Some employers recognise the benefits of promoting their employees' health, fitness and well-being rather than simply responding to individual employee health problems when they arise. But with the recession and cuts in public spending, have employers been cutting back in this area, or are they taking a more pro-active approach? Please tell us what happens at a workplace that you are involved with.

Fill the survey in by clicking on the link below. It only takes 5 mins. Thank you

www.lrd.org.uk/surveys/health/

We are still desperately seeking a rep for Bulks. There are a lot of complaints coming in about.
Excessive hours, harassment, abuse of days off etc.

If somebody is willing to stand up and start to fight back on your behalf, you will win and you will start to see change in your workplace. Especially if you ALL stand together. (Just look at the Ferry Terminal, TCT are starting to get there.)

Before people say, "The last lads who done it got the sack."

Nobody at Tees dock has EVER been sacked for being a Union Rep. So that is utter rubbish

"You become a target". You will only become a target if you put one on your head. If you do things using the proper channels and process, how can you become a target? You have legal rights as Union rep. These are available on the bulks web site page.

Please think about lads, YOU can't keep letting them getting away with it.. Grow some balls, stand up and fight back. The Port Council will be there to assist, but we can't do it for you.

Next week, together with union activists, Ian Murray MP will be delivering a huge letter right to the door of Number 10 Downing street, saying ‘our rights at work are not for sale’.

This Tory government are forcing through their plan to allow some businesses to force new employees to give up some of their most crucial rights at work, in return for shares in the business.

This is your last chance to add your name to the letter before we deliver it to Cameron’s front door:

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/notforsale

If this clause in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill goes through, then we could see working people bribed by their employers to give up some of the most fundamental workplace protections, including:

· The right not to be sacked unfairly.
· Redundancy pay and redundancy rights.
· The right to request flexible hours to fit round family or caring responsibilities.
· The right to request training.
· Some maternity rights.

Labour MPs have been fighting this Bill in the House of Commons, like we’ve been fighting this government’s attacks on working people’s employment rights in other legislation. Rights are not something that can be traded for cash. We need an equal One Nation Britain where employees are valued and respected in all workplaces.

In this time of economic hardship and high unemployment, it beggars belief that the government keep coming up with new ideas for making it easier to sack people – when they don’t have a plan at all for how to grow the economy and create jobs. We want the Government to make it easier to hire not fire employees.

Will you add your name to our letter to Cameron and Osborne, saying ‘our rights at work are not for sale’?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/notforsale

Together, we can send the government a message that we won’t stand for this attack on our rights.

Thank you for your support,

Ian Murray MP
Labour’s Shadow Minister for Employment Rights

Here's the latest on whats happening in the UK regarding PP3.

We want to know what the UK employers position is so we are writing to the employers organisation UKMPG and also every Port employer asking them for their position on PP3. As with PP2 we are drawing up draft letters for all members to send to their MP's and MEP's as last time getting them to support the unions position was critical, we are also putting a briefing paper together for the politicians as they probably have no idea about what this directive means either. We are also putting together a newsletter for dockers to explain the EU directive, what it means and whats going on to oppose it. We are talking with other unions in Europe about a co-ordinated strategy of opposition involving ITF, ETF and IDC, also as soon as any demonstrations etc are called we want as much notice as possible so UK dockers can organise funding and travel so they can attend and be part of it. Unite don't want any specific info broadcast as it would assist any group or party who support PP3, especially until we know what the employers position is and how they are prepared to help. Once we have more information we will let you all no what is happening.

This will have a detrimental affect on our lively hoods if the bill is passed, it's now our turn to stand up to the EU and show them UK dock workers will never be defeated.

Monday, 19 November 2012


HSE MEETING – REVOCATION OF DOCKS REGULATIONS

Jane Willis​​HSE
Stephen Williams​HSE
Vincent Joyce​​HSE
Helen Smith​​HSE
Hugh Robertson​TUC and HSE Board member
Andy Green​​UNITE
Richard Steele​​Ports Safety and Skills


Background
The decision to revoke Docks Regulations has been made but the status of the Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) was uncertain. HSE & PSS wanted to remove the ACoP and replace it with an industry Code of Practice (CoP). Unite had argued that the ACoP carried legal weight which compelled adherance and would only support the retention of the ACoP.

Meeting opened
Jane Willis stated that the HSE’s preferred option was to have a CoP which was felt to be more flexible and easier to understand and useable, in addition the benefits of a CoP is that it can be easily amended without great difficulty unlike an ACoP. However she acknowledged the points made by the trade union that something which had greater legal weight would be needed and accordingly she had consulted with HSE solicitors on the legaility of a stand alone ACoP and was advised that this could be done; Unite re-iterated that only the weight of legally enforceable rules could protect workers in the dock industry and help facilitate union safety representatives in their day to day role.
HSE maintained that there are areas of the existing ACoP which have been superceded or are out of date and cannot be retained. Unite agreed but stated that the retention of the ACoP was not due to any ideological reason but by reason of practicability and their effectiveness as there were also many areas in the existing ACoP which are still highly relevent and which should be retained.
HSE insisted that all areas within the docks ACoP which have been superceded by other Regulations and ACoP’s, such as LOLER, would legally have to be replaced. Unite conceded the point but reminded HSE that there many dock specific details in the ACoP which remain relevent and could not be lost.
Unite reminded the meeting that there is a major threat to de-regulate the dock industry and that we should be mindful that we do not make changes based on a snapshot of the industry today, but that we should consider the impact of a future de-regulated industry which would see a proliferation of untrained agency labour entering the industry. Such a scenario would require strong regulation in the dock industry.

Proposal
After extensive discussion, the HSE have proposed the retention of the Docks ACoP and to update and modernise them. This will be achieved by using up to date regulations and their ACoP’s such as LOLER, to replace and update existing areas of the docks ACoP. However if there is additional dock specific detail in the current dock ACoP which isn’t in these other up to date regulations, then the detail in the existing dock ACoP will also be retained and included in the updated version. Where there does not exist a suitable alternative to the current areas of the docks ACoP, these areas of the ACoP will be retained, subject to them being relevent and legally compliant. There are some areas which will need to be removed completely as they do not currently conform to equality legislation e.g. terminology use – physical and mental impairments. The updated Docks ACoP will include references to PSS guidance

Outstanding Work to be completed
HSE have requested that the trade unions undertake a study of the HSE draft ACoP document which has already removed much of the outdated areas to identify which remaining areas of the existing docks ACoP are relevent and which we would wish to retain and those we believe we should not.

NB. I believe as a precaution we should go further and re-check the whole docks ACoP to ensure that the HSE document has not already removed some critical areas.

HSE have asked Unite and other unions to review their ACoP and respond with their points as soon as possible. I have reminded HSE that Unite will need to consult and discuss with union representatives from the several ports as the commodity types are diverse, containers, ro-ro, general cargo, bulks and liquids etc.
The working group will report to the HSE board in December and recommend a hybrid document which retains the ACoP but which is updated. The ACoP would also include references to the PSS guidance.


Recommendation
The HSE conceding to retain the Docks ACoP is a major success as this was opposed by the HSE themselves and the employers, the updating of the ACoP also allows us an opportunity to modernise and strengthen the existing ACoP in a way which benefits our members in the docks.
I recommend that we draw together a group of representatives as soon as possible, who have the necessary knowledge and safety experience, to identify those key areas in the present ACoP we would wish to retain in their entirity and elsewhere extract all other relevent working practices and procedures which we would want to retain alongside the updated areas.








Note:
Steve Williams reminded those present that HSE intended to hold an dock industry conference in 2013 to which all the key stakeholders would be invited.

A LEADING biomass import centre for Teesside is on the cards - but it's dependent on Government policy remaining favourable, port chiefs have claimed.

Teesside’s plans for an import centre could transform the area into a major transport hub for the expanding biomass sector.

But bosses at Teesport owner PD Ports say the Government’s plans around electricity market reform and subsidies, such as the Renewables Obligation, must remain pro-biomass if it’s to go ahead.

Biomass is the fourth largest global energy source after oil, coal and gas - and many of the UK’s coal-fired power plants are converting to it.

Teesport owner PD Ports wants to answer the growing demand for supplies with a leading dedicated import centre.

It would generate hundreds of jobs and underpin the port’s 1,250-strong workforce.

PD Ports has been devising the plans for the last 12 months - and bosses say the facility could be the largest in the UK.


Meanwhile, the UK market is moving towards more biomass - a few months ago Drax, the owner of Europe’s largest coal-fired power station at Selby, and provider of 7% of the UK’s electricity, confirmed its plans to transform itself into a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator.

Initially, the company plans to convert three of its six generating units to run on sustainable biomass.

There’s still a way to go before all the legislation is in place - yet Teesport chiefs are optimistic.

PD Ports chief executive David Robinson, pictured, said: “There is the ROCs (Renewables Obligation Certificates) regime, and still some electricity market reform to go.

“This project very much depends on Government legislation being favourable towards biomass.

“Broadly, it still is - but these are very preliminary stages of planning for us.

“It will generate construction jobs over a two-year build programme and around 50 permanent jobs.

“But it will underpin 1,250 jobs.

“Teesport would be one of the largest import centres in the country.”

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