Union Mail – July 2015: National Conference 2015, Unions 21 Productivity Survey, Rep of the Year

National Conference 2015

Our National Conference will be held over 12–13 October 2015. The Conference is the forum where Union policy and rules are decided. All motions passed by delegates with a two-thirds majority become Union policy and define our agenda for the next two years.

I am now calling on all members to submit ideas that will form the basis of Conference motions.

Submit Your Ideas for Conference

Your idea for a Conference motion can be about a work related topic e.g. pay and benefits, performance management, equality issues or can be about Union policy or rules or about external affairs that you think NGSU should be involved with or support in some way (for example, which organisations we affiliate to).

Your idea will be sent to your local Union Rep who will contact you to discuss this and to gain a full understanding of what the issues are. They will work with you and the Union to develop a motion that will be proposed at Conference.

The wording of the motion will be checked by the Standing Orders Committee to ensure that the aims it seeks to achieve do not breach Union Rules. Once it is approved by the Standing Orders Committee it will be included on the Conference agenda for debate.

How to submit your Conference motion ideas

You can submit your ideas in a variety of ways. You can simply talk to your local Union Rep and ask them to take your ideas forward and develop a Conference motion, you can send us your ideas online at www.ngsu.org.uk/about-us/conference or send an email to ngsu@ngsu.org.uk.

If you’d like more information about Conference or need help in developing ideas for a Conference motion please call us on 01295 710767.

The closing date is Friday 21 August 2015.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

Unions 21 – Productivity Survey

Unions 21 is an organisation that provides an ‘open space’ for discussion about the trade union movement and the world of work.  It recognises that the Union movement needs to evolve and adapt to an ever changing world and encourages discussion through research, publications, seminars and other activity.

NGSU members have been invited to participate in a survey that will support research into how productivity in the UK can be improved.  The survey is seeking initial thoughts about what employers, unions and government can do to increase productivity.  There is a second element to the survey that seeks to identify the issues that most concerned union members when deciding how to vote in the general election. This feedback will be used to engage with politicians and identify areas for further research.  All responses will be confidential and any reporting of the results will be on an anonymised basis.

All participants can choose to be entered into a draw for a £50 voucher.
The survey can be completed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Unions21.

Rep of the Year

Our Constituency Representatives play an important role for the Union – working on behalf of local members and keeping us in touch with local issues whilst keeping up their day job with the Society.

We like to recognise their achievements by inviting members to nominate their local Rep for our Rep of Year award, to be presented at our National Conference in October.

If you’d like to acknowledge the contribution of your local Rep please find a few minutes to fill in our nomination form on our website – just follow the links for Conference from the scroll news bar our home page or visit www.ngsu.org.uk/rep-of-the-year-2015.

Tim Poil
General Secretary

July Draw Winners

First Prize:  £12,017
135462 – Wendie O’Shea – Collections & Recoveries in NAC

Second Prize:  £5,000
095002 – Judith Martin – Telephone Channels in NAC

Third Prize:  £2,000
104548 – Gina Hayward – St Ives branch

Fourth Prizes:  £500
075640 – Clive Parkinson – Pensioner Member
133606 – Theresa Smith – Customer Services & Operations in Swindon
095566 – Patti Pugsley – Epsom branch