Goodbye and thanks Keith: Hello and welcome Frances

On Wednesday evening after the NEC meetings I went to a reception to mark the retirement of UNISON Deputy General Secretary Keith Sonnet. Keith has served the Labour Movement for 40 years and I think we all wish him well in the retirement. Even though I doubt very much we have seen the last of him.

I had a later meeting that I couldn't get out of, so I was only able to have a brief chat and handshake. I don't know Keith that well but it was really nice that he remembered that I had helped (in a very small way) during the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) negotiations in 2008. We also discussed the new LGPS 2014 scheme and the incredibily good deal that UNISON had negotiated for members.

Coincidentally this week Frances O'Grady was appointed as General Secretary of the British Trade Union Congress. She happens to be the first female GS of the TUC which is I think an important landmark occasion in trade union history. I have seen Frances speak and promote progressive labour politics and really welcome her election.

"A Future that Works" TUC flyer March 20 October 2012

Check out this TUC resource for downloading and ordering flyer's and posters for the March in London on Saturday 20 October 2012. Scotland will also have its own anti-Austerity March and Rally.

UNISON NDC 12: Paul Kenny TUC President and GMB General Secretary

Paul gave a humorous and barnstorming speech referring to the "risk" he was taking appearing with a "UNISON rope around my neck" (UNISON lanyard which held his ID pass) was a good start.

Relations with GMB and UNISON have not always been sweetness and light at times.

I did like this comment :- "He spoke of his pride in being a trade unionist.”Outsiders don't understand us - politicians, bankers, the media - because we don't match up with their values. We don't do what we do for money - we do it because we care."

Asbestos Legal Update: London Regional Health & Safety Committee

Picture of Thompson's personal injury solicitor, Ann-Marie Christie, with London UNISON health and safety network members.

Yesterday lunchtime she gave an update to the Regional Health & Safety committee and branch officers network on the latest legal developments. 

The good news was that there was finally justice for many victims of the deadly asbestos cancer Mesothelioma following the recent ruling by the Supreme Court against 6 rogue insurance companies (the so called "trigger issue"). Who for the past 6 years had tried to get out of paying compensation by arguing that they should not pay out when the company they insured actually fatally exposed their workers to asbestos only when the cancerous symptoms developed. Since this was often decades later when the insurance policies were expired this of course would have meant that many of the 2,500 people per year who get Mesthelioma would receive nothing.

While this is indeed a victory (by the trade unions who funded the appeal) it is too late for all those who have died in the meanwhile since 2006.  Their families may now finally get recompense.

No such good news on the battle for Pleural Plaques compensation nor for a bureau to register the insurance policies for companies that have now gone bust. The TUC estimate that at least 5,000 people die every year from asbestos related conditions and that 1 in every 100 men born in the 1940's will also die prematurely from these conditions. The majority of asbestos imported into this country took place from 1955 to 1980.

The movie actor, Steve McQueen, died from Mesothelioma. Not because he was a racing driver who wore fire retardant overalls which contained asbestos, as I had read, but because he had worked in ship engine rooms and ship yards before he become famous. 

Update: I forgot to mention that I thanked Thompson's at the meeting for a £60k settlement they won for a member of my branch who suffered a nasty accident at work. Ann-Marie stressed the importance of taking pictures of the accident scene as soon as is possible.

"A Future that Works" : Building for the TUC London demo 20 October 2012

Picture from this morning's UNISON London Regional Council of Laurie Heselden from SERTUC briefing delegates on the demo.

The TUC are planning a major national demonstration in London on Saturday 20 October. The march will be called "A future that works" and its focus will be to end the austerity polices that have sent the economy back into recession. Laurie helped organise the successful "March in March" and the demonstration on 30 November 2012.

He believes for it to be another success then we need to get even more than the 500,000 people we got in March out on 20 October.

A communications website www.afuturethatworks.org.uk will be up and running before the summer break. An email group has been set up for union organisers and "...of course (we will use) twitter, both in advance and on the day". Laurie made a plea for more stewards to put themselves forward.

I will probably be marching with my branch but I will be working with Newham Labour Group, TULO and trades council to encourage and maximise the Newham Labour Movement family to march together again on 20 October!

As they say - watch this space as there will be lots and lots more on this event to follow.

An evening seminar with Ged Kearney - President of ACTU

Last Thursday I went to a seminar by the President of the Australian Congress of Trade Unions Geradine (Ged) Kearney at Congress House. The event was sponsored by TUC international office and Unions21.

Ged has a nursing background and gave a honest and articulate appraisal of the Labour Movement in Australia (they have a Labour Party and affiliated unions in a similar way to the UK). The current Labour Government is in trouble in the polls and Ged fears a Conservative victory in the next General election.  Despite being only a minority government it has done a lot of progressive things such as the Fair Work Act. While they wish the Labour Government had done more, they dread the return of a Conservative government. One campaign issue in the future by the unions will be to try and help build a truly progressive space for the Labour Party to step up to and fill. 

I asked a question about the trade union run pension funds in Australia which I understand are very successful but currently under attack. Ged replied that they are a success story with the fund she helps manage worth over $20 billion yet the market has always been "pissed off" (Aussie for upset) by the idea of workers controlling their own capital and there has been constant attacks on union pension funds for no reason whatsoever.

I'm not sure how long Ged is in the UK but if you get a chance to go and see her speak I would recommend it.

Update: I am reliably informed that Ged is now at the ILO in Geneva and is then going home but no doubt she will return to the UK at some time in the future.

Check Owen's more detailed and complete report of this meeting at Stronger Unions.

Executive Remuneration – free seminar for pension fund trustees

Executive Remuneration – free seminar for pension fund trustees

Co-hosted by the TUC and Fair Pensions 2.00 – 3.30pm, Monday 21 May, Congress House with speakers:

Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary

Iain Richards, Head of Governance and Responsible Investment, Threadneedle Investments

Catherine Howarth, Chief Executive, Fair Pensions

Are current levels and rates of increase of executive remuneration fair and transparent? Are fund managers reflecting the views of beneficiaries in their engagement with companies on executive pay? What can pension fund trustees do to bring about improved practice in the area of executive remuneration?

You are invited to discuss these and other questions at a free seminar for pension fund trustees hosted by the TUC and Fair Pensions taking place from 2pm – 3.30pm on Monday 21st May, in Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS.

 

Fair Pensions has produced a briefing for trustees on executive remuneration, which can be found at http://www.fairpensions.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded_files/investorresources/ExecutivePay2012.pdf

To register for the seminar, please e-mail trusteenetwork@tuc.org.uk

Update on Pensions

Following recent developments over Public Service pensions I thought I would give my take on things. There has been lot of excited and largely ill-informed postulating.

On Friday the main local government unions UNISON, Unite and the GMB agreed "a joint statement on discussions on a new set of principles and timetable for detailed negotiations on pensions....if agreed, the unions believe they "lay a positive framework" for full negotiations to start in January....The statement stresses that no decisions have been taken over details surrounding contribution increases or the future look of the local government pension scheme".  The Government was willing to proceed on this basis.  However it seems that Eric Pickles MP has been doing his best to wreck a deal.  It appears that his silly letter has now been withdrawn.

Yesterday UNISON health negotiators received a final offer from the employers which they quite rightly intend to consult upon with the Health Service Group elected lay Representatives.

Other unions (with the one exception of the main Civil Service union PCS) appear to be close to an "outline deal".

No-one cannot seriously argue that there hasn't been significant changes and improvements to schemes since the decision was taken to ballot for strike action. Also as the TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said : "Since the day of action on November 30, we've seen a new atmosphere in the negotiations".

I think that some commentators are in danger of cutting their nose to spite their face.  They also clearly do not understand that it is not and never has been (and never will IMO) the role of British trade unions to take action against the wishes and interests of its members.  We are interested in resolving trade disputes and not engaging in infantile and doomed toy town revolutionary politics. While I am very proud of the work that my union does to change society and promote a progressive agenda.  We put the interests of our members first and not what are told to believe by extremist central committees.

By coincidence yesterday evening I was at Congress House in London for a UNISON Regional Council Officer meeting.  There was also a meeting of the TUC Public Services Liaison Group to discuss the negotiations. Outside the main entrance was about 25 protesters (see picture) calling for a National Strike (and various other things).  I went outside to see what was going on and had even had a chat with my former branch chair. I must admit that I did wonder why these tiny number of protesters thought that they had the right to "demand" that 6 million TUC members do as they tell them?

The elected lay Representatives of the Union will decide what to do next. Ordinary trade union members will have the final say about whether these changes are sufficient to settle this dispute. They will vote in a secret ballot either: Yes or No.

Remuneration Committee "Racket"

Today I listened to Any Questions on Radio 4. There was a question about the outrageous 49% increase in the pay last year of the average FT100 director (about 10 minutes in).

Lib Dem Coalition minister Jeremy Browne
described the company remuneration committees who "set" the pay of such executives as being "a cartel... a real Racket". Tory MP David Davies also cheerfully admitted that it was all a big fiddle and stitch up. While Labour MP Rachel Reeves pointed out that it was not as if these bosses had added any value to these companies in the last year.

Despite accurately describing such pay arrangements as being akin to organised crime Browne failed to offer any solutions. Davies suggested allowing getting company AGM's to vote on individual executive pay rather than the whole executive package en bloc. This would be useful but is not going to change things.

As the TUC points out here why shouldn't there be elected employee representatives on these remuneration committees who would bring "directors a much-needed sense of reality". This seems to work in many of our European competitors such as Germany? Why in the UK is this seen as being some form of unBritish devil worship? This is the sort of dare I say radical but necessary change that Labour should pursue. It is good that Ed is on board.

Over the years I've banged about the subject here, here, here (last year's increase was 55%!), here ... (and elsewhere). Check out Tom's latest post as well.

By coincidence I have just submitted a branch motion on applying the principles of the "The Spirit Level" to company pay differentials.

Picture: Typical FT100 Remuneration Committee at work. The Chair of the Board is asking the committee if they are going to increase his pay...or sleep with the fishes. Well, something like that.

TUC Member Trustee Network annual conference 2011

I have just paid for my ticket to this year's TUC Member Trustee Network annual conference 2011.  Book here.

"Date: Tuesday 15 November 2011
Venue: Congress House, London WC1B 3LS

Market volatility has caused worrying fluctuations in funding levels and left pension funds facing an uncertain investment outlook.

At the same time, the Stewardship Code has given asset owners and managers new responsibilities in relation to the companies whose shares they hold. How do pension fund trustees combine their responsibilities towards investee companies with their fiduciary duties towards their members?

This conference will explore these issues and help trustees navigate the investment, stewardship and regulatory challenges that they face.

Speakers include:

• Steve Webb MP, Minister of State for Pensions
• Dr Paul Woolley, LSE
• Kay Carberry, TUC
• Alexis Krajeski, F&C
• Will Oulton, Mercer
• Ivan Walker, Thompsons
• Christine Berry, Fair Pensions
• Victoria Nye, Investment Governance Group
• Steve Baker

Enquiries: Jennifer Mann 0207 467 1222, Email: trusteenetwork@tuc.org.uk

BBC visits Housing Association Branch Office over TUC Pensions

Last week the BBC sent a camera crew to interview me at our UNISON branch office over pensions and to take some outdoor background pictures.  Branch employees Nazan and Sarah are 3rd and 4th from left.

This TV report of course may well be bined and not used.  The crew themselves were very friendly and extremely professional

Next week is the Trade Unions Congress 2011 and I will be attending for the first time as a delegate from the UNISON NEC. 

Protecting members Pensions will be a key issue at Congress. I'll try and post on Congress as often as I can.

Join the online vigil for the NHS

"As the government's controversial Health and Social Care Bill receives its third reading in the House of Commons, we're standing vigil to show Parliamentarians the level of concern around the country about the threats to our National Health Service.

Please join the vigil online by uploading a photograph of yourself to this site. We'll be combining the pictures into a powerful mosaic image, to use in lobbying Parliament. It only takes a minute from each of us, but will build into something much bigger.

http://www.goingtowork.org.uk/nhs-mosaic/

Music: "All Things Being Equal" by Le Emu Tavern"

(my 2 seconds of fame at 1min:38)

Standing vigil for the NHS

From the "goingtoWork" TUC website - I have added my photo to the online mosaic here. 

"The dates of the third Commons reading of the controversial Health and Social Care Bill have been announced as the 6th and 7th September. On the evening of the 7th, MPs will vote on the Bill, and if it passes, will send it to the Lords for the next step in its progress.

We want to highlight to our MPs that the nation is watching them as they deliberate the Bill, and to Peers that we expect a great deal of them if they come to take control of the Bill's passage.

Over these two days in September, we will be standing vigil for our NHS - working to make sure everyone is aware of the danger our National Health Service is facing. 

Please take a moment to add your photo to a giant mosaic image we'll be creating to help lobby Parliamentarians. It only takes a minute, but if thousands of us contribute, it could build into a powerful focus to show our legislators the huge levels of public concern over the future of our NHS".

There are also posters to download and new media profile pictures.  We cannot just let this Tory led coalition destroy our NHS.

Justice

Because the truth is that Pleural Plaques causes real and genuine concern for victims - and their families. It's a real life ticking timebomb - and the cause of untold worry and concern.



Help right this wrong; sign the petition on this link; please sign the petition and then invite all of your friends to do the same:



http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/justice