Southend UNISON’s February 2021 branch newsletter is available for download here.
Articles include:
- Covid Health and Safety Advice
- Redeployment Rights
- National Women’s Event
- General Secretary Election Results
- Southend Council Cuts
Southend UNISON’s February 2021 branch newsletter is available for download here.
Articles include:
UNISON is holding a mass national on-line meeting for schools and early years members in England on Wednesday 27 January at 5pm. We will talk through the issues facing schools and early years workers right now and will be answering members’ questions throughout the meeting.
Southend UNISON urges our members in schools and early years to attend this meeting.
The meeting is on-line and you can find details, including of how to join up on the national website here.
The latest Covid advice can be found here.
If you work in a school or have school-age children, UNISON believes urgent actions are needed over and above current government policy to support suppressing Covid 19 in our community and to safeguard staff, students and families.
If you have concerns about your school, or want help and support implementing safe working, contact UNISON at unison@southend.gov.uk
UNISON’s national Schools Committee believes that to help bring the national rate of infection down, to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and the community, and to prevent further damaging ad hoc closures, schools and nurseries should instead return to the position of the first lockdown – open only for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.
To ensure effective home learning, the government should urgently fund all necessary equipment for pupils that need it, so that high quality education can continue. We are firmly committed to getting pupils and staff safely back into schools once national infection rates are under control.
In the meantime, we believe the following safety steps should be implemented immediately:
You can read our statement in full here.
UNISON appreciates these are extraordinary times for all with increased anxiety and emotions running high. The latest news of some schools staying open has no doubt added to this. As a branch we will continue to support our members and to ensure we all get the best advice and information.
Southend Local Government UNISON’s latest advice on the current situation is:
Working over the Easter holidays:
The local UNISON website www.unisonsouthend.org.uk and the national website www.unison.org.uk have information for all workers and this information will be updated regularly. Please share this resource with colleagues.
We will be contacting schools directly to inform them of our concerns and expectations as above. Remember you do have rights and while you will be working hard to do what you can for children, do not place yourself at any unnecessary risk.
If you or your colleagues are union members but do not receive emails from UNISON, please email us at unison@southend.gov.uk to enable us to ensure we can keep in touch with you.
Please keep in touch with your union over these issues whether with good stories about how we are coping safely or your concerns and worries, so we can collectively support each other in what are unprecedented times.