UNISON Campaign – Page 54

In recognition of the risks they are taking every day whilst having to cope with the stress and anxiety of trying to cope at home with all the restrictions COVID 19 is bringing into their lives, Barnet UNISON has taken the following action:

Barnet UNISON have formally requested Barnet Council to adopt a similar bonus payment for key workers for the duration of this crisis.

The Council are considering our request.

Watch this space…………..

Barnet UNISON statement:

Please let the branch know what is going on with your employer by emailing

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

You can keep up to date with Barnet UNISON here on our

Website here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/

Twitter https://twitter.com/barnet_unison

What is happening in your workplace: Please read

24th March 2020 admin Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, National, UNISON Campaign

If your employer is not listening to the government following the lock down announcement as a worker you do have some legal rights to protect your health and safety.

If you are a Barnet UNISON member please let us know immediately by emailing the branch at

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Already some workers have walked out by using this legislation

Employment Rights Act 1996 Section 44 (Health and safety cases).

(1) An employee has the right not to be subjected to any detriment by any act, or any deliberate failure to act, by his employer done on the ground that—

(d) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work, or

(e) in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.

Barnet UNISON statement:

Please let the branch know what is going on with your employer by sending an email to

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

You can keep up to date with Barnet UNISON here on our

Website here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/

Twitter https://twitter.com/barnet_unison

Barnet UNISON: Public Health guidance for Social Care workers

20th March 2020 admin Austerity, Barnet Homes, Health and Safety, Local, National, Solidarity, TBG Flex, UNISON Campaign

Dear Members

If you work in social care we want to make sure that you are being kept safe.

Below are links to Public Health England guidance for workers in Residential, Supported Living and Home Care.

Please read the information carefully. If you are not getting Personal Protective

COVID-19: guidance on residential care provision

Updated 19 March 2020

“Care home providers will routinely be procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and aprons. In addition, there will be a free issue of PPE to support adult social care providers to support compliance with the updated advice. This will be issued from the pandemic influenza stockpile. Arrangements will be put in place for adult social care providers to access further PPE as necessary.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-on-residential-care-provision

COVID-19: guidance for supported living provision

Updated 19 March 2020

“Personal protective equipment

The risk of transmission should be minimised through safe working procedures. Care workers should use personal protective equipment for activities that bring them into close personal contact, such as washing and bathing, personal hygiene and contact with bodily fluids.

Aprons, gloves and fluid repellent surgical masks should be used in these situations.

In particular cases, if there is a risk of splashing then eye protection will minimise risk.

New personal protective equipment must be used for each episode of care. It is essential that personal protective equipment is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.

These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within the room. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in the usual household waste bin for disposal.”

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-for-supported-living-provision

COVID-19: guidance on home care provision

Updated 19 March 2020

“Personal protective equipment

Care workers should use personal protective equipment (PPE) for activities that bring them into close personal contact, such as washing and bathing, personal hygiene and contact with bodily fluids.

Aprons, gloves and fluid repellent surgical masks should be used in these situations. If there is a risk of splashing, then eye protection will minimise risk.

New personal protective equipment must be used for each episode of care. It is essential that personal protective equipment is stored securely within disposable rubbish bags.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-residential-care-supported-living-and-home-care-guidance/covid-19-guidance-on-home-care-provision

Barnet UNISON statement:

Please let the branch know if you are not being provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

by sending an email to

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

You can keep up to date with Barnet UNISON here on our

Website here https://www.barnetunison.me.uk/wp/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BarnetUNISON/

Twitter https://twitter.com/barnet_unison

A Public Voice about Private Fears : Poem by Flower Samuels

20th March 2020 admin Austerity, Local, Solidarity, UNISON Campaign

There were no bombs or guns, but sirens of fear

The threat of death

The smell of despair

No smoke, but the air held panic.

Laws which previously held goodness crumbled.

It was smiles and kind words

That were the shields

It was the simple act of giving which kept the fear at bay.

Our concern for others was the armour

As people stood and heard the silence

Waiting for the footsteps of terror to come closer

Closing their doors and locking their hearts

Others were called to act

Kindness could penetrate walls

Bring life where there was darkness.

It could open up a universe of truth.

written by Flower Samuels Barnet UNISON member.

Who are the Key Workers who need to have child care provided by Schools?

20th March 2020 admin Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, National, Report, Schools, Solidarity

See below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Key Workers:

· Health and social care – includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers; the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector; those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributers of medicines and medical and personal protective equipment.

· Education and childcare – includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

· Key public services – includes those essential to the running of the justice system, religious staff, charities and workers delivering key frontline services, those responsible for the management of the deceased, and journalists and broadcasters who are providing public service broadcasting.

· Local and national government – only includes those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services such as the payment of benefits, including in government agencies and arms length bodies.

· Food and other necessary goods – includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines).

· Public safety and national security – includes police and support staff, Ministry of Defence civilians, contractor and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of key defence and national security outputs and essential to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic), fire and rescue service employees (including support staff), National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas.

· Transport – includes those who will keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass.

· Utilities, communication and financial services – includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.

Barnet UNISON members if you have any questions please email the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

UNISON in relation to Coronavirus, all workplaces including schools.

19th March 2020 admin Austerity, Health and Safety, Local, National, News, Schools, UNISON Campaign

Dear Member

I thought I would share the latest update from UNISON in relation to Coronavirus, all workplaces including schools.

“What is UNISON nationally is doing now?

We are seeking to work with national government, local government and education employers to draw up additional guidance. We have raised a range of issues with them including:

Which workers we believe should be defined as essential staff and have access to education facilities;
Closures and full pay – the need for reassurance around full pay for all staff including contractors (catering, cleaning etc), agency staff and sessional workers;
Health and safety – need for risk assessments, protective equipment, schools fully stocked with all necessary cleaning products and testing;
Postponement of redundancies/restructures/TUPE transfers/ disciplinary hearings etc during this period;
Joint working with unions and employers locally and nationally to help schools and pupils and staff through crisis with employers and unions recognising the need for flexibility. Asking for volunteers first when employers are seeking to re-deploy staff;”

More details here.

https://www.unison.org.uk/at-work/education-services/key-issues/covid-19-closures/

I have submitted the above to Barnet Council and requested that I need a response which I can share to all of our members.

Please note:

If you have any questions please email

contactus@barnetunison.org.uk

Barnet UNISON office moves to home working

18th March 2020 admin Austerity, Health and Safety, Schools, UNISON Campaign

Until further notice Barnet UNISON will be operating a home working system from our branch workers in line with government advice which means the branch office is closed for access.

Our answering machine and emails will be monitored during this period and we will continue to provide telephone and email advice to our members, individual face to face representation is to be postponed at this time however we will still be representing you but trying to find an alternative way to do so in line with the government advice on COVID19.

If you have a new issue or query you would like assistance with, in the first instance, please either telephone the branch on 020 8359 2088 and leave a message on the Voicemail, giving your name and phone number very clearly and slowly or email the branch at contactus@barnetunison.org.uk and leave your name, contact telephone number, workplace and a brief outline of your issue or query.

We will arrange for a representative to contact you as soon as possible.

Please see below a list of our Officers and reps together with their contact details and working hours for those who have ongoing cases with the below:

Monday to Friday. John Burgess Branch Secretary John.Burgess@barnetunison.org.uk

Monday to Friday. Helen Davies Branch Chair Helen.Davies@barnetunison.org.uk

Tuesday & Thursday. Hugh Jordan Health and Safety/Convenor Libraries Hugh.Jordan@barnetunison.org.uk

Tuesday to Wednesday Beverly Berrick (Schools) Tues- Weds Beverley.Berrick@barnetunison.org.uk

Wednesday to Friday. Chris Jobson Street Scene Convenor Chris.Jobson@barnetunison.org.uk

Wednesday to Friday. Patrick Hunter Convenor Barnet Homes Patrick.Hunter@barnetunison.org.uk

Monday to Friday. Lorraine Berry Office Manager Lorraine.Berry@barnetunison.org.uk

You can also ring Unison Direct on 0800 0857 857.

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