EC Meeting July 2022

EC Minutes 11 th May 2022

Chris Morgan (WEA) reported that they were largest independent provider of adult education within England and Scotland. The WEA was founded in 1903. They faced concerns within the constant changes within adult education and were currently focussing on t he government’s new multi plying programme for adults in work.

WEA have launched a new working rights and qualification programme and this was providing very popular so this would continue to develop and grow.

Oshor Williams (PFA) reported that changes within internal staff were happening to assist members better. The PFA had begun a major consultation exercise to provide a clearer understanding of the number of former professional players living with neurogenerative diseases such as dementia possibly relating to repetitive head injuries after research. Garry Elliott (Nautilus Int) reported there was a lot of current industry action with both public and private industries. The union had been hit badly by the Ukrainian and Russian war due to sea farers working in those areas. So far 1.6million had been recouped in unpaid wages for members on those ships. On the 17 th March POA dismissed 800 sea farers with no notice or consultation and Nautilst Int were working with RMT to assist members with the unfair dismissal cases. Large numbers of members were being forced out of work due to the low pay being offered to agencies of £1.80 per hour to Philippines crews. Major campaigns across ports were continuing on a daily basis. There were eight hundred British employees made redundant however no Dutch employees. Paul Day (PDA) reported that large pharmacy chains such as Boots and Lloyds that despite taking tax payers money were struggling to appoint staff. Locums are charging such high rates that they are now closing pharmacists. This was having a huge impact on patients obtaining their medicines and health care services being majorly affected. Another issue the union faced was that the third largest employer ‘Well Pharmacy’ one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains has confirmed that they will allow staff to continue to work and serve customers despite testing positive with Covid 19. This has the potential to expose vulnerable patients and staff to the risk of infection.

The PDA continued their campaign to promote and work with various continental pharmacists union partners to get medicines to Ukraine.

6. Lord John Hendy – current work to improve workers’ employment rights and legislation.

Doug Nicholls welcomed Lord John Hendy and Ben Sellers to today’s meeting.

Ben Sellers gave thanks for the invitation to today’s meeting and looked forward to working with the GFTU and welcomed the viewing of articles on the IER website.

Lord John Hendy gave thanks for today’s invitation and reported he had been a QC since 1987 and specialised in trade union and employment law. He was also chair of IER established 32 years ago and an UCL honouree professor.

3