Online Covid19 Response fund now open again

Dear Colleague

We’re pleased to announce that members can once again apply online to the CoVid Response Fund.  By way of reminder, members who are in financial difficulties as a result of CoVid could be eligible for a grant of up to £500.

The application process is straightforward however anyone who cannot apply online can email covidgrantenquiries@unison.co.uk and we will arrange for a form to be posted to them.

There will be many who are struggling at this present time and in need of help.  We would therefore appreciate if you could do all you can to ensure your members are aware of the help that is available. We will also be carrying out various promotion activities over the coming weeks. 

Please also remind members who are completing applications to ensure they include relevant supporting documents to avoid any delays to their application.

For more information go to: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you/financial-assistance/ 

Kind regards

UNISON There for You

Maggie Newell

Support Service Team Leader

Web: www.unison.org.uk/thereforyou

Address: UNISON There for you, 130 Euston Road, London, NW1 2AY

‘There for you’ is the working name of UNISON Welfare a charity registered in England and Wales 1023552 and Scotland 38305

New to NPS, not in a trade union, join Unison now

For an application form please download the attached

Signed forms can be scanned and sent to unison20085@hotmail.co.uk

CRC staff, not in a union, join Unison now

To download an application form click on the attached,

signed copies can be scanned and forwarded to

unison20085@hotmail.co.uk

MANCHESTER TRADES COUNCIL EVENTS

Dear comrades
See below for the latest activities taking place. Please note the plans for the rally and march for May Day. Please share details with your members/contacts.

International Workers Memorial Day 28th April – 2 TUC events

11am on the 28th April

Bolton Town Centre

Wreaths will be laid by

Unison Local Government Branch

Unison Health Branch

Bolton TUC

Yasmin Qureshi Bolton SE MP

7:30 pm on the 28th April

Bolton TUC hold a discussion to remember those lost and suffering because of uncaring employers

Chair Andrea Egan

Panel

Shelly Asquith.  Health, Safety & Wellbeing Officer TUC

Janet Newsham. GM Hazards

Claire Miller. Mental Health Social Worker.  UNISON Rep

Holly Turner.  NHS Nurse GMB Rep

Union engagement – Community Payback Operating Manual

E-19 2021

To: Branches with Probation Members, CRC and NPS Committee Members, UNISON Regional Staff Covering Probation Branches

Unfortunately this document has come to us late in the day, but, we feel that it is important that members have a chance to view and seek to influence the final version of the Community Payback Operations manual.

Many Unpaid Work members will be familiar with some of the content as it will portray their current practice. The training plan however would appear to open up new opportunities for staff and looks like a welcome addition.

Please contact us with any concerns or views you may have.

Please note this document is 107 pages long

Dave Bryant

Local Government Police & Justice Section

UNISON Centre

130 Euston Road

London

NW1 2AY

07961 088226

d.bryant@unison.co.uk

Join today’s virtual rally for Cumberland Infirmary Strikers

Colleagues, don’t forget, the Cumberland Infirmary 48-hour Strike started this morning and members will be out on the picket lines again tomorrow.

Porters, cleaners, switchboard and catering staff employed by Mitie are standing in the pouring rain in their fight to find missing payments for working unsocial hours. (This follows 24-hour strikes on Friday 26 February and Monday 1 March).

These 150 frontline workers are paid less than their NHS counterparts for doing the same jobs. This is despite the North Cumbria Integrated NHS Foundation Trust saying it handed over a “substantial sum” for the outsourced workers to receive NHS Agenda for Change rates when the contract was negotiated in 2010.

The workers haven’t seen a penny of the money despite all parties agreeing that there was an agreement for the payments to be made.

Please show your support by clicking on this link to register for a virtual rally taking place at 3pm today: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYvcuqgqD4sHtT7vogPwtwJ0fBUdkJmmKR3

Sign the petition here: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/onenhs-where-is-our-money-interserve

Post messages of support on social media: please tag @mitie and @NorthWestUNISON. Use hashtags #ONENHS #MitieUnfair and #PayUpMitie.

Print this message of support and take a picture of yourself holding it to show your support for the strikers, then share it on social media. If you don’t have a printer, you can load the picture onto your phone like this.

Write to Mitie CEO Phil Bentley: https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/write-to-mitie-pay-us-what-you-owe

Encourage your branches to donate to the hardship fund– they can donate via bank transfer to Unity Bank, 60-83-01, 20330637 or send a cheque payable to UNISON Cumbria and North Lancashire Health Hardship Fund and post to UNISON Resource Centre, 6 Spencer Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1BG.

Thanks for your support. We look forward to seeing you at the virtual rally this afternoon.

UNISON NPS NEWS: Unions lodge dispute over APRW regrade

Lighthouse Financial Advice- UNISON Money Talk Newsletter March 2021

Shrewsbury 24: Court of Appeal clears picketers’ convictions

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-56494701

Local Elections 6th of May – Don’t lose your vote

This link takes you to Unison North West website for details on applying for postal votes

https://www.unisonnw.org/don_t_lose_your_vote_vote_safely_vote_from_home

Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement

Staff Transfer and Protections Agreement: Documents Covering the CRC to
(HMPPS) NPS, and CRC to Dynamic Framework Provider, Transfers due to
take place on 26 June 2021
Preface
This Agreement on Staff Transfer and Protection Terms was made on 8 October
2020 between HMPPS and its recognised trade unions Napo, UNISON and
GMB/SCOOP as set out in the following documents;

1. Framework for Transfer of CRC Staff to HMPPS (NPS) and to Dynamic
   Framework Providers (DFPs)
   This document provides:
   • An overview of the terms that cover all CRC staff that transfer to HMPPS
   (NPS), or to Dynamic Framework providers;
   • Additional points that apply to the transfer to Dynamic Framework
   providers only;
   • Additional points that apply to the transfer to HMPPS (NPS) only;
2. Voluntary Redundancy / Voluntary Severance (VR/VS)
   This document outlines a VR / VS scheme which will support transition to the new
   delivery model. It also sets out the terms that will apply to that scheme.
   This document is applicable to CRC staff that transfer to HMPPS (NPS) or to
   Dynamic Framework providers.
3. CRC to HMPPS (NPS) Transfer Terms
   This document outlines the NPS terms that staff will be aligned to upon transfer
   to HMPPS (NPS). It should be read in conjunction with the ‘framework’
   document referred to in 1 above.
   This document is only applicable to CRC staff that transfer to HMPPS (NPS) and
   does not apply to CRC staff that transfer to Dynamic Framework providers.

This is the Agreement, please note it is 29 pages long

This is the Voluntary Redundancy Agreement please note this is 4 pages long

3. CRC to HMPPS (NPS) Transfer Terms please note this is 5 pages long

NPS Update Newsletter – 2021 Pay Claim

Any comments or suggestions on the proposed pay claim please submit to unison20085@hotmail.co.uk no later than Wednesday the 31st of March 2021

Review of Probation Delivery Levels

If you have any comments please contact Stephen.Monsarratt@justice.gov.uk

Probation Recovery Plan

Please find attached the latest Recovery Plan issued by HMPPS.

Stephen Monsarratt represents UNISON at the weekly meetings to consider the Recovery Plan, if you have any questions or comments  please contact Stephen at Stephen.Monsarratt@justice.gov.uk  .  

Transferring to the NPS, Not in a Union?

Checking your details

Further to the post on the 23rd of February, as we move to integrate all CRC members into the NPS and move from DOCAS (subs from pay) to Direct Debit if you want to check your details are correct then please login or register with  www.unison.org.uk/my-unison/ to make sure we have your current contact details in the run up to transfer to the NPS or other probation providers.

Alternatively you can email the branch at unison20085@hotmail.co.uk

#WorldAgainstRacism- a meeting open to all Unison Members

6 pm to 7 pm , Thursday 18th March

Speakers:

Roger McKenzie, Assistant General Secretary, Unison

Glen Williams, National Chair, Local Government Service Group Executive

Liz Wheatley, Branch Secretary, Camden Unison

This meeting is to support and encourage the maximum turnout of Unison Members to events and activities for UN Anti-Racism Day- Saturday 20^th of March. With the disproportionate impact of Covid on Black Workers and the development of the Black Lives Matter movement we must discuss how we put anti-racism at the heart of our union. How do we ensure anti-racism in our workplaces? There will be ample time for debate and discussion. Join us.

This meeting has been organised by North West Unison Black Members Committee.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting- Just download the App and Click the link.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsfuytqjMoH91Y_LfXMconeUhzbEJdWxZb

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Stay Safe

Ameen Hadi
NW Unison Chair of Black Members Committee

CRC Members moving to NPS – Subscriptions

There is no provision for deduction of contributions at source (DOCAS) for trade union subscriptions in the National Probation Service (NPS). On 25 June 2021 around 90% of members employed by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) will transfer to NPS so to maintain Trade Union membership you will need to change the method of paying subs to Direct Debit.

The intention is to start collecting Direct Debit mandates from the week commencing 12 April. Members will continue paying via DOCAS up to CRC transfer to the NPS on 25 June 2021. The first DD deduction to be made on 30 July 2021. That is also NPS pay day.

Any CRC Staff joining UNISON between now and transfer can only pay subscriptions by DD.

You need not do anything at this stage, here is the process

Members with email addresses on our membership system WARMS will be contacted up to 3 times to complete a DD mandate. Once you have completed a mandate you will not receive further email requests. Between the second and third email a letter will be sent to all CRC members who have yet to complete a mandate.

An information page will be set up on the UNISON website where members can access the necessary forms to complete DD mandates.

The mandates will not be processed before 25 June. This will ensure that no members have two UNISON deductions in one pay period.

If you have any queries please contact the branch at

unison20085@hotmail.co.uk

LANCASHIRE ELECTIONS – DON’T LOSE YOUR VOTE, VOTE SAFELY, SIGN UP FOR A POSTAL VOTE

UNISON MEMBERS HAVE BEEN KEY WORKERS DURING THE COVID CRISIS

After ten years of budget cuts, the pandemic has laid bare the crucial importance of the services we provide.

Amidst the chaos, confusion and contradiction of Government, our members have delivered in the most difficult circumstances.

Yet the public appreciation has not been matched by a political commitment to our future. Indeed, a year on there are key workers pressured to go to work when ill and who don’t get full sick pay.

There can be no return to business as before, we need a new normal.

We need people representing us who really understand public services, who understand how hard it is for our families and who are committed to decent jobs.

IMPORTANT ELECTIONS IN LANCASHIRE ON THURSDAY 6TH MAY 2021.

Vital elections across Lancashire are coming up in 2021.  This includes:

• Police and Crime Commissioner
• Lancashire County Council
• Local District Council elections in all areas that have annual elections
• Unitary Council election in Blackburn
• Local by-elections.

UNISON members will have between one and four votes for candidates in your area.

Life is busy and uncertain. Things can go wrong on the day and sometimes we miss the chance to have our say.

This is even more likely as the pandemic persists. You may be ill or have to self-isolate on polling day. You may be worried about going to a busy polling booth due to the virus.

Don’t take the risk of losing your voice! Sign up for a postal vote and vote at your leisure from home.

Find out how on the Government website:

https://www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk/postal-voting

OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL. DETAILS FOUND ON:

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/your-election-information