Commenting on the news that the government will sell off dozens of state
owned services into so-called mutuals, Dave Prentis, UNISON General
Secretary, said:
“This is privatisation by stealth. The
involvement of big private companies makes mutuals just another Tory
party ploy to sell off public services. The government is stretching the
definition of mutuals to the limit – genuine co-ops and mutuals will be
up in arms.
“Staff will be plunged into confusion and could
face being taken out of public sector pension schemes and having their
pay and conditions seriously harmed. Community organisations will
struggle to win contracts without harsh measures such as freezing pay
and reducing leave and sick pay.
“Mutuals are dangerously
untested in this context. At the very least, we need a serious
investigation as to how mutuals would deliver public services in the
interest of the public and employees.”
See coverage os Dave's comments in today's Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-great-civil-service-selloff-dozens-of-services-and-75000-staff-set-to-be-transferred-to-private-sector-8598188.html
Oxford's best-performing trade union, supporting workers at Oxford City Council, Oxford Direct Services, Proudly working in partnership with NHS and University branches across Oxford for the benefit of all members and a greater UNISON for all.
Sunday 5 May 2013
Monday 29 April 2013
Legal helpline launches on May Day
UNISON
is launching a legal helpline to assist hard-pressed activists needing urgent
legal advice.
The helpline will launch on 1 May and has been set up in response to feedback from UNISON activists. It aims to provide urgent initial legal help on employment matters. Launching the helpline, general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Our activists are working hard to look after our members and this government is set on making their lives harder. Activists told us they needed access to quick legal advice and this is what the helpline aims to provide." |
|
The
helpline will be monitored and reviewed to make sure the service it is
providing an effective and efficient service.
Press to Read more |
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Oxford Unite the Resistance Public Meeting
"Trade unions and the
fight against austerity: a strategy to win"
Monday, 29 April 2013
Ruskin College, Headington,
Oxford, OX3 9BZ
Speakers include: (personal capacity)
·
Zita Holbourne (PCS NEC / Black Activists Rising
Against Cuts)
·
Chad Croom (Branch Sec CWU South Central)
·
Ellen Clifford (Disabled People Against Cuts)
·
Alan Whitaker (former President UCU)
·
Ian Hodson (President Bakers’ Union BFAWU)
Speakers from the bedroom tax and other campaigns willl
also be attending and the floor will be open to contributions from all.
Supported by:
PCS DWP Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire & CWU South Central
Saturday 30 March 2013
UNISON masked ball photos
The photos can be viewed at http://www.onlinepictureproof.com/king/view-your-pictures/albums/39543 there are some great moments caught and well worth a look. The photographer will give a percentage of his profits to the CF Trust.
Many thanks for making it such a fun night.
Many thanks for making it such a fun night.
Tuesday 29 January 2013
Pay Ballot results
To
All members,
The
result of the pay ballot that we have conducted is as follows;-
93% voted YES for the proposals
7% voted NO against the proposals
Therefore we have elected to accept the proposed
new pay deal, which will come into effect as of the 1st of April
2013. Should anyone have any questions on this please speak to your steward
where you have one or you can email me.
Regards
Caroline
Caroline Glendinning UNISON Branch Secretary,
OXFORD CITY BRANCH, The Old Police Cells, Oxford Town Hall, St. Aldates,
Oxford. OX1 1BX.
Tel 01865 252522
Friday 18 January 2013
What happens if the vote is NO
What
happens if the vote is NO
What will happen:
We will stay
on the National arrangements for the cost of living rise
They will
still amend the flex leave and revert back to 1 day in a 4 week period
They will
still be opening the offices between Christmas and the New Year
They will not
offer incremental progression
They will
still continue to replace the Casual Car Allowance
What might happen:
They might
discontinue the Partnership Payments
They might
remove Weekend Enhancement and Overtime rates for all staff
They might
not offer the 20% travel concession
They might
not increase the minimum wage for Oxford City Council employees
The current 2
Year agreement ends on 31st March 2013 so the Council can change any of the
items in this agreement from 1st April 2013.
National Pay Award
The government has capped Local Government pay increases
to 1% a year until at least 2015; this is to include all costs such as pension,
N.I etc.
The union is currently in talks with the local government
employers over pay for the 2013/14 round, and is calling for the employers to
give staff a decent pay rise. We will therefore be dependant on National
negotiators to make a deal for us, the Local Government Association are already
indicating that they can not afford any rise for this year, with many
Local Authorities less
organised and unable to budget for a cost of living rise it
is likely to be refused this year.
Flex Leave
The
arrangement for the 2 days flex leave in a 4 week period was negotiated and included
in the Local Collective Agreement from 1 April 2011; this was a 2 year deal
that comes to an end 31 March 2013. Therefore whatever the outcome of the
ballot it will stop on 1 April 2013.
If
there are any issues where the 2 days flex was used by you for Child Care etc
then you should be able to come to some other arrangement with your Manager,
this could be in the form of TOIL or flexible working, your manager should seek
advice from HR if they do not know what they can offer and you should seek advice
from your Steward or the Unison Office if you feel they have not taken into
account your request.
Opening offices
between Christmas and New Year
This
did not have to be part of this deal, the Council felt for transparency it
should be include it in this agreement. So if there is a NO vote on the ballot
they will still go ahead and open during this time. See 4.7 of the Leave Policy
and procedure
4.7 Council offices
close during the Christmas /New Year period for 3 designated days, unless your
Head of Service notifies you of different local arrangements. All employees are
required to set aside and book off 3 days (pro-rata for part-time employees) of
their overall annual leave entitlement (excluding bank/public holidays) unless
notified otherwise by your Head of Service. The three days of office closure
will be confirmed annually.
Incremental Progression
If there is a NO vote
for this agreement the Council will not be able to afford Increments for all
staff not at the top of the grade. The council will not be able to offer the
deal from this agreement unless we vote YES for it.
Casual Car Allowance
The arrangement to
replace most of the Casual Car Allowance with a pool car scheme is in the
current Local Collective agreement that ends 31 March 2013. Therefore the
Council will just continue with this arrangement
The Council will not
stop the Casual Car Allowance without first approaching those affected and
investigating whether a pool car scheme is viable for the work carried out.
Discontinuing the Partnership Payment
They may discontinue
the Partnership payments, unlikely though, the Council say there is evidence
that this payment encourages employees to have less sick
Removal of Weekend Enhancement and Overtime Rates for all
staff
If they remove these
rates of pay then people who are on 5 in 7 contracts and those who have to work
at the weekend as part of their job will only be paid at their flat rate. You
have to work weekends on a rota basis if you are on a 5 in 7 contract, if this
happens many people will lose about £1000 a year and most of these are some of
our lower paid workers.
20% travel concession
They do not have to
offer this to us
Minimum wage for Oxford City
Council employees
They do not have to
offer this to us
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Warm up this winter by entering our free prize draw
Warm up this winter by entering our free prize draw with £200 towards your heating bill up for grabs.
As temperatures plummet, the cost of keeping the house toasty invariably soars. Now's your chance to turn up the thermostat guilt-free. Fill in your details here before 31st January and cross your gloved fingers that you get pulled out of the hat first.
Best of luck! Last month's £200 Christmas shopping giveaway was won by Miss Emma Hodgkins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
2024 Annual General Meeting
2024 Annual General Meeting Thursday 28 March 2024 15:00 till 16:00 St Aldates Tavern, St Aldates or online via Teams One of the most ...
-
The team involved in negotiating over the 'new' Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) from 2014 has been considering whether to pro...
-
On Wednesday 06 December 2023 UNISON will be starting a consultation ballot on the latest pay offer that will cover the next two years. You...
-
There for You has a limited fund to offer one-off £200 grants to UNISON members on a low income. Applications will open twice on Wednesday ...