Dear Members<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We hope you are well, and have managed to take some form of break over the summer. Here\u2019s the latest newsletter from the Lancaster University branch of UNISON. This has been emailed out to members, along with minutes from our Branch General Meeting on 17 Sep 2020, and the anonymised summary from our members\u2019 themed discussion on 8 Sep 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hannah Monaghan, Communications Officer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dates for your diary <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Invites will be emailed to members and meetings will be posted in the Members\u2019 Team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Returning to work on campus \u2013 <\/strong>update from Callum<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>Forsyth, Unison Health & Safety Officer<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to give you all an update on how we\u2019ve been involved in the Health & Safety process at the University. UNISON, along with the other trade unions, are attending weekly meetings with HR and the Safety Office. It\u2019s through these meetings that we can request relevant risk assessments and ask managers to attend so we can feedback any concerns, while also discussing broader issues across the University, such as issues around public transport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As activity ramps up on campus towards the start of term, we\u2019re aware that more and more staff will be asked to start working on campus. I want to go over what you should you do if you have any worries or misgivings. If you\u2019re being asked to change your working pattern or where you are working, you should be provided with the risk assessment. It\u2019s not good enough for the risk assessment to have been done and not communicated properly with all staff involved. Once you do get the risk assessment, if you have any concerns or want to check if it is sufficient, please email unison@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a> and we can have a look at those documents. Ultimately, you have the right to work in a safe environment and it is the duty of the University to provide that. Please don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns regarding health and safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, I want to advertise some useful links: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lancaster Race Equality Network (LUREN)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n We would like to reminder members of LUREN, a supportive network of both staff and students which actively coordinate and collaborate campaigns for race equality at Lancaster University The microsite<\/a> contains the latest news and ways to get involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Update on Strategy<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n UNISON (and other unions) met with the VC, Director of HR and Director of Strategic Planning & Governance on 1 September to discuss the University’s draft strategy paper. UNISON stressed that PS staff are largely overlooked in regards to the paper and the discussion, and we mentioned the importance of the University commitment to race equality. We also voiced concerns about workloads and efficiencies if the University pursues further growth, as well as suggesting that the paper separated out environmental sustainability from financial sustainability as both are of equal importance. As a union, we want to see the University being more committed to environmental sustainability. Staff are encouraged to feed into these discussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Labour CLP <\/strong>Affliation<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The branch executive have agreed to affiliate to two local Labour party constituencies: Lancaster and Fleetwood and Morecambe and Lunesdale. This will enable us to take issues important to UNISON members into the party founded by trade unions to ensure we have a voice in the local and national corridors of power. It also gives us the chance to find out about matters that affect members being discussed on local councils and in Parliament. This enables us to boost our organising, representational and bargaining issues by campaigning and lobbying to shape the environment in which we work. It is in line with what other branches, our region and national union are doing at various levels. We will be contacting members who have affiliated via Labour Link in due course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your concerns<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n As always, we encourage you to contact us if you have anything you want to discuss, whether formally or informally. Our union is strong due to our membership, which is you! You can contact us on unison@lancaster.ac.uk<\/a> and follow us on Twitter at @LU_UNISON <\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear Members We hope you are well, and have managed to take some form of break over the summer. Here\u2019s the latest newsletter from the Lancaster University branch of UNISON. This has been emailed out to members, along with minutes from our Branch General Meeting on 17 Sep 2020, and the anonymised summary from our members\u2019 themed discussion … <\/p>\n