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WELCOME TO THE ESSEX COUNTY UNISON WEBSITE

The Essex County Branch of UNISON aims to improve the working lives of its 7,000 plus members employed in Essex County Council and also in Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges, Essex Fire and Rescue, and many other employers in the private and voluntary sector.

This website belongs to its members, so if you would like to contribute, write a letter or send in information on whats going on in your workplace, then please either send it to the Branch Office or by e-mail to mailto:t.sparkes@unison.co.uk

The Battle for Public Services – YOUR JOB, YOUR FUTURE is at risk!!!!

UNISON has been warning our members about the potential job cuts and pay freeze that will be coming at Essex County. As a result of the Transformation Project and the recent Government Budget announcements we are now likely to see:

• Partnerships and outsourcing

• Job losses at Essex County

• Fewer staff directly employed

• Attacks on Terms and Conditions

• A two year pay freeze for employees earning more than £21,000

• A 25% cut in public sector funding

The Essex County Transformation Project will see local services privatised or shared with other public sector organisations. Your jobs and terms and conditions are at risk!

While discussions regarding proposals for reductions in staff and/or conditions of service have taken place behind closed doors, Councillors have awarded themselves a 6.1% payrise and £41,000 has been spent on lunches, £7,000 on biscuits and £15,000 on tea and coffee!

The UNISON Essex County Branch has organised several meetings around the County to discuss how these issues will affect you! These meetings will be open to UNISON members and non-members. Please come along and find out how you can get involved.

This budget signals that the battle for Britain’s public services has begun. Public sector workers will be shocked and angry that they are singled out as victims of job cuts and pay freezes.

Freezing public sector pay when inflation is running at 5.1% and VAT is going up will mean a real cut in living standards for millions of ordinary workers and their families - already struggling to pay rising bills.

Nurses, social workers, midwives, paramedics, police community support officers, housing and environmental officers who provide vital public services, are amongst those who will be hit hardest by the two year pay freeze. And for local government workers this comes on top of this year’s freeze.

A 25% cut in departmental public spending will decimate our public services. In our opinion the budget will do nothing to restore confidence or kick-start the recovery, but will push local economies into the ground, raising the spectre of breadline Britain.

Throwing tens of thousands of public sector workers on the dole will cost the country billions in lost tax revenue as well as piling billions onto the benefits bill. Vital services that the poor, the sick and the vulnerable rely on, are in the firing line.

Freezing council tax is a useless gesture saving people pennies while on the other hand cutting tens of millions from council budgets, threatening jobs, losing services and undermining the local economy.

Raising VAT affects the poor the most as they spend a higher proportion of their meagre incomes on goods and services.

We need you to get involved. Please attend one of the meetings listed to find out more and how you can help:

Contact Details:

• Noel Devlin, Regional Officer, 01245-608927
• UNISON Branch Office 01245- 354044

MEETING DATES

Thursday 1st July - Room 104, Stanwell House, Stanwell Street, Colchester, CO2 7DL - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm – 2.00pm

Friday 2nd July - Large Conference Room, Magnet House, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1JD - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Tuesday 6th July - Conference Room, Epping Social Care, St. Johns Road. Epping, CM16 5EB - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Friday 9th July - Large Upstairs Conference Room, Ely House, Ely Way, Basildon, SS14 2BQ - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Monday 12th July - Lower Hall, Baptist Church,Victoria Road South, Chelmsford - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Friday 16th July - Family Room, 37 Fairycroft Road,Saffron Walden, CB10 1ND - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Thursday 22nd July - Large Conference Room, Goodman House, Station Approach, Harlow - 12.00pm - 1.00pm & 1.00pm - 2.00pm

Please note: we have been advised that members should not rely on sat.nav. as this frequently takes people to the wrong place. Goodman House can be found near to Harlow Town Station.

There will be two meetings at each venue to enable members to come along in their lunch hour. Non-members are welcome and application forms will be available on the day.

PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY - ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

12th May 2010

Please find attached a letter which Babs Whitfield, the Branch Secretary, has sent to HR today regarding Bands 5 & 6, together with a form of words which members can print off to say they are accepting the changes but under protest.

http://www.unisonessex.org.uk/files/PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY.doc
http://www.unisonessex.org.uk/files/PRP letter for Members.doc

Please contact the Babs at the Branch Office (01245 354044) if you have any questions regarding this.

Update 7th July 2010

Please note, negotiations are still ongoing and there is no change to advice given above.

MY PERFORMANCE

As staff within Schools, Children and Families will be aware, a letter has been sent to all line managers stating that the percentage of staff who had "fully met" their performance objectives cannot be justified and therefore are not in line for the Directorate's performance this year.

Consequently, managers were asked to review their judgements by 19th April.

We are strongly urging members to use the Authority's appeal procedure (My Performance Appeal ) if the decision that you have "fully met" your objectives has been changed, as UNISON believes this is totally unacceptable that this should happen at such a late stage. Some of our members have made successful appeals with the support of the Branch.

If you are a UNISON member and would like support with an appeal, please contact the Branch Office on 01245 354044.

Babs Whitfield
Branch Secretary

REGIONAL TRAINING FOR UNISON ACTIVISTS 2010

Please see here for training and other informatian on courses available in the region for 2010. Please note, more dates may be arranged if demand is high, so please contact Sue Carrington for more information. Alternatively, please contact the Branch Office on 01245 354044 for a 2009 Course Programme. Also, it may be possible to hold training courses during school holidays if demand is high enough - please contact Sue direct if you would be interested.

For up-to-date information, check out the new regional training website below:-

http://www.unisoneastern.org.uk/take-action/representative-training/index.html

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL - SCHOOLS, CHILDRENS AND FAMILIES DIRECTORATE LOCALITY REVIEW - new Service Structures and implications for TASCC Managers

UNISON MEMBERS - Please contact the UNISON Branch Office on 01245 354044 if you have any concerns about this review.

**PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP OUR RECORDS UP TO DATE**

REMEMBER TO LET THE BRANCH OFFICE KNOW IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS, NAME OR WORKPLACE - PLEASE CALL 01245 354044 OR DROP US AN E-MAIL.

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