SODEXO VICTORY GMB Help Aldren Get His Job Back PAGE 2
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MEMBERS FIRST GMB LONDON NEWS UPDATE SODEXO VICTORY GMB help Aldren get his job back PAGE 2 NHS MARCH See the video PAGE 4 OUR MARY Tributes to the late Mary Turner PAGE 10 “If I were not a GMB member, I would not have got my job back” RECOGNITION AT EAT Eat Kitchens is based in Fourth Way in REINSTATEMENT Wembley. Workers are employed in preparing ingredients, cooking and OF ALDREN packaging food, ready to be delivered to the EAT shops. During week commencing 2nd May TOMLINSON AT ACAS conducted a ballot of approximately 200 shop floor food workers at EAT plant in Wembley to KING GEORGE’S establish whether the workforce want GMB union to represent them in Aldren Tomlinson, who has worked at King George Hospital for negotiations with the company. 15 years, was sacked in February without notice for allegedly stealing GMB members at EAT Wembley company property, a £4.00 breakfast following a misunderstanding recently celebrated the Union’s over payment in the hospital canteen. recognition ballot held on 18th May His dismissal by his employer Sodexo, generated much anger 2017. among his colleagues who are GMB members. Hundreds signed The on-site ballot was conducted by petitions and held meetings to discuss strike action and protest to ACAS, on behalf of the Union, and the ensure Aldren was reinstated. results were issued to EAT and GMB on The reinstatement came an hour before GMB were to hold a 1st June. protest outside the hospital and following three days of adverse 75% voted in favour of recognition publicity generated against Sodexo by the sacking. so GMB can now represent them in Aldren Tomlinson said negotiations with the company. “If it was not for being a member of GMB I would not have got my GMB and EAT signed the Recognition job back. My friends and work colleagues who were prepared to go on Agreement on the 9th of June. strike are all GMB members. I am delighted at clearing my name and getting my job back. “Vanessa Feltz interviewed me on Wednesday morning and the support from her and her listeners blew me away. I look forward to CONTACT going back to work on Monday.” Richard Owen, Regional Organiser [email protected] 07974 179 285 CONTACT Hiten Vaidya, Regional Organiser Michael Dooley, Regional Organiser [email protected] [email protected] 020 8202 8272 07552 120 740 2 SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY GMB Shop Stewards from ASDA Bedford visited the Summer Camp Multi Sports Camp at The Goldington Academy in Bedford on 10th August. The GMB A36 Branch from ASDA has paid £430 to cover the cost of the school hire to help reduce fees for the children. The summer camp is for boys and girls aged 14-15 who want to keep active and have fun during the summer holidays. The camp is being run by Bruno Dos Santos, a GMB member who works at ASDA Bedford. Bruno said, “This is the 3rd year running ASDA MEMBERS that we have had a summer camp, we encourage children to take part in a host of multi-sport activities such as football, SUPPORT CENTRE dodge ball, running, rounders and tennis. It is hard work but rewarding when you GMB ASDA Members Support Centre celebrates it’s 1st birthday. see the enjoyment on the children’s faces. GMB London is proud to be embracing modern technology to Justin and Andre from my GMB Branch have bring our region to a new generation. 12 months ago at GMB always been very supportive and this is the Congress in Bournemouth Regional Organiser, Keith Dixon, second year that they have helped to fund launched the GMB ASDA Members Support Centre. this project.” The Support Centre allows our members within ASDA to Justin Openshaw, Branch President said connect immediately to a GMB Steward who can assist with any “This is a great example of how we can issue within the workplace. The service is free to all members and take our Branch out of the workplace and speeds up the time to gain support or representation from GMB. into the community. Keith Dixon says “The GMB Members Support Centre has gone We fully support giving children the from strength to strength over the past 12 months. We have in opportunity to remain active during the excess of 100 Trained Stewards, 5 National Reps, 3 Secretarial summer holidays and by paying for the hire Support Staff and 4 Officers using the system daily. This ensures a of Goldington Academy it allows the speedy, professional approach to our members concerns and Children’s fees to be affordable.” keeps all information securely stored. Andre Marques, Branch Secretary said There has been great interest and involvement from our “anyone with young children will know members within ASDA with well over 900 members in the London that the summer holidays can be a difficult Region alone utilising the support centre over the 12 months. time to keep them entertained. This project The support centre has recently been extended to cover other is a good, fun way of keeping children both GMB Regions nationwide. active and busy.” It is a credit to GMB London Region and a great benefit to all For more details you can visit their our members.” website at www.brazilsoccer.co.uk The support centre can be accessed at www.gmb-asda.com/support CONTACT Andre Marques, A36 branch Bedford CONTACT 07850 970985 Keith Dixon, Regional Organiser Justin Openshaw, A36 branch Bedford [email protected] 01603 626492 07709 023692 3 LONDON MARCH 4 REGION THE NHS GMB London joined the National Demonstration to defend the NHS against SCHOOLS cuts, closures and privatisation on Saturday 4th March. The march was in support of a fully funded, publicly owned TEAM NHS & social care service. We marched with thousands of people in On Saturday 22nd April 2017, GMB London and Southern the fight to save the NHS from destruction. Regions held their second Joint School Support Staff We have to keep fighting, as hospitals, Conference at GMB Euston Office. GPs, mental health, ambulance and The conference was attended by 70-80 school support staff community services are already on ranging from play leaders, cleaners, lunchtime midday their knees. supervisors, caretakers, full-time convenors, branch Sadly, Our NHS continues to be under secretaries, admin staff and teaching assistants. constant threat of being completely The day-long event was a great success, with a mixture of dismantled by this callous and uncaring presentations, guest speakers and interactive sessions with Government. It is therefore vitally the delegates. important we do all we can to continue The Government has cut school funding by £2.8 billion campaigning to protect and preserve one since 2015 and between now and 2022, it wants to cut £8.9 of our greatest National assets – Our NHS! billion more. We made a short video capturing We need to stand together, if we are going to save our moments of the day that brought so many schools, jobs and the education of millions of children. people together. Therefore, we will launch a school petition, which will be emailed to every school based member to be signed by members, family and friends as we will need 100,000 signatures to get it debated in the House of Commons. At present, government petitions have had to stop because of the recent general election, but after a new petitions committee is set up by the House of Commons, petitions will start again. If you’d like a member of our Regional Schools Team to contact you or arrange a visit to your School, then please get in touch using the details below. View the video on our CONTACT youtube channel [email protected] 01245 345165 @GMBLondonschools tinyurl.com/GMBNHSMarchVideo 4 CONGRESS 2017 GMB LONDON AWARD WINNERS – PLYMOUTH Taranjit Chana Lee Hillam (centre) Helena Sharpe (centre) Taranjit Chana, a member of Two stewards from the region won GMB Workplace Organiser Helena GMB London region, picked up the the Mary Macarthur award at Sharpe was on her day off. However, President’s Leadership Award congress 2017, Lee Hillam of upon hearing the devastating news for Equality 2017 at GMB’s 100th Cambridge County Council who won that a fire had broken out at the Congress. the main award and Helena Sharpe ASDA Luton store on the afternoon Taranjit, Lambeth legal advisor of Asda Luton who received a runner of Monday 6th March, she was handed the prestigious Eleanor up award. immediately made contact with her Marx national award for her Lee is recognised for his role as GMB officer to suggest what needed inspirational equality work. GMB Health and Safety to be done to support her members. Taranjit, a member of GMB’s Representative and his work at a The next day she worked alongside London Region who works for a National level designing a worker her GMB Officer, Keith Dixon, to womens’ organisation in Ealing, was involvement tool for the Waste organise a support centre at the chosen ahead of dozens of others for Industry which has been adopted by local GMB Luton office. This was her work organising marches, the HSE’s Waste Industry Safety and heavily promoted through social volunteering at women’s refuges, Health Forum. media. Throughout the day over 30 giving up her spare time to give Lee used his experience to colleagues attended the GMB office advice on the radio for Asian women. organise staff within the Shared for advice and support with 15 new She is also an ardent campaigner Waste Service between Cambridge colleagues joining GMB for support.