"On the knocker" in West Ham (with a little bit of help from UNISON/Hackney)

This morning I had my councillor surgery in Vicarage Lane Community centre in West Ham ward, Newham. One constituent who came, lived close to the centre, with a list of repair issues. I was able to go with her, back to her home in order to identify repairs needed to a damaged canopy over her front door. (top left) 

Later I joined my West Ham ward Councillor colleagues, John Whitworth and Charlene Mclean, for a "street surgery" in the Portway, E15. This includes knocking on doors, introducing ourselves and asking residents if they have any issues concerning Newham Council services that they wish to discuss with us. Most residents say they haven't any issues but we leave a leaflet with our contact details and that of the Newham Mayor Roksana, Lyn our MP and Unmesh, our London Assembly member. We also try to carry out a quick survey on what are their keys issues in the ward and their voting intention in future elections. 

I was pleased that my UNISON comrade, Joseph Ogundemuren, came to help. Joseph is a  Labour Councillor in Hackney and a fantastic trade unionist campaigner and case worker, currently supporting our members with their fight with our employer, Clarion Housing Group, over pay cuts and to stop their attempts to break pensions promises made to staff via "fire & rehire".  This was the third campaign session in Newham that he had attended today. The other two were in Canning Town and Custom House. 

The family walking their pink and white poodle were really pleased when I asked if I could take its photo. 

During the canvass I was able to get into the former Park Hotel which has now been converted into flats. See "now and then" pictures to right of collage. I think the bottom picture is from Victorian times but will try and find out more. There is a current problem with domestic rubbish and recycling collection which I will sort out with the Council. 

On the last door that I called at, by coincidence, the family had come to see me at a previous surgery regarding a dreadful rehousing issue, which I am trying to help them with. It reminded me that we must change UK housing policy and that change demands a change in Government. 

Afterwards, Joseph and I went for a "refreshment" in the marvellous Sawmill cafe, E15  (owned and staffed by Ukrainians) and we were later joined by John Whitworth and the Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz. 

"Emergency motion passed unanimously at branch executive over Clarion Housing Group “fire and rehire” dismissals and breaking pension promises"

Check out 

 "On 5 September 2023 Clarion sent dismissal notices to 54 of its most long serving staff in order to close down its defined benefit pension provision. Clarion has made it clear that that it staff do not “consent” then they will be deemed to have left the organisation without compensation.

The extremely hostile and threatening nature of Clarion communications has already led to 200 staff being bullied out of the schemes.

Some of the staff impacted have over 30 years’ service with Clarion and its predecessor employers and many of these staff have had their pension plans destroyed since they will not have enough time (or income) to make up the difference.

The staff impacted had joined Clarion in the past because they promised a defined benefit pension or had been tupe transferred from councils and promised that they can keep these pensions.

Clarion have refused to disclose information relating to the costs of closure, but we believe that cuts to staff terms and conditions are behind this action at a time that Clarion has recently published that it made an underlying surplus (or profit) of £185 million last year.

The Chief Executive Officer of Clarion earns around £450,000 per year. This is nearly 3 times what the UK Prime Minister earns. If these changes, go ahead she could earn £45,000 per year in pension contributions, which is more than most staff in Clarion will earn in a year.

Members in Clarion have recently voted in an indicative ballot to take strike action over pensions and also in a separate ballot a majority of all members voted to take strike action over pay.

This branch Executive resolves to:-

1. Send a message of solidarity and support to all Clarion members facing this fire and rehire dismissal.

2. The branch secretary to send a strong message to the Clarion Chief Executive and Chair of the Board demanding they withdraw these threats. Copied to Council leaders and MPs of every authority that Clarion has a presence.

3. Sends an appropriate motion to UNISON Regional Councils, Community Conference and our National Delegate Conference.

4. Request that UNISON Labour Link does everything possible to put the case against these “fire and rehire” dismissals with the Labour Party in line with the “New Deal for Workers” policy commitments.

5. Organise and pay reasonable expenses for members to attend a lobby in October at the House of Commons of their MPs. To work with other branches and regions who have members impacted to encourage them to do the same.

6. To send information to all our branch unison shops (other London Housing Associations with publicity, asking for them to show solidarity and join appropriate and legal protest action that the branch deems necessary".

Trade Union Congress Delegate 2023

Today I received my credentials as a UNISON delegate to this year's Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Liverpool next month. 

I am speaking in a pension fringe on Collective Defined Contributions schemes and will hopefully get involved on other pension, housing and "fire & rehire" debates. 

Clarion doing its best to -increase- number of pensioners in poverty by its "unlawful & immoral decisions"

 

Check out Clarion UNISON Facebook "Our #Clarion indicative strike ballot is still open & a email reminder was sent out yesterday to fill out the ballot form

#Clarion is obviously still keen by their immoral decisions to increase the number of pensioners living in poverty.

Actions from yesterday's UNISON #pensions meeting will be sent out next week. A template email will also be included. Stewards will be responding to requests for reps at #Fire&Rehire 121s asap @UnisonHAB Unison Commvol"

Labour and TUC call for ‘fire and rehire’ ban as part of new work vision

 End of lockdown a chance for people to reassert control, say Frances O’Grady and Angela Rayner

People will have an opportunity to wrest back control over their working lives when the country emerges from the pandemic, but the government must do more to help by immediately outlawing practices such as ‘fire and rehire’, prominent trade union and political figures have said.

Frances O’Grady, the head of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and the new shadow secretary of state for the future of work, Angela Rayner, called for a reset in the relationships between employers and staff as they each set out visions for the future of work.

“The pandemic has raised these pretty profound questions about our values and it’s held up a mirror to Britain on inequalities that were there long before, but have been magnified by it,” O’Grady said.

“It is a chance for us to say: ‘Do we really think it’s right that all the risk is on the shoulder of the workers and that people who do the most valuable work very often get paid the least?’”

Rayner attacked the government for failing to deliver the promised employment bill that ministers had indicated would secure the rights workers have enjoyed during the UK’s membership of the EU, saying its absence “exposes the gaping hole between Tory rhetoric and action”.

She said: “Coming out of this pandemic, there is an urgent need for stronger employment rights and protections, yet without a bill the inequality and injustice that exists in our economy as a result of the Tories’ failure to protect working people will only get worse.”

Millions of people have seen fundamental changes to the way they work during the pandemic and that has led many to reassess how they want to work in future – as well as how they value the work of others.

There was widespread condemnation of government plans to offer only a 1% pay rise to NHS staff in England this year. And there are calls to broaden the definition of key worker to include, for example, the supermarket staff who helped keep a locked-down country fed – and to give them priority access to cheaper housing, as well as a living wage and better working conditions.

“If we really want to thank key workers, show that through their pay packets,” O’Grady said.

Key in any revision of the way the country works, O’Grady said, must be to increase and broaden statutory sick pay, which she said has proven insufficient to allow people on low pay to self-isolate for the good of the public.

For years, the government had identified a pandemic as one of the biggest risks facing the UK. National security would be threatened by maintaining statutory sick pay at a level that did not allow everyone to self-isolate if needed, the TUC’s head warned.

O’Grady said she was optimistic people would use the experience of the past year to assert greater control over their working lives, stressing that the focus would need to extend far beyond simply allowing city-based office workers to work from home.

People in all types of workplaces could benefit from being able to fit work around their lives, including by gaining the right to regular hours, more job-sharing and flexi-time, as well as greater freedom to swap shifts, she said.

O’Grady added: “The trick is realising we can only do that collectively. And that’s the challenge, which I’m optimistic about.” While she called on workers to use the trade union movement to help win such rights, both O’Grady and Rayner said the government had a major role to play.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it was “committed to protecting and enhancing workers’ rights”. A spokesperson added: “In the past year alone, we have taken vigorous action, from introducing parental bereavement leave, to protecting new parents on furlough, to giving millions a pay rise through a higher minimum wage.”

However, the minimum wage is still well below what campaigners say is needed when measured against the cost of living.

The spokesperson added: “The government is committed to bringing forward an employment bill to further protect and enhance workers’ rights to build a high skilled, high productivity, high wage economy that delivers on our ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to work and grow a business.”

But Labour’s deputy leader cited the example of fire and rehire, under which staff are forced to accept worse conditions in order to keep their jobs, as one area where ministers must do more, calling it an “appalling and bullying practice”. The prime minister has denounced it as unacceptable but Rayner demanded that he “outlaw it without any further delay”.

She added: “For years, many companies have used bogus self-employment to deny their workers sick pay, annual leave and other basic protections, in arrangements that are specially designed so companies can dodge their legal and moral responsibility to treat their staff with dignity and respect.”

Both women agreed that the shared experience of the pandemic should be the catalyst for fundamental change".

Hat tip The Guardian