Valuing Maternity

Valuing Maternity

Every year around half of the pregnant women in the workforce will experience discrimination.  In 2006, the EOC found that 30,000 pregnant women were forced out of their jobs after becoming pregnant. Since the recession, research suggests that number is now more like 60,000.   The excellent “Valuing Maternity” campaign, supported by UNISON, campaigns for maternity rights and against the discrimination that many pregnant women face.  It provides information and support.  You can find out more at www.valuingmaternity.org.

It’s important to get the message out about the scale of problems that pregnant women face from bad employers.  We’re encouraging staff in the community and voluntary sector to highlight this by contacting the Valuing Maternity campaign at campaigns@maternityaction.org.uk (this can be anonymous), or by using the twitter hashtag #WhenIHadMyBaby.

You can find out more about your rights at “the facts” - www.valuingmaternity.org/the-facts.

SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

‘Survival guide’ for social workers

UNISON and Community Care magazine have produced a digital ‘Survival guide’ aimed particularly at new social workers.  The guide contains some simple information on the importance of social workers getting organised in UNISON, supervision, continuing professional development, stress, health and safety and raising concerns. It also contains a recruitment advert at the back.

This can be given to members and used as resource for recruiting social workers as they come in to your employer.

http://www.communitycare.co.uk/social-work-survival-guide/

Personal Learning Plans

UNISON Personal Learning Grants

For PAs  and community-based Care Staff

We know how difficult it is to afford career development training due to huge increases in course fees and the withdrawal by many employers of financial support for career development.    

To help you get on at work and develop your career, UNISON is piloting Personal Learning Grants with members working in community-based care. 
Ten awards of £300 each are offered. The grants can be used towards course fees and costs including course books, travel, and residential session costs, so you can apply even if you already receive a grant or a loan for fees.

These bursaries cover a wide range of subjects.  They can be used for study on any general non-vocational course or any vocational course relevant to working in public services, including public services delivered by private contractors.    

When allocating these awards, we will give preference to members with few or no qualifications.  We are also keen to hear from members who are active in their branch.  However applications are welcomed from all community-based care staff members.

To Apply

Complete the application form overleaf and send it to the address below to arrive by 29 August 2014.  We will consider all applications on that date so that grant criteria can be applied fairly and let all applicants know the outcome very shortly after that date.

Bursaries Administrator,                                  Tel:  020 7121 5116
UNISON Learning & Organising Services,
130 Euston Road,                                               email: 
London NW1 2AY                                               LearningAndOrganising@unison.co.uk

In addition to the conditions mentioned above, the following also apply for receipt of a learning grant:

1)     You must be a member of UNISON for at least 4 weeks prior to applying for an award, have no arrears of subscriptions, and continue to pay membership subscriptions during the time you are supported by an award.

2)     Each member can receive one learning grant only in each calendar year, up to a maximum of four grants. 

3)     Grants will be made at the discretion of the NEC Development & Organising Committee.

HOLIDAY PAY

Background

On 22 May 2014, UNISON member Joe Lock was successful in his claim, Lock v British Gas. The Court of

Justice of the European Union (CJEU) found that a worker’s 20 days statutory annual leave pay should include commission payments if these were part of normal pay.

The Employment Tribunal will decide how UK law will now be interpreted in light of this decision. It is likely that whatever decision is reached by the Employment Tribunal will be appealed through the higher courts, so it may be a long time before any payments are received.

If members are regularly paid payments for time or activities at work that are not paid when they take annual leave (e.g. commission payments, other supplements, bonuses or overtime payments) then there may be entitlement to increased holiday pay in future and back pay.

Branch Action

We have written to all the employers, where we have members, and asked what they intend to do in relation to unpaid holiday pay in respect of additional payments during working time.

[STATE IF AND WHAT RESPONSE THE BRANCH HAS HAD FROM EMPLOYERS]

On a national level UNISON is collating responses from employers and will then decide a strategy on how best to pursue claims.

What you need to do

If you think you may have a claim, contact the branch office. This will allow us to keep you up to date on your employer’s response and on UNISON’s strategy. You should ensure that you keep your contact details up to date. The easiest and quickest means of contact is through email. Don’t worry if you don’t have an email address as we will still write out to members if required.

You should contact the branch immediately if:

·         Your employer stops making the payments for commission, other supplements, bonuses or over-time pay;

·         The employer starts paying any unpaid commission, other supplements, bonuses or overtime pay during annual leave.

·         You leave employment or change jobs.

Time Limits

Employment Tribunal claims for unpaid holiday pay must be made within 3 months of the latest underpayment.