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.

Is today your day to join Oxford Credit Union

About membership of OCU

Anyone who lives or works within the county of Oxfordshire can join OCU.  And even if you move away from Oxfordshire you can still remain a member.

All you need to do when you join is to start saving a regular amount each month.  If you would like to join us and start saving, please call 01865 777 757 or download an application form.  We make a £2 charge for joining which will be deducted from your first payment. We have an annual charge of £5 for managing your account, we waive this fee if the balance in your account is more than £50 or if you are making regular savings.

Download a membership application form.

In order to comply with anti-money-laundering regulations we will need to see proof of ID and address.  You can send us a photocopy of a driving licence, passport or birth certificate.

Payroll deductions:   Members who work in Oxford University Hospital Trust, the Oxford Bus Company, Unipart, Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council or South Oxfordshire can pay into their OCU account directly through a deduction from their payroll. More about the advantages of payroll deductions here. Download a OCU Payroll Deduction form.

Standing orders and cash:  Other members can save using either a standing order arrangement with their bank or by paying in cash using a PayPoint card (provided by OCU) at a retailer displaying the PayPoint sign – eg a local corner shop or garage. Just call us and we’ll talk you through this.  Download a Standing Order Mandate.

Redirecting your Child Benefit to your OCU account:  Use the Child Benefit redirection form if you would like your Child Benefit to be added directly to your OCU savings.

All our forms are available to be downloaded directly from the Forms and documents page.

Oxfordshire Branches Survey: LG Reorganisation

You will probably have seen in recent weeks campaign materials for “One Oxfordshire”, a proposal for local government reorganisation initiated by Oxfordshire County Council. You may also have seen counter proposals, particularly if you live or work in Oxford City or Cherwell which are opposed to the plan.

The One Oxfordshire proposals would mean a single unitary authority covering the whole of Oxfordshire responsible for all the services currently provided by District and County Councils.

The Government will have the final say on the proposals and we don’t yet know what it will decide but UNISON wants to know your concerns and priorities so that we are ready to support our members interests once the decision is announced. Any changes, whether it is a single unitary authority or unitary authorities based on existing district council boundaries or some other formulation, is bound to impact on our members who are directly employed by a local authority but also those whose jobs are linked to the councils through contracts or funding arrangements, and of course those who live in Oxfordshire regardless of where they work.

It will be a great help in this if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey by Friday 7 April.

Please feel free to ask your work colleagues to complete it too, regardless of whether they are UNISON members. You can do this by forwarding them the link.

Kind regards

Caroline Raine (Area Organiser) 

One Oxfordshire Survey

It only takes a few minutes!

Click here for the survey

Find out more about better oxfordshire click here

How you can help tackle ill health at work

Many health conditions are caused or made worse by work. The priorities for HSE are to reduce:

• lung disease
• stress
• injuries to backs, necks, shoulders and arms

We need you to play your part too. Tell us about:

• what you are doing in your workplace? any ideas you have to reduce these health problems at work

Find out more about what we are doing on our health and work web pages

The “Hands off Oxford City” campaign

The “Hands off Oxford City” campaign we supported in response to community and staff concerns has been hugely successful and achieved more than 10,000 signatures to the petition against the proposals.

This is a huge vote of confidence in the City Council and the other District Councils and we are proud of the public and staff support.

If you would like to help further, please consider contacting your MP:

Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, Member of Parliament for Oxford East

Nicola Blackwood MP, Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon

John Howell MP, Member of Parliament for Henley

Victoria Prentis MP, Member of Parliament for North Oxfordshire

Rt Hon Edward Vaizey MP, Member of Parliament for Didcot and Wantage

Robert Courts MP, Member of Parliament for Witney and West Oxfordshire

Finally, Oxford City Branch Of UNISON would like to take this opportunity to again say a huge thank you to you all for your support for the campaign.

We would also like to take this opportunity to remind everybody that our argument is with the County Unitary proposals and not with staff or Councillors in organisations supporting it.

Our argument and campaign has been, and always will be, respectful of other's different views, and long must this continue, together in solidarity with all our trade union brothers and sisters, in UNISON.

Together we are stronger.

Winning for members  |  Scottish local government ballot  |    Send to a friend   |

14 MARCH 2017

£178,000 compensation won for seven members UNISON wins payout for unfairly dismissed drug treatment staff A group of workers who supported adults with addiction issues in the North West have won a court victory after a private company left them jobless, thanks to support from UNISON. The seven members received £178,000 compensation after UNISON took Arch Initiatives to an employment tribunal when the company refused to take on the staff, whose jobs were transferred from the Greater Manchester West NHS Foundation Trust, arguing that the jobs changed and TUPE regulations did not apply. One of those who lost their jobs without even receiving redundancy pay was Denise Holcroft who said:  “There’s never a good time to be told you’re out of a job, but this was so stressful. I couldn’t pay my bills and had to take what work I could just to cover my mortgage.”

All eyes on the metro mayors from UNISON U digital

The balance of power in English politics will be shifting ever so slightly this year – away from Whitehall and Westminster towards the regions, in the form of the first tranche of directly elected “metro mayors”.

On 4 May, the public will elect mayors in six city-regions: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, West Midlands and West of England.

These mayors will exercise a significant amount of power over areas such as housing, transport and even health.

And that’s why UNISON has been working hard to ensure that public services are at the forefront of people’s minds during the mayoral elections.

With the support of the general political fund, regions have been promoting the union’s Public Service Champions campaign, and encouraging people to vote for candidates who are prepared to support and protect public services.

James Anthony, who chairs the union’s general political fund, says: “While the mayors have different powers in different parts of the country, what these elections share is an opportunity to raise our concerns about the current state of public services.

“The committee has approved bids to support local mayoral campaigns in Greater Manchester, Tees Valley and West Midlands.  This will be backed up by UK-wide advertising that highlights the way in which the invaluable work that our members do and which communities depend upon is being dangerously undermined by austerity.”

Mr Anthony adds that all elections offer an opportunity to achieve the same goal as the union’s Public Service Champions campaign – “to highlight the pressures facing our schools, local government, social care, the NHS and policing, and to send a message to the government that they must change course urgently.”

Born of the Tory Party’s general election manifesto, the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 has paved the way for a level of regional devolution akin to that currently enjoyed by the London Mayor.

Working alongside combined authorities – which represent existing local councils – the metro mayors will set strategies to grow their area’s economy, while exercising powers over housing, transport and skills.

Their powers will vary, depending on the devolution deals that each city-region has agreed with the government.

For example, Greater Manchester’s mayor will also have responsibility for health and social care and will take over the powers of the police and crime commissioner.

The new role is attracting some high profile politicians, who spy a greater opportunity to effect change than they might have on the back benches or in opposition.

Sadiq Khan has already made the transition in London, and now the former Labour health secretary Andy Burnham (above, speaking to the NHS Confederaton) is the party’s candidate in Greater Manchester.

Another notable candidate is UNISON member Sue Jeffrey, who is contesting Tees Valley for Labour.

Ms Jeffrey, who is leader of Redcar and Cleveland council, is committed to bringing meaningful job growth, sustainability, and investment across the whole of the Tees Valley.

She is also a strong campaigner for the protection and promotion of the region’s public services.

UNISON regional secretary Clare Williams says: “UNISON is proud to support Sue Jeffrey. We know that strong leadership is required to bring investment into the area, provide quality jobs and training, and enhance and protect our vital public services.

“Sue is  an experienced campaigner and woman’s rights activist with a tried and tested record in speaking up for the people of the Tees Valley and promoting the interests of the area.”

Find out about our Public Service Champions campaign

Response to “Better Oxfordshire” proposal from Oxford City Council

Oxford City Council response to “Better Oxfordshire” proposal

Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, responds to the launch of Oxfordshire County Council’s “Better Oxfordshire” proposal.

Councillor Price said: “The County Council’s revised proposal confirms its plan to remove from local control almost all issues that really matter to people’s quality of life.

• Decision making on key issues affecting people’s lives will no longer be made locally. For example, control over council housing, economic growth and development planning would be removed from local control and managed centrally.
• Governance of the city is still not addressed in a way that city residents would find acceptable. Instead, Oxford residents are offered a ‘convention’ that no one really understands and shows that the County Council still does not know how to manage the unique requirements of the city.
• The proposals have continually been altered. The County Council should send the latest proposals to every household in Oxfordshire for comment before wholesale changes are made to local accountability and decision making.
• We just do not believe the County Council’s figures. The latest figures suggest that council tax would be kept low in the rural districts and inflated in the city through what is currently an illegal additional charge to city residents (known as a precept).

“Our position remains the same. We call on the County Council to end this wasteful exercise that now seems more confused than ever and focus instead on solving the issues we are all facing over housing, infrastructure and skills shortages.”

Leaders unite to extend Government invite

Political leaders opposed to plans for a single unitary authority in Oxfordshire have requested an urgent meeting with the Government Minister responsible for deciding their future.

Last week a letter was sent to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP, on behalf of the leaders of Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.

The leaders are united in their opposition against Oxfordshire County Council’s proposals for a unitary authority and have requested an opportunity to discuss the plans with Mr Javid before any decision is undertaken.

In a joint statement, council leaders Cllr Barry Wood (Cherwell), Cllr Bob Price (Oxford) and Cllr James Mills (West Oxfordshire) said: “These proposals affect all of Oxfordshire so it is vitally important that all of Oxfordshire has the opportunity to have their voice heard before any decision is made. We three councils stand united against the proposals for a unitary council which we maintain are flawed and will disregard the specific needs of each individual city and district.

“Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire are similar in that we are three strong performing councils but we are different in the way we operate and that is what’s key to our success. By operating at a local level we can tailor services to meet the needs of our individual communities and address challenges specific to our own areas. It is this approach that makes us so successful but this would be lost if a unitary model were to proceed and Mr Javid needs to be aware of the devastating consequences before any decision is made.”

Under Oxfordshire County Council’s proposals, the area’s city and four district councils would be disbanded and replaced with a single unitary authority tasked with delivering all services across Oxfordshire.

In the letter to Mr Javid, the leaders stipulate four of the county’s five MPs have joined them in opposing the proposals and reference the “growing levels of opposition” and “concerns about increases in council tax” which have been expressed by local residents.

They add that they “want to avoid committing taxpayers’ money to commissioning further studies and analysis in response to the county’s proposals” given there is “no realistic chance of a consensus being achieved” between the city, district and county councils.

In ending the letter, the leaders request an opportunity to meet with the Minister and local MPs, stating it is “essential that such a decision should not be undertaken without robust and independent evaluation of the proposals and their deliverability”.

The leaders are now waiting to hear back from Mr Javid’s office regarding the invitation to discuss the plans.  In the meantime residents can find out more about the campaign to oppose the proposals at:

• Cherwell District Council: www.cherwell.gov.uk
• Oxford City Council: www.oxford.gov.uk
• West Oxfordshire District Council: www.westoxon.gov.uk

A Massive thank you, we hit 5000 signatures

Dear All,

I just wanted to say a humongous thank you to you all for giving up your precious time to help with the Hands Off Oxford City campaign. So far I have received over a thousand hard copy signatures and I’m 100% certain that all your efforts have contributed to the on-line petition too, which has almost reached 5000 on-line signatures and is steadily rising.

Can I ask if any of you have any good stories that you’ve heard whilst you have been out and about, if you have can you please email them to me. If you have any hard copy petitions in your possession, can you let me have them by tomorrow, here in the Unison Office in the Town Hall or leave them with the receptionist for my attention. I’m on leave from Wednesday the 1^st March, Jo Sadler our Admin Officer will be in the Office from 10am till 14.00hrs Monday to Thursday.

The campaign will continue so watch out for any up-dates as to what’s next. Once again thank you and some of those that helped may not be on my email list, if that’s the case and you know who those individuals are. Can you please pass this message on. 

Best wishes

Caroline

P.s as I have been writing this we just hit 5001 on-line signatures!!!

Caroline Glendinning UNISON Branch Secretary, OXFORD CITY BRANCH, The Old Police Cells, Oxford Town Hall, St. Aldates, Oxford. OX1 1BX.

Tel 01865 252522 

http://www.oxfordcityunison.com/

DISRESPECT NOBODY

There’s a person attached to every body, respect both.

Healthy relationships are all about respecting each other. You should feel loved, safe and free to be yourself.

Relationships can be confusing and it can be difficult to understand what is and isn’t normal behaviour.

But disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour can come in many forms. It isn’t limited to just physical behaviour; it can also go way beyond that. For example, it’s not OK for someone to try and pressure you into sending a nude pic, or to expect the same things to happen that they’ve seen in a porn film. If someone makes you do something you don’t want to, makes you feel scared, intimidated or tries controlling you, it’s not acceptable and is never OK.

Read up on the different types of abuse, get advice and have a look at the organisations that can help.

What is devolution and why is it important?

DON'T BE LEFT IN THE DARK

Devolution is one of the most fundamental changes to the way decisions are made for local areas and how public services are funded. click the below link to read a non bias explanation from the Local Government Association.

Click to Shine a Light on the Answer  

National march to save the NHS from destruction - March 4th.

National demonstration
called by HealthCampaigns Together and supported by most major unions

• For a fully funded, publicly owned, NHS & social care service
• No cuts, no closures, no privatisation
• End the pay restraint for NHS staff

Book your seat on the Oxfordshire transport online http://ouh.org.uk/bookings/March4.html or call 07503169657
Transport organised by Oxfordshire UNISON Health branch and Banbury GMB.
We must fight to save the NHS from destruction. The threat is real. It is happening now. Hospitals, GPs, mental health, ambulance and community services are on their knees.
Rather than address the crisis in the NHS the government is accelerating it with planned cuts of £22 billion pounds with its 'Sustainability and Transformation Plans".  These plans will see whole departments, even hospitals close.  

In Oxfordshire 200 beds at the Oxford University Hospitals Trust are earmarked for closure, along with downgrading of Horton maternty services , community hospitals and mental health services.

Private companies are gaining an ever greater foothold within the NHS. Years of pay restraint has seen the value of NHS staff salaries reduce by 14% since 2010. The Government’s Sustainability and Transformation Plans are a smokescreen for a massive programme of hospital and community service closures, and are its latest instrument for privatisation.

The NHS is one of our greatest achievements. We cannot allow it to be undermined and ultimately destroyed. Join us on Saturday 4 March and send a clear message to this Government.

“the NHS will last as long as there are folk with the faith to fight for it.” Nye Bevan - founder of the NHS

Fight against tribunal fees goes on

Fight against tribunal fees goes on

The long-awaited government review of the introduction of employment tribunal fees has finally been published by the Ministry of Justice.

The review finds that: “While there is clear evidence that ET fees have discouraged people from bringing claims, there is no conclusive evidence that they have been prevented from doing so.”

Public services union UNISON is taking the fight against the introduction of fees through the courts and its case is due to be heard in the highest court in the land — the Supreme Court — at the end of March.

UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The introduction of fees was a terrible decision. The Lord Chancellor should be big enough now to accept her department got this one badly wrong.

“Tribunal fees should be scrapped immediately, before any more law-breaking employers escape punishment because wronged workers simply don’t have the cash to take them to court.

“Unfortunately it’s now much harder for people who’ve been treated unfairly at work to seek justice. Women have been the biggest losers, bad bosses the undoubted winners.

The review’s findings were also slated by the Law Society, the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales.

Law Society president Robert Bourns said: “The minister asserts there is ‘no evidence to suggest’ the fees are limiting access to justice — but the evidence in his own report suggests that tens of thousands of people are slipping through the cracks.

“The truth is employment tribunal fees have had a chilling effect on the number of people able or willing to bring a case against their employer.

UNISON press release

Review of the introduction of fees in the Employment Tribunals (pdf)

Apprenticeship - know your rights

Apprenticeship - know your rights eNote

The new interactive eNote “Apprenticeships – know your rights” explains why a quality apprenticeship is a great way to earn money while developing skills for a rewarding career. It explains that new apprentices will be entering the world of work but learning as they do so, studying for a qualification, and possibly a degree.

This eNote is a self-contained module that contains a mixture of text, video and quizzes. It lasts for 10 minutes and can be returned to as many times as you like

Apprenticeship Enote

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