Somerset County UNISON Branch

Frizzell News
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UNISON Rulebook 2009

Welcome to Somerset County UNISON

Council Want To Change Your Service Conditions

Click here to see the reply to questions put by your branch officers to the Acting Chief Executive

You will all be aware of the four measures proposed by the current Administration:

* a temporary suspension of incremental progression for Green Book staff
* A reduction in the level of compensation payment awarded to staff made redundant
* A temporary drop in the pay band for those officers in the top three tiers
* A case by case review of honoraria and market supplements payments
The Council Cabinet is meeting on Wednesday 4th November at 10.00am in the Luttrell Room. Item 5 on the agenda is: Outline Proposals Concerning Cross-Organisational People Management which discusses these proposals. Click here for a link to the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on the 4 November 2009 - The meeting is public and UNISON is organising a lobby to tell Cabinet members what staff think of the proposals. Meet at A Block Reception at 9.45am.

Please note this is taking place in core hours and if you want to attend you must get the agreement of your line manager. If you have any problems please contact UNISON - your local steward or the branch office who may be able to advise. Please let us know if you will be attending - UnisonOffice@somerset.gov.uk or phone ext. 5567

Branch Response to Proposals for Changing Service Conditions
Please click here to see the response the branch has prepared in the light of the Council's proposals to consider changing some of our service conditions. Click here to read a Council report to the 4.11.09 Cabinet meeting at Please try to come to one of the Branch meetings we have arranged for Monday (see other emails) and consider joining our lobby of the Cabinet meeting at 9.45am on Wednesday.

Local Government Pay Claim 2009 Settled
To see the details of the pay settlement please click here

Local Government Pay Claim 2010

The 2009/2010 Pay Claim has been settled. UNISON is now consulting on the 2010/11 Local Government Pay Claim proposals. Click here to read a letter detailing the proposals. The proposed claim is summarised below:
*A one year increase
*A £500 flat rate increase or 2.5%, whichever is the greater
*For improvements to conditions to be kept separate from the pay claim.
The Committee agreed that our demands for improvements to terms and conditions should be in a separate claim to be made later in the year

Final 2009 Pay Offer
Click here to read the final offer from the employers

visit our Pay Campaign page for latest pay campaign news

A million voices for change
UNISON's campaign to create a fairer society. If, like us you want to see changes that put people before profit and deliver social justice, good jobs and quality public services, then support our campaign. Add your voice to our campaign to create a fairer society.We want to see changes that put people before profit and public interest before private greed.

Unison Welfare
REMINDER TO ALL BRANCHES AND STAFF IN THE SOUTH WEST
UNISON is the only Trade Union that has a Welfare unit which helps hundreds of members each year who are in financial difficulties or need a holiday or recuperation break. Please use this information when trying to recruit new members. The Application Forms for members who wish to claim for Welfare or Wellbeing Breaks are available on the UNISON Website using the following links. I have also attached a link to Octopus the UNISON Welfare Monthly Draw for information. http://www.unison.org.uk/WELFARE/apply.asp http://www.unison.org.uk/WELFARE/services_getwell.asp

The following link explains the new procedures for family holidays. http://www.unison.org.uk/WELFARE/news_view.asp?did=5490
The following link gives information on Octopus the UNISON Welfare Monthly Draw http://www.unison.org.uk/octopus/

Training diary
UNISON offers a wide range of seminars, workshops and training days across the UK. For details of national events and conferences, see our web pages

Add your voice to our campaign to create a fairer society. We want to see changes that put people before profit and public interest before private greed. UNISON has more than a million members delivering essential services to the public. Services that protect, enrich and change lives.

social justice
good jobs
quality public services

UNISON has more than a million members delivering essential services to the public. Services that protect, enrich and change lives. Add your voice to our campaign

Proposed Changes To Employment Law
Please click here to use Unisons document on prosed changes

Making Local Services Count
The government is proposing major changes to local services - changes will affect almost all UNISON members.While aiming to increase participation and improve the co-ordination of local services, the recent white paper also signals a rapid acceleration in the marketisation of council services and in efficiency cuts.UNISON is campaigning to strengthen local democracy, support high quality, publicly-provided services and defend our members' interests.

Please see UNISON Powerpoint Presentation

Please use the links on this page and on the left to navigate around this site or login to our members area below where meeting notes can be accessed. Please contact the Branch Office to get user name & password and login below

Latest News

Holocaust Memorial Day
Please find attached a poster for a commemoration event on Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday 29 January 2010 at 12.30pm. This will take place in the Church of St John The Evangelist in Park Street, Taunton. Please try to go along.

FOI Questions following Accounts 2008/09 inspection
Your branch officers have a high-level meeting with the Leader and Employer on 29 September 2009 regarding the accounts and would appreciate your views on the responses to the questions put to them under the Freedom Of Information act. Please click here to see the questions and responses.
To see the follow-on questions submitted by the branch, please click here

New ACAS code on facility time
ACAS have revised the Code of Practice on time off for Trade Union duties and activities and this will come into force in early 2010. Please click here to read the Unison update

Latest Branch Newsletter
Scoop! Autumn 2009

Branch Request Urgent Meeting With Employers
(23 July 2009) Officers of your branch have asked for an urgent meeting with the council for clarification on the email sent to all staff regarding a pay freeze

Council mulls cost-cutting plans
(22/07/09) A number of cost-cutting measures are being considered by Somerset County Council to make budget savings. More from the BBC

Temporary Agency Work
UNISON will be responding to the Government consultation on draft agency workers and will also be contributing to the TUC response. The TUC are asking for any case studies about possible avoidance tactics by employers. For example, the consultation proposes that if an agency worker has a six week break from a hirer then the clock re-starts on counting up to 12 week qualification period for equal treatment in basic pay and conditions. Secondly, if at the same hirer but moved to "substantially different post" then the clock re-starts on the 12 weeks. Thirdly, performance pay and bonuses are proposed to be outside the definition of pay. Fourthly, agency workers who are self employed are outside the proposed regulations. Afraid the TUC have given us a very short deadline of next Monday 26th October, but any information would be welcomed. Email education@unison.co.uk with any info.

Council executive to leave role
(17/07/09) Alan Jones is to retire at the end of the month after talks with the new Conservative leader of the council. More from the BBC

Chief executive of Somerset County Council to leave authority
(17/07/09) Chief executive of Somerset County Council, Alan Jones, has announced he will leave the authority after six years.More from www.thisissomerset.co.uk

Pay-freeze calls show 'breathtaking cheek'
(13/07/09) Calls for a public-sector pay freeze and the private-sector envy of public-service pay on which they're based is totally misplaced. UNISON head of local government Heather Wakefield said "Public-sector pay restraint has already led to below-inflation rises in recent years and only frontline catering, cleaning and care jobs are paid less in the private sector than in the public." More from UNISON

Meat hygiene workers say yes
(10/07/09) After 18 months of negotiation workers in the meat hygiene service have voted to accept an overall payrise of 2.99% backdated to August 2008.
This gives 5%, 3% or 2% - people at the bottom of the pay scale would get the most. More from UNISON

FE colleges win improved pay offer
(06/07/09) Further education workers in England have won an improved final pay offer of 1.5% on all salaries and allowances from 1 August 2009. The improved offer came after intense negotiations with the Association of Colleges and after a previous final offer of 1%. More from UNISON

Union welcomes mail decision
(02/07/09) UNISON welcomed today's government announcement that the Royal Mail is to stay publicly owned. More from UNISON

No to redundancies
(29/06/09) More than 50 colleges in England have announced redundancies over the past few weeks. And in the past few days many more colleges have announced plans to close their nurseries.More from UNISON

NEC report
(22/06/09) The first meeting of the newly elected national executive council scheduled to take place at the end of the national delegate conference was unable to begin. More from UNISON

Tories take control of Somerset
The Conservatives have taken overall control of Somerset after 16 years under the Liberal Democrats. More from the BBC

For more news, visit our News page

Southwest One
War of Words
(21/11/08) A war of words is raging between senior politicians in Somerset. The row over a controversial Â£400m deal has got dirty. More from the BBC

Councillors should learn how Southwest One works
(19/11/08) The Audit Commission says that Somerset councillors must improve their understanding of the county's Â£400m joint venture scheme More from Kable

More on Southwest One

Defending the Welfare State and Public Services
March and Rally London 10 April 2010. Click here to see the flyer

A picture speaks a thousand words ...
That's the intro to UNISON South West's first annual photography competition. Full details as per the attached and more available on line at the flickr site detailed, including terms and conditions.

Victory as Peers vote for Women, not pimps and punters!!!

Policing and Crime Bill Clause 14 was passed with no amendments click here to read details

Unison College Times - New National FE Agreements Published

Adult FE funding cuts announced for England - UNISON seeks urgent meeting with Minister
Read Unison College Times

Care Quality Commission (CQC) gives first major statement on the quality of adult social care
Click here to read the report and for the survey form

Workplace Bullying
Please click here to see an article that appeared in this month's 'Company' magazine about young women's experience of bullying in the workplace which features UNISON

Click here to read an article on Domestic violence and sexual abuse and directory of Domestic and Sexual Abuse support services in the South West

Click here to read the Equality and Human Rights Commission report "An advice note for public authorities"

Unison's Negotiating Guide
As this document indicates, it is an integral tool for bringing equalities into the workplace and needs to be taken into account when employers are looking at the outsourcing option. Here is the link to the guide mentioned on the last page of the booklet.

HOW MIDDLE INCOME BRITAIN'S SHRINKING WAGES FUELLED THE CRASH AND THREATEN RECOVERY

Click here to read the TUC article

National and Local Government Conferences 2009
The Branch's delegates enjoyed a busy week at Brighton; these confrences set UNISON's polices and objectives. Please read our 2009 Conference Report

The West This Week - 27th November 2008
Following the Employment Tribunal Decision, Branch Officers and Cllr Crabb appeared on ITV's 'The West this Week'. To view the programme - please visit http://www.itvlocal.com/west/programmes/?player=WST_Prog_15&void=263515

Public Service, Private Gain
West Eye View Thursday 24th July 2008 7:30pm - ITV1 (ITV1 West): The controversy over whether the taking over of local council and police services in the west of England by American computer company IBM is for public service or private profit. Narrated by James Garrett. Missed this programme? Watch online at www.itvlocal.com/west/ and read Press Release from West Eye View

Car Allowances
Offer of 45 pence per mile from September 08
(08/08/08) Further to our claim for an increased mileage allowance, SCC have offered an 2.5 pence increase to the basic mileage allowance Further details

New from the ESSU, Public Sector Research ONLINE
provides detailed guidance on how to research and investigate public policy, public services, the economy, government, companies, consultants, trusts, organisations and individuals. It is intended to provide a service to those involved in public policy making, public sector research, public employees, service users, trade unions, community and civil society organisations. It has a major role in public sector education and training. Visit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/psro/

Public Services Not Private Profit
www.publicnotprivate.org.uk
is a joint union campaign launched in March 2006 to defend public services against privatisation.

Billions of pounds of public funds are being wasted boosting the profits of private companies who are downgrading services and slashing conditions and jobs for public sector workers. This increased trend towards privatisation puts at risk the accountable and effective delivery of public services.

Related topic: Local Government White Paper

Now that Britannia has merged with the Co-operative Bank, please would you throw away (put in recycling) any old Britannia leaflets which you have in your possession or that you have put up on noticeboards. Thank you.

UNISON, in partnership with the Bank of Scotland, has created a credit card for our members. Click here to find out more or call 0800 032 2036