The Region’s biggest annual campaigning and social event for member, ‘UNISON: Providing Essential Cover for those Deliviering Public Services Raceday’ will be held at Doncaster Racecourse on Saturday 2 August 2014.
LGPS NEW REGULATIONS
The new LGPS started on 1 April 2014 in line with an agreement between the unions, employers and the government. This briefing provides a summary of the benefits and protections that are now laid down in law read more.
OFFICERS AND STEWARDS ELECTED AT THE AGM
In March the Branch held successful AGM events and your officers and stewards were elected.
UNISON SUPPORTING LOCAL FOOD BANK
Fir Vale Food Bank is a partnership organisation that seeks to help reduce food shortages and food poverty in Fir Vale.
Speak to your steward on how to donate.
C A N C E L L E D: UNISON INTERNATIONAL EVENT
Regrettably the International Seminar scheduled for Saturday, 3 May has now been cancelled due to the lack of take up from Branches and Members.
Apologies for any inconvenience which may be caused due to this late cancellation.
TRAINING COURSES FOR YOUNG MEMBERS
The Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Young Members’ Forum are hosting three training workshops for young members.
Saturday 3 May 2014 – Introduction to media skills and organising
Find out more about how to use the internet, social networking and the press and broadcast media for the benefit of UNISON members.
Saturday 30 August 2014 – Campaigning skills
Campaigning can help persuade people to take a particular course of action or change their attitudes or opinions. Find out what skills are needed to achieve this.
Saturday 13 December 2014 – A beginners guide to UNISON
Find out how UNISON is structured and how members influence policy and decisions. Also find out about the work that UNISON does to achieve our objectives.
Training will be held at UNISON Regional Office in Leeds. The workshop costs £12.50 (payable by the Branch). Training starts at 1.30pm – 3.30pm (lunch will be provided from 1pm).
Read the RYMF Bulletin March 2014 final
WCML APRIL NEWSLETTER
Another chance to see the Library’s fascinating
exhibition on working people and science, originally
presented in 2013 to coincide with the 24th
International Congress of History of Science,
Technology and Medicine to echo its theme
“Knowledge at Work”. The exhibition, Knowledge,
work and workers, runs from Thursday 3 April until
Friday 30 May. It highlights hidden aspects of our
collections – topics such as the contributions that
scientists have made to the peace movement,
campaigns to improve public health and the struggles
that trade unions and others have undertaken to make
the workplace a safer place.
This year’s Frow Lecture takes place on Saturday
3 May at 2pm at the Old Fire Station, Salford. Our
speaker will be John Hilary, Executive Director, War on
Want, and author of The Poverty of Capitalism:
Economic Meltdown and the Struggle for What Comes
Next. His topic is Taking the Fight to Global
Capitalism.
Join singers and walkers on Bank Holiday Sunday,
4 May, to commemorate the gathering of thousands of
Chartists on Blackstone Edge in August 1846.
Walk up to the rocky outcrop on Blackstone Edge in
the early afternoon to enjoy the views, to sing, and to
meet and listen to other singers. There will be choirs,
individuals and small groups singing Chartist and other
songs; possibly some people reading poems or talking
about the Chartists; and lots of picnickers
If you would like to contribute a song or reading, or if
you are willing to lead a walk up to the Edge from one
of the valley towns or railway stations, please contact
Gwyneth Morgan at:
gwyneth@blackstoneedgegathering.org.uk
More information at
www.blackstoneedgegathering.org.uk/
HOLD THE DATE – we’re planning a contribution to
Manchester’s Museums at Night evening on
Thursday 15 May. More soon!
As part of Chorlton Arts Festival a collective of artists
using prose, song, poetry and an exhibition will tell the
story of Manchester’s International Brigaders. From
Manchester to Madrid takes place at St Ninian’s,
Egerton Road South, M32 0XY on Saturday 17 May,
starting at 7.15pm.
A transnational and comparative labour
movement conference takes place at the University of
Huddersfield on 21 July, organised by the Society for
the Study of Labour History and presenting papers on
topics as varied as ‘transnational allegiances in WWII
Britain’ to ‘the political travel of Dora Montefiore’. Cost
£15. More details from Janette Martin,
j.martin@hud.ac.uk
HE EMPLOYERS OFFER 2% AND LIVING WAGE
Higher education employers have made a “full and final” pay offer of 2%, with a minimum pay point equal to the living wage, following pay talks with the unions.
UNISON’s higher education service group executive will meet on 23 April to discuss the consultation with members on the 2014/15 offer and the dispute over 2013/14 pay read more
Click here to read the Joint Higher Education Trade Union Pay Claim 2014/15
3RD STRIKE DAY CALLED
UNISON along with UCU and EIS have announced a further 1 day national strike for the 6 February 2014 in response to the HE employers refusal to improve their inadequate 1% pay offer. Unite are currently undertaking further consultation. The growing inequality in pay in higher education between senior managers and the workforce as a whole has been under the spotlight in the run-up to further strike action.
Universities are refusing to make a decent pay offer, despite holding huge cash reserves, which are predicted to continue for the next few years by the Higher Education Funding Council, which describes university finances as being “sound overall”.
UNISON Branches up and down the country will be protesting next week to highlight the inequality within the sector, as well as the added value that employees contribute to the student experience.
UNISON’s National Secretary Jon Richards said “ Universities are keen to proclaim their success and line the pockets of Vice Chancellors and their cronies with inflation busting rises as a reward. Yet thousands of HE staff earn below the Living Wage. Workers who even the Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges are the “working poor”.
“The money is there to pay more. Staff who have managed to hang onto their jobs through significant changes have seen their workload increase dramatically, yet their incomes have been squeezed to breaking point”.
More than 4,000 staff currently earn less than the living wage despite another year of projected surplus. Pay is being squeezed following five years of pay rises below the cost of living and salaries for staff have fallen in real terms by more than13% over the last five years. Staff have lost between £666 and £3,574 that they would have had if salaries had kept pace with the cost of living. UNISON’s low-paid members are already at the sharp end of the coalition government’s welfare reforms such as the bedroom tax.
What you can do:-
- Support the strike
- Join/support our picket lines at Sheffield Hallam University (email Dan Bye your availability)
- Join the rally called by Higher Educations UNISON, Unite and UCU at 12pm on 6th February 2014 outside City Hall, Sheffield
- Sign the online petition calling for Fair Pay in HE: http://www.fairpayinhe.org.uk/
Further information on the pay campaign can be found at:-
https://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/he-pay-dispute/home/
BRANCH PREPARES FOR STRIKE ACTION – 6 FEBRUARY
HE UNISON branches are building up for the next stage of strike action read more
