Packed meeting called by Unite and VSC attracts over 100 people.
A packed emergency public meeting in London called by VSC and Unite on July 8th against the recent illegal coup in Honduras was addressed by representatives from four Latin and central American governments.
Venezuelan ambassador Samuel Moncada called for "a stronger response" to the coup from the US, which is continuing its "military aid and military personnel" in Honduras, saying there "should be a blockade of Honduras" that "forces them to give power back to the people."
Bolivian ambassador Maria Beatriz Souviron condemned "the breaking of democracy with military force," arguing that "now is the moment to raise our voice against the attack on democracy."
Cuban ambassador Rene Mujica Cantelar referred to recent events in light of the coups in Latin America of the past.
"Imperialist powers and national oligarchies kept the people oppressed and preserved the privileges of a tiny minority," he said. "In Honduras we now have an attempt to bring us back to those dark days of military dictatorship."
Nicaraguan chargée d'affaires Alicia Sandino condemned the coup as a reaction against the progressive "fight for social justice and liberty" taking place across Latin America, which "after many years, has achieved some steps."
Labour MP Colin Burgon argued that the "crime" of President Manuel Zelaya in Honduras was "to raise the minimum wage by 60 per cent, provide free school emails, pensions for the elderly and reduce the price of public transport."
He warned that if the coup is allowed to consolidate itself, "then just as Cuba has been an inspiration to the progressive left, Honduras will become an example to the right."
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Unite members to vote on industrial action at Guardian Print Centre
Unite members to vote on industrial action over Guardian Print Centre redundancies
Unite members at the Guardian Print Centre in London are to vote on industrial action against proposed redundancies.
Publisher Guardian News and Media (GNM) announced last week that it would planned to cut a quarter of the jobs at the east London facility.
However, Unite national officer Steve Sibbald said that a decision has been made to ballot on industrial action against any compulsory redundancies.
Unite has to give GNM seven days notice ahead of any ballot, but Sibbald said that it could be turned around quickly, so a strike could be voted on within the next fortnight.
Sibbald said: "The problem we have at GNM is that the site has not been around very long, so the guys there only have four or five years' service. It is quite a young plant too; often if redundancies are offered in our older sites it is almost seen as an early retirement present, but to these guys the job is of far more value than the payment so they are very keen to protect the jobs."
Unite members at the Guardian Print Centre in London are to vote on industrial action against proposed redundancies.
Publisher Guardian News and Media (GNM) announced last week that it would planned to cut a quarter of the jobs at the east London facility.
However, Unite national officer Steve Sibbald said that a decision has been made to ballot on industrial action against any compulsory redundancies.
Unite has to give GNM seven days notice ahead of any ballot, but Sibbald said that it could be turned around quickly, so a strike could be voted on within the next fortnight.
Sibbald said: "The problem we have at GNM is that the site has not been around very long, so the guys there only have four or five years' service. It is quite a young plant too; often if redundancies are offered in our older sites it is almost seen as an early retirement present, but to these guys the job is of far more value than the payment so they are very keen to protect the jobs."
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Union Fightback Begins
This article was published in the Morning Star Monday July 6th
The union fightback begins
By Carolyn Jones & Tony Burke
Sixty years after the International Labour Organisation's convention on the right to organise and to collective bargaining came into force, neoliberalism has turned the clock back. Workers' rights to organise have been restricted, allowing employers to attack collective agreements.
But the fightback has begun. Recent industrial disputes reflect the frustration of workers and their determination to defend their terms and conditions and their right to organise.
And it's no surprise. The 21st century global labour market is brutal - insecure employment, temporary and casual labour, long hours and hiring and firing at will.
Victimisation of trade unionists and the sack for anyone challenging an employer are increasingly common. Employment rights are denied and trade unions face eye-watering fines when they back their members.
Workers are being played off against each other, forced to reduce their terms and conditions to hold on to a job, British Airways' "Your money or your job" demand being the latest employer tactic.
As we stare capitalism's crisis in the face, politicians and working people have a choice. Do we want the chaos of unregulated workplaces and unofficial disputes or do we want civilised negotiations between trade unions and employers built on fair employment rights and backed by free trade unions?
Since the 1970s, neoliberal theories have led to attacks on trade union rights. Anti-union laws were introduced to prevent unions "interfering" with the new God - the free market. It started under Thatcher, continued under Blair and remains in place under Brown.
Such attacks are not restricted to the right to strike. All the statutory props previously used to support collective bargaining have been demolished.
In 1980 the Tories abolished a law which extended the terms of a collective agreement to all employers in that industry - reducing at a stroke the number of workers who have their terms and conditions negotiated by a union.
Then in 1993 the duty on conciliation service ACAS to promote collective bargaining was removed by the Tories.
Labour responded in 1999 with its flagship piece of legislation, the Employment Relations Act.
But the recognition procedures introduced by that Act have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare for unions.
Ballots, bargaining units and unfair practices make it extremely difficult for unions to win recognition in the face of aggressive anti-union employers.
And it's not just the unions saying that.
Britain's recognition legislation has been consistently criticised for failing to protect the right to organise and to bargain by the very organisation which, 60 years ago, established those rights.
As recently as 2007, the ILO committee of experts criticised British law on no less than four counts - for excluding small companies from the recognition procedures, for allowing employers to sign sweetheart deals with bogus unions, for doing nothing to prevent employers using unfair labour practices to scare workers against voting for a union and for the "all or nothing" approach of the legislation which prevents unions representing their members unless they win over 50 per cent of the total workforce.
The effects have been devastating for unions, leading to a decline in membership density in many countries (see box) and a drastic fall in the numbers covered by collective agreements.
Collective bargaining coverage in Britain has declined faster and further than any other EU country. Once standing proudly at 85 per cent of the labour force - as continues to be the case throughout much of the EU - the coverage of collective wage agreements in Britain has fallen to only 33 per cent of the workforce.
However, this is not a uniform picture. The election of Barack Obama has given unions in the US some hope. Discussions around the Employee Free Choice Act and Obama's clear support for the workers occupying the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago last year sent strong signals to working people.
In Latin America, the only continent openly challenging the neoliberal agenda, trade unions, though fragmented and industrially weak, have featured prominently in much of the political change.
But victories are few and recent decisions from the European Court of Justice threaten to undermine unions still further. So as we celebrate 60 years of the right to organise, it is appropriate to review how unions are fighting to reverse declining trends. There are three main strategies.
First, many unions have adopted strategic organising policies aimed at building membership from the shop floor upwards. Specialist organising units have been established and hundreds of union organisers appointed, tasked with leading tough and aggressive organising campaigns.
Second, unions have been merging. Unite in Britain, Ver.di in Germany and AMWU in Australia are some of the larger examples. These mergers are to be welcomed as they give unions more industrial and political strength and protect smaller unions facing decline because of technology or job losses.
Unions have also been working more progressively with each other, through the international federations or via the signing of memorandums of understating. Global union federations are also campaigning to win global agreements with companies based on ILO standards.
One of the most important developments has been Workers Uniting, a global union established by Unite and the United Steelworkers which is uniting those workers in the US, Ireland and Canada working for the same company.
Third, direct action is returning to centre stage. Capitalism is brutalising workers. The law is failing workers and Labour isn't delivering the protection required.
In Britain, the time for requesting minimum guarantees for unions and their members may well have passed. Last year's reasonable request from unions for a Trade Union Freedom Bill - a mild and moderate measure - was rejected by the Labour government. It was a missed opportunity.
It is said that one person moaning is a complaint - two people moaning is a campaign. Organised labour complaining and campaigning industrially and politically is a fightback. Sixty years on from the signing of ILO Convention 98, the fightback has started.
History of the ILO
The ILO was formed in 1919 and its origins can be traced back to the inhumane working conditions endured by workers during the industrial revolution.
Employers argued that fear of "international competition" prevented the improvement of workers' rights. Sound familiar?
The answer presented was to dilute unrestricted international competition by establishing minimum living conditions throughout the world, conditions below which no worker should be allowed to fall.
This was not an act of kindness - it was more a means of placating workers.
By 1919, having lived through the harshness of the industrial revolution and the ravages of the first world war, workers were getting organised politically and industrially.
The 1906 Trade Disputes Act, giving workers the right to strike and to take solidarity action, came about following strikes by dockers in Hull, butchers in Belfast and railway workers at Taff Vale. Workers were awakening.
Politicians and employers feared the spread of the Russian revolution and set out to defuse tension by establishing a body of "minimum" principles for regulating labour conditions internationally.
Hence the birth of the ILO. Its first principle was "labour is not a commodity or article of commerce."
Modern-day judgements from the European Court of Justice highlight the extent to which we have moved away from that founding principle.
Today ECJ judges look on labour as a commodity to be moved around the globe in search of profits.
Other principles followed - on the right of association, the payment of wages, the eight-hour day and 48-hour week, rest periods, abolition of child labour, equal pay and a system of inspection to enforce the law.
Over the years, those principles were translated into a labour code, a code that today consists of more than 187 conventions.
Recent disputes in Britain suggest that a newly invigorated international labour code is long overdue.
This article is edited from papers given by Institute of Employment Rights director Carolyn Jones and Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke at the Morning Star conference on June 20.
The union fightback begins
By Carolyn Jones & Tony Burke
Sixty years after the International Labour Organisation's convention on the right to organise and to collective bargaining came into force, neoliberalism has turned the clock back. Workers' rights to organise have been restricted, allowing employers to attack collective agreements.
But the fightback has begun. Recent industrial disputes reflect the frustration of workers and their determination to defend their terms and conditions and their right to organise.
And it's no surprise. The 21st century global labour market is brutal - insecure employment, temporary and casual labour, long hours and hiring and firing at will.
Victimisation of trade unionists and the sack for anyone challenging an employer are increasingly common. Employment rights are denied and trade unions face eye-watering fines when they back their members.
Workers are being played off against each other, forced to reduce their terms and conditions to hold on to a job, British Airways' "Your money or your job" demand being the latest employer tactic.
As we stare capitalism's crisis in the face, politicians and working people have a choice. Do we want the chaos of unregulated workplaces and unofficial disputes or do we want civilised negotiations between trade unions and employers built on fair employment rights and backed by free trade unions?
Since the 1970s, neoliberal theories have led to attacks on trade union rights. Anti-union laws were introduced to prevent unions "interfering" with the new God - the free market. It started under Thatcher, continued under Blair and remains in place under Brown.
Such attacks are not restricted to the right to strike. All the statutory props previously used to support collective bargaining have been demolished.
In 1980 the Tories abolished a law which extended the terms of a collective agreement to all employers in that industry - reducing at a stroke the number of workers who have their terms and conditions negotiated by a union.
Then in 1993 the duty on conciliation service ACAS to promote collective bargaining was removed by the Tories.
Labour responded in 1999 with its flagship piece of legislation, the Employment Relations Act.
But the recognition procedures introduced by that Act have turned into a bureaucratic nightmare for unions.
Ballots, bargaining units and unfair practices make it extremely difficult for unions to win recognition in the face of aggressive anti-union employers.
And it's not just the unions saying that.
Britain's recognition legislation has been consistently criticised for failing to protect the right to organise and to bargain by the very organisation which, 60 years ago, established those rights.
As recently as 2007, the ILO committee of experts criticised British law on no less than four counts - for excluding small companies from the recognition procedures, for allowing employers to sign sweetheart deals with bogus unions, for doing nothing to prevent employers using unfair labour practices to scare workers against voting for a union and for the "all or nothing" approach of the legislation which prevents unions representing their members unless they win over 50 per cent of the total workforce.
The effects have been devastating for unions, leading to a decline in membership density in many countries (see box) and a drastic fall in the numbers covered by collective agreements.
Collective bargaining coverage in Britain has declined faster and further than any other EU country. Once standing proudly at 85 per cent of the labour force - as continues to be the case throughout much of the EU - the coverage of collective wage agreements in Britain has fallen to only 33 per cent of the workforce.
However, this is not a uniform picture. The election of Barack Obama has given unions in the US some hope. Discussions around the Employee Free Choice Act and Obama's clear support for the workers occupying the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago last year sent strong signals to working people.
In Latin America, the only continent openly challenging the neoliberal agenda, trade unions, though fragmented and industrially weak, have featured prominently in much of the political change.
But victories are few and recent decisions from the European Court of Justice threaten to undermine unions still further. So as we celebrate 60 years of the right to organise, it is appropriate to review how unions are fighting to reverse declining trends. There are three main strategies.
First, many unions have adopted strategic organising policies aimed at building membership from the shop floor upwards. Specialist organising units have been established and hundreds of union organisers appointed, tasked with leading tough and aggressive organising campaigns.
Second, unions have been merging. Unite in Britain, Ver.di in Germany and AMWU in Australia are some of the larger examples. These mergers are to be welcomed as they give unions more industrial and political strength and protect smaller unions facing decline because of technology or job losses.
Unions have also been working more progressively with each other, through the international federations or via the signing of memorandums of understating. Global union federations are also campaigning to win global agreements with companies based on ILO standards.
One of the most important developments has been Workers Uniting, a global union established by Unite and the United Steelworkers which is uniting those workers in the US, Ireland and Canada working for the same company.
Third, direct action is returning to centre stage. Capitalism is brutalising workers. The law is failing workers and Labour isn't delivering the protection required.
In Britain, the time for requesting minimum guarantees for unions and their members may well have passed. Last year's reasonable request from unions for a Trade Union Freedom Bill - a mild and moderate measure - was rejected by the Labour government. It was a missed opportunity.
It is said that one person moaning is a complaint - two people moaning is a campaign. Organised labour complaining and campaigning industrially and politically is a fightback. Sixty years on from the signing of ILO Convention 98, the fightback has started.
History of the ILO
The ILO was formed in 1919 and its origins can be traced back to the inhumane working conditions endured by workers during the industrial revolution.
Employers argued that fear of "international competition" prevented the improvement of workers' rights. Sound familiar?
The answer presented was to dilute unrestricted international competition by establishing minimum living conditions throughout the world, conditions below which no worker should be allowed to fall.
This was not an act of kindness - it was more a means of placating workers.
By 1919, having lived through the harshness of the industrial revolution and the ravages of the first world war, workers were getting organised politically and industrially.
The 1906 Trade Disputes Act, giving workers the right to strike and to take solidarity action, came about following strikes by dockers in Hull, butchers in Belfast and railway workers at Taff Vale. Workers were awakening.
Politicians and employers feared the spread of the Russian revolution and set out to defuse tension by establishing a body of "minimum" principles for regulating labour conditions internationally.
Hence the birth of the ILO. Its first principle was "labour is not a commodity or article of commerce."
Modern-day judgements from the European Court of Justice highlight the extent to which we have moved away from that founding principle.
Today ECJ judges look on labour as a commodity to be moved around the globe in search of profits.
Other principles followed - on the right of association, the payment of wages, the eight-hour day and 48-hour week, rest periods, abolition of child labour, equal pay and a system of inspection to enforce the law.
Over the years, those principles were translated into a labour code, a code that today consists of more than 187 conventions.
Recent disputes in Britain suggest that a newly invigorated international labour code is long overdue.
This article is edited from papers given by Institute of Employment Rights director Carolyn Jones and Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke at the Morning Star conference on June 20.
Demo on Teeside - Support Corus Workers
Unite, Community, GMB, Ucatt and Unions at Corus on Teeside are organising a major demonstration in Redcar, Teeside on July 18th.
Details: The march will take place at 2.00pm from Majuba Road, Sea Front, Redcar. Assemble from 12 noon
Speeches and Rally: At Redcar Clock
There will be a free park and ride facility on the Company site from the Steel House Park, post code TS10 5QW to the demonstration.
Please give our members and the workforce at Corus as much support as possible.
Details: The march will take place at 2.00pm from Majuba Road, Sea Front, Redcar. Assemble from 12 noon
Speeches and Rally: At Redcar Clock
There will be a free park and ride facility on the Company site from the Steel House Park, post code TS10 5QW to the demonstration.
Please give our members and the workforce at Corus as much support as possible.
Venezuela Solidarity Campaign - Help Needed
The Venezuela Solidarity Campaign is Britain’s broad-based organisation which campaigns for the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their own future, and in support of democracy and social progress in Venezuela.
We currently need two enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer Campaigns and Communications assistants to help with our expanding campaigns activity, including a membership and fundraising drive over the summer.
This is an exciting opportunity to directly support Venezuela during a time of heightened interest in Latin America. Volunteers will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and experience in a voluntary sector setting, as part of a small and dedicated team.
The work will include varied tasks such as:
• Assisting with the practical arrangements and mobilising support for VSC events and initiatives, including our 2009 membership drive
• Supporting the administration of the office
• Assistance with writing and research as necessary
The commitment will be a minimum of 1 day (ideally 2 or 3 days) a week for a period of at least 6 weeks over the July-October period.
The person must be must be hard-working, versatile and committed to the work and aims of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign. The person will need good written and verbal communication skills; good IT skills; be able to follow instruction and be capable of managing your own time effectively.
If you are required to travel, your costs (within London) and a lunch allowance may be paid.
* These vacancies are available immediately. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity please email a CV and covering letter (including full details of your availability) to Matt Willgress, VSC Co-ordinator at info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
We currently need two enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer Campaigns and Communications assistants to help with our expanding campaigns activity, including a membership and fundraising drive over the summer.
This is an exciting opportunity to directly support Venezuela during a time of heightened interest in Latin America. Volunteers will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and experience in a voluntary sector setting, as part of a small and dedicated team.
The work will include varied tasks such as:
• Assisting with the practical arrangements and mobilising support for VSC events and initiatives, including our 2009 membership drive
• Supporting the administration of the office
• Assistance with writing and research as necessary
The commitment will be a minimum of 1 day (ideally 2 or 3 days) a week for a period of at least 6 weeks over the July-October period.
The person must be must be hard-working, versatile and committed to the work and aims of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign. The person will need good written and verbal communication skills; good IT skills; be able to follow instruction and be capable of managing your own time effectively.
If you are required to travel, your costs (within London) and a lunch allowance may be paid.
* These vacancies are available immediately. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity please email a CV and covering letter (including full details of your availability) to Matt Willgress, VSC Co-ordinator at info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
Workers Uniting Group - Scotland
The First Scotland Regional meeting of Workers Uniting Group was held in Glasgow on 27th June.
Despite the Venue and timing being announced at very short notice, a healthy turnout of 35 supporters attended.
Steve Davison provided a detailed overview of the Group's principles and forthcoming strategy. This was followed by an open debate.
In addition to this, the meeting discussed the new industrial constitutional structures of Unite the Union. It was agreed that all Unite members must play their part in ensuring that the new structures provide the platform for lay members to shape the future of the Union both industrially and politically.
The impending election for the single Unite General Secretary was also considered, with one of the Workers Uniting Group prospective candidates Brian Boyd, being asked to address the meeting.
It was then decided that a further meeting would be arranged for late August. This would allow colleagues the opportunity to confirm their support for the Group, and elect a regional co ordinating committee along with 2 delegates to our National Steering Group.
All in all, everyone associated with Workers Uniting Group were delighted with the attendance, the level of debate, and the commitment to develop the Group within the Scotland Region.
DETAILS FOR THE NEXT SCOTLAND REGION WORKERS UNITING GROUP WILL BE POSTED TO ALL SUPPORTERS AS SOON AS THE VENUE IS CONFIRMED.
Despite the Venue and timing being announced at very short notice, a healthy turnout of 35 supporters attended.
Steve Davison provided a detailed overview of the Group's principles and forthcoming strategy. This was followed by an open debate.
In addition to this, the meeting discussed the new industrial constitutional structures of Unite the Union. It was agreed that all Unite members must play their part in ensuring that the new structures provide the platform for lay members to shape the future of the Union both industrially and politically.
The impending election for the single Unite General Secretary was also considered, with one of the Workers Uniting Group prospective candidates Brian Boyd, being asked to address the meeting.
It was then decided that a further meeting would be arranged for late August. This would allow colleagues the opportunity to confirm their support for the Group, and elect a regional co ordinating committee along with 2 delegates to our National Steering Group.
All in all, everyone associated with Workers Uniting Group were delighted with the attendance, the level of debate, and the commitment to develop the Group within the Scotland Region.
DETAILS FOR THE NEXT SCOTLAND REGION WORKERS UNITING GROUP WILL BE POSTED TO ALL SUPPORTERS AS SOON AS THE VENUE IS CONFIRMED.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Lest we forget...
Lest we forget - if things look bad here is a reminder what the Tories brought us last time.....
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=100959947439&h=auchG&u=kYwPh&ref=mf
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=100959947439&h=auchG&u=kYwPh&ref=mf
News from Unite and USW - Tesco, Vauxhall, Royal Mail, Meadwestvaco, Covington.
Tesco boss "rattled" by Unite protest at shareholders meeting in Glasgow.
Taking the fight to the bosses at shareholders meetings is a well tested tactic used by US unions - and is an idea that is now being used by Unite.
Last month Unite print worker members and NUJ members attend the Trinity Mirror shareholders meeting in London and gave the company a grilling on the imposed pay freeze. The normally sedate "half hour meeting" followed by lunch went on for an uncomfortably long-time - for the Directors that is! It certainly made then sit up and take notice.
This week it was Tesco's turn - with 50 Unite members protesting outside the meeting and calling for better conditions in UK meat supply chains with Unite members inside criticising the supermarket over its treatment of agency workers in UK meat factories and a US union criticising labour relations at Tesco's USA Fresh & Easy chain
The press referred to the shareholders meeting as featuring "bad-tempered exchanges". Oh dear! Unite and the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) of America used the meeting to attack Tesco's over labour standards within its supply chain and stores. The UFCW went as far as to accuse Tesco of union-busting tactics, a charge the company denied.
Unite deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, urged shareholders to support a resolution demanding better conditions for agency workers in meat factories that supply Tesco. Jack said there was disturbing evidence of discrimination within the meat processing industry and said Tesco was the "biggest and slowest" in addressing it. As market leader, "they had a duty to lead on this issue to avoid creating a division within society that could fuel racism", Jack Dromey said.
Unite claimed that the temporary workers, often from overseas, were paid less and treated worse than permanent staff, who were typically indigenous.
Unite's resolution got 11% of votes in favour and with absentions (seen as tacit support of shareholders) on the motion, Unite pullled in 17% of the vote after Tesco said it was not an issue for them but " an industry issue".
UFCW director Michael Bride attacked Tesco over the way it entered the US market with its Fresh & Easy chain. "Fresh & Easy has refused to engage with our team," said Bride, claiming that attempts to unionise staff at the stores had been blocked.
Tesco boss Terry Leahy clearly who was "rattled" by these events said UFCW union was "agressive" and had tried to "undermine the business"
Referring to the company's relationship with the USDAW he said: "We do work with unions."
Shareholders also voted by 41.03% oagainst Tesco’s plan to extend the exercise period for share options from one to three years for existing and retiring executives. A further 1.74% of investors abstained, taking to 42.77 per cent those who refused to endorse the plan. This is seen as one of the biggest protest votes in the round AGMs at which investors have expressed concern (that's about as near as you can get!) over inflation-busting pay awards, bonuses and diluted performance targets in UK boardrooms.
Mandy says Government will underwrite Vauxhall deal
Lord Mandelson told Unite members at the Vauxhall Luton plant that the Government will underwrite a deal to buy out the group from General Motors (GM), its bankrupt parent, and that retaining production facilities in the UK remained a “top priority”.
Lord Mandelson pledged the Government’s support in underwriting a deal to buy out the group, whose future is in the balance following the collapse of GM and the sale of its European operations. “I want workers at both Luton and Ellesmere Port to know that we are doing everything possible to secure a long term commercial future for Vauxhall. "I and my officials are in constant contact with the US and German governments, GM US and GM Europe and others to ensure Britain’s interests are fully represented. We also continue to have detailed discussions with Magna and other interested parties," he said.
Lord Mandelson backed unions at the Luton plant, saying the workforce were now part of the solution. Vauxhall's Luton van plant employs 1,450 staff, provides work for a further 500 in-house contractors and supports another 4,000 jobs across the components and supply chain.
Rob Weir, a senior Unite shop steward at the Luton plant, said: "This plant is one of the most productive and efficient in Europe. We set the benchmark which other plants must follow and we are a brilliant advert for British manufacturing. So what we want to hear from Lord Mandelson today is that the UK Government is 100% behind us and 100% engaged in securing the Luton plant's future".
Unite's warns on Royal Mail pensions
Unite has welcomed the decision not to go ahead with part -privatisation of Royal Mail as announced by Lord Mandelson but the announcement has also left workers in a state of uncertainty as he has did not explain how the Government, is going to address the immediate problems of the pensions' deficit, regulation and future investment.
In a letter to Unite members who are managers at Royal Mail, CMA national officer, Paul Reuter said: “The biggest single issue that has prevented Royal Mail from investing in the future is the pensions' deficit. The deficit needs to be addressed urgently. We anticipate that the pensions' trustees will revise their estimate of the shortfall from the current figure of £3.3 billion to £10 billion and this in turn would require Royal Mail to more than double its annual payments. We call upon the government to spell out in clear and precise terms what actions it is going to take to plug the pensions' deficit and protect the business.”
USW wins groundbreaking deal with MeadWestvaco in Covington, USA
The United Steelworkers (USW) has said that the members of USW Local 8-675 in Covington, Virginia have voted in favor of a proposed new contract with MeadWestvaco. The overwhelming ratification vote took place on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009.
The new agreement includes $2,600 in cash bonuses and over 16% in general wage increases over the course of its six-year term. Improvements to the defined benefit pension plan raise the multiplier to $58 per month for each year of service, meaning that an employee who retires with 30 years of service would receive a monthly benefit of roughly $1,740 per month, a high-water mark in for workers in the paper industry.
USW International Vice President Jon Geenen, the union's official with responsibility paper, packaging and pulp (the USW's biggest sector), said that this groundbreaking new agreement will raise the bar for the entire industry. Further, Geenen pointed out that the ratification vote itself should end any speculation about which union is best suited to represent the hourly production and maintenance employees at the mill. (Some workers had previously joined a breakaway "company union" called Covington Paperworkers Union)
"After two years of strife and division, we believe that this contract, by virtue of the significant gains it establishes, will once again unite the members of Local 8-675," Geenen said. "We are scheduling a new local union officers' election in Covington that will create a structure inclusive of all views from every area of the mill to build an even stronger local union."
Finally, Jon Geenen said that the hard work of the local union negotiating team and the support and solidarity of the loyal USW members are what enabled the USW, which is still the only Board-recognised bargaining representative at the Covington mill, to conclude these negotiations so successfully.
"We have waited a long time for a new contract because of the disaffiliation attempt that only hurt the community and our members," said Glenn Allen Hinkle, a USW member who has worked at the mill for 22 years. "With the best contract I've ever seen, it's time to stop the infighting, quit looking backward and start moving forward. I've been working at the mill for 40 years, and this is an excellent contract by any standard," said Franklin Tucker, who works in the oiler department, "because everybody got something."
Taking the fight to the bosses at shareholders meetings is a well tested tactic used by US unions - and is an idea that is now being used by Unite.
Last month Unite print worker members and NUJ members attend the Trinity Mirror shareholders meeting in London and gave the company a grilling on the imposed pay freeze. The normally sedate "half hour meeting" followed by lunch went on for an uncomfortably long-time - for the Directors that is! It certainly made then sit up and take notice.
This week it was Tesco's turn - with 50 Unite members protesting outside the meeting and calling for better conditions in UK meat supply chains with Unite members inside criticising the supermarket over its treatment of agency workers in UK meat factories and a US union criticising labour relations at Tesco's USA Fresh & Easy chain
The press referred to the shareholders meeting as featuring "bad-tempered exchanges". Oh dear! Unite and the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) of America used the meeting to attack Tesco's over labour standards within its supply chain and stores. The UFCW went as far as to accuse Tesco of union-busting tactics, a charge the company denied.
Unite deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, urged shareholders to support a resolution demanding better conditions for agency workers in meat factories that supply Tesco. Jack said there was disturbing evidence of discrimination within the meat processing industry and said Tesco was the "biggest and slowest" in addressing it. As market leader, "they had a duty to lead on this issue to avoid creating a division within society that could fuel racism", Jack Dromey said.
Unite claimed that the temporary workers, often from overseas, were paid less and treated worse than permanent staff, who were typically indigenous.
Unite's resolution got 11% of votes in favour and with absentions (seen as tacit support of shareholders) on the motion, Unite pullled in 17% of the vote after Tesco said it was not an issue for them but " an industry issue".
UFCW director Michael Bride attacked Tesco over the way it entered the US market with its Fresh & Easy chain. "Fresh & Easy has refused to engage with our team," said Bride, claiming that attempts to unionise staff at the stores had been blocked.
Tesco boss Terry Leahy clearly who was "rattled" by these events said UFCW union was "agressive" and had tried to "undermine the business"
Referring to the company's relationship with the USDAW he said: "We do work with unions."
Shareholders also voted by 41.03% oagainst Tesco’s plan to extend the exercise period for share options from one to three years for existing and retiring executives. A further 1.74% of investors abstained, taking to 42.77 per cent those who refused to endorse the plan. This is seen as one of the biggest protest votes in the round AGMs at which investors have expressed concern (that's about as near as you can get!) over inflation-busting pay awards, bonuses and diluted performance targets in UK boardrooms.
Mandy says Government will underwrite Vauxhall deal
Lord Mandelson told Unite members at the Vauxhall Luton plant that the Government will underwrite a deal to buy out the group from General Motors (GM), its bankrupt parent, and that retaining production facilities in the UK remained a “top priority”.
Lord Mandelson pledged the Government’s support in underwriting a deal to buy out the group, whose future is in the balance following the collapse of GM and the sale of its European operations. “I want workers at both Luton and Ellesmere Port to know that we are doing everything possible to secure a long term commercial future for Vauxhall. "I and my officials are in constant contact with the US and German governments, GM US and GM Europe and others to ensure Britain’s interests are fully represented. We also continue to have detailed discussions with Magna and other interested parties," he said.
Lord Mandelson backed unions at the Luton plant, saying the workforce were now part of the solution. Vauxhall's Luton van plant employs 1,450 staff, provides work for a further 500 in-house contractors and supports another 4,000 jobs across the components and supply chain.
Rob Weir, a senior Unite shop steward at the Luton plant, said: "This plant is one of the most productive and efficient in Europe. We set the benchmark which other plants must follow and we are a brilliant advert for British manufacturing. So what we want to hear from Lord Mandelson today is that the UK Government is 100% behind us and 100% engaged in securing the Luton plant's future".
Unite's warns on Royal Mail pensions
Unite has welcomed the decision not to go ahead with part -privatisation of Royal Mail as announced by Lord Mandelson but the announcement has also left workers in a state of uncertainty as he has did not explain how the Government, is going to address the immediate problems of the pensions' deficit, regulation and future investment.
In a letter to Unite members who are managers at Royal Mail, CMA national officer, Paul Reuter said: “The biggest single issue that has prevented Royal Mail from investing in the future is the pensions' deficit. The deficit needs to be addressed urgently. We anticipate that the pensions' trustees will revise their estimate of the shortfall from the current figure of £3.3 billion to £10 billion and this in turn would require Royal Mail to more than double its annual payments. We call upon the government to spell out in clear and precise terms what actions it is going to take to plug the pensions' deficit and protect the business.”
USW wins groundbreaking deal with MeadWestvaco in Covington, USA
The United Steelworkers (USW) has said that the members of USW Local 8-675 in Covington, Virginia have voted in favor of a proposed new contract with MeadWestvaco. The overwhelming ratification vote took place on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009.
The new agreement includes $2,600 in cash bonuses and over 16% in general wage increases over the course of its six-year term. Improvements to the defined benefit pension plan raise the multiplier to $58 per month for each year of service, meaning that an employee who retires with 30 years of service would receive a monthly benefit of roughly $1,740 per month, a high-water mark in for workers in the paper industry.
USW International Vice President Jon Geenen, the union's official with responsibility paper, packaging and pulp (the USW's biggest sector), said that this groundbreaking new agreement will raise the bar for the entire industry. Further, Geenen pointed out that the ratification vote itself should end any speculation about which union is best suited to represent the hourly production and maintenance employees at the mill. (Some workers had previously joined a breakaway "company union" called Covington Paperworkers Union)
"After two years of strife and division, we believe that this contract, by virtue of the significant gains it establishes, will once again unite the members of Local 8-675," Geenen said. "We are scheduling a new local union officers' election in Covington that will create a structure inclusive of all views from every area of the mill to build an even stronger local union."
Finally, Jon Geenen said that the hard work of the local union negotiating team and the support and solidarity of the loyal USW members are what enabled the USW, which is still the only Board-recognised bargaining representative at the Covington mill, to conclude these negotiations so successfully.
"We have waited a long time for a new contract because of the disaffiliation attempt that only hurt the community and our members," said Glenn Allen Hinkle, a USW member who has worked at the mill for 22 years. "With the best contract I've ever seen, it's time to stop the infighting, quit looking backward and start moving forward. I've been working at the mill for 40 years, and this is an excellent contract by any standard," said Franklin Tucker, who works in the oiler department, "because everybody got something."
Friday, July 3, 2009
EMERGENCY PUBLIC MEETING : No More Pinochets in Latin America
EMERGENCY PUBLIC MEETING:
No More Pinochets in Latin America -
Defend Democracy in Honduras!
7pm, Wednesday July 8th
Discus Room, Unite House - ex TGWU Transport House
128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN
(Nearest tubeHolborn.)
Speakers to include:
Samuel Moncada, Venezuelan AmbassadorMaria Beatriz Souviron, Bolivian AmbassadorColin Burgon MP
Steve Hart, Unite the Union, London and Eastern Region Secretary
Francisco Dominguez
More to be confirmed and more info as we get it.
info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
www.venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
0207 420 8963
No More Pinochets in Latin America -
Defend Democracy in Honduras!
7pm, Wednesday July 8th
Discus Room, Unite House - ex TGWU Transport House
128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN
(Nearest tubeHolborn.)
Speakers to include:
Samuel Moncada, Venezuelan AmbassadorMaria Beatriz Souviron, Bolivian AmbassadorColin Burgon MP
Steve Hart, Unite the Union, London and Eastern Region Secretary
Francisco Dominguez
More to be confirmed and more info as we get it.
info@venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
www.venezuelasolidarity.co.uk
0207 420 8963
International Metalworkers Federation - Call for solidarity and support for Toshiba Workers
The International Metalworkers' Federation has called for support for struggling Toshiba Indonesia union workers who have been locked out of the plant with no wages or healthcare benefits since April.
More than 700 members of IMF-affiliate Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (FSPMI) went on strike at PT Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia on April 16 after the company refused to recognize the collective labour agreement signed both by the union and management. Toshiba Indonesia also fired 15 elected trade union leaders at the plant despite stern recommendations from the Indonesian government to withdraw threats of employment termination.
The workers are demanding that the company honours the collective labour agreement and registers it with the Indonesian government and that all fired workers are reinstated immediately and without sanction.
To support the struggling Toshiba workers, IMF calls on its affiliates to contribute to the Toshiba Indonesia strike fund in support of the 700 locked out workers. The IMF has contributed US$3,000 to the fund and encourages others to donate through the new PayPal function on the IMF website, which can be found here.
The Co-ordinating Committee of the IMF Asia-Pacific Regional Conference met on June 26 in Bangkok and adopted a proposal for action calling on all IMF affiliates to provide financial assistance to the striking workers and to urgently educate their membership about the dispute. Earlier, in May, the IMF Congress passed a resolution in full support of FSPMI and Toshiba workers, condemning the company for its total disregard of workers' rights.
IMF is continuing to work closely with its affiliates in Japan and Indonesia to bring a resolution to the dispute. Affiliates are also encouraged to send letters to Toshiba management in Japan and Indonesia as well as Indonesia's Minister of Manpower and Transmigration.
Send letters to:
Mr. A. Makino
Managing Director
PT. Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia
EJIP Industrial Park Plot 5G
Cikarang Selatan - Bekasi 17550
Indonesia
T. +62 21 897 0462
FAX: +62 21 897 0465
Mr. Erman Suparno
Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration
Email: redaksi_balitfo@nakertrans.go.id
Toshiba Corporation
FAX: +81 3 3456 1631
FSPMI
FAX: +62 21 841 3954
Email: said.iqbal@fspmi.org
IMF Southeast Asia and Pacific Office
Email: seao@imfmetal.org Jul 03, 2009 – Anita Gardner
More than 700 members of IMF-affiliate Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (FSPMI) went on strike at PT Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia on April 16 after the company refused to recognize the collective labour agreement signed both by the union and management. Toshiba Indonesia also fired 15 elected trade union leaders at the plant despite stern recommendations from the Indonesian government to withdraw threats of employment termination.
The workers are demanding that the company honours the collective labour agreement and registers it with the Indonesian government and that all fired workers are reinstated immediately and without sanction.
To support the struggling Toshiba workers, IMF calls on its affiliates to contribute to the Toshiba Indonesia strike fund in support of the 700 locked out workers. The IMF has contributed US$3,000 to the fund and encourages others to donate through the new PayPal function on the IMF website, which can be found here.
The Co-ordinating Committee of the IMF Asia-Pacific Regional Conference met on June 26 in Bangkok and adopted a proposal for action calling on all IMF affiliates to provide financial assistance to the striking workers and to urgently educate their membership about the dispute. Earlier, in May, the IMF Congress passed a resolution in full support of FSPMI and Toshiba workers, condemning the company for its total disregard of workers' rights.
IMF is continuing to work closely with its affiliates in Japan and Indonesia to bring a resolution to the dispute. Affiliates are also encouraged to send letters to Toshiba management in Japan and Indonesia as well as Indonesia's Minister of Manpower and Transmigration.
Send letters to:
Mr. A. Makino
Managing Director
PT. Toshiba Consumer Products Indonesia
EJIP Industrial Park Plot 5G
Cikarang Selatan - Bekasi 17550
Indonesia
T. +62 21 897 0462
FAX: +62 21 897 0465
Mr. Erman Suparno
Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration
Email: redaksi_balitfo@nakertrans.go.id
Toshiba Corporation
FAX: +81 3 3456 1631
FSPMI
FAX: +62 21 841 3954
Email: said.iqbal@fspmi.org
IMF Southeast Asia and Pacific Office
Email: seao@imfmetal.org Jul 03, 2009 – Anita Gardner
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