UNISON York City News January 2017

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York City

York City Branch of UNISON

Hello and welcome to a brand new year. In this issue, we look ahead to the first quarter of the year, knowing that tough decisions will be made about budgets and services run by the council. This will have an impact on anyone who works directly for the council, or whose work is funded by the council in some way. If you are affected, remember to get in touch to see how we can support you.

We get asked lots of questions about the world of work, so we thought you’d like to know more – in this newsletter we talk about annual leave. Let us know if there is any subject you’d like to see “in a nutshell”.

It’s also the time to consider if you can give just a little and make us a better branch and a better union by becoming a contact or steward for your workgroup; or a branch officer or convenor.

Winter 2016/17

Employment facts in a nutshell Paid Holidays/Annual leave The statutory notice for a worker to book annual leave is a day for each day of leave planned. The statutory minimum holiday is 5.6 weeks including public and bank holidays.

Holidays can be expressed in hours or days, and are pro-rata for part time workers.

The golden rule is don’t book any holiday until you have approval for the time off.

Employers can have rules as to how far in advance you have to or can book holidays, they can state when workers can take their holidays too, such as a factory shutdown or school holidays.

An employer cannot unreasonably refuse you leave, and they have to ensure that you take your holiday entitlement in your annual leave year.

If you are off sick, you continue to accrue annual leave.

Andrea Dudding, Branch Secretary and Lead Convenor Terry Shiels, General Convenor Julie Toyne, Schools and General Convenor

If you work different hours each week or on a sessional basis, your annual leave will be calculated by looking back at the hours you have worked in the last 12 weeks you have worked.

Any questions? Get in touch and we will try and answer them for you.

Holiday Pay Claim

If you work additional hours over and above your contractual ones, you may have a holiday pay claim.

Please get in touch for details about how to make a claim.

Discounted

Car Insurance members for UNISON

Call us today and claim your discount

10944-2016 10/16

UNISON provides essential cover wherever you work in public services: for a public sector organisation, private company or voluntary service organisation delivering public services – UNISON is the trade union for you.

0800 756 8166 Visit us at LV.com/UNISON

For Text Phone: first dial 18001. Lines are open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-5pm.

Calls may be recorded. UNISON acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative to the Liverpool Victoria group of companies for General Insurance.

Contact the branch: Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm Tel: 01904 553490 UNISON national helpline 08000 857 857 (open Monday to Friday 6 am to Midnight and Saturday 9am to 4pm) 10944-2016 LV UNISON A7 1pp Flyer RW.indd 1 14/10/2016 Email: unison@york.gov.uk anytime

15:04

York High School and Stonewall

By Tracy Neilson York High School are proud to be a Stonewall School Champion School. Stonewall is an organisation that works to tackle the use of homophobic, bi-phobic and transphobic bullying in the work place and in our schools.

They support LGBT people in the work place and also pupils in school and the local community, helping to combat any form of bullying or prejudice LGBT people face in their everyday lives.

I am a Teaching Assistant at York High School and also the Stonewall School Champion and I am very proud to hold this important role in our school. We started alongside Stonewall in 2014 Sir Ian McKellen visited our school in recognition of the work we had done challenging homophobia. Sir Ian is one of the founding members of the Stonewall organization, he spoke to us about his life and why he found it so important to work with Stonewall to combat LGBT bullying.

I took on the role of School Champion in 2015 and now students who feel comfortable to come out and say “actually I am Gay and happy to come to school feeling accepted.”

In May 2016 Stonewall asked us if we would like to work on a campaign to tackle homophobia and enter into the Stonewall Youth Awards for campaigning about LGBT issues. We worked on the campaign for eight weeks and the students in the group showed true dedication to this campaign.

Students in school responded well as usual to the message that LGBT bullying is wrong as is any form of bullying.

On Friday 20th May we were honoured and privileged to travel to London to receive The Stonewall Youth Award for our campaign. (we were one of two schools in the

whole country to receive this award).

On Saturday 18th June pupils and staff attended the York Pride event.

We met at the Minster and Mr Sims one of our Deputy Heads made a speech from the back of the PRIDE bus about how our school tackles homophobic language and how we pride ourselves on being an inclusive school no matter what your religion, race or sexuality. We join any campaigns that Stonewall hold.

I will continue working with Stonewall and York High holding the campaigns and celebrating equality and diversity in our school, alongside my equally important job as a Teaching Assistant supporting students in the classroom.

Round-up You can join a union!

Did you know that wherever you work, whatever job you do on whatever contract you are on, you have a right to join a trade union?

So many times we get feedback from people that their workplace doesn’t allow unions, or because there isn’t one there, they can’t join one. This is just not true.

If you value your rights at work, then strong trade unions matter for keeping and enforcing them.

Trade union membership is 6.5 million and growing. Encourage your family and friends to become members of the union for them (if it’s not UNISON!) – find a union now www.tuc.org.uk/join-union

MENCAP pay out back holiday pay We are delighted to report that once again our members have received back holiday pay, this time from MENCAP thanks to UNISON!

Keep your details up-to-date

DO SOMETHING EPIC IN 2017: Charity Challenge 15-19 May Challenge yourself to raise money for the charity that’s exclusively for UNISON members.

Moved? Changed name?

Changed job role?

New email address?

Keep up-to-date by visiting:

You’ll have great fun, get fit, make new friends, visit fantastic places and see some amazing scenery.

www.unison.org.uk/ my-unison

Contact: thereforyou@unison.co.uk or call 020 7121 5620

Annual branch elections: Where could you fit in?

Most members who become active in UNISON start off by doing a little; we value every single contribution members’ make, it helps a lot!

Do you want to support and represent your UNISON colleagues’ views?

If you do, consider becoming a steward.

Being a steward means being the first point of contact for the members in your work area. This is the best way for members to get the help they need, backed up by the convenors. If you are not quite ready to take that step, how about becoming a contact and making sure members have all the information they need?

If you have an interest in Health and Safety, Equalities, or the environment, you can become a rep too.

Full support and training is provided by the branch and the union.

Just call the office and ask for a contact or nomination form.

If you are already a steward, you may feel that you now have the knowledge and experience to take the next step and become one of our Convenors. There are 4 roles – Lead Convenor, two General Convenors and a Schools Convenor. Convenors lead the branch in consulting and negotiating with the employer on members’ behalf.

Have you thought about becoming a Branch Officer?

There is always time to learn something new with UNISON Here is a selection of what is on in 2017...

Are you under 27?

A FREE seminar on Young Members’ rights at work Saturday 21 January 11 am to 4 pm Presented by Thompson Solicitors Contact: j.turnbull@unison.co.uk to book your place now.

Confidence Building (Power to be You) Wednesday, 15 March 2017 Commerce House, Leeds A FREE Taster Workshop to all UNISON members Contact: Tanya Shearer on 0113 218 3330 or email T.Shearer@unison.co.uk

Building Confidence in Women

• Chairperson – to chair branch meetings and to support the branch in general terms.

will run on the following dates: Sat - Sun 11, 12 February 2017 Sat - Sun 8, 9 July 2017

•B ranch Secretary – this role leads the branch and is normally the Lead Convenor.

Women’s Assertiveness

• Treasurer – We have to have someone in charge of the money!

will run on the following dates: Sat - Sun 24, 25 June 2017 Sat - Sun 11, 12 November 2017

•H ealth and Safety Officer – Ideally a member who has knowledge, experience of health and safety; but not necessary as full training and support is given.

Please contact the branch if these are of interest to you.

•E qualities Officer – If you believe that Equality is about treating everyone equitably, this could be you.

•T here are other branch officer roles too: Welfare Officer; Young Members’ Officer; Education Coordinator; Communications Officer; Membership Officer; International Officer; Labour Link Officer.

Full details about the roles are available in the Code of Good Branch Practice, and we have put them on the website, or you can ask for a printed copy.

You, the members, are the lifeblood of our union.

Please, please consider getting a little more involved.

Help us to help you.

2017 branch elections timetable: Monday 9 January Nominations for stewards and Branch Officers open – remember to call the branch office and ask for a nomination form!

Friday 3 February Nominations close at 5 pm Monday 20 February Election ballot opens Friday 24 March Election ballot closes at 5 pm

Annual Meeting Wednesday 29 March 2017 This year we are holding aggregate annual meetings and warmly invite you to join us at any of these venues on Wednesday 29 March.

6.15 am Hazel Court Canteen 7.30 am Hazel Court Canteen 12.30 pm Thornton Room, ground floor, West Offices 7 pm Post Office Club (followed by a social evening) Food and refreshments provided YOU are UNISON and this is YOUR branch.

Help us make the right decisions.

Provisional timetable • Welcome and introductions • Notes of 2016 Annual Meeting • Election of Branch Officers and ratification of stewards • Branch reports • Updating our branch rules • Where do we go in 2017?

This will take no more than half an hour.

Refreshments and socialising follow.

H a v e y o ur s a y !

York City