Issues

Employment rights
Employment relations
Equalities
Training and skills
Pensions
Health & safety
Public Services
Private Services
Manufacturing
Transport
Europe
European Works Councils (EWCs)


Employment rights

• National Minimum Wage
  GMB has contributed extensively to the work of the Low Pay Commission since the introduction of the NMW. GMB believes the minimum wage should rise immediately to £5 an hour, and we are actively pursuing £6 an hour as an absolute minimum in all our collective agreements. We also believe that the lower NMW for young workers is unjust - the main NMW should apply to all workers regardless of age. There is a need for a regular annual timetable for the uprating process and we believe that enforcement agencies should have powers to act against detriment and dismissal suffered by workers seeking to enforce their right to the NMW.
  
  Click here for GMB response to the Low Pay Commission's fourth review of the National Minimum Wage (October 2002)
  Contact helga.pile@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Equal pay
  Survey evidence has shown that equal pay is the leading bargaining issue for GMB women members. GMB is pursuing equal pay through negotiating equality-proofed job evaluation schemes - for example local government, health, MOD, Further Education - through equal pay audits and where necessary through litigation.
  
  
• Discrimination
  GMB believes that the Government should introduce a single equality act to pull together all the strands of discrimination legislation into a coherent whole. We also believe that the legislation on the new strands of age, religion and sexual orientation should be extended beyond employment to cover goods and services.
  
  Click here for the GMB response to 'Towards Equality and Diversity' the Government consultation on implementing the EU Race and Employment Directives.
  
  
• Working time
  GMB believes that the Government should start planning now for an end to the individual opt-out from the 48-hour working week, ahead of the 2003 European Commission review. This will bring a unique opportunity to deliver productivity improvements, smarter ways of working and more investment in skills and technology.
  
  GMB is working in partnership with employers to prepare for the extension of the Working Time Directive in the transport sector, and other excluded sectors.
  
  Contact phil.wyatt@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Transfer of undertakings
  GMB believes that reform of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 is long overdue. GMB members have experienced particular problems with establishing when the regulations apply to a particular transaction eg contracting out and second generation contracting situations where there is no transfer of assets or workers. When the regulations do apply there are still major weaknesses in the protection provided such as the exclusion of occupational pensions.
  
  GMB believes that we need a definition of a transfer which explicitly covers contracting out situations including initial and subsequent exercises. The regulations should be extended to cover take-overs by share transfer and to bring pensions into protection.
  
  Click here for GMB response to the Government consultation on amending the TUPE regulations
  
  Contact barry.smith@gmb.org.uk
  

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Employment relations

• Partnership
  GMB works together with responsible employers by developing a partnership approach to industrial relations. We want our members' employers to be successful organisations and for this to be reflected in our members' job security, growing prosperity and personal development. Partnership means that GMB works with the employer in building their business, in particular by contributing to the development of a committed, skilled and loyal workforce who know that their own prospects are inextricably linked to company performance. We are partners in a number of projects which have secured funding under the DTI Partnership Fund.
  
  Click here for the GMB partnership document, 'Working together winning together'
  [PDF File - 320KB]
  
  Contact dolores.o'donoghue@gmb.org.uk
  
  

Equalities

• Equal rights
  GMB is seeking to negotiate equality audits in all our organised workplaces which will root out discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation and disability, and promote equality.
  
  
• Disabled workers
  GMB has a large membership of disabled workers in supported employmentworkplaces such as Remploy. We actively campaign for a fair deal atwork forall disabled workers.
  
  Click here for more on our campaign for disabled employment opportunities through reform of the EU public procurement regime. Contact gerry.carr@gmb.org.uk.
  
  
• Family-friendly, work-life balance
  GMB is working in partnership with a number of employers to develop family-friendly working practices and achieve a better work-life balance and promote good practice. In local government, for example, we played a leading role in producing, jointly with employers, a comprehensive policy and best practice guide.
  
  Click here for 'Finding the balance' policy and practice on work-life balance in local government
  [PDF File - 325KB]
  
  Contact phil.wyatt@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Childcare
  GMB supports the Government's National Childcare Strategy. Weparticularly welcome the Government's renewed commitment to childcareas demonstrated in the recent comprehensive spending review (2002).
  
  However, British parents pay the highest childcare costs within theEuropean Union. And yet childcare workers are the lowest paid in oureconomy. GMB has ambitions both for parents and for childcareworkers.
  
  The GMB Childcare Charter, prepared in partnership with the DaycareTrust, calls for:
  • good quality, accessible and affordable childcare for all
  • decent pay and conditions and better training and careerdevelopment for all childcare workers.
  Click here for the GMB-Daycare Trust Childcare Charter.
  [PDF File - 141KB]
  
  Contact helga.pile@gmb.org.uk

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Training and skills

• GMB believes that the link between commercial success and a highly skilled workforce is obvious. Skills shortages have arisen across the economy because many employers have failed to invest in adequate training for their workforce. GMB seeks to negotiate for at least 5 days off-the-job training every year for all workers, at least 2% of the paybill spent on training and development, and a commitment to all workers achieving a Level 2 qualification and working towards Level 3. However, GMB believes we must move beyond voluntarism towards a statutory framework that includes both obligations onemployers to train their workforce and financial incentives toencourage them to do so.
  
  
• Union Learning Reps
  GMB fully supports statutory measures to establish Union Learning Reps. GMB believes they can make a huge contribution to improving the skills of the workforce, provided they are given adequate support and facility time to undertake their duties. We will work to create a new type of union representative, adding to rather than replacing existing representatives and encouraging more women to come forward to fulfil this important role.
  
  Contact charles.king@gmb.org.uk
  

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Pensions
GMB has an ongoing campaign to ensure that our members have the best possible pension provision in retirement, whether through state, occupational or private provision. Our current priorities are:

• restoration of the earnings link for the Basic State Pension
  
• restoration of SERPS/S2P to 1978 levels
  
• protection of existing final salary schemes
  
• provision of good quality occupational pensions for the future.
  The latter is reflected in our ongoing campaign to require compulsory employer contributions into stakeholder pensions where employers do not already provide occupational pensions.
  
  Contact cath.unsworth@gmb.org.uk
  

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Health & safety

• Asbestos
  GMB 'Asbestos: it's still a killer' initiative was launched in 1995, following the publication of statistics showing that deaths related to exposure to asbestos fibres would increase up to 2020. Asbestos has been a major issue for GMB for many years and since 1995 GMB has devoted increasing resources to the initiative. GMB is working to improve controls measures and seek an equitable system of compensation for victims of asbestos diseases caused by employers' negligence.
  
  
• Working well together
  The GMB 'Working well together' initiative promotes the success of GMB safety representatives in improving health and safety standards. Since 1999 a number of companies including Transco, Nestle, GKN Wheels and William Baird have worked closely with GMB as part of this initiative. When trade union safety representatives work in consultation with employers, accident rates are on average 50% lower than when managers make decisions on health and safety alone. GMB has several case studies where joint action has reduced accidents by over 60% in 2-3years.
  
  Contact: kim.sunley@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Work-related ill health
  With 2 million people in Britain affected by work related ill health and 25,000 leaving employment each year as a result of work-related injury or ill health, GMB is campaigning for improvements in occupational health. GMB supports Health and Safety Commission's strategy on occupational health 'Securing health together.' We are particularly concerned about work-related stress, musculoskeletal disorders including RSI, and the lack of occupational health advice covering all workers,
  
  Click here for the GMB occupational health strategy, 'Enhancing life not endangering health'
  
  Contact: kim.sunley@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Revitalising health and safety
  GMB actively supports the national targets set as part of the Government's 10-year 'Revitalising health and safety' strategy for tackling accidents and ill health at work. These are to
  
• reduce the number of working days lost per 100,000 workers from work related injury and ill health by 30% by 2010
  
• reduce the incidence rate of fatal and major injury accidents by 10% by 2010
  
• reduce the incidence rate of cases of work related ill health by 20% by 2010
  
• achieve half the improvement under each target by 2004.
  
  Click here for more information on the GMB contribution to Revitalising health and safety
  
  Contact: kim.sunley@gmb.org.uk
  

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Public Services

• Privatisation
  GMB believes that privatisation is
  
• damaging the quality of public services
  
• eroding public accountability
  
• driving down the pay, conditions and morale of public servants
  
  Click here for more on the GMB Keep Public Services Public campaign
  
  
• Pay & conditions
  Public sector pay has been falling behind that of the private sector for nearly a decade now. There is a widespread recruitment and retention crisis which includes nurses, doctors, teachers, care staff, healthcare assistants, school support staff and cleaners. GMB agenda for reforming public sector pay includes settlements weighted towards low earners, single status agreements and equal pay and grading reviews based on tailor-made job evaluation schemes.
  
  Click here for GMB briefing on the 2002 local government pay negotiations
  
  Contact helga.pile@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Social care
  GMB represents over 60,000 social care workers in the private, independent and voluntary sectors. We welcome the level playing field created by the Care Standards Act but we fear that there is a real danger that the Government is undermining its own reform agenda by the continued underfunding of social care. GMB is alarmed by the extent to which the Government's failure to address the funding crisis in social care has been allowed to undermine the national care standards. We believe it is vital that the u-turn on the minimum physical standards for care homes is not replicated when it comes to meeting vital standards on staffing and training.
  
  Click here for GMB Agenda for Modern Social Care
  
  Contact gerry.carr@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Health/ NHS
  GMB represents a wide range of staff in the health service but primarily low paid ancillary workers. GMB's primary concern is to prevent further expansion of the Private Finance Initiative and its negative impact, not only on the terms and conditions of our members, but on service quality and value for money. We are also committed to the introduction of a new, modernised pay structure in the health service based upon equal pay principles in line with the 'Agenda for Change' proposals.
  
  Click here for more on the GMB Keep Public Services Public campaign
  
  Click here for 'PFI in the NHS: A Dossier'
  [PDF File - 88KB]
  
  Contact gerry.carr@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Local government
  GMB believes local government must be revitalised through greater financial freedoms, greater openness and accountability and directly provided services. GMB supports the concept of Best Value in local government services, but in reality councils are still making short-term choices to pursue low-cost, low-quality services.
  
  Click here for GMB manifesto for the 2002 local government elections
  [PDF File - 88KB]
  
  Click here for GMB policy statement 'Getting the Best out of Best Value'
  [PDF File - 13KB]
  
  
• Education
  GMB represents a wide range of staff working in schools and early years, including teaching assistants, nursery nurses, school meals staff and caretakers. We believe that all have a vital role to play within the education team. We are negotiating a School Workforce Remodelling process with Government and the teaching unions which will reduce workloads for teachers and enhance the roles, training and career prospects of other staff groups.
  
  Click here for 'Education's hidden professionals' the GMB's survey of nursery nurses and classroom assistants
  [PDF File - 427KB]
  
  Contact helga.pile@gmb.org.uk
  

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Private Services

• Airports
  GMB represents workers at airports throughout the United Kingdom. Deregulation, competition and airport expansion are creating rapid changes in the employment conditions of airport workers. A key issue for GMB has been the exclusion of transport workers from the Working Time Regulations, which means that airport staff from occupations as diverse as cleaning and aviation security currently have no limit on working hours, and no (non-contractual) entitlement to paid holidays.
  
  Click here for more on GMB aviation policy
  
  Click here for GMB Parliamentary briefing on Aviation Security
  
  
• Security industry
  GMB is the major union representing employees in the private security sector, including manned guarding, cash-in-transit and retail security. We have long campaigned for effective regulation of the industry to raise standards and conditions in the industry.
  
  Click here for more on GMB's lobbying on the Security Industry Act
  
  Contact dolores.o'donoghue@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Retail distribution
  GMB has members in general retail, food and drink retail and food and drink distribution. This sector is prone to continuous changes in ownership particularly from large transnationals who may not recognise UK trade unions.
  
  The workforce is dominated by part-time workers and temporary and seasonal workers. GMB negotiating agenda includes:
  
  • 'Lifelong' training and development opportunities to enhance employability
    
  • More flexibility in working environment and hours of work
    
  • Flexible benefits packages
    
  • More involvement and participation
• We are also working closely with distribution companies to prepare for the extension of the European Working Time Directive to drivers in road transport. Other key issues include Christmas Day trading and the Government review of gambling legislation (we have members in casinos, bingo halls and working men's clubs).
  
  Contact ida.clemo@gmb.org.uk
  

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Manufacturing

• Job losses
  UK manufacturing job losses are accelerating: they averaged 2,250 per month between spring 1992 and spring 1997, over 9,500 per month between summer 1997 and summer 2001, and almost 11,000 in the year ending summer 2001. GMB backs TUC calls for a package of support for manufacturing industry, including extra funding for Regional Development Agencies.
  
  Contact phil.wyatt@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Climate change levy
  For many years GMB has recognised the seriousness of the threat posed by global warming. As an environmentally aware trade union we are in favour of measures which reduce greenhouse gases. However, GMB believes that the Climate Change Levy further undermines the UK's manufacturing base and we remain unconvinced that it will, in its present form, achieve the Government's stated environmental objectives.
  
  Click here for GMB response to Government consultation on Climate Change: UK Draft Programme
  
  
• Aggregates levy
  GMB is the largest trade union operating within the aggregates sector. We support measures, including economic instruments, which are properly designed to promote sustainability and generate environmental improvement. In GMB's analysis, the Aggregates Levy is based on mistaken assumptions, is deficient in major areas and, without amendment, will not deliver environmental improvements. It will simply be a production tax.
  
  Click here for GMB response to HM Customs & Excise Consultation on the Aggregates Levy
  
  Contact: charles.king@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Clothing and textiles
  More than most manufacturing industries, the UK's clothing and textiles sector has been decimated over recent years with production moving to the Third World. As the leading trade union in the sector GMB has been keen to develop innovative solutions to arrest this decline. In November 2001, GMB hosted a major conference and exhibition on clothing and textiles and public procurement. It brought together, for the very first time, all the major stakeholders to discuss the opportunities for UK-based manufacturers to secure lucrative public sector contracts. Public sector contracts offer a way forward for the clothing and textile industry but too often purchasing decisions overlook value for money guidelines in favour of the bottom line. That means British manufacturers and taxpayers are losing out. GMB believes that the social implications of public sector purchasing should always be a consideration.
  
  Click here for 'Supplying Our Public Services Conference Report'
  [PDF File - 139KB]
  
  Click here for GMB Clothing & Textiles National Secretary, Des Farrell's article in the November 2002 issue of Public Service Review (Central Government, volume 5)
  [PDF File - 35KB]
  
  Contact dolores.o'donoghue@gmb.org.uk
  
  
• Energy
  GMB is the largest trade union in the energy sector with members employed in the coal, electricity, gas, oil, atomic and nuclear industries working in production, distribution, retail and service. GMB supports a balanced energy policy, drawn as much as possible from indigenous resources. Energy policies are too important to be left solely for market forces to decide. Environmental protection and measures to maintain security of supply are vital. GMB will resist increasing pressure to lower existing high European safety standards on cost grounds.
  
  Contact charles.king@gmb.org.uk
  

Transport
GMB believes public transport must be better integrated, affordable and accountable with strictly enforced service standards. This requires long-term sustainable investment.

• Aviation
  Deregulation and expansion require a proper system of regulations and sanctions to deal with the environmental impact of emissions and noise. GMB believes expansion should be spread across UK regions while ensuring that Heathrow remains competitive as a world class airport.
  Click here for more on GMB organisation in the airports sector
  
• Railways
  The franchising agreement for the railways sets a minimum level of service requirement which is often far below the service previously provided by British Rail. GMB believes the agreement should reduce its emphasis on the market and the commercial judgement of the individual train operating companies. GMB supports electrification of the rail network.
  
• Buses
  Bus deregulation has increased competition but destroyed local networks and reduced the number of passengers. Only in Northern Ireland and London where regulation exists have the networks been preserved and bus use increased. GMB supports the use of greener fuels for buses.
  
• Road transport
  GMB recognises the continuing importance of road transport to the UK. However, it is one of the biggest contributors to environmental pollution, both locally and globally. GMB is concerned about poor working conditions for road transport workers and therefore supports the extension of the European Working Time Directive to the transport sector.
  
  Contact charles.king@gmb.org.uk
  

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Europe

• Economic & social policy
  GMB supports early UK membership of the single European currency, completion of the single market, and an EU social agenda giving everyone at least the same basic standards of social protection and rights at work. GMB is a founder member of Trade Unionists for Europe (TUfE) and backs its report "A Trade Union Agenda for Europe".
  
  Click here for GMB Central Executive policy statement on the European Single currency and the UK's role in Europe
  
  Click here for 'A Trade Union Reform Agenda for Europe'
  
  Click here for GMB dossier on the UK Government's record on European Social Policy Legislation Since 1997
  
  Contact phil.wyatt@gmb.org.uk
  

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European Works Councils (EWCs)
GMB is a strong supporter of EWCs for employees in pan-European companies. We have works council representation in a large number of multinational companies operating in Europe. GMB offers guidance and training courses for officers and stewards on negotiating and operating within an EWC. GMB has also undertaken a survey of EWC representatives on their experiences to date. All respondents thought that EWCs were an important and useful part of their company's HR structure and helped them understand the company better.

Contact charles.king@gmb.org.uk

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