News and Issues :
LATEST 13.08.08 Stoke PridePeople from across North Staffordshire gathered together to mark the Stoke Pride Mardi Gras-style event for the gay community. The Stoke Pride event took place place on Unity's car park in Hillcrest Street, Hanley, S-o-T, on 9 August 2008.
Unity's stall alongside the TUC Unionlearn, TUC LGBT network and a host of other organisations was well attended and all literature that was distributed was well received.
The event itself was very pleasant and enjoyable (despite the weather!) and showed a good strength of solidarity amongst all.
If you were unable to attend the event but would like some of the literature please contact:
April Molloy-Barker on 07738469261
Israr Mohammed on 07738469263
or Unity Head Office (01782) 272755
LATEST 4.08.08 Insurers may get harder to trace
Workers who develop diseases long after exposure could miss out on compensation as a result of government plans, prompting an angry response from unions.
The government is proposing to amend the regulations on Employers Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) to remove the requirement to retain records for 40 years and also to drop the requirement to display a current certificate.
The Department for Work and Pensions in a bid to be business friendly want to cut red tape by 25%. It claims that the requirement to store and display ELCI policy certificates represents a burden of £71 million. TheTUC has challenged the figure, arguing that the very small administrative 'burden' imposed on employers is greatly offset by the benefit of those who may be injured or made ill as a result of employer negligence.
When the government consulted on proposals last year, there was widespread opposition from trade unions, lawyers, insurers, hazards camaigners and victim support groups. The Health and Safety Executive feared the proposals would undermine its ability to enforce the requirement to have ELCI.
Unions argue that there is a very compelling case for the retention of records. The regulation was introduced only eight years ago as a result of employers failing to maintain records.
There are thousands of cases where workers cannot trace an insurer because of poor record-keeping by employers, particularly for 'long-tail' diseases that can take 40 years to develop, including asbestos cancer mesothelioma. If employers have no records, workers may find it very difficult to trace insurers.
LATEST 4.08.08 Improvements for Working Parents under Labour
From April 2007 statutory maternity pay (SMP) , maternity allowance and adoption pay was increased from 26 to 39 weeks. SMP is paid (subject to a qualification period and an earnings limit) at 90% of average earnings for six weeks and a further 33 weeks paid at either 90% of average earnings or £117.18 - whichever is the lower. Women expecting a baby are now entitled to a full year of maternity leave, regardless of their length of service and regardless of the size of their employer.
Since April 2003 most fathers (those with 26 weeks of continuous service by the 15th week before the baby is due) have had the right to take up to two weeks paid paternity leave. This statutory paternity pay (SPP) is £117.18 per week.
Parents of children under six and of disabled children under 18 have had the right to ask to work flexibly since April 2003. (The right was extended to those caring for adults in April 2007).
Since 1999, working parents with at least one years service can take a period of 13 weeks parental leave during the first five years of their childs life. This is unpaid and unless other procedures have been agreed, a maximum of four weeks can be taken in a year.
The government has also introducted a system of tax credits to help low income working families, free early years education places, and more after school provision through the Extended Schools initiative.
Further improvements are in the pipeline. In May 2008, the government announced in the Walsh Review that the right to request flexible working is to be extended to parents of children aged up to 16 - the aim is to introduce this by the end of this Parliament. Also to be introduced in the same time frame is legislation that will provide fathers with up to 26 weeks additional paternity leave and pay in the second six months of a childs first year, if the mother returns to work. Maternity pay will also be extended from 39 weeks to 12 months at the same time.
LATEST 24.07.08 CAC Reports steady picture on union recongition claims
The Central Arbitration Committee's report for the year to 31 March 2008 shows that it received 64 applications for trade union recognition, no change on the previous year.
The CAC is an independent public body resourced by ACAS. Its main functions are adjudicating in disputes about trade union recognition and the disclosure of information for collective bargaining purposes, and resolving applications and complaints in relation to the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004.
The majority (75%) of recognition claims in the year to March came from the manufacturing and transport and communication sectors, with 53% involving employers with fewer than 200 workers. The CAC dealt with seven new complaints under the 2004 Regulations, and four carried over from the previous year.
LATEST 24.07.08 Increase in union membership nationally
Trade union membership has increased by 24,851 in the year to 31 March 2008, according to the Certification Officer's report.
The recorded trade union membership of 7,627,693 in 2007-08 compares to 7,602,842 reported in the returns received in 2006-07. This indicates an increase of 0.33%.
A full report is available on the Certification Officer website.
LATEST - INDUSTRY PAY AWARD
YEAR ONE - Effective Monday 4 August 2008 - 6.00 am
Day Wage Workers
3.35% to be applied to all hourly rates.
It has now been agreed that the new minimum hourly rate in the industry will be £5.78. This can be made up of hourly earnings and bonus elements.
Day Wage + Bonus Workers
All hourly earnings and all bonus payments to be increased by 3.35%
Piecework
3.35% to be applied to piecework prices in the normal way.
Book rate for overtime and guaranteed pay purposes to be £5.39
Skills Pledge
Agreement was reached that the CJC Employers Side would implement the Government Skills Pledge with regard to numeracy and literacy.
YEAR TWO - Effective from Monday 2 August 2009 - 6.00 a.m.
Day Wage Workers
3% to be applied to all hourly earnings.
The new minimum rate in the industry will be £5.96 per hour. This can be made up of hourly earnings and bonus elements.
Day Wage Workers + Bonus Workers
All hourly earnings and bonus payments to be increased by 3%
Piecework
3% to be applied to piecework prices in the normal way.
Book rate for overtime and guaranteed pay purposes to be £5.55
LATEST 22.05.08 Lodge Meetings
Following the Rule changes made at Unity's Biennial Congress changes have been
made which affect the frequency of lodge meetings.
There will be one 'Stoke-on-Trent' lodge which will meet quarterly at Unity's Head
Office. The following dates have been set:
Tuesday 29 July 2008
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Tuesday 21 April 2009
All Unity members who work within the boundaries of Stoke-on-Trent are welcome to attend. Meetings commence at 7.00 p.m.
Lodge meetings held in other areas such as Rugeley, Middlewich, Worcester, Derby
and Northern Ireland are unaffected by the changes and will continue to meet
periodically.
LATEST 18.04.08 The National Minimum Wage
The Government announced last month that the adult National Minimum Wage rate will rise by 21p an hour in October from £5.52 to £5.73. The rate for 18-21 year olds will rise from £4.60 to £4.77 and for 16-17 year olds it will go up from £3.40 to £3.53.
LATEST: 19.06.07
Latest Information on Minimum Annual Leave
This is the
latest information on the increase of minimum holiday entitlement
and overrides anything written elsewhere on this web site.
The
Government published its response this week to the consultation on its proposals
to increase minimum annual leave entitlement from 20 to 28 days (4 to 5.6
weeks).
(read more)
LATEST: 04.05.07
Ceramics
delegation calls on Minister to take the lead on Mark of Origin
Representatives
from North Staffordshire went to London this week (Monday 30th April)
to meet with the Trade minister Ian McCartney to put the case for introducing
Mark of Origin stamps on ceramic goods across the EU.
(read more)
LATEST: 27.04.07
Unity Success For Tams
Employees
Unity
are pleased to announce a successful protective award claim for our members
who lost their jobs due to the Tams Group going into receivership.
(read more)
LATEST: 25.04.07
Backstamping... The Saga Continues
Unity
has been the spearhead of a long running campaign to address the issue of ware
with misleading backstamps coming into this country. Over the last two
years General Secretary Geoff Bagnall and Assistant General Secretary Garry
Oakes have held numerous meetings with Government Ministers calling for action.
(read more)
LATEST:
05.04.07 What is
'Domestic Violence'?
The
Government definition of domestic violence has been agreed as:
‘Any incident of threatening behaviour or an abuse (psychological, physical,
sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate
partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.’
(read more)
LATEST:
Be Cancer Aware
- Get to know your body.
Unity and the Employers Federation
have a long term commitment to encourage
both men and women to take up the opportunity to attend screening programmes.
The aim of these programmes is to detect and treat early abnormalities which, if
left untreated, could lead to cancer.
(read more)
LATEST:
Legal Timetable.
Below is the legal timetable provided by the
Office of Public Sector Information.
(read more)
LATEST:
Change to Statutory Payments.
There have been changes to various Statutory
Payments.
These include: Statutory Redundancy, Statutory sick Pay, Statutory Maternity,
Paternity
and Adoption, and the National Minimum Wage.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Unity support Private Members
Bill.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Unity Assistant Gen.
Secretary on International Study Visit to Brazil.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
TUC Press Release -
Millions to benefit from extra holiday.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Department of Trade and
Industry, London - Meetings
(Tuesday December 12th 2006 and Tuesday December 19th 2006)
Dec 12th 2006: (read more)
Dec 19th 2006:
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Smoke Free England - The
Health Act 2006.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Flexible Working
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Parental and Dependency Leave
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Age Discrimination - Important new regulations
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Health & Safety Executive - The case for more funding.
(read more)
ARCHIVE:
Changes to rules affecting pregnancy, and maternity.
(read
more)
ARCHIVE:
Disability - A reminder that Cancer IS a disability.
(read
more)