ATUC Newsletter: Monday 30th March 2020

       STUC survey - COVID-19: How safe is your job?

STUC wants to know more about how employers are responding to COVID-19 and what it means for you and your work. They will use this information to put pressure on government and employers to keep workers safe, protect jobs and ensure people are treated fairly. Your answers are confidential and our reporting will be on an anonymous basis. This should take less than 10 minutes to fill in. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/XRJFZ6X

TUC survey

Unions are pushing for fair treatment for everyone at work. But we need to know more about what the problems are. If you have concerns about how your employer is responding to coronavirus, please fill out oursurvey. The survey is short and can be completed anonymously if you prefer. Even if you tell us where you work, we won’t publish any details that can identify you. If there’s something you’d like to tell us about what’s going on where you work, please take the survey now. https://tuccampaigns.typeform.com/to/DhepZE

Aberdeen City Council has launched a free crisis support line to prioritise support to its most 
vulnerable and at-risk customers during the coronavirus outbreak.

This service is for crisis only. It is for those who are hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak and unable to find the information they are looking for or unable to get help from their existing support networks, in these unprecedented times. The telephone number 0800 0304 713 will be staffed initially from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday from Tuesday 24 March until further notice.

Members of the emergency helpline team are ready to provide welfare and financial advice and support, including what to do if you are struggling to get food or pay bills. Similar advice and information are also available on issues such as housing, health, food, heating, finance and schools on the Coronavirus(COVID-19) page of the Council’s website, which is being regularly updated. https://news.aberdeencity.gov.uk/council-launches-emergency-helpline-during-covid-19-outbreak/ 

FAQs have been developed jointly between COSLA and the SJC Trade Unions (UNISON, Unite and the GMB) to help Local Government employees understand the national COVID-19 advice. https://www.cosla.gov.uk//news/2020/03/covid-19-employee-faqs

 BEMIS Scotland have formed an Ethnic Minority National Resilience Network to aid ethnic minority
communities to access support agencies, emergency relief or make contact with broader community support initiatives during this period of self-isolation. 
https://bemis.org.uk/ethnic-minority-national-resilience-network?fbclid=IwAR1D7bYRCFJeDpXkz2zYiYFQALeu3eC-ES0Ra-UeEdERL9TnjuezzGrPmqI

6.               TUC Webinar: Coronavirus at Work: The Wage Subsidy

Part of TUC’s Coronavirus at Work webinar series, with Kate Bell, TUC Head of Rights, International and Social Affairs. Register to join: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/the-wage-subsidy-and/register

7     Actions you can take:
Petitions

·       G20: Offer debt relief to fight coronavirus       https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/coronavirus_debt_relief_loc/?ffktrcb&fbclid=IwAR0oYJu-9Y723cHh86Eg8gA0v5SBuCPYsk1IBw2Ul5Yag7H87HUtYIU4JmU_debt_relief_loc/?ffktrcb&fbclid=IwAR0oYJu-9Y723cHh86Eg8gA0v5SBuCPYsk1IBw2Ul5Yag7H87HUtYIU4JmU

·       Coronavirus: catch everyone in the safety net   https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/petition-coronavirus-catch-everyone-safety-net/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=petition-share&utm_campaign=covid-living-wage&utm_content=catcheveryoneinthe&fbclid=IwAR0GXceAPJQy89GLTWJWc11lPuE1tJi3xjbqjlXWV8QJwW3hm1PcCfVJNfo

·       6 Demands from NHS staff to help us tackle Coronavirus https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-6-demands-from-nhs-staff-to-help-us-tackle-coronavirus

·       Joseph Rowntree Foundation - Government must go further to protect people  https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/government-must-go-further-protect-people-low-incomes-impact-coronavirus