Register for UNISON’s pre-paid plus cashback card by 19 December 2016, and you could win back the cost of Christmas (calculated by experts to be £796).
Look out for more details when we launch the new card on 16 November.
‘£350M FOR THE NHS’ SWAYED DISABLED VOTERS IN EU REFERENDUM
Research by the Papworth Trust has revealed how propaganda about the NHS swayed disabled voters who didn’t know how many of their protections were from the EU, a Unison conference was told.
The suggestion that the UK could spend the money it sends to Brussels on the NHS was a major reason that many disabled voters backed the call to leave the European Union in June, ‘gambling’ with protections that few realised the EU had guaranteed for them.
FIVE WAYS TO AVOID OVERSPENDING THIS CHRISTMAS
Christmas can be overwhelming. With UNISON members already feeling the pinch of rising costs, it’s concerning that consumer debt saw its sharpest spike since 2006 in the run-up to Christmas last year.
But don’t panic. UNISON have compiled a handy five point guide to keeping financially afloat this Christmas. Read more.
WHO WRITES YOUR JOB REFERENCE?
Did you know that if you request a reference from your manager at Sheffield Hallam when applying for another job, it might not actually be them that completes it?
And if you are asked for a reference by one of your team members, make sure you follow our HR procedures.
All employer references must be completed by HR, not by members of staff across the University. Personal references are different – see the full guidance on the HR website.
READ THE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S THOUGHTS ON EQUALITY
Do you read the Vice-Chancellor’s blog? It’s a good way of learning about the thinking behind University decisions, and it sometimes includes information that you won’t find elsewhere.
If you’ve not read it before, a good place to start is this piece on equality, a topic close to our heart at UNISON.
The VC’s blog is updated every Monday. You can subscribe at https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/vc/
HESGE DECISION ON INDUSTRIAL ACTION
UNISON’s Higher Education Service Group Executive (HESGE) met on 20th September to discuss the results of the industrial action ballot on the 2016/17 national pay offer.
A long and considered discussion took place, which took into account the close vote in the ballot, a disappointing turnout and the knowledge that it was likely that if UNISON did take strike action it would not be with all other unions (due to notable differences in positions and timetables). Joint union action has been key to previous successful action.
Taking this into account it was reluctantly agreed that UNISON would not take industrial action on this occasion. The HESGE felt that the ballot results and views from regions meant that the union could not deliver a sufficiently strong strike to force the employers to improve their derisory pay offer.
UNISON is committed to national pay bargaining and will continue to campaign to improve members pay, terms and conditions in higher education. Further discussions will take place at UNISON’s forthcoming HE branch seminar, which will also focus on the need to build membership and engage members in future industrial action ballots.
NEW BRANCH ACTIVISTS
Recent branch elections: Tom Kidston steward in D&S, Michael Scarborough steward in SU and Rhys Edwards communications officer.
SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Dan J Bye, UNISON Branch Secretary, has been re-elected to professional services staff seat on the University Board of Governors. Dan was supported by UNISON, and his term of office is for four years until 31 July 2020.
Dan received 58.3% of first preference votes. As this was a clear majority over the three other candidates, Dan was duly elected without second or subsequent preferences needing to be counted. He thanks everyone who voted for him, and everyone who participated in the election.
Turnout in the election remained disappointingly low, at 16.3% of eligible staff. However, this was an improvement on the vote in 2014, when only 14.9% of eligible voters participated. Improving understanding and awareness of the work of the Board, and therefore hopefully participation in Board elections, is something that Dan is committed to during his term in office.
The Board of Governors intranet site can be found here: https://www.shu.ac.uk/?sc_itemid=764A54D7-2D6E-4CD6-9F0C-34B976E7F34F
SHEFFIELD TUC
ORGREAVE: TIME FOR JUSTICE TO BE SERVED AND THE TRUTH TO BE HEARD
UNISON has repeatedly called for an independent and thorough investigation into what really happened at the “Battle of Orgreave” during the miners’ strike.
The official version of events – put forward by the police – was that the miners were to blame for the violence that erupted that day, and that the police were acting in self-defence. But we in the labour movement have always known that wasn’t the real story.