GMB

Another demonstration is being planned against the increase in student tuition fees, with organisers hoping that tens of thousands of people will take part in the protest in the new year. The latest national protest will be on January 29 in central London, following a wave of demonstrations in recent weeks which have led to a number of arrests and controversy over police tactics. The Education Activist Network and the National Campaign Against Cuts & Fees have written to trade unions seeking their support for next year's demo. Officials of the two groups said recent events had shown the...

Warwickshire County Council has become the latest public sector employer in the West Midlands to announce devastating cuts, with the GMB union revealing that nearly 2000 jobs will be axed as part of a proposed 26% spending cut. This represents the loss of over 12% of the council's total staff, excluding teachers and firefighters. Inevitably, these cuts will hit some of the poorest and most vulnerable people hardest. They will see a 20% job-loss in adult social care, meaning that, for example, adults with learning disabilities could go without vital support. An entire youth service will be lost...

Hannah MacMillan works as a support worker in the north of England. Tell us a bit about the work you do. I’m a support worker for adults with learning disabilities, for a private “not for profit” company in. I provide one-to-one support to enable people to be as independent as possible and enjoy their lives. This includes helping them to access local government services as well as the wider community. It’s such a brilliant job — not even just in a “rewarding” way, but in an actual “I really enjoy my work” kind of way. Do you and your workmates get the pay and conditions you deserve? Definitely...

Rhondda Cynon Taff council in South Wales has joined Neath and Port Talbot as the second Labour-controlled council to issue Section 188 notices to its workers in an attempt to force through worse terms and conditions. 10,000 workers face dismissal unless they agree to contractual changes that would result in a pay cut. The move was announced unilaterally by the council's HR director, Tony Wilkins. The GMB, which represents many of the workers, has refused to negotiate until the threat of sackings is lifted and has advised all members not to sign any new contracts. The council, which covers the...

Pete Davies, senior GMB organiser in Sheffield (where local government workers are facing savage cuts and the threat of mass redundancies), spoke to Solidarity . We’re still locked in negotiations with the council. We’ve had two half-days of talks this week and we expect those to become regular. We’re braced for the announcement of a 30% cut, which will be between £211 and £220 million depending on which accountant you listen to. The council will be looking to introduce those cuts over three years, with 15% in 2011-12 then 7.5% the following two years. We find it extremely worrying that...

Several local authorities have sent out redundancy warning notices to large numbers of workers, in some cases to their entire workforce. There aim is to set the unions a choice: accept cuts in pay and conditions, or job cuts, or both. Councils in Sheffield, Croydon, Neath and Port Talbot, Walsall and Birmingham — as well as the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority — are all employing the tactic. The message from the bosses is explicit: “accept the changes we’re proposing or you’re sacked”. The public sector is the main bastion of organised labour in Britain. The meaningbehind this kind...

The GMB union has reported (27 September) that on Friday 24th it received from Sheffield City Council "HR1 forms" for 8,500 staff employed by the council. This is the same move as recently made by Birmingham City Council . It means giving workers an ultimatum to accept worse pay and conditions, or be made redundant. Birmingham City Council is a Tory/Lib Dem coalition. Sheffield is Lib Dem. Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary speaking from the Labour Party conference in Manchester said, "These official notices for 8,500 staff at Sheffield, coming on top of the notices for 26,000 in Birmingham...

The collapse of the building maintenance firm Connaught spells an anxious time for its workers while Lovells, who have taken on much of the work, decide whether to continue to employ them on their contracts with various councils around the country. Some have lost their jobs. Last week there was a large rally to support laid-off Connaught workers and oppose the council leadership who were trying to wash their hands of them. One worker from Hull was left a message to ring a number when she returned from work. When she rang it she found herself in a conference call with 300 other Connaught...

GMB members working for British Gas have voted overwhelmingly to strike against management bullying. Over 82% of workers voted for a strike, and 90% voted for action short of a strike. The ballot result is a resounding mandate for GMB officials and stewards in British Gas to go on the offensive against bosses who have been squeezing their workforce harder and harder, including threatening to axe 25% of the non-customer facing staff. A union survey found that British Gas workers feel massively over-pressured by a management that expects them to deliver top-quality customer service at the same...

On 23 November the Leeds Streetscene workers voted to accept the council's latest offer and go back to work after 12 weeks. The details of the deal are unclear at the minute. It seems the vast majority (if not all) of the workers' pay will not be cut at all. However, the deal also includes some promises on "productivity" levels, and of course says nothing about the low paid women workers whose double exploitation has never been addressed. Victory? So, does this constitute victory for the refuse workers? Well the workers have won the narrow demand of the strike, which was just against the pay...