Dealing with loneliness

Loneliness can affect us all, at any time of our lives. We might live in a busy city or a rural location, on our own or with others and still feel isolated.

Understanding our own reasons for feeling lonely and how to manage it can make a big difference to our mental well-being. And although it can be difficult to talk about, sharing our feelings of loneliness can encourage others to talk too.

To find out about possible signs of loneliness, reasons we feel lonely and ways to manage it, click here  There are also links to more support if you or someone else needs it.

Struggling to make ends meet? Worried about back to school costs. School uniform grants

 

UNISON's very own charity, There for You, has once again set up a fund to help members on low incomes struggling with the cost of school uniforms. Grants of £50 per child are available, up to a maximum of £150 per family. Just one more practical way UNISON is making life better for our members. Applications are to be made via a downloadable form, and are live from today, Thursday 1 July. But act now as this is a limited fund, so once it's gone, it's gone.

Find out more and apply now

HOW DO TRADE UNIONS WORK?

 Trade unions are groups of working people who join together to defend and improve their working conditions.

Trade unions believe that ‘unity is strength’, because it is by standing together and speaking with one voice that unions can fight and win for members.

Trade unions are democratic, member-led bodies, grounded in the workplace, with reps elected to fight for members at work, and represent them in the union. The union’s priorities, campaigns and policies are decided by members and elected reps through each union’s individual structures.

Thank you to all our members

As we start 2021 with another lockdown, we wanted to say thank you to all our members for all the support, kindness and patience you showed us and to fellow colleagues last year. 

It made such a difference.

We also wanted to reassure you that we’re still here for you. Whether it’s online, over the phone, we’ll continue to do all we can to support you, all you need to do is ask.

  

UNISON Face Coverings

Today Oxford City Branch of UNISON has started rolling our face masks to our members who are having to go out every day delivering essential key services. 

Made from a polyester spandex stretch material our tests have found that their flexibility is helping our members stay safe when delivering their key services.

If you would like one please talk to your local steward or email office@oxfordcityunison.com 

Your see our stewards have been testing out there flexibility 

 

The trades union congress (TUC) needs your help

Help us keep workers safe when they return to work after lockdown by testing our new website. We need your help to ensure employers are acting responsibly and keeping their employees safe by conducting COVID-Secure risk assessments.

Employers should publish their risk asseements on their websites. But so far, very few employers are publishing them, and we fear many are ignoring their duties altogether. 

We want you to help us report employers that are neglecting their responsibility. So please spare some time to check out our new reporting website https://covidsecurecheck.uk/ 

The website lets workers:

• Add a risk assessment they’ve found, or flag an employer that hasn’t published.
• Join a survey panel to help crowdsource safety data on workplaces as more return.
• Get advice on how to address safety concerns in the workplace.

Your thoughts and help will be hugely useful in building this new resource.

If you’ve got time, please

• Check out the website https://covidsecurecheck.uk/, let us know what you think at info@covidsecurecheck.uk
• Add a record for your employer or another in your sector
• Become a COVID-Secure Monitor, and join our survey panel

 Thanks for your help in making our workplaces safer as members go back to work.

http://www.tuc.org.uk

Supporting your mental health while working from home

A Message From Mental Health First Aid England

As more organisations move to online working, human connections are more important than ever.

Here are some ways to support your mental health, reduce feelings of isolation, and feel connected with colleagues while working remotely.

You can read the full guidance document here: https://mhfaengland.org/my-whole-self...

#MyWholeSelf

Stress Warning Signs

Tips to reduce workplace stress

'No More Dirty Money' campaign

Oxford City Branch of UNISON is inviting staff to vote in the 'No More Dirty Money' campaign. Should we divest our pension scheme from fossil fuels? Ballots in the kitchen areas at St Aldate's Chambers.

We need a maximum safe working temperature

UNISON backs Labour plans to legislate on excessive heat in the workplace

UNISON has welcomed Labour’s pledge to legislate for a maximum safe working temperature, with legal safeguards to help workers stay cool.

The party revealed plans today for changes to the law, requiring employers to put effective measures in place if the workplace temperature gets above 30˚ Celsius – or 27˚C for those doing strenuous work.

Those measures could include flexible working and travel arrangements, extra breaks, access to water, cooling systems and air conditioning, flexible dress codes or the provision of protective clothing.

Current health and safety legislation specifies minimum working temperatures, but not a maximum. This means most workers have no legal safeguards to protect them from working during uncomfortably high temperatures or dangerous extreme heat.

UNISON head of health and safety Robert Baughan points out that both the union and the TUC “have long called for indoor maximum of 30˚C. We would also call on employers to do more to protect those working outdoors in these temperatures.

“The sort of temperatures we are seeing this week may mean it is just not safe to carry on working as normal. A change of duties may need to be considered or stopping work altogether.

“Other measures would include making sure workers are appropriately clothed to protect them from the sun, and making sure they have enough liquid.

“Employers should also consider relaxing dress codes – whether staff are working indoors or outdoors.”

A thought for the weekend

Bring back probation service into public ownership

UNISON has backed a call for probation services in England and Wales to be brought back into public ownership.

The launch of a petition by campaign group We Own It comes shortly after a joint letter on the issue from UNISON, GMB and probation officers’ union NAPO was sent to justice secretary David Gauke.

That, in turn, followed the collapse of one of the ‘community rehabilitation companies’ which have took over probation services for ‘non-serious’ offenders under former justice secretary Chris Grayling’s privatisation in 2015.

There’s a petition to sign in favour of renationalisation. It can be signed after following the link below.

Sign petition

UNISON in numbers

• UNISON has more than 1.3 million members and activists, making us one of Europe’s largest unions
• More than 70% of our members are women.
• UNISON is spread over 12 UK regions.
• There are more than 1,000 UNISON branches around the UK

Because mental health does not disappear over Christmas

Today is transday of visibility

⚧  Check out UNISON's great guide to being a good trans ally. It all comes down to listening to trans people, challenging transphobia, and being a good person!

Click for more info

Tips for being a good trans ally In general

• Speak up for trans people and trans equality and against transphobia.

• Speak up when there are trans people present. Don’t leave it to trans people to defend trans equality.

• Speak up when there are no trans people present. Transphobia is always wrong and shouldn’t be ignored.

• Do this in meetings, on social media, with family and friends.

• Don’t assume you know who is trans or who is affected by anti-trans discrimination. There may be people with a trans history in your branch or workplace who are now just living their lives. Other colleagues may have trans family members.

• Transphobia is no laughing matter. It’s just as important to challenge it when it is presented in a jokey way.