UK Pride dates

UK Pride dates

The dates for 2017 Pride events taking place across the UK can be found by following the link below.

The TUC want as many LGBT+ activists and allies at Pride events to demonstrate the trade union commitment - and continued fight - for LGBT+ equality.

UK Pride website

National Demonstration

South East Region 20 February 2017 National Demonstration #ourNHS no cuts|no closures|no privatisation Our National Health Service is at breaking point. On the backdrop of continued cuts and closures, private companies seek to gain even more of a foothold within the NHS. Continued pay restraint has since the value of NHS staff salaries reduce by 14% since 2010 and there are now 25,000 nursing and 3,500 midwifery vacancies in NHS England alone. Visit there website and find out how you can get involved. Join UNISON and other health unions on the 4th March in London and march to protect YOUR NHS Date: March 4 2017 Time: 12pm Location: Tavistock Square If your branch has organised a coach please tell us so we can organise a UNISON South East block on the day. Contact Kieran Pearson

Get active in your branch

Why get active in your branch

Getting involved in your branch offers a chance for you to influence the decisions of the branch – and in turn make a difference in your workplace.

Volunteering brings personal benefits too:

• you can get free training and learning opportunities – and time off work while you learn;
• you gain valuable experience in new areas;
• you can create a better workplace and better public services;
• it looks good on your CV.

How to get active

If you want to help out, why not offer to lend a hand from time to time? What you do depends on how much time you have. You might be able to help get the room ready for a meeting, hand out information or put up posters advertising branch meetings. Just  speak to your local branch. Whether it’s a particular campaign that interests you, or a group, or just being part of the everyday running of the union, your branch will be able to help you get involved.

We are here for you.

Every member of UNISON belongs to a branch. Why not get active by going along to a branch event to meet other UNISON members and find out what the branch is doing? You’ll be made very welcome and it’s a great chance to find out more about what the union is doing for you.

email us on office@oxfordcityunison.com  and come and join us

For some reason this link only works when you use Google Chrome and not widows, i am working on a solution.

Please support us and Oxford City Council, working in partnership

One Oxfordshire's proposals to create a unitary county will mean the voice of Oxford will be lost, and could see services under threat. Our petition says: #HandsoffOxfordCity!

Sign the petition -hands-off-oxford-city here

We want to make you aware of a massive threat facing Oxford City.

Oxfordshire County Council has put forward proposals to abolish Oxford City Council, along with all the other councils in Oxfordshire, to create a remote unitary county council covering all of Oxfordshire.

Our concern is that these proposals will mean the voice of the City will be lost; Oxford will no longer have control of decisions over vital services in the City.

You may not agree with everything we do, but we are proud of our record.

Please sign this petition to register your opposition to the unitary county council proposals.

This is not about what political party you vote for, it is about whether Oxford remains in control of local services for local people.

'If it ain't broke don't fix it': Councillors launch campaign to save Oxford City Council from Control

COUNCILLORS have launched a campaign to prevent Oxford City Council from being sucked into unitary rule.

Members of the council's Green party are fighting against the One Oxfordshire proposal, which would abolish district and city councils and replace them with one 'super council'.

Leader of Oxford's Green group Craig Simmons insisted that, while other authorities might be struggling to make ends meet, the city council has been 'efficiently' dealing with its own business.

He said: "The city council is a cost effective, efficiently run local authority that pursues its own agenda. While other councils in the county, and the county council itself, has been cost-cutting and privatising services, the city council is unique in retaining control over service delivery.

To read full story from this is oxfordshire click here

Great reading, makes lots of sence

Message from Cllr Barry Wood, leader of Cherwell District Council:

"The belief that children are our future is not just a line from a popular song – it’s a true fact and statement.

"Cherwell and Oxfordshire County Council both offer services for children but the key difference between the two authorities is their commitment to investing in these services.

"Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for education – which is obviously a statutory service - but it also has a responsibility to provide “sufficient” children’s centres. However, the county has taken this responsibility lightly – cutting the number of council-run children’s centres in half from March this year.

"The impact of this is far reaching; it’s not just the children who suffer but the parents who find support and companionship in such surroundings. Quite often, the most vulnerable members of society find solace in these services; yet the county has still made the decision to ignore protests from the public and cut the funding.

"Is that a council you want running all services in the future?

full article from Barry Wood 

Disappointment with County Labour Councilors

Please see our updated post, to show our solidarity with the city Labour councilors, who we have for many years worked in partnership with.

This Morning , Bob Price Leader and Deputy Leader Ed Turner of Oxford City Council invited us along to a Labour Group Meeting at County Hall as they see us as being part of the same political family and thought it would help in the meeting, but the Oxfordshire County Councilors took a very different view and asked us to leave.

We were asked by Cllr Price and Cllr Turner to put forward the concerns of our Members/employees and residents from the the City Council. BUT upon arrival we had the door initially shut in our faces!! David and myself, are not only Senior Trade union officials of the branch, but also Labour party members and supporters, we were disgusted that the Oxfordshire County Labour Party could behave in such away, they seem to forget that the Local elections are nearly upon them and this does not help if they are seeking re-election!! we were told in no uncertain terms that they were not prepared to listen to our concerns at this time, regarding their proposals for One Oxfordshire.

If this is the way that they treat their Trade Union Supporters and members and not forgetting their total disregard of the view of the residents in Oxford!!! then how on earth are they going to represent the views of the whole of Oxfordshires residents should their bid be successful! they certainly don't want our respect that's for sure!!!

No one Oxfordshire

MPs warn Oxfordshire super council 'fails' government tests

OUR Oxfordshire MPs have together warned a plan to create a super council fails a key government test.

They said proposals backed by Oxfordshire County Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and South Oxfordshire District Council did not have the support of other authorities or 'the majority of MPs'.

The three authorities want to scrap all six of the county's biggest councils and replace them with one organisation, which could save £20m. 

But in a joint statement, Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, Witney MP Robert Courts, Banbury MP Victoria Prentis and Henley MP John Howell said: "We have seen that South Oxfordshire and the Vale of the White Horse are now backing a bid for a county-based unitary authority.

"We have also seen that this is opposed by Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council, and West Oxfordshire District Council. 

"So this is not a unified bid across the whole county, does not have the support of the majority of the County’s MPs, and fails the criteria for consensus which the Department of Communities and Local Government are working to."

To read the full story from the Oxford Mail Click here.

'Super council' plans spark civil war between Tory leaders in Oxfordshire

Great article in the Oxford Times from Cherwell District Council leader Barry Wood and West Oxfordshire District Council leader James Mills.

James Mills, leader of Conservative-run West Oxfordshire District Council, said there was ‘no way’ he would back the plans because it would mean a council tax hike for residents. His authority charges the lowest annual rate of council tax in the county – just £86.63 – but under a super council rates across different areas would be ‘harmonised’ to become the same.

Full story can be found Here .Tories spark civil war