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UNISON members at the Kirklees bins depots at Vine Street (Huddersfield) and George Street (Dewsbury) have voted for strike action over bullying/harassment and inability to take annual leave/special leave and attend medical appointments.

They voted by 85.5% to 14.5% on an 86.1% turnout to have strike action.  This is a massive turnout and Yes vote (last year the Government increased the minimum turnout in an industrial action ballot to 50%).  The bin workers have comfortably smashed that barrier.

This following management’s promises, over 6 months ago, to look into long-running issues of bullying and harassment.  Some bin workers have over 10 months’ holiday to take and no chance of taking it.

The bin workers are at the end of their tether and will be striking from 4th to 10th June 2018 (inclusive) ie one week.  They will then appraise the situation.

Paul Holmes, Kirklees UNISON Branch Secretary said “workers don’t take strike action lightly – going on strike is a serious business and a great deal of ‘soul-searching’ is involved.  Our members have families, dependents and some are carers.  But how long can you put up with bullying every day?  At some stage you have to say ‘enough is enough’.  The bin workers have reached that stage”.

Huddersfield TUC Rally in Support of the Kirklees Bin Workers

Tuesday 22nd May 2018 at 7.00pm at the  Methodist Mission, Lord Street, Huddersfield

Speakers : Paul Holmes, Kirklees UNISON Branch Secretary
and a Kirklees Council Bin Worker

All Welcome : public meeting

 

KIRKLEES COLLEGE

As the Bulletin has informed you previously, the branch have also been balloting for industrial action at Kirklees College over the financial situation there.

The issues in the ballot were compulsory redundancies, salary protection, cuts in terms and conditions and the 2017/18 pay award.

The ballot result was a resounding 84% Yes for strike action.  Unfortunately the turnout was 48.8% and the new government legislation sets a minimum of a 50% turnout for a ballot result to be enacted.  So strike action can’t be enacted.  The ballot was just 3 votes short of 50% - even if the 3 votes had have been no, we could have taken action (This is the second time this has happened at Kirklees College – in last year’s vote at the College for strike action over the failure to pay the 2016/17 pay award – we were only 6 votes short of a 50% turnout). 

The Yes vote gives a strong message but, unfortunately, no legal basis for taking strike action.   It is a great result  - nullified by pernicious legislation

CHILDREN’S SOCIAL WORK TEAMS

Stewards in the Children’s Social Work Teams met last week and agreed to call for an urgent meeting with Children’s Social Work management and, unless agreement is reached, then they want to return to strike action.  The Branch will report further shortly.

DISABLED MEMBERS

We are looking to re-set up the UNISON Disabled Members’ Group.

If anyone is interested in being part of the group, please contact Dean Pye at the Kirklees UNISON Branch Office on 01484 – 511826.

BLACK MEMBERS’ MEETING

The next Black Members meeting for Kirklees UNISON members will be held at 5.00pm on Tuesday 5th June 2018 at the Kirklees UNISON branch office, 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield.

Existing and new members of the group are welcome to come to the meeting. 

A Thompson, Equalities Officer

WOMENS’S GROUP MEETING

The next meeting of Kirklees UNISON’s Women’s Group will be on Tuesday 22nd May 2018 and this will be held at the Kirklees UNISON Branch Office, 4 New North Parade, Huddersfield at 4.00pm.

The meeting is open to all women members of Kirklees UNISON.

(Please note the change of date of the meeting.  It was originally on 21st  May 2018.)

HUDDERSFIELD TUC PUBLIC MEETING

‘It is now 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King—isn’t it time that the Britain establishment put an end to anti-immigrant rhetoric?’

Speakers — Martha Osamor (Unite Activist, Equal Opportunities Leader)
Andrew Thompson (Unison Steward, Kirklees Bin Worker)
Paul Thomas (Professor, University of Huddersfield)

Friday 25th May 2018, 5.30pm—7.00pm (refreshments from 5.00pm)
Brian Jackson House, 2 New North Parade, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP

2018 SCHOOL UNIFORM GRANTS

Each year Unison set up a limited grant to help UNISON members on low income with school uniform costs by way of a “one-off” payments of up to £120.  The grants are up to £40 per school age child, up to a limit of £120.

To be eligible you must be a UNISON member who has paid 4 weeks’ subscriptions before 4th May 2018 (the last date of the programme) and either:-

1. receive housing benefit (or the housing element of Universal Credit)
2. have a net household annual income of £18,000 or less (net income means salary after tax, national insurance, superannuation etc and including your partner’s income (if applicable) and any benefits).  Do not include in your calculations - Child benefit, the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, (if paid), Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment

• Neither you/your partner should have savings (or rolling bank balances) of more than £800
• You must not have received a grant from UNISON ‘There for You’ during the previous 6 months (including a winter fuel grant)
• Applications are limited to one per household – priority is given to those who have not previously received a school uniform grant
• You are not eligible for school uniform grants from your local authority
• Financially responsible for the child/children

How to apply?
  
Telephone either Kirklees UNISON branch office for a form (01484-511826 or 01924-438188)

 

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.

 

DONCASTER RACEDAY

This year’s Doncaster Raceday is on Saturday 4th August 2018.  ‘2 for 1’ Grandstand tickets – ticket price of £13 for 2 tickets.  (There will be a £2.75 transaction charge for all ticket bookings).  The branch will also be running a bus to the raceday - details to follow.

Offer on race tickets closes at 5.00pm on Friday 27th July 2018.

To book Raceday tickets, telephone the Kirklees UNISON branch office (01484 511826) and staff will give you details of how to book.  (UNISON members can upgrade to 2 ‘County’ tickets for £30 (the two tickets are normally £32.00 each).

 

DURHAM MINERS’ GALA

The branch will be organising a bus to the Durham Miners’ Gala on Saturday 14th July 2018.  The bus will leave Huddersfield Bus Station at 8.30am and Dewsbury Bus Station at 9.00am (it will leave Durham at about 5.00pm back to Dewsbury (about 6.30pm) and Huddersfield (about 7.00pm).

The bus is free to Kirklees UNISON members and their  children (under 16).  £10 to other family members and  members of other trade unions.

The is a great day out – not to be missed.  Attendances are regularly in excess of 150,000 – with speeches, marches, stalls, brass band, banners, a fair, marquees, and lots more besides (speak to someone who’s been before – everyone enjoys it)

 

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.