Centrepoint

The magazine for GMB members Winter 2012

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an Apple iPhone!

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GMB members

make some noise!

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gold star!

TUC celebrates our ! r e n r u T y r a M n w o y r e v Use your smartphone to bring this issue to life! See p9

Get elected to

l a n o i g e r council GMB Birmingham and West Midlands regional council is an elected body that oversees the regional committee and meets twice a year to make decisions on the things that matter to members in the region.

If you have been a GMB member for more than one year, you are entitled to stand for election to the council and influence the decisions that affect your fellow GMB members in the region.

You can seek nomination by contacting your GMB branch (shown on your membership card). Nominations close on 28 February 2013. The newly elected regional council will take office on 15 April. For more information, contact your GMB regional office.

Advice in line with GMB rules 17F, 18.3, 19, and 20.

get ready for

3 1 0 2 ss e congr

making! n io is c e d B M G f o rt a ce to be p Don’t miss your chan is built on n will follow – but this t polices the unio ha w s de ci u’re not already de yo if ss re So . ng ar ye e th GMB Co of st branches over the re tings take place ee m ch an Br t. the hard work of GMB ar st to ch, now’s the time involved in your bran ake a difference. m to ce an ch u yo e ar regularly and

SAy HAVE YOUR

ss 2013...

To attend GMB Congre by your branch You must be nominated B member for 53 weeks GM p -u id pa a en be ve You must ha t reach regional office us m ns io ot m ’s ch an Your br by 31 January 2013 outh, 2-6 June 2013 ym Pl in e ac pl s ke ta ss GMB Congre

• • •

02 www.gmb.org.uk

FIND YOUR GMB BRANCH

Find your GMB branch on your membership card or ask your GMB workplace organiser.

Alternatively, check your profile at

www.gmb.org.uk

In this issue...

Joe Morgan and West GMB Birmingham secretary al on gi re ds Midlan

GMB members fly the flag at the Chainmakers’ Festival Page 5

Regional

National

4 Fight for the future

9 Get elected with GMB

5 Chain gang

12 TUC cracker!

6 Waging war

13 Paul Kenny

8 Back to school

14 The heat is on

25 Keep the police public

15 Pensions for all!

26 Spot the scammers

16 Paul Routledge

28 On course for success

18 Better off with GMB

29 Beat the bullies

20 The best you can be

30 SHOUT it out

22 Watch your wages!

31 Contact GMB

24 The Full Monti

GMB battles youth unemployment

Celebrating the Chainmakers’ Festival

GMB defends the national pay agreement

GMB joins the Unions Into Schools initiative

Bob Jones is working hard in the West Mids

Don’t be taken in by scam letters

Learn new skills with GMB training courses

Being bullied at work? GMB can help!

The LGBT group speaks up for equality

Names and numbers you can call on

Front cover: Andrew Wiard/ Rex Features

Mary Turner gets a TUC gold badge Page 12

GMB regional editor Samantha Jones: 0121 550 4888 Editorial director Stephen Pierce Editor Simon Hugo Art editor Johnny Goddard Contributors Jake Day-Williams, Victoria Ford, Jayne Nelson, Matthew Robinson Advertising manager Debbie Blackman Account managers David Parker, Lisa Dunham Production and procurement manager Matt Eglinton Production co-ordinator Katty Skardon Creative director Matthew Williams Design director Dylan Channon Director, Future Plus UK Jayne Caple Printed at St Ives Direct

We’ll help you stand for office – and win!

Award for national president Mary Turner

A word from your general secretary

Sign the petition for fairer energy policies

How automatic enrolment will affect you

The Mirror man on the future of gas

Our annual report on GMB membership

GMB’s John Kane on living with Parkinson’s

Beware the dangers of regional pay

GMB defeats EU threat to workers rights

Produced by Future Plus, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

Would you like to advertise in GMB Centre Point magazine?

Please contact Debbie Blackman on 01225 442 244 (ex 2243)

Our economy cannot be stimulated by wage restraint and fear This year’s Labour party conference was a very upbeat affair, with the not-so-new slogan of ‘One Nation’, which was first used by Disraeli. Unfortunately, after all the applause had died down, we found out that Labour is preparing to follow the dogma of wage restraint that is being peddled by the Tories. If we are to come out of this double-dip recession intact, we need growth in the economy – and that growth will not be stimulated by wage restraint and fear of unemployment. If workers are fearful about their future, they do not spend. If they do not spend, the economy remains stagnant. It’s not rocket science, it’s simply common sense which is sadly bereft from a lot of politicians.

GMB Birmingham and West Midlands also had a very successful demonstration in at the opening of the Tory conference in Birmingham in October. We made it very clear to Cameron and co that their ideologically driven austerity programme is not welcome in the second city!

Moving into 2013, we will be working hard to further improve GMB membership figures in the region. A lot of members in the south-west have now been transferred to the newly enlarged Wales and South West region. I would like to thank all of our representatives and activists from that area for all they have done for the region and the membership over the years, and I am sure they will continue that good work in the future.

We must now make sure that we buildup our membership once more – and as soon as is practically possible. This will only be achieved by all officers, staff and activists pulling in the same direction for success.

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 03

l a n o i reg

E T A UPD

B M G m o r f s All the new

FIGHT

RE U T U F E H T FOR GMB gets behind campaign to beat youth unemployment

H

ere’s GMB Birmingham and West Midlands regional secretary Joe Morgan signing the TUC’s charter for A Future That Works.

The charter calls for urgent action by government, employers and other organisations to address the shocking unemployment crisis that is facing young people today.

In parts of the Birmingham and West Midlands region, youth unemployment is now double the national average, with one in every 10 young people claiming jobseekers’ allowance.

04 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

Many young people are unable to get the skills and qualifications they need to find work, a situation that has only been made worse since the coalition government scrapped the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and increased university tuition fees.

Of the young people that do have jobs, many are not earning enough to support themselves and their families.

You can take positive action towards a Future That Works by asking your MP to sign the charter. To get started, just enter your home postcode at tinyurl.com/ftwcharter

GET CHARTER!

What the campaign is calling for: Guaranteed paid work or training to every young person who has been out of work for six months or longer.

Apprenticeship schemes at all public sector bodies and their contractors.

Good quality work experience for all young people, with a job interview at the end.

Short-term welfare reform to allow young people to return to full-time education without losing benefits.

In the longer term, a youth credit scheme to help all young people boost both their learning and employment prospects.

Extra measures to help young people stay in education and to help with transport costs so they can get to work.

• • • • • •

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk

regional

Backing the

chain gang GMB forges community links at 2012 Chainmakers’ Festival

STANDING TALL A statue was dedicated to the chainmakers.

G

MB members and their families came together for the eighth annual Women Chainmakers’ Festival in June, celebrating the landmark struggle for better pay by the women workers of Cradley Heath in 1910.

The festival, which is organised by Midlands TUC and supported by GMB, was held at the Bearmore Mound, in the heart of the community where the chainmakers lived and worked.

The day began with the unveiling of a statue by local sculptor Luke Perry, dedicated to the 800-plus women who took part in the historic dispute, and their leader Mary Macarthur.

This was followed by a parade through Cradley Heath High Street, led

by local schoolchildren carrying banners they had made especially for the event.

The chainmakers’ strike in 1910 lasted for 10 weeks before bosses agreed to a minimum wage for women who were earning just 25p a week. They were so successful in attracting support that they were able to build a workers’ institute from all the surplus donations.

“The coming home of the festival to Cradley Heath is significant to the local community and has been an enormous success,” said GMB equalities officer Gillian Whittaker. “The involvement of local schoolchildren this year shows how the community is proud of its history and wants to recall the lessons of the past so we don’t repeat them.

“GMB is now at the heart of planning for next year’s Women Chainmakers’ Festival to ensure that it is even bigger and better, and that this important celebration becomes a national event.”

The next Women Chainmakers’ Festival is planned for 8 June 2013.

Willing and disabled

Remploy dispute rumbles on…

GMB members from the region’s Remploy factories have joined GMB’s continuing fight to stop government plans to sell off or close factories that employ more than 1,400 disabled workers.

Disabled workers from Remploy sites in Coventry and Birmingham took part in strike action on 19 July, with a good turnout at both factories attracting fresh public support and media coverage. Birmingham members staged a second walkout on 6 August.

“To close these factories in the present economic climate is a sentence to a life of

unemployment and poverty,” said GMB national officer Phil Davies. “These strikes are a rallying point, giving each local community the opportunity to stand behind disabled workers.”

Though the Birmingham and Coventry sites are still clinging on in the face of government attacks, the Department for Work and Pensions is planning a second wave of closures next year.

GMB continues to fight for its disabled members in the face of growing ferocity from the Tory-led coalition. Find out how to show your support at www.gmb.org.uk

MILLER TIME (IS OVER ) Members slammed the minister for disabled people, Maria Miller, who has now been replaced .

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 05

regional

UPDATE

£ 1 8 k o t O N y a S

from GMB All the news

postcode pay

Sign up to stop Osborne’s postcode lottery

£24k

R

egional pay would have a “significant negative impact on the economy” according to a new study by the TUC. The damning report says that Chancellor George Osborne is entirely wrong to consider variable wages for people doing the same job in different parts of the country as a solution to Britain’s economic woes.

The TUC study comes hot on the heels of strong opposition to regional pay from GMB members at this year’s annual Congress in Brighton. Delegates warned that regional profiling would mean dismantling hardwon national pay agreements, and send wages on a downward spiral in many areas of the UK. Many pay agreements are in the public sector, which provides more than half the jobs in the Birmingham and West Midlands region. In other parts of the UK, NHS trusts are already looking at regional pay, and this can only serve to drive wedges between different part of the country.

GMB is fighting regional pay at every level and you can show your support by signing an e-petition that will be seen by the Department of Health. The ‘Say no to postcode pay” petition already has 20,000 signatures, and every new name counts. To add yours to the list, go to epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/36063 and contact your local GMB office if you would like to do more.

£21k

become an Get involved 06 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

GMB accompanying reps are members who give up their time to represent members in workplaces that do not have union recognition and organisation.

They are an increasingly important way of supporting members who joined GMB at an organised workplace, but have since been forced to move by the current economic downturn.

We are always on the lookout for more accompanying reps, and provide full training for members willing to give up their time to represent others.

If you work part-time, have rest days, or are unemployed or retired, being an accompanying rep could be just the thing for you. You’ll gain new skills and experience, with a fee and full expenses paid for each representation you carry out on behalf of our members.

GMB Birmingham and West Midlands region will be holding an open day in the near future for anyone interested in becoming an accompanying rep. To find out more about the event, call Jackie Cash on 0121 550 4888 or send an email to jackie.cash@gmb.org.uk

Rex Features

accompanying rep!

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Class warfare GMB takes a valuable lesson into schools

SCHOOL RE: UNION o Could you be a Unions Int e? ativ ent res rep ls Schoo The scheme is run by the Midlands TUC, who will train GMB lay representatives and supply them with valuable resources to reach as many young people as possible.

If you can spare some time and would like to volunteer for this innovative project,

NOT FADE AWAY GMB’s retired members go from strength to strength

R

egional education, equalities and health and safety officer Gillian Whittaker has been appointed to promote the interests of the Retired Members Association (RMA) in the region. She is working

GILLIAN WHITTAKER Promoting retired members’ interests in the region.

08 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

call Gillian Whittaker in the education department on 0121 550 4888 or email gillian.whittaker@gmb.org.uk All shortlisted volunteers will be required to undergo CRB checks.

we’ve got the nac!

GMB gets full negotiation rights at Birmingham firm

brian adams Chair of the Birmingham and West Midlands RMA. closely with the RMA chair, Brian Adams on issues including the state of pensions and winter fuel payments.

Gillian is also the person to contact if you have a story for the new RMA newsletter, which launches soon. You can call her on 0121 550 4888 or email gillian.whittaker@gmb.org.uk The RMA is always looking for more retired members to get involved in campaigns, and to attend its meetings, which take place four times a year at the regional office. To find out more about the RMA, visit the regional website at www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

Well done to GMB members at Birmingham’s NAC Outsourcing, where new GMB organiser Rebecca Mitchell has secured sole negotiation rights for GMB. Rebecca has also set up a partnership between the company and GMB’s education department to deliver learning opportunities to members, including full apprenticeships.

Nine new GMB workplace organisers and union learning representatives (ULRs) have now completed their GMB@WORK training. They are now hard at work getting the best for GMB members at the company, which employs more than 400 staff, working with DHL and Jaguar Land Rover on manufacturing, logistics and administration.

Rex Features

A

s youth unemployment grows to its highest ever level in the West Midlands, GMB is getting behind a programme to prepare school leavers for the world of work.

Unions Into Schools sends representatives into schools to talk to pupils about union membership and to make sure they know their rights when they get their first jobs, which are often low-paid and unsupervised.

l na O I NAT

E T A UPD

B M G m o r f s All the new

g n i o d b o j a t n a w u o If y

. . . y l r e prop GMB is helping its members get elected to public office – and you could be one of them!

I

don’t agree with that! Why didn’t Labour sort this out when they were than in power? I could do a better job this lot! ething How many times have you said som felt let bers mem like that recently? Many GMB now and ent, rnm gove down by the Labour we’re stuck with a cutters’ coalition literally no one voted for.

There is still a lot of work to do to make sure the Labour party has real policies that help ordinary people and families. That’s why GMB members made a decision at Congress this year. If we want a Labour party that to we can really get behind, we need it. t abou g do somethin

pean Whether its local councils, the Euro hern Nort and s Wale on, Lond Parliament, the nts in iame parl the or ies, mbl Asse nd Irela to get Westminster and Scotland, we need into ce rien expe life people who have reale. renc diffe a e mak can they re positions whe councillors, as bers mem GMB e mor ns mea That MPs, assembly members and MSPs. t it You might not think you’ve got wha we but , me” like le peop for “not takes, that it’s , working nary ordi of s dred hun have dy alrea e. class GMB members in elected offic them gave and skills GMB developed their ing winn a run to ce iden conf and the insight difference a ing mak ’re they Now n. paig cam and for every day for their own communities ’s help GMB With UK. the ss GMB members acro ? next be you ldn’t shou why and support, e! mor out find to e pag the Turn

Rex Features x 2

Bring YOUR mag to life!

YOUR FACE HERE! election With GMB behind your ere wh ws kno o wh , campaign you might end up?

Discover a world of extras when you point your smartphone at the pages of this GMB magazine. To get started, download the Layar app from get.layar.com

1 Download the Layar app for iPhone and Android devices.

2 Point your smartphone at a WHOLE page of the mag where you see this logo.

3 Watch as it comes to life on your screen.

www.gmb.org.uk 09

national

from GMB All the news

GMB members are already MPs, SMPs, MEPs or AMs

ORD le MUM’S THE W sa has the peop Li um m ng ki Wor r! he nd gh behi of Peterborou

Name :

Lisa Forbes e parliamentary Labour’s prospectiv orough candidate for Peterb gh for has lived in Peterborou I’m a mum of four who ss cla ng an ordinary worki over 25 years. I’m from my d an rer s a manual labou background: my dad wa jobs, of ts sor NHS. I’ve done all mum was a carer in the t! en being a travel ag from potato picking to last Labour party after the the I got involved with my to ed en ember what happ election, because I rem le op Pe r. we Tories were in po family the last time the

here can’t afford for that to happen again. I know my family can’t – we’re already starting to feel the pinch.

Thanks to the support of the trade unions – especially GMB – I was recently selected to be the prospective parliamentary candidate for Peterborough. GMB is serious about helping people like me get into parliament.

They’re serious about supporting people with a genuine connection to the everyday lives of working people, and the support they gave me really showed that.

If Labour is going to deliver policies that relate to the real lives of the people we seek to represent (and win elections at the same time), we need more GMB members to come forward to become party members, activists, councillors, MPs and elected representatives at all levels.

It might seem daunting, but whether it’s going along to your first branch meeting or asking for advice on standing for council there is always someone on the end of the phone to ask for advice.

When I moved to Peterborough 25 years ago, I never dreamed I would be standing to be the city’s MP. Now I am determined to beat the Tories and make sure that people have someone in Westminster who understands the impact of government policy on their everyday lives.

Get 50% off Labour party membership! Go to

www.gmb.org.uk

WIN an iphone 4s!

Register online to enter

E

very elected official needs to stay in touch! That’s why, when you tell us that you want to stand for the Labour party, we’ll automatically enter you into a free prize draw to win an Apple iPhone 4S! The iPhone 4S is a super-fast phone, camera and music player, with email, internet and access to thousands of apps and games – all available to download. It also comes loaded with maps, HD video

recording capability and futuristic Siri voice-recognition software.

To find out more about standing for election, and to be entered into the free prize draw, call GMB national political officer Hilary Perrin on 020 7391 6749, or email hilary.perrin@gmb.org.uk before Friday 14 December.

When emailing, remember to include your name, address and your GMB membership number.

TERMS & CONDITIONS The winning entry will be drawn at random. Draw includes members who enter themselves into the draw by phone or email before close of business on Friday 14 December. The winner will be notified by GMB. Prize is subject to availability. No purchase necessary. This prize draw is only open to GMB members. Entries from employees of GMB will not be accepted. The winner must be prepared to participate in publicity arising from the competition. Winners’ names and photos may be published in future issues.

10 www.gmb.org.uk

Case study 1

100+

UPDATE

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk Bring these pages to life!

NATional

Join the GMB what to do councillors’ Want to become a Labour network candidate? Here’s what you need to do…

1

Join the Labour party at the discounted rate for GMB members at www.gmb.org.uk/ LabourPartyApplicationForm

2

Call GMB national political officer Hilary Perrin on 020 7391 6749, or email her at hilary.perrin@gmb.org.uk and tell her which seat you want to stand for.

3

Sign up for GMB’s I Want To Be Elected programme for all the help you need to be selected. Sign up at www.gmb.org.uk/ GMBLabourcandidatesnews

Case study 2

285

Get elected, then get online for full support from GMB

G

MB won’t desert you once you get elected! We’ve set up an exclusive network to offer you help and support in your role on the local council. GMB’s councillors’ network is a new online forum where GMB councillors can share experiences and best practice, ask for and offer advice, and set up realworld meetings with fellow members who have plenty of experience of council business.

So, maybe you want advice on implementing the living wage for council workers? Log-on to the forum and ask Gary Doolan, GMB national political officer and councillor for the London borough of Islington, where the living wage is now official policy.

This is the sort of difference that GMB can make, and with info and ideas flowing, we can make those differences nationwide!

GMB has more than a quarter of a million members working in local government, with many more directly affected by the decisions their local councils make. So who better to turn to for help and advice?

The network is completely confidential and exclusively for GMB members. To sign up, go to www.gmbcouncillorsnetwork.org.uk and enter your GMB membership number to get started.

GMB members are already Labour councillors

Name:

Clive Lewis Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich South I’ve lived in Norwich for more than 12 years and work locally at the BBC. I’m not from a professional political background, so running for Labour was daunting.

It was certainly a bit different from the Afghan desert, where I served as an army reserve!

From the coalition’s plans to close two-thirds of Remploy factories, to their nakedly political attack on the pensions of public sector workers, it’s obvious that the first priority is to get rid of this government.

But I don’t think that’s enough in itself. Undoubtedly, the Labour party did many good things during our time in government, but we also got some very important things wrong and didn’t do enough in other areas.

I’m not in politics for the career – I want to see real and lasting change for the many not the few. For me, getting a Labour government is just the first step.

ON THE FRONTLINE other GMB Army man Clive joined mploy demo.

Re members on a recent GMB supported me throughout my selection and continues to support me now. I will be working closely with GMB to secure the change we need for people, families, communities and for soci ety as whole. If you live in Norwich and want to get invo lved, get in touch at clive@clivelewislabour.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 11

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Over seas

AID

GMB and Maggie Hughes win change in EU law

golden girl Mary Turner honoured at TUC Congress

C

ongratulations to GMB national president Mary Turner, who was awarded the TUC Women’s Gold Badge at this year’s TUC Congress.

Mary was presented with the award

by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber and dedicated it to trade union members around the world.

TUC Congress is the annual policymaking get-together of the Trades Union Congress, made up of GMB and other unions. This year’s event took place at the Brighton Centre from 9 to 12 September and was chaired by GMB general secretary Paul Kenny in his role as TUC president.

Also flying the flag for GMB was CEC (central executive council) member Barbara Benham, who took the shadow chancellor Ed Balls to task during his address to delegates.

12 www.gmb.org.uk

GET HELP SAYING HELP!

“The last Labour government failed Want to know how to ask for help to regulate so many areas to protect abroad?

Go to www.missingabroad.org for the interests of the British people,” a list of essential foreign phrases, plus she said. “Labour deregulated and lots more vital info for travellers. removed controls over pricing in areas Originally set up to help families like energy markets, failed to build of miss ing people, the GMB-backed char social housing, embraced PFI, and lost ity now offers practical support for anyo touch with millions of people by taking ne who has been affected by an acci their votes for granted.” dent or serious crime away from home.

She went on to ask Mr Balls what he If you or your loved ones get into would do differently if he could turn trou ble abroad, call the Missing Abro back the clock. He replied immigration ad 24/7 helpline, which is part-funded and regulation of the banks. by GMB donations, on 020 7047 50 TUC Congress also paid tribute to 60 (or 44 20 7047 50 60 from overseas). outgoing GMB national secretary and TUC general purposes committee (GPC) member, Phil Davies, warmly congratulating him for all his hard COSTA LIVING work on behalf of Remploy and Don’t go away without wishing him well in his retirement.

Missing Abroad’s details.

Sharon Holder will now replace Phil on the GPC for Congress 2013.

Rex Features

TURNER PRIZE Mary Turner is the GMB national president.

GMB member Maggie Hughes has won a change in EU law with help from GMB. Victims of violent crime across Europe will now get better access to medical care and legal help, thanks to her campaign.

Maggie’s own son Robbie was beaten and left for dead while he was on holiday in Crete in 2008. She did everything she could to support him in his hour of need, but didn’t speak the language and found there was nowhere she could turn for help and advice.

With support from GMB Brussels officer, Kathleen Walker Shaw, Maggie has spent the last four years campaigning to make sure other victims and their families get better treatment than her and her son.

The new laws will make sure all EU countries offer the same levels of advice and access to medical and judicial services.

“I hope that no other family will now have to go through the agony, frustration and pain that we did to get support and justice for our son Robbie,” Maggie said. “I am delighted by the progress we have made on victims’ rights in the EU.” “However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and once these measures have been adopted, all member states need to work hard to implement them in their countries. This will turn the progress we have made into a practical reality on the ground.

“I have been on a major journey with GMB, and I would like to thank everyone who has supported our campaign so far.”

Paul kenny

speaks

cretary e s l a r e n e g your GMB m o r f d r o w A

Protection from a mansion tax and £40k pay rises for the super-rich show whose side Osborne is on

A

ny suggestion that George Osborne doesn’t know how tough things are right now for his friends have been robustly put to flight by his decisive interventions to protect millionaires from the mansion tax and, of course, his £40,000 a year handout to the super-rich from next April.

At a time when decent, hardworking families are facing pay freezes and cuts to working families tax credits threaten to finally shove hundreds of thousands into poverty, this Conservative government reverts to type and – with utter contempt – merely goes about lining the pockets of the rich and greedy.

IT’S NOT WORKING Pay freezes; cuts to our NHS, schools and services; and unemployment – particularly among the young – are the price the country is paying for Osborne’s obsession with an economic plan which even his own side are having to admit just isn’t working.

In fact, the deficit is growing not shrinking – a direct result of more people out of work courtesy of Cameron and co, and the

subsequent downturn in spending created by year upon year of squeezed household budgets.

Is it any surprise that the Olympic crowds, who cheered their hearts out at every event and for every competitor, ended up roundly booing George Osborne at a medal ceremony? Why, the pundits asked, did 80,000 people boo George Osborne? Answer: that’s all the stadium could hold!

TIME FOR CHANGE As the TUC march for the alternative showed, hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are prepared to march and campaign for a change in economic strategy. Social and economic justice will not come about by doing nothing.

Everyone knows that building more social housing will cut waiting lists, reduce emergency housing costs and help cut the £20 billion a year housing benefit bill, most of which ends up in the tax-free offshore back pockets of private landlords and property companies which feed off the council housing shortage.

Everyone knows that leaving a million young people without jobs or access to higher education is storing up a huge social problem for us all – as well as the pure waste of talent that mass youth unemployment brings.

ATTACKING RIGHTS Everyone knows that attacking the basic protection rights of working people leads to abuse, fear, bullying, stress and unfairness in the world of work. What’s more this spills over into family life.

Everyone who relies on the NHS knows it is in danger of being sold off to profitmaking spivs in the name of progress.

Just like the disasters of rail and water privatisations before, our NHS is in real danger of becoming a cash machine for private companies first, and a service to the public second.

It seems that everybody knows these things except George Osborne and his millionaire mates. Well, when you have just been handed a £40,000 wage increase, life under Osborne and the Conservatives must seem a little more rosy than for the rest of us ‘plebs’. www.gmb.org.uk 13

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

ON THE UP Help stop rising prices with GMB.

T

he UK is facing an energy bill crisis.

One in every four households can’t afford to heat their homes, and this is expected to rise to one in three by 2016. Cold homes damage the health of our most vulnerable citizens, including children, older people, those on low incomes and people with disabilities.

The main reasons for the crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – badly insulated and with old-fashioned boilers. This means they cost much more than they should to heat and power, and they contribute to climate change, too.

But there is a fair and permanent solution.

We can have warm homes, reduce our fuel bills, and help the environment at the same time!

The government currently taxes big companies on their carbon emissions, which are harmful to the environment. If the government used the money it gets from those taxes to fund an energy efficency drive across the UK, it would keep people warm while cutting their fuel bills, cut harmful carbon emissions and create jobs!

Over the next 15 years, the government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes. The companies eventually pass these taxes on to consumers in the form of higher bills, so it

“GMB is calling for super-energy efficient homes.”

join the 14 www.gmb.org.uk

is only fair that the government recycles the revenue back into households by paying towards better insulation, modern boilers and renewable energy.

GMB is part of the Energy Bill Revolution, a campaign calling on the government to do just this, making our homes super-energy efficient and driving down our energy bills forever.

Hundreds of charities, consumer groups, businesses and politicians are already behind the campaign, but there is still more to do. By taking two minutes to go online and sign the petition, you can add your voice to this vital cause. You can also help by writing to your MP, and by sending the link to your family and friends. Together we can end the energy bill crisis forever.

Join the revolution by signing the petition at www.energybillrevolution.org

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regional NATional

PENSIONS FOR ALL! New rules guarantee a workplace pension for millions of workers

I

s your boss ready for automatic enrolment? October saw the start of a new pension system which requires employers to include their workers in workplace pension schemes by 2017 at the latest – but many bosses still claim to be unaware of the changes.

Known as automatic enrolment, the new system is the first time employers have been obliged to put their staff into pensions, and to make contributions towards them. It has been introduced to tackle a pensions crisis caused by very low state pensions combined with a lack of individual saving.

Workers will be auto-enrolled if they are aged between 22 and the state pension age, and earn at least £8,105 a year. You also have the right to be enrolled if you are outside this age group but earn more than £5,564 a year.

Workers have the right to opt out of the system, but they must not be pressured or encouraged to do so by their employer.

If this happens to you or anyone you know, tell your GMB workplace organiser and your local GMB office (see p31).

The government has already written to employers explaining the new system, so bosses have no excuse for not knowing what to do. Many large employers have already started enrolling employees, and even the very smallest must do so by April 2017.

Though GMB welcomes automatic

enrolment as a step in the right direction, the union is disappointed that the standard of pension scheme required by the new system is not very good. Currently, the minimum employer and employee contributions stand at just one per cent of pay, which is nowhere near enough to secure a decent income in retirement. However, it is a start, and GMB will continue to argue for higher employer contributions.

“Workers must not be pressured to opt out.”

dukes of hazard

iStock

GMB health and safety representative Dave Carter reports from the National Hazards Conference This year’s National Hazards Conference took place at the University of Keele, bringing together health and safety activists from around the UK. High on the agenda was the problem of asbestos, which remains a deadly danger after all these years. I was amazed to discover that the British Commonwealth is a major part of the problem, as Canada continues to mine and produce the fatal fibres with seemingly no regard to the dreadful implications.

Meanwhile, in UK schools, government policy is not even to remove asbestos – simply to seal it off and make it ‘safe’. Yet that same government has approved £1.2 billion to remove all traces of asbestos from the Houses of Parliament! How much clearer could they be that they only care about themselves?

Another major issue to emerge from the weekend was workplace stress. This has huge

financial implications for many companies, but more important is the cost to the health and wellbeing of affected workers. Stress levels are rising as budgets are falling, yet government responses have been atrocious at best.

executive stress Health and Safety Executive (HSE) budgets have been slashed by 35 per cent; many industries have been reclassified as low-risk; and vital inspections are no longer being carried out. So not only are workplaces suffering from HSE cuts – the flagship body of health and safety itself is becoming a hotbed of stressed and overworked employees!

One of the highlights of the conference was a wonderful speech from Louise Adamson, a young woman whose brother was tragically killed while working as an electrician.

Louise has turned her bereavement into positive action, becoming involved with a group called FACK, or Families Against Corporate Killers, and her evocative speech lambasted big business for trying to shirk its responsibilities when it comes to deaths caused as a result of work, and she went on to receive a standing ovation.

If the conference taught me anything, it’s that – no matter who you are or where you work – health and safety must be the paramount concern for all of us, all the time.

This government simply doesn’t care, so we – as workers, managers, companies and GMB members – must look out for our colleagues, our loved ones and, of course, ourselves.

Work safe. Go home safe.

Dave Carter is a GMB health and safety rep at Harsco Metals in Scunthorpe. www.gmb.org.uk 15

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UPDATE

from GMB All the news

cooking with

H

ow many of you remember the catchy jingle “Cook, Cook, Cookability – That’s the Beauty of Gas!” that went out on TV as long ago as 1978?

Written by award-winning Roger Greenaway – author of “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” and other hits - it was timed to coincide with the flow of North Sea gas into people’s homes.

The ad ran for years, and even featured a very young Noel Edmonds bopping with teenagers in a kitchen.

The industry was still publicly-owned in those days. How things have changed since!

But the reality behind the slogan is as true now as it was then. Gas is still the cook’s friend, and a versatile fuel that remains the nation’s favourite for central heating.

It doesn’t make sense to burn this vital primary energy source in power station

IT’S A GAS Noel was always warm in the 1970s.

16 www.gmb.org.uk

furnaces to produce electricity.

But that’s precisely what the Coalition government threatens to do - up to and beyond 2030, probably in contravention of Labour’s 2008 Climate Change Act and certainly with greater risk of global warming.

Gas is needed in the home and in industry to supply clean, efficient power, not the ovens of privatised power stations looking for a quick buck.

However, ministers in what David Cameron once called “the greenest government ever” are trying to rat on their pledge to de-carbonise the electricity generation market.

In particular, Chancellor George Osborne, under intense ideological pressure from anti-wind farm Right-wing Tory MPs, wants to get round policy commitments put into law by the Labour government. In private, he sneers at legal curbs on toxic emissions and panders to the gas lobby.

As the union for energy workers, with 40,000 members working in the industry (and more than half a million members with gas in their homes), GMB takes a close interest in developments in this field. And recently, top scientists on the government’s Climate Change Committee intervened to undermine GMB’s case. They want to see gas phased out and be replaced by electricity for home heating and cooking.

This reckless and extremist policy could lead to a four-fold increase in your energy bills if households are forced to use electricity to cook and heat their homes. Thousands more would have to be spent on new appliances.

They wrote to Energy Secretary Ed Davey

FRIED ED The heat is on for energy secretary Ed Davey.

expressing “great concern” that the government plans to favour imported gas over nuclear generation and renewable forms of electricity generation.

The Thatcher government’s “dash for gas” of the 1980’s is in danger of becoming a permanent feature of energy policy under Cameron’s Tory-led Coalition. But there are huge financial penalties in store for consumers, warns GMB’s national officer for energy and utilities, Gary Smith.

“Our union has never been a supporter of burning gas to produce electricity,” he explained. “Even with the development of shale gas GMB do not think it is the best use of what is a finite resource.

“We recognise that while gas-fired stations are easy to turn on to meet peak demand, the UK needs investment in low-carbon ways of producing electricity including nuclear.

“The view that gas should not be burned to meet base load electricity is right.”

GMB agrees with the scientists that

Rex Features x 3

Plans to phase out gas for home use will inflate your bills says Daily Mirror political correspondent Paul Routledge

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of energy. A unit of electricity is about FOUR TIMES as expensive as the equivalent unit of gas.

“Given the fact that around 80 per cent of British homes use gas for heating and cooking there is no way they will easily or cheaply move from gas to electricity.

“Nobody in their right mind would suggest that people will have to fork out thousands of pounds to replace their gas boilers and gas cookers with electric units – and then have to endure a fourfold increase in fuel bills.

“The experts need to face the fact that the suggestion of forced conversion to electricity is bonkers and will not be accepted by households.”

Energy Secretary Davey – one of the Lib Dems in the Torydominated Cabinet – defends his policy with a weasel-worded statement, offering only “significant” de-carbonisation of the industry. No dates, no promises.

One fifth of the nation’s power stations are due to close over the next decade, he HOB-NOB Chancellor George Osborne says, adding : “We have always said that this will isn’t out of the frying pan. include gas-fired plant which is quick to build and flexible. After 2030 we expect that gas will be increasingly used as back up…. but gas has an important role to play.” government ministers In plain English, the Coalition are sending out “mixed intends to keep as much gas-fired messages” about energy policy that will capacity for as long as possible, damage investment in low-carbon and certainly beyond the date technologies. There is already evidence of a when it should be phased out. That’s bad “very poor” investment climate in the industry. news for climate change and very possibly These new electricity generating methods for consumers. are needed to tackle long-term climate change.

And Davey isn’t the But there is an even worst of them. more pressing Cameron’s demand to bring appointment of home to politicians hard-liner Owen the impact on Patterson to be families of switching Environment Secretary from gas to in his autumn Cabinet electricity for reshuffle is seen as a cooking and snub to the greenhome heating says tinged Lib Dems. A Gary Smith. dedicated opponent of “There is a need wind turbines, with the for a reality check by OLD FLAME ear of the Prime some of these experts Even tellies ran on Minister and the about the economics gas in those days.

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NO DEAL Even Noel couldn’t foresee the problems of modern energy policy.

Chancellor, he’ll be hostile to GMB policy.

But Gary Smith is clear that the union will continue to campaign for a rapid transition to nuclear and renewable power supply, to stave off the imposition of totally electricity-dependent cooking and heating.

All this is a far cry from yesteryear’s “The Beauty of Gas” commercial.

Adverts today stress the ease of switching from one supplier to another, rather than “cookability” or the versatility of gas.

The industry is mired in an ideologicallydriven, profit-based dispute about the best way forward for consumers and energy generators alike. GMB stands four-square with households and the champions of climate change through conversion to low-carbon technology.

“This reckless policy will mean a four-fold rise in energy bills.”

There is a role for gas in electricity production, Gary Smith agrees. But it has to be back-up, rather than supplying the base load.

“We also have to think about carbon capture and storage for coal-fired generating stations, but the reality is that in the long term, electricity has to come from renewable sources, which in practice means nuclear.”

Gary also criticised ministers and the energy companies for failing to spend the £1.3 billion already taken from customers to help insulate their homes and bring down bills for poorer people. “This is a scandal,” he added. “This is an obligation from government. We are all paying for this but the energy companies can’t find the people whose homes need insulating.”

That’s the beauty of consistent energy policy. www.gmb.org.uk 17

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

! l a i c i f of

you’re better off with GMB W orking people who are trade union members earn an average of 18.1 per cent more than those who aren’t. That’s a big increase on last year’s figure of 16.7 per cent, so it’s more worthwhile to join GMB now than ever before.

It’s not just GMB saying this, either, but official figures from the annual labour force survey, published by the Office of National Statistics.

We’ll fight for your rights Collective agreements – how unions make a difference to your workplace

A

collective agreement is an understanding between employers, which regulates terms and conditions for all employees. These collective agreements affect your pay, working hours and duties and even have a bearing on the duties of your employer.

They usually follow long bargaining sessions between unions and employers and this is a fundamental way in which

18 www.gmb.org.uk

GMB improves conditions in workplaces all over the UK. The trade union membership report 2011 shows just how important collective bargaining is. A whopping 73.2 per cent of members are covered by a collective agreement. Almost a third (31.2 per cent) of employees said their conditions were affected by collective agreement.

In the private sector, collective agreements cover just 16.9 per cent of

The report shows that the hourly earnings of UK union members average £14.18, an impressive 18.1 per cent above the hourly rate for nonunion members, which comes in at just £12.01 an hour.

you’re in good

company Between Septe mber 2011 and Septem ber 2012, GMB mem bership grew by 1.6 per ce nt, making GMB on e of the fastest growing unions .

employees, while in the public sector they account for a much healthier 67.8 per cent of employees.

The highest sector for collective agreements is public administration and defence, with 71.1 per cent, while the lowest rate is in accommodation and foodservice, which has just 4.6 per cent.

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Bring these pages to life!

gmb nation

We’ve got your number! Stats from the trade union membership report 2011 give us a detailed view of the UK’s union members. This information is helpful to GMB members, workplace organisers and officers for planning recruitment, supporting existing members, and recognising areas that need improvement.

+18.1%

£14.18

average hourly wage for union members

£12.01

average hourly wa ge for non-union members

amount that union members earn above nonunion members

of GMB members are women

2.5m 6.4m

48%

union members in the private sector

21.6%

of asian and british asian workers are union members

people in work who are union members

+£3.23

56.5%

hourly extra earned by women in unions over non-members

of public sector workers are trade union members

34.5% of people aged 50+ are union members

87.1%

of public sector workers have a union in their workplace

n. ireland

wales

scotland

England

33.6% 34.9% 29.8% 24.8% percentage of workers who are union members (by country) www.gmb.org.uk 19

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

FLIGHT CREW John (far left) with his winning darts team.

the best you

can be!

My life with Parkinson’s, by GMB Sellafield branch president, John Kane

champion, Phil ‘The Pow

20 www.gmb.org.uk

testing times I saw my GP, who arranged an appointment with a neurologist. I was also a keen runner, and my trainer could not explain why my right arm and leg suddenly lacked the speed and rotation I still had on my left side, so I was really starting to worry. But when the specialist put me through tests including nerve conduction, a lumbar puncture and an MRI scan, they all showed up nothing, so I carried on with my life.

When I started dragging my right leg in 2007, I thought I might have suffered a stroke, with the worst of it masked by my youth and my general fitness (I was only just in my 50s). I went to see the doctor at Sellafield, where I worked, and he put me in touch with a Professor Bates in Newcastle. Within 20 seconds of meeting me, and after seeing me walk along the corridor, the professor told me he was 99 per cent certain I had Parkinson’s.

He said the only way to be sure was with a DAT scan, which shows up a lack of dopamine

Rex Features x 2

I

first knew I had a problem in 2005.

My social life had always revolved around darts and for 25 years I had played at the highest levels – captaining the Cumbria county team, winning national and international titles, even winning the old ITV game show Bullseye! But now, at a national team competition final in Blackpool, I found I was not the darts player my teammates had come to rely on.

Together, we won the competition, but amid the celebrations that followed, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. There had been something up with my handeye coordination that I had never experienced before.

Little did I know that in two WE’VE GOT THE POWER years I would never be able John with 15-times darts world to play darts again. er’ Taylor.

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– the chemical in the body that helps to control movement. My earlier doctors had not considered such a test because they simply aren’t looking out for Parkinson’s in anyone my age.

keeping active After the scan confirmed the professor’s diagnosis, I decided to give up the job I loved and do all the things I had planned to do when I eventually retired naturally.

Parkinson’s isn’t fatal, but it is progressive, and worsening symptoms relating to lack of movement control and balance often lead people to become housebound – or the victims of tragic accidents. My wife and I always wanted to travel the world. Now I wanted us to do it together while we still could.

I also decided to stay as active as I could in the wider community. I had many years experience with GMB, first as a shop steward and then as convenor, so I knew I could deal calmly and confidently with other people’s problems and concerns.

In the same year I was diagnosed, I was elected as Labour councillor for Copeland. At first, I didn’t tell anyone about my Parkinson’s, but when I did, nobody treated me any differently, or expressed any doubts about my ability to do the job.

I also got involved with the charity Parkinson’s UK, working hard to raise the profile of the condition, which most people know so very little about, and organising days out and other activities for people with Parkinson’s and their families.

compulsive behaviour – and for a while I became obsessed with gambling, keeping it secret from my family while my debts and my shame grew.

I am on a different drug now, that suits me much better, but the experience has only spurred me on to spread the word. I’m lucky to have such a loving and understanding family (and a daughter who’s a nurse!), but many people with Parkinson’s risk becoming isolated and some even become suicidal.

That’s where my work with Parkinson’s UK comes in. I go into care homes around the North West running awareness courses for staff who might not spot the signs of Parkinson’s, or might simply mistake them as the signs of old age.

I talk about diagnosis, about the drugs, about the way the condition affects every individual differently. I share my own experiences, using humour and all the invaluable skills that I learned standing up and talking in front of people during 30 years representing members in GMB.

“The tests showed up nothing, so I carried on with my life”

side effects My work for Parkinson’s UK is what really motivates me now. I’ve had some very hard times since I was diagnosed – not just with the symptoms, but with the drugs I have been prescribed to control them.

Among the many things people don’t know about Parkinson’s are the extreme sideeffects that the drugs can cause, including

you can help I have always believed in fighting for what’s right, whether as GMB steward, a Labour councillor or as a campaigner for Parkinson’s UK. In every job I have done, I have also believed in being the best you can be, and I get a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that I make a real difference.

Last year I was elected chair of the West Cumbria branch of Parkinson’s UK and I am still GMB branch president at Sellafield.

I’m 57 now, with two wonderful grown-up children, and my wife and I have just returned from trips to Borneo and Kuala Lumpur. So it’s not all doom and gloom!

I have made it my ambition to raise the profile of this condition, because Parkinson’s is often forgotten when it comes to charity donations. Without money for research, a cure will never be found. If you want to help, go to www.parkinsons.org.uk and please give whatever you can.

The life and times of John Kane

1970s

• Started work at Sellafield and joined GMB on his first day.

• Became a shop steward while

working for BNFL in the Magnox reprocessing plant.

1980s

• Voted onto the Sellafield shop stewards committee.

• Elected GMB convenor at Sellafield.

• Married Dot, now his wife of 30 years.

• Together they have two children, Laureen and Jenna.

1990s

• Lead the national campaign for

the licensing of THORP (Thermal oxide reprocessing plant).

• Negotiated new company contract raising basic and pensionable pay by 40 per cent.

• Stepped down as convenor after seeing members through the MOX data falsification scandal.

2000s • Elected Labour councillor for Copeland.

• Awarded honorary life membership of GMB while still at Sellafield.

• Elected chair of the West Cumbria branch of Parkinson’s UK.

• Remains president of the GMB Sellafield branch.

PARKINSON’S FACTS • P arkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition • T here is currently no cure and doctors don’t know

what causes it • O ne person in every 500 has Parkinson’s • Most people with Parkinson’s are aged 50 or over but younger people get it, too • B oth Mohamed Ali and Michael J Fox were diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their 30s

PLANT LIFE John dedicated his working life to GMB members at Sellafield. www.gmb.org.uk 21

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

watch

your

Government proposals for regional pay spell disaster

wag s

LOOK OUT! The government wants to slash your pay.

22 www.gmb.org.uk

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SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk Bring these pages to life!

% of workers employed in the pu

blic sector

££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££ 30 ££ ££££££££££££££££££ ££££ 28 ££ .8£ North East ££££££££££££££££££ ££28 ££ Scotland ££ ££££££££££££££££ 27££ .1 North West ££££££££££££25 ££.3£ Yorkshire & The Humber ££££££££££ 24 ££ .5£ Unit d South West Ki n g d e ££££££££ 23££ .4 o m as a whole West Midlands ££££££ ££.2£ 23 24 % East Midlands ££££££ 22££ .9 East ££££ ££ 22 .3£ South East ££££22 ££ Wales

Area by % rank

Northern Ireland

London

££ 21££ .3 20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

% of people

iStock x 2

T

he pay of millions of public sector workers would be cut if the ConDem government goes ahead with its plans to scrap national agreements and introduce regional pay.

These agreements are negotiated with GMB and other unions to ensure a fair rate of pay for workers, and scrapping them could lead to harsh salary cuts.

Public sector workers make up 24 per cent of the total UK workforce – and as much as 30 per cent in some regions. A pay cut for them would mean less money going into their local economies.

The areas that would be hit

hardest are in Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East and Scotland.

Eilean Siar in the Western Isles, has the highest percentage of public sector workers with 42.7 per cent facing a pay cut. Many other areas would be badly affected too. See the full list at www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny said “GMB negotiators have built up the pay of public service workers over many years and now the government wants to cut the pay of millions of public services workers by getting rid of the national agreement that is so successful.

“If they succeed it would be a further devastating blow for local economies, where previous Tory governments have devastated the mining and manufacturing industry.

“The Tories have a problem with workers in the regions. They just don’t like to see them doing well.”

29

30

DEEP CUTS Nearly a quarter of UK workers would be affected.

The general secretary warned that pay cuts would be a harsh blow to British workers, and affect all local businesses. He continued: “To reduce their pay further would not only be iniquitous, it would also reduce consumer spending and choke-off business confidence.

The result would be local economies suffering a further drop in demand and private sector jobs being lost in their thousands.”

GMB membership is the best defence in the face of the government’s reckless plans to cut wages across the country in the public sector. Paul Kenny concluded: “GMB is proud of its record in raising pay in the regions and cutting it back is in no one’s interest. As well as a regional policy to promote good, wellpaid jobs we need to see the levelling up of the poor pay in the shops and other commercial services, not a levelling down of public sector pay.”

“Regional pay will choke-off business confidence.”

www.gmb.org.uk 23

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

The Full Monti

EU drops plans opposed by GMB that would have restricted workers’ rights

I

s the European Union a social project, designed to improve people’s lives, or a purely economic one, designed simply to make money?

That was the question at stake back in September, as GMB and other unions fought against proposals that would have undermined the fundamental rights of workers, including the right to go on strike.

The proposed Monti II regulations, which have now been abandoned in the face of overwhelming opposition, were meant to safeguard the right to collective action (including strike action) in the face

of pressure from regulations allowing the free movement of goods across EU borders.

“From the day these proposals were launched, trade unions across Europe told the European Commission that they were not going to solve the problems they set out to resolve,” says GMB European officer Kathleen Walker Shaw. “In fact, they actually posed further threats to trade union rights.

“GMB welcomed the decision to withdraw these very damaging proposals, but the Commission still needs to find a workable solution to make sure fundamental trade union rights and freedoms are not restricted or undermined by economic freedoms.”

The need for clarity comes from two judgments in the European Court of Justice in 2007. While the freedom to take collective action is a fundamental workers’ right,

WELCOME NEWS Kathleen Walker Shaw led GMB’s opposition to the dropped plans.

protected by the European Union charter, the court judgments raised questions about what happens when that right comes into conflict with regulations on the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital.

“There are huge legal uncertainties left by the EU Court of Justice rulings regarding the rights of workers,” says Labour MEP Stephen Hughes. “The problem is not going away and the European Commission has the responsibility to act.”

European social policy includes commitments to improved living and working conditions, proper social protection, and dialogue between management and labour.

GMB believes the European Union should put those commitments first and foremost.

EUROPE MUST ACT Labour MEP Stephen Hughes says workers’ rights must be clearer.

“Fundamental trade union rights and freedoms must not be undermined.”

24 www.gmb.org.uk

regional

regional

UPDATE from GMB All the news

BOB ON THE BEAT Labour MP Tom Watson lends Bob his full support.

Labour councillor Bob Jones on his vision for West Midlands police

B

y the time you read this, voters in the West Midlands will have elected their first police and crime commissioner. Wolverhampton city councillor Bob Jones has been out on the campaign trail as Labour’s candidate, and we spoke to him about his priorities for policing in the second largest force in the United Kingdom.

“This government’s 20 per cent cuts will force 1,250 police officers out of the West Midlands by 2015,” he says.

“David Cameron is seriously out of touch.

I am very concerned about what the Tory-led government is doing to policing and that is why I am running as Labour’s candidate for police and crime commissioner.”

The new commissioner will be accountable for how crime is dealt with across the West Midlands, setting priorities, overseeing budgets and even hiring the chief constable.

“We cannot elect a Conservative, as Bob has no doubts about what his priorities will simply be a cheerleader for Tory they would be in the role. he insists. “The commissioner will cuts,” put and beat the on “I will keep police have significant powers over purchasing victims before criminals,” he says. “I will stop equipment, and I am committed to ensuring the privatisation of core policing services, that contracts awarded by West d because we all saw what happene Midlands police help the take cannot at the Olympics. We community and the local that risk with the police in the economy as well.

West Midlands.”

“That is why I will press As a Labour councillor, suppliers to recruit all Bob has served the ices as part of their apprent Blakenhall Ward since s with the police, contract 1980. He has been part people young helping of the West Midlands on. get to police authority since Turn to page 9 “In short,” Bob concludes, 1985 and is lead member on work tirelessly for a better will “I the Wolverhampton local the West Midlands, stand for deal policing unit. He is determined government cuts and against up get not to let the Tories that victims are put ensure fight to their hands on the reins s.” criminal the not first, of policing now.

Find out how you can stand for election as a Labour candidate!

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 25

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from GMB All the news

Every year, thousands of people fall victim to scam letters.

Make sure you know how to spot the signs This happens because scammers work together, selling lists of so-called ‘suckers’ to each other, further isolating their victims from reality as they all fire off letters to the same addresses that have proved productive in the past.

Right now, silent victims are receiving 40, 50, maybe even 100 criminal letters every day, from bogus lottery officials, solicitors, bankers and clairvoyants, creating a fabric of lies that becomes a chronic victim’s entire world.

A CATALOGUE OF LIES Dozens of catalogue scams operate from overseas, each guaranteeing a prize to anyone who orders overpriced goods from a respectable-looking brochure. Instead of a prize, however, all that ever arrives

26 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

are more letters and phone calls, promising more tempting offers. Some of those targeted by catalogue scams have spent more than £40,000 on goods worth very little. Here are some of the names to look out for:

Overwhelmed by skilfully written and personalised messages, they can only focus on the fictitious rewards they are promised, not the money they are sending in order to claim them. Most victims do not understand

POST APOCALYPSE Just some of the letters t to and ‘gifts’ that were sen ily. fam er’s mb me B GM a

Biotonic Delices Gourmandises Fredrich Mueller Vital Beauty Vitamail

iStock x 3

I

f you think people who fall for scam letters are stupid – think again! Criminals worldwide are targeting the most vulnerable members of our society, including bereaved, superstitious, socially isolated and depressed people, and those with declining mental health and dementia.

Every day, these criminals send millions of scam letters to the UK, making money that is used to fuel the drug trade, human trafficking and many other crimes.

Scam mail is designed to shut down normal thought processes and dazzle the victim’s mind. Many of those who are taken in are chronic scam victims, who, after responding to one ‘tempter’ letter, are now bombarded with letters every day.

regional

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7 WAYS TO STAY SCAM SAFE 1 2 Stop, think, and be sceptical. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Don’t be rushed into sending money to someone you don’t know, however plausible they might sound, and even if the approach is personalised.

Ask yourself how likely it is that you have been specially chosen for this offer – thousands of other people have probably received the exact same letter.

Think about how much money you could lose from replying to a potential scam – it’s not a gamble worth taking.

If you are unsure of an offer, speak to your family or friends and seek advice before sending any money or giving out any bank or credit card details.

If you receive a suspicious phone call, just say “No thank you, I’m not interested,” then hang up straight away.

Remember, you do not have to give out personal information such as bank or credit card details. These could be used fraudulently.

3

4 LETTERS’ PREY Many people are too embarrassed to admit they have been conned. modern technology or how it allows criminals to mass-produce mail and make it look like important and individual correspondence.

The scammers use the voice of authority, swear people to secrecy and make threats to snare victims from a generation taught to respect officialdom, ask few questions and suffer their problems in private.

In a recent case, more than 20,000 victims replied to one scam mail shot in one day, sending a total of £500,000. The Serious Organised Crime Agency estimated the gang behind that letter was making as much as

£35 million a year, yet there is little the Post Office can do to stop letters getting through.

The vast majority of those targeted do not recognise themselves as victims, therefore never report the crime. If you have vulnerable relatives, a few well-placed questions could save them from losing thousands of pounds.

GMB recently spoke to a member whose relatives were systematically fleeced of their life savings. The fraud only became apparent when the member noticed how much post, and how many ‘gifts’, they were receiving.

By following the advice on this page and by taking the time to check on vulnerable people you know, you can protect yourself and others from this despicable trade and put all these fake officials, businessmen and bankers out of business once and for all.

5

6 7

BAG OF TRICKS A bag full of scam catalogues, received over a short period.

SPEAK OUT!

Remember, silence is the scammer’s best friend. If you have been the victim of fraud, or are worried you might be being tar geted by scammers, call Telepho ne Action Fraud on 0300 123 20 40 or email the Think Jessica camp aig advice@thinkjessica.c n at om www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 27

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

learn to

thrive Check out these courses for GMB reps

GMB representatives never stop learning. Getting new skills and building on existing ones helps our reps to help others, as well as offering a great sense of personal achievement. Here are some of the courses we run, or offer in partnership with the TUC. For details on how to apply, contact the education department on 0121 550 4888.

Effective case management, handling grievance and disciplinary level 1 3 days

Understanding disabilities and mental health awareness in the workplace 3 days

This course follows on from the GMB@WORK induction, looking at how to represent members effectively in grievances and disciplinary cases, the need to keep records, how to progress cases to the next level, the importance of time limits and a basic introduction to employment law.

This course equips GMB reps with the information they need to understand the disability discrimination act and its application to people with mental health problems, as well as providing advice and guidance on how to support members with mental health problems.

Communication skills 5 days

Equality in the workplace/ organising for equality 5 days

Dealing with bullying and harassment in the workplace 3 days This course will help GMB reps understand the nature and extent of specific intimidating behaviours at work, how legislation, company policy and other requirements relate to specific behaviours at work, and how to develop a trade union strategy for dealing with intimidation at work.

This course explains how GMB reps can make a huge contribution by working with employers to deliver an effective standard for apprenticeships and to negotiate new opportunities. It is open to all, but is an

The new single equality legislation has changed many of the UK’s discrimination laws. This course looks at the differences and how the law can be used to improve workforce development.

This is an essential stage 1 course for equality reps and a useful follow-on for reps dealing with personal cases.

“These courses equip GMB reps to help others and help themselves.”

28 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

Rex Features/iStock

The final element of compulsory training for all GMB reps is designed to build your confidence in dealing with management, trade union and media communications. The course looks at the democracy structure of the union and how to deliver effective and well-prepared presentations to a wide range of audiences.

Understanding apprenticeships 5 days

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk

regional

Beat the

essential follow-on from the stage 1 course for union learning representatives.

Union learning representatives stage 1 5 days

bullies

ULRs make a real difference in workplaces, giving advice, encouragement and information to members about a range of learning opportunities to improve their lives. This course introduces the ULR role and provides the tools and knowledge that enable them to carry out their role successfully.

Women’s leadership and development programme 6 days

With GMB, there’s no need to suffer in silence

This course is for all women members (not just reps) who want to gain confidence in the workplace and the union. It looks at time management, counselling and negotiation skills, and representation. To give more women the opportunity to take part, it is delivered in three sections over nine months.

Health and safety stage 1 10 days All GMB workplace organisers are required to take the stage 1 health and safety course to comply with accreditation and legislation (some exceptions apply). The course gives organisers and other reps grounding in health and safety issues and explains your role within your organisation.

Health and safety stage 2 10 days This course gives reps the skills to identify, prevent and control risks in the workplace, as well as looking at how to develop a collective approach to health and safety, and health and safety law. A period of one year is advised between stages one and two.

B

ullying is a sad fact of life.

Employers and unions have a responsibility to acknowledge that it happens and to work together to stamp it out.

Bullies must learn that their behaviour is unacceptable, and victims must know they have somewhere to turn.

Here are a few ways to begin the fight against bullying in your workplace.

what you can do

Rex Features/iStock

If you are being bullied, don’t suffer on your own. Tell your GMB health and safety representative about it, or call your local GMB office. They can offer advice and will treat your case seriously and confidentially. If you want to help tackle bullies, talk to GMB about carrying out a confidential bullying survey in your workplace.

what GMB can do People don’t tend to think of bullying as a health and safety issue, but GMB health and safety reps can use their

training to help tackle the problem.

If you are a health and safety rep and know that bullying is taking place, speak to the bully directly. Don’t be aggressive – simply ask them politely to stop. This may be all that is needed.

what your boss can do Your employer should have a policy on bullying that is available to all staff.

The policy should say that bullying is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, and should tell victims who to talk to within the company for confidential support. Such support should not just be an empty promise, but a genuine source of advice and action.

Bullying often goes on behind closed doors. If you are being bullied, it’s likely that others in your workplace may be having the same problem. By talking to GMB, you could be helping many other colleagues in similar or worse situations. Remember that a bully’s power comes from singling people out for intimidation. But with GMB, you never need to be alone.

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Something to

t shoAu BOUT How GMB’s new LGBT group made some noise in 2012

G

MB’s Shout! network for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) members had a colourful presence at Birmingham Pride earlier this year, working closely with the regional equalities forum to raise awareness of both Shout! and GMB at what is now the UK’s biggest free LGBT event.

Since then, it has gone on to offer help and advice to many GMB members who are dealing with equality issues, as well as

a safe and friendly forum where LGBT members can come together.

“It was fantastic to see so many GMB members at Birmingham Pride,” said Paul Bowman, lead member on the GMB regional equalities forum, who also leads the Shout! network. “They told us how much our network is needed in the

West Midlands and how they would love to get involved. As the year has gone on, they have done just that!”

The Shout! network is free to join for any GMB member and complete confidentiality is assured. For a list of upcoming meetings and events, or to download an application form, go to www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

TICKET TO PRIDE All ages got together to celebrate diversity at Birmingham Pride.

30 www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

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retirement rewards PRESENT DAY Elaine (right) gets a gift from Joe Morgan and Adelle Atkiss.

The region bid farewell to two esteemed colleagues in August, as organiser John Willman and regional office cleaner Elaine Inston both retired.

John and Elaine spent many years working for GMB, and though their roles

were very different, they will be similarly missed by friends and colleagues.

Both John and Elaine received leaving gifts from GMB, and a retirement lunch was enjoyed by all who could attend. Our very best wishes go to both of them.

All’s well at Swanswell Cheers for charity recognition deal

New GMB organiser Justine Jones has hit the ground running with a great recognition deal at the Swanswell Charitable Trust in Rugby, giving important rights to all GMB members who work at the charity.

Justine, from the regional organising team, signed the recognition agreement with Swanswell CEO Debbie Bannigan on 19 September.

The deal followed an ACAS ballot of all 277 employees at Swanswell’s various offices, which returned a clear majority in favour of GMB involvement.

Each office with GMB members will now be entitled to its own workplace organiser to make sure their voices are heard.

To organise the ballot, Justine had to work closely with other GMB regions, as well as with ACAS. “It was great to meet new faces from across GMB,” she said, “and I hope I’ll have the chance to work with them again.”

GMB

D WEST birmingham AN ION MIDLANDS REG

Contact If you have a problem at work and need advice, in the first instance speak to your GMB workplace organiser. Alternatively, contact your local GMB office.

GMB Regional Office Will Thorne House, 2 Birmingham Road, Halesowen B63 3HP T: 0121 550 4888 F: 0121 550 4272 E: westmids@gmb.org.uk

GMB STAFFORD Office Suite 2, Ground Floor, Mill Court, Mill Street, Stafford ST16 2AJ T: 01785 255978 F: 01785 255975

GMB TAMWORTH Office Ventura House, Ventura Park Road, Tamworth B78 3HL T: 01827 66001 F: 01827 312792

GMB TEWKESBURY Office IT’S A DEAL! Justine and Debbie sign the agreement.

Ground Floor, Unit C1, The Courtyard, Severn Drive, Tewkesbury GL20 8GD T: 01684 290650 F: 01684 290651

GMB CONTACTS

JEFFREY JEWKES The Retired Members Association has paid its tributes to C80 Dudley branch member Jeffrey Jewkes, who died in July. Jeffrey was a long-time GMB member and a former deputy mayor of Dudley. He lost an election to become mayor by just 50 votes, winning back 1,500 votes for Labour in the process. Jeffrey was very active within his branch and the RMA and will sadly be missed by all who knew him.

Education, health and safety, and equality Gillian Whittaker Young members Gillian Whittaker Legal Andrea Austin Membership development David Day Political officer Pauline Hinks

GMB regional website www.gmb-westmids.org.uk

www.gmb-westmids.org.uk 31