Welcome to Unison Birmingham
UNISON Birmingham Branch has nearly 16,000 providing a wide range of services to the people of Birmingham. If you are not a member and work in the public sector, why not join us and benefit from the support, services and strength that being a member of UNISON can provide.
Read The Branch Secretaries's Blog
Keep up-to-date with what's going on in the branch. The Branch Secretaries' Blog is inside view of the work of the branch.
Latest Posts ....
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PDRs, Trade Union Facilities, Future Plans for HR and Outsourcing of Customer Services
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Connexions Fightback Stops Compulsory Redundancies
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For Sale - Birmingham's Leisure and Sports Facilities
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Birmingham Trade Unionists Smash Government Pay Freeze
Council's Safer Driving Policy
Download our Branch Health and Safety Officer's response to the city council's proposed Safer Driving Policies for Council Vehicles and Private Vehicles
Survey on low cost LGPS option
UNISON Head office are looking to include a short-term, ‘low cost option’ in the new Local Government Pension Scheme from 2014. The intention would be to enable non-members to join the LGPS on a 50% contribution and benefits basis as a way of moving towards full membership of the scheme. It would also enable members to reduce contributions for up to three years at times of financial hardship.
Head office have designed this short ‘Survey Monkey’ survey to seek members’ views of this possible option. There is a short completion window, with a deadline of 30 March. We would like as many responses as possible so please circulate this to your colleagues. You can access the survey via the link below.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGPSLowCostOption
Branch and Section Officer Election Results
Here are the results of the contested branch and section elections for the period of office from 1 March 2012 - 28 February 2013.
New Blog For UNISON Members in Birmingham Schools
Following the popular success of the Branch Secretaries' Blog, we now have a new Blog for all our Birmingham Schools members.
Latest Posts ...
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Give us your comments about working life inside Birmingham’s schools.
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Protest at Ninestiles Academy
A Response To Stefan Cross Solicitors Over Equal Pay
Recently, a letter was sent out by Stefan Cross solicitors in Birmingham essentially claiming that UNISON and its legal representatives had failed to represent members effectively in Equal Pay cases in the city. This is not accurate so we are writing to set the record straight.
By now many members who are equal pay claimants will have received a letter from UNISON’s solicitors informing them of the current position. UNISON will not recommend that members settle claims for the unsatisfactory amounts that have been offered by the City Council and is currently in negotiations with the City Council on this issue. If Birmingham City Council fails to make adequate offers then the union is prepared to pursue cases through the Employment Tribunals.
Where the union has had to take legal action elsewhere it has been successful in obtaining favourable outcomes on behalf of members and we are determined that the same will apply in Birmingham.
LGPS National Briefing #8 19 December 2011
"Since 30 November the LGA has moved quickly to establish some consensus over the direction of travel within the LGPS and establish some joint principles and a timetable for negotiation, starting in January.
The government and the LGA have accepted that the LGPS is different from the other public sector pension schemes because it is a funded scheme and has assets of around £140 billion at current prices.
There are some key points of agreement between the LGPS unions and the LGA:
• No change until 2014 - avoiding any change before the 2013 valuation
• Prevention of opt outs and maximising of membership to keep the scheme sustainable
• Independent and robust equality proofing at every stage
• Adequate time for unions and employers to consult at key stages of the process
There have been NO negotiations on the detail of future contributions or the design of the new scheme, though they will start in earnest in January, with a view to Regulations being laid in time for the 2013 valuation.
We have had to have Chatham House negotiations between ourselves and the Local Government Association, while trying to get the Government on board, although Chairs of relevant UNISON Committees have been consulted over developments.
We will not know for sure that we can proceed until Eric Pickles as SOS gives the all-clear, which we may not be until Tuesday. We are optimistic that he will say yes and also thatthe Department for Communities and Local Government will agree to suspend the statutory consultation underway on contribution increases.
As soon as we have agreement and a public announcement is made, the principles and timetable will be sent to you.
There will be a briefing for UNISON Service Group Executives covered by the LGPS on 10 January, alongside the Pension Summit, when SGE members within the LGPS will be able to respond to the principles and timetable and agree the next steps."
Dave Prentis Speaks Out For Council Staff Losing Allowances
UNISON General Secretary drew gasps of shock from the 4,000 strikers attending the Birmingham NIA Pensions Rally on November 30th when he spoke out about the shocking pay cuts under the new Council contract.
"Here in Birmingham over 10,000 UNISON members have already been out twice this year, joined today by another 4,500 school staff bravely fighting back against a council making massive cuts to the wages of the lowest paid. Women like Jeanette, a part time home carer today she earns just £281 a week, but this council wants cut that by £85 a week.
"And it's brave men and women like Jeanette who are taking their stand today; sacrificing their own pay standing firm against intimidation sending a message, loud and clear: 'you may take us for granted, but we will not be taken for fools', 'we may be loyal servants of the public, but we will not be made scapegoats for politicians too cowardly to turn to the bankers and say 'you caused this crisis, you pay for it.'
Tumultuous applause from teachers, civil servants and health workers on strike with us.
Pensions - Keep Up The Pressure
On 30 November hundreds of thousands of UNISON members took strike action to defend their pensions.
Pressure from UNISON, including the ballot of more than a million members, has seen significant movement from the original proposals. But at the moment, these are only outline principles - there are no detailed offers for the different public service pension schemes that members can make a decision on.
UNISON will continue to negotiate on our members' behalf and we will consult members when any firm offer is received.
Until we have a firm offer, we need to keep up the pressure.
Sign To ePetition to Return to the RPI on our Pensions
Just 8,000 more signatures are needed on the Government's ePetition website on an ePetition calling for the restoration of the Retail Price Index as the measure of inflation for our pensions. If the ePetiton gets 100,000 signatures, the issue had to be discussed in Parliament. So far almost 92,000 have signed. Here's what is says.
"Many workers in the Public and Private Sector have contributed to their pensions on the understanding that on retirement these Pensions would be increased each April by the preceding September's Retail Price Index (RPI) rate. From April 2011 the Government has transferred these increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure which in the Treasury's own words "...is designed to take account of the fact that consumers tend to shop around, switching to cheaper alternatives when prices of similar goods change." This change, which has been introduced in most cases without any prior consultation, will mean a steady reduction in spending power for pensioners as they progress into their retirement. Given the promises that have previously been made, the RPI measure should be reintroduced without delay to ensure that the spending power of these Public and Private pensioners is maintained."
72,000 Public Sector Staff To Strike in Brum
Stewards from around the branch met yesterday and reported high levels of support for the strike around the Council. It is a dual strike in the Council - to protect our Pensions and Against the new contract, with its cuts in allowances and work anywhere/anytime, any job clauses.
Schools will be closed; NHS workers will be on their first national strike; the civil service and benefits offices will be out; colleges and universities are on strike.
But it all depends on everyone making a personal decision - to stand together.
This is going to be the BIG one. Join Us !
Branch Newsletter Issue # 9
The latest branch newsletter is now with the Post Office and we hope will arrive at members' homes on Friday 25th November. It contains articles on
· Arrangements for November 30th
· Change of Pay Date
· More Help for Those Losing Allowances
· The branch elections
Download Branch Newsletter Issue # 9
Hopes Grow For More Financial Help For Those Losing Allowances
UNISON and the other trade unions were recently called to a meeting with Cllr Alan Rudge, Cabinet Member for Equalities and HR, to discuss a new proposal to ‘mitigate’ or reduce the financial losses of staff under the new Birmingham Contract.
Apparently they have found a sum of around £1.3m which they would like to use to cushion the effects of the new contract on those losing allowances.
Proposed Change of Pay Date
The Chief Executive, Stephen Hughes, sent a global email to council staff last week in which he suggested the change of the monthly pay date from the 28th to the 14th of each month.
We have been reassured that this would mean staff being paid two weeks earlier, not two weeks later.
New Local Government Pensions Calculator
You can now get an estimate of how much more you are likely to pay, how much less you are likely to get and how much longer you will have to work under the new government proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) on the following UNISON webpage.
http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/yourpension.asp
Council Budget 2012/3 Section 188 Notice
The Council has on October 12th issued a Section 188 Notice for a three month consultation period over potential redundancies arising from next year’s Council Budget. They say they have already consulted last year about £41.1m of the proposed cuts in 2012/3 but need to consult about a further £65m of cuts not already planned for.
For more information and to download a copy click here
New Birmingham City Council Redundancy Policy
Unison has recently agreed to sign the City Council’s proposed Redundancy Policy following months of talks with the council and advice from our solicitors, Thompson’s. However we have only agreed to the Redundancy Policy NOT the accompanying documents.
For more information and to download copies click here
Annual Branch and Section Officer Elections 2012
Every year we conduct a postal ballot for electing Branch and Section Officers, plus delegates to Annual and Local Government Conference, WM Regional Council and Birmingham Trades Council. For the delegate positions there are two seats for every Section (1 General, 1 Women’s) plus 1 seat elected by each of the four Self Organised Groups (Women’s, Black Members, LGBT, Disabkled Members).
Nominations forms are available from the Branch Office and must be received by Friday 16 December 2011 12.00 Midday addressed to Branch Elections, Birmingham UNISON Office, 19th Floor, McLaren Building, Priory Queensway, Birmingham B7 4LR. Please note the deadline for nominations will be strictly adhered to.
The ballot will take place from late January to mid February with the new period of office starting on Thursday 1 March.
More details are contained on the downloadable Branch and Section Elections 2012
Download Branch Newsletter Issue # 8