Today is the anniversary of the first of 22 days of strike action by GMB members at the Great Western Hospital (GWH) in Swindon, one of the earliest Private Finance Initiative (PFI) build and operate hospitals, and only the second opened by Carillion. This long running industrial dispute between the union and Carillion, over the failure of the company to recognise GMB, the unfair holiday system, and the culture of management bullying, which included years of covering up a system of shakedowns and extortion by supervisors, who terrorised the mainly South Asian women workforce into giving gold, money and other valuables in exchange for shift changes, overtime or holiday approvals. This extortion had been reported to Carillion in at least 2007, and the company was aware of the accusations at director level in at least 2009. Continue reading
Tagged with GMB
Paul Kenny to step down as GMB General Secretary; Len McCluskey to seek fresh mandate in Unite
Paul Kenny announced to today’s Central Executive Council that he intends to step down as GMB general secretary in late 2013.
It is no exaggeration to say that the very existence today of GMB as a healthy, solvent, independent and combative union is the achievment of Paul Kenny, who took over the union in 2005 as Acting General Secretary, in the wake of scandal surrounding the circumstances of former GS Kevin Curran’s 2003 election.
Kenny gave a new confidence to GMB, and swept away the old habits of industrial partnership; in his own words:
“I am sick of people trying to camoflage what we are about. We are a vested interest and proud to be one. Our vested interest is the working people of this country, the people who have no other voice than the trade union movement. Continue reading
Share:
Ten years of Carillion putting profits before patients at PFI hospital
This week marks the tenth anniversary of Swindon’s Great Western Hospital (GWH) opening in Swindon, one of the earliest Private Finance Initiative (PFI) build and operate hospitals, and only the second opened by Carillion.
The anniversary was marked today by a dozen GMB shop stewards protesting outside, highlighting the long running industrial dispute between the union and Carillion, over the failure of the company to recognise GMB, the unfair holiday system, and the culture of management bullying, which included years of covering up a system of shakedowns and extortion by supervisors, who terrorised the mainly South Asian women workforce into giving gold, money and other valuables in exchange for shift changes, overtime or holiday approvals. This extortion had been reported to Carillion in at least 2007, and the company was aware of the accusations at director level in at least 2009. Continue reading
Share:
Liberty joins campaign against blacklisting
Today’s Independent has a cracking article about the intervention of Liberty into the blacklisting scandal. The civil liberties organisation has written to the Information Commisioner querying the inaction over the illegal use of an unlawfully maintained database by around 40 construction companies to deny employment to people on utterly spurious grounds. Corinna Ferguson, legal officer for Liberty, said: Continue reading
Share:
House of Commons public meeting: GMB’s industrial dispute with Carillion
Tuesday 10 July, 6 – 7pm
Grand Commitee Room, House of Commons. Speakers include:
Chuka Umanna MP – Shadow Business Secretary
Kate Green MP – Shadow Women and Equalities
Iain Wright MP – Shadow Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Ian Murray MP – Shadow BIS Employment Affairs
Dave Smith – construction worker blacklisted by Carillion
GMB campaigners from Swindon, in dispute with Carillion at the Great Western Hospital Continue reading
