Tag: GMB

Poll finds workers terrified of taking virus home

Two thirds of workers said their mental health has been harmed by the coronavirus crisis, a massive new survey by GMB has found.

In the poll of 13,500 public and private sector workers – thought to be the biggest of its kind during the pandemic – 66 per cent of respondents said that their work during the outbreak has had a serious negative impact on their mental health.

Other findings from the survey, released on World Mental Health Day, include:

  • 61 per cent of workers say their job is causing them stress or is otherwise impacting on their mental health.
  • Fear of taking the coronavirus home was the frequently cited cause of stress at work (by 36 per cent of respondents), followed by workers’ fear for their own safety (by 30 per cent).
  • Front-line workers report being 70 per cent more anxious on average than official estimates for the whole population before the pandemic struck.
  • Workers in retail, schools, outsourced services, and care report experiencing the highest levels of anxiety.

GMB is campaigning for a ‘Mental Health at Work Act ‘specifying the approach and methods expected of all employers in managing mental health in the workplace.

If successful, the legislation would require absences due to poor mental health to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive on the same basis as physical injuries.

Nell Andrew, GMB National Equality and Inclusion Officer, said: “Shockingly, almost one in five adults have experienced some form of depression during the pandemic – almost doubling from before the crisis.

“These stark results show it’s not just workers’ physical health that’s being impacted by covid – but their mental health and well-being is too. And that’s a massive problem for everyone.

“Much more needs to be done to prevent poor mental health in the workplace, during the pandemic and beyond.

“We urgently need full mental health risk assessments to become the norm, because protecting workers’ mental health is just as vital as protecting physical health.

“As we face a second wave and widespread redundancies, we desperately need to protect at-risk industries and fully fund the public services that defend the mental health and wellbeing of the heroic workers who have keep the economy and society together.”

Strikes to start as Burton’s “takes the biscuit again” with pay offer

Production of some of Britain’s favourite biscuits will be halted over the next month as workers at Burton’s Biscuits Co in Edinburgh launch strike action over a “derisory” pay offer.

GMB members at the Sighthill manufacturing plant, voted by an overwhelming majority of 91 per cent for industrial action after management refused to increase a 1.6 per cent offer for the next year.

An indefinite work to rule and overtime ban will start on Tuesday 8 September from 14.00 hours before a series of twenty-four hour strikes throughout September. Action will take place on the following dates:

  • 06.00 hours on Wednesday 9 September to 05.59 hours on Thursday 10 September.
  • 06.00 hours on Wednesday 16 September to 05.59 hours on Thursday 17 September.
  • 06.00 hours on Wednesday 23 September to 05.59 hours on Thursday 24 September.

The biscuit manufacturer, which produces staple household brands like Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels, is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan which hold net assets worth a staggering $204.7 billion.

GMB Scotland Organiser Benny Rankin said: “Burton’s stubborn stance on this year’s pay offer is an insult to staff that have worked throughout the lockdown at management’s insistence.

“In March staff were told they were part of the key worker response and despite serious health and safety concerns over working practices, our members did what needed to be done for this business.

“Burton’s derisory pay offer hold’s a mirror up to this management – they clearly do not value the contribution of their staff and have no interest in recognising and rewarding them properly.

“And after previous concerns over management’s ability to adhere to the COVID guidelines on workplace safety, Burton’s are taking the biscuit again over their workers’ pay and conditions.

“Their refusal to meaningfully engage with a workforce that deserve so much better means we have been left with little choice but to strike for a decent pay offer.”

Safety in Schools

Important information for Edinburgh’s parents,carers and pupils

The EIS has responded to the Deputy First Minister’s announcement that Secondary school pupils aged 12 and over will be required to wear face coverings in school communal areas from the 31st of August.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes this decision by the Scottish Government today, which reflects the updated advice from the World Health Organisation recommending face coverings for those aged 12 and over, where 1m distancing cannot be maintained. Schools are busy places with a large number of adults and young adults moving around.

“The use of face coverings in these circumstances is a sensible and appropriate step to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading through school communities.

Mr Flanagan added: “While we welcome the announcement, the EIS believes that effective physical distancing between pupils is the best means of reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools.

“This is an area where the guidance from the Scottish Government currently lacks specificity; there needs to be a much sharper focus on ensuring social distancing in schools to protect pupils, staff and the wider community. Smaller class sizes to ensure appropriate physical distancing of pupils are essential.”

He concluded, “Across all sectors, smaller classes would be a huge boost, also, to the educational recovery of those pupils most disadvantaged by the impact of lockdown. The Scottish Government, indeed, all political parties within the Scottish Parliament, should prioritise the expenditure required for the extra teachers needed to help our pupils.”

Face covering u-turn shows Ministers must listen to workers

In England, the GMB union has welcomed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s U-turn on face coverings in schools.

GMB, the union for school staff, says the Government’s u-turn on face coverings shows Ministers must learn to listen to workers.

Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer, said: “GMB wrote to the Education Secretary back in mid-July challenging the Government’s position on face coverings in school during the pandemic.

“Schools know social distancing will be extremely difficult and large ‘bubbles’ present a covid-19 risk. All we wanted was for staff who felt the need to wear a mask not to be actively discouraged from doing so.

“The Government appears to be ignoring the science in order to avoid a political hit. Now they’ve performed yet another u-turn.

“It’s time Ministers learned to listen to the concerns of the school staff who will be instrumental in keeping our schools safe and, importantly, open.”

“After The Applause, Pay Up For Key Workers”

Public service staff will deliver a petition to the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today on behalf of thousands of key workers, calling on the Scottish Government to recognise the sacrifices of those on the frontline by bringing forward a coronavirus bonus payment.  

GMB Scotland members are campaigning for a £2 an hour additional payment for every hour worked during the lockdown, a figure that would deliver a retrospective payment of as little as £85 extra per week on the basic rate of pay for frontline staff, many of whom earn just under or over £10 an hour.  

The union is citing the example of the devolved Welsh Government’s decision to award carers a £500 bonus, retailers like Tesco who have increased the basic rate of pay by 10 per cent for their staff, and the decision of the French Government to award health workers a €1,500 bonus – in addition to a further €8 billion worth of additional funding for future pay increases.  

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Public Services Drew Duffy said: “The frontline response to the coronavirus crisis across the public sector has been largely delivered on the backs of the lowest paid – cleaners, carers, porters, refuse workers and school support staff. 

“When the rest of the country went into lockdown they kept our hospitals clean, lifted our rubbish, looked after the kids of our other key workers in hub schools across Scotland, and they continue to face the crisis within a crisis that is social care.   

 “And while the magnificent public support they received really boosted their morale, they are rightly looking for recognition from the employers and politicians who were quick to clap them.  

“Employers and governments across the UK and beyond are starting to appreciate the real value of this low-paid army and are committing to tackling the damage caused by a decade of cuts.  

“If Scotland really aspires to be a nation of fair work, then the Scottish Government should do the right thing and recognise that there needs to be a reckoning on the value of these workers.  

“The message is loud and clear: After the applause, pay up for our key workers. It’s the very least they deserve for everything they have done for all of us.” 

Action plan needed to tackle COVID-19’s effect on BAME community

There have been renewed calls for the UK Government to take real action to protect BAME communities from COVID 19. 

New figures released by the ONS show that the rate of deaths for black males was over three times greater than that for white males of the same age, while the rate for black females was more than twice as great than for white females.

Men of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian ethnic backgrounds also were found to be one and a half times more likely to die than their white counterparts, after adjustments were made for population characteristics.

The ONS’s analysis also found that Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh people all have higher risks of death.

In recent weeks the GMB trade union has been highly critical of the government’s failure to protect BAME workers from COVID19, with the latest figures a real wake up call.

Rehana Azam, GMB national secretary said: “Why is it that if you are from a black, Asian, and minority ethnic background, are you still more likely to be killed by coronavirus? 

“We’ve known this for weeks, and yet still no major action has taken place to protect BAME communities by government.

“These figures are a huge wake up call. The time for talking is over. We don’t need further data or consultations. We need action from the government, and we need it now.”

British Medical Association (BMA) council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul has also demanded the Government address the effect of COVID-19 on BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) communities – calling for immediate timelines for action plans instead of further consultations and reviews.

Dr Nagpaul asked the Government to implement the recommendations from a recent PHE (Public Health England) review urgently.

Dr Nagpaul said: ‘Our view as a profession, and my view, is that we’ve had enough reports, we’ve had enough reviews, we’ve had previous commissions. We know what the problems are.

“What we now need is an action plan. That’s what we asked for from the publication of the PHE review so each of those recommendations now needs to be populated with timescales of action plans and what needs to be done.

“Remember, the Government commissioned the PHE review – as the commissioner it now needs to respond not with some other commission but really with what is going to be done now. We’ve discussed many of the issues can be addressed very quickly and others may take some time. That’s what needs to happen.”

Marsha de Cordova MP, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary, said: “Across the globe, racial injustice has always had a devastating impact on society, and coronavirus has demonstrated the deadly consequences of when racial inequalities go unchecked.

“These findings are yet more evidence of the need for urgent action on this issue. But instead we have seen denial and delay from the Government.”

 

New health measures for travellers to Scotland

The UK government’s plans for 14 days self-quarantining of arrivals will spell disaster for Scotlands aviation industry – GMB 

GMB, the union for aviation staff, has described the UK government’s plans to introduce self-quarantine for UK arrivals as ‘ill thought out’. 

From today (Monday 08 June) arrivals to the UK will be expected to quarantine for 14 day save for a list of exempted professions.

GMB believes the move lacks scientific evidence and will be disastrous for the aviation industry and the economy in Scotland.

The union has launched the Save Our Airports campaign with six key demands which include extending the 80% furlough scheme for another 12 months, a financial package to support the aviation industry and a commitment to work with unions to deliver a way forward for the industry.

In 2018 the aviation industry supported almost 23,000 jobs in Scotland and contributed more than £240 million to the economy. The gross median salary of an air transport worker in 2018 was around £30,000.

In recent weeks many of these workers have been risking their own health facilitating cargo flights containing vital medical, food supplies and PPE to aid in the national effort against Covid 19 infections.

The union argue that airports are of huge significance to regional economies; providing highly skilled jobs which are often difficult to replicate, whilst also contributing to the creation of almost 126,000 supply chain jobs.

GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “The UK Government’s plans for self-quarantining arrivals to the UK will prove disastrous for an already beleaguered aviation industry. 

“This is a populist move, made without any real scientific evidence or consultation with the industry and unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the sector.

“Many people forget the huge significance of the aviation industry to the economy of Scotland and the impact this quarantine will have on much needed jobs here.

“Aviation jobs aren’t just about airlines, cabin crew and pilots; the aviation industry provides important supply chain jobs to baggage handlers, security, fire crews, taxi drivers and retail workers.

“If the UK government don’t end this ill thought out policy and step in with a bespoke financial package for aviation then thousands of regional aviation jobs will be lost. It’s not too late for the UK government to act.”

The new public health measures come into force today (8 June) to help suppress coronavirus (COVID-19) and prevent new cases being brought into Scotland.

The range of measures, which will be broadly similar to those in other parts of the UK, will include:

  • a requirement for residents and visitors entering the UK from abroad to self-isolate for 14 days
  • the completion of an online passenger locator form by all travellers prior to travel to supply contact details, travel details and the address of where they will self-isolate
  • spot checks at the border by Border Force, who may impose fines on travellers who refuse to comply
  • arrangements for some of those arriving into Scotland to be contacted during their period of self-isolation for the provision of public health advice and information
  • powers for police to impose a fixed penalty notice for anyone failing to comply with the mandatory conditions, with the ability to report persistent offenders to the Procurator Fiscal for potential prosecution

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are, as a country and across the world, continuing to deal with unprecedented challenges that this pandemic brings. These public health measures will play an important part in helping to prevent further spread of the disease.

“These steps are aimed at protecting people and ensuring that we limit spread when our own infection rates are falling. However, they are temporary and will not be in place any longer than deemed necessary to protect public health – as such, they will be reviewed after three weeks.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Over the past few weeks, the UK government has caused endless confusion among travellers over whether holidays can go ahead.

“Even today, as it ushers in 14-day quarantine for UK arrivals, many consumers are confused as to whether the holiday they already have booked will take place due to the lack of consistent communication from the government.

“Meanwhile, the absence of a definitive date from the FCO on when its travel ban will remain in force until continues to allow travel firms to sell holidays departing in the next few weeks that almost certainly can’t go ahead.

“Not only will those customers not get a holiday, but they may not get their money back either – as some travel firms continue to delay and deny refunds.”

“Priorities all wrong” – GMB slams £100 million security costs for Glasgow COP 26

Amid media reports that security costs for UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow could cost “several hundred million pounds”, GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said: “The prospect of hundreds of millions of pounds of public money spent on policing costs alone will sicken frontline council staff and struggling local communities.

“The world’s political elite will swoop in and out of Glasgow later in the year but the city’s many challenges will remain the day after the circus leave town.

“What exactly are we hoping to showcase by hosting this summit?

“The Glasgow waste crisis is getting worse – you only need to look at the latest footage of the conditions facing cleansing workers on a daily basis.

“Our home carers are working alone on foot at night to provide basic home care help for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

“The council needs to find an additional £250 million to settle residual equal pay claims for tens of thousands of council staff past and present.

“It also needs to replace its discriminatory WPBR with a new job evaluation system lifts up the pay and conditions of chronically low-paid staff.

“Our priorities are all wrong. The best thing government could do for Glasgow is to ditch hosting the COP and instead invest the money in dealing with the state of the city.”

Up to 200 world leaders are expected to attend the 2020 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 26) from 9 – 19 November. The event is being hosted by the UK Government, but exactly who will foot the massive security bill is still to be agreed.

Rest assured, though, that whether it’s Westminster, Holyrood or both sharing the burden – one way or another, you and I will ultimately pick up the tab!

Every little helps? Asda urged to show respect to ‘dedicated staff’

Asda profits have rocketed more than £92 million with a healthy chunk paid to directors – but at the same time the supermarket giant is threatening staff with no sick pay and the sack if they don’t sign a controversial new contract. Continue reading Every little helps? Asda urged to show respect to ‘dedicated staff’

IWD Horror Show: “Is this how you value women’s work in 21st Century Scotland”?

Ahead of strike ballot, GMB calls on Dundee City Council to step back from ‘horror show’ home care cuts

On International Women’s Day, GMB Scotland is calling on Dundee City Council to step-back from an ‘absolute horror show’ plan to cut the pay of local home carers by up to £4,500 a year. Continue reading IWD Horror Show: “Is this how you value women’s work in 21st Century Scotland”?