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Unite Logistics & Retail Distribution Secto

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Road Transport - Commercial

www.unitetheunion.org

IGHWAYAutumn Issue - 2013NEWS FOR ALL TRANSPORT

AND LOGISTICS WORKERS

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Editorial 3Adrian Jones, National Officer for Road Transport and Logistics reports.

Truckers’ toilets UK 4Campaign to improve members wellbeing.

Not a pleasant sight 6What have you found in your trailer while working?

Stobart’s empire building 8Kenny Rowe, National Organiser reports from within.

Visit to Belfast 10Report back from the RTC conference.

Pensions in the Oil Sector 12The Blue Sky Scheme discussed.

CONTENTS

Can you help?Any stories/snippets of news/information you think might be of interestto the Road Transport and Logistics Sector, please emailto: [email protected]

Also, if you have taken or have access to any photos we can use in themagazine please send them in. Remember, they have to be sharp,preferable 300 dpi.

Diana Holland, Unite Assistant General Secretary – TransportAdrian Jones, National Officer – Road Transport Commercial, Logistics and Retail DistributionMatt Draper, Acting National Officer – Road Transport Commercial, Logistics and Retail Distribution

AdrianJones

Unite has been in the press a lot over the lastfew months and whilst some say all publicity isgood publicity I’m not quite so sure. We need to

be organised to be able to influenceemployers and politicians. It is onlyright that Unite lobbies politicians witha view to influencing policy, how else

can we hope to improve the lot ofordinary working people? This government hasother views though and the recent legislationpassed on lobbying is targeted directly at tradesunions but has also impacted on the ability ofmany charitable organisations to do their work.Another ill thought out decision by the ConDems.

Talking of ill thought out decisions, we haveseen over the summer the government pushingthrough the changes to cabotage for newregistration cars and vans. We are still waitingto evaluate the impact on our members but itcannot be good news when there is in effect afree market for employers to exploit driverswho do not benefit from our negotiated termsand conditions.

Unite is the only union that represents transportworkers at all levels of industry and government.If you have a gripe about your industry the onlyunion with the ability to make your voice heard isUnite. Make sure everyone in your workplace isa member.

Adrian JonesNational Officer – Road Transport and Logistics

EDITORIAL

IGHWAYTransportwww.unitetheunion.org Autumn 2013

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If you can, then you are one of the lucky ones!Many of you are not so lucky and are not beingallowed to visit the toilet or wash your hands atthe companies you visit.

It’s an amazing fact but currently there are noregulations which give you the right to use thetoilets at the delivery premises even though‘holding on’ can seriously affect your health!The fact that onsite staff must have toilet accessby law makes the situation totally unacceptable.We do however expect your employer to honourtheir duty of care towards you and ensure,wherever possible full facilities are available.With the shortage of truckstops andsuitable public toilets, not surprisingly alarge number of you are having to findalternative, non hygienic and even illegalmeans of coping when nature calls.

Unite is currently working with the British ToiletAssociation to bring this most basic of issues tothe attention of both industry and politicalleaders.

Further info on the British Toilet Association canbe found at www.britloos.co.uk and they havealso set up a campaign Facebook page‘Truckers’ Toilets UK’www.facebook.com/pages/Truckers-Toilets-UK/520313554691335

Gillian Kemp of the BTA says, “With the support of Unite theunion and the encouragementof members of Truckers’forums, we want to ensure that

all delivery staff can accesswelfare facilities. We don’t know

TRUCKERS’ TOILETS UK

how long it will take, butwe are moving in the rightdirection. Evidence is keyto our success so do take alook at Truckers’ Toilets UKand leave your comments.Alternatively you can emailme directly [email protected].”

Following approaches madethrough the National CarCouncil (Unite’s CarDelivery Combine) toJaguar Land Rover inSolihull the companyagreed to install brand newfacilities for transporterdrivers. Unite members hadraised concerns over thecondition of the old facilitiesfor some time and eventually the Car Councildecided enough was enough and members ofthe combine wrote to their own employers aswell as making contact directly with JLR.

Now we have achieved this success, let’s seeevery site with proper drivers welfare facilities.

Campaign to improve the health and wellbeing of lorry drivers

DO YOU DELIVER GOODS?

CAN YOU ACCESS TOILETS AND HAND WASHINGFACILITIES ON SITE?

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this we expect early consultation on the processto be followed. Without this it will always result inthe cheapest and worst situation for ourmembers.

It is unacceptable for our members on storedelivery to be hand balling waste onto theirtrailers.

It is unacceptable for warehouse staff to beexpected to process and sort waste when itreturns back to the depot.

This is not just about what are our duties but theconsiderable health implications if the propersafeguards are not in place and enforced.

Proper consultation, our member’sinvolvement and robust enforcement is theway to introduce a process such as wastebackhauling. Having a formal agreement thatis reviewed jointly ensures that our membersare not put into the difficult position ofpotentially refusing to collect waste from astore when the store manager is saying it mustgo. It ensures that when unloading propermeasures are in place to make sure that the

process is done in a safe and hygienicmanner. It ensures that vehicles are kept in aclean condition to avoid any potential healthissues for our members.

It is Unite’s view that waste collection should becarried out by trained, professional wastespecialists. Our members in waste are facingjob insecurity as a consequence of retailersadopting waste backhaul. Make sure youremployer negotiates before they implement.

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In the never ceasing chase for profitmany retailers and logisticscompanies are looking at the costof collecting and processing theirwaste from stores and more andmore are now expecting ourmembers, both drivers andwarehouse staff, to take over this role.

Whilst we do not oppose this in principle manyemployers are not consulting with Unite over how itis done and what can and cannot be handled. Thisis resulting in stores sending the most inappropriatewaste to be carried alongside fresh foodstuffs beingdelivered to the next store. Would you buy yourfresh veg if it was placed next to a bin?

Cross contamination also has to be consideredas we do not believe that the cheapest option isalways the best for our members or theconsumers. If waste foods are being carried incages next to fresh foods we have seriousconcerns over the potential for contamination.

Even in non food logistics ourmembers have been facedwith cages full of old shelvingunits or waste from binsoutside of shops thatcontains, well, use yourimagination.

Unite expects better. If anyemployer is seeking to do


Co-op National Steward TONY LEWINGTON said“There were some very difficulttimes but ultimately wemanaged to work together tosolve the problems. Our

members safety comes first andthat was our prime focus.”“

What did you findin your trailer?

Like most retailers the Co-op has looked to their drivers to collect

waste from stores. Following negotiations with Unite the union a

comprehensive agreement has been reached which delivers what

the company were looking for but safeguards the health, safety and

wellbeing of our members. By working with employers we can

resolve even very sensitive issues through professional and

reasonable discussion and thankfully at the Co-op we had just that.

The monster that is Eddie Stobartcontinues to grow both in size andinfluence in our sector.

Whilst we do not oppose any companyspreading its wings we do not accept companyprofits growing while worker terms are slashed.On the back of Unite’s national organiser withinStobarts, KENNY ROWE, working alongside theStobarts combine we are putting on membersevery week and building our organisation and,more importantly, our influence.

Our Shop Stewards across the company arecontinuing to do a great job in what is a veryhostile environment. Recently the company sentout a letter to drivers in response to a Unitecommunication. All this did was to highlight howout of touch the hierarchy are from their workers.It also proves that we are making in roads intothe organisation.

With Stobarts tentacles’ now into Bio Fuel, fueland car delivery along with retail distribution andrail we must have a coordinated response if weare to protect terms and conditions in the

LOOKOUT...

EDDIE

BIO FU E L

F U EL AND CAR DELIV

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AIR F R E IGHT AND GEN

E R AL HAULAGE

W HAT NE

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R E TAIL DIS T R I

BUTIO

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RAIL

THERE’S ASTOBART ABOUT

industry. Kenny Rowe is calling on the wholesector to respond and help us win recognition;“This is not a fight for just our members inStobart this is a fight to protect all ourworkplaces and all our members. We must stopthe race to the bottom.”

In the last edition of Highway we reported ontheir move into car delivery and now we arepleased to report that following a strong fightback from Unite members, Stobartsbacked down on a number of issuesincluding paying for CPC training. It justshows if you are willing to fight forsomething even the mighty Eddie Stobart willclimb down.

Whilst we have made some progresswhere we have recognitionalready, there are stillthousands of Eddie Stobartworkers who do not benefitfrom a formal agreement.

This is our aim; Unite to be recognised in ALLEddie Stobart sites. We can only do this if theentire sector, every driver and workerencourages and supports Stobarts workers intheir struggle.

We are confident that in the near future we willbe in a position to be going for that formalagreement.

Kenny adds; “There are somegreat people in Stobarts and itis our duty to do everything we

can to help them in their fight fortheir union to be recognised.Remember, the bigger they come...”“


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If you want to know moreyou can contact Kenny on:Mobile: 07720 703 567Email: [email protected]

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Unite Union Learning Reps DEBBIE HUNTERand MAUREEN REYNOLDS were presentedwith an award for the excellent work theyhave done in supporting their colleaguesin developing learning opportunities.

Diana Holland was extremely pleased to be ableto present the award and said

“The work that has been done bythese fantastic Union LearningReps should be an inspiring for

others. These young, enthusiasticwomen have genuinely made adifference for their work colleaguesand fellow Unite members.”


Visit to Belfastfor RTCconferencesees’s visit toHyde Park DC

However, the visit was not all smiles as during thewalk around site many members voiced theirconcerns over the uncertain future of the site andtheir own job security. With M&S making no secretof their plans to centralise their distributionnetwork to main hubs, volumes have been leavingthe existing DC’s with the obvious effect of puttingjobs at risk. The workforce is now facing losingjobs which will potentially decimate entirehouseholds. DHL, the contractor operating the sitehas still not made their complete plans clear.One member said, “We just want to knowwhat’s going on. We can’t plan anythingwhilst we are kept in the dark.”

Volumes have been taken out of Hyde Park asthe new ‘super hubs’ are brought online atBradford and Castle Donington.

RONNIE EVANS, National Committee Chairand DAVE WILLIAMS, Executive Member, whowere also on the visit were both very concernedover the company’s reluctance to enter intodiscussions about the future of the site. Unite welcomes retailers opening new sites, itcreates employment and gives many workers areal future, however M&S are deliberatelyavoiding dealing with the consequences ofopening the new super hubs on their existingnetwork. Unite members want to know what thefull plans are so they can at least make theirown plans. Come on M&S, sit down with Uniteand let’s have some proper consultation. Wedon’t deserve to be treated like mushrooms.

Assistant General Secretary, DIANA HOLLAND, along with RTCL&RDNational Officer ADRIAN JONES visited the M&S distribution centrein Northern Ireland recently during a visit to the region to attend anRTC conference.

“

LEARNING WINNERS – Unite assistantgeneral secretary Diana Holland (left)presents award to Debbie Hunter and

Maureen Reynolds with Claire CaulfieldUnion Learning Officer (centre).

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The ACAS document that our members ballotedon last year provided a vehicle for discussionbetween the industry and Unite on “PensionsPortability”, and how good practice should operatein the downstream oil distribution industry shoulda contract change hands through TUPE etc.

However this did not allow for a discussion on therealities of pensions within the sector and its fastchanging landscape. Unites officer responsible forthe Oil Distribution sector, TONY DEVLIN, has

been working hard alongside our lay reps tosecure a pension scheme for tanker drivers.Since early 2013, Unite has met with all of thekey employers in the sector to try to establish anindustry pension scheme. The Blue Sky schemewas put to the employers in June this year andfollowing that meeting we are due to meetindividual employers to try to reach agreementon how each of them can introduce the schemefor their workers. Still a long way to go butcertainly bright beginnings.

Pensionsin the OilDistributionSectorThe Oil Distribution Sector has seen considerable unrest overthe last few years but through the solidarity of Unite membersand the hard work of our representatives we are now seeingthe fruits of our labour.

PDP – PETROLEUM DRIVER PASSPORTUnite has been in detailed discussions in 2013 throughthe DODF (Downstream Oil Distribution Forum) afteragreeing the Industry training standard that all tankerdrivers must have to gain access to the terminal andoperate in the industry. Since appointing the ScottishQualifications Authority as the scheme manager we havebeen involved in significant discussions on preparingthe PDP for implementation in January 2014. Unite is thekey player representing workers in the industry and onlyUnite will be able to ensure this scheme does whattanker drivers want. Not least of our successes isgetting the terminal and storage owners to make thePDP compulsory in their facilities thereby ensuring thesafety of our members

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For all professional drivers an accident, illness or injurycould mean the permanent loss of their licence. And nolicence means no job.

This is why Unite has developed DriverCare. It provides coverfor drivers whose livelihood is affected by the permanentloss of their professional licence. It also provides othervaluable benefits.

DriverCare BenefitsDrivers and their families can benefit fromthe following:

£7,250 cover following Loss of Licencedue to injury, disability or illness.

Up to an additional £15,000 if you join theSupplementary Loss of Licence (Top-Up)scheme.

Up to £30,000 for death or permanentdisability following an accident at work.

Up to £3,000 following an assault at work.

£50 for hospitalisation following anaccident/assault whilst at work.

Financial support for legal costs incurredwhile working as a professional driver.

Help with legal costs and consequentialhardship following being charged withcertain traffic offences.

Only 95p perweekDriverCare costsonly 95p a weekextra on top of thestandard Unitemembershipcontribution.

Join TodayTo take outDrivercare Cover,please contact yourlocal Unite Office.

Terms and conditions apply. Please see:www.unitetheunion.org/roadtransport for more information.

UniteDRIVER

UNITE DRIVERCARE –Protect YourLivelihood!

03333 231290CALL NOW ON:

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