Support Pat Carmody - Sacked for Unionising a Call Centre!
Adam Johannes | 20.07.2008 14:10 | Workers' Movements
"Every night, all around the country, in the 21st century factories known as call centres, some 750,000 workers will breathe a collective sigh of relief as they get the signal that their shift has finally come to an end."
Read
http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10390 for the inspirational article of how Pat unionised his workplace.
Read
http://www.socialistreview.org.uk/article.php?articlenumber=10390 for the inspirational article of how Pat unionised his workplace.
Defend Pat Carmody, free speech, and the right to organise
Pat Carmody is a trade unionist, and a telephone fund raiser for charities. Pat has been sacked by fundraising company Pell & Bales. According to the company, Pat was sacked because he wrote this four sentence 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
But even if this wasn't trade union activity - which it is: publicising union news - it would still be obvious that the company were out to get Pat for building a strong and active union. The union at P&B has won a 10-15% pay rise for the vast majority of callers at the sites where it is active, and has successfully defended many members. Pat has been an important part of that.
There are two ways that you can help:
1) Write to your MP
Please encourage your MP to sign Early Day Motion 2038! The company is susceptible to public pressure. Go to http://www.writetothem.com - enter your postcode, and ask your MP to sign EDM 2038 - because the attack on Pat is an attack on free speech and the right to organise!
The EDM (and a list of MPs who've already signed) can be read here:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDe...80&SESSION=891
As you'll see from the link to the story on the news site above, Pat has the full support of the union.
2) Write to Karl Holweger, CEO of Pell & Bales in protest
Karl can be reached on
kholweger@pellandbales.co.uk - please cc: pnbunion@googlemail.com
There have been more than 50 messages of protest so far, and they are making a difference.
Website: http://www.cwu.org/news.asp?step=3&NID=2...
Pat has been asked in for a meeting with Derwyn Jones of the Panther Group (consultancy used by P&B) on Tuesday at 11am. We expect that he will be told the outcome of his appeal then.
The EDM has been signed by 22 MPs - is yours among them?
Pat Carmody is a trade unionist, and a telephone fund raiser for charities. Pat has been sacked by fundraising company Pell & Bales. According to the company, Pat was sacked because he wrote this four sentence 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 But even if this wasn't trade union activity - which it is: publicising union news - it would still be obvious that the company were out to get Pat for building a strong and active union. The union at P&B has won a 10-15% pay rise for the vast majority of callers at the sites where it is active, and has successfully defended many members. Pat has been an important part of that.
There are two ways that you can help:
1) Write to your MP
Please encourage your MP to sign Early Day Motion 2038! The company is susceptible to public pressure. Go to
http://www.writetothem.com - enter your postcode, and ask your MP to sign EDM 2038 - because the attack on Pat is an attack on free speech and the right to organise! The EDM (and a list of MPs who've already signed) can be read here:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDe...80&SESSION=891 As you'll see from the link to the story on the news site above, Pat has the full support of the union.
2) Write to Karl Holweger, CEO of Pell & Bales in protest
Karl can be reached on
kholweger@pellandbales.co.uk - please cc: pnbunion@googlemail.com There have been more than 50 messages of protest so far, and they are making a difference.
Website:
http://www.cwu.org/news.asp?step=3&NID=2... Pat has been asked in for a meeting with Derwyn Jones of the Panther Group (consultancy used by P&B) on Tuesday at 11am. We expect that he will be told the outcome of his appeal then.
The EDM has been signed by 22 MPs - is yours among them?
Adam Johannes
e-mail:
respect_yourself_cardiff@hotmail.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.cardiffrespect.blogspot.com
Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
tactics
20.07.2008 16:02
A
Reply to Tactics
20.07.2008 17:43
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
St Mungo's
CARE International
BHF
Deafchild Worldwide
RNIB
Save the Children
Christian Aid
Wobblie
Solidarity Forever
21.07.2008 09:39
Jonesy
e-mail:
llewellynjonesy@hotmail.com
Unfortunately
21.07.2008 13:03
A21
Solidarity Wins The Day!
22.07.2008 13:32
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just got this message:
Thank you everyone who joined this group, spread the word, 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, and letting them know it has been noticed, Karl's email remains
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
Field Organiser
Communication Workers Union
Adam Johannes
e-mail:
respect_yourself_Cardiff@hotmail.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.cardiffrespect.blogspot.com
PLEASE REMOVE list of charities above
24.07.2008 11:21
First of all, please could the list of charities above, with their email addresses be removed? Neither Pat nor the union asked for charities to be contacted directly, and we wouldn't want them to be now. I'd suggest it's very important to check in with the people affected before calling for action on their behalf like that.
On the tactics. This sort of protest is not (was not) a substitute for workers acting inside the workplace. It was a complement to it, and worked because the company had a particular reason to be mindful of its public image - i.e. the value base of its clients. It's very important as well that things like this are staged, i.e. timed, carefully - which is another reason why people shouldn't escalate without checking in with the people concerned.
Tom
Communication Workers Union
Tom, CWU