TSG

BULLETIN
NO. 1

in UNITE
www.socialistparty.org.uk | Socialist Party UNITE Bulletin | Tyneside Safety Glass Strike

STOP THE DECLINE

TO MINIMUM WAGE!
U
nscrupulous bosses at
Tyneside Safety Glass (TSG)
want to drive down the pay
and conditions of the workforce
– but the first week of solid strike
action shows that TSG workers
are determined to fight this. Now
entering the second week of strike
action, workers are standing firm!
At an ACAS meeting management
claimed they made a loss of
£400,000 at the end of 2009.
However, this figure was challenged
by one shop steward who has seen
a different set of accounts which
had been sent to Company House.
This showed they actually made a
profit of £50,000. We say, open the
companies’ books to inspection by
the stewards committee – let’s see
down. Some strikers say they have policy, but this is seen as a joke by
what they’ve really got.
to work 12 hour shifts 6 days a workers.
Management are trying to play week to make ends meet.
Conditions in the factory have
hard up, but director Chris Hannant
Alongside driving down wages the been described as ‘horrendous’.
doesn’t have one flash car – he
company has also put notices up The furnace makes conditions hot,
drives around in three of them! At
in the factories saying the sickness noisy, and dirty. When the furnace
the same time workers have been
scheme was to be cut from 50 to was first installed management had
offered 0% increase two years in a
25% of basic pay. As a result of the promised it would be partitioned
row by ‘Three Jags’ Hannant! Even
action taken so far it seems TSG off in order to improve the working
before that, the last pay increase
have at least partially retracted this environment – another broken
was well below the Green Book
threat. promise.
rate.
Working conditions in the factories Workers have said the heat next to
To try and get a half decent wage
are also under attack. Workers the furnace is incredible (constantly
TSG workers have been forced to
on strike have told Socialist Party between 90-100 F). At one stage to
work longer and longer hours. This
members that management save money management took out
has at least partially hidden the
bullying is on the increase. The a water cooler.
fact that basic pay has been driven continued over...
management have a dignity at work
 www.socialistparty.org.uk | Socialist Party UNITE Bulletin | Tyneside Safety Glass Strike

Other health and safety issues are That agreement went out the put them under pressure and raise
also a concern. The company got rid window. the public profile of this dispute.
of cleaners, claiming they couldn’t
afford to pay them the minimum TSG management have used This Dispute Can Be Won
wage. For 6 months toilets haven’t agency workers during the first The first week of strike action
been cleaned and often there isn’t week of the strike in a desperate, combined with the ongoing
even any soap. TSG workers have and not very successful, attempt to overtime ban has clearly had an
said, ‘in the canteen you can smell keep production going. impact. Even before the strike, the
the toilets – it’s disgusting!’ overtime ban alone had slashed the
Prior to the strike the company and deliveries from the factory by half.
Socialist Party members have agency put out a joint statement In the first week of strike action
also spoke to workers who have threatening any who refused to production of good quality safety
complained that there has been no come into work that they would no glass plummeted. Moral inside the
fire drills for years and machinery longer be required in the factory. factory of agency workers is at rock
blocks fire exits. This strike is We say the company should not be bottom.
specifically about pay, but following allowed to play us against each other
years of broken promises, attacks like this. Agency workers should be In stark contrast the mood on the
and health and safety violations, given full contracts on the same picket lines has been upbeat and
many workers will hope the stewards rates, terms and conditions as all this was re-enforced by support
committee take up all these other other TSG workers. from other Unite branches and
issues with management while Lets get the agency workers in the members of other unions visiting
they’re on the back foot. the picket lines.
union and fighting alongside the
Agency Workers rest of the TSG workforce. Also, if Tyneside Safety Glass has declared
For around a decade the company the agency is threatening to sack war on the workforce - now is the
has used a growing number of anyone employed through them time to stand firm.
agency workers. Initially there was who strikes – why not take the fight • Restoration of the Green
an agreement that agency workers to the agency? A protest outside of Book rates of pay
would be taken on after 13 weeks. the agency offices in the town could
• A return of the sickness
Socialist Party scheme to 50% of basic pay
Members of the Socialist Party stand fully behind TSG workers in their struggle. We • Furnace to be partitioned to
are ready to help organise support and solidarity. If you want to find out more about
the Socialist Party, or talk to us about what support we could help organise, please
improve working environment
get in touch via the details below. The Socialist Party has a long and proud record • Health and safety issues,
of struggling to defend working-class people. We are involved in many campaigns including clear fire exits,
throughout the UK. We support workers in industrial disputes. Socialist Party
members played leading roles in important disputes in 2009, such as the successful clean toilets to be resolved
Lindsey Oil Refinery strike in Yorkshire, the Visteon struggle in Basildon, Enfield • Full employment contracts
and Belfast, and the dispute at Swansea Linamar car parts plant. We are at the
forefront of campaigning against the Tory-Liberal coalition governments massives for those currently employed
austerity plans. Alongside RMT general secretary Bob Crow and others, we helped in as agency workers
the establishment of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition; an electoral coalition • An end to bullying
which represents an important step towards giving workers a political voice.
management

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