Union reps

Union reps: A better investment than a FTSE250 company

Today, the TUC releases new research that shows the significant benefits that workplace union reps produce for employers and taxpayers. The report also reveals serious inaccuracies in figures used by the so-called Taxpayers Alliance relating to the cost of paid time off.

“Facility Time for union reps – separating fact from fiction” not only updates the value of the savings to employers and the taxpayer that result from the work that reps do, but also reveals a significant return on investment in relation to the cost of the paid time off that reps receive.

Posted on January 24th, 2012 by Carl Roper filed under: Union reps

Brendan Barber

Union reps: The user manual

The TUC Workplace Manual Trade union representatives are the unsung heroes of Britain’s workplaces. There are over 200,000 of them in every sector of the economy, giving up their time and energy for free simply to help and support their work colleagues.

Unions are just as relevant, and necessary, today as they have ever been. Millions of workers have benefited from the work that union reps do. Every single day, in workplaces up and down the country, reps are dealing with the everyday problems that arise such as safety issues, cases of harassment, fears over redundancies and difficulties getting time off for childcare. Organised workplaces are safer, fairer and better because of the role that trade union representatives play.

To help support them in doing this the TUC have produced our first ever comprehensive manual for union reps.

Posted on January 16th, 2012 by Brendan Barber filed under: Union reps

Carl Roper

Attack on union reps defeated

Earlier today I blogged about MP and former investment banker Jesse Norman’s 10 Minute Rule Bill attacking union reps. I’m pleased to report that Mr Norman’s motion was defeated by 79 votes. You can read Jesse Norman’s speech introducing the Bill, and John Healey’s response on TheyWorkForYou.

Such is the deep seated antipathy towards unions felt by the likes of Mr Norman and the determination of the Taxpayers Alliance and TURC to persecute workplace reps that I’m certain that this wont be the end of their attacks. For now though we should celebrate this small victory for workplace reps, employees and employers.

Posted on January 11th, 2012 by Carl Roper filed under: Union news, Union reps

Carl Roper

Investment banker attacks workplace volunteers

Jesse Norman MP. Cartoon © Alex Hughes

If I was to tell you that today, a former employee of an industry that in 2009 received a bailout from the taxpayer amounting to over £1 TRILLION (and that still owes over £450 BILLION) was to move a motion attacking volunteer workplace union reps and demanding that unions should be forced to repay employers for the time they have negotiated that allows workplace reps to represent employees and negotiate with employers, you would think I’d taken leave of my senses.

But that’s exactly what is going to happen today when Jesse Norman MP, a former Barclays Investment banker stands up and moves a 10 Minute Rule Bill in the House of Commons.

Posted on January 11th, 2012 by Carl Roper filed under: Union reps

Richard Exell

Pay bargaining and injustice

On 21 February the TUC will be holding its annual Pay Bargaining Forum with Incomes Data Services. (More details, or register) It’s about equipping union representatives with facts and arguments that will be useful in the 2012 pay negotiations; this is the bread and butter of trades unionism, but we’re consciously putting that in the context of unions’ long-term struggle for a fairer world.

So in addition to a practical “Pay Negotiators’ Tool Box” we’ll also be looking at how to challenge the fragmentation of bargaining and taking on some of the myths that are being promoted by our opponents. A good example of this sort of thing is the Chancellor’s claim in his Autumn Statement that:

“public sector pay has risen at twice the rate of private sector pay over the last four years.”

In a brilliant recent post, Alastair Hatchett of IDS (who’ll be one of the speakers at the conference) took this claim apart.

Posted on December 19th, 2011 by Richard Exell filed under: Union reps

Carl Roper

Tories admit union cash doesn’t influence Labour (well kind of)!

Money laundering?

One of the more spurious yet central reasons why right wing front groups hate union reps getting paid time to represent employees and negotiate with employers is because they’ve convinced themselves that this frees up cash that unions (or at least the minority of them that affiliate) can then give to the Labour party. And a union trying to influence public policy is the thing they hate the most – apart from unions themselves obviously!

But wait – what’s this? It seems that unions aren’t the only groups that give cash to political parties.

Posted on December 9th, 2011 by Carl Roper filed under: Union reps

Paul Nowak

The TPA ‘cost-cost’ analysis of unions

Some things in life are inevitable – death, taxes, change, the seasons. But perhaps nothing is quite as inevitable as the fact that a report from the so-called Tax Payers Alliance will be about as balanced as a two-wheel trike.

Their latest opus sets out what it calls a ‘scandalous subsidy for unions’ conflating facilities and facility time for union reps in the public sector, with other types of support such as that provided through the Union Learning Fund – an initiative that has won widespread support from employers and Ministers alike.

Leaving aside the usual mistakes and/or deliberate omissions (the NFU is a ‘union’ apparently though I can confirm they have not indicated their official support for the TUC’s Day of action on November 30, and there is no mention of the fact that in some cases unions make payments toward the costs of facilities and time-off arrangements) the report’s major flaw is that it purports to highlight the COSTS (allegedly £113m) of such support, but studiously avoids any mention of any BENEFITS that may accrue from such support.

Posted on November 25th, 2011 by Paul Nowak filed under: Union reps