uniteWORKS Comment


NEWS in pictures BRITISH AIRWAYS ‘COURAGE UNDIMMED’


Gail Cartmail Acting General Secretary


Teeming with life and energy Welcome to another packed edition of your magazine, uniteWORKS.


These pages teem with the news and activities of Unite members. One thing is for certain – our members are at the heart of not just their workplaces, but their communities. These are times of change, and for many of us that prospect can be unsettling, but Unite members are leading the way.


At BMW, Tata Steel and at Aldermaston’s nuclear facility, we are defending our members’ pensions. At British Airways, we are tackling poverty pay for cabin crew. And at Vauxhall, we are working day and night to protect our jobs and plants. Take a moment, too, to read the extraordinary story of how Unite members stood up against the abuse of a very and unaccountable rich man at the Grangemouth refinery.


This is your union in action. Winning at work for you, ensuring that you have a voice, defending your pay and conditions.


As increasingly work is failing to pay in this country, people in jobs cannot make ends meet. In their droves they are turning to foodbanks.


Theresa May’s talks of the ‘just about managing’ but what of the millions who simply don’t have the money in their purses needed to make ends meet? In this edition we take a closer look at how this vital support system operates, backed by our Community members. We can all feel very proud that Unite has led the way among the union movement in supporting our neighbours in need.


And yes, it’s that Brexit word again. Rarely can a conversation be had without this country’s EU exit coming up. It is undoubtedly the most important issue to face working class communities for generations. Unite is focused on ensuring our members emerge strong and stable from the Brexit process. That means retaining access to the single market and challenging this government when it inevitably attempts to remove workers’ rights.


All this and more on the campaigns your union is leading on – from justice for those whose lives were destroyed by `political policing’ to the latest on our fights to save your jobs and pensions.


Teeming with life and energy, just like your union – enjoy this edition of uniteWORKS.


Gail Cartmail is writing in her capacity as acting general secretary overseeing the running of the union during the general secretary election.


uniteWORKS No:26 Published quarterly by Unite the union, 128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN. Phone 0207 611 2500. Editor – Amanda Campbell Magazine enquiries and letters to the editor, by post, phone, or email uniteworks@unitetheunion.org Distribution enquiries contact your regional office Available in alternative formats from Taylor Humphris 020 3371 2557


It was cheers all round when Unite general secretary Len McCluskey joined Unite BA ‘mixed fleet’ members on January 19 on strike over poverty pay.


“It was fantastic to see such strong support for our members in British Airways mixed fleet at Heathrow,” said Unite general secretary Len McCluskey. “Their courage and spirit in their fight for decent pay is undimmed despite the shamefully confrontational stance of British Airways.


“British Airways should be under no illusion about their determination to see movement on poverty pay.” The dispute continues.


For more see page 6 Find outmore HERE


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