.

I suppose we illustrate

what Water company

owners think of consumers

and employees?

Yes, and it leaves

a foul taste in

the mouth

Cheryl Franklin 1966-2013

How do I start to talk

about Cheryl? Anyone

who met her has a story to

tell whether they were

family, friend, colleague,

Manager, or a stranger.

Cheryl's philosophy was

no one was better than

anyone else and therefore

you were treated the same

regardless.

Her outlook on life

was straight forward; what

you saw was what you got

with Cheryl. Her style was

unique and you always

knew where you stood if

you ever came onto her

radar.

I went to see her in

hospital after I realised I

had not heard from her for

some time. By then she

had been moved from

Oldham General to the

Coronary Care Unit at

Wythenshawe Hospital.

She was quite ill but still

maintained her usual care-

free spirit. I never man-

aged to get back to see

her.

After Cheryl's death

in May I received count-

less good-will emails from

members who she had

helped and represented.

They all wanted to pass on

their condolences to her

daughter Savannah and

closest family and friends.

No one could have pre-

dicted what an effect her

death had on so many peo-

ple. I for one think about

her every day and about

the family she left behind,

who had to deal with not

one funeral but two, as

Cheryl's mother died on

the same day after a long

illness. I am still in contact

with Savannah, her legal

guardian Natasha and Na-

tasha's husband. I am posi-

tive I will be friends with

Natasha long after

Cheryl's loss is less pain-

ful. I can understand why

she was Cheryl’s best

friend growing up and

during her adult life and

why she entrusted her

daughter's future to her

care.

As a Steward and

union colleague Cheryl

was very active and al-

ways questioned why

things were done in a cer-

tain way. When we were

in Company negotiations,

she brought a sense of bal-

ance to any proceedings

by adding her own hu-

mour to the discussions. I

do, and will miss her input

and feel privileged to have

worked with her as a col-

league and am proud to be

able to call her my friend.

Teresa McEntee

UNISON Convenor Electricity North West

This is the time of the year in the world of

the tabloid newspapers they call ‘the silly

season’, the summer holiday period when

not much is supposed to happen. That

doesn’t seem to be the case in the Water

Industry (my own employer group), as the

centre pages of our very own tabloid, U3,

demonstrates. In an especially hard-hitting

analysis of the industry as a whole by our

Editors we can see that we may be at the

tipping point on ‘water ownership’. Do

take the time to read it; private ownership

of vital ‘public’ industries should be close

to all our hearts, for isn’t that where we all

started?

National Conference (and the Wa-

ter and Energy Conferences) held in Liv-

erpool was excellent. A great venue; a

great atmosphere; and a union showing it

is ready for the challenges this govern-

ment can throw at it. It was good to see

our mag Editors, Cliff and John, and Sa-

rah Williams present ten motions between

them at the Water, Environment and

Transport Conference; hardly surprising

then that I later spotted Cliff and John

pouring numerous beers down their necks

in the BierKeller. Well done all of you.

I am now focusing on getting this

Branch operating at its peak now: our

structure needs to allow the different em-

ployer sections to operate with some au-

tonomy, and, in UU, we need to reflect the

revised structure of the Company. This is

taking a lot of extra effort from our

Branch Officers but we are getting there.

Finally, there will be a demonstra-

tion outside the Tory Conference in Man-

chester on 26th September of which

UNISON will provide a massive and vo-

cal contribution. It is important the gov-

ernment knows that the people of this

country do not agree with the austerity

measures which evidently target the most

vulnerable in society. This is your chance

to add your voice to a growing number of

people fighting for our NHS. I look for-

ward to seeing as many of you as possible

on the streets in September.

Enjoy the rest of the silly season.

Be seeing you...

As David Cameron and George Osborne

give their blessing to widespread shale gas

exploration in all areas of the UK and

offer generous tax breaks to fracking

companies such as Cuadrilla, the repre-

sentative body of the water industry, Wa-

ter UK, has warned that public health

should not be put at risk by attempts to

cash in on the highly controversial re-

source.

Water UK’s Policy & Business Advisor Dr

Jim Marshall said, “Provision of drinking

water is a cornerstone of our public health

and as such a service that cannot be compro-

mised. There are arguments for and against

fracking and the water industry not taking

sides. If it goes ahead, we want to ensure

corners are not cut and standards compro-

mised, leaving us all counting the cost for

years to come”.

In August David Cameron said that the

whole of the country must "get behind frack-

ing", which ought to get "real public sup-

port" once its benefits are explained. How-

ever, the industry is coming under fire from

the public and MP’s alike. Nick Herbert, a

Tory MP for Arundel and South Downs,

said, “There is trouble ahead. The govern-

ment cannot fail to have noticed the level of

concern shown…by the number of contribu-

tions to the debate, it will have to deal with

the issue”.

Exodus...UU’s role models Yorkshire Water

announced that it was to axe 256 jobs in

mid June. Whilst opposing any form of

redundancy, unions were pleased to note

that voluntary severance was on offer and

that they were expecting a “high number of

volunteers”.

And they were proved right! Within a week

of the announcement, over half of York-

shire’s workforce had expressed an interest

in leaving the company. This pretty much

says it all about current levels of morale

within the industry. It also proves U3’s as-

sertion in the last issue that were UU to an-

nounce job cuts, HR would find themselves

caught in a similar stampede…

Factory Settings...Keen to allay fears about

just what constitutes its Future Concept of

Operations initiative (FCO), UU published a

“myth buster” section on the One to calm

people about UU’s new factory-driven ap-

proach. And the biggest myth? Er, that staff

would have to clock on, just like they do in

factories! But nothing about job losses, clo-

sures or changing shift patterns—things that

often occur in factories and tend to be of

concern to most workers. On the subject of

shifts, the latest rumour to reach The Eye is

that UU top brass want to implement conti-

nental shift systems across Operations to

reduce overtime and standby costs. One

thing that isn’t a myth about FCO itself is

that it will mean more automation and less

staff at the sharp end—unlike Lingley Mere

where the FCO department will expand in

direct proportion to the shrinking of the

field...

Grecian Earn…Is it just the Third Eye, or

has anyone else noticed the distinct ‘anti-

ageing’ process going on with UU’s Chief

Executive Steven (“Stevie-Boy”) Mogford

of late? His hair, once flecked with wisps of

grey, has now gone sooo dark there appears

to be a purple halo around his head. What

could have brought on such youthful luxuri-

ance? Well, a pay package of £1,547,800

might go some way towards it. That colossal

sum breaks down as £659,000 salary with a

bonus of £723,300 and £145.000 in lieu of

pension contributions - and £20,500 in

“other benefits” (whatever they might be). It

would certainly put a spring in the step of

many people – but more likely, such a whop-

per of a pay packet would turn the hair of

most normal people white!...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?...Sometimes ac-

tions in extremis can border on the comedic.

And so it was in a clean water area recently

where, due to a combination of pleasant go-

ing-out weather, excessive standby work-

loads and the Field's old friend the Working

Time Regulations, not a solitary water in-

spector across three districts was available to

restore water to a repaired trunk main. Staff

were either on sleep-time, tied up on other

jobs or out enjoying the balmy weather.

So responsibility fell on the district manager

who in

turn called on a colleague

from quite a distant area to assist—and the

two worked late into the night to restore

supplies.

While in some respects the action can be

applauded (avoiding DWI reprimands etc.) it

does throw up some serious questions, like

1) staffing levels, 2) the number of unneces-

sary jobs put out to standby, thus eating up

valuable hours before the working time lim-

its kick in, and 3) what happens when 'good

will' flies out the window? Three things that

UNISON has been banging on about for

ages now.

Maybe now our union can look to the sup-

port of some managers in its eternal battle

with, er, management. After all, you can’t

rely on Super-Manager coming to the rescue

on every occasion…

Can you handle it?... Keen to see the fruits

of Project Ranger’s labours at United Utili-

ties sites (or perhaps to check out the exist-

ence of a notorious old photograph—see last

issue), Stephen Fraser, Head of Operations,

headed out to the recently titivated office

block at Denton Treatment Works, east of

Manchester. Unfortunately his route into the

network office was impeded somewhat by

the fact that the door handle to the office had

recently broken off. Now there’s craftsman-

ship! The Third Eye does feel it is important

senior management see how the other half

lives – but it would be nice if they could get

in…

Hey Teacher, leave those kids alone...A

senior manager dropped in on a UU-run

training course recently just to see how

things were going. While the class got on

with some hands-on experience of a new

computing process, the manager was over-

heard asking the course tutor, a UU employ-

ee himself, what the delegates thought of it.

"Mainly positive," he was heard to say, "but

some negatives." The manager then said,

"Give me their names." The tutor, not pre-

pared to stitch up colleagues, declined to

point the finger. But why would this manag-

er want the names of those not that enam-

oured of the new process? Clearly this Com-

pany has become so autocratic it is now no

longer prepared to tolerate individualism and

independence of thought and will sift out the

'rebels' for, firstly, some "attitude realign-

ment" and, if that fails, some "employment

realignment", possibly. Scary times folks…

Meet The Frackers...The announcement

that UU was “having discussions” with

fracking firm Cuadrillla about gas explora-

tion on its large tracts of land and provision

of the huge volumes of water required for

the process caused raised eyebrows among

the public and UU employees alike.

When it broke the news of the talks on the

One, UU was keen to trot out the usual stuff

about “job creation” and “energy benefits”

whilst spinning the line about government

support for fracking and the “robust regula-

tory regime” ensuring the protection of pub-

lic water supplies. It also mentioned the not

insignificant “two small earth tremors” that

occurred near Blackpool during Cuadrilla’s

activities there in 2011. But, hey, if the gov-

ernment’s studies say it’s safe, then surely

it’s true, right?

As the response on the One showed, UU

staff were less than convinced by the news

and made forthright and intelligent observa-

tions about pollution, earthquakes, public

anger, the myth of lower fuel bills and the

potential damage to UU’s reputation, sus-

tainability ratings and SIM scores.

From the somewhat chastened reaction of

the Comms and Business Development

Teams, you sense that UU had anticipated a

more positive response from its people.

As UU is currently driving a huge PR cam-

paign to win the affections of its customers,

has it properly weighed the ramifications of

yoking itself so publicly to a company as

unpopular as Cuadrilla?...

Miners for Truth & Delusion...Fracking is

now the cause celebre for the pig trough

mentality and its cheerleaders are sounding

off in the right-wing press, particularly in

The Sun and Times. Is this anything to do

with the fact that their proprietor, Rupert

Murdoch, is an investor in Genie Gas & Oil,

a fracking company with interests in the

Middle East? Similarly, Tory MP and former

minister Peter Lilley is a vocal champion of

the industry via the press. He also happens to

be vice chair of Tethys Petroleum, a Cayman

Islands-based company that is very active in

the shale gas and fracking market. Lilley has

share options worth $400,000 and is paid

£11,750 for 30 hours work per week.

(More Third Eye on Page 7)

A Reconstruction of actual eventsA Reconstruction of actual eventsA Reconstruction of actual events

Two events in mid-June highlighted the issue of

ownership within the industry and set the ball rolling

for a summer of stinging criticism and bad publicity.

Firstly, Severn Trent successfully rebuffed three

takeover approaches from a Canadian-led consorti-

umt– which it has since admitted cost them £19 mil-

lion on lawyers and advisers fees. Money that could

have been put to far better use. Within days, the Aus-

tralian-owned Thames Water was announcing profits

of £550million and enriching its senior direc-

tors. It was criticised for raising money using

subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands, a notorious

offshore tax shelter.

Thames has now asked Ofwat for per-

mission to increase bills by a “one-off” £29

before inflation. They claim the measure is

necessary as it has endured a “tough time”

financially. The move will provoke further

consumer anger, coming just months after the

company announced its revenues were £1.8

billion in the last financial year and that it paid

no corporation tax. Thames has asked Ofwat to

allow them to increase the cost over more than one

year and cited increases in Environment Agency

charges and the cost of preparing for the construction

of the Thames Tideway Tunnel as reasons for the

rises. It claims the biggest item was £273 million

spent acquiring land for the tunnel, a major new sew-

er development. However, if Thames’s owners had-

n’t crippled the company with £8bn of debt in the last

decade whilst paying out almost £300m to foreign

shareholders, it could easily have funded the tunnel.

“Enquiry”

In his research paper titled "Watergate - The

Great Eastern Region Water Con", Robert

Halfon, Tory MP for Harlow, analysed the

results of five water companies: Affinity, An-

glian , Cambridge, Essex and Suffolk, and

Thames for the past five years. Mr Halfon

claims all five firms had sharply increased

their bills over the period, but some still had

poor leakage rates and senior staff were being

paid "huge bonuses". He called for an

"immediate inquiry" by the Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee into

the role of water regulator Ofwat and how

much water firms are charging.

The scale of tax avoidance at many water com-

panies was a focus of UNISON's recent conference

where General Secretary, Dave Prentis, called for a

national inquiry. A UNISON report shows that more

than £100 a year – 30% – of an average household

water bill goes on profit, compared with 9% in the

energy sector. In the last 10 years water bills have

risen by 64% compared with 28% for average earn-

ings, and would be £71 a year lower if bills had done

no more than keep up with earnings. Mr Prentis told

The Observer: "A national inquiry and a freeze on

water prices is the only antidote to a rapacious prac-

tice that is driving struggling families into water

debt.”

“Excessive”

Political pressure and lobbying for reform of the

sector is growing . UNISON’s report (carried out by

the New Policy Institute), called it “a very odd indus-

try indeed, one whose ownership is opaque, whose

consumers are powerless and whose profits are

high”. The report concluded it is high time the indus-

try came under serious scrutiny.

In July, the veteran water regulator Sir Ian Byatt

gave his backing to a highly critical report by

the think-tank CentreForum which investigat-

ed the financial activities of Water companies

in the years since privatisation. It found that

many companies had racked up huge levels of

debt to pay annual returns to shareholders. By

funding dividends through debt, companies

were able to slash their tax bill – but had seen

their credit worthiness deteriorate as a result.

Mr Byatt claimed Water companies had been

allowed to get away with paying “excessive

dividends” to their foreign owners at the ex-

pense of customers and the taxpayer. Citing

the case of the Tideway Tunnel, he called for

ministers to revive Victorian-era dividend controls on

the industry to tame a corrosive culture of heavy

borrowing and high shareholder payouts that has left

it unable to carry out major investment projects with-

out taxpayer support.

Jonson Cox, the chair of Ofwat, is to embark on

the biggest corporate governance shake-up of the

industry since privatisation. The likes of Thames and

the other predominantly foreign-owned companies

may have to trim their boards, on which overseas

investors are strongly represented.

As in the banking sector before it, the Water

industry is in crisis; spiralling out of control in a feed-

ing frenzy of greed and self-interest. Its leaders may

defend their practices and what privatisation has

achieved, but they are now defending the indefensi-

ble. The industry is becoming a national disgrace,

needing root and branch reform and a new owner-

ship model. The credibility of the existing one is

shattered.

Water Companies ‘the

biggest polluters’

TORY MP SLAMS “UNETHICAL AND

IRRESPONSIBLE” WATER INDUSTRY

It would seem that even members of the Conservative party are picking up the

UNISON clarion call for a public enquiry into the Water Industry. In his article for

Politics Home on tax avoidance in the water industry, the Tory MP Charlie

Elphicke (Dover) argues the tax avoiding practices of the water industry are

"unethical, unacceptable and irresponsible” and calls for a review. U3 reprints

Mr Elphicke’s article here in full...

It’s not just the sewage that smells in the water industry. Its approach to tax leaves a lot to be

desired too. Since 2010, the average household water bill has increased by 14.5%. Indeed the

average family has seen their overall utility bills rise by £384. Yet while jacking up our bills on

the one hand the water companies have been indulging in serious levels of tax avoidance on

the other.

Over the past three years, a number of Utility Companies have used tax avoidance

schemes – based on debt tax relief – which has substantially reduced their tax liabilities. Com-

panies I named in the Commons last week include Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water and South-

ern Water. My study demonstrated that this tax avoidance has potentially cost the Exchequer

almost £1bn in the past three years. In my view industrial scale tax avoidance of this nature is

unethical, unacceptable and irresponsible.

It is unacceptable because water is both regulated and a public service monopoly. Cus-

tomers have no choice as to their supplier. The industry is supposed to work on the basis that

companies only get a set and fair return. To seek to boost that return at the expense of our tax

system is wrong. The regulator, OFWAT, should immediately launch a review into these prac-

tices and order tax avoiders to cut water bills. An order to cut bills would ensure that the over-

all return is fair and in the public interest.

It is unethical because the companies concerned get tax relief twice for the same invest-

ment. They first get tax relief on the investment from capital allowances. Then, as they make

around 80% of the investment through debt, they get tax relief on the interest payments. The

rates of interest charged may be well in excess of normal market rates, increasing the amount

of tax avoided. If the interest payments went to a third party investor it might be more justifia-

ble. Yet invariably the debt and share equity is provided by the same overseas investor, in-

creasing investor returns. Often the investor is a non UK pension fund providing the debt

through the Cayman Islands tax haven. By effectively getting tax relief twice they game our tax

system in an unethical way. For this reason, HMRC should launch a review into these practic-

es and consider what action can be taken.

It is irresponsible because these companies have become heavily indebted in order to

make their tax avoidance work. Typically the debt levels are 80% or more. Excessively high

levels of debt plunged our banking system into crisis and required the banks to be bailed out.

Like banks, we cannot have a situation where our water companies are allowed to fail. Unlike

banks we are not yet at a point of crisis and we should act now to ensure that the irresponsible

behaviour of water companies doesn’t end up requiring a bailout in future. OFWAT as the

regulator has a responsibility to ensure that our water companies are stable and sustainable.

That they are able to finance the investment required to modernise our water infrastructure.

Basically to ensure there is no risk they will go bust. This is why OFWAT needs to stop the

culture of excessively high borrowing in the water industry.

Tax avoiding water companies should be ordered to cut their bills. Yet the water indus-

try needs to improve its corporate culture too. It needs to have a greater sense of social re-

sponsibility to the tax payer and the customer. The industry needs to reduce its high debt levels

and operate in a safer way, not live life on the corporate edge. The bottom line is that water is

an essential supply and the industry needs to operate in a low risk way.

Thames Water customers who had a hosepipe

ban imposed on them last year during some of

the wettest weather recorded in England, got a

further slap in the mouth when it was an-

nounced in June that a

senior Thames director

was to be awarded an

OBE ‘for services to con-

sumers in London and the

Thames Valley, particu-

larly during drought’. In

fact, rainfall was so heavy

during the ban that there

was flash flooding and

hundreds of Thames’ cus-

tomers saw their homes deluged with sewage.

Robert Collington, who is known across

the company as ‘Bob’, is operations director at

Thames, and was promoted to his current post

in September 2012. Prior to this he was in

charge of the group’s sewerage network. He

joined Thames in 1989, and has worked for

the company in the UK and in its overseas

division, which has since been sold off. He

returned to the UK in

2005.

Upon proudly ac-

cepting his OBE Mr Col-

lington said, “Providing

water and wastewater

services to 14 million

people across London

and the Thames Valley is

no easy task but we do

our absolute best to make

sure people don’t even realise how much goes

on behind the scenes”. But thanks to recent

revelations, Thames’ long-suffering customers

are now all too aware of what is going on be-

hind the scenes. And it stinks.

U3 received the following message from a UU manager via a UNISON source. We’ve

redacted the message where necessary to prevent the individual being identified….

“I think UNISON need to ensure they fairly represent the number of managers they

represent who have a hard job to do and not take cheap

shots as has been done in U3. I for one can vouch for work-

ing longer hours and being more stressed in this job than

any other R Band field role I’ve ever had, and I like to

think I know what I’m on about having started as an ap-

prentice a number of years ago.

I also would like to make sure the government is put under

more pressure over water company profits and ownership,

as driving us down the competition route with only UU and

Severn Trent left in British ownership is terrible for what

should be a non-profit organisation.

I would also like to reconsider payments to Labour party unless they grow some balls

and start trying to represent the people. Ed Miliband does not warrant my money.”

A UU Manager Speaks Out . Order of the Brown Effluent

It has been a trying summer for Water companies; beset on all sides by critics in the media, consumer groups, and regulatory bodies. With

trade unions and Tory MP’s alike united in condemnation of the blatant and reckless profiteering of largely foreign-owned businesses,

mired in sleaze and functioning purely in their own interests. And all now shining a light into the murky practices of an industry in crisis...

This summer’s wretched publicity didn’t focus solely on profiteering . In August, The Observer revealed that the most persistent and frequent polluters of England's rivers and beaches are the nation's 10 biggest water firms. It transpires the companies have been pun-ished for more than 1,000 incidents in the past nine years, but fined a total of only £3.5m. There is concern that the financial penalties are far too low to change the behaviour of an industry that generates billions of pounds in profits and share-holder dividends. The charge is backed by the Sentencing Council for England & Wales, which is proposing major hikes in penalties. Environment Agency data, obtained by and analysed by The Observer, showed the most heavily fined company in 2005-2013 was Thames Water, which paid £842,500 for 87 incidents. United Utilities was the most frequently punished company, with 242 incidents since 2005. It was fined £200,000 in 2012 for allowing sewage to pour into the river Keek in Cumbria on 22 occasions. Anglian Water was the third most heavily fined company, including £150,000 in 2008 for three incidents at Newmarket Wastewater Treat-ment Works . In one, the works manager de-stroyed data and coerced colleagues to falsify records, while another caused a major fish kill. The sentencing council's draft guidelines direct that for deliberate pollution incidents by large companies and with the most serious envi-ronmental impacts, the standard fine should be £750,000 but could be varied between £250,000 and £2m depending on circumstances. Source: The Observer

UNISON Representatives continue to

build excellent working relationships

with management to ensure that all our

members get the very best representation

during consultation/negotiation, which is

seen as best practice within the whole of

United Utilities.

Safety Representatives (Joe Mehers,

Richard Smith and Bala) are continuing

to work really hard to ensure that

UNISON members work in the safest

environments.

Since private sewers came under Water

Industry ownership in October 2011,

UNISON has worked hard to negotiate

an excellent reward package for CST’s,

and the changes that UNISON have con-

sulted/negotiated on are starting to see

real benefits for our members and the

company.

UNISON has recently won all the Agen-

cy CST’s back pay of approximately

£1000, as the Agency CST’s annual sal-

ary was less than substantive employees,

and this breached the Agency Workers

Regulations 2010. We also got all the

Agency CST’s transferred from Rullion

to UU (fixed term or permanent), which

was a great success.

UNISON continues to grow in member-

ship within Wastewater Networks,

which reflects the excellent work the

team of representatives are doing.

The 5 Stewards that represent

Wastewater Networks are:

Ashley Harper – Blackburn WwTW –

07950 217 673

Bernard Murphy (NPT) – Rochdale

WwTW – 07768 032 032

John Mattimore (NE) – Stockport

WwTW – 077768 926 333

Nicola Bannister (CST) – Davyhulme

WwTW – 07785 456 945

James Edge (CST) – Blackburn

WwTW – 07825 976 461

If you have any questions/queries or

know someone who wants to join

UNISON, please liaise with one of the

team or myself direct. If you have a

view on any of the matters discussed in

this article please write to U3.

How Our Stewards Work For You In These Difficult Times...

At Serco we have finally

concluded the 2013 pay review, delayed

because members had to vote on an offer

which included removal of part of the bo-

nus scheme. As Dave Johnson, National

Secretary, said “This year we decided the

most important pay outcome was to secure

maximum protection for the value of pay

levels for those on the Pathways pay

scheme“. The process for informing mem-

bers of what the offer entailed was com-

pletely transparent and clear. While negoti-

ations took place, members were kept in-

formed by a series of communications

which provided the background behind the

final offer.

A series of briefings were conducted by

local stewards to members without any

managers present (this is unprecedented for

members at Serco Bolton site!). We provid-

ed the full details of discussions and an

explanation of the offer, and did not recom-

mend it. Contrary to what some members

have said, we also reiterated the fact that

the offer was not agreed.

A clear timetable was provided to mem-

bers and the process for a ballot was set.

The ballot was to be conducted by a simple

email vote to agree or reject the offer. We

held briefings for over 300 members and

not one member disagreed or questioned

this approach. Several members took the

opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction

with the removal of part of the bonus

scheme but it was a healthy debate and

many members said the briefings helped in

deciding votes. 65.8% voted to accept the

offer. The increase in pay would be back

dated to 1 May 2013 and paid in July.

A few members were not happy with the

ballot outcome and voiced their opinions to

stewards and myself. This is fair enough as

the ballot showed 34.2% of members voted

against the offer. However, accusations of

ballot irregularities and being misled at the

briefings were made. This is wholly un-

founded and stewards are clear that the pro-

cess was transparent. What’s not accepta-

ble are personal attacks on stewards, who

do a voluntary role on behalf of members,

and questioning the integrity of the ballot

result.

The Trade Union Movement was established through the working class com-

ing together to campaign for workers rights and collectively standing up to the

factory bosses and landlords. The effect of the Industrial Revolution on the

people of Britain was dramatic. Millions were forced off the land

and herded into cities to form the workforce in factory, mill and

mine. Even children were forced into labour.

Today we face the erosion of our rights at

work - and the feeling that workers are just

numbers is reflective of lost rights. Workers

are increasingly finding pressure placed on

them in workplaces up and down the country.

We know that disrespect at work has in-

creased particularly against the young. The

reality of economic and social factors affect-

ing the way we think and the way we see

things in the wider environment, also affects

many workers.

There has never been a greater need to or-

ganise against attacks and diminishing work-

ers rights, and in the media there is an almost

right-wing domination of news attacking or-

dinary people. The Guardian reports that “At

the end of the day, trade unions aren't inter-

esting to the media because working-class

politics aren't interesting to the media – large-

ly because so few people in the media are

actually working class. The lack of interest,

bordering on contempt, towards unions simp-

ly reflects the wider marginalisation of work-

ing-class issues in the public sphere”.

In our Branch we have many employers

including Capita, EoN, Electricity North

West, Serco and United Utilities. We organ-

ise though local stewards committees and

this, I believe, we do well, holding regular

recruitment events, encouraging members to

become active in the workplace and in our

local communities. We have collective agree-

ments with employers, allowing our stewards

and safety reps the time and facility to work

on behalf of our members. The key is com-

munication with members and allowing

members to make a contribution; often this is

via our stewards bringing their views to

branch meetings and stewards committees.

For more important issues, for example, pay

offers – we consult with members and hold

ballots. (See right for Serco’s 2013 pay offer)

Truly democratic, UNISON is led by its

members. It is members voices and opinions

that count in making policy. It is founded on

the core principle of the greater good for all

and not the few.

At the end of the day, it is not always rosy

being a steward and it is these difficult times

when stewards are often vilified and their

integrity questioned, that makes the role de-

manding.

I personally wish to thank the overwhelming

majority of members for their support includ-

ing those who voted to reject the offer.

B y A n j u m I q b a l

Anjum Iqbal is a UNISON steward at Serco as well as being our

Assistant Branch Treasurer and Branch Black Members Officer

After decades of service to my em-ployer - years of unblemished service I like to think! - I had the awful experi-ence of going through a formal disci-plinary hearing for something I genu-inely didn't think was wrong.

Thankfully I was able to call on a UNISON Rep to sit in with me and real-ly take a lead in the discussion. He gave the Company plenty of food for thought and in the end I got not much more than a slap on the wrist.

It all seemed out of proportion, drag-ging me through this process, and I can tell you its very scary. So I'm glad I had a UNISON Rep to support me throughout.

Thanks UNISON

Name and Workplace withheld by request

(Continued

from Page

three)

Poacher

Turned

Gamekeeper...The

new chief of the Water industry watchdog

Ofwat, Johnson Cox, has been rather vocal

in his criticism of Water firms, describing

their corporate tax-avoiding as “morally

questionable” - despite his own record on

the issue. Cox has been accused of hypocri-

sy after he tackled the issue in a self-penned

article for a national newspaper. But during

his six year stint as chief executive of Angli-

an Water, the company hardly paid any cor-

poration tax during the time he was at the

helm.

Anglian paid a total of just £1.5 million in

corporation tax under Cox’s leadership but

in three of those years, the company re-

ceived a tax credit from the exchequer,

while its share price soared and huge divi-

dends were paid out.

He resigned from Anglian Water in January

2010, departing with a pay-out of £9.5 mil-

lion in salary, pensions and bonuses. Unions

at Anglian claimed Cox’s multi-million-

pound severance pay-out was funded by

‘cuts and job losses’ and ‘increased charges’

to customers. So any hopes that Cox may be

more sympathetic to the plight of Water

industry workers than his predecessor, Regi-

na Finn, may be short lived…

Free The Lift 13...Getting trapped in an

elevator with twelve other people for over

an hour during a hot summer’s day isn’t

anybody’s idea of fun, but that’s what hap-

pened to our very own John Jones during a

National Executive meeting at UNISON’S

swish new London HQ in June.

After not enjoying the most thrilling of

meetings, Mr Jones can be seen looking

very pensive to the right of the picture.

EXISTING CONCEPT OF

OPERATIONS...

FUTURE CONCEPT OF

OPERATIONS...

“Because I’m worth it!”

ADVERT I SEMENT NEW CEO FORMULA

U3 is an open forum for all United Utilities Branch members to share their opinions as long as these opinions do not offend on grounds of

race, gender, sexuality, age, physical abilities or taste. The Editors reserve the right to edit articles submitted for publication. The views ex-

pressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Editors, UNISON at National, Regional or Branch level. If you wish to contribute, write to

the Editors at ‘U3, at UNISON United Utilities Branch Office, Room 407, 4th Floor, Chadwick House, Birchwood Park, Warrington, Cheshire

WA3 6AE’, or e-mail: u3@unison-uu.co.uk. “Some folks are born silver spoon in hand, Lord, don't they help themselves, oh. But

when the taxman comes to the door, Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes…”

“Money, money, money, must be funny…..” so the song goes. Well, for a number of members in Forres, in

Moray, Scotland, it’s not a laughing matter. Not a week goes by when reps don’t hear of someone having

problems with payroll. As far as we can ascertain there seems to be a big roadblock somewhere– better

watch out for the diversion that is HR. We’re not talking about one or two months of underpayment,

nope, that would be a mere blink of an eye. We are talking about almost a year for a select few (why are

we so honoured I have no idea). At the time of writing it would appear at least one member has had a

result, funnily enough the day after raising a grievance against unlawful deductions of earnings! Reps

are keeping an eagle eye on the situation for our members but we do wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg. I

have to say though, the senior managers are as frustrated as the members; I believe one has asked for a brick wall and another

for a padded room.

Recruitment - on 24th June Forres laid on a true Highland welcome for three visitors; Phil Vidamour, Ian Cole and Brian Scrutton. They

certainly added something special to our recruitment and retention day. Some 50

odd (not that sort of odd) members came to the area to find out more about

UNISON. We also succeeded in adding to our membership by encouraging 18 em-

ployees to sign up. What a shame that Mr Cole wouldn’t put his kilt on. He has, how-

ever, promised to wear it when he next visits us.

Pay 2013 –negotiations have concluded and we are waiting for the go ahead from

Capita (at least at the time of writing this article) to issue our briefing document and

ballot papers. Again the roadblock seems to be HR … Negotiations were conducted

by a general manager and HR Partner with our National Officer in attendance.

Over the past three months we have said cheerio to Liz Long-Frey and more recently

Martin Turner. Liz passed the gauntlet (yes this is an apt description) of being lead rep at Phoenix House to Kerry Abram. Martin leaves

Hale Court for pastures new having worked hard to build the membership and often facing management disinformation about his role.

My one regret is that we were unable to secure recognition for the site to make his life a bit easier. On behalf of the CCM family we wish

you both all the best.

Welcome to the team Victoria Williams and Patrick Bolton, both at Phoenix House. Victoria has been gaining her accreditation after a

couple of false starts. Patrick will be starting his training soon. Dan Harris (Forres) has now completed his H&S training and is very active

in Forres; just a couple of days after getting back to the office after stage 2 training he was investigating a serious incident. It was quite

electrifying to see him in action. He was also ratified as Welfare Officer (job share – Capita) at the last branch committee meeting. Anoth-

er new rep to the team is Tony Murphy who has boldly stepped up as rep at Hale Court.

And finally, praise for a Rep: “Just to say work changed my hours. Very happy with the time slot 9.30-2.30. A massive thank you for helping me with this!! If it wasn't for you I think I would have left! I am really grateful for your help and what you have done for me, thanks again.”

Sorted! Carol