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Midlands News 35

From the Regional Secretary

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2012 - a year when we can expect more problems for working people, with the only protection being provided by trade unions. This newsletter highlights a few of the industrial disputes which have taken place in the region where union members have felt their only recourse was to ballot - and win - support for industrial action.

We have been able to visit some of the picket lines and show the support of the Midlands TUC - if we didn't visit yours be assured our support is still there! We know more is going on than we can get to, not least with school teachers protesting about Academies, and PCS members on strike at HMCR.

We have also included information about Birmingham Women's festival, mainly because there are opportunities to develop self organised campaigns celebrating women's struggles and achievements. This may provide some women trade unionists with ideas for events - or more likely contribute to other people's events by making them more successful. If you get involved, let us know how it goes and if it was useful.

We are now in the run up to our annual conference on Saturday 25^th February, the papers are being sent out, the annual report has gone to print, and exhibitors are confirming their attendance. This should prove to be a lively event and I am very much looking forward to meeting delegates, both existing and new.

Rob Johnston,

Midlands TUC Regional Secretary

Time on the picket line

February has seen a number of high profile disputes across the region with industrial action in Chesterfield, Burton upon Trent and Kingsbury. The constant theme on these picket lines was 'We are not asking for more, or better, just for the same as we have been getting. We're not bankers, not looking for seven figure salaries or huge bonuses, just what we have been getting until now'.

Bectu, BBC Birmingham

Bectu members were out in Birmingham to campaign against the BBC moving their jobs to other regional centres including Bristol.

BECTU has followed successful strike action at BBC Birmingham with a further appeal to management to suspend plans to move large parts of production away from The Mailbox.

A packed meeting of union members resolved that if the BBC failed to respond to its demands - and to a growing list of key questions - further industrial action would follow. The union has also not ruled out a ballot of all staff in Birmingham in an escalation of the current dispute.

BECTU wrote to the BBC to set out its current position. The union formally requested that "the BBC postpone the proposed network TV and Radio programme moves date for at least a minimum 12 months to August 2013 and suspend the redundancy/relocation preference exercise for affected staff."

In addition the union is seeking "assurances regarding the long-term future of BBC Birmingham and the security of employment for staff in the other departments and divisions at the Mailbox, including what departments will be moved in.

"This information must be available to enable staff to consider all their options and their future." wrote Helen Ryan, supervisory official.

A 24-hour strike at the Mailbox spanning 18/19 January drew huge support from staff and the public and affected the BBC's production and output.

Unilever, Burton upon Trent

Union members at Unilever in Burton upon Trent took to the streets over proposed changes to their pension scheme. 'They keep saying you will be OK, we will look after you. It doesn't wash when we are looking at yet another cut to our pension.'

Commenting on the announcement that Unilever, the world's third biggest consumer products company, has generated profits of almost 5 billion Euros in the past year, Jennie Formby, Unite's national officer, said: "These profits are mind-blowing, especially in a time of recession. This will make people stop and think twice about Unilever's attempt to claim that it cannot deliver the decent pension scheme our members have been saving for.

"Once again we are reminded that big business profiteering is simply out of control - and that the spoils are enjoyed by only a rare few at the top. Paul Polman, the CEO, takes home almost 300 times what the average Unilever worker earns. Unilever can address this grotesque disparity, starting with honouring its promises to the workers and their pensions. Workers will be rightly furious if the comparatively small sums their pensions need now disappear into the pockets and wallets of Polman and his board.'

Wincanton tanker drivers, Kingsbury

Tanker drivers at the Jet Kingsbury oil depot in Warwickshire took action for a week to put pressure on their employer, Wincanton, in a bid to protect their pay and conditions. They have now extended their strike action until Thursday 16 February in an escalation of the long running dispute over pay and conditions.

The announcement of further strike action by members of Unite follows Wincanton's failure to offer a meaningful solution in yesterday's talks.

The additional seven days of action until 04.59 on Thursday 16 February will put intense pressure on petrol supplies to Jet's 381 forecourts and will mean tanker drivers will have been on strike for unprecedented 21 days.

Tanker drivers walked out after the break down of talks, mounting picket lines at depots in Immingham, Kingsbury and Stockton-on-Tees in the dispute which has already seen seven days of strike action.

Unite has repeatedly said that Jet's owner, ConocoPhillips, and road hauliers Wincanton have generated more than enough profits to pay decent pay and conditions and warned that their greed would destabilise the supply of vital national resource.

Unite national officer, Matt Draper, said: 'Tanker drivers are once again showing their determination to defend their pay and conditions. We had hoped we could resolve the dispute through the talks and offered concessions. But Wincanton's failure to offer these highly skilled drivers security over their futures and their pay and conditions means that the supply of fuel to Jet forecourts is once again under threat.

'Wincanton needs to recognise the strength of feeling and start talking seriously about a fair solution.'

Remploy, Chesterfield

Remploy workers in Chesterfield mounted their picket lines to oppose the introduction of employees on lower terms and conditions of employment.

GMB, Unite and Community members employed at Remploy factories in Chesterfield and at Springburn in Glasgow took strike action on Thursday 26th January 2012, over the possible takeover of the Remploy Healthcare Group by a company called Websters which will lead to the implementation of a two tier payment system.

All 54 Remploy factories are under threat of closure when current public funding ends in April 2013. If these proposals go ahead up to 4,000 workers will lose their jobs.

Another threat is that the factories are rendered less economic being only 50% loaded because either public bodies have failed to support them with work as allowed under EU rules or their own managers are turning down work.

GMB has shown that it would cost the Treasury less to keep the Remploy factories operating fully loaded rather than putting the workers out of work on welfare. The majority of Remploy workers who lost their jobs in 2008 are still on welfare 3 years later.

The crucial campaign objective for Remploy workers is to get the loading up from 50% now to 100% and to keep these factories open. Local councils have responded positively to requests to give more work to the Remploy factories.

Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary, (pictured, below) said, 'GMB members at these two Remploy factories which are part of the Remploy Healthcare Group voted in an legal strike ballot by more than 90% in favour of strike action or action short of a strike.

Mr Davis, continued, 'The reasons they are on strike are because of the introduction of a two tier pay and conditions structure, a move towards the privatisation of the Remploy Healthcare Group, the employment of non-disabled staff who have been brought into the Chesterfield factory and are being paid differently from the disabled workers i.e. less sick pay, no final salary pension, no trade union recognition and less holidays.'

This strike action is the first by Remploy workers to save their jobs and their terms and conditions of employment. They deserve the support of the UK public.

A Space to Organise!

A do-it-yourself Birmingham Women's Festival is building steam with the help of a website which helps women to get in contact with each other to organise events.
http://www.birminghamwomensfestival.org.uk/

The Festival website, (organised by a small group of women in their very limited spare time) aims to encourage and assist women to organise events to celebrate women's struggles and achievements. The website is a space for women to organise their own activities. Through the blog women can put forward their ideas, ask for help to organise something or offer their help to others.

For example, women musicians can offer to play while other women may be able to offer venues, audiences, promotion. Organisations can get involved to by holding events which celebrate or support women. There is calendar so that people can advertise their event or find out what is going on. There are logos for you to use.

Events planned so far include 'swishing' events ( where you can exchange clothes you no longer need and raise money for good causes), a poetry reading by Birmingham's own woman poet laureate, a women's film screening and a hospice women's fund-raising walk . Events can be small or large. One woman plans to invite women in her own street to get together for an afternoon and share crafts and skills. What a good way to get to know our neighbours better.

The Festival dates are 3rd to 18th March 2012. What do you want to do? Look for inspiration on http://www.birminghamwomensfestival.org.uk

Follow us on twitter @BrumWomensFest
Join us on Facebook: BirminghamWomensFestival

And don't forget the Blog......

We are publishing all our media releases on our blog: http://midlandstucmedia.blogspot.com/

This includes links to the False Economy website where cuts information is added on a daily basis:

http://falseeconomy.org.uk/

You can also follow us on Twitter @MidlandsTUC

Contact the Midlands TUC:

E: midlands@tuc.org.uk T: 0121 262 6383

Published by TUC Midlands Region, 24 Livery Street, Birmingham B3 2PA

Copyright in this publication is held by the TUC unless otherwise stated. For more copies of this newsletter contact Michelle Kesterton on tel: 0121 262 6383 or mkesterton@tuc.org.uk. This text may also be made available, on request, in accessible formats such as Braille, audiotape and large print, at no extra cost.

Newsletter (1,800 words) issued 9 Feb 2012