Red Iron

South Yorkshire Bus Dispute

2012-01-06T09:58:00.004Z

Martin Mayer, Andy Yeardley and Dave Smith to support the Stagecoach picket line on Wednesday morning. The strike is now in its 7th day on a series of rolling one day strikes. Out of over 250 drivers at the Barnsley depot only about 11 drivers are scabbing on the dispute.

But Stagecoach is bussing in supervisors and managers from all around the country who are prepared to take the “boss’s shilling”. The result is the depot is able to get out about 60% of the services.

But at what cost? The pickets told me they had seen a slip showing up to £155 bonuses per day for strike breakers on top of their wage. Hotel and travel is also paid. So the strikers are not disheartened. Stagecoach a) can’t keep this up as its more expensive than paying the drivers and b) they clearly can afford to pay the increase they are seeking!
There is another depot at Rawmarsh, Rotherham also in dispute. This is a smaller depot and I have no feedback from there as yet except that the strike there is solid.

Around 50 drivers were on the picket line or standing across the road – and it was a cold windy day as well. They told me that when they are back at work the Company is imposing an overtime ban on the strikers, whilst letting the scabs have as much overtime as they like. They are even getting a few drivers up from Sheffield Stagecoach Ecclesfield depot to work their day off – we have not been able to get that branch to do anything about it.

State of play is that the Company have imposed 18p pay rise in November taking their top rate to £8.74 p per hour or the year commencing April 2011. The Company are only prepared to talk “productivity” i.e. losing conditions which the branch is united in opposing. The drivers are demanding £9.50p per hour with no strings. The next strike is 16thJanuary.

They desperately need support. The branch fund is depleted because they are paying strike pay to new members who have less than 13 weeks membership and whom Region has not paid.

Please send messages of support go and stand on the picket line on the next day of strike action and above all please send cheques for their hardship fund.

We need to give these drivers our maximum support. Don’t let Stagecoach beat UNITE!!

Messages of support should be sent to Barnsley Unite Branch Secretary Tony Rushforth, a-rushforth@sky.com. Cheques should be made payable to Barnsley Unite and sent to Tony at 45 Tune Street, Wombwell, Barnsley S73 8PX

AEI Cables Workers Still Resolute

2011-12-11T09:58:00.001Z

Last May 126 employees at AEI Cables in Birtley County Durham were handed letters informing them that they no longer had a job.
They were informed that the company which had been bought for £14.5 million by New Delhi-based Paramount Communications in 2007, had ran into difficulties as the price of copper doubled in price.
The company's creditors accepted a proposal for the company to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), but failed to consult with trade unions, and the sacked workers have had no redundancy payments despite having an enhanced redundancy scheme.
They were told they would have to get them from the government.

Taxpayer's money had to be used to pay the workers but the Taxpayer's Alliance don't seem to be shouting about this do they?
Bill Doyle, who is acting as an unofficial coordinator, explained that when the company entered into a CVA, the workers were issued with immediate notices to end their employment, with no redundancy money, 'We have to go through the rigmarole of fighting for it', he said.
Another worker told how they were all 'shell shocked, devastated at the way we've been treated.' He went on to say that he had been at the factory for over 20 years; 'All I got was a letter through the door, no explanation.
I'm relying on my wife's wages now - which isn't much money.'
Since the sacking of these loyal workers the company have taken on from outside those that were sacked.
All of those sacked are members of Unite and GMB and are determined to fight for justice. They need support and every avenue must be explored to ensure they get that justice.

Unite Executive Council Statement

2011-12-11T09:44:00.001Z

This Unite Executive Council congratulates the two million trade unionists, including thousands of UNITE members, who struck on November 30th in defence of their pensions and our public services. The EC also welcomes and extends a huge thank you to the general public that supported in their millions and made the day a tremendous success, proving not only that we have public support but that government attempts to divide our communities will fail.

This EC also recognises that this government is stepping up its fight against all working people with its threat to further attack trade union democracy, introduce more anti-trade union legislation and remove and/or further weaken employment protections for all.

This EC believes that the union, working in cooperation with other public sector trade unions needs to now work up a strategic plan to escalate the action to win decent pensions for all. Action that will not only protect the pensions of our public service membership but workers across the private sector facing similar attacks on their pension schemes.

This Executive Council

calls for a review of actions taken on the 30 November involving meetings in the regions as well as nationally, to see how we move forward together, share best practice and analyse strengths and weaknesses from the day. Further, we must grasp this opportunity to recruit new members and develop new stewards as part of a revitalised activist’s organisation across the union.
supports a plan to further nationally coordinated strike action with other public sector trade unions. The key to winning is to quickly and significantly escalate the action as early as possible in the New Year and coordinating this with private sector actions being planned as employers opportunistically attempt to undermine and/or close pension schemes across our economy.
supports a national march in defence of our NHS in the New Year.
congratulates the TUC on its coordination of action across our nations in support of each other and calls on all unions to stand together in opposition to government attempts to divide unions and offer terms of settlement to some while continuing the attack on others.
condemns the government and their media mogul friends who have tried to divide public and private sector workers with the claim that public sector workers have pensions far better than those enjoyed by their colleagues in the private sector. It’s time to level up not down!
notes that private sector workers have seen attacks on their schemes in recent years. There have been a number of strikes and threat of strikes with unions fighting back and winning concessions, despite the law being stacked against them and little legal protection for private sector schemes.

We should all be supporting the Public Sector Strikes on 30th November

2011-10-27T09:03:00.000+01:00

Once again thank you to Martin Mayer Chair of United Left for submitting the article below:

Almost every single public sector union is currently balloting their public sector membership for strike action on 30th November. As many as 3 million workers could be out on strike that day over the cuts to their pensions. That's probably more than even during the General Strike in 1926 and therefore likely to be the biggest single day of strike action in British history.

So why are teachers, nurses, fire fighters, local authority workers, civil servants and many more public sector workers so determined to strike over pensions? The answer is very simple. This is the biggest single attack on any group of workers' terms and conditions to date under this ConDem Government. And it comes after a wave of redundancies both compulsory and voluntary across the public sector as the ConDem Government's massive spending cuts begin to bite. Those who have kept their jobs have almost certainly suffered a wage freeze – some for two years running – and have had to work harder to pick up the work of those who have been made redundant. Some Local Authority workers like those employed by Tory Southampton City Council have actually had a pay cut imposed on them. Contrary to popular belief (as touted by much of the tabloid press) public sector workers are NOT the best paid workers in the country (e.g. 65% of civil servants are on £25000 p.a. or less). So attacking their public sector pensions is very much a step too far.
The scale of the attack on the public sector pensions beggars belief. For a start a typical public sector worker is being made to contribute an additional 3.2% towards their pension. That's equivalent to a massive cut in take-home pay after for what has been for many a second year of no pay rise at all. Whilst being made to pay 50% more their pensions, benefits are being cut to give a pension 50% less. As for retirement at 60 – forget it! They are being told they will not be able to take their retirement pension till 67 or 68 years of age!! Can you imagine after a career in teaching or nursing and making plans to retire at 60 to be told that you must work till you drop!

As if this is not bad enough the Government has imposed a change from RPI (retail price index) to CPI (consumer price index) for uprating pensions annually. CPI generally estimates inflation at least 1% below RPI so this will have a big effect on the value of the pension over lifetime – as much as 15% reduction in value. What is more, as with the other changes, these have been imposed without negotiation. 6 Trade Unions have clubbed together to take this to judicial review at the High Court as the ConDem Government has clearly breached its own regulations in the way it has imposed CPI without consultation or due process. It is typical of the cavalier fashion with which this millionaire cabinet has treated its most despised section of the British workforce – public sector workers.

Make no mistake about it. The ConDem Government's vicious and highly damaging spending cuts have been targeted at working people and particularly those who work in the public sector. This ideologically driven strategy is designed to reward the rich and powerful who are to blame for the economic crisis – and who have benefited from £25B tax cuts so far since they came into office – whilst seeking to permanently reduce the size of the state. Their intention is to dismantle as much as they can of the post-war welfare state and the public services on which so many of us depend. Hence the £20B cuts to NHS spending over 4 years, equivalent to 25% of its annual budget. Its NHS “Reform Bill” will break up the NHS and allow it be farmed out to big business on highly profitable contracts. Then there's the 14% annual cut to state education budgets which included the scrapping of the new school building programme (stayed for now by the High Court), the end of Education Maintenance Allowance to help poor youngsters stay in further education, plus of course the inexorable rise in tuition fees to £9000 p.a. Local Authorities face a £28B cut across the piece which has seen the slashing of Sure Start schemes designed to support young mothers on low incomes, the closure of public libraries, scrapping of socially supported bus services and much more. Worst and most pernicious of all are the £20B Welfare Benefit cuts which have already hit disabled workers and, by twisting the form of assessment, striking many unfit workers off benefit altogether. Next April when the majority of the cuts really begin to bite, watch out for poor families being turfed out of their homes because the capping of overall household benefits will mean the rent cannot be paid. Already Jobs Centres around the country are referring the poorest claimants to church charities for food handouts because State Benefits are so meagre (unless of course you still believe the insidious lies of the tabloid press which claim anyone on State benefits is living a life of luxury at our expense).
But let's get back to the pensions cuts. Do not be fooled that “we are all in this together” and public sector workers must make their contribution to help reduce the deficit – that's disproved by the tax give-aways to the rich and the snowballing once more of the bankers' bonus culture which is going on unchecked. Don't be fooled either by the other red herring that public sector pensions are “unsustainable”. The last Labour Government undertook a sustainability exercise into all the public sector pension schemes only a few years ago. One of the only asset based schemes (where the pension contributions are invested in bonds and shares etc.) is the Local Government Pension Scheme. This was relaunched as a new scheme as recently as April 2008 with employers paying less and employees paying more. Early retirement before 65 for those with long service is being phased out and medical severance pensions have been severely curtailed. There's certainly no need for another hit on this one. The other public sector schemes are not based on an investment fund but pay out pensions directly from the stream of contributions from employers and employees. They are thus totally immune from the vagaries of the markets and were remodelled by the Labour Government to limit employers' liabilities and shift much more of the financial burden onto the employees. In short the drive for sustainability has already been met - and recently. It's time to see through the spin. This is nothing more than a smash n'grab by a millionaire cabinet on our public sector workers pensions.

The last card that the ConDem Government and their media mogul friends have tried to play is to divide public sector and private sector workers with the claim that public sector workers have pensions far better than those enjoyed by private sector workers – it's time to make it fairer for everyone, they say. Well in the trade union movement we always said you make things fairer by levelling up not levelling down. It's true private sector workers have a had a terrible deal with their pension schemes in recent years. There have been a number of strikes and threats of strikes and in many cases where unions have fought back we have won sizable concessions. But the law has been stacked against us as there has been precious little legal protection for private sector pension schemes – and very little interest from present or past governments for help. Many employers have closed down final salary schemes and far too many working people will end up with poverty pensions in retirement. But the real truth is that the very same bosses who have closed down pension schemes for their workers are enjoying executive pension bonanzas! The average executive pension of the top FTSE 100 directors is a staggering £237,000 p.a. And many of them enjoy enormous tax concessions on their overall pay and pensions packages as well.

On 30th November public sector workers will be in the front line of the resistance against this ConDem Government and their disastrous and destructive austerity spending cuts. The attacks on them are a disgrace and they should be applauded for their grit and determination to fight back to defend their hard won pensions. They are right to expect the solidarity and support from millions of working people not directly involved in this particular trade dispute. But 30th November will inevitably symbolise much more than a fight over pensions. It will be a day of mass protest against everything this ConDem Government stands for – and of course that means its massive spending cuts which are hitting hard already and more is to come. It's a chance for us to rally together and say we will not pay for the economic crisis caused by the bankers. We will not accept cuts to living standards for working people- not just public sector workers- whilst the rich and powerful not only get away Scot free, but are enjoying record profits and inflation busting pay rises. Let's use the day to put forward the alternative which must include investment for growth and decent jobs. Instead of cutting welfare benefits and crippling our public services let's reclaim the £120B tax that is evaded avoided or just simply uncollected from the rich and powerful every single year – more than enough to wipe out the Government's deficit. We could be building our way out of the recession with new schools, a council house building programme and investment in public transport. We did it after the war with a bigger deficit in comparable terms then than we have now. We have a lot at stake to fight for and to defend. There are rallies and demonstrations planned in every city and most towns across the country. Let's get up off our knees and come out in force to support the public sector strikers on 30th November.

Fight to Protect The Agricultural Wages Board

2011-10-26T10:39:00.000+01:00

Agricultural Workers from across Britain demonstrated at the Houses of Parliament on October 25, 2011 to urge Members of Parliament (MPs) to oppose the Public Bodies Bill. The Bill, if passed, would allow a process to start to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB), the mechanism for fixing legally enforceable minimum wages and conditions for agricultural workers in England and Wales. The agricultural workers' union, Unite, called the demonstration to try to persuade MPs to oppose both the inclusion of the AWB in the Bill and the entire Public Bodies Bill. The opposition Labour Party is already committed to maintaining the AWB so the targets were Liberals and other non-Conservative MPs.

The demonstration was followed by a meeting in the Parliament where MPs were invited to meet with rural workers to hear from them directly how the abolition of the AWB would impact on their lives.
Unite national officer Cath Speight commented, “The abolition of the AWB will force thousands into poverty in rural areas. Wages will be slashed if the statutory floor of protection is removed. The AWB provides a framework for a more sustainable form of farming, not least in respect of attracting the future workforce and supporting skills and training”.
The Public Bodies Bill is enabling legislation - it will still need a vote in both the House of Commons and the Lords to abolish the Board so Unite will be continuing the “Save the AWB campaign” for the foreseeable future.
Protecting the AWB is not just about wages - the Board also sets minimum conditions on training, rest breaks and accommodation entitlements. The AWB was the only one of the UK wages boards to survive Margaret Thatcher’s government in the 1980s. Then the agricultural workers’ union led a major fight to protect the AWB. Now another Conservative government is again trying to destroy it and the union is fighting back.
Help UK agricultural workers defend their wages and conditions – click here to lobby Liberal and Independent MPs.

Tribute to Ian McDonald

2011-10-08T11:05:00.002+01:00

Martin Mayer has written a personal tribute too Ian McDonald former member of Unite Executive Council. I reproduce the tribute below as it is a far better piece than I could ever have compiled and reflects my own feelings about the sad loss of a dear comrade and friend

Many of you have already heard the sad news about IanMacDonald's very untimely death in the early hours of Friday morning.
Ian had been struggling so bravely with terminal stomachcancer for several months yet until recently managed to keep up with his manytrade union commitments, never complaining and in ever good humour. How manypeople could do that?
But that was Ian. He was positive, cheerful, ever committedand full of comradeship, never one to complain about himself. Not one to makeenemies of others and few if any people I know would ever have said a bad wordabout him. There are a lot of good trade unionists but Ian showed an example ofwhat it was like to be one of the best.

Ian was Branch Secretary at Leeds 8/9-12 Branch representingbus workers at First Leeds Buses for many years and before that West YorkshirePTE. He led his members well through the many struggles we all faced in thisindustry from public ownership through to private, and the difficulties indealing with a tough multinational like FirstGroup. His success as a negotiatoris proved by his achievements in winning for his members some of the best termsand conditions in the area. I know many of his members owe a personal debt ofgratitude to Ian for the individual case work he handled, dealing withdisciplines and grievances tirelessly and effectively, giving wise advice andsharing his knowledge from long experience as a sound trade unionist.

His progressive left politics and socialist values ran rightthrough Ian and guided his thoughts and actions quietly at all times. But itwas his work for the anti-fascist movement which was one the most remarkable ofhis long career. He stood up to the racists and fascists and became a target ofRedwatch, the vile website which targets those who dare to challenge theirvicious ideology of hatred. Even though his house was attacked, he never onceflinched or wavered. Behind that good humour was a gritty and determinedstrength.

A long standing andprominent member of the TGWU and then UNITE, he served on the UNITE ExecutiveCouncil representing his Region, and the UNITE Regional Committee. Before thathe represented the Passenger Services trade group on the T&G RegionalCommittee. Ian also played a very prominent role in the Union's delegatestructure for FirstGroup members, serving as Vice Chair of the National LiaisonCommittee (NLC) and was well-regarded for his progressive and thoughtful viewsand negotiating skills. He was very supportive and always active in theinternational struggle we waged with our sister unions in the USA to confrontFirstGroup's vicious anti-trade union tactics in FirstStudent yellow buses. Hiscomradeship and good nature made him a wonderful ambassador for our union whenwe met fellow trade unionists from “across the pond” during that campaign. Heshares much of the credit for our collective success in winning 35,000 newtrade unionists in FirstStudent.

But don't think for one minute Ian was only a T&G andthen a UNITE man. Far from it. He was Secretary of Leeds Trades Council formany years and served on the TUC Regional Committee, often battling for a moreproactive stance than many of his fellow members wanted for a visiblecampaigning TUC. He was Secretary of the TUC Joint Trades Council Committee, leadingthis noisy and vibrant lay member movement with good humour and positivecommitment.

Ian's trademark was his amazing choice of bizarre colourfulshirts, always a talking point and an excuse to exchange some witty remarks andhave a bit of fun. But he wore them because he could not stand stuffiness andpomp. He wanted to show that being a committed trade unionist could becolourful and fun. And why not? But no-one but Ian would have dared wear thoseoutrageous dresses on the Pride Marches he attended! In fact he would nevermiss one. He was absolutely committed to winning respect as well as rights forthe LGBT community and naturally felt solidarity towards those who suffereddiscrimination just because they were of a different sexuality to himself. Itwas a bit surprising just how much he enjoyed wearing those dresses though!

It really is a shame he has missed the presentation of theUNITE Gold Medal by literally days. It was due to be presented to him at thenext Regional Committee on 17^th October. He would have been so proudto receive it – and was really looking forward to it.

For all that he did for his Union, the wider union movementand his members, for his good humour and commitment, his wonderful shirts(!)and his ever positive and cheerful demeanour, thanks Ian. You were a man whodid make a difference, who leaves behind probably hundreds if not thousands offriends who are so terribly saddened at your untimely passing. You were unfairly robbed of the long andhappy retirement you so much deserved.

They say the good die young. Why is that so often true? Thiswas a truly good and decent man who did not deserve to die like this in hisearly sixties, and with so much to give.

Goodbye Ian. Rest in Peace

Organising in the Face of Adversity

2011-09-17T09:46:00.003+01:00

Spotlight on Polestar Unite GPM Chapel

Polestar Sheffield is part of the Polestar Print Group and is thelargest site operating 24/7.

The GPM Chapel is very structured & pro active with its own websiteand lay recruitment/organising activists who have built the membership base atthe Greenfield site since it opened 6 years ago.

Chapel FoC (Convenor) is Ged Dempsey together with Paul Shippin (DepFoC).

They have built solidarity and support with other workers in struggleincluding Wyndham Impact at Basingstoke.

Cost Cutting July 2011

The Company submitted proposals to cut costs in July 2011. ChapelCommittee, considered the detailed cost cutting proposals from firm.

The proposals & 3 options involvedno pay rise together with the latest scam of outsourcing of some departments,potential job losses, increased hours, changes in shifts, scrapping sick payscheme & eroding Terms & conditions etc

They were all blatantly divisive & totallyunacceptable.

The Company sent a letter to the entireworkforce stating the 3 options, at a time when the firm said their energycosts & raw materials were rising.

The letter was seen as hostile & offensiveby the workforce.

At a time, when the workforce were alreadysuffering massive cost of living rises who are now expected to bear the bruntof these proposed savage cuts.

It was agreed that all companyproposals be rejected & the matter be put in procedure directly to Nationallevel of the union. It was stated if there was an attempt to impose withoutsettlement through agreed procedures; the workforce would be balloted forindustrial action.

After rejecting the Company’s proposalsit was agreed to put a counter proposal of bringing the pay rise anniversarydate forward to October 1^st and a very substantial pay increase tooffset huge cost of living rises that we are ALL incurring.

They emphatically rejected theCompanies request for them to surrender terms and conditions.

They were NOT willing to accept any of the options/proposals including;

Outsourcing, slashing of our Terms & Conditions (T+Cs), pay-cuts,increased hours etc.

Stating Sheffield was a busy, successful and profitable site with verylean manning levels. The Union had beengiven a clear mandate.

The FoC produced newsletters, updates,recruitment materials. The already highmembership base has almost hit 100% because of fighting back.

The Chapel were determined to stand together and fight the slash &burn actions by the Company.

This united the workforce and led to a recruitment drive that saw a riseof 25% in union density with 95% of the workers now belong to a Trade Union.

Polestar is the largest print Group in the UK producing leadingmagazines & supplements for newspapers.

The Company were taken over in early 2011 by Sun Capital, a USA venturecapitalist/hedge fund firm – owned by 2 former Lehman Brother bigshots.

They currently own 260 other firms in USA, Canada, Europe & UK

One Union, Stronger together,Every Member Counts

Like Attracting Like

2011-09-14T11:54:00.000+01:00

Every year at TATA Steel Scunthorpe we take on a varying number of Apprentices. During the induction week the unions are given a day with these new recruits to explain the need for them to join the Trade Union movement.
This in the past has been undertaken by a number of us oldies with help from union officials. At the end of the day we have usually beaten them into submission or bored them to the point of distraction that they will sign anything just to get out of the room.
Usually we get a handful of young people who wish to be part of the Apprentice Reps Committee which used to meet every month and give them the opportunity to gain experience in representation and talking to HR.
This year we used a recently qualified Electrician, Charlotte Childs, a young Unite Equality Rep.
The result was that not only did all 60 new recruits join a union but 20 of them volunteered to be Apprentice Reps.
This shows that by using a young energetic Trade Unionist the young people were attracted to Trade Unions and not forced towards them. We should remember this if we ever get into the schools and colleges.
Well done Charlotte!

Consultation Breakdown at TATA

2011-09-09T07:44:00.002+01:00

Consultation over the planned redundancies at TATA Steelworks in Scunthorpe are close to breakdown point as the company are insisting on adopting a selection process, instead of relying on volunteers.
Unite, GMB and Community Unions claim that this will lead to compulsory redundancies and have already stated that they will oppose any compulsory job losses.
1500 redundancies were announced last May as part of a restructure process throughout the Long Products Division of TATA steel UK. Approximately 800 of the redundancies are expected at Scunthorpe.
The restructure involves consultation on creating a flexible workforce and concentrating upon efficiency savings.
Sean Scorer, the acting chairman of the works multi-union committee, warned: "At this point, we are close to meaningful engagement breaking down, which could prove disastrous for Scunthorpe.
"We feel our members have been badly let down. There is a clear need for leadership and direction to implement the turn-around plan.
"We recognise the urgent need for restructuring and sincerely hope our actions can bring meaningful dialogue back to the table. But we believe we are being faced with a clear strategy of confrontation and are in the process of consulting with our members".

Since May a significant number of volunteers for redundancy among the employees, aged 54 and over, have been identified and new manning levels had been proposed in the steel plant and iron works areas.
But local consultations in the medium section mill, the rail service centre and the Scunthorpe Rod Mill have broken down after employees claimed long-standing working practices were under attack, which include changes in holiday arrangements.

And 185 workers in the bloom and billet mill, which is due to cease production on October 31 after 38 years, are seeking approval to take industrial action over the job cut talks.

Geoff Waterfield

2011-09-07T09:35:00.000+01:00

Last week Geoff Waterfield the Multi Union Chair at Teesside Cast Products sadly passed away. Geoff had been a lifelong Community Union member and played a major role in the campaign to keep Steelmaking alive in the North East.
I came into contact with Geoff during that campaign and as one of my friends has already stated we heard and felt him speak at the Save Our Steel March at Redcar in July 2009.
Anyone witnessing him speak on that day was left in no doubt the passion and commitment he gave to the cause.
Tributes from various people have been issued in the press including MPs from the region:

Nick Brown, MP for Newcastle East, said: "Geoff's energy, knowledge and enthusiasm were at the service of others. He put all his heart into the campaign for his friends, his neighbours, and his work mates.
"He was an effective trade union leader. We will miss him very much."
Tom Blenkinsop, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, said: "Geoff will always be remembered as a truly great Teesside man.
"The death of Geoff Waterfield is a truly tragic loss for his family, friends, trade union comrades, the trade union movement and the Teesside community."

The Redcar plant was closed but Geoff and his colleagues continued with the fight which eventually led to the sale of the plant to Thailand Company SSI.

A Church service will be held on Friday 9th September at St. Marks Church in Marske by the Sea beginning at 2pm.
Geoff's family have asked for donations to be made to
Cleveland Air Ambulance
Zoe's Place
Leukaemia Research

The donations can be sent to
John Barker
SSI Steel House
Redcar
Cleveland
TS10 5QW

Support Unite Members at Sheffield University

2011-07-12T08:36:00.000+01:00

The dispute at Sheffield University continues as the University appear unwilling to negotiate.
Management intend to create a two tier workforce by downgrading the pensions of lower paid staff including technical grades, cleaners, porters and security guards many of whom earn as little as £14,000.
However no changes are being proposed to pensions of the higher paid who will keep their defined benefit scheme.
This is a huge blow to the lower paid members of staff. The university’s own equality impact assessment identified that women were going to be disproportionately affected as they are heavily represented in this group.
Gail Cartmail, Unite assistant general secretary, said: “We are very disappointed that the university of Sheffield has taken this decision to penalise its low-paid staff, many of whom are women. The creation of a two tier workforce based on the grades of the staff is a huge step backwards for the sector, the university and the staff who work there.”
Chris Daly, Unite regional officer, said: “We have had fantastic support from our members and the wider public, many of whom are shocked that the senior management would ever recommend this decision."

To date Unite and Unison members at the university have taken two strike days to highlight their plight. These led to the closure of buildings and cancelling of lectures in June. They also demonstrated at the University Open Day on 18th June.
Mike Robinson, Unite national officer, said: “The university is treating some of its lowest paid staff with utter callousness and disrespect. As well as losing their jobs, our members now face substantial losses to their pensions as the scheme proposed could reduce benefits for a typical member by a quarter. This would be devastating for these staff who are already very poorly paid.
“We believe the university is proposing these changes only to shift the risk associated with the pension from itself onto our members, who find this a wholly unacceptable tactic. It is worth remembering that the pension spend for these grades accounts for only 20 per cent of the overall expenditure on pensions.
“We are urging the university to now sit down with us and negotiate a way forward as it has failed to make a convincing case for such draconian and divisive changes. We want people treated equally, regardless of grade.”

This is an important dispute and is an early example of workers protecting their pensions as the ideological driven cuts agenda begins to bite those that are least able to afford losing their livelihoods and benefits.
Please send messages of support to Chris.Daly@unitetheunion.org

WYNDHAM IMPACT DISPUTE

2011-06-20T12:05:00.001+01:00

Unite members at Wyndeham Impact, Basingstoke are taking strike action in defence of their terms, conditions and their jobs.
They have taken strike action for a number of weeks. The company is a magazine printer and part of the Wyndeham Group of companies.
Two years ago Unite members suffered a wage cut of some £85 per week on the basis that it would be temporary and help the company out, following the collapse of Landsbanki (Icelandic Bank) who were the company’s principle bankers.
The group was purchased by Walstead Investments (a Private Equity company).
They in turn received finance from Leumi Bank. The investment group has since purchased Southernprint, Apple Web-Offset and the St Ives magazine division.
Subsequently, the company reneged on the commitment to make good any of the wage cut and in the local negotiations that followed imposed a continuing wage freeze, cut the sick pay scheme, sought to force members to work over Christmas at short notice, refused to pay for bank holidays, announced
compulsory redundancies four days before the Christmas break and refused to honour the previously agreed redundancy terms.

National level negotiations with the company have failed to produce a satisfactory offer leading to a legal ballot for industrial action which was overwhelming carried.
Unite members have taken lawful strike action every week and are still
solid.
Many of Unite members will recognise these attacks on terms and will have suffered some of these themselves over the last few years. This is why it is such an important dispute, as it is clear we have reached a “tipping point” both here and in the industry as a whole.

Unite is therefore calling for maximum solidarity with our Wyndeham Impact members and is urgently requesting donations from branches, workplaces and chapels.
Unite GPM chapels have already been circulated seeking support and are making donations etc.
Unite would also ask for messages of support to be sent to our members in the dispute.
Cheques should be made payable to “Impact Chapel” and posted to Steve Atwill, Unite Regional Officer at Transport House,15/16 The Avenue, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1XF

Messages of solidarity and support should be emailed directly to the Unite FOC Stephen Adams at keegan20001@aol.com or text to 07884 430305

Unite Rules Conference 2011

2011-06-17T12:32:00.001+01:00

Unite Rules Conference was held in Liverpool this week and contained some good lively debate on issues effecting members.
The two most lively debates were on Rule 6 regards the definition of accountable representatives of workers and Rule 14 that contained numerous amendments on election of Full Time Officials.
All of the latter were defeated and the Executive Statement on Rule 6 was accepted by conference. That statement included setting up an EC appeal panel for those who feel they should be regarded as accountable representatives, that panel will be set up before September 2011 in time for the elections of the constitutional committees which will run for the next two years.
An excellent day by day account has been produced by Ian Allinson EC member for IT & Communications
As an EC member representing North East, Yorkshire and Humber I was delighted to see a significant number of delegates from NEYH contribute to the debates. However I am concerned that the ec guidance was overturned on at least twelve occasions.
The EC is supposed to be in touch with the membership so to have our decisions overturned so many times is worrying.
There are in my opinion a few reasons for this not least a lack of proper preparation in considering our views on their amendments and the fact that branches and committees were not asked to supply a brief description of what they were attempting to achieve with their amendments. This would have supplied us with a background into what is affecting the membership and would have provided us with a better understanding of the issues at hand.
However the lay democracy within Unite has been given a significant boost by the decisions made from the floor and the union is stronger for that.
The conference aside the highlight for me was watching Martin Mayer, chair of United Left, attempting to dance to Cuban music giving the impression that he needed another 50p inserting into the back of his neck to speed him up.
To be fair to Martin he did an excellent job in responding for the ec on the debate on Rule 14 which was a difficult role and he did it in a calm and calculated manner, for which he should be congratulated.

Osanloo Free at Last

2011-06-03T10:01:00.000+01:00

The ITF is delighted to announce that imprisoned trade unionist Mansour Osanloo was today freed from jail in Iran almost four years since his arrest and imprisonment, which set off a storm of international protest.
His release is conditional on his ‘good behaviour’ and the payment of a bond.

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has led demands for Mansour Osanloo’s release. ITF general secretary David Cockroft commented: “This is a great day for Mansour and his family – and for his fellow Vahed union members and those of us in the international trade union movement who are honoured to call him a friend. It’s doubly welcome given the deterioration in his health during his time behind bars.

“He is free because trade unionists worldwide demanded justice.”

He continued: “That bail has been set falls short of the full pardon we all wanted, and which the Iranian government promised, but for now we can just take a moment to savour his richly deserved return to his family.”

“But – and sadly even on a day as good as this one there has to be a but – there are other innocents in jail in Iran for the same ‘crime’ of wanting to join a trade union. They include Mansour’s colleagues, Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi. For all of them, and us, the fight is not over. As much as we welcome the Iranian government’s move and its finally listening to reason, we know we must renew our insistence that those other prisoners are set free and the threat of re-arrest lifted from Mansour, and then commit the ITF, our member unions and friends in the trade union and human rights movements to campaigning on their behalf.”

The Vahed Syndicate responded to the news by saying that they would like to thank everyone who has fought so hard for his release.

Mansour Osanloo was a bus driver and is the president and one of the founding members of the Vahed Syndicate, a free trade union representing Tehran's bus workers. From its beginnings in 2005 the ITF-affiliated union was subjected to heavy repression, including repeated attacks and arrests. Mansour Osanloo was heavily targeted. As well as being beaten up and having his tongue slit he was imprisoned in 2005 and 2006. Then in 2007, just one month after visiting the London head office of the ITF and meeting trade unionists in Brussels, he was arrested. Three months later he was sentenced to five years imprisonment on charges of ‘acting against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’; in 2010 another year was added to his sentence. In reality his only offence was to help found a genuinely democratic trade union.

For more details, including a film, press releases and history, please see
http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/freeosanloo.cfm

Reinstate KFC Union Activists

2011-06-02T07:24:00.000+01:00

Three union activists have been dismissed from their employment at KFC in Thailand after they established a union and sought to bargain a collective agreement with KFC management. The Thai ministry of labour approved the registration of the Cuisine and Services Thailand Workers Union after over 200 workers signed and submitted a proposal seeking to negotiate with the company to improve wages and working conditions. Shortly after this, Apantree Charoensak, Krit Suang-aranan and Siwaporn Somjit , who were active as union representatives were terminated without notice or due process. The company then proceeded to harass and intimidate the remaining workers by holding a series of meetings putting pressure on them to withdraw their support for the union. The company, Yum! Thailand, which is a subsidiary of the U.S based Yum! Brands Inc. owns world famous brands such as KFC and Pizza Hut . Management has refused to negotiate with the union and has failed to attend a series of mediation meetings organized by officers the Ministry of Labour. Ma Wei Pin, IUF Asia Pacific regional secretary stated in a letter to Yum Thailand that their actions constitute “ a clear breach of human rights and of internationally acknowledged basic labour right to organize and to bargain collectively (as embodied in ILO Convention 98)

Act Now!
Click Here
To send a message to Yum! Thailand demanding that the three workers be immediately reinstated, and that the company stop intimidating workers and enter into negotiations with the union in good faith.

Reaction to Steel Industry Job Cuts

2011-05-21T16:16:00.000+01:00

The UK Steel Industry was rocked yesterday by the announcement of 1500 job cuts in its Long Products Business. All of these cuts are to be in the North of England with 300 coming from Teesside, Hartlepool and Skinningrove.

Teesside has only recently breathed a sigh of relief with the sale of part of the Redcar steel plant to Thailand steel company SSI. This sale came after a major campaign by the unions who had to issue a strike threat just to get TATA Steel to talk to prospective buyers. Now the area will be subject to further uncertainty surrounding the future of workers’ jobs.

However the biggest devastation is occurring at Scunthorpe where 1200 jobs are set to be cut and the Queen Bess Blast Furnace being mothballed after 73 years of production. Also set to close is the Bloom and Billet mill.The promise of over £400m of investment in the business is welcome but this investment has obviously come at a price for those that will lose their livelihoods. It is a pity that this investment was not forthcoming when the record profits were being achieved, profits that Long Products contributed significantly to.

The lack of demand for its product is being blamed with very little demand in the construction industry which is one of the main customers for the Long Products part of TATA Steel.

This proves that the public sector cuts and lack of growth in the UK economy are beginning to take effect in the private sector.Sustainable growth will only be achieved by investment in the UK infrastructure to create a demand for the products of the Steel Industry and UK Manufacturing. Instead of cutting back we need a Government that is prepared to stimulate the economy and provide jobs for the UK workforce. The blame for these job losses lies at the door of the Con-Dem Government not the workers in the Steel Industry who now face an uncertain future.

Historically job losses in UK Steel have been accepted due to enough people wanting Voluntary redundancy but this acceptance cannot and should not continue. Unite needs to start punching its weight in the Steel Industry and begin organise the members. We must build workplace organisation, engage with the membership and encourage them to take ownership of their union. Then and only then will they realise that these jobs are not theirs to sell.

UNITE members vote Left to back Len McCluskey

2011-05-15T14:10:00.000+01:00

With nearly all seats now declared, UNITE’s Executive Council elections have delivered a thumping majority for United Left, which strongly backed Len McCluskey for General Secretary in the election last year. United Left has won 43 seats on UNITE’s new 65-seat Executive, ensuring Len McCluskey will have strong support for a left vision for UNITE, including opposition to all the ConDem Government’s spending cuts, vigorous support for its members who wish to take strike action and a much more proactive strategy to win back the Labour Party to trade union values.

“This is an excellent result for the Left in UNITE” said Martin Mayer Chair of United Left. “United Left has won two thirds of the seats on UNITE’s new Executive Council – and most of the others we believe will be supportive of Len McCluskey and our United Left agenda. This means UNITE can now go forward with a clear left vision for a strong, united fighting back Union – and put behind it the three years of division and internal struggle which characterised the Union under the dual leadership of former AMICUS and TGWU General Secretaries”.

After at times quite bitter internal disagreements between former AMICUS’ leadership team under Derek Simpson and former TGWU’s leadership under Tony Woodley, UNITE’s 1.3 million members have decidedly rejected the more moderate, Labour-loyalist and pro-business approach of the former AMICUS’ leadership, which often stood opposed to moves for strong lay member democracy in the new Union. “Both the General Secretary election and the recent Executive Council elections gave UNITE’s membership a choice of which direction they wished their Union to follow,” said Martin Mayer. “The membership have chosen United Left’s vision of a fighting back union based on strong lay membership democracy and control – a Union which stands up for its members and backs them if they want to take on their employer – a Union which will fight the ConDem spending cuts including through co-ordinated strike action – and a Union which will punch a much stronger voice in the Labour Party and elsewhere for policies which benefit working people and their families.”

Steelworkers to Receive Above Average Pay Rise

2011-05-11T09:30:00.000+01:00

Annual pay talks at TATA Steel UK have now been concluded. The final offer from the company is 3.5% which is slightly above average for UK Manufacturing Industry.
Unite are now in the process of consulting members but the union is recommending acceptance.
The pay will be backdated to April 2011 but is reliant upon agreement being reached regards local quarterly bonus payments. The bonus arrangements should not be significantly affected but will include a new model on calculation. Surely this is an opportunity to rid ourselves of the usual practice of percentage bonus payments which only serve to reward the higher paid. The unions should be demanding that every employee receives the same amount of money from the pot.
Whilst I have no criticism of the pay offer I do have concerns about how our pay claim is formalised.
Little or no involvement of members occurs and they do not get updates of company offers until the final offer is made. Surely this is their pay rise and should be consulted at every opportunity.
Hopefully we will soon have a Workplace Branch and see a greater involvement of members in union issues.

Labour Lose Overall Control of North Lincolnshire Council

2011-05-10T10:18:00.000+01:00

Now that the dust has settled on last week's local elections it's time to reflect on one of the few failures for Labour.
Labour held a one seat majority over the opposition in North Lincolnshire and with the current political climate were firm favourites to retain control.
Early declarations showed that the Tories had gained 3 seats from Independents but this was not too worrying as the Independents were all but Tory anyway.
Then came the news that Dave Oldfield former Unite Convenor at Scunthorpe Steelworks had won by 1 vote in Burringham and Gunness thereby gaining a seat from the Tories. This news looked like securing the expected victory.
Throughout the day the other ward results came in as expected leaving the two parties neck and neck at 20 seats each with only one ward left to declare.
Burton upon Stather and Winterton returned 3 Labour Councillors in 2007 so it looked on face value that Labour couldn't lose. Eventually after 6 recounts the news came through that Labour had lost all 3 seats to Conservative leaving them with a working majority of 3.
This leaves Labour with work to do over the next 4 years and surely must start to reignite the local branches into action and start connecting with local people.
This could lead to more members and a far more active party at grassroots level.

United Left statement on the ConDem cuts

2011-05-05T07:38:00.000+01:00

April 9th 2011 as agreed at United Left AGM, London

This United Left unanimously confirms its opposition to all the ConDem Government’s spending cuts. We commit ourselves to fight this ideologically-driven assault on our much valued public services and welfare state which is designed to make working people pay for the economic crisis of capital. Of course there is an alternative – reclaim the missing tax billions from the banks, the multinationals and the rich and powerful in our society who are getting away Scott free! Maintain public spending and invest in our future to keep people in jobs and boost the economy!

We congratulate our General Secretary and our UNITE Executive Council in their position of opposing all ConDem Government’s cuts and their call for co-ordinated industrial action, but much more needs to be done.
UNITE’s position needs to be communicated much more effectively to our officers and staff; our constitutional committees; our shop stewards and activists; our political (Labour Party Liaison) structures; UNITE MPs and Councillors – and to the media and the wider public. We have concern at the confusing messages apparently still being heard within certain sections of UNITE apparently sympathetic to the Labour leadership’s message of “Too Far, Too Fast” – the so-called “dented shield approach”. This must be robustly dealt with without delay.
We must do more to educate and engage our lay representatives, shop stewards and activists across all sectors of our Union and equip them with the arguments they need to use to engage our members and our local communities if the fightback against the cuts is to be effective. This campaign requires leadership from the top but also grassroots activity at local level.
We encourage all branches and constitutional committees to send resolutions to their Regional Committees and National Industrial Sector Committee and the Executive Council confirming their support for a robust strategy of fighting all ConDem cuts.
UNITED LEFT firmly believes co-ordinated industrial action is an essential tool in the fight against the cuts. Those decisions will of course be taken by our members in democratic postal ballots, but first they must know that they will have their Union’s full support and therefore the confidence to contemplate and then fight for industrial action. We therefore urge our General Secretary to write to all NISCs with a strong message of encouragement to take up the fight. This communication should go not just to those public sector NISCs who are in the direct firing line from the cuts, but to all NISC including those in the private sector. We are seeing an employers’ offensive unleashing itself against all workers - on their pay and conditions, their pensions and their collective bargaining rights. If workers vote to take strike action, they should be encouraged to co-ordinate their strike dates with others in dispute to maximise their effect. We particularly urge an immediate fight back through public sector co-ordinated strikes over pensions and job cuts, in conjunction with other unions.
UNITED LEFT believes we must take the fight to the Labour Party at all levels and make it clear that UNITE cannot support a position of “Too Far, Too Fast” – the so-called “dented shield approach”. We must urgently communicate with UNITE MPs and Councillors to make sure they have an unequivocal message from UNITE of opposing all cuts. They must know they will receive the full support of UNITE if they face disciplinary or other action for supporting UNITE policy. We must ensure UNITE supports candidates for election who oppose the cuts.
UNITED LEFT is determined that UNITE will never abandon those who face the most serious cuts of all; the poor and vulnerable in our society including the disabled, the unemployed and those on low incomes who are now beginning to suffer real hardship as the £18B Welfare Benefits cuts begin to bite. Some are our members but many are not. UNITE’s success in fighting the cuts will require us to stand shoulder to shoulder with those at the sharp end of these, the most vicious cuts of all, hitting those who often have no voice. We urge and encourage our UNITE activists, shop stewards and members to get involved in the fightback, linking up trade unionists with students, pensioners, tenants associations, community groups, the unemployed and welfare claimants.
This is a fight to defend our class. We must redouble our efforts to ensure we will win that fight. United Left believes UNITE’s leadership is now on board. Now we must ensure that message runs through UNITE at all levels in everything we do.

Unite general secretary May Day message to members

2011-04-30T09:36:00.000+01:00

This government has no mandate from the people. Standing together, we can hold them in check

Dear friends
Last month, half a million men, women and children marched through London to call for a rethink. A rethink on the job losses sweeping our communities, to the wage cuts grinding people down. Jobs for the one million young people wasting on the dole.
They wanted an arrest to the assault our schools and health care, on the services that over generations we have paid for but are now to be gift-wrapped and placed into private hands. A fairer Britain, where those who can help those in need.
And they wanted a government with no mandate from the people to think carefully about its misuse of office. It was not elected to shatter our society - and it will not be forgiven if it accomplishes this mission.
The people of this country still want all these things. We want them because these are the values on which civilised societies rest.
Predictably, this government thumbed its nose at the biggest ever trade union presence on the streets of the capital. Remote from everyday people, they refuse to accept mounting calls to grow the economy, not cut mercilessly, even while the experts say this pain is for no economic gain, because they have a different mission - to change Britain radically, and not for the benefit of all.
Just look at their plans for the tribunal system that secures justice at work for employees; soon it will be dismantled, a favour for its friends in the CBI. Similarly they are presiding over the mass use of "sack and rehire" where cash-strapped councils do central government's dirty work by forcing tens of thousands of workers into a Hobson's Choice of accept horrific pay cuts - 24 percent in one case - or lose your job.
And someday soon they will come for the unions which are often all that stands between a worker and mistreatment.
That is why we must grow this union. To protect you and your family we must build, we cannot stand still because this is a fight about our futures. And such is this battle we may have to use our common power in whatever ways we can to defend our rights and achievements.
We know that working people want someone in their corner - we know that because of the countless requests for help we are receiving every day.
Soon, Unite will roll out a massive, concerted organising drive. This will see us join many more into Unite so that we can defend them - and you - against further attacks. Every Unite officer will be charged with growing this union and strengthening our grassroots. Every branch will make union growth its priority. Every member will be encouraged to remind their fellow workers why this union is their best defence.
The expertise and skills of the country's biggest union will be 100 per cent focused on building for our shared futures. Because Unite's strength gives YOU protection.

More than any other time in a generation, you need this. So too do your family and friends. If they are not in a union today, do them a favour and make sure they are Unite members by tomorrow. Joining on line is easy - just visit www.unitetheunion.org/joinonline.
Our strength is your power.
With best wishes to you and your family for the May Day holiday
Len McCluskey
Unite general secretary

Many ageing steel workers finding themselves with work related health issues

2011-04-19T07:09:00.001+01:00

I have had a long break from this blog due to personal issues and I am grateful to Eric Stevenson who contacted me recently and proposed that he do a guest article.
Below is the article by Eric and I hope you appreciate his efforts:

The steel industry has never been considered one of the safer industries to work in, as unions have always remained a necessity to protect the workers. While much of the safety risks that involve steel manufacturing involve physical wounds and harm, many retired and veteran steelworkers are finding that their time in the steel mill has led them to some major health issues.

As the steel industry became large in the 1900’s, the use of asbestos as a material continued to grow as well. Used diversely from products like clothing and most often in insulation and construction material, asbestos was most common in plants, mills, factories and shipyards. Praised for its versatility in usage and low cost, asbestos had to be considered one of the most popular building and construction materials throughout the world at one time.

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis began to hit a many workers from the World War II era, in factories, shipyards and military bases. These connections began to quickly become correlated with structures that contained asbestos and their workers. The long period of time in between diagnosis and original exposure involved mesothelioma and its long latency period. In most cases, symptoms will not develop for decades after original exposure and in some cases up to 50 years.

This long latency period makes current times absolutely crucial for many veteran and older workers in a number of industries, including steel manufacturing. The time of use between the 50’s and the 70’s was a time of major asbestos use. Given the multiple decade latency time between exposure and symptoms, the after effects of these health risks may begin to show themselves in the near future for many of these steel workers from the ladder half of the 20th century.

The health risk of mesothelioma is not one to be taken lightly. Mesothelioma life expectancy is only a year on average with a rather severe outlook for most patients. This has resulted in a number of compensation suits and battles between diagnosed workers and major businesses who continued use of the asbestos after it was shown to be dangerous.

Regardless, these asbestos related health risks remain a major problem for many older steel workers and retirees. Awareness is one of the most important things when it comes to learning about possible problems. Maintaining checkups and awareness will be important for these workers to provide themselves in the best possible treatment in the case that they are handed any of these problems

Links
http://rediron-steve.blogspot.com/2010/12/talks-at-heinz-break-down.html

http://www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20684435

For Egypt

2011-02-12T07:38:00.000Z

Terry Heath 1944-2011

2011-01-27T08:19:00.000Z

Yesterday I was saddened to hear of the death of Terry Heath former football player for Scunthorpe United.
He began his career at Leicester City where he played in the 1964 League Cup Final against Stoke City with Leicester winning 4-3 on aggregate.
In May 1964 he was transferred to Hull City but found his opportunities limited. He did however score twice in an FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest in 1966.
He signed for Scunthorpe in March 1968. He soon became a crowd favourite scoring often from midfield.
My memories of him are of a hard working footballer who would unleash his explosive shot from the edge of the area.
He played a major role in the shock cup win at Sheffield Wednesday in 1970.
He made 176 league appearances for Scunthorpe scoring 50 goals. He left Scunthorpe in 1973 to join local rivals Lincoln City but had to retire a year later through injury.
After retirement he ran a guest house on the South coast and became a successful artist painting countryside scenes.

I never knew what political views he held but at the time I watched him play he wore red and that'll do for me.

North Lincs Anti-Cuts Alliance Report

2011-01-26T16:29:00.001Z

Below is a report of the Anti-Cuts Public Meeting held in Scunthorpe last week.
Thank you to Martin Coposon for sending the report as I could not attend due to me being in London at a Unite National Metals Meeting

Around 50 people attended the 'North Lincs Against the Cuts' meeting in Scunthorpe hosted by the local Coalition of Resistance group. The audience included a broad spectrum of political groups,public sector workers, trade unionists and members of the public. Speakers at the meeting included Cllr Mark Kirk, the leader of North Lincs council, who told the meeting about his personal experience of the public sector and his opposition to the cuts. However, when questioned about whether he would take a stand on the council against cuts, Cllr Kirk said he would do his best to minimise the effects of the cuts but had to implement them none the less.

Paul Holmes, Kirklees Unison Branch Sec, told the meeting that the richest 1000 people in the country increased their personal wealth by £77bn last year alone. this statistic becomes even more relevant when counterpoised to the £83bn of savings the government plans to make over the next 4 years. Paul said that this shows that there are people who can pay and who should be made to pay.

Martin Deane of Hull Green party also put forward alternative ways of cutting the deficit including cracking down on tax loopholes and cancelling Trident.

Other speakers included Dot Gibson of the National Pensioners Forum who stated that she had felt the hope after the second world war that a society could be built based on the ideas of solidarity and a common interest, and that all of the gains made since are at stake as a results of the austerity program.

The undoubted star of the show was local sixth form student Max Bell who put the case against tuition fees and in defence of EMA passionately and eloquently. Max highlighted the hypocrisy of politicians who benefited from free, high quality education telling the next generation that they must come out of university with debt the size of a mortgage.

Everyone went away buoyed up for the ongoing struggle against the government's program of cuts, privatisation and wealth distribution from the poor to the rich.

The next coalition of Resistance organising meeting will take place on Tuesday 1st February at the Highfield House pub in Scunthorpe at 7.30pm.

Tata Group tea workers determined to claim their rights

2011-01-24T18:09:00.001Z

Over 550 tea workers, two-thirds of them women, rallied on the Nowera Nuddy tea estate in West Bengal, India on January 16 to launch a new stage in their campaign for their rights after management failed to respond to a January 15 deadline to meet their long-standing demands.

Nowera Nuddy Tea Estate is owned by Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited, a company 49% owned by Tata Global Beverages, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of India’s powerful Tata Group conglomerate.

Tata's Tetley Tea is 100% Tata-owned, and sources tea from Amalgamated - though not, it claims, from Nowera Nuddy, an argument it has employed to excuse itself from all responsibility for brutal management practices at Nowera Nuddy. Tetley is the second biggest-global tea brand, and a leading member of the UK's Ethical Tea Partnership.

The Nowera Nuddy workers, organized in the Progressive Tea Workers Union (PTWU) and supported by the IUF, are still struggling with the brutal consequences of a punishing 3-month lockout inflicted on the estate, where 1,000 workers and their families workers not only work but also live. For these three months, management denied the workers all wages and food rations.

Management imposed the September-December 2009 lockout in response to a protest in August that year over the mistreatment of Mrs. Arti Oraon, a 22 year-old tea garden worker who was denied maternity leave and forced to continue work as a tea plucker despite being 8 months pregnant.

In response to the protest, management shut down operations for over two weeks, only reopening on September 8 on condition that 8 workers allegedly responsible for the spontaneous action be suspended and disciplined. When workers demanded time to respond, management again closed the estate on September 14, only reopening on December 13.

Management’s “domestic enquiry” into the suspensions, conducted in a language the workers do not speak and in which they were not allowed to defend themselves or present evidence, confirmed the suspensions. As a result of a campaign on the estate with international support from the IUF, six of the 8 were eventually reinstated in their jobs, but two workers, including Mrs. Oraon’s father, were sacked. And in April last year, in response to management complaints, police visited the plantation to announce that arrest warrants had been sworn out for Arti Oraon and 11 other worker activists, including the 8 already suspended workers, on charges, including theft, grievous bodily harm, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and unlawful confinement. These charges, which can carry prison terms of seven years and more, remain in force.

Repeated attempts by the union to secure the workers’ main demands through negotiations with management leading to a formal agreement have failed to yield results. Management has even threatened the union for their involvement with the IUF, and last year evoked the possibility of a renewed lockout.

For this reason the workers’ rally yesterday culminated in an assembly where they reiterated their determination to fight for:

•Payment of full wages and rations to all workers for the period the plantation was closed from mid-September through mid-December 2009;

•Reinstatement of Sudhir Xalxo and Kishor Toppo, the two workers terminated for their alleged roles in the protest surrounding the mistreatment of the pregnant Mrs. Oraon;

•Withdrawal in writing of the management police complaints which led to the criminal charges against the 12 workers;

•A letter of apology and compensation to Mrs Oraon.

The Nowera Nuddy workers and the PTWU have the full support of the IUF in their ongoing struggle. We will be doing everything possible to build international pressure to ensure that collective punishment and vicious retribution cannot be inflicted with impunity.

You can support their struggle by sending a message to Tata/Tetley – the power behind local management – telling them to meet the workers’ demands NOW!

To send a message, click here

Support Southwark Speech & Language Therapists

2011-01-24T10:46:00.001Z

Southwark Primary Care Trust’s speech and language therapists have voted by a large majority to take strike action on Thursday, February 3rd over cuts to their service and job losses at their trust.
job losses will have a huge impact on many vulnerable children and will impact directly on the community they live in. Eight speech and language therapists (SaLT) and three SaLT assistants working across Surestart children’s centres, schools and community clinics across south London will lose their jobs.

Unite regional officer, Richard Munn, said:
“Our members, who work with children with speech, language and communication difficulties, have decided to take a stand against the cuts being made which will have a detrimental effect on some of the most vulnerable children and families in our society.
“There is clear evidence that when communication problems are not addressed at an early stage it is far harder to address in later life. Undetected and untreated speech, language and communication problems can lead to low levels of literacy, poor educational attainment and difficulties finding employment.”

Evidence shows that early intervention gives children a better chance of adapting and succeeding in mainstream schools, making friends and living a happy and fulfilling life.

Richard Munn said: “By removing funding to the posts that offer this support, many vulnerable people in Southwark will find it even harder to access early intervention therapies necessary and feel they are effectively being abandoned by this government.”

These people are showing a lead that all of us should follow in the battle against the onslaught of Public Sector Cuts.
While thousands are flocking to the cinema to see how someone from a privileged background was cured of his speech problems ordinary working class families will be denied similar treatment for their children who may suffer from speech problems.

Below is a message from Steve Hack Unite Workplace Rep Southwark PCT

In the Year of Speech, Language and Communication it is appalling that

highly skilled clinical staff - one third of the existing Speech and

Language Therapy department in Southwark - are losing their jobs. This will

mean greatly reduced services for vulnerable children and families, and

increase pressure on the remaining staff.

Early intervention services help to raise educational achievement, help
young people with communication difficulties to gain the skills needed to

access employment, and reduce the longer term costs to the public of poverty

and employment-related benefits.

Everyone who cares about services for vulnerable children should support the
strike by Speech and Language Therapists on February 3rd, send messages of

support, and come to the public rally on February 2nd.

Southwark PCT must withdraw their notices that have put the eleven NHS staff
at risk. We call on the Secretary of State for Health, Southwark PCT and

Southwark Council to act immediately to ensure that existing Speech and

Language Therapy jobs and services are protected.

Unite Executive Council Elections 2011 United Left Slate

2011-01-09T10:06:00.002Z

At a United Left National Supporters meeting in Birmingham yesterday attended by over 250 activists the slate for the 2011 Unite Executive Council Elections was ratified.
Below is a list of all United Left candidates.
Whrere there is a reference to Unite Now this means that United Left will be supporting that candidate but they are not officially on theUnited Left slate.
Hopefully I have not made any mistakes but if I have it will be corrected in due course.

Regions
East Midlands
Steve Hibbert (Unite Now)
June Sheppard

Ireland
Trevor McDowal
Plus one woman to be decided

London & Eastern
John Murphy
Brian Holmes
Lizanne Malone
Kwasi Agyemang-Prenpeh

North East, Yorkshire & Humber
Daniel Maguire
Steve Miller
Plus one woman to be decided

North West
Tony Woodhouse
Des Graham
Sharon Hutchinson

Scotland
Dave Brockett
Marie Vannet

South East
To be decided

South West
Jayne Taylor
Kevin Terry

Wales
John James
Sharon Wallace

West Midlands
Maggie Ryan
Mark Thompson

Industrial Sectors & Equality Seats

Aerospace
Phil Entwhistle
Barry Knowles

Chemicals
Mark Lyon
John Story

Civil Air Transport
Sean Beatty
Collette Parsons

CYWU & NPF
Pat Stuart
Kingsley Abrahams

Construction
John Sheridan
Meurig Thomas (Unite Now)

Docks, Rail Ferries & Waterways
Richard Crease

Education
John Wiseman

Electrical Engineering
Gordon Fisher

Energy
Dave Witnall

Finance
Mike Dyer
Lindsey Adams

Food, Drink & Tobacco
Dennis Wilson
Mark Plumb

GPM
George Hickman
Sara Bennett

Health
Frank Wood
Helen McFarlane

IT &Communications
Ian Allinson

Local Authorities
Dave Mathieson
Jennifer Elliot

Metals
Joe Harrikie

MOD
Brett Danes

Motor Components
Steve Turner

Passenger Services
Martin Mayer
James Mitchell

RTC
Dave Williams
Mick Johnson

Rural & Agricultural
Ivan Monkton

Servicing & General
Paul Greenwood
John Clark
One to be decided

Vehicle Building
John Cooper
Chris Bond

Women
Jane Stewart

BAEM
Mohammed Taj

North Lincs Anti-Cuts Alliance Public Meeting

2011-01-03T09:17:00.001Z

North Lincs Against The Cuts Public Meeting

As the true extent of the ConDem cuts is revealed it is clear that we are facing massive attacks on everything from education to the NHS to the Royal Mail to benefits. Thousands of jobs will be lost and ordinary people will be hit the hardest while the bankers who caused the crisis continue to collect big salaries and bonuses. Come and hear the case against the cuts and for an alternative that puts people first.

Thursday January 20th 2011

7.30pm

Scunthorpe Central Community Centre, Lindum St.

Speakers:
Dot Gibson (National Pensioners Forum)
Cllr Mark Kirk (Labour Party)
Martin Deane (Green Party)
Paul Holmes (Unison)
John Lewis (Yorks &Humber TUC)
Louise Harrison (Coalition of Resistance)
Jake Hutton (John Leggott Student)

Talks at Heinz Break Down

2010-12-24T09:37:00.000Z

The possibility of a breakthrough in the month long dispute at the Heinz Wigan plant was crushed by the employers yesterday when they refused to budge on their below inflation pay offer.
Profit margins at Heinz are at 37% yet workers have been offered 3.3% pay rise with a further 3% next year.

Setting the record straight, Unite says that:

While the company asserts management bonuses have been cut by 20 per cent, some are still boasting about receiving a whopping 15 per cent bonus – so even though down from what must have been an unbelievable 35 percent, this is still equivalent to a staggering 7.8 weeks' pay extra.

The workers’ average bonus will now be less than 4 per cent, a fall of 2 per cent from last year and considerably lower than the average bonus over recent years.

The 3.3 per cent offer for this year is considerably below RPI at the anniversary of the deal, which was 4.8 per cent. RPI has fluctuated since then, going above 5 per cent at one point and now stands at 4.7 per cent.

Capping next year’s deal at 3 per cent will again see a reduction in real terms as inflation forecasts for 2011 is forecast to reach 4.1 per cent if not higher

The supposed `improvement' to healthcare is compulsory and comes at a cost to the workers of over £1.00 more a week - £52 per year. This is a far worse deal than they could get it as a private individual over the internet.

Strikes at the plant have been solid all week and a further strike is planned for 29th December.

Speaking after the talks, Ian Wright, Unite convenor at the Kitt Green site, said: "We are extremely disappointed that today's talks have come to nothing. We entered into the meeting in good faith and with a genuine commitment to find a resolution to the dispute but management were not prepared to add any value to the offer that has already been overwhelmingly rejected by our members."

Messages of support can be sent to their convenor wrightian5@sky.com,

Workers Uniting Group Disbanded

2010-12-16T08:41:00.001Z

Below is the official statement from Workers Uniting Group confirming that they have now disbanded and their website will be removed in the next few days.
It would appear that some of them will be looking to join United Left which is a positive step towards uniting the left in our union but we must not lose sight of the fact that this group campaigned for Bayliss in the recent Unite General Secretary Election.
I personally feel that United Left should prioritise working with Simon Dubbins Group Unite Now, a group of people who worked tirelessly for the election of Len McCluskey. This group secured thousands of votes for Len especially in Amicus workplaces.
Hopefully a combined slate can still be achieved in the forthcoming Executive Council elections.

WORKERS UNITING GROUP STATEMENT
Following consultation with co-ordinators, activists and supporters it has been agreed that the Workers Uniting Group will be wound up at the end of December.

As a progressive left organisation, many of the policies supported by the Workers Uniting Group are the policies of Unite the Union.
It is the considered view that the work of the Workers Uniting Group has now ran its course.
The members have spoken. Len McCluskey was elected by the membership as the new General Secretary by a considerable majority and he deserves and should receive the support of the whole of the union.

Unite faces significant challenges: the fightback against the Con-Dem cuts in the UK and the appalling austerity measures being forced through in Ireland; the need to grow the union through organising and building strong workplace organisation; the need to win back the Labour Party for our members and to win local elections, elections in Scotland and Wales and the General Election and to continue the fight against global capital in the UK and Ireland and with our comrades in Workers Uniting - the USW.

To win for our members, to campaign and fightback there is a need now to unify the entire union behind our newly elected General Secretary, Len McCluskey.
To this end we will need one progressive organisation to ensure that Unite remains a left union and isn't hijacked by those who would seek to take the union to the right or to the extreme left.

A number of comrades have indicated they would intend to support United Left, others have said they will personally support the General Secretary and unite behind him.
It is clear that the problems Unite faces cannot be addressed by having opposing left groups with broadly similar policies.
Therefore all Workers Uniting Supporters need to unite behind our new General Secretary and build unity for the future and in the best interests of the whole of Unite's membership.
The Workers Uniting Group website will closed down in the next few weeks.

It's OK For Some

2010-12-11T14:56:00.000Z

"Things got out of hand and we'd had a few drinks. We smashed the place up and Boris (Johnson, Mayor of London) set fire to the toilets". David Cameron (Prime Minister) Oxford 1986.

So You Want a Better Society

2010-12-11T08:10:00.000Z

During this cold spell I've lost count of the number of times I have heard someone say
"We are never prepared for weather like this" or something similar.
Ok then so you want to be able to drive your car or walk safely in bad weather. Well it is possible what we need to do is have fleets of snow ploughs and teams of workers on stand-by so that we can pre-empt the weather and make preparations for eradicating ice and snow so that it doesn't effect the transport system of our country and everyone can go about their business with as little disruption as possible.
Problem is as soon as you mention paying for this service the people who moan about lack of gritters run a mile.
But hang on a minute while we're on the subject of improving our way of life why not invest in an integrated transport system with buses and trains that run to meet need and not profit.
Build affordable houses so that we can solve the lack of housing and put thousands of construction workers back into work.
Maybe we could have a sensible energy policy as well with investment in green technology and clean coal so we can use our natural resources for our advantage instead of buying gas from abroad and charging customers exorbitant rates for fuel.
Possibly we could invest in our manufacturing industry to produce quality goods instead of buying cheap products from countries that treat their workers like slaves.
You see we can build a better society one where we have a health service that is free at point of use and everyone gets equal treatment despite their income.
Most importantly though to build this better society we need the bedrock of a FREE EDUCATION!

John Leggot Protest

2010-12-01T10:58:00.001Z

Below is a short report of the Student Protest at John Leggot College Scunthorpe.
Thank you to Martin Copson for submitting the report.

Over 100 sixth form students at John Leggot College walked out of lectures in protest at the Coalition government's decision to treble tuition fees and scrap EMA. Despite the freezing weather the students were in a defiant mood and it was really inspiring to see them making a stand. A smaller group marched into the town centre and distributed leaflets stating their cause. The response from the public was almost entirely supportive of the their fight.

The coalition proposals really stick in the craw as the government ministers all received a free state education and now seem intent on pulling the ladder up after them. Free secondary education is vital to ensure that the potential of working class kids is not wasted as they are put off from going to university by the prospect of massive debt. The protests in Scunthorpe and around the country put paid to the myth that young people are apathetic and unpolitical and should give us hope that the ConDems can be defeated, and that we can build a better world.
Scunthorpe Coalition of Resistance members were on the protest supporting the students' fight and some good contacts were made, which can only strengthen the movement.

Goodbye Bayliss

2010-12-01T10:50:00.000Z

I had heard a few rumours that he was due to go but it seems to be generally accepted that Les Bayliss the candidate who came a sorry third in the Unite GS Election has left the union.
A more detailed post can be read here
Not too sure that it is confirmed that he has gone to the JIB but we will see.
In my opinion his position in the union had become untenable after he publicly criticised the ongoing dispute with BA.
No doubt this news would have been celebrated at Len McCluskey's victory party last night.

A more pressing concern for myself is the Metals inc. Foundry Sector.
One of our EC members found out last week that our National Officer retired on October 31st without telling anyone from the National Industrial Sector Committee.
At the moment we have no dates for future meetings and no indication of any appointment to the vacant position.

Student Protest Tomorrow

2010-11-29T16:46:00.000Z

Students at John Leggot College Scunthorpe are due to protest tomorrow at 10.30 in opposition to the increase in tuition fees and the attack upon the Educational Maintenance Allowance.
More coverage here

McCluskey Begins His Term as Unite General Secretary

2010-11-24T17:16:00.000Z

The new leader of the country’s biggest union, Unite, today (Wednesday) warned that thousands of families face a miserable Christmas and painful new year thanks to the coalition government.

Len McCluskey, who earlier today was ratified as the first solo general secretary of Unite by the union’s executive, reiterated his determination to expose the lies behind the coalition government’s justification for its savage assault on the quality of national life.
Announcing Unite’s campaign to mobilise its 1.5 million members and their families in defence of their communities – titled Don’t Break Britain – Len McCluskey said: “Working people are under massive attack now. This government is expecting them to pay, through job losses and spending cuts, for the crisis made in the City. Resisting that assault must be priority number one for any trade union leader. What Thatcher tried to do to the unions, the Con-Dems are trying to do to the welfare state – erase it from the nation’s life.

“Britain’s first Cameron Christmas is going to be a time of bleak uncertainty for millions of people – not just those who work in the public sector, but anyone in any way dependent on them. Food, fuel and essentials are all rising. VAT will jump in January but wages are frozen. For ordinary people, this is not a ’good recession’, as some Tory peers would have it, but a miserable and frightening time. Only the bankers with their bonuses will be celebrating.

“That is why at the start of 2011, Unite will be launching its Don’t Break Britain campaign aimed at uniting everyone fighting to maintain the elements of a fair society and cohesive community life in the face of this onslaught.

“We will campaign alongside those who cannot take strike action to save their services – those dependent on benefits, people on NHS waiting lists, school children deprived of sports facilities, pensioners anxious about fuel bills.
“Don’t Break Britain will be about our union with its roots in the communities placing itself at the heart of the growing movement of resistance to the cuts.”
Len McCluskey added that he believed strike action to defend jobs and services will become more likely as anger deepens over the government’s actions:
“Unite will support any of its members that wish to take industrial action to save the one million jobs at threat across the public sector and to protect their pay and conditions. Indeed, I believe such action will likely prove inevitable.”
Further, Len reiterated his full support for a new beginning for the Labour party: “I would also like to make clear straight away my full support for the Labour party and for Ed Miliband’s leadership of it. I believe Unite members want and expect Labour to unite behind Ed, not to listen to the Blairite undead trying to drag Labour back to a failed past.
“Our duty now is to work might and main to defeat the Tories and Lib Dems at the local elections next May and at the next general election.”

If the intended campaign is to be effective it will need to be one that engages with activists throughout all of Unite's Sectors and Regions.
This is an ideal campaign for the Activist Committees to focus upon.
Every Region should call an aggregate meeting of their Activist Committees to co-ordinate action within their region.
We can then build upon any success and learn from failure.
We cannot allow this issue to be fragmented where different groups of activists are left ion the dark as to what others are focusing upon

Unite GS Election Result

2010-11-21T13:46:00.000Z

McCluskey 101,000
Hicks 52,000
Bayliss 46,000
Cartmail 39,000

A convincing win for McCluskey with a good showing for Hicks the only candidate who isn't an official of the union.
Gail Cartmail has also got a good return but the Bayliss camp must be despondent with this result.
They run a virtual campaign with constant emails to members and at least one general posting to members' addresses. They relied upon name recognition backed up by press ads but the members must have looked at policies and the majority saw that Bayliss had none.

Message to Les Bayliss

2010-11-21T10:17:00.001Z

You can send all the emails and letters you want but you can't fool our members.
Now collect your reactionary right wing antediluvian views, disappear and return to Masterchef.

That Wedding

2010-11-17T16:38:00.000Z

Like many others totally fed up with the blanket coverage of the Royal engagement.
So I will let the greatest Labour MP that ever lived sum up my opinion.

Royalty has four functions

To foster the illusion of national unity
to preserve the hierarchy of honours and titles by which representatives of workers are subjected to the most insidious form of corruption
to supply a fertile source of diversion
to intervene in a time of acute political crisis and exert its influence in favour of the existing social order

Aneurin Bevan

Blacklisting Victory

2010-11-17T09:56:00.002Z

As someone who has suffered in the past from blacklisting in the Construction Industry I welcome the news below. I spent at least two Christmases struggling to find enough money to buy presents and food whilst a local company was employing people who I knew were not qualified to perform the job they were employed to do.

A major construction contractor has been found guilty by an employment tribunal of blacklisting a prominent trade unionist.
On 10 November, at Ashford Employment Tribunal, an employment judge ruled that Unite member, Mr Phil Willis, had been unlawfully refused employment by CB&I because he is a member of a trade union, a prominent activist and was blacklisted because of this. He was awarded £18,375 in damages.

On 6 March 2009, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) raided the office of an organisation known as The Consulting Association (TCA) and found a list of over 3,000 workers in the construction industry. It was discovered that a practice was operating whereby up to 40 firms in the industry were buying information on workers and blacklisting trade unionists.
Mr Willis is a steel erector. He has been a member of Unite since 1968. In 2007 CB&I were involved in a major engineering and construction project at the Isle of Grain. Mr Willis submitted an application to CB&I for work as a steel erector on the Isle of Grain project. Although his application was acknowledged, he was not contacted again. CB&I were subscribers to TCA and used the services of TCA extensively. Mr Willis obtained a copy of his intelligence file held by TCA which contained information about his trade union activity.
Following the raid by the ICO in March 2009, the government announced it would introduce legislation to outlaw blacklisting which became law in April 2010. Unite had consistently argued that the blacklisting of construction workers was taking place. Mr Willis brought his claim under different legislation (section 137 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations.(Consolidation) Act 1992) as there was no specific legislation outlawing blacklisting at the time of his claim.
Tom Hardacre, Unite's national officer for construction, said: "It is the first successful case against a major construction company, but it will not be the last. The union is currently providing legal support to a number of workers who believe they have been blacklisted. Too many construction workers have suffered victimisation at the hands of unscrupulous employers. Unite intends to use the full force of the law to hold firms to account for systematically ruining people's livelihoods just because a few brave men were prepared to stand up for the rights of their fellow work colleagues."

Another Trade Uniost Murdered in Colombia

2010-11-15T16:54:00.002Z

Teacher Trade Unionist Assassinated in Colombia

A Colombian teacher and trade union activist has been murdered as she waited at traffic lights in the centre of the town of Tulua where she had lived and worked for over 30 years. Ligia Gonzalez was shot repeatedly at around 2.30pm on Saturday by assassins who drew up next to her on a motorcycle. The killers fled the scene after the murder and appear to have escaped capture despite a heavy police presence in the area. Mrs Gonzalez was a member of SUTEV-FECODE, the Colombian teachers’ trade union.

Luis Alberto Vanegas, the director of the human rights department of the CUT trade union federation, said that Mrs Gonzalez was the 16th teacher trade unionist to be assassinated so far this year. “But as well as the killings we’ve had another 144 teachers threatened and 20 forced to flee their homes and jobs due to threats. Another three survived assassination attempts and three others have been forcibly disappeared – all in this year alone,” said Mr Vanegas.
He added that his department was working on the case of Jose Omar Olivo, also a member of the teachers’ union FECODE, who had not been seen for three months now. According to Vanegas, “he has disappeared, nobody has heard from him and we don’t know if we will find him.” The CUT has nearly 200 similar cases of disappeared trade unionists said Vanegas

How the Markets Really Work

2010-11-10T07:59:00.002Z

21st Century Outdoor Relief

2010-11-09T08:53:00.000Z

Last week I attended a meeting in Leeds where Tony Woodley spoke to Unite activists about the public sector cuts and the need to organise resistance. He based his speech upon class issues saying that these cuts were the most savage attack upon our class he has ever seen.
This has been confirmed with the Government's latest proposal to cut benefit payments made to the long-term unemployed unless they participate in unpaid work such as street cleaning.
This will take the welfare state back to the days of the workhouse with the Overseers of the Poor doleing out money to those they deem to be deserving of it.
Being unemployed is not a lifestyle choice but a situation forced upon a section of society that has grown up in communities that have seen reduced investment in industry, an ever continuing move towards low paid work and a decreasing level of education for their children.
This proposal is without doubt a step towards the criminalisation of the poor.
Yet we are told we are all in this together but where is Lord Ashcroft when it comes to paying his taxes?
Over £26bn could be raised if we were to tackle tax avoidance and a 0.5% tax upon every transaction in the city of London would pay off the public debt within 12 months.
Why not invest in building homes, improving the infrastructure and continue to provide decent schools that would see an increased level of education and allow the working class to rise as one out of the depths of poverty.
This kind of investment would create jobs and provide apprenticeships that would increase the skills of our children giving them a future and a stake in a better society.
Instead we have a Government intent upon blaming the poor for being poor and leaving children to be taught in schools crammed full of asbestos.

Remembering the 1975 Scunthorpe Blast Furnace Disaster

2010-11-03T08:20:00.001Z

Photo courtesy of David Hebb

Thursday 4th November 2010 will be the 35th anniversary of the Queen Victoria Blast Furnace Disaster at Scunthorpe Steelworks, 11 men were killed when an explosion occurred in the early hours of that fateful day in 1975.
The Blast Furnaces at Scunthorpe are known as The Four Queens of Ironmaking, namely Mary, Bess, Anne and Vicky. It was on Vicky that the disaster would occur.
Molten Iron was poured into torpedoes ready to be transported via rail to other areas of the Steelworks.
Torpedoes were a relatively new piece of equipment in the past open top ladles had been used.
There had recently been a spate of cooling water leaks due to copper plugs having been replaced with steel ones which expanded at a different rate to the surrounding copper.
This would allow water to enter the torpedo on top of the molten Iron. Steam built up within the torpedo building up a pressure that would prove to be catastrophic.
All of this could have been dealt with but having become aware of the leak the decision was made to move the torpedo instead of allowing its contents to cool.
The molten Iron exploded covering the surrounding area with a deadly shower of molten metal.
There were 23 men in the direct vicinity when the explosion occurred. Four died instantly and seven others were to die later in hospital.
The decisions taken by the men present were nonetheless rational and blameless. All their experience up to that time suggested that the ladle could be safely moved away from the still-flowing water stream, and that leaving it in place was a more dangerous and ultimately very costly alternative.

A more detailed account of the events can be read here written by a person who knew one of the victims.
We should all take a moment to remember those that died on that fateful morning.

The disaster occurred just over a year after the Nypro explosion at Flixborough seven miles from the town. This explosion killed 28 men and flattened surrounding houses.

I was There

2010-10-30T14:27:00.000+01:00

Hopefully today will bring a similar result

Serious building programme needed, not Coalition housing chaos – McCluskey

2010-10-29T08:11:00.000+01:00

Chaotic coalition policies on housing benefit are causing alarm and distress to families and children who have the misfortune to be poor and living in Britain's inner cities, Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey charged today.

"The plan for an ill-considered cap on housing benefit smacks of the sort of political opportunism which has already become the hallmark of the ConDems," said Len McCluskey.

"Reform of the housing benefit system must go hand in hand with a serious programme of house building so that the 800,000 people currently threatened by changes in the system can be catered for. That would bring real benefits to the economy as well as helping to bring down private rents.

"If housing benefit is to be capped, it is obvious that there must be a cap on rents too.

"Instead, we face the prospect of children and their families being forcibly relocated from the places where they are settled, and where their schools and parents' jobs are, to migrate to other areas where there is no guarantee they can be accommodated.

"Schools in those areas will already be suffering from the lack of investment which was one of the first policy decisions of the coalition, so those children will be seeking to continue their education in schools that are already overcrowded and inadequate.

"This is a policy for social disaster, with councils and social services expected to pick up the pieces."

Cuts will Hit the Poorest in Our Society says TUC whilst McCluskey Vows to Fight for Public Sector Workers

2010-10-23T11:25:00.000+01:00

The poorest ten per cent of households will be hit 15 times harder than the richest ten per cent as a result of service cuts announced in the comprehensive spending review (CSR), according to a new analysis
published by the TUC
Brendan Barber TUC General Secretary said
'Our analysis blows away any claim that the spending review was progressive. Even when the effects of benefit changes are taken out of the equation, cuts to services surgically target the poorest households and leave the rich relatively untouched.

Meanwhile back at the Unite General Secretary Election the two leading candidates are diametrically at odds with each other as to how we should react to the Comprehensive Spending review.
Les Bayliss who seems to get more right wing with every breath he takes said before the 2010 TUC Conference we should mount an advertising campaign.
Not much good when the Libraries, swimmoing pools and children's parks are closing.

Len McCluskey has stepped up to the front vowing to fight for public sector jobs and services.
Mr McCluskey said he would lead a decisive fight for jobs against the coalition government's "slash-and-burn policy" of public service cuts.
Speaking before Tuesday's TUC rally against the cuts at Westminster Central Hall, Mr McCluskey said: "While the coalition's double-dippers threaten to unleash job cuts across Britain this week, what people need to hear is a plan for jobs.
"Too readily, some town hall leaders have adopted a programme of cuts to jobs and services which is doing serious damage to local economies.
"Next May's local elections will give communities an opportunity to reject that short-sighted and dangerous policy.
"But meanwhile, unions representing hard-pressed council staff cannot stand by and witness a bonfire of community services."

Ballot papers for the Unite GS Election will be posted to members next week.
For a fighting union Vote Len McCluskey

Len McCluskey responding to recent press interviews given by Les Bayliss

2010-10-19T17:14:00.000+01:00

Responding to recent press interviews given by Les Bayliss, Len McCluskey, leading candidate in the election for Unite General Secretary said today:

"This election is now a clear left-right struggle for the future of Unite and, to a great extent, the trade union movement as a whole. There are two visions on offer - of a union that puts its members first and stands up for them come what may in difficult times.

Or a union that puts managers and ministers first, that rolls over to have its tummy tickled by the employers every time the going gets tough.

This is no time for a lurch to the right. I believe Unite members will understand that their interests lie in having a strong, democratic and independent union led by a General Secretary who can unite the whole union and is not afraid of the challenges ahead."

New Blog

2010-10-17T15:14:00.002+01:00

Diary of a Benefit Scrounger

Unions Together

2010-10-16T16:51:00.001+01:00

Comrades from the Coalition of Resistance gathered in Scunthorpe Town Centre today to publicise the Anti-Cuts Demonstration planned for Wednesday 20th October Britannia Corner Scunthorpe at 5pm.
So far over 800 leaflets have been handed out to the public and the petition to Keep the Post Public has received substantial support.

Report underlines need for government jobs plan – Len McCluskey

2010-10-13T17:35:00.000+01:00

Government plans to cut public spending amount to a declaration of war on working people, union leader Len McCluskey warned today (Wednesday) as a report from accountancy firm PwC showed that a million jobs will be lost through the ConDem strategy to be announced next week.

Speaking in Birmingham, Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said: "The coalition government seems determined to pour petrol on our smouldering economy to turn it into a bonfire, destroying the hopes of decent working people who have already made great sacrifices to keep Britain from collapse.
"We have warned for months that the ConDem ‘slash and burn' approach to the economy would lead to massive job losses and threaten recovery. Now PwC - the favourite accountants of British business - are spelling out the devastating consequences of government policy. When will the ConDems start to listen?

"Instead of waiting for next week's plan for further cuts, we want to hear where is the plan for jobs. To build a fairer Britain we will need a robust economy which does not depend on the scheming of financial cowboys. We need to start making things again.

"That is why Unite will lead the campaign to bring investment into our motor industry and the other skilled undertakings on which our nation depended in better times.Other countries tackling the recession recognise the importance of sustaining their car industry and crucial manufacturing with loans, and the ConDems need to meet their obligations to do the same.

"We need an investment bank through which government cash can support manufacturing technology and ideas. And if we are to promote development in our regions, we need to recognise the important work of our regional development agencies in generating sustainable economic growth, rather than axing them in pursuit of Tory dogma."

Len McCluskey is the leading contender for election as general secretary of Unite, Britain's biggest union, and is campaigning for
• a manufacturing degree to put design and production skills in the UK on a par with their global competitors

• reversal of the government's disastrous decision to withdraw a £80m loan to Sheffield Forgemasters

• the maintenance of the Regional Development agencies which have worked to bring inward investment to the heartlands but are now to be swept away by the Coalition

North Lincs Coalition of Resistance – No to ConDem Cuts!

2010-10-12T16:57:00.000+01:00

Below is the open letter sent to Scunthorpoe Telegraph by North Lincolnshire Coalition of Resistance

The ConDem coalition government presents its spending cuts as both justifiable and unavoidable. Prime Minister David Cameron is doing his best to convince us that we should quietly acquiesce to a cuts programme that will affect “our whole way of life.”

We are told that we have to ‘rebalance the economy away from a reliance on government jobs’ and we are ‘too dependent on the public sector for jobs.’ We believe that this is an ideological position with the intention of outsourcing large parts of the public sector as has been shown by the announcement of the wholesale privatisation of Royal Mail.

We are told we are all in this together and should therefore share the burden. But the financial crisis was the fault of the bankers; when in trouble, the banks received generous bailouts to the tune of a staggering £850bn.
We are not ‘too dependent on the public sector for jobs’. These jobs are vital to the functioning of our society. We cannot afford to see them slashed and our public services weakened beyond repair.

We reject the idea that ordinary people must pay for a crisis they didn't create. We reject the current blind acceptance that “we’re all in this together” and that we have to accept changes that will affect “our whole way of life.”
We support the demonstration called by the Scunthorpe anti-cuts group to protest against the cuts on Wed Oct 20th and encourage everyone in North Lincolnshire to attend. Let’s tell the ConDem government that ordinary people and our public services should not have to pay for the bankers’ crisis! (The demonstration will take place at Britannia corner at 5pm on Wednesday October 20th)

Signed

Tony Gosling (labour Councillor), Bill Adams (Secretary Yorkshire and Humberside TUC),
Mervyn White (Branch Secretary UNISON North Lincolnshire Local Government Branch),
Scunthorpe No1 Unite Branch, Julia West (Branch Secretary CWU Doncaster & District Amal. Branch), Rich Stephens (Branch Secretary UCU North Lindsey College Branch), Brenda Benstead (Unison representative North Lindsey College) Trev Davey (Branch Secretary GMB North Lincs Council Branch), Steve White (NASUWT Regional Organiser Yorkshire & Humberside), Bill Gray (Scunthorpe Works Craft Convenor Tata Steel), Martin Copson (Unite Senior Steward Tata Steel), Stephen Miller (Unite Shop Steward Tata Steel), Ian Davies (Works Rep BBM Community Union Branch Tata Steel), David Yarnell, Ann Hindley (North Lincs Coalition of Resistance), Dave Gordge (Scunthorpe Right to Work)

All signatories are in a personal capacity.

How to Shoot Yourself in the Foot

2010-10-10T10:57:00.001+01:00

Last week saw the Tories gather for their annual conference at Birmingham. It began with Boris Johnson calling for strike ballots to be ruled invalid if less than 50% of members had taken part. This was obviously a rallying call for the true blue union bashers to join him in his battle with the arch enemy Bob Crow.
If such a rule was applied to the London Mayoral Election of 2008 would mean that his victory would be ruled invalid and most local councils would not be able to function due to insufficient interest from voters.
Then we heard Boy George's plans to scrap the Universal Benefit of Child Allowance to any family where one parent earns above £44,000 per annum. This was designed to give the impression that higher earners would contribute to the austerity measures due to come our way.
This caused some concern to Tory supporters who would suffer from this measure but I bet their not screaming at their employers to negotiate a pay cut.
To celebrate this delegates shamelessly drank champagne after George Osborne's announcement of his savage child benefit cuts.
Ministers and MPs ignored warnings from Tory high command about this year's "austerity conference", necking £50-a-bottle bubbly in the bar of the plush five-star Hyatt hotel.
They were probably gloating that the poor would have to fork out extra in taxes if they decided to purchase White Cider.
Then Lord Hutton joined the fray calling for an end to final salary pension schemes in the public sector. Also on pensions the Tories confirmed plans to raise the age of retirement for both men and women which would significantly affect the aspirations for dignity in retirement of hard working people.

So with all that going on there was an obvious chance for Ed Milliband to eat into the usual rise of support that occurs at Party Conference week.
His Shadow Cabinet announcements were eagerly awaited and he had the chance to set his party on the right path towards creating an economic alternative to these cuts.
He announced Alan Johnson as Chancellor of the Exchequer a man with little experience or knowledge of economic affairs.
Let's try harder next time shall we?

Don't Forget Your Postie

2010-10-04T08:47:00.000+01:00

The gathering momentum of opposition to the Public Service cuts with Trade Unions joining forces with local community groups is a move in the right direction if these cuts are going to be resisted.
Many areas have organised demos and rallies which will ensure the public are involved in the campaign to protect our services.
However there may be a danger that we forget about the Government's intention to privatise The Royal Mail. This move towards privatisation is politically motivated and will not benefit the workers or the public.
You can download the petition and get this motion passed at your union branch or Labour Party Constituency.
Communication Workers Union leader Billy Hayes said the "treasured public service" was not safe in the hands of this government.

In a speech to Labour's conference in Manchester he warned delegates that ministers would introduce a Postal Services Bill in Parliament next month that would "privatise and break up" Royal Mail.
"Royal Mail is not safe in the hands of the Lib Dems or the Tories. If they had their way, Royal Mail would be sold at a knock-down price to people whose sole instinct is the rate of return."

Mr Hayes also warned of indications that ministers could reduce the guaranteed six-day postal service to five days since the six-day service "is not guaranteed in EU law."

Royal Mail made £321 million profit in 2009 and £404 million in 2010 so it is plainly obvious that the usual looters will see this as an ideal opportunity to make a fast buck.
Any local campaign should engage with the CWU rep in the area and get them fully involved in campaigns which will give them the chance to engage with the public and bring their campaign to the forefront of the cuts agenda.

Ed Milliband and the Trade Union Vote

2010-09-26T15:04:00.001+01:00

Over at Liberal Democratic Voice there appears to be confusion regards the influence of the Trade Unions in electing Ed Milliband as Labour Party Leader. A very good rebuttal of this has been posted at Socialist Unity with an explanation that it was not a bloc vote.
Looking at the votes cast by the Trade Unions it can be clearly seen that there was a fairly low turnout amongst union members, an average of 11.14% of all those members that pay the political levy and thereby contribute to the finances of the Labour Party.
Obviously members of the three larger unions Unite, Unison and GMB have voted strongly for Ed but the big three all had below average turnouts which should have given the other unions especially USDAW and Community the opportunity to influence the vote in favour of their preferred candidate David Milliband.
Unfortunately for David the USDAW vote did not get off the ground with 15,202 votes cast out of over 350,000 ballot papers issued to their members.
There has also been some criticism of the procedure which allows Union members who pay the political levy being allowed to vote in this election despite the fact that the majority of them are not party members.
These people contribute freely to the levy and pay taxes in the UK and quite rightly are allowed a say in the leadership election of the party they help fund.
However as can be seen here Ed Milliband was consistently picking up 2nd preference votes from all three sections of the party including MPs, MEPs and Party members.
MPs and MEPs are allocated one third of the electoral college votes and because they are fewer in number than party members and members of affiliated organisations they have the greater influence on the vote.
Ed Milliband received 84 of those votes with his brother getting 111 from there Ed began to close the gap on 2nd preference votes to a deficit of 18 votes. This is where David Milliband lost the election with MPs and MEPs not giving him a clear enough majority and thereby allowing the Trade Union vote to decide the outcome.
In effect it was an electoral system of The Alternative Vote, one that the Liberals wish to impose upon the public for General Elections, that gave Ed Milliband the leadership of the Labour Party and not the Trade Unions.

Unite GS Election Nominations

2010-09-21T18:36:00.001+01:00

Total Nominations from Branches and Workplaces:

McCluskey 829
Bayliss 214
Hicks 137
Cartmail 97

Further Breakdown:

Branch Nominations:

McCluskey 692
Bayliss 117
Hicks 102
Cartmail 61

Workplace Nominations:

McCluskey 137
Baylisss 97
Cartmail 36
Hicks 35

Invalid Nominations:
Branches 165
Workplaces 83

Branch nominations appear with the ballot paper workplace nominations do not but they will be placed on the union website.

Unite GS Election and The Pubic Spending Cuts

2010-09-16T12:48:00.000+01:00

A lot has been made of the recent press release by Les Bayliss on how to oppose the Public Spending cuts.
His use of the Murdoch press is quite rightly being heavily criticised by Trade Unionists as are his criticisms of the BA dispute.
Below is the statement by the leading candidate in the Unite GS election Len McCluskey hopefully decent minded members will spot the difference in approach to attacks on services, pay and pensions.

Len McCluskey Statement on Public Service Cuts

The Con-Dem Coalition's public spending cuts are an issue for ALL Unite members. Of course, our members in the public service sectors are in the front-line. They must be supported in fighting back against this assault on their jobs, pay and pensions.
But the cuts also impact across our union. The construction industry is already being hard hit. Manufacturing firms like Sheffield Forgemasters have had their future blighted by the withdrawal of government support. Transport will suffer from the cuts. Finance sector workers - including in state-owned banks - are paying the price for their bosses' blunders.

And all Unite members and their families will feel the pain of the government's economic policy in their communities as the cuts bite into vital services.

So I believe fighting back against the government must be top priority for Unite as a whole.

We must:
Back our members in the public services in taking industrial action to save jobs, pay and conditions.

Campaign politically to say working people should not pay for a crisis caused in the City, and that the situation shows we were right to warn against reliance on free-market policies.

Support initiatives to unite unions with community groups fighting against the cuts and for social justice. Let's connect with our communities!

Put fighting for jobs at the top of our agenda across sectors, and demand that the government stops redundancies at state-controlled banks, and use those banks to support jobs employment throughout the economy.

Effective Opposition is Required

2010-09-14T09:44:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the TUC passed a composite motion calling for co-ordinated industrial action to oppose the expected cuts in public services whilst building alliances with communities and charities.
Speaking on the public services motion at TUC conference, Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary

“Today we face our greatest test for a generation. Our economy still on life support. The blight of unemployment scarring lives, wearing down communities. The Government are hoping no one will notice banks are posting record profits, bankers back to their bonuses. Hoping no one will notice the income, of the top 1 per cent of our society. Now greater than the total pay bill for our NHS, schools, and local government put together"
“Hoping no one will notice the amount we lose every year in tax evasion, and avoidance by big corporations. More than enough to wipe out the deficit at a stroke"
“A society in which some backers of the Tory party, pay less in tax than a cleaner in a hospital"
Congress made a commitment to work with local organisations in opposing cuts that will hit hard upon the most vulnerable in our society yet leave the rich unscathed. Delegates supported the call for strikes to protect the elderly and the poor who will be the ones who are made to pay for the crisis caused by the greed of the bankers.
This flies in the face of the right wing candidate in the Unite GS election who stated in an article in the Murdoch Press on Sunday that strikes would be a return to 80s militant lunacy and that strikes should not be called during Christmas.
This statement follows his recent claim that Steelmaking on Teesside was saved due to negotiation and not reverting to militancy. As can be seen here this is evidently wrong and shows Bayliss is out of touch when it comes to dealing with industrial issues.

Len McCluskey the leading candidate for the unite GS position has a different view on how to deal with the spending cuts. One that recognises the need for fighting back and not rolling over to have our tummies tickled.
Tony Woodley Unite JGS sees the need to get an alternative message across so that a broad based campaign can be launched in every town and city across the UK.
The vulnerable in our society need the support and protection of the whole labour movement with the use of strike action if needed.

Tonight both myself and another Unite rep will be meeting with reps of other unions to discuss ways that we can oppose the cuts in Scunthorpe and we will be taking the message that we will support any legal means necessary to protect those at risk, even during Christmas.

School Days

2010-09-05T08:24:00.000+01:00

Just like the vast majority of kids who are brought up in a northern Steeltown I went to a Comprehensive.
Thomas Sumpter Comprehensive to be exact, and this post has been inspired by watching my old school being demolished and a new building thrown up in its place and is being granted academy status.
I can see all of this from my back bedroom window with the new building being erected on the rugby pitch where I scored my one and only try.
Being a person approaching 50 my thoughts begin to concentrate upon my days there especially the Physical Education sessions.
We had two PE teachers, one of them would instruct the pupils in the usual activities such as football, rugby and basketball but the other was a big cruel sadistic brute who took great delight in humiliating children for the slightest mistake or even their appearance.
He was called Mr. Bateman but would be referred to by everyone as Batman. He had several descriptive words for the ones he tormented, cretin, half-wit and moron being among his favourites. His lessons usually consisted of a three mile road run around the streets surrounding the school followed by circuit training in the gym. It was in the gym that he would be in his most sadistic mood. Picking on those he knew could not perform the exercises he had devised. If he thought anyone was being lazy he would hit them with the metal end of the climbing rope or make them run the gauntlet of a row of the other pupils who were ordered to slap his object of fun on the backside. He would twist the skin of any pupil he considered to be overweight making them cry out in anguish. I remember one pupil being made to run around the gym for thirty minutes in his underwear because he had forgotten his white gym kit and at the end of the lesson he received the gym slipper as his punishment.
Despite the fact that I could complete his exercises he singled me out for special attention due to his experience of teaching my two older brothers both of whom rebelled against him.
I would be made to perform extra duties in an attempt to make me fail.
Occasionally he would inspect our gym shoes to see if we had whitened them the night before and if he was satisfied with our appearance we would be given the reward of a boxing lesson. Pupils of a similar size would beat each other in a makeshift ring for two minutes. He would pit me against the bigger ones in the class hoping I would take a beating but I always managed to come out of it unscathed. This eventually led to me fighting him and I did what any boy of fifteen would do against a grown man in middle age. I dodged his punches whilst landing a couple of my own upon him but his quick jabs soon had me against the ropes where he pressed against me not allowing me to move. I came out of it slightly the worse for wear and a little punch drunk. Afterwards he offered to train me with a view to take up amateur boxing but I flatly refused.
Maybe I should have taken him up on his offer because a few months later I turned up for my first job interview sporting a black eye. Needless to say I was not offered the job.
Some pupils like my eldest brother would have the misfortune of being in his Mathematics class. His style of teaching was not designed to educate his charges. They would be made to copy out endless sheets of sums which did not progress beyond addition and subtraction and if any pupil made an error he would make the whole class copy out the exercise again.
Certainly not the type of education that would prepare anyone for the big wide world awaiting them.
There were many stories circulated to explain his style the favourite being that he had spent time in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp but no one really knew his past.
I can't remember the year but it was in the 90s that I read his obituary in our local paper. He had left an estate worth £250,000 to no one. He had no family and no friends now why was I not surprised.
So Mr. Frank Bateman just in case you are looking down or more likely observing from a deep dark corner in the nether regions of Hades this is for you.

Even Beckam Can Understand This

2010-09-02T17:48:00.001+01:00

Apparently if you calculate this:
(s) = 0 +1S [es/L −1]

You can achieve this:

Saved!

2010-08-28T09:47:00.000+01:00

THE mothballed Corus steel plant on Teesside is to be sold to Thai firm SSI.
The plant was partially closed when an international consortium suddenly walked away from a long-term contract to buy its products and Corus refused to consider developing the plant.
More than 1,000 workers at the Teesside Cast Products site lost their jobs and there were fears that the plant would close altogether, leading to thousands more job losses across the region.
Behind-the-scenes moves began this summer to sell the plant to SSI, with union leaders and local politicians visiting Thailand to meet company executives.

The announcement today that the factory was being sold to SSI raised hopes that many of the jobs will be saved, giving a huge boost to the North-East region, which is heavily reliant on the steel industry for employment.
Union officials warmly welcomed today's great news.
Unite national officer Terry Pye said: "Last year this site was pronounced dead, but thanks to the intervention and determination of the workforce and their unions to find a buyer, this steel plant has been brought back to life.

"The deal secures jobs for the future and generates wealth and opportunity for the local community. This is fantastic news."

From a personal perspective I was present at the Save Our Steel March at Redcar in July 2009 and witnessed just how much the industry means to the town.
At the time I felt that the campaign should have developed into a national issue for the whole of the Steel Industry to organise around but it wasn't to be.
However the involvement of the unions and the community in persuading Corus to listen to the prospective buyer is a testament to what can be achieved by unions and a united community joining together to save jobs and securing a future for their area.

Class War it is Then

2010-08-27T09:32:00.000+01:00

Not that we expected anything different but the recent press release from The Institute for Financial Studies clearly states Osborne's Budget is regressive and will hit the poorest in our society the hardest.
The poorest 10% will be out of pocket by up to £422 per household, with the second richest 10% £339 worse off.
Unite assistant general secretary for equalities Diana Holland said: "The IFS has exposed that Osborne's callous budget not only hits the poorest hardest but it also means that women, minorities and the disabled will be hit hardest too.
"The Con-Dems' vision of a big society is in fact an increasingly unequal society where the poor, women, minorities and the disabled suffer the most."

So those at the bottom of the pile will bear the burden of a financial crisis caused by those at the top.
But if you don't have a pile you can't have a top or a bottom.

Labour NEC Election

2010-08-25T11:56:00.000+01:00

The LRC is supporting our vice chair Susan Press and National Committee member Christine Shawcroft for election to the Labour Party NEC this year. Party members will receive ballot papers next month.
Both candidates remain committed to being accountable and producing reports of all meetings ensuring that party members are kept informed of business.
You can read their election statements here and here, please download their statements and distribute to members in time for voting.
Susan has her own blog which usually contains material of political activism sprinkled with some articles on her personal life.
To ensure members' voices are heard on the NEC vote Susan Press and Christine Shawcroft.

Legal Action Over Visteon Pensions

2010-08-24T11:56:00.000+01:00

Unite, Britain's biggest union, has warned Ford Motor company of legal action over the pension rights of staff who transferred to Visteon UK and subsequently lost their jobs and pensions after Visteon UK went into administration last year.

Workers' employment was transferred from Ford to Visteon UK in May 2000. Employees had to decide whether to leave their accrued pension benefits in the Ford pension scheme, or to transfer them to the Visteon pension scheme. Unite believes the information that Ford provided to these workers in order to assist them in deciding whether or not to transfer their accrued pensions benefits was misleading.
The belief was that if they transferred their benefits to the Visteon UK Pension Scheme their pensions would be secure.
However in 2009, 610 workers lost their jobs and some of their pension when Visteon UK went into administration.

They will now get only Pension Protection Fund level benefits for any accrued Ford pension rights that they transferred and only PPF level benefits for their accrued VUKPP pension rights.
The Visteon Pension Action Group demonstrated at the Unite Policy Conference in Manchester.
Tony Woodley Unite Joint General Secretary addressed the crowd.
“The support of this union is 100 percent behind you.We’re working on a legal angle we can use against Ford.”

But Rob Williams Convenor at the former Visteon plant in Swansea would like to see the campaign stepped up.
"We want the union to immediately put a writ to Ford and make them pay up,”
The workers are faced with losing up to half of their pension benefits.
Mike Gard of the Visteon Pension Action Group said: "We had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, that Ford would recognise the hard and diligent work that its staff put in.

"We now have men and women considering giving up the enjoyments of retirement, such as holidays, which they worked so hard for, considering selling their homes and buying smaller houses and even returning to work to make ends meet."

Finally Some Good News

2010-08-17T11:55:00.000+01:00

Recent announcements from Corus indicate a brighter future for the UK Steel Industry following what can only be described as a very dark period of struggle.
The industry appeared to be on the brink of collapse with orders diminisihing during the recession and workers suffering cuts in overtime and shift payments along with an aborted attempt to agree a wage cut by management and unions.
The company has been in profit for the last 3 quarters and new jobs are being created.
In Lanarkshire there is to be £8m worth of investment in a new 3500 tonne press which will help create 60 new jobs.This investment will double the capacity to produce heavy levelled plate which is used in foundations for offshore wind turbines, power plant construction and heavy machinery.
At Port Talbot Blast Furnace No.4 is to be rebuilt at a cost of £185m this work is due to begin in 2012.
It will increase capacity at the plant by 400,000 tonnes.
More significantly there are plans to build a new manufacturing plant at Redcar which will create over 200 jobs. This news will be a welcome relief for the beleaguered area of Teesside which suffered the mothballing of its Steel Plant earlier this year. The plant will produce goods for the green energy market.
Coupled with this is the news that talks are progressing over the sale of Teesside Cast Products which may result in securing a future for Steelmaking in the North-East.

Unite's national officer, Terry Pye, said: "The new manufacturing plant will create hundreds of jobs which will support Britain's future energy requirements, this is great news for Teesside.

"Discussions on the sale of Corus's Teesside Cast Products plant is continuing, and we are hoping there will be a successful sale soon.
"For years workers at Corus have faced cut backs. The successful sale of TCP together with the new manufacturing facility would mean a brighter future for Teesside. Unite is urging Corus to complete the sale and revive steelmaking in Teesside."

The main problem with all of this is the fact that the ConDem Coalition look set upon cutting back on infrastructure investment which may well result in the demand for Steel reducing and once again putting jobs at risk.

Jimmy Reid 1932-2010

2010-08-14T09:55:00.000+01:00

“Alienation is the precise and correctly applied word for describing the major social problem in Britain today. People feel alienated by society. In some intellectual circles it is treated almost as a new phenomenon. It has, however, been with us for years. What I believe is true is that today it is more widespread, more pervasive than ever before. Let me right at the outset define what I mean by alienation. It is the cry of men who feel themselves the victims of blind economic forces beyond their control. It’s the frustration of ordinary people excluded from the processes of decision-making. The feeling of despair and hopelessness that pervades people who feel with justification that they have no real say in shaping or determining their own destinies."

Above is a section of the speech made by Jimmy Reid after winning the position of Rector of Glasgow University.
The election of Ted Heath's Conservatives in 1970 had brought a party into power determined to remove state subsidies from "lame duck" industries. This involved the Upper Clyde Shipyards which would have seen 6,000 jobs disappear.
Reid and his colleagues Jimmr Airlie and Sammy Barr decided that the best way to show the viability of keeping the yards open was by staging a 'work-in' rather than by going on strike with the workers operating the shipyard until the government changed policy.
Whilst addressing the workers Reid stipulated the discipline that would be required:

We are not going to strike. We are not even having a sit-in strike. Nobody and nothing will come in and nothing will go out without our permission. And there will be no hooliganism, there will be no vandalism, there will be no bevvying because the world is watching us, and it is our responsibility to conduct ourselves with responsibility, and with dignity, and with maturity.

The campaign was successful and to this day 2 of the 3 Clyde Shipyards remain open

At the time Reid was a Communist he would later join Kinnock in his re-imaging of the Labour Party, from there he joined the SNP and during the Miners Strike he heavily criticised Scargill on his conduct of the strike. Reid should be criticised for the mistakes he made but I prefer to remember him as the inspiring Union leader who saved jobs and gave a future to the community of Clydeside.

On Fishing

2010-08-13T11:49:00.000+01:00

Link Here

At a recent Scunthorpe Branch Socialist Appeal meeting, yes all three of us, we were discussing how we might begin to oppose the public spending cuts and turn Scunthorpe into a Marxist heaven when it suddenly dawned upon us that we might need a little help. Thoughts turned to the possibility of a broad left alliance with the local SWP Branch, yes both members, so we decided it might be a good idea to take in a bit of refreshment at the pub down the road and have a think.
So off we Trotskied down to the Priory where we were entertained by numerous renditions of Journey's Don't Stop Believing which must be on a constant loop on the jukebox. Surely nobody bought this crap it could only have been part of a cleverly disguised Malthusian plot to persuade us all to commit suicide.
I'd like to send them on a journey and it wouldn't be up and down the boulevard!
Anyway whilst trying to divert my attention away from this bothersome noise I was drawn towards a conversation between a group of twentysomethings sitting at an adjacent table. They were discussing the possibility of arranging a fishing expedition and my thoughts drifted backwards in time to my formative years when a group of us would rise early on dark depressing Saturday mornings during winter.
Off we would cycle the six miles to a dreary canal and sit opposite a disused power station hoping that the big local lad would not come and beat us up for being in his spot or that the farmer would not evict us for daring to step upon his empty field.
I would sit there all day watching a painted stick bobble up and down in the water, quickly reel it in if a barge came sailing by and watching my finger ends slowly turn blue.
You've probably guessed that I'm not an angler it's not that I don't like fish I do, in fact I love it especially when it's surrounded by mountains of chips enticingly arranged on a plate with two slices of buttered bread by my side. Even better when I sit with my partner eating this working class luxury whilst watching the cast of Eastenders playing happy families on a Friday night.
The fact is I just don't see the point of skewering a live maggot with a hook, immersing it into freezing cold water in the hope that I might persuade an adult Perch to swallow my bait. Even if I was successful with my deftly concealed trap what would I do with it?
Imprison it in a two foot wide net for a few hours before allowing it to swim free?
OK I know because I have been told many times that angling is the most popular pastime in Britain and millions partake in this futile activity, but then again millions vote Tory and it doesn't make it right.
My fishing career ended one cold Saturday afternoon in February 1975. Upon hearing that Scunthorpe United had lost again I began to pack my gear away and get ready for the ride home after denying a couple of fine aquatic creatures their freedom for a few hours before setting them loose to find a meal that didn't end up with them being wrenched from their natural environment, when I realised that my time might be better spent having an exploratory fumble on the settee of name ommitted's front room. In fact this activity might even help rid me of acne.
(Just in case you're reading this you know what I'm talking about and I wish you well but I still think Bay City Rollers' first album is far superior to the second but not a patch on Physical Graffiti.)

So there you have it my thoughts on fishing a pointless, mind numbing activity that can only lead to an introverted personality with a lack of interpersonal skills.

PS If any anglers get worried about how they can humanely kill what they catch try stabbing your prey to death with your hook apparently that implement doesn't cause pain to fish!

PPS If my one follower disagrees with my opinion of angling he will be deleted.
Is that slightly Stalinist?

This Abuse has to Cease

2010-08-09T11:20:00.000+01:00

Whilst trawling the Internet I cam across this article in the Guardian. It details the conditions Domestic Workers are subjected to in the UK.
How these workers have been persuaded to enter the UK with promises of wages they will never see and once they are here they have their passports confiscated and are treated as slaves having to work long hours without holidays.
I was aware that Domestic Workers were exempt from the Health & Safety Act 1974 but did not know that they were not covered by the minimum wage due to the fact that they are allowed to eat with the family they are working for.
On looking further into this I noticed that Unite since 2008 have been involved in a campaign to end this abuse. Surely it is time for this campaign to receive more publicity in order to bring the issue to the attention of the public and force the Government into granting full employment rights to these workers and end the exemption from Health & Safety legislation.
After all these workers make a valuable contribution to the families they work for, allowing them the freedom to go out to work themselves and not worry about Childcare issues.
You can also read the experiences of a domestic worker here and get a first hand account of the conditions they have to suffer.

Two million!

2010-08-05T18:26:00.001+01:00

Two million pounds for slashing jobs and closing a plant. That is what Corus have allegedly been paying Kirby Adams according to an article in The Guardian.
This is in stark contrast to what they are trying to get away with when it comes to the people who produce steel.
During the recession the workforce made significant contributions towards the company saving over £1bn and did not submit a pay claim last year.
The final pay offer for 2010/11 was made yesterday.

3.2% rise
£200 one off payment for savings contributions
Reviews of Family Friendly Policies and Working Time

So a pay rise that only just matches the current rate of inflation if you use CPI. This will mean that I can carry on buying the same size loaf of bread this year. Oh how lucky am I?
A measly £200 per employee for helping them save an absolute fortune which would probably amount to about £3m so one director is paid two thirds of the reward the whole workforce is set to receive.
As far as the reviews of Working Time and Family Friendly Policies will contain you can bet that the intention will be to attack the workforce.
Community Union have accepted the offer without consulting members as usual. Unite and GMB will consult via a ballot.

Oh Please Get Me Out of Here!

2010-08-02T17:00:00.000+01:00

Back at work at our on site Trade Union Resource for Training, Learning and Education (TURTLE Centre) following week off, we were delivering an Excel course for the company.
After a couple of hours the delegates broke for drinks and the spectre of a manager appeared at my door.
"Why is this called a Trade Union Learning Centre?"
"Because it is a Trade Union Learning Centre"
Question to manager
"Why is this industry in decline?"
"I don't know"
"One reason might be that we employ managers who are oblivious to what is staring them in the face"
Oh well back to mind numbing reality.

Cameron Meets Corus Owner

2010-08-01T13:41:00.000+01:00

DAVID Cameron has held talks with Ratan Tata the Indian tycoon whose company owns Corus.
The Prime Minister and Ratan Tata met during a trade mission to India this week for talks that were described as “constructive” by Downing Street.
We can o0nly hope that these talks included the ongoing saga of Teesside Cast Products. The Redcar plant was mothballed earlier this year with the loss of around 2,000 jobs despite a long campaign by the local community and Trade Unions.
Talks continue between Corus and Thai industrial group SSI about a possible deal over the Teesside Cast Products (TCP) plant. Unions have recently criticised Corus for not taking the interest of SSI seriously and that they have no intention of selling the plant.
Since TATA paid over £6bn for Corus in April 2007 the UK Steel Industry has gone from record profits to the brink of collapse.
Last year saw a large scale redundancy package announced, unilateral cancellation of production bonus payments and the announcement that the British Steel Pension Scheme would be closed to new employees.
Trade Unions threatened strike action over bonus and pension threats and the company backed down, but they are intent upon negotiating a new bonus scheme and the threat to the pension has not gone away despite 12 months of negotiation.
I wonder if the Prime Minister raised concerns about the obvious agenda for reducing the terms and conditions of UK Steelworkers?
Probably not as cutbacks are a significant part of his own agenda.

Unite Executive Council Nominate Ed Milliband

2010-07-28T14:30:00.000+01:00

Unite EC have nominated Ed Milliband as their preferred leader of the Labour Party. They will be recommending the one million members of Unite who are eligible to vote in the leadership election to vote for Ed.
The Joint General Secretaries issued a statement which reads:
"We believe that Ed Miliband is the best candidate to reconnect Labour with the concerns of ordinary working people and to take the fight to the disastrous Con-Dem coalition.”

We can only presume that the decision of the EC, which followed a recommendation from the National Political Committee has been influenced by a presumption that Unite can influence Ed Milliband into campaigning for issues that are at the heart of Unite's policy.
Let's not forget that delegates at Unite's Policy Conference voted for the repeal of Anti-Trade Union Laws as well as the Nationalisation of UK Steel Industry.
How about it Ed?

Where Should a PM Spend His Time

2010-07-21T18:18:00.002+01:00

So David Cameron has not accepted the invitation to address the TUC in September.
Bob Crow was intent upon organising a walkout leaving the PM with an empty hall to address and quite a number of Unite Branches had sent in motions objecting to this asinine act of class collaboration.

Instead David Big Society Cameron has decided to take his paternity leave during the week of TUC Congress. So where should he spend his time?
At his wife's ancestral home Normanby Hall Estate near Scunthorpe perhaps?
After all it has a hall one could lose oneself in, an estate full of reindeer, a model railway to play with and a golf course.
It would be a fantastic place to begin the life of a child
The problem is he can't the family moved out of the hall in 1963 and it was handed over to Lincolnshire Council in lieu of death duties.
The local Labour Council has over the the years developed the estate into a popular tourist attraction where children can study wildlife, learn about history, the general public can enjoy a round of golf on a public/private golf course and the oiks from the nearby steeltown can even get married there.
So I wonder if he thinks preserving estates like this are a waste of public money or perhaps Big Society Dave thinks it should be run by volunteers.

Branch Meetings and Wasp Nests

2010-07-16T09:47:00.003+01:00

After a brief spell in the Socialist Party where I quickly learned that they were intent on organising my life for me and wearing me out through regular Saturday morning paper sales events, I have rejoined the Labour Party after an absence of 8 years.
Last night I attended my first Branch meeting and expected the usual references to the length of grass in the parks and lamposts not working.
The meeting began with Councillors reports and the major issue seemed to be a wasp nest in Jubilee Park, one of the many urban parks in Scunthorpe the industrial garden town.
I began to search my pockets for a stapler so that I could ensure my eyelids remained open but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rest of the meeting was taken up by an hour long discussions on current political issues.
It would appear something has woken up the foot soldiers.
A period of opposition and the need to organise a fightback perhaps?

Year Long Strike Ends

2010-07-10T10:21:00.000+01:00

Miners at the Vale Inco nickel mine at Sudbury Canada have reached a settlement with the company.

The strike began in July 2009 after the Brazilian transnational company demanded concessions on worker's pensions and bonuses.

Negotiations came to fruition after a request from Ontario ministers.

A five year deal has been agreed which includes:

Improvements to wages
Improvements to Defined Benefit Pension
A Defined Contribution Scheme for new members
$2,000 return to work payment
$2,000 return to production payment

USW Representatives have been regular attenders at Unite Conferences where they addressed delegates as part of the Global Union Workers Uniting.

Corus Unions Begin to Organise

2010-07-08T13:24:00.000+01:00

During the last two years both myself and another Unite Rep have been attempting to get the unions at Corus to engage with members on a regular basis.

We have achieved limited success but enough to encourage us to continue with what at times has felt like a Sisyphean task. A number of Unite reps are now beginning to realise that the members are the important people and not those that attend the endless list of committees that seem to take up a large part of a TU rep’s time.

So you take a week off and all hell breaks loose!

A multi-union branch meeting took place at Scunthorpe Plate Mill where members of Community and Unite voted to seek support from National Officers and pressure the company to reinstate two employees who were sacked for breaches of safety regulations.

The two people dismissed have fallen foul of the company’s zero tolerance attitude towards breaches of safety and cardinal rules.

The reps at Plate Mill are accusing the company of double standards and inconsistency when dealing with disciplinary issues.

Now I don’t know all the details so I cannot comment on any individual case but this declaration of support for their brothers by the workers at Plate Mill is a step forward with regards organising members and making unions in the Steel Industry stronger.

So what now?

The unions at Corus Scunthorpe need to move away from the top down approach that has existed for years and organise in a way that gives members a significant input into events at their workplace.

This will take time to achieve but we must now kick on and build upon this welcome involvement of the shopfloor.

Community, Unite and GMB need to recognise that having us all split up into separate departments throughout the site minimises the effect we have in dealing with issues and prevents a cohesive policy being formed.

Reps from all three unions need to meet on a regular basis and for Unite it is imperative that a Workplace Branch is formed and soon as possible.

This would give members the opportunity to voice their opinions and bring them into the decision making process.

You never know we may even get to the stage where we ask members what they want in their pay claim!

Make Domestic Abuse a Workplace Issue

2010-07-03T09:38:00.001+01:00

During the recent Unite Policy Conference I had the pleasure of listening to Liz McInnes from Health Sector speak about how she is involved in minimising the effects of domestic abuse on workers.
She is in the process of negotiating a Domestic Abuse Policy in her workplace so that this vile trait can be stopped.
I took the opportunity of asking Liz to send me the proposed agreement and I am now trying to get our National Officer interested in proposing such a policy to Corus management.
This policy will centre around : -

Raising awareness and education of workforce
Financial support for victims
Time off for victims
Linking victims to outside agencies that offer support and assistance

This will encourage those in need of support to step forward and eventually help in eliminating violence in the home.
I urge every TU Rep to take steps such as these and raise the matter with your management.

What is the Problem with English Football

2010-07-01T09:34:00.001+01:00

It appears the Irish have a few ideas

Adams to Return to OZ

2010-06-29T17:31:00.000+01:00

Kirby Adams CEO of TATA Steel Europe, which includes the UK Steel Industry, is returning to Australia in October.
He has been quoted as saying:
"I have spent the past 15 months undertaking a major review of the operations during a time of unprecedented difficulty in the European steel industry.
The results of this review are now being implemented through the 'one company' and 'customer first' initiatives and I am proud we have moved from loss-making to profitability"

During his sojurn the UK Steel Industry saw the mothballing of a major plant at Teesside, a restructuring of staff which led to thousands of redundancies, attacks on the occupational pension and the attempt not to honour the payment quarterly bonuses that are based upon production.
So I have this to say to Australian Trade Unionists:
Good Luck!

Stick this Down your Free Market Throats!

2010-06-16T17:58:00.001+01:00

Unite and the accountability of MPs

2010-06-10T12:27:00.001+01:00

Last week at Policy Conference delegates passed a motion calling for the withdrawal of sponsorship from MPs who did not apply Unite policy.Delegates also passed, despite opposition from the EC, an emergency motion calling for MPs to give sufficient nominations to all candidates in the Labour Party leadership contest.
The motion was primarily intended to gain support for John McDonnell from the left of the party.
It emerged yesterday that he was not going to receive the required 33 nominations so he honourably stood down in favour of Dianne Abbot.
I presume Unite will now be asking for sponsored MPs to explain why they did not do as conference had asked.
Question is how for long can I hold my breath!

The Election and The Steel Industry

2010-05-19T12:52:00.001+01:00

So we now have the ConDem coalition with Labour moving to the opposition benches.

The three main Steel producing areas saw a drop in the Labour vote with Scunthorpe and Aberavon returning Labour MPs. The story was very different in Redcar however.

Scunthorpe saw the Labour majority reduced from 8,963 in 2005 down to 2,549. The main reason given for this drop and a swing to Conservatives of 9.2% was the expenses scandal which saw the previous Labour MP at the forefront.

What cannot have been missed by the electorate was the lack of support given to the Steel Industry during the economic crisis as will be seen later when we look at the result at Redcar.

Steelworkers had witnessed their industry collapsing around them and were forced to take cuts in hours and become engaged in a cost saving initiative to secure the survival of the largest employer in the area.

In Aberavon where the Steel Industry had benefited from the car scrappage scheme Labour's result was a decent one and they managed to poll almost 52% of the vote.

The result at Redcar was a disaster for Labour.

The local Steelworks and the Chemical works had seen threat of closure with little apparent support from the government at trying to save the main industries.

Labour's vote was reduced from slightly under 20,000 in 2005 to 13,741 with a swing to the Lib Dems of 21.8%.

This should serve as a warning to Labour. Abandon the core vote and allow a whole community and you get what you deserve.

The result is probably a harsh one for Vera Baird the Labour MP returned in 2005.

I was at the Save Our Steel March at Redcar last July and I witnessed the heckling of Vera as she attempted to speak to the marchers.

Afterwards I was informed that she had been doing sterling work on behalf of the Steelworkers but unfortunately it hadn't been portrayed to the public.

So what now for the Steel Industry.

It certainly cannot afford any further plant closures and needs to be placed at the centre of any survival plan for UK manufacturing.

Labour needs to learn the lesson of leaving the working class at the mercy of the market and re-engage with its core support.

Teesside: Fresh Hopes Emerge

2010-05-04T11:15:00.003+01:00

According to an article in today's Morning Star Thai Steel company SSI visited the Teesside Cast Products Steel Plant last Thursday.
This comes after the three unions involved in the UK Steel Industry, Unite, Community and GMB had been pressing Corus to take an undisclosed buyer for TCP seriously.
The unions are claiming that they have been left in the dark abut wehether a formal bid has been made or not with Community Union leader Mick Leahy quoted as saying

'We want Corus to come clean about what is going on. Thousands of jobs depend upon finding an alternative future for TCP.'

Threats of ballots for industrial action have been flying around like confetti during the last 12 months but now at least a buyer has had the chance to look at the site.
TCP has been mothballed effecting around 1,600 employees, but of course actions like this have a devastating effect upon local communities.
Whilst it is welcome news that interest is still being shown, the real solution should have been given by the Government last Summer when the intention to Mothball TCP was announced by Corus.
Instead of promising money for training the New Labour Government should have renationalised TCP and demonstrated that they intended to support directly the UK manufacturing Industry.

Left Leanings and Love

2010-05-04T09:14:00.000+01:00

Today sees the marriage of Martin Copson, SWP member and fellow Corus Scunthorpe Unite Shop Steward and Rachel herself the daughter of a former Militant Tendency member.
They have eloped to Gretna Green but have not made much of an attempt at secrecy after announcing their intentions a couple of weeks ago.

Please join with me in wishing them and their daughter Clara a happy day and a bright future.

McCluskey Launches Campaign

2010-05-03T17:26:00.000+01:00

May Day saw Len McCluskey launch his campaign to be Unite General Secretary.

His main stance is to develop:

a union where members are in charge
a fighting, tolerant and inclusive union
a progressive union
a united and organising union

This is a statement from his manifesto which can be found at http://unite4len.com/

'Under my leadership , money,effort and officer/staff time will be focussed consistently on supporting our members at the sharp end. Developing a united, collective organisation and confidence that supports members at the workplace and organising new members will be the foundation for the Unite I want.

Our members want a decentralised, vibrant union at local level, not a bureaucratic centralised union. Officers supporting the membership, not members supporting a top-heavy union structure regardless of whether it delivers. Anyone who believes that a union like Unite can be run from an office in London needs to get out more.

Of course what we do in other areas of work can be vital for our long-term future. So I will work to develop Workers Uniting, the global union we have formed with our colleagues in the USW in North America.

Increasingly, what affects workers somewhere has an impact on workers everywhere.'

Len McCluskey gained the support of activists from United Left at their hustings held in Manchester last year.

Opening Message

2010-05-03T17:16:00.000+01:00

This blog will focus on events within the UK Steel Industry, Unitetheunion and politics within North Lincolnshire.
Messages will be posted as and when anything occurs but it must be stated that North Lincolnshire is hardly the hot bed of political activity so please be patient.