UNISON Wakefield District Newsletter October 2017

@wakeyunison contact@unison-wakefield.org.uk www.wakefield-unison.org.uk

Wakefield District

UNISON News October 2017

News from the Wakefield District Branch of UNISON

Introducing your Branch Secretary It has been just over two months since I became Branch Secretary and it has been a whirlwind experience.

It is also an honour and a privilege to be able to represent UNISON members and to help to grow the Wakefield Branch and the wider trade union movement.

In June I attended the UNISON Conference. I was looking forward to it as it was post-election. The Tories were predicted to get a larger majority which would have given them the green light to continue with a harsher austerity agenda. However, Labour against all predictions and media bias led a fantastic campaign and destroyed Theresa May’s majority.

Conference was held in Brighton, where the city’s Labour MP Lloyd Russell increased his majority from just over 1,000 to almost 19,000.

The former UNISON president Eleanor Smith became MP for Wolverhampton South West: a black woman elected in the seat once held by the Conservative MP, Enoch Powell.

Although Labour did not win the General Election, there is no question that it was a real advance and success for the Labour Party and for working people across the United Kingdom.

The support from UNISON and other trade unions was

a major factor in the Labour Party’s success. So the scene was set for a euphoric conference with Jeremy Corbyn coming to speak, added to that the sun was shining on the city of Brighton. However, events a few days earlier cast a shadow over conference proceedings.

The fire at Grenfell had left the nation reeling and led to a more somber and reflective atmosphere as it was a stark reminder of the social inequality embedded in our society. Theresa May was highly criticised for her failure to connect with the community effected. The Grenfell catastrophe was avoidable.

The victims had to resort to sleeping on the street and under bridges as they had nowhere else to go. Kensington and Chelsea was the worst borough in England for housing homeless people locally before the disaster, with many sent to outer London. Grenfell has shed the light on the nation’s housing crisis; a crisis which is putting already stretched council budgets under severe strain. Much of the expense is because private landlords in crisis-hit areas know they can charge high rents to desperate councils.

Closer to home hundreds of Yorkshire families are living in temporary accommodation, cuts in housing benefit has had a direct link to the increase in

homelessness.

In 2015 Wakefield had the second highest number of households in temporary accommodation in Yorkshire.

UNISON is campaigning for urgent Government action to deliver more social and affordable housing. Visit our website to find out more www.unison.org.uk/at-work/ community/key-issues/housing/ I have seen firsthand the commendable job that voluntary organisations do as I recently had a day out in Leeds, where I saw for myself a pop up kitchen assembled in the city centre across from the Queens Hotel providing a hot meal. It was an amazing sight to behold and people quickly gathered.

Please donate to your local homeless charities as more than likely they will receive no official funding.

Janet Hinchliff

@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District

01924 305360

Failed academy trust leaves 21 schools in limbo Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT) has announced that it intends to give up all 21 of its schools after concluding it is unable to rapidly improve them.

WCAT, which has schools across Wakefield and South, West and East Yorkshire, is the largest multi-academy trust so far to collapse, only two years after being chosen as one of five “top performing” academy sponsors which was given a £5 million handout to take over more schools.

The Trust has been mired in controversy and concerns around its financial management: • In 2016 WCAT’s annual accounts revealed it had paid £316,489 to an IT company owned by its then Interim Chief Executive Mike Ramsay.

• A two-year contract worth £123,012 was also awarded to HDR services, a company owned by Mr Ramsay’s daughter, for clerking work.

• Last November a leaked draft report, which found 16 breaches of the Academies Financial Handbook, showed there was “extreme concern” in the government about

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Farewell to Andrew Thanks and farewell to Andrew Briscoe who has left the Council after many years.

Andrew has been a UNISON Convenor and Branch Treasurer for a number of years and has provided excellent service to the Branch. He is now embarking on life outside Wakefield Council but will remain within the UNISON family. We wish him well for the future.

We now need to elect a new Treasurer and we are seeking nominations.

What is a Branch Treasurer?

The Branch Treasurer is a key role within the Branch. The tasks relating to the office of branch treasurer are as follows: • to conduct the branch’s financial business • to be the key signatory

WCAT, which faced a large deficit budget but paid Mr Ramsay more than £82,000 for 15 weeks’ work.

By abandoning its 21 schools, WCAT is leaving pupils and staff to face an uncertain future as the Department for Education (DfE) searches for an alternative sponsor.

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authorising any item of branch expenditure to keep accounts in accordance with the rules to provide reports on the financial position of the branch to the branch committee or branch executive committee to provide a detailed financial report for the annual general meeting to advise the branch officers and branch committee in respect of matters relating to financial management and appropriate expenditure to provide an audited annual return of branch income.

If you want to know more or are interested in standing for the position please contact the branch for a nomination form on 01924 305360.

Completed nomination forms should be returned to the branch office by 16th October 2017.

Should there be more than one nomination a ballot will take place and candidates will be informed about the timescale and be given the opportunity to provide an election address.

UNISON is working with sister trade unions to campaign for the schools to be brought back under Local Authority control. You can support the campaign by signing the petition online at http://you.38degrees.org.uk/ petitions/return-wakefieldcity-academy-trustsschools-to-their-local-las

Wakefield District

Support our campaign to lift the public sector pay cap Council Matters Review of Council Policies

Sickness Policy

Local Government pay has fallen by 21% in real terms since 2010 due to a pay freeze between 2009 and 2012 and below inflation increases of 1% since 2013.

As part of the facilities agreement between Wakefield Council and UNISON, the branch is consulted on Wakefield Council policies and procedures.

For someone earning £20,000, this represents £4,000 in loss of earnings.

Meanwhile prices for everyday goods continue to rise.

This process is not a negotiation, the branch are shown draft copies of policies and asked to respond on the areas that they are not happy with. The branch has a committee of stewards who look at the policies and respond to human resources.

We have submitted a 5% pay claim as part of the campaign to lift the public sector pay cap. The government has offered increases of more than 1% to police and prison officers and firefighters have rejected a 2% offer. All public sector workers need and deserve a decent pay rise.

The council will then consider the comments and any objections and return the final policy to the branch. Once the final policy is received it is voted on by the branch about whether to accept the policy or not.

The branch does not have the power to reject policies and stop them coming into effect.

An example of this is the

current sickness policy. This was rejected by the branch however the policy is still in use. By rejecting the policy the branch are stating that “whilst we do not agree with the policy, we agree to work within its scope”.

It is important for members to be aware that the trade union branch has not agreed to every policy. It has been reported to the branch that some managers at the council have informed members that policies have been approved by UNISON.

The government suffered a humiliating defeat in parliament over NHS pay when their £1 billion buddies in the DUP sided with Labour. We must keep up the pressure for a decent pay rise.

This is not the case. If you are informed by a manager that a policy has been approved by the union, please get in contact with the branch for more information.

Sam Greenwood Convenor

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@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District

01924 305360

Community and Private Sector Roundup Within Wakefield UNISON the Community and Private sector membership continues to grow. The more services that migrate from the public to private sector, the more members we see fall in to the laps of some of the toughest employers. It is our job to ensure that their terms and conditions are secured so they still receive the same benefits as they did before.

Recruitment of Stewards I am pleased to report that we have seen an increase in the number of stewards within the branch. However, we are always looking for new stewards in this sector. Please contact the branch if you are interested in becoming a steward or to find out more.

Schools All schools are feeling the pinch as the Government sets its ever-decreasing budget for all our educations establishments. As funding is squeezed out it can only mean extra pressure on our support staff. Removing staff from structures creates a reliance on goodwill, as our members stay behind, come in early and take work home so they can keep up with the day to day job.

Support for UNISON members in academies UNISON is now part of the Joint Consultative Committee for a number of Multi Academy Trusts. This involvement should be seen as a success for UNISON as we are able to influence how Trusts treats our members. Since the beginning of this year I have been involved in supporting members during staffing reviews across most Multi Academy Trusts.

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Whilst relationships are improving, Academies are still looking at opportunities to save on spending and have taken to reviewing their catering and cleaning functions. Many have decided to put the contract out for tender, this means that these members can be TUPE’d out to less favourable employers.

The worst example of this was the shameful treatment of our members at Kinsley Academy by a private cleaning company who cut their pay and sacked them for going on strike.

West Yorkshire Joint Services There have been huge changes and services have been transformed in to high performance teams. This has resulted in staff working differently and some members being made redundant. All losses have been made through voluntary means rather than compulsory exits.

However, this is an organisation that wants changes and it will continue to reshape itself in order for the service to thrive. Of course, with that comes pressure, change and this can cause discontent. We will need to ensure that this area does not prosper at the cost of its people.

National Coal Mining Museum There has been significant change at the National Coal Mining Museum after losing their Museum Director.

Despite this the museum has seen a record number of visitors this summer.

I am pleased to report that the NCM are one of our employers that implemented the ‘Living Wage’ outside the council’s remit. A great result for all involved!!

Wakefield College Wakefield College has seen a number of small changes this year. These include implementing a compulsory skills pledge. This is where the College are requiring staff to complete their level 2 Maths and English. Whilst I am not a fan of compulsory learning, breaking the barriers so this can benefit our members is essential, leading to self and career development.

This employer is also looking at the term time formula for staff and how that is working currently. This is still at the early stages of the process.

Sharon Simpson Branch Development Officer

Wakefield District

Introducing the Wakefield Partnership Convenor As a new convenor for the Wakefield Engie Partnership I cover Arcadis, Engie and ISS who are predominantly in charge of the school meals and cleaning services. I hope my previous experience as a kitchen manager for Kingswood/ISS gives confidence to our members that I understand some of the issues that may arise.

Some of the issues I have come across have been the introduction of new procedures, which unfortunately have not been communicated successfully with the staff. Although this has been identified and the Partnership are dealing with it, this along with reductions in staff hours in some sections due to a slow uptake in the new menus provided by ISS have not made it an easy start for some members.

I am aware of some policies not being followed as TUPE rules state but I am working with the employers to iron out these issues. I am currently in the process of visiting the different locations I cover to introduce myself to our members and make sure people know who to contact if they do have a problem.

Hopefully after taking over for almost a year now the partnership and members will all share a good working environment.

Carol Dewrow Wakefield Partnership Convenor

Food Standards Agency Many staff within the Meat Hygiene Service will be very anxious over the future of Meat Inspection. UNISON is in discussion with senior management about the workforce profile and many other issues. We are talking to MPs who support public sector and the breaking of the 1% cap. UNISON members have rejected the 1% pay offer this year but the FSA has imposed the award, putting them into a trade dispute with UNISON, which we are currently looking to resolve.

UNISON is in discussions about scrapping the old Performance Related Pay and introducing a new, fairer system.

FSA and UNISON have negotiated a framework for 3 and 4 day workers working their day off. Affected members should have received the ballot paper to cast their vote. If any member has any issues they should contact a UNISON Rep as soon as possible.

Alan Howarth UNISON Convenor

Friday 24 November 2017 Most people only think of teachers (and children) when they think about schools, but that is wrong; without our amazing members, schools could not run.

School support staff help children learn, keep children safe and healthy and make sure schools run smoothly.

They are the caterers, the admin staff, the finance officers, the teaching assistants, the librarians, the ICT technicians, the parent support advisers, and more.

They all play an essential but often forgotten role in school.

UNISON wants to celebrate this contribution to the future of our country.

Stars in our schools is our campaign to raise the profile of support staff among managers, colleagues, children and parents, and to recognise hard work and achievements that is put in every day without fuss of fanfare. It is supported by the other education unions and your employers.

Is your school taking part?

Would you like to help get them involved? It’s quite straightforward, just give Janet Johnson in our office (01924305360) for an informal chat or visit www.starsinourschools.uk

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@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District

01924 305360

Local Government Conference and National Delegate Conference 18th – 24th June 2017 The Branch sent six delegates to Local Government and National Delegate Conference, which this year was held in Brighton.

Local Government Conference takes place first, and is the annual conference for members in the Local Government Sector.

This is followed by National Delegate Conference, which is UNISON’s annual ‘parliament’, bringing together delegates from across the union to decide the union’s policies and priorities.

The Conference is made up of 2,000 UNISON activists from public bodies, private companies and community/ charity organisations.

It is a great opportunity to shape the union, to hear speakers from across UNISON, the Labour movement and from Trade

Unions across the world.

The Conferences were a mixed experience; there was a feeling of optimism following General Election, however this was followed by the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. Conference paid tribute to those who died at Grenfell Tower and expressed solidarity with all those affected, including the UNISON members who live and work in the area.

Delegates discussed a number of motions, focusing on breaking the pay freeze, fighting privatisation and

recruiting and organising members across the public sector. The highlight of Conference was a speech from Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of Labour Party, who was welcomed with cheers and a standing ovation!

If you are interested in becoming more active in UNISON and attending next year’s Conference please contact the Branch Office or speak to your local Steward.

Greta Holmes UNISON Convenor

UNISON: for you in school UNISON is one of only three unions that can negotiate nationally and with local councils for school support staff on pay and conditions for members.

UNISON is also one of only three unions recognised to negotiate for support staff in

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academies as detailed in the TUC model agreement.

The new union formed by the merger of ATL and NUT (called the National Education Union) is not one of these unions.

Only UNISON has the history, knowledge and expertise of working with school support

staff in maintained and academy schools.

To join, go to join.unison.org

Wakefield District

Celebrating UNISON victories

UNISON celebrates its landmark victory over the scrapping of employment tribunal fees at the Supreme Court in London with general secretary Dave Prentis.

In July UNISON won justice. UNISON fought hard two major court cases. against this, and this July The first was to scrap we won a huge victory at the Employment Tribunal fees.

Supreme Court. The judges said Employment Tribunals the fees were discriminatory (ETs) make decisions about and prevented people with valid disputes over employment claims from accessing justice rights, including due to the cost. The unfair dismissal, ruling means that discrimination, anyone who has wages, and been treated illegally redundancy. or unfairly at work Going to ET will no longer have used to be free, to pay to take their Who’s laughing now? but in July 2013 employers to court – the Conservative government as a direct result of UNISON’s brought in charges to access 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.

The second victory, a few days later, was to do with your employer’s duty to consult with your trade union about changes to your contract. This time, the court case focused on changes to working hours and holiday pay. Our general secretary, Dave Prentis, said, “[bosses] will have to treat their staff more fairly over pay and working conditions,... If they fail to consult unions then they will be acting unlawfully and could be taken to court.” This has huge implications for your day to day working life.

Both cases used parts the Human Rights Act to ensure your rights at work are protected.

Piers Newland Branch Caseworker

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.

We still have tickets available for the stalls and upper circle with only a small number remaining for the dress circle. 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 overleaf page >7

@wakeyunison www.wakefield-unison.org.uk Wakefield District

01924 305360

Mental Health Matters Campaign West Yorkshire CRC (Probation) working hard to minimise the impact of these cuts and support staff though this change. The main impact on the ground level has been on staff wellbeing and an increase in work related stress absence. The new employer was reluctant to acknowledge the problem.

APPLICATION FORM

The problem Over the last 2 years the Probation Service has gone through a fundamental privatization process, whist the short term impact of this was restructure and redundancy the long term impact has been those that are left doing more work with less resources. Nationally and locally UNISON has been

What has UNISON done?

With Branch and Regional support we undertook a stress survey of members using the HSE Management Standards Tool. This enabled us to gather evidence of the problem and make some reasonable requests to the employer that they start to address these issues.

Following this we have launched our Mental Health Matters Campaign. This is a yearlong campaign in which reps will visit offices,

put up posters, undertake a sticker campaign and talk to staff and managers about increasing the importance of mental health and emotional wellbeing in the workplace.

What have we achieved?

So far the employer has acknowledged the problem and has agreed to set up a joint working group with the Union to look at how to address this issue, we have successfully recruited a number of mental health champions to act as a point of contact in each office and to form the Union side of the working group.

The employer has agreed to undertake the management standards survey jointly with the union in 12 months’ time and review the findings.

Martin Woods Area Convenor

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 £10 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

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