GMB North West and Irish Region Connect Magazine May 2019 | Page 10

Passport to a Clearer, Better Future with the GMB
news
Interactive Training Seminar
A quality educational session
was an integral part of the
Manufacturing Activists Forum,
which appeared to go down well
with everyone.
Organiser
Steve Boden
ran a two
hour interactive
training
seminar,
which he had
put together
just for the
event.
The content
was all about
High Performance Workplaces
and the techniques on bargaining
and organising around the issues
related to problems attached to
Lean Manufacturing, driving

up production
methods
and reducing
waste.
There was
obviously a
lot of interest
among
delegates and
it was agreed
that similar
seminars
would be welcome at future
events.
“
Training
Seminars will
be welcome at
future events
A joint initiative between the GMB and TUC will go a long
way to ensure employers fulfil their legal duties towards disabled
workers. The union “reasonable adjustments” passport is aimed at
helping the nearly 1 Million people with disabilities, who fall out of
work or switch employers each year. Each year one in ten disabled
people drop out of work while one in seven find new employment
and the GMB say this passport is a vital tool in recording what
modifications need to be put in place.
NW&I Regional Secretary for GMB, Paul McCarthy welcomed this
new drive, he said: “Members often need support from their reps
and officers in negotiating reasonable adjustments and this will
provide a model agreement and a template passport recording
what has been agreed, which they can take with them wherever
they move. It will go a long way towards eliminating barriers
in the workplace and remove a lot of stress by providing more
transparency.”
Disabled workers are twice as likely to drop out of work, than non-
disabled workers and can face daily battles with managers for the
basic resources and arrangements they need to do their jobs. TUC
General Secretary Frances O Grady added: “The TUC and GMB’s
passport is an ideal place to formally and clearly record what
adjustments have been agreed, so disabled workers aren’t going
back to the starting line every time they get a new manager or new
role.”
Recognition result with a new
agreement in the pipeline for GMB
Gaining union
recognition is no mean
feat and always a boost
to the workers involved.
The extensive efforts and
commitment of GMB
members and staff appears
to have paid dividends in a
long running campaign.
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GMB representatives met
with management at UCP
Capenhurst in late January
as part of the on-going
campaign for recognition
and made good progress
on the three sections of the
proposed agreement which
needed amending.
Management accepted
the union proposals and
officer Albie McGuigan says
talks are expected on what
could be a final agreement
covering recognition at the
chemical plant near Chester.
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