Latest Rank & File Newsletter

BESNA is dead but ‘The fight goes on’: 

National Rank and File meeting.

Manchester: Mechanics Institute: 17th March: 12 til 3 pm.

Last Wednesday in London over 150 turned out at the ‘Rank and File’ meeting. We were fortunate to have as the guest speaker Dean Mighel from the Australian Electricians Trade Union [ETU]. Mick Dooley, and Jerry Hicks also said a few words, adding to what was a very buoyant but serious mood.

Up for discussion was the ‘what next and the way forward’ following the withdraw by the rogue companies from the defeated BESNA.

Contributions from the floor thrashed out and put together a 20 point document as a basis for any future talks on a new agreement. [See below]. But please note it can be added to if you so wish.

It was voted on and unanimously agreed to use this document once the combine has been elected on 14th March at Farady House 5 minutes from Unite HQ 128 Theobalds Road, Holborn, London; at 11am. All areas can send all their Rank and File committee members to this meeting. Where 6 ‘Rank and File’ members will be elected on to the combine along with 6 Unite stewards. This will be part of any ‘Unite’ negotiating committee as and when Unite are ready to sit down with the JIB companies.

Items one to five were considered as ‘non negotiable’.

1 Rule 17 to be adhered to in its entirety.

2) An increase in the hourly rate.

3) No deskilling in any shape or form.

4) Proper apprenticeships.

5) An end to blacklisting and no body to be victimised who has been involved in the dispute so far.

6) Increase in fares and lodging allowance.

7) Sick pay scheme.

8) Fares from home for all.

9) One hourly rate across the board.

10) 35 hour basic working week.

11) Full training for stewards and safety reps with paid time off.

12) Elected reps on all large projects. & No appointed stooge convenors.

13) Decent redundancy pay.

14) Decent pension scheme.

15) Employment rights from day one.

16) Government license for electricians.

17) Government investigation into corruption in construction and an end to bogus self employment.

18) JIB employment pool.

19) Trade Union education open to all.

20) Rank and File elected members who are unemployed to be taken on by unite and assist in a recruitment campaign.

Regular reporting back from any talks must happen, and eventually a ballot must be carried out for all Unite members, irrespective of being on a JIB company or not.

It was also voted on and agreed unanimously to: Start weekly protests on large sites in London, demanding direct employment. The first protest being at The Shard, London Bridge,  a MACE site, on 14th March 7am. Mace have a number of other sites in London which will be consider targeting in the coming weeks

Other areas might want to consider doing the same in their areas. It doesn’t have to be MACE, any contractor who thinks they can build their buildings with agency labour, paying p**s poor rates has got another thing coming. 

Finally [for now]:

Although we have won this particular round of the fight the battle against agency working and blacklisting still goes on - We must ensure that we do not allow ‘Unite or the bosses’ to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory by allowing the bosses to modernise the industry on their terms. ‘No sell outs’ this time round, or any ‘sweetheart deals’.

It is therefore vitally important that everyone tries to get to the 

National Rank and File meeting in the Mechanics Institute, Manchester, on the 17th March; between 12 and 3 pm.

For more info please visit..... Electricians Against The World http ://www . jibelectrician . blogspot . com/

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