Latest News

News and Issues :

LATEST: 06.10.2009 - Successful claims for Protective Awards

Unity is delighted to report that our solicitors have been successful in claiming
protective awards for our members who were made redundant from Jesse Shirley, 
Hudson & Middleton, Denby Pottery and Wedgwoods.

A claim for a protective award is pursued when an employer acts in breach of
their duty to consult with employer representatives in good time prior to
commencing a collective redundancy exercise.

If a company is in administration the payment has to be made by the Secretary
of State’s Insolvency Fund.  Payments from this fund towards protective awards 
are capped at a maximum of 8 weeks pay, paid at average earnings up to a 
maximum of £350 gross pay per week.  Benefits received from the state such as 
Job Seekers Allowance may also have to be deducted.

Fighting for your entitlements is just one of the many reasons why you should
be a member of Unity.  Make sure you are a member.

LATEST: 29.07.2009 - New start time for Lodge meetings.

The Lodge meeting held at Unity Head Office on 28 July 2009 made the decision that future lodge meetings will commence at the later time of 7.30 pm.

The next lodge meeting will take on Tuesday 13 October 2009 at 7.30 p.m. All unity members welcome. Free car parking and light refreshments.

Members that work outside the Stoke on Trent area should see their Works Representative for information on their local lodge meetings.


LATEST:  09.06.2009 - TUC expresses shock at BNP victory

Commenting on the news that two BNP candidates have been elected to the 
European Parliament, TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: 

'It's shocking to discover that the BNP has been able to secure enough votes 
in two parts of the UK to send two MEPs to Brussels. 


'This is not because of some seismic political shift to the right, but has more to 
do with the frustration that people feel about the expenses fiasco and their desire
to teach the mainstream political parties a lesson. 


'Unions have long been campaigning hard against the far right in workplaces and 
communities across the UK. They will continue to do so and will increase their efforts
 to show disaffected voters that voting for a party that is racist to its core makes no 
sense and that its vile messages of hate must never succeed.'

LATEST 29.04.2009 Pandemic Flu Guidance for Unions

Pandemic influenza is very different from, and far more serious than, the usual seasonal influenza outbreaks that happen every year. A pandemic is an outbreak that may affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, leading to a large proportion of them becoming ill. Pandemic flu occurs when a new influenza virus emerges that is very different from ordinary seasonal flu and, because it is new, people have very little or no immunity to it. There are normally around two to three such pandemics every century. The most recent pandemic was in 1968 and affected mainly the young and the elderly. An earlier outbreak in 1918 caused an estimated 20-40 million deaths worldwide, most of which occurred among people aged between 20 and 45.

Pandemic influenza is also very different from avian flu, which is the general name given to a number of influenza viruses that birds get but which can, in some circumstances, be transmitted to humans. Some of these are harmless to humans while others can be fatal. However, because they are not passed from human to human they are not spread as quickly as human influenza viruses and so are much easier to contain. It is possible however that avian influenza (or any other animal influenza virus) could mutate in a way that made it easier to be passed from person to person. This could lead to a pandemic outbreak.

It is estimated that from the initial outbreak of a new influenza virus strain, once it is in the UK, it could spread to all major cities within one to two weeks with a peak around 50 days from initial entry in the country. Influenza pandemics occur either in a single wave or several waves several weeks apart.

The fatality rate for previous pandemics has varied from 0.2% to 2% with between 25% and 50% of the population being affected during the outbreak. This compares with a death rate from avian H5N1 virus of over 50%. However, this virus is very different from pandemic influenza and is not passed from person to person. It is believed that if H5N1 were to change so that it could be easily spread it would have a much lower fatality rate.

The government’s “worst case” guess is that the 50% of the population could become ill over a period of 3-6 months with a maximum of 750,000 deaths as a result. However this is the worst of the likely outcomes and, in reality any pandemic would probably be much less severe. It should be stressed that when an influenza pandemic is likely to break out, and the likely severity if it does, are both completely unknown. Nevertheless, the TUC supports the government view that contingency plans should be put in place to ensure that, in the event of a pandemic developing, its effects are minimised as far as possible. That means that plans must be flexible enough to cover all possible eventualities.

The possibility of an influenza pandemic is more than just a public health issue. It will have a major effect in the workplace. Large numbers of people are likely to be absent at any one time. In the event of schools closing (which is a high possibility) many workers with children will find it impossible to go to work. Likewise, those who have partners or dependents who become ill may also not come to work. This would have a major impact on all aspects of health and social care, as well as on the economy as whole.

Unions will also have a major part to play in ensuring that those workers who are ill as a result of infection stay at home and do not come in to work either through misplaced loyalty or employer pressure.

In addition, it is important that the effect of any pandemic does not hit those who are more vulnerable hardest, such as the low paid, those who don’t have permanent employment or sick pay schemes and those who have dependents

The government has produced a detailed plan for dealing with an influenza pandemic. It outlines the roles of various government and public bodies as well as the contribution of the voluntary sector and community networks. Much of the plan has been piloted in special government exercises or simulations, but the real effect will not be known until an actual pandemic breaks out. It is only then that we will be able to assess the likely number of people who will be affected, the mortality rate, the effect on emergency services and the economy, and how people will react.

Clearly this will be much more than just a health emergency. Although priority must be given to ensuring that medical treatment is made available as quickly as possible to as many people as possible, efforts must also be made to ensure maintenance of essential services and continuity of basic functions such as transport, energy, finance, law and order, and food supply.

The government will have to make very difficult decisions on matters such as whether or not to close schools and group childcare activities. The decision on this will have a major impact on the ability of not only industry, but also the health service and social services to function. Decisions will also have to be made on access to either vaccinations when they become available, or anti viral medicines. The government is planning to maintain stocks of sufficient anti viral medicines to cover 25% of the population. It is not known whether this quantity will be sufficient or whether the anti virals stocked will be effective against the particular strain of influenza which appears.

It is important that employers do not wait until the outbreak of pandemic flu before considering what measures they need to take. At the same time, it is also important that people do not take panic measures. Although the government response is based on the “worst case scenario”, with the closure of schools, major problems with transport and distribution, and very high levels of sickness, it will be impossible to predict the actual full effect of a pandemic until the beginnings of an outbreak. That is why forward planning must be flexible, practical, and based on realistic assessments of likely risk.

This does not necessarily mean starting from scratch. Many employers will already have general plans for a major incident so planning for an influenza pandemic can often be incorporated into general emergency planning.

As media attention to the risk of pandemic influenza increases, fuelled by occasional outbreaks of avian flu, employers will become susceptible to approaches from unscrupulous companies who will attempt to sell them anti viral medicine or protective equipment, much of which may have no practical effect or even prove counter productive

Trade unions should ensure that their employer has in place either a separate policy for dealing with pandemic influenza, or a general policy covering major disasters or incidents that also covers major public health incidents such as pandemic influenza. It should not be left to employers alone to decide on what is an appropriate response. Unions must also be involved, as any effective policy must have the confidence of the whole workforce.

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