Today’s Dispute Daily featuring DGSP Terry Pullinger

LESE/SERTUC PENSIONERS SEMINAR HELD AT THE TUC CONGRESS HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY THE 3RD SEPTEMBER 2019.

This seminar was organised some time ago with the four main themes being Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) Pensions Scheme.

Report on Barriers to Belonging.

Campaign to End Loneliness.

Save the free TV license for older people.

Terry Pullinger the CWU Deputy General Secretary gave a very interesting and detailed presentation on the reasons and the need for Unions to be involved more and more with employee/employer pension schemes if our younger generations are not to be left poorer when they retire than many of trade union members of an older generation.  He quoted our schemes and the success the CWU have been having taking into account the historical problem otherpension funds have experienced over the years.

The contribution on Barriers to Belonging was a co-partnership between the Red Cross and the Co-Op surveying and exploring loneliness among people from BAME backgrounds. It was a very lengthy presentation covering the research concluding in their recommendations. In order to gain a better insight to this, I would suggest the enclosed presentation paper be given to our BAME representative where I hope they would enjoy it and also make useful reading for them.

The next presentation was made by delegates from Campaign to End Loneliness, Independent Age and AGE UK.  All gave insights to loneliness and how each organisation went about looking at loneliness in subjective and objective ways.

For example the AGE UK delegate said they spent time out and about speaking to older people in pubs, parks, bookmakers and asking them directly about loneliness, are they lonely, do they feel lonely.  Other speakers spoke on how they see the campaign to end loneliness going forward, how the older and younger generations interact with each other on this issue.

We then turned to the on going issue with the proposed loss of the free TV licences next June to the over 75s, unless you are on pension credit benefits.  It is now becoming such an important because the arguments are moving in the direction of, ‘lose this fight and we will lose the fight to defend all our hard fought for pensioner benefits’.  This, should there be another general election coming soon be the benchmark for pensioners to make their voices heard.  

As well as all the noted guest speakers, there was a great deal of input from the delegates on the floor, all of which the guest speakers did their best to respond to.  All in all, the seminar was a great success, and the LESE/SERTUC pensioners committee should be congratulated on organising the event.

Mick Goldsmith

REGIONAL RETIRED MEMBERS COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT THE NUJ CENTER LONDON ON THE 2ND SEPTEMBER 2019.

I attended the meeting in my capacity as the Regional Chair. 

I opened the meeting by dedicating the meeting to the memory of Graham Potter a long standing member of the committee who recently passed away.

I also recorded my thanks to Baz Price of the Central Counties and Thames Valley Branch who attended Pat Friskey’s funeral on behalf of the Regional Committee in the absence of Steve Taylor and Mick Goldsmith who were attending the NPC Parliament in Blackpool.

Steve Taylor reported on the upcoming Regional Meeting to be held on the 6th of September where more information on re-design on the new structure for the Eastern Region would be put forward, this would include the Selection/Election of the lead RMs Secretary.  Steve indicated he had put hisname forward for this position, he would report back via email to the delegates on this and other issues relating to the new structure.

When asked about the new National Retired Members Committee, which replaced the old RMAC, Tom Cooper our delegated NEC representative informed us that they were yet to meet.

With regard to Branch reports, these were made via any contributions made by delegates on the agenda items we debated.

On the NPC, the Secretary reported on the recent NPC Parliament in Blackpool where Dave Ward our GC was a guest speaker.  The main theme of the Parliament was the campaign to retain free TV licences for the over 75’s, which included parliamentary campaigns in London, and a rally at the BBC Media Center in Manchester which took place at the conclusion of the NPC Parliament.

Steve Taylor reported on the latest developments with LESE/SERTUC  pensioners section, with the Loneliness/Pensions/TV License seminar taking place on the 3rd of September at Congress House, with one of the guest speakers being Terry Pullinger who would be speaking on defined and defined pensions.

Eastern No6, being their first meeting were keen to gather information on the new constitution with regard to placing motions to the RMs Annual Conference, either through the Regional Committee or via Branches. 

Steve Taylor confirmed that the Retired Members Annual Conference will be held in Birmingham on the 23rd of October 2019.

I closed the meeting by thanking Tom Cooper for his attendance, also the members of Eastern No6 making their first attendance at our meetings.

The final meeting of the committee will be held on Monday the 2nd of December 2019.

Mick Goldsmith

Hi everyone. We have just published a critical video. We obtained footage of an investigation into the practises of Rico Back’s GLS. We have translated and subtitled the video.

The content completely exposes GLS. It is absolutely critical that every member gets to see this. Please share on Facebook, whatsapp and email but critically we want this played in workplaces via any means possible.

This is the future if we do not win this dispute.

#WeRiseAgain

https://www.facebook.com/981299138616232/posts/2469626446450153?sfns=mo

Dispute Daily

Day 9 of Dispute Daily has landed

Today Luke Elgar tells us why as a young member its important to vote YES.

#WeRiseAgain

#WeRiseAgain

MODERN DAY SLAVERY AT GLS

GLS, the parcels operator previously led by Rico Back was investigated by undercover reporter, Günter Wallraff. He found shocking conditions, low pay, insecure employment and all of this was exposed.

This is the world waiting for postal workers if we do not win this dispute. Read the article below, share it and tag your work colleagues.

This union refuses to join the race to the bottom. We will defend you always – but we need your vote to do this #WeRiseAgain 🦁

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

Modern slavery” at parcel delivery GLS

Günter Wallraff worked and researched for his new show on RTL at parcel delivery company GLS undercover. Now he denounces “human misery”.

Revelation journalist Günter Wallraff once again under the wrong identity on the road – this time at Europe-wide parcel delivery GLS. After several months of research and undercover use for RTL and the time magazine, the 69-year-old writer denounces “Menschenschinderei mit System”.

Wallraff accompanied several drivers in the broadcast on RTL on Wednesday evening, got to know their daily work routine. With a hidden camera impressions from the management floor at GLS were also recorded during a fictional performance discussion.

I worked and researched at various locations – and found working conditions that ruined physically, nervously and financially,” said Wallraff. “There were often no breaks, at night there were only four or five hours sleep in. The accident risk is enormous.” And: “We were in dented carts and on snow and ice with summer tires on the way,” says the 69-year-old. “It’s a system that is a form of modern slavery in the middle of Germany.” Many thousands of people are affected, especially younger and male employees.

Made famous by researching the image

Since the seventies, Wallraff has been making headlines with his undercover research, for example as a picture reporter or as a Turkish guest worker Ali. His research on poor pay and lack of health and safety in a large bakery, which supplies a discounter, led to an ongoing lawsuit against the head of the company.

Even in the current case Wallraff uncovered unsparing. Drivers would be obliged to contract conditions that are too difficult to understand and, in many cases, only verbal contracts as subcontractors, without GLS pointing out the entrepreneurial and financial risks, Wallraff said in a preliminary interview on his new broadcast. “Many are totally exploited, fall into a debt trap – and GLS steals skillfully and completely out of responsibility.”

The unreasonable practices were done “with knowledge of the group and system”, the author emphasized. It is a form of bogus self-employment that would force people “who have no choice and who are just happy to get into work somehow.” The conditions are difficult to understand, including what about the risks of accident or illness.

GLS does not want to comment on the research

GSL wanted neither in the broadcast, as Wallraff at the end of his research revealed, nor after the broadcast at Stern TV to the research. Even shortly before the broadcast of the TV documentary, nobody at the GLS-Germany headquarters in Neuenstein and at the agency Stroomer PR in Hamburg named GLS Press Office could be reached for comment.

In response to a request from Zeit magazine, GLS simply replied: “When handling transport orders from GLS, hauliers are generally obliged to employ drivers in legally-compliant employment relationships subject to social security contributions.”

GLS number three in Germany

Based in Amsterdam, GLS (General Logistics Systems) claims to have a good 210,000 customers in Europe, of which around 40,000 are in Germany. According to the homepage, there are 57 depots nationwide for the parcel and express service, and 3850 delivery vehicles are in use. In terms of sales, GSL is number three in Germany behind DHL and UPS. drs, dpa

Message from more of our Senior Reps with Barry Jennings, Anglia Divisional Rep and Paul Moffat, Eastern Regional Secretary. Both urging an overwhelming YES vote in our upcoming ballot #WeRiseAgain