CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA UNISON YOUNG MEMBERS NEWSLETTER
Issue 2, November 2015
Swansea UNISON Young Members Newsletter www.facebook.com/SwanseaUNISONYMs This Month: TUC Young Workers Month Young Workers and Mental Health The Trade Union Bill-Protect the Right to Strike More information on activities in November
November is TUC Young Workers Month! It’s November and that means it’s TUC Young Workers Month a chance to celebrate the contribution of young workers to workplaces as well as a chance to recognise and discuss the issues faced by young workers. As a result of this we will be organising a number of events over the course of this month. Firstly we’ll be organising a number of drop-in sessions in the Civic Centre and the Guildhall: 9th November-Guildhall Foyer (underneath the clock tower) 16th November- Civic Centre Canteen 23rd November-Guildhall Foyer (underneath the clock tower) 30th November-Civic Centre Canteen Also, we’ll be having our first ever Swansea Young Members Forum, this will be a chance to meet up and talk about Young Members issues followed by a trip to town for a drink. This will be held at 7pm on Wednesday the 18th of November in the Civic Centre Chamber Meeting Room and a buffet will be supplied Please come along just to have a chat and have a chance to meet other Young Members from across the Council.
Young Workers and Mental Health One of the important issues being raised as part of Young Workers Month is that of Young Workers mental health. A lot of people are finding that due to cuts their work loads are being increased whilst their earnings remain static. Workers of all ages are reporting increases in stress and this has an obvious and profound affect on mental health. One in four of us will experience some problem with mental health every year and nobody should struggle alone. This is something that UNISON and the City and County of Swansea both feel very strongly about and something that we would hope to provide assistance with should that assistance ever be needed. If you are struggling with stress at work or at home or any other feelings and you want to speak to someone confidentially please get in touch with the Helping Hands service or Occupational Health: Helping Hands: 07833 095477 (9am-4:30pm) Stress Management Advice and Counselling Service via Occupational Health: 01792 636027/01792 637668
There are a number of Young Workers Month activities going on in November
Inside this issue: Regional Young Members 09/15
2
Swansea YM Forum 18/11/15
3
The next RYMF
3
Ribbon Campaign
3
Get Involved
3
Swansea Young Members Facebook
4
Your Issues
4
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Swansea UNISON Young Members Newsletter The Trade Union Bill- Protect the Right to Strike On the 2nd of November hundreds of Trade Unionists gathered outside Parliament in order to lobby MPs to try to ensure that the Trade Union Bill is not passed. For those of you that have not seen any information regarding the Bill the main points of it are: * The need for 50% of eligible public sector workers to turn out on a strike ballot and for a minimum of 40% of those eligible to vote to vote in favour of strike action (this means 80% of those voting in a ballot with a 50% turnout must vote in favour)
Young Workers lobbying parliament on the 2nd of Novem- * Trade Unions will have to give police two weeks notice before placing anything regarding a ber strike onto social media.
* Unions may have to report protest plans publicly to employers and regulators 14 days in advance of any action (currently 7 days for strikes and other industrial action). Details required would include timings, location, the number of participants and even whether protesters plan to use “loudspeakers, props, banners, etc�. If unions don’t report their plans then they face significant fines. Failure to comply could also result in a court injunction being launched to stop the strike. Along with these there will be a number of restrictions on the ways trade unions collect money from members as well as the ability for the government to investigate trade union finances without any reason (trade unions are already required to publish yearly accounts). We need to ensure that we protect our right to strike, especially when the Tory Government seems determined to undermine workers rights. This is after the Tories already removed the right to free employment tribunals (if you are a Unison member, these costs are met by Unison)
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Issue 2, November 2015 Swansea UNISON Young Members Forum– 18 November 2015 On the 18th of November we will be holding the first ever Swansea UNISON Young Members Forum. This will be a chance for Young Members from across the Swansea area to come together and to discuss issues, learn more about UNISON and make new friends. We are hoping to organise more Young Members Forum events over the next few months as well as organising a Christmas party for Young Members. There will be catering provided on the 18th and following the meeting we will head into town for a drink and a chance to get to know each other some more.
Remember to do whatever you can for Young Workers Month
Regional Young Members Forum There is scheduled to be a Cymru/Wales Regional Young Members Forum held before the end of the year (date TBC). This is a meeting of Young Members from across Wales and will involve an overnight stay (paid for by UNISON) as well as discussions on young members and other issues. In the evening we will have a night out as a chance for you to socialise and have fun with your fellow young members. More details coming very soon!
The Ribbon Campaign Many of you will by now have received your Young Workers Month ribbons from Unison. These are designed to give a visible way to show our support for Young Workers Month as well as being a way to show that Young Workers are appreciated in their union. Please try and wear them in your workplaces and make sure that you talk to people around you about the importance of young workers issues and young workers month.
Please wear your ribbons this November
You can also use any questions you get asked about the ribbon to make others aware of Young Workers Month and also to recruit other people as Unison members. If you need any more Young Members merchandise or any more information on the campaign please email your Young Members Officer gareth.may@swansea.gov.uk
Getting Involved in UNISON Want to get more involved? UNISON offers a range of roles that you can take up from Workplace Contacts who distribute leaflets and answer basic queries to Stewards who represent members at meetings and are trained in employment law to Branch Officers who have a range of specialist roles from welfare officer to young members officer to the branch secretary. If you don’t want to fulfil any of these roles and just want to learn more about what UNISON does then please contact the branch officer or your Young Members Officer For information on how you can get involved within the branch please contact gareth.may@swansea.gov.uk
We are all worth good wages and good conditions. Get involved!
Your Young Members Officer-Gareth May
The UNISON Office
E-mail:
The Guildhall
gareth.may@swansea.gov
Swansea
.uk
SA1 4PE
Gareth has been a UNISON member for two and a half years, he is a former chair of Cymru/Wales Regional Young Members Forum and has attended National Delegates Conference and has been involved in a number of campaigns, He is always happy to help other members and is happy to answer any questions or queries you may have
Swansea UNISON Young Members Facebook Page. There is a new Facebook page for Swansea Young Members, please feel free to like it on the link! If you want to help become an administrator for the page then please ask! www.facebook.com/SwanseaUNISONYMs
Your Issues This section of the newsletter is your chance to share your work stories; all stories will be treated with confidentiality and will be published anonymously. By standing up yourself it may encourage your colleagues to stand up too. Please send any stories to gareth.may@swansea.gov.uk This will also be a place for you to be able to ask questions about UNISON and the work of trade unions, if there is something you feel unsure of someone else may feel the same. Remember to encourage other young workers in your section to join UNISON. We are stronger together!