Inside
National TUC Demonstration: all out for October 20th
UNISON Conference Report
Sports & Social 2012 - 2013
City and County of Swansea
Review Why we need a fight for more pay
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years to come. A recent Unison survey gave "a depressing glimpse of breadline Britain," we have to be strong. And together we'll he said. "Three quarters of people are forced smash this pay freeze." That was the to cut spending on food. One in four say message from Dave Prentis when he they're struggling to survive." addressed the union's national delegate conference in Bournemouth last month. Mr Prentis told delegates that it was "our job,
W e have to be brave, we have to be bold,
as leaders, as trade unionists, to raise them The general secretary told delegates that up - to show our members what they're really after an incredible and tough year for the worth, to give them the courage to fight, union, "the issue of pay will be our battle because they are struggling." ground", adding that it "will explode".
message to Rebekah Brooks. "I say this to Cameron and Osborne: you may have fluffed your lines at Leveson Ć’ but this union will wage a fight against you that you will never forget." And pledging to battle privatisation, he said UNISON would "fight to preserve the welfare state, fight for better care for the elderly, for disabled people, for libraries, parks and open spaces, decent schools - and so much more."
He was damning of the "Tory posh boys", With members struggling as the cost of food deriding David Cameron for the forgetful And to loud applause, he added that these and fuel soar through the roof, they cannot 'Camnesia' of his performance at the services "are not yours to sell off or give afford to have their pay frozen for yet more Leveson Inquiry and for his 'in this together' away. They represent the fair society that
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Public Service Not Private Profit
July 2012
UNISON Confere
continued from front page those who went before us fought for and they are the legacy we leave to future generations". But Mr Prentis also had strong words for the Labour leadership, "disproving the theory that two Eds are better than one." He told Ed Miliband and Ed Balls to stop supporting ConDem pay freezes. The speech covered wide ground, with Mr Prentis also showing that he had been listening to activists' demands by announcing the start of a new, direct legal advice hotline and other measures. He reminded delegates of the union's record on equalities and sent "a message to the bigots", that the union will keep fighting until it achieved "true equality" for all, including gay marriage. It was a speech characterised by a determination that UNISON will fight against the injustices being heaped on working people by the ConDem government. And delegates responded with a sense of commitment to the struggle ahead.
I was lucky enough to be selected to attend Conference as the single, low-paid woman delegate again. It was a privilege to listen to fellow activists from all over Britain who were prepared to stand up and speak about causes that were close to their hearts and that they felt should be shared and debated. The main debate at Conference was the debate on Pensions. Everyone is in agreement that to work longer, pay more and get less is unacceptable. Several members of the Retired UNISON Members Committee went up to the podium to say that they could not have possibly continued working until they were 68 and that they were grateful that they were already retired and they were all in support of our motion to fight for a fair retirement age. In France they have actually reduced the retirement age to 60 to enable young people to find employment. In Britain youth unemployment stands at over 1 million and this will obviously rise as people have to work longer before they retire, this will lead to further problems with a disillusioned generation dependent on benefits. Many UNISON branches called for another strike, but the general opinion of Welsh delegates was that a strike would not be widely supported in Wales because no-one can afford to lose a days pay, but we realise that a strike with all Unions involved would be the best way to show the ConDems how we are united in defending our pensions and Public Services. There will be a ballot at the end of July giving every member the chance to say what they think of the latest offer the Government have made. Please make sure that you vote.
The TUC march on 20th October in Londo and buses will be organised by Swansea b that would like to take part. I will definit would urge you to do the same. Another h topic was the cuts in Public Services. Sch are becoming Academies despite opposit and parents, services are being privatise Service, Police and Fire Brigade. It is obv that a private firm will not be running a s other reason than to make money, thus c and using less staff. This will lead to red paid workers especially in the caring prof frightening to think how Tory policies co Public Services, it is compared to Robin H taking from the poor to give to the rich, justified.
The most awe inspiring event of the Conf guest speaker Neville Lawrence, the fath Lawrence the black teenager murdered i crime in 1993. Neville cried as he explain happened to his family that fateful night waited for Stephen to return home, keep warm in the oven, until a neighbour and h and told them Stephen had been attacke Stephen died in hospital and the killers e despite boasting about what they had do when 2 of them were convicted by DNA e will continue to fight until the other men UNISON were the first Union to offer a Lawrence family as the media did not sho at first. The Lawrences’ now fund projec
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Sports & Social 2012 - 2013 Oxford Day Trip 18th August - Prices from £3 Ffos Las September 16th - Prices from £10 London Day Trip November 17th - Prices from £9 Children's Christmas Party December 1st - Price £4 Bath Christmas Market December 6th - Prices from £5 Disneyland Paris 26th - 29th May 2013 - Prices vary Further information and booking forms available from Stuart Page stuart.page@swansea.gov.uk or telephone 07854 974130 or you can visit www.suss.me.uk Membership of the Sports & Social Section currently costs 20p per week, deductible from your salary. Members of the Section receive preference and subsidies on various Sports & Social events. You can also opt to be included in the Sports & Social circulation list, whereby you will be the first to receive information on forthcoming trips and activities. If you are not already a member, you can contact Stuart Page via the details above
A follow-up survey of UNISON members from a year ago shines a harsh light onto the growing human cost of the Government’s austerity agenda on public sector workers and their families.
cuts policies a economic reco
One year on from the original, the latest survey reveals that almost half (47%) say their household income has fallen with one in four describing their financial situation as “struggling to survive” or “difficult”. Three quarters say concerns over their financial situation have increased in the last year.
“Our survey sh measures are families of UN last year, but t worse.
More worrying still, a shocking 73% have reduced their spending on food with three out of four having had no pay increase and 12% reporting a pay cut. The union is calling on the Government to “wakeup” to the damage being caused by its no hope,
Dave Prentis,
“The Governm its cuts policie The more job members have shops and bus “While the Gov richer and rich
ence Report
on was also raised branch for anyone tely be going and hotly debated hools in England ion from staff ed in the Health vious to everyone service for any cutting corners dundancies of low fession. It is ould decimate our Hood in reverse, this cannot be
ference was the her of Stephen n a race hate ned what t when they ping his dinner his son knocked ed by a gang. escaped justice one until last year evidence. Neville n are convicted. assistance to the ow much interest cts to help young
people get an education and keep them off the streets and into employment. I have to admit that I cried with Neville Lawrence when he described how he waited for his son to come home on that fateful night not realising that he was being attacked by 5 or 6 men and fighting for his life. Stopping the BNP, EDL and other fascist supporters becoming UNISON members was debated. Delegates voted to remove any active supporters who are currently members of UNISON and to prevent fascists from joining. Their policies are not welcomed by anyone and we will not accept their views in our Union. You may have seen in the media last week that Anders Breivik who killed 77 people in Norway last July has been described as a politically motivated anti-Muslim militant. There is no room in society for these ideals.
by Eve Morse Hence we are not keeping up with the rate of inflation! Most of us are only 2 pay cheques away from disaster. Delegates voted to campaign for a living wage. Child poverty was discussed and it was obvious to all that due to unemployment and benefit cuts that families are suffering. UNISON will monitor the implementation of the Child Poverty Act with an aim to end child poverty in the UK by 2020. I was particularly interested in listening to the speakers supporting the motion to ‘Stop Disability Hate Crime’. Several speakers mentioned a case about a young man with a learning-disability called Malcolm who was continuously bullied by local youths. The bullying almost ended in tragedy when they wrapped cling-film around him from head to toe to attach him to a lamppost and then threw things at him. Fortunately a PCSO was on her rounds, saw him and released him before he suffocated. How can such things happen in this day and age? Conference voted overwhelmingly to raise awareness of disability hate crime, lobby government to give the police and CPS more powers to take meaningful action against perpetrators and provide guidance so branches can support members who experience this crime.
Another interesting guest was Paul Kenny, President of the TUC and General Secretary of the GMB. He pledged that all the Unions would work together to fight Public Sector Cuts and fight for fair pensions. Paul and several other speakers said that the Labour Party would have to start changing if it wanted to count on the continued support of the Unions. He said they often do not criticise ConDem policies when they should do. He also said that as I came away from the Conference really enthusiastic the biggest Union people look to UNISON to lead the way about continuing to support UNISON and all its members and be at the forefront of campaigning. in their fight for fairness and equality for all. It is amazing to think that there are 1.3million members in An important issue that was discussed was the gender UNISON and we are all striving for the same things – a pay gap, Councils are reducing men’s pay to the same as fair wage, a fair pension and equality for ALL our women’s instead of raising women’s pay to a fair amount. members. I am very proud to be a UNISON member! struggling to make ends meet. Only last week we learnt bosses in the FTSE 100 enjoyed 10% pay rises last year taking average earnings to £3.7m, despite an overall drop performance. This is more money in one year that most workers earn in a lifetime. “It’s time for Osborne to draw up Plan B. What the economy needs is a kick- start that will get people back into work and confident enough to spend. The unemployment figures out this week will make depressing reading for many. That is especially true for parents with young people finishing school, college or university and looking for work. The Government should be offering hope and a bright future for our young, not a place in the dole queue. UNISON survey – key facts
and move to a plan for growth and overy.
1 in 4 experienced an effective redundancy situation at work through redundancy, redeployment or having to apply for their own jobs.
General Secretary of UNISON, said:
hows that the Government’s austerity biting deep into the incomes and NISON members. Times were tough this year they have got a whole lot
ment should wake-up to the damage es are inflicting on working people. cuts and the less money our e to spend, the harder it is for local sinesses to survive. vernment’s friends in the City get her, the rest of the country is
75% said concerns over their financial situation have increased in the last year. 93% had seen increases in their outgoings but just 15% had an increase in household income. On average members’ personal debts were around £4000 but more than 1 in 5 (22%) reported personal debts of £10,000 or more. 45% had cut back on physical exercise or sports expenditure and nearly one in three (31%) had cut back on health treatment such as visits to the opticians or prescriptions.
27% had increased credit card borrowing. Almost 1 in 5 had one or more child in full-time education who had been entitled to, but had now lost, the Educational Maintenance Allowance. 88% had reduced spending on social activities, on socialising with family members (71%) and on personal items 83%. In March 2011 a survey by UNISON and PCS showed that Government cuts and the pay freeze were already taking a toll. UNISON has gone back to some of the original respondents. Of the 2420 contacted 1,044 filled in the new survey. Following the survey 15 UNISON members from all over the country, in different jobs, ages and gender were interviewed face to face. The survey report sets out their stories in detail telling us more about the dayto-day challenges facing UNISON members.
LGPS 2014 After months of negotiations, the proposals for the LGPS from 2014 have been signed off by ministers for consultation. UNISON has has a series of branch meetings for members to let you know exactly what is being proposed from 2014 so that you can have your say. UNISON will be consulting you about the proposals in a postal ballot from the end of July. Please take time to read the proposals and to vote on them in the postal ballot. http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/lgps.asp
PAY CUTS...PENSION CUTS...PRIVATISATION...ATTACKS ON WORKING COND UTS...LONGER WAITING LISTS...SERVICE CUTS...FOOD PRICE RISES...BENEFIT UTS...SCHOOL CLOSURES...JOB LOSSES...PAY FREEZE...RECESSION...HOUSING AILOUTS...PAY CUTS...PENSION CUTS...PRIVATISATION...ATTACKS ON WORK ONDITIONS...UNEMPLOYMENT...NHS CUTS...LONGER WAITING LISTS...SERVIC ISES...BENEFIT CUTS...TAX CREDIT CUTS...SCHOOL CLOSURES...JOB LOSSES.. REEZE...RECESSION...HOUSING CRISIS...BANKERS BAILOUTS...PAY CUTS...PEN UTS...PRIVATISATION...ATTACKS ON WORKING CONDITIONS...UNEMPLOYMEN STS...SERVICE CUTS...FOOD PRICE RISES...BENEFIT CUTS...TAX CREDIT CUTS OSSES...PAY FREEZE...RECESSION...HOUSING CRISIS...BANKERS BAILOUTS...P UTS...PRIVATISATION...ATTACKS ON WORKING CONDITIONS...UNEMPLOYMEN STS...SERVICE PRICE RISES...BENEFIT CUTS...TAX CREDIT CUTS and no attemptsCUTS...FOOD at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning
“No amount of cajolery, “
hatred for the Tory Party. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.
Nye Bevan, 1948
YOUR UNION
For details of coaches to the demonstration contact the Unison office on 635271
Contact us:
Unison Office The Guildhall Swansea SA1 4PE 01792 635271
unison@swansea.gov.uk
Branch Secretary: Mike Davies / Asst. Secretary: Ian Alexander Unison has over 100 trained union reps throughout the council, schools and FE colleges. We will advise, support and represent you collectively and individually on issues from sickness, disciplinaries to legal matters inside and outside the workplace. If you need advice or representation please contact the Senior Steward(s) for your department below or go to your workplace steward. Alternatively please contact the branch office. Environment Ian Alexander - 07584 505793 Tony Dearden - 07971 121533 Pat Lopez - 07584 505792 Social Services Alison Bell - 07941 757853 Bill Williams - 07557 560092 Resources Gareth Parry - 07584 341240
Sports & Social website: www.suss.me.uk
Education Chris Bell - 07967 551025 Karen Verallo - 07771 922985 Regeneration/Housing John Llewellyn - 07557 560093 Roger Owen - 07941819229 Gower College Ron Job - 07963 454041
www.unison.co.uk
This newsletter is produced by the City and County of Swansea Unison Branch. Any letters, comments or suggestions for articles should be posted to the branch address or emailed to Unison@swansea.gov.uk. Correspondence is not guaranteed to be published and contents may not necessarily reflect Unison policy.