Annual Report 2019 Forward with your union Kev Terry, in the Chair as well as the saddle on his sponsored ride around Cuba Message from Kev in the chair 2018 was a very tumultuous year for unions to celebrate the struggles of many with no clear vision of what Brexit our forebears and reminds us means. While the politicians argue, the that the fight still goes on. So workers suffer attacks on their terms let’s look forward to 2019 with and conditions. Wages have been renewed vigour and with hope squeezed and all unions are fighting for and positive actions, we will their members. In all this, we have had prevail. some wins. My own union Unite, went Thanks to Joanne Kaye, the to Brussels to help sister unions beat vice-chair, all the Executive, off attacks on drivers working time and Regional Council members rest periods - and we won. No doubt and the team in the they will be back so no resting on our South West TUC. laurels. Tolpuddle was a resounding success, Joanne Kaye, Vice-Chair the weather was fair and Jeremy Corbyn both stole the show and caused havoc with his walk-about and meeting as many people as he could. The festival is a coming-together of South West TUC Regional Council Forward with your union rexit has dominated MEP provided the Regional aimed at helping apprentices. so much of the news Council with an update from The South West TUC believes agenda for the last year. Brussels and Matt Griffiths the government should BIt has squeezed out critical from Business West gave the simplify the rules and end the issues that deserve attention. Executive a stark assessment discrimination against young The South West, like the of potential damage to workers. But action could whole country, remains investment and long-term be taken immediately by divided on the issue but there prospects. mandating training providers is much trade unions can unite The officers of the South check minimum wage around. We fight to protect West TUC have met the compliance at the same time the limited rights workers region’s Labour MPs through they check training records. have and the highly skilled the year and jobs that depend upon EU although Brexit trade. Some of the region’s has dominated ‘crown jewel’ employers, discussions other especially in aerospace and issues have been advanced engineering have raised such as sounded warning alarms over the need to Britain crashing or slipping reform apprentice into protectionist border minimum wages, controls and tariffs. living wage Health and Social Care campaign and already has acute staff workers’ rights. shortages, a problem that will South West TUC only get worse after Brexit. Apprentice Pay Officers meet The important South West The complexity Labour MPs food and drink sector could of the National from the region be boosted by higher prices Minimum Wage and rates Living Wage but the consumer will pay for young people are one of The campaign for Better Jobs the price. Finding labour the key reasons why so many in Bristol has led to Marvin for seasonal agriculture will apprentices are underpaid. Rees, the Mayor, signing as probably lead the gang The rates are far too low an accredited Living Wage masters to recruit more in any event but the TUC employer - the first council vulnerable migrants from believes more must be done in the region to do so. It is further afield than the EU. to stop ‘non-compliance’. hoped that other authorities After researchers from such as Cornwall, Plymouth Brexit has been on the University of the West of and Stroud will follow suit. agenda for many meetings England exposed the level through the South West of under-payment the TUC year. Clare Moody South West TUC launched a campaign to raise awareness of the issue and challenge training providers to do more to tackle it. A simple to use pay calculator is now online at www.tuc.org.uk/ Jess Hurd taking photos of apprenticepay and a range of apprentices at Bristol Port materials has been circulated Apprentice pay campaign materials This ensures that staff in the supply chain as well as direct workers are paid the real Living Wage, currently £9 an hour. Care workers are amongst the beneficiaries of the Living Wage Campaign but the pressures facing them to accept worse terms remain. UNISON care workers took several days of strike action at Sirona Care, a so-called social enterprise based mainly in Bath. The action took considerable courage by carers who remain determined to stick together to be treated Nigel Costley with Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees fairly and with respect. Mayor Marvin the same courses, are on pay Rees signs the New Deal for Workers Living Wage levels well below those in pledge The TUC called a big march secondary schools. to demand a New Deal for USDAW recently launched its Workers in Time for Better Pay calling May. The rally for a £10 an hour, minimum attracted a 16-hour contracts and a right lot of media to ‘normal hours’ contracts. attention. The New Deal for Workers demo It backed up its case with South West a comprehensive survey of team again pay cap for many public some 10,500 workers that marshalled sector workers especially in exposed the problems of the front of the civil service. A recent poor pay and insecure jobs. the London survey found 69% of civil servants dissatisfied with their Dave Prentis, procession. Impact of cuts UNISON pay and conditions. General Most workers have still not The cuts to public spending Secretary joins seen pay recover to their College lecturers, fed up with continue despite the Tudor Evans, levels in 2008. The pay being left further and further government’s promise of Plymouth leader squeeze is the longest in 200 behind have taken strike an end to austerity. West and union reps action in four colleges across in signing the years. Country Councils have been the South West. Further hit hard and are yet to make Ethical Care Delegates supported a education has suffered from further savings. Somerset Charter motion from PCS last year cut backs and staff teaching County Council’s Conservative protesting at the on-going leadership expressed its frustration with government Sirona care workers lobby the council in Bath and local Tory MPs after it announced its financial crisis. Respect and racism USDAW also highlighted the increasing abuse on shop workers including the lack of police response to shoplifters. The South West TUC met with Sue Mountstevens, the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner to discuss these and other 5 WORKERS COUNTRY COUNTRY WEST THE ISSUE 6 2018 6 ISSUE GREAT NEWS FROM THE THE FROM NEWS SOUTH WEST TUC WEST SOUTH YOU’RE JOBS HIRED!AGENDA reportdigital.co.uk Apprenticeships across © Jess Hurd/ the West of England Making a West Country difference Looking at Women “A real union champions in Leadership opportunity” We continue our look at the Pages 8 & 9 people who shaped our Aliza on being an political history apprentice at Bristol Pages 6 & 7 City Council Pages 4 & 5 Nick Ireland and Kay Timbrell promote USDAW’s pay campaign successes of trade unions as issues. She explained the well as to promote current squeeze on police resources campaigns. This year a central and the lack of capacity they theme was the case against now have, to respond as they would like. The meeting also discussed rising levels of abuse and racist attacks especially in the wake of the EU referendum. Roger McKenzie, UNISON Sue Mountstevens has been Assistant General Secretary with a strong advocate for more Michael Auguste at the Plymouth Painting called: Sorry! Tribute to event to mark the anniversary attention on such crimes the murdered Kamil Ahmad alongside domestic abuse of the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics and modern slavery. zero-hours contracts. Unions Trade unionists joined others used the week to recruit new substantially pruned following to pay tribute to Kamil Ahmad members and promote their strict adherence to GDPR. and Bijan Ebrahimi asylum campaigns. Lots of people The South West TUC annual seekers who were killed in took to social media to shout conference proved an racists attacks in Bristol. out for their unions. opportunity to share advice Bristol Cable writer Rebecca about GDPR as well as debate Yeo, who has championed the West Country Workers the tensions between the cause of disabled refugees, A special edition of the gave an impassioned speech popular West Country to the Regional Council. The Workers was produced to need to challenge prejudice be used in and around Heart and racism in workplaces Unions week. This remains a priority for the well written, good TUC and all unions. looking magazine Asher Craig, Bristol’s provides more in Deputy Mayor joined depth look at some of the key topics in Joanne Kaye at the Tom De Wit, Stand Up To Racism event the region. Tolpuddle to mark the Holocaust Martyrs Museum The South need to gather and spread Memorial Day. West TUC Manager and news, information and Amanda Brown, mailing Heart Unions Week solidarity messages with the UNISON Dorset lists present a Heart Unions needs of data protection have rules. cheque, raised Week is a great been through t-shirt opportunity to TUC Education sales, to Bus celebrate the Shelter Dorest Matching the needs of reps value and to buy sanitary with convenient training products for courses will always be a homeless challenge in a big region like women the South West. The network Asher Craig, Bristol’s Deputy Mayor of college providers of TUC education shrunk in the face expose and help resolve the of falling demand, the rise causes of mental ill health.