"Do you know about work-related stress? Take the test"

Hat tip to the Health & Safety Executive & IOSH. If you care about stress at work and what to do about it then give this short quiz a go.

"A report from Deloitte puts the total annual cost of poor mental health to UK employers at £56 billion – that’s 25 per cent up on 2019. Test your knowledge of this growing issue with the HSE quiz".

Click here

Labour National Day of Action Canvass and Newham Labour Unions feedback on Lab22 Conference

 

Yesterday was a bit busy. In morning I helped out my UNISON branch to empty its office in Holloway Road then in the afternoon, I was a panel speaker at an informal feedback session in Newham to talk to Labour Union members on the recent Labour Party Conference in Liverpool. 

Well done to Panel Chair (and organiser) Liz Booker and my fellow panelists Unmesh Desai (our local London Assembly member and GMB activist) and Rita Chadha (Community) for their excellent presentations. There was a wide range of people in the audience who challenged us with really good questions and comments. Local East Ham MP, Stephen Timms, spoke at the end with his thoughts on Conference and "recent" political events.

In my introductory remarks I described what I believe the unions want from the Labour Party (win power at Westminster to protect us from hostile judges  and employers!) and also how I became a UNISON Labour Link delegate at the recent conference and what we did as delegates. 

I told my very favourite quote from former TGWU  union leader, Jack Jones, who when he was asked if could ever imagine the unions becoming divorced from the Labour Party, he replied "Divorce? Never. Murder, often"

After the feedback, we were split into 2 canvass teams and I went out in East Ham to speak to residents with Stephen and all the 3 local ward Councillor members. On the whole it was a very positive canvass and residents seemed pleased to see us coming to them, knocking on doors and speaking to them. 

Time to say goodbye to our UNISON office & look forward to becoming a "virtual branch"

It was with mixed emotions this morning I travelled to my UNISON branch office in Holloway Road, Islington. Volunteers from the branch executive were meeting up to empty the office, since we had given notice to our landlord. As the former branch secretary (and still a member of the executive) I have lots of memories of this office. Many, many good - some not so good but such is the life of all UNISON branch secretaries'.

There is so much stuff to sort out, pack away for secure storage, recycle or securely dispose. The oldest documentation I came across was UNISON guidance on car allowance payments from 1998! 

After the pandemic, the branch executive decided that since we had been able to function (admittedly imperfectly) pretty "well",  that we did not need to spend £18,000 per year on an office in North London. This money and other traditional administration costs, will be better spent on training, equipment and campaigning. However we all accept, while virtual calls and meetings can be a brilliant way of collaborative working and communicating they are no substitute for "face to face" contact, when such interaction is needed.  

The branch covers all of Greater London (and sometimes beyond) and has a membership of over 3000 members who work for some 150 different employers in multiple often fragmented workplaces. We think it is far more effective for staff to work from home (and they are paid a home working allowance) and travel direct to support members at workplaces rather than from a central office. 

This reflects how many of us work (not all obviously if you work in estate services or projects) already in the sector. It is not just about spending members subscriptions more efficiently but about providing better services and ability to organise. 

We will still hire rooms for staff meetings, training and consultations as well as 121s. All staff  have access to UNISON online case work management (hopefully all reps as well soon), emails, mobile phones and laptops. Hybrid Executive and branch meeting will take place. I think everyone is conscious that some workers find working from home very difficult. 

This is a radical move for what used to be quite a traditional UNISON branch. It may not work and we may have to think again but I am excited about the prospect of this succeeding. In the meanwhile we have office furniture and equipment to get rid of and decades of files and documents to sort out. I think that before we hand back the keys, we must have a party to celebrate our past and look forward to the future. 

Check out my post from 2011 on our last branch office move https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2011/07/farewell-to-crouch-end-unison-office.html

 

Moment PM Rishi Sunak gets stern telling off to 'try harder' over nurses...

"The arrogance of @RishiSunak, thinking he can pose for a nice video clip at Croydon Hospital, whilst simultaneously cutting NHS workers pay in real terms!! Well done to this patient for calling him out!" #NHSPay #CROYDON (hat tip Joel Bodmer UNISON Greater London Regional Officer supporting 3 front line Health branches)

Vote Yes for the NHS - nhspay.org

 

It’s time to take a stand for your pay, your colleagues and the NHS – every vote is needed.
Voting to take industrial action is a big step. But it’s time to take it. The public supports you - and so do your colleagues and your union.

Your pay matters. If we can’t make the government think again and negotiate with us, everyone loses- staff, patients and the NHS.

You can’t afford that. Make your vote count.

Vote YES for industrial action. Vote YES for the NHS.

UNISON’s industrial action ballot in the NHS in England opens on 27 October and closes on 25 November. Ballot papers will be sent by post to your home address. If you haven’t received a ballot paper call our ballot helpline free on 0800 0 857 857. Helpline will be open from 1 November until noon on 21 November.
Why vote yes?

More about voting Yes

Timetable for NHS pay industrial action ballot – England

27 October

Ballot opens – ballot papers posted out

1 November

Ballot hotline opens

15 November

Last date to join to guarantee a ballot paper

21 November

Ballot hotline closes at noon

25 November

Ballot closes: papers must be received by this date

Soon after

Results issued, along with update on next steps

This is a fight we need to win – and we can only do it together. So, let’s get going and get out the vote!

United Colours of Europe - Newham 5.11.22

This looks like a marvellous event but unfortunately I have a clash. Many thanks to Councillor Larisa Zilickaja for her work in organising this important event. 

 "We invite you to the event

                                          ‘United Colours of Europe’

                                           Saturday 5^th November,2022

                                                       2pm – 6pm

                                                                                      Katherine Road Community Centre, 254 Katherine Road, E7 8PN 

 I am pleased to invite you to our event ‘United Colours of Europe’, where the Albanian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Romanian and Ukrainian communities come together!

The aim of the event is to introduce different European communities to local residents,

to bring people together from different backgrounds!

 The programme of the event:

 

-          Formal speeches

-          Interactive activities: workshops, information stalls, Arts and crafts for adults and kids, face painting

-          Traditional dancing/singing

-          Traditional food tasting.

-          Refreshments

Labour Party Conference 2022 - Final Day 4 Wednesday

 

Belated post on final day of Labour Party conference in Liverpool. I went for an early morning run in sunshine (for a change) then had to check out of hotel room and leave my suitcase with them. 

A great morning session of speeches then our deputy leader, Angela Rayner, closed conference with a superb speech following by traditional singing of "The Red Flag" and "Jerusalem".  Somewhat different lyrics from "God Save the King" on day one. 

On Saturday there will be a feedback session in Newham on Party conference before canvassing for the National Day of Action https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2022/10/newham-affiliated-trade-union-focused.html

No one voted for this.

Well said. Johnson withdrew probably because the economy is in such a mess and Truss is well gone but let no one forget that while Rishi is thankfully competent, he is a right wing rich posh boy. 

We need a General Election now but since Turkeys do not vote for Christmas then it seems very unlikely any time soon. But after recent political events who knows...

Greater London UNISON Regional Council Meeting - Key Note speaker David Lammy MP

Last week I had to "last minute" chair the virtual Regional Council meeting of UNISON Greater London Region. Our Regional convenor, Yvonne Green, was on holiday in the Caribbean and had tried to join the meeting to chair (despite being silly O'Clock over there) but had internet problems. Our deputy Convenor, Conroy Lawrence was our delegate at  the physical TUC conference. 

The meeting was held virtually due to requests from our NHS/health branches, since they are in the midst of the industrial action ballot on pay and are working their socks off to get a good turnout and hopefully, a positive result in favour of industrial action. 

So, as Regional Finance Convenor (one of the 5 elected regional Council Officers), I stepped in to Chair. Our keynote speaker was Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy MP, who gave a passionate Parliamentary report on the utter shambles that was the Truss Premiership (this was just before her very welcome resignation). 

Next speaker was NHS nurse, James Anthony, Vice Chair UNISON Campaigns Committee (formerly the General Political Fund/GPF) on the new "campaign fund", the programme of work to raise the profile of the fund, in particular increasing opt-in and using the fund more strategically and efficiently.

Final speaker was our Regional Secretary, Jo Galloway, on the new "branch organising and support fund" which is also a really important financial tool to support branches in campaigning. 

As a member of a regional wide branch that has multi employers with a fragmented membership this fund is exactly what we and many other similar branches need. It will also benefit all other branches that have good ideas and strategies to grow our membership. 

Since the meeting was as expected inquorate (due to NHS/health branches concentrating on the pay ballot) we had a useful and wide ranging Q&A on the new fund. I closed the meeting afterwards. 

I felt it was a useful meeting but I look forward to the next physical meeting of Regional Council (but in this current climate there may well be further massive disputes - so watch this space)

Labour Housing Group Policy Day - "Fighting for the Housing Standards we Need & Deserve"

Today I travelled to Birmingham to attend a policy day organised by the Labour Housing Group. There was a number of excellent speakers including Shadow Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy MP. She pledged that a future Labour Government will introduce a Private Renters Charter & decent homes standards in it’s first 100 days. It will also abolish S21 evictions & the feudal leasehold tenure. 

Sharon Thompson, Birmingham’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Homelessness spoke on how the city is tacking standards in the private rented sector & extending licensing. Dr Jill Stewart, Senior Lecturer in Housing & Environmental Health, Middlesex University described the dreadful stats and limited law regarding housing standards.

Salma Hamid from the Birmingham Fair Housing Campaign gave a passionate speech on their campaigning & research on really poor standards in the private & public housing sectors for decent standards & their fight on behalf of tenants for decent rights.

Before lunch there was workshops on housing standards in Social Housing, PRS (Private rental sector) and Owner occupation. I moderated the workshop on Social Housing.

After lunch there was a talk by Cllr Kerrie Carmichael Leader Sandwell Council & Housing lead Cllr Charn Singh Padda on the difference a Labour council is making on housing standards, tackling homelessness, new homes & retrofitting despite challenges on funding.

Next was Martin Wicks, from Labour Campaign for Council Housing. Who made it clear what Council tenants such as himself expect Labour Councils and future Labour Governments to deliver upon housing standards. He is still waiting for a modern bathroom after many decades.

There was then a brief summary from the moderators of the workshops. I gave a summary of the lively and thoughtful one on Social Housing.

Final item was the launch of the West Midlands branch of the Labour Housing Group whose inaugural meeting takes place next month.

This was an excellent day. Many thanks to our speakers but also to our LHG Chair, Cllr John Cotton, and all the executive members of the LHG who have spend so much time and energy organising such events.

(Hat tip to Ross Houston for stealing some of his photos and comments from the @labourhousing twitter account)