I took some time out of my schedule to support Scott Dickinson, Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for Berwick upon-Tweed as he attended a hustings organised by the BBC in Berwick (Main Street) Marygate today.
The event centred around random people off the street (although I think there was a couple of people planted by both the Tories and Lib.Dems...) asking questions of all parties but one of the candidates up for election.
Yes, sadly the Green candidate was missing - Rachael Roberts who didn't even get a mention.
The debate was good and produced some great discussions, our man Scott Dickinson held his own defending the Labour Party over criticism directed at our party and the plans for the Kwik Save site and the councils relationship with Arch. Scott told voters of the positive policies the Labour Party are promoting in their manifesto and how he'll take the matters of North Northumberland to Westminster.
I hope this is captured on TV as it will give people the confidence that Scott and the Labour Party are the right party for North Northumberland.
Well done Scott.
Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Thursday, 29 January 2015
NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group’s patient forum
Please see details attached and below. Please Residents in Northumberland will havethe chance to influence local health services at an event in the County this month.
Taking place at:
Morpeth Riverside Leisure Centre on Saturday, 31 January from 10am to 12.30pm
NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group’s patient forum will bring together local people with key decision makers in healthcare.
The event will look at issues like patient transport services, and work currently underway to try to provide easier access to GP appointments. CCG staff will also provide updates on local health services, the current winter pressures facing the NHS, as well as offering the chance to raise concerns or offer feedback.
The event is free and open to anyone who would like to find out more.
To book your place email: norccg.enquiries@nhs.net or call 01670-335180.
Saturday, 17 January 2015
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS NOMINATION FOR NORTHERN REGION - MALE SEAT
I am writing to your Branch to seek nomination in the UNISON NEC 2015 Elections for the Northern regional male seat.
As many of you know I have held this seat since 2010. During my time I have represented the views of branches and the region alike and if elected I will continue to listen and represent our branches putting their concerns, ideas and views forward to the NEC.
Since the Coalition Government came into power we have seen attack after attack against the Public Sector generally, particularly so in the North East as the North-South divide becomes more apparent and we see falling living standards for working people.
This problem is being felt more acutely in the northern region. UNISON has thousands of members across the region who provide essential services to vulnerable people and groups. Our members have never been under so much pressure as the commissioning and procurement system forces all public organisations to cut costs to a bare minimum in order for services to survive.
In my role as an NEC member, I offer my practical skills and experience to help develop alternative strategies in order to protect our members.
I believe our primary concern has to be saving, defending terms and conditions and using our campaigning and negotiating to recruit more members.
This year is an important year for our union with major challenges ahead. Our union is in a strong position to continue to meet those challenges and make the case to promote an alternative economic agenda.
In the community and voluntary sector I will continue to campaign for employers and public-sector commissioners, to make sure that the living wage is established as an absolute minimum pay level.
Our NHS members will be out on strike on 29 January, escalating their action.
It will be the third day in dispute at the government’s arrogant and harmful attitude towards the NHS.
Their decision to reject the 1% pay rise recommended by the
independent Pay Review Body is a callous and unnecessary action against a workforce that is hard working and compassionate.
They won't be alone in their battle. The threat of strike action by police staff has brought the employers back to the table, while the probation service deals with a new era of privatisation.
Local government, which includes schools staff will once again be under enormous pressure, so it's vital branches are well equipped. I believe we need to share some of our skills and knowledge so that we deliver a resourceful and effective union ready to respond to anything and be ready to help each other in difficult times.
My aim this year is to continue to grow and build our union as a fighting force -to work with our communities as a campaigning organisation and work with sister trade unions across our region. There needs to be an end to the relentless attacks on public services, the use of zero-hour contracts, the rise of in-work benefits and the reliance on food banks and pay-day loans to make ends meet.
The choice between eating and heating should not exist in Britain in 2015.
Many of our members have worked tirelessly over the festive period to keep vital public services running and it will be these services that come under further attack if a new Tory-led government gets the chance to ramp up austerity for another five years.
May's general election will give all of us the chance to vote for what we want our country to stand for.
We cannot afford another government that fails to get a grip with the soaring cost of living, while running public services into the ground. Let's make sure that we send a clear message that our vital services will not be eroded and that the hard working people who provide them will not be taken for granted.
The Northern Region are at the forefront of organising in a way that shares good practice and responds to cross service issues supporting one another at rallies, demonstrations and strike days.
I believe in democratic accountability and as such attend Regional Committee and Council to provide updates and take comments from Branches to the NEC. I am also committed to making myself accessible to Branches so that you can regularly receive updates and have contact with me throughout these elections and beyond.
I urge every Branch to send me your email address so that I can update you throughout this campaign or follow me on twitter at ianfleming1973. I am currently Joint Branch Secretary of the Northumberland County Branch, a position I have held for the last 6 years. I have gained a vast amount of experience which I have taken into my current role as an NEC representative where I represent our region on the International Committee and Industrial Action Committee.
In my role as NEC representative I hope to continue to influence the national policy of UNISON by continuing to push the Northern region’s campaigning model, which has proven to be successful.
We must argue and campaign for progressive policies which represent the views of our members. I believe these are avoiding compulsory redundancies, protecting pensions, defending terms and conditions, promoting health and wellbeing and fighting for fair pay. In addition to this, I believe that in order to promote an economic alternative agenda we need to Invest in social housing, tackle youth unemployment and negotiate a fair wage for apprentices. I'm against the privatisation of the NHS, against the Bedroom Tax, against tax evasion and tax avoidance, Pro-credit unions, against the blacklisting of trade union officials and against Workfare. I believe one of our biggest challenges is to have a Social Care sector adequately funded.
If elected I will stand up for all Branches as it’s important your views are listened to as we fight against pay freezes, attacks on our terms and conditions, pensions and the cuts in the services we provide.
My Northern Region NEC colleagues, are Josie Bird, Sue Forster and Paul Gilroy who are members that understand and support the approach of UNISON Northern. As a team we work with the Regional Convenor and Deputy to ensure the region is at the forefront of influencing national policy and it is essential that we have NEC members who can continue to take our region and the union forward.
The official closing date for nominations is 15th February 2015 therefore could you please table this letter for consideration at your next Branch Committee meeting.
I hope you will be able to support me by nominating me as your candidate. If your branch would like me to attend a branch committee please contact me at vote4fleming.unisonnec@gmail.com.
As many of you know I have held this seat since 2010. During my time I have represented the views of branches and the region alike and if elected I will continue to listen and represent our branches putting their concerns, ideas and views forward to the NEC.
Since the Coalition Government came into power we have seen attack after attack against the Public Sector generally, particularly so in the North East as the North-South divide becomes more apparent and we see falling living standards for working people.
This problem is being felt more acutely in the northern region. UNISON has thousands of members across the region who provide essential services to vulnerable people and groups. Our members have never been under so much pressure as the commissioning and procurement system forces all public organisations to cut costs to a bare minimum in order for services to survive.
In my role as an NEC member, I offer my practical skills and experience to help develop alternative strategies in order to protect our members.
I believe our primary concern has to be saving, defending terms and conditions and using our campaigning and negotiating to recruit more members.
This year is an important year for our union with major challenges ahead. Our union is in a strong position to continue to meet those challenges and make the case to promote an alternative economic agenda.
In the community and voluntary sector I will continue to campaign for employers and public-sector commissioners, to make sure that the living wage is established as an absolute minimum pay level.
Our NHS members will be out on strike on 29 January, escalating their action.
It will be the third day in dispute at the government’s arrogant and harmful attitude towards the NHS.
Their decision to reject the 1% pay rise recommended by the
independent Pay Review Body is a callous and unnecessary action against a workforce that is hard working and compassionate.
They won't be alone in their battle. The threat of strike action by police staff has brought the employers back to the table, while the probation service deals with a new era of privatisation.
Local government, which includes schools staff will once again be under enormous pressure, so it's vital branches are well equipped. I believe we need to share some of our skills and knowledge so that we deliver a resourceful and effective union ready to respond to anything and be ready to help each other in difficult times.
My aim this year is to continue to grow and build our union as a fighting force -to work with our communities as a campaigning organisation and work with sister trade unions across our region. There needs to be an end to the relentless attacks on public services, the use of zero-hour contracts, the rise of in-work benefits and the reliance on food banks and pay-day loans to make ends meet.
The choice between eating and heating should not exist in Britain in 2015.
Many of our members have worked tirelessly over the festive period to keep vital public services running and it will be these services that come under further attack if a new Tory-led government gets the chance to ramp up austerity for another five years.
May's general election will give all of us the chance to vote for what we want our country to stand for.
We cannot afford another government that fails to get a grip with the soaring cost of living, while running public services into the ground. Let's make sure that we send a clear message that our vital services will not be eroded and that the hard working people who provide them will not be taken for granted.
The Northern Region are at the forefront of organising in a way that shares good practice and responds to cross service issues supporting one another at rallies, demonstrations and strike days.
I believe in democratic accountability and as such attend Regional Committee and Council to provide updates and take comments from Branches to the NEC. I am also committed to making myself accessible to Branches so that you can regularly receive updates and have contact with me throughout these elections and beyond.
I urge every Branch to send me your email address so that I can update you throughout this campaign or follow me on twitter at ianfleming1973. I am currently Joint Branch Secretary of the Northumberland County Branch, a position I have held for the last 6 years. I have gained a vast amount of experience which I have taken into my current role as an NEC representative where I represent our region on the International Committee and Industrial Action Committee.
In my role as NEC representative I hope to continue to influence the national policy of UNISON by continuing to push the Northern region’s campaigning model, which has proven to be successful.
We must argue and campaign for progressive policies which represent the views of our members. I believe these are avoiding compulsory redundancies, protecting pensions, defending terms and conditions, promoting health and wellbeing and fighting for fair pay. In addition to this, I believe that in order to promote an economic alternative agenda we need to Invest in social housing, tackle youth unemployment and negotiate a fair wage for apprentices. I'm against the privatisation of the NHS, against the Bedroom Tax, against tax evasion and tax avoidance, Pro-credit unions, against the blacklisting of trade union officials and against Workfare. I believe one of our biggest challenges is to have a Social Care sector adequately funded.
If elected I will stand up for all Branches as it’s important your views are listened to as we fight against pay freezes, attacks on our terms and conditions, pensions and the cuts in the services we provide.
My Northern Region NEC colleagues, are Josie Bird, Sue Forster and Paul Gilroy who are members that understand and support the approach of UNISON Northern. As a team we work with the Regional Convenor and Deputy to ensure the region is at the forefront of influencing national policy and it is essential that we have NEC members who can continue to take our region and the union forward.
The official closing date for nominations is 15th February 2015 therefore could you please table this letter for consideration at your next Branch Committee meeting.
I hope you will be able to support me by nominating me as your candidate. If your branch would like me to attend a branch committee please contact me at vote4fleming.unisonnec@gmail.com.
Thursday, 8 January 2015
Update - Backdated holiday pay claims
The
coalition government has introduced legislation to reduce potential costs to
employers following the recent court decision on holiday pay.
Last
November, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that holiday pay should
reflect non- guaranteed overtime.
Following
that ruling, the coalition government set up a taskforce of representatives
from government and business — with no union representation — to assess the
financial exposure employers face and how to limit the impact on businesses.
The
government hasn’t even allowed the taskforce to finish its work, as it has laid
the Deduction from Wages (Limitation) Regulations 2014 before parliament,
which amend the 1996 Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Working Time
Regulations 1998. The regulations came into force on 8 January.
The
changes will apply to claims made on or after 1 July 2015 so workers can still
make claims under the existing arrangements for the next six months.
From
1 July, the employment tribunal will only consider backdated claims for holiday
pay accrued during non-guaranteed overtime in the two years up to the time the
worker brought their complaint to a tribunal.
The
regulations limit all unlawful deductions claims to two years before the date
the ET1 is lodged (with the exception of certain categories of unlawful
deductions claims such as claims for Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Sick
Pay and guarantee payments, which remain unaffected); and explicitly state that
the right to paid holiday is not incorporated as a term in employment
contracts.
Ian
Fleming, Branch Secretary of UNISON Northumberland County Branch said “the
government have repeatedly attacked workers rights and by them making this intervention
it will hit workers on the lowest wages the hardest, because it’s those workers
who are largely affected by this change in legislation. It is completely wrong
that in cases where workers have been illegally paid, they won’t be entitled to
claim back all the money they are owed.”
Labour Research Department Volume 77, Issue 1, 8 January 2015
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3322/pdfs/uksi_20143322_en.pdf
www.gov.uk/government/news/government-tackles-businesses-concerns-over-holiday-
pay-ruling
www.unison.org.uk/content/ConNewsArticle/5635
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Tax Dodgers crackdown
Governments worldwide have pledged to crackdown on tax evaders and financial fraudsters, 50 countries have signed an international agreement against banking secrecy at a recent summit in Berlin. It's thought $7.4 trillion is hidden in tax havens, which results in governments worldwide losing billions in revenue. The signatories include the likes of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Austria and Switzerland all of which were once reported a safe haven for tax evaders.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Stressed Workers
Employees suffering from high stress levels have lower engagement, are less productive and have higher absentee levels than those not operating under excessive pressure, according to research from professional services firm Towers Watson.
The firm's Global benefits attitudes survey found that levels of workplace disengagement significantly increase when employees experience high levels of stress. The research shows that of those employees who claimed to be experiencing high stress levels, over half (57%) also reported that they were disengaged. In contrast, only one in 10 (10%) employees claiming low stress levels said they were disengaged and half of this group claimed to be highly engaged.
Conversely, almost half (59%) of low-stressed respondents said they were highly engaged, but only eight per cent of highly stressed workers could say the same.
Its study into health, wellbeing and productivity found that employees describing themselves as highly stressed lost three-quarters more days (4.6 days) to absence on average than low-stressed employees (2.6 days).
They lost a further 50% more time to presenteeism that is, attending work when unwell and unproductive, than their less-stressed peers.
Meanwhile, employees said that inadequate staffing, low pay and unclear job expectations were the three top causes of stress.
http://www.towerswatson.com/en/Press/2014/09/Workplace-stress-leads-to-less-productive-employees
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4990
The firm's Global benefits attitudes survey found that levels of workplace disengagement significantly increase when employees experience high levels of stress. The research shows that of those employees who claimed to be experiencing high stress levels, over half (57%) also reported that they were disengaged. In contrast, only one in 10 (10%) employees claiming low stress levels said they were disengaged and half of this group claimed to be highly engaged.
Conversely, almost half (59%) of low-stressed respondents said they were highly engaged, but only eight per cent of highly stressed workers could say the same.
Its study into health, wellbeing and productivity found that employees describing themselves as highly stressed lost three-quarters more days (4.6 days) to absence on average than low-stressed employees (2.6 days).
They lost a further 50% more time to presenteeism that is, attending work when unwell and unproductive, than their less-stressed peers.
Meanwhile, employees said that inadequate staffing, low pay and unclear job expectations were the three top causes of stress.
http://www.towerswatson.com/en/Press/2014/09/Workplace-stress-leads-to-less-productive-employees
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4990
Saturday, 12 July 2014
Government cuts leaving Part Time workers exploited
My union UNISON have highlighted the exploitation of part-time workers after survey of 2,600 respondents in local government and schools indicated that the exploitation comes as a result of the government cuts leaving many workers feeling overworked.
Our analysis shows that specifically part-time workers in councils and schools are being undervalued and overworked, the survey also highlighted that 91% of these workers are women.
The survey revealed that many part-time workers, work unpaid overtime with 60% saying they do it every week.
I believe part-time workers are a vital part of the workplace and without them local government departments and schools wouldn't function properly.
Yet these workers are facing an all-out assault on their pay, conditions and hours of work.
On strike day 10 July 2014, we seen our own branch activist Sharon Graham take action.
Sharon works part time in three jobs as well as being a shop steward at a local school and believes taking action was absolutely necessary not only for her but thousands of others in similar positions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047zqkq
Source: Labour Research
Our analysis shows that specifically part-time workers in councils and schools are being undervalued and overworked, the survey also highlighted that 91% of these workers are women.
The survey revealed that many part-time workers, work unpaid overtime with 60% saying they do it every week.
I believe part-time workers are a vital part of the workplace and without them local government departments and schools wouldn't function properly.
Yet these workers are facing an all-out assault on their pay, conditions and hours of work.
On strike day 10 July 2014, we seen our own branch activist Sharon Graham take action.
Sharon works part time in three jobs as well as being a shop steward at a local school and believes taking action was absolutely necessary not only for her but thousands of others in similar positions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b047zqkq
Source: Labour Research
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