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Scab union betrays AA staff
The full scale of the treachery by
the former GMB officials who led the breakaway scab union, the "AA Democratic
Union" is becoming clear, as significant job cuts are forecast in the AA's 4000
strong workforce.
In
March this year all AA Staff association members (the AASA was a section of the
GMB) received a letter saying that a new breakaway union had been formed, and
they would be paying lower subscriptions. The "AA Democratic Union" is in
receipt of an undisclosed source of funding, and it wouldn't take a Sherlock
Holmes to work out that the AA bosses are behind this scab union. Unfortunately
130 lay representatives voted to back the splinter union at a special AASA
meeting in Wolverhampton, but they had been misinformed about key facts by the
GMB officials who now work for the AADU. GMB officials, who have since spoken to
AA staff, have heard tales of individuals being intimidated into resigning their
GMB membership by management in public staff meetings. Certain GMB assets are
alleged to now be in the possession of the AADU, and GMB membership lists are
also alleged to be in the possession of the scabs, which may be contrary to the
data protection act.
The GMB
now warns that the AA is moving to cut 431 jobs across the country, as revealed
by an AA memo dated 8th April which outlines proposals to assess
staff performance. The cuts will mainly affect breakdown patrols of which 150
patrol drivers will go from London. There are also proposals to reduce the
number of call centre staff in Cheadle and Newcastle.
The
union warns that road safety will be put at risk as the reduced number of AA
patrol drivers work longer hours to cover the workload. Some AA patrol drivers
are already working up to 90 hours a week and up to 12 days in a row. The stress
on call centre staff will inevitability lead to errors and longer waiting times
for AA customers. Paul Maloney, GMB Senior Organiser responsible for AA staff
said, "The venture capitalists who are currently running the AA are trying to
force 431 patrol staff out of their jobs and they are doing it in the most
underhand way. They are trying to bribe employees with money and get them to
sign confidentiality agreements in return for giving up their jobs. GMB will not
stand idly by and allow the AA to get away with this. The
GMB want the AA to admit openly that they are seeking to shed 431 jobs and to
talk to the GMB about it as the law requires. Unless this happens there will be
problems"
The GMB will be
aggressively countering the activities of the scab union officials and winning
back members inside the AA. Richard Ascough, Southern region GMB secretary and
Paul Maloney have written to AA staff pointing out that "the
AADU's lower subscription is such that it will not support the new leadership in
the manner they have been accustomed to. There will be costs to the AADU that
they will not be able to avoid forever - the salary, expenses, NI and pension of
a General Secretary, their secretarial and office services, full time officers,
mailing costs, computer systems, accounting services, telephony, ballot costs,
insurance and much more, before you even consider the cost of supporting you the
member!"
April 2005
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