Tag: covid-19

August Newsletter

Southend UNISON Newsletter August 2021

Follow these links to individual articles:

Local Government & Schools Pay
Mandatory Vaccinations for Care Staff
SBC Business Support Restructure

or download a pdf here  

Aug news front page

Local Government & Schools Pay

Unions recommend REJECT in consultative ballot

Reject Pay Offer 2021

 The trade union side of the National joint Committee (NJC) met  on 28th July to discuss the  Employers’ Side’s final pay offer, and to agree next steps.

The offer is for a 1.75% pay increase from 1 April 2021, with 2.75% for those on spinal column point 1. The offer also included commitment to complete the term time review, discussions on joint guidance on homeworking and mental health, and incorporation of new statutory provisions of neo-natal leave and pay into the Green Book.

This offer affects local council employees, most schools staff and other organisations which follow the NJC pay award.

This offer falls far short of what members need and deserve. Local government staff have suffered years of real terms pay cuts, and inflation is now 3.9%. So the 1.75% for everyone above pay point 1 will cause local government pay to fall further behind the cost of living. Our members have shown how indispensable they are throughout COVID, often putting their own health and safety at risk so as to continue to provide services. This pay offer is far less than they deserve.

There is more informstion about the pay claim and the consultation here: https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2021/08/now-is-the-time-have-your-say-on-pay/

The trade unions have agreed to launch a consultation of members on this pay offer. On 6th September, you should receive an email with details of the electronic consultation. Check your spam folder as well as your inbox!  Please make sure UNISON has the right contact details for you, including the email you want us to use – you can do this yourself at https://www.unison.org.uk/my-unison/

UNISON and the other unions agreed strongly to recommend that members vote to reject the pay offer.

 

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Mandatory Vaccines for Care Staff

Covidvax image

New legislation covering care homes comes in to being on November 11th 2021. If you have not had your second Covid vaccination in time to be effective by this date you could be subject to having your contract with your employer ended unless you have a valid medical reason for not having the vaccination.

UNISON will where possible support our members in negotiating with the employer to secure redeployment if that is practicable. If you feel you are not being treated fairly by your employer let us know and we will offer support and advice wherever we can.

UNISON believes that employers should offer staff paid time off to get the vaccinations as part of the national effort. They should also support their employees to enable them to abide by the new legislation while continuing to do their jobs. We would also encourage employers not to count any time off due to any side effects of the vaccine towards sickness.

We understand that some people have concerns about vaccines, but UNISON urges all employees who are called forward to be inoculated to ensure that they take up the opportunity as soon as possible. We have always opposed compulsion, believing that persuasion is a much better way of increasing vaccine take up. However, we will be working to support and protect members who are affected by the new legislation.

Remember although the vaccines are effective, they do not completely stop the infection transmitting from person to person so all appropriate health and safety measures should still be taken by your employer. These measures will include personal protective equipment (PPE), for instance masks and aprons and also continued social distancing where it is appropriate. If you believe any of this support from your employer during the pandemic is not forthcoming – let UNISON know!

You can download further information here (Word documents):

https://www.unison.org.uk/unison-guidance-for-branches-on-mandatory-vaccination-in-social-care-final-4th-aug/

https://www.unison.org.uk/vaccination-faq/

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SBC Business Support Restructure

 UNISON has been supporting members in ‘Business Support’ across Southend Council, where a loss of 28 FTEs (Full Time Equivalents) is planned and 157 staff are having to reapply for their jobs.

The ‘consultation’ gave no information about the new jobs. This was completely unacceptable and the unions have now obtained an extension to the exercise. The Council will issue new information on the 6th September.

Will this be enough to make the consultation ‘meaningful’? We have met councillors to point out that the information for staff has been poor and that the plan to cut 25% of resources overall will impact services. Watch this space!

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Covid-19 Mass Meeting for Schools and Early Years Members 27th January

Covid-19 – Schools and Early Years Mass Meeting:

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.
National Schools Meeting

Schools and Lockdown – UNISON says more action needed!

Schools and the ‘Second Lockdown’ – action needed for staff and student safety!

classroom photoIf 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:

  • Reduce risks by maximising social distancing and implement existing
    contingency plans for reduced class sizes and home learning (schools alreadyhave these plans in plans in place).
  • Reduce bubble sizes and introduce rotas to reduce risks.
  • Staff remaining within one bubble; so reducing the risk of spread across the
    school.
  • Moving whole bubbles to home learning where a pupil or member of staff
    develops coronavirus symptoms or receives a positive test.
  • Ensure that all school staff have priority access to the test and trace system.
    Require all pupils and staff to wear face coverings while at school (including
    classrooms) as is policy in other countries e.g. France. Clear face masks to
    be made available so that pupils and staff who need to read lips are not
    disadvantaged. There should be exemptions for pupils and staff who cannot
    wear face coverings.
  • Move all clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), clinically vulnerable (CV), staff over 60 and pregnant staff (3rd trimester) to home working as they are at the highest risk from becoming seriously ill if they catch the virus. CEV and CVstaff who cannot work from home to stay at home on full pay.
    Individual risk assessments for staff in other higher risk groups, such as Black staff, older male staff and those with weight issues, who are at increased risk of adverse outcomes if they contract the virus. Staff identified as being at particular risk should also be allowed to work from home.
  • Permit and encourage staff (and pupils aged 16 and over) to use the NHS
    COVID app in school, including classrooms, as per DfE guidance.
  • Stronger measures on school transport and at the school gates to stop
    mixing, ensure social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
  • Increase funding to schools to cover the increased costs of cleaning

You can read our statement in full here.

Latest Advice for Schools Workers

Schools Workers – Latest Advice from UNISON

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:

  • You should not be in school at work if you, people you live with, or people you care for are in an ‘at risk group’ (see UNISON’s  national website www.unison.org.uk for the details on this)
  • The school  should seek volunteers to work where possible
  • Large staff meetings should not be held
  • You should only be caring for children who have no other means of care due to the critical role their parents have (around 10% of the school population) – the school needs to be clear with parents that if they can care for their children they should
  • You should not be at work if you are not directly supporting children. For instance, you do not need to be in school to be put on a rota to clean out the cupboards! Heads should be minimising contact by minimising numbers of workers in the school. This in turn will minimise the risk of infection
  • You should have access to PPE (personal protective equipment) such as hand sanitisers and wipes.

Working over the Easter holidays:

  • You need a break too – try and negotiate what rota best suits you over this time. Maybe have a week as a block of time off if this is appropriate?
  • You should get paid for working over the holiday –  if you prefer time off in lieu then ask but be aware this might be hard to take and the current situation may last for a long period of time.

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.