Summer Drink and Nibbles

Contents: Message from the Branch Chair Pay 2019 UNISON International National Delegate Conference Nottinghamshire Pride Bereavement Policy There for You Summer 2019 The magazine for UNISON members at the University of Nottingham the University, she says, it would be hope that in some way I have helped Farewell, Tracy and for them to put into practice more of raise Unison’s profile at the Stella! the schemes and policies they like to University. adopt and promote. This is “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time On behalf of the branch, I would like particularly the case for the both as rep and as branch sec. It to thank both Tracy O’Shea, who is wellbeing of the lower paid staff has given an insight into the retiring from the University, and where morale is especially low. The workings of the UoN and I hope I Stella Fuller, who is leaving for a University needs to listen more to have helped to encourage staff to new job at Nottingham Trent Uni, for staff concerns. Also, affiliating to the become more involved with the their commitment to Unison, and for Living Wage Foundation and union. I have tried to make them playing such a big role in rebuilding becoming an accredited LW realise that they do have a voice and the branch committee in the last few employer would not only help the that with the help of the union they years. Stella was particularly lowest paid staff but would also are able to challenge what they see dynamic in setting up the Notts enhance the University’s image as as unfairness and bad practice in the Learning sessions, which many an employer. workplace.” members have benefited from. Tracy has pushed along the campaign for Tracy is a strong believer in the Stella Fuller the living wage, and been a relaxed trade union movement and and fun person to work with, with a particularly in UNISON. She says: The branch chair pays tribute (with justly critical attitude to University “The UNISON branch at the UoN help from an unnamed source). management. We wish them well has come on leaps and bounds over Stella started temping at the with their next adventures but we will the past few years which is all down University in 2007, having previous miss them both a lot! They will be to the hard working reps/stewards/ experience as an administrator at hard to replace! committee members who give their the University of Bangor. Stella Vicki Morris, Branch Chair time for free in order to support staff avoided the growing pressure to and offer them help and advice. learn Welsh - which was part of the Tracy O’Shea “I have always tried to do my best for job requirement - by moving to the Our branch secretary Tracy has the members I have represented and Midlands, when her husband got a been in a union all her working life. job in Nottinghamshire. She was part of the riches that When temp became perm, Stella UNISON inherited from NALGO Summer drink became an administrator in the upon formation in 1993. She started School of Geography, soon working at the Hallward Library in and nibbles becoming PA to Michael Jackson 2003. Before that she'd worked in (no relation), a true gentleman. Beeston library. Meet other members and say Mike had a long career as a CEO in Tracy first took an active role in goodbye to Tracy and Stella industry before deciding to share his Unison in 2012 when she became a Tuesday 23 July 3:30 pm, wisdom with students. When Stella shop steward and welfare officer. In The Hemsley said that was hard to believe - 2014 Tracy became the international successful business people were officer for the branch, and in 2015 Free drink for tough, no-nonsense personalities she became branch secretary. (actually, she described them as If she could change one thing about every member b******s) - his response was that he employed people with those skills to act like that on his behalf. To this Pay 2019 day Stella doesn’t realise the significance of what her boss had The University of Nottingham has just said. once again decided not to take part in national pay negotiations for HE Life moved on and Stella was head- be asked to vote on strike action. staff. Nottingham is one of the few hunted by an Engineering research UK Universities who do not join the What is happening nationally? centre. Finally, in 2012, she was negotiations, and is negotiating with transferred to the Business School UNISON and the other HE unions UNISON and Unite locally instead. as Senior Research pushed hard for a decent pay rise The position of senior management Administrator. This was when she and put in a claim that included: is inconsistent, because the decided that for the first time in her A rise of RPI plus 3%, or a University does negotiate nationally life it was time to join a union. minimum increase of £3,349 for those employees represented by £10 ph minimum rate of pay She has got stuck into several roles: UCU. training to be a steward and then All universities to become At the time of writing, the Branch has adding Education Officer, Lifelong accredited by the Living Wage submitted a pay claim but has not Learning Coordinator, and member Foundation had any meetings to discuss the of several committees and A 35 hour working week claim or receive an offer. We have panels. She is now a well-known proposed that the increase accepted Action to close the gender and figure at regional and national level ethnicity pay gaps by the other Universities should be and makes sure that everyone she made to us. Action to reduce excessive meets knows that this branch is workloads and combat stress active and willing to play its part. In addition we have asked that: In response, University employers Stella loves people who can smile all O&F employees and APM are offering the majority of HE staff a and enjoy life. If there are problems employees at the top of their grade rise of 1.8%, and lower paid staff that stop that happening, she wants are moved one point up on the pay between 1.82% and 3.65%. scale, to put it right. She hates bullies, and Where does the 1.8% offer come from? will stand up to anyone who thinks that annual leave is increased by that they have the right to belittle or one day, and The Government uses the CPIH take advantage of someone else. (Consumer Price Index including the University’s contribution to the owner occupiers’ Housing costs), to Stella can’t hold her tongue when CRSP pension scheme is calculate increases in pay, benefits she knows that something is increased. and as a measure of the economy. wrong. If she could change just one Once we receive a response to our This is because it tends to be the thing about the University – or claim we will be in touch to find out lowest of the three possible indices, indeed any work place – it would be how you feel about the offer. the others being the CPI (Consumer that people could speak out if Price Index), and the RPI (Retail something is wrong, be listened to University employees who are part Price Index). and have their opinions valued. As it of the national pay negotiations have stands, there are too many vested been offered 1.8% with a slightly At the start of national negotiations interests to allow that to happen, and higher increase for the bottom few CPIH was 1.8%, so the employers that is why we still need unions! points on the pay scale. The initial say that is a fair increase. The RPI response has been to reject the was 2.5%. It is said that people become like offer. UNISON will be holding a their pets. Stella has a border collie The UNISON website has an online ballot in September for those called Jess. Collies are tireless, keep calculator that will show how much members who are part of the their flock safe and face down your pay would be if we had kept up national pay negotiations. They will predators, but make great friends. with the RPI. You will find it on the Any member who has had Stella HE pay ballot page. supporting them over the past few years would recognise the similarity. P.S. It is not all positive, Stella is hopeless at languages, she never learned Welsh and she has not picked up the East Midlands dialect either, so if you ever hear her say ‘duck’, you’d better do it! UNISON is international At the National Delegates Conference, Unison General Many members may not be aware Secretary Dave Prentis noted that that UNISON has a proud tradition Unison’s solidarity “has no borders”. of standing up and supporting the Unison efforts are reaching out as rights of workers around the far as Turkey, the Palestinian Unison announced they are helping world. We are proud to have Territories and Colombia. He to organise a Solidarity with worked on many campaigns that described Internationalism as “the Palestine conference for UK trade have changed the lives of heart of our union; solidarity its union activists. Currently this is millions. As a result of our bedrock”. support to the anti-Apartheid planned to be held in London on 12 Each day, the Conference started movement in South Africa, Nelson October, 10-5pm.

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