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Wilko Pay Offer 2018 – Ballot Result Dear Member I am writing to let you know that GMB members voted by 81% to 19% to accept the final pay offer. We have informed the company of the result and the first part of the two stage increase will be paid from 1st April 2018. The second part will be paid from 30th September 2018. Please see the table below for full details. Pay Offer Table Details of the 2018 pay offer are below: Over 25s 1 April 2018 - £7.84 (1.42% increase) £0.01 above NLW 30 September 2018 - £8.00 (3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay) £0.17 above NLW Full Year - Average increase of 2.46%. Under 25s 1 April 2018 - £7.43 (0.68% increase) £0.05 above NMW 30 September 2018 - £7.70 (4.34% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay) £0.32 above NMW Full Year - Average increase of 2.51%. Team Supervisor in Retail and Levels 2-4 in the DC’s (including engineers) 1 April 2018 - 1.42% increase 30 September 2018 - 3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay Full Year - Average increase of 2.46% Head Office non-executive team members on higher than Wilko minimum rates of pay 1 April 2018 - 1.42% increase 30 September 2018 - 3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay Full Year - Average increase of 2.46% £10 celebratory Wilko voucher Not trading again on New Year’s Day 2019 I would like to thank GMB members for participating in the ballot. Yours sincerely GARY CARTER GMB NATIONAL OFFICER
Posted: 12th March 2018

One of our branch auditors, Clayton Tindle, is taking on a sky dive on 15th April to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice. If anyone can spare a pound or two, please follow the link in the article below or click this link: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/claytontindle
Posted: 22nd February 2018


We have had it confirmed that the ballot papers for this years pay offer should be landing on your doorsteps from today. The website has also been updated today :)
Posted: 22nd February 2018

A lovely thank you letter from Worksop Pride thanking us for our ongoing support :)
Posted: 6th February 2018

Bulletin No 1 January 2018 Wilko Pay - Final Pay Offer 2018 Dear Members GMB reps met with Wilko Management on 18th January for a financial briefing and then again on 24th January for Pay Talks. Following the return of the pay surveys and discussions amongst the negotiating team we presented the following 2018 GMB pay claim to Wilko on 24th January: A. Pay Increase above the rate of inflation (Retail Prices Index 4.1%). B. Pay for team members under the age 25 to be aligned with the rate for 25’s and overs. C. £10 celebratory voucher D. New Year’s Day to be a non-trading day as agreed to be reviewed as part of the 2017 pay talks. After seven years of declining profits, Wilko will make a loss this year. Despite the negative news and difficulties across the retail sector, the pay talks were positive and we made progress on all four points. Final Pay Offer During negotiations management moved from their original positions and an improved and final offer has been negotiated. The Pay Offer for 2018 is a two stage offer (1st April & 30th September 2018) A. The proposed basic rate for a Level 1 employee (aged 25 & above) will increase from £7.73 to £7.84 per hour from 1st April and then rises to £8.00 per hour from 30th September 2018. The pay rise is worth 2.46% for the 12 month period and is an increase of 3.49% on the hourly rate, i.e. £7.73 to £8.00 per hour. The proposed rates for Supervisory levels in DC and Retail and Head Office non-executive team members on higher than Wilko minimum rates will increase by 1.42% in April and then by 3.49% on 30th September 2018. This is an increase of 2.46% for the 12 month period. B. The proposed basic rate for under 25’s will only increase by 5 pence an hour from £7.38 to £7.43 per hour from 1st April but then increases by 27 pence per hour to £7.70 per hour. The pay rise is worth 2.51% for the 12 month period and is an increase of 4.34% on the hourly rate, i.e. from £7.38 to £7.70 per hour, which further reduces the gap with over 25’s from 35p to 30p with an on-going company commitment to equalise pay when affordable. C. The offer of a £10 celebratory voucher. D. No Trading on New Year’s Day 2019. The pay offer is in line with current average pay increases and is a positive step forward on the 2017 pay offer which was 1% from 1st October 2017. The GMB believes that significant progress was made through negotiations and the talks were both constructive and led to an improved offer. GMB believes this is the best offer that can be achieved through negotiations and we will arrange workplace visits and a ballot of GMB members shortly. Pay Offer Table Over 25s 1 April 2018 - £7.84 (1.42% increase) £0.01 above NLW. 30 September 2018 - £8.00 (3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay) £0.17 above NLW. Full Year - Average increase of 2.46%. Under 25s 1 April 2018 - £7.43 (0.68% increase) £0.05 above NMW. 30 September 2018 - £7.70 (4.34% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay) £0.32 above NMW. Full Year - Average increase of 2.51%. Team Supervisor in Retail and Levels 2-4 in the DC’s (including engineers) 1 April 2018 - 1.42% increase. 30 September 2018 - 3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay. Full Year - Average increase of 2.46%. Head Office non-executive team members on higher than Wilko minimum rates of pay. 1 April 2018 - 1.42% increase. 30 September 2018 - 3.49% increase on pre-April 2018 basic rate of pay. Full Year - Average increase of 2.46%. Also for all. £10 celebratory Wilko voucher. Not trading again on New Year’s Day 2019. GARY CARTER GMB NATIONAL OFFICER
Posted: 5th February 2018

Two more lovely thankyou cards received in the last week :) The first from a member whose son is suffering from a brain tumour. A fundraising day was being held and the branch bought a £50 gift voucher to be raffled off. The second from From The Heart Charity, a local group helping vulnerable families, particularly needed at this time of year. The branch donated £75 towards purchasing items to be handed out to those most in need. One of the best parts of our roles :)
Posted: 21st December 2017

We would like to take the opportunity to wish all our members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We would also like to thank all our reps across the region for their tireless, sometimes thankless, but ultimately rewarding work they do on a daily basis. We hope all enjoy the festivities.
Posted: 21st December 2017

The wonderful letters keep coming. This one received from Aurora Wellbeing Centres in Doncaster following a request from one of our reps to make a donation. Wonderful cause.
Posted: 31st October 2017

Another great letter from a grateful recipient. Many of our members and their families have had to use the services of Bassetlaw Hospice over the years, and this is our third donation in 3 years to such a wonderful local cause.
Posted: 19th October 2017

Lovely thank you card received following a donation to Sheffield Children's Hospital on behalf of one of our members. The little thankyou's that make this role so worthwhile :)
Posted: 17th October 2017

As Monarch airline ceases trading, affected members can call us for advice on 0300 333 0303.
Posted: 3rd October 2017

Bulletin No 13 September 2017 WILKO COLLECTIVE CONSULTATION UPDATE Dear Member GMB priorities throughout the consultations have been to minimise the number of redundancies and protect peoples’ contract hours and pay. Progress has been made on some issues and other matters are still being discussed. Team Supervisor Posts It has been clarified that persons wishing to apply for the new team supervisor post are not required to be fully flexible across the stores entire operating hours. Part time and/or full time hours should be available. Level 2 & 3 and Assistant Managers are fully entitled to apply for the proposed new team supervisor roles regardless of any current shifts, hours, flexibility, Sunday opt out etc. If you did not apply for any of these reasons, you should be allowed to, and you should be given an interview. If a current level 2 or 3 applies for the new team supervisor role and is successful they will have to make a new flexible working request. Redundancy and Redundancy Payments Level 2 & 3 employees were put at risk of redundancy. Those employees wanting to take redundancy should express an interest to management. Existing level 1 staff wishing to be considered for redundancy will be invited to express an interest from week commencing 2nd October 2017. The hours calculation for statutory redundancy payments will be based on, the highest of either: A. Contractual Hours B. Average over the last 12 months months (financial year February to February) or C. Average hours in the last 12 weeks of employment Employees being made redundant will be entitled to reasonable paid time off to attend interviews. Notice Period & Pay Wilko has clarified that payment in lieu of notice (PILON) will be dependent on the operational requirements in each store. If you want PILON then you should ask your store manager. Employees who work their notice will be asked to take their accrued annual leave during their notice period. If you have outstanding accrued annual leave when you leave this will need to be paid to you. If you get a job during your notice period and want to leave before your notice has expired Wilko has said they will look favourably on these requests. You will still receive your redundancy payment, but you will not be paid the balance of your notice. Pay Rise & other Terms & Conditions The 1% pay rise due on 1st October will be paid and factored into redundancy payments. Staff discount will be available for 12 months following redundancy. Clothing Allowance due in October 2017 will be paid. Long service awards will be honoured during an employee’s notice period. Redeployment & Contract Hours Where an employee decides to redeploy into a level 1 post their contract hours should be maintained at their current level where the store has hours to do so. Where a store doesn't have enough hours then hours should be kept as close as possible to the person's current contract hours. Full details are available in GMB Bulletin 12. GMB asked for people to be able to keep their current hours in peak Christmas time and not employ temps. Wilko said, they will review this on a store by store basis and where they are able to implement this then we will look to put this in place. Management say that Christmas temp requirements vary across all stores, with not all stores having the requirement for any. Where they are needed, this will often be to increase the number of team members available at the same time (e.g. additional cashiers to open more tills during the peak trading period) and therefore maintaining an individual’s hours may not provide cover for the additional required shifts. Where it does however, then they will look to support this proposal. Permanent employees take precedence over temporary staff. Wilko has said temporary contracts should not be extended past 14th October and temporary staff should not be given permanent contracts. Redeployment opportunities will be made available in nearby stores, new stores, and distribution centres. Anyone who was promoted to level 2 and is in their 13 week probationary period can step back down to their previous post without loss of hours. If a level 2 or 3 wishes to take a level 1 post then their flexible working agreement will remain in place. Sunday Opt outs will still apply. Pay Protection & Trial Period If an employee decides to redeploy into a level 1 post then they will receive 13 weeks’ pay protection at their current hourly rate. There is a 13 week trial period if a person decides to move from a level 3 or 2 role to a level 1 position. If a person decides during that period the job is not for them they can take the redundancy payment. Level 1 Tasks Wilko has proposed a new job profile for level one. We’ve asked for this to be job evaluated and we’ve raised members’ concerns with management. Please give your GMB workplace rep or organiser your views on the new job tasks. Next Steps The next collective consultation meeting is on 5th October 2017. Keep your questions coming and we will keep GMB members updated on developments. There are lots of discussions to be had at store level, so involve your GMB rep. For advice, assistance and representation, please speak to your GMB workplace rep or organiser. If you wish to join GMB you can do so online at www.gmb.org.uk or speak to your local GMB rep or contact your local GMB office. GARY CARTER GMB NATIONAL OFFICER
Posted: 2nd October 2017

Bulletin No 12 September 2017 WILKO RESTRUCTURE Dear Member, Contract Hours One of GMB’s key aims through the consultation has been to maintain people’s current contract hours if they decide to move from a level 2 or 3 role to a level 1 position. Discussions have been taking place with Wilko and management have agreed the following: 1. Where an employee decides to redeploy into a level 1 post their current contracted hours will remain the same where the store has the hours to do so. The only exception would be in extreme circumstances where the store would not be operationally viable. Example - 3 team members with a total of 75 contract hours are looking to be redeployed. The total hours available for redeployment in store are 80, then the 3 members will be redeployed on their current contract hours. 2. Where an employee decides they want to redeploy into a level 1 role but the store hours are less than peoples contracted hours. Example - 3 team members with a total of 75 contract hours are looking to be redeployed but the store hours available are only 65 hours. a) Managers should work with their affected team members to identify what contract reductions they would be willing to agree to, in order to accommodate as many team members as possible by mutual consent. b) Where this is not possible or agreement cannot be reached, then the following contract reductions should be applied and the selection matrix will be used. (Managers should remember that they should look to maintain hours as close to current contract as possible): Current contract size 30-35. Max hour reduction -5. New min contract size 25-30. Current contract size 26-29. Max hour reduction -4. New min contract size 22-25. Current contract size 22-25. Max hour reduction -3. New min contract size 19-22. Current contract size 19-21. Max hour reduction -2. New min contract size 17-19. Current contract size 17-18. Max hour reduction -1. New min contract size 16-17. Current contract size 16 and below to remain the same. Exceptions There may be some stores, particularly in cases where the total store hours are reduced, where the above principles do not allow a viable store operation. Where this is the case, by exception only, each individual store will be discussed with GMB to address those issues prior to any decisions being made. Pay Protection GMB aim has been to protect members’ pay for as long as possible. Wilko has offered 13 weeks’ pay protection before the hourly rate is reduced. This is lower than the redundancy policy period which phases the reduction over 12 months. Management says that if it stuck to 12 months’ pay protection it could not maintain peoples’ contract hours. Wilko would have to reduce the number of hours available to employees who want to be redeployed into a level 1 post. This is not desirable from GMB perspective, however maintaining contracted hours at the same level or as close as possible is the priority because it minimises the reduction. There is a 13 week trial period if a person decides to move from a level 3 or 2 role to a level 1 position. If a person decides during that period the job is not for them they can take the redundancy payment. Wilko want employees to express their interest in being redeployed by Friday, 29th September 2017. Please speak to your GMB workplace rep or organiser for advice and representation. GARY CARTER GMB NATIONAL OFFICER
Posted: 25th September 2017

it's #bleedinginsane that women should be penalised when they have no choice over menstruation. please sign and share to support our campaign https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200278 Dear Colleagues The campaign is calling for sanitary wear to be made freely available to those entitled to free prescriptions, namely women on low incomes, girls under the age of 16 and homeless women Along with the health risks associated with not having appropriate menstrual support, it is now more frequently affecting women at work and the education of girls as many will remain at home due to the inability to purchase the necessary items. It is also impacting on staff in schools as they are often purchasing these items to ensure that girls do not take time out of the classroom – many of these staff are on low incomes themselves – this in itself can cause financial difficulties. It may be argued that the cost of purchasing such items is minimal – couple of pound every month, but for many this will be the difference between having a meal or not, women will use on average 11,000 items in her lifetime and will spend over £18,000 on items and pain relief – for many that is more than a years wage. Money being spent on items women have no option but to purchase. For those who suffer with gynaecological conditions this figure will be significantly higher. When items such as contraception are offered freely we feel it is bleeding insane that women are penalised when they have no choice over their menstruation. Currently there is a trial being conducted in Aberdeen for 6 months to measure the success of offering free sanitary items. Kind regards Nicola Nicola Savage GMB Regional Organiser Wales & South West
Posted: 18th September 2017

Bulletin No 10 August 2017 GMB CONFIDENT OF REDUCING WILKO JOB LOSSES AFTER MEETING COMPANY Dear Colleagues, The second Collective Consultation meeting took place with management on Thursday 24th August. Following feedback from GMB members and reps, GMB outlined our position: - Increase the number of new Team Supervisor posts or retain some Level 2 posts. - Voluntary, not compulsory, redundancies. - Employees stepping down to a Level 1 role should keep current hours and flexible working. - Pay Protection for displaced level 2 & 3 employees. - Redeployment opportunities available in nearby stores, new stores, and distribution centres. Management confirmed in discussions the following: - Managers should not be asking staff to reduce hours. We are still at the early stages of consultation - The hours calculation for redundancy payments will be based on the highest of either: 1. Contractual Hours 2. Average over the last 12 months (financial year February to February), or 3. Average hours in the last 12 weeks of employment. - The 1% pay rise due on 1st October will be paid and factored into redundancy payments. - Staff discount will still be available for 12 months for employees taking redundancy. - Clothing Allowance due in October 2017 will be paid. - TMs will be expected to work their notice, however the operational need to work notice will be reviewed on a store by store basis - Redeployment opportunities will be made available in nearby stores, new stores, and distribution centres. - Anyone who has been promoted to level 2 and is in their 13 week probationary period can step back down to their previous post which loss of hours. - If a level 2 or 3 wishes to take a level 1 post then their flexible working agreement will remain in place. - Any person with a Sunday working opt-out can continue with this regardless of the restructure. Still under discussion: - Minimising Redundancies - Protecting Employee Hours - Retaining some level two’s or increasing number of new team supervisor roles - Pay Protection The next collective consultation meeting is on Monday 4th September 2017. GMB will continue to do everything possible to fight our members' corner, minimise any job losses and protect earnings and hours. Yours sincerely GARY CARTER GMB NATIONAL OFFICER
Posted: 7th September 2017

BULLETIN - AUGUST 2017 - RETAIL CONSULTATION Dear Member, GMB reps met with management on Monday 14th August to talk about the company proposals to restructure in stores. This is the start of a 60 day consultation period and we will be meeting management fortnightly. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 24th August. Nothing has been agreed. The GMB’s aim is to minimise the number of redundancies, and ensure each store has sufficient staff. We will be actively engaging with Wilko to achieve this. Wilko is proposing to introduce a simplified structure in stores. Larger stores will have a Store Manager, Assistant Manager, Team Supervisor/s and Customer Service Assistants. The smaller stores will have a Store Manager, Team Supervisor/s and Customer Service Assistants. The company is proposing to remove all level 2 posts and create a new level 3, team supervisor post. All level 2 & level 3 employees can apply for the level 3 post. Wilko is creating more Level 1 posts. The GMB is confident that the number of redundancies can be reduced significantly from the thousands initially feared. GMB also raised issues about redundancy payments, pay protection, protecting current contract hours, temporary staff, discount card clarification, and external recruitment freeze in current and new stores. Please let us have your views and we will put these to management. The first one to one meetings will be taking place over the next two weeks. There will be three one to one meetings in total. If you’re a GMB member, please speak to your local GMB rep to get advice and organise representation. If a GMB rep is not available, then you are entitled to postpone your one to one. If you’re not a GMB member then please complete the form overleaf or join online at www.gmb.org.uk. Yours sincerely Gary Carter GMB National Officer
Posted: 20th August 2017

Dear Colleagues Please see attached which the GMB Union will have a stall at. It would be lovely to see you there and please bring your families, friends and pass to your members.
Posted: 4th August 2017

GMB members get discounts on LV car insurance. Visit - http://lv.social/12KB to get yours!
Posted: 26th July 2017

Last night's horrific attack in Manchester was a barbaric act of terror that has left all of us shocked to our core but resolute in our determination to stand together in solidarity with the people of Manchester. The terrorists seek to divide us but we will stand together. It is hard to imagine what the victims' families must be going through, but all our sympathy, support and solidarity is with them today and in the coming days and weeks. Our thoughts also go out to the police, fire and ambulance staff who worked through the night in the most difficult of circumstances. The emergency services have once again done us all proud and should be given all the support they need to do their job. The reaction of the people in Manchester and beyond has shown the spirit of the city, coming together to offer help and support, whether it was somewhere to stay for the night for those trapped in town, or a car ride back to loved ones, or queuing to give blood. Attacks like this are intended by the murderous cowards who launch them only to divide us. Manchester has shown us this morning that they will not succeed. We urge anybody with information relevant to the investigation to hand it to Greater Manchester Police. We urge the whole community to offer their full support to the police and intelligence services as they take action to protect us.
Posted: 23rd May 2017