Staff at East of England landlord to strike for nine days over pay

 

Hat tip Clarion UNISON Facebook page "Solidarity to Unite Housing association members taking strike action over their pay cuts. Hopefully Clarion UNISON members will be taking similar action next month". 

"Nearly 60 workers at Freebridge Community Housing, based in King’s Lynn, were balloted by Unite the Union to take part in industrial action.

The 7,000-home landlord offered employees a 5% pay increase and a £500 non-consolidated payment, Unite claimed. The union argued that this represents a real-terms pay cut with retail price index inflation at 10.7%.

The striking workers are responsible for providing home maintenance repairs and estate services, Freebridge said.

Many of the workers, who perform roles including cleaning, are paid little more than the national minimum wage and are struggling to pay their bills, Unite said.

The nine strike days are 21, 29, 30 and 31 August and on 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 September.

"Ukraine sanctions: UK dockers refuse tanker of Russian gas"

Fantastic solidarity with the people of Ukraine against Putin the murderer by UNISON members. Check out this BBC report:-

"Dockers in Kent have refused to unload two tankers of Russian gas, forcing them to go elsewhere, a union has said.

The Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke have been diverted from the Isle of Grain, the largest terminal in Europe for importing liquefied natural gas.

Unison head of energy Matt Lay said staff were "determined to support the Ukrainian people and uphold the sanctions imposed against Russia".

However, there are concerns over a loophole in the current sanctions.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Tuesday that the UK had become the first country to pass a law banning ships with "any Russian connection" from entering its ports.

Mr Lay said: "Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case."

"The Department for Transport rules only appear to cover the ownership and operators of vessels, not the cargo."

The two tankers contain enough liquid gas to supply the UK for up to 12 days.

The ships are sailing under the flag of Cyprus. Many ship owners opt to use a flag of another country for taxation or regulatory reasons.

Mr Lay added: "The government must act immediately to stop Russian goods continuing to arrive in the UK under the cover of another country."

A National Grid Spokesperson said: "In line with government policy, we do not expect any Russian-linked ships to dock at Grain."

Check out also the UNISON press release from Wednesday. So proud of my union over their stance.

"Russian tankers heading for Kent must be stopped, says UNISON" 

Update: Liverpool dockers have done the same https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-60631735 Fantastic news

UNISON "We stand in solidarity with our sister trade unions and all workers across Ukraine"

 "As we witness shocking reports today of more suffering in Ukraine, we think of the public service workers - the first responders to devastating scenes, doing all they can to save lives.
We stand in solidarity with our sister trade unions and all workers across Ukraine - Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, UK’s largest trade union for public service workers" UNISON Facebook

Well said Christina. Who would have thought in 2022 we would have again in Europe, fascists invading independent democracies. 

InUNISON - "There for you" winter fuel fund opens on 31 January

 

Check out the new site https://www.in-unison.org/ (which is run my members for members) for my post on member applying for winter fuel grants. 

"One of the very best things about UNISON is the practical solidarity that members show for each over, by raising money for our hardship fund "There For You"

On 31 January "There for You" will be launching its "Winter Fuel" grants programme. The fund will offer grants of up to £200 and is designed to help the union’s most vulnerable low-income members.

Our current Tory Government under Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has allowed energy prices to shoot up completely out of control. While "There for You" cannot help everybody suffering from fuel poverty it will make a difference to many members and their families.

Due to low pay in public services we have thousands of our members who will be eligible, so please also ask your branches to make sure they get this information out to members and they apply as soon as possible (as funds are limited)

Will I be eligible?

• You must be a UNISON member and have paid at least four weeks subscriptions at the time of applying;

• you do not have savings of more than £1,000, which includes rolling bank balance;

• only one application per household will be considered;

• you/your partner are responsible for household fuel bills.

And either …

you are on a low income:

• for a single person, this means under £18,200 per annum/£350 per week;

• for a family this means under £26,000 per annum/£500 per week.

Or …

you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• housing benefit;

• universal credit.

For further information and how to apply click on this link

Solidarity from London UNISON to New York AFSCME

This letter was sent to our sisters and brothers in New York who are members of the public service union, AFSCME, from Greater London UNISON, signed by our elected lay Convenor, Yvonne Green and our Regional Secretary, Maggi Ferncombe (with support of all Regional Council Officers). 

"Henry Garrido

Executive Director, District Council 37

AFSCME

125 Barclay Street

New York

NY10001

  

8^th June 2020

RE - Solidarity Message from UNISON Greater London

Dear Henry

We wanted to write to you on behalf of all UNISON members in London to pass on our solidarity to you and your members in AFSCME DC 37 during these difficult times. We too are the largest union in our city and as the public services union, have borne the brunt of dealing with Covid 19. The heroic efforts of your members in either battling Covid 19 on the frontline or ensuring the necessary infrastructure of New York continues running for its residents is remarkable. 

Like us, you will have lost too many members to this wretched virus and we ask that you please accept our condolences on behalf of their friends, union comrades and of course their families. 

Like you, we are still struggling to deal, day to day, with the virus under a government either too inept, too ignorant or simply incapable of recognising the daily struggle our members and city residents face. All while restrictions are being lifted too soon and like you we live in the very real fear of a second wave and the pressure this would put on already overburdened and historically underfunded public services.   

Please know that if there is any support we can provide, even if it is just friendship and solidarity, you only have to ask.

Similarly, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you on challenging systemic racism ingrained in our societies. We have been inspired by the level of activism that your city has shown and we too will encourage our members to get involved in the movement to eradicate racism. 

We believe that now is the time for long due change and whilst we, in our respective unions, have been fighting against racism, discrimination and racist values for some time, it now feels that, finally, society is ready to listen. The next few months will be difficult and painful however we believe there is finally hope.

We look forward to a time when we can correspond in better circumstances

Yours in friendship

                                               

Yvonne Greene                                                               Maggi Ferncombe

Regional Convenor                                                        Regional Secretary

UNISON - Greater London                                           UNISON - Greater London

To our Brothers & Sisters in France "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" Solidarite & No Pasarán!

Following the massacre of the innocents in Nice. To all comrades in France currently suffering from and facing the fascist threat.  Solidarity! Yes but also "No Pasarán!

Solidarity with France

Liberté, égalité, fraternité

"Charity is a cold grey loveless thing..."

Well said Clem.  Remember there is a difference between rich people doling out charity to please their fancy or conscience and working people showing solidarity to others with their widow's mites.

UPDATE: its been pointed out this this quote is a mis-attribution. It was actually said by Attlee's biographer Frances Beckett summarising his views. This is the quote I think he was referring to - it still all makes sense to me.

 “In a civilised community, although it may be composed of self-reliant individuals, there will be some persons who will be unable at some period of their lives to look after themselves, and the question of what is to happen to them may be solved in three ways – they may be neglected, they may be cared for by the organised community as of right, or they may be left to the goodwill of individuals in the community. The first way is intolerable, and as for the third: Charity is only possible without loss of dignity between equals. A right established by law, such as that to an old age pension, is less galling than an allowance made by a rich man to a poor one, dependent on his view of the recipient’s character, and terminable at his caprice.”- The Social Worker 1920