Your vote matters

Having your say through the ballot box is always important.

On 4 May 2017 there are local and county council elections across much of the UK. Additionally, for the first time a number of cities and regions will also be electing mayors. Finally, on the 8 June there will be a general election.

All these elected representatives will make decisions that affect your local public services.

The elections are an opportunity for you to vote for the candidate who will defend public services. Be a Public Service Champion. Vote.

UNISON’s Public Service Champions campaign is all about highlighting the pressures on the vital services that affect our everyday lives after nearly 10 years of austerity.

By speaking to candidates about your concerns you help ensure that these issues are at the top of the agenda in these elections.

Find out about elections where you live, and register to vote.

Back your public service champions

Pledge your support today

Across the NHS, our schools, libraries, care services, police, and all council services, our Public Service Champions do an amazing job. But due to spending cuts, they’re in crisis. That’s why the Public Service Champions campaign is calling for:

• Proper funding for all our public services
• The right number of appropriately trained staff to keep our services safe and effective
• A voice for local communities about how their services are provided
• More openness about the decisions that affect how our public services are delivered
• The economic benefits of public services to be recognised.

Pledge now to back your champions and we’ll keep you up-to-date on how your support makes a difference to the services we all depend on – and the people who deliver them.

Register your support now.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has announced plans to call snap general election on 8 June.

Some useful tools

YOU ARE HER

Overtime Calculator
Working extra hours without pay? Find out what it could be costing you.

Union Finder
Work out which trade union is relevant to your company or sector.

YOUR MONEY:

Pay Reckoner
Calculate your hourly rate from an annual salary

Tax Calculator
Work out your income tax and National Insurance bill.

Minimum Wage Calculator
Check if you're entitled to the National Minimum Wage, and if so, how much.

Redundancy Pay Calculator
See how much statutory redundancy pay you are entitled to. This site is only a guild, please talk to your steward to find out how to get a true figure.

Cover up mate

Everyone should take precautions against sunshine and sunburn over the summer. This year NHS England is especially targeting men who work outdoors with the “Cover Up, Mate” campaign. Farmers, builders, gardeners and sportsmen are all being asked to take a safer approach to the sun to help reduce the incidence of skin cancer.

They have been targeted because the incidence of skin cancer in men is increasing at a faster rate than it is for women, and men who spend a high proportion of the day outdoors are at risk because increased exposure to sunlight increases the likelihood of developing skin cancer. 

For more information visit www.nhs.uk

 

International Workers' Memorial Day

International Workers' Memorial Day - More events and resources

News is coming in about various events and activities to mark this year's International Workers' Memorial Day.    We've heard from: UNISON member and Hartlepool TUC President, Edwin Jeffries; UNISON Pembrokeshire Local Government Branch; UNISON West Midlands Health and Safety Forum; and UNISON Cymru Wales Region.  UNISON's Health Conference will be marking the Day, as will UNISON's Further Education and Sixth Form College Seminar.  Staff at UNISON Centre will be holding a minutes silence at 12 midday on Friday 28 April.  And numerous UNISON members, activists, and staff will be speaking at events across the country. We'll be posting these and other details on our website (see the "events" page) and by social media (FaceBook and twitter - see logos below for our links) in the coming days and weeks. But we also want to hear about your planned activities no matter how large or small, just send a reply to this email or email Vincent at: v.borg@unison.co.uk Don't forget, UNISON's IWMD webpage has further information and resources, including our IWMD poster and leaflet to download or order.  You can now also download our pdf to create your own IWMD flags from our webpage or direct from here. Remember the Dead and Fight for the Living on this year's International Workers' Memorial Day! The Health and Safety Unit UNISON

Did you know that immediately apply for an introductory loan of up to £2000 repayable over a term of up to 60 months

OXFORDSHIRE CREDIT UNION PAYROLL DEDUCTION SCHEMES

OXFORDSHIRE CREDIT UNION already run payroll deduction schemes through the employers listed below and are in discussions with other Oxfordshire employers.

• Oxford Bus Company
• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Oxford City Council
• South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council

Employees who can pay to their credit union account by a payroll deduction can immediately apply for an introductory loan of up to £2000 repayable over a term of up to 60 months

Payroll deduction also makes saving easy through our range of savings accounts to help you budget for Xmas, Eid, Diwali, holidays or any other special occasion.

Call now

Call 01865 777 757 to start saving today...

Information for employers

If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity to save money by payroll deduction, or would like to offer your employees access to secure savings accounts and low cost loans, please contact us.