Liverpool City Branch - June 2012

LIVERPOOL CITY BRANCH - JUNE 2012

UPDATE SPECIAL - PENSIONS, JE…….

The outcome of negotiations on the new Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) proposals have been announced. The key provisions of the proposed scheme are:

Retirement Age are to go up in line with State Pensions Age progressively to 68 (and possibly to 71 for those starting work now according to government projections)

A Career Average Scheme (CARE) currently Final Salary Scheme

Accrual Rate of 1/49 (better than the current 1/60th)

Revaluation rate CPI (was RPI)

Based on actual pay - including overtime and additional hours (part time workers may pay less).

Contributions broadly the same as current but with steep increases for those earning above £43,000 (where the higher rate of tax relief applies)

Introduction of a new pay less/get less category of membership where members can opt to pay 50% contributions and earn 50% benefits for a period.

These are only the headline changes, we urge members to read the full details of the proposals, available on Branch’s website or Full details and factsheets are available from the national website:

UNISON will be consulting you about the proposals in a postal ballot. Please take time to read the proposals, tell your workmates to do the same and go to briefings held by the Branch. And don’t forget to recruit colleagues not in the union. They need the strength and democracy of UNISON behind them to protect their pension – now and in the future.

SINGLE STATUS - (Job Evaluation to you and me!)

Back in 1997, local government members voted for the introduction of Single Status. This was aimed at ending the multi-tiered workforce that then existed where some staff were on different terms and conditions.

Unfortunately, central government’s failure to finance the Single Status Agreement meant considerable delays in implementing the Agreement. Locally, following lengthy negotiations, Liverpool City Council are now close to implementing a new pay and grading structure.

There are other strands to Single Status which are:

Harmonisation – there are still a lot of disparities out there amongst members, for example, some are in receipt of weekend enhancements, others not. The unions continue to work with management to identify such anomalies, however management have indicated they intend to change some of these allowances.

Equal Pay –some staff were paid bonus and many others, predominately female doing work of similar value, didn’t. This was rightly deemed to be a form of sex discrimination. Members were advised to lodge equal pay claims. To attempt to resolve this, the Council organised a series of buy-out events where members were offered a guaranteed figure in return for withdrawing their right to a claim. The figures offered were considerably less than what members may have expected to have won if Tribunal claims were successful. If you have lodged a claim but have not heard from the Council, please contact the branch so we can ensure the claim was lodged with the union.

Watch out for further briefings.

Second TUC National demonstration set for 20 October

Across the country, UNISON members will start months of planning for a mass demonstration against the government’s failed politics of austerity, set to take place in London on Saturday 20 October 2012. We aim to make this bigger than the excellent rally in March earlier this year.
Tens of thousands of UNISON members will make the journey to the capital to march under the heading, “A Future That Works” to show their opposition to the government’s pro-austerity, anti-growth policies. The march will end with a rally in Hyde Park with guest speakers, bands, and children’s entertainment..
Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, said:
“In October, a sea of purple and green will make its way through London’s streets. But it will not just be UNISON members who take to their feet. All across the country, people are learning the hard way that cuts are not the cure.
Millions are unemployed, with women and young people hit hardest. Growth has stalled and we are back in recession – austerity is standing in the way of delivering the jobs and growth our country needs. Our march in October will send the government another strong message that we don’t just want an alternative economic plan – we want a future that works.”

Liverpool Branch will be organising transport look out for details nearer the time.

A Self Organised Women’s Group of branch activists has been meeting informally over the past year to support each other in their roles as work based UNISON reps, Health & Safety Officers, Union Learning Reps and Branch Officers.

We would like to extend this group to all LiverpoolUNISON members regardless of their union activity. It is anticipated that this will not only be a forum to discuss the issues of women members in the workplace but also a warm and friendly group who can meet in comfortable confidential settings outside of the workplace.

It is proposed that we meet on the final Thursday of each month venue to be confirmed starting on 28th June 2012.

“Women must be able to participate fully in union activities and decision-making. We can only achieve our goal of promoting equality at work, in the community, in public services and in the union itself through active organisation to break down the barriers. There are women's self-organised structures at national, regional and local level in UNISON. Women in these groups also provide valuable support and encouragement to each other.”

For more details contact Lesley Delves or call 0151 600 2973.

Day Centre cuts survey

UNISON has commissioned a survey to assess the impact of funding cuts on day centres for adults, people with learning difficulties and for people with mental health problems. The survey shows that a number of damaging changes are going on, with cuts and closures taking place across the country.
We are particularly looking for people who use day centres to talks to us and to possibly be used, perhaps anonymously, by the media to show what is going on.

Real people help to show the human cost of cuts to these vital services and help to get the public on our side, against cuts and closures and in support of decent local services. Do you know anyone who uses a day centre, and has had problems with issues such as cuts and closures, including rising prices for trips, food, drinks or transport. Please ask them to contact Sophie Madden in the UNISON press office on 020 7121 5555 or

WHY UNISON OPPOSES ACADEMIES

There are numerous reasons why UNISON campaigns against schools becoming academies, including:

* Academies may not receive the benefits of local authority support.

* Academies are not democratically accountable to their local authority.

* Academies have the majority of their governing bodies appointed by an external sponsor or Academy Trust.

* Academies are only obliged to have two parent governors. In community schools at least one third of governors must be parent governors.

* Academies can set their own curriculum and length of the school day.

* Can choose ten per cent of their pupils by “aptitude”.

* Can set their own pay, conditions and working time arrangements for newly appointed teachers

joining the Academy.

In Liverpool presently there are

6 applications to become academies, including West Derby Comp in Tuebrook and St Francis Xavier College in Woolton.

We’ve been out campaigning and talking to our members affected by the proposals as well as to School Governors. What is clear is that we have a lot to do to win the argument.

UNISON is affiliated to the Anti Academies Alliance. (visit their website for more info.) Locally we will continue to campaign against academies and the privatisation of education. To find out more, please contact the Branch Office and ask for Lil Wynne or Neil Beasley.

DEFEND YOUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY

BRANCH AGM (and other events)….

Liverpool UNISON held its Branch AGM in March 2012. This year we wanted to make the AGM more accessible for members, we decided to hold the AGM on an aggregate basis where, instead of having just one meeting at lunchtime in town - impossible for members who don’t work in the city centre to get to – we held two meetings, one at lunchtime and the other in the evening after work.

We had some really good speakers lined up, we also had some resolutions to debate including one on calling for a protest at the Tory Party Conference in Liverpool in 2014.

Despite all this not enough members turned up to enable us to conduct branch business. All outstanding business has therefore been referred to Branch Committee.

Branch AGM is an important opportunity for members to have a say in how the branch is run. Our next Branch AGM will be held in March 2013; before then we will be considering ways in which we can make the AGM as accessible for members as possible - we would like to hear what our members think, so if you have any suggestions please let us know.

The following officers have been elected for 2012/13:

Branch Secretary – Babs Hennessy

Branch Chair – John Gibbons (and Convenor for Community Services and Regen & Employment)

Branch Treasurer – Peter Hoey

Health & Safety – Jimmy Challoner

Convenor – Lil Wynne : Children & Young Peoples Services

Convenor – Neil Beesley : Children & Young Peoples Services

Convenor – John Williams : Adult Services & Health

Convenor – Calvin Smeda: LDL and Finance & Resources and Education Officer

Equalities Officer – Steve Edwards

Welfare Officer – Angela Parker

Communications – Kim Johnson

APF (Labour Link) Officer – Lesley Delves

Membership Services – Pat Fenner

Are you, or is someone you know, in receipt of Family Working Tax Credits?

As if the government’s pay freeze and the rising cost of living weren’t bad enough, changes to the FWTC are likely to make things even worse for low paid families, with part-time and women workers among the hardest hit.

If you are in receipt of FWTC, or know someone who is, it’s important you know what these changes are :

New working hours rules for Working Tax Credit (WTC) : couples with children will now have to work 24 hours between them, one must work at least 16 hours. Couple households with one partner working 16 hours, and one not working or working less than 8 hours, will lose their WTC unless the household can increase its working time. This change does not affect lone parent households.

Abolition of 50 plus element : Those over 50 who are working between 16 to 29 hours a week and are entitled to WTC via the 50 plus element alone will lose all their WTC entitlement. Those working more than 30 hours will continue to receive WTC but at the (lower) rate applicable to younger working age.

New income ‘disregard’ when income falls in-year : Any reduction in income in a year of less than £2,500 will have no impact on a tax credits award in that year. For reductions more than £2,500, the first £2,500 will be ignored. The full amount of the reduction will be taken into account for the following tax year.

Scrapping the increase in Child Tax Credit : The promised one off increase of £110 in the child element of Child Tax Credit on top of the inflation for 2012-13 has been scrapped. The child element will now only increase in line with the Consumer Price Index.

Lone parents and couples elements of WTC will be frozen : this is in addition to the basic and 30 hours elements which were already frozen in 2011.

If you are affected and want to know more, or are angry and want to do something (or both!), UNISON can provide advice and campaign material. To find out more, contact the branch or go to UNISON’s national website.

Workers Memorial Day Saturday 28thApril

The Saturday morning of Workers Memorial Day in Liverpool was cold, overcast and grey; it could have been a bank holiday! But of course it was not an occasion for celebration, it was to remember the victims of poor health and safety at work and re-dedicate ourselves to protecting and promoting safe workplaces; “To remember the dead and fight for the living”.

There was an impressive turnout with I reckon about 100 people present to listen to an array of speakers. Our Branch was well represented given that it was a Saturday and miserable weather. We listened to 2 General Secretaries (UNITE and the CWU), a Labour MP and a lawyer who works for victims as well as a number of lay people who work tirelessly to protect their fellow workers from poor health and safety at work. There was a wreath laying ceremony accompanied by a lone piper and we held a minute’s silence. There were a great many facts and figures presented showing how health and safety at work is a major issue impacting on many people’s lives. The statistic which summed it up for me was that the UK is only 20th in a European league table of safe workplaces.

For me the most poignant part of the commemoration was when we were addressed by Dawn Adams of Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK). She told us the unbelievably tragic story of her trip to the newly opened Trafford Centre. She was there with her 6 year old son. A heavy railing fell on him and he died in her arms. The company responsible was fined just £100,000. Such is the price that the law places on the death of a young child.

This government is planning to water down health and safety at work, particularly in areas which it considers to be “low risk” which includes offices, possibly schools and you’ve guessed it: shops. Dawn Adams tragic experience shows how wrong they are.

Steve Edwards – Equalities Officer

CITY ELECTS IS FIRST MAYOR (whether it wanted one or not !)

So the canvassing and voting is finally over and Liverpool is now the proud owner of its first directly elected mayor – Joe Anderson - He said, “The people of Liverpool have spoken democratically."

However the very poor 30.8% turnout would suggest that given the opportunity to say whether they wanted one or not, the residents would have gone with a ‘No’ vote echoing Manchester, Birmingham and the other major Cities. Unfortunately that power was taken out of our hands.

The Mayor will be one of the most important political figures outside the capital after negotiating a deal with the government to switch to a mayoral system as one of the conditions for Liverpool receiving an additional £130m in grants. He has already appointed Sir Ian Gilmore to chair a commission into health, former Labour Education Secretary Estelle Morris will chair an education commission, and ex-Liberal Democrat Paul Clein will also sit on the panel. Liam Fogarty, an opponent in the election battle, will take a position on the board of LDL. Former deputy council leader and Liberal Democrat councillor Flo Clucas will advise on European affairs.

Joe Anderson was invited to represent UK cities alongside Cities Minister Greg Clark at the New Cities summit in Paris, he will use the opportunity to meet business leaders, promote Liverpool as a centre for business, and describe the benefits of the mayoral model for the city.

In the meantime the council still has to make significant cuts to jobs and services as a result of the swinging cuts imposed by this ConDem Government, but still retaining front line staff, but how is this going to be achieved? Will he discuss how he proposes to support the most vulnerable members of our city as cuts to children’s and adult services are reduced.

His manifesto mantra should be on the top of his agenda, more jobs, more schools and more businesses. What the residents of the City have to do is hold him to account.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A FREE LUNCH…….

Liverpool UNISON branch held two open days at the Municipal Office and Millennium House during April and May. Members and non-trade union members were invited to this lunchtime event to find out updates on things that affect them, enjoy some food, take some freebies away and had a chance enter a free £50 prize draw.

Liverpool UNISON Branch Secretary Babs Hennessy said: “These were really successful events, it’s not something we’ve done before but we will definitely be doing more of these kinds of events. The members who attended really seemed to enjoy it and it was nice for us to do something positive for our members as well as having the opportunity to encourage non-members to join a union”.

The winners of the £50 draw were Karen Baines – Legal Services,

and Helen Duerden – Skills for Life.

Liverpool UNISON will be holding more of these lunch time events in the future, look out for an event near you soon.

Pictured: Karen being presented with her winnings by John Williams, Branch Convenor

UNISON is looking for as many homecare workers as possible to spend just a few minutes filling in an anonymous online survey.Whenever the standard of homecare in the UK is discussed, there is often little attention paid to how the terms and conditions of homecare workers have an impact on the standards of care that are delivered.
UNISON knows that good quality care goes hand in hand with good terms and conditions and we hope that this survey will help to put this message across. If you could fill in the survey at the link below you will be helping to give a more accurate portrayal of the world of homecare and homecare workers and helping our campaign for better homecare services throughout the UK.