If you’re a member of the ICL Defined Benefit pensions scheme, you need good representation on the “ICL Pension Members’ Committee” (IPMC) which gives members a voice over the running of the scheme.
This is particularly important at the moment, when the company is discussing with the IPMC its concerns about the cost and risk of providing our pensions.
The term of office for your elected IPMC representatives ends in May 2008. The Company is therefore seeking nominations for representatives for the next four years.
If you might be interested in standing for election (or if you’ve already sent in your nomination form), UNITE wants to hear from you as soon as possible. The deadline for nominations is to be received by the company 5pm on 7th May 2008.
What is the IPMC committee?
The committee is open to members of the ICL Pension Plan Defined Benefit Section. Its main task is to discuss with Fujitsu Services any issues relating to our final salary pensions. In recent years this has included the effects of pension legislation and related tax legislation, the progress towards paying off the deficit, the impact of Salary Swap, and informal conversations about how the scheme might change in response to members' needs and preferences and the company's desire to keep costs and risks under control.
Minutes
IPMC minutes are published on the IPMC community on CafeVIK and give an indication of what is being discussed and the frequency of meetings.
Two UNITE reps in Manchester who are not IPMC members are also being briefed in more detail on the internal discussions the IPMC is having at the moment. We hope this will help the union to be better prepared should any proposals for changing the scheme emerge.
There are 12 seats on the committee for contributing members, plus three pensioners’ reps (who are currently not up for re-election). The constituencies are:
To protect all our pensions, we want to ensure that there are good candidates that all trade unionists can support for each of the seats, and to avoid a situation where union members stand against each other.
If you are thinking of standing or would like to know more, please get in touch as soon as possible. We would particularly like to hear from potential candidates for the Thames Valley constituency, as we know that the existing representative (Robert Dimmick, also a UNITE rep) is retiring and not standing for re-election.
One of the benefits of having union members on a body such as the IPMC is that UNITE can provide training on the more specialist aspects of all this, as well as giving you access to expert advice and support.
An ideal rep would also be:
Please come forward - your life after work could depend on it.
Completed Nomination forms for these posts need to be received by the company 5pm on 7th May 2008.
To see an electronic copy of our latest paper one-per-desk leaflet on CafeVik, click here (a local version is here).
Would you like to nominate someone to be a UNITE rep (Workplace Rep, Health & Safety Rep, Union Learning Rep, Environmental Rep or Equality Rep)? Of perhaps you’d be interested in standing yourself?
If you wish to volunteer or nominate someone else, please do so by Friday 2nd May:
Because the company doesn’t yet formally recognise these roles, candidates for Equality Reps may wish to consider also standing as Workplace Reps and Environmental Reps may wish to consider also standing as Health & Safety Reps.
If you want more information, please contact any of the existing reps.
UNITE reps, HR and line managers from across the business have monthly meetings to discuss matters affecting employees represented by UNITE in the north-west.
The minutes of these meetings are published on the “Amicus The Union” CafeVIK community.
Many of us complain that it’s hard to find the key information about working here. What’s the fax number for MAN35? Where is security? What do the green break-glasses by the doors do? What do those red light switches do? What’s the phone number for reception? How do I set up speed dial numbers on my Cisco IP phone? Where are the bus timetables? Which CafeVIK communities are useful? All this information and more is on one A4 poster that you can print off and pin on your desk.
On 31st March “Communicating” sent out the first “Fujitsu Manchester Newsletter”. This will be issued monthly and is jointly edited by UNITE, HR and Site Facilities. It is hoped that this will gradually reduce the volume of Communicating notices we all get by gathering many of them together in one place. This newsletter will be used for important information, so please take the time to at least skim through it. Isn’t it a sign of how much things have changed since the dispute that such a newsletter is possible!
On Friday 28th March HRdirect sent out personalised emails entitled “Update to employees in the UNITE Manchester Bargaining Unit” to people in the UNITE Manchester bargaining unit.
This email included vital information about your terms and conditions – specifically which redundancy provisions the company believes you are on. If you haven’t done so already, please keep it in a safe place, as it is useful evidence of your rights should you be in a redundancy situation in future.
It is also important that you check the contents and challenge any inaccuracies. It is inevitable that the HR database will contain errors and correcting these is one of the benefits of this exercise. A number of people have already had their records corrected – much better to do this now than when it matters!
The company know that there are a few people who didn’t receive the email, as their HR database record was blank. HR say they are working on this. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that rather more people didn’t receive the email. If you haven’t had it, we suggest you contact HRdirect to check that you’re on their list to sort out.
This week most Fujitsu Services employees in the UK are receiving a pay packet that buys less than the one they had a year ago, despite the continuing increases in company profits achieved through our hard work.
UNITE calculations from Fujitsu’s own data show that over the last four years typical pay for some roles has actually gone down in cash terms (i.e. even before allowing for inflation) and most have risen far below the 15-17% you would need just to have kept up with the rise in prices or average earnings.
The Manchester version of UNITE’s second national Fujitsu UK paper newsletter is available on CafeVIK, and this focuses on pay. Similar leaflets are being distributed at sites across the UK.
The reality is that Fujitsu’s so-called “performance related pay” system does not pay fairly. Most are getting pay rises far below inflation despite competent performance and a significant number even getting 0%. Those few who are getting real pay rises have generally had to take on far more work, skills and responsibilities to do so - the rises rarely reflect this adequately.
The secretive and arbitrary pay system is only benefiting those whose own generous pay and bonuses depend on boosting profits by driving down our wages year on year.
A few years ago the union published an entirely fictional story about Bodgit & Scarper PLC which illustrated how the scam of individual performance related pay works. Any resemblance to any real company is entirely in the mind of the reader.
The IT Sector Skills Council “e-Skills UK” conducted a survey which indicated that salaries for technology professionals in northern England grew by 4.8% during 2007, to an average of £30,333. They say our industry needs 140,000 new entrants per year until 2012 to cope with skills shortages and will need to attract half of these from other occupations.
Taking the sting out of the abolition of the 10% tax band
Many of those at the bottom of the pay ladder will also have been hit by the government’s abolition of the 10% tax band. The little known (and therefore hardly used) Working Tax Credit may help a little. This tax benefit is available to people who earn less than a threshold (which varies between £17,000 and £22,000 a year) and work at least 16 hours a week. It’s important to understand that it applies to those who don’t have children. That’s why it is different from the better known Working Families Tax Credit.
The basic benefit is £1,800 a year but there are many other types of payment depending on your own personal situation. It really is worth investigating to see if it applies to you. Full details are online http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/index.htm or by phoning the helpline on 0845 300 3900 or the textphone on 0845 300 3909. Lines are open every day (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Easter Day) from 8am and 8pm.
Tomorrow’s Strikes
Fujitsu staff aren’t the only ones battling against attempts by employers to worsen pay and conditions.
Tomorrow, Thursday 24th April, sees teachers in the NUT, many civil servants in the PCS, further education lecturers in the UCU and UNITE members at Shelter taking part in national strikes to defend their living standards and the services they provide. They are being joined by union members in a number of local disputes such as council workers in Birmingham and Leeds.
We all remember how we benefited from the support and solidarity of other trade unionists during our dispute, including many of those on strike this week.
Why not pop along to a picket line near you on the way to work to show your support? Or if you’re not working (maybe because your kids are off school) why not go along to the various events in Manchester on the day:
If these campaigns are successful it is bound to raise the confidence of employees across Fujitsu to organise and campaign for fair pay.
Love Music Hate Racism Carnival
UNITE is the main sponsor of the free Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) carnival being held in London to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original “Rock Against Racism” carnival:
12-6pm, Sunday 27th April 2008
Victoria Park, London E3
www.lmhrcarnival.com
Performers: THE GOOD THE BAD THE QUEEN, HARD-FI, ROLL DEEP, DREW McCONNELL (BABYSHAMBLES) & FRIENDS ft VERY SPECIAL GUESTS, ROCK AGAINST RACISM ALL-STARS, JAY SEAN, THE VIEW, JERRY DAMMERS (ex-The Specials), GET CAPE.WEAR CAPE.FLY, WILEY, AKALA, NIHAL, DENNIS BOVELL'S LONDON LOVERS' ROCK CREW, POLY STYRENE (X-RAY SPEX), BASHY, TINCHY STRYDER, THE PADDINGTONS, PATRICK WOLF, NATTY, SKREAM & BENGA, DON LETTS, ACE & VIS, BISHI, JAMMER, JUGGY D + MC SPECIAL, MECCA 2 MEDINA, NY, DJ HYPE + DADDY EARL, RIZ MC, CHIPMUNK, TARGET, MISTAJAM, HYPA FEN & MARCIE PHONIX, STATIK, ALEX MILLS, THE THIRST, THE TRIBUNES, ADELAIDE McKENZIE, NO.LAY, METZ & TRIX, HOODSTARS, ARUBA RED, LIL RASCALS, STYLO G, DECYPHER COLLECTIVE, DJ RUGRAT, NATHAN 'FLUTEBOX' LEE
Speakers including: Tony Benn, Derek Simpson (UNITE General Secretary), Mark Serwotka (PCS General Secretary), Weyman Bennett (LMHR) and Gemma Tumelty (NUS)
If you fancy going, there is a coach going from the University of Manchester Student Union on the day and tickets are available to non-students for £20 from Tom on 0787 024 9529.
UNITE is committed to campaigning against the BNP and other similar groups who are standing on local and GLA elections.
May Day
Trade unionists in Manchester are planning their celebrations for International Workers Day this year on the bank holiday, Monday 5th May.
There will be a march and rally around the themes are “Healthcare for All”, “Keep the NHS Public. Defend Public Services. No privatisation”, “Solidarity with Karen Reissmann”, “For a decent living wage: no pay freeze” and “Trade union rights”:
Assemble 11:30am, All Saints Park, Oxford Rd, Manchester
March to rally at Peace Gardens by Manchester Town Hall
This will be followed by a meeting:
Friends Meeting House (Mount Street, behind Central Reference Library)
2-6pm (Food Provided)
Branch Meeting
The next meeting of UNITE Greater Manchester IT Branch is:
6pm-7:30pm, Thursday 8th May
Upstairs, Hare & Hounds pub, Shudehill, M4 4AA
[Near the Shudehill Metrolink station and the spiral ramp to the Arndale car park]
All branch members are welcome to attend.
Please note that our May meeting is the second Thursday in the month rather than the first, to avoid clashing with local elections.
Following the “TUPE transfer” of Johnsons Workplace Management employees into Fujitsu at the start of the year, the company has now agreed that those based at Central Park (or HOM99 within 30 miles) are covered by the union recognition agreement, Annex 1 etc.
A warm welcome to our ex-Johnsons colleagues, who work in a variety of jobs such as reception, goods-in and the mailroom. Please encourage more of this group to join UNITE, now that they are benefiting from our agreements.
UNITE is offering a library service at Central Park for Union members. Books already available range from fiction to history and psychology to IT.
Once you’ve been shown where the library is and how it works, you will be able to borrow and return books at any time just by filling in a loans book kept in the library.
Please contact Union Learning Reps Rama Reddy Nallamilli or Sajana Patel if you’d like to arrange to be shown around the library, or if you have any books you’ve finished with that you’d like to donate.
In February the company contacted UNITE about proposed changes to the catering facilities. Reps were told in that the company intended to close the MAN35 canteen and improve the service and options in MAN33/34 canteens.
At UNITE’s request, the company delayed the changes, informed employees of the proposals and asked for feedback. However, despite requests, the company went ahead with the closure without discussing the feedback.
There were problems with long queues, running out of food, not enough staff to cope with the demand at peak times, and no obvious improvement in the options available in MAN33/34. Helpdesk managers in MAN35 had raised issues over staff being late back from breaks, as it was taking them longer to get food and refreshments from other buildings. People complained that the vending machines left in MAN35 were not working, sold “out of date” food, or had the best-before date obscured.
Employees in MAN35 were particularly upset, and UNITE reps didn’t let the issue drop. Eventually the company set up a meeting with site facilities, UNITE reps and managers from MAN35 to discuss the impact of the closure. The meeting generated lots of ideas – it’s only a shame that this approach wasn’t taken in the first place.
It was agreed that a bespoke sandwich order and delivery service would be piloted in MAN35 along with plans to iron out some of the other issues around service, food labelling, pricing, and the environment of the seated area in MAN35.
Employees in MAN35 are supposed to have been told by their managers how to use the service, where you can order sandwiches, they are made to order and then delivered to MAN35. Has this happened?
There is a forum planned to review the bespoke ordering service and to see if some of these changes have helped.
Do you have any views – positive or negative? Contact your Health & Safety reps in MAN35 - Dennis Morris and Colin Robinson.
WMD Inspections
No, “WMD Inspections” does not mean your safety reps have found Saddam’s elusive stockpile in MAN35! WMD is “Workers Memorial Day”, when people around the world “remember the dead and fight for the living” – the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 2.3 million people a year are killed by work worldwide.
Fujitsu employees don’t generally work in environments with a significant risk of a lethal incident, but:
To coincide with Workers Memorial Day, UNITE Health & Safety Reps will be carrying out another round of workplace inspections, to help improve your working environment, your health and your safety.
This time the following areas will be inspected:
If you have any issues or concerns that you would like to be checked during the inspection, please contact your Health & Safety Rep beforehand.
Electrical Safety Testing
UNITE has been pushing Fujitsu to carry out electrical safety tests in line with their published procedure for the inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment (“PAT” testing in the jargon). In a workplace like ours, this is obviously a key measure to safeguard your safety against both electrical shock and fire.
Last year, Unite Health and Safety reps brought the lack of testing to Fujitsu Services management attention, having identified areas on the Manchester Campus that have a large number of portable electrical equipment items without any record of being PAT tested.
We are pleased to report that some action has now been taken in one area, where in the region of 150 items of kit went through Formal Visual Inspection. Amongst other things, this highlighted:
This is a step forward, and UNITE continues to encourage the company to do more. Adequate records of inspections should be kept, and a testing regime put in place so that testing takes place without the need to be triggered by Unite Health and Safety inspections, or an individual employee’s concerns.
Workstation Assessments
Many employees suffer pain in their backs, necks, shoulders and arms which is related to their work. If you suffer pain, it is important to deal with it promptly. Failure to do so can result in it progressing into a serious disability that can make it almost impossible to carry out many normal daily activities.
It is often possible to change working patterns and/or the arrangement of an employee’s workstation to relieve or even eliminate pain, so don’t suffer in silence.
To try to prevent health problems arising from using computers, the law requires employers to carry out risk assessments for employees using “Display Screen Equipment” (DSE) – these are usually known as “workstation assessments”. The law says these assessments must be carried out by someone competent to do so, and that Health & Safety Reps must be consulted over the appointment of such competent persons. A good workstation assessment can identify and eliminate many potential causes of health problems before they occur.
UNITE in Fujitsu has campaigned long and hard to ensure that workstation assessments are carried out by properly trained assessors, rather than the assessments being reduced to a bureaucratic chore for the untrained employee filling in a “self-assessment” form which does little or nothing to protect their health but allows the employer to blame you if you suffer health problems later.
In many cases “self-assessment” has meant no assessment at all, as employees either don’t bother to perform such a futile task or they refuse to do so because they understand the potential consequences.
UNITE members at the Manchester AGM this year agreed a motion “to campaign for the company to appoint and train sufficient competent assessors and to ensure all employees benefit from a proper assessment”.
On 15th April the company sent out a “Site Notice Manchester Campus: Call for Workstation Assessors”, calling for people who are already trained assessors to get in touch and asking for new volunteers to undertake the necessary training.
This is a really important step forward for your health and we encourage members to consider volunteering.