Dan Beard UNISON NEC Candidate Higher Education General Seat

"My only priority is what matters to you, the members, not the demands of any political party or other outside group.

If it matters to you, it should matter to your union".

Dan Beard Higher Education General Seat. 

Liz Baptiste: New UNISON NEC member for Higher Education

Great news. My fellow Greater London UNISON Regional Council Officer (for Equalities) and comrade Liz Baptiste (on left in picture next to Regional convenor, Yvonne Green and yours truly) has been elected as the new National Executive Committee member for Higher Education.

Liz will make a fan-tas-tic NEC member.

Well done Liz!

 

HIGHER EDUCATION STRIKE 31ST OCTOBER 2013: London picket lines

"As you’ll be aware UNISON members working in Higher Education have voted to take strike action due to the low pay offer from employers of 1%. These members have seen their pay cut by 13% over the last 4 years and yet nationally Universities have amassed a surplus of over £1.1 billion!

All of the 22 University branches in London will have pickets on entrances to their main campus buildings from 7am; please show your support by attending your nearest university picket line (outside of your working hours); publicise the strike with your members and also send the link below to an online petition calling for Fair Pay in Higher Education.

http://www.fairpayinhe.org.uk/

For more information on the dispute please visit the UNISON webpages http://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/he-pay-dispute/home/

University main campus addresses

Birkbeck College
University of London
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HX

Brunel University
Kingston Lane
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 3PH

City University
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB

Goldsmiths College
Lewisham Way
London
SE14 6NW

Imperial College
Exhibition Road
London
SW7 2AZ

Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AL

Kings College London
Strand
London
WC2R 2LS

Kingston University
Penrhyn Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 2EE

London Metropolitan University
166-220 Holloway Road
London
N7 8DB

London School Economics
Houghton Street
London
WC2A 2AE

South Bank University
103 Borough Road
London
SE1 0AA

Middlesex University
The Burroughs
London
NW4 4BT

Queen Mary & Westfield College
Mile End Road
London
E1 4NS

Senate House
University of London
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HU

School of Oriental & African Studies
10 Thornhaugh Street
London
WC1H 0XG

University of West London
Walpole House
18-22 Bond Street
London
W5 5AA

University of East London
Stratford Campus
Romford Road
London
E15 4LZ

University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT

University of Westminster
115 New Cavendish Street
London
W1W 6UW

University of Greenwich
Avery Hill Road
London
SE9 2HB

Future Directions Striker speaks at UNISON London Regional Council

Yesterday was the UNISON London Regional Council meeting chaired by our Regional Convener, Gloria Hanson.

The first speaker was Alan Tate (left of picture) from the Communications union, CWU, who spoke about the privatisation of Royal Mail.

There was no need to do this - Royal Mail had been transformed in recent years and was making money. Why can Railtrack be publicly owned and still able to access the capital markets for investment but Royal Mail could not? The tax payers have been ripped off not only by the below value share offering but the loss of huge Royal Mail property assets across the Country.

CWU will go on strike November 4th if they cannot reach a deal on pay and to protect pay and conditions.

Next speaker was UNISON Senior National officer (not in picture) Donna Rowe-Merriman, who briefed us the Higher Education joint union strike over pay, which will take next Thursday 31 October. The pay claim is affordable and HE institutions can afford to pay more but choose not to while thousands of their directly employed staff are not even paid a living wage but exist on minimum wage rates. Further details of the strike action and regional rally's to follow. 

Final Speaker was Karen Shadwell (2nd from right), UNISON member of Rochdale branch. Karen is a disability support worker with high needs clients. She works for an organisation called "Future Directions" who are cutting her pay by nearly £100 per week.  She and her colleagues have been on strike for 29 days in recent months. Check out my past posts related to this dispute here, here and here. She was supported at this meeting by UNISON Local organiser, Karen Ellis.

Karen was an inspiration and received a standing ovation at the end of her speech. She had been up at 5am this morning in order to get here in time and was very nervous beforehand since  this was her first ever speech to such a meeting. Her speech was excellent. As her UNISON NEC member for Community, I offered her and her colleagues my support.

We have recently agreed in London for a donation  to the strike fund and sent a message of support. You can send messages of support and donations to Helen Harrison, branch secretary, Rochdale UNISON, 46 Richard Street, Rochdale, OL11 1DU. Email: unison@rochdale.gov.uk. Cheques can be made payable to Rochdale UNISON.

UNISON and her Future Directions had been to talk at ACAS on Friday and Monday. Hopefully a satisfactory result will be reached.

(2nd from left in picture is our London Equalities Convener Yvonne Green and behind her a bit obscured, Karen Ellis ). Hat tip photograph Karen Westwood.

UNISON London Regional Council 1

This report goes on a bit so I have split it in three parts. The actual meeting itself was in-quorate despite a silly email going out by he who should know better trying to instruct branch delegates to attend and also pretending that he was speaking on behalf of the region. The arrogance of such people is incredible. No wonder delegates do not turn up.

As a matter of courtesy we still heard the speakers although no formal business could take place. Usual health note about the accuracy of my scribbled notes made at the meeting. We had UNISON National Officer Jon Richards; BA Unite cabin crew steward Nikki Marcus and finally Ken Livingston (who needs no introduction). The speakers were excellent and it is a shame that more delegates did not turn up but I fully understand why they don’t want to attend.

I’ll post on UNISON national officer Jon Richards (picture left) first who gave an update on the cuts facing members who work in Higher and Further Education. He started his speech by quipping that the last time he had shared a platform with Ken Livingstone had been in 1982 when he was chair of a student union socialist society and this was also about an education funding crisis!

Today millions of pounds in cuts are being demanded (and this is existing Labour government approved cuts not likely future Con Dem cuts). Thousands of jobs are now at risk. There will be a “Day of Dissent” on 21 June organised by all with all the relevant unions who are all now working together on this campaign.

There was a non consolidated 0.25% pay offer for Further Education staff which has now been improved to a 0.4% consolidated offer.