{"id":14829,"date":"2018-03-19T18:47:03","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T18:47:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=14829"},"modified":"2020-11-12T12:59:06","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:59:06","slug":"john-harris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=14829","title":{"rendered":"Adapt or die?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

It was their horrific workplace conditions that brought them together – and now the three nightshift workers at a London hotel are the best of friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Within a few months of starting, they suddenly had their paid breaks taken away \u00e2\u20ac\u201c without being notified. They were forced to take on duties that they weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t contracted to, doing what one of them describes as \u00e2\u20ac\u015bthree jobs for the price of one.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They are supposed to be trained in fire safety, bomb threats, food hygiene and premises licencing but instead of receiving training, their signatures were allegedly forged by managers saying that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been trained when they hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As practicing Muslims, they aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t allowed to consume or handle alcohol \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which is why they choose to work night shifts after alcohol is no longer served \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but they say management bullied them into bartending after licenced hours.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ali, Mahir and Abdul \u00e2\u20ac\u201c young men in their 20s, the children of migrants, and up against a labour market dominated by insecure, low-paid jobs\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are in many ways the face of the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s modern world of work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They face a vastly different sort of capitalism than existed 50, 20 or even as recently as 10 years ago. They will never retire on a final salary pension\u00c2\u00a0 scheme; homeownership for them and others of their class and generation is now a mere a pipe dream. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re witnesses to an unprecedented era of income inequality and the slow but steady unravelling of the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s public services under a decade of Tory austerity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But to tell Ali, Mahir and Abdul that modern trade unions such as Unite have little to offer them \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as Guardian columnist John Harris suggested today<\/a> (March 19) – is to describe a reality far removed from theirs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThese young men have dived headfirst in the union,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 explains Unite hospitality co-ordinator Charlotte Bence. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re now taking their employer to court with Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s support; they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re recruiting and organising in their workplace and through Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s training they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re representing their colleagues as lay reps too.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She says that their case epitomises Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s member-led approach.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a very backward and old-fashioned idea that leadership only comes from the very top,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said, highlighting another recent campaign at TGI Friday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on tipping practices and unpaid trial shifts<\/a> which is being led virtually singlehandedly be two young women.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She takes issue with Harris\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 assertion that union leadership is, as he says, the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bpreserve of middle-aged white men\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Leading the union’<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOf course there is a conversation to be had about greater diversity among trade union general secretaries but a fixation on them misses the fact that our lay reps and activists at the coal face in their workplaces \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially in hospitality \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re all young, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re people of colour, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re women, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re migrants. They<\/em> are the people leading this union.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Charlotte describes the innovative work Unite is doing in hospitality to organise a sector that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s historically been difficult to crack \u00e2\u20ac\u201c one reason for this being language barriers among a migrant-heavy workforce.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAt one hotel, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re providing free ESOL classes to members and non-members alike. Once they have the vocabulary to articulate their rights; to understand their contracts, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re empowered to stand up and advocate for themselves.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Head of Unite Community Liane Groves says the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bunions as dinosaurs\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 is a trope regularly trundled out by the media but at Unite, looking ahead to the future is something that is constantly on the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s agenda.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFive years ago we recognised that there were many, many people who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in traditionally paid employment who have still have a vital role to play in their communities and so we founded Unite Community,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she explains.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This was the first time in modern history that a trade union expanded its scope to organise those not in work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and now Unite Community is a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Its’ members played a vital role in Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sports Direct campaign — they headed a major drive to raise awareness of the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s practices and in the end, Sports Direct workers secured\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u01411m in back pay<\/a>; an end to zero-hours contracts among other reforms; and ongoing scrutiny from politicians, the media and shareholders alike.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt was Unite Community raising the plight of these workers through their protests that really captured the public\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attention,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Liane explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBefore that campaign, many people may never have heard of a zero-hours contract. Now, everyone knows what one is.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Liane says that Unite Community is possible only through a trade union with the resources and campaigning ambitions that defines the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s varied membership.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite national offer Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe points to last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s victory<\/a> following the biggest cleaners\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike in British history as the sort of campaign that shows what Unite can accomplish with members at the helm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘BAEM women at front and centre of campaign’<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe Serco St Barts campaign was led by BAEM women who were at front and centre of the campaign,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWithout doubt the cleaners, porters and hospitality staff that were campaigning for a Living Wage were heroic and used union structures to get a better deal at work.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But he adds that it was Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s resources as the biggest union in the UK which enabled these workers,\u00c2\u00a0 through strike pay, to down tools for 24 days last summer \u00e2\u20ac\u201c action that saw them win a substantially increased pay offer and an end to zero hours contracts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s political and legal work has also had a massive impact, Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke tells UNITElive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He points to the recent campaign in support of GKN, a well-established firm now fending off a predatory takeover bid from \u00e2\u20ac\u0098turnaround specialists\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Melrose.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnite has the resources and the expertise to make the arguments against a very complex financial takeover bid,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explains, highlighting a recent hearing in Parliament<\/a> at which Unite gave evidence against the takeover.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Stopping the takeover could save thousands of jobs, just as Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s campaign against Bombardier tariffs ended in a victory<\/a> that preserved the livelihoods of thousands of workers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

‘Leading the way on Brexit’<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been leading the line on Brexit in way that no other union has and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve achieved victories for all workers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c whether or not they are members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Burke adds. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bTake for example, the legal case over average holiday pay \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that was a win that benefits us all; it was an instant pay rise for all secured by Unite.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As for looking toward the future, Unite, Burke says, is tackling head on issues that for many of us might feel a like a lifetime away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFar from \u00e2\u20ac\u0098burying our heads in the sand\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as John Harris puts it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re ahead of the curve on issues like automation. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re planning now for a revolution in work that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coming fast.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whatever is in store for trade unions\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 future, one thing, Charlotte says, is certain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re continued relevance depends on raising people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s expectations of work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not just about raising terms and conditions, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about raising people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thinking over what they have a right to expect. It isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just a question if you join the union we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have a conversation with your boss about a pay rise \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you have a right to expect better.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPeople deserve to be treated with respect; they deserve a wage they can live on; they deserve a voice in the workplace. At the moment, too many people believe they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t deserve that.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Unite Community is only one of the various forms of membership available through Unite \u00e2\u20ac\u201c different rates are available for members based on their pay and employment status. And as the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s largest union, it represents workers across all sectors in the economy. Find out more here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was their horrific workplace conditions that brought them together – and now the three nightshift workers at a London hotel are the best of friends.   Within a few months of starting, they suddenly had their paid breaks taken away \u00e2\u20ac\u201c without being notified. They were forced to take on duties that they weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,17],"tags":[624,303,779,388,232],"wps_subtitle":"The very much alive Unite is at the forefront of 2018 workplace life","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14829"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26325,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14829\/revisions\/26325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}