John at 60

I am amazed at being 60. I still don't feel at all "old" (whatever that means nowadays) but how on earth did this happen - 60??? 

I have my London + 60 free travel card and I am also now due to receive a small pension from a past employment, so I will officially be a "pensioner"! Crikey. 

I still have 7 years until I reach state retirement age, a very demanding full time job, trade union and Councillor responsibilities and "touch wood" reasonable good health. So still got lots and lots of things to do and achieve. 

So in spite of being 60 - watch this space. 

Many thanks to my lovely wife Gill for this wonderful Collage. 

 

Newham Voices - November 2022 & Congratulations to our Young Cllr of the Year!

Congratulations to my Newham Councillor colleague,  Mariam Dawood, who has been given this national award. 

Subscribe and check out latest editions of "Newham Voices" here https://newhamvoices.co.uk/

Why join UNISON

 

(hat tip our number one recruiter Joseph and his standard email to potential members)

"Hi Fellow Worker

Further to our discussion, you can join UNISON online via the link below:

https://join.unison.org.uk/

Signing up is very straight forward.

Once you’re a member feel free to seek any work related advice you may need from me or John Gray who is the Clarion UNISON Convenor. I have copied him in for reference.

Please note you will not be able to get any legal representation (cases requiring referral to the Trade Union branch or being lodged at Employment Tribunal) regarding any work related issues that occurred prior to you being a member.

It is after being a member for four weeks and any work related issues arising after this period, that you would be able to get legal representation.

During the four weeks you can only get email and telephone advice about work related issues.

 

7 reasons to join UNISON

 Each of our 1.4 million members has their own reasons for joining UNISON.

 But every one receives our help and support.

Legal Help – For you at work and your family at home

2.    Financial Assistance – And debt advice in times of need

3.    Compensation – For you and your family

4.    Discounts – Including money off cars and holidays

5.    Helpline –  Our helpline is open until midnight weekdays, and 4pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays

6.    Training – To help develop your career

7.    Support – We’ll be with you when you need it most

"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