UNISON Survey on the charging of DBS checks to workers closes next Friday 4 August 2023

 

This is incredible to many people (myself included) that some employers charge their workers the cost of having a DBS check? These are mostly low paid care workers doing difficult jobs and some of them work for different employers, all of whom want them to pay for this check out of their wages?

Please check out this survey before Friday https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90571287/DBS-checks-survey

Well done to the London Vol Org branch for setting up this survey (and branch secretary Jordon)

Worried about paying your winter fuel bill? UNISON is "there for you"

I am very proud of  "There for you" (UNISON welfare) and the work it does for our members who are in financial hardship but we should never forget that often this hardship is caused by low pay, insecure employment and our rip off financial services.

"There for you" will allow our low paid members to apply for a one off fuel grant of £40.  To those of you on a decent wage, £40 may not seem a lot, but if you are on a poverty wage, it may make the difference for being cold or warm on winter nights for you and your kids.

It is shameful that we have such a ultra right wing economic system that relies on welfare to provide for the basic needs of those in work who provide public services.

Roll on May 7 2015. The only alternative to a Labour Government is another 5 years of Tories. The choice is clear.

"Out of Order" Outward - UNISON protest against Poverty Pay

The picture collage is from this morning's lively and colourful protest by low paid UNISON carers who work for registered Charity "Outward" (Part of Newlon Group) in North and East London.

Over 400 workers are employed by Outward to provide care and support to over 1000 clients with severe learning disabilities, older people, young people leaving care, mental health and autism spectrum conditions. Some of whom need 24 hour care.

Many of Outward workers already earn less than a living wage and the charity is proposing to cut pay even lower and increase their working week.

Parents of clients attended the protest and spoke about their fears for the quality of service for their children if the pay of carers was reduced even more.

Apart from the absolute moral argument there is a clear business case for workers to be paid at least a living wage from improvements in quality of care, sickness levels, recruitment costs and training budgets. The reputational risk to Outward and Newlon from employing staff in London on poverty pay rates is also clear.

This morning was the last day of consultation on proposed cuts to pay and conditions. I hope that Outward will listen to their workers.

Check out today's National UNISON press release.

Fob Off Amazon!

We’ve had an Amazon delivery!

"Hi John

After 4 months and over 59,000 signatures, Amazon has finally responded to the living wage petition that kickstarted Amazon Anonymous.

But Amazon is trying to fob us off. Click here to send an email telling them to try harder.

Amazon’s reply says that: "Permanent UK associates start at a minimum of £7.10 per hour increasing to a median of £8.00 per hour after 24 months…Additional benefits for permanent employees include private medical insurance, a company pension plan, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount."

Even ignoring the fact that £7.10 per hour is STILL under the UK living wage rate outside London, the real problem with this reply is the word “permanent”.

Amazon is trying to sidestep the small matter of tens of thousands of temporary contract workers to whom it pays poverty wages.

It’s simply not good enough.

Let’s show Amazon we’re not going to be fobbed off! Click below to tell Amazon's 'Employee Relations Department' what you think of their reply. We’ve included some template text but feel free to explain to Amazon in your own words:

Click here to tell Amazon to try harder

Thanks for all your support,

Amazon Anonymous"

(just to say that there is alternatives to Amazon - recently I bought online a DVD series box set which was cheaper than Amazon. The only way consumers can change corporate behaviour is to boycott thieves such as Amazon. You cannot engage or persuade such large private pirate companies who get off by robbing their workers).

"No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country"

I think many people will be surprised that an American President ever said such a thing. But it makes perfect sense. 

 

I recently discussed a national living wage with someone who argued that a living wage rate was okay for a rich area such as London but not for poorer regions such as the South-West of England. He argued it would destroy jobs in those poorer areas.

 

Thinking about it now I should have argued "why?". If it was legally binding to pay a living wage and all companies had to pay it then there would be no competitive advantage to pay poverty wages. The introduction of the national minimum wage showed that a wages floor does not destroy jobs.

I would go further than FDR and make it clear that a living wage should also include pensions, holidays and sick pay but perhaps that what he meant by "the wages of decent living". 

"No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level. I mean the wages of decent living."

 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933".