Norfolk County UNISON Branch

DAY SERVICES NEWS

You will be aware that at the moment, UNISON is concentrating efforts in trying to keep Day Services open and running as we believe that it is a service that users enjoy and offer much of value, including preventative care and respite for families, among many other benefits. We believe the proposed £3.5m cut to the budget could lead to closures.

There will be a lobby of Norfolk County Council's full council which will be discussing the issue on Monday 13th February 2012. The lobby will be from 9.00 am in front of County Hall, Norwich.

________________________________________________________

BRANCH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS THIS MONTH!

DEREHAM - Monday 27th February 2012, at the Anglia Room Breckland, Elizabeth House, Walpole Loke, Dereham.

refreshments available from 4.30pm with the meeting beginning at 5.00 pm.

There are three speakers at the Dereham AGM - JO RUST, UNISON and Kings Lynn Trades Council, IVAN MERCER from the GMB will be speaking about the pensions issue particularlay for the private sector perspective on the Unilever Strike, NICK O'BRIEN (NUT Neatherd High School) will be speaking from the perspective of a school with a really high level of union membership.

UNISON members who live or work in Dereham or nearby are very welcome to attend.

NORWICH - Tuesday 28th February 2012, at the Edwards Room, County Hall, Norwich

refreshments available from 5.00 pm with the meeting beginning at 5.30 pm

CLIVE LEWIS, Norwich South Labour parliamentary candidate will be the speaker

Kings Lynn - Wednesday 29th February 2012, at the West Norfolk Professional Development Centre, Kilhams Way, Kings Lynn

refreshments available from 5.00 pm with the meeting beginning at 5.30 pm

There are two national speakers at this AGM; UNISON’s Head of Local Government HEATHER WAKEFIELD and TUC researcher RICHARD MURPHY

Please do all you can to attend one of the AGMs at the end of February. This is an important time for public sector workers and those in related private sector employment, come along, have your say, get involved in ensuring UNISON represents your views and feelings.

Here is a link to the Branch Annual Report, a review of what's been happening in the Branch in 2011

The other papers for the Branch AGMs are available here:

AGM Details

AGM Agenda

Minutes from 2011

Branch Rules for Item 6i on the Agenda

Report for Item 8iv on the Agenda

Annual General Meetings - making trade union democracy work!

_________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to everyone who made the pensions action at the end of November 2011 such a tremendous success. Talks are proving positive and YOUR involvement was crucial in the negotiations for an improved offer. We will have an update here as soon as the government makes a formal offer and we can consult with members.

Here is a link to a scanned copy of a letter sent to local press by Labour Councillor Ralph Gayton supporting the action.

UNISON Norfolk County Branch Equalities Officer considers the disproportionate effects of the cuts on the poorest in society - Blog Entry, 23 December 2011.

Libraries staff have set up a FaceBook group to receive information and offer support to libraries in the current climate of cuts. We are encouraging as many of you as possible to sign up to the group and contribute. The group can be found here.<

In addition to the e-petition that we have been urging people to sign, the Women's Institute (WI) have set up a link giving more information about their campaign to support libraries.

Women played a key role in the extraordinary events that led to the end of President Mubarak’s rule in Egypt. Young and old, veiled and unveiled, educated and illiterate, they stood up, risked their lives and chanted for change. But change, as it turns out, hasn’t proved quite as equal as the protests that brought it. Despite the hope of the uprising, women have been systematically excluded from the political process since Mubarak’s fall. Amnesty International are calling on members to sign their online petition calling on the Egyptian hierachy to involve women at every stage of the political process.

View branch information on the use of volunteers to run council services.

Who is my County Councillor? Who is my MP?

Comments on this website? Would you like to run a recruitment event in your workplace? Do you just have news that you would like to share with the rest of the branch? All comments to: Branch Office.

Click here to go to the main site.