News Updates on Diageo, FSA, Asbestos, Local Government Craft Workers

Diageo Campaign - Fighting To Save Jobs
Following the devastating announcements made on 1st July, Unite is supporting Diageo workers fighting to keep their jobs after the company announced 900 job cuts across plants in Scotland including the historic Johnnie Walker packaging plant in Kilmarnock and Port Dundas distillery in Glasgow.

You can find out much more information directly at the following sites:

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101098331269

Please Sign The Petition To Paul Walsh CEO of Diageo @
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=559

Download posters, stickers, newsletters @
http://www.unitetheunion.com/savediageojobs

Unite Seeks Recognition At FSA
Unite has called on the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to urgently enter into talks to recognise Unite as the union to represent all staff at the regulatory body.

There is currently no independent trade union to negotiate with management on behalf of the workforce at the financial regulator. Unite workplace representatives in the FSA have been banned from distributing information about the union to colleagues. Unite already has many members at the FSA, but the organisation continues to deny the union recognition to bargain collectively on behalf of staff.

The announcement by the Conservative party that it plans to abolish the FSA has caused a wave on uncertainty across the organisation. Unite is seeking formal recognition of the 2,500 staff based in London and Edinburgh.

Unite's National Officer for the Finance sector Rob MacGregor said: “The FSA must consider the needs of the staff working under massive pressure at the financial regulator. At a time of great economic and political uncertainty at the FSA, it is more important than ever that management and Unite representatives work together. Staff want a union to fight on their behalf, the FSA should stop resisting the calls of the workforce. There is a farcical situation in the FSA where commercial organisations, social and religious groups are allowed stalls, to give out leaflets to staff, and are able to put posters up, but the trade union is not. Staff view the plans from the Conservative party as a bitter blow, they need reassurance that the important work of the financial regulator is not under threat.”

Unite has written formally to the chair of the FSA board, Lord Turner, to ask for an urgent meeting to discuss formal recognition of the union.

Asbestos: Tony Woodley Slams Decision To Delay Justice
Following the announcement from the government at the end of the parliamentary year that it will not overturn the House of Lords' ruling which removed compensation for sufferers of asbestos-related diseases and have opted to half heartedly look at some of the other issues surrounding asbestos related disease, Unite joint general secretary, Tony Woodley said: “It’s an absolute disgrace that the government is not announcing a reversal of the House of Lords ruling on compensation for those with pleural plaques. It’s an insult to hard working British people who have been negligently exposed to asbestos.

“There is plenty of medical evidence that supports the fact that pleural plaques do harm workers, something the government is well aware of. So for those workers who are suffering from these terrible diseases this delay will seem unnecessary and cruel.  But, as profoundly disappointed as we are with this outcome, we urge the government to look at the latest evidence from scientists that asbestos-related pain is connected to the disease.  This should convince them that they need to act to compensate these workers and help alleviate their distress.

"The fact remains, however, that while the government debates the medical evidence, our members remain uncompensated for their suffering and the industry which took serious risks with workers' lives and health remain unpunished for the misery they've caused to innocent people.”

Attack On Skilled Craft Workers
Unions representing 40,000 skilled council craftworkers (Unite, Ucatt and GMB) have said they are appalled that a long delayed pay offer has been formulated in order to cut the terms and conditions of all local government craftworkers.

The workers concerned are local government craftworkers including: carpenters, bricklayers, painters, labourers, electricians, plumbers, heating and ventilator engineers and gas fitters. Their terms and conditions are set by the Joint Negotiating Committee JNC “Red Book” agreement, which is tailored to cover their specific working environment.

The employers are proposing a pay increase of just 1% for the majority of pay grades, with the building labourer rate (the lowest) receiving a 1.25 per cent increase. Allowances would also only rise by 1 per cent.

The employers are also offering to pay an additional 0.3 per cent, which other council workers on the Green Book received last year, if the unions voluntarily agree to collapse the Red Book. A 0.3 per cent increase for the majority of local government craftworkers would be worth just 50 pence - the cost of a Mars Bar - in take home pay.

In a further sinister move the employers say in their proposal: “However, should an agreement to dissolve the JNC not prove possible, the Employers would subject to the outcome of a consultation of all local authorities, give the Trade Union Side notice of their intention to withdraw from the JNC”

A unilateral decision to collapse the JNC, a national agreement, would create a situation where all 40,000 craftworkers would be issued with formal redundancy notices and then issued with new contracts. Given past experiences where individual councils have taken such action, this will result in extensive legal cases, thousands of tribunal claims and years of internal chaos for the councils involved.

At a time of economic uncertainty where councils are being forced to make cuts it is illogical and dogmatic to propose that hard-pressed councils use council taxpayers money to fund an unnecessary, legal and bureaucratic nightmare.

John Allott, Unite National Officer and Chair of the Union Side JNC, said  “This offer does nothing to address the ever widening gap between the Red Book Agreement and the Private Sector Building Agreements for Craft Workers. The ill thought out and unnecessary threats to end the Red Book Craft Agreement are being made by incompetent civil servants who do not understand the industry nor do they seem to care that they may well land the Public purse with unnecessary hugely expensive legal cases and thousands of Tribunal Claims whilst they say they the cupboard is bare and are only prepared to offer a derisory 1%.  Their treatment of loyal hardworking craftworkers is disgraceful and disrespectful”.