The East Midlands region's contribution to Million Voices #2

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Following on from our previous post about the region’s contribution to the union’s Million Voices campaign here’s information about a radio ad we commissioned and ran a month ago. The ad was funded from a General Political Fund bid agreed at the end of 2009.

The 30 second radio ad ran on a number of commercial radio stations. The audience reach figures along with the advertising schedule meant the ad was heard over six million times in three weeks. The schedule was follows as:

- Run for three weeks w/c 8 Feb on Trent FM, Ram FM and Leicester Sound

- ads to run for two weeks w/c 8 Feb on Heart (Northants) and Lincs FM

If you want to hear the ad, click on the link above

New rules pile pressure on social workers

UNISON has backed calls from the Local Government Association (LGA) to cut added targets and rules placed on social workers. The latest LGA report highlights the potentially damaging impact of Lord Laming’s recommendation, requiring every referral from another professional to be followed up by a formal process known as an initial assessment.

Commenting on the LGA report, Helga Pile, UNISON National Officer for Social Services, said:

“This new requirement could cause referral and assessment teams to implode. UNISON estimates that local government is short of at least 6,000 social workers. Where are we going to find the extra 2,000 social workers needed to implement this measure? Staff shortages are already piling pressure on social work teams, who are struggling with an increase in demand since the baby Peter case. “

She went on to say:

“In addition social workers tell us they already spend too much time dealing with paperwork, leaving them little time left to spend face to face with clients. Cutting the burden of bureaucracy would be a real step in the right direction.”

Posted via email from UNISON (East Midlands)

The East Midlands region's contribution to Million Voices #1

At the end of 2009 the East Midlands region had a General Political Fund bid agreed to run some Million Voices themed campaigning messages. The messages were based upon the “disappearing jobs” theme that has been used previously. One of the mediums used for the message is the back of a bus. Actually it is the back of three buses! One each in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.

Pictured in this blog post is a picture of the back of one of the buses which will have the message displayed on it until the end of June this year.

We think it gets the message across very well, and it fits in nicely with the recent national stepping up of the campaign. Keep an eye out on this blog for details of the radio ad we had commissioned and the billboard posters we had put up.

Who will be hurt by public service cuts

As part of the Million Voices for Public Services campaign this hard-hitting film about who could be hurt by public service cuts has been released.

We need as many people as possible to see this film and speak out for public services before it's too late. Please share and forward the link to members, colleagues, contacts, friends, and family.

Public services

Don’t wait until they’ve gone to defend them.

Posted via email from UNISON (East Midlands)

Million Voices campaign steps up a gear

UNISON’s Million Voices for Public Services campaign has stepped up a gear. There is a revamped website here, which shows you how and where service cuts could affect your locality. If you’ve not signed up please do.

Over the next few weeks the union will be raising the profile of public services and the people who work in them with the following:

- an online 60 sec short film

- TV ads

- Newspapers ads

- A campaign using social networking tools

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

"Public sector cuts are looming large, and UNISON's new ads shine a light on the story behind the facts and figures. The human cost of cuts is people left without vital services. Emergency call centre operators, forensic experts, hospital porters, nurses and social workers all provide the services people need and rely on. Why should hard-working people pay for the recession when the bankers who caused this crisis are still getting billion pound bonuses? It is not right that services are being axed when the super-rich can bend the rules and avoid paying their fair share of tax.”

He went on to say:

"Projecting an alternative future without essential public service workers, brings to life the reality of cutting public services. In the latest stage of the Million Voices campaign, UNISON is calling on the public to join us in standing up for local services, to make the politicians think again about the consequences of making cuts."

To find out more about the film, TV ads etc click here. To sign up to the Million Voices campaign click here.

Public services

Don’t wait until they’ve gone to defend them.

Little known fact #9

The Audit Commission estimates we will need 350,000 more care workers over the next 10 years to meet the needs of a growing elderly population

Posted via email from UNISON (East Midlands)

No arms company holdings in our pensions

John Sharman, Lincolnshire County UNISON branch secretary and a pension fund employee rep has been leading a campaign for the Lincolnshire County Council pension fund to divest itself of the £11m held in arms company shares.

The investments form part of the shares portfolio within Lincolnshire CC’s local government pension scheme, which also invests cash on behalf of local districts and parishes. John Sharman has urged the county to ditch all arms firms from their portfolio saying:

“I think we should be guided by ethical principals. We should have no investment in the arm’s trade.”

In recent times the pension fund has reduced the holdings in arms companies by £2m. Congratulations to John for this partial victory. We know we can rely on him to be persistently raise this issue until all of the arms company holdings have been divested.

Pay Matters

Last week the latest inflation figures showing retail price inflation rising to 3.7%, spelling misery for local government workers hit with a pay freeze.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:

"News that inflation is again on the up spells misery for local government workers. A pay freeze is a real pay cut for teaching assistants, care workers, refuse collectors and school caterers working for local councils. They are already among the lowest paid staff in the public sector, and they cannot take another pay hit.

It is time for the local government employers to get real and get into talks on pay. We know that in England alone, councils have £12.7 billion stashed away in reserves. The majority of councils are Tory run, and the decision to give staff a pay freeze is a political choice, not a financial necessity. They can afford to give workers a decent rise."

Robin Hood Tax Video

We've blogged before about the growing campaign for a Robin Hood Tax that would be levied on all speculative banking transactions.

Richard Curtis and Bill Nighy have produced an excellent campaign video that explains the concept very simply. Once you've seen the video you will wonder why it has not been introduced yet. This is a simple and effective way of raising money to protect vital public services and tackle climate change. And it gives the banking industry a chance to repay the debt it owes to the world for the recklessness that caused the global recession.

To support the campaign click here and sign up.

Little known fact #8

The right wing press and the Taxpayers' Alliance (aka the paramilitary wing of the Tory Party) would have you believe that taxation is a bad thing and that the average person gets little in return. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The average UK household gets benefits and public services worth more than £10,000 a year - which is more than they contribute in direct and indirect taxation.