Fair Pay Now for Local Government and Schools workers - write to your councillor and MP

As part of the Local Government and Schools pay campaign UNISON have put a link on their website to make it easy for UNISON members to email their councillors. Here is the link: https://action.unison.org.uk/page/11813/action/1

You can also find your councillor and MP by going to the website: https://www.writetothem.com/ and inputting your postcode.

There is more information about the pay claim on the UNISON national website at: https://www.unison.org.uk/our-campaigns/fair-pay-now-council-school-workers/

Please feel free to personalise the emails by telling your councillors and MPs what your job is and what the impact of low pay has meant for you.

Please do this and encourage all your colleagues to write to their councillors and MPs as well.

The more councillors and MPs that receive letters from public sector workers the more likely they are to support our pay claim.

Tolpuddle Festival 2017

North Somerset UNISON took a coach of members to the Tolpuddle Festival. Here are a few photos from the day - a good day was had by all.

NUS President Shakira Martin with Terry Hutt sat on the stage

Red Notes Choir

Back of Jeremy Corbyn's head with our banner!

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn at Wreath Laying

Jeremy Corbyn on stage - you can just about see him!

The Mekons

Save our A&E - Demonstration at Weston Hospital

Members of North Somerset UNISON, along with members of Protect our NHS, Weston and North Somerset Constituency Labour parties, North Somerset Green party, Weston and Bridgwater Trades Councils, other unions, and members of the public demonstrated at Weston General Hospital today as the Hospital Board met to approve the temporary overnight closure of the hospital's A&E department today. The Hospital Board cannot or are unwilling to say when A&E will open overnight again.

Here's a few pictures:

Jean Long Rep of the Year Award 2017

Today Eve Wilson and Jakob Wollmer were the first recipients of the Jean Long Rep of the Year award, given to North Somerset UNISON Reps who have made a significant contribution to the branch. The award is in memory of long standing UNISON Home Care Rep Jean Long who died in 2016.

Eve and Jakob were given their awards by UNISON Head of Local Government Heather Wakefield and UNISON South West Regional Secretary Joanne Kaye.

Heather Wakefield also spoke about the Local Government pay claim to the assembled audience of North Somerset UNISON Reps and members.

Here are some photos from the day:

Demonstration at Weston General Hospital on 4th July at 9 am

SAVE OUR ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

4TH JULY AT 9 AM

SHOW THE WESTON GENERAL HOSPITAL BOARD WHAT YOU THINK AS THEY ARRIVE FOR A MEETING THAT MORNING

ON GRASS OPPOSITE HOSPITAL ENTRANCE
GRANGE ROAD, 
WESTON SUPER MARE, 
BS23 4TQ

Weston Labour party have started an online petition - please sign
https://www.change.org/p/weston-area-health-trust-save-weston-super-mare-general-hospital-accident-and-emergency-department

Captain Ska - Liar Liar GE2017

Watch this great video and make sure you use your vote wisely on 8th June.

NHS crisis, education crisis, u turns ... you can't trust Theresa May. Let's get this into the top 40. Download now and force the BBC to play it on our airwaves. All proceeds from downloads of the track between 26th May and 8th June 2017 will be split between food banks around the UK and The People's Assembly Against Austerity. Download from the following links: (Please note we previously released a version of Liar Liar in 2010 so don't download the wrong one! Correct track is called 'Liar Liar GE2017')

ITunes: https://tinyurl.com/y86lhwwb

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071HTSVQH

Bandcamp: https://captainska.bandcamp.com/track...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/23DVzn...

More links will be added as they become live.

press enquiries to captska@gmail.com

Time to Choose at the Curzon Cinema in Clevedon on 3rd May

3rd May at 7.30 pm at the Curzon Cinema Clevedon

Academy Award®-Winning documentary filmmaker Charles Ferguson (Inside Job, No End in Sight) turns his lens to address worldwide climate change challenges and solutions in his new film TIME TO CHOOSE.

Featuring narration by award-winning actor Oscar Isaac, TIME TO CHOOSE leaves audiences understanding not only what is wrong, but what can to be done to fix this global threat.


Ferguson explores the comprehensive scope of the climate change crisis and examines the power of solutions already available. Through interviews with world-renowned entrepreneurs, innovators, thought leaders and brave individuals living on the front lines of climate change, Ferguson takes an In-depth look at the remarkable people working to save our planet.

The film will be followed by a Q&A panel:

Chair - Richard Lancaster - East Bristol Greenpeace

Malcolm Fairbrother PhD
Originally from Canada, Malcolm has lived in Bristol since 2007. He is a Reader in Global Policy and Politics at the University of Bristol, and an expert on globalisation; public attitudes about the degradation and protection of the natural environment; and people's willingness to trust others with respect to this issue.

Jo House  PhD
Jo is also from Bristol University and was a Lead Author on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports and last year she served as Head of Climate Advice to the UK Government Office for Science. Her specialisation is the interaction between land use and the climate eg. increased Co2 emissions as a result of deforestation and the potential for mitigation from tree planting.

Nikki Jones MSc
Nikki is a freelance researcher, writer and journalist on oil, gas and energy, who gives regular Climate and Energy lectures in Bristol.  See http://www.exploringoilandgas.co.uk/index.html Nikki is particularly keen to stress the need for personal action, and the need to change policy by changing the economics.

Stalls from 6.45 pm

East Bristol Greenpeace
City to Sea
Grandparents for a Safe Earth
North Somerset Green Party
North Somerset Labour Party
Transition Clevedon

Tickets: https://www.curzon.org.uk/event/31060

More info on film at http://www.timetochoose.com/