GB Oils 2009-2010 National Wage Negotiations (Preparation for a National Ballot for Industrial Action)

Dear Colleague




GB Oils 2009-2010 National Wage Negotiations (Preparation for a National Ballot for Industrial Action)



A National meeting took place today of Union representatives to discuss the continued disagreement with GB Oils on the matter of your National Wage Claim, National Bargaining Arrangement and the subsequent position that is being currently adopted by your employer GB Oils.
Following today’s National meeting of Senior Trade Union Representatives, I can advise all Shop Stewards and our members that positively preparation is in place to conduct and complete a legal ballot for industrial action.
I would genuinely ask our members to bear with us and be patient at this moment in time for it is absolutely essential for the Union to ensure that it completes thoroughly the ballot process that will comply fully with all legal requirements.
This is the first time that a ballot for industrial action has been completed involving our members throughout the whole of GB Oils within mainland Britain and therefore the amount of administration and the need for absolute exactness within this ballot cannot be underestimated. I fully appreciate the frustration that is being shown by our members within this matter as to the delay but all our members can be fully assured that we are wasting no time on preparing fully. Equally, I would ask our members to understand that if the preparation and the absolute detail that is required from the Union within this ballot is not complied with then this can present the employer, that of GB Oils, with the ability to legally challenge any such ballot. I have absolutely no intention of giving any employer the ability to challenge a legal ballot. Therefore the need for us to ensure that we absolutely do this by the book and that does mean receiving and ensuring that this process is completed exactly in accordance with the 1978 Employment Protection Act as amended must be completed.
In conclusion, I really do know the members’ frustration but please be assured that I have now received additional administrative resources to ensure that this ballot is completed as quick as possible.
In the meantime I would ask that our members bear with me and their National leadership so that we can complete this correctly and at the same time effectively.
I thought it was important at this stage to let you, the members, know that we are not dragging our feet and there is absolutely no delay within this process.

With best regards

Ron Webb

National Secretary, Logistics

dcc has capacity to spend up to €500m on acquisitions

dcc has the capacity to spend up to €500 million on acquisitions over the next three years, should the right opportunities arise, the group said yesterday.

dcc said yesterday that operating profits in the six months ended September 30th, the first half of its financial year, were up 20 per cent at €67.9 million from €56.5 million during the same period in 2009.
Earnings per share were up 15 per cent at 57.65 cent and the company is proposing to pay a dividend of 26.11 cent.
.The oil and gas distribution division, accounted for just over €30 million, or 44 per cent, of its operating profit. Sales were up 41.2 per cent at €4 billion, from €2.8 billion during the same period last year.
The group borrowed €284 million in March from US institutions, which increased its finance costs for the period to €7.4 million from €5.2 million.
Chief executive Tommy Breen said yesterday that it has cut its working capital requirements over the last 18 months. It also has a strong financial position. At the end of September, its net debt was €98.6 million while it had total equity of €852.8 million. Mr Breen said this means it has the financial scope it needs to continue to buy other existing businesses.

In May, the group bought Pearts, a fuel distribution business in northeast England, for €15 million. well that's what they saved by not giving you a pay rise
UNITE UNITE
Or you will all be lost to the beast that is dcc-GB OILS

DCC Plc-GB oils only respect the Shareholders and not the Work Force

Dear Member

GB Oils 2009 2010 National Wage Negotiations

You will know that your Union, that of Unite, has strenuously represented your views with that of your employer GB Oils. You will equally know that we have communicated with you on two occasions in two ballots. The first ballot was on the matter of your employer’s offer of which you resoundly rejected in a democratic ballot. The second ballot involved you and our members balloting in a consultative ballot for industrial action. Again, you the members overwhelmingly voted to authorise your union to proceed to the next step for a legal ballot for industrial action.

After I received your democratic ballot result in the consultative ballot for industrial action of which was to overwhelmingly support a legal ballot for industrial action, I advised your employer of this position and invited again your employer to come back to the negotiating table in a strenuous effort to achieve an improved offer for you. Unfortunately their response to the Union’s two democratic ballots and therefore you and your union, was to ignore totally this democratic process, to reject your ballots and again your view, dismiss them out of hand of which now your employer GB Oils has informed Unite of their intention to arbitrarily and without your union’s agreement, to move forward and implement a 3% wage award that has been rejected in two previous ballots.

Again, can I remind you that this 3% merely represents 1.5% increase for last year and 1.5% for this year. This is your employer’s response to the constructive position that you and your union took last year with regard to a wage freeze. Notwithstanding this, we have demonstrated on a number of times that even in the current economic climate your employer has economically done well and can ably afford more in your wage packet. Therefore in return for your constructiveness for last year and equally your union’s, their response unfortunately is to attempt to break the union’s position on this matter which means your position. I can assure you that we have throughout this
whole process done what we are supposed to do and that is TO LISTEN TO YOU of which we have done and PURSUED ON YOUR BEHALF YOUR DEMOCRATIC BALLOTS AND VIEW within this matter.


The Union is now actively involved in making arrangements to ballot you on the matter of industrial action and we hope to have this in position within the next few weeks. I have written to your employer in response to their conduct and have informed them irrespective of them attempting to implement their 3% offer, that a lawful disagreement and trade dispute would continue between us.
Therefore we will strongly continue with this campaign.
Therefore in the meantime it is extremely important that you and all our other members DO NOT AGREE in any way, shape or form their unacceptable offer of 3%.
The Unite Union is determined to continue in its campaign to achieve better wages and terms and conditions for its members of which your Company, I can assure you, can aptly afford.
We will in due course be contacting you again once we have advised your employer in accordance with the law of our intention to ballot for industrial action.
I look forward to your continued support in supporting your union, that of Unite but importantly supporting yourself and your families in your just claim for more monies.
Yours sincerely

Ron Webb
National Secretary, Logistics


SEND A MESSAGE TO YOUR EMPLOYER:




• YOU WILL TAKE NOTE OF MY DEMOCRATIC BALLOT



• YOU WILL TAKE NOTE AND RESPECT MY VIEW



• YOU WILL CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE WITH MY UNION

Now is the time

We understand that it is the company's intention to implement a 3% rise to all drivers and it will be paid in the November pay run.
This is despite the members overwhelmingly rejecting the offer and subsequently voting 95% in favour of a legal ballot for industrial action.
It is crystal clear that the company have no respect for the views of it's employees and indeed do not believe that you, the driver workforce, are unhappy at all. Whatever your views, they are intent on driving a freight train straight through the middle of them which is utterly disgraceful.
If any of you were in any doubt as to the company's intentions then surely it is abundantly clear to you now that it is time to stand up and be counted. If you don't, and your union loses it's power and effectiveness to act on your behalf within this company, then you will surely regret the day that you didn't make a stand.

To All GB Oils Drivers

To All GB Oils Drivers


Dear Colleagues

National Consultative Ballot re Industrial Action – GB Oils 2009-2010 National Wage Negotiations

This is to advise you that on closure of the National Consultative Ballot of our members within GB Oils and following collation of all ballot results, that this Unions’ members employed within that of GB Oils have overwhelmingly voted in favour of moving forward and proceeding to a legal ballot for industrial action.
You should be advised that the Union now is taking all necessary steps to ballot our members within a legal ballot on that on the question of industrial action.

I will write to you again, after notifying the Company, of when this legal ballot is due to start and conclude. However for now I would be grateful if you would inform our members that the National Ballot Result has returned a mandate to proceed to the next level and that of a legal ballot for industrial action of which this Union is moving forward on.
I would be obliged if you would bring this to the attention of our membership accordingly and whilst I appreciate that this process is time consuming but with the continued patience and support of our membership we will conclude this legal ballot as quickly as we can.

Yours sincerely

Ron Webb

National Secretary, Logistics

Drivers of Emo,Carlton, CPL Petroleum, Scottish Fuels, Southern Counties,Texaco Equity and GB Oils brands are to be Balloted by Unite the Union for Industrial Action.

After consultative ballot to the drivers of GB Oils who work under the banner of  CPL,Carlton,Emo and Scottish Fuels to name just a few as there is over 44 brand names in the GB Oils Stables.            

The result of the recent consultative ballot was that 95 % of members voted for industrial action. A legal ballot will now follow. This will be conducted by the Electoral Reform Services on behalf of Unite the Union.
And will be carried out within the next few weeks.

How far will your ££ pound ££ go with GB Oils

Retail Price Index

Current RPI 4.6%
Current CPI 3.1%

RPI remains the favoured basis for inflation references in pay claims. It is the most extensive basket of goods and services and includes housing costs which for most workers is the highest outgoing.

Breakdown of key RPI Statistics

All items index for housing (excluding mortgage interest payments) up 4.9%

Petrol and oil up 8.1%


Vehicle tax and insurance up 32.4%


Rail fares up 8.8%


All goods up 4.3%

Directors to retire happy on six-figure annual pensions


Directors of the UK’s top companies should be well provided for in their retirement even if the rest of the workforce has to tighten its belt, the TUC’s latest PensionsWatch survey suggests.

Whether they are in traditional defined benefit (DB) schemes or up-and-coming defined contribution (DC) schemes, levels of funding are far better than can be found in most workplace pension schemes, where there is one.

Among the 102 major UK companies covered by the survey, around two-thirds (63%) continue to provide DB benefits for at least some directors, while half (48%) provide defined contribution schemes. For those in DB schemes the average accrued pension was £227,726 a year, 26 times the average occupational pension entitlement of the population as a whole. This reflects not only the high level of directors’ salaries but also a generous 1/30th accrual rate as the most common arrangement, which goes together with a common normal retirement age of 60.

For employees, in particular the minority in the private sector who receive any kind of workplace pension, the trend has been towards DC schemes with lower levels of funding. But for directors in DC schemes in the TUC survey the average company contribution was £134,760, an average contribution rate of 19%.
For employees, in particular the minority in the private sector who receive any kind of workplace pension, the trend has been towards DC schemes with lower levels of funding. But for directors in DC schemes in the TUC survey the average company contribution was £134,760, an average contribution rate of 19%.

The last survey by the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA) found that companies were putting as little as 4.5% on average into stakeholder pensions (excluding the one in five who contribute nothing) and only a little more into other types of DC scheme — 6.0% into group personal pensions and 6.7% into other DC schemes.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Employers often tell us that decent staff pension schemes are no longer affordable. Directors’ representatives are in the vanguard of those attacking public sector pensions. Yet greed is still good in the nation’s top boardrooms where directors continue to reward themselves with seven figure pension pots.”
He accused companies of refusing to fully disclose the lavish pension arrangements of executive directors, either to shareholders or to their own members of staff, and called for an end to “two-tier” provision with all their staff on the same pension arrangements.

Source: LRD

So the only thing not to go up is your pay!!! Think

Ballot ****Up Date****

Ballot
Apologies for the delay in releasing the ballot results. This is due to a few small depots not receiving ballot forms. We are trying to sort it out as quickly as possible so please bear with us. We have to be seen to be conducting the ballot in a proper manner even though any extra votes from now on will NOT affect the ballot result in any way which will show that the members are MASSIVELY in favour of industrial action.

The results of the ballot are that 95% of the membership are in favour of industrial action.


If you are not in contact with a steward please make sure you contact one within the next week or so.

If you need to contact one but don't know who your local steward is please e-mail fraser-ross@hotmail.com and  she will pass you on to your nearest Shop Steward.

http://www.unitewithus.org.uk/

G B OILS DRIVERS HOW FAR WILL YOUR PAY GO ?

Inflation stays at 3.1% after record jump in clothing costs




The Office for National Statistics said the price of food rose in September, continuing a trend set in the spring. Food prices traditionally fall in the summer months as fresh UK produce hits the shelves, but this year a spike in wheat prices and other basic foodstuffs has pushed shop prices higher.


VAT will rise from 17.5% to 20% in January,

Some estimates have suggested the hike will cost households around £500 a year.

We already pay £31 of every £100 we earn in NI and income tax. If we spend what's left VAT deduction will only leave us with £55.20! estimated the tax increase would cost the average family between £7 and £8 a week ( That’s £400 a year)

So how far will your pay go!!!! With a 3% pay rise will it cover the vat, food, kids clothing and you can see at the pumps fuel up every day.

SO COME ON IT’S TIME TO THINK !!!THE FIGURES JUST DON’T ADD UP YOU DESERVE IT AND SO DOES YOUR FAMILY.

A FAIR DAYS WORK FOR A FAIR DAYS PAY.


Jaguar Land Rover is to invest billions of pounds in its business, creating thousands of new jobs and safeguarding its UK factories, it has announced.

The new jobs will include 1,500 at the Halewood plant on Merseyside next year, while the other two manufacturing sites at Castle Bromwich and Solihull in the West Midlands will be retained, ending fears for their future.
The Unite union said a deal had been struck that included a two-year pay deal worth 5% this year and an above-inflation rise the year after.

GB Oils Victimisation

There is a real anger gathering pace right around the UK following the underhanded way in which one of your senior stewards was sacked from his job this week. Many of you are asking what the union is going to do about it? All of you that are members are the union, you are it's strength and it's up to you to stand together on issues such as this that you feel strongly about. Many members are saying that the union should ballot the workforce in support of our steward and I would agree. You all know that he was targeted because he was a steward and was suspected of running this blog. How wrong can they be!! A few hundred miles wrong actually. I think also, you can all work out who instigated this and of course who carried it out. Watch your backs everyone, if you don't stand up to things like this, you could be next.    

DCC plc-G B Oils more fat cats at the top

DCC announced the appointment of Leslie Van de Walle, who has held positions with Royal Dutch Shell, as a non-executive director. As you can see from this post that the company just likes to treat you with complete contempt as you are looking at fees of £45.000.00. for a man of this experience (God help him)
THIS YOUR TIME SO STAND UP AND TELL THEM NO TO LOW PAY AND NO TO BULLYING

Unite to ballot G B Oils Tanker drivers on industrial action

WE SHOULD BE VALUED MORE
WE ARE WORTH MORE!
UNITE THE UNION and your elected Union Leadership are fighting on your behalf to achieve improved Terms and Conditions of Employment for YOU our member. The Company have shown that they believe their shareholders are worth an 8% increase in their dividend in the last year,but you are only worth 3% in the last two years. As you can see from  whats going at  Inverness (The company G B Oil's) run by paul vian. can not get to you all !! so it looks like that they are trying to get at you by getting at your  Shop Steward's
WELL NOW IT WILL BE YOUR TURN
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO STAND TOGETHER AND TELL YOUR EMPLOYER THAT "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" ;that this cannot go on and that "best wishes" and " thank you's" can't pay the bills.
So by voting for (1) and (2) in the consultative ballot you will send out the message to the board that you will not be intimidated by the BULLY BOYS that have a cheek to call them self's managers.
This is your first and probably your last time to stand up and be MEN if not ?????? 

10th September Manchester Pay Awards 2009-2010

The union met with management on 10th September in Manchester. The Management made it clear that their position was unchanged and they would not increase the current offer. They also told the union and the NNC that their intelligence leads them to believe that the driver workforce are happy with the offer that had been made. In short, the company have thrown down the gauntlet to all of you and, reading between the lines, they don't believe you have the strength to take them on.
Your representatives have exhausted every available avenue and feel that unfortunately they now have no alternative but to ballot all members for industrial action in support of your rejection of the company offer. The ballot will start within the next week or so and your steward will contact you with the details.


We are still getting a few members claiming that they are not receiving enough information from their steward. If you need information or want to go on the mailing list please contact Fraser Ross and he will put you in contact with your local steward.

GB Oils 2010 National Wage Negotiations – Friday 10th September

Dear Colleagues

This is to advise you that it has been agreed that the National Committee will reconvene for further discussions on Friday 10th September.

Would you please ensure that the membership are advised that we are meeting the Company again on this date.

Yours sincerely
Ron Webb
National Secretary

"dcc indicates further acquisitions likely this year"

DCC is hoping make further acquisitions this year to follow two purchases made over the last few months.

The company spent €36 million in the first quarter of its financial year purchasing Pearts, a medium-sized oil distributor in the north of England and an oil storage operations in Aberdeen,Inverness, Scotland.

Last month, its healthcare division sold its mobility and rehabilitation business for €30 million. The firm accounted for less than 1 per cent of the operating profits that DCC earned in its last financial year.

The company told shareholders that it expected operating profits in its current financial year, which ends on March 31st, 2011, to increase by 5 per cent over last year and for earnings per share to be “modestly ahead” of 2010.

“Although it is still early in the group’s financial year, it is encouraging that in the first quarter ended June 30th, 2010, the group traded ahead of the prior year and modestly ahead of expectations,” the company said.

DCC’s operations made a profit of €192.8 million in the 12 months ended March 31st last. Sales were €6.7 billion.

Info

NOTICE





Further to the recent correspondence from the Company regarding the rejection of the pay offer, I would advise you that unless progress can be made at the next meeting with the Company the prospect of a ballot for industrial action will become inevitable. Therefore, I would ask that all Union members check with their relevant stewards to confirm that the contact details we have are correct and up to date. This information is vital should we need conduct a ballot for industrial action.

I thank you for your continued support and understanding during these negotiations.


MATT DRAPER
REGIONAL OFFICER

From the NNC

From the comments being made it is clear that there is some confusion with our position. Please read this carefully so that you understand fully what the position is.
The recent pay offer of 3% for one year or 5% for two years has been overwhelmingly rejected. A letter has been sent to the company explaining this and inviting them to meet the NNC and your union with an improved offer.
We are, at this time, awaiting a response from the company.
We have to give the company a reasonable amount of time to respond and as the letter was sent on 19th July I ask you to try your best to be patient and bear with us.
Please understand that we cannot ballot the workforce for industrial action without going through a proper legal process.
If the company respond and have not improved their offer to the members, then you will have the opportunity that we are well aware that you desperately want and get your legal ballot for industrial action.
As soon as we know I will make sure something is posted on the blog so that you are all up to speed. Many thanks 27th July 2010

dcc modestly ahead in first quarter

dcc said today 16/07/2010 that it continues to expect operating profit to rise about 5 per cent in the year to March 2011, and adjusted earnings to be modestly ahead of the prior year excluding currency swings.

DCC what pay freeze

Dear Colleagues
By now you will all have had your letter from Paul Williams and David Pollock but what they did not tell you is this
(1) the pay freeze did not AFFECT the top of the tree in DCC just the very bottom.
(2) The top executive director Mr Tommy Breen in 2008 to 2009 got a rise of 163.000 euro and in the year of the pay freeze 2009 2010 he got a rise of 23.000 euros ONLY 23.000 thousand i here you say. Yes 3% but is bonus went from 411.00 euro to 700.000 euro that up by 289.000 euros. in total is total wage bill for 2009 2010 is 1.674 million euros.
(3) In total the top 10 in DCC got this year 7.064 million euros
So Paul the payroll costs are 50% of operating costs well they will be if that is what the top ten get what about all the rest of the directors in the group ??????????? i bet you that the wages for the rest of the work force do not get near 7.067 million euros.
SO MEN ITS UP TO YOU!!! DO YOU WANT SOME OF THAT HARD EARNED CASH THAT YOU MADE LAST WINTER OR DO YOU THINK IT'S FAIR THAT YOUR MANAGEMENT AND SHARE HOLDERS GET ALL THE REWARDS FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

TO ALL MEMBERS

It has come to the attention of the Union that g b oils are sending e-mails to all depots asking that the management to try and find out how many Union members are in each depot.
AS YOU KNOW IT HAS SOD ALL TO DO WITH THEM SO IF YOU ARE ASKED "TELL THEM TO SOD OFF".
It looks like that they are looking to take you on???????????????????????