Historic UK-wide strike to hit universities on Thu 31 Oct

Wed 30 October

Feelings are running high ahead of the first strike to hit universities involving all three higher education unions, UNISON, UCU and Unite. The UK wide strike is to go ahead tomorrow, Thursday 31 October, after university employers ignored calls to make a last minute improved offer to defuse tensions and avoid disruption to students.

UNISON members are upset and angry at the 1% pay offer which see their pay fall by nearly 15% over the past four years.  Over 4,000 staff are currently paid below the Living Wage while over half of vice-chancellors earn over £242,000 - 18 times more than the lowest paid.   1% of £13,486 is just £134.86 a year, £11.23 a month – not enough to cover the latest gas bill rises.  By contrast, even if Vice Chancellors stick to a 1% increase – which would be a big surprise – they would trouser an extra £2,420 a year.

The disruption will go much further than lectures as UNISON’s members carry out a wide variety of jobs such as supporting students on campus, in libraries, course administration, catering, cleaning and security. Many of the roles, particularly the catering and cleaning are paid at salaries below the Living Wage of £7.45p (London Living Wage £8.55p).

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, who will be joining members on the picket line tomorrow in London (details below) said:

“Taking strike action is never an easy decision, especially for those already struggling on low pay. With Christmas less than two months away losing a day’s pay is even harder, but it shows just how angry and upset our members feel at this miserly 1% offer.

“Even members earning above the Living Wage are finding their incomes squeezed to breaking point.  It is a disgrace that universities are sitting on cash surpluses worth £2bn, but they are not prepared to reward their staff, who are the backbone of our world class university system.

“We know that the total wage bill is falling while staff numbers have increased – that dynamic spells misery for many thousands of families.  It is time for university employers to think again about the value that they place on their workforce and come back with a better offer.”

Notes to Editors

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis and Jon Richards, UNISON Head of Education will join picket lines in London at approx 9.30am - University College London - Gower Street - London - WC1E 6BT and Westminster University 309 Regent St, Paddington, London W1B 2UW - at approx 10.20


·              Higher education has a greater gender pay gap than the rest of the public sector

·              More than half of higher education institutions are using zero hours contracts and the numbers are growing

·              In the last two years surpluses in the sector have been over £2bn.  Student fee income has more than offset cuts in government grants.


UK wide snapshot of action hotspots

Brighton - 12.00 Assemble Victoria Gardens (Grand Parade); 12.30 start march through Brighton to Church Street; 13.00 disperse for rally in Corn Exchange to finish no later than 14.30.

Bristol - 11:00am rally at Senate House; TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady will be visiting picket lines.


Cambridge  - 12 noon at Central St Mary's church (outside Senate House).


Exeter - joint trade union rally, 12:30pm, Phoenix Theatre <http://goo.gl/maps/JMBS4 <http://goo.gl/maps/JMBS4> > ; UCU speaker: Barry Lovejoy

Leeds - Thursday 31 October: assembling after picketing, 11.30, Parkinson Building steps, Leeds University.  Joint union march, to rally in Victoria Gardens or City Square, depending on availability. UCU speaker: Paul Bridge


Leicester - 1.30pm rally at Nelson Mandela Park.


Liverpool - rally information details to follow


London -: rally, 2pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.461747,46.538086&oq=25+RED+LION&hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&iwloc=A <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&amp;hl=en&amp;sll=53.800651,-4.064941&amp;sspn=18.461747,46.538086&amp;oq=25+RED+LION&amp;hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&a>  <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&hl=en&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.461747,46.538086&oq=25+RED+LION&hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=14&iwloc=A <https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+UK&amp;hl=en&amp;sll=53.800651,-4.064941&amp;sspn=18.461747,46.538086&amp;oq=25+RED+LION&amp;hnear=Conway+Hall,+25+Red+Lion+Square,+London,+Greater+London+WC1R+4RL,+United+Kingdom&a> > > , near Holborn; UCU speaker Michael MacNeil; UCU speaker Michael MacNeil

Manchester - 12.30pm rally at Club Academy, University of Manchester Students Union, Oxford Road. The meeting is to be chaired by Lynn Collins (North West TUC Regional Secretary). On the platform will be Kevan Nelson (Unison), Dominique Lauterburg (UCU NEC), Unite the Union speaker (TBC) and NUS president Toni Pearce: download the Manchester rally publicity poster (.pdf) [99kb] <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>   <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf &amp;amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/s/j/hestrike31oct13_manchesterrallyposter.pdf>    >
Newcastle - Assemble 12.30 for 1 pm Grey's Monument, Newcastle. UCU speaker: Liz Lawrence: download the Newcastle rally publicity poster (.pdf) [113kb] <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>   <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>  <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf> <http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf &amp;amp;lt;http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/j/i/hestrike31oct13_newcastlerallyposter.pdf>    >

Oxford - rally in the Council Chamber at Oxford Town Hall from 1-2pm; speakers from all three unions including Jon Richards, UNISON Head of Education.

Sheffield - rally at 12.00 at the St Matthews Hall in the centre of Sheffield: UCU speaker: Simon Renton


Southampton - rally at Guildhall Square in Southampton <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>  <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>   <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>  <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0> <http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0 &amp;amp;lt;http://goo.gl/maps/Q7ds0>    )>  between midday and 1.30pm.


SCOTLAND
Edinburgh  - Rally: 12 noon - 1pm, Bristo Square. Speakers: Mary Senior (UCU Scotland Official), Gordon Maloney (NUS Scotland President), Ann Henderson (Assistant Secretary STUC), Emma Phillips (Regional Officer, Unison) plus speakers from Unite.

Glasgow - Rally: 12 noon - 1pm, Adelaide's Baptist Church, Bath Street. Speakers: Dave Anderson (UCU Scotland President, Robert Foster (NUS Scotland Vice President), Dave Moxham (Deputy General Secretary STUC), Davena Rankin (Unison) plus a speaker from Unite.
St Andrews - Rally at Church Square, 12 noon


WALES
Aberystwyth - details tbc

Cardiff - rally outside the Main Building of Cardiff University at 11.30am on Thursday 31st October 2013. Speakers: Margaret Phelan, (UCU Wales official), John Toner (UNITE) and a speaker from Unison tbc 




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News release from UNISON UK press office
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/historic-uk-wide-strike-to-hit-universtites

STV & BBC reports on union opposition to new employment tribunal fees

#JoinUNISON
STV News at Six reported last night on union opposition to the introduction of employment tribunal fees.

Bernard Ponsonby's report  included interviews with UNISON Scotland Legal Officer Suzanne Craig and Jim McCourt of Inverclyde Advice & Employment Rights Centre.

Suzanne explained how the punitive fees will put people off taking claims to employment tribunals.

Watch the clip on STV Player (9mins 50s into the programme).

And the BBC reported on UNISON winning the right to challenge the fees. The judicial review will take place in October.

UNISON members won't have to pay, as we said here.

UNISON WINS JUDICIAL REVIEW HEARING INTO TRIBUNAL FEES

#JoinUNISON (remember union members won't have to pay)

UNISON UK news release...

“The timing could not be more critical, but today we are one step closer to justice for workers” said UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis. The comments come in the wake of a ruling by the Royal Courts of Justice that the union has permission for a Judicial Review hearing, over the introduction of fees for claims in Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunals, is to go ahead in October.

Dave Prentis went on to say:

“I am pleased that UNISON has been successful in getting permission for a Judicial Review hearing.  The introduction of punitive fees for taking a claim to an employment tribunal, would give the green light to unscrupulous employers to ride roughshod over already basic workers’ rights.

“The Government should not put a price on justice.  It is disappointing that in the interim fees will still be paid, but we will be making a strong case for a Judicial Review in October because we believe that these fees are unfair and should be dropped.”

UNISON members won't have to pay new employment tribunal fees. #JoinUNISON

12 June 2013

Another good reason to #JoinUNISON...

UNISON members taking union-supported employment tribunal cases will not have to pay the new fee of up to £1,200 that the government is introducing from summer 2013.

The new plans will mean that claimants will pay an initial fee to start the claim and another fee if the claim goes to a hearing. These can add up to £1,200 for the more complex cases.

Personal injury settlement figures show the value of #JoinUNISON

9 May 2013

UNISON members in Scotland have received a total of more than £700,000 in personal injuries settlements in January to March this year.

The figure shows the value of UNISON membership and details from three cases give examples of how the legal benefits scheme has been invaluable for these individual members:

£35,000 for member hit by reversing car

A UNISON member has been compensated to the tune of £35,000 after being involved in a road traffic accident in Troon. The member was crossing the road when she was knocked to the ground by a car reversing at speed.

The member sustained a Colles fracture to her wrist and as a result of her injury was forced to take early retirement from work. As a UNISON member she was able to take advantage of our legal benefits scheme and through the help of specialist trade union lawyers Thompsons was able to make a claim against the driver.

Liability was admitted and a settlement was agreed to take into account future wage loss and the impact of our member having to draw her pension early.

This was a good result for our member and highlights the range of services which are covered by UNISON's legal benefits scheme. 

UNISON member secures £8,500 for amputated finger

A UNISON member has been helped to compensation totalling £8,500 after an accident at work left him with part of his finger amputated.

The member who was employed by Edinburgh City Council as a school technician at Boroughmuir High School was operating a circular saw to cut wood in preparation for a school project when the saw became jammed. In attempting to clear the wood from the mechanism his finger came into contact with the blade resulting in the tip of his left index finger being cut off.

Again, as a member of UNISON he was entitled to free legal help from Thompsons Solicitors through our legal services benefits and a claim was initiated against Edinburgh City Council. Although the council denied liability in the first instance, the claim was successful leaving our member with damages of £8,500 to compensate him for his injury. 

Member compensated after needle injury at work

A UNISON member injured by a discarded needle in a Glasgow hospital has been awarded compensation.

The employee of Greater Glasgow Health Board worked as a domestic at the Victoria Infirmary when the accident occurred. His thumb was pricked by a needle which had been incorrectly disposed of while he was clearing clinical waste from the intensive care unit.

The member was subsequently tested for any contamination from the needle but fortunately tests proved clear.

As a UNISON member he was entitled to legal support from Thompsons who intimated a claim against the Health Board on the grounds of vicarious liability given it was unknown who discarded the needle. 

The claim was successful and the member was awarded damages totalling £1,250.

 

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#JoinUNISON Recruiting today at Glasgow's Gartnavel Hospital

9 April 2013

 

UNISON's NHS Glasgow and Clyde branch were busy recruiting today at Gartnavel General Hospital.

 

Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby joined activists for a recruitment day involving walkabouts, a stall and visits to wards, clinics and various other departments at the Glasgow hospital.

 

The message of the day was that UNISON is essential cover if you work in public services. The team of activists and staff met with members and potential members, distributed the latest briefing and updated noticeboards.

 

Left to right: Wendy Hudson, Local Organiser; Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary; Gary McLennan, Steward; Jennifer McCarey, Area Organiser; Susan Carden, Steward and Julie Ballantyne, Branch Treasurer and Steward.

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#JoinUNISON - Branches in Scotland taking Essential Cover message out and about

14 March 2013

UNISON is Essential Cover at work - Essential Cover if you work in public services, Essential Cover wherever you work.

And branches have been out and about this week ensuring that potential members hear about the benefits of being a member of Scotland's largest trade union. #Join UNISON

In Edinburgh, activists at the city council were busy telling interested workers at the head office at Waverley Court why joining is such good value and essential cover in tough times.

There's been lots of recruitment activity today at Glasgow's Southern General, soon to be the biggest hospital site in Europe.

A team of staff and stewards went round the whole site updating notice boards with Essential Cover if you work in public services materials. They recruited not only new members but also a new steward. Congratulations - and welcome to the new staff.

Pictures with some of the people involved to follow, but here's one of the recruitment bag taking a rest between departments..

Here's the stall run by the East Ayrshire branch, at the London Road office in Kilmarnock.

And at the start of the week the penguin recruiters were out helping in snowy Carluke.

Here they are back to normal tiny size on the stall at Monklands hospital, Airdrie...

At Yorkhill Sick Kids Hospital, in Glasgow, Unison Stewart Ruairidh Macrae was part of the team using the new recruitment leaflets.

Send us your recruitment news and photos and put them on Twitter and Facebook. #JoinUNISON Try to include www.joinunison.org in posts and tweets.


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#JoinUNISON - 388% rise in bids for financial help to UNISON's welfare charity

12 March 2013

Nurses, home care assistants, school cleaners and teaching assistants are among the UNISON members struggling with rising fuel bills and turning to the union for help. 

The union has seen a massive 388% increase in requests for financial assistance, as the effect of the Government’s three year pay freeze bites deeper into household incomes.

More than half of applicants for a fuel grant (56.6%) had sacrificed food to keep warm, while 69% had cut back on clothing and 80% on leisure. The survey also revealed that 77.7% avoid putting the heating on, while 54.6% only heated the room they were in.

A very worrying finding was that nearly a third reported that the health of someone in the household suffered as a result. Asthma and bronchitis were the top consequences – including for those with young children - but cancer, diabetes, MS and arthritis sufferers were also affected by cold. One person revealed that their son with cerebral palsy was confined to a wheelchair and therefore unable to move around to keep warm.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON said:

“It is heartbreaking to read some of the stories behind these requests for help. Never in all my years in the union have I seen so many members struggling so hard just to keep warm and to put food on the table. It has been a long hard winter this year and it is disgraceful - heating or eating should not have to be a choice in the UK in 2013.

“The fact that nearly 30% of those surveyed are on prohibitively expensive pre-payment meters, speaks volumes about the dire state of their family finances. And is it any wonder when public service workers have been stuck on a three year pay freeze, while prices just keep on going up?

“It is time the Government invested in the future of the country for the benefit of all. We need investment in infrastructure, in building much needed homes, as well as putting money back into people’s pockets, to get them spending and stimulating their local economy.”

The union is also calling for concrete policies to stem the flow of people falling into the despair of fuel poverty. A nationwide programme of measures to insulate homes and provide energy efficient central heating systems would help domestic consumers and create jobs says UNISON.

UNISON’s welfare fund – There for you – offers advice and support as well as financial assistance for members and their families. It receives applications from members for help with debt, housing and fuel, as well as the cost of school uniforms.

The charity used to pay for wellbeing breaks for low paid families, but since the coalition took office these have been cancelled to allow the fund to cope with the massive rise in demand for help with basics such as fuel and housing, emergency financial aid and the rising demand for help with debt.

See the news release on UNISON UK website, including comments from members surveyed.

UNISON - Essential cover if you work in public services #JoinUNISON
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#JoinUNISON UNISON - essential cover wherever you work

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary.

11 March 2013

Today UNISON launches its major new recruitment campaign on television and on social media with one key message:

Join UNISON - essential cover wherever you work.

With 1.3 million members UNISON is already a union to reckon with - but there are still hundreds of thousands of public service workers out there who don't yet have the essential cover that UNISON provides.

These are hard working people who feel they have little or no defence against the government's attack on their jobs. They are in the eye of the storm. What keeps them awake at night is worrying about losing their jobs and how they can continue to live with a pay freeze that has lasted over three years.

We want them to turn to us for help, support and essential cover wherever they work. We will stand with them and help them be strong in these tough times.

UNISON is a powerful union and we will only get stronger, so join us today and get essential cover wherever you work.

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#JoinUNISON Trade union membership pays dividends for UNISON members around Scotland

Monday 11 March 2013

UNISON said today that a Living Wage deal at one of Scotland’s biggest universities is the latest success in the union winning hundreds of thousands of pounds for members.

Low paid staff at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are celebrating the decision to start paying the Living Wage of £7.45 per hour.

Today’s news is the latest in a series of recent successes for the public services union,  including on equal pay, other Living Wage agreements and nearly £1/2 million in personal injury settlements in the last three months.

There have also been numerous local branch successes such as £200,000 in back pay for catering workers in South Lanarkshire and millions of pounds in unpaid wages due to nursing and other staff in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Keith Galbraith, Branch Secretary at UWS, said: “We are very pleased the university agreed after we campaigned for the Living Wage. 

“This will mainly benefit catering and cleaning staff and some library workers.  It is excellent news for our members who work hard in contributing to the excellent student experience at UWS.” 

Mike Kirby, UNISON Scottish Secretary, said today: “We congratulate our branch at the University of the West of Scotland for this latest success.

“The Living Wage is a key part of UNISON’s bargaining strategy and each win like this helps low paid staff at a time when they really need it.

“Across the UK people are worried about their jobs. In Scotland we’ve lost 57,000 public sector jobs since the start of the Coalition Government’s austerity measures. 

“Our members know that when public services are under unprecedented attack from Government, they need their union to stand up for them.

“We are today (Monday) launching a recruitment campaign highlighting that UNISON is essential cover when people are worrying about jobs and the impact of the cuts on their pay and conditions.”

UNISON branch successes include at South Lanarkshire Council where investigations after a member noticed problems with her pay found that 500 catering workers had lost out on an average two days pay per year for six years.

The total amount of back pay could be more than £200,000.

Branch Vice-Chair Tony Slaven said, “Members had queried the calculation before but it was only once UNISON took up the case that progress was made.

“Members from all over the council have been calling us to look into their own situation.  We ‘re delighted to have been able to get members the money they are due for the days they worked.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in public services in Scotland.

2. UNISON’s other recent successes are featured in news releases on our website at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/index.html 

3. UNISON’s recruitment campaign is being backed up by TV and newspaper advertising and a range of digital activity. The TV ad is here www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3BT_A_8A8I&feature=youtu.be  

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#IWDjoinaunion STUC: A woman’s place is in her union

8 March 2013

To mark International Women’s Day, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) is calling on all its affiliated unions to highlight the work that they do to protect women’s rights in the workplace.

Women are facing changes in equality laws, pregnancy discrimination, reduced hours, and losses of childcare services in every local area. Applications for flexible working are not being considered, provisions for good health and safety at work are under-resourced, and training and education opportunities have been reduced.

Agnes Tolmie UNITE, STUC President, said

‘Trade unions have an essential role to play in speaking up for, and negotiating on behalf of, women at work.

Problems that appear to be individual can often be resolved through collective bargaining.

Our shop stewards and workplace reps bring a wealth of experience and speak up daily for women’s rights.

Our message for International Women’s Day is ‘A woman’s place is in her union’ and we look forward to working alongside all those who are committed to the fight for equality’

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