Union Mail – June 2012

NGSU – 40th Anniversary

Next month NGSU will celebrate our 40th Anniversary as the independent trade union representing employees at Nationwide. In the summer edition of Rapport magazine, which will be sent to members over the next two weeks, we recall some of the highlights and remember the milestones that have shaped the Union over the 40 years. Other features to look out for in Rapport include:

Win a £1000 Holiday

To help mark our 40th Anniversary we’re offering one lucky NGSU member the opportunity to win a holiday worth up to £1,000. We’ve teamed up with Benchmark Travel, who operate the NGSU Travel Club, to offer this great prize. Members can choose to book a holiday for up £1,000 or add this amount towards the cost of their dream holiday booked through the Travel Club.

Details of how to enter this competition and full terms and conditions are published in Rapport (Issue 73), or come along and enter in person at our Roadshow Events in July at these venues:

• Pegasus House: 9th July
• Nationwide House: 10th July
• Bournemouth Admin Centre: 11th July
• Northampton Centre: 12th July

David Hopkins Awards

Many members will remember David Hopkins, former Head of Corporate Personnel at Nationwide, who sadly died in an accident in 1996. David was an inspirational figure at Nationwide and to honour his memory a Trust Fund was established by the Society and NGSU. Last year the care of the Trust passed to the Union’s Trustees and it has now been agreed to distribute the remaining monies in accordance with the original objectives of the Trust.

NGSU members can apply for a David Hopkins Award of up to £500 towards their personnel development in community based work. Members can read more about the work of the Trust and how to apply for an Award in Rapport.

ACE Lifestyle Extras

We are pleased to announce that we have agreed an arrangement with ACE Voluntary Benefits to give members access to a wide range of discounts on products and services from major retailers and leisure activities. Members will also have the opportunity to purchase a Team Club pre-loadable Mastercard which gives generous cash back if used at 35 nominated retailers including ASDA, Sainsbury, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Boots, Argos and M&S.

Look out for an insert in Rapport for more details of how to access these benefits and for details of a great Personal Accident Plan available from ACE insurance – offered to NGSU members at competitive group rates (starting from £1.51 per month). The plan covers nearly all sports and dependent children can be included free.

Read Rapport Online

Rapport magazine is also available to read online as an interactive pdf. Click on the ‘News’ menu from the home page for a link to Rapport.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

NGSU Activity in June

Throughout this month we will be continuing to work on behalf of members in a number of Areas:

Branch Closures: At the end of May the Society announced that a number of Nationwide and Regional Brands branches will be closed. We will be supporting affected members as the Society consults about transferring these employees to other branches.

Branch Overtime and Saturday Working: We are continuing to raise concerns with Nationwide about the changes being implemented to the approach to overtime and Saturday Working. In particular we are concerned that some employees who have agreed to take TOIL are not having the opportunity to take this time off. We believe this situation will become more difficult as the summer holiday season approaches and are working with the Society to issue further guidance on taking TOIL.

Pay Review 2012: The negotiations regarding the July Pay Review are scheduled to continue through June. The feedback we have received from members has asked us to negotiate on behalf of long serving members who have not had a pay rise in recent years and this will be one of the elements of our pay claim. If we are able to reach agreement, details of the settlement will be published in early July. If we are unable to reach agreement, we will pursue the agreed dispute process and ultimately arbitration via ACAS.

Performance Ratings Appeals: We will be supporting a number of employees who are seeking to appeal their performance rating.

Union Regional Councils: We will continue to consult with Union Representatives at Regional Councils being held in Bournemouth; Northampton; Swindon and branches from the South Region. Please let your local Representative know about any issues you would like raised at the Regional Councils.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

June Draw Winners

First Prize: £10,696

Bryany Madgwick – Chichester

Second Prize: £5,000

Gareth Morris – Edinburgh

Third Prize: £2,000

Steven Wilson – Computacenter

Fourth Prizes: £500

Nicholas Hill – Pension Fund Member
Richard Shovlar – Operations Support
Serena Newman – MP Team Managers