[A TUC press release]
The TUC has called on the European Commission to end the individual opt-out from the Working Time Directive. The EU's consultation period ended [the 31st of March].
The opt-out should go says the TUC because:
Working time fact file
The Working Time Directive limits working hours for most people to an average of 48 hours a week. It's not an absolute limit, but an average calculated over a period from 13 weeks to a year.
Four million work more than 48 hours a week on average. That's 700,000 more than in 1992 when there was no long hours protection. (Labour Force Survey - LFS).
Only one in three people at work know that there is a 48-hour average working week limit. (TUC poll August 2003). (http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-7084-f0.cfm)
The law is widely abused. One in three of those who have signed an opt-out say they were given no choice. (TUC poll August 2003).
Nearly two out of three people who say they work regularly more than 48 hours a week say they have not been asked to opt out of the working time regulations. (TUC Poll August 2003). Either the law is being ignored, or the loopholes and exceptions are so great that few enjoy protection.
A study for the DTI (http://www.dti.gov.uk/work-lifebalance/press300802.html) found:
[From the TUC's UNIONREPS newsletter]
New research published by the Department of Trade & Industry shows that IT workers want a better work-life balance, but over half do not believe that senior managers are "leading by example". The findings reveal that while 93% of women and 81% of men want more flexibility in their working practices, over half of IT workers (55%) don't think their senior managers make good 'work-life balance' role models. And nearly three quarters (74%) of those questioned fear that moving to a part-time or flexible career will harm their promotional prospects.
[From the TUC's Risks e-bulletin]
Cluttered desks, poor posture and hours spent in front of a computer are damaging the health of office staff, with increasing numbers of workers now suffering from 'Irritable Desk Syndrome.' Researchers at NEC-Mitsubishi say regular breaks and making desks more personal could reduce the symptoms of this condition. Some 2,000 people were questioned as part of the survey. Of these, 67 per cent said they are more tied to their desks than they were two years ago. Around 40 per cent said they were infuriated by too much clutter and paper on their desks but could not be bothered to do anything about it. 'Deskologist' Nigel Robertson, a consultant at Open Ergonomics, urged workers to take the matter seriously. 'What most individuals fail to realise is that desk symptoms typically escalate very quickly, from persistent discomfort to chronic pain which can end a person's career and reduce their quality of life in a wide range of ways.'
[From the TUC's Risks e-bulletin]
Law Lords have ruled that employers must take the initiative to protect employees they know are vulnerable to stress-related illness. They awarded a teacher, Leon Alan Barber, £72,547 in damages against his employer, Somerset County Council. Mr Barber, 59, retired in March 1997 on medical advice following a series of depressive illnesses. His union, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said his illness stemmed from overwork, triggered by two years of working up to 70 hours a week, teaching full-time as well as being responsible for the mathematics department. He complained to managers, but nothing was done. In 2002 the Court of Appeal quashed a county court award of £101,041 in damages and interest. The House of Lords has now overturned the appeal court judgment. Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe said: 'At the very least the senior management team should have taken the initiative in making sympathetic inquiries about Mr Barber when he returned to work, and making some reduction in his workload to ease his return. Even a small reduction in his duties coupled with the feeling that the senior management team was on his side, might by itself have made a real difference.' NUT's general secretary, Doug McAvoy, said: 'Teachers endure excessive workload and are subject to continuous monitoring... Teachers need and deserve all the support necessary to protect their health.'
[From the TUC's Risks e-bulletin]
Amicus, the union that has been the leading light in the push for workplace bullying action, is to head the world's biggest ever investigation into the problem. Trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt this week launched the project to tackle workplace bullying and discrimination, pledging to 'wipe this out, from the cradle to the grave.' Half the £1.8m project's funding - almost £1m - will come from the DTI's Strategic Partnership Fund, which helps strengthen employer-employee relationships and improve business performance. The project is the brainchild of Amicus and 10 employers, including BAE Systems and Royal Mail and will be rolled out to 180 employers from the autumn. The project will provide support, advice and training to organisations trying to deal with bullying, by training employees as counsellors and investigators and promoting a voluntary charter on 'dignity at work' and good practice. Chris Ball, national secretary of Amicus, said: 'We're delighted the government shares our concerns about combating workplace bullying and is prepared to work with us to eradicate it.' He added: 'I'm convinced we'll find very many employers willing to work with us to develop human respect and dignity as the appropriate denominator in all workplace relationships.'
[From the TUC's Risks e-bulletin]
Repetitive Strain Injury is a major problem at work. Anyone who regularly uses a keyboard or mouse can be at risk. RSI is easily avoidable though, and this TUC factsheet should help keep you safer:
http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-7697-f0.cfm
More information from our H&S Rep who specialises in RSI issues:
RSI is a major problem at work and one that is growing fast. So much so that even children who use their home PCs are beginning to suffer. RSI can affect any part of your body, not just your wrists, amd can be exacerbated by poor posture, poor equipment and lack of rest - as well as sustained bouts of repetitive movements. There is too much info to advise, on the conditions that make up RSI, to place here but the good news is that it is a lot easier to prevent than it is to cure, and the implementation of a few basic steps will greatly reduce your chances of contracting it. Unfortunately, there is a general underestimating of RSI in the public consciousness as no one believes it will happen to them and some medical 'experts' refuse to acknowledge it. Steps :-
[From the TUC's Risks e-bulletin]
BackCare, the charity for healthier backs, has relaunched its helpline. For the first time this TUC backed resource will be staffed outside standard office hours. BackCare says the helpline can provide information, support and guidance on everything from preventing back problems to managing chronic pain. The helpline is open on Mondays and Fridays from 9.00am to 12.00 noon and on Wednesdays and Sundays from 6.00pm until 9.00pm. BackCare has previously linked up with TUC on initiatives including a bodymapping campaign.
Today we welcome the employees of Fujitsu Consulting and FTSI into Fujitsu Services.
Don't forget tonight's meeting for all members of the Amicus Greater Manchester IT Branch:
6pm-7:30pm, Thursday 1 April
Upstairs, Hare & Hounds pub, Shudehill, Manchester City Centre, M4 4AA
(near the Shudehill tram stop and the spiral ramp to the Arndale car park)
All branch members are entitled to attend, from any employer or site - this is not just for MAN05 members.
As well as the usual discussion of workplace and union business, the main item on the agenda will be a discussion on "The far right - is it a trade union issue?". We will have a guest speaker - an activist in "Unite Against Fascism" (http://www.uaf.org.uk) in Oldham.
We also hope to have speakers from the strike of around 5000 nursery nurses in Scotland. These low-paid workers have been on all-out strike since the beginning of March. We know what a difference support made to our own dispute - and we've only had to take one and a half days action so far. For more information see http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/localgovt/nurserynurse/.
The issue of the far right will be a pressing on in the north-west over the next few months. On 10 June there will be elections to the European Parliament. These are being held using a proportional representation system. The British National Party (BNP) are targeting these elections and there is a real danger of them winning one of the seats for the north-west. On Saturday the TUC are holding a national rally at Birmingham's NEC to launch a national campaign aimed at defeating the BNP in these elections. See the TUC web site for more information: http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-7846-f0.cfm. Amicus is urging every member to vote in the June elections - a low turnout could result in a BNP member sitting in the European Parliament, claiming to represent YOU.
Dave Francis, Amicus rep and the rep for the MAN05 collective bargaining unit on the company's UK Pensions Consultative Forum, sent out a notice to staff in Area 12, which may be of interest to members elsewhere.
The main points Dave made were:
Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is planning a national "Pay up for Pensions" demonstration in London on Saturday 19th June. Details are available on the TUC web site: http://www.tuc.org.uk/pensions/tuc-7834-f0.cfm
While the MAN05 dispute is still not finally settled as a whole, the group did manage to secure a pay offer for staff in the MAN05 collective bargaining unit that was accepted by over 86% of members. This determines how the pay review (effective today) is being managed for everyone in the bargaining unit.
The MAN05 pay deal still leaves a very long way to go, but does represent a step in the right direction. It is the first negotiated pay deal for many years. It means the available money will be distributed in a fairer and more transparent way. It means that everyone in the bargaining unit will be getting at least 1% this year unless they are "red-circled" or have been disciplined for poor performance. It means that managers will have to put in place plans to bring those below the bottom of the pay scale up to the minimum.
Meanwhile, Amicus members on the UK Consultative Forum (UKCF) have been pressing to have the same issues addressed for those not fortunate enough to benefit from union recognition yet. The UKCF reps wrote to the company raising specific and detailed concerns about the April 2004 pay review. The company have not provided a proper response, but eventually agreed that the UKCF can publish the pay guidelines being used outside MAN05. You can read both (under "2004 Pay Review") on the UKCF's CafeVIK Community:
http://www.cafevik.fs.fujitsu.com/scripts/index.asp?community=UKCF
The difference in response shows the benefits of union recognition - we need to extend this throughout the company.