Retired Members AGM Details
Please see attached.
NWPC Photolibrary
Let’s Fix Probation Campaign
Here is the link to the new UNISON ‘Let’s Fix Probation’ campaign leaflet: https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2018/11/25387.pdf
The bulletin gives details of the major new campaign which UNISON is launching to propose our alternative for the future of Probation. UNISON has a clear alternative to the government’s plans set out in ‘Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence’. Whereas the government wants to continue with the disastrous split in Probation and to reward the CRC owners with even bigger private contracts, our campaign aims to see Probation reconstructed as a locally run, locally managed and locally democratically accountable service, free from the centralising tendency and control of HMPPS.
Probation is going to change in 2020 come what may. UNISON aims to make the change a positive one.
Any questions, just let me know.
Regards
Ben
Ben Priestley
National Officer
Local Government , Police and Justice
UNISON Centre
130 Euston Road
London
NW1 2AY
Unison Prepaid Cashback Card
Members can win back the cost of Christmas which is estimated to be £751!
All members have to do is apply for the UNISON Prepaid Plus Cashback card by 31st December 2018.
Visit www.unisonprepaid.com/j for the prize draw rules and apply for your prepaid card.
Interserve shares fall as growing debt sparks fears over its finances
Quarterly update reveals UK outsourcer will owe £50m more than expected by end of year
Fri 23 Nov 2018 14.48 GMTFirst published on Fri 23 Nov 2018 11.33 GMT
Shares92
Shares in Interserve fell 7% on Friday morning after the government contractor said debts this year would be higher than previously expected, reigniting investor jitters about the financial health of the firm.
The company, which carries out building work and provides services such as cleaning, said debts would be between £625m and £650m by the end of the year, having earlier said debts would be £575m to £600m.
It comes a week after Interserve was forced to comment on the state of its finances, after shares tumbled to a 30-year low over fears it was heading the same way as Carillion, the rival outsourcing firm that collapsed in January.
The drop was prompted by an update from waste-to-product manufacturer Renewi, which said Interserve had missed a deadline on a joint venture in Derby that aims to produce energy from waste. The update prompted speculation that Interserve may be forced to set aside more cash to compensate for delays.Advertisement
In a trading update for the first nine months of the year on Friday, Interservechief executive Debbie White said the firm was focused on reducing debts, getting its finances in order and exiting its energy from waste business.
“The board remains focused on positioning the group for long-term, sustainable success. To this end we will announce a deleveraging plan for the group early in 2019,” she said.
“Interserve has significant opportunities as a best-in-class partner to the public and private sector, and we are working with all stakeholders to put in place the right standards, services, governance and financing to deliver a stronger future for Interserve’s customers and our 74,000 people.”
The company said it was expecting a “significant” improvement in operating profit in 2018, in line with previous expectations.
But investors were not reassured. In early trading after the update, shares slid to just 32p, the lowest level since 1984.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the firm’s debt pile continues to weigh on shares.
He said: “Chief executive Debbie White and her team are clearly doing their best to steady the ship at Interserve but the admission that net debt will end the year higher than expected, not helped by how the cash inflow from the troubled energy-from-waste business will be lower than hoped, means the company has yet to reassure shareholders and potential investors about the key issues that face it.”
Interserve, which provides a range of services for schools, hospitals and government departments across the UK, agreed a £300m rescue plan in March, at a time of heightened pressure on the outsourcing sector and in the wake of Carillion’s collapse under a mountain of debt.
In Friday’s trading update the company said that during the third quarter it had encountered more delays to its energy-from-waste programme.
“The group continues to expect a net cash inflow in the second half following the receipt of certain milestone payments, although additional penalties resulting from these delays means that this inflow is expected to be less than anticipated at the time of the group’s half year report at circa £15m,” it said.
Mould said some investors would wonder why Interserve was waiting until 2019 to unveil a new plan designed to reduce debt, “when the share price slide suggests the company’s situation remains acute”.
He added: “The lower the share price goes, the more shares Interserve will have to issue, and the more dilution shareholders may suffer, should management decide that an equity raising is required to buffer the company’s finances.”
UNISON LEGAL SERVICES
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UNISON Skills for Strength 2019
UNISON Skills for Strength 2019 Registration now open: Learn how we can build our union and win
Skills-for-Strength-2019-Registration-Form 2019
Dear Colleague,
Skills for Strength is UNISON North West’s annual organising convention, where activists gather to share ideas with each other and learn from a plethora of speakers from across the breadth of our movement, and from across the world, in a series of practical workshops on how to effectively build union power and improve workers’ lives in challenging times. It takes place over one Saturday in March, and is open to all activists in our region.
This year, over 200 activists attended, making it our largest yet. We’ve now opened registration for next year’s event, and would like to extend an invitation to you to join us and a host of exciting speakers on Saturday 16th March 2019.
You can register online for free at www.unisonnw.org/skillsforstrength , or by completing the attached registration form. Registration is free and lunch is provided, but you would need to claim any travel expenses incurred from your local UNISON branch. Registration closes on 15th February 2019 but we expect the event could be oversubscribed, so it’s worth registering early if you’d like to be part of it.
I hope you can join us in March next year to discuss and learn from each other, alongside some leading campaigners in our movement, in preparation from the challenges which lie ahead. In the meantime, we’ll be in touch when we have further announcements on special guest speakers and other finalised details.
Best Wishes,
James Bull
Regional Organiser, East Team
UNISON North West
Arena Point, 1 Hunts Bank
Manchester, M3 1UN
Winter fuel grant programme
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UNISON DISPUTE WITH ALTERNATIVE FUTURES GROUP
Dear Colleagues
I am writing to confirm that we are entering into a major dispute with Alternative Futures Group, a learning disability provider in the North West.
AFG has announced that they are removing “top up” from the pay of support workers in the service. “Top up” was paid so that staff pay was in conformity with the national minimum wage legislation. The removal of “top up” would mean staff on poverty pay face pay cuts from November of £30 to more than £100 per week.
We have 700 AFG members affected by the proposals working in all Councils area across the North West. The members are all based in Bridgewater Health branch
Region has organised meetings with members across the North West and the response from staff from the meetings held to date has been very strong. We are looking at escalating industrial action, i.e. a ban on sleep ins. More meetings are planned. A public petition has also expressed strong support for the dispute – 12,000 plus signatures to date.
The Council Commissioners have also been written to. The responses to date have shown that none of them are cutting learning disability monies and, therefore, the AFG cuts are not justified.
We are looking, therefore, to initiate a formal industrial action ballot across AFG immediately in the New Year. This is the earliest date for a capable ballot. The members will, of course, welcome any support from individual branches on this dispute.
I will keep affected branches and regional colleagues advised of progress.
Yours sincerely
Tim Ellis
Regional Organiser
Win prizes and save money during November with UNISON!
UNISON has turned November into Grovember. We’re welcoming new members to Britain’s biggest union – and thanking existing members – with exclusive money-saving offers. And there’s a chance to win £1,000 in time for Christmas if you recruit a friend
UNISON is now, officially, the UK’s largest union. We’ve come through the toughest years of public service cuts and kept our union strong. At a time when we might have expected to see a collapse in membership, UNISON has held steady. We did that by keeping our focus on what’s important to members, fighting for their jobs and their pay and high-profile campaigning.
We’ve minimised the impact of austerity by recruiting more strongly than ever before, but job losses have still meant membership losses. However, now we have the chance to turn the tide – and grow our union.
Discounts for SeaLife Centres, London Eye and more
Discounts on Motown and other theatre tickets
Refer a friend and enter a draw for £1,000
But why is it so important to be bigger?
As someone once said, size matters! Very simply, more members means a stronger union – a louder and stronger voice in pay negotiations, for example. And – to take it to a higher level! – we passionately believe that every single person working in public services would benefit from being in a union and we all have a real moral duty to reach out to them. Whether you’re working in a town hall or a private care home, you are a public service worker and you need the strength of UNISON around you.
But I’m already a member, what’s all this got to do with me?
Everything! You’re in the perfect position to tell your colleagues who aren’t members, why they should join UNISON. Or talk to your friends and family. If you know a public service worker who isn’t a member of UNISON, start talking.
Refer a friend and win Christmas spending money!
And as a thank you, if you successfully recruit a new member during November we will enter you into a prize draw to win one prize of £1,000 and 4 runners up prizes of £500, thanks to our UNISON Living partners LV and Lighthouse financial services.
Refer a friend and enter a draw for £1,000
Exclusive member offers during November
We’d like to thank existing members for being a member and we’d like to welcome all the new members to the UNISON family, so we’ve negotiated amazing deals during November, just in time for Christmas!
There are amazing discounts of up to 58% off at Merlin Entertainments on their range of family attractions – from SeaLife Centres around the country to London Eye and the Blackpool Tower. Click here now and remember these offers are only for UNISON members, so start having fun!
Discounts for London Eye, SeaLife centres and more
Haven holidays are also offering UNISON members an exclusive extra 10% off their discounted holidays – which are already 25% off for breaks throughout 2019. Call Haven on 0333 202 5247 and quote EMB_UNISON at the time of booking to get your extra discount.
And finally take in a trip to the theatre – and save money on an exclusive UNISON-only deal with UK-wide discounted theatre ticket prices of up to 60% with UNISON members getting an exclusive extra 10% off at checkout.
Discounts on Motown and other theatre tickets
Petition – Alternative Futures Group
Colleagues
Alternative Futures Group (AFG) is a major North West provider of care services for adults with learning disabilities and employs around 700 UNISON members.
AFG is planning to remove top-up payments for staff working sleep-in shifts from January 2019. This will amount to a loss of up to £90 per week for AFG’s dedicated care workers and take those workers to below National Minimum Wage rates for sleep-ins.
UNISON NW is currently in dispute with the employer and will shortly launch a consultative ballot for industrial action.
We have also launched a petition (click on link below) and ask that you please sign and circulate as widely as possible.
https://campaign.goingtowork.org.uk/petitions/care-at-night-pay-us-right
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AFG are planning to remove top-up payments for staff working sleep-in shifts from January 2019. This will amount to a loss of up to £90 per week for AFG’s dedicated care workers, this means that we could stand to lose up to £4500 per year. AFG staff work incredibly hard to deliver top quality care, day and night, and this includes so-called “sleep-in” shifts. When we work sleep-ins, we will often be up throughout the night delivering care, spending the night away from our own homes and…
campaign.goingtowork.org.uk
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NPS PAY BALLOT OUTCOME
Dear Colleagues
Please find attached a UNISON NPS Bulletin which I would be grateful if you could send to all NPS members as soon as possible.
UNISON members have voted overwhelmingly to accept the National Probation Service pay modernisation offer in our ballot which closed at 5pm today. The voting was as follows:
· 90% to accept the pay offer
· 10% to reject the pay offer
There was a 49% turnout in the ballot, which is very credible and a reflection of the hard work put into the consultation process by regions, branches and activists. Thanks to everyone who played a part in putting our consultation materials in front of members and dealing with questions and queries during the consultation process.
Given that both Napo and GMB/SCOOP members have also voted to accept the pay offer, it is expected that most NPS members will see the pay award in their November pay packets.
UNISON is continuing to represent the interests of ex-private sector enforcement officers in relation to the NPS pay award and their own personal harmonisation circumstances.
UNISON appreciates that information about the NPS pay award will be of great interest to members working for the CRCs. UNISON’s policy is to maintain a broadly comparable pay and grading system across the NPS and the CRCs, so, as the NPS pay offer has now been accepted by NPS members, we will want to deliver comparable benefits for our CRC members. UNISON’s aim is to see the Probation Service reunited, so we do not want to see big differences in pay and conditions across the NPS/CRC split.
Please let me have any questions on the bulletin.
Regards
Ben
Ben Priestley
National Officer
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BLACK ACTION – AUTUMN NEWSLETTER FOR BLACK MEMBERS
If you would like a hard copy (very limited supply) please email your name and address to unison20085@hotmail.co.uk
REGIONAL DISPUTES SEMINAR
NW Regional Disputes Leaflet – A5 – Oct 2018 v5 (1)
The North West Disputes Seminar is going to be held on Thursday 31 January 2019 at The Mechanics Institute, Manchester.
Please see the attached flyer for further details, copies of which will be sent to you via branch dispatch. Please promote this in your branches and encourage activists to register.
Registration is open and delegates can register now via Eventbrite at the following link: https://unison-nw-disputes-seminar-2019.eventbrite.co.uk
JOIN UNITE AGAINST FASCISM’S PROTEST AGAINST THE FASCIST ‘FRONTLINE PATRIOTS’ IN LIVERPOOL
JOIN UNITE AGAINST FASCISM’S PROTEST AGAINST THE FASCIST ‘FRONTLINE PATRIOTS’ IN LIVERPOOL
Meet 12.00 noon at Lime Street Saturday 3rd November
Supported by UNISON North West Region
Unite Against Fascism Merseyside have called a protest against the fascist ‘Frontline Patriots’ who plan to demonstrate in Liverpool on 3rd November. Join us to protest against the fascists. Bring union banners/flags.
Signatories to the statement supporting the UAF/SUTR demo include Kevan Nelson, North West Regional Secretary, UNISON; and Paula Barker, North West Regional Convenor, UNISON. UNISON North West Region is one of the supporting organisations.
For more info contact uafliverpool@googlemail.com
BALLOT ON NPS PAY MODERNISATION OFFER CLOSES 8 NOVEMBER
NATIONAL PROBATION SERVICE
BALLOT ON NPS PAY MODERNISATION OFFER CLOSES 8 NOVEMBER
Many UNISON members in the National Probation Service have already cast their vote on the NPS Pay Modernisation offer.
The ballot closes at 5pm on Thursday 8 November, so if you have not already voted, UNISON strongly encourages you to complete your ballot paper and send back in the pre-paid envelope in time to reach us before this deadline. Any ballot papers received after 8 November will not count.
All members should have received a ballot pack by now in the post with details of the pay offer, a ballot paper and a pre-paid envelope to return your vote to us.
Members who have not received their ballot pack should ring UNISON Direct on 0800 0 857 857 to request a replacement be sent to them. The last day on which you will be able to request a replacement ballot paper is Friday 2 November (mid-day).
More details of the pay offer are also available at: www.unison.org.uk/npspay18
UNISON is continuing to run pay offer presentations for members to attend during the ballot period. Speak to your UNISON branch, or local UNISON representative, to find out whether there is a presentation in your locality. The presentations are a really good opportunity for you to understand the offer in more detail and to ask any questions that are on your mind.
The NPS pay modernisation pay offer proposes major changes to the way in which NPS staff will be paid in the future. That is why UNISON is encouraging all members to familiarise themselves with the offer and then to let us know your views by exercising your vote.
NPS PAY BALLOT
As of today we have issued 1,365 ballot papers to NPS Members on the pay modernisation offer and received 388 completed ballot papers – a 28% return.
26 October is the last day for new members to join and be guaranteed to receive a ballot paper. Non Members can join by calling 0800 171 2194 or online at www.join.unison.org.uk
Any member who has not received a ballot paper should ring UNISON Direct on 0800 0 857 857 no later than mid day on Friday 2 November.
The ballot closes at 5PM on 8 November.
Dave Bryant
Local Government Police & Justice Section
UNISON Centre
130 Euston Road
London
NW1 2AY
VICTORY – Hospital Workers Celebrate as iFM Bolton Agrees to Pay NHS Rates in Full
To: All UNISON North West Branches
I’m delighted to report that our members at Royal Bolton Hospital have won their dispute and that staff employed by the wholly-owned subsidiary company iFM Bolton will be paid NHS Agenda for Change rates in full.
It is a great victory and a just reward for the members’ solidarity and determination.
I wanted to pass on thanks to branches for all your support during this dispute. Bolton iFM members were hugely supported by branches, members employed by the Trust, MPs and the public – and you can be sure of their support when you face a dispute in your branch. Onwards and upwards.
A press release about the resolution of the dispute is copied below.
In solidarity
Tim Ellis
UNISON North West PRESS RELEASE
22 October 2018
For immediate release
Hospital Workers Celebrate as iFM Bolton Agrees to Pay NHS Rates in Full
Facilities staff employed by iFM Bolton – the Trust’s wholly-owned subsidiary company – will now receive the full NHS pay rates after taking strike action last week.
Cleaners, catering staff, porters and security staff are amongst the hospital workers celebrating the agreement, which will see their minimum wage rate increase from £7.83 to £8.95 immediately, and reach £9.92 by the end of 2020. The pay rise will be back-dated to April 2018. The pay rise will be worth some £2,000 this year for the lowest paid, rising to over £4,000 a year for full-time staff by 2020.
At packed meetings on Thursday and Friday, UNISON members voted unanimously to end the dispute as the employer offered to pay NHS Agenda for Change rates for all iFM staff.
A second wave of strike action scheduled to begin tomorrow (Tuesday) will now not take place.
Vicky, a cleaner at Royal Bolton Hospital at UNISON rep said:
“We all work in the NHS. It is only right that we will all be on NHS pay. We are no longer invisible. We are strong and proud. We stuck together and we won!”
Tim Ellis, UNISON North West Regional Organiser said:
“The staff had to fight to get the pay rise they were due and that they had been promised. This is a great result and it has been achieved by the unity and determination of the hospital workers.
“The campaign for fair pay in Bolton has been widely supported – by MPs, by the public, and by hospital staff not directly involved in the dispute. Everyone has acted in unison to ensure that all hospital workers will be paid the NHS rate for the job.”
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“The victory in Bolton should send a strong signal to any NHS trusts who think creating a wholly owned subsidiary will allow them to short change their staff over pay. Anyone who provides a service to the NHS should get the same wages rises as the health colleagues they work alongside.
“The hospital workers employed by iFM do work that’s at the heart of the NHS. The move by iFM to try to deny them their share of the national NHS pay deal was quite simply immoral. But the employer wasn’t banking on the determination and solidarity of UNISON members in Bolton, who have been unflinching in their stand for fair pay.”
NPS PAY BALLOT – NOT RECEIVED A BALLOT PAPER?
NPS members who have not received a ballot paper should ring UNISON Direct on 0800 0 857 857 to request a replacement be sent to them.
The last day on which members will be able to request a replacement ballot paper is Friday 2 November (mid-day).