South West Shopworkers Speak Out About Violence

 

Retail workers trade union leader Paddy Lillis has launched a parliamentary petition calling for legislation to protect shop workers from violence, threats and abuse. In support of the petition South West shopworkers have been speaking out about their own experiences.

The petition is lodged on the parliamentary website and calls on the Government to legislate to protect shop workers. It can be signed at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621

USDAW’s latest survey found that while incidents of violence, threats and abuse were already rising they doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic.”. These are some of the comments South

West shop workers shared experiences when responding to Usdaw’s survey:

Bristol: “Purposely hit with a trolley.” - “Held at knifepoint and stalked.” – “I was punched by a customer.” - “I've had people throwing coins and products at me whilst serving at the till, as he wasn't happy with our products.”

Cornwall: “Swearing and aggressive behaviour by a drunken man one Friday evening.” -

“Customers threaten me and I’ve been pushed out of the way whilst trying to fill up shelves, daily I get called names.”

Devon: “Much more abusive and unreasonable recently. Had people square up to me and just be awful.” - “When it gets busy customers get short tempered. Had a customer aim their car at me.”

Gloucestershire: “Verbal abuse and sworn at using worst words ever. Had gum/sweets thrown at me.” - “I get verbal abuse most days for following the rules of my job.” - “Threatened to be beaten up by customer when I checked bank note.” Somerset: “Got punched by a young lad as I spotted him eating around the store and stole food.” - “Verbal abuse and threats received when refusing sales of alcohol and energy drinks.” - “Inappropriate sexual comments about myself.”

Wiltshire: “Customers getting annoyed with us cleaning chip and pin and counters between uses.” - “Smacked around face with skateboard, called fat and ugly.” - “Customers have been extremely rude, arrogant and aggressive towards staff.”

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says: “It is heart-breaking to hear these testimonies of shopworkers, who deserve far more respect than they receive. Abuse should never be a part of the job and we are appalled that violence, threats and abuse have doubled during this national emergency.

“The safety of our members is absolutely paramount, but they tell us that some of the shopping public are resisting safety measures in stores and can become abusive when asked to queue, maintain social distancing or reminded to wear a face mask. Our message to the public is that there is no excuse for abusing shopworkers, please treat our members with the respect they deserve.

 “In light of the unacceptable increase in abuse of shopworkers, there needs to be urgent action to help protect staff and we urge the Government not to dismiss our petition, but listen to the voices of shopworkers and legislate for stiffer penalties for those who assault workers. Retail staff have a crucial role in our communities and that role must be valued and respected, they deserve the protection of the law.”

Government U-Turn on Exams

Commenting on the decision, Hannah Packham, South West Regional Secretary of the National Education Union, said:  

 

"Gavin Williamson has, finally, done the right thing. The pity is that he has done so having exhausted all other options. Students and their teachers have endured days of completely unnecessary stress and worry. For many students, this announcement will generate further uncertainty if they have been rejected from their first-choice course, and university, on the basis of the inaccurate and unjust Ofqual awarding process. 

 

"Young people have suffered enough. They have few chances in the jobs market as the country faces rising unemployment and recession. Gavin Williamson should now announce that the cap on university places is lifted, so that more young people, who have worked so hard for their A Levels, can continue their studies and fulfil their potential. 

 

"One of many lessons for Government to learn from this sorry saga is to listen to the profession. The Department for Education's determination to put all eggs in one basket through a single set of summer exams has come back to haunt them. It is very much a disaster of their own making.  

 

"This is a shameful episode. It must never happen again. The u-turn in Scotland includes a long-term review of the assessment methods used to award qualifications, including the possibility of more coursework and systematic, moderated teacher assessment, and it is critical that the same occurs in England.   

 

"We not only need a careful and systematic review, but an absolute assurance to next year's GCSE and A-Level students that this cannot and will not happen again." 

 

 

Please contact Hannah Packham, South West NEU Regional Secretary at Hannah.Packham@neu.org.uk or on 07904011693.

Background

 

• The National Education Union stands up for the future of education. It brings together the voices of more than 450,000 teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders working in maintained and independent schools and colleges across the UK, to form the largest education union in Europe. 
• It is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing its members in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. 
• The National Education Union is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). It is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties. 

Stop and Fix Universal Credit

Bridgwater Town centre

Campaigners got a sympathetic response from Bridgwater shoppers on Saturday 2nd December, when they asked for Universal Credit to be cancelled!

Said Somerset Unite Community Chair Glenn Cane: “Everyone seems to know someone whose life has been blighted by Universal Credit. That’s why we’re saying that Christmas will be cancelled for thousands of families claiming the new benefit.

Serious problems

Universal Credit replaces six of the most commonly-claimed benefits, including Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Job Seekers Allowance. It takes at least six weeks for a claim to be paid, so a family claiming Universal Credit today would have no money before Christmas.

 Despite knowing Universal Credit causes serious problems, Theresa May's government is pressing ahead and rolling it out to thousands of people across the UK.

and across the country

Claimants are descending into debt, relying on food banks, getting into rent arrears and in some cases getting evicted from their homes because of in-built problems with Universal Credit. Many disabled people are finding themselves up to £80 a week worse off with Universal credit.

STOP and FIX

The recent Budget promised a reduction of waiting time from 6 weeks to 4, but this won’t come into operation until after the New Year and doesn’t take into account the delays in payment which have made many claimants wait anything up to 12 weeks before receiving their payment.

Unite the union is calling on the government to STOP and FIX Universal Credit, and end this misery for thousands of claimants.

Further information: 01278 450562/glenburrows@btinternet.com

Bridgwater TUC calls for 'Solidarity Hour' with striking Argos workers

The 3 -week strike of 280 Unite members at the Huntworth ARGOS warehouse is still on, after ACAS talks broke up on Thursday without agreement.

Bridgwater Trades Union Council is asking all local trades unionists to show their solidarity over the next few days by:

1. Helping give out the Unite strike leaflet   

2. Helping give out the Bridgwater TUC solidarity leaflet  

3. Turn up for the Unite ARGOS strike picket SOLIDARITY HOUR on Tuesday 29th August from 1.30pm to 2.30pm, please bring your branch banner and/or union flags.

4. Send me a message of support/solidarity to the Bridgwater Unite ARGOS strikers, which I can pass onto Andy Gill and Rob Dibble on the picket line.

If you want to try and make one of these solidarity events contact Dave Chapple, 07707 869 144

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Unite strike leaflet:

ARGOS STRIKE ACTION

 

 

WHY ARE WE ON STRIKE?

 

A number of months ago, Argos announced that it was transferring out its site at Magna Park to a third party contractor Wincanton it then subsequently announced it was shutting the site at Magna and transferring the work to Kettering nearly 30 miles away.

 

This meant a loyal workforce was expected to absorb these changes and travel to Kettering.

 

We approached Argos and ask for guarantees relating to maintaining any transferred site with a direct link to Argos. We also wanted to agree a relocation and Redundancy/Severance package in the event of transfer. We also requested that the Argos site at Barton be allowed to join with other in-house sites for bargaining purposes.

 

We have failed to get sufficient guarantees from the company, hence this strike action.

 

Our claims have been called unreasonable by Argos!

 

• IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO ASK FOR A RELOCATION PACKAGE IF THE SITE YOU ARE WORKING AT IS SHUT AND WORK MOVED MILES AWAY

 

• IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO ASK FOR AGREED REDUNDANCY OR SEVERANCE TERMS IF LOYAL WORKERS CANNOT TRANSFER

 

• IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO MAINTAIN A LINK WITH THE ECONOMIC EMPLOYER ARGOS

 

• IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE TO ALLOW A DEMOCRATIC BALLOT TO TAKE PLACE FOR WORKERS TO DECIDE HOW THEIR TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE NEGOTIATED

 

 

IT IS ARGOS WHO ARE BEING UNREASONABLE, WE ARE LOOKING TO GET GUARANTEES ABOUT OUR FUTURES, ARGOS IS LOOKING TO ATTACK OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN THE FUTURE

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Bridgwater TUC solidarity leaflet:

ARGOS and SAINSBURY Stores at the Clink:

What shoppers need to know!

 

Local trades unionists from Bridgwater Trades Union Council are supporting 280 Unite the Union members, on strike for three weeks at the ARGOS Huntworth Distribution depot. The national strike of ARGOS depots is asking for guarantees on wages and conditions should any depot be closed and re-opened with a new third-party employer. This fact alone makes the dispute a vital one for local workers.

 

The ARGOS Distribution Director Phil Hull, in a letter to all employees, states there are no plans to outsource or move the Bridgwater depot. But in the next paragraph, the words “In the event of a relocation or site move “ are repeated no less than  four times! Bridgwater Trades Union Council believes that Unite members are justified in not trusting the future of the Huntworth site to senior ARGOS Managers.

 

However, how many shoppers at the Clink know that:

1.   ARGOS has now been bought by Sainsbury PLC?

2.   The Bridgwater ARGOS Store may be closed by February 2018?

3.    One plan is to re-locate ARGOS at the back of an expanded Sainsbury?

 

What Bridgwater shoppers may face is the loss of the ARGOS Brand altogether in the next few years, and, with that, the disappearance of a  unique way of shopping.

 

Bridgwater Trades Union Council calls upon Sainsbury PLC to:

1.   Come clean with its future plans for the ARGOS store and brand;

2.   Settle the national industrial dispute by giving Unite the Union the reasonable guarantees it seeks.

Dave Chapple Secretary of Bridgwater TUC said "Bridgwater TUC leafletted outside the ARGOS and sainsbury stores as well as the town centre because Sainsbury now own ARGOS and therefore have the responsibility to force senior ARGOS managers to settle the strike on the terms being proposed by Unite the Union.Bridgwater TUC has called for a "SOLIDARITY HOUR" on Tuesday 30th August, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, at the Unite picket line at Huntworth, when it is hoped activists from all Unite the Union Somerset branches, as well as activists from all other unions and trades union councils, will gather to show solidarity with the longest single continuous strike seen in Somerset for decades.Please bring your union banners and flags!"

 

Friends of Bridgwater Station look at THE CELEBRATION MILE

Friends of Bridgwater Station is holding an important public meeting on Thursday 16^th June. Phil Adams, Service Manager in charge of the Sedgemoor District Council’s “Celebration Mile” project, will provide an important update on progress so far, on this important plan to improve and enhance people’s first impression of the  town.

The  Celebration Mile project aims to provide a major face-lift to the rail station, and a route for pedestrians from the station to the Docks, celebrating the history of the town . 

It will give clear information to direct people to the town centre,  improve the station forecourt, ensure the area is safe and easy for all types of transport, and provide a new pedestrian and cycle link to replace the footbridge.

The meeting will be held at the GWRSA Staff Club (Railway Club), Wellington Road, Bridgwater, starting at 7.15pm.

Friends of Bridgwater Station was set up in 2012 to campaign for better rail services and facilities in Bridgwater.

Further details: Glen Burrows 07813 562 869/ glenburrows@btinternet.com

“The longer the battle, the sweeter the victory!” Bridgwater Postman Reinstated.

After a two-year “David and Goliath” battle with the country’s second largest employer, culminating with a 24-hour wildcat walkout on November 11th, 113 CWU members at Bridgwater Royal Mail Delivery Office in Somerset have secured the reinstatement of Andrew Mootoo, a profoundly deaf postman stricken with MS.

Andrew starts back to work on a part-time desk-based computer job, scanning in undelivered packets, on Monday February 15th.

On Thursday, the day after his reinstatement was confirmed, a gate meeting was held, with Andrew and his wife present, to celebrate a remarkable victory for the Communication Workers’ Union/CWU.

After the gate meeting, the British Sign Language/BSL interpreter for Andrew, said she had never experienced anything like it, the speeches had given her goose bumps!

Remarkable act of working class solidarity

Dave Chapple, with Darren Granter one of two Bridgwater CWU Reps still under threat of dismissal for their part in the November illegal walkout, said “Monday will finalise a victory that should be celebrated, not just as part of the TUC HeartUnions week, not just as the latest in an amazing series of strike victories at the Bridgwater Delivery Office, not just as a truly-even for Bridgwater-remarkable act of working-class solidarity, but,perhaps most of all, as a victory for disabled workers everywhere. How many other workplaces would have held a near-unanimous walkout to support someone who hadn’t been at work for nearly two years?”

“The unavoidable fact is that Royal Mail’s preferred option was always compulsory transfer out of Bridgwater, or Ill Health Retirement. The most ignorant and prejudiced Royal Mail managers we met, genuinely felt that the dole was the only long-term option. In any other workplace that could or would not risk a lightening strike as a shock tactic, the dole it would have been. “

Proud of militant history

Dave Chapple

Andrew Mootoo said:”After all this time I didn’t expect, suddenly, to find Royal Mail positive about my return to work. I want to say a big thank you to all Bridgwater CWU members who went on strike for me: that was crucial. I cannot believe I have been waiting for 2 years and 1 month to return to work.I call it “The Longest Road to CWU Victory”: I am so proud of our militant history here at Bridgwater!”

“The longer the battle, the sweeter the victory!” (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingstone: The Wailers, 1970)#

Andrew is available for interviews with the media, disabled, black and ethnic organisations, and other trade union branches."

Dave Chapple

07707 869 144

Not “The Enemy within”, but the “Heart of the People”

TUC Gen Sec Frances O'Grady

TUC/Trades Councils “Heart Unions” week February 8^th -14^th 2016

Trades Unionists in Bridgwater and other Somerset towns will; be out on the streets in force next week, Thursday 11^th February.They will be publicising all the good things that they do in workplaces every day of the week: improving wages, and health and safety, representing workers in difficulty, and where necessary providing support and advice to those being made redundant by George Osborne’s austerity programme.

None of these things are ever publicised or acknowledged by this anti-trade union government, whose Trade Union Act, never in the Conservative Election Maniifesto, seeks to wipe effective trades unionism from our country for ever. Strikes are at an all-time low in this country, and were and still are, always, only a last resort in the face of employers acting like dictators.

So if you are a local Trade Union Rep, have a problem at work, want to join a trade union, or have any other questions or comments, come along to the Bridgwater Trades Union Council stall at the Cornhill in Bridgwater Town Centre between 11am and 12.30pm, Thursday February 11^th.

Dave Chapple, Secretary, Bridgwater Trades Union Council

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady also said: 

"This government is determined to shift the balance of power in the workplace in favour of employers, and get the Trade Union Bill through Parliament with as little scrutiny as possible. We must not let them get away with it. 

We need to keep the Bill-or the Act if it is finally passed- at the front of politicians and journalists’ minds and to remind people why unions are so important. Trades Unionists will continue to fight this Act when it does become law. 

From the 8th to 14th of February the TUC will run a special week of activities throughout England and Wales to showcase the amazing work unions do. This will provide a way to increase the involvement of you as union members in the campaign, build awareness of the Trade Union Bill and tell positive union stories to the wider public.

The Trade Union Bill has no place in a modern democracy. Only through coming together and showing our united strength will we be able defend our vital right to strike.

Click here to go to the Heart Unions web site.

Dave Chapple           07707 869 144             davechapple@btinternet.com