Letters: Speech made business sense, Published: 20/12/2002 (Comment) Andrew
Appleby
Andrew Appleby applauds Sheikh Mohammed's Gimcrack speech
I CONGRATULATE Sheikh Mohammed on his Gimcrack Speech, especially that "a
new deal [for stable staff] should be made a priority".
Some will say: "It's easy for him - with all the oil money". I
believe, however, that Sheikh Mohammed is talking business sense - the same
business sense he has shown in developing Dubai so it does not solely depend on
oil revenue.
There are those who forget horseracing is a business, not least a leisure and
entertainment business, and that standard business principles apply.
Bill Adams of the Stable Lads' Association is almost correct in his comment that
"stable staff wages depend on what a trainer can charge any one
owner". I would suggest it is more correct to say: "the wages a
trainer can offer depend on what he charges".
It is financial suicide for trainers to charge low fees to attract extra owners.
This leads to more horses and more work - but probably fewer staff. This would
mean horses not being trained properly.
There are minimum fee levels and minimum wage levels. Equally, there are optimum
fee levels and optimum wage levels. (Some might say there are also Godolphin
levels).
Optimum levels mean that staff are paid a decent wage and there are adequate
staff/horse ratios and owners should be happy that they are getting value for
money.
If trainers and their financial advisers have calculated sensible cash flows
even they could be happy.
The National Trainers' Federation states 90 per cent of trainers pay above the
minimum agreed rates of pay. This ignores that these minimum rates of pay are
inadequate.
A gross example of such inadequacy is the agreement between the NTF and SLA that
overtime for stable staff is paid at the basic minimum rate - rather than time
and a quarter, half or double time.
How the Jockey Club and/or BHB came to condone this, I am at a total loss to
understand. How the SLA agreed to this, I do not know. It is neither in the best
interests of stable staff, nor the long-term interests of the industry.
Greg Nichols, BHB chief executive, hit the nail on the head when saying:
"The challenges we face . . . can only be resolved by co-operation and
goodwill among all sectors of our highly interdependent
industry".
Andrew Appleby
Newmarket
6th February 2003 Letters: Staff are being taken for a ride
Published: 06/02/2003 (Comment) ANDREW APPLEBY
Horsebox driver Andrew Appleby on the new terms for stable staff
AS Grade A stable staff, from February 1, earn a minimum of pounds 234.18 for 42
and a half hours' work a week (with one and a half days off per fortnight), bear
in mind that the national average wage at October last year was pounds 464.70
and the average house price was pounds 102,000, usually requiring a pounds
15,000 deposit.
Now imagine a Grade A stable lad goes racing for the day. Suppose he starts
work at 7am, leaves for the racecourse at 7.30am, arrives at noon, races at 3pm,
leaves at 4pm, arrives in the yard at 8.30pm and leaves the yard at 9pm. Under
the National Trainers' Federation/Stable Lads' Association agreement, of the 14
hours between 7am and 9pm, seven hours are normal work hours (at a minimum of
pounds 5.51 per hour) and seven hours are overtime, at the national minimum rate
of pounds 4.20.
Our Grade A lad receives an extra pounds 29.40 for going racing - rather than
two times his
basic pounds 38.57 for working two days in one.
If our lad goes racing overnight he perhaps starts work at 7am, leaves for
the racecourse at noon, arrives at the racecourse at 5pm, beds down the horse by
6pm, stays overnight, attends to his horse from 7am to 9am, gets his horse ready
at 2pm for a 3pm race, leaves the racecourse at 4pm and arrives back at the
stables by 9pm.
Under the agreement, he receives eight hours overtime at the national minimum
rate of pounds 4.20. Our Grade A lad thus receives pounds 33.60 overtime - plus
possibly an pounds 11 overnight
allowance - for being away from home for 38 hours.
Does anyone know a solicitor, accountant or `consultant', charging, say,
pounds 100 per hour (pounds 700 for a seven-hour day), who would lower their
hourly rate to pounds 76.22 per hour if working a 14-hour day - or not charge
for time spent away from the office? Would any trades person reduce their
charges as the NTF/SLA have agreed to reduce stable lads' entitlements?
Could it be that a reason for racing staff shortages is that stable staff are
fed up of
Newmarket being taken for a ride?
Racing Post Campaign for a Fair Deal for stable staff in May, June, July
2003
'Underpaid staff subsidise the sport... it is not just unacceptable, it's
immoral' - Sheikh Mohammed Published Racing Post: 29/05/2003 (Features) David Ashforth
OVER the past two days, we have exposed how the stable staff's workload has
expanded while numbers have dropped - and how some of Britain's 6,600 stable
employees earn only the Government's national minimum wage.
Many earn more, but the racing industry, for all its fine words, is allowing
skilled workers to do excessive overtime at the lowest rates permitted. Loyal
staff are being driven from a job they love.
Today, we highlight the support given to staff by Sheikh Mohammed, the most
powerful owner in British racing and, so far, the only one to stand up and
publicly call for a better deal for stable staff.
We examine the efforts of the Stable Lads' Association, set up in the wake of
the 1975 strike, which also produced a forum for negotiations between staff and
trainers, the National Joint Council for Stable Staff.
Today we speak to the SLA's national secretary, Bill Adams, about his work.
We reveal the worries of long-serving head groom Ron Thomas, who is concerned
that there are too few incentives to keep top-class staff in the sport and that
pension provision is inadequate.
Thomas is not a revolutionary, but Andrew Appleby, a horse transporter, is more
radical. Prompted by the complaints he heard from stable staff at racecourses,
Appleby, whose daughter Victoria was once a successful apprentice, organised a
survey of travelling head staff's opinions of racecourse facilities
BRITAIN'S stable staff have an influential supporter in their bid for better pay
and conditions: Sheikh Mohammed.
In a powerful but largely overlooked part of his Gimcrack Dinner speech last
December, Britain's leading owner called for an `action plan' to improve stable
staff pay and conditions.
He said: "It is time racing's leaders spoke up for stable staff; time that
tackling the problem was made a priority; time that decisions made at the BHB
and elsewhere were tested to see how they impact on stable staff. Time, in
short, for a new deal for stable staff."
So far, his plea appears to have fallen on deaf ears, as the first two days
of our investigation have revealed. Sheikh Mohammed made clear in his Gimcrack
speech that he considers this must change.
He said he had been "hugely disappointed" that "hardly anyone,
amidst the acres of newsprint and airtime that have been devoted to discussions
on racing's finances in recent years, has sought to make stable staff a
priority.
"Again and again, we hear from trainers that the biggest problem they
face is recruiting good staff," said the Sheikh. "Why? Because they
are often poorly paid, are offered only a limited career path, and have pension
arrangements that might be said to belong to a bygone age."
Suggesting that the "historic underfunding" of the sport was largely
responsible for what he described as an "appalling situation", the
Sheikh added: "It will shame everyone involved in British racing if the
current opportunity is not seized and significant steps are not taken to put the
situation right as quickly as possible.
"The truth is that underpaid stable staff are subsidising the sport in
exactly the same way as owners are. That is not just unacceptable, it is
immoral."
Sheikh Mohammed pointed out that Godolphin, like some other trainers, are
fortunate enough to be able to pay their employees more than the minimum rates.
"Staff are the key to producing top-class horses," he added.
"Without high-quality staff, it is impossible. That is why I believe we
need an action plan aimed at improving the pay and conditions of stable staff in
Britain."
Sheikh Mohammed was disappointed by the apparent lack of response to his
words - not least from the Stable Lads' Association, whose cause he had so
vocally supported.
Bill Adams, the SLA's national secretary, said afterwards: "I agreed with
much of the speech, but would point out that, although he spoke of stable staff
wages, it must be said that he in his position is a little out of touch with
reality."
Adams, 64, worked as a head groom for John Blundell and Richard Perkins
before agreeing to lead the SLA for one year, in 1986. He has been there ever
since and, in 2000, was awarded the MBE for services to the SLA and to the
racing industry.
With few resources, he has worked hard to deal with individual stable staff's
problems, including those of non-SLA members on issues such as pay, redundancy
and unfair dismissal.
Despite his long service, Adams is an unfamiliar figure to many staff, steering
clear of the media, and preferring to pursue the SLA's business in private. He
believes that the best results are obtained by negotiating in a spirit of
conciliation and compromise with employers. Until two years ago, the SLA
suffered from a serious shortage of members and funds. Since 2001, 0.15 per cent
of prize-money - equivalent to over pounds 100,000 this year - has been
allocated to the SLA, and all stable staff are now automatically members of the
association, which is about 5,000 strong. It has a national committee and three
regional committees.
Until recently, Adams has worked on a shoestring. "When I took over, in
1986, there was pounds 10 in the kitty," he recalls. "I converted a
room at home into an office, and I paid for the telephone. The most members we
ever had was 1,000."
Now Adams has a new office and an assistant, and is proud of the progress that
has been made.
Referring to the annually negotiated Memorandum of Agreement on pay and
conditions, which guarantees annual pay of only pounds 11,000 for top-grade
staff for a 40-hour week, Adams says: "I'm proud of the agreement. People
have very short memories. When I took over, the rates of pay ended at aged 19.
Whatever you got when you were 19, you stayed on unless you were a head lad or
travelling head lad. It was very unjust. I also initiated the introduction of
NVQs linked to grades of pay, to give young people something to aim at."
Adams would like stable staff to get more but emphasises that recent
increases in minimum rates have been above the rate of inflation, that pay and
conditions compare favourably with other equine sports and that the position of
trainers needs to be considered.
"Wage rates are adequate," says Adams, "because, if the agreement
were scrapped, the situation would be the same as in other equine areas, and
staff would be paid the national minimum wage.
"I'd like more money for staff and, at the end of the year, I will see if
prize-money is up - but if 50 trainers went out of business I wouldn't be happy.
There have to be sensible negotiations."
Adams is opposed to the introduction of Saturday evening racing when there is
Sunday racing and points out that, under the agreement, staff are not obliged to
go racing when it takes them above their agreed hours of work.
"Staff problems haven't been solved," he says. "We had a
strong argument for no Saturday evening racing when there was Sunday racing, and
it shouldn't come in. If it does, at the end of 2004 we will have to see how it
has worked and what the reaction from staff is. We have no agreement to cover
it.
"As a lad, the agreement is to work 40 hours one week and 45 hours the
next. Anything more, and a lad has the right to say, `I'm not going racing.' If
they haven't got the staff to service the product, something has to be done
about it. I hope things will get better."
Adams is not alone in that.
Racing Post Letters Andrew Appleby published 29/05/2003
Course accommodation prompts hot and cold running resentment
Stable staff regard the facilities provided for them at many racecourses as
inadequate or worse, and clearly view this as evidence that they are not valued.
If they were, they would not be subjected to Ayr's "World War II beds and
blankets", Carlisle's "disgusting" hostel, Bath's digs that
"want bombing", Doncaster's "horrid" accommodation for
women, and many other unacceptable facilities reported in a survey conducted by
Andrew Appleby, and by staff questioned during our own study.
When the Stable Lads' Association conducted a survey in 2000/2001, Bill Adams
reported that "we found, as is often the case, one man's meat was another
man's poison," but Appleby's survey, even if not academically rigorous,
provides a credible flavour of shared opinions.
Not all are critical. Ascot receives consistently favourable comment, not
merely because of superior facilities and food but also because of a responsive
and respectful attitude towards staff, often said to be missing elsewhere.
Redcar is regularly singled out for praise and, along with Cheltenham and York,
appears at the top of the pecking order. Wetherby, Folkestone, Warwick, Taunton
and Carlisle are towards the bottom.
Stephen Atkin, the Racecourse Association's chief executive, is aware of the
criticisms.
"Stable staff are extremely important and racecourses need to make the
facilities as attractive as possible," he says - while acknowledging that
"stable lads' facilities have gone to the back of the queue because courses
needed to generate income."
That is how stable staff feel; that they are always at the back of the queue. In
desperation, they sometimes refuse to use poor hostels and insist on bed and
breakfast accommodation.
Appleby is disgusted by his findings.
"Do racecourse managers ever go into their own hostels and
canteens?" he asks. "Would they, or racecourse directors, like to eat
and stay there? I would like communication between racecourses and head lads
when there are problems, such as showers not working and no locks on toilets.
"Stable staff work long hours for not much money and, when they get to a
lot of courses, the conditions for them are not good. If they don't improve, in
time they won't have stable staff to bring horses to them."
British Horseracing Board Governors set up a Commission under Lord Donoughue
re-Stud & Stable Staff July 2003 and advertise in the Racing Post requesting
submissions from the public.
Racing Post Letters Andrew Appleby published 10/12/2003
Course accommodation prompts hot and cold running resentment Questions to answer for Adams
An article in the Sunday Mirror this week raises the point that Bill Adams'
salary as
national secretary of the Stable Lads' Association has gone up from pounds
15,000 to pounds 25,000 to pounds 35,000 in successive years.
Steve Carroll, a travelling head groom with Sir Michael Stoute, states that
he has not received a membership card or rule book (as required under SLA rules)
or any correspondence from Adams. This is standard for the vast majority of SLA
members.
In fact, the vast majority of stable staff do not realise they are members of
the SLA,
having been accorded free membership when the SLA began receiving income from
prize-money winnings (around pounds 100,000 per annum) in 2001.
The membership of the SLA is given at 6,050. Last year the membership of the SLA,
as in the annual return sent to the Certification Office, was 3,776 - the
previous year was 3,342, but in 2000 was only 370.
Adams seems to have more success enrolling members than trainers have
recruiting staff. Maybe he is in the wrong job.
Carroll states that he has received no correspondence from Bill Adams - and this
includes notice of AGM's and elections, which is contrary to Trade Union Law.
One appreciates that posting notices of AGMs, agendas and elections is
expensive. Perhaps, therefore, Adams could inform the Racing Post of the venue,
date and time of the next AGM (I gather the last was a couple of years ago) and
the Racing Post could publish details of the AGM, agenda and elections?
Would it not also be possible that transport be provided to get members to
the AGM - the cost being met out of the accumulated surplus of the SLA, which is
probably around pounds 150,000?
In the Sunday Mirror article Adams is quoted as saying that he has nothing to
hide - yet says: "My national committee is aware of the increases, but
members are not."
Has Adams in fact been hiding from his members the fact that he works endlessly
and tirelessly on behalf of stable staff - or that he does very little, yet
considers his salary increases are justified?
Andrew Appleby
Newmarket
*Racing Post Letters Andrew Appleby published 17/12/2003 Shedding light on the SLA mystery.
Andrew Appleby goes behind the scenes at the Stable Lads' Association
Published: (Comment) Andrew Appleby
REGARDING `Mystery surround stable lads union' - (Newmarket Journal last
week) and `Lads fury at union chief's bumper rise' - (Sunday Mirror, December
7); the Stable Lads' Association was formed in 1978 after the 1975 strike
organised by the TGWU. Bill Adams became national secretary of the SLA in 1986
and has been so since - although whether his appointment has been ratified at
least once every five years in accordance with Section 46 of the Trade Union and
Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act of 1992 I do not know. Membership of the
association was low - only 370 in 2000 - but the annual returns lodged by the
SLA with the certification office under trade union law show membership was
3,342 in 2001 and 3,776 in 2002. The dramatic rise in membership was due to
stable staff being accorded free membership of the association. However,
probably the vast majority of stable staff may be unaware of their membership
and even fewer have received membership cards and rule books - as required under
SLA rules.
Free membership of the SLA became possible when the association began
receiving income from prize-money winnings in 2001. This amounts to around
pounds 100,000 per year.
Bill Adams's salary as national secretary of the SLA was pounds 15,000 in 2000,
pounds 25,000 in 2001 and pounds 35,000 in 2002. An office secretary was paid
pounds 11,000 in 2002 and a bookkeeper pounds 3,500 in 2002; they have been
joined by a further secretary in 2003.
Although the SLA has been receiving not inconsequential funding for the last
three years, the affairs of the SLA seem not to have improved apace. Members
have not received notices of elections and/or AGMs - the last of which, I
understand, was a couple of years ago. This is, of course, contrary to trade
union law. The SLA has only two trustees - Lord Oaksey and Jimmy Hill - also
contrary to the 1992 Act.
I understand the SLA is in possession of an interactive computer system -
which has taken a year or so to set up - so hopefully stable staff should
receive correspondence from the SLA in the near future.
Hopefully, this correspondence will include details of an AGM which is
apparently planned for late February. (The Journal) may be able to elicit
details of venue, date and time). May I appeal to stable staff that, if they
wish to have an association seeking to protect and improve their interests, they
should make every effort to attend the AGM.
Andrew Appleby
Newmarket
Racing Post Letters Andrew Appleby published 23/12/2003
Not even half a step for staff.
Box driver Andrew Appleby is unimpressed with the wage agreement between the
Stable Lads' Association and the National Trainers' Federation
HOWARD WRIGHT describes the six per cent pay rise for senior staff, agreed
between the Stable Lads' Association and the National Trainers' Federation, as
"inflation busting". I dare say an accountant - and certainly a
statistician - could prove this is not so. Some might regard the
increase as a step in the right direction but, really, it is not even half a
step, and leaves stable staff well off the pace and practically out the back
door once again - as they have been for years.
Had staff been paid a proper wage for these years there would be no need for
"inflation busting" increases.
The SLA/NTF agreement, once again, just mirrors the Government's national
minimum wage - and makes no recognition of the special skills that stable staff
require nor the risks that are part of the job, nor the unsocial hours. One must
concede that perhaps 90 per cent of Grade A staff are paid more than the minimum
- and the figures given in the table in the article are `minimums'.
However, even the "median basic weekly wage" of pounds 284, before
extras, is not really a living wage, with house prices in Newmarket, for
example, starting at pounds 100,000. The official poverty level is pounds 11,500
p.a., so the Grade A minimum is just above, and the Grade B minimum just
below, the poverty line. Poverty may well be a great artistic inspiration, but
it could well unsettle staff and horse - to the detriment of owner and trainer.
Rupert Arnold is quoted as saying: "In addition, 45 per cent of Grade A
staff receive free or subsidised accommodation." There is no such thing as
a free lunch. He goes on to say: "Additional payments are made for hours
spent away from the yard outside normal hours." Is he referring to the
derisory overtime rate while away racing that is paid at the Government's basic
minimum - regardless of staff grade?
Arnold describes the SLA demand for a 15 per cent rise as "simply
unrealistic". It is surely unrealistic to expect that stable staff will
remain in the industry - and that others will be tempted to join it - if wages
and working practices and conditions are not set at more reasonable levels.
Racing staff are the sine qua non of racing: at present they are merely
unsung and undervalued heroes. I wish them all - jumps and Flat - a merry
Christmas.
ANDREW APPLEBY
Newmarket
Racing Post Letters Andrew Appleby published 29/05/2003
Does anyone know the date of the SLA meeting?
Published: 29/02/2004 (Comment) Andrew Appleby
Andrew Appleby says one of racing's key questions remains unanswered WITH
Cheltenham, Aintree and the Dubai World Cup looming, many of racing's big
questions will soon be answered - but there remains the Stable Lads' Association
conundrum.
Does anyone know the date, venue and time of the annual general meeting of
the SLA - or will it be missing from the calendar, as in years past? Not holding
an agm is, of course, contrary to law, the SLA rules and the dictionary
definition of `annual' - let alone `general' and `meeting'. Perhaps Bill Adams,
Lord Oaksey or Jimmy Hill knows the answer?
ANDREW APPLEBY
Newmarket
Head grooms withdraw complaint over Adams
Published: 05/01/2004 (News) HOWARD WRIGHT
FIVE senior travelling head grooms based in Newmarket, who lodged an official
complaint against Bill Adams, the Stable Lads' Association national secretary,
have abandoned their action, which was aimed at removing Adams from the position
he has held for 17 years. A statement drawn up by the five - Roy Thorpe (who
works for Michael Bell), Ian Willows (Luca Cumani), Alison West (Sir Mark
Prescott), Brian Stevens (Geoff Wragg) and Steve Carroll (Sir Michael Stoute) -
was signed on New Year's Eve and released yesterday.
The document says that "having now had the opportunity to discuss the
issues at hand with Mr W Adams and having taken note that the correct procedures
on admini-stration are now in place, and are an ongoing programme", the
five signatories wished to withdraw their initial complaint. It adds: "We
are aware and acknowledge that we have, by prior appointment, an open invitation
to inspect all membership data, past and present, held in written form and
computer data at the [SLA] head office."
The original complaint was penned by Andrew Appleby, a horsebox driver based in
Newmarket, who according to SLA records has never been a member of the
association. As well as seeking a special general meeting, the complaint
contained a number of allegations against Adams, including that he had failed to
keep a proper register of members and had not taken adequate steps to send out
notices of meetings or elections.
The statement issued yesterday said that, while four of the signatories had
declined the offer of an opportunity to inspect the SLA's books at its
Derbyshire HQ "on the basis of work load", Carroll had had the
necessary evidence presented to him by Adams. Adams said: "As far as I'm
concerned, the matter is over. I bear no grudges against the five people who
signed the original complaint, because I'm sure they didn't really appreciate
what they were signing. "They've seen or heard the evidence now, and the
statement they have signed says it all. "I need space now to carry on
bringing the Association's records and administration up to date in accordance
with the new systems we are operating, as well as getting on with the normal
business."
Membership of the SLA, which reached a peak of about 350 under its previous
voluntary status, has recently been changed to an opt-out system, under which
stable staff become members automatically unless they indicate otherwise.The new
system, approved by the BHB, which provides funds for the SLA, is currently
being put into practice and will probably involve around 3,000 people. Adams
said he expected the administration changes to be completed within a month.
Horsebox driver vows to fight on against Adams
Published: 07/01/2004 (News) Seb Vance
THE man behind the vote of no confidence in Stable Lads' Association leader
Bill Adams vowed to fight on, despite the official complaint being withdrawn
this week, writes Seb Vance.
Newmarket-based horsebox driver Andrew Appleby instigated the complaint, which
was signed by five senior travelling head grooms. However, the five have
abandoned their action, which was aimed at removing Adams from the position he
has held for the last 17 years. Appleby said: "It's a long road but I never
lie down. I can't say any more at the moment but it's a ridiculous
situation."
The complaint included allegations that Adams has failed to keep a proper
register of members, not sent out membership cards or rule books, not taken
adequate steps to send out notices of meetings or elections, and that he has
been awarded pay increases without proper ratification by the members.
It was signed by Roy Thorpe (employed by Michael Bell), Ian Willows (Luca Cumani),
Alison West (Sir Mark Prescott), Brian Stevens (Geoff Wragg) and Steve Carroll
(Sir Michael Stoute). However, the five released a statement that said:
"Having now had the opportunity to discuss the issues at hand with Mr W
Adams, the five signatories wished to withdraw their initial complaint."
Adams's attitude is detrimental
Published: 13/06/2004 (Comment) Andrew Appleby
Andrew Appleby also takes Bill Adams to task THE response of Bill Adams to
the BHB commission's
report shows scant respect for stable staff or the BHB commission. He pours
scorn on the 15 per cent response to the questionnaire, but the 645 who
responded are 645 more than have ever voted for Adams, who - contrary to trade
union law - has never been elected Stable Lads' Association national secretary.
He says it is "too early" to consider TUC affiliation - yet the SLA
has existed for 26 years!
He says he is "bemused" by calls to modernise the SLA, but appears to
confuse this with a call for extra offices and personnel. Rather than
modernisation, I believe the need is simply for better administration and
personal time management.
Communication is a prerequisite for a trade union secretary. The report
mentioned that almost none of the 645 respondents had received any communication
from the SLA, which would include no notice of annual meetings or elections (of
which there have been next to none). Further, some 28 per cent seemed blissfully
unaware of the SLA or Bill Adams. I would suggest that Gerry McCann, as
chairman, should convene a meeting of the SLA committee to consider the position
of their employee and the possibility of perhaps having an annual meeting this
year. Adams's attitude suggests that his possible attendance as a member of the
proposed Stable and Stud Staff Committee would be detrimental to stable staff
interests. I am sure most stable staff are grateful for the initiative of the
Racing Post and the work of the commission.
ANDREW APPLEBY
Newmarket
Allotment body
Published: 08/07/2004 (Comment) ANDREW APPLEBY
more democratic
Andrew Appleby on the workings of the Stable Lads' Association
A TRADE UNION is a group of employees whose object is to protect and promote
their common interests. It might be called an association, club or society -
but, in law, it is a trade union. A trade union may be listed with the
Certification Office or not listed. To delist a trade union would normally
require the consensus of members - but, in the case of Bill Adams's Stable Lads'
Association, who would know?
A trade union, in law, cannot be a company - although Bill Adams may hanker
to be a director.It has been suggested to me that the Newmarket Allotment
Association is more democratic than the SLA - it does have AGMs and committee
meetings. I expect it also has an efficient secretary, committee and trustees.
There was supposed to have been a SLA AGM in March this year, but it was
reputedly cancelled as Bill Adams was unwell. Presumably he knew in advance that
he would be unwell, otherwise the 150 or 3,000-odd members would have received
notices of the AGM in February.
I would not suggest that anyone should await the announcement of a date for a
SLA AGM with bated breath.
The affairs of the SLA seem unduly complicated.
ANDREW APPLEBY
Newmarket
SLA chief Adams dragging his feet
Published: 12/07/2004 (News) ANDREW APPLEBY
Andrew Appleby is frustrated at the delay over union membership for stable
staff BILL ADAMS has known for well over a year that the Certification Office
requires Stable Lads' Association members to apply to join the union. He has not
sent out membership applications nor organised an AGM in that time, yet stands
in mock indignation that his work is being hampered. Perhaps he considers such
basic work a waste of time and money?
There is no need to have a plethora of SLA offices. With modern
communications, the head office could be in Timbuctoo. The fact is that Bill has
failed to communicate. I would agree with Bill that rushing is not a good thing,
but how long will it take him to regularise the membership situation and how
long will the BHB continue to fund the SLA while it officially represents
perhaps only 3 per cent of stable staff?
ANDREW APPLEBY Newmarket
Stable staff need to decide on union Andrew Appleby asks all stable staff to
respond to alternative union proposal
Published: 23/07/2004 (Sport)
I WOULD be grateful if all stable staff interested in joining an alternative
union to the Stable Lads' Association would text 'Union Yes' to 80010, email me
at appleby1352@aol.com or write to me at 3 St. Albans, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8
7AJ.
Those not be interested in such a union can text 'Union No' to the same
number. The cost of a text vote is at standard rates. I would hope that a new
union could offer free membership, with staff free to join - and free to leave -
the union. I would emphasise that stable staff interested in a new union should
text, email or write immediately. Please do not leave it to everyone else. I
hope to hear from everyone.
ANDREW APPLEBY Newmarket
Letter: I propose a new stable staff union
Andrew Appleby asks trainers to play their part in the proposed venture
Published: 25/08/2004 (Sport) ANDREW APPLEBY
I HAVE just posted letters to members of the National Trainers' Federation
(574 in number) containing details of a proposed new union for stable staff. I
would be grateful if all trainers would endeavour that all staff have a chance
to read what I have written and thus decide whether they would like to join such
a union. It would surely, I suggest, be inequitable for any member of the
trainers' 'union' to deny their staff the opportunity to enjoy the same
privileges of similar membership. I believe that if all - or certainly the
majority - of stable staff belong to one union life would be easier for all of
us - and the racing experience would become even more enjoyable and satisfying.
ANDREW APPLEBY Newmarket
LETTERS: How can Lady Burnham defend the SLA?
Andrew Appleby, in the process of trying to establish a rival to the Stable
Lads' Association, responds to Lady Hilary Burnham
Published: 22/09/2004 (Sport) ANDREW APPLEBY
LADY B, you cannot be serious! Are you condoning an association - the Stable
Lads' Association - that ignores its members, has no AGMs, few committee
meetings, an unelected committee and an unelected national secretary (Letters,
September 14)?
The SLA has been in existence for 29 years, 26 as a listed trade union, and Bill
Adams has been national secretary for 18 but should have stood for re-election
at least every five years.
The BHB, in 2001, granted funding to the SLA of around pounds 100,000 a year and
rising, on the understanding that the SLA would offer free membership to all
stable staff.
The SLA annual returns showed a leap from 370 members in 2000 to 3,432 in 2001
to 3,776 in 2002 - but last year Adams 'lost' 3,626 members.
Lady Burnham writes that each week, on average, ten to 15 complaints are sorted
out and advice given to 20 to 40 callers per week - which must mean that some
2,000 stable staff have problems each year. Are these matters sorted to Adams'
satisfaction or the satisfaction of the complai-nants and callers? I do not
believe it is the latter.
It is not surprising to me that the Irish stable staff agreement mirrors that
between the SLA and the National Trainers' Federation. This agreement was in the
Dono-ghue Commission report, which I gave to Dan Kirwan at The Curragh a while
back.
However, it is all very well making agreements but not much use if they are not
implemented. In the case of recent SLA/NTF agreements, Adams has had no mandate
from stable staff to act on their behalf.
A key difference between the Irish and British agreements is that travelling
overtime is paid at more than the basic minimum rate in Ireland.
The big difference between the Irish Stable Staff Association and the SLA is
that Kirwan has achieved more in a few years than Adams has in 18.
I would agree that 'it is ultimately for the stable staff themselves to state
what they want and how they are going to achieve it'.
Does Lady Burnham agree that regularisation of the SLA membership and the
occasional AGM might help?
Does she not consider that this should have been achieved ages ago?
Does she not consider that the failure by Adams to achieve these basic goals is
unacceptable?
Would she not agree that racing has a number of problems, including staffing
problems?
They can, of course, be swept under the carpet but, in line with the modern
penchant for wooden flooring, it is better and healthier not to.
The staffing problems, I believe, relate directly to the poor representation of
stable staff. Aside from Racing Welfare, staff are not represented on the
Mallalieu Committee nor, as with jockeys, on the BHB committee - but the NTF,
Racecourse Association and Thoroughbred Breeders' Association are.
Lady Burnham accuses the Racing Post of witch-hunting and mentions job-seeking
motives.
I believe the Racing Post is doing for stable staff what the Jockey Club and BHB
appear to have avoided doing for many years - acting positively in the best
interests of racing.
As for job-seeking. Yes! If staff would like me to act as temporary secretary of
the SLA or a new union, pending election, I would be happy to do so.
ANDREW APPLEBY Newmarket
Authorities must fulfil their duty. Andrew Appleby responds to articles on
the progress made towards improving conditions for stable staff. Published
in the Racing Post 30.11.04
I am pleased to see that Baroness Mallalieu reports encouraging progress towards
implementation of the recommendations in the Donoghue Report (November 24).
The article mentions that the Stable Lads Association and the National
Trainers' Federation are to discuss improvements in racecourse facilities with
the Racecourse Association. An earlier article (November 19) reported Rupert
Arnold as saying the NTF were "taking steps to help the SLA".
Trainers, as employers, have a legal responsibility for the health, safety and
welfare of their employees at work; they also have a contractual obligation for
the care of their owners' horses. Rather than secondary assistance, the NTF
should be, and should have been, a prime mover in ensuring that facilities for
horses and staff at racecourses are adequate, and hopefully, better than
adequate.
The NTF appears to be taking the lead regarding wage agreements and it is
reported that "pay negotiations are currently taking place". The SLA
at present has only 150 members, but it will be taken as read that any wage
agreements made between the SLA and NTF will apply to all staff - indeed such
agreements are integral to most staff employment contracts. The Donoghue Report
suggests a minimum overtime rate of "time and a half" - including
travelling time, which currently stands at the derisory basic minimum rate.
There is somewhat of a flurry of talk of improvement and modernisation. I
believe it is merely a question of those things being done which should have
been done long ago - in the interest of horses, staff, owners and racing. The
BHB and the Jockey Club must ensure that they and all parties do their duty.
ANDREW APPLEBY
Newmarket
* Andrew Appleby takes stable staff chief Bill Adams to task
(News) Andrew Appleby M to sort
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