Send an email to sixthformcollege@unison.co.uk with subscribe in the subject box for the latest UNISON news for sixth form members or send an email to furthereducation@unison.co.uk with subscribe in the subject box for the latest news for FE members.
Regional FE & Sixth Form Committee June 2007 Report
Report by Steve Cooper.
Chair of the Unison South East Further Education and Sixth Form Committee.
Unison South East Regional Further Education and Sixth Form Committee Report June 2007
Surrey UNISON
Regional FE & Sixth form Committee
The next UNISON South East region FE & Sixth Form committee will be held at 11am, 8th June at the UNISON Office, Ranger House, Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4UL.
Agenda, Minutes of last meeting, Expenses Form
Amongst other items, the committee is currently considering a big recruitment drive across the colleges in the South East with the possibility of UNISON members becoming seconded on a short term basis to organise recruitment in the region.
Surrey Sixth form members are represented by Douglas Winter from Woking College.
Surrey Further Education members are represented by Roger Calow and Jenny Harvey from Guildford College.
FE Pay Claim for 2007/8
The Further Education Trade Union Side of the National Joint Forum - who negotiate all aspects of nationally agreed terms & conditions for support and teaching staff in FE colleges - have submitted the following pay claim to the AoC (Association of Colleges). A brief summary and a document containing the full claim covering hours, workload, training and pay is enclosed.
National FE and Sixth Form College Members' Seminar
Friday 20 April to Saturday 21 April 2007 [residential] at the T&G Centre, Eastbourne. The seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues affecting college members. As well as updates on the national negotiations and policy developments, there will be workshops and presentations on a range of issues such as: Job Evaluation, Equality, Stress, Leitch Review of Skills, Mergers and Governance. There will be a side meeting for Sixth Form delegates. This is your annual opportunity to meet as a sector and strengthen your organisation. Closing date for applications: 6 April 2007
Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education
This guidance has been drawn up in consultation with trade unions and key stakeholders and comes into force from 1 January 2007. It sets out the responsibilities of local authorities, schools and FE colleges and details relevant legislation. The guidance is also relevant for agencies which supply staff to the education sector, contractors who work in education establishments responsible for under 18s, as well as providers of education and training for those under 18 funded by the Learning and Skills Council.
Cuts threaten better services
Axing English lessons for migrants could hit health and social care services. Efforts to improve public services could be derailed by cuts to adult English language teaching for migrants, unions have warned. The Government is a large employer of migrant workers - in the health service, social care and school catering - who will lose the right to free English classes under reforms announced last year.
Pre-AGM Update
The UNISON regional FE and 6th form committee are to have an Emergency Pensions briefing on 1 February. This regional committee has also recently produced its first newsletter for college members. Contact Mumta Erkadoo at the Guildford Office for a copy and to find out more about this important committee. There is also a new national UNISON newsletter for college members.I will be giving a report on the current situation with our pension scheme at the AGM on Wednesday based on the proposals in this easy to understand briefing available from:
Campaign Against Cuts To Adult Education
Cuts to adult education are continuing to reveal alarming trends, course closures and fee increases for students and redundancies, restructuring and uncertainty for staff. UNISON continues to work with other trade unions and key stakeholders in a campaign to raise awareness of the impact of the cuts with central government.Many of our members have already engaged in local campaigns involving staff, students and local communities through public meetings, rallies, meetings, lobbying of MPs, etc. We want to encourage our members to link into these campaigns. We have updated and revised the campaign pack which can be downloaded from here.