Ofgem pensions attack Young professonals convention TUC 2009 Conservative party policies union for professionals • www.prospect.org.uk ISSUE 7 • OCTOBER 2009 PICTUREEVERY TELLS A STORY Profile GENERAL SECRETARY 2 ■ October 7/09 so just because that member happens to wear black Each and every Prospect and blow a whistle? Second, if we wanted to exploit our representation member matters to us of Premier League referees for the purposes of publicity we could have done so any time there was a refereeing Prospect exists just as much to give effective controversy (and there have been plenty of them) over individual representation to members as it does for the last four years. When we concluded the recognition collective bargaining on pay, pensions or anything agreement for referees we made it clear that we would else. We handle more than 3,000 personal cases not provide a running commentary on refereeing each year, and many more situations arise where we decisions, and nor have we. We will, however, stand up simply give advice about rights at work or provide a for our members in all circumstances. shoulder to lean (or cry) on. Court of Appeal Most of this work is carried out by Prospect lay reps for whom we provide training and who can The second case, also reported in this Profile, is slightly give immediate advice and support to members. These cases show different but no less important. Sometimes more serious issues are at stake and the importance of Christine Wilson is a member in the Health and full-time officers, including our legal services officers Safety Executive on whose behalf we have been and pensions or health and safety specialists, are union membership pursuing an equal pay claim against her employer, the called on to assist. Usually, of course, such matters are and why no one Health and Safety Executive. This has gone as far as dealt with on a confidential basis. can afford to be the Court of Appeal and I am delighted that we have But two recent cases have hit the headlines. The been successful on all points. first and most publicised has been that of Premier without Prospect’s Christine’s is only one of 81 such cases, not all in League referee Alan Wiley who was unfairly criticised protection, HSE, about service-related criteria as a determinant of by Sir Alex Ferguson as being unfit. National secretary pay. It is an indictment of the legal system that some Alan Leighton gives his own perspective on page 5 whatever of these cases go back as far as 2001. It was, however, but I want to make two observations here. their area of a tremendous victory although we will have to see First, at least one journalist has intimated that employment if it is appealed to the Supreme Court. If it is, we are either Alan Leighton personally or Prospect generally confident of the outcome. If not, it should unlock a has been motivated by a desire for publicity. Nothing resolution of all the outstanding cases even though could be further from the truth. Alan’s actions and they may need to be individually litigated. involvement are motivated wholly and solely by the Both these cases show the importance of union desire to repair an injustice to an individual Prospect membership and why no one can afford to be member and the wider group of Premier League without Prospect’s protection, whatever their area of referees. We would not tolerate a member in any employment. other walk of life being abused – so why should we do Paul Noon STEFANO CAGNONI STEFANO WITH THIS IN THIS ISSUE ... PROFILE WHEN THE MEDIA GOES MAD There are two 5 Alan Leighton explains why he gave Sir Alex Ferguson the red card Prospect inserts with YOUNG, FREE AND CONNECTED this issue: 8 What happened when Prospect’s young professionals came together for a day Platform – the PICTURE THIS ... newsletter for 13 Why Science Museum members staged their own anniversary photograph members in the TUC LIVERPOOL private and public 14 Delegates hear from Prospect on energy, jobs, defence industry safety and trade unions CONSERVATIVE AGENDA Energy Lines – the 16 Shadow ministers spell out what a Tory newsletter for government would mean for members DEVONPORT MAN working members 20 NEC member Nick Wadge will have no truck with in the energy attacks on defence civilians supply industry HAPPY BIRTHDAY HSE 25 The Health and Safety Executive is 35 years old sector – and it deserves a pat on the back Published Design and origination Pictures/distribution Change of name, address or Acceptance of by Prospect from Simon Crosby (Prospect) Tracy Thornton 020 7902 6604 employment details advertise ments New Prospect House and edition periodicals Membership Department does not imply [email protected] Advertising 8 Leake Street www.editionperiodicals.co.uk 01932 577007 recommend- Century One Publishing Ltd, ation on the www.prospect.org.uk London SE1 7NN membership@ Subscriptions Arquen House, 4-6 Spicer Street, part of the Editor: Charles Harvey 020 7902 6600 UK £37 per annum St Albans, Herts AL3 4PQ prospect.org.uk union. Opinions Reports: Graham Stewart Fax: 020 7902 6667 Overseas £54 Tel: 01727 893894 eProfile expressed are not Katherine Beirne Printed by St Ives Free to Prospect members e-mail: ollie@ To receive Profile by email, log in necessarily those Penny Vevers (Peterborough) ISSN 1477-6383 centuryonepublishing.ltd.uk at www.prospect.org.uk of Prospect. NEWS Profile October 7/09 ■ 3 PICTURES: STEFANO CAGNONI STEFANO PICTURES: EQUAL PAY VICTORY A bloody PROSPECT HAS won a landmark sex discrimina- tion ruling in an ongoing equal pay case. injustice! The Court of Appeal has ruled in the case of HSE Prospect president Catherine inspector Christine Wilson Donaldson last month joined that employers must forensic scientists for a lab-coated justify the use of seniority- protest outside the TUC against job based pay systems if they cuts and privatisation. mean women are paid Three members travelled from less than male colleagues the Chorley, Lancashire, laboratory doing the same work. to join the Prospect delegation and The ruling is a victory leaflet visitors and delegates to the for the Prospect legal team BT Convention Centre, Liverpool. – solicitors Russell Jones The government plans to close ■ & Walker who represented down three of the Forensic Science Catherine Donaldson joins FSS members at the TUC Christine, and legal officer Service’s seven laboratories and Marion Scovell. axe 30-40 per cent of the workforce – up to 800 of the take out these labs we will leave the field wide open for Marion said: 1,900 staff. Members fear the cuts are just a precursor to criminals to take advantage.” ”Employers need to privatisation. Caroline Eames, a senior forensic scientist, said she think very carefully as to Lindsay Hoyle, MP for Chorley (above), joined the protest, came on the lobby “because only the criminals will benefit helped leaflet delegates, and lent his very loud voice to the from the fragmentation of forensic science. A big loss of campaign. “This is about saving quality science jobs for the knowledge and experience is already under way right now north-west and the country as a whole,” he said. “If we as people leave for more secure employment.” Where do they stand? Pay: It’s 1% or nothing ... ■ see pages 16-18 CIVIL SERVICE pay has been turned into ‘a civil service pay, currently in the middle of a near-freeze seriously undermined the political football’ by the actions of govern- three-year deal. independence of the pay review bodies. ment and opposition, civil service unions However multi-year deals for other civil News of the government’s curbs have protested. servants and parts of the public sector will preceded by a few hours the announcement In a letter to the chancellor they have apparently still be respected, including by shadow chancellor George Osborne that attacked the pay curbs announced this deals affecting teachers, nurses and police a Conservative government would freeze all ■ Wilson –employers must month by ministers and the Conservative officers. public sector pay for a year, except for staff justify seniority-based pay party, and warned that making civil service Dai Hudd, deputy general secretary, earning less than £18,000. This would save systems pay a matter of deliberate political contro- attacked the haphazard nature of the £12bn over the life of the next parliament, whether extra years in the versy “risks damaging the non-political announcement, which he said would leave he claimed. job really do lead to better nature of the civil service.” members not in multi-year deals at a Dai Hudd said such a freeze directly performance, and if so for The unions were reacting to the govern- significant disadvantage. Unions will seek to contradicted Tory leader David Cameron’s how long.” ment’s sudden recommendation that pay clarify the exact extent of the measures at a pledge this summer not to impose a public The union is waiting to increases for civil servants, salaried doctors, meeting with Liam Byrne, chief secretary to sector pay freeze in 2010 because he did not hear if HSE will appeal. dentists and prison officers should be the Treasury, in late October. know what the rate of inflation would be ■ Court decision limited to 0-1 per cent in 2010. In evidence “Sacrifices on pay in the public interest next year. “I don’t think that is the way we – page 22 to the senior salaries review body the should be shared equally across the public do pay in this country,” Cameron said in a chancellor also called for a freeze on senior sector,” said Hudd, who said imposing a BBC interview in July.