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Network Journal 2007 Issue 4 July/Aug |
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Campaigns – Freedom From Fear
Campaigns – Parents and Carers
Companies
Conferences
Editorial
Equality
Health and Safety
Letters
Lifelong Learning
News In Brief
Pay
Pensions
People and Events
Recruitment and Organising
Rights at work
Training
Union Benefits
Young Workers
Campaigns – Freedom From Fear
Campaigns – Parents and Carers
Scrap earnings limit for carers
Usdaw has lobbied MPs to scrap an outdated benefits rule for Britain’s working carers which means they lose a vital benefit if they earn more than £87 a week.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Spotlight Day: Working carers 13 June 2007
On June 13 more than 50 MPs crowded into the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons to hear from two Usdaw members with caring responsibilities as part of the Supporting Parents and Carers Spotlight Day.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Companies
Conferences
Retail Trades conference
The second biggest Usdaw conference – Retail Trades – will be held at the Daresbury Park Hotel (Chester Road, Daresbury, Warrington) for the first time.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Editorial
Equality
Health and Safety
Boy’s employer fined
The owners and manager of a butcher’s shop where a 15-year-old boy lost his arm have been fined for illegally employing a child.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Don’t panic over flu
The TUC is warning firms not to overreact on the flu pandemic threat, saying some employers are panicking and taking pointless and disruptive measures.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Essential advice on floods
The TUC has produced some timely guidance for safety reps on flooding and its aftermath.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
European safety week lightens the load
The theme for this year’s European Week for Safety and Health at Work is Lighten the Load and is dedicated to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Health and safety news in brief
The latest health and safety news.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Reps’ rights blocked
The TUC has expressed anger and bewilderment at the HSC’s refusal to improve safety rep rights after a consultation exercise.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Safety council
Any members who are active as local councillors should take note of the HSE and Local Authority Co-ordinator of Regulatory Services (LACORS) organised events held regionally in October and November, aimed primarily at heads of service and councillors.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Sick leave support
The Government is setting up a new vocational rehabilitation task group to help ill or injured people stay in or return to work, and called on employers to do more to support their employees.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Letters
Branch honours Roy & Shirley
Janette Parker, secretary, Newton Abbot A137.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Campaigning duo
Paul Curry, area organiser, Waltham Cross.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Campaigning for Labour in Blackpool
David Williams, acting political officer.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
First time winner
Andy Bray, secretary, Mid Sussex H23.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Football friendly
Martin Phillips, chairman, Carlisle Cavray F24.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Funeral reps network
Sam Taggart, Midland Co-op Society E4.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Induction course a big success for new reps
Bipin Pitrola, area organiser, Cardiff.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Kwik closures
Name & address supplied (via e-mail).
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Letters to the editor
Write to the editor of Network and you could win £25 if your letter is chosen as the star letter.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Loyal members clock up 30 years’ membership
Bipin Pitrola, area organiser, Cardiff.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Members raise £1,000 for Mayor’s charity fund
Darran Travis, former Mayor of Wakefield, and Usdaw member.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Recruitment weekend a big hit
Dave Thornton, (Sainsbury’s) Dundee PT G319.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Tesco activists put parents in the campaign spotlight
Steve Lloyd-Janes, Llanelli A108.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Welsh politicians support campaign at Tesco Llanelli store
Steve Lloyd-Janes, Llanelli A108
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Lifelong Learning
News In Brief
Pay
Co-op pay deals
Usdaw’s Retail Co-op negotiating team have submitted a claim for a substantial pay increase, and other improvements in members’ terms and conditions, as part of this year’s wage round.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Usdaw wins inflation busting rise at Tesco
Members at the UK’s biggest retailer are set for a four per cent pay increase after the Usdaw/Tesco National Forum agreed the 2007 pay settlement.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Pensions
Awareness campaign gains ground
Plans to increase the state retirement age to 68 were condemned by deputy general secretary Paddy Lillis when he addressed the union’s third national pensions conference held in Warrington in June.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Co-op explains pension change
The Co-op Group’s decision to introduce a new career average pension scheme for its members offered both best value and minimum risk, Alan Murphy told conference.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Pension course: Sign up now
More than 1,000 Usdaw members have signed up for the union’s Home Study Pensions course and you could join them.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Pension trustee?
Are you an Usdaw member who is, or interested in becoming, a trustee of your pension scheme, or on a Pensions Consultative Committee?
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Workshops inform reps
Delegates at the conference could call on the expertise of a number of top quality speakers who led workshops on the key issues around pensions
Hilary Salt, who has attended all three conferences, is a partner in First Actuarial, and led the workshops for trustees
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
People and Events
Activist-in-depth
As part of a regular feature, Network meets up with one of Usdaw’s 10,500 strong army of reps and finds out what life is like at the sharp end. In this issue Midlands division’s Kelvin Davies answers our questions.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Obituary: Duncan Mcbride
Former area organiser Duncan McBride died in May, he was 85.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Staff appointments
Former Academy trainee Garry Gibson joined the organising staff in May and is based at the Leeds office.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Staff retirements
North West deputy divisional officer Pat Frost and fellow area organiser Jeff Gundersen are set to retire in the summer along with pensions officer Eleanor Lewington.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Recruitment and Organising
Academy: Angela Bethell
Working with the Academy was just the challenge Tesco team leader Angela Bethell needed, and she is enjoying every minute of it.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Academy: Mike Holton
Working with the Academy has been a real learning curve for fishmonger Mike Holton, 33, who works for Tesco in Northamptonshire. “It’s a great experience visiting other workplaces where the level of membership is very limited. Putting your skills to the test is extremely rewarding, even the smallest success represents a breakthrough and gives you something to build on.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Coventry visit for GS
General secretary John Hannett dropped in on the Usdaw reps at the well-organised Tesco distribution centre in Coventry in July.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Divisional membership
Divisional membership as at 30 July 2007.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Fast forward on recruitment
The union’s first ever national membership week proved a roaring success with thousands of new members recruited at hundreds of workplaces across the UK during the special week held at the end of July.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
How you can get more involved
Being an Usdaw rep can be a very rewarding, interesting and worthwhile position. It’s not an easy role, but Usdaw’s education and training opportunities can make even the most nervous person confident and informed.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Morrisons rep makes her mark
Sata rep Sandra Nash’s persuasive but gentle approach to recruitment has seen a 30 per cent boost in membership at the Morrisons store in Elvetham Heath in Guildford.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Organising Awards 2007
All activists are reminded that nominations for the national Organising Awards are now being accepted.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Recruitment drive pays off at Morrisons
It was instant success for Morrisons reps Wendy Dracup and Christine Green as they signed up more than 70 members at their first ever recruitment drive at their store in Yate, Bristol.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Stand down reps try something different
Dynamic duo Richard Smith and Adrian Brown’s recruitment techniques have paid dividends with more than 200 new Sainsbury’s members as well as seven new reps signed up during their time as stand down reps.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Trio double membership in-store
Teamwork is paying off for trio Corinne Shrives, Linsey Collins and Vicky Herrett at the Morrisons store in Doncaster, South Yorkshire where membership has more than doubled over the past 18 months.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Rights at work
Extra holidays in the pipeline
As part of the Warwick Agreement between the unions and the Labour Government, made prior to the 2005 general election, a commitment was made to increase the minimum amount of statutory holidays.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Training
Morrisons recruitment school
Specialist recruitment and organising coaching was on offer for a team of seventeen Morrisons reps who attended a two-day recruitment school in Bradford in May.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Officer material on show
Sixteen activists from across the UK and drawn from all Usdaw sectors enjoyed the five-day tailor-made branch officers course held at the national training centre in Warrington in June.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Retail therapy for reps
Building and organising the retail workplace topped the agenda for more than 30 Scottish reps at a special weekend school held in Glasgow in May
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Union Benefits
Improved cash grants and benefits
Members are reminded that the union increased the amounts it pays to anyone claiming one or more of the following grants; sickness, permanent disablement, death, or maternity. These improvements follow the subs increase in July.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Young Workers
Advice leaflet for young workers
Get your copy of Work – what you need to know – a leaflet produced by Usdaw to provide help and advice to young workers.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Into Schools Team
Are you interested in joining a panel of young speakers, called the ‘Into Schools Team’, who visit schools in the North West to talk to young people about employment issues and the role of trade unions.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Jon keeps it in the family
If you take time out to explain all the benefits young people will join the union, says general assistant and union rep Jon Kirk, 21, who works at the Tesco store in Windsor, Berkshire.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Sajjad Khan’s support network
For many activists being the only rep in store can be a very daunting prospect but 23 year-old Sajjad Khan uses his network of activists to support him.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Team leaders
The union runs divisional and national activities for members aged 26 and below. These range from training courses, get-togethers and local campaign days.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
Vicky calls for more in-store reps
Mum-to-be Vicky Brown is on a mission to increase the number of members and reps at discount chain Poundland. Four years after signing a recognition agreement Vicky believes the time is right to push ahead.
13 August 2007 [Full Story]
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