Employment News
CWU Universal Manifesto
14 September 2006
The CWU has launched a 'universal manifesto' for workers in the UK telecoms and information industry, setting out benchmarks for pay, conditions and future negotiations.
The formulation and publication of the manifesto fulfils the terms of a motion that was carried at CWU conference in May 2006 where delegates agreed that an 'aspirational guide' was needed to protect CWU members in those companies that are constantly seeking to benchmark pay and conditions at the lowest possible level they can get away with.
A UNIVERSAL MANIFESTO FOR WORKERS IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICES INDUSTRY
"This manifesto is a statement of the CWU's key principles and goals. It focuses on the things we believe are most important to our members and will guide us in seeking a range of objectives from decent pay and pensions to freedom from bullying and harassment."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
which 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.