The Political Fund is our union’s campaign fund. It allows us to fight with you, our reps and members, not just in the workplace but wherever decisions that impact you at work are taken.
…
]]>The Political Fund is our union’s campaign fund. It allows us to fight with you, our reps and members, not just in the workplace but wherever decisions that impact you at work are taken.
Our ability as a union to represent people at work are often shaped and decided by councillors and MPs. Decisions that affect members are not just taken by your employer, they are also taken by politicians, from council chambers across the country to our Parliament. Whether it be on matters of pay, pensions, employment rights, working hours and conditions.
Our Political Fund has won so many victories; it funds campaigns for members whenever a politician is involved, like paying for a branch to send members to parliament to lobby for their campaign, or for a function, such as booking a meeting room to speak with local councillors. It has allowed us to lobby to improve pay gap reporting, to fight ‘fire and rehire’, to put on the agenda workplace bullying and, when needed, to highlight poor practice in the workplace.
Employers, businesses and lobbying companies are always organising to influence the political agenda. For them, there are no legal requirements to hold a ballot to enable them to carry out political work. That is why this ballot is so important. It protects workers’ voices, in an already uneven situation.
Losing our Political Fund would mean fighting employers at a disadvantage. Without it, we will be less effective, less influential, and less likely to win the campaigns for our members. We need all our campaigns to make work better. GMB is asking all members to vote YES in the Political Fund ballot.
Vote YES to keeping your voice. Vote YES to keeping us as a campaigning union. Vote YES to keeping our aim making work better.
For more information please go to: https://www.gmb.org.uk/campaigns/voteyes/
LR Political Fund Ballot – YouTube
]]>
The Government are currently rushing legislation through Parliament that seeks to restrict ambulance workers rights to strike and to introduce minimum service levels for ambulance services on strike days in England, Scotland and Wales. (As a result of campaigning and lobbying, a recent amendment in the…
]]>The Government are currently rushing legislation through Parliament that seeks to restrict ambulance workers rights to strike and to introduce minimum service levels for ambulance services on strike days in England, Scotland and Wales. (As a result of campaigning and lobbying, a recent amendment in the House of Lords has restricted the scope of this Bill to England only).
If the legislation passes through Parliament, it could give employers rights to name individuals or groups of workers that must attend work on strike days. This gives Managers a huge amount of power over workers. The ambulance service has a terrible bullying culture, and this legislation would give bad managers another tool to target individuals by instructing them to cross the picket lines of their colleagues and attend work, and threaten them with sanctions for failing to do so. Trade union representatives could also become targets.
GMB is fundamentally opposed to this legislation and the restriction of the right to strike being placed on any ambulance worker – or any worker right across the NHS, public services and other industries. GMB has been working alongside the TUC and other unions to oppose this legislation and seek amendments as it passes through the parliamentary process.
Last week GMB submitted evidence into the consultation and you can access it here: Evidence submissions | GMB / DHSC_ambulance_MSL.pdf (gmb.org.uk)
Today, GMB attended two meetings with the Department of Health and Social Care Officials to discuss the consultation and legislation in more detail. Key points that were made on behalf of GMB members working right across the ambulance service were:
GMB will continue to oppose this legislation and will be contacting the Ambulance Team within the Department of Health & Social Care asking them, once again, to meet with GMB National Ambulance Reps.
Not a GMB member? Join today at www.gmb.org.uk/join
Want information about getting more active with GMB and involved in campaigns like this – email NHS@gmb.org.uk
]]>
SECTION TWO CAMPAIGN UPDATE
GMB WRITES TO NATIONAL AMBULANCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FORUM
GMB has now formally written to the employers on the National Ambulance Strategic Partnership Forum (NASPF) with the results of our recent Section 2 survey, outlining our position on the section and calling for a meeting to address and resolve.
…
]]>
GMB WRITES TO NATIONAL AMBULANCE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FORUM
GMB has now formally written to the employers on the National Ambulance Strategic Partnership Forum (NASPF) with the results of our recent Section 2 survey, outlining our position on the section and calling for a meeting to address and resolve.
Here is what we said:
15th June 2023
FAO: Kerry Gulliver Employers Side Chair National Ambulance Strategic Partnership Forum (NASPF)
Dear Kerry,
Re: Concerns regarding Section 2 Agenda for Change for Ambulance Service Staff
As you will be aware GMB has always been opposed to the implementation of Section 2 Agenda for Change Unsocial Hours Enhancements for ambulance service staff since it was introduced in 2018. We raised concerns at the time that this would be damaging for the morale of the workforce by creating a two-tier workforce and would also have a significant detrimental impact on career progression. GMB stands by that position still and we believe there is increasing evidence of those points being accurate.
In January 2021 GMB approached NASPF with a paper highlighting the numerous concerns and issues that GMB members were facing as a result of the unfair and inconsistent application of Section 2 across all ambulance service trusts in England. Unison, Unite and RCN joined us in raising those concerns and a working group was set up specifically to address these issues.
It is extremely disappointing that 2 ½ years later and no progress has been made whatsoever in progressing this work. We therefore felt we had no alternative but to withdraw our involvement from this working group and to engage with GMB members to understand what next steps they want to take.
You will also be aware that in the recent pay negotiations with the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, GMB raised this issue as a top priority for our members and called on the Government to include it as a part of the negotiated agreement. Again, it was extremely disappointing that the Government chose to ignore all of the ambulance specific concerns raised in those negotiations and it’s important you are aware of the extremely damaging impact that has had on ambulance service workers morale. They feel undervalued now more than ever before.
GMB has recently conducted a survey of members and the results evidence exactly what we have been saying since 2018:
38% of respondents to the survey who were on Section 2 had been forced onto the section since 2018.
58% of respondents on Section 2 would opt to transfer to Annex 5 if given the choice.
86% of respondents on Annex 5 stated that they would not change jobs or seek promotion so as not to lose Annex 5 terms. However, 96% of those would if they could keep their Annex 5 terms.
Some of our sister unions are also surveying their members and will share their results with you in due course.
GMBs position on this is clear. We never agreed to Section 2 for ambulance service workers and believe that all our concerns raised at the time have proven to be correct. We believe it to be a deterrent to career progression, detrimental to health and well-being as it encourages presenteeism, divides the workforce, discriminatory in its application to pregnant workers and NQPs. GMB would like to see Section 2 become an option as we appreciate some staff may want to be on those terms. However, we believe that anyone that has been forced on to Section 2 since 2018 should be given the opportunity to transfer to Annex 5 and we want a commitment that no more forced transfers will take place. Once those issues are resolved, we can start to try to address once again the inconsistent and unfair application of the section across the trusts.
If ambulance trust employers are serious about addressing the low morale of their staff and poor career progression options, resolving the issue of Section 2 must be a priority. GMB is asking that you schedule a meeting of NASPF, specifically to focus on resolving this issue with GMB and our sister unions.
Yours sincerely,
Rachel Harrison Steve Rice GMB National Secretary GMB National Ambulance Committee Chair cc. Sharandeep Bandesha – Staff Side Chair of NASPF / Unison Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe – Unite Barry Hutchinson – RCN
Date: 12/06/2023
Last week, GMB Congress 2023 voted unanimously to support the Ambulance Service Campaign to scrap Section 2 Agenda for Change. This means that this campaign is now GMB Policy and GMBs National Ambulance Committee will continue to lead on this priority campaign. (Full details of the motion and debate can be found at the end of this update).
Watch this short video from Simon Day, GMB National Ambulance Committee member, speaking after the Motion was carried: https://youtu.be/MeFrr_iE048
Thank you to all those members who responded to GMBs recent survey on this key issue. The results are in and evidenced exactly what our members working across the ambulance service have been telling us.
GMB has already withdrawn from the Section 2 Working Group of the National Ambulance Strategic Partnership Forum (NASPF). This is a working group that was established after GMB raised concerns over the inconsistent and unfair application of this section across the different services. That was in January 2021 and no progress has been made. We have therefore withdrawn from that group to focus on securing the changes needed via alternative routes. Our sister Unions – Unison, Unite and RCN – have joined us in that stance.
GMB will now share the results of our survey with ambulance employers on the NASPF and request a meeting to discuss how we move forwards. Their failure to prioritise this will leave us with no alternative than to enter into dispute.
Further information will follow in the coming days and weeks about this campaign and how you and your work colleagues can get involved and secure fair terms for all.
MOTION 157. NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO RESCIND SECTION 2 T&C’S WITHIN AMBULANCE SERVICES
This Congress notes that on 1 September 2018, any new starter to the ambulance service had their unsocial hours payments paid via the less favourable Section 2 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook rather than the more favourable Annex 5. Any existing staff member who moves roles is moved from Annex 5 to Section 2.
Any staff paid under Section 2 terms and conditions, unlike Annex 5, receive no unsocial hours uplift when off sick. This has introduced a two tier pay structure within ambulance services that provides less favourable terms and conditions for new employees and existing employees who change their role. The cost saving, unnegotiated change to terms and conditions has proven to be detrimental and discriminatory to remuneration of new staff and has significantly contributed, beyond any other factor, to the halting of progression and developments of established staff.
Congress Believes:
Members holding equal or equivalent responsibility and roles should receive equal reward, terms and conditions. That staff who wish to progress in their employment should not be put at financial detriment as a result of this cost saving which produces a discriminatory two tier system to pay and conditions.
Congress Resolves:
That GMB instigates and supports a national campaign to eradicate the use of Section 2 terms and conditions in the ambulance services.
A02 AMBULANCE BRANCH Midlands RegionSimon Day, Midlands Region, Branch Secretary A02 Ambulance Branch Moving motion 157 on support for a national campaign to irradicate Section 2 terms and conditions in Ambulance Services.
Congress, I want to begin by expressing our gratitude to you all for the opportunity you have given us to add our campaign to the other amazing campaigns highlighted yesterday supported by our union.
Congress notes:
On 1 September 2018, any new starter to the Ambulance service was contracted on the less favourable section 2 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service rather than the more favourable annex 5. Any existing staff member who, from that date onward, moves roles is also contracted on the less favourable Section 2 terms and moved off annex 5. Staff paid on Section 2 terms and conditions, receive less unsocial hours uplift, being paid consistently less in their pay packets and unlike annex 5, receive no Unsocial Hours Uplift when off sick. This introduced a two tier pay structure within ambulance services that provides less favourable terms and conditions for new employees and existing employees who change their role. This is an overt and despicable passing on of efficiencies and cost savings to the pay packets of our members in the ambulance service and is fundamentally unacceptable. It has repeatedly proven to be detrimental to renumeration of new staff, to be a bullying tool for employers to keep staff at work when they are not fit for work and should be off sick and has significantly contributed, beyond any other factor, to the halting of progression and development of long serving staff. These terms and conditions, although national, are not imposed uniformly by different trusts across the country resulting in regional variations flying in the face of our opposition to regional public sector pay polices. That’s why the National Ambulance Committee have prioritised to campaign and organise action to remove the use of Section 2 terms and conditions by ambulance service trusts.
Congress believes:
Members holding equal or equivalent responsibility and roles should receive equal reward, terms and conditions. If they are doing the same job they should be receiving the same pay and conditions and not be treated differently because of their start date. Members who wish to progress in their career should not be put at financial detriment as a result. It’s worth noting at this point, that the national survey conducted by NAC found that 86% of long serving staff who responded would not develop their career because their terms and conditions changed, but a massive 93% of that group would seek to develop their career if they were not moved onto these detrimental terms and conditions. These efficiency savings, imposed on GMB ambulance service members, rob senior clinical and management positions of the experience and expertise those roles require that long serving staff would bring and Congress, I know you will agree, that not a single member of ambulance service staff, however long they may have been employed, should be bullied into staying at work when they are not fit to do so with the threat of a significant financial detriment as provided by these cost saving, divisive, unethical and unequal pay and conditions.
Congress resolves:
We hold GMB to its commitment to Make Work Better and ask that they get on board with the ambulance campaign. We request that GMB advocate with its support in parliament and the Labour party and, at every opportunity and every level, promote the National Ambulance Committee’s campaign to irradicate the use of derisory section 2 terms and conditions in ambulance services.
Ian Burton, President of East Midlands Ambulance Service Branch – Midlands Region Seconding Motion 157.
1st time delegate, 2nd time speaker. President, Congress – Good AfternoonOn Sunday I stood here and talked about pay and the Ambulance Service and since then I have been receiving many messages of support after I shared my experiences with you – and I thank you for those.
Today I am supporting my colleague from West Midlands Ambulance Service and all other colleagues in the Ambulance Service with Motion 157.
Fair and equal pay for all should mean exactly that.
I was going to talk about ‘Ambulance Drivers’, or Paramedics, Technicians and Emergency Care Assistants as we prefer to call them. Instead, I’ll mention the unsung heroes of the ambulance service, the control room staff, 999 call takers and dispatch officers.
2 Dispatch officers on the same pay band, working the same rota pattern would have a difference in overall salary of approximately £2500pa – with the staff on section 2 being the lower paid.
Retention and development of Ambulance Staff is more of a problem now than it has ever been. Section 2 is a barrier to both.
Many Trusts are needing to employ Private Ambulance providers to try and meet the increasing demand of the public as a result of not being able to recruit or retain enough of their own staff. This use of Private firms comes at a cost.
My Trust spends over £35,000 a day on private providers, each ambulance costing much more than it would for 2 NHS Ambulance workers for the same shift.
The complicated pay scale also results in many mistakes being made every month. The staff themselves need to fully understand the system to be able to then prove their employer has paid them incorrectly. This is obviously bad for morale.
The National Ambulance Committee will take this forward, but with the backing of the full GMB, all Ambulance Service members will see and feel that support.
And potentially also encourage new members to join.
Congress, please support this motion – I second
]]>
After months of waiting, the Health Secretary wrote to unions within hours of GMB ambulance workers announcing they would reduce emergency cover on strike days.
The Department of Health and Social Care has now agreed to discuss pay…
]]>After months of waiting, the Health Secretary wrote to unions within hours of GMB ambulance workers announcing they would reduce emergency cover on strike days.
The Department of Health and Social Care has now agreed to discuss pay for both this year and next year – as well improvements to other terms and conditions.
Unions have also received assurances there is additional cash for both years above existing budgets and that any deal would respect the existing Agenda for Change structure.
In return, national ambulance strikes on March 6 and 8 involving more than 13,000 workers have now been suspended.
Other planned NHS strikes at Mersey Care and Barnsley Hospital have also been paused.
GMB members striking in the Welsh Ambulance service have also agreed to suspend action on Monday for further talks with the trust and the Welsh Government.
Talks are expected to commence early next week.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said:
“GMB ambulance workers announced a tightening of the derogations for cover on strike days.
“Less than 24 hours later we received a letter from the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, inviting us and other unions to pay talks.
“This is a huge shift from the Government, who for months have refused to consider negotiations on pay.
“Now, they are saying they are willing to sit down and talk.
“The Government has given assurances of additional cash for both years above existing budgets and that any deal will respect the existing Agenda for Change structure.
“GMB’s ambulance workers have agreed to suspend industrial action so talks can begin – however the strike will return with a vengeance should talks break down.”
]]>Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87898336071 Meeting ID: 878 9833 6071 This will be your opportunity to hear about the Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign launched by GMB Race late last year and…
]]>GMB London Region
]]>Life and limb cover will always be provided on NHS strike days so a proportion of employees have to work during a strike particularly in emergency services. The aim is always to protect the vulnerable while also ensuring that some workers get the opportunity to take part in strike action…
]]>Life and limb cover will always be provided on NHS strike days so a proportion of employees have to work during a strike particularly in emergency services. The aim is always to protect the vulnerable while also ensuring that some workers get the opportunity to take part in strike action to fight for better pay, terms and conditions. In other words, whether or not GMB had won a strike mandate in LAS some operational and 111 staff would still be required to provide cover work during a strike day.
The GMB position on the Ambulance Service Strikes
The GMB UNION position is that we always show full solidarity with fellow union members on strike even if our members are not directly involved in the strike action themselves. You should be permitted to join the picket lines on your break or if you are not working and our members should make every effort to do so and bring GMB flags and banners with you where available. You can send any pictures into me helen.oconnor@gmb.org.uk and I will ensure they are published. Any threats of disciplinary action for supporting a picket line in your own time should be reported to me so that we can deal with this robustly.
My rights on a strike day
What are my rights on a strike day if I cannot participate in strike action?
On a strike day you are still entitled to the same shift patterns, rest breaks as you would have on a regular work day.
You will be entitled to be paid your full salary. Your workload should not be increased just because your colleagues are on strike.
I feel angry about the ballot result so I am thinking of leaving GMB UNION
It is never wise or helpful to skip from one union to another and back again because you put yourself at risk of not being able to get representation when you need it. UNIONs that advise employees to leave their trade unions off the back of one national dispute are misleading them. GMB UNION still has a large group of dedicated, highly experienced representatives who are out there in workplaces helping members on a day to day basis.
We are asking all GMB members to bear in mind that this is a national dispute that both GMB and other health unions are supporting in full and the aim is to win decent, pay and working conditions right across the NHS and ambulance trusts. Many GMB ambulance service members are taking part in strike action right across the country so whether you are working to provide life and limb cover or not this fight belongs to all of us.
In solidarity
Helen O’Connor
]]>East Midlands Ambulance
West Midlands Ambulance
North East Ambulance
Yorkshire Ambulance
North West Ambulance
South…
East Midlands Ambulance
West Midlands Ambulance
North East Ambulance
Yorkshire Ambulance
North West Ambulance
South Central Ambulance
South East Coast Ambulance
South West Ambulance
Welsh Ambulance Service
GMB is also striking in the following NHS Trusts:
East Suffolk and North Essex
Liverpool Women’s
Mersey Care
NHS Blood and Transplant
To find out further details and the strike dates, please visit the link
https://www.gmb-las-branch.org.uk/gmb-strike-in-ambulance-services/
We told them about the big issues affecting work in the ambulance service, the problems with pay and terms and conditions, and why the Government must engage on pay with NHS workers.
Throughout the day, we met with over 55 MPs including the Minister responsible for NHS pay Will Quince MP, the Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
We invited the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, to meet with GMB ambulance members but, disappointingly given the importance of the current dispute, he didn’t accept.
Instead, we listened with interest as he was questioned by the Health and Social Care select committee on issues facing the NHS including the strikes.
He said that pay talks continue with health unions and that the PRB process is the route to follow – despite the government having missed the deadline to submit their own evidence into the pay review body process for 2023/24!
It is also revealing that we have not met the Secretary of State since the 9th January. It is not good enough.
GMB’s campaign for fair pay across the NHS and Ambulance Services will continue and further strike dates are planned where GMB has mandates to take action.
Full details can be accessed at the strike hub: Ambulance Service Strike Hub | GMB
]]>
GMB’s dispute with the Government regarding Pay for NHS & Ambulance Workers across England, Wales & Northern Ireland continues. Press statements from the Government are stating that they are engaging in constructive pay negotiations with the unions – this is not true! We have not met…
]]>GMB’s dispute with the Government regarding Pay for NHS & Ambulance Workers across England, Wales & Northern Ireland continues. Press statements from the Government are stating that they are engaging in constructive pay negotiations with the unions – this is not true! We have not met with or heard from the Government on the issue of pay since Monday 9th January 2023. They have made no attempts to resolve this dispute and therefore the planned industrial action will continue.
UPCOMING INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Industrial action will be taking place on the following dates and times:
Ambulance Trusts
Region |
Ambulance Service |
Industrial Action |
MI | East Midlands Ambulance |
|
MI | West Midlands Ambulance |
|
NEYH | North East Ambulance |
|
NEYH | Yorkshire Ambulance |
|
NWI | North West Ambulance |
|
SO | South Central Ambulance |
|
SO | South East Coast Ambulance |
|
SO/SW | South West Ambulance |
|
Wales | Welsh Ambulance Service |
|
NHS Trusts
Region |
NHS Trust |
Industrial Action |
LO | East Suffolk & North Essex |
|
NW | Liverpool Women’s |
|
NW | Mersey Care |
|
NW | NHS Blood & Transplant |
|
AN ATTACK ON YOUR RIGHT TO STRIKE
GMB and other health unions have been calling on the Government to talk to us about pay if they want to resolve the current dispute. But instead of doing that, the Conservative Government have chosen to attack workers instead. They are currently rushing through Parliament, legislation which could severely restrict your right to strike in future disputes. If the legislation passes through Parliament, the restrictions could become effective on emergency service workers as early as this summer.
The legislation would introduce minimum service levels and potentially give employers or the Government to name individuals who must not participate in industrial action – regardless of them being included in a lawful ballot for industrial action. GMB is campaigning against this legislation and a group of GMB ambulance service representatives are attending Parliament next week to lobby MPs.
The Government are rushing though this legislation using the current dispute as their reason and stating that minimum service levels are required to protect public safety and accusing union members of putting lives at risk. GMB questions their ability to maintain safe staffing levels on a normal day – and thanks to the derogations and life and limb cover put in place by local GMB representative – waiting times for emergency care actually reduced on strike days. It is an insult to our members taking action to accuse them of putting lives at risk when extensive arrangements were put in place and are adhered to by our members to ensure that lives are not putt at risk as a result of the action.
MEMBER SURVEY
It’s essential that we continue to understand how GMB members working in ambulance services are feeling as this dispute develops. Please take a couple of minutes to complete this online survey – https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QCTFWPK
AND FINALLY
Thank you to all GMB members who have remained determined to fight for fair pay. Whether you have been on strike, covered derogations and provided life and limb cover, supported others on picket lines, sent messages of support – it is all a crucial part of this campaign. Let’s continue to stand together and make this Government Talk Pay Now.
]]>
The 3% pay offer is an insult to each and everyone of you.
GMB is balloting it members and recommending rejection of this offer. The reason your union is saying this is because what 3% is worth to you in your hourly rate depending where you are in the band
Band 2…
]]>The 3% pay offer is an insult to each and everyone of you.
GMB is balloting it members and recommending rejection of this offer. The reason your union is saying this is because what 3% is worth to you in your hourly rate depending where you are in the band
Band 2 an up lift of 28p an hour to a maximum of 30p an hour
Band 3 an up lift of 30p an hour to a maximum of 32p an hour
Band 4 an up lift of 34p an hour to a maximum of 37p an hour
Band 5 an up lift of 38p an hour to a maximum of 47p an hour
Band 6 an up lift of 48p an hour to a maximum of 58p an hour
band 7 an up lift of 60p an hour to a maximum of 68p an hour
This with the increase in inflation predicted at 4% would mean another under inflation pay offer so pleas vote reject.
How do I vote
Members will receive either a link to a ballot paper via email or SMS ( if you have given permission to contact you this way ) otherwise you will receive a ballot in the post
if you haven’t received a ballot paper please email infoso@gmb.org.uk
if you are not a member
Join today and have your say on your pay. www.gmb.org.uk/join and then request a ballot paper infoso@gmb.org.uk
ballot time scale
Opens 6th August 2021
Closes at noon 17th September 2021
Please vote today and have your say on your pay.
Kind regards
GMB LAS UNION BRANCH
]]>