UNISON - Ormskirk & Southport HealthUNISON - Ormskirk & Southport Health 2017 Annual General Meeting Wednesday 8th March 2017 @ 13:00 Education Centre, Ormskirk District Hospital AGENDA

UNISON - Ormskirk & Southport Health 2017 Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 8th March 2017

@ 13:00

Education Centre, Ormskirk District Hospital

AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held on 2nd March 2016 (attached)

3. Election of Branch Officers and ratification of Stewards (attached)

4. 2016 Annual Report

i. Membership ii. Recruitment iii. Casework iv. Key issues/Campaigns v. Conferences & Committees vi. Education & Training vii. Finance Report viii. Proposed Budget 2016

(attached)

5. 2016 Conference Reports (attached)

6. 2016 Honoraria (attached)

7. Motions received – None received

8. Amendment to Branch Rules – None received

9. Branch Organising Plan and Key Objectives for 2017 (attached)

10. Holocaust Study Tour (January 2017) (attached)

11. Any Other Business / Q&A session

12. Raffle Draw

13. Close of meeting

Annual General Meeting – Minutes 2nd

March 2016 Page 1 of 3

UNISON – Ormskirk & Southport Health

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting Wednesday 2nd March 2016

Members 1277 Quorum 20 Quorate Yes

Activists present: Apologies: In attendance:

Debbie Wilcock Donna Grainger Jeanette Dyer Joanne Forshaw John Flannery Justine Stopforth Lee Porter Lin Douglas Neil Burgess Stephen Kinrade Sue Barton Trevor Jarman (Chair) Gwen Wordley

Caroline Morrison Christine Moore

Paul Summers (Regional Organiser) 7 members

Ref:

01/16 Apologies for absence

Noted above.

02/16 Minutes of the previous meeting (4th March 2015)

Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true record.

03/16 Election of Branch Officers and ratification of Stewards

The following elections were agreed and ratified.

Officers: Secretary - John Flannery; Chair – Trevor Jarman; Treasurer – Christine Moore; Health & Safety – Sue Barton; Equality – Linda Douglas; Retired Members – Gwen Wordley; Membership – John Flannery; Communications – Trevor Jarman; LGBT – Linda Douglas; Welfare – Christine Moore. The following positons were unfilled: Young members; Education; Life Long Learning; Labour Link; International. Stewards: Community & Continued Care – Lee Porter; 2 vacancies. Corporate Services – Christine Moore; Deborah Wilcock; Donna Grainger; John Flannery; Linda Douglas; Nicola Westbury. Planned Care – Caroline Morrison; Joanne Forshaw; Justine Stopforth; 5 vacancies. Urgent Care – Jeanette Dyer; Steve Kinrade; Trevor Jarman; 3 vacancies. Other: Health & Safety Representative – Deborah Wilcock.



04/16 2015 Annual Report

A report was presented covering the following area’s

1. Membership 2. Recruitment 3. Casework 4. Key issues/Campaigns 5. Conferences & Committees 6. Education & Training 7. Finance Report 8. Proposed Budget 2016

The report was accepted.

06/16 2015 Honoraria

The branch committee proposed payment of honoraria based upon the following assessment:

10% of the total branch income for the year would be placed into an honoraria pot. The honoraria pot would then be split equally into two sections:

Branch Officers – The pot would be divided as follows: 50% to branch secretary; the remaining 50% to be split equally between the remaining officers.

Caseload – This pot would be divided based upon the percentage of case work undertaken by any activist within the year.

Using this model the following payments are proposed for payment. Barton, Sue - £211.77 Burgess, Neil - £49.54 Douglas, Lin - £348.01 Dyer, Jeanette - £111.46 Flannery, John - £1,393.31 Forshaw, Joanne - £99.08 Jarman, Trevor - £397.55 Kinrade, Steve - £86.69 Moore, Christine - £298.47 Morrison, Caroline - £111.46 Stopforth, Justine – £86.69 Westbury, Nicola - £12.38 Wilcock, Debbie - £86.69 Wordley, Gwen - £199.39 The proposal was unanimously agreed.

07/16 Motions received

None

08/16 Amendment to Branch Rules None



09/16 Branch Organising Plan and Key Objectives for 2015 The branch organising plan was presented to the meetings with the following 3 key objectives

for the year:

To maintain recruitment within the branch, with a target of 5% membership growth in core employer.

To plan and prepare for the potential removal of DOCAS (TU Bill).

To educate and support affected members through the nursing Revalidation. The plan was unanimously agreed.

10/16 Any Other Business / Q&A session

None

11/16 Close of meeting

Election of Unison Officers & Representatives 2017

Officer nominations:

Position: Nominee: Position: Nominee:

Executive Officer Group Other Roles

Secretary John Flannery Communications Trevor Jarman

Chair Trevor Jarman International Unfilled

Treasurer Christine Moore Labour Link Unfilled

Health & Safety Sue Barton LGBT Linda Douglas

Equality Linda Douglas Membership John Flannery

Education Steve Kinrade Welfare Christine Moore

Retired Members Gwen Wordley Young Members Unfilled

Stewards nominations: Based on membership of 1277 within Southport & Ormskirk NHS, utilising a ratio of 50 members per 1 steward, there are 25 steward positions. In total 14 nominations were received (below), which results in 11 vacancies.

Angela Wilson (Catering, DGH)

Anne MacMillan (Catering, SDGH)

Caroline Morrison (Radiology, SDGH)

Christine Moore (Pharmacy, SDGH)

Deborah Wilcock (Information, SDGH)

Gwen Wordley (Retired)

Jeanette Dyer (Maternity, ODGH)

Joanne Forshaw (Treatment Centre, ODGH)

John Flannery (Corporate, Curzon Road)

Justine Stopforth (Rehabilitation Unit, ODGH)

Lee Porter (Wheelchair Services, Skelmersdale)

Lin Douglas (Complaints, SDGH)

Steve Kinrade (Sexual Health, May Logan Centre)

Trevor Jarman (Intensive Care, SDGH) Other nominations: Deborah Wilcock (H&S Representative) No other nominations were received by the Branch, therefore these positions are uncontested. If any member would like to become active within the Branch please contact John Flannery on 01704 387 101 for further information.

Annual Report 2016 Page 1 of 16

Ormskirk & Southport Health Branch

Annual Report

2016


Contents

Elections 2016 ................................................................................................................................................... 3

Membership ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Recruitment ....................................................................................................................................................... 6

Casework ........................................................................................................................................................... 7

Key Issues/Campaigns ....................................................................................................................................... 9

Conferences & Committees ............................................................................................................................. 12

Education & Training ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Finance Report................................................................................................................................................. 14

Proposed Branch Budget 2016 ........................................................................................................................ 16


Elections 2016 Officers:

Position: Nominee: Position: Nominee:

Executive Group Other Roles

Secretary John Flannery Communications Trevor Jarman

Chair Trevor Jarman International Unfilled

Treasurer Christine Moore Labour Link Unfilled

Health & Safety Sue Barton LGBT Linda Douglas

Equality Linda Douglas Membership John Flannery

Education Steve Kinrade Welfare Christine Moore

Retired Members Gwen Wordley Young Members Unfilled

Stewards: Community & Continued Care (3 positions) Lee Porter

2 vacancies

Corporate Services (6 positions) Christine Moore Deborah Wilcock Donna Grainger John Flannery Linda Douglas Nicola Westbury

0 vacancies

Planned Care (8 positions) Caroline Morrison Joanne Forshaw Justine Stopforth

5 vacancies

Urgent Care (6 positions) Jeanette Dyer Steve Kinrade Trevor Jarman

3 vacancies

Other: Debbie Wilcock (H&S Rep) Nicola Westbury (Welfare Representative)


Membership As at 31st December 2016 that branch had a total of 1446 members, with key statistical summaries as follows:

1237

209

7 26 2 2 1 1 2 3 9 14 71

6 109

21 29

1143

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Equality Analysis

Gender Ethic Origin

1385

60 1

53 2 33

405

18 8

927

581

53

773

3 36

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Membership type

Category Payment Method Political Fund


The vast majority of members are from within the core employer Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust (1242), with the remainder from private sector employers based within the Trusts geographical footprint.

3 9

40

109

158

199

231

269

152

73 67 46

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Non-Core Employers


Recruitment As part of the branch assessment for 2016 a target of 5% growth in the core employer was agreed, this equated to a total of 60 new members. The graph below shows 3 key performance indicators, these being the cumulative target for new recruits (blue); monthly recruitment (red); and the cumulative recruitment (green).

It needs to be noted that above data is purely based upon recruitment and does not document leavers, which is necessary to calculate branch membership growth, although as at 1st November a total of 282 new members had been recruited whilst 113 members had left the union thus calculating a growth of 169 new members (13.2%) against the year start position of 1277 members finishing the year with 1446 members. A large portion of recruitment followed successful campaigns during the months of May (108) and November (76) which resulted in a total of 184 new members. This was achieved through a concerted effort of all branch activists during the period to participate in the recruitment stands and getting out speaking to members. The graph below shows the statistics for the recruit a friend scheme.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Branch Recruitment 2016

Target

Recruitment

Cumulative

17

12

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6

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49

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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Dyer, Jeanette

Flannery, John

Forshaw, Joanne

Grainger, Donna

Jarman, Trevor

Kinrade, Steve

Moore, Christine

Morrison, Caroline

Porter, Lee

Stopforth, Justine

Wilcock, Debbie

Independent

Recruit a friend scheme (May & November 2016)

Recruited

Validated


Casework During 2016 the branch has opened a total of 132 cases. The breakdown of types of case is as follows:

The majority of cases so far have been picked up by John Flannery (28%), with Steve Kinrade (11%) second and Caroline Morrison third (10%).

9 3

17

42 20

4

12

25 0

Case Types 2016

Dignity at work

Capability

Disciplinary

General Advice & Support

Grievance

Health & Safety

Organisational Change

Sickness

Other

3, 4% 6, 8%

6, 8%

22, 28%

2, 2% 0, 0% 6, 8%

9, 11%

6, 8%

8, 10%

0, 0% 4, 5%

6, 8% 0, 0%

Caseloads 2016 Barton, Sue

Douglas, Lin

Dyer, Jeanette

Flannery, John

Forshaw, Joanne

Grainger, Donna

Jarman, Trevor

Kinrade, Steve

Moore, Christine

Morrison, Caroline

Porter, Lee

Stopforth, Justine

Wilcock, Debbie

Wordley, Gwen


Below is the full summary of the cases for the year.

Case Loads 2016 Dignity at

work Capability Disciplinary

General Advice

Grievance Health & Safety

Organisation Change

Sickness Other Total %

Barton, Sue 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 3.8%

Douglas, Lin 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 6 7.7%

Dyer, Jeanette 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 0 6 7.7%

Flannery, John 0 0 1 6 5 0 3 7 0 22 28.2%

Forshaw, Joanne 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2.6%

Grainger, Donna 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0%

Jarman, Trevor 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 0 6 7.7%

Kinrade, Steve 1 0 2 1 2 1 1 1 0 9 11.5%

Moore, Christine 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 6 7.7%

Morrison, Caroline 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 8 10.3%

Porter, Lee 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0%

Stopforth, Justine 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 4 5.1%

Wilcock, Debbie 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 6 7.7%

Wordley, Gwen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0%

Awaiting clarification 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To be allocated 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Not applicable 1 2 2 26 3 0 5 4 0 43

Regional support 0 0 6 1 2 0 2 0 0 11

Total 9 3 17 42 20 4 12 25 0 132


Key Issues/Campaigns National:

Trade Union Bill The government’s proposed trade union bill threatens the basic right to strike. Employers will be able to break strikes by bringing in agency workers to cover for strikers. This could have big safety implications, lead to worse public services, and will undermine the right to strike. The bill also proposes huge restrictions on peaceful picketing and protests. Picket supervisors will have to give their names to the police – raising concerns about blacklisting and will need to carry a letter of approval their union. There are lots of other proposals in the bill too – including powers to restrict the ability of unions to recruit and represent members in the public sector, restrictions on how a union use their resources and lots more unnecessary red tape. And all of it taken together fundamentally undermines the rights for unions to organise, negotiate and strike in defence of their members at work. The branch has participated in the challenges against this bill, which has included joining national/regional marches and lobbying parliament, and educating the membership locally. During 2016 some key changes were made to the bill following the pressure on the government, which lessened the effects, although it was unfortunately still passed and becomes legislation in 2017. Only time will tell how drastic this will affect employment rights.

Revalidation

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has introduced revalidation for nurses and midwives, designed to strengthen the three-yearly registration renewal process and increase professionalism. This means that nearly 16,000 nurses and midwives will be the first to revalidate in April 2016, with all 685,000 to go through the process over the next three years. While revalidation is the responsibility of the healthcare professional, employers have a key role in helping to provide supportive environments and resources to ensure staff successfully revalidate and are registered to work in your settings. Built on existing employment arrangements, revalidation with the NMC adds requirements which encourage individuals to seek regular feedback from service users and colleagues; reflect on the code and seek confirmation from a third party that the necessary requirements have been met. Revalidation exists to improve public protection by ensuring individuals continue to remain fit to practise in line with the requirements of professional registration, throughout their career. Due to the significant effect this change has on many of our local members the branch invested in dedicated training of key activists to build knowledge and devise an action plan to tackle the problem. This resulted in a number of education sessions around the subject being scheduled for 2016 which were highly regarded by those who attended.


Agenda for Change / Pay NHS staff has their pay and terms and conditions set by a national scheme known as Agenda for Change. UNISON and the other health unions negotiated the UK-wide Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system and terms and conditions agreement with the NHS employers back in 2004. Ever since then UNISON has worked to defend and improve this system in order to maintain fair pay, standard terms and conditions across the UK, and better career progression options for all NHS staff. Each year the pay system is subject to an independent review to make recommendations on pay. This is carried out by the NHS Pay Review Body (PRB) – an independent body of experts. UNISON submits evidence to the PRB every autumn, drawing on what our members tell us about their cost of living pressures, and recruitment and retention problems where they work. We also work with our sister unions in the NHS to submit evidence on behalf of NHS staff. NHS employers’ bodies and the governments from all four UK countries also make submissions to the PRB. The PRB then makes recommendations to the UK governments in the spring as to what pay increases NHS staff should get at their April pay review date. Governments have traditionally implemented the PRB’s recommendations in full, with the recommendation for 2016-17 being 1% increase. Following a consultative ballot within Unison the recommendations were accepted.

Local

Agenda for Change Linked to one of the cases where UNISON was supporting a group of members in gaining appropriate pay for the role they were undertaking it was identified that historically the role had been paid at a previous higher band, but subsequently downgraded without following the official procedure. After failing to reach resolution UNISON took the matter to the collective Staff side as the Trust had completely disregarded the national process in relation to the position in the case, whereby a collective withdrawal from the AFC Job Evaluation process occurred. It was believed that the Trusts position undermined the ethos and founding principles of the system, namely regarding Equal Pay. This issue was escalated within the management structures and following some high level debates the Trust conceded the matter and retrospectively applied the correct pay for the affected group. Due to this outcome staff side were able to re-engage with the process. Throughout 2016 we have been working with management to create a more transparent process, which includes the formation of the Local Job Evaluation Governance Group (LJEGG). Additionally we are currently working with the State of Jersey to develop an online evaluation system which should further enhance the developments.


Sickness Policy Review It was identified early in 2015 that sickness rates within the Trust were on the rise with no apparent contributory factors. The current system was implemented in 2012 which in essence centralised the whole management of sickness process within HR. It was agreed in partnership that a full review of the sickness process should take place. There were key findings in the initial review which pointed to the following factors potentially affecting the sickness rates:

Disconnect of local managers Difficult to understand targets Timeliness of process

It was felt that whilst there were benefits to the centralised system, it was necessary for line managers to have involvement in the process to ensure it was fully implemented and understood by the individuals, with it being agreed that a blended approach be adopted. There were some significant changes negotiated, key ones to note are:

Restructured flow of policy to make it easier to read Standardised targets for all episodes Assessment of days removed Defined exclusions for specific types of absence Cap on length of phased returns removed All occupational leave carried forward following long term absence Action where the Trust fails to follow policy

The policy was agreed and became effective in July 2016.

Stress & Mental Health in the workplace As part of the branch education programme this year which focussed on stress and mental health in the workplace, a collective survey was undertaken utilising the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards Analysis Tool. The HSE Management Standards approach covers six key areas of work design (stressors) that, if not properly managed, are associated with poor health and well-being, lower productivity and increased sickness absence. The Standard for each of these stressors is aspirational but together they define the characteristics, or culture, of an organisation where the risks of work related stress are being effectively managed. The six standards are: Demands; Control; Support; Role; Relationships; and Change. Due to the positive response rate the closure of the survey was extended to the end of the calendar year. A total of 219 responses were received. Following analysis of the data there were a number of key findings, and a set of recommendations were formed and presented to the Trust. These recommendations were accepted.


Conferences & Committees The branch sent delegations to the UNISON national conferences, as follows:

Conference Date Delegation

Black members (Llandudno)

22-24 January

No nominations were received; therefore no delegation to be submitted.

Women’s (Brighton)

11-13 February

C.Morrison.

Health (Brighton)

25-27 April

C.Moore; J.Dyer; T.Jarman.

Young members (Edinburgh)

15-17 May

No nominations were received; therefore no delegation to be submitted.

National Delegates (Brighton)

21-24 June

J.Flannery; D.Wilcock; S.Barton.

Retired members (Southport)

4-5 October

G.Wordley.

Disabled members (Brighton)

29-31 October

J.Stopforth; L.Douglas.

LGBT members (Llandudno)

18-20 November

L.Douglas.

The branch regularly has representation at the following committee’s

Southport & Ormskirk NHS Trust UNISON

AFC Oversight Group Equality & Diversity Steering Group Health & Safety Committee Health & Wellbeing Committee Joint Negotiating Committee Staff Survey Working Group Policy Committee

Merseyside Health Branches Forum Regional Committee Regional Council Regional Health Care Committee


Education & Training The branch held a number of training sessions for all of the activists, plus there were some individual/group sessions supported, as follows: All activists

Branch development Cultural awareness Social media & information governance Sickness absence & work life balance TUPE

Individual/Group sessions

Stage 1 Trade Union Representative – L.Porter; D.Grainger (10 days) Employment Law Diploma (blended learning) – T.Jarman (10 days – finishes July 2016) Employment Law Update –J.Flannery; L.Douglas; T.Jarman (1 day) Agenda for Change Train the Trainer – J.Flannery (2 days)


Finance Report Budget (Full year) Expenditure (Year to date) Differential

Income

Branch funding expected 35,242 34,226

Member subscriptions 0 30

Conference Travel 0 0

Other Income 0 0

Total Branch Income 35,242 34,226 -1,016

Expenditure

Administration 5,000 6,627 -1,627

Staff salaries 1,000 979 21

Honoraria 3,500 3,375 125

Conferences/Group Meetings 11,000 8,101 2,899

Other meetings (eg. Branch) 4,000 6,579 -2,579

Publicity 7,900 10,800 -2,900

Education 5,000 3,297 1,703

Donations 0 0 0

Affiliations 300 325 -25

Local Activities 0 83 -83

Other 500 1 499

Total Branch Expenditure 38,200 40,167 -1,967

Balance -2,958 -5,941 N/A

13%

3%

9%

29% 10%

21%

0% 1%

Summary of branch budget

Adminstration

Staff salaries

Honoraria

Conferences/Group Meetings

Other meetings (eg. Branch)

Publicity

Donations

Other

17%

3%

8%

20%

16%

27%

8% 0% 1% 0% 0%

Summary of branch expenditure

Adminstration

Staff salaries

Honoraria



Publicity

Education

Donations

Affiliations

Local Activities


January February March April May June July August September October November December

Annual Budget £3,183 £6,366 £9,549 £12,732 £15,915 £19,098 £22,281 £25,464 £28,647 £31,830 £35,013 £38,196

Monthly Budget £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183 £3,183

Monthly Spend £3,542 £1,101 £1,321 £6,642 £2,680 £6,267 £641 £1,052 £6,833 £3,643 £1,946 £3,431

Annual Spend £3,542 £4,643 £5,964 £12,606 £15,286 £21,553 £22,194 £23,247 £30,079 £33,722 £35,668 £39,099

£0

£5,000

£10,000

£15,000

£20,000

£25,000

£30,000

£35,000

£40,000

£45,000

2016 Budget vs Expenditure


Proposed Branch Budget 2016

£ £

Income

Branch funding expected

35,000.00

Member subscriptions 0.00

Conference Travel

0.00

Other Income

0.00

Total Branch Income

35,000.00

Expenditure

Administration 7,000.00

Honoraria 3,500.00

Conferences/Group Meetings 11,000.00

Other meetings (eg. Branch) 4,000.00

Publicity 2,600.00

Education 9000.00

Donations 250.00

Affiliations 325.00

Local Activities 0.00

Other 0.00

Total Branch Expenditure

37,675.00

Surplus for the year

-2,675.00

18%

9%

29%

11%

7%

24%

1%

Summary of branch expenditure

Adminstration

Honoraria



Publicity

Education

Affiliations


Conference Delegate Reports

2016

Health Conference opened on 25th April, with a speech from Dave

Prentis thanking the support of all activists through the turbulent year

from previous conference. He

then moved to the difficult times

ahead with student bursaries

being scrapped, Doctors strike

and how they will come for us

next, the never ending pay freeze.

This day consisted of general mo-

tions all supported. In the after-

noon a good speech by labour

shadow health secretary in huge

support against NHS cuts and pay

freeze and promise to overturn if

elected. There was resounding support for the campaign against

government student bursary cuts. There was a call to action at the

end of the day to support the doctors strike and join them in the

march on the 2nd day, in the morning conference agreed to support.

The second day started with the march which headed from

the conference hall to the hospital. It was well attended with

huge public support through shaking hands, clapping, cheer-

ing and cars beeping.

Morning session

started with general

motions supported

and passed.

Which was then fol-

lowed by a speech

from Raj Jethwa a

BMA spokesperson.

The afternoon session

started with the usual-

ly most contentious of

motions to stay or part from the Pay Review Body and then fol-

lowed by a motion to call for action against pay freeze. These

were debated and a decision was made to stick with PRB and not

to go on strike. The afternoon finished with general motions again

supported and passed. Day three morning session went as

expected with motions supported and passed,

nothing contentious.

Day three morning session went as

expected with motions supported and passed,

nothing contentious.

Unison Health Conference Delegate Report 2016

2

Delegates narrative Trevor:

I always enjoy health conference and understand it’s links with the National delegate conference.

It is not as fast paced but still vitally important with people enjoying good debates and networking.

This time I felt disappointed on a couple of occasions one was the doctors march in which

conference agreed to support. When I arrived at 7 a.m. I passed fellow delegates who I assumed

where coming on the march, actually they were having coffee and breakfast in cafes as we passed

by and we marched passed delegates who were walking the opposite way. Another disappointment

is the lack of debate over PRB and Strike action,, usually very well debated for and against. Over

the years this has proved the most attended for and against on the floor with necessary ’point of

order’ being made., however this year it was virtually all for PRB and all against strike action.

This aside once again a very good health conference with excellent networking with very good

fringe events.

Christine:

Going as a shared delegate to the Health conference one of the main highlights for me was how

the Unison conference delegates showed solidarity with regards to the junior doctors, with dele-

gates joining the picket line on the Tuesday 26th April. This vital battle won wide support and the

standing order committee agreed that space would be found for BMA speaker at this conference

that was originally opposed.

Another major highlight for me was listening to Heidi Alexander Labours shadow health Secretary

who slammed Hunt’s attacks. She stressed the importance to work together to defeat the Tory gov-

ernment in 2020. As like the majority of us feels if “Hunt gets away with it with junior doctors, he

will be tempted to come after everyone else.” Heidi Alexander, Health conference 2016. She then

rushed off to the Houses of Parliament to continue with this fight.

Delegate Report Page 1 of 4

Delegate Report

Event National Delegates Conference

Date 21st – 25th June 2016

Key issues/themes to report back from the conference

General Secretary address “We have more in common than that which divides us.” That was at the heart of general secretary Dave Prentis’s keynote speech to conference as he emphasised the things that unite UNISON members and vowed that the divisive, racist rhetoric of the likes of UKIP will not be allowed to succeed. He opened by paying tribute to murdered MP and UNISON member Jo Cox, describing her as a “young, vibrant woman – she stood for everything we believe in”. Saying that she was also a daughter, sister, a wife and a mother, he said that there were “no words to describe her family’s loss and our heavy hearts go out to them from this conference”. Ms Cox had stood for kindness, tolerance and respect for others, and the union would never forget that. Prior to the start of conference Dave took the union’s solidarity to striking RMT members on Southern Rail and joined his RMT counterpart Mick Cash on the picket line at Brighton Station. The rail union is in dispute with Southern over the company’s plans to remove guards from trains; a move the union says is unsafe.

With conference meeting at a defining time in UK politics, as Britain voted in the EU Referendum, he noted that “Nigel Farage and his ilk have been nothing short of a disgrace employing a dark and ugly politics”, and he had a warning for the UKIP leader “If you pour poison into our communities, if you set worker against worker, we will take you on” adding that he had no second thoughts about reporting UKIP’s immigration anti-EU poster to the police. He also shared some of the success stories from the past 12 months as an illustration of what could be achieved when the union comes together, most notably:

Amendments to the Trade Union Bill

Defeat of cuts to tax credits

Increased Councils signing up to the Ethical Care Charter At the end of his speech he told delegates that “despite all we face, there is no obstacle that can stand in our way. Our name defines us – one voice, one vision, one union: Proud to be UNISON”.


British Bill of Rights Conference condemned the government’s intention to repeal the Human Rights Act and replace it with a “British Bill of Rights”. Unison unanimously agreed to fight the government’s proposed ‘bill of rights’, with it being feared that some existing rights, such as the right to privacy, could become limited or scrapped altogether. Shami Chakrabarti, the former director of human rights organisation Liberty, has referred to the proposal as “the gravest threat to freedom in Britain since the Second World War.” The passed conference motion states that, like the Trade Union Act, such legislation would represent “an ideological attack on our rights and freedoms. “Workers’ rights and human rights are inseparable,” it adds. “We had to fight to win them, and now we must fight to defend them.” Delegates approved the motion, which calls on the NEC to campaign – and support Liberty’s campaign – to defend the Human Rights Act against repeal.

Trade Union Act Jeremy Corbyn told UNISON delegates that a Labour government would immediately repeal the Trade Union Act. He was greeted with a standing ovation as he entered the conference hall alongside general secretary Dave Prentis – and at the conclusion of a speech in which he stressed his trade union credentials and pride at being a UNISON member. “We would go further,” the Labour leader said. “We would strengthen trade union and employment rights. We would be a government that says that trade unions are a force for good and a force for equality in our society.” He particularly praised union reps, branch secretaries and lay officials “who work day-in, day-out, representing people in the workplace who otherwise would not get it. “Public services only operate because of the efficiency and effectiveness of our members and their generosity to go beyond the call of duty, day-in and day-out.” He condemned the government’s record, which has left six million people earning less than the living wage, crippling unemployment, job insecurity and a “redistribution of wealth in absolutely the wrong direction. “Austerity is a political choice not an economic necessity,” he said. “The government freezes pay and cuts jobs, but doesn’t seem to understand the consequences.” He said that a Labour government would introduce a “a real living wage for workers of all ages” and work to further close the gender pay gap. He finished his address of conference saying “To win a general election, we need to be mobilised as a movement as never before, with one agenda that’s different on the economy, and is about bringing equality to our society.”


Measures to support activists The need for creative and flexible training for activists was at the heart of a debate on strengthening the union and supporting activists. Creative ideas for training, accreditation and mentoring were all proposed as delegates shared personal experiences and discussed helping reps. “We cannot underestimate what our activists do every day,” John Jones for the national executive told delegates. Introducing the motion, he noted that the austerity agenda and “relentless” reorganisations have put particular stresses on activists. There is a need for training to be made flexible to meet new barriers – the union’s blended courses are one way forward. “Many activists find the traditional forms of activism to be daunting,” he said, adding that it is vital to increase training to help them to gain confidence. A speaker from Glasgow stressed that “our job, as shop stewards, is to listen to members and lead them. To do that, we need properly-trained reps.” Manjula Kamari from Walsall said that the union needs to “go into organising mode” more importantly than ever. “The simple truth is, this union is worth nothing without our activists.” She applauded the executive’s commitment to a wider range of training methods, together with mentoring. “Education is the absolute bedrock,” said a delegate from the Eastern region. “It does us allow us to be creative in how we train.” And she described the region’s spring activist school as a way of helping to support and develop activists. Conference agreed a range of approaches, including calling on the executive committee to:

encourage branches through the joint branch assessment to dedicate targeted resources to embed within branches plans to support activists;

recognise that some current systems of accreditation and training can act as a barrier, and work on new ways of tackling this;

encourage branches and regions to develop mentoring systems.

Palestine UNISON delegates expressed their concern at attempts to silence those who campaign for Palestinian rights, in an emotional debate including contributions from members who have visited the region. Jackie Lewis for the national LGBT committee warned against ‘pinkwashing’ – the attempt to portray Israel as a bastion of LGBT rights in order to nullify criticism. “There can be no pride in Israeli apartheid,” she told the union’s national delegate conference in Brighton. One delegate told how she met a young Israeli Jew, who was so traumatised by what he was forced to do during his national military service that he and others bravely formed a group called Breaking the Silence, to let people know what was being done to the Palestinian people. Paul Glover of the NEC stressed that the union’s work on Palestine has always been based on international law. Of the campaign for a boycott and divestment, he said: “It’s making a huge difference. Public pressure is forcing companies to withdraw from the occupied territories,” something that is problematic for the Israeli government. The executive was urged to:

campaign for the repeal of restrictive laws that seek to silence those campaigning for Palestinian rights;

continue campaigning for an end to the illegal occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the blockade of Gaza;

continue positive campaigning on the boycott and divestment.


Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) (After BREXIT!!) Conference agreed that it is a “top priority” for the union to continue to campaign against public services being included in the trio of trade treaties that are currently being forged between politicians and businessmen behind closed doors. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and the EU, and the broader Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) are still being negotiated, while the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU is closer to ratification. Public services have been included in all three agreements, despite an unprecedented European and US public and trade union campaign. Introducing a composite motion, Jane Carolan of the NEC told delegates: “I truly wish last night’s vote [in the EU referendum] would have made this debate redundant. “But even though we’re now leaving the European Union, we’re still subject to TTIP through the single market. And some of the extreme Brexiters are the strongest TTIP supporters.” She went on to say that TTIP, TiSA and CETA were negotiated with “no democratic accountability or transparency” and were “acronyms that cover a multitude of sins” – among them, a licence for multinational companies to take control of public sector services. Not only was there a major threat of privatisation of services, but also a “lock-in of privatisation” so that private companies with a hold on health care and other services could not be removed. Roz Norman of the East Midlands region called the agreements “very, very dangerous, threatening the heart of public services. “If they go forward, they will affect every person in this conference. Our public services will be sold off to the highest bidder, with no guarantee that we will ever get them back.” Employment and trade union rights would be attacked, and health and safety standards driven down, while the deals could also pose a threat to the environment. UNISON has led the fight against TTIP, as a founder member of the No TTIP coalition. And based on the unwavering support of the motion it will continue to do so. Among a raft of measures, it was agreed that the NEC would campaign for all public services to be removed from all trade agreements.

John Flannery Branch Secretary

Sue Barton Health & Safety Officer


Delegate Report

Event UNISON disabled members' conference 2016

Date 28TH -31ST October 2016


Brighton conference opens with delegates debating a raft of motions that reveal how members face bullying and harassment in many guises UNISON members are being bullied, harassed and attacked from all sides because of their disabilities, delegates to the union’s disabled members’ conference in Brighton heard this morning. In a debate on phased returns to work, Craig Martin from the national disabled members’ committee explained that, in many cases, these are being denied by employers, either on the basis of claimed “operational needs” or through ignorance. He reported that he had represented a member who had had breast cancer, leading to a double mastectomy, other treatments and with the entirely expected depression alongside. Occupational health and human resources agreed that she needed a long phased return, but the employer said it wasn’t possible, using “emotional blackmail” and saying that “the children would be let down”. This was a situation where the union was able to help, but further empowerment is needed to reduce such behaviour and such attitudes, he said. Yet that’s only one sort of example of the far wider problems. Research from Cardiff University has found that 21% of people with learning disability are subjected to violence – in their workplace. That’s compared to 10% of disabled workers overall and 5% of workers with no disability. “How can that be allowed?” one speaker asked. Maureen Le Marinel from Lancashire police called for a campaign to raise the issues, pointing out that, while the union “won’t accept bullying of anyone – bullying of disabled people is a hate crime”. The national young members’ forum also highlighted the success of Scotland’s own anti-bullying campaign, Gonnae No Dae That. Speaking on a motion from the national women’s caucus, ¬ Paula Carlisle told delegates of the negative impact of poor policies on disability leave, citing a case where an employee faced a final warning when a workplace doctor dismissed her own GP’s diagnosis of a hidden disability. The union was able to help that member, but Ms Carlisle said that, while the Equality Act “talks of protected qualities”, it still depends on whether or not an individual employer has a good policy in place. And “it’s frightening that such draconian cultures are finding their way into the workplace,” she noted.


Other speakers talked of disabilities that are being “overlooked” by employers, and stressed too that even other members do not know that disability leave exists and that they can fight for and access it. Conference backed the call for an end to a one-size-hits-all approach, and among other things, instructed the national committee to “investigate the benefits of employers adopting a more person-centred approach to sickness absence”. Delegates also heard how Black workers face problems at work because of the lack of understanding of conditions such as sickle cell, thalassemia and lupus, which disproportionately affect Black people, and can mean that absences trigger disciplinary and capability procedures. Paulette White for the Black members’ caucus called on conference to support members in such situations and delegates agreed to call on the national committee to work with other parts of the union to create a briefing paper on the issues, together with dyslexia and dyspraxia, which are often misdiagnosed in Black people, with employers treating issues caused by them as being “performance related”.

Lin Douglas Equalities Officer


Delegate Report

Event National LGBT Conference Llandudno

Date 18th 21st th November 2016


LGBT delegates develop themes of inclusivity Delegates debate a range of motions on how best to increase inclusivity while being sensitive on language issues The themes of standing together and building inclusivity in the union continued to flow through this year’s UNISON LGBT conference I attended in Llandudno, with a motion on language creating an excellent, positive debate. Many delegates spoke about how important it was to remember the context in which words are used, and that nobody should be “policing identities” as that would be counter to building both the union and togetherness in the wider LGBT community. On reclaiming words such as ‘queer’, James Anthony drew laughter when he recalled marching through Birmingham with LGBT friends, chanting: “We’re here, we’re queer – we’re not going shopping!” Another debate stressed the importance and value of using Pride events to “promote what we do best as a union”. For the national committee, Sean Bowler reminded delegates that recruitment continues to be essential – “we need to recruit just to stand still.” Better yet, he continued, [we need to] recruit two members for every job lost in order to “make a net gain”. “Without numbers on the ground, our employers will never take us seriously.” He urged delegates to leave conference recharged and ready to take the challenge back into our workplaces and branches. “Not only will we recruit new members, but keep the ones we have, and empower them,” he told conference. In a motion titled #AskMyPronouns, Alex explained how misgendering by using the wrong pronoun is often a matter of a lack of understanding or confusion. Simply asking which pronoun is acceptable can help to promote inclusivity and make people feel safe. Angela Dennis for the national committee told delegates that “we’re always striving for absolute equality for all UNISON members”. Jenny Harvey from Staffordshire health branch stressed how important the issue of pronouns is for “trans and non-binary people” and how much misuse of pronouns can be more hurtful than obvious bigotry as it is counter to inclusivity. Zoe Watts from Lincolnshire Police pointed out that asking pronouns is more inclusive for everybody. And Siobhan Cannon from the national young members’ forum urged delegates to “be honest with ourselves” in making sure that the union’s LGBT group challenges any discriminatory behaviour or attitudes within the LGBT community.


Conference discusses fighting back against the politics of hate LGBT delegates hear of fears after EU referendum and pledge to fight rise of hate crime after the vote How did the Nazis come to power in Germany in the 1930s? “It happens like this.” Deirdre Costigan, for the national committee, was introducing a motion looking at how LGBT UNISON members could hold true to the values of that community in the present circumstances. And she related how, as the EU referendum votes were counted, a Labour councillor she was standing near at a count in London, observed that, while he’d always wondered how the people of Germany had let Hitler in in the 1930s, “it happens like this.” Ms Costigan told delegates: “We must not lose hope. We’ve had setbacks this year and there may be more to come, across Europe and beyond”. But that is precisely why UNISON members need to reassert their rights and freedoms. Suggesting that, in the future, school pupils will read about this year in their history books, she noted: “I hope my grandnieces will be able to say: the trade unionists – they never, ever gave up.” Speakers, including members who have come to the UK from other EU countries, expressed concerns about what the future holds – not least as recorded hate crimes have risen massively in the wake of the referendum vote. Further debates also specifically highlighted the need to fight hate crime, and to ensure that every incident is reported as fully as possible. “The fear is that the current shenanigans around Brexit will cause further hate crime,” said one speaker. Philip O’Shea from Wolverhampton observed that hate crime had always been with us, although matters had improved in recent decades. “What can we do?” he asked. We can support people and we can help them report hate crimes – and don’t believe that “you can turn away and it won’t happen to you”. Young member Alex Montgomerie told conference how, at a young members’ weekend earlier this year, socialising in the evening at a club, one of the group was targeted by a man who started ranting at them. Mr Montgomerie said that the other young members got involved to defend the person being attacked and, eventually, the police came and removed the aggressor. In other words, he said, we can stand in solidarity and make a difference. Delegates also emphasised the need to defend and promote LGBT equality under the law, as the Conservative government continues to put up more barriers to equality – not least in the continuing use of fees and any hurdles for anyone seeking redress at an employment tribunal.

Honoraria Proposal 2015 Page 1 of 1

Honoraria Proposal

The branch officer group proposed to pay honoraria based upon the assessment that was used in 2014 and 2015, as it was felt that this model provides the evidence based justification for such. At the branch committee on 5th February 2016 it was agreed that this model would be used to table a proposal for honoraria payments at the AGM 2017. The model is:

10% of the total branch income would be placed into an honoraria pot. The honoraria pot would then be split equally into two sections:

Branch Officers – The pot would be divided as follows: 50% to branch secretary; the remaining 50% to be split equally between the remaining officers.

Caseload – This pot would be divided based upon the percentage of case work undertaken by any activist within the year.

Using this model the following payments would be proposed for payment at the AGM 2017.

10% of total branch income = £3,524.23

Branch Officer pot = £1,762.11

Secretary = £881.06

Chair = £176.21

Equalities Officer = £176.21

H&S Officer = £176.21

Retired members = £176.21

Treasurer = £176.21

Caseload pot = £1,762.12

2016 payment Caseload Amount

Officer Amount

TOTAL

Barton, Sue 67.77 176.21 243.98

Douglas, Lin 135.55 176.21 311.76

Dyer, Jeanette 135.55 135.55

Flannery, John 497.01 881.06 1378.07

Forshaw, Joanne 45.18 45.18

Grainger, Donna 0.00 0.0

Jarman, Trevor 135.55 176.21 311.76

Kinrade, Steve 203.32 203.32

Moore, Christine 135.55 176.21 311.76

Morrison, Caroline 180.73 180.73

Porter, Lee 0.00 0.0

Stopforth, Justine 90.36 90.36

Wilcock, Debbie 135.55 135.55

Wordley, Gwen 0.00 176.21 176.21

TOTAL 3524.23

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Holocaust Study Tour Delegate Report

January 2017


Delegate Report

Event NW UNISON Holocaust Study Tour to Auschwitz—Birkenau

Date January 2017

Glen Williams, Study Tour Organiser, Sefton LG Branch

This is the fifth delegation with NW Regional Members but the 20th that Sefton Holocaust Memorial Project has organised. It was inevitable that much of what we learnt was going to be distressing and depressing but hoped that it would help us understand where fascism, racism, prejudice, violence and intolerance can lead. We realise that as active trade unionists we would have an awareness of what happened in the Holocaust; however as preparation for the tour we were asked to read prepared information before we went and read some of the recommended reading list which was provided. It was hoped that this would provide some background and begin to prepare us for our time in Poland. Nothing really could! Whilst this is a study tour, it is also about commemorating the millions of victims, Jewish, Polish, Lesbian and Gay, Gypsy travellers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, people with disabilities, trade unionists and many, many more who perished under the Nazi regime and expressing our solidarity with them and their surviving families. It was expected of us that we all behave with the dignity and respect this tour deserves. Without being overly dramatic—this tour can change certain aspects of your own life— Glens aim was for us all to commit to doing something on our return that furthers the aims of the Tour. (We did) Arrival We arrived on Tuesday night to the Hotel in Krakow at 11.50pm after a few hours flight delay.


Wednesday 11th January Jewish Ghetto (Kazimierz); Podgorze; Plaszow

Following breakfast at the Hotel, the Wednesday started by retracing the general history of the Holocaust by getting to know what happened specifically in Krakow. We travelled on foot mainly through Krakow, Kazimierz and Podgorze, and by a short coach ride to Plaszow. This was an extremely cold day, reported as being minus 19 with the wind chill factor. We visited the old Jewish quarters and the only remaining active synagogue in Krakow. After the Nazi German invasion of Poland in September 1939 the Jews in Krakow and surrounding areas were deliberately targeted for cruelty and ‘special treatment’. They were forced out of their homes and herded into a ‘ghetto’ living in disgusting over-crowded conditions. Parts of the ghetto remains, and virtually all Jewish life and culture in Poland were destroyed. We visited the Schindler Factory and new Museum in Krakow, and the old Jewish cemetery in Kazimierz behind the only synagogue that survived the war. Philanthropist, or capitalist opportunist? - There are contrasting views of Oscar Schindler. The day ended with an evening visit to the Plaszow Labour Camp. There is a massive statue in commemoration of all who died, or were victims of Hitler. This is where Amon Goeth is depicted in the film, Schindler’s List, taking shots at prisoners from his home as they worked in the camp below.

Jewish quarter and ghetto statue in commemoration

Plaszow Labour Camp Selection square


Thursday 12th January Auschwitz 1 - ARBEIT MACHT FREI

We travelled to Auschwitz 1 Camp (original Polish name: Oswiecim) leaving at 8.00am. We watched a 15 minute harrowing video of the origins of Auschwitz in the Museum Cinema. We then entered through the infamous ‘ARBEIT MACHT FREI’ (‘Work sets you free’) Gates. We saw where the SS carried out medical experiments on children, the punishment cells, and death wall. We learned about the entire process of deliberate and systematic death that took place in this place. We also learned how a tiny number of people survived and even resisted. Other than life itself, nothing was wasted. Human hair, gold teeth fillings, spectacles, human skin, clothes, toothbrushes, cutlery, plates, bowls, children’s toys even false limbs were ‘recycled’ as part of the war effort. Auschwitz 1 was the prototype for Birkenau (Auschwitz 2) and was a ‘factory of death’. Early medical experiments on gassing took place here and political opponents of Hitler were the first to be imprisoned here. Death was by various means: starvation, work, punishment, beatings, typhoid, shooting, hanging or suicide on the electric wire that ran around all the camps – finally there was gassing. Auschwitz was not just one camp, but a complex that consisted of 40 separate camps situated around purpose built factories. These factories were built by companies like IG Farben, Krupps, Messerschmitt and Siemens. Most, but not all, of these companies were broken up after the war by the British, US and Soviet governments. Having profited from the use of slave labour of the prisoners a handful of company Directors were prosecuted as war criminals but most kept their places on the boards even after serving a number of years in jail. In September 1941, Hoess (Camp Commander) gassed 700 Russian Prisoners of war at Auschwitz 1 in Block 11 – this led to the development and ‘improvement’ of gassing using ‘ZYKLON B’. The first gas chamber was built in Auschwitz with crematoria attached – Crematoria 1. This has been partly reconstructed and we visited the site. Auschwitz 1 is the original site even though the bulk of the murders were carried out at the Birkenau site. We spent part of the day at the infamous ‘block 11’. This is where prisoners were tortured with extreme violence and pain, including the notorious ‘standing cells’ in which prisoners were kept in narrow cells that did not leave room to sit or lie down. We held a short ceremony at the infamous ‘Death Wall’ where prisoners were shot against a cork wall—the cork prevented ricochets against the SS men carrying out the executions. This was very important part of the visit and we each were able to lay individual flowers, and Glen arranged for a wreath from the North West Region and John and Trevor where honoured to lay this wreath.


This is the original site of Auschwitz. All the blocks hold exhibitions now, and we visited some key ones that our tour guide had selected which described and illustrated the process of extermination. In these blocks we saw the belongings of people gassed by the Nazis. This includes personal effects, clothes, shoes, spectacles, the massive piles of human hair, and other items. The key thing to remember is what we saw in the exhibitions is only the items that were left as the Nazis never got the chance to use them. We visited the Death Wall, the punishment block (11) and the surviving Gas Chamber all identified on the above plan.


Friday 13th January — BIRKENAU

Another ‘early 8am’ start saw us travelling to Auschwitz 2 known as ‘Birkenau’. Auschwitz 1 was ‘the template’— whatever worked there was replicated at Birkenau (Auschwitz II) on an industrial scale—we will never forget the sheer size of Birkenau it certainly was one of the many silent moments we all experienced. Birkenau was a factory of death on a massive scale with 4 Gas Chambers (2-5) and attached crematoria. The imposing watchtower and railway track saw hundreds of thousands of people, mainly Jews, from all over Eu-rope brought here in cattle trucks and sent straight to the Gas Chambers. ‘Selection’ on the ramp divided the living from those about to die. The average length of survival at Birkenau was 3 months. Birkenau was divided into sub camps with names such as ‘Canada’ and ‘Mexico’; there were also dedicated women’s death and children’s barracks. At its worst, Auschwitz Birkenau held over 135,000 people, 60-65% were Jewish. Over 1.25 million people were gassed here 1942-1945. Medical experiments also took place here at Birkenau. Twins, especially children, were subjected to horrific experiments, sterilization, change of eye colour. All Auschwitz prisoners, after early 1942, were tattooed with a number. Guards, electric fences, the infamous ‘Kapos’ and a strict hierarchical regime plus beatings, starvation and shootings made resistance extremely difficult. All prisoners were divided: YELLOW star for Jews, RED triangle for Political prisoners, PINK for homosexuals, GREEN for criminals, PURPLE for Jehovah’s Witnesses. The huts which housed the prisoners were former stables; they housed approximately 1,000 people who would sleep with no heat and no light, on sawdust or straw. These huts were rife with typhus and dysentery and the SS were petrified of catching it from the prisoners. The women’s blocks were made of brick but had no floors or ceilings. They were freezing in the winter and stifling in the summer. Often they were overrun with rats who would attempt to devour dead and dying prisoners. This was horrifying to stand in this place.

Home of the Prisoners Crematoria 4. In October 1944 against all the odds the ‘Sonderkommando’ revolted and blew up this crematoria knowing they were to be its next victims. Despite the conditions resistance was organized. The 4 women who smuggled the explosives in were hung in front of the entire camp.


Crematoria 4.

We again laid individual candles of remembrance

Birkenau has left a leave a permanent image in our memory.

Above is a lay out map of Birkenau. The famous tower entrance is at the ‘Main Gate’ where our tour started. We then walked to see inside some of the barracks and the remains of the crematoria. We also visited the Memorial to the Victims of Fascism, the ‘sauna’ building and the remains of Crematoria 4 where we light candles to remember those who revolted in October 1944. We then walked past the remains of crematoria 5 and towards the SS barracks and out of the camp to see ‘Mexico’.

Birkenau Has left a permanent image in our memory. ‘Never Again’.


Startling Statistics By the end of 1946 nearly half a million Germans being held on charges of direct participation in mass murder. There were another 3,500,000 listed for significant criminal complicity. The united nations war crimes commission drew up another list made up of those liable for automatic arrest as former members of the Nazi part, in the American occupation zone alone the total was more than 13,000,000

Those charged three million four hundred and forty five thousand one hundred 3,445,100

Those charged but released without trial 2,487,000

Those fined 569,600

Those who had employment restrictions 124,400

Those who political careers were over 23,100

Those who had property confiscated 25,900

Those who were subjected to special labour without imprisonment 30,500

Those sent to labour camps 9,600

That leaves 90,000 meant to go to jail by 1949. In total out of a possible 13 million guilty people less than ten years after the war only 300 people were still in prison and only 11 were sentenced to death at Nuremberg.

Over 6 Million people perished under the Nazi regime, this included a vast number of children. We have seen the horrors of the Holocaust; we became living witnesses, and will not forget what we have seen and what we experienced.

‘Never Again’ A call to action not a slogan.


Personal Reviews John Flannery, Branch Secretary This trip was an extremely sobering but worthwhile experience, which has enabled me to truly understand the scale and efficiency of the Nazi death camps. The atrocities that we bore witness to will stay with me for the rest of my life, specifically the gas chambers/crematoria and some of the torture chambers in particular the standing cell at Auschwitz 1 camp. The most emotional parts of the journey for me personally related to the children that were murdered by the Nazi regime, with three key areas of the tour bringing this into perspective, these being the Jewish Museum (renovated prisoner block) at Auschwitz 1 camp where it depicted the drawings of imprisoned children all around the room, and a room room containing actual (quite graphic) pictures from the liberation day. It was a privilege to lay the wreath on behalf of the UNISON North West. As well as remembering those who died we’re acting as living witnesses to the Holocaust as it begins to pass from living memory. I am extremely proud to have become a living witness of Auschwitz, and will vow to continue the education to ensure we never forget the lessons of the past. Lin Douglas, Branch Equalities Officer For me this was a trip that will never leave me, I can honestly say it was a privilege to become a “living witness”. To experience the environment, extreme weather, cold and wind in what can only be described as excellent clothing and footwear was humbling, when you stand in a place that those have gone before you only had “stripped rags” often “no shoes”, certainly brings the horror and terror to the fore. “To find my family name “FRANCKEL”, and members “great uncle a chief Rabi and his wife and children,” and more recorded in the book of Shoah “the book of dead” in Auschwitz 1 recorded as murdered, hit me hard. Thank you John and Trevor for finding them with me. I can honestly say I have not had the sights and experiences out of my mind since. Trevor Jarman, Branch Chair I’m not sure where to start when I think about my experience in Krakow and the camps. I had read, watched, heard about the holocaust over the years, I thought I knew what I was going to experience….I didn’t I think about the victims life before the war in a prosperous city welcoming them, the sudden onslaught of the Nazis tearing their world apart, the separation and isolation of families to the ghetto, the selection for work or death in mobile death trucks before the camps were up and running, the removal from the ghetto to the camps, the selection for labour or death on arrival to the camps, the ‘living’ conditions in camp, the survivors living everyday with the horrendous memories. I also think about the brainwashing of the Nazis and German people to think of these people as ‘filth’ ‘contaminants’ ‘sub humans’ for them to be able isolate and carry out this genocide. Key words come to mind every time I try to explain my experience DECEPTION, MANIPULATION, DEHUMANISATION & DEATH. It truly scares me that propaganda can make another human being turn into a ‘killing machine’, horrifying images still appear in my mind even when I don’t realise I am thinking about it.


The ancient proverb “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” used to mean to me that doing this meant you would be positive in all you do, now it has taken a different context and if we ignore it ‘bury our head in the sand’ and do nothing about it then the world is a very dark place. I am now a ‘living witness’ I won’t forget, I truly won’t forget. To conclude: This is not a trip anyone should take lightly! It is extremely taxing on you both physically and emotionally. We walked over 52 kilometres over the trip, and a number of those who attended had underestimated the weather conditions and the demands of the trip. Our only down time was of an evening, after more walking to a restaurant to enjoy the local hospitality. We did have a few hours on the Saturday morning before our return journey to the Airport to enjoy the city of Krakow.

Documents

UNISON - Ormskirk & Southport HealthUNISON - Ormskirk & Southport Health 2017 Annual General Meeting Wednesday 8th March 2017 @ 13:00 Education Centre, Ormskirk District Hospital AGENDA