Sunday: First day of Business – who needs a magician when you have so many comedians?

Pleased to get up early (07:30) and go for walk along West Cliff and the beach before breakfast. It was lovely and sunny. Saw two groups of lads (not UNISON delegates) who had obviously been up all night and still wandering around still drinking and looking pretty “rough”.

At Conference there didn’t seem to be that many newspaper sellers and leafleters outside. Inside it was a bit chaotic as delegates and visitors queued up to make last minute changes to delegations and replacements for lost identity cards etc. I found our seats and met up with my branch delegation. We had a brief meeting about the day’s business. The morning order of business was pretty quiet – no big rows. All the motions and composites were supported by the SGE. This actually meant in my view that there were more thoughtful contributions on issues than may have been the case if they had been opposed (as we found out later).

Of course some speakers used the opportunity simply to make statements to slag off the Labour Party whenever possible. No big surprise there! It reminded me of the saying that there are more tears from prayers answered than those which are not. A number of speakers who work in Tory dominated councils complained about the horrendous attacks on jobs and services. There seems to be no linkage to this, no recognition that for all its faults, workers in local government are better off under Labour councils and governments than Tories. In my experience strikes and protests over protecting services and conditions tend to be far more successful in either controlled Labour councils or those councils were there are supportive labour minorities. While strikes in Tory Councils and shires tend to be unsuccessful. There are obviously exceptions to this. But not many.

There was also another passionate speech in support of Fremantle. Business passed by very quickly.

During lunch I went to a crowded fringe on “After the Housing Market fails…” which I will post separately.

The afternoon session was livelier. The main bone of contention was a motion (4 and amendments) criticising last year’s pay claim and the way it was dealt with. This was not unsurprisingly opposed by the SGE. The SGE lost during quite a bitter debate. I need to double check on what the motion will actually mean in practice but I was told on the way out of conference by one old hand that we had effectively voted for strike action every April. We live in interesting times.

I spoke on motion 59 which was on “Pay in the Community and Voluntary sector” (CVS). I admitted to conference that it had been a bit of a shock when I became an activist in the UNISON CVS, how many organisations pay such poor wages, have shoddy sickness arrangement and rubbish pensions. There are very good organisations but they are increasingly being under cut in many contracts by those who will cut terms and conditions. “A race to the bottom”. The motion is in many ways a “back to trade union basics” call to organise, campaign and bargain to bring up terms and conditions for all 60,000 UNISON members in CVS.

At 4:30pm there was a guest speaker Ana Lucia Pinzon, leader of the Colombian public sector workers trade union FENAL TRASE. Ana gave her speech in Spanish (it was then translated into English) but she had by far the best reception from delegates of any speaker that day.

The conference finished at 4:50pm. At 5pm a “Marxist magician” was due on the stage to entertain us. I felt that I had my fill of Marx for the day and would give him a miss. After all, poor chap, with there being so many such comedians all day who needs a magician!

The British summer reasserted itself on the way back “up the hill”. Got soaked.

LG conference: London Region delegate Meeting

On Saturday evening there was a delegation meeting at the Hermitage hotel, Bournemouth. The meeting was chaired by David Eggmore who had just beaten me in the Service Group elections. I went and congratulated David on his victory and told him that this was getting to be a habit which I am going to have to do something about (this is the 2nd time he has beaten for this seat). David replied that “in the nicest possible way” he hoped this would be a habit that I wouldn’t be able to break!

The meeting went ahead and was quite straight forward. I picked up my branch “Card vote” and a seating plan for us to find our seats. There was a briefing by UNISON head of local government, Vicky Easton on equal pay issues. Regional delegates Andrew Berry and Mandy Berger spoke about their role in supporting delegates (they will do most things except give advice on train timetables!).

The London Standing Orders Committee (SOC) representative Malcolm Campbell reported back on an earlier SOC meeting. A number of emergency motions had been ruled out of order on the sensible grounds that they were not “emergencies”. The only one allowed was one on fuel costs and mileage allowances. There was also an attempt to explain what “composite motions” are and “consequences” for new delegates. I’m not going to try.

Phil Lewis from the regional newssheet team (who was filming the meeting) gave the usual plea for delegates to write articles for the newsletter.

There was an excellent contribution by care workers from “Fremantle” in Barnet, London who are balloting for further strike action following the large cuts in their pay and conditions, which followed the privatisation of Barnet Council care homes.

There was also a presentation made to Jean Geldart, Chair of the Service Group (and my former branch secretary at Tower Hamlets- picture right), who is retiring after some 37 years. She gave the usual competent and very articulate speech.

That was it – next thing was start of conference at 9:30 Sunday morning.

Saturday night in Bournemouth seemed to have been taken over by very merry and high spirited “stag” and “hen” parties. Of course all UNISON delegates where in their rooms busy reading motions and writing speeches.

(Apologies for no photos but forgot to bring the camera cable – will try and get a card reader and add to post later)

The Fremantle Nightmare continues - March & Rally

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.

Fremantle: CEO paid £100k per year Staff £6.66 per hour

On Saturday 10 November there is a 24 hour strike by UNISON members who work for the Fremantle, the “not for profit” third sector nightmare (unless you are on its executive that is) care home company.

Barnet UNISON are campaigning to stop vulnerable ex-local authority care workers having their wages and working conditions slashed by Fremantle. Not only are already lowly paid workers having their basic wages being cut by about 30% but their sickness pay, holidays and overtime rates have also been chopped.

Meet 12:00 on Saturday 10 November 2007 at Watling Park (nearest station Burnt Oak Station – Northern line). Then Rally at St Alphage Church, Playfield Road, Edgware, HA8

Slash wages, Provoke Strikes, Sack Stewards & Sue: Fremantle – The Third Sector Nightmare?

In March this year I put up a post supporting Barnet UNISON over their campaign to stop vulnerable ex-local authority care workers, having their wages and working conditions slashed by this so called caring “not for profit” company, Fremantle. Not only are their basic wages being cut by about 30% but their sickness pay, holidays and overtime rates have been cut. See also the UNISON web site.

Since then there has been strike action by workers opposed to the cuts. That was hardly surprising. These workers were already low paid. What has been surprising is the appalling campaign of intimidation being waged against the strikers and their supporters.

Using tactics reminiscent of the most violent “union busters” in the United States, Fremantle have sacked one of the striking stewards (Andrew Rogers) and have even launched legal action and shut down the campaign page (not yet the site) of the well respected international trade union web site “Labourstart” . Labourstart have been able to relaunch this campaign on a new server. Check out “We will not be Silenced”

Fremantle’s web site claims they operate In 50 locations across Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Maidenhead, Barnet, Harrow and employ 1,500 staff. I’m not sure where or how Fremantle get their money from, however, it is absolutely clear that there are serious problems with the way that it treats its employees and uses what must be at source, public money, to launch what appears to be vindictive legal action against critics. I’ll have to do some digging about who provides contracts and funding.

Fremantle is in danger of discrediting the entire “not for profit” Voluntary sector. The Trustees need to take control of their senior management team and sort this out.

Support Fremantle workers!

It seems only yesterday that I blogged here about support for the Central Foundation School strike next week and mentioned that we needed to do more than petitioning and lobbying.
Well, last week, Barnet UNISON circulated the latest information about the dispute between Fremantle, the outfit who run care homes in that borough, and UNISON and the GMB, representing the staff. This “not for profit” “third sector” provider is about to sack any staff who won’t accept cuts in pay and conditions (note the Fremantle "Head of Development" above left, clearly expressing what she thinks of Barnet UNISON).

The unions are balloting for strike action. The strike action would have commenced but for a legal challenge from the employer under the anti-union laws. Keep checking the Barnet UNISON blog to be kept up to date with this important dispute.

Blogging is useful only insofar as it helps us to undertake worthwhile activity for our unions and our beliefs.

I sometimes post stories about political disagreements and disputes within the union and labour movement (and these are not unimportant) – but it is most important not to lose our focus as socialists and trade unionists.

Our enemies are not each other (not even those who themselves seem to lose sight of this). Our enemies are bad employers who attack our members’ conditions and politicians who would allow these scoundrels to run all our public services. I hope everyone reading this blog – and every trade unionist blogger – will publicise this important dispute and take some action to support the Fremantle workers.

Email the Fremantle Chief Executive Carol Sawyer at carole.sawyers@fremantletrust.org and Catalyst (who are also involved) Chief Executive Rod Cahill at rod.cahill@chg.org.uk.
Also I have emailed Barnet UNISON this proposed petition which could be submitted to the Number 10 web site http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/new

"UNISON the biggest trade union in the UK has members who are home care workers in Barnet, London who were transferred to the company “Fremantle” under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations five years ago. Fremantle have now threatened to sack these employees on 1st April 2007 unless they sign new contracts worth 35 per cent less in pay, with reduced sick pay and holiday entitlement. We ask the Prime Minister to note the distress caused to residents who live in the care homes by the potential loss of trained and known staff; and to support the campaign being waged by Barnet UNISON against this appalling attack on already low paid workers; and calls on the Government to review employment law to prevent such abuses of public service workers in the future".
Posted by John Gray at 9:10 AM 0 comments
Labels: barnet unison, Fremantle, GMB