Candid summer 2013

The magazine for GMB members www.gmb.org.uk | Summer 2013

Making waves GMB Congress

in Plymouth

save our nhs Members march against cruel cuts!

WIN a Toyota Aygo See p15 worth ÂŁ9,000

Don’t miss your chance to be part of GMB decision making!

C

ongress 2013 has just finished, but you can still make a difference to GMB policy by coming to Congress next year! GMB Congress decides what polices the union will follow – but this is built on the hard work of GMB branches over the rest of the year. So if you’re meetings not already involved in your branch, now’s the time to start. Branch e. differenc a make to chance your are take place regularly and

HAVE YOUR SAy

FOLK HERO GMB Congress 2014 will take place in Nottingham, home of Robin Hoo d.

GMB Congress 2014 takes place in Nottingham from 8 to 12 June. To attend GMB Congress: • You must be nominated by your branch a paid-up • You must have been week s GMB member for 53 ns must reach the regional • Your branch’s motio2014 office by 31 January

FIND YOUR GMB BRANCH

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

Alternatively, check your profile at

www.gmb.org.uk

Watch THE video 02 www.gmb.org.uk

Catch up with the highlights from GMB Congress 2013.

For videos of everything from GMB banners to key political addresses, go to: www.gmb.public-i.tv

In this issue...

Paul Hayes GMB London regional secretary

GMB members reject public sector cuts Page 29

Get GMB in your pocket with the new mobile app Page 14

Regional

National

4 Save our NHS

9 Congress

6 Health and safety

11 Paul Kenny says

7 Home sweet home

12 Political candidates

8 Congress

14 GMB in your pocket

25 Towering figure

15 Win a car!

GMB members take to the streets

The results of our survey

How housing benefit could be better spent

Your region’s report from Plymouth

Tower Hamlets Council honours GMB member John Onslow

26 Political update

Warren Kenny on Team GMB’s success

29 Cutting the strings

GMB rejects public sector pay deal with strings attached

30 Don’t miss out

How Norwich City Council is helping residents face up to benefit cuts

31 Contact GMB

Names and numbers you can call

GMB regional editor Rose Conroy: 020 7391 6755 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 Tracy Nugent Art directors Stuart Hobbs, Dermot Rushe Director, Future Plus UK Jayne Caple Printed at St Ives Direct

All the news from GMB Congress in Plymouth

A word from your general secretary

Meet GMB’s Labour candidates

GMB’s mobile app can keep you in the loop

Your chance to win a Toyota Aygo

16 Striking a light

Commemorating the matchwomen’s strike

17 Take a break

Help for women who need a holiday

19 Free our pubs

How sky-high rents are shutting our pubs

22 Selling services

Why public services must remain public

24 Members’ statement GMB’s annual statement and audit

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

How to win a campaign Individual representation is all-important, and as your regional secretary I am proud to say that our officers, branch secretaries, shop stewards and activists overall do an extremely good job and, yes, we can be very proud of our achievements. However, in today’s working environment, be it private or public sector, there needs to be a strong collective voice from workers when dealing with employers on matters of pay, pensions, health and safety, equality etc.

In this edition of Candid, on page 28 you will find an article on how to win a campaign. Its message focuses on the importance of being organised, with workers having a strong collective voice within their workplace.

When I first got involved in the trade union movement, which was many years ago, a very wise man said to me, “When negotiating with an employer, the employer never looks at the union representative, they look at the number of members that they have behind them.”

No truer words were ever spoken.

Therefore, in support of the wise man’s words, I would urge you to support your union, to make GMB a stronger and more effective voice within the workplace.

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 Candid magazine?

Please contact Steve Hulbert on 01225 442 244 (ex 5205)

THE STRENGTH OF GMB Thousands of members have come out fighting for the NHS.

Accepting of advertising and inserts 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.

www.gmb.org.uk 03

l na o i g e r

E T A D P U

GMB m o r f s w e n All the

g n i t h g i We’re f

for the nhs e th to e k ta s r e b m e m B M G streets to save the NHS

N

ye Bevan said the NHS would exist as long as people were willing to fight for it – and GMB members have been doing just that. GMB members and thousands of concerned residents, health workers and Labour Party activists in west London have sent a message to Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of state for health, and the member of parliament for South West Surrey. He referred the decision to close four A&E departments and acute services in Ealing, Hammersmith, Central Middlesex and Charing Cross Hospitals to the Independent Review Panel (IRP), the findings of which are to be heard on 13 September.

GMB national president Mary Turner and London regional secretary Paul Hayes spoke to those who participated in the march. In their

04 www.gmb.org.uk

speeches both Paul and Mary condemned this government’s betrayal of the NHS. Paul said: “The governmnet wants to bring forward more and more privatisation, where their overall objective is that the NHS becomes a mirror image of the American system, determined by the ability to pay.”

Following on from demonstrations last year there has been a growing level of awareness and protests involving more people from more hospitals. The latest demonstration took place on Saturday 18 May, and was organised by the Labour Party at the Department of Health. It took place in Parliament Street, directly opposite the gates of Downing Street. Both the London and Southern Regions took part with pride. Well done to everyone who went and made GMB’s presence so strongly felt.

FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE GMB members want to save the NHS for the next generation.

Bring these pages to life!

BECOME A GM HealthB safety & rep w

regional

ww.gmb .org.uk

SUPPORT FOR SERVICES GMB members have come out in force to save NHS services across the region.

£6.19 p/h £4.98 p/h

Watch THE

video

To see the GMB banners and the number of activists standing up for the NHS, go to GMB TV at www.gmb.public-i.tv To find out more, you can also follow the GMB London Region on Twitter @GMBLondonRegion

£3.68 p/h £2.65 p/h

5 www.gmb.org.uk 05

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

tribunal Fees come

Health & Safety survey

into effect Tony Warr on the new cost of tribunal hearings

remission scheme However, you may not have to pay to bring a claim if you receive a qualifying benefit, such as income support or income-based jobseekers allowance.

It may also be possible to avoid issuing fees in other ways: • If you have a claim that can be submitted before 29 July 2013, please send the paperwork to GMB as quickly as possible • If you think you’re eligible for fee remission, tell your GMB Officer or Branch. This is because we’ll need to apply for remission of the fee before your claim is submitted. Doing so afterwards can make getting remission difficult.

• From 29 July 2013, any GMB member wishing to avoid being responsible for their issuing fees must send their papers to their GMB officer or branch in enough time for the claim to be assessed. Only claims that have merit will be supported.

For full details please go to the Legal section at www.gmb.org.uk

06 www.gmb.org.uk

the results are in!

What you told us about health and safety at work...

Y

our response to the GMB London Region Health & Safety Survey in the last issue of Candid has been fantastic and given GMB valuable feedback that we can act on. The members who responded were working in many industries, including schools, retail, security, construction, cleaning, catering, transport and agriculture, so they are representative of most members and give us a good idea of what’s going in workplaces across the region.

the results Health and Safety Forum 49 GMB members have decided to get involved and join their local GMB Health & Safety Forum. Thank you to all who joined!

Their choice will benefit all GMB members in their area and we will be making contact with you in due course.

Workplace injuries 49 per cent of members who responded had suffered an accident at or been made ill by their work. 34 per cent lodged a Personal Injury Claim with GMB’s Legal Service, which is completely free as part of every members membership package.

Recording problems 13 per cent of those who had an accident or illness said that they had problems getting

What to do if you have an accident at work

Tell your GMB workplace organiser immediately and they will make sure it is put in the official accident book and inform your employer. If you don’t have one, simply fill in the online GMB accident report form at www.gmbunion.org/legal/ TU56.htm If in doubt, please contact the Legal Department at Hendon on 020 8202 8272 and report it to them.

their employer to record their accident or illness. This is an appalling situation and GMB is working on ways to put this right.

Employer investigations 88 per cent told GMB that their employer had investigated their accident or illness, which is good news, but we still need to get the other 22 per cent up to scratch.

Who is your GMB workplace organiser?

Only 21 per cent know who their GMB workplace organiser is. This is a worrying result. If you do not know, please contact the Norwich office on 01603 626 492 where you will be advised accordingly. You need to know who your GMB workplace organiser is if a problem arises at work not just in case of an accident.

iStock

Changes to the Employment Tribunal System mean that from 29 July, anyone looking to issue a claim against their current or former employer will have to pay a fee.

Claims have been split into two categories: Type A includes unlawful deductions from wages; while Type B includes unfair dismissal, equal pay or discrimination. The issue fee for Type A claims is £160, with an additional fee of £230 payable if the claim proceeds to final hearing; while Type B fees are £250 with a £950 hearing charge.

regional

Follow us on twitter @GMBLondonRegion

80k

Home, sweet

Home

Affordable housing could be built for half of what’s spent on benefits in the region

G

MB has discovered that just half of the amount spent on housing benefit in the region could pay for 21,519 affordable new homes every year – or 80,000 across the country as a whole.

Essex alone would stand to gain 1,352 new houses if it spent half its £420.5m housing benefit budget on council house each year – and it’s a similar picture across the region. See the map (right) to see how many more homes your area could have if half the £7.7bn spent on subsiding private landlords went into affordable accommodation instead.

Nationally the picture is just as shocking.

In 2011/12, £23bn was spent on housing benefit in England, Wales and Scotland to help meet housing costs for rented accommodation. £411bn, at today’s prices, has been spent on housing benefit since it was introduced by the Tory Government in 1982.

norfolk

788

herts

1,076 essex

1,352

brent

887 hackney

westminster

765

buy to let One of the reasons that housing benefit costs have ballooned since the early ‘80s is that the Tories ditched Labour’s cost effective policy of building good quality houses and sold off our social housing stock instead.

Most of these properties have since ended up in the hands of private buy-to-let landlords.

GMB regional secretary Paul Hayes, said: “In Wandsworth there are 977 private landlords who own more than one of the 6,180 excouncil leasehold homes sold under the ‘right to buy’.”

749

Number of new

homes built if half the housing benefit expenditure was used to build new homes.

He continued: “Public funds should be switched to investment in social housing and away from this failed expensive Tory policy of corporate welfare and private greed.

“GMB wants a Labour Party election manifesto insisting that councils build new homes to let at affordable rents all across the region. Ending ‘corporate welfare’ will save taxpayer’s money and will kick start the local economy. It will provide families with better quality houses with more security of tenure.”

top of

the tower GMB beefeater receives Royal honour

QUEEN’S GUARD Idwal is delighted to be named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Idwal Bellis, GMB workplace organiser at the Tower of London, has been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Idwal who works as a yeoman warder – better known as a beefeater – was the only person in the capital to be awarded the The Royal Victorian Medal. He has worked as a beefeater organising tours of the Tower for 22 years and worked in the military for 22 years before that. He said that he and his family are “over the moon” with the honour. Congratulations Idwal!

www.gmb.org.uk 07

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Ship shape

in Plymouth Hendon branch president, Barbara Benham reports on GMB London region at Congress

BARBARA BENHAM Hendon branch president.

Forum Most Inspirational Regional Equality MB London region’s 68-strong Equality nal iratio insp t category and The Mos delegation was the biggest ever and d on the base was This g. nisin Project for Orga included 15 first-timers The whole loped for use deve kit, Tool lity Equa on Regi on Lond delegation was exceptionally busy, . on equality issues for GMB reps um. The region irational and 65 members spoke at the rostr Mick Lancaster also won Most Insp and ges k for his also spoke to 55 motions, two rule chan Wor at e renc Diffe A ing Mak Project For also asked They . ests requ back ence refer and in society. two campaign to tackle racism at work kers Andy mented on seven questions between guest spea com s Regional secretary, Paul Haye e on three n had won Burnham and Owen Jones and spok regio the that was how very proud he the platform special reports. Sue Hackett took to rds. awa lity so many equa en’s Project ook and for a sofa discussion on the GMB Wom Special awards also went to Ray Tilbr ncil Cou utive Exec ral stry. indu gas and four London region Cent the in s Ted Pearce for their 35 year of e rienc (CEC) members replied to debates. expe his on ess Dave Smith’s addr ds of Israel layed The motion on the trade union frien g blacklisted was moving, and he disp bein y Dann and t ation rmin was moved by the region’s Julie Hun great resilience and increased our dete the CEC. te tribu paid Faith and carried by Congress against He n. paig to win the blacklisting cam ness Of for , nson Robi And an amendment to Rule 9, The Busi y Penn , etary secr to Barking branch ell and Terry his initial Congress, was moved by Helen Purc brokering and providing facilities for ng his getti Nokes and similarly carried. meeting with Jon Cruddas MP and irably and The whole delegation performed adm a. plight into the political aren Henley Smith gates I would like to give special mention to There was entertainment too, and dele and te, from for his contribution to the Remploy deba ls pupi by d nade sere g enjoyed bein debate.

Vaughan West in the Boycott Workfare top music at Montpellier school as well as some the President’s Night. s London r e n in w d It was a successful Congress for the r a aw rge Fraser Geo n whe r bette got only it Region, and ing ns for The region did magnificently well, winn regio received a standing ovation from all ch. three categories in the President’s spee ks Than of his excellent Omnibus Vote won The Leadership Awards for Equality. We

G

CONGRESS HIGHLIGHTS This year’s event was a huge success.

08 www.gmb.org.uk

congress 2013

national

l na O I T NA

UPDATE

Bring YOUR mag to life!

E T A D P U

from GMB All the news

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

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

1 Download the Layar app for iPhone and Android devices.

GMB by

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

the sea

3 Watch as it comes to life on your screen.

From blacklisting to badgers, George Fraser reports on a successful GMB Congress

T

he sun shone on Plymouth in June, making it the perfect setting for GMB Congress. But the weather wasn’t the only thing dazzling delegates as a roster of speakers inspired members with their stories. Emma LewellBuck addressed Congress – and what a breath of fresh air she is! The first woman MP in South Shields and a GMB member, Emma is a tribute to GMB’s policy of getting real people into the House of Commons, a tribute to our new political team and a tribute to our activists in the Northern region.

Congress also received a video message from Ed Miliband, and Andy Burnham, shadow secretary of state for health, came to speak and answer questions about the NHS. Another high-profile speaker was author and newspaper columnist Owen Jones. His

address made real sense and coincided with our own GMB values.

blacklist battle The evil of blacklisting was brought home to us by Dave Smith, who told his heartbreaking story. He was denied work for years because he complained about health and safety, and the details held about him by the Consulting Association would do credit to the KGB. But I was struck by his resilience. He will not give in and it is for Dave and the other 3,212 on the blacklist that we must win the blacklisting campaign.

GMB has lodged a High Court action for defamation on behalf of 90 GMB members affected against the companies that funded the blacklist.

GEORGE FRASER ss. re Reports from Cong

Many delegates when looking at the list of blacklisted workers from their particular area, especially in Scotland, recognised a good number of names and Phil Read, GMB’s blacklisting liaison officer, will be contacting each of them to see if we need to add them to the court case.

On the Blacklist?

Contact Phil Read, GMB blacklisting liaison officer, on 07840 897 997 or blacklisted@gmb.org.uk

plymouth, 2–6 june www.gmb.org.uk 09

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

BADGER OF HONOUR GMB members spoke out against the badger cull.

inspiration

SAVE OUR SERVICES Andy Burnham backs GMB’s fight for the NHS.

The most inspirational speech of the week was That is a debt GMB will

by Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough never be able to repay.

Family Support Group. She spoke with feeling, He listed the expectations of GMB on a new without notes and I am certain there was not Labour Government, telling the Labour Party, a dry eye in the house by the time she finished “be bold, be radical, be truthful.” He urged her story. Let down by government after them to build council housing with the money government and suffering the indignity of lost currently being paid to private landlords for loved ones having to undergo CRB checks, she shoddy housing, put a stop to the tax dodging carried on until the of multinational battle was won. She companies that profit showed incredible from UK workers, and k wee a determination in the make all companies 5p a on ded deci ss GMB Congre from face of South pay a living wage, increase in GMB subscription rates ime rate removing the burden Yorkshire police 1 October 2013. Therefore the full-t month) bridging the gap force’s resolve to will become £2.75 a week (£11.92 a £1.60 a me beco will rate e -tim part the and lie, falsify and deny between people’s king week (£6.94 a month). Members wor any complicity in wages and their daily k wor as school support staff and who the deaths of those needs from the k wee per 0 £1.6 pay will 28 hours or less 96 people. benefits system. (£6.94 per month).

Jan Jepson of GMB He also pushed for Northern region and employment rights from the Julie Hunt of GMB London region eloquently first day at a new job and for agency workers moved and seconded composite 17. That to enjoy exactly the same employment rights motion was about Orgreave during the miners’ as permanent staff. Delegates also heard how strike in 1984 and 1985. It is asking for a public GMB’s Living Wage Campaign has progressed inquiry into the atrocities of that same to more than 100 councils, which now pay scumbag police force on the picket line at their staff a living wage.

Orgreave. If there is any justice in this world, Other issues covered by Congress the police officers on the picket line will be included domestic violence, badger sent to Wakefield prison, the same prison culling and the scourge of pay day where so many of our innocent miner brothers loan companies. GMB also were incarcerated. revealed the cost of dying (see GMB general secretary Paul Kenny page 20) the impact of rising addressed the crowd on Tuesday and drew fuel prices and the scandal of a standing ovation. The financial report on housing benefit enriching Wednesday showed how secure GMB is in his private landlords at the hands. We should not forget, colleagues, that cost of families he has sacrificed a well-deserved retirement to without a decent steer GMB through a potentially difficult time. place to live.

Rates increase

10 www.gmb.org.uk

The contributions of the 500 delegates were better than any Congress I can remember and I am amazed at the number of first time delegates.

All of them performed magnificently.

Dynamic delegates Caroline Campbell of GMB Scotland spoke in support of the Mental Health motion. It was not only her first time as a delegate it was her first ever day in Congress. Other first-time speakers also got great responses.

But seriously, you were all great and it’s not only your performances which made this Congress memorable. You were all elected or appointed, under rule, to attend what is the parliament of GMB and you have carried out that duty with honour. You were so good you turned over the CEC three times. Colleagues, that is democracy alive and well and living in GMB. On behalf of the Mary Turner, GMB national president, Malcolm Sage, GMB national vice president, Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary and all of the Central Executive Council (CEC), I salute you.

EMOTIONAL TALE Margaret Aspinall (left) with GMB President Mary Turner.

Paul kenn y

says

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

I

have just spent a wonderful week in Plymouth in the company of nearly 1,000 GMB delegates, visitors and guests at GMB’s annual Congress. The contributions from members gave all who were present or who watched on GMB Congress TV an insight into the varied problems facing people in the world of work and beyond.

The media and certain politicians like to portray trade unions as unrepresentative of their members or even sometimes attack what we do as undemocratic. GMB Congress is our Parliament, but unlike the phoney democracy of Westminster, ours actually is run by our members to guide and direct GMB in its work.

HOUSING FOR ALL Over the last 10 years our Congress has warned successive governments about corporate tax avoidance, bankers’ bonuses, private equity buy outs and the loss of corporation tax and so many other matters that at the time politicians ignored, but who now wring their hands and say how terrible these abuses are. The truth is that it was politicians that created the loopholes for corporations like Google, Starbucks, Amazon and hundreds of others to use.

While the Daily Mail and George Osborne attack the millions of working people who have to rely on benefits to make ends meet, the billions of untaxed

profits made by these companies continue to flow out of the UK and into the slimy hands of corporate greed.

And now GMB has exposed the scandal of billions of pounds of housing benefit being paid to private landlords, many of whom are companies based overseas to avoid tax in this country. £23bn a year is paid in housing benefit because we have failed to build affordable homes. Find out more, at www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom The right-to-buy scheme put up in the early 1980s was a political vote catcher for the Tory government at the time, but in reality it was the privatisation of our social and council housing stock. And like all privatisation of our country’s assets, the corporations make a killing and the public get a worse service and bigger bills.

Those in housing being squeezed by higher and higher rents whilst at the same time having a cap put on what support they can get shows the government doesn’t care about the have nots or those working poor who can’t afford a deposit for a house let alone find a mortgage.

TIME FOR COURAGE If only we had the courage to cap the rents and build homes for people, not only would we eventually cut the housing benefit scam payments to landlords, but we would get people back to work and the economy would benefit.

If only we had the courage to introduce a living wage for all instead of millions of workers having to apply for benefits to supplement their low wages. Companies would have to show their books and profits, a sort of corporate means testing.

If working people have to be subsidised by the state then we should be sure these companies, which include tax avoiders making vast profits, pay their workers a living wage. Companies where the chief executive is paid 500 times the minimum wage, yet their workers require state support – that needs addressing.

REMPLOY SCANDAL As many people at Congress said, while Starbucks dodges its commitments to the country and makes huge profits, Remploy workers in their thousands have been thrown on the scrapheap. Politicians were responsible for both of those situations and the quicker we get more GMB members into the House of Commons to challenge this corrupt system the better.

One last word, treat yourself to a visit to the York Disabled Workers Co-operative website at www.yorkdwc.co.uk This is a group of ex-Remploy workers fighting back and trying to build decent jobs.

This government will come and go, our job is to make sure we never stop fighting for the decent life everyone in GMB and indeed our country has a right to expect. www.gmb.org.uk 11

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news CATH SPEIGHT GMB national politcal officer.

“We have introduced political education for new workplace representatives on the GMB@WORK courses to help members learn more about the way we are governed and how to get involved in the Labour Party.

“We are in good shape to make sure that in the forthcoming elections for Europe and Westminster we can support our candidates who share GMB aspirations and understand the problems our GMB members face.”

nancy platts, birghton kemptown Nancy Platts has been selected as the Labour candidate in Brighton Kemptown, where Labour needs just a small swing to beat the Tories in 2015. Nancy was supported by trade unions across the region and it's easy to see why – she spent the morning of her selection marching with Brighton's striking City Clean workers. Nancy has spent her life campaigning for social justice because she saw first-hand how unfair the system was – she started work at the London Fire Brigade at the age of 18 because her family couldn't afford for her to go to university. She studied at night school to get her qualifications. She's worked for a trade union, for the Child Poverty Action Group and health campaigns.

“GMB was a huge, practical support during my selection campaign. Now I'm selected I want to work across the entire Labour movement – because that's where my roots are – to make sure we get the policies and representation we need for working people.

The hard work starts now to get rid of the Tory MP here. I hope GMB members will join me on the doorstep soon!”

Look at our

s e c c u s

All these GMB members are making inroads to Parliament Emma Lewell-Buck Mp, South Shields

E

email me at Nancy@nancyplatts.org.uk 12 www.gmb.org.uk

mma is North East born and bred and is a long-standing GMB member. She has a long history in the region – her dad worked on Tyneside shipyards and she is the direct descendent of a town hero who famously (in South Shields!) invented the lifeboat.

Before the by-election last month, she was working as a social worker locally and representing her area on the local council.

“I’m a working class lass from the North East and a long-standing GMB member.

My dad worked in the shipyards and I was the first in my family to go to university.

After university I trained as a social worker and have been on the front line ever since.

Now I’m on the front line of politics, fighting against this government’s damaging policies, as South Shields’ first female MP and a GMB MP as well.”

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

NATional email me at Sarah@sarahowen.org.uk

Sarah Owen, Hastings and Rye Sarah Owen is a former GMB rep who was born and raised in her constituency. At the moment she is working for the Labour Party on living wage campaigns and opening up the policy process, but she has plenty of real life experience too, having worked countless shifts caring for patients at the Conquest Hospital, planning for large scale emergencies in the fire service

and getting to know how local councils in East Sussex work.

“As a former GMB rep and someone who has worked on the front line of public service, the support of my union has been a huge boost. Hastings and Rye is a marginal seat we have to win if we want a Labour government. I’m looking forward to working with members to make that happen.”

Clive Lewis, Norwich South

s

Operation Black Vote and their Clive was born into a working programme to shadow MPs. class family with a Grenadian “It’s incredibly important father and English mother. He that Labour looks and sounds was the first person in his like the country if we’re to family to go to university, rebuild trust and convince which is where he first people to vote for us again. got involved in I’m proud to be supported politics. He served in

by GMB. My message to Helmand with the members is if you don’t like Territorial Army and what’s happening has worked as a BBC to our country, journalist. He has get involved also been and help us an active email me at change it.” part of ourclivelewis.org

Clive@lab

email me at Vicky@vickyfoxcroft.com

Vicky Foxcroft, Lewisham Deptford Vicky grew up in the North West in a single parent family.

When she was younger her family was made homeless and spent much of her childhood moving from place to place and school to school. Thanks to a second chance in education and the support of her teachers, she was the first person in her family to go to university. She currently works for Unite, the union, representing low-paid workers

in the financial sector, and is a councillor in the area where she was selected.

“I’m proud to be a working class candidate selected to fight the seat where I live for Labour. It’s important to make sure people in parliament actually understand people’s lives – we need more common sense in the policy process!

That’s why I stood. I’m looking forward to working with GMB in the run-up to 2015.”

Lisa Forbes, Peterborough Lisa Forbes is a GMB member and mum of four who has lived in Peterborough for 25 years. Over the years she’s done jobs from potato picking to working in a DIY shop to being a travel agent at Thomas Cook. When the Tories were elected, she decided she couldn’t sit by and see what happened in the 1980s happen to her community and her family.

She stood for council, winning a previously safe Tory ward for Labour, and is now Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Peterborough.

“GMB is my union and was behind me during my selection.

I’m a working class woman, and

mum, who remembers what a Tory government meant for people like me last time around.

People are struggling again and I couldn’t stand by and watch history repeat itself.

Now GMB is helping me to take the fight to the Tories in Peterborough – I’ve never been more email me at proud to be Lisa@lisaforbes.com a member.” www.gmb.org.uk 13

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

membership

made easy

Get more from GMB with the new-look website and brand new mobile app

G

MB members who want to get more from their membership should register online. Just go to www.gmb.org.uk and select ‘GMB Member Login’ to access a world of GMB extras. Signing up is easy, you just need your GMB membership number and a password.

Visit www. gmb.org.uk • Update your GMB profile • Switch to Direct Debit • Access the latest news • Download exclusive extras • Get support for your workplace

gmb in your pocket!

Get the latest from GMB wherever you are with the new free GMB app. Download it to your smartphone to get instant access to GMB on the move. It is available from www.gmb.org.uk/app or from iTunes and Google Play for Android.

Download it now to: • Update your GMB profile • Get the latest news from GMB • Switch to Direct Debit • Find your nearest GMB office • Find your nearest GMB post holder • Become a workplace organiser

exclusive extras

ART ATTACK Download posters yo won’t find anywhe u re else.

14 www.gmb.org.uk

GMB’s website is also home to lots of exciting extras, exclusive to GMB members.

Get the full story of GMB’s history by leafing through a digital version of The History of GMB. This book is filled with pictures and information, and it’s free to read at www.gmb.org.uk/about/history/about Members can also download a series of exclusive posters detailing the history and achievements of GMB. These beautifullydesigned posters were displayed at GMB Congress in Plymouth and were so popular that GMB has decided to make them available for all members to download at wwww.gmb.org.uk

YOUR HISTORY Read about how GMB came into existence.

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

regional NATional exclus ive to

gmb

member s prize dra w

WIN!

a toyota aygo worth £9,000

Exclusive GMB prize draw to win a Toyota Aygo, simply by switching your GMB subscription payment to Direct Debit

B

e in with a chance to win this gorgeous car and Apple gear, regardless of whether you already pay by Direct Debit or are switching now. There is a second prize of an iPad, and third prize is the latest iPhone. The draw closes at midnight on Monday 16 September 2013.

Reasons to switch to Direct Debit • As some employers frown on trade unions, paying your GMB subscription by Direct Debit means that your membership is a matter for you alone and no one, including your employer, will know unless you tell them yourself.

• You won’t lose your GMB membership as

the result of an administrative slip-up in your payroll office.

• Your membership will follow you if you change jobs with your current employer.

• Your membership will follow you if you change jobs and get a new employer.

Reasons to switch away from check-off • Check-off is the system where your GMB subscription comes out of your wages. GMB pays an administration fee on this which costs thousands of pounds a year.

• Help GMB make that saving by switching away from check-off to Direct Debit and you will automatically be entered into this exclusive prize draw.

TERMS & CONDITIONS The winning entry will be drawn at random from GMB members only who pay their GMB subscription by Direct Debit. It will be drawn after midnight on the closing date of Monday 16 September. The winner will be notified by GMB. No purchase necessary. The winner’s name and photo may be published in future issues. The GMB prize draw is open to GMB members who are fully financial at midnight on Monday 16 September 2013. This prize draw is not open to any GMB employees or members of their families. The result of the draw is final. All entrants agree to publicity in GMB material. Only one entry per eligible GMB member.

how to enter Go to www.gmb.org.uk/competition and click the link to switch to Direct Debit.

You can also use the Move To Direct Debit button on the GMB app, which you can download from www.gmb.org.uk/app Don’t forget to tell your employer to cease your check-off payment.

You can still enter the prize draw if you already pay by Direct Debit. Simply go to www.gmb.org.uk/competition and press the button to enter the competition – good luck!

Last issue’s Glasto tickets winner GMB member Erika Radu of GMB Northern Region won a pair of Glastonbury tickets in the prize draw in the last issue of the magazine.

www.gmb.org.uk 15

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Striking a light! celebrate the matchwomen Author Louise Raw celebrates the founders of working women’s rights

O

n 6 July the first annual Matchwomen’s Festival was held in London. The festival celebrated the start of the modern movement for workers’ rights: a strike by young women and girls, who took on their employer – and by extension the entire Victorian establishment – in the summer of 1888.

Matchstick makers, Bryant and May were powerful and prosperous Victorian gentlemen, with friends in very high places. The matchwomen, by contrast, were labelled a “rough set of girls”. Wages were so low the women were malnourished. They had no contracts or job security and working with toxic white phosphorus caused what the women called “phossy jaw”. This grisly disease decayed the jawbone, slowly and agonisingly, and could prove fatal.

fighting back But the matchwomen refused to be victims.

Without a union to support them, they surprised – and outraged – the country when they took matters into their own hands. When one girl was sacked (supposedly for being a troublemaker, but in reality to punish the women for speaking to a journalist about

conditions), 1,400 workmates downed tools and streamed out of the gates of the matchstick factory in Bow. Their two-week strike changed everything.

The scandalous truth about Bryant and May was revealed and the women marched to parliament and impressed MPs with their eloquence and intelligence.

They went on to win a huge victory for themselves, for women workers, and for working class people everywhere. They formed the biggest union of women and girls in the country, and inspired a wave of strikes that kicked off the trade union movement we know today.

In the ’20s that union evolved into GMB, which is therefore essentially still the matchwomen’s union.

the legacy The vital role of working class women has been ignored for too long!

This year many GMB members attended the Matchwomen’s Festival on

Louise Raw is the author of Striking a Light: the Bryant & May Matchwomen and Their Place in History and the organiser of the Matchwomen’s Festival.

For details of next Matchwomen’s Festival contact: louise.raw@virgin.net 16 www.gmb.org.uk

6 July. It was organised by the Bishopsgate Institute and held near Liverpool Street in London.

The grandchildren of the original matchwomen were VIP guests at the festival and everyone enjoyed a packed roster of high-profile speakers and excellent entertainment.

Members also enjoyed a jig or two as the traditional Irish band brought the atmosphere to life.

There was music, stand-up comedy, poetry, special children’s events, stalls and food and drink. Michael Rosen read for children, John Hegley made us laugh with his poetry, and in the evening Attila the Stockbroker, Izzy Thomas, the Ruby Kid helped get the party started.

This was a great festival to commemorate an important part of GMB’s history. To help the festival in coming years, please donate, become a sponsor, or volunteer your time via the website below.

Support l the Festiva n’s Festival go to: Matchwome For more details on the tival.com fes www.matchwomens 888@gmail.com or email matchwomen1 atchwomen www.facebook.com/M @matchwomen1888

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

exclusive

to gmb WOMEN members

regional NATional

Take a

Break

If you’ve not had a holiday in years, the Mary Macarthur Holiday Trust can help

T

he Mary Macarthur Holiday Trust provides holidays for women who are in need of a break. When life gets tough, it’s here to help you enjoy a rest. The Trust helps women book a holiday because of:

an amendment to the Munitions Act, which required that women should receive the same rate of pay as men for doing the same job.

iStock x 4

What does the Trust do?

At the time of Mary’s death, working • Age women had no paid • Poverty holidays and there • Infirmity was no such thing • Disablement as the NHS. In her • Social or economic memory, an appeal circumstances was launched and a Trust formed to ?

Whatever the reason, the fund places in ro er lp Po Fancy a brea k in Trust aims to offer some convalescent or respite from life’s traumas. holiday homes for women in need.

Who was Mary Macarthur?

Its success enabled them to buy a home and Part of GMB history, Mary Macarthur was name it The Mary Macarthur Holiday Home. a trade unionist who fought tirelessly for More homes were opened and for more than working women who had no paid holidays.

60 years, women Born in Ayr in 1880, she died in 1921 and benefited from time although her life was short, it was very full. at Mary Macarthur At 23 she became general secretary of the Holiday Homes.

Women’s Trade Union League, and was the As times changed, president of the National Federation of the homes were closed Women Workers from 1906 to 1908. One of and the Trust now her main achievements was that she secured awards grants towards the cost of any holiday – still preserving the Trust’s original ideals.

The range, number and complexity of ...or a peacef ul cases which continue to be referred to the Trust for assistance show that its work is just as relevant and vital in today’s world as it ever was.

...or Woolacombe Sands?

Do I qualify for a holiday?

Holiday grants are just for women and you must be 18 or over to qualify. Also, you must not have had a holiday in recent years, and must not have received a grant from the Trust

PROUD LEGACY Mary Macarthur fought for equal rights and pay for women. for at least three years. You also need a letter from a sponsoring body or person explaining why you deserve a holiday grant.

The Trust will help you pay for a holiday, but it is up to you to choose where you go and to make enquiries with a local travel agent – so you can go anywhere! The Trust encourages women to go away on their own but you can bring someone with you if you prefer. However, the Trust cannot give you more money to pay for a friend. The grant is normally paid directly to the holiday provider.

If you think you would benefit from a Mary Macarthur Holiday, or you know a woman who would, please contact Cheryl Andrews, Mary Macarthur Holiday Trust, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9SD. Telephone 02920 359 091, Fax 02920 666 447 or email: cheryl.andrews@mmht.org.uk How you can help the Trust...

The Trust never wants to turn someone down due to a lack of funding. It is likely that disadvantaged women among GMB’s membership have received help from the Trust and benefited from a holiday that might otherwise have seemed out of reach.

If you would like to help the Trust continue providing this valuable service, please make a donation via the can al trip? website listed below.

Do you need a holiday?

For more details on the Trust or to fill in an application form, go to www.mmht.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 17

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

How to make GMB work 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, feel free to call them.

One day at work…

Well, I’m having a few problems with management. They’re giving me impossible workloads.

Hi sara, it’s Joe.

Do you want GMB to approach them?

Hi Joe, what can I do for you?

Not at the moment, but I’ll tell them I want GMB involved if they won’t deal with the matter.

Later that week...

any time Joe.

THAT’S USUALLY THE WAY WHEN GMB MEMBERS STICK TOGETHER.

Thanks a lot for your support, sara.

Hi sara, I got my problem sorted out with the management.

The End

18 www.gmb.org.uk

Joby Seesions

The threat of involving GMB did the trick.

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

NATional

Freoeur

PUBS

Keep your glass filled at your local – ask your MP to help landlords fight sky-high rents

T

imes are hard for pub landlords, and the many GMB members who work in the UK pub trade. This is thanks largely to a scourge that’s pubs to close. many forcing Property companies known as ‘pubcos’ own more than half of Britain’s pubs, charging sky-high rents to their tied tenants. The money is used to pay interest on financially engineered debts – debts that are held mainly by bondholders in offshore tax havens.

Interest payments have to be paid each week before the tenant pours a pint, regardless of whether they can make ends meet.

To pay these inflated rents, a pint of lager is, on average, 80p per pint higher and ale is 65p per pint higher than justified by inflation and like-for-like changes in taxes since 1987.

This is pricing pubs out of the market, resulting in them closing in droves.

Infernal machine The common view that shareholders in the pubcos own a pub business is wrong. In fact, the shareholders don’t own a pub business; they own a holding company which invests in and manages rental incomes from pubs.

These are called pub securitisations. These securitisations are the infernal machine that is closing pubs unable to pay their rents. It’s also

the same infernal machine that drove the Southern Cross care homes to the wall.

In 2009 an Office for Fair Trading report concluded that the average pub tied-lessee is being overcharged by pubcos by around £12,000 a year, or £230 per pub per week, after higher “wet rents” and lower “dry rents” are factored into the equation.

GMB has campaigned for parliament to legislate to free pubs from this infernal machine before it destroys them all. In April 2013 the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills published a draft statutory code for tied pubs for consultation which closed in June. GMB welcomed their conclusion that pubcos will overcharge tied tenants for rents unless they are prevented

tenants the ability to buy beer, lager and other products from the open market, as well as pay a fair market rent for the building. You can help to make this happen: ask your local pub’s tenants to lobby their MPs to go for Option 3. GMB thinks that the other two options will allow pubcos to put up rents by the backdoor by over-charging for products tenants are tied to buy from them.

Please ask your MP to support Option 3 when the matter comes before parliament later this year. You can also support the Fair Deal For Your Local campaign, which calls Option 3 a ‘Market Rent Only’ option. GMB members whose livelihoods are tied up in our pubs need you to make their voice heard.

“Pubcos are pricing pubs out of the market”

from doing so.

YOU CAN HELP We will likely only get this one chance to save our local pubs. Later this year a draft statutory code covering tied pub rents will come before parliament. GMB wants MPs to support ‘Option 3’, which will give tied pub

re n mo Lear information about For more ct GMB how you can help, conta on mp Ke ve Ste r political office 07730 898 102 or email k g.u steve.kemp@gmb.or

www.gmb.org.uk 19

national

UPDATE

The cost

from GMB All the news

of dying GMB survey reveals that the cost of dying is more than £7,000

Manchester

£2,012

Stokeon-Trent

Lambeth

£2,132

Croydon

Wandsworth

£2,265 £2,350

Cityof London

£3,464

£2,045

Top six councils for cremation charges in the uk Cremation, interment of ashes and Exclusive Burial Rights

20 www.gmb.org.uk

charges £5,329, the City of London £5,185, and at the bottom of the top 20 chargers, Exeter cashes in £2,650 for every burial.

These figures were revealed at GMB Congress and come from a GMB study for all councils in the UK. These charges are major items in The Sun Life Direct Cost Of Dying Survey. The 2012 edition states that the average funeral costs are £3,284. If all the services are included, for example funeral director’s costs, doctors’ fees for certification, flowers, limousines and catering for the wake/reception then the total average is £7,114.

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: “At a time when the cost of living occupies most people’s concerns it will be a real shock to many living in that the cost of dying is so high. While GMB realises that the public are not queuing up to test the services

it remains a fact that few have any idea of how much even a simple burial or cremation actually costs.

“When council charges are included the average funeral costs are £3,284 and the total costs average over £7,000 according to some surveys.

“Someone is making a lot of money out of peoples bereavement.”

Find out more

in To find the cost of dying the t ou eck ch , ion reg your information online at: www.gmb.org/ newsroom iStock

I

t will be a real shock to many living in the UK that bereaved families are forced to pay thousands of pounds for cremation and burial services. GMB has discovered that the average cost of dying in the UK is more than £7,000. A GMB survey into the cost of cremation and funeral services found that someone is making a lot of money from people’s bereavement.

To ensure that like was compared with like, GMB looked at charges for cremations, interment of ashes and exclusive burial rights.

The City of London has the highest charge of £3,464, but this is not a one off as other councils also charge thousands of pounds for the service. Wandsworth charges £2,350, and Manchester charges £2,012.25.

And it’s not just cremation that costs bereaved families; the cost of burial also runs into thousands of pounds. Lambeth Council

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Selling our

services One way or another the Tories want to sell off public services, but this is a recipe for disaster, warns Paul Routledge

T

he Tories had one so-called big idea at the last general election: the Big Society. Nobody knew what it meant, least of all David Cameron and his merry band of job-robbers. But we know now. It’s about culling jobs in the public sector, and replacing them with charities, staff buy-outs and “social enterprises.”

“They’re trying to privatise by the back door,” says GMB’s Kathleen Walker Shaw.

“They’re now tackling social services and health care services. They know public opinion won’t take kindly to it, so this is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

The potential for out-sourcing of public services across a wide range of activity, from housing to looking after children, is enormous. There is big money at stake. The government spends £23Obn every year on public sector procurement of goods and services, and the privateers want more of it.

councils, the NHS and government departments to commission services from organisations that create “social value” in communities.

This is defined as doing something for the community and is supposed to “put people before profit.” But does it? Services being spun out to social enterprises or staff mutuals – workers buying out their business – will inevitably mean more job losses, on top of the hundreds of thousands already lost since Cameron came to power.

In the end, this reform is all about cutting the cost of providing public services with the added bonus – in Tory eyes – that it will diminish trade union membership and activity.

Their Social Value Act was the brainchild of a Conservative politician, public relations consultant Chris White, MP for Leamington and Warwick. Speaking in the Westminster debate, he said government should tell procurement commissioners: “You can still save money on that youth service or care home, but by letting a community organisation run it you could involve the people who have actually got a stake in that venture.” Translated into everyday speech, he’s saying “Take your services out of the hands of directly-employed workers and put the business into private-sector hands.”

social value The springboard for this latest radical change is the Social Value Act 2012, which came into operation earlier this year. On the face of it, this legislation looks like a good idea. It calls on public bodies such as

utuals “Charities, staff m rises and social enterp fail” are being set up to CRITICAL SITUATION The Tories are trying to kill off our health service.

22 www.gmb.org.uk

NATional

Bring these pages to life! buy-out. “In some cases, this is the difference between trying to set up a social enterprise – or you are redundant,” a source in the Local Government Association told me. “Faced with that choice, it sharpens thinking.”

Ed Mayo, general secretary of Cooperatives UK, fears that staff are being pressed into something they don’t want.

“This is not really a new model, but rather good old fashioned privatisation,” he says.

Do workers really want this change?

Not on the evidence of real votes by real employees. In the vast majority of cases where staff in the NHS have been balloted, it’s been shown that most have chosen to stay with the health service.

CHILDCARE THREAT Would you trust a big business to look after your baby?

What’s more, experts warn that charities, staff mutuals and social enterprises are being set up to fail, opening the way for the big boys in the private sector to come in and take these lucrative contracts.

There is an added danger that pressure from government to drive down costs will mean employees being given a stark choice between the sack and tendering as a worker

Look at the figures of Primary Care Trust staff voting against transfer: • Cornwall 81% • Plymouth 74% • Shropshire 85% • Greenwich 86% • Mid-Essex 97% • Sandwell 67%

GMB is strongly opposing this dilution, telling MEPs that the development of mutuals in the UK is part of a different political agenda to their operation elsewhere in Europe. “The UK model is a route to privatisation of public services,” union general secretary Paul Kenny argued in a letter to parliamentarians in Strasbourg.

He’s right. But this is a complex subject, and I hope I’ve carried you with me through the jungle of government double-speak. It’s clear from the mouth of the man who gave us the Social Value Act. The Big Society revolution, he told Parliament, “won’t happen by itself.”

No, it won’t. It will only happen where employers see a financial benefit from spin-out. And the workforce will foot the bill.

Help GMB S e NH Saveyoth ur services and

Spin-out is not safe, either. Public service contract commissioners can withdraw funding from these “mutuals” as quickly as they grant it, leaving the workforce vulnerable to redundancy or takeover by a private contractor.

Stick up for the NHS join GMB’s rally to Save ce ren at the Tory Party Confe ay in Manchester on Sund re mo 29 September. For information on how you can get involved, go to www.gmb.org.uk

GMB Member offer

Andrew Wiard

iStock x 3

Wedding photography From getting ready to the ceremony itself and until way past the first dance…

R

emember your big day forever with beautiful professional wedding photography from GMB’s official photographer, Andrew Wiard.

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, says:

“Andrew has photographed the work and campaigns of GMB members and the Labour Movement for over 30 years. You can have all his experience to capture your most treasured moments. As a trade union member and activist, you can rely on him.”

To find out more or take advantage of his services, phone Andrew Wiard on 07973 219 201 or email andrew@ reportphotos.com See his work at: www.reportagestyle.co.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 23

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

GMB’s annual statement and audit Audit Report

The following is reprinted from the Annual Return (AR21): Report of the Auditors to the Members of GMB Statement of Central Executive Council’s (CEC’s) responsibilities The legislation relating to trade unions requires the CEC to submit a return for each calendar year to the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations. This return contains financial statements which must give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Union at the year end and of its transactions for the year then ended. The financial statements set out on the preceding pages have been prepared on the same basis and are used to complete the return to the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations. In relation to the Union these requirements are the responsibility of the CEC. It is responsible for preparing the financial statements of the Union and in so doing is required to: • Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently • Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent • State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed • Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to do so.

The CEC is responsible for keeping proper accounting records and establishing and maintaining a satisfactory system of control over its records and transactions in order to comply with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. It is responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Union and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The CEC is also responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Union’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of accounts may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Report of the General Members Auditors We have examined the financial statements in accordance with Rule.

I. Burkett General Member Auditors S. Dery Independent Auditors’ Report to the Members of GMB We have audited the financial statements of GMB for the year ended 31 December 2012 which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). This report is made solely to the Union’s members, as a body, in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Union’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Union and the Union’s members as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective Responsibilities of GMB’s Central Executive Council and Auditor As explained more fully in the Statement of Central Executive Council’s (CEC) Responsibilities, the CEC is responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express an opinion on the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors.

Scope of the Audit of the Financial Statements An audit involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of: whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Union’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by the CEC; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition, we read all the financial and non-financial information in the General Secretary’s Introduction to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. If we become aware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implications for our report.

Opinion on Financial Statements In our opinion the financial statements: • give a true and fair view of the state of the Union’s affairs as at 31 December 2012 and of its deficit for the year then ended; • have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and • have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Matters on Which we are Required to Report by Exception We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: • adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or • the Union has not maintained a satisfactory system of control over its transactions in accordance with the requirements of Section 28 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992; or • the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or • certain disclosures within the form AR21 of Officers’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or • we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

Chantrey Vellacott DFK LLP Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor London Financial Affairs of the Union A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or has occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the Union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct. The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the Union, the trustees of the property of the Union, the auditor or auditors of the Union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police. Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the Union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of rules of the Union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the Union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.

24 www.gmb.org.uk

Annual statement to the members of GMB Required under Section 32A Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992

Year ended 31 December 2012

£’000

Total Income 64,679 of which, Income in respect of membership

60,468 Total Expenditure 57,529 Movement in actuarial valuation of pension scheme (9,637) Political Fund Income 3,194 Expenditure 2,701

Analysis of Officials’ Salaries and Benefits Office Held Gross Super Salary Annuation

Benefit Car

Executive

£’000 £’000

£’000 £’000

12

1

0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 15 8 18 2 0 0 6 0 9 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 14 0 3 127 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 40 0 2

£’000 £’000

B. Adams

S. Bearcroft MBE 4 S. Berwick

E. Blackman

D. Bruno

K. Buchanan

R. Clarke

D. Clements

K. Daniels 14 J. Dolan

G. Doolan

R. Dunnett 15 G. Emmerson 8 G. Evans 18 B. Farr 2 G. Ferguson

J. Foster

B. Fraser 6 G. Fraser

G. Gibbs 9 M. Gregg

J. Hall 1 S. Harding

A. Harry MBE

D. Hope 1 B. Hulley 1 M. Hutchinson

M. Jackson

J. Jones 14 W. Juss

P. Kane 3 P. Kenny (General Secretary) 94 A. Leader 2 M. Lock

E. Marnell

E. Martin

J. McDonnell

A. McGivern

A. McLaren

J. Minnery

B. Modlock 9 C. Murphy

D. Noble

L. Parker

G. Richardson 1 L. Ryan

M. Sage 4 L. Sharp

N. Sharpe

K. Slater

V. Smart

J. Stribley

M. Turner MBE 39 R. Waugh

P. Wheatley 2

21

Benefit Total Employers’ Mortgage NI

1

1 1 2

1

11

4

regional

regional

UPDATE Tower Hamlets from GMB All the news

honours

gmb member Fighting

for justice Ricky Tomlinson leads members in battle for justice

Rex Features

S

urviving members of the Shrewsbury 24 are being led by actor Ricky Tomlinson in a bid to clear their names. The trade union members were victims of a miscarriage of justice when they were arrested and, in six men’s cases, wrongly jailed in 1972.

The workers – including actor Ricky Tomlinson, who was imprisoned for two years – were picketing at the national building workers strike when they were taken into custody. The real reason for the Tory government’s actions have never been fully explained, as documents and evidence relating to the case that should have been made public in 2002 remain sealed until 2021 as a matter of “national security”. But a year ago, a dossier put before the Criminal Cases Review Commission suggested a Tory conspiracy against the strikers, with alleged government interference at the trials. Lawyers for the men who were sent to prison (for “conspiracy to intimidate”) claim that they were denied a fair trial. They also state that the jail terms they received were unlawful.

Tomlinson is backing a campaign for the documents to be released, in order to prove the prison sentences were politically motivated. However, an e-petition – which needs 100,000 signatures to bring a parliamentary debate – has been plagued by technical errors at Downing Street. The campaign is now demanding an extra three months to round up enough signatures to bring the debate to the public.

GMB members can help this valuable cause by signing the petition online. Go to: www.shrewsbury24campaign.org.uk

John Onslow has a One Stop Shop named in memory of his work

T

ower Hamlets Council’s One Stop Shop has been renamed in honour of GMB member and activist John Onslow, who devoted years to crusading for workers’ rights in London’s East End. John, who died in 2008 at the age of 86, was an active GMB workplace organiser who campaigned to protect the rights of GMB members at the council.

John’s family, friends and GMB regional council members attended a ceremony on 23 April, in which a plaque in his honour was unveiled at Bow’s Gladstone Place One Stop Shop in the Roman Road, now renamed John Onslow House. The shop is one of four in the borough providing information and support to residents.

“My father had a tenacious appetite for justice,” recalled John’s son Paul. “He embarked on a selfless crusade to help people. Our spirits will be lifted each time we pass the building.”

Tower Hamlets’ Mayor, Lutfur Rahman, spoke of John’s commitment to the people of the East End. Renaming the building showed the legacy John left, which would make sure his commitment was “remembered for years to come”.

Mary Turner, GMB national president and lifelong friend of John, spoke of how the ceremony took place on the 20th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. “John was a very tolerant man except when it came to racism.

He would have felt moved by the honour done him by the people of Tower Hamlets, whom he served for many years.”

“My father had a tenacious appetite for justice”

FAMILY AFFAIR John’s son Paul unveils the memorial in Tower Hamlets.

Move to Direct Debit.uk mb.org www.g

www.gmb.org.uk 25

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

! e t a d Up

political

enny K n e r r a fficer W f Team GMB o l a c i t i l Your po on the success o reports

I

Labour gained 48 new seats across the GMB t’s been a very busy few months for London region thanks to Team GMB support.

Team GMB since our last update in In Suffolk, Team GMB turned out in their Candid. GMB officers, activists and numbers to support GMB London Regional members have been working hard to Council delegate and GMB Lowestoft ensure we delivered our preferred results branch activist, Keith Patience with in the seats being contested during the his election campaign in the recent County Council elections in Gunton Ward.

May in Buckinghamshire, We were also joined on Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, the Team GMB action day in Hertfordshire and Essex.

Lowestoft by GMB London Team GMB helped to deliver region member and some fantastic results for endorsed MEP candidate, GMB-endorsed Labour Party Alex Mayer. You can pledge candidates and ultimately, this your support for Alex by will help to deliver stronger visiting her website local representation of ALEX MAYER www.alexmayer.eu GMB values. Here are some of the GMB MEP candidate.

Our congratulations go to results from the region: Keith who won his election campaign with an increased majority and is now proudly Cambridgeshire – Labour GAIN five seats elected to represent his ward constituents on Essex – Labour GAIN eight seats Suffolk County Council. Overall, Labour Hertfordshire – Labour GAIN 12 seats gained five seats in Lowestoft’s four divisions Norfolk – Labour GAIN 11 seats and this now means that there are no Suffolk – Labour GAIN 11 seats Conservative councillors elected in Lowestoft.

Buckinghamshire – Labour GAIN one seat

perfect partners GMB and GLA Labour GMB and GLA Labour members have agreed to meet at least twice a year to discuss joint working, developing agreed campaigns, building membership, and promoting both organisations. GMB will assist in funding any agreed projects which benefits both sides within the London area. GLA members will assist in bringing new people into GMB membership.

26 www.gmb.org.uk

BACKING LABOUR GMB members have been supporting Labour.

TEAM GMB GMB has helped Labour win seats.

Our results in all of these elections would not be possible without the valued commitment and support of GMB London region members and activists who are keen to ensure that our politicians understand and will represent our values for the future.

olved! get inv to participate If you would like al in our Team GMB politic ure fut the in y ivit act ign pa cam at r please registe l1.htm www.gmbunion.org/po senior y, nn Ke n rre or contact Wa 9 650 or organiser on 01462 49 litical po l na tio Gary Doolan, na .

00 67 91 73 0 02 officer on You can also follow the GMB London Region on Twitter @GMBLondonRegion

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

NEVER FORGET

regional Update your GM Prof B www.gmb ile .org.uk

GMB pays tribute to those killed and injured at work GMB members gathered at Thames Water’s Coppermill treatment site to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day by remembering colleagues from Waltham Forest who were killed at work.

GMB members paid tribute to Raymond Holmes, who was killed at work on 20 April 2010 at Thames Water’s Coppermill site, Andrezej Rokita, 55, from Poland, who was killed by falling materials while working at M&M Contracting Ltd, on 22 March 2010 and Alfie Perrin, 16, from Enfield, who died when he fell from a scaffold in Camden Road, Wanstead, on 14 November 2012.

In the UK, each year 1,500 to 1,600 people are killed while doing their jobs – including those killed on the roads while working. It is estimated between 20,000 to 50,000 people die each year in Britain from work-related diseases – about 5,000 from asbestos-related diseases alone.

Successive governments have repeatedly

said almost all of this is preventable by employers who still fail to protect their employees and the general public.

GMB takes the health, safety and well-being of GMB members very seriously. The present government is making it easier for unscrupulous employers who only want to pay lip service to health and safety.

REST IN PEACE GMB members paid tribute to Raymond Holmes.

4K swissport back-pay win Stansted members are walking on air after back-pay win

FLYING HIGH GMB wins back-pay for Standsted members.

GMB won an average payment of £4,000 in back-pay for GMB members cheated out of the money by Swissport. GMB ran a strong campaign for London Stansted to make sure that check-ins and operational staff on clerical contracts were paid the same premium rates for weekend working as members of staff who are employed on industrial contracts.

GMB believed that as most of the GMB members on clerical grades were women and most on the industrial

grades were men, there was a claim for equal pay. In 2002 Swissport (then known as Groundstar) began paying the premium rates to all GMB members on clerical grades.

In 2009 Swissport, without asking GMB members or getting their agreement, decided not to pay the premium rates on clerical contracts.

GMB put an employment tribunal claim against Swissport’s withdrawal of the money, and in April this year the tribunal ruled that Swissport had a legal obligation to pay GMB members the premium. The company has appealed the decision. www.gmb.org.uk 27

regional

UPDATE

Cartoon by Andy Vine/iStock

from GMB All the news

28 www.gmb.org.uk

regional

Follow us on twitter @GMBLondonRegion

BECOME A GMB WORKP LACE ORGANISER www.g mb.org .uk

cutting the strings

GMB stands up to local government pay rise offer with strings attached After a four-year pay freeze, local government employers in the region have offered staff a 1 per cent pay rise in exchange for a review of their conditions. GMB believes this is unacceptable!

Most local government GMB members, including school support staff and many working in Academies and for private contractors, are protected by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC).

The NJC is a national agreement, made by employers, GMB and other trade unions, that sets minimum terms and conditions for staff.

The agreement was last negotiated in 1997.

When employers offered a pay rise in exchange for cuts in conditions, GMB rejected the review as outrageous in the circumstances. Local government members have had a 16 per cent cut in pay in real terms and to expect them to pay for their 1 per cent pay rise by agreeing to cuts in terms and conditions is not acceptable. The employers are now threatening to advise local authorities on how to and when to ‘review’ national terms and conditions locally.

what is the national agreement?

The agreement is made up of four parts: Part 1 deals with how the NJC works.

Part 2 details key provisions that are the core terms and conditions of employment.

Part 3 are other terms and conditions that can be negotiated locally.

Part 4 deals with Job Evaluation.

TAKING ACTION

It is Part 2 of the agreement that GMB members stand up employers want to review. This covers the to public sector cuts. standard working week of 37 hours (36 in London), annual leave, maternity leave, sick pay and more.

Any dilution of these terms and ts, GMB needs to be conditions would make the To stand up to these cu n-members aware no ke agreement next to useless. GMB is ma strong. Please by employers and committed to defending the National of this impending attack B at GM n joi to Agreement and it is vital that encourage them members are aware of what is at www.gmb.org.uk/join stake and join the fight to defend terms and conditions.

you can help!

www.gmb.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

injured ? orgk atwww .uk .gmb.or

from GMB All the news

w

Protection for

PEOPLE POWER Norwich City Council is preparing people for change.

the people

Brenda Arthur, leader of Norwich City Council, reports on how it is standing up to benefits cuts

T

he welfare and benefit system as we know it is facing an unprecedented set of changes.

The government says it wants to make work pay and it is likely that reforms will reduce the amount paid in benefits by as much as £18bn a year – if not more!

In Norwich alone, some estimates suggest that in one year £35m will come out of the pockets of the poorest in our society.

claim what’s yours We know many millions of pounds go unclaimed by low-income households.

National figures indicate many households (especially those without children) do not claim the Working Tax Credits (WTC) to which they are entitled. In Norwich unclaimed WTCs could amount to £8.5m. That is why, as a Labour council, we have been providing advice and information for our residents.

From April, for the first time since its introduction, many low-income households found they were being made to pay council tax. This was because the universal benefit scheme was axed, and local councils had to design their own schemes to account for a 10 per cent funding cut for benefit payments.

Here in Norwich we managed to absorb the 10 per cent cut by increasing discretionary charges on empty and second homes. We 30 www.gmb.org.uk

paid monthly in arrears to a single “head of also used money from our budgets as well as household” meaning people will have to learn those of the police and local county council. how to manage their finances overnight. We We believe this was the right thing to do and are working with credit unions to our residents agreed with us. raise their profile and encourage The new ‘bedroom tax’ is also people to start saving for when hitting poorer families where they will have to find money they live. It means it is no for a month’s worth of food longer acceptable to have and rent. a ‘spare’ room, such as a Ultimately, these room for your children to changes may not even stay in at weekends. These “make work pay”. We households with a ‘spare’ have seen examples where room will see their benefits people may lose out simply reduced by on average £11 by increasing the hours they per week.

BRENDA ARTHUR work or where home owners In Norwich we think these Leader of Norwhich lose any support for mortgage changes will take more than £1.5m City Council. interest they may have had if out of these households’ benefits. they start working. So we are looking at tools The increase in Discretionary Housing which would enable front line staff to have Payments, which is designed to cover a access to basic welfare advice to make sure variety of types of difficulties, amounts to people claim what they are entitled to. just £288,000. We involved our voluntary We are seeking to approach these fearful and community partners in designing a new cuts in a number of ways: encouraging policy to help allocate this small amount of take-up of benefits, which are currently not money. I am very proud to that we are one of being taken up; encouraging people to save; the few councils to have done this. providing advice and seeking to improve job opportunities and income from paid work. it Universal Cred As a Labour council, we want to get alongside our constituents and work with Finally, the introduction of Universal Credit them to try to mitigate the effects of these could see households face a mind boggling cruel reforms. degree of complexity. Universal Credit will be

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et! just the ticask on tickets Braintree fans get free sehip deal

ed a sponsors GMB Securicor 1 branch has complet h entitles children whic Club ball Foot n with Braintree Tow on ticket for next season under the age of 16 to get a free seas ue home games. leag at all Braintree Town Football Club en7@hotmail.com obri alan act: cont For more information,

Retired members meeting dates 8 July 14 Oct ober

TUC Co ngre ss Ho use Lo ndon 12–3pm

For more de tails con tact Jan Smith on jansmith28@ bt internet.com

get your dates in

taries – Calling all branch secre h nc if you want your 2014 bra es and meeting dates, venue, tim in the ed contact details advertis id, please nd November edition of Ca Conroy by se Ro to ls tai email the de 20 August. Email g.uk rose.conroy@gmb.or

GMB LONDON REGION

Contact GMB

If you have a problem at work, contact your GMB workplace organiser. If you do not have one, go to the GMB website at www.gmb.org.uk. Still no luck? Call the GMB regional office on 020 8202 8272 and ask to speak to the duty officer.

GMB LONDON Regional Office HENDON Thorne House, 152 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2DP. T: 020 8202 8272 F: 020 8202 2893

GMB CHELMSFORD

Obituaries

53 Duke Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1JA. T: 01245 345165 F: 01245 345129

GMB FULHAM

Barney Shuster Barnett Shuster, known to us as Barney, died on 1 March 2013 aged 87. Barney was a full time officer with the Tailor & Garment Workers Union, who transferred to GMB in 1990.

A life-long trade unionist and Labour Party member and supporter from the east end of London, he spent a working lifetime in the Trade Union Movement and continued to serve well after his official retirement from office. Barney continued to represent GMB members and was a dedicated supporter of the Retired Members Association and Pensioners Movements. An inspiration to all who knew and worked with him, he will be long remembered and respected. Our condolences go to his widow Adele, and his family.

EW Dempsey EW Dempsey, better known as Bill and in the past Jack, started his time in the shipbuilding industry as an apprentice in 1933. He first become a shop steward in 1938. Throughout the whole of his working life and beyond he was a dedicated member of the Trade Union and Labour Movement, during this time he witnessed the General Strike and the poverty and deprivation of the 1930s. Following his retirement, Bill became an active member of the Retired Members Association and an active pensioner, who remained involved in the wider Labour Movement. We offer our condolences to his son Kevin and the family at the loss of their father, of whom they can justly be proud.

691 Fulham Road, London SW6 5UJ. T: 020 7736 5683 F: 020 7371 7457

GMB GANTS HILL

8th Floor, Wentworth House, 350-352 Eastern Ave, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex IG2 6NH. T: 020 8518 9200 F: 020 8518 9209

GMB HAYES

213 Church Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2LG. T: 020 8573 6969 F: 020 8756 0276

GMB baldock

The Maltings, 44 Whitehorse Street, Baldock, Herts SG7 6QQ. T: 01462 499650 F: 01462 499699

GMB norwich

38-40 Bethel Street, Norwich NR2 1NR. T: 01603 626492 F: 01603 766516

GMB southend

41 Queens Road, Southend, Essex SS1 1LT. T: 01702 390512/390427 F: 01702 435074 Follow GMB London Region on Twitter @GMBLondonRegion

www.gmb.org.uk 31

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www.britishgasgmbmemberoffer.co.uk GMB credit offer *Not available in conjunction with the BG employee discount scheme or for existing customers on an Online variable tariff **Only available with Clear & Simple or Price Promise July 2014 tariffs Energy offers end on 31 July. The amounts include VAT at 5%. Only one offer per household customer. Subject to status. Excludes Pay As You Go Energy™ customers. Limited availability. £100 offer: For eligible, new customers taking gas through a credit meter. You must take both your gas and electricity with British Gas and remain a customer for both fuels on our Clear & Simple or Price Promise July 2014 tariff at point of credit.

The £100 offer will be shown as two £50 credits on your gas bill, the first within 3 months of your Supply Start Date and the second on your first bill issued after 12 months. The £100 credit offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. £35 offer: You must remain a British Gas customer for gas or electricity at point of credit. The £35 credit will show on your gas or electricity bill issued 3 months after you sign up to the offer. The £35 credit offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Your GMB

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