Union News (30 March 2024)

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828 words, 4 minutes read time.

Welcome to Union News, your guide to what’s happening in the UK trade union and Labour movement. Reporting is by Pat Harrington and music is by Tim Bragg. In this edition: Salaried Workers Face Minimum Wage Cheating: Unions Sound the Alarm, Teachers Rally for Fair Pay and Improved Conditions at NASUWT Conference, and GMB Secures Day One Sick Pay for 19,000 Care Workers.

Salaried Workers Face Minimum Wage Cheating: Unions Sound the Alarm

Unions are cautioning that office workers and other salaried staff may be vulnerable to being short-changed on the minimum wage.

Prior to the implementation of the new minimum wage rate on Monday, the TUC highlighted that salaried employees receive a fixed annual payment irrespective of fluctuations in their working hours.

According to the TUC, online job postings still advertise salaried positions below the upcoming minimum wage, potentially resulting in illegal underpayment for salaried workers if their salaries remain stagnant.

The TUC further warned that desk-based office workers often face expectations of unpaid overtime as part of their job responsibilities.

Paul Nowak, TUC’s general secretary, emphasized, “Employers have a legal obligation to pay their workers at least the minimum wage. However, many workers are being deprived of their rightful pay by unscrupulous employers who opt to pay unlawfully low wages. This issue affects workers across various professions, including desk-based office roles, where the expectation of unpaid overtime is common.”

Highlighting the disparity between the official adult minimum wage rate of £11.44 per hour and the voluntary “real” living wage of £12, and £13.15 in London, Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, stated, “While the increase in the statutory national living wage is positive news for millions of low-paid workers, it still falls short of adequately addressing the true cost of living. Over 14,000 employers have pledged to pay the real living wage, recognizing its benefits not only for workers and their families but also for businesses in terms of improved staff retention and productivity.”

Responding to these concerns, a government spokesperson reiterated that paying the minimum wage is a legal requirement for all workers, including those in office roles. The spokesperson urged any employees who suspect they are not receiving their correct wages to either address the matter with their employer or seek assistance from Acas confidentially. Furthermore, the spokesperson highlighted the significant increase in the national living wage for workers aged 21 and above, emphasizing the positive impact this will have on their annual earnings.

Teachers Rally for Fair Pay and Improved Conditions at NASUWT Conference

At NASUWT’s annual conference, teachers unite behind a push for pay restoration and better working conditions. According to the union, classroom teachers have seen their starting salaries plummet by 21% in real terms between 2010 and 2023, adjusting for RPI inflation.

Addressing the assembly, senior vice-president Wayne Broom emphasized the urgency of tackling the crisis in teaching recruitment, retention, and morale. He pledged the union’s commitment to lobby all political parties ahead of the general election to secure a new deal for teachers, including real terms pay restoration nationwide.

The proposed deal also seeks to enhance measures protecting teachers from violence, assault, or harassment, establish a national framework for statutory contractual conditions of service, enforce a maximum 35-hour working time limit, and ensure equal rights for supply and substitute teachers.

and finally, GMB Secures Day One Sick Pay for 19,000 Care Workers

In a landmark victory for the care sector, the GMB union has secured day one sick pay for 19,000 care workers. This significant win comes as HC-One, the UK’s largest care provider, agrees to a pay deal granting carers the contractual right to receive at least Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from the first day of any absence.

Previously, carers faced a three-day waiting period before receiving sick pay, creating a concerning incentive for workers to continue working while unwell and potentially spreading illnesses among the vulnerable individuals they care for.

The breakthrough agreement follows a GMB survey revealing that one in four HC-One care workers were contemplating leaving their jobs due to inadequate pay.

Natalie Grayson, GMB National Officer, expressed outrage at the previous lack of sick pay provisions, stating, “For any worker to suffer financial hardship due to illness is unacceptable. However, in the care sector, this issue is particularly alarming and poses a significant risk to the well-being of those under their care.”

She continued, “Day one sick pay is a fundamental right that care sector workers deserve. This victory signifies a pivotal moment in the culture of the entire care industry. But our fight doesn’t end here. GMB will continue to advocate until these dedicated professionals receive a fair wage of at least £15 per hour.”

The agreement marks a crucial step forward in ensuring the welfare of care workers and underscores the ongoing efforts to address longstanding issues within the sector.

Picture credit
Office image
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay

Special Congress of the TUC Addresses Legal Restrictions on Trade Unions

552 words, 3 minutes read time.

The historic Special Congress of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) commenced in early December, marking the first of its kind in over forty years. The central agenda of the congress revolved around the necessary response of trade unions to legal endeavours aimed at constraining their activities.

An essential legislative development was the enactment of the Strikes (Minimum Services) Act in July, with accompanying regulations coming into effect on 8 December. Notably, these regulations encompassed rail, border security, ambulance services, and forthcoming proposals pertaining to children’s education.

Expanding the coverage of sectors subject to the new law, fire and rescue services, nuclear installations, waste plants, as well as broader sectors of education and transport, were identified. It is estimated by the TUC that approximately 5.5 million workers, constituting one in five of the workforce, would be impacted by these regulations.

The concept of minimum service levels, which served as a basis for the new legislation, draws inspiration from common practices in Europe, particularly in countries such as France, Italy, and Spain, as outlined in a briefing paper from the House of Commons Library.

A significant concern raised pertains to the disregard of ballot results for strike actions, even when meeting stringent criteria. Employers retain the authority to issue notices identifying workers obligated to attend work to sustain an arbitrary level of service. Consequently, the ballot outcome is overridden, and the respective trade union may be compelled to instruct their members to disregard picket lines and report to work.

Notably, the Congress showcased remarkable unity, with representatives from nearly all affiliated unions vocalizing support for the proposals set forth by the General Council. An absence of proposed amendments further underscored this unity.

During the discussions, speakers highlighted instances of employers consistently disregarding safe staffing levels in crucial sectors like health and transport. Anecdotes included accounts from a Unison ambulance service convenor who detailed the emergency cover arrangements implemented during strikes. Notably, diligent coordination by union representatives in control rooms ensured the deployment of ambulances for those in need, resulting in no patient incidents on strike days.

In a unanimous decision, the Congress scheduled a rally for 12 noon on Saturday, 27 January 2024, in Cheltenham, the location of GCHQ. This choice holds significance as it was the site where, in 1984, Margaret Thatcher proscribed workers from union membership.

Furthermore, the TUC committed to orchestrating demonstrations and rallying support should a work notice be issued. Additionally, the organization plans to publicly call out and censure any employer resorting to the use of a work notice.

The context also highlighted the resilience and determination of workers across various sectors, including rail, NHS, schools, universities, and industry, in surpassing stringent ballot requirements imposed by earlier laws, explicitly designed to impede trade union actions.

“Acknowledging historical parallels, the newly enacted law adds to a lineage of anti-working class legislation, tracing back to the Industrial Relations Act of the 1970s and Labour’s In Place of Strife from the late 1960s. My view, in common with many others, is that this legislation cannot be effectively challenged through appeals to a hypothetical future Labour government, costly legal battles, or recourse to the EU or the ILO. The focal point should remain rooted in workplace organization, akin to strategies implemented to circumvent and oppose past laws.”
Pat Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity union

Proposed Legislation Threatens Workers’ Right to Strike, Says Solidarity Union

The government’s proposed Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill has been criticised by Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of the Solidarity union, who believes that the legislation poses a threat to workers’ ability to protect their pay and working conditions through strike action. The bill grants Ministers the power to create regulations within six sectors, including health, education, and transport, which would compel workers to work during strikes. Employers would issue work notices specifying who must work and their assigned tasks. Failure to comply could result in worker dismissals and significant damages for unions. The first sectors to be affected would likely be ambulance services, fire departments, and rail networks, as the government aims to expedite the implementation of the new rules by summer.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) contends that this legislation undermines democracy by forcing workers to cross picket lines even if they have participated in a lawful strike vote. The government’s own analysis warns that the legislation may actually lead to an increase in strikes. It also overlooks the measures workers already take to ensure essential services are maintained during industrial action. Furthermore, the bill introduces the possibility of sacking workers for engaging in strike action that has been democratically approved, removing their protection from unfair dismissal within the first 12 weeks of a strike. This reversal of the government’s initial commitment to safeguard workers from penalties is seen as a severe infringement on individual freedoms.

The legislation also places significant burdens on unions. They are required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent their members identified in work notices from participating in strikes. Failure to do so may result in injunctions halting the strike or imposing substantial damages, costs that are ultimately borne by union members through their subscriptions. The cap for damages has recently been raised to £1 million. However, the legislation lacks clarity in defining what constitutes “reasonable steps,” leaving trade unions uncertain about their responsibilities. The TUC views this requirement as a significant encroachment on union freedoms.

While ministers argue that the proposed system aligns with those in France, Spain, and Italy, European unions disagree. The European Trades Union Congress contends that the UK already has some of the most restrictive strike regulations in Europe, and the government’s plans would further deviate from democratic norms observed across the continent.

The proposed legislation fails to address the concerns of workers who have endured a prolonged wage squeeze, with public sector employees experiencing more significant wage gaps compared to their private sector counterparts. For instance, NHS nurses’ real wages have decreased by £5,000 since 2010, while midwives and paramedics face a reduction of over £6,000. The bill offers no solutions for these workers or the ongoing industrial disputes they face. Additionally, it provides no support for the public, who have borne the consequences of austerity measures over the past decade.

Solidarity urges individuals to join the campaign and defend the right to strike, emphasizing that every working person is under attack from these proposed laws.

You can start by signing the petition here.

Emergency protest: Protect the right to strike

Join the TUC organised protest in Westminster this Monday to demand that MPs reject the Strikes Bill & to demand that opposition parties commit to repeal the Strikes Bill. Date Monday, 22 May 2023 – 18:00 to 20:00
Location
Parliament Square
London
SW1P 3JX
United Kingdom

Strong support for strikes and protests

The largest day of industrial action in decades took place on Wednesday, with around half a million workers including teachers, university workers, civil service workers, and train drivers going on strike. The marches and rallies were well-attended, with reports suggesting that new, young activists were emerging on the picket lines and rallies. Anger against the government was palpable, with workers feeling the effects of attacks on pensions, wages, and working conditions. The strikes were largely successful, with minimal signs of scabbing and public anger overwhelmingly directed not at strikers but rightly at the culprits in our misgovernment. However, different groups of workers are at different stages in terms of strategy and escalation. The strikers must continue to push for longer and bigger strikes, demanding further united action and coordination.

Large crowds in many cities turned out to support the right to strike

The TUC’s day of action over anti-union laws was a welcome start and we look forward to co-operation with those who are fighting restrictions on the right to protest. . As Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of the Solidarity union, states, “Solidarity is a small but disciplined union. Our members are attending pickets and rallies and will never cross a picket line. They know that only united action by workers organized through unions that won’t sell them out will win. That’s why I and they say: victory to the strikers.”

Unions cancel strikes as a mark of respect to the late Queen

Postal and rail strikes were canceled in an announcement last Thursday after the death of the Queen.

Planned strikes by Royal Mail workers on Friday were called off following the Queen’s death. Members of the Communication Workers Union were due to continue a 48-hour walkout in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Rail strikes that were being prepared for September have been canceled. Train drivers union Aslef had set a strike date for Thursday, September 15. The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) had planned a walkout on Monday, September 26.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has postponed its annual conference that was due to be held in Brighton from Sunday for four days.

The cancellation of the rail and postal strikes can only be a temporary mark of respect. The issues which underly them remain unresolved. The unions would have faced much criticism if they had continued with their plans. The leaders of the unions involved have made a difficult but likely wise decision. The Morning Star was right to point out, however:

“Nobody will say that the Queen’s death means company bosses should drop their vicious attacks on workers’ rights as a gesture of respect.

Newspaper pundits won’t ask how the Tories have the effrontery to wage class war at such a time.

That’s never the narrative: it is workers who cause disruption by fighting back when attacked, never bosses who cause it by picking our pockets.

That this is exactly what bosses are doing has been demonstrated in detail in reports like Unite Investigates’ Corporate Profiteering and the Cost-of-Living Crisis.”

Bakers’ union BFAWU general secretary Sarah Woolley said: “The decision to postpone TUC Congress is completely understandable after the news of the Queen dying on Thursday.

“[But] the cost-of-living crisis, though, hasn’t and will not go away — and we have a lot of work to do over the coming months as a movement to support working people through it.

“When the TUC does meet, we will have a clearer idea of the political landscape with [Liz] Truss as Prime Minister and this will inform our strategy.”

Bankers wax fat on our misery

At a time when workers are being asked for ‘pay restraint’ bonuses to fat-cat city bosses have hit a record high.

In March alone, finance chiefs in London shared £5.9 billion in bonuses as more than 16 million people in Britain face poverty and desperation.

Research by the TUC, based on figures from the Office for National Statistics, reveals that over the last year bonuses in the financial and insurance sector rocketed by 27.9 per cent.

Workers’ wages went up by only 4.2 per cent.

The figures put City bonuses at the highest since records began, and higher than the amounts bosses were paying themselves shortly before the global financial crash of 2008.

As bosses pocket their record gains, the Resolution Foundation expects the number of people in poverty in Britain to increase by 1.3 million this year – including 500,000 children – taking the total to 16.5 million, roughly a quarter of the population.

The TUC also reported continuing falls in the value of wages as bonuses soared.

Real wages across the economy are worth £68 less per month than a year ago, while the wages of public-sector workers fell even more – by £121 a month, said the TUC.

The fall in the value of workers’ wages for the whole of 2022 is expected to be at least £500.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “There is no justification for such obscene City bonuses at the best of times – let alone during a cost-of-living crisis.

“While City executives rake it in, millions are struggling to keep their heads above water.

“Working people are at breaking point, having been left badly exposed to soaring bills after a decade of standstill wages and universal credit cuts.

“Ministers have no hesitation in calling for public-sector pay restraint but ignore shocking City excess.

“It’s time to hold down bonuses at the top – not wages for everyone else.”

Ms O’Grady called on the government to clamp down on the “greedy bonus culture” by putting workers on company pay boards and introducing maximum pay ratios.

“And it’s time for the government to get wages rising across the economy by boosting the minimum wage immediately, funding decent pay rises for all public-sector workers and introducing fair pay agreements for whole industries,” she said.

The TUC is calling for government action including limits on bonuses as a percentage of total pay, availability of bonuses to all staff – not just fat-cat executives, public-sector pay rises in line with cost-of-living increases, and restoration of earnings lost over the last decade.

Corporate accountancy firm Deloitte has reported that the ratio of bosses’ pay to workers’ pay is now 81 to one. Pat Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity union, commented: “How can a ratio of 81 to 1 be just. It’s both unfair and divisive. It’s obvious that the few are insulated from the cost-of-living crisis whilst the many bear the cost. So when the reactionary media attack the RMT and other unions for asking for pay increases I want you to remember that these same people are partying while ordinary folk have to think about what they can put on the table. We stand with our brothers and sisters – Victory to the RMT and all unions fighting for their members!”

Government is “turning its back” on workers – TUC

The TUC has accused the government of “turning its back” on working people after ministers failed to include an employment bill in the Queen’s Speech.

The union body said that the government’s broken promise to boost workers’ rights will see “bad bosses celebrating”.

In 2019, the government announced it would bring forward a new employment bill to improve people’s rights at work, but despite committing to the bill on at least 20 occasions, ministers have shelved the legislation.

Commenting on the decision to exclude an employment bill from the Queen’s Speech, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“The prime minister promised to make Britain the best place in the world to work. But he has turned his back on working people.

“…bad bosses up and down the country will be celebrating.

“No employment bill means vital rights that ministers had promised – like default flexible working, fair tips and protection from pregnancy discrimination – risk being ditched for good.

“And it means no action on the scourge of insecure work and ending exploitative practices like zero-hours contracts and fire and rehire.

“After the P&O scandal, dragging our outdated labour laws into the 21st century has never been more urgent.

“But by shelving the employment bill, ministers have sent a signal that they are happy for rogue employers to ride roughshod over workers’ rights.

“Enough is enough. This is a government that just doesn’t get it – from the cost of living emergency to the insecure work epidemic.

“People can’t wait for greater rights and security at work – they need it now.”

On the seafarer minimum wage enforcement plans, O’Grady added:

“This proposal is feeble and likely unworkable.

“The government has done nothing to tackle the most flagrant labour abuse in years by P&O.

“Only stronger employment legislation that boosts worker protections and stops companies firing on the spot will prevent another P&O-type scandal.”

The TUC says that the following policies were all promised within an employment bill, and now risk being ditched altogether:

Ensure that tips go to workers in full.
Introduce a new right for all workers to request a more predictable contract.
Create a new single enforcement body offering greater protections for workers.
Extend redundancy protections to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination.
Make flexible working the default unless employers have good reason not to.
Allow parents to take extended paid leave for neonatal care.
Introduce a new legal entitlement to one week’s leave for unpaid carers.
In addition, the government consulted on reasonable notice period for shifts allocated and cancelled, and payments for cancelled shifts, which the TUC points out the government has “since gone quiet on.”

The union body also highlights that the government promise to make employers responsible for preventing sexual harassment risks falling by the wayside without the employment bill, as the policy needs primary legislation to carry it forward.

Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity, commented: “The government is sending a clear signal to British workers that they are not a priority. Workers who were promised progress have been badly let down.”

Talks at P&O break down

Talks between RMT and P&O broke down because the company was “simply unprepared to change course from the illegal dismissal of 800 seafarers,” according to the union.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said:

“From the outset the full obnoxiousness and hostility of the company towards their staff and the RMT was on display.

“P&O were not prepared to listen to any scenario or develop any idea that would provide a means to create a solution to the current disastrous situation.

“The meeting broke up inside 20 minutes as P&O were simply unprepared to change their course from the illegal dismissal of 800 seafarers.

“RMT will continue to press the government for an immediate intervention by whatever means necessary to make P&O perform a U-turn and get our members reinstated, as per Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ statement on BBC this morning.

“We also call on the entire labour movement, the public, the freight & logistics sector and the political community to support an immediate and total boycott of all P&O services.

“The people of the UK need to pull P&O to account and make sure that the law in the workplace is upheld, that British workers can have job security and decent pay, and that P&O workers get workplace justice.”

RMT has also launched a campaign of action against P&O’s supply chain and will hold a protest at Clyde Maritime Recruitment in Glasgow on Monday.

P&O is encountering resistance as some newly recruited crew members reportedly walked off P&O vessels when they discovered how they were being used as scab labour.

A recruitment agency is offering sacked marine officers £20,000 to take back their old P&O jobs because the company has been unable to fill them.

Coupled with the ferry firm’s need to train its new recruits in vital work including safety and rescue, the shortage of officers threatens to torpedo any hopes P&O had of getting all its ferries back into service in the immediate future.

Seven vessels are reported to be standing idle, costing P&O around £1 million a day, including the Pride of Hull ferry in Rotterdam.

Shameless P&O chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite admitted to a panel of MPs this week that the company knowingly broke the law by sacking the workers — and said he would do it again.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, backed by PM Boris Johnson, said he should quit following his “brazen” comments to the joint business and transport committee.

RMT has also demanded that the Scottish, Welsh and Westminster governments kick the firm’s Dubai-based parent company DP World out of “freeport” tax havens in Britain.

Freeports are protected from taxes and duties which apply in other ports.

DP World is involved in English freeports in the Thames and Solent. In Scotland taxpayers are expected to provide £25 million funding towards establishing a freeport and another is being planned for Wales.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the three governments “must state that they will exclude DP World from the public funding and tax breaks that come with freeport status, unless our members are reinstated by P&O Ferries.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said it was a “watershed moment” for Britain’s shipping industry and workers’ rights.

She said DP World “must be given pariah status and lose all its government shipping and freeport contracts with immediate effect until workers are reinstated.”

Don’t go with P&O

The RMT has called for members of the public to show their revulsion at P&O’s behaviour by boycotting the company’s ferries under the slogan “Don’t go with P&O.”

As the CPBML rightly said: “all we can do is fight like our trade union ancestors. This is an attack on whole communities in our coastal towns. This will be a fight led by the trade unions in the shipping industry, but it will be supported by whole communities and the trade union movement.”.

Patrick Harrington, General Secretary of Solidarity, said: “P&O must be punished for their attack on British workers. We must break them. Those agencies supplying workers to P&O should also think carefully about the possible consequences to them. British workers need to ensure that their power is felt.”

Hard work should pay

Here at Solidarity, we believe that people who work hard should be valued and paid accordingly.

Yet, sadly, that’s often not the case. In work poverty is a real problem. It’s not helped by many public workers in the NHS, Councils, etc being given poor wage rises. Zero-hour contracts and minimum wage jobs in the private sector are also to blame. There are so many factors that prevent workers from earning a decent living and giving them the respect that they deserve.

Now the situation may get worse.

Union leaders are warning that workers’ pay will suffer after the Bank of England predicted a surge in inflation to the highest level for a decade.

According to the bank’s latest economic forecasts, inflation, currently running at 2.5 percent, will rise to 4 percent at the end of the year as the British economy recovers from the pandemic.

This would be double the bank’s inflation target and the highest level since the end of 2011.

TUC deputy general secretary Paul Nowak said: “The report from the Bank of England shows what unions, NHS staff, key workers, and the public have warned – the government is cutting the real-terms pay of millions of workers.

“Lots of workers will find that prices are rising faster than their pay, especially those working in the public sector and other key workers who kept us going through the pandemic – like care workers, refuse collectors, and public health staff.

“Keyworker pay is the acid test for the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘build back fairer.’ Every key worker deserves a decent standard of living for their family. But too often, their hard work does not pay. We owe them better.”