There was a noisy and colourful march this afternoon by care home Fremantle UNISON strikers and supporters from Burnt Oak to Edgware. I think there were about 150 people in total. The march received a lot of support from passerbies and “toots” from Car horns.I had a brief chat with the trade union web site Labourstart editor Eric Lee who was due to speak. Fremantle had threatened to take libel action against Labourstart over their coverage of this dispute.
Local Labour Party MP Andrew Dismore took part in the March with Local Councillors and Party supporters. He spoke at rally (see standing in photo next to Barnet UNISON branch secretary, John Burgess). UNISON Regional Secretary Linda Perks was next then I spoke briefly as well, but I had to leave before the end in order to go to a memorial service.I pointed out that tens of thousands of public sector workers in London had been transferred into the private sector (myself included!). They had all been promised like Fremantle staff that there terms and conditions would be protected under TUPE. However, TUPE had failed to protect Fremantle staff (ironically due to gross management incompetence and opportunism), so in this dispute we need to defend the principle of TUPE protection. It is also a disgrace that in London, the richest capital in Europe that the workers who carry out hard, difficult manual work looking after the most vulnerable of clients in care homes are paid just over £6.60 per hour, and have had their sickness, overtime and holiday pay slashed.
NEC member Jon Rodgers, Former London Regional secretary Geoff Martin, sacked UNISON NHS activist Karen Reissman were also due to speak. Under threat Newham UNISON LG Chair Michael Gavan was also there.
6 comments:
More like 70 people I think
Nope - I counted at least a 100 at the start, and people were joining as the march went on (including Andrew and the Labour Party activists) and there were people setting up at the Church Hall.
Blimey.... a real torrent of support. There were one hundred times that looking around my local car boot sale this morning! I'm not sure Unison can class this as being "overwhleming support"edge.
I say this not to antagonise you but maybe you need to change tack? I reckon your strategy so far is probably the bigggest single reason the workers pay is so shite!
Hi Anon
so your solution to low pay and slashing of conditions is....?
Fremantle workers and their representatives have tens of thousands of supporters all over the world as the LabourStart campaign demonstrated. Most of us, and me the first, would willingly have made the trip to the rally. Unfortunately our minimum wages don't run to return plane tickets to support our beliefs. Not for profit organisations like Fremantle should be spearheading equal trade and decent jobs not slashing costs to the detriment of their employees and "clients". What will happen when contracts like these are given to Sodexho, Aramark and others with orders to earn money? You can't buy second hand health care for your parents at a boot sale!
Yesterday we remembered how our elders fought for us, today we must win this battle for them.
Let's be honest -this is a strike that really matters. Privatisation destroys decent care standards. How? It cuts carers terms and conditions so it can make more profit by charging higher fees from vulnerable residents by cutting pay etc from care workers. My dad went into a BUPA home in Redbridge -privatised care with agency workers doing 24 hour shifts and leaving a week later. The manager kept cutting and cutting costs -elderly people were left with suppurating ulcers on legs, their heads hanging over mugs of tea they couldn't drink and the place stank of urine.Older people were dying for profit.
The Fremantle workers care about their clients -but that is not what is wanted by privatised profiteers.
When a mate up north had to put her mam into care for a short time the privatised home asked which funeral company she preferred -because they had a deal with the local one!Early graves are more profitable.
The rally was a great event and many congrats to the workers who were striking and attended that day. It is what UNISON should be about -supporting low paid women workers in their fight to improve conditions -for themselves and for their clients.Sad that the regional publicity was so poor -but good we did have some NEC members(but none of our regional women NEC members!).Sad that people think care workers should not be paid a decent wage to look after vulnerable elderly people -our parents, our relatives -maybe us in the future.
So -thanks for being at the rally John G but my main thanks are to John B, Carmel, Maggi et al in Barnet for working so hard to organise this rally in very difficult circumstances with little help from officialdom!kat
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