Branch Executive Report 2006 / 07

The Branch Executive has met monthly during the year.

Our membership is now over 7500 and growing and we are the largest branch in the South West. We are really keen to ask more members to become active as stewards and as we still have many workplaces without any steward at all, do please come forward to help us and your colleagues have your say!

Stewards and officers of the Branch are all volunteers and the Executive wishes us all to thank them for their valuable involvement and commitment. This work is recognised by members as well as management to be of real value. I list below the Members of the Executive and their officer roles and take this opportunity to thank them warmly on your part for all the work they do on behalf of us all:

President Paul Davis, Chair Roberto Franceschini, Vice Chair vacant, Secretary Moira Macdonald to August 2006 and Colin Trudgeon since then, Assistant Secretary Bernie Crean, Treasurer Dave Parsons, then Yvonne Warner Assistant Treasurer Julia Chiverton, Auditors David Hinchcliffe and Mr J Goldfinch, Welfare Officer Royston Davis, Education Co-ordinator vacant, Life Long Learning Officer Rose Gander, Communications Officer Steve Ryles, Assistant Communications Officer Des Gander, Women’s Officer Ann Hydes (job share), Young Members’ Officer vacant, Membership Services Officer (Vacancy), Equality Officer Sue Fanous, Labour Link Officer Graham Parkhouse, Sports and Social Secretary (Vacancy), Health and Safety Officer Jennifer Brooks and Keith Mills, International Relations Officer Darienne Flemington, Black Members Officer vacant, Retired Members Secretary Colin Lomax, Disabled Members Officer Steve Gallin, Lesbian and Gay Officer Contact Unison Office, Matford, County Hall.

The work of the Branch is carried out by the above Officers and we are always seeking ideas and help from the membership to make our Branch more representative and effective. We take part in South West Region activities in UNISON through Regional Council and its Committees. Many thanks to the activists who have give up their weekends to this task. The year saw our South West Regional Officers changing; now Liz French and Ken Pearson do this job, we thank them (and Fiona Bentley earlier) for their assistance.

Branch Delegates attended UNISON annual national conferences: National Delegates; Local Government; Women’s; Disabled Members; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.

We thank our Branch Office Staff Caroline and Carol for their hard work and assistance under difficult circumstances. Lesley, our Branch Office Manager, who had been unwell for most of last year, returned and we hope that her health will fully recover. Others have also helped in the office and we thank the new Branch Secretary Colin Trudgeon, and Bernie Crean as Assistant Branch Secretary. I would like also to mention Paul Preece and Ray Jackson for their continued support over most of the year.

This has again been a very difficult year for our members, stewards and officers who work for Devon County Council. We have had to deal with a range of issues across all Directorates, Single Status (Job Evaluation), and the externalization and split up of Social Services, and a new threat from budget reductions and Local Government Reorganization specifically the possible impact on County jobs and services if Exeter is successful in gaining unitary status. Most difficult of all, and affecting some members beyond the County Council, across Devon, is the attack on our Pensions Regulations by the Government.

Our special thanks to Moira Andrews and Roberto Franceschini as Devon County Council Staff Side Leaders who, along with the dedicated team of stewards / representatives have also dealt with the above contentious matters, and are continuing to address a number of critical service conditions issues with management through the Devon Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) and with the Council's employers, the democratically elected County Councillors at the County personnel Partnership Committee.

This Branch also encompasses other public sector, voluntary, charity and private sector employers. Some of these employers fall significantly short of the employment standards that Devon County aspires to. I wish to especially to thank stewards who are with these other employers, many of whom face considerable difficulties. This is an area that is very likely going to expand from transfers of our members through privatization and externalization of services strongly being promoted by Central Government.

I would ask all members of UNISON to remember that we are all part of UNISON. We all need to support each other and work together. We especially need input from our low paid, part time members, most of whom are women, and we would encourage more young members, black members and disabled members and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members to become involved.

Roberto Franceschini - Branch Chair