16 Reasons

16 reasons people don’t join – how you can change their minds!

“It’s too expensive”

• Membership is calculated depending on your salary and can be as little as £1.30 per month.
• It’s value for money – a premium service that offers peace of mind and security.
• Membership costs do not automatically increase every year.
• Membership includes free legal advice.
• It’s not as expensive as losing your job and having no one to fight your corner.
• We offer concessions for students.

“No one asked me”

• I’m asking you now!
• Explain that a union is only as strong as its membership. The more members we have the stronger we become the more protection we can offer.

“I’ve had a bad experience with UNISON in the past”

• Listen to their negative experience. Steer the conversation towards a more positive outcome by asking how they would have dealt with the situation;
• Explain that times have changed and that by being part of a collective and getting involved, workplace situations can be resolved;
  
• Empathise, and offer support and confidentiality on any current issues.

“I can get all the benefits without joining”

• You may be able to get certain benefits, but you’re vulnerable without proper representation at disciplinary or grievance meetings.
  
• By being part of a democratic process such as consultation and negotiation, you have a voice.
  
• “Freeloading” can undermine the strength of the union, which can have a negative effect on deals and agreements.

“Aren’t you affiliated with the Labour Party?”

• All unions have a political fund. UNISON members can choose to pay a very small part of their subscriptions into the affiliated political fund (Labour Link), the general political fund, both, or neither.

“It could harm my career”

• Your employer doesn’t need to know you’re a member and you can pay by Direct Debit rather than through your salary.
• We have a lifelong learning agenda – learning new skills and ongoing training opportunities will help your career, not harm it.

“I’ve never needed to join”

• The chances are that the union has already fought and won collective issues for everybody, including you; 
• The workplace is always changing by being a member, you will be represented in situations such as disciplinaries or redundancies.

“I’m an agency worker – I can’t join”

• Agency workers can join and pay by Direct Debit.
• We represent thousands of agency workers. (See our Know Your Rights leaflet for agency workers).

“What’s the point? I can’t be bothered”

• Give examples of local and national successes, including workplace issues.
• Go “fishing” – show an interest, and ask key questions to prompt further discussion at a later date.
• UNISON’s role in the workplace, the membership benefits and why we need to increase membership numbers.

“I don’t want to go on strike”

• A strike is a last resort and only happens if members vote in favour of action.
• 90% of members have never been on strike because negotiation usually settles disputes.
• It’s sometimes necessary to go on strike as part of negotiations.

“Unions don’t have any power and don’t do anything”

• All workers’ rights have been won because of unions – paternity leave, local government pension scheme, national minimum wage, family-friendly policies etc.
• Unions are a good source of information.
• Look at our lifelong learning agenda.

“Why bother? It’s a waste of time”

• The union will always bother you if a problem affects you;
• If you get actively involved, you can help yourself and your colleagues – that’s a very good use of your time.

“My manager is a member”

• The union is inclusive, so every staff member can join. But they all have an equal voice within the union – the views of the person you’re recruiting will have just as much weight as their manager.

“There’s no personal benefit to me”

• Membership benefits include free legal representation, access to our welfare charity There for You and many training and development opportunities.
• There are also a host of exclusive member-only financial benefits and deals.

“I’m worried about management reprisals”

• There are trade union laws that protect union members.
• Talk out their issues and give examples of how these may be resolved.
• Workers are more likely to be targeted by management if they’re not a member.
• But at the same time, the employer doesn’t need to know that you’re a member.

“I’m too busy”

• Completing the membership form will take just five minutes!

Update your Membership Details

Make sure your details are accurate. You can update your contact details on My UNISON or contact our help team UNISONDirect.

0800 0857 857 https://unison.org.uk/my-unison/

Not a member join today http://join.unison.org.uk #joinUNISON

Petrol Prices

 

Compare cheap petrol, diesel and fuel free and easy today!

Join over 2.1 million UK drivers who already compare petrol and diesel prices and you could save over £220 a year.

Totally Free service and app check out PetrolPrices.com to always ensure you are able to buy the petrol, diesel and fuel you need at the best price available.

Consultation Ballot - Closes 27th May

Members should have received communication from UNISON. This is a consultation email ballot. It will be asking you if you ACCEPT or REJECT the final pay offer from UCEA for the 2022/23 Pay Deal.

The HE consultation opens on 11 May and closes at 5pm on 27 May.

How do I participate in the consultation?

From 11 May, UNISON will send all eligible members an email to take part in the consultation

The easiest way to participate is via your UNISON email – please check your spam folder if you do not receive one.

What if I don’t get an email to take part?

If you have not supplied an email to participate go HERE

You will need to have your UNISON Membership number or National Insurance number to participate.

Branch E-News - Issue 44

Dear Members,

You can find the - E-News - Issue 44 HERE

Many Thanks,

UNISON @ LJMU

You can access our E-News Archive HERE

The Real Figures

We’re Worth More

Why Join UNISON?

Join today at https://www.unisonljmu.org.uk/become-a-member

Cost of Living Crisis

‘Working people cannot afford 12 more years of decline’

After Labour’s success at the polls last week, deputy leader Angela Rayner talks exclusively to UNISON about her upbringing and what is really needed to fix the cost of living crisis.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has declared that only Labour can help working people out of the cost of living crisis and that the response by the Conservatives has been “nothing short of insulting”.

Writing exclusively in the next issue of U, UNISON’s member magazine, Ms Rayner says: “The Conservatives are out of touch, out of ideas and out of excuses. People across Britain are worried about being able to pay their bills as prices spiral, and the Tories have no answers.

“In stark contrast,” she continues, “Labour is on your side and focused on building a better future. We are offering real solutions, right now, by offering help with squeezed budgets and rising costs – and building a vision for the workplaces of tomorrow.”

Describing her upbringing and how it has influenced her throughout her life – including leading the opposition’s current battle on the cost of living crisis, she says: “I know what it’s like struggling to make a pay cheque last until the end of the month – I grew up on a council estate and had my first baby when I was 16, starting as a home help when I left school.

“For the last 12 years, I’ve seen first-hand how the Conservatives have frozen wages, overseen widespread inequality, and increased levels of poverty.

“Working people are struggling to make ends meet, child poverty has risen sharply and in-work poverty is at a record high of one in six working households.

“A new deal for working people is needed to fix these fundamental problems.”

Ms Rayner says that a Labour government would be doing more than the current Conservative government to solve the crisis, and that her party is “determined to guarantee fair wages as well as control soaring bills”.

Arguing that Labour’s approach is about offering people real help right now, she adds: “It’s also about delivering a vision for the future of work, where working people enjoy dignity, and where those who devote themselves to delivering public services are treated with the respect they deserve.”

The MP talks honestly about the difficulties of being a single parent: “I know only too well the challenges of trying to balance work with being a good mum.

“Rather than stacking the odds against working parents, Labour will deliver stronger family-friendly rights, extending statutory maternity and paternity leave, introducing the right to bereavement leave and strengthening protections for pregnant women.”

She thanks UNISON for helping her achieve what she has since  joining the union. As one of the youngest home helps in Stockport, where she grew up, she put herself forward to be a UNISON rep and within a year was a senior steward, successfully fighting off the privatisation of the council’s home care service.

“I owe so much to UNISON and to the wider union movement, which  has become an extended family to me. I know how important unions are in offering the representation, support and training that are a lifeline to working people.

“When acting alone, workers are often denied their fair share – but backed by the collective power of colleagues and unions who provide effective representation and bargaining, we are all stronger and better off.”

She argues that current restrictions on the rights of unions to operate in the workplace “are preventing fair bargaining and holding back living standards”. Labour is committed to repealing anti-trade union legislation, such as the 2016 Trade Union Act.

Ms Rayner concludes by saying: “Today, our country is at a fork in the road – and it is Labour that has the plan to deliver change. Working people cannot afford 12 more years of decline.”

You can read the full article from Angela Rayner in the summer 2022 issue of U magazine, as part of a cost of living special. It will be mailed to members later this month.

Real Rate of Inflation in the UK

Original Article from March 2022 Vol 111 No 3 of Labour Research

Click image for larger view for easier reading.

Phase 3 Better Pay Campaign

#HEPay2022 #UNISONljmu #BetterPayCampaign #Phase3 is underway.

Look out for the postcards being distributed across the university estate.

Read it, Sign it and Post it. Let the VC & Management know that you have had enough of below inflation pay.

We are asking ALL university staff to participate in this campaign.

Final Pay Offer 2022/23

Dear Unison Member,

Below is an update and final the well below inflationary pay offer received today. The lower end of the pay grades from Spinal Points 3 to 20. All points above point 20 will increase by 3%.

Check out what's happening next

Better Pay Campaign 22/23

UNISON@LJMU is starting a Better Pay Campaign

Phase One:

We have created a Pay Rise Calculator so you can see how the pay rise will impact you and your actual Take Home Pay. You will need some information from your payslip to complete the spreadsheet.

To use the excel file from our shared drive click HERE. Once the file opens you will need to click on File and then Download so that you can use it correctly.

Phase Two:

Members will also receive communication soon from UNISON. This will be a consultation email ballot. It will be asking you if you ACCEPT or REJECT the final pay offer from UCEA for the 2022/23 Pay Deal.

Final Pay Offer

Phase Three:

From Monday 16th May 2022, UNISON@LJMU will be distributing "We're Worth More Post Cards" across the university estate. We are asking ALL Members of Staff, to take part in this campaign. They don't have to be a member of UNISON.

Yes, we are in cross-service group joint pay negations, but the UCEA Pay Award is the minimum amount that is payable that year. Institutions can pay more if they so choose to do so. This phase is asking LJMU to make a better offer to Staff.

All you have to do is read the Post Card. If you believe that you are worth more and deserve more, then sign the postcard and pop it in the Internal Post to the Vice-Chancellor Mark Power (We have already addressed it for you).

Royal Mail Stamps

Reinventing stamps for the next generations

Royal Mail stamps are changing, so what should you do with your old stamps?

Royal Mail are adding barcodes to all their regular ‘everyday’ stamps. These are the stamps (pictured below) that will be very familiar to you. They feature the profile of Her Majesty the Queen on a plain coloured background. The barcodes will enable exciting new services by connecting physical stamps to the digital world through the Royal Mail app which you can download here.

 
They are giving you plenty of notice about this change and any non-barcoded stamps you have will still be valid until 31 January 2023. If you won’t be able to use all of your stamps by that date you can swap them out for new barcoded ones.

Using them up

You can carry on using any non-barcoded stamps you have until 31 January 2023. For most people that will mean they have time to use up any of the old stamps they have before that date and you don’t need to swap anything out. 

If you have too many stamps to use them up before this date you can exchange them for new barcoded ones through Royal Mail’s ‘Swap Out’ scheme.

Swapping them out

Your non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. The Scheme opened on 31 March 2022. To swap out your stamps, simply complete one of our Stamp Swap Out forms and send it back to us along with your non-barcoded stamps. The step by step process for doing this is explained on the Royal Mail Web Site

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

Examples of stamps you can Swap Out

 

Clear Message

The power of the people took centre stage with the positive results coming out of the May 5th polling stations. The people of the UK sending a strong message to the UK Government, that we have all had enough, of the mishandling of the country.

Conservative MP's up and down the country have been refraining from using the Blue Conservative livery and logos. They have been opting for green livery and logos as well as messages to distance themselves from the leadership of the party. The Conservatives have seen a major shift in their support up and down the country, losing so many long term Conservative strongholds. 

These results may mean that the rumours of a snap election will be put on hold to give the party time to repair the internal damage. The main question now is will BoJo step aside for a new leader to be selected or will he push on and divide the party further?  

For the full results of the UK May 5th Council Elections please visit the Guardian NewsPaper for a report on all the results:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2022/may/05/elections-2022-results-live-local-council-england-scotland-wales

Out of Touch

by Ceren Sagir

The government was slammed yester-day for its shocking responses to the cost-of-living crisis as voters head to the polls for the local elections today.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told families struggling to pay bills and put food on the table to switch to supermarket “value” products.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson boasted about introducing the Freedom Pass in London, despite it being introduced in 1973, when asked on Good Morning Britain about the case of 77-year-old Elsie riding the bus all day to save on energy bills.

And last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it would be silly to pro-vide more support to tackle rising energy bills before seeing what hap-pens to prices in the autumn.

Calling the Tories “out of touch and out of ideas,” shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said that voting for Labour today would send a clear message to the government that “Britain deserves better.”

She said: “The response by the Conservatives to the cost-of-living crisis has been nothing short of insulting. People are worried about paying their bills and ministers are seriously suggesting the answer is dodgy loans and Tesco value. The Conservatives are living on another planet.”

The Labour MP called for an emergency Budget, with action to bring down bills by up to £600 with a wind-fall tax on oil and gas producer profits.

SNP Westminster deputy leader Kristen Oswald called Mr Eustice’s comments “utterly patronising and insulting” and urged people in Scot-land to vote SNP in the local elections.

She said: “Rather than bringing forward meaningful financial measures to help support families and to put money into people’s pockets, the Tory government is instead sitting on its hands and resorting to treating people with contempt.”

Linda Burnip, of Disabled People Against Cuts, called on the government to increase social security payments by £20 a week and to urgently impose a lower energy price cap.

She also demanded an immediate end to charging for social care, which should be free at the point of need like the NHS.

“People are now talking about older and disabled people and others existing in poverty having to choose between heating and eating but for many in those groups, this has already been the reality for almost 12 years of austerity.

“DPAC believe there will be many more deaths through lack of heating, malnutrition, increasing poverty, debt and destitution.”

Ms Burnip also hit out at Labour for failing to represent disabled and older people, family carers and non-working parents who make up a large portion of the electorate.

“If they want our votes they must change their attitudes and policies,” she said.

Fuel Poverty Action spokeswoman Ruth London called energy pricing in Britain “upside down,” adding: “Because of the outrageous standing charges that no-one can avoid, you pay less per unit if you use more energy, and you pay more if you use less.

“Even if you go cold and turn in early, you still have to pay a big bill.”

On Mr Sunak’s “silly” comments, Ms London said: “We know what will happen, Mr Sunak. People will die of poverty. But they won’t be people in your family.”

Neil Cowan, of the Poverty Alliance, said that the government is failing to help households, leaving them with insecure and falling incomes.

He said the simple things to do would be to raise benefits in line with inflation, scrap the unjust benefits cap and put a windfall tax on big energy companies. 

Original Article in the Morning Star Thursday May 5th

LGBT+ Open Meeting

Dear UNISON LGBT+ Members and LGBT+ Allies,

The next Open Meeting will take place via Teams.

On Thursday 12th May from 18:00 - 19:30.

Please download the meeting paperwork from HERE as well as the pre-registration attendance link via Eventbright.

Members are encouraged to join our mailing list by completing the online form:

http://www.unisonnw.org/lgbtsubscribe

 

Also, follow us on social media:

www.twitter.com/unisonnwlgbt

www.facebook.com/unisonnwlgbt 

www.instagram.com/unisonnwlgbt 

The North West Regional LGBT+ Group looks forward to welcoming as many LGBT+ Members and allies as possible.

UNISON Legal Services

UNISON: legal protection for those who protect

Every day, public service workers go above and beyond to support and protect our communities, but who makes sure when they need it that they are protected too?

UNISON - the public service union, and Thompsons Solicitors - the UK's leading trade union law firm. 

At Thompsons, we're proud to provide legal protection for UNISON members, for those who play such a valuable role in our society. 

We understand the impact austerity, pay cuts, long working hours, and poor working conditions are having on public service workers who despite all that is - day in, and day out - keeping us safe, educated, healthy, and cared for. 

Those workers who give so much, deserve only the very best legal backing. 

That's why we provide free legal advice and protection to more than 1.3 million UNISON members across England, Scotland, and Wales.

We provide protection for those who protect working in:

• NHS and social care roles
• Local and regional councils
• Colleges and schools
• The electricity, gas, and water industries
• Transport
• Police and justice
• Community and voluntary roles.

If you've been injured and need advice - get in touch to access free, no-obligation expert advice today on 0808 252 2783.

Check out the Thompsons UNISON page for more information or to start a claim or information request.

https://www.thompsonstradeunion.law/trade-unions/unison

Legal protection for you, and your family

As a UNISON member, if you are injured or involved in an accident, at or outside of work, on the roads or on holiday*, we're here to protect you, providing the legal expertise you need to secure compensation for your injuries. But our expert lawyers are also on hand to offer free legal advice and representation to your family members too for any accidents they have away from work including on the roads or on holiday.*

Unlike other lawyers, we only ever act for the injured or mistreated worker - never for employers, and never for insurance companies. That means we use our almost hundred years of expertise to stand up for those who protect, not defend those who cause injury.

*Holiday claims cover accidents outside the UK too where the case can be pursued in the UK courts.

The process of making a personal injury claim with UNISON

After having an initial conversation with our friendly and knowledgeable legal enquiry team, if we think you have a case your claim will be assigned to an appropriate legal specialist. A lawyer will provide support and advice at every step of your claim and will have a track record of helping other union members too.

UNISON’s promise to you: you or your family member will keep 100 per cent of the compensation you secure from your claim. We won’t make any deductions from your settlement and you won’t pay a penny in legal fees whether you win, or lose – it’s all part of your UNISON membership.

A total package of free legal protection for UNISON members

UNISON members get a total package of free legal advice and representation in:*

• Personal injury claims
• Accident at work claims
• Claims of the utmost severity including brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and fatalities
• Industrial disease or illness claims including asbestos.

Your membership also includes:

• Employment law advice accessed via your UNISON rep’
• Settlement agreements
• Work-related criminal law advice
• A free initial assessment in clinical negligence cases and then special funding terms
• A free online standard wills service. If you are a union member in Scotland, please use Thompsons Scotland's separate facility to start your free will
• Reduced rates for conveyancing
• Free initial legal advice on the telephone for up to 30 minutes.

*Within the union scheme. Terms and conditions apply.