Rally to support call centre workers, London

[durruti02]

Rally to support call centre workers defending their union!

Pat Carmody is a union rep at the Old St office of call centre firm Pell & Bales. P&B workers make fundraising calls on behalf of major charities like Oxfam and UNICEF - but the company doesn't always treat staff ethically. Pat has been suspended for putting his name to a factual four sentence article in the Socialist Worker - see the article below.

Many members believe that Pat is being targetted for his role in building an active union that has won pay rises, and saved jobs. As one member says, this is "a threat not only to Pat and our jobs but a blow by management against freedom of speech." An open members' meeting agreed to hold a rally to support Pat before he goes into his first disciplinary hearing on Friday!

Rally this Friday (20 June), 11.30am - 12.30pm.
211 Old St - the tall office block on the North West corner of Old St roundabout, right outside the tube!

We also agreed to take further action if Pat receives a negative decision...

The article - "Standing up for call centre staff" - 7 June 2008

A well-attended meeting of CWU union members at Pell and Bales, a call centre in Old Street, central London, launched a campaign to defend a fellow worker last week. The caller was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following a complaint made about him during training. For asking some pertinent questions, he was accused of "playing to the crowd" and "scowling at the carpet". Many colleagues have signed a petition calling for the charges to be dropped.

Pat Carmody, CWU member

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15062

 

[The Black Hand]

You going Durutti? I would if I could, it's a bit far from up here though, above the clouds in the North East

 

[bluestreak]

Can't make it myself, but more power to them.

 

[lights.out.london]

The HR Director is Phil Snelling and the call centre ops director for London and the south is Gavin Miller, if anyone needs to write to them.

 

[Dan U]

the people that work there are going to have a bit more to worry about soon as well.

under the new charity legislation 3rd party telephone fundraisers like Pell & Bales will have to declare when calling what commission they are earning.

 

[durruti02]

Union rep sacked for publicising union news!
Defend freedom of speech and the right to organise!

Pat Carmody was told yesterday that he is to be sacked. Pat is a union rep at the Old St office of call centre firm Pell & Bales, and has been a big part of building an active union that has campaigned successfully to save jobs and win a 15% pay rise. P&B workers make fundraising calls on behalf of major charities like Oxfam and UNICEF - but the company doesn't always treat staff ethically. Pat has been sacked for putting his name to a factual four sentence article in the Socialist Worker - see the article below. Pat will be appealing the decision, and the union is determined to support him all the way and we've already held a protest. P&B is a small company that cares about its image. Protest will make a difference!
Please send a message of protest to Pell & Bales CEO Karl Holweger! Write to [email protected] Please cc: [email protected]
Send messages of solidarity to Pat - [email protected]
If you can support the campaign by receiving news, petitioning, doing a collection, or anything else, please email [email protected] or call Communication Worker Union organisers Tom on 07894 461713 or Michelle on 07872 816747
Points to make in your message to P&B:
Pat's article only presented, in the most restrained terms, the point of view of the union on an ongoing company process. It did not defame P&B.
This is an attack on freedom of speech, and the right to be active in a union.
P&B's reputation is being further damaged the longer this drags on.
If you are a supporter of a charity from the list below, or you work in the third sector, please point this out - and say that you oppose this sort of behaviour. Say that you will be willing to contact the administration of the charity concerning the company's anti-union attitude.
Draft message below - but use your own if you can!
The article - "Standing up for call centre staff" - 7 June 2008

A well-attended meeting of CWU union members at Pell and Bales, a call centre in Old Street, central London, launched a campaign to defend a fellow worker last week. The caller was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following a complaint made about him during training. For asking some pertinent questions, he was accused of "playing to the crowd" and "scowling at the carpet". Many colleagues have signed a petition calling for the charges to be dropped.

Pat Carmody, CWU member
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15062

Draft message

Dear Mr Holweger,

I wish to protest the sacking of Communication Workers Union representative Pat Carmody. This reflects extremely badly on your company, which is supposed to be working in an ethical industry. The decision to sack Pat is an attack on the rights of trade unionists, and of basic freedom of speech. I strongly urge you to reverse the decision at the earliest possible point, and reinstate Pat. Please keep me informed about your decision.

P&B's client list

Cancer Research UK
Macmillan Cancer Care
Tommy's
The Art Fund
WWF
IFAW
Action Aid
NSPCC
Barnardos
Oxfam
Dog's Trust
Cat's Protection League
Prostate Cancer
St Mungo's
CARE International
BHF
Deafchild Worldwide
RNIB
UNICEF
Save the Children
Christian Aid

 

[lights.out.london]

Nice post, mate. ^

I'll drop him an email. Ta for sharing the info.

 

[Taxamo Welf]

couldn't make it to the demo, but iwas up at 5am to support the tube cleaners picket before going to work.

Met pat a month or two back, he was very sound.

 

[Groucho]

Thanks to durruti02 for this thread. I know Pat, he is sound. Management are simply trying to break the union by sacking the individual they identify most with building union organisation.
The bullying management that dominates in many call centres need to be challenged.

Pat will be speaking at tomorrow's National Shop Stewards Network conference: South Camden Community School registration from 10:30 £5 per delegate.

http://www.shopstewards.net/

 

[geoff64]

i remember Pat from way-back. emailed a letter to his boss. Encourage everyone to do the same ...

 

[durruti02]

Thanks to durruti02 for this thread. I know Pat, he is sound. Management are simply trying to break the union by sacking the individual they identify most with building union organisation.
The bullying management that dominates in many call centres need to be challenged.

Pat will be speaking at tomorrow's National Shop Stewards Network conference: South Camden Community School registration from 10:30 £5 per delegate.

http://www.shopstewards.net/

cheers groucho .. tbh i know nothing of the dispute or of the fella concened but i was mailed the stuff and it sounds important and by the way you and others have come in the man himself sounds er sound! i'll hear him tomorrow in camden then ..

 

[geoff64]

Brothers and Sisters

My heartfelt thanks on behalf of myself and the CWU Pell and Bales
Section to all of you that have protested against my victimisation.

Our well-attended monthly meeting last week unanimously agreed to
continue the campaign to reverse management's decision to sack me, a
decision clearly motivated by their desire to halt our successful
union drive.

The letters of protest have been fantastic. It means that Pell and
Bales management know that their attacks on our union are not going
unnoticed and it also shows workers in the call centre that there are
serious forces outside of our involved in this fight and this does
raise their confidence.

But we could do with more, so please encourage fellow workers and
friends to send them:

Please send a message of protest to Pell & Bales CEO Karl Holweger!
Write to [email protected] Please cc:
[email protected]
Send messages of solidarity to Pat - [email protected]

I would ask at this stage that you hold off on contacting the
charities directly as yet. We will
advise you as to when we would like to you flood the likes of Cancer
Research, Oxfam, etc with letters.

If you have done so already, not to worry.

My appeal hearing is on Tuesday 15th July.

We will be holding a lobby outside Pell and Bales offices on this day:
please bring union banners and delegations if you can: details are:

DEFEND PAT CARMODY - DEFEND THE UNION

LOBBY PAT'S APPEAL HEARING

TUESDAY 15th JULY

FROM 10.30am

211 Old Street EC1V 9NR

exit 7 - Old St tube

Hope to see you there.

If you need leaflets, etc, please contact Tom or Michelle below

Thanks again and see you soon

Pat Carmody

CWU Capital Branch

Pell and Bales Section Secretary



If you can support the campaign by receiving news, petitioning, doing
a collection, or anything else, please email [email protected]

 

[Taxamo Welf]

aaaaaaaaaargh stop holding things in working hours
Don't the bosses have places they could be bothered outside of the 9 to 5....?

Tax/London IWW

 

[geoff64]

yeah it's crap - i can't get there either ...

 

[durruti02]

Up and down the country, the right to organise is under attack. Pat Carmody is a union rep, sacked by call centre company Pell & Bales for writing a four sentence article about union news in a weekly paper - see it below. Union members at P&B have called for support for a demonstration as Pat goes into his appeal hearing...

Rally for Pat and the union - Tuesday (15 July), 10-11am. Outside the P&B Old St offices - 211 Old St!

Pat is a union rep at the Old St office of call centre firm Pell & Bales, and has been a big part of building an active union that has campaigned successfully to save jobs and win a 15% pay rise. P&B workers make fundraising calls on behalf of major charities like Oxfam and UNICEF - but the company doesn't always treat staff ethically. Pat has been sacked for putting his name to a factual four sentence article in the Socialist Worker - see the article below. Pat will be appealing the decision, and the union is determined to support him all the way and we've already held a protest. P&B is a small company that cares about its image. Protest can make a difference!
If you can, please also send a message of protest to Pell & Bales CEO Karl Holweger! Write to [email protected] Please cc: [email protected]


Support Pat as he goes into his appeal hearing - Tuesday, 10-11am, outside the Old St offices! Right by Old St tube, exit 7.
"Standing up for call centre staff" - 7 June 2008 - the article Pat has been fired for writing

A well-attended meeting of CWU union members at Pell and Bales, a call centre in Old Street, central London, launched a campaign to defend a fellow worker last week. The caller was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following a complaint made about him during training. For asking some pertinent questions, he was accused of "playing to the crowd" and "scowling at the carpet". Many colleagues have signed a petition calling for the charges to be dropped.

Pat Carmody, CWU member
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15062

 

[geoff64]

Dear all,



Pat's appeal was heard yesterday, while 40-50 demonstrators chanted outside. Speakers from other unions gave messages of solidarity – including a GMB member who works for a P&B client, and a shop steward from Amnesty International. Speakers from the CWU confirmed our determination to support Pat, and other union members at P&B told us about some of the petty treatment to which workers are subject. We also now have MPs who are actively supporting Pat – find out more below about how you can help with that!



We will let you know when the company delivers its judgment on the appeal.



Thanks to everyone who came, or who's helped by writing to P&B in protest. Here are three things you can do to keep the pressure up.



1. Encourage others to write to P&B in protest – or write if you haven't done so already.



[email protected] is the CEO of Pell & Bales and the man to write to. There have been more than 50 messages of protest so far, and they are making a difference. It is outrageous that a trade unionist should be targeted simply for writing as follows:



"Standing up for call centre staff" - 7 June 2008

A well-attended meeting of CWU union members at Pell and Bales, a call centre in Old Street, central London, launched a campaign to defend a fellow worker last week. The caller was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing following a complaint made about him during training. For asking some pertinent questions, he was accused of "playing to the crowd" and "scowling at the carpet". Many colleagues have signed a petition calling for the charges to be dropped.

Pat Carmody, CWU member

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=15062



2. Write to your MP, and ask them to sign Early Day Motion 2038 in support of Pat.



Mr Pat Carmody and Trades Union Freedoms – EDM 2038

That this House is aware of the sacking of Pat Carmody, a CWU trades union activist, dismissed by the company Pell and Bates, who operate a call centre, for writing a four sentence report regarding his union's support for a colleague who had been disciplined by the company; believes such a response to be an overreaction towards what is standard trades union practice and one which sends a worrying message against trades union freedoms; and calls upon the company to come to its senses on this matter, to stop its victimisation of a trades union activist and instead to enter into meaningful dialogue with its workforce.



You can write to your MP easily by clicking on this link (http://www.writetothem.com/), and entering your postcode. Your message does not have to be more than a few lines – maybe just say that you know Pat, or about his case, and that you're worried about the broader implications of an attack on union rights.

3. Do a collection.



Pat is out of a job. We're fighting for him to get that job back – but in the mean time, if you can do a collection at your place of work for him, that solidarity would be much appreciated. Any spare funds will be used to help members of the Communication Workers Union keep on organising and fighting! If you are doing a collection, let us know!


In solidarity - and, on behalf of Pat, thank you again,

Tom Dale

Communication Workers Union

 

[october_lost]

Dp

 

[october_lost]

P&B's client list

Cancer Research UK
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/aboutus/contactus/enquiryform/
Macmillan Cancer Care
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Contact_Us/Contact_us_online_form.aspx
Tommy's
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
The Art Fund
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
WWF
[email protected]
http://www.wwf.org.uk/sitehelp/feedback.asp
IFAW
[email protected]
Action Aid
[email protected], [email protected]
NSPCC
[email protected]
Barnardos
[email protected]
Oxfam
???
Dog's Trust
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Cat's Protection League
[email protected], [email protected]
St Mungo's
[email protected]
CARE International
http://www.careinternational.org.uk/12/information/contact-us.html
BHF
http://www.bhf.org.uk/contact_us.aspx
Deafchild Worldwide
[email protected]
RNIB
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/public_rnibcontactform.hcsp
Save the Children
[email protected]
Christian Aid
[email protected]

Im sure Mr Holweger will be happy about you contacting these guys

 

[geoff64]

Pat Carmody reinstated! Solidarity wins the day!

Dear all,

Thank you everyone who joined this group, spread the word, came to a demonstration, wrote to their MP, or in protest to CEO Karl Holweger.

Together with the workers' own campaign (sticker days, petitions, and the talk of something more), this made all the difference - there is absolutely no question that without it, Pat would have no job now, and union members at P&B would be less confident.

So thanks to everyone who has been part of it.

Pat was told at 11am this morning that he is to be reinstated, with back pay and a 'final written warning'. The company, however, has not backed down on the principle, and intends to alter the text of the staff handbook to reinforce their control of press relations. We still believe that trade unionists have a right to publicise their activities.

If you would like to congratulate the company on taking the right decision on Pat's case, and letting them know it has been noticed, Karl's email remains [email protected], and you can cc: us on [email protected]. Please be positive!

For now, this is a victory. The union at Pell & Bales is stronger now than before this began. Pat starts work on Monday.

Solidarity,

Tom Dale
Communication Workers Union

 

[Groucho]

Victory!

union, union, union...what else is there to say?

 

[lights.out.london]

Good work.

 

[durruti02]

brilliant news!! hey a VICTORY!! ( not seen one of those for a LOOOONG time )