0113 397 3344 branchsecretary@unison-hscic.org.uk unison-hscic.org.uk
Health and Social Care Information Centre Branch
UNISON News Autumn 2017
News from the NHS Digital branch of UNISON
UNISON legal victory sees employment tribunal fees scrapped The Supreme Court verdict follows a four year fight by UNISON and is a victory for everyone in work. Employment tribunal fees will be scrapped after UNISON won a landmark court victory against the government on the 26th July 2017. The Supreme Court – the UK’s highest court – has unanimously ruled that the government was acting unlawfully and unconstitutionally when it introduced the fees four years ago. From the 26th July 2017, anyone who has been treated illegally or unfairly at work will no longer have to pay to take their employers to court – as a direct result of UNISON’s legal challenge. The government will also have to refund more than £27m to the thousands of people charged for taking claims to tribunals since July 2013, when fees were introduced by then Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling. Anyone in England, Scotland and Wales wanting to pursue a
case against their employer has had to find as much as £1,200. This has been a huge expense for many low-paid employees, says UNISON. Reacting to the decision, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The government is not above the law. But when ministers introduced fees they were disregarding laws many centuries old, and showing little concern for employees seeking justice following illegal treatment at work. The government has been acting unlawfully, and has been proved wrong – not just on simple economics, but on
constitutional law and basic fairness too. It’s a major victory for employees everywhere. UNISON took the case on behalf of anyone who’s ever been wronged at work, or who might be in future. Unscrupulous employers no longer have the upper hand. These unfair fees have let law-breaking bosses off the hook these past four years, and left badly treated staff with no choice but to put up or shut up. We’ll never know how many people missed out because they couldn’t afford the expense of fees. But at last this tax on justice has been lifted.”
Contact your branch UNISON is here to offer support, advice and representation. If you need any advice or help please contact the Branch Secretary, Ali Mackenzie-Cooper on 0113 397 3344 or email branchsecretary@unison-hscic.org.uk If you fail to receive an immediate response and the matter is very urgent, you can also contact the Regional Enquiry Line on 0113 218 2627 or UNISON Direct on 0800 0 857 857.
A message from your Branch Secretary, Ali Mackenzie-Cooper Welcome to our Autumnal edition of the Branch’s newsletter and welcome to both new and existing members of Health and Social Care Information Centre Branch. I was honoured to be elected as your Branch Secretary at the AGM in March. It has been a busy few months since I took up the role attending the Health Conference for the first time and working closely with our new Area Organiser has both enthused and motivated me for the year ahead. UNISON is not only the largest public services and health union in the UK, but the most proactive responding to all attacks not only on pay, our existing terms and conditions, but also relentlessly fighting for all its members on a daily basis. As you can see on page 1 of this newsletter UNISON recently won a legal victory leading to all employment tribunal fees being scrapped. This is just one example of how progressive a Trade Union UNISON is and will continue to be. I would like to welcome Sarah Keig to the Branch. Sarah is an Area Organiser for UNISON and is working with us three days a week. Since joining us in April Sarah and I have been working behind the scenes to implement some procedures to ensure that all members within NHS Digital get the help and support they
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need. We will be launching a new website, which will allow you to keep up to date with what’s going on in the Branch as well as giving you contact details if you need to speak to anyone. There will be regular information stalls being held initially in Leeds but hopefully at all locations over the coming months, which will give you the opportunity to find out more about what UNISON can offer. As well as help and support at work UNISON has an educational programme, UNISON Living and its charity There For You. Andrew Hall our Chair Person and Paula Sherman our Branch Convenor have also been working hard to develop the Branch and I would like to thank them and all the other Branch Officers and Stewards for their support. The last few years have been tough with a number of changes within NHS Digital. I believe that over the next few years there will be more changes to come. I want to build a Branch, which has the strength of membership that can challenge these changes. I am pleased to say that our Branch is growing with more members joining than ever before. Recruitment is ongoing and we are involved in various campaigns with the most important one being “Pay Up Now”. Leaflets, posters, tin badges, and sticky labels are available from the Branch on request. Our branch has been involved in a number of consultation papers and we are working closely with our trade union colleagues in PCS, MiP, and BMA to ensure the best outcomes for our members.
Our Branch is only as strong as its members and I would encourage you to see how you can become more involved. From workplace contacts, Health and Safety Officer and Stewards there are a wide range of roles available. You can also speak to your colleagues and encourage them to join UNISON. Next year see’s the 70th Birthday of the NHS. As a Branch we will be organising a number of events across the country to celebrate and we hope you will join us in celebrating this dynamic institution that is constantly evolving to meet the challenges of the day. Ali Mackenzie-Cooper Branch Secretary HSCIC Branch UNISON
Your Branch Officers and Stewards Ali Mackenzie-Cooper Branch Secretary Andrew Hall Branch Chair Paula Sherman Branch Convenor, Health & Safety Officer Penny Parker Branch Treasurer Rob Willis Membership Officer Gail Cammish Education Officer Melnisha Davids Womens Officer, International Officer Adam Byfield – Steward
Take on an official role as a rep or steward GET INVOLVED! Whatever your problem at work, from redundancies to changes in job role, UNISON workplace representatives (reps), stewards and other activists work together to protect the interest of members. Two of the key roles are organising and recruiting new members. Organising means working with members to solve problems together, listening to members’ views and promoting democracy and participation. Recruiting is vital because greater the proportion of workers who are members of UNISON, the stronger we are when it comes to having our voice heard, and the more likely we are to win campaigns. Our activist roles are vital to us, and UNISON will provide you with all the training you need. In most workplaces you have the right to paid time
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off for this training. UNISON reps receive complete support from the union, and there is even a dedicated online resource called the ‘Organising Space’. For more information, please contact the branch or contact UNISON Direct 0800 0 857 857.
WAYS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE Stay in contact with members Organise your colleagues and make them stronger Make your workplace safer Support your colleagues to learn Stand up for equality Represent women, black members, disabled, or LGBT members Campaign on global issues Make sure young peoples’ voices are heard
Changed your name,email address or phone number? Not receiving UNISON information?
Three easy ways to resolve this: 1. Signing into MY UNISON online to update your details 2. Contacting your branch office 3. Email the Branch Secretary at branchsecretary@unison-hscic.org.uk
UNISON’s 4 week rule Members of NHS Digital are strongly encouraged to join a union when they start work. One of the reasons is that you never know when you might need our help. UNISON’s rules govern the way the union runs and how various parts of the union, including branches, regions, service groups and membership groups, work. They also outline the rights and responsibilities of members. The rules are published in the UNISON rulebook. A new edition is produced after every national delegate conference, which incorporates the latest updates and rule changes. UNISON also provides A Code of Good Branch Practice. One of the main rules that affects new members is Rule K. Basically, in order to quality for legal help and representations, the member must have been in membership of the union for at least 4 weeks prior to the incident or occurrence that leads to him/ her seeking legal assistance from the Union. The member must not be in arrears of contribution either. This rule is to protect members who pay year in year out and to avoid people coming in/ out of the Union on a whim around individual incidents and issues. Know anyone who is not in a union? Please pass this crucial Rule on and encourage them to join UNISON now!
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UNISON major pay campaign
Pay Up Now! We need all UNISON members involved We’re fighting for all public sector workers to get the pay rise you need and deserve, so there won’t be any let up in the campaign until the pay cap is scrapped and proper pay rises return. Our campaign will continue to build in the weeks ahead – including putting pressure on MPs to back our calls for fair pay – but if we’re going to win, we’re going to need all UNISON members to play their part. That’s why UNISON is asking branches to get involved and organise Pay Up Now events in your workplaces and make the case for better pay and vital pay rises. We also need you to send us your pay stories – about how
pay cuts have affected you, and your family, in the years that wages have been frozen or capped. There’s so much more planned for the weeks and months ahead, and we know after years of austerity and cuts this fight won’t be easy. But together, UNISON can win for all public sector workers, wherever you work. Please sign the Government Petition for ending the public sector pay cap https://petition. parliament.uk/ petitions/200032 It takes seconds to complete and once the number of signatories reaches 100,000, the issue has to be debated in Parliament.
TUC LOBBY & RALLY As part of UNISON’s ‘Pay Up Now!’ campaign the General Secretary Dave Prentis has been successful in persuading the TUC to call a lobby of Conservative MPs at Westminster ahead of the Budget in November. The pay motion from the NEC passed at national delegate conference 2017 called for a TUC lobby amongst other actions.
Tuesday 17 October 2017 A targeted lobby of Conservative MPs from 2pm – 4pm then a rally in Parliament Square from 4.30pm – 6pm PLUS: Rally in Leeds on Fair Pay for Public Servants on Tuesday 3rd October between 12.30pm and 1.30pm. Meet in front of Leeds Art Gallery, Victoria Square, Leeds to tell MPs and Councillors that Yorkshire’s dedicated public servants need a pay rise. A Facebook event page has been created on the TUC Facebook page.
UNISON members have been enjoying exclusive discounts on LV= Car and Breakdown Insurance for many years. LV=, the UK’s largest friendly society with over five million members and customers, has been awarded Which? Insurance Provider of the Year 2017. The UNISON approved car insurance as well as the comprehensive and deluxe levels of breakdown cover are all Defaqto five star rated to give you peace of mind.
Call 0800 756 8161 or visit www.LV.com/UNISON Lines are open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am- 4pm Calls may be recorded. For Text Phone: first dial 18001
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my version
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