8th February 2010
Annual General Meeting
NOMINATES ROGER BANNISTER IN ELECTION OF GENERAL SECRETARY.
At the largest turnout for many years members voted unanimously to support the nomination of Roger Bannister in the Election of General Secretary.
From Roger Bannister;
Dear Colleague
I have decided to canvas for nominations for the General Secretary election, to argue for radical change at the top of UNISON.
I fought this election in 2005, obtaining over 41,000 votes. Since then I have continued to campaign as an NEC member for the North West Region, for fighting policies to defend jobs and conditions of service. I am currently about to ballot members for strike action in defence of our 35 Hour Week Agreement, and against the imposition of a redeployment policy by the employer that will lead to compulsory redundancies. It is my belief that UNISON needs a General Secretary with this Hands On experience of dealing with the problems faced by ordinary members.
My election programme would be based on:
• A General Secretary on a Worker's Wage
• Fighting policies against spending cuts – defend all jobs – fight the pay freeze – not a penny off our pensions!
• UNISON members first - Break the link with New Labour, use our Political Fund to support candidates whose policies are best for UNISON members
• End low pay amongst UNISON members
• Oppose all privatisation
• Oppose the BNP & the Racist right
• Election of all officials
• For the right of all members to campaign under rule within the union without fear of attack
Yours sincerely
Roger Bannister
From Roger Bannister;
Dear Colleague
I have decided to canvas for nominations for the General Secretary election, to argue for radical change at the top of UNISON.
I fought this election in 2005, obtaining over 41,000 votes. Since then I have continued to campaign as an NEC member for the North West Region, for fighting policies to defend jobs and conditions of service. I am currently about to ballot members for strike action in defence of our 35 Hour Week Agreement, and against the imposition of a redeployment policy by the employer that will lead to compulsory redundancies. It is my belief that UNISON needs a General Secretary with this Hands On experience of dealing with the problems faced by ordinary members.
My election programme would be based on:
• A General Secretary on a Worker's Wage
• Fighting policies against spending cuts – defend all jobs – fight the pay freeze – not a penny off our pensions!
• UNISON members first - Break the link with New Labour, use our Political Fund to support candidates whose policies are best for UNISON members
• End low pay amongst UNISON members
• Oppose all privatisation
• Oppose the BNP & the Racist right
• Election of all officials
• For the right of all members to campaign under rule within the union without fear of attack
Yours sincerely
Roger Bannister
| the20evidence20220pager.pdf |
Alexander McCall SmithProfessor of Medical Law, University of Edinburgh, and internationally known writer of fiction
“In a world which frequently appears to be a selfish one, the dedication and devotion to duty that one finds in those who operate the NHS is a wonderful reminder of humane values. Over the last 60 years, countless people working within the NHS have given us cause to be proud of what people can do for one another.”
URGENT ADVICE
STAFF SHORTAGES
A number of reports of staff shortages have been made across various Directorates caused by staff sickness and a lack of bank staff, this may be a short term seasonal problem.
UNISON seeking to clarrify the rules about exceeding the 60hr week as a last resort.
If your ward is working below its normal staffing levels then Datix incident forms should be completed, if for whatever reason that is not happening and you are concerned please notify your UNISON reps as soon as possible, we will then be able to raise this concern on your behalf without you fearing retribution. It is not safe for the patients or you to be working without adequate staff.
11th Feb-update
Staff continue to complain about low staffing numbers - our advice is to complete an incident form and notify us if you are unable to raise it with your manager.
UNISON seeking to clarrify the rules about exceeding the 60hr week as a last resort.
If your ward is working below its normal staffing levels then Datix incident forms should be completed, if for whatever reason that is not happening and you are concerned please notify your UNISON reps as soon as possible, we will then be able to raise this concern on your behalf without you fearing retribution. It is not safe for the patients or you to be working without adequate staff.
11th Feb-update
Staff continue to complain about low staffing numbers - our advice is to complete an incident form and notify us if you are unable to raise it with your manager.
17th February 2010
Whats the news?
If you have any concerns or know about issues that you think UNISON should know about, contact us using any of the UNISON activists on the contacts page or use the comments page.
Stand up and whinge says Bickerstaffe
Read Rodneys views here.
More Organisational Mergers..
NEWHAM PCT- Provider Services
East London NHS Foundation Trust has been designated as the preferred provider for the Newham PCT and the timetable for expected transfer if all goes to plan is1st Oct 2010
A number of senior staff from the Trust are actively managing this process.
The original breakup of primary care community services away from the Borough Trusts, which then created a 3 borough Mental Health specific Trust and individual PCT Trusts was never fully supported by a number of organisations including UNISON at the time so it will be good to welcome back colleagues into a seamless service.East London has sufferred excessive multiple re-organisations over the years, anyone taking bets on how long this one will last?
19.2.10
Tower Hamlets PCT Staffside members reject Social Enterprise proposal and demand to remain with the NHS.
UNISON and the RCN will be calling meetings of staffside reps from across the three Boroughs and organisations to discuss a collective response on behalf of all East London NHS staff.
A number of senior staff from the Trust are actively managing this process.
The original breakup of primary care community services away from the Borough Trusts, which then created a 3 borough Mental Health specific Trust and individual PCT Trusts was never fully supported by a number of organisations including UNISON at the time so it will be good to welcome back colleagues into a seamless service.East London has sufferred excessive multiple re-organisations over the years, anyone taking bets on how long this one will last?
19.2.10
Tower Hamlets PCT Staffside members reject Social Enterprise proposal and demand to remain with the NHS.
UNISON and the RCN will be calling meetings of staffside reps from across the three Boroughs and organisations to discuss a collective response on behalf of all East London NHS staff.
Report to London Unison branches on democracy in our Union
6th March 2010
What follows is the text of a report which I have sent out today as a UNISON NEC member, concerning deeply troubling developments in UNISON's Greater London Region on Friday 5 March.
Early yesterday morning UNISON officials turned up at the offices of the Bromley, Greenwich and the Tenant Services Authority branches having given no notice. I understand that attempts have been made to seize control of computer hard drives and other resources, including documents on on-going personal cases.
This action follows immediately upon the conclusion of the disciplinary action against the Branch Secretaries of those branches, Glenn Kelly, Onay Kasab and Suzanne Muna, who have now been banned from holding office within UNISON for periods ranging from two years.
There are of course exceptional circumstances in which the Union does need to move in and run branches, the Rule Book deals with these thankfully very rare cases and the National Executive Council has a system of reporting where branches are placed under what is known as "Regional supervision." This procedure now appears to be being applied to these branches.
I also understand that our members in the Hackney branch, where Branch Chair, Brian Debus, has been banned from holding office, have been told that an election for a new Chair will be organised at Regional level. The basis on which this might be done is unclear to me and I am awaiting further information.
Although I and other members of the National Executive Council representing Greater London have been given notice of such action in the past, I had not notice of this action and my requests yesterday for an explanation from the Regional Secretary and the Chair of the NEC Development and Organisation Committee have thus far gone unanswered.
I am therefore unable to confirm that there are good grounds for the interventions in these branches. Indeed all the indications are that the action which is being taken breaches our Rule Book, undermines lay democracy and branch autonomy and threatens to waste scarce UNISON resources at a time when our members in local government, health and higher and further education all face the threat of unprecedented cuts in jobs in Greater London.
The Branch Secretaries who have been banned from holding office have been through the Union's disciplinary process and now know the outcome of that process. It would not be appropriate for me, as an NEC member, to comment upon the outcome of the disciplinary process in a communication of this nature and I do not do so.
However, the action taken yesterday against three branches is a completely different matter, unrelated to the allegations which have now been dealt with, and gives rise to serious concern that officials of our Union are breaking UNISON Rules.
It is difficult to conceive of any valid justification for this action being taken now, when those deemed to have breached our Union Rules are no longer holding office.
UNISON members in these three branches have the same rights as members in all our branches, including the right to elect their own branch officers and determine the policies of their branch within Union Rules. For UNISON officials to cancel Branch Annual General Meetings (as I understand has happened in Bromley) and to cooperate with the employer to cancel agreed trade union facility time and send lay activists back to work (as I understand has happened in Greenwich) clearly contravenes UNISON Rules.
Rule B.2.2 states that UNISON is a "member-led" Union in which decisions taken by members will be carried out. Rule B.2.5 promotes the rights of members to participate in decision-making. Rule G.3.1 confirms the rights of members to attend branch meetings, and Rule G.4.1.2 gives us the right to elect the officers of our branches. Our members in the Bromley, Greenwich and the Tenants Services Authority all have these rights and ought not now to be denied them because of unrelated disciplinary action against individuals which has now concluded.
Our Union Rule Book is not a trivial or irrelevant document. It is a contract between members and the Union, endorsed in the ballots which created UNISON in 1992 and amended, in accordance with Rule at successive National Delegate Conferences since 1994. The preservation of the democratic rights of trade union members is a matter of considerable importance to all who care about trade unionism.
I shall continue to press for a full explanation of yesterday's events and for the immediate return of these branches to the democratic control of their members in line with the Rule Book. If you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with me as I would welcome feedback from UNISON members in Greater London. Please feel free to pass this report on to UNISON members in the Region.
Jon Rogers
National Executive Committee Member
jonrogers1963@googlemail.com
http://jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/
6th March 2010
What follows is the text of a report which I have sent out today as a UNISON NEC member, concerning deeply troubling developments in UNISON's Greater London Region on Friday 5 March.
Early yesterday morning UNISON officials turned up at the offices of the Bromley, Greenwich and the Tenant Services Authority branches having given no notice. I understand that attempts have been made to seize control of computer hard drives and other resources, including documents on on-going personal cases.
This action follows immediately upon the conclusion of the disciplinary action against the Branch Secretaries of those branches, Glenn Kelly, Onay Kasab and Suzanne Muna, who have now been banned from holding office within UNISON for periods ranging from two years.
There are of course exceptional circumstances in which the Union does need to move in and run branches, the Rule Book deals with these thankfully very rare cases and the National Executive Council has a system of reporting where branches are placed under what is known as "Regional supervision." This procedure now appears to be being applied to these branches.
I also understand that our members in the Hackney branch, where Branch Chair, Brian Debus, has been banned from holding office, have been told that an election for a new Chair will be organised at Regional level. The basis on which this might be done is unclear to me and I am awaiting further information.
Although I and other members of the National Executive Council representing Greater London have been given notice of such action in the past, I had not notice of this action and my requests yesterday for an explanation from the Regional Secretary and the Chair of the NEC Development and Organisation Committee have thus far gone unanswered.
I am therefore unable to confirm that there are good grounds for the interventions in these branches. Indeed all the indications are that the action which is being taken breaches our Rule Book, undermines lay democracy and branch autonomy and threatens to waste scarce UNISON resources at a time when our members in local government, health and higher and further education all face the threat of unprecedented cuts in jobs in Greater London.
The Branch Secretaries who have been banned from holding office have been through the Union's disciplinary process and now know the outcome of that process. It would not be appropriate for me, as an NEC member, to comment upon the outcome of the disciplinary process in a communication of this nature and I do not do so.
However, the action taken yesterday against three branches is a completely different matter, unrelated to the allegations which have now been dealt with, and gives rise to serious concern that officials of our Union are breaking UNISON Rules.
It is difficult to conceive of any valid justification for this action being taken now, when those deemed to have breached our Union Rules are no longer holding office.
UNISON members in these three branches have the same rights as members in all our branches, including the right to elect their own branch officers and determine the policies of their branch within Union Rules. For UNISON officials to cancel Branch Annual General Meetings (as I understand has happened in Bromley) and to cooperate with the employer to cancel agreed trade union facility time and send lay activists back to work (as I understand has happened in Greenwich) clearly contravenes UNISON Rules.
Rule B.2.2 states that UNISON is a "member-led" Union in which decisions taken by members will be carried out. Rule B.2.5 promotes the rights of members to participate in decision-making. Rule G.3.1 confirms the rights of members to attend branch meetings, and Rule G.4.1.2 gives us the right to elect the officers of our branches. Our members in the Bromley, Greenwich and the Tenants Services Authority all have these rights and ought not now to be denied them because of unrelated disciplinary action against individuals which has now concluded.
Our Union Rule Book is not a trivial or irrelevant document. It is a contract between members and the Union, endorsed in the ballots which created UNISON in 1992 and amended, in accordance with Rule at successive National Delegate Conferences since 1994. The preservation of the democratic rights of trade union members is a matter of considerable importance to all who care about trade unionism.
I shall continue to press for a full explanation of yesterday's events and for the immediate return of these branches to the democratic control of their members in line with the Rule Book. If you have any comments or questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with me as I would welcome feedback from UNISON members in Greater London. Please feel free to pass this report on to UNISON members in the Region.
Jon Rogers
National Executive Committee Member
jonrogers1963@googlemail.com
http://jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/
March 2010 - Reinstate Alberto Durango,
Unite Official dismissed for Trade Union Activity.
Alberto and his branch gave great support to the JHC cleaners at their recent protest against privatisation.
Unite Official dismissed for Trade Union Activity.
Alberto and his branch gave great support to the JHC cleaners at their recent protest against privatisation.
| flyer.pdf |
BED MANAGEMENT
UNISON ADVICE TO ALL STAFF: It is clear that the trust lacks adequate in-patient beds and this has caused numerous difficulities, the scale of the problem and the issues faced by staff is not always made clear to the powers that be; Trust policy is clear that patients should not sleep on settee's if they do an incident form should be filled out( its not clear if this applies to overcrowded wards were patients sleep during the day time on the settee's because they have no bed allocated). The use of flexi beds can only be authorised by the Duty Director and we would advise an incident form be logged for this also as there is a claim by that no such request has been made to the on call director for the past two years!.
Any and all sleep outs should also be logged as an incident form, particularly where younger adults are sleeping in MHCOP wards.
If in doubt complete an incident form, again any manager that discourages that practice should be reported to your local UNISON rep.
We understand the culture of fear caused by intimidation & bullying, stewards also experience it, but in the interests of service users, your colleagues and according to your professional obligations these problems need to be identified before they can be resolved.
Any and all sleep outs should also be logged as an incident form, particularly where younger adults are sleeping in MHCOP wards.
If in doubt complete an incident form, again any manager that discourages that practice should be reported to your local UNISON rep.
We understand the culture of fear caused by intimidation & bullying, stewards also experience it, but in the interests of service users, your colleagues and according to your professional obligations these problems need to be identified before they can be resolved.
Site news
The website has been designed and is run by local UNISON reps and will develope along with our skills!!!
We would welcome your feedback in the comments page.
The Branch position on a range of issues can be found in the news section.
Please forward ideas or articles for the site to Sandra Payne.
We would welcome your feedback in the comments page.
The Branch position on a range of issues can be found in the news section.
Please forward ideas or articles for the site to Sandra Payne.
Since 1948, Britain has supported the idea that state pensions, health care, education and other public services are best provided by society as whole. But this idea is now under threat.
The state pension is totally inadequate, leaving at least 1 in 4 older people to live in poverty
Why should you get involved? Whoever wins the next general election will be looking at the welfare state and public services as a way of cutting public expenditure. This demonstration must therefore send a clear message to all the political parties that the majority of people do not want to see further cuts and privatisation.
On 10 April 2010 we will have a unique chance – just weeks before an expected general election – to make our voices heard. Staying at home and thinking it’s someone else’s job to speak out for the welfare state and public services won’t be enough. Make sure you are there!
The state pension is totally inadequate, leaving at least 1 in 4 older people to live in poverty
- 7m households have a child living in poverty and existing benefits provide a very limited safety net
- Unemployment now stands at over 2m and workfare offers no solution
- 10m adults are disabled and face huge barriers to escaping financial hardship
- The NHS is slowly being privatised behind a smokescreen of choice and competition, and patients are suffering as a result
- Our public services are now facing massive cuts and further privatisation
Why should you get involved? Whoever wins the next general election will be looking at the welfare state and public services as a way of cutting public expenditure. This demonstration must therefore send a clear message to all the political parties that the majority of people do not want to see further cuts and privatisation.
On 10 April 2010 we will have a unique chance – just weeks before an expected general election – to make our voices heard. Staying at home and thinking it’s someone else’s job to speak out for the welfare state and public services won’t be enough. Make sure you are there!
| nhs_preferred_provider.pdf |
STAFF BREAKS -
UNISON ADVICE TO ALL STAFF:
The scale and quantity of nursing staff who are not able to take breaks is excessively high according to our reports, this is disputed by various managers; we advise all staff who work without a break or an interupted break to complete a datix incident report. This is very important.
The JSC will be addressing this with the trust and ensuring that staff are either given time off in lieu or paid overtime rates in accordance with the Agenda for Change National Agreement.
Any areas were local managers try to discourage this should be reported to your local UNISON rep.
The scale and quantity of nursing staff who are not able to take breaks is excessively high according to our reports, this is disputed by various managers; we advise all staff who work without a break or an interupted break to complete a datix incident report. This is very important.
The JSC will be addressing this with the trust and ensuring that staff are either given time off in lieu or paid overtime rates in accordance with the Agenda for Change National Agreement.
Any areas were local managers try to discourage this should be reported to your local UNISON rep.
Did you know....?
That you can carry up to 5 days Annual Leave over to the following year? It is so widely accepted that only in the most usual of circumstances should a manager reject such a request, anyone who makes such a request and is denied it should contact their UNISON representative immediately.
Also there is a 'Holiday of a lifetime scheme' negotiated by UNISON reps, this allows staff to' bank' up to 5 days Annual Leave up to a maximum of 50 days over 10 years. If you want to take advantage of the policy please write to your manager informing them that you are going to bank a number days. The policy and forms for this are on the Trust Intranet.
Also there is a 'Holiday of a lifetime scheme' negotiated by UNISON reps, this allows staff to' bank' up to 5 days Annual Leave up to a maximum of 50 days over 10 years. If you want to take advantage of the policy please write to your manager informing them that you are going to bank a number days. The policy and forms for this are on the Trust Intranet.
