I've been getting a few questions lately, so wanted to post an update.
As I'm not in a workplace at the moment, I stepped down from the various Unite committees I was on. I'm still active in Unite (though the machine doesn't make this easy!) but am contributing more via Unite Rank and File rather than posting here - this site is now largely dormant.
I'm also being asked about the long-anticipated Unite General Secretary election, as few expect McCluskey to manage a full term for the first time. It's noticeable that there are various rule changes up for discussion next week which aim to increase or close down democracy. If there is an election any time soon I won't be standing again. I stood as a rank and file candidate. I hope there will be a strong rank and file voice in any election, but given that I'm not currently active in a workplace I don't think that should be me.
I was also elected President of Manchester TUC earlier this year.
I've made a video about how workplaces can get involved with the climate strikes, an issue which we should all be getting more involved in, and where Unite should be doing much more - fighting for good climate jobs rather than backing destructive and unsustainable projects while jobs continue to be slaughtered. UCU and BFAWU have already adopted policy backing the climate strikes. The silence from McCluskey and our Executive Council urgently needs to end.
This isn't an official report, but is accurate to the best of my knowledge. If you spot any errors or omissions, please let me know. I have also uploaded the official "progress of business".
You can refer to the conference agenda (the pack of motions prior to compositing (merging motions), emergency motions and most Executive Statements). EC statements on Brexit and Gender Identity are available on the conference page of the Unite web site. UniteLive carried reports on several debates, though some (including on an Emergency Motion I moved) appear to have been well hidden.
The mood of conference was positive. In particular, the involvement of young members continues to grow. We've had young member observers for several conferences now. It was striking that we appeared to have more young member delegates this time. Certainly they played a more significant part in debates. Many had been involved in or leading campaigns and disputes, and young members significantly influenced debate on several questions, succeeding in getting the top table to respond.
Less positive was the continuing excessive use of Executive Statements. The Executive Council (EC) can issue statements at any time, for insertion into any debate. Votes on EC statements are taken first, and if one is passed all the motions on the same topics fall. They have a legitimate role - effectively enabling the EC to put forward an alternative motion on a topic where they would otherwise have to oppose motions and leave us with big gaps in policy. But they are now prolific, and rarely used for this purpose, instead enabling fudge and preventing clear debate and decisions. They often help create a mood of unity in conference, but this is illusory if it is unity around a fudge which hinders coherent action in workplaces and communities.
Jargon:
M: Motion
ES: Executive Statement
C: Composite (merged motions)
EM: Emergency Motion
Carried: Agreed by conference
Fell: Not voted on by conference, e.g. because it conflicted with an ES or M that had already been passed, or nobody moved it
Withdrawn: the movers agreed to withdraw the motion, which was not debated. In many cases motions are withdrawn in favour of Composites that include most/all of their points.
Remitted: not voted on, but sent to the EC for consideration
Lost: put to a vote and rejected
Substantive: a motion including one or more amendments
C6, Industrial Strategy (M 26, 27, 28 & 29) - Carried
M30 UK steel and manufacturing post Brexit - Carried
C7 Public ownership (M31, 33, 34, 35) - Carried
M32 nationalisation - Carried
M36 public ownership - Carried
M40 Change in UK law for companies ceasing trading - Carried
M41 Mergers and acquisitions legislation - unwanted & hostile takeovers - Carried Speaker: Frances O'Grady, TUC General Secretary
C8 Public transport (M37, 38) - Carried
M39 East Cost Rail bailout - Carried
Defence Diversification
ES1 Defence Diversification - Carried Comment: though this remains a fudge, it represents a step forward for Unite in trying to implement our longstanding commitment to diversification
M21 Defence Diversification Strategy - Remitted
M22 Defence Diversification - Fell
M23 Defence Jobs - Fell
M24 Opposition to Trident Nuclear Missile System - Fell
M25 Nuclear disarmament - Fell
Political & Labour Party
M102: Against the Football Lads' Alliance - Withdrawn in favour of EM2
EM2: Opposing Racism, The Football Lads Alliance and the Democratic Football Lads Alliance Note: this was actually a (rather mangled) Composite of two Emergency Motions and M102. I moved it on behalf of the GPM&IT NISC. The text was:
Conference notes the Football Lads Alliance (FLA) is attempting to organise football supporters in demonstrations against 'extremism'. It is taking legitimate concerns around terrorism and then using Islamophobia to stir up fear, division and racism. It represents a dangerous development on the right of British politics.
Whilst claming to be against racism, within their ranks they seem happy to harbour known and organised racists and fascists many who have previously or still are active in groups such as EDL, BNP and the likes. On one demonstration Diane Abbott MP was picked out as a target by one of their leaders where they disgracefully said "Diane Abbott we are coming for you".
Some from within the FLA marches have abused and threatened anti-racists from Stand Up To Racism campaign (SUTR) who were leafletting their demonstration. The FLA Facebook group moderators tolerate hate speech from their supporters against women; against Muslims; against Black and ethnic minorities.
It would be wrong to identify all those who are attracted to FLA or who have marched with the FLA as racists and Islamophobes, however there is a danger that if the group goes unchallenged that those elements within it who are pushing a racist agenda are able to mobilise a new far right street movement.
This conference notes that:
1) The racist march of about 15,000 in London on 9 June, was the largest mobilisation of the far right in the UK since the 1930s and the counter-demonstration called by Stand Up To Racism was small.
2) That it followed large racist demonstrations in several cities in previous weeks, which were followed by racist attacks.
3) The rise in mainstream Islamophobia from politicians and the press and the scapegoating of migrants for problems in employment, housing and public services.
Conference resolves to instruct our Executive to:
Support, publicise and mobilise attendance at the demonstration called by Stand Up To Racism on Saturday 14 July against the next major far-right mobilisation in London, and any future far-right marches in our towns and cities and that trade unions should provide stewarding instead of relying on the police to keep people safe.
Educate our members about the rise of Islamophobia and the racism of the FLA and DFLA and other similar groups, and by distributing information to all our branches and members.
Run a campaign to encourage all football clubs, football fans and supporters' clubs to take a stance against groups such as the FLA and the DFLA and encourage and provide resources to Kick Racism Out of Football and Show Racism the Red Card.
Redouble our work with all appropriate anti-racist organisations to build strong local organisation capable of opposing racist mobilisations in our communities
Write to the TUC to demand it launch a 'jobs, homes not racism' campaign to unite the wider trade union movement and to campaign effectively against the far right. This should include workers taking all legal steps (up to and including strike action) to disrupt all attempts to organise for hte purposes of extending the rhetoric of the FLA and DFLA or any similar organisation.
Note: the importance of it became even clearer on 14 July when RMT and Unite trade unionists were physically attacked after a demonstration in support of "Tommy Robinson" (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) and Donald Trump.
M104 Restore clause 4 in the Labour Party - Lost
M105 Extension fo the franchise - Carried
Improving Health & Safety
C15 Mental Health - a union matter (M76, 77, 78, 79) - Carried Comment: This was a very moving debate with delegates recounting their own experiences
M72+A Workplace health & wellbeing representatives - Carried
M73 Shift working and its impact on our members - Withdrawn
M74 Classifying stress as a reportable occupational disease - Carried
M75 Occupational health in the workplace - Carried
Global Solidarity
M68 Yemen - humanitarian aid and ceasefire - Carried
EM3: Latin America - Carried
M70 Mexico - Carried (Amendment withdrawn)
EM5 Brazil - Carried
EM4 Turkey / Kurds and progressive forces - Carried
M71 Israel / Palestine - Carried
EM6 Gaza - Carried Note: this was from the GPM&IT NISC
Brexit
ES2: Brexit - Carried
C1: Brexit and working people (M2, 3, 10 & 11) - Fell
C2 Brexit - a vote on the final deal (M4 & 5) - Fell
C3 The Future of Brexit (M6 & 7) - Fell
C4 Brexit and Free Movement (M12 & 14) - Fell
M8 Brexit - Fell
M9 Leaving the EU - Fell
M13 Workers' rights to move freely and be treated equally - Fell Comment: I moved M13, from my own branch, and was disappointed that the EC knocked out what was primarily an equalities motion using its Brexit statement, which failed to clearly defend the rights of workers and members who may have travelled or decide to travel. When Unite materials talk about workers' rights under Brexit, the rights of current and future members who aren't UK citizens barely get a mention.
M1 Brexit and Ireland - Carried
EM1 Brexit and Gibraltar - Carried
Pensions & Retirement
M96 the future of state pension - Carried
M97 How do we improve the quality of life for our ageing population - Carried
M100 Challenging the mass media portrayal of older people - Carried Speaker: Jeremy Corbyn
M98 Fuel Poverty - Carried
M99 Funeral Poverty - Carried
M101 Carers' Allowance - Carried
Industrial
C16 Automation (M80, 81, 82) - Carried
C17 Shorter Working Time (M83, 84) - Carried
M85: 4 day, 28 hour working week - Remitted
C18 Dignity At Work (M88 & 89) - Carried
M86 setting an agenda for excellent apprenticeships - Carried
M87 Future skills - Carried
M90 organising young workers - Carried
M91 worker cooperatives as opposed to workplace closures - Carried
M92 challenging increased workloads - Carried
M93 + A direct labour organisations - Carried
M94 collective bargaining and solidarity action in workplaces, industries and services - Carried Speaker: Ken Neumann, USW
Equalities
C13 sexual harassment and sexual abuse (M60 & 61) - Carried
C14 women's health (M63 & 64) - Carried
M62 menopause at work - Carried
Speaker: Lauren Townsend, TGI Fridays
Membership at TGI Fridayshas rocketedin response to the (highly profitable) company wanting to take a huge chunk of tips off waiting staff to subsidise low pay for kitchen staff. Members at several restaurants were on strike during the conference. Delegates joined a protest at the Brighton restaurant and engaged in a bit of direct action, with Len McCluskey addressing diners to explain the dispute. For more information see #AllEyesOnTGIs.
EM8: Irish repeal the 8th - women's choice - Carried
C10: Brexit and equalities (M66 & 67) - Carried
C11 Rights for people with disabilities (M52 & 53) - Carried
M47 improving the face of our union by increasing employee diversity - Carried
M48 union representation at constitutional committees - Remitted
M49 equality impact assessments - Carried
M50 unconscious bias - Carried
M51 black and asian ethnic minroity activity based budgeting - Remitted
M54 asylum seekers - Carried
M55 migrant workers - Remitted (Amendment fell)
ES3 Gender identification - Carried
C12 gender identification (M56, 57, 58) - Remitted
M59 Gender recognition act - Withdrawn Comment: this was a significant debate, which unfortunately I missed due to industrial business. I am told that young members made a key contribution, particularly in criticising the decision of leading figures in Unite signing a one-sided letter to the Morning Star with notorious transphobes. Len responded with a clarification. Many others signed responses such as this and this from delegates at the TUC LGBT conference. Thankfully, despite the distraction of the letter, Unite now has policy supporting the rights of trans people.
M65 International Women's Day 2019 - Remitted (with assurances that the EC would act on it)
Campaigning against austerity
C5 Universal Credit (M17, 18, 19, 20) - Carried Speaker: Sharon Graham - Work Voice Pay
NHS 70th birthday
Conference marked the 70th birthday of the NHS and recognised the importance of defending and improving it.
Social Action
C24 NHS (M127, 128, 130) - Carried
C25 - NHS 70th anniversary (M131, 132, 133, 134) - Carried
M126 NHS pay parity - Carried
M129 NHS car parking costs - carried
M155 Health & social care - Carried
C23 Housing (M124 & 125) - Carried
M122 homelessness and rough sleepers - Carried
M123 Grenfell Tower - Carried
M121 Community Rights - Carried
M135 Public scrutiny over public money - Carried
M136 Justice in crisis - Carried
EC report and 2017 accounts - Received by conference Speakers: John McDonnell and Ann Pettifor
ES4 local government funding - Carried
M15 local government cuts - a Unite strategy - Fell Comment: M15 from the London & Eastern Local Authorities RISC was calling on Labour councils to take a firmer stance against cuts and privatisation than the EC statement
M16 tackling the impact of austerity - Carried
Rights for workers and their unions
C19 Trade union freedom (M107, 108, 109) - Carried
M106 Campaign for trade union rights - Carried
M111 banning of subcontracting of work during industrial action - Carried
C20 precarious employment (M112, 113) - Carried
C21 precarious employment (M115, 116) - Carried
M114 Gig economy - Carried
C22 age and the National Living Wage (M119 & 120) - Carried
M110 strengthening TUPE legislation - Carried
M117 Direct Action - Carried Comment: this is a significant motion to train activists in direct action techniques to support our campaigns
M118 amendment to the Equality Act 2010 - Remitted
Energy and Environment
C9 atmospheric pollution (M42, 43) Carried
M44+A clean energy - Carried
M45 Backing of UK coal industry - Carried
EM10 Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon - Carried
EM7 National Grid dispute - USA - Carried Comment: the US subsidiary of National Grid has locked out over 1000 USW members
Union Administration and Membership services
C26 Union Learning Fund (M142, 143, 145) - Lost
M144 Sustainable learning opportunities for all Unite members - Carried
M153 Paperless meetings - Remitted Note: this was from the GPM&IT South East RISC
M154 environment - Carried
M137 Regional Officer Allocations - Remitted Comment: this important motion from the GPM&IT NISC aimed to address a situation where sectors are scattered across the allocations of dozens (hundreds in many cases) of Regional Officers. It was remitted after assurances that the issue would be addressed.
M140 Servicing our membership - Remitted
M138 Unite branches - access to Unite resources and support - Carried
M139 Helping Unite activists communication with members - Carried Comment: conference overturned the EC, who were hiding behind bogus GDPR data protection arguments, on this motion, which is vital for effectiveness at workplace and branch level.
M147 bank charges for small branches - Withdrawn
M151 administration - Carried Comment: again conference overturned the EC. The motion was to stop members being moved between branches and regions without branch officers being kept informed.
M141 strike funds - Carried Comment: I moved this motion to help more members benefit from their own strike funds
M146 review of Unite carers' policy - Carried
M148 Lack of respect towards the retired members section - Remitted
M149 Protecting Unite's reputation online - Remitted
M150 safeguarding the union's heritage - Carried
M152 lond worker policy - Carried
EM9 Marc Wadsworth - Lost
Elections:
The following were elected as the Standing Orders Committee for the 6th Policy Conference: Stephen Frogatt, Frances Hourihane, Pat Davies, Dave Allen, Martin McMulkin, Siobhan McCready, Sam Webster-Moore, Agnes Hilditch, Lisa Higgins, Barry Hartshorn
The following were elected as the Appeals Committee for 2018-20: Lorraine Mannion, Jeff Robinson, Jim Kelly, Ian King, Lisa Colquhoun, John Gillespie, Gaynor Worrell, Tracey Blythe, Ivan Monckton, Melanie Sutton
Rulebook:
Though it wasn't discussed at conference, delegates were given copies of an updated Unite Rulebook. The changes are a response to the new GDPR Data Protection legislation.
Fracking:
Delegates were provided with copies of a new Unite Anti-Fracking Toolkit. This should be going on the Unite web site soon. For now I've uploaded a copy myself.
Fujitsu:
As ever, much of the value of attending conference is the informal discussions with other attendees, from which you learn as much as the debates, and can get things done. I spent a fair amount of conference discussing the unresolved dispute at Fujitsu, particularly given that the company sent proposals shortly before conference began. I was dismissed in January (see the "reinstate Ian Allinson" statement) but am still actively involved in the dispute and, as a victimised worker under Rule 6, was still able to attend conference. Reps in Fujitsu post updates on their web site from time to time: tiny.cc/fujitsudispute.
Last week delegates from each of Unite's industrial sectors met in Brighton for their National Sector Conferences. This report covers the plenary, shared between several sectors, and the conference for my own sector - Graphical, Paper, Media & IT.
Each day's plenary consisted of an address from Len McCluskey, the General Secretary, the Deputy General Secretary covering the sectors meeting that day, and Sharon Graham, head of Organising & Leverage presenting on automation.
Len's speech is here:
After the speeches from the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary there was an opportunity for delegates to ask questions.
I asked a question about how effective support could be given to sectoral campaigns when Regional Officers work to regional rather than sectoral priorities. Len McCluskey said this shouldn't be an issue and that any problems should be taken up with the National Officer and if necessary the relevant Assistant General Secretary.
I had concerns about Len's comments about migration, which I took up in the sector conference (see below).
Sharon's speech is here:
If you haven't yet heard Sharon present on the likely impact of automation on jobs, you really should watch the video. Every sector and region will be discussing this in more detail over the next few months, to come up with agreed responses. [If you want a feel for the way new technology may affect not only what jobs are available, but the content and management of work, this piece on Deliveroo is well worth a read].
Outside the formal business of conference speculation and rumour were widespread about the Certification Officer's likely ruling on the General Secretary election. Most people seem to think the election will have to be run again, that McCluskey won't stand this time, and that there are quite a few senior officers jockeying for position, as well as Coyne hoping he can do better next time. Whatever the result of the legal process, I hope that the Executive Council will ensure a better process in any future elections.
Members were elected to the Standing Orders Committee for the next National Sector Conferences.
GPM&IT conference
There were discussions of reports from the three different National Officers we've had in recent months, culminating with Louisa Bull who is in post on an ongoing basis. The discussion generated a lot of points which Louisa will follow up with the National Industrial Sector Committee (NISC).
We had speeches from the UNI and IndustriALL international union federations about building solidarity and organising.
A speaker from the research department talked about the impact of Brexit on employment and in workplaces and the union response. I raised a concern that the presentation didn't mention the members whose jobs are most threatened - those without UK citizenship, and reported the discussion at our NISC about the need to include this properly in materials. I related this to Len's speech, where he had defended migrants by arguing "they" are just like "us" but talked about the way overseas firms had bought up "our" industry. I argued that workers who don't have UK citizenship are "us", thousands of them are Unite members and deserve proper representation. The researcher made a good point about the importance of having an independent union position in defence of migrant workers, not simply reflecting employers' concerns about their access to workers they can exploit.
The following motions were agreed:
1 Organise and Stimulate
activism in the sector (GPM&IT NISC)
Historically, at least since the creation of Unite and the GPM/IT
Branch Structures, membership levels in certain Branches within the Sector have
fluctuated dramatically. This has not only contributed to member discontent,
but also aided the lack of recruitment campaigns, plus inhibiting the
development of future cadres within our Union. In view of this situation we
call on the Regions to operate a greater transparency in line with the Unions
and GPM/IT policy by:
Publishing
a full list of ALL GPM/IT Branches within each Region, along with graphical details
of size, officers (both Elected and Full Time Officers), also whether Company or
Composite, to all GPM/IT RISCs. This should remove the problem of members placed
into the wrong or inappropriate Branches.
All
RISC members’ names, Branch, Workplace, circulated to all GPM/IT Branches, M/FOCs
this to facilitate the fact that not all Branches are represented on the RISCs.
This would allow RISC members to be more interactive with the members on the work
carried out on their behalf within the Region, but also to be available to
attend meetings on the Branches, Chapels request.
All
existing Regional Branches be trawled as to members employment status, company
etc, with members transferred in to either their appropriate Sector Branches,
as in the case of GPM/IT, where there is an anomaly, consultation to take place
with the member, Branch Secretary and RISC Chair. Members would stay in original
Branches where it makes geographical common sense to do so.
That
all members transferred out to other Branches, the originating Branch Secretary
notified with an explanation why. This should alleviate the fluctuation of membership
as at present.
All
representation of GPM/IT members, either singular or collectively, by either
FTOs or Lay Companions, notification given to both the Branch and the members
RISC.
That
all wage, terms and conditions negotiations consultation with the appropriate RISC,
this to alleviate any infringement on National Agreements where they exist.
This resolution is an attempt to iron out the peaks and troughs
within the GPM/IT Branches membership numbers, also to stimulate our activism
in the Sector, to grow the Union and become more prominent within the Trade
Union, Political and Community movements, not losing sight of the fact that we
truly are a membership led Union.
2 GPM & IT Strategy for
Growth (East Midlands)
Conference notes the key statistics for the print Industry from the
most recent BPIF Facts & Figures report 2017.
In spite of the decline in some traditional print areas the report
demonstrates the significant role the industry still plays in UK manufacturing
and the rapid continued growth of sections such as packaging in the print
industry.
UK printing industry:
is
the world’s fifth largest producer of printed products
has
a turnover of £13.8 billion
has
116,000 employees
consists
of 8,400 companies
has
a gross added value of £5.8 billion
made
a P.A. capital investment of £700 million in 2016
had
a positive trade balance of £775 million in 2016
However despite the growth in the print industry which, is dominated
by big multi-national companies, our union membership has been in steady
decline. Our organising approach needs a coordinated strategy to organise and
recruit the 80,000 people working in print that are not members of our union.
This conference calls upon the union to support the sector with all
the necessary resources to:
map
our membership and research the companies in both GPM and IT Sections of the
sector to identify potential campaigns and recruitment opportunities.
formulate
and support a nationally coordinated organising strategy for the subsectors.
receive
targeted support and resources from the Organising Department at National and
Regional level to help deliver the organising of the sector.
3 Development of GPM &
IT Sector (North East, Yorkshire & Humber)
The GPM & IT Sector is haemorrhaging members despite a number of
medium and large companies being identified as having no members, no reps or
being organised.
Conference calls upon the
NISC and the union to:
do a
root and branch trawl of greenfield sites and region to identify firms;
to
build the Sector and grow;
to
target potential members and organize;
to
encourage and train reps in these workplaces.
4 Organising Strategy
(North West)
Conference recognises that large sections of the industries in the
GPM&IT sector are ununionised or under-unionised, and that this weakens the
bargaining position of every worker in the sector. Organising is therefore a
high priority if we are to help workers in our sector to build more power to
defend and improve their lives.
Conference believes that our sector is affected by trends such as
globalisation, automation and artificial intelligence disrupting existing
patterns of employment, and that an accurate understanding of trends in
employment in our sector and mapping of membership and potential membership are
vital to a successful organising strategy.
Conference welcomes the creation of the Work Voice Pay database which
helps us map our sector. We also welcome the decision of the NISC to request
the addition to the database of sector-specific fields to identify subsector
(Chemicals and Print Suppliers; General Print; IT; Newspapers & Magazines;
Packaging; Paper & Card; or Publishing & Media) and the organising
categories approved by the 2015 sector conference, to be identified for each workplace
by the RISC:
Substantial
single workplaces with recognition – “100%”
Workplaces
in employers with membership but no recognition – “green field”
Workplaces
in multi-site companies/groups where we have recognition in parts – “extend
horizontally”
Unionised
workplaces in other industries with ITC outsourced on site to an employer with
>20 employees – “client site”
The
rest – “nurture”
We urge our NISC, National Officer, research department, RISC
members, workplace reps, branch officers and officers with GPMIT in their
allocations to redouble their efforts to implement the 2015 conference decision
to work on mapping the sector as above so that we build a more accurate,
complete and up to date picture of GPM&IT workplaces.
In addition to data which can be held in the Work Voice Pay database,
the sector should work to identify, for each workplace, factors including:
Number
of workers by employer (including agency, subcontractors etc)
Number
of members by employer
Details
of all reps and branch officers
Details
of recognition, I&C and EWC agreements
Unite
branch
Any
other unions present
Any
union structures linking Unite at this workplace with other unions or other
workplaces in the same employer.
Communication is at the heart of organising, and is essential to
engage more activists with our sector and involve them in the mapping and
organising, without which we will be unable to stop and reverse the decline in
the GPM&IT sector. We note that RISCs and/or officers have generally failed
to implement the 2015 sector conference decision to "email out a short
bulletin following each meeting to all GPM&IT reps in their sector, with a
copy to the National Officer for consideration of the NISC.”
We therefore resolve that:
Each
NISC meeting should decide, early on its agenda, one or more NISC members
responsible for drafting a GPM&IT sector newsletter which, once approved by
the NISC chair, will be sent to all activists in the sector
The
NISC should set up a sector Facebook page for content such as advertising
meetings and events, promoting solidarity with a particular emphasis on our own
sector, and copies of the sector newsletter
If
cuts to Unite's Research department mean it is no longer able to provide analysis
of trends in the sector and mapping, the NISC should consider an appeal to
branches in the sector to fund a temporary researcher to ensure this
information is brought up to date
The
NISC should re-elect its Organising Strategy Subcommittee which should remain
responsible for developing proposals for organising and servicing each of the
identified organising categories more effectively for consideration by the NISC
and RISCs. These may include recommendations on officer allocation, branch
structure and use of lay companions to allow resources to be focussed on
building power for members to win more.
5 Health & Safety in
the Sector (East Midlands)
Conference notes that our industries have their own significant
hazards which our members face on a day to day basis. While some of these are
specific incidents, some are cumulative.
From origination to press, from press to delivery, the printing
industry poses many specific health and safety hazards to GPM/IT members, from
a range of sources:
noise
exposure
to chemicals
ink
misting
manual
handling
repetitive
movement
slips,
trips and falls
stress
vehicular
incidents
lower
limb disorders
shift
and night work
workstation
ergonomics
repetitive
strain injury
While union organised workplaces are known to be 50% safer and that
is one of the main reasons people join and possibly stay in a union. The Health
and Safety Executive (HSE) has had frequent funding cuts and making the print
industry ‘Low Risk’ Means we will not see proactive HSE inspections in the
GPM/IT sector. Along with previous and current government continuing to water
down and cut regulation that protect us, and with the threat that Brexit brings
to health and safety within our industry it is vital that we do all in our
power to keep and improve workplace safety for our members.
Conference calls on the NISC to support and resource:
setting
up a specific GPM/IT National Health & Safety committee to identify hazardous
trends within the industry, both current and the hazards of new technology
run
directed safety campaigns for the GPM/IT sector to inform and educate members
of the risks of the trade.
formulate
and plan on how to raise the profile of Health and Safety within the sector
notify
all RISCs of serious incidents that happen nationally in the GPM/IT sector.
6 Automation Strategy
(London & Eastern)
Conference calls on the Executive Council to adopt a wide-reaching
strategy in both the industrial and political spheres.
Actions are now required based on the accelerating rate of
technological competence and adoption. We call upon the Executive Council to
promote:
Campaigns
to bring about fundamental changes to Education Policy. In the short-term learning
to code and having good IT literacy skills should be a basic feature. In the
longer-term emphasis needs to be on creative, analytical and social skills to ensure
humans can engage in continuous learning just as technical skills become obsolete
as they are transferred through machine-learning to automated systems.
Working
time strategies incorporating longer holidays and job sharing. As large-scale technological
unemployment occurs how the remaining work is reallocated to humans is
critical. A demand for a 30 hour week should be adopted now and reviewed as
automation evolves.
Establishing
job guarantee schemes run by the public sector to allow humans to remain active
and utilise their skills in socially beneficial activities e.g. environment, social
care, health, cultural development
Changes
to the taxation policy from income to capital. In a future world of work where
most of the work is performed by robots and AI labour will not be a sufficient source
of funding for society’s needs. Taxation must therefore switch to capital and workers
via expanded “ownership” can become individually less reliant on income through
wages.
Clearly, the impact upon humans and the current economic systems by
automation is not a technical task. Genuine and long-lasting safeguards and
opportunities cannot be achieved at the workplace or even industrial sector
level. As important as retraining within the workplace and technology
collective agreements are the sheer scale of the automation impact requires
political priority reconfigurations.
Furthermore, Conference calls upon the EC to direct all the union’s
industrial committee structures to make automation strategy a permanent feature
of their work just as organising, equality, health and safety now are.
The union must play to its strengths and there is considerable
knowledge already possessed by workers in the UK technology sector – both
within the membership and sympathetic external organisations. The future
ability to successfully prosecute workers struggles and demands by affecting
the means of production will be rooted in technology. In the past we have “got
away” with ignoring the need to organise technology workers in even other well organised
workplaces. In the future that is not an option.
7 Paperless Meetings
(London & Eastern)
Conference is concerned by the recent trend towards paperless meetings
both in our own union and the wider trade union movement. As a Graphical &
IT sector we support the use of technology in all meetings but we also want
people to have the choice when it comes to the way in which they interact in
these forums between the use of paper and digital documentation. The trend away
from paper does not only impact our members’ jobs and job security, but it
makes the assumption that everyone is competent and confident to use the new
technology and has access. There are serious concerns that the inequality of
access and the cost implications for home printing have not yet been addressed.
Unite is a strong supporter of the "Keep Me Posted"
campaign that makes a strong argument that there should be consumer choice
between paper and digital communication when it comes to how we receive our
bills and bank statements. In a recent survey the campaign found that over 81%
of consumers want the choice and over 56% agree that they would be more likely
to read a paper statement.
There are always two sides to any argument and we should share the
findings from the "twosides" global campaign group. Twosides promotes
the responsible use of Print and Paper which, when sourced from certified or
sustainably managed forests, is a uniquely powerful and natural communications
medium. Over 75% of pulp delivered to European paper and board mills carries a
Forest Certification that indicates it is from a truly renewable and
sustainable resource.
Conference calls on the NISC to pull together the supporting evidence
for the continued use of paper and digital communication.
A paper should be urgently presented to the Executive Council to
ensure that Unite has a strong policy to continue with both paper and digital
communications in all of our committees, conferences and other activities. The
Executive Council should be asked to use our paper to persuade the TUC and
other affiliates to do the same.
8 Labour Party Printing (North East, Yorkshire & Humber)
Conference calls upon the union to ensure the Labour Party and Labour
candidates at all levels (parliamentary, Euro and local/mayoral) to only source
print, publishing and paper from bona
fide unionised sources. This
is at a time when the GPM & IT Sector continues to fund and support the
Party. This motion will support our members and families livelihoods rather
than sending work to non-union sources.
We urge the union and Unite’s members of the Labour NEC to vigorously
ensure this is upheld by the Labour Party.
9 European Works Councils
(South East)
Conference calls on the National officer for the sector to arrange
training to be given to officers of the union with responsibility for European
works councils, to enable them to fully carry out their duties as
coordinator/expert on EWCs.
Time for training and other related duties in regards to EWCs should
be granted by their Regional secretary.
With the uncertainty surrounding post Brexit it is vital this sector
continues to lead the way, in working alongside our European brothers and
sisters, in strengthening our links with sister plants in Europe.
EWCs can be a useful tool for the betterment of our members if we
take ownership of them. Conference believes this is best achieved with well
trained Unite officials attending them as experts .
