Contact by Future Plus

The magazine for GMB members

Contact www.gmb.org.uk

IairNof W ap Gltiacksetts o

Spring 2013

March On! GMB fight

s for the future!

See page 23

meet Ben cook

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Becoming a GMB workplace organiser changed my worldâ&#x20AC;? Does your boss keep you hanging on the line? See p14

Read

t c a t n o C online o t k .u g r .o b m .g w Go to ww e in z a g a m B M G r u o read y page Scroll down the home and click this box!

In this issue...

Andy Worth etary GMB regional secr

How GMB is helping Natalie get into politics Page 8

GMB wins a living wage for Barking and Dagenham members Page 16

Regional

National

4 Rallying cry

9 Make a difference

5 Meeting Miliband

11 Paul Kenny speaks

6 Meet Ben Cook

12 Blacklisting

8 People’s politics

14 Zero hours contracts

25 Action stars

16 A living wage

GMB members march for a brighter future

The Labour leader meets GMB members

How being a GMB activist makes life better

Natalie Fleet on being a Labour candidate

The team recruiting new GMB members

26 Rights wreckers

How the government is eroding your rights

27 Sweet success

GMB wins for members across the region

28 Attacks on benefits

The Tories are robbing people on benefits

29 Listen up

GMB win for hearing loss worker

30 Contact GMB

Names and numbers you can call on

New rules make it easier to sack you

Your chance to win tickets to Glastonbury

Welcome to the first edition of your Contact magazine for 2013. I hope you are all ready for a myth to be exploded. The myth is “we are all in this together” – Cameron’s mantra. But while his friends, the rich, are given tax cuts worth more than most of you will earn in a year, and bankers continue to get obscene bonuses for the mess they created, Cameron’s government is busy making it easier to sack you! From April you will need to have two years’ continuous employment service to even apply to a tribunal for an unfair dismissal claim – and if you can get past that hurdle you will have to pay to register the claim (£250). If the claim is then heard by a tribunal you will need to pay a further (£950). So you’ve lost your job and you’re going to have to pay out £1,200 just to try and get justice. As if that’s not enough, they are also cutting what you can get from a tribunal if you win. They are quietly cutting access to justice and eroding employment rights by:

24 Save a life today

• Reducing the 90-day consultation

Help the Labour Party win the next election

A word from your general secretary

How GMB is beating the illegal blacklist

Paul Routledge on the pitfalls of ZHCs

GMB is winning fair pay for members in councils across the UK

18 GMB@WORK

How to pay your GMB subs by Direct Debit

20 British Gas offer

Recommend a friend for free insulation and get a £50 voucher with this exclusive offer

23 Win Glasto tickets

period for over 100 redundancies to 45 days

• Watering down the already weak TUPE regulations;

GMB regional editor Karen Stockley: 0115 960 7171 Editorial director Stephen Pierce Editor Matt Robinson Art editor Johnny Goddard Contributors Emma Johnston, Jayne Nelson Advertising manager Steve Hulbert Account managers David Parker, Lisa Dunham Production and procurement manager Matt Eglinton Production co-ordinator Katty Skardon Creative director Matthew Williams Art director Stuart Hobbs Director, Future Plus UK Jayne Caple Printed at St Ives Direct

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 Contact magazine? Please contact Steve Hulbert on 01225 442 244 (ex 5205) Accepting of advertising and inserts and does not imply GMB endorsement of the product or services. Remember that GMB recommends all services and offers should always be used to test the cost against other commercial companies. Members are advised to secure at least two quotes on all commercial transactions.

And they are consulting on much more. Apparently the government says this will create jobs – don’t think so, do you? (See the article on page 26 for more detail). This year is going to be unlucky for some and, I’m afraid, ordinary people like us will suffer. When this Tory-led government came to power I warned that people would need a union more than ever. Sadly I am being proven correct. So if any of your family or friends are in work and they are not members of GMB tell them to join now as it’s no good asking an insurer to insure your house after it has burned down!

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GMB m o r f s w e n All the

doing it

s d i k e h t for GMB Midlands & East Coast region join the fight for the future

BRASSED OFF The London rally was a musical event. 04 www.gmb.org.uk

embers of GMB Nottingham City branch travelled to London to oppose the government’s cuts and fight for more jobs and a better future. The members and their families joined hundreds of thousands of activists taking part in the TUC Future That Works rally. GMB members had a great day out – and so did their children, who underlined the importance of fighting for the future. The rally was a big success and the family atmosphere was greatly appreciated.

GMB branch secretary Gary Chambers, said, “It is important that this was not just a matter of activists attending but also families, because the government’s position on austerity affects all families and therefore it is depriving the young their opportunities in future life.” GMB organiser Chris Needham, added, “It is all about the families and the wider trade union movement all coming together as one and supporting each other. Some 700,000 people attended a rally earlier in the year and this was a great result for all concerned.”

regional

ed’s up!

Ed Miliband meets GMB members at the East Midlands Regional BECOME Labour Party Conference A GMB

WORKP Labour leader Ed Miliband met with GMB LACE ORGANIS members at the East Midlands Regional ER www.gmb .org Labour Party (EMRLP) Conference in October. gmbwo .uk/ Mr Miliband inspired GMB delegates with his speech at the conference’s gala dinner before touring the room to shake hands. Mr Miliband topped a roster of other big names in Labour, including former GMB colleagues Glenis Willmott and Iain McNicol. Iain was speaking in his capacity as general secretary of the Labour Party and Glenis in her role as MEP and leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party. For GMB organiser Sian McClarence, the most rousing address was made by newly-elected Northants MP Andy Sawford. She said, “I am sure that for all of us who supported his campaign and were out delivering leaflets in the rain, it was truly a worthwhile effort and an incredible result.” The conference also enabled members to network and connect with fellow members from Meeting Miliband GMB regional committee across the region. GMB delegate Richard Morgan commented, “Anything that strengthens Trade member Rob Whilding Union links with the Labour Party and increases with Ed Miliband. our influence with them deserves our support.”

Treacherous tides

GMB members “let down” as Seven Seas fails to keep jobs promise Hull-based health supplement company Seven Seas has announced that 259 jobs will be shed within the next three years, despite saying jobs were secure just two years ago. GMB activists Tina Merrylees and John Madsen, along with Dave Oglesby, GMB organiser, reacted angrily, stating that members feel “let down” by the plans to outsource manufacture from Hull. The announcement is a surprise to employees as, following a restructure in 2011, costing 30 jobs, the company said it had secured jobs for the foreseeable future. However, Seven Seas was recently taken over by German pharmaceutical company Merck, which has opted to outsource manufacturing.

Dave Oglesby said, “GMB members feel completely let down. Some have 40-plus years’ service at the company. We have tried everything to save the jobs in Hull. Local Labour MPs and Lord Haskins have all attended the site and met the management to no avail.”

redundancy rights Following numerous meetings with GMB, the company is now considering improving the statutory minimum redundancy to three times weekly salary with no cap. GMB has already engaged East Riding College and started a training

A BITTER PILL GMB’s Dave Oglesby (front) meets Merck’s President and Vice President with GMB activists.

JOB CUTS

needs analysis to support members who lose their jobs. The situation shows how important the 90-day consultation period was, as new rules limit consultation to 45 days. Dave Oglesby said this was “deeply concerning given the state of the economy – another Tory policy aimed at picking the pockets of the most needy.”

5 www.gmb.org.uk 05

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

s a h t is iv t c a B M G a g in “Be changed my life completely” g a GMB Ben Cook explains why becomint decision workplace organiser was a grea

ince completing the GMB induction course for workplace organisers, my world has changed completely. I was a bit unsure what to expect at first, but soon found that the course helped me build a network of support across the region. And this was only the start! Since becoming a GMB workplace organiser I have represented GMB Midlands & East Coast Region at the Asda National Shop Stewards Conference, supported the reinstatement of canteens across all Asda stores and been lucky enough to meet some of Asda’s directors to discuss key issues affecting GMB members.

the next step Having completed the GMB induction course, I was keen to do even more, so I enrolled on the GMB advanced health and safety course. As part of this I have started a project to alleviate stress in the workplace, which links nicely to my sport psychology degree. I am also undertaking the TUC employment law course and I’ve been elected as youth and equalities officer for GMB Mid Lincs branch. All this encouraged me to get more involved in GMB, and I was supported by my branch to attend GMB Congress 2012. Congress opened so many doors for me; I was able to meet with representatives of Ruskin College, who let me know that I can take an MA in international trade unionism, which is something I wish to do in the near future. But before I do, I am travelling to Australia

BEN COOK GMB workplace organiser at Asda.

06 www.gmb.org.uk

Upda your GtMe ProfileB www.gmb

to visit one of the Australian mining unions. This is particularly important on a personal level, as my family were all miners in South Yorkshire. This is the main reason why I became involved with GMB.

life-changing Being a GMB activist has changed my life completely and helped in so many ways. It’s developed my personal skills with organisation, presentation and public speaking. It has opened my eyes to the bigger picture of what trade unions stand for. But most of all, it has opened doors – my future is looking a lot brighter and I owe it all to GMB! I couldn’t have done it without the help of my branch and in particular Jim Clarke, branch secretary. I would also like to give a big thank you to GMB regional organisers David Shamma and Rachelle Wilkins for all the support they’ve given me.

become a gmb workplace organiser Find out how at: bwo www.gmb.org.uk/gm

.org update .uk/

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Y T I N U M M O C E H IN T

R E H T E G O T E C N E R E MAKING A DIFF Natalie’s story

don’t have a political background. I just come from a family who were proud of their working roots, proud of the communities they lived in and proud to vote Labour. I’ve always had a keen interest in the world around me, but I thought people like me didn’t become councillors or MPs. After all, I’m a young mum of three and surely I don’t have the right accent or contacts to get involved in politics. GMB doesn’t see it that way. They look for passion and commitment, and I know as long as I have that, they can provide me with the tools and support I need to succeed. They can give me opportunities I never thought possible – and in turn, I can help improve communities like mine. Natalie Fleet – GMB member and Labour’s Candidate for Sutton West on Nottinghamshire County Council.

We’re looking for people like you! GMB is searching for the next generation of councillors and MPs. For more information please contact GMB regional political officer, Richard Oliver, on

richard.oliver@gmb.org.uk or call 0115 9607171

Please take a minute or two to complete our quick survey about the issues that affect your family, your colleagues and your community - see page 31 08 www.gmb.org.uk

l na O I T NA

E T A D P U

om GMB r f s w e n e h t l Al

e c n a h c r You to shape

e p o r u e

MEMBER

Stand up for working families in the UK

e all now realise the damage this Con-Dem government is inflicting on our public services and on GMB members and their families. The Lib Dems are complicit in the havoc being wreaked on our communities; we should never forget that. The GMB Central Executive Council (CEC) policy is to make the Labour Party electable in time for the next general election. GMB is now staffed with a political department and each GMB region has a regional political officer (RPO). These officers’ jobs are to organise politically and they are there to help, so get in touch – see the panel on the next page for details of your regional RPO. GMB is encouraging members to join the Labour Party, become active in their communities and local Labour Parties, and help the party become electable. If our members are involved they can encourage the party to adopt policies which will help people provide for their families. Only by being politically active can GMB members influence Labour Party policy and make sure it stands for the things we believe in: a stop to the privatisation of public services, a Living Wage for all working people and investment in our schools and hospitals. As a GMB member you can be part of the Labour Party for just £1.80 a month – that’s only £21.50 a year. Download a form from www.labour.org.uk/trade-union-join and start making a difference!

Bring YOUR mag to life! 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

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Shaping a Europe that works for you In the November edition of this magazine we appealed to members to put themselves forward to stand as Labour candidates for the 2014 European elections. This was a huge success and many GMB members will be on the list of candidates to be voted on by Labour Party members in July. The result of the ballot and final regional lists of candidates will be announced at the Labour Party Annual Conference in September. Some of us see the EU as distant or gobbledygook that we don’t understand and just over 30 per cent of us voted in the last European elections. Yet GMB members benefit from the rights that belonging to the EU brings

us, and we must to fight to ensure these are protected and improved, not taken away. We have the power of our vote to start shaping a Europe that works for us – and if we want positive change we must vote for it at the next European election. We must vote for the GMB members and other trade unionists who have stood up for us and know that the EU needs change, but not at the expense of our hard-won rights. The rights from Europe came to us when we had majorities of Labour and Socialist MEPs, commissioners and governments at European level. It is no surprise that since we lost the majority across the EU, these rights fell under attack.

What does Europe mean to you? For GMB, Europe means a basketful of employment and social rights that we might otherwise never have had. Health and safety protection, paid holidays from work, limits on working hours, protection when faced with collective redundancies and rights when the company we work for is sold. The transfers of undertakings (TUPE) regulations give GMB the right to make sure we keep our hard-won pay and conditions. Part-time workers are guarded; fixed term and temporary agency workers’ rights have been improved; we have improved maternity/pregnant workers’ rights and extensive equal treatment and equality rights. When workers come to the UK to work they have to be paid the negotiated rate of pay and cannot be exploited. And these are just some of the rights we enjoy from Europe. Yet increasingly, when we hear and read about Europe, it is about why Britain should leave it. It's not about whether it's good for us as working families and everyday people to be in or out; the debate is being dominated by politicians. So if we are going to have a debate about Europe, we want it to be about shaping a Europe that works for us.

Watch GMB TV Want to know more about getting involved? Get it from the horse’s mouth! Watch interviews with Labour MPs and GMB organisers at www.gmb.public-i.tv

10 www.gmb.org.uk

We want honest answers about what will happen to our jobs if we leave the EU. Around 50 per cent of everything we produce is bought by Europe. The USA has already said that for them the UK is a route to the EU – and if we’re not in they will find another route. All this will have big implications for us as working families, our jobs and our economy. David Cameron says he wants to renegotiate the terms of our involvement with Europe rather than withdraw altogether. One of the top priorities for him and the coalition is to remove workers’ rights. So any renegotiation under a Con-Dem government is bad news for GMB members. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) would also remove our rights. They are not any friend of GMB members. So get involved and help us shape a Europe that works for us – because its future is in our hands.

GMB

cts political conta

Get in touch with your regional political officer GMB Birmingham & West Midlands Region Stephanie Peacock 0121 550 4888 stephanie.peacock@gmb.org.uk

GMB London Region Gary Doolan 020 7391 6748 gary.doolan@gmb.org.uk

GMB Midland & East Coast Region

Richard Oliver 0115 960 7171 richard.oliver@gmb.org.uk

GMB Northern Region Chris Jukes 0191 233 3930 chris.Jukes@gmb.org.uk

GMB North West and Irish Region Neil Smith 0151 727 0077 neil.smith@gmb.org.uk

GMB Scotland

Richard Leonard 0141 332 8641 richard.leonard@gmb.org.uk

GMB Southern Region Michelle Gordon 020 8397 8881 michelle.gordon@gmb.org.uk

GMB Wales & South West Region Mike Payne 029 2049 1260 mike.payne@gmb.org.uk

GMB Yorkshire & North Derbyshire Region Steve Jennings 0845 337 7777 steve.jennings@gmb.org.uk

GMB Euston Political Team Cath Speight, national political officer 020 7391 6746 Heidi Benzing 020 7391 6749 Gary Doolan 020 7391 6748 Lisa Johnson 020 7391 6764 Steve Kemp 020 7391 6700 Hilary Perrin 020 7391 6753

! get onrtyline u yo what

Tell the Labour Pa esto 2014 want in the Labour Manif k g.u .or ain rit rb ou at www.y ney Find out who’s giving mo at s rie To to the searchthemoney.com

Paul kenny

says

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

It is a scandal that people are victimised for asking questions

here is a line in a Joni Mitchell song which goes “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone”. How true those words ring when the people you love are no longer around, and I guess that is what the song was written to convey. However, such sentiments also apply to the standards of equality, justice and services which are lost, diluted or just plundered by politicians and the vested interests of markets and millionaires. We now live in a country where our natural resources are all owned by private companies, who make vast profits selling us back natural resources, like water, which falls from the sky for free!!

SELLING IT OFF Our energy, railways and public services are all seen as primary wealth producers for corporations’ shareholders or entrepreneurs rather than being instruments for a richer economy for all, a planned future for the benefit of the many. I look in disbelief as this generation of snake oil salesmen that masquerade as our government, package up our health service for privatisation. How they tell us that somehow giving hundreds of millions, currently spent on patient care, to the back pockets of privateers, is the health service we need or indeed want!

RISKY BUSINESS The power of the business lobby is stronger now than at any time in modern government and where better to see that power than to look at the “special advisors” from business, which now adorn every government department. The lobby group who don’t ever have to book an appointment to see the minister. They just waltz right in from the office next door! These “business” interests, demanding cuts in regulations on everything from health and safety to employment rights and equality laws. These are the same guardians of our interests who welcomed cuts in public services whilst applauding cash hand outs to millionaires. The same crew who demanded and got cuts in corporation tax alongside cuts in benefits. The vested interests of multi nationals who earn billions from our country yet pay nothing or virtually nothing back in taxes on their vast profits. The vested interests of the companies who were allowed to get away with compiling blacklists designed to discriminate against ordinary men and women whose only crime might have been to attend a meeting about working conditions or airport expansions or similar environmental concerns.

It is a scandal that people who live in a country that politicians like to tell us is a free democratic society are victimised for asking questions or having the desire to just listen to a debate.

DEMAND ACTION GMB has led the way in both exposing and demanding action on these matters, from tax avoidance by the Starbucks and Amazons of this world to the companies like Carillion and McAlpine whose involvement in blacklisting is now out in the open. If anyone thinks GMB will tire of pursuing these companies, then they better think again. The first political party which has the courage to break the strangle hold of the self-interest buccaneers will be embraced by millions of British people who have become victims of the snout in the trough arrangement, the “we can do whatever we want” culture, of so many companies and individuals whose only interests are their own. I hope that party is Labour. I hope Ed Miliband has the strength to follow his own natural instinct on justice and equality. And a vision which enhances the lives of British people, not on servicing the vested interests of an unelected rich elite. After all when it comes to political support, as the song goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone”. www.gmb.org.uk 11

national

UPDATE

3 1 2 , 3 from GMB All the news

d e t s i l k c a l b

e of the on , ow kn u yo ne eo m so is or u, yo Are 3,213 names on the construction industry blacklist?

ore than 3,000 names appear on an illegal blacklist used by companies in the construction industry. The map, right, was made by GMB to show how many people in each area of the UK were on the blacklist of 3,213* workers. The blacklist first came to light in 2009. The Information Commissionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office (ICO) seized a Consulting Association database of 3,213 construction workers used by 44 companies to vet new recruits and keep out trade union and health and safety activists. By autumn 2012, only 194 of the 3,213 blacklisted workers knew they were on it. After GMB pressed for disclosure, the ICO agreed to supply names, dates of birth, trades and towns of residence on a restricted basis to enable GMB to check our own membership records to find members who are on the blacklist. We found 200 exact matches and are in contact with these members to get their files from ICO. GMB appointed lawyers Leigh Day are preparing litigation to get compensation for them. There were a further 300 names on the list, who may be GMB members, but we need more information to assess if they are. We publish the map, based on locations supplied by ICO for all 3,213, to prompt responses from members to help us in this. If you were a construction worker from one of these areas and as a trade union or health 12 www.gmb.org.uk

STAND UP FOR JUSTICE Blacklisting makes innocent members into outlaws.

1 northern ireland

1 eire

and safety activist were denied work for reasons you could not explain, get in touch so we can crosscheck the records. GMBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priority is to step up the campaign to get every blacklisted GMB member compensation. GMB is calling on councils not to award work to the companies that operated the blacklist until they compensate those they damaged. GMB is also pushing ICO for a proactive action to inform all builders affected that they are on the blacklist. A GMB report on blacklisting showed that it was not something isolated or rare. The

report estimated that in one quarter, Carillion, for example, checked 2,776 names with the Consulting Association, and in the period from October 1999 to April 2004 it estimates that Carillion checked at least 14,724 names.

NATional

Orkney islands

highland

aberdeenshire

Aberdeen city

14 stirling city of glasgow

falkirk

argyle & bute

3 35

8 140 26

clackm

renf

w dunb.

inverc

Angus

perth and kinross

east lothian

n lanark k s lanar

18 E ayr

West yorks

60 greater manchester

173

gwynedd

cheshire

birmingham met area

glamorgan swansea

5 10

monmouthshire

19 3

cornwall

devon

oxon

bristol

bath

8 dorset

leics

berks

5 wilts

beds

essex

454

isle of wight

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blacklisting is not something isolated or rare.â&#x20AC;?

london

hants

12 herts

surrey

suffolk

cambs

bucks

somerset

glos

cardiff

norfolk

northants

warks

heref & worcs

powys

lincs

notts

derbys

staffs

shropshire

kingston upon hull

east riding of yorks

south yorks

ceredigion

183

merseyside

denbighshire

north yorks

lancashire

fy mo If you can help us identi the on d me of the people na rst, hu ite Wh il Ph l tel blacklist, on r ice off GMB construction il. ph or 0 81 8 07968 33 k whitehurst@gmb.org.u son en ph Ste or GMB, 22 Way, London NW1 2HD.

cleveland

tyne & wear

cumbria

Beat g blacklistin re

northumberland

durham

D&G

anglesey

GRIM PRACTICE GMB members demonstrate at . a Carillion court hearing in Swansea

mid lothian w loth

n ayr

fife city of edinburgh

52 12

dundee city

95 8

kent

east sussex

west sussex

* When alias names and duplicates are excluded there are 3,213 individuals on the blacklist. The map shows where 2,554 lived or worked. There are an additional 12 unmapped in Wales and 8 unmapped in Scotland. For 639, or 20%, no proper addresses are given. The ICO using NI details could, with help of DWP, find current addresses for most of 3,213 but they have not done so.

www.gmb.org.uk 13

national

BECOME A GMB WORKP ORGANILACE SER

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

www.gmb .org gmbwo .uk/

hangin’ on the

telephone Daily Mirror columnist Paul Routledge on how zero hours contracts are keeping UK workers waiting by the phone

ON’T call us – we’ll call you!” That’s the old showbiz gag. Promoters who exploit struggling artistes tell them to stay by the phone on the off chance of something coming up. But it’s no joke in modern-day Britain, where employers impose “zero hours contracts” (ZHC) contracts on people desperate for work. These breadwinners spend hours listening for the boss to call them in for a few hours’ paid work. Sometimes the phone rings, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s not a job. It’s not even a genuine contract – it’s a con-trick. But nowadays it’s year zero every year in UK plc, as employers rush to turn their workforce into casual labourers. Once upon a time, it was the dockers, gathered at the dock gates waiting for the foreman to shout 14 www.gmb.org.uk

“You, you and you! The rest go home.” Today, this system goes right across the board from fast-food outlets to the NHS. Exactly what are we talking about here? Under a zero hours contract, employees are obliged to make themselves available for work – but the employer is under no obligation to provide work. There are no specified hours, and work can vary from week to week. Workers are paid only for the time they work, so the waiting time they spend by the phone is unpaid. And some employers don’t even pay for waiting time spent on work premises, though legally workers are entitled to payment. ACAS, the employment relations service, says, “National Minimum Wage (NMW) regulations state that workers on ‘stand-by time’, ‘on-call time’ and ‘downtime’ must

still be paid the NMW if they are at their place of work and are required to be there. “Similarly, such time is likely to count as ‘working time’ under the Working Time Regulations if the worker is required to be on call at the place of work. This means that it’s against the law to ask employees to ‘clock’ during quiet periods but still remain on the premises.” Workers should be aware of these provisions. It’s obvious why the employers like this evil system. As GMB puts it: “This isn’t a proper job at all, but being on a bank of agency workers, with no rights, no guarantees and unable to plan their lives.” Security work has been particularly hard hit by the zero hours revolution. And as the union for security workers, GMB members and GMB workplace

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk Bring these pages to life! organisers have spotlighted the excesses and are driving action by the union in the workplace and in a wider public debate. GMB has successfully challenged ZHCs in a number of companies, where the employer has agreed minimum hours so workers have a “default position” knowing just how much they will get.

tough fight But it’s a tough fight we have on our hands. The industry is highly fragmented, with many people working alone and on night shifts. Where workers are isolated, and communication is poor, it’s easy for them to be abused by management. Security is probably the worst in terms of exploitation, but ZHCs are also found in local government, schools, food processing, telecommunications, agriculture and some parts of manufacturing. And in the NHS, one Trust in south-west England has more than 1,000 people on ZHCs at all levels of the organisation: healthcare assistant, midwife, doctor, surgeon and admin worker. None have security of income. Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, has called on the coalition government to halt the spread of ZHCs in the NHS pending an urgent review into the potential risks to continuity of care and patient safety. “What we’re seeing is the casualisation of our health service, turning parts of the NHS into a temping workforce,” he warned. Reliable figures across the nation are hard to come by, but the official government Labour Force Survey calculates that in pre-recession Britain of 2005, there were

JOB INSECURITY Factory workers suffer from unfair contracts.

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75,000 employees on zero hours contracts, 32,000 of them women. In 2011 this had increased to 146,000, with 85,000 women.

tip of the iceberg These figures show a doubling of ZHCs since the bankers’ recession hit the economy, with women now more likely to be exploited by employers. And the official numbers are just the tip of an iceberg. They exclude hundreds of thousands of agency workers – who are not technically employees. The clear and present danger of exploitation from zero hour contracts has prompted GMB to back a call for a National Minimum Hours strategy to complement the National Minimum Wage, with GMB giving evidence to the Low Pay Commission. GMB executive policy officer Ida Clemo says: “Employers regard these workers as ‘flexible’, but it is GMB policy that if workers

“Where workers are isolated and communication is poor, it’s easy for them to be abused by management.” have a regular pattern of work over a fixed period then they must be offered employment on a permanent contract, not a casual one.” The security industry is traditionally a low-wage economy with long hours. In addition to this many sites are not GMB-organised sites, and there is a high potential for guards to be exposed to violence. As such security guards are SIA-licensed and vetted to high standards. The big players, with whom GMB has recognition agreements, fund the license with the cost repaid if guards leave before the end of the three-year license period. However, most guards who aren’t GMB members are on ZHCs and have to pay for their own license and training with no guarantee of work. The logical outcome of this cut-throat business practice was perfectly demonstrated during the Olympic Games, when security firm G4S – many of whose security officers were on ZHCs – failed dismally to produce the tens of thousands of guards required to keep the sites safe.

ON CALL Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary, objects to ZHCs. That’s because ZHCs cut both ways. How can an employee treated badly in this way feel any loyalty to a company that treats him or her like an industrial serf? These work deals first reappeared in the recession of the ’90s. They didn’t guarantee any hours or pay. But they were a contract with that employer, so the employee could not work anywhere else, nor could they sign on for benefits. Where did they go afterwards? As soon as the labour market eases and better forms of employment become available, people stop accepting them and they become rare. But there are few signs that the labour market is picking up. Quite the opposite. And with the UK economy bumping along the bottom, most new employment is low-paid, part-time work. Hundreds of thousands of worthwhile jobs in the public services have been sacrificed in the name of austerity but the private sector only wants “flexible” staff who can be called out when they’re needed. This is a recipe for disaster, because dissatisfied workers are reluctant workers. Whatever the nature of the work, you need people who are committed to doing a good job. “A fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work” is an old maxim, but one that reflects the British way of life. A way of living now under siege from the zero hours mobsters.

get help from gmb ered a zero Have you been off ch hours contract? Get in tou ice off al with your region or find out more online at www.gmb.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 15

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

GMB calls on UK councils to pay

IT’S A LIVING THING GMB secures a living wage at Barking & Dagenham council.

a living wage

The campaign steps up as some councils make the first step to get on board

pay freezes have meant that this progress has t’s nonsensical that council been halted and dragged back, leaving some workers’ pay has to be topped up by GMB members at the lower end of the pay state benefits. More councils are scale on £6.30 per hour. GMB is determined signing up to the GMB living wage that members on these lower pay rates, who campaign all the time, so check out the are forced to claim tax credits, free school latest list of the councils that haven’t at: meals, housing benefit and council tax benefit www.gmb.org.uk/livingwage to make ends meet will be paid a living wage. GMB is calling on all UK councils to pay a Around 280,000 – 16 per cent of living wage. In England and Wales local authority staff – would GMB wants councils to pay £7.45 benefit from a living wage. Jobs per hour. With a much higher currently paid £6.30–£6.38 cost of living in the capital, per hour include home help, GMB is seeking an hourly teaching assistants, rate of £8.55 from the 33 rts pe ex at The hourly rate th cleaners, grave diggers, London boroughs. The ed ne le op pe y sa an admin assistants, sure-start, campaign is being backed to be paid to have d ar nd sta caretakers, care workers and by Labour Party. A le ab pt acce school crossing patrols. sokesperson said, “Labour of living (£8.55 in London). You will find GMB living wage councils are leading the way in material at www.gmb.org.uk/ committing to pay a living wage livingwage GMB has petitions to their staff and subcontracted among council workers and is meeting with workers. As part of Labour’s policy review we the chief executives of councils and calling on are now looking at ideas for extending it elected councillors to vote for a living wage. further into the private sector.” At the time of writing, 35 councils in Council rates of pay have been pushed up England, including 10 London boroughs by GMB negotiators over time, but years of

£7.45

which will pay the higher hourly rate, have committed to pay a living wage. They are Ashfield, Blackpool, Birmingham, Brent, Brighton & Hove, Calderdale, Camden, Carlisle, Chorley, Croydon, Dartford, Deal, Derby City, Ealing, Enfield, Gloucester City, Hackney, Harrow, Hounslow, Hyndburn, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newark & Sherwood, Newcastle, Norwich, Oxford City, Preston, Sheffield, Southwark, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich and York. Scotland is leading the way by paying £7.20 from 1 April this year in all 26 Scottish councils. GMB Scotland intends to move on to the private sector contractors delivering catering and cleaning services to councils by extending the campaign to cover them too. None of the 26 Northern Ireland councils have signed up to the GMB living wage aims Only two of Wales’s 22 councils, Cardiff and Swansea, have signed up to pay a living wage of £7.45. GMB wants a living wage for members in the private sector too, not just in councils.

GMB wins a living wage of £9ph for members at Barking & Dagenham council in London. 16 www.gmb.org.uk

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

How GMB makes life easier for you GMB workplace organisers are there to offer support and advice, so whether you are having a problem that you need help with, or if you just want to know what your rights are, call them! Don’t worry, Clive. Just fill in a direct debit form and I will send it off to GMB. it’s that simple.

One afternoon…

Jen, I Start a new job next week and my new boss won’t deduct My GMB contributions from my wages.

you have a legal right to be a GMB member wherever you work, Whether your Boss recognises GMB or not.

I Still want to be a GMB member. What can I do?

Yes, I saw your names on the list of staff who are leaving. I’ll be meeting with you both later in the week.

Thanks, Jen. If you give me the Direct debit form I’ll fill it out now. By the way, Helen is moving to the new depot.

The End

18 www.gmb.org.uk

Gavin Roberts

Great! I’ll Ask Helen to fill in a Membership Transfer Note. Then payroll can keep her GMB deductions going.

national

UPDATE

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

from GMB All the news

50 could be yours! VOUCHER

EXCLUSIVE TO GMB MEMBERS!

Refer a friend to British Gas for free insulation and earn yourself a £50 voucher!

ritish Gas is offering a FREE £50 voucher to anyone who refers a friend on qualifying benefits to receive free insulation worth up to £1,000. If you have a friend on any of the benefits listed in the table to the right, you could get them FREE insulation and a £50 voucher for yourself! The voucher will be sent to you once the installation has been completed. What’s more there is no limit on the number of people you can refer. As well as getting FREE insulation, the customer you refer will be paid £50 too and they don’t even need to be a British Gas customer to be eligible. The offer is part of a government initiative to help Britain’s homes become more energy efficient – and it is FREE to anyone who qualifies. The whole process is hassle free and is usually complete in less than a day. What’s more insulation can save your friend money on their bills. Loft insulation alone could save as much as £175 a year!

ND REFER A r,FtelRl anIE eligible To earn a £50 vouche British Gas on: friend or relative to call

0800 107 1683 ’ with your name, quoting ‘GMBMAG number. address and telephone

Who qualifies?

Visit www.britishgas.co.uk/smallprint or see the table below:

If you receive one of the following benefits: 1. State Pension Credit or 2. Child Tax Credit with an income below £15,860 or 3. A combination of the following: Income-related employment and support allowance, which must include a work-related activity or support component

Income-based job seekers allowance

A child tax credit which includes a disability or severe disability element

AND

A disabled child premium Income support

A disability premium, enhanced disability premium or severe disability premium A pensioner premium, higher pensioner premium or enhanced pensioner premium OR

Working tax credit and has a relevant income of £15,860 or less

AND

Has parental responsibility for a child who ordinariliy resides with that person where the child is: (i) under the age of 16; or (ii) 16 or over but under the age of 20 and in full-time education (other than higher education) Is in receipt of a disabled worker element or severe disability element Is aged 60 years or over

TERMS AND CONDITIONS To be eligible, a member of the household must be on eligible benefits call 0800 107 1683 or see britishgas.co.uk/smallprint for details. British Gas installs in mainland Great Britain only. Not all homes are suitable for insulation. Offer only applies to loft and cavity wall measures recommended by an appointed surveyor. Offer includes up to £1,000 of specialist equipment at the discretion of the appointed surveyor. Tenants must seek landlord permission. Offer only applicable to residential properties and excludes all other properties including commercial or part commercial premises. The Offer is subject to availability and subject to change or withdrawal at any time. A £50 Love2shop voucher will be sent to the Applicant and the Referrer within 30 days of completion of insulation installation. Employees of British Gas, members of their immediate family and British Gas contractors are not eligible for the £50 reward. Referrers may refer more than one Applicant. Applicants must provide proof of their eligibility for the Offer, including proof of receipt of eligible benefits as set out above and/or proof of age and proof of their residential address. Free insulation is limited to one per Applicant. Phone lines are open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm on Saturday and 9am-4pm on Sunday. Closed on Bank Holidays. Calls are free from 20 however charges from mobile phonesand other networks may vary. Calls may be monitored and/or recorded for quality assurance and compliance purposes. a BT landline,www.gmb.org.uk

iStock

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y b ver o ed l w o b be l ’l u yo

congress 2013 plymouth, 2–6 june

Save the

TELEVISIO

Watch it liv Congress Te on V! Go to www.gmb .public-i.tv

’ s r ine m m a h Dur

Dave Hopper, general secretary, Durham Miners’ Association appeals to GMB members GMB Central Executive Council is backing the future of the Durham Miners’ Gala, which was first held 142 years ago and is the biggest celebration of trade union values in Britain today. However, the cost of the Gala is increasing year on year and we need your help to keep this institution running.

MINERS’ MARCH The Durham Miners’ Gala is 142 year-old tradition.

Since our coalfield was destroyed 20 years ago by a vengeful Tory government, we have had no regular subscription to our funds from working miners. Our financial problems have now been further compounded, as we have to pay more than £1.4m in legal fees. Anyone who donates £2 a month or a one-off payment of £24 a year will become a member of The Friends Of The Durham

Gala

Miners’ Gala Society, and each year will receive a glossy magazine with photographs of the Gala and a report of the speeches. Donations can of course be more than £2 per month if circumstances allow, and one-off payments are equally acceptable. To join or donate, please contact us through our website (details below). You may also wish to buy one or more of the items for sale from the site. This year’s Durham Miners’ Gala will be held on Saturday 13 July.

please donate

la The Durham Miners’ Ga lp! he ur yo s need org www.durhamminers.

www.gmb.org.uk 21

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

mother

care

Going to be a mum? Don’t miss out on your maternity rights

MB has worked hard over the years for maternity rights and pay. Here are some basic facts for new mothers:

What maternity pay will I get? If you earn the lower earnings limit of £107 a week and you have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks before the 15th week before your baby is due you will probably be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).

though you are not entitled to SMP, this is Contractual or Occupational Maternity Pay. You should look at your employment contract or the maternity policy to see what it says about maternity pay. There may be a requirement for you to pay some money back if you don’t return to work for a certain length of time.

Remember... The situation with your employer may change, so always discuss your individual situation with your GMB workplace organiser. This is a brief guide to your legal minimum rights and is not a definitive guide to the law, which may change.

Is it true that all women get 52 weeks’ maternity leave no matter how long they have worked for their employer? Yes! The first 26 weeks of leave is known as Ordinary Maternity Leave and the second 26 weeks is Additional Maternity Leave. Employers will assume you're taking the full 52 weeks’ leave. If you want to go back to work before the 52 weeks, you must let your employer know the date you will return to work. What if I decide not to go back to work? You never have to pay back any SMP. If you are getting more than SMP, or if you're getting payments from your employer even

Fighting for cancer GMB and Macmillan help with cancer in the workplace

Four in 10 people in the UK will be affected by cancer at some stage of their life. Many cancer sufferers say that work is important to them, as a job can help restore normality, routine, stability, social contact and income. However, Macmillan Cancer Support has established two hard facts: 91 per cent of workers suffer a loss of income and/or increased costs as a result of cancer, and 48 per cent of cancer patients are not given any financial support information. Macmillan is keen to work with GMB in raising the profile on what can be done for 22 www.gmb.org.uk

sufferers

working people suffering the emotional and financial effects of cancer. GMB, which has long campaigned on the prevention of workplace

elptial Work getn h has an Essen

Macmilla le at at & Cancer Toolkit availab /work, .uk rg n.o illa cm ma w. ww for or call 0808 808 0000 a t jus or rt po sup , ers answ quick chat on the issues.

cancers, will be getting involved to roll out the issue on a regional basis with the help of workplace reps.

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Bring these pages to life!

WIN!

this could be you! Your chance to win a pair of tickets to Glastonbury.

A pair of tickets to Glastonbury Just register at www.gmb.org.uk and update your profile to enter!

ancy going to this year’s Glastonbury festival, taking place from 26–30 June? We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away in association with the Workers Beer Company. For your chance to win follow these steps to update your GMB profile on GMB’s new-look website.

Step 1

• Go to www.gmb.org.uk • Select ‘GMB members login’ • Enter your GMB membership number

and password or create a new password

Step 2

Last issue’s iPhone winner!

Select ‘update profile’ and enter your: Email address Mobile number Home address

Rex Features

• • •

TERMS & CONDITIONS The winning entry will be drawn at random from fully financial GMB members only who register for/login to www.gmb.org.uk members area and update their GMB membership record with additional data before close of business on Friday 3 May 2013 . The winner will be notified by GMB. Prize is subject to availability. No purchase necessary. Entries from employees of GMB or their families 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.

GMB member Mercedes Fernandez Regalado-Tivy won a brand new iPhone when she entered the prize draw in the last issue of GMB magazine.

she’s a winner! Mercedes receives her new iPhone from her GMB branch secretary Vaugha n West.

www.gmb.org.uk 23

national

UPDATE

Be a life-saver from GMB All the news

GMB backs charity ACLT’s call for blood donors

here’s nothing more tragic than a young life needlessly lost, as Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis told GMB’s equality conference. Their son, Daniel, had battled for years with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; a bloodrelated cancer. He had overcome many of the hurdles that a cancer sufferer faces, however at the age of 21; he tragically passed away from an unrelated illness. Aged eight Daniel needed a life-saving bone marrow transplant if he was to win his [then] three-year battle against leukaemia. At this time in 1996, there were only 550 donors from black communities on the entire UK bone marrow register. Sadly, for the black, mixed race and ethnic communities this translated to a one in 250,000 chance of

HAPPY FAMILY Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis with their son Daniel.

finding a matching bone marrow donor; compare this to the one in five chance for a white member of the UK population. Such statistics were the reason for Beverley and Orin forming the ACLT. For the past 17 years the charity’s few but hard-working staff and volunteers have recruited thousands of blood donors. There are now 40,000 people of minority ethnic origin on the UK bone marrow registers. This has improved the odds, but only to one in 100,000. It is the racially specific characteristics of bone marrow that mean compatible donors for black and mixed race sufferers must come from the black or mixed race population. GMB urges members to sign up to become a blood or organ donor, irrespective of racial origin,

but particularly if you are from a black, minority ethnic or mixed race community. Sufferers from these backgrounds are three times more likely to need an organ transplant but only one per cent of people on the NHS organ donor register are from this community! The ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) was inspired by Daniel. After his successful bone marrow transplant, he enjoyed a precious 12 years with his friends and family. To give other sufferers a similar opportunity, the charity raises awareness throughout the UK, to enable potential donors to come forward and make them potential life-savers. To join the bone marrow, blood or organ donation registers, or to make a financial donation, call the ACLT on 020 8240 4480 or visit aclt.org

and change Have fun the world Verity Jones on why you should join Woodcraft Folk

SERIOUSLY FUN Woodcraft Folk members use fun to make a serious point.

24 www.gmb.org.uk

You might have seen Woodcraft Folk at the TUC march in London last October. There were parents, children and volunteers of all ages in our group – having fun, but taking action on a serious issue at the same time. Woodcraft Folk is a movement for children and young people, which aims to help young people value the planet. We believe no one is too young to learn about social change, and that no one is too old to play games and have fun. We put all this into practice in our local groups, where all ages work together to make the world a fairer place. If you’ve got children, or if you want to volunteer for a youth movement that cares passionately about society and the environment, go along to your local Woodcraft Folk group. Find your closest group at www.woodcraft.org.uk Alternatively VERITY JONES email info@woodcraft.org.uk or call Verity loves being part 020 7703 4173. of Woodcraft Folk.

regional

UPDATE

GMB’s action team has been recruiting new members

from GMB All the news

ACTION STARS Left to right: Mick, Norma, Elaine and Paul.

he region’s recruitment team, known as the action team, is now up to full strength. The team focuses on es recruiting new members in workplac reps GMB ing help without a recognised union and increase workplace membership. or organiser The team is headed up by GMB seni a Kerr, Richard Taylor, and is made up of Norm pin. Cop Elaine Barratt, Paul Bisset and Mick expertise of s year y man Norma and Elaine have Paul ber mem new e whil ies, as senior secretar an of e rienc expe the gs brin Bissett RETIRE industrial work sheet. The action team’s latest FROM recruit is Mick Coppin. He WORK previously worked as a senior NOT G www.gmb MB operating department .or gmbrm g.uk/ a practitioner in the NHS and was a senior GMB workplace rep, branch secretary and regional committee member. take this Richard Taylor says, “I would like to n team. actio the to Mick ome welc opportunity to ering I’m sure he will play a full part in deliv h is vital membership growth within GMB, whic provide and gth stren l to increase our industria s.” deal ible poss best the with our members

GMB Rescue rangers Scarborough Borough Council park rangers rescue residents When severe subsidence threatened the safety of Whitby residents, GMB members sprang into action. Five properties in Aelfleda Terrace in Whitby are to be demolished after their gardens were washed away by heavy rain, leaving them at serious risk of collapse. Scarborough Borough Council appointed a principal contractor to manage the site for demolition, but the Scarborough Borough Council park rangers were on hand to secure a large tree, which was in danger of toppling as a result of the landslide, and brought it down in a controlled manner.

activists are employed as park rangers by Scarborough Borough Council and have always been happy to work above and beyond their contractual duties when support is needed in the local community. The entire region congratulates Mick and his teammates for their speedy response and sensible approach at a challenging time for all concerned.

GMB HEROES GMB workplace organiser Mick Agar and other GMB members were on hand to rescue residents trapped in their homes. Mick Agar and fellow GMB

Landslide victory GMB members came to rescue when dangerous subsidence threatened homes. www.gmb.org.uk 25

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

smashing your

rights

Look out! The government wants to change the law to demolish your rights at work

from 6 april 2012 • The qualifying period for unfair dismissal

was doubled to two years. Employment tribunal judges now sit alone when deciding unfair dismissal cases, without guidance and balance from experienced lay members. Witness expenses are no longer payable at an employment tribunal. This may discourage witnesses from attending as they won’t get their wages or travel costs.

• •

more to come As if this wasn’t bad enough, the government is planning more new rules to make it even 26 www.gmb.org.uk

easier for bosses to sack workers. These plans are all in the pipeline: Compensation cap The government wants to limit the amount a tribunal can award to 12 months’ pay. Confidential negotiations New rules would mean that offers to settle a claim for unfair dismissal, made in private could not be referred to if the matter went to tribunal. This would not apply to certain claims, but it could be intimidating and lead to people agreeing to leave their jobs without any ability to challenge the process down the line. Fees in tribunals A two-stage fee system means it could cost up to £1,200 to take a case to hearing. Worse still, even if you win, there is no guarantee you will get that £1,200 back!

TUPE transfer The government wants to reduce your rights under TUPE – there isn’t any justification but that is unlikely to stop them. Redundancy consultation If an employer wants to make over 100 employees redundant it has to enter a 90-day consultation period. The government wants to reduce this to 30 days, so companies can sack staff in a month!

DEMOLITION MAN The coalition wants to destroy your rights.

iend Tell a frers hip This is why GMB memb ow is so important. If you kn from fit ne be uld co o wh anyone the protection of GMB, tell them to join now www.gmb.org.uk/join

Rex Features/iStock x 2

his government believes workers’ rights stifle economic growth. They say trade union members stand in the way of recovery because we insist that employees are protected from being unfairly dismissed. The government tells us that employers are not giving people jobs because they are concerned about what tribunal claims someone might bring if they’re sacked. What utter nonsense! Last year saw major employment law reform and the government is planning even more biting cuts to the rights of ordinary people.

regional

Winning! GMB members celebrate wins across the region

injured at work? www.gmb. org .uk/ injureda twork

Members win compensation for unfair dismissal More than 90 former employees at Aquascutum’s textile factory in Corby have won their battle for compensation after the factory went into administration in 2012. The employees were made redundant in April and left with no wages, redundancy or holiday pay. GMB took their claim to an employment tribunal and won a protective award, compensation for unfair dismissal and an outstanding pay rise for the unfairly sacked members. Rachelle Wilkins, GMB regional organiser, along with Thompsons Solicitors, has secured an excellent result for these members. They were treated extremely harshly by Aquascutum, who not only misled them but never even had the common decency to explain the financial disarray the company were in before announcing the closure. Rachelle said: “I am pleased that we have won this compensation as it sends a message to unscrupulous employers that working people have the means to fight them, especially if they are member of GMB.”

GMB wins 4.2% pay rise for Sherburn members Members at the structural steel company, Atlas Ward, have won a 4.2 per cent pay-rise following action from newly-qualified GMB rep, Steve Bean. Atlas Ward’s parent company the Severfield-Rowen Group, announced that there would be no pay rise in July 2012, as had been anticipated. Members were dissatisfied as they already felt that their wages were falling behind other companies in the group.

GMB managed negotiations with Severfield-Rowen, rejecting their initial offer of 1.75 per cent on the basic rate plus an upped attendance bonus. The final offer gives members a 4.2 per cent pay rise, which will be backdated to July 2012. As well as the substantial increase, members will benefit from a new bonus scheme launched in January 2013 based on efficiency, sickness and accident levels. Well done Steve!

Victory for civil parking enforcement officers

STITCHED UP Aquascutum sacked staff in Corby without notice.

GMB has won its case against GPS tracking devices for traffic wardens, after employers at East Riding Council introduced a new handheld recording system that would track members’ whereabouts. Following objections from GMB members, consultation took place, which resulted in a joint working group with a GMB representative and two front line staff. Following trials and discussions, it was agreed that the trackers were not necessary and Health and Safety issues could be better met by other methods.

www.gmb.org.uk 27

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

? s n e k c i D What the

The Tory attitude to welfare is Dickensian as Iain Duncan Smith brands anyone on benefits a “slacker”

Public opinion Most worryingly, their lies are sinking in. In a recent YouGov survey published by the TUC, on average people think that around 41 per cent of the social security budget goes to the unemployed, and around 27 per cent is spent on fraudulent claims. But the true figures are 3 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively. We need to fight back On 8 January 2013, in a heated debate in the House of Commons, the government won a crucial vote on plans to limit annual increases in working-age benefits to 1 per cent for the next three years. Benefits have historically risen in line with inflation and, without any change, would have been due to go up by 2.2 per cent in April. According to the government’s own figures, 30 per cent of all households will lose money.

GMB’s view is that the vast majority of people affected by these cuts find themselves in need of support due to circumstances beyond their control. It is simply unfair and immoral to suggest that these people are ‘slackers’ or ‘skivers’ who, through choice, are willing to spend their entire lives on hand-outs. People should not be fooled by the lies and myths perpetuated by Duncan Smith and other millionaire ministers such as the Chancellor, George Osborne. They will continue to use divisive tactics to turn workers against the unemployed or those on other benefits. But everyone should be clear: it is they that are out to steal billions from low-paid workers and unemployed people to pay for the crisis created by their rich friends and the bankers. GMB’s view is that we fight back. So the question to ask yourself is: What are YOU going to do?

Tories attack benefits

The government is using its lies about benefits claimants to push through biting reform to welfare while avoiding resistance from the public. These are some of the changes due to appear in 2013: Universal Credit will replace Income Support; Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; Income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit; Housing Benefit. Child Tax Credit will be abolished. A ‘Personal Independence Payment’ (PIP) will be introduced, and Disability Living Allowance for adults will be phased out. Employment and Support Allowance will be restricted to one year for most people.

28 www.gmb.org.uk

THE NEW MR BUMBLE? Iain Duncan Smith’s attitude would make a Dickens villain blush.

time to fight back lies. Do not be fooled by the u yo w ho on on ati orm For inf it can get active, vis www.gmb.org.uk

Working Tax Credit Baby element (extra £545 in first year) removed. Family element withdrawn from ‘middle income’ families. Childcare costs cut from 80 per cent to 70 per cent. ost couples with children required to work at least M 24 hours a week to qualify for working tax credit. Tax credits not increased if income drops by less than £2,500.

• • • • •

Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) highlights that a baby born to a low-income family from April 2012 is £1,500 worse off compared to a sibling born in April 2010. What’s more, 30 per cent of all households will lose money as a result of these changes.

Rex Features x 2

he Tories think there are two types of people in the world: “strivers” and “slackers”. Iain Duncan Smith, the millionaire Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, told the Sunday Times that people who receive benefits are not unfortunate: they are "slackers". The Tories’ attitude to welfare reform is far from progressive, as they use the subject to spread the “shirkers” myth about those on benefits – and this dangerous idea is helping them make brutal cuts that will cripple ordinary families.

regional

GMB wins £10,000 for hearing loss victim David Neall, 61, received £10,000 in damages after developing occupational tinnitus and hearing loss while working for JB Weightmans, a vehicle body builders in Scunthorpe, from 1966 to 2005. His job involved unsafe noise levels, and though hearing protection was provided, its use was not enforced and it wasn’t always available. Mr Neall was diagnosed with deafness and tinnitus in March 2010. He must now wear a hearing aid in his left ear. As a GMB member, Mr Neall was entitled to legal support. He approached GMB, who instructed Thompsons Solicitors to investigate a claim for compensation. JB Weightmans’ insurers

admitted liability and Thompsons secured a settlement out of court. Mr Neall said, “We were never warned about the dangers of noise at the time. Being hard of hearing really does affect everyday life and I wish more had been done by my employers to make sure I was protected.” Andy Worth, GMB regional secretary, said, “Industrial deafness is a condition associated with heavy industry, but it is nothing new.” Katrina Rowan of Thompsons added: “Hearing problems are often put down to getting older and people don’t always associate it with the work they were doing decades earlier.”

“We were never warned about the dangers of noise.” BECOME A GMB Health safety & rep www.g mb.or

health and safety update gmbhsr g.uk/ ep

From site inspections to training courses, GMB puts your safety first GMB is constantly striving to protect members where they work. GMB health and safety representatives such as Ray Beekman, GMB convenor for health and safety at Nottingham City Council, tirelessly inspect workplaces to keep workers across the region free from danger. “It is paramount that as GMB health and safety reps we continue to be vigilant and act swiftly on any health and safety issues,” says Ray. “GMB members deserve the

best protection at work. We are conducting site visits in schools. I have also suggested that each building within Nottingham City Council be fitted with carbon monoxide monitors. This is now being done.” If you deem anything in your workplace to be a health and safety issue, contact GMB.

Training for Nottingham city Reps Starting this year, GMB’s programme of health and safety training days will be available to all GMB health and safety reps in the Nottingham City Branch. Subjects will cover various aspects of health and

safety, and give an insight into different jobs in the council. Sessions will be held on the second Friday of every month at the Regional Office on Woodborough Road. All sessions start at 9am.

Sound advice Ray Beekman spreads the word on workplace safety.

www.gmb.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Goodbye

Bernie

ernie Lewis, a member of GMB for 41 years, has hung up his cap after 43 years working for Ideal Boilers’ Hull plant. Bernie had been a long-standing shop steward for 26 years, serving on the Hull Heating Workers’ branch as president and auditor and representing the Hull plant on the European trade union forum. He said, “Although I won’t be here at the factory

HAPPY RETIREMENT Bernie celebrates with daughters Helen and Tara.

day to day, the members won’t be far from my thoughts.” Dave Oglesby, GMB organiser, presented Bernie with a bottle of GMB whisky and a certificate of merit. On behalf of the region, work colleagues and activists, we wish Bernie a long and happy retirement.

Farewell Viv Fond farewell

John Grocock (new branch secretar y), David Shamma (organiser), Viv Rab betts, Richard Taylor (senior organiser) and branch president, Sue Parker.

GMB Contact GMB

Please feel free to contact your regional At their December meeting, GMB or local GMB office with any questions Anwick branch said farewell to branch that you may have. secretary Viv Rabbetts, who is standing down to enjoy his retirement. GMB Regional Office Viv had also served on regional 542 Woodborough Road, council as well as representing the Nottingham NG3 5FJ branch at national congress. He T: 0115 960 7171 Upda worked tirelessly to represent F: 0115 960 1100 your GtMe his members at Moy Park and ProfileB Email: martin.allen@gmb.org.uk around the Sleaford area. www.gmb GMB buxton Office .org Viv said, “I have enjoyed update .uk/ 2 Fairfield Road, my time with GMB but it is Buxton SK17 7DW time to hand the reins over. I T: 01298 241 90 am confident the branch will go from F: 01298 246 35 strength to strength.” New branch secretary, John Grocock was voted in. GMB hull Office 62 Russell Street, Hull HU2 9AD T: 01482 218 018 F: 01482 216 285 Email: les.dobbs@gmb.org.uk

GMB leicester Office

We are planning on displaying GMB branch banners in the main hall at Congress 2013. If you would like your branch banner to be displayed at GMB Congress 2013, please contact

Les Dobbs, senior organiser, on 01482 218 018 or email les.dobbs@ gmb.org.uk, who will make the arrangements for getting it there and back to you.

Yeoman Buildings, 18 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1RD T: 0116 251 0922 F: 0116 251 8320 Email: richard.taylor@gmb.org.uk

GMB lincoln Office

2 Monson Street, Lincoln LN5 7RZ T: 01522 525 579 F: 01522 567 523

GMB Peterborough Office

BRIAN JESSON It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Brian Jesson, retired GMB full-time officer, who passed away on 30 September 2012, aged 80. Brian retired from GMB in 1990, and represented members in the Leicester area of the region. Our condolences go to his wife Mavis, and his whole family.

30 www.gmb.org.uk

5 Swan Court, Forder Way, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8GX T: 01733 344 418 F: 01733 891 374

GMB Regional website www.gmbmidandec.org.uk

Have your say

GMB members’ political survey

regional

At this time when many of our members are fearing job losses, seeing a decline in their living standards and worrying about the effects of cuts to their valued local services, we know that we need to be standing up for you in and outside of the workplace. Using our influence at the heart of the Labour movement, we will champion the issues that you tell us will make a big difference to your family, your colleagues and your community. That is why we are asking you to take a minute or two to let us know what you think needs to be done to build stronger, fairer communities and to ensure our members’ rights are protected and our workplaces remain safe.

Your contact details Full name

Telephone

Address

Mobile Email

Postcode

Membership No.

What is the most important issue for you and your colleagues at work?

What is the most important issue for you and your family?

What is the most important issue in your community?

Are there any other issues that GMB should be championing on behalf of its members?

Are you a member of the Labour Party? Yes

If no, would you like to join the Labour Party? Yes

Would you consider becoming a local councillor for your area? Yes

Don’t know – Please send me more information

Thank you for your time. Please return your completed survey to our freepost address below – no stamp required. You can also complete this form online at: www.smart-survey.co.uk/s/gmbpoliticalsurvey

GMB Freepost MID30348 Nottingham NG3 1BR GMB may contact you using the information you have provided. If you do not wish to be contacted please tick this box.