There for You (UNISON Welfare)

Members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact our welfare charity, There for You, which provides a confidential advice and support service for members and their dependants.

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Trade Union Bill update

Yesterday MPs debated the Trade Union Bill in the House of Commons. Unfortunately the Bill passed with 305 MPs voting in favour and 271 against.  But there is good news – MPs from all parties stood up and opposed aspects of the Bill, including several Conservative MPs who we know were influenced by UNISON members visiting them in person or writing to them.  The fact that Conservative MPs are against some aspects of the Bill makes it more likely that we will win amendments in the House of Lords. UNISON will continue fighting the Bill, please keep an eye out for emails for the next stages in the campaign. Find out more about where we’re at with the Trade Union Bill. With best wishes, UNISON Campaigns team

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.