Kirklees UNISON is the local branch of UNISON. We are committed to the principles of solidarity, unity and progress. There is no room for division in our movement. Our strength comes from our belief that only by acting together can ordinary working people organise for their mutual benefit. Individually we beg, together we negotiate. The 11,000 plus members in Kirklees UNISON seek to act for the improvement of our life and our defence against those who would reduce it.
Your public services are at breaking point. Hear from the people who provide them – and their personal, and often frank stories of the tremendous pressures they face.
Hear their voices. Share their stories. Take a stand for your public services.
WOMEN’S GROUP
Elections will take place at the meeting for delegates from the branch to the National UNISON Women’s Conference in 2019. Any motions that the Kirklees UNISON Women’s Group want to put to the National UNISON Women’s conference in 2019 have to be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 25th October 2018.
UNISON Health Plan
Why not get money back on everyday expenses such as trips to the dentists and opticians? (plus a whole range of therapy treatments and other cash paying benefits)
You can get cover for Optical, Dental, Specialist Consultation, Complementary Therapies and Chiropody and Physiotherapy, Health Screening, Parental Stays, Worldwide Cover plus more (with cover for up to 5 children included with every plan).
You can claim 100% money back on your bills (13 weeks’ after your first payment). Telephone Kirklees UNISON Office for a leaflet with details.
To claim all you need to do is complete a claim form and return it with your receipt and you will receive your money back in a few days, cheque or bank transfer.
UNISON Insurance
UNISON’s own insurance company (UIA) provides:-
Home Insurance – 24/7 UK-based claims support
Travel Insurance – single trip and annual multi-trip cover
Pet Insurance – claims department staffed with veterinary nurses
Telephone the Branch Office for a form
Table Tennis
Free table tennis is available for Kirklees UNISON members every Wednesday dinner time (between 12 noon and 1.00pm) at the KAL Leisure Centre, Springwood, Huddersfield.
All you have to do is turn up – free table tennis bats/balls are provided at the venue.
(We are looking for a Kirklees UNISON member to help organise the table tennis because the previous ‘organiser’ has moved work location. Please telephone, the Kirklees UNISON office if you are interested in undertaking this ‘role’.)
‘Wear Red Day’
‘Show Racism the Red Card’ are having a ‘wear red day’. This will be held on Friday 19th October 2018. This event comes in the middle of Black History month, which is a poignant time to support this event.
With the rise in racism, it is important for members to get behind this campaign.
Badges and wrist bands are being sent to all stewards. Please could you wear these to show your support to the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ day.
Please could stewards encourage members to wear red on October 19th 2018 to show their support as well.
There are also T-shirts, if members want to order them through the branch office.
The cost for these are :
Adults - £6
Child - £5
2 T-shirts - for £10
Christmas Pantomime
This year’s Christmas Panto is Aladdin at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield on Saturday 5th January 2019 at 2.30pm.
Ticket prices are as follows:-
Kirklees UNISON members, non-members and
non-members’ children under 16 - £17
Kirklees UNISON members’ children under 16 - Free
Kirklees UNISON members’ grandchildren - £5
Kirklees UNISON have booked all the seats at the theatre for the whole performance. Ice creams will be provided free for members’ children/grandchildren. Free transport will also be provided from Dewsbury, Mirfield, Batley, Holmfirth, Honley, Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike. (Please note that tickets are not sold to adults who could be Kirklees UNISON members at their workplace, but aren’t. This is a subsidised performance by the branch).
Tickets can be purchased by telephoning either of the branch offices (Dewsbury or Huddersfield) for a booking form or calling in personally. (The Huddersfield office is open 5 days a week and the Dewsbury office Thursdays only). Please make sure you buy your tickets as soon as possible – once they’re gone they’re gone and they always sell out.
All UNISON members in the Council who go directly from home to their first call and/or leave their last call and go directly home, please contact Dean Pye (Steward) at the Huddersfield Branch Office on 01484-511826, for a legal case form to lodge their case for potential back pay.
Anyone who does sleep-ins as part of their work please contact Dean Pye (Steward) at the Huddersfield Branch Office, on 01484-511826, if you think you are not being paid correctly for the hours you are at work. (For a “sleep- in” your total pay must be at least £7.50 per hour – however it is made up, even if you slept the whole shift and were not disturbed.)
Kirklees UNISON run a monthly lottery. The price of each lottery number is 25p per week per number.
The monthly prizes in the draw are:
1st prize = £175
2nd prize= £150
3rd prize = £ 75
4th prize = £ 50
5th prize = £ 30 x 5
This lottery is only open to Kirklees UNISON members. You can have as many tickets per week as you want.
If you want to join the lottery please contact the Kirklees UNISON branch office on
01484 511826
Kirklees UNISON
Casual Cleaner
We currently have a requirement for a Casual Cleaner in our busy town centre office (Huddersfield) to cover for holidays and sickness absences.
The hours worked will normally be early weekday mornings. The rate of pay is £8.86 per hour.
Please contact the Office Manager, Georgina Bottomley for further details on 01484 511826.
These two courses are a fantastic free opportunity for UNISON members who have been away from learning for a long time. The courses are run in a friendly and supportive environment with the support of a Workers Education Association tutor experienced in working with Adults.
Return to Learn (all UNISON members)
This course consists of 12 study group sessions run in the evening for two and a half hours and one residential weekend. The course is designed to help you gain skills and confidence to study, learn or do something new. This course will start this Autumn at two venues :
Monday evenings at Barnsley Town Hall
Thursday evenings at Orange Box in Halifax Town Centre.
Women’s Lives
This course consists of 10 study group sessions run in the evening for two hours and one residential weekend. Women’s Lives is a course designed for women who have been out of education for some time and have had few educational opportunities in the past. This course is for women with busy lives, families and other commitments. Many women are used to looking after other peoples’ needs. This is an opportunity to set time aside for you! This course will run this Autumn from the following venues:
Wednesday evenings at Huddersfield New College, Huddersfield
Tuesday evenings at Swarthmore Centre, Leeds
Wednesday evenings at The Circle, Sheffield
If you would like further information about any of these two courses please ring Michael Pogson on 01484 511826.
Kirklees UNISON’s Self Organised Groups are held monthly, as follows:
BLACK MEMBERS
First Wednesday of each month
1-2pm
WOMEN’S
Last Monday of each month 4-5pm
DISABLED
First Wednesday of each month 4-5pm
LGBT
Third Wednesday of each month 4-5pm
All the meetings are in the Kirklees UNISON Branch Office at 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP. For more information please telephone Sabahat Rafiq, Equalities Officer at the Branch Office on 01484 511826
Granville Williams and Sue Williams being presented with Kirklees UNISON commemorative plates at the last Branch Committee meeting for their work with ‘With Banners Held High’.
Kirklees Learning Group is a partnership between Kirklees Council and the Joint Trade Unions (UNISON, Unite and the GMB) with the aim of improving the literacy and maths skills of Kirklees employees.
Through the Learning Group we are able to offer courses up to level 2 (GCSE / O Level equivalent) in both Maths and English functional skills. The courses are delivered by Kirklees College at both Dewsbury and Huddersfield sites and usually run for a period of 15 weeks. These courses are free and, in most instances, Kirklees employees will be able to attend these courses in work’s time. If you are interested in improving your Maths and English skills, then please contact Michael Pogson (Lifelong Learning Co-ordinator) via the Branch Office on 01484 511826.
UNISON is looking to promote two more self-organised groups within our Kirklees Branch.
They are Disability and Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender Groups. (The branch already has functioning Black Members’ and Women’s Groups.)
We are hoping to get these groups ‘up and running’. These groups are there to support people who have issues within their workplace and also for networking. The benefits are very rewarding so join up now.
Contact Orvil Smith or Sabahat Rafiq (Equalities Officer - job share) on 01484 511826 for further details and information.
This Branch has a commemorative plate to recognise the miners who were on strike during the 1984/5 Miners’ Strike.
The plate (priced £20) can be bought by any Kirklees UNISON member. On the back of the plate you can have a 'personalised' inscription of two lines. Or you can have no inscription on the back at all.
To obtain a plate (priced £20) please contact the branch office on
01484 511826.
Banner Theatre - Financial Appeal
Huddersfield Trades Union Council is pleased to announce that Banner Theatre is presenting its multimedia cabaret 'Spirit of 1868'. The production has been commissioned by the 'Manchester Mechanics Trust' to celebrate the founding of the TUC 150 years ago.
In 1868 when the TUC was founded workers were fighting for union recognition, the end of casual labour and improvements in working conditions. Sounds familiar?
The production will take place at Huddersfield Irish Centre, 86 Fitzwilliam Street, HD1 5BB at 7.00 for 7.30pm on Friday 16th November 2018. The price of tickets is £5 in advance from the Branch Office, £6 on the door.
This year’s Christmas Panto is Aladdin at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield on Saturday 5th January 2019 at 2.30pm.
Ticket prices are as follows:-
Kirklees UNISON members, non-members and
non-members’ children under 16 - £17
Kirklees UNISON members’ children under 16 - Free
Kirklees UNISON members’ grandchildren - £5
Kirklees UNISON have booked all the seats at the theatre for the whole performance. Ice creams will be provided free for members’ children/grandchildren. Free transport will also be provided from Dewsbury, Mirfield, Batley, Holmfirth, Honley, Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike. (Please note that tickets are not sold to adults who could be Kirklees UNISON members at their workplace, but aren’t. This is a subsidised performance by the branch).
Tickets can be purchased by telephoning either of the branch offices (Dewsbury or Huddersfield) for a booking form or calling in personally. (The Huddersfield office is open 5 days a week and the Dewsbury office Thursdays only). Please make sure you buy your tickets as soon as possible – once they’re gone they’re gone and they always sell out.
You can download the booking form here 
Do you have an NHS dentist?
Get £500 of dental cover with the NHS plan exclusively available to UNISON members and their families. Get money back each time you visit your NHS dentist, meaning no more costly treatment bills. Plus, as an exclusive offer, join today and get immediate cover.
Find out more
Discounted car insurance for UNISON members is available from LV (Liverpool Victoria) Insurance. Last year 10% of new UNISON customers at LV paid £186 per annum or less for their car insurance.
Breakdown cover is also available to UNISON members for £72 per annum.
Telephone 0800 756 8154 (car insurance) or 0800 756 8692 (breakdown cover) for a quotation. (Textphone 18001)
(Motorbike Insurance, Classic Car insurance and Caravan insurance – 0800 032 0535)
All Kirklees UNISON members are reminded that there are free Badminton and Table Tennis facilities for Kirklees UNISON Members at Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Springwood, Huddersfield between 12 noon and 1.00pm on Wednesdays. Rackets/bats etc can be provided. Please contact Leslie Bhola (01484 – 221000) if you require further details or merely turn up on the day.
UNISON’s own holiday centre at Croyde Bay, North Devon has now got a 50% low-paid members’ discount available for its chalets and hotel (subject to availability).
If the total household income for a household for a single person/couple is less than £18,000 per annum (before deductions) or, for a family living in the same property, is less than £28,000 per annum, then you will be able to get a 50% discount. (This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Evidence of income must be provided to confirm eligibility).
To find out more telephone - 01271-890-890 or go to www.croydeunison.co.uk.
DISCOUNT FOR UNISON MEMBERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH VAUXHALL
0% APR representative/flexible finance, plus Vauxhall lifetime warranty (100,000 miles).
Also discounts on Vauxhall insurance and genuine Vauxhall accessories.
All these offers are available for all eligible family members too!
Please contact the Branch Office on 01484 511826 for details.
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