If you have a general question to ask about UNISON or the Branch Office…..drop DAN a line!

Q&A

• At what point do new members get access to full representation, membership benefits and legal services if required?

Although new members do become ‘official’ members from the moment we receive their membership form into the branch office, they can not access any representation, membership benefits or legal help until 4 weeks after they have paid their first subscription payment. This period could vary depending upon the schedule of their payroll or direct debit.

It is also important to bear in mind that as a UNISON Branch Representative, you do not have to represent new members on issues that have started before the end of this 4 week period, although advice can be offered at your discretion.

• When do the Branch Stewards meet as a group?

The Branch Stewards Meetings run every 2 months. The meetings are held in the Branch Office at Shire Hall between 12:00 – 14:00 with lunch provided. The schedule of Stewards Meetings can be viewed on the branch website here http://unisoncambridgeshire.org.uk/resources/meetings/

• Is there a UNISON Cambridgeshire County FACEBOOK page?

Yes. You can access the page here http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=679666649

After all the speculation and rumour in the national press, please see link for detail on the agreements that have come out of the latest discussions between the unions and the Government.

Latest detail on agreements to come out of the talks around the future of the LGPS

AGM 2012

Don’t forget – AGM 2012, 23rd February, The Ramparts Room in the Bailey Rooms, Shire Hall site, Refreshments from 12 noon.

BRANCH XMAS SHUTDOWN

The branch office will be closed after tomorrow until 3rd of January. Urgent situations and emergencies can be dealt with by the UNISON Direct national helpline on 0845 355 0845

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
UNISON Cambridgeshire County Branch

BEFORE THE DAY
Please check the branch website for N30 information, Q&A sheets and publicity http://unisoncambridgeshire.org.uk/

There will be exemptions however these will be limited to life & limb emergency cover, employees in their final year of service, pregnant women who have notified the employer of their expected week of childbirth, and employees whose state benefits may be affected by taking part in strike action.

Do you want to volunteer as a marshal on the day?  If you are interested in volunteering as a marshal for Cambridge N30 we will need a contact phone number & email address plus an indication from where (Shire Hall feeder march, Addenbrookes feeder march or Main Rally at Parker’s Piece) you wish to marshal. Please let the branch office know by Wednesday 23rd November.

For striking UNISON members there will be a branch Hardship Fund available.  This fund is only for cases of extreme hardship, at the discretion of the branch committee and NOT available as a means to replace the loss of a days pay if you are on strike.

If you intend on having a picket line at your workplace please let the branch office know as soon as possible to arrange pick-up/delivery of placards & publicity materials.  On the 28th/29th November we shall be going out doing deliveries so make sure you get in touch asap if you want things dropping off.

ON THE DAY
Huntingdon, March, Wisbech – picket lines yet to be confirmed.

Cambridge Shire Hall site – There will be several picket lines around the Shire Hall site.  Placards & publicity materials will be distributed from the UNISON Branch Office window (The Old Police Station) from 8am on the day.

On the day there will be feeder marches from Shire Hall site & Addenbrookes site leading down towards Parker’s Piece for the Rally. The feeder march from the Shire Hall site will begin between 10:30-11:00.  The meeting point for the feeder march will be 10am at the front Shire Hall site entrance near the front car park.

The Rally on Parker’s Piece will begin from midday with speakers and other trade unions from across the city and county in attendance.

AT THE END OF THE DAY
A picket Line Party will take place at the Portland Arms at Mitcham’s Corner at the end of the day from 7:30pm.  This event is FREE to striking union members.

Any queries should be directed towards the branch office on 01223 717015 and more information will be released soon.

The links within the email will navigate the user to fraudulent copies of UNISON’s ‘update your details’ pages.

Members should not access these links.

Any access to your membership record should only be through the UNISON website https://my.unison.org.uk.  If you have received the spam email and updated your security information through any of the links on it, please visit https://my.unison.org.uk and reset your password.

The scam has not affected the UNISON ballot and will not undermine our support for our members during the ballot.

A warning message is being posted on the ‘join online’ and ‘update your details’ pages of the UNISON website, and a further message will be added to these pages to direct members only to access their membership details by directly logging onto https://my.unison.org.uk and not via a link in any emails they may receive.

The claim highlights the following:

• NJC employees have fallen further behind other equivalent groups of public sector workers as a consequence of below-inflation increases for a number of years, followed by a two-year pay freeze, without the Chancellor’s promised £250 compensation
• Many are struggling to make ends meet as inflation, local attacks on pay and conditions and frozen car allowances combine to push our members further into poverty
• The Office of Budget Responsibility  has predicted economy-wide pay increases of 2.2% in 2012 and 3.8% in 2013
• Our members are doing much more for much less, as redundancies soar. 57,000 jobs were lost in the second quarter of 2011 alone.  The LGA forecasts a10% loss of jobs, which is likely to be exceeded

See below for the detailed Pay Claim:

NJC Pay Claim 2012-13 FINAL VERSION

Will the 3% hike in pension contributions improve my pension or make my pension scheme stronger?

No.

The wider scheme changes which are due to kick in in 2015 are about reforming the schemes themselves (and making further savings for the Treasury). However, the average 3.2% rise in contributions that most people will be paying is a separate initiative announced in the Spending Review by the chancellor, George Osborne and is being implemented by the relevant government ministers.

The chancellor announced that he will be implementing progressive changes to employee contributions to make further savings of £900 million from the Local Government Pension Scheme and £1.8 billion a year from the other public service schemes, including the NHS scheme) by 2014/15 – equivalent to 3% for every contributing member (3.2% on average once those below £15,000 are removed as seems likely). This is on top of the recommendations in the “Hutton Report” which suggested ways to reform the scheme.

Most of the schemes are what are known as “unfunded schemes” in which contributions go to the Treasury directly and benefits are paid as and when they are needed rather than invested in a pension fund. The Local Government Pension Scheme is different. It is a funded scheme in which contributions from both employers and employees are invested in a managed fund. Investment returns are put back into the fund or reinvested.

For the LGPS, ministers have made it very clear that the savings made by the 3% increase in contributions (3.2% on average once those below £15,000 are removed as seems likely) should be spent in mitigating the effects of decreased central funding for services.

So where the larger scale reforms suggested by Lord Hutton are at least in principle intended to strengthen the schemes AND make savings the short term savings are just about getting money directly or indirectly to central government. In effect this means that the separate announcement of a further 3% in contributions is simply going to directly or indirectly to the treasury and not to improving your pension scheme!

“We the people of Cambridgeshire call on County Councillors of all political parties to support the Liberal Democrat motion to council on 7 December calling for the increases to members’ allowances to be rescinded and the previous scheme to be re-implemented in time for the 2012-13 budget, so that the increases do not become effective”

If enough people support this petition, the pressure of popular opinion will be so overwhelming that the increase will be rescinded before it becomes effective.  Please sign the petition and then get your family & friends to signit.

Make sure you get your entries in before 3rd November 2011 to be in with a chance of winning a £50 high street voucher. See below the rules and a couple of outstanding submissions:

• The competition is for UNISON members and their families only
• ONE entry per person
• £50 first prize high street voucher winner (possible special kids prize if we get lots of them entering)
• Competition will be judged by Heather Wakefield who is the UNISON National Head for Local Government
• Closing date for entries 3rd November 2011 (closing date for the ballot!)
• Email entries to unison@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

When you’re feeling old & grey
You may yet, regret the day
That envelope left on the shelf
- you didn’t bother to send yourself
To vote for your pension , as is your right
Maybe you cant be bothered to fight?
Or will you work til 74
Because you left it on the floor
Or maybe you don’t like a fuss
But think again, and think you must
Money doesn’t grow on trees
Especially in times like these
We ARE all told to ” share the pain”
But should we lose , whilst fat cats gain?
Tighten your belt and heating off
Because you didn’t post it off?
So don’t wait, and complain when you’re old
Vote YES now! GO ON! BE BOLD!
Don’t give up your money, don’t give it away
YOU will need it!! VOTE YES …..TODAY

The Tories want your money,
They’re coming for the lot.
Not a penny that they take
Will go in your pension pot

They’ve given it to bankers,
The rich and all their friends
And while they cut your services
They’re increasing their own spends

Tax cuts for the rich
Increases for the poor
They want to give you the sack,
But still they’re taking more

Osborne is the Chancellor,
In charge of public money.
When he runs out of fingers to count,
He’s in trouble – it’s not funny!

The only thing that we can do
Is stand and fight together
And tell the Tories to back off,
You’ll take our pensions never.

November 30th is the day,
When we will go on strike.
Unity is strength we say,
So Cameron, on your bike.

When the ballot paper arrives,
Delivered through your door,
Remember to vote Yes we say
And hear the union roar.

On Tuesday 18th October, Cambridgeshire County Councillors will be voting on a proposed increase in allowances. The proposals, if voted for, will see Councillors allowances rise by £1,890. For Nick Clarke, Tory Council leader, the rise will mean a total remuneration package of around £38,000 per year.

The justifications given for the proposed increases are that Councillors are “Doing More with Less”. This is at a time whenUNISONCambridgeshireCountybranch members are being asked to “Do More for Less” and are among those being asked to work longer, pay more and receive less in proposals by the Coalition government to attack public sector pensions.

Terry Parr, UNISONCambridgeshireCountyBranch Secretary, said “We do understand the view, that if local democracy is to prosper then candidates for council membership need to have different backgrounds and life experiences and remuneration of elected members is one way to achieve that end. However it would appear to be incredibly insensitive to suggest these increases now when local government employees are loosing their jobs, having their pay frozen, and probably having to work longer and pay more for a smaller pension. To then go on and justify this in recognition of councillors doing more with less is doubly insulting because employees are being expected to do more for less every day.”

UNISON members and council constituents are facing pay freezes, redundancy and service cuts. On top of this UNISON members and CCC employees have been refused the HMRC increase in the mileage rates unless concessions are made in other areas. Why are Councillors proposing an increase in their allowances when everyone else is constantly being told ‘we are all in this together’?

UNISON Cambridgeshire County Branch have called for a lobby of the Full Council meeting at Shire Hall on Tuesday 18th October from 9.00am and are asking as many people as possible to come along. Council members have been given a free vote on the allowance increase and it is important that they are aware of the strength of feeling of UNISON members and their constituents prior to the vote.

For more information contact:
Terry Parr
01223 717075
terry.parr@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

On Tuesday 18th October, Cambridgeshire County Councillors will be voting on a proposed increase in allowances. The proposals, if voted for, will see Councillors allowances rise by £1,890. For Nick Clarke, Tory Council leader, the rise will mean a total remuneration package of around £38,000 per year. Full details of the proposals can be seen here
http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/council2.nsf/af8076762df199c580256b14003ef043/6bd3e5a301d0f8b68025792500325b64?OpenDocument

The justifications given for the proposed increases are that Councillors are “Doing More with Less”. This is at a time when UNISON Cambridgeshire County branch members are being asked to “Do More for Less” and are among those being asked to work longer, pay more and receive less in proposals by the Coalition government to attack public sector pensions.

Our members, and council constituents are facing pay freezes, redundancy and service cuts. On top of this we have been refused an increase in our mileage rates unless we agree to make concessions in other areas. Why are Councillors proposing an increase in their allowances when the rest of us are constantly being told ‘we are all in this together’?

UNISON Cambridgeshire County Branch have called for a lobby of the Full Council meeting on Tuesday 18th October from 9.00am and are asking as many people as possible to come along. Council members have been given a free vote on the allowance increase and it is important that they are aware of the strength of feeling of members and their constituents prior to the vote.

People can contact their local County Councillor to raise their objections. Please see the list for contact details of your local councillor
http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/council1.nsf/Members/Members+Address+List?OpenView&Count=75

If you get a response, let the branch know on unison@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Important note: please do not do this from work, but use your home email.
The more emails/letters etc. that they receive, the more likely they will be to vote against the proposed rises

Terry Parr
Branch Secretary
UNISON Cambridgeshireshire County Branch