BULLYING GMB
‘‘
The worst case of corporate bullying
”
When the AA was taken over by private equity fi rms
in 2004, over 3,500 workers were made redundant.
Four years later, the fi ght for their rights continues...
When it comes to workplace bullying,
illegal. Under the 1974 Health and few cases can compete with the brutal
Safety at Work Act, employers have a takeover of the AA by private equity
AA case study:
duty to ensure the health, safety and fi rms CVC and Permira in 2004. After
Richard Donald
welfare of their employees. Failure to buying the company for £1.75bn, the
do this is a breach of your contract of fi rms then set about stripping the “I had worked for the AA for 28
employment – and might also break company’s assets and making large years when I was told that the
laws on sexual harassment and racial numbers of employees redundant with company was making redundancies
discrimination as well as the criminal little or no compensation. in the patrolforce.
law. Employers and bullies run the risk “Several years earlier an insect
of fi nes, compensation and even jail. De-recognition of GMB bite had left me with nerve and
But it shouldn’t be necessary to This process was managed by Tim muscle damage, and I soon realised
invoke the law. Workplace bullying is Parker, who was crowned ‘the prince that I was one of many disabled
not just bad for the victims – and the of darkness’ by GMB for his role in the workers who had been targeted.
perpetrator – it’s bad for the business AA takeover. More recently, he was “This was when the bullying
or service you are trying to deliver. recruited by Boris Johnson as the started. I was summoned into a
The cost in lost working time is unelected Deputy Mayor of London. meeting and given a compromise
enormous – around 18m working “This was the worst case of agreement. The company offered
days a year, according to the TUC corporate bullying ever,” says GMB me £18,000 and told me that I
study. Millions take sick leave because senior organiser Paul Maloney. “Under could not work for any competitor
they can’t cope, and those who stay Parker’s instruction, the management organisations. I decided not to sign
on the job don’t work as well because team orchestrated the de-recognition as this would effectively stop me
morale plummets. Employers lose of GMB union at the AA, before from working. Over the next year, I
output and quality of service, and installing a scab organisation. This was called to a number of meetings
then there is the cost of replacing action was followed by an attack on in which I was physically threatened
trained, experienced staff who quit all disabled workers. There were in and publicly abused by members
because they’ve been bullied. excess of 200 employees with some of the management team, despite
If you have to complain it is worth form of disability thrown out of work raising an offi cial grievance.
reminding management of these with a miserable payment instead “In 2006 the abuse had become
facts, because if the case goes to an of the redundancy pay deal that so bad I suffered a nervous
employment tribunal, they will have was negotiated by GMB. Instead, breakdown. I fi nally agreed to sign
to answer – usually in public – for the employees were forced to sign the agreement as I felt I couldn’t go
unlawful conduct in the workplace. compromise agreements to ensure on. I haven’t been able to work since.”
they had no legal redress.”
Don’t suffer in silence
This issue is not going to go away. A Performance management
number of public bodies, including the In all, 3,500 employees were sacked
TUC, the conciliation service Acas with nominal payoffs as opposed
and individual unions including GMB, to proper redundancy pay. As
have taken the initiative with No Maloney explains, this cull extended
Bullying Days and Stress Down Days. beyond the company’s offi ces too:
In the end, you just have to “Hardworking AA patrol staff were
say “No” and tell your GMB summoned to motorway services,
representative. Don’t suffer in silence; where they were met by a manager
PAUL
that would allow the bullies to get and a representative of the scab
ROUTLEDGE
Richard and Sandra
away with their repulsive behaviour organisation to be told that they were
Donald at Congress
is the chief
– and move on to fresh victims. ■
political
not performing in accordance with
commentator for
private equity rules and had to resign
Bullying isn’t just bad,
the Daily Mirror
or be sacked.” a bonus of £30m for his acts of
In June 2007, the private equity bullying,” explains Maloney. “This was
it’s illegal. Under the 1974
and has written
biographies for
management team then merged the part of a wider £300m payout to the
Health and Safety at Work the UK’s major
AA with SAGA insurance, plunging top bosses of AA and SAGA.”
Act, employers have a duty
political fi gures
both companies into a collective debt
of £4.8bn, before paying themselves ■ For details of GMB’s campaign
to ensure the health, safety
including
Gordon Brown: huge performance bonuses. “Chief to regain trade union recognition at
and welfare of employees The Biography executive Tim Parker paid himself the AA, visit: www.gmbaa.org.uk
18 www.gmb.org.uk
INS02.nat_bully 18 16/7/08 12:46:36 pm
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