Now, my sleepless nights are spent worrying over the extra challenges mums could face if the Conservative Party takes control at the general election. What will happen if they strip away the protections our government affords working families and mums-to-be like me?

This Mother's Day, Unions Together is giving me something constructive to think about during those sleepless nights - slogans that tell the Tories we're not going to give them the chance to destroy families' rights. We're collecting loads of ideas and will plaster the best slogan on one of those mobile billboards and drive right up to Tory headquarters with it.

Tell us your ideas for a slogan we can use to protect the rights of mums and working families. Contribute your ideas now:

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

As I prepare myself for motherhood, I know I face a host of life changes. But one change I will not accept is the Tories threatening my rights during pregnancy.

Right now our government protects the health and safety of workers who are pregnant, those who have recently given birth, and women who are breastfeeding. They make sure that if I need to go to an antenatal checkup during work time, I can't have my wages docked. Rights like these are guaranteed because of European law. Cameron has made it clear that he wants to pull Britain out of European social and employment guarantees like these.

Families are facing more burdens today than ever before. My baby will be born after the general election, and the worry of what a Tory government could mean for me and my new family is one burden too many. Let's send a message to Cameron that working families' rights matter, and let's make sure that voters know what the Tories really stand for.

Please take a few minutes and add your slogans to mine. I can't wait to see the ideas we come up with:

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

I hope to soon be spending my sleepless nights worrying about baby names, not about what rights a Tory government might take away. That's why I'll be out campaigning, baby bump and all, to make sure the Tories don't get the chance.

Thanks for all your help,

Claire

Thousands of you signed our Christmas Card to David Cameron asking him to drop his callous threat to our right to fair holidays. And here’s what happened when we delivered Cameron’s special Christmas treat!

For some reason, Dave is yet to respond – so we’ll be escalating the campaign in the coming weeks and months. You can still add your name to our Christmas card here. It’s important that we act - because all of us deserve fair working rights – and Cameron presents the greatest to these for decades.

But for now – enjoy! And we’ll be in touch soon about where our campaign goes next.

Up in Newcastle we have long been fighting for justice for pleural plaque sufferers, in particular for my dad.

He was diagnosed with pleural plaques a few years ago and it actually broke our hearts, after we found out the repercussions. We were horrified when the House of Lords decided that pleural plaques sufferers were not eligible for compensation because of its "lack of symptoms"... it scars the lungs! How can they say that it has no symptoms!? We were also horrified to find out that if you have pleural plaques, they won't give you life insurance... so there must be something wrong there.

We read in the evening chronicle that they were heading a campaign for justice so we eagerly jumped on board.

We decided to send petitions around everywhere we could. Peoples' reactions were generally good - they were disgusted to find out that people like my dad who have worked all of their lives are being forgotten. The unionstogether video gave my family hope that other people are campaigning for the same thing as us.

I just hope that my dad will last until my wedding day so he can walk me down the aisle in three years time. It’s terrifying to think that someone so close to you is going to be taken away by something which they can’t be blamed for. I hope that we shall get a ruling soon, as it would benefit so many people like my dad who deserve to be compensated for what they have to endure.

If you can please sign any petitions online, and send an email to Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson, that would be great. The evening chronicle has been campaigning for justice for a while now and its a breath of fresh air to know that it is a nationwide thing, rather than just a regional thing.

Thank you for giving my family hope, especially my dad.

Vicky x

2.The legal right to join a Trade Union only came into British law in 1999. The same is true of the right to form new unions (union recognition) and the right to be represented in a grievance or disciplinary at work by your union – even in non-union firms. Cameron voted against all these decent laws, and is tight lipped on their future.

3.The Tories won't dare abolish Labour's minimum wage. But like the Republicans in America, when in government, they won't increase it. Under the Tories, the minimum wage will wither, and the very poorest working people will continue to get poorer.

4.Tory plans for party political funding are frightening. The Cameron plan is for wealthy individuals to be able to give £50,000 per year. Unions and other organisations would also be stuck on the same limit as individuals – so the result would be that all major political parties would be dominated by wealthy individuals. Scary stuff, and barely reported.

5.The Tories brag that they will end national pay bargaining in the education system. They want every head teacher to decide pay levels for their teachers. In every school this will create a massive distraction from the business of educating our children. Strife and confrontation is inevitable. Parents and Teachers are right to be worried that this approach will be detrimental to the education of our children.

6.The Tories are thrilled about the recession. It has given them the political excuse they need to move towards their ideological aim of “smaller government”, i.e cut public services. Cuts in recession cause depression – an historical fact. The Tories are prepared to risk a depression to meet their ideological zeal to reduce the size of the public sector. The fact that the private sector has just failed....spectacularly – is lost on them.

7.One of the big beneficiaries of the inheritance tax cuts they promise would be the Camerons themselves. Imagine the newspapers if Labour introduced a law that netted Gordon Brown's wife a fortune !

8.Most of the Shadow Cabinet went to the same school together.

9.Tories want us to trust them run our schools and our hospitals. But the overwhelming majority of Tory politicians send their kids to private schools and barely use the NHS! It's common-sense to have people in charge of public services who actually use them.

10.The Tories are RIGHT to say Britain is in a mess. Casino capitalism is to blame. The worst Casino Capitalists – the ones that brought down Halifax / Bank of Scotland, are the same “Hedge Fund Managers” that are members of Cameron's exclusive “diners club” and are the Tories biggest donors. Yes Labour should have done more to properly regulate the capitalist spivs and speculators. But only a centre-left, Social Democratic vision can rebuild Britain and prevent this mess from happening again. That will require a Labour Party that is in tune with it's traditional values. But to turn to the Tories now – the very same people who went to posh schools with the big bonus City Bankers – would be to reward the villains of the recession.

Free-market Tories are part of the credit crunch problem – they are not the solution.

Britain is sleepwalking towards a Tory Government – WAKE UP !!

Since 1980 when the Tories scrapped Free school meals and opened up the school meal service to a constant diet if pizza's, hot dogs and burgers we have been warning that this would damage our children's health. Now our children are suffering record levels of diabetes and obesity. We've campaigned passionately about this because it's so important for our children's education and well being.

It's a fact that well fed and nourished children are healthier and healthy children behave and learn better. Compare a well balanced, nutritional hot school meal with burgers from a chip van or, as we sometimes see, just a chocolate bar, or just a packet of crisps. Or the child who says they have no lunch at all. Often, a school lunch is the only decent meal a child gets. Too often, it's the only meal at all. The current free school meals system is good. However it's historical link, as a safety net for poorer families only, has led to almost one third of a million of children, who are entitled to them, don't claim them. It's the children who lose out first. It's the family that suffers. It's the country that loses in the long run.

That's why we must have free healthy school meals for all. And those authorities that are trialing universal free school meals are loving it. It is socially right. It's popular with parents. It's a doorstep winner. Just the right sort of policy for operation fightback. Our critics will ask about the cost. I don't see a cost. I see an investment in our children's health and education because that's the difference between us and the Tories. The Tories, who looked at the pilot in Newham, said free school meals for all was great for kids and families. It clearly led to a better diet, happier and more content children in the class room, improved learning and better behaviour but then went on to say they wouldn't support it, because it costs money. So an old story, Tories put children after their wallets and the Lib Dems are of the same view. They scrapped the successful free school meals that Labour had introduced in Hull.

Exactly what price do the Tories and the Lib Dems put on the health of our children? Because in our party, the Labour Party, we care about our children's future and where we can do something to help we step in investing in the health of our children today brings massive dividends for the future of our nation.

Conference please support universal free healthy school meals.

These are just a fraction of the messages of support that you have sent:

"The basic human rights for compensation is therefore a reasonable request to help support the comfort and final moments of our loved ones... My message of support comes from the heart, I truly hope for change. I truly hope for comfort to Pleural Plaques victims... I will be doing what I can to spread the message for support in my workplace..." Michael

"Good luck. You truly deserve justice and fair treatment for yourselves and your families." Kerry

"You should not have to suffer illness through working your whole life. I hope the law is changed." Elizabeth

You can also read a piece in the Northern Echo about Alan Clark, whose call for justice is featured in our video, and who sadly died of Mesothelioma earlier this year.

Over the past few weeks, our campaign about Pleural Plaques has been going from strength to strength. Literally thousands of people have signed our petition calling for justice for people living with Plaques.

The backing for the campaign so far has been overwhelming, and we have been touched by the messages of support we have been sent.

You can add your voice to our campaign now.

These are just a handful of the messages we have received since the campaign began:

"I am appalled at what the Law Lords have done, if you have been injured by any means whilst in employment then you should be entitled to appropriate compensation for damages." Kevin Richards

"It is wrong that people through no fault of their own are denied compensation from employers when they contract this disease from doing their job. Bring back the compensation!" Jacqueline Wilkinson

"As a person who lost her grandad to a work related injury, I know we have to do all we can to protect the rights of current employees and compensate those whose lives have been blighted by industrial injuries and health compromising conditions. Keep fighting." Diane Green

"My father in law had this in his lungs due to working with asbestos and subsequently died of related lung disease just as he had retired. He worked hard all his life and his widowed wife was entitled to no compensation and has to struggle on a pathetic pension....... this is outrageous and should be turned around to compensate the people and families who have had to or currently endure this condition." Angela Southworth

Hope not hate have run an amazing campaign to get people active in their communities in getting people out to vote on polling day, and in exposing the BNP's extremist politics.

Watch their 'not in my name' video now - it's an incredible testament to the how strongly so many people feel that the BNP do not speak for Britain.

Labour's MEPs have also spoken up strongly about today. Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's Leader in Europe, said: "60 years ago we fought against the fascists together. Today, two UK fascists are taking their seats in this Parliament for the first time. Today is a sad day for Britain and we will not let matters rest."

Watch the 'not in my name' video now, and sign up up to the Hope not hate website if you haven't already.

 The Missing Link - the Labour Party & the Trade Unions - a discussion

Wednesday 24 June 2009
7:30 pm

The Assembly Hall, Lambeth Town Hall, Acre Lane SW2 1RW

- organised by -

Streatham Constituency Labour Party in association with the GMB Union.

- speakers include -

Chuka Umunna
Streatham CLP Parliamentary Candidate

Paul Kenny
General Secretary GMB

Tony Berwick
Lambeth TUC Chair

refreshments provided - all welcome

- supported by -

the Trade Union & Labour Party Liaison Organisation
the Lambeth Trades Union Council
UNITE 1/1148 Branch

It would be easy to believe the press and the talking heads on television when they say all political parties are all the same. But they are not. No matter how angry and disappointed we are - we must never forget this. Because the price of not voting is so high - it could mean the racist BNP getting elected through the backdoor and representing you and me in the European Parliament.

Voting matters, because politics still matters.

A few months ago, we launched a petition attacking David Cameron's plan to pull us out of the Social Chapter and undermine the rights we have fought so hard for. Thousands of people responded. They responded because of the very real threat that the Tories would pose to their rights - because politics matters.

If you agree that politics still matters I want you to take action now - sign our petition:

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

Politics matters more than ever at the moment. We are faced with two very different visions of how to lead our country during the economic downturn.

The Tories would do what they did in the 1980s - and leave every man, women and child fighting for themselves, forcing a generation onto the scrapheap of long-term unemployment. Cutting back on vital public services, sending us back to the days of leaking school roofs, the sick dying on hospital waiting lists and record numbers of homes repossessed.

The trade unions don't think Labour's got everything right - but we do know that under this government we have seen change for the better in Britain - change that has made a real difference to people's lives.

Joan is a member of her trade union, and she got in touch with us to tell us why politics matters to her. Thanks to Labour, she was able to arrange with her employer to work hours that fit round her children's school day, so she gets to spend more time with them every day. Or Brian, who got in touch to tell us how he was paid just £1.25 an hour before the minimum wage boosted his income. Or Rachel, who told us how she is now entitled to 4 weeks paid leave, and her employer can no longer force her to count bank holidays as part of her entitlement.

Real lives - and real change.

The truth is that politics does matter. With the threat of the BNP on the horizon, and a stark choice between real help now from Labour, or sink-or-swim with the Tories - now is not the time to turn our backs on politics.

If you agree with me that, despite the anger the expenses scandal has caused, politics matters - and that it can make a real and significant difference to people's lives, sign our petition:

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

The job of the trade unions is to stick up for their members. That's why we let the government know when we think they're getting things wrong, and why we're always pushing them to go further, to win a better deal for union members. But we also know that when it comes down to it, working people are always better off with Labour. That's why I'll be voting Labour on June 4th, and why I hope you'll be doing the same.

Of course, the financial downturn has a part to play in this calculation - as recently as last year the price would have been based on 15 times earnings. If Royal Mail were sold on those terms, the national coffers would be £1.9 billion better off in the short-term - almost double what Hooper's proposal would bring in now. The government must therefore look at the poor state of the market and come up with a new plan to modernise the Royal Mail that doesn't involve selling shares at rock bottom prices and losing hundreds of £millions in revenue in the process.

If you transpose this analysis onto the continental operators that Hooper uses as examples, there is a similar picture. If TNT had been sold at the height of the market in 2007 it would have been valued at around £11 billion. Today its sale would secure only £4 billion. Less than a year ago the sale of Deutsche Post would have secured around £21 billion, today it would be lucky to raise £8.5 billion.

Nonetheless a sum of £1 billion could be seen as an attractive one-off windfall for a government struggling with its Budget during the current economic crisis. But why sell the family silver when this short term gain could be wiped out in less than two years if Royal Mail stays wholly public. With an annual profit of £630 million, which takes into account the funding of an annual £280m pension deficit and the loss of £100m in unfair access charges to private companies using the network, given these figures it is hard to see the attraction of a fire sale. Keeping these profits in public hands means they will be reinvested in the business to modernise it, could be used to provide better services and crucially money will not be lost through paying out dividends to shareholders.

John Grogan MP has today quite rightly urged the government to think again, and said that the findings show how "part privatisation would represent a bad deal for the government and for the British public. Labour MPs will now be even less likely to support part privatisation once they see these figures" - he's absolutely right.

Grave concern about a bad deal for taxpayers is broadened by the lack of interest in a part sale offer. Only TNT have shown any public interest, mainly because of the scarcity of available finance in the money markets for big ticket purchases like this.

Most worrying are the prospects for quality of service. Advisors to companies such as TNT and Deutsche Post will be telling their Chief Executives that they can increase their forward earnings through a cut price purchase of Royal Mail, allowing subsequent big cuts in jobs and services, which as one off costs are not included in forward earnings calculations.

So these findings will be very hard indeed to simply ignore, and gives further incontrovertible evidence that the Hooper report and proposed part-privatisation is a case not made. Even if you think it makes sense to sell, it makes no sense whatsoever to sell now.

Compass will shortly be publishing our own proposals and positive vision for a modernised post service that remains in public hands - keep an eye out for further updates on this important campaign.

Gavin Hayes is General Secretary of the social-democratic pressure group, Compass, who campaign and organise for a more democratic, equal and sustainable world.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the Minimum Wage's 10th anniversary. And while it remains an important step forward, there's still more to do. We need to make sure that we build on ten years of success, to make it stronger, fairer, and to ensure that no-one is left unprotected by it. But does your MP support these goals? Ask them now:

http://unionstogether.org.uk/nmw

While the trade unions celebrate the Minimum Wage, we're also campaigning to improve it. We want to see apprentices covered by the minimum wage. We need to end the discrimination that lets employers pay young people less just because of their age. We need to make sure that the law is enforced - with tough penalties to make sure that no employer can wriggle out of paying it. And, of course, we want to make sure that the Minimum Wage keeps increasing. We need the Minimum Wage to go up in real terms and as a proportion of average wages each year - and that includes an increase this year too, as in the current climate fair pay is more important than ever.

10 years ago, there were many who said the Minimum Wage would never work - that it was a step too far. But we have proved them wrong, and shown the good that government can do by acting boldly to make work fairer.

Yet despite all the good the Minimum Wage has brought - there are still those who oppose it. So, on the Minimum Wage's 10th birthday, we want our supporters to contact their MPs and ask them if they will commit to strengthen and support the Minimum Wage over the next 10 years too. Send your message now:

http://unionstogether.org.uk/nmw

It's an important question to ask. Not many people know this, but senior Tory MP Christopher Chope is trying to introduce a new law that would allow people to opt-out of Minimum Wage payments - effectively killing the legislation. He would drag us back to the days when many people were left on poverty pay. And the Tories have a track record here. Did you know that David Cameron actively campaigned against the Minimum Wage - even when some people were earning as little as £1.20 an hour?

We think that this is such an important issue that MPs need to be candid with their constituents - are they committed to supporting and strengthening fair wages, or do they want to take us back to legal poverty pay?

Ask your MP now -

http://unionstogether.org.uk/nmw

A decade ago, trade unions and our Labour Government fought for the Minimum Wage, while the Tories mounted a whole-hearted campaign against it. We won that battle - but does your MP support the Minimum Wage now? Please take two minutes of your time to email your MP to find out.

http://unionstogether.org.uk/nmw

We've had a great response already. These are just some of the messages you've sent:

“a working Britain is a better Britain!”

“Left to the Tories we would have no fiscal stimulus, no injection of support for our economy and jobs.”

“Yes, it is a “well done” but do please put a plan of action in place to build up and sustain the jobs which should form the heart of the domestic recovery plan.”

“Well done, and now the real work begins.”

“Well done on the G20 conference - continue to support the public sector and all workers.”

Send the PM your message now:

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

People often scoff at politics. They say that politicians are just in it for themselves. That politics doesn't matter. That there's no point because no one listens any more.

But it's not true. And I wanted to show you why. We've just made this video and I wanted you to be one of the first to see it -

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

Over the past 11 years the trade unions, working in tandem with Labour, have brought change to Britain. The minimum wage. Better maternity and paternity rights. And let's not forget the extension of paid leave - meaning that all full time workers have 20 days holiday + 8 Bank Holidays.  But David Cameron is threatening all of these rights and more.

He says that pulling out of the Social Chapter - the legal guarantee that protects hundreds of working rights - is his "top priority." Senior Tories openly state that Cameron plans on letting the National Minimum Wage "melt away."

If they get their way the Tories would condemn thousands of workers to a life on poverty pay. 

But we believe in something better. Watch the video and then share it with your friends -

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

These are tough economic times, but it's fair rights at work which will help us get through them - and build a fair and just economy, and society, for when the good times return.

Watch our latest video and then sign our petition.

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

Thanks for all that you're doing to help us support working rights - our rights are precious and with your help we'll keep them.

These are workers who could potentially face the full monty of abuse from verbal, to physical, spitting to sawn-off shotguns. I've heard stories about workers emptying games machines of thousands of pounds - on their own - and being threatened with disciplinary action if they locked the bookmakers shop for protection while carrying out the task.

A campaign to highlight the Community campaign in the Scottish Parliament attracted huge cross party support and hopefully played a part in focussing the industry on the importance of tackling this problem.

The hands-on approach from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, who invited unions, local authorities and business representatives to a round table meeting in November has led to greater and more constructive dialogue from all sides of industry. A small working group was developed from this first meeting to look at how guidelines could be developed - initially in London - to help the industry deal with the issues more effectively. This group reported back to the Secretary of State this week and it was agreed in principle that a stakeholder forum including Community and the ABB would be set up to find ways of improving betting shop safety.

When I first got involved in the campaign I detected a natural resistance from employers to engage with the union because they felt the campaign was about trade union recognition rather than health and safety. These two issues have to be separated because there is a difference between recognising the legitimacy of the union to raise these issues and union recognition in terms of collective bargaining.

It's early days but if anyone had suggested a year ago that all sides of the industry would have agreed a way of working together I would have been very sceptical. Community are now at the table with industry and that can only be positive for workers in the sector and in my view, improve safety. There are so many lessons to learnt from other sectors - particularly transport - where joint working has been very effective.

Some of the language used by the industry about Community did concern me and throws up a wider question of how trade unions can be viewed in this country. Whereas we believe the trade unions are a legitimate and integral part of our democracy - many still view them not as social partners - but as an inconvenience. For me that is a sharp reminder of what life would be like under a Conservative Government - where that view would be promoted, tolerated and very popular with some

And that is why I believe we have to make a really strong case to directly to trade union members as we approach the general election. If anyone thinks that life under a Tory Government will somehow be better for trade union members, they are wrong.

John Park is a Member of the Scottish Parliament and was elected as a regional list member for Mid Scotland and Fife in 2007. He is Shadow Minister for Economy and Skills. He has been an active trade unionist and a member of Unite the Union since he started working in 1989 and a Labour Party member for the majority of his working life.

Hundreds of you have already signed up, and emailed your friends to ask them to sign up too.

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

Many more of you have got in touch, to tell us what message you'd send to ‘Dave' about your rights at work.

These are just a few of your messages:

“Rights at work have been won through years of struggle and they are vital to all of us. We won't give them up lightly - they need extending, not cutting back, in these difficult times.”

“Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents fought tooth and nail to ensure that the working person was given rights and protection at work - in the face of conservative opposition. The country will be a poorer place for all if these rights and protections are not constantly improved - let alone undermined.”

“Rights to paid leave, a living wage, our working conditions and time to spend with our children of whom we are so proud and have such aspirations are fundamental to improving the social cohesion of are society that I am so proud of Mr Cameron. You are always harping on about broken Britain and yet by seeking to change these rights for British workers you will undermine the society you claim to want to mend.”

“I support the Social Chapter. It guarantees rights for the most vulnerable amongst our working population. Scrap your plans to scrap it.”

“Its time the workers that clean the streets, do night shifts to run our hospitals, hard working teachers and many others had their work appreciated. Labour has done a lot for them. Holiday pay for part-time workers, minimum wage, tax credit, winter fuel payment to name a few.”

Make your voice heard too:

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

While Cameron pretends to have our best interests at heart, he openly states that he wants to axe the laws that protect our working rights. In fact, he says that this is his "top priority." Brown, on the other hand, has increased paid leave from 20 to 28 days, given all with children under 16 the right to request flexible working - and let's not forget the minimum wage.

So who's the phoney, Dave?

What Cameron doesn't understand is that strong working rights are a key part of fixing our economy.

In these tough economic times we should be banding round together - not threatening workers with rolling their rights back. Send Cameron the message that your rights matter - sign our petition now:

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

In truth, the Tories simply haven't changed. No matter what they say, they remain a Party of the few not the many. I think we deserve better - tell Cameron that your rights matter, especially in these tough economic times, by signing the petition now.

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

“I was once made redundant and I found it the most traumatic experience. The aim of a redundancy is that trade unions and government must work together to lessen the impact of any loss of work.”

That was one of the many messages that our supporters sent us last week, to back up our campaign for making redundancy pay fairer.

Just this morning, we heard the news we'd been expecting for a while - a rise in unemployment to over 2million.

It's easy to get caught up in statistics though - and easy to forget that behind the figures there are real people whose lives are being turned upside down. And not just those who have lost their jobs - as Paul Kenny, the Vice-Chair of TULO and General Secretary of the GMB has said, “as well as the misery for the two million on the dole add the fear of millions of others who know that they too are at risk of redundancy.”

And the Labour government also understands the importance of remembering the stories behind the statistics. Just today, Tony McNulty, the employment minister has said: “these latest figures show the human impact of the global recession. No matter how hard times get, we will not give up on anyone who loses their job and will continue to provide real help to everyone who needs it.”

Unions have been campaigning hard over recent weeks for a fairer deal on redundancy pay, to make life that bit easier for those losing their jobs. Just last Friday, we saw dozens of Labour MPs turn out to support Lindsay Hoyle's bill in the House of Commons.

Thousands of people got in touch with their MPs, and hundreds got in touch with us to tell us their story about why redundancy pay should be fairer. The strength of feeling is clear - and now we hope the government listen and act in the coming weeks.

These are some more of your stories:

“It is important at any time but with the current recession it is vital that workers get a decent redundancy settlement.”

“I'm living in Oxford East and there have been a large amount of job losses announced. I only think it fair that they are given a decent redundancy package.”

“For a Labour government, fairness is everything.”

Thanks to your work, enough MPs turned up to make sure Parliamentary loopholes couldn't be used to "talk out" the Bill.

So thank you - we won this round!

The video we made with our supporters was shown and sent to MPs yesterday. We're being told it had a big impact.

Watch it now:

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

We've taken an important step towards fairer redundancy pay today - and we couldn't have done it without you.

We've still got a long way to go before this becomes law - but the message is clear: people want fair play on redundancy pay. We hope the Government will listen and act in the coming weeks.

We've shown what we can achieve when we organise and rally round together.

Thank you.

Unions work hard to look after their members' jobs - but when redundancies do happen, unions also want to make sure that those affected get a fair deal. But for most workers, if they are made redundant, the payment they would get for each year of service is not based on how much they earn a week - it is capped at £350 - about half of average earnings.

This is an issue that matters to millions of ordinary working people up and down the country - thousands of people have got in touch with their MPs to ask them to support the Bill. Earlier this week, we asked our supporters to get in touch with us to let us know why fair redundancy pay matters to them.

This is what you told us:

Being made redundant has a huge impact on individuals, families and communities. It's only fair that we make sure people get the fairest deal possible.

We have had great support for this campaign from Labour Members of Parliament, and we urge them to turn out this Friday to vote the Bill through. And we also hope the government listens - to their own MPs, to the trade unions, and to all the ordinary people who deserve a better deal - and acts to right this wrong.

Tony Woodley

Chair, TULO - Labour's unions together
Joint General Secretary, Unite the Union

PS. Email your MP now if you haven't yet done so.

MPs asked to support EDM 1020 to oppose blacklisting 

Following last week's news about blacklisting in the construction industry, trade unions are calling on MPs to support Early Day Motion 1020. The Commons motion calls on the government to act now to ban employers and agencies from blacklisting workers.

If you have a few minutes to spare, take a look at whether your MP has signed up yet, and if not then drop them a line to ask them to support this important campaign.

Advice for workers who think they may have been blacklisted

UCATT is also providing advice for workers who think they may have been blacklisted. They say:

The Consulting Association, held and developed data on construction workers, including personal information, marital status, employment history, and trade union membership and activity. Details on more than 3,200 persons were held in the database, many of them could be UCATT members, who due to the blacklist were barred from employment. The company is now facing prosecution by the Information Commissioner's Office.

Over 40 construction companies, including the majority of major UK construction firms, bought the data from the firm before employing new workers.

Companies investigating about workers before employment include Balfour Beatty, Bam Nuttall, Costain, Kier, Laing O'Rourke, Morgan Ashurst, Shepherd, Robert McAlpine, Skanska and many others. For the full list of companies, click here.

If you are concerned you could have been on the blacklist by The Consulting Association you need to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

You can call the ICO Helpline on 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 545 745. The Helpline will be able to answer the enquiries only from Monday, 16 March 2009, 9.00am.

You will need to provide your name, date of birth and National Insurance number.

In these tough economic times, we know people are worried about their jobs. It's in times like these that we need to make sure that if someone is made redundant, they get a fair deal from their employer.

On Friday, we need as many MPs as possible to support a Bill in Parliament that will do just that. And in order to let MPs know how important this issue is, we're trying something new. We're going to make a video about your stories, and then send it to MPs so that they know why this campaign matters to so many people.

They'll be listening to the voices of our supporters and I want you to get involved.

http://unionstogether.org.uk/lobbymp

Here's how it works. All you need to do is call 020-3318-1659, and record a message about why you support fair redundancy pay. We'll then use your comments in a video message to MPs.

Be part of our video - call 020-3318-1659 now.

We'll take your stories and edit them into a short video. We'll then send the videos to the MPs who we are hoping will support Lindsay Hoyle's Bill for fairer redundancy pay. We're looking for the most interesting stories, your real experiences and views - MPs will literally be listening to your voice.

Even if you don't have a story you want to share - please send us a picture to include, so MPs know that there's a huge amount of support for this campaign.

http://unionstogether.org.uk/lobbymp

Call 020-3318-1659 to tell us why you're supporting fair redundancy pay, or send in your comments:

http://unionstogether.org.uk/lobbymp

Thanks for your support. We literally can't do this without you.

Helen

Labour's affiliated unions have worked together on this campaign, to get a better deal for workers in these tough economic times.

Unions work hard to look after their members' jobs - but when redundancies do happen, unions also want to make sure that those affected get the best deal possible, to help keep going whilst re-training or looking for new work.

Lindsay Hoyle's Bill will make statutory redundancy pay - the minimum you can expect to get if made redundant - fairer. But he needs our help to do this.

In order for the Bill to keep going through Parliament, we need at least one hundred MPs to turn up in the House of Commons to support it. Hundreds of union members have already got in touch with their MPs to ask them to support the Bill - but we need to keep up the pressure.

Add your voice to our campaign now.

www.unionstogether.org.uk/fairplay  

www.unionstogether.org.uk/fairplay

These are just some of your messages.

Redundancy's an awful experience

Neil has experienced the effects of redundancy first-hand. “I remember when my Dad was made redundant in the 80s and how difficult it was, for all of us. It's an awful experience that financially knocks the stuffing out of families up and down the country.”

“I was staggered when I heard that, in 2009, a majority of those entitled to redundancy pay have it capped because the levels haven't kept up with average earnings.”

He is backing the bill for a fair deal on redundancy pay because he thinks it's “important the public know that if you lose your job through no fault of your own, a Labour Government is on your side.”

A decent redundancy settlement is vital 

Mary noted that, in the current financial climate, a fair deal is more important than ever.

She said, “It is important at any time but with the current recession it is vital that workers get a decent redundancy settlement.” She added her concerns about the raw deal that agency workers get when they are made redundant. “The agency workers at BMW got nothing - just told no more work. This is unfair too and needs rectifying.”

Add your voice to theirs - email your MP now. www.unionstogether.org.uk/fairplay

The response has been great. Hundreds of you have already contacted your MP to ask them to be in Parliament to support the Bill next Friday, March 13th.

Many more of you have got in touch to let us know why this campaign matters to you.

We need to fight for higher statutory redundancy

Mary is a full-time trade union convenor for USDAW, in food manufacturing, making ready chilled meals, and has experienced the pain of redundancy before. “In 2004, I was involved in a site closure where 680 people lost their jobs - 585 of them were my members.”

“When it happens it has devastating effects on people's lives. It is something I never want to experience again - the closure of a factory and the loss of jobs. I still get upset when I remember.”

She is backing the campaign for fairer redundancy pay because working people need to stick together to campaign for a fairer deal. She adds, “we, and many like us who work in lower paid industries, need to protect and fight for higher statutory redundancy.”

Raise the allowance

Another person also knows about the worry of being made redundant, as her daughter, along with over 145 people in her workplace, are facing redundancy. She said, “she has fought as a union rep to get the best package in place for all the people facing redundancy.”

She is backing the campaign because she thinks a decent rate of redundancy pay is only fair. “Everyone should be entitled to have at the very least their full pay per week for each year worked... Raise the capped allowance.”

Add your voice to theirs - email your MP now. www.unionstogether.org.uk/fairplay

You see, instead of statutory redundancy pay being based on how much a person earns, it's actually capped at a maximum of three hundred and fifty pounds a week. So although I was earning five hundred quid a week when I was made redundant, I wasn't entitled to redundancy pay based on this amount - and I lost about a third of my entitlement.

This doesn't seem fair to me - so I've just emailed my MP to ask them to support a Bill in Parliament which will change the law to make redundancy pay fairer by linking redundancy pay to average weekly earnings rather than some arbitrary figure. You should do the same -

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

Now I'm not a millionaire but I do believe in fair work for fair pay. Before I was made redundant I'd been at the same company for over 16 years, learnt a trade as an electrician and was earning about thirteen pounds an hour. But the system failed me.

When Statutory Redundancy Pay was first introduced, the cap was worth more than double the weekly wage. But because it hasn't been increased with inflation, it's now worth only half of average pay. Lindsay Hoyle MP is trying to fix this broken system - but he needs our help.

To get fair redundancy pay we need to get MPs to support his Bill. And to do that, we as constituents need to write to our MPs to tell them how important fair redundancy pay is. There's a really easy way of doing this - just follow this link:

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

There's a model email for you to send - but feel free to edit it any way you want. The whole process will only take you a couple of minutes.

I'll never forget how difficult being made redundant was. I hope you never have the same experience. But in this shrinking economy redundancy will affect more and more of us. It's time to make it fair.

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

Thank you,

John
Unions Together

But if redundancy is on the cards, we all also want to know that our basic rights are protected by the law.

That's why on Friday March 13th, in just 2 weeks, Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle will be putting forward a Bill in the House of Commons that would uprate the current cap on statutory redundancy pay - the minimum that workers can expect to be paid if they are laid off.

When it was first introduced, this was more than double the average weekly wage. But because it has not been increased with inflation, it is now worth only half of average pay. This is an important issue for working people, more than ever in these turbulent economic times.

Because of the rules on Private Member's Bills, we need enough MPs to turn up to support the Bill, or any MP who opposes it can just “talk out” the Bill, preventing it even getting to a vote. It is crucial that we ensure there are enough Labour MPs supporting the Bill in the House of Commons on March 13th so it can move forward.

That's where you can help - spend just 2 minutes writing to your MP now, and make sure they know how much this issue matters to working people.

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