The Socialist 14 December 2011

Tories speak for the rich, not for us

Tories speak for the rich - not for us

Hands off our NHS!

Unacceptable! Draconian sentences for Dundee 'Facebook riot' teenagers

Striking to defend pensions

No progress at climate conference

Them & Us

Why I joined the Socialist Party

Stand up to the Con-Dem government

Inside Job: Capitalism is a failed system: support the socialist fightback

TV review: Britain's great housing scandal exposed

All out now to stop the sites!

Pensioners and workers - united fight needed

Occupy London tours Canary Wharf

Action after N30

Langdon school strike

Public sector pensions - where now?

Tax workers on strike

Workplace news in brief

"Putin is a thief", "Putin is a thief"

Kazakhstan - 20 years of authoritarianism!

Cameron's drugs problems

Attacks on Tupe rights hit hard

Building bosses and their blacklist

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Readers' comments

Attacks on Tupe rights hit hard

Hannah Sell's article (issue 697) mentioned the Office of Budget Responsibility raised the ending of Tupe, the provisions that protect employees' pay, conditions and pensions if their jobs are privatised.

I work with people with learning difficulties and challenging behaviours and was Tuped over from an NHS hospital to a so-called charity.

The company we transferred to now operates like a private company. It does not recognise unions but has an 'employers consultative committee.' I am on this talking shop.

That has not stopped me building Unison but we have not yet got the 50% of the workforce needed for recognition.

Our firm wants to wipe out Tupe conditions by restructuring the company using an Economic Technical or Organisational (ETO) reason to do so.

Most of its workers are on the firm's contracts so if workers do nights, overtime, bank holidays etc they only get the day rate.

Many of us, but not the majority, are still in Tupe and get overtime, weekend enhancements etc.

After restructuring Tuped people will have to reapply for their own jobs, which have only been changed slightly, provided they pass a test at an assessment centre! If they pass they are offered new jobs on new contracts with all Tuped conditions gone. Some nurses will see their pay cut from £14 an hour to £8 as well.

What is happening to us now awaits others. However it seems some firms who tried ETO were defeated as they had a weak ETO reason. If any readers can offer some advice I would be grateful.