Statement issued by UNISON Derby City Branch Secretary Becky Everett on Wednesday 18th March 2020
We are receiving a high amount of calls from our members regarding the Coronavirus, we fully understand your worries and concerns.
The advice on Coronavirus is changing daily, so always check reputable news bulletins and Public Health England for the latest updates. We would advise against Social Media for getting advice as this is not always factual.
UNISON Derby City Branch organises within numerous employers and we will not be able to give separate updates to members in each individual workplace. Your employer should be keeping you updated. This is also new territory to the employers and many are also seeking our guidance.
Our main priority currently is to ensure the Health and Safety of members and their families along with the people they look after as part of their jobs.
This advice will be updated as employers respond to our requests for more information. We will, of course update our website as and when we receive guidelines from any of our employers.
If you need advice on workplace issues, please email help@derbyunison.org in the first instance. Or call direct on the Derby City Mobile on 07789 556487 We will respond at the earliest opportunity. If you leave a voice message or text message please ensure you tell us your name, job title and workplace.
Branch Officers have been advised, to avoid face to face meetings, Members will still receive a personal service by receiving a dedicated time slot for phone calls to discuss issues.
There is a chance that Branch Officers may need to be off work, we are a dedicated team and will ensure that messages and emails are acknowledged. At times we may have reduced staffing so please bear with us.
Kind regards
Becky Everett, Derby City Branch Secretary
Unison Community Conference started with focussed meetings on service areas. I attended the housing association session which looked at issues facing housing staff across the country, discussed best practice and challenges still very prevalent in the sectors. Issues discussed ranged from universal credit challenges, leaseholder issues, staffing issues, support networks, mental health issues, working with tenants, staff bonuses. Outcomes from this were for a specific newsletter for housing related information and support to be put together to share best practice and inform of useful information.
There was then a speech from RT HON Mark Drakeford AM (First Minister of Wales) who covered issues which related to the Housing Crisis, Right to Buy, community issues, success stories from Wales and also fielded questions from delegates,