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RBS staff told of job loss ‘horror story’

02 Sep 2010 12:53:00

2 September 2010

Unite the union has today (Thursday 2nd September) described the announcement by the Royal Bank of Scotland to axe a further 3,500 staff in the UK a "horror story."

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said: "The news that the Royal Bank of Scotland is to cut another 3,500 staff from across the UK is a horror story.

"It will be a specially bitter pill for staff to swallow as RBS has decided to move some of the jobs abroad to the Far East, India and America.

"Just three weeks ago staff were boosted to hear of the £1.1 billion half year profit yet today thousands of them are told that they have no future at the bank.

"Unite is appalled that this 84 per cent tax payer supported institution has since 2009 - under the banner of a strategic review - cut 21,500 staff.

"The scale of the cuts announced today beggars belief and staff across the country today will be left reeling from this news. We continue to see a financial services sector which thinks the skills and expertise of it's staff are a disposable asset with scant regard for the high level of service these very same staff provide to their customers."

The announcement today will impact on Business Services Operations with 2,500 losses and Technology Services facing 1,000 losses.‬

The losses will be driven by the closure or withdrawal from 12 UK centres and a further three centres are under review,

‬‪One third of all the losses, around 1,500 roles, are attributable to the divestment to Santander of the 318 branches as ordered by the European Commission.

RBS has announced plans to offshore upwards of 500 roles to its existing non-customer facing technology operations in US, India and the Far East.

ENDS

For more information please contact: Saba Mozakka, Unite press office, on: 07768 693 953

BBC staff deliver massive mandate for action on pensions

01 Sep 2010 15:30:00

2 September 2010

The joint unions, BECTU, the NUJ and Unite have today welcomed the overwhelming backing of union members in the BBC for the unions’ campaign against drastic cuts to staff pensions.

In ballots calling for strike action which closed at lunchtime today (Wednesday 1 September) more than 90 per cent of the unions' members supported calls both for strike action and for action short of strike in opposition to what has been described as a “pensions robbery”.

Commenting on the BECTU ballot result, Gerry Morrissey, general secretary, said: “Today’s massive ballot result confirms the extent of staff anger over the BBC’s plans; we clearly have a resounding mandate for strike action to challenge the BBC on its plans to break its pensions agreement with staff.”

Commenting on the ballot of NUJ members, general secretary Jeremy Dear said: “The massive scale of this vote is unprecedented – it is a reflection of the wave of anger and sense of betrayal which has greeted the BBC’s attempted pensions robbery. BBC management have an opportunity to avoid deeply damaging strike action by guaranteeing the value of pensions already earned and withdrawing their punitive and draconian proposals.”

Commenting on the Unite result, Peter Skyte, national officer, said: “Our members have decisively demonstrated their opposition to the BBC's pensions and pay proposals. The BBC needs to think again about stealing pension benefits already earned and retaining a defined benefit pension scheme in order to regain the trust and support of its workforce for the challenging times that face the organisation in the future.”

Joint union representatives from the across the country met in London this afternoon to consider the ballot results and to receive a briefing on the talks which continued with BBC management during August.

As a result of today’s briefing, union representatives have decided that those talks should continue until mid-September when the BBC has said it will table alternative proposals. Any announcement on strike dates will be deferred until that time.

The BBC’s plan to place a 1 per cent cap on future pension increases continues to cause outrage amongst BBC staff.

ENDS

For further information contact Sharon Elliott, communications officer (BECTU) on 0207 346 0900 or 07770 971427; Jeremy Dear (NUJ) on 07855 384287 or Shaun Noble (Unite) on 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693940.

Staff to ballot on industrial action to halt London hospital pathology privatisation

01 Sep 2010 15:22:00

1 September 2010

Plans to privatise one of the country’s leading pathology services at London’s King’s College Hospital are being opposed by Unite, the largest union in the country.

Unite will be balloting its members at the south east London hospital on industrial action within the next fortnight, as it fears that privatisation will break-up a 300-strong world class department that has taken decades to build up and hit services to patients.

The hospital’s directors are proposing to set up a private sector company with the pathology services at St Thomas’ Hospital and international services company, Serco.

This new company will be taking on services worth tens of millions of pounds annually and employing nearly 1,000 staff.

Unite’s national officer for health, David Fleming, said: ”There seems to be no rhyme or reason why a world-class pathology service that carries out two million tests a year and has an excellent reputation has to be hived off to the private sector.

”It smacks of the triumph of dogma over common sense, hence the industrial action ballot.”

The aim is to have the new ‘company’ up-and-running by 1 October, but Unite, Unison and the Federation of Clinical Scientists have written to the management asking for the plans to be halted.

Unite national executive member, Frank Wood, who is a bio-medical scientist, said: ”Pathology staff take years to train and need constant development and training to keep pace with rapid scientific changes.

”The private sector has made frequent attempts to run NHS pathology services and has failed due to its inability to retain and attract these type of staff, for example, at the Lister Hospital, Stevenage and at Ealing where various private companies have been used and have been found wanting.

”Diagnostic services of the standard based at King’s require constant reinvestment to match and anticipate the pace of clinical needs and research. To siphon off any portion of this for marketing and profit will inevitably affect the quality of patient care.

”To neglect aspects of a particular speciality because it may be, at the present, unprofitable or unmarketable is to risk damaging the ability of the organisation to be flexible and responsive to rapidly changing clinical needs.”

ENDS

Note to news editors:

Pathology is an international scientific service. King’s hopes to be part of a world renowned Academic Health Science Centre. Science relies upon information shared openly and constructively allowing review by other peers and an intellectual openness.

This stands at odds with the secrecy and protectionism practiced by the private sector whose involvement could drastically curtail much of the hospital-based research in leading medical schools.

Almost every UK hospital, that runs 24 hour services, includes a pathology laboratory service. When patients attend a clinic, visit their GP or have to stay in hospital their doctor makes use of the pathology service. Some 70 per cent of all clinical decision made by doctors relies upon one or more tests provided by pathology services.

Modern pathology laboratories can now include millions of pounds worth of the most advanced equipment performing on an increasingly automated basis thousands of tests each day.

Pathology staff include:

Support grades carrying out intensive and taxing duties requiring concentration and attention. They are often low paid, but are responsible for ensuring the delivery of essential work.

Biomedical scientists, who are qualified to degree standard and beyond, carrying out specialist and often unique procedures demanding a thorough understanding of their work and highly developed manual skills.

Clinical scientists, who are qualified to doctorate level and work directly with medical staff to develop the service, provide essential advice and advance clinical care.

There are some 25,000 staff employed in pathology services in the UK, with Unite representing the majority of this workforce.

For further information, please ring: Richard Munn, Unite regional officer, 07739 078343 or David Fleming, national officer, health, 07798 531 013 or Shaun Noble, communications officer (health sector) 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940

Blair memoirs show that it's time to move on from New Labour

01 Sep 2010 13:11:00

1 September 2010

As voting begins today (1 September 2010) for Labour leader, Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, urges voters to move on from New Labour to reconnect with working people and take on the Con-Dems.

Said Tony Woodley: "No matter what Tony Blair says in his book, Britain lost faith in New Labour. The Iraq war is a stain on this nation, and New Labour pandered to the casino capitalists in the city. His memoirs show that it is time to move on and I hope Labour and Britain will do so with Ed Miliband, the candidate who offers a break from the past.

"Ed Miliband's loyalty is to Labour and to Britain. Labour lost the election not because middle England deserted New Labour but because New Labour deserted working people. Britain needs a Labour leader who is prepared to reconnect with working people because after the wreckage left by the Con-Dems they will need a prime minister who is on their side."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

‬‪‬‪Strike action set to fizz at Coca Cola’s North London plant‬‪

31 Aug 2010 13:21:00

31 August 2010

Employees at Coca Cola’s Edmonton plant in north London have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action in a bid to obtain a pay rise that reflects of the true cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities.‬‪

Members of Unite, the country’s largest union, voted by a massive eight to one to reject the company’s two percent pay offer.‬‪

Unite’s regional officer, Wayne King said: "With inflation touching five per cent, the offer by this highly profitable global company is unrealistic and, given the massive profits of this corporate, frankly insulting. Two percent neither reflects the true cost of living, nor the hard work of our members. ‬‪

"Coca-Cola is in no way suffering during the recession yet it wants to force its workers, in one of the world's most expensive cities, to accept a poverty pay deal. Further, the company has failed to meaningfully negotiate throughout the pay process. Small wonder then that the overwhelming majority of our members have voted for industrial action. Unless Coca-Cola responds with an improved offer, then a strike seems inevitable."‬‪‬‪

Unite represents more than 110 members of the 150-strong workforce at the Nobel Road plant. Members voted 81 per cent in favour of strike action and 92 per cent in favour of action short of a strike.‬‪

Coca Cola produces about two million bottles every 24 hours at the Edmonton site and nationally employs more than 4,000 people.‬‪‬‪

ENDS‬‪‬‪

Notes to news editors:‬‪‬‪

For further information, please contact Wayne King on 07980 721 407 or Unite Head of Media Pauline Doyle on 07976 832 861 and/or Shaun Noble, Unite communications officer, on 07768 693 940

Unite hits out at Scottish local government pay imposition

27 Aug 2010 15:50:00

27 August 2010

Unite today (Friday 27 August) reacted angrily to the unilateral imposition of a pay deal by Scottish local government employers.

Unite, the largest union in the country, called on the employers to engage positively to repackage the deal, but also said it may be required to consult its local government members on possible industrial action.

Unite’s lead officer for local government in Scotland, Jackson Cullinane, said: ”The reality is that the trade unions had not formally rejected the offer from the Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

”However, our members had taken the view that they had concerns over the element of a pay freeze; the duration of the offer in uncertain times; and the fact that there was nothing specific to address the position of low paid workers.

”We put it to COSLA that if it would repackage the offer to address these concerns we would be willing to again consult our members.

”We were keen to have further discussions with COSLA on this basis. It, however, has chosen to move in a wholly negative direction imposing a two-year pay freeze when it had initially proposed a one-year freeze.

”COSLA has also slashed what was on offer for year one and have ignored the need to address the significant issue of low pay in Scottish local government.

”COSLA has, therefore, left us with no other option, but to consider consulting our members on potential industrial action in response to this imposition.

”The trade unions, however, would remain open to further discussions with COSLA. It has always been our position and we would urge them to remove their imposition and engage positively in those discussions.“

The imposed deal is made up of 0.65 per cent for 2010/2011 backdated to 1 April.
There will be a pay freeze of 0 per cent in both 2011/12 and 2012/13.
The original final offer was 1 per cent in year one, 0 per cent in year two and 0.5 per cent in year three.

ENDS

Notes to news editors:

For further information, please ring Jackson Cullinane on 07810 157 906 or Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940

Sale of Teesside Cast Products is long overdue and great news, says Unite

27 Aug 2010 13:32:00

27 August 2010

The sale of Teesside Cast Products (TCP) to Thai steel company SSI is long overdue and great news for Teesside, Unite, the largest union in the country, said today (Friday 27 August).

This news follows a memorandum of understanding between Thai steel company, SSI and UK steel giant, Corus, to buy the Teesside Cast Products plant that had been signed in July.

TCP has been under threat since the collapse of a contract in May 2009. The plant has been mothballed since February 2010 and it will be some time before the plant is fully operational again.

Derek Simpson, Unite joint general secretary, said: "The new owners have recognised that this country's steelworkers are among the world's finest. Corus workers fought tooth and nail for the chance of a future. We ask that the government now ensures that every assistance is given to see that this purchase is smooth and that jobs and skills are retained for the north east."

Terry Pye, Unite national officer, said: "Last year this site was pronounced dead but thanks to the intervention and determination of the workforce and their unions to find a buyer this steel plant has been brought back to life. The deal secures jobs for the future and generates wealth and opportunity for the local community. This is fantastic news."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For further information, please contact Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble, on 07768 693940

Dover too important to national interest to be passed to private owners

27 Aug 2010 10:19:00

27 August 2010

Allowing the port of Dover to fall into private hands would be disastrous for the UK’s transport and economic interests, Unite the union has warned today (Friday, 27 August). And at a time when ferry companies at the port are struggling to survive, the business case is not stacking up either, says the union.

The warning comes on the day of the closure of the consultation conducted by the Dover Harbour Board (DHB) on a proposed sell-off of the historic port, which remains a hub for UK tourism and trade.

Unite fears that the government may seek to use any positive response to the DHB's consultation as a pretext to fast-track a sell-off. An earlier consultation exercise carried out earlier this year by the DHB attracted some very significant and forceful opposition.

The union is joined in its opposition to sale by the ferry operators, two of whom, Unite believes, have lodged formal objections with the Department of Transport over the proposals. The ferry companies say that there is already too much competition for customers on the route to France due to competition from the Channel Tunnel, but fear a private owner will push for a further increase in the number of operators.

LD Lines, for example, has just announced that it will be ending its services on the Dover to Boulogne route from early next month due to over capacity. P&O has warned staff of possible cutbacks on the Channel services. Sea France, which also operates on the route, is struggling with debts estimated at euro 180 million. Norfolk Line, which also sails from the port, has also objected to the plans.

Despite the clear pressure on ferry companies at the port, the Port Authority wants a sale, claiming that trust status limits its room to raise capital.

The proposed privatisation scheme would unleash the biggest revolution in the corporate structure of the highly-profitable publicly owned port in more than 400 years, since James I provided the October 1606 charter under which the trust port now operates. The latest published accounts (2008) show that profits of around £25 million were made on revenues of around £61 million.

The previous Labour government announced in December 2009 that it was consulting on the proposal to sell off the port in order to raise money to help cover the budget deficit. The unfavourable response to the sell-off plans meant they were put on ice, but the coalition government reopened the debate in July this year, setting a deadline for comments of today (Friday 27 August).

But Unite fears that the real driver behind privatisation is that shedding trust status would reduce labour standards and wages. Further, the present trust ownership arrangements, which ensure support for the training of young people is bound to be dropped too, Unite says, as a private company will be more interested in shareholder return than discharging its social responsibility.

Julia Long, Unite national officer for the docks and ferries sector, stated: “The proposed privatisation of Dover is against the national interest. It is a disastrous idea and should proceed no further.

“The UK is an island nation. We need a first class sea port like Dover to be in public hands. There is simply too much at stake to leave the running of this vital link to Europe in the hands of those who will milk this national treasure for profits at the expense of the travelling public and British commerce.”

Unite regional officer Jane Jeffery added: “Dover proved its worth to the nation earlier this year when the “wrong type of snow” closed the Channel tunnel and the ash cloud damaged aviation.

“But Dover as a trust port is also a huge asset to the regional economy and local community. It won’t just be the nation’s coffers which lose out, but the people of the Dover region too if the port is sold off.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The government is being advised on the sale by PricewaterhouseCoopers
LD Lines is removing the all of its services on the Dover - Boulogne route and transferring pre-booked places to other lines, wherever possible, after claiming the passenger service was an estimated 40 per cent overcapacity on cross-Channel routes.
One of the main beneficiaries of the charitable donations, which the trust is currently obliged to make, is a scheme which forges links between schools and industry called Young Enterprise. This programme gives 15 to 19 year olds the opportunity to gain valuable personal experience of how business works.
Associated British Ports, owner of 21 UK ports including Southampton, Hull and Immingham, has expressed an interest in Dover. It is also interested in the fate of the other trust ports of Tyne, Shoreham and Poole should they go on the market, increasing its control over British coastal facilities.
Forth Ports has also expressed an interest in the ongoing privatisation process with a view to expanding its portfolio. Forth Ports owns Tilbury, near London and Grangemouth in Scotland.

Unite’s submission to the Port of Dover consultation

For further information, please contact Pauline Doyle on 07976 832 861

Unite’s leaders urge 400,000 to vote for Ed Miliband

26 Aug 2010 15:11:00

26 August 2010

With less than a week left before voting begins for the next Labour leader, the joint leaders of Unite have written to 400,000 members eligible to vote in the Labour leadership election urging them to support Ed Miliband.

Writing to union members who will be able to vote in the Labour leadership election, joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, state: "The election is about the future. It’s about who can drive the Labour party forward with a sense of purpose and direction to reconnect with the trade unionists and many ordinary people who used to vote Labour.

"It’s about standing up for the millions hit by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition cuts. And it’s about saying together we can create the better, fairer society we all want.

"Ed Miliband is the candidate we believe can take on the Con-Dem coalition and do the job Labour needs."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

Notes to editors:

Unite members who pay the political levy will be eligible to vote in the Labour leadership election. Voting begins on 1st September. The letter from the joint general secretaries was sent by e-mail to members (excluding Ireland) who pay the political levy.

The full letter to members reads as follows:

Dear member

You have a say in who becomes the new Labour leader. We’re urging you to support Ed Miliband.

The election is about the future. It’s about who can drive the Labour party forward with a sense of purpose and direction to reconnect with the trade unionists and many ordinary people who used to vote Labour. It’s about standing up for the millions hit by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition cuts. And it’s about saying together we can create the better, fairer society we all want.

Ed Miliband is the candidate we believe can take on the Con-Dem coalition and do the job Labour needs.

He is a champion of social justice and equality. He understands the vital role of trade unionism and stands for traditional Labour values – our values as Unite. His vision for the future is positive building on his record of creating “green jobs” when in government.

On the key issues for Unite – decent public services, supporting manufacturing and delivering better, fairer rights at work – he commands respect.

This election is not about being well-meaning, naïve and behind the times. It is about creating a Labour party to take on the Con-Dems by being committed to building an economy on high quality, skilled jobs and saying flexibility in work should not mean low wages and long hours.

It’s about rebuilding the Labour party so once again it reflects the hopes, dreams and demands of millions of ordinary people. Demands for a fair society to tackle the gap between the rich and the poor and deliver great schools, hospitals and public services based on the understanding it’s the people who deliver them that make them great.

This is a very close election. To ensure Ed Miliband wins we need you to give him your support and your vote when the ballot opens on Wednesday 1 September.

Many thanks for your support as a Unite member.

Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretaries

RBS staff paying price for bank's failures

26 Aug 2010 15:02:00

26 August 2010

Responding to further office closures that the Royal Bank of Scotland is expected to announce later today (26 August), Unite's national officer Rob MacGregor said: "RBS staff are continuing to pay the price for the bank's failure by losing their jobs. They are trying to do the best job they can during a hugely stressful period of uncertainty.

“Unite is calling on RBS to come clean with its staff and clarify the impact of the restructuring and end this uncertainty, but the company should note Unite will hold RBS to account over any compulsory job losses that result."

ENDS

Contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

Unite welcomes 700 new IT jobs at HP in Scotland

25 Aug 2010 16:54:00

25 August 2010

But questions company’s use of ‘public subsidy merry go-round’

Unite, the UK’s largest union, welcomed today's (Wednesday 25 August) announcement that HP, the IT giant, is to create up to 700 jobs at its Erskine plant in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

But Unite has questioned whether HP is taking advantage of ‘a public subsidy merry-go around’ to sack and replace employees at this plant and across the UK.

This follows the announcement that HP will receive up to £7 million of ‘Regional Selective Assistance’ support from Scottish Enterprise - government money - to create 700 new jobs by 2014 at the plant, where some 700 jobs were axed last year and moved to the Czech Republic.

Unite highlighted that HP is currently axing more than 700 jobs by the end of October from its 16,500-strong UK workforce, and this follows nearly 4,000 jobs being axed by the company in the UK since 2008.

The union is also forecasting a further 1,000 HP jobs in the UK will be lost in the next financial year, as part of a global announcement that 9,000 jobs will be cut worldwide.

Peter Skyte, Unite national officer for IT and communications, said: ”While we welcome the potential for up to 700 new jobs being created by HP at Erskine, questions need to be asked as to whether the company is firing employees in other parts of the UK, whilst using public subsidies to re-hire employees at Erskine.

”This looks like that the company is using the public subsidy merry-go around to create jobs to replace those that they have transferred to Eastern Europe where labour costs are cheaper.

”It also needs to be established whether the Czech Republic offered further public subsidies to transfer manufacturing production from Erskine announced last year.

”We will be demanding that the company uses this opportunity at Erskine to redeploy employees from the current workforce who face possible redundancy in two months.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Peter Skyte on 020 7420 8900 peter.skyte@unitetheunion.org or Shaun Noble, communications officer, on 07768 693940

Unite's reaction to the IFS' criticisms of Osborne's budget

25 Aug 2010 13:14:00

25 August 2010

Commenting on the Institute of Fiscal Studies’ report on the budget Diana Holland, Unite's assistant general secretary responsible for equalities, said: "The IFS has exposed what we have long suspected that Osborne's callous budget not only hits the poorest hardest but it also means that women, minorities and the disabled will be hit hardest too. The Tories were always the nasty party, but now they've been joined by the Lib Dems.

"The Con-Dem’s vision of a big society is in fact an increasingly unequal society where the poor, women, minorities and the disabled suffer the most. As the cuts in public services bite things can only get worse for these groups, as they rely more on public services for support."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

Unite ballot kicks off in finance and outsourcing company, Capita

25 Aug 2010 11:23:00

25 August 2010

Unite the union has today (Wednesday 25th) begun balloting its members at Capita Life and Pensions for strike action.

Capita staff deliver work to major finance companies across the country including Prudential, Co-operative Financial Services and the Phoenix Group. A strike will impact customers in these companies.

The dispute is over Capita's decision to impose changes to its pension scheme which will cost staff thousands of pounds in retirement income.

Unite national officer, Rob MacGregor, said: “Unite has begun balloting its members at Capita. Capita's pension cuts mean staff will lose thousands of pounds in retirement income if the plans go ahead.

"There is no justification for the changes as Capita is in a very sound financial position, having again increased its profits and dividends to shareholders this year. The defined benefit pension scheme is in good health.

"This is a clear attempt by Capita to profit at the expense of our members' pension arrangements. Staff feel very strongly about these plans and have already voted overwhelmingly in a consultative ballot to reject the proposed inferior career average scheme.”

Capita announced record half year profits of £179 million in July with dividends to shareholders increased by 18 per cent.

The strike ballot will close on the 15th September. The ballot will be across five Capita sites - Reading, Craigforth, Quadrant Court, Manchester and the Glasgow Bothwell Street office.

Unite had been in discussion with Capita to avert the prospect of strike action with Capita over the summer but ultimately the talks failed as Capita would not move on the issue.

The action will impact on customers of the Prudential, Co-operative Financial Services and the Phoenix Group.

ENDS

For more information please contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315 or call the Unite press office on: 020 7420 8917

Ken Clarke determined to stop the most marginalised having access to justice

18 Aug 2010 16:40:00

18 August 2010

Ken Clarke's plans to cut legal aid funding will have a devastating impact on some of the most exploited people in our society says Unite.

Ken Clarke's plan to make cuts to the £2bn legal aid budget year on year will mean that thousands of people will not be able to afford to protect themselves. Civil Legal Aid enables people to take cases against unscrupulous landlords, abusive partners, and illegal decisions taken against those fleeing oppression back in their native countries.

When Legal Aid is cut, expertise is lost and community law centres and CABs are threatened with closure.

We have already seen this Government turn its back on Refugee and Migrant Justice, the leading national agency that had 10,000 cases on its books, including 900 children, when the Legal Services Commission, the Government funding quango for legal aid, had not paid the money it owed the organisation. The government shut RMJ in just one week.

Legal Aid was established after the war as part of the welfare state to help ordinary people have the right to justice. The budget is already insufficient to meet the rising need for advice and acts of assistance, and its demands are expected to grow. The need for legal aid has increased since the start of the recession as families struggle to remain in their homes on limited incomes, or fall foul to the exploitation of others.

Rachael Maskell, Unite National Officer for the Not for Profit sector said: "These cuts mean the courts will become a place for the wealthy, while the vulnerable will have to suffer the abuses of others, or beg for mercy, with no recourse to the justice system.

"Britain has a proud history of enabling all to seek justice against those that exploit them. Today's announcement reinforces the ConDem vision that the most marginalised are treated with contempt by this government who would rather see the marginalised beg for mercy than give them the dignity of proper recourse.

"Unite members who work in CABs, law centres, interpreting services and the courts are aghast that this government would destroy our rich heritage of enabling justice which is a basic human right."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

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BAA's pay offer to set the standard for aviation workers

17 Aug 2010 15:09:00

17 August 2010

Unite, Britain's biggest union representing 70,000 aviation workers, expects BAA's pay offer to set the standard for pay deals in the industry.

BAA has made the following offer to Unite members at the company which the union is recommending.

A two per cent increase on basic pay and allowances effective 1 January 2010;
Arrangements for payment of shift pay during periods of sickness to remain unchanged;
For 2010 only, BAA guarantees payment of at least £500 equal to 90 per cent of BAA's EBITDA target. It means employees will receive a payment of at least £500 and up to £900 for reaching 110 per cent of EBITDA target. (The EBITDA target is based on the performance of each individual airport);
£200 of the guaranteed £500 will be paid in September 2010. The remaining £300 to be paid in March 2011.

Unite national officers, Brian Boyd and Brendan Gold, said: "This offer is double what BAA had originally offered with no strings attached. Plus it comes with a guaranteed lump sum of £500. The negotiations were tough but Unite has delivered a fair offer for BAA staff.

"The game is up for employers in the aviation industry. With the recession receding in the industry, Unite now expects BAA's pay offer to set the standard."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315

Rising prices plus public sector cuts equals the Con-Dem double whammy

17 Aug 2010 12:05:00

17 August 2010

Commenting on the latest inflation figures which remain high above the government’s target, Unite joint general secretary, Derek Simpson, said: "Rising prices plus public sector cuts is the Con-Dem double whammy for working people.
"The double threat of inflation and brutal cuts to public services, sure to send unemployment soaring, is a poisonous mix for Britain's economy. Workers will struggle to keep up with the cost of basic necessities while the Con-Dems attack Britain's public services.
"Unite expects employers who can afford fair wage increases not to use the overall economic picture as an excuse to squeeze workers' pay. Over the last two years employees across the private sector have made sacrifices to help keep their companies in business. Workers at BAA are a prime example where Unite was forced to hold an industrial action ballot to get the parties back around the table to negotiate a fair settlement that the company could have afforded to agree months ago, sparing the public much anxiety."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

Unite calls off strike action at BAA's six airports

16 Aug 2010 21:45:00

16 August 2010

Unite's national officers, Brian Boyd and Brendan Gold, said: "Unite came to these negotiations with a strong mandate for industrial action.

"Today's negotiations between Unite and BAA - with the assistance of Acas - have been constructive and Unite is pleased to announce it is calling off the strike action at BAA's six airports.

"Unite's negotiating committee will recommend a much improved offer from BAA. Details of the agreement will be made public once BAA staff have been advised of the improved offer.

"We would like to particularly thank Acas for its valued assistance through these tough negotiations."

The union will now ballot its members on the details of the offer.

ENDS

Unite survey of Porton Down Health Protection Agency staff shows they oppose the proposed move to Harlow

16 Aug 2010 15:33:00

16 August 2010

In a survey conducted by Unite, 60 per cent of the 600 Health Protection Agency (HPA) staff at the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPR) at Porton Down oppose the HPA's proposal to move to Harlow, Essex.

The HPA has submitted an outline business case for the Essex move to the Department of Health on the grounds that the running costs - due to the age of the main science buildings at the CEPR - are extremely high.

Staff at the CEPR have serious concerns about the move and have warned that a transfer could lessen security at the centre which is responsible for research into countering bio-terrorism and deadly diseases.

In a massive vote of no confidence in the HPA's senior management team’s proposals, 85 per cent of staff felt they had not been adequately consulted over any transfer to Essex and the majority of staff did not think the move would ever be in the best interests of CEPR and HPA. Additionally, 73 per cent said they couldn’t afford to move to the more expensive area in Essex on their frozen public sector pay.

Unite regional officer, Dorothy Fogg, said: “Turnout for this survey was incredible given the fact that it was done during the holiday period and just goes to show the strength of feeling of the staff against this proposed move. Staff don’t want this move and have demonstrated this with an overwhelming ‘no vote’ in our survey.

“We are actively involved in discussions with the organisation, however it won’t talk to us until it has the details from the Department of Health whether it will fund this illogical move. We believe this is the wrong move to make and we are hoping to change the mindset of the HPA.

“We urge the HPA to work with us to save its loyal workforce from any further grief. These workers are already struggling to find their way through the recession and this proposed move is just adding to their worries.”

Senior Unite representative at the CEPR, Mark Riches, said: “These results show a decisive rejection of the HPA board’s proposals and will form the basis of a sustained campaign to oppose the move.”

In a final worrying statistic for the HPA 86 per cent of the staff expressed serious concerns for their future employment with the agency in any capacity or location.

ENDS

For further information please contact Dorothy Fogg on 07798 531011 or Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420 8914 or 07980 224761

Unite's reaction to Delphi's decision to close its Kirkby plant in Liverpool

16 Aug 2010 15:14:00

16 August 2010

Delphi’s management has today (Monday 16 August) started consultation with Unite proposing the closure of its Kirkby plant in Liverpool by the end of 2011.

The Kirkby plant currently employs 181 people in its manufacturing facility and 39 engineers its design centre.

Although the design facility looks safe for now, all 181 people in manufacturing look certain to be out of work by the end of next year.

Roger Maddison, Unite's national officer for motor components, said: “This is another disaster for British manufacturing. Should the company's plan go ahead, Unite will do everything it can to ensure our members receive generous redundancies from this global player.

“Our members have worked exceptionally hard to improve efficiencies and quality over the past few years to secure a future in Kirkby, but once again a UK plant has failed to secure new work against competition from lower cost economies.”

ENDS

For further information please contact Ashraf Choudhury in the Unite press office on 020 7420 8914 or 07980 224761

Unite welcomes jobs and investment at Corus

13 Aug 2010 13:11:00

13 August 2010

Corus has today announced plans to build a £31.5 million facility for the construction of steel foundations to secure offshore wind turbines which will create 220 jobs.

Unite's national officer, Terry Pye, said: "The new manufacturing plant will create hundreds of jobs which will support Britain's future energy requirements, this is great news for Teesside.

"Discussions on the sale of Corus's Teesside Cast Products plant is continuing, and we are hoping there will be a successful sale soon.

"For years workers at Corus have faced cut backs. The succesful sale of TCP together with the new manufacturing facility would mean a brighter future for Teesside. Unite is urging Corus to complete the sale and revive steelmaking in Teesside."

Thousands of Unite members working for Corus across the country are being balloted on an improved pay offer of 3.2 per cent, backdated to 1 April 2010, with a one-off payment of £200. Unite has over 8,000 members working at Corus spread over its 15 UK sites.

ENDS

Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315