United_Digital1_8:Activist issue 7 12/06/2009 13:22 Page 7
united digital top stories
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Unite in save pubs race
Unite tenant publicans raised a glass leading to more pubs closing.
following a report in May by an influential
Commons committee, describing the But the report from the business and
current ‘beer tie model’ as biased against enterprise committee (BEC) contains
licensees. damning evidence on the way this
relationship acts as a restraint, concluding
Unite, representing the UK's 10,000 pub the system is 'biased' against licensees.
licensees, has warned that the Great
British pub is in grave danger of being The report also calls for an urgent
priced out of business unless the beer tie competition commission investigation
handcuffs are removed. into the beer tie saying the existing
system drastically overcharges tenants on
The model requires tenant publicans to both beer and rent.
purchase all or some of the beer sold on
the premises from Pubco at a higher Jennie Formby, Unite national officer
.uk
price than that offered by wholesalers to said, “This report is a good start and we
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free houses. continue to work actively with others in
epor
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the industry and government to develop
Unite believes tenants' earnings are being meaningful and lasting solutions to the
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is / www
destroyed by aggressive landlords – current crisis.”
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Pay justice plea for
London bus drivers
.uk
Unite stepped up its campaign to one common rate of pay for the
ensure every one of London's 20 bus identical work that they perform
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digital.co
epor
operators signs up to a system of within the Transport for London
.r
central pay and conditions bargaining (TfL) network.
for the capitals' drivers.
But with the money to fund wages,
Mark Pinder / www In its submission in May to the 20 pensions and facilities coming from
London bus operators, Unite pressed one central TfL pot Unite is asking
Stop agency worker
for central wage bargaining and for why all the bus drivers cannot be
companies to abide by the principle paid the same?
loopholes
of equal pay for equal work –
essential steps to bring fairness and Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional
stability to an industry where rates of industrial organiser, said, “What we
Unite gave a mixed reaction to the government announcement in pay can vary by as much as £7,000 are trying to achieve is nothing less
May that there would be a consultation on new rights for agency a year. than justice and a rational mechanism
workers. for ensuring all bus workers are
Last year saw bitter pay disputes as recognised for the service they
Unite has long campaigned for agency workers and was pleased thousands of bus drivers fought for provide.”
about the directive, but Unite joint general secretary, Tony
Woodley added, “it needs to be very well defined to prevent
employers exploiting loopholes.”
Unite is worried that during this recession agency workers could
be easy targets and is calling on the government to swiftly
introduce the protection that was agreed. That includes rights to
notice periods and redundancy pay.
“Unite will vigorously oppose any attempt to dilute the original
spirit of the directive,” said Tony.
“The horrific treatment of the agency workers at BMW, who
were sacked with a minute’s notice, with no redundancy pay, after
years of loyal service, must not be repeated. The directive must be
implemented in the UK to ensure that this can not happen again.”
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