Author Archives: Admin

YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE ACTION 20 09 19

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‘This is not a single-generation job. It’s humanity’s job….Let’s all join together, with your neighbours, co-workers, friends, family and go out on to the streets to make your voices heard and make this a turning point in our history’ – Greta Thunberg and 46 youth activists from the International movement.

On 20th September young people across the globe not only continued their monthly strike action (inspired by the environmental activist Greta Thunberg), but called on all workers, trade unionists, community groups  and adults to join them as part of a massive global day of action. Millions of people from Sydney to Manila, Dhaka to London and New York marched for urgent action by world leaders on climate breakdown. This just 3 days before the UN emergency climate summit.

Five thousand joined the students here in Sheffield, with the branch  joining the march through Sheffield along Arundel Gate to the City Hall. There were speakers  from Sheffield Trades Council, Sheffield Climate Alliance, Sheffield Stand Up to racism, but it was the voices of the young and future workers that dominated the rally and inspired many to join them in their stand against the inertia of those in power, demanding a climate emergency an  calling for action to be taken now.

Sheffield Hallam University Branch sent the following message of support to those young people who took to the streets:

“Sheffield Hallam University UNISON Branch sends solidarity to all the young people around the world striking today. Above all else you have shown great strength in creating a wave of urgency and resistance that has shown the way in the struggle against this climate crisis. It is time for all trade unionists, workers and everyone on this planet to join you in calling ‘time out’ to all those in power who continue to ignore you. Together, we can build a better world.”

We will be sending out more information as to future activities from our branch around the climate emergency. If you are interested in getting involved please contact Lucinda Wakefield at l.m.wakefield@shu.ac.uk

 

UNISON FREE WILLS SERVICE FOR MEMBERS

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UNISON offers a free standard wills service for members and their partners (if doing a mirror will). We also offer reduced rates for members’ complex wills.

The simplest way to obtain your will is to use our bespoke on line wills service.

Access UNISON’s free will service

UNISON’s online wills service is very straightforward to use, just complete the online questionnaire. The questionnaire with its online guidance will carefully take you through the process. 

We have also negotiated a low-cost wills service for members and their families.

DUE TO RETIRE WITHIN 12-18 MONTHS?

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To be eligible for this workshop members must be due to retire within the next 12-18 months.

PRE-RETIREMENT WORKSHOP

9.30am – 4.30pm,  Wednesday 4 December 2019.  Venue in Leeds tbc.

The Workshop will make you aware of your choices and aid you in your decision making

 Is this Workshop for me?

If  you are retiring imminently or considering retiring within the next 18 months and want to be informed of the issues affecting your retirement you need to plan for your next phase of life.

 By the end of the Workshop you will be able to:

  • Create your own route path from the world of work to the world of retirement
  • Identify changes in both pensions and financial regulations which will affect your retirement decisions
  • Identify the long term issues affecting your retirement
  • Identify personal and lifestyle actions which will help to improve your retirement
  • Start the process of planning for a successful retirementAt True Bearing Chartered we can provide you with comprehensive independent financial advice to improve your financial security.

    To Apply
  1. Please complete an application form which can be downloaded from our website at:-
     http://www.unison-yorks.org.uk/education.html

    Please remember to add the following additional information to your application form where possible:-
  • Name of Employer
  • Name of Pension Provider
  • Date of Retirement
  • Length of Service
    Cost to Branches: £10 so please forward your completed application form to your branch for  approval   mailto:j.ward@shu.ac.uk

(Please note that places are limited so this will be confirmed applicants directly)

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, FASCISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA & ANTISEMITISM

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Saturday 19th October

9.30 till 16.30

Friends House,

173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

 Johnson, Trump & The International Far-right: How do we unite to defeat them?

Speakers include: Gary Younge, Journalist • Miguel Roldan, Spanish firefighter • Louise Raw, author • Richard Burgon MP • Emma Dent Coad MP • Alex Mayer MEP • Claude Moraes MEP • Julie Ward MEP • Jean Lambert, Green Party • Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary • Kevin Courtney Joint General Secretary NEU • Tony Kearns Deputy General Secretary (postal) CWU • Jane Loftus, CWU Vice President • Nita Sanghera UCU Vice President • Anas Altikriti, Muslim Association of Britain • Ged Grebby, Show Racism the Red Card Chief Executive • Mohammed Kozbar, Finsbury Park Mosque Chairman • Unmesh Desai, GLA Member, Labour, City and East London • Damien Gayle, Journalist • Ben Chacko, Morning Star editor • Rakhia Ismail, Islington Councillor • Gerry Gable, Editor/Publisher, Searchlight • Sabby Dhalu and Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism

Sessions include:

  • Challenging the rise of racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism
  • Windrush, Grenfell, deaths in custody – The fight for justice
  • Reporting racism – The media and the growth of racist ideas
  • Solidarity forever – Refugees and migrants welcome here
  • A coordinated international movement against Trumpism & the far-right
  • Love Music Hate Racism – culture & the anti-racist movement
  • Fighting Islamophobia in the age of Boris Johnson

SHU UNISON Branch has passed a motion supporting the conference and have agreed to pay for two delegates from the branch to attend (paying for tickets and transport down – there is a Sheffield coach going down)

 If you would like to attend please email both Lucinda Wakefield ( l.m.wakefield@shu.ac.uk) and Ana Yousaf  (f.yousaf@shu.ac.uk) as soon as possible so that we can book tickets and coach seats in good time.

 

 

UNISON Return to Learn & Women’s Lives Taster Workshops

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Return to Learn Taster Workshop – Monday 12 August 2019

at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to Branches: FREE

Women’s Lives Taster Workshop – Friday 16 August 2019

at Commerce House, Leeds

Cost to Branches: FREE

Both sessions run from 10am – 3pm with lunch

There is no charge to the branch for these Workshops.  The cost of the workshop will be paid by our National Officeand on this occasion the Region has agreed to cover any travel expenses.

 The course is designed for members who want to ease themselves back into learning.  We are offering members the opportunity to attend a one day taster workshop to find out more about the courses, boost your confidence and engage with exciting and fun activities

PENSION NEWS- LGPS

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At the beginning of the month a government consultation paper was released with some very worrying implications for Local Government Pension Scheme members. 

The government is proposing that there will no longer be a legal requirement for ‘further education corporations, sixth form college corporations and higher education corporations’ to offer LGPS membership to new non-teaching staff. This has been expected for a while, and sadly has come at the request of universities and colleges themselves. The proposal will no doubt be met with jubilation within many university boardrooms.

To be clear; the paper is proposing that universities will be able to decide whether to offer the scheme to new members of staff and is proposing that current employees’ scheme membership will be protected. The proposals are to be consulted on, and the government will need to pass legislation to make them happen.

Under the proposals, universities can make the decision themselves about whether to continue offering LGPS to new staff members, according to their own needs and ‘business model’. In practice this means that universities may decide to offer the scheme only to staff above a certain grade. Similarly, universities in competitive labour markets (e.g. in London or the South-East) may decide to continue offering the scheme to encourage staff retention.  

Universities that decide to partially or fully pull out of LGPS are likely to offer their new non-teaching staff a cheaper (and far worse) pension scheme, with lower employer contributions.

The rationale behind the changes is that universities are now marketised and are in competition with each other, so are effectively no longer public sector employers. This rings hollow – when it comes to pay restraint and blocking strike action the government are happy to consider us public sector employees, but when it comes to pensions we no longer are.

The paper reassures us that current LGPS members will be protected, but as our colleagues in post-92 universities have found, pension ‘reforms’ are rarely final.  On top of this, blocking new entrants to a pension scheme will damage it in the long-run. For example, in the current Firefighters’ dispute, a drop in contribution income (due to redundancies) is being given as a reason for cutting their pension scheme benefits.

HE and FE staff currently account for around 20% of LGPS members. Withdrawing access to the scheme for new staff in these institutions will be deeply damaging over the long-term, and will affect the benefits of all LGPS members.

Unison will be working locally and nationally to oppose this regressive proposal. We urge all members to respond to the consultation here.