Jon's union blog: Wanted - an alternative.

Jon's union blog: Wanted - an alternative.

Save Our Libraries

Three Libraries in Doncaster are under threat of closure after April, based on a crude assessment of having allegedly the lowest footfall.

Here is a link to UNISON active, that argues that if you don't invest in libraries and books you are bound to have lower footfall. This lack of investment will have a devastating impact on our communities and educational attainment. http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/2010/08/under-investment-in-libraries-will-lead.html

Coalition against Cuts

Doncaster UNISON have made the press with our call for a Coalition against Cuts, both the Free Press and the Star have run the story, which you can see here http://www.thestar.co.uk/doncaster/Unions-step-up-battle-over.6492812.jp

We have called a public meeting on Thursday 23rd September, at the Danum hotel, 7-9pm, to discuss the formation of a Coalition against Cuts. Everyone who is interested in fighting the Governments attacks on the public sector is welcome.

The truth about the June 2010 Budget

Our colleagues over in East Midlands have produced an excellent power point presentation that shows the right wing Tory media have cherry picked their facts to prove public sector cuts need to be made....but lets not let the truth get in the way of a right wing ideological agenda to dismantle the public sector.

UNISON (East Midlands): The truth about the June 2010 Budget: "There has been so much spin and distortion about the UK deficit that most people would be forgiven for thinking there is no alternative to p..."

UNISON defends council sickies

Jim Board, UNISON Branch Secretary, defends Doncaster Council's sickness record on Calendar News as genuine, due to the high levels of stress in the authority.
http://www.itv.com/yorkshire/cost-of-council-sickies31837/

UNSION are aware the council want to renegotiate the council's sickness policy with a view to not paying sickness pay on the first days of absence, reducing the right to six months full pay and six months half pays.

UNISON calls on Doncaster council to properly resource under funded and over worked  areas of the council to ensure staff sickness improves, rather than taking punitive measures against staff who are genuinely ill. Many areas of the council have had cuts over recent years, which leave just a skeleton workforce providing the bare minimum of a service with a heavy reliance on relief and agency staff, something that ultimately is more costly to the services we provide and to the health of our members

Jim also did an interview for BBC Radio Sheffield about the cuts, listen to it here from 45.00 mins in.

.http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p009cgn4/The_Toby_Foster_Bigger_at_Breakfast_Show_19_08_2010/

Doncaster Unison One Voice Newsletter

UNISON's Altenative Budget

UNISON have proposed a no-cut recovery budget, which could raise £74.195 billion next year. It provides a clear alternative to the Tory rhetoric of slashed public sector spending that would cause long-term damage and send the UK into a “lost decade” of severe depression.


Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, is calling for fairer taxes, a curb on tax relief for the rich, a levy on financial transactions and a diet for the fat cat bankers and their bonus cheques. Alongside these measures, cancelling Trident, levying a tax on empty properties, improving occupational health in the NHS, getting rid of central government private consultants, and bringing PFI schemes back in house would save billions* (see below).

He said: “We do not have to fall into the trap of Tory rhetoric, that deep cuts to public spending are needed to balance the books. Cuts are not inevitable. They are a dangerous option that could shock the system into a prolonged depression. “The government was right to take action to prevent financial meltdown. Now they need to keep calm, and carry on investing to create jobs. Now is not the time to push public sector workers on the dole - people need them. And their wages are needed to keep local economies moving. “Public spending is the jump-start our economy needs. And it must be kept up. The Tories are wrong when they say short-term pain will bring long- term gain and recovery. The economy cannot take it. The result will be long- term pain, suffered by millions, left with long periods of unemployment, and an economy stagnating with low growth. Our public sector will be hit with lasting damage, just when communities need their help most. “Instead of slashing low paid public sector workers wages, or cutting jobs and services, UNISON’s recovery budget, which raises more than £74bn without the need for cuts, proves there is a fairer road out of the recession.” *UNISON’s recovery budget

£4.7bn could be raised every year by introducing a 50% tax rate on incomes over £100,000

£10bn could be raised every year by reforming tax havens and residence rules to reduce tax avoidance by corporations and ‘non-domiciled’ residents

£14.9bn could be raised every year by using minimum tax rates to stop reliefs being used to disproportionately subsidise incomes over £100,000

£30bn could be raised every year by introducing a Major Financial Transactions Tax on UK financial institutions

£1.8bn could be saved next year by cancelling Trident, the project is set to cost £76bn could be saved over 40 years

£500m could be saved every year by eradicating healthcare acquired infections from the NHS – the extra cleaners would cost half this

£495m could be saved every year by adopting measures to improve the health and well-being of NHS staff, thereby reducing sickness absence

£1bn could be saved every year by halving the local government agency bill, as has been achieved by high performing councils

£5bn could be raised every year with an Empty Property Tax on vacant dwellings. This only exaggerates housing shortages and harms neighbourhoods.

£2.8bn could be saved every year by ending the central government use of private consultants who bring little discernable benefit

£3bn could be saved in user fees and interest charges every year if PFI schemes were replaced with conventional public procurement Total: £74.195 billion

Countering the cuts myths

For the last 12 months now the Tory controlled media have been laying the foundations for an attack on the Public Sector. We are told that these cuts are for the good of the country due to our massive debt and we should all accept this because it is an irrefutable argument. Below is an article published in Red Pepper that shows there are two sides to every argument:



The government and the press say we are in the grip of a debt crisis caused by the ‘bloated’ public sector. Here, Red Pepper debunks the myths used to push cuts to jobs and public services


MYTH: Government debt is the highest it’s ever been

The UK’s government debt is at around 70 per cent of GDP (the total amount of goods and services produced in one year). That is certainly high, but it is far from unprecedented.

Government debt never fell below 100 per cent of GDP between 1920 and 1960. It is only in the past decade or so that it has become normal to think of government debt being stable at around 40 per cent of GDP.

It is worth noting that government debt reached 250 per cent of GDP around the end of the second world war, as the result of a ‘once in a generation’ economic and political crisis. It is certainly arguable that we are now living through a similarly momentous crisis.

MYTH: The UK’s debt crisis is one of the worst in the world

Just as the current level of government debt is not unprecedented historically, neither is it substantially higher than that of other countries.

IMF data (IMF World Economic Outlook Database, April 2010) shows the UK has the lowest government debt as a proportion of GDP among the G7 countries (the US, Canada, Germany, Britain, Japan, Italy and France).

Much has been made by Cameron and Osborne of Gordon Brown’s ‘imprudent borrowing record’. They say that before the spending to stabilise the financial system, public debt was high.

But again, IMF comparisons of the level of public debt prior to 2007 showed the UK in a much better position than many comparable countries, such as France, Canada, the US and even Germany, the home of fiscal rectitude.

MYTH: Government debt is ‘unsustainable’

The sustainability of government debt is not just dictated by its size, but by its make up. We have already seen that government debt is at a comparable level to other similarly sized economies. Where the UK is in a much stronger position, however, is in the nature of its debt.

While countries such as Greece tend to owe money to external financiers, the vast majority of UK debt – about 70 to 80 per cent – is held within the country.

And the UK’s debt is not so short term. Countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal have average debt maturity rates of between six to eight years, but UK government debt stands out among international comparisons as being much longer term at well over 12 years on average.

This means that the UK has to ask the financial markets to refinance its debts much less frequently, making it less vulnerable to short-term speculative pressures and much more able to continue to finance its debts on a sustainable basis.

MYTH: The government shouldn’t get into debt, just as your own household shouldn’t

This overlooks the fact that, for the past 30 years, governments have positively encouraged households to get into debt.

In fact, it can be prudent for households to take on debt – particularly if they are borrowing to pay for something (a house or educational qualification) that might reasonably be expected to improve the household’s income and well being in the long run.

In just the same way it is often sensible for governments to take on debt to pay for investments (such as housing or transport infrastructure) that will make the economy work better and so pay for themselves over the longer term.

But the public economy is also different from the household economy. What might make sense for a household could, for the government, deepen a recession. When times are hard households tend to tighten their belts – reducing their spending and borrowing. But if everyone does this at the same time, the effect is counterproductive: total demand for goods and services falls, which makes it harder for businesses and individuals to generate an income, and everyone ends up worse off.

This is exactly what is happening now, which is why it is essential for the government to compensate for households’ reluctance to spend and invest.

MYTH: Public spending got ‘out of control’ under Labour

It is true that the Labour government gradually raised public spending in the early part of the decade, but it was from what were historically very low levels.

Levels of public spending are now about the same as they were in the early 1990s, at the time of the last economic crisis. This is because spending always rises during a recession as a result of welfare spending on unemployment.

In fact, levels of public spending as a proportion of GDP were much lower for most of the 2000s than they were than at any point since the 1960s.

Where Labour did spend more in the years after 2000, it was necessary to repair the visible effects of long-term under-investment. Who can forget schools and hospitals with buckets in the corner to catch the leaks, or grim city centre landscapes with crowds of homeless people sleeping rough?

Labour’s increased spending also addressed workforce shortages in schools and the NHS, where more staff were needed to raise educational standards and care for an ageing population.

Rather than cutting such spending, the crisis could be an opportunity to build the infrastructure of a more energy-efficient, green economy. That would prepare us for the longer-term structural barriers to growth presented by climate change and the depletion of natural resources.

MYTH: The UK has a big public sector compared to other countries

Public spending in the UK is lower as a proportion of the economy than in the likes of France, Italy, Austria and Belgium, as well as the Scandinavian countries (OECD World Factbook 2010).

And spending on core areas such as health and education remains comparable or low in relation to other OECD (broadly speaking, ‘rich’) countries.

For example, the UK spent just 8.4 per cent of its GDP on health in 2007, roughly half that spent in the United States (once the large private sector is taken into account) and well behind Germany, France and most other west European nations.

On education, the UK again spends less per pupil than most comparable OECD countries.

The UK is not profligate in public spending and does not have an oversized public sector compared to similar countries.

MYTH: Spending on the public sector is ‘crowding out’ private sector growth

It is argued that public spending comes at the expense of overall growth, because potential investment is being re-directed into taxation to fund an ‘unproductive’ public sector. But in fact investment in public infrastructure and services is essential to private sector productivity, and so is no less critical to future growth than private sector investment.

Furthermore, the UK is not a highly taxed economy. The OECD’s comparative figures on taxation as a proportion of overall economic output show the UK way down the list, only just above the average.

It is sometimes suggested that taxes hit the private sector in such a way as to discourage job growth. Again, though, the data shows the UK to have very low levels of taxation per job: far lower than the OECD average.

The second way in which the public sector might be said to be crowding out private sector growth is by taking workers it needs, but this would only really be the case where the labour market was operating close to full employment.

With the unemployment rate at about 8 per cent, this is clearly not the case. and in many areas of public provision – from child protection, to education and training, to care for the elderly – there is a pressing need for more, not fewer, public service workers.

Finally, some argue that public investment ‘crowds out’ private investment, because government borrowing pushes up interest rates and inflation. But there is no evidence that this is currently a problem – real interest rates are low, and the economy is still operating well below its potential output, which means there is lots of room for non-inflationary public sector expansion.

In fact, in current circumstances, public spending is more likely to stimulate private sector investment by maintaining levels of demand and preventing a deeper collapse of economic activity.

MYTH: Public sector workers are overpaid

It is true that very recently average wages in the public sector have moved marginally above those in the private sector. This is mainly because privatisation has pushed many low-paid jobs out to the private sector.

The trend is not that public sector wages have risen sharply, but that private sector wages have fallen – a characteristic of the economic crisis. If we take a longer view, since the 1990s average public sector pay has not seen significantly more growth than the public sector.

And when private sector wages are split up to consider different sector and occupational patterns, a rather different picture emerges. Wage rates differ widely, with the average pulled down by very low wage sectors such as distribution, retail and hospitality.

What the data shows, therefore, is not that public sector workers are overpaid, but that some private sector workers are severely underpaid.

MYTH: The financial crisis was caused by a lack of money in circulation

This one is true to some extent, but it requires careful explanation. The system of finance capitalism pursued in the UK and US since the 1970s has continuously recycled economic surpluses away from the poor toward the rich. In both countries, the share of economic output taken up by wages (as opposed to profit) has fallen, and inequality has risen. The very affluent have got wealthier, at the expense of the rest of the population. In 2007/08 the richest tenth of the population had more than 30 per cent of total income (‘Income Inequalities’, poverty.org.uk).

In the post-war period, part of the role of the state was to redistribute economic surpluses to the wider population so that they could keep spending on goods and services. This was seen as so important precisely because large inequalities had been identified as one cause of the 1929 stock market crash and the subsequent depression.

For a while, the problem that rising inequality presented for growth was overcome by the use of credit and the super-exploitation of workers in the developing world, which allowed consumers to keep buying cheap products. This is one of the factors that fed the debt crisis.

So, yes, there is not enough money in circulation – but this is precisely because it has been captured by the super-rich.

MYTH: Cutting public spending will help us avoid economic disaster

A range of economists, from Larry Elliott of the Guardian to Nobel prize winning professors like Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz, are warning that making cuts now raises the very real possibility of undermining the fragile economic recovery.

As every first year economics student knows, there are four main components of economic growth: (1) exports; (2) investment; (3) household spending; and (4) government spending.

Over the past two years, governments around the world have stepped in to bridge the gap in the first three by providing debt-financed public sector stimulus packages. There is precious little evidence that the private sector or households are ready or able to step up their activity to fill the gap, or that exports will increase in a world where our major trading partners are also reining in spending.

As such, any austerity programme may prematurely remove the foundations of the recovery and lead to a return to recession – a ‘double dip’. This would be disastrous, not just for growth, but in turn for tax receipts and the capacity of the state to reduce the deficit and government debt.

How will that help to stabilise the world economy? How will it deal with the frequent, persistent and cumulative financial crises that are endemic to it, or overcome the pressing resource and environmental constraints that are so clear for all to see?

The economic crisis was a golden opportunity to move toward a more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable national and international economic system. For a while all countries were so concerned about the whole system that there was at least a chance to overcome narrow self-interest and look toward a more co-operative and sustainable future.

We are about to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity for progressive change – unless, that is, we organise and campaign for an alternative.

MYTH: There is no alternative to cuts

The beginnings of an alternative have already been discussed. For example, Unison’s alternative budget (‘We can afford a fairer society’, Unison Alternative Budget 2010) suggests that almost £4.7 billion could be raised each year from introducing a 50 per cent tax rate on incomes over £100,000.

About £5 billion could be raised every year from a tax on vacant housing; £25 billion a year could be raised by closing tax loopholes; and the IPPR think-tank has estimated that a ‘Robin Hood tax’ on financial transactions could raise another £20 billion a year (T Dolphin, Financial Sector Taxes, IPPR 2010).

All these taxation measures would be ‘progressive’ in the sense that they would divert wealth from the rich to the poor, in contrast to measures such as the government’s VAT increase, which hits the poor hardest.

In addition, some of these ideas might have behavioural advantages: they could work against destabilising speculative financial flows, or lead to fewer empty houses.

Similarly, we could look at spending that really should be cut. For example, while estimates of the true costs of replacing the Trident nuclear weapon system vary widely, they tend always to come in above £80 billion over 25 years.

Getting rid of the cost of the war in Afghanistan, massive consultancy fees on private finance deals and contractors’ profits in privatised public services would also make a difference.

We could also decide to manage the deficit and public spending in a long-term manner, targeting social issues such as inequality, under-investment in education and child poverty, and strongly regulating international financiers, banks, hedge funds and the like.

All of these are political choices.

We don’t have to live in a world where unemployment co-exists with a long-hours culture in which workers are so stressed that mental health problems are on the rise.

We don’t have to live in a world where bankers gamble millions across the world in elaborate financial casinos at the same time as 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 a day.

We don’t have to live in a world where there is no limit to how much of our collective economic output goes to the rich, yet others do not have enough to eat.

It is worth remembering that after the last crisis of this scale and significance, and with public debt something like three and a half times the size it is today, we established the NHS, created the welfare state, put in place comprehensive education and built a vast number of public housing estates.

History tells us that there is more than one way out of an economic crisis.

(Courtesy of Red Pepper) http://www.redpepper.org.uk

Not the Sharpest Tools in the Box!?

Amidst the gloom of the ever-worsening economic situation it is nice to be able to have a laugh now and then. No doubt many Doncaster UNISON members will share my amusement which came courtesy of the numpties within the British National Party’s communications department.

To kick start their European election campaign the BNP has decided to hold a series of ‘Battle for Britain’ road shows. To promote this campaign they have used a picture of a Second World War Spitfire as the main image.

I don’t suppose this will come as much of a shock to most of us. After all we are constantly reminded by, "Fuhrer," Nick Griffin and other BNP supporters that their grandfathers fought to defend Britain, that our island is now “full up” and that we must end the free movement of European citizens within its member states (or at least stop them coming in to Britain).

What will no doubt surprise many people is that to promote their campaign the idiots at the BNP have chosen a picture of a Supermarine Spitfire “Foxtrot Romeo Delta”, which was from the RAF’s 303 squadron.

Guess what – the 303 squadron was a Polish squadron! Who would believe that even they could be so stupid as to choose a picture of a Polish pilot flying a British aeroplane to defend Britain against the Nazis that they idolise so much!? Let's remember that Griffin has a conviction for Holocaust denial and that other members of the BNP have many and varied convictions for racist and homophobic attacks, anti-semitism and violence!

The pilot who flew Foxtrot Romeo Delta was Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach. Who knows? He too might have grandchildren who live here in Britain. It would be interesting to know the BNP’s views as to their eligibility to live here.

More than 20% of the aircrew who took part in the Battle of Britain were not British. Who knows, if the BNP had had their way, it is probable that Churchill's, "few," would have been far fewer!

It’s a good job that in 1940 the RAF didn’t operate a policy of British jobs for British workers!

Remember this year, that the BNP, a fascist, racist organisation which is intent on courting electoral respectability, will again seek to win a seat in Yorkshire & Humberside in the European Elections. We should be in no doubt that they stand for everything that we, as Trade Unionists reject; where they sow division and hatred we stand for unity and tolerance.

Doncaster UNISON has been, and will continue to be a proud supporter of anti-BNP campaigns, so if you want to get involved, contact the Branch office on 01302 320793.

The BNP is a stain on our communities and on our region. When you get the chance, whoever you choose to vote for, get out, get your friends and family out and vote to keep the BNP out!!

The Voices of workers in Children's Services!

After the media circus of the last few days, Doncaster UNISON felt that you would like to hear from some of the e-mails that have been sent to both the Branch office and to the BBC to comment on the crisis (of DMBC's own making!) in Children's Services.

All of these e-mails have had to be submitted anonymously, in itself a savage indictment of the climate of fear under which employees of the Council have had to work in recent years. Now would be a good time for DMBC to give a real and lasting commitment to listen to the voices of it's staff and to ensure that raising comments and criticisms of the way services are delivered is seen as a vital ingredient of improving services rather than evidence of people not being team players.

"Someone needs to look back to 4 years ago, Martin Winters and Susan Law are responsible for robbing the budgets which mean that all children's support services, and namely social services run with either antequated or no resources and with minimal staff, and less than adequate managers, this resulted in a huge turnover of staff being off with stress which impacted on the already skeletal staff cover.

Martin Winters is morally responsible for the deaths of the 7 children which was at the expense of Martin sanctioning the building of the new football stadium, building the new race course to name but a few of the projects Martin excitingly pursued- surely the budgets could of being better utilised.

Unable to give name as I still work for DMBC." - (Social Worker - Children's Services)

"For a number of years I was involved with the Early Years Childcare and Development Partnership (EYDCP) in Doncaster. This organisation was the predecessor of Children's Trusts and other changes in the way local authorities provide Children's Services which central government demanded be put in place following the Victoria Climbie report.

From my point of view the changes seemed to be handled very poorly in Doncaster. This did not appear to be because of any failings of the staff most directly concerned with work with young people but because of structural change and tensions in the most senior management of the Council and the local politicians.

The views of qualified/experienced frontline staff most directly involved were often disregarded - even occasionally held up to ridicule. Naturally many of those who could left to work elsewhere where their contribution was valued.

Culturally the management structure of the Council seems to be one where no one can tell the emperor (Mayor Winter) that he has no clothes; you have to follow the official line and say his clothes are beautiful. No officer can tell his or her boss that the system is not working properly. If you try you are labelled as not a team player and end up being sidelined. This atmosphere pervades the whole Council.

Mayor Winter's public statements always stress how his first priority is providing ever better services and facilities and he has stated that "accountability to the people of Doncaster is the first principle I abide by" (Doncaster News September 2008)

Now that things are patently falling apart in many areas within Doncaster Council - not just in Social Services - he seems busy trying to lay the blame elsewhere; especially on officers/staff trying to do their best against a culture of bullying.

The Audit Commission in their Public Letter in May 2008 gave the Mayor and the newly appointed Managing Director 12 months to sort matters out. They should reconsider that deadline and move in now.

At the time my involvement with the Early Years Partnership ceased I expressed my concern that someone would die by falling through the cracks in the system. How tragic it is that I appear to have been proved right." (Ex DMBC employee)

Someone who wanted to remain anonymous told us:

"It is categorically not true that Mayor Winter did not know about the state of children's services in Doncaster. He has known for several years. Several high level managers in Doncaster have resigned because the Mayor would not take their advice and comments seriously and invest in children's services. Education Welfare officers have been complaining about this situation for at least four years."

Another employee who wanted to comment anonymously said;

"Please listen to us! My colleagues and I have been pleading for over 4 years to have the madness of the way in which we work altered: we do 90% paperwork in the name of government statistics. Social workers and health visitors need to be managed by people who have practiced and know about risk and appropriate resources not just money and tick boxes."

Craig in Thorne near Doncaster texted saying: "The mayor should be made to resign as he hasn't done enough to prevent the deaths of those 7 children."

The stress and pressure that Children's Services workers must be feeling at this time must be overwhelming. Much of this will feel like an unnecessary distraction from trying to do the jobs that you have all dedicated yourselves to to improve the lives of children and families in Doncaster. The problems in DMBC are not of our making and no Social Care worker should be victimised or face any recriminations for speaking out about unsafe practice in safeguarding children.

Doncaster UNISON will shortly be organising a meeting for Children's Services workers to ensure the best possible response to this crisis - watch this space!

Jim Board on ITV defending Childrens Services workers

'Too much pressure on children's services'

Jim Board responds to the situation with children's services in Doncaster Council on Look North

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7825270.stm

Jim Board speaking in defence of childrens services workers to Sky News

Unite Against Fascism - National Conference 2009

Unite Against Fascism - National Conference 2009.

Saturday 21 February 2009 9.30am - 4.30pm
TUC Conference Centre, Great Russell Street, London WC1
Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road (Dominion Theatre exit)

Special guests and speakers include: *Ken Livingstone * John McLure aka ' The Reverend' from Reverend and the Makers * Glyn Ford MEP * Billy Hayes Communication Workers Union * Megan Dobney Southern and Eastern Region TUC* Dr Abdul Bari Muslim Council of Britain * Edie Friedman JCORE * Weyman Bennett UAF and Anti Nazi League * Sabby Dhalu UAF and National Assembly Against Racism * Martin Smith Love Music Hate Racism

Doncaster UNISON is a proud supporter of Unite Against Fascism and would encourage all members who oppose the BNP and other far right political groups to attend this conference.

Over the last decade racism and Islamophobia in society have grown including a rise in racist violence and attacks on multiculturalism culminating in the rise of the far right and fascist parties in particular the British National Party (BNP).

The British National Party (BNP) will be targeting the European Parliamentary elections and the local elections across Britain in June 2009 . Recent votes received in several regions including the North West (where Nick Griffin is heading the BNP list), Yorkshire and Midlands indicate a real danger of the BNP gaining European Parliament seats in these and other areas.

This would represent a major electoral breakthrough and would allow them huge resources, influence , greater respectability, and the ability to work with other far right and fascist parties in Europe.

The BNP have recently launched a racist campaign with a pamphlet " Racism Cuts Both Ways" in an attempt to build what they hope will be a racist agenda during the forthcoming economic crisis.
Where multiculturalism is celebrated, a positive climate is created in which every-one's contribution is welcomed and the BNP's policies of racism and scapegoating challenged. This would be undermined if the BNP were elected to the European Parliament.

The BNP is a fascist organisation. As history shows, fascism stands for the total annihilation of whole communities, freedoms and democratic rights.

Active campaigning can stop the BNP. In the 1930s the Jewish and Irish communities, trade unions and others defeated the fascist Blackshirts at Cable Street, in the 1970s the National Front was defeated by mass anti-Nazi campaigns. More recently the BNP was defeated in Millwall and Oldham. Learning lessons from these campaigns is crucial.

In 2004 Unite Against Fascism campaigned hard to mobilise the anti racist and anti fascist vote and to highlight the threat of the BNP in the European elections. The past year or so has seen a big increase in anti-fascist campaigning with Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and Love Music Hate Racism groups becoming more active in opposing to the fascist BNP.

Many Doncaster UNISON members were proud to support these campaigns and attended the fantastic Love Music, Hate Racism gig in Rotherham last year along with 4000 people protesting against the election of two BNP Councillors in the town. This was an outstanding success and gave a massive boost to those who wanted to oppose the fascist BNP in gaining a foothold in South Yorkshire.

This conference will be an important event and will discuss strategies that have been successful in defeating fascism and organising activity across the country to stop the BNP in these elections.

The event will bring together sections of society that oppose fascism including trade unions, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and other faiths, black, Asian, lesbian, gay and disabled communities.

Last year's conference was extremely successful with over 500 people to discuss the way forward in opposing the politics of hate and division that the BNP represent.

We urge you to join us in stopping the BNP in 2009.

" The world is a dangerous place to live in; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein. Refugee to Britain from the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.

Other anti- fascist activists from Doncaster will be attending this conference and will be arranging transport to this event. Please contact Jim Board at the Branch Office to book your place.

Interim Payment agreed

UNISON has confirmed that the employers have agreed to pay Local Government staff 2.45% ( plus £100 for those on SCP 4,5,6) backdated to 1st April 2008 as an interim payment pending the outcome of ACAS talks. Doncaster Council say the money will be in December pay packets (even though UNISON claim it should be paid in November.) Unions meet with employers again on the 23rd October.

Talks over Pay Claim Reopen as Employers come back to the table

Local government pay talks in England, Northern Ireland and Wales reopen tomorrow in an about face by the Local Government Employers with UNISON hoping they will usher in a 'new era' for council workers. This represents a significant u-turn on the part of the Employer's side following their previous statements about the "final offer," and would not have been achieved without the fantastic efforts of our members over two tough days of strike action.

The union is seeking improved pay and conditions that begin to match up to that of other public service staff.Speaking ahead of the talks, UNISON senior national officer Lucille Thirlby said: "Local government staff play a vital role in keeping communities across the UK running smoothly."

"They work as social workers, provide home care, work in libraries, and keep our streets clean. During the school holidays many will also be looking after children in summer play schemes or teaching them to swim at local leisure centres."

"We hope that this week's talks with the local government employers will herald a 'new era of employment' for local authority staff."We will be doing our best to make sure that pay and conditions begin to match up with the crucial work local authority do day in, day out, and to rates of pay elsewhere in the public sector."Last month around half a million council workers took strike action to protest against a below-inflation pay offer of 2.45%.

Unions have agreed to suspend further action pending the outcome of the new negotiations.

Doncaster UNISON says:

There is no doubt that the fantastic response of UNISON members across the country has helped to focus the employers minds on the need for further movement on this years pay claim and the fact that they have re-entered talks shows that, as a last resort, industrial action does have an impact.

Having said this, it is our view that, having forced the employers back to the table, agreeing to suspend further industrial action sends the wrong message. We believe that it would have been more productive to have named the day for further action if the talks do not deliver a significant improvement for our members and to have entered talks with a clear and early deadline for this to be assessed.

What we do on the ground now is important. As a branch, we strive to accurately reflect the views of our members and the workplace meetings that took place across the Council and in schools played a great part in enabling us to do this. It is for these reasons that the strike days in Doncaster were so successful.

Organise workplace meetings in your office/depot and school so that we can update members as soon as possible. Talk to your colleagues about the possibility of a positive result in the talks and also the possibility of more strike days to come and communicate with your stewards and the branch to let us know your views.

We cannot allow the brilliant support and spirit of the 16/17th July be lost. One of the most important aspects of the strike days was that we were able to recruit a whole new layer of predominantly low-paid women workers into UNISON and many of these new members will form the backbone of any further action.

1/365th V 1/260th

Did you know that if you take 1 days unpaid leave then you have 1/365th of your salary deducted BUT if you take 1 days strike action then you have 1/260th of your salary deducted? Why is that? I hear you say.... Well that is what we are trying to determine. We have been told it's because that's what the LGA have advised. It doesn't make sense and it's blatantly discriminatory. If you have an opinion on this then please let us know. Watch this space!!

LGE agree to reopen negotiations!!

The employers ( LGE ) have approached UNISON for discussions on the proviso that no dates are fixed for further industrial action. Before the strike the LGE were adament that further negotiations were pointless as they had nothing to discuss. Who says strike action doesn't work! The meeting is to take place on the 13th August. In the meantime branches are to be consulted on what forms of industrial action they consider to be appropriate.

Strike Action 16th - 17th July

The Branch Officers would like to pass our thanks and congratulations to all our members who supported the strike action over fair pay. The strike was extremely well supported and we anticipate over 80% of DMBC staff supported the strike over the 2 days. These figures are similar across the region.

Doncaster held one of the best demonstrations in the region with over 500 members meeting at the Mansion House and marching around the town centre. I’m sure everyone who was there will agree it was good-natured and had a carnival atmosphere, with many members carrying balloons and blowing whistles.

The only negative aspect of the dispute has been the abuse and aggression of certain strike-breakers who are clearly disappointed at the success of the action. We would like to praise those who attended picket lines and would especially like to congratulate them over the way they showed restraint when being intimidated by strike-breakers.

If any members feel they are facing bullying or intimidation back in the workplace due to taking lawful industrial action, they need to contact the branch office or local shop steward immediately.

What next? I hear you all say. Well, we need to keep up the momentum over the next few weeks and I would ask all of you to contact your local Councillors and demand that they put pressure on the Local Government Employers to come back to the negotiating table. The employers in Northern Ireland have agreed to re-open negotiations so why can’t they in England & Wales?

There is no doubt that we have had one of the most successful two days of action Doncaster has ever seen and its thanks to all of you who participated. A trade union branch is only as strong as its members and this proved we have a very strong branch indeed!
Well Done!
More photos can be found on the national and regional websites and the Doncaster UNISON Blogspot!

www.unison.org.uk
www.unison-yorks.org.uk
doncasterunison.blogspot.com

Advice from the South Yorkshire Pension Scheme.

STRIKE ACTION AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME

Due to the proposed industrial action many members are concerned about the effect that any absence may have upon their pension rights. In short, the number of years and days used to work out the benefits are reduced by any days of strike action which have not been paid for. Although any absence not paid for is recorded on our pension records as a break of service, it does not affect any pension rights built up before or after the absence.

However, there are further points that need to be made. . The eventual loss of benefits depends upon the number of days absent and the rate of pensionable pay in their year leading up to retirement. . If the absence falls in the last 12 months of membership, the pensionable pay used to calculate benefits for a member who leaves within 12 months of the end of the strike period could be very marginally higher/lower than it would otherwise have been.

For each day a member is on strike, this will extend by a day the date when a member attains 3 months membership, this being the period of membership necessary to be entitled to a benefit under the Scheme (this will be of no relevance to you if you already have more than 3 months membership).

In some cases, extended by one day the date when a member could retire before age 65 on an unreduced pension (i.e. add one day to the date on which a member’s combined age and membership in the Scheme, both in whole years, add up to 85 (known as the “85 year rule”).

AN EXAMPLE –HOW THE STRIKE AFFECTS MEMBERSHIP

If the member’s pensionable pay at retirement is £16,000 per year and at 65 the member would have built up 24 years membership with no loss of membership due to absence:

Pension = 24 years x 1/60 x £16,000 = £6,400 per year

The same member at age 65 with 2 days absence:

Pension = 23 years 363 days x 1/60 x £16,000 = £6,398.54 per year.

The member in this example would lose £1.46 per year from their pension for 2 days absence.

BUYING BACK THE ABSENCE

A member of the Scheme who is absent as a result of a trade dispute can elect to buy the period back at a rate of 16% of the pay lost. As an example of what this means: say the above . is on strike for two days . and would have earned £123.08 in two days . and elects to buy back the absence this member would see a deduction of £19.69 on their payslip in respect of the 16% contribution.

An election to buy back the membership must be made within 30 days of the last period of absence. If you wish to make an election please complete a Form 21. Please note that, regardless of whether or not you decide to pay the 16% contribution to count the strike period as a period of membership in the pension scheme, any additional contributions you may be paying to purchased added years of membership, to uprate any pre 1 April 1972 membership to provide a greater lump sum on retirement, or to purchase extra additional pension by way of Additional Regular Contributions (ARCs), will continue to be collected from your pay.

If you are paying Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to provide additional life cover we will assume that you would not wish the life cover to lapse and so continue to deducted these contributions from your pay.