Next Trades Council Meeting: Tuesday 17th November

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 17th November, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (September) and matters arising. 
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer
5. ANTI CUTS CAMPAIGNS- including adult social care and others
6. LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGNS: Update on campaigns, including reports from Unison, People's Assembly and others involved in the campaign.
7. Report from  East Sussex County Association of Trades Councils
8. Any other Campaigns: Colleagues invited to provide information on their Unions’ local and national campaigns, and any support that the Trades Council could give.
9. Any other business. The bar will be open afterwards !

Low Pay Scandal at the DGH

UNISON Hastings & Eastbourne Healthcare branch issued a Freedom Of Information request to East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Eastbourne DGH  and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings,  to establish the numbers of staff which do not receive the Living Wage (Currently £7.85 per hour)

The Trust has provided the following information on the numbers of staff who are currently paid less than £7.85 Living Wage.

Permanent Staff
321 staff ( 267.70 whole-time equivalent)

Fixed Term Temporary Staff
18 staff

Primary Assignment "Bank" staff  (i.e. do not have a substantive post elsewhere within the Trust)
451 zero hours contract (so no whole time equivalent available.)

This equates to approx. 11% of the Trust workforce (7314).

Unison said: "This is to form a part of our campaign to urge the Trust to become a Living Wage employer with all the positive aspects which that brings. Not only for the staff involved with an increase in their pay packets, but also for the Trust in recruitment and retention. A positive news story ...for the Trust is needed now more than ever."

Other NHS Trusts locally either pay the living wage or have made commitments to do so.
Sussex Community NHS Trust has been paying the Living Wage since 2013. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust have agreed to do the same at Board Level and are currently looking at the logistics around implementation. Brighton and Hove CCG also pays the Living Wage.
Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS pay the Living Wage for all current staff other than Bank and new starters.