General Secretary's Report
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ANNUAL CONGRESS 2007 THE BRIGHTON CENTRE SUNDAY 3 JUNE 2007 10.00 am - 12.30 pm, 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007 to THURSDAY 7 JUNE 2007 9.30 am - 12.30 pm, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT CONTENTS General Secretary’s Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………..……..…… 1 Communications Department …………………………………………………….…………………………………….... 3 European Office …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..…. 6 International Solidarity Report ……………………………………………………………………………..……..…..….. 9 Health & Environment Department …………………………………………………………………………………...…13 Legal Department ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…. 16 Pensions Department …………………………………………………………………………………………….…....... 21 Political Department …………………………………………………………………………………………….……..… 24 Research Department ………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 29 MOTIONS: Report on Motions & CEC Special Reports & Statements Carried by the 2006 Congress .…….. 36 Report on Motions Referred to the CEC by the 2006 Congress ……………………………..……. 43 Appointment & Election of Officials …………………………………………………………………………….………. 46 Gold Badge and Youth Awards 2006 …………………………………………………..………………………..…….. 47 Deputy General Secretary’s Report …………………………………………………………………………….……… 48 Productivity Services Centre …………………………………………………………………………………...……….. 50 SECTION REPORTS: Commercial Services Section Commercial Services Section …………………………………………………………………………………………... 51 Energy & Utilities Section ……………………………………………………………………………………….….…… 55 Food & Leisure Section ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 59 Manufacturing Section Clothing & Textile Section ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 67 Construction, Furniture, Timber & Allied Section ………………………………………………………….………….. 68 Engineering Section ……………………………………………………………………………….………..………….... 82 Process Section ……………………………………………………………………………………….………………..... 91 Public Services Section ………………………………………………………………………………………….…..... 95 REGIONAL SECRETARIES’ REPORTS : Birmingham & West Midlands Region ……………………………………………………………………….……….. 100 London Region ………………………………………………………………………………………………...………... 109 Midland & East Coast Region …………………………………………………………………………….…………… 117 Northern Region ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 128 North West & Irish Region …………………………………………………………………………………...………… 135 GMB Scotland …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 147 Southern Region ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...… 162 South Western Region ……………………………………………………………………………………………….… 172 Yorkshire & North Derbyshire Region ……………………………………………………………………………...… 179 Dear Colleagues Welcome to Brighton for the Congress of our campaigning, caring, organising Union. A year ago, we gathered in Blackpool. We were faced with making difficult and far reaching decisions about the Union’s future direction. An independent, campaigning, united Union, re-establishing its core values of campaigning for Members and against injustice in society was the clear direction mapped out for us all. We left Blackpool determined to win recognition rights at ASDA and bring back bargaining rights for our existing Members. Within a month we had ASDA Wal-Mart signing an agreement which gave the framework for recognition and collective bargaining across all ASDA distribution depots, the first time anywhere that ASDA Wal-Mart accepted and signed up to the right of their employees to have a trade union bargaining for them!! This was a fundamental change in the company’s attitude to unionisation and it took some 14 months to achieve. From a cold winter’s night in Harrogate when Harry Donaldson and I met Andy Bond and his HR team and explained the way the GMB now worked, to a warm middle of the night at the TUC building in London which produced the first Collective, Bargaining and Recognition document with ASDA Wal-Mart anywhere in the world. Since then, two depots, Erith and Chepstow have won landslide ballots of their workforces to establish Collective Bargaining Rights. I hope we will be able to announce more at Congress. The Members, Shop Stewards and Officials who have kept the Union alive in ASDA deserve our thanks and praise. It has not been easy operating inside an Agreement whether in distribution or stores where everything you do is undermined and undervalued. The task is not over however, in fact, you could say it has only really just begun. The changes at ASDA bring new opportunities for recruitment, organisation and improving our support for Members and Shop Stewards. I don’t try and kid myself or others, ASDA Wal-Mart is still a very hard, difficult employer to negotiate with but the reality is that we are at long last a serious player at the ASDA table, not a puppet organisation bereft of teeth or a determination to back the long term interests of our Members. So, a lot has happened in a year but, much more is to come and some if it will be tough bargaining about the future of ASDA and how it is treating its employees. On another front, our Members and Shop Stewards at Remploy have carried through the stern defence of factory based employment in the face of what looked at times, like a predetermined management plan to shove four thousand people onto the streets. 1 The campaign to save the factories led by the GMB has changed Government thinking and ensured, yet again, that it is very dangerous to underestimate working people and our Remploy Membership in particular. The last year saw us do many things to progress our priorities and policies but not everything got done, either in whole or in part as I know our new Union would like it done. The Justice for Cammell Laird Campaign has hit brick wall after brick wall in attempts to uncover Government documentation which might throw light on what really happened behind the scenes in 1984. The Downing Street staff have given us advice in order to help with disclosure of information but, the files have not produced the smoking gun evidence we are looking for. Perhaps we were naive to think it would but every possible avenue is being considered to move this matter on. On the training front, although we have invested heavily in Diversity Training for Officers and Staff, the National Training Co-ordination is still patchy and unacceptable. On one hand, we have organised national courses on pensions, organisation and various industry/employer issues. The National Framework of key training is still to do. Regions have adapted to needs and joint regional training together with enhanced programmes have been available but standard uniformed training in workplace organisation and bargaining within specific industries and employers is still on the coming along list. Full time officers Employment Law back up and support mechanisms are being piloted, the aim to give Officers and Members a better service. The re-organisation of regional boundaries and the creation of the North West and Irish Region is already showing increased activity and full credit to the Branches, Activists, Officers and Staff of the new Region who have bonded so well and have pushed the new Region into growth. The Public Services Section continues to grow and leads the fight on the equal pay front and on pensions. So, as a Union we have kept to our financial targets, improved our recruitment and started the GMB@Work Policy delivery which is a cornerstone of our strategy for growth. The GMB has been at the forefront in fighting against asset strippers and for jobs and better conditions for our Members - that’s what we do!! Enjoy your Conference and be proud of your Union because your Union is proud of you. Yours fraternally PAUL KENNY General Secretary 2 GMB COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT REPORT SUMMARY All areas of responsibility within GMB Communications have been working towards promoting GMB as ‘Expert in the World of Work’. Using the media, campaigns, publications and member magazines, newsletters and direct mailing the department aims to assisting GMB Officials with recruitment and retention of members by reporting the work of the Union. The GMB Communications Department only gets involved when a GMB official thinks that media coverage, as a tool to progress a workplace or company dispute or industrial issue would be useful. Campaigns can be born overnight like the AA de-recognition dispute or can be the result of years of spadework at a workplace like the Bakkavor Katsouris campaign. Employers face a simple choice. They can do their business with GMB members in private when they recognise and work with the Union. Or if they don’t GMB will do the business in public. Tasked by GMB Congress 2005 & 6 to implement Recommendation 1 of the Congress 2005 GMB Special Report - A Framework for the Future we have also provided regions with emailing and texting messaging systems. We have also endeavoured to communicate weekly with everyone who has sign up to receive GMB newsletter by emailing the GMB Bulletin. Round up of work in each communications area. PRESS 635 GMB national and regional press releases were issued between May 2006 and the end of February 2007. They covered many issues and disputes including the following:- GENERAL GMB’s response to migrant workers joining the British workforce Specific Northern Ireland issues to assist with the launch of the new North West and Irish Region Who earns what – rates of pay Part time women workers Retirement and age discrimination Billy Bragg GMB sponsorship of Hope Not Hate tour MANUFACTURING SECTION Nuclear Industry sell off and renewal, water shortages and pricing, gas prices and supply, Co-operative Funeral Care, Terminal 5 construction, Nestles, and the new