Kirkby Times has been passed some information handed out to interserve
workers. Interserve (website here )are
a private company who Liverpool City Council use instead of the
Council employing workers. The bosses at Interserve are raking it
in and Liverpool housing seems to be deteriorating as less money
is spent on repairs and general maintenance. The Greedy Chiefs at
Liverpool City Council and the Gutless Councillors care little for
what working class people have to put up with. The workers at Interserve
are treated like little children by their bosses and this was highlighted
when Kirkby Times was given a wage slip by one of the workers plus a leaflet
handed to them by Interserve. The Wage Slip has this following advice for the
workers ….. "USE YOUR VOICE VOTE NO - APATHY MAY RESULT IN STRIKE. It is a
disgrace when workers find there wage slips being used to scare workers
into believing that they must vote no. Interserve need to understand that
we are a democracy and they have no right to use this despicable tactic.
It is a sneaky psychological trick - men looking at the wage slip were
enraged that the Bosses have used this sneak tactic.
Interserve - Serving themselves before the community.
Interserve is not interested in working class people, they are only
interested in making a profit out of us - this means cutting services and
cutting staff numbers and wages if they can. It also means NO new Council
homes being built - the real beneficiaries of the private housing here are
the middle classes. Interserve were ranked in the FTSE 250 with a turnover
of over £1.1 billion in 2002 and employed over 11,500 people worldwide.
Many fingers in many pies.
They have there fingers in may pies including - petrochemical,
pharmaceutical, power, gas, food-processing and manufacturing sectors, plus,
facilities management, access, industrial cleaning and painting, insulation,
mechanical and electrical maintenance, electrical control and instrumentation
and process pipework .It's a wonder they aren't 'rebuilding Iraq' as well!
Interserve are also great supporters of the Private Finance Initiative which
is simply privatisation and asset stealing and money grabbing given a fancy
name. Interserve themselves have this to say of their role in the great PFI
con-job…
"Interservefm (interserve facilities management) has been actively involved in PPP/PFI since the concept was introduced
to the UK and has been responsible for many of the innovations that have now
come to be associated with this approach to the provision of building and support
services in many public service areas."
Yes, Interservefm are admitting, almost boasting that they are the
engineers of the destruction of working class communities using PFI to
elbow there way into ANY public service they can squeeze for a percentage.
Here's a leaflet from Interservefm Ltd Liverpool issued
or dated on the 23rd Sept.
Fact sheet in response to Trade union ballot for industrial action.
Fact 1. Due to a change in the scope and nature of work it was necessary
for the company to announce 71 potential compulsory redundancies
in March 2003.
After extensive efforts, the final number has now been reduced to
26 because of redeployment opportunities currently being offered.
Fact 2. 28 redundancies have been voluntary.
Fact 3 Your Union is affected by the compulsory redundancies as
follows: Amicus 0, Ucatt 1, GMB 3, Unison 4 (3 requesting to leave)
TGWU 18 mostly drivers and labourers.
Fact 4. A Yes vote for action would:
Impact on everybody's livelihood both in the next few months and the long term.
Have a damaging affect on the services we offer.
Result in a strike which would
achieve nothing - for the last 6 months we
have worked hard to progress matters with the Unions to minimise
the redundancies as much as possible. We now need to retain our
expertise and skills in order to provide a quality service and
thereby secure our long term future and your job
YOU MUST VOTE NO TO AVOID STRIKE ACTION AND RETURN YOUR BALLOT PAPER.
APATHY WILL LEAD TO STRIKE ACTION.
end of leaflet
Interserves advice is appaling and most of the workers are sick
of the way they have been treated since Liverpool City Councils
workforce was basically re-employed by Interserve. Our Councils
are being given less and less power and Interserve are answerable
to no-one. We cannot vote Interserve out as we used to vote out
Councillors who messed up housing. The workforce itself
is less unionised now and the average worker in the TGWU would
likely agree with Kirkby times when we say that the union
leaders are fat cats who are kissing Blair's backside for
a knighthood. The rank and file are sick of the Fat Cats
Unions leaders and useless Shop Stewards who would knife
the lads in the back for a fore-mans job. However -
crossing a picket line is NOT an option EVER. The
Unions still have there use and its only when the
workforce are up in arms that the Chief s act and don the war paint.
Kirkby Times wishes all the workers at Interserve all
the best in their coming struggle, Interserve try to scare the workers by
asking the workers in another leaflet "Will Liverpool City Council take
the workforce back?" If the Working Class Communities in Liverpool
stood up and united - the Council would have no choice. Whilst
this is no help to the lads right now - it is the only answer
in the long term. Below is the other leaflet given to the workforce
cunningly designed like the ballot paper which Interserve are
desperately trying to influence the result of. How twisted are
they for actually using a mans wage slip to push for a 'no'
vote in the ballot?
Below another interserve leaflet......
Interserve ballot for industrial action 24 sept 2003
Fact 1. Do you want to move towards a salary? Interserve does.
Fact 2.Interserve are recruiting more trades. Did you see the advert in the Echo?
Fact 3. Interserve have not changed your LCC terms and
- conditions - you still have Rota Day and Flexi and other benefits.
Fact 4. We've discussed the situation with the unions for over 6 months and made every possible accommodation. There is nowhere further we can go.
Fact 5. Should job opportunities arise, compulsory redundancies will be given an opportunity.
Fact 6. Everyone's livelihoods will be threatened should Industrial Action take place.
Fact 7. LCC took the decision that a private contract was the best solution for Liverpool and the workforce, and have maintained that position. Have LCC said they will take the workforce back?
Fact 8. No-one knows what would happen if Interserve were replaced,
but there would be no more money available than there is now.
Would your pension transfer on second generation TUPE? Might the workforce
be split across a number of small contractors?
VOTE NO TO KEEP YOUR JOB
INTERSERVE ARE HERE FOR THE LONG TERM AND TO SUCCEED.
