Blog: We can and must stop this dreadful attack on children living in poverty

Free school meals for those who need them most has been a hallmark of our school system for decades. It has been an accepted principle under numerous governments that no child – no matter how much money their parents have – should go hungry whilst they’re studying. UNISON has also supported the extention of free school meals to all children, reducing the stigma faced by those children who rely on them and ensuring a healthy meal during the school term for all children.

Yet now, thanks to the introduction of the government’s Universal Credit, one million children living in poverty who could receive free school meals won’t get them. So far, every family receiving Universal Credit has received free school meals. Yet from April 1st this year, any family on Universal Credit earning more than £7400 will be be excluded from free school meals.

That’s no April fool – so much for making sure that “work always pays”.

Instead, these new rules will mean families in work – including many UNISON members – will be penalised through losing free school meals if they work more hours or get a pay rise.

That’s why UNISON is supporting The Children’s Society’s campaign to stop the changes. We don’t have long, but a vote is due in parliament to seek to overturn the government’s plans. We’re asking UNISON members to write to their MP and call on them to raise this with the government before it’s too late. We can and must stop this dreadful attack on children living in poverty, by speaking together with one voice and demanding these plans are scrapped.

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Packing a punch, in the shortest month

Time’s up – or the time of our lives?

Like every other month since the dawn of time, women were at the centre of things in February. Everyone got excited about the 100^th anniversary of those women over 30, who owned their own houses, getting  the vote.

And with beautiful happenstance, it coincided with the country’s biggest women’s organisation holding its biggest ever women’s conference.

Yes, the women of UNISON met in Liverpool with general secretary Dave Prentis  praising “the biggest gathering of women trade unionists in this country” and President Margaret McKee hailing them all as ”amazing women”.

And the variety of debates reflected the variety of delegates, whether it was women working in technology, science and engineering; opposing the tax credit rape clause;  voting to fight for refuges or supporting older female workers.

There was even a guest appearance from a suffragette descendant.

Learning from history

History was everywhere in February (isn’t it always?).

It was also LGBT History Month – a chance to celebrate LGBT lives and culture in order to challenge prejudice and build equality. And this year’s event took place amidst a whole calendar-worth of anniversaries.

It was the 30th anniversary of the UK government passing Section 28, the notorious piece of legislation that prohibited local authorities from “promoting homosexuality”.

Ten years earlier, Harvey Milk, the first out gay councillor in the USA, was murdered. On a brighter note, the rainbow flag is also 40 years old, while Sarah Walter’s lesbian classic, Tipping the Velvet, is 20.

The theme for LGBT History Month was Geography: Mapping the world.

And if those anniversaries provide us with a snapshot of progress in a short time, then there is no shortage of information around to remind us that, while equality is spreading – from marriage to adoption and much more – there are also large parts of our world where LGBT people live in fear. Find out more about LGBT members in UNISON.

Action, action, everywhere

UNISON is all about creating, not just celebrating, history. And there was plenty of history-making action around too in February.

Homecare workers in Birmingham went on strike, after a 99% vote in favour, over redundancies and a new rota system.

General secretary Dave Prentis reiterated his support for them: “Our homecare workers in Birmingham have the full support of myself and the national union,” he declared. “You will not be alone.“

Further north, hundreds of women (some of them dressed as suffragettes) marched in Glasgow as they continued their fight for equal pay.

And local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland started a month-long branch pay consultation.

Patient transport members in Manchester voted on industrial action over a two-tier workforce; Harrogate NHS members rejected plans to transfer them to a private company. and UNISON members working at three hospitals in Lancashire were on course for industrial action  over plans to outsource their jobs to a new company, set-up and owned by the NHS trust, in May.

More positive news came from Wales as University of South Wales cleaners won their tribunal case and UNISON an

nounced that it was to negotiate pay and conditions for staff at one of the UK’s largest housing associations.

And as the winter crisis left the front pages, UNISON was heavily represented as more than 60,000 people braved freezing temperatures and rain calling on the government to properly fund the NHS.

In the news

Two big news stories in February involved UNISON members.

British Gas announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs by 2020. And UNISON national energy officer Matt Ley argued that staff were yet again paying the price.

And after it was announced that meat supplier Russell Hume went into administration after being investigated by the Food Standards Agency, UNISON’s head of local government Heather Wakefield called for more meat inspectors.

UNISON also wrote to vice chancellors over the university pensions dispute.

Good housekeeping

Closer to home, a lot of important things happened within the fine walls of UNISON itself.

The UNISON lottery was relaunched, helping raise vital funds for UNISON’s own welfare charity There for You (and giving players the chance to win some prizes too, of course).

There was also a new UNISON Living partner providing mortgage advice. And UNISON’s advice even started to get real close and personal with the launch of a new mobile face to face advice service for workers in Edinburgh and Lothian.

And it sounds a bit dull but is actually really, really important – there are new UNISON application forms in force now to comply with changes to the law.

You can find out more here.

 

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Help a million children get the free school meals they need

Union members can help stop one million children in England being denied the free school meals they need.

UNISON is urging members to get behind the latest campaign by the Children’s Society and urge their local MP to speak out against new regulations on universal credit which will cut eligibility for free school meals for children living in poverty.

The charity points out that free school meals exist to provide children with a proper meal when food may be tight at home. For some children, this may be the only healthy cooked food they get. For others, it can be their only meal of the day.

Eligibility depends on whether their parents receive certain benefits. Universal credit has gradually been replacing these old benefits and covers families where adults are both in and out of work.

Up until now, children in any family receiving universal credit have qualified for free school meals. If that continued, almost every child in poverty would receive a free school meal by the time universal credit is fully rolled out, currently expected to be 2022.

But the government wants to clamp down on that with a new rule from 1 April this year which would mean that children in any family on universal credit in England would stop being entitled to free school meals if their parents earned more than £7,400 a year.

When the 2010-15 coalition government introduced universal credit, it said the aim was to make sure that work always pays. But now low-paid families could see their children’s free school meals taken away if the parents take on extra hours or get a pay rise.

Instead, they would have to pay out around £400 a year for every one of their children in school – no small sum if you’re already on low pay. And it mounts up – a family with three children would be £1,200 worse off every year.

And on top of that, one million children in poverty, who could benefit from free school meals, now won’t.

“No child should be going hungry, yet the government is missing the chance for one million young people living in poverty to have a nutritious school meal,” says UNISON national secretary Jon Richards.

“The government promised that it would make ‘work pay’, instead it is penalising thousands of working parents on low incomes, who will lose out if they earn more than £7,400 a year.”

That is why UNISON is backing the Children’s Society call for the government to scrap the changes and continue providing free school meals to children from families receiving universal credit.

The new regulations are likely to be discussed in Parliament during March. UNISON is asking members in England to contact their MP and ask them to speak out against the change.

Your can find out more about the issue on the Children’s Society website, which includes an interactive map showing how many children will lose out in your local area because of the change, as well as answers to a series of frequently asked questions.

Find out more and take action

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The continuing crisis in Northamptonshire

UNISON members in Northamptonshire will be keeping a sharp eye on the county council when it meets today in its second attempt to pass a budget for 2018-19.

The council’s scheduled meeting last Thursday (22 February) wasn’t able to discuss the budget after auditors KPMG issue a legal warning letter that it “may not lawfully continue” with its “decision-making process for setting a budget for 2018-19, and its precept for 2018/19”.

Because the budget plans did not balance, relying on selling land and buildings, the auditors warned that this would breach the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the 1992 Local Government Finance Act.

Proposals from the council’s cabinet, which will be discussed today, are for an extra £9.9m of cuts on top of the £29.3m of “savings” for 2018-19 which had already been proposed.

These include:

• closing 21 of 36 libraries;
• cutting trading standards services by 42%;
• cutting skills and jobs funding for vulnerable teenagers by £500,000;
• cutting grants to local charities by £600,000;
• not paying a proposed 2% pay rise for staff.

Earlier in February, the council issued a so-called Section 114 notice to staff, banning most new spending.

The notice, thought to be the first one issued in 20 years, will remain in force until the end of the financial year on 31 March.

Next year’s budget must be set by 11 March, while council tax must be set by 1 March, which is why there will be an extraordinary meeting to discuss new proposals on 28 February.

Staff were told they had to to take one day’s mandatory unpaid leave in November as part of a plan to save £2m a month.

But their UNISON branch says the council was guilty of financial mismanagement well before this crisis.

As the council was preparing to meet on Thursday, UNISON East Midlands pointed to a “lucrative contract” for a former senior executive, signed just days after she was made redundant.

Christine Reed enjoyed the title of “director of people, transformation and transactions for shared services” until she was made redundant in September 2016 and received a payment of £50,000.

Shortly afterwards, the council awarded a contract for IT services to Gradon Consulting. Ms Reed is the sole director of, and one of only two shareholders in, the company. It received £185,000 from the council between September 2016 and October 2017, according to receipts seen by the BBC.

UNISON said the transaction showed the extent of financial mismanagement at the county council, while branch secretary Penny Smith said it was “morally reprehensible” for Ms Reed to be paid off and re-engaged as a consultant while staff were forced to lose a day’s pay through unpaid leave.

“The fact that Northamptonshire council has had to issue a section 114 notice will hopefully at least make more people aware of the battering that local councils have endured thanks to the reckless actions of Westminster governments since 2010.”

UNISON national officer Matthew Egan

In January, the government appointed an inquiry to look into financial management and the governance at the council.

The inquiry, by former Hackney and Barnet chief executive Max Caller is expected to report shortly.

UNISON national officer Matthew Egan warns that whatever happens with the report and council budget, Northamptonshire is just the first outward sign of a growing crisis in local government finance.

There are a number of factors involved in Northants, he says: central government cuts, historically low council tax rates and a vigorous outsourcing policy.

Those combined, with increasing demand for services – particularly in both adult and children’s social care – to create a perfect storm.

Director of social care Anna Earnshawe warned the cabinet budget meeting that severe underfunding means adult social services are on the “edge of being unsafe”, with 2,000 cases unassigned.

The biggest factor in the crisis, says Mr Egan, is the cuts in central government funding.

London, Edinburgh and Cardiff have finalised their local government finance settlements, but UNISON warned last week that, even with a “tiny increase” in funding, the figures “are nowhere near enough to meet the pressures that local government is collectively facing”.

In England, for instance, the government gave an extra £150m for councils, via the adult social care grant. But that service faces a £2.3bn funding gap by 2020.

Central government is increasingly working to make local government rely on council tax and business rates, with a substantially reduced level of central grants.

Both UNISON and the Local Government Association are urging the government to release billions of pounds it has accumulated from its share of business rates.

The crisis in local government finances has been building for some time, says Mr Egan. “And because many council services are hidden from view, or might only be used by a relatively small number of people in the local community, many people are unaware of the devastating impact that cuts to council budgets have had.

“The fact that Northamptonshire council has had to issue a section 114 notice will hopefully at least make more people aware of the battering that local councils have endured thanks to the reckless actions of Westminster governments since 2010.”

Now the crisis is coming to a head.

Whatever individual factors are at play in Northamptonshire, it might be the first but it won’t be the last to find itself in dire straits, warns Mr Egan, unless the government changes its approach to local government.

UNISON policy: Local government finance and protecting members’ jobs (motion passed at 2016 service group conference)

UNISON policy: Local government finance (motion passed at 2015 service group conference)

Conference debate: Cuts and privatisation create a ‘perfect storm’ in local government (14 June 2015)

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Blog: A union that goes out to our members, rather than expecting them to come to us

On Friday I was in Edinburgh – where I saw a branch that’s experimenting and innovating as it strives to deliver better services, representation and campaigns for our members. Lothian Health Branch – ably led by Jane and Tam – are a credit to our union.

I was visiting the branch to address its (well attended) AGM, but beforehand I visited three of the hospitals covered by the branch. Each had a well-placed, visible and thriving UNISON resource centre at its heart. Each had someone for members to go to receive support from their union. And every single one helped make our union a part of the lives of our members and their workplaces.

On Friday evening, the branch went one step further with a brilliant new initiative – a mobile advice centre – which will allow UNISON to go out to our members, rather than expecting them to come to us. It’s the first of its kind in the UK, and again this is an example of a branch taking a different approach to bringing members on board. Assuming it’s successful (which I have no doubt it will be) it’s definitely something that other branches and regions could take on in future.

Making our union more accessible, as Lothian Health branch has done, means we can reach more UNISON members and gain new ones too. But it also helps get more people involved in our democracy and our campaigns, making us stronger by adding more voices to our calls for better pay, better conditions and much-needed funding for public services.

This year we celebrate 25 years of UNISON. It’ll be a time for great celebration, and an opportunity to look back on what we’ve achieved. But it’s also an opportunity to plan for the future. Lothian Health branch has so much that our union can learn from – we need them, and all of our branches, engaged in the debate about how we build a better union that works for every UNISON member.

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UNISON launches new mobile face-to-face advice service for workers in Edinburgh and the Lothians

UNISON is today (Friday) launching a new face-to-face advice service for employees working in care homes, GP practices or out in the community.

The mobile advice unit – a custom-made vehicle with an office and internet access – will cover workplaces in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The mobile unit is expected to help thousands of workers who don’t have a physical union presence at work.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis is launching the initiative, the first of its kind in the UK, this afternoon.

Dave Prentis said: “This mobile advice unit is good news for workers, whether they’re in a union or thinking of joining one. It means someone will be available to advise them whenever they need it.

“Workers in the community can often feel left out and isolated so we’re hoping to reconnect with them and ensure they receive the help they need in these challenging times.”

Chair of UNISON Scotland’s health committee Thomas Waterson said: “Too many workers in the community are currently missing out on union advice, partly because of the hours they work and the nature of their jobs. We’re addressing this issue by bringing advice straight to them.

“Having a visible presence means workers will feel supported and reassured that their best interests are being looked after by their union.”

UNISON media contacts:
Jane Anderson, Secretary of UNISON’s Lothian health branch M: 07872 420924
Tom Waterson – Chair of UNISON Scotland’s health committee M: 07753 627575
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

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UNISON welcomes moves to protect apprentices

UNISON is hoping moves to make sure apprentices in the North East of England get decent pay and training will encourage more action across the country.

In January alone, the region saw Hartlepool College sign up to UNISON’s Apprenticeship Charter, while the union also signed a local apprenticeship agreement with Redcar and Cleveland council.

The college is the first apprenticeship provider in the area to sign up to the charter, and UNISON local organiser Jo Spires welcomed its “commitment that all apprenticeships offered will result in positive outcomes for both apprentices and the employer – ensuring apprentices receive the correct rate of pay for jobs they are doing, high quality training and a safe working environment.”

Speaking at the signing, college principal Darren Hankey said: “The charter is about high quality apprenticeships and that’s what we strive to provide on a day-to-day basis and this really underlines our approach to the work that we do.”

The college prides itself on being the “number one apprenticeship provider in the north of England”.

The UNISON Apprenticeship Charter

In Redcar and Cleveland, the agreement between UNISON and the council recognises the quality of the latter’s apprenticeship scheme.

Branch secretary Andrew Tickle said the new agreement will guarantee the apprentices high quality training while being employed on the same terms and conditions as existing council employees.

The agreement recognises the apprenticeship scheme as investing in future careers rather than ‘cheap labour’ while providing appropriate job supervision, pastoral support and clarity about rights and responsibilities.

UNISON regional organiser congratulated the council on its scheme and outlined the strengths of UNISON’s relationship: working in partnership with the council as an employer, supporting the apprentices and being there for them throughout the whole of their working careers.

Related story: ‘A new dawn for apprentices’ (27 November 2017)

UNISON model apprenticeship agreement

UNISON learning: An introduction to apprenticeships (11 September 2017)

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Public sector staff are overstretched and under-appreciated, says UNISON

Commenting on the TUC’s new analysis of unpaid overtime in the UK, released today (Friday) to coincide with the 14^th annual Work Your Proper Hours Day. UNISON assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Public sector staff regularly work through their breaks and go home late, because they’re dedicated to the patients, students and local people who rely on them.

“But expecting employees to work above and beyond the call of duty, day in day out, is simply not on.

“With staffing shortages and wages failing to rise with the cost of living, morale in our public services is already at rock bottom. Overstretched and under-appreciated staff are at risk of burning out or giving up on a career in the public sector altogether.

“While managers need to ensure that staff work their proper hours, the government needs to give public sector workers the decent pay rise they all deserve.”

Media contacts:
Clare Santry T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07944 191479 E: c.santry@unison.co.uk

Liz Chinchen T: 020 7121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

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Staff yet again paying the price as British Gas profits fall, says UNISON

Commenting on the news today (Thursday) that British Gas is to cut 4,000 jobs by 2020 and the company has lost 1.4m customers, UNISON national energy officer Matt Lay said:

“Staff quite simply will be devastated. Although Centrica has already shed thousands of jobs, it’s nowhere near out of the woods, and there’s much more misery to come.

“British Gas staff shouldn’t be feeling the heat today. It should be Centrica chief executive Iain Conn.

“British Gas can’t go on putting the squeeze on its staff and customers. If the company is to survive, it needs first class products, priced competitively to help rebuild its market share, and a genuine strategy for growth. Without this, thousands of UK jobs are at stake, in areas of the country where decent employment can be hard to find.

“The future for energy firms remains challenging, but one of British Gas’ great strengths is its UK workforce. Staff want to be the best at customer service and offer the most competitive products in the market place, but many feel let down by system failures, poor engagement and a lack of strategic thinking in the past.

“UNISON will be doing everything it can to support staff and is seeking assurances that the company will be making every effort to avoid compulsory redundancies.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the largest union among the white collar staff at British Gas and has a long history with the company.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
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More meat inspectors are needed following Russell Hume scandal, says UNISON

Responding to the news today (Monday) that the meat supplier Russell Hume, which is under investigation by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), has gone into administration, UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said:

“Job losses are never good news for the individuals concerned, but what happened at Russell Hume made the company’s position untenable.

“This crisis in the UK’s meat supplies, following the discovery at the cutting plant in Birmingham, is clear evidence that meat inspections are not happening frequently enough.

“The hygiene failures came to light on an unannounced visit. The previous inspection had been almost a year before that.

“The FSA must act now and take on extra directly-employed meat inspectors, otherwise there’ll be more incidents of companies recklessly taking risks with the public’s health.

“There must be a permanent inspection presence in every meat cutting plant, to prevent a culture of complacency in food hygiene.”

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UNISON writes to vice chancellors over university pensions dispute

UNISON has written to university vice chancellors, asking them to support calls to involve arbitration and conciliation service ACAS in seeking a solution to the dispute around the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

Employers’ organisation Universities UK has proposed ending any defined benefit from being earned in the future and moving to a completely defined-contribution scheme.

UNISON is consulting members over the proposals while lecturers’ union UCU has started industrial action over the issue.

UNISON’s letter, signed by head of higher education Donna Rowe-Merriman, asks vice chancellors to support an NUS call to involve ACAS and “to bring UCU and UUK  together for meaningful negotiations and all interested parties.

“We ask that  you  also make your views publicly known to UUK colleagues as soon as possible to try and seek a resolution.

“We understand that UCU has said they are prepared to involve ACAS to try to resolve the situation.”

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Help the campaign to save 500 lives a year

UNISON is backing a Daily Mirror campaign that could make history – and save up to 500 lives a year – and we’re asking you to help us.

This Friday, 23 February, Geoffrey Robinson MP will present a private members’ bill in the House of Commons to change England’s laws on organ donation.

In the last decade, 4,712 people have died while waiting for an organ donor. As you read this, there are 500 people on the transplant list.

MPs now have an opportunity to slash these numbers. But do so needs 100 members in the House on Friday morning. At present, 64 MPs have confirmed their attendance, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth.

At the moment, people have to opt in to become a donor after their death. Changing the law would mean they will automatically be considered a donor unless they have previously decided to opt-out. Family members could still overrule this if they wanted.

Wales and Scotland have already decided to change the law. If it happens in England too, then thousands of lives could be saved.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Mr Corbyn have both backed a change in the law, as well as Dr Chaand Naipaul, the council chairman of the British Medical Association.

You can make a difference by contacting your MP to ask them to be in the House on Friday. To do that, you can use www.theyworkforyou.com to find out who your MP is and to contact them.

Every message sent to an MP could make a difference. This really is a life and death situation.

To read more, visit the Mirror’s dedicated campaign pages.

UNISON policy on organ donation (NDC 2017)

UNISON in partnership with NHS to boost blood and organ donation (2015)

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Tuition fees review ‘needs to support wider access’

“Any change in tuition fees needs to support wider access for students that need flexibility in study options,” UNISON head of higher education Donna Rowe-Merriman said today.

She was speaking after prime minister Theresa May admitted that students in England face “one of the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world”, and announced an “independent review of fees and student finance” to take place over the next year.

Tuition fees in England currently stand at £9,250 a year, which leaves student nurses, for instance, qualifying with a debt of more than £50,000.

“UNISON remains committed to a free education system funded by general taxation and is keen to contribute to any examination of fairer ways of resourcing post-16 education,” said Ms Rowe-Merriman.

She also said students and staff needed to be involved in the review, to make sure that “a radical overhaul of a broken system takes place.”

“Students take on the burden of debt whilst business does little to contribute to ensuring it gets a highly skilled workforce,” she added. “This needs to change as a matter of urgency.”

She pointed out that a well educated workforce benefits the economy and society as a whole, not just individual graduates.

Public sector workers including nurses, teachers, doctors, social workers and many more, are all educated at universities around the UK.

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UNISON and Nursing Times partnership helps support next generation of nurses

UNISON has teamed up with the Nursing Times to offer student members an exclusive 40% discount on a subscription.*

Nursing Times has been established as the independent voice of the nursing profession and a resource for both professional nurses and students since its inception in 1905.

The monthly print magazine, combined with its online companion, has a library of double-blind, peer-reviewed clinical articles, news, opinion and online learning units to help to educate, inform and inspire nurses at all levels and disciplines.

A subscription to Nursing Times helps readers stay informed with developments relating to their profession, and improves and enhances their clinical skills.

An online subscription to costs £99 a year, but as a student UNISON member, you can get a 12-month subscription for just £62.99 – that’s an extra 10% off the normal student discounted price*.

A student subscription includes all the features and resources within a professional subscription, as well as Student Nursing Times – a dedicated student zone offering advice, blogs and forums specifically for student nurses.

Student UNISON members can take advantage of this offer at subscribe.nursingtimes.net/UNISON/ or by meeting a representative at UNISON events around the country.

*Student Nursing Times subscribers receive a 30% off the professional subscription rate. A UNISON discount applies an additional 10% off the standard professional rate.

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Time for a windfall tax on the PFI profiteers, says UNISON

The enormous profits being racked up by Private Finance Initiative (PFI) companies should be subject to a new windfall tax, so much-needed resources can be put back into the UK’s cash-strapped public services, says UNISON today (Monday).

Such a tax could be introduced if two amendments to the Finance Bill, which have been tabled by Stella Creasy MP, achieve enough support during Wednesday’s House of Commons debate on the draft legislation.

UNISON believes a new windfall tax could prove a lifeline to under pressure public services. It would mean PFI firms are forced to pay back some of the billions of pounds they’ve been raking in at taxpayers’ expense, says UNISON.

Government cuts to spending have placed schools, hospitals and local councils in dire financial straits – a desperate situation made worse by the huge PFI loan repayments they’re locked into over many years, says the union.

When many PFI deals were signed by the Treasury corporation tax was 30%, but now it’s 19%. Cuts to the tax mean the PFI companies are making even more money than they thought they would, making the strong case for a windfall tax, UNISON believes.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Eye-wateringly high PFI payments are threatening to overwhelm our already cash-strapped public services.

“Local communities may now have shiny new schools and hospitals but at huge cost. The repayments on PFI debt have to be made first, and are so steep that teaching assistants are losing their jobs and patient services are being cut back.

“Meanwhile the shadowy PFI firms just keep on hitting the jackpot, making millions more than they’d ever hoped to because George Osborne slashed their tax bill a few years back.

“There’s no time to lose. Crippling PFI debts are pushing local services to the brink and costing taxpayers dear. It’s time for a windfall tax on the companies cashing in at our expense. It would bring some urgent and much-needed relief for the services we all rely upon.”

Notes to editors:
–Since 1992 PFI has been used to finance public sector projects. There are around 700 PFI projects in operation across the UK, involving schools, hospitals and prisons.
– The National Audit Office recently found that PFI contracts can make the costs of building projects up to 40% more expensive.

UNISON media contacts:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Clare Santry T: 0207 121 5546 M: 07944 191479 E: c.santry@unison.co.uk

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You can help inform future social housing policy

It’s a crucial time in the social housing sector in England, with key policy developments and events including the Grenfell Tower tragedy all affecting the sector.

As part of the debate on the future of social housing, the Chartered Institute of Housing has launched a research project on Rethinking Social Housing.

This aims to examine some fundamental questions about the role, values and purpose of social housing in order to help shape its future.

The institute wants as many people who work, live or have an interest in social housing to take part in the project to give people the chance to explore these key questions.

UNISON is encouraging members to participate in the research.

Feedback will be anonymous, but it will help to inform recommendations to government and the wider housing sector, and start a wider debate on the future social housing. Contributions will also be used to form part of the institute’s response to the forthcoming government’s green paper on social housing.

To take part in the survey, click here.

The deadline for responses is 31 March 2018.

For more information and resources, visit the Chartered Institute of Housing’s website here.

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Blog: A strong record of organising in the housing sector

Earlier this week, UNISON signed a recognition agreement with Optivo – one of the largest Housing Associations in the UK with affordable homes in London, the South East and the Midlands. I was pleased to sign the agreement in person alongside their Chief Executive Paul Hackett, and talk with him and his team about the challenges they face in the years ahead.

UNISON has a strong record of organising in the housing sector, and we’ve had a recognition agreement with Amicus Horizon Group (a predecessor to Optivo) since 2006. Last year Amicus Horizon merged with Viridian Housing Association to form Optivo – so I’m pleased that we’ve been able to sign a further agreement so that we can better represent even more members in housing, with full negotiating rights on the full range of pay and conditions issues for members.

Housing – particularly social housing – is one of the biggest issues our country faces in the year ahead, and that’s especially true in London. Last year, a UNISON report showed that rising housing costs are forcing public sector workers out of London. Almost two thirds (62%) of workers want to leave the capital because of the cost of housing. This figure rises to 87% for health workers living in the private rented sector. That means housing that is genuinely  affordable like that provided by Optivo matters both because our members help deliver it – and because many UNISON members rely upon it.

I am proud that we have secured this agreement – and I hope that in the years ahead we can continue to deliver for Optivo members, as they seek to deliver decent affordable housing for those who need it most.

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UNISON to negotiate pay and conditions for staff at one of the UK’s largest housing associations

UNISON to negotiate pay and conditions for staff at one of the UK’s largest housing associations

UNISON has signed a recognition agreement with one of the UK’s largest housing associations, Optivo Housing, allowing the union to negotiate pay and working conditions on behalf of staff there.

The agreement – signed by UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis and Optivo chief executive officer Paul Hackett – allows the union to both recruit new members and negotiate on behalf of existing ones.

Optivo is one of the UK’s largest housing associations with over 44,000 affordable homes in London, the South East and the Midlands. It was formed following the amalgamation of Amicus Horizon and Viridian Housing Association last May.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “UNISON and Optivo have worked closely together to develop a strong working relationship since the merger last May, building upon the foundations already in place.

“The recognition agreement means that staff who belong to UNISON will have a voice that is heard and respected in the workplace.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON had been formally recognised by Amicus Horizon for over 20 years. This agreement is just one of a number that have recently been signed by newly merged housing associations including Clarion Housing and L&Q/East Thames.

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UNISON members show some BIG love

It’s Valentine’s Day, the day we all demonstrate and declare our love.

And this year, it comes right in the middle of Heart Unions week, an annual celebration of trade unions and all they stand for.

UNISON has been adding its own distinctive flavour to events today by also showing and sharing our love for public services, for the public service champions who provide them, and for fair pay!

Scotland saw Valentine’s Day protests against councils’ plans to cut services and jobs, calling on the public to ‘show their love for public services’ in Moray, West Lothian, Aberdeenshire … in fact across the country.

In Wales, local government and public services minister Alun Davies – a member of the UNISON Assembly Member group – took the opportunity to show his support for the Heart Unions week…

… while Carmarthenshire branch was just one of many branches using the week to raise UNISON’s profile and recruit new members.

In North West England, UNISON members gathered at a Salford care home as part of the union’s Care Workers for Change campaign in the region.

They were joined by Salford mayor Paul Dennett and the regional TUC at the Pemberton Fold home, to thank care workers for the hard work they do looking after vulnerable care workers and call on Community Integrated Care, the charity which runs the home, to recognise the union.

A similar scene took place in Stockport, where Care Workers for Change took to the pavement outside Borough Care Ltd, to declare “We care workers” and talk to the workers in the cold…

They were not the only workers showing their love on 14 February, as they ‘hearted’ UNISON and unions in general.

In Liverpool, metro mayor Steve Rotheram joined the UNISON branch at Liverpool city region combined authority to show his support …

… and members at Bolton Children’s Centres made their feeling clear.

In Nottingham, UNISON East Midlands members ran a stall at the QMC, gathering ‘wonderful’ messages from staff and public alike, calling on the government to fund a real pay rise for all public service workers.

The South West saw a Valentine’s Day protest at Gloucestershire Hospital to highlight the trust’s plans to outsource workers to a wholly owned subsidiary company.

At the other end of England in Hartlepool, members pulled out all the stops to show their love at the University Hospital.

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Patient transport members vote on industrial action over two-tier workforce

UNISON members who transport patients in greater Manchester are being balloted for potential strike action over pay differences which see some of them paid up to £2.40 an hour less, get fewer breaks and receive less sick pay.

Around 100 staff at Greater Manchester Patient Transport Services were hired when the service was outsourced to Arriva between 2013 and 2016, and employed on the inferior terms and conditions.

This means that a third of the services staff are paid less than colleagues who were employed before the service was privatised, or after it was brought back into the public sector – a situation UNISON says is both “ridiculous and untenable”.

UNISON North West regional organiser David Atkinson pointed out: “You have colleagues working together on a 10-hour shift, doing the same job, but one can take two breaks and the other just one.”

The service, which provides non-emergency transport to hospital patients, is now run by the North West Ambulance Service. The NWAS did not do anything about the two-tier workforce when it took over the service in June 2016, though it did recruit new staff in 2017 on NHS terms and conditions.

“We have tried for 18 months now to negotiate with NWAS and they still refuse to harmonise their pay with the rest of the workforce,” said Mr Atkinson.

“We genuinely hope that NWAS now accept that this is wrong and that they offer these staff the NHS contract.”

He added that taking strike action is “the last thing that our PTS members who are on these contracts want to do,” but “they are angry and frustrated by the obvious unfairness they are suffering”.

Eastern region: UNISON calls for inquiry into PTS failures in Bedfordshire and Heartfordshire (17/10/17)

Eastern region: UNISON condemns decision to remove PTS contract from NHS ambulance trust and give it to a private company (27/10/17)

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HE members to be consulted to over proposed pension changes

UNISON has launched a consultation with higher education members after their employer proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension scheme that could see staff thousands of pounds worse off.

Universities UK has proposed ending any defined benefit from being earned in the future and moving to a completely defined-contribution scheme.

UNISON’s higher education service group executive has concluded that members who are also members of the pension scheme are to be consulted on the proposed changes.

The executive is recommending that members reject the proposals and prepare to take part in sustained and prolonged industrial action.

UNISON head of higher education Donna Rowe-Merriman said “The changes proposed by the employers will have a devastating impact on UNISON USS members.

“It is vital that UNISON members that belong to the USS pension scheme make their views known on this offer to fundamentally change the scheme.”

The consultation runs until 2 March 2018.

The University and College Union has already balloted members over the proposed changes and has announced that it is to take 14 days of strike action across a four-week period in at least 61 higher education institutions, beginning on 22 February.

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Moray activists fight possible Valentine’s massacre

UNISON activists in Moray, Scotland, are campaigning to avoid a Valentine’s Day massacre as the council considers making cuts to local services.

With the council set to meet on Wednesday, activists took to the streets at the weekend with a Valentine’s card, helping raise awareness of the threats and asking local people to give their support by signing the giant card.

Branch secretary Suzanne Wright said: “The council do not have any coherent plan of how the cuts they are proposing will implement, therefore they cannot know the full extent of the devastation they are causing the public services in the area”.

However, councilors will meet on Wednesday 14 February without having provided any clear answer or further plans to the union.

On Wednesday, the branch is organising a Show Your Love of for Public Services lobby of the council before the meeting, from 8-9.10am.

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University of South Wales cleaners win tribunal case

Cleaners at the University of South Wales have won thousands of pounds in compensation after a private company unlawfully deducted money from their wages over 11 months.

The nine women (pictured), supported by UNISON, are employed by KGB Cleaning to clean the university’s ATRiuM in Cardiff.

Having worked at the Caerleon site up until its closure in July 2016, they were transferred to another site under an agreement that their travel time from Caerleon would be paid. However, KGB Cleaning reneged on this in March 2017.

After a two-day hearing, an employment tribunal found the company guilty of unlawful deduction from wages and breaching the national minimum wage.

UNISON has said that the University of South Wales now needs to reflect on outsourcing cleaning to contractors that exploit women in the local community. The union has called for all cleaning to be taken in-house by the university.

UNISON Cymru/Wales organiser Seb Cooke said: “A group of low-paid women being exploited have stood up to their multi-million pound employer and won.

“KGB Cleaning has unlawfully deducted the wages of staff who are earning just the minimum wage. These workers have shown that, even if all the odds are stacked against you, by remaining united in your trade union, you can be victorious.”

UNISON University of South Wales branch secretary Dan Beard added: “Cleaners ensure the campus is pristine before students and staff arrive. Had the university not outsourced cleaning work, those workers would today benefit from decent wages and conditions of service.

“The tribunal decision will tarnish the reputation of KGB Cleaning and raises moral questions on outsourcing. This can be put right by bringing the cleaning contracts immediately in-house.”

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Blog: It’s ❤ unions week and we have so much to be proud of

This week is  unions week – and as part of that,  UNISON week –when we celebrate everything that is great about trade unions.

It’s a time to take stock of everything that has happened over the past year, everything our union and our members have achieved. And we have so much to be proud of.

Of course, there was the Supreme Court victory over employment tribunal fees – a massive win not just for UNISON members but for every single working person in the UK. This was the biggest employment law case in recent history and it was our union that won it.

But not all of the successes of our union capture the headlines. Most of the work we do goes unseen by most, but that doesn’t mean it matters any less.

From the safety reps who keep their colleagues from injury and ill-health in the workplace, to the union learning rep who makes sure that UNISON members have access to educational and training opportunities or the activists leading on mental health: representing, negotiating, campaigning – every single day, UNISON’s work changes lives for the better

By standing together, by pooling our resources, by working in unison, we can achieve far more together than any of us could alone. That is the belief that’s at the very heart of our union and it’s central to what we celebrate this week.

Of course, in the year ahead we’ll need that togetherness even more as we continue to fight and win for public services and everyone who works in them.

Last year, we said we would fight to end the government’s pay cap and win proper pay rises for all public service workers – the cap has now gone, but the fight for real rises continues.

And of course, this year we celebrate our UNISON’s 25^th anniversary – so as we celebrate all that we love about our union and all that makes us proud of it, let’s look back on a quarter of a century of achievements large and small. And let’s commit ourselves to working together in the years ahead to build an even bigger and better union for all our members.

Be proud of our union. Be proud of the remarkable things you do as a UNISON member and for other UNISON members.

And know that every UNISON member and activist plays a vital role in building a better country for everyone who relies on the public services you provide.

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Glasgow women to march in their fight for equal pay

Hundreds of women will march on George Square in Glasgow tomorrow as they continue their fight for equal pay.

And as the UK marks the centenary of the first limited suffrage for women, the link to today’s struggle will be highlighted when the march is led by 30 women dressed as suffragettes.

The women are part of UNISON’s equal pay campaign. Having won their legal case they are now demanding a fair and transparent pay and grading scheme and full compensation for the pay they have been denied.

UNISON recently won a legal case on the issue and Glasgow City Council agreed not to appeal against a court decision last year over its grading system.

The council has agreed to “negotiation not litigation” to discuss a settlement with UNISON and other trade unions.

UNISON Glasgow city branch chairperson Carol Ball said: “This is not about robbing Peter to pay Pauline. It’s about equality and justice. We must focus on delivering equal pay now and in the future.

“The council did not want to pay the cost of equality in 2006 and ordinary working people of Glasgow should not have to pay the price of inequality with loss of jobs and services.

“This will be one of the largest re-distributions of wealth in the history of Glasgow. We are rightly putting money in the pockets of Glasgow’s low-paid women. But our fight for equality is far from over.

“There is plenty of money in society – it’s just in the wrong hands and the people of Glasgow shouldn’t have to pay twice for this injustice. The long march for equality will continue.”

The marchers will assemble 11.30am at Glasgow Green and the march to George Square will set off at 12 noon. They will be joined by the SheBoom women drummers.

• UNISON women welcome councillors’ decision not to appeal (17/01/18)
• Time is up on pay discrimination, UNISON tells council (16/01/18)
• Festive cheer for Glasgow’s low paid women (21/12/17)

UNISON working for equal pay

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Are you receiving universal credit? Have your say

New national minimum wage rates come into force in April, taking the hourly rate to £7.83, a rise of  £1.33 from the £6.50 an hour it was in October 2016.

However, people receiving universal credit will see much of that rise end up back in the hands of the Treasury rather than in their pockets.

To show how much of the money that ministers claim is helping workers on low pay is actually ending up back in the hands of the government, UNISON is looking for people who are on the national minimum wage and who also get universal credit.

Do you receive universal credit, and earn the national minimum wage. If so, would you be willing to talk to UNISON for a report we are publishing?

We really want to find some real life stories so even if you don’t want to be named, please do leave your contact details.

Universal credit and minimum wage

• Name
  First Last
• Phone
• Email

Find out more about the national minimum wage and the living wage

 

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Safety reps honoured for ‘going beyond the call of duty’

UNISON health and safety reps “go beyond the call of duty,” general secretary Dave Prentis declared last night at the union’s Safety Rep of the Year awards.

The awards ceremony at UNISON Centre in London brought together health and safety reps from across the country.

The event also celebrated the positive difference 40 years of safety reps have made to ordinary people’s working lives.

“Our safety reps go beyond the call of duty to keep themselves, fellow members and the workplace as a whole safer,” said Mr Prentis.“And they should be commended for that.”

Margaret Davis from Eastern region and Adrian House from the South West were the two safety reps of the year in recognition if their “outstanding contribution to promoting health and safety at work”.

They were among 12 regional winners in all, who were all praised for excellent health and safety campaigns or contributions to keeping members safe at work.

Speaking as one of those 12, before last night’s award, Ms Davis said: “This has been a total surprise to me.

“I always consider health and safety to be important and continually strive to improve safety for all employees within our organisation.”

Health and safety reps in UNISON

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UNISON welcomes Cambridge living wage move

UNISON has welcomed Cambridge University’s decision to become an accredited living wage employer with the Living Wage Foundation – a move that “needs to be replicated across all UK universities,” says the union’s head of higher education Donna Rowe-Merriman.

The living wage is calculated annually on the basis of the basic cost of living by the Living Wage Foundation. It is updated each November.

It is currently £8.75 an hour except in London, where the much higher cost of living means a wage of £10.20 an hour is needed.

Both figures are more than the government’s ‘national living wage’ – which is the national minimum wage level for over-25s.

Cambridge currently pays all directly employed university staff at or above the level of the living wage and has done so informally since 2014.

However, it has decided to seek formal accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation in the current academic year, saying that this will provide “further income security for staff and contractors”.

Ms Rowe Merriman commented: “This announcement by the University of Cambridge is a welcome move, but one that needs to be replicated across all UK universities.

“Low paid staff, often working for sub-contractors living in high cost areas in university cities are often some of the hardest hit in terms of their income.”

UNISON’s most recent Freedom of Information Act request found that 11,955 staff across the sector are paid less than the living wage –5,483 staff at UK universities are paid more than £100,000 a year.

“There is no place for low pay in higher education,” declared Ms Rowe-Merriman.

Find out more about the living wage and the Living Wage Foundation

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Damning NAO report “exposes government’s lamentable approach to social care”

Responding to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the social care workforce published today (Thursday), UNISON’s assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“This damning report exposes the government’s lamentable approach to social care, which is letting down elderly and disabled people, as well as the dedicated staff looking after them.

“Years of underfunding mean local councils can no longer put enough money into care to meet the needs of an ageing population. Elderly and disabled residents, care staff and the NHS are all losing out as a result. Without urgent ministerial action, the sector will continue its slow motion collapse.

“Care staff work long hours, doing difficult jobs for pay that’s barely above the minimum wage. Many actually take home an illegal wage because some employers don’t include travel time as part of the working day.

“A growing number of local councils have signed UNISON’s residential and ethical care charters, committing them to better pay, quality training and improved levels of care.

“But there is a total absence of national leadership from the government. It’s time ministers took their heads out of the sand, spent less time hypnotised by their Brexit dilemmas and started to address one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

Notes to editors:
– An anonymous care worker case study is available from the UNISON press office.

Media contacts: 

Liz Chinchen T: 020 7121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
Siobhan Cooley T: 020 7121 5555 M: 07903 870786 E: s.cooley@unison.co.uk

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