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47-603: The GMB is a general trade union in the United Kingdom which has more than 560,000 members. Its members work in nearly all industrial sectors, in retail, security, schools, distribution, the utilities, social care, the National Health Service (NHS), ambulance service and local government. Founded in March 1889, it grew rapidly under the inspirational leadership of Will Thorne (1857-1946), to become

94-471: A 'worker' and not a 'self-employed contractor' as Addison Lee had alleged. Jason Moyer-Lee described the case as another 'domino' within the changing law around the gig-economy, signifying progress in the IWGBs aim to ramp up the pressure against these employers. The IWGB took over an employment tribunal case against Uber in 2017 on behalf of two of 2 Uber drivers, James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam, The remainder of

141-532: A breakaway from Unite and UNISON . The dispute stemmed from disagreements over how to get better working conditions for cleaners at the University of London , and, more broadly, about how to run modern trade unions. The IWGB is one of the main trade unions in challenging employment law relating to the 'gig economy'. The IWGB represents workers in traditionally un-unionised sectors of the " gig economy ", including cleaners, couriers and drivers, foster carers,

188-490: A group of 19 drivers. As a consequence, The Pensions Regulator is considering if the ruling obliges Uber to create a workplace pension scheme. The ruling could have implications wider than just Uber, throughout the so-called gig economy . On 10 November 2017 the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld the first tribunal's ruling. Uber indicated that it would appeal further. The law firm Leigh Day started

235-526: A lack of work. The IWGB demanded that Deliveroo implement a hiring freeze, as well as an increase in payment for deliveries from £4 to £5. Following these actions, Deliveroo wrote a letter to their couriers in Brighton stating that they would implement a hiring freeze, unrelated to the demands made by the IWGB. The IWGB supported Mags Dewhurst's Employment Tribunal against CitySprint . This considered whether

282-546: A landmark ruling if not overturned on appeal, the Central London Employment Tribunal ruled that Uber drivers are "workers" entitled to the minimum wage , paid holiday, sick leave and other normal worker entitlements, rather than self-employed . Two Uber drivers had brought the case to the employment tribunal with the assistance of the GMB Union on 20 July 2016, as a test case on behalf of

329-729: A national union, winning a series of disputes in 1889 and gaining concessions on pay, conditions, and the introduction of the Eight Hour Day for its members. GMB merge, beginning when the National Amalgamated Union of Labour (NAUL), National Union of General Workers (NUGW) and the Municipal Employees Association (MEA) in 1924 joined into a new union, named the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (NUGMW). Although

376-533: A private courier service that works with the NHS to provide delivery services. For many months, TDL refused to recognise the IWGB, before the Central Arbitration Committee ruled on the case, obliging TDL to recognise the union as representative of the couriers. Previous to the ruling, the IWGB had secured full employment rights for a number of their members at TDL. The IWGB also intervened in

423-578: A single individual and was not a test case. We enjoy a good relationship with our fleet, many of whom have worked with us for some time, and have always strived to help them maximise their earnings. In a later Employment Tribunal case, after CitySprint's courier contract for HCA Healthcare had been transferred to Revisecatch Ltd t/a Ecourier, the tribunal found that as 'workers' Ms Dewhurst and others enjoyed rights under TUPE legislation. The IWGB supported cycle courier Andrew Boxer's Employment Tribunal against employer Excel Group Services Ltd. He argued that he

470-526: A sound system that played samba music, as well as workers turning delivery vehicles away from the gates". Alongside strike action, the IWGB also launched a legal challenge to the University of London over the rights of 75 of their outsourced staff to negotiate their pay and conditions directly with the university itself. The IWGB, with the legal aid of the Good Law Project cited Article 11 of

517-762: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to one or more trade or labor unions is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Independent Worker%27s Union of Great Britain The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain ( IWGB ) is a trade union in the United Kingdom. The IWGB comprises eleven branches which organise workers within their chosen industry, run their own campaigns and have their own representative officials. Their members are predominantly low-paid migrant workers in London. The IWGB began as

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564-589: The 2010 Labour Leadership Election , GMB endorsed Ed Miliband over his competitor and brother David Miliband . In 2013, GMB announced it was cutting its affiliation fund from £1.2m to £150,000 by reducing the number of members it affiliates from 420,000 to 50,000. In 2013, GMB Congress, the lay member ruling body, adopted a 14-point plan to encourage GMB members to become active in the Labour Party and to stand as Labour candidates for public office (Parliament and local government). GMB has two representatives on

611-676: The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Labour Party, Kathy Abu-Bakir and Gavin Sibthorpe. In Ireland, GMB is affiliated to the Irish Labour Party . While in the 2015 Labour leadership election GMB did not endorse a candidate, in the 2016 Labour leadership election , the union endorsed Owen Smith against incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn . Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn , the GMB clashed with

658-804: The National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers and one of the first Labour Members of Parliament . The credit union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members' savings are protected against business failure by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme . On 28 October 2016, in

705-673: The R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union case. The IWGB intervened on the grounds that the UK's decision to leave the EU necessitates a debate in Parliament because the UK's decision to leave the EU directly affects its members. The IWGB were allowed to provide a written submission of up to a maximum of 20 pages, and sought the opportunity to present a brief oral submission of no more than 45 minutes, on issues surrounding

752-465: The EU single market. In 2008, GMB Congress voted to withdraw local funding from around a third of the 108 Labour MPs whose constituencies received support from GMB, due to the perception that some MPs within the party were treating workers with "contempt" and generally not working in the interests of the working class and GMB members. Despite this the Congress opposed disaffiliation from the party. In

799-491: The Employment Tribunal, said that she classified Boxer as a worker, and not an independent contractor. She said that the contract that Boxer signed "did not reflect the reality of the situation... the inequality of bargaining power at this point was very notable". Excel did not provide witness evidence or attend the tribunal hearing. The firm initially offered to pay the claim for holiday pay "without acceptance of

846-512: The European Convention on Human Rights to argue that the university's failure to negotiate directly with their de facto employees constituted an infringement on the right to collective bargaining enshrined in the convention. The case was considered a landmark legal challenge, with the potential to revolutionise the rights of outsourced workers in the UK. In 2017 their outsourced employer Balfour Beatty Workplace agreed to most of

893-586: The GMB through lawyers Leigh Day, had a similar outcome at an employment tribunal in Leeds on 25 June 2018. Hermes are considering an appeal. The GMB stated the ruling was likely to affect 14,500 Hermes couriers. General Secretary, Tim Roache, described it as: another nail in the coffin of the exploitative, bogus self-employment model which is increasingly rife across the UK ... Bosses can’t just pick and choose which laws to obey. Workers' rights were hard won, GMB isn’t about to sit back and let them be eroded or removed by

940-551: The GMB to become a safe and rewarding place for women. The report made 27 recommendations for change, on which the union's National President, Barbara Plant, promised to act. The GMB sponsors the Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team and the Castleford Tigers rugby league team. Until May 2011 it sponsored Swindon Town Football Club , but when Paolo Di Canio was appointed manager the GMB terminated

987-624: The High Court, claiming that it was arguable that the CAC should have considered the rights of Deliveroo riders to bargain collectively as enshrined in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The IWGB has so far raised just short of £25000 to cover the legal costs of the case. In a separate case, the IWGB assisted Deliveroo couriers in Brighton after they spontaneously protested over

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1034-416: The IWGB organised a further strike for 6 June to keep up the pressure on the university for concrete commitments. The IWGB has argued that 'independent contractors' for Uber , Deliveroo and other delivery firms are in fact 'workers' and has achieved notable court decisions in this area. In June 2018 Justice Simler gave the IWGB permission to challenge a 2017 ruling of the Central Arbitration Committee in

1081-601: The Supreme Court. Aslam and Farrar were chair and secretary of the Private Hire Drivers Branch of the IWGB. In an interview on BBC Breakfast in November 2017 Farrar noted the role of the IWGB in the case, saying: "the IWGB union has become the de facto union for the gig economy. We've got their support - they've been behind us 100% of the way." In February 2020, Yaseen Aslam, James Farrar and

1128-835: The UK's decision to leave the EU. In September 2017, the IWGB co-penned a legal letter to the government, claiming that they were required to seek parliamentary approval for £1 billion spending in Northern Ireland under the Conservative–DUP agreement . The IWGB acted on behalf of their members, with Jason Moyer-Lee claiming that: Many IWGB members’ jobs depend on public money, like foster care workers and low-paid outsourced university staff. They are routinely told that there's no money available to improve their pay, holidays and other terms and conditions they demand. Yet when it comes to keeping themselves in power, this government's fiscal discipline quickly dissipates. There's undoubtedly

1175-432: The amount of work available and it keeps its couriers busy by limiting the size of the fleet'. The IWGB said this should be seen as a 'test case' and called for the decision to be rolled out across all of CitySprint's employees. CitySprint, who have a network of 3,500 couriers, disputed the verdict and the IWGB's claims stating that: We are disappointed with today's ruling. It is important to remember that this applies to

1222-422: The case. The App Drivers & Couriers Union is an independent trade union which focuses on the particular needs of drivers & couriers in the gig economy where their work is digitally mediated. In March 2018, the IWGB became the first union to be recognised within the gig-economy for collective bargaining. The ruling came within a campaign the IWGB was organising with couriers at The Doctors Laboratory (TDL),

1269-407: The claimant was a worker of CitySprint as opposed to being self-employed or a 'contractor'. The IWGB and Ms. Dewhurst were successful and the Employment Tribunal found that Ms. Dewhurst should be classed as a worker rather than self-employed. The Employment Tribunal labelled the contract as 'contorted', 'indecipherable', and 'window dressing', and noted that 'CitySprint ... has the power to regulate

1316-445: The claimant's claim". This was rejected by Mr Boxer. eCourier admitted to wrongly denying employment benefits to one of their couriers, IWGB member Demille Flanore, after incorrectly classifying him as an independent contractor rather than employee. The admittal came in response to an employment tribunal claim made by Flanore to contest his status – rather than contest the case, eCourier chose instead to admit their wrongdoing. The event

1363-522: The claimants stayed with GMB union. Prior to an appeal of the case that they had begun the year before. The case rested on Farrar and Aslam's claims that their classification by Uber as self-employed 'partners' was a sham, and that they should, in fact be classed as workers, entitling them to minimum wage and a whole host of other employment rights. The Tribunal concluded that Farrar and Aslam were indeed workers, and were accordingly entitled to both minimum wage and holiday pay. The Tribunal found that Uber

1410-455: The demands. Following further strikes in 2017 and 2018, the University of London released a statement in June 2018 declaring that they would begin to bring some of their outsourced staff back in house. Although the statements were vague on timings, some concessions were made to the IWGBs demands, including an acknowledgement that direct action had influenced the decision. Following the statements,

1457-717: The entire national executive committee of the IWGB private hire drivers branch voted unanimously to leave the IWGB to set up the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU). From that point, the ADCU took control over the Aslam v Uber case and in July 2020, the App Drivers & Couriers Union defended against Uber's final appeal in the case at the UK Supreme Court - the highest court in the land. The IWGB has no further involvement in

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1504-712: The latest loophole employers have come up with to make a few extra quid. GMB is one of the three largest affiliates of the Labour Party . It is a significant financial contributor to the party's national and local organisation. GMB gives Labour up to £2m a year in affiliation fees and other funds, making it the third largest union donor to the party. In 1991, GMB was the first British trade union to set up an office in Brussels and has been particularly engaged in seeking to influence European Union legislation that sets minimum standards for workers and for health and safety across

1551-644: The legal action against Uber on behalf of 25 members of the GMB union, which initially included J. Farrar and Y. Aslam, although the two pursued this latest case with a different union, the Independent Worker's Union of Great Britain . On 10 February 2017 a similar case involving Pimlico Plumbers was confirmed at the Court of Appeal . A worker who had suffered a heart attack was found to have been unfairly or wrongfully dismissed. Another similar case against parcel delivery company Hermes Group , supported by

1598-595: The like. Detractors claim that the broader remit means they tend to be more bureaucratic and respond less effectively to events in a single industry. In the United Kingdom, general unions include the GMB and the Transport and General Workers' Union . In Australia a good example of a general union is the Australian Workers' Union . This article about a business, industry, or trade-related organization

1645-567: The new union was one of the largest in the country it grew relatively slowly over the following decades; this changed in the 1970s when David Basnett created new sections for staff, and hotel and catering workers, and changed the union's name to the General and Municipal Workers' Union (GMWU) in 1974. In 1982, following a merger with the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers (ASBSBSW),

1692-539: The one other candidate, Paul McCarthy. Roache took up the post in 2016, but resigned in April 2020 after allegations of harassment. This post was known as "assistant general secretary" until 1935. This position was known as "Chair of the Executive" or "National Chairman" from 1938 until the early 1990s. In 2020, following the resignation of general secretary Tim Roache and subsequently receiving anonymous allegations,

1739-501: The party over the issues of Trident renewal and fracking , both of which are opposed by Corbyn. In the 2020 Labour leadership election , the GMB endorsed Lisa Nandy , who subsequently finished third. The GMB is led by a general secretary and treasurer. In 2005 Paul Kenny was appointed the acting general secretary, in place of Kevin Curran who stepped down after being suspended on full pay during an inquiry into ballot-rigging during

1786-510: The relationship because of Di Canio's political views. A GMB spokesman said: "He has openly voiced support for Mussolini so it beggars belief that Swindon could have appointed him, especially given the multi-ethnic nature of the team and the town." The union sponsored Port Vale for the 2013–14 football season. General union Proponents of general unions claim that their broader range of members allows more opportunities for solidarity action and better coordination in general strikes and

1833-458: The union conducted a barrister-led internal inquiry. This concluded that bullying, misogyny, cronyism and sexual harassment were "endemic" within the union. More specifically the report stated "The GMB is institutionally sexist. The General Secretaries and all regional secretaries are, and always have been, men. Women are underrepresented throughout the GMB’s ranks", concluding that culture must change for

1880-402: The union since then consisting of GMB Commercial Services, GMB Manufacturing, and GMB Public Services. Thorne Credit Union Limited is a savings and loans co-operative established by the trade union for its members in 1998. Trading as TCU Money, it began life as GMB Lancashire Region Credit Union and was rolled out nationwide in 2000. TCU is named after Will Thorne , founder of NUGW forerunner,

1927-690: The union was renamed the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union (GMBATU). This was sometimes shortened to "GMB", which in 1987 became the official name of the union. For several years following the highly contested merger boilermaker members retained a distinct identity in GMB's Craft Section. The union has absorbed the following smaller unions: In 1992, the GMB for the first time allocated all of its members to one of eight industrial sections: clothing and textiles; commercial services; construction, furniture and allied; energy and utilities; engineering; food and leisure; process; and public services. The GMB's sections were rationalised in 2006, with

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1974-413: The union's leadership election. The episode was seen as a power struggle between the national office and powerful regional heads, led by Kenny, who opposed centralisation. Kenny had lost the 2003 vote to Curran. In May 2006, Kenny was elected unopposed as general secretary. Tim Roache was elected as general secretary and treasurer in November 2015, receiving 56.7% of the vote on a turnout of 4.2%, beating

2021-489: The video games industry, and yoga teachers. The IWGB is a campaigning union which has waged a number of high-profile campaigns and is notable for its use of direct action and social media to generate widespread publicity and support for them. The General Secretary of the IWGB, Jason Moyer-Lee, has said that the union's aim is to: "Ramp up the pressure, using social media and by staging loud and disruptive protests, surprise protests and mini-occupations". 3 Cosas (3 Things)

2068-571: Was a campaign led by mostly Latin American outsourced cleaners to improve their working conditions at the University of London . The three demands were for annual leave, sick pay, and adequate pension contributions. The strike was notable for gaining support from Green Party leader Natalie Bennett , and the Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn , John McDonnell and Andy Burnham . The strike was noted for its 'red balloons, drums, and

2115-452: Was described as 'a major sea change' by the IWGB, reflecting the changing landscape of the gig economy. IWGB supported the case of cycle courier Chris Gascoigne in a case against his employer, Addison Lee, in August 2017. Following similar rulings in other IWGB supported cases against Excel, CitySprint, Uber and eCourier, employment Judge Joanna Wade ruled that Gascoigne was to be considered

2162-454: Was entitled to one week of holiday pay based on his work for Excel, which amounted to £321.16. Mr Boxer worked 9 hours a day, 5 days a week and had no opportunity to negotiate his pay rate or to provide someone else to do work on his behalf. When asked about his contract Mr Boxer said: "I had no choice, it would not have made a difference, they would have laughed at me if I had challenged a particular clause" Judge Joanna Wade, who presided over

2209-515: Was to be regarded as an employer, saying that the idea that the company was a: “mosaic of 30,000 small businesses linked by a common ‘platform’ is to our minds faintly ridiculous.” Uber appealed the decision, but their appeal was dismissed in November 2017, and a further appeal to the Court of Appeal was likewise dismissed in December 2018. Uber were, however granted permission for a final appeal to

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