|
CWU: A UNIVERSAL
MANIFESTO FOR WORKERS IN THE UK TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
SERVICES INDUSTRY
As the Union for
workers in the UK telecommunications and information services
industry the CWU is committed to recruiting, organising and
representing the telecoms and information services workforce. Of
the many thousands of telecoms and information services companies
operating in the UK, some provide comparatively good levels of pay
and employee protection, and some offer no more than the bare legal
minimum. Whatever the level of treatment, there is always room to
improve the working lives of telecoms and information services
workers by focusing on a whole range of issues from pay and pensions
to work life balance and career development opportunities.
This manifesto
is a statement of the CWU’s principles on the issues that impact
most upon the lives of our telecoms and information services members
and is intended to be used as a guide in discussions with employers
with the aim of achieving:
Equal pay
and opportunity, regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability,
age, religion or sexual orientation. We will tackle pay inequality
by encouraging the use of pay audits to identify pay gaps within
organisations, ensuring the findings are reported to the workforce
and the Union. We will combat discrimination and support the growth
of a diverse workforce, which is important from both a moral and a
legal perspective and brings business benefits through access to a
wider range of talents and skills.
Equal treatment
for agency, contract, temporary and teleworkers. We will strive to
achieve pay and terms and conditions for these groups of workers
that are equal to their permanent and office based counterparts. We
will also continue to campaign and put pressure on employers, the
Government and the European Commission to introduce laws that
provide justice and equal treatment for agency workers and other
vulnerable sections of the workforce.
Trade union
recognition and rights of representation
for all UK
telecoms and information services workers wherever they are employed
and the elimination of all anti-union employer practices.
We will strive for effective union organisation and more
favourable legislation that enables all members to participate fully
and democratically in the Union’s decision making processes.
Employer
adherence to employment rights
including the
operation of effective information, consultation, disciplinary and
grievance procedures.
Promotion of the
interests of telecoms and information services workers
by lobbying
regulators, Government, agencies and other organisations whose
actions and decisions impact on the lives of telecoms and
information services workers.
Annual pay rises
that progressively improve living standards. We will resist the
increasing tendency to base pay rises on individual performance
reviews, which is a subjective, unfair and discriminatory method of
formulating pay awards.
Fair pay
that reflects levels of skill and responsibility. We will tackle a
culture in which thousands of workers are undervalued and paid
barely a living wage for doing a skilled, full time job. We will
resist the fundamental premise of employers that they can drive down
wages by using private consortiums to share information on pay,
effectively conspiring to set wages low across an entire sector.
Access to good
pension schemes
with a meaningful employer contribution. We will campaign to
protect and promote the provision of defined benefit schemes whilst
encouraging employers to make generous pension provisions for their
staff, and informing members about the importance of saving for
retirement.
Annual leave
entitlement above the statutory minimum of 4 weeks paid leave and
bank holidays, and the freedom to be able to take leave to meet
family and personal circumstances.
Work life
balance
in the length of
the working week, the pattern of attendance and the provision
of family friendly policies and parental leave, as well as generous
and flexible paternity and maternity leave entitlements. We will
resist employers imposing flexible working practices to suit their
own agenda rather than the needs of their staff.
High standards
of health and safety
in all working
environments to ensure our members are protected when at
work. We will continue to support a network of safety
representatives to provide advice to members and ensure that
legislative standards are met. We will also lobby for changes to
the law that will ensure better practice and reduce preventable and
unnecessary injuries at work.
A pleasant
working environment
that encourages
natural well being and reduces the risk of strain or illness.
Excellence in
management style
that inspires
our members to work effectively within their potential and,
recognises their individual contribution and ensures they are
treated fairly and consistently. This means giving praise where it
is due and offering training and constructive feedback where
standards are not met. It means clearly communicating procedures
and goals, setting realistic targets, and encouraging a culture of
collaboration and support amongst staff.
Freedom from
bullying and harassment
and a working environment that fosters dignity and respect.
Bullying and harassment take many forms, ranging from the extremes
of physical violence to the less obvious such as ridiculing someone
or misusing power to prevent progression. The CWU is committed to
working with employers to tackle the underlying causes of bullying
and harassment and to ensure proper procedures and lines of
accountability are in place to resolve instances of such offensive
and unwanted behaviour.
Access to
training, lifelong learning opportunities and career development
that
maximises employability and encourages career progression. We will
ensure that our members are given training to acquire the skills
necessary for smooth transition from a traditional PSTN environment
to an IP environment without any threat to job security or detriment
to pay and grading.
Isn't
it time you Joined the CWU? click here
for details and a downloadable application form |
