Public Forum

(Sponsored by Reading Shop Stewards Network & RMT Reading Branch)

SAVE OUR SERVICES – WE WON’T PAY FOR THEIR CRISIS!

We’ve watched the bankers gamble and lose, watched their financial system go into meltdown.

We’ve watched banks and companies collapse, watched the government hand £50 billion to the one’s who’re to blame.

We’ve watched jobs lost, homes taken, lives wrecked. We’ve watched the richest 1000 people in the UK increase their wealth by £80 billion.

Now we are expected to watch while our public services which we rely on are smashed to pay for the crisis that they created.

“We are in this together”. “We are the big society”. We are being robbed.
Enough! It is time we stand up and stop this. Time we unite and fight back against these cuts.

On 23rd September join community groups, trade unions, political and faith groups, service user groups as well as residents and workers from across Reading to form a coalition against these cuts to our services.

There is too much at stake to sit back and watch. 

Join us at 7.00PM, THURSDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER @ READING TOWN HALL,

BLAGRAVE ST, RG1 1QH

And

Demonstration against Tory Party Conference

Sunday 3rd October, Central Birmingham
Coach leaves 9:15 from South Street, Reading

Tickets £12 / £8 Concession / £20 Solidarity
Coach organised by Reading Shop Stewards Network. For further info ring 07544822759

WOKINGHAM DISTRICT BRANCH

Dear Colleague,

Following on from the Personnel Board’s acceptance to put on hold making a decision with regards to the introduction of car park fees and changes to the mileage allowance, the Unison Branch and the NUT have entered into negotiations with Wokingham Borough Council. We have been provided with a number of options that we now wish to consult with you our members. The first part of this consultation involves providing you with the options as outlined to Unison and we wish to discuss these new proposals at two Unison meetings next week. These meetings are only open to Unison members.

The two meetings will take place on Monday September 6^th in the Council Chamber between 12-1pm and on Tuesday September 7^th between 4-5pm. You only need to attend one as the agenda is the same, namely discussion of the new options regarding proposed car park fees and changes to mileage allowance. In the mean time please look at the attachments and email any feedback to me (Paul Bee), and if you have any alternative proposals please let me know too.

I do apologise for the speed with which we are holding these meetings and the short notice involved, but we only have a one month time frame for this consultation phase.

Best Wishes,

Paul

Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

UNISON Branch Health & Safety Officer

Tel: 0118 9746747/0118 9746964

email: paul.bee@wokingham.gov.uk

          unison@wokingham.gov.uk

PERSONNEL BOARD UNANIMOUS VOTE

 Dear Colleague,

On Tuesday evening, the 24th August, the Personnel Board voted unanimously to put on hold making a decision with regards to the proposed car park fees and the changes to the mileage allowance.

 I believe that this has been as a result of UNISON consulting with you our members and formally advising senior management and the Personnel Board of your feedback, and making strong representations for the need for on-going consultations with regards to the removal of free car parking and changes to the mileage allowance.

 I think the lobbying that was carried out by UNISON members yesterday at Shute End and by being present at the Personnel Board meeting itself has also helped to demonstrate how seriously concerned we are that decisions could have been made without a full and proper consultation having taken place. I therefore wish to say a big thank you to all of you who turned up yesterday (and those who were unable to make it but were there in spirit) as well as extending a personal thank you to the support we have with the NUT trade union with whom we are working closely in our request for on-going consultations and negotiations.

 I think it is important to note, that UNISON’s reputation can only be enhanced with what was achieved at the Personnel Board yesterday, and it does go to show how, when we use our collective bargaining power appropriately and effectively, that we can influence the decision-making process.

 We now have until the end of September 2010 to identify our main concerns, if possible come up with alternative cost saving ideas, and to put forward proposals that achieve the savings from the car park scheme and mileage allowance. This is clearly a priority for the Branch Committee as we now move into a formal consultation phase with Wokingham Borough Council and we will be holding a further UNISON members meeting before the end of September deadline so that we can consult with you our members.

 In the mean time, I would like to again say thank you to all of you who have attended meetings, provided us with verbal and written feedback about your concerns and suggested alternative savings, and have supported your Branch in our representations to the Personnel Board.

 Best Regards

 Paul

 Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

WOKINGHAM DISTRICT BRANCH

Branch Position on Staff Car Parking Fees & Changes to Mileage Allowance

UNISON Does Not Agree With The Proposals & Are Seeking Further Discussions

Dear Colleague,

 Depending on the efficiency of your local postal service you could be returning home today to find a letter on your door mat concerning the new car parking scheme.

 On behalf of our Branch, I would like to make clear what out current position is.

UNISON has not agreed to either staff car parking fees or the changes to Mileage Allowances.

The UNISON Branch Executive were given advanced warning of these proposals and were not at liberty to disclose any details until you had received the letter of notification. We were also advised that a lengthy consultation may lead to more redundancies. Whilst taking note of early discussions, we have formerly requested a ‘proper’ consultation with regards to the introduction of staff car parking fees which we consider to be an additional tax on staff at a time when we are facing a pay cut due to the pay freeze and a high RPI rate of inflation. We are also requesting on-going consultations concerning the proposed changes to the Mileage rates which is essentially a contractual term of employment. As well as disagreeing with the principle of imposing car parking fees, we are concerned that those who earn less than £22k are expected to pay a higher percentage of their annual income than those on £22k plus. We are also hearing that staff who are currently essential car users or to use WBC’s terminology ‘High Mileage Car User’ are likely to be £800-£900 per year worse off under these proposals meaning that they are worse off financially than five years ago. We in UNISON are fully aware of the desperate situation that most of our members will face when having to make difficult decisions about their household budgets now that their take home pay will be less.

Now that the information is out on the table, I can advise you that as well as requesting on-going consultations, we are seeking advice from the other 5 UNISON Branches in Berkshire, meeting with Councillors to express our concerns as well as taking legal advice with regards to possible contractual issues raised in the proposals. I am also waiting for a National Unison finance officer to advise me on the analysis of the Council’s accounts and budget plans to see if the necessary £1.2m savings can be achieved without Wokingham Borough Council needing to implement these measures.

It is important at this point to clarify that if anyone is contractually obliged to have a car for work purposes then to withdraw their car is a breach of contract. To withdraw their car would therefore require a formal ballot for a form of industrial action. We are still waiting for a legal opinion as to whether there is any scope for a car to be left at home so it is still technically ‘available’ but not just at work.

We also want to consult with you our members and tomorrow you will receive an invitation to attend a Unison members meeting next week to discuss management’s proposals. We will hold two meetings one in the morning and one in the afternoon as a means to understand your views and also to understand the degree of collective bargaining pressure we can bring to the table in our future discussions.

In the mean time, We in UNISON would be very interested to have your views on what the contents mean to you. We would especially want to hear from you as to what you think would be an appropriate response to our employers and what you feel UNISON as a branch should do to highlight any opposition to the scheme, if there are any!  We have a website where you can leave anonymous comment, we have a UNISON e-mail address, we have UNISON reps (please refer to our website for contact details), we have a UNISON office(cupboard) on the ground floor of Shute End. So you have every opportunity to make contact with us and let us know your reaction.

 Best Wishes

 Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

UNISON Branch Health & Safety Officer

Tel: 0118 9746747/0118 9746964

email: paul.bee@wokingham.gov.uk

          unison@wokingham.gov.uk

 PRESS RELEASE – Wokingham Borough Council to Reduce the Head Count by 100 in the Next 12 Months

Embargo: Immediate Release (July 27^th,  2010)

The Coalition Government’s in year cuts to local government grants and the emergency budget means that Wokingham Borough Council needs to achieve an additional £1.2 m savings this financial year.

Last week, Susan Law, the Council’s Chief Executive gave a high level briefing to employees on how Wokingham is proposing to make these savings. Proposals include accelerating the Transformation Project with savings being achieved by a massive job cut of 100 posts within 12 months as well as eroding employees’ terms and conditions of employment.

In response, Paul Bee Wokingham UNISON’s Branch Secretary has this to say:

The staff briefings have left employees angry and anxious about their future, service delivery and how these cuts will inevitably impact on the local economy. We are not surprised that Susan Law has some tough decisions to make as a result of the unnecessary but intentional and ideologically fuelled attacks by the Coalition Government on the public sector. It seems from the current proposals on the table that it is Wokingham Borough employees who, already facing a two year pay freeze and are struggling to survive financially because of increased energy, fuel and food costs, are expected to take the most pain and bear the brunt of cutting the deficit created by the Banks.

Low paid workers, who already face pay freezes and job cuts, will now also see their services and household income cut.

UNISON are currently looking at staff’s suggestions about how savings can be made that meets Wokingham’s need to reduce costs by £1.2m. We will be seeking a dialogue over the Council’s finances, as we believe that savings can be achieved without deleting 100 posts and eroding our terms and conditions of employment.

ENDS

Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

Mobile: 07533615663

UNISON, the UK’s leading public sector trade union, today called on MPs to spare a thought for workers on term-time only contracts, the unemployed, and people worried about losing their jobs, through the summer recess, starting tomorrow (Tuesday 27 July).

The union warned that many workers cannot afford the basics, let alone a summer holiday this year, and will miss out on the chance to spend time with their families, recharge their batteries and deal with the fall out of a stressful year.

Even without going on holiday, many parents will struggle to cope with the additional cost of childcare, day trips and holiday activities for children when they are not at school. A recent survey* put the overall spend by families through the summer at £5.6 billion – or more than £300 per family.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: “While MPs leave parliament for the summer recess, they should spare a thought for cash-strapped workers and the unemployed, priced out of a holiday this year.

“Many workers, including teaching assistants on term-time only contracts, miss out on pay in the summer months. This makes it near on impossible to afford a break. Reports that 600,000 public sector jobs are facing the axe mean that many people still in work will be too worried about joining the dole queues to go on holiday.

“Even without going away, the cost of the school holidays can mount up for parents. It is a huge blow that recent cut-backs have seen the end of free swimming – one of the only enjoyable activities available to low-income families.

“Parents feel huge pressure to give their children a decent break. Our worry is that low-income families will get into debt, and many parents will be forced to go without to make ends meet.

“It all adds up to a stressful summer for parents and children. Missing out on the chance for rest and relaxation will have a huge knock on effect to stress levels for the rest of the year and beyond.”

Plans to boost local councillors’ allowances by 2.3% were condemned as “a disgrace” today (14 July) by UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union.

The Local Government Association (LGA), who is recommending the increase, is also calling for councillors to get paid a daily rate of £152.77 to attend LGA meetings.

Heather Wakefield, UNISON’s Head of Local Government, said:

“This expenses hike is a disgrace. What a slap in the face for hard working council staff, who have not been offered a single penny pay increase this year.

“Rising inflation, coupled with a pay freeze, is effectively a pay cut for workers already struggling to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads. In contrast to civil servants and other public sector workers, local government employers are refusing to give staff paid under £21,000, including nursery workers, home carers, housing workers, leisure and parks staff, school meals and cleaners, the £250 pay rise promised in the emergency budget. Where is the justice in that?

“Councillors should be holding the town halls to account and making sure taxpayers get good value for money. Those taxpayers would be right to ask why councillors are enjoying hikes in expenses, while workers and communities are left out in the cold? Across the country council workers face massive job losses and communities are losing vital services they rely on.

“For the LGA to publish two sets of guidelines on the same day – one suggesting that councillors get a rise and another condemning workers to a pay freeze – is shocking.”

Dear Colleague,

Following Susan Law’s email yesterday outlining the probable impact of the in year cuts to funding and the emergency budget it is important to let you know what our position is.

Although we do not have any details as yet, UNISON recognises that the impact of the in year cuts will have a significant impact on jobs and service delivery. The need to make £1.2m savings in 8 months through accelerating the Transformation Programme may have devastating implications for Wokingham Borough Council and the local community if not managed sensitively. We are looking for any fundamental changes to be skilfully handled with a scalpel rather than a bludgeoning axe. This will obviously involve a meaningful exchange of views and a dialogue with UNISON and for us to be involved in the decision-making meetings. Transformation without staff engagement will not succeed.

We are keen to work closely in partnership with Susan Law and her team as we fully understand that the need for such changes is due to a national political agenda which is clearly attacking front line services. We realise that there will be times that we will have to agree to disagree, but for the record, UNISON is totally against any pay cut, compulsory redundancies and outsourcing to the private sector. We also believe that in-house service provision is the best means to ensure a vibrant and sustainable local economy and democratic accountability. It is well known for example, that for each £1 invested in public services through pay and procurement that an additional 64 pence is invested in the local economy. It is clear too that what is essential is to protect front line services and to protect the vulnerable. Again our position is that in-house service provision is the best means to achieve this objective as we in the public sector will not put profit above care.

Over the next two to three weeks, UNISON will be setting up a series of meetings so that we can listen to your views, concerns and put questions to Susan Law and her team. In the mean time I am happy to attend any meetings either on an individual basis or as a team. This can either be at your workplace, Shute End or an alternative venue.

We very much understanding that this is an extremely difficult and anxious time for all of us. We believe that it is only through engagement and where possible working together that we can prevent the emergency budget and local government grant cuts from causing lasting damage to the Council and the people we serve.

I can assure you that there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. We are now engaged in discussions with all of the other Berkshire UNISON Branches as well as with the other trade unions, i.e., GMB, NUT and other teaching trade unions in Wokingham with regards to holding joint campaigns so that we can raise the profile of how essential public services are, and how without them this will inevitably have a devastating impact both on the local economy and community.

We in UNISON will keep you up to date with what we are doing on a weekly basis now.

Best Wishes,

Paul

P.S. For the record, with regards to the salary protection issue, I can assure you that no one in UNISON agreed to the changes to salary protection. UNISON was party to a discussion prior to the announced changes. However, we merely acknowledged that was the Council’s position at this information sharing meeting.

Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

UNISON Branch Health & Safety Officer

Tel: 0118 9746747/0118 9746964

email: paul.bee@wokingham.gov.uk

          unison@wokingham.gov.uk

Embargo: For Immediate Release June 24^th, 2010

WARNING OVER IMPACT ON LOCAL ECONOMIES

The budget is devastating news for all those who work for Wokingham Borough Council and indeed for local government throughout Berkshire. Freezing council tax is regressive and will blow a hole in local authority budgets. The announcement of a two year pay freeze for all public sector workers earning over £21,000 is essentially a pay cut especially with the RPI inflation rate at around 5%. With increases in taxation and VAT, this will make it even harder for employees and their families to survive in this harsh economic climate.

Paul Bee, the UNISON Wokingham District Branch Secretary states that:

We recognise the need for savings to be made. However, reductions in government grants, freezing council tax, and forcing a two year pay freeze on public sector workers may well have major implications for jobs and how that could impact on the local economy. Job cuts and forcing workers to survive on less money means that they will have less money to spend in local shops, hair dressers and restaurants. It is well known that for every £1 invested in local government via pay and procurement, means that an additional 64 pence is invested in the local economy. Many local businesses, too, rely on contracts from the public sector for their livelihoods. Without this vital cash injection, local economies throughout Berkshire may well be devastated.

UNISON does have alternative budget proposals which would help make similar savings but would be much fairer than the government’s budget. Our recommendations are:

£4.7bn could be raised every year by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000

£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and ‘non-domiciled’ residents

£14.9bn could be raised every year by using minimum tax rates to stop reliefs being used disproportionately subsidise incomes over £100,000

£30bn could be raised every year by introducing a Major Financial Transactions Tax on UK financial institutions – the Robin Hood Tax

At least £1.5bn could be raised this year by bringing back the windfall tax on bankers’ bonuses.

£4bn could be saved this year by cancelling Trident, the project could cost as much as £100bn.

£500m could be saved every year by eradicating healthcare acquired infections from the NHS – the extra cleaners would cost half this.

£495m could be saved every year by adopting measures to improve the health and well-being of NHS staff, thereby reducing sickness absence

£1bn could be saved every year by halving the local government agency bill, as has been achieved by high performing councils

£5bn could be raised every year with an Empty Property Tax on vacant dwellings. This only exaggerates housing shortages and harms neighbourhoods.

£2.8bn could be saved every year by ending the central government use of private consultants who bring little discernable benefit

£3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement

Total – 77.895bn.

Here in Wokingham we are keen to work closely in partnership with the Council to look at ways of containing the possible fall-out from this attack, and ensure that where cuts need to be made this is done without undermining service-delivery especially to the vulnerable.
ENDS

Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

UNISON Branch Health & Safety Officer

Tel: 0118 9746747/0118 9746964

email: paul.bee@wokingham.gov.uk

          unison@wokingham.gov.uk

PRESS RELEASE – Local Government Employers Association Reject Budget Promise to Low Paid Public Sector Workers

 Embargo: Immediate Release (July 1^st, 2010)

 In the emergency budget, the Chancellor announced a two-year pay freeze for public sector workers from 2011-2012. However, maybe in recognition of how poorly paid we are in the public sector and how worse off the majority of us will be in the new world of Con-Dem Britain, he also said that those earning less than £21,000 per year would receive an extra £250 per year.

Unfortunately, true to form and yet again showing how little the Local Government Employers think of us, they have made it clear to UNISON that they will not pay a single penny extra and that the pay freeze stands unchanged.

Paul Bee, Wokingham UNISON Branch Secretary has the following to say:

The National Employers’ Organisation for Local Government Services refusal to implement the £250 increase agreed in Budget by their political masters to the lowest paid is ridiculous as well as being shameful. Who is running the country and the economy? Is it the Coalition Government or the Local Government employers? Is the employers’ side going to be allowed to show this disregard to public sector workers and the Government, or are they going to be forced to reconsider their arrogant position, with those responsible held to account?

We will be lobbying our local councillors who we hope will encourage the employers’ association to review their current stance.

ENDS

Paul Bee

UNISON Branch Secretary

Mobile: 07533615663