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Campaigns and Elections

The page where you will find what Campaigns are happening in the Branch, Eastern Region and National. 

You can also find out what Elections are happening in Unison, how they affect you and why you should vote in the Unions democratic process. 

Elections 

There are a number of elections within Unison that the Branch is seeking members to volunteer in.
1  Local Government Service Group Executive; Low paid seat.  This seat must be filled by a female who is earning less than £13.56 per hour.  If you work in Local Government and would like more information, please contact the Branch.

Campaigns 

Branch campaigns and lobbying usually begins at the Corporate Joint Panel, CJP meetings.  These occur monthly and consist of the three recognised Trade Unions, Unison, GMB and Unite, along with senior HR Officers and management when required.

The Trade Union side of the agenda contains issues that members have raised with us as concerns.  These need cover the whole of the workforce, or to have such an affect on a group of workers, that it would impact on another.  

Issues which are particular to individuals or Teams, go to that directorate's Joint Council Negotiating Board JCNB for short.

How we work has changed.  The position of all office working altered dramatically with the Covid pandemic, and the resulting lock downs from March 2020 - June 2020 and again in January 2021-July 2021.  Local lock downs in the autumn of 2020 also meant working from home became a necessary act, which saw an employer response of support and appreciation.

As Covid remained in society, the Government did not encourage employers to return to an office environment, which would only have served to spread viruses.  The employer also saw benefits, savings in energy, rates and rent for buildings dropped as organisations began to embrace home working and disposed of costly assets.   

Four Day Week

A 4 day week is a popular change to the way we work that many Unison members raise with the Branch.  The pilot programme which started in 2022 concluded with the results that 92% of the companies that took part, decided to continue with the 4-day week.  That's 56 out of the 61 that engaged in the programme.  18 have made it permanent already!  More on the 4-day week can be found here: The 4-Day week Campaign

South Cambs District Council were part of that pilot study and have kept it.  The success of SCDC can be replicated at other Council's, including Cambridgeshire County.  The Branch has placed on record our desire to see a feasibility study completed and a trial.  Every request has been responded to by the Senior Leadership Team with a firm 'No'.  

The Branch will continue to lobby for our request to be met, and with the Labour Deputy Prime Minister on our side, who knows what might happen!  Read Angela Raynor's support here     We will report progress here.    

      Universal Credit

For Unison members receiving Universal Credit, the annual pay rise is always a time of stress.  Receiving the back-pay in a lump sum in November, (as it is being paid in 2024) means that for every pound of back pay they receive, it is lost with their Universal Credit payment.  As if those needing the money the most and missing out on it isn't bad enough, it also means that the UC system recognises them as now being paid too much, and ends the benefit.  A lengthy 6 week application process is now needed to get back to the starting position.  The end result though, is that many members on UC only see 4-5 months of that rise.

Unison has campaigned for the Council to implement different systems.  Ones which would not see this detriment happen.  Many of our schools for example, implement the offer within weeks of it being announced, this method has no impact on members in receipt of UC.  Another way to circumvent the issue is through a staggered payment process.  Again, schools are leading the way by example.  

The Council appear to be bound by what the Local Government Association LGA advise, which is that it is not legally possible to change the way in which the Council administer the NJC pay rise, meaning the lowest paid suffer the most financially.

The Branch will continue to advocate for change, and will take a motion to National Delegates Conference in 2025, to make sure our Union at a national level also fights for the ways in which schools implement the rise, to be more widely implemented. 

      International Workers Charter

The Branch has highlighted the issues facing the International worker, otherwise known as our Migrant workforce.  The Branch has adopted 'International worker' to keep similar terminology to that of the County Council, and to move away from any negative connotations that the term'Migrant' may bring.

For a draft of this document; International Workers Charter, please click here to take you to the Cambridgeshire International Worker web pages.  The document is not finalised, so there remains time for its final appearance to be added.  Contributions and/or comments should be sent to robert.turner@cambridgeshire.gov.uk   The draft version is with Elected members, Senior Leaders and individuals within CCC who hold responsibility for International workers and our commissioned services.

Working with Councillors, we intend to take a motion to full council in March 2025.  The Branch is also taking this via the Corporate Joint Panel route for consideration, direct to the Senior Leadership Team; SLT.  Once we have any further information on progress, we will keep you informed via our News and the relevant web pages.

      Pensions, fossil fuel and arms trade investment

There is much discussion on divestment from fossil fuels and the arms trade in our pension scheme.  As these issues grow, the Branch will be looking at both issues in the coming months and a discussion at a forthcoming committee meeting will decide our path.  If you have any position n both or either issue, please let the branch know.  A 13 minute video of the prominent arms opposition campaigner Andrew Feinstein speaking at the Cambridge Union earlier this year can be viewed HERE. 

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