WEST COUNTRY WORKERS THE ISSUE 6 2018 ISSUE GREAT NEWS THE FROM SOUTH WEST TUC YOU’RE JOBS HIRED!AGENDA Apprenticeships across the West of England © Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk “A real West Country Making a opportunity” union champions difference Aliza on being an We continue our look at the Looking at Women apprentice at Bristol people who shaped our in Leadership City Council political history Pages 8 & 9 Pages 4 & 5 Pages 6 & 7 Don’t let your payslip 2 The South West TUC has ith government figures A large part of the campaign is the showing nearly one in website that asks apprentices to input launched a campaign to W five apprentices are not their pay and how many hours they inform apprentices of receiving the minimum wage to have worked, then it calculates whether which they’re entitled, the South the sum reaches the minimum wage for their rights West TUC has produced an online their age and stage in their training. apprentice pay calculator as part of Many employers do not even pay its ‘Don’t Let Your Pay Slip’ initiative. this amount. “A good apprenticeship is a route to a “There is a real problem with rewarding career but some apprentices underpayment in apprentice pay,” are not paid even the legal minimum confirms Professor Felix Ritchie, wage,” says South West TUC Regional Head of Research at the University Secretary Nigel Costley. of the West of England’s accounting, economics and finance department. “We want to help apprentices get good training, be paid right and “Apprentices are more likely to treated well. We will support and be paid less than the minimum promote good employers, but we wage than other groups in the will also call out those employers country, which is a concern because and training providers who allow apprentice pay is already the lowest apprentices to be underpaid.” of the minimum wages.” The South West TUC campaign will: Dr Hilary Drew, associate head of • Inform apprentices of their rights department for partnerships and lecturer in HR management at UWE, • Share an easy-to-use apprentice pay praised the new website, saying: “It’s calculator fantastic. The challenge, though, is • Share ‘Happy Birthday - time for a pay getting it to the right audience. rise’ cards “We did research in 2013 and 2015 and • Train young trade unionists to be able when we asked young workers how to meet and advise apprentices on their pay rates much they were paid, how many hours The South West TUC campaign will: they worked, most of them didn’t know. • Work with training providers to make • Inform apprentices of their rights • Work with training providers sure employers meet minimum pay “For most of the kids, out of school, to make sure employers meet levels out of college, this will probably be • Share an easy-to-use apprentice minimum pay levels • Help UCU college lecturers get the their first job,” agrees Professor Ritchie. pay calculator message across to students “They probably haven’t seen a payslip • Help UCU college lecturers get • Share ‘Happy Birthday - time for before, so asking questions – how many the message across to students • Spread Facebook and other social a pay rise’ cards hours do you work? what’s your gross media ads. • Spread Facebook and other pay? – is quite difficult for them. Sorting • Train young trade unionists to Top: Dr Hilary Drew. social media ads • Encourage apprentices to join that out is going to be key.” Bottom: Professor their union be able to meet and advise Felix Ritchie apprentices on they pay rates • Encourage apprentices to join their union 3 Lee Probert and Anna Keen “ We should all get behind any campaign that promotes the value and power of apprenticeships” “The people we spoke to had no idea more active part in protecting the to train people into the job they’re they might be paid the wrong wage,” apprentices they employ and teach. doing. adds Dr Drew. “They never thought “But we also want apprentices to “By paying people correctly, it about how much they might be paid, know their rights from day one.” underlines how valuable people are never thought their boss might be who do those jobs and strengthens underpaying them. To help apprentices learn more about our workforce by having good quality their rights at work, the South West “Paying apprentices the proper jobs that people are paid for.” TUC will be training up trade union wage is the right thing to do, it’s fair. activists, members and workplace Lee Probert, head of City of Bristol Particularly in the sectors we looked reps to go into colleges and host College, agrees: “Apprentices make at, there was an idea that there was training sessions on the calculator. up a significant part of the workforce a low-pay culture and you work in in Bristol so we should all get behind this profession therefore you will be “We want to ensure as many any campaign that promotes the paid less. It’s setting people up to be apprentices are safeguarded against value and power of apprenticeships exploited and that’s wrong.” exploitation or error by knowing how as a route to securing high level skills to read their payslips, check their Research suggests most instances of and training and properly reflects contracts and work out their hours.” underpayment are mistakes by the what they deserve in terms of their said campaigns officer Ines Lage. employer rather than a calculated pay and conditions.” effort to exploit young workers, but The TUC’s campaign has the You can find the website here the South West TUC is taking no support of Anna Keen, chair of www.tuc.org.uk/apprenticepay n chances. learning partnership and Bristol City cabinet member for skills. “We believe it’s unfair to put the “Apprenticeships are excellent for burden on young apprentices to fight many people,” she says. bad bosses when they’re just starting out, and at the bottom rung of the “They allow you to earn money, they organisation,” says Nigel Costley. give you a different route through to higher education and they strengthen “We want employers, colleges our workforce because we’re able and training providers to take a Yellow buses Bournemouth apprentices and Unite members being given their apprentice tool boxes courtesy King Dick Tools Apprenticeship-shape and Bristol 4 fashion behind the scenes at city firms Tim Lezard visits three f you’d asked me, six months A-levels and did some work in the ago, whether I would have retail sector. workplaces that invest in I been sitting in a meeting with “This is much better, though, apprentices, and benefit directors and managers, I’d never because it’s a real opportunity as a result have believed you.” for me. It’s really good for my self-confidence. I’m learning and So begins 18-year-old Aliza Ibraim, getting paid at the same time!” who is working as an apprentice at Bristol City Council. Her There are more than 100 enthusiasm and ability to learn and apprentices at Bristol City Council absorb information in the finance working as business administrators, department has already been noted electricians, plumbers, accountants, by colleagues. supporting teaching and learning in schools and in human resources. “She’s brought a spark to the “As a council we want to model L-R: Nigel Costley, Aliza Ibraim office,” beams her manager and Marvin Rees. Jonathan Jacobs. “When she what we say,” says Mayor Marvin arrived she was shy. She didn’t Rees. “We’ve been talking about want to answer the phone, talk to apprenticeships and different anybody, but in the last six months pathways into work. Using she’s come out of her shell, and with apprenticeships is a more effective training and guidance she is now a way of recruiting from a more regular participator in meetings. I diverse group of race and class can see her going a long way.” backgrounds. We want the city to do it, so we do it ourselves.” “I’d been in education for so long and it was just exams, exams, “We’re actively promoting exams,” Aliza sighs. “It’s mostly apprenticeships, not just to the been what you learn off a book council, but to the city as a whole,” and that doesn’t really work for me. I says Tiffany Jenkins, the council’s didn’t want to go to university, apprentices team leader. “We so I took a gap year after my teach them a certain way so they’re multi-skilled and can address our shortage of skills. At the same time they make the council a more diverse place to work and, hopefully, “It’s really good for my self- we can help get them into more n confidence. I’m learning and senior positions.” getting paid at the same time!” Jonathan Jacobs and Aliza Ibraim. Apprenticeship-shape and Bristol 5 fashion behind the scenes at city firms Apprentices at Bristol Port Tony Lawless avid Brown says an ristol Waste MD Tony Lawless apprenticeship at Bristol is a big fan of apprentices – D Port can lead to a job for life. B he was one himself. The company’s chief executive sees “We don’t do enough the scheme as a route to the top, apprenticeships in this country,” saying: “Providing you show the he says. “There’s a massive skills commitment, the tenacity and the shortage in the UK. It’s diabolical integrity to work here, there is no we’ve got into this state where bar no where you can reach in the decent training for apprenticeships company.