Each new year is a chance to look forwards as well as back

Your union will always be there to stand up for you, every single day of this new decade

Each new year is a chance to look forwards as well as back. To plan for the future, but also to reflect on the year that’s behind us.

2020 marks not just a new year, but a new decade – and one that brings with it a great deal of uncertainty. The election that brought 2019 to a close ensures that we will leave the EU in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s Conservatives have been elected on a wafer thin manifesto that leaves us all in the dark about what comes after Brexit, especially when it comes to public services.

However you voted in last year’s election, I know that you understand more than anyone the pressures that the services you provide are under. 2020 will be another challenging year for public services, but I also know that there’s no group of people I’d trust more than UNISON members to care for, protect and educate our communities through the difficult times.

In return, I promise that your union will always be there to stand up for you, every single day of this new decade.

Read the full story here

Never Again - Lessons of the Holocaust exhibition opening rally

Speakers:
Craig Simmons, Lord Mayor of Oxford
Naomi Clayden, Oxford Jewish Congregation
and Oxford Stand Up To Racism

The Never Again Lessons of the Holocaust education exhibition will run from Saturday 18th January until Monday 27th January inclusive. Opening times: Mon - Fri 10-6pm, Saturdays 10-5pm, Sundays – Closed.

The exhibition is organised by Oxford Stand Up To Racism is supported by: Oxford Jewish Congregation, Oxford City Council, Oxford Unite Against Fascism, Oxford Love Music Hate Racism, Oxford & District Trades Council, Oxfordshire Unison Health, CWU South Central Postal, PCS DWP Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Oxford Unite SE/6232, Oxfordshire NEU, Oxfordshire County UNISON, Henley CLP, with more support expected.

The Holocaust fundamentally challenged the foundations of civilization and serves as a warning of the horror that fascism can unleash. The magnitude of the Holocaust, planned and carried out by the Nazis, must be forever seared in our collective memory. The Nazis "Final Solution" saw the extermination of 6 million Jews in an attempt to ethnically cleanse Europe of all Jews. The terrible suffering of the many millions of other victims of the Nazis has left an indelible scar across Europe as well.

This event is organised by Oxford Stand Up To Racism as part of a national campaign to oppose the rise in racism and racist attacks, and combat attempts by fascists to rehabilitate their dangerous politics. We are working with other groups to organise protests across the world on UN Anti-racism day on March 21st 2020. We urge everyone who wishes to free the world of racism and the threat of fascism to join the national march in London.

To book seats on the Oxford transport visit: oxfordstanduptoracism.org.uk/bookings/Mar21.html

The antiracist movement needs your support in 2020. Please make a donation to Stand Up To Racism: http://bit.ly/SUTRdonation

UNISON support over Christmas

UNISONDirect opening times 

Monday to Friday: 6 am-midnight

• Saturday: 10 am-4 pm
• Sunday: Closed

Christmas and New Year opening hours:

Monday 23 December: Normal hours, as above

Christmas Eve: 6am to 3pm

Christmas Day and Boxing Day: Closed

27 to 30 December: Normal hours, as above

New Year’s Eve: 6am to 3pm

New Year’s Day: Closed

The Twelve Myths of Christmas

Christmas is a special time of year. Even so, it doesn't stop health and safety being - wrongly - cited as a reason for preventing pretty harmless activities from going ahead. Not only does this needlessly ruin the festive spirit but it also trivialises the true purpose of health and safety: protecting people from real risks at, or connected with, work.

In the run up to Christmas we will publish the top twelve festive myths, gifted to HSE from media reports and correspondence received.

Check them out at https://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/xmasmyths/index.htm

UNISON Christmas Party

Thanks to the Conservatives, seeing your GP can feel like mission impossible.

They are destroying our NHS. Your vote can save it. Find out more at unsn.uk/NoMoreWait #YourVoteCan

When we stick together in UNISON

In the UK today, 900,000 people are on zero-hours contracts. 8 million people from working households are living in poverty. And the number of people going to food banks has sky-rocketed.

People are working hard but struggling to get by. That’s why we need new rights so workers can bargain through their unions for fair pay and conditions across industries.