Thousands of staff at further education colleges across England are set to
walk out today (Wednesday) causing major disruption to lessons.
Lecturers, librarians, technicians,cleaners and caretakers who belong to
UNISON and the University and College Union (UCU) are among those taking part
in the one-day strike over pay. West Midlands colleges affected by the in
the dispute include:
North Shropshire College
Warwickshire College
Walsall College
Stafford College
Solihull College
South Worcestershire
College
Stoke-On-Trent College
North Warwickshire &
Hinckley College
Bournville College Of FE
Hereward College of
Further Education
City College Coventry
South Staffordshire
College
Birmingham Metropolitan
College
South and City College
Birmingham
Heart of Worcestershire
College
The protest is against a recommended pay freeze by the Association of
Colleges, following several years where staff have had very low pay rises,
resulting in a real-terms pay cut for some of up to 17 per cent.
UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis – who is to show his
support for striking workers by visiting a college picket line in London later
today – said:
"Some colleges have promised their employees a pay rise, but the vast
majority are determined not to budge from the zero per cent recommended. We
urge the Association to follow the example of those more enlightened colleges
who want to come back to the table to try to resolve this dispute.
“The real villains in this dispute are government ministers, whose funding
cuts over several years have left colleges in dire financial straits. But it
shouldn't be further education employees paying the price
“After years of pay freezes and real terms pay cuts, staff have been left
with no choice but to take action to win a fair deal. It’s time for the
college employers to do the right thing, get back around the table and make a
decent pay offer thatrewards all college staff for their dedication and hard
work.”
UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt – who will address a
rally for further education staff in London today – added:
“A pay freeze is an insult to the commitment and enthusiasm of staff working
in further education, and fails to address the real-terms pay cut they have
suffered in recent years. Strike action is always a last resort but our members
are clear that the Association of Colleges needs to return to the table with an
appropriate pay offer in order to resolve this dispute.”
Three quarters (74 per cent) of UCU members who voted in the union’s ballot
at the end of last year backed strike action. Last month, UNISON also
backed industrial action with two thirds (66 per cent) of those who voted
backing the walkout.
UNISON is the UK's largest public sector trade union with over 1.3m members. The West Midlands region has over 115,000 members working in Local Government, the NHS, FE, Police, HE, Transport and Energy
Wednesday 24 February 2016
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Personal Injury Success
Every month UNISON wins thousands of pounds for our members who are injured at work or at home through no fault of their own.
Unlike no-win no-fee lawyers the union does not charge for this service and all the compensation goes to the member.
In January this year we won over £204,000 for our members
Unlike no-win no-fee lawyers the union does not charge for this service and all the compensation goes to the member.
In January this year we won over £204,000 for our members
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Personal Injury Success - 2015
Every month UNISON wins thousands of pounds for our members who are injured at work or at home through no fault of their own.
Unlike no-win no-fee lawyers the union does not charge for this service and all the compensation goes to the member.
2015 was another record year for claim success in the West Midlands, working with our dedicated Trade Union Solicitors, Thompsons (http://www.thompsonstradeunionlaw.co.uk/) our members where awarded over £2 million during 2015.
Unlike no-win no-fee lawyers the union does not charge for this service and all the compensation goes to the member.
2015 was another record year for claim success in the West Midlands, working with our dedicated Trade Union Solicitors, Thompsons (http://www.thompsonstradeunionlaw.co.uk/) our members where awarded over £2 million during 2015.
Tuesday 12 January 2016
UNISON Support Junior Doctors Strike
Across England today NHS staff will
be using their breaks and lunchtimes to join their junior doctor colleagues on
BMA picket lines, says UNISON.
Many suspect the dispute over government plans to cut payments for night and weekend work is likely to be a dress rehearsal for what could happen should ministers turn their attention to the wider NHS workforce.
Health workers across the NHS are in total support of the junior doctors’ refusal to accept changes to their unsocial hours payments that the health secretary has been attempting to impose, says UNISON.
Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary said:
"An NHS where the same high quality care is provided, regardless of the time of day or the day of the week, will notcome cheap. But Jeremy Hunt thinks he can offer more to patients by paying dedicated healthcare professionals much less.
Other NHS staff fear that the dispute with junior doctors could be the dry run for a much bigger confrontation. They suspect ministers also want to axe the unsocial hours payments that they get for working nights and weekends.
Working additional night and weekend shifts has helped many health staff survive the government's harsh and ongoing pay freeze. That's why so many of them across England will be joining picket lines during their breaks and lunchtimes tomorrow to show the health secretary that, while everyone wants to see a seven day NHS, his approach to achieving it is completely wrong."
Many suspect the dispute over government plans to cut payments for night and weekend work is likely to be a dress rehearsal for what could happen should ministers turn their attention to the wider NHS workforce.
Health workers across the NHS are in total support of the junior doctors’ refusal to accept changes to their unsocial hours payments that the health secretary has been attempting to impose, says UNISON.
Ravi Subramanian, UNISON West Midlands Regional Secretary said:
"An NHS where the same high quality care is provided, regardless of the time of day or the day of the week, will notcome cheap. But Jeremy Hunt thinks he can offer more to patients by paying dedicated healthcare professionals much less.
Other NHS staff fear that the dispute with junior doctors could be the dry run for a much bigger confrontation. They suspect ministers also want to axe the unsocial hours payments that they get for working nights and weekends.
Working additional night and weekend shifts has helped many health staff survive the government's harsh and ongoing pay freeze. That's why so many of them across England will be joining picket lines during their breaks and lunchtimes tomorrow to show the health secretary that, while everyone wants to see a seven day NHS, his approach to achieving it is completely wrong."
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