Inside
Don't Disappoint: Last Chance for the Xmas party!
SUTR: Conference launches campaign
Pensions: Women act against unfair changes
City and County of Swansea
Review UNISON Action Wins Thousands for Therapists Occupational therapists employed by Swansea council are to receive a bumper settlement of thousands of pounds after the authority acknowledged UNISON was correct to insist the therapists were significantly underpaid when compared to NHS peers. Each therapist will now receive a sum worth nearly £5,000 per year for the next five years.
UNISON argued that council therapists work directly alongside NHS therapists in joint Social Services and Health multidisciplinary Hubs. They perform the same duties and therefore a discrepancy in wages of over £4,600 could not be justified.
Strike
Occupational Therapists will receive a Market Supplement and this will be backdated to 1st April 2016 and for a period of 5 years at which time the position will be reviewed. The proposed payment is based on the difference between Grade 8, scp 35, £30,480 and Grade 9, scp 40 (fixed point), £35,093, (i.e. an additional payment of £4,613 per annun).This will mean that their total annual salary will be equivalent to the
Concerted campaigning by UNISON, which included a unanimous vote for strike action amongst the therapists, will mean new rates of pay will be equivalent to the top point of Band 6 of the NHS pay scale. The council also recognised that lower pay may have deterred potential applicants from looking for occupational therapist work with them.
You are instructed to prioritise your priorities in order of priority.
Backdated
For the therapists, this was about principle and self-worth and council’s concession confirms that UNISON was right to take a firm stand. Local government employees working alongside NHS peers undertaking the same role should be paid the same wage. Occupational therapists right across Welsh local government, not only in Swansea, suffer lower pay and poorer access to professional development opportunities than their colleagues in the health service. UNISON will continue to campaign to ensure they receive due parity.
Adult Services Social Workers Condemn Bullying On September 22nd UNISON lodged a collective grievance on behalf of Adult Services social workers who are Best Interest Assessors (BIA’s) - in practise, the vast majority of all social workers - over a collective threat of disciplinary action over deadlines for work. The grievance from Eddie Gabrielsen, UNISON Regional Organiser, reads:
Public Service Not Private Profit
salary of the staff employed by Health, i.e. top point of Band 6 of the NHS Pay Scale.
“City and County of Swansea Council says it is an employer against bullying. Yet it’s Social Services Department is collectively threatening social work staff with disciplinary action if they fail to meet stringent statutory deadlines for work. UNISON understands over 90 social workers have been collectively ordered to meet deadlines
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October 2016
continued from front page for specialist assessments or face disciplinary action. Other senior social workers have also been instructed to sign-off work they are not qualified to do and which is contrary to national Codes of Practice. Further UNISON understands that annual leave is also being disallowed unless SW’s are seen to ‘make progress’ on their assessments. This is a disciplinary sanction without due process Flat out Social workers in Adult Services are already working flat-out supporting the most vulnerable people in society older people, people with mental illness and people with learning disabilities. Services have been cut, staff are not replaced and staff on maternity and sick-leave are not covered. All this creates a crisis of high workloads, intense stress and declining standards of care, despite the best intentions of the frontline staff involved. A Court ruling in March 2014 meant that demands for specialist assessments called Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations rose nationally from 10,900 in 2013-14 to more than 100,000 a year since March 2014. DoLS is the legislation governing people who lack the mental capacity to decide to be in care homes or hospital. Despite a huge increase in workload no extra staff were provided and the workload was absorbed by already massively overloaded staff inevitably creating a backlog of work. Amazing Social workers do an amazing job in a very difficult economic climate. Management know there is a crisis nationally for social work and DoLS work but have chosen to intimidate social workers rather than support them.
Social workers have been told to prioritise this work with people who are already in 24hr care over and above people blocking beds in hospitals and those at much higher risks in the community. Whilst we agree this work is important it needs to be fully resourced and staffed. Other Councils have taken the government to court for failing to resource this work Swansea’s novel approach is to threaten staff instead. For this to be allowed to happen in a Labour council that states bullying is unacceptable is unacceptable. Bullying UNISON demands the Council withdraws their threats to our members if you are not willing to this immediately please accept this correspondence as formal Collective Grievance submitted by UNISON on behalf of its members which if not resolved may lead to further action by UNISON.” Since the grievance was submitted there has been some progress made in meetings with the Department and Unison meetings with all . However UNISON maintains the historic lack of resources to deal with an entirely predictable crisis remains. Councillors have been misinformed that ‘more resources’ have been provided but this was overwhelmingly by placing extra duties on an overstretched workforce. The threat of disciplinary action still remains for some, if not all, of the workforce and is a totally inappropriate way of managing staff. Finally some senior social workers have been forced to undergo training for signing-off DoLS assessments. The collective grievance therefore still continues and Unison will be consulting its members about further action in the future.
No Poverty Pensions! The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) Campaign lobbied the Senydd on September 16th as part of a national campaign against the unfair changes to the State Pension Age imposed on women born in the 1950’s. The protest was supported by Unison and members of Swansea Branch from Social Services and WASPI attended. This, and other events, aims to highlight the hardship and unfairness suffered by women born on or after the 6th April 1951, as a result of the Government’s alterations to the State Pension Age (SPA). In particular, the lack of notice given to the changes, by the Department for Work and Pensions. The 1995 Conservative Government’s Pension Act included plans to increase women’s SPA to 65, the same as men’s. The 2011 Act saw a further increase to age 66. WASPI was initiated by 5 ordinary women personally affected by the changes in their pension age. WASPI agrees with equalisation, but does not agree with the unfair way the changes were implemented – with little/no personal notice (1995/2011 Pension Acts), faster than promised (2011 Pension Act), and no time to make alternative plans. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. WASPI campaigns for the Government to make fair transitional arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951 who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA). Hundreds of thousands of women have had significant changes imposed on them without appropriate notification. Further details are here: http://www.waspi.co.uk http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/pensionprotesters-carrying-begging-bowls-11892605
SUSS Children’s Christmas Party Children’s Christmas Party – 3rd December 2016 Gorseinon Working Men’s Club, Brighton Rd, Gorseinon, Swansea, SA4 4BW 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm. For Children of Unison members aged between 2 and 9 years inclusive. Forms and money for the Party MUST be returned by 31st October 2016. Cost of the Party will be £5.00 per child.
Stand Up To Racism Conference
The 1,500-strong Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) conference (above) on 8th October was a fantastic success. It aims become the launchpad for a mass movement that counters the rise in racism against migrants, Muslims, Jews and the BME population in the UK. The conference brought together many activists who have been active in their workplaces, universities and localities and included Unison reps and others from Swansea branch (inset). The support and speeches from Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Alf Dubs, the UCU union’s Sally Hunt, the TUC’s Gloria Mills and many others were extremely important and welcome. You can support SUTR here or email the branch office if you want to get involved: http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk
Sign the Petition Against Cuts UNISON Wales’ ‘Local Government Finance and Funding’ National Assembly for Wales e-petition is now live. Please sign this petition:
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Restore Local Authority funding to 2013/14 levels from when Welsh council budgets have been significantly cut Allow councils the freedom, through a ‘power of general competence’, to find innovative solutions to local problems Encourage councils to generate additional income through providing their services to the private sector and other public bodies To work with councils to refinance their debt and free up income to support hard pressed services To support the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance Wales which has set out a series of reforms that would assist councils in becoming more financially sustainable
• you value your local schools; •yourIf social care services and your parks and leisure centres • If you appreciate having your • household refuse collected; your roads maintained and your public spaces kept clean If you feel safer having your local food outlets’ hygiene monitored; your environmental health protected and your consumer rights enforced
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Please sign this petition if you would like the Welsh Government to take the sort of measures that will ensure councils are able to sustain all of these services and more; whilst this Tory Westminster government continues its austerity cuts on public service budgets.
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http://bit.ly/2e9hW7I
Pensions: the 85-year rule When can I retire? The Normal Pension Age (NPA) under the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) 2014 is linked to your State Pension Age (SPA; Although as the SPA may change in the future, so will your NPA under the LGPS 2014 ), with a minimum age of 65. However, you may voluntarily retire from age 55, but your benefits may be actuarially reduced to take account of early payment before your NPA. What is the 85 Year Rule? The 85 year rule is a test to assess whether a member’s benefits would be reduced, if they retire before their NPA. If a member’s age plus their Scheme membership (both measured in whole years), added up to 85 or more, their benefits were NOT reduced. If the rule was NOT satisfied, a full reduction was applied to a member’s benefits. When was the 85 Year Rule removed? On 1 October 2006, the 85 year rule was removed from the Regulations. If you were an active member as at 30 September 2006, some or all of your membership will still be protected by the 85 Year Rule. If you were covered by the 85 Year Rule, it will continue to apply from
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continued from page 3 Pensions: the 85-year rule 1 April 2014. However, if you joined the LGPS on or after 1 October 2006, the 85 Year Rule will have NOT apply to your circumstances. Am I protected under the 85 Year Rule? If you were an active member as at 30 September 2006 and choose to retire before your NPA, having met the 85 Year Rule, you will have some form of protection. If you were born on or before 31 March 1956, all benefits built up to 31 March 2016 will be protected in full. Benefits from 1 April 2016 will be reduced for the period from your date of leaving to your SPA. If you were born on or between 1 April 1956 and 31 March 1960, all benefits built up to 31 March 2008 will be protected in full, BUT benefits built up between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2020 will be reduced on a ‘tapered’ basis for the period from your date of leaving to age 65 (the normal retirement age under the 2008 Scheme). Any benefits built up after 1 April 2020 will be reduced in FULL for the period from your date of leaving to your SPA.
YOUR UNION
If you were born on or after 1 April 1960, all benefits built up to 31 March 2008 will be protected in full, BUT benefits built up from 1 April 2008 until your date of leaving will be reduction in FULL. For membership from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2014, the reduction will be for the period from your date of leaving to your 65th birthday. Your membership from 1 April 2014 will be reduced for the period from your date of leaving to your SPA.
Contact us:
How much of a ‘reduction’ will apply? Your benefits will be reduced in accordance with guidance issued by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD). The period from your date of leaving to the appropriate retirement age will be measured in years and days, therefore the percentage reduction will be amended for part years. Will the 85 Year Rule apply if I retire from age 55? With the introduction of the LGPS 2014 from 1 April 2014, you are able to voluntarily retire from age 55 (without your Employer’s consent). If you do choose to voluntarily retire between age 55 and 60, any 85 Year Rule protections will NOT automatically apply and your benefits will therefore be reduced in FULL. However, if you choose to retire on or after age 60, any 85 Year Rule protections WILL apply. The ability to apply the 85 Year Rule to voluntary retirement between age 55 and 60 is at the discretion of your Employer. Your Employer will have a policy on this matter. What if I am made redundant or have to retire on the grounds of efficiency? If you are made redundant by your Employer or if you have to retire on the grounds of efficiency and you are age 55 or over, your ben-efits will come into payment immediately WITHOUT reduction. Further Information This article gives general guidance only. For further information, please contact Unison for further advice. For a downloadable leaflet go here: http://bit.ly/2ebsRi5
Unison Office, Rm 153-G, The Guildhall, Swansea 01792 635271
unison@swansea.gov.uk
Branch Secretary: Mike Davies / Asst. Secretary: Andrea Thomas 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) or Contact for your department below or go to your workplace steward. Alternatively please contact the branch office. SENIOR STEWARD SOCIAL SERVICES ALISON DAVIES 01792 636351 / 07941757853 SIMON JONES 637559/ 07858411470 DAVID WHITE 635180/ 07870465697 SENIOR STEWARD REGENERATION (OUTDOOR LEISURE) JOHN LLEWELLYN 07920560208 SENIOR STEWARD REGENERATION (INDOOR LEISURE) ROGER OWEN 07847942458
Sports & Social website: www.suss.me.uk
SENIOR STEWARDS ENVIRONMENT IAN ALEXANDER 07584505793 PAUL WATKINS (CLYDACH) 07572153750 PAT LOPEZ (CAVE ST) 07557560097 MARK OTTEN 07789485009 EDUCATION CONTACT JOHN AUSTIN 07796275039
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.