G4S UK&I DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DE&I) COUNCIL
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Dear Members,
We have some exciting news to share with you! Our union has secured a seat on the G4S UK&I Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Council.
This is a fantastic opportunity for us to make a real difference and ensure that all members are heard and represented in the decision-making process.
As a union, GMB understands the importance of promoting DE&I and the positive impact it can have in the workplace, and we acknowledge there is scope for improvement in meeting the expectations of all our members regarding DE&I. We are committed to ensuring that every member feels valued and included. While the company has policies in place to promote DE&I, we understand that there may be gaps that need to be filled. Our goal is to bridge those gaps and make sure that all voices are heard. To achieve this, we encourage all members to share their concerns and provide input to the survey that will be issued by the company soon. This is an opportunity for you to have a say on matters that are important to you. We believe that it is essential to include all members in the decision-making process, and we want to ensure that your experiences and perspectives are taken into account.
Please remember that our Regional and Branch equality officers are available to listen to your concerns and offer support where needed. They are an essential part of our union, and we encourage you to reach out to them for help and guidance. Together, we can create a fair and inclusive workplace for all. We urge you to take this opportunity to have your voice heard and make a positive impact on DE&I within our union and the company.
We look forward to working with you to promote DE&I in our workplace.
You will shortly be receiving your ballot paper for the 2021/2022 pay award. The final offer is set out below and GMB members will vote on this offer.
Firstly, thank you for your patience during the pay negotiations. The previous offer of 3% over 2 years was overwhelmingly rejected by GMB Members
Further discussions were held between GMB and G4S which has resulted in a significantly improved offer, increasing to 7% over 2 years. This we believe is the best that can be achieved through negotiation. The GMB Negotiating Committee are strongly recommending acceptance of this offer.
The final Offer is as follows:
2021 Year 1 - 1.5% - effective from 1st April 2021 (backdated)
2022 Year 2 - 5.5% effective from 1 April 2022.
All ballot papers must be received by the GMB by no later than Midday on Friday 8th April 2022.
If you have not received your ballot paper please contact your GMB representative immediately.
Roger Jenkins
GMB National Officer
Noticeboard Bulletin - 06-04-2021
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Dear GMB member,
On the 16th March, North American based, private equity backed security company Allied Universal received the required backing from G4S shareholders to proceed with the takeover of G4S. The takeover will mean that G4S will no longer be a company listed on the stock exchange but will instead become the largest private equity backed employer in the world. On the 6th April it was confirmed that Allied and G4S are now one company with all conditions to complete the sale having been met.
But what does this mean for G4S staff?
The GMB remains concerned about the impact of the takeover on G4S staff. Because the takeover is a 'Share' sale, as opposed to an 'Asset' sale, the protection normally available to workers in the UK under legislation called TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings and Protection of Employment) does not apply. TUPE normally provides some protections when staff see their employment transfer from one employer to the other, meaning the new employer cannot simply make changes just because they have taken over. But TUPE does not apply in the G4S sale and therefore protection for G4S staff is more limited.
Without the protection of TUPE it is more important than ever that G4S workers are members of the GMB.
Even without the protection offered under TUPE, your employer must still collectively consult with the recognised trade union if they want to make changes and therefore it's imperative you and your colleagues are all in the GMB to ensure your views are represented.
In their 'offer' document to shareholders Allied indicated they may 'divest' the care and justice sector of G4S. The GMB has written to the Director of Prisons Phil Copple to begin discussions on the future for these workplaces and will be meeting members of his team this month. TUPE would apply in this scenario and we would expect members' terms and conditions to be protected.
Cash is now a small part of the G4S estate following its sale to Brinks. The whole cash industry has suffered more than most during the Covid pandemic and has still not recovered. The GMB is asking for assurances from Allied that they will continue to invest in G4S Cash UK to protect jobs until the use of cash recovers and profitability of this sector returns.
What happens next?
The GMB wrote to the Chief Executive of Allied, Steven Jones, on the 2nd February to request an urgent meeting to better understand how the takeover will impact on our members. Steve confirmed he would be happy to meet us if the sale went ahead. Now it has completed, we will be writing to Steve to get this set up.
In their offer document, Allied have said they will carry out a 'Post Completion Review' where they will look at their strategy and operations moving forward. This review could have implications for our members, and we will be seeking more information on what this might involve.
The GMB will continue to keep you updated as the situation progresses.
Nadine Houghton
GMB National Officer
Noticeboard Bulletin - 24-02-2021
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Dear GMB member,
By now you may have seen the regulated auction process has concluded with a final offer of 245 pence per share from Allied Universal and a final offer of 235 pence per share from GardaWorld. Allied Universal have successfully placed the highest bid for G4S, both offers will now be put to G4S shareholders, 75% of whom need to accept the offer, for the takeover to go ahead. The board of G4S are recommending that shareholders accept the Alllied offer and shareholders have until the 16th March to do so. If accepted by G4S shareholders, Allied will become the largest private security provider in the world with circa 750,000 employees.
With the uncertainty the takeover creates it is now more important than ever that G4S employees are members of the GMB.
The GMB has written to Allied's CEO Steven Jones to request an urgent meeting to seek assurances around protection of jobs, pay, terms and conditions. Steven has agreed, that if the takeover is completed, he will meet with the GMB. We look forward to taking him up on that offer if the sale goes ahead.
You may have seen that Allied have indicated their intention to 'divest' the Care and Justice Sector of G4S. The GMB is the recognised trade union at both Rye Hill and Altcourse prisons and we will be seeking urgent clarification on who will be running those prisons if Allied do indeed divest them. GMB will also be seeking a long-term commitment from Allied Universal to UK Cash and G4S’s cash handling business along with other segments of G4S’s UK operations that makes up the company’s strong employment profile.
As the only trade union nationally recognised by G4S, GMB has the right to be consulted with under the TUPE regulations. The new employer must consult with us on any changes they propose to make because of the transfer. This is yet another important reason to be in the GMB; if changes are to be made, your voice must be heard.
As the recognised trade union, the GMB has been able to publish our 'opinion' on the take over to shareholders. You can read our 'opinion' and letter to Allied's CEO beneath this bulletin.
We will keep you updated as matters progress, but in the meantime please share this bulletin with any of your colleagues not yet in the GMB. Those wishing to join can do so following this link www.gmb.org.uk/join.
Many thanks,
Nadine Houghton, National Security Officer
Dave Gigg National GMB convenor, Secure Solutions
Derek Rawlings, National GMB Convenor, Secure Solutions
Noticeboard Bulletin - 02-02-2021
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Dear Mr. Jones,
I am writing to you regarding Allied Universal’s offer to acquire G4S PLC which was published on the 5th January 2021.
GMB is the leading trade union for security workers in the UK and is the largest recognised trade union in G4S’s UK operations. Our members make up the loyal and committed workforce that maintains G4S as a profitable leading employer in the UK security services sector.
If successful, the acquisition of G4S, as laid out in the Offer by Allied Universal which is owned by funds controlled by Warburg Pincus LLC, contains several conditions that will impact on the long-term future of the company.
GMB would like to meet you and other representatives from Allied Universal and Warburg Pincus to discuss both parties’ intentions for the long-term future of the company and to seek answers to our members’ concerns as set out in our Opinion on the Offer which are summarised below and has been included in full in the shareholders pack.
Our members working in G4S are understandably seeking certainty regarding the future of their employment and the company’s operations.
You will be aware that G4S is a market leader in UK cash handling and holds several key strategic public sector contracts with the UK Government as part of its Care & Justice Service business. Allied Universal’s Offer states the intention for G4S is to “concentrate on addressing the ongoing industry shift towards electronic and technology-based services” yet does not make explicit commitments to the other segments of G4S’s operations which make up the company’s strong employment profile and profitability. As you would expect, we are keen to understand what this means for our members employment.
Our members also wish to know what Allied Universal and Warburg Pincus’s plans are for the long-term financial future of G4S, which recorded a profit before tax and dividends in each of the last five years. Allied Universal’s intention to register G4S as a private company and its high leverage built up from debt-financed mergers and acquisitions have no doubt raised concerns in this regard.
We are therefore seeking guarantees on how the financial health of G4S will be ensured and what measures Allied Universal and Warburg Pincus will put in place to ensure its accountability to G4S employees, shareholders and the UK public.
We are also seeking details regarding Allied Universal’s plan for the G4S UK pension scheme should its offer be successful. This would include a breakdown of all cash and non-cash support measures that Allied Universal has guaranteed with the G4S UK Pension Trustee to provide to the scheme and a guarantee that the Employer Covenant for this pension scheme of 26,000 members will not be weakened under Allied Universal’s ownership.
We note the commitments made by Warburg Pincus in its Environmental, Social, and Governance Report 2020 to “Be accessible to, and engage with, relevant stakeholders either directly or through representatives of portfolio companies”, and to “comply with applicable national, state, and local labor laws in the countries in which the firm invests” and to “respect the rights of employees to join labor or employee organizations and/or engage in collective bargaining.”
With these commitments in mind, GMB is looking to receive guarantees from Allied Universal and Warburg Pincus that existing trade union agreements in G4S are upheld and strengthened, in particular the existing UK G4S SSUK agreement and the Ethical Employment Partnership between G4S, GMB and UNI Global.
In the spirit of these commitments, GMB would welcome the opportunity to meet with both parties to discuss the concerns of our members set out in this letter.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Nadine Houghton
GMB National Officer
Noticeboard Bulletin - 21-01-2021
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Dear GMB member,
Please see attached the GMB's 'opinion' on the potential take over of G4S by Allied Universal. We have said in the opinion that we would like to meet with Allied as soon as possible, we will follow this up with an invitation to Allied to meet with GMB representatives.
Please find below correspondence sent to John Whitwam, Heather Noble and Paul Edwards this morning concerning the ongoing issues with G4S's Covid Absence Policy which is putting the health of staff and prisoners at risk. I will keep you updated on any developments and will be writing to Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, on the issue.
Thank you for all the hard work you continue to do in these challenging times.
Dear Paul, Heather and John,
I am writing to you in follow up to the meeting we had last week and with particular regards to the G4S Justice Covid Absence Policy which remains woefully inadequate and which appears to be getting worse, not better, by the day.
I am writing to you because I have just been contacted by the Liverpool Echo concerning Covid absences at Altcourse. I have checked with our members there who inform me that:
All previously shielding staff are being forced on to SSP if they have a Covid absence. I think we should just reflect on this. G4S are forcing the most vulnerable and susceptible to this illness onto poverty pay or forcing them to come into work when it isn't safe, because they can't afford to stay at home.
All staff that come into contact with a Covid positive prisoner, even those doing bed watch for positive cases, will have to abide by the same sickness policy as everyone else; i.e. 3 waiting days for second plus absences, SSP if CSP exhausted.
All staff sent home from work at the instruction of G4S being put on the G4S sickness policy.
I understand that circa 90 staff are currently off at Altcourse due to Covid related reasons. I understand that the first outbreak was caused when one woman came into work with symptoms because she couldn't afford to stay at home and subsequently G4S had to send home C.15 staff. If G4S had a robust policy in place to begin with, this needn't have been the case.
Prisons are a closed population. The only people coming in and out currently are the staff. The best way to prevent outbreaks is by enabling those staff that should be self-isolating to do so, i.e. by paying them properly to do this.
I acknowledge that government has a role to play in this and we have requested a meeting with the MoJ Contracts Manager to discuss these issues. We have, as we said we would, made representations (alongside the POA) to the Cabinet Office for funding for Covid Absence payments. We had a commitment that you would be doing the same. We have raised the issue via PQ's and given the desperation of the situation we believe we are now entitled to escalate the issue and follow up the question with a letter to Robert Buckland.
I made a commitment to Paul and Heather that I wouldn't escalate this issue until we have attempted to work together to resolve it, however, since this discussion you have written to staff to confirm that shielding staff will be forced on to SSP for Covid absences and staff coming into contact with positive prisoners will be subjected to the inadequate CSP. You are leaving us with very little choice.
I look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.
Kind regards,
Nadine
Nadine Houghton,
GMB National Officer
G4S Justice: Company Sick Pay
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The GMB is pleased to announce that following campaigning by your representatives the company have agreed to extend Company Sick Pay to all staff who are shielding for the full 12 week shielding period. In principle this means that no colleague who is shielding should be on SSP or 'out of pocket'. We welcome this move, it is the right thing for G4S to do but need to ensure you, the members, are liaising with your reps so we know you are getting what you are entitled to.
However, there are still outstanding issues that we need to resolve. Please see the text included in a letter which I sent to John Whitwam last week. Your reps and I will be meeting John at the earliest opportunity to discuss these issues. We will keep you updated on the outcome of these discussions:
We cannot accept that our members will receive less of a bonus than staff working in other prisons simply because they are employed by an outsourcing company and where possible we will work with G4S to achieve parity for our membership on this issue.
The GMB's position is that staff should receive full pay for Covid related absences including shielding. You have said that staff will receive contractual sick pay, can you please confirm this means full pay?
As you have referred to Covid absences as sickness absences we would also expect that a reasonable employer would not consider these absences for the purposes of 'normal' sickness absence management procedures, i.e it should not count as an 'occasion' or in short staff should not be penalised in any way for Covid absences.
In reference to your suggested arrangements for AL; if you are paying people contractual sick pay whilst they are off for Covid absences I'm not clear why their AL would not be discounted as would normally be the case when someone is off sick during a period of AL. Although I do agree with your point that AL should not be cancelled by the member simply because the holiday company have cancelled their holiday but welcome your suggestion that staff can discuss this situation with their line manager.
In reference to your point that staff that have previously booked leave but then fall ill / SI / Shield will be considered as having taken it, under ordinary circumstances someone who is ill and unable to take their AL would normally have this reimbursed, we consider this situation to be no different. I do, however, accept your point that staff should not be able to cancel AL simply because the holiday company has cancelled the holiday as staff still need to take time off. Whilst I accept that staff will not necessarily have 'complete flexibility' over when they take their leave I would absolutely expect and seek assurances that where AL has not been taken due to the extenuating circumstances of the crisis they will be afforded the opportunity (in line with the governments relaxation to carry over statutory entitlement for two years) to, where reasonable and practicable, be able to do just that.
Stay safe and your reps and I will continue to keep you updated.
Nadine Houghton
GMB National Officer
Furlough arrangements for shielding staff
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I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new GMB national officer with responsibility for the security industry. I’m looking forward to working with you and getting to know you all over the coming months and years.
I wanted to take this opportunity to write to you about an issue that has been raised by a number of our members.
To date, both G4S in the Justice sector and Geo Amey have refused to furlough staff who are shielding, vulnerable or living with someone who is shielding.
This is completely unacceptable to the GMB.
The GMB was at the forefront of campaigning for the government’s Job Retention Scheme which has seen hundreds of thousands of employees furloughed. We also campaigned for the scheme to cover staff that are shielding or living with someone that is shielding. We are proud that this group of staff are now covered by the scheme.
We are calling on your employer to ensure they are furloughing all staff that fall under this category and we will of course be asking them to top up pay to 100%, as they can choose (but are not obliged) to do.
We have today written to G4S and GeoAmey to request that this happens immediately and is back dated where necessary.
I will update you on the responses we receive.
In the meantime, please look out for our PPE survey which will be making its way to you soon. I know this is an issue for those of you that are still at work and we will be taking action on this where necessary.
