part of the union? Not if IBM have anything to do with it.

Your Local MP

Click to show menu Big Issues

If clicking on the "Big Issues" folder does not list any pages above, click here for an index

Other sites of interest

About this web site

UNIONS BANNED?

 

I do not belong to a trade union, but I have enormous respect for what they do. That is why I was disturbed - angered even - to read the latest bulletin to members of UNISON which is reproduced below. It appears that IBM - the US master of SouthWest One - is trying to stop UNISON's right to negotiate on behalf of members. UNISON may be surprised to learn that I intend to fight this issue on their behalf. I am tabling a series of Parliamentary questions and calling for a full debate. I may not ever join the union but I will defend to the death the right of anyone else to do so.

"the workers, united, will never be defeated"....if I have anything to do about it

"In October, the Somerset County Branch of UNISON, with national and regional support, will be attending a 4-day employment tribunal. UNISON Somerset County and Taunton Deane allege that the emailing of the "staffing agreement" for seconded SCC employees late on a Friday night, after the offices close and only 8 hours before the 4am signing of the contract in Bristol on a Saturday morning, constitutes a "failure to consult".

 In addition to this, there are issues of basic principle with UNISON recognition for new staff members joining Southwest One. With support from our Regional Officer Ken Oasgood, we have let Southwest One know that this is an issue of principle that we want resolved; it is also tied up with the "failure to consult" on the staffing agreement, as a 30% recruitment of outside staff represents the loss of over 200 public sector jobs and the UNISON membership lost to that turnover.

 Despite it being recent Government advice to recognise unions in these public/private partnerships and even though we are told that SCC, TDBC & ASPA support the principle of recognition, we have been unable to get Southwest One to formally recognise our right to recruit & then represent new staff members.

 The decision was said to be beyond that of the Southwest One's Chief executive Richard Jones and had to be referred to the USA IBM parent company. Clearly, there is a significant cultural difference between Union recognition and rights within the European Union and the United States. As a result of Southwest One's refusal to recognise our right to represent new staff members of UNISON, we have recently withdrawn our attendance at the JCC in protest."

assuming, that is, that they are allowed to think?

Related Links

(We are not responsible for the content of external web sites)

   
  ©2003,2004 Ian Liddell-Grainger. All rights reserved. www.somersetwest.org.uk