Landworker - Landworker personified George Curtis 94, still fighting on - Unite the union
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
INSIDE: Sector conference • Burston • Floods
unite Winter 2019/2020 The voice of the rural worker
Landworker
CENTENARY
Landworker
personified
George Curtis 94, still fighting on
Available to buy online – get yours today! See page 5 for details
unite Winter 2019/2020 The voice of the rural worker
Landworker Bev Clarkson
Unite
national officer
Contents Food, drink and,
agricultural
sector
Comment
3 National officer Landworker Centenary –
Bev Clarkson writes ‘absolutely brilliant’
4 General secretary
Len McCluskey’s view As we go to press we have yet to learn the
outcome of the general election – so please bear
that in mind when you read this issue. Having
News & Features
said that I’d like to welcome you to this the
fourth and final edition in our Landworker
regulars 10 ‘We want our future back’
Centenary series – and what a year it’s been –
speaking to members from all over the country
4 Top stories Burston rally highlights and hearing their amazing stories and
recollections of times past and their hopes for
Latest Landworker stories 26 ‘Our workforce is worth the future.
32 Stay safe more’
Winter is coming – stay warm Scotland farming latest In November Unite’s food, drink and agriculture
sector conference met in Brighton and debated
34 International Landworker 30 The wild wetlands of many issues – including changes to our
Latest news round up south London industries, Brexit, climate change, health and
Conservation in action safety, migrant workers, to name but a few.
35 Gardenwise
The winter garden There was some full and frank debates with
many of our agriculture members speaking out
36 Rural life
Threlkeld quarry and mining
Campaigns – with some excellent results. Key was a
resolution passed on recruiting more health and
museum 12 Clear direction safety reps so that we’re ready to lead the charge
Unite sector conference with new roving reps when the time comes. Well
37 Secret stories of done to Zac Smith for moving the motion and
popular pubs 14 Speaking out for you putting himself forward to become a health and
The George and Pilgrims, Conference vox pops safety rep. Let’s hope others heed the call in this
Glastonbury 15 Solidarity the only way most dangerous of industries.
34 On the shelf IUF GS Sue Longley One particular highlight of our Centenary year
Manufacturing towns in China speaks out was the activities we staged at this year’s
reviewed 16 ‘I found my place in Tolpuddle Martyrs’ festival with our fantastic
exhibition and lively discussion programme,
Unite’ which was well attended and enjoyed by many.
Romanian Iulien Firea on life Landworker aficionados included no one less than
Landworker as a migrant worker Jeremy Corbyn – who mentioned our
Centenary during his speech, while proudly
22 ‘Trading away our
Centenary standards’
holding an issue aloft.
7 ‘Sheer unbreakable spirit’ US-UK trade dossier truth I thought you couldn’t get a better endorsement
Hero George Curtis battles on exposed than that until this November, when Landworker
journalist Hajera Blagg, interviewed Jeremy
18 ‘Part of the family’ 24 All pulling together Corbyn for the election. Before the interview he
Farm worker Unite helps flood victims said that Landworker ‘was his favourite’ and he
Malcolm was ‘particularly impressed’ with our ‘events and
28 Cruel and exhibition at Tolpuddle – it was absolutely
Hancock on unnessary brilliant.’
past Hounds Off our wildlife
and future Going forward to the new year we currently
don’t know what government we will have – but
20 Food, glo- one thing is certain. Unite rural and agricultural
rious food members have achieved so much this year – and
Scientist Charlie we need to go further in being an active sector
Clutterbuck’s within this great union, now more than ever.
feed the world Season’s greetings and a happy year to you
and yours.
hopes
3
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020
uniteLANDWORKER Comment
NEWS Top stories
Unite pledges to
support Devro
workers
Len McCluskey
General Secretary Unite pledged to support the workforce affected by the
announcement in October that the sausage-skin maker
Unions needed now more than Devro will close its Bellshill site during 2020 with the loss
ever of 87 jobs.
I’m writing this column during the final days of the 2019
general election campaign. I can’t predict as to where our Devro has now opened a consultation with the workers
country might be at the time of publication, but I do with the expectation it will increase the range of products
know that, whatever the election result, our trade union produced at its site in Moodiesburn.
movement is needed more than ever.
Unite which represents the workforce has pledged to do
That is because trade unions have the power to bring all it can to support the workers at Bellshill to ensure that
people together and will always represent and unite no compulsory redundancies take place. Unite is also
people in our divided and unequal society, whatever the calling for commitments by Devro to retain all modern
government. equipment in Scotland rather than it being shipped
abroad.
As trade unionists we never lose pride in who we are –
the authentic voice for millions of people and their
communities – and this issue of the Landworker, the final Unite regional industrial officer, Wendy Dunsmore,
edition of its centenary series, is testament to that. said, “The announcement by Devro to close its Bellshill
site with 87 job losses is devastating for the workforce.
Look no further than to the moving life stories of It’s vital that everything is done through this consultation
Romanian food processing worker Iulian Firea and period to ensure there are no compulsory redundancies.
veteran trade unionist George Curtis, who is almost as The company has stated that it wants to increase the
old as the Landworker itself, to understand how being range of products at its nearby site in Moodiesburn.
trade unionists makes us stronger, together.
“We are calling on the company to guarantee job security
During the general election campaign, I made the point, and a future for the Moodiesburn site. As part of this
many times, that only Labour had the policies to end the
process, it will be vital to protect and safeguard all
exploitation of migrant workers by greedy bosses and
Iulian explains just why that protection is so necessary. modern equipment in Scotland.”
His message to other migrant workers about the
importance of joining a trade union is a powerful one –
“Step by step you will become united – you will gain that
power that comes with standing together.”
Still fighting at 94 years old, George wipes a tear from
his eye as he tells of why he joined his trade union – to
right the wrongs and end the suffering he witnessed in
rural communities. His continued determination and
commitment to achieving social justice touched me
deeply.
Rural workers need their union today as much as they
did 100 years ago and, whoever is in Downing Street
when you read this, as a Unite member you can be
certain that you are part of the greatest force for social
change that this country has.
uniteLANDWORKER, since 1919. Published by Unite,
128 Theobalds Road, London, WC1X 8TN. Phone 0207 611 2500.
Editor – Amanda Campbell email: amanda.campbell@unitetheunion.org
Magazine enquiries and letters to the editor, by post, phone, or email
amanda.campbell@unitetheunion.org
Distribution enquiries Taylor Humphris 020 7611 2557
Available in alternative formats – call Unite for details
IMAGES OF
THE PAST
Ex-steelworker and trade
union photographer from
Sheffield, Martin Jenkinson
shot some of the most striking
images of political and
industrial struggle in Britain
from the early 80s until his
death from cancer aged 64 in
2012.
Landworker is pleased to
announce that his second book
of stunning photographs has
just been published, by
Martin’s daughter Justine
with Landworker contributor,
Mark Metcalf.
The book Images of the past:
Sheffield in the 1980s is
available from
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
at £11.99.
Another ‘nail in the
coffin’ for Norfolk
The closure of the Archant print up’ call as the traditional industries tourism, agriculture and services.
operation in Norwich with the loss of associated with Norwich were in
96 jobs in November was described as decline or closing with the adverse “There is real anger that the Archant
another ‘nail in the coffin’ for the impact on the Norfolk economy. management appears to have misled
Norfolk economy, by Unite. customers to believe that the workers’
Unite regional officer Mark Walker employment would transfer with the
The decision by publishing giant said, “What happened to the Archant work.
Archant to outsource the publishing of print operation is another nail in the
over 50 regional newspapers, including coffin for industries traditionally “This is a real slap in the face for the
the Eastern Daily Press, to another associated with Norwich and comes dedicated workforce – many of whom
company in Hertfordshire was ‘a bitter hard on the heels of the closure of have been with the company for over
blow’, following the closure of Colman’s and Britvic. 20 years.”
Colman’s and Britvic, as well as the
proposed closure of water heating “There have been an increasing number “We are hoping to mobilise public
manufacturer Heatrae Sadia. of unacceptable job losses recently in opinion in a campaign to save these
the industrial and manufacturing jobs and ensure that there is a vibrant
Unite said that the job losses at the sectors that is making the Norfolk ‘mixed’ economy for Norfolk in the
Thorpe print centre was another ‘wake economy even more dependent on years ahead.”
5
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020
NEWS Top stories
HEADER Goeshere
BY HAJERA BLAGG
Bodmin food jobs threat
The threat to 270 jobs at meat “Tulip has described political “Bodmin’s economy specifically and
manufacturer Tulip Ltd in Bodmin is uncertainty as a cause for its problems Cornwall’s more generally deserve
‘another shock wave to the already and Bodmin will pay the price for this. investment and the opportunity to
battered Cornish economy’, Unite said grow, rather than the current diet of
today in October. “The relentless loss of jobs from Tulip declining incomes and lost jobs.
in recent years reflects other job losses
The company said that it was starting from food and drink processing across “Unite will continue to work with our
the 45-day consultation process over Cornwall, primarily in the middle and members at Tulip, which has a record
proposals to cease production at the east of the county, at a time when of not engaging with trade unions, to
site, with 270 roles at risk of wages are stagnating. This problem is support them as they face this new
redundancy. compounded by underemployment and blow to the county’s economy.
in-work poverty which are escalating.
Unite regional officer Deborah “Bodmin has some of the poorest “We would welcome the opportunity
Hopkins said, “This is another blow areas in the country so this further loss for constructive talks with the
for Bodmin – Tulip used to be one of of work and incomes to the town are a management at Tulip to see what can
the primary employers in Bodmin and cause of deep concern. be done to keep this plant operating.”
the local community will suffer greatly
from these losses just before Christmas. “The families in Bodmin affected by
this will struggle to find work that
“This gives us a measure of the impact provides security for their families and
of continuing political and economic an income that will pay the bills.
uncertainty in Cornwall, causing the “What we are seeing is workers being
ongoing shrinkage of our made redundant in the food processing
manufacturing economy. This is sector and then they are shunted to
another shock wave to the already another similar, often low paid, job –
battered Cornish economy. and then that site closes. It is a terrible
downward spiral that erodes hope.
Showstoppers
Landworker stole the show at this year’s campaigner Ivan Monckton, national continued hard work and many successes
round of TUC fringe meetings as we officer Bev Clarkson and Landworker on behalf of agricultural workers.
discussed, 100 years of rural news and why editor, Amanda Campbell. The
countryside workers need trade unions. The meeting was chaired by Unite AGS Pictured by our exhibition board (l-r)
packed meeting heard from Barry Diana Holland and general secretary Diana Holland, Bev Clarkson, Barry
Leathwood and Chris Kaufman – Len McCluskey made a guest Leathwood, Chris Kaufman, Ivan
both former national officers; rural appearance, congratulating all on their Monckton, Amanda Campbell.
UNITE Landworker centenary BY RYAN FLETCHER
‘Sheer,
unbreakable
spirit’ 7
Mark Harvey
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020
UNITE Landworker centenary
George Curtis recalls his remarkable life from waggoner’s
son to local union leader, still fighting for social justice
George Curtis, who worked on the land farms George and his father were working on. the basic wage rate and wrote letters
during the Second World War before The pair re-trained to operate farm campaigning for this to the Landworker.
becoming a district union officer covering machinery, including an early combine
North Lincolnshire until his retirement in harvester shipped from America during the “At the same time I continued my
1990, may well be the longest serving Second World War. employment in farming, but the union
member of Unite the union. offered the opportunity to attend education
“I don’t know how they got it across because schools of which I took full advantage.”
The 94-year-old joined Unite’s predecessor of the all U-boats but they did. It was the first
union the National Union of Agricultural combine harvester I’d ever seen. There was In 1959, George was appointed as district
Workers in 1943 and has been a union also a rubber tyre tractor. I was given the job officer for North Lincolnshire, a role that
member, as well as subscriber to the of driving it. From using horses to driving brought him into contact with rural workers
Landworker, ever since. something like that was unbelievable. It was and their families for more than three
like driving a Rolls Royce.” decades, until his retirement in 1990.
Born in 1925, George’s parents were itinerant
farm workers in Lincolnshire, where the George’s skills were essential to feeding the To this day, George is proud of his association
family moved from farm to farm living in country during the war and when he turned with the improvements in farm wages and
tied cottages. 18 in 1943 he was placed in a reserved working conditions made during the latter
occupation – the same year that he joined the half of the 20th Century.
“My father, George Snr, worked seven days a union.
week, either as a waggoner, stockman, “A lot of progress was needed and was made.
milkman or working fireman. During my “What I found outstanding from my early This included improved holiday
childhood I became familiar with farming years was the skill, dedication and sheer hard entitlements, a shorter working week, a sick
before tractors replaced farm horses,” said labour of the farm workers. In my experience pay scheme, legally binding safety
George, who began working full time at 14 they made the farming industry and received regulations, a wages structure and the reform
years old. little in return,” said George. of the tied cottage system.”
“My father would take a horse drawn drill “They worked a 50 hour week in summer Just as remarkable were the trade unionists
sowing corn across a field. I followed and 48 hours in winter but were not regarded that George met along the way.
harrowing in the seed with a horse. When the as human beings whose comfort, health and
corn appeared I led a horse that pulled a home should stand on a par with their “I met with people who had founded and
machine that uprooted the weeds.” immense contribution to the industry and maintained branches during the 1920s and
nation.” 1930s whose sheer unbreakable spirit to keep
Though life was hard, George has fond going knew no bounds.”
memories of a childhood in an era when kids Union
had a much closer relationship to nature. Joining the union meant George could put George and other trade unionists working in
the righteous indignation that developed over rural areas, as well as land workers they
“As soon as you got out of the door where you years of seeing his fellow farm workers being represented, needed an unbreakable spirit to
lived there were places to explore. Everything undervalued and mistreated to good use. deal with the inequality, injustice and
was being run with horses, there was hardly deprivation that were all too common during
any machinery and no tractors. It was all When the war ended in 1945, George that time.
horse drawn implements,” explained George. became a branch secretary for the area
surrounding the seaside town of Recalling the details of some of the most
“In the waggon sheds the birds used to nest Mablethorpe. affecting situations he was witness to
a lot. I’d go looking for nests and there were during his youth and career is still painful
also all sorts of wild flowers. It was “I was still disgusted at the way these men for George.
completely unspoiled countryside then. older than me were being treated. They were
There were no chemicals or things like that. wonderful men and I admired them. I used He will only say that the role of the union
I used to love the countryside when I was to marvel at the skills they had,” George said. was essential for the protection of the people
a child.” who were not only union members but part
“I became convinced of the need for the of a community and way of life that meant
By 1939, tractors began to appear on the skilled farm worker to be recognised above everything to him.
8
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020
BY RYAN FLETCHER
Wiping a tear from his eye, George said, “I benefits it brought to millions of working
“
wanted to join the union because I wanted to people through its wide ranging reforms to I wanted to join the union
help. I knew that something had gone wrong. health, housing, welfare and inequality.
Awfully wrong. There was an awful lot of because I wanted to help.
suffering.” Over the decades, George has seen many I knew that something
changes and has fought injustice wherever he had gone wrong. Awfully
Things were not always doom and gloom, has seen it, not only as a union official but also
wrong. There was an
”
however. George recalls how a chance as a Labour county councillor.
encounter while he distributing the awful lot of suffering
Landworker while collecting subscription Undoubtedly there has been progress, but
fees in 1950s led to an annual union rally and George is clear the fight for equality is still George Curtis
knees up being established in Mablethorpe. far from over and that a rebalancing of the Unite activist
system is needed.
George said, “This chap used to collect the
contributions from the members who worked He said, “The more we learn how to produce
on the same farm as him. I used to take the wealth, the more some people do very well
money and bring copies of the Landworker and others do very badly. The gap between
for the members. One day, he pointed to a rich and poor gets wider and wider and that
photo on the cover of a parade and is still happening today.”
demonstration in some odd place and said
‘why can’t we do something like that?’ As George approaches nearly a century of life,
he is, remarkably, still grappling with an issue
“I said I’d get in touch with the district he has wrestled with all of his life – how best
organiser and see what we could do. We to achieve social justice.
organised a rally through Mablethorpe to the
seafront. All the men that worked on the • Look out in January for George’s book
farms brought their families and we started Poverty is not natural, which explores the
getting people in from the surrounding area. ideas of 19th Century American moral
By the 1960s we used to have them every economist Henry George through a
year and after the meeting we used to have a modern lens, will published by
social evening.” Shepheard-Walwyn. Details to
follow in the next edition.
Chuckling to himself, George added, “Those
evenings really was enjoyable. They were
wonderful.”
Another happy memory of George’s is when
he arranged as a branch secretary for a bus to
take members to a rally with prime minister
Clement Attlee (inset right) at the seaside
resort of Skegness in 1948.
He said, “I
made my way
to the platform
on the beach
near where the
prime minister and
his wife were seated.
The area between the
town and sand dunes
seemed completely
thronged with people.”
George remembers dearly
Labour’s legendary general
election victory in 1945 and the
UNITE Feature
‘We want our
Burston School Strike rally: Unite
commemorates longest strike in UK history
The return of striking children, the The Higdons taught the children of local
environment and Brexit’s impact on rural farm workers and fought against the cold
economies emerged as central themes at the and insanitary conditions of the school as
annual Burston School Strike rally in well as landowners removing pupils to work
Norfolk on September 1. on farms.
The Unite-organised rally commemorates After the Higdons were sacked by the school
the 25 year strike – the longest in UK committee – which was made up of farmers
history – which began in 1914 after teachers – the children of Burston marched around
Tom and Annie Higdon were dismissed the village with cards hanging from their
from their posts in the rural village of necks demanding “we want our teachers
Burston. back”.
Encouraged by the local community, the
Higdons set up an independent strike
school in the village, with the dispute
ending in 1939, following the death of
Tom Higdon and Annie’s retirement.
Addressing a hundreds strong
crowd, Unite Landworker editor
Amanda Campbell (pictured
left) said the issues that impacted
agricultural workers a century ago through custom controls.
are still common today. She said,
“Just as in the Higdon’s day, many “Livestock farmers will face impossible tariffs
rural workers still face the same and have threatened to blockade roads with
issues of low pay and job and their cattle and sheep. Industry specialists
housing insecurity. The battles for warn that half of all farms could fail with
justice, fairness and equality still overall profits for the sector sliding by
rage on.” £850m a year.”
One of the biggest threats to the Highlighting the impact such economic
UK’s farmer workers is a no deal chaos will have on working families,
Brexit, Campbell told the Campbell said, “Britain’s food industry
crowd, saying it would be employs over 450,000 people with over 4m
nothing short of a more working in the food supply chain. It’s
“farmageddon”. 17 per cent of all UK manufacturing.”
She said, “If no deal isn’t taken Unite assistant general secretary Steve
off the table food will rot Turner (pictured right) addressed the
unpicked in the fields or aboard crowd on pressing issues related to the
lorries stuck waiting to get environment.
10
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020BY RYAN FLETCHER
r future back’
“
We must have a green industrial
strategy that takes us through for
the next generation. Making sure
our manufacturing industries are
at the forefront of the world in
challenging the crisis we see
”
now with climate change
Steve Turner
Unite AGS
Peter Everard Smith
He said, “We must have a green have a powerful voice and one that must
industrial strategy that takes us through be listened to.”
for the next generation. Making sure our
manufacturing industries are at the Illustrating Williams’ point, during the
forefront of the world in challenging the trade union march through the village
crisis we see now with climate change.” children held banners saying “climate
strike: the school strikers are back!”
Attending the rally for the first time, and “we want our future back”.
Unite London and Eastern member Jase
Williams told Unite Landworker that City Norwich School pupil
just like the Burston School Strike, Florence Longergan, 16, who
children are standing up to effect change. attended the rally, will be joining
her fellow students at a school strike
He said, “It’s very important to over the climate emergency on
remember that the Burston School Strike September 20.
was started by children and children are
now taking action against the damage we She said, “In March we had 1.4m people
doing to the environment with the globally strike from school on this issue
school strikes and other protests. They of climate change.”
11
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Campaign
Clear di
Unite’s food, drink and agriculture section conference met in November
Delegates to Unite’s food, drink and hard Brexit will go ahead and the thing we numbers of serious injuries which are never,
agriculture sector conference approved several are talking about here will only get worse ever reported,” he noted.
motions in November on a range of issues and worse.
affecting their industries, from Brexit to “Agriculture is the only major industry that
climate change to health and safety and more. “I can’t bear to think about it. I spent my has no worker health and safety
whole life fighting against the things that representatives,” he added, as he echoed
Unite delegate John Burbidge moved a have become the norm now,” he added as conference’s call for the “urgent introduction
motion on Brexit and the push to precarious he urged conference to get the vote out of roving health and safety reps to cover all
work and pay. Urging conference to back the for Labour. farming enterprises.”
call for at the very least a customs union
within the EU, he noted how “we have all The motion was unanimously carried, as was Contributing to the debate, Ivan Monckton
gained from the strength of the European a subsequent motion on the threat of the said, “Agricultural deaths are an absolute
workers movement that has helped improve importation of chlorinated chicken – which disgrace in this country – not just deaths but
incomes, holidays and health of workers in could become a reality under a future trade serious accidents, many of which do not
most EU countries”. deal with the US post-Brexit. get reported”.
Unite delegate Ivan Monckton spoke in Health and safety was another hot topic at But he highlighted the fact the union and its
favour of the motion as he highlighted a this year’s food, drink and agriculture sector predecessors have been raising the issue of
world of insecure work created by successive conference, with a number of contributions health and safety for decades and still so much
Tory governments that will only become from delegates who spoke passionately about is left to be done. He pointed to a previous
worse under Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit the need to make the sector safer. pilot programme by the Health and Safety
plans. Executive (HSE) using roving health and
Moving the motion was Unite delegate Zac safety reps – precisely what Unite has now
“If we don’t win this election, or at least get Smith, who highlighted the 32 fatal
a minority government with Labour as the accidents in agriculture in
major party, we are in deep, deep trouble,” 2018. “There also large
he warned. “Because [otherwise] a
12
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020BY HAJERA BLAGG
irection
called for in the motion – and how effective
they were.
“The evidence showed that roving health and
safety reps in agriculture did make a
difference to the accident rates. It actually
moving a motion on the climate emergency
and its massive impact on the food industry.
He pointed out that the effects of climate
change “can already be felt daily – whether it
be flooding in the UK, in the Punjab or
The motion, carried unanimously, called on
Unite to develop agreements for negotiating
this just transition; to conduct an analysis of
the food and agriculture sector’s impact on
climate change; and to create sector specific
education for members on the impact of
proved that,” he told conference. Texas, or the devastating hurricanes in the climate change as well.
Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic
The HSE failed to extend the pilot coast, or heatwaves in Africa, India and He called on conference to “win the hearts
programme because of the cost, Monckton Pakistan or catastrophic fires in California and and minds of those workers so they
said, but he pointed out that it was also a Australia”. understand the impact their industries are
struggle to recruit enough health and safety having and to convince them that we have to
reps in the first place. “Climate change is a reality, and is no longer lead from the front in order to reduce this
questionable,” he said. “The question is no impact, while at the same time protecting
“If the government came along and said, ‘As longer whether human behaviour is jobs or mitigating job losses through a just
of next April, you can your roving health and impacting on climate change, but how we transition”.
safety reps’ we would really struggle,” can change that behaviour and reverse its
Monckton argued, as he urged conference to impact.” Unite national officer for food, drink and
meet this challenge head-on and “start the agriculture Bev Clarkson hailed this year’s
ball rolling” recruiting health and safety reps. Walker highlighted how the meat and dairy sector conference and applauded delegates for
Delegate Zac Smith, who moved the motion, industries are major contributors to climate their contributions. “As ever, our food, drink
agreed – and put himself forward to become change but noted that the “elephant in the and agriculture sector conference brought
a health and safety rep and lead the charge room” was the fact that intensive farming together our members’ most pressing
forward. provides jobs for many of Unite’s members. concerns. It was a privilege to be part of these
conversations and debates that have given our
Climate change was also at the top of the He warned that the union cannot afford to sector a clear direction on how we’ll take such
agenda for sector conference delegates, with look the other way, and must fight to secure issues forward. We’re now eager to channel
Unite delegate Scot Walker a ‘just transition’ for workers whose jobs may that same energy at conference, take what was
be under threat. agreed in our motions and put them into
action.”
Mark Thomas
13
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Campaign
Speaking out for you
From Brexit to climate change to health and safety and more our
leading voices speak out at Unite’s sector conference 2019
Bev Clarkson, FDA national officer
On sector conference debates
“As ever, our food, drink and agriculture sector
conference brought together our members’ most
pressing concerns. It was a privilege to be part of these
conversations and debates that have given our sector a
clear direction on how we’ll take such issues forward.
We’re now eager to channel that same energy at
conference, take what was agreed in our motions and
put them into action.”
Ivan Monckton, Wales
On health and safety
“Agricultural deaths are an John Burbidge, Dorset
absolute disgrace in this On Brexit
country – not just deaths but Zac Smith, Norfolk “We have all gained from
serious accidents, many of On health and safety the strength of the
which do not get reported. “There also large numbers of serious European workers
The [previous HSE] evidence injuries which are never, ever reported. movement that has
showed that roving health Agriculture is the only major industry that helped improve incomes,
and safety reps in agriculture has no worker health and safety holidays and health of
did make a difference to the representatives. We need the urgent workers in most EU
accident rates. It actually introduction of roving health and safety countries.”
proved that. ” reps to cover all farming enterprises.”
Mark ThomasBY HAJERA BLAGG
Scot Walker, Scotland
On climate change
“Climate change is a
reality, and is no longer
questionable. The
Solidarity
question is no longer
whether human
behaviour is impacting on
climate change, but how
we can change that
behaviour and reverse
‘only way
forward’
its impact.”
Former Landworker editor and IUF
general secretary speaks out
Sue Longley, general secretary of the International After leaving Unite’s predecessor union the
Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, TGWU in 1991, Sue continued her work focusing
Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ on food and agriculture at the IUF. She was
Associations (IUF), was among the several headline appointed assistant general secretary in 2016. In
speakers at this year’s Unite sector conference. 2017, she was elected general secretary.
Sue Longley,
IUF general secretary But she also previously served as editor of For her, the biggest threat to food and agriculture
On Landworker Landworker from the mid-80s until she left to workers’ livelihoods is climate change.
It’s really critical food and work for the IUF in 1991. Speaking to Landworker
agricultural workers have in an exclusive interview, Sue hailed the magazine. “In many of the countries where we have
a space to put forward membership, [climate change] is a reality every
their views…and that’s
precisely what the “If I had been editor of Landworker for the rest of day. In some countries we’re seeing wages going
Landworker does my working life, I would have still loved it,” she down because yields are going down. Things like
said. “There was always something different, new the tea industry are being heavily affected,”
stories coming up. It was this amazing balance she said.
of local issues and global issues as well. It’s even
more so the case now, but even then as well it was “Irregular weather patterns increasing the
clear that food and how we feed the world is incidence of hurricanes for example are hugely
absolutely critical. damaging to crops. And I think it underlines that
unless we change the model of agricultural
“I feel that the Landworker was very much at the production, we will not be able to effectively fight
heart of that debate and instigated a lot of those the climate crisis.”
early discussions.”
And in a world where food production has become
Sue said she believed the continued publication of inextricably global, Sue added that links between
Landworker was absolutely essential in a world unions internationally is more important now than
where sustainable food production becomes ever ever before.
more vital.
“To find solutions to all these global problems, I
“Food is so much a part of our lives,” she said. “It’s don’t think any one country will be able to do it
really critical that food and agricultural workers on its own. The climate crisis will of course require
have a space to put forward their views a global approach. But also we have to face up to
on what the food system should the increasing control by large multinational
be like – and that’s companies of the global food chain. International
precisely what the solidarity is the only way we’ll build a
Landworker, does.” counterbalance to that level of power.”
15
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Campaign
‘I found my p
Romanian Unite convenor Iulian Firea
speaks out on life as a migrant worker
“
We have to leave our
homes, our families,
our friends; we have to
learn new rules, a new
language – and we have
to carry the blame of this
country going wrong.
We learn of harassment,
humiliation, stigma and
mockery. But we still
work, we learn, we
educate, we pay taxes
”
Iulian Firea
Unite convenor, 2 Sisters
Mark Thomas
It’s not easy being a migrant worker – you’re working for the 2 Sisters food processing Iulian, who worked as a chef in Romania
much more likely to be on low wages; work plant in Wolverhampton. But despite and also has a law degree, said that he, like
long gruelling hours, and at greater risk of speaking English well, it would take him many migrant workers, was initially
being exploited by rogue bosses. years to fully adapt to life in the UK. sceptical of joining the union.
Worst of all, migrant workers, who are “The most difficult thing for me was Iulian first became involved with Unite
among the most in need of unions, are a connecting with people,” he told after being approached by his 2 Sisters reps
third less likely to be members than their Landworker. “The words and gestures we who said they needed more migrant
UK counterparts. use as Romanians or Eastern Europeans are workers like him to become leaders in the
often wrongly perceived here in the UK. movement.
Unite regional convenor Iulian Firea “All the time I’m calculating everything I
knows first-hand the struggles migrant say or do, and I still do this even though Motivated by a fervent desire to support his
workers face. He first arrived in the UK I’ve been here for five years,” he explains. fellow migrant workers, Iulian rose to
from Romania in 2014, when he began “I still discover new things every day.” become a regional convenor.
16
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020BY HAJERA BLAGG
lace in Unite’
After his first two years in the UK, he felt
he was finally beginning to adapt – that life
further support migrant workers, which
prompted thundering applause.
Iulian urged other migrant workers to join
Unite. “In joining the union, I found my
for him was starting to improve. But then place,” he said. “More than anything I got
came the Brexit referendum. He spoke of the struggles migrant workers the education I needed through Unite.
face adapting to their new lives. Education is what the migrant workforce
“The Brexit vote result came as a huge is missing more than anything in this
shock but I didn’t really notice people’s “We have to leave our homes, our families, country. And I’m not talking only about
change in attitudes towards migrants right our friends; we have to learn new rules, a English language education, but about
away,” he said. “Then, a few months later new language -- and we have to carry the everything else – about workplace rights,
it would come in waves.” blame of this country going wrong,” he about how to behave, and all the various
told a packed room of Unite food, drink things you need to know as a new migrant.
He told of how his British neighbour and agriculture delegates. “We learn of And the union’s education covers all of this.
began hurling xenophobic abuse at him harassment, humiliation, stigma and I’m proud and happy to be part of it.”
months after the vote. mockery. However we still work, we learn,
we educate, we pay taxes.” “My message to other migrant workers is
“She kept repeating to me things like ‘you this – never give up; never stop. Because
Romanians coming here’, ‘don’t dare talk More than anything, Iulian told once you stop, you’re defeated.
to me’, things like this. Every time I Landworker he wished more people
responded to her she said, ‘I’m going to call understood the sacrifices migrant workers “Whatever problems you have, realise
the police’. So one day I told her, ‘Well I’m are forced to make. you’re not alone. Look for another person
going to call the police – and that really who shares your problems and join
shocked her. “It’s not a choice for migrant workers who together with them and join the union.
come here to work,” he said. “It might be And step by step you will become united -
“I told her ‘Look – I didn’t come to this a choice in terms of choosing between - you will gain that power that comes with
country to be patronised just because I’m a country A and B but this isn’t an standing together.”
migrant worker. I’m a human being, I give adventure for us; it’s not some extended
100 per cent to my job, even more than holiday,” he said. “Migration is something
100 per cent. And I don’t deserve to be we are forced into because we
K
n to U
spoken to like this.” want a better future for our
children and that better g r a t i o
Iulian told Landworker that he’s not in future simply cannot be EU mi
acts
principle against Brexit nor is he for it – he achieved in our own
T op 7 f m peo
ple liv
ing in
the
About
just urges voters and the next government countries anymore. We x 9.3 untry.
appro erent
co
2018, a diff the EU
to take a sensible, considered approach. aren’t here to fight; we’re here 1. In born in m e from
UK were
ese ca igrants
to join – to become part of cent o
f th e K, m
U
39 per o r n in th 64,
ose b d 2 to
6
“In March, I attended a union Brexit your society and to contribute pa red to th ad ults age on ers
2. Co
m be ensi
ore lik
ely to n or p
conference alongside about 200 other reps. to that society.” are m b e childre ith er
ly to Ke U
ss like ome to
I saw grown men – British workers in their and le have c
m ig rants m ily
st EU with fa an
40s and 50s – crying because of the threat Despite all the difficulties he has 3. Mo to be pay in
rk or rants
for wo es, EU mig k e out
Brexit will pose to their jobs. I was very faced, Iulian said he had nothing lifetim an the
y ta
r their ore th sing th
e
touched by this and it’s a real shame what but praise for many British 4. Ove £ 78 ,000 m e fits, ea
e be n
averag vice s an d
a bunch of brainwashed people have done institutions. “I was pleasantly lic ser ayers
in pub r taxp
n othe re EU
to threaten the livelihoods of hard-working surprised by the police – the way burd e n o land a
sta ff in ng
E
men and women. they talk to people, how they 00 NHS and
5. 65,0 ’s fruit
nation
als the UK
connect with people, everything. loy e d in m eth
lf emp are fro
N ea rly ha ss ing sector m eat
Iulian gave a rousing speech at Unite’s sixth Every time I meet a police officer, 6. ce rk in
ble pro ny wo
vegeta r ly as ma
sector conference in November, urging they smile at you, they salute you; d ne a
EU an astern
ong E
delegates to put into action a motion they ask if you’re okay or if you need process
ing rship am se
me m b e o tho
f
union an half
agreed at a previous sector conference to anything.” Le v els of are less th
7. ants
e migr
Europ
o rn .
UK-b
17
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Landworker centenary
‘Part of the
family’ 18
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020BY RYAN FLETCHER
Unite’s Malcolm Hancock on the past and future of farming
When Malcolm Hancock recalls working “One of the branch secretaries, who had a “While small farms have always merged to
as one of the last union officials dedicated to broad Yorkshire accent, was from a village make bigger farms, we were seeing the
solely to agriculture, some of his descriptions called Wetwang. He used to ring me up creation of estates and mega farming
seem like snippets of a Northern version of and say things like, ‘Now then lad. I’ve not businesses. Small farmers may have been seen
The Darling Buds of May. see thee for ages, when’s tha coming? Our as inefficient, especially by the EU, but they
so and so, needs to see ya.’ They’d refer to employ lots of people and keep rural areas
Over the years, Malcolm has seen rural life members as ‘our’ – it was like being part of vibrant and economic.”
become ever more eroded. His memories a family.
have a sweet melancholy about them that Nor is the issue just about work and the
contrasts with an anger at the excesses of “It wasn’t all just traditional employment communities that depend on it. Malcolm
corporate farming that have done so much disputes either. I used to do things like spend points out that the current model of “big
damage to countryside communities. the afternoon with members who were agriculture” is increasingly unsustainable
having financial problems. We’d go through and bad for the environment.
Malcolm joined Unite’s predecessor union, their bank statements and then I’d go with
the National Union of Agricultural and them to see the bank manager – that’s when He said, “These sorts of businesses are just
Allied Workers, when he began working on there were bank managers of course.” intensive intensive intensive. They rip out
his local farm after finishing school in the hedgerows, compact and exhaust the soil and
1970s, before becoming a branch secretary Rural services practice prairie style farming that uses too
in the 1980s and eventually a full time Malcolm decries the loss of rural services over many fertilisers and pesticides. It’s not all
official in 1987. the last decades and says that most of the businesses, to be fair, but it’s enough of
villages he knows have turned in dormitory them.”
“I always found you became part of the villages.
family,” Malcolm, who retired from Unite There are two things that could be done to
last year, said, in reference to working with He added, “People work in the local town or increase employment and help save the
and representing agricultural members. city and do their shopping at the big environment, Malcolm says.
supermarket. The village stores and pubs
“All the meetings were done at people’s can’t afford to exist anymore – that way of The first is the continuation of a policy that
homes because of the nature of farm work. life is disappearing’. he and other trade unionists were advocating
There was always a spot of tea and a home for in the 1980s – linking farming subsidies
baked cake. Often people were in the middle Much of this is linked to the steep fall in – currently paid by the EU, a situation that
of nowhere and didn’t get many visitors, so secure farming jobs and the rise of could change depending on Brexit – not to
you could be in for the night.” exploitative working practices in the the amount of land a farmer owns, but the
agricultural sector, which, Malcolm says, led number of people they are employing.
As a regional officer for agriculture in the the way for businesses in other sectors that
1980s and 1990s, Malcolm worked across have adopted insecure work as a core part of “Back then, we were saying to the EU ‘look,
northern Lincolnshire and the East Riding their employment strategy. these people are claiming massive subsidies
of Yorkshire. because they have the acreage but they’re
Malcolm cites the farm he first began work pro-rata employing very few people.
One of his favourite places to visit was the on as an example of the direction things have Therefore if you’re serious about rural
town of Driffield, East Yorkshire, which he gone in. When Malcolm was a teenager, the communities, you should pay the grant
says is one of the areas that has had its 2,000 acre farm employed 20 people, based on the amount of labour that farmers
‘community heart ripped out’ due to the responsible for tending the crops and looking are employing’,” Malcolm said.
change in agricultural employment after a flock of breeding ewes. Around a
practices. decade ago, the farm began operating with The other solution is to “dismantle these
zero employees, with any work that could large agri businesses” to make farming more
“Everyone went to the house of one of the not be automated being contracted out to environmentally sustainable and open up job
members who lived in Driffield and she used insecure workers. opportunities, says Malcolm.
to put on a lovely spread. You were there for
the morning, probably most of the day. They “Early in my career, we could see labour in “We need smaller farms and more mixed
used to have a social committee and arrange agriculture declining because of pesticides farming. Combining arable farming with the
dinners, events and an annual dance and mechanisation and such things. Whole non-intensive rearing of livestock will help
tournament. There were always activities villages and communities were bottomed the environment because animals naturally
going on for agricultural members in that out because there was no employment fertilise the soil again so that less nitrates can
district,” said Malcolm. anymore,” Malcolm explained. be used.”
Mark Harvey
19
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Landworker centenary
Food,
glorious food 20
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020BY RYAN FLETCHER
Scientist Charlie Clutterbuck’s dreams of feeding the world still
hold true
When he was growing up Unite member which entailed him having to identify and Lancashire, run by a group of like-minded
and food security expert Charlie document half a million different species. scientists intent of developing healthier and
Clutterbuck says he was a “little nerd who “It was the worst chat up line imaginable. more sustainable ways to produce food.
wanted to feed the world”. Remarkably ‘What do you do?’ ‘I count soil bugs’,”
Charlie’s early ambitions still hold true at 73 laughed Charlie. The group, which included renowned
– but with some critical differences. food policy academic Tim Lang, lived
While at Wye, Charlie began to have and worked on the farm: tending sheep,
Charlie’s journey from that young boy to socialist awakenings that would define his herding cattle, planting crops and hosting
scientist concerned with socially and later career path. He became president of the groups of older people and children from
ecologically responsible farming, mirrors the post-graduate students union and from the deprived areas.
shift from the centrally controlled food discussions he’d with food experts from
policies of the post-war years, to the market across the globe began to realise that world “One day, we hired a male pig for our sow
domination of the Thatcher-era and the hunger wasn’t being caused by a lack of food. and hadn’t realised how excited they were
subsequent focus on environmental and The problem lay with the capitalist systems going to get. They ran through the camp of
social justice in this one. it was grown under, which were also bad for some kids who were visiting from Bolton.
the environment and for workers. They certainly got an education which we
“Apparently I had all these ideas at 12 on hadn’t intended,” said Charlie.
how we could produce more food using Market excesses
algae, locusts and chocolate. All sorts of stuff Under Thatcher in the 1980s, Charlie saw A couple of years of the good life on the farm
apparently,” explains Charlie, who grew up elements of these problems spread to the UK, were enough for Charlie, who went on to
just outside Birmingham in a village called namely in the scrapping of regulations that work for the TUC education service for the
Hollywood. kept food producing communities protected next two decades. He was also a key member
from the worst excesses of the market. of the Landworker’s campaign to ban deadly
“If you speak to people who are my age, we herbicide 245-T, providing advice on
all say that we were brought up with the “After WW2 there was a consensus between epidemiology and toxicology, as well as
mentality of ‘eat your food and think of the Labour and the Tories that there was need to sitting on the Health and Safety Executive
poor people in Africa’. Our family never produce food so we were less dependent on board on pesticides that was set up after the
wasted food. As a kid I remember when other countries. There were all sorts of scandal.
sweets came off rationing. I was about seven. government systems in place, for instance
It was a big deal. So I had a very strong guaranteed prices of wheat, hops and In the 1990s, Charlie wrote the first
determination to make food abundant.” potatoes. If you grew a crop you knew what International Labour Organisation training
you were going to get. You weren’t pack on trade unions and the environment
As a teenager, Charlie followed his dream by dependent on the market,” explained and went on to work for the
choosing to study biology in sixth form, and Charlie. Commonwealth TUC, travelling the world
at Newcastle University, undertook a degree advising on health and safety and
in Zoology and Agricultural Science. “By the mid-80s we were producing there environmental issues.
quarters of our own food, which was higher
During the summers, Charlie worked at East than it had been for probably 150 years. But As the ecological and climate emergencies
Malling Fruit Research Centre, in Kent – Thatcher basically said ‘b***er that we’ll have become ever more pressing, Charlie has
one of the few agricultural research stations leave it to the markets to decide’. naturally focused on potential solutions to
to survive until the present day – before the crises in recent years.
working there full time after graduation. “Within 25 years we were down to
producing only half of our own food, because “We’re producing crops in a very unhealthy
He recalls, “I remember getting pulled in by we could get it cheaper abroad. Our farmers way, using cheap labour, monocultures and
the director, who told me he personally had to compete with that, and turned to chemicals that wreck our soil. We need to
didn’t approve of sideburns.” fertilisers and pesticides – not necessarily to address that by making that sort of farming
grow more, but just to produce it cheaper.” more varied, a lot more pleasurable and lot
Despite the hair infraction, the research better paid,” said Charlie.
centre funded Charlie to do a masters degree By this point, Charlie had moved out of
focusing on tropical crops at London academia into activism. In the mid-70s he “Farmers and farm workers need to be
University’s Wye College – then rated the began working for the British Society for rewarded for increasing the amount of
best agricultural college in the world. Social Responsibility and Science, advising carbon in the soil through things like not
local groups fighting against big businesses using nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides and
A PhD soon followed on the effects of who were polluting their communities. looking after the land better. That’s the way
herbicides on small soil dwelling microbes, After that he moved to a model farm in to go.”
Mark Harvey
21
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020UNITE Campaign
Leaked dossier shows US bent on lowering UK food standards
‘TRADING AWAY O
When the Labour party made public
explosive documents in November
described a meeting in March this year,
when US officials gave a presentation about
were “concerned that labelling food with
high sugar content (as has been done with
detailing secret trade talks between US and America’s “flexible” approach to food tobacco) is not particularly useful in
UK officials, much of the focus was on the standards, with a stronger emphasis on changing consumer behaviour”.
threat to the NHS. voluntary standards rather than
regulations. And perhaps most shockingly of all, any
But hidden in the 450-page dossier is yet talk of climate change has been effectively
another alarming revelation – that our food Chlorine-washed or ‘chlorinated’ chicken, banned from trade discussions, with one
and environmental standards are likewise banned by the EU but standard in the US, US trade representative noting that “the
under the chopping block as the US seeks has long made headlines and was also US is bound by Congress not to mention
to replicate their de-regulated haven for big included in the dossier. As Landworker greenhouse gas emission reductions in
business here in the UK. has previously highlighted, chlorine trade agreements”.
washed chicken masks horrific hygiene
The Sustain Alliance, of which Unite is a standards in intensive American farming – Sustain Alliance’s chief executive Kath
member, highlighted a number of concerns and isn’t even an effective method of killing Dalmeny said the leaked documents were
raised by the leaked papers. harmful bacteria such as salmonella in the “concrete proof that the risks to our food,
first place. farmers and the environment from a future
In the final meeting outlined in the dossier, US trade deal, which we have been
discussions on agriculture are deemed to be But in the dossier, US trade officials flagging for years, are a clear and present
‘well-advanced’, with UK trade officials suggested the British public could be won danger.
warned time and again that sticking to EU over, as they offered to “share their public
standards would render a UK-US trade lines on chlorine-washed chicken to help “Here we have in writing US trade
deal a ‘non-starter’. inform the media narrative around the negotiators saying that if we retain the high
issue”. British food standards that we enjoy as
In one page, Theresa May’s Chequers deal members of the EU, this would be the
which was being mooted at the time of the The Sustain Alliance has also sounded ‘worst case scenario’ for them,” she noted.
trade talks, was considered by the US a alarm bells over American hostility to food “They appear desperate for us to loosen our
“worst-case scenario” because it would labelling, with the documents noting that food regulations so American food
entail maintaining the UK’s existing the US believes food labels can be companies can send us products like
higher food standards. The dossier “harmful”, with trade officials saying they chlorine-dipped chicken, hormone treated
22
uniteLANDWORKER Winter 2019/2020You can also read
