Its time to talk to your MP

We need to talk to MPs On 2 November union members from across the UK will be lobbying their MP at Parliament about the Trade Union Bill.  You may have received an email about it on Friday from UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis – the email went to all UNISON activists. In case you didn’t receive it here it is below. Please do spread the word about the lobby.  Email from Dave Prentis: Our right to be represented at work is under threat and union members across the country are coming together to try to protect it.  Could you join us in London on Monday 2 November to lobby your MP and join the rally? The Trade Union Bill currently going through Parliament will have a negative impact on all workers and on everyone who lives in the UK. Its impact ranges from severely limiting the amount of time union reps are allowed to spend supporting colleagues who are having problems at work like bullying, to restricting UNISON’s ability to fund local campaigns like stopping hospitals closing and national campaigns like promoting the Living Wage. It undermines the right to strike, which while always the last resort and very rare, actually underpins positive relations between employers and employees because it incentivises employers to resolve disputes. At a time when our public services are already overburdened, the impact this Bill will have on staff morale will affect the public services everyone in the UK relies on. It is our duty to stand up against it. On 2 November union members will be attending a rally and then meeting with their MPs in Parliament. Could you join us?  Members in Northern Ireland could contact their regional office about lobbying MPs locally, as although the Bill doesn't cover Northern Ireland, all MPs will vote on it.

Quick Loans said eight times more teachers have applied to it this year than in 2011, along with five times more council worker

PA

The number of public sector workers wanting payday loans from a leading lender has quadrupled in five years. Quick Loans said eight times more teachers have applied to it this year than in 2011.

Five times more council workers have applied.

Members of the armed forces, NHS and police are in the top 10 groups. While just 4,958 teachers applied in 2011, it was 51,536 in 2014 with 34,452 so far this year.

The number of council workers is up from 7,563 in 2011 to 33,856 from January to September this year. 

Armed forces personnel came in third, with 31,411 applying this year - up from 7,523 in 2011.

Construction workers, the self-employed, students, apprentices and retail workers are the other top applicants of 2015. In 2011, retail workers, the self-employed and sales people applied for the most loans.

And not only are more professionals applying for direct loans than ever - the average loan sought has risen from £1,152 to £1,487.

Graeme Wingate, managing director of Quick Loans, said the data raises questions about whether the economy really is improving.

He said the figures show many blue-collar workers are turning to direct lenders perhaps because they find it hard to get credit from banks. He said: “Local government workers are among those starting to struggle . “People who have never had difficulty are coming to a lower level of lending. “We are seeing quite a lot more of what we thought of as prime borrowers. Maybe Government cuts are starting to bite.”

 

Volunteer with Oxfordshire Credit Union

Oxford Credit Union rely on volunteers to staff there office at the Old Music Hall and other outlets across Oxfordshire – in fact, there always looking for new outlets.  They also welcome any short- or long-term help with marketing, finance and other roles.  If in doubt please just offer your time, your skills or your enthusiasm!

Our volunteers

• help to market OCU at street stands and one-off events
• assist people who may need help completing forms
• sign up new members
• carry out various Board roles

You can read details of the following formal volunteer roles:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Member Support Volunteer

Training will be provided.

If you’d like to find out more about getting involved please email volunteers@oxfordshirecreditunion.co.uk

council staff will be offered voluntary redundancy

All staff working across Edinburgh City Council will be offered voluntary redundancy terms before a programme of cutting jobs gets underway…

The City of Edinburgh Council is set to lose a number of staff over the next four years, although the exact amount is still under debate. Now, it has emerged all 20,000 employees will be offered the opportunity to seek voluntary redundancy.

The council faces a budget shortfall of £141m, which could lead to thousands of jobs being scrapped. Senior trade unionists expressed fears that savings could only be made by compulsory redundancy.

To date the council has said it would be looking to cut 1,200 jobs in a cost-cutting “transformation programme”. However, it is thought the figure will be closer to 3,000, something leader Andrew Burns denied.

It is expected compulsory redundancies will now be considered as the council tries to address the shortfall in the budget. If this occur, Unison branch president John Stevenson said industrial action would take place.

He said: “There is now the possibility of compulsory redundancies.

“We have a standard policy of balloting our members on taking industrial action should that possibility arise.”

Other proposals to cut money from the budget include a four-year framework that will address an overall shortfall of £126m. An additional £15m will be built into the proposal as a buffer, taking the total to £141m.

Other plans regarding property and asset management will potentially save £80m over 10 years. The report recommended considering outsources some services in a bid to make further savings.

Speaking to The National, Councillor Alasdair Rankin, finance convener, said: “We are very clear about the scale of the financial challenge that the council is facing.

“The council is experiencing greater demand for services than ever before, with a growing population in Edinburgh and increasing numbers of older people and younger people, while our overall budget remains the same.

“We need to take action in order to achieve the necessary savings to meet this demand, and we are making every effort to do this in a way that will safeguard frontline services for the people of Edinburgh.

“We want to invest in the services that are important to the public but must also look to rationalise our spending.

“We recognise that some of these proposals may involve tough decisions, including a reduction in council jobs, particularly in middle management.

“But while this won’t to be easy, savings will allow us to prioritise the things that matter most to people.”

How much might you (or someone you know) lose from the tax credit cuts?

How much might you (or someone you know) lose from the tax credit cuts?  I am writing to you because I am deeply concerned about the impact the Chancellor’s tax credit changes will have on working people like you.  Next Tuesday MPs will be voting on these changes that could cost you – or someone you know – up to £3,000 a year.

Click here to use our online calculator and find out how much you might lose from tax credit cuts

Don't receive tax credits? Click here to find out more about how your friends or family could be affected

The government is rushing through these changes in the hope that there is no time for people to protest. But I am confident that we can make a difference if we take action now.  And I believe we can win. This government only has a majority of 12 and a number of Conservative MPs have indicated to UNISON that they will not be supporting the government.  Act now to help us win I have today written to every MP demanding that they vote against the cuts – so that they are in no doubt that UNISON will stand up for its members. You can reinforce that message by writing to your MP too.   Next Tuesday MPs will be voting on these changes that could cost you up to £3,000 a year.

Click here to write to your MP and ask them to vote against the cuts

I am determined to fight these proposals because UNISON’s job is to defend you against unfair attacks like this.  Yours sincerely

Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary

Fighting the Trade Union Bill

The recently-published Trade Union Bill contains wide-ranging measures that, if they become law, will restrict your ability as a trade union member to organise within your workplace and take collective action, now we need to know what you think about it.

Please tell us your views on the right to strike and measures included in the Bill by answering the questions in our short survey below.  

Take part in the right to strike survey

New mobile-friendly UNISON website released for testing

Activists invited to test new website design before it is officially launched later this Summer

A new-look UNISON website is now available for testing by activists.

The design of the site has been updated so that it works much better on mobiles and tablets with content re-flowing according to the size of your screen.

There are also some changes behind the scenes that should make the site faster and more flexible. And we’ve taken the opportunity to tidy up a few areas of content too.

To get a sneak peek at the site please visit: http://beta.unison.org.uk

Bug reporting

Though the UNISON team has been working hard to find bugs and get them fixed, we’re certain to have missed some. Activists and members can help us by reporting any bugs or problems we’ve missed before we launch the new site officially.
Anyone can report any bugs, content problems or suggest possible features using our online form.
Report a bug or submit a suggestion

Plans for the future

Following this redesign, we’re planning to deliver new features on a regular basis. We welcome any suggestions on features you’d like us to include in the future.