Candid by Future Plus

The magazine for GMB members www.gmb.org.uk | Winter 2012

NHS SOS!

WIN

GMB fights for vital services

an Apple iPhone! See page 10

gold star!

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

Get elected to

l a n o i g e r council GMB London regional council is an elected body that oversees the regional committee and meets twice a year to make decisions on the things that matter to members in the region. If you have been a GMB member for more than one year, you are entitled to stand for election to the council and influence the decisions that affect your fellow GMB members in the region. You can seek nomination by contacting your GMB branch (shown on your membership card). Nominations close on 28 February 2013. The newly elected regional council will take office on 15 April. For more information, contact your GMB regional office.

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

get ready for

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SAy HAVE YOUR

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

• • •

FIND YOUR GMB BRANCH

Find your GMB branch on your membership card or ask your GMB workplace organiser. Alternatively, check your profile at

www.gmb.org.uk

In this issue...

Paul Hayes GMB London regional secretary

Help breakthrough breast cancer Page 28

Regional

National

4 Save our NHS!

9 Get elected with GMB

5 It’s a living thing

12 TUC cracker!

6 News in briefs

13 Paul Kenny

8 Beat the blacklist

14 The heat is on

25 Past the finish line

15 Pensions for all!

26 Eyes on the board

16 Paul Routledge

27 Equality update

18 Better off with GMB

28 Easy as TLC

20 The best you can be

29 Beat the bullies

22 Watch your wages!

31 Contact GMB

24 The Full Monti

GMB fights hospital cuts across London

GMB wins a living wage for council workers

GMB wins for sacked La Senza members

Labour backs GMB Carillion campaign

GMB stands by its Olympic members

Find your GMB schools board contact

All the latest from across the region

Get the facts to help beat breast cancer

With GMB, you needn’t suffer in silence

Names and numbers you can call on

Front cover: Andrew Wiard/ Rex Features

Mary Turner gets a TUC gold badge Page 12

GMB regional editor Rose Conroy: 020 7391 6755 Editorial director Stephen Pierce Editor Simon Hugo Art editor Johnny Goddard Contributors Jake Day-Williams, Victoria Ford, Jayne Nelson, Matthew Robinson Advertising manager Debbie Blackman Account managers David Parker, Lisa Dunham Production and procurement manager Matt Eglinton Production co-ordinator Katty Skardon Creative director Matthew Williams Design director Dylan Channon Director, Future Plus UK Jayne Caple Printed at St Ives Direct

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

Award for national president Mary Turner

A word from your general secretary

Sign the petition for fairer energy policies

How automatic enrolment will affect you

The Mirror man on the future of gas

Our annual report on GMB membership

GMB’s John Kane on living with Parkinson’s

Beware the dangers of regional pay

GMB defeats EU threat to workers rights

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

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

Would you like to advertise in GMB Candid magazine? Contact Debbie Blackman on 01225 442244 (ex 2243)

Now more than ever, we need to organise Con-Dem Attacks

The latest attack on working people at work comes from Vince Cable, who can no longer hide behind his portrayal of them as ‘Nasty Tories’. His proposed ‘settlement agreements’ are nothing short of an attempt to further weaken workers’ rights, denying them rights at employment tribunals, and the benefits and support of their trade unions. By dressing it all up as being economically beneficial to small employers, he is implying that workers’ rights in small companies should be downsized. Why? Regardless of the size of the company, employment rights are employment rights and should apply to us all. Yet again this demonstrates the ongoing need for collective organisation and trade union strength. Never again should we experience the hire-and-fire policies that these settlement agreements would allow, taking us back to the days where “if your face doesn’t fit, you are down the road.” Only by our collective strengths can we protect the vulnerable and hold bad employers to account. Now more than ever, we need to organise and campaign to protect the individuals and our values. On a brighter note, once again, “Our Mary”, dinner lady extraordinaire, pictured on the front page, has received an honour. This time it’s the TUC Women’s Gold Badge for her outstanding services to the trade unions and women in general. Mary, the London region is, as ever, proud of you.

www.gmb.org.uk 03

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UPDATE

B M G m o r f s All the new

Save our

services

nst ai ag ht fig e th ad le rs be em m B M G spitals life-threatening cuts to London ho

LIFE SAVERS GMB members speak up to save lives. 04 www.gmb.org.uk

undreds of GMB members are fighting to save vital hospital services from closure. They are campaigning, holding marches, leafleting and gathering signatures in a bid to stop planned closures in four West London hospitals. GMB members and residents have rejected the plans, which threaten intensive care, emergency and maternity facilities at leading hospitals in Ealing, Central Middlesex, Charing Cross and Hammersmith and Fulham. The proposals were revealed in a document called Shaping a Healthier Future, which covered plans for nine hospitals in North West London. The plans have caused widespread concern, prompting opposition from MPs, councillors, doctors and others working in the NHS. NHS consultants have said that if these proposals go ahead, more than 700,000 people who live and work in the affected London

boroughs will see a dramatic change to their NHS services. Patients will have to go to central London to be treated – making waiting times longer at the hospitals taking on the strain. Experts have warned of longer waiting times for ambulances, longer waiting times at A&E departments and – with the closure of maternity and intensive care units – more lives being lost.

London waiting This is just a taste of things to come. The government promised that the NHS would not be cut, but that is clearly not the case. GMB will continue to fight against this and all other plans to give you less health care. So if you live nearby, or even if you don’t, please get in touch with your local GMB office, who will help you make it clear to NHS managers in the consultation that you want the plan stopped. It could be your local NHS services next.

regional

it’s a living

thing GMB wins a living wage for council workers

ealing’s

GO WEST GMB members took to Ealing’s streets in protest.

reeling

...and more hospital closures are planned across London GMB members joined thousands of people on marches through Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham to demonstrate against planned hospital closures in the boroughs (see left). An estimated 12,000 people took part in the marches across London. The campaign to stop the closures has the support of all three political parties and GMB, and is chaired by London Assembly member Dr Onkar Sahota. The crowds heard speeches from GMB national president, Mary Turner, and GMB national officer for the NHS, Rehana Azam. Dr Sahota, who is a practising GP, took the stand, telling marchers that the government’s plans were deliberately confrontational, pitting hospitals and GP practices in competition against one another.

“We need people power to stop these proposals,” said Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council. “We desperately need the accident and emergency units, and other health services that these hospitals provide. I am concerned that financial considerations are driving the changes rather than people's health needs.”

Stand up for your services! Make sure your voice is heard! Download the special GMB campaign materials from www.gmbunion.org/specialday.html – including letters you can email, or print out and post, to your local councillors, MPs and doctors to make them aware of your

view that services must not be cut. The campaign is sure to be the first of many. If you hear of any proposed changes to NHS services in your area, contact GMB by calling 020 8202 8272, or send an email to info@gmb.org.uk

The London boroughs of Brent and Hounslow have agreed to pay all their employees a living wage of at least £8.30 per hour, following discussions with GMB. The amount is based on the true cost of living in London, taking into account the price of rent, food and travel. The London living wage, as it is known, is set each year by the Greater London Authority and is used as a baseline for GMB and other fair pay campaigners. “We’re very pleased that both Brent and Hounslow councils have recognised the real costs faced by London workers,” said Brent branch secretary and GMB national president Mary Turner. “These members work hard and contribute so much to their boroughs, so it is good to see these two councils leading the way.” GMB is now working with the other 30 London boroughs to get them to pay the living wage, too.

the bare minimum GMB is campaigning for all its members to be paid a living wage, but you are already entitled to earn the minimum wage. If you think you are being paid less than the legal minimum (see below), get in touch with your GMB office (see p31) or email dave.powell@gmb.org.uk Statutory minimum wage rates from 1 October 2012 Aged 21 or over

£6.19 p/h

Aged 18-20

£4.98 p/h

Above school-leaving age but under 18

£3.68 p/h

Apprentices under 19 or in the first year of their apprenticeship

£2.65 p/h

5 www.gmb.org.uk 05

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UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Alison lights up

Lowestoft

LIGHT THE WAY The whole town came out to see Alison.

Branch president carries Olympic torch

FLAMES OF PASSION Alison was nominated by her branch for her dedication.

his year saw a summer of sport that no one in the London region will ever forget. It wasn’t all confined to the capital, either, as Alison Cousin, president of Lowestoft L43 branch can testify! GMB’s Alison was proud to carry the Olympic torch through Lowestoft on 5 July, after GMB members from the Asda store where she works nominated her as a reward for all her hard work on behalf of the union. “It was a very thrilling experience to carry the torch,” said Alison, “but not as exciting as addressing GMB

Congress, which I did for the very first time in Brighton this year!” Alison’s colleagues felt she was the ideal choice to represent GMB in the torch relay because she helps them every day and listens to their problems. She followed up her moment of Olympic glory by taking her torch to work, and letting her colleagues carry it, as a thank you for their support. She also gave interviews to the local press, where she was quick to highlight all the good work GMB does for its members. Alison now uses the torch to help with charity events, and it has already drawn plenty of interest during an Olympic-themed assembly at Fen Park primary school and a local community fun day.

News in briefs GMB wins for members in La Senza

ingerie firm La Senza must pay £50,000 compensation to 15 GMB members who were sacked without warning. The members, who worked at the company’s Hayes distribution centre in West London, turned up for work as usual on 9 January, only to find the gates locked and operations closed down. They later found out that they were among 1,300 workers to lose their jobs that day, as the company had gone into administration, with insolvency firm KPMG sacking half the UK workforce. La Senza did not consult with GMB or give its staff any notice. However, the 06 www.gmb.org.uk

GMB members were entitled to legal advice and GMB sued La Senza for compensation on their behalf. At an employment tribunal in August, GMB’s top legal team successfully argued in favour of compensation, with the tribunal agreeing that the members were “badly let down” by La Senza. GMB won compensation for the members equivalent to three months’ pay each, totalling around £50,000.

Of all the La Senza workers sacked in January, only those who were with GMB have received any compensation. “All these members were treated very badly by La Senza, but only the GMB members had somewhere to turn,” said GMB organiser, Perry Phillips. “It just goes to show it really does pay to be with GMB. Being a member keeps you safe at work and protects you when the worst happens.”

“These members were treated very badly by La Senza.”

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UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Branch beats snail mail with instant messaging

I can’t keep up!

Beat the

Borough of Barnet, and now uses it to send members important local updates. “We used to find it hard to contact our members at short notice, as not everyone has email and snail mail is too slow,” said Hendon branch convenor Paul Coles. “So when we heard that the national office was trialling a free text message service to branches, we knew it was just what we were looking for. “We were able to send our members a short message telling them of the date, time, venue and purpose of the LGPS meetings. As a result, we got twice as many attendees as we had at last year’s briefings.” As part of its communications drive, the Hendon branch is also setting up a website at www.gmb.org.uk/hendonbranch “We felt it was important to have a web presence, as more and more people are accessing the internet through their phones and TVs,” said Paul. “Now you don’t need to own a computer, or even know how to turn one on, to get the latest GMB news online!”

DO WE HAVE YOUR DETAILS? With so many ways to get in touch, it’s important GMB has your full, up-to-date contact details so you don’t miss out on important updates and documents, such as the recent LGPS ballot and, of course, your regular copy of Candid. It’s easy to check we have your details, and all you need is your membership number. Just go to www.gmb.org.uk and click on the GMB Members’ Area box to get started, or call our membership services team on 020 8202 8272.

Blacklist

Labour backs GMB call to name names Construction workers in the London region are a step closer to finding out if they were among the 3,200 builders blacklisted by Carillion and other firms, after a GMB campaign won the backing of the Labour party. GMB already knows of 51 construction workers in the London region who were blacklisted by Carillion. The firm was one of several that checked an illegal list to see whether workers had trade union links, before denying them work as potential ‘troublemakers’. GMB is now demanding that the information commissioner reveals the full list of workers who were illegally shunned. In 2009, the commissioner revealed the 08 www.gmb.org.uk

names of 44 companies that had paid to access the list, including Carillion, Balfour Beatty and Mowlem. GMB is now calling on all local authorities not to give any new public contracts to Carillion until it apologises to the affected workers and pays them compensation, estimated at £600 million.

TAKING SCYTHES the Labour Above: GMB sent the Grim Reaper to oing. ngd wro conference to highlight Carillion . Sun The in d eare app it as y Left: The stor

Andrew Wiard

GMB branch has doubled turnout at its meetings by thinking outside the letterbox and contacting its members by text message! The Hendon branch tested the service before a series of briefings on the local government pension scheme (LGPS) for staff in the London

l na O I NAT

E T A UPD

B M G m o r f s All the new

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

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

don’t agree with that! Why didn’t Labour sort this out when they were than in power? I could do a better job this lot! ething How many times have you said som felt let bers mem like that recently? Many GMB now and ent, rnm gove down by the Labour we’re stuck with a cutters’ coalition literally no one voted for. There is still a lot of work to do to make sure the Labour party has real policies that help ordinary people and families. That’s why GMB members made a decision at Congress this year. If we want a Labour party that to we can really get behind, we need it. t abou g do somethin

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

Rex Features x 2

Bring YOUR mag to life!

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

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

1 Download the Layar app for iPhone and Android devices.

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

3 Watch as it comes to life on your screen.

www.gmb.org.uk 09

national

from GMB All the news

GMB members are already MPs, SMPs, MEPs or AMs

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

Name :

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

here can’t afford for that to happen again. I know my family can’t – we’re already starting to feel the pinch. Thanks to the support of the trade unions – especially GMB – I was recently selected to be the prospective parliamentary candidate for Peterborough. GMB is serious about helping people like me get into parliament. They’re serious about supporting people with a genuine connection to the everyday lives of working people, and the support they gave me really showed that. If Labour is going to deliver policies that relate to the real lives of the people we seek to represent (and win elections at the same time), we need more GMB members to come forward to become party members, activists, councillors, MPs and elected representatives at all levels. It might seem daunting, but whether it’s going along to your first branch meeting or asking for advice on standing for council there is always someone on the end of the phone to ask for advice. When I moved to Peterborough 25 years ago, I never dreamed I would be standing to be the city’s MP. Now I am determined to beat the Tories and make sure that people have someone in Westminster who understands the impact of government policy on their everyday lives.

Get 50% off Labour party membership! Go to

www.gmb.org.uk

WIN an iphone 4s! Register online to enter

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

recording capability and futuristic Siri voice-recognition software. To find out more about standing for election, and to be entered into the free prize draw, call GMB national political officer Hilary Perrin on 020 7391 6749, or email hilary.perrin@gmb.org.uk before Friday 14 December. When emailing, remember to include your name, address and your GMB membership number.

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

10 www.gmb.org.uk

Case study 1

100+

UPDATE

NATional

Join the GMB what to do councillors’ Want to become a Labour network candidate? Here’s what you need to do… 1

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

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

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

Case study 2

285

Get elected, then get online for full support from GMB

MB won’t desert you once you get elected! We’ve set up an exclusive network to offer you help and support in your role on the local council. GMB’s councillors’ network is a new online forum where GMB councillors can share experiences and best practice, ask for and offer advice, and set up realworld meetings with fellow members who have plenty of experience of council business. So, maybe you want advice on implementing the living wage for council workers? Log-on to the forum and ask Gary Doolan, GMB national political officer and councillor for the London borough of Islington, where the living wage is now official policy. This is the sort of difference that GMB can make, and with info and ideas flowing, we can make those differences nationwide! GMB has more than a quarter of a million members working in local government, with many more directly affected by the decisions their local councils make. So who better to turn to for help and advice? The network is completely confidential and exclusively for GMB members. To sign up, go to www.gmbcouncillorsnetwork.org.uk and enter your GMB membership number to get started.

GMB members are already Labour councillors

Name:

Clive Lewis Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich South I’ve lived in Norwich for more than 12 years and work locally at the BBC. I’m not from a professional political background, so running for Labour was daunting. It was certainly a bit different from the Afghan desert, where I served as an army reserve! From the coalition’s plans to close two-thirds of Remploy factories, to their nakedly political attack on the pensions of public sector workers, it’s obvious that the first priority is to get rid of this government. But I don’t think that’s enough in itself. Undoubtedly, the Labour party did many good things during our time in government, but we also got some very important things wrong and didn’t do enough in other areas. I’m not in politics for the career – I want to see real and lasting change for the many not the few. For me, getting a Labour government is just the first step.

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

www.gmb.org.uk 11

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Over seas

AID

GMB and Maggie Hughes win change in EU law

golden girl Mary Turner honoured at TUC Congress

ongratulations to GMB national president Mary Turner, who was awarded the TUC Women’s Gold Badge at this year’s TUC Congress. Mary was presented with the award by TUC general secretary Brendan Barber and dedicated it to trade union members around the world. TUC Congress is the annual policymaking get-together of the Trades Union Congress, made up of GMB and other unions. This year’s event took place at the Brighton Centre from 9 to 12 September and was chaired by GMB general secretary Paul Kenny in his role as TUC president. Also flying the flag for GMB was CEC (central executive council) member Barbara Benham, who took the shadow chancellor Ed Balls to task during his address to delegates. 12 www.gmb.org.uk

GET HELP SAYING HELP!

“The last Labour government failed Want to know how to ask for help to regulate so many areas to protect abroad? Go to www.missingabroad.org for the interests of the British people,” a list of essential foreign phrases, plus she said. “Labour deregulated and lots more vital info for travellers. removed controls over pricing in areas Originally set up to help families like energy markets, failed to build of miss ing people, the GMB-backed char social housing, embraced PFI, and lost ity now offers practical support for anyo touch with millions of people by taking ne who has been affected by an acci their votes for granted.” dent or serious crime away from home. She went on to ask Mr Balls what he If you or your loved ones get into would do differently if he could turn trou ble abroad, call the Missing Abro back the clock. He replied immigration ad 24/7 helpline, which is part-funded and regulation of the banks. by GMB donations, on 020 7047 50 TUC Congress also paid tribute to 60 (or 44 20 7047 50 60 from overseas). outgoing GMB national secretary and TUC general purposes committee (GPC) member, Phil Davies, warmly congratulating him for all his hard COSTA LIVING work on behalf of Remploy and Don’t go away without wishing him well in his retirement. Missing Abroad’s details. Sharon Holder will now replace Phil on the GPC for Congress 2013.

Rex Features

TURNER PRIZE Mary Turner is the GMB national president.

GMB member Maggie Hughes has won a change in EU law with help from GMB. Victims of violent crime across Europe will now get better access to medical care and legal help, thanks to her campaign. Maggie’s own son Robbie was beaten and left for dead while he was on holiday in Crete in 2008. She did everything she could to support him in his hour of need, but didn’t speak the language and found there was nowhere she could turn for help and advice. With support from GMB Brussels officer, Kathleen Walker Shaw, Maggie has spent the last four years campaigning to make sure other victims and their families get better treatment than her and her son. The new laws will make sure all EU countries offer the same levels of advice and access to medical and judicial services. “I hope that no other family will now have to go through the agony, frustration and pain that we did to get support and justice for our son Robbie,” Maggie said. “I am delighted by the progress we have made on victims’ rights in the EU.” “However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and once these measures have been adopted, all member states need to work hard to implement them in their countries. This will turn the progress we have made into a practical reality on the ground. “I have been on a major journey with GMB, and I would like to thank everyone who has supported our campaign so far.”

Paul kenny

speaks

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

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

ny suggestion that George Osborne doesn’t know how tough things are right now for his friends have been robustly put to flight by his decisive interventions to protect millionaires from the mansion tax and, of course, his £40,000 a year handout to the super-rich from next April. At a time when decent, hardworking families are facing pay freezes and cuts to working families tax credits threaten to finally shove hundreds of thousands into poverty, this Conservative government reverts to type and – with utter contempt – merely goes about lining the pockets of the rich and greedy.

IT’S NOT WORKING Pay freezes; cuts to our NHS, schools and services; and unemployment – particularly among the young – are the price the country is paying for Osborne’s obsession with an economic plan which even his own side are having to admit just isn’t working. In fact, the deficit is growing not shrinking – a direct result of more people out of work courtesy of Cameron and co, and the

subsequent downturn in spending created by year upon year of squeezed household budgets. Is it any surprise that the Olympic crowds, who cheered their hearts out at every event and for every competitor, ended up roundly booing George Osborne at a medal ceremony? Why, the pundits asked, did 80,000 people boo George Osborne? Answer: that’s all the stadium could hold!

TIME FOR CHANGE As the TUC march for the alternative showed, hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England are prepared to march and campaign for a change in economic strategy. Social and economic justice will not come about by doing nothing. Everyone knows that building more social housing will cut waiting lists, reduce emergency housing costs and help cut the £20 billion a year housing benefit bill, most of which ends up in the tax-free offshore back pockets of private landlords and property companies which feed off the council housing shortage.

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

ATTACKING RIGHTS Everyone knows that attacking the basic protection rights of working people leads to abuse, fear, bullying, stress and unfairness in the world of work. What’s more this spills over into family life. Everyone who relies on the NHS knows it is in danger of being sold off to profitmaking spivs in the name of progress. Just like the disasters of rail and water privatisations before, our NHS is in real danger of becoming a cash machine for private companies first, and a service to the public second. It seems that everybody knows these things except George Osborne and his millionaire mates. Well, when you have just been handed a £40,000 wage increase, life under Osborne and the Conservatives must seem a little more rosy than for the rest of us ‘plebs’. www.gmb.org.uk 13

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

ON THE UP Help stop rising prices with GMB.

he UK is facing an energy bill crisis. One in every four households can’t afford to heat their homes, and this is expected to rise to one in three by 2016. Cold homes damage the health of our most vulnerable citizens, including children, older people, those on low incomes and people with disabilities. The main reasons for the crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – badly insulated and with old-fashioned boilers. This means they cost much more than they should to heat and power, and they contribute to climate change, too.

But there is a fair and permanent solution. We can have warm homes, reduce our fuel bills, and help the environment at the same time! The government currently taxes big companies on their carbon emissions, which are harmful to the environment. If the government used the money it gets from those taxes to fund an energy efficency drive across the UK, it would keep people warm while cutting their fuel bills, cut harmful carbon emissions and create jobs! Over the next 15 years, the government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes. The companies eventually pass these taxes on to consumers in the form of higher bills, so it

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

join the 14 www.gmb.org.uk

is only fair that the government recycles the revenue back into households by paying towards better insulation, modern boilers and renewable energy. GMB is part of the Energy Bill Revolution, a campaign calling on the government to do just this, making our homes super-energy efficient and driving down our energy bills forever. Hundreds of charities, consumer groups, businesses and politicians are already behind the campaign, but there is still more to do. By taking two minutes to go online and sign the petition, you can add your voice to this vital cause. You can also help by writing to your MP, and by sending the link to your family and friends. Together we can end the energy bill crisis forever. Join the revolution by signing the petition at www.energybillrevolution.org

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

s your boss ready for automatic enrolment? October saw the start of a new pension system which requires employers to include their workers in workplace pension schemes by 2017 at the latest – but many bosses still claim to be unaware of the changes. Known as automatic enrolment, the new system is the first time employers have been obliged to put their staff into pensions, and to make contributions towards them. It has been introduced to tackle a pensions crisis caused by very low state pensions combined with a lack of individual saving. Workers will be auto-enrolled if they are aged between 22 and the state pension age, and earn at least £8,105 a year. You also have the right to be enrolled if you are outside this age group but earn more than £5,564 a year. Workers have the right to opt out of the system, but they must not be pressured or encouraged to do so by their employer.

If this happens to you or anyone you know, tell your GMB workplace organiser and your local GMB office (see p31). The government has already written to employers explaining the new system, so bosses have no excuse for not knowing what to do. Many large employers have already started enrolling employees, and even the very smallest must do so by April 2017. Though GMB welcomes automatic

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

“Workers must not be pressured to opt out.”

dukes of hazard

iStock

GMB health and safety representative Dave Carter reports from the National Hazards Conference This year’s National Hazards Conference took place at the University of Keele, bringing together health and safety activists from around the UK. High on the agenda was the problem of asbestos, which remains a deadly danger after all these years. I was amazed to discover that the British Commonwealth is a major part of the problem, as Canada continues to mine and produce the fatal fibres with seemingly no regard to the dreadful implications. Meanwhile, in UK schools, government policy is not even to remove asbestos – simply to seal it off and make it ‘safe’. Yet that same government has approved £1.2 billion to remove all traces of asbestos from the Houses of Parliament! How much clearer could they be that they only care about themselves? Another major issue to emerge from the weekend was workplace stress. This has huge

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

executive stress Health and Safety Executive (HSE) budgets have been slashed by 35 per cent; many industries have been reclassified as low-risk; and vital inspections are no longer being carried out. So not only are workplaces suffering from HSE cuts – the flagship body of health and safety itself is becoming a hotbed of stressed and overworked employees! One of the highlights of the conference was a wonderful speech from Louise Adamson, a young woman whose brother was tragically killed while working as an electrician.

Louise has turned her bereavement into positive action, becoming involved with a group called FACK, or Families Against Corporate Killers, and her evocative speech lambasted big business for trying to shirk its responsibilities when it comes to deaths caused as a result of work, and she went on to receive a standing ovation. If the conference taught me anything, it’s that – no matter who you are or where you work – health and safety must be the paramount concern for all of us, all the time. This government simply doesn’t care, so we – as workers, managers, companies and GMB members – must look out for our colleagues, our loved ones and, of course, ourselves. Work safe. Go home safe. Dave Carter is a GMB health and safety rep at Harsco Metals in Scunthorpe. www.gmb.org.uk 15

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from GMB All the news

cooking with

ow many of you remember the catchy jingle “Cook, Cook, Cookability – That’s the Beauty of Gas!” that went out on TV as long ago as 1978? Written by award-winning Roger Greenaway – author of “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” and other hits - it was timed to coincide with the flow of North Sea gas into people’s homes. The ad ran for years, and even featured a very young Noel Edmonds bopping with teenagers in a kitchen. The industry was still publicly-owned in those days. How things have changed since! But the reality behind the slogan is as true now as it was then. Gas is still the cook’s friend, and a versatile fuel that remains the nation’s favourite for central heating. It doesn’t make sense to burn this vital primary energy source in power station

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

16 www.gmb.org.uk

furnaces to produce electricity. But that’s precisely what the Coalition government threatens to do - up to and beyond 2030, probably in contravention of Labour’s 2008 Climate Change Act and certainly with greater risk of global warming. Gas is needed in the home and in industry to supply clean, efficient power, not the ovens of privatised power stations looking for a quick buck. However, ministers in what David Cameron once called “the greenest government ever” are trying to rat on their pledge to de-carbonise the electricity generation market. In particular, Chancellor George Osborne, under intense ideological pressure from anti-wind farm Right-wing Tory MPs, wants to get round policy commitments put into law by the Labour government. In private, he sneers at legal curbs on toxic emissions and panders to the gas lobby. As the union for energy workers, with 40,000 members working in the industry (and more than half a million members with gas in their homes), GMB takes a close interest in developments in this field. And recently, top scientists on the government’s Climate Change Committee intervened to undermine GMB’s case. They want to see gas phased out and be replaced by electricity for home heating and cooking. This reckless and extremist policy could lead to a four-fold increase in your energy bills if households are forced to use electricity to cook and heat their homes. Thousands more would have to be spent on new appliances. They wrote to Energy Secretary Ed Davey

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

expressing “great concern” that the government plans to favour imported gas over nuclear generation and renewable forms of electricity generation. The Thatcher government’s “dash for gas” of the 1980’s is in danger of becoming a permanent feature of energy policy under Cameron’s Tory-led Coalition. But there are huge financial penalties in store for consumers, warns GMB’s national officer for energy and utilities, Gary Smith. “Our union has never been a supporter of burning gas to produce electricity,” he explained. “Even with the development of shale gas GMB do not think it is the best use of what is a finite resource. “We recognise that while gas-fired stations are easy to turn on to meet peak demand, the UK needs investment in low-carbon ways of producing electricity including nuclear. “The view that gas should not be burned to meet base load electricity is right.” GMB agrees with the scientists that

Rex Features x 3

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

of energy. A unit of electricity is about FOUR TIMES as expensive as the equivalent unit of gas. “Given the fact that around 80 per cent of British homes use gas for heating and cooking there is no way they will easily or cheaply move from gas to electricity. “Nobody in their right mind would suggest that people will have to fork out thousands of pounds to replace their gas boilers and gas cookers with electric units – and then have to endure a fourfold increase in fuel bills. “The experts need to face the fact that the suggestion of forced conversion to electricity is bonkers and will not be accepted by households.” Energy Secretary Davey – one of the Lib Dems in the Torydominated Cabinet – defends his policy with a weasel-worded statement, offering only “significant” de-carbonisation of the industry. No dates, no promises. One fifth of the nation’s power stations are due to close over the next decade, he HOB-NOB Chancellor George Osborne says, adding : “We have always said that this will isn’t out of the frying pan. include gas-fired plant which is quick to build and flexible. After 2030 we expect that gas will be increasingly used as back up…. but gas has an important role to play.” government ministers In plain English, the Coalition are sending out “mixed intends to keep as much gas-fired messages” about energy policy that will capacity for as long as possible, damage investment in low-carbon and certainly beyond the date technologies. There is already evidence of a when it should be phased out. That’s bad “very poor” investment climate in the industry. news for climate change and very possibly These new electricity generating methods for consumers. are needed to tackle long-term climate change. And Davey isn’t the But there is an even worst of them. more pressing Cameron’s demand to bring appointment of home to politicians hard-liner Owen the impact on Patterson to be families of switching Environment Secretary from gas to in his autumn Cabinet electricity for reshuffle is seen as a cooking and snub to the greenhome heating says tinged Lib Dems. A Gary Smith. dedicated opponent of “There is a need wind turbines, with the for a reality check by OLD FLAME ear of the Prime some of these experts Even tellies ran on Minister and the about the economics gas in those days.

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NO DEAL Even Noel couldn’t foresee the problems of modern energy policy. Chancellor, he’ll be hostile to GMB policy. But Gary Smith is clear that the union will continue to campaign for a rapid transition to nuclear and renewable power supply, to stave off the imposition of totally electricity-dependent cooking and heating. All this is a far cry from yesteryear’s “The Beauty of Gas” commercial. Adverts today stress the ease of switching from one supplier to another, rather than “cookability” or the versatility of gas. The industry is mired in an ideologicallydriven, profit-based dispute about the best way forward for consumers and energy generators alike. GMB stands four-square with households and the champions of climate change through conversion to low-carbon technology.

“This reckless policy will mean a four-fold rise in energy bills.” There is a role for gas in electricity production, Gary Smith agrees. But it has to be back-up, rather than supplying the base load. “We also have to think about carbon capture and storage for coal-fired generating stations, but the reality is that in the long term, electricity has to come from renewable sources, which in practice means nuclear.” Gary also criticised ministers and the energy companies for failing to spend the £1.3 billion already taken from customers to help insulate their homes and bring down bills for poorer people. “This is a scandal,” he added. “This is an obligation from government. We are all paying for this but the energy companies can’t find the people whose homes need insulating.” That’s the beauty of consistent energy policy. www.gmb.org.uk 17

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from GMB All the news

! l a i c i f of

you’re better off with GMB W orking people who are trade union members earn an average of 18.1 per cent more than those who aren’t. That’s a big increase on last year’s figure of 16.7 per cent, so it’s more worthwhile to join GMB now than ever before. It’s not just GMB saying this, either, but official figures from the annual labour force survey, published by the Office of National Statistics.

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

collective agreement is an understanding between employers, which regulates terms and conditions for all employees. These collective agreements affect your pay, working hours and duties and even have a bearing on the duties of your employer. They usually follow long bargaining sessions between unions and employers and this is a fundamental way in which

18 www.gmb.org.uk

GMB improves conditions in workplaces all over the UK. The trade union membership report 2011 shows just how important collective bargaining is. A whopping 73.2 per cent of members are covered by a collective agreement. Almost a third (31.2 per cent) of employees said their conditions were affected by collective agreement. In the private sector, collective agreements cover just 16.9 per cent of

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

you’re in good

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

employees, while in the public sector they account for a much healthier 67.8 per cent of employees. The highest sector for collective agreements is public administration and defence, with 71.1 per cent, while the lowest rate is in accommodation and foodservice, which has just 4.6 per cent.

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Bring these pages to life!

gmb nation

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

+18.1%

£14.18

average hourly wage for union members

£12.01

average hourly wa ge for non-union members

amount that union members earn above nonunion members

of GMB members are women

2.5m 6.4m

48%

union members in the private sector

21.6%

of asian and british asian workers are union members

people in work who are union members

+£3.23

56.5%

hourly extra earned by women in unions over non-members

of public sector workers are trade union members

34.5% of people aged 50+ are union members

87.1%

of public sector workers have a union in their workplace

n. ireland

wales

scotland

England

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

national

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from GMB All the news

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

the best you

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

champion, Phil ‘The Pow

20 www.gmb.org.uk

testing times I saw my GP, who arranged an appointment with a neurologist. I was also a keen runner, and my trainer could not explain why my right arm and leg suddenly lacked the speed and rotation I still had on my left side, so I was really starting to worry. But when the specialist put me through tests including nerve conduction, a lumbar puncture and an MRI scan, they all showed up nothing, so I carried on with my life. When I started dragging my right leg in 2007, I thought I might have suffered a stroke, with the worst of it masked by my youth and my general fitness (I was only just in my 50s). I went to see the doctor at Sellafield, where I worked, and he put me in touch with a Professor Bates in Newcastle. Within 20 seconds of meeting me, and after seeing me walk along the corridor, the professor told me he was 99 per cent certain I had Parkinson’s. He said the only way to be sure was with a DAT scan, which shows up a lack of dopamine

Rex Features x 2

first knew I had a problem in 2005. My social life had always revolved around darts and for 25 years I had played at the highest levels – captaining the Cumbria county team, winning national and international titles, even winning the old ITV game show Bullseye! But now, at a national team competition final in Blackpool, I found I was not the darts player my teammates had come to rely on. Together, we won the competition, but amid the celebrations that followed, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. There had been something up with my handeye coordination that I had never experienced before. Little did I know that in two WE’VE GOT THE POWER years I would never be able John with 15-times darts world to play darts again. er’ Taylor.

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SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk Bring these pages to life! – the chemical in the body that helps to control movement. My earlier doctors had not considered such a test because they simply aren’t looking out for Parkinson’s in anyone my age.

keeping active After the scan confirmed the professor’s diagnosis, I decided to give up the job I loved and do all the things I had planned to do when I eventually retired naturally. Parkinson’s isn’t fatal, but it is progressive, and worsening symptoms relating to lack of movement control and balance often lead people to become housebound – or the victims of tragic accidents. My wife and I always wanted to travel the world. Now I wanted us to do it together while we still could. I also decided to stay as active as I could in the wider community. I had many years experience with GMB, first as a shop steward and then as convenor, so I knew I could deal calmly and confidently with other people’s problems and concerns. In the same year I was diagnosed, I was elected as Labour councillor for Copeland. At first, I didn’t tell anyone about my Parkinson’s, but when I did, nobody treated me any differently, or expressed any doubts about my ability to do the job. I also got involved with the charity Parkinson’s UK, working hard to raise the profile of the condition, which most people know so very little about, and organising days out and other activities for people with Parkinson’s and their families.

compulsive behaviour – and for a while I became obsessed with gambling, keeping it secret from my family while my debts and my shame grew. I am on a different drug now, that suits me much better, but the experience has only spurred me on to spread the word. I’m lucky to have such a loving and understanding family (and a daughter who’s a nurse!), but many people with Parkinson’s risk becoming isolated and some even become suicidal. That’s where my work with Parkinson’s UK comes in. I go into care homes around the North West running awareness courses for staff who might not spot the signs of Parkinson’s, or might simply mistake them as the signs of old age. I talk about diagnosis, about the drugs, about the way the condition affects every individual differently. I share my own experiences, using humour and all the invaluable skills that I learned standing up and talking in front of people during 30 years representing members in GMB.

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

side effects My work for Parkinson’s UK is what really motivates me now. I’ve had some very hard times since I was diagnosed – not just with the symptoms, but with the drugs I have been prescribed to control them. Among the many things people don’t know about Parkinson’s are the extreme sideeffects that the drugs can cause, including

you can help I have always believed in fighting for what’s right, whether as GMB steward, a Labour councillor or as a campaigner for Parkinson’s UK. In every job I have done, I have also believed in being the best you can be, and I get a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that I make a real difference. Last year I was elected chair of the West Cumbria branch of Parkinson’s UK and I am still GMB branch president at Sellafield. I’m 57 now, with two wonderful grown-up children, and my wife and I have just returned from trips to Borneo and Kuala Lumpur. So it’s not all doom and gloom! I have made it my ambition to raise the profile of this condition, because Parkinson’s is often forgotten when it comes to charity donations. Without money for research, a cure will never be found. If you want to help, go to www.parkinsons.org.uk and please give whatever you can.

The life and times of John Kane

1970s

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

• Became a shop steward while

working for BNFL in the Magnox reprocessing plant.

1980s

• Voted onto the Sellafield shop stewards committee.

• Elected GMB convenor at Sellafield. • Married Dot, now his wife of 30 years.

• Together they have two children, Laureen and Jenna.

1990s

• Lead the national campaign for

the licensing of THORP (Thermal oxide reprocessing plant). • Negotiated new company contract raising basic and pensionable pay by 40 per cent. • Stepped down as convenor after seeing members through the MOX data falsification scandal.

2000s • Elected Labour councillor for Copeland.

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

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

• Remains president of the GMB Sellafield branch.

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

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

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

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from GMB All the news

watch

your

Government proposals for regional pay spell disaster

wag s

LOOK OUT! The government wants to slash your pay. 22 www.gmb.org.uk

regional NATional

% of workers employed in the pu

blic sector

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

Area by % rank

Northern Ireland

London

££ 21££ .3 20

% of people

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he pay of millions of public sector workers would be cut if the ConDem government goes ahead with its plans to scrap national agreements and introduce regional pay. These agreements are negotiated with GMB and other unions to ensure a fair rate of pay for workers, and scrapping them could lead to harsh salary cuts. Public sector workers make up 24 per cent of the total UK workforce – and as much as 30 per cent in some regions. A pay cut for them would mean less money going into their local economies. The areas that would be hit

hardest are in Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East and Scotland. Eilean Siar in the Western Isles, has the highest percentage of public sector workers with 42.7 per cent facing a pay cut. Many other areas would be badly affected too. See the full list at www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny said “GMB negotiators have built up the pay of public service workers over many years and now the government wants to cut the pay of millions of public services workers by getting rid of the national agreement that is so successful. “If they succeed it would be a further devastating blow for local economies, where previous Tory governments have devastated the mining and manufacturing industry. “The Tories have a problem with workers in the regions. They just don’t like to see them doing well.”

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

The general secretary warned that pay cuts would be a harsh blow to British workers, and affect all local businesses. He continued: “To reduce their pay further would not only be iniquitous, it would also reduce consumer spending and choke-off business confidence. The result would be local economies suffering a further drop in demand and private sector jobs being lost in their thousands.” GMB membership is the best defence in the face of the government’s reckless plans to cut wages across the country in the public sector. Paul Kenny concluded: “GMB is proud of its record in raising pay in the regions and cutting it back is in no one’s interest. As well as a regional policy to promote good, wellpaid jobs we need to see the levelling up of the poor pay in the shops and other commercial services, not a levelling down of public sector pay.”

“Regional pay will choke-off business confidence.”

www.gmb.org.uk 23

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from GMB All the news

The Full Monti

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

s the European Union a social project, designed to improve people’s lives, or a purely economic one, designed simply to make money? That was the question at stake back in September, as GMB and other unions fought against proposals that would have undermined the fundamental rights of workers, including the right to go on strike. The proposed Monti II regulations, which have now been abandoned in the face of overwhelming opposition, were meant to safeguard the right to collective action (including strike action) in the face

of pressure from regulations allowing the free movement of goods across EU borders. “From the day these proposals were launched, trade unions across Europe told the European Commission that they were not going to solve the problems they set out to resolve,” says GMB European officer Kathleen Walker Shaw. “In fact, they actually posed further threats to trade union rights. “GMB welcomed the decision to withdraw these very damaging proposals, but the Commission still needs to find a workable solution to make sure fundamental trade union rights and freedoms are not restricted or undermined by economic freedoms.” The need for clarity comes from two judgments in the European Court of Justice in 2007. While the freedom to take collective action is a fundamental workers’ right,

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

protected by the European Union charter, the court judgments raised questions about what happens when that right comes into conflict with regulations on the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. “There are huge legal uncertainties left by the EU Court of Justice rulings regarding the rights of workers,” says Labour MEP Stephen Hughes. “The problem is not going away and the European Commission has the responsibility to act.” European social policy includes commitments to improved living and working conditions, proper social protection, and dialogue between management and labour. GMB believes the European Union should put those commitments first and foremost.

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

“Fundamental trade union rights and freedoms must not be undermined.” 24 www.gmb.org.uk

regional

UPDATE from GMB All the news

WINNING WAYS In the race for jobs, it pays to stick with GMB.

Where next for members who worked on the Olympics?

ow the Olympic Games are over, many GMB members are looking for their next job. To help them, GMB is talking to employers across the UK to make the jobs legacy happen. Many security staff were out of work before the Olympics, and GMB is determined to make sure that monumental waste of talent and resources doesn’t happen again. Our members helped deliver one of the most

Rex Features

training Pay If you think G4S owes you payment for training or expenses, fill in your details at www.surveymonkey.com/s/GMB CleanupSurvey You are entitled to be paid if you went to SIA licence or role-specific training for London 2012 – even if you did not then work on the Olympics. GMB has secured agreement from G4S that right and proper recompense will be paid, and is also trying to secure refunds for any members who incurred expenses during their training.

successful Olympic Games ever. Now they deserve jobs that make the best of their skills. With that in mind, GMB has been talking to G4S about vacancies across the UK, to British Gas about jobs in Scotland, and to Asda about jobs in its new stores. Details will be circulated to members very soon.

unique experience GMB now has more than 8,000 members licensed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), most of whom have Home Office accreditation, and 13 weeks practical experience at the biggest sporting event in the world. The jobs they are qualified to do include office reception/security; security in the leisure sector (music venues, sporting events, pubs and nightclubs, etc); static security for building sites and car parks; and many other security roles. Don’t miss out on your chance to find a new job with GMB. Make sure that your contact details and membership are all up to date by calling your local GMB office (see p31) or by logging-in to the members’ area of the GMB website at www.gmb.org.uk

STAY PROTECTED!

fun and games on At home and around the world, Lond ess. succ t grea a 2012 has been hailed as thanks GMB members deserve enormous been have and ed, play they part for the from rightly congratulated by everyone son. John s Sebastian Coe to Bori However, no one would pretend it was left in a trouble-free ride. Many of you were you work ed the dark by G4S, and were deni tion edita accr of had counted on because hold-ups and scheduling problems. e GMB worked very hard to solve thes re ensu to problems wherever it could, and the ss acro s ition decent pay and cond and board, reflecting the responsibility n. show have you ent commitm t go Jessica Ennis-levels of applause mus Dave and t Groa us to senior organisers Ang Natalie Gigg, as well as our secretarial staff dealt who n, dma Woo l Caro and Williams behalf on s heroically with all sorts of issue e of rienc expe your of members. We hope tive posi been has , GMB of the Games, and ts. effor ing sterl their of lt as a resu

Make sure you Remember GMB membership covers you wherever you work! by direct debit. fees rship membe your paying by you with ion protect take that www.gmb.org.uk 25

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Eyes on

the board

If you work in a school, you need to know about the GMB London region schools board!

f you work in a school and have a problem, GMB has someone you can talk to. The London region schools board is made up of GMB members who work in schools and can help with the issues that affect you. It meets regularly to discuss and plan action on subjects such as: • Who should provide medication for pupils? • Are you on the right pay grade? • Does your school protect you against allegations? • Will your terms and conditions change if your school becomes an academy?

If you have a problem in your school, or simply want advice or information, email your local London region schools board member, using the details opposite, remembering to include your name, membership number, and the name of the school where you work. Alternatively, complete the form below and send it to Sandra Vincent at GMB, Wentworth House, 352 Eastern Avenue, Gants Hill, Essex IG2 6NH, or email jo.tanner@gmb.org.uk

CLASS ACT The London region schools board is there for you.

GMB NATIONAL SCHOO LS

The GMB London region members on GMB’s nat also has ional schools committee. The most recently elected members from ou are Cathy Holland, Do r region ra Savva,

COMMITTEE

and Martin Foster. Wh ere they are unable to attend nation al schools committee meetings, Sh Walden and Deborah aron Lo deputise in their place. gan will

I am a GMB member and I have a concern at the school where I work My GMB membership number is

My concern is

I work at

My mobile number is My email address is

26 www.gmb.org.uk

Rex Features/iStock

My home address is

regional

Roll call! Find your GMB schools board contact below

equality

update All the latest from across the region

Your branch

Your GMB school board contact

LONDON PRIDE

Barking and Dagenham

Sharon Whittaker apex@lbbd.gov.uk

Barnet

Keith Williams keith.williams@gmb.org.uk

Brent

George Fraser george.fraser@brent.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire county council

Jim Hiom jim.hiom@btinternet.com

Members from the region attended World Pride in central London on 7 July and UK Black Pride at the Ministry of Sound nightclub in south London on 18 August, representing the LGBT group GMB Shout!

Cambridge city council

K Roberts gmb@cambridege.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire county council

K Roberts gmb@cambridege.gov.uk

Camden

Dennis McNulty dennis.mcnulty@camden.gov.uk

Central Bedfordshire council

Martin Foster bedsgmb@yahoo.co.uk

Ealing

Dean Gilligan gmbtradeunion@ealing.gov.uk

FRESH MEET

Enfield

Roy Dunnett gmbenfield@btconnect.com

Essex county council

Cathy Holland cathy.holland@gmb.org.uk

Hackney

Sue Dulligal sue.dulligal@hackney.gov.uk

Hammersmith and Fulham

David Green david.green2@lbhf.gov.uk

GMB Young London held its first ‘big meet up’ in July, where young members from the region once again elected David BraniffHerbert as their representative on the National Equality Forum. Well done David!

Haringey

Gary Doolan - garydoolan@hotmail.com

GROUP ON!

Harrow

Sanjay Karia sanjay.karia@harrow.gov.uk

Havering

Colin Kerr colin.kerr@havering.gov.uk

Hillingdon

Michelle Dempsey michellegmb@hotmail.co.uk

Hounslow

Wilhemina Mitchell-Murray wilhemina.murray@gmb.org.uk

The London region launched two new selforganised groups in October, representing the disability and race equality strands. Email sue.hackett@gmb.org.uk if you would like to attend their future meetings.

Islington

Vaughan West vaughan.west@islington.gov.uk

Luton borough council

Diane Mullane diane.mullane@sky.com

Milton Keynes council

Jim Hiom jim.hiom@btinternet.com

Newham

Sharon Waldron sharon.waldron@newham.gov.uk

Norfolk county council

Vivien Thomas vivienthomas@btinternet.com

Norwich city council

Keith Rowley

Peterborough city council

K Roberts gmb@cambridge.gov.uk

Redbridge

Deborah Logan logan.deborah@yahoo.com or Dorra Savva theodora_savva@hotmail.com

South Bedfordshire district council

K Roberts gmb@cambridge.gov.uk

Southend borough council

Harry Burgess southendbranchgmb@xln.co.uk

Suffolk county council

Ann Skipper annskipper@btinternet.com or Len Lewis lenlewis@charriot.co.uk

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Mick Aulsberry mick.aulsberry@rbkc.gov.uk or Jackie Nield Jackie.nield@rbkc.gov.uk

Thurrock council

Chris Powell gmbc35@blueyonder.co.uk

Tower Hamlets

John Cray jcray@bishop.towerhamlets.sch.uk or Danny Anson danny@arnhemwharf.towerhamlets.sch.uk

Waltham Forest

Richard Gull gmb@walthamforest.gov.uk

Westminster city council

Icilda Calvin gmbconvenor@westminster.gov.uk

SISTERS ACT! The new GMB women’s self-organised group has set up a committee and will be known as GMB Sisters. Its first AGM took place on Tuesday 20 November. Email sue.hackett@gmb.org.uk for more.

GMB LGBT AGM GMB Shout! will hold its AGM at the GMB national office in Euston on 29 November, 6pm-8pm, all GMB members welcome. For more information, email Carl Banks at gmbshout@hotmail.co.uk

ANSWERS, PLEASE! The GMB equality survey helps the union get a better picture of its members and the issues that really affect them. If you have received a survey form, please fill it in and return it to sue.hackett@gmb.org.uk

LOUD AND PROUD GMB Shout! members celebrate Black Pride.

www.gmb.org.uk 27

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

breast cancer

u o r h t k a bre Bridge the gap in cancer care with GMB member Evelyn Martin

reast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK. It accounts for nearly one in three of all female cancers, and one in eight women in the UK will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. GMB member Evelyn Martin works with Breakthrough Breast Cancer, raising awareness to help the 48,000 women and 350 men in Britain who are diagnosed with the disease every year. Evelyn’s work in social services means she meets lots of women who have, or have had, breast cancer and she wanted to help them in any way she could. “The good news is that more women than ever before are surviving breast cancer thanks to better awareness, better treatments and better screening,” says Evelyn. “However, 1,000 women in the UK are still dying from breast cancer every month.” As part of Breakthrough’s campaigns and advocacy network (CAN), Evelyn is helping to close this gap in breast cancer survival. The group’s ‘Bridging the gap in breast cancer survival’ charter (see below) seeks to improve care in the UK on three specific platforms: awareness, screening and access to treatment. Also making a valuable contribution to the first of these is Breakthrough’s TLC (Touch, Look, Check) campaign, which encourages women to examine themselves regularly. It’s easy to do, as the guide at the top of the page explains.

take the initiative “Most cases of breast cancer are found by women noticing unusual changes, taking the initiative and visiting their doctor,” says Evelyn. “The earlier breast cancer is found, the better the chance of beating it. “There’s no special technique to check for changes and you don’t need any training. The important thing is to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel normally, so you notice anything unusual.” Whatever your age, it’s good to get into the habit of checking regularly, though the risk of breast cancer increases with age. “Maybe when you’re in the bath or shower,” says Evelyn, “or while getting dressed. Lumps are vital to look out for, but there can be other important signs, too. If you do find a lump, in most cases they turn out not to be cancerous, so try to stay calm and in control, but do see your doctor about anything unusual.”

“Make sure you see your doctor about anything unusual.”

join the fight With Evelyn’s help, Breakthrough also played an active part in this year’s TUC women’s conference, winning support for its Bridging the Gap campaign from more than 40 unions. “I was very proud of that,” says Evelyn. “We worked hard to get our message across, and there was more interest and readiness to support us than I’ve ever seen before.

Breakthrough needs You!

lists three key Breakthrough’s ‘Bridging the gap in breast cancer survival’ charter the best in Europe. areas of action to bring UK breast cancer care up to speed with for: Go to www.breakthrough.org.uk/gap to pledge your support ents: maximising Treatm all Screening: access for Awareness: promoting al of research, potenti the gold a to women eligible the TLC awareness alised person create to standard NHS breast message (see above) to nts. treatme d targete or mme. progra ng screeni drive early diagnosis.

28 www.gmb.org.uk

Easy as tlc

Take the time to check your breasts TOUCH your breasts. Can you feel anything unusual? LOOK for changes. Is there any change in shape or texture? CHECK anything unusual with your doctor. “I really feel like our message is getting through,” she goes on. “I’m very pleased about that, because it saves a lot of women’s lives. “As a result of all our campaigning, I really do think the government is listening more than it used to. Knowing that breast cancer is high on the political agenda is marvellous. I’m so happy to be part of such a movement of people. I really do think it’s wonderful.” But there’s still more to be done. The UK lags behind most of Europe when it comes to survival rates. If we could match the best, we would save 1,000 more lives every year, in England alone. “We just have to be determined to go forward,” says Evelyn. “We can’t turn back now. Until we control this disease once and for all, we cannot and will not stop.” To join Evelyn in the fight against breast cancer, sign up to the campaigns and advocacy network at www.breakthrough.org.uk/can

regional

Beat the

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

ullying is a sad fact of life. Employers and unions have a responsibility to acknowledge that it happens and to work together to stamp it out. Bullies must learn that their behaviour is unacceptable, and victims must know they have somewhere to turn. Here are a few ways to begin the fight against bullying in your workplace.

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

what GMB can do iStock

IN THE PINK GMB’s Evelyn is at the forefront of the fight against cancer.

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

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

what your boss can do Your employer should have a policy on bullying that is available to all staff. The policy should say that bullying is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, and should tell victims who to talk to within the company for confidential support. Such support should not just be an empty promise, but a genuine source of advice and action. Bullying often goes on behind closed doors. If you are being bullied, it’s likely that others in your workplace may be having the same problem. By talking to GMB, you could be helping many other colleagues in similar or worse situations. Remember that a bully’s power comes from singling people out for intimidation. But with GMB, you never need to be alone.

www.gmb.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

How the government is attacking our most vulnerable citizens

Allowance (DLA) n April next year, the ConDem government is set to axe Disability Living ts (PIP). Paymen dence Indepen l Persona called and replace it with an unworkable system across people disabled of ds thousan for harder life make Not only will these changes system, as a result the UK, they will also cost the taxpayer millions more than the current to know about need you ng of increased unemployment and needless red tape. Here’s everythi society. this latest attack on the most vulnerable in our Disability Living Allowance (DLA) helps disabled people live more fulfilling lives by helping with transport costs and mobility aids. Two thirds of people who currently receive DLA will not be eligible for the new PIP. Most disabled people say their DLA payment is essential. In the words of Paralympic athlete David Clarke: "If a minister found himself in the middle of a city with no one to help get a taxi, he would probably appreciate his DLA." DLA fraud is extremely rare at just 0.5 per cent, according to the government’s own estimates. Mobility allowance (currently part of the DLA) will be taken away from every person who lives in residential care preventing them leaving their home independently. The new PIP tests will be carried out by controversial private company Atos, and will cost taxpayers £400 million. 30 www.gmb.org.uk

Thierry Breton, chief executive of Atos, has received a 22 per cent pay rise this year, despite widespread criticism of Atos. PIP tests are not fair. According to the charity Disability Rights UK, a disabled person who turns up for their test in an electronic wheelchair will be considered able to move unaided. They will not be eligible for PIP and, as a result, will then lose the wheelchair! In fact, as many as 90,000 wheelchairs and other mobility aids will be repossessed as a direct result of these changes, because disabled people will not be able to afford the repayments on them without DLA. Without DLA, 25,000 people will have to give up work. These people currently receive a total of £90m in DLA payments, but pay much more into the economy, in the form of £147m in taxes (based on average pay). Out of work, they will claim £128m in benefits, and be able to pay nothing back.

How GMB can help GMB has plenty of experience fighting for its disabled members. Here’s a letter we recently received from a retired member called Frances:

I spent my whole working life as a nurse, until degenerative wear and tear on my spine forced me to retire. I am now unable to work and rely on benefits to supplement my modest NHS pension . Recentl y, the job centre started to harangu e me, saying me that my benefit would be taken off of me if I did not return to work. This was a horrendous experien ce for me, as I already struggle with quite severe illness. I contacted GMB and they gave me great advice. With help from them and my GP, I was able to convinc e the job centre that I couldn’t work and was entitled to continue receiving benefits . The matter has now been resolved , but there must be many other people in similar situatio ns who do not have the benefit of GMB membership. I’m so pleased I decided to join all those years ago and have kept my membership up. I want everyon e to know the support you get is invaluable.

thank you

GMB

Generous members raise £5,000 for King’s Lynn cancer unit Building work has already begun on new chemotherapy facilities at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, thanks to the massive fundraising efforts of the local GMB branch. King’s Lynn branch was supported in its efforts by GMB members and other branches from across the region, raising a total of £5,000. “I am pleased to say that building work has now started,” said King’s Lynn branch secretary, Dave Dennis. “The

Macmillan ward chemotherapy rooms will be completely rebuilt, and the unit should be opened by February 2013. “We’re very proud to have raised such a large amount for this most worthy cause. It’s a fantastic achievement, which has been made possible by the generosity of GMB members over the past two years. The latest cheque, for £1,400 will be presented at this year’s branch Christmas party, which takes place on 8 December.”

Branching out EEAS gets its own GMB branch So many workers from the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS) have joined GMB recently that they now have their own GMB branch. It’s not surprising that GMB membership has soared at the NHS Trust, as managers are growing increasingly hostile – cutting breaks and imposing longer working days, in some cases to more than 15 hours. Health and safety issues are also on the rise, wages are under threat and workers are under increasing pressure as colleagues leave and are not replaced.

EEAS is currently spending huge sums on private providers and, if this continues, the service will become entirely private. GMB members in EEAS have already been doing all they can to ensure the public continues to get a safe and timely service, but will now be able to redouble their efforts, with their own GMB branch structure behind them. The GMB East of England Ambulance branch is currently electing its committee and branch officers. For more details, call Tony Hughes on 01462 499 650, or email tony.hughes@gmb.org.uk

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

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

GMB FULHAM

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