What does the branch's Young
Members Officer do?
Who Is A Young Member?
Unison and Young Members
Young Members and
International Issues
City of Stoke On Trent Branch - Officer Youth And Articles For Young People
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Want To Get Involved |
Young Members Forum |
Poverty In Retirement |
Young Members Latest News |
What's Hot issues affecting this branch |
Education and Training Opportunities |
Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Who Is A Young Member Anyone aged 26 or under is classed as a Young Member |
| Unison
And Young Members
Unison boasts 50,000 young members and rising, one of the fastest increasing young memberships in a UK trade union. Where young people are part of a workforce represented by a trade union they get a better deal, including improved pay and career opportunities, and are less at risk from exploitation, accidents and injury compared to young workers in non-unionised workplaces. That's why out priority is to recruit and support more young members. Unison's special employment advice website offers special channels
for working students and nursing students. For further information contact Unison Young Members at 1 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9AJ. The current National Young Members Officer is Chris Fabby - [email protected] |
What
Does The Branch's Young Members Officer Do The role
entails:
A young member is also guaranteed a place at the annual National Delegate and Local Government Conferences which provide a valuable insert into the working of the union. This role is currently vacant. If you are interested please contact the branch secretary for an informal no obligation chat on 01782 232263 or e-mail [email protected] |
| Young
Members and International Issues
Young members are important in taking action and raising awareness of international issues and that of the international activities of Unison. Young members can form part of an international network share good practice with trade unionists across the world, and provide mutual support where workers are facing exploitation or intimidation for union activity. For more information on international issues at branch level click here. |
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Branch Roles - as a Unison member you're always part of your local UNISON branch. It's your main source of advice and support and the most important link between the union and members like yourself. |
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| Workplace contacts - this is an deal role for
someone who is interesting in becoming a steward of safety rep and wants
to find out more about what's involved.
Stewards - A UNISON steward is an elected rep who helps organise, recruit and represent members in their workplace. Health and Safety Reps - A UNISON health and safety rep helps to make sure that people's jobs and their workplaces do not cause injury or ill-health. Want to meet new people, learn new skills and go to places? Be active in UNISON and you'll get a lot more out of your union. Getting involved means:
Different ways to get involved - different people participate in different ways. Try getting involved in a local, national or international campaign or the work of the Unison job group connected with your employment. Having an equal say - different groups of members meet together under the UNISON umbrella. These groups:
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Student Debt Rises 500% in 10 Years The crushing burden of student debt 10% last year, meaning the average graduate leaves college owing £12,069. People entering the workforce with that level of debt will find it difficult to plan pensions or buy properties, said Barclays bank, which compiles the annual figures. |
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| The crushing burden of
student debt 10% last year, meaning the average graduate leaves college
owing £12,069. People entering the workforce with that level of debt will
find it difficult to plan pensions or buy properties, said Barclays bank,
which compiles the annual figures.
If the trend continues, it added, young people leaving college in 2010 might owe £33,708 after three years of study. The research also showed a 500% increase in student borrowing since Barclays started tracking the trend in 1994. Then, students coming out of universities and colleges owed just £2,212. Variations in debt see students in the midlands leaving owing less than those in the pricey south-east. Students also experience stress about paying back money, often borrowed in the form of student loans but also from parents and even on high-interest credit cards. "The findings of this survey are no surprise when in the context of the attacks on student maintenance support by the Conservatives, the introduction of tuition fees, and the planned introduction of top-up fees by the present government," said UNISON national young members officer Chris Fabby. "While UNISON welcomes the reintroduction of a student grant of up to £2,700 a year, we believe this amount will have to be rapidly increased to stave off the rising debts levels future students will face." "There is no doubt that introducing a market and variable top-up fees will force students who do not want to take on bigger debts to study on the cheapest courses," said National Union of Student president Mandy Telford. Colleges are going to start charging variable fees of to £3,000 an academic year from 2006 under controversial recent government plans. |
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Todays Young People Face Poverty in Retirement Less than half of young people under the age of 30 are making any provision for their old age, according to official figures — storing up what the TUC is calling a national pension "time bomb". That figure is in marked contrast to the thrifty attitudes of people born in the 1950s and 1 960s, of which 62% and 73% started pension contributions before they hit 30. |
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| Today’s generation of under
30s are facing pressures on their finances such as high post-college debt
and rising property prices. But, says the TUC, ignoring their finances
later in life could just add to those headaches
‘Unless young people take out pensions a generation faces poverty in old age, dependent on the generosity of whatever government is in power," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. "We used to think that slowly and surely we were all getting more prosperous. That’s not likely unless trends change," he warned. If a young person started putting aside £100 a month from 20 onwards they could look forward to a weekly pension of possibly £142 a week. But if they waited until they were 35 and saved the same amount they’d only get £71 (neither figure includes the existing state pension). The key is to get employers to cancel their retreat from occupational pensions. The rate of personal contribution climbs from 13% in workplaces where employers don’t offer work-based pensions to 69% where they do. Young people as much as today’s pensioners need to take a stand for a new pension settlement based on a good state pension topped up by decent occupational arrangements," noted Barber. |
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Unison young members have a strong voice in the union through young members forums, held both regionally and nationally. |
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| Members of the regional young members forums
work together to ensure that the opinions and issues of young members are
represented within your region. Regional Young members forums feed their
regional work into national campaigns and help ensure the priorities of
their region reflect the concerns of young workers. For details on
young member activities, such as this, in your area telephone our Regional
Office in Birmingham on 0121 685 4200 and ask for the Young Members
Officer, who will be able to provide you with information for your region.
Each region nominates representatives to sit on the national young members forum. This forum has responsibility for:
National Young Members Conference Another way to get involved is to register as a delegate for the national young members' conference. This conference takes the form of a series of skills-based workshops and plenary sessions to help young members get more active in the union. If you want to attend you must contact your regional office and ask to speak to the staff member with responsibility for young members (0121 685 4200). Each region is entitled to send up to 10 delegates each so it is a good idea to express an interest early on. |
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15/3/04. Minimum Wage rises Announced. The minimum wage rate for adults is to be raised to £4.85 in October 2004 - alongside the introduction of a £3 minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds. |
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| Trade secretary Patricia Hewitt
made her decision based on advice from the Low Pay Commission, to which
UNISON made a series of submissions.
UNISON and the YMCA recommended the minimum wage be extended to 16 and 17 year olds after researching conditions for young workers and apprentices. It was found that young people were doing increasingly responsible jobs with little reward in care homes, shops, restaurants and hotels. "It's great news that 16 and 17 year olds will now receive minimum wage protection and we welcome the adult rate increase to £4.85 and £4.10 for 18 and 21 year olds", said Unison General Secretary Dave Prentis. "Unison has campaigned long and hard for a minimum wage and we look forward to the day when all workers are paid the rate for the job. A three tier system is unfair - pay should be based on competency not age". "We want to see a single minimum wage rate for all those performing a full job" added Mr Prentis. "Young workers are firmly established in the labour market and need minimum wage protection. They are performing tasks equivalent to those of adult workers and contributing to the economic success of the country and the organisations they work for. It is only fair that they are paid the rate for the job". A Low Pay Commission statement said "The Commission has concluded, first, that the overall economic outlook remains favourable, with growth being slightly higher than forecast last year and the labour market remaining robust with high employment and very low unemployment." "In addition, employment across low-paying sectors as a whole is continuing to grow and there seems to be little or no evidence that the minimum wage is having an adverse impact on these sectors". "On this basis the commission believes these recommendations are affordable for business and will not have any significant effect on levels of employment". |
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