City of Stoke On Trent Branch - Retired Members Officer
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Unison believes that many members, when they retire, want to go on benefiting from union membership. The information below answers some frequently asked questions about retired membership. How can I become a retired member? Applications forms are available from the branch office (40 Kingsway, Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1JH tel 01782 236750) . The cost is £15 for life. |
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Proper Pensions |
City of Stoke-on-Trent Retired Members Group
The Branch has its own retired members group which meets at the Civic Centre, Stoke on the third Thursday of every month. In addition, trips and other social events take place throughout the year. New members are always welcome so once you have paid your £15 retired members fee, why not come along and them. Tea and coffee are provided at the meetings. For more details contact the Retired Members Secretary, Ann Harvey on 01782 331523.
Thousands Still Wait Repayment on Illegal Care Charges
Many elderly residents of care homes who have been wrongly charged for medical treatment are still waiting for back payment - 15 months after the government ruled they were owed refunds. More..
Gaps in Elderly Care Provision Are Widening
One in give people do not feel obliged to care for their extended family, neighbours or vulnerable sections of society according to a report released today by the Henley Centre. Another 34% of people are concerned that there will be no-one to look after them when they are old. According to the report, gaps are widening in case provision as confusion reigns over how government, charities, the private sector and individuals should share responsibility for the needy.
The report commissioned by the Salvation Army identifies the situation as a "responsibility gap" . It believes this will lead to high numbers of elderly having to care for themselves at home, low income families suffering from a lack of affordable childcare, informal carers having to cope with little support, and people suffering from addictions having little or no access to detox programmes. The Salvation Army said the report was not about apportioning blame but simply recognising that in todays society people are less likely to care for others as there is little chance of a return of simply because it falls outside of their sphere of interest.
As a result, the report identifies that those in greatest need are classified as the "time consuming, the unfashionable and the unrewarding".
Unison senior national officer Owen Davies agrees that urgent action needs to be taken to address the gap in care facilities. "This report shows there is huge demand for the services provided by our members in social services" he said. He added that most elderly people would rather remain independent but home care support services have to be increased for this to happen. Huge numbers of our members are undervalued and underpaid and this clearly needs to change, particularly when we need to recruit more workers to meet growing demand".
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Frequently Asked Questions on Retired Membership Who can become a retired member? If you have been a Unison member (or a member of one of the partner unions) for at least two years on the day you retire and you will either be getting a pension or have reached state pension age, and will not be going into another job, you can become a retired member. Keeping In Touch - usually you will remain a member of your existing Unison branch. If, however, you move house, you can transfer to your new local branch. If you are already in retired membership and have moved, you can become a retired member of your new local branch immediately. You will need to provide proof of your membership - a membership number, for example. The Unison office in your region can tell you which branch is nearest your home. You will be able to keep in touch with former working colleagues and attend and participate at branch meetings in accordance with Unison Rules - provided that the subjects under discussion are not related to the pay and conditions of working members. Many Unison branches have formed active retired members' groups which meet on a regular basis; for social events and outings as well as keeping up to date with Unison campaigns and pursuing issues of concern to older people. Some funding is usually made available by the branch but groups can raise extra money in other ways - a separate small subscription or by running raffles, or bring and buy sales. Some groups also raise money for Unison Welfare. Some funding is usually made available by the branch but groups can raise extra money in other ways - a separate small subscription or by running raffles, or bring and buy sales. Some groups also raise money for Unison Welfare. Secretaries of retired members' groups are able to attend and participate in branch committee meetings. To find out what happens in your branch, ask your branch secretary, or better still if you have one, the retired members' secretary. Why does Unison organise Retired Members? Unison is unique amongst the trade union movement in having a Retired Members' Organisation, whose structure mirrors that of the working members. This means that retired members can participate in Unison's democratic machinery at all levels. Retired members can attend branch meetings and have representation on the branch committee and regional council. They also send representatives to the National Delegate Conference. A National Retired Members' Committee meets regularly and is able to feed its views to the NEC and the rest of Unison. In addition, a Retired Members' Conference is held annually, where retired members can debate the issues of importance to them and submit two motions for the agenda of the National Delegate Conference. IN this way you can influence union policy from branch to national level. We believe that a trade union should reflect the society in which it operates and millions of older people living in the UK. It is vital to maintain the link between the employed and retired, thus promoting solidarity between the generations. Retired and working members have a shared interest in the provision of decent incomes in older age, a universal health service and the creation of a civilised society. Today's workers are tomorrow's pensioners and Unison's members work in public services on which older people are heavily reliant. Unison recognises the need to campaign on pensioner issues and the Retired Members' Organisation provides a "banner" under which this work can be done. Assisting Branches Retired members are also an important organising resource and the experience gained during their working lives can be an asset to branches. Many Branch Officers are occupied ever increasingly with negotiating with employers and therefore branches need extra people to help out. Retired members can provide a variety of help on a regular basis - with mailings, for example, or giving a boot to campaigning activities when needed.
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