The Socialist 25 January 2012

Hard times - but not for the 1%

Hard Times - but not for the 1%

The trade unions and Labour

Add your name to the TUSC petition

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition election conference

Public sector pensions: 'Coalition of the willing' gathering strength

Financial vultures kill Peacocks

Con-Demned to unemployment

Fight the Tories' Welfare Reform Bill

Victory against Dorries' abstinence education bill

Keep the racist EDL out of Leicester

Them & Us

Haringey parents say: No to academies!

NUS calls national student walkout

Balfour Beatty re-ballot: Vote to strike again

Sweetheart stitch-ups in the electrical industry: A spark's history of the Joint Industry Board

Exposed - the dirty world of the construction blacklist

Egypt - A year of revolution and counter-revolution

Stepping up the action to defend pensions at Unilever

Defend Len Hockey: Outrageous attack on Whipps Cross hospital workers

Pontefract hospital: Army withdrawn - now kick out PFI!

Save Vine services

Llanelli: Save Prince Philip's A&E

Stop the Salford day centre closures

Kirklees parents say 'save our children's centres!'

Greenwich Unite members oppose cuts, privatisation and racism

Workplace news in brief

PDFs for this issue




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Defend Len Hockey: Outrageous attack on Whipps Cross hospital workers

A Unison member

Shock and outrage by porters, domestics and switchboard staff at Whipps Cross hospital east London, greeted the news of the threat by Initial Facilities to discipline Unison joint branch secretary Len Hockey.

In a move clearly aimed at trying to intimidate the workforce, Len has been invited to attend an investigation hearing on 30 January in connection with his role as lead representative for these staff. This comes on the back of attacks by the company in the recent weeks.

Redundancies

These include making domestic supervisors and help desk staff redundant and the demotion of deputy head portering grades. The workers have also experienced a big increase in the number of disciplinary measures they have been subjected to over the recent months.

The fighting record of these staff was shown in two rounds of strike action over the past years. This succeeded in eliminating inequality of treatment among workers and secured harmonised pay and conditions with NHS staff. It earned the branch first prize nationally for organising and recruitment.

Len, a porter at the hospital for 23 years, went on to describe workers' anger turning to revulsion when his members informed him over the weekend of a letter sent to them and which he had not seen.

This is from the Unison Greater London region. The letter, signed by the regional organiser and sent to Len's members but addressed to Len, attacked and misrepresented his campaigning record in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to drive a wedge between the members and Len himself.

"With cuts and all the daily problems workers face, the last thing you would expect is a blow from behind," Len commented. "This act points up the urgent need for all union officials to be elected, paid a wage in line with the members they represent and held to account - particularly to our low paid members as is the case here". He added: "A campaign and response to these attacks is now set to take place."

Please send protests at the threat of disciplinary action, which we believe is an attempt to break the ability of the union branch to fight the cuts: to the employer Initial: susan.matthews@rentokil-initial.com, trish.sharpe@rentokil-initial.com and to Whipps Cross hospital trust: cathy.geddes@whippsx.nhs.uk
Please send copies of protests to London Unison region, with a note to the region to say that you expect Unison to vigorously defend Len from the attack by his employer: v.lucioni@unison.co.uk c.remington@unison.co.uk