March 2016: Issue 1

Issue 1
Your Briefing
March 2016
Welcome to your Leeds & York Community Health Branch briefing
UNISON disappointed at NHS pay recommendation for 2016/17
Commenting on the announcement today (Tuesday) from NHS Pay Review Body of its
proposals on pay for 2016/17, UNISON Head of Health Christina McAnea said: “It’s disappointing for NHS workers that the PRB has stuck to the artificial one per cent pay
freeze imposed by the Chancellor.
“Government pay policies since 2010 have seen most health staff lose thousands in real
terms – nurses are down more than £4,700 since then. This one per cent pay rise falls
way below what health workers need and deserve after years of pay cuts, especially as
changes to national insurance and pension contributions will absorb much of this miserly
increase.
“The governments in Scotland and Wales are committed to paying health workers the
living wage. NHS staff earning below this in England and Northern Ireland will quite
rightly want to know why tackling poverty pay in the NHS in their countries isn’t a political priority.
“It’s no surprise that many desperately hard up health workers are leaving the NHS to
come back as agency staff where they can earn more money.
“Health workers are worried about the impact of these repeated cuts on their families
and NHS services. The current junior doctors’ dispute
remains a huge concern as workers fear ministers will
target them next with cuts to unsocial hours payments. UNISON is committed to defending these essential payments.”
UNISON will be consulting its members on this offer.
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3 x Family holidays worth up
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20 x Health and dental plans
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** Closes Monday 2 May 2016 **
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk
Every journey
Milton Allen (Black Members Officer)
Every journey starts with a step; every step is expected to get us to where we
want to go!
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I
cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the
sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith
in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to
despair. That way lays defeat and death. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel
afraid, but he who conquers that fear”.
I felt it useful to use a few quotes from Nelson Mandela as an inspiration not only to me but to all of
us who are ready to look at alternative ways to work with change and support. Perhaps like me you
have put up with things that you know not to be right; but for peace sake you simply let it go. When
I look at the support that’s on offer to those of us as ‘Black Members’ in full time, part time, and
bank shift workers who have found ourselves in a precarious (dependent on the will or pleasure of
another; liable to be withdrawn or lost at the will of another): position with someone who does not
understand the cultural reasoning for why we have found ourselves in that position; It makes me
think it’s time for us to start by having an opening to further represent ourselves.
SOG= Self Organized Group. What does this mean?
UNISON is committed to achieving equality for all. One of the ways we promote equality is through
self-organisation. Self-organisation brings together members from certain under represented
groups - women members, black members, disabled members and lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender members. Self-organisation helps the union identify and challenge discrimination and
build equality. It can be a way for members to get involved in the union, developing skills, expertise
and confidence.
Black members in UNISON play a key role in winning equality in the workplace,
actively challenge racism wherever it is found, and are at the forefront of UNISON's organising
work. As black members in UNISON we work together to win positive change in the workplace. The
more of us that are actively involved the stronger we become.
Come and Say Something
Until then, One Love and Peace
Milton Allen
Upcoming Important Dates
02-Apr-16
Autism Awareness Day
2 - 8 May 2016
16 - 20 May 2016
16 - 22 May 2016
17-May-16
21-May-16
Deaf Awareness Week
Learning Disabilities Week
Mental Health Awareness Week
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT)
World Day for Cultural Diversity Dialogue & Development
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk
Yorkshire March for the NHS 2016
Saturday 16 April
Assemble at 11:30am, Leeds City Art Gallery
THIS GOVERNMENT IS DESTROYING OUR NHS
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Through privatising and fragmenting services,
Starving it of funds and attacking NHS workers
We have one of the best and fairest health systems in the world despite spending less
on health care, having fewer hospital beds and fewer doctors and nurses per one thousand people in the population than almost all European countries!
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Stop unsafe cuts in staffing and hospital closures
Ensure fair pay and safe conditions for all NHS staff
Increase spending on the NHS to at least the European average
End the PFI swindle where ludicrous interest rates are bankrupting hospitals
Reverse privatisation and support the NHS Bill to get the market out of the NHS
Stop the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE OUR NHS!
Please get support in your Union/ Campaign/ Community group.
Publicise the protest, make a donation- large or small. We hope to
see you there on the day!
Contact [email protected], Tel 0113 2622800, facebook
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk
Cyber Bullying
Even though cyber bullying cannot physically hurt you, it can still leave you feeling mentally vulnerable and very upset. You can feel scared, lonely and stressed and that there is no way out. Escaping cyber bullying can be very difficult because anyone can get access to a mobile phone or the
internet almost anywhere. It can be tough for those on the receiving end to avoid it, even in the
safety of their own home. Cyber bullying can be defined as the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to cause upset to a person.
Like other forms of bullying, cyber bullying can seriously impact on the health,
wellbeing, and self-confidence of those targeted. It may have a significant impact
not only on the person being bullied, but on their home and work life too.
Dealing with incidents quickly and effectively is key to managing potentially highly
stressful cyber bullying situations, which if not checked can lead to other fundamental problems such as a stress-related illness.
There are policies in place to prevent cyber bullying (or any type of bullying). If you need further
support and advice, please get in contact with the branch.
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk
Women’s History Season 2016—Leeds City Museum (Free drop-ins)
APRIL
Wed 13th April 12.30-1.30 Talk: Cooking Without a Clock: Women, Domesticity and
Timekeeping in the 19th Century. This talk by Dr Rachel Rich will consider what time
meant to men and women in the 19th century, looking in particular at how time was written
about in diaries and published books.
Tue 19th April 2-3pm Talk: From Adam to Yves. A whizz through 5000 years of Jewish
History and world costumes and textiles with Helen Frais, Cultural Director at Makor.
Thurs 21st April 2-3pm Talk: 1910 and then... A talk looking at how guiding was set up in
the early years, and how the movement spread abroad, and the introduction of the Senior
Section, Brownies and Rainbows with Marjorie Elmsley of Girlguiding Leeds.
Thurs 28th April 1.30-3.30pm Making Our Voices Heard: The Changing Influences
and Image of Women told through Leeds Library. This talk by Sally Hughes from Leeds
Central Library, looks at how the image of women has changed from the 1700s to the present day. A chance to learn about the changing lives of women through the material in the
Leeds Local and Family History Library collections – including books, journals, photographs
and playbills.
Sat 30th April 2pm – 3:30pm Leeds Queer Stories: Live Guiding. Community curatorial
staff members of the display group will be on hand to talk more about the project.
Leeds City Museum, Millenium Square, Cookridge Street, Leeds LS2 8BH.
Tel 0113 2243732. Email: [email protected]
Facebook:LeedsMuseumsandGalleries. Twitter @Leedsmuseums #leedscitymuseum
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk
Worried about debt?
UNISON offer free, independent advice
Dealing with debt
Debt can cause a great deal of stress in your life. A small change in circumstances can turn a
manageable situation into a debt problem that threatens your home or your family’s wellbeing.
UNISON’s Debtline service is available to all our members to help you manage money and deal
with debt. We offer free confidential advice to help you clear your debts.
Debtline can help you deal with:
 credit card debt;
 mortgage arrears;
 home repossession;
 county court judgment claims.
Taking action
Our Debtline service is provided by debt management experts, Payplan. Using this service you
get:
 immediate advice;
 a debt management plan to suit your circumstances;
 a case officer to advise you throughout your repayment programme and negotiate with
your creditors;
 a reduction of multiple debt repayments into a single, affordable monthly repayment;
 a choice of payment methods
 free and confidential service with no hidden charges.
You can also choose to use the free online Payplan tools to help you come up with your own
plan.
Read more about Payplan tools.
Payplan’s advisers are aware of the financial support that There for You can offer and will refer
you to us if they think we can help you.
Read more about There for you financial help.
Contact Debtline
Call the UNISON Welfare Debtline
freephone 0800 389 3302
Help with debt is just one of the benefits of joining UNISON.
http://www.unison-lych.org.uk