The latest attack on local government pension

The latest attack on local government pension rights is the thin end of the wedge. Email your MP now. www.unison.org.uk/defendLGPS

UNISON equality survey 2019

You could win a holiday by just completing

Win a holiday AND fight for equality by filling out the 2019 equality survey by 26 August. Go to https://unison.org.uk/eqsurvey2019

PENSIONS: Defend local government pensions

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.

Please use the following links:

1. Find out more about the issue – and share our film Take action
2. Email your MP to defend the LGPS
3. The consultation closes on 31 July: make your views heard – download template responses via the resources section
4. Are you in the LGPS? Respond to the government consultation

Stop Privatisation of Oxford Brookes Catering Staff

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. 

Click here to sign

National Table Tennis Day on Thursday, 18th July 2019

In celebration of National Table Tennis Day on Thursday, 18^th 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

competitions !

Hope to see you on there !

Stop Climate Change

great read about council estates

When council estates were a dream

By Ashley John-Baptiste

Very interesting Read when you have a spare 5 minutes

We need more followers

UNISON local government's workers

UNISON local government's workers at there best

With you every step of the way

Local government workers are there for us through every stage of our lives. From birth, through our youth and adulthood, to old age...

Fundraising for Sobell House Hospice Charity

Lewis's Light the Night Oxford page

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

@oxfordcitybranchofUNISON

UNISON WELFARE

URGENT MESSAGE REGARDING UNISON WELFARE

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 5623 telephone 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.

Regional Secretary
Steve Torrance  

Offers for UNISON members

We want to say thank you to our existing members as we Go for Growth – and welcome the new recruits who sign up this month.

So once more, we’ve negotiated some time-limited special offers that’ll get you money off, just for being a UNISON member.

These will run throughout May and include money-saving offers on holidays, days out, eye care and savings. Just check out the link below.

UNISON Offers

What are mental health problems?

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.

More info and help can be found at https://www.mind.org.uk/

We won't be silenced over threats to Oxon's cancer care

 PUBLIC MEETING: 

7.00pm Thursday June 20th, Oxford Town Hall

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

Workplace Mental Health - all you need to know (for now) | Tom Oxley | TEDxNorwichED

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

Positive mental health at work

Acas Senior Adviser Abigail Hirshman talks about the Acas strategy for positive mental health at work. The Government's Department of Health advises that one in four of us will experience mental ill health at some point in our lives. It is therefore important that employers and their staff take steps to promote positive mental health and support those experiencing mental ill health For more information on Mental health in the workplace and to book a place on our training program. http://www.acas.org.uk/mentalhealth

NEC results 2019

The results of the 2019 NEC election are now available from Here.

These members will take office following the end of the national delegate conference 2019. The term of office will run until the end of national delegate conference 2021.

A full copy of the scrutineer’s report is available to members of UNISON on request. To obtain a copy, telephone UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857. Lines are open 6 am to midnight, Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturdays.

Any query regarding this information or this election should be directed to the member liaison unit at the UNISON Centre. Telephone 020 7121 5312 or 020 7121 5176. Fax 020 7121 5196. Email elections@unison.co.uk.

inclusion starts with i

Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to our culture and core values. We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences, such as age, ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, religion or sexual orientation. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive and more creative, which helps us better

Don't forget to use your vote this Thursday

Nigel Farage wants you to think he's on the side of working people. He isn't. Don't forget to use your vote this Thursday

European Elections being held in the UK on 23rd May

Important Information on European Elections being held in the UK on 23^rd May

EU citizens from the following countries will have to complete a separate form if they wish to vote in European elections being held in the UK on 23^rd May: -

If you are an EU citizen from one of the above countries and want to vote in the UK elections on 23^rd May, you will need to complete the form available from the following link:-

https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/255197/EU-citizen-European-Parliament-voter-registration-form-English.pdf

The deadline for receipt of this form by your local council is Tuesday 7^th May.

If you’re not yet registered to vote at all then go to: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote .

It’s quick and simple, taking only five minutes. You’ll need your National Insurance number to hand. The deadline for registering itself is midnight on Tuesday 7^th May.

We have grown, time for you to join

Win your family holiday this summer – plus more brilliant, exclusive money-saving offers

As a member of the UK’s biggest and brightest union you could win a holiday for you and your family –THIS SUMMER! Just from being in UNISON.

You could win a five-night holiday to UNISON’s beautiful Croyde Bay Resort in Devon, this summer, for up to six people, with breakfast included. The prize draw is open to all new and existing members of UNISON. The holiday needs to be taken anytime before October 2019.

But that's not all – our money-saving deals and offers are back. Just in time for you to make the most of your summer. Apart from holidays, days out and trips to the theatre, our UNISON Living partners – including Vision Express, Shepherds Friendly and UIA – are improving their offers to members during May as the union goes for growth.

 

Find out more about the prize draw and all the offers

UNISON – bigger for a reason, better for everyone.