Public servants ‘just want fairness on pay’

(20/09/08) Public service workers are crying out for fairness – and fairness is the catchphrase for this year’s Labour conference , which opened in Manchester on Saturday: “fair rules, fair chances, and a fair say”. But there is no indication that a fair deal on pay is in the offing. During a panel discussion on the economy, both the chancellor and the prime minister signalled the government intends to hold fast to its unjust public service pay policy.“I know and understand people’s frustration about wages,” Gordon Brown acknowledged. “We want to be fair to all those who contribute to our public services.”But he offered no hopes of an inflation-linked pay rise to help public service workers cope with soaring living costs.“We will maintain and extend investment in public services,” Mr Brown pledged. “But we used to get into an inflationary spiral,” he continued. This time, he said, “we are going to tackle the inflation problems at source.”Chancellor Alistair Darling also suggested that increasing public service pay would fuel inflation. “It is important that we are fair and we continue to put money into public services, but it is also important that we avoid getting into a situation where inflation is entrenched in this country,” he said.They were speaking in response to a question from UNISON’s Wendy Nichols, who warned that you can’t deliver top-class public services with a demoralised staff.Though the union recognised Labour’s investment in public services over the past 11 years, “many public service workers don’t,” she said. “They feel stressed and demoralised and angry.“We’re not asking for riches; we’re asking for fairness,” Ms Nichols said. “Is that too much to ask, prime minister?”

The way forward for local government

(01/09/08) Trade unions and local government employers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have confirmed their aim to resolve the current dispute over pay "as soon as possible".In a joint statement issued today to all council chief executives, they reaffirmed that all parties were committed to negotiations that aimed to secure an employment package "which is fit for the future, with positive industrial relations, high quality and efficient local services".And they pledged to work together "to identify ways of using general efficiency savings to improve the pay and conditions of the local government workforce".The statement has been signed by all the NJC joint secretaries. It provides the framework for further discussions and holds out hopes that a revised national agreement will have been endorsed by both sides and consulted on by the end of this year."The revised national agreement will include core conditions of service that bear comparison with conditions elsewhere in the public sector," it says.Negotiations will be informed by data on the pay bill, workforce composition, earnings and conditions of service. Download the full statement:

Pay statement 1 September [PDF]

Supermarkets & Sweatshops

UK retailers under increasing media spotlight
In June 2008, War on Want received extensive media coverage after we advised the BBC on issues around garment workers in the developing world. Simon McRae, senior campaigns officer, was interviewed for the Panorama programme Primark: On the Rack, which was watched by over four million viewers.
Our campaign (recently including a protest outside Primark) to improve working conditions and win a living wage for workers supplying clothing to high street chains and supermarkets, was widely covered in the mainstream newspapers, TV and radio.
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Furthermore, War on Want, together with Labour Behind the Label, funded a speaking tour for Suhasini Singh (pictured below outside Tesco's AGM). Suhasini is a researcher with the India-based NGO Cividep, which has provided War on Want with research on labour rights issues and factory conditions in Bangalore.
Suhasini gave War on Want direct testimony from workers and information about the conditions faced by those making garments for massive UK companies like Tesco. She was able to attend the company’s AGM and speak directly to Tesco’s CEO, Sir Terry Leahy, about the conditions and pay in the sweatshops that make clothes for Tesco.
As the biggest retailer in the country, and a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Tesco should be leading the way in ensuring that workers making its products are paid a living wage, have the right to join a trade union and don’t work excessive hours or under poor conditions. Instead, research carried out by Suhasini for War on Want in Bangalore found that workers in factories supplying Tesco were paid half a living wage, finding it even more difficult to get by now with the increase in global food prices. She took time to answer some questions for us.
Q: What were the conditions and pay like in the factories that you investigated?
A: The working conditions of garment workers are precarious in Bangalore. They have to work for nine to ten hours with a break of half an hour for lunch, that's it! They are forced to complete targets of 100-120 pieces per hour, when under normal circumstances one can do just 60 pieces. Many get paid well under a living wage, yet they are expected to take care of a family of four or more! Overtime is not paid, workplace harassment and abuse are rampant and above all, workers cannot voice their opinion through unions.
Q: Do you think companies are doing enough to ensure that workers in their supply chains are paid properly and have good working conditions? What changes would you like to see made by the companies that buy these clothes?
A: Generally speaking, companies have just managed to improve the physical condition of the factory but nothing beyond that. Workers are paid the minimum wage, which is far below a living wage. Collective bargaining at the workplace is not allowed so there is no other way to increase the wages of workers from what they are getting now. British companies should ensure that suppliers pay living wages to the workers so that they have a decent living. They should allow unionisation in the factory. This will help workers to voice their opinions and demands on various issues. Moreover, freedom to form a union is enshrined in Indian Labour Law; they should respect it.
Q: You met Sir Terry Leahy after the Tesco AGM. What was his reaction to the things you told him about the garment industry in Bangalore?
A: I told him about the deplorable condition of the garment workers in Bangalore producing for Tesco and said that with Tesco's increased profits this year he can actually give a living wage to the workers there. He replied saying, " We will look into it. A lot of research has to be done to determine the living wage. We [Tesco] want to work with the best employers in India." I wonder if it is his genuine desire to put in some effort in this direction, or if this is just one of those fake statements!
War on Want is campaigning to make sure that workers supplying big UK supermarkets get a fair deal. Time and again we’ve uncovered poverty pay, unacceptable working conditions and a lack of trade union rights in the factories that provide clothes for the UK high street. The companies that make massive profits off the back of the clothing industry have a responsibility to ensure that their suppliers treat workers fairly and that cheap clothing doesn’t come at the expense of workers’ rights.

Unions and employers agree way forward

(13/08/08) Trade unions and local government employers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have confirmed they will meet again next week to continue negotiations on pay and conditions.Talks reopened yesterday with an initial meeting to set the timetable and agenda for the way forward.UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield, who is also the joint union side secretary, said the talks were "an initial meeting" to "kick off National Joint Council negotiations in the context of the agreed statement with the Local Government Association. The meeting focussed on the timetable and process for the talks, which will continue on 22 August."The joint statement between UNISON, Unite and the employers which paved the way for the talks had said that a "new era of employment is needed to reflect properly the contribution of the workforce" to improving services and meeting the needs of their local communities.The statement went on: "to secure this new settlement, the partners are committed to immediate serious and meaningful negotiations over a range of issues", including the joint union pay claim and a review of conditions of service, with "nothing ruled in or out". The talks will aim for proposals "that recognise the aspirations of the workforce in the context of the financial position of local government".Negotiations will continue on 22 August, and Ms Wakefield added: "Arrangements are being made for meetings of the UNISON and trade union sides of the NJC executive for next week, prior to the next meeting with the employers. Further updates will be sent to branches and posted on the UNISON web site.

Inflation soars to 4.4%

(12/08/08) UNISON members faced with pay cuts are being hit with the steepest inflation increase since records began.Official figures out today reveal the government's preferred CPI measure of inflation jumped from 3.8% in June to 4.4% this month.It is the biggest monthly change since records began in 1997, with the new figure now more than twice the government's official 2% target, which this year’s public service pay offers were based upon.The latest data from the Office of National Statistics shows the largest upward pressure from food prices, which have soared a record 13.7% in the past year. Rising fuel costs have also pushed the figure up.Looking ahead, the International Monetary Fund predicts inflation could hit 5% as recent gas and electricity price rises kick in.Todays figures confirm what UNISON members have been saying for months, said general secretary Dave Prentis.He said members are facing "unparalleled hikes" in the cost of basics such as milk, bread, cheese, petrol, gas and electricity."The government's unjust public sector pay policy means that teaching assistants, nurses, librarians, care workers, home carers, nursery staff and hospital cleaners are having to cope with the biggest rise in inflation since records began, on a real pay cut," he said.Urging the government to rethink, he added: "Instead of targeting the public sector workers who keep this country running smoothly, the government should turn their firepower onto the big city bonuses and corporate fat cats who are the real villains when it comes to fuelling inflation."

Local gov talks reopen tomorrow

(11/08/08) Local government pay talks in England, Northern Ireland and Wales reopen tomorrow, with UNISON hoping they will usher in a 'new era' for council workers.The union is seeking improved pay and conditions that begin to match up to that of other public service staff.Speaking ahead of the talks, UNISON senior national officer Lucille Thirlby said: "Local government staff play a vital role in keeping communities across the UK running smoothly."They work as social workers, provide home care, work in libraries, and keep our streets clean. During the school holidays many will also be looking after children in summer play schemes or teaching them to swim at local leisure centres. "We hope that this week's talks with the local government employers will herald a 'new era of employment' for local authority staff."We will be doing our best to make sure that pay and conditions begin to match up with the crucial work local authority do day in, day out, and to rates of pay elsewhere in the public sector."Last month around half a million council workers took strike action to protest against a below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%. Unions have agreed to suspend further action pending the outcome of the new negotiations.

TUC disappointed by interest rate hold

Commenting on the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee's decision to hold interest rates at five per cent this month, TUC Head of Economics and Social Affairs Adam Lent said:
'While the Government talks of the need for an economic recovery plan to restart growth in the UK, the Bank is doing all it can to hold down consumer confidence and business investment.
'This is not the time to be holding rates when the prospects for the economy in 2009 look increasingly weak. The Bank should cut and cut fast.'

Four deaths at work per week

is no cause for celebration warns

leading personal injury law firm

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Report
With four people still dying at work per week in Great Britain, a leading personal injury law firm has warned of the dangers of complacency, following the Health and Safety Executive’s latest report of a small drop in the figures.
The provisional figures reveal that 228 workers lost their lives as a result of accidents or incidents at work in 2007/08 compared to 247 workers in 2006/07. The report also shows a slight increase in the number of workers killed in the agriculture sector and a slight decrease in the construction sector.
Mick Antoniw, from Thompsons Solicitors, is not convinced: “If you were to include the road traffic accidents related to work which resulted in deaths and the increasing number of deaths from industrial diseases such as mesothelioma, the HSE results would reveal a far darker picture. Of course we welcome any decrease in deaths at work, but we must not allow any employer – however large or small - to get complacent and neglect the duty of care that they have to all of their employees.”
Antoniw continues: “Despite our record as the ‘best’ major industrial nation in Europe, Great Britain can hardly be proud that 228 people died directly as a cause of their work. A huge amount of effort is required to reduce the misery faced each year by families who lose a loved one due to negligence by an employer.”
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Report

06/08/2008
UNISON CALLS ON MPS TO SUPPORT

LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF

UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union, has today (6 August) written to MPs calling on them to lobby the Local Government Association (LGA) in a bid to bring the ongoing dispute with local government staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to a close. Local government workers including teaching assistants, social workers, librarians, refuse collectors, school meals assistants and environmental health officers have already staged a 48-hour walk out over a 2.45% pay offer. Further action has been suspended, pending talks with the employers scheduled for later this month. UNISON senior national officer for local government, Lucille Thirlby, said: “Over the last ten years, local government staff have become the poor relations of the public sector, with colleagues in comparable jobs elsewhere in the public sector overtaking them by thousands of pounds a year. “Local government social workers earn £3,329 less than their colleagues working in the NHS. It is not surprising that they top the list of recruitment difficulties. “If we allow this worrying trend to continue, we run the risk of sparking a recruitment and retention crisis elsewhere in local government. Our communities cannot afford to lose staff who provide essential services such as looking after children or teaching them to swim, cleaning our streets or keeping our libraries running smoothly.” In Scotland local government workers represented by UNISON, GMB and UNITE have voted to strike in a separate dispute. The first day of action is scheduled for 20 August.Notes to editors Local government staff can earn as little as £5.52 per hour and 57% earn less than £15,000 per year. According to the IDS Pay in the Public Services 2008 Survey a catering assistant in local government is paid £1,554 less per year than a catering assistant in the NHS. A home care assistant in local government is paid £1,789 less per year than a care assistant in the NHS. Since 2002, council reserves in England alone have doubled to more than £11 billion and since 2004, efficiency savings have exceeded £6 billion – twice as much as required by the Government.

Labour national policy forum agrees way ahead

(28/07/08) UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis has welcomed agreements reached on key issues, such as public services, equalities and workforce protections, at the Labour party national policy forum in Warwick.Unions, constituency parties and ministers spent the weekend in joint discussions to move the union's agenda forward.Mr Prentis said: "We have moved forward on a package that covers a wide range of areas that the British electorate wants to see addressed."These include health and the public services, equal pay and equalities, tackling poverty, improving skills training and fairness at work."It provides a sound basis for rebuilding support for Labour's core values."Importantly for us, it affirms the central role of the public sector in delivering public services. It makes clear that direct provision should be the preferred option - and that privatisation is not the way ahead. It supports public service workers in the essential jobs they do in our communities - workers who I am proud to represent."On public services, the agreement states: "Excellent public services lie at the heart of any civilised society, essential to delivering fairness and opportunity for all. Investment in public services also supports our future economic development and can also play an essential role in regenerating local economies and maintaining stable growth and high levels of employments."

It opposes any attempts to create a single EU market for healthcare which could undermine the NHS.

It commits to maintaining and developing a central role for public provision and a directly employed workforce.

Central to improvement are public service staff - two-tier workforce protections will be strengthened.

Councils will be supported to implement terms and conditions consistent with the principles of equal pay for work of equal value.

All hospitals are to give full consideration to in-house options for cleaning contracts - to develop critical public sector capacity.

Skills training will be improved - skills sector forums will look at setting minimum standards for social care workers.

Term-time only contracts will be tackled.

Union to enter talks with local govt employers

(23/07/08) UNISON’s local government National Joint Committee (NJC) has today voted unanimously to back further talks with Local Government Employers, aimed at settling the current dispute over pay. Discussions between UNISON, Unite and the Local Government Employers led to an understanding that talks can go ahead, with a timetable to be agreed at a later date. In the light of this decision the NJC agreed not to name a date for further strike action. Progress will be monitored over the coming weeks and the decision reviewed in September.Last week, 500,000 council workers took part in a 48-hour strike over a 2.45% below-inflation pay offer. UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Local government workers responded magnificently to the call for action last week. They contribute a huge amount to the local communities they serve and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. “Taking action was a tough decision for our members who are dedicated to serving the communities they live and work in, but their strong resolve has paid dividends.”UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield added: “It is vital that we get this dispute sorted as soon as possible. Our members cannot afford to be the poor relations of the public sector. If the employers are serious about making local government an employer of choice they must realise they have some catching up to do.“Over the summer we will continue our campaign to win the hearts and minds of government, the employers, and the public to the justice of our case.”

TUC sends message of support to striking

local government workers

As hundreds of thousands of local government workers prepare to go on a two-day strike today (Wednesday) over pay, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent the council employees a message of support, saying:
'Council workers across the UK will be on strike in protest at the inadequate pay offer made to them by the local authority employers. They are understandably angry at the gap that has opened up between their 2.45 per cent pay offer and the rising cost of living.
'With prices constantly on the up, local government workers are being asked to accept a real terms pay cut by their employers as family budgets are being stretched to the limit. I urge the local government employers to return to the negotiating table and reach a fair and just settlement of this dispute.'

A message loud and clear

(14/07/08) As UNISON members in local government count down to strike action this week, general secretary Dave Prentis unveiled the new campaigning banners at the union's headquarters in London.The banners display a message that couldn't be any clearer – our members are taking action for fairness.And, calling for the local government employers to return to meaningful negotiations, Mr Prentis said: "I'm proud to be supporting our members who are taking action to win a fair deal."Striking is never an easy option and not something that we do lightly."We urge the employers to sit down with us and discuss a fair and equitable solution."Messages of support for members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are flowing in from around the UK – and further afield – as trade unionists and members of the public offer their solidarity and show that they know the fairness of the cause.

Read messages of support and add your own

What can I do?

'Talk to us' employers urged

(10/07/08) UNISON took the fair pay message direct to council employers today, urging them to reopen pay talks to head off next week's strike.Some 600,000 UNISON members working for local authorities in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are preparing to walk out on 16 and 17 July over this year's below-inflation pay offer.With less than a week to go before the action, Heather Wakefield, the union's head of local government, stressed: "We want the Local Government Association to get back into negotiations."Today saw three giant billboards demanding fair pay for council workers delivered to the Local Government Association.Hundreds of supporters, including MPs and Glastonbury festival-goers. have signed the billboards, which bear the slogan "2.45% - it's a shame".Ms Wakefield added: "Our members have families and the employers must realise that they cannot ride out another winter of choosing between basics such as putting food on their tables or paying their energy bills."

Letter from Dave Prentis

Dear colleague
Branches and members will have by now received the results of the ballot
over the NJC pay offer. As a result of the ‘yes’ vote, the Industrial Action
Committee has given the ‘go ahead’ for all-out strike action on 16 and
17 July.
Taking strike action is never an easy decision for members or for the union.
We prefer to do what we do best – provide quality services for the public.
But having won a ‘yes’ vote for action, it is now up to the union at all
levels to deliver on that action and make the employers come back to the
negotiating table.
And that means all of us. We need stewards and reps who are in daily
contact with members to get the maximum possible turnout. Members
facing the expense of summer holidays and new school uniforms might
wonder whether losing pay in a strike is worth it. We have to convince them
that it’s the strength of turn-out which will make the strike successful.
A large turn-out will send a clear message to the employers that they must
improve their offer and show members the respect they deserve.
UNISON will be putting all its resources into making sure that our members
on NJC pay and conditions – the worst pay and conditions in the public
sector - make this action a huge success and get the employers back to the
negotiating table.
Please support your union – together we can make a difference.
Best wishes
Dave Prentis
General Secretary.

Private markets expose public services

(09/07/08) Public services are being exposed to the economic downturn and destructive market forces because of an increasing reliance on a private "public service industry", UNISON warned today.More than £70bn of taxpayer’s money now goes to the private sector and to private equity firms who increasingly own public services and the union is calling for an independent review into the impact of market forces on services.The warning comes ahead of the publication of a report on the "public services industry" commissioned by John Hutton at the Department for Business, which is examining ways of "increasing the role of the private and third sectors" in public-service delivery.General secretary Dave Prentis said: "We need a genuinely independent review of the public services industry – one that asks whether its increasing role and influence is really in the interests of taxpayers and public service users – rather than simply asking multinational companies what would make their lives easier. "

Look at PFI's impact on pay, says UNISON

(08/07/08) The government’' review of PFI projects needs to look at their effect in public-service workers' pay and conditions, says UNISON.The union raised the issue at a top-level conference on the private finance initiative yesterday, and today welcomed officials' responses on the issue.UNISON participants at the National Audit Office’s annual private finance conference argued that the planned review of current PFI projects needs to look at whether they have harmed public sector pay and conditions.And they were please when the head of the Treasury's PFI unit Gordon McKechnie responded: "We would be very happy to consult with you on that. Value for money should not be achieved at the expense of the workforce."He was backed by Edward Leigh MP, chairman of the House of Commons public accounts committee, who said he would ask government auditors to look at the issue.UNISON policy officer Margie Jaffe welcomed the comments, saying: "UNISON wants to hold the government to account for the two tier workforce. "It is government policy to protect the terms and conditions of the workforce when services are contracted out, but too many staff are either not covered by an agreement or find it is not enforced. "This commitment to find out what is happening is overdue and just shows that we need to keep the pressure up. Nationally and locally UNISON will continue to campaign to protect or member's jobs, pay and conditions and to end the two tier workforce."

TUC welcome for affordable housing move

Welcoming the affordable housing measures announced today (Wednesday) by Housing Minister Caroline Flint, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'House prices may be falling, but the cost of buying even the smallest flats and houses is way beyond the means of most first-time buyers, even if they are lucky enough to secure a mortgage.
'More affordable, good quality housing in all parts of the country is urgently needed if people are to be housed near their places of work, avoiding the stresses and environmental damage caused by excessive commutes to work.
'The TUC's recent housing report called for more money for housing associations and other social housing providers to help them make up the shortfall in the number of new homes coming onto the market. Of course there is still a lot more to do, but today's announcement is a welcome step forward.'

US public service union sends support

(03/07/13) UNISON local government members preparing to strike received their first international message of support today, as the US Service Employees International Union pledged its solidarity in the "fight for fair treatment".And the message stressed the importance of public services to our communities.The union's international president, Andrew L Stern, said that: "The 2 million members of the Service Employees International Union stand in solidarity with UNISON members across the United Kingdom in their struggle for decent wages."In refusing to pay workers wages that keep up with the rate of inflation, the local government employers' association is failing to respect the crucial work that public sector workers do in schools, streets, and homes across the UK."And he continued: "As one of the largest unions of public employees in the United States, we know firsthand why investing in public services is so important to both public workers and to everyone who benefits from their hard work."Decent wages are crucial to attracting and retaining qualified staff to take care of vital functions like teaching our children and keeping our streets clean. "We stand with you on July 16, 17 – and every other day of the year in your fight for fair treatment."

Members lobby employers' conference

Heather Wakefield joins members outside the LGA conference to tell the employers that their offer is worth peanuts.(02/07/08) UNISON members working in local government today lobbied delegates at the Local Government Association conference in Bournemouth.In the latest stage of the dispute over pay, conference delegates were given peanuts and bananas to show how little the 2.45% pay offer means.Council workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage a 48-hour walkout on 16 and 17 July over their below-inflation pay offer.They include homecare and care home workers, refuse collectors, teaching assistants, librarians, social workers and environmental health officers.Despite the imminent strike, the three-day employers' conference did not include pay on the agenda.UNISON's head of local government, Heather Wakefield, said: "With a two-day strike around the corner, it is unbelievable that local government employers are sticking their heads in the sand and are not discussing pay at their conference."Our members would be in big trouble if they did the same every time another final demand dropped onto their doormat."Even bananas went up in price today," she continued. "With the cost of basic essentials going up weekly, our members cannot afford to take another pay hit."We have made it clear that we are willing to talk, but the ball is in the employers' court."