Dear Member
Good evening – although it may be morning before this arrives in your inbox. We are midway through another week and this crisis shows no sign of abating. We know this situation is a real challenge for all our members and our communities; please stay safe, and follow the social distancing guidelines, and lets support each other through these trouble times.
School Support Staff
This has been an uncertain and difficult time for all working in schools. The Director of Children’s was recently on Radio Merseyside praising the Heads for keeping schools going. We know that Heads and Teachers play their role, but we feel it is important to acknowledge the Support Staff, often poorly paid, overlooked and undervalued, schools could not function without you. TA’s, Cleaners, Cooks, Caretakers and a host of other roles – it is high time you receive the respect and recognition your roles deserve. Unison nationally has written to Gavin Williamson the Education Minister, asking him to recognise the importance of support staff. The Government regularly praises, rightly, Heads and Teachers, but what about our members, without whom schools could not function.
Easter Holidays. The majority of support staff are paid term time only, and we have negotiated with the Council that working at Easter will be entirely voluntary. Regrettably they have not agreed to pay staff who work over Easter, but merely to factor it into the rota. The one exception that we have agreed is that anyone working the Bank Holidays will receive the enhanced rates, that is an extra days pay, and a day off in lieu. We know many members may be happy to work, others will not be able to, to a variety of reasons, but the choice will be yours.
Volunteering In Domiciliary Care
We have raised and will continue to raise that we do not agree with the use of volunteers to provide intimate personal care and administer medication; this is not to be difficult but in the interests of safety, of our members, but also of the vulnerable people who rely upon skilled care workers. Although often undervalued and underpaid, it is perhaps only know that we are beginning to see the value of Care Workers truly appreciated. It is a skilled and demanding job; and whilst the use of volunteers at this time, to assist with food preparation, housework, or socialising is to be welcomed, personal care must remain with the professionals.
Of course we recognise that there is likely to be an increasing number of care workers absent. It may be that there will be a sufficient pool of people who have recently worked as trained care workers but who have left the sector, who can be re-recruited, but that will require some consideration of the poor levels of pay, and the lack of PPE. We will continue to press for improvements.
Wirral Met College
As members in the College know the consultation on a revised pay and grading structure has been paused due to the current crisis. However from 1 April many of our members will see a pay rise, as the National Minimum Wage rises from £8.21 to £8.72. That means anyone in grade 1, 2 or the lower rungs of grade 3 will get a pay rise. Of course the fact that the bottom 3 grades get a pay rise when the minimum wages rises shows just how bad FE pay is. We will be discussing this further with members when the crisis is over.
Additionally we have raised questions with HR about their proposals for using Annual Leave during this crisis. The government has changed legislation to allow a greater carry over of leave for some workers. and we want a fair system in place for all – It can be difficult to enjoy leave when you are on lockdown. The College have disappointingly said all leave must be taken in the academic year, even in a lockdown situation. We will be raising this again but if you are disadvantaged please email us.
For those staff who cannot work from home, the college will be placing you on furlough. UNISON would not agree to anyone being financially disadvantaged through this scheme, and therefore, although the Government only pay 80% of the wages of people on furlough, we are please the College has agreed that they will make up the shortfall. No-one will lose out financially.
Emergency Food Hub
We applaud the Council for setting up this urgently needed provision. A partnership between Wirral Council and community food providers has launched this as an online facility to provide a single point of contact for residents to report they need urgent help to get food. For more information see this link.
https://wirralview.com/news/emergency-food-hub-gets-work-helping-vulnerable-residents?fbclid=IwAR2VK5p2iAcKJOd5fdkEBlHxzjuwUyz9VUMv9Ie5ZZiULskwueG7Fa1rRh0
Edsential
This company,wholly owned by Wirral and Cheshire West Counci’ls, have announced that they will not be implementing a previously agreed 2% pay rise, due in April, until September. Edsential provide school support services, and many of their employees are amongst the lowest paid. They are doing this knowing that Wirral UNISON are firmly opposed to this delay.
They are blaming thedelay on the coronavirus crisis, yet we know that school contracts for catering and cleaning are being maintained and paid in full throughout this crisis. We will be consulting our members on this shocking delay, and raising it urgently with Wirral Council. We stand with our members in Edsential!
As always if you need any advice or support please get in touch. Please feel free to share our advice with your workmates, but encourage them to join Unison. We are on your side!
In Solidarity
Lois and Dave
Dave: davidnjones@wirral.gov.uk 07880199539
Lois: loisfounds1@wirral.gov.uk 07384512521
Published on: April 2, 2020