The government has opened a new front in its war on Britain’s trade unions. It is attempting to wreck trade union organisation among hundreds of thousands of local authority workers by saddling unions with millions of pounds in costs.

The first evidence I saw of this came in Leeds, ironically in the week that Britain’s labour movement marked the anniversary of the imprisonment of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, the six Dorset agricultural labourers who were transported to Australia in 1834 for swearing allegiance to a union.

Here’s what is happening. Councils give union representatives – elected convenors or shop stewards – time to do their union work. It’s called “time off for union duties”. The work is the nuts and bolts of trades union activity, such as representing people at disciplinary and grievance hearings. Some of it fulfils people’s statutory right to be represented.

Some convenors with thousands of members work full time on union duties, although they are employees of the councils, who pay their wages. For example in my city, Leeds, the secretary of the council branch of the public service union Unison, which has 8,000 members, is a social worker, but spends all his time on union duties.

It is in councils’ interests to have such a system. It helps maintain smooth industrial relations. It avoids the disruption of pulling people off their jobs daily to represent colleagues. It provides a mechanism to solve potential disputes before they happen.

In Leeds, Conservative councillors are attempting to sabotage the arrangement by calling on the Labour-controlled council to stop paying the union convenors’ wages, and make the unions find the money. There are 15 convenors. The Tories say stopping their pay would save Leeds council around £400,000, at a time when the council has to find £90m in cuts (cuts imposed by the Tories and their Lib-Dem supporters in government).

The proposal is accompanied by mealy-mouthed lip service to the “valuable role” played by trades unions, and reaffirming “reasonable support” for trades unions, including time off for union duties. But if implemented it would cripple the Leeds council unions’ abilities to provide representation for their members.

At first I thought the plan might be a one-off from some ambitious, union-loathing Tory wanting to make a name for himself, and make life difficult for the unions. It isn’t. It’s happening across the country, with other Tory councillors making similar proposals or preparing the ground for them. The Tories are even targeting union organisation in police authorities. If successful, it would financially cripple public sector unions.

Local authorities spend billions of pounds a year in taxpayers’ money to provide refuse collection, street cleaning, housing, old people’s homes, state education and other services. Some Tories want the billions it costs to run these services handed to the profit-hungry private sector. Union organisation is the biggest single obstacle to this aim, so it has to be removed.

If the Tory strategy succeeds, remaining services in the public sector will be privatised and their provision will be motivated by profit, not people’s needs. Dividends and bonuses will be the key factors in running our schools and old people’s homes.

Margaret Thatcher recognised that organised labour was the biggest stumbling block confronting privatisation. Now David Cameron and his allies plan to finish the job of destroying union organisation.

In 1834 the Tolpuddle Martyrs were transported to Australia for organising collectively. Transportation may be a thing of the past. The Tories’ determination to remove obstacles to private sector profit is not.

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Image by Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer via Flickr

Branches will be aware that Quadrant review the Tariff in April and October each year.  We have received correspondence from Royal Mail setting out the increases that are taking place from 4^th October 2010.

We have informed the business of our intention to note the increases and a document will be placed before the next available PEC meeting to endorse that principle.

We have also made representation to Royal Mail seeking a meeting to discuss the ongoing increases and in particular the continuation of reviewing the tariff twice a year. We have also requested information regarding the existing financial subsidy that Royal Mail continues to invest in Quadrant Catering.

We will keep branches informed of any further developments in the meantime below are the increases that are due to be implemented w/c 4^th October 2010.

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The department is pleased to report that following what have been extensive and difficult talks in the current climate, that an agreement has been reached with the business.

In order to provide you with the relevant information in regard to the pay agreement and to you assist with any members’ queries you may receive please find attached the document ratified by the Postal Executive at its meeting yesterday. Branches will note that the key elements of the agreement are as follows:

Ø A 2% increase in basic pay and allowances backdated to 1^st April 2009

Ø Allowances paid for the 1^st month while on sick leave/pay

Ø Members on maximum leave allowances will now have the opportunity to purchase an extra week’s leave in line with those currently under the max.

Ø Full paid maternity leave to be increased from 39 to 40 weeks.

Ø A move to monthly pay with full support mechanisms including interest free loans of up to three weeks pay, for those who wish to utilise that facility.

Ø A one year pay deal with the next pay review date being the 1^st April 2010.

Ø Agreement and commitment to the introduction of the ‘Table of Success’ process and relationship ideology in Quadrant.

The agreement will be subject to an individual member’s ballot and Branches will be informed of the details for the ballot when arrangements have been finalised and this will be done as soon as is practical.
In the meantime Branches are requested to ensure that our representatives and members are made aware of this correspondence.
Any enquiries should be addressed to Terry Pullinger, Assistant Secretary, email dwyatt@cwu.org, quoting reference 301.

Yours sincerely

Terry Pullinger
Assistant Secretary

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