Social Work Watch 2016
Wednesday 21 September
UNISON is teaming up with Community Care to run the second 'Social Work Watch'. On 21st September we want as many social work staff as possible to take part by filling in a survey to tell us about their day. We will ask them to give details of their caseload on that day, how many hours they worked, what they did, how it made a difference, and the pressures and challenges they faced.
We will use the findings to highlight for the public and policy makers the challenges and pressures social work staff face every day. We will also use it to celebrate the value and importance of the work they do, in spite of the cuts, staff shortages and media hostility.
Read more: Social Work Watch 2016
Welcome to our new Young Members' Officer
Last Updated on Thursday, 11 August 2016 13:39
My name is Sarah Walsh and I'm the Young Member's Officer and Union Learning Rep for Nottingham City Unison. I've been working for the Council as a Business Support Officer for the past year and half in different teams and I'm currently based in the Youth Offending Team at Isabella Street.
Being a young person can so often mean being at the bottom of the pile in the workplace- insecure contracts and working hours, lower pay and discrimination to name but a few issues faced by young people in the workforce. As your Young Member's Officer, I want to help you practically both in and out of the workplace. Should you require support,advice or just a friendly ear, please feel free get in touch. My email is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Read more: Welcome to our new Young Members' Officer
Impact of Spending Cuts on LGBT People and Services Survey
In 2013, UNISON's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) committee commissioned NatCen Social Research to produce a report about the impact of government spending cuts on LGBT workers and service users. A report of their findings can be found here
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/205546/unison-lgbt-austerity-stand-alone-exec-summary.pdf
UNISON's LGBT committee has commissioned NatCen Social Research to carry out similar research, which will provide an update on the findings identified in their research carried out in 2013.
To assist with this research, UNISON's LGBT committee would like as many local government LGBT members and non-members of UNISON to complete an online survey at https://survey.natcen.ac.uk/mrIWeb/mrIWeb.dll?I.Project=SPENDLGBT&_ga=1.192231658.1754195203.1468494680
The findings from this survey will be an important campaigning tool for UNISON as we continue to make the argument to the public that the coalition cuts to local government are having a detrimental impact on LGBT workers.
Sports Direct Shame: Email Your MP
Sports Direct has been splashed across the headlines: "Victorian conditions"; "treating workers as commodities" not human beings: these were the findings of a cross-party committee of MPs who were looking at working practices at Sports Direct.
Sports Direct is a shocking example of a wider trend in the UK economy: the growth in low-paid, insecure work. When workers feel unable to challenge conditions, on fear of losing work,
abuse, sexism and xenophobia can become entrenched.
Please email your MP today to demand they act to End Precarious Contracts and Stand with Migrant Workers.
The referendum has given space to appalling racism and xenophobia. Migrant workers face both the insecurity of a precarious contract and also uncertainty about their future. We must Stand With Migrant Workers and oppose any race to the bottom on labour standards. Big business sees Brexit as an opportunity to weaken the rights of workers, especially migrant workers. We must not let this happen.
Please email your MP and Stand with Migrant Workers
Women and migrant workers face the worst abuse. At Sports Direct new women workers were refered to as "fresh meat"; one
pregnant worker was so afraid of losing her job that she came into work after starting labour. She gave birth in the toilet of the warehouse.
War on Want has always stood in solidarity with workers, around the world, who face intimidation and retaliation for organising into trade unions. Today, migrant workers across the UK face prejudice, abuse and exploitation so we must stand for justice.
We must demand our MPs End Precarious Contracts and Stand with Migrant Workers.
Thank-you for your support