@wakeyunison contact@unison-wakefield.org.uk www.wakefield-unison.org.uk
Wakefield District
UNISON News June 2017
News from the Wakefield District Branch of UNISON
What does your branch do? The Wakefield District Branch of UNISON has more than 8,000 members. Gone are the days when most of our members worked for WMDC. We now have members organised across over 190 employers. In fact exactly half of our members don’t work for the Council. We have members in Academies, Colleges, Probation, West Yorkshire Joint Services, the Community and Voluntary Sector, including Wakefield & District Housing and various other Housing Associations, the National Coal Mining Museum, Engie, ISS, private care providers and the Meat Hygiene Service, where members work as far afield as Northumberland. The list goes on and on. We provide advice and representation to members irrespective of their employer.
This can be very challenging and we are constantly looking at different ways of working so that we can meet the changing face of local government and public service delivery. We negotiate on your behalf and provide representation in individual grievances and disciplinaries. We provide members with access to our expert legal services, which cover work related and non-work related matters. Each year UNISON wins millions of pounds in compensation for members in employment tribunal claims and personal injury claims. We are lucky to have the support of an excellent staff team, including our administration team. If you need help or advice they are usually the first people you will speak to. They will take your details and an outline
of your problem but they are not qualified to give advice. They will however ensure your enquiry is passed to the appropriate person, which may be a convenor, a steward or a case worker. You can contact us by telephone – 01924 305360 or email – contact@ unison-wakefield.org.uk. Remember, you are the union. We are always happy to hear from members who wish to become more involved.
UNISON NEEDS YOU! Are you the person in your workplace who asks why things are done in a certain way? Do you find you are the one who speaks up for others in your team? If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then you may be interested in the following opportunities.
We are looking for people to act as a point of contact in their workplace. This involves passing on information to your colleagues, for example, updating noticeboards with the latest UNISON literature. There are also opportunities to become a UNISON representative in your workplace.
The different roles are: • Workplace Steward • Health & Safety Representative • UNISON Learner Representative • Equalities Representative. Full training will be provided. Please contact the Branch Office if you’d like to find out more.
@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District
01924 305360
2018/19 NJC Pay Claim Thank you to all members who took part in our online consultation regarding the 2018/19 NJC pay claim. We asked you whether you agreed that the claim should be for a 5% increase on all NJC pay points and deletion of spinal column points 6-9. The results have been fed into the National consultation and will help determine the final pay claim.
International Women’s Day
Farewell to our Branch Secretary We say a fond farewell to Jack McLeary, who has decided to return to his substantive post within Wakefield Council. We wish Jack all the best for the future and thank him for his efforts on behalf of Wakefield UNISON over the last couple of years. We now need to find a replacement for Jack and therefore we are inviting nominations for the Branch Secretary position. What is a Branch Secretary? The Branch Secretary acts as the strategic lead officer and Co-ordinator within the branch. The secretary encourages partnership working within the branch committee and the development of new representatives. The Branch
To celebrate International Women’s Day the Branch organised an event at Wakefield One on the 8th March. The theme for this year is #Be Bold for Change – a call for action to create a more gender inclusive world, where every person can play a part in helping to get better outcomes for women. The event was open to everyone, with a display about women from recent history who had made a difference. Look out for future UNISON events and our information stall at Wakefield One.
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secretary is the manager of branch staff and manages the delegation of work to other branch officers and branch staff as appropriate, whilst providing support and guidance. The complete tasks relating to the branch secretary role are enclosed along with a nomination form. If you want to know more please contact the branch office on 01924 305360. If you are interested in standing for the position please complete the enclosed nomination form and return to the Branch Office by 23 June 2017. Should there be more than one nomination a ballot will take place and candidates will be informed about the timescale and be provided the opportunity to provide an election address.
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SERVICES Across the NHS, our schools, libraries, care services, police, and all council services, our Public Service Champions do an amazing job. But due to spending cuts, they’re in crisis. That’s why the Public Service Champions campaign is calling for:
Proper funding The right number of appropriately trained staff A voice for local communities about how their services are provided More openness about decisions made The economic benefits of public services to be recognised
Pledge now to back your champions and we’ll keep you up-to-date on how your support makes a difference. Go to tinyurl.com/kgtzkxo
Wakefield District
The Kinsley Three You will remember from our last newsletter the story of the Kinsley Three, the school cleaners who had been on strike for more than three months following their TUPE transfer from Wakefield Council to C&D Cleaning Services Limited.
Strength in numbers A union is only as strong as its membership and the greater the number of members the stronger we are. UNISON has 1.3 million members and is the largest public sector union. However, there is always room for growth and development. Are all your colleagues union members?
TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER
If not, then why not encourage them to join.
Since then they were sacked just days before Christmas on trumped-up allegations. UNISON supported them in an appeal against their sackings but this was unsuccessful. Karen, Lesley and Marice were extremely brave in standing up to a private company that treated them badly and isn’t used to its employees taking a stand. They are an inspiration but sadly their case shows just what can happen when public services are privatised. UNISON has referred their case to our solicitors and Employment Tribunal
claims are currently being prepared. We expect that the case will be listed for a hearing later this year. We will let you know the outcome.
Support them on twitter @KinsleyCandD
This will not only benefit them but you also, as we have even greater negotiating power the larger the membership in your workplace. As a member you not only benefit from support with workplace issues but you will also be entitled to a large range of member benefits including savings on shopping, health plans, insurance, motoring and holidays, to name but a few. Further information on the full range of benefits is available at benefits.unison.org.uk/ Individuals can request an application form by calling the office on 01924 305360 or alternatively join online at join.unison.org.uk/ Janet Johnson Local Organiser
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@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District
01924 305360
What is a Near Miss? A Near Miss is any event or condition that doesn’t cause harm or damage but has the potential to do so. This includes undesired circumstances or uncontrolled hazard that gave or could have given rise to loss or damage to property, plant, products or the environment, production losses or increased liabilities. An uncontrolled hazard is a hazard that has been overlooked or has only just arisen and controls have not yet been established to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the hazard causing adverse effects. Reporting a Near Miss in Wakefield MDC A Near Miss should be reported on the following electronic form: https://eforms.wakefield. gov.uk/FAMLogIn/auth. aspx?ReturnURL=/default. aspx/RenderForm/?F. Name%3DEzrRwFrQNBn For employees that do not have access to the electronic reporting system they can complete the following Near Miss paper form and hand it to their supervisor/line manager.
Remember the dead and fight for the living “UNISON health and safety fortnight’’ is an event run every year linked to IWD (International Workers Memorial Day). UNISON believes health and safety in the workplace is an issue for everyone. Every year, thousands of people suffer accidents and ill-health at work – most of which could be avoided. We held events across a number of sites, including Wakefield One, Wakefield College and West Yorkshire Joint Services. We provided a quiz and free cake for all; there was a display board with lots of information with regard to health and safety and also International Workers’ Memorial Day. Many people came to the events and discussed various issues and took part in the quiz. We also had information from the Health & Safety Executive regarding their main aims i.e. stress, lung disease and musculoskeletal problems.
IWD (International Workers Memorial Day) is on the 28th April each year when we remember the dead and fight for the living. Workers’ Memorial Day is now an international day of remembrance for workers killed in incidents at work or by diseases caused by work and Workers’ Memorial Day events are held throughout the world annually. Some examples include active campaigning and workplace awareness events. Public events include speeches, multi-faith religious services, laying wreaths, planting trees, unveiling monuments, balloon releases, raising public awareness of issues and laying out empty shoes to symbolise those who have died at work. Jennie Haswell Branch Health and Safety Officer
http://intranet/Staff/healthsafety-wellbeing/Documents/ AccidentsAndIncidents/nearmiss-report-form-IRF-B-2016.doc For further information or advice please contact the Corporate Health & Safety Team On 01924 303257 or email healthandsafetyenquiries@ wakefield.gov.uk
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Winner of the Health & Safety quiz: Alison Webb
Wakefield District
Trouble at Work?
Disciplinaries for using social media continue to rise
Don’t go it alone
(physical and mental) can make us irrational and impatient and sometimes we have done something regrettable. But if you resign you are out of a job, don’t know what your reference might say and cannot fix the problem that made you quit. You might hope to win “constructive dismissal” at Employment Tribunal, and get some compensation and an apology. But, constructive dismissal is incredibly hard to prove. You need to show to an Employment Tribunal judge that your employer has behaved so outrageously that you could not possibly put up with it for a moment longer and you need to show you had tried everything in your power to sort it out before resigning. The sorting things out part is where we at UNISON come in. Get in touch, tell us your problem, fill out a CASEFORM (available from our office), organise your evidence and complaint, and we will support you to make things right. If you really feel you cannot carry on, we may be able to negotiate a “mutually agreed termination” so you can leave with dignity and the employer learns some positive lessons. And, in case you missed it, DO NOT RESIGN before talking with us.
Members are still facing disciplinary action, including the sack, for things they have posted on social media.
Piers Newland Branch Case Worker
Please be mindful of what you post on social media.
Contact UNISON straight away UNISON members approach the Branch on a daily basis for assistance with problems at work but on some occasions they leave it too late. All too often a member will ask us for help after they have attended meetings with their employer and in some cases they have said things during those meetings that will have serious implications. If you are invited to attend a meeting with your employer you should always say that you wish to speak to your trade union representative first, whether it is a sickness absence meeting or a meeting to discuss your conduct, capability or potential redundancy. Call the Branch office on 01924 305360 and we will be able to advise you as to whether you need to be accompanied to the meeting. Please don’t leave it too late to contact us and say something that you may later regret.
Don’t resign! We have seen a number of extreme cases where the member has resigned from their job BEFORE speaking to us. Please do not hand in your notice without talking to UNISON first. We know that sometimes managers can behave really badly. Sometimes working conditions can be awful. Sometimes our own health
Stewards and Convenors are regularly called on to represent members who have got into trouble with their employer for social media activity. The Branch has previously made members aware of the dangers of using networks to criticise employers or colleagues or the way an organisation is run. We have also had members who got themselves into trouble for posting about their activity while off sick. Even if employers don’t personally trawl people’s social media accounts (and many of them do) there is always someone out there who is happy to make them aware of what you have posted. Employers are often looking out for a quick way of getting rid of staff and posting on social media can be just that. It is very difficult to defend because it is there in print and/or images. What you post on social media is legally comparable to when the media print or broadcast stories.
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@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District
01924 305360
Learning from the past Wakefield District Branch joined thousands of people across the country to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January – with a series of awareness events throughout that week. These were held at a number of workplaces across the district, including Wakefield One and Wakefield Joint Services. As part of the commemoration a collection of posters were displayed. They examined The Holocaust, Genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Dafur, which is still current. Individuals were invited to reflect and consider how despite everything, life does go on and how moving forward we can stand united in a world where genocide
First and foremost UNISON is a Union. We exist because we are stronger together and as working people we often need the backing of a strong and well resourced collective organisation to defend our interests in the workplace. However UNISON membership also brings with it an impressive package of legal and financial benefits that can bring you savings over and above the costs of UNISON membership.
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and persecution is more present than we may think. The themes were: Supporting Equality, Respecting each other and our Diversity and Standing Against Discrimination and Persecution.
Further information about Holocaust Memorial Day can be found at: hmd.org.uk
For details of our free will making service, legal assistance for you and your family, discounts on insurances and breakdown cover, assistance with tax refunds, and financial and / or confidential debt advice then visit the membership benefits section of our national website at https://benefits. unison.org.uk/ Advice, support and help when you need it at work
Helpline open until midnight
Legal services for you at work and your family at home
Compensation for accidents and injuries at work
Financial assistance and debt advice in times of need
Member discounts – including up to 50% off holidays
Branch Social Events FLAMINGO LAND
See Application Forms overleaf >
Tuesday 22nd August 2017
Prepare to be thrilled, Flamingo Land is guaranteed to bring all the family fun packed days of laughter, excitment and discovery. The trip is for members and their children. The coach departs from the back of Wakefield Bus Station at 9am returning from Flamingo Land at 5pm. The cost is £27 per person and includes coach travel and admission to Flamingo Land.
the application form overleaf – making cheques payable to Wakefield UNISON and enclosing a stamped addressed envelope. Tickets limited to a maximum of 8 per Wakefield MD UNISON branch member. Cheques will not be cashed till after the closing date.
Tickets are on a first come basis and can be obtained from the UNISON office by completing
LIVERPOOL TRIP
Saturday 14th October 2017
Back by popular demand another educational/ retail trip to Liverpool. Places to visit could include The Maritime Museum, International Slavery Museum, Beatles Experience and many more. A spot of retail therepy in Liverpool One might also be in order. The coach will leave the back of Wakefield bus station at 9am and return from Liverpool at 6pm. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and tickets will cost £8 per person.
Maximum of 4 tickets per Wakefield MD UNISON branch member. Please complete the application form overleaf to obtain your tickets enclosing a stamped addressed envelope and making cheques payable to Wakefield UNISON. Cheques will not be cashed till after the closing date.
THEATRE ROYAL WAKEFIELD: ALADDIN Saturday 16th December 2017 A wonderous tale of genies, magic lamps, wishes and fiesty princesses! Plucky hero Aladdin finds a mysterious lamp, he meets a genie and his transported into a world where wishes come true. He teams up with a courageous princess and together they take on the wicked old sorcerer and discover the abundence of riches beyond their wildest dreams! The Branch has secured the matinee (2pm) performance on Saturday 16th December 2017.
Tickets are priced at Stalls and Dress Circle £16 each and Upper Circle £10 each. Tickets are sold on a strictly come first served basis and are limited to 8 tickets per Wakefield MD Branch member. To apply fill in the application form overleaf and enclose a cheque made payable to Wakefield UNISON and include a stamped address envelope. Cheques will only be cashed as tickets are sent out.
APPLICATION FORM
FLAMINGO LAND Tuesday 22nd August 2017 Name:
Membership number
Address: Contact number (mobile if possible): I would like:
tickets @ £27 each (maximum 8 per member)
Children 3 years and under free
(numbers required for coach)
if your child is 3 years or under, but looks older, you may be asked for photographic proof of age.
I enclose a cheque for £
Payable to Wakefield MD UNISON and a stamped addressed envelope
APPLICATION FORM
APPLICATION FORM
Please return to: UNISON, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield, WF1 3BZ by 22nd July 2017
LIVERPOOL TRIP Saturday 14th October 2017 Name:
Membership number
Address: Contact number (mobile if possible): I would like:
tickets @ £8 each (maximum 4 per member)
I enclose a cheque for £ Payable to Wakefield MD UNISON and a stamped addressed envelope Please return to: UNISON, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield, WF1 3BZ by 13th September 2017
THEATRE ROYAL WAKEFIELD: ALADDIN Saturday (Matinee 2pm) 16th December 2017 Name:
Membership number
Address: Contact number (mobile if possible): I would like:
tickets at £16 each
I would prefer seats in
Stalls
I would like:
tickets at £16 each for the Upper Circle
I enclose a cheque for £
Dress Circle (please indicate)
(Maximum 8 tickets per member)
Payable to Wakefield MD UNISON and a stamped addressed envelope Please return to: UNISON, 18 Gills Yard, Wakefield, WF1 3BZ by 15th November 2017