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RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE 1945-2017 RIP ESSENTIAL COVER WHEREVER YOUADVERTISING WORK SPACE in These Uncertain Times There’S Never Been a Better Time to Join UNISON

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RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE 1945-2017 RIP ESSENTIAL COVER WHEREVER YOUADVERTISING WORK SPACE in These Uncertain Times There’S Never Been a Better Time to Join UNISON WINTER 2017 | ISSUE 28 | £3 WWW.UNISON-YORKS.ORG.UK RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE 1945-2017 RIP ESSENTIAL COVER WHEREVER YOUADVERTISING WORK SPACE In these uncertain times there’s never been a better time to join UNISON. For as little as £1.30 a month Annual salary Monthy cost our members get: Up to £2,000 £1.30 £2,001–£5,000 £3.50 • advice, support and help at work £5,001–£8,000 £5.30 • a helpline that is open until midnight £8,001–£11,000 £6.60 • legal help for you at work and your £11,001–£14,000 £7.85 family at home £14,001–£17,000 £9.70 • plus a wide range of exclusive £17,001–£20,000 £11.50 member discounts £20,001–£25,000 £14.00 £25,001–£30,000 £17.25 Join online at joinunison.org £30,001–£35,000 £20.30 or call free on 0800 0 857 857 over £35,000 £22.50 WINTER 2017 UNISON ACTIVE! 03 WELCOME OurUnion A FITTING TRIBUTE General Secretary Dave Prentis ecently our and the creation We already know Regional Secretary Runion lost a of UNISON. I’m the Government will John Cafferty true giant of our sure many of us seek to divide public Regional Convenor DAVE PRENTIS movement. Rodney recall the powerful servants, setting one Wendy Nichols GENERAL SECRETARY Bickerstaffe, our advocacy he group against each UNISON Yorkshire & former general provided to deliver other as ministers Humberside secretary and a these goals. cherry pick their Commerce House, Wade Lane, Leeds LS2 8NJ proud Yorkshireman, It is fi tting then, preferred recipients T: 08000 857 857 or freephone died on October that the union for pay rises. That’s textphone 08000 967 968 W: www.unison-yorks.org.uk 3. Rodney was the Rodney helped to why it’s so important very best of us – a build is currently that we stay united Lines are open 6am-midnight Monday-Friday and special man and a taking the fi ght to as a union. I’ve been 9am-4pm Saturdays special friend to so the Government clear from the outset many of us – and I on pay, through – we don’t want Editor will miss him. Our our Pay Up Now! a pay rise just for Barrie Clement thoughts are with campaign. those in uniforms, Consulting Editor Rodney’s family, I know that for we want a uniform Mary Maguire especially his wife many UNISON pay rise for everyone. Chief Photographer Pat who was an ever members, there is Jim Varney present support to no more pressing Contributors him in all his work issue. Peter Carroll, Ryan Fletcher, Helen and was the love of More than Hague, Mary Maguire, Rakesh Patel, Paul Routledge and Paul Shevlin his life. three-quarters of When asked you have told us Published on behalf of UNISON by what he believed you’re buying less Century One Publishing Ltd. his greatest food to cut costs, Alban Row, 27-31 Verulam Road St. Albans, Herts AL3 4DG achievements were, while one in ten T: 01727 893 894 he would respond: miss entire meals F: 01727 893 895 E: [email protected] the national to make sure your W: www.centuryonepublishing.uk minimum wage children can eat. Advertising enquiries David Murray T: 01727 739 182 E: [email protected] Our message is getting through Design and Layout Caitlyn Hobbs T: 01727 739 189 There is no doubt now favour of well-funded public services, E: [email protected] that politicians are fi nally with fair pay and conditions for staff . Printed by listening to what UNISON But their savage cuts continue Unison Print WENDY NICHOLS has been saying for years – across the NHS and local government. Copyright reproduction in whole or REGIONAL austerity has been a disaster. The Government talks of ‘fl exibility’ part by any means without written CONVENOR permission of the publisher is strictly It has been a tragedy for on lifting the public sector pay cap, forbidden. UNISON and the publisher hundreds of thousands of meaning they can pick and choose accept no responsibility for errors, W.Nichols omissions or the consequences people who have lost their who benefi ts and by how much. thereof. jobs, and for the communities They have, at least, been forced © UNISON 2017 in which they live and work. And to accept there is a massive funding as we said would happen from the problem in public services. Their start, it has damaged the economy political problem is that this crisis is a WINTER 2017 | ISSUE 28 | £3 WWW.UNISON-YORKS.ORG.UK and created widespread fi nancial direct result of their own policies. insecurity. Our message is gett ing heard. So the fact that the Tory People realise how vital their public Government is publicly trying to services are, and how dedicated RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE distance itself from austerity shows staff are being driven away because 1945-2017 RIP they are worried that the public of the pay cuts imposed on them mood has shifted decisively in by this government. 04 UNISON ACTIVE! WINTER 2017 NEWS We lead the way on energy pay UNISON has led the way double an earlier off er. looking for, but also contractors or on agency in securing substantial As Active! went to their conditions of contracts. pay awards for our press, talks were under- work. Many members Regional organiser members in the energy way with Northern are adapting to what Leonie Sharp said, sector in the region. Powergrid and British management describes “UNISON members Awards as high as 3.4 Gas. as agile working (where in energy are working per cent plus £250 bonus Across the energy employees supposedly hard and should be have been achieved in sector the negotiations choose where, when rewarded, whether their Northern Gas Networks have been strengthened and how they work) employer is in recovery under a three-year deal by active steward or in pressured call or celebrating its profi ts. which will match RPI involvement, and an centre environments. “The message is but not fall under 1.75 organising approach to Some have performance gett ing out that we per cent in the next engage members. related allowances and are stronger if we two years. Members Pay surveys were see their colleagues pull together and that at npower are to get undertaken to establish awarded diff erent collective bargaining is 1.9 per cent – almost what awards staff were salaries as personal important and eff ective.” ACTIVIST TRAINING COURSE TITLE COURSE DATES CLOSING DATE RESIDENTIAL VENUE FOR APPLICATIONS DETAILS Organising Steward 29, 30 November, 4, 5, 6 November 2017 Non-Residential Commerce House December 2017 Organising Steward 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 February 8 January 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House 2018 Health & Safety Reps 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 19 January 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House February 2018 Representation Skills 1, 2 March 2018 1 February 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House Organising Steward 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 12 February 2018 4 Nights Residential Northern College March 2018 Introduction to 19 March 2018 16 February 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House Employment Law Introduction to Con- 20 March 2018 16 February 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House tracts of Employment Introduction to Work 21 March 2018 16 February 2018 Non-Residential Commerce House Life Balance (law) To apply, please complete an application form and send it to your branch for approval. For more information about all courses (including more general ones for non-activists) please contact our education administrator on 0113 218 2330 or email [email protected] WINTER 2017 UNISON ACTIVE! 05 True socialist and great union leader It was a sad day for he saw an injustice. He UNISON and for the became president of the trade union and labour National Pensioners’ movement when our Convention, president of former general secretary War on Want, and chair Rodney Bickerstaff e, died of Global Network, the recently after a short Ken Gill Memorial Fund, illness, writes Wendy and patron and trustee of Nichols. the International Brigades Rodney, or Bick as he Memorial Trust. was known by his friends He was a wonderful was a great trade unionist, orator and no-one who a true socialist, an heard him could help internationalist, champion but be impressed by his of the down-trodden and passion and commitment a great general secretary to ending poverty and both of NUPE and suff ering. Rodney was the UNISON. man who unremitt ingly, A Doncaster lad, and often single- Rodney was proud of handedly, campaigned his Yorkshire roots and for the statutory national Yorkshire was proud of minimum wage that gave him. He started working millions of workers a pay for NUPE in 1966 in the rise. region, ending up as Our union has general secretary fi rst of lost a true friend and NUPE, and then UNISON. champion. Our thoughts And he was proud to and condolences are champion the cause of our with Rodney’s family, members throughout those particularly his wife Pat, years. He retired in 2001. the love of his life, always I say retired, but he at his side, always his was far from retiring, greatest support. ever. Rodney continued to campaign wherever l P20: One of the greats Privatisation threat to NHS pay UNISON is leading would create ‘a wholly Yorkshire warning that Tony said that while a campaign against a owned’ company to the union would use “all the union understood damaging privatisation which NHS staff would available legal, the NHS was a victim of plan involving West be transferred as part political and massive funding cuts, he Yorkshire trusts which of a drive to share industrial was deeply sceptical of could spread further services and save strategies to the fi nancial benefi ts of through the region.
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