The Socialist 8 February 2012

Save the NHS!

Save the NHS!

Prince Philip Hospital Llanelli: We can defeat cuts plans

Kingston Hospital: Save all NHS jobs

London - a tale of two cities

Exploiting the unemployed to line the pockets of big business

Safe railways, not shopping malls

Them & Us

Students drop out of college without EMA

Leeds Trinity students fight canteen cuts

New society at Leeds College

Scrap the Welfare Reform Bill

Tactics to stop racist EDL

Manchester Sure Starts saved!

Tower Hamlets: Save Rushmead one stop shop - fight all cuts

Salford campaign saves day care centres

Defend care services in Medway

Mubarak's state machine blamed for football massacre

UCU special conference

Reinstate sacked PCS steward, John Brookes!

The scandalous role of London Unison - Demand that it defends Len Hockey!

Striking oil tanker drivers demand meaningful talks

Workplace news in brief

Tory policies hit women hardest

We need fighting trade unions

Review: Borgen - politics and crime in Denmark

PDFs for this issue




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Reinstate sacked PCS steward, John Brookes!

Alan Docherty

A flying picket of a dozen civil service union PCS activists leafleted the Triage offices in Middlesbrough and Darlington on 23 January. They were supporting sacked union activist, John Brookes. He has been sacked for highlighting job cuts and reduction to services on the Work Programme - the government's private sector-led return to work scheme.

John was a senior PCS representative in the commercial sector and was previously employed by a company called Working Links. He has worked for 36 years and been a trade union rep for most of them. He has a lifetime of commitment to helping the unemployed in the Middlesbrough area.

In April of last year John was subject to a TUPE transfer from Working Links to Triage Central Limited.

On 23 August John spoke to the local media about welfare to work provision and the planned redundancies facing many of his colleagues. This has resulted in him being charged with gross misconduct by Triage Central. His appeal against dismissal was rejected by the employer on 5 January.

Before he was dismissed, John also happened to be in dispute with his new employer about the amount of redundancy pay that he was owed. By sacking him Triage has left him with nothing. In contrast the CEO of Triage Central Ltd, Kate Carnegie was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to the unemployed. She is paid over £135,000 a year. Triage is a sub-contractor of Ingeus and Deloitte, both multinational companies.

John was not the only person disowned by Triage; John strongly supported and represented Giles Hudson. He was also on the picket line supporting John. Giles had been a victim of a horrific car crash that left him brain damaged. Against tremendous odds Giles has rebuilt his life and became a competent trainer, though he required some support. Giles praised John, as his union rep, as one of the few people that helped him get back to work. Giles maintains that Triage would not employ him because of his disability.

Send messages of support to John and also write to Chris Grayling, the Tory minister to complain about Triage. Also write to Kate Carnegie, CEO of Triage, demanding the reinstatement of John Brookes.