No Going Back to Normal
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loud &clear The Newsletter for Lancashire UNISON Members October 2020 School Report 2 – 3 Welcome Back to Loud and Clear Notes from a Case Worker 5 May I take this opportunity to thank each and Fifteen to 3? LG Re-organisation 8 every one of you for your hard work during A warning from history 12 – 14 the pandemic. Our sympathies go to the INSIDE Mandela My67 campaign 15 many that died looking after us. No going back to normal s we start to return to the workplace, It is important to Ait has become apparent that things remember that as have changed and will continue to do we now return to the so with the constant ever changing new normality, we do Government guidelines and restrictions. not allow the crucial Change is something that we’ve all mistakes of the past had to embrace and manage. This has to be repeated in The clapping might have stopped but The clapping might have stopped but the support shouldn’t. Join us in the fight The clapping might have stopped but involved temporary changes in job our workplaces. We the support shouldn’t. Join us in the fight to rebuild public services and support the support shouldn’t. Join us in the fight to rebuild public services and support the people who provide them at to rebuild public services and support the people who provide them at unison.org.uk/nobacktonormal the people who provide them at duties, workplace closures and the need to let our local unison.org.uk/nobacktonormal unison.org.uk/nobacktonormal introduction of the furlough scheme, politicians know that decreased income and not to forget they can no longer personal difficulties such as: the effect on people’s mental health. undervalue our Public Services or the • being off work with a long-term people who have kept this country illness. Our commute to work on public running during this pandemic. As we • domestic violence or abuse. transport, cars or cycling has changed start to return to the workplace, we • living on the breadline and needing with the introduction of face masks must remember that all employers to pay for a major bill or vital item. and cycle lanes. Many of us have had have a legal duty to ensure that they • recovering from surgery. to set up new workplaces within our do everything in their power, to make • looking for advice in dealing with homes, which has included juggling your workplace Covid safe. your debts. childcare and embracing technology with Zoom being the new way to Employers should consult with all For more information contact ‘There communicate with our colleagues, workers before they return to the for You’ on 020 7121 5620 or email managers and supporting members at workplace. Employers must consider [email protected] or contact various meetings. any risks to staff who are vulnerable, the Branch to speak to our Welfare and this includes B.A.M.E., disabled Officer on 01772 533072. What we need to remember in the and the over 70s with an underlying last 10 years of spending cuts and health risk. If you are in one of these As we move forward we will continue Austerity, they have caused major categories your employer should to support and guide our members damage to our vital services up and undertake a risk assessment. and colleagues in these ever changing down this county. These cuts have unprecedented times. been at the very heart of every UNISON UNISON provide a confidential member from Schools, Emergency service for members over the phone Mark Evans Services and Local Government. or in person if you are experiencing Assistant Branch Secretary 2 loud & clear An international School Report Update: perspective Welcome back to the new norm? Earlier this year I was voted into the role of International Officer. Schools have I am passionately against any form of ill treatment and already now returned School did take notice of events around the world, Palestine and Yemen and everything to name but a few. is different from Report With this in mind I attended a seminar at Croyde Bay which last year. Since ended up being a real eye opener. returning I have been receiving I attended each day and met a good number of fellow unionists, several emails about the following the films I watched were concerns: thought provoking and in a lot of cases very sad. There’s me moaning about my lot and then Redeployment Quarantine I soak up all the information If staff are redeployed to There is no right to be paid during given that weekend and I undertake other Key Functions the period of self-isolation. thought we do not know how in the school, then appropriate lucky we are just to be able to training and PPE would be If I am particularly at risk from air our views. If you had a few given. No member of staff will coronavirus do I need to return hours and I could type really fast be required to undertake work to work? I would relay everything I learnt of a higher grade without the from this. If a member is at risk from necessary pay increase. If coronavirus they can return to staff are asked to do additional I have since attended the annual school if the safe systems of cleaning duties that are not meeting with the international controls are put in place. This covered in their contract, then group, via Skype, and the needs to be in discussion with the they should object. Ask yourself is stories that were shared can school and the member of staff. this a reasonable request? Have overwhelm you. they asked teaching staff to also If I feel unsafe can I refuse carry out this job? If you need any I am still at an early learning to do my job? further advice please contact the stage but hope this year to feed If a member feels unsafe, they Branch and speak to a rep. back to our branch stories bad should raise their concerns with and hopefully good because their immediate line manager. If a Maternity Leave there are some positive member still has anxiety around outcomes as well. I have just Employees can amend their start returning to work, then they can completed a trafficking, modern date for maternity by notifying be given time off but this will be slavery course which is also school 28 days in advance. If an unpaid leave. useful in my job. employee takes sick leave within 4 weeks of their due date, then they Mark Evans Tommy Morgan would be expected to commence School Convenor Steward and International Officer their maternity leave early. 3 Stewards and what they do Glen Harrison I have been an activist for 15 I have seen outcomes that as opposed to those who are not years, firstly becoming involved would not have occurred without unionised is a fully trained, well when my terms and conditions the intervention of a workplace briefed colleague who can deliver where under threat. I had no representative. For example, they the outcomes that would certainly expectations coming into the have the local knowledge that not be possible without a union’s role, other than the desire cannot be taught in any classroom, intervention. to help others and myself if such as a working knowledge of All of the workplace rights we needed by being empowered to the working environments in which enjoy were hard fought by the represent. our members operate. union movement. Colleagues not in You get out of the role what I have been employed by the union will have benefitted from you put in as an activist. It is a Lancashire UNISON for a matter of a union’s existence from the paid voluntary role and largely down to months after being an activist for holidays they enjoy, to collective how much time you can give and many years largely in the public bargaining rights, or maternity also how much facility time your sector. rights, all delivered by the union employer allows. I have found a stark difference in movement. There is a great deal of private and public employers. The A union is your insurance policy satisfaction in helping members managements lack of knowledge, and it is a fact that unionised and what I’ve found is that especially in the private sector employers have better terms and we often assume by virtue of managers acting with impunity conditions. a manager’s position, is that and with very dogmatic attitudes Why is that? Because they they will be very efficient on to the workforce. Some managers have rights to collectively bargain understanding process. are often nervous in engaging through recognition agreements The first thing you realise is that with activists as this may and are well trained to deliver the nobody understands process better expose the lack of knowledge best outcomes. than a representative and often and can lead to a combative or this gives you a great advantage adversarial approach adopted by Glen Harrison as being underestimated regards management. Case worker, our knowledge is commonplace. However what our members gain Lancashire UNISON Building NW H&S Capacity at Pace #BeOnTheSafeSide This is more important than ever the first instance to find out more given the Covid-19 pandemic. about how your union will support you: Health & Safety representatives have the most legal rights and Schools protections than any other trade [email protected] UNISON is working hard to union role. identify members who are Social Care interested in becoming Health & We encourage any members that [email protected] Safety representatives for their are interested in becoming more workplace.