theACTIVIST Issue 88 February 2021 GMB News From Around The Region “ It's absolutely scandalous and time we had much tougher laws in the UK to protect workers ” Peter Davies Senior Organiser In this issue… • Scandal of Arcadia SCANDAL OF ARCADIA COLLAPSE AS TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR collapse • More safety, more SACKED WORKERS REDUNDANCY space and less stress Workers have to apply through the statutory process and the taxpayer will cough up while in our schools greedy multi-millionaire Philip Green sails off on his yacht. • Tracy Brabin for Mayor • British Gas Update GMB has revealed the ‘scandal’ of Arcadia’s collapse as it emerges the taxpayer will have • GMB Pay 15: Learn to to shell-out for sacked workers’ redundancy pay-outs. The historic Burton site in Leeds is set to Win session close with 400 jobs lost, it was announced last week. The former Burton factory in Leeds has • Mental Health been in operation since 1922 - most recently as a distribution centre for Arcadia stores impact on NHS including Dorothy Perkins and Burtons. workers • Fair pay for key Administrators Deloitte, who raked in millions for their services during the sell off of Philip workers Green’s empire, told workers there would be no money left to pay their notice pay or • Workers Budget redundancy. This leaves hundreds of staff having to apply to the Government for the money 2/3/21 • UnionLine win big for that is rightfully theirs – which will ultimately be funded by taxpayer cash. GMB member • Young members Peter Davies, GMB Senior Organiser, said: “Obviously, this is an absolute tragedy. This site show solidarity with was a thriving distribution centre still rammed with stock. The administrators have raked in gas workers millions overseeing selling off the company names. But not one jot of effort has been made • TUC: Young workers on the workers’ behalf who will have to carry on up to the closure date, clearing that stock bearing the brunt and won't get a penny out of it. “Workers will have to apply for redundancy through the statutory process and the taxpayer will cough up whilst that greedy multi-millionaire Philip Green sails off on his yacht. It's absolutely scandalous and time we had much tougher laws in the UK to protect workers who always have to pay the price for these board room disasters.” THE ACTIVIST GMB - Grove Hall - 60 College Grove Road - Wakefield - WF1 3RN 0345 337 7777 www.gmbyorkshire.org.uk 1 THE ACTIVIST GMB members from Asquith Primary School in Leeds GOVERNMENT HAS DONE ‘PRECIOUS LITTLE’ TO PREPARE SCHOOLS FOR SAFE RETURN GMB Union, which represents more than 100,000 school workers, has called for fully revised risk assessments to be published on a full return for schools. Ahead of the Prime Minister’s major announcement on lockdown easing on Monday, the union said the Government must fund additional safety measures. GMB is calling for more safety, more space and less stress and listed a number of measures that need to be taken in order to ensure school safety (see opposite). Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “We want all our kids in their classrooms and learning but we need MONDAY MORNING HEALTH & SAFETY a proper credible plan. Let’s face it, the Government has done precious little to make schools safer between BRIEFINGS FOR GMB REPS the start of lockdown and now despite having ample Every Monday morning at 9.30am we run a briefing for time. GMB Health and Safety reps - these cover key topics around the pandemic and how we can better “Once again, the media has been briefed before protect members. school workers and their unions. As a starting point, we need to see risk and equality impact assessments to fully They’re a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve know what we are dealing with and how the got any and to keep up to date with the latest Covid Government plans to support safety in schools. guidelines both inside and outside of the workplace. “School support staff have been in classrooms throughout the pandemic - schools have not been You’re invited to join so please hit the button below to closed – many school workers are telling us that without register or to catch up on last Monday’s session. additional protective measures, more space and proper support a full return won’t work. Click here to register “We need full central Government funding for enhanced safety measures, extra PPE in primary, early years and SEND settings which are now higher risk - and Click here to watch Monday’s for school workers to be vaccinated as soon as possible. session This isn’t just about keeping school workers and our children safe. It’s about keeping the R number down for all of us.” THE ACTIVIST GMB - Grove Hall - 60 College Grove Road - Wakefield - WF1 3RN 0345 337 7777 www.gmbyorkshire.org.uk 2 THE ACTIVIST GMB IS PROUD TO SUPPORT TRACY BRABIN AS LABOUR’S WEST YORKSHIRE METRO MAYOR CANDIDATE Tracy Brabin is the Member of She also appeared in Emmerdale Speaking to The Activist, Tracy said: Parliament for Batley and Spen, and wrote for both Hollyoaks and “ I’m Yorkshire through and through, which is her home town and where Shameless. so this is a huge honour. I’m many of her family still live. Her Mum incredibly proud to be Labour’s still lives on the council estate Tracy Tracy says representing her home mayoral candidate because it grew up on. area in Westminster is the honour of means representing the people I her life, but that she will stand down grew up with and the communities I Tracy isn’t a typical politician. She as an MP if elected as West Yorkshire grew up in to try and make a real was a free school meals kid who, like Mayor in order to be a full-time and practical difference to their day so many people in our area, started mayor for the region. to day lives. work as soon as she was old enough to do so, working in her local Tracy’s priorities as Mayor would be “ We’ve seen this year, more than hairdressers. protecting and creating good, well any other, how much it matters who Growing up in Batley in the 1970s, paid jobs – including in the growing we elect. We need a mayor who is Tracy watched headline acts at the entertainment industry which is going to get West Yorkshire our fair Batley Variety Club which is where already starting to flourish in the share when it comes to funding, jobs, transport and a recovery from the she first got stars in her eyes. region, alongside the green economy; safer streets and pandemic. There’s a big north/south Seeing the likes of Louis Armstrong, community policing; expanding divide in this country and we deserve Eartha Kitt and Shirley Bassey in her clean and green transport, including better than to be treated as second small market town set Tracy on a a mass transit system for the region class citizens. path in the entertainment industry. and ensuring a fair recovery from the “ There’s a big job to do in rebuilding Covid-19 pandemic. For three decades she worked in the our economy in a post Covid-19 entertainment industry, and might be world, my job will be to make sure Mayoral powers in West Yorkshire familiar to voters as Tricia Armstrong, that what comes next is fair and include transport, adult skills, some a Coronation Street character Tracy delivers the jobs, skills and aspects of planning and housing, played. opportunities for people.” policing and the economy. THE ACTIVIST GMB - Grove Hall - 60 College Grove Road - Wakefield - WF1 3RN 0345 337 7777 www.gmbyorkshire.org.uk 3 THE ACTIVIST BRITISH GAS STRIKE DAYS 23 TO 26 GO AHEAD AS PARENT COMPANY CENTRICA ANNOUNCES £700 MILLION PROFIT Fire and rehire remains the main obstacle to a potential settlement from the talks at ACAS, says GMB Union British Gas engineers took strike action for the 23rd day today as parent company Centrica announces adjusted operating profits of almost £700 million. Preliminary results for the year ending December 2020 GMB NHS PAY 15: LEARN TO WIN shows that Centrica recorded £699 million in adjusted Exhausted? Stressed? Overworked and Underpaid? operating profits, and a £52 million statutory profit Then you cannot afford to miss this event... compared to an £849 million loss in the previous 12 months. Calling all GMB NHS & Ambulance Service Activists. Around 7,000 British Gas engineers will down tools for four GMB would like to invite you to attend an important days from Friday, 26 February until Monday, 1 March National NHS and Ambulance GMB Reps and over the company’s plan to sack them all and rehire Activists’ Zoom event on Tuesday 30 March from them on worse terms and conditions. These are strike 6pm-8pm. days 23 to 26 of the ongoing dispute. Take some time out to join our online event to have Talks between GMB and British Gas have taken place at your say on pay and your voice heard by your trade ACAS, but GMB says the company’s refusal to withdraw union. its fire and rehire plan remains the main obstacle to a potential resolution. We are running this event because GMB wants to support you and your colleagues to make real The field staff bargaining group rejected the fire and changes on your ward, unit or community team rehire cuts in December and has already taken base.