Fusion

The magazine for GMB members

Fusion www.gmb.org.uk

Spring 2013

fly the flag

See p29

W IN a pair o

pedal power! f

Glasto tickets See page 23

GMB members hit Route 66 for charity

Does your boss keep you hanging on the line? See p14

Read

online

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In this issue...

Paul McCarthy etary GMB regional secr

GMB members visit unions in Israel Page 30

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

Regional

National

4 On your bike!

9 Make a difference

6 Legal eagles

11 Paul Kenny speaks

7 Injury compensation

12 Blacklisting

8 Practical politics

14 Zero hours contracts

25 In the courts

16 A living wage

GMB members on USA charity bike-ride

Injured at work? GMB can help

Make sure you get what you’re entitled to

How GMB is making Westminster listen

GMB wins for members in Northern Ireland

26 Pension panic

New plans could leave you out of pocket

28 Equalities update

Take a look at equal rights for all workers

29 Banner display

Get your banner out at GMB Congress!

30 Israel visit

GMB members visit Israel

31 Contact GMB

Names and numbers you can call on

GMB regional editor Terry Mellor: 01928 572 726 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 Design director Dylan Channon Director, Future Plus UK Jayne Caple Printed at St Ives Direct

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

Your chance to win tickets to Glastonbury

24 Save a life today

Register as a blood or bone marrow donor and become a life-saver

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 Fusion 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.

New laws will limit access to justice Welcome to the Spring edition of Fusion.

Many of our members come to us when they have had an accident through the negligent actions or inactions of others. This is mostly in the workplace, but not always. GMB provides legal assistance to members in these circumstances allowing them to sue for compensation and ensure that employers make changes so that no one else suffers.

Being able to take these claims against companies acts as a deterrent to stop unhealthy and dangerous practices.

The government is introducing legislation following the report of Lord Justice Jackson who recommended sweeping changes to litigation funding and solicitor’s costs. We believe the changes will reduce access to justice and result in a windfall for insurance companies, who have been using their influence with the government to save them from paying compensation.

Under the changes many claimants will lose a substantial proportion of their damages and the cost of funding legal cases will be so high that many solicitors will no longer be able to take on RTA claims, higher risk claims and lower value claims. This will reduce access to justice for millions of ordinary working people and it is inevitable that the quality of legal services provided will be reduced.

This is why GMB is determined to ensure that our legal services remain the best and that our members have access to justice so that they, and their families, have the right to compensation if they are ill or injured and to ensure the highest safety standards in the workplace.

If you think you may have a claim just complete and return the TU56 form on page 7 of this edition.

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Updat your GMe ProfileB www.gmb .org update .uk/

GMB m o r f s w e n All the

not-so-easy

WHEELS OF STEEL The team tackles the famous Route 66 in the USA.

riders

causes GMB charity bike ride raises cash for good

G

MB members Gary Parle and Alan McClintock from Branch 413 Liverpool City Council, along with John Neil, have raised more than £10,000 for charity by retracing 2,500 miles of the iconic Route 66 across America.

The team were sponsored by GMB Branch 413, who provided their bikes and donated to

04 www.gmb.org.uk

the team’s good causes. Funds went to Macmillan Cancer Support and Ashley School, which caters for pupils with additional educational and emotional needs.

The team raised £26,000 on a previous Cycle4Life fundraising trip. While the amount this time isn’t quite as high, Gary is still pleased. “Times are hard and we are delighted

with everyone’s response,” he said. “This year was definitely harder than the first time we did it. John, Alan and I are no spring chickens these days, but the sense of achievement when we finished the last leg was amazing.”

Spring chicken or not, Gary is already planning his next trip, cycling across Cambodia and Vietnam in aid of Zoe’s Place.

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SOLDIERING ON

regional

Adjusting to life on civvy street can be hard for ex-forces personnel, but GMB and Live At Ease can help

AT PEACE Live At Ease makes life after the forces better.

Life after a career in the armed services can be hard. Ex-forces members often suffer higher incidences of homelessness, alcohol or drug dependency, debt and relationship problems. Thankfully, help is on hand in the shape of a free service, funded by the NHS, called Live At Ease.

With a focus on helping ex-forces personnel and their family members (including Territorial Army and Reserves), Live At Ease provides assistance for ex-service personnel easing back into ordinary life, as well as advice and support with issues such as housing, drugs/alcohol, budgeting/debt, health and wellbeing, criminal justice/ solicitors, employment, training, mental health and counselling.

Referrals can come from individuals, family, colleagues, friends and GMB workplace organisers. Live At Ease has dedicated caseworkers covering Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater

Manchester and Cumbria and will visit the client within seven days of the referral to create a tailored support package using local agencies and services.

GMB and Live At Ease recognise the support that our communities are offering ex-forces personnel, but we need to get the word out through workplace organisers.

“The GMB Regional Equality Forum (REF) has looked into how extra support can be offered to our ex-forces members,” said Julie Woolvine, a member of the REF and Merseyside caseworker for Live At Ease.

“We recommend to our North West region workplace organisers to refer to the Live At Ease service if problems are raised that need specialist attention.”

The service is confidential, however, so they cannot offer character references, witness statements or attend tribunals.

It is only available to ex-forces personnel.

To contact Live At Ease phone 0808 123 1123 (free from a landline), text 07537 404 535 or email at info@liveat-ease.org.uk

saved in the nick of time

iStock

Last-minute reprieve saves Bolton Remploy factory Last year 32 out of 54 Remploy factories closed, making thousands of workers with disabilities redundant. Minister for disabled people at the time, Maria Miller defended the plans, saying the government wanted to spend the subsidies given to Remploy more effectively, and were widening access for disabled people in the mainstream economy.

But the “mainstream economy” has hardly been able to find jobs for any of those people, which came as no surprise to GMB, as 85 per cent of the Remploy workers made redundant two years before are still unemployed.

But one factory in Bolton has had a last-minute salvation. The operation has been revived, employing a 75 per cent disabled

workforce with all profits going back into the business or its staff.

Oli Randell, a 35-year-old entrepreneur, took on the former Remploy site as a social enterprise. He visited the factory last year and was won over by the warmth and energy. “Every single person looked me in the eye,” he said. “Every single person reacted to me and said, ‘Hi!’” The chief economist for the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Dr Brian Sloan, asked Oli and his colleagues to find funding. Dr Sloan thought that if the overheads could be reduced, the £1.5m turnover business – assembling components onto circuit boards – could have a future.

A GLIMMER OF LIGHT Ability Tec has offered Bolton workers a lifeline.

The initial period for proposals to save Remploy Bolton had closed, and staff had been made redundant. But the social enterprise, known as Ability Tec, was given the green light. Former Remploy factory manager Carl Lawton was the first to be employed as the director of operations.

Ability Tec started a scaled down production line in December, employing three former Remploy staff. As of today, they are still a small enterprise of seven, but have ambitions to grow and employ 30 people.

5 www.gmb.org.uk 05

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

we’ve

injured at work ? www.gmb .or injuredatw g.uk/ ork

got your back

Whatever happens, you can rely on GMB’s free legal service to back you up

• • • • • • •

GMB has a long-standing relationship with both Simpsons and Hannas, who have teams of expert lawyers who have successfully recovered compensation for union members and their families who have been the victims of accidents. Your entitlement to union legal assistance covers you for accidents both in and out of work – including road accidents.

Should you find yourself suffering from racial or sexual harassment, disability discrimination, unfair dismissal or if you’ve had an unlawful deduction taken from your wages, your GMB union membership entitles you to help and support.

personal injury claims Difficulties working, expensive treatments and travel costs, can all add up after an injury at work – not to mention the emotional price.

GMB members won’t be left counting the costs when it isn’t their fault. GMB’s lawyers will secure full compensation to reflect all the losses you may have suffered because of an accident, including:

• Pain and suffering • Loss of earnings • Property and clothes damage

• Loss of overtime, bonus pay or shift allowance

• Travel costs • Physiotherapy and similar treatment

• Care provided by your family • Prescription cost family values Your personal injury compensation service is not restricted to GMB members – it is considered to be such an important service that it extended it to members’ families.

When you suffer an injury or illness you are vulnerable. You and your family deserve to be protected and given the best possible service – and we have no doubt that this is provided by GMB and our panel of expert solicitors.

How to make a claim By post Fill in the form on the opposite page and send it to: GMB Regional Office, Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, L3 4GB By email Download TU56 application form from www.gmb.org.uk, complete it and email it to: legalservices@gmbnorthwest.com By phone Call the GMB North West Regional Office on 0151 728 2901 and ask for Colin in Legal Services – or call any GMB office

Terms and conditions GMB will not fund claims that are not dealt with by the region’s panel solicitors.

06 www.gmb.org.uk

iStock

O

ne of the key benefits of GMB membership is the legal services available to all members. With the help of its solicitors, GMB offers the best legal aid available to trade union members.

GMB members benefit from a full range of legal services, from seeking compensation for a personal injury or industrial wrong to employment-related advice and representation.

Best of all, this service is free. GMB members have access to free legal assistance from Simpsons Solicitors in the North West and Francis Hanna Solicitors in Northern Ireland.

These law firms have years of experience in successfully recovering compensation for union members, with notable expertise in:

Accidents at work

Work-related illness and industrial disease

Asbestos exposure

Employment disputes

Employment tribunals

Traffic accidents

Medical negligence

Personal injury or disease regional compensation claim form (TU56)

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

Accident or illness – you could be entitled to compensation (at work, on the road or on holiday*) Our members and their families are covered by GMB’s free legal service that will cover your legal expenses if you claim for accidents or injuries or if you become ill as a result of your work. You will keep 100 per cent of the compensation and your family members are covered too for non work-related accidents/injuries.

If you have had an accident that wasn’t your fault in the last three years you can register a claim by completing this TU56 form and sending it to: GMB Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool L3 4GB or simply call Colin Webster on 0151 728 2901

1 Member’s details Title

First name(s)

Membership No.

Surname Date of Birth

Address

Postcode

Workplace

Telephone

Email

Gender (M/F)

2 Claimant’s details If different from above, ie family member Title

First name(s)

Membership No.

Surname Date of Birth

Address

Postcode

Workplace

Telephone

Email

Gender (M/F)

3 Details of accident or disease Date of accident

Place of accident

Details of accident/disease - Please provide brief details, how it happened and the type of injuries caused. In the case of industrial disease, include the illness and the working conditions that may have caused it.

*Accidents outside the UK are only covered where the case can be pursued through the courts in England and Wales.

www.gmb.org.uk 07

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Let’s make things better!

L

ast year GMB Congress adopted a Political Special Report with the aim of re-organising our political structures in order to help make the Labour Party electable in time for the next general election in 2015.

As the Regional Political Officer for the North West & Irish region, my job is to organise politically for GMB, both in terms of fighting to stop the damage the coalition government is inflicting on the economy and our members’ jobs, and also to mount political campaigns to protect and promote the interests of GMB members.

While I am officially based at our Warrington office, I am always out and about right across the region drumming up support for the many campaigns GMB is involved in, as well as helping activists spread the word to our members about the importance of ensuring a change of government.

It is important that we encourage members to get involved in the Labour Party, become active in their communities and ensure that we make the Labour Party electable. Getting 08 www.gmb.org.uk

NEIL SMITH GMB regional political officer calls for members to get active.

involved in political activism isn’t the preserve of the rich and privileged, and GMB is committed to taking the labour party back to its grass roots, especially at a time when confidence and trust in our politicians is at an all-time low.

Following many years as a GMB workplace organiser in Manchester City Council, I have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of government cuts, not only on the jobs and terms and conditions of GMB members, but also on vital public services.

We need to persuade the electorate that there is another more sensible way to steer us out of the mess the country is in. There is no need for the crippling austerity measures to be implemented so swiftly and so severely.

Addressing the deficit, as important as it is, has become the sole obsession of this government, driven by political pride, even in the face of global calls for a change of tack to promote investment and lift the economy out of recession.

In the region we are currently involved in a number of campaigns as well as helping to

spread the word of the GMB nationally.

These include: Blacklisting of construction workers – More than 3,000 workers were placed on a list used by over 40 companies to deny them of employment because they were trade union members or had raised health and safety issues in the past.

Tackling youth unemployment – the scourge inflicted on our society by a cruel and uncaring government.

European Elections 2014 – ensuring support for Labour so we are not squeezed out by the Tories and UKIP. Hope the Hate – celebrating Britain’s diverse society and fighting fascism.

•

• • •

get involvedlp.

Find out how you can he Visit www.gmb.org.uk

Rex Features

GMB regional political officer Neil Smith on how GMB members will help Labour back into power

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

W

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

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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

T

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?

M

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 Commissioner’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.

GMB’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.

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

NATional

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15

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monmouthshire

19 3

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5

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“Blacklisting is not something isolated or rare.�

57

london

32

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62

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64

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* 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

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BECOME A GMB WORKP ORGANILACE SER

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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

D

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

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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

I

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

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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.

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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!

B

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

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)

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

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A

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

y b ver o ed l w o b be l ’l u yo

congress 2013 plymouth, 2–6 june

Save the

TELEVISIO

N

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

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from GMB All the news

mother

care

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

G

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!

F

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

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UPDATE

Be a life-saver from GMB All the news

GMB backs charity ACLT’s call for blood donors

T

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.

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from GMB All the news

GMB wins more than £100,000 for members in Northern Ireland

G

MB has been successful in winning more than £100,000 in compensation for several members in Northern Ireland who were unfairly dismissed or the victims of contract breaches.

tupe trouble When one member was unfairly sacked, GMB instructed solicitors Francis Hanna and Co to seek compensation. The member had been told that his contract at Brinks (Ireland) Ltd was transferring to a new employer under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) [TUPE] provisions. He was told to report for work at the other organisation’s premises, but when he turned up, the employers denied that TUPE applied and he was surprised when he was told to leave their workplace. On reporting this to his original employer, for whom he had worked for 10 years, he was informed that there was nothing they could do about it and that he should seek legal advice. He came to GMB, and as a result, he was awarded £51,281.52 at an industrial tribunal in Belfast. Brinks (Ireland) Ltd are appealing the decision.

machine madness

In another case, a tufting machine fixer at Regency Carpet Manufacturers was awarded

meeting in which she was suspended. The £45,792.59 as he was not given the correct tribunal found this to be unfair as the council written warnings before he was sacked for concealed the meeting’s true purpose. to decision alleged gross misconduct. The with s incident three after fire him came three different machines, but the company holiday hell held back on his written warning about the Finally, three GMB members were awarded third incident. Because of this, he was not compensations of £196.56, £565.11 and to d deserve he nity given the opportu £393.12 after their employer, Resource (NI), improve the quality of his work. breached their entitlement to annual The tribunal stated: “This fact leave. The company disputed the best alone suggests a level of, at workers’ right to receive double time a worst, at and, incompetence d e r u j for working on public holidays, in haste and a determination to ? pay k r o unlawfully deducted a day’s and w atw.gmb.org.uk/ dismiss the claimant without w k from the members’ annual w r leave o w t a a proper process.” injured ent. This meant that entitlem leave r employe GMB’s Gerry Daly, the standard 28 given not were they law partner who represented the all workers by for required holiday days’ claimant in this case, added: “The fact ons.

Regulati Time Working the ng career-lo that the tribunal awarded a The tribunal stated: “There must be an loss is significant and justified in this case.” element of penalty to reflect the seriousness of such a breach of a fundamental right… It is meeting mistakes very important, in health and safety and welfare terms, for workers to have time off to a case, l dismissa unfair In the final refresh themselves and spend time with housekeeper employed by Antrim Borough their families.”

Council was awarded £10,264.14 after being GMB solicitor, Gerry Daly, added: “It was not did council unfairly fired, because the rly satisfying result because it is particula a was she when re procedu correct follow the employees whose employer for a victory accused of turning up for work under the like a 17th century mine g behavin was influence of alcohol. She had previously days, employment rights These owner. rs employe Her admitted to issues with drink.

European Law and can in d protecte are , meeting g wellbein a attend to invited her .” be enforced but this turned out to be an investigation www.gmb.org.uk 25

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m a h a r g tt o m r e mcd

How the government’s pension plans could leave you

T

he government plans to simplify the state pension system with the creation of a ‘single tier’ pension. While GMB welcomes efforts to benefit women, low earners and the self-employed (who under existing rules find it almost impossible to earn a full state pension), we have concerns that the proposals will damage existing schemes, be worse for many people and price some members out of pensions altogether.

The abolition of the ‘Contracting Out NI Rebate’ will impose an additional £1bn tax burden on workers and companies. They will have to pay more tax and could find themselves dropping out of company schemes they can no longer afford to pay into.

Many people retiring after the changes could receive less than they were expecting as they will no longer get the additional state pension and graduated retirement benefit which they had been paying for through their National Insurance (NI) contributions.

The reform is intended to create a simple flat-rate pension set above the means test (£142.70) and based on 35 years of National Insurance contributions. At the moment, full state pensions are based on 30 years.

In principle, a new flat rate state pension should be fairer than the current scheme that penalises women and low earners (almost 3m women pensioners currently get less than £80 per week). But the ending of contracting out, and the increase in NI contributions, threatens to undermine the Public Service pensions deal. In the private sector, employers and employees with defined benefit pension schemes will have to pay more. For employers that is 3.4 per cent of the 26 www.gmb.org.uk

out of pocket

“Many people retiring after the changes could be receiving less than they were expecting.”

NI ranking earnings and for employees it will be an extra 1.4 per cent.

The pension-credit element of £142.70 was introduced by New Labour because it didn’t reintroduce (as it promised to do) the link to average wages rather than prices for the annual uprating of the basic state pension.

The result is we currently have the second-lowest state pension in the EU (expressed as a percentage of a country’s median average wage/salary). When the basic state pension was first introduced in 1978, the NI contribution rate was 6.5 per cent of relevant earnings. It is now 12 per cent.

PENSION HEADACHE How do the government’s pension plans affect you?

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

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Government proposals for a single tier state pension What it means Everyone will be entitled to a standard rate of £144 a week if they have built up enough NI contributions. The government will also do away with the second state pension and contracting out, and there will be increases in the state retirement age (which is planned to increase to 67).

current position Anyone retiring qualifies for a basic state pension worth up to £107 a week. In addition to this they may also have built up an entitlement to a second state pension through their NI contributions.

what is the plan?

• From April 2017 (at the earliest), as

previously announced the state pension age will increase to 67 between 2026 and 2028 instead of paying two separate sums of varying amounts, the government will pay a single pension worth up to £144 a week.

If you retire before 2017 you will receive pensions under the current system.

When the change is introduced it will only affect new retirees.

If you retire after 2017, you will only qualify for the full amount if you have built up a full record of NI contributions. That will be 35 years – an increase from the 30 years currently needed. You can make up contributions for any years you have missed and get credits if you hold certain roles, such as caring.

If you have made fewer than 10 years’ contributions you will not get any state pension. If you have between 10 and 35 years of contributions you will qualify on a pro rata basis.

• •

•

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is £144 more than you are currently entitled to?

You can currently boost your state pension with the means-tested pension credit, but the combined value is £142.70 a week – slightly less than the new flat-rate pension.

The new rate is also more than you would get if you are self employed or contracted out of the state second pension (e.g. member of a public sector scheme). Currently you would only be entitled to the basic rate pension. The answer would be no however, if you are

THE ROAD AHEAD Workers facing retirement are stepping into an uncertain future.

someone who may have previously been able to build up a healthy state second pension before you retired.

Higher earners will eventually lose out under the new system because they will no longer be able to build up a bigger second state pension.

What about the money you’ve already contributed for a second state pension?

Who are the winners?

The government doesn’t plan to take money away from anyone who has built up a second state pension. This means some people will receive more than £144 at the outset.

Self-employed people will be better off. They do not currently qualify for the second state pension and would only be able to receive more than £107 a week from the state if they qualified for the means-tested pension credit.

Now they will qualify for the flat-rate pension.

What about people who have contracted out?

At the moment people in final salary schemes are allowed to contract out from the second state pension, reducing their NI contributions as they do so. These people will see their contributions increase under the new regime, as will the employers offering the pensions.

Who are the losers?

Younger workers will suffer. The government says half of all workers retiring in 2060 will be at least £2 a week worst off.

This is mainly down to the abolition of the second state pension.

Public sector workers who are still working will pay higher NI contributions. Currently they can contract out of the second state pension but that option will go once that pension is abolished.

People who have taken time out to care for family or bring up children should be better off.

IMPORTANT REMINDER It is very important that members complete and return the nomination forms regularly sent to them by scheme administrators asking them to nominate the beneficiary(s) in the event of the member’s death. You should also keep your nominations under review if your circumstances change. This is particularly the case with unmarried partners as pension schemes will not automatically award pensions to unmarried partners.

There have been a number of these cases recently.

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regional

UPDATE

EQUAL MEASURES Members of your GMB Regional Equality Forum.

from GMB All the news

Proud to be the hosts!

Manchester and Liverpool will host Pride events again this year Pride is coming to Liverpool (dates to be confirmed) and Manchester (23–26 August) this year. The Manchester fun weekend which helps to raise awareness for LGBT groups looks set to be the best yet and we need your help in making this happen.

You can help in a number of ways: donating to the events, volunteering to help staff the GMB stall or taking part in the parade. Branches have in previous years donated generously towards this and the REF hopes that 2013 will be no exception.

If you require any further information, please contact David Hope on 01942 511 588 or 07979 841 091. Please make cheques payable to GMB and on the back of the cheque put North West Pride Event 2013 and send to GMB, Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool, L3 4GB, for the attention of Marie Saunderson.

EQUALITIES update

The Regional Equality Forum covered important topics at its recent conference

Y

our Regional Equality Forum (REF) is fighting on equality issues across the region and at its recent equality conference, delegates set about developing the region’s strategy for tackling all of the major issues.

Elections took place at the conference that included six strand members. Four nominations were received and four elected. hey were D Hope (LGBT), L Winson (Disabilities), J Kelly (Gender) and J McLaren (Race). In addition, nine regional equality forum members were elected – they were S Buckley, B Goulding, D Sutcliffe, M Ellams, J Pitchford, P Devine, D Ault, M Delahunty and P Delahunty.

There was also one retired regional equality forum member elected, who was A Murphy. The conference RUNNING THE SHOW also elected David Hope as our at be will e Hop David regional delegate to the Pride this year – will you?

National Forum. The Youth Seat

Strawberry Tea Money raised for breast cancer charity We are happy to announce that thanks to the generosity of GMB branches in the region, we raised £2,000 last year for this worthy cause. The Regional Equality Forum along with the

28 www.gmb.org.uk

region will continue to support this in 2013. If your branch wants to support Strawberry Tea, please send a cheque made payable to GMB/Strawberry Tea, to Marie Saunderson.

(under 27) and Migrant Workers seat were not filled. If anyone is interested in either of these positions, please contact Marie Saunderson at the Regional Office.

Following debate on a number of motions put forward by branches, the conference carried motions to the National Equalities Conference on ‘Equality for abortion rights in the UK’ and ‘A Fair day’s wage for all’.

motions • A Fair Day’s Wage For All

• E quality for Abortion Rights Within the UK

RETIRE FROM WORK NOT G www.gmb MB .o

rg gmbrm .uk/ a

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

regional BRILLIANT BANNERS Historic banners from the Region’s branches.

get your banners out!

Celebrate your branch with a long and valuable tradition

D

o you want your branch banner to be displayed in the main hall at this year’s GMB Congress?

Banners are much more than simply an expression of a movement's identity. Many of them show a multi-layered

FLYING THE FLAG Our banner shows the world what we stand for.

history of GMB, trade or branch. And while often used as a symbol of protest, they also stand as a proud statement of workers’ history and skills.

For hundreds of years, organisations that have a marching tradition have made banners to celebrate the people they represent, identify themselves and display their goals to the rest of society. This includes trade unions, friendly societies, temperance groups, co-operative societies, suffrage, women’s and peace organisations and political parties – but also non-political organisations like churches, chapels and Sunday schools.

Banners can be traced to a time when organisations didn’t want to be identified.

The precursors of trade unions were the trade societies of the 18th century, when industrialisation was beginning to make an

impact. Membership of trade societies was illegal. Highly ritualised secret meetings were held in pub rooms where, among other items of regalia, textile banners demonstrated the trade’s ancient and respectable past.

The trade societies evolved into the skilled workers’ New Model Unions of the 1850s onwards, and the use of banners grew during the 1890s and reached its peak in the years after the WW1.

Following the slump of 1921, they declined and peaked again after WW2 – a trend that simply paralleled the ups and downs of the labour movement.

Banners are as popular as ever, and growing numbers are on display in GMB halls and workplaces and carried on marches. If you’d like to see your banner at GMB Congress, contact your GMB organiser.

“Banners celebrate the people they represent.”

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regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news BREAKING BREAD GMB’s Margaret Gregg (left) with a delegation to Israel.

Middle East adventure GMB members recently made a journey to Israel as part of a delegation visiting a number of the country’s workplaces.

They met with the employees’ committee of the MEGA supermarket chain. This was a great chance to share ideas with trade unionists in Israel. They also visited the West Bank, where they met with representatives from the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU).

BECOMBE A GM & Healthrep safetyrg.uk/ .o www.gmb ep gmbhsr

Cash for kids

CHILD SUPPORT GMB members raised money for NI children’s hospice.

Generous GMB members raised £350 for the St Cleopas 468 Childrens’ Project in Liverpool. The scheme, run by staff and volunteers at

St Cleopas church, has been chosen for GMB fundraising as part of the region’s commitment to supporting community projects. GMB regional president Dougie Henry presented the cheque to Wendy Jackson, who works in the church’s cafe.

charity cheque for children’s hospice GMB members from the North West & Irish Region have presented a cheque to the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice. The region put the call 30 www.gmb.org.uk

out for donations at last year’s GMB Congress and generous members from regions and branches – and the NW Women's Conference – donated £1,200.

SCHOOL SUPPORT Dougie Henry presents a cheque Wendy Jackson .

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk PLANS FOR SUCCESS The original plans for GMB’s Runcorn office.

Office space Focus on GMB Runcorn Office

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MB has had an office in Runcorn for as long as anyone can remember, servicing members in what was once a thriving chemical industry on either side of the Mersey. After the old High Street office was compulsory purchased, the ICI branch – under the stewardship of the late Ernie Tudor – set about raising money to build a new Union Hall in the early 1960s.

The new building was located in York Street and was part-funded by the money raised by the branch and the union nationally, who stipulated that the branch social club should repay head office at the rate of £5 per week and the office would become the property of GMB. Senior organiser Terry Mellor recalls the days when various community activities were held in the hall. “I remember the times when volunteers would literally brush out

the droppings from the bird-fanciers club on a Sunday so the Kung Fu club could train after them!”

These days the office services members right across the North West, in all sections of the union. Having been refurbished in recent years, York Street is a base for Terry, four organisers (Eddie Parker, Jackie French, Maria Almond and Mark Stevens) and three members of staff (Marion Meinert, Denise Corrigan and Maureen Crowley) with responsibilities covering manufacturing, airports, security, public services and many more industries locally and regionally.

The office is always welcoming to members, new and old, and there is an open invitation to drop in at any time to discuss issues, get advice or just have a chat and a cup of tea!

GMB NORTH west & IRISH REGION

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

Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, Liverpool L3 4GB T: 0151 727 0077 F: 0151 728 2929 Regional Secretary: Paul McCarthy, E: paul.mccarthy@gmb.org.uk

GMB Holywood Office

Victoria House, 1a Victoria Road, Holywood BT18 9BA T: 02890 393 340 F: 02890 393 349

GMB Blackburn Office

9 Wellington Street, St John’s, Blackburn BB1 8AF T: 01254 683 454 F: 01254 433 362

GMB Bolton Office

Jack Brown House, 80 St Georges Rd, Bolton BL1 2DD T: 01204 523 011 F: 01204 529 040

GMB Manchester City Council Office

GMB Trade Union, c/o Abraham Moss Centre, Crescent Rd, Crumpsall M8 5UF T: 0161 908 8316 F: 0161 908 1907

GMB Oldham Office

George Fowlis

GMB member George Fowlis passed away on 12 October, aged 75. He was an active member of GMB’s Regional Equality Forum and Retired Members’ Association for many years.

He was a St Vincent de Paul’s (south Liverpool) boy through and throuh. George became a welder when he left school. He joined the army and enjoyed his job, which took him all over Europe. He spent time in Germany and worked in Cammell Lairds Shipyard.

He enjoyed his time with the Retired Member’s Association and participated in all GMB activity with enthusiasm. George was a staunch trade unionist and active shop steward prior to his retirement at the age of 64. GMB North West & Irish Region sends it condolences to George’s family.

108 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1DU T: 0161 627 3062 F: 0161 222 1039

GMB Preston Office

The Textile House, 6 Sedgwick Street, Preston PR1 1TP T: 01772 555 879 F: 01772 253 415

GMB Runcorn Office

Tudor Hall, York Pl, York Street, Runcorn WA7 5BB T: 01928 572726 F: 01928 59 0317

GMB St Helens Office

72 Claughton Street, St Helens WA10 1SN T: 01744 25474/738330 F: 01744 451118

GMB Warrington Office

Assembly Rooms, Town Hill, Warrington WA1 2NG T: 01925 630 095 F: 01925 634 797 GMB regional website www.gmbnorthwest.com

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