Author Archives: Neil

From worksmart.org.uk: Work Your Proper Hours Day (1 March 2013) is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves. We think that’s a day worth celebrating. Over five million people at work in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers £29.2 billion of free work in 2011 alone. If you’re one, why not … Continue reading →

As part of the union’s continuing work on developing young members we are putting on a training event for members who are 30 and under in the London & Eastern region who expressed an interest in making a change in their workplace or getting more involved in union campaigns.   This course will build on the knowledge and skills of young members to get active within their workplaces and communities, … Continue reading →

From James Lyon, Daily Mirror – 7 November 2012: According to the Commons watchdog, 181 of 650 MPs are failing to pay the rate which was raised this week to £7.45 or £8.55 in London Almost one in three MPs are paying staff less than the Living Wage – despite their party leaders calling for the cost of living pay rate to be adopted across Britain. Both Labour’s Ed Miliband … Continue reading →

Rally and photo opportunity Monday 12 November Assemble 12.30pm Old Palace Yard, Westminster, London   The coalition government is trying to scrap the agricultural wages board with just four weeks of consultation.   Without the AWB to negotiate pay and fair housing, wages will fall to the lowest legal wage possible. Bad employers will see this as the opportunity to cut pay and raise housing costs.   Unite has called … Continue reading →

After a number of campaign wins with IPSA, we have developed a short survey to collect members’ views about the workplace issues we should be campaigning on in the future. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete and if you leave your email address at the end you will be entered into a random draw to win a bottle of champagne: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/69GBYM8

This year World Pride takes place in London, to coincide with the London Olympics. To celebrate this and show the Unite Parliamentary Staff Branch commitment to the LGBT community, Unite 1/427 branch would like to invite colleagues to a DRINKS RECEPTION on Thursday, 5th July from 6.30pm to 8.00pm in the Jubilee Room   PLEASE RSVP to sarah.mcguire@unitepsbranch.org http://www.unitetheunion.org/resources/equalities_2011/lgbt_equality.aspx

Working for Members of Parliament, we are considered to be employees of “micro businesses”, which employ fewer than ten staff. Following the Beecroft Review, the Government is currently consulting on whether a system of ‘compensated no fault dismissal’ should be introduced for such micro businesses, and what the consequences could be, including the wider impact on both employer and employee confidence. As a union branch, we already see too many … Continue reading →

ParliOut AGM March 22nd at 18:30 │ Conference Room E – 7 Millbank Dear ParliOut Member, You are invited to the AGM of ParliOut on 22nd March 2012. The committee would like to hear your thoughts on the past 10 months (since the last AGM) and any ideas for future events. It would be great if you could answer these quick questions prior to the AGM or think about them … Continue reading →

TAKING ON THE MEDIA BARONS How can we make the media fair for all?  TUC, NUJ and CPBF Conference Saturday 17 March Congress House, Great Russell Street London WC1B 3LS – contact Stuart Watkin on watkinsb@parliament.uk if you’d like to attend.   PROGRAMME OPENING REMARKS AND WELCOME 10am – 10.10am Frances O’Grady -TUC Deputy General Secretary   Session 1 10.10am – 11am Keynote address and Q&A Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP – Labour Deputy Leader … Continue reading →

Message from Unions 21: TOP OF THE POLICIES – SKILLS Policy in the pub – CHAIR: Michael White, Assistant Editor, The Guardian UP TO 20 SPEAKERS WITH 2 MINS EACH TO PRESENT A POLICY IDEA 2 MINUTES Q&A PER POLICY ONE VOTE – ONE TOP POLICY FOR SKILLS WHEN? 6.30pm-8.30pm, TUESDAY 17 JANUARY WHERE? THE BARLEY MOW (pub), 104 Horseferry Road, Westminster, London, SW1P 2EE 5-10 Mins walking distance from … Continue reading →