETINGS

GENERAL SECRETARY

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December 7/10

Coalition puts the freeze on prospects for 2011 What will 2011 bring for Prospect? Today it’s more difficult than at any time I can remember to promise a prosperous new year to members – and certainly much easier to foresee threats than opportunities.

The impact of government spending cuts on the public sector has been widely flagged. But reductions in government contracts mean the private sector, including Prospect areas like BT and defence contractors, will be hard hit too. Companies will struggle to replace lost public sector orders with the promised but slow to materialise upswing in private sector demand.

Our concern is obviously about the impact on members, but just as serious are the consequences for the services they provide. For example, government funding for the Health and Safety Executive is being slashed by a third. Even though a proportion of HSE’s budget is externally financed there will be direct consequences for British workers. And what about public science, civilian defence support, animal health, and the many other areas where Prospect members do such a valuable and effective job.

Almost all our retired and working members will be hard hit by the change from RPI to CPI for the uprating of pensions. Never mentioned in any political manifesto, this will rob pensioners of thousands of pounds a year – if the chancellor gets away with it. At Prospect’s instigation, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has written to the chancellor, challenging the legality of making retrospective changes to already accrued rights. It is nothing short of outrageous, and

Not all is doom and gloom. The ballot on proposed changes to the civil service compensation scheme closes on December 16, our sector executive has given a clear lead, with a significantly better outcome than the government intended

Prospect will propose that the TUC and any unions sharing our view should challenge the CPI decision in the high court.

But not all is doom and gloom. The ballot on proposed changes to the civil service compensation scheme closes on December 16 and though the circumstances have been uniquely difficult and the negotiations tortuous, our sector executive has given a clear lead, with a significantly better outcome than the government intended. It goes at least some way to deliver decent redundancy protection for the future. Now it’s up to members to decide.

Similarly, while still flawed, Lord Hutton’s interim review of pensions recognises many of Prospect’s powerful arguments about avoiding a race to the bottom; the value of decent defined benefit schemes; and the fact that existing arrangements are not ‘goldplated’. The question of employee contribution rates is outstanding, and we are ready to take a firm stand.

Branches have shown guts in standing up for both individual and collective rights. The latest example is the Atomic Weapons Establishment, where members fought hard to reach a decent pay settlement and were prepared to back our negotiators through visible protest. Serco, Serco TAS, BAA, and VT Flagship are among other areas to act including, where necessary, holding industrial action ballots to win decent settlements. Many branches are posting great recruitment results as employees face the stark reality of the need for union membership and collective action.

In all these difficulties we have shown that Prospect can make a difference. Thank you for your support in 2010 and best wishes for the festive season.

Paul Noon

There are two Prospect inserts with this issue: PLATFORM – the newsletter for members in the private and public defence industry ENERGY LINES – the newsletter for working members in the energy supply industry sector

profile@prospect.org.uk

www.prospect.org.uk Editor: Charles Harvey Reports: Graham Stewart Katherine Beirne Penny Vevers

JOHN HARRIS/REPORTDIGITAL.CO.UK

WITH THIS IN THIS ISSUE ...

SALE PROFILE 5 FORESTS Government sell-off plans can’t see the wood for the trees

6 UPDATE YOUR DETAILS 7 DEFENCE IN SHOCK 11 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 14 LEGAL BONANZA 15 PRESIDENT SPEAKS 21 PUBLIC BODIES BILL Email is more vital than ever – so make sure we’re up-to-date

Protests gather pace as civilians reel from 1 in 3 job cuts

Nuclear specialists go public with their fight for fair pay – and win

Prospect’s personal injury scheme can win for you – and your family Nigel Titchen on science, optimism, government cuts and Prospect Government’s quango cull sparks mounting concern in parliament

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Profile December 7/10

CPI switch to hit millions of pensioners

Walsh: Pensioner currently receiving £6,000 a year worse off by almost £500 a year in 2016-17

COVER STORIES Like father, like daughter. Two of the many protestors against threatened cuts to the science budget who descended on central London in the run-up to the comprehensive spending review. In Edinburgh, thousands of Scottish TUC supporters took to the streets to march against government spending cutbacks ■■ Full stories – centre pages, p18

CHRISTMAS CAME early for three new Prospect recruits and those who invited them to join. All six won £150 in Profile’s competition which asked readers to pass their magazine on to a non-member and encourage them to join online.

Over 230 people entered the draw, meaning more than 100 new joiners. Santa came in the form of general secretary Paul Noon, who picked the winners’ names from his sack.

They were: Karl Hartley and his recruit, Roy Brighton – both work for Veolia in Birmingham; Andrew Crosson, a BT member in the north-east, who recruited Michael Dawson; and Kenneth Pickering from the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire, who asked colleague Christopher Poulter to join.

Cuts threaten frontline safety THE HEALTH and Safety Executive faces a rocky future after the spending review imposed budget cuts that will leave it with a funding deficit of 20 per cent. This figure assumes that a 35 per cent drop in government funding is not mirrored by a fall in HSE’s income from charges to industry.

Deputy general secretary Mike Clancy said: “It cannot be in the national interest to reduce investment in a body whose mission is to prevent death, injury and ill-health – saving lives and costs –days after the release of figures which show the number of work-related fatalities for 2009-10 fell to the lowest level since records began.”

News of the budget black hole, coming

■■ Clancy – cut to HSE budget is not in the public interest

on top of consecutive years of cuts since 2002, led to calls for HSE to re-evaluate the practicality of its levies or face further job cuts in front-line staff.

Many pointed to anomalies in the system, which requires major companies such as National Grid to pay for safety inspections on its gas network but not on its electricity network; or where it is cheaper for companies to face the costs of prosecution than to pay for the advice needed to comply with the law.

“It may feel uncomfortable but if the decision is between finding the fairest way of charging or dropping HSE services, that is a discussion that members need to hold,” said Clancy.

PLYMOUTH HERALD

affected will depend on the wording of their scheme rules and the legislation the Department for Work and Pensions brings forward to implement the change.

However, BT’s statement that the change will apply to at least two sections of its defined benefit scheme, reducing its estimated liabilities by £2.9bn, shows the potential for the switch to have a huge effect in the private sector.

Those affected will see their pensions increase by 3.1 per cent instead of 4.6 per cent from April 2011. Projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility show that CPI is expected to be lower than RPI in each of the following five years, by up to 1.6 per cent.

As a result, a pensioner currently receiving £6,000 a year would be worse off by almost £500 a year in 2016-17.

Because the loss is compounded year on year, individuals will lose out by thousands of pounds over their retirement.

Independent experts estimate that the decision wipes about 15 per cent off the value of pensions. In some cases, such as members of career average schemes or members who leave final salary schemes in mid-career, the loss could be more than 25 per cent.

Prospect has sought legal advice over the change and is working closely with the TUC. Walsh added: “At this stage the change is just a policy announcement. When legislation is brought before parliament, Prospect and other unions will examine the options for challenging the decision.”

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GLAD TIDINGS FOR SIX

MARK THOMAS

THE IMPACT of the government’s decision to increase public sector pensions in line with the Consumer Prices Index will be even greater than initially feared.

Prospect has warned that the scale of reductions because of the move away from the Retail Prices Index has grown as it becomes clear that many private sector schemes will adopt similar changes. Neil Walsh, pensions officer, said: “At the same time, government projections and other sources indicate that current and future pensioners will lose out by more than previously thought.”

All members of public sector schemes are affected by the CPI change. Whether private scheme members are

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EXPERTS WARN THAT QUANGO BILL THREATENS CONSTITUTION

PLANS TO abolish, merge or modify hundreds of public bodies have been attacked by experts for giving ministers powers to decide their future without proper public or parliamentary scrutiny.

Prospect’s Paul Noon said: “The minister for the Cabinet Office promised to restore political accountability for decisions that affect people’s lives. Yet the Public Bodies Bill gives ministers discretion to rewrite the statute book, with inadequate parliamentary scrutiny of the process.”

The outgoing head of the Royal Society, Lord Rees of Ludlow, said abolition of hundreds of public bodies could prevent ministers from receiving the independent scientific advice critical to good policymaking. n Full story – page 21

NEC member Del Northcott (far left), from Devonport dockyard, is part of a delegation presenting a petition from Plymouth residents to the prime minister to save Devonport naval base, the largest in Europe, from defence cuts n Story – page 7

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December 7/10

1 in 6 civil servants to go HUTTON’S THREAT p 19 OSBORNE’S GAMBLE p 12

STEFANO CAGNONI

PROSPECT’S REACTION to the £81bn of cuts in the comprehensive spending review was dominated by the implications for jobs.

One in six civil servants is to be made redundant by the government in the next two years, Prospect warned after hearing chancellor George Osborne swing his axe over public spending for the next four years.

Official figures obtained by the union reveal that ministers have set a target for civil service job losses of 40,000 a year for the next two years, 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Dai Hudd, deputy general secretary, said: “The financial cost of redundancies on this scale is shocking, but the human cost will be terrible.

“Scapegoating public servants who have

■■ Hudd – public servants already suffer a two-year pay freeze. They will now see an actual pay cut of a further 3 per cent

done nothing to bring about the financial deficit shows how the government is tackling the symptoms of the deficit but not its cause.”

Hudd warned that losing 80,000 jobs would kill the civil service as a career for thousands of people and drive anyone with marketable skills into the private sector, where they could earn substantially more.

Before the CSR the chancellor had already hit all public servants with a two-year pay freeze and a ban on recruitment. In the review, Osborne also

confirmed that he would extract another £1.8 billion from public servants in extra pension contributions, costing all public servants a further 3 per cent of pay.

Hudd said: “This means that public servants, who are already suffering a two-year real terms pay cut, will now see an actual pay cut of a further 3 per cent.

“That is far in excess of what the private sector has experienced, where only one third of employers declared a pay freeze that in most cases came to an end after a year.”

Hudd warned that any move to impose higher pension contributions would not be acceptable and would provoke an angry response from members.

NOON TO STEP DOWN IN 2012

STEFANO CAGNONI

PAUL NOON (left) has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2012.

At the two-day meeting of the national executive in October, the general secretary announced that he would be stepping down and initiating the process to elect a new general secretary by the time of the next national conference, to be held in May 2012.

That process provides for the NEC to lay down a

timetable, to select its own candidate, and for branches to make nominations.

The successful candidate would work alongside Paul Noon until his departure on December 31.

Paul, who became general secretary in April 1999 and won re-election in 2003 and 2008, would be 60 on his retirement in two years’ time.

He said: “I have not got a magic ticket to go anywhere

else. But I have decided that after 14 years it will be time for a new person to take the reins.

“In the meantime, I will certainly not be coasting to retirement and will do everything in my power to ensure Prospect responds as effectively and strongly as possible to the challenges we face.”

Prospect’s president will be the returning officer for the

election when it is held. Nigel Titchen, current president, said: “Paul has once again put Prospect’s interests before his own. He has been a hugely successful general secretary and will be difficult to replace.

“However, his announcement does allow the NEC a generous amount of time to determine the optimum electoral timetable and to select its own candidate, while Paul is still at the helm.”

MPs team up to join Prospect forum MARK THOMAS

NINE MPS and one peer attended the launch last month of Prospect’s parliamentary forum.

At a reception in the House of Commons they met with leading lights from the union and discussed how they could help progress Prospect’s agenda over the coming months and years.

Among those attending were Alison Seabeck, MP for Plymouth Moor View, who will chair the forum; Malcolm Wicks, MP for Croydon North and a former minister for energy and science; Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham and a shadow business minister; Adrian Bailey, chair of the business, innovation and skills select committee; and MPs Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North), Tom Harris (Glasgow South), Frank Doran (Aberdeen North), Linda Riordan (Halifax) and Andrew Love (Edmonton).

Baroness Drake, who sat on Lord Turner’s Pensions Commission and is a member of the contact group advising the Hutton Commission, is the tenth member.

Afterwards, Paul Noon said the forum had examined the implications

■■ MPs and Prospect officers at the reception for the forum in the Commons of the comprehensive spending review for Prospect members and the union’s response. “We focussed on the impact for services and industry in both the public and private sectors.”

Pension reform, defence and regulatory issues were also discussed, said Noon. “MPs were keen to enter a dialogue with Prospect and for us to feed views and information to them.”

Prospect president Nigel Titchen and deputy general secretary Mike Clancy took the opportunity to raise issues

affecting the union’s members about the direction of science research policy and the energy industry.

The event, held on the day of the first students’ union protest against the increase in university fees, was organised

by Prospect’s new parliamentary officer, Parmjit Dhanda, himself a former MP. He said plans to make similar arrangements with members of the Scottish government and the Wales assembly, and to involve members of the European parliament, will be taken forward next year.

CIVIL SERVICE SCHEME BALLOT THE BALLOT on Prospect’s recommendation to accept the changes negotiated to the civil service compensation scheme ends on December 16. All members in the civil service sector have been sent full details of the offer and a special issue of the PublicEye newsletter.

Profile December 7/10

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5

SCOTLAND JOINS THE BIG FREEZE

■■ Britain’s forests provide much more than recreation, like this walk at Whinlatter in the Lake District. Selling them off would have a knock-on effect on replanting and private industry

As government departments begin to implement the comprehensive spending review, its huge impact on jobs and pay is becoming apparent

Forest sale makes no financial sense ■■ Adams – you can only sell public land once

to manage the estate. An outlay of £76m was offset by commercial income of £61m – the commission costs less than 30p a year for every taxpayer.

Buyers would only seek out profitable pieces of land, leaving the commission with the forests that are most difficult to manage, Lorraine said. “One example shows how this makes no financial sense.

“The commission recently sold a plot of land for £60,000. The new landowner applied for grants and licences to grow and cut timber. The commission gave him £55,000, leaving it with a net profit of £5,000.”

Members have expressed shock and disbelief that this could really happen.

Former commission chair Lord Clark said: “What I find so extraordinary is that selling off large areas of our forests would risk so much while paying off only a small fraction of our national debt.”

Lorraine urged all Prospect members to be active, write to their MPs and alert people to what is afoot.

■■ www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/ save-our-forests

IC FORESTS DON’T SELL PUBLm eve ry year – with huge

the ■■ millions of visitors enjoy public health benefits diseases, develop better tree ■■ research to combat tree ate monitor and mitigate clim management techniques, d ere ang change will be end and milling companies rely ■■ planting, logging, hauling all trees cut down must be on commission timber and d, there will be no guarantee replanted. If the land is sol that trees will be replaced providing vital services ■ ■ private sector contractors in law and valuation, – ranging from specialists ting – will lose work. ves har engineering and ICT to

COALITION’S ‘HAMMER BLOW’ FOR WALES

BUSINESS MINISTER Jane Hutt announced spending cuts of £860m next year when she unveiled the Welsh assembly government’s draft budget last month.

She pledged to “continue to provide the right support for those who need it most” but said the Westminster government’s comprehensive spending review had been a ‘hammer blow’ for Wales. There will be an overall £1.8bn reduction in funding by 2014-15.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told a special Wales TUC conference that despite the efforts of the devolved administration, Wales was getting “a pretty raw deal... Communities still reeling from Thatcher’s industrial vandalism in the 1980s will be hit hard again.”

A recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers showed 52,000 jobs in Wales would be lost in the public and private sectors because of the CSR. The assembly government is being forced to cut spending by 7 per cent and capital spending by 40 per cent.

STEFANO CAGNONI

THE LOOMING sale of public forests poses a major threat to employment in rural communities and will affect wildlife, walkers, cyclists, schoolchildren and other users, Prospect has warned.

Thousands of private sector jobs will be endangered, as well as up to 3,000 Forestry Commission employees working across nine English regions.

Unions have united to fight the threat, and wrote to every member of the House of Lords before it debated the Public Bodies Bill, the mechanism for sales.

The bill would give ministers power to decide the future of a whole range of public bodies, with little or no parliamentary or public scrutiny (story, page 21).

The proposals have been called ‘environmental vandalism’ and a petition (below) has already amassed 77,000 signatures.

The government aims to raise £100m by selling 40,000 hectares of commission land.

As part of the spending review the commission must also find 25 per cent savings from its regular staff, plus 33 per cent in administration.

Prospect’s 275 FC members across England, Scotland and Wales include senior managers, scientists, librarians, photographers, researchers, cartographers, rangers and craftspeople.

Branch president Lorraine Adams said out of 230 research posts, cuts to 40-50 posts in England had already been identified.

“This is a very ill-thought out policy – you can only sell this land once,” she said. “The government is looking at headline figures but hasn’t considered the underlying effects.”

In 2007-08 it cost the government £15m

PUBLIC SECTOR workers in Scotland earning more than £21,000 will face a pay freeze next year, the minority nationalist government announced last month.

Finance secretary, John Swinney, said both the devolved administrations face cutting 7 per cent from current expenditure and 40 per cent from capital spending as a consequence of the spending review.

But unlike Wales (see below), the draft SNP budget will only cover 2011–12.

Critics accused the party of postponing the hardest choices until after next May’s elections.

Swinney said a 3 per cent efficiency savings target would be imposed across public services. The pay freeze would apply to Scottish government staff, those working in government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. It would set a ‘framework’ for discussions on pay for other public sector workers such as teachers, NHS staff and police.

Plans to abolish prescription charges in 2011 will still go ahead and free bus travel for over-65s will stay.

The proposals had not yet gone through parliament as Profile went to press and because it is a minority government, may change, said Prospect national secretary for Scotland, Anne Douglas (right).

Douglas, who participated in talks between the Scottish TUC and the Holyrood government, said the proposed pay freeze was effectively a pay cut, with RPI inflation running at well over 4 per cent.

But she strongly welcomed the government’s commitment to no compulsory redundancies, something all the unions had pressed hard for. “The government has committed to work alongside trade unions and public sector employers to establish a framework which can help it to deliver that commitment.”

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December 7/10

Electronic communication makes it easy for Prospect to tell you what it’s doing for all of its members, and especially you.

But if we don’t know your email address, we can’t let you know about the issues that we face and how your union is dealing with them.

So it’s more important than ever to help Prospect make sure it has all your details correctly on record. Email addresses are vital as more and more communication is electronic – and it means that less of your subscription is spent on paper and postage.

But while electronic communication is fast and easy, we still need both your home and work postal addresses. So if you change either, please let us know as soon as possible.

Whether you are in work or retired, contact Prospect Membership: membership@ prospect.org.uk 01932 577007 Flaxman House, Gogmore Lane, Chertsey KT16 9JS

■■ Redfern – no union collusion

STEFANO CAGNONI

PHIL NOBLE/PA PHOTOS

ARE WE GETTING THROUGH?

■■ Clancy – current practices different

Human tissue inquiry blames pathologists PROSPECT LAST month welcomed the findings of the Redfern inquiry into the retention of human tissue from deceased nuclear workers, unveiled in Cumbria.

Deputy general secretary Mike Clancy said it was a difficult day for the families of those affected, but he hoped that finding out what really happened would bring “a measure of closure”.

Three years ago Prospect called for a public inquiry into revelations that from 1961-92 organs were removed from former radiation workers who had died from cancer, for use in medical research.

Michael Redfern, who headed the subsequent official inquiry, had previously investigated the retention of children’s organs following surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

The nuclear inquiry found 76 cases where organs were taken and analysed.

Fourteen families gave evidence – none was asked for permission before their relatives’ organs were removed. In 2008 the enquiry was broadened to include similar work at the Atomic Weapons Establishment and the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Redfern’s 600-page report concluded that the relationship between pathologists, coroners and Sellafield medical officers “became too close,” with a failure to adhere

to professional standards.

He said: “The blame lies mainly at the door of pathologists who performed the post-mortem examinations. Ignorant of the law, they removed organs for analysis without satisfying themselves that the relatives’ consent had been obtained.”

Energy secretary Chris Huhne apologised to families and told parliament that lessons had been learned. “The law on human tissue has been reviewed, and there is now a rigorous regulatory system in place.”

For Prospect, Clancy said: “Nobody would question the value of medical research into potential health risks to the industry’s employees and close ­neighbours. Such research is clearly in the public interest and there is nothing remotely sinister about it. But that does not in any way justify the removal of tissue without appropriate consent.”

Current practices were very different from the prevailing culture at that time, he stressed.

Redfern rejected any suggestion of unions colluding with management to cover up the practices of the past. The report accepted that “in general the unions acted in what they perceived to be their members’ best interests.”

MPs LAUNCH AUDIT PROBE PHONE REMINDER WHEN CALLING Prospect please make sure you have your membership card at the ready.

Having your number makes life easier for the switchboard operator and ensures you are put through to the correct person.

THE COMMUNITIES and local government committee has launched an inquiry into the abolition of the Audit Commission.

It will take written submissions until January 6, and hear oral evidence in the new year.

The inquiry, for which Prospect has lobbied strongly, will examine future arrangements for all the Commission’s work, including audits of local authority expenditure,

inspection of performance, and value for money studies.

Committee chair Clive Betts said citizens needed to know that auditors appointed by councils would be impartial and continue to produce independent public interest reports.

“We want to hear from all key stakeholders ... about the steps which will be necessary to ensure full and appropriate a­ ccountability for local authority e­ xpenditure in the future.”

Profile December 7/10

Defence staff betrayed by ‘incoherent’ job cuts Prospect took defence chiefs to task last month as MOD’s claim to value its civilian staff lay in shreds after the defence review PROSPECT HAS accused the Ministry of Defence of destroying the role of its civilian specialists through incoherent and indiscriminate cuts in the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

In a letter to outgoing permanent secretary Sir Bill Jeffrey, who retired in October, national secretary Steve Jary said although cuts to the civilian workforce were expected, the size of the cuts (25,000 – almost 1 in 3) and their indiscriminate and unspecified nature were a huge shock.

He warned the department should be under no illusion as to the catastrophic damage to morale – not just over the scale of cuts, but the way they were developed and communicated.

Jary said: “If reductions had been properly planned and explained as the consequence of specific changes in MOD

1997 105,000 2010 85,000 1997 215,000 2010 198,000 ■ MOD UK civilians ■ Armed Forces activities – be they changes in force structures, or the equipment programme, or the delivery of corporate services – our members could at least have understood what was happening to them and why.

“But what has been announced is, in effect, more salami-slicing to meet an arbitrary target set by politicians before the SDSR even started.”

Jary said members felt betrayed by their civil service leadership. “The SDSR’s prescription for personnel reductions tells a stark picture: while the service chiefs have protected their people, you, as head of the MOD civil service, have not protected yours.”

Cuts to service personnel amount to 10

A 26,000-strong petition from the residents of Plymouth to save Devonport naval base was delivered to the prime minister in October.

A coalition of local politicians and dockyard unions fear the government’s defence review threatens thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses in the area,

Defence in the south-west

37% of England’s civil service defence jobs are based in the south-west 11,800 forces personnel are based around Devon, Plymouth and Torbay

STEFANO CAGNONI

UNIONS LAUNCHED a joint campaign in October for the Ministry of Defence to adopt a covenant for its civilian staff.

Representatives from Prospect, GMB, PCS and Unite marked the first day of new permanent secretary, Ursula Brennan’s tenure by presenting her with a copy of the civilian covenant.

MOD group president, Alan Grey (pictured right), said: “Civil servants face enormous pressures created by the intensity of military operations and pressures on the defence budget and civilian numbers.

“They have been reviewed and restructured to the point of exhaustion. Now the SDSR and further Treasury-inspired cuts confront them with a pay freeze, attacks on terms and conditions and the loss of one in three jobs, coupled with the spectre of compulsory redundancies.”

The unions want a civilian covenant on similar lines to the military covenant, setting out the two-way commitment between the armed forces and the staff who support them.

Grey said it would cement the psychological contract that MOD civilians already have with the armed forces, and mitigate the

■■ The message to MOD was loud and clear: If you value our work, sign up to the covenant

dramatic impact of the cuts on morale.

The SDSR announced that MOD’s civilian workforce would be cut by 25,000 – from 85,000 today to 60,000 by 2015. In 1997 the figure was 105,000.

The covenant lists nine principles that MOD must sign up to, including: skills and careers; recognition and reward; fair and effective management; change without trauma; dignity and respect; and job security.

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26,000 SIGN PETITION TO SAVE BASE

per cent – cuts to civilians to 30 per cent.

That cannot be the result of any operational or value for money assessment, the union says. Prospect knows that MOD has buried internal reports into the deployability and best use of military personnel.

Jary said this was particularly galling for defence specialists. “When it comes to the equipment programme, they have been the scapegoats of the media and politicians for the failings of military decision-makers.

“Yet MOD has failed to come to their defence and explain how these decisions are taken. The lessons in the Gray and Haddon-Cave reports have been shelved.”

The reality is that a good number of these jobs will continue to be required – and be filled by military officers at huge additional cost to the taxpayer. “As the department’s accounting officer, why are you not advising ministers accordingly?” Jary asked the permanent secretary.

“In many areas, key capabilities will be lost; yet scientific and technical expertise cannot be simply switched back on again if and when MOD realises it has disappeared.”

‘VALUE THE FOURTH SERVICE’

■

which is heavily reliant on the defence sector.

Prospect’s Del Northcott, chair of Devonport dockyard branch, was on the delegation that delivered the petition to Downing Street.

He thanked the people of Plymouth for their support and urged government to heed the voice of the local community.

“Cutbacks to the navy will have a serious impact on local industry in Devon and Cornwall. The naval base and dockyard have a symbiotic relationship, cut one and the other will bleed.”

Fears are rife that the cuts will mean the loss of the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean, the largest navy vessel based at Plymouth and one of two amphibious landing ships; plus four Type 22 frigates serviced at the base.

Local MPs including Alison Seabeck, chair of Prospect’s parliamentary forum, are angry that more than 6,000 individual views were ignored during consultation on the review.

Profile 8

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December 7/10

Is this the way forward for broadband?

AS GOVERNMENT moves away from a policy of industrial activism in the communications sector based on public investment and active regulation, the chance to benefit from fast broadband for millions of people is looking ever more remote.

Building fibre optic networks is an expensive proposition and unless companies can be certain of a decent return, they are unlikely to invest in them for rural communities. City dwellers will soon be spoiled for choice whereas those living in the country could become second-class citizens in the digital age.

This could have a real impact on their lives as citizens and consumers, as products and services – both public and commercial – are delivered online.

But a project in one of the most rural areas in the country offers a glimpse of what can be achieved with a more flexible and imaginative policy.

Cornwall council has joined forces with BT in a £132m project to deliver fast broadband to around 85 per cent of homes and businesses by 2014. Cornwall has secured £53.5m from the European Regional Development Fund, to which BT has added a further £78.5m.

This welcome boost to the local economy will not just enable people living in Cornwall to benefit from broadband speeds of up to 100mbps, it is expected to create 4,000 new jobs and save a further 2,000. In fact, Cornwall will become one of the best-connected areas in the world.

Without this public-private partnership, and the public investment, the people of Cornwall would have had to wait much longer for an inferior service.

Unfortunately the government’s hands-off, leave it to the market approach could mean that Cornwall remains an exception. There are plenty of ambitious plans coming out of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, but precious few practical ways of implementing them.

The minister has praised this initiative; he needs to replicate it.

JACKY CHAPMAN

Leslie Manasseh, deputy general secretary for the Connect sector, questions government policy on broadband

NATIONAL TRUST: EVERYONE’S A WINNER PROSPECT’S NATIONAL Trust branch this summer found a way to recruit new members and do their employer a good turn at the same time. For every member who joined Prospect, the branch pledged £10 to the NT Property Charity.

Thirty-five members joined Prospect, so in October the branch was able to present

■■ Branch president Caron Williams (left) presents Fiona Reynolds with the cheque, flanked by reps Paul Stewart (left), Leigh Freeman and Mark Bray

Trust director Fiona Reynolds with a £350 cheque for the fund. Organiser Carol

Blackmore said: “Good to see that even with all the work involving the change

programme the branch reps still have a smile on their faces.

Well done to all of them.”

Climbdown on tax but pension cut still hurts THE GOVERNMENT has moderated its plans to restrict pensions tax relief, but Prospect warned last month it still has significant concerns over the changes due next April.

“Although the government has now exempted those retiring on grounds of ill health, cutting the amount of pension tax relief will still hurt many thousands of modest earners, especially in defined benefit pension schemes,” said pensions officer Neil Walsh.

The government pulled back from including ill health retirement after an angry reaction from Prospect and other organisations in response to an earlier consultation (Profile 6/10). Under the latest proposals: ●● the annual pensions tax allowance will be reduced from £255,000 to £50,000 from April 2011 ●● the lifetime allowance will fall from £1.8m to £1.5m from April 2012 ●● a flat-rate factor of 16 will be used to value defined benefit pensions when assessed against the annual allowance. The current formula multiplies the annual

rise in a person’s accrued pension by ten to calculate the taxable amount ●● unused allowances from the previous three years can be carried forward to offset against liability in a later year ●● ill-health cases will be exempt from the annual allowance test.

Prospect warned that people receiving enhancements to pensionable service on redundancy could still potentially face punitive tax bills. Employees in the uniformed services, including Prospect fire service members, would be particularly affected. This is because their rate of accrual increases as they get closer to retirement age.

Walsh said the speed of the changes would impose increased administrative burdens and costs on pension schemes.

Other critics warned the tax changes would discriminate against the self-employed and small-business owners with uneven income patterns, and that the number of people affected would increase in future years as inflation rises.

GRADUATES FLOCK TO SIGN UP OFFICE A PROSPECT team at British Energy hit the ground running in October, recruiting 23 graduates with dozens more taking away application forms.

The graduate trainees at BE, now part of EDF Energy, were in Barnwood, Gloucestershire, for two weeks of induction lectures.

Prospect organiser Louise Staniforth and national executive member Tasos Zodiates (left) addressed them. During breaks, dozens gathered round a stall, where Prospect’s Sunita Ravat, and branch reps Chris Hills and Neil Oxley (with Tasos), helped to answer their questions and explain how the union can help.

MOVES

PROSPECT’S NEW Yorkshire office, formerly in Sheffield, is 2 Cavendish Court, South Parade, Doncaster DN1 2DJ. Negotiator Mike MacDonald and executive assistant Sayeeda Danyal’s new phone and fax numbers are 01302 327342 and 01302 322356 respectively.

New joiner Alex Mann said: “Collective action, when responsible, organised and within the proper legal framework, is a great way to be heard.”

n

The former Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ office in Bagshot will close at the end of the year. The branch will now be served from the Chertsey office on 01932 577007.

NEWS

Profile December 7/10

BRIAN PLANT/NATS

■■ Paul Noon met air traffic controllers on a visit to the new Scottish ATC Centre at Prestwick in October, accompanied by Anne Douglas, national secretary for Scotland.

After a tour of the centre with local branch rep Malcolm MacPherson, Paul met general manager Pauline Lamb. The general secretary said: “It was great to meet reps and members and to see the hugely impressive new Scottish centre in operation, particularly after we led the parliamentary campaign to ensure it was built.”

Fears mount over sale of air traffic control PROSPECT MEMBERS spelt out their fears over a further sell-off of NATS, the air traffic control provider, at a briefing for MPs in November at the House of Commons.

Air traffic controllers and systems specialists held the drop-in session days after the government appointed the Bank of America Merrill Lynch to advise on a sale of NATS, moving UK air traffic control a step closer to foreign ownership.

The bank is tasked to make recommendations to the Department for Transport by the end of this month and an official statement is expected in the budget. It follows the government’s decision in June to shed its 49 per cent share in NATS. NATS was part-privatised in 2001. The other shares are held by the Airline Group – a consortium of airlines – which has a 42 per cent holding; BAA, which owns 4 per cent; and 5 per cent of shares are held by staff. Rumours that several partners in the

Airline Group are keen to sell their holding have added to uncertainty.

Prospect national secretary, Garry Graham, said: “The great irony is that the

■■ Graham: ‘The Bank of America will be advising the UK on something that no other country in the world, including the United States, has been prepared to do’ Bank of America will be advising the UK on something that no other country in the world, including the United States, has been prepared to do.

“We have warned that any sale of the

government’s stake will lead to instability and a greater emphasis on profit, with a knock-on negative impact for service delivery and safety.”

Graham said many MPs had echoed the union’s belief that the proposal to sell is driven more by financial gain than industrial logic. Prospect members highlighted the fact that far from drawing on the public purse, NATS is a net contributor to the Exchequer.

“We came away with several commitments to write to the transport secretary.

There was particular concern that any sale would result in the government losing its voice in Europe at a time of complex negotiations over airspace.”

As Profile went to press an Early Day Motion on the subject had received 21 signatures. The union is also seeking to raise the issue with the transport select committee and the House of Lords.

UNION ROLE IN AWARD-WINNING SCHEME THE WORK of Prospect members at NATS has been recognised with a Change Management Award from the Chartered Management Institute.

Its engineering service delivery section was judged best for successfully creating a large-scale, safetycritical change project while reducing costs and improving service to customers.

Suresh Tewari, president of Prospect’s air traffic systems specialists branch, said: “To enable the successful implementation of this change and to ensure we continued to provide a high level of service, it was essential that

staff were completely engaged.

“From the outset the union was fully involved in the development of the new team structure and method of operations.

“We had an agreed communications process and plan which included joint roadshows as well as a dedicated NATSnet site – all this ensured that members were kept up to speed as we progressed.”

Suresh stressed that a joint agreement, showing how people would be treated personally and financially in any change they had to go through, was important for change to be a success.

■■ Pleased as punch: NATS’ electronic specialists celebrate

■

9

ENERGY – SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE Your union membership could save you hundreds of pounds in fuel costs, say Prospect’s energy experts UCHANGE4BETTER OFFERS an energy price comparison and switching service in conjunction with Prospect. Unlike our betterknown competitors we do not spend money on advertising, which enables us to contribute towards the cost of running the union.

At Uchange4better we have been reviewing the use of our service by Prospect members over the last six months. A combined change of gas and electric suppliers has resulted in an average

saving for members of £288. The largest saving was £564 and even the smallest was £78.

Just a change of electric supplier resulted in an average saving per member of £309. The largest saving was £451 and the smallest was £147.

Recently, the UK has had a fairly stable market price for gas and electricity. But prices are now on the rise. Members might want to consider locking in current prices for a fixed term up to 2015. Inevitably there is a premium to be paid but you won’t have to pay any increases in future that might apply to those on a variable tariff.

As real savings have been made by Prospect members you could try our comparison site at www. prospect.uchange4better. co.uk to see whether you would benefit from changing supplier.

Alternatively, you can find us direct from the Prospect website. Click on the Advice & Services link on the left-hand side, a dropdown list appears, then select energy comparison.

Profile 10

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December 7/10

Benefits system needs more medical expertise MEDICAL PERSONNEL responsible for support. In addition, as frontline personnel, assessing benefit claimants’ capability they know that each case is about an to work are not given enough time to individual and their needs, not just a assess complex cases such checklist exercise to be underas multiple sclerosis or taken in a standard set time.

Parkinson’s disease.

“Yet the 10 or more That was the Prospect claimants they are expected to message in evidence to the see in a day is wholly unrealHarrington review of the Work istic. There is little flexibility Capability Assessment. It was to increase the time for more submitted by Prospect on complex cases such as stroke behalf of 135 medical advisers victims with physical and and healthcare professionals cognitive damage or claimants employed by Atos Healthcare, with multiple sclerosis or the company tasked with Parkinson’s.” undertaking the assessments The union is also calling for for the Department for Work the descriptors used to define and Pensions.

■■ O’Connell: Members mental health and upper limb National secretary take flak but results disorders to be overhauled; Geraldine O’Connell said: “Our are determined by for measures to exempt ­ members take a lot of flak as government criteria people with severe disabilities people mistakenly believe they from examination; and for have the ability to determine whether or medical opinion to be sought in any appeal not claimants receive benefit. But that is adjudication. determined by government criteria.

At present, while each appeal tribunal “Members’ expertise is invaluable in panel contains a member of a medical identifying where those criteria are falling profession, they are only allowed to voice an short and failing the people most in need of opinion if invited by the chair.

PROSPECT MEMBER Colin Butter – The UK’s leading expert on bird flu – was one of six UK competitors in the notoriously challenging Gordon Bennett international balloon race this autumn. Colin, who works at the Institute for Animal Health in Compton, Berkshire, travelled nearly 1,000 miles before he was forced down in the south of France. The ballon of American competitors Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis disappeared over the Adriatic.

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PAY

Profile December 7/10

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11

PROSPECT HAS called on the Home Secretary to allow police officers to be made redundant in the same way as civilian staff, in order to stop police officers taking early retirement and returning to take up specialist staff roles.

The union argues that the current practice causes resentment among staff who do not have the option of working while drawing a pension.

The call is made in Prospect’s submission to the Winsor Review into police remuneration and conditions of service, submitted on behalf of 1,200 members working as specialist police staff in the Metropolitan Police Service.

They include specialists in fingerprints, explosives, ballistics, blood spatter and e-forensics as well as crime scene examiners, collision investigators, photographers, technicians, health and safety officers, estate managers, surveyors and custody nurse practitioners.

Negotiator Mike Sparham said many of these staff are CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) trained, enabling them to be deployed on terrorist cases such as 7/7.

JOANNE O’BRIEN

“But there is a strong feeling among members that their skills are often overlooked in favour of a visible police presence on the streets, when the reality is that without their specialist skills the detection of crime in London would not be nearly so effective.”

Prospect accepts that after an officer is injured on duty, a staff post may be appropriate while they return to fitness.

But those cases are limited. Police officers up to chief superintendent rank have been stepping into roles that do not need a warranted officer, at the same time as continuing to receive police perks such as free travel and higher salaries.

“At a time when police staff are being consulted over redundancies, it is absurd that police officers are excluded because technically they cannot be made redundant,” said Prospect.

The submission pointed to other cases of special treatment, including a mismatch in allowances like London weighting. Entry routes should continue to be based around the need for appropriate academic or professional qualifications, says Prospect.

Imposing a requirement that people interested in joining the Met in specialist roles must first undertake 18 months of unpaid police ‘specials’ work will do nothing to enhance their skills or add to their contribution, Sparham added.

■■ Angry – AWE members want to do their jobs, but they need their employer to treat them fairly

Mass protest wins improved pay offer THE THREAT of the first ever all-out strike by members at the Atomic Weapons Establishment has won an improved pay offer from management.

Last-ditch talks in early December secured the new offer, worth 2.5 per cent, after members took highly publicised action short of a strike in late November.

Members were furious that the company – which builds warheads for the UK’s Trident missile system – had initially offered nothing for pay 2010. The consortium of Lockheed Martin, Serco and Jacobs that operates the site for the Ministry of Defence has maintained huge profits and increased board payments and dividends. In 2009 it charged AWE £54m to supply contract staff.

Negotiator Bob King said: “The action in November created a great deal of media interest and put the company under the spotlight.

“On the day of action, a mass meeting was attended by over 600 members and that impressive show of solidarity clearly helped to persuade the company back to the bargaining table.”

At the meeting outside the JOHN HARIS/REPORTDIGITAL.CO.UK

■■ Met Police ­explosives officer Jon Clarke checks a device for handling potential bombs

JOHN HARIS/REPORTDIGITAL.CO.UK

Police specialists must have equal treatment – union

■■ King – show of solidarity

Aldermaston site in Berkshire, King told members: “We hope the company is going to take us seriously. We hope they will measure the level of anger about what they are doing, sit down with us and come to a sensible resolution. If they turn a blind eye to this then we will step up the action.”

Members at the company’s two sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield had voted overwhelmingly for action after rejecting an offer worth 1.75 per cent.

Prospect protested that the offer would mean many members would receive nothing, despite effective performance. Members had had enough, said King. “They have had poor settlements imposed on them, seen ongoing increases to their pension costs and faced redundancies. Yet they still maintain the very high standards expected at AWE.” Members did not want to take industrial action, he added. “They want to do their jobs, but they need to do so in the knowledge that the employer will treat them fairly.”

The improved offer is now out to ballot among the 1,350-strong branch with a recommendation to accept from the executive.

BT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE WELCOMED

A NEW mental health service for BT employees includes access to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) via computer, telephone or face-to-face. It is provided through a trust funded by the company.

“This is a welcome development as there are often long waiting lists to access CBT through the NHS,” said

Prospect assistant secretary Aveen McHugh. “CBT has been very effective in treating many of the most common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.”

The aim of the new service is not to deal with chronic problems but to provide early and effective support for common

problems, so helping people to remain in work.

With their consent, employees can be referred to the service by their managers following an OHS recommendation. A case manager will provide feedback on progress and work capability, including proposing suitable adjustments.

PAY

Profile 12

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December 7/10

Chancellor is gambling with all our futures STEFANO CAGNONI

IN THE weeks since publication of the spending review, the government’s mantra of “we’re all in this together” has been spun quite successfully. Yet, inconveniently for the government, the evidence does not support its line of argument.

The impact of the benefit changes it has announced will be deeply regressive, but the ‘squeezed middle’ of working people will also be hard hit. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that 490,000 jobs will be lost in the public sector by the end of the spending review period in 2014-15. It has since adjusted this figure down, although OBR admits its new forcast is hedged with uncertainties.

Half a million private sector jobs are also at risk. Given that government procurement accounts for at least one third of spending on goods and services across the rest of the economy, the chancellor’s assessment that the private sector will expand to absorb redundant public sector workers is an enormous gamble.

The government has been keen to emphasise that some budgets, such as health and international development, have received a measure of protection – but this does not mean that these areas will be free of cuts.

Similarly, the science budget settlement has been widely touted as good news. This is true to some extent, but is only half the picture. There are no guarantees about departmental science spending, nor about the impact of prioritising medical research over other programmes or how other budgets will be raided to fulfil the flagship capital expenditure programmes.

The cuts to administration budgets, which amount to at least 33 per cent in all departments, are of particular concern because this is the pot from which civil servants are paid. Alongside this, as part of a programme to “introduce a more flexible and modern employee offer to the civil service,” the new efficiency and reform group in the Cabinet

■■ The fate of the construction, maintenance and repairs firm Rok plc illustrates the dangers facing the economy. Last year its managing director Garvis Snook (above, centre) was campaigning with staff for a cut in the VAT on home repairs. Now three-quarters of its 3,800 staff have been made redundant since the firm went into administration. Only 500 people employed in its English construction and local housing division have any hope of continued employment. The firm grew rapidly from being a small contrtactor less than 10 years ago. Rok’s rival social housing repairs firm Connaught went into administration earlier this year.

The torrent of initiatives from the coalition hides the fact that no one knows how they will pan out – least of all the government, says Sue Ferns Office is charged with reviewing other terms and conditions of service, including pay scales and bonuses.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies, widely respected for its independent analysis, says the spending review is the tightest squeeze on public spending since 1945. IFS notes it will deliver a real cut in investment of 46 per cent by 2014-15 and that the average 19 per cent cut in departmental budgets excludes the £6bn of cuts already being implemented this year because of the June budget. It is worth noting that the cuts are more severe, by 13 per cent on average, than those planned by the previous government.

Onslaught on the public sector But even this doesn’t give a complete picture. In the 12 days leading up to the spending review in October, there were no less than five separate announcements confirming a comprehensive onslaught on the public sector. These included John Hutton’s interim report on public sector pension provision, the so-called bonfire of quangos and the publication of the strategic defence and security review. It really beggars belief that the loss of 25,000 civilian jobs can be portrayed as a relatively good settlement for the Ministry of Defence.

Looking ahead, we already know that John Hutton’s final report will make detailed recommendations on how public servants should make a greater contribution to their pension costs. Will Hutton will publish his report Fair pay in the public sector and, around the turn of the year, we should know more about departmental and science spending allocations.

But the economic and political context may well change too. For example, although recent GDP growth has been better than anticipated thanks to the stimulus measures taken by the last government, it is far from certain that this will continue into the next quarter. The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee remains divided about the prospects for economic recovery. The USA has entered a new cycle of quantitative easing and, closer to home, Ireland’s financial problems grow ever more severe. Opinion polls still show support for the government’s approach, but this is starting to change as the impact of cuts and job losses hits home.

These are all factors that could fundamentally change the nature of public and political debate. Prospect, along with the TUC and sister unions, will be working hard to make the case for a different approach.

■■ Full analysis of the CSR by Prospect Research can be found at http://library.prospect.org.uk/id/2010/01518

EQUAL PAY AWARDS DEAL AT BT 5,000 people will share the company’s equal pay pot, says Aveen McHugh FOR SEVERAL years, membership surveys have identified an equal pay gap between men and women in BT. The origins of the gap are complex – there are fewer women at the top of the organisation and even at the same organisational level, women tend to work in the lowest paid jobs.

Even where men and women are doing the same job the Connect sector has found evidence of an equal pay gap. This seems to come from lower starting salaries for women combined with relatively slow progress through quite long pay ranges.

In order to address the gap, the Connect sector has agreed with BT for separate ‘equal pay pots’ to be paid to both men and women who are low in their range for no good reason. The 2010 round will be the fifth equal pay review and we have just agreed how the 0.5 per cent of paybill will be spent for this pay round.

There is an agreed validation process and those confirmed as eligible will be paid increases in January 2011. We expect nearly 5,000 people will get a payment as a result.

Alongside this money, which helps address the like-for-like equal pay gap, we are also seeking to address more structural issues. So we are pressing for more transparent and fair selection processes and to look at how different jobs are valued within the BT pay structure.

Details have been sent to all BT members – further information on the website.

■■ Individuals who believe they may have an equal pay issue should contact the Prospect Connect sector helpdesk on 020 8971 6060.

NEWS

Profile December 7/10

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13

Four members share £16,500 back pay IN MARCH 2009, four interviewers working for the Office for National Statistics responded to an internal advertisement for promotion to field manager at a starting salary of £22,002.

All four were successful and accepted the new appointments. But when they got their salary slips at the end of June they found their pay was only £18,357.

When they contacted their Prospect full-time officer Jeremy Windust, he advised them to lodge a group grievance. But despite the circumstances being exactly the same, ONS insisted that the four cases be heard separately.

A formal ONS report running to 48 pages was published in August 2009. It found that ONS was probably in breach of employment law for the defective way it dealt with

■■ Windust – astonished at late about-turn on pay by management

changes to the field managers’ contracts.

On the basis of this report a grievance officer interviewed the four members, supported by Jeremy Windust.

Just to complicate matters, by this time the date for the field managers’ first annual increment had passed.

The grievance report eventually emerged in June 2010, a year after the appointments.

It was unequivocal: “The four aggrieved plus other field and site managers recruited through the same scheme be paid at the rate of £22,845 backdated to August 2009 and for June and July 2009 be paid at the rate of £22,002.”

Done and dusted? Not quite! The HR director intervened and despite two letters from Prospect, blocked implementation of the grievance report. By this time, unbeliev-

E.ON

PROSPECT EXPRESSED dismay last month that German energy giant E.On is considering selling its UK pipes and wires business, Central Networks, to reduce debts.

The news follows EDF Energy’s recent sale of its Networks business in southern England to the Hong-Kong based Cheung Kong Infrastructure Group, which has renamed it UK Power Networks.

“Now it looks as if the same thing could happen in the Midlands,” said Prospect deputy general secretary Mike Clancy.

He warned against any shift away from the vertically integrated business model, which incorporates electricity generation, distribution and supply. “While it may make short-term commercial sense, and generate cash for the companies concerned, it is not good news for the delivery of UK energy policy.”

Huge expansion and investment was required to replenish the UK’s outdated energy infrastructure with the right people and skills. “This won’t be achieved by breaking up companies for short-term gain.

Privatisation and liberalisation lead to assets

ALLY CARMICHAEL/NEWSCAST/E.ON UK

Prospect warns against second Networks sale

ably, a second incremental date had come and gone.

Patience exhausted, Windust submitted employment tribunal claims on behalf of the four members for unlawful deduction of wages and breaches of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

As if by magic, ONS management had a sudden change of heart. With tribunal hearings listed for November, the members received letters agreeing to uprate their salaries and make good all the back pay due.

The four members have expressed their thanks for Prospect’s support throughout this drawn-out process.

Jeremy said: “I’m looking forward to joining them in a celebratory dinner – when ONS finally gets round to paying the money!”

■■ Central Networks employee

■■ E.On staff at work at its Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station

being all too easily disposed of to boost company profits.”

Many months of union lobbying led to a compliant bid for EDF Energy Networks that has retained pre-sale agreements and policies, and guarantees on staff terms and conditions. The transfer was in November.

Then news leaked that E.On had reached a deal to sell Central Networks to a consortium comprising the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Canada Pension Plan and Macquarie Bank.

While stopping short of confirming any sale, E.On bosses said they were reviewing

the company’s strategic options, including the potential sale of assets, to pay down debt and invest in growth.

Managing director Paul Golby said “normal consultation processes where appropriate will apply with colleagues, their representatives and other stakeholders.”

Clancy pledged: “Prospect will press for guarantees from any future buyer to protect employees’ jobs, terms and conditions and the highest standards of health and safety.”

A sale would affect 3,500 staff, including more than 750 Prospect engineers, managers and specialists.

KEY INDICATORS %

Average earnings (inc bonuses, year to Sep) Average earnings (exc bonuses, year to Sep) Private sector (inc bonuses, year to Sep) Private sector (exc bonuses, year to Sep) Public sector (inc bonuses, year to Sep) Public sector (exc bonuses, year to Sep) Retail Price Index (year to Oct) Consumer Price Index (year to Oct)

2.0 2.2 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.2 4.5 3.2

UNION’S IMAGINARY ISLAND WINS SKILLS OLYMPICS AWARD

■■ Apprentices at work in the finals of the World Skills environmental competition

PROSPECT HAS won the World Skills UK Partner of the Year award for its work in developing an environmental science competition.

Members from the British Geological Survey, working closely with sector skills councils and supported by Natural England, unionlearn and STEMNET, devised the competition (see Profile

5/10). It had its debut at the 2010 World Skills event – known as the Skills Olympics.

The competition seeks to raise skills and awareness of science, engineering and related disciplines among young people with an interest in the sustainable exploitation of natural resources and energy production.

Competitors worked in

small multi-disciplinary teams tasked with devising the ‘best’ combination of energy supply for a purpose-designed, generic island.

Prospect’s head of research Sue Ferns said: “I am delighted to receive this award, which truly reflects the commitment and hard work of everyone involved in organising the competition.

“We are delighted that it will feature at World Skills 2011.”

World Skills 2011 will be held in London’s Excel Centre on October 5-8.

■■ For further information or to enter a team, go to www.worldskillsuk.org/ competitions/built-environment/ environmental-sciences

Profile 14

■

December 7/10 STEFANO CAGNONI

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Compensation for injuries is not only about physical damage. It can also take dashed dreams into account – so long as you have the legal support to win the day, says Tristan Hallam

WHO WE HELP

■■ Rodney Leister in the garden where he planned to build a house for his grandson

How joining Prospect paid off to the tune of £250,000 RODNEY LEISTER worked for many years in general maintenance with the Institute of Animal Health, near Newbury.

Five years ago, when he was asked to strip a shed of its electrical equipment, he found a ladder in the shed and climbed up to dismantle a light fitting.

As he was doing so the ladder broke.

One of the prop arms failed, causing him to fall to the ground and land hard on his left shoulder, which sustained significant injury.

Despite treatment, Rodney has been left with permanent pain and severe restrictions so that he can hardly use his left arm at all.

As a result, he found it difficult to care

for his wife, who has been ill for years, or to do DIY work around the house as normal.

Rodney had built extensions and carried out electrical, plastering and plumbing work to a high standard.

Rodney then brought a claim against the IAH, which conceded liability early on. There was little dispute as to the extent of his shoulder symptoms.

However, the defendants argued strongly that he was not capable of carrying out DIY to the extent that he claimed.

They argued that he could not have built a house in his garden for use by his grandson, which was his intention before

the accident. In fact, Rodney was more than capable of doing so.

The matter was due to proceed to trial later this year when the claim was ended by a negotiated settlement, amounting to £250,000.

Rodney said: “I would like to thank my former colleague, Adam Calvert, for advising me to join Prospect and Nigel Titchen, Prospect president, for assisting me, and so ensuring I was a member of Prospect at the time of the accident.”

■■ Tristan Hallam is a partner solicitor in personal injury at Prospect solicitors Russell Jones & Walker

Relative wins compensation of £150,000 A 62-YEAR-OLD woman has recovered £150,000 in damages through Prospect’s personal injury scheme after errors in surgery left her with a serious foot problem.

As the relative of a Prospect member, her case highlights the way the scheme benefits families as well as Prospect members.

The woman underwent surgery in October 2008. When she came to after the anaesthetic she was surprised to have pain in her left foot, which should have been unaffected by the operation.

She was found to have “foot drop”, a condition caused by damage to the peroneal nerve during surgery. She could not move her ankle or toes upward, which made it difficult to walk. She had difficulty with day-to-day activities, needed a splint to walk and struggled to climb stairs.

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■■ Nisha Sharma: ‘This lady went through a terrible time and she deserved her compensation’

Her hobbies of walking and dancing became impossible and she was diagnosed with depression. Despite physiotherapy it took more than a year to recover most of the function in her ankle.

Luckily, she obtained legal advice from the union’s solicitors, Russell Jones & Walker.

They are specialists in clinical negligence and discovered a serious error had been made during surgery. The operation had

been done with her in the wrong position and the nerves in her leg had been left unprotected. There was also a delay in providing treatment.

Her solicitor Nisha Sharma forced the hospital trust responsible to admit liability without needing to issue proceedings. The claim was resolved in 18 months with a substantial award for damages of £150,000.

Nisha commented: “This lady went through a terrible time and she deserved her compensation. I am glad her prognosis is now good and that she can put the events of the last couple of years behind her.”

■■ Prospect offers a legal service for medical negligence claims to members and their families through RJW. Available free of charge by calling the 24-hour Prospect ClaimLine on 0800 587 4543.

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PRESIDENT

Profile December 7/10

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15

Nigel Titchen brings the skills of an environmental scientist to the job of president of Prospect.

A self-proclaimed optimist, he believes science and technology are the keys to a sustainable future

PROUD TO BE PROFESSIONAL PICTURES: STEFANO CAGNONI

What do you like about being president?

I was honoured and humbled to be elected president of Prospect. The strength of this union lies in its people and I take every opportunity to meet members and staff in their workplaces – I have already visited half our regional offices.

What are the biggest challenges Prospect faces in the public sector?

The massive cuts in the comprehensive spending review are unparalleled since the second world war and could lead to over 500,000 job losses, many of them Prospect members. Then there is the attack on redundancy rights, driven more by ideology than financial imperatives.

Last but not least, the attack on public sector pensions – fuelled by a politically motivated press – threatens a race to the bottom. It is driven by the politics of envy. And it ignores the real issue, that private sector provision is woefully inadequate and needs urgent reform.

Prospect is well-placed to help members weather the storm. We will help and support individual members, and campaign against the cuts and job losses in all workplaces, public or private. We are very engaged in the review of public sector pensions and will continue to press for fair and equitable pensions for all workers. Very sensibly, Prospect has negotiated a redundancy deal with the coalition government along the lines of the February agreement.

And in the private sector?

The private sector is also threatened with massive job losses by the CSR, at least as many as in the public sector. For employers, the squeeze on investment by the banks is causing great difficulties, alongside the continuing pensions crisis. But there are rays of light, such as the decision to press ahead with nuclear new build, and plans to increase the number of apprenticeships.

The challenge for Prospect is to increase in-fill recruitment and seek new green-

I inherited a successful, growing trade union. I hope to continue to build a vibrant sustainable, organisation that members can be proud of

field areas. Merging with Connect has strengthened our position in the private sector and opened up great potential in the communications industries.

And for Prospect as a union?

To build a truly 21st century ‘union for life’, taking members through their working lives from apprenticeship to retirement and beyond. We must complete the integration of the recently merged unions – the Jersey and Guernsey civil servants, aviation engineers and Connect – and continue to take the best from our partners. We remain the union of choice for many other smaller unions seeking closer ties with a larger organisation. So we must build on our profile as the UK’s premier professional and specialist union.

Does your busy schedule allow you a decent work-life balance?

I am embarrassed to admit there is room for improvement! Like many activists, I am guilty of trying to wear a number of hats and keeping all the balls in the air at once.

How do you cope with your email inbox?

Buying a BlackBerry has helped. I try to be in charge of the technology and not it of me so I often turn off my mobile and email to get on with things!

How do you get away from it all?

I am a countryman at heart and love to

get away to the country or coast and explore the wonderful scenery of the UK. I was born in Wales and so love rugby, although I no longer play. I read agriculture at Newcastle University, where I watched every home game. People joke that I am an eternal optimist and my glass is always half full, which is probably why I support both Wales and Newcastle.

I love music, particularly live and folk music which is in the midst of a revival, with a host of new talent such as Seth Lakeman and Show of Hands, who mix politics, social comment and good music.

Best and worst moments in Prospect?

My best would be whenever I help a member to win a case or protect their job. Worst moments are when, despite my best efforts, I fail to win a case.

What inspired you to be a scientist?

I was always inquisitive and fascinated by how and why things work. I was heavily influenced by the post-war scientists who increased agricultural production so that by the mid-70s Britain was largely self-sufficient in food staples. But that came at a price, and I was deeply affected

by Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring, which highlighted the environmental costs of unconstrained growth. I became involved in environmental research and to this day I believe that we must rebalance our use of natural resources.

Science, engineering and technology can produce a sustainable future, given adequate funding and the political will.

What has surprised you most about being president?

I have been impressed by the sheer size and complexity of Prospect and how well it is run. It has offices across the UK and members at a huge number of employers. It has significant investments and outgoings, comparable with many household name companies, yet is owned by its members. Mutuality at its best!

CUTS

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December 7/10

A NEW COALITION IS FROM NEW Prospect House to Westminster Central Hall is just a few hundred yards.

But for Prospect members attending the TUC rally on the eve of the comprehensive spending review in October, it was a trip to a whole new world.

Suddenly they were in the midst of flags and banners, TV cameras and crowds, cheers and toots of support for and from the 3,000-plus protestors who had come to London to lobby their MPs. They heard speakers from in and out of the trade union movement, as different forces opposed to the cuts united in a coalition of their own against the government’s programme.

Inside the hall, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber described the cuts as ‘too deep and rapid’ and a political choice, rather than economic necessity. They would make the UK “a more unequal, more squalid and nastier country,” hitting the old, the young and the poorest in society.

A grim warning from the Irish Republic was followed by leaders of the UK’s two

PICTURES: STEFANO CAGNONI

The trade union fight to save jobs and services has been joined by a host of pressure groups campaigning on behalf of the victims of deficit cuts

■■ Equity member and actor Benedict Cumberbatch (above) spoke of the importance of public funding for the arts.

Other lobbyists pictured at the rally came from POA, Unite and Unison

biggest unions and then by speakers from environmental, child poverty and women’s groups, the homeless, local authorities and several leading figures from the entertainment world.

Patricia King, from Irish professional union Siptu, said that after three brutal budgets the Irish economy was in worse straits than ever before, with unemployment at 14 per cent. “Without growth, austerity becomes a self-defeating ordinance,” she warned.

The full weight of the political and fiscal establishment would be arrayed against the UK unions, while the government would attempt to divide public sector from private sector workers. “If you want to know what Britain will look like in two years’ time, just look west across the sea,” she said.

For Unison, Dave Prentis said that trade unions faced the greatest test in a generation – “an attack the like of which we have never seen before. Not because of the deficit, but an ideology that says public service employment is a problem to be tackled.”

He urged the union movement to build campaigning alliances to defend the services provided by the state.

Tony Woodley, of Unite, said the coalition had no political mandate for attacking ordinary people and betraying their own election manifestos. For every four public sector jobs cut by the government, three more would follow in the

PROSPECT WILL BE SUPPORTING THE TUC’S NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE CUTS IN LONDON’S HYDE PARK

CUTS

Profile December 7/10

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■■ General secretary Paul Noon addresses the audience of scientists gathered outside the Treasury

BORN private sector, he stressed.

For the Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham said reducing the deficit was incompatible with reducing child poverty. The cuts outlined in the June budget – in tax credits, free school meals and child benefit – fell most heavily on families with children.

From Friends of the Earth, Andy Atkins said the economic crisis must not be used to dilute the government’s pledge to be the ‘greenest government ever.’ His organisation backed the TUC’s call for a green investment bank and incentives for green energy generation.

East London schoolgirl Lizzie Louden, 14, had written to David Cameron protesting at the cancellation of new school building projects. There was currently no disabled access at her school, and “our toilets are in such a terrible state that most of my fellow students do not feel comfortable using them.”

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, fresh from his TV role as Sherlock Holmes, pointed to the crucial contribution of subsidies in making the arts profitable. The play War Horse, which had opened at the National Theatre, went on to become one of its most successful productions, earning millions of pounds from overseas visitors.

“Now it is a West End hit and being made into a massive children’s film directed

by Steven Spielberg.” Cuts of 25 per cent would leave a ‘monumental mess’, he said.

ON SATURDAY MARCH 26, 2011

PICTURES: MARK THOMAS

‘Up and atom’ – scientists take to the streets SCIENCE REAPED the benefits of the internet when a posting on a blog led to hundreds of scientists coming out of their labs to make the case for science funding in the run-up to the comprehensive spending review.

The blog, by biochemist Dr Jenny Rohn of University College London, set the ball rolling and in just four weeks, Science is Vital attracted more than 23,000 signatures to a petition, an early day motion (signed by 137 MPs to date), and a rally and lobby of parliament.

At the rally outside the Treasury in October, Prospect general secretary Paul Noon raised a loud cheer from the crowd when he said that diverting the £7bn earmarked for bankers’ bonuses would pay for 200,000 scientists.

He told protestors: “It’s not an intellectual argument because we would have won

that years ago. It’s politics – and we must win the political argument.”

The rally was a potent mix of personal stories, economic arguments, comedy, audience participation and songs, including ‘Hey, Osborne, leave our geeks alone’.

The wittiest speech came from Dr Michael Brooks, who stood as a candidate in the 2010 general election because he believes the UK deserves “scientifically literate MPs”. He urged scientists to get involved and run for office themselves.

Professor Colin Blakemore, former head of the Medical Research Council, was encouraged to see the Science is Vital campaign. “This is new, scientists coming out of their labs and into the continues overleaf

EQUALITY

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December 7/10

SCOTS RALLY ROUND FOR GROWTH

SCOTLAND WENT on the march as Prospect members joined thousands of trade unionists to demonstrate against the coalition government cuts and call for policies to prioritise jobs, services, a living wage and fair taxes.

Under the banner ‘There is a better way’ the STUC organised a lobby of the Scottish parliament last month, after a successful rally in Edinburgh against the cuts in late October.

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said it was important to dispel the myth that there was no alternative to the cuts programme. “There is an alternative. Get people back to work; get the economy growing again, and the public finances will largely take care of themselves.

“This is the biggest challenge we have faced in 25 years. We cannot expect to succeed just because of the clarity of our vision or the force of our arguments. We need to act and we need to organise – in our workplaces and communities.” continued from overleaf streets.” Citing MRI scanners and new drugs, Blakemore said basic research was the “engine of the economy of the future.”

The UK has the lowest public funding among OECD countries – just one half of one per cent of GDP is invested in science.

Blakemore said the European Union calculates that countries need to spend 3 per cent of GDP on science to be competitive.

The UK’s current spending is 1.8 per cent of GDP. “There is only one future and that is based on our wits, invention, innovation and solid, well-funded science,” he concluded.

From the Campaign for Science and Engineering, Imran Khan warned that the UK could be “on the verge of catastrophic collapse of our science and engineering base.”

UK science is the most exciting and efficient in the world, a beacon for global research and it is all done on a shoestring.

“Just imagine what we could do with more support,” he added.

Simon Denegri, from the Association of Medical Research Charities, dismissed the government theory that medical charities would take up the funding slack. Charity is not a substitute for government funding, he said. “Government needs to recognise the role science plays in economic growth, health and the well-being of the population.”

■■ See the photos at: www. demotix.com/news/469144/ dont-cut-science-protest-london ■■ Listen to the speeches at: http:// poddelusion.co.uk/blog/2010/10/09/ science-is-vital protest-live-updates/

cracking the

steel ceiling Only 1 in 12 engineers are women – but Kate Coleman is relaxed and happy in her career at E.On, says Frances Rafferty KATE COLEMAN’S overalls are a bit on the big side, so she has to roll up the legs and sleeves.

Occasionally when she visits an old or remote power station she has to use the men’s lavatories. But that is as bad as it gets being a woman, she says, working for E.On the power company as a boiler integrity engineer.

She is the only female on her ten-member team, but there are other women engineers in the company she can talk to and more young women graduates are coming up through the ranks.

Kate, 29, said: “People always want to hear horror stories, but to be honest there are lots of opportunities for women in engineering. It’s not like it was 40 years ago; the engineering industry is open for women.

The problem is getting that message across to young women. The myth that women are somehow predisposed not to be suitable as scientists still prevails. That is why I have put myself forward to act as a role model to prove that it is possible.”

Kate has been chosen for the UKRC project ‘Ingenious Women’. Its aim is to give 20 mid-career women engineers training and support to enable them to raise their profile and share their passion for engineering. Only 8 per cent of engineers are women and only 3 per cent of engineering apprentices are women.

Although she studied mainly humanities subjects at GCSE, Kate switched to physics, maths and chemistry at A-level and she was encouraged by her (male) physics teacher to pursue the subject at university. At Exeter she was one of five girls among the 60 students that year.

However, she said: “I never felt singled out or that I was in the wrong place.

“It was a good experience being in that environment.

There is no getting away from the fact that physics is

■■ Kate dons a protective suit before carrying out an on-site inspection

The myth that women are somehow predisposed not to be suitable as scientists still prevails. That is why I have put myself forward to act as a role model to prove that it is possible

difficult, but it’s not more difficult because you are a woman.”

After graduating, Kate went on to Bath University to take a masters degree in aerospace engineering: an interesting choice for someone with a fear of flying.

Then, as a volunteer for the environmental agency Envolve, she became interested in sustainable energy. Her next step was to study for a PhD on the subject of fireside corrosion in biomass combustion systems, looking at carbon-neutral ways to generate energy, at Cranfield University.

She joined E.On two years ago and immediately became a member of Prospect. She says it is good to have the support of a union and she enjoys reading the information in the EnergyLines newsletter. She believes that unions can play a role in providing advice and support to women in engineering and other “non-traditional” areas. Unionlearn, the TUC’s learning and skills organisation, trains learning reps who act as advocates for learning in the workplace and mentors to apprentices.

Kate has taken part in open days that E.On puts on to encourage girls to think about joining the company as apprentices. She said: “I give them a short talk and try to inspire them, but most of all they seem to enjoy the hands-on experience we offer, so they can see that it is something they can do. I tell them that there are plenty of opportunities, that I love my job and I want to be involved in engineering for the rest of my life.”

Profile

Contribution rise is threat to public service pensions Lord Hutton’s report on public sector pensions was better than expected, says Prospect pensions officer Neil Walsh.

But there is a nasty sting in its tail ■■ Hutton – consulting on changes to benefit structure

ANDREW WIARD

MEMBERS OF public sector pension schemes face steep contribution increases and cuts in benefits as a result of the government’s response to Hutton’s commission on pensions.

The independent commission, chaired by former Labour minister Lord Hutton, presented its interim report in October.

The report dispelled the myth that public sector schemes are ‘gold-plated’ by pointing out that half of pensioner members receive less than £5,600 per annum.

It also contradicted rhetoric from senior ministers that these schemes were ‘unreformed and unsustainable’. The major reforms implemented in recent years (2007 in the civil service) were outlined in detail.

The cost-sharing mechanisms already agreed, together with the impact of the recent switch to CPI indexation, will result in the cost of the main public service schemes falling from 1.9 per cent of GDP today to 1.4 per cent of GDP by 2060.

Much of Hutton’s report is very useful, Prospect pensions officer Neil Walsh said.

“In particular, the updated projections of the cost to taxpayers make a mockery of claims that these schemes are unsustainable. The commission’s work vindicates

■■ Members voted by a huge margin to back PCSPS reforms in 2007

previous reforms to the civil service and other schemes. They have been shown to provide fair and reasonable benefits and their long-term funding has been put on a sustainable footing.”

Despite these conclusions, Hutton favoured short-term savings to help pay down the current fiscal deficit. In his view, increasing member contributions is the only way to do this.

In response, the chancellor announced a 3 per cent increase in member contribution rates in the comprehensive spending review.

Walsh said: “This increase is unfair. It has nothing to do with the sustainability of the schemes and will cause public sector workers to shoulder a disproportionate share of the cost of reducing the deficit. The final cost for some members could be even higher than 3 per cent.”

Hutton is also consulting on possible changes to benefit structure. Prospect’s response to the latest call for evidence is being finalised and will shortly be available to members for comment.

Walsh said that members could safely conclude that Hutton is not enamoured with final salary schemes or protected pension ages of 60. “Our submission to the second report will robustly defend the current arrangements in the civil service.

“But that will not be the end of the process. It will mark the start of a vital campaign to protect members’ pensions.”

AXING OF DENTAL WATCHDOG WOULD DEPRIVE PATIENTS OF PROTECTION

STEFANO CAGNONI

PLANS TO reform the way NHS dental services are monitored will cause millions of dental patients to lose the guarantee of standards provided by the NHS’ team of dental experts.

In an unexpected move, the NHS Business Services Authority has announced that the post of dental reference officer in England is to be made redundant, with the loss of 26 clinical posts and a switch to ‘enhanced’ riskbased monitoring activities.

It means the in-house team of dentists employed to conduct visits, patient examinations and inspections of dental practices across England, in order to safeguard the care received by patients, now faces the axe.

National secretary Geraldine O’Connell said members accepted economies were needed in the current financial climate: “But there are nevertheless grave concerns about the scale of these cuts, the loss of 20 frontline posts, and the risk of a fall in standards affecting millions of patients in England.”

She added that not only will the Dental Reference Service find the loss of such expertise irreplaceable, patients will lose their independent watchdog. From April 2011, the Care Quality Commission takes over responsibility for ensuring all dental providers comply with their registration requirements, which include standards of safety and quality.

The rationale given for the decision is a desire to avoid duplication with the commission’s monitoring activities. NHS officials also argue that risk-based monitoring activities will increase, with the addition of three clinical

■■ Dental patients will lose their independent watchdog

policy advisers to the existing team of nine.

O’Connell said: “Statistical monitoring has its place, but cannot substitute for the hands-on maintenance of standards through peer assessment. Clearly, this is transformation for the worse. These officers have already proved they are up to the job, they have met all stated targets.”

It was no mean achievement, said O’Connell, to adapt to constant change and the demands of the NHS Business Services Authority management while retaining the respect of the profession at large.

December 7/10

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CONGRATULATIONS TO Elfyn Evans, an engineer for QinetiQ, who won the giveaway in Profile 6/10 of a hot-air balloon flight for two and a traditional champagne toast, plus a flight certificate signed by Sir Richard Branson.

Look out for this month’s reader offer of 20 per cent off Christmas hampers – see page 10.

DO YOU NEED HELP? MEMBERS OR their dependants in financial distress can apply to the Prospect Benevolent Fund for help. Amounts up to £2,000 can be granted as a single award, larger amounts with NEC dispensation. For an application form write to ‘Prospect Benevolent Fund’ at head office or ask your branch, section or sub-section representative.

BENEFITS TO MEMBERS JANUARY-NOVEMBER 2010

BENEVOLENT FUND ■■Number granted 11 ■■Total granted £16,945

DEATH BENEFIT ■■Number granted 84 ■■Total granted £79,353

PERSONAL INJURY SCHEME ■■Applications approved 207 ■■On books 341 ■■Number won 103 ■■Value of awards £8,741,897

SAFETY REVIEW

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December 7/10

Workplace safety escapes Lord Young’s attack on consultants REX FEATURES

A COMPENSATION culture driven by a litigious society is at the heart of the problems that beset health and safety within the UK today.

That was among the key findings of Common Sense, Common Safety – the review of health and safety undertaken by former government adviser Lord Young, who reported in October.

His wide-ranging recommendations were broadly welcomed by Prospect, including a curb on the spate of ‘no-win, no-fee’ advertisements that incite vexatious claims – an issue the union raised in evidence to the review.

Prospect also backed Lord Young’s stated aim “to restore the high standing of the UK’s health and safety reputation,” which he said had been lost through the mismatch of rules designed for hazardous workplaces being applied across all occupations.

Lord Young pointed the finger of blame at unqualified health and safety consultants who try to eliminate all risk rather than apply a ‘reasonably practicable’ approach, and insurers who drive premiums ever

■■ Prospect has welcomed Lord Young’s ­recommend­ation for curbs on no-win, no-fee ­advertisements (right)

Union joins Equality Act protests as government scraps key clause PROSPECT HAS added its voice to protests at the government decision to drop a key clause in the 2010 Equality Act. The provision required public authorities to take disadvantage and poverty into account when making policy decisions.

But home secretary Theresa May said last month the clause would be scrapped because it was just “another bureaucratic box to be ticked”.

The importance of the new public sector duties, including the scrapped clause, was stressed to a Prospect equality seminar

in London in October by Sally Brett, the TUC’s senior equality policy officer.

She said while 90 per cent of the Act was effective from October 1, the remaining public sector duty aspects would only become law from April 2011.

Prospect equality officer Sandie Maile said: “We are disappointed that the government has watered down the Act to the detriment of the most hard-pressed in society.

“Prospect wants to see existing duties strengthened, for example to include organisations with fewer than 150 employees.”

■■ Members listen to Prospect head of research Sue Ferns (left) at the seminar

higher to cover the costs of claims.

This, in turn, led employers to ratchet up their cover to guard against bankruptcy and to follow every recommendation made by consultants, no matter how absurd.

Responding, deputy general secretary Mike Clancy welcomed Lord Young’s recognition of the long-standing value provided by the Health and Safety at Work Act and its effectiveness in hazardous industries, which he placed outside the scope of his recommendations.

“However, our members would agree that health and safety is often used as a convenient excuse to mask motives which are more about cost, petty politics or defending an unpopular decision.

This has led to the perception that health and safety is a barrier to activities our society has long enjoyed.

“But there is a world of difference between saving lives and riskaversion due to a fear of being sued.”

H&S advice to business had become an industry in its own right, Clancy said, with little accreditation to ensure regulation was correctly interpreted or free of profiteering. The union therefore supported efforts to strengthen the accreditation of health and safety ‘experts’.

But he said Young had missed an opportunity to enhance the safety of workers in the current difficult economic climate. Clancy called on ministers “to promote HSE’s professionalism through effective and responsible government resourcing.”

PUBLIC SECTOR WOMEN HIT HARDEST THE FAWCETT Society has sought a judicial review of the coalition’s cuts because of their impact on women working in the public sector.

And last month the Equality and Human Rights Commission announced that it would investigate the Treasury to establish whether it had fulfilled its statutory duty under the 2006 Equality Act. This obliges the government to assess whether its budget proposals would increase or reduce inequality between women and men.

The Fawcett Society said that, despite repeated requests, the Treasury had provided no evidence that such an assessment

took place.

Yet before the budget there was recognition at the most senior levels of government that its cuts risked widening inequality.

Theresa May, minister for equalities, singled out groups that looked set to be hardest hit – women, ethnic minorities, disabled and older people.

“Cuts are coming at women from all sides,” said Anna Bird for the society, which campaigns for equality between women and men.

“Job losses in the public sector, reductions in spending on benefits and public services and the looming care gap that women will be expected to plug mean

women face a triple jeopardy.

“Women make up 65 per cent of the public sector workforce so the threatened 500,000 job losses are very much hanging over their heads.

“Typically, women already earn less and own less than men. Plans to reduce the deficit largely through cuts in public spending will worsen an already unjust situation.”

Women are also likely to bear the brunt of the £18bn a year cuts to the welfare budget, as benefits typically make up one fifth of women’s income compared to one tenth of men’s. One million more women claim housing benefit than men, including many lone parents.

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This is a bad bill. It is badly thought out, badly structured, badly executed, bad for the constitution, bad for public bodies and bad for government Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

MAX NASH/PA PHOTOS

LABOUR PARTY

This skeleton bill is an insult to parliamentary scrutiny – and I am afraid the insult is doubled by ministers claiming to act in the name of increasing accountability Lord Knight of Weymouth

■

Peers go to war on public bodies bill

THE BILL’S schedule 7 lists 150 public bodies that can be brought within its scope at any time without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

All could be abolished by ministerial order.

Some Prospect areas listed are: ■■ Big Lottery Fund ■■ British Library ■■ Civil Aviation

Authority ■■ Environment Agency ■■ Health and Safety Executive ■■ Joint Nature Conservation Committee ■■ Marine Management Organisation ■■ Natural England ■■ Nuclear Decommissioning Authority ■■ Trinity House ■■ Traffic Commissioners ■■ UK Atomic Energy Authority

STEFANO CAGNONI/REPORT DIGITAL.CO.UK

WHERE AXE COULD FALL ...

■■ FLOODING: Environment Agency contractors complete flood prevention work. Such agency functions could be curtailed at the stroke of a pen

■■ TRAIN CRASH: A senior Health and Safety Executive inspector looks for the causes of a fatal train crash. The HSE’s work could be curbed by a single minister BLF

PROSPECT IS lobbying against the Public Bodies Bill, which will have far-reaching consequences for many thousands of members working for non-departmental public bodies and the public they serve.

The bill is the vehicle for government plans to abolish 192 public bodies, merge 118 and substantially reform another 171. All retained bodies will have to meet one of three tests, says Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude: ●● perform a technical function ●● require political impartiality ●● need to act independently to establish facts.

Prospect’s submission to the public administration select committee of MPs said the three criteria were not mutually exclusive and “neither do they apply exclusively to the functions carried out by non-departmental public bodies.”

Instead, before any bodies are abolished, Prospect believes each organisation should be fully scrutinised, setting out: ●● actual costs ●● what functions transfer elsewhere ●● the genuine net cost or saving, after accounting for the costs of redundancy and delivering services elsewhere ●● independent analysis of the wider costs ●● the need for continued access to expert/scientific advice.

DAVID MANSELL/REPORT DIGITAL.CO.UK

A battle is raging in parliament over a bill that would give ministers powers to abolish hundreds of public bodies or change the way they operate without parliamentary or public scrutiny

■■ HONOURING OUR VETERANS: Jack Fowler returned to the scene of his wartime imprisonment in the Far East with his wife Pearl, paid for by the Big Lottery Fund. The fund could be abolished without parliamentary scrutiny

WHERE AXE HAS FALLEN ...

FORESTRY COMMISSION The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which has more members than all the political parties in the country put together, says it is worried about the environmental impact of the disposal of public land, and fears the consequences of a sale for biodiversity.

AUDIT COMMISSION Lord Beecham said community budgeting is coming into being in the NHS, so a body independent of the service providers should scrutinise services and evaluate how policy is developed and implemented. The abolition of the Audit Commission meant that was unlikely to happen.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES Lord Lester of Herne Hill said “radical reform” would have been preferable to outright abolition of the RDAs, but was never seriously considered. More shocking, the government had not carried out any assessment of the impact of its proposals.

“The RDAs, for all their faults, had built up an institutional capacity to assess projects and manage them effectively. I fear that that project management capability is being permanently lost as a result of the arbitrary decisions being taken in this bill.”

The Lords constitution committee and the delegated powers committee have already issued three reports, all critical of the bill. The constitution committee said the bill “strikes at the very heart of our constitutional system, being a type of ‘framework’ or ‘enabling’ legislation that drains the lifeblood of legislative amendment and debate across a very broad range of public arrangements.”

But the government responded that introducing primary legislation “would involve a bill or bills the size of which would be undeliverable.” Many of these reforms “enjoy wide public support”, it claimed.

In two Lords debates, peers queued up to oppose the bill. Although many agreed that public bodies should be kept under review, they were alarmed at the government’s methods. They highlighted: ●● potential shifts of function from independent to political control, excluding any lay, consumer or user voice ●● abolition of organisations which play a vital role in holding public bodies and central government to account ●● lack of safeguards for their continued independence.

The government suffered an embarrassing defeat in the Lords on November 23 when an amendment seeking to restrict the powers the bill would give ministers was carried.

LACK OF CONSULTATION Peers condemned the lack of consultation with the devolved administrations and the public bodies themselves.

Lord Beecham likened the government’s approach to the trial scene in Alice in Wonderland: ‘Sentence first, verdict afterwards’.

“They have decided on abolition first. They are looking at the cost of abolition and the estimates of savings afterwards and they will consider functions last of all,” he said.

Lord Faulkner of Worcester said: “Bodies which have served the community well, without a breath of scandal attached to them, which were seen by those who deal with them daily as helpful and supportive, which were in many cases established by an Act of Parliament… and which were fulfilling a role which cannot be performed as costeffectively or efficiently by others, are all being tossed on to a bonfire with little more than a sentence in a departmental press release.”

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December 7/10

Is it something they put in the water? Or perhaps because they’re surrounded by water? Anyway, Prospect members on the Isle of Man get up to some interesting stuff in their spare time IRELAND’S X-FACTOR contestant Mary Byrne is not the only supermarket worker to progress to more exciting things.

Take Margaret Gunn, a Prospect rep on the Isle of Man. Thirteen years ago she was a part-time sales assistant at the Co-Op in Peel.

Now she earns her living by celebrating and sharing the island’s rich Viking history. The job has also inspired her unusual hobby of performing in Viking re-enactments.

Manx Heritage opened the House of Manannan, Peel, in 1987.

Margaret, whose daughter had turned five, applied for a full-time job as visitor services assistant at the museum, devoted to the island’s rich Celtic, Viking and maritime past.

Her interest in the Viking era developed through research and reading – in winter, when it is quieter, there is more time for that. “Since then it’s snowballed,” she said.

Five years ago a local businessman reinstated a tradition of Viking re-enactments to coincide with Tynwald Day every July 5, and Margaret enrolled.

The Tynwald parliament was started by the Vikings in 979 AD, and the ancient parliamentary ceremony has continued since then.

Thousands of people gather in St Johns to watch parliament conducted in the open air. “All new laws for that year are read out and any member of the public can address the government with petitions,” says Margaret.

Members of the Vikings of Mann society dress up, build a Viking village, and organise events – from crafts to storytelling, weapons demonstrations to torch parades, and even boat burning. Margaret takes

Raiders of the lost arts PICTURES: MIKE WADE

■■ Above, Margaret Gunn (right) and colleague Anne Quayle prepare logs on the fire. Left: Harry Owens extracts honey from one of his hives part for the enjoyment – “It’s a really good laugh.”

Back at work, the museum has a mock-up of a Viking long house. “I dress in Viking costume and do crafts, while visitors watch and have a go,” says Mary. “Recently I’ve been demonstrating the use of a traditional trollen weaving loom to make braids.”

Mary uses the braid to decorate bags and metal Celtic knots, sold in the museum shop. She’s taught four colleagues to use the loom and says they’re all getting addicted.

As the Prospect rep for the Government Officers’ Association branch in Peel, Mary has been on union training courses and has “learnt to ward off problems before they start.”

The island is not immune from cuts – two vacancies at the museum have not been filled. But other than that, she says: “We are a happy bunch.”

WEB

Get ready to start tweeting and retweeting In the second of a two-part feature, Lynn Stephenson explains how to start tweeting and build a network on Twitter

In the previous issue we explained how to create a Twitter account. You should now select your privacy settings. Your profile can be: ●● public – anybody can access your profile, read your tweets and follow you ●● protected – if somebody wants to follow you, they have to get your approval first; your tweets will be hidden from the public.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF TWEET There are five types of twitter update: ●● normal tweets – basic messages. ●● @replies – responses to tweets from other people ●● messages/direct messages – private messages sent directly to someone who follows you

●● @mentions – tweets which refer directly to another Twitter user by their account name, eg “I saw @stephenfry on the bus this morning” rather than “I saw Stephen Fry on the bus...” ●● retweets – tweets from other people that you forward to your followers. Eg: somebody you’re following posts a link to an online petition they’ve signed. If you retweet it, all your followers will see it, and some of them may retweet it to their followers, who in turn...

HASHTAGS You’ll often see the “#” symbol in front of a word or phrase in someone’s tweet. This is a hashtag – a searchable keyword. If you click on it, you’ll see a list of other people’s tweets

which include the same hashtag. If a hashtag is being widely used, the topic is said to be ”trending”, and Twitter shows you which issues are most popular. In December, England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup was a trending topic, with thousands of people using the hashtag #England2018 in their tweets.

FOLLOWING AND BEING FOLLOWED On the right side of your Twitter home page you’ll see suggestions for people to follow.

Click on their username or image to see their public profile, read their tweets and find out more about them. If they sound interesting, start following them. Look at the list of people they’re following, and do the same again.

PEOPLE IN PROSPECT

Profile December 7/10

Prospect’s Harry Owens won national press attention for helping to save the British bee Born on the Isle of Man, I worked for the Manx Electricity Authority for 43 years and was a union rep till my retirement.

I’ve kept bees since 1968 in my spare time, and now I am the island’s bee inspector and adviser to the Manx government. On the island we have about 120 beekeepers, with about 500 hives.

Most bee colonies in England, Wales, Ireland and a large part of Scotland are infected by the varroa mite, which also carries the ‘deformed wing’ virus. The British native bee is endangered by both the mite and the virus.

The Isle of Man is an exception. It is home to the black native bee – no mites or foulbrood. We are free of the virus transmitted by varroa because in 1987 the Manx parliament passed a bill banning the importation of any type of bee into the island.

For the past year, during autumn and spring, I have been testing colonies of bees to prove that we are still varroa mite-free.

Unfortunately EU protocols concerning the free entry of goods and livestock make it necessary to prove this for two consecutive years in order to retain our special status and continue the ban.

I have also been involved with supplying colonies and samples of bees to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in York; to Sheffield University; and Ulster University. They are co-operating with laboratories in Holland and Germany, using DNA samples, to find ways to tackle the diseases that so endanger the honey bee population.

This summer I exported a few mated queen bees to beekeepers in England, to help them restart new colonies with disease-free Manx bees.

UNiON

Buzzing for bees

REINVENTING THE WHEEL Well done Sir Philip Green! His report that government departments should club together to buy in bulk and realise huge cost savings for the taxpayer thrilled ministers and media all autumn. How times change. Back in the 1970s there was something called the Property Services Agency Supplies Division which carried out exactly this function. It was renamed The Crown Suppliers in 1984. TCS was privatised in 1990 by the same piece of legislation that privatised the Property Services Agency. PSA’s job, by the way, was to manage the government estate and commission new build, another Green recommendation. The professionals who worked for government said 20 years ago that this was all a gigantic mistake and would lead to higher costs and duplication. They were ignored by the politicians, who favoured delegation and competition. Funny how it takes a government that advocates local services to reinvent the wheel of centralised government.

LITERARY BOMBSHELL Many a marketing department walks the thin line between language designed to excite and absolute hyperbole – but the invitation to a recent European nuclear supply chain conference raised eyebrows among members.

Scrambling for language to set the scene, the author opted for: “With utilities companies across Europe poised for an explosion in new nuclear reactor construction projects...”

SNAPPER SNIP Does the prime minister’s U-turn on employing an ex-Conservative party photographer and filmmaker as bona fide civil servants mean that two existing specialists at COI will keep their jobs? Or does it open up a possible career opportunity for civil service snappers, as clearly there is a job to be done at Number 10? Looks to UnionEye like a perfect example of why government needs to employ more specialists – not fewer.

SORRY TO MISS YOU

SHORTENING LINKS The 140-character limit can make it difficult to include web links in your tweets, so use a URL shortener such as tinyURL to convert long addresses into snappier ones.

■■ See library.prospect.org.uk/id/2010/■ 01678 for a more detailed version of this Twitter guide

Anti-privatisation campaigners from NATS met up in early November in the House of Commons to discuss their concerns with sympathetic MPs. One of the invitations went out to the deputy prime minister. Back came the reply from Nick Clegg, expressing regret that he could not attend but adding that he sent his “best wishes for the drop-in briefing.”

See you next time, Nick.

WEATHER WARS Roundly criticised for not predicting washout summers and Arctic winters, the Met Office must be hoping that one of its sternest critics will soon be left with egg on its face.

The Daily Telegraph has taken matters into its own hands with a forecast that the UK is heading for a big freeze this winter... and all because there was a bumper crop of holly berries this autumn.

Imagine the fuss if the Met Office

23

tried to incorporate folkloric wisdom into its forecasts...

PROSPECT’S POTTERY PERSON For more than 30 years, Ordnance Survey veteran Tony Green has devoted his spare time to protecting and restoring the industrial heritage of Staffordshire.

He and friends have laboured over the Mill Meece pumping station, Mosty Lea mill and other historic industrial sites in the county. A highlight of his voluntary work has been with Etruria Industrial Museum in the heart of the Potteries, which houses the last steam-powered potters’ mill in Britain. His efforts were recognised by the award this year of an MBE. Praising his work, OS director general Vanessa Lawrence said: “Tony’s work over the past 30 years has benefited schools, the local community and also the nation’s industrial heritage.”

ATTITUDE PROBLEM Amnesty International has urged the Ukraine authorities to stop the harassment of a trade union activist who remains in hiding after a court ordered him to undergo a forced psychiatric examination last month.

His crime? Prosecutors argued that Andrei Bondarenko has an “excessive awareness of his own and others’ rights and an uncontrollable readiness to defend these rights in unrealistic ways.” Sounds like a good candidate for a Prospect negotiator’s job.

HUMBLE PETITION A respondent to a recent House of Commons staff survey was asked: “Are you proud to work for the House?” The reply? “Pride is a sin.

Please do not ask this question again.”

FULL MOON, CLOTS AND PARLIAMENT The scientists who came out of their labs for the Science is Vital rally in front of the Treasury in October – see centre pages – were rewarded with some powerful and entertaining speeches. One of the funniest was from Dr Michael Brooks, who co-founded the Science Party to highlight science’s lack of representation in parliament. Brooks stood as a candidate for Bosworth in the 2010 general election. He lost to David Tredinnick, who believes that at certain phases of the moon, “surgeons will not operate because blood clotting is not effective”. Even more worrying is the fact that David Tredinnick sits on the Commons health committee.

No wonder Dr Brooks wanted to get into parliament.

MARK THOMAS

Following isn’t automatically a two-way process: when you follow someone, they don’t necessarily follow you back.

There’s no quick way to accumulate followers: you can’t just ask other users to follow you. But once you start posting updates and following people, you’ll find that your own list of followers grows.

You can stop following someone at any time.

You can also block them from following you (but if your profile is public, they will still be able to see your tweets on your profile page).

■

FEATURES

Profile 24

■

December 7/10

MEET

JOHN HARRIS/REPORTDIGITAL.CO.UK

Sharon Hancock is the senior executive assistant for deputy general secretary Mike Clancy in New Prospect House, Waterloo, London Describe yourself in four words.

Spirited, kind, caring, talkative.

What do you like or dislike about members?

I like the diversity of Prospect’s members.

Redfern, AWE action, quangos, Ministry of Defence civilians Prospect stories that have appeared in media across the country in recent weeks

that cost peanuts but provide invaluable scientific or other advice to government.”

His comments were picked up widely – very widely – by media including the Greenwich Time, Connecticut; and USA websites in Kansas City and Long Island.

Several papers ran with Prospect’s queries over how long it would take for savings to be realised, including a Sunday Times story entitled “20-year wait for quango saving.” This summed up the union’s response with a quote from pensions officer Neil Walsh: “You get the impression that the government really rushed into getting rid of these bodies without thinking through what it would entail.”

The abolition of the Audit Commission would save £50m but cost £200m in redundancies, deputy general secretary Dai Hudd said in evidence to the Commons public administration committee, as reported by the Morning Star and DeHavilland news service.

And he used the session to complain about comments made by the junior communities minister Bob Neill, who had accused civil servants of “taking the taxpayer for a ride” and “living it up at the taxpayers’ expense.”

Meanwhile Prospect civilian members in the Ministry of Defence joined colleagues from Unite, PCS and GMB to launch a civilian covenant calling for fair treatment for staff in the face of looming job losses.

Several media, including the Press and Journal, the Press Association, the Daily Mirror, Express and Star, the Evening Standard and numerous regional titles carried details of reps presenting MOD permanent secretary Ursula Brennan with a giant copy of the covenant on her first day in the job.

Would the grass be greener for you somewhere else?

Maybe if I lived in a water bungalow in the Maldives.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I used to Irish dance to a professional level.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Several moments from my hen night were highly embarrassing, but as they say what goes on tour stays on tour!

What or who gets you rattled?

Selfish and inconsiderate people.

What’s on your iPod? Whatever my husband puts on it!

What’s your favourite book and why?

My childhood favourite ‘The Railway Children’ by Edith Nesbit.

Prada or Primark, Monsoon or M&S? None of these, but I wish I could say Prada!

How do you plan to beat the 20 per cent VAT increase?

By adapting (especially the clothes shopping budget!).

What would you like to change most about the world?

Make people take personal responsibility, maybe this could help with solving the bigger problems.

What would you do if you were invisible for the day?

Walk around 10 Downing Street.

n

1960

STORIES ABOUT Prospect members working in the nuclear industry dominated the union’s media coverage, beginning with the long-awaited Redfern report into the removal of body parts from nuclear workers.

Deputy general secretary Mike Clancy appeared on Sky News on the morning of the report’s publication, saying he hoped it would bring peace to the families affected. But he warned that there would be questions over why the report had taken so long.

The Guardian also quoted Clancy’s comment that nothing could in any way justify the removal of tissue without appropriate consent.

The Independent, Press Association, Radio Five Live, BBC website news and the Times were just a few other national outlets which covered the union’s response to the inquiry, along with scores of regional reports.

Action short of a strike taken by members at the Trident warhead manufacturer AWE was widely reported both before and after the event. During numerous local TV and radio broadcasts, King repeated that staff just wanted their voices to be heard – until the strike was called off.

Other stories to impact on Prospect members included news that the government plans to sell half the woodland overseen by the Forestry Commission by 2020. The Guardian was among the papers to quote negotiator Malcolm Currie say that both public and private sector jobs would be lost.

As news of other bodies to suffer in the government’s ‘bonfire of quangos’ became apparent, the Associated Press quoted general secretary Paul Noon: “In many cases the government is abolishing bodies

TEAM

■■ Negotiator Bob King takes the moral high ground as he addresses staff and the media during the AWE Aldermaston protest over pay in November

Which aspects of trade unionism particularly appeal to you?

The feeling of solidarity and protection.

The proportion of salary earners in relation to wage earners among the working population is steadily increasing in Great Britain. Among the reasons for this state of affairs are ever faster mechanisation; the reduction of manufacturing employment and the trend towards a service economy; the development of pension schemes and probably greater security all round. The new situation could conceivably lead to a weakening of the trade union movement but if properly handled can instead bring large numbers of middle-class people into organised collective bargaining.

Salaried employees in state service, in the nationalised industries, in local government, in banking and the professions of law and medicine have already a high degree of organisation. But still standing apart are those who work for private enterprise concerns where the tradition of so-called independence and waiting for the boss dies hard.

Electrical Power Engineer, December 1960

n

Lord Hailsham, minister for science, was right to lament the present shortage of engineers and the developing shortage because too few are being trained. He was right to say: “Engineering should enjoy a far higher status.” But is there any reason to believe Lord Hailsham meant what he said?

Unfortunately none. The government employs in the civil service no fewer than 6,000 engineers, civil, mechanical, electrical and structural. It has, therefore a splendid opportunity to set an example. It could actually give the ‘far higher status’, the minister for science talked about. What does it do? The administrator in the civil service has a career that is certain to be almost as good as that of an engineer. An administrator entering the service has a virtual certainty of going to a salary of £3,400; the professional engineer’s virtual certainty is only £1,780. If he is fairly lucky and gets his next step, he goes only to £2,170. Government can do something about the higher status if it wants to. But it doesn’t.

State Service, December 1960

LAW AT WORK

Profile December 7/10

■

25

How well do you know your rights at work?

1. How many proposed redundancies over a 90-day period do there need to be to trigger the statutory duty on the employer to consult with the union?

a) 100 or more; b) 20 or more; c) At least one

2. When did the Equality Act 2010 come into force? a) October 1, 2010; b) April 1, 2010; c) February 5, 2010

year for each 100 members they represent; c) A reasonable amount of time

5. How much is the current maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal? a) £65,300; b) £66,200; c) 76,700

SANTAS AGAINST JOB CUTS

3. Under the Equality Act an employer is no longer able to ask about the health of an applicant for employment … a) At all; b) Before offering them a job (other than in very limited exceptions); c) Until they get to the interview

4. How much time off is a union representative entitled to for undertaking union duties?

a) Up to two days a month; b) Two days a

6. How much is the current maximum basic award for unfair dismissal?

10. In employment law EIA stands for:

a) Employer Insurance Audit; b) Employee Improvement Assessment; c) Equality Impact Assessment

a) £10,000; b) £11,400; c) £10,600

7. An employee stranded abroad at the end of their holiday because of the volcanic ash flight disruption:

a) Was legally entitled to be paid for the extra days; b) Had to take the extra days out of their annual leave entitlement; c) Was not automatically entitled to be paid for the period until they could get back to work

8. The statutory obligation to consult on redundancies requires employers to:

a) Consult with a view to reaching agreement; b) Reach agreement with the union; c) Consult in good faith

9. The effect of the new law banning pay secrecy clauses means that it will be unlawful for an employer to discipline a worker for:

ONLY LV= give Prospect members excLusiVe discOuNts on their home insurance Exclusive Prospect member only discounts Awarded the prestigious 5 Star Rating 10% discount when you take out buildings and contents insurance Contents cover up to £150,000 Don’t forget we do car insurance too – give us a call today

a) Discussing their pay in any circumstances; b) Discussing their pay in order to find out if they have a case of unlawful discrimination; c) Refusing to give their pay details to a colleague

Answers–1–b; 2–a; 3–b; 4–c; 5–a; 6–b; 7–c; 8–a; 9–b; 10–c

Instead of our regular legal advice column we have an end-of-year quiz to test your knowledge of rights at work. The answers have all been covered in this column over the last year.

YOUR SCORE 3 or less

Never mind, even if you do not know too much about your rights at work, with Prospect you are never far from someone who does.

4-6

Well done, have you thought about becoming a Prospect representative to use your knowledge to help other members?

7 or more

Excellent, would you like to write this column next year?

■■ These answers should not be taken as a definitive outline of the law. In all cases you should seek advice from your Prospect full-time officer.

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Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sa t 8am-5pm, Sun 9a m-5pm.

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Prospect act as an Introducer Appointed Representative to the Liverpool Victoria group of companies for General Insurance. LV= and Liverpool Victoria are registered trade marks of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited and LV= and LV=Liverpool Victoria are trading styles of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies. Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited, registered in England and Wales No. 3232514 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number 202965. Registered address for all Liverpool Victoria companies: County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2NF. Tel: 01202 292333.

21016467 09/10

21016467_LV_PROSPECT_130x204_AD_SA.indd 1

21/09/2010 14:09

Profile 26

■

December 7/10 KEVIN COOPER/PHOTOLINE

Gillian Lowe – HSE’s tireless campaigner

MEMBERS IN PRINT

FRIENDS AND colleagues of former national executive committee member, Gillian Lowe, were saddened to hear news of her untimely death in late October.

For long an active member of the Health and Safety Executive branch, Gillian had health problems for many years and took early retirement in 2010.

Originally a scientific officer at what became HSE’s Health and Safety Laboratory in Sheffield, she specialised in the detection of toxic substances in the working environment.

After becoming section secretary in the year she joined HSE, Gillian became branch STEFANO CAGNONI

■■ Prospect rep Christina Evans (right), with Karthik Krishnan (centre), an IT ­professional working on sub-contract to BT

Belfast closes the race divide

Mervyn Jones MERVYN JONES, former president of the Electrical Power Engineers Association, died in hospital in October. Mervyn, who worked for the CEGB and then the National Grid, was EPEA president from 1988-89 and later became a trustee of the National Grid Pension Fund.

Indian staff understand their rights and the commission’s role.

Thanking organisers Christina Evans and Anne Killen for their hard work, national executive committee member Philip O’Rawe said: “There was very good inter-action between the people who came, everyone appreciated it and this can only be good for working relations in the company. Thanks also go to BT and the commission, who both supported the event financially.”

TELLING THE UNION STORY THE TUC Library Collection is getting back to “business as usual” following a major refit at its home in the London Metropolitan University.

Founded in 1922, the library documents the history of British trade unionism since the TUC was established in 1868. It contains collections of material spanning the past 150 years, including union publications from Britain and abroad.

The collection’s website www.unionhistory.info is a gateway to The Union Makes Us Strong: TUC History Online, a partnership between London Metropolitan University and the TUC in support of their strategies for lifelong learning, with support from the Big Lottery Fund.

©TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

chair in 1986 and was elected to the NEC in 1987. At that time she was one of only four women members on the executive, where she campaigned to broaden the union’s bargaining agenda to include flexible working, childcare and other equalities issues.

Steve Kay, HSE branch councillor, said: “Gillian was one of the most single-minded people I knew and had remarkable attention to detail which she used to great effect in negotiations. She could be both awkward and incredibly kind and always kept us on our toes.”

Former president Phil Kemball also paid tribute: “Whether the business was national or branch, Gillian was always clear and principled. She was a great champion of science and scientists, pointing out on many occasions how poorly paid many of them were.”

Fellow NEC member Joanne Harding added: “Gillian was very determined and could be quite prickly. She burst a few egos, reminding them in debate that the union member always came first.”

In 2004 Gillian moved to the UK Borders Agency, where she worked until she retired in March.

PROSPECT REPS in Belfast held a special event in November to mark Northern Ireland’s Race Equality Month. They organised a celebration of Celtic and Indian culture at BT’s Riverside Tower HQ, where more than 100 Indian IT professionals work as sub-contractors.

Indian food and video mixed with displays of costumes, musical instruments and books from both countries. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland had its own stand to help both local and

■■ From the collection: Women surface workers at Rose Bridge Pits, Wigan 1865. The 1842 Mines Act barred women and children from working underground

HOT OFF the presses this month are two new volumes by Prospect members. Itching to Climb is the inspiring tale of Barbara James, whose severe eczema was relieved by her discovery of mountaineering in the 1960s.

Her autobiography recounts her life as a mountaineer, as a civilian trainer of soldiers for the Ministry of Defence in Folkestone and as a dedicated world traveller.

It is the story of one woman’s undaunted spirit facing challenges head on.

It is published at £8.99 by Troubador [www.troubador. co.uk/matador] “There’s a need for a lot more understanding of eczema sufferers and their condition,” says Barbara. “I hope my book will reassure people who have eczema that there is hope for their future, and that many people experience an improvement. But it does need to be taken more seriously: for instance, while there are asthma nurses in GPs surgeries, wouldn’t it be a good idea if specialist nurses also catered for eczema.”

COLUMN INCHES

Prospect’s other author of the month is Norman Jacobs, who worked at the British Museum for 37 years. Behind the Colonnade – published by www.thehistorypress.co.uk — tells of his involvement in many of the museum’s major projects including the separation of the British Library and the building of the Great Court.

It includes previously unpublished photographs and plans, and rare images of parts of the museum which are now demolished.

Profile

Was your pension scheme represented?

THE SEVENTH annual meeting of Prospect’s Trustee Network took place in Birmingham in early November.

The meeting brought together Prospect members who act as trustees of pension schemes in many sectors, ranging from the electricity, nuclear and communications industries to former public bodies that have been privatised.

The main issues discussed at the meeting included changes to the inflation measure used to index pensions and proposals for reform of the pensions taxation regime.

Representatives were also able to share experiences and discuss relevant issues that had arisen in their scheme during the year or were likely to arise in the near future.

Neil Walsh, Prospect’s pension officer, said that trustees

carry out an invaluable role on behalf of members of their pension schemes. “It is important that Prospect supports members who are trustees to undertake their duties.

“Any members who have recently taken up the role of trustee to a pension scheme should contact me if they would like to receive details of training events, the annual meeting and other support offered by Prospect.”

In turn, branches should ensure that any members who are trustees are aware of the support provided by Prospect.

Walsh stressed that branches should discuss succession planning with current trustees so that there is continuity in undertaking this vital role.

■■ You can contact Neil at neil.walsh@prospect.org.uk

■■ Radical folk band Protest in Harmony give a rousing rendition of ‘Freedom come all ye’ in the Ross bandstand at the STUC’s ‘There is a better way’ march and rally against public spending cuts, held in October at Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

20p off your tax

BRITISH LIBRARY’S Robert Laurie was presented with a Long Service Award in October by deputy vice-president Denise McGuire.

Robert, who has left the library to live in Scotland, joined IPMS in 1990.

He became a health and safety rep after suffering food poisoning one lunchtime and “discovering that the list of first aiders on display included

dead people.”

For many years Robert edited BL’s branch newsletter and was secretary of the library’s London section.

During his time, Robert handled a great number of personal cases as well as negotiating with senior management over restructuring, finance, HR, redeployment and other issues.

EVERY YEAR Prospect is contacted by members anxious to learn if their union subscription is eligible for tax relief.

Unfortunately, Prospect is a trade union and not a professional institution so your subscription does not qualify.

But one part of the union subscription is eligible for relief – the amount used to provide death benefits to members’ dependants.

Prospect’s expenditure on death benefits in 2009 was £74,000, which represents approximately 71p – or 0.38 per cent – of a member’s subscription.

For a basic rate taxpayer the 71p that is eligible would yield the magnificent sum of 14p in tax relief.

But because Revenue self-assessment return forms require taxpayers to enter figures in whole pounds only, the claim can be rounded up to £1 – which raises the value of the relief to a princely 20p for a basic rate taxpayer. Enjoy!

December 7/10

■

27

SUBS RATES SET FOR 2.5% RISE

PROSPECT SUBSCRIPTION rates will increase next month by 2.5 per cent, in line with the decision taken by national conference in June.

The decision affects members in the main banded structure but not the energy industry sector, whose subscriptions continue to be covered by the 0.55 per cent of earnings formula.

Next year’s increase is the first in two years. It follows the freeze on subs and thresholds put in place for 2010 to mitigate the impact of the recession, which saw many members in both the public and private sectors endure a standstill on pay.

The 2011 increase compares with a CPI inflation rate of 3.2 per cent in October and an RPI rate of 4.5 per cent.

During 2009 the average pay settlement secured by Prospect was 2.6 per cent and the figure so far for 2010 is 2.4 per cent.

Next year the main rates and the five band thresholds will all increase. As salaries change, so members will need to check that they are still in the right subs band and do not need to be moved up or down.

The rates paid by individuals will be notified to them in December. Salaries on which individuals were allocated to subscription bands were those held by Prospect on Friday November 26.

Please check you are paying the right amount and notify membership@prospect. org.uk if you need to change band.

NEW RATES FROM JANUARY 2011 Band

Threshold £

Lower Special* Upper Lower Band 1 Upper Lower Band 2 Upper Lower Band 3 Upper Lower Band 4 Upper Lower Band 5 Upper Retired (annual) Retired (life)

0 11,800 11,801 16,850 16,851 20,780 20,781 25,835 25,836 34,820 34,821 —

per month

per year

£

£

1.13

13.56

6.30

75.60

8.66

103.92

11.02

132.24

13.94

167.28

16.14

193.68

3.16 —

37.92 379.20

*For members who are unemployed, on unpaid leave, on unpaid maternity leave or in between contracts

ESI SECTOR (WHERE THERE IS RECOGNITION) Full member paying by 0.55% of gross basic check-off (from salary, salary capped at £252 credit card, debit card or pa (exceptions apply in direct debit) particular branches)

AGM OF SCOTTISH REGIONAL BRANCH THE ANNUAL general meeting of the Scottish regional branch of Prospect will be held on Monday January 17 at the Terraces Hotel, 4 Melville Terrace, Stirling, commencing at 6.00 pm.

If you are able to attend please either email Caroline Boyd at caroline.boyd@prospect.org.uk or phone her on 0131 558 2660. All members welcome.

RETIRED MEMBERS

Profile 28

■

December Decembe77/10 6/10 BOB WILLIAMS

SEPT 28–NOVEMBER 18 Prospect regrets to announce the deaths of the following members, notified to headquarters between September 28 and November 18, 2010:

■■ Easy targets: Pensioners wore Cameron and Clegg masks and listed their broken pledges

Pensioners join cuts protests PROSPECT MEMBERS were among a thousand pensioners from across the UK who gathered in Westminster in October to lobby their MPs over cuts to pensions, care services and other benefits.

The protest, organised by the National Pensioners Convention, highlighted concerns that cuts in public spending will have a disproportionate effect on millions of older people through loss of pension income, care services and benefits such as the winter fuel allowance.

Among the concerns listed by NPC are: ●● changing the indexation of the state pension from RPI to the lower CPI, which will lead to below-inflation rises in the state pension ●● reducing the winter fuel allowance from £250 to £200 for the under-80s and from £400 to £300 for the over-80s, when last winter there was a 49 per cent increase in

the death rate among older people ●● a £4bn shortfall in funding for social care services, when the system is already in crisis due to under-funding and demand is growing ●● cuts in local government funding which will lead to a loss of services such as day care centres and meals on wheels ●● reductions in bus operating grants which will lead to a loss of services that are vital to the mobility and independence of older people ●● cuts to housing benefit that could lead to vulnerable older people becoming homeless or living in unsuitable properties.

Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary, said: “Whether through lower pensions, reduced care services or cuts to winter fuel payments, older people are being told to shoulder a much bigger burden than those at the top.”

RE-CONNECT MEMBERS TO JOIN RMG RE-CONNECT IS the organisation for former members of Connect who wanted to retain links with the union and maintain their own network.

It provided an important forum to discuss issues of concern and keep in touch with Connect’s work on relevant industrial relations matters such as occupational pensions.

Inevitably the interests and concerns of re-connect members are very similar to those of Prospect’s retired members’ group, so whether and how to bring the two organisations together has been the subject of a lively and detailed debate.

In the light of this year’s merger between Prospect and Connect, the re-connect executive committee carefully considered

how members’ interests could best be served in future. At the recent AGM it was decided to dissolve the organisation and invite all re-connect members to join the RMG. As part of an information pack from their executive committee, members were each sent a letter from Leslie Manasseh, the deputy general secretary who heads up the Connect sector, setting out the benefits of membership and briefly explaining how the RMG works. Joining the RMG has been made as simple a process as possible.

“Throughout these discussions there was full consultation with the RMG itself. Both groups of members have so much in common that a successful transition is expected. We wish them all well,” said Leslie.

SOUTH-EAST MIDLANDS

be sent to members expected to attend. Lunch available from pubs or restaurants nearby. Free on-street parking in Southdown Road. Trains met at Harpenden station by prior arrangement. Members coming should phone Stuart Stearn (secretary) on 01727 837004 or Peter Welbank on 01582 763634 for confirmation of venue. For members in postcodes AL, HP, LU, MK, SG and WD.

The South-East Midlands area will meet on Tuesday February 8, provisionally at the Quaker Meeting House, 12 Southdown Road, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 1PD at 2.30 pm, principally to decide policy on motions submitted for the RMG ADC on February 16. Advance copies of the agenda will

Mr J L Attridge Dr J R Banbury Mr R Bayley Mr P M Bell Mrs L M Bell Mr V Birbeck Mr P J Blackman Mrs G M Booth Mr P N Bragg Mr G P Bragg Mr N M Brewer Mr R Burrows Mr J Butterfield Mr J Ceiriog-Hughes Mr E G Chapman Mr W H B Collins Mr J Dadswell Mr B Donald Mr P W Dowding Mr L J Edmunds Mr R H Edmundson Mr E O Edwards Mr D English Mr F J Ewing Mr D B Feltham Mr W G D Gregory Mrs H M A Hetherington Mrs M J Huxtable Mr H B Johnson Mr R M Jones Mr C D Kopkin Mr R L Learmonth Mr D E T Lewis Ms G M Lowe Mr N M MacIver Mr F J McDonald Mr T McDowell Mrs B McGoff Mr P McLoughlin Mr S A Millar Ms C Mills Mr J F Mitchell Mr G G Morris Mr M Munn Mr D Owen Dr I F Owens Mr P Pearce Mr A T Pearce Mr W D Perry Mr J R Petrie Mr R M Phillipps Mr J A Raad Mr G Rae Mr J R Reading Mr R Redding Mr G Rees Mr D V Richards Mr G Rodgers Mr D Rogie Mr C Samuel Mr A Silcock Mr D J Sims Mr G T Sneddon Mr B C Soanes Mr R L Spicer Mr C J Sykes Mr J E Toms Mr F Veall Mr G W Vidler Mr C M Waldron Mr A B Watson Mr W Watson Mrs V A White Mr J Wood Mrs G A Young

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LETTERS

Profile 30

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December 7/10 Letters should be sent by email to profile@prospect.org.uk, via fax on 020 7902 6665 or by post for the attention of the editor, New Prospect House, 8 Leake Street, London SE1 7NN. Emails preferred. Letters may be shortened for reasons of space.

PrizeLetter of the month receives a £10 book token

Is this any way for government to behave?

The night before Eric Pickles made his statement on the Government Offices to the House of Commons he met with trade union reps from the GOs. We gave him strong, evidencebased examples of how the offices’ existing knowledge and relationships could significantly help to facilitate the government’s aims around localism and the ‘big society’. We urged him to reflect on the value of these relationships and consider the impact of closure for both localism and the big society agenda.

Eric Pickles described our requests for information and consultation as reasonable but asked for a little time to reflect on detail. Clearly he had no intention of doing so, as at 10.00am the next day he announced his intention in principle to abolish the GOs. The concerns raised by the trade union side about the importance of a government presence outside Whitehall were ignored. I was left with the feeling that the meeting was no more than a tick-box exercise.

The decision cuts against the grain of what the coalition government professes it wants to achieve with its big society.

The role of the GO network has been to support localism and make Whitehall less remote to the citizens of the English

CPI move will cost us dear With regard to the effect of using CPI instead of RPI as a measure of pension increases, the government has kindly agreed that where wages rise higher than CPI, pensioners will benefit from the higher rate. Since the government knows that wages are virtually stagnant it is not a generous offer.

The latest available wage index is 1.9 per cent for July, so the increase in pensions next April will be based on the September CPI figure of 3.1 per cent. As the RPI figure is 4.6 per cent there is a reduction of 1.5 per cent compared with what would have operated under the old system.

For a £10,000 pension, this means £150

regions and to act as a conduit and facilitator for government policy. Abolishing the GOs will only centralise power even more in Whitehall and represents a missed opportunity for the government to deliver its policy.

Contrary to what the minister says, the network is well respected and was placed in the top quartile of public sector organisations for user satisfaction in a recent survey. Local people have been told that they will now have to deal with a multitude of remote government departments based in London, via the internet. Is this really decentralisation?

On top of facing redundancy, ministers have deliberately sought to vilify and demonise us by suggesting we have taken taxpayers for a ride. In one example it was suggested staff had been on an away-day to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

In fact it was a modest event arranged by the GO for the defence secretary to talk to 70 members of the public about Afghanistan and other issues in a room at the Pleasure Beach. No one got anywhere near the funfair and it was certainly not held for the benefit of civil servants. These allegations are unworthy of any employer, let alone the government, and demand an apology.

■■ Tyler Wakeford, GO section chair, Bristol

sequestration of individual pensioners’ pension pots will have a very significant impact. On average, for someone just starting to draw their pension, the hit equates to 2.1 years’ worth of pension. It is a scandal of the same order as Equitable Life. For those such as me, who have purchased added years, it is even more of a swindle.

If the government is allowed to get away with it, what’s to stop them changing the rules again? Perhaps next year we’ll be told they cannot even afford CPI indexation – what then? Indeed, in terms of public policy, when government itself has shown the way by putting its hands in the pension till, what confidence can anyone have in their company pension scheme?

Surely there must be some way to challenge this action in respect of accrued pension rights and pensions in payment, through the courts if necessary. Does Article 1 of Part II, the First Protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, incorporated into UK law under the Human Rights Act 1998, not guarantee peaceful enjoyment of one’s possessions, and is not accrued pension a possession held in trust?

less in the next financial year and a loss for men over their average retirement of £34,872 – or £51,896 for women as they live longer.

While the difference between CPI and RPI will vary, the effect of the increase in VAT to 20 per cent will affect RPI more than CPI so I have little hope of a better outcome in future.

■■ Chris Hewitt, Ceredigion Page 3 reports on the latest developments in the CPI saga. The first protocol of the ECHR does indeed protect possessions and pensions are recognised as a possession.

That is why Prospect has been taking legal advice on this issue – watch this space.

■■ Alfred Reading, West Molesey, Surrey

Obscene indifference

CPI pension switch must be challenged

I’m glad that Prospect is not affiliated to any political party. On October 20, I watched the prime minister, the chancellor of the exchequer and the deputy prime minister laughing, patting each other’s backs and congratulating themselves after announcing their chosen way to cut the deficit. The scene was made worse by the sight and sound of their backbenchers’

What is Prospect doing to challenge the government’s intention to move from RPI to CPI indexation for public sector pension schemes?

In particular, for those with accrued rights?

The impact of what is, in effect, a partial

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First correct PrizeCrossword entry drawn from a hat will receive a £20 book token. Send your completed PrizeCrossword, plus your name, address and membership number, to the Editor at New Prospect House (see address above) Entries must be received by Friday January 14, 2011

Cross Dec2010 NAME / ADDRESS:

ACROSS 1 Seafood or beef, say (6) 4 Feature covering insect (6) 10 Repeatedly run away from jerboa (6,3) 11 Hearing test (5) 12 Former Soviet statesman’s cocktail? (7) 13 Person in control using right part of tool first (7) 14 Get mechanical breakdown of long-term difference in weather (7,6) 16 Luggage one is not free to take on board (6,7) 21 Fruit, a pear with middle removed I put by bed (7) 22 Continually in favour at all times (7) 24 State I’d removed plants (5) 25 Carthorse startled musicians (9) 26 In winter sat Zoe the substitute (6) 27 Strongly-built redhead in the room (6) DOWN 1 Made time inside for continental lady (6) 2 Lisa’s twisted fibre (5) 3 Maturer sort of mistake (7)

5 6 7 8

One receives waves from girl, about ten (7) Toy revolver (9) Georgia learning in abundance (6) I took a seat whilst having lack of necessities outside during transfer of ownership from state (13) 9 Where one expects to find miner working directly involved with production (2,3,8) 15 Unit of light you are reportedly using promises to be very comfortable (9) 17 In French church worker has charm (7) 18 Grant me replacement item of clothing (7) 19 Two fellows in real trouble with sweepstake (6) 20 Attempt to take food into agreement (6) 23 Provo terribly concerned about inclusion of one of the electorate (5) ■■ Solution to appear in the next issue ANSWERS OCTOBER 2010 – ACROSS: 1 Teamster 6 Asthma 9 Fringe 10 Alliance 11 Password 12 Shop 14 Steward 16 Splotch 18 Mixture 19 Epitaph 21 Stir 22 Showdown 25 Parallel 26 Elisha 27 Wealth 28 Rumbelow.

DOWN: 2 Earn 3 Manna 4 Treasurer 5 Reason 6 Ailed 7 Transport 8 Microscope 13 Striptease 15 Waterfall 17 Pipe-dream 20 Collar 22 Sylph 23 White 24 Ohio.

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LETTERS

Profile December 7/10

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31

ProfileINDEX – December 2010

puerile paper-waving antics.

Such obscene indifference to the harm that will inevitably be caused by their decisions to us, who they purport to represent, was matched only by the shame they brought to the high offices of state they fill.

That image of those three belittled millionaires will go with me to every polling station and remain embedded in my memory alongside Thatcher’s ‘enemy within’ denigration of trade unionists and Brown’s inept removal of the 10p tax band.

To ensure political fairness, Clegg’s betrayal of the electorate should also be embedded but sadly it is unexceptional these days, so fails to meet the criteria.

Wheel turns full circle Isn’t it amazing? After 14 years since the privatising, disbanding and break up of HMSO, the eminent businessman Sir Philip Green, owner of Top Shop, has now proposed that the government should meet its requirements by central purchasing!

HMSO was a great organisation and served British governments for over 200 years, in a most efficient and cost-saving manner. Not only that, it was an excellent place to work – I enjoyed over 37 years of working life there.

■■ Fred Stubbs, Brundall, Norwich

■■ Barry Nesbitt, Charminster

Higher electricity prices are good for the world Let’s face it, Prospect is full of nuclear power and weapons junkies, hence the imbalance in views on climate change and the role of renewables in your pages. What puzzles me is why fans of nuclear power are so paranoid about renewable energy; it’s the hydrocarbon industry that should be worried.

All serious scientific opinion accepts the reality of anthropogenic CO2 build-up over the last century and the consequences for climate and sea level. There are simple answers to the problem of renewable energy sources not being able to maintain supply because of natural variations in wind, on which we are becoming reliant. One is gas, another is to build estuarine and marine tidal energy capacity, but it is simply untrue to claim that there has to be massive conventional back-up for renewables.

Chris Huhne (Profile 6/10) is gritting his teeth over the push for new nuclear capacity, but he is absolutely right about the priorities.

Whether any of these measures will be in time to save the world from catastrophe I doubt (just look at the CO2 graph) but we have to try. One thing is for sure, whether you like nuclear or renewable, any increase in electricity price is good for business and for the world.

■■ Richard Scott, Cumbria

A star at any age Page 20 of the October Profile said: “We must recruit graduates” then went on to say: “Young graduates will...”

What about older graduates? I graduated with a 2.1 honours degree when I was over 60! There are many others out there who graduate late on in life who could also play a vital role in driving economic recovery – so please, not just young graduates.

■■ Les Welling, Wilts

It’s our job to keep staff safe – and we’re doing it A False Sense of Security (Profile 5/10) was written by a staff member of the Environment Agency who has no role in the security of the agency. It does little to help our requirement

to ensure the safety of our information, assets and employees.

The article claims that the need to wear ID has never been explained. In fact, during 2009 a series of 42 presentations were made by the corporate security team across the whole of the agency, covering both the mandatory requirement for wearing ID and highlighting incidents where the unauthorised entry of a member of the public into our offices led to attacks on members of staff.

On the issue of losing the ID card, which is a combined ID and entry swipe card, once again the facts are incorrect. Most of our sites have a separate ID card from the access card or entry fob. Those sites where the two are combined are being phased out to improve physical security. In the same vein we have stressed that ID is to be worn whilst on EA premises. The roadshow presentations advised staff to remove them when leaving the office and thus reduce potential loss and prevent the ID being seen as some kind of ‘badge of belonging’.

The assertion that if someone is wearing ID, they must be in the premises for a legitimate business purpose, should be true if the correct sign-in and authentication procedures are followed. If the person is carrying ID that does not belong to them this should be visible from the photograph on the badge. This is the very reason we insist it is worn visibly on the upper part of the body.

I have generally found our staff to understand these issues fully and to support our approach to security.

■■ David Jordan, director of operations, Environment Agency, Bristol

Climate change, what facts?

One man’s misrepresentation is another man’s opinion. Andy Chadwick (ViewPoint 6/10), inadvertently illustrates the whole problem with climate change – the total lack of certain key data. Theories abound, but that is all they are.

To justify my statement that CO2 affects only one radiation frequency I refer to IPCC document Climate Change 1994. Talking about the 15μm wavelength, it says: “CO2 absorption is indeed saturated at these wavelengths.” On the other main wavelength effect at 10μm, it says: “...it is about 1 million times weaker than the peak at 15μm.”

This justifies my statement, that above 280ppm CO2 has a very small effect on blocking radiation. I did not claim it had no effect, only that it would cause less than half the observed temperature rise between 1980 and 1990. The remainder must be made up by positive feedback, estimates of which rely on complicated climate models.

Conveniently, Dr Eric Wolff’s article in the same issue details some of the uncertainties of climate modelling, particularly for clouds.

Until these models are better proven it is premature to say that temperatures for the year 2015 can be predicted with an accuracy of a fraction of a degree.

I stand by my statement that CO2 levels have been higher than now and the Earth has been at higher and lower temperatures. Andy Chadwick chooses the Cretaceous period to justify the link between CO2 and temperature, whereas I would counter with snowball Earth during the Proterozoic, when temperatures were much lower and CO2 higher.

Yes, CO2 is linked to temperature, but the crucial question is does it lag or lead temperature change? There is very good reason why CO2 levels should rise with temperature, as shown in the Antarctic ice cores, since it becomes less soluble in seawater. But historically CO2 has not driven temperature change and without unproven climate models cannot be shown to be doing so now.

As to whether temperature has risen since 1998 – look at the global average temperature anomaly in Dr Wolff’s article.

■■ Martin Beaney, Shaldon

M ND

DEC10

Replace letters with digits to make the characters correct:

AB x C = CD (CD x C) + A = EF ABCDEF x C = CDEFAB What is ABCDEF?

n Solution to appear in the next issue

Thinks...? SolutionOct10 1: CREDITORS, DIRECTORS, RECORDIST 2: LOOK BACK IN ANGER

6 11 26 10 10 26 8 8 11 12 19 13 14 3 4 3,7 20 24 5 4 26 12 3 19 24 13 23 22 25 24 26 11 7 7 8 9 9 19 15 13 14 27 8 14 9 4 10 3 6 20 4 8 27 3,21 28 6 28 27 3,17 5 27 18 27 26 16 9 23 5 22 18 13 20

Audit Commission inquiry AWE pay dispute Belfast equality event Benefits claimant testing Bird flu balloonist Book reviews British Energy recruitment BT Cornwall project BT mental health service BT pay gap Casefile Central Networks sale Clinical negligence award CPI pensions move CSR cutbacks Devonport base petition Fawcett Society review Fifty years ago Forestry Commission sale General secretary election Gillian Lowe Government economic strategy HSE budget cuts Hutton pensions evidence In the News Indicators Isle of Man bee inspector Isle of Man Viking rep Legal quiz of the year Meet Sharon Hancock Mervyn Jones Metropolitan Police civilian staff MOD civilian covenant MOD cuts protest National Trust recruitment NATS change award NATS sell-off protest NHS dental services cuts Nigel Titchen interview ONS back pay victory Payplan debt advice Pension trustee network Pensions tax relief Personal injury award Prestwick centre Profile competition winner Profile reader offer Profile recruitment winners Prospect email addresses Prospect equality seminar Prospect parliamentary forum Prospect regional offices Prospect subscriptions 2011 Public Bodies Bill Re-connect Redfern report Retired members protest Robert Laurie LSA Science cuts rally Scotland CSR cutbacks Scottish regional branch STUC protest Subscriptions tax relief TUC library collection TUC spending cuts rally Uchange4better UnionEyes Wales CSR cutbacks WebWise Women in engineering World Skills award Young safety review

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