Emergency Motions on Pay for AGM this Thursday

Keith Facey, Communications Officer says:

"There are two emergency motions submitted for the Islington UNISON AGM our AGM,  this Thursday.Other motions we have received will go up on the blog today and be distributed by email. There will be a motions booklet available at the AGM.

These are both here and will be emailed today and distributed at the AGM hard copy on Thursday.

For national information on pay see:
http://www.unison.org.uk/njc-14-21

For our local strike page-designed by me and a helper- see:
http://strike2014.webs.com/ 

best regards

Keith"

Emergency Motion 1 on Pay

Reject the offer! Organise for Action!

This Annual General Meeting wishes to put on record its disgust at the 1% offer made by the employers in respect of the 2014 Pay Claim. The Trade Unions have made a claim of £1.20 an hour, which is reasonable and just. Local Government workers have suffered a pay cut of 18% over the last 4 years.

Council's nationally have reserves of some £19 billion. We are ostensibly told this is for investment yet whilst they pay lip service as to how they value one of their valuable assets i.e. their workforce. They are unwilling to meet our demands for a pay rise that will only go some way to making up the cut in pay we have all suffered.

There is always the justifiable argument that the low paid are suffering and yes they are but so are those members on middle income. Individuals and families on what are deemed reasonable salaries are facing fuel and food poverty. The cost of living is soaring and the rents in this borough along with rents elsewhere are rising both in social and private housing.

Food banks are springing up all over the place and in some cases churches have set them up and will only supply food if individuals attend worship. This is not right.

As part of the TUC's Fair Pay Fortnight the branch has organised a rally at the Town Hall on the 1st April 12.30 and will be providing food. Guest speakers have also been invited but as part of building our rejection of this offer we resolve to do the following

Organise a series of workplace meetings taking this message to our members. We REJECT this insulting offer.

The Branch publicise the local pay blog widely at  http://strike2014.webs.com/

Call on UNISON side of NJC to reject and widely publicise our rejection.

Urge the National union to move to balloting our members for strike action as a priority.

 

Proposed Rosemary Plummer, Schools Convenor/Children's Services

Seconded Mike Calvert, Deputy Branch Secretary/HASS

21st March 2014

Emergency Motion 2 on Pay

1% is an insult it is not an 'offer' but another 'pay cut'.

The Local Government employers finally responded to the Trade union claim of £1.20 per hour with an insulting offer of 1%. This is in the context that Local Government pay has fallen by 18% since 2010. 

 UNISON members will be consulted on this offer. Islington Branch AGM condemns last year’s lack of recommendation to members which did not inspire confidence that the union was prepared to fight. Our members need to know that their union will fight for a better offer, to achieve this:

We call on UNISON NJC committee to make a clear recommendation to members to reject this “offer”. The branch to write our local representatives ASAP to ask they vote to reject and recommend rejection to members. 

The branch should immediately inform members that we oppose this offer and will be recommending rejection.

The branch to look at organising a Local “worth it event” and apply for a spot bid of £500.

 The two regions that made a recommendation to reject London and North West did just that in the member’s ballots.

Proposed: Lynne Moffat, Convenor Adult Social Care/HASS

Seconded: Dean Ryan, Steward Children's Services