Labour Conference at risk of cancellation over unresolved security union recognition row
Security provider Showsec's refusal to sign agreement with GMB branded 'intolerable'
GMB, the trade union for security industry workers, today warned an unresolved row over security for next month’s Labour Party conference now threatens to scupper the Liverpool event.
The union, the third largest affiliated to the Labour Party, said it had made repeated requests for the company to recognise GMB through a standard recognition agreement - to negotiate workers' pay and conditions – but revealed that these had been refused.
GMB said it was "intolerable" for the Labour Party to work with a service provider which continually refused to recognise trade unions.
With little more than a month to go before the conference in Liverpool, the union demanded the Party’s leadership urgently find an alternative as Showsec refused to agree to recognise GMB.
Roger Jenkins, GMB National Officer for the Security Industry: "This is by no means sorted. We have repeatedly asked Showsec to agree to sign up to a standard recognition agreement that recognises GMB to negotiate pay and conditions, seeing its workers treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. The clock is ticking fast ahead of next month’s conference and the company’s continued refusal to recognise GMB is intolerable.
Those employed in the private security industry must be allowed the choice to be represented by GMB - an independent, professional and forward-looking trade union working to better terms and conditions. If Showsec continues to show such disregard for unions then it has proven itself totally unsuited to the task of providing security for this event - and the Labour Party leadership must immediately put an alternative in place to avoid the conference being scuppered."
