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UNISON

SUMMER 2010

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8 18

WELCOME TO from Dave Prentis UNISON’s general secretary

So here we are in a brave new world. David Cameron is promising massive public spending cuts whilst vowing to protect ‘frontline’ services. Nick Clegg is telling us that ‘gold-plated’ public sector pensions have got to go. And George Osborne is declaring that ‘we’re all in it together’.

But none of that makes sense. Frontline workers depend on back office workers to do their jobs: you can’t get rid of a hospital administrator without a nurse’s job being made harder. The average local government pension is £4,000, or £1,600 for women: hardly gold-plated. And when services providing care for the young, the elderly and the disabled are cut then we’re not all in it together – the vulnerable are left out in the cold.

But we shouldn’t be afraid. Because unions were made for the hard times. And at our annual conference in June (page 15) I was inspired by the strength and determination of our members to stand up for the people they serve and the communities they look after.

People like Clare Williams, Kenny Bell and Josie Bird. They’re from Newcastle where one in three jobs are in public services – so it’s vital that those services and jobs don’t go. On page 8 they tell us how they’re fighting back.

Or someone like Julie Robinson (page 19), an equalities officer in Ashfield, who’s determined to do her bit to make sure that her community remains a fair place to live and work.

All these people remind me why our Million Voices for Public Services campaign is so important. It’s about letting people know that public services matter now more than ever. And that we will defend them.

I know that some of you will face tough times over the coming months.

But I promise that UNISON will be here to fight for you.

THIS ISSUE 8 Count on UNISON UNISON members are determined to be there for their community 12 It’s our time Interview with Dave Prentis, UNISON’s newly re-elected general secretary 15 We are ready to fight UNISON conference 2010 19 Me and my job Life as an equalities officer 21 Tales from the slaughterhouse All in a day’s work for meat hygiene inspector Graham Cross 36 Financial affairs and election results

REGULARS News U @ work Reviews Crosswords Letters

Bouquet

to a member see page 35

VOLUME 18, NUMBER 3 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 26 30 32 34

ACROSS THE COUNTRY MEMBERS ARE ADDING THEIR VOICES TO UNISON’S MILLION VOICES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES CAMPAIGN

MEDWAY FIND OUT MORE unison.org.uk

UNISON’s exhibition trailer toured Kent, spreading the word that public services matter

OXFORDSHIRE Promoted the Million Voices campaign at schools and all council offices

BOLTON Collected over 1,500 signatures protesting against cuts to Connexions and youth services

STOCKPORT MARCUS ROSE

Handed out badges and window stickers at a learning at work day at Stockport town hall

GLASGOW

‘WE WILL BE THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS’ Dave Prentis, who has been re-elected as general secretary of UNISON, sent a personal message to members on the challenges ahead: “It is a great honour and a solemn responsibility to be re-elected to lead this great union through the most challenging period since its creation.“ The result of the election for general secretary was announced on the morning of the coalition government’s emergency budget.

“Today, George Osborne has unveiled a budget that will pile pressure on public services, working households and vulnerable groups,” said Mr Prentis. “While the banks return to business as usual, tax giveaways are lined up for big business and the better off.

“Now, more than ever, we need a union that will stand up for fairness, be a voice for the voiceless and hold the powerful to account.

“UNISON is ready. We have been training our organisers and activists up and down the country, equipping them with the tools and resources they need, to maximise our influence and get results

4

for our members.

“I truly believe that if we move forward together – ignoring those who seek to divide or distract us, focused on delivering for our members and speaking up for our public services – we can come through this period stronger, better organised and more influential than ever before.“ And Mr Prentis had a promise for all members: “My pledge to you is that I will be on your side – and I will ensure you have the full force of the union behind you as you face the challenges ahead.

“United, determined, ambitious for our people and our union – this really will be our time.”

Mr Prentis was first elected general secretary of UNISON in 2001 and re-elected in 2005.

The full details of the election result can be found on p38 of this magazine.

Dave Prentis talks about the future for public services on page 12.

Organised a public meeting to launch joint union and community campaign in support of public services

NORTH DURHAM Set up stalls in North Durham university, Shotley Bridge and Chester-le-Street hospitals to speak up for public services

HALLAM Ran a Million Voices campaign stall at a local careers fair

DUDLEY Members insisted on Agenda for Change at a rally at Russells hospital

Add yours at unison.org.uk/million

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

●

SPRING 2010

unison.org .uk/ million

FOR UNISON MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

UT O K A E SP NTED

U O C E B

UNISON

UP STAND

U wins plaudits Your U magazine has been “highly commended” at the annual TUC Communication Awards.

At the awards ceremony in July, the judges said that U fosters “a sense of belonging”, “making big issues easy to grasp.”

And we hope to make it even better for you all in the coming year.

STEVE FORREST

●

FIND OUT MORE

Tony Benn joins the Million Voices “I think confidence is an essential ingredient of success,” veteran Labour MP Tony Benn told U magazine. “If you don’t have a clear sense of what you want to achieve, you don’t make the right efforts to achieve it. That’s why I think UNISON’s Million Voices campaign is such a good idea, because it gives people a sense of their own strength and importance,” he explained, signing up to our campaign.

Now in his eighties, Mr Benn sees public services as an essential component for an equal society.

House Rules PAGE

30

TALK TO US: 0845 355 0845

●

“Public services meet public need in terms of health, education and housing, funded by taxation, which is paid according to your capacity to pay,” he explains. “Without them you can’t have a fair society.”

And to UNISON members and public service workers facing an uncertain future, his message is clear.

“The people who perform these services are of a very high quality and perform an important function,” he said. “They deserve respect and decency.”

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.UNISON.ORG.UK

5

Meet the new president “We must do all we can to protect these vital services in the face of huge public spending cuts.”

It’s an attitude that’s reflected in her answer to what person she most admires: “Nye Bevan,” she says with no pause.

“I don’t think we appreciate our health service for what it is. We take it so much for granted and he was responsible for setting it up. He deserves more recognition for that.”

She says she wants to be remembered as “someone who tried to make a difference and tried to help” – something that her year as president will give her plenty of opportunities for.

Perhaps unexpectedly, she doesn’t really think of herself as political. “I don’t know if political is the right word,” she explains. “I have an opinion, but I don’t think that wanting to be a trade unionist is the same as being political. I just want fairness for people in their workplace.”

Equal pay gets closer Thousands of low-paid council workers took a step closer to equal pay in May, thanks to a landmark decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

While many manual workers have already received compensation, the appeal tribunal had previously removed the right to compensation for thousands of administrators, clerical workers, learning assistants and library staff.

Because they didn’t have a proper explanation for the pay differences between women and men, local authorities came up with an argument that women and men only deserved equal pay if they were based at the same premises or had the same pay and conditions – it’s this argument that has now failed.

Dave Prentis said: “UNISON’s equal pay campaign has defeated every contrived defence the lawyers have hidden behind. This charade has gone on too long. We want full compensation for all our members and that money must be paid now.”

One of UNISON’s largest groups of winners from the decision is classroom assistants, many of whom earn as little as £10,000 a year.

Elaine North, a UNISON claimant

6

from Dumfries, said: “I was devastated when the court said I wasn’t entitled to equal pay. My colleagues do one-to-one education work with learning-disabled kids and, while we love them, it is such hard work.

“No offence to refuse collectors and gardeners, but fair pay is long overdue for us. We’ve worked hard for this.”

And in late June, the Court of Appeal backed UNISON’s claim that the change from one pay scale to another couldn’t be viewed as a break in continuous employment.

North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had been trying to argue that the introduction of a new pay and grading system, Agenda for Change, meant that health workers at the trust had started a new job.

That’s been over-ruled now, so countless cases can now go forward.

Only last year, figures obtained

by UNISON using the Freedom of Information Act revealed that North Cumbria NHS Trust alone had spent a massive £3.3 million of taxpayers’ money on lawyers in an attempt to stop low-paid women winning equal pay.

STEVE FORREST

Angela Lynes became UNISON’s new president at the end of this year’s conference.

An admin officer with Glasgow City Council, Angela got involved in UNISON in 1991 after a dispute at her workplace, where she stood up for her colleagues – despite the fact that the issue did not affect her.

She was soon approached by a union convenor and asked to be a shop steward.

Elected to the national executive council in Jan 2001, Angela was the union’s second youngest vice-president, and held the position for two years.

She knows that this is a tough year for public services and a tough year to take on the presidential role, but she’s determined to rise to the challenge.

“The public sector is needed now more than ever, to help the economy, communities and families rise up out of the recession,” she says.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY MEMBERS ARE ADDING THEIR VOICES TO UNISON’S MILLION VOICES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES CAMPAIGN

BARNSLEY Held a day of action where hundreds added their voice to the Million Voices campaign

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Reversed £4.6m of cuts to residential care, mealson-wheels and welfare rights services with vigorous workplace, community and media campaigning

CARDIFF Made headlines with a hard-hitting campaign against privatisation of council services

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA Held a lunchtime stall at the civic centre

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Ran a bus stop ad campaign highlighting secrecy over money wasted on private sector consultants

BIRMINGHAM Hit the headlines with a noisy demonstration against council job cuts

Add yours at unison.org.uk/million

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

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PHOTOS: STEVE FORREST/WORKERS’ PHOTOS

PUBLIC SERVICES

Count

8

on UNISON

UNISON members in Newcastle are determined to be there for their community and their colleagues in the tough times ahead

N

ewcastle upon Tyne has a proud, independent tradition of industry, sport and public service.

The hub of the north east region, new architectural jewels such as the Sage Centre and the Baltic Exchange have a made it a civic showpiece. But the region also has many needs as it comes to terms with the destruction of older industries.

There is mounting alarm, therefore, that it was specially targeted by David Cameron, before the election, for a public sector squeeze.

The reaction since then has been swift. In June the Northern Public Services Alliance was formed by UNISON and other unions. It pledged to build community links, expose the reality of cut backs and respond to attacks on services and jobs.

Clare Williams, UNISON’s northern regional convenor, is determined those links will pay off. And she blows apart the casual assumptions of Clegg and Cameron about the regional economy.

“The north has lost its manufacturing and mines. There are higher public service needs and a higher rate of child poverty than the national average. Upto-date estimates suggest that a third of private sector jobs here depend on the public sector.”

She points out that the recent cancellation of the North TeesHartlepool Hospital, while a public

sector cut back, will have a major knock-on effect on the private sector employers.

Already 1,000 posts at Northumberland county council’s 7,000-strong workforce are at risk, on top of 1,300 lost over the last two years.

Elsewhere, privatisation is seen as a way of dramatically cutting the cost of a service that cannot be abolished, such as the 999 response at Cleveland police.

Privatisation has been a threat for two decades, of course. But the longterm response of Newcastle UNISON has been constructive – and successful.

UNISON worked with both a Labourled council and subsequently the Liberal Democrats to ensure that

‘In June the Northern Public Services Alliance was formed by UNISON and other unions. It pledged to build community links, expose the reality of cut backs and respond to attacks on services and jobs’

services were in-house and delivered to a high quality.

There were no cosy deals but a transparent and empowering relationship between council, staff, community organisations and users.

Now, in the teeth of the economic blizzard, the branch is continuing to work with the authority. But UNISON sticks to its agenda: inhouse improvements, avoiding compulsory redundancies and a commitment to the equality agenda, workforce learning, health and wellbeing and work-life balance.

Branch secretary Kenny Bell reflects the positive approach of UNISON campaigning: “There is still the opportunity to make this a good place to work.”

To achieve this, the branch operates pragmatically with the current Liberal Democrat majority group while seeking Labour councillors’ support on common goals. Kenny adds: “The policies of the coalition are in direct conflict with those of the authority which understands the essential role of local government in supporting the economy out of recession.”

In the city council, UNISON is communicating with members and reflecting their concerns. Josie Bird, chair of the branch, is in the thick of it.

With her background as a finance assistant in the city architects’ department she is aware of the worries

PUBLIC SERVICES 10

‘Already 1,000 posts at Northumberland county council’s 7,000-strong workforce are at risk’ staff there have about being branded ‘back office’ by the government.

Geordies, she says, feel that good architecture has put the city back on its feet in the last 20 years with showpiece buildings and well-designed streets.

She wants to remind George Osborne that if architecture is not a core service and it gets cut, consultants will still be called in, start the meter running and cost the earth.

Her role as chair is to channel the rising anger of council employees at the social destruction planned by the coalition and to express it. Unity is key, she says.

“If we do not have unity, Osborne will drive wedges between frontline and socalled back office, between low paid and higher paid and between different services. They are pitting public service worker against public service worker.”

Even staff who work ‘front-line’ by the government’s definition, such as adult social services, are left up in the air.

“They are already responding to the whole personalisation agenda, where budgets are devolved to individuals who choose how to spend them. Now staff are unsure, under the coalition, whether this is going ahead.”

Turning to UNISON is a natural reaction for hard-pressed council staff in the present turmoil. And those who have never joined now are recognising what the union has to offer, Josie says.

“We started to take calls about membership immediately after 7 May and that has risen fourfold since the emergency budget.”

UNISON has also built its media presence. Josie emphasises there is no public scaremongering but the impact of the proposed cuts is inescapable: “They were 25% and now Osborne is talking about 40%.

“It will be devastating and there is no way we could maintain services.”

UNISON is working across the country to counteract the impact of massive cuts on committed public service staff and the millions of people who depend on them.

Kenny Bell

‘UNISON is working across the country to counteract the impact of massive cuts on committed public service staff and the millions of people who depend on them’ UNISON’s national delegate conference in June backed a strategy that opposed privatisation and compulsory redundancies, defended terms and conditions and worked to maintain service delivery.

David Cameron wrote to public service workers asking for ideas on how to reduce the deficit. UNISON responded that cutting public services would not help. As Clare points out, one in three private sector jobs in the north depend on the public sector.

Instead, UNISON is suggesting that a ‘Robin Hood Tax’ on the banks – together

with simple measures to reduce tax evasion and avoidance by big corporations and the super-rich – could raise more than £50bn a year. That’s more than enough to reverse the £31.9bn cuts to public services and welfare spending that were announced by George Osborne in his emergency budget.

Back in the northern region, despite a packed schedule of meetings, Clare takes time out to articulate her clear vision of why public services are important.

“I believe in a fairer society and we know there is massive inequality. When you hit public services it is always the most vulnerable who pay the price.

Meanwhile the people who caused the crisis are not held responsible in any way.”

David Cameron has been a bit slow about getting the message. UNISON is determined he will hear it. U Laurence Pollock u.magazine@unison.co.uk

This campaign was part funded

by UNISON’s general political fund. For more information visit unison.org.uk/gpf

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INTERVIEW PHOTOS: MARCUS ROSE

‘It’s

12

our time’

Dave Prentis, UNISON’s newly re-elected general secretary, has a rousing message for UNISON members

O

n the 6th of May, says Dave Prentis, “our world changed.” That was, of course, the day of the general election, one of the strangest in living memory – and one of the most damaging to the nation. “On 6th of May,” he continues, “we had a coalition being formed, which didn’t have a mandate to make the savage cuts they’re now making – the Tories didn’t win the election, the Liberal Democrats had a terrible election. They have formed a coalition merely to have power. And they are implementing the most rightwing agenda this country has ever seen.”

The UNISON general secretary pauses, and repeats the words. “Ever seen”. It’s a chilling summary of where the country stands – not least its public services.

But Mr Prentis is unbowed by the challenge. “We’ve got everything to fight for. We shouldn’t be scared, we shouldn’t be holding our heads down and be worried about the future. It’s our time to actually be there and do what trade unions were created for, which is stand up for workers against the onslaught against us.”

Having been in the union for over 30 years, progressing from NALGO intern, to assistant general secretary throughout the Thatcher years, to UNISON general secretary in 2000, Mr Prentis is better placed than most to assess the current crisis and the confrontation at hand.

“I’ve seen what the Tories have been able to do in the past, what a Labour government has done, and what a Labour government has done badly,” he says.

“What we’re finding now is that the Tories are on a mission. They always believed in a smaller state – even in the last election,

when we had growth, the Tories put forward an agenda to reduce public services by 25%. And when the Tories were last in power they didn’t build a single hospital, they didn’t renew a single school. They’re going back to type, reinforced by the Liberal Democrats, who are now converts, moving forward with missionary zeal to make deeper cuts, probably, than the Tories could have got away with by themselves.

“Many of these cuts are ideological – 40% of public service jobs in some areas are now under threat. A treasury report says 600,000 jobs will go in the public

“We’re fighting for the lives of our members – their jobs, the services that they provide, our members’ pensions, and our members’ pay” sector, 700,000 jobs in the private sector, in the next two to three years. That will decimate our public services. And the people who will suffer will be the most vulnerable in our society – elderly people dependent on social care, young children, adults depending on care homes. All of the services that have been put in place over decades are now under threat.”

Mr Prentis makes a stark comparison between the political situation when he first became general secretary, during New Labour’s first term, and now.

“For many years we were arguing for improvement, for investment, for better and more comprehensive public services.

Now we are fighting to save them,” he

says. “We’re fighting for the lives of our members – their jobs, the services that they provide, our members’ pensions, and our members’ pay.”

But he also makes another, much more positive observation about the past decade.

“When I took over as general secretary, UNISON was a very young union, just seven years old. In the 10 years since, we’ve seen it develop into the most powerful union in the country, the union with the best democracy, the best involvement of members, and a union that doesn’t just talk about pay and conditions and protecting members – which is at the heart of everything we do – but has also developed a clear ethos, an ethos based on a fairer society, on the quality of public services within our communities, and on equalities.

“And we’ve seen those values put into practice. UNISON has been the driving force for equal pay, it has engaged the government against privatisation and for investment in public services, it has pushed for the protection of the most

vulnerable in our society, for the alleviation of child poverty and of suffering in the developing world. And it’s been UNISON that has taken on the BNP. “So yes, times have changed dramatically.

But I believe the union has grown so well over the past 17 years, that we’re exactly where we need to be to meet the challenge.”

UNISON’s fight back is spearheaded by its Million Voices campaign, which includes the union’s alternative economic agenda for dealing with the deficit, while standing up for public services and showing the British people what is going to happen if those services are lost.

Until now, all discussion about the cuts has revolved around figures, Mr Prentis observes.

“It is only recently that we’ve seen on national television what will actually happen under this coalition, when the Tories announced they were stopping the school rebuilding programme. Suddenly we were looking at the dilapidated schools that our children will have to go to. That’s the first time that we’ve seen, on TV, the effects of the cuts.

“I don’t think the public realised they were voting for such draconian measures. As the effects become more and more apparent, UNISON has to make sure that our local communities are aware of who’s responsible – the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.”

Likewise, more must be done to educate the public on the validity of the Robin Hood Tax as an alternative to the government’s agenda. “The banks are contributing absolutely nothing to dealing with the deficit. And this is definitely wrong. The Robin Hood Tax is only a small tax on major transactions by banks, but it will bring in £20bn a year, which would mean £20bn fewer cuts.

Continued on page 14 ➤

13

INTERVIEW

“I think when ordinary working people find out that by having this tax, along with other ideas in UNISON’s alternative budget, we could avoid cuts in services, that idea will really gain currency. Whether it comes in this year or next, or when we get a Labour government again, the Robin Hood Tax will come in.”

In all this, he says, “We’ve got to win the hearts and minds of the public.

And that’s a big challenge. We’ve got to be working far more with community organisations, patient organisations, London Citizens, all those groups concerned about what is happening to their community services. We’ll also be forming alliances with other public service unions. We can’t do this alone.

We’re dealing with one government, one mission, we’ve got to come together as unions and have a co-ordinated strategy.”

He says there is encouragement to be drawn from the general election. “Six months before the election we were told there was no hope, that the Tories

‘The Robin Hood Tax is only a small tax on major transactions by banks, but it will bring in £20bn a year’ would win a 100 seat majority. But that didn’t happen. Moreover, they did not talk about the deep cuts that they are now making, and I do not believe they have got the support of the country to make those cuts.

“That gives me a sense of optimism, because now people know the truth.

If we can rebuild a Labour Party that stands up for working people, and if we can work with community groups, I think we have the opportunity to come through this – not just as a stronger union, but as a fairer society. I think that’s what the people of this country want.”

Mr Prentis could not have chosen a more tumultuous time in which to seek, and win re-election as general secretary. But he would not wish to be anywhere but here. “UNISON is a way of life for me, it’s not a job. I feel like I’ve achieved the pinnacle of what I always wanted to be.

“I’m really proud of our members and the jobs that they do. And that’s what motivates me – helping people who are doing such a great job in our communities.” U Demetrios Matheou d.matheou@unison.co.uk

UNISON is calling on its members to support the TUC’s Europe-wide day of action against cuts on 29 September. For more information visit etuc.org

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).

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fight’

STEVE FORREST

General secretary Dave Prentis

FIND OUT MORE unison.org .u conference k/ 2010

enthusiastic applause.

Mr Prentis was scathing in his view of Cameron and Clegg – “politics’ answer to Jedward” – and their repeated warnings about the debt and the deficit.

What they are proposing is “gutting, not cutting” public services, he said.

But he had a different message for UNISON members.

“The biggest danger is that people accept the propaganda that all this is inevitable, that there is no alternative.

But we will not allow people to lose hope. We will stand up for a better way.”

There was an alternative, he said.

The choice for the employers was to stop cutting pay and conditions, and start cutting out the contractors and management consultants.

The choice for the councils, he said, was to stop council tax giveaways that benefit a few and start protecting the services needed by the many.

And he had a special message for chancellor George Osborne: “Even you –

MARCUS ROSE

“I

If this government picks a fight with us, then we will be ready for them,” declared general secretary Dave Prentis to a packed and cheering audience at UNISON’s national delegate conference in Bournemouth.

Conference is where delegates from all over the country get together and decide the path the union will take over the coming year. And they welcomed Mr Prentis’s rousing words as the threat of an all-out attack on public services loomed following the general election.

But the general secretary insisted the union is ready to meet that attack, warning: “Do not underestimate us: we will be fierce defenders of our members and the services they deliver – the government won’t know what hit them.

“Don’t get me wrong. We are not looking for a fight,” he added. “We will always be prepared to talk, to engage, to negotiate – that’s what trade unions do – and where we find agreement, to move forward.”

But he did not shy away from the strongest defence of public-sector pensions.

“If Nick Clegg comes for our pensions, as he boasted only yesterday, then we will ballot for national strike action,” he affirmed to noisy and

CONFERENCE 2010

‘We are ready to

you do have a choice. Stop taking money from schools, hospitals, care homes.

Have the guts to go back to the banks, the speculators, the profiteers and tell them on our behalf – you pay for it.”

With conference delegates inspired by his words, the general secretary hammered home the rallying cry to defend public services.

“We begin that fight, here, today.

We will organise.

“We will organise public meetings and street demonstrations, in towns and cities, up and down the country.

“We will build lasting community alliances, to defend our public services.

We will promote an alternative economic political and social agenda.”

And he received a standing ovation for his rousing closing words.

“It is time to stand tall. We know who we are. This is the time to lift our hearts and raise our flag. A brand new chapter: strong, determined, united. This is really our time.”

15

“Spreading the burden evenly? For the Tories, that might mean the moat gets cleaned less often!” – that was how Jane Carolan, chair of the NEC policy committee, opened conference’s keynote debate on the economy.

Speaking of all the myths and outright lies that have been spread about the financial crisis and who is to blame for it, she noted, “The most repellent lie is that the cuts are inevitable.”

And the cuts certainly aren’t fair. The poorest in the country rely on public services the most and will suffer the most as they are cut, and public sector workers now fear for their jobs as the bankers

carry on regardless.

But there is an alternative. Richard von Abendorff of Goldsmiths said: “Slash and burn economics don’t work — investment works”, joining the ranks of economists who have lined up to criticise savage Con-Dem cuts.

And UNISON Labour Link chair Steve Warwick added that if the government wanted to cut waste, it should start by scrapping the bureaucracy of marketisation, PFI and consultants.

He told delegates to “go out into the communities and explain to people that there really is an alternative to the polices of the Con-Dem coalition.”

MARCUS ROSE

“When the going gets tough, UNISON gets going,” incoming president Angela Lynes said as she introduced the annual report with some fighting talk.

As a Glaswegian brought up in a typical trade union family, she took her inspiration from her grandfather, who taught her: “Never show your fear, but always show your fight”.

“It reminds me what trade unions are here for,” she told delegates. “I don’t fear what is ahead for us. Because I am up for the fight. And this union is up for the fight.”

“In UNISON, we may work in different sectors and have different employers; we may have different identities and speak with different accents; we may have different home lives or responsibilities – but wherever I have been this year, I have

New president An gela Lynes

seen that we are all facing the same issues.

“A redundancy is a redundancy, whether you are in London or Glasgow.

Cuts in service bite just as hard in local government as they do in health care.

A pay freeze hurts whether you are gay or straight.

“Now, more than ever we need to join our voices together to make ourselves heard. We have A Million voices, but we are one union – and we will show our fight.”

FIND OUT MORE

STEVE FORREST

CONFERENCE 2010

Gerry Gallagher

Cuts are not inevitable

‘Never show your fear, always show your fight’

16

MARCUS ROSE

Public service workers – we are all in this together

.uk/ unison.org million

‘Try to get involved where you can’ Outgoing president Gerry Gallagher commended the crucial role of UNISON’s Million Voices campaign since the change of government.

“The coalition is attempting to con people into believing that our public spending is somehow out of control,” he said. “Our campaign is about knocking down these myths and turning the focus back to where it should be.”

This means focusing on taxing the banks that caused the crisis rather than cutting public services.

The president urged all members: “Take action, starting today, and use the campaign to take UNISON’s message out there. Try to get involved where you can.”

He outlined the priorities for the coming year: to build our strength for the challenges we face and ensure that UNISON remains the first port of call for people needing support and protection.

STEVE FORREST

Bob Oram

School meals worker wins standing ovation School meals worker Audrey Parkinson won a standing ovation from delegates after describing the battle that school meals workers, cleaners, porters, canteen and security staff – all working for private companies – have been waging for decent pay and conditions.

Ms Parkinson, who is employed

by Compass in Sheffield, earns just £6.17 an hour – barely above the minimum wage.

She told delegates: “I get no sick pay. I regularly do unpaid work.

There is a shortage of cutlery, so some of my colleagues buy extra cutlery to make sure all the children get their food on time.

“We love our jobs and we love working with the kids. We feed the children – what could be a more responsible job? But I have to feed my own children and my own family.”

What makes that difficult, she said, is working for a multinational business. Compass employs more than 400,000 people in 80 different countries around the world and runs school meals contracts all over the UK. Last year, it made £773m in pre-tax profit.

Ms Parkinson is one of a growing number of UNISON members campaigning as part of the union’s Three Companies Project, which targets the multinational private companies Compass, Aramark and Sodexo that are now winning the majority of public-sector contracts in the NHS and schools.

“We workers in Compass are getting organised,” she said. “We are trying to build a powerful union with high density – with sustainable, high membership and a strong voice.”

Size matters in pensions battle

FIND US ON ree under ‘Th s’ Companie

MARCUS ROSE

Audrey Parkinson

FIND OUT MORE unison.org .uk/ pensions

UNISON delegates took the battle for public sector pensions to the government, with proposals that would counter the threat of cuts from Whitehall.

Central to UNISON’s approach would be a reduction of the funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme, from the current 101 to single funds for England, Wales and Scotland – and to greatly reduce the costs paid to fund managers.

Managing the funds in-house would prevent millions of pounds of pension fund income going to bankers and traders.

The NEC’s Bob Oram told delegates that the same bankers and traders who took the country into recession were the same bankers and traders who were charged with managing the pension funds – earning a massive £250m in 2009.

“They’re the ones who created the mess we’re in. And yet the amounts they have been charging us to manage our money have been going up and up.”

In 2009, Clwyd paid investment managers £57 for every £100 earned. While West Yorkshire members, managed in-house, paid just £1 for every £100 earned.

“The difference between the two is size,” Mr Oram said.

“West Yorkshire is a fund with assets of £6bn, Clwyd just £750m. And because of its size West Yorkshire is able to pay its own fund managers, who are directly employed by Bradford Council and are not economic mercenaries.

“Their sole aim is to make money for fund members, rather than themselves.”

There is also more economic power if the many funds are merged. Research shows that three funds, instead of the 101 that currently exist, would bring in an extra £1bn a year in income, from their size alone.

“The bigger the investment fund the larger the return,” Mr Oram said. “In this case, size really does matter.”

17

FIND OUT MORE

Clare Williams Robin Hood, Robin Hood ...

FIND OUT MORE

Feared by the bad, loved by the good…

Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg led UNISON delegates in a stirring rendition of the Robin Hood theme, sang behind a sea of natty green masks.

But behind the jovial performance was a serious point – the support of a tax on the financial sector that could go some way to saving public services from the knife.

Conference voted in favour of placing the union firmly behind the campaign for a Robin Hood Tax, a financial transactions tax levied on banks and City firms.

It is estimated that a global tax of around 0.05% on such transactions as currency trading, and the selling of stocks and shares and so-called ‘derivatives’ could raise £250bn a year internationally.

This money could be used to protect and promote public services, combat poverty at home and abroad, and tackle climate change.

It’s likely that such a tax would also deter the sort of irresponsible speculation that led to the current crisis.

Jean Butcher of the NEC told delegates: “Not only can we argue that public services should not be cut, but that there are other simple and effective ways to deal with the economic problems – while controlling the banking sector at the same time.

“What makes this campaign so critical to UNISON members is that it recognises the value of public services in tackling equality and poverty in the UK and around the world.”

The model for the Robin Hood Tax is the Tobin Tax, which has long been supported by UNISON. The current campaign is the brainchild of the comedy writer and director Richard Curtis, but is supported by a coalition that includes the TUC, Oxfam and 100 civil society organisations.

unison.org .uk/ healthcare

Defend our NHS

MARCUS ROSE

18

STEVE FORREST

CONFERENCE 2010

robinhood tax.org.u k

“Let’s be united about defending the NHS,” the NEC’s Clare Williams told delegates as she opened a passionate debate on defending the National Health Service.

Delegates took the opportunity to show their backing for colleagues in support roles – many of whom have been treated in government propaganda as though they are unimportant and easy to do without.

“We’re all one team and we must resist efforts to divide us,” said Ms Williams, noting the way that members of the government have been attempting to suggest that they can make cuts by getting rid of ‘backroom’ jobs without affecting ‘frontline services’.

Linda Hobson told conference that she was a nurse, but asked: “How could I do my job properly without the caterers and cleaners?”

Ms Williams also warned of links between the Conservatives and private care companies such as Care UK, the chairman of which gave health secretary Andrew Lansley £21,000 in political funding.

And she said that “a health warning” should be placed on the Conservatives’ talks of co-operatives, adding that the new health board that the coalition government was to set up would be a new and costly quango.

ME AND MY JOB

FIND OUET MOR rg.uk/ unison.o li il m on

f o e s n A se y a l p r i fa Commitment to fairness drives Julie Robinson in her work as an equalities officer in Ashfield

‘I like it when I feel I’m educating people, and making them think. It’s hard work, but it’s enjoyable’ We’ve got to make sure they know that translation services are available - it’s really important in the food industry because of health and safety.

We all have to be mindful, because the statistics can give a false sense of what’s happening.

The best moments in my job… ...are talking to the community, helping and advising people.

And I like challenging people, asking ‘have you thought of this?’ I like it when I feel I’m educating people, and making them think. It’s hard work, but it’s enjoyable.

Fairness is in my blood…

My mum did a man’s job – in the ‘50s and ‘60s she was a bus cleaner. People shouldn’t be restricted in the jobs they do because of discrimination.

Why did I become active in the union?

Because equality and trade unions are all part of the same thing – making sure

PHOTO: MARCUS ROSE

My job’s about… ...making sure that the authority represents all parts of the community and I’m there to make sure that happens.

Every procedure, policy and function provided has to be equality assessed, and I have to make sure that’s done properly.

Quite often I get told, “Oh I hadn’t thought of that!” For example, where I work the statistics say there’s only 1.2% minority ethnic population, and that’s mainly Second World War Polish. So when you look at access services, you think you only need things translated into Polish. But I noticed that all the food outlets are run by Kurdish, Turkish, Bangladeshi and Chinese people.

19

ME AND MY JOB

that people are done right by.

I’m where I am today because of the trade union movement. I was always banging on as a trade union rep. I remember the authority set up a women’s forum to try and break the glass ceiling, but they only invited the women who’d already made it. So I got onto them and said, ‘What about the rest of us?’ That’s how it started.

When I think about the future, I feel uncertain…

I don’t know if I’ll have a job next year, but I’m not the only one, at least we’ve got UNISON here to fight for us.

In the 1980s when I joined the authority it was a job for life. I’ve seen the Thatcher years, I’ve seen privatisation, and now I think it’s going to be worse than that.

The Tories think my job is a waste of money. They don’t want public services to be public, they want them to be private. Because if it’s not a public body you haven’t got the legislation to

challenge discrimination. And that means people will suffer.

I’m a disabled person…

You’re born with your gender. You’re born with your ethnicity. But you could become disabled at any time.

Because of my disability I have to work part time. The law now says that employers have to make a reasonable adjustment to the work.

But when I became disabled, I had to take my employer to court over it – and I won.

My job matters…

In the current economic climate, employers are becoming more ruthless.

And if equalities officers are going to be cut, who’s going to stand up for people?

We don’t know if the new government’s committed to equalities. We’ve only just got the new equalities legislation in place, how can we be sure it’s going to be properly implemented?

My work satisfies me… ...if I can make life better for people at work and in the community. Then I know I’ve done a good day’s work.

I relax by… ...painting lead soldiers with my partner – little Napoleonic models.

I met him when I joined a quiz league. Who’d ever have thought it?

You join a quiz team and meet the man in your life! U Clare Bayley c.bayley@unison.co.uk

To show your support for the work Julie does join UNISON’s Million Voices for Public Services campaign at unison.org.uk/million

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ALL PHOTOS: BRIAN MORGAN

Graham Cross in the abattoir

E S U O H R E T H G U A SL Meat hooks, stun guns, electric shock dispensers and knives are all in a day’s work for meat hygiene inspector Graham Cross

“

T

here can be parasites, diseases, fecal contamination – so many horrible things that you can see on a slaughtered animal. But the reason they don’t get into the food chain is because we do our job. We enforce the regulations,” says Graham Cross, a meat hygiene inspector based in Wales.

I meet him at a family owned and run abattoir in Maesteg, half an hour outside 21

PUBLIC SERVICES 22

Cardiff. Contrary to popular misconceptions about slaughterhouses, this MK Meats is clean, bright and tidy – all white panelling and gleaming stainless steel. The morning of my visit, 25 beef cattle were slaughtered, all from farms within a 40 miles radius. The meat is high quality Welsh beef destined for a local chain of pub restaurants supplied by Celtic Pride.

Graham, who works for the Food Standards Agency, is a softly spoken Welshman who is passionate about his job.

“Did you know that every cow has a passport?” he asks, showing me one from a beast who is now deceased, as of an hour ago. The passport has the cow’s ear tag number and date of birth on the front page, as well as her breed, her mother’s ear tag number and DOB. Inside we learn that the first owner sold the animal at Newport market to a Mr Llewellyn, who bought her on 21 April 2008.

“We perform a percentage of random passport checks on every animal killed to make sure they are who we think they are. The passports are then sent to the British Cattle Movement Service who record that the animal is dead – it’s an

anti-fraud measure in the wake of the BSE crisis,” explains Graham.

The inspectors make sure that the killing is conducted efficiently and effectively, to ensure the minimum of suffering to the animal. They check that hygiene is maintained throughout the process. Then a post mortem is performed on every single cow, sheep, pig or poultry bird that is killed.

“Personally I don’t like bad welfare.

I enforce the regulations. There’s zero tolerance of bad practice,” says Graham.

But he is not a sentimental man. “If an animal’s been bred for food, it’s been bred for food,” he reasons. “One of the satisfactions of the job is to walk around the chiller at the end of the day, and know you’ve been a part of that process.

You see some nice sides of beef hanging up, and think that’s a cracker, that is,” he enthuses. A ribeye steak is his personal favourite.

You might wonder how someone ends up as a meat inspector, but Graham’s background, logically enough, was in butchering. He became a butcher when he left school but soon moved into wholesale meat. “I found working in a shop and serving customers just wasn’t for me, to be perfectly honest,” he says candidly. “So I applied for a job with the Meat Hygiene Service as it was back then, did the training at Salford University to attain the Meat Inspectors qualification and here I am 11 years later.”

His colleague, fellow UNISON member and official veterinarian Gines Ruiz also started out as a butcher. He remembers that back in his native Spain the vet who came to inspect the meat was highly respected. “So I decided I wanted to do that job,” he remembers with a smile.

There are not enough British vets who want to work in abattoirs, so Gines came to the UK ten years ago and is now, says Graham, “honorary Welsh”.

At Maesteg Graham and Gines are a permanent presence on killing days, and as this is a small operation the work is straightforward.

“We’ve got a good working relationship here,” says Graham. “If the plant wants to do a good job, it makes our job easier. Nobody wants bad food in the fridge.”

However, not all meat inspectors

‘In some plants the inspectors are seen as awkward if they apply the regulations properly. Bullying and intimidation seem to be endemic’ have such a co-operative working environment, as Simon Watson, UNISON’s national officer explains.

“Our members do a fantastic job, but often in very difficult circumstances,” he says. “In some plants the inspectors are seen as ‘awkward’ if they apply the regulations properly. Bullying and intimidation seem to be endemic in all parts of the meat production industry.”

In large scale abattoirs there may be 70 cattle killed an hour, and large poultry abattoirs can easily process well over a million birds a week. All are inspected. It takes teams of inspectors to get the post mortems done properly and in time.

Inspectors often work in premises where pressure is applied for them to turn a blind eye to lapses of the regulations – even contaminated meat – if it risks slowing down production.

A slaughterhouse can be an intimidating and dangerous environment at the best of times, with its meat hooks, stun guns, electric shock dispensers and knives – never mind the blood vats and offal.

There have been horror stories where UNISON members have been threatened and assaulted. Many workers in abattoirs are migrants, and there was an incident recently of a vet who is a UNISON member who was allegedly seriously racially abused and threatened.

The regulations were recently changed, putting the responsibility on the plant to ensure that animals are not muddy and wet when slaughtered, because this can cause contamination when the hides and fleeces are removed.

There is evidence that plants are not being rigorous in enforcing this, which puts added pressure on meat inspectors.

“In the present environment,” says

carcasses are prepared, the organs and byproducts are dealt with and the whole place is hosed down and wiped clean.

All surfaces as well as carcasses are subjected to routine swabbing to ensure there are not high levels of bacterial infection. It’s more like a hospital than a slaughterhouse.

The good working relationship that Graham enjoys is key to the successful performance of his functions. “You have to build a relationship up, but you can’t be too close either,” he says. “You’ve got to remain impartial, and you can’t be allowed to

Simon Watson, “when large scale cuts are being made, it’s essential for public health that meat inspectors are not cut back. We’ve fought off a move to water down the regulations and introduce self-regulation by the plants. Our members are dedicated to protecting public health and they go way above and beyond the call of duty to ensure it.”

“Fortunately we don’t get these problems in Maesteg and it would be wrong to tar all abattoirs with the same brush,” says Graham.

Even two hours after the last animal was killed, the plant is a hive of activity as

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Like Graham, all meat inspectors are dedicated to ensuring public health, and take their responsibilities very seriously. “We’ve all seen outbreaks of e-coli – in Scotland 13 people died because of it, and even in Wales a child died and many more became seriously ill in an outbreak linked to poor hygiene,” points out Simon Watson. “If you don’t have proper meat inspection, these things happen.

You can’t leave the industry to self-regulate” he insists.

And it’s thanks to people like Graham and Gines that incidents like this don’t happen more often – and that we can all safely enjoy a nice ribeye steak from time to time. U Clare Bayley c.bayley@unison.co.uk

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U @ WORK

MARCUS ROSE

FIND OUT MORE FIGHTING THE CUTS

UNISON members act to defend public services Our Million Voices for Public Services campaign has been putting the arguments before the public and politicians for more than a year – but with the election of a new coalition government and the huge cuts announced in its June budget, campaigning has stepped up a gear and members around the country are taking action.

Showing that they won’t take the blame for the bankers’ economic crisis, UNISON branches across the country – from Surrey to Glasgow and points between and beyond – took to the streets on budget day.

In Glasgow, some 150 union members gathered at lunch time in George Square to protest against the cuts while another 200 took part in an evening demonstration.

Similar events took place in Edinburgh, Kingston in Surrey (pictured), Camden and towns and cities all across the UK. And in the north-east of England UNISON played a key role in setting up a Public Services Alliance along with the Northern TUC, PCS and Unite.

HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION

Dissent grips the nation

STEVE FORREST

Members in higher and further education – along with colleagues in other unions and students – staged a ‘day of dissent’ in June.

Demanding the government protect education funding and recognise that education offers a way out of the recession, members from more than 100 colleges and universities protested in their workplaces and in rallies in cities across the UK. Meanwhile, further education members in England are being consulted on a pay offer of 0.2% or £50 a year, consolidated, while UK-wide talks in higher education continue in an attempt to get a pay offer members can be consulted on.

Find out more about the day of dissent, including pictures and comments from around the country, at unison.org.uk/dayofdissent Staff and students at the community college in Hackney, East London made their voices heard

ENERGY

Don’t play Scrooge …

UNISON is calling on ScottishPower and outsourcing company Accenture to think again on plans to make 200 workers redundant by Christmas.

Immediately after winning a multimillion pound contract for ScottishPower’s IT services, Accenture announced that it was making 60% of the workforce, in east Kilbride and north Wales, redundant and moving the work to India.

The union is consulting lawyers over whether the move breaches the TUPE (transfer of undertakings) regulations.

WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORT

British Waterways offers 1.5% UNISON is recommending a British Waterways pay offer of 1.5% or £250, whichever is higher, consolidated into the basic salary for “level three performers” and above.

If accepted, this will be in the August pay packet, backdated to 1 July 2010.

26

POLICE AND JUSTICE

Honour pay deal Police minister Nick Herbert has been urged to “give police staff his backing, and pledge to honour the third year of their pay deal” – something the coalition government has already done for police officers.

The move comes after Wiltshire police authority unilaterally broke the national deal and refused to pay staff the agreed 2.58% rise for this year.

“Inflation is running at 5% and VAT will push prices up even more next year,” noted national officer Ben Priestley. “It is only right that police staff get the same assurances on their pay as police officers.”

FIND OUT MORE HEALTHCARE

unison.org.uk healthcare

Back where they belong Health workers in Northern Ireland celebrated the end of the last remaining privatised NHS contract in April.

More than 200 employees providing cleaning, catering, portering, transport, security and telephone services in Belfast’s Musgrave Park Hospital returned in house in April (pictured), after

UP TO 75% no claims discount (if you have 5 years or more no claims)

19 years of privatisation.

“This was the longest and last privatised contract in our health service,” said regional secretary Patricia McKeown. “It is the final in-house return of workers who were put through hell to serve political dogma.

“They have persevered, and justice is theirs at last.”

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Injury added to insult UNISON has hit out at councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who have refused to pay even the £250 a year rise for low paid public workers promised in the government’s budget.

Council employers are still refusing to make any pay offer – and have now declared they won’t even pay out the minimal rise promised in the budget.

In Scotland, members are being asked to reject a three year pay offer described as “unacceptable” by UNISON lead negotiator Dougie Black.

Councils have made a three year offer of 1% in the first year, 0% in the second and 0.5% in the third.

DISCOUNTED CAR INSURANCE from UNISON’s approved supplier

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Call 0800 756 8154 quote code ADVR Or go online to enter

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For Textphone: first dial 18001. Calls may be recorded.

Lines are open Mon – Fri 8am – 9pm, Sat 8am – 5pm, Sun 9am – 5pm.

UNISON acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative to the Liverpool Victoria group of companies for General Insurance . LV= and FRIZZELL are registered trade marks of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited and LV= and FRIZZELL are trading styles of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies. Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited, registered in England and Wales No. 3232514 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number 202965. Registered address: County Gates, Bournemouth, BH1 2NF. Tel 01202 292333.

21015056 07/10

UNISON ‘win a car’ Terms and Conditions: Entry into the prize draw is automatic for UNISON members who apply for a: car insurance quotation (by telephone or online) and/or provide a renewal date for car and/or breakdown insurance (via coupons or online) through LV=Frizzell between 01/05/10 and 31/10/10. No purchase is necessary. One entry to the prize draw is available for one car insurance quotation and/or one renewal date for car and/or breakdown insurance. A maximum of 3 entries per person are permitted. The prize is a Mazda 2 1.3 TS2 5dr car with an ‘on the road’ guide price of £10,645. There is no cash alternative or refund available. The prize does not include any expenses arising in relation to the prize. The prize is non refundable and non transferable and is subject to availability. LV= reserves the right in its reasonable discretion to substitute any prize with an alternative prize of similar value. The prize draw is open to residents of the UK (excludes Channel Islands and Isle of Man) over 18 and under 80 years of age. The prize draw is not open to staff of LV= or UNISON or to their immediate family or to anyone directly connected with the prize draw. No responsibility can be accepted for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post. Proof of posting is not proof of receipt by LV=. The prize draw will be held on 12/11/10. THE CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF ENTRIES IS 31/10/10. A winner will be randomly selected by a judge appointed by LV=. The judge’s decision is final. The winner will be notified by post or telephone by 19/11/10 subject to UNISON membership being confirmed. All reasonable efforts will be made to contact winners. Where contact cannot be made an alternative winner will be selected at random and notified within 14 Days. The names of the judge and/or the winner are obtainable by sending an SAE to: UNISON Car PD, LV=, FHG B6, County Gates, Dorset, BH1 2NF up to 2 months after the closing date. The winner agrees to participate in publicity relating to the draw and to publication of his or her name and likeness and county of residence in various publications, mailings and websites for the purposes of announcing the winner of this prize draw and for related marketing purposes. LV= reserves the right to amend the prize draw terms and conditions and to withdraw the prize at any time. Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited: registered address County Gates, Bournemouth, BH1 2NF.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ADVERTISEMENT

GREAT NEWS! Every UNISON member can benefit from UNISONdrive.

We are proud to announce a new Membership Benefit – UNISONdrive.

UNISONdrive is a unique Vehicle Purchase Scheme specially designed for UNISON members and their families to help pinpoint the right car for you and enjoy fantastic value for money.

With a dedicated website www.unisondrive.org.uk and a low cost telephone number 0845 122 6923 members can access this exciting car buying experience.

Buying a new or used car with UNISONdrive is a smooth and enjoyable ride without the hassle. We find the right car for you, at the right price and sort out all the paperwork.

Simply tell us what you want, and we will do the rest. UNISONdrive can supply any vehicle, new or used, from any manufacturer. We have preferred terms with most of the major manufacturers and these savings are passed on to members.

and all have a full service history.

All our cars are thoroughly checked and serviced. We make sure they are clear from finance, have not been involved in any accidents, and their mileage is true and correct.

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FICTION

MUSIC

REVIEWS

FICTION

The Last Weekend

By Blake Morrison Published by Chatto & Windus (hbk)

30

House Rules

By Jodi Picoult Published by Hodder & Stoughton (hbk)

Time Flies… 1994–2009 Oasis

When Ian and Emily Goade receive a surprise invitation to spend the August bank holiday with old friends, in a remote country house, they’re sceptical about the motive.

But, desperate for a break, they take up the offer.

Ollie and Daisy Moore are aptly named – they seem to have more of everything. Ian, who knew them both at university, has always been involved in a fierce competition with Ollie, his more privileged friend. Ian is jealous yet adoring, resentful of Ollie’s patronage, yet besotted.

As the weekend begins, amid chronic traffic and in sweltering heat, tensions start to bubble beneath the surface of these relationships.

And once at the house, a devastating piece of news combines with a long-forgotten bet, to ratchet up that tension.

Blake Morrison’s take on the country house mystery may have a pretty predictable denouement and some sketchily drawn characters, but it’s driven forward by the central character, Ian, who narrates the story.

The thing is, just how reliable a narrator is he? In his development of Ian, Morrison makes us wonder about the difference between delusion and reality, fantasy and truth. These questions are what give the novel its impetus and interest – in an increasingly horrific way.

After her hugely popular book about self-sacrificing siblings, My Sister’s Keeper, novelist Jodi Picoult examines two young brothers caught up in the legal system in this compelling thriller.

Fifteen-year-old Theo is a bright, normal kid who loves skateboarding. His older brother, 18-year-old Jacob, is also very bright, but not so normal (or “neurotypical”, as the book explains), because he has Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of highfunctioning autism. This means Jacob has trouble making eye contact, has peculiar obsessions – in his case, with forensics – and difficulty empathising with others.

All these traits make him look like a prime suspect when his tutor is found dead. Even though people with Asperger’s almost never lie, Theo and even the boys’ singleparent mother have their doubts about Jacob’s innocence.

Told in brisk little chapters by alternating voices, this is pretty gripping stuff. Never one to shirk her research, Picoult crams in a lot of information about autism and uses the condition inventively to generate suspense, while still making Jacob’s character sympathetic. Her style can be a little clunky at times, and this could have done with some judicious editing, but there’s no denying Picoult’s skill as a storyteller.

Oasis finally broke up last year, after yet another back-stage altercation between the famously squabbling Noel and Liam Gallagher.

It was, as they say, the end of an era: for the UK music scene, for the tabloids who feasted on the brothers’ antics, and for the Manchester boys themselves, who had been at the forefront of Britpop, and at the top of the charts for 15 years.

Billed as “the complete singles collection” this is a timely and apposite compilation. And these 26 tracks provide an amazingly consistent array of catchy, stirring rock and pop.

Songwriter Noel is perhaps the Beatles’ most famous disciple – Don’t look back in anger, their first number one – is one of many that could have been knocked out by Lennon & McCartney.

But there are many other influences here, from The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, to The Stone Roses. The result is never merely derivative, because the final ingredient of such great songs as Wonderwall, Roll with it, Some might say, and Songbird is Liam’s voice, one moment full of attitude, another rousing, then surprisingly sweet.

If these were the vinyl days, Time Flies would quickly be worn out. As Liam would say, “mad for it”.

AMANDA KENDAL

LESLIE FELPERIN

DEMETRIOS MATHEOU

MUSIC

DVD

DVD

A special review by 11-year-o ld Josie Dixe y Watson Can’t Be Tamed Miley Cyrus

The Last Station Directed by Michael Hoffman

Brothers Directed by Jim Sheridan

I’ve been listening to Miley Cyrus since I was eight, when she was famous for playing Hannah Montana on TV. Every time she has a new album, or film, I’m really excited.

This is her third album, and her biggest break from her TV image, which is aimed at kids. She’s 17 now, and seems to want a completely different audience.

Miley wants to go global!

I think she might lose some of her younger fans. Her old songs came from the heart, and were about things we all thought about, like believing in yourself. A lot of the new ones are love songs, and quite grown up. In Permanent December she talks about “sexy boys in every city”, with cars, money and clothes. We don’t have that at school in west London!

But I really like the music.

She used to sing with just a guitar, or a small band, but now she uses lots of instruments and computers. And it’s a lot more rock than pop. Liberty wall has nice harmonies and a complex rhythm. Can’t be tamed sounds a bit like Lady Gaga.

She used to be famous for being her daddy’s little girl. Now she’s definitely just Miley Cyrus.

Pictures of the great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy show a seemingly doddery old man, with a beard so long you could hang decorations on it.

But appearances can deceive.

And according to The Last Station, his later life was far from doddery.

This is a rollicking tale full of love and lust, egomania and folly, and the tragedy of a creative talent languishing amidst petty squabbles.

Based on the novel by Jay Parini, it concerns the almighty battle over Tolstoy’s literary estate – between his wife, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), and Valentin Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), the leader of the writer’s pacifist movement, the Tolstoyans, who believed that War and Peace and Anna Karenina should be bequeathed to the Russian people.

Tolstoy’s country estate may seem a land of bucolic bliss, but is in fact the venue for an ill-tempered battle of wits, with the writer himself (played by Christopher Plummer as a jovial man of the people) caught in the middle.

Set in 1910, this could be the sort of literary, period piece that flounders on the big screen.

That it doesn’t, is due to a script abuzz with intelligence and humour, brought to life by a superlative cast.

Hollywood remakes of European films are usually unnecessary, and regrettable. But Brothers stands up very well in its own right. A retelling of a Danish film of the same name, it offers a powerful reflection on the damage done to army families back home, by the occupations in the Middle East.

Tobey Maguire plays a respected marine officer, Sam Cahill, who goes missing, presumed dead while on tour in Afghanistan. In his absence, his brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), the dark sheep newly released from prison, becomes a good friend to Sam’s wife Grace (Natalie Portman) and his two young daughters.

But Sam is not dead. The film’s first half moves between the States, where the family is coming to terms with their loss, and the Afghan desert, where the marine is held prisoner by Taliban fighters; the second half deals with Sam’s return home. Rather than joy, Grace and her girls feel increasing anxiety as they have to deal with a changed man – traumatised, bitter, and dangerously jealous of his brother’s place in their hearts.

Jim Sheridan directs with restraint, allowing the actors to carry the heavy emotional load of his story. Maguire, with the most gruelling journey to convey, just nicks the honours.

DM

DM

JOSIE DIXEY WATSON

31

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 Performing complex calculations (6, 9) 9 Long grained rice (7) 10 Person from Tel Aviv, say (7) 11 Toy on a string (2-2) 12 Evergreen houseplant – Anagram of as it’s rapid (10) 13 Crime against the nation (7) 15 Small Italian dumpling (7) 17 More flavoursome (7) 19 Taking skin off an orange, say (7) 20 Decisively beaten so as to look inferior (10) 22 Things sold at an auction (4) 25 More shabby (7) 26 Cobain’s band (7) 27 Novelty event involving tying limbs together (5-6, 4)

1 Common name of Norbert Stiles (5) 2 Northern side dish (5, 4) 3 Mild Dutch cheese (4) 4 Deep red (7) 5 Joining up (7) 6 Flesh eater (9) 7 Clumsy (5) 8 Pulling a negative face (9) 13 Retaliation in kind (3, 3, 3) 14 Painting of inanimate objects (5, 4) 16 Small sausage (9) 18 Set aside for future use (7) 19 Coin – A hundred equalled a Deutsche Mark (7) 21 Someone giving instruction (5) 23 Frighten (5) 24 Dry and dusty (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 T, C and the clues to them straight away – and now you know where 3 others go.

■ Sticky ooze (3) ■ First name of Arsenal player, Campbell (3) ■ Mesh (3) ■ Flightless Aussie (3) ■ Famous American college (4) ■ Encourage (4) ■ Garden party (4) ■ Pile high (4) ■ Small drum generally played in pairs (5) ■ One spelling of Russian Emperors (5) ■ Heats (5) ■ Monetary unit of Poland (5) ■ Refuse to take notice of (6) ■ Footballer between the sticks (6)

d 32

Alphajig

a

S

■ In the present time (7) ■ Sustained period of low rainfall (7) ■ Nervous – rhymes with glittery (7) ■ Collection of books (7) ■ Less noisy (7) ■ Pastry dish or a hat (4,3) ■ Shake or oscillate (7) ■ Keep oneself from taking action or piece of a song (7) ■ Using a copier (8) ■ Of a well in which water rises by pressure (8) ■ Soldiers in formation walking in front of a dignitary (5, 4) ■ Short witty comments (3-6)

w

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W TICKE IN

A LONTS TO DON SHOW !

Se to all nd your ans thre wer addr e puzzles s Friday ess below bto the 24 Sep y tembe r

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 7 Deadliest new gun (4) Gives STEN which is defined by GUN , the letters of which can be found in DEADLIEST NEW – all mixed up

Alphajig Admire, Byron, Chamber, Dry runs, Err, Fabrics, Graphic, Hush, Ice cube, Ju-ju, Knee, Lord, Mollusc, Nineteen, Opt, Precisely, Quips, Richer, Steel, Tor, Use, Vultures, Wrecker, X-rays, You said it, Zebedee Alphajig 2 Across: 1. UNISON 7 Priest, 8 Narrow, 9 Used, 10 Libretto, 11 Blue jay, 13 Alter, 15 Local, 17 Outrank, 20 Iolanthe, 21 Mope, 23 Claire, 24 Louder Down: 1 Urns, 2 Needle, 3 Italian, 4 Snobs, 5 Orwell, 6 Northern, 12 Loo rolls, 14 Rubella, 16 Arabia, 18 Rumour, 19 Steel, 22 Prey Overlaps Across: 4 Samba, 7 East Ender, 10 Orchard, 11 Often, 15 Melville, 17 Unstable, 18 Tartar sauce, 19 At large, 20 Inter, 22 Gas Down: 1 Gym, 2 Easter, 3 Ebony, 5 Bachelor pad, 6 Self-assured, 8/2A Private eye, 9 Felafel, 12 Bee, 13 Nurseries, 14 Ale, 16 E-mailing, 21 Tan

ACROSS

DOWN

5 Airport workers making stand for fuselage (6, 5) 7 Deadliest new gun (4) 8 I don’t be especially well behaved (8) 9 Girl meets priests at places of worship (7) 11 Polluting air contains smoke (5) 13 Fear special weapon (5) 14 Older aunts amble (7) 16 Occupant wants entire dwelling (8) 17 Philip ate Middle Eastern bread (4) 18 Piece of food cooking arouses alligator (7, 4)

1 Show one’s bum on motorbike (4) 2 Rooks enter game (7) 3 Eats red flower (5) 4 Frightening maniac is one good at tricks (8) 5 Red top journos, nevertheless, regret stupidity (6,5) 6 Basic woman flaunted (11) 10 Expensive metal – except aluminium (8) 12 Scales the forts (7) 15 Started growing beans (5) 17 Bad for operations (4)

WIN TICKETS TO FELA!

Fela! is an award-winning hybrid of dance, theatre and music, based on the life and world of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

It is showing at the National Theatre in London in November and December and we have five pairs of tickets to give away to the first five correct answers to this issue’s competition drawn from our lucky hat.

The prizes are courtesy of The National Theatre. If you don’t want to miss out, you can find out more about the show, and booking details at nationaltheatre.org.uk/fela (booking office 020 7452 3000).

But for a chance to win free tickets, 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 9AJ, to reach us by Friday 24 September.

e

e

The lucky winners of digital radios from the last issue are: D Clegg, Bolton; Rachel Dilworth, London; Mr WGH Tickner, Dagenham; Dawn Harrison, Devon; Lynn Thomson, Aberdeen; May McFaden, Glasgow; Pam Young, Grimsby; Colin Newland, Middlesex, Donna Bailey, Birmingham, Mrs J Morris, Lincolnshire.

a

33

SIMON CLARK/EYEBOX

SPRING 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

FOR UNISON MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES

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

Stand up, speak out, be counted As a retired UNISON member I usually scan somewhat quickly when I receive the magazine. However when I came upon your article in the latest edition ‘Stand up, speak out, be counted’ I found it to be a breath of fresh air.

What an excellent article, well written and nicely laid out. The article came across as genuine and real. Lots of applause from me.

Ed Forte by email

Over 65 doesn’t mean over the hill As a member of UNISON I feel that I should speak out about the workers who are approaching age 65 who have been discriminated against and are being forced to retire when they are asking for one or two years more work to give them a better life when they retire.

We are the most experienced and reliable people I know and should be given the choice.

Alphenis Anthony Leicester

UP STAND

T U O K A SPE UNTED

BE CO

Carer speaks out After almost 25 years in the NHS it is with a heavy heart that I write. Over the years I have watched a great health service where patients were first all the time go into a big decline where now we are top heavy with managers who just don’t care.

‘The job I loved doing, caring for people, is not there anymore’ In some wards trained staff don’t touch patients at all.

If there are two nursing assistants on duty they are left with the lion’s share of the work. Fortunately the ward I worked in the staff were hands on, we worked as a team.

There is a constant movement of patients, at all times during the night. People in their 80s getting moved at 2am, 3am, 4am or 5am – no wonder these poor patients are confused.

Patients should be our priority. The job I loved doing, caring for people, is

34

UNISON

LETTERS

Got something to say?

not there any more. There are great nurses out there and some good managers who understand what is happening.

I’m sorry to sound off like this.

Name and address supplied

Still active!

In response to your letter ‘Still active’. I am in the West Mercia police branch of UNISON (retired). How wonderful to hear of UNISON groups that have a life! I would love to go on days out and activities, not too strenuous though!

Jennifer Bechelli Stourport

‘How wonderful to hear of UNISON groups that have a life!’

Thank you I wanted to write and thank UNISON for their part in sponsoring me to attend Birzeit University. I’m at the final

stage, the final semester. I am enjoying the last three months at this lovely university.

About the university life, it’s really hard to leave this university which I consider as the best. Thanks to the all the British unions who covered most of my financial commitments through giving grants.

I am practising in an engineering office at the same time side by side with my study. I feel I am little busy but any way I hope it will offer me more chances in work opportunities in future.

I am really grateful to the friends of Birzeit University and the British unions. I want to send all my regards with all respect and appreciation to your efforts that you exert to make learning

‘I am really grateful to the friends of Birzeit University and the British unions’ affordable for the needy and students who can’t pay for it.

Murad Daragmeh, Birzeit Palestine Note from editor: UNISON is part of a coalition of unions that sponsors a student at Birzeit University in Palestine to commemorate Yusef Allan the founder of Trade Union Friends of Palestine.

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, we had lots of nominations for this issue – every one of whom deserves a bouquet. So we had to make a tough choice.

But the winner of this issue’s bouquet is Julia Kendall. Julia was nominated by her friends on Ward G of the mental health unit at Neath Port Talbot hospital in Wales, in particular Linda Davies.

Julia has been at the hospital for years, and Linda writes that she “has always had a special way of nursing our elderly, frail, scared, violent and confused patients with an abundance of empathy and reassurance.” Even when her job becomes difficult and frustrating, she manages to “see beyond the illness.”

Julia and her family have had a hard time recently, as a cancer Julia previously suffered from has returned. Linda writes that

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h^ooa^c\ hjbbZg d[[Zgh Julia is “a mother, a daughter, a friend, a colleague, an inspiration”. She would like to tell Julia that all the staff at Ward G believe she is “incredibly brave and courageous” and want to say thank you to her for her “unfailing support and unfailing courage”.

We agree with Julia and a beautiful bouquet of flowers is on its way to her now.

If you’d like to nominate someone, write to us, marking your envelope ‘Bouquet to a member’, saying why your nominee deserves a bouquet, and giving their name and address and your contact number. We will pick out a lucky winner and send them the flowers.

Write to Bouquet to a member, U magazine, UNISON, 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ.

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RESULTS

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AFFAIRS To members of UNISON as required by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993.

1 UNISON Income and expenditure statement for the year ended 31 December 2009 £000s Members’ subscriptions 167,098 Donations by Branch members 299 Member’s local levy 231 Non-membership income 13,956 Total income 181,584 Allocations to Political Funds (5,688) Operating costs 175,896 Total expenditure (167,020) Net income 8,876 Net interest and profit on sale of assets 1,229 Taxation (302) Surplus for the year (see note below) 9,803 Actuarial losses on pension scheme (34,154) Deficit for the year (24,351) Reserves at 1 January 2009 107,992 Total reserves as at 31 December 2009 83,641 GENERAL POLITICAL FUND Income – members’ voluntary contributions 2,800 Total expenditure (2,188) Net income 612 Net investment income 85 Surplus for the year 697 Reserves at 1 January 2009 3,882 Total reserves as at 31 December 2009 4,579 AFFILIATED POLITICAL FUND Income – member’s voluntary contributions 2,888 Total expenditure (2,515) Net income 373 Net investment income 14 Surplus for the year 387 Reserves at 1 January 2009 849 Total reserves as at 31 December 2009 1,236 Note The Income and Expenditure Statement shown above is the sum of the General Fund and Industrial Action Fund at National, Region and Branch level plus our share of other UNISON activities, Care Connect Learning Ltd (CCLL), College of Operating Department Practitioners Ltd and Managers in Partnership. Ownership of CCLL was transferred to a third party in December 2009. In addition the impact of the staff pension schemes has been included in full in accordance with FRS 17.

The breakdown of overall surplus is as given below.

General Fund National Branches Regional lay committee’s Industrial Action Fund National Branches Group companies and Pension scheme Overall surplus for UNISON (before actuarial losses on pension scheme of £34,154,000)

36

9,189 (1,030) (406) 7,753 1,263 102 1,365 685 9,803

2 Remuneration paid to President, General Secretary and members of the executive Statement of salaries and other taxable benefits provided to the president, the general secretary and members of the executive President - No salary or other taxable benefits General Secretary Basic salary London weighting Taxable expenses Car benefit Total salary and benefits Employer’s national insurance costs Employer’s contribution to UNISON staff pension scheme Total salary and on costs for the year ended 31.12. 2009 Members of the Executive – No salary or other taxable benefits

nil

£92,688 £4,639 £2,347 £6,903 £106,577 £10,816 £24,919 £142,312 nil

3 Statement to the members “A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or has occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the Union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.

The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the Union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.

Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of the rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.”

Before taking any steps as set out in the above paragraphs as laid down by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993, it would be advisable for the member to communicate initially with the Branch Secretary, then the Regional Secretary and finally the Financial Officer or the General Secretary. After taking such steps, if the member is not satisfied then the member should resort to the remedies as set out in the first three paragraphs above.

A full set of the financial statements is available for inspection from your branch secretary / regional secretary.

UNISON INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF UNISON We have audited the Financial Statements of UNISON for the year ended 31 December 2009 which comprise the Consolidated Revenue Account, the Consolidated Balance Sheet, the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement and the related notes, for the union and the group, plus the Affiliated Political Fund and the General Political Fund on pages 26 to 29. These Financial Statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies set out therein.

This report is made solely to UNISON’s members as a body. Our work has been

undertaken so that we might state to UNISON’s members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditors’ report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than UNISON and UNISON’s members as a body, for our audit work, or for the opinion we have formed.

Respective Responsibilities of Officers and Auditors The union’s officers’ responsibilities for preparing the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards are set out in the Statement of Officers’ Responsibilities. Our responsibility is to audit the Financial Statements in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland).

We report to you our opinion as to whether the Financial Statements give a true and fair view. We also report to you if, in our opinion, the Foreword and the Report on the Financial Statements are not consistent with the Financial Statements, if the union has not kept proper accounting records, or if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit. We read the information contained in the Foreword and the Report on the Financial Statements and consider whether it is consistent with the audited Financial Statements. We consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the Financial Statements. Our responsibilities do not extend to any other information.

Basis of Opinion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board.

An audit includes an examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the Financial Statements. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the officers in the preparation of the Financial Statements, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the union’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.

We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all information and explanations which we consider necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance as to whether the Financial Statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the Financial Statements.

Unqualified opinion In our opinion the financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of the group and union’s affairs as at 31 December 2009 and its transactions for the year then ended.

Thursday, May 20, 2010 Horwath Clark Whitehill LLP Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, St Bride’s House, 10 Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8EH

SGE ELECTIONS 2010 Community Service Group Health Service Group Elections 2010 Elections 2010

Local Government Service Group Elections 2010

Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows:

Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows:

Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows:

COMMUNITY – GREATER LONDON Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) POWELL, Mary 327 HORE, Charlie 285 GRAY, John 265

HEALTH – GREATER LONDON Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) HOCKEY, Len 1389 DAVEY, Mike 1542 Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) MAIDEN, Janet 1875 HIRST, Monica 1195

LOCAL GOVERNMENT – EASTERN Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) GASKIN, Peter 3699 GRACE, Jeff 1508

COMMUNITY – NORTH WEST Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) AITMAN, Tony 262 McVICAR, Isobel 284

9704 885 9.1% 8 877

ELECTED

6534 548 8.4% 2 546

ELECTED

COMMUNITY – YORKSHIRE & HUMBER Number of eligible voters: 4787 Number of votes cast: 458 Turnout: 9.6% General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 76 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 382 Result (1 to elect) PALMER, Glyn 167 FIRTH, Gary 215 ELECTED Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 84 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 374 Result (1 to elect) CADE, Yvonne 207 ELECTED JONES, June 167 Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:1) was sent the details of the ballot and 2) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

Energy Service Group Election 2010 Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows: ENERGY – NORTH WEST Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) AHMED, Firoz 48 MELIA, Michael 230

3721 279 7.5% 1 278

ELECTED

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:3) was sent the details of the ballot and 4) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

38236 3525 9.2% 584 10 2931

HEALTH – YORKSHIRE & HUMBER Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Female Seat Result (1 to elect) SMALES, Karen 1797 BROWN, Alison 2109

ELECTED

ELECTED 440 15 3070 ELECTED

HEALTH – NORTH WEST General seat UNISON has confirmed that candidate Caroline Bedale became ineligible to hold union office from 14th April 2010 Therefore Harry Hanley is duly elected.

Female Seat Number of eligible voters: 62763 Number of votes cast: 4423 Turnout: 7% Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 233 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 10 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 4180 Result (1 to elect) COLLINS-BARRETT, Lesley 1788 REISSMANN, Karen 2392 ELECTED Reserved Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 221 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 9 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 4193 Result (1 to elect) KEARY, Kathleen 2012 PATTERSON, Angela 2181 ELECTED HEALTH – SOUTH WEST Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) CLAWSON, Jim 881 O’RYAN, Francis 752 DAVEY, Roger 925 Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) TAYLOR, Joan 543 BRAILEY, Trudie 1135 PRICE, Ann 851

44337 5235 11.8% 28 5207

27339 2924 10.7% 361 5 2558

ELECTED 389 6 2529

ELECTED

44454 3933 8.8% 27 3906

ELECTED

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:5) was sent the details of the ballot and 6) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

LOCAL GOVERNMENT – EAST MIDLANDS Number of eligible voters: 54695 Number of votes cast: 6034 Turnout: 11% General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 342 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 23 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 5669 Result (1 to elect) SHARMAN, John 2196 BUCKWELL, Richard 3473 ELECTED Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 2360 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 10 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 3664 Result (1 to elect) NICHOLLS, Josephine 2146 ELECTED BERRISFORD, Nicole 1518 LOCAL GOVERNMENT – GREATER LONDON Number of eligible voters: 67039 Number of votes cast: 6505 Turnout: 9.7% General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 14 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 1020 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 5471 Result (1 to elect) McLOUGHLIN, John 3510 ELECTED DALEY, Peter 1961 Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): 767 Number of votes found to be spoilt: 16 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 5722 Result (1 to elect) HOWARD, Sonya Kay 3752 ELECTED BACK, Margaret 1970 LOCAL GOVERNMENT – SCOTLAND Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) FERGUSON, Mark 7136 McFARLANE, Jim 2953

90830 10111 11.1% 22 10089

ELECTED

LOCAL GOVERNMENT – SOUTH WEST Number of eligible voters: 47407 Number of votes cast: 5862 Turnout: 12.4% Number of votes found to be invalid: 30 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 5832 General Seat Result (1 to elect) BEHAN, Nigel 2981 ELECTED OLGARD, Nick 2851 LOCAL GOVERNMENT – WALES Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) EVANS, Mark 2552 HARRIMAN, Mike 1971 Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect)

53601 5045 9.4% 517 5 4523 ELECTED

1205 0 3840

GRAHAM, Cathy WEBB-THORNTON, Linda

3164 676

LOCAL GOVERNMENT – YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: General Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) PICKERSGILL, Glen 3483 BOARD, Jim 3337 Female Seat Number of votes found to be invalid (blank): Number of votes found to be spoilt: Total number of valid votes to be counted: Result (1 to elect) CROWTHER, Linda 4309 WALLER, Angela 3066

ELECTED

84174 8541 10.1% 1714 7 6820 ELECTED

1158 8 7375 ELECTED

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:7) was sent the details of the ballot and 8) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

Police & Justice Service Group Elections 2010 Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows: POLICE & JUSTICE – YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) BULL, Gary 574 VENTRESS, Ian 203

4872 781 16% 4 777

ELECTED

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:9) was sent the details of the ballot and 10) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

WET Service Group Elections 2010 Our report of voting for the above elections which closed at 5pm on 14th May 2010 is as follows: WET – EASTERN Number of eligible voters: Number of votes cast: Turnout: Number of votes found to be invalid: Total number of valid votes to be counted: General Seat Result (1 to elect) ROOKE, Philip 162 MARTIN, Stuart 149

1218 312 25.6% 1 311

ELECTED

Electoral Reform Services can confirm that, as far as reasonably practicable, every person whose name appeared on the electoral roll supplied to us for the purpose of the ballot:11) was sent the details of the ballot and 12) if they chose to participate in the ballot, had their vote fairly and accurately recorded.

All voting material will be stored for six months.

Alexander K Lonie, Manager of Trade Union and Membership Organisations Sector

37

RESULTS

ELECTION OF GENERAL SECRETARY Our report of voting for the above election which closed on Friday 11th June 2010 at 5pm is as follows: Number of eligible voters: 1,487,759 Total number of votes cast: 217,027 Turnout: 14.6% Number of votes found to be invalid: 911 Total number of valid votes to be counted: 216,116 Result Dave PRENTIS Roger BANNISTER Paul HOLMES

145,351 42,651 28,114

ELECTED

As Scrutineers appointed in accordance with Section 49 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (as amended), we are satisfied as to each of the matters specified in subsection 52(2) with regard to the election. The following points should be noted:

We would draw your attention to sections 52(4), 52(5), and 52(6). Section 52(4) requires that a copy of this report be published and made available to all members of the union within a three month period from today. This does not, however, mean that every member has to be notified individually.

1) The person appointed under section 51A to carry out the storage and counting of voting papers was Electoral Reform Services Limited.

2) The person appointed under section 51A to carry out the distribution of voting papers was Electoral Reform Services Limited.

3) A copy of the register of voters (as at the relevant date) was examined in accordance with section 49(3). The examination took place at our own instance and did not reveal any matter that should be brought to the attention of the trade union.

Alexander K Lonie Manager of Trade Union Sector

Job advertisement

6YNHUPZPUN HUK YLJY\P[PUN [V WYV[LJ[ V\Y W\ISPJ ZLY]PJLZ There has never been a more important time to protect our members in the public services and encourage those who are not members to join a powerful voice.

Are you a people person with good listening and problem solving skills?

Do you possess the determination to make a difference to people’s lives?

UNISON is looking for enthusiastic, flexible and resourceful individuals to support our growing organisation.

We need: Local Organisers £23,610 pa (£28,249 Greater London only) To recruit new members and work with regional organising teams, mapping membership density and campaigning to develop new activists.

Area Organisers £33,701 pa (£38,340 Greater London only) You will be required to live within reasonable travelling distance of the area you are asked to cover.

To build recruitment and organising initiatives and campaigns in our branches, train and develop stewards, undertake case work, advise, support and mentor branch officers and stewards in representation and negotiation.

UNISON is Britain’s leading public-service trade union with over 1.3 million members working in the public services, private, voluntary and community, sectors and in utilities.

We are recruiting to vacancies across the UK For details go to unison.co.uk/jobs

UNISON offers a generous benefits package to all staff. Explore your potential – go to unison.co.uk/jobs.

Closing date: 24 September 2010 UNISON is a dynamic, progressive union, committed to equality. We encourage men and women of all ages, Black and minority ethnic groups, disabled people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to work with us.

P LAY

Over 50 CASH PRIZES every month! £1,000 first prize, £500 second prize, £250 third prize.

And 50 Prizes of £25 each

The UNISON Welfare Monthly Prize Draw With the UNISON Welfare Monthly Prize Draw you could win great cash prizes every month and support UNISON Welfare.

UNISON Welfare is a registered charity providing a unique and confidential service just for UNISON members and their families.

to remember to buy a ticket for each draw.

Once you have filled out an application form and direct debit instruction we’ll collect the money from your bank account and enter your numbers in each draw. You can cancel or change your direct debit at any time.

Every year UNISON Welfare helps thousands of members with grants, wellbeing breaks, free debt advice and support.

You can buy up to a maximum of 10 numbers per month at just £1 each. Unlike other prize draws or lotteries you don’t have

50% of all ticket revenues will be paid out in prizes and 40% will go to UNISON Welfare. Only 10% is used for administration costs.

Octopus Lottery is managed by UIA Lottery Management Services Limited. UIA Lottery Management Services is registered as an External Lottery Manager under the Gambling Act 2005 and under the Companies Act No. 5448877. Octopus Lottery is registered with the Gambling Commission under licence number 008978.

Registered Charity No. 1023552

To play octopus simply fill in the application form and Direct Debit instructions below and post to Freepost RSAE-BEHJ-XTXB, Octopus Lottery, Kings Court, London Road, Stevenage, SG1 2TP For more information about UNISON Welfare visit www.unison.org.uk/welfare

APPLICATION FORM

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay Direct Debits Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society.

Originator’s Identification Number 9

To: The Manager

Bank/Building Society Address:

Postcode:

7

4

8

7

0

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society: Please pay UIA Lottery Management Services Ltd. Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

I understand that this Instruction may remain with UIA Lottery Management Services Ltd. and, if so details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Title: Surname:

UNISON membership No: Home Address:

Postcode: Daytime Tel: Email Address: Please tick number of Octopus Lottery entries required: 1

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

3

2 Bank/Building Society account number

First Name:

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Signature(s)

(Note maximum entries 10 – each entry costs £1. Please tick where appropriate) Numbers will be allocated by UIA Lottery Management Services Ltd.

Date:

Signature:

Branch Sort Code Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

Return to: Freepost RSAE-BEHJ-XTXB, Octopus Lottery, Kings Court, London Road, Stevenage, SG1 2TP NO STAMP REQUIRED

Date: Please tick to confirm you are over 16 years of age: This is not part of the instruction for your Bank or Building Society and must be detached

by UIA Lottery Management Services Ltd. before submission to the paying bank.