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Barnet UNISON eNews 14 August 2024
Opinion: UNISON will stand up to the politics of hate
Christina McAnea says: “We will work with other unions across the country to call for an end to violence, intimidation and discrimination. Unity is our strength”
The racist rioting and violence led and organised over social media by the far right last week and over the weekend has horrified many of us.
Sickening scenes of mobs laughing and cheering as buildings housing vulnerable asylum seekers were set on fire were both terrifying and shameful.
The homes of those judged to be immigrants were attacked street by street. People were targeted and beaten up solely because of the colour of their skin.
Mosques were attacked and besieged. Islamophobia plain for all to see. Nazi salutes, racist chants and violent language have polluted the streets of many towns and cities.
Public service workers, including nurses rushing in to provide emergency cover at a hospital, had missiles thrown at them. Several police officers have been injured trying to stand up to the mob and prevent arson, assaults and the violence spreading.
Most repellent of all has been the excuse used by the far right that the rioting is a direct consequence of the terrible tragedy in Southport where three little girls were murdered and their families and a community were left grieving.
The far right and those they’ve misled are using the Southport tragedy to scapegoat Muslim people, asylum seekers, in fact anyone who doesn’t look like them.
When the facts didn’t match, the far right changed the facts. In the name of “justice”, shops have been looted, a library and a citizens advice bureau burned down, bricks, bottles and other missiles have been thrown at the police, and local communities terrified.
The mob has struck fear into the hearts of millions of people who are now anxious for the safety of themselves and their families at the hands of racist thugs draped in the union jack.
The far right is returning to street violence, reminiscent of the past but given renewed impetus and power by social media and the internet.
The politics of hate didn’t just show up though. The rioters have been given encouragement by politicians, some in the mainstream. There will be those who seek to use this violence to advance the politics of hate. UNISON will challenge them too.
That means standing up to these vile people wherever and whenever they show up with their ugly politics and racist hate. They do not speak for us.
We will support our members who are attacked by racists whether that’s when they’re at work or walking through their local community. We will defend migrant people in this country, many working in essential public services. They deserve thanks not racist attacks.
Tommy Robinson and his loathsome brand of politics have nothing to offer but division and hate. They destroy communities, they don’t speak for them.
That is why UNISON is determined to challenge the politics of hate. Our members will lead the way, as they do, day in day out in our communities and in workplaces.
The union movement is united in this. We will work with other unions across the country to call for an end to violence, intimidation and discrimination. Unity is our strength.
End.
John vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON rep vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON Black members vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON school support staff members vote YES for strike action
Barnet UNISON: eNews 01 August 2024
National Pay Strike Ballot: What is UNISON doing?
Barnet UNISON members will join 360,000 UNISON members across England and Wales, in a National Pay Strike ballot which opens on 4 September and closes on 16 October.
UNISON advice to all 360,000 members is to VOTE YES for strike action
When can I vote?
Ballot papers will be sent directly to UNISON members’ home addresses. It is important that ALL Barnet UNISON members put a cross in the box and post the ballot back in the envelope provided.
For a successful strike ballot, a trade union must ensure that at least 50% of members have voted.
We know from other trade unions that it is important to contact all our members personally to try and get over the 50% target.
To this end Barnet UNISON will begin work to speak to every one of our members who are being balloted.
- We will be organising meetings in workplaces, schools, children centres, depots, Colindale both in-person and online.
- On Monday 2 September 6.30 pm we are holding an online National Pay meeting to explain about the strike ballot and to take questions.
- We are organising a telephone banking team to try and speak to every member. If you have a message left on your voicemail from Barnet UNISON, please respond back in order we can check you off as having voted. If you receive a text message from UNISON, please respond so we can register you as having voted.
- We will also be sending emails to members asking if they have voted. If you have voted please reply to confirm, if you have not voted or you do not have a ballot paper, please let us know as we can help to have another ballot paper sent out to you.
How much are they offering?
To understand why UNISON is recommending all 360,000 members to VOTE YES for strike action UNISON has produced a helpful online tool which provides each member with clear information that this is another PAY CUT during the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years.
Before you use the online calculator, you will need to know your annual salary. If you don’t know what you earn, please speak to your line manager.
You can access the link using the QR Code ( create QR code for this link but keep link in flyer https://unisonpaycalculator.co.uk/ )
The online calculator provides four bits of financial information.
To help explain how it works we are using an example of a Barnet Council Grade D worker (working full time) and on the bottom of the grade.
- This worker currently earns £28,272.
- Using the UNISON National Pay Calculator this worker will with the current offer will move up to £29,763
- UNISON’s claim was for £3,000 or 10%, whichever was greater.
- The online calculator shows UNISON’s Pay claim would mean another £1,710 for this Grade D worker taking their pay to £31,474.
- Had this Grade D worker’s salary kept up with inflation since 2010, they’d be receiving £35,340.
- UNISON view is being £1,710 worse off is not a pay rise which is why all UNISON members are being advised to VOTE YES for strike action.
Is there enough money?
- The answer is YES.
- The UK is the sixth largest economy in the world.
- We are in the worst cost of living crisis in 77 years
- The number of UK billionaires has gone up by 20% since pandemic.
- MPs will get a pay rise from £86, 584 to £91,346 alongside expenses and subsidised meals.
- 177 billionaires in the UK increased their wealth by £150 billion between 2020-22 (directly benefiting from the pandemic!). Billionaire Britain – Equality Trust.
- Oxfam’s analysis found that the richest 1% of Britons hold more wealth than 70 per cent of Britons, while the four richest Britons have more wealth than 20 million Britons.
- Shell continues to reap the rewards of soaring energy prices, reporting astounding profits of £5.8 billion in Q4 2023 bringing the year’s grand total to £22 billion
- New figures released by the Trussell Trust have also revealed that more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship between April 2023 and March 2024.
- England’s water firms made £1.7bn in pre-tax profits. This is up 82% since 2018-19, when the same companies made £955m
- Food shopping prices are still rising.
- Rent and/or mortgage payments are still rising.
The Government chooses who they give the money to … and it’s not to public sector workers. The value of public sector pay has fallen by almost 27% which is why we are in this serious cost of living crisis.
End.
Barnet Council mental health social worker recruitment crisis : Community Care
Community Care Articles
Below are links to articles about the mental health social workers strike.
1. Mental health social workers consider striking over staffing levels.
20 June 2023
2. Strike ballot opens for mental health social workers.
8 August 2023.
https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2023/08/08/strike-ballot-opens-for-mental-health-social-workers/
3. Mental health social workers vote to strike over ‘chronic staffing issues’
6 September 2023.
4. Social workers to take 26 days’ further strike action in pay and staffing dispute.
26 October 2023.
5. Inside a social work strike: the staff fighting for a ‘safe service’
31 October 2023.
6. Social workers re-balloted on striking after 27 days of action leaves pay dispute unresolved.
18 February 2024.
7. Social workers to take nine more weeks of strike action as talks fail to resolve dispute.
8 March 2024.
8. Firm pulls out of providing service for council that union claims would have broken social work strike.
17 April 2024
9. Social workers reject council offer to settle dispute after more than 40 days of strike action.
16 May 2024.
10. Social workers escalate dispute with nine-week walkout.
17 May 2024
https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/17/social-workers-escalate-dispute-with-nine-week-walkout/
11. Council to buy in service to cover social workers during 9-week strike.
21 May 2024.
12. Union threatens court action over council plan to cover social work strike.
24 May 2024
13. Council outsources mental health service to cover social work strike
10 June 2024.
14. Mental health social workers pose greatest recruitment and retention challenge for adults’ services.
25 June 2024.
15. Mental health social workers return to work after nine-week strike
16 July 2024
To be continued……………..