Oxford's best performing trade union, supporting worker at oxford city council, fusion leisure, and
working in partnership with NHS and University branches across oxford for the benefit of all members and a greater UNISON for all.
Christmas is a special time of year. Even so, it doesn't stop health and safety being - wrongly - cited as a reason for preventing pretty harmless activities from going ahead. Not only does this needlessly ruin the festive spirit but it also trivialises the true purpose of health and safety: protecting people from real risks at, or connected with, work.
In the run up to Christmas we will publish the top twelve festive myths, gifted to HSE from media reports and correspondence received.
In the UK today, 900,000 people are on zero-hours contracts. 8 million people from working households are living in poverty. And the number of people going to food banks has sky-rocketed.
People are working hard but struggling to get by. That’s why we need new rights so workers can bargain through their unions for fair pay and conditions across industries.
Have you or has someone close to you been affected by flooding? There for You has a guide with information on where to get started so you know what to do next.
We are protesting against Turkey’s illegal invasion of the Kurdish region of north-eastern Syria (known as Rojava).
Turkey’s goal is to ethnically cleanse a 30km strip of Rojava, meaning that all major cities in Rojava would be under Turkish control. This week, it was reported that Turkey has allegedly been using white phosphorus against the people of Rojava. Turkish-backed jihadists have been carrying out killing sprees with impunity.
Come and join the Oxford’s “Rise Up For Rojava” protest
Friday 25th October, at 2pm at Carfax Tower, OX1 1ET.
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.
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.”
Equality is one of UNISON’s core values and every year, we ask our members about the issues affecting them. This then helps our campaigning work.
Last year over 23,000 members took part and helped inform briefings for the union’s service groups and self-organised groups on key issues for their bargaining and organising agendas.
The survey runs annually and is not just for activists, so please get involved – and encourage as many of your workmates and family as possible to take part. It closes on 26 August.
And as a thank you for taking part you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a mini break in beautiful Devon at UNISON’s own Croyde Bay Holiday Resort.
The survey takes five to 10 minutes and you can complete it anonymously. However, if we don’t have an email address for you, you will miss out on the prize draw and the chance to win two nights in a family room at Croyde Bay.
Pregnant
women and new mothers could receive up to two years of legal protection against
redundancy, with new protections being extended for an additional six months
after their return to work, the government has announced.
The
improved redundancy protection also covers those employees taking adoption or
shared parental leave, to ensure staff are protected from discrimination
regardless of gender or circumstance.
Don’t
worry catch up the webinar recording of Chris O’Sullivan from the Mental Health
Foundation discussing practical ways for union reps to promote good mental
health in the workplace.
A huge network of people work together to keep our local communities going. Yet very few of us probably recognise the vital local services that we come into contact with everyday. It’s time to give our local service champions the recognition they deserve.
Citizens Advice Oxford and Oxford City Council are warning Oxford residents against Universal Credit scams that could leave them seriously out of pocket.
If someone asks for your personal details and says they can get you a government grant or a cheap loan for a fee, it's a scam - and you could end up on Universal Credit as a result.
For more info, see our joint release with
UNISON is proud to be unique among unions in having a dedicated charity, There for You, which supports our members when life gets tough
All UNISON members are eligible for complimentary financial
reviews which can take place at home, over the phone or at work so don't take
the risk without seeking advice from us if you need our help we are just a
click away.
If you are a member and
you are experiencing financial difficulties, whatever the circumstances, There
for You can offer you support.
To get help and support
just click one of the links below or Check our easy to use benefits calculator
to find out if you could be entitled to claim additional benefits.
UNISON will never be too big or busy to care and support you when ever you need us all you need to do is ask
There for You give vital assistance to people in need in the form of debt advice, listening and support, financial assistance, breaks and holidays, and personal advice.
The Government is currently consulting on plans to allow universities and colleges in England to opt out of offering the local government pension scheme (LGPS) to new non- teaching staff.
The proposal would:
Create a two-tier workforce with new starters offered inferior pensions;
Disproportionately affect women and the lower paid;
Threaten the future sustainability of the whole scheme.
This attack on pension rights is the thin end of the wedge – if these proposals are enacted, the Government won’t stop there. It is vital that we take action.
UNISON has set up a campaign website which explains more about the situation and encourages branches and members to take a range of actions.
Oxford Brookes University is outsourcing its catering staff. From 01 January 2020 over 60 staff will no longer be employed by the university. Workers are worried they will face real reductions to their pay, pensions, terms and conditions. Help support our campaign to keep staff employed by the university by signing our petition.’
We the undersigned call on Oxford Brookes University to revise their current decisions in regard to the provision of catering. In summary we believe that;
1) Catering services should be provided by Oxford Brookes and contracts should in no circumstances be outsourced to a third party.
2) That all staff working in catering should enjoy the same benefits, terms and conditions as other Oxford Brookes staff.
3) Catering staff are a valued and integral part of University life and should be treated with fairness and respect.
4) Catering staff should be properly consulted on their employment and their concerns addressed.
Please sign to show your support to this campaign.
In celebration of National
Table Tennis Day on Thursday, 18th July 2019, with support partners Oxford City Branch of UNISON,
Oxford Table Tennis League, Oxford Community Table Tennis Club and Ping
Oxford and Oxford City Counci is hosting the
abovementioned event !
Come along and show and / or brush up on your table
tennis skills !
The event is open to all
staff and members of the public alike, with multiple tables, robot challenge,
coaching and
For over 40 years Sobell House has been providing palliative care in Oxford. Having worked as a Nursing Assistant at Sobell House I have directly experienced the importance of this hospice.
Sobell House provides care to patients at home, at the day centre and in the hospice along with compassionate support for families and loved ones. Sobell House offers many services including art, music and complementary therapies. Having witnessed how having a massage and a glass of wine can really boost the mood of the patients at Sobell House I decided that I wanted to do my part to help allow these services to continue and grow.
Therefore I'll be taking part in Light the Night Oxford, a 10 mile walk at nighttime around the sights of Oxford.
Thanks for taking time to read my story and I hope you'll be able to support me in raising money for one of the best places I've ever worked at.
If you would like to support Lewis's Light the Night Oxford page please CLICK HERE
As some of you may already be aware, as the result of a burst water main on the Euston Road there was a major a flood at UNISON Centre over the weekend.
The building has been closed to staff since Monday 10 June and the earliest date it may re-open is Wednesday 19 June (although even this is not guaranteed).
The 020 7121 5623telephone number is not currently working.
UNISON Centre departments have not received any post since 7 June.
If members need to contact There for You they should do so by email to thereforyou@unison.co.uk and send any documents as attachments to the email in order for the team to be able to see them now
The UNISON Welfare casework team is currently only able to provide a limited service however are still assessing emergency grant applications at the current time.
In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.
Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse.
Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
I now know that if I felt there was something wrong, it's because there was, but I didn't understand mental health fully... it's a spectrum and you should feel able to decide where and when you [are] on that spectrum.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Experiencing a mental health problem is often upsetting, confusing and frightening – particularly at first. If you become unwell, you may feel that it's a sign of weakness, or that you are 'losing your mind'.
These fears are often reinforced by the negative (and often unrealistic) way that people experiencing mental health problems are shown on TV, in films and by the media. This may stop you from talking about your problems, or seeking help. This, in turn, is likely to increase your distress and sense of isolation.
However, in reality, mental health problems are a common human experience.
Most people know someone who has experienced a mental health problem. They can happen to all kinds of people from all walks of life. And it's likely that, when you find a combination of self-care, treatment and support that works for you, you will get better.
It wasn't until I had a breakdown that I felt my condition was 'serious enough' to qualify as an issue. I could have got help much earlier but I didn't because of this – it's never too early to seek advice.
Lawyers for NHS England have issued a warning that publicly raising concerns about the impact on patients of their proposal to contract out Oxford's PET-CT scanning service could result in a defamation claim.
We say we have the right and the duty to speak out and to report well-founded concerns.
The Oxford NUJ has invited three speakers from the worlds of cancer care, defamation law and journalism to address the urgent issues raised by NHS England's warning.
How can we work together to prevent threats and intimidation from closing down informed debate about the future of vital public services? Is a change in the law required?
Speakers:
Tamsin Allen @tamsinallen1, a Partner at Bindmans solicitors who specialises in defamation and representing whistleblowers. She has recently acted for Christopher Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower.
Professor Adrian Harris, A consultant medical oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust who continues to raise concerns over the impact that contracting out the PET-CT services will have on the quality and safety of patient care
Seamus Dooley @Seamusdo, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists , who has spent his career as a journalist and NUJ official defending the independence of the press and public service journalism
Join the discussion; Register to attend at Eventbrite
Is Mental Health important in the workplace? Tom explores all things related to workplace mental health, including mental health in school workplaces, in this insightful video. Tom helps employers figure out mental health at work. He reviews workplaces, trains managers and writes plans.
Since 2012 he has interviewed more than 130 people, surveyed thousands and worked across the UK with corporations, civil service, charities, the public sector, schools and small business. Tom has worked with national mental health charities Mind and Time to Change and consults widely across the UK. He lives in Norfolk and is mildly obsessed with cricket and camping.
He runs Bamboo Mental Health, an organisation dedicated to improving how employers support their people on mental health. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx