Unite WIN Additional PPE for First Aiders

Following pressure from Unite, senior management have backed down on their refusal to provide clinical grade face masks to first aid responders.

Unite H&S Officer, Adam Tinsley, has been arguing since July that first aid responders should be provided with additional PPE for cases where social distancing cannot be maintained, but University management deemed this unnecessary.

Facing a potential second collective grievance from Unite, senior University management have agreed to issue updated guidance and additional PPE to all first aid responders at the University. This will make a huge difference in protecting first aid responders, particularly those working in Security and at the residences.

Health & Safety Inspections

Unite’s H&S Officers are continuing to carry out inspections across campus to determine whether COVID-secure measures are in place.

On a recent inspection of the residences, a number of issues were identified at The Edge, including incorrect social distancing guidelines, an absence of protective screens, and poor signage in areas such as the laundry room. The University has now begun implementing changes based on trade union feedback to ensure that proper risk mitigation measures are in place.

Our H&S Officers are currently planning further campus inspections, as well as an inspection of COVID-secure measures at AMRC. If you have concerns and would like our H&S team to inspect your department or building, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Collective Grievance Update

Unite, UCU, and GMB had the first of our formal collective grievance hearings last week. Although the second formal hearing should have been held this week, the University was unable to field a full panel due to one member being on leave. Our second formal hearing will now be held on November 5th.

You can also help by printing off the attached poster and sticking it up in your work area: https://neyh.unitetheunion.org/media/2227/2227.pdf

Open Letter: No Confidence in the University’s Executive Board

Our sister union, UCU, recently held a meeting at which their members voted that they have no confidence in the decision-making of the University Executive Board.

This decision was based on the University’s delayed response to the COVID crisis, the poor financial decisions that led them to threaten fire & rehire in the summer, the reckless promises made to students, and the University’s failure to make campus COVID-secure before reopening for teaching.

UCU have now published an open letter that anyone can sign, declaring no confidence in the UEB: https://forms.gle/YgjjR4P1hUjCwA8b6

Stay in touch! SMS AND EMAIL FORM HERE: https://forms.gle/tqGbmZs5tfE7tXSMA

Help Grow the Union - Together we are Stronger

These are unprecedented times. We’re all concerned about keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe, and for many of us it’s also a time of worry and uncertainty about our incomes and job security.

Our trade unions help us to stand together when times are tough – protecting our lives and our livelihoods.

There’s never been a more important time to join a union. Ask a friend to join today! Introduce a new member to Unite and get a shopping card worth up to £25

Info Here

https://unitetheunion.org/why-join/member-offers-and-benefits/member-get-member/

Joint Union Meeting for New Members

Unite, UCU, and Unison will be holding a joint meeting for new members on November 6th at 1pm. The meeting will be hosted on Zoom. If you’d like to attend, please register here: https://forms.gle/NWFYVMV1A4NVrq7B7

University of Sheffield Branch

Latest Branch News

Join Unite

Learn new skills