Transport & General Workers' Union
The TGWU Branch now has designated recruitment material specifically for the Parliamentary Branch. To obtain leaflets or A4 posters with their distinctive Big Ben picture, please contact the branch's membership Secretary, Anne Humbles, on ext 6273 or email humblesa@parliament.uk
Parliamentary branch drop-in sessions 28 February and 2 March 2006. Click here.
Frequently asked questions about TGWU Membership. Added 22 August 2005. Click here.
Welcome to new staff 12 May 2005
Now you've got a new job with an MP, you should think about joining a union. The Transport & General Workers' Union is the only union recognised as representing MPs' staff and they warmly invite you to join.
The more staff who join, the stronger a case they can put for improvements in pay and conditions. Union membership gives you the right to representation in times of trouble and legal advice through the union helpline on matters not related to work. They also hold social events to help you meet you colleagues at work. A third of their Parliamentary members are in constituency offices, so they are not just Westminster-centred.
For a form contact Anne Humbles at humblesa@parliament.uk
To find out more call Kevin Flack (Secretary) ext 6273 or Joanne Milligan x2779.
Introducing
the union…
Working
for an MP is an exciting and rewarding job, but at some point you may
face exactly the same difficulties as you would in any other workplace
– a dispute over your job description, a grievance against your
employer or simply the need to put a collective case for improvements in
working conditions.
That’s
one of the reasons the Transport
& General Workers Union (TGWU) has formed a branch to represent
staff of MPs and MEPs – whether they work at Westminster or in the
constituency.
You can now join the T&G online at www.tgwu.org.uk but please add to the form our branch number, which is 1/427.
Where
we fit in…
The
TGWU Parliamentary Branch is based in Region 1 of the union (London and
the South East) but includes staff from all over England, Scotland and
Wales. It has members who work for MPs of all the major political
parties and most of the smaller ones.
The
TGWU is the only union recognised by the Parliamentary Labour Party and
is regularly consulted by the Houses of Parliament authorities on
issues affecting staff. We hope that if you have not already done so,
you will wish to join.
|
This autumn, the branch will be launching its most dynamic recruitment drive ever - watch this space for details! |
TGWU's Alison McGovern
reports (August 2004):
I attended Disability Awareness Training recently, provided by House of
Commons for Members Staff. I found this training excellent. It
was very helpful to be able to discuss problems that might be faced
by a disabled person faced with an expert in the subject.
We learnt about technical issues on the Disability Discrimination Act, how disabled people can ensure their rights to services and assistance are met, and some simple tips in working with and for disabled people. For example, I was fascinated to learn that there is a particular fund that can be given to employers by job centres to make adjustments to their workplace to give access to disabled workers.
The trainer also took us through some of the political history of disability rights -- how the cause had changed from asking for charitable help, to demanding their civil rights be met. This part of the training was interesting from the point of view of a union member. I think that we can all play our part in ensuring our workplaces are accessible, and in putting pressure on the House of Commons to make sure Parliament is too. I would encourage all branch members to take up this training opportunity in the future.
Further courses for MPs' staff are taking place on 3 & 22 September 2004. More information at: http://www.w4mp.org/html/personnel/training/default.asp
Campaigning…
The
union campaigns for better working conditions and pay for staff. The 5th
July 2001 decision by Parliament to provide decent pay, more staff for
MPs, provide better employment procedures, security in constituency
offices and 'ring-fence' the money allocated for staff wages (so you
don't have to compete with a new fax machine when asking for your annual
wage rise) was the culmination of 20 years' campaigning by the TGWU
branch. Obviously,
the more staff who join the union, the stronger our voice is.
The union branch has made representations to the Speaker's Advisory Panel on the implementation of these proposals and is arguing for the best possible contracts to be adopted. In the current climate, Health and Safety is obviously of major concern and we have pushed for improvements to staff safety, especially with relation to security and post.
Click here for a pdf version (22KB) of: TGWU PARLIAMENTARY STAFF BRANCH 1/427
SUBMISSION TO THE SENIOR SALARIES REVIEW BODY: REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY PAY AND ALLOWANCES. This was submitted in January 2004.War on Want Trade Union Campaign. One of War on Want's current campaigns is exposing the horrific situation in Colombia, "the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionists". Want to find out more? Want leaflets for your next local meeting? Contact the branch secretary for individual copies or for higher numbers and more details, Nick Dearden at War on Want would be delighted to hear from you: 020 7620 1111 or ndearden@waronwant.org. Please mention the union branch when calling.
Contact
us…
So,
if you have not already done so, please contact us to join the union –
it’s an old slogan but as true today as it ever was – “unity is
strength”. To join simply email Anne Humbles at humblesa@parliament.uk
or call her on 0207 219 6368.
For
any other matter, please contact:
Chair: Joanne Milligan. milliganj@parliament.uk
Vice Chair/Health & Safety/Pensions: George McNamara, mcnamarag@parliament.uk 020 7219 3496
Secretary:
Kevin Flack, flackk@parliament.uk
Assistant Secretary: Chris Page
Treasurer: Amanda Ramsay
Membership: Anne Humbles
Social Secretary: Alison McGovern
Newsletter: Amanda Ramsay
Refreshment Users Group: Gary Kent
Travel Office Rep: Nicolette Petersen
Auditor: Chris Watt
How much does it cost to join?
The standard rate is £9.32 a month, cheaper if
you work part-time
My employer is anti-union - will they find
out if I join?
No. All correspondence is to you home address
unless you instruct us otherwise. No central membership list is kept by any
Parliamentary authorities.
What if I'm already in another union?
Joint membership is no problem. If you want to
stay in another union for historical reasons, no problem - but remember
unless you join the T&G we can't advise you.
What if I'm in another branch of the
T&G?
We can arrange transfer into our branch - just
send us your membership number.
I probably won't have time to attend
branch meetings - does that matter?
No. Just phone or email us with any issues you
would like to see raised - that's what many of our members in constituency
offices do. If you have a major issue to raise, you can write an article for
our branch mailing or newsletter.
Commons Cleaners Strike - “Makes me proud to be in the T&G”
That was the verdict of one of the branch’s newer members as they saw how much support the union gave to the House of Commons’ cleaners on their strike day in July.
Branch officers and members joined picket lines and were invited to the mass meeting at Parliament and we helped with organisational back-up and ensuring MPs’ support – not that most MPs needed much encouraging!
The Commons cleaners are in dispute over their pay and conditions, in particular the absolute minimum legal holidays their receive (12 days on top of 8 Bank Holidays), lack of company pension and a wage of a fiver an hour.
The cleaners’ reps and their Organiser, Rhys McCarthy, have met regularly with the branch and its officers and we will continue to support them. In the meantime, please urge your MP to sign EDM 434 (tabled by Shahid Malik who also joined the cleaners’ picket line), if they have not already done so.
Over the summer, T&G members were once again force to show their solidarity as the baggage handlers at Heathrow walked out in support of 670 Gate Gourmet staff who had been summarily sacked, apparently for staying too long at a staff meeting while waiting for union advice. Gate Gourmet has a history of poor treatment of staff and amongst those sacked were workers on holiday or on sick leave.
Without the action of the baggage handlers- and subsequent pressure from BA - there is little doubt that Gate Gourmet management would have refused to go to the negotiating table with the T&G.
The T&G is fast gaining itself a reputation as the champion of the low paid, which will stand up for its members when they need it.
By Kevin Flack
Branch Secretary
Last updated: 10 February 2006