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Title: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: JayMac on August 13, 2010, 12:55:12 From the Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/192878/National-Rail-and-London-Underground-union-barons-get-10k-rise-as-workers-lose-out):
Quote NATIONAL RAIL AND LONDON UNDERGROUND UNION BARONS GET ^10K RISE AS WORKERS LOSE OUT Union barons threatening to plunge thousands of Britons into transport misery have escaped the tough pay restraints being imposed on ordinary workers, it emerged yesterday. Rail boss Bob Crow, whose union has just backed strikes on London Underground, and the general secretaries of Unite, which is threatening to shut down six airports, are receiving six-figure sums. Mr Crow, of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, enjoyed a 12 per cent pay rise in the last calendar year. His basic pay jumped almost ^10,000 from ^84,923 in 2008 to ^94,747 at the end of last year, according to RMT figures. The overall package for the man known as Britain^s most militant union leader rose from ^122,167 to ^133,183. On top of this he claimed nearly ^10,000 in expenses and ^2,376 in travel costs, taking his total receipts to ^145,548. It comes at a time when millions of workers have endured pay freezes and cuts. The figures will also outrage passengers who have suffered travel disruption caused by the RMT and now fear Bank Holiday Tube chaos in the union^s latest dispute over jobs and safety. Transport Minister Norman Baker said: ^Bob Crow talks about fairness but this self-styled man of the people should be judged by his actions. He seems more interested in feathering his own nest than working with Government to create an efficient cost-effective rail service.^ A spokesman for London Mayor Boris Johnson said: ^Anyone delivering public services in the current climate who thinks they deserve a double-digit pay rise is not living in the real world.^ The RMT said Mr Crow^s pay rise had been approved by members at the union^s annual general meeting ^to recognise his achievements in securing some very good pay and terms and conditions results^. The spokesman added: ^In the view of our members, Bob Crow is worth every penny.^ Unite^s joint general secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley have also enjoyed steep pay increases in recent years, thanks to the merger of their two unions. The union^s 2009 accounts show Mr Simpson^s basic salary was ^97,027, plus pension contributions of ^26,292 and other benefits worth ^56,102, making a total of ^179,421. This was slightly less than he received the previous year, and his basic pay is unchanged, but his 2008 pay package was a 20 per cent increase on 2007 when he received ^155,464 as the head of Amicus. Fellow Unite general secretary Tony Woodley received a total of ^123,754 in 2009, the union^s accounts showed, comprising basic pay of ^96,149, pension contributions of ^17,307 and other benefits of ^10,298. This was slightly up from 2008 when he got ^122,108, but that figure was itself a 30 per cent increase on 2007 when he received ^93,407 in salary and benefits, including a grace-and-favour flat in London as head of the Transport and General Workers Union. The Trades Union Congress said yesterday that union leaders^ pay was a matter for the unions involved, providing they had ^democratic pay structures^ and published the figures. Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: IndustryInsider on August 13, 2010, 13:19:57 The spokesman added: ^In the view of our members, Bob Crow is worth every penny.^ So much for comments about greedy NR bosses and setting examples for the workforce - his salary increase should be based on what the average salary increase the RMT secures for its members in these "very good pay and terms and conditions results." It certainly wouldn't be anywhere near 12%. I think if you asked most RMT members whether he was worth every penny you'd get a very different response. Hopefully they will see this article and take note of it - even if it is in the Daily Express! Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: IndustryInsider on August 13, 2010, 13:33:52 Here's the same article in The Sun newspaper. If you click on the red 'more' button below the wage list, you'll see that Keith Norman of ASLE&F isn't exactly living on Tesco Value meals either.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2919318/Who-wants-to-be-a-millUNIONaire-how-fat-cat-brothers-cash-in.html (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2919318/Who-wants-to-be-a-millUNIONaire-how-fat-cat-brothers-cash-in.html) Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: Bob_Blakey on August 13, 2010, 15:09:44 The Daily Express, at least, seem not to have included a reference to Animal Farm - very poor journalism!
Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: JayMac on August 13, 2010, 15:57:10 Rent-a-gob is certainly 'worth every penny' when it comes to journalists wanting a quote or two on certain stories. In today's Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/13/unions-question-appointment-philip-green-spending) Commie Bob rails (;D) against the appointment by the Government of Sir Philip Green to look into Whitehall inefficiency and identify savings.
Quote Bob Crow, of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "The idea that public sector workers in the UK, struggling on low pay and under constant attack to keep this country running, should start taking lectures in cuts from a billionaire tax-avoider like Philip Green is outrageous. "Hard-working men and women the length and breadth of this country, who don't have the luxury of a bolthole in Monaco and a yacht on the Med, will be furious when they find out that Philip Green has been appointed as the government's axeman in chief." 'Hard working men and women the length and breadth of the country' will no doubt be happy to see one of the brothers who represent them trousering a 12% pay rise along with twelve and a half grand in expenses and travel costs. Oh and there's an excellent rejoinder that Sir Philip gave to a journalist who had the temerity to ask him about his financial affairs. Modesty prevents me quoting it here. :) Full story here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/13/unions-question-appointment-philip-green-spending). EDIT: Edited for various typos. Fingers apparently not connected to brain today. Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: Tim on August 13, 2010, 16:18:26 I don't think that the comparison between Bob Crow's salary and the excesses at NR are entirely fare.
Bob is paid for by RMT members and his salary cost me not one penny. If RMT members don't like it they can boot him out or join another Union (or none). NR bonuses are paid for by me as a tax payer and are therefore more properly the subject of public criticism. Also NR has a weird status whereby there is apparently noone with any real control over them. The "members" are all toothless amateurs or industry (TOC and FOC) members who don't want to annoy their biggest supplier. It is apparent from comments made by Philip Hammond that he disapproved of some of the bonuses but even he was unable to do anything about them. In my book that makes them an especially deserving target for criticism. Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: TerminalJunkie on August 13, 2010, 17:20:27 In today's Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/13/unions-question-appointment-philip-green-spending) Commie Bob rails (;D) against the appointment Quote Bob Crow, of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said: "The idea that public sector workers in the UK, struggling on low pay and under constant attack to keep this country running, should start taking lectures in cuts from a billionaire tax-avoider like Philip Green is outrageous. Full story here (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/13/unions-question-appointment-philip-green-spending). EDIT: Edited for various typos. Fingers apparently not connected to brain today. Hmm. That's odd. I've just followed that link, and Bob Crow isn't mentioned anywhere in the main body, just the comments... Title: Re: Union bosses enjoy pay rises as workers lose out (Daily Express 13/08/2010) Post by: JayMac on August 13, 2010, 17:38:50 Interesting.... It appears that Bob's comments as I quoted up thread have been removed from the article. The article history shows it was 'published' at 1639 today, yet it was there a lot earlier than that. I quoted it at around 1555.
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