Nov 23 - Unite The Union Says GSLP-Liberal Alliance Manifesto Is "More Favourable To The Working Class"

Written by YGTV Team on 23 November 2015.

Unite the Union informed its members to publicly back the GSLP-Liberal Alliance in the upcoming elections after finding that the Alliance manifesto included measures which they found to be more favourable to the working class.

Despite the criticism the union garnered from GSD supporters since last Thursday, a spokesman for the Union said: "Unite had previously highlighted its intention to support the political party that delivered the most for the ordinary working class at this General Election, particularly those within the private sector. This commitment was made to the community through both our leaflet; which most of Gibraltar received or had sight of in the Chronicle, detailing the key aspects of our policies for the next four years, or through our interview on GBC’s Viewpoint. All political parties contesting this election received this information through a substantive and robust version of our leaflet which covered the topics in greater depth prior to printing their own manifestos.

"A political manifesto is both a commitment with the electorate and a roadmap in respects to the policies each party would enact if given the opportunity to form Government. As such, Unite has gone through both manifestos in order to ascertain whether the political parties had taken on board the measures which we highlighted, and furthermore, what policies of their own would have an impact on working class individuals.

"We note that the GSLP/Liberal Alliance manifesto contains these items which the GSD’s does not:

• A commitment to explore and implement Private Sector Pensions (Page 51)
• An enhancement to sick leave, at present within the public sector, that provides an extended amount of sick leave for those suffering from serious illness (Page 15)
• Commitments to the MOD post 2017 (Page 21)
• Reorganisation of the Health and Safety Inspectorate (Page 52)
• A commitment to raise the Minimum Wage by at least inflation and the commitment to see through the 3 year Public Service Pay deal (Page 13)
• A commitment to discuss and evaluate the provision of a ‘Gibraltar Living Wage’ (Page 52)
• Address the deficits in adult academic learning (Page 69)
• Provide a platform where issues of gender inequality can be discussed and studied where such findings may be used to address shortfalls in the creation of a ‘gender neutral’ community (Pages 95 & 96)

"Items contained within both manifestos:

• Distinct yet generally positive training mechanisms for Craft grades (GSLP/Libs Page 32, GSD Page 21)
• Provisions for the Sick and Disabled (GSLP/LIBS Pages 94 – 95, GSD Page 37)

"Items contained in the GSD’s manifesto which is not contained in the GSLP/Lib’s manifesto: 

• The reorganisation of Maternity and Paternity Leave into one block of leave for the purposes of child care; to be structured in whatever way the family unit deems it best.

"However we take exception and are genuinely concerned with the inclusion of certain provisions in the GSD’s manifesto which include:

• The implementation of most of the Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Agenda for Change’ in respects to the Industrial Tribunal and related legislation (Page 39). Unite commissioned a report by Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law at King’s College London and Daniel Blackburn, Director of the International Centre for Trade Union Rights that was given to the Office of the Chief Minister explaining  how the reforms sought by the Chamber of Commerce were real barriers to the pursuit of justice by ordinary men and women. The provisions favour mostly employers and that such measures in the UK have proven to have failed to address the perceived problems that arise from the Industrial Tribunal Process.
• The GSD will consider the erroneously named GGCA’s Civil Service review exercise (Page 31) when in fact it's called the Public Sector review but makes no mention of the Teacher’s Union or Unite who also represents a significant amount of Civil Servants and the majority of the Public Sector and who share some but not all of the items within the GGCA’s review. Unite is not mentioned once within the GSD’s manifesto.
• Unite is not satisfied that the GSD’s policy on zero tolerance rent arrears (Page 35) will not prejudice those that are already struggling to make ends meet whilst out of the work environment through the collection of rent arrears through benefits. Often, individuals in these circumstances would like nothing but to be able to work and therefore provide for their families in a dignified way, inclusive of paying rent and utilities and their inability to pay rent comes as a consequence of their prioritising a dignified existence over the tenancy bill. What’s worrying is that the GSD would seek to implement a zero tolerance approach to rent arrears but not to the millions of pounds owed in rates, social insurance, income tax and utilities by certain private sector employers.
• The policy on the provision of social housing specifically for the disabled (Page 37) leaves unanswered whether the move to a disabled friendly flat would be an optional exercise or one where the individual is forced to leave the family home on the grounds of the non-conversion of their existing home..
• Unite is also concerned in respects to gradually removing the rent restrictions on pre-war property as contained in the GSD’s policy on Landlord and Tenant Legislation (Page 39). This must be done sensitively where individuals within the community, particularly the elderly that account for many of the dwellers within these types of property, are not pushed out of a home for the avariciousness of landlords.

"Furthermore, we also take note that the GSD do not include the following commitment of particular importance for Unite:

• No mention of May Day and Worker’s Memorial Day, specifically, their commitment to these public holidays in the manner currently undertaken where Worker’s Memorial Day Bank Holiday is celebrated in the Monday following the event (28^th April) and May Day is celebrated as a Bank Holiday on the day or the Monday after if it falls on a weekend.
• No mention of the LGBT community.
• No further mention of the GSD’s desire to cut £50m from public expenditure. Whilst the GSD’s intentions might seem understandable to some on the face of the issue, that of eliminating waste, Unite fears that attributing a figure to this value, and then coming short of it, might prompt the GSD to either cut necessary spending or not develop further services that Gibraltar might require in respects to a future demand. We would welcome the renunciation of this policy and a better explanation of their direction in curtailing ‘waste’. 

"It is important to note that Unite has not affiliated with the GSLP/Liberal Alliance and our recommendations are based purely on the grounds that pertain to workers and the policies that affect the social fabric of our community. Unite has no opinion on the power generation of our community nor where football fields ought to be. Come the next General Election, Unite’s modus operandi will remain the same, where our vision will be presented to all political parties contesting the election and upon receiving their manifestos, an informed decision will be undertaken advising which one provides a better deal for our members.

"Unite having contrasted one manifesto with the other in respects to the provisions that pertain to workers and the policies that affect the social fabric of our community has the obligation to suggest to its members that the GSLP/Liberal Alliance manifesto has more in the way of policies that would have a positive impact on our interests. This is a tangible and objective reality which we invite you to understand for yourselves. Your Unite Executive, which was democratically elected from the distinct workplaces, did by absolute majority consider that it was appropriate that this recommendation be made publically following the road map we established by way of our commitments to the community.

"On a final note, Unite would like to encourage other organisations and NGO’s with an interest in our community to be brave, stand up and be counted, and advise their members and interested individuals on how each manifesto delivers on the grounds of issues that matter to them. We all have a say in our community and should use this voice constructively."

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