ReviewCity and County of Swansea

Inside

Public Service Not Private Profit April 2012

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Unison condemns budget and low pay

NF

No votefor Nazisin theLocalElections

Know yourrights foryourworkplacesafety

May 10th:Pension strikesare on (but notfor us)

“This budget is not a road to recoverybut a Road to Nowhere – No jobs, Nogrowth, No idea.” This was thedamning verdict of UNISON chiefDave Prentis on George Osborne’sbudget today im March. The unionaccused the Chancellor of suckingdemand out of the economy andreverting to the same old tactics, ofpromising tax cuts just before the nextelection.

Dave Prentis, General Secretary ofUNISON, the UK’s largest union, said:“The Chancellor’s budget has given ahelping hand-out to his rich friends inthe City and delivered a slap in theface to the unemployed and low paidfamilies.

“Osborne should be delivering policiesto get the 2.67m unemployed peopleback into work and economicallyactive. Instead, the Government’s cutsagenda is making the situation worseby adding to those numbers month bymonth. Since the coalition came topower, we have seen 625 publicsector workers joining the dolequeues every single day, bringingmisery to hundreds of thousands offamilies.

“Far from encouraging economicgrowth, the Chancellors’ policies aresucking demand out of the economy.Public sector workers are being hitwith a pay freeze again this year and

now the Government are proposinglocal pay which mean £1.7bn wouldbe lost from the economy. Takingmoney out of the pockets of hardworking people will starve local shops,cafes and businesses out of muchneeded revenue sending the economyfurther downwards.

“The Chancellor’s budget gives withone hand and takes with the other.The increase in the personalallowance will help those who areworking – but offers no relief for theunemployed. And we know that theGovernment has already announcedcuts to tax credits which hits hundredsof thousands of working families withchildren.

“Osborne’s budget flies the Tories trueblue colours, but is a missedopportunity to restore desperatelyneeded jobs and growth to theeconomy"

Meanwhile hundreds of thousands oflow paid local government workersincluding home carers, residentialcare workers, school dinner ladies,cleaners and teaching assistants havebeen fooled out of a pay rise againthis year.

When staff look at their pay slips forApril, the £250 increase promised byGeorge Osborne to public sectorworkers earning under £21,000 will bemissing for another year. Heather

Wakefield, UNISON Head of LocalGovernment, said:

“Living on poverty wages is no joke. Itis a disgrace that George Osbornehas tried to fool local governmentworkers and the public into believinghe cared enough about the hardshipof low pay to announce he wouldcushion the impact of the Governmentpay freeze.

“Hundreds of thousands of low paid,mainly women workers - who everyday care for people in our localcommunities – the carers, cleaners,cooks, teaching assistants and manymore have been fooled out of the£250 promised by George Osborne.

“Try feeding your family or payingyour bills when you have not had apay rise for 3 years. £250 isn’t muchto the likes of George Osborne butevery little helps when you are onminimum wages.

“Instead of dragging local governmentworkers into dispute, councils shoulddo the right thing and pay the £250now.”

April 1 marks the third consecutiveannual pay freeze. It means thatcouncil workers will have suffered a15% pay cut in three years and nowearn a shocking 10% less in realterms than in 1996..”

Branch Officers 2012 -2013

Unison Post First NameHealth & Safety Officer Chris Cooze (via ballot)Secretary Mike Davies (via ballot)Asst Secretary Ian AlexanderConvenor Nicky Symons

Sports & SocialStuart Page / Andrea Thomas

Treasurer Jonathan ThyerAsst Treasurer Rob ThomasChairperson Bill WilliamsVice Chairperson Sallyanne TaylorInternational Officer Normunds Mednis Equalities Officer Lisa Ioele Publicity Officer Matthew ShephardLifelong Learning Co-ordinator Beth LeakeyBenefits Officer Gareth Parry Membership Officer Alice GreenleesWelfare Officer Carol Frimston Education Officer Scott Berry Minutes Officer Doreen Evans Youth Officer Alan Pope

Unison Branch Officers 2012 - 13

On April 25th the council was due to decidea Sex 'Entertainment' Venue in the city centwith a cynical eye on the election and a fear oclub would be in York Street - close to familyWaterfront Museum and the Swansea Muse

Swansea Feminist Network and supportersCity and County of Swansea’s licensing comdamagedonebyallowing theseclubs tooperhow rates of sexual harassment and sexualaround thesevenues.Asanareaof 'city centas they go to and from their homes. Swansebut hypocritically may endorse a venue thasexualisationofwomenandgirls. It should focouncils like Portsmouth who do not grant liccampaign email swanseafeministnetwork@follow them on Twitter at @SwanFemNetwo

Also see the Object website - www.

"Lap dancingclubs increaseharassment andassault ofwomen in thesurroundingarea"London Boroughof TowerHamlets 2008

Harassment is not 'en

The government still wants to drive down the livingstandards ofmillions of public sectorworkers andwantspublic sector workers to pay more for their pensions,work longer and get less when they retire. They havealready imposed increases on pension contributionsand plan to impose more. For some workers this willmean paying 50 percent more every month within twoyears.We are already suffering pay cuts and freezes as thecost of living goes up, and increased pensioncontributions could even force some to leave theirpension scheme altogether. The GMB union hasestimated that around 39%ofworkers earning less than

£21,000 could leave schemes because of the changes.The Tories have also changed the inflation measurethat pensions are linked to. They are using the CPImeasure to calculate pension rises instead of theusually higher RPI one. This means that pensions willrise more slowly over time and lump sum payments willbe slashed. Lawyers acting for unions that challengedthis switch say it will cut the value of pensions by anaverage of 15 percent.Finally the Tories want workers to work years longer toget substantially worse pensions.On 10Mayworkers infive unions—Unite, PCS, UCU, Nipsa and RMT—willstrike. and other unions may join them.

Whose striking forpensions on May 10th?

100,000 Unite union members in the health service290,000 PCS civil service workers60,000 UCU union lecturers in the TPS pension scheme21,000 Nipsa union civil service workers in Northern Ireland1,300 RMT union transport workers

Picture:Teacherson

theLondon

strikeon

March

28th p to half a million wor

over pensions on 10 Mawill bring together meUnite, PCS, UCU, Nipunions. It will hit hospitalscentres, transport and otservices. A magnificenstrike on 30 Novemberaround 2.6 million worketogether. But since thenleaders have either remore action or have dithnext steps.

The NUT and UCU unstrike in London on 28was very successful,isolated to the capital. APCS,UCUandNUTbacknational strikes despitetheir members voting forin consultations. This timnumbers are involvehopefully building for fuJune.

As far as Unison goes,involved in the dispute. Athe January and MReview, some unionssome accepted an outlbasis for negotiation. This called the 'Heads ofmost of those unions thaoutline deal are thosestrike on May 10th 28thUnison nationally acceptof Agreement as a baHowever many branchesincluding the City anSwansea branch.

This was for good reasogovernment was happyindicated it was no goodAlexander, chief secrTreasury, said that the p

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A generation ago the 'boot boys' of the Nazi National Front (NF) swopped their bovverboots for suits in a bid to enter the respectable politicalmainstream via theBNP. Theyfailed; riven by failure at the polls, financial scandal and internal infighting the BNP hasno councillors left in the UK. Now a few of the more desperate fascists are going backto the NF. The NF were proud being the 'hardliners' of the fascist movement with abelief in 'white power' racism. They have not changed. Their policy document still saysthey want Britain to be ‘a white country’ and they are prepared to introduce forced‘repatriation’ to removemillions of British-born citizens just because of the colour theirskin. It is the most crude form of racism.

Typical of their leading members is RichardEdmondswho publishedHolocaust Newswhich claimed that the Holocaust was an 'evil hoax'. So it is not a surprise that just lastmonth their Aberdeen branch was refused permission to hold a march on April 20th –Hitler’s birthday. When we call these peopleNazis we are not kidding. On May 3rd there isone ex-BNP standing in Swansea for theNF - Sion Owens.USE YOUR VOTE -KEEP THE NAZIS OUT

The NF candidate (right) being escorted intoMagistrates Court last year having being accusedof being filmed burning a copy of the Koran

Keep Swansea andWales Nazi-free

Local Elections -May 3rd

Swansea Unison does not tell members how to vote in elections - although we may givesome hints. In these days of sustained attacks on local government workers it is ourpractical resistance thatmakes the difference, whoever is in office. However who is in canhave an impact on the confidence of the government and councils to impose cuts, and onour confidence to resist. Unison leader Dave Prentis has called for members to vote for"the party that cares about public services". With these thoughts in mind members areurged to use their votes wisely and consider the searching questions below whenchoosing who to vote for:.

Does the candidate oppose all cuts to council jobs, services, pay andconditions and reject the claim that 'some cuts' are necessary to our services.

Does the candidate reject increases in council tax, rent and service charges tocompensate for government cuts.

Is the candidate against the privatisation of council jobs and services, or thetransfer of council services to 'social enterprises' or 'arms-length' managementorganisations, which are first steps to privatisation? Would they bring allprivatised services back 'in-house'?

When faced with government cuts to council funding, will the candidate refuseto implement the cuts? Will the candidate support campaigns that arenecessary to defeat the cuts and fight to set a budget that meets the needs ofthe local community and demand that the government makes up the shortfall?

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whether to grant a license for an application fortre. This decision has been postponed, possiblyof losing votes should the license be granted. They entertainment venues such as the Vue cinema,eum.

have been lobbying support for objections to themmittee, SFN has been raising awareness of therateandsubmitted researchwhichdemonstratesl crimes against women tend to rise in the areasre living' this alsomeanswomenwill beharassedea Council supposedly values its female citizensat contributes to a culture of objectification andllow the leadof boroughs likeTowerHamletsandcenses to these venues. To stay in touch with the@gmail.com, search for them on Facebook, orork.

.object.org.uk - supported by Unison

ntertainment'

rkers will strikeay. The actionembers of thepsa and RMTs, colleges, jobther key publicnt coordinatedlast year sawers take actionn many unionefused to callhered over the

nions called a8 March whichbut obviouslyAt this time thekeddown frome a majority ofr further actionme much widered and arerther action in

we will not beAs reported in

March Unisonrejected andline deal as ahis outline dealf Agreement' -at rejected thiswhich are on. Disgracefullyted the Headsasis for talks.s rejected this,nd County of

ons Firstly, they with it whichd for us. Dannyretary to theproposed deal

did notmeanany additionalmoney hasbeen made available.Secondly, the ‘agreement’ only delaysthe increase in employee contributionsthat was due to be imposed between2012 and 2015 to pay the Treasury’s£900 million pensions tax.Finally, the Heads of Agreement hasno detail in it The government say wecan negotiate on all the complexelements of the pension schemeselements - but only within the same“cost envelope” so that anyimprovement in one element has to bepaid by worsening another - forexample for lower contributions wewould have to accept working evenlonger than proposed or getting evenworse pensions when we retire.

Sincenegotiationsstarted, anddespitea positive gloss being put on them byunion leaders who should be fightingrather than engaging in fruitless talks,very little seems to have emerged fromnegotiations. In otherwords the reasonwecameoutonaction - that theattacksmean we will pay more, work longerand get less - remains the same. Anyfinal offer will however be put to a ballotof all members.

Meanwhile the Tories’ policies willpave theway formore harsh attacks onordinary people’s living standards. Thegovernment plans to raise the stateretirement age for men and women to66 by 2020. One study found that fourin 10 firms expect that by 2020workerswill retire at 67 or later. And one in sixcompanies expects the typicalretirement age to be between 68 and70.

All members are urged to do what theycan to support the action by our fellowpublic sector workers on May 10th.

This newsletter is produced by the City and County of Swansea Unison Branch. Any letters, comments or suggestions for articles should be posted to the branch addressor emailed to Unison@swansea.gov.uk. Correspondence is not guaranteed to be published and contents may not necessarily reflect Unison policy.

YOURUNION

Spor ts & Socia l websi te : www.suss.me.uk www.unison.co.uk

Contact us: Unison Office The Guildhall Swansea SA1 4PE01792 635271 unison@swansea.gov.uk

Unison has over 100 trained union reps throughout the council, schools andFEcolleges.Wewill advise,support and represent you collectively and individually on issues from sickness, discipliners to legalmatters insideandoutside theworkplace. If youneedadviceor representationpleasecontact theSeniorSteward(s) for your department below or go to your workplace steward. Alternatively please contact thebranch office.

Joint Branch Secretaries: Nicky Symons & Mike Davies

EnvironmentIan Alexander - 07584 505793Tony Dearden - 07971 121533Pat Lopez - 07584 505792Social ServicesAlison Bell - 07941 757853Bill Williams - 07557 560092ResourcesGareth Parry - 07584 341240

EducationChris Bell - 07967 551025Karen Verallo - 07771 922985Regeneration/HousingJohn Llewellyn - 07557 560093Roger Owen - 07941819229Gower CollegeRon Job - 07963 454041

Unisonworkplace safety reps

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This year the branches health and safetyaim is to increase our membershipparticipation, to do this we want to recruitwork place safety reps that will be able toensure you have a save workingenvironment.

As a health and safety representative youhave the right to training and to raise issueswhich affect the health and safety ofmembers,you are also entitled to attendyour departments H&S committees.

UNISON aims to have at least one healthand safety representative in everyworkplace where we have members.In some cases, the safety representativeand steward are the same person but they

have two separate roles. Safetyrepresentatives have specific duties andresponsibilities and also have importantlegal rights.

The Safety Representatives and SafetyCommittee Regulations of 1977 spell out indetail the rights and functions of safetyrepresentatives.

These include making representations tothe employer on behalf of members on anyhealth, safety and welfare matter. A healthand safety rep can represent members inconsultation with Health and SafetyExecutive inspectors or other enforcingauthorities.You have the right to inspect designated

workplace areas at least every threemonths, investigates complaints, possiblehazards and dangerous incidents.

I will be working closely with our branchstewards to ensure they are all fully trainedin H&S and are performing work placeinspections on a regular basis. Its worthremembering that you canbea safety rep orapoint of contact andnotbeashopsteward.

If you would like to be a Health and Safetyrep, haveasafety issueor youwould likemeto visit your workplace just contact theUNISON branch office.

Chris CoozeBranch H&S officer