U Magazine Autumn 2010

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AUTUMN 2010

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Ed Miliband UNISON midwife quizzes the new

Kitchen confidential Meet Audrey, the dinner lady who has to provide her own cutlery

UNISON

Labour leader

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9 WELCOME TO from Dave Prentis UNISON’s general secretary

UNISON has over 1.3 million members working in public services. And so of course when the government talks about massive cuts to those services we’re worried on behalf of our members.

We’re also worried on behalf of the communities our members serve. And we’re worried for workers in the private sector, many of whose jobs rely on a local economy driven by public spending.

But, despite our concerns, we know that when we support each other we can make a difference.

Audrey Parkinson is a great example of this. She’s a dinner lady in Sheffield, who got sick and tired of putting up with bad working conditions and decided to get together with her workmates to make a difference. Her story (page 9) is an inspiring one.

At the TUC congress in Manchester recently the decision to support each other was key (see page 4). We agreed to work with other trade unions, NGOs, charities and social movements to protect our public services. I hope you’ll sign up to help us as well. Visit unison.org.uk/million to find out more about our campaign A Million Voices for Public Services.

I was happy to see Ed Miliband elected as the new Labour leader (see page 12). I’m looking forward to working with him to offer a fair alternative to the coalition cuts; an alternative that protects the poor, the sick and the vulnerable from the fall-out of this bankers’ recession.

Finally, this issue of U is shorter than usual. That’s because we’ve got a special supplement examining the public service cuts taking place across the UK and their impact on local communities. I urge you to have a look, and if after reading you agree with us that the cuts are too hard and too deep then please join us in speaking up for public services at unison.org.uk/million

12 THIS ISSUE 9 Kitchen confidential Meet Audrey, the dinner lady who has to provide her own cutlery 12 Red Ed or Steady Eddy?

UNISON members give their verdict on Ed Miliband, the new Labour leader

REGULARS News – TUC Congress U@work Crosswords Letters

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to a member see page 15

VOLUME 18, NUMBER 4 U is published by UNISON – the public service union – and distributed to every member. Non members pay £30 a year.

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4 15 18 20

TUC CONGRESS PHOTOS: MARK HAKANSSON

TUC backs UNISON members UNISON members will not stand alone when it comes to defending the service they provide or defending their jobs.

That was the clear message from September’s TUC congress in Manchester.

The annual gathering representing every trade unionist across the UK agreed unanimously to “build a robust campaign in defence of public services” and “present a clear alternative to the cuts”.

And that alternative was a key theme of UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis when he proposed the main composite resolution to delegates.

While the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are both claiming that their cuts are both inevitable and inescapable, Mr Prentis pointed out that “the income of the top 1% of our society is now greater than the total pay bill for our NHS, our schools and our local government put together.

“The coalition says they can’t ask their friends in big business to pay tax. That would discourage enterprise. They can’t regulate the financial system or there’ll be fewer jobs in the City.

“But with breathtaking hypocrisy, they take away the benefits of the poor and disabled. They undermine the job security of low-paid workers. They let our communities feel the pain.”

And he added: “If there’s money to bail out bankers and their bonuses, if there’s money for war, for Trident – then there’s money available to protect our public services.

“And if money is tight, never mind a pay freeze for our members. How about a pay freeze for the bankers? We’ve seen enough of what they’ve done.

We’ve had enough of their greed, their arrogance. It’s them, not our members, who should be doing more for less.”

And if money is tight, never mind a pay freeze for our members. How about a pay freeze for the bankers?

“

“

4

All together for public services in Manchester

He refused to accept the coalition ideology that our society can’t afford public services, and he presented an alternative. “This country does have choices. It can stop the give-aways that benefit the few. It can start protecting the services needed by the many.

“It can have the guts to go back to the bankers, the speculators, the profiteers, to tell them on our behalf: ‘You created

this mess – you pay for it’.”

He vowed that trade unions will keep putting forward this argument: “We will speak up for the vulnerable. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with those who work in public services and those who rely on them. We will work together to raise public awareness, to build opposition.

“We will build alliances with NGOs, with charities, social movements in the UK, our sisters and brothers taking action across Europe; we will build an alliance of public service unions to break the pay freeze.”

And finally he declared that, if the attack comes, “we have to rise to the challenge, show our resolve, defend our welfare state, fight for our vision of a fairer society, build a powerful coalition of our own.

“Our members expect nothing less from this great movement of ours: to stand up for them, to protect their jobs, their welfare state; to lead the fight – together, united, fierce defenders of our members and the services they deliver.”

The TUC looked at the NHS in particular and agreed a campaigning programme to back up the health unions, including through the NHS Together campaign where appropriate.

TALK TO US: 0845 355 0845 ● VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.UNISON.ORG.UK

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UNISON speakers; (left to right) Chris Tansley, Steve Warwick and Ivy Carlier

This was after UNISON’s Lilian Macer warned them that under the government’s white paper, services would be put out to tender on an unseen scale.

Once privatised, warned the chair of UNISON’s healthcare service group executive, “they would come under EU and international competition law, making it virtually impossible to bring them back into the NHS.” Similarly, every hospital would become a foundation trust – “with new freedoms: the freedom to build up massive debts, the freedom to be bought out by for-profit companies, the freedom to make as much money as they can from patients willing to pay.”

And as for the £80bn of NHS commissioning being passed directly to GPs to organise: “GPs don’t want that.”

All this change, Ms Macer pointed out, is coming with no electoral mandate – it wasn’t even mentioned in the Tory or Lib-Dem manifestos or in the coalition programme.

‘NO MARKET IN JUSTICE’ Speaking on a motion on criminal justice, UNISON vice president Chris Tansley declared that there was no room for a free market in the prison system, announced as part of the government’s ‘rehabilitation revolution’.

PENSIONS PLEDGE The TUC vowed to “defend public and private sector pensions against attacks from the coalition government”.

Unions representing workers from across the economy lined up to expose the pension lies being peddled by the government to justify its attacks.

As UNISON’s Steve Warwick said, the £4,000 average public sector pension is far from gold plated, yet the £200,000 average pension for directors of the UK’s top companies scarcely raises an eyebrow, let alone a government enquiry.

“It seems the Con-Dem government is not content to attack us at work, now they’re coming after our retirement years.”

GO GREEN – GO BY BUS Buses are the low-cost, low-carbon transport option, and the most used form of public transport, but they are under threat from government cuts, Ivy Carlier warned delegates during the debate on integrated transport.

TALK TO US: 0845 355 0845 ● VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.UNISON.ORG.UK

5

MARK HAKANSSON

TUC CONGRESS

Clare Williams In UNISON at the TUC

WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE “The Con-Dem’s budget cuts will hit women hard. And they will hit women on low incomes and the poor harder. The freezing of public sector pay, public sector job cuts and the freezing of child and family benefits will drive families deeper into poverty,” warned Clare Williams of UNISON’s NEC, who was speaking on behalf of the TUC women’s conference.

WELCOME RECOGNITION Congress vowed to defend social workers and carers, and highlight their “essential and valuable” work in what UNISON’s Bev Miller called a “welcome recognition for a hidden army of dedicated workers supporting the most vulnerable in our society”.

FREE EDUCATION Bev Miller

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STEVE FORREST

Kitchen

confidential U reveals the school kitchen where the dinner ladies have to bring in their own knives and forks

F

or Audrey Parkinson, it’s been an extraordinary year.

A member of the kitchen team at Norfolk Primary School in Sheffield for five years, she is employed by a subsidiary of Compass, a company with a record of treating staff poorly.

But last year she decided that enough was enough: she joined UNISON in October and, by this February, she was speaking at big meetings as she and her colleagues fought for better rights at work. In June, she was given a standing ovation when she addressed the union’s national delegate conference.

So what made this mother of two with a soft Dublin burr take on a multi-million pound, global company?

“Obviously we had our own issues –

the lack of cutlery, lack of uniforms, lack of support …”

Hang on: “lack of cutlery”? In a school dining room?

“Colleagues in other schools have bought cutlery; our kitchen waited seven months to get some dessert spoons and then we were handed 36 – we still had to use teaspoons to give the kids their dessert.”

She stares into the distance over her cup of tea, wearing an expression of bemusement and amusement at this number of 36.

Because of course there aren’t just 36 pupils at Audrey’s school. “On average, we serve 200 children a day. A lot of these kids, that’s their only meal in a day. Last Christmas, the company let

9

us borrow some cutlery, but we had to give it back.

“This is a company that made a pretax profit last year of £773 million … it’s either tight or they couldn’t care less: we haven’t quite figured out which yet.”

And although their kitchen uniforms would get stained, the company was reluctant to give them fresh t-shirts and aprons twice a year.

Audrey realised that something could be done – and that she could be part of it – when UNISON launched ‘The Three Companies’ project to improve conditions at Compass, Sodexo and Aramark in the UK, in October 2009.

“Before, you’d think: ‘Oh God, a trade union; they’re going to take over, tell you this is wrong and end up with strikes, but it’s not like that.

“UNISON – the people I have met – really care about you; they really, actually care. They care about your welfare and your job and your conditions and everything. And they’re a great bunch – that’s really spurred me on.”

Audrey was originally employed by Service Team after Sheffield’s school meals service had been privatised.

That was taken over by a Compass subsidiary, Chartwells.

“I assumed – because I’d never been told anything else – I assumed everybody was on the same pay and conditions.

“I did not know that my colleague, who was on a Chartwells contract, was on no sick pay; I did not know that my colleague on a council contract got full sick pay. And my contract, with Service Team, is three days without and 16 days a year after.

“Also, there was a three-tier pay system for the council workers, Service Team and then Chartwells.

“That was what drove me to get involved. It was about fairness,” she says with passion. “It just made my blood boil: a colleague of mine had

UNISON – the people I have met – really care about you; they really, actually care

“

“

ON THE FRONTLINE

“

“

STEVE FORREST

10

Last Christmas, the company let us borrow some cutlery, but we had to give it back

to be off for two weeks and she got no sick pay at all. It’s not fair.”

And that, she points out, is not good for other reasons.

“I personally have come in when I’ve been ill – which I shouldn’t do, but I cannot afford to lose three days’ pay.

You’re putting your colleagues at risk, you’re putting the children at risk – us snivelling and snotting all over the place isn’t fair.”

She glances up to check that her own children, who are still enjoying their school holiday, are okay. It’s a breezy, sunny day in Yorkshire, and our photographer is teaching eight-year-old Ciara a few words of Spanish, while 10year-old Gavin listens.

She turns back to consider how things have changed since they started standing up for their rights.

“Things are better. We’ve definitely won some respect by working together. We see our managers more and our calls are answered – we’ve even more cutlery! They’ve sat up, they’ve took notice.”

What was it like, getting involved?

“It was daunting at first – I thought Chartwells was just a little company.

When I realised how big it was, it was like: ‘Oh my God’! But we don’t want anything we’re not entitled to – we just want them to be fair with us.”

She’s a steward now, but says: “Any little thing you do helps, no matter how small you think it is. If it’s just ringing up a colleague to see how they are or just coming to a meeting to see what’s happening.

“It doesn’t take up much time – it doesn’t take over your life. And it really can make a difference.”

As we wind up, she calls the children over.

“She’s very helpful to people,” says Gavin, while Ciara, adds: “She’s good”.

In sibling solidarity, they both say that they’re really proud of their mother.

And so is her union. U Amanda Kendal a.kendal@unison.co.uk

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UNISON members give their verdict on Ed Miliband, the new Labour leader

I’ll come clean straight away and say that I backed Ed Miliband in the Labour leadership campaign, as did UNISON. So when his name was called as the new leader I was thrilled.

After the announcement I got the chance to quiz him on what his leadership would mean for our members.

First of all though, I asked him to tell me more about his family’s escape from the Nazis in wartime Europe and how this had impacted on his personal politics.

In 1940, he explained, “my grandfather, with my dad, climbed onto one of the last boats out of Belgium.

“On the other side of Europe,” he continued, “my mother spent the war on the run sheltering in a convent and then with a Catholic family that took her in.

When my mother came to this country after the war, my parents made a successful life for themselves and our family.”

This made a huge impact on him as he grew up. “My politics come from knowing that my parents escaped the darkness that had engulfed much of Europe at that time, and found freedom here in Britain.”

Their example stayed with him, he told me, and encouraged him “to work to 12

make Britain a place where hard work is rewarded fairly.”

Relating this story of his own family to the UK today, he feels that one of the reasons that Labour lost the last election, was that this no longer seemed to be the case to many in the UK.

agree to pay at least this level.

And trade unions like UNISON have a role to play here, he says, “working with employees and management to make sure that their members get the fair treatment at work that they deserve.”

He wants to help working families, and one way he sees this happening is by supporting a living wage of more than £7 per hour

“

He believes that he needs to accept where Labour got it wrong. And he lists where he thinks this happened: “We didn’t do enough to deal with the challenges that came with immigration.

We should have been more concerned about rising house prices and tuition fees. The global financial crisis made it clear that Labour hadn’t succeeded in abolishing boom and bust.”

He wants to help working families, and one way he sees this happening is by supporting a living wage of more than £7 per hour: “Many companies already pay their employees a living wage,” he tells me, but he believes Government can do more to encourage this – for example by offering tax breaks to companies who

“

RAE VOLLER MIDWIFE FROM LONDON

r o d E Red ? y d d E y d a Ste

Finally, the million dollar question for UNISON members. Would he work to support public services? On the basis of his response I believe that he will.

“First of all,” he told me, “let me say that the Government must absolutely avoid dividing the country by saying that the public sector is just sort of a drain on the private sector.

“Public sector workers are the nurses and healthcare staff, the council workers and the vital public servants who provide the services that we all rely on, so we should be proud of our public services and stand up for the people who work in them.”

He had my vote in the leadership election, and when the next general election comes he’ll have it then too.

MARK HAKANSSON

INTERVIEW

Rae Voller with Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband had signed up to support Julia’s (back row, left) campaign, she wondered whether he’d keep his word.

JULIA PITFIELD DINNER LADY FROM LONDON “Six months ago my colleagues and I were talking about issues at work: bad health and safety and lack of sick pay and annual leave. We’re dinner ladies and we want a fair deal to make our kitchens safe for us and the children we look after.

“UNISON suggested we talk to the local Labour party. Ed Miliband was attending their meeting as part of the leadership hustings and we had the chance to talk with him about our issues. He said he would do his best to support us but we thought: ‘let’s wait and see if he keeps to his word.’

“So when, during his leadership speech at Labour party conference, he mentioned our campaign live on television I was surprised and delighted.

“It showed to us that he did mean what he said, which is fantastic. We are only a little team of dinner ladies but our fight for better conditions obviously struck a chord with him. He has listened to our concerns and responded and I believe this makes him a great leader.” U Rae Voller u.magazine@unison.co.uk

Are you registered to vote?

Across the country almost 3.5 million people may not be registered to vote. Make sure you are by visiting aboutmyvote.co.uk STEVE WARWICK CHAIR OF UNISON LABOUR LINK “I welcomed that he wants to work with the unions. However, I will be disappointed if he lets the media Red Ed image split the connection between the unions and the party. If he is going to be critical of ‘irresponsible strikes’ he also has to be critical of bad employers.”

MARGARET WILKINSON FROM WALES “I liked that he said he wants to go back to our roots and listen to ordinary people. People are worried about the cuts and losing their jobs.

He showed he is a leader who will listen to these concerns.”

MARY LOCKE HOSPITAL CARER FROM THE WEST MIDLANDS “Ed’s speech at the Labour conference stirred people up. It was inspiring, invigorating and the dawn of a new era for Labour. I liked the fact he told us about his background and what has led him to be in politics today. The most important part for me however, was his commitment to a living wage.”

IRENE STACEY CARE WORKER FROM LONDON “After his speech I decided he isn’t Red Ed, he’s Steady Eddy. I thought he handled the way he has been treated by the media well, saying his leadership isn’t about nicknames or his brother; his leadership is about delivering for working people in hard times.”

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Get back into learning with UNISON’s Membership Development Programme, including Return to Learn and Women’s Lives Courses Learn at Work with UNISON/employer partnerships Get discounts from leading distance learning providers

Your Union Learning Rep (ULR) or branch rep will help you find out more.

ULRs spread the word about UNISON’s fantastic learning opportunities and support and encourage potential learners.

Could you be a ULR? For information on courses or to find out about becoming a ULR I I I

Contact your ULR or your branch Visit www.unison.org.uk/laos Phone UNISONdirect on 0845 355 0845 for your branch and regional education team contact details.

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Helping Pakistan

U@WORK

INTERNATIONAL

UNISON has donated £10,000 to the Pakistan flood appeal and is urging branches to follow suit. The donation was agreed by the national executive council’s presidential team.

President Angela Lynes said: “The recent floods in Pakistan are probably the worst humanitarian disaster in the UN’s history because so many millions of people are affected. The international community must respond faster and more generously if more lives are not to be lost.

“I am appealing to UNISON members to contribute to the Disasters Emergency Committee who are overseeing the British aid effort. Please give what you can as thousands are dying needlessly from preventable diseases and millions more are without food or shelter.”

Find out more about the Disasters Emergency Committee Pakistan flood appeal and how you can donate at www.dec.org.uk And you can read more about UNISON’s international work by visiting unison.org.uk/international

HEALTHCARE

You’re making a difference Your actions have made a real difference and show that, if we work together, we can get the government to listen and protect vital services.

After 16,000 people signed an emergency petition, health secretary Andrew Lansley confirmed that NHS Direct would remain and he was only seeking to change the telephone number.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “This is great news for patients and for staff at NHS Direct. The service that NHS Direct offers is tried and tested and is of great value to the public, as the outcry over the threat of closure shows.”

And our challenge to the government’s academy schools, both through MPs and with local schools, has seen only 32 schools being granted academy status this autumn – that’s far fewer than the coalition’s original target of 200.

Your action to feed alternative proposals into the Treasury’s spending review consultation resulted in hundreds voting to make ‘don’t cut public sector jobs’ one of the highest ranking suggestions.

Let’s not forget Million Voices campaigners, who have been asking for a tax on banks – a Robin Hood Tax. Now, European finance ministers are talking seriously about a financial transaction tax on banks.

If we keep up the pressure, we can continue to make gains both nationally and locally and make the government think again on cuts.

Take action at unison.org.uk/million

Bouquet to a member We think all our members deserve a bouquet. And so every issue we send one to one member, nominated by friends and colleagues, as a token to all those members doing something special – or even something ordinary.

As always, it was difficult to choose from the many excellent nominations, but in the end we’ve chosen to give the bouquet to Carol Oxley, a care worker nominated by one of her service users, Alexis Dawson, who writes: “I am 96, looked after by Carol. She also works for Mental Health Matters in Market Rasen.

She has also had three ops this year. She is 55 and has four at home also to keep. Her next op is in October, and so is her birthday.

She deserves this.”

We think so too, and are happy to send her the bouquet as one of the many dedicated public service workers so vital to our society.

15

U@WORK

READING CHALLENGE

All booked up People had the chance to find out more about the impact of the government’s planned cuts

MILLION VOICES

Festival goers get the message As part of the North Yorkshire local government branch’s campaign to promote Million Voices and safeguard public services, members revelled with festival goers at Scarborough Acoustic Gathering Festival, in Peasholm Park Scarborough, North Yorkshire in September.

Branch chair Denis Jeffery told U: “The public attending the festival were fully behind the campaign and expressed alarm at the scale of the government’s proposed cuts to services.”

The branch has agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with the organisers of the event, which showcases local acoustic talent. And the branch is planning to have a presence at other local events in North Yorkshire, taking the message out to more and more members of the public.

For more information visit unison.org.uk/million

The Reading Agency has announced its Six Book Challenge for 2011.

The challenge invites less confident readers to read six books and record their reading in a diary in order to receive incentives, a certificate and the chance to enter a national prize draw. It’s a great way to help people get into reading – in many cases for the first time.

The Reading Agency launched the Six Book Challenge in 2008. Since then, an estimated 29,500 people have registered for the scheme and 12,000 have completed it.

Over two-thirds of library services across the UK take part each year, working in partnership with local colleges, adult education, family learning, children’s centres, prisons and workplaces.

To find out how you can run a challenge locally – or how to take part yourself, visit sixbookchallenge.org.uk

O Has your council implemented Single Status? If it hasn't you may have an equal pay claim!

O Has your council implemented Single Status and given protection payments to people on the grade you've been been placed on, but not you? If it has you may have an equal pay claim!

O Do you have an equal pay claim? Make sure you check the time limit!

If you want to make an equal pay claim, you should contact UNISON as soon as possible.

There is a strict time limit on making a claim. You have only six months from any change in your employment situation.

So you must contact UNISON urgently if you have for example in the last six months: ended your employment (eg you retired or resigned); changed your contract or terms and conditions (eg the number of hours you work); changed job, but stayed with the same employer;

stayed in the same job, but transferred to a new employer (sometimes known as a TUPE transfer).

If you have already made a claim, you must tell us whenever your circumstances change (eg you move address or there is any change to your employment situation).

We cannot help you unless you register your claim and keep us updated.

For more information, or to request a claim form or fact sheet, call UNISON on 0845 355 0845 (textphone 0800 9 967 968)* or contact your regional office on: Eastern 01245 608 918 East Midlands 0845 355 0845 Greater London 0845 355 0845 Northern 0845 355 0845 Northern Ireland 0845 355 0845 North West 0161 661 6740 Scotland 0870 7777 006 South East 0845 355 0845 South West 0117 968 9479 Cymru/Wales 029 2072 9415 West Midlands 0121 685 3127 Yorkshire and Humberside 0845 355 0845 * lines are open 6am to midnight, Monday to Friday; 9am-4pm Saturday.

Accident?

An apology won’t pay the bills.

UNISON is here to get you compensation for everything your accident has cost you.

The legal service is FREE and you will always keep 100% of the compensation.

You can claim for any accident – at work, on the road or on holiday. Your family is also covered.

UNISON’s lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, have been working with UNISON members

over many years. This experience helps you to get the maximum compensation you are entitled to in the shortest possible time.

In 2009, 97% of UNISON members surveyed would recommend Thompsons.

So if you or a member of your family have had an accident call UNISONdirect on 0845 355 0845 (Textphone 0800 0 967 968)

Conditions apply. Accidents outside of the UK are covered where we can pursue the case through the courts in England/Wales. Family members are covered for accidents outside of the workplace.

CROSSWORDS

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by Caper

A plain puzzle A nice and easy plain crossword to warm you up for the sterner challenges ahead

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Absence of matter (6) 4 Jumper with buttons (8) 10 About 1 o’clock ? (9) 11 Worker owned by a master (5) 12 Designed for wealthier types (2-6) 13 Observe (6) 15 Simple (4) 16 Group of actors in a play (4) 17 Mistake (5) 20 Teach or a mode of transport (5) 22 High flying songbird (4) 23 Collection of tents (4) 26 Lend flavour to or summer, perhaps (6) 27 Make less harsh (8) 29 Yellow fruit (5) 30 Greenish blue (9) 31 Swap (8) 32 Hate (6)

1 Puff pastry shell (3-2-4) 2 Picture houses (7) 3 They show you to your seat in 2 (6) 5 Got old (4) 6 Find (8) 7 Moving mass of ice (7) 8 Female relative (5) 9 Down in the dumps (9) 14 Right on a ship (9) 18 Act as (9) 19 Unable to sleep (8) 21 Lacking red blood cells (7) 24 Greed for wealth (7) 25 Safe (6) 26 Find the solution to (5) 28 Male deer (4)

Each of the 26 answers starts with a different letter of the alphabet – solve the easy clues and work out where the answers go – use the answer lengths to give you help. I’ve even given you two to start you off – so you can cross off F, H and the clues to them straight away – and now with simple deduction and study you know where 4 others go…

■ Female sheep (3) ■ Meadow (3) ■ Chaps (3) ■ Devious (3) ■ Opinion (4) ■ High male voice (4) ■ Adhesive (4) ■ Central American state – capital Columbus (4) ■ Strange (5) ■ Former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo (5) ■ Companies (5) ■ Plant tissue conducting fluids (5) ■ Irish province (6) ■ Having less hair (6)

d 18

Alphajig

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■ Clowns in the old court (7) ■ Person from country invaded in 1990 Gulf War (7) ■ Done without loudness (7) ■ Most gloomy (7) ■ Provisos (7) ■ Not siding with either faction (7) ■ Inked designs on the skin (7) ■ Extremely thirsty (7) ■ Type of medicine considering the complete person (8) ■ Having least number of years (8) ■ Scrutinize again (2-7) ■ Vaccinate (9)

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our an to all swer th the ad ree puzzle s st dr Friday ess below b o 3 Dece y mber

Overlaps

ANSWERS FROM LAST ISSUE

Each clue contains a definition of the answer as usual – but also a consecutive letter mix of the answer – straddling more than one word but never “touching” the definition – for example 4Race to provide refreshments (5) Gives CATER which is defined by PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS , the letters of which can be found in RACE TO – all mixed up

A Plain Puzzle Across: 1 Number crunching, 9 Basmati, 10 Israeli, 11 Yo-yo, 12 Aspidistra, 13 Treason, 15 Gnocchi, 17 Tastier, 19 Peeling, 20 Outclassed, 22 Lots, 25 Tattier, 26 Nirvana, 27 Three-legged race Down: 1 Nobby, 2 Mushy peas, 3 Edam, 4 Crimson, 5 Uniting, 6 Carnivore, 7 Inept, 8 Grimacing, 13 Tit for tat, 14 Still life, 16 Chipolata, 18 Reserve, 19 Pfennig, 21 Tutor, 23 Scare, 24 Arid Alphajig Artesian, Bongo, Current, Drought, Emu, Fete, Goo, Heap, Ignore, Jittery, Keeper, Library, March past, Net, One-liners, Pork pie, Quieter, Refrain, Sol, Tsars, Urge, Vibrate, Warms, Xeroxing, Yale, Zloty Overlaps Across: 5 Ground staff, 7 Sten, 8 Obedient, 9 Temples, 11 Cigar, 13 Spear, 14 Saunter, 16 Resident, 17 Pita, 18 Sausage roll Down: 1 Moon, 2 Snooker, 3 Aster, 4 Magician, 5 Gutter press, 6 Fundamental, 10 Platinum, 12 Castles, 15 Began, 17 Poor

DOWN

2 Butter from Arundel (3) 4 Race to provide refreshments (5) 7 Abysmal Tories interrupt game (9) 10 Pop group amends single (7) 11 Like Batman – faced perpetrators (5) 15 Fraction (0.025) of other items (8) 17 Bossy trollop’s sad tale (3, 5) 18 The fun ran out – that’s regrettable (11) 19 Eccentric oldie cradled bitter (3-4) 20 Sly politician’s gambits (5) 22 Sweet potato from Yarmouth (3)

1 Fear the traitor (3) 2 These bars include something to make you hate water! (6) 3 Gong announced meal (5) 5 Tincture of emerald’s fake (11) 6 Bad robbers damaged kitchen items (5, 6) 8 Smart nutter’s fit (7) 9 Brother ate horrid evergreen (7) 12 Good circus dwarf (3) 13 Dumpy son employs fake name (9) 14 Item of underwear for a boy (3) 16 Gory flesh parasite (8) 21 Look at tree (3)

e

h

b

ACROSS

a

WIN A DIGITAL RADIO! For your chance to win a digital radio, please send your filled-in grids for all three of this issue’s crosswords in one envelope, together with your name and address, to U magazine crossword competition, UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9HJ, to reach us by Friday 3 December.

z

The five lucky winners of a ticket to see the London show Fela! from the last issue are: Mrs LS Stewart, Southampton; Katherine Yarrow, Hartlepool; E Clarke, Ipswich; Susan Martin, Walsall; Chris Fincham, Ipswich.

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MARCUS ROSE

20

You must provide your full name and address although we will of course not print it.

Age of experience I would like to comment on the current discussion on compulsory retirement age – I can only applaud my NHS trust in this respect.

I was a secretary until my first child was born in 1969, when I gave up work, originally for a short period, but as other children came along, and then we became foster parents I never did return to employment. I always used to state that my ‘job’ was ‘mother’ as there were often eight children in my care and this is definitely a full time job!

By the time the children were in their teens my husband was quite severely disabled with MS, so I continued ‘working at home’!

To keep myself sane I did a volunteer job from home, as secretary for a sports organisation and so kept up to date with modern office practice, computers etc.

In 2002, the sudden and tragic death of my youngest

child (then aged 25 years) led me to review my life.

I was now living by myself and I applied for a part-time administrator post at Whipps Cross Hospital – I was 61 years old at this time and remember sitting at the interview saying that this was my first job interview since 1967.

My age was not held against me and since working there, over the years I have extended my hours, upped my grade and responsibilities – even managing to survive during ‘turn-around’ a few years back.

For personal reasons I have now decided to retire – aged 69 years, and can only say that never once, over these last eight years has my age been a factor in any decision regarding my job or role.

It is a big decision leaving work – and it has been such fun these past eight years, I feel that I have always done a good job – I think my line manager and work colleagues will bear this out – and am

Public service workers – we are all in this together

Count on

SUMMER 2010

U welcomes readers’ letters (we reserve the right to edit contributions). Please send them to The Editor, U Magazine, UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ or email them to u.magazine@unison.co.uk

UNISON

Here for you in times ahead

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tickets to a

FOR UNISON MEMB ERS AND THEIR FAMIL IES

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UNISON

LETTERS

Got something to say?

good proof that age need have no relevance regarding ability to work.

June Tatch Chingford

Anne Greaves It is with great sorrow that I write about Anne Greaves who died on 30 September aged 70. She was national health and safety officer in Nalgo and UNISON; a trade union official and human being par excellence.

Anne was an exceptional communicator with a searing intelligence. Only she could present the European ‘sixpack’ directives and dazzle the audience.

It was Anne who pushed the HSE to recognise that violence at work should be inspected and reportable. She identified workplace bullying as a health and safety issue and developed practical steps to tackle it.

She was involved in the first stress claim which resulted in six figure compensation and was a tough negotiator with HSE lawyers on the implementation of regulations.

Anne was instrumental in altering the perception of health and safety risk in white collar environments and was a

champion on issues which affect women, like sexual harassment and domestic violence.

If achievement is measured by commitment, integrity and the towering respect and love of others, Anne Greaves was peerless.

Christine Lewis UNISON national officer

Part of the family I’ve just received my first copy of U magazine.

I’ve been a member of a couple of unions in the past with different employers and just felt like a number with subscriptions taken from my bank account each month and nothing to show for it.

Many times I feel unions are toothless tigers, they can have all the big words and jargon but fail to deliver.

UNISON on the other hand have made me feel very welcome from the start.

I have had to contact you recently and the help is currently ongoing.

I no longer feel like a number but a member of the UNISON family.

Keep up the good work.

Dave Wyatt Bridgend

Meat issues

campaign in a reasoned and effective way against the worst form of animal cruelty, namely intensive farming.

Singer/songwriter Morrissey once said the thing he most wanted was an ‘abattoir free world’.

I would not go that far but thanks again for the insight into the work of Graham Cross.

John Roberts Wakefield

I have been reading my latest U magazine with interest. Clare Bayley’s article ‘Tales from the slaughterhouse’ stirred me to write to you. I am pleased that the particular slaughterhouse your reporter visited was ‘clean, bright and tidy’. (Did they know you were coming?)

I am also pleased that the

meat inspector interviewed was conscientious in his duties. However, we all know that these examples are not the norm.

Animals sentenced to slaughter are distressed and panic stricken, this accounts for the ’fecal’ contamination seen on their bodies – it’s because they have defecated in sheer fright.

Humans cannot eat meat or fish without distress, fear and pain being inflicted on the creatures concerned.

The article in U, although mentioning that not all slaughterhouse conditions and personnel are satisfactory, I feel paints a less than realistic picture of the general state of affairs.

Enjoy your steak, Ms Bayley.

Gill Mitcham, Essex

BRIAN MORGAN

I’d like to thank you for including the article ‘Tales from the slaughterhouse’ in your recent issue. This was an informative and balanced article on the work of meat hygiene inspector Graham Cross. This is a subject most of us would prefer to shy away from.

It was interesting to read that ‘bullying and intimidation’ seem to be endemic in the meat industry. When you look at the nature of the work, this does not seem surprising. Abuses do occur; an undercover film was recently made exposing illegal and cruel activity in a supposedly soil-association approved abattoir.

I’d like to refer UNISON readers to a charity I have supported for some time; Compassion in World Farming (ciwf.org) who

Graham Cross in the abattoir

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4/10/10 10:11:27

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