Agency worker statement

Speaking after a meeting between the Prime Minister and a TUC delegation to consider agency worker rights, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'The Prime Minister recognised the importance of the issue and the problems that many agency workers face. Gordon Brown reassured us that he wants to make progress on this vital issue. We need to consider very carefully the best mechanism to achieve this.'

TUC welcomes second reading for Agency Workers Bill

Commenting on the Commons vote to give a second reading to the Agency Workers Bill, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'This is good news for agency workers as it is an important milestone on the road to achieving fair treatment. We welcome the big turn out by MPs to support the Bill today. It puts even more pressure on the Government to drop their opposition to effective rights for agency workers.'

UNISON calls for windfall tax after

British Gas profits soar

(21/02/08) UNISON called for a windfall tax on excessive profits today, after energy supplier British Gas reported annual profits of £571m at its residential arm - just weeks after hiking its pricesd for gas and electricity by around 15%.The news of the profits - which are up from £95m in 2006 - follows a UNISON and National Right to Fuel Campaign demand for an official inquiry into fuel profits.And Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, has reported a 40% rise in operating profits to £1.95bn. Centrica has increased its full-year dividend to shareholders by 17% to 13p a share.UNISON national officer Steve Bloomfield said: "It is clear that the UK's energy market is not operating in the public interest."It's a scandal that a growing number of people are suffering from genuine fuel poverty – including many families, elderly and disabled people – when energy companies are making record profits. "We need a windfall tax on profits to put a stop to this profiteering."A new report, Gas and electricity costs to householders, which has been produced by Cornwall Energy Associates and co-sponsored by UNISON, shows how much extra ordinary customers are having to fork out to fund this profits boom. The report revealed that spending by households on gas and electricity increased by £8.2bn between 2003 and 2006, but companies' costs increased by £5.9bn - only £4.5bn of it due to higher fuel costs.Nearly 30% of the extra spending by customers has gone in increased profits amounting to £2.3bn – at a time when the government is telling public service workers to tighten their belts and accept 2% pay limits.

A DECISION AT LAST ON UNITARY !

I hope that this will mean that those so vigorously opposed to this will now use the same energy to support it. Daniel has yet again shown his ability to back a loser as he seems to throw himself on every passing bandwagon I suppose on the law of averages this is bound to happen but he does seem good at it!

From the Trade Union point of view those who clung to the belief that this would never happen have done nothing to help protect those staff and jobs they now hope will be protected. The rush to spend all the family silver in the District Councils will also be unhelpful. I have never liked Councillor Pate's politics but he is one of the few thinking Tories and a shrewd business man.

There is no doubt that those council tax payers in band D who stand to save £93 per year will not have been asked their opinion it does seem like a rather expensive Tory club that we cannot afford. What is often missed is that our members are Council Tax payers including myself and we also understand the frustration of the duplication in the current system. The Governments stranglehold on our pay will make any saving in overheads at home most welcome.

Work Your Proper Hours Day (22 Feb 2008)

is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves. We think that's a day worth celebrating!

Check your balance: Find out your office working style and you could win an iPod

The Work / Life Map: check out how the UK works

the Breaktime game: can you work your proper hours?

decorate your office with free posters

send your boss a secret boss-a-gram to fill them in
Nearly five million people in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers an average £4,955 of free work a year. If you're one, why not take some time to reflect on how well (or badly) you're balancing your life?
This is one day in the year to make the most of your own time. Take a proper lunchbreak and leave work on time to enjoy your Friday evening - You deserve it!
Here's our four point plan for having a great Work Your Proper Hours Day:
1: Put yourself on the map!
We're building a big interactive map of the UK's attitudes to work / life balance. Take our quiz to find out what your workplace style is, and then add yourself to the map to see how you stack up against everyone else, and get the chance to win a swanky iPod Touch. Or check the map, to see what others have said.
2: Spread the word
Help get the word out by sending your friends an e-card, or linking to the campaign. You can download or order free posters to spruce up your office. And don't leave your boss out - let them know about the day with an anonymous Boss-A-Gram.
3: Enjoy your Friday!
If you normally just cram a sandwich at your desk, and only leave work long after the sun's gone down, take just one day to make a stand and see what a difference it can make. Plan to take a proper lunchbreak - why not treat yourself to a nice lunch? Then arrange with colleagues or friends working nearby to go out and make the most of your Friday evening. Bonus points for anyone who gets the boss to buy the team a drink to say thanks for all the year's hard work!
4: Tackle your own hours problems
Long hours are not good for us; they cause stress; they're bad for our health; they wreck relationships; they make caring for children or dependents more difficult; and tired, burnt-out staff are bad for business.
People do long hours for a variety of very different reasons. Find out more about the UK's long hours culture.
Work Your Proper Hours Day for 2008 will be 22 February, but your own pay day may come earlier or later, depending on the hours you work above your contracted hours.
Use our online unpaid overtime calculator to find out when you can celebrate paying off your long hours debt.

Job applicants facing more drug tests

More companies are checking on potential employees by carrying out drug and alcohol tests on their hair, according to a supplier of testing products. Trimega Laboratories, established in 2005, announced in January it had signed a deal with the Nursing and Midwifery Council to provide its testing services in misconduct cases where drug or alcohol dependency is thought to be an issue. Trimega managing director Avi Lasarow said employers in other sectors were increasingly calling on his company's services. 'More and more corporates employing high-profile executives are looking to test potential employees,' he said. 'If an individual has nothing to hide, then what is the problem?' Many individuals - including those falsely fingered (Risks 335) - and unions, civil liberty and statutory bodies do have a problem with workplace drug and alcohol testing, however. A November 2007 report from Hazards magazine acknowledged Britain's employers have a big drug and alcohol problem, concluding they are wasting millions on testing and firing workers. It said impairment testing is a better approach (Risks 332). This can take account of the impact of drugs or alcohol use as well as work factors like fatigue, stress and exposure to physical and chemical hazards that might mean a worker is performing under-par. The report said non-punitive, peer-to-peer counselling and support is the most effective way to ensure drug and alcohol use is dealt with effectively at work. It warned UK workplace privacy rules laid down in official Information Commission guidance mean in most cases drug and alcohol tests could fall foul of the law.

TUC guide to romance in the office

With romance in the air this Valentine's Day, the TUC is urging employers not to ban love from the office or the factory but instead to consult an online guide to relationships at work published today (Thursday).
With the long hours culture enjoying a renaissance, and unpaid overtime on the increase, it's no wonder that around a quarter of long-term relationships begin at work, says the TUC guide.
It says employers should avoid the adoption of love contracts, a practice popular with employers in the US but thankfully still rare in the UK, and instead should be drawing up sensible guidelines that try to protect everyone - the lovers, their colleagues and their employer - should the romance ever turn sour.
The guide provides advice to staff who have just started a relationship at work and are worried that their employer may sack them as a result. It also warns what may happen if they are found in a compromising position in the stationery cupboard, reminding would-be lovers of the need to maintain an acceptable standard of behaviour in work at all times.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'With the long hours that many spend in work, it's hardly surprising that lots of people end up getting together with colleagues. Office romances rarely cause any problems so it would be wrong for employers to adopt a heavy-handed approach to office flirting and introduce strict rules or blanket bans.
'But office Romeos and Juliets may need to be reminded of where to draw the line at work. Guidelines reminding staff of the need to keep their love lives separate from work, and to not let lover's tiffs make workmates feel uncomfortable will prove useful to staff and employers alike.'
Office romantics keen on starting a relationship with one of their colleagues can find a host of useful tips in the guide. They can find out where they stand on relationships at work, what to do when they happen, what to do when they break up and what to do if they want to say no. The full guide is at www.worksmart.org.uk/valentine

Taken on the Sussex coast where they are salveging timber from the sea

Blue Valentine

(14/02/08) UNISON is calling upon the government to abandon plans to impose pay cuts on public service workers for another year running.The union's national secretaries for health, education and local government delivered a giant Valentine's card to the House of Commons. It reads: "Roses are red, violets are blue, but 2% just won't do."The government's 2% pay limit on public service workers comes as they are faced with steep hikes in the cost of housing, fuel and food. And economists predict even higher inflation is on the way."With even less in their pockets, our loyal, hard-working public service workers such as teaching assistants, ambulance drivers and nurses are going to have to dig deep to keep up," said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis. UNISON, through its united Pay Matters campaign, is fighting for a fair deal for public service workers, one that recognises the difference they make to local communities, and respects and rewards their work with decent pay.

Jon Tandy Labour Party PPC for Shrewsbury and Atcham meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown on his visit to Telford today

The Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrives in Telford with David Wright MP to meet and talk to Shropshire Party members. At the meeting Valerie Broom Regional Secretary for Unison was able to tackle Gordon Brown on Public Sector Pay while not backing down he did say he hoped that we could achieve three year deals that would bring stability for everyone.

Training not enough to prevent back strain

Commenting on research published today (Friday) on the BMJ website, which suggests that training people how to lift heavy objects is failing to prevent back injuries, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'This is an important piece of research. It shows that employers shouldn't be relying on their employees lifting heavy weights 'correctly' to prevent back injury, but instead should be reducing the weight of things that need to be lifted manually. The Health and Safety Executive will now have to review its advice on manual handling as a matter of urgency.
'If employers want to protect their staff from the pain of back strain, they should not be banking on their staff using the correct techniques to lift heavy objects at work. The best way to keep staff injury free is to make sure that everyone understands the importance of not lifting heavy weights on their own.'

Tax avoidance by companies

and the wealthy costs

everyone at work £1,000 a year

New research for the TUC published today (Friday) reveals that the public purse loses £13 billion a year through tax avoidance by the wealthy and £12 billion a year through tax avoidance by corporations. Altogether this adds up to £25 billion - or around £1,000 a year for everyone at work in the UK.
The research, conducted by accountant and tax specialist Richard Murphy, is published in The Missing Billions, the first in a new series of TUC pamphlets designed to stimulate debate called Touchstones. The research includes the analysis of 344 sets of accounts from Britain's 50 largest companies and analysis of HMRC and other official statistics.
Analysis of the top 50 companies' accounts shows that their effective corporation tax rate is 22.5 per cent - not the 30 per cent agreed by Parliament. The companies almost always pay 5 per cent less tax on average than they declare in their accounts and in the seven years up to 2006 their effective tax rate fell by 0.5 per cent each year.
The report shows how super-rich individuals avoid paying their fair share of tax. £3.2 billion tax is lost by turning earned income into investment income (which is taxed more favourably) or by shifting the income to others (such as spouses) in lower or nil tax bands. Another £3.8 billion is lost moving transactions out of the UK, £0.5 billion by turning income into a capital gain and £4.8 billion from various kinds of tax planning.
Half the amount lost to tax avoidance could raise the level at which higher rate tax starts being paid by £10,000 a year, which would also offer significant help to those on middle incomes; or increase the state pension by 20 per cent; or reduce income tax by 3p in the pound; or build an extra 50 hospitals a year.
The Touchstone pamphlet calls for:
a minimum rate of tax to be paid by all those earning more than £100,000 a year to limit their use of tax avoidance and tax planning, without affecting the tax rates of middle Britain
a stop to HMRC staff cuts so that there are sufficient resources to effectively collect tax
the non-dom tax loophole to be abolished
capital gains on assets held for less than a year to be charged to income tax
a change to the tax treatment of charities to give them more income and close a tax loophole, and
the introduction of a new 'general anti-avoidance principle' to make it easier to tax the super-rich and large companies.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'There is mounting concern at the growing gap between the super-rich and the rest of society, but so far there have been few practical proposals to do anything about it. This TUC pamphlet is therefore doubly helpful. First it carefully works out just how much the super-rich and big companies rip the rest of us off by not paying their fair share of taxes. Secondly it sets out a practical set of policies that close loopholes, end abuse and starts the process of making the super-rich make a proper contribution - all without raising a single tax rate.
'Our strong view is that the proceeds should be used to properly fund public services, where six million are facing cuts in their real pay, and relieve poverty - particularly child poverty. But you do not have to agree with our spending priorities to back our call for fair tax, and we recognise the argument at this difficult economic time for boosting the income of low and middle Britain through tax cuts.
'This is not the politics of envy but the economics of fairness. It is all about getting rich and powerful people to understand they must play by the rules, not look for ways round them.
'Most people think that we have a progressive tax system, but it has now been hollowed out by so many loopholes and allowances that too much tax is now voluntary for the rich. It's time for a new campaign for a fair tax system - a campaign that can unite the vast majority of the population who do play by the rules and have nothing to fear from our proposals.'

This shows the strength of feeling against the closures
but is it value for money for the council tax payers to
keep schools with less than a full compliment of pupils open ?

A Point well made

Demonstration against school closures in Shropshire
Monday 30/01/08

No wonder they put me up here

Union leaders meet with Chancellor

to discuss public sector pay

TUC leaders this morning (Wednesday) met the Chancellor, the Chief Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) to press the Government for a new approach on public sector pay to safeguard the living standards of all public servants.

TUC public service unions have all committed to work together to coordinate their approach in the upcoming negotiations across public services.

The TUC team led by TUC President, Dave Prentis, and General Secretary, Brendan Barber, told the Chancellor that public service pay is not driving inflationary pressures in the economy, and that it is utterly unfair for public servants to be expected to accept pay settlements that fall short of matching inflation. The TUC team emphasised that the inflation index referred to by pay negotiators reflecting the real increases in living costs facing ordinary workers is the RPI which currently stands at 4%, well ahead of the Government's inflation target index, the CPI. Unions are prepared to consider long-term deals where appropriate, but a rigid centrally imposed policy that ignores recommendations from independent review bodies will not be acceptable.

The TUC team pressed the Chancellor that public service negotiators need greater flexibility in their negotiations with unions, including scope to address long term problems in pay structures and low pay.

The TUC team will be reporting back to all public service unions on the meeting and will be seeking a further meeting with the Chief Secretary to continue the talks.

The TUC delegation included TUC President, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the NUT, Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of PCS, Paul Noon, General Secretary of Prospect, Lesley Mercer of the CSP, Brian Strutton of the GMB and Patrick Roach of the NASUWT.

Energy profit probe demanded

(22/01/08) UNISON and the National Right to Fuel Campaign have come together to demand an official inquiry into almost £2.5bn extra profits energy companies are awarding themselves as households up and down the country deal with huge price rises announced this winter.The call for an Ofgem probe comes the week after British Gas became the latest energy provider to increase its prices: announcing an immediate 15% rise.It followed EDF's decision to increase gas prices by 12.% and electricity by 7.9 %, while npower had previously announced rises of 17.2% for gas and 12.7% for electricity.Research, sponsored jointly by UNISON and the National Right to Fuel Campaign and published today, says the average household is paying £100 extra a year because prices charged to customers have increased by £2.3bn more than the costs of producing and selling electricity and gas.Backing the call for an Ofgem inquiry, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis noted: "Hard-working families are desperately worried about increasing fuel bills, rising housing costs, food costs and millions of public sector workers are being told they must accept pay cuts."Pensioners are finding it a huge struggle, despite the winter fuel payments that have been wiped out by these greedy companies."The government should order Ofgem to do its job properly."Gas and electricity costs to householders, produced by Cornwall Energy Associates, shows that British households’ annual spending on electricity and gas increased by £8.2bn between 2003 and 2006, while the energy companies costs' grew buy £5.9bn – meaning an extra £2.3bn profits for them.Over the same period the average household's debt to energy suppliers grew from £159 to £194 for electricity customers and from £141 to £180. Charities have found that their funding of individual debts has grown to £16m a year. Click here to download a copy of the full report (.pdf) Click here for a National Right to Fuel campaign paper on tackling fuel poverty (.pdf)
More on UNISON and fuel poverty National Right to Fuel Campaign

Prentis warns government over pay

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has a message for the government: “Don’t pick a fight with UNISON members.”Rejecting the 2% pay limit imposed in the comprehensive spending review, Mr Prentis warned of the dangers of holding down public-sector pay.“The 2% limit is just not on – it is a real pay cut for millions of hard working public-service workers. If you want first class public services, if you want the sick and elderly cared for, your children well-educated and protected and your streets clean and safe, cutting the pay of public-sector workers is the wrong way to go about it.“We are determined to secure decent pay rises for our members,” he said.UNISON's current pay claims for local government workers throughout the UK are for one-year deals, designed to make up lost ground, protect against future inflation and boost the minimum wage.With living costs rising fast, and below-inflation pay settlements in recent years, many public service workers are finding it incredibly hard to make ends meet. Morale is at rock bottom, Mr Prentis said.“It is wrong to put inflation at their door,” he stressed. “Instead, look no further than the multinationals bleeding our public services dry, the fuel price hikes and the massive profits made by big business."The gap between public sector pay packets and burgeoning living expenses must be bridged.”UNISON has submitted pay claims for local government workers in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK calling for rises of 5% and 6% respectively. Both have as a key element increases that would take low-paid members closer to a living wage.