Tag: trade union

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.”

School staff urge Government to introduce COVID testing at work as safety fears mount

BREAKING NEWS: Secondary school pupils to wear face coverings from Monday

GMB has this morning (Tuesday 25 August) called on the Scottish Government to bring forward a COVID testing regime for every school across Scotland, after a survey of its members found that two-thirds of support staff in schools and nurseries do not feel safe at work.

The union has written to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education John Swinney MSP, urging him to follow the interventions made in the social care sector by giving workers the opportunity to access COVID testing in their workplace.

Following a survey conducted between Thursday 20th and Monday 24th August of over 1,400 members employed in support staff roles, including cleaners, janitors, caterers and pupil support assistants, the union learned that:

  • The vast majority (96 per cent) believe regular testing should be offered at work;
  • Two-thirds (63 per cent) do not feel safe at their work;
  • Over one-fifth (23 per cent) have confirmed a suspected or positive case of COVID at work; and
  • Just under half (46 per cent) would not know what to do if there was a suspect or confirmed case of COVID at their work.

The results are published against the backdrop of increasing concerns over COVID 19 infection and transmission in Scotland’s schools.

GMB Scotland Organiser Helen Meldrum said: “Over a week since the return of Scotland’s schools, it’s clear that many support staff do not feel safe at their work and overwhelming majority of them want to be able to access a COVID test at work.

“If support staff need to book a test, they must absorb the financial costs and time implications to do so, and for a chronically low-paid workforce with many employed on multiple contracts across multiple workplaces, that’s just not credible.

“The failure over the summer months to listen to the voices of school support staff echoes what we witnessed in care earlier this year, and in this case the political focus has been on teachers and pupils while support staff have been forgotten.

“You cannot have a safe return to full-time education if a significant chunk of the workforce needed do not feel sufficiently safe, valued or heard by our decision-makers, and that’s why we urged the Deputy First Minister to intervene now.”

A school in Dundee has been closed with pupils and staff asked to self-isolate after it was linked to 27 new cases in the city.

JUST ANNOUNCED:

Scottish secondary school pupils will have to wear face coverings in corridors and communal areas from next Monday, Education Secretary John Swinney has confirmed.

Teachers have ‘serious concerns’ over schools re-opening

The interim results of a survey indicate that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns over the re-opening of schools this week.

The EIS opened the survey on Tuesday afternoon and, by Thursday morning, more than 24,000 teachers had completed the survey. The overwhelming message from the interim results is that, while teachers want to see schools re-open, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure safety.

Key data from the interim survey results includes:

  • A total of 24,354 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Thursday 6 August.
  • 64% of teachers support the decision to re-open schools, but only 18% express confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to ensure safety.
  • A minority of teachers believe that sufficient safeguards have been put in place to support the safe re-opening of schools.
  • Just 3% of teachers are ‘very confident’ that there is sufficient evidence that COVID-19 is sufficiently under control to support a safe return to school
  • Only 23% of teachers are ‘confident or very confident’ that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with 58% expressing a lack of confidence.
  • Under 26% of teachers are confident that sufficient operational changes – such as effective social distancing and enhanced hygiene routines – will be in place to support a safe return to school with 60% lacking confidence.
  • 72% of teachers support testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID
  • 62% of teachers feel either ‘somewhat unsafe’ or ‘very unsafe’ about returning to school next week.

Commenting on the interim findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The interim results of this survey highlight that Scotland’s teachers continue to have serious questions over the re-opening of schools next week.”

“The fact that more than 24,000 teachers completed the survey in a little over a day illustrates the high degree of concern that remains over COVID-19 and schools. Teachers want to see schools re-opening, so that they can get back to working with pupils in the classroom environment – but they are very clear that this has to be done safely.”

“The initial indications from this major survey confirm that teachers believe that much more still needs to be done to ensure their safety, and the safety of pupils and others within the school, can be properly protected as schools re-open.

“The EIS will be sharing both the initial and final results of this survey with the Scottish Government and local authorities, and will be seeking urgent discussions on the mitigations that teachers still want to see – such as sufficient social distancing, testing for asymptomatic staff, and the use of face coverings where required to ensure safety.”

The EIS survey will remain open until today (Monday) and full results will be released thereafter.

Edinburgh’s children start the return to school from Wednesday this week.

Union raises ‘significant concerns’ over re-opening of schools

The Executive Committee of the EIS has raised significant concerns over guidelines for the re-opening of Scotland’s schools.

With schools set to re-open next week, the EIS has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney calling for a number of actions to be taken, as a matter of urgency, to protect pupils, staff and the wider community from the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “I write to you in order to raise some significant concerns regarding the now published Guidelines for the reopening of schools.

“You will recall that I raised at the CERG (COVID Education Recovery Group) meeting of July 24th,  the EIS view that whilst the Guidelines represented the generality of  where agreement was possible, they nonetheless fell short from an EIS perspective in significant areas.”

The letter goes on to outline EIS concerns in a number of areas, including physical distancing and class sizes, procedures for testing for COVID in schools, contradictions between procedures for schools and other settings such as public transport and shops, and concerns over staff members who have been shielding.

On the issue of physical distancing, the letter highlights that the Scottish Government guidance includes an, “Exhortation to move to smaller classes to support physical distancing where possible, without specification as to how that was to be done. The inherent contradiction in urging such a significant mitigation but failing completely to instruct its implementation is a major concern.”

The letter also calls for: “The strongest mitigations possible in place and erring on the side of caution particularly where there is conflicting or emerging evidence in relation to the behaviour of the virus and its capacity for transmission among and by children and young people. These should include specific physical distancing guidelines for pupils.”

On testing, the EIS letter says,  “We would urge that further consideration be given to a more proactive approach to supporting teacher and staff confidence that they are working in Covid-secure schools, by providing asymptomatic access to regular testing.”

And, on the issue of staff who have been shielding, the letter says, “Teachers who have been shielding for the past three or four months  under Scottish  Government direction, are now concerned that next week they could be back in front of a full class of pupils. This seems to be an enormous leap and one which does not sit well with the First Minister’s warning to those who had been shielding until August 1st, about continuing to be especially cautious.”

Calling for further action to ensure safety, the letter goes on to state, “The EIS welcomes the fact that Scotland appears to have successfully suppressed the virus at this point in time; however, we would not wish to see the reopening of schools act as a catalyst to a resurgence. That means we must ensure that school buildings are COVID-secure environments.

“Across the globe we are witnessing how quickly things can deteriorate. Teachers, pupils, and parents have every reason to be anxious about schools reopening. Addressing the concerns raised in this letter would go some way to offering reassurance.”

The EIS will open a new survey of its members in schools across Scotland to seek their views on these issues and on the steps that should be taken to ensure that schools are safe. The survey will run this week, and the results will inform further discussions with the Scottish Government and local authorities ahead of next week’s planned re-opening of schools.

A copy of the EIS letter to Mr Swinney is available for information.

Edinburgh’s pupils will return to school next week.

EIS welcomes clarity on school re-openings – but warns challenges remain

Teachers union the EIS has welcomed the clarity provided by the planned re-opening of Scotland’s schools in August but has highlighted that significant challenges remain over managing this effectively.

The EIS has consistently called for three conditions to be met before schools re-open: full test trace and isolate capacity to be established; a programme for implementing operationally in schools all public health advice e.g. physical distancing; and demonstrable evidence that the virus is under control e.g. a lower R figure and steady reductions in new cases.

These remain the yardsticks which must be applied.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on schools, pupils and teachers over the past months.

“Our members will welcome the clarity provided by the First Minister’s announcement today, and the clear statement that schools will not re-open until after the summer and only if health conditions allow.

“This will provide valuable time to allow schools to prepare for what will be a very different learning environment, with physical distancing requiring smaller class sizes and schools delivering a blended approach of part time in-school learning and part time remote learning for most pupils.”

Mr Flanagan added: “The EIS has worked constructively with the Scottish Government and with local authorities throughout this crisis and will continue to do so in the best interests of learners and teachers.

“There is a strong shared commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of everyone in the school community. Delivering a new blended learning approach is potentially the biggest curriculum challenge of this century, however, and it will require significant commitment from all parties to make it work.”

Mr Flanagan referred to the initial analysis of a recent EIS survey, which more than 26,000 teachers across Scotland responded to, which highlights some of the challenges that schools continued to face.

93% of teachers believed that clarity over how teaching and learning will be delivered in the next academic year was crucial.

77% believed that there was a critical need for adequate time to prepare for the delivery of a more ‘blended’ approach to learning – an acute challenge if staff are also supporting remote learning and hub provision.

Teachers also warned of some of the challenges associated with home learning, particularly for those pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The majority cited digital poverty as a barrier for pupils: 63% cited the lack of access to suitable technology and 57% the lack of internet access at home as issues creating barriers for pupils.

Clean up your act: Rail Union to kick off fair pay campaign

RMT union kicks off justice for Mitie cleaners events in Glasgow today and urges public to sign petition for living wage. 

Rail Union RMT will kick off a series of campaigning events, starting in Glasgow this morning, demanding Justice for Mitie cleaners on Network Rail Managed Stations ‎and urging the public to sign the petition supporting a living wage for a group of crucial staff who do some of the dirtiest jobs on our railways.

The campaign highlights the fact that passengers using Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley, Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds City or Birmingham New Street stations, are passing through stations that are cleaned, day and night, by people who are surviving on poverty pay.

Network Rail has outsourced the work of cleaning many of their stations to a company called Mitie Facilities Management, part of the Mitie Group plc.

Mitie Group paid nearly £49 million to its shareholders in dividends in the last five years – but it won’t pay its cleaners the Real Living Wage.

A recent survey carried out by RMT of Mitie workers came back with 50% of respondents saying they struggled to make ends meet. The union believes that a multi-million pound public company like Network Rail should not be allowing its contractors to pay poverty wages.

The petition can be found at:

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pay-the-living-wage-to-mitie-cleaners-now

Leafleting campaigns outside the Network Rail Managed Stations on the contract will take place:

*Outside GLASGOW CENTRAL (Gordon Street Entrance) on TUESDAY 20th August 2019 – 16.00 to 18.00

*Outside EDINBURGH WAVERLEY (Market Street Entrance) on WEDNESDAY 21st August 2019 – 16.30 to 18.00

*Outside LIVERPOOL LIME STREET (Main Entrance) on FRIDAY 30th August 2019 – 16.30 to 18.00

*Outside MANCHESTER PICCADILLY (Piccadilly approach) on MONDAY 2nd September 2019 – 16.30 to 18.00

*Outside LEEDS CITY STATION (Aire Street/ Wellington Street entrance) on TUESDAY 3rd September 2019 – 16.30 to 18.00

*Outside BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET (near the tram stop) on WEDNESDAY 4th September 2019 – 16.30 to 18.00

RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said: “It is a scandal that the staff employed by outsourcing giant Mitie who clean stations for Network Rail, doing some of the dirtiest work in the rail industry at all hours of the night and day, are struggling to make ends meet and are paid below the Real Living Wage.

“A company that can pay nearly £49 million to its shareholders in dividends in the last five years for doing nothing can afford to pay its cleaners a decent wage for the work that they do.

“Mitie’s cleaners have had enough and are fighting for a real Living Wage, but they need the help of the travelling public and I would urge passengers to sign the petition and help us to persuade Mitie and Network Rail to put an end to this scandal.

“RMT will be doing all it can to support Mitie cleaners, cleaning up the vomit, human waste and the rest of the filth at our stations,  in their fight to make this wealthy company do the right thing and pay its workers a Real Living Wage.”

MITIE has responded with the following statement: “Mitie is fully supportive of initiatives to pay our staff the Real Living Wage.

“We know how difficult it is to maintain a decent standard of living and take care of a family on the National Living Wage, which is why we have worked with most of our top clients to move to the Real Living Wage.

“We are in regular dialogue with Network Rail regarding pay and conditions, and will do all we can to work closely with them, and with other stakeholders such as the Business Services Association and unions where appropriate, to obtain a move to the Real Living Wage for our 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”?

Unite exposes cleaning crisis in Edinburgh schools

Unite the union has highlighted a number of shocking stories from cleaners in Edinburgh schools due to council service cutbacks. Unite’s ‘Fight for 5’ campaign to improve cleaning standards has uncovered a number of practices that compromise health and safety due to a lack of school cleaners, and cleaning materials.

In one instance a cleaning supervisor had to visit several other community buildings to ensure a major Edinburgh high school had sufficient materials to begin an afternoon cleaning shift.

Unite has been informed of cleaners being shipped from various schools across Edinburgh city in order to complete afternoon cleaning shifts. Cleaners have also complained to Unite about the lack of health and safety training, and the union has been made aware of cleaners working with machinery and hazardous equipment without any proper structured training.

The union has spoken to cleaners and heard from teachers within Edinburgh schools, who are bringing in wet wipes to clean teaching tables due to the pressure being put on under-resourced and under-staffed cleaners.

Mary Alexander, Unite’s deputy Scottish secretary, said: “Unite has launched our ‘Fight for 5’ campaign to improve cleaning standards and provision in Edinburgh schools.

“Unite has heard numerous stories from cleaners across the city highlighting the lack of cleaning materials, and staff due to council cuts. Cleaners are in some instances being transported around schools to address the lack of provision. The situation is compromising health and safety standards. It is a ridiculous situation where those working in our schools have to bring in cleaning materials to compensate for the lack of cleaning staff, and also a lack of materials. We believe those pupils, parents and the general Edinburgh public deserve better.”

It is estimated that Edinburgh city council has endured £250 million of budget cuts in the last five years. It will face at least £41 million of cuts in the coming financial year and a predicted £106 million in the following three years.

Teachers’ report on effects of poverty makes ‘shocking reading’

Teaching union the EIS has today  formally launched a summary report of a member survey on the impact of poverty in education. The survey was designed to gauge members’ perceptions of how poverty arising from cuts to social security benefits, poor wages and insecurity of employment, is impacting in the classroom.   Continue reading Teachers’ report on effects of poverty makes ‘shocking reading’