Daily Mirror Asbestos Timebomb campaign

National newspaper the Daily Mirror is currently running a high profile Asbestos Timebomb campaign. The paper is seeking action from the Government on five key targets in the fight against asbestos and mesothelioma:
1. A £10 million National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease to find better treatment, alleviate suffering and find a cure for mesothelioma.
2. Compensation reinstated for victims of 'pleural plaques' - scars on lungs caused by asbestos - after it was scrapped two years ago.
3. Fair and equal compensation for asbestos disease sufferers who can't trace the insurers of the bosses who exposed them, through a new Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau paid for by the insurance industry.
4. A public register of all asbestos surveys carried out on public buildings.
5. The Health and Safety Executive must be given the resources to meet its own targets for inspecting asbestos removal work.
Backing the Mirror's campaign, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'The TUC welcomes the Mirror's important campaign. It is crucial that we not only increase awareness of the dangers of asbestos so that we can prevent any workers becoming exposed to the fatal fibres in future but also that we can ensure that those who develop a disease as a result of coming into contact with this deadly substance are given as much support as possible.'
Visit the Mirror's Asbestos Timebomb campaign website now, where you can sign their petition for action on asbestos.

ACAS awards 2.75% pay rise to

local government workers

(03/03/09) Unions representing 1.3 million local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have welcomed an ACAS award of an additional 0.3% pay rise, bringing the 2008-9 pay increase to 2.75% on all pay points. An extra £100 had already been agreed for the lowest paid.UNISON, UNITE and GMB had been involved in a long-standing dispute over pay, including strike action, last year. They had rejected previous offers and referred the dispute to binding arbitration. The award is backdated to 1 April 2008. In a joint statement, UNISON, Unite and GMB, said: “We welcome the fact that ACAS has accepted our arguments that members should receive a higher pay increase. “ACAS stated that the award is ‘justified and affordable in the context of the claim for the year 2008/2009’.“ACAS also recognised that local government workers are among the lowest paid in the public sector and they have been affected significantly by the worsening economic climate. “We have always argued that local government workers have become the poor relations of the public sector,” added the statement. “They have contributed enormously to improving local services and meeting council efficiency targets and they deserve a better deal. “Cleaners, refuse staff, school meals workers, librarians, admin and clerical workers, teaching assistants, home care and social workers are among those covered by the award.

Fatal accidents in Canada: is privatisation to blame?

At the beginning of February, three people were killed by vehicles removing snow in Montreal, Canada. They were all accidents, but voices are being raised against the privatisation of the snow removal services, which means that heavy demands are placed on subcontract workers to reach their targets.
For almost half of its snow removal operations, the City of Montreal relies upon subcontracted companies; the other half is accomplished by its own workers, many of them members of SCFP 301, a branch of PSI's Canadian affiliate CUPE. The transport of snow away from the city, however, is almost entirely private. Whereas the city workers are paid an hourly wage, the private contractors are paid by volume of snow removed. If they don't meet snow removal targets, subcontractors can be fined up to $10,000.
This is pushing independent truck drivers to work up to 24 and even 36 hours straight. The subcontractors are determined to escape the penalties for failing to meet their snow removal targets and the drivers, who receive little if any pay when there is no snow to clear, try to maximize their earnings when work is available.
The first accident on the morning of 3 February happened at 9:40. The truck driver had started his shift at 20:00 the night before.
Accidents, yes, but could they have been avoided?

Drop post office privatisation, Labour warned

Dave Prentis has joined with the leaders of the affiliated trade unions to warn, in a letter to the Guardian, that the government must honour its pledges and keep the post office public.The letter says: At Warwick University, in the summer of 2008, the affiliated trade unions collectively participated in a series of policy discussions with representatives of the Labour party and Downing Street. The purpose and outcome of those discussions was to reach a policy agreement that was satisfactory to all participants.Within that Warwick agreement was a clear commitment to maintaining Royal Mail in the public sector: "We have set out a vision of a wholly publicly owned, integrated Royal Mail group in good health providing customers with an excellent service and its employees with rewarding employment."This commitment was agreed by all affiliated trade unions in the belief that it guaranteed the future of Royal Mail as "wholly publicly owned". This was our belief in the summer, and it was the belief of the 2008 Labour party conference, which voted to support this policy.We are deeply concerned that the Labour party now appears to be willing to break that commitment by adopting the recommendations of the Hooper report. Its proposals to bring in a "strategic partner", via an exchange of equity, clearly constitutes the part privatisation of Royal Mail.The affiliated trade unions believe that the part-privatisation of Royal Mail is electorally unpopular, politically unwise and damaging to the concept of universal service provision. Furthermore, to break a pledge so recently made undermines the legitimacy of our policy process and raises questions about the validity of other agreements reached.We are unanimous in our opposition to the proposed privatisation of Royal Mail, and ask that the government reconsiders its response before it becomes a dividing line within our movement.Billy Hayes general secretary, CWU Tony Woodley Tulo chair and joint general secretary, Unite the Union Paul Kenny Tulo vice-chair and general secretary, GMB Derek Simpson joint general secretary, Unite the Union Dave Prentis general secretary, UNISON John Hannett general secretary, Usdaw Michael Leahy general secretary, Community Alan Ritchie general secretary, Ucatt Gerry Doherty general secretary, TSSA

Hello,A quick question -

who wants to take away the legal guarantee protecting your rights - threatening your holidays and even your parental leave?It may be difficult to believe but it's actually "family friendly" Dave Cameron.The Tories have spent a lot of money telling us that they've changed. Millionaire Dave has gone to great lengths - cycling around town, waiting for his photo to be taken in Woolies and posing with a few Huskies in Norway. He's even shunned Waitrose and headed for Tesco at least once.But Dave's plans to pull Britain out of the Social Chapter - the part of the law which guarantees fair treatment at work - reveals the truth behind all the slick marketing. He wants to roll your rights back by twenty years.But we can stop him - sign our petition to protect your rights. www.unionstogether.org.uk/hiddentruth He may pretend to have our interests at heart, but the facts are clear. He wants to scrap the legal guarantee that gives us four weeks paid holiday, the right to be consulted about changes at work and our entitlement to parental leave - denying the legal right for parents to spend time with their newborn babies in the critical first few weeks. That's just three examples - but Cameron's threatening dozens more of your rights.In fact, he's said that axing these legal guarantees is his "top priority."It's something that he'll never say on TV or write in a leaflet but he's threatening all of these rights and more.Sign our petition and send Cameron a message that your rights matter. Dave may pretend to be everyone's new best friend but it's clear that he's faking it. It's not surprising really. After all, Millionaire Dave actively campaigned against the National Minimum Wage - when some people were earning just £1.20 an hour.We need to send him a message and I want you to be one of the first to do it. Sign up to say that your rights matter - No matter what the marketing says, it's clear that he's only interested in protecting big business rather than ordinary working people. Sign the petition and then invite your friends to do the same. Thank you. Our rights are precious - we need your help to protect them.

One in four went to work

when too ill in January

One in four (24 per cent) of the workforce went to work despite thinking they were too ill to do so in January, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the TUC and published today (Friday). And the big majority of those struggled in because they did not want to let others down.
The TUC says the poll paints a very different picture of sickness absence to the caricature that British workers are always taking bogus sickies and stay home at the first sign of a sniffle.
Workplace absence statistics collected by the CBI support these findings and show that sickness absence has in fact been steadily falling over the past decade. Ten years ago the average worker took an average of 8.5 days off sick a year. Last year it was 6.7 days. This is a fall of over 20 per cent, and the second lowest figure since records began in 1987.
According to the YouGov poll more than half the workforce (57 per cent) say they have gone to work when too ill during the last year. Only one in eight (12 per cent) say they have never gone to work when too ill.
This trend is on the increase. The TUC asked similar questions in a poll - using a very slightly different base, but at the same time of year - in 2004, when one in five (19 per cent) said that they had been to work in the last month when too ill to do so. Twice as many, one in four (25 per cent), said they had never been to work when too ill.
People say they go to work when ill because they don't want to let people down, more than because of pressure from above to do so. More than one in four (28 per cent) in the 2009 poll say they went to work because colleagues 'depend on the job I do, and I didn't want to let them down', followed by one in five (21 per cent) who say they 'did not want to give their colleagues extra work'.
Slightly fewer (18 per cent) said they 'did not want to let their employer down.' In total, two in three (67 per cent) went to work when ill because they didn't want to let clients, workmates or their bosses down.
But, while still a minority of the workforce, there are substantial numbers of people who say they are pressured into going into work. More than three million (13 per cent) say they cannot afford to lose pay and nearly 1.5 million (six per cent) say they are worried that their boss would take action against them.
More than one in four (29 per cent) say that the recession will make them more likely to go to work when ill.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Too often we are told that British workers are always taking bogus sickies or taking time off at the first sign of a sniffle.
'But the truth is that we are a nation of mucus-troopers who struggle into work even when we are too ill because we do not want to let colleagues, clients or our employer down.
'While this is admirable, it is not always the best thing to do. Coughs and sneezes still spread diseases, and the worst thing you can do to your workmates is pass on your illness.'

Local government pay goes to ACAS

UNISON and other council unions put their case for a larger 2008-9 pay award in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ACAS today.The joint unions, and the employers, had both already submitted written evidence on the pay deal, which both sides referred to arbitration late last year.The trade union presented their submission and supporting evidence in an oral hearing today, followed by the employers.The unions argued that local government has treated workers on National Joint Council terms and condit6ions as “poor relations” for a long time.Employers have failed to invest in pay, training and good conditions, while making over-the-odds efficiency savings and putting ever-larger off sums of money into reserves. UNISON and other unions also pointed out that the money available to local authorities from central government for the next three years will far exceed inflation if economic predictions are correct. The employers argued that pay offers had been constrained by government pay policy, the cost of the local government pension scheme and Single Status.Each side asked the other questions and the arbitration panel asked questions too. They were particularly interested in unallocated reserves - which have increased significantly in the last few years, and whether they can be used for pay purposes. The joint unions agreed to provide them with further information on unallocated reserves as a proportion of revenue for 2007/8 and 2008/9. That information has been obtained and he unions are now waiting for the employers to agree it so that it can be sent to the ACAS panel.There is no indication yet of when the ACAS panel will respond to the submissions.

Affordable, justified and necessary

(09/02/09) The NJC Trade Union Side has welcomed the opportunity to submit evidence to the panel of ACAS arbitrators appointed to resolve the 2008-09 NJC pay dispute within local government. We hope that we have reinforced the merits and rationale of our 2008-09 claim in the following pages. The claim is available for examination in Appendix 2. It was for:'A one-year increase on all pay points of 6% or 50 pence an hour, whichever is the greater, with a view to making progress to a bottom rate of £6.75 pence'We believe the employers’ offer of 2.45% has not adequately rewarded or met the financial needs of our members during 2008/09. Indeed, it has further increased the financial hardship they have found themselves in as a result of a series of below-inflation pay awards in recent years.Full details of the claim:

TU submission - Word doc Appendix - PDF

04/02/2009

UNISON CHIEF WARNS COUNCILS NOT TO

MIMIC ESSEX SELL-OFF PLANS

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, today (4 February), slammed plans by Essex County Council to sell-off all its council services as - “a recipe for disaster and economic chaos”. He warned other councils against going down that route, saying: “This is the first time in the history of Local Government that any council has put all its services out to tender. This is because it is a recipe for economic chaos and service failure. At a time when councils should be doing all they can to support their local communities and economy, the Tories, who run Essex County Council, are washing their hands of their responsibilities and selling off council services and jobs. “Only this week Essex County Council was forced to bring its failing outsourced IT contract back in house, which will no doubt cost local people millions. Instead of learning a salutary lesson from that experiment, Councillors are still recklessly intent on selling off the council. “UNISON will intensify its fight against these plans and the lesson to other councils must be ‘Don’t try this at home’.”

Campaigning to keep the LGPS

UNISON will launch a major campaign in the New Year to counter the hostile
propaganda coming from David Cameron and Eric Pickles on behalf of the
Conservative Party.
Both insist that the LGPS is unsustainable in the long-term and should become a
defined contribution scheme – not a defined benefit scheme as at present. Their view
is that there is “pensions apartheid” between private and public sector pensions and
that the taxpayer should not be asked to fund the LGPS and other public sector
schemes.
We will be telling them that the LGPS is a public good, not a drain on public finances.

Arbitration moves ahead on

local government pay claim

(26/01/09) UNISON has today been told that the first hearing over the local government pay claim for 2008-09 is to take place on 10 February.Submissions for this oral part of the process will be exchanged the week before.In September, the national joint council for England, Wales and Northern Ireland decided to refer the offer to ACAS for binding arbitration, following the successful strikes last July.Arbitration involves both sides making detailed written submissions to a panel of three arbitrators, followed by oral submissions.

TUC calls for end to discrimination and

hatred on Holocaust Memorial Day

The TUC is calling for an end to discrimination and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people (LGBT) at the Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) national commemoration event in Coventry today (Sunday).
HMD itself is on Tuesday (27 January), on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where 1.6 million men, women and children were killed in the Nazi holocaust.
HMD aims to prevent the holocaust being forgotten or repeated, and serves to remind people of the crimes and racism of both the holocaust and of more recent genocides across the world.
Alongside the six million Jewish victims of Nazi persecution, hundreds of thousands of others were targeted by Hitler's regime - including union members and LGBT people.
The TUC LGBT committee is attending the event in Coventry, and is urging LGBT people to support HMD events taking place around the country on Tuesday.
Midlands TUC Regional Secretary Roger McKenzie said: 'Unions have always stood up to the kind of discrimination, prejudice and hatred that led to the Nazi holocaust.
'LGBT people were among the millions of victims of Hitler's brutal regime, and today LGBT communities are a vital part of the resistance to modern versions of this hatred. I am proud that LGBT union members are taking part in the event.'
The event will see local people stand side by side with national leaders and survivors of genocide and conflict as well as international survivors of Nazi persecution, and will include survivor testimonies, poetry, drama and time for reflection.

'Public sector has key role to play'

(12/01/09) General secretary Dave Prentis will be urging the prime minister to make sure that the public sector will have a key role in helping people through the recession when they meet at today's jobs summit. Last year, almost 50,000 public service workers were made redundant and more cuts are on the cards.Mr Prentis will support measures aimed at increasing apprenticeships to fill the skills gap and to help the jobless back to work. And in that context, he will also be arguing that it would be "madness to add more public sector workers to the dole queues."It's going to be a tough year for everyone, but the government has to face down the critics baying for public sector blood. I will be telling the prime minister that it would be madness to add public sector workers to the dole queue."Some politicians and commentators argue that we should now be cutting back public spending and carp that public sector jobs are not going at the same rate as the private sector."But, Mr Prentis continued, "this is not a question of private versus public or a race to see who sheds the most jobs. It's in no-one's interests to have a race to the bottom. The cost of job losses to the taxpayer, in whatever sector is enormous. The cost of a job lost to an individual or a family is enormous. Each redundancy is a personal tragedy."Fairness is fundamental as the human impact of the recession hits home. The burdens need to be spread fairly, and those who can must make their contribution. The government has bailed out the bankers who got us into this mess, now it is right that working people should be given a helping hand."Public services are needed now more than ever – to stabilise our economy, to help people through difficult times, and to lay the foundations for a better future. In a recession, they are the first line of defence."

Now is the time to stand up for workers

(03/12/08) The financial and economic crisis hitting the world means that, now more than ever, "the time is right to stand up for workers," general secretary Dave Prentis told UNISON's national executive council in London today."It's the workers, vulnerable people, pensioners and people living on benefits who pay the price of the crisis," he noted. "It's our people who are suffering."I believe this recession is so bad we need a voice speaking up for working people."The NEC agreed to work through the TUC to organise events around the scheduled summit meeting of the G20 leading economies in the spring to highlight workers' rights and a social agenda.The union is also working within the union movement, including the TUC, to push for domestic policies in response to the crisis, including a moratorium on house repossessions, maintenance of public spending and a domestic social agenda including workers' rights, equal pay and pensions, including state pensions."Pensioners need to be protected from the ravages of recession," noted Mr Prentis.The union will also launch a public campaign to defend public services and explain their importance in a time of crisis."We have an anti-privatisation agenda, but we do need to set out the case for the public service tradition and the maintenance of public expenditure," said Mr Prentis."We know markets and competition have failed in the financial sector – why import them into public services?"The NEC also heard that UNISON will continue working with fellow public service unions and the TUC on public sector pay, as well as the broader agenda.The meeting also endorsed plans to step up the union's anti-fascist work in the run-up to next year’s European Parliament and local elections, targeting areas where the BNP is focusing its election bids.In particular, the NEC thanked nursing sector committee member Mick McKeown for getting an item published in Nursing Times pointing out that being a member of an avowedly discriminatory organisation like the BNP is "incompatible with belonging to the community of nurses".The NEC also
agreed the union’s objectives and priorities for 2009;
agreed the budget for 2009 and received a financial report on the first nine months of 2008;
endorsed arrangements for next year’s NEC elections
received a report on recruitment in the first nine months, showing a slight improvement in figures;
received reports on equal pay, including litigation;
received an update on pay negotiations in all bargaining groups, including the recent successful strike by members at Scottish Water and agreement at the Meat Hygiene Service;
ruled that NEC members will in future attend conference as NEC representatives only and not as branch delegates;
congratulated the Westminster City branch on defeating proposals to introduce fingerprint scanning equipment ( news story) and agreed to investigate similar moves elsewhere in the public services;
agreed to send a message of support to members in the Northern Ireland community and voluntary sector under threat from 'dissidents' over their work in community projects;
agreed to send a message of condolences to Birmingham branch secretary Carole Hagans, who lost family members in the recent M6 tragedy, make a donation to the family's charity of choice Feed My Lambs and circulate a request for donations to branches and regions.

UNISON calls on government to fund council houses

(13/11/08) Cash-strapped councils need money to make sure they can provide people with decent homes, says UNISON.The union is urging the government to front up the cash to help councils build new homes, and to upgrade the homes of existing tenants to meet national standards.Speaking from the union's housing seminar in Birmingham today, UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said: "Severe overcrowding and waiting lists of four million show that new homes are urgently needed."The chancellor's plans to spend through the recession provide the perfect opportunity to step in and build them, she said."A programme of new homes for tenants to rent from councils and housing associations makes social and economic sense – creating jobs in construction and building supplies as well as meeting housing needs."The government must also take steps to avoid redundancies in councils and housing associations, she said."When there is so much that needs to be done it makes no sense for programmes to be scaled back and staff numbers cut."

Arbitration moves forward

Local government unions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have agreed proposed terms of reference for arbitration over this year’s pay award.The proposed wording is: "The arbitrator is asked to consider the arguments put forward by both sides and make an award to resolve the 2008/9 pay dispute.All parties accept the arbitrator’s decision is final. In particular, this means:
No further industrial action will take place during the arbitration process or following the arbitrator’s decision, and
Any award will be implemented in full without delay." The employers are considering the same form of words and unions hope to receive confirmation from them by the end of the week.Arbitration will consist of both sides making detailed written submissions to a panel of three arbitrators, which it is hoped will be completed by the last week in November, followed by an oral hearing in early December.The joint unions also agreed the 2009-10 claim, for "seeks a one-year, across-the-board pay increase of at least the level of retail price inflation with additional increases for the lower paid".The full text of the claim will include the unions' objective of reaching settlement in time for the award to by paid into members' pay packets by 1 April 2009.A joint union letter will be sent to each authority, asking them to budget for at least a cost-of-living increase to fit in with the claim and relevant UNISON branches are being encouraged to write to their employers also. A template letter will be sent to branches shortly.

Council unions make progress

(27/10/08) Trade unions representing more than a million council workers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have taken another step towards resolving the long running local government pay dispute.Final settlement of the deal will depend on the results of arbitration, which both sides are waiting for. However, last week saw an initial meeting with employers and ACAS to agree the terms of reference.The unions are hoping to hold further talks this week.UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said that the union believes that it has a strong case for a fairer deal for local government staff, and is hopeful for an early decision from ACAS.A full report on progress will be given to a joint trade union meeting on 3 November.Meanwhile, local government workers are still on track to get a 2.45% interim pay rise before Christmas -- agreed by employers earlier this month to help those struggling to cope with rising costs.

A fair deal for local government workers

Lib Dems slam public sector pensions

The Liberal Democrats have backed a report calling on public sector final salary pension schemes to be axed. The study was produced by pensions analysts at Hargreaves Lansdowne who claim that funding public sector pension liabilities will place a growing burden on the state. They say the best solution is to make public sector pensions less generous: "Instead of having a garannteed income in retirement,public sector workers should have "defined contribution" pensions."

Projections showed the change would mean future public sector pensioners would have smaller pensions than their counterparts today. Jenny Willott, the Lib Dem pensions spokeswoman, backed the call for public sector pensions to be reformed, saying "It is unfair and irresponsible to keep heaping this burden on future generations"

Council workers get interim pay rise

(17/10/08) Local government workers in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are set to get an interim pay rise to tide them over Christmas.UNISON today confirmed that the employers have agreed to the union's request for a 2.45% pay rise for staff, with an extra £100 for the lowest paid, backdated to April.The increase is an interim measure – final settlement of this year's pay award is awaiting the results of arbitration.UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield welcomed the employers' decision to pay the uplift backdated to April."With Christmas just around the corner, 2.45% will bring some comfort to local government workers struggling to cope with the rising cost of everyday essentials," she said.She added: "UNISON believes we have a strong case for a fairer deal for local government staff, which we are taking to ACAS for arbitration, and we are hopeful for an early decision."Members should receive the pay rise and back pay in their November pay packets.Trade unions will meet with the employers again on 23 October to discuss the terms of reference for arbitration.

More details in Pay news bulletin 21 (PDF)

Inflation hits 5.2%

(14/10/08) UNISON has renewed its call for the government to drop the unfair squeeze on public service pay following the latest rise in inflation.Figures out today show consumer inflation has soared to 5.2%, with higher gas and electricity bills causing much of the increase.However, care workers, nurses, teaching assistants and road sweepers don’t have to see the figures to know that costs have risen at an unprecedented rate, said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis."They feel it where it hurts every time they do the family shop, fill up their car, or see another red bill come through the letterbox."The government has taken bold action to rescue the banks; it should now support the army of public sector workers who play a vital role in our local communities, and drop the unfair squeeze on their pay," he said.The latest increase in inflation strengthens the case to reopen the NHS pay deal, Mr Prentis said, pointing out that the agreed rise will leave health workers with a pay cut for next year.Local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are also looking for a fair deal as they take their case to arbitration, he said, adding: "With each rise in inflation, our case for higher pay for both these vital groups of staff grows stronger." National Statistics inflation page

A half point cut is not enough, says TUC

Commenting on the half percentage point cut in interest rates, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'While we welcome the international co-ordination that has brought simultaneous cuts in the UK, Europe and the USA, a half per cut is simply not enough.
'The inflationary threat is melting away, and the question now is how deep and long the slowdown will be.
'A deep cut in rates would not simply provide important help to businesses and mortgage payers, but also help end the financial crisis as it would make risky and insecure loans much more likely to be repaid.
'The Chancellor was right to remind the Bank that they have a remit to back government economic policy. A half per cent cut is not enough to support today's finance package.'

Unions appeal for quick resolution to pay dispute

(01/10/08) Local government workers have a right to expect a pay increase by Christmas, says UNISON.The union has joined the GMB and Unite in urging ACAS to begin arbitration as soon as possible to resolve the long-standing dispute over pay in England, Northern Ireland and Wales."UNISON is extremely disappointed at the employers' refusal to make a fair pay offer and has been left with little choice but arbitration," said Heather Wakefield, the union's head of local government."With the cost of everyday essentials rising by the day, our members cannot afford to take another pay cut," she said."Local government workers have a right to expect a pay increase by Christmas, and UNISON will be presenting solid evidence to ACAS to back up our claim."The union will also be keeping a watchful eye on the number of redundancies coming through from local councils, Ms Wakefield added."We will all suffer if local services do not have enough staff to run them efficiently."

A fair deal for local government workers

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.
Related pages:
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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."

My 'council', what about 'my pay'

(02/07/08) UNISON today attacked the Local Government Association (LGA) for launching a 'My council' public relations exercise, as 600,000 local government workers prepare to take strike action.The LGA is using its annual conference in Bournemouth to trail a series of posters telling people about the many services provided by councils.UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis, said: "The LGA poster campaign shows just how difficult working for the council can be. What it doesn’t tell you is just how little those people get paid for doing jobs that most people would run a mile from."These are the very people who are being asked to take a pay cut. These are the people who will be out on strike on 16 and 17 July."The LGA is happy to boast about what excellent value for money council services provide, but they won’t share those £16bn efficiency savings with the people who made them - council workers."It’s time for the employers to tear themselves away from publicity seeking and concentrate on settling the current pay dispute so that council workers can continue keeping the streets clean and people safe.UNISON members also leafleted local government leaders attending the LGA conference, calling on them to come back to the table to negotiate a fair deal on pay.

Council strikes confirmed

(27/06/08) UNISON’s industrial action committee has today confirmed that local government strike action will go ahead on 16 and 17 July in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. "Throughout the union and across the country our members working in local government have given sustained strike action the green light," said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.The action affects 600,000 of the union’s local government members, including social workers, librarians, school meals workers, refuse collectors, surveyors and teaching assistants.They will walk out to protest this year’s below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%. "This decision has not been taken lightly, but years of pay cuts and recent hikes in fuel, food and housing costs has left them with little choice," Mr Prentis continued."The employers must realise that we mean business. They must also understand they can resolve this dispute by coming up with a decent offer. Our members are loyal public service workers and our case for fair pay is strong."The government’s Office of National Statistics’ own figures show that Retail Price Index inflation reached 4.3% in May. In the same month, the CPI measure of inflation, which the government uses to set its inflation target, hit 3.3%
Local government workers in Scotland are being balloted in July on taking strike action after rejecting a three-year offer worth 2.5% in each year.

Council strikes confirmed

(27/06/08) UNISON’s industrial action committee has today confirmed that local government strike action will go ahead on 16 and 17 July in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. "Throughout the union and across the country our members working in local government have given sustained strike action the green light," said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.The action affects 600,000 of the union’s local government members, including social workers, librarians, school meals workers, refuse collectors, surveyors and teaching assistants.They will walk out to protest this year’s below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%. "This decision has not been taken lightly, but years of pay cuts and recent hikes in fuel, food and housing costs has left them with little choice," Mr Prentis continued."The employers must realise that we mean business. They must also understand they can resolve this dispute by coming up with a decent offer. Our members are loyal public service workers and our case for fair pay is strong."The government’s Office of National Statistics’ own figures show that Retail Price Index inflation reached 4.3% in May. In the same month, the CPI measure of inflation, which the government uses to set its inflation target, hit 3.3%
Local government workers in Scotland are being balloted in July on taking strike action after rejecting a three-year offer worth 2.5% in each year.

Local government workers seek 48-hour strike

UNISON local government negotiators for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are seeking authorisation to start the “sustained strike action” over the below-inflation pay offer of 2.45% with a 48-hour strike in mid July.The union’s industrial action committee meets on Friday 27 June to make the decision over strike action – and negotiators on the union’s National Joint Council committee are recommending that 600,000 local government workers kick off the action by striking on 16 and 17 July. “It is a tough decision to take strike action but our members have shown that they are willing to fight for a fair deal,” said UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield. “Once the dates are finally agreed we will be going all out to mobilise maximum support around those strike days.”Members voted 55% to 45% in favour of a programme of sustained strike in a ballot whose result was announced yesterday. That vote was in reaction to a ‘final offer’ from local government employers of a 2.45% pay rise. The government’s Office of National Statistics’ own figures show that Retail Price Index inflation reached 4.3% in May. In the same month, the CPI measure of inflation, which the government uses to set its inflation target, hit 3.3%“We are of course always willing to meet the employers,” said Ms Wakefield. “The solution to this is in their hands.” But she also warned the employers that the union will mobilise its members for strike action, saying “they must know that we mean business and they must know that our members cannot afford to take another pay cut this year.”
Local government workers in Scotland are being balloted in July on taking strike action after rejecting a three-year offer worth 2.5% in each year.

Local government workers seek 48-hour strike

UNISON local government negotiators for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are seeking authorisation to start the “sustained strike action” over the below-inflation pay offer of 2.45% with a 48-hour strike in mid July.The union’s industrial action committee meets on Friday 27 June to make the decision over strike action – and negotiators on the union’s National Joint Council committee are recommending that 600,000 local government workers kick off the action by striking on 16 and 17 July. “It is a tough decision to take strike action but our members have shown that they are willing to fight for a fair deal,” said UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield. “Once the dates are finally agreed we will be going all out to mobilise maximum support around those strike days.”Members voted 55% to 45% in favour of a programme of sustained strike in a ballot whose result was announced yesterday. That vote was in reaction to a ‘final offer’ from local government employers of a 2.45% pay rise. The government’s Office of National Statistics’ own figures show that Retail Price Index inflation reached 4.3% in May. In the same month, the CPI measure of inflation, which the government uses to set its inflation target, hit 3.3%“We are of course always willing to meet the employers,” said Ms Wakefield. “The solution to this is in their hands.” But she also warned the employers that the union will mobilise its members for strike action, saying “they must know that we mean business and they must know that our members cannot afford to take another pay cut this year.”
Local government workers in Scotland are being balloted in July on taking strike action after rejecting a three-year offer worth 2.5% in each year.

Local government members vote for action

(23/06/08) UNISON members in local government in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have voted by 55% to 45% for a programme of sustained strike action over a 2.45% pay offer.The union’s negotiating team, the National Joint Council committee, will now meet tomorrow to decide what action to recommend to the union's industrial action committee that meets on Friday 27 June.Commenting on the ballot result, general secretary Dave Prentis said: "This is a solid vote for action and a clear message to the local government employers that our members are willing to fight for a decent pay rise."They are fed up and angry that they are expected to accept pay cut after pay cut, while bread and butter prices go through the roof. "Most of them are low paid workers, who are hit hardest by food and fuel price hikes and they see the unfairness of boardroom bonanzas and big city bonuses"Other local government workers who have to use their cars for work are being hit hard too by spiralling fuel costs and they end up subsidising their employers." UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield added: "The employers should be in no doubt: the members have voted for a programme of sustained and escalating strike action because they are sick of being treated as the poor relations of the public sector."Their case for a realistic pay increase is indisputable. We are, of course, willing to meet with the employers at any time, but we will decide tomorrow what recommendations to make to our national strike committee."Nearly 600,000 UNISON members were balloted on industrial action; including social workers, housing benefit workers, rent collectors refuse workers, school meals staff, teaching assistants, cooks, cleaners, architects and surveyors.Almost 250,000 of those balloted earn less than £6.50 an hour and 75% of them are women.The joint unions' pay claim was for 6% or 50p an hour whichever was the greater.In Scotland, the union will ballot more than 100,000 UNISON members in July for industrial action, after they rejected a three-year offer worth 2.5% per year.UNISON also announced a lobby of the Scottish employers' organisation, CoSLA, on Wednesday 25 June."Despite public statements from CoSLA that they are still in negotiation, the employers have recently cancelled a negotiating meeting scheduled for Wednesday," noted UNISON Scotgland regional organiser Dougie Black."We have decided that our negotiators, and a representative number of our low paid members, will keep the appointment nevertheless to make the point to CoSLA that their offer is unacceptable."They will be carrying the princely sum of 46p – the total that our lowest paid members can expect their hourly rate to increase if they accepted the employers' offer."

UNISON calls for tighter regulations

on use of teaching assistants

UNISON is calling for tighter regulations on the use of teaching assistants in schools.Speaking from the union's annual conference in Bournemouth, Christina McAnea, UNISON National Secretary for Education, said: "Our members tell us they are often being asked to take on additional duties including taking whole classes."Many of them have not received the right training or support. Importantly, they are also not paid for these extra responsibilities."We are pushing the government and the employers to provide much tighter regulations and for these to be more closely monitored. "The government's wider agenda for extended services, personalised learning and targeting resources towards the most disadvantaged children, will all be put at risk if the lack of training, low pay and exploitation."Rosemary Plummer, a teaching assistant and union rep from Islington, reported that more than 40 teaching assistants from a small area of London had told her they felt they were being asked to do more than they were qualified for."They're delivering maths, they're delivering literacy and marking work - that's a teacher's job. They're being used as cut-price teachers," she said.UNISON organises more than 200,000 schools support staff.

'Use your liberty to promote ours'

"Please use your liberty to promote ours." The words of imprisoned Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi were echoed by numerous speakers at conference today as they spoke of their growing alarm at the unfolding natural disaster in Burma.It is now several weeks since Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, but the country is still reeling from its impact.Meanwhile, international aid agencies have been denied access to the stricken areas.Delegates said they were appalled at the military junta's failure to put in place any meaningful relief and rescue operation.Its response illustrated the contempt in which the regime holds the wellbeing of its own people, conference said.Talking about the problem was all very well, "but now is the time to act," urged Salford City rep Ray Walker, as conference voted to send a clear signal of support and solidarity to Burmese trade unions and the Burmese people.One of the most moving speeches of the morning came from University of Bristol rep Toe Aung, who left Burma for Britain 22 years ago.He had been to the low-lying delta devastated by the cyclone, he said, painting a picture of the people who live there – mainly farmers, growing rice for a living. His mother was born there."The people there have a simple life. They are good natured, which is why they have been exploited by the military government for so long." He did not dare visualise their pain and suffering in the wake of the cyclone, he said, telling conference: "They desperately need our help. Please show your generosity and solidarity."

Diversity 'is not the problem'

Racism, discrimination and poverty are the main barriers to integration - not cultural diversity, UNISON's national delegate conference declared today.Delegates voted for a range of measures to defend and promote multiculturalism and community cohesion. And they reaffirmed the union's commitment to opposing the far right and fighting racism.That fight needs to be year-round, not just at election-time, conference said, noting concern at the rising popularity of the BNP, and sending a message to all UNISON members that "the campaigning has got to start now."It was for everyone to tackle racism wherever they confronted it, and to work with all appropriate organisations to bring their communities together, urged speaker after speaker."As a union we can't just talk about this; we have to put in the resources and our time and energy, in our workplaces and on the streets," said Northern regional convenor Clare Williams."In UNISON we can rightly be proud of our campaigning work against the BNP... but let's be clear, we have still got work to do," she said."This is our message to the BNP," she said: "We will challenge you wherever you are until there is not a single BNP councillor and you are back in the gutter where you belong."Conference condemned government attacks on migrant workers, particularly ministerial statements which fuelled the far right and gave credence to the right-wing gutter press. Delegates also condemned media coverage "designed to create a climate of Islamophobic hysteria and isolate, demonise and even criminalise Islamic religious practices, choice of dress and cultural expression. "We regard these attacks as essentially racist," conference said.Conference also backed continued support for the joint UNISON and National Assembly Against Racism campaign, One Society, Many Cultures.Leading the call on behalf of the union's national black members' committee, Bev Millar reminded delegates why it was important to promote racial harmony."Where multiculturalism is celebrated, diversity is welcomed and racism is combated," she said. "Britain is a dynamic and successful multicultural society thanks to the contribution of all its citizens."Multiculturalism enriches us all by encouraging different ethnic groups to share their cultural heritage, added Rochdale branch delegate June Poole."We're already neighbours," she said - let's be neighbourly. "And remember, we're all different, but we're all equal."

Prentis issues battle warning !

"Class still divides. Geography still divides. Working people – our people – are taking the hit. It’s immoral – and it’s got to change."Addressing UNISON's national delegate conference this afternoon, general secretary Dave Prentis rallied members to prepare for strikes across the public sector.The union will know on Monday whether its local government members in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have voted to strike over this year’s below-inflation pay offer – an offer in line with the government's "iniquitous and unjust" pay policy.But UNISON members did not elect a Labour government to watch its core supporters suffer, Mr Prentis said. "How can it be that in New Labour’s Britain, it is the working poor who pay the price?" he asked.UNISON members want fair pay increases that will allow them to "live their lives without worrying about putting food on the table or the next gas bill," said the general secretary, telling conference he had placed ads in all the major newspapers today and tomorrow, calling on local government members to vote … and to vote Yes for industrial action."We need to prepare for battle," he said. "And I give this commitment: if our union decides to approve industrial action in local government, we will campaign with all other public service unions to break this pay policy."It was not too late to listen, Mr Prentis warned the government: "Raise our people up, or our people will bring you down."UNISON wanted a government that would stand up for working people, he said, promising this was a fight the union would not back down from."And while I am general general secretary, we will be at the forefront of that fight."This union, our union, will organise the most powerful campaign ever seen in support of our public services and those, our members, who provide them," Mr Prentis said.It would be a campaign to unite all public service workers, and all public service unions, "a campaign that turns our anger into aspiration… and makes justice for all a reality."UNISON’s activists would be the key to its success, he added, calling on delegates for their hearts, time and energy, because "that's when we’re strongest and that is how we will win."

Where workers' rights cost lives

"They may kill our leaders but the struggle will continue. Long live the unity and solidarity of the workers of the world."An impassioned speech from Ana Lucia Pinzon, leader of Colombian public sector workers' trade union Fenaltrase, was a key feature of all the union’s service group conferences in Bournemouth, prompting standing ovations from delegates.Free market reforms are taking their toll on workers around the globe, Ms Pinzon said, but in Colombia it's not just labour rights that are under attack.She explained: "It is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a trade union member. Thousands of my colleagues have been killed in recent years - 26 so far this year."In Colombia, trade unionists face the constant threat of violence and assassination. Sometimes, they just disappear, Ms Pinzon said. "One of my colleagues was taken away by police patrol when he was taking his six-year-old daughter to school. He has not been seen since."The people of Colombia took to the streets in March this year to protest these human rights violations and show solidarity with the more than 10,000 people murdered by the government. But the violence and attacks had stepped up since, Ms Pinzon said.Thanking UNISON members for their support to date, she urged them to continue to lobby the UK government to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to Colombia."We need support and solidarity from our colleagues around the world to negotiate a peaceful end to this conflict and, finally, an end to this abuse," she said."Finally, on behalf of Colombian workers, thank you to everyone in UNISON who, through Justice for Colombia, has helped with projects to defend human rights," she added."Long live the construction of a better tomorrow for all the workers of the world."