Sadiq Khan announces new London bus drivers pay deal (and lets ask him next to deal with Union busters)

Great news from BBC for bus drivers and their families. Well done Sadiq our Labour Mayor. 

We will be contacting him next about defending staff from Union busters in London Housing Associations.

"London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the capital's 25,000 bus drivers will receive a new minimum starting salary of £23,000 a year.

The starting salary will apply to all Transport for London (TfL) contracts awarded to bus companies from next April.

Bus drivers' wages will rise with inflation afterwards.

Drivers will also now be able to move between bus companies without having to take a pay cut.

City Hall said £23,000 represented the current average starting salary of a bus driver.

For years the amount a bus driver could be paid depended on the bus company they worked for and the route of the bus they drove.

But not every bus driver paid less than £23,000 will see an immediate improvement in their wages. The changes will come into effect when contracts are awarded and only about 20% of London's bus route deals are due for renewal in 2017.

Eleven bus companies are currently active in the capital.

Clarion Housing Strike, Boycott and Union Rights call

Latest news on merger! View this email in your browser Have a say - Vote in the indicative ballot Dear UNISON Member Clarion and Latimer management has decided to de-recognise trade unions for all staff. This would mean ending a 100 year old tradition of respect and partnership with unions for some parts of the business. Management seem to have made a political decision that they do not want to negotiate with trade unions.  Your union reps and our national officers are appalled at this. For any organisation that wants to be seen as being socially progressive, not supporting trade unions is unacceptable. We have been trying to get talks with management to discuss recognition. Regrettably, so far they have not agreed to discuss this. Therefore all the Unions agree that we will carry out a ballot of members to see if they are prepared to take action to defend trade union recognition. All the unions recommend to their members to vote YES. Please vote YES or NO to the following question:- Question: “Are you prepared to take industrial action in defence of trade union recognition and the unions’ ability to protect your jobs, pay, terms and conditions?” There are different ways you can vote in this ballot: Complete the ballot online here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk******* (if unison member) If you are using a work email address, forward this email to your personal email and return the following form: CLICK **** FOR BALLOT PAPER Print out the form and post it to Barney Wakefield, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Rd, London NW1 2AY Please ensure that you only vote once.   Please think carefully about using a work computer to return your ballot. Your employer is allowed to access all your work communications. It may be better to forward this email to your personal email and complete the ballot on your smart phone or personal computer. The reply will only go back to your union and will be kept totally confidential. Please respond by 5pm Friday 6 January 2017. Frequently Asked Questions Q. “What is an indicative ballot”? A. It is similar to a survey of union members to find out their views. It is NOT an official ballot by the unions on industrial action. That could come later. Q. What is “industrial action”? A. This can mean many things such as lunchtime and evening protests, only working your proper hours and only to your job description. It could as a last resort mean strike action but only after an official ballot. Q. Will I still be able to get advice and support from the union if we are derecognised? A. Your individual rights to advice and representation are not affected. You will still be able to receive advice and representation from UNISON Stewards and staff as before. Recognition relates to collective bargaining over jobs, pay, terms and conditions. Q. What else are the unions doing? A. We will be holding meetings across the Group and also lobbying MPs/Assembly members and Councils to review their relationships with Clarion and if necessary boycott until we have an agreement. We are asking for support and solidarity from other trade unions and resident Groups. An online petition is being set up and we will also be contacting pension’s funds and investors about the risk that such a damaging and unnecessary dispute poses to their investments. Your rights to advice and representation UNISON wants to make clear to all its members that if there is a period of time where we do not have recognition with Clarion Housing Group, or Latimer, your individual rights to advice and representation are not affected. You will still be able to receive advice and representation from UNISON Stewards and staff as before. Recognition relates to collective bargaining and some other issues, but we thought it was important to make this clear at this stage. If you have any questions, please get in touch: Email: l.baldock@unison.co.uk              Email: b.wakefield@unison.co.uk          If you have questions about the proposed merger, or the current Circle reorganisation, please contact John Gray on John.Gray@circle.org.uk Facebook, Twitter and Website  Please like and follow to receive updates "Like" us on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/clarionunison "Follow" us on twitter here: https://twitter.com/unisonclarion Or visit the website here: http://bwakefield1.wixsite.com/unisonclarion Please encourage colleagues to do the same.

"Members fight back against derecognition threat"

"Union members at a new housing group – one of the largest in Europe – could be asked whether they are prepared to take industrial action over derecognition threats.

The new Clarion and Latimer Housing Group was formed this week from the merger of Circle Housing and Affinity Sutton and is threatening to withdraw recognition from UNISON, Unite and the GMB.

Clarion and Latimer is responsible for 130,000 homes across 176 local authority areas and has 4,000 staff.

Latest available figures for the two housing associations who merged to form it show a combined turnover of £826m, a pre-tax surplus of £233m and an estimated £20bn in assets.

Members of all three unions lobbied the new group’s launch party on Tuesday (6 December), urging guests to ask the new group’s management to engage with the unions.

UNISON NEC member and Circle convenor John Gray said that “unions have had a long and productive relationship with management at Circle and we have been given no reason why this should now come to an end.”

But he pointed out that plans to end recognition would mean “that we lose our ability to negotiate over pay, terms and conditions, and the restructures which will inevitably follow a merger.”

UNISON organiser and Clarion joint union secretary Barney Wakefield said all three unions would use their political influence with local authorities to build support for the campaign against derecognition.

“There are so many housing associations who value trade unions and respect workers’ rights,” he said. “We will be calling on councils to withdraw co-operation from Clarion on new projects until union recognition is secured.”

The campaign was backed by UNISON’s community service group executive this week, representing some 60,000 members working for housing associations and charities".

hat tip https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2016/12/members-fight-back-against-derecognition-threat/

#Lab16 Labour Housing Group fringe

 

After the "Unions together" fringe on Sunday I cycled (using the Liverpool Council rented City Bikes) from the conference centre to my 2nd housing fringe that evening at the historic Cunard Buildng in Pier Head.

The Labour Housing Group is a socialist society affiliated to the Party. The meeting was sponsored by UNISON Labour Link and the chair was Paul Eastwood.  The theme of the fringe was "Local Labour Projects Challenging Tory Inaction on Housing".

I missed the speech by keynote speaker, John Healey MP, but arrived in time to hear Cllr John Cotton explain how they have managed to build 2000 truely affordable homes in Birmingham (must find out why we can't do the same in Newham?).

Jenny Osborne, from TPAS, argued that the greater involvement of residents in procurement processes would save Housing Associations and Council's huge amounts of money.  This makes perfect sense that those who actually receive housing management services will have good ideas about how that service can deliver efficiencies. Again, must chase up Newham Housing Residents Scrutiny which hardly never meets.

Final speaker was Cllr Frank Hont, who is the Housing Lead in Liverpool City Council. I had the privilege of knowing Frank when he was a widely respected regional secretary for UNISON.  Frank talked about the housing challenges that Liverpool faces but also had a swipe at the "London centric" housing policies that the Government keeps pursuing.  He also critised some housing associations for being remote and poor landlords.

In the Q&A I asked the panel if they agreed that the reason that some Housing Associations were  bad landlords was because they were undemocratic and union busters. No wonder some treat residents so badly if they don't even respect the human rights of their workers? 

John Healey MP replied to my question by saying that in his past experience as a Housing Minister, you could set standards for housing associations for various things and this could include worker rights in the future and that while they may moan and complain they would deliver. 

 

Afterwards I chatted to LHG members about asking Housing Associations in their boroughs if they recognise trade unions and if not - why on earth not?

#HousingDay 2016 (A view)

 

Today is "#HousingDay 2016" a day that "celebrates positive impact of social housing on thousands of people across the UK. Stories by #ukhousing landlords, staff & #proudtenant".

While I think this is a really good idea to challenge negative stereotypes about social housing and drew attention to its positive impact, there is a national housing crisis across all tenures - with unaffordable, poor quality and insecure tenancies in the private and social sector. Sky high property prices in many parts of the country also means that buying a home for many people is just never going to happen.

This is not actually a "housing" problem - it is a political problem. We need a political will to build more homes of all tenures.  If you increase supply you will bring down house prices and rents.

We need to move away from paying the mortgages of buy to let landlords with housing benefit and instead using this money to subsidise the rent of new build rented and shared ownership property.

There needs to be a democratising of housing for all. Most leasehold arrangements are feudal and allow freeholders to rip off leaseholders.

There is no real voice for tenants and residents associations any more in many parts of the country.

Many housing associations and councils are "mates clubs" and "union busters", run for the benefit of their executive and senior management with no accountability or respect for their residents or their staff.

Things can change. It doesn't have to be the way it is now. Maybe lets turn next years "Housing Day" into a national campaigning day, demanding access to truly affordable, well run, secure and good quality housing for everyone.

Things are so dire for so many people that we need a revolt rather than a celebration.

What Amazon Isn't Telling You (ripping off its workers, evading taxes and its bosses lining their pockets)

Hi John,

On Wednesday, Amazon bosses will be schmoozing with their shareholders at the big company annual meeting. CEO Jeff Bezos will be boasting record sales. But we’ve teamed up with some Amazon workers to make sure that’s not the only story that gets told.

Will you share this video to make sure the truth behind Amazon’s sales are heard this week?

While Jeff’s lining his pockets, Amazon workers are paying the price. Their testimonies are a dismal tale of miserable working conditions, stress, poverty wages and job insecurity. With reports of aggressive anti-union tactics, Amazon workers often feel unable to speak about their treatment.

The more people that see this video, the more difficult it’ll be for Amazon to admit it’s just about making money. Amazon sees their thousands of temporary workers as disposable items. But these are people, and it’s time Amazon treated their workers fairly.

On Wednesday, a few Amazon workers are heading to the meeting in Seattle to get the truth out and demand some change. Let’s make sure their story is shared far and wide: can you watch and share the video below with your friends and family?

Share the video Amazon doesn’t want you to see.

Lots of love,

Amazon Anonymous x

 

PS. You might have seen in the news: Amazon has decided that paying *some* tax in the UK might be a good idea after all. As of this month, they are aiming to pay corporation tax in the UK.

Let’s take it with a pinch of salt - and see how much they actually pay! But it’s a great sign that Amazon caves to pressure. To the thousands of us who boycotted the rotten company over the Christmas, through to the independent bookshops who are fighting back: the pressure works as long as we keep at it :) 

Which side are you on...

    A moving union song by the late and great Pete Seeger... "Will you be a lousy scab or will you be a man". 

Update: check the origins of the song

NEC Elections 2015: Community General Seat & Female Seat Nomination Request

I posted last week that this is the Labour movement election season with my election address for the UNISON Greater London Regional Finance Convenor position. Yesterday evening I send out nomination requests for the UNISON NEC elections (see below). I am standing with June Poole from Rochdale LG branch for the two Community National Executive Council seats.

Picture above is from last years UNISON National Delegate conference of the current NEC. The NEC is the lay Parliament of our 1.3 Million members.  I was there for conference but missed the photo-shoot. While I don't agree with everyone on the NEC there are many really fantastic and dedicated rank and file activists on it who the whole union should be really proud of.

"Dear Branch Secretary
Your branch is entitled to nominate candidates to the two Community seats for this year’s National Executive Council elections. We request that your branch considers nominating John Gray for the General Seat and June Poole for the Female seat.

John is currently the Community NEC General seat representative and has been an activist in UNISON for many years and held a number of branch and regional positions including Treasurer, Health & Safety, Welfare, Labour Link, International officer and Assistant Secretary. He works as a Housing officer and is the Branch Secretary of the Greater London Housing Associations Branch which has over 3000 Community members.

June has held the Low Paid Women’s Seat on the Community Service Group Executive. She has also been a longstanding UNISON activist holding positions of Steward, Health and Safety rep and Assistant Branch Secretary with Rochdale Local Government branch. She is active in Women’s’ and Disabled Members SOGs at both regional and national level and is Vice Chair of UNISON Welfare. June works as a course administrator for a training organisation

John has served the union as a NEC member on the Policy and Development Committee, Trustee on the UNISON staff pension fund and National Labour link. June is a trustee of the UNISON “there for you” (Welfare) fund Committee and Vice Chair of the UNISON Community Service Group Executive.

Protecting Jobs, Terms & Conditions
Community members are facing amongst the very worse cuts in jobs and attacks on their pay, pensions, terms and conditions by this Tory led Government.
Care and support staff wages in particular are under threat as unscrupulous employers deliberately underbid to win Supporting People contracts then try and do their upmost to destroy TUPE protections.

We deserve a Pay Rise
While many Housing management organisations are cash rich after years of inflation plus rent rises yet still refuse to give their staff decent pay rises.

Both of us as NEC and SGE members have been working and campaigning with branches and regions to oppose these measures. We believe that Community members must play our part in opposing Austerity and arguing for an alternative economic policy regardless of who wins the General election in May.

We also believe that there are a number of Community specific campaigns that UNISON should be pursuing such as:-

Sector Wage Councils. Set up to decide the pay and conditions of all staff by collective bargaining including a living wage minimum for all Community workers and agency/sub-contractors.
Better governance and democracy. Increasingly many of our employer management boards are run by highly paid unelected and unrepresentative “elites”. There should be union employee representation on all Community Trust or management boards, especially remuneration committees (if applicable)
Defend Pensions. Protect the Social Housing Pension fund and the Pension Trust from further cuts.
Access to a decent defined benefit pension scheme for all.
Recruit & train more activists to support members
No public money for “union busters”. Any employer that does not have a trade union recognition agreement should be barred from grants or contracts from local or national governments.

We believe that we would both work together well as your Community NEC team. While June’s employer is a small voluntary organisation, John’s works for a large housing association, so we represent and complement both of the major sectors in Community.

If you would like either of us to come and attend a branch meeting or Hustings (under UNISON election rules) then please let us know and if we can, we will be delighted to come and speak.

Yours faithfully
June Poole RMS 887689
& John Gray RMS 3083288

Learning & Organising in Greater London UNISON 2015 (defend members & fight union busters)

If you are a London UNISON activist then download our training programme and application form for 2015 courses. I will be applying to go on the refresher steward course this year (under the Employment Rights Act unions are obligated to make sure that their stewards are "competent" - so UNISON runs special refreshers for experienced stewards).

As well as introductory trade union and health & safety courses there are others on team negotiating, TUPE, sickness & capability procedures, local negotiating & representation, dealing with reorganisation and redundancy at work, bullying & harassment, employment law update,  IT, discipline & grievances hearings, equality duties, stress in the workplace, chairing meetings and race/sex discrimination.

Our respected trade union education programmes for stewards, safety reps and activists is one of the main reasons why anti-trade union rogue employers (such Ealing based  Catalyst Housing Association) are Union Busters. If they de-recognise a trade union then union reps are not allowed time off to go on union courses on how to effectively represent their members.

This means that employees will not have trained local reps to represent them in discipline, sickness and grievances hearings but also employers will also be able to carry out whatever restructures, job revaluations and redundancies they want without collective bargaining.

The best people to represent staff and establish good industrial relations with management in the workplace are elected trained trade union stewards and safety reps who work for the employer supported by the unions full time officials.

It is a more than a shame that some senior managers don't understand this and prefer instead to breach human rights and practice anti-democratic American style union busting. In this country the wider Labour movement will never accept this and will defend collective bargaining and do whatever it takes to oppose union busters.

Election Address for Greater London UNISON Regional Finance Convenor

The Labour movement election season is about to start. My first election of 2015 will be for the UNISON London Regional council elections at our AGM in February.  I have at least a dozen possible contests, if not more, in the coming year for various trade union, party and pension positions. 

I will post further on the slate for the forces of light and reason in London UNISON. Below is my election statement. Please note reference to fighting union busting and anti human rights employers such as Ealing based Catalyst Housing Association.

"I am currently the Regional Finance Convenor, and firmly believe that strong management of our member’s money is the foundation to organising campaigns that deliver for our members. In the best of times this is true but now in the worst of times it is even more important than ever.

If re-elected as the Regional Finance Convenor I will continue to ensure that the member’s money is used to support branches focusing on real issues for real members such as:

•        Resisting the Tory Coalition Cuts

•        Defending the NHS and Pensions

•        Campaigning for directly provided services and to defend our public services

•        Recruitment & building branch organisation

•        Campaigning for equalities

•        Strengthening our influence in all areas but in particular Community & Voluntary, Education and in Private Contractors. Standing up to anti-trade union employers and union busters.

Open & transparent

Financial decisions need to be open and transparent and be easily understood by activists.  We have a  responsibility to our members to be diligent and ensure probity in our financial matters.

I want to make sure that activists better understand the financial support that is available to branches and ensure that the money gets to them to support recruitment and organising campaigns.

I am an experienced branch officer and regional activist for many years.  I am currently the Branch Secretary of the Housing Associations branch, member nominated representative on Pension panel and Chair of London Labour Link. I am also the elected National Executive Council member for Community. 

As part of the current lay leadership team, working in partnership with the regional office, we have had significant success in the past 9 years in strengthening our union in London by bringing greater unity, building participation across the differing service and self organised groups, and building a union to be proud of.  I hope to be re-elected to continue the work we have started. In these difficult and demanding times we need a team that can deliver.

If anyone wishes to discuss my statement with me they could email me at johndotgray2012ATbtinternet.com

London Labour Conference 2014 - Question Time Panel

Yesterday was the London Labour Conference 2014 which took place at Hammersmith Town Hall. I will post in more detail on the conference later this week but the picture is of me addressing the "Question Time  with London's MPs, MEPs, AMs and Cllrs" panel in the main hall.

On the panel was Clive Efford MP. Claude Moraes MEP, Val Shawcross AM, Cllr Alice Perry and Cllr Stephen Alambritis. London Labour Vice Chair Linda Perks (and UNISON regional secretary) chaired.

"Conference, Panel, John Gray, UNISON delegate and Chair of the London UNISON Labour political fund, asking about the governance arrangements of London 3rd sector  organisations such as Housing Associations and Charities who are nominally independent but in fact are hugely dependent on public funding, direct or indirect.

Some of whom act in undemocratic and unaccountable ways, such as the London Housing Association called Catalyst, who is currently trying to de-recognise UNISON while also refusing to speak to the union, those who give their senior executives huge pay rises and those who have no meaningful resident or client input in the way they are run.

What can be done to make such organisations in London accountable, democratic and transparent?

Val Shawcross replied that she when she became an Assembly member she was astonished to find that there was some 500 separate Housing Associations in London. Some of them are run well and have tenants on their board but she has concerns about others over issues such as fire safety and diversity. A future Labour London Mayor should make positive progressive requirements over the sector. We may have lost sight of this due to the massive problem of supply.

I had some interesting conversations afterwards and offers of help with the Catalyst issue which I will take up if needed.

For further information on the Union busting by Catalyst click on its name in "labels" under this post.

(hat tip West Hammer Shagufta Nasreen for photo)

UNISON Members vow to fight Union busting at Catalyst Housing Association

"UNISON members at Catalyst Housing Association reacted with shock to the news that the Head of People and Organisational Development received a 28% increase in salary last year whilst they received a mere 1%.

The members were attending a large, boisterous union meeting called to discuss the Chief Executive, Rod Cahill’s, decision to derecognise UNISON.

A letter of de-recognition was issued last week in response to a letter of complaint from UNISON about bullying of stewards and the unfair treatment of union members at Catalyst.

Members expressed their anger and concerns about their employer’s anti-union stance and are prepared to even consider industrial action in their fight to retain trade union recognition at Catalyst.

“When a legitimate complaint about serious concerns results in an instant letter of de-recognition, you do wonder about that organisation’s governance and accountability”, commented Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss. “Does this mean that Catalyst tenants who complain automatically face eviction?

All Catalyst workers deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as the organisations’ tenants and stakeholders; this is shabby treatment by an employer that is supposedly striving to go from good to great.”

Housing Association Branch Secretary John Gray said "Catalyst have refused to even meet with us to discuss our complaint or their concerns and have given out false and inaccurate information about membership levels.

They claim to have a strong Information and Consultation Committee that was voted in by 100% of the workforce; in actual fact less staff members voted for it than are in the union.

We have also taken legal advice and it is clear that Catalyst has acted unlawfully under international law and human rights.

UNISON always wants to talk to employers and seek agreement where possible. I call on the Board of Catalyst to meet with UNISON and settle this dispute before it gets ugly.”

For Further information or comment please contact:

UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss

UNISON Housing Associations Branch Secretary , John Gray

Notes for Editors

1. UNISON’s represents over 60,000 members in the Community and Voluntary sector.
2. UNISON has recognition agreements with most of the G15 Housing Associations – London’s 15 largest housing associations.

3. Catalyst Housing Association own and manage over 21,000 properties in London and the South East

4. In 2013/14 Directors of Catalyst received pay increases ranging between 28.7% and 6.8%; frontline staff received a 1% increase in pay.

(hat tip London UNISON Press release)

National Express - Union busters and Blacklisters?

On 14 May it is the Annual General Meeting of British PLC National Express.

US transport trade union, the Teamsters, are calling for share owners to vote for Resolution 22 which calls for "improved oversight and reporting of human capital policies and practices". 

This relates to an ongoing dispute with the US School bus business owned by National Express called Durham School Services. 

While in the UK National Express has on the whole a positive relationship with British trade unions,  in the US it has allowed local managers to be trade union busters and blacklisters. This has a reputational risk to the brand and value of National Express. Especially when trade union members have been victimised for exposing health and safety concerns. 

In the UK there has been a campaign to "Blacklist the Blacklisters"  and to boycott companies in the UK who blacklisted workers for their trade union activism. 

I note in the US that National Express has been accused of "disparate treatment, discipline and discharge of employees engaged in union organizing; alleged illegal surveillance of workers engaged in union activity; and allegedly threatening workers with reduction in benefits, working conditions and the loss of employment for supporting unionization".

I think this is also Blacklisting and National Express runs the risk that they will be added to British list to be boycotted by responsible public and local authorities.

Check out this post I did last year on the risk to our pension investments from investing in National Express. Didn't the huge losses we took from investing in BP teach us anything? 

Picture above is of US School bus driver, Diane Bence, explaining to a meeting last month of Pension trustees and journalists, how awful it is to be employed by a bullying, disrespectful employer who takes risks with children's safety. 

On the left was Louis Malizia from the Teamsters who pointed out that if National Express wanted to expand in the US then they will have to compete for contracts in areas which have strong trade union membership. If they are seen as "anti-trade union" then it will make it much harder for them to win contracts from local School boards.  By being so anti-union they are cutting their nose to spite their face.

This meeting was chaired by Cllr Kieran Quinn (middle) who chairs the Greater Manchester Pension Fund and the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum. He pointed out that he had asked National Express to publish their safety data if they have nothing to hide? But they keep ignoring his questions. 

I said at this meeting that this failure indicates a wider governance concern about the Board of National Express. Surely after the BP Gulf disaster investors need to wake up to the risk from investing in such companies?

UPDATE: sign the ShareAction petition here

#TUC13 Congress: Opposing Union busting Charity Mencap

This morning Congress voted overwhelmingly against an otherwise worthy motion 36.  Which called for an enquiry into the premature deaths of people with learning difficulties. 

The movers of the motion had been asked to remit but had decided against this.

The reason for the opposition was that for some reason in this otherwise important motion there was statement "congratulating" the charity Mencap. 

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis on behalf of the General Council spoke to Congress about how Mencap was a leading advocate of the Government plans to close 32 Rempoly factories which cost 1000s of jobs. It also has a poor track record on employment standards and refuses to recognise trade unions. 

A disabled delegate who was a former Remploy worker also spoke against the motion, accusing Mencap of “help hammer the nail” by writing open letters to the press which pushed for the ending of factory based supported employment leaving 2500 disabled workers on the scrap heap. Mencap was accused of betraying  vulnerable workers for its own self gain. This speaker received a standing ovation from the hall at the end of his speech.

Mencap was described as an anti trade union employer which also refused to recognise GMB members in former Southern Cross projects which is now subject to a 3 week court case in November. 

Another disabled delegate whose relation had helped set up Mencap said that it was an organisation that was not of people with learning difficulties but says it speaks for them.  When challenged about this a senior manager said "you wouldn’t let cats and dogs run the RSPCA?. They are viewed as "asset strippers" or have jumped into bed with the Government to win contracts.

Virgin Scumbag Brand: My New Year's Resolution 2012

I have finally had it with Branson and the Virgin brand. Check out the Left Foot Forward exposure of Richard Branson the Union buster.  

He fronts a video to Virgin America Airline staff telling them not to vote to recognise a trade union.

Trade Union recognition is a basic human right and any decent employer should welcome unions with open arms.

I’ve moaned on this blog about the rubbish customer service I have received from Virgin Media but I have been too disorganised to do much about it. Now enough is enough. 

I will change my TV and Broadband supplier as soon as I can and will never use Virgin holidays or finance ever again. I will also display some suitable message while running the London Marathon next year but I would recommend that everyone leaves and boycotts any service associated with this completely vile individual.

"Union Busters" and Cranberry Fools

Check out this post on "Stronger Unions" about Derby based Cranberry Foods (Poultry) hiring  USA "Union busters" the Burke Group and the intimidation of workers.

Why on earth are Cranberry Foods hiring union busters? 

It is an absolute human right to belong to a trade union and for that union to collectively bargain with the employer. 

Frankly, while I accept that I don't exactly know first hand what is going on in Cranberry - any organisation that refuses to recognise trade unions and/or to bargain with them - are in my view just the same as those who discriminate on any other basis such as race, gender or disability.

"Union buster" Tory minister of Health & Safety?

I came home tonight to find that the latest publication of Labour Research Department “Health and Safety Law 2010” had been delivered.

Every active trade union safety rep needs to have this guide to hand.

I note that it describes (p3) the appointment of Chris Grayling as Health & Safety minister as “not good news for trade unions or workers. The safety campaign group Hazards has reported that he was a former director at Burson-Marsteller” and says that this company is well known as one of the more prominent “union busting firms”.

No real surprise - typical Tory, but we will have to work with them somehow.

I suppose all of those who ranted that there is no difference between a Labour Government and the Tories are really proud of themselves now.