Are you making the most of The Deal?

The Deal Team would like to invite you to The Deal Roadshow on Tuesday 6 September 2016 in Firth Hall, Firth Court between 11.30am and 2.30pm – you are welcome to drop in at any time.

The Deal Roadshow will bring together all The Deal benefit providers in a special event to help you find out how to make the most of The Deal  read more

Body health checks available by appointment on Tuesday 6 September in the Arts Tower entrance and on Wednesday 14 September in Hicks GO7.

To book your MOT visit Juice activities calendar

The UK government has announced that universities will have certainty over future funding and should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while the UK remains a member of the EU.

Where UK organisations bid directly to the European Commission on a competitive basis for EU funding projects while we are still a member of the EU.

For example, universities participating in Horizon 2020, the Treasury will underwrite the payments of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

This means the University of Manchester will receive £5 million funding for the     Graphene Engineering     Innovation Centre (GEIC). This will fund equipment needed for a new facility which will exploit and     maintain the UK’s world-leading position in graphene and related 2-D materials.

The Scottish government has announced a £100m investment package to stimulate the economy.

The commitment by the UK Government also means that £40m for Swansea University’s new Bay Campus is secure, along with £9.3m for the Beacon project helping develop the low carbon industry.

In addition, UK universities will start to look to other non-EU Universities to undertake research.

UK Universities have a global reputation and will start to explore relationships with other global partners in countries such as US, India, Australia and New Zealand as well as the EU.

Employers’ initial offer to higher education unions does not include the living wage.

The five higher education trade unions have rejected an initial pay offer from the employers and urged them to improve it before the next meeting.

The unions met UCEA, the employers’ representative body, on 21 March – the first of the 2016-17 pay negotiation meetings.

The trade unions presented a joint claim and the employers responded with an opening offer.

This offer included a 1% increase on all pay points, as well as a statement that the employer has a genuine interest in exploring whether all sides can agree joint work on reducing both the gender pay gap and casual work in the sector.

The joint unions rejected this proposal, which does not address areas such as the living wage, and urged the employer to improve the offer before the next meeting, which is scheduled for 28 April.

Are you coming up to retirement? Do you know that you can continue to get benefits of being a UNISON member after you leave The University of Sheffield?

As a retired member you would still have access to UNISON Welfare and UNISON Legal Services as well as receiving special rates or increased benefits from UNISON’s service providers.

You just need to have been a member for at least 2 years and to apply within 2 years of retiring from The University of Sheffield and to be either be getting a pension or have reached the state pension age.

Download a retired membership form

Responding to the announcement of the Hillsborough inquest verdict, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:

“After 27 years of lies and cover-ups, the families of the 96 finally have justice. This has been a struggle that united a city and then a nation behind the battle for truth and accountability.

“For too long, smears in the media and by the authorities meant that justice was denied. UNISON has been proud to stand with the families and the campaign from the outset. We shared their desire for justice because many of our members saw what really happened on that terrible afternoon.

“This has always been a cause that is close to my heart. Like so many people, I will be thinking of friends and family today, and those who were taken from us all those years ago.”

UNISON is to campaign for the UK to stay part of the European Union, and will be encouraging its 1.3 million members to vote remain on 23 June.

The decision was taken today (Wednesday) at a meeting of the union’s governing NEC, and follows an extensive UK-wide consultation and survey across UNISON’s branches.

The fear that Brexit would mean the loss of the many workplace rights – parental leave, paid holiday, protection for part-timers and limits on excessive hours – that UK employees have come to take for granted is the most important issue in the coming referendum, according to UNISON’s overwhelmingly female membership.

Concern over what might happen to those employment rights should the UK vote to leave the EU was closely followed by worries about the plight of the country’s public services if Britain opted to go it alone.

Continue reading UNISON CAMPAIGN FOR THE UK TO STAY IN EUROPE →

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