Covid-19 - guidance for UNISON members

UNISON has been working with the relevant government departments to help ensure public services and public service workers are prepared and equipped to deal with Covid-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus.

Guidance for hospitals and NHS staff was published this week by NHS employers, UNISON, and other health unions. The aim of this is to ensure staff know exactly what to do with individuals who are concerned they have the virus and how to treat patients, with minimal risk to themselves. The guidance also seeks to reassure both health employees and the public, alerting everyone to be vigilant to prevent the wider spread of the virus.

Advice has also been issued by the Department for Education for schools and school workers. UNISON has issued additional advice for branches and activists should you become aware of any schools closed following suspected instances of Covid-19.

These sensible contingency plans will help reassure staff and the public that public services are fully prepared for any eventuality. Encouraging individuals to take everyday precautions is essential. But so is the need not to panic or feel unduly alarmed. Being fully prepared now could make the world of difference later.

Advice for anyone concerned they have developed symptoms of Covid-19 can be found on the NHS website.

As more advice becomes available for other areas, we will do all we can to make sure branches and activists have the information they need to respond to this fast moving situation.

How to deal with Coronavirus or COVID–19

Everyone's talking about how to deal with Coronavirus or COVID–19. One suggestion is to stay away from work if you're feeling unwell. But many people don't get sick pay for the first three days, so could you do that if you had to? Check out our advice on Coronavirus or COVID–19 and sick pay

🔷Sick pay - negotiating guidance for workplaces
https://unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2019/10/25815.pdf
🔷Sick leave and sick pay - your rights
https://unison.org.uk/get-help/knowledge/leave/sick-leave/
🔷Coronavirus - guidance for hospitals and NHS staff
https://unison.org.uk/news/2020/02/coronavirus-guidance-nhs-trusts-health-staff-published/

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Roger McKenzie joins our AGM

Great to have Roger McKenzie at our AGM today, to see more please check out our facebook page.

Update your details today

We can only keep in touch with you if we know where you are!

There are several easy ways to keep your workplace, home address and other details up to date…

• Online at MyUNISON on the UK site by clicking here.
• Email the branch at office@oxfordcityunison.com
• By phone…
  01865 25 3892
  (08.30 – 16.00 Monday to Thursday and 08.30 to 15.00 on Fridays.
  Or UNISONdirect 0800 0 857 857
  Or freephone textphone 0800 0 967 968
  Lines are open 6am-midnight Monday-Friday and 9am-4pm Saturdays

11 Warning Signs of Gaslighting

Gaslighting is a manipulation tactic used to gain power. 

And it works too well.

Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality. It works much better than you may think. Anyone is susceptible to gaslighting, and it is a common technique of abusers, dictators, narcissists, and cult leaders. It is done slowly, so the victim doesn't realize how much they've been brainwashed. For example, in the movie Gaslight (1944), a man manipulates his wife to the point where she thinks she is losing her mind. 

1. They tell blatant lies.

You know it's an outright lie. Yet they are telling you this lie with a straight face. Why are they so blatant? Because they're setting up a precedent. Once they tell you a huge lie, you're not sure if anything they say is true. Keeping you unsteady and off-kilter is the goal. 

2. They deny they ever said something, even though you have proof. 

You know they said they would do something; you know you heard it. But they out and out deny it. It makes you start questioning your reality—maybe they never said that thing. And the more they do this, the more you question your reality and start accepting theirs. 

3. They use what is near and dear to you as ammunition. 

They know how important your kids are to you, and they know how important your identity is to you. So those may be one of the first things they attack. If you have kids, they tell you that you should not have had those children. They will tell you'd be a worthy person if only you didn't have a long list of negative traits. They attack the foundation of your being. 

4. They wear you down over time.

This is one of the insidious things about gaslighting—it is done gradually, over time. A lie here, a lie there, a snide comment every so often...and then it starts ramping up. Even the brightest, most self-aware people can be sucked into gaslighting—it is that effective. It's the "frog in the frying pan" analogy: The heat is turned up slowly, so the frog never realizes what's happening to it. 

5. Their actions do not match their words.

When dealing with a person or entity that gaslights, look at what they are doing rather than what they are saying. What they are saying means nothing; it is just talk. What they are doing is the issue. 

6. They throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you. 

This person or entity that is cutting you down, telling you that you don't have value, is now praising you for something you did. This adds an additional sense of uneasiness. You think, "Well maybe they aren't so bad." Yes, they are. This is a calculated attempt to keep you off-kilter—and again, to question your reality. Also, look at what you were praised for; it is probably something that served the gaslighter. 

7. They know confusion weakens people. 

Gaslighters know that people like having a sense of stability and normalcy. Their goal is to uproot this and make you constantly question everything. And humans' natural tendency is to look to the person or entity that will help you feel more stable—and that happens to be the gaslighter.  

8. They project.

They are a drug user or a cheater, yet they are constantly accusing you of that. This is done so often that you start trying to defend yourself, and are distracted from the gaslighter's own behaviour. 

9. They try to align people against you.

Gaslighters are masters at manipulating and finding the people they know will stand by them no matter what—and they use these people against you. They will make comments such as, "This person knows that you're not right," or "This person knows you're useless too." Keep in mind it does not mean that these people actually said these things. A gaslighter is a constant liar. When the gaslighter uses this tactic it makes you feel like you don't know who to trust or turn to—and that leads you right back to the gaslighter. And that's exactly what they want: Isolation gives them more control.

10. They tell you or others that you are crazy.

This is one of the most effective tools of the gaslighter because it's dismissive. The gaslighter knows if they question your sanity, people will not believe you when you tell them the gaslighter is abusive or out-of-control. It's a master technique.  

11. They tell you everyone else is a liar.

By telling you that everyone else (your family, the media) is a liar, it again makes you question your reality. You've never known someone with the audacity to do this, so they must be telling the truth, right? No. It's a manipulation technique. It makes people turn to the gaslighter for the "correct" information—which isn't correct information at all.

article is taken from https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201701/11-warning-signs-gaslighting

If you need support UNISON are here 24/7 to help.

Branch Women’s Officer @ Oxford City Branch of UNISON

Branch Women’s Officer Post

The branch women’s officer (BWO) offers the opportunity to bring about important changes for women in the workplace. 

UNISON will provide a bespoke suite of Women’s Training Courses as preparation and ongoing support for the role, and the BWO can network and work collaboratively with other branch women’s officers in their area. They can become involved in, and receive support from, the  South East Regional Women’s Committee, attend national women’s conference and help UNISON agree its work plan priorities for the national women’s committee.

The branch women’s officer’s role (which can be job shared) includes:

• Building links with women’s sector organizations and where appropriate signposting to specialist organizations for women (domestic abuse/Rape Crisis) and assisting in negotiations on employer policies on violence against women.

• Ensuring that the branch has a wide range of resources for women, such as books, videos and leaflets, and making these resources accessible to all women in the branch.

• Organizing a women’s group and identifying concerns.

• Identifying women members of the branch, and liaising with the branch committee on progress towards proportionality.

• Being a focal point for women’s issues for members and raising issues affecting women, particularly those with service conditions implications with the branch committee.

• Supporting women in their issues generally and campaigning on issues that are important to women.

Interested?

Contact your Unison Branch Secretary for guidance on how to proceed.

Heart UNISON

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