“Construction Deaths on a Par with Armed Forces”

While the latest news is that Prince Harry (correctly in my view) has been removed from Afghanistan following the disclosure that he was there with his military unit, I was reminded of certain comments. Guess who said: -

“In the six years to 2004, there were 504 construction-related deaths, and 522 in the Armed forces over the same period. It’s pretty staggering – do people really think when they go into construction that they’re going into an industry that has nearly a high fatality as the Armed services”.

This person was the guest speaker at this years Institute of Safety & Health (IOSH) annual Dinner. He then went on to say about the IOSH

"There is an unbelievable and totally unfair negative image of your profession in the UK. The prevention of work-related injuries and deaths is too important not to fight it”.

The Daily Hate and the “health & safety are the new Taliban” brigade will no doubt be seething about this impossible leftie for saying such a thing.

Well, believe it or not the speaker was Tory shadow work and pensions minister, Andrew Selous.
Whether he means it or not is another thing of course.

In just less than two months it is “Workers Memorial Day” 28 April 2008. I’ll post further about this important event.

International RSI Day, 29 February 2008

Since today is after all this International Repetitive Strain Injury Day and the TUC poster this year is called “repeat after me” I am repeating my post (below) on this subject from Monday.

"Another important health & safety campaign this week and yet another straight lift from the excellent Risks - the weekly TUC email bulletin on H&S."Union reps should start gearing up for International RSI Day, the last day of February every year. In 2008 - a leap year - that means Friday 29 February.

Whether you do a workplace risk assessment, a body mapping session or just a bit of general awareness rising, make sure you do something. Unions can order a special 'Repeat after me' RSI day poster from the Hazards Campaign.

The massively popular posters, produced by Hazards magazine, say: 'Repeat after me: Too much, too fast, too often is too painful too stand. Repetitive strain injuries. Don't let them repeat the same old mistakes.''Repeat after me' poster. Email the Hazards Campaign for poster order details."

“CRIME SLASHED UNDER LABOUR” EVENING STANDARD?

Last night Ken Livingstone ended a powerful speech to Labour trade unionists by speculating whether the “Standard” (aka the “Evening Boris”) would ever print any of the truth about Ken and the Labour Assembly members during the current campaign.

Of course everyone laughed at the prospect of the “Standard” accurately reporting the significant reduction in crime in London.

The event was organised by TULO and held in the historic old Town Hall in Stratford, East London.

Ken started the speech by reminiscing about when he started work as a technician in the NHS. Then he was proud how London bus driver’s wages had been significantly increased and where starting to reach the levels of tube drivers, who he felt had similar responsibilities. Ken reminded trade unionists that the first official meeting he had after becoming Mayor was with the South East region TUC.

He stressed the achievement of the London Living Wage by the Labour Assembly. All directly employed staff is paid at least £7.20 per hour (the minimum wage is only £5.52). The Assembly is now using its £11 Billion annual budget to not only get all their contractors to pay a living wage but also the firms that they sub-contract work. He pointed out that at first many contractors complained that this had increased contract costs by 7%. However, soon they realised that surprise, surprise they were saving money. Bosses found that staff turnover was reduced; sickness rates were down and productively rose.

Ken made the “bleeding obvious” point is his direct and colourful way that if you “stop treating people like s**t they work better”.

He is hopeful that the private sector are beginning to take this on board with regard to a Living wage. However, he also wants Labour Councils in London to be “pathfinders” and set an example.

Our Mayor was very proud of the GLA £4 Billion housing budget (he said thanks to Gordon Brown) and its target of 50,000 affordable homes of which 2/3 should be affordable rented accommodation. The remaining 1/3 should be affordable shared ownership e.g to give the opportunity for a nurse or junior teacher to be able to buy. A couple with a joint income of £35K should be able to buy a home. Ken was insistent that the quality of these homes will be good - “not cheap and crappy”. Also they will not be mainly 1 or 2 bed (such as the present) but 3/4/5 bed family homes. Which are desperately needed in London.

He was clearly looking forward to the transfer of skills and training responsibilities to the GLA. It is estimated that in the near future there will be 500,000 new jobs in London. It is vital that Londoners are given the training and skills to make sure that they can get these jobs.

Also Ken was pleased that the GLA was about to announce a retro refit of all GLA Buildings to increase energy efficiency and the £25 per day charge on gas guzzling motorists.

The reduction in racist attacks in London compared to the rise elsewhere in the country was obviously a justifiable source of pride. While everything is not a bed of roses, even after the 7/7 Bombings, Londoners stuck together and there was not the religiously and cultural violence that other Capital cities might have experienced when dealing with such a crisis.

Ken then confronted the spectacle of “Boris”. Boris Johnson is a joke but in this “Age of Celebrity” he is a very dangerous opponent. Especially since many left learning supporters consider him such a lightweight that they do not take him at all seriously. This is an appalling mistake. Boris is currently 4% in the lead in the polls (first preference vote). However, he has constantly been within 10% of Ken in the polls.

Ken finished his speech by explaining that he wanted in this election to help rebuild the “London Labour election machine”and :-

To defeat the BNP (an “openly fascist and racist party”), turnout was everything. If we had a turnout of only 40% then they will not get a seat. If in places such as City & East, which is and should be a Labour Heartland, we can increase the turnout (last time 29%) to the London average (37%) then we will do well.

I thought it was a really good meeting, Quite relaxed and informal when compared to the fund raising event for Ken & the GLA in the same venue early this month.

At the meeting, trade union reps from Newham were able to organise a leaflet stuffing and “mail out” meeting for next Monday and about the TULO days of action on March 9 and March 17. I will post on this over the weekend.

In short I thought that last night was a really good evening. I am positive about the result, however, I feel that the political old war horse that is Ken, senses that activists are simply not taking Boris and the BNP seriously and unless we all get our fingers out and do some work we will have the worse combination of a right wing Tory Mayor, Tory Assembly and openly racist Nazis assembly members.

(Picture of Ken, Gloria Hanson -UNISON London Convenor and Moi).

Reclaiming the Union

A comrade has sent me the latest edition ("March 2008" - not yet on line) of “Workers” the monthly magazine of the “Communist Party of Britain Marxist-Leninist” (which bizarrely some red baiters seem to think has taken over UNISON???). Their article on page 3 is pretty interesting with a "Marxist" interpretation of recent events in London UNISON?

“UNISON

Reclaiming the union

THE POLITICAL sea change in London Unison continues. For the third year running, the members painfully reclaiming their Regional Council from the hands of one or two remaining entryists in the Labour Party and their ultra-left allies, have triumphed again in key convenor and regional committee elections.

The members returning the union to its members – a refreshing sign of maturity and clarity in the trade unions either bereft of direction or mesmerised with meaningless sloganising."

On this point - who am I to disagree?

Toy Town revolutionary “ballot rigging” allegations in UNISON Labour Link Elections

A series of astonishing admissions rocked tonight’s London UNISON Labour Link Forum meeting held at the House of Commons. UNISON “Labour Link” (which use to be known as the Affiliated Political Fund or APF) is the voluntarily levy paid by many UNISON members in order to support the Labour Party and lobby for member positive policies within the Party.

Every year a Labour Link forum is held in all UNISON regions. Labour Link Delegates from every branch in the region are invited. These delegates are also Labour Party members. This year’s forum I believe was the best attended for many years.

West Ham MP and long standing UNISON member Lyn Brown (see above with delegates) and her Parliamentary staff had organised the booking of the committee room and also attended the meeting

Before the “ballot rigging” allegations there had been what I considered to be a pretty interesting and informative meeting with contributions from UNISON Labour MP’s Sidiq Khan (I missed him due to a late running discipline hearing), Joan Ryan MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Joanne McCartney, London Assembly member. The reports concentrated obviously on the London GLA/ Mayor Elections and stopping the BNP getting an assembly member. However, we also discussed “bread & butter” Labour issues such as affordable housing, London Living Wage, Agency workers, Equalities, transport and Policing.

I asked Joanne about UNISON working with a Labour GLA members and the Mayor over the new housing investment powers and trying to ensure that all construction workers and housing staff in GLA supported projects are paid a living wage. Joanne was positive about working with London UNISON over these new powers and supporting a London living wage. However, she warned that there were serious legal problems with trying to “insist” that contractors pay a living wage.

Head of Labour Link, Keith Birch was also a guest speaker. Amongst over things he reported on was the work that Labour Link were carrying out on rights for agency workers (fingers crossed positive news – I’ll post on it anon)

The fun and games occurred during the debate on resolutions. There was a motion from Islington Local Government Branch about improving member participation in London UNISON Link. The motion (non Labour Movement trekies please bear with me) proposed changing the existing system where London regional committee delegates are elected by a ballot of regional branch Labour Link delegates (or if there is no Labour Link officer the Branch secretaries) to electing all committee members at the regional forum meeting.

Now, there are various arguments for and against such a proposal. However, what was absolutely astonishing is that the supporters of this motion argued the case on the grounds that under the existing system branch secretaries who are political enemies of the Labour Party cast votes in favour of far left labour Link candidates.

Andrew Berry, the proposer of the motion admitted that he had received the vote in all the past Labour Link elections from Rahul Patel, the branch secretary of Westminster LG UNISON who is a well known member of the SWP/Respect. Another speaker said that in Hackney LG branch, there was no Labour Link officer so the ballot paper was always filled out by either SWP or SPEW branch secretaries. Other speakers alleged that this practice was widespread and that non Labour Party supporters were voting for candidates in UNISON Labour Link elections.

I think this is nonsense. The regional Labour Link officer clarified this issue during the debate that a branch secretary cannot vote in the ballot unless this is as a result of a consultation process of Labour Link (APF) payers. No-one used any “honest broker” arguments. (Yeah)

So, it would appear from what the speakers in favour of this motion said tonight they have received votes in Labour Link elections from political enemies of the Labour Party without there being any consultation or meeting with Labour Link members. Other speaker’s alleged that this practice had been widespread in other branches where there is not an elected Labour Link branch officer. These speakers were quite definite that there had been no consultative process and that the ballot decision was taken by SWP/SPEW branch secretaries purely on their own political bigotry.

What I found absolutely fascinating about this whole process is that no one who had benefited from the receiving of, lets say... “improper votes” from declared revolutionary enemies of the Labour Party appeared to be concerned why the SWP/SPEW wanted to vote for them in the first place?

It’s a strange world.

The motion (and similar ones) was thankfully defeated.

Cathy comes Home to... “demoralised, underpaid and threatened staff” ?

Above is a quote from a Shelter trade union member who contacted me following the overwhelming vote by Shelter staff to strike. Last month I posted on the dispute between the Housing Charity Shelter and its employees over its plans to cut terms and conditions and to make staff work longer for no extra pay. I really hoped that this dispute could be resolved quickly since Shelter does marvellous work for its many vulnerable clients.

However, this is not to be and members have voted by a majority of 71% (on a very relatively very high turnout of 65.8%) to strike. Shelter has threatened to sack staff who do not accept these cuts.

The first strike is on 5 March 2008. Must find out the nearest picket line?

Ken Loach (the film director who directed “Cathy Come Home” which is credited with helping to launch “Shelter”) has been interviewed in the Guardian calling for people to stop financially supporting “Shelter” until this dispute is resolved. Not sure about that one? No mention of such a call in the T&G website? I’ll go with what the unions advise on that one. See Shelter boss, Adam Sampson response.

It would appear that a cause of this whole disaster is that Shelter management (who may or may not be paid huge amounts of money but do seem to be fond of paying large amounts of money for “change consultants” and expensive refurbishments of their head office) are fearful that unless they can cut staffing costs they will be uncompetitive and lose legal aid contracts to the “evil ones” such as outsourcing giant “Capita”. This is serious issue across the public/private sector. Is it right that organisations can lose contracts to firms that do so by simply slashing the wages of existing staff? Doesn’t TUPE apply? Should new starters also be protected under TUPE? Should the new Warwick Agreement between the trade unions and the Government include all such contracts? (YES).

By co-incidence during the Labour Party conference last year, at the UNISON Housing fringe, Adam Sampson, was a panel speaker alongside the then housing Minister Yvette Cooper and the UNISON Head of Local Government, Heather Wakefield. During the Q&A I asked Yvette to respond to Heather’s comment about excessive pay rises for senior management in many Housing Associations. Yvette appeared to be concerned about the unfortunate tendency for these managers to pay themselves very large pay rises and said that the government was aware of the issue and will take firm action to stop it if necessary. Interestingly Adam also piped up with an attack of such housing associations, since he claimed that their actions meant that Shelter had to pay more money to recruit senior staff. This he said was causing financial problems across the voluntary sector.

So Adam, is the reason you have to cut the terms and conditions of relatively low paid staff due to money you think you have to pay to recruit senior executives? I think we should be told.....

International RSI Day, 29 February 2008

Another important health & safety compaign this week
and yet another straight lift from the excellent Risks - the weekly TUC email bulletin on H&S.

"Union reps should start gearing up for International RSI Day, the last day of February every year. In 2008 - a leap year - that means Friday 29 February. Whether you do a workplace risk assessment, a bodymapping session or just a bit of general awareness raising, make sure you do something. Unions can order a special 'Repeat after me' RSI day poster from the Hazards Campaign. The massively popular posters, produced by Hazards magazine, say: 'Repeat after me: Too much, too fast, too often is too painful too stand. Repetitive strain injuries. Don't let them repeat the same old mistakes.'
'Repeat after me' poster. Email the Hazards Campaign for poster order details."

Action Mesothelioma Day, 27 February 2008

Action Mesothelioma Day, on 27 February involves local activities nationwide to raise awareness of mesothelioma, an incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, and to campaign for prevention of asbestos exposures today and better treatment and benefits for those affected by past exposures. Join a local event - or if there isn't one, consider organising your own.
Asbestos Forum Action Mesothelioma Day webpage and events listing. LabourNet UK. Action Mesothelioma website.

Above is a lift from TUC E-Risks

Dipsticks against London pollution charging

A Post on Porsche, the German luxury motor manufacturer, which makes cars for rich London Morons. Porsche is trying to take legal action against “our Ken” for introducing a £25 charge on the dipsticks that drive such rubbish as Porsche.

Sign an online petition against Porsche and check out the web sites of Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone and the Labour London Assembly candidates who are all opposed to this Porsche nonsense.

Why does Porsche want to poison Londoners?

Also, why on earth are democratically elected politicians in London putting up with this sort of interference by very rich, unaccountable and historially dubious foreign companies?

(Picture of Hitler and Ferdinand Porsche looking at car model in 1936).

Time to Say Goodbye to Tory Fund Managers Fidelity?

Or is it belated good riddance to bad rubbish? Tom P of Capital & Labour (and his Mrs) has finally had enough of active Conservative Party supporters,Fidelity Investment. Fidelity has donated £435, 500 (£115,000 in 2007 alone) to the Tories in recent years without disclosing the information to their investors.

Tom and his family have had a long term saving plan with Fidelity for many years. Once they found out that the company was giving the Tories huge amounts of money they were very concerned. They tried to contact Fidelity about their over why Fidelity were giving this money to the Tories but felt they were “fobbed off”. So they are leaving Fidelity.

Personally, I think anyone who does not support the Conservative Party should think about doing something similar. This includes pension fund trustees. I’ll hopefully be posting further on this in the near future.

Pic & video of top artists Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli (not Tom & Mrs!)