CAMPAIGNS
UNISON locally and nationally is involved in a wide number of campaigns on
issues affecting members across the country. This includes everything from
local campaigns against stress in call centres through to campaigns to protect
public services from the savage assaults of the current government
Local Campaigns
Health and Safety & Stress in Call Centres
ScottishPower Call Centres were once regarded as a role model for good
employment practise. Unfortunately the relentless
focus on targets has undermined many of the good working
practises which used to be commonplace. UNISON Manweb Branch have been to the
forefront in campaigning to challenge some of the worst excesses arising from this disproportionate
obsession with individual targets. In particular UNISON stewards have represented
countless members who have found themselves facing the inevitable bullying and harassment
which has accompanied this focus, driven ultimately by the desire for increased profits.
As part of our campaigning we have carried out membership surveys which have
highlighted numerous problems with the working practises operating in
ScottishPower Call Centres. The last one was the Stress Survey 2011. Problems
highlighted include bullying and harassment by managers, excessive
micromanagement of staff, lack of flexibility around start/finish times and
breaks, continual shift changes, an obsession with petty rules, a lack of trust
in workers to self-manage and dubious ever changing performance targets.
As a result of a campaign initiated by our branch UNISON nationally
launched a Call Centre Charter which
focuses on the key issues facing members
employed in Call Centres and puts pressure on employers across the country to
take their duties under Health and Safety legislation seriously. More details
can be found here.
UNISON nationally has also produced plenty of
information about call centres
highlighting the duties and obligations on companies to
provide safe systems of work
Public Ownership
Ever since privatisation the UNISON Manweb branch has challenged the premises of
privatisation which has seen massive job losses across the industry, widespread
attacks on terms and conditions, increased charges for customers and a bonanza
of bonuses and eye-watering salaries for Energy industry Executives. The
regular pre-winter price hikes which all companies seem to adopt, irrespective
of wholesale prices makes the claim of a competitive market little more than a
fig leaf to try and cover the massive profits which all energy companies seem to
amass on an annual basis.
Meanwhile hard-pressed staff are expected to accept
below inflation pay increases, attacks on pensions and increased flexibility for
no extra reward. Many face job insecurity as re-organisation after
re-organisation is followed by outsourcing and off-shoring where companies can
get away with paying even lower wages and willingly take the risk of less
reliable service as a result.
UNISON nationally has a clear policy calling for
the energy industry to be brought back into public ownership. The policy was
reinforced at UNISON’s 2009 Energy Service Group Conference when
a resolution on Public
Ownership proposed by the Manweb Branch was unanimously adopted.
This has been reinforced and extended at subsequent conferences and has now been partially adopted
by the Labour Party.
National Campaigns
For more information about National Campaigns visit the
Campaigns page of UNISON's National
website
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