Conference pledges overwhelming support for QinetiQ recognition campaign
Moving speeches and a powerful film shown at Prospect conference in Glasgow yesterday brought home the reality of life at work after union derecognition.
Two years ago, QinetiQ branch president Vince Hibbert put an emergency motion to conference because QinetiQ had terminated trade union recognition on 31 March 2012.
Yesterday he told delegates: “Over the past two years, we have seen the company steadily erode our terms and conditions. By far the largest change has been the demolition of our defined benefit pension scheme.”
QinetiQ reps are still battling to regain recognition for Prospect – Hibbert and his conference colleagues had to take annual leave to be in Glasgow.
“You certainly need a dedicated bunch of branch councilors, a very supportive national secretary and especially supportive partners and families,” he said.
“It’s not complete doom and gloom. Membership is holding steady, so there are still significant numbers who value their trade union membership.”
On the “so called employee engagement group” set up by the company, Hibbert was elected when it was first created, but resigned after a year.
“The EEG is now mainly made up of unelected representatives – but nobody is convinced they represent anybody,” he said. “The company may think the EEG is the best thing since sliced bread – but we all know that toast can’t negotiate!
“And to show how much the company treasures its own creation, it didn’t even bother to inform the EEG when it reduced redundancy terms for new entrants to the statutory minimum.”
Delegates unanimously backed the motion, supporting four key ways forward:
* continued support from national officers for the campaign
* Prospect to be seen as engaging with the company
* pressing MPs to drive home the case for trade union recognition as a human right
* preparing to take the statutory route to recognition.
“QinetiQ must not be seen as the thin end of the wedge for the rights of Prospect members.
“Other employers must not be tempted to derecognise Prospect, with the all too evident detrimental consequences for our members,” Hibbert concluded.