GMB NATIONAL
GMB fi ghts for recognition
Manufacturing
in Co-op Funeralcare
■ Union recognition
Campaign to end de-recognition of GMB at Co-op Funeralcare division
O
n April 22, GMB’s
Central Executive
Council approved a
high-profi le public
campaign to persuade Co-op
senior managers to reverse
their decision to end GMB
recognition in the Co-operative
Funeralcare service.
At the lobby in Croydon,
south London on May 3, GMB
members held a demonstration
outside the AGM of the Co-op
South East, accompanied by a
live donkey.
The protestors wore asses
heads and had placards around
their necks with the names of
the Co-op senior staff who
made the decision: David
Hendry, managing director of
Co-op Funeralcare, Co-op chief
executive Peter Marks and HR
director Richard Bide. The 500
Co-op members who attended
Lions led by donkeys: GMB
the AGM were handed leafl ets members campaign with
entitled “The Co-op: another
a live donkey outside the
Co-op AGM in May.
case of lions led by donkeys”.
Century-old agreement
The Co-op will not be
GMB General Secretary during 2007, was barred from
Problems with union recognition
allowed to get away
Paul Kenny, TUC General the Left Field co-operative at
started in 2006, when David Secretary Brendan Barber and Glastonbury Festival and not
Hendry took over as boss of with this disgraceful Dave Prentis, Unison General allowed to sponsor aspects of
Co-operative Funeralcare. He
and stupid decision.
Secretary – who is also chair of the TUC Congress.
set about introducing changes Unity Trust Bank – tried to get The Co-operative Group
to the business which met with
It is a basic human
this stupid decision reversed. Sussex Party put the following
resistance from his funeral staff, right for workers to The Co-op went ahead, however, motion to the 2007 Co-op
particularly GMB members in
choose their union
and derecognised GMB from Party Conference:
London and southern England. April 1 2007. Since then, “This Conference expresses
The business already had GMB shop stewards have been its disappointment at the
historical issues over low pay, victimised and harassed as Co-op unilateral actions of Co-operative
particularly for employees in management has tried to force Funeralcare in derecognising
high-cost areas. This led to strikes them out of their union. GMB for collective bargaining
in November 2004, when GMB purposes. This action is not
members rejected a pay offer. Co-op to be shunned in the spirit of co-operation
Rather than deal with The Co-op will not be allowed and we call on both parties to
the pay and other industrial to get away with this disgraceful take action urgently to seek a
relations issues being raised by and stupid decision. It is a basic mature solution, to ensure that
GMB members, senior Co-op human right for workers to Funeralcare’s GMB members
management chose to tear up be able to choose to belong to may continue to be represented
the century-old recognition the union of their choice. The by their trade union of choice.”
d
agreement with GMB. The 500 Co-op will be shunned until the This motion was not discussed
iar
W GMB members affected only decision is reversed. The Co-op by the conference. GMB wants
e
w
learnt of this decision when the has been thrown out of this to see the motion acted upon by
Andr Co-op issued a press release. year’s Tolpuddle Festival and, the Co-op members. ■
www.gmb.org.uk 15
IINS02.nat_manu 15NS02.nat_manu 15 117/6/08 11:42:027/6/08 11:42:02
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