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Never a more challenging time for trade unions Liz Blackshaw
THIS INTERNATIONAL WORKERS’ DAY, Northern TUC is celebrating our workplace representatives – the front-of-house army who have continued to represent, negotiate, plan, ballot, strike and lead from the front, right through the pandemic. And we are assured in knowing that they will continue as the movement fights against the most recent swathe of attacks on the one million plus workers located across the North-East and Cumbria. The fact of the matter is that, in the words of Frances O’Grady’s opening address to our Annual Conference in March, there has never been a more challenging time for trade unions than right now. We say that a lot, but it is serious for our representatives. Let’s look at why.
WAGES
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In the north-east of our region, 173,470 key workers earn below £10 an hour, representing 43% of all key workers. The workers whom we clapped and cheered at our doorsteps are not only trapped in poverty pay, but subject to patronising platitudes from this government – who have repeatedly failed to provide employment security and pay rises, or to act to solve the care crisis which is now standing at thousands of job vacancies across the region. Why would people go into a career where, just to go to work, you have to pay through unpaid travel time, uniforms costs and underpaid mileage rates – and provide your own transport? In residential settings, there are workers who become one of these statistics just by crossing authority boundaries and receiving a different rate of pay.
CHILD POVERTY
According to the latest available regional data, child poverty levels in this region are the second highest in the country behind London - a shocking statistic, which is a result of the years of austerity governance and failure to hold big business to account. Food banks are celebrated daily for their community spirit and local business contributions, but the systemic causes are yet to be addressed. But when you analyse key worker households, you find the situation is even more provocative. 56,198 children in such households in the North-East – 29% – are living in poverty. Between 2019/20 and 2020/21, food bank usage across the NorthEast rose by 26%.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Unemployment within the region stands at 5.5%. This is well above the national average of 4% and is the highest in the UK. I mentioned earlier the vacancies that are currently held, but for many people the lack of access to affordable transport, childcare and skills to undertake the work are missing from the system.
NET ZERO
There are a number of net-zero projects which have the potential to bring in thousands of jobs across the region and also to market our region globally, as the biggest offshore wind farm in the world (when joined with Yorkshire and Humberside). Nevertheless, these projects have yet to provide significant jobs or income to the region, nor was any major new investment announced in the recent ‘levelling up‘ White Paper.
INDUSTRIAL ACTION
The volume of registered industrial disputes across the UK is going up. New initiatives mapping strikes and actions short of a strike show how this is spread across the country. Union members from the tug-boat sector at Teesport, employed by Svitzer Marine Ltd, followed due process to receive an overwhelming 100% legally compliant ‘yes’ vote to action. They then joined forces with unions in Australia and the Netherlands in the fight against the parent company Maersk, a global maritime force predicted to make profits of £11.84 billion for 2021. But employers are not held to the same level of account as unions. We all saw P&O not only sack 800 workers without legal process; they then tried to apologise whilst claiming they would take the same action again, including failing to notify appropriate bodies including trade unions. And it is not just here in this country.
UNION REPRESENTATIVES
However, union reps are fighting to improve pay and conditions every day across our workplaces, and they are winning. When new jobs, green agreements and improvements in access to childcare, training, transport and safety are won, or even just compliance with statutory minimums like enforcement of national minimum wage claims, this is all thanks to our union reps here and abroad. So today, in celebration of International Workers’ Day, let’s give our thanks, applause and solidarity to our mighty cadre of union reps and let’s march in support of all our reps and to demand resolutions to these issues in London on 18 June.
Liz Blackshaw Regional Secretary Northern Region TUC
NORTH EAST FRATERNAL GREETINGS TO THE TYNE AND WEAR MAY DAY MARCH AND RALLY
BRIAN HARRIS
Regional Secretary
Tony Curry Regional Secretary
TONY CURRY
EC Member
DAVE HOWE
Regional Treasurer
Andy Noble EC Member
Dave Howe
www.region3fbu.uk @24willow24
Regional Treasurer
KARL WAGER
Regional Chair
