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HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY UNISON

25 years ago, public service workers came together to form UNISON. A quarter of a century on, we have 1.3 million UNISON members making us one of the biggest trade unions in the UK. Our birthday is a great opportunity to remember the values of our special union which have guided us throughout – inclusivity, tolerance and caring. A union led by members and where everything that happens starts and ends with your lives and your experiences. That’s why we’re not just the biggest union, we’re also the best.

And we have so much to be proud of.

Your union, pioneering and ground-breaking, was the first union to advertise on TV and radio and the first to have our own website. We were the union that took the first stress at work claim and – through our Blue Light campaign – we’ve continued to put mental health at work on the agenda.

Your union – the union that took on the government over the grotesque injustice of employment tribunal fees and won. That wasn’t just a victory for UNISON members like you, it was a victory for anyone who’s been treated unfairly at work, giving them a chance to stand up for their rights.

Without your union, there would never have been a National Minimum Wage – benefitting millions by creating a legal floor for pay. Yet we know that floor was set too low, so it’s your union which fights for a living wage of at least £10 for every single worker. Your union – aiming to make poverty pay a thing of the past in our public services.

All of this and so much more should be an immense source of pride to all UNISON activists, because these are your campaigns, your energies and your victories.

In the years ahead, we must continue to work together, united by a shared purpose to build that better union – not of a million members but millions of members. A union that always goes the extra mile. A union that is always working towards our next milestone. A union that cares about every single member.

Happy birthday UNISON – here’s to decades more achievements to come, by and for public service workers.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

What is GDPR?

The GDPR is Europe's new framework for data protection laws. It replaces the previous 1995 data protection directive, which current UK law is based upon. The new regulation starts on 25 May 2018. It will be enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The Government has confirmed that the UK's decision to leave the European Union will not alter this.

What do I have to do now?

Many of the GDPR’s main concepts and principles are much the same as those in the current Data Protection Act (DPA). If you are complying properly with the current law then most of your approach to compliance will remain valid under the GDPR and can be the starting point to build from. However, there are new elements and significant enhancements, so you will have to do some things for the first time and some things differently.

More information about GDPR can be found at https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr We have also attached a helpful factsheet for schools.

Schools in England are facing average cuts of 8% per pupil by 2020

Real-terms cuts to school funding since 2015 have led to a big reduction in the number of secondary teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in England, says research published in February by the School Cuts alliance of education unions.

The situation is likely to get even worse, as it’s predicted that 17,942 (nine out of ten) primary and secondary schools in England and Wales will be hit by a real-terms cut in funding per pupil between 2015-19.

Jon Richards, Head of Education at UNISON, said: “Job cuts are disproportionately affecting teaching assistants and support staff in schools across England. As a result there is now a staggering one teaching assistant for 67 pupils in secondary schools. Children with special educational needs and disabilities rely heavily on teaching assistants, so sadly they’ll be suffering the most as a result of these devastating staff cuts.

“The education system is buckling under the weight of funding cuts, which are driving away staff who haven’t already lost their jobs, and jeopardising our children’s future.”

UNISON Worcestershire is aware of many schools where Teaching Assistants posts are being cut and those remaining TAs are being asked to work above and beyond their contracts in order to provide cover. If you are a TA experiencing these kind of problems get in touch with one of our Branch Case Workers for a chat, phone 01905 26186.