Insight summer 2013 by Future Plus

The magazine for GMB members

Insight www.gmbscotland.org.uk

Summer 2013

Strike ! on w Ba

ck to work and better off!

award

winner

Billy McEwan honoured at Congress 2013 WIN a Toyota Aygo See p15 worth ÂŁ9,000

In this issue...

Harry Donaldson ary et GMB Scotland secr

Members gather for Workers’ Memorial Day Page 27

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

Regional

National

4 All hands on deck

9 Congress

5 Fighting fit

11 Paul Kenny says

6 Stretched to the limit

12 Political candidates

7 Census sense

14 GMB in your pocket

8 Congress

15 Win a car!

25 Congratulations!

16 Striking a light

26 GMB strikes back

17 Take a break

29 Tom Greatrex

19 Save our pubs

30 Do your duty

22 Selling services

31 Contact GMB

24 Members’ statement

The future of the shipbuilding industry

Vitasheet on three accident-free years

How stress is affecting the region’s nurses

Forward planning and the population boom

GMB Scotland’s report from Plymouth

Pauline Russell wins health and safety award

Sodexo backs down under GMB pressure

The Shadow Energy Minister writes

Pat Breslin wins job description battle

Names and numbers you can call

GMB regional editor Brian Johnstone: 0141 332 8641 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

Commemorating the matchwomen’s strike

Help for women who need a holiday

How sky-high rents are shutting our pubs

Why public services must remain public

GMB’s annual statement and audit

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

Our major focus is members’ employment Welcome to the Summer 2013 edition of Insight. This has been a very busy quarter, culminating in Congress 2013. This edition covers a range of issues highlighting the period – including ongoing campaigns, recognitions of achievement, industrial action, fundraising and legal matters. In a relentlessly harsh economic climate, our major focus continues to be on members’ employment and conditions. In the light of significant success in terms of the Living Wage and a new challenge in relation to Health Service pay and conditions, GMB Scotland continues to work to the maximum possible extent to protect the interest of members, both individually and collectively. A major campaign has been launched by the TUC and in Scotland the STUC coordinating events focusing on “Austerity is Hurting but it isn’t Working”. The campaign will be taking its message into communities and gathering evidence condemning this government’s policies. With the growing incidence of foodbanks for families in financial difficulty, and following the launch of the Bedroom Tax, the timing of the campaign is key. Congress 2013 has just been held and this was again an illuminating event. With a wide range of debates, considerable attention was also given to spotlighting the achievements of activists among the membership. The report on page 8 covers this in more detail. I hope you enjoy the read.

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 Insight magazine? Please contact Steve Hulbert on 01225 442 244 (ex 5205) 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.

SCOTLAND’S PRIDE GMB Scotland displays its banner at GMB Congress. www.gmb.org.uk 03

l a n o i g e r

E T A D P U

GMB m o r f s w e n All the BUOYED SPIRITS Scottish shipbuilding celebrates another success.

JOB WELL DONE HMS Duncan floats out of Glasgow’s Clyde yard.

JIM MOOHAN GMB senior organiser.

s d n a h All on deck

psize Only poor politics can ca Scotland’s shipbuilding sector

PROUD TRADITION Scotland is proud of its shipbuilding industry.

4 www.gmb.org.uk 04

MB Scotland is backing the Scottish shipbuilding sector. Scotland has the skills, technology and expertise to build a thriving future – all it needs is government support. HMS Duncan’s recent departure from BAE’s Clyde yard in Glasgow underscored the importance of a collective vision for the future of shipbuilding. GMB senior organiser and chairman of the shipbuilding and engineering unions in Scotland, Jim Moohan, praised GMB’s shipbuilding members, saying: “Immense credit is given to those involved for their total commitment. The urgent requirement for change was not lost on anyone. The flexibility and transfer of labour between the yards have been recognised as vital for job security and continuity.” He also praised employers for investing the infrastructure required to attract customers, both domestic and overseas.

regional

Wheely

good cause

SAFETY FIRST Members at Vitasheet are accident-free.

safe and sound

GMB workplace organiser cycles from Scotland to Germany for charity

Alan Morton, a GMB workplace organiser at the Magnum Sports Centre in Irvine, went on a d mammoth ride from Scotland to Germany e r u j in ? k orrg.uk – all to raise funds for Chloe’s Chemoo Cows, atwww .o a charity dedicated to brightening the lives .gmb w very proud of achieving the of children with cancer at big three-year milestone. Schiehallion, Glasgow. Roddy commented: “We are Alan began on 3 June, taking in a small, tight-knit group and have Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Leige, North worked hard over time to maintain jobs Luxembourg, Metz, Strasbourg and and encourage participation in all the Stuttgart. The journey concluded health and safety initiatives within when Alan arrived in Tuttlingen, the company. Our success today is at the Southside Festival. The appreciated by all staff at Newbridge.” bands British Sea Power and Site manager Greg Shaw welcomed Frightened Rabbit were playing the support by all GMB representatives at the festival, and they agreed as he gave an overview on the progress to put on a welcoming at the site. committee for Alan. The journey comes to just under 1,000 miles and Alan has been receiving donations. His local GMB branch of independence. Uncertainty can in North Ayrshire have only harm all positions. chipped in, too. GMB A new horizon awaits our organiser Paul Arkison shipbuilding business. We have the said: “I hope he raises a skills, technology and expertise to great amount for Chloe’s meet the challenges for the future. Chemoo Cows – and with We are both very cost effective and all the training he has competitive. All it needs is the been doing, he’ll be backbone of the governments of nearly as fit as me!” today and tomorrow to support If you wish to donate the industry. to this wonderful To that end, GMB Scotland calls on cause, then please do all interested parties – employers, so by going to: www. political parties, trade unions – to PEDAL POWER Alan Morton cycled justgiving.com/ engage fully with a series of meetings 1,000 miles for charity. Alan-Morton1 to address the issue of the future of Scottish shipbuilding as a whole.

Vitasheet celebrates landmark safety record Vitasheet, based in Newbridge, celebrated a memorable milestone on 1 May with the completion of three years without a lost time accident – this is when a member of staff has to take time off due to an accident. The company, which manufactures plastic components for the aviation and automotive industry, has worked closely with GMB to ensure safety on site. Safety is taken very seriously at the site and Convenor Roddy Macfie and GMB workplace organiser Jim Hay are

floating future The final part of the jigsaw and the vision for the future remains political parties coming together on behalf of the remaining yards. Only poor politics and lack of vision can capsize this proud industry. GMB believes the future of the industry should not be threatened by the politics of ‘Yes Scotland’ or ‘Better Together’ campaigns on Scotland’s independence. The UK government should not be tempted to use the industry as a pawn in that campaign and make that clear, while the Scottish government should make clear their substantive vision for the industry should they be successful in their goal

5 www.gmb.org.uk 05

regional

RETIRE FROM WORK NOT G www.gmb MB .o

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Nurses need

rg.uk

CARE CONTRACTS Care workers endure contractual failings.

help

GMB survey finds nurses are stressed and over-worked

NURSES UNDER PRESSURE 97 per cent of nurses feel the pressure at work. 06 www.gmb.org.uk

Who cares

wins

Highlands care workers stand up against contractual failings

MB reps in Inverness have been very busy following the transfer of 1,400 care for the elderly staff from Highland Council to the NHS. The Highlands is leading the way in Scotland with the integration model, and although much has been achieved, it’s not all been smooth sailing. A recent Care Commission report awarded a level two grading to the NHS on its care for the elderly, and this news has been followed by a collective grievance from GMB members. The grievance highlights serious contractual issues and failings, which undermine GMB members and contribute to a poor service for clients. Highlands GMB officer, Bruce Crabtree, says: “It is worth noting that the grievance, rooted in the concerns of our NHS care at home members, supports the findings of the independent Care Commission report.

“The hard work and caring disposition of home carers has been commended in the Care Commission report. It is down to the dedicated staff members who have stood up through the GMB trade union to say there has been enough talking, enough working groups, enough committees and meetings. Action is required to improve the care of our elderly and vulnerable, as well as the staff who look after them, and it is needed now.”

Highland NEWS d

an To receive the latest news hlands, Hig B GM m fro developments .org.uk email liz.gordon@gmb erred nsf tra ve Members who ha v.uk to NHS on a Highland.go ail em email address should k g.u .or mb @g liz.gordon S NH w ne ir the h wit mail address.

Rex Features /iStock

A GMB survey has revealed that community nurses and health visitors employed by NHS Ayrshire and Arran are facing huge stresses in their day-to-day jobs. 94 per cent of workers surveyed claimed they spent too much time dealing with NHS bureaucracy, and 97 per cent said that they had carried out work while off duty. 97 per cent claimed that additional pressures were being placed on them to cover for colleagues who are off work. GMB is concerned that pressures are being put on community nurses and health visitors. “GMB members who provide a nursing service in the Ayrshire community are highly dedicated and committed to providing a high quality service,” said GMB regional organiser Paul Arkison. “It is clear that the health care professionals who are providing a high standard of service are themselves victims of high levels of stress and anxiety. It is only to their credit that such an essential service is being carried out under such difficult circumstances.” For more on this, call Paul Arkison on 07801 656 533.

regional

kick out

Racism

Common sense and the census

GMB calls for Scotland’s 233,400 increase in population to be used for forward planning

MB is calling for the government to take into account new figures about Scotland’s growing population when making its plans for the future. The recently published 2011 Census Of Population For Scotland shows that the population grew in 28 out of the 32 council areas in Scotland from 2001 to 2011. This increase will naturally mean there should be changes to investment in education, housing, transport links, health facilities, infrastructure, and how we care for the elderly. GMB secretary Harry Donaldson said: “Local and national government in Scotland, and the UK government, should base forward

planning on these changes in population which clearly impact on the demand for goods and services provided by the public sector and by local authorities. “Scotland is currently moving in the opposite direction, as local authorities and other agencies are making cuts. This is leading to job losses and a reduction in the level and quality of services across a broad range of provisions. 25,600 jobs have already gone from Scotland’s local councils since the last general election on 2010. In the context of these changes, the continuing freeze on council tax in Scotland is one of the key policy areas affecting services that need to be reconsidered.”

“Changes in population affect demand for jobs”

GMB wins living wage vote at...

Local government GMB members accept pay offer The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, otherwise known as COSLA, is the representative voice of Scottish local government and also acts as an employers’ association on behalf of all 32 Scottish Councils. GMB Scotland recently held a ballot among its local government members to decide whether to accept a COSLA offer for a

one per cent pay increase for all workers. After applying the increase, all workers below £7.50 per hour would have their pay enhanced to give a living wage of £7.50 per hour. The result of the ballot was resounding: 79 per cent of workers voted to accept the offer, thus ensuring that COSLA will pay the living wage. Success!

Show Racism the Red Card Creative Competition GMB Scotland and anti-racism charity Show Racism the Red Card have joined forces to promote the anti-racism and anti-sectarianism message in Scotland’s schools and colleges. This is the tenth year that Show Racism the Red Card has held the competition in Scotland and it is excited about working closely with GMB Scotland and other partners to make it the most successful yet. GMB Scotland’s sports officer, Brian Johnstone, said: ‘GMB Scotland is delighted to continue its long-standing relationship with Show Racism The Red Card. We strongly support their activities aimed at positively addressing Scotland’s issues with regard to racism and sectarianism. What better way to start than with Scotland’s young people who will shape the country’s future for the better?”

government

support

The Scottish Government has belatedly recognised the constructive contribution trade unions make in the workplace. In a keynote statement it said: “Scotland’s trade unions fulfill a very important role and we value our relationship with them very highly. The contribution of Scotland’s trade unions makes workplaces better for employees and employers. We are committed to continuing our work in partnership with trade unions to achieve our shared goals.” www.gmb.org.uk 7

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Ship shape

in Plymouth All the news from GMB Scotland at Congress

ul, ongress 2013 was hugely successf ns regio the of ion duct intro the from to providing their own banner parties and y mon cere ing the resounding clos singing of the “Red Flag”. t, Mary Turner, GMB national presiden major with da agen ed pack a d duce intro k from contributions throughout the wee Family ugh boro Hills the Margaret Aspinall of Andy t; nalis jour s, Jone n Owe p; Support Grou and tion Burnham, Labour MP hosting a ques ; care al soci and answer session on the NHS p; Grou n Actio rty Pove Child Alison Graham from ion Sect bers Mem ed Retir the from h Monica Smit Support Group and Dave Smith from the Blacklist y, general Kenn – with the highlight being Paul s. gres Con to ess addr secretary giving his Group ort Supp klist Blac the from h Dave Smit klisting blac of highlighted the abhorrent practice GMB ed prais and in the construction industry to n unio first the as for the work done produce a report and campaign on n to give blacklisting. GMB was the first unio ct Sele irs Affa evidence to the Scottish to first the and ing klist blac Committee on pany, com tion truc cons r majo one y lobb Skanska in Sweden.

CONGRESS HIGHLIGHTS Award winners and speaklers at GMB Congress.

08 www.gmb.org.uk

Margaret Another courageous speaker was years on 24 last the for ht Aspinall, who has foug the in died who rs othe and behalf of her son nst the agai e spok She ugh. boro Hills of tragedy ent and cover-up by the police and governm paign for cam her of ation showed the determin s. year e thes justice over all ngs and David Evans presented his initial findi lack the and , research into Women Within GMB ngs findi y mar Sum . tions of women in senior posi rds towa es mov n unio the as ing look encourag bership, it is more than 50 per cent female mem or roles. seni in clear that we need to reflect this l, left pbel Cam line Caro , First time delegate she n whe s gres Con on n essio a major impr health which participated in a debate on mental a first for was h brought a standing ovation whic Well done ker. spea time first a first time delegate, . land Scot GMB and you for Caroline a first ived the rece wan McE Billy first, her anot Also tative of the Daniel Dennis GMB Safety Represen in West field this in year 2013 for all his work the voice nan, Bran Phil ncil. Cou ire Dunbartonsh , was land of disabled Remploy workers in Scot the in rd awa the recipient of the runner up nal Individual. Equality Section for Most Inspiratio gress! Con ul essf succ very a was All in all it

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

NATional

Freoeur

PUBS

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

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

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

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…

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

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

Benefit Total Employers’ Mortgage NI

1 1 2

regional

UPDATE from GMB All the news

Well done, Pauline! GMB’s Pauline Russell receives STUC Health and Safety Award

BECOME

A GMB he Scottish Trades Union Congress WORKP (STUC) has announced that the recipient ORGANILACE of this year’s Health and Safety award is www.gmb SER .org.uk Pauline Russell, a GMB member, senior health and safety representative and workplace organiser at the Diageo bottling plant at Leven in Fife. The plant has undergone significant modernisation and expansion in recent years, and Pauline has ensured that GMB health and safety structures reflect the needs of her members. This has led to GMB having 35 trained health and safety representatives, with a further seven awaiting training. Most have been recruited by Pauline – and she’s on the lookout for more, to ensure GMB has adequate resources to meet the demands posed by round-theclock shift working. “I was absolutely delighted to receive this award,” said Pauline. “I am so proud of both GMB and Diageo.” Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said: “Pauline has clearly demonstrated the difference that trade union health and safety representatives make in the workplace. She has always been willing to provide advice to colleagues and is always available to help colleagues find a resolution to potentially serious workplace health and safety issues – even when it eats into her own time. The outstanding effort made by Pauline and the thoroughness of her approach make her a worthy recipient of this year’s award.” GMB Scotland secretary Harry Donaldson said: “Pauline is an excellent example of a committed convener on behalf of GMB, and is passionate in terms of her health and safety responsibility – a unique blend.”

“I was absolutely delighted to receive this award”

www.gmb.org.uk 25

regional

Upda your GtMe Prof B www.gmb ile .or

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

g.uk

GMB Strikes back SMALL VICTORY After striking, a better pay offer was made.

GMB members go back to work as Sodexo buckles under strike pressure

MAKING A POINT GMB members made sure their concerns were heard.

MB members have stopped industrial action at the Scottish Police College and new Police Scotland HQ in Fife after contractor Sodexo made a revised pay offer to the catering workers at the college. The 3.6 per cent pay deal falls short of the GMB’s demand for a living wage but is above inflation and takes the minimum hourly rate up to £6.60 an hour. The workforce held two 24-hour stoppages and an overtime ban between February and April this year. GMB Scotland organiser Richard Leonard said: “The campaign for a living wage, fair pay and equal pay will carry

on – it’s simply that the workers believe that they’ve taken industrial action as far as they can for now. These members decided that it was no longer enough to argue for a living wage and fair pay, it was time to take action. They displayed the courage of their convictions and we gave them maximum support in the industrial action. “By taking industrial action they have made an important advance. If they want to make a breakthrough it will require the newly constituted Scottish Police Authority to include the living wage in their contract with Sodexo and other suppliers.”

Battling blacklisting

GMB welcomes the Scottish Affairs Select Committee’s report GMB Scotland has been campaigning on the issue of the blacklisting of union activists. Along with the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) we welcome the Scottish Affairs Select Committee’s Report on blacklisting, and call on all who were involved in operating blacklisting to face criminal investigation and sanction if proved guilty. Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said: “This report is very welcome, coming ahead of the congress debate on blacklisting, and is damning on the behaviour of those who participated in this practice. It is clear that there has been a conspiracy by construction companies – a highly secret conspiracy that destroyed the lives of an untold amount of Scottish workers.

26 www.gmb.org.uk

“Deliberate attempts have been made to destroy evidence to reduce the chances of employers being caught. We may never know the real extent of the number of Scottish workers harmed by this abhorrent practice. “It is time for all involved in any criminal activity to be held to account. It is not a defence to argue that individuals were acting on instructions of others. This report appears to see through many of the spurious arguments being put forward to justify their behaviour and we welcome the intentions of the committee.”

“Blacklisting conspiracy destroyed lives”

richar d leona rd

regional

speaks

erosion Your political officer on the fety of health and sa

MEMORIAL CEREMONY Members gather for Workers’ Memorial Day.

t a time in when we are seeing a rise in nationalism across Europe, not least right here in Scotland, it is important to remind ourselves of the international perspective that has always been a hallmark of good trade unionism. We are part of a movement which organises right across the world. Our horizons not narrowed by geography, but widened by common principles of solidarity, equality and justice. We have, after all, just celebrated two important dates in the Labour Movement calendar: International Workers’ Memorial Day and International Workers’ Day or May Day. May Day is celebrated by workers the world over. It has its roots in the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, when police opened fire on workers taking part in a strike for an eighthour working day. An unknown number were killed in the police attack and four of the union organisers were later hanged. Their martyrdom has been marked every May Day since 1890. On 28 April every year trade unions make a call to “remember the dead and fight for the living”. International Workers’ Memorial Day is

a more recent initiative, started in Canada in the mid 1980s, but its roots are firmly embedded in the history of our own union. When Will Thorne, Ben Tillett and Eleanor Marx set up the forerunner of today’s GMB, the Gasworkers Union, over a century ago, the very first campaign they waged was not for higher wages but for shorter hours. Those pioneers fought for the eight-hour day because they understood that long hours and miserable conditions could bring about an early death. Today we are facing an onslaught on our health and safety rights led by the Prime Minister. David Cameron has gone on record to denounce measures to protect the health and safety of working people as an “albatross around the neck of British businesses”. In the 2012 Budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the government planned to scrap, consolidate or improve as many as 84 per cent of existing health and safety regulations by the end of 2014. The Coalition government boasts that proactive health and safety inspections by the Health and Safety Executive have been cut

from 33,000 in 2010–11 to less than 22,000 in 2011–12. The reporting of lost time accidents at work has been cut. And in future injured workers will be forced to prove that their employer was directly to blame for their accident to receive any compensation. Let’s be clear, this war on the rights of working people is not being waged because Cameron and Osborne are English, but because they are Tories. It is not anti-Scottish, it is anti-working class, and trade unionists should not be fooled otherwise. It also turns the clock back to the days of Robert Tressell’s classic book The RaggedTrousered Philanthropists. In a chapter entitled “Penal Servitude and Death”, Frank Owen throws down a challenge to his fellow workers. “If it were proposed to make a law that all working men and women were to be put to death… as soon as they reached the age of 50 years, there is not the slightest doubt that you would join in the uproar of protest that would ensue. Yet you submit tamely to have your life shortened by slow starvation, overwork, lack of proper boots and clothing…” A call to action indeed. And one that we should heed today, to resist this attack on workers’ rights, to bring about a better life for working people, to build a better world. That’s our job in GMB today, just as it was when the May Day pioneers stood their ground and when our own great union itself was founded.

REMEMBER THE FALLEN GMB tribute to those injured or killed at work. www.gmb.org.uk 27

regional

BECOME A GM HealthB safety & rep w

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

ww.gm b.org.u k

know your asbestos

f you were exposed to asbestos in Scotland and have been diagnosed with pleural plaques in the last three years, you may be entitled to claim compensation from your former employers or their insurers. Pleural plaques are a form of scarring or calcified thickened areas on the membrane surrounding the lungs (pleura). They tend to form at least 20 years after exposure to asbestos, and leave you at a higher risk of developing an asbestos-related condition, such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. Therefore, as well as seeking compensation, you may want to ensure that you protect a potential future claim on behalf of you or your family, should you develop another asbestos condition. The risks of this are small – often less than five per cent – but the awards in such cases can be much higher, depending on the circumstances.

*Subject to rule

28 www.gmb.org.uk

After a decision of the House of Lords in October 2007, people in the UK could no longer claim compensation for pleural plaques. However, in 2009, the Scottish Parliament reinstated the rights of people exposed to asbestos in Scotland to claim compensation. Many pleural plaques claims have been brought and settled successfully. It is imperative that a claim for pleural plaques is brought within three years of the date you became aware that you have an asbestos condition. As the law stands, if a claim is not brought within three years, you will be timebarred from bringing a pleural plaques claim or any future asbestosrelated claims – no matter how serious. You have only one three-year period from your first asbestos-related diagnosis in which to act. For example, if a person develops pleural plaques without bringing a claim, and in five years develops mesothelioma, they will be barred from bringing a claim in respect of either condition. Therefore, to protect your

future position, a pleural plaques claim must be brought and settled on a provisional damages basis. This means that you would receive compensation for pleural plaques but leave the door open to return for further compensation in the future. If you have pleural plaques and you wish to claim compensation and/or protect your right to claim should you develop a more serious condition, Digby Brown have dedicated solicitors who are specialists in Industrial Disease claims. They have represented thousands of GMB members with pleural plaques and other asbestos-related conditions, helping them get fair compensation. Your membership of GMB allows you access to specialist legal advice* from Digby Brown Solicitors. Through GMB Law*, your family and friends can also access legal advice. If this issue affects you, please call 03333 216 219.

“You only have a three-year period to act”

iStock

Make sure you don’t miss out if you have to claim compensation

Rights

TOM GREAT REX

speaks

inister M y g r e n E w o The Shad y policy g r e n e on UK

Energy policy needs to stand up for what is fair for the consumer and provide long term certainty to industry

nergy prices have been making the news over the last few months – not surprising when the cost of the average household’s heating and power bill has increased by £300 a year. Tackling high bills is just one part of the government’s energy challenge. As GMB members working in the energy industry know better than most, there is an urgent need to replace power stations that are getting close to the end of their service. At the same time, the UK needs to play its part in reducing carbon emissions. And, as events in the Middle East constantly remind us, energy is bought and sold around the world and the price can go up and down very quickly – so it makes sense fo the us in the UK to produce enough of our own power rather than end

up relying on importing too much power from elsewhere. So it is little wonder that, in recent years, there has been a large increase in the amount of power produced by renewable energy, and specifically on-shore wind farms. There is a lot to be said for renewables: emissions are low; there is little or no fuel cost and, with the right government action, it could help provide high quality manufacturing jobs outside the South East of England as part of the need to rebalance the economy. That is why Labour has pushed for a target to reduce the amount of carbon in our electricity by 2030 – to give a long term signal to get manufacturing jobs in the UK rather than overseas. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need other energy sources too – nuclear

currently provides 30 per cent of the electricity generated in Scotland, even though in Edinburgh the SNP is opposed to nuclear power. Thankfully, we are part of a single energy system, with shared infrastructure and costs applied across the board. That makes renewables in Scotland affordable, but only because of the scale of the rest of the UK. With more than a third of all support for renewable energy being paid to Scotland but less than 10 per cent of the consumers, Scotland benefits from being part of the UK. If we were separate, then customers’ bills in Scotland would either go up even further to pay for the support, or we would have to import power from England instead. And we will still need gas – to deal with the peaks in demand when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. The gas industry is integral to GMB, and the announcement of new apprentices at Congress in Plymouth shows how it is going to remain important for years to come. But because it is bought and sold across the world, the price varies over short periods of time. Although cleaner than coal, it still emits greenhouse gasses. So we need a system that can be backed up by gas – not one that is based on gas, and risks consumers footing higher bills. The problems with energy policy are not, as some suggest, about which type of generation we use. We should want all three of the above, and clean coal too. The problems are because of failures with the market model – a regulator that isn’t tough enough in standing up for customers, six companies that dominate to an unhealthy extent and a lack of investment in new power stations over generations. That is why energy policy needs an approach that is about standing up for what is fair for the consumer, and giving long term certainty to industry so we can get the investment, jobs and growth we so drastically need. www.gmb.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Pat’s stence persi

pays off

Pat Breslin wins new job description for GMB members

at Breslin is a GMB workplace organiser at Gartnavel Hospital and is well known for getting the job done against all odds. This was clearly demonstrated during a recent campaign he led (with support from GMB organiser Stephen Baillie) with his local Health Board. Through sheer determination he won new job descriptions for GMB members across the area. Pat took action when members raised concerns about taking on additional duties that were not in their job descriptions. Other unions had backed off from pursuing the matter

with management but Pat refused to quit and battled on for GMB members. In tough negotiations with managers, Pat explained that if they could not reach an agreement, GMB members would be forced to start a ‘Work to Job Description’ campaign, in which they only did the tasks outlined in their job descriptions. Pat pursued this issue and reached an understanding with management. Without Pat’s singular determination to reach a fair outcome for GMB members this resolution would not have achieved.

PERSISTENT PAT Pat Breslin proves that hard work gets results.

Pay Letdown

NOT SO HEALTHY Members give the thumbs down to one per cent pay rise. 30 www.gmb.org.uk

The latest pay award from NHS Scotland has been announced, and GMB is disappointed to find that it does not live up to its hopes and expectations. While GMB is happy that NHS Scotland will pay a living wage of at least £7.45 an hour, the one per cent rise it has offered fails to take into account that workers have received what amounts to an eight per cent pay cut in real terms over the last three years. For those on organisational change pay protection, earnings will increase by one per cent. For staff whose protected earnings are

less than £21,000 a year, a non-consolidated, non-pensionable top-up should be applied to increase the whole time equivalent basic pay element of protected earnings by a total of £250. This top-up will end on 31 March 2014. GMB needa your views and opinions on this issue. Speak to your local GMB reps or email Drew Duffy, GMB NHS organiser at drew.duffy@gmb.org.uk

JOIN GMB

ur Make GMB stronger in yo gues to llea co ur yo l Tel e. lac rkp wo join online now at: www.gmb.org.uk/join

Alistair McMillan/iStock X 2

GMB members disappointed with NHS offer

Tour duty

Move to Direct Debit rg.uk .o www.gmb

Visit the battlegrounds of WWI with GMB

GMB SCOTLAND

Contact GMB

John Marr, GMB Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Scottish Ambulance Service National Branch Secretary, is planning a tour of World War I battlefields for GMB members. The trip will be at a discount rate and, taking place in 2014, it will link in to the centenary of the start of the Great War and the carnage which was visited on Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s citizens. The wars served as a major lesson to those who care and led to closer economic and political links between the nations of Europe, whose greatest achievement may have been to avoid further such obscene loss of life.

This tour is an opportunity to acknowledge the epic nature of the sacrifice which was involved, and to pay respect to those who lost their lives. It also illustrates how a beautiful environment can be transformed by the stupidity of warfare. The GMB tour will include: luxury coach travel; travel from pick-up points, services of a full time tour manager and guides; overnight ferry crossing; 4-star hotel accommodation and more! To find out more should contact johndavid.marr@nhs.net

educating orkney

GMB plans learning forum with the council Following discussions with local GMB members, Orkney Islands Council has agreed to move towards establishing a learning forum. This will consider the learning aspirations of members employed by the local authority and viable means of addressing these aspirations in the future. This process will draw on the experience of those involved in union learning and workplace learning within the Council. A cross-union

approach should ensure maximum benefit for all concerned and provide personal development opportunities, which will enhance skills with a range of applications. It is hoped that this will lead to a learning agreement to give this a more formal status and partnership working with Orkney Islands Council. Any member interested in contributing to this discussion should contact calum.mackenzie@gmborkney.org

We have one regional and five area offices. This ensures that members have easy access to a local point of contact. Please contact us with any queries at:

GMB regional Office

Fountain House, 1-3 Woodside Crescent, Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 7UJ Tel: 0141 332 8641 Fax: 0141 332 4491 Email: scotland@gmb.org.uk

GMB aberdeen Office

59 Dee Street, Aberdeen AB11 2EE Tel: 01224 582 367 Fax: 01224 571 125

GMB dundee Office

Kimberly Buildings, 38 Whitehall Street, Dundee, Angus DD1 4AS Tel: 01382 225 491 Fax: 01382 203 479

GMB falkirk Office

2/4 Glebe Street, Falkirk FK1 1HU Tel: 01324 670 676 Fax: 01324 638 576

GMB inverness Office 10 View Place, Inverness IV2 4SA Tel: 01463 233 088 Fax: 01463 233 124

GMB kilmarnock Office 9 The Foregate, Kilmarnock KA1 1LU Tel: 01563 574 455 Fax: 01563 539 101

GMB website www.gmbscotland.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 31

Get up to

£100

** OExfclusive fe ends r 31 July!

l il b s a g h is it r b r OFF you

B Steward Monica Griffiths, GM etering section at British Gas’s Smart M : “We all need endorses the deal, saying ese difficult help with fuel costs in th e of this offer times so take advantag d. If you’re not that GMB has negotiate GMB you don’t get it.”

British Gas enginee rs Andy Glenn, GMB senior steward, North of England; John Daly, GM B senior steward, North West; and Phil Be eston, GMB senior steward, Wales & West sa y: “Sign up for your exclusive GMB deal with British Gas and we will deliver it.”

credit. GMB members who are already British Gas customers can claim £35* y tariff Choose either British Gas’ Clear & Simple or Price Promise July 2014 energ **! before 31 July and you’ll receive a further £65* credit: a saving of £100

Don’t miss out! Sign up now. Go to:

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