GMB, the union for workers in the security industry, reacted with shock to allegations that will be aired tonight on BBC One’s Inside Out London programme at 19.30 that thousands of licensed security guards could be working in the UK fraudulently after buying fake Security Industry Association licences (SIA) and training for cash.

A Rotherham-based metals business has been sentenced after it repeatedly risked workers’ lives by making them use dangerous machines – notching up a shocking 31 enforcement notices for safety breaches in just three months. Sheffield Crown Court was told that Meadowbank Vac Alloys was a serial safety offender. It allowed employees to operate vehicles and plant with category ‘A’ defects, the highest possible level meaning ’immediately dangerous’, and continued to keep the machines in use even after being specifically prohibited from doing so by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

He got out of his car, walked into the centre, shook a few hands, walked out again, got back into his car and that was it and he can’t have been there more than 30 seconds says GMB.

Visit this page for details of campaigning in the key seats within Yorkshire & North Derbyshire Region.  We would strongly encourage all members to help campaign in their nearest key seat as these will be seats that decide the outcome of the next General Election.  We know there may be a lot of calls on your time but with not long to go to the election we are asking you to help us with a last push to get Labour MP’s elected in these seats.

Even if you’ve only an hour to spare and you may never have campaigned before, you’ll be made very welcome and offered support.  We will be updating this site regularly with campaigning dates / times / events across our region and we hope to see as many of you on the campaign trail!

Batley & Spen 26th March 2015.pdf
Leeds North West Pizza & Politics - 30th March 2015.pdf

GMB’s response to today’s visit by Jeremy Hunt to Pudsey Medical Centre. Trade Unions will be demonstrating outside Robin Lane Medical Centre in Pudsey today at 2.30pm as Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, has the audacity to turn up after yesterday’s budget in which he offered nothing on the future funding of the NHS.

The result will be, more people paying to see their GP, longer waiting lists and more privatisation: in effect, the end of the NHS as we know it.

If the Tories are re-elected people would have more chance of winning the lottery than seeing police patrolling their streets or seeing waiting lists in the NHS coming down says GMB.

GMB is calling on the Appeal Court judge, Lord Justice Pitchford, appointed yesterday 12th March by Home Secretary Theresa May to head an inquiry into undercover policing, to investigate the new statement by Peter Francis, a former undercover police officer, that he spied on NUS, NUT, Unison, CWU, UCATT and FBU members as part of his job. This information is contained in a statement by Peter Francis read out at the launch of a new book “Blacklisted: The Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists” on Thursday evening 12th March in Committee Room 15 - Houses of Parliament, Westminster. London. See text of statement below.

GMB and over unions in the steel industry are now preparing to ballot their members for industrial action as senior managers from Tata Steel announced their intention on 13 March to close the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) to future accrual. The decision was communicated to a mass meeting of trade union representatives GMB, Unite and Community from across Tata Steel’s UK operations which was held at TUC Congress House in London.  As of December 2014, the British Steel Pension Scheme had 143,000 members, with 17,004 making up employee members and 91,264 making up pensioner members. As of November 2014, the assets of the scheme were valued at around £13.6 billion and continue to increase.

Staff at the sites – run by Sheffield Council sub-contractor The Green Company – are likely to down tools for an hour a day over the break – one of the busiest times for the centres. It is the latest twist in a long-running dispute over pay, conditions and bullying claims which has developed over many months. Industrial action first took place in October has been suspended since November for negotiations but GMB union representative Peter Davies said ‘in all likelihood’ the Easter strike would go ahead.

GMB STRIKE BALLOT BETWEEN 16TH AND 23 MARCH AT NORTH OF ENGLAND MILK SUPPLIER OVER UNION RIGHTS AND CUTS IN JOBS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In a consultative ballot last week 98% of drivers voted to take strike action to defend their jobs and trade union rights says GMB.  The threat to disruption of milk supplies to North of England supermarkets – Tesco, Aldi, Morrison and ASDA – has moved a step closer as GMB and Unite served notice on Monday 9th March for an official ballot for industrial action for 100 members now employed as drivers by Moran Logistics in a dispute over union rights and cuts to pay and conditions. The official strike ballot commences on 16th March and closes on 23rd March. See notes to editors for GMB press release dated 2nd March on the dispute.