Nexus Winter 2013

The magazine for GMB members

Nexus www.gmbwalesandsouthwest.org.uk | Winter 2013

BEAT IT!

GMB scheme to stamp out bullying

What’s In store?

GMB supports members at Asda

“I won a car with GMB! Could you be next?” See p17

How you can make a difference and have your say!

GMB’s Purpose

“We work to improve the quality of life and provide new opportunities for all our members and their families.

We aim to improve the lives of GMB members and make sure that their achievements lead the way for working people in Britain and across the world. . .

We will aim to end exploitation, discrimination and injustice.”

Taken from the GMB Rule Book

art of this? p e b o t t n a w u o y do

sionate about, tell us about • If you have an issue you feel pas what you want to change. ut the workplace, it can be about • Your issue doesn’t have to be abo es that affect you and your family. the wider political and social issu

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

You can help GMB shape a better future and make a real difference ed?

How do I get involv

r chance to be part of • What you have to say could be you or GMB campaigns influencing GMB decision making them about your ideas • Contact your GMB branch and tell into a motion for debate at • Your issue could even be turned GMB Congress in June 2014 ch Regional Office by • Your branch’s motions must rea 31 January 2014 For more information please go to www.gmb.org.uk/congress GMB Congress 2014 takes place from Sunday 8 June to Thursday 12 June 2014 in Nottingham.

To attend you must be nominated by your branch, and be a paid-up member for 53 weeks.

In this issue…

John Phillips etary GMB regional secr

GMB opens new Cornwall office Page 30

Get GMB in your pocket with the new mobile app Page 16

Regional

National

4 Backing NHS workers

9 Employer hostility

NHS staff are facing tough times but GMB is helping with support and advice

5 Mining memories

A fantastic day out at the Ynsybwyl commemorative march

6 Sound advice

Tips and guidelines for members in Asda

7 Bat Out Bullying

The campaign to end workplace bullying

8 Historic voice

50 years on from Martin Luther King’s famous speech, have we reached equality?

26 Mental wellbeing

Look after your mental health at work

29 Fighting injustice New rules on employment tribunals

30 Cornwall calling GMB’s new office in Cornwall

31 Contact GMB

Names and numbers you can call

GMB regional editor Carole Whyman: 02920 491 260 Editorial director Stephen Pierce Editor Matt Robinson Art editor Johnny Goddard Contributors Victoria Ford, Ed Holden 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

Anti-union hostility should be against the law

12 A Living Wage

GMB demands an extra £1 an hour

13 Paul Kenny says

The latest from your general secretary

14 Wealth of the nation GMB reveals the UK’s economic performance by region

16 Get online with GMB! Get the GMB app for your smartphone!

17 Win a car!

Switch to Direct Debit for your chance to win a Toyota Aygo worth £9,000

18 Eyes on the NHS

GMB is fighting for workers’ rights in the NHS

20 Put Labour in power Why you should vote Labour in 2015

23 Worldwide solidarity

How GMB’s International Solidarity Fund is winning justice in Latin America

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 Nexus 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.

Considerable austerity threats The region has recently celebrated its first birthday and I am delighted to share with readers the fact that membership has increased by almost 2 per cent since vesting day on 1 August, 2012. This is doubtless due to the emphasis placed on the delivery of GMB’s organising strategy at regional level. I am grateful to those who have contributed to our success.

Many of you will be aware of the Labour leader’s announcement regarding party reform, part of which related to the relationship with trade unions. The proposal to provide an option for members to affiliate to Labour on an individual basis has, of course, potentially significant implications for the way the party is funded and has provoked much debate within GMB and other unions.

Our general secretary Paul Kenny has made the position of our union very clear.

GMB will contribute to the consultation exercise that will take place prior to any revised proposals being voted upon at a special conference on 1 March, 2014.

This development comes at a time when ordinary working people continue to suffer due to the government’s obsession with austerity as a route to economic recovery.

Priority needs to be given to the issues that really matter to GMB members and their families, particularly investment in adequate council housing, the protection and promotion of public services, the NHS, the introduction of a living wage, the creation of more apprenticeships and a decisive industrial policy.

There is little or no doubt that our members in public services especially will be subject to considerable austerity threats following the spending review by the Chancellor in June. The £11.5 billion in cuts, together with proposed pay restraint, will impact heavily upon employees in this sector and the services that they provide.

As always, the need to be a member of a strong trade union like GMB is significant. If any of your work colleagues, family members or friends are not a member of GMB, please advise them to join now.

www.gmb.org.uk 03

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BECOME A GMB Health safety & rep www.g mb.o

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ers in the nhs b m e m r fo p u s d n a st b As the cuts deepen, gm and do not forced into an impossible position

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MB is on the front line in talks to protect its members in the NHS. Tough budget settlements for the Welsh NHS have made it th “exceptionally difficult” to deliver heal ed. claim have ants services, top civil serv have Welsh government board members “very ey mon extra out with that ed warn need to significant options for change will

be considered”. a cash The Welsh NHS is expected to face ent curr the for m £404 ly near of tage shor year. last m financial year, compared to £330 th heal l loca n seve s’ In recent years, Wale percentage boards have received only a small tion and infla e whil ets budg their in ase incre rise more will ice demand costs facing the serv next the for year y than four per cent ever three years.

04 www.gmb.org.uk

the GMB is urging Welsh NHS staff to join es. leng chal e thes of face the in n unio re that Securing GMB membership will ensu if your d ecte prot erly your interests are prop . cuts e thes by ted affec is workplace

more cuts

Meanwhile, ambulance service GMB ted on a members in England are to be ballo to sick cuts over n motion for industrial actio them see d coul cent per pay. Cuts of up to 25 g losin d avoi to ill e whil work to d being force money. At a GMB consultation with in favour ambulance staff, 90 per cent were of industrial action.

NHS GMB has registered disputes with e thes of lt resu a as ices serv ce ulan amb been have bers unethical cuts. GMB mem

they take want to endanger the public should n. actio l industria In facing up to such huge financial bers in challenges, GMB can assure its mem t of all fron fore the at be will the NHS that we to ing fight es, oriti auth the with ns discussio erve pres and protect our members’ interests the NHS across the region.

work in the nhs?

o are not If you have colleagues wh join. to m GMB members, tell the ity. un Remember, strength is at up n sig can They www.gmb.org.uk/join

regional

Bring these pages to life!

STANDING PROUD GMB members stand up for the health service.

marching for miners GMB members march in memory of the Lady Windsor Colliery The GMB banner was held high at the August bank holiday fun day and commemorative march held in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Lady Windsor Colliery closure at Ynysybwl.

GMB’s Rhondda Cynon Taff branch joined in the sponsorship of this wonderful community event. Branch officials proudly carried the regional banner during the commemorative march through the village to the colliery monument, where a celebratory service was held with guest speaker Tyrone Sullivan. The branch officials considered it a privilege to have been given pride of place behind the Lady Windsor Lodge banner at the

HEALTHY PRESENCE GMB banners were proudly displayed at Ynysybwl.

front of the procession.

Branch members and regional officer, Gareth Morgans also set up a stall at the event, providing a little free entertainment to visiting families and helping to raise awareness of GMB. Activists at the event were encouraged by the number of GMB members that visited the stall, showing their approval of GMB’s presence. We were particularly touched by the presentation of a tie from members of the Durham miners contingency, who were delighted to see a local branch of GMB in attendance at this fantastic event.

Learning the ropes with

THE APPRENTICES

Rex Features

Paul Kenny meets Devon apprentices GMB members working at Babcock Marine in Devon had the chance to talk to GMB general secretary and apprenticeships advocate Paul Kenny at the TUC conference in September.

Stuart Fegan, GMB senior organiser for the region’s manufacturing section, said: "GMB has a strong track record of working with Babcock Marine around apprenticeships and other learning

opportunities, both at Devonport and its sister yard Appledore, where we have a dedicated learning centre.”

It’s not the first time GMB apprentices have been centre stage at TUC events. Two years ago apprentices from Appledore participated in a question and answer session at unionlearn’s conference, while earlier this year Devonport apprentices were invited to Congress House to take

LEARNING CURVE GMB apprentices share their views with Paul Kenny. part in a high profile ‘Voice of the Apprentice’ event, aimed at communicating the views of apprentices to the government.

Stuart added: “GMB is proud to support good quality apprenticeship programmes that help make sure that our young people and adult trainers are equipped with the skills that will benefit the UK economy in the future.”

www.gmb.org.uk

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UPDATE

from GMB All the news

Gmb@work In ruth bennett Lead officer.

GMB has been speaking up for members in Asda stores across the region

S

ince the last the last edition of Nexus, the Regional Shop Stewards Group (RSSG) held its quarterly meeting in September at Asda’s Newport Duffryn store, making it the first meeting of its kind in the region to be held in an Asda store. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the managers of the store for making everyone feel welcome and providing a great facility.

At the meeting, some of the biggest and most common problems in Asda stores were discussed. Below, we’ve put together some guidelines for all GMB members working in Asda.

Legitimate absence Gone AWOL? Make sure you know the rules around unreported absences Your Asda employee handbook mak es it clear that unauthorised absence is gross misconduct and could get you the sack.

GMB’s advice: • Always report any absence • Record the name of the colleagu e who takes your call • Contact your manager to ensure your message has been passed on • Keep a record of times and date s when you contact the store • Always ask for your holiday acceptance slip to be returned to you when it is approved or not

06 www.gmb.org.uk

• • • •

ersonal sickness P Unauthorised absence Failure to attend an agreed overtime shift More than five days of “Me Time” in 12 months (see Flexibility Policy) • If you leave unwell before half of their shift has been worked Excluded from absence calculations: • Annual Holiday • Bereavement leave

• A uthorised unpaid leave • Flex leave schemes • Maternity leave or absence related to pregnancy • Paternity leave • Adoption leave • Training courses • Suspension • Agreed trade union duties/training • If you work more than half your shift and go home unwell • Absence related to disability

Challenge 25

Play it safe when challenging customers who are buying age-restricted products If you work for Asda, you have signed a disclaimer stating: “You understand the Challenge 25 policy and you must adhere to it at all times. You can confirm that you have received and understood the Challenge 25 training and that you are aware of the age restrictions for each type of product, including alcohol, tobacco and lottery.

You also understand that, unless you have no doubt whatsoever that the

customer is over 25 years of age, you must challenge for acceptable proof of age.”

This applies to the sale of all age restricted products. Play it safe. You know you will receive full management support for every challenge you make. If any manager tries to overrule your decision on Challenge 25, do not serve the customer.

Get the manager to serve them and report the incident to the PSM of the store.

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Find us online www.gmbwalesandsouthwest.co.uk

beat the bullies

Updat your GMe Prof B www.gmb ile .or g.uk

BULLIES BE GONE Alyn Thomas, Vanessa Cartwright and Hannah Gibbins.

GMB stands up to bullies with the Bat out Bullying campaign at Wrexham County Borough Council GMB members at Wrexham County Borough Council have launched the Bat out Bullying campaign on behalf of employees. This new venture includes the production of a balanced document which has provided staff with

advice as to what is and what is not considered bullying.

Workplace organisers have held a number of sessions for members and, following a local news article about the campaign, our rep was

Protected by GMB battles on behalf of injured member

A GMB member who’s hand was badly hurt has been won compensation after coming to GMB’s legal service for help. The member was working at a print works when he moved a bucket of ink in a spill tray. Unbeknown to him, the ink had solidified around the base of the bucket making it difficult to remove and he suffered soft tissue injuries to his left shoulder, left arm and hand.

GMB!

A claim was submitted to his employer for breaching workplace health and safety regulations. However, the employer’s insurance company denied liability for the accident, alleging that our member was an experienced employee and that he had failed to report the incident in the first instance. While it is important that accidents are reported as soon as possible, GMB’s legal team decided to take the legal claim forward.

“We ensure solicitors go the extra mile.”

contacted by HR to discuss how to help employees further. If anyone would like further information or a copy of the campaign literature, contact branch secretary Alyn Thomas on on alyngmb@outlook.com

GMB’s legal team researched medical evidence and court proceedings were issued.

The employer continued to deny liability but, shortly before a trial date was set, the defendant’s solicitor offered to settle.

Nick Hughes, GMB regional senior manager, commented: “The prospects of success in this case would have fallen well below what a high street ‘No win No Fee’ solicitor would be looking for to commence court proceedings. We ensure, through working closely with our panel firms, that our solicitors go the extra mile for our members and do not just take on the easy cases.” www.gmb.org.uk 07

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

“I have a dream”

Martin Luther king His speech is remembered as one of history’s greatest.

50 years after Martin Luther King’s famous speech, society is still far from equal says regional political officer, Mike Payne

5

0 years ago, on 29 August 1963, in the shadow of the Lincoln memorial statue, an audience of 250,000 Americans watched Dr Martin give his momentous and historic King Luther “I have a Dream” speech. Dr King said that his dream was “for his children to be judged, not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”.

Dr King also called for the rights that were enshrined in the Declaration of Independence to be implemented fully. He argued that although those laws had been in place for many years, black Americans were still more likely to be unemployed, received lower earnings than their white counterparts and were more likely to be stopped by police.

In the crowd that day was a young black man called Guy Bailey. He became a significant figure in the history of the trade union movement in Bristol; where he was one of the key activists in the famous Bristol bus boycott of 1963.

It seems unreal to us now that only 50 years ago, the Bristol Omnibus Company would not let black men and women have jobs as bus drivers or conductors. Determined to stop this injustice, Bailey, along with two colleagues, started a campaign that eventually led to the boycott of the Bristol buses and overturned the discriminatory rules keeping out black workers.

50 years on, we are still seeing inequality in our workplaces and communities. Women

still only receive on average only 80 per cent of the earnings of men and young black people are still more likely to be unemployed than their white counterparts. This tells me that new laws are not the only answer.

There has been an increase in activity from far right organisations such as the English Defence League, targeting minority communities and inciting racial hatred. Since the death in Woolwich of Private Lee Rigby, far right groups have burnt and vandalised mosques. However, this is not the view of the vast majority of the British people who are tolerant and understanding.

Thankfully there are anti-fascist organisations who are promoting the case for tolerance and community cohesion. See the box below for information about how you can get involved and make a difference.

By Pastor Niemoller First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

08 www.gmb.org.uk

get involved

it For more information, vis k g.u or te. tha www.hopeno www.uaf.org.uk

Rex Features

"First They Came for the... Jews"

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E T A D P U

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

Bring YOUR mag to life!

Discover a world of extras when you point your smartphone at the pages of this GMB magazine. To get started, download the Layar app from get.layar.com 1 Download the Layar app for iPhone and Android devices.

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

3 Watch as it comes to life on your screen.

’ s r e k r o w h it w g in r Interfe union rights should be a B M G s y a s , e c n e ff criminal o

Rex Features/iStock

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he TUC Congress has backed a GMB call for laws to make it a criminal offence for hostile employers to interfere with the civil rights of workers who seek the support of a trade union when they have problems at work.

Martin Smith, GMB national organiser, said: “So hostile are employers like Amazon, Next and Sports Direct that union organisation is driven underground and union members are forced to adopt the tactics of the French Resistance or a human rights campaign under a totalitarian regime. The blacklisting of 3,214 construction workers across the country shows that

GET ON THE CASE! We need a Leveson-style inquiry into blacklisting.

corporations are unafraid to take this kind of action.”

Martin’s comments come at a time when unions are unhappy that companies who have blacklisted workers have still not been held accountable. GMB wants a Levesonstyle inquiry into the practice.

Martin added: “Oppressive activity at work that denies our members their basic human rights should be against the law. GMB calls on the next Labour government to make it a criminal offence for an employer to deny workers their basic right to organise themselves and seek the support of a trade union when they have problems at work.”

SEE YOU IN COURT! GMB activists protest outside Swansea Crown Court.

are you On the Blacklist?

Contact Phil Read, GMB r blacklisting Liaison Office or 7 99 on 07840 897 k blacklisted@gmb.org.u

TURN OVER FOR MORE ON EMPLOYER HOSTILITY www.gmb.org.uk 09

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

s i h t s s o b r u o is y

E

Daily Mirror columnist Paul Routledge on how GMB is fighting employer hostility

very employee is free to join a trade union – and not get the sack just for doing so.

That’s the theory. The reality on the shopfloor can be very different. As too many workers are finding, employer hostility is spreading throughout industry.

Two hundred years after the Tolpuddle Martyrs were transported to Australia for daring to organise themselves against starving wages, history is repeating itself.

Employers are targetting workers who seek to bring the benefits of trade unionism to their place of work. They might not be clapped in leg-irons and shipped off to Botany Bay, but they do face discrimination and even dismissal.

It takes a brave man or women to stand up for our rights supposedly guaranteed by law.

Thankfully, there are brave men and women in every workplace willing to take up the challenge. But they shouldn’t be left to fight alone. They need legal protection from employers like Next, Amazon and Sports Direct who actively prevent employees turning to unions when they have problems in the workplace.

Working people have a theoretical right under international law to free association and combination with whoever they choose.

But hostile employers deny this right by intimidating or victimising anyone who turns to a union for help. It’s time such intimidation was outlawed by making it a criminal offence interfere with workers exercising their civil

right to organise and seek the support of a trade union when they have problems.

The 2013 TUC Congress has endorsed this strategy after GMB national organiser Martin Smith urged that the next Labour government must do more than repeal old anti-union laws. They must deliver protection from bully bosses who strike fear into workers who join a union.

GMB in Amazon This corporate bullying is widespread. Take Amazon, the hugely successful online shopping firm. It takes billions of pounds in sales every year – on which they pay as little tax as possible.

GMB is committed to organising and representing workpeople at Amazon. Two thirds of the company’s 15,000 workers in this country are agency workers.

And the agency isn’t even a UK operation. It’s a Dutch agency, so they’re not protected by even the inadequate regulations applying to agencies here. They need a union, but they live in fear of what might happen if they dare let Amazon know they have joined and are organising support to resist a bullying management. Being a trade unionist at Amazon is like being in an underground movement, like the French wartime resistance.

It’s as bad as that. I can’t even tell you where these brave GMB members work

“Left to their own devices employers spy and they lie.”

10 www.gmb.org.uk

iStock x 3

Bring these pages to life! because they might be identified and their jobs put in jeopardy.

Or take Next, another shopping chain that makes handsome profits. Earlier this year, GMB members employed in their stores fought and won a campaign to stop the company from imposing a cut in hours worked for all workers to less than twelve and a half hours a week. The aim of this management trick was to avoid the company paying the employer’s share of National Insurance contributions, saving money and diminishing workers’ rights.

What we NEed That battle was won, but at a cost. There is a constant anxiety that Next will exact revenge and find pretexts to force them out of work because they forced the employer to back down – and that some of them have no protection from unfair dismissal.

Since April this year, if you want to challenge your employer for unfairly sacking you, you have to have worked for the company for two years – double the time under Labour. You have no rights if you’ve been there a year and 364 days. How many workers in retail are given jobs that last as long as that?

What’s more, if you go to an industrial tribunal, you’ll be required to pay as much as £1,200 – 200 hours working at the national minimum wage up front before they will hear your case. That’s the price of justice under the ConDem government.

It must be nervewracking to try to organise under such conditions.

But it shouldn’t be like that. The shadow of fear must be lifted from the exercise of this basic freedom to turn to a union for support when you have a problem at work.

With the demise of

INTIMIDATED AT WORK? GMB is tackling bosses who victimise union members.

NATional

traditional industries like coal and steel, employment has shifted to retail, distribution, information technology, call centres and similar workplaces.

They almost always lack representation, because business bosses are hostile and resistant to unions.

They don’t want workers to exercise their legal rights, meagre as they are. They hate the very idea of collective bargaining. They want to hire and fire without restraint. But NEXT UP Next workers vote for that’s where trade unionism the right to have a union. is most needed, and where it must go, to help those who into workplaces to deal need it most. with problems they face at work – if need be The demand is there. When GMB asked with sanctions against recalcitrant companies Asda distribution depot workers across the who refuse to toe the line.

UK what they want in recognition ballots an It can be done. A Labour government in overwhelming majority per cent voted in Wales has taken action to halt the scourge of favour. Even workers who didn’t want to join blacklisting by threatening to withhold themselves voted for the right for everyone contracts from firms proven to be engaged in to have representation. this obscene practise. Nothing persuades the This basic civil right should be enshrined in private sector faster than a possible ban on a new legal framework, within which bidding for lucrative public contracts. workpeople can feel confident of getting The blacklisting scandal shows that left to together for the common good without their own devices employers spy and they lie. looking over their shoulder for the boss What the companies say and what the bearing down on them with a P45. companies do are two different things.

For any worker to be represented by a trade t Labour Suppor union in their workplace is a civil right that must be protected to the highest level, with new That’s why GMB took the issue of employer legislation backed by imprisonment and hostility and the coalition attack on trade unlimited fines for anyone who interferes with it. union rights to the Labour conference.

For the Labour Party, these should be bread Delegates backed a call for the party and butter manifesto commitments right now. leadership to convene “as a matter of And if it can be done, it should be done. As urgency” a commission on employment Maria Ludkin, GMB’s legal officer, told the 2013 rights. The purpose of this body will not just Labour Conference : “We live in a country be to redress new anti-trade union policies with one of the most flexible Labour markets brought in by this government, but to give an in Europe. But at the same time some of the active right for workers to be able to turn to weakest employment rights in the western unions when they have problems at work. world. But this government is not content This is vital to winning the war for job with that. They have mounted a sustained security. As of now, firms like Amazon can just attack on the rights of working people, with a slam the door in the face of anyone seeking to systematic casualisation of labour, and organise a union presence. They can – and do comprehensive destruction of legal aid.

– put a Chinese wall around the workplace, “This is about millions of working people sealing off their employees from help. having the protection from a Labour A Labour government must change that, government that they will never get from the legislating to give employees total freedom to Tories or the Liberal Democrats. No more turn to unions when they need help. Nobody prevarication – but protection for the workers. is forced to join a union. The closed shop was “After all, how much more protection do ended years ago. Instead, we have closed employers need from working people?” minds – on the other side.

Hear, hear! Ed Miliband has shown he Ed Miliband has shown a willingness to take is willing to take on the might of the energy on the big battalions in the energy industry. barons with a gas and electricity price He’s ready to force firms to employ freeze. Now, he should listen to the voices apprentices. He should bring the same of ordinary workers who demand the right courage to the issue of employment and to join and organise without fear of trade union membership rights, compelling employer intimidation. employers to enable workers to bring unions www.gmb.org.uk 11

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Move Directo t D e b i t www.gmb .o

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

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G

MB is seeking a minimum pay increase of £1 an hour for local council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to raise their pay level to a Living Wage hourly rate. GMB believe the same £1 an hour increase should also apply to all pay points above the bottom rate as well. Local council workers in Scotland are currently considering an offer for a Living Wage of £7.58 an hour from April 2014.

200,000 GMB members are covered by these agreements.

It is a scandal that 500,000 local government workers are paid below the current Living Wage of £7.45 (£8.55 in London) an hour. This rate will increase in November.

Politicians from all parties have recently called for action to deal with low pay and are encouraging individual local authorities to pay a Living Wage.

85 councils in England and Wales are now paying or are committed to paying a Living Wage.

All 32 councils in Scotland are currently paying the Living Wage or will be within a year.

Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary for public services, said: “One and a half million council workers have seen their living standards cut by 18 per cent and 400,000 of their colleagues have lost their jobs. I don’t believe any section of the economy has taken such an austerity hit as local authority staff.

Street cleaners, school dinner staff, social workers, gravediggers, classroom assistants and all the other unsung heroes serving their local communities deserve a decent pay rise.

GMB’s claim for £1 an hour is not a king’s ransom but it will go some way towards restoring the real pay cuts that council staff have endured. Politicians have been right to call for action on low pay to end the hardship facing those on poverty wages and boost demand in the economy. Low pay and poverty pay are endemic in local government with too many members now reliant on tax credits and pay day loans.”

We d deman

An extra

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Which councils pay a Living Wage?

• Ashfield • Barking and Dagenham • Barnsley • Bassetlaw • Blackpool • Birmingham • Braintree • Brent • Brighton and Hove • Bristol • Bromsgrove • Burnley, • Caerphilly • Calderdale • Camden • Cambridge • Cardiff • Carlisle • Cherwell • Chorley • City of London • Coventry • Crawley • Croydon • Dartford • Deal • Ealing • Enfield • Exeter • Gedling • Gloucester • Greenwich • Haringey • Harlow • Harrow • Hastings • Hessle Town • Hounslow • Hyndburn • Ipswich • Islington • North Kesteven • Lambeth • Lancaster • Leicester • Lewisham • Malvern Hills • Mansfield • Manchester • Melton Mowbray • Merton • Newark and Sherwood • Newham • Newcastle under Lyme • Newcastle upon Tyne • Newport • Norwich • Nottingham • Oldham • Oxford • Plymouth • Preston • Redcar and Cleveland • Rossendale • Salford • Sandwell • Scarborough • Sheffield • Slough • South Gloucestershire • South Hams • Southwark • Stroud • Surrey • Swindon • Swansea • Tamworth • Thurrock • Tower Hamlets • South Tyneside • Walsall • Winchester • Wirral • Worcester • Wolverhampton • Wyre Forest • York • All 32 councils in Scotland now pay or are soon to begin paying a Living Wage.

iStock

£1 an hour pay rise to achieve Living Wage for local government workers

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Paul kenn y

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

The determination to fight blacklisting is among our finest achievements

T

he recent startling revelations that the police and other state controlled bodies have been found to have provided information to the anti trade union blacklisting company “The Consulting Association” may have come as a shock to MPs, journalists and some others in the world. But for many of us this was just confirmation of what we always knew but could never prove.

This company, now defunct, was funded and controlled by a large number of private sector companies whose intent was to discriminate and thereby victimise trade union members whose only crime was to ask about health and safety or attend meetings.

Many victims of this evil intrusion into the most basic of our civil rights were denied employment and suffered huge damage to their personal lives and that of their families.

The truth Will out GMB has been fighting to uncover the truth for years and now, working with the Blacklist Support Group and others, we are beginning to see the layers of lies and corruption peeled back to expose the rotten core of how employers and state

conspired to interfere with and destroy the right of working people to organise.

What has also shocked many is the extent of the blacklisting: lawyers, journalists, peace campaigners, environmentalists and the latest victim to be uncovered – the comedian and campaigner for freedom Mark Thomas.

The whole story of this disgraceful episode would take more column inches than I am allowed but thousands of ordinary men and women were blacklisted and 2,768 still don’t know they are on the list because the government department responsible for dealing with this has failed to contact them!

This in itself raises huge questions about the role government has played in seeking to cover this up.

The so-called Information commission seems to be anything but when it comes to giving people information relating to behaviour from employers and the state.

In recent days, eight of the largest companies involved in organising, funding and controlling this blacklisting operation have admitted their involvement and offered an apology and a compensation scheme for affected victims.

GMB’s position has been that tough measures must be taken with these companies, though these may be far from

enough to stop this all happening again.

New tough laws to protect the rights of workers trying to organise a union in their workplace or in their community must have protection from discrimination and victimisation. The work done in exposing this evil conspiracy will all count for nothing if the law continues to fail ordinary people exercising their civil rights.

Deleting the list In the coming months, GMB will continue to campaign for a public inquiry into the collusion between the state and certain employers which not only allowed this blacklisting to exist but actually encouraged and supported it.

GMB has done many things of which we can be proud during our history but I believe the determination shown to fight and expose blacklisting will rank among our finest achievements.

The right of people to exercise their civil freedoms to organise, demonstrate or just question those who govern us at work or in society is such a basic right that it cannot be given away by apathy.

On page 9 of this magazine you will find details of GMB’s campaign and how to find out if you or anyone you know is on the list and may be liable for compensation. www.gmb.org.uk 13

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

e h t n o w u o Have y

l a n o i Reg lottery?

GMB map reveals economic activity across the UK and Ireland

Northern Ireland 86%

Border, Midland and Western 85%

A

key map (opposite) sums up how much economic activity there is per resident in all the 39 sub regions of the UK and Ireland where GMB members live. The result for each area is shown as a percentage of the average across all 27 countries in the European Union (EU).

It will come as no surprise that inner London has the highest level of economic output per resident at nearly three times that of the European average.

It will be a surprise that for the South East of England, far from all of it being an 14 www.gmb.org.uk

economic success story, there are areas below the average. The latest figures are for 2010 but there has been little or no recovery since then. Few will realise that the economies of the North East of Scotland, Southern and Eastern Ireland and Cheshire or those areas off the M4 corridor are stronger than Essex or Kent.

In fact in 26 of the 39 sub regions in the UK and Ireland, regional gross domestic product per resident is below the average per resident in the EU.

Southern and Eastern 145%

Gross domestic product (GDP) in an area is made up of all economic activity including farming and fishing, mining, oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, construction, utilities, transport and commercial and public services.

GDP is a key measure of an area’s economic development and is often used as an indicator of living standards.

Rex Features x 2

POWER HOUSES London’s financial districts host the wealth of the nation.

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NATional Upda your GtMe Prof B www.gmb ile .or g.uk

Highlands and Islands 87%

Eastern Scotland 109%

North Eastern Scotland 162%

“This GMB map should sound a clarion call for investment.”

INDUSTRIAL HEART Fossil fuel extraction props up regional economies.

The map confirms that Mrs Thatcher’s legacy to the old industrial heartlands in the UK is that they have fallen far behind 88% the EU average in terms of output and living standards.

Tess Valley In West Wales and the Valleys gross and Durham domestic product per resident is the 77% Cumbria lowest of the 39 areas in these islands 94% West Yorkshire at 70 per cent of the EU average.

North The next ten lowest are: Cornwall Lancashire Yorkshire and Isles of Scilly (72 per cent), East Yorkshire and 93% Tees Valley and Durham (77 Northern Lincolnshire Greater Manchester per cent), Lincolnshire (78 per 83% 81% cent), Merseyside, East South Yorkshire 95% Merseyside Yorkshire and Northern 96% Lincolnshire, South Leicestershire, Rutland 81% 81% Yorkshire and Shropshire and Northamptonshire Lincolnshire and Staffordshire (all on 81 78% Cheshire Derbyshire Bedfordshire and per cent), Lancashire (83 118% and Notts Hertfordshire per cent), Border, Midland 92% and Western in Ireland (85 Shropshire and Staffordshire per cent) and Northern Ireland 81% West Midlands (86 per cent).

East Anglia 95% 104% Herefordshire, This GMB map should sound a 100% Worcestershire clarion call for investment that and Warwickshire 94% will bring jobs and prosperity to East West Wales Wales the old industrial heartlands and the and The 100% 113% rural areas that desperately need it.

Berkshire, Valleys Essex Politicians must heed that call with 70% Bucks and 89% regional policies. The devolution of Oxfordshire economic powers to local and regional 115% Gloucestershire, 143% level is essential. GMB will lead the calls Wiltshire and for action.

Bristol/Bath Kent 109% New jobs and investment has to be Dorset and 90% 114% the top priority for national and Cornwall and Somerset Isles of Scilly local governments and the EU. The Devon 92% 87% public and private sectors must Inner London co-operate to achieve this growth 328% 72% and development as neither can Hampshire and Surrey, East and Outer London do it on their own.

Isle of Wight West Sussex 95% South Western Scotland 109%

Northumberland and Tyne and Wear

www.gmb.org.uk 15

national

UPDATE get online with GMB from GMB All the news

www.gmb.org.uk GMB’s website lets you manage your membership and keep up to date

I

f you’re not registered online, it’s easy to sign up. Go to www.gmb.org.uk and click GMB ‘member login’. You’ll just need your GMB membership number.

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

Get the GMB App Get the latest from GMB wherever you are with the new GMB app. Since the app was launched a few months ago, thousands of members have downloaded it to their smartphones. It’s available to download now 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

case study Gavin Palmer “I’m really glad I have it. It’s so convenient and easy to use – it puts all your membership information at your fingertips. I talk to a lot of members and I always recommend the GMB app.” Gavin Palmer is a GMB workplace organiser at Barking and Daggenham Local Authority. Representing members across the borough, he doens’t always have access to a computer, so getting the GMB app on his smartphone has proved invaluable.

Site Update!

Fresh tools online!

Are you looking to up-skill or organise your workplace? We’re updating the GMB@Work resources online so GMB post holders will be able to download everything they need. From training information to health and safety regulations, you’re just a couple of clicks away from making your workplace stronger and safer.

Go to www.gmb.org.uk/gmb-at-work 16 www.gmb.org.uk

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

regional NATional exclus ive to

gmb

membe rs prize dra w

“I won a car with GMB – now it’s

your turn!”

D

iStock/ Car winner Kevin Nixon

irect Debit members will be in with a chance to win this gorgeous Toyota Aygo worth £9,000. You can be a winner regardless of whether you already pay by Direct Debit or are switching now – all you have to do is enter our prize draw. The draw closes at midnight on 31 December 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. Your membership is not made known to your employer.

• 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.

• There’s no need to go through any boring admin to keep your GMB membership up to date. It’s all handled for you!

Last issue’s Toyota Aygo winner Annette Kay said: “I went to the GMB website to update my details and pressed the button to enter the competition. Now I’m a winner.” Use the Layar app to see the full interview on your sma rtphone.

Runners up: Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Region’s Mrs K Hibbet won an iPad . Birmingham and West Midlands Region’s Mrs R Wils on won an iPhone.

Switch to Direct Debit to enter this exclusive GMB prize draw to win a Toyota Aygo worth £9,000

Reasons to switch away from check-off • GMB pays an administration fee on this.

• Help GMB make that saving by switching away from check-off to Direct Debit.

design a new banner for gmb

how to enter Simply 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 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. You can also enter by post.

Just write to Freepost RSTL-ULCH-JBET GMB, 22 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD, and request to switch your payment to Direct Debit – good luck!

TERMS & CONDITIONS The winning entry will be drawn at random from GMB members who pay their GMB subscription by Direct Debit. It will be drawn after midnight on the closing date of 31 December 2013. 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 signed up to Direct Debit at midnight on 31 December 2013. This prize draw is not open to any GMB employees or family members. The result of the draw is final. All entrants agree to publicity in GMB material. Only one entry per eligible GMB member.

FLY YOUR FLAG You could create ou r new GMB banner.

This is your chance to be part of GMB history and win £1,000 by designin g new GMB banners. Designs should cele brate what it means to be a GMB member today. Entries will be judged by Mar y Turner, GMB President, who is look ing forward to seeing your ideas!

Enter now at www.gmb.org.uk/ gmb-banner-competition but be quick!

The draw closes at midnight on 31 December 2013. www.gmb.org.uk 17

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

are

NHS staff told to join GMB before it’s too late

T

housands of NHS employees are facing a grim future as the Tory-led coalition opens the health service to private companies. GMB has concerns that, as well as inviting profiteers to take over our NHS, the government is allowing the all-important TUPE regulations to be eroded. GMB is telling those who want to protect their pay, holidays and rights at work to join now before it’s too late!

The TUPE (Transfer of undertakings and protection of employment) regulations were set up to ensure that employees’ rights are not infringed upon when their employment is passed from one employer to another. As the coalition continues to allow private profiteers to take over sections of the NHS, thousands of GMB members are relying on TUPE to ensure their interests are protected.

Employment relations minister Jo Swinson said: “TUPE rules are essential to making sure that when a business is transferred from one

ON THE LOOKOUT NHS staff should be wary of new employers.

company to another, it happens in a fair and efficient way. There have been some areas of uncertainty and confusion for businesses trying to comply.”

GMB members have been victims of the employment practices of private companies who are buying up sections of the NHS. Maria Ludkin, GMB legal and corporate affairs officer, said: “It is the major companies that profit NHS UNDER THREAT from work paid by public funds who GMB members have made clear . are the primary movers behind their objection to NHS privatisation these attacks on the protective concerned about their pay and TUPE legislation. These employers are also employment conditions is to join GMB. Your major donors to the local GMB branch and representative will be Tory Party. Therefore it able to offer vital assistance if any difficulty is no surprise to GMB with your new employer arises or if you are members who have involved in an incident at work. If you have been victims of the any colleagues who are yet to become GMB employment practices members, make sure they join up. of these companies The more members we gather in that they successfully threatened workplaces, the better equipped pushed through these we will be to fight any injustices. changes to the rules Tell your colleagues to join GMB now at and regulations.” www.gmb.org.uk/join The best first step for NHS staff who are

18 www.gmb.org.uk

iStock x 2

“These private companies are also major donors to the Tory party.”

national

E BECOMB A GM CE LA O W RKP SER ANI ORG .org.uk

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

www.gmb

meet

the new

gas et’s put L man labour

GMB stalwart Aubrey Thompson takes over as industrial side chair Aubrey Thompson joined GMB on his first day at British Gas back in 1975. Having established himself as a reliable and dedicated GMB rep and member, Aubrey is proudly stepping up to the role of GMB industrial side chair.

Aubrey became a rep before the age of 25 when he was asked to represent his service and repair colleagues at the Macclesfield British Gas depot. Shortly afterwards the distribution engineers in the same area asked him to be their rep. Within a few months he was looking after more than 60 colleagues.

In 1999 he was asked by his GMB colleagues to become their regional steward and within a month was elected to be the area joint secretary, starting work immediately on the 2000 Agreement.

We congratulate Aubrey and wish him even more success in his new position.

20 www.gmb.org.uk

in power

Labour’s new policies could bring about a Labour government in 2015

T

he new Labour manifesto demonstrates that a Labour government will be on the side of ordinary families. There is a real difference between a Labour government and the incumbent Tory/Lib Dem coalition.

The last Labour government set up the National Minimum Wage (NMW), increased pensions and child benefit, introduced the right to paid holidays and brought in the pension protection fund, which protects pensions when firms go bust.

There was an outcry from the energy companies about the freezing of energy bills proposed by Ed Miliband. They say

this would result in power cuts and the lights going out. But this is just scaremongering born of their concerns over their profit margins. The same tactics were used when the Labour government announced the introduction of the National Minimum Wage. The Tories said it would cost a million jobs. In fact it raised two million people out of poverty.

We must stop the attacks that this government is inflicting on society. To do that we need Labour Party policies we can campaign on.

The ConDem politicians continue to blame the last Labour government for the 2008 economic meltdown. In fact the

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NATional

GMB

tacts political con

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

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

GMB Midland & East Coast Region

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

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

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

GMB Scotland

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

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

GMB Wales & South West Region

Rex Features x 5/iStock

Labour’s new policies global economic crisis started in America and spread throughout the developed world.

It was the action taken by Gordon Brown and the Labour Government, ploughing money into the economy, that ensured that the UK’s ATMs remained full. Otherwise our economy would have crashed. It was this action that actually saved the UK economy and, yes, it’s created a deficit that needs paying back. The best and quickest way to pay it back is to stimulate growth and create jobs.

Freezing energy bills for 20 month s to sort out the m arket and the energy compani es and introduce a tougher new regu lator.

An increase from 15 to 25 hours of free child care fo r three and fouryear-olds to help working parents make it worthwh ile going out to work to provide for their families.

A commitment to abolishing the ‘bedroom tax’ th at is making life so difficult for disabl ed people.

A pledge that 20 0,000 new hom es will be built, pena lising developers that hoard land an d freeing council s from planning re gulations.

Mike Payne 029 2049 1260 mike.payne@gmb.org.uk

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

GMB Euston Political Team Cath Speight, national political officer 020 7391 6746 Heidi Benzing 020 7391 6749 Gary Doolan 020 7391 6748 Hilary Perrin 020 7391 6753

e! get onrtylin what you

Tell the Labour Pa esto at want in the Labour Manif k g.u .or ain rit rb www.you y ne mo ing giv Find out who’s at s rie To to the searchthemoney.com

www.gmb.org.uk 21

national

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

GMB SUPPORT GMB members have raised the profile of the ARC.

0 0 0 , 3 €2 is just a start

raised

Grainne Griffin on how GMB members are helping the Irish Abortion Rights Campaign

T

he Abortion Rights Campaign This is a terrible injustice to the women and (ARC) is a movement for choice families who have suffered the indignity of and change in Ireland and Northern travel to access an abortion. The bill is also Ireland. It campaigns for free, safe problematic for women facing emergency and legal abortion. The ARC has joined forces medical situations like those faced by Savita with the Workers Beer Company (WBC) and Halannapavar, who died when she was denied GMB’s members to an abortion. raise money to fight The Irish ARC’s for Irish women to relationship with the have the same rights WBC started earlier as women in Britain. this year when it was The results have been approved to be a amazing! The volunteer group. relationship has led to Asking for volunteers an influx of volunteers to work at bars and a huge fundraising proved a hit with ARC UNION BONDS boost, helping the ARC The Workers Beer Company supporters, attracting take its message to an a large base of young joined forces with the ARC. even wider audience. people only too The legislation recently introduced in happy to work at some of the biggest music Ireland, ‘The Protection of Life in Pregnancy events in Ireland this summer.

Bill’ does not establish safe and accessible Working with GMB members from the abortion. The bill means that a person can North West and Irish region and WBC brought have a termination if they are dying, and their some unexpected bonuses. Our request for life can only be saved by having an abortion. volunteers brought hundreds of people into However the fact remains that a clear contact with ARC’s campaign for choice. We majority of people in Ireland support wider received nearly 500 applications in just three access to termination. hours after posting the request on Facebook!

22 www.gmb.org.uk

We now have hundreds of new recipients for our email bulletin too. The bonds built behind bars this summer will help build an active campaign. Indeed, many WBC volunteers helped steward this year’s March for Choice!

172 volunteers, five concerts and three festivals later, WBC volunteers raised €23,000 for ARC. Even more significantly, strong relationships have been built. Strong union support will be essential to bringing in constitutional change in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Our work with WBC and GMB was a great step on the road to full union support of a pro-choice agenda. The Abortion Rights Campaign look forward to working with all unions across Ireland and Northern Ireland to develop their policies on abortion rights.

get involved

to the To volunteer or sign up it: vis ter let ws ARC’s ne www.abortionrights campaign.ie

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Bring these pages to life!

Worldwide

Solidarity

BECOME A GM HealthB safety & rep w ww.gmb .org.uk

GMB members have donated £33,000 to the International Solidarity Fund

T

he International Solidarity Fund was officially launched at GMB Congress in June, 2011. Since then GMB members from 42 branches have shown their support for union members across the globe and donated more than £33,000 towards trade unions in Latin America’s agricultural sector.

GMB works with the Latin American Coordinating Body of Latin American Banana and Agro-industrial Unions, known as COLSIBA, part of the International Union of Food Workers (IUF). Despite the global reach of international trade union bodies, GMB members’ help is vital in their fight for bargaining rights and in giving their union organisers the power to get decent work for the men and women who produce the pineapples and bananas sold in UK supermarkets.

FAIRER FRUIT GMB is helping Latin American farmers get a better deal.

War on want/Jim Peterson

Who we’ve helped

GMB members’ donations to the International Solidarity Fund have already helped: • Nicaraguan union, FETRABACH, to get a 30 per cent pay rise for its members in one of Central America’s poorest countries • New Peruvian union SITAG, representing over 5,000 workers in the production and export of bananas, to train workers about women’s leadership, health and safety, HIV/AIDS prevention and collective bargaining • SITAG to get jobs back for 33 sacked workers and recruit hundreds of new fee paying members that strengthen the organisation and make it financially independent.

SHOW OF HANDS Who’s been helped by GMB’s International Solidarity Fund?

Workers on tropical fruit plantations endure harsh conditions. Union-busting firms operate in most producer countries and some activists are in fear for their lives.

Giant supermarket chains in Britain make upwards of a £1million a week surplus from the sale of bananas. Their suppliers can get as little as one per cent of the retail price but supermarket executives and shareholders benefit from profits measured in the billions.

Latin American workers sometimes don’t earn enough to feed themselves and their families. They and their unions are on the front line of the struggle for a social and economic justice. Their fight is our fight and GMB members can continue our support.

find out more

it For more information, vis t/ ou /ab .uk rg b.o www.gm out and gmb-international/ab officer, al on ati ern int contact GMB g ur nb we ou sch bert. @gmb.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 23

national

UPDATE

Putting the T

from GMB All the news

back in lgbt GMB Shout! launches project to stamp out transphobia

figures are growing,” said Sarah Hurley, GMB London region Shout! organiser at the GMB National Equality Conference. “From 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2011 there have been approximately 816 reported killings of transgender people across 55 different countries.”

Shockingly, recent reports indicate that more than three quarters of gay, bisexual and lesbian hate crime victims did not report these incidents to the police, so the real number of attacks could be much higher than the number logged.

Life at work is not easy for transgender people either. Many face discrimination and, as an example, a survey conducted in 2000

rk Make it wo

of tively raising awareness GMB Shout! has been ac T the g ttin tly launched Pu trans equality. The recen B GM ll ensure that all Back in LGBT project wi to equipped with the tools are workplace organisers at mb co d ns members an fight for the rights of tra lace. rkp transphobia in their wo

Trans facts

lete lace organisers to comp GMB Shout! asked workp e Th e. lac rkp ness in their wo surveys on trans aware en be ve ha ys tastic as 704 surve response has been fan press. returned at the time of

kit GMB reps’ tool from these

The information surveys has been used to produce a toolkit for GMB reps. The toolkit will be launched on 20 November, International Trans HQ Memorial Day, at GMB il with vig it lel nd followed by a ca and ers mb me trans community s. ive political representat

9000

24 www.gmb.org.uk

EQUALITY FOR ALL Discrimination of trans people is still a problem. found just one in four transgender people were allowed to use the toilet of the sex they had transitioned to. This is why GMB workplace organisers will be given the tools they need to protect transgender members.

transgender agenda At the National Equality Conference , GMB Shout! raised motions on trans equality, includin g: • I ncreasing the knowledge and awareness with all stewards and equality officers so that they are aware of trans rights in the workplace and can challenge employers to implement policy and bes • F ully supporting all trans members in thet practice. workplace and looking to ensure those who wish to take part in their region’s equality networks can do so in the gender they identify as.

• T o support campaigns that seek to change the views of countries that consider transgender people mentally ill.

• T o support campaigns that are pushing for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to brin g forward the date of the reclassification of transgende r people as not mental ill from 2015.

olvedon get inv r more information

Fo BT email Putting the T Back in LG .uk .co ail otm @h gmbshout B GM the for rch or sea k.

Shout! page on Faceboo

iStock x 2

D

iscrimination is wrong.

Violence is wrong. That is why GMB stands up to those who would oppress us, whether at work, in our homes or on our streets.

GMB Shout! – the self-organised network of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) GMB members – has launched a campaign calling for an end to attacks on transgender people and offering GMB workplace organisers support in addressing the needs of transgender members.

“In the world there are reported to be at least 18.6m transgender people, while here in the UK there are approximately 65,000 people who are transgender and these

regional

regional

UPDATE from GMB All the news

G

MB Wales and South West

Retired Members’ Association (RMA) is campaigning for all pensioners drawing a state pension (basic and second) of less than £146 a week to be included in new government proposals in a Bill before Parliament.

on 27 November called for by the National Pensioners Convention to push these changes.

Those currently in receipt of means-tested pension credit will continue to do so after the new system comes into force. The table shows the number of pensioners in all parts of the region in receipt of pension credits in addition to the maximum basic state pension of £110.15 per week and additional £66 per week for a couple.

The data below shows the proportion of state pensioners in a selection of areas across our region and the average amount they receive in pension credit per week.

“The basic rate pension should be at least £178 a week.”

From 6 April 2016, those reaching state pension age with a minimum of 35 years of National Insurance contributions will receive a single tier state pension of at least £146 a week.

RMA considers that the level of the basic state pension, let alone a combined single-tier state pension, should be at least £178 a week, which is the official poverty level. Retired members will join a lobby of Parliament

edit? who gets Extra cr

Retired membe lobby governme rs fairer state pensnt for ions

Number of beneficiaries

% of all people receiving state pension

Pension credit average weekly payment £

Blaenau Gwent

5,350

37.8

52.90

Bristol

18,510

29.6

61.23

Plymouth

12,710

26.5

54.44

Merthyr Tydfil

3,780

33.7

53.66

Wrexham

7,900

29.5

53.37

Kelly cares GMB’s Kelly Andrews is appointed to Care Council for Wales

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Kelly Andrews steps up to the Care Council for Wales.

GMB members working in the care sector can celebrate getting a voice on the Care Council for Wales – the government-sponsored body that regulates social workers. The Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas, has announced that Kelly Andrews is joining the Care Council as a currently-serving trade union official for GMB in Cardiff.

Kelly has been responsible for organising the health and social care sector for GMB for 10 years. Mrs Thomas said: “She will bring her specific expertise and years of experience in trade unions to the field of health and social care.”

Kelly said: "I am delighted to be appointed to the Care Council for Wales, to present the trade union perspective on social care issues."

www.gmb.org.uk 25

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UPDATE

MOUNTING PRESSURE Don’t let work-related stress get on top of you.

from GMB All the news

GMB’s Kelly Andrews on how to look after your mental health at work

Mental

health

and

wellbeing R

ight now, one in six workers is dealing with a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression and stress.

Research from mental health charity MIND shows work is the biggest cause of stress in people’s lives, more than debt or financial problems. But there are small, simple steps you can take to make your workplace mentally healthier.

Make the most of that precious hour – or half-hour – by trying some of these suggestions: Hold a group activity! If there’s a green space near your workplace, why not organise a game of rounders or football? You could even go on a group walk.

Take up a challenge! Local sponsored walks and fun runs are a great way to keep active and mentally healthy. Sign up with your colleagues and train together during lunch breaks. Getting involved as part of a team can give a communal sense of wellbeing and achievement when you reach the finish line.

Whistle while you work If you’re feeling stressed, listening to a calming song can take your mind off work for a few minutes and help you unwind and refocus.

Research has found slow, quiet music can encourage relaxation and reduce anxiety.

When you’re working hard to complete a task, music can also help eliminate distractions around you. By blocking out the noise of your fellow workers, machinery or bleeping phones you can clear your mind and focus on the task at hand.

GMB would like to thank MIND for their helpful resources in writing this article.

26 www.gmb.org.uk

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Reclaim your lunch break

SIGN up for the GMB eNEWSletter AT www.gmb.org.uk Perfect worklife balance eave on time: Long hours mean you • L may be working harder, but not better.

• Create clear boundaries: If you need to bring work home, designate a separate area for work and stick to it.

• Start a to-do list: When your thoughts are down on paper you’ll find it easier to stop yourself thinking about work.

• Reclaim your commute: Read a book or listen to music to set aside some time for yourself.

• Ask for help: If you feel your workload is spiralling out of control, discuss it with your manager or supervisor. If you can’t resolve the problem, talk to your GMB workplace organiser.

5 steps to wellbeing

1

Get connected: Research has shown that people whose goals in life are focused on family, friends and colleagues have increased wellbeing compared to those who focus on their career and their money.

2

Be active: Exercise has been proven to lower levels of anxiety and depression.

3

Take notice: Take 10 minutes at the end of each working day to review what you’ve done well and what you might do differently tomorrow.

4

Keep learning: When you’re young, learning is a key part of your development. Achieving goals you’ve set for yourself can increase your confidence and help you feel more optimistic about your situation and the future.

5

Give: Co-operating with other people has been shown by neuroscientists to stimulate the reward centres in the brain. By giving and receiving, people build trust which helps boost everyone’s mental wellbeing.

mind matters more Please contact MIND for information and advice: www.mind.org.uk

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Move tto Direc bit.uk De .gmb.org www

school safety GMB roots out asbestos alongside the Right to Know campaign “All that matters is whether or not kids are breathing in asbestos. Until you find that out, everything else is hot air.”

Those are the words of Professor Julian Peto, Head of Epidemiology at the Institute of Cancer Research, at a meeting of the Education Select Committee in Westminster this year.

Over 228 teachers have died of mesothelioma in the UK since 1980, with 140 dying in the last 10 years.

Cleaners and caretakers have also died.

The Right to Know Campaign, of which GMB is an official supporter, was launched to help shine a light on the issue of asbestos in schools in Wales. It was only after the closure of Cwmcarn High School Caerphilly in October 2012 and the broadcasting of the BBC’s Inside The School Walls programme that we discovered 85 per cent of schools in Wales contain asbestos.

The Right to Know Campaign urges the Welsh Government to acknowledge the lack of information available to the public and advocates a database to allow easy access to this information.

GMB represents more than 100,000 school support staff. We have concerns with the manner in which asbestos is

managed and there is a clear need to understand who the duty holder with legal responsibility is in each case.

For further information on this campaign contact: asbestosinschools@ righttoknowasbestos.org Whether you live in England or Wales, if you are worried about asbestos in your school, please contact your GMB representative. If you think you have been exposed to Asbestos, it is vital that your details are recorded on our Asbestos Exposure Register.

www.gmb.org.uk 27

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

regional injured at work ? www.gm b.org .uk

New rules make it more difficult than ever to take your boss to court

The price of

justice

E

arlier this year, the coalition government introduced measures meaning that employees now have to pay to take legal action against their employers. Before the 2013 order, an employee could issue a claim in an employment tribunal without incurring any fee. This gave thousands of wronged workers vital access to justice.

Due to the 2013 order, this access depends on the payment of substantial fees. The fees charged depend on the claim being submitted and claims are either Type A or Type B. Type A claims include unpaid holiday wages and unauthorised salary deductions.

Type B claims include unfair dismissal, deductions from wages, discrimination and protective award claims.

When making a claim, GMB’s legal team advise that a claimant will have to complete a remission application. This process will determine whether they will have to pay the fees introduced by the government this year.

People who receive certain benefits and/or earn below a specified amount may be entitled to remission. The means-tested process will also take into account disposable income and the claimant’s number of dependent children

Type A Claim

To qualify for full remission, the claimant must be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits: • I ncome support • Working Tax Credits provided that no child tax credit is being paid • Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance • Guaranteed credit under the State Pension Credit Act 2010 • Income related Employment and Support Allowance under the Welfare Reform Act 2007 Those in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or contribution based JSA do not qualify for full remission of fees on this test. If the worker wins their case, they are entitled to ask their employer to pay the fees as a loss, though this is not an automatic entitlement.

The fees involved are significant and will almost certainly deter a number of wronged employees from pursuing their legal rights.

Those who have not been paid their full wages, for example, will most likely not qualify for the fee remission as they will not be receiving the qualifying benefits. However, because they have not been paid their full wage or indeed have not been paid at all, they will not have the disposal income to pursue a claim.

Type B Claim

Issue Fee

£160

Issue Fee

£250

Hearing Fee

£230

Hearing Fee

£950

Total

£390

Total

£1200

*Legal assistance is free to GMB members (subject to Rule)

There are strict time limits to issue claims in an employment tribunal. Often, this is only three months from the date of the act or event complained of. The introduction of the legal fees has not changed this and so employees or workers with complaints in the workplace are well advised to seek advice as soon as possible.

Got a problem?

Contact GMB GMB members who have uld sho work related complaints lace speak to their GMB workp e olv organiser, who may res cannot ue iss the If te. pu dis the GMB y, wa s thi in be resolved GMB ct nta co uld sho ers memb . e nc ista for free* legal ass

www.gmb.org.uk 29

regional

UPDATE

from GMB All the news

LOCAL ACTIVISTS Pictured above: Steve Putman, Chris Lawrence and Tony Kalber.

CORNWALL OFFICE Based in Redruth, our new office will serve 3,500 members

G

MB members will be aware of our commitment to building a presence in the county of Cornwall and the new office was officially opened in June by Sheila Bearcroft, regional president.

GMB has members in both the public and private sectors and we plan recruitment campaigns and

activities to further build on our presence in Cornwall.

GMB has a growing membership in the county which we are proud to say is now approaching 3,500.

GMB members are encouraged to contact the new office should they need advice and guidance on any employment matter or workplace incident. Please do not hesitate to call on 01209 213 950.

in! drop rnwall

Find the Co office at: The Old Arts School, Clinton Road, Redruth, TR15 2QE

Join us online Get everything you need from the region’s new website • Information on benefits and services • The latest news • Our top campaigns www.gmbwalesandsouthwest.org.uk 30 www.gmb.org.uk

He’s on Fire!

Philip Rogers is presented with his Kindle Fire by Colette Baker from LV.

Winner!

GMB Congress in Plymouth was a great week for all who attended but for Philip Rogers of the South Wales Police branch it was lucky! He entered insurance company LV’s prize draw and won a brand new Kindle Fire! Well done Philip!

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

Kitted out!

READY TO RUCK! The GMB-sponsored Dunvant U15 squad.

GMB are proud to be associated with Dunvant Rugby Club in Swansea. The club is synonymous with community spirit and is continuing to develop young rugby talent.

We are delighted to sponsor the under 15s squad and wish the lads a successful season. Check out the team’s new kit, complete with GMB logo!

Just giving!

GMB officers raise money for worthy causes

HEALTHY HELPER Kelly Andrews, a GMB organiser from the Kelly treks for good cause.

Cardiff office joined friends to walk 22 miles of glorious Gower coastal path on 7 September in aid of Macmillan Cancer. This deserving charity has helped support her family through some very difficult times.

Wayne Powell, a GMB organiser in Bristol, ran four half marathons over four consecutive Sundays in Bristol, Malmesbury, Weston Super Mare and Cardiff in September/October to raise money for four worthy charities close to BECOME his heart, namely the Great Oaks Dean Forest Hospice, Children with Cancer, Heart of the A GMB WORKPL Forest Community Special School and ORGANI ACE FIT AS A FIDDLE Leanne’s Gift. www.gmb SER Wayne runs for charity. .org.uk Well done to them both!

GMB Wales & SOUTH west REGION

Contact If you have a problem at work and need advice, in the first instance speak to your GMB workplace organiser. Alternatively, contact your local GMB office.

GMB Wales & south west region

Williamson House, 17 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0TB T: 029 2049 1260. F: 029 2046 2056 Email: john.phillips@gmb.org.uk

GMB bristol Office

4 Hide Market, Waterloo Street, Bristol BS2 0PH T: 0117 955 4470. F: 0117 955 4409

GMB colwyn bay Office 12 Wynnstay Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy LL29 8NB T: 01492 535 313. F: 01492 535 314

GMB Cornwall Office

The Old Arts School, Clinton Road, Redruth TR15 2QE T:01209 213 950. F: 01209 203 982

GMB gloucester Office

36 Brunswick Road, Gloucester GL1 1JJ T: 01452 503 739

GMB plymouth Office

1st Floor Offices, Sandon Ct, 1 Craigie Drive, The Millfields, Plymouth, Devon PL13JB. T: 01752 660 219 F: 01752 604 478 Email: stuart.fegan@gmb.org.uk

GMB pontypridd Office

OBITUARIES The region is sad to report the recent deaths of former GMB Wales and South West branch officials William Williams, Fred Weeks and Wilfred Scragg. They were all committed to serving GMB members as well as being fantastic colleagues and friends. We send our sincere condolences to their families.

28e Taff Street, Pontypridd CF37 4TS T: 01443 491 959. F: 01443 405844

GMB swansea Office

Ground Floor, Alexandra House, 1 Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5ED T: 01792 467 803 . F: 01792 457 806 www.gmbwalesandsouthwest.org.uk

www.gmb.org.uk 31

9000