Dear Member
Hello everyone! We hope you’re all keeping safe and well and that you are still finding these updates useful. If there’s anything we haven’t covered that you think other members would be interested in, drop us a line and let us know.
There For You- Covid- 19 response fund
‘There for You’ (Unison’s charitable organisation) has set up a special response fund to help UNISON members in immediate financial difficulty due to coronavirus. We can provide a one-off grant of £250 to help with essential expenses such as food and bills.
To be eligible for a COVID-19 grant the following must apply:
- You or your partner have suffered a reduction in earnings as a result of the coronavirus crisis which has put you in financial difficulty; OR
- You or your partner are a key worker with increased work-related costs as a result of the crisis, e.g. transport, care, or laundry costs.
You must also:
- Be a UNISON member with at least 4 weeks membership and have paid your subscriptions;
- Have savings of less than £800;
- Apply for any statutory help you might be entitled to.
Please see the link to the application form here https://www.unison.org.uk/covid-19-response-fund/
Care Workers – the Campaign Goes On.
Following Wirral Unison’s campaign the Council acted to implement the Real Living Wage and with extra funding given to care provider made clear an expectation that those off for Covid related reasons receive full pay. This was a great step forward, that had the potential to make a real difference to Care Workers. Since the 1 May 79 Care Providers have agreed to pay their staff the Real Living Wage – Unison’s campaign has made a real difference to the money in the pockets of Care Workers
But, sadly there is still much to do. Many Providers have not implemented the Real Living Wage – 97 Care Homes have not signed up. That is not good enough. Not only that but many Provider’s are not paying full sick pay. Care Workers who have tested positive, who are clinically vulnerable, who are pregnant, or who are shielding, are only receiving SSP; they are losing £300 a week! Again this is not good enough and we will not settle for this.
Wirral Unison will now be stepping up our campaign to ensure all care workers receive what they deserve. We are holding a meeting with staff from one care home tomorrow evening, the first of many. And we ask the Council – you’ve put the money up; what are you going to do to make sure that money ends up in the pockets of care workers – not lying in bank accounts.
Improve Your Everyday Skills
For many, the months since the coronavirus pandemic began have been challenging, whether adjusting to a different workload or conditions at work, dealing with loneliness or money worries, or taking care of family members. Or it may be struggling to operate a computer or tablet to join a video call, trying to help your children with their maths schoolwork at home, or trying to explain something in an email that would have been much easier in a face-to-face conversation. You’re not alone! We have all had to adjust and we have all become aware of gaps in our skills.
If you’re interested in improving the everyday skills that help you in your work life and your personal life, like English, maths, or IT, UNISON provides a selection of resources to help you do that from home or in your workplace (if you are there at the moment) for more information, please check out our website
Reminder- Online meeting- members with disabilities
We know that for many of our members with disabilities, the Corona virus pandemic and the associated impact on the way we work has been even more complex and challenging. As with all of our members who are protected under the Equality Act, we are determined that our disabled members are not unfairly treated. The TUC have produced a report on the impact of Corona virus on people with protected characteristics which members may find of interest. The section specifically related to disabilities is section 10 click here
Our Equalities Officer, Karen Smith will be holding an online meeting for our disabled members. The meeting will be held on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 23 June at 4pm. If you’d like to attend, please email unison1@wirral.gov.uk and we will invite you. The meeting will be an opportunity for members with disabilities to share their experiences and seek advice.
That’s all for today everyone. We’ll be back in touch tomorrow with further updates for you.
Take care and stay safe.
In solidarity!
Lois and Dave
Dave: davidnjones@wirral.gov.uk 07880199539
Lois: loisfounds1@wirral.gov.uk 07384512521
Branch Office:0151 666 3040
Published on: June 19, 2020