Cuts to Jobs and Services at Nottingham City Council

On 19th January, Nottingham City Council announced a further round of cuts to jobs and services amounting to £15.6M, with the threat of even more to come. As well as placing increased pressure on the Council workforce, the proposed cuts will directly impact some of the most disadvantaged communities and citizens in Nottingham,

Join us on the 22nd February for an online joint briefing hosted by UNISON, Unite and GMB and hear how you can join our campaign to oppose these cuts to jobs and services.

Further details and the link to the meetings can be found here Joint TU Members Meeting

Exit Payment Cap

Government rethink will bring relief to millions of public sector workers

UNISON and other unions made a legal challenge that was due to be heard in a few weeks. However, just as we were finalising our evidence, the government backed down.

The government says that it has disapplied the regulations, with a view to revoking them completely, because it may have had 'unintended consequences'.

This is great news for members, further details can be found in the link below:-

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/press-release/2021/02/government-exit-payment-rethink-will-bring-relief-millions-public-sector-workers/

Annual General Meeting Newsletter

Please follow the link below to read our AGM 2021 Branch Newsletter which includes:-

- Update from Branch Secretary
- Covid-19 Response Fund
- Notice of AGM – 9th March 2021
- Branch Nominations
- Message to Retired Members
- Update from Private, Voluntary & Independent Sector Organiser
- Expressions of interest for the National Delegate & Local Government Conferences

Please note that nominations, motions and expressions of interest for the conferences should be sent to the branch (ideally by email) by 25 January 2021.

AGM Newsletter January 2021

AGM Nomination Form 2021

Reality Check: Public Sector Pay Freeze

Last week, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced pay cuts for public sector workers, and made dubious claims around 'fairness' and the private sector. UNISON goes through the chancellor's claims and corrects them.

Let's unpack some of the chancellor's statements and see how they stack up when they're checked and given a bit more context.

'Pay has been rising faster in the public sector than the private sector'

Pay rises have been higher on average in the public sector over the last year. However, they have been lower than the increases in the private sector for much of the last ten years.

Averages can be misleading – which was obviously the chancellor's intention.

A recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) study that compared jobs on a like-for-like basis found that the average public sector worker was paid 3% less than a private sector worker in 2019 and had been earning less in terms of gross pay (including overtime and bonus pay) every year since 2014.

Public sector workers only earn more than comparable private sector workers when pensions are added to the comparison, because of the private sector's widespread destruction of defined benefit schemes.

Read more: Reality Check: Public Sector Pay Freeze