Dear Member
Welcome to the working week; yes it’s Monday again. The weekends just go by so quick don’t they.
Carers Week
We have spoken a lot over the past months about Care Workers and our campaign to get them the recognition – and pay – that they deserve. But we also know that a large number of our members are carers – that is unpaid or informal providers of care, often for family or friends.
This week Carers Week an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. We want to recognise the work carers do – especially valuable during this pandemic. So if you know a colleague who is a Unison member and also a carer why not drop us a line and let us know. Whilst we can’t recognise everyone we will send a token of appreciation to a small number.
Schools
As we said on Friday, the R rate for the North West was reported to have gone back above 1. We have seen many stories on social media speculating on what the R rate is for Wirral; the reality the is no Wirral specific, official R rate. As a result of the increase the Council wrote to all schools in Wirral stating “aware that the most recent reproduction (R) median value for the North West is reported as being 1.01. As this is one of the key tests of the Secretary of State for Education, we are awaiting his response. However, he has previously made it clear as one of his 5 tests that the R value should be below 1 before it would be safe for schools to open for more children. On this basis we are supportive of schools to pause their plans to open to more children until further information is provided.”
As a result of this the vast majority of Wirral schools that planned to open today, heeded the Council’s advice, and paused their plans. We hope that this didn’t cause to much inconvenience for parents and carers, but I’m sure we all appreciate that safety must come first.
Wirral Unison is aware of a small number of schools that unfortunately decided to continue with wider re-opening. We will be writing to our members in those schools advising them of our concerns and advising them accordingly.
Do you work in a school and you are clinically vulnerable, shielding, or live with someone who is, or if you have childcare concerns? If so please do not feel pressured to return to work or to take unpaid advice. Wirral Unison can advise you and there is nationally agreed guidance that can protect you so please get in touch.
Furlough – Updated Guidance
From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grant for their normal hours not worked. This means you can work part time which was not previously possible under furlough.
The scheme will close to new entrants from 30 June. From this point onwards, employers will only be able to furlough employees that they have furloughed for a full 3 week period prior to 30 June.
This means that the final date by which an employer needs to agree with their employee and ensure they place them on furlough is 10 June. Employers will have until 31 July to make any claims in respect of the period to 30 June. If you have any questions speak to you manager and if you have problems please get in touch with us. Here is the link to the full guidance
UNISON wins clear Covid 19 guidance for members
UNISON has successfully lobbied for the government’s COVID-19 guidance to acknowledge that many of the ‘extremely vulnerable’ people who have been instructed to shield at home during the pandemic are also workers – whose employers may not have been sympathetic. Until recently the guidance on shielding did not adequately take into account disabled people in employment.
UNISON national officer for disability equality Deirdre Costigan said: “From the beginning, we’ve had members on the list whose employers were demanding that they go to work – they were not allowed to work from home, there was no offer of furlough, no special paid leave. They had to be at work. This was a huge gap in the guidance.” The oversight was typical of the sort of victimisation that “can’t see disabled people as workers,” she said. This time, it was putting people’s lives “seriously at risk”. If they were allowed to remain at home, it was on statutory sick pay only, which was wholly unacceptable, she added.
UNISON voiced its concerns with the select committee on the impact of COVID-19 on people with protected characteristics, as well as in private meetings with the Treasury. Now we have the inclusion of a new section in Public Health England’s revised guidance on shielding, issued on 1 June, which now makes employers’ responsibilities clear. Addressing those who are shielding, the guidance states: “You should make every effort to work from home and your employer is expected to help you to do this. If you are unable to work from home, you should discuss and agree your options with your employer.” These include alternative roles, adjusted working patterns or different types of paid leave, including furlough. It also asserts that: “It is breaking the law to discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone because of a protected characteristic such as age, sex or disability.”
Ms Costigan said: “This has strengthened our negotiating hand when talking with employees, to make sure our members are both keeping safe and able to work. We can now point to the government guidance, which has the expectation that employers will help shielded people to work from home and, if they can’t, to consider special paid leave.”
The updated guidance is here
Don’t Forget – Recruit a Friend this Month
We believe Unison has been an effective voice for members across Wirral during this pandemic, achieving many positive results, providing information and reassurance for many members. We hope you can agree. We have seen many people joining recently, but we know that there is scope for further recruitment. The more members we have in a workplace, the more effective we can be.
Do you know someone who is not in a union, a friend, family member, or colleague - why not share this email with them and encourage them to join.
Just click this link: JOIN UNISON
We represent workers in Wirral, in the Council, housing, social care, childcare, education – in fact pretty much the whole public sector other than the NHS ( adifferent Branch of Unison), and the Civil Service (a different Union)
Prize Draw: Anyone joining in May or June will be entered in a draw for one of five £50 prizes. If you encourage someone to Join, simply email us (unison1@wirral.gov.uk) your name and the new member’s name and you will also be entered into a draw for one of five £50 prizes.
We will leave it there for today but remember -take care of yourselves and each other.
In solidarity!
Lois and Dave
Dave: davidnjones@wirral.gov.uk 07880199539
Lois: loisfounds1@wirral.gov.uk 07384512521
Published on: June 9, 2020